Ilori rose early. She stood at the window of her room and watched the Refuge awake. As usual there were dragons in the early morning sky. Joggers ran by on the pathways below her. Lights were on where she knew the Ops Center was.  Not surprising.

She showered and dressed, and headed for the cafeteria to get some breakfast. While walking there she was busy trying to put the finishing touches on the conversation she meant to have with Stephen as soon as she could.

Probably, he'd toss her out of the Refuge. But she still had to ask. Most of what Flossie had said, was fascinating stuff. She wanted nothing more than to learn more about it, understand it better. Hell, figure out if it meant what she thought it meant. But she'd come here to find out what happened to Tyler Anderson Duval, to Tom Bradshaw and to Minister Reynolds. If she could.  If they'd even tell her.  She sighed.

She headed straight for the coffee. Too upset to even think about food.

Tommy stopped, as he always did, in the cafeteria and got two lattes.  One for him and one for Stephen.  He added a bacon and egg bagel to the tray and stopped to get napkins and salt.  Over in the corner he saw Ilori, staring in her coffee and almost walked over.  Almost.  Instead he let it go and headed for his desk.

About a half hour later, Ilori knocked on the outer door of Stephen's office. She managed a smile. "Good morning, Tommy. I was wondering if I could see Stephen some time today."

Tommy smiled.  "Let me see if he's free now."

"Thanks," she replied, glad her voice sounded fine.

He was back in a minute, holding the door wide.  "Go ahead in."

Ilori stepped through.  "I've got a few questions, if you've got a few minutes, Stephen," she said as she hesitated in the doorway.

He waved a hand to the chair in front of the desk.  "Want some coffee?"

"No thanks, I'm good. But if you want a refill first, by all means I'll wait." She sat down and pulled out her pad.

Stephen eyed the pad.  "Should I call Marc?"

"I don't know. It's about the conference, not the Ops Center. Specifically, the murders."

Stephen nodded.  "OK."

"I watched all the tapes you gave me. Several times over. I noticed a few things. Like for instance, Duval was in the elevator as was Bradshaw. Correct?  Yet that wasn't where Duval died.  He got out of there, wounded but still alive."

"Yes."

"Both Duval and Bradshaw died within hours after that, if my information is correct? None of which you managed to capture on your CCTVs?"

"The next day, yes."

"Right. And Minister Reynolds. Why was it you intercepted him halfway to Dulles and brought him back to the Refuge?"

Stephen paused in the act of drinking his latte.

"As I understand it," Ilori clarified, "he had a flight out of Dulles. I believe Trevor St Cyr and Laz intercepted his limo and brought him back here. Is that right?"

"You know this...how?"

Ilori sat back and regarded Stephen levelly. "I want to know why you brought him back here. And how it is he managed to die not long after that."

"He was already dead."

"Then who was in the limo, the man who looked exactly like Minister Reynolds?"

"Someone who was not the minister."

Ilori frowned. "Look. I promised you I'd keep your secrets. I will keep that promise. But I need to understand this. I need to, Stephen. It isn't for a story, it isn't .. I .. It was the assassin wasn't it."  She paused. "You realized it before he could get away. That's it, isn't it.  He was disguised as the minister and would have escaped. You realized it in time to bring him back here."

Stephen didn't say a word.

"And then what? Was this you .. Oh, I see. He must have been one of you. So this is you meting out justice? Policing your own. Did he at least get a chance to defend himself? Or was the evidence overwhelming?"

Stephen drank some coffee and set the cup down.

"And the aneurysm, that I found hard to believe would fell an assassin. Ah. Inflicted by one of you.  Policing your own. Cleaning up your own mess." She wasn't really talking to Stephen.

He continued to wait.

She stood. "Right. Well, I'll pack my bags. If you can have someone drive me to the nearest car rental, or call me a cab or whatever it is you do to remove people from the Refuge, I'd appreciate it. "

She paused and added, "I doubt you'll believe me, but your secrets are safe with me. I'll tell some of this to one person only. The rest I'll do my best to forget.  I wish you and your people the very best of luck."

"Do you always run?"

"I.. no. I'm not running. I thought you'd .. you said I should leave the murders alone. I didn't. I broke my word on that. There's no reason for you to trust me further."

"Are you done with the murders?"

"Am I right about them?  You meted out justice and that's it?" she asked.

"Are you done with the murders?"

She eyed him for some time before saying, "Yes."

"Then there's no reason for you to leave."

"Oh," she said as she sank back down into her chair. "Why not?"

"You're done with the murders."

"And you think you can work with me after this," she commented.

"Why couldn't I?"

She sighed. "I'll leave you to your latte. Thanks for .. for the meeting."  She stood back up again.

"Sit down."

She sat.

"Can I trust you?"

"I came here by request to find out about Tyler Anderson Duval's murder. I have. I have no agenda beyond that. I have no intention of making life harder for you or yours. If that is enough on which to base trust, then yes, you can."

"What will you do now?"

Gather up the notes I've made on the Conference and try to put together a feature on the Conference specifically.  I'm not sure how I'll deal with the murders. I'll have to at least mention them. I suspect I'll write pretty much what you told me before. However I write it I'll make sure to clear it with you.  If you like that, we can tackle the broader issues of who and what makes up your community."

He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Who and what makes up my community?"

"The various, uhm, groups, species, or talents your committee represents. A feature on each of them, or at least the ones you're willing to talk about. But we'll have to do the ones everyone's already heard about. If we can present each group as having attributes which are an overlay of normal humanity, then maybe we can get most folks to stop being afraid of the idea, and give you a chance."

"The ones I'm willing to talk about?"

Her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Noetic Concordance doesn't look anything at all like someone from, say, the north of England."

"You've been talking to Flossie again, haven't you?" Stephen  said, coming around to the other side of the desk.

"I didn't need to, to know Noetic Concordance wasn't exactly full-on human."

His smile didn't reach his eyes.  "No, you didn't.  What am I going to do with you?"

"You're going to swallow hard, and trust me," Ilori said, meeting his eyes. "Because you want to come out of hiding. It's time."

"Ilori, this goes way beyond that."

"Yes, integration. That will take a bit longer," she replied. "But I think I can help to start the Awakened on the pathway toward it."

"It's no longer my call, my dear."

"I see. Yet another mystery with which to tempt me to the dark side."

"No, not at all.  Part of your problem has always been that you refuse to trust any of us even as you demand that we trust you."

She cocked her head and gave it some thought. "It is possible that personal reasons of disquiet have made me less trustful than I normally am. I'm not sure I can entirely overcome that."  She paused, "I'm willing to hear criticism when it's aim is to help me see more clearly."

"Then look through the eyes of trust and hope."

"Like Flossie," she replied, a smile quirking up her mouth.

"Perhaps," he said.  "Though I think that it's time you met Kalie.  There's a difference between the trust and hope of a child and that of an adult."

"True. I'd love to meet her. And any others I can."

"We've trusted before.  But things have changed and curiosity isn't always a good thing.  Now it's up to the Heir and NC."

"True. Tell the Heir I'll be happy to meet with her and with whomever else is involved in the decisions regarding, well, anything."

"I'm not so sure she'll be happy to meet with you," Stephen said.  "She doesn't enjoy this sort of thing at all."

"Hmmm.  Tell her we can bake cookies together is she prefers that to meetings. I'm flexible."

"Let's let her drink some coffee.  And make sure Marc's around."

"By all means," Ilori replied.

Dinah shifted Brenna to her other hip and handed her a rusk to gnaw on.  "They should be fitted for dentures at birth."

Marc who had Neill balanced perfectly hanging over his shoulder, grunted. Neil was sleeping despite his father's rather unconventional embrace - or not as the case may be.

"Did Stephen say what he wanted?"

"No, 'fraid not. He just said it was a job for you and that he wanted me along. Presumably to manage you."

"Is this where I'm suppose to snarl and make indignant noises?"

Marc grinned. "I love it when I'm not the one making decisions. Just a lowly trophy mate. How cool is that."

"Real cool."  She cocked her head, listening.  "He's here."

Marc sauntered over toward the door, Neil still sound asleep on his shoulder. He grinned when Stephen came in.  "The Heir awaits your presence. Don't forget to bow."  He heard Dinah growl from the kitchen.

"Oh yeah.  Way to help a friend there, old buddy."

"I'll get the scotch," Marc replied.

"It's not even ten in the morning," Stephen muttered.  "I never drink like this when you and Dinah are terrorizing the Rim."

"See, we're good for you. Shake up those old staid bones. Get you out of your rut.  Spur the old gray cells into brilliance."

"The ones not fried by progressive alcoholism."

"Yeah, those," Marc agreed. "I'll have Dinah make coffee, too. We'll drink it as a chaser."

"Ha!"  Stephen gestured for Ilori to go ahead of him.  "Make it strong.  Is NC around?"

"Oh, Ilori. I didn't see you there," Marc commented.  "Come on in. You want scotch too?"

"No, thank you. I'll stick with coffee."

"I'll uhm, give NC a call, Stephen. You two go on back."

"Thanks," Stephen said.  "I guess I can handle the coffee.  How's Dinah?" he asked in low voice, letting Ilori go ahead.

"Grouchy; Brenna's teething."

"I can stall for half an hour if you taking her to bed would help."

Marc considered this. "No, three hours at least. Sorry."

"Crap!"

"Bon dieu. You've known her longer than me. Surely you can manage her," Marc asked quietly.

"She's changed," Stephen said.  "There's a hardness in her, a ruthlessness.  An anger almost."

Marc's lips narrowed. "Just go into the kitchen, Stephen. She's still Dinah."

Stephen sighed.  "I know.  Call NC."

"Right," Marc stalked off.

"Maybe another time," Ilori said quietly.

"I'd have to hold you here," Stephen said and went to make coffee.

Ilori followed him, uncertain.

"Good morning," Dinah said.  "How are you?"

"Well," Ilori replied. "Not so sure about Stephen."

Dinah looked over her shoulder and then turned in her chair, watching him.  "I can see where that might be true."

Marc rejoined them then without Neil. "Here, let me take Brenna," he said to Dinah. "I think this is an official visit."

She handed her to her father, her eyes on Ilori.  "What have you done?" she asked, her voice soft and quiet.

Marc took the baby and walked out with her before she could sense her mother's upset.

Ilori flushed. "Nothing."

Her eyebrow quirked up.  "Then why are we meeting like this?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Stephen said you needed to hear what I told him," Ilori replied.

Marc walked back in on that comment. "NC's on his way."

"What did you tell him?" Dinah asked.

"That I knew you were the Heir and about some other things," Ilori replied. "I told him your secrets are safe with me."

"An interesting possibility.  What other things?"

Ilori's face went blank. "Things. Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does."

"That you and Marc fight pirates in space," Ilori replied.

Dinah leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, her face shuttering closed.  Power flowed into her and then out, surrounding Ilori.  "What else?"

Ilori stiffened as she was surrounded by Dinah's power. "Only the logical extrapolations based on that. And that integration is a bit more inclusive than most think."

Marc rested a hand on Dinah's shoulder.

"Where's Peter?" Dinah asked.

"I've no idea," Ilori replied. Marc shrugged and looked at Stephen.

Dinah opened her eyes.  "I assume your source was Flossie."

"All I had to do was listen. Listen to you at your parties, and put a few stray comments together. Don't blame Flossie," Ilori replied, keeping her voice calm.

Stephen put a mug in front of Ilori and sat down across from Dinah.  "I suspect it took a bit more than that."

"Look, a good investigative journalist mostly just listens. Waits until people forget she's around and pays attention. The tapes of the Conference helped, various conversations I've had with many different folks helped. Flossie, Flossie's just a baby. Don't blame her. Blame me if you have to blame someone. But as I told Stephen, I'm no going to publish anything except what you folks approve."

"Yeah, we do get rowdy," Marc admitted.

Dinah pushed back from the table and left the room.   She hesitated at the curio cabinet, looking at the blue bowls.  She passed by them without touching and went to the doorwall instead, slipping outside to watch the dragons play.

Marc was leaning against the kitchen counter, his legs crossed at the ankles, his arms crossed on his chest.  Marc was unsure if he should follow her or not. Instead he tweaked their bond, just a reminder she wasn't really alone.

Ilori was toying with her coffee cup. She sighed.  So much for trusting Stephen. She should have just denied everything.

Stephen reached for the scotch.  "You might take her a drink."

Marc considered the mood she was in that he could sense through the bond. Well, he didn't think it would hurt. He also wasn't sure it would help. But he pushed off from the counter and grabbed the bottle.  He got two juice glasses out of the cabinet and went after her.

NC was just fading into existence by Dinah as Marc reached her on the decking.

Dinah glanced at his hand.  "You should have brought three glasses," she said, a faint smile in the words.

"I'll pour for you and NC. I'm gonna show Stephen I can get through a morning without killing any additional brain cells."

NC burbled as he took the glass Marc handed him.

"I'd rather have dirty limericks," Dinah said.

NC replied, "Not in front of your mate."  He winked at Marc, who guffawed.

Dinah snorted.  "That's right.  His virgin ears."

NC grinned. "No, he's a ruthless critic."

"No doubt."  Dinah turned back to watch the dragons.  "Our resident reporter knows you aren't from around here."

NC shrugged. "Someone was bound to wonder. It is hard for me to always move or think like a human.  But she knows for certain?"

Marc nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's a yes. She's damn sharp."

Dinah sighed.  "She knows we live off planet.  I don't know what else Flossie told her.  She says nothing.  But I'm not so sure there isn't more that she hasn't put together yet."

NC nodded. "Once you accept the possibility things begin to fall into place. Small comments, a word dropped here or there. It happens during most pre-contact situations at least once."

Dinah faced them.  "Not usually with a world class reporter."

"The protocols insist we not harm her," NC commented. "But we do have some other options."

"If she accepts Peter as her mate, we don't need them," Dinah said.

"She won't. Not being forced into it," Marc commented. "We need to talk to him."

"Of course it will be her choice," Dinah said.  "If not Peter, then exile or loss of memory."

"Christ," Marc muttered.

"You helped write the Integration Plan," Dinah said.  "We can put it to the referees but I doubt it will change anything."

"No. It's our mess to clean up," Marc agreed. "But a lot is going to depend on just how you present it to her. Or maybe we let Peter do it."

"I don't think we pawn off our responsibilities," Dinah said, suddenly tired to her core.  "We also need to talk to Kalie.  It may be time to remove the dragons from Earth for a time."

Marc nodded. "Yeah maybe with regard to the dragons. But... Listen, I'm all about stepping up, Dinah, but it's Peter's life we're talking about. He should have a say."

"So we tell them together.  And give her more reasons to distrust us.  Not that she needs them.  They attach themselves to her like lint."

NC commented, "And why if she mates with Peter will things change?"

"She'll have to chose sides."

Marc added, "And if she mates with him it'll be ours."

NC nodded. "All right. She must be terrified."

"Good," Dinah snapped.  "Maybe she'll get over the idea she has a right to know."

They'd moved to the decking. They'd told her Peter was on the way and they'd talk after he got there.  It wasn't very reassuring.  She'd always known she could pay for what she did. Journalists had been held in prisons and even tortured, then murdered. She knew a few of them. The only tactic she knew that might possibly help, was to remain calm and not anger them. So she'd managed a smile, took the drink Stephen had handed her and sat quietly for the hour or so they waited.

Dinah stayed outside, watching the dragons.  Peter found them there, approaching from the outside.  The air reeked of emotion.  "What is happening to her?"

"We have a problem," Marc began. "I'll mix you a drink. Sit down."

Ilori kept her eyes on her lap. She wasn't sure she could remain calm, or at least keep looking calm, if she looked up at Peter.

Peter strode to Ilori, looking down at her, smelling her terror.  His wolf snarled, clawing to free himself, to defend and protect his mate.  He set a finger under her chin and tilted her face up so he could see her eyes.  His fingers traced up his cheek.

"Hello Peter," she said, her voice steady. "Sorry to call you away from your business."  She was fighting for calm, and to hide her fear. Her eyes asked him to give her that much.

"I have no other business more important than you," he said softly.

"You might regret that," she replied.

"Unlikely," he said.  He drew a finger over her lips and let his hand fall.  "What's the problem?"

"I seem to have learned too much," she replied.

Peter looked at Marc and Dinah then at NC.

"Peter, my friend," NC said. "She knows about space. And, about the full plans for integration."

"And?" Peter said.

Dinah sighed.  "You know.  The committee approved the plan before the Senate."  She looked at them both and straightened her spine.  "There are three alternatives.  The choice is yours.  I can't give you much time to make it."

"We'll wait inside," Marc said, and took Dinah's hand and drew her after him.  NC glided along behind them.  Ilori and Peter were alone.

"What did she mean," Ilori asked, her voice sounding shaky for the first time.

"You must either mate or accept exile.  If you refuse to do either then they will remove your memories."

She sat there a moment letting the words sink in enough so that they made sense. "I always wondered if I would die in prison." She paused. "I know a woman who didn't. She wishes to this day she had."

"Exile isn't prison.  They would send you offworld."

"Ah. A pleasant prison?" she asked, then she looked over at him. "You understand I can't take the first option."

"No, I don't understand that."

She reached out for his hand and took it in her small ones. She traced his palm with her fingers lightly. "Because it wouldn't be a choice. It would be an escape. And you deserve better than that."

"Only the man cares about that.  The wolf knows only that you're his."

"Can you explain it to him?  Perhaps he can choose someone else."

Peter smiled.  "I don't think so.  He's very single minded."

"I'm so sorry, Peter," she finally said, her voice breaking. "If I could free your wolf I would."

"In this case, he wants to free you."

"Oh. I must be an awful disappointment to him. To you. I know it's hollow words now, at this point, but I wouldn't have told anyone."

"It's a risk they can't afford."  He drew a finger along her arm.  "Why not find out first what you're saying no to."

She shivered under his touch. "Isn't it too late for that?"

He leaned in, his breath moving along her skin.  The tip of his tongue licked along the curve where her neck met her shoulder.  "Is it?" he whispered.

"Peter..." her breathing was getting ragged.

He nibbled up along her neck.  "Ilori."  He blew her name over her skin.

He was doing something to her. Turning her mind to mush, her emotions to fire. She should stand up, push him away, tell him to stop. And she knew he sensed it all.  "Unfair," she whispered.

"There is no fairness.  There is only you and I and what we choose," he said, his lips against hers.

She opened her mouth for his questing tongue. She wanted this kiss, if only because it was something she could hold onto tomorrow when she didn't know what was going to happen to her.

He devoured her with his mouth, eating her alive, his prey come to hand.  He swung her up into his arms, swallowing her protest like dessert.  "Mine," growled.

"Peter," she gasped when he let her take a breath. "No. Don't," was what she said even as her traitorous body was telling him yes.

He inhaled her scent.  "Which lies, little love, your words or the liquid between your thighs that I smell.  So sweet, so precious.  Hot and rich, a scent created for me to bathe in."

"I don't want to lie to you," she replied. "I can't."  It was true. He saw through what she said, knew her at a deeper level than she knew herself. But still, it wasn't choice. Was it?  Was there a part of her reaching for the safe way out, not a relationship like he wanted, needed? She didn't know, couldn't tell, with her blood pounding in her ears and her body responding to his every touch. She had to think, didn't she?

"Tell me, little love."  He stood at the doorwall, holding her and licked along her throat, tasting her skin.  "Which shall I believe?  The words of your mouth dripping with fear or the body, quivering with need, weeping in want?"

"It's not fear, Peter. Not of you." She needed him to know that. Wanted, willed him to understand. It was fear of herself, not him.

"Which?"

She looked up and met his eyes and was lost.

"I swear to you, to take no more than you will give."

She nodded. "I trust you."

Dinah tensed, listening to the doorwall open and a single set of footsteps cross the hardwood floor.  She frowned when they started up the stairs and reached out with her senses, tasting the emotions.  "Well, maybe she's not going to ruin my week."

Marc chuckled. "So, NC, looks like we won't need you after all."

NC grinned.

"And no damn dirty limericks about the situation," Marc threatened.

Dinah punched his arm.  "You're no fun at all."

Marc grinned. He grabbed her and whirled her into his arms.  "You're going to be too busy for awhile to listen to limericks."

"My cue to disappear I think," NC said and his laugh remained after he'd faded away.

Dinah ignored him.  "Promise?"

"Promise," Marc replied. "I want to be completely one with the wolf when he howls."

She buried her face in his neck.  "I want to be completely yours when you howl."

He kissed the top of her head. "Relieved?  Still worried?  What?"

"Tired," she said after a moment.  "Just tired."

"Let's go take a nap," he suggested and zapped them both to their room. "Or, how about I draw you a bath first? You can luxuriate and and forget things for a bit."

"I love you," she said.  "Why can't you be the Heir.  You'd be good at it."

"I wouldn't have taken Mac to bed," he replied. "So couldn't happen."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't.  You don't like him."  She tilted her head up to look at him.  "Have you ever taken a man to bed?"

"Well, I liked him fine until he showed up in our bedroom," Marc replied. "And no, I've never taken a man to bed. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people I have taken to bed. Sorry. I'm fussy about that sort of thing."

"Hmm.  No need to be sorry on my account.  I've taken even fewer to my bed."

"And yet we muddle through," he chuckled. Then more soberly, "I was bonded to Cyndia. Anything less than that was.. empty.  Until you fell into my lap."

"It's because I sock you in the jaw," she mourned.  "Disrupts your thinking processes."

Marc frowned in thought. "No, it's because what we have is more than I ever hoped for."

Her heart twisted, possessiveness entangling with jealousy.  "More than Cyndia?"

He brushed her hair back from her face. "Different. Cyndia was needy. In the beginning it was me she needed. Then it was the children. And when I wouldn't give her any more, it became a low-level conflict.  I buried myself in my work. She in the children."

"Now we bury ourselves in work.  And each other."

He kissed her forehead. "No. We live our lives and try to find a balance and fight pirates and blow up Sutta when we need to let off steam."

"I don't think I really took it seriously when we wrote the integration plan."

"Didn't seem real? Possible? And who are you to end up responsible for a planet?" Marc asked.

"That, but also that it would even happen.  We're tied here now, for months probably.  Not that that's a bad thing...but, well...Stephen would be so much better at this.  A lot of people would be.  I wanted to smack Ilori silly when I found out she'd knew."

"I understand. But, you kow, there's no reason you can't hand it off if you really wanted to. It isn't like you asked for it, or were even informed what it all meant when it was presented to you.

"Or," he added more playfully,  "we could blow up St Michaels. I've been tempted. Particularly the stuffy parts of it."

"You just aren't looking forward to socializing.  You could always hide out at Colliers."

"Ugh. You have no idea what a bunch of stuffed shirts they are. I should take Julian there with me."

Dinah laughed helplessly, collapsing against him.  "Thank god for Julian, she gasped.  We should have a night out, like we used to do.  All of us.  With Jules and Mikey and Az and all the trouble we can find."

"On St. Michaels," he added. "We can shock the locals."

"More fun here.  Then you can bail us out of jail. Returning the favor, as it were."

His laughter rumbled in his chest. "You and the Jos and Doni, and Irisa and Tsura. And Baz shocked to his twisted knickers."

"Or feigning it," Dinah suggested.  "Tsura's got a look about her lately."

"Oh?  What look is that?"

Dinah shrugged.  "The kind of a look a woman gets when she's surprised.  And likes it.  She may have thought he was all the proper gentleman, but he's not."

"Oh, I have no doubt the boy can let his hair down in private. And if any woman can get him to, that would be Tsura," he added grinning. "He desperately wants a child though, I think. He should be happy to have her to himself for a couple of centuries."

"He should?"

Marc nodded. "I'm terribly jealous when you're holding the kids. But then I'm a horrible father."

"You're not really, you know.  It's just that they scare you to death."

"They do?" he asked, fascinated to learn this.

She kissed him.  "Yeah.  You're terrified it'll be like it was with the kids you and Cyndia had.  So you want to protect them.  From yourself.  You adore them and they make you feel helpless and vulnerable because you can't be sure you'll be able to keep them safe.  Typical parent stuff."

"Stephen and I have a plan," Marc confided.

"Oh?  What's that?"

"Do you want to make love or yap all the rest of the day?" Marc asked.

"Both."

"I see," he replied eyeing her and then getting to the business of undressing her. "Bath or not?"

"Are you joining me?"

"Why not. I have to show up that wolf," he replied with a grin.

Dinah started the tub filling from where she stood.  I've been thinking."

"About?" he asked as he gathered up towels.

"Body piercing."

Marc, who'd zapped them up drinks, spewed some of his scotch. He looked at her wide-eyed.

"What do you think?"

"Is this a trick question?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

She looked down at her breasts, her brows together.  "I don't think so.  I was picturing sapphires."  She flicked the tip of her nipple with a nail, shocking it to attention.  One on each."

"Uh, okay, if that's what you want."

"You don't sound too sure."

"I kind of like them the way they are," he said, leaning down to take one in his mouth, teasing it with his tongue and then nipping it.

Dinah moaned.  She arched closer.  "Maybe," she said, panting, " a navel piercing?"

"Brat," he said as he stood up. "In the tub, now."

She nipped at his bottom lip.  "Jolie and I have an appointment for tomorrow."

He rolled an eye at her. "You realize its sacrilege to mar that perfect body, but hey, it's yours."

"What's the difference between pierced ears and a pierced navel?"

"Not a thing," he admitted, nibbling on an ear lobe.

"Have they marred the perfect body?"

"No," he admitted.

"You could play with it," she said.

"Don't worry, I will," he promised, and held his hand out to help her down into the water.  "Who knows.  I might even come to like it."

She laughed.  "Might?"

He laughed as he dropped into the tub with her. "All right, will, damn you. You know I love every inch of you. I'll love it too."

She twisted around and lay back against his chest.  "It's only fair," she pouted.

"What's only fair, my darling?" he asked between tongue flicks against her ear.

She arched her ear closer, shivering.  "That you love every inch of me.  Every one of those inches is yours."

He wrapped her tight in his arms. "I love you. I'm standing right behind you. Always remember that."

She lifted her hand to the back of his neck, pulling his mouth to hers.  "I will."

Dinah stirred against him, stretching.  "Up to thinking, love?"

"Hmmm? I wasn't asleep. Honest."

"The dragons."

He groaned, and moved to sit up against the pillows, one hand idly playing with her strawberry curls.  "You want to send them off world."

"I want to sent the children and their mothers off world," she amended.  Ilori's correct, Flossie's just a baby.  She's behaves like all dragon babies and even some adults."

"They all trust. Not built for deception. But what about the bonded ones. Carmie and Nicki come to mind in particular."  Marc frowned. "Would they even go?"

"I think we can leave Carmie and Nicki to Briony and Carmine.  But the children here are not quite the same."

He sighed. "I know. Poor Flossie."

"I'd like to find a way to do that protects her," Dinah said.  "She did what dragons do.  But the other problem is if we're not careful Flossie is going to bond to Ilori and if that happens I'd rather it happened...later."

"It might be good for Ilori. She feels like an ousider now. But later would be better.  Where did you have in mind?"

"Send them to Caer Kista or pick a planet.  We have a few to choose from."

"We could just give them a choice. Many might want to go back to their home prides. They'll want to know how long they have to wait."

"True. Until their children are old enough to control themselves.  I really don't want them thinking it's punishment or that they've failed."

"No, but I'm not sure how you can avoid that. Maybe Kalie can come up with some ideas."

"Maybe if we explain the risks.  Like what happened when Briony's babies were taken."

Marc rubbed his chin. "I don't know Dinah. They don't really accept that they are in any danger. The thing I most worry about, thinking about it, is that they get more stubborn about staying because of the recent unrest and think they have to stay to protect you."

"The Aaru pride is here.  And we're aren't asking all of the Refuge pride to leave.  Just mommies and the babies."

"Then you're right back to singling them out.  And you know they want desperately to join your pride," Marc pointed out.

"Then what do we do?"

"We ask Kalie to assign an adult to stay with Flossie?"  Marc suggested. "Or... we could talk to her mother and suggest it might be better to take her away from Ilori until she's older and knows if she really wants to bond with her."

"And the other babies here?"

"We create a pride nanny, every dragon taking a turn. Send the babies off to dragon baby day camp every day under supervision?  How come I have to come up with all the ideas here," he whined.

"Don't whine.  It doesn't become you."

"Pffft."

"I think the best way is to be honest with them.  Maybe they'll havea solution.  But regardless, we're not doing this again."

"What, dealing with a reporter again? In your dreams, sweetheart. I've got a stack of requests up to the ceiling from all over the world to come for interviews."

"No, damn it.  I'm not threatening to tear apart someone else life."

"Then we use Ilori as our exclusive the way we'd planned to."

"That's not going to stop people from doing what she did and roaming the mountain, despite Peter's wolves.  Or someone else finding another way to chat up the dragons."

"Darling. Nothing's perfect. No plan, no idea, no person. Not even you. NC expected problems. I did. It'll be fine. Trust me."

She made a frustrated noise and got out of bed, jerking clothes from the closet and pulling them on.  "I need to check on Brenna."

He sighed and stayed where he was.

She barely avoided slamming the door on her way out.

"Fuck," he muttered getting up and getting dressed. He zapped himself to his office, and then without a word to Reno walked out and headed to Stephen's.

Stephen looked at him and opened the bottom drawer of his desk.  He could conjour scotch and sometimes did, but it never tasted as good as the real stuff.  He was handing Marc a glass before he hit the chair.

"Thanks," Marc replied downing the drink in one gulp. "Tell me again why we put up with them without putting them over a knee?"

Stephen pressed his lips together to hold back the grin.  "Yours like to sock you, mine could stop my heart with less than a thought."

"Hmmm," was all Marc said as he poured himself more scotch.

"It's remarkable though that Tommy doesn't seem to have these problems with Daisy, or Reno with Melly.  Or Lev with Dia."

"And your theory about that would be?" Marc asked.

"We get what we deserve?"

Marc snorted. "Wonder how well Peter will do."

Stephen leaned back.  "Good thing he's a fast learner."

"And hopefully he won't come to us for lessons.  God. I thought she was fine then suddenly she blew up again."

"Any other clues you'd care to share?"

"I dared to point out that she wasn't omniscent or omni anything."

"Anything else?  That she might have felt was...oh, maybe patronizing?  Or insufficiently sensitive to her angst?"

"Yeah, I told her things would work out. Stupid me."

Stephen's lips twitched and supressed the urge to laugh out loud.  After all, it's not like he hadn't been in the same position countless times, baffled by the feminine mind.  "Have another drink," he offered.

"Thanks," Marc said, pouring for them both. "Why can't they just, you know, be logical?"

"I don't know, Mr. Higgins.  I've never figured that one out."

"I'm gonna go play with Cola. Wanna come? Let's ditch our responsibilities and run away for a few hours."

"Oh yeah," he said.  "Let's go."

They got while the gettin' was good.

Cola and Kalie came to meet them in the field in front of the House. The two men climbed aboard and the dragons, playing chase, lifted off toward the west, spiralling higher and higher into the clear sky.  Other dragons delighted to see it, joined them.  After an hour of pure silliness the dragons came to rest in a high meadow they liked. It was isolated, and had a clear, pure lake they could bathe in. The men sprawled in the meadow grass.

"If we turned them loose on the world, they'd own it," Stephen said.

"Without a shot fired.  Just a dragony grin," Marc agreed.  "Way too tempting."

Kalie shook the water off and lay down in the sun.  "Dinah is angry with us," she said.

"Oh, darling no she isn't. She's just.. worried. And feeling isolated and feels too much rests on her shoulders," Marc replied.

"A lot does," Kalie said.  "We've made it harder for her."

"Me too," Marc agreed.

"How?"

"I forget, sometimes, that this is new to her," Marc admitted. "She doesn't like having to make decisions that impact other people's lives."

Kalie sighed.  "Take her back to the Rim."

"I wish I could. But she knows we won't be able to leave for a long time yet."

"The dragons here, they want to know how to fix what has happened.  Flossie's very sad.  She didn't mean to.  But she likes Ilori.  She trusts her."

"Well, you tell Flossie Ilori is fine. She and Peter are together now. And between you and me, you guys were right to trust her. Even if she did give us a scare or three," Marc added.

"And Dinah?"

"And Dinah what?" Marc asked.

Kalie turned her jeweled eyes to him.  "Quinn says she's crying and he's not to tell you."

"Fuck. You guys have fun with Stephen. I'll go to her."

Kalie regarded him.  "Bring her to see us.  To talk to us and to Flossie."

"Right. I'll try to get her up to the main cave tonight. Okay?"

She nodded.  "Thank you."

Marc zapped himself straight to the commune. The place was silent, even the kids apparently napping. He reached for Dinah and felt her through their bond.

He found her out on the patio, tears falling unnoticed down her cheeks. He walked over to her and pulled her roughly into his arms.

"You aren't supposed to cry unless you've socked me first.  Right here," he said motioning toward his chin. "Give me a good one.  Right on that glass jaw of mine. I'm an idiot."

She turned into him and sobbed.

"Dinah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like it was nothing. I forget sometimes that you.." He held her and kissed the top of her head and just let her cry.

His shirt was soaked, the fabric sticking to his chest and her cheek.  "Maybe you should sock me," she hiccuped.

"You think?  Why is that?"

"I'm a jack-ass."

"Wait. I'm the jackass in this family.  You have to be something else," he replied gently.

"Did your mother teach you to carry handkerchiefs for women when they melt down all over you?"

"No, my mother was too busy with Jack to even remember I existed. Here," he said, pulling a handkerchief out of the air.

She mopped her face.  "They weren't suppose to tell.  Sometimes a woman just needs to cry."

"I see. Shall I leave then?" he asked.

"No.  Of course not.  I'm sorry I got mad."

"We all need to be angry now and again. I didn't know how to help so I left you to it. I should have stayed.  I hate not knowing how to help you," he added bitterly. "Especially as I seem to make things so much harder for you."

"Jack ass!" she hissed.  Then she socked him.  "How can such a smart man be so freaking blind?"

He rubbed his jaw. "I blame love."

"Oh Jesus.  I did it again."  She shook her head and glared at him.  "You never, ever, make it harder for me."  She enunciated each word clearly, spaced them precisely.

"If I do, you tell me. Because there are times I forget ... well, that the past is gone and that the future isn't what I worked toward."

She closed her eyes and forced the tears back.  "I will."

He brushed her eyes with the back of his hand, wiping away the remainder of tears in her eyelashes. "So, I have an invitation for you."

"Tell me you're taking me to bed."

"After that," he said, picking her up in his arms.

"Whatever you want, after that," she said, pulling his shirt opening, popping the buttons all over the deck.

He looked down at the buttons. "Another shirt ruined.  Oh well."  He zapped them straight to the bedroom.

"So get velco,"she said.

"I'll consider it," he said with a laugh as he tossed her onto the bed. "Wait here. I need some food. I'll bring some for the both of us.  Don't move."

She glared at him as he disappeared.  He wanted food?  Now?

He was back with wine and fresh fruit and cheese quickly. "You know, you keep making me burn up calories. Not that I mind, but I do need to refuel now and again," he said as he fed her. "So should you."

"I eat like a horse.  You've said so."

"Not today you haven't. And we're going to miss dinner. We have an engagement." He stuffed a piece of peach into her mouth.

She chewed and swallowed.  "Oh?"

He nodded. "The dragons have requested to speak with you. I told them we'd be up to the main cave this evening."

She leaned against him, tensing.  "I see."

"What? What's wrong now?"

"I don't want to hurt them, Marc."

"You aren't going to hurt them," he promised. "They have something to suggest to you."

"They do?"

"They know you're worried and unhappy. Why does it surprise you they might have an idea or three. I seem to recall earlier today you said we should ask them."

She drained her wine glass.  "How soon will this day end?"

"I had no idea spending half a day in bed was so annoying."

"Shut up and make love to me," she said.  "It's the only thing that'll make sense."

"Yes ma'am," he replied and did so.

Quinn rubbed his nose in her hair, sniffing.  "We're sorry," he whispered.

"Oh sweetheart," Dinah crooned.  She rubbed his nose.  "You've nothing to be sorry for."

Marc standing next to Dinah, was watching Flossie, who was trying to hide behind her mother. He smiled at her. "It's all right, little one. No one is mad at you."

Dinah turned to look and smiled.  The dragon youngling looked so woebegone and miserable.  "You must be Flossie, eh sweetheart?"

Flossie nodded her head up and down and then slipped further behind her mum so that only her eyes peeped out.

Dinah moved closer, amused.  "I thought you were the brave one."

Flossie shook her head no.

"We aren't mad at you," Marc said smiling. "The Heir isn't mad at you either. It's okay.  And Ilori is fine."  He hoped.

"Really, sweetheart.  I'm not.  You're a dragon.  You did what dragons do when they meet humans they like."

Flossie took a few tentative steps out from behind her mother. She gave Dinah a dragony smile.

"There see?" Marc said with a laugh, and leaned back against Cola to relax.

Dinah reached out a hand to rub her nose.  "You're a darling, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry," Flossie murmured. "But she's nice."

"Yes, she is.  And she's fine.  You'll have to come see her tomorrow."

Flossie's tail began beating a tattoo against the wall of the cave. Her eyes swirled with pleasure.

"I'll let her know," Dinah said, laughing.

"Thank you!" Flossie said then remembered who she was speaking to and ducked back behind her mother.

Dinah sighed and looked around the cave.  "Marc says you wanted to talk to me?"

"Kalie, darling, you're on," Marc said to her. "Make it good."

Kalie shifted forward a bit while Dinah got comfortable against Quinn.  "We've made you unhappy.  And worried."

Dinah looked around the ring of faces.  She could practically hear the hum of anxiety.  "I won't lie to you, love.  It can't happen again."

"We know," said Verbena, Flossie's mother. "We will take the little ones up to the meadow every day."

"How many children are in the pride?" Dinah asked.

"We have five," Nexus said.  "We expect four more come spring."

"He is the pride's leader now," Kalie told her.

Dinah nodded, thinking hard.  "We need Carmine," she said to Marc.  "Do you remember the Himalayas?"

"Not likely to forget the bloody place," Marc muttered. "I've no idea what he's done with it, if anything."

"They loved it there," Dinah said.  "Can you see if he's free?"

Marc smiled and pulled out a cell phone. He walked off to speak privately.

"Marc and I considered asking you to take the the children off-world.  But it isn't right.  And we know how important being a part of this pride is to you.  A lot of you weren't here when I was kidnapped, but the ones who were can tell you about Bhutan and the mountains there.  It's very isolated, very wild.  Like your own world.  You wouldn't have to confine the little ones."

"We were going to offer to leave," Kalie said.

Marc walked back in and Carmine and Nicco were with him.  Carmine smiled broadly at Dinah.  He was dressed in a tux. It would be nearly dawn in Italy so he'd apparently been out.  "Signorina Dinah. You have need of me, or so Signore Marc assures me."

Nicco ran over to play with Flossie.

She kissed his cheek. "I have need of your property in Bhutan, my friend."

Carmine raised an eyebrow. "I would not think you would wish to revisit it."

She shuddered.  "No.  I don't.  But I would like to put a new pride there.  Of dragon mothers and their babies and few others for company."  She didn't explain why.  She didn't need to.

"Given how easily they can travel, I see no objection to doing so," Carmine replied, reminding her subtly that distance wasn't the only safeguard she'd need.  "They are most welcome to make it a home."

Dinah turned back to Verbena and the other mothers, watching her anxiously.  "It's up to you.  There won't be many people around, mostly backpackers in the summer and those would be rare.  Though, we could work on that, maybe," she said glancing at Carmine.  "You could go back and forth but mostly live there.  It might be for years.  Until we don't need to keep secrets anymore."

Verbena silently queried the other mothers. Then she nodded at Nexus and Kalie. "If it is what the Heir wishes then we will be pleased to do it."

"No.  If it's because I want it, you will end up being unhappy."

Verbena lowered her head to regard Dinah. "We will be happy wherever we are, so long as we can visit you."

Dinah blinked back tears.  "Oh sweetheart.  I don't deserve any of you."

Verbena lowered her head to snuffle Dinah's hair. "Of course you do, silly."

Flossie, her voice very tiny, asked, "Can I still visit Ilori?"

Dinah sighed.  "Are you claiming her?"

"She's very sad. And afraid," Flossie answered.

"Perhaps not now, Flossie," Marc replied in a kindly tone.

"But we could maybe arrange for you to visit sometimes," Dinah said.  "She needs some time, honey."

Flossie nodded, looking forlorn.

Dinah looked at Kalie and then Verbena, helpless.

"Tell you what, Flossie," Marc commented. "How about we bring Ilori to visit you? If she's all right with that, that is."

Flossie perked up and her tail began beating the wall again. "She will. She will want to."

"Then we'll bring her," Dinah said.  "I'll work out the details with Carmine and let you know.  Though I'm sure if you want to go check out the site you can.  Just don't crash any planes."

"Si," Carmine said, running his eyes across the dragons. "I will ask Briony to show you everything."

Nexus nodded.  "Thank you.  We won't let you down."

"You've never let us down," Marc replied. "Not a single one of you."

"You don't have it in you," Dinah added.

"So," Marc said, rubbing his hands together. "We have a plan. See, I knew we would come up with one. Thanks to the good prince."

Carmine, his lips twitching, bowed to him and then more deeply to Dinah.

"Come up to the commune, Carmine.  You can have a drink," Dinah said.  Then she grinned, looking at Nicco.  "With all the dragon babies in one place you'll always know where to find Nicco."

"Si. That is what worries me," the prince replied with a laugh and agreed to return with them.

Dinah handed him a drink and settled next to Marc.  "Will they be alright without people around?"

Marc frowned. "So long as they know they are still loved, I'd think so. Poor Flossie."

"Does she, little Flossie, wish to claim Ilori?" Carmine asked. "And," he added, looking around,  "where is Signorina Ilori?"

"I think she does," Dinah said.  "Ilori is with Peter, who is pressing a prior claim."

Carmine grinned. "Amore. I do hope the wolf is happy."

"Bella luna and amore," Dinah muttered.  "I suspect the wolf is ecstatic."

"One trusts the lady is as well," Carmine said as he clinked glasses with Dinah.

"I haven't heard any screaming..."  Her lips twitched.  "At least not in terror."

Ilori's eyes snapped open. She took in the room, and then the arm flung protectively over her stomach. The arm was attached to Peter who lay next to her with a smile on his face even if he was sound asleep.

She was afraid to shift even a bit. She'd already learned Peter was alert to the slightest change in her, emotionally or physically. It was disconcerting. Particularly the emotional side of things. There would be no hiding anything from him. She wasn't sure she liked that.  She wasn't used to being emotional. She'd learned to bury that part of herself over the years, deny it even. It had been the only way she could deal with some of the things she'd seen.  Now...

He'd seemed to be glad to learn she wasn't very experienced in sex, and therefore hadn't pushed her. She hadn't been a virgin, that having been taken care of when she was quite young. But since then she'd kept her distance from men, determined, really, to avoid the heartache and misery so many of her friends and family endured what with broken hearts or jealous fears. And now, here she was falling in love with a man who seemed to embody everything she'd wanted to avoid. Worse, she wasn't sorry about it.

That was when she realized he was watching her. She smiled.

"You're already worrying."

"I suppose denying it is a waste of time," she replied.

He propped himself on an elbow and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.  "You really can trust me, you know."

She frowned. "What makes you think I don't?"

He just looked at her.

She sighed. "It isn't you. It's the situation. Everything surrounding it. Things you don't have control over, Peter."

"That's part of it, true.  But it's not all of it."

"Then maybe you'd better tell me, since I'm not sure what you mean," she replied.

"You don't like it when people see you, when you're vulnerable."

She reached out and took his hand, comparing his large one with her small one, the size of her wrist against his.  After a time she looked up and met his eyes. "No, I don't. I don't think anyone wants to feel vulnerable."

"No they don't.  The difference is you close yourself off from people to avoid it."

"And you're saying I should trust you and not do that to you. Easier said than done. Even if I agreed, and maybe I do, I'm not sure I know how to open up."

He looked at her for a moment and then got out of bed.  Do you want the shower first?  I'll go get us some coffee."

She looked at him for a moment. "I've said something wrong. Yes, I'll be happy to shower first."

"You're really good at pushing people away."

She looked away and blinked back tears. "I don't mean to."

"I know you don't mean to hurt."

She turned back to him, pain clear on her face as well as in her emotions. "Oh, Peter."

He bent and kissed her forehead.  "Shower.  I'll get us some coffee."

She bit her lip as he left, wondering why he, or his wolf, wanted anything to do  with her.  She got up, though, and went to the shower, realizing only then she had no clean clothes. She cursed herself for far too many things and let the water hit her.

Peter set some clothes for her he'd borrowed from Doni on the bed and a cup of coffee for her on the table.  The room reeked of sex and self pity.  He opened the windows and stepped out onto the balcony.  What the hell was he going to do now?

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. she dried her hair and opened the bathroom door to see the clothes lying on the bed.  And the coffee beside it.  She looked around for Peter and saw him standing on the balcony.  She bit her lip but walked over and slipped her hand into his.

"Hi."

"Hi. What happened? I thought last night we... I guess I just need to keep my mouth shut. I seem to .. Shut up, Ilori," she muttered to herself.

"Thought last night we what?"

"That we opened up to one another. That we.. I, rather, had opened up to you."

"And this morning you're back to shutting me out because you're afraid of the things I make you feel."

"I've never felt them before, Peter. At least not so much. I'm not used to that much joy and freedom."

"I understand that.  I even accept it."  He looked down at her and sighed.  "What I'm having a problem with is that...Does it ever occur to you to ask for help?"

"Oh," she replied. "I do want your help, Peter. To learn to be freer. It just... I thought it was me who had to change. Not?"

"That doesn't mean you have to do it alone," he said.

"All right. Will you help me, Peter? Please?"

He grinned.  "Sure.  Just let me shower and we can go get some breakfast."

"I'll be here.  Hurry up," she replied smiling at him.

Dinah wiped Neill's chin and handed him his sippy cup.  Then she waved to the table.  "Have a seat.  Help yourselves," she said to Peter and Ilori.

Ilori smiled at her. "Thank you. Hello, sweetheart," she added to Neill.

He gurgled and waved his cup of apple juice.  Then he puckered his lips and blew her a bubble.

"He's a flirt, just like his father," Dinah said.

"I heard that," Marc said from behind her. "Brenna's down and sound asleep.  Hi Ilori. You look... Peter looks. How are you Peter?"

"Famished,"  He filled a plate for Ilori and set it in front of her then started on one for himself.  "I take it Brenna was up teething last night?"

Marc nodded glumly. "I gather you two didn't notice?"

Ilori blushed. "No. I didn't."

Marc grinned.  "Peter?"

Peter grinned at him, all preening male.  "Guess you didn't get much sleep either, uhm?"

"For all the wrong reasons," Marc muttered darkly. Then guiltily added, "Well, maybe not, exactly."

"I understand perfectly," Peter said.

"You do?" Marc asked.

"Kids.  You love them, but there's times when you'd give anything almost to have used birth control."

"Teething being one of those times," Marc agreed, eyeing Ilori who was making faces at Neill.  "Things going okay?"

Peter looked at him over a forkful of ham.  "Great, how 'bout you?"

Marc looked over at Dinah. "So far so good."

Dinah smiled brightly and started mopping one of Neill's hands clean.  "Lovely."

"So, what are you kids up to now?" Marc asked. "After Peter eats us out of house and home, I mean."

"I need to make some calls and then Stephen and I along with Daniel and Matthew are going to meet to sort out the details to move the pack here," Peter said.

Ilori looked at her watch. "I've an appointment with Stephen, which I'll be late for, I'm afraid."

"I doubt he'll mind. How did you manage to get him to even make an appointment with you?" Marc asked, in awe.

"He likes my smile?" Ilori suggested.

"Probably she's bribing Tommy," Dinah said.

Ilori looked hurt. "He's sweet. I wouldn't do that to him."

"With Tommy, you just smiling at him and being nice is a bribe," Marc confided.  "Shall I ask someone to bring your things here, Ilori?"

Ilori looked a bit like a deer in headlights for a moment and looked at Peter.

Peter nodded and went on eating.

"I, uhm," Ilori replied finally, "I can manage."

"Don't be silly. You don't have a car, and you can't zap yourself around," Marc pointed out.

"Oh. True," she whispered.

Peter smiled reassuringly.  "I promise they won't make you babysit.  You'll be too busy."

Ilori laughed. "I wouldn't mind."  Then when she heard the rest of what he said she blushed.

"We're very open about sex around here, Ilori. You'll have to get used to it, I'm afraid," Marc commented. "It's different than you're used to, I'm sure."

Ilori nodded.

Dinah pluncked Neill in his father's lap.  "I have a meeting with Lantana on St. Michaels.  "We have a dinner party and reception tonight.  I already made sure your tux is clean.  You'll have to wear the house colors I'm afraid."

Marc groaned. "What's wrong with a night in bed?  I promise it would be a lot more fun."

Ilori looked up but refrained from asking the obvious.

Dinah patted his arm.  "Console yourself with the reflection that there are three events tonight and we've got the best of the bunch.  Baz and Ian are dealing with London and Stephen and Ash will be in DC.  Tomorrow, however, the committee is testifying in front of a joint session of Ways and Means.  That means tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night we'll all be front and center."

"Again," Marc added.  Then he looked over at Ilori. "Any suggestions for dealing with the press?"

"Do everything Irisa tells you to do and use that smile. A lot,"  Ilori replied. "You can be charming when you want to be.  I'd suggest you choose to be."

"Disarm them, huh?" Marc asked.

Ilori nodded. "Might help at your dinner party too. Although I'm pretty sure you know all that."

"He grunts a lot," Dinah said.  "And sneaks scotch."

Ilori's lips twitched.

"I do not grunt," Marc said with dignity as he got up and carried Neill off.

Dinah started clearing the mess a toddler makes when eating.  "It was easier when they were on formula."

Ilori rose to help her. "Soon they'll be running around here getting into everything and you'll be saying if only they were still small."

"I have a closet full of track shoes," Dinah said.  "I'm ready."

Ilori giggled and glanced over toward Peter.

Peter winked at her.  "I'll buy you all the track shoes you want.  I want a lot of kids."

"I see," Ilori replied. "But you're the baby sitting expert. I saw that the other night."

"They'll always have a pet," he said.  "All housebroken and everything."

Ilori laughed. "Does he fetch the paper too?"

"For you?  He'll do anything."

She looked down for a moment then met his eyes. "I know that he will. And I love him for that."

He leaned over and kissed her.  "He loves you."

She nodded, and blushed again as she caught a glimpse of Dinah out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't mind me," Dinah said.

Ilori nodded, then asked, "Peter, do you have time to drive me to see Stephen?"

"Sure," he said.  "When ever you're ready."

Ilori finished helping Dinah clear and then looked at her. "Thank you, Dinah. For everything."

"No problem.  I'll see you later."

Marc stuck his head into the kitchen once Ilori and Peter had left.  "So?" he asked his mate.

"So.  Do we ignore it or no?"

Marc poured himself a cup of coffee and then one for Dinah.  "Sit," he suggested. Once the two of them were comfortable he answered her. "She didn't take your bait."

"Which bait was that?"

"St Michaels and Lantana," he replied.

"Didn't think she would.  The fact that she didn't is curious though."

"Why?" he asked.

"She's a curious person.  But she was too distracted this morning.  She was tense and self-conscious and really doesn't want to move her things in here to stay with Peter."

"I didn't get that last part. I doubt he'd spoken to her about it. It took her by surprise.  But yes, she is distracted.  And we did threaten her yesterday, so I'm not surprised she was tense."  He paused then added, "I wonder if Peter warned her we'd probably know."

"I don't know.  He may not have realized it."  She played with her coffee.  "We should probably have a chat with him."

"I agree. Let's avoid talking like we're going to do anything to her, though. I'd rather not have Peter as an enemy. Or his wolf. Particularly not his wolf."

She laughed.  "He's housebroken."

"You threaten to take his mate away and I suspect he'll not be," Marc pointed out. "If someone threatened you I wouldn't be."

"I know.  I don't plan on it.  It's clever idea.  It buys us all time.  But not that much time.  Two, maybe three days.  Plus the full moon's coming and she's going to ovulate soon."

Marc nodded glumly. "She's got to be terrified. Although I doubt she realizes that last part. I wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

"If when he does mate her if it will activate her latency. Wouldn't that be a shock. For both of them?"

"Why would it?"

"They both think she's normal.  And so she is, but with potential. I'm surprised Chris didn't see it. Although maybe it's too subtle for him just yet."

"You haven't answered my question?  I can't think of any reason why the mating would trigger it."

"Oh. Well, it's a chemical change, right? A systemic alteration of her DNA as I understand it. I could be wrong though."

"Slow acting, happens gradually as she's exposed to more of his DNA in his body fluids...saliva, ejaculate, even his blood, if she bites him."

He nodded. "Still. It'll be interesting to see if it does."  He listened for a moment. "Peter coming back?"

"Sounds like it."

"You said you wanted to talk to him. Looks like he wants to talk to you, too. I'll go hide in the study," Marc suggested.

"Oh no you don't," she said, grabbing his belt.  "Park it, babe."

"Yes, ma'am," Marc said as Peter walked in.

Peter looked from one to the other and sighed.  "What?"

"Need a drink?" Marc suggested.

Peter's brows drew together.  "It's not even ten o'clock in the morning yet.  Why would I need a drink?"

"Okay," Marc said, getting up and getting three coffee cups and the brandy. He sat back down. "We know."

"That sounds ominous."  Peter accepted a cup of coffee and passed on the brandy.

"Not to me," Marc replied, glancing over at Dinah. "But then I'm not the one you need to worry about."

"You didn't mate her," Dinah said.

Peter smiled.  "She hasn't consented.  Yet."

"You seem pretty confident she will," Marc commented.

"I suppose I am.  It's not me she's fighting but herself."

"Yeah," Marc agreed. "It's got to be confusing for her. After all, she's just a normal human. To suddenly find herself the object of your wolf's ardor..."

"Actually, I think she's past that," Peter said.  "I think she's afraid of getting hurt."

"Hurt?" Marc asked.

"Emotionally.  Being vulnerable.  Taking a risk."

Marc nodded. "Taking that leap. She never struck me as the sort of woman who gives her heart easily. A lot like Dinah."

Dinah raised an eyebrow.  "Oh?"

Marc nodded, meeting her eyes. "Afraid to come out of hiding, as I recall. According to Mac.  And you."

"Then why was it me stalking you?"

Marc frowned. "That's not how I remember it."

"Ah, so you don't remember all the, "an affair is all I can offer you, stuff?"

"Okay, she's like me too, happy about that?" Marc replied frowning at her, and ignoring Peter's interested look.

"I just have a problem with revisionist history, sweet cheeks," Dinah patted his hand.  "I love you just as you are."

Marc rolled his eyes at Peter. "That's good cuz you're stuck with me as I am."

Dinah laughed then turned to Peter.  "I don't have much time."

Marc raised an eyebrow. "More than Peter has."

She punched his arm.  "Behave."

Peter ignored the byplay.  "Do you have a better idea?  Or are you suggesting I mate her without her consent?"

Marc crossed his arms on his chest and waited.

Dinah looked Peter dead in the eye, her face impassive.  "I'm suggesting that I understand but also that if you don't mate her in seventy-two hours I'm sending her to St. Michaels.  And god damn you to hell if you force me to do it."

"But you could go with her," Marc commented.

"I could," Peter said.  "I doubt she'd want the company in what she sees as a pretty prison."

"What's the hurry, Dinah? If Peter vouches for her..."

"It's my job.  And, quite frankly, I'm not sure I trust her."

Marc muttered a curse.

"The other problem, as you both know," Dinah said, "is that the full moon is coming and she's going to ovulate soon.  When she does, your wolf will mate with or without her consent, won't he?"

"I won't let that happen," Peter growled.

"Can you reasonably control that, Peter?" Marc asked.

"I'll leave if I have to."

"Have you explained it to her?" Marc asked.

"No.  I don't want to pressure her and I don't want her afraid of me."

Marc nodded, and watched Dinah.

She threw her hands in the air.  "What am I?  The freaking font of wisdom?  I don't make the rules.  I just get to enforce them."

"Or break them," Marc replied. "Not a damn thing wrong with breaking a rule when you need to."

"Fuck you!" she hissed and walked out of the kitchen.

Marc sighed. "Look. Do what you have to do, Peter. But it would help if you could get Ilori's word that she .. Hell. She's already given us her word.  Damn and blast."

"It doesn't matter.  Dinah doesn't trust her."

Marc nodded glumly. "Do you?"

"Yes."

"Okay. That's all I need to hear. I'll do what I can, Peter."

"Thanks.  I'm sorry.  Tell Dinah I know I've made things difficult for her and I apologize."

"Not your fault," Marc reassured him. "Go on, get out of here."

Peter rose and extended his hand.  "There's a lot to be said for just spanking them sometimes."

Marc let out a laugh. "I'll keep that solution in reserve."  He took Peter's hand.  "I think she'll surprise all of us in the end."

"Thanks again," Peter said and left.

Marc stopped long enough to grab the scotch decanter and two glasses and went after her.

Dinah found him waiting when she stepped out of the shower.  "Did you two settle it to your satisfaction?"

He didn't answer her, just held out a glass with two fingers of scotch in it. "Drink."

She glared at him then tossed it down.

"I know what it feels like to have the weight of the future on your shoulders."

She opened her mouth and then shut it with a snap.  After a minute she sighed.  "I know."

"All you can do is trust your people. If you can't trust Ilori, trust Peter."

"The problem with that is he's focused on her."

"Of course he is," Marc agreed. "But it doesn't mean he's lost all rational thought. He's aware of the problems he's dealing with - both with regard to her and with regard to his people. And he knows her a lot better than we do. On a lot deeper level.  And if he has any hope at all for happiness, it means that right now he has to trust her, and wait for her."

She didn't say anything while she dressed.  "Maybe I'm the wrong person for this job."

Marc was stripping for the shower. "Bullshit."

She blinked.  "Well that was pretty definite."

"Yup. You struggle with the choices. You know the consequences and yet you realize that things aren't black and white. You have a conscience and an appreciation for the consequences and don't see yourself as God like a certain male in this room has been known to do. So I'd say you're perfect for the job."

"Except I'm temperamental, opinionated and I don't tend to trust people."

"Which is why you have me to kick problems off of," he replied as he climbed under the water. "Or kick, as the case may be," he added sticking his head out of the shower.

She stood next to the shower.  "I don't like kicking you, yelling at you and socking you.  You don't deserve any of those things."

He stuck his wet soapy head out of the shower and regarded her. "I know. But I love you. And sometimes you need a way to blow off steam. I don't take it personally and I don't see it as a threat to my impressive manhood, so try not to worry about it, okay?"

"How can I not worry about it?  I physically abuse the man I adore."

"Think of it as kinky sex," he replied.

"It's not sexy in the slightest.  Especially since I couldn't care less who sees me do it."

He went back into the shower to wash off the soap and then turned the water off. He took the towel Dinah handed him and stepped out to stand near her, trying not to drip on her.

"I like that you are uninhibited with me. I like that if you feel like hitting me you can without worrying that I might hurt you back just because I can. I see it as an issue of trust. I'd hate to think that suddenly you hesitate because you don't trust me enough to know that it isn't me you want to strike out at."

"Jesus God, Marc.  I so don't deserve you."

"Nonsense. God knows you've put up with me being an ass. It's just that it's your turn now."

"It's true, though."

"What is?" he asked as he finished toweling off. "You look lovely by the way. I don't say that often enough."

"I don't deserve you.  Is Peter pissed?"

"No. He's just .. He loves her. He needs her. Hell, she might not know it yet, but she needs him. So he's worried. I would be if someone threatened to take you away from me again. He'll be fine."

"Will she accept him, do you think?"

He slipped into his tux, zipping up and buttoning up as he gave it some thought. "She's a fool if she doesn't. At the same time it occurs to me that she grew up in countries where girls were mutilated to stop them from getting sexual pleasure, and where men buy and marry girl children then believe they have the right to kill them in the name of family 'honor' if they don't behave. And suddenly she's discovered someone has decided she's his."  He paused. "But Peter loves her, so I think she'll see that beyond all of her fears.  And she needs to be loved."

She blanched.  "God, it's a wonder she's not a lesbian in protest."

"Lucky for Peter she isn't," Marc replied, pulling her into his arms. "Tie the bloody tie for me, darling. I never get it right."

She nudged his chin up and fiddled with the tie.  "Well good luck to him.  To both of them."

"Indeed. So, can I get stinking drunk at this thing?" he demanded.

"Afterward.  Unfortunately."

"Damn." He held his arm for her. "Let's go away for a couple of days. Don't give anyone a number. Just the two of us. Like right after the reception."

She pulled him close, lifting her face up to his.  "Alright.  But we've got months of this to look forward to.  Are you going to be able to stand it?"

"The question is, are you going to be able to put up with me grouchy as hell."

"If it gets too bad we'll dump it all on Stephen and run away for a few days."

He grinned. "Sounds like a plan. See, that's why I love  you."

"I love you too."

Haley took her sandwich and a glass of ice tea out onto the patio of the commune.   A moment's peace was a rare thing these days and she was going to enjoy it.  Matthew and Daniel and their third were meeting with Stephen and the house was quiet and still.  She got comfortable in the lounge chair, picked up her sandwich and opened her book.

Ilori, having been loaned a vehicle, drove up to the commune. It was such a different sort of place than she'd ever known. Her parents were modest. Sex was never spoken of. And here it seemed to be a taste in the air, the touch of the wind, an imperative she couldn't ignore.

She knew Peter had risked a great deal for her. Risked his standing with Dinah, saved her from exile to somewhere she couldn't even imagine. She sighed and got out of the car.  Her things had already been moved into Peter's rooms, she knew. Yet another first for her. She'd never lived with a man.

She went in, surprised the place was so quiet. She got herself a glass of juice and decided to retreat to the patio and spend some time trying to make sense of what had been happening around her, and too her.

She'd stepped out onto the patio and was halfway across it before she realized someone else was there. Haley. When Haley looked up from her book,  Ilori said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted a chance to relax."

"Me too.  There's room enough for both of us," Haley said.  She smiled and waved a hand.  "The place is huge."

Ilori looked around. "It is. It seems odd to be so... empty."

Haley laughed.  "Tabitha and the nannies took the babies out.  Everyone else is at work."

"Ah," Ilori said, slipping into a seat.

"I suppose your mates are off arranging for the pack to settle in?" Ilori asked, playing with a button on her blouse.

Haley's look became speculative.  "They're working things out with Stephen.  Peter's with them."

"Oh. You know where they are?" Ilori asked.

"Stephen's office, I imagine.  Or a conference room," Haley said.  "Why?"

"Oh. I just wondered if you could, like Marc and Stephen, sense where they were."

"Yeah.  It's part of the bond."  Haley frowned, staring at Ilori's shoulder.  "You didn't mate him did you?" she asked.

Ilori blushed. "He wants to give me time. It's.. one minute I thought he hated me and the next he was ..well his wolf was... announcing I was his mate. I.. Is it always like that, that in just one moment everything changes?"

"Yes.  There's no artifice in wolves."  Haley's shook her head.  "He lied for you?"

Ilori nodded miserably. "He said he wouldn't force me. And I'm.. confused about it all."

"Confused about what?"

"What I'm feeling, what he's feeling.  What his wolf is feeling. He's not like anyone I've ever known. I can't really make sense of him.  And he's ... He frightened me when we first met, and is now, I think, although I'm not sure, afraid to tell me much for fear he'll frighten me again."

"I'd think it was pretty obvious what he and his wolf feel for you," Haley said.

"Well, but it isn't a choice for him, is it? It's .. he'd never have picked me as a mate if he'd had a choice." Ilori looked up at Haley. "So is it love, or is it just ..."

"Does anyone really pick who they fall in love with?  And even if there's some who do, what difference does it make.  He's a werewolf.  If you'll pardon me, he expected it to happen this way.  And for the love of heaven, most were's never find their mate."

"I didn't know that," Ilori replied. "I guess I thought ... I don't know what I thought."

"All that stuff your tied up in knots about is just crap.  Take it from someone whose been there and has the wrinkles to prove it.  What matters is he loves you.  You are the most important thing in his life and always will be...you and the children you'll have.  There is nothing he won't do for you to keep you safe and make you happy.  He'll never harm you willingly or knowingly.  He'll never cheat on you and he'll never abandon you, physically or emotionally.  The question is, are you woman enough to accept it?  Or are you going to get all hung up about how you think it's suppose to be?"

"Did you know ahead of time what it would all be like? Didn't you feel confused and surprised and ..." Ilori shook her head.  "I suppose it's the idea that I have no choice that bothers me most. I have cousins who were handed off to men they didn't love, didn't know. I never thought... He might be totally unlike them, he is unlike them. I believe him when he says all those things. But he can sense what I feel and I don't know how to not feel what I do."

Haley sighed.  "No choice?  He's killing himself to give you a choice, or haven't you noticed that?  You just said he won't force you.  What the hell is that?"

"What do you mean he's killing himself to give me that choice?" Ilori asked going pale.

"First of all no one's taken away your choices.  No one's forced you.  In fact, everyone's bent over backward to make sure you got your questions answered and you weren't forced into anything."  Haley blew out air, forcing her temper under control.  "The full moon is in a few days.  And you're going to ovulate soon.  If you haven't chosen," she snapped, emphasizing the word, "by then, he'll leave."  She paused.  "So he won't take that choice away from you."

Ilori blew out air. "How do you know, how would he know... Oh. scent.  No one told me. It never occurred to me...Oh, God."

"He probably didn't want to pressure you," Haley said.

Ilori nodded.  "See, that's what I didn't understand. There was this sense of urgency that seemed so at odds with his telling me that .. And everyone else was so tense. That's why?"

Haley nodded.  "After the way you freaked out, nobody wanted to make it worse."

Ilori groaned. "And I was reacting to that.  And reading things into it."

Haley stayed quiet.

"Anything else I've been particularly stupid about?" Ilori finally asked.

"Not knowing isn't stupid."

Ilori sighed. "What else should I know?"

Haley considered her.  "That Dinah knows you faked it and she's pissed as hell.  But she's giving him time to see if you two can work it out."

Ilori nodded. "Did he realize she'd know that we hadn't mated?"

"If I had to guess I'd say yes."

Ilori nodded then stood. "Thank you, Haley. Thank you for being civil to me.  I'm.. going to go lie down."

Haley's face lit up like a ball of fire.  "I, ah...sure.  It'll all work out.  Trust me.  I've been where you are."

"Yes, I hope it will work out. Later. I've bothered you long enough."  Ilori headed up to her and Peter's room. She unpacked and put her clothes away, trying not to think too hard because when she did she didn't much like what she was thinking about herself.

Finally, once she'd arranged things, she lay down on the bed and after a while she finally fell asleep.

Peter found her there, curled under a blanket, her cheek cupped in her hand.  He left her sleeping while he showered and changed.  Then he sat next to her, smoothing her hair away from her face, caressing her throat and the line of her jaw.

She reached out to put her hand over his before she opened her eyes. When she did open them she turned to regard him. "Hi. What time is it?"

"About six-thirty."

"Oh. I should get up. We need to talk."

He kissed her fingers and stood, giving her space.  "Is everything alright?"

She sat up and regarded him from the bed.  "No. Everything isn't all right."

"OK.  What isn't alright?"

She chewed on her lip for a moment gathering her courage. "If we're going to go forward from here we have to have ground rules. You and me. Between us."

"I'm listening."

She stood and looked up at him. "First, you don't lie for me. Ever."

"OK.  I'll never lie to you.  But it means you can't ever lie to me either.  Even by omission or inference."

"Or for me to anyone else," she replied.

He considered her for a moment.  "You knew what they'd assume.  Just as I did."

She nodded. "But I didn't know they'd realize, that you were risking their regard and their respect. So the only way forward is to not do it again."

"So the problem is the risk I took?  Not the lie I connived at?"

She frowned, giving that some thought. "Both. I'm not very happy with myself over that either."

"Alright.  Rule number two?"

She took a deep breath. "I want you to stop worrying about whether or not you'll frighten me. I need to understand things, Peter. That means you tell me everything. Explain it to me, clearly, because I'm apparently quite stupid. I ask you to be patient about that."

"Alright, but first you need to explain what makes you quite stupid?"

She blushed. "That apparently everyone but me realized that there was a very short time frame you were working within."

"There was no reason for you to know."

Her lips narrowed.  "Hence the rule that you tell me everything, since we disagree on that particular issue, and I'm sure there'll be more disagreements in the future."

The corners of his mouth twitched but his eyes stayed solemn.  "Alright."

"Those are all the rules I can think of at the moment. Have you any?" she asked, her chin going up.

"When it comes to your safety, I make the rules."

She frowned. "Can I plead my case?"

"I'll listen to anything you want to say.  I'll always listen.  But when it comes to your safety, I decide."

She nodded. "I can't guarantee I'll like it. But alright."

"That's my only rule."

She nodded, and  took a deep breath. "I would like you to explain the mating, uhm, procedure to me so I understand what will be happening to me."

"During sex I'll mark you."  He touched her shoulder, where it met her throat.  "Here.  I'll bite you.  You may have noticed the mark on Haley."

"And that results in what, exactly?" she asked.

"It's a permanent mark."  He traced the spot.  "You'll find that it becomes very sensitive to certain types of touch.  The bite places some of my saliva in your blood stream.  That, coupled with semen will begin to change your body so that you can have my children.  It will also make you more like a were, though you won't be able to change.  You'll be stronger, your bones will become denser, you'll have more stamina and your senses will become more acute.  You'll be resistant to mose diseases and your life span will match mine."

She leaned into his touch, unconsciously. "Will you be inside my head like Marc and Dinah are with each other?"

"The mating bond that will tie us together will give us an awareness of each other.  The depth and degree of it will depend on time and how open you and I are to it.  It's similar to the pack bond."

"Pack bond? Will that affect me too?"  She stepped into his arms, trying not to feel anxious.

"You aren't expected to become pack, though the option exists," he said, drawing her close.

She nodded against his chest. "All right then."

"Is that a yes?"  He stroked her back with his hand, kissing her hair.

"That's a yes," she replied, her voice steady.

He tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him.  "I swear to you, little love, you'll never regret it."

"I just don't want you to regret it," she replied.

"Not a chance," he said just before sealing her lips with his.