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Chapter 8: New Villain, Same as the Old Villain

Ellie blinked her eyes and yawned under the blankets. Jason's warm body was still

wrapped around her, and she wasn't in any hurry to leave his soothing embrace. His sultry,

slightly tangy scent filled the air under the blankets and embraced her just as his body did. Ellie

took a deep breath and pressed her back closer to his chest. Jason's left arm moved up from

her middle to stroke her long ears, which were tucked back under his jaw and against his neck.

"I love you, Ellie," Jason murmured.

Ellie sighed contentedly and closed her eyes again. There was nothing she wanted to do

this morning more than snuggle in bed with her handsome kitty. She had almost drifted back to

sleep when a hiss disturbed her and caused Jason to start.

"Pst! Ellie!"

Ellie yanked down the blankets to poke her head out and saw her mother's pink eyes

and long white ears poking up over the edge of the bed. Her white hands gripped the purple

bedclothes tightly as she held herself up on tiptoes to address her daughter. Jason shifted, and

Ellie glanced back at the embarrassed-looking tabby before irritatedly responding to her mother.

"Mom! What do you want?! We're still in bed!" Ellie complained.

"You have to see this! On the television, it's the Duchess! She's giving some kind of

speech in a few minutes!"

Ellie glanced back at Jason again, and he looked at her worriedly. They both sat up, and

Ellie led the way down the back of the lofted bed. Her mother led them down to the living room

where her father was sitting on the light blue loveseat, watching the tv. Edgar was on the dark

brown couch, and Jason and Ellie joined the pine marten whilst her mother joined her father.

On the television, the Maplesburg channel 5 newscaster, Ferdinand Gamboa was

speaking to the camera from his studio desk. The plump black and white cat looked

uncharacteristically chipper as he relayed the news.

"Rumors have been flying, and I'm glad to confirm that they're true!" he meowed. "The

terrorists, the monsters who held Maplesburg hostage, and worse, murdered so many of our

prey friends and neighbors have been routed! Have been almost completely wiped out! Those

who aren't dead are in custody, and we have not only our brave officers but Her Grace, the

Duchess of Gooseberry herself, to thank!"

Ellie exchanged a surprised glance with Jason. I thought she was a hostage. What does

he mean, "We have her to thank."? Edgar let out a joyful little gasp on Ellie's right.

"In a few moments," Ferdinand went on happily. "Her Grace is going to address the city.

We'll be going live to the front of the Regina Hotel, where Her Grace is staying following her

heroic triumph over the terrorists!"

Ellie shifted uncomfortably and glanced up at Jason again, but he was staring intently at

the television, appearing stunned. As positive as the news was, Ellie hardly wanted to hear

about the murderous vixen's "heroic triumph" whether it was over terrorists or not. The last thing

she needs is an ego boost. More importantly, the vixen was a literal serial killer; she was the

farthest thing from heroic. First Lily and now her.

"Did you hear that?" Edgar squeaked excitedly. "Her Grace won! She defeated the

terrorists! She's so brave!"

Ellie eyed the pine marten sidelong. The last thing he needs is another reason to think

she's wonderful.

"I'm being told she's on her way outside!" Ferdinand declared. "We'll take you there

now."

The view shifted to one some distance in front of and above the glass and copper front

doors of the weathered limestone structure. A podium and microphone had been placed a few

steps from the hotel doors, and while the camera was zoomed out, Ellie could see the street in

front of the hotel, which was crowded with predators: cats, dogs, foxes, ferrets, stoats, badgers,

wolverines, skunks, and fishers waited, chattering excitedly. The joyful atmosphere was obvious

from their toothy grins and happy chirps, barks, and meows. Ellie found their elation contagious,

and she had to smile. However it had happened, she was glad the vicious cultists were gone,

and even though there apparently weren't any prey left in the city to attend the celebration, it

was good to see the predators of Maplesburg celebrating the end of their occupation.

Suddenly, the tall left door swung open, and the vixen strode out, followed closely by a

red squirrel. The crowd cheered uproariously, and the vixen raised a hand to wave, causing the

crowd to cheer even louder. She trotted up to the podium, climbing a few steps, and tapped the

microphone to test it. The camera zoomed in on her, cutting out all but the front two rows of the

crowd, which was pressed almost to the podium itself. A pair of uniformed officers, a badger and

a raccoon, standing to either side just in front of the podium, held the excited animals back. The

crowd continued to cheer, and the vixen raised her voice to chirp into the microphone over the

ruckus.

"Citizens of Maplesburg! I, your Duchess, have eliminated the terrorist threat!" The

crowd cheered louder, and she was obliged to pause until they'd settled down. "Maplesburg is

now safe, and all prey should return home!" She paused again for more cheering. "However, my

work here is not finished, good citizens! Your City Council has asked me to oversee the

transition as you prepare to elect new leaders, and I cannot shirk my duty to Vulpineva."

The crowd cheered, but Ellie felt a stone drop into her stomach. Oh Zeus! They put her

in charge!? She glanced at Jason, and he looked back at her worriedly.

"I shall take charge," the vixen continued. "And I shall ensure nothing like this ever

happens again!" The crowd cheered, but the vixen went on in a somber voice, "I'm afraid you've

become complacent, good citizens. You've given over to decadence and impropriety. How else

was this deadly threat able to come against your neighbors so easily?"

The crowd seemed less ecstatic at her scolding; some of them exchanged guilty

glances.

"I shall root out the rot, good citizens!" the vixen proclaimed. "I shall expunge it! I shall

mend that which has become broken and renew the bond that holds us together! We are one

Vulpineva, and together, we are strong!"

The crowd cheered again, and the vixen turned and trotted back through the doors to the

hotel. Apparently, she wasn't staying to answer questions about what any of that had meant.

Ellie felt sick to her stomach. What did the capricious vixen think "rooting out the rot" would

entail? Who had decided to let her oversee the transition? Had City Council really asked her to,

or had she decided to grab the opportunity to take a more direct role in ruling Maplesburg on her

own? What's she planning? The only answer Ellie could come up with was nothing good.

The red squirrel climbed up on the podium and waited for the crowd to quiet down before

speaking. "I want to let everyone know that the remaining members of City Council are also

committed to ensuring this never happens again, and we'll be working with Her Grace to make

this chaotic time as orderly as possible." She paused while people applauded. "I also wanted to

take a moment to remember those we lost, the Mayor and all of the prey besides myself on City

Council as well as all of the other innocent prey who were murdered by these monsters. It may

be some time before everyone is accounted for, but please join me now in a moment of silent

remembrance for the victims of this terrible violence." She paused and quietly looked down at

the podium for several seconds while the crowd remained respectfully silent. She looked up and

went on somberly, "Thank you. We'll keep everyone updated on the plans for the special

election. Obviously, we want to give prey time to return before we start taking candidates, but

we'll try to have more information soon." She climbed down and followed the vixen inside.

The view switched back to Ferdinand, who was dabbing his eyes with a powder blue

handkerchief. He blew his nose then tucked it back into the pocket of his dark blue jacket. "So

many innocent prey. It's too horrible to think about!" the cat whined, distraught. "Her Grace and

Ms. Fletcher are right! We have to make sure this never happens again! We have to make

Maplesburg safe for everyone, whatever that takes!"

The station switched to the weather report, and her father turned the tv off with the

remote.

"Well, that certainly was something," he commented awkwardly.

Ellie glanced at him: he looked worried. He knows from our story what that witch is

capable of. The problem is no one else does!

"At least prey can return home," her mother commented. "And I don't suppose the

Duchess will be able to cause too much trouble if the city council is there to check her." She

sounded like she was trying to be optimistic, but Ellie doubted she believed it herself. Her

mother turned to the three of them, "You're welcome to stay here until she's gone as well. We

have to go back to work next week, but I'm sure you don't need us around to feel at home."

Ellie nodded. She didn't want to go back to Maplesburg while the murderous vixen was

in charge. What if she put out a warrant for their arrest so that she could reclaim her pets?!

"Her Grace said she was going to put things right, and that's what she'll do!" Edgar

responded fervently. "She's a fox of her word! Sh-she may have killed prey in the past, but if she

says she's going to make things better, then I believe her!"

Ellie suppressed a groan of frustration. "It depends on whose definition of 'better' that is,"

she replied dryly. "I don't really want to know what she thinks would make Maplesburg better."

Edgar frowned, "I-I don't think she'd do anything bad. She said it's her duty to Vulpineva.

She'll try to make things work out."

"City Council would be better off without her," Ellie returned. "Even if she has good

intentions, she isn't qualified to run a city. She's just a rich fox with a title; she has no

experience."

Edgar looked away sullenly, and Ellie sighed exasperatedly. When would he realize the

vixen wasn't some kind of goddess? Who knew if she had even 'defeated the terrorists'? Maybe

she had just gotten lucky and claimed responsibility.

The rest of the day was uneventful. They spent their time reading, flipping through tv

channels, or playing cards. All of the news was about the Duchess' speech and her "heroic

victory" over the terrorists. They really seemed to be going out of their way to emphasize that

fact: a fox had saved the city, nearly single-handedly, it seemed. Ellie assumed the smugness

among the ruling class was unbearable. I wonder how fast they'd disown her if they knew what

she really was.

Edgar didn't comment on the reports further. He might have been even quieter than

usual, and Ellie noticed he also didn't offer to do any more cleaning though there might not have

been anything left to do. When evening rolled around, he was the first in the shower, and then

he disappeared into his room. Ellie didn't want to discuss the vixen with him further, so she let

him be. He had to stop sulking eventually.

Jason was still sitting up in bed and waiting for her when Ellie finished in the shower.

"I hope you don't mind staying with my parents longer," Ellie remarked as she climbed

up with him. "At least when they're at work, we'll be able to do things without them hearing. You

know, we've never had sex when we weren't in captivity. We finally won't have to worry about

someone watching!"

Jason's ears reddened, and Ellie smiled amusedly. She liked that it still made him

embarrassed to talk about having sex with her. It was almost coy though Ellie was fairly certain

it was genuine. Regardless, it had the effect of exciting her desire to have him, to make him

gasp and moan as they shared that intense pleasure.

"Yeah, that will be nice," Jason murmured embarrassedly. "I, uh, actually, I was hoping

you'd let me groom your ears tonight. It's been a few days, and-"

"Of course, Jason, just because we can't do what I want, doesn't mean we can't do what

you want. I know it makes you happy, and I like to hear you purr."

She crawled up next to him, and he pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around

her, he nuzzled her ear and then began lapping. Ellie relaxed in his arms as his warm, rough

tongue rasped over and around her ears. He began to purr, and she sighed contentedly. The

Duchess wouldn't be in Maplesburg forever. If they were lucky, she might even get bored with

the bureaucracy and go home after a few days. However, Ellie knew Jason was concerned

about their house and office, and that worried her too. Maybe I'll ask Flora to check in on them if

she's going back. Thinking of the gray fox made Ellie wonder if there was anything like this that

she and Pete did. Maybe I'll discuss it with her sometime. Flora had been doing this predator-

prey relationship for years, so maybe she had a few tips on how to spice things up when they

became routine, not that Ellie was concerned about that yet. Jason moved to her left ear, and

Ellie sighed contentedly again. As long as she was safe with her sweet kitty, everything would

be alright.

* * *

"Ellie! Ellie get up!"

Jason was jolted awake by Evelyn's anxious yelp. His eyes popped open, and he

embarrassedly studied the distressed expression of the albino rabbit hoisting herself up over the

edge of their bed. Under the blankets, Ellie jerked against him and her arms shot up to yank

down the lavender sheets and dark purple quilt.

"Mom! Again?! I was sleeping! And you ought to knock before you just barge in here!

What if we were in the middle of something?!"

Evelyn eyed Jason uncomfortably, and he felt his ears getting hot. He didn't think either

of them wanted to think about such a mortifying encounter. However, her glance was brief as

she continued agitatedly to Ellie.

"Edgar's gone!"

Ellie shoved herself up in front of him with one arm to look down at her mother, "Huh?

What do you mean?!"

"He took your car! There was a note on the table! He said he's going to find the

Duchess!"

Ellie's arm folded under her, and she flopped back down. Putting her hands over her

face, she laid back her ears and moaned in distress, "No no no no, Edgar, why? You can't. We

were taking care of you. Please tell me this isn't real."

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," Evelyn murmured. "He's really gone."

Jason stroked Ellie's head. "I'm sorry, Ellie. We did everything we could," he consoled

softly.

"No! I should have taken him to meet Flora. I should have talked to him after that witch's

stupid speech. I should have made him understand that he deserves better than that, that we

were going to look out for him," Ellie reprimanded herself.

"You did your best. You showed him friendship. It's not your fault if he gave that up,"

Jason comforted.

Ellie pulled the purple covers back over her head and groaned dejectedly. Jason stroked

her head again.

"We'll be down in a little bit," he told Evelyn.

"Alright. It's Saturday, so we're not going anywhere. We'll be there when you come

down," Evelyn replied worriedly. She dropped down onto the floor and slowly plodded out of the

room, casting a final glance back at Ellie's lump under the bedclothes before exiting.

Jason pulled the blankets over his own head and nuzzled Ellie between the ears. He

pushed his right arm under her waist and wrapped both forearms up over her chest to hold her

close. She clasped his left hand, their fingers meshing together, and he squeezed hers

comfortingly.

"It's not your fault," he whispered consolingly.

"I failed him," she grumbled.

"You did what you could. You couldn't force him to stay."

Ellie snorted angrily. "I could have though. If I had known he was going to do something

so stupid, I would have chained him to his bed!"

Jason let out a small chuckle.

"I would have!" she protested irately.

Jason nuzzled her head again, "I believe it. If we ever see him again, I'm sure he'll regret

thwarting your beneficent intentions," he teased.

Ellie sniffed testily.

Jason nuzzled her again and purred soothingly, "It's not your fault."

"You keep saying that," Ellie returned irritatedly.

"I will until you believe it. You gave him a chance to start a new life. He chose to go back

to his old one. He knows what the Duchess is, but he chose her over us. You can't save

someone who doesn't want to be saved."

"She won again," Ellie muttered gloomily.

Jason squeezed her hand, "We're still free, and we'll find a way to show people what she

is."

"Who's going to believe us now? She's a 'hero'."

"We know she's not, and we just have to get the evidence to prove it. Fitzie will help us,

maybe Katya. We'll prove she's a murderer even if she can't be prosecuted."

"'Fitzie'," Ellie scoffed. "He left us to die."

"I know he let us down, but he's still my friend. He'll want to help when he realizes

there's something he can do."

Ellie sighed resignedly, "I guess I can't deny him another chance after I gave one to

Edgar. I hope it works out better with him."

Jason rubbed his cheek against her ear, "Thanks, Ellie."

Ellie sighed again, "I guess we'd better get up."

Jason hugged her. "We don't have to."

"I want to read Edgar's note."

"Okay."

Jason released her, and she pulled down the sheets. He followed her down the back of

the bed and to the dining room. Ellie's parents were sitting in front of their empty plates at one

end of the long table. They looked up as Jason and Ellie entered, their expressions concerned.

Evelyn pushed a piece of ruled paper toward the end as Ellie reached the table. Jason stood

behind Ellie and read the note over her shoulder as she did. The note was scrawled in a sloppy

cursive in black ink and contained the following.

Dear Ellie, Jason, and Mr. and Mrs. Bennett,

Thank you for your hospitality. You took me in when I had nowhere else to go, and I'll

always be grateful. I'm sorry because I know this will upset you, but I'm going to Maplesburg to

find Her Grace. I know she's done a lot of things that were wrong, but I know she can be better.

I believe she wants to help now, and I want to help her.

Ellie, I know you'll be mad, but I want you to know I'm grateful for how you helped me be

better. I'm going to keep trying to be better, and I'm going to try to make Her Grace be better,

and when it's hard, I'll remember you and keep trying.

Yours Truly,

Edgar

P.S. I'm sorry about taking your car, Ellie. I'll try to get it back to you.

Jason wasn't sure how to feel about the note. On the one hand, he didn't think the

Duchess could change, but on the other, he could appreciate that Edgar wanted to try to help

her change. He was sorry that the pine marten had decided to go back to her, but he didn't feel

there was anything more he could have done.

"We have to go back," Ellie muttered.

Jason turned to regard her curiously. "We do?"

Ellie nodded slowly, "She's dangerous. She knows how to control people. We can't leave

her in charge of Maplesburg."

"What are we going to do about that?" Jason probed.

"At least we can warn people. Who knows how many prey she might kill before people

realize what's going on? We can't let prey come home unaware of who's in charge."

Jason nodded, "Alright, we'll have to be careful, but I agree we should warn who we

can."

"It's too dangerous!" Evelyn yelped. "Stay here until she's gone! We almost lost you

before, Ellie!"

Ellie looked at her mother resolutely and shook her head, "We can't hide while others

are in danger. Even if she catches us again, it's unlikely she'll kill us. The same can't be said for

any other prey she might get her claws on."

"That's not your responsibility!" Evelyn protested. "It's not your responsibility to risk your

lives going up against someone so dangerous!"

"It is our responsibility," Ellie returned. "Other people don't know she's a murderer: they

think she's a hero. We have to warn them, or they'll be easy prey for that witch."

"You can warn them from here! Call the people you know and warn them! Don't put

yourselves in danger!" Evelyn pleaded.

"We can't just warn the people we know," Ellie replied. "We have to warn as many as

possible. No one will believe a voice on the phone. They'll think it's a prank call. If they report it,

she could track us here. Maplesburg is a big city; she won't have an easy time finding us if we

lie low."

Evelyn looked at Eli desperately, "Eli, you convince them!"

Eli turned to his wife sympathetically, "They have to do what they think is right, Evelyn. I

know it's a risk, but our girl can handle it. And she has her partner to help her. They'll be okay."

"And if they're not?!" Evelyn shot back.

"They have to make their own choice, but if they get into trouble, at least we'll know

where to look this time. We won't leave them at that monster's mercy."

Ellie gave Eli a small smile, "Thanks, Dad."

He regarded her proudly, "I know you can do it, Ellie, but promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," Ellie averred sincerely.

Eli stood and grabbed Ellie in a tight hug. Evelyn hopped up and hugged both of the

smaller rabbits with Ellie in the middle.

"I want you to call me everyday," Evelyn murmured. "I won't be at ease until I know

you're safe."

"Alright, Mom," Ellie murmured.

The three rabbits broke apart, and Evelyn turned to Jason fiercely, "You'd better keep

my daughter safe!"

"I won't let her out of my sight!" Jason swore.

Ellie scrunched up her nose in an amused smirk, "I hope I'll be able to get a moment of

privacy, unless you're planning to join me in the bathroom."

Jason felt his ears getting warm, "I didn't mean it that literally!"

"Anyway," Ellie went on more seriously. "We can't leave just yet. We'll have to look into

renting a car, and there are some things we need before we go back, like phones for example."

Jason nodded. They couldn't rush back unprepared. The Duchess was no fool, and even

if she didn't know they were in Maplesburg, Jason wouldn't put it past her to put out warrants for

their arrest. Still, he agreed with Ellie that they had to do something. They couldn't let her use

her new position to gain even greater access to prey victims.

After breakfast, they visited a strip mall in downtown Willowdale, again taking Eli's

convertible. Jason purchased a new cell phone and holster while Ellie purchased a blue satchel-

style purse and a cell phone large enough to be a tablet. Jason also bought a white shirt collar

and cornflower blue tie.

"I guess that's everything," Jason commented as they climbed back into the red car after

buying his clothes.

He finished tying his tie as they sat down, relieved to finally not be the only adult at the

mall without clothes. In the driver's seat, Ellie was wearing a red Willowdale Pirates t-shirt.

"We still need a couple other things," Ellie corrected. She backed out of their parking

spot at the mall and pulled out onto the road.

A few minutes later, Ellie pulled into the parking lot in front of a small, windowless cinder

block shop. The sign above the door had a picture of a rifle and read "Owen's Armaments and

Self-defense Training". Jason followed Ellie through the heavy metal door. The shop was lit by

rows of harsh white tub lights, and locked glass cases displayed guns and knives of all sorts.

Jason was no expert on weaponry himself, so the various lengths and sizes of the guns was the

most he could discern. Behind a black counter at the back stood an armadillo wearing a tannish

green utility vest and matching flat top cap. He was a little bit shorter than Jason, but the beady-

eyed glare the armadillo gave him as they entered made the fur on Jason's tail stand on end.

Jason had to force it to lie flat.

Ellie didn't seem to notice the armadillo's suspicious glare and hopped over to a case of

handguns, studying them through the glass. She pointed to a small one, similar in size to the

one she'd lost when they'd first confronted the Duchess, "I'd like to see this one."

The armadillo slowly tromped out from behind his desk, his long, striped, furless tail

dragging over the cement floor behind him. However, he squinted at Ellie as he approached,

and his face lit up in happy recognition, "Ellie Bennett?! I'll be; I thought you'd left Willowdale for

greener pastures."

"Hi, Mr. Walker, we're just here visiting my parents. I need a new gun. I lost my old one."

The armadillo frowned concernedly, "Lost? Don't tell me you misplaced it. I-"

"Not misplaced. You could say it was confiscated. I still have my license though. At least,

I think I do."

"'Confiscated,'" the armadillo spat. "Damned fascists. You have a right to defend

yourself!" He glared at Jason again, "Not everyone's got razor sharp claws on hand."

Jason flipped his tail awkwardly.

"This is Jason by the way," Ellie responded. "He's my partner. You knew I became a

private detective, didn't you?"

The armadillo nodded, "Made me proud to think one of my pupils was out usin' what I

taught her. Self-defense training's come in handy, I expect."

"More than once. There's a dog who'll have a limp to remember me by, assuming he

forgets who put him in jail."

The armadillo grinned gleefully, which Jason found a bit unsettling, "Wish I could've seen

that. Anywho, you say you need a new one."

Ellie nodded, "Yes, I think that one will do." She pointed again.

"Nice little gun," the armadillo commented. "You sure you don't want something a little

bigger? You could handle it, and a higher caliber's better for puttin' down larger predators."

"I liked the one I had before," Ellie stated. "This one is the most similar."

"Alright." He unlocked the case and handed Ellie the gun. "How's it feel?"

Ellie hefted the gun then held it aimed toward the far side of the store. She lowered it

and handed it back to the armadillo. "I like it. How much?"

"With the trainee discount, two hundred credits."

It sounded expensive to Jason, but he didn't know how much such things cost.

Ellie nodded, "I'll take it. I also need ammunition, and do you have a holster that'll clip to

the side of my bag?" She lifted her light blue satchel.

"Yup, I'll get you all set up. Meet me by the register inna minute."

Ellie perused the other firearms while the armadillo busily collected the bullets and

holster. They met him at the register where he scanned her left hand.

"You're good to go. Let me know next time you're in Willowdale, Missy."

"That's it?" Jason queried. "Don't you have to do some sort of check?"

"She's in the system," the armadillo stated. He turned the screen on the register toward

them. "See? Says her license is good, no violations. Won't even go through if it's suspended."

He peered at the screen again. "That's weird. This box says 'deceased'." He pointed to the

offending line then looked back at Ellie, "Don't look dead to me."

"We'll have to get that fixed at some point," Ellie stated. "For the meantime, maybe it's

for the best if we're recorded as dead."

The armadillo gave her a curious look, but Ellie didn't elaborate. "It was nice to see you

again, Mr. Walker."

"Same. See ya 'round."

"It was nice to meet you," Jason meowed politely.

The armadillo didn't seem convinced and didn't reply. Jason quickly followed Ellie out of

the shop. In the car, Ellie loaded her gun then slipped it into the holster and clipped that into her

satchel: a long metal clip securely fastened the holster to the inside edge of her purse.

"He didn't seem to like me," Jason commented.

"Sorry about that. He's kind of a wacko," Ellie apologized. "But his is the only gun store

around."

"It sounded like you took his self-defense class," Jason noted.

"Yeah, it didn't hurt. Listening to his comments on predators wasn't fun though. I think

he'd like someone to attack him so that he'd have an excuse to fill them full of lead. Like I said,

he's a wacko."

Jason was glad they hadn't had to stay any longer. "Now what?"

"Now lunch. Then we'll figure out how we're getting to Maplesburg." Ellie started the

convertible and drove them back to her parents' house.

After lunch, Ellie called Flora. Jason was doing the dishes, and he listened to her side of

the call as he washed.

"Hi, is Flora there?"

...

"This is Ellie Bennett. Flora's friend from high school. We met the other day for lunch."

...

"Thanks, Mrs. Mason."

...

"Hi Flora, I assume you heard the news."

...

"I know. I can't believe they put her in charge. Are you planning to go back?"

...

"They did? Did you warn them about the Duchess?"

...

"Well, I hope they'll be safe. When were you planning to go back?"

...

"I think we should. We need to help warn other prey. Otherwise, they won't know how

dangerous she is."

...

"Do you have room?"

...

"Alright. What time?"

...

"Bleh, so early."

...

"Yeah, I know. Okay, we'll see you then. Thanks, Flora."

...

"Yeah, maybe it will be kind of fun. I hope you drive faster than Jason."

...

"Haha, okay, see you tomorrow. Bye." Ellie hung up the phone and turned to him. "Flora

is going to pick us up at eight tomorrow. Pete's parents already went back. Apparently, they

were anxious to get away from their in-laws."

"We're riding with Flora and Pete then?"

"Right, she said there's plenty of room, and she already rented a car. So that will save us

having to rent one. As long as she doesn't drive as slowly as you, it should be fine. I'd like to get

there tomorrow," Ellie teased.

Jason rolled his eyes. "As long as we get there, that's all I'm worried about," he replied

testily.

"I've never had a wreck," Ellie reminded.

It only takes one, Jason thought but didn't vocalize. He hoped Flora was a less scary

driver. He'd find out tomorrow.

Ellie told her parents their plan. Her mother wasn't happy they were leaving so soon, but

she didn't try to argue again. They spent the rest of the day just visiting, chatting with Eli and

Evelyn about this and that. After dinner, they played Scrabble, and then they sat together in the

living room and chatted some more. Jason sat on the armchair while Ellie sat between her

parents on the couch. Evelyn stroked Ellie's head while they talked, and Ellie leaned against her

mother's shoulder. Jason could tell Evelyn was worried. Eli was too though he tried to hide it.

Jason wished he could assure them that he'd keep Ellie safe, but he knew he couldn't

guarantee that. They might be captured again, and if the Duchess knew they'd been warning

others, mightn't she be angry? As much as she'd seemed to grow attached to them during their

captivity, her affection was nothing he could count on. She was capricious and cruel; she might

kill them if she caught them again. That thought made Jason want to reconsider their return.

Flora and Pete knew the truth and could warn others. But how can we ask them to take that risk

if we won't ourselves? Ultimately, Jason knew Ellie was right: they couldn't hide while prey were

in danger, and even if they couldn't count on the Duchess' affection, it was a measure of

protection that neither Flora nor Pete nor anyone else who went against the powerful vixen

would have.

That night, as Jason held Ellie tucked close in the curve of his body while she slept, he

considered that this could be the last night they were really safe for a long time. This week with

her parents had been a reprieve, but tomorrow, they would be back in the Duchess' domain. He

hoped she'd have more important things to do than chase after her lost 'pets', but they would

never be truly secure like this again until she was no longer an issue. Will that ever be the case?

The thought disturbed Jason because he wasn't sure he could see a conclusion to their conflict.

If she were censured by the King and put under house arrest, maybe they would be safe, or

maybe she would grow bored of looking for them and find some other way to entertain herself.

Probably by murdering prey again. And if she returned to her murderous ways, what could they

do but attempt to expose her as the vicious killer she was? They could never be done with her

until she was imprisoned or they were. If she wins, will we really end up as her toys forever?

Jason didn't have answers to these questions, but he knew one thing: he and Ellie would face

these struggles together. He tucked his head over hers and breathed her warm scent. As long

as they were together, there was always hope.

* * *

Ellie had set Daisy's alarm clock to go off at seven, so she was only annoyed by the

punk rock when it functioned as expected and switched on the radio at the appointed hour.

Jason yawned behind her, and Ellie nudged her head under his chin.

"Time to get up, kitty."

Jason pushed himself up, and Ellie rolled onto her front to crawl to the end of the bed.

Jason followed her to the kitchen where her parents were already waiting to see them off.

"I made you some oatmeal, and Eli fixed Jason some of his sausages," her mother told

her as they entered. "There's also coffee if you want it."

"Thank you," Jason replied. "I hope fixing them wasn't too horrible."

"Nothing I couldn't handle," her father stated.

Ellie glanced at her mother whose expression betrayed the dubious veracity of that

assertion. Ellie decided it was a nice gesture even if it had probably been unnecessary. She

was glad her father had been so accepting of their relationship even if he likely had his doubts.

Even her mother was warming up to Jason. Ellie was a bit sad to be leaving when they were

starting to see her sweet kitty the way she did, but she knew they'd have more opportunities in

the future. The vixen wouldn't catch them again, and they would prove to all the world that she

was a monster! Ellie wouldn't be satisfied until the fox was dragged away in chains, duchess or

not! If enough people knew, even the King couldn't let her go free.

"I don't know what you're going to do with all of the meat that's left," Jason remarked

apologetically.

"We can donate it," her father answered. "It won't go to waste."

Ellie and Jason had their breakfast at the kitchen table. When they were finished, they

brushed their teeth, collected their things, and returned to the table to watch the street in front of

the house. Promptly at eight o'clock, a black SUV pulled up, and Flora hopped out of the driver's

side door.

"Flora's here," Ellie announced. She slung her new satchel over her shoulder and led the

way to the front door, opening it just as Flora pushed the doorbell.

Flora gave a little start as the door swung open, "Oh! Ellie, you startled me! You're ready

to go, it looks like."

Ellie nodded. She turned around to hug her parents, who had followed her and Jason to

the door.

"Be careful, Honey," her mother murmured thickly as she squeezed Ellie to her chest.

"I will, Mom," Ellie promised.

Her mother released her and her father took her place. "You're my brave girl. I know you

can do it," he stated confidently.

Ellie hugged him tightly, knowing that he too was worried. "I'll be alright, Dad. We'll tell

you all about it after that witch is behind bars."

Jason also hugged her parents, and Ellie was glad to see that her mother didn't seem

nervous this time. Finally, they turned back to Flora, who was waiting patiently.

Flora smiled at Ellie's parents, "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. It's been a while."

"It has," Ellie's mother stated. "You should have come to visit. We would have loved to

have you."

"Maybe next time," Flora replied cheerfully. She turned to Ellie, "I put your seat behind

mine so that Jason would have more leg room. I assume that's fine."

"Er, yeah, I don't care where I sit," Ellie replied, confused.

Flora glanced back at Ellie's parents again, "It was nice to see you. Take care."

"You too," Ellie's mother replied.

Flora turned and trotted back toward the SUV, and Ellie and Jason followed her across

the yard. Jason went around to the passenger's side while Ellie opened the door behind the

driver's. In the seat behind Flora's was a small booster seat, a square base with short handles

sticking up on the sides. Ellie hesitated to climb in, eyeing the car seat disconcertedly. On the

other side, Jason hopped into his seat and also looked at the booster seat next to him. His eyes

met Ellie's and his whiskers twitched. He quickly turned away with a cough that Ellie suspected

was covering a guffaw.

Flora turned around in her seat and regarded Ellie curiously, "Is something the matter?"

she asked innocently, too innocently.

Ellie glared at her, "I don't need a car seat, Flora!"

Flora's mouth spread in an amused grin, showing off her pearly white fangs. "Safety first.

The seats weren't made for someone of your stature. Pete doesn't mind his."

From the front passenger's seat where he was indeed sitting higher than he otherwise

would have been, Pete turned to regard Ellie embarrassedly, "I, er, I tried to convince her not to

make you, but, um," he paused and shrugged helplessly. "Sorry," he concluded.

"I'm not sitting in it!" Ellie declared. "Put it in the back."

Flora shook her head. "How would I explain it to your parents if you were injured in a

wreck because I didn't have a proper seat for you? If you're coming with me, you're sitting in

your seat. I went back to the car rental place to get it specially for you."

Jason snorted back a laugh, and Ellie glared at him.

"It's not that big a deal, Ellie. I won't think any less of you," he told her strainedly. The

fact that he was obviously fighting the urge to burst into laughter didn't make his statement more

convincing.

Ellie glared at him another second before turning her annoyed visage back on Flora,

"You're really not leaving unless I sit in it?"

Flora shook her head again, "Safety first," she repeated.

Ellie sighed exasperatedly, climbed up into the booster seat, and pulled the door shut.

She pulled the seatbelt across and clipped it in. It probably did fit across her hips and chest

better than it would have without the booster, not that Ellie was willing to verbally concede that.

"It seems somehow I've fallen under the paw of another capricious vixen," she grumbled.

Flora grinned at her in the rearview mirror, "Good bunny." She started the ignition and

pulled away from the teal house on their way back to Maplesburg.