"I just quit the team recently. I don't think it really fits into my life right now."

"What does fit in your life right now?"

"School, my mom, my friends, and work."

"Allison didn't tell us you work. What do you do?"

"I work at the local veterinary clinic after school most days."

"You plan to go to veterinary school."

"I'm not completely sure," he admits.

"I volunteer at the hospital a little, but I like working with animals."

"If that's what you like, far be it from us to tell you otherwise. There's nothing wrong with liking animals. They're very different than people, though, and it's important to know the difference."

Allison returns.

"It needs five more minutes. Let's get started so it won't have a chance to get cold."

Regan gets started and hands her granddad the potatoes.

"You mentioned your mom. What's she like?"

"She works really hard at the hospital. She's a nurse, and she has to take a lot of night shifts. It's been hard on her since she left my dad, but we manage."

"You didn't mention his parents were divorced, Allison."

"I didn't think it was relevant, mother."

"Maybe you and her can spend some time together, mom. Get to know each other."

That way she can be judged fairly.

"It would be lovely to meet your mother, Scott. I hope we can arrange that."

"I'll talk to her about it. That would be nice."

Food.

Food.

Gerard eats very slowly, giving him plenty of time to ask Scott questions about what his family situation is like, what he thinks about the house, and other things which make Scott somewhat uncomfortable.

Regan pipes up with random questions too; about Stiles, about his dad, what his grades are like. Is it just Stiles and his mom that he's especially close with?

Scott conspicuously avoids talking about his dad when he can help it. He talks about his grandmother, his cousins, and his aunts and uncles, but not his dad. He compliments the house generally. His knowledge of what makes a good house lasts long enough to give the compliment. His grades have been good (mostly A's, until this semester- that's part of why he quit lacrosse).

When he's directly asked about his dad, he says, "It's been a while since I've seen him."

"What does he do for work?"

"He's a law enforcement officer."

That nervousness isn't something she's reading from his face. It's clear from his heartbeat.

"How admirable. Two noble professions that you come from, Scott. Are you sure you'll be satisfied working as a veterinarian?"

"Scott will figure out what he's going to do eventually, grandad. He doesn't need our help."

"I'm only trying to offer the boy a little guidance, sweetheart. Every man needs a strong, male role model in his life to show him the ropes."

Well, obviously something is up with this. She ignores the goings on of her granddad and sister - she'll likely hear more about it later - and presses on.

"What kind of law enforcement?"