While Tom began his day and Tad looked to say hello to an old friend, Agent Teddy Green had his own issues to ponder and overcome. Namely the issues that related to his becoming a weretiger, while he could hold his human form, just as Marci held hers, there were some things that had changed with his human form that couldn't easily be hidden. He'd always been a fairly fit man, but even in his human form he was taller and far more muscular than he was before. While he wasn't exactly a senior citizen, he'd been with Marci long enough that many of the signs of middle age had been there.
"And the people I work with aren't dummies," Ted thought to himself as he came back into the kitchen area of his and Marci's apartment with some thoughts of lunch on his mind, as Washington DC was in the Eastern Time Zone while Moon Lake was in the Pacific Time Zone. "They'll notice something is different about me."
That was one of the biggest things that becoming a were presenting his transformation. For being in his forties, that was close to middle age for a Human being, but weres already had a very lengthy lifespan, even before medical advances. With them, it was likely that a were could potentially live four centuries before old age would claim them, which meant "middle age" for a were was around 200 years old. In this, Marci and now himself were both practically still children when compared to older weres despite being physically mature and legal adults. That was how impressive the life span for weres could be, and now Ted had to take that into account as his human form looked more like a much fitter version of his 20 year old self.
Marci could hide some of that for her fairly well in just saying that "nature treated her generously" as she had been born a were and thus people would look on her and say it was natural for her. Ted, however, having been born a normal human couldn't do that. That was what had set about much of his present ponderances to explain the changes that had happened with him after becoming a weretiger. There were plenty of short explanations that could work with those that didn't know him well, and at the same time there was the possibility some things that he and Marci had talked through earlier might work, but there was still the fact that the men and women Ted worked with might not fully believe things.
"But I can't leave... I'm not at retirement age yet for my rank," Ted thought silently, "and resigning might only raise more questions... and some of the others are fairly decent friends."
That was another thing that hung over Ted's thoughts. He did his best to be professional when working cases. Murders and the things that his team was assigned to were always tough and required that. There were victims of the crime that needed to be treated with understanding and there were at times squabbles with local police over jurisdiction issues, particularly if the initial crime seemed "small." It was something that could be stressing on any FBI agent working as a team and getting along was a must. Ted had done fairly well with that, even if there was a time or two where he might have seemed overly professional. He respected the men and women he worked with and to a certain extent he couldn't just see himself lying to them, yet he also knew that with worries that were there over human reactions to weres he might have to.
"Still pondering over things?" came Marci's voice from behind him as she came up behind him.
"Still trying to think over how word all the changes and a way to make it believable," Ted nodded as he collected a paper plate and set it on one of the counters in the small apartment kitchen.
Marci slowly nodded and took another paper plate as the two prepared to settle in for an early lunch. Ted did eventually get some sleep the night before and the two of them had managed to make sure they were set to return to work that coming Monday morning, but Ted's position with the FBI still represented the potential some things wouldn't be easy to hide.
"Well I doubt you have to shower in front of them," Marci commented, "So... I'm sure they'll accept that you're a fit man. Maybe they'll see some difference.... but not enough to justify pushing."
"And getting my hair back?" Ted asked calmly, "some miracle product could work... but they may not see me as vain enough to do that. Nor do I want to make any insinuation that you were forcing me to..."
"I don't mind on that, dear," Marci told him, "you and I know the truth. That is all that matters, and your team respects you professionally and you get along well with them... I wouldn't think they'd investigate you over some things suddenly appearing different."
"I don't fear that they'd investigate me," Teddy commented, "but I know they're smart enough to know that something is different and may not accept things easily. That's the thing that's got my mind twirling over all this."
There was silence for a few moments as both of them worked on assembling some cold cut sandwiches. Though the two also fully understood each other in their thoughts and concerns, and it had one of the things that had left their marriage a happy one, even through all the years in which Ted had been a normal human.
"So what would you WANT to do, dear?" Marci asked, "you're clearly worried about this whole issue. Understandable... but still... worried. Maybe, it might best to leave the Bureau or transfer to a different branch. If it's still close, I could always commute and if not, I could leave the firm I'm in now and open my own practice or join another firm in the area... not to mention take the bar exam for that state, wherever it may be."
"I'd thought on that," Ted admitted, "If promoted in the future... I'd consider a transfer to the Seattle Field Office. We could move to Moon Lake then. But I can't be sure on whether or not that will happen... or if that office would have an opening for the level I'd be promoted to at the time."
Ted looked down for a moment as they walked toward their small dining table. They stat down as a nervous silence hung over them for a moment, but eventually Ted did answer and he looked up to Marci when he continued the answer he'd started.
"As for resigning... no... I can't do that," Ted said slowly, "I have no real need to... and I've gotten along well enough with those on my team that if I were to resign or leave, they'd expect a good answer. Which right now, I really wouldn't have. Particularly as if I'm not promoted to a higher office in the Bureau, I'll reach retirement age in a few years anyway. The only other thing that I could really think of would be to let my team know just what has changed and go from there... but then..."
"You can't be one hundred percent sure that they would accept you as a were," Marci said slowly, knowing the conundrum well. It had been something that had hampered her relationships throughout her life, as she couldn't be intimate with a male unless he was already a were, and she wouldn't turn any woman she'd seen into a werecat unless she was one hundred percent sure that they were "the one" as it were. And until she met Teddy, most men gave up when they didn't get a shot to get in her pants and seeing women was often difficult and behind closed doors. It was Teddy that had passed all those tests, but the were issue still remained and she was extremely nervous when she first revealed who she really was to Teddy.
"Yes..." Teddy nodded, "and why I've often been so concerned when you've assumed your were form... I've never wanted to lose you for that reason."
Marci nodded.
"And while you say you're confident you could argue any case to grant weres civil rights under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, that would be if weres were to come out as a whole," Ted continued, "and my situation is a bit... different."
"Well... if you won't resign, you may have to stick with things and go from there," Marci told him, "for while your team is smart... if they won't investigate you, I'm sure you'll be able to tough it out until it comes time to retire."
"I may still worry though..." Teddy admitted.
"Hopefully not too much," Marci smiled, "there are some things I'd love to do with you this evening."