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Author's Note: I'm back with another installment of the Zoo! Remember my last author's note saying this may be getting a little more risque? Well (spoiler alert) we're going there this time, so consider yourself forewarned. That being said, I'd love your feedback about the story and where I took it, how it was executed, etc. So please, definitely throw me a comment telling me what you think. Also please rate and favorite if you're so inclined. And throw me a shout if you want. Happy reading and as always I hope you enjoy!- AK

In the next few weeks, Roxie felt herself grow more and more energized. She was ready to embrace the ideas Bruce had professed. He was right, of course. Now more than ever action was needed. She had tried to do her part, with Vixen's help, Roxie was able to get a few flyers printed. She slid a flyer under the door of all the rooms in the Zoo. If even one tenant in the Zoo showed up to a meeting, she would feel accomplished. The only doors she avoided were the Doctor's as well as Dulion's. No need to openly risk eviction.

Roxie stood behind the bar of the restaurant she worked at. She was a little surprised that she had taken to bartending so easily, considering her parents usually kept a dry household. It wasn't too busy in the middle of the afternoon, save for the occasional business person which Roxie served with a smile, even if she couldn't stand them.

Today however, there was a group of some kind of tradesmen who had come in and all ordered some drinks. They were increasingly getting a little rowdy. Roxie had wished that her manager would come over, but he was likely on his lunch break if not having what he called a "performance review" with one of the waitress. The head of them, a man with hard features and grey hairs sprinkled throughout his face called Roxie over.

"Another beer please." he asked politely enough.

Roxie nodded as she poured him a beer from the tap and placed it in front of him.

"Say there, darling," he said before Roxie could walk away, "what's that there pin on your shirt? The paw print looking thing."

"It's an Lycanthrope Pride pin." Roxie said plainly. "I'm a lycanthrope."

"Well I'll be damned, we got us a real-life lycanthrope here!" He yelled before leaning in closely. "So tell me, dear; you ever been with a human man before? One that can fuck you real good?"

Roxie immediately walked away from them with a disgusted look on her face. Who the hell did he think he was? Still she kept her mouth shut. She could complain about these assholes once her manager was back.

"Hey, you get your little ass back here." The man slurred as his friends tried to calm him down a bit.

Roxie continued to ignore him as she took a deep breath and continued to do small, simple tasks just to avoid talking to the bastard. Roxie watched from the corner of her eye as it seemed that the his friends were able to calm him down. One even called over an apology for their friend who had clearly had too much to drink and asked for the check. Roxie nodded and grabbed the check and placed it in front of one of the saner men. As she turned to walk away, the man who had been harassing her reached out and grabbed her wrist so tightly it hurt.

"What's say you and me go out back I show you how a real human man fucks a little furry bitch like you?"

Instinctively, Roxie reached back and hit the man with all of her strength. Immediately the man let go of Roxie's wrist. Her hand had an impression of where his wrist had been. Roxie tried to shake some of the pain off of her wrist. As she turned to look at the man, she saw he was bleeding from his nose. She must have hit him harder than she thought. The kinder man who asked for the check was standing between him and the bar while another man was on the phone, presumably with police. The commotion attracted the attention of her manager who looked to be fixing his tie as he and another waitress came towards the bar. Roxie pulled out her phone and quickly sent out a text. Police arrived quickly. One of which was the cop who had brought her to the Zoo. He was the one who approached her. Blackwood, she thought his name was.

"I didn't do anything!" Roxie said as he approached. "That drunk bastard grabbed my wrist and harassed me."

"Let me see your wrist."

Roxie held out her wrist as Blackwood examined it gently.

"Yep." he said with a sigh. "He grabbed you good."

Blackwood looked around to make sure no one else was looking. Once he was satisfied, he leaned in close to Roxie.

"Did you call Dulion?" He whispered. "Just nod or shake your head."

Roxie nodded.

"Good." Blackwood said before he walked up to the manager. "This place got cameras?"

The manager nodded and led Blackwood and one of his men away to where they could watch the film. The other cop stood by Roxie and the drunk, making sure that there wasn't anymore problems. The drunk continued to say awful things about her; the most painful was how she should be used only for breeding, and he was the guy who should breed her. At that one, even the cop told him to shut his mouth. Roxie covered herself with her hands. She never felt more exposed before.

The restaurant door swung open. Roxie turned her head to the door to see Dulion limping inside. Roxie made a mental note to ask why Dulion only needed the cane when he was in his human form. The cop walked over to stop him, but once Dulion explained who he was, the cop allowed him to pass.

"Getting into trouble already?" Dulion whispered once he was next to Roxie.

"I didn't..."

"I know, I was joking. Are you okay?"

Before Roxie could answer, Blackwood and his partner walked up to Roxie. Blackwood shook Dulion's hand while the other cop just nodded politely.

"The tape corroborates your story." Blackwood said to Roxie. "We just need to know if you want to press charges."

"Hell yes, I want to press charges" Roxie said. "This bastard assaulted me."

"Okay." Blackwood said, "you'll need to come down to the station to file a report. I can drive you while the boys arrest him."

"I can drive her." Dulion said.

"You got a car?" Blackwood said. "Good. I'll get to retire early."

Roxie smiled at Blackwood. For a government appointed stooge meant to oppress her and other lycanthropes, he wasn't too bad. At least this time, he got things right. Roxie watched as the drunken pervert was lead away in handcuffs. He glared at her as he was escorted out by the officers. Blackwood made Roxie and Dulion wait for a few minutes before leaving, just to be save. Once Blackwood was satisfied, Dulion led Roxie to his car. Roxie transformed as she walked. Roxie watched Dulion limping along, clearly in pain.

"Your leg only hurts when you're a human, doesn't it?" she said. "You don't need the cane when you're a lion."

"Good eyes." Dulion said. "I was in a car accident when I was a kid. Wrecked my leg pretty badly so I need the cane."

"No you don't. You can just transform. Then you'd be able to walk fine."

"It's not that easy."

"Sure it is, I've seen you transform."

"And my leg ends up hurting whenever I transform back."

"So stay as a lion and you won't be in pain."

Roxie heard Dulion sigh once they got to his car. It was an older model, but still looked pretty good with it's metallic silver paint shimmering in the sunlight. She looked at the advisor's face; it looked like he had aged twenty years since their conversation began.

"Not everyone is as comfortable in their lycanthrope form as you are." He said. "I'd much prefer to be a normal human, with a normal life, and a normal leg. Sadly, none of those things apply to me."

Roxie wanted to scream at him: it was only the "so-called" normal humans who made him feel that way. It was there way of keeping him down and keeping their power. Hell, they had him on their strings so good, he was HELPING them in their oppression. But she didn't say any of that. As Roxie got into the car and Dulion started to drive to the police station. As he did, she came up with a better idea.

"I know some people I think you should meet. I think they'd help you."

"You mean WILD?" He asked with a scoff. "I know you've been passing out flyers. You know I shut them down, right?"

"This is different. I'm not asking you to join. I'm asking you to come to one meeting. It would be good for you I think. At least come just to see that WILD has changed for the better. One meeting. I won't tell them who you are.You're my friend...uh...whatever your first name is and your curious."

Silence gripped the car. Roxie looked out the window, feeling a little disappointed. She had wanted to show the members of WILD she was doing something, even if it was only for show. Plus, she honestly thought it would help Dulion tremendously; not only in seeing the error of his ways, but by letting him get out a little. Despite the brave face he had kept for the past few weeks, Roxie could tell that he was still suffering.

"James." Dulion said eventually.

"Huh?" Roxie asked.

"My name is James. I will go by "Jim" tonight I guess."

"You're in!?"

"If just to make sure that WILD truly has reformed, yes."

Roxie grinned happily. She was excited. Her advisor had the potential to really influence things if Bruce could sway him to the cause. He was already inside the government; all that was needed now was to turn him into WILD's man on the inside.

***

Dulion made a mental note as he approached the rather undesirable location of the WILD meeting; don't let cute females pressure you into doing things you don't want. It was a good rule of thumb to have, and one he should start to implement immediately. Of course, even he knew this would fail, but it was nice to dream a little. He walked behind Roxie who seemed to practically skipping to some old, should-be-abandoned warehouse. Roxie knocked on the door and which was opened immediately, likely because both Dulion and Roxie were transformed.

"Hey there." Roxie said to the large rhino who guarded the door. "I never caught your name."

"Horace." The Rhino answered. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh this is Jim." Roxie said.

"Pleasure to meet you, brother."

Dulion shook the Rhino's hand firmly. He was proud to avoid wincing at his strong grip.

"Likewise." Dulion said.

"Go grab a seat. Bruce should be here any moment."

Roxie led Dulion to a series of folding chairs all arranged around open area where a speaker, likely Bruce, would be seen. Dulion looked into the crowd of people already gathered. It was much smaller than WILD was back in it's heyday, but it was still respectable. Once they sat down, a vixen bounced over to them.

"Hi Rox." she said with a large grin.

"Hey." Roxie said. "Vixen, right?"

"Aww you remembered little old me." she said, with a flirty wink. "I see you brought a friend tonight."

"Yeah. Vixen, this is Jim."

"Nice to meet you." Dulion said, as he stood up to greet her with a handshake.

"A gentleman." Vixen said smiling as she took Dulion's hand. "And a cutie, tell me, where did you find him and are their others?"

Dulion felt himself blush under his fur as Roxie stifled laughter next to him.

"He lives in the same apartment complex as I do. He wanted to check us out and see what we are all about."

"Well welcome, Jim." Vixen said as she leaned in close to Dulion and rubbed his shoulder a little. "We could always use more members."

"That we can!" Said a loud voice from behind them.

Dulion turned his head to see a Raccoon wearing a pair of slacks along with a shirt and tie walk into the room. He stood in front of everyone, smiling. Vixen took a seat next to Dulion and focused her attention on the man. Even Roxie was transfixed. Dulion had a hunch that this must have been Bruce.

"Welcome, new faces and old supporters to the new and improved WILD." he said, energetic. "My name is Bruce and just like you I have seen the mistreatment we have suffered. The hatred and bigotry we face everyday needs to stop. Now, I know this may be hard for many of you, but we are all here to help each other deal with this adversity. So I encourage anyone who has a story about being the victim of hatred, please come forward to tell your tale."

A few of the lycanthropes in the room stood up and told their stories. Some were kicked out of their houses; others rejected by their family and friends. Many were heckled by people or harassed when they walked down the streets. One lycanthrope, a shark from the looks of it, even referenced Dulion.

"Couple of months ago, that advisor...Dulion, I think, gets up and talks about us working together and it sure sounded nice. But we can't be the only ones trying. The other side's gotta try too."

He was met with a smattering of applause as Dulion tried not to sink in his chair. He thought it was a good speech, at least. Roxie got up and told her story; about being kicked out and sued by her parents; being homeless and arrested; and of course, the incident at the bar.

"Let me add in closing," Roxie said, "that Dulion is my advisor. He has a good heart, I just think he doesn't realize how bad things still are."

"I can agree with that based on what I've read about him." Bruce said. "Would anyone else care to share their story?"

A few more people spoke, each one with another horror story. Dulion began to start thinking; could he have been wrong? Was something like WILD really needed? After all just look at everyone here who had suffered. They were all filled with pain and hurt. He thought of the people at the Zoo; how many of them had similar stories? Josef and Cameron being harassed by DYFS; Cassie who suffered due to an unholy alliance of lycanthrope and humans; and Ibuki. Dulion's heart sank. He didn't want to think about how she suffered; how all this hatred led her away from the Zoo, away from him. He felt a few tears well up in his eyes. What if all of this was for nothing; what if it all didn't matter?

He felt a gentle hand on his own. He turned his head to see Vixen looking back at him with sad, sympathetic eyes. She pet his hand with her thumb softly. Dulion smiled weakly back at her as a gesture of thanks. Eventually, mercifully, the speeches stopped. Bruce got back in the center and grabbed his chest.

"It pains me to hear these stories." Bruce said. "It pains me to know how so many of you...of us have suffered. We must stand together to ensure that none of our fellow brothers or sisters have to suffer like this again. I want all of you to try and find another lycanthrope who may be suffering, and I want you to help them if you can; help them be strong and bring them here so we can grow as a community...no...as a family. Thank you all for coming."

There was a round of applause for the new leader of WILD. Dulion himself resisted the urge to clap along with everyone else. It was his job, he thought, to keep a level head...despite how badly his heart ached.

"You okay?" Roxie whispered to Dulion. "The stories affected you, didn't they?"

"Fine." Dulion answered curtly.

"You need to learn to lie better."

"Hey Rox," Vixen said standing next to Dulion, "You and Jim going to come to Sanctuary tonight? It would be great to see you both there."

"No, I've had a very long day as you know." Roxie said. "But Jim here is more than willing to go, aren't you?"

Dulion turned his head to Roxie and gave her a look of surprise. He felt Vixen grab his hand.

"Great!" Vixen said. "Trust me, Jim you are going to love this place."

As he was led out of the room, the mental note he had given himself earlier echoed through his head. He was going to have to listen to it one of these days.

***

Roxie watched as Vixen dragged Dulion away to whatever it was Sanctuary was before he stretched a little and prepared to go. There were a few number of lycanthropes still gathered around, talking about this and that. She waved goodbye to them and to Horace and walked out of the building. Once again, she felt more invigorated than ever. It was empowering to tell her story; to share it with others and realize that she wasn't alone. She knew she wasn't, but it was different to see it; to feel it. Roxie's thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone calling her name. Roxie turned her head to see Bruce walking up to her.

"Roxie, how are you doing?" He asked as he approached.

"Great." Roxie said with a grin. "It was a great meeting."

"Yes, it was. Where is your friend. I was hoping to chat with him."

"Vixen took him to sanctuary. It's good for him; he needs to get out more."

"I see. Well, may I escort you back to the Zoo then? The streets can be dangerous, and I wouldn't want a repeat of what happened today."

Roxie nodded as she and Bruce began to walk down the darkened streets of the town. Normally, Roxie would feel a bit apprehensive about walking down the streets with a man she barely knew, but something about Bruce put her at ease.

"I'm glad you had the courage to share your story today." Bruce said as they walked. "I'm so sorry that you had to deal with all of that."

"It's okay." Roxie said. "Some of the other stories were worse than mine."

"All the more reason to continue our mission. Forgive me for being just a bit self-serving, but have you discussed our group with your advisor yet?"

"I have. He's still hesitant, but I think he may come around. Like I said, he has a good heart."

Bruce nodded.

"He does. I was there when he gave his speech; the one Joseph had mentioned. It was a great speech, I just wish he would have given it in his lycanthrope form."

"I don't think he's too comfortable in it." Roxie confessed. "He stays in his human form, even though he needs a cane. I don't know if I've ever seen him transform."

Of course, it was a lie, but Roxie wanted to keep Dulion's secret for as long as she could. Besides, it wasn't her place to out him; he would have to do that on his own.

"I see." Bruce said. "Would he be in this evening."

"No, he's out which is rare honestly." Roxie answered. "The Doctor is likely holding down the fort so to speak."

"Dr. Tennant, you mean? Would you...would you mind introducing me to him. I'd love to talk with him."

"Sure." Roxie said.

"Thank you, Roxie. So tell me more about yourself. I love getting to know my fellow brothers...and sisters in arms."

Roxie told Bruce more and more about herself. She was comfortable around him; which was an achievement in itself. For the first time since she was kicked out and forced to live on the streets or move to a strange apartment, Roxie felt at peace.

***

Sanctuary had to be the seediest bar Dulion had ever stepped foot in. To be fair, it wasn't so much a bar as it was another abandoned warehouse; this area was full of them. If this place had any form of liquor license, Dulion was the pope. There was an entry fee which Vixen covered, telling Dulion he could make it up to her next time. The main area of the warehouse was the "bar," but there was another, curtained off area that caught Dulion's attention. He saw several pairs of patrons, all of whom were lycanthropes, walk past the curtains. Maybe it was an exit to not arouse suspicion. Dulion's concerns vanished as he began to drink with Vixen. The alcohol felt good in Dulion's stomach; it numbed the pain of the meeting and the pain he had been carrying around. Eventually, both he and Vixen had a pleasant and potent buzz.

"So what made you come to the meeting today." Vixen slurred as she threw an arm around Dulion's shoulder and smoked a cigarette.

"Roxie asked me to." Dulion said. "That's really it."

"You got lucky with her. She's cute."

"We're not dating. I actually just had a bad breakup."

"Oh, poor baby. What happened?"

The liquor loosened Dulion's tongue as he explained everything. It was only when he got about halfway through that he noticed he was crying.

"Sorry," he said as he finished, "it just...it still hurts is all."

Vixen brushed a tear from his cheek.

"I can feel your pain." Vixen said. "You know, I...I know what it's like."

"You do?"

Vixen told Dulion her story. Her first boyfriend was when she was 13; it was her pimp. She had been forced out onto the streets when her mother found out what she was; she never knew her father. From then on, she did what she had to do to survive; stealing, prostitution, the whole nine yards. She had been addicted to drugs since she was 17. It was only recently that she began to turn her life around; she had a decent job in some coffeeshop and a very small apartment the government helped her get. Things were looking up now.

"But the pain is still there." she said through light sobs. "It's why I go to the meetings and then why I come here. I just want to stop it from hurting, you know? But it always comes back."

Dulion placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on Vixen's shoulder. She stared at Dulion for a moment, almost like she was staring through him. Suddenly, she leaned in close and sloppily kissed him, tasting of whisky and cigarettes. Dulion had felt the feeling before; it was the same, needy, longing feeling he felt when Ibuki had kissed him. Part of his brain tried to resist; but the combination of alcohol and pain were too much to bear.

Vixen broke the kiss and stared at Dulion again. Dulion stared right back, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Vixen took Dulion's hand and got up from the makeshift bar. Dulion followed her as she led him towards the curtained area. Once they got through, Dulion saw why it was so secluded. The pairs or groups of lycanthropes were all having sex. The air was heavy with the smells and sounds of their lust. Some were on the floor, others on chairs. None of them cared that they were being watched. Dulion felt a little resistance spring up in his chest, but it wasn't enough for him to turn away. Vixen led him to a corner that was fairly abandoned and forced him down into a chair. Like she was in a trance, she removed the clothing she wore, until she was down to just a bra and panties. She walked over to Dulion and unbuttoned his shirt and lifted it up over his head. She nuzzled his bare, furry chest.

"We're both in pain." she whispered. "We're suffering. We cry every night. I don't want to hurt anymore.I want to escape. Escape with me. Please...help me."

Vixen kissed his chest before leaned down and undid Dulion's belt. She pulled his pants and boxer shorts down to his ankles leaving him exposed. Dulion felt the urge to cover himself up, but Vixen pinned his shoulders to the wall, stopping him. When she released him a second later, his arms had no desire to move. Vixen, still facing him removed her panties and undid her bra. It fell to the floor lazily. Dulion stared at her and she back at him in silence; the moans around them faded into something less than white noise.

Dulion stared at Vixen, both naked physically and emotionally. It was as if all of his pain; all of the suffering they he had felt, both recently and throughout his life, was rising to the surface. It made his heart ache and his pulse quicken. Vixen walked over and took Dulion's hands and placed them on her breasts. She held her hands over his controlling them and making them grope and feel her.

Vixen moved slowly closer to Dulion; her breathing became heavier. She took her hands off of Dulion's and wrapped her arms around the back of her neck. She kissed Dulion again, and again he felt all the hurt and pain in that kiss. She positioned herself awkwardly above Dulion before she lowered herself onto him and straddled his hips.She looked into Dulion's eyes for a moment before she began to move.

"Help me." she said breathlessly.

She repeated the phrase over and over as she continued; it was the only words they exchanged for the rest of the night.