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Author's Note: Some sad news everyone; this will be the last story I submit. I've grown tired of the whole process. Life is so short and as I looked at my calender (and noticed the date) I didn't think that I should...yeah you get it by now, April Fool's! (I'm not really good at this pranking thing) I could never get tired of this if I tried. (although some days it is harder than others lol) Here's is the latest chapter of The Zoo. I hope you enjoy and are prepared to stick with me for (at least) a little while longer. As always, please rate, comment, favorite, and tell all your friends. You guys rule! - AK

Dulion cringed as he entered the police station. It was far too cluttered with people and noise for his liking; especially on a day like today. Dulion hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. He was tempted to call Ibuki to help him relax, but thought better of it. Although why he considered it "better" was beyond him. Maybe Ibuki and Jayson were right. Maybe he should just stop worrying about it.

"Everything okay?" Agent Maxwell asked Dulion seeing the look on his face.

"Yeah." Dulion said. "Just fine. Is everyone here?"

"Yes. They are waiting here in the station."

Dulion nodded and took a deep breath as he and Agent Maxwell approached the door to the DeCosta's office. Agent Maxwell knocked on the door and opened it quickly. Dulion glanced in the room. He saw DeCosta sitting behind his desk looking up at him. To his left, he saw three lycanthropes fully transformed. Sitting closest to the door was a male Doberman with his arms crossed and a scowl plastered across his face. Closest to DeCosta was a female collie who seemed afraid, yet terrified at the same time. In between them, with her head down was a little girl who couldn't be older than ten.

She looked up as the door swung open showing off a bit of her mother's coloring around her fur. However, she wasn't canine at all, but rather was feline. Dulion didn't know much about Lycanthrope genetics, but knew at least enough that transformations were almost random chance. Still, he couldn't help but think the combination was a bit odd.

"Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill," said DeCosta, "This is James Dulion. He works for the District Attorney as a lycanthrope advisor and happens to be a lycanthrope himself."

Mr. O'Neill scoffed.

"So you're a hired dog for the enemy, huh boy?"

Dulion resisted the urge to sigh. Oh yeah, this guy was definitely a member of WILD.

"The only enemy I'm worried about it the man who hurt your daughter. Is this her?"

"How do I know you're really a lycanthrope?" Mr. O'Neill said. "For all I know this is another government trick and you're going to force my daughter to say we did horrible things to her."

"Mr. O'Neill, I assure you..." began Agent Maxwell, but Dulion stopped him from talking.

"Here, let's settle this."

Dulion held out his left hand and transformed it before everyone's eyes. Mr. O'Neill grunted as Dulion turned his hand back to normal.

"You win." Mr. O'Neill said getting up from his seat. "Maybe a lycanthrope can do some good."

With a huff he left the room. Mrs. O'Neill grabbed her daughter tight.

"We'll be outside waiting for you sweetheart. Don't be scared. Just tell Mr. Dulion everything, ok?" Everyone filed out of the room, leaving just Dulion and Cassie. Dulion pulled up a chair and sat across from her. Her eyes met his for a quick moment before she turned away.

"Hi Cassie." Dulion said trying not to frighten her anymore then she already was. "As you heard, I'm James Dulion. You can call me Jim or Dulion which ever you like. How are you?"

It wasn't exactly a great lead in at all, but Dulion didn't have any better idea on how to handle the situation; after all, he wasn't a cop. Cassie just looked down at the floor. The small sounds she was making made it clear that Cassie was trying to hold back tears. Dulion thought quickly on any way he could make the situation better, before it finally came to him.

He leaned his cane against DeCosta's desk and made his body transform. As he did, he noticed Cassie's eyes move from the ground to him as white fur engulfed the visible skin on his body. After the transformation was complete, he smiled warmly.

"Is that better?" He asked.

Cassie nodded.

"Good. Now, I need to ask you some questions."

***

Ibuki sipped the coffee in front of her gently. She wouldn't count herself as an avid coffee fan but didn't mind it terribly. Besides, Jess was able to make a decent cup, even if she couldn't stand the fact that it was decaf.

"Regular coffee makes me jittery." Jess said. "Still, I like the taste. Hence, decaf."

"I just don't understand, but whatever." Ibuki said. "It tastes the same."

Ibuki took another sip. It wasn't often she got the chance to relax like this. During the day everyone was busy with work or running errands. Luckily for her, Jess had been complaining about a horrible migraine so she called out of work. While Ibuki wasn't sure how coffee was helping the matter, she still enjoyed the company especially today. Ibuki's nerves were acting up and she didn't understand why.

"...hey are you listening to me?" Jess said loudly, breaking Ibuki's train of thought.

"Sorry." Ibuki said. "I zoned out."

"What's wrong? You don't seem yourself."

"I'm not sure. I've been trying to figure that out all day. It's like I feel...anxious. And before you start, no it has nothing to do with coffee."

"Well why don't you call Dulion when he gets back from whatever it is he's doing. After all, aren't you two...relieving each other's stress is it?"

The knot in Ibuki's stomach tightened a bit. That couldn't be it...could it?

"How do you know that? I mean we just started..."

"Jayson is a gossip." Jess explained. "But judging from your expression that might be what's on your mind. Your current...arrangement with Dulion giving you trouble?"

"Well, and this stays between us if it hasn't already gotten out, I think Dulion wanted something...more and I told him that we shouldn't complicate the matters."

"If you ask me, your arrangement complicates things more than Dulion's ever could. Don't like him in that way?"

"It's not that...I do like him. He's actually a nice guy and fun to hang around. And I did open up to him a bit."

"A bit?" asked Jess, teasingly.

"Anyway," said Ibuki ignoring the comment, "it might be fun to get to know him better but..."

"But what?"

"It's just that every time I get close to someone ends up hurt. And I don't want that to happen."

"You do realize you're dealing with Dulion right? Bit of a stiff, has a cane, was in the cage until his ex-girlfriend forced him out? If anything I'd think that you'd wind up hurting him."

"Exactly! I don't want to risk hurting him. And let's be honest, it wouldn't take much to hurt him. He seems the sensitive type. I mean Hell, you know what my job is, how do you think he'd take that if we started something serious?"

Jess thought for a moment.

"To be honest, I don't think he's the type to mind all that much. It's not like you'd be screwing someone behind his back, right?"

"I'm not that type of person." Ibuki said defensively.

"Exactly! I think this is all in your head. Look, make it easy on yourself; if you want something serious with Dulion, go for it. If you want your current arrangement and Dulion is fine with it, than do that."

"And what if I don't know what I want?"

"Then figure it out before you do anything. But whatever you do, don't stress out about it too much."

Ibuki nodded and took a sip of her coffee which had become a few degrees colder. Her mind raced through all kinds of options and scenarios as she thought what she really wanted to do.

***

Dulion was furious as he heard Cassie recount a horrifying ordeal. He wanted to show whoever was responsible for this what the king of the jungle really could do when it was angry. Dulion took a deep breath; this wasn't about misplaced vengeance; this was about Cassie.

"I am so sorry Cassie." Dulion said. "This should never happen to anyone."

"Are...are you going to catch them?"

"The Police are going to, yes. And I am going to help them. But to do that, I need you to tell me about the people who hurt you? Do you remember any of them?

Cassie nodded.

"I...I get bad dreams...and I see them." She said. "Mommy always tries to calm me down when I wake up so I can go back to sleep, but I stay up all night."

"How many people do you remember?"

"Three. One was the man who took me from my house. He had a gun he said he would kill me if I didn't do what the others told me to do. He was fat and he gave my dad a card."

Dulion made a mental note to make sure to ask Mr. O'Neill for that card when he finished up with Cassie although he had a hunch who it was already.

"How about the others?"

"One looked like he was from Japan or China. He was really mean and called me a lot of awful things. I heard his name but I don't remember it. There was one other person too."

"And what did he look like?"

Cassie hung her head and put it in her hands. She shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Dulion asked.

"I...I promised. I said I wouldn't tell." Cassie said, starting to cry.

Dulion kneeled down and put his hand on Cassie's knee. She looked up at him with team filled eyes.

"I know this is hard," Dulion said softly, "and I understand how scared you are. But I want you to know that no matter what happens I'm here to help you. You can tell me anything."

Cassie was motionless for a moment as she sobbed a bit. Finally, she nodded.

"There was a lycanthrope." She whispered. "A fox. I heard his name too. It was Avery Johnson."

Dulion was surprised to hear that a lycanthrope was involved. He put a comforting hand on Cassie's shoulder.

"Thank you Cassie." Dulion said. "I promise we're going to do whatever we can to arrest them all."

Cassie nodded.

"Mr. Dulion," she said, "please...please don't tell my dad I told you about the lycanthrope. He said that I shouldn't tell you."

Dulion clenched his jaw tightly. He was beyond pissed. Nevertheless he forced himself to smile.

"Come on." Dulion said. "Let's go see your parents."

He offered Cassie his hand, which she took. Together the two of them walked out of DeCosta's office. Once Cassie saw her parents, she let go of Dulion's hand and ran towards them. She hit her mother with a large hug. Dulion walked where everyone was sitting. Agent Maxwell and DeCosta both came up to him.

"She give you anything?" Maxwell asked.

"Plenty." Dulion said, turning to Mr. O'Neill. "Cassie told me that the DFYS agent gave you a card?"

"Yeah, but I threw it away." Mr. O'Neill said.

Dulion was shocked.

"What? Why?!"

"The only way I was going to get justice was if I took matters into my own hands. It would have been months before I got Cassie back otherwise."

"There was no record in DYFS' computer system of any scheduled visit. So basically we're screwed." DeCosta said.

Dulion thought for a moment.

"Not necessarily," he said. "Cassie, would you recognize the man who took you if you saw him?"

Cassie nodded timidly. Dulion leaned in to whisper to Maxwell and DeCosta.

"Could you get a photo array with a bunch of people? I have a hunch on who it might have been."

"Lemme guess," Maxwell said, "Brian Wilkens?"

"How'd you know?"

"We've been watching him for a while now. He's been living way beyond the means of a social worker. Besides, his list of complaints is longer than an anaconda."

"I'll prep the array." DeCosta said. "Shouldn't take too long."

He turned and went into his office to prepare the array.

"There was also an Asian guy, but Cassie can't remember his name. And there was a lycanthrope. Avery Johnson whom her father said to omit."

Agent Maxwell flashed a concerned look.

"That name sounds way to familiar." He said. "Give me a second; I need to make a quick call."

Dulion nodded and Agent Maxwell pulled out his cell phone and began dialing some numbers. Dulion left Agent Maxwell to his information gathering and went over to Cassie and her parents.

"I don't understand why you work for these people." Mr. O'Neill said. "Smart boy like you could really help WILD."

"I don't think hostility is the answer." Dulion said. "The best way to deal with hatred is education in my opinion."

"Say what you will but these humans just want us dead. I guarantee that you wouldn't hear a lycanthrope hurting one of their own."

"Except I did." Dulion said with a sly smile. "And I'm going to make sure he's arrested."

Mr. O'Neil for a moment looked horrified. He turned to his daughter who was still clutching tightly to her mother.

"Cassie," he said gently, "what did you tell Mr. Dulion."

"The truth." Dulion answered. "All of it, despite your coaching."

Mrs. O'Neill looked confused.

"What's going on?" she asked her husband.

"The technical term I believe is Obstruction of Justice." Dulion answered. "Your husband told Cassie not to tell me that a lycanthrope was involved."

Mrs. O'Neill was furious and Cassie looked terrified.

"Why the Hell did you tell her not to say anything!?" she said. "Are you completely stupid?!"

"I'm not letting the government turn into some kind of witch hunt against lycanthropes." Mr. O'Neill said, "They're going to..."

"Bullshit!" Mrs. O'Neil said as she covered Cassie's ears. "I cannot believe you would do this! This is your daughter."

"Am I interrupting?" asked Agent Maxwell.

"Not at all." Dulion said.

"Avery Johnson, member of WILD's senior staff, so to speak." Maxwell whispered in Dulion's ear. "He's a recruitment agent. Probably how he picks targets. I'll talk to DeCosta about the Obstruction charge"

Dulion nodded. DeCosta came out of his office and handed Dulion a picture array.

"Cassie," Dulion said, "could you come here for a moment?"

Cassie walked away from her parents who were still arguing. Part of Dulion really hopped Mrs. O'Neill slugged her husband.

"Could you look at these pictures and just tell me if you recognize anyone?" DeCosta said.

Dulion showed Cassie the array. She pointed to one of the pictures.

"Him. He's the one who took me away from my parents."

DeCosta flashed Dulion a quick smile. It was Wilkens. They got him."

"I'll call the district attorney." DeCosta said. "Tell him the good news. He'll probably be in touch."

"Fine with me. If you need anything else, Mr. DeCosta, let me know."

"Of course."

Dulion felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his phone.

"Dulion speaking?" he said.

"Uh...hey..." said Ibuki's voice. "Are you free tonight?"

Dulion tried but couldn't suppress a smirk.

"I'm free."

"Oh good. I have no food in my apartment and I was wondering if you wanted to get a bite to eat."

"Sure sounds good to me."

"Awesome. I'll see you when you get home. Bye."

"Bye Ibuki."

Dulion hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an alarmed look in Cassie's eyes.

"Is everything ok?" He asked her.

"T...that was it." Cassie said. "That was his name."

"That was whose name?" DeCosta asked.

"The Japanese man who hurt me, I remember. His name was Ibuki too."

DeCosta gave Dulion a grave look.

"So you were talking to..."

"A female." Dulion said. "Emi Ibuki. But her father isn't a fan of lycanthropes."

"Call her back." DeCosta said ruefully. "Tell her to come to the station."

Dulion pulled out his phone once again. He hated that he had to do this; but he was pretty sure, Ibuki was going to hate it more.