studmuffin | → there's just a few things I think that you should know

So, it's not everyone out of the entire City. It was logic. [ A beat. ] So, you wanted to talk in person.

[ Guilt twists in his stomach but this is an out and he's taking it. ]

Yeah, there's like, no hard feelings? It's just weird. I'm used to the forest and I'm used to - to being by myself? Nothing's changed. Not between us.

I know that. [ He does. ] It's cause my mom's here. Isn't it?

[ He pulls a face. ]

I can look after myself, y'know? And your mom'll only try to look after me and it'll be weird.

It won't be weird. [ She always tried to look after him back in Beacon Hills. The answer suffices. Scott's ultimate conclusion doesn't matter in the end. If something is going on - and thanks to his mom, he still suspects there is - it's Stiles' business. And if he confirms it, Scot'll have to lie to his mom. And then his mom will say something to Derek. As far as Scott can tell - and even back in Beacon Hills - Derek has Stiles' back. ] But, I get it. She does, too. She doesn't like it.

[ He pauses, then fiddles with his soda can. ]

It's just - your mom is here Scott. I don't think I can ... [ He should just do this. It's not out of an allegiance to Derek, not really. He likes living with Derek but. ] I've been home maybe twice. It feels like I haven't seen my dad in a year even with that. I don't think I can do the whole family thing.

[ He plays with the table cloth. ]

I'm sorry he's not here, Stiles.

I'm not. [ He leans back his chair on two legs. ] I miss him so much it hurts. But if he were here it'd hurt him. You've seen what the City does. It'd take --.

[ His mom. The City would use his mom against his dad and Stiles never wants that. ]

Take what? [ He picks up his sandwich again. ] My mom wanted to know why we never told him.

And you told her that was because it's a terrible idea, right?

[ His heartbeat rockets, the usual Pavlovian response to the idea of telling his dad. ]

I told her we were protecting him. We think we're protecting him.

We are protecting him.

I know we are. But - and I know talking about this now doesn't change anything, that anything we come up with or think while we're here, we'll just forget it, but what if we aren't. He showed up at the vault. With Deaton. He helped. Couldn't he help more if he knew? And, couldn't he be kept safe? Peter Hale almost got to my mom. Gerard got to my mom.

[ Gerard got to Stiles too. And all he has to do is think about the look on his dad's face when he saw Stiles and couldn't do anything about it and know that they can't tell him. That telling him gets him involved, gets him killed. ]

We're not telling him. Even if he turns up here, even if he won't remember. We're not telling him.

If he turns up here, we have to tell him, don't we?

No.

What part of no way isn't computing? [ :| ]

How is he going to handle this. If you expect my mom to lie to him - even here... Wouldn't telling him here be safer? There's no alpha pack, no Gerard.

You do realise there was no you here either? They could turn up any day and if my dad knows there's no way we could stop him from getting involved.

[ He's gone off his food now, just looks unhappy. ] I can't, Scott. I don't want him to know. I don't want to lose my dad too.

How are you jumping from telling him the truth to losing him? My mom knows. She's not lost. And I am afraid for her. Every day! Every day, I worry that something is going to happen. To her. To you. To Allison, Lydia --

Because that's --. [ He just runs a hand through his hair. ] I don't want him to have to deal with the fact I've been scared for my life for two years and he had no idea. I don't want him to have to chalk up another thing he'll think he failed on. I don't want him to put himself between me and half the danger this place has put me through.

I don't want to tell my dad. It's my choice.

[ There. He's been scared. For months. Before the City, even. How could he not be. Scott understands where Stiles is coming from. Completely. That's the problem here. They reached an impasse. They started on one side of something and ended up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ]

He's going to find out.

I'll protect him.

[ Fierce, direct even. ] He won't.

If he comes here, the way this City works. Curses make us say things, do things. Heading that off at the pass, isn't it better?

[ He bites the inside of his cheek. ]

Do you know there is only one person in the City who knows that Derek is a werewolf? I didn't tell them. I've kept it secret, all of it, for this whole time. Even with the curses. I can keep it from my dad too.

And now I'm here. And Isaac. Lydia... Lydia's something.

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