Talia Of Animalistic 32 Paparazzi

"How do you feel, Mist," asks Wildcat.

"Stiff…," answers Richy, "and a little sore… But mostly just stiff."

"You should do your best to take it easy for at least another week or two," Cougar tells Richy.

"Where's Talia," asks Richy.

"I sent her outside for some fresh air," answers Cougar. "She's hardly left your side for the past week."

"I could use some fresh air myself," says Richy, "but I think I'll hop in the shower first."

After his shower, Richy doesn't have to go far to find Talia. She's sitting in a glide rocker with Eli and Windwalker just outside the kitchen holding Will. Fall is fast becoming winter and everyone is dressed appropriately. No one's feet are bare. All feet are moccasin covered. Talia is due to give birth in two months in the middle of winter. She tries to hop to her feet to greet Richy except her belly's too large. Windwalker helps her to her feet. She hands Will to Cougar and hugs Richy tightly.

"I knew you would come for me." Talia tells Richy. "But you all came for me, even Windwalker."

Richy hugs Talia close and tight as he admits, "I don't remember much after going over the cliff with Fjord. We were in the water. I was having trouble. He had me in his jaws. I couldn't breathe. Then I was in your arms… I can't believe you jumped off that cliff. You could have killed yourself and our baby."

"I didn't think," Talia admits softly, "I just reacted."

Richy sighs, "I'm guilty of that one myself. I shouldn't have run out of here by myself without a word to anyone. It was foolish of me. I could have gotten us both killed…" He puts a hand on Talia's ma.s.sive belly, "I could have gotten all three of us killed…" He looks over at Windwalker and tells him, "I don't know how you and Breeze got there so quickly or how you got us back here so quickly, but thank you, thank you both."

"You're welcome," Windwalker tells Richy, "I'm glad to finally not be a thorn in everyone's side."

"Where is everyone," asks Richy looking around. "Where's my grandfather?"

"He's with Animalistic along with Breeze and the others," answers Wildcat, "helping them set up for winter."

"Richy your tribe," Talia explains, "Water has splintered. Most are with Animalistic. Some went with Mantis. A few went with Nighteye…"

"And some plan on returning with me and Breeze," adds Windwalker.

Richy sighs sadly, "I guess that was inevitable. Fjord was a bad chief. He treated them all badly and finally abandoned them. They're going where they think they'll be safe and treated well. I can't blame them. Any join the Amazons?"

Wildcat nods, "Yep, a few."

Richy takes it easy for a few more days, staying home with Talia until his grandfather, Greywolf, Otter and her children, Seal, Ba.s.s with his children, along with Breeze, Stinger and their children return from helping Animalistic set up for the winter.

"Roar and Zenith will be coming for a visit in a few days," Breeze informs Richy and Talia. "Animalistic has set up camp for the winter very close by. Roar says they haven't used that spot in about a decade. It's just a short walk from here, about a quick sprint race's distance."

Talia nods and smiles, "Yes, I know exactly where they're at. It's only about a fifteen minute walk. It was my parents' preferred area for the winter. It put them close to me for the winter and made visiting each other easier. My grandparents and I would spend most every weekend of the winter with them when I was a girl." Those are obviously good memories for Talia.

"Mist," Breeze's tone respectful, "If you don't mind, Windwalker and I would like to have some private time alone with Talia before we head back to our tribe and prepare for winter ourselves."

Stinger makes a disgusted sound at Breeze's request.

Richy ignores Stinger and tells Breeze and Windwalker, "No problem, you've both proven you are invaluable a.s.sets to this family."

"Thank you," Breeze and Windwalker say together smiling. Breeze is nearest to Talia and puts out his hand to her. Talia takes his hand delightedly. Everyone now knows Breeze is one of Talia's consorts so he can now show her affection openly. He kisses her pet.i.te fingers held in his large hand as Windwalker joins them and they head upstairs to the master suite.

"Doesn't that bother you," Stinger asks Richy.

Richy looks at Stinger and admits, "At first, yes. Yet I understand wanting private time with Talia. I love getting her to myself once in a while, we all do. And they're technically not getting her alone because they're together. Plus, they've proven themselves. As soon as they knew where she was, they went after her just like I did. I'm not angry with Windwalker anymore and I was never angry with Breeze. They can have their private time with Talia when they need or want, individually or together."

Stinger crosses her arms angrily, "Well it certainly isn't necessary for him to be so openly affectionate with her, is it? And while we're here, he mates with her every day. He's not that way with me at all."

"Stinger, you need to let this go," Wildcat tells her. "Jealousy is an ugly, dangerous emotion. It will consume and destroy you from the inside out just like hate. As her consort, Breeze is ent.i.tled to show her just as much affection as he would show to a mate. Any troubles between the two of you are not caused by Talia."

"He's so different now," shares Stinger. "He's so serious all the time now except when he's here around her."

"Breeze may not be chief of Air," Wildcat reminds Stinger, "but as the chief's brother he has a lot of responsibility. Instead of looking for him to be the man you fell in love with over a decade ago, try accepting him and loving him for the man he is today. Surely you realize you're not the same woman he fell in love with over a decade ago. Would you have let this bother you over a decade ago?"

Stinger shakes her head no and responds thoughtfully, "I am not the same woman."

"And when you're around Roar, you and he mate every day, correct," asks Wildcat.

Stinger nods her head yes in response.

"Yet Breeze nor Zenith are never jealous of you and Roar," reminds Wildcat.

Stinger wraps herself up to keep away the chill in the autumn air, "I'm gonna go watch the children play with Otter and Seal."

Richy, Wildcat, Cougar, Greywolf and Eli watch Stinger walk away. Each man is concerned, but doesn't know what to do to help her. The problem she's having is internal.

Upstairs in the master bath, Breeze and Talia are smiling amused and happy as they watch Windwalker standing in front of the bathroom mirror looking over his shoulder trying to get a good look at his own back.

"Here," Talia picking up a large hand mirror, "use this mirror to look into the large mirror, like this…," Talia demonstrates and hands him the mirror.

Windwalker does as Talia showed him. He gets a big smile on his face as he admires Talia's claw marks on his back. She has accepted him and marked him as her mate. He puts down the hand mirror and pulls Talia into his arms and kisses her. He tells her, "You make me so happy. I can't wait to show my sister and elder advisor." Then he kisses her again.

"Can we get a bubble bath now," ask Breeze smiling amused at his elder brother.

Fresh from the bathtub, Talia, Windwalker and Breeze head downstairs. They find Talia's other mates and consorts in the media room where they left them. Cougar is giving Will his bottle as he plays chess with Richy while the other men watch. Richy is explaining the game to Eli, who's listening intently. Talia pauses to kiss first Greywolf then Wildcat. She kisses Cougar as she relieves him of Will then Richy and finally Eli. She sits and snuggles into Wildcat and kisses Will's forehead.

"What is this game," asks Windwalker.

"Chess," answers Richy, "It's basically a war game."

"It's too complicated for me," admits Talia. "I keep forgetting how each piece moves."

"Maybe during our next visit," suggest Windwalker, "if you have the time, you could teach me how to play."

Richy glances up and smiles at Windwalker as he agrees, "Sure."

"You got to rush off," asks Wildcat.

"We don't want to," admits Windwalker, "But we have winter preparations to ensure take place for our tribe. We usually also give our Night Crawler neighbors a hand with their preparations as well." He leans over Talia and gives her a long kiss and tells her "I will see you again soon."

Talia touches Windwalker's face and tells him sincerely, "I shall miss you." Then she kisses him again.

"I smell a wound on you," Wildcat tells Windwalker.

Talia blushes as Windwalker smiles and informs Wildcat, "Talia gave me her mark." Wildcat, Greywolf, Cougar, Richy and Eli all congratulate him and shake his hand.

Breeze leans over, kisses Talia and grinning tells her, "We'll be back soon."

Talia returns his grin, "I know you will."

Breeze kisses her again. Then he turns to his brother, "Let's collect Stinger and the children. We need to get moving. We'll see you all soon" Both brothers wave and the others wave back in return.

"I'm going into work tomorrow," Richy shares, "I plan on only doing half days for a couple of weeks."

"That sounds good," agrees Cougar, "I think you're ready to go back."

"I've got reports to read and evidence to review, "Not to mention, Margie needs to interview me too."

"The new moon is in a few days," reminds Talia eager to go to work herself.

"You're not going," Richy tells Talia, "You have an office here. You can do all your work from here, digital conference calls, etc."

"Yes, Richy," Talia agrees meekly.

Richy and the other men are surprised. They were all expecting an argument out of Talia.

"But what about my adoption of Will," asks Talia concerned. "It's not final yet and I need to go into Megalopolis for hearings regarding Sheila's family's suit for custody."

Richy hears despair in Talia's voice. He looks up and sees tears in Talia's eyes and tells her, "You can go into Megalopolis with Cougar for your legal appointments concerning Will. But I want at least two of the others to accompany you both. I've talked with Uncle Bob and there are reporters hanging around waiting for you to show up. So avoid your offices. I talked to Margie too this morning. During their search of Grimm's vehicle they discovered he had at least two other ident.i.ties. So I think it's safe to say that Fjord has other ident.i.ties as well. He could be anywhere by now, including Megalopolis. I just feel we need to be extra cautious."

"Yes, Richy," Talia agrees meekly as tears begin to slide from her eyes.

"What's wrong, Dearest," asks Wildcat concerned.

"Wrong," questions Talia.

"Yes, Dearest, what's wrong," asks Wildcat again. "You're crying. Why are you crying?"

"I'm crying," questions Talia touching her face and finding it wet with tears. "I guess I am crying… But I don't know why." Talia wipes her face, but the tears keep falling. "This is silly. I can't seem to stop. I have no reason to cry… Maybe I need a nap."

"Come on Eli," Wildcat helping Talia up and knowing Eli has a soothing effect on Talia. "Let's go have us a lie down."

"Here, I'll take Will," Cougar retrieving Will and kissing Talia, "I love you."

Talia nods, "Yes, I know. I know you love me. I know you all love me. I just don't know why. It doesn't make any sense. I'm more trouble than I'm worth."

Richy kisses Talia, "That's not true. You're priceless."

Talia shakes her head and tells him, "I nearly got you killed." Then she steps away from Richy. Wildcat and Eli stay with her. Richy, Cougar and Greywolf watch them walk out of the room.

After they're out of the room, Greywolf wonders out loud, "What did Fjord do to her?"

"I don't know," says Richy worried for her, "she hasn't said a word about it to me."

"I wouldn't expect her to anytime soon," Cougar tells Richy. "She talked to Margie because she had to, but she wouldn't give Margie details as to how Fjord treated her. We just know she spent time handcuffed spread eagle to the bed. He used Puddle's wellbeing as a tool to control her. Her left wrist had the most damage, so I think he kept her chained most of the time like a pet."

"She didn't argue or protest in any way," says Richy concerned. "I was expecting her to pitch a fit, tell me I was being over protective or something. I had my reasons all prepared."

"She's not the same, Richy," Cougar informs him, "And don't expect her to ever be the same… That first night she was back we all had a turn with her except you because you were sleeping and healing. We were all so eager to touch her, to smell her and taste her just to rea.s.sure ourselves she was home safe and still ours. We didn't care about Fjord's scent marks or his bite on her thigh. We all just wanted to hold her. But I think we over whelmed her…When she went to take a shower, she shut the bathroom door."

"I noticed she's been doing that," says Richy, "In our bathroom she normally only gives the door a half-hearted push. But she's been pus.h.i.+ng it all the way closed."

"Well," Cougar continues, "she was in there a long time. Normally, if she's in there showering by herself she's pretty quick, twenty minutes max. But more than an hour pa.s.sed so I went in to check on her and found her crouched down in the shower crying quietly. I asked her what was wrong and she asked me if the door was closed, said she need it closed. So I stepped over and pushed it closed. I went back to her and asked her to tell me what was wrong and she said, 'I can't get his d.a.m.n stench off of me.' I suggested we try the baby wipes and she nodded. I turned off the shower and helped her out, wrapped her in a bath sheet and pulled the baby wipes out from under the sink… Luckily, the wipes worked really well on removing Fjord's scent marks. And fortunately her belly's so big from the pregnancy, she can't see his bite mark on her inner thigh or she might be freaking out over it."
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"We just have to do our best to be loving and supportive," says Greywolf. "She'll talk about it when she's ready with whoever she needs to hear her. Puddle is with the group that joined Animalistic. Perhaps they'll talk and help each other heal. I think I heard Puddle thinks she's pregnant. It'll be her first baby if she is."

"Do you think she'll ever talk to me about it," Richy asks Cougar.

Cougar takes a deep breath, "You're the one person whose thoughts about her actually concern her most. She worries about what you think about her. She's afraid to lose your love even though my father has a.s.sured her multiple times that's impossible… You just may be the one person she'll never discuss it with."

"Can we finish this game later," Richy asks Cougar. "I need some air."

"Sure Richy," responds Cougar understandingly. Then he and Greywolf watch Richy leave the room.

After Richy's gone, Greywolf asks Cougar, "Do you think we should tell Mist about those s.e.x toys we found in the house."

"h.e.l.l no," answers Cougar firmly. "One, it's illegal to remove evidence from a crime scene. But I didn't want that stuff in the reports where the wrong eyes might read it. Talia would be mortified. Plus, the last thing Richy needs is visions of what Fjord did to her dancing in his head. He knows Fjord mated with her, marked her. He don't need to see those toys too."

"I was just thinking it might help him be more understanding with Talia," explains Greywolf, "Help him accept that she's different now."

Cougar shakes his head, "He knows. He'll come to terms with it."

Cougar wakes as Talia slides out of bed in the middle of the night. It's not unusual for her to get up to urinate in the middle of the night. He hears the toilet flush and the sink comes on for a minute then turns back off. But Talia doesn't exit the bathroom. So he slides out of bed careful not to wake the other men. He slips into the bathroom remembering to shut the door behind him. He finds her sitting in the dark on the edge of the tub staring at nothing.

He sits in front of her and asks, "Are you feeling alright?"

Talia looks at him and says, "I think I'm a wh.o.r.e."

"What," asks Cougar shaking his head, "Where did that come from?"

"Richy's going to work in the morning," Talia reminds Cougar.

Cougar asks, "So?"

"I did things with Fjord," shares Talia. "He did things to me. And he made me and Puddle do things together… They searched the house. They will have found his toys. Richy will see them."

"He won't see them," Cougar informs Talia, "While we were there we did a little pre-searching. Not only did I find your phone and ID, but I found Fjord's toys. I knew you wouldn't want anyone to see them, especially not Richy so we took them. They're hid up in a storage tote in a closet in that one bedroom we use for storage. He'll never see them."

Talia nods her understanding. "Thank you." She's very relieved and very grateful, but she's still worried.

"Talia…," Cougar says gently, "It's me, Cougar. I've loved you my whole life. And there is absolutely nothing that could ever change that. You can tell me anything. You can't just keep it all bottled up inside."

Talia's eyes glisten with tears as she shares with Cougar, "I had never seen s.e.x toys before. I knew they existed, but I had never seen such things before. And he said he would hurt Puddle if I didn't cooperate. And I knew he would do it. I smelled the truth of his words. So I did everything he wanted. I traded s.e.x acts for the phone call to Richy and Puddle's safety… Is it the same as trading s.e.x for money? Does it make me a wh.o.r.e?"

"No of course not," Cougar tells Talia, "He used Puddle's safety as a form of coercion. He raped you using Puddle's safety as a tool against you like a knife or a gun so you wouldn't fight him."

"It didn't feel like ****," Talia tells Cougar. "He slept beside me every night. He wasn't cruel to me. And the first couple of days what he wanted s.e.xually wasn't too out of the ordinary. Yet it progressed quickly to the toys and other things… Cougar he f.u.c.ked every hole I have in ways I never imagined. But the worst part was I started to like some of those things. I started to look forward to certain things. Even after he brought that baby butcher and I was mad at him."

"Baby butcher," questions Cougar.

"I never saw him," Talia informs Cougar. "Before he arrive, Fjord handcuffed me back down spread eagle to the bed, gagged me and blind folded me. I never saw him and Fjord never said his name. I only know his scent and his voice."

"What was he doing there," asks Cougar. "Why did Fjord have him there?"

"He wanted him to terminate my pregnancy," answer Talia.

Cougar shakes his head, "You're too far along, you'ld bleed out."

"He told Fjord that," shares Talia. "But Fjord didn't take me to hurt me. In his own sick twisted way he loves me. He's actually one of the loneliest people I've ever known. He misses his parents and his aunt terribly. The people that loved him even if they didn't understand him are gone."

Cougar touches Talia's hair and cheek affectionately. Only his Talia could manage to feel pity for her captor. "Now you listen to me, you are not a wh.o.r.e. You're a **** victim. Even if it didn't feel like **** because he didn't beat you into it or coerce you into with a physical weapon like a knife or a gun. And there's no reason for you to feel guilty because you enjoyed some of the things Fjord did. I nor any of your other men wanted for you to be suffering and tortured the whole time. And if you want or need any of those things he did, I have his toys. I'll do whatever you need, or Eli, he wors.h.i.+ps the ground you walk on. Plus, he's been exposed to Daphne. He'll happily do whatever you want and think nothing of it. And I hate to say it, but Ba.s.s when he's around. I know he has a kinky streak… So try to stop over thinking this stuff. You are not a wh.o.r.e or a bad person in any way. I find it amazing that you feel sorry for him after what he's put you through. That's just proof you have a loving generous heart. It's the best part about loving you." Then he kisses Talia tenderly. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed. Pregnant women need their rest."

Richy goes back to work as planned. Talia is calmer and has a tendency to hover near Cougar and Eli for a while. When Talia and Cougar drive to Megalopolis for legal matters, Eli and Greywolf go with them, occasionally Wildcat too. Talia cannot legally become Will's mother and share custody with Cougar until the lawsuit Sheila's family has is finished and their rights to Will have been terminated.

A week after Richy returns to work, they get their first snow fall. Talia's eighth month of pregnancy begins. She looks ready to burst as they go to court again and endure Sheila's family. Sheila's mother is the worst of them. Cougar may have been drunk when he turned into a bear and gave her a scare, but Talia's never been drunk and would delight in doing the same thing. And somehow reporters discovered the court date and they had to deal with a large crowd of them as they entered and exited the court house.

On their way out of the court house, the reporters surround them. Uncle Bob tries to talk the reporters back, telling them that they have no comment. But the reporters ignore him. The cameras and microphones continue to get shoved at Talia as the reporters bombard her with questions.

"What happened to your kidnappers!?!"

"How many were there!?!"

"Why did they never asks for a ransom!?!"

"Exactly how did you get away!?!"

"We heard your husband found you!!! Is that true!?!"

"Were you beaten!?!"

"Were you raped!?!"

So many, many questions being shouted at Talia all at once. Her head begins to real. She feels trapped. And there's no escape. She can't do any of the things she would do in the wild to escape a predator. She begins to have trouble breathing as tears streak her face and she begins to shake.

"Were you drugged!?!"

"Why does Mr. Wilson want to share custody of his son with you!?!"

"Mr. Wilson's ex-wife's family claims you caused his divorce!!! Is there any truth to that!?!"

Uncle Bob calls 9-1-1. "Yes, this is Robert Devons.h.i.+re. My niece and I along with some friends are trapped outside the front of the courthouse on Justice Square."

"How are you trapped sir," asks the dispatcher.

"We're surrounded by a mob of reporters," answers Uncle Bob. He hears sirens in the distance.

The dispatcher informs him, "There are peace officers in route sir. We received a call from a security guard inside the courthouse.

Talia collapses and Eli manages to sweep her up into his arms so she doesn't hit the ground. Then she clings to Eli's neck shutting her eyes tight and burying her face in his neck. But it doesn't black out the shouting reporters' voices.

"Talia Devons.h.i.+re has nearly fainted!!!"

"Is she alright!?!"

"Is she having contractions!?!"

"Ms. Devons.h.i.+re!! Ms. Devons.h.i.+re!!!"

"Ms. Devons.h.i.+re!!!! Ms. Devons.h.i.+re!!!!!"

"Uncle Bob," Cougar getting his attention, "We've got to get Talia out of here!"

"Peace officers are on their way," Uncle Bob informs Cougar as he accepts the baby carrier with Will in it.

"The SUV's too far," Cougar tells Uncle Bob, Eli and Greywolf. "Even if we got to it, we'ld be trapped in it until the peace officers arrive."

"Back inside the courthouse then," suggest Greywolf.

"How's grizzly sound to you," Cougar asks Greywolf.

"Grizzly it is," agrees Greywolf with a nod to Cougar. Then both men transform into grizzly bears growling snapping and swiping at reporters.

Reporters scream and fall over each other scattering to get away from the two grizzly bears. Cougar and Greywolf stand on their hind legs growling and swiping the air with their front paws. Then they all rush back inside the courthouse. The courthouse doors are pulled shut and locked by a security guard behind them as Cougar and Greywolf become themselves.

Eli sits down on a bench cradling Talia in his arms. Cougar squats down in front of them to check Talia and make sure she's okay.

"How is she," asks Uncle Bob worried as concerned courthouse security looks on along with other courthouse employees.

"Unconscious," answers Cougar frustrated, "She had a panic attack, hyperventilated until she fainted. But she's going to be fine. Her heart rate and respiration are strong and steady."

"Should we try to wake," asks Uncle Bob concerned.

Cougar shakes his head, "Naw, let her sleep it off."

"I've never seen it get this bad before," comments a security guard as he looks through the gla.s.s doors with another security guard as the peace officers arrive.

"They brought two patty wagons," announces the second guard as other courthouse employees move near the doors to see through the bullet proof gla.s.s.

Judge Suzuki comes around a corner. He says to Bob as reporters pound on the doors and windows as some attempt to try to record Talia through the gla.s.s as peace officers begin to arrest them and load them into the patty wagons, "Nigel said a mob of reporters surrounded you when you got outside. How's my G.o.ddaughter," he asks stepping over to Eli cradling Talia.

"It was too much for her and she fainted, Your Honor," answers Eli softly.

Judge Suzuki strokes Talia's hair back from forehead, "My poor girl, kidnapped by some lunatic while she's pregnant with her first child. Pregnancy is stressful enough on its own. And now those scavengers are out there trying to get a piece of her just to make a buck."

"Well, two news stations have got themselves a story for tonight," Uncle Bob pointing across the street at two news vans recording the mob of recorders. Bob looks at the sleeping baby boy in the carrier he's holding, "I can't believe this little guy is sleeping through it all."

"You're looking pretty paternal there, Bob," teases Judge Suzuki.

Bob smiles as he shares, "I need the practice. Otter and I are expecting our first together. She's due about a month and a half after Talia."

"Congratulations, Bob," Judge Suzuki genuinely happy for his friend.

"Thank you, Cyril," Bob beaming happily.

"You know, we don't see enough of each other," Judge Suzuki tells Bob. "We need to make a standing lunch date every month."

"And we need to start having you out to the estate for dinner at least once a month," agrees Bob.

"Talia would really enjoy it if you came out to the estate for dinner," inserts Cougar not meaning to interrupt the conversation. But neither of the other two mature men are bothered.

Judge Suzuki smiles at Cougar, "You were the best man at Talia's wedding."

"Yes sir," confirms Cougar shaking Cyril's hand, "Wendel Wilson, but everyone just calls me Cougar."

"Yes, yes," recalls Cyril, "Talia and you have pet.i.tioned for her to be made your son's legal mother. You're ex-wife's rights were terminated, but that hasn't stopped her family from giving you a hard time… I wouldn't be surprised if they discover this mob of reporters is a result of them leaking the date and time of your hearing today. That will be very bad for them when Judge Deseret knows for sure. But it bodes well for you and Talia either way… How do you know Richy?"

"Richy and I have been best friends since kindergarten," shares Cougar, "while Talia and I are from the same tribe and have known each other her whole life."

Judge Suzuki glances out the reinforced bullet proof plate gla.s.s windows, "Looks like the peace officers are just about finished rounding them up. They have the last of them on their knees with their hands behind their heads. Looks like they had to taze a couple… The body guards you've brought along are a good idea."

"Richy insisted," Cougar tells Judge Suzuki. "He expected her to put up a fuss about it, but she didn't."

"So where did you find her body guards," inquired Judge Cyril Suzuki, "Young's Security? Or perhaps Safe N Secure?"

"No, nothing like that," answers Cougar smiling, "Greywolf here is from our tribe Animalistic while Eli's from a more reclusive tribe."

"Well they certainly don't look wild," comments Cyril c.o.c.king his head to the side as he looks at the two men. "They look like professionals."

"We certainly shouldn't be sitting around a courtroom with Talia wearing skins," says Greywolf. "We would be distracting."

"Richy and Uncle Bob made sure we have appropriate clothes for coming to the city with Talia," shares Eli.

"So how are you paid," asks Cyril curious. "Most wilds aren't interested in money. Are you two interested in money?"

"Talia's safety is our payment," answers Greywolf.

Cyril nods approvingly, "You certainly can't by that kind of dedication."

"Looks like it's clear," states Uncle Bob.

Cougar takes the carrier with his son back from Uncle Bob as Eli stands with Talia cradled to his chest. The security guards unlock the doors and exits. There are still a few reporters from the mob that surrounded them on their hands and knees with their hands behind their heads. On their way out, they pause to speak quickly with the peace officers. Then they make their way across the street to the parking garage.

"Turn the camera off," they hear a woman's voice order. Then the woman jogs up to them. "Mr. Devons.h.i.+re, please forgive the intrusion. I know after the insanity I just witness you're anxious to get out of here."

Uncle Bob recognizes the woman reporter. She's always respectful and thoughtful when it comes to the people she's reporting on. "It's okay, Connie. Just make it quick."

"Is your niece alright," asks the reporter, Connie, truly concerned.

Uncle Bob sighs, "She's pa.s.sed out, but she seems alright."

"That's good," says Connie relieved. "I won't detain you any longer."

"Do you have a card," asks Uncle Bob.

"Sure," answers Connie. She quickly fishes a couple from a pocket and hands one to Uncle Bob.

"I'll take two," says Bob. "One for me and one for Talia." Uncle Bob accepts the cards, "I'll call you and do a brief interview for you. Talia's an intensely private person, but I may be able to persuade her to give you a call and answer a few questions."

"That's very generous of you, Mr. Devons.h.i.+re. Thank you, sir," Connie genuinely appreciative. "And sir, may I use your description of Talia as 'intensely private?'"

"You certainly may," then Uncle Bob slips behind the steering wheel of the SUV. Its light weight carbon fiber frame and body enable it to be plugged in and charged up. It doesn't require synthetic fuel at all.

"I hope you don't mind, Uncle Bob," Cougar informs him as they pull out of the parking garage, "but when we get back to your tower, I'm gonna have the valet bring the van out and take Talia straight home."

"That's a good idea," agrees Uncle Bob. "After that mess, she won't be able to relax. She'll be nervous that every time she steps out of the penthouse door there'll be a horde of reporters waiting. And unfortunately it's quite possible."

Uncle Bob gives a brief face-to-face interview with the reporter Connie. Talia gives a brief phone interview to Connie and finds the woman to be competent, respectful and nonintrusive.