Zig Zag resisted the urge to moo as she followed the rest of the herd off the plane, wishing once again that she'd managed to get seated in first class. She paused at the doorway exiting the ramp and waited for James to catch up. “God, I hate flying cattle class,” she griped.

“What’s the matter,” he chided as they began the long walk to the fursons mover, “you didn’t like your travel companions?”

“Look, if I wanted to be preached at for three hours, I'd go to church on Sundays,” she grumbled.

“Excuse me,” a middle aged cheetah said as he fell in step with the couple, “but are you Zig Zag?”

“Yep, that’s me,” she acknowledged, nodding.

“Can I have your autograph, please?” the cat asked.

“Sure,” Zig Zag replied, taking the paper without stopping. She quickly wrote out one of her standard signature greetings, signed it, kissed the paper and then handed it back.

“Thanks!” the anonymous cheetah said cheerfully before turning around and walking back towards his gate.

James was about to comment on the fan when he noticed another male had immediately moved up to ask Zig Zag for her autograph. He found himself shoved to the side as a man wedged himself between them in an attempt to cut in front of the growing line of males she had trailing in her wake.

“Back off!” Zig Zag barked loudly to the pressing fans as she began to simply sign her autograph without any extra flourishes. She glanced over towards James to see how he was taking it, which wasn’t well at all by the expression on his face. She shrugged and smiled at him, after all this was the kind of thing one had to live with as a star. For the next fifteen minutes, she signed autographs while various males and occasional females continued to tail her. It wasn’t until someone tugged hard on her overnight bag that she decided she’d had enough. She kicked her high-heeled shoes off as she handed the paper back to the fan. “James,” she called out with a smile, “RUN!” Leaning forward, she bolted from the pack at full speed, dodging in and out of the general traffic in the concourse.

James had been initially surprised at her sudden shout, but recovered quickly and took off after her at a sprint. He noticed that the crowd of males had remained behind, most with a rather curious look, though he did notice one male, clutching a pair of high-heeled shoes, who was sneaking away from the group. He’d gotten almost half way to the furson mover and was starting to get winded when an arm shot out of nowhere, catching him across the chest. He flew forwards several yards before landing flat on his back. As the stars cleared he saw a massive bull standing over him.

“Don’t try to get up,” the bull rumbled in a dangerous voice.

Zig Zag slowed down as she approached the information kiosk and turned to check on James. She stumbled for a second as she realized that he was nowhere to be seen. She virtually skidded to a stop and searched for any signs of the coyote. “Damn it,” she spat as she saw him laying flat on his back with a huge bull hovering over him, his fist raised.

“Whoa!” James said, holding his hands up defensively. “Take it easy there, big fellah!”

“Stop!” Zig Zag shouted as she came up on the pair. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The bull looked towards the tiger striped female and frowned. “You OK, Zig?”

Zig stumbled again as she recognized the bovine then sprinted directly towards him. “Tiny!” She gleefully declared, launching herself through the air and into his arms.

The bull turned and caught Zig Zag lightly with both hands and spun her around for a moment before tossing her up into the air like a child. He laughed as she squealed in a mixture of terror and delight before catching her.

“Take it easy, Tiny!” she said with a broad grin. “I’m not dressed for this kind of thing.”

“Oh,” the bull said as he set her gently down on the ground next to James who was in the process of standing up.

“You know this guy?” James asked wearily.

“Sure!” she said, giving him a hand up. “This is Tiny Rowan. Or ‘Big Bull’ as he’s better known in the industry. Tiny’s going to be co-staring in the Hairy Slotter project we’re doing. Tiny, this is James.”

“He a friend of yours, Zig?” the bull asked, looking a bit abashed as she nodded. “Sorry,” he said, offering his hand to the coyote. “I thought you were some jerk trying to mess with her. No hard feelings?”

James swallowed as he took the bulls hand, noting that his fairly vanished as the now gentle giant gave it a shake. “I suppose,” the coyote replied. “After all, you were just looking out for Zig’s safety.”

“So what are you doing here, Tiny?” Zig Zag asked as she picked up James’ satchel and handed it to him.

“Visiting my sister and her kids,” he explained as he glanced at his watch. “I’m on my way back to Cincinnati, now. So what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be back at the studio?”

“I’m---umm---visiting a sick friend,” she said rather lamely, skirting the issue.

Tiny flicked an ear at her before nodding. “Well, I hope your ‘sick friend’ feels better,” he said, checking his watch again. “Look, I’ve got to hustle. My plane’s going to be boarding in another few minutes. I’ll see you on Monday, OK?”

“I look forward to it,” she replied, giving him a hug around the neck and a kiss.

“I’m glad he’s on your side,” James commented as he rubbed his back with his free hand.

Zig frowned at the action. “Are you OK?”

James nodded. “Yeah, but I’m going to be sore in the morning,” he commented as they go on the escalators that lead down to the fursons movers. “Did you say you had luggage or not?”

“Oh, yeah. One bag,” Zig Zag replied with a nod. Taking out her cell phone she turned it on. “I grabbed a carry-on just in case the bag didn’t make it. How about you? Do you have another bag?”

“Me?” he replied with a laugh. “Naw. A pair of pants, couple of shirts, socks, shaving kit and I’m set. No steamer trunk of stuff for me.”

Zig Zag gave him a look of shocked indignation. “It’s not a steamer trunk!” she declared defensively. “Just one suitcase, is all.” She looked down at the phone and saw that it had a full signal. Rummaging around in her purse for a second allowed her to find the card the FBI agent had given her. She dialed the number and waited.

“FBI, Pittsburgh office. How may I direct your call?”

“I’m looking for an Agent Atsushi,” she said into the phone while stepping onto the pedestrian mover.

“One moment please,” the voice replied before putting her on hold. A second later there was a ring-tone followed by a male answering the phone. “Agent Atsushi,” the voice declared with a Philly accent.

“Hello, this is Zig Zag. An Agent---,” she paused to flip over the card, “Chronaur gave me your number. He said that you’d be able to tell me which hospital they took Sheila Vixen to?”

“I’m sorry ma’am,” the voice replied flatly, “but that information is available only to immediate family.”

“What?” she barked into the phone. “Since when?”

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I’m not allowed to comment on the case,” the male declared. “If there’s something else I can help you with, please let me know.”

“No, there isn’t,” she stated angrily and hung up the phone.

James cocked his head in her direction. “Problems”?

“The bastards won’t tell me where Sheila is,” she grumbled. “They say that information’s only available to family members.”

“I hope nothing’s happened to her,” James said thoughtfully.

Zig Zag didn’t hear his comment as she had already dialed a new number and had the phone to her ear.

“FBI, Cincinnati office. How may I direct your call?”

“Agent Chronaur, please.”

“One moment.” There was a brief pause before Zig Zag heard a phone ring on the other side. “Agent Whitewolf.”

“Um, I’m looking for an Agent Chronaur?” Zig Zag replied, unsure why this furson had answered.

“I’m sorry, but Agent Chronaur isn’t available. May I be of assistance?”

“I don’t know. My name is Zig Zag. I’m trying to find out what hospital Sheila Vixen was taken to after she landed in Pittsburgh.”

“I’m sorry ma’am,” the voice replied with the same flat tone as the other agent, “but that information isn’t available to anyone except immediate family.”

“Goddamn it!” she barked into the phone. “I’m the closest thing she has to family.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t release that information to you. Is there anything else I can help with?”

“No,” she tersely replied before ending the call.

“Another dead end?” James asked as they stepped from the fursons mover.

“Yah. Chronaur wasn’t at his desk and someone else answered,” she said, frowning. “Why the hell are they locking me out now?” She looked at the card again and dialed in a new number.

“Yeah?” a familiar voice asked.

“Agent Chronaur?”

“Yeah. Who’s asking?”

“This is Zig Zag.”

“Oh. Hello,” the agent replied. “I take it you’re in Pittsburgh?”

“Yeah. What the hell’s going on? Nobody will tell me where Sheila is!” she complained to the distant furson.

“It’s protocol, ma’am,” he replied apologetically. “They’re not supposed to release that information.”

Zig Zag frowned. “You told me what was going on. So why are you so special?”

“I’m not,” the voice replied with a sigh. “I’m on a two week suspension because of it, too, or I’d be glad to give you the information. Unfortunately I don’t know and have been ordered to stay out of it on penalty of termination if I don’t.”

“Oh,” was all she could reply for a moment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the male replied with a weak chuckle. “I needed a vacation anyway. Look, I can’t help you find her, but I will tell you this: Protocol says that she’d be checked in under an alias. You might call around and see if any pregnant vixens were admitted to psych or obstetrics. Those would be the two most likely places she’d wind up.”

“OK. Thanks,” she said, making a mental note. “I appreciate the help.”

“No problem, ma’am. I was just trying to look out for Miss Vixen’s interests.”

Zig Zag hung up the phone and sighed. “Just my luck,” she complained to nobody in particular.

James cocked an ear in her direction. “What did he have to say?”

“He couldn’t help,” she said. “And he’s been suspended for having let me know that Sheila was flying back today.”

James winced. “Ouch.”

“Yeah,” she grunted with a nod, coming to a stop next to the luggage carrousel. She winced as someone asked that dreaded question.

“Excuse me, but are you Zig Zag?” a young zebra asked.

Zig Zag turned and smiled at the Zebra. “Yes, I am.”

“Can I get your autograph?” he asked.

“How old are you?” she asked, taking the pad and pen.

“I’m sixteen,” he admitted, “but I’ve seen a few of your old videos and you rock!”

She shook her head as she wrote something down on the paper before signing it. Closing the notepad, she clipped the pin to it and handed it back. “There you go.”

“Thanks!” he declared as he walked away. He opened the pad and frowned as he glanced back at Zig Zag and then continued walking away.

“What did you write?” James asked.

“Keep it in your pants until you’re eighteen,” she replied, shaking her head.

The coyote let out an amused snort. “Oh, I’ll bet he’ll be fantasizing over that all week,” he said with a semi straight face.

“Maybe, but I couldn’t really afford not to do it,” she explained with a shrug. “He’s under eighteen. I go and write some provocative note filled with sexual innuendos and his mother gets a hold of it, I think you can imagine what would happen.”

James nodded. “Good point.”

The loud alarm to warn people that the carrousel was about to activate went off. Zig Zag wrapped an arm around James and leaned against him, enjoying their closeness despite the public setting. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and noticed with some satisfaction that he didn’t seem bothered by her action at all. After several minutes, she spotted her suitcase with its distinctive monogram come down the ramp. “That’s mine.”

“I never would have guessed,” James replied with a laugh as he extracted himself from her embrace to pick up the luggage. “Shall we?” he asked, nodding towards the exit.

“Lets,” Zig Zag agreed. She followed him outside to the loading area. She stepped around James, stuck her leg out and, using two fingers, let out a shrill whistle. “Taxi!” A few seconds later, a yellow cab came to a screeching halt in front of them.

“Nice technique,” James replied walking to the back of the cab. He handed the bags to the cabbie who loaded them into the car. Settling in the back next to Zig Zag, he closed the door. “God, I’m glad to be out of that heat,” he declared, fanning himself a little.

“You a little warm back there?” the cabbie, a black and white rabbit with one lop ear asked.

“I just wasn’t expecting it to be so hot out there,” James replied as he undid another button on his shirt.

“No problem,” the cabbie replied, turning up the A/C. He pulled out of the terminal and accelerated, dodging around other cars with a practiced ease. “So where you folks going?”

“The William Pen,” Zig Zag replied by reflex before looking over at James. “Assuming that’s OK with you?”

“I guess. Sure,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m normally a Holliday Inn kind of guy, but you know your way around here better than I do.”

“Say, lady,” the driver interrupted now that they were on the highway. “Are you Zig Zag?”

Zig Zag suppressed a laugh as James winced. “Yes, I am,” she replied, giving the driver a smile.

“Hot damn!” the driver said, pounding on the wheel with one hand. “I knew it! The second I saw you at the airport I knew that had to be you. Either that or your twin sister.”

“Sorry. No twin sister,” she replied, pausing thoughtfully, “Though I suppose having one might have been fun.”

“You know, I got all your videos! From your very first one, Stranger to Paradise all the way up to Zig Zilla does Tokyo!” He laughed and shook his head. “That was a hoot, seeing you doing all them little Jap guys. And the scene with the guy in the Godzilla suit was hilarious. I laughed so hard I about peed my pants!”

“You were wearing pants?” James muttered under his breath as he looked out the window.

Zig Zag glanced at James and frowned before turning back to the driver. “Say, can you tell me where the closest emergency room to the airport is?”

“Emergency room?” the rabbit echoed, his ears slapping upright against the roof. “You sick or something?”

“No! It’s not for me,” she replied, calming the driver down. “We’ve got a sick friend who was taken off of an earlier flight, and we need to try to figure out what hospital they took her to.”

“That depends,” the driver replied thoughtfully. “I’d have to say they probably went to Ohio General. It’s just a few miles from the airport so that’s the most likely place.”

Zig Zag turned to James. “You want to try the hospital first, or go to the hotel?”

James thought about it for a second before nodding. “Let’s go to the hotel first,” he decided. “We can make some calls and hopefully verify that she’s there before we run off on some wild goose chase.”

“Go ahead and take us to the hotel, please,” she directed the cabbie. Turning to face James again, she smiled. “See? I guess this cooperative decision making thing isn’t as hard as it looks.”

Judge Grays, a slightly pudgy gray squirrel with salt-and-pepper head fur, was late, and he hated to be late. He didn’t mind covering for Judge Tiglion, but he did mind the kind of cases she dealt with. The judge didn’t particularly have a problem with mixed-breed couples, but for some reason it seemed to him that they had a higher divorce rate than same-breed couples. This last case had been an ugly one, and he didn’t look forward to the meeting he was headed for now. He draped his robe over one arm as he turned the knob to enter his outer office. Inside, he saw three fursons sitting patiently in chairs while his secretary did whatever secretaries do. “Any calls, June?” the judge asked as he approached the door to his inner office.

“Justice Mathis called and had to cancel on golf tomorrow. Your wife called and asked me to remind you about Tommy’s recital tonight, and Jack called,” she said, holding a small stack of pink notes out for him to take.

The judge accepted the notes and flipped through them as he stepped into his chambers. With a practiced move he tossed his robe at the hat rack standing in the corner, where it caught and hung. Reaching his desk, he pulled out the old, well-worn yet comfortable chair and sat down. Dropping the notes on his desk, he hit the intercom. “I take it those are my five-o’clocks sitting out there?”

“Yes, sir,” the secretary responded.

“Send them in,” he directed as he leaned the chair backwards and got comfortable.

The district attorney entered the room first, followed by a greyhound wearing a black business suit, and finally David Leery.

“Have a seat,” the judge said, waving casually towards the chairs and couch. He picked up a folder as the two lawyers took a seat. The third male, the greyhound, chose to remain standing. “I’ve reviewed both petitions and the,” he glanced up at the panther, “evidence,” he spat before continuing, “and at this point I’m inclined to grant the petition for guardianship.”

“You can’t do that!” Khansman hastily objected. He swallowed at the glaring look the judge gave him and back peddled. “I mean, you would be placing Miss Vixen into a potentially lethal situation. Remember, Miss Zumbrowski was recently on trial for trying to have her killed.”

“Actually, counselor,” the judge replied flatly, “I believe you had her on trial for killing Miss Vixen, something of which I believe she has been completely exonerated.”

“We still believe that Miss Zumbrowski was involved in the kidnapping, your honor,” the DA hastily said, trying to change the squirrel’s mind. “Giving Miss Vixen to her would be tantamount to aiding and abetting Miss Zumbrowski.”

“I’ve reviewed the evidence you have, Daniel, and I find its merits wanting,” Judge Grays stated as he tossed the folder onto the desk. He looked at the greyhound and nodded. “You. You’re with the FBI?”

“I am, your honor,” the canid replied.

“What’s the FBI’s opinion on this?” he asked. “Do you have any objections?”

“At this time, we see no reason not to place Miss Vixen in the care of Miss Zumbrowski,” the agent replied. “We have been unable to uncover any hard evidence that she was involved in the abduction. There is also the fact that Miss Vixen has been constantly asking to speak with her, as well as the fact that Miss Zumbrowski has maintained the insurance policy on Miss Vixen, which would allow her to get better psychiatric care than would be available if we had her committed to a state institution.”

The judge nodded. “There you go, Danny,” he said to the panther. “If the feds are all for it, then I can’t really say no, now can I?” He turned to David as he opened the folder back up. “I understand that there’s a rather sizeable trust fund in Miss Vixen’s name?”

“That’s correct, your honor,” the tabby responded.

The judge made some notes on the paperwork then signed it. “All right, I’m placing Miss Vixen in Miss Zumbrowski’s care, temporarily, with a review in ninety days. I’m taking personal control of the trust fund. Miss Zumbrowski will have to clear any withdraws through the court and explain the reason.”

“Understood, your honor,” David responded. He glanced over at the fuming district attorney and inwardly smiled to himself.

“Here’s your room,” the bellhop said as he stepped aside for Zig Zag to unlock the room. He followed the pair into the suite and set the suitcase, satchel and overnight bag down by the door.

James stepped into the room and stared wide-eyed at the size of it. There was a small kitchen area, dining table, couch, a couple of comfortable chairs, a recliner and a large entertainment center. He watched as the bellhop opened the doors that lead into the bedroom. “Good gravy,” he muttered as he walked into the bedroom. “How much is all this going to cost?”

The bellhop opened the door to the bathroom and turned the light on before coming back into the bedroom. “Normally this place runs about three a night, but they gave her a pretty good discount on it,” he said as he turned back the covers on both sides of the bed.

“Three hundred a night?” James incredulously asked. “Are you kidding?’

“Not at all, sir,” the bellhop replied, holding his hand out. “All of our penthouse Jacuzzi suites go for that.”

“Jacuzzi? Where’s the Jacuzzi?” James asked.

The bellhop nodded towards the bathroom. “In there. There’s a hot tub, shower and full body fur dryer, toilet, bidet… the works.”

James, not paying any attention to the bellhop, walked into the bathroom and let out a low whistle. The floor looked like it was tiled with Italian marble, as was the sink and shower. The hot tub was a full sized model that looked like it was designed to comfortably seat two, but could probably handle four.

“Here,” Zig Zag said to the bellhop, handing him a twenty dollar bill.

“Thank you, ma’am,” the bellhop said with a smile. “If you need anything, just ring extension one-twelve and ask for Jack.”

“Can do,” she replied, closing the door behind him. Picking up the suitcase and the two bags, she hefted them back to the room and set them down at the foot of the bed.

“Hey! I would have gotten those,” James complained, coming over to help her with the luggage.

“I’m a big girl, James,” she replied, heaving her suitcase up onto the bed. “I can take care of myself.” Undoing the latches on the case, she flipped it over. “Would you be a dear and unzip me? I want to change out of this thing.”

Reaching out, James snagged the zipper handle at the top of her dress and ran it down the length of her spine until hitting the stop. “There you go,” he said before picking up his bag. He walked over and set it down on the stand by the large closet and began unpacking. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Staying in such an expensive hotel?”

Zig Zag shimmied out of her dress and tossed it on the bed next to the bag. “It may not be the most prudent move, financially, but I don’t have much of a choice.” Taking out a pair of navy blue shorts, she slipped them on. “It might be cheaper to stay at a Holiday Inn or a Motel Six, but my reputation would take a hit.” She took out a burgundy t-shirt and slipped it on. “In this industry it’s all about appearance, and I can’t afford to look cheap.”

“I suppose so,” he replied as he continued hanging up his clothes.

“Hey,” Zig Zag said softly as she slipped her feet into a pair of comfortable sandals. “This isn’t about that mutual decision thing, is it?”

James looked at her and grunted, “Huh?” He shook his head and went back to hanging clothes. “No.”

“Then what is it?” she asked, placing one hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” he replied, shaking his head.

“No,” Zig Zag said, pulling on his arm so that he’d face her. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

James’ eyes tried to look anywhere but at her as he frantically searched for the words. “It’s that cabbie,” he finally said. “All that talk about the different films you’d been in, all the different males you’d be with.”

Zig Zag frowned. “You know all about that. What’s the problem?”

“I may know about it, but I don’t want to be reminded of it,” he complained. “Zig, I’d like to think that you and I have something special, but when that guy kept going on and on about all the different males you’d had sex with…” he frowned and shrugged.

“Are you jealous?” She asked, cocking one ear to the side.

“No,” he said with an exasperated breath. “I just don’t like to think that I’m scratch mark number one hundred and fifty two on your belt!”

Zig Zag turned her eyes downward, finally understanding the problem. The ghosts of her past had always been there, but they’d stayed safely in the closet. Now someone had let them out and they both had to face them. She looked back up at James with a solemn expression. “When I first started having sex, it was because I was told that it was the only thing I was good for. Eventually, it was what paid the bills. After a while, I did it because it was fun. Then, one day, I realized that I was doing it simply because it was expected of me.”

“Is that why you’re sleeping with me?” James asked, his ears pulled down, “Because it’s expected?”

“No. I’m sleeping with you because I love you,” she replied wrapping her arms around him. “To every other man out there, I’m just a dream date. A wet-dream date at that. None of them care how I like my coffee. They wouldn’t offer to massage my feet. They wouldn’t even bother to make sure that I got off. That’s because they don’t care about me like you do.” She paused as her eyes searched his. “Yes, I’ve slept with a lot of men. Hundreds, even. But that has nothing to do with us or our relationship. I do have some fond memories from back then, and I’m not going to give them up, but I’m not going to let them ruin what we have together. I hope you feel the same way, too.”

James gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I know. Up in my head, I know. But there’s this small piece of me in the back of my head that doesn’t like it. It just doesn’t want to be reminded that I’m the last in a long string of lovers.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Don’t worry about it. It’s my demon and I’ll deal with it.”

She gave him an unsure look. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod, “I’m sure.

“Good,” She replied, giving him another kiss before breaking the embrace. “Ok. I’m going to do some calling around and see if I can figure out where they took her.” She walked over to the phone and sat down on the bed nearby. She was just reaching into the drawer for the phonebook when the phone rang. She and James exchanged curious looks for a moment before she answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Miss Zumbrowski?”

“This is her,” her replied, her brow furrowed at the callers somewhat familiar voice. “Who’s this?”

“This is Agent Atsushi of the Pittsburgh FBI Office, ma’am,” the voice replied.

“Agent Atsushi? How did you get this number?” she asked incredulously.

“The yellow pages, ma’am. The hotel is listed there.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she growled. “How did you know I was staying here?”

“I had the Columbus office contact your studio and get your itinerary. It showed that you had reservations at this hotel.”

Zig Zag let out a nervous chuckle. “I’ve got to lay off the conspiracy theory movies,” she thought. “OK. So what can I do for you, Agent Atsushi?”

“I’m calling to inform you that Sheila Vixen was taken to Ohio General Valley Hospital upon her arrival in Pittsburgh.”

“Why the sudden change of heart?” she asked, scowling at the unseen voice.

“We received word shortly after you called that Judge Grays had assigned you temporary custody of Miss Vixen.”

“Oh,” she replied looking up at James who, she could tell, was slowly dying from an overload of curiosity. “Thank you. When do you think I can come see her?”

“Normal visiting hours are until seven o’clock. She’s been registered under the alias of Janet Dearing. Ask for that name at the desk and they’ll direct you to her.”

“Thank you,” Zig Zag said, genuinely meaning it as she wrote down the information. “I appreciate the call.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. If we can be of any more assistance, please let us know.”

“Thank you. I will,” she replied before hanging up.

“Well?” James demanded.

“That was the FBI. They just called to tell me where Sheila was.” She tore the paper off the pad and stood up. “She’s over at Ohio General, just like that cabbie thought.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” James said as he tossed his empty bag into the back of the closet and closed the door. “Weren’t they just giving you the cold shoulder half an hour ago?”

Zig Zag nodded as she picked up her purse. “That was before Judge Grays gave me temporary custody of Sheila,” she replied with a smile that quickly faded to a look of concern. “Am I doing the right thing?”

“Eh?” he grunted, not quite tracking the sudden shift in the conversation. “What? Taking care of Sheila?” His first impulse was to say ‘Sure!’ but instead he thought about it for a moment. “You know, Zig, she’s family to you, and you take care of family, so I’d have to say yes.” He gave her a small, knowing smile and nodded. “Yes, I think you’re doing the right thing.” James put his arm around her as they stepped out into the hallway.

She gave him a weak smile. “Thanks. I don’t know what it is, but all of a sudden, now that I’m her guardian, I’m terrified,” she confessed. “I’ve been so gung-ho to get custody that I never even thought about the risks or the possible consequences. What if…?”

“Zig,” James said, using both hands to turn her towards him. “Listen to me. You can’t worry about what might be. You’ve got to grab a hold of the reins and hang on for dear life. Sheila needs you as much as I think you maybe need her.”

“God, I hope so,” Zig replied, pressing the button for the elevator.

“Boss? We’ve got a problem,” Logan said to the general manager as he took a seat next to the hamster in the break room.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Al replied as he set his combination chocolate milk and apple juice cocktail on the table. “What’s wrong?”

The ferret fought the urge to scrunch his snout at the drink. “We need to delay the Zig Zag interview broadcast for a week.”

“WHAT? Why?” Al demanded, slamming his hand down on the table.

“I just got word that Zig’s in Pittsburgh. Sheila’s plane was diverted there due to some kind of medical emergency,” he explained as he used a napkin to wipe some of the splattered drink from his cuff and hand. “We were supposed to edit the interview today.”

Al’s ears quivered as he confronted the problem. “Didn’t you have a contingency clause in the contract? Can’t you edit it without her?”

“Yes, I can,” Logan replied calmly, “but the problem is Sheila. If something bad has happened to her and she dies, then we’ll need a completely different edit. I’d feel more comfortable if we can delay it until next weekend. Besides, it’ll give us more time to promote the interview.”

“If we do that, what will we use to fill the time slot?” Al demanded as he tried to pull the hair from his head. “We’ll never find anything to fill that slot on such short notice and there’s nobody to interview!”

“I’ll come up with something, boss,” he said, trying to placate his superior. “Hey! It’s me!”

“Miss Zumbrowski?”

Zig Zag turned to face what appeared to be a medium sized raccoon with a slight paunch who wore a dark three-piece suit. “Yes?”

“I’m Agent Atsushi,” he said by way of introduction, offering her his hand.

“It’s good to meet you,” she replied as she shook his hand. She nodded towards James and said, “This is James Sheppard.”

“Agent Atsushi,” James said as he shook the furs hand.

“Mr. Sheppard.”

Zig Zag’s eyes gave the agent the once over and she smiled. “You’re a tanuki, aren’t you?”

Somewhat taken aback by the question, the agent’s eyes grew wide in honest surprise. “Why yes I am. I’m surprised you knew that. Most people assume I’m a raccoon.”

“I worked with one once when I was over in Japan,” she politely explained. “The difference is pretty easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for.”

“I—uh—I suppose that’s true,” he replied, looking a bit nervous. “Miss Vixen is down this way. If you’ll follow me to the waiting room, I believe the doctor wishes to speak with you before you see her.”

“OK,” James said in a low voice as he sat next to Zig Zag in the waiting room, “Want to fill me in on it?”

“On what?” Zig replied innocently.

“On just how you knew he was a tanuki,” he said with a frown. “I thought for sure he was a raccoon.”

Zig Zag let out a light laugh and leaned over to whisper in a low conspiratorial voice. “His pants.”

Before James could respond, the entrance of the doctor who was dressed in scrubs interrupted him.

“Miss Zumbrowski?” the doctor asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down facing the couple.

“Zig Zag, if you please,” she replied politely.

The doctor, a plain looking, grey-colored rat nodded. “My name is Dr. Dover. I’m the obstetrician who handled Miss Vixen’s delivery when she came in here earlier.”

Both Zig Zag and James breathed a sigh of relief at the news that she’d been brought here to deliver her baby.

“Thank God,” she replied, holding her hand over her heart. “I was so worried something bad had happened.”

The doctor frowned. “I’m afraid something did,” he stated holding up a hand to prevent questions. “Please. If you’ll let me explain, I’ll fill you in.” He paused as the couple glanced at each other then back to him. “Apparently Miss Vixen began bleeding during the flight not long after they left New York, which is why the plane landed here. When she was brought into the ER she had lost a considerable volume of blood due to a placental abruption. They tried to stabilize her condition but failed.”

Zig Zag clutched at James’ hand as she listened to the doctor. “I was called in to perform an emergency C-section. The operation was a success and both kits were removed without any complication.”

“Both?” James asked, surprised by the news. “She had twins?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. A boy and a girl. They’re both in good condition up in the NICU where they’re being monitored.”

“What about Sheila?” Zig Zag asked.

“Ah,” the doctor grunted, glancing away. “Once the kits were delivered, we removed the placentas and massaged the uterus in order to try to stop the bleeding, but were unsuccessful.”

“Oh my god!” Zig Zag cried out as her heart fell.

The doctor sat back in surprise at the outburst then shook his head. “No! She’s all right,” he said, suddenly realizing how he must have sounded. “It’s just that since we were unable to stop the bleeding, we had no choice but to perform an emergency hysterectomy.”

“Oh, man,” James groaned in sympathy as he felt Zig Zag shudder.

“She’s going to be all right, though?” Zig Zag asked.

“Physically, yes,” the doctor replied. “However, considering her current unstable mental condition, I can’t see it helping at all. Right now, we’ve got her lightly sedated to keep her calm.”

James cocked an ear in the doctor’s direction. “Has she been told?”

“No,” the doctor replied, shaking his head. “We wanted to give her time to bond with the kits before telling her. Considering what she’s been through, we think there will be less chance she’ll want to reject them that way.”

Zig Zag frowned. “Why would that make a difference? Either she’s going to reject them or not.”

“She’s convinced that they’re Arden’s kits,” he replied with a small shrug.

“That’s impossible. He died almost a year ago,” James commented. “Isn’t it?”

“Assuming her story’s accurate,” the doctor said, nodding, “then yes.”

“When can I see her?” Zig Zag asked, putting an end to a conversation she didn’t want to happen.

“Right now, if you wish,” the doctor said, standing up.

The trio traveled a short distance down the corridor until they came to a heavy, metal-meshed door that was locked. The doctor knocked on it and waited for the lock to buzz, allowing him to open the door. He waited patiently at the next door to once again be buzzed through. They entered a fairly large room that doubled as the nurse’s station and the security station for the ward. Along the wall were row after row of black and white monitors displaying images of cell like rooms with a single bed, table and metal toilet.

The nurse sitting at the console turned and nodded to the doctor. “Evening, Ben. You here to check up on that vixen in five?”

“Kind of.” He turned and gestured to Zig Zag and explained, “This is Miss Zumbrowski, her legal guardian. She wants to see her.”

“No problem, Doc,” she replied, and punched a button, changing the picture on the large monitor at the center of the console. The picture showed the head and shoulders of a white haired fur with black, cat-type ears and white fur with stripes on the neck. He wore a black robe which covered his body. Sheila lay in the bed with several bags of liquid slowly dripping their contents through tubes attached to needles that had been stuck into her arm. Her hair had been cropped fairly short and she sported a cast on her left forearm. The two could be heard quietly talking through a speaker on the console as the volume knob had been turned almost all the way down.

“Who’s that in there with her?” James asked as he leaned forwards to get a better look.

“That’s Father Lysenko,” the nurse replied.

Zig Zag’s mouth dropped open. “A priest?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. Apparently the FBI brought him in shortly after she’d been found. It was to help with the debriefing, and they’ve built a bit of a rapport.”

James frowned as he turned to face the doctor. “Since when does the FBI bring clergy into interrogations?”

“Wait till you see him and you’ll understand,” the doctor replied with a mischievous laugh.

The nurse buzzed them through the door that took them into the ward proper. They passed cell after cell until they came to the door marked with a large five. The doctor waited for the nurse to buzz the lock, then he opened the door.

As the trio stepped in, the priest stood, turned, and faced them. Zig Zag gasped as she saw the markings on his face and tail. They were markings that matched hers almost identically.

“Miss Zumbrowski,” the doctor said, waving a hand towards Zig Zag before waving to the priest. “I’d like you to meet Father Anatol Lysenko.”