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Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Never fear I have returned and just in time for Valentine's Day! Here's another chapter of The Zoo, and sadly I think we have at most two or three chapters left. Hopefully the conclusion will be worth the trip. (And if it is, maybe I should continue these adventures.) As always, please comment, favorite, rate, and don't be afraid to message me. I hope this upcoming Valentine's Day finds you all cuddling with loved ones...and for those of us who are single, hang in there. Love always finds a way...(It apparently is lost for me ;) ) - AK

Dulion sat glancing at the clock on his phone. Of all the times Danielle had to insist on coming over, she had to pick now; and of course Dr. Tennant's revelation about Cassie was huge, but that could wait until after Danielle had left. One phone call to the DA and it would be in the police's competent hands. Dulion didn't want to think about the amount of money he'd be donating to them whenever a calendar sale came about.

There was a sharp knock on the door. Dulion grabbed his cane and was able to hobble to the door, albeit with some pain. The constant transforming was taking a toll on him. Maybe he should ask the Doctor about that. Dulion opened the door. Danielle was there wearing a light coat and a professional looking outfit. In her hands was a manila folder.

"Hello Dulion." She said to him. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything important."

Dulion shook his head, resisting the urge to even hint at what he had been up to.

"Come on in." Dulion said.

Danielle walked in and Dulion gestured to the table. Danielle took a seat and Dulion sat across from her.

"Would you like coffee?" Dulion asked politely.

"No, that's okay," Danielle said, "I'm fine."

"So, what did you call me for?"

Danielle held up the folder before putting it down and sliding it to Dulion.

"I just helped finished a case against a mental hospital. Among the other offenses they committed was the infliction of psychological and physical trauma against lycanthropes. According to doctors, it was to make sure they were freed of any animalistic urges a lycanthrope might have. If you ask me, what they did was just horrid."

"What are we talking about?"

"Painful electroshock therapy, painful beatings, constant doses of tranquillizer, sexual assault or outright rape in some cases. Not to mention the psychological trauma of reminding most of them they were nothing but animals who should be locked in a cage or hunted or..."

"I got the idea. So why bring this to me; a little late night horror tale of why I shouldn't go to asylums or take medications?"

"What I just gave you is a file of one of the patients that was kept at the hospital. He was there for two years; one of the longest tenures. Take a look at his name."

Dulion opened the file and glanced at the first page. At the top, next to the phrase 'patient name' was "Johnson, Avery." Dulion didn't say anything. He merely sighed. This explained a lot.

"He was kept in there until he was 16." Danielle stated. "He was sending letters, begging for his mother or father to come help him, but they were never answered. The only correspondence he had was from his brother named Kay despite writing his parents and telling them everything they were doing."

"I wasn't aware of any of this." Dulion said. "But, why would you give this to me instead of the police?"

"I tried. I spoke with the FBI operative on the case...Maxwell I think his last name was. He said I should forward this to the profiling department that they would have better use of it than him."

"Because we already know who the criminal is."

"Exactly. But I figured there may be something important here, so I called you. You're good with details and I thought maybe this could help."

"I'll comb through it and see what I can find. Thanks."

"No problem. Oh, did you hear about the parade for lycanthropes coming up?"

"I did."

"Are you going to go?"

"Yeah, I kinda have no choice."

"Well, be careful. My dad says CATTL is planning something. I haven't heard much but I don't think it's going to be pretty. You'd better keep some Full Moon on you just in case."

Dulion was about to thank Danielle, but he paused for a moment. This didn't make any sense.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" He asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I haven't heard from you in I don't know how long and you call me and hand me the file on Avery and warn me about CATTL coming to the parade. I appreciate it, don't get me wrong, but still am I missing something?"

Danielle took a deep breath.

"Look," she said, "I've been doing some thinking and I realized that I really treated you kind of awfully. And I want to apologize for everything. I didn't know what to do and I reacted poorly to everything."

Dulion didn't say anything. It took him a moment to process everything. As he did, the familiar pain rose up once again.

"You really hurt me that day." Dulion said. "I mean sure, I should have told you what I was before we started dating. But if I did, I doubt you would have talked to me, much less dated me. But in some ways, I think something like that really needed to happen to me."

"What do you mean?" Danielle asked.

"For the longest time I didn't want to admit what I was. I figured that if I never acknowledged it, it wouldn't be true. Like I could just be a normal human, you know? Then it all came undone and...well you know, you were there. But the whole situation forced me to try and live with what I was."

"And did you accept it?"

Dulion chuckled a bit.

"No, not really." He said. "I still think it's some kind of black mark or something. But it has gotten easier to live with...can I ask you something?"

"Go for it." Danielle answered.

"If you knew that I was a lycanthrope before we started dating, would you have still dated me?"

Danielle sighed.

"Honestly, probably not. But that being said, being a lycanthrope is not something to be ashamed of. It's not something you can control."

"It's another strike against me in a long list of them. I'm a lycanthrope; I have a bad leg; I'm short; I like Nickleback."

"Okay, liking Nickleback IS a problem, but you can't control any of those other things. Besides, I've seen who you're dating now. Ibuki is gorgeous and she seems to like you just fine."

"I still can't figure out why."

"Because you're sweet and caring. Because you're the kind of guy who would invite his ex in on a moment's notice despite the fact that she treated him awfully. You're a good person, Dulion. When we started dating, I knew that and when I found out what you were, I forgot about that. But now that I remember, I would still like to be your friend, if you can forgive me."

Dulion smiled.

"Forgive what? Did you do something wrong?"

Danielle opened her mouth as if to say something before Dulion saw the realization flash in her eyes. Yes, he was still hurt, but this went a long way into helping that wound heal.

"I better get going." Danielle said. "Let me know if that file helps you."

"I will. Thanks again." Dulion said.

Danielle got up from the table. Dulion tried to do the same, but the pain in his leg was too much and he was forced back to his chair.

"Are you okay?" Danielle asked coming over to him.

"Yeah," Dulion answered. "I'm fine. My leg has been acting up because I've been transforming more. I need to ask the Doctor to write me a prescription."

"Is that the only thing you can do?"

"It's either that or stay in my lycanthrope form. I don't need my cane then."

Danielle nodded. Dulion was glad that she didn't ask why he didn't just stay in his lycanthrope form, but based on what he had said earlier, she probably didn't need to.

"Would you mind if I..." Danielle started, "you know...saw you."

"You mean, transform?" Dulion asked.

"Yeah."

Dulion shrugged and began the transformation process. Within moments, he was covered in white fur. He practically jumped out of the chair to show the effect transforming had on his injured leg.

"You know something," Danielle said, "don't take this the wrong way, but it's not as bad as I expected. Just a little furrier."

***

Dr. Tennant sat with Josef as the sounds of Stephanie and Cassie playing echoed throughout the apartment. Despite his calm exterior, Dr. Tennant was panicking internally. He was still awaiting word on what the District Attorney would be doing based on what Cassie had told him. While he hoped that Cassie wouldn't have to relive what her parents made her do, he also wanted to make sure that the monsters responsible for this were locked away for a long time.

"You look pale, my friend." Josef said. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine." Dr. Tennant said. "Just a little nervous about a call I'm expecting from Dulion."

"He is going to give a speech at the parade, is he not?"

"Yes. I was actually thinking of organizing a little group to march in the parade as a bit of support for him. I think it would be a nice gesture."

"It is a good idea. I am sure Cameron and I will be going with Stephanie. I am sure I can convince her marching would be a good idea."

"Thank you. Let's see how many others we can get before we actually do anything. Wouldn't want us to be the only ones marching."

There was a knock at the door. Dr. Tennant practically jumped out of his seat and rushed to the door. Dulion was standing in the door way in his lion form.

"Hey Doc." Dulion said. "Figured I'd stop by and visit in person. I already need to make sure Ibuki isn't too mad at me, so I figured I'd drop in and give you the news about the DA."

"Excellent." Dr. Tennant said. "Please, come in."

Dr. Tennant led Dulion to the table where he and Josef had been sitting."

"Hello Mr. Makarov." Dulion said. "How are you?"

Dr. Tennant watched with amusement as Josef stared at Dulion for a moment before realizing who it was.

"Dulion!" Josef said. "It is you. You look like you belong in Siberia with that white fur."

"I don't think I'd be able to handle Siberia." Dulion said with a bemused smirk. "It's too cold. This is your first time seeing me as a lion, isn't it?"

"Da, it is. Where is your cane, you do not have need of it?"

"Not when I'm in this form, no. But getting back to more important things, I did call District Attorney Clare."

"And what did he say?" Asked Dr. Tennant.

"He said that with the new information Cassie provided, he's going to try and bluff to her parents. State that she's willing to testify against them with the hope that they'll confess to what they did. He's also using this to see if either will flip on Avery if and when he's arrested."

"So Cassie doesn't see any justice? Her parents get away with what they did?"

"No. If they accept a deal, they'll have to admit what they did in court. And afterwards, you can move for a full stripping of their rights."

"That seems like it will take a long time, no?" Josef said.

"It will, yes." Dulion said. "But, the good news is DYFS has no problems with this place as a foster home for Cassie until this settles down. So Cassie isn't going anywhere. And when the dust settles, you can move for custody which Clare assures me will only be a formality."

Dr. Tennant exhaled deeply.

"Thank you." Dr. Tennant said. "For everything."

"It's my job, Doc." Dulion said. "It's what I'm supposed to do. But I can't think of someone I'd rather do it for. Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have an angry kitsune to deal with."

Dulion stood up and shook Dr. Tennant's and Josef's hands before leaving the apartment. Dr. Tennant went back to the table with a large smile and a tear in his eye. Josef handed him a tissue, but said nothing. There was nothing that needed to be said.

***

Ibuki left her warm bed with some difficulty to answer the knock on the door. Between staying with Dulion and being in the hospital, she had spent so little time here recently that it almost seemed foreign to her. Ibuki flung open the door to her apartment. Dulion was standing there in his lion form.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself." Ibuki answered.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Ibuki and Dulion stood staring at each other.

"Uh... can I come in?" asked Dulion.

"Seriously?" Ibuki said with a bit of a laugh.

"So you're that mad at me?"

Ibuki couldn't believe Dulion was that naïve. She debated silently for a moment whether to play with him a little, or just be up front. However, the look of concern on his face was too much for her to take. She was going to have to get used to that.

"I'm not mad at you, you idiot. I asked if you're seriously asking if you can come in. Um...yes, Mr. Advisor, you can come into my apartment and look around. I will also let you hold me and kiss me and f..."

"Okay, I get it." Dulion said as he entered the apartment. "I thought I was being polite."

"You're too polite sometimes. And don't get me wrong, a lot of times it's really sweet of you. But it's okay to have a bit of an edge to you, you know."

"I'm just afraid of offending you or something."

"First of all, I'm not that delicate. There isn't a lot you could say to offend me. And if you should be dangerously close to doing so, I will warn you far in advance."

"Okay. Hopefully I don't ever come close to doing that."

Ibuki sighed and pulled Dulion in close for a kiss.

"Listen to me, and listen closely." Ibuki said after breaking the kiss, "I am in love with you. You don't need to worry about offending me or anything like that. I like you for you. So don't be afraid around me, okay?"

"Okay." Dulion said.

"Good boy. There is hope for you yet. Now, tell me all about what happened today with Danielle."

"Well, she gave me a file on Avery; apparently he used to be in a psych hospital."

"That figures."

"Actually, he was probably there because he was a lycanthrope; nothing more, nothing less."

"I'm not surprised. I've heard horror stories about some so called 'rehabilitation centers' where lycanthropes were tortured. Makes me glad I left home when I did."

"Almost makes me feel sorry for him. Oh, and Danielle apologized to me for...well you know."

"Being a colossal bitch? Breaking your heart? Leaving you when you needed her most?"

"All of the above."

"You know, this may sound awful, but I'm really glad she did that to you. If she didn't, I would have gotten you all to myself. She doesn't know what she gave up."

"I don't know, maybe she did. She did say she wanted to be friends again. Maybe she's going to try to pry me away from you."

"I'd kill her."

Dulion laughed.

"Nah, don't kill her. She doesn't have a chance." He said playfully.

Ibuki looked into Dulion's eyes. There seemed to be a different look to them for some reason; it was like they were lit with a mischievous glow.

"Oh really?" She said. "Does that mean I have you completely intoxicated with me?"

Dulion smiled and pulled Ibuki close to him so that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"In lieu of telling you," Dulion said seductively, "let me show you."

"Now we're talking."

Ibuki began to lead Dulion to the bedroom as he kissed her deeply. Yes, it was going to take some work still to get him out of his shell, but Ibuki knew the end result would be worth it; and she knew she was going to enjoy every second of it.

***

Dulion sat at Ibuki's kitchen table. He had a glass of water in front of him. In the bedroom, Ibuki slept soundly. Dulion would have much rather been feeling the warmth of her body as he lied next to her, but now he had to concentrate. After all, he did have a speech to prepare for. A bunch of different themes and ideas came into his mind; all of which revolved around the idea that lycanthropes and humans could coexist peacefully.

As his mind raced, the phone which sat in his pocket buzzed, indicating that a call was coming through. To Dulion's surprise, when he saw the screen of his phone, the number was restricted. Dulion pressed the green button to accept the call.

"This is Dulion." He said.

"James, my dear! How have you been?!" Sounded Avery's chilling voice in Dulion's ear. "It's been so long since I've seen you. You don't know how much I've missed you! Tell me James, is your girlfriend okay? I think you should get rid of her and join me. Think of all the games we could play. I'll make sure there a lot of fun."

"I'm calling the police." Dulion said.

"Oh silly James, that's why I love you so. We both know they can't do anything to stop me right now. Besides, I just wanted to talk. Did you hear about the big parade for lycanthrope pride? Oh what am I talking about, of course you did! You're the guest of honor! Do you have a speech ready yet? I can't wait to hear it. I can hardly contain myself."

Dulion rolled his eyes at the noises Avery was making. As Dulion resisted his urge to hurl, he thought of something that might shut Avery up.

"So I discovered where you spent your formative years. St. Raphael's, right."

The noises on the other end of the line immediately stopped.

"H-how...how do you know that?" asked Avery, seemingly rattled for the first time.

"I have my ways. I read what they did to you. Damn near made me sick."

"Yeah, well try living it. It's not pleasant." Avery said in a shockingly normal sounding voice. "I begged my mom and my dad to take me back, but they wouldn't listen. My brother...he was the only one who cared. He wrote back and told me he was trying to bring me back. But not before the so called doctors beat me and touched me and forced me to..."

Dulion waited a moment for Avery to continue. Instead he was greeted by the sound of hysterical laughter.

"My God you are beautiful!" Avery said. "I mean down right sexy! Oooh if I saw you right now I couldn't contain myself! You actually had me going there for a second. You were playing the understanding nice advisor, which of course you are AND I FELL FOR IT! Only for you James, only for you. Now please, work hard on that speech for me. I am just dying to hear it! I'll see you in my dreams, lover boy. Goodnight."

The line disconnected. The whole thing made Dulion's skin crawl. It took all his strength to keep from shaking as he got up from the table and made his way to the shower in Ibuki's apartment. Dulion felt dirty after that call and he hoped the shower would be able to help him recover. Dulion quickly stepped behind the shower curtain and let the warm water wash over him. It provided pleasant relief from the shaking he had experienced. Deep down Dulion knew that the end was fast approaching; and it couldn't possibly come soon enough.