{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}}
{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\fi720\ri-1440\f0\fs20          \fs28 Lupine Dreams\emdash Chapter 8       Author:  Islador\par
\fs36\par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\fs20 Dominique pulled up to the courthouse and thought about what she was about to do.  It was one thing to tell a tall one to her friend and coworker Faith.  That didn\rquote t really bother her conscience all that much, and when she had told the deputy her tale, she was protecting Dagomarus as much as herself.  Again, her conscience didn\rquote t bug her all that much.  When it came to Dagomarus, she would do whatever it took to protect him, she loved him, and that was that.  However, this was a little different.  \par
\par
She was about to go inside and go before a judge and tell her story again, but this time there was going to be an official court record; a man was going to be accused of doing something he really didn\rquote t do.  Granted, the sexual assault never happened, but he had tried to kill her lover and he had gone so far as to enlist two buddies to do it.  Then the rifle shot through the window.  \par
\par
On second thought, that asshole deserved whatever was coming to him.  She didn\rquote t like telling lies, but if she told the truth, they\rquote d lock her up in the loony bin and throw away the key.  She\rquote d be the permanent guest at the rubber room hotel, and check out time would be suspended, indefinitely.  Okay, so maybe telling this one lie would make her life a little easier.  Even though it still bothered her, she pulled herself up straight and walked into the courthouse to get this over with as soon as possible.  \par
\par
When she stepped into the foyer of the courthouse she spotted Deputy Lockhardt sitting on one of the benches outside the courtroom.  He stood up when she walked in and he waved her over.  She was a little surprised to see him, but maybe he was here for something related to his job and it was just a coincidence.  She smiled and waved back and walked over to him.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Good morning, Miss Rhodehamel.  I\rquote m glad you decided to take my advice and file for the restraining order.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Good morning, Deputy Lockhardt.  Yes, I decided to do this.  I have to do something, and I guess this is the best way to get him to stop.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I know it\rquote s not perfect, but it\rquote s the best I can do for you right now.\rdblquote  \par
\par
 He seemed to want to say something more.  He looked around to see if there was anyone within hearing distance, and he started to look uncomfortable.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Miss Rhodehamel, uhhh, I want to ask you something, but I\rquote m not sure where to begin.\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Dominique was used to men getting nervous around her, she knew she was good looking, but she never let it go to her head.  Watching guys get tongue tied around her was nothing new.  Grinning, thinking she knew what he was going to ask next, she nodded.  \par
\par
\ldblquote What is it, Deputy Lockhardt?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, uhhmmm, oh, damn.  I feel so embarrassed about this, but, well...\rdblquote  \par
\par
He was turning red, blushing, and he couldn\rquote t quite meet her gaze.  He was shifting his weight back and forth on his feet, and his hands were twitching nervously.  She watched this display, having seen it before, but she hadn\rquote t had a guy get this anxious trying to work up the nerve to ask her out since junior high.  She wasn\rquote t mad about Deputy Lockhardt wanting to ask her out, she was amused more than anything.  She would politely turn him down, of course, but she decided to have a little fun with him.  She flashed him her biggest smile and posed herself to show off her hips, trying not to be quite so obvious about what she was doing.\par
\par
\ldblquote Go ahead and ask me what you want, Deputy Lockhardt.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He shot her a questioning look and seemed to come to a decision.  He stopped fidgeting and drew in a deep breath.\par
\par
\ldblquote I heard you last night, Miss Rhodehamel.  I drove back past your place later on to check up on you, to make sure everything was okay, and I heard you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He was really red in the face now, but he was looking her right in the eyes.  Now it was her turn to go beet red, and start fidgeting.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh.\rdblquote\par
  \par
She couldn\rquote t look at him anymore; her embarrassment was so severe.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I panicked, thinking that Scott had busted in and was raping you; so I rushed to a window to look in to see whether I was going to need to call for back up and an ambulance.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He stopped at that point.  He didn\rquote t know whether to continue or not.  He wanted her to think about what he had said for a minute.  She did think about what he had said, and it hit her like a ton of bricks.  She got lightheaded, and she couldn\rquote t breathe.  Her face went white and her legs didn\rquote t seem to want to hold her up anymore.  She felt his hands on her, and he guided her onto the bench, setting her down gently.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, Miss Rhodehamel; I didn\rquote t mean to upset you this much.\rdblquote\par
\par
She tried to get her breathing back to normal, and to fight back the panic that was about to burst her chest.  She took several deep breaths, calming herself down a little.  She was thinking furiously, what had he seen?  Oh, God!  He had seen her and Dagomarus having sex in her living room.  She thought she had closed all the curtains and blinds, but somehow, he had seen enough.  Now he was telling her that he had seen the two of them together.  \par
\par
Well, it was bound to happen sometime.  Someone was bound to see her and Dagomarus together, she just didn\rquote t think that they would ever be seen quite that much, or in that position.  She smiled to herself at her own pun.  Well, now what?  Deputy Lockhardt didn\rquote t seem to be mad; just embarrassed as hell.  HAH!  He wasn\rquote t the only one sitting here totally embarrassed.  She needed to know what he was going to do about his knowledge of her and Dagomarus.  Drawing up, she looked at the Deputy.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  So, what did you see?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She wanted the Deputy to admit to spying in on her.  She also wanted to make sure that he wasn\rquote t just guessing or fishing for an admission on her part.  Deputy Lockhardt blushed again and looked at the floor.  His hands started fidgeting again.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Uhhmmm, well, I saw you and your dog.  Together.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He didn\rquote t say anything more for a few seconds.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know if I can apologize enough for invading your privacy like that, but I had to tell you because there were a few things that didn\rquote t add up in your story, and when I saw the two of you like that, it clicked.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She started to say something but he put his hand up to stop her from speaking.  \par
\par
\ldblquote No, let me finish, then you can tell me whatever it is you need to say.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She nodded, cheeks flaming furiously, waiting for him to finish.  \par
\par
\ldblquote The two grizzlies attacking your camp was a stretch, but okay, it could happen.  Going back into those mountains immediately the next day was the first alarm bell.  The part about Scott making advances was believable, but getting two buddies out of the bar and sending them after you with guns, that was the second alarm bell.  The final thing was the rifle shot through your window.  Why would a man who was supposedly bent on having sex with you, shoot at you the next day?  It didn\rquote t add up, something was missing.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote When I heard you last night, and then saw what you were doing, it suddenly made sense, or at least a little more.  I am still confused about a couple of things, but I know what you told me wasn\rquote t the whole truth, and before you walked into that courtroom and stood in front of that judge, I needed to find out what\rquote s going on.  So, Miss Rhodehamel, are you willing to tell me what really happened?\rdblquote\par
\par
She listened to his speech and suddenly realized that as much as she thought she had covered her bases, she really hadn\rquote t.  He was a smart guy, not some country hick with a badge.  She chastised herself for not seeing it before.  She was debated on how much she should really say.  He could obviously tell when she was lying, so this made it extra tough on how to proceed.  Well, according to one of her professors in psychology, the best lies are 95% truth.  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. \par
 \par
\ldblquote Okay, but I need to know, how much trouble am I in?  Are you going to arrest me for what I was doing last night?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She was so frightened that she started trembling.  She knew that if he wanted to, he could arrest her right now and there was nothing she could do to stop it.\par
\par
\ldblquote I thought about it, believe me.  It was a complete and utter shock to me to see that.  However, I also believe that what a person does inside their own home, as long as nobody gets hurt, is their own business and it should stay inside the home.  So, that being said, since that is your choice to do that, I\rquote m not going to officially do anything about it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He took a deep breath and sighed.  He had just told her he was willing to break the law for her.  He was skating on thin ice right now, and whether she knew it or not, he had just put his job on the line for her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you for being understanding.  I didn\rquote t expect this, but thank you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She watched him relax a little, but he was still nervous and uptight.  He looked around again and made a decision.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Let\rquote s go for a walk outside.  I\rquote d feel much better about having this discussion outside these walls.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He stood up and offered her a hand to help her to her feet.  She took it, smiling gratefully, because her knees were still a little shaky.  They walked out the front door and he motioned for her to follow him.  He stepped past the hedges that lined the front walk to the courthouse and stood in the shade of the building.  When she was standing next to him, he decided to tell her a little more.\par
\par
\ldblquote Look, after that crazy bonehead tried to plan the kidnapping of David Letterman\rquote s kid and nanny from the ranch, we\rquote ve been a little more cognizant that our little piece of paradise has lost its innocence.  That guy had been charged with rape and intimidation a few years ago.  So when you told me that this Scott fellow did the same thing to you, and seeing as how you work for the Acantha, well, I got a little suspicious.\rdblquote\par
\par
  The wry expression on his face told her that he was smarter than the average guy.  She also stopped and thought about what he had said about the kidnapping case.  Crap!  I didn\rquote t even think about that when I planned this out.  I must have done it subconsciously.\par
\par
\ldblquote Honestly, Deputy Lockhardt, that never occurred to me.  I\rquote m not a reporter at the paper, I\rquote m just the typesetter, but I mostly do the business cards and stuff.  If that\rquote s what you thought, I guess I can\rquote t blame you for being nosey.  As for the rest of this whole situation, I\rquote m just not sure what to say.\rdblquote   \par
She shrugged her shoulders, looking at him for a clue as to what he was thinking.\par
\par
\ldblquote First, call me Mark.  If I\rquote m going to help you with this situation, it would ease my mind a little if you didn\rquote t remind me at every turn that I\rquote m a law enforcement officer, okay?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She gave him a small smile, and nodded.  She could sympathize with that very much.\par
\par
\ldblquote Secondly, I need to know if you and Scott have had any contact before that evening.\rdblquote  \par
\par
He stared right into her eyes, as if he was daring her to try and lie about this.  She met his gaze solidly.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, I\rquote ve never seen that guy before.  He really did find my shredded campsite and the grizzly carcass and had followed my tire tracks up to the old Ranger station.  He was genuinely concerned about my welfare before he even knew who I was.  The trouble between us happened when me and my friend walked out of the cabin and scared him silly.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at Mark and gave him a half-smile, blushing.  Mark snorted and grinned at her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I know how he must have felt when he saw your friend; which is the next thing I need to ask you about.  Where did you get a dog that huge?\rdblquote  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj He wasn\rquote t insinuating anything when he asked his question.  She could see that on his face.  Remembering her professor\rquote s words, she decided to tell him that 95%.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote He\rquote s not a dog.  He\rquote s a wolf.  We found each other the day before all this started.  He was wounded and I bandaged him up.  That night a grizzly did attack my campsite, but he is the one who killed the grizzly.  There was only one bear.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked into Mark\rquote s eyes unflinchingly, speaking the literal truth.  For his part, he knew she was telling the truth.  Her eyes never flickered, her voice didn\rquote t change, and there was no sign of those little tics that people sometimes got when they were telling a tall story.  He believed her this time.  As hard as it was to comprehend, he knew she wasn\rquote t lying about this.\par
\par
\ldblquote So, you just sort of befriended each other, saving each others lives?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He wasn\rquote t sure if that was what he truly wanted to ask, but it would do for now.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, I guess that\rquote s about the best way to describe it.  I\rquote m still a little amazed at the whole thing as well, Mark.  I never thought anything like this could ever happen to me, or anyone else for that matter.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She started feeling a little more confidant as she stood there talking to Mark.  He nodded in agreement at her last statement.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, okay.  But that still doesn\rquote t explain why Scott would do what he did.  Just what did happen up there?\rdblquote   \par
\par
This was where she was going to have to leave out that one crucial detail about Dagomarus.  She hoped she could pull it off without him getting suspicious.\par
\par
\ldblquote My friend literally scared the piss out Scott.  Not figuratively, literally\emdash he wet his pants and ran.  My friend didn\rquote t attack him, didn\rquote t do anything but stare at him, but that was enough.  Scott ran away scared shitless.  I imagine that his male ego didn\rquote t take to well to that display and that\rquote s why he acted out.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She met Mark\rquote s gaze head on, not looking away; trying to believe her own words--which weren\rquote t a total fabrication\emdash and found it relatively easy for her to do.  Mark chuckled, shaking his head.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  Yeah, I can see that happening.  Your friend is huge and if I had to stare right into that, I guess I\rquote d be more than a little intimidated myself.  Knowing that he took on a grizzly and tore it apart, yeah, I\rquote d be scared shitless too.  Okay.  So, Scott freaks out and goes running off.  What did you do then?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote I knew that when he freaked out and ran off that I was in deep trouble.  So, I packed up all my stuff and left.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She left off several details, but that wasn\rquote t really lying, so it didn\rquote t bother her.\par
\par
\ldblquote Why did you think you were in deep trouble?  Up to this point you hadn\rquote t done anything illegal; or is there something else you aren\rquote t telling me?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He gave her a penetrating stare.  She blushed.  It wasn\rquote t intentional, it was just her immediate response to his question of leaving out details and she was ashamed of lying, even though it was a lie of omission.  He saw her blush and thinking about what he had witnessed at her house, he made the wrong assumption of why she did so.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Oh.  I see, or, uhhmmm, well, oh crap.  I\rquote m sorry.  I didn\rquote t mean to embarrass you again.\rdblquote\par
\par
She caught his flush and stammering apology; realizing what he was thinking, she decided to make the best of it.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, well\'85  I guess you\rquote ve discovered my dirty secret, so, now what?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She waited for him to get over his embarrassment and let him decide what he was willing to do about it.  She was still mortified that she had been seen like that, but there was nothing she could do about it now.  Just hope for the best and see what Mark was going to do.\par
\par
\ldblquote I can\rquote t even begin to understand why you are doing that, but, it\rquote s just not in my personality to judge you for it.  I can see why Scott did what he did afterwards, though.  I\rquote m used to narrow minded people and the things they will say or do because of it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He stopped for a minute, and thinking a little more, decided to finish his train of thought.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not comfortable with you perjuring yourself in front of the judge, but I don\rquote t see how we can change your story to fit the facts any differently without coming outright and telling the judge what you are doing.  I honestly don\rquote t think it\rquote s anyone else\rquote s business knowing what you are doing.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He gave her a sardonic grin and shook his head.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Look, Mark, he really did get those two guys out there that night to stop me.  They really did have guns and they were drunk.  What I left out was that they were more interested in finding my friend and shooting him.  When they didn\rquote t see him in the truck with me, they chalked it up to Scott bullshitting them about it and so they left me alone.  One of them even said he thought that Scott had sent them out there to stop me so he could fuck me.  I am one hundred percent sure that it was Scott who put a bullet through my window last night; but again, what I left out was that my friend was standing in front of the window when he shot it out.  That\rquote s what I didn\rquote t tell you.  I didn\rquote t want anyone else to know I had him inside the house with me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She gave him a defiant look, as if daring him to judge her actions now.\par
  \par
He listened to her explanation of events and it clicked.  He thought about it for a minute and made a decision.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  I do believe you now.  It all makes sense.  Right now you\rquote ve only broken two laws as far as I can tell.  First, you have an endangered animal in your possession.  Second, you filed a false statement to a law enforcement officer concerning the commission of a felony.  I won\rquote t even list the third, as I don\rquote t see where it\rquote s any of my, or anyone else\rquote s, business what you do with your personal life.\rdblquote   \par
\par
\ldblquote As for Scott, well, he is guilty of attempted kidnapping, a felony; he\rquote s also guilty of the attempted killing of a federally protected animal, which is another felony.  There\rquote s also the fact that I could charge him with discharging a firearm within the city limits, reckless endangerment of the public, and willful destruction of private property.  All this adds up to the fact that he could go to jail for at least 25 years, if not more, if all the counts were consecutively charged.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Her eyes got bigger as he listed all the broken laws and the consequences of those actions.  She was shaking in fear and anxiety by the time he finished.\par
\par
\ldblquote What are you going to do, Mark.  I mean, I know I could get severe fines and even go to jail for what I\rquote ve done.  But what about Scott?  I don\rquote t think he\rquote s going to drop this, do you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Her eyes pleaded with him to understand her situation and not act too harshly with her.  He did have some sympathy for her and the mess she was in.  He couldn\rquote t really condone what she was doing with the wolf, but everyone had his or her secrets.  Some were just worse than others.  If she wanted to do that with a wolf, it wasn\rquote t his place in the world to judge her for it.  She would have to answer for it to someone else, not him.  He didn\rquote t like the fact that he was risking his career and even jail time himself if he allowed her to file the sexual assault charges against Scott.  Then it dawned on him, she wouldn\rquote t have to file them to get the restraining order.  He suddenly smiled and sighed with relief.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, here\rquote s the deal.  Don\rquote t press the issue of the sexual assault; just tell the judge that you misunderstood his intentions.  However, it\rquote s the truth about those two guys with guns, and they did try to prevent you from going home and Scott put them up to it.  You can truthfully tell the judge that Scott attempted to kidnap you at gunpoint, although by proxy, and that makes him just as guilty.\rdblquote   \par
\par
\ldblquote As for the shooting last night, tell the judge the truth; well, almost the truth.  Don\rquote t tell him that you have a wild wolf in your house, which would be a crime.  Tell the judge you have a half-breed wolf/dog mix and that you got it from a friend who couldn\rquote t take care of an animal of that size.  That is legal, and you will be covered if anyone else finds out you have a giant dog in your possession.  Okay?  Do you think you can do that?\rdblquote  \par
\par
He hoped she would do as he asked.  This minimized the risk to his career and negated any possible legal troubles on her part.\par
\par
She listened to his plan and agreed with it completely.  She kicked herself mentally for not thinking of this plan on her own.  Well, he did know the laws much better than she did, and her desire to completely hide Dagomarus from the outside world had clouded her thinking.  She didn\rquote t hesitate for more than a second.\par
\par
\pard\fi720\ldblquote Yes, I\rquote ll do just like you said.  Thanks for doing this and helping me out of a really bad situation.  I do have one question, though.  Why?  Why are you doing this?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She needed to know his motives.  She didn\rquote t want him thinking that he could get closer to her through this.  She didn\rquote t want another boyfriend.  She already had the love of her life and nobody could replace him, even though Mark did walk on two legs instead of four.\par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I guess I just don\rquote t like anybody thinking that they can run roughshod over another person.  I may never understand why you want to live that way, but that doesn\rquote t make it right for Scott or people like him to mess up your life.  Is that what you wanted to know?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He wasn\rquote t smiling, but he wasn\rquote t frowning either.  He kept his expression as bland as he could.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, that\rquote s what I needed to know, Mark.  I had to be sure of your reasons before I went into that courthouse.  Even though we live in a town of only 1700 people, we\rquote ve managed to never actually talk to each other.  Up until a few minutes ago, all I knew about you was what Faith has commented on, and that was that you are a straight arrow, no humor, just all business.  So, for you to lay all this on me this morning, I wasn\rquote t entirely sure I could trust your motives.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Then, not knowing why she felt the need to say anything more, she made a final statement.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I really wanted to make sure you didn\rquote t have any romantic notions, because I already have a boyfriend.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She turned fiery red when she said it, but she didn\rquote t look away from his eyes this time, she stared right at him.\par
\par
His first reaction was shock.  He stood there with his mouth open, eyes wide and couldn\rquote t think of anything to say.  Then he started laughing, loudly.  He was holding his ribs and there were tears streaming down his cheeks.  It took him a few minutes to get control of himself.  He wiped the tears from his face and looked at her.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Miss Rhodehamel, you\rquote ve got balls of steel.  I like you.  I still don\rquote t get you, but I like you.  I would consider it an honor to call you a friend.\rdblquote   \par
\par
With that, he stuck out his hand.\par
\par
She thought about what he said and how he had reacted.  She made up her mind.  She took his hand and shook it, forcefully.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I think I would like that.  Friends.  You can call me Nikki, all my friends do.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Nikki.  Now that we have this figured out, let\rquote s go inside and talk to the judge.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He turned and put his arm out, motioning for her to lead the way.  They walked back inside the courtroom and went before the judge.  Even though the judge was concerned about having another attempted kidnapping in his jurisdiction in such a short amount of time, the circumstances of this case did lend itself to him issuing the most severe restrictions.  He gave Deputy Lockhardt specific instructions as to how far he could go in enforcing the order.  \par
\par
On one hand, the deputy was surprised that the judge said anything to him about enforcement; however, noting that the judge was pissed about the potential bad publicity scandal that could result from this, he didn\rquote t think the judge went over the line.  He assured the judge that he would do his best to ensure that Miss Rhodehamel would be watched over and that he would try to catch Scott in the act and bust him.  The judge went on further to say that he would be speaking to the D.A. about this case and that he would also speak to the sheriff.  He wanted to make sure that if they could at least corroborate the attempted kidnapping, they could get Scott off the streets before he tried anything else.  With that pronouncement, he struck his gavel and said good day to the pair.\par
  \par
They walked out of the courthouse and looked at each other.  Neither one really knew what to say to the other.  Finally, Mark broke the awkward silence.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I guess I better get back to work.  Uhhmmm, look, Nikki, I meant what I said about being friends.  If it would be okay, would you mind if I stopped by your house when I get off shift tonight around 7 o\rquote clock?\rdblquote   \par
\par
His expression was one of slight embarrassment for having invited himself to her house, but he wanted to talk to her some more about this whole situation and he wanted to do that out of uniform and away from the courthouse.  She eyed him suspiciously for a second, but didn\rquote t detect anything in his voice or manner that said he had ulterior motives.  Then she decided to send him a clear message.\par
\par
\pard\fi720\ldblquote Yes, that would be okay, as long as you don\rquote t mind the fact that my boyfriend will be there.\rdblquote    \par
\par
She managed not to blush too deeply this time when she said it.  He snorted and gave her a lopsided grin.\par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I\rquote ll say it again; Nikki, you\rquote ve got balls of steel.  And, yeah, I sorta figured your \lquote boyfriend\rquote  would be there too.  I don\rquote t mind if you don\rquote t.  How\rquote s that?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She grinned.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  I\rquote ll see you around seven.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They shook hands and went their separate ways.\par
\par
\tab\tab\tab\tab *******  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She stopped briefly at the furniture store and confirmed the delivery time for the new bed.  She told them that she would be home by 2 o\rquote clock that afternoon to let them in.  With that taken care of, she stopped at the glazier\rquote s next.  They said they weren\rquote t too busy today and that they could have someone out to her place around three to fix the window.  She gave them her address and left.  Her next stop was going to be the most stressful of the day.  She was going to have to face Faith and her one thousand and one questions.\par
\par
She pulled into the parking lot and took a deep breath.  Okay, let\rquote s get this over with so I can get home and fix this mess as best as I can.  When she walked in the back door, Faith was waiting there for her and pounced on her like a mountain lion on a doe.\par
  \par
\ldblquote So what happened?  Did they arrest him yet?  What did the Sheriff say?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Faith\rquote s questions were rapid fire, not even waiting for an answer before she was on to the next one.  Finally, Nikki had had enough of Faith\rquote s questions.\par
\par
\ldblquote ENOUGH!  Will you calm down?  I told you I would come talk to you; don\rquote t treat me like one of the pidgins you chase for a story.\rdblquote\par
  \par
Faith was shocked into speechlessness.  Nikki had never raised her voice to Faith before.  Nikki was the low person on the totem pole and Faith had always treated her with a slightly superior attitude.  Steve walked out of his office to see what was going on.  He saw the look of shock on Faith\rquote s face and the pissed off look on Nikki\rquote s, and decided to step in and calm things down before it got out of hand.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Alright, ladies.  Faith, go to the courthouse and get the details like you would from any other incident.  Nikki, step into my office, I would like a word with you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Steve turned and walked back into his office.  Faith shot Nikki a dirty look and huffed before turning back to her cubicle and grabbing her notebook.  She studiously ignored Nikki as she walked past and stepped out the door.  Nikki, for her part, was shocked as well.  She didn\rquote t think she would have ever spoken to Faith like that, especially since she might get fired if she did.  Now, that seemed to be a real possibility since Steve wanted to talk to her in his office.  Well, if I\rquote m going to get canned, I might as well do it with my head held high.\par
\par
She stepped into Steve\rquote s office and he motioned for her to shut the door.  She did and then sat down in the chair in front of his desk.  Steve looked at her for a second, grinned, and then started chuckling.\par
\par
\ldblquote I never thought I\rquote d ever see the day when someone could shut her off like that.  Thanks for making my week.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki was struck speechless.  Here she thought she was about to get fired; and instead, she was being honored and even given a compliment for her outburst.  She blushed slightly, and grinned.\par
  \par
\ldblquote I didn\rquote t either, but damn it, she really pissed me off.  I know she\rquote s a good reporter, but I thought I was more to her than just another story.  I guess the stress of this whole mess finally caught up to me and she was the match that lit the fuse.  I won\rquote t let it happen again, Steve.  I\rquote m sorry.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t be!  I can\rquote t say that if I was in your shoes, I would have been as nice as you were.  So don\rquote t worry about it.  I\rquote ll talk to her later and make sure she doesn\rquote t try to come down on you too hard.  Now, back to why I asked you in here.  Is there anything I can do to help?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks, Steve.  I really appreciate it, but right now all I need is the rest of today off so I can go let the glaziers fix my window and then clean up my house.  I filed for a restraining order this morning and I got it.  Deputy Lockhardt has been nice enough to offer to keep an extra eye over my place, so I think I\rquote ll be okay.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at Steve and hoped he would do as she asked.\par
\par
\ldblquote Sure, no problem, Dominique.  Take the rest of the day off, with pay.  It\rquote s the least I can do for you right now.  I don\rquote t want you to think you\rquote re obligated in any way, but do you mind telling me what\rquote s going on?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She could tell that Steve was genuinely concerned for her, so she wasn\rquote t at all hesitant to tell him exactly what she had told the judge.  When she finished her story, he sat there looking at her like she had two heads.  She finally coughed lightly to get his attention.  He blinked several times and the shook his head.\par
\par
\ldblquote Damn, I guess I never would have thought it possible; but after this past year, with that Letterman thing, I guess it shouldn\rquote t surprise me that it was only a matter of time before the big bad world found its way to our little corner of heaven.  You know, thinking about that case; when people get wind of this, there\rquote s going to be a lot of talk.  You won\rquote t be able to hide in a town this small.  Do you have any idea what you are going to do if it blows up and gets crazy?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She hadn\rquote t thought that far ahead yet.  She was just trying to get through that day, not next week.  She thought about the media circus that surrounded the Letterman thing and went pale.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Whoa!  You okay?  I didn\rquote t mean to scare you.  I just wanted you to know that the shit is going to hit the fan on this one if the big news outlets get a hold of it.  They\rquote ll try to tie it to the Letterman thing and milk a few points out of it for ratings.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Christ, Steve!  I never thought of it like that.  I was just worried about little ol\rquote  me, not the town or anything else.  Do I need to start looking for another job outside of Choteau?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She didn\rquote t want to do that, but if that was what it would take to get the coming shit storm away from her boss, that\rquote s what she would do.\par
\par
\ldblquote Let\rquote s not get too far ahead of ourselves, okay?  If, and I stress this \i if\i0 , the big news outlets descend on us, then I\rquote ll give you a couple weeks paid vacation and you can get out of town.  If you aren\rquote t here, then they\rquote ll quickly lose interest and leave.  So, in the mean time, go home, get your house fixed, and take it easy.  I\rquote ll take care of Faith.  I\rquote ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, thanks Steve.  I appreciate it, I really do.  I guess I never expected it.  Thanks.\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She stood up and he stood up as well, offering her his hand.  She shook it and walked out of his office.  Luckily, Faith wasn\rquote t back yet, so she didn\rquote t have to face her again.  She quickly slipped out the back door before anyone else at the office could spot her, and she headed for home.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\tab\tab\tab\tab *****\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj When she got home, she found Dagomarus right where she left him.  He was sitting up in the center of the living room, completely absorbed in the classical music playing on her stereo.  She thought about sneaking up on him.\par
\par
\i It wouldn\rquote t work, love; I heard you pull up into the driveway\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She squeaked and jumped, blushing.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Damn it!  Did you have to take the fun out of it for me?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Sorry, my love.  Next time I\rquote ll pretend to be surprised, how\rquote s that?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote That\rquote s not the point, and you know it!  You read my mind when I walked into the room.  I thought you weren\rquote t going to do that anymore.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She was a little miffed at him.\par
\par
\i I didn\rquote t really, my love.  You were projecting your intentions, and I could hear them.  I didn\rquote t speak to you until you sent your thoughts in my direction.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Oh, okay then.  I\rquote ll try to control myself more.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She reached for the remote and turned the volume down to where she didn\rquote t have to raise her voice to be heard over the horn section.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I need to tell you about what happened today.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She went over and sat down on the couch.  He followed and curled up next to her on the cushions.  She told him about Mark and what he had suggested, what the judge said, and then about the fact that Mark had offered to be friends.  She could feel the jealousy start rolling off of him like the heat from an open oven.\par
\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t be jealous, dear.  You don\rquote t have anything to worry about.  He knows about us.  He saw us together, locked, on the floor right there.  I admitted to him that you were my boyfriend.  He thinks you are just a wolf, he doesn\rquote t know you are smarter than he is and not quite what you appear to be.  I told him he could come over tonight after he was off work and talk some more.  I also told him that you\rquote d be here and he said he didn\rquote t have a problem with that.  He isn\rquote t judging me, and I don\rquote t think he\rquote s trying to replace you.  Nobody can replace you, my love.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She hoped he wasn\rquote t going to do anything rash in the heat of his jealousy.  They needed a friend like Mark.\par
\par
\i I guess you\rquote re right; we do need a friend like Mark.  I guess I was worried that you would think about him that way because he does walk on two legs.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj She knew this might happen.  She realized she would feel the same way if she caught him eyeing another woman; that he would be thinking about the sex.  She decided to put his mind completely at ease.  She had considered doing it earlier this morning after his little demonstration, but now would be a better time to do this.  She kept her thoughts shut up tight, so that he wouldn\rquote t catch on to what she was planning.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Remember that strange phrase you had me recite this morning?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Yes, you know I do\i0 .  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj He wondered if she was going to invoke her right as his mistress to order him not to be jealous and to command him to like this Mark fellow.  He had known that this was going to be a possibility when he let himself be owned like that.  It was his measure of trust in her that he had done that in the first place.  Now he thought that his trust was going to be strained to its limits.\par
 \par
\ldblquote Then could you pronounce it for me again?  I want to be able to hear it like it was spoken in your time.  With all the feeling and nuances that the Romans had, okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i As you wish, my love.  \b Commodum habitus es\b0 !\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj She dropped to her knees on the floor in front of him, kissed his paws like he had done to her this morning, and prostrated herself on the floor at his feet.  She looked into his eyes.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, Master.  I am yours until death.  I will only serve you, my Master.  I am your slave.\rdblquote\par
\par
She had a tear in one eye, and it slowly rolled down her cheek as she said the last phrase, completing the ceremony.\par
\par
\i Ahhhh, my Mistress!  How you taunt me!  There can only be one, and you were the first.  I relinquished all power to you, my love.  I cannot be what you ask.\par
\par
\pard\fi720\i0\ldblquote You have to do what I command, do you not?\rdblquote\par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i You know I do, my Mistress\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Then I command you to take what is rightfully yours.  I may not have formally recognized you as my master; but if you look into my mind, you\rquote ll see the truth of what I say.  You are, and always will be, my Master.\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj He thought about what she said, and then did as she asked.  He carefully slipped into her mind and looked into her deepest feelings.  There he saw what she was talking about.  It was true; she had considered him her master.  So, his ceremony wouldn\rquote t have changed that.  He slipped back out of her mind and looked at her, lying at his feet.  Waiting for him to decide.  There really wasn\rquote t much for him to decide, she had professed her wish and she had said the words, meaning every one of them.\par
  \par
\i Very well, My Love.  I accept your offer.  I am your Master, from now until death.  I will place the same restrictions on you as you did with me.  We will speak to each other as equals, until I wish otherwise.  Is that understood, my love?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Yes, I understand and will obey you in this as in everything.  I am yours.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She kissed his paws and then for good measure, his nose.  She smiled, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I am so happy, Master.  Dagomarus.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She got up from the floor and hugged him, whispering in his ear. \par
\par
\ldblquote I love you so much!  I just want us to be together, no matter what happens, okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Yes, My Love.  My Dominique, we will stay together no matter what\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Good, that\rquote s all I need to know.  Now I\rquote m going to change clothes and get some lunch ready before the furniture people show up to deliver our new bed.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She stood up and reached out to his face, rubbing her hands under his jaws and up behind his ears.  She leaned over and put her forehead against his, meeting eye to eye.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I really am yours, fuzzy-face.\rdblquote   \par
\par
With that said, she went to the bedroom to change into her comfy clothes.\par
  \par
She came back out a few minutes later in a pair of Bermuda shorts that went all the way to her knees, and a tank top.  She looked rather ridiculous for springtime in Montana, but in her present sunny mood, it fit her perfectly.  She smiled at him and put her hands on her hips.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Aaaarrrooooooowwwwwwhaaahhhhahhaaa!\rdblquote\par
  \par
He grinned and nodded his head vigorously.  She knew she had been fishing for a compliment, but it was still nice to hear his approval in such a manner.  She laughed and blushed.\par
\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s what I thought.  You just want me for my body.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Well, yes, but there\rquote s more to you than just that wonderful flesh, my love\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, I\rquote ll accept that compliment.  Thank you.  Now what do you want for lunch?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i I\rquote d like some more of the bacon if you would, please\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, I\rquote ll warm it up and have it out in a few minutes.  I\rquote m having a salad.  If I want to keep this girlish figure you seem to love so much, I can\rquote t eat that much fat.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i I\rquote ll work it off of you if you want to eat more\i0 .  \par
\par
His grin exposed every tooth in his mouth.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, I know you could, but I\rquote m not sure the furniture guys will understand when they show up, do you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i No, I guess not.  You can\rquote t blame me for trying, though\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I know, my love.  I don\rquote t mind the thought, we just have to wait a little while longer.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She finished warming the bacon in the oven and put it on a plate for him.  She refilled his bowl of water and he drank first before eating the bacon.  She fixed her salad and sat down at the table next to him.\par
\par
\i Salad. \b Herba salata\b0 .  You like salted vegetables?  Rabbit food.  Yech.\par
\i0\par
She snorted and nearly choked when he said \lquote rabbit food\rquote .  She knew there was no way he could have known that salads were now commonly referred to as rabbit food by those who were on diets and didn\rquote t want to be.  She actually liked salads, so she rarely called them that.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, love.  I do like this stuff.  I normally don\rquote t refer to it as rabbit food, but I know other people who do.  That was funny.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Oh.  Well, it is what rabbits eat.  I eat rabbits, so I guess I\rquote ve had a salad in a round about way, too.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I didn\rquote t need to hear that while I\rquote m trying to eat, Dagomarus.  Your eating habits are going to be one the hardest things to get used to.  I love you dearly, but try not thinking about bloody meals while I\rquote m trying to eat, okay?\rdblquote  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She wasn\rquote t mad, or even really irritated.  She just didn\rquote t want to think about what he did to feed himself while she was eating.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i I understand, my love.  I\rquote ll stop.  I\rquote m sorry\i0 .\par
\par
Dagomarus sat next to her and laid his head in her lap while she finished her meal.  She used one hand to stroke behind his ears while eating.  She could feel the love and contentment pouring out of him while she ate, and she finished her salad in peace.  She put the dishes in the dishwasher and noticed how full it was getting.  At this rate, she\rquote d be running it once a day, not once a week like she normally did.  \par
\par
She walked over to the fridge and made another note on the shopping list.  It was getting longer too.  Well, I guess that\rquote s what happens when your boyfriend moves in with you.  She smiled at the thought.  It made her feel all warm inside.  Yep, my boyfriend has moved in with me.  She giggled happily.\par
\par
She turned to find Dagomarus smiling at her.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote What?  Did I project again?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Maybe a little, but I\rquote m also smiling because I love to hear you giggle and laugh.  That is the sweetest music I\rquote ve heard all day.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj She smiled broadly for him and her throat got a little tight.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, Dagomarus, that is so romantic, no wonder I fell in love with you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She went over to him and hugged him fiercely.  He grunted and hooked a paw around her waist and hugged her back the best he could.\par
\par
They went out to the living room and curled up on the couch.  They were both dozing off when they heard the delivery truck pull up in the driveway.  She got up and went to the front door.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Do you want me to hide in the basement?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
She looked over at him, grinning.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Nope, I want you by my side while these guys are in the house.\rdblquote   \par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj She waved him over and she put her arm over his shoulders, hugging him to her ribcage.\par
\par
\i As you wish, my love.  It is my pleasure to stand by your side.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s not just my wish, Dagomarus, I\rquote m yours, so you are here to watch over and protect me.\rdblquote   \par
\pard\fi720\qj\par
She opened the door as the two delivery guys were walking up to the front step.  One was checking something on his clipboard, so he didn\rquote t see them standing there, but his coworker did and he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide.  The one with the clipboard didn\rquote t notice anything until he walked into his buddy\rquote s back.\par
\par
\ldblquote Huh?  What\rquote s the matter, Troy?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Then he looked around his friend and he froze.  Nikki smiled sweetly, and waved at them both.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Hi, guys!  Thanks for showing up on time.  Come on in and I\rquote ll show you the bed I want you to take back with you and then you can put the new one in its place.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She stepped back a pace and then turned to head for the bedroom.  She looked back over her shoulder and waved at the guys to break them out of their trance.  Neither one had looked at her yet, they were eyeing Dagomarus with nervousness and just a touch more fear.\par
\par
\ldblquote Come on, let\rquote s get a move on, guys.  He won\rquote t bite.  Well, just as long as you don\rquote t try to touch me, or anything I tell you not to.  Come on.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She finally got through to them and they tentatively followed her into the house.  She led them to the bedroom and stripped off the old sheets.  She rolled them up into a ball and tossed them into the laundry basket.  Dagomarus had stepped over to the closet door and just sat and watched them.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, that\rquote s it.  Just take it out of here, guys.  Thanks.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She smiled again, but they really weren\rquote t paying too much attention to her.  They looked over their shoulders every few minutes to make sure that monster wasn\rquote t sneaking up on them.  She finally got tired of their antics.\par
\par
\ldblquote Come on, Dagomarus, let\rquote s go into the living room and let these guys work.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She put her arm over his shoulders and they walked out of the room together.  She could hear their whispers as soon as they were out of the room.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Did you see the size of that thing?\rdblquote   \par
\par
\ldblquote Christ!  Never mind the size of his body, did you see those fangs?\rdblquote   \par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I ain\rquote t messing with this lady.  Let\rquote s get this done and get the hell out of here before that thing gets hungry!\rdblquote\par
  \par
She snickered and walked into the living room.  She knew why she wanted them to see Dagomarus; if the town was going to find out anyway, she might as well do it on her terms, not theirs.  She sat down on the couch and he curled up and laid his head in her lap.  She slowly stroked his ears and ran her hand over his head and down his back.  She loved the feel of that thick silky fur.  It was softer than any mink blanket she had ever felt.  \par
\par
They sat there with each other while the two delivery guys took apart her old bed and hauled it out to the truck.  They brought in the new frame and their toolkits.  She listened to them work as fast as they could.  She would occasionally hear one of them curse.  She guessed that they made a couple of mistakes while putting the bed together.  She needed it done right, not sloppy and in a rush.  Cursing softly to herself, she motioned for Dagomarus to stay on the couch.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She walked to the bedroom door and both of the guys jumped when she cleared her throat.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Look, guys, calm down.  He won\rquote t touch you, I promise.  Just slow down a little and do the job right.  I won\rquote t get mad if it takes a few more minutes than your boss said it would.  Okay?\rdblquote\par
\par
  They looked at each other and then back to her.  They nodded, both intoning. \par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, ma\rquote am.  We\rquote ll do it right.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, then.  Don\rquote t worry, he\rquote s already had lunch and his next meal isn\rquote t planned until later this evening.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She smiled as she said it so that they would understand that she was joking.  They both grinned and looked a little embarrassed.  They went back to work, slowly and carefully this time.  She nodded her appreciation and left them to their job.  When she sat back down with Dagomarus, she chuckled.\par
\par
\ldblquote I guess maybe you scared them more than I thought you would.  Maybe showing up at the door is a little too intimidating.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She stroked his ears while talking to him\par
\par
\i My love, you little she-wolf.  You knew I\rquote d scare them shitless when you did it\i0 .  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She laughed when he called her that.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Maybe you do know me too well already.  Okay, so I did it on purpose, happy now?\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Always, my love.  However, lower your voice so they don\rquote t hear you talking to me, okay?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Ooh, good point.  Thanks for reminding me.\rdblquote  \par
\par
She whispered, leaned over and kissed his forehead.  \par
\par
They sat there while the guys finished putting her new king size bed together.  When they were done, they came into the living room, but stopped about four feet shy of the couch.  She reached up for the clipboard, and finally the one called Troy took it from his buddy and stepped forward to hand it to Nikki.  She smiled.  She signed the delivery confirmation.  When she noticed that there was a line for inspection, she got up.  They both looked nervous for a second.\par
\par
\ldblquote It says here I have to inspect the work before signing the receipt.  So let\rquote s go inspect my new bed.  Come on, Dagomarus, that means you too.\rdblquote   \par
\par
The delivery guys were sweating now.  They didn\rquote t want to be this close to him.  They followed the pair into the bedroom.  She looked at the room and noticed that there was decidedly less walking room inside now.  However, the bed was huge and very inviting.  She walked over to the headboard and grabbed it, shaking it to see if it was loose.  Nope, rock solid.  She did the same to the footboard.  It was rock solid as well.  \par
\par
Then she surprised the delivery guys, and herself.  She leaped up onto the mattress and started jumping up and down on it, just like she used to do when she was a kid.  She didn\rquote t hoot and holler this time, but she was grinning from ear to ear by the time she was done.  She hopped down, and still grinning, took the clipboard back from Troy and signed it.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Yep, you guys did a great job.  I always wanted a big bed when I was a kid and now I have one.  Thanks, guys.\rdblquote   \par
\par
They relaxed when she complimented them on their work.  They turned and walked back down the hallway and out to the front door.  They walked out to their truck and drove off.  She could tell they were talking up a storm.  Well, the rumor mill has officially been kicked into high gear now, she thought.  Just in time for part two to show up.  The glazier\rquote s truck was coming down the street as the furniture delivery truck turned the corner.\par
\par
\pard\fi720 The glazier got out with his clipboard in hand, asked if he had the right address, and if she needed a window fixed.  She told him he had the right house and asked him to come inside.  He got to the window, looked at the tape job she had done and curled an eyebrow in question.  \par
\pard\fi720\qj\par
\ldblquote Somebody took offense to my friend and tried to put a bullet in his head.  The window got in the way.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She deadpanned her comment, not wanting to get the guy freaked out.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Someone tried to kill your friend?  Jeez!  I didn\rquote t think that kind of stuff happened in this town.  Is your friend okay?\rdblquote   \par
\par
The guy actually looked concerned, so she decided not to scare him to death.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Yeah, but if you want to see him, you\rquote ll have to be a little prepared for his appearance.\rdblquote\par
\par
She gave him a questioning glance.\par
\par
\ldblquote Why?  Is he deformed or something?\rdblquote   \par
\par
The guy was really curious now, and no matter what she told him, he was going to go through with seeing her mysterious friend.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, not deformed, he\rquote s a giant.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She turned to the living room doorway.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Dagomarus, the window guy wants to meet you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She could tell the glazier was getting nervous, but his reaction when Dagomarus walked up to the doorway was priceless.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, shit, lady!  Oh, I\rquote m sorry, I didn\rquote t mean to cuss like that.  Yeah, your friend is a giant.  He isn\rquote t mean is he?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Nope, just as long as nobody tries to touch me or steal from me, he\rquote s a perfect gentleman.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She smiled when she added the last statement.  The glazier didn\rquote t even bat an eye when she said it.  He just nodded. \par
\par
\ldblquote Cool!\rdblquote   \par
\par
Then took out his tape and went to work.  She smiled and went into the living room with Dagomarus.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, that went better than I hoped.\rdblquote  \par
\par
Dagomarus nodded his agreement.  They sat down on the couch and waited for the window repair to get done.  The man went in and out of the house several times, and by the end of an hour he came in and asked her to take a look at it.  She got up and followed him to the window.  Dagomarus followed behind her.  She looked the window over and nodded her approval.  She couldn\rquote t even see where he had done the repair; it looked just like the original.  She was impressed.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Wow, that looks great.  Thanks.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He smiled and handed her the receipt.  She signed and he left with a nod to her and Dagomarus.  She shut the door behind the glazier and turned to Dagomarus.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I guess not everyone is going to run screaming down the street when they see you.\rdblquote  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\tab\tab\tab\tab ********************************\par
\pard\fi720\qj\par
Nikki was preparing her marinated chicken again, since the first time she tried it had been ruined.  Dagomarus watched as she prepared it.  She was just putting the breasts in the bag full of marinade when he decided he couldn\rquote t help himself.\par
\par
\i Tell me why you have to cook it twice?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, I boiled it the first time to cook it completely to the bone.  Now I\rquote m marinating the cooked meat in this sauce.  I will let it soak up the sauce, making the meat moist again.  Then I\rquote ll cook it on the grill just long enough to heat it through and to add that grilled flavor.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Oh.  Okay. \par
\i0\par
He didn\rquote t see the point, but he knew that her system couldn\rquote t handle fresh dead bird right off the feather.  He would try her cooking again.  He did like the eggs and bacon this morning.  That was awesome.  He smiled to himself; I think I used that word correctly.  He had been slowly picking up the slang and modern vernacular from the TV he\rquote d been watching that afternoon.\par
\par
Strange things had come about in his time of isolation.  Men had gone into space and walked on the moon.  When he had seen that photo on the music channel with the puffy suited man standing on the bright surface, he had asked her if that was more of those \lquote Hollywood tricks\rquote  again.  When she explained that it had really happened, he was amazed.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She brought him out of his reverie.  \par
\par
\ldblquote We need to be careful when Mark gets here.  I don\rquote t want him to freak out like Scott did.  We really don\rquote t need another guy with a gun pissed off and coming after you.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Yes, dear.\par
\i0\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t take that tone with me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She was getting ready to be pissed when she looked at his face and realized he had just been yanking her chain.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry Dagomarus, I just don\rquote t want anything bad to happen tonight.  I want to go to sleep in that wonderful new big bed tonight and not have to worry about anything but what to wear tomorrow for work.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i I know, me too.  Well, the part about sleeping anyway.  I\rquote d look really silly in one of your dresses.\par
\i0\par
She started laughing at that image.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Thanks, I needed that.  Okay, I\rquote ll stop stressing out and we\rquote ll eat in about an hour.  How\rquote s that?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He nodded.  They walked out to the living room and did their favorite thing, snuggled up together on the couch.  She flipped the channel over to watch the local news.  She wanted to see if anything concerning her had showed up on yet.  Thankfully, there wasn\rquote t.  Just some more stories about the local crops doing well with the nice weather they were having.  Some local student had found another dinosaur fossil on one of the buttes.  Basically same old shit different day news.  Which was just fine with her.  She didn\rquote t want to be famous for anything.\par
\par
She got up and went out to light the grill.  She thought briefly about the safety of doing so, but figured that it wasn\rquote t her he was gunning for; it was Dagomarus.  She really hated feeling this way.  She was mad at the world for making people like Scott.  She got the charcoal lit and came back inside.  Twenty minutes later, she was putting the chicken over the coals and set the timer for five minutes.  \par
\par
When it went off, she flipped the chicken.  She reset it and waited for the final five minutes.  While that was counting down, she stirred the green beans and mushrooms simmering on the stove.  When the timer went off, she brought the chicken in and made up two plates, one considerably larger then the other.\par
  \par
When they sat down at the table, she waited for him to try his first.  He lapped up some of the green beans and mushrooms first.  He nodded, they were pretty good for being cooked rabbit food, he thought.  Then he tried the chicken.  He looked at her first then sat up and put a paw on his plate to hold it down with.  He ripped a strip off and chewed it a few times, then swallowed.\par
\par
\i Okay, so it does taste better this way.  I\rquote m sorry I doubted your cooking ability.  You aren\rquote t mad about the paws on the table?\par
\i0\par
\ldblquote No, I\rquote m not mad about your paws on the table.  In fact, I\rquote m sort of glad you can do that, so we can eat together and not one at a time.  Not that I don\rquote t mind feeding you once in a while, I just think it would get a little tedious for you.  I am glad you like the green beans and mushrooms, and the chicken too.  I like cooking for you.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i You can cook this again anytime you want, my love.  It really is delicious.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj She smiled, warm all over again at his praise.  She loved this feeling.  The doorbell interrupted their dinner.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I wonder who that is?  I didn\rquote t hear a car, did you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i I did, but thought it might be one of your neighbors.\par
\i0\par
\ldblquote Oh, okay.  Well, I\rquote ll go see who it is.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She went to the front door, peeked out the peephole and saw that it was Mark.  He was an hour early.  Well, I guess this is just as good a time as any.  She opened the door.\par
\par
  \ldblquote Hello, Mark.  You\rquote re a little early.  Anything wrong?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She noticed that he was in civilian clothes, not his uniform, so she didn\rquote t think it was anything bad.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, nothing\rquote s wrong.  I\rquote m sorry for showing up this early, but I got off sooner than expected and I live quite a ways out of town, so I just changed at the station and came straight over.  I\rquote m not interrupting anything am I?\rdblquote   \par
\par
His expression was bland, but she could tell he was thinking something beneath that poker face.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, yeah, as a matter of fact.  We just sat down to dinner.  I didn\rquote t make enough for three, so\'85\rdblquote   \par
\par
She didn\rquote t know what to say after that.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, well.  I already ate, so if it isn\rquote t too much of an inconvenience, I\rquote ll just sit at the table with you and we can chat while you eat.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked hopeful, not wanting to get sent away before they could talk some things over.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, but this is my house, Mark.  My rules, okay?  No snide remarks allowed.  Understood?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She gave him the sternest look she thought she could get away with.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, I will behave myself.  Okay?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He really must want to be my friend, she thought.\par
\par
\ldblquote Alright, come on in.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She closed the door behind him and led towards the kitchen.  She decided it had to start off with Mark knowing certain things.  \par
\par
\ldblquote We have company, but don\rquote t get up.  Go ahead and finish your dinner.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She hoped Dagomarus got the hint.  When she walked into the kitchen, she saw that he did.  He was sitting just like before, with his paw on the plate, holding one of the chicken breasts and he was peeling a strip off with his teeth.  She pointed to the spot opposite her, putting Dagomarus between them on the end.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj To say that Mark was shocked is a gross understatement.  He was completely floored at seeing the size of the wolf that he had glimpsed at through the window the night before; it was sitting at the table and peeling off strips of chicken on its own plate.  He sat down in the chair Nikki pointed him to, right next to the giant wolf.  He realized Nikki was speaking to him.  He stopped staring and looked at her.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Mark, I said, would you like a beer?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked at her for a second then nodded.  He wasn\rquote t sure his voice would work.  She handed him a beer and a church key.  He stared at it as if it was some super complicated machinery instead of a simple bottle of beer and an opener.  He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts together, and opened the beer.  He slowly set the cap and the opener on the table.  He took a long pull from the beer and was surprised at the flavor.  He looked at the label and then up at Nikki.  \par
\par
\ldblquote This is great, where\rquote d you find this stuff?\rdblquote  \par
\par
Glad to be talking about something she liked, she smiled.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I get it off the internet.  None of the local places will carry it.  It\rquote s imported from England, and yeah, it\rquote s pretty darned good.  The only thing I like better is their Oatmeal Stout, but I only drink one of those on very special occasions.  It packs a wallop and it\rquote s just a little heavy.  One bottle and you feel like you just ate a meal.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She did like talking about her favorite beer.  She watched as Mark took another sip and smiled.  Another convert.\par
\par
\ldblquote Oh, I\rquote m sorry Mark, where\rquote s my manners.  Mark Lockhardt, this is Dagomarus; Dagomarus, this is Mark Lockhardt.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She sat back and waited for the two \lquote men\rquote  to size each other up.  Mark looked at her like she had lost her mind, but then looked at the wolf sitting at the table eating.  Dagomarus stopped eating long enough to look at Mark, swallowed his bite of chicken, looked him right in the eyes and grunted.  He went right back to eating his chicken.\par
\par
\i You are playing a dangerous game, my love.  However, I\rquote ll play along.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj She was surprised at his response.  Mark saw her look, but took it for a different meaning.  He didn\rquote t expect the wolf to acknowledge his presence when Nikki spoke to it, but it had looked him right in the eye and grunted, like it knew precisely what had just been said.  Nikki for her part blushed a little and attacked her dinner, not looking at either one of them.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj She quickly finished her meal and rose to put her plate and utensils in the dishwasher.  When she turned around, Dagomarus had finished his as well.  The chicken bones on his plate were stripped clean of all the meat.  She dropped the bones in the trash and put his plate in the washer.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Dagomarus went over to the kitchen sink, hopped up and turned the water on with his nose.  He rinsed his paws off and shut off the water.  Nikki hadn\rquote t expected this, but went along, knowing that he was fastidious about his hygiene.  She grabbed a towel out the drawer and laid it on the floor in front of him.  He dropped down off the counter and wiped his paws on the towel.  He picked it up and handed it back to her.\par
\par
Mark was sitting there watching this interaction with his mouth open, eyes wide, and his hands shaking.  He\rquote d seen dogs do tricks before, but Nikki had never once opened her mouth to speak to the wolf.  It was doing things before she said anything.  He looked at her face to see if she was giving it any cues and noticed that she was mildly surprised at the paw washing.  When this little interaction was done, Nikki closed the dishwasher.\par
\par
\ldblquote Would you like a beer, Dagomarus?\rdblquote   \par
\par
When he nodded she took one out of the fridge, opened it and poured it into a small bowl, then set it next to the larger water bowl that was on the table.  Dagomarus sat back in his spot and lapped up a few swallows and then looked at Mark.  Nikki had gotten her own beer and sat down, popping the top off.  Mark had watched this whole thing without a word, sitting there in open amazement.  He couldn\rquote t stay silent any longer.\par
\par
\ldblquote Did you train him to do all that?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark looked from Nikki to Dagomarus.  He watched as Dagomarus rolled his eyes and huffed.  Mark went pale when he realized that Dagomarus behaved as if he had understood exactly what he had just said.  Nikki just sat there, thinking that this might not have been such a good idea, but she was committed to this action now.  She had to finish what she started.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, Mark, I haven\rquote t trained Dagomarus to do anything.  This is just him being himself.  Do you see, Mark?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She wanted him to really stop and think for a minute.  Mark sat there staring into her eyes, looking for any deception.  There wasn\rquote t any that he could see, he knew right then that she was telling the absolute truth.  He stopped for a second, rethinking his initial response.  He looked at Dagomarus, meeting his gaze and then he saw it, awareness.  \par
\par
The intelligence and the self-awareness that people have, this time in the eyes of a giant wolf sitting at the dinner table slowly lapping at a bowl of beer.  He amazed himself when he didn\rquote t panic; his training had kicked in, and he had distanced himself from his anxiety, looking at the situation with a detached feeling.\par
  \par
He looked at Nikki again, watched her reach over and stroke Dagomarus behind the ears.  He saw the love in her eyes when she did this.  He watched Dagomarus and then saw the same look returned to Nikki.  He thought about this for a second.  Holy Shit!  That isn\rquote t just a wolf sitting there.  This is something else.  He calmed himself down, relying on his training again.  Okay, there has to be an explanation for all this.  He couldn\rquote t take it anymore.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I see it, Nikki.  I do see it, but I don\rquote t believe it.  He\rquote s different.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark sat there with his best poker face, looking from her to Dagomarus.  Nikki\rquote s expression was one of pride and love.  Mark saw this and he had a hard time putting this beautiful young woman together with this giant wolf.  He didn\rquote t consider himself to be a prude, maybe slightly conservative, but not a prude.  Then again, what he witnessed the previous night had taken him to a place that he really didn\rquote t want to go.  This woman was in love, living together in love, with a different species.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki saw the look on Mark\rquote s face.  She knew what he was dealing with; she had the very same inner conversations with herself over the very same ideas.  She let him think it over for a few more minutes.  The she looked at Dagomarus and whispered. \par
\par
\ldblquote You aren\rquote t manipulating him in any way are you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i No, but I am listening carefully.  If I sense any hostile intentions, I will stop him.  I won\rquote t make the same mistake I did with you, my love.  I learned my lesson on that.  He\rquote s dealing with it in his own way.  He isn\rquote t quite there yet, but he\rquote s close.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki nodded and looked back at Mark, who had been watching the two of them carefully.  He gave her a strange, confused stare, and then he looked over to Dagomarus.  Dagomarus raised an eyebrow as he looked into Mark\rquote s eyes.  Mark saw the expression and thought, Holy shit!  It\rquote s waiting for me to ask a question.  It\rquote s sitting there thinking and acting like a person!  No, this can\rquote t be.  \par
\par
He squinted, calculating what the threat with this thing could be.  He denied it to himself that it was that smart.  No animal on four legs was that smart.  He needed to test this and make sure he wasn\rquote t reading too much into the expressions and the antics.  This had to be some kind of trick.  He tried to think of what he could say or do the make his test valid.  Then he had it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Nikki, you called him Dagomarus, right?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark looked right at her.  She nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yes, his name is Dagomarus.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She wasn\rquote t sure what Mark was up to, but she knew he was planning or thinking something.  Mark nodded.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay.  Did you give him that name?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark stared right into her eyes, watching for any sign of dissemination.  Nikki thought about how to answer this question, and then decided that any lie would be spotted.\par
\par
\ldblquote No, he let me know that his name is Dagomarus.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki was careful to tell the literal truth.  Mark caught the wording as well.  She didn\rquote t say \lquote told me\rquote , but she said \lquote let me know\rquote .  Okay, so she isn\rquote t saying it talks.  She didn\rquote t come across as being psychotic, but sometimes you couldn\rquote t tell if the break from reality was slight.  Next question.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote What sort of name is that?  I mean, what nationality is that?  Is there a special meaning or translation?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark kept his voice light, but he was very serious in wanting to find this out.  If there was some hidden meaning or something behind the name, then she might not realize she\rquote s nuts and this might be where it will come out.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki thought about it for a second.  \par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s Roman Latin.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at Dagomarus as if she was checking to make sure it agreed with what she said.  Mark watched this look and thought he knew the reason behind it.  Nikki was trying to see if there really was a special meaning behind the name, she hadn\rquote t thought about it before and she was just as curious.\par
\par
\i You really want to know?\par
\i0\par
\ldblquote Yes, I\rquote m curious too.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Then she thought about what she just did.  She spoke to Dagomarus.  She looked over at Mark and he was watching her intently.  She understood the look.  He thinks I\rquote m off my rocker.  She started laughing at the stress and tension of the whole situation.  Which just made things worse for her in Mark\rquote s eyes, she was sure.  She finally stopped laughing and looked at Mark.\par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sorry, that was rude of me.  I am so stressed out about how this was going to go over that I couldn\rquote t help myself.  You were, no, still are, looking at me like I\rquote m completely off the deep end.\rdblquote   \par
She gave him a rueful grin.\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I can\rquote t say you\rquote re wrong on that part.  Just what is really going on here?  Is this some sort of trick?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was starting to get pissed because he thought maybe she was playing some elaborate joke on him in retaliation for spying on her.\par
\par
Nikki decided that she was going to be straight up with Mark, it was the only thing she knew that might fix this.  \par
\par
\ldblquote No, Mark, this is no trick.  I can hear Dagomarus in my head.  Now, before you call the rubber room squad, hear me out, okay?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She felt calm inside, like this is what she was supposed to do.\par
\par
Mark thought about it for a minute.  She had just admitted to hearing this thing talk to her inside her head.  Well, that cinched it for him, she\rquote s nuts, she\rquote s had a psychotic break and she has no idea that she\rquote s nuts.  Then again, the admission of sounding like she\rquote s nuts and not wanting him to call the psych squad out on her was not a thing someone suffering from a psychotic break would ask.  He had to make a decision, quick.  He decided to give her a chance to explain; she wasn\rquote t violent or threatening, so he didn\rquote t see any real harm in letting her talk.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, Nikki.  I\rquote ll listen; but I have to tell you, you sound like you\rquote ve gone over the deep end right now.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was rather concerned but he wanted to tell her what he was thinking.  It\rquote s best to be honest with someone that might not be all there; sometimes paranoia can make people do violent things.\par
Nikki thought about what she should say and then she decided to pick up where they had left off.  \par
\par
\ldblquote You wanted to know what his name meant.  Well, so do I.  I am a little embarrassed about it, because I never thought to ask.  He\rquote s my lover, and you brought up something that I, on my own, should have thought of asking.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote In the beginning of all relationships you try to learn as much about the other person as you can, so that you can build a foundation of trust.  Our relationship is so new that I haven\rquote t had the time to think of these things as much as I want to.  I asked him to tell me.  I really have no idea what it means because he hasn\rquote t said anything.  He asked me if I really wanted to know.\rdblquote\par
\par
She stopped talking.  She wanted to see what Mark was going to say about her explanation.\par
\par
Mark sat there and listened to her speech.  He weighed everything she said and how she said it.  She is telling the truth, at least, or maybe just the truth as she knows it.  There was no deception or evasion in her manner at all.  He decided to go along.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I can accept that.  So, what does \lquote Dagomarus\rquote  mean?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He watched her carefully, for any signs that she was making something up.  She looked at Dagomarus.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, my love.  Tell me what it means.\rdblquote\par
\par
\i It translates as \lquote day settlement at the river\rquote .  That\rquote s as close as I can get in English.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
Nikki\rquote s expression went from concentration to surprise.  \par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Really?  That\rquote s it?  No romance, just that?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i Yes, just that.\par
\pard\fi720\i0   \par
\pard\fi720\qj She looked at Mark and found him watching them carefully.  She gave him a level stare back.  \par
\par
\ldblquote He says it translates as \lquote day settlement at the river\rquote .\rdblquote\par
\par
Mark didn\rquote t know what to think now.  The interaction between the two seemed genuine.  She acted as if he was telling her stuff in her head, just like she said he did, and the answer they gave wasn\rquote t what he was expecting.  It really was that mundane answer that made the whole thing seem more real, not just some nutcase going off into la-la land.  He decided to do the ultimate test for a psychotic and their delusions, ask to be included.  Only in the psychotic\rquote s mind does the alternate reality exist.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Can he speak to anyone like that, or just you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark figured he had her now.  She looked at Dagomarus with a worried expression.  That\rquote s what he expected.  She was talking to the wolf again.\par
\par
\ldblquote Do you feel comfortable doing that?  You won\rquote t hurt him?  Just a voice, right?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki nodded and looked at Mark.\par
\par
\ldblquote I know what you are thinking, Mark.  You think I\rquote ve had a psychotic break.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She smiled when he couldn\rquote t keep his poker face.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not angry, Mark.  I expected you to think that.  Who wouldn\rquote t in your place?  Dagomarus says he can speak to you just like he does me.  It\rquote s very disconcerting, Mark.  I\rquote m not kidding, it might cause you to go off the deep end.  There is nothing in your life that can prepare you for hearing that voice the first time.  Dagomarus and I want you to be absolutely certain that you want to do this.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at Mark with a seriousness he had never seen from her before.\par
\par
He thought about what she said.  If it were true, then his whole belief structure, science, and reality would take a serious hit in the shorts if she were telling the truth.  There is no way this is happening, but, what if?  That little cloud of doubt in his head made him wonder if he wasn\rquote t getting sucked into her delusion too far.  Well, if it\rquote s true, then what?  What if I don\rquote t hear anything?  Does that mean I have to report her to the psychologist?  This was getting deep.  There were serious ramifications for pushing things this far.  Well, I asked for it, so I\rquote ll go through with it.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I want to hear what you hear.  I really have to know.  There\rquote s no other way, Nikki.  Either I hear it and believe everything you\rquote ve told me; or you have had a psychotic break, and nothing will happen and we\rquote ll go from there.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark watched for her reaction.  She nodded at him, understanding his logic.\par
  \par
\ldblquote Yeah, I know how you feel.  What would make you believe that the voice you hear is his and not something your subconscious fabricated because you don\rquote t want to haul your new friend down to the rubber room hotel?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She grinned at him the entire time she talked.  Mark\rquote s reaction to her question made her chuckle.  \par
\par
\ldblquote You didn\rquote t think I was going into this little test with no idea of what I was talking about did you?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Well, I guess I did to some degree.  I\rquote m sorry, Nikki.  I guess I have to think of something that would convince me, don\rquote t I?\rdblquote  \par
\par
Mark tried to concentrate on some question that would appease his suspicions.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki had a sudden idea, a genius one at that.  She grinned, and chuckled.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I know, Mark.  Let\rquote s do something else first, and then if you still don\rquote t believe after that, well, I guess we can try it your way.  Why don\rquote t you talk to Dagomarus, ask him a couple questions and I\rquote ll go outside so that you can be sure I won\rquote t be able to listen in on your conversation?  How\rquote s that for a test?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She was smiling at Mark and Dagomarus.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Very smart, my love.  I don\rquote t have to go into his mind and he\rquote ll have his proof.  I knew I loved you for more than just your body.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj When Dagomarus said that to her, she got that warm fuzzy feeling in her chest.  She reached over and hugged him.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Thank you, fuzzy-face.  I love you, too.\rdblquote    \par
\par
She sat up and looked at Mark, who was sitting there with a dazed expression on his face.  He looked at her, then over to Dagomarus, not knowing what to feel or say.  Finally, he shook it off and considered her plan.  Yeah, that would work.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay.  I want to see you standing far enough away from the house to know that there is absolutely no way for you to hear or read my lips.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark didn\rquote t expect her to agree.  When she smiled and stood up, he was more than just a little surprised.\par
\par
\ldblquote No problem.  I\rquote ll stand outside half way to my neighbor\rquote s house.  You will be able to see me from that window and you can keep your back to me and just look over your shoulder to make sure I stay put.  Will that work?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She was still smiling at him, almost gloating.  Mark wasn\rquote t feeling very confidant anymore.  She was so sure of herself that it was pouring off of her.  He had to go through with this.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, that\rquote s perfect.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He didn\rquote t know what else to say.  He watched as she grabbed a jacket out of the hall closet and walked out the front door.  He stood up and went to the window she had pointed out.  There she was, standing at least twenty yards from the house.  She waved at him and then turned to look up at the stars.  He turned back to find the wolf staring at him.  Now he wasn\rquote t so sure this was such a good idea.  He was now alone inside the house with this giant wolf and nobody could hear him scream.  Brilliant, Mark, just brilliant.\par
\par
He tried to think of something to say that wouldn\rquote t make him sound and feel like an idiot.  I\rquote m supposed to talk to this thing like it\rquote s a person and it\rquote ll understand me.  Well, he had to admit that it had done so several times this evening.  They stood there staring at each other, waiting.  Dagomarus made the first move.  He rolled his eyes and huffed, trying to show his impatience.  Mark caught the meaning and chuckled.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, okay.  I get it, we\rquote re supposed to be talking, but I feel like an idiot talking to an oversized wolf.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He surprised himself by saying this.  Why did I agree to this?  \par
\par
\ldblquote I guess I\rquote m having a hard time thinking of something that will convince me.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Dagomarus shrugged.  Mark didn\rquote t expect this.  He had to see if it really was answering his questions.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Do you love Nikki?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He wasn\rquote t sure why he asked, but it seemed an okay way to start.  When Dagomarus nodded, Mark went pale.  \par
\par
\ldblquote And she loves you?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Dagomarus rolled his eyes and nodded again.  Mark was really confused now.  It understood everything he said and it was answering his questions.  Okay, I have to think of something tough.  Wait, she is supposed to be able to hear him inside her head, like a psychic or something.  Okay, I know how to test that.\par
\par
\ldblquote You can talk to her inside her mind right?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Dagomarus nodded.  Mark was starting to feel queasy.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Can she hear you from where we are right now?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He watched as Dagomarus tilted his head, then looked at him and nodded.  He was feeling really queasy now.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, then have her hold up four fingers on one hand and three on the other when I turn around.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Dagomarus nodded again, then lifted his chin.  Mark was almost feeling sick now.  This was getting bizarre fast.  He slowly turned around and looked out the window.  There she was, standing right where he had seen her last, but this time she was holding up four fingers on her left hand and three on her right, and the grin on her face went from ear to ear.\par
\par
Mark rushed to the sink and turned on the cold water, splashing it on his face.  He grabbed the washcloth and wetted it down, then put in on the back of his neck.  He was feeling very warm and his stomach felt like it wanted to exit through his mouth.  \par
\par
He slowly got himself under control, breathing deeply and splashing more cold water on his neck and face.  He stood up with the cold washcloth on his neck and looked at Dagomarus.  The wolf still hadn\rquote t moved, just stared at him.  He looked out the window and Nikki was standing there looking at the window with her arms wrapped around her chest, and she looked worried.  He waved to her that he was okay.  Then he turned back to Dagomarus.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, so that freaked me out.  I guess I can understand why Scott went nuts and wanted to shoot you.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He heard a growling noise coming from Dagomarus and his face went white.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I didn\rquote t say I agree with what he\rquote s done, I just said I understand it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
The growling stopped.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I believe you now.  Tell Nikki to come back inside, I need to sit down and drink another beer.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He stumbled over to the table and sat down.  He lowered his head to the cool tabletop and breathed in deep.  He heard the front door open and close.  He didn\rquote t look up when she walked back into the kitchen.\par
\par
He didn\rquote t move as he listened to the fridge open and the clink of beer bottles sounded.  He twitched when he heard her open the beer and set it next to his head.  She sat down in front of him.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Dagomarus said you wanted another beer and he says you are a self proclaimed idiot.  Oh, and, yes, I love him with all my heart, Mark.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He felt sick again.  This isn\rquote t happening.  She\rquote d answered the questions and referred to his statement about feeling like an idiot.  She even got him the beer he\rquote d asked for.  All this and she had never been in the house.  He breathed deeply again.  Then he looked up at her.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote You weren\rquote t lying at all.  I guess I can understand your relationship better now that I know this.  I don\rquote t understand why, but I can accept it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He sat up and removed the washcloth from his neck.  He reached for the beer with shaking hands and drank half of it in one long pull.  He set the bottle down and let the beer relax him.  He watched as Dagomarus moved to sit next to Nikki and she put her arm around his shoulders and she kissed his nose.  \par
\par
She put her hand on the top of his head and started rubbing behind his ears.  He could hear the rumble coming from Dagomarus, and he assumed it was contentment.  He thought to himself, yeah, I\rquote d be content as well if she rubbed me like that.  He smiled at the thought.\par
\par
Nikki watched Mark as he watched her interact with Dagomarus.  When he smiled, she smiled back.  \par
\par
\ldblquote What?  What are you smiling about?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote You.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He pointed his beer bottle at Dagomarus.  \par
\par
\ldblquote That, and the fact that I\rquote d sound and look that content too if I had you rubbing me behind my ears.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She blushed and giggled.  She leaned her head over on top of Dagomarus\rquote s and hugged him.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Not a chance, Mark.  He is mine and I am his.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He gave her a rueful grin.\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I can see that.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He watched them together and he really could see it, they were in love.  Well, I guess that\rquote s just the way life works sometimes.  All the good ones are taken.  He shook his head and grinned.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, I can sit here and see that Dagomarus isn\rquote t a normal wolf.  Not just because of his size either.  So, what\rquote s the deal?\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked right into Dagomarus\rquote s eyes.  \par
\par
\ldblquote What are you, pal?\rdblquote   \par
\par
There wasn\rquote t any threat or even anger in Mark\rquote s voice, just the question. \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki and Dagomarus looked at each other for a minute.  Mark could tell they were trying to decide if they were going to tell him something.  Nikki didn\rquote t know what to do now.  She thought that if Mark could accept Dagomarus at face value, a really intelligent wolf, that he\rquote d just sit back and just let things ride smooth.  \par
\par
However, he wasn\rquote t doing that.  He wanted to know more, and that could be trouble.  Lot\rquote s of trouble in fact.  Nikki didn\rquote t think it would be a very good idea to tell Mark everything.  That would be too much trouble and stress all at once.  No, they needed to put him off for a little while and let him come around slowly.  She looked at Mark and shrugged.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Let\rquote s just say he\rquote s smarter than you or me and that he understands what you say to him.  The who\rquote s and why\rquote s can come later, okay?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She hoped he wouldn\rquote t push the issue.  She could see him thinking about her evasive answer.  For his part, Mark knew she wasn\rquote t really lying; she was just leaving a bunch of information out of her answer.  He decided to let it slide for now.  She hadn\rquote t been lying about the other things, so she has her reasons for not telling me.  I guess I can live with that for now.  He nodded.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Yeah, I guess I can accept that for now.  I just hope one day you can trust me with the truth.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He finished his beer and set the empty bottle down on the table.  \par
\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s getting late, and you two shook me up pretty good there, so I think I\rquote ll call it a night and talk to you later.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He started to get up, but she waved him back into his seat.\par
\par
\ldblquote You, Deputy Lockhardt are not leaving this house until you\rquote ve had at least one good cup of coffee and an hour to let it settle.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She gave him a stern look.  He was shocked and speechless for a few seconds, and then he started laughing. \par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, okay!  I\rquote m busted.  You\rquote re right; I shouldn\rquote t drive after that.  I should know better.\rdblquote   \par
\par
His embarrassment made a strong showing on his face.  She got up and made a small pot of coffee.  She gave him a cup, and pointed to the sugar and powdered creamer.  He shook his head, and sipped it black.  Nikki motioned for them to go into the living room.  Mark and Dagomarus following her.  \par
\par
She pointed to the easy chair across from the couch to Mark and he carefully sat down with his coffee cup.  She curled up into her favorite corner of the couch and Dagomarus curled up with her.  When they were all settled down, she turned on the stereo and left the volume low.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Look, Mark, I know we\rquote ve thrown a lot at you this evening, but I needed for you to understand enough for you to see why Scott is behaving that way.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark smirked and looked at Dagomarus.  Nikki saw the looks they traded.  \par
\par
\ldblquote What?\rdblquote\par
\par
Mark looked right at Dagomarus.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Did you tell her I said the same thing?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Dagomarus shook his head.  Mark didn\rquote t quite believe him, but Nikki\rquote s reaction to his smirk left him with enough doubt to think maybe he hadn\rquote t.  Mark thought some more about it and realized he had accepted the \lquote communication\rquote  thing enough to just automatically assume that little remark had been passed along with the other things that had been said in the kitchen.  He considered what had transpired and decided he was comfortable with the idea that it would be possible to hear Dagomarus speak to him with a voice, not just a look or nod.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, guys.  Here\rquote s the deal.  I believe you when you say Dagomarus speaks to you in your mind.  I am, somewhat to my own amazement, ready to deal with the fact that he can talk to me directly.  So, if you\rquote re willing to allow it, I am willing to experience it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked from Nikki to Dagomarus, waiting to see what they would say.  For Nikki\rquote s part, she wasn\rquote t sure, but it was really up to Dagomarus.  She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Well, my love.  What do you think?  Is he ready?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i He has accepted the truth of the situation as best as he knows how.  I think he will be okay.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, then, fuzzy-face.  You\rquote re the boss.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She smiled at Dagomarus and then looked at Mark.  He had watched the interaction again to see if there was any real sign that anything had passed.  Other than the expressions on her face, there was nothing to see to really discern how it would feel.  He wondered what Dagomarus would say to him.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Hello, Mark\i0 .\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Holy Mother of God!  I heard that.  In my head.  Oh, fuck, that\rquote s weird.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark sat there staring at Dagomarus and Nikki.  He was nodding his head and she was smiling.  He thought about it for a second then started to panic a little.  What if he can read my mind?  I don\rquote t think I like that idea at all.  He looked at Nikki.\par
\par
\ldblquote Does this mean he can read my mind?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She looked at Dagomarus, and then back to him.\par
\par
\ldblquote Only when you are projecting strong emotions and your thoughts are just floating around, then yeah, he can sense them.  If you concentrate, you can seal your mind off and he won\rquote t be able to hear everything you are thinking.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She was serious and it showed on her face.  There was no more joking.  He thought about what she said.  Strong emotions and jumbled thoughts; yeah, that was him tonight.  Well, I guess that\rquote s okay for now.  I wasn\rquote t thinking anything I would be embarrassed about.   He looked at Dagomarus and then at Nikki.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote He\rquote s\'85  I mean, there\rquote s\'85  Oh, shit on a fucking stick!  You spoke English!\rdblquote   \par
\par
He sat there for a second trying to gather his thoughts.  Oh, yeah, he can sense them if I don\rquote t try to control myself.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Don\rquote t worry about it, Mark.  I won\rquote t read your mind without your specific knowledge and your permission.  For the record, I speak several languages; English is fairly new to me.\par
\i0\par
Mark sat there absorbing this last statement, and then he laughed.  Oh man, this is too far out there.  Holy shit!  I have a giant wolf-something talking to me inside my head.  Now whose turn is it to have the psychotic break?  No, if I can ask myself that question, I\rquote m not having one.\par
\par
Okay, let\rquote s take a look at this for a second.  It looks like a wolf, understands the English language, has professed to speak several different languages, and can talk to people inside their minds.  What would be able to do all that?  An alien?  No, an alien wouldn\rquote t speak several languages, would it?  Why would an alien look like a giant wolf?  Giant wolf.  No.  Can\rquote t be.  That\rquote s make-believe, myth, movies, and books.  \par
\par
Okay, Mark, slow down.  Then what else could it be?  It has to be; no matter how improbable, if all other facts fit, then that has to be the answer.  Wasn\rquote t that what another fictional character had said?  Close to it anyway.  Dagomarus was a werewolf.  But he wasn\rquote t running around killing people, or tearing them apart on the full moon.  Wait, when\rquote s the full moon?  \par
\par
No, I would have heard about someone getting mauled.  There hasn\rquote t been a bear attack in quite awhile now.  Nikki\rquote s was the first one that had happened this close to town.  Okay, so the books and the movies don\rquote t have it quite right.  Well, shit, why should that surprise me?  They can\rquote t get cop movies right, so why would werewolf movies be any different.  He chuckled to himself on that one.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki and Dagomarus watched Mark go through his scrambled thoughts.  They watched as his face went from dark and worried to amused and then confused, then amused again.  It was rather funny to watch.  Then Mark looked up at the two of them.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote He\rquote s a werewolf.  An honest-to-god werewolf.  Holy shit!  Wow!  Okay, so I take it there\rquote s no running around tearing people up and all that happy horseshit from the movies, right?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark looked at Nikki first, and the to Dagomarus.\par
\par
\i No, Mark, I don\rquote t go running around tearing people up.  I have no idea what happy horseshit is, but I think I understand the meaning.  There isn\rquote t any of that either.  I am what you see.  \par
\pard\fi720\i0 Mark chuckled and looked at Dagomarus.  \par
\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re okay, Dagomarus.  A little strange, perhaps, but you\rquote re okay.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He looked at Nikki.  \par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote I now fully understand why you fell in love with him.  He might be on all fours but there\rquote s a man inside that body.  I get it.  It completely blows my sense of reality, but I get it.\rdblquote\par
\par
\pard\fi720\b\i Romani quidem artem amatoriam invenerant\b0 .\par
\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj Mark looked at Dagomarus.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote What was that?  Latin?  You speak Latin as a first language?\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720   \par
\pard\fi720\qj\b\i Vah!  Denuone Latine loquebar?  Me ineptum.  Interdum modo elabitur\b0 .  Sorry, yes, that\rquote s Roman Latin.  The first thing I said translates as \lquote the Romans invented the art of love\rquote .  The second translates as \lquote Oh!  Was I speaking Latin again?  Silly me.  Sometimes it just sort of slips out\rquote .  To answer your question, Mark; yes Roman Latin is my first language.  I revert back to it when I\rquote m stressed out.\par
\i0\par
\ldblquote Oh, okay.  But I think I have first dibs on being stressed out right now.  But you\rquote re still all right in my book, Dagomarus.  Romans invented the art of love.  That\rquote s rich!\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was laughing, trying not to spill his coffee.  Nikki was looking at the two of them and getting a little irritated.  She could only hear one side of the conversation and what Mark was saying didn\rquote t make much sense.  But it was great how he had figured out that Dagomarus was a werewolf and that there wasn\rquote t anything to get overly freaked out about.  \par
\par
At least that part was going according to her plan.  However, her lover and her new friend were hitting it off right away.  Excluding her from the conversation.  She had to admit, it made her a little jealous.\par
\par
\ldblquote What are you two talking about?  Romans and love?  Speaking Latin?\rdblquote   \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i I am sorry, love; I didn\rquote t mean to shut you out.  I was trying not to push Mark too hard, so I pulled back how much I was sending out.  I won\rquote t let it happen again.  I will let you in on our conversations.  Forgive me?  Oh, and what I said to Mark was; you know, Romans invented the art of love.  I just said it in Latin first.  There, now you are fully aware of where the conversation went.  Forgive me?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj She pulled his head up to hers and kissed him on the end of the nose.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Of course, I forgive you.  I love you, remember?\rdblquote   \par
\par
She smiled at him and let his head go.  She looked at Mark to see how he was doing.\par
\par
\ldblquote So, you figured it out, huh big brain?  Are you really okay with it?\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Yeah, I am.  Dagomarus assured me that the movie crap isn\rquote t him and he doesn\rquote t run around killing people.  So, yeah, I\rquote m okay with it.  I may have to take a vacation after this, but I\rquote m okay with it.\rdblquote   \par
\par
He was getting more comfortable around the two and he relaxed more into the chair.  He finished his coffee before it got cold.  He was sitting there thinking about his conversation with Dagomarus and that he spoke Latin.  Roman Latin to be specific, according to Dagomarus himself.  \par
\par
Did that make him a priest before he was changed?  Latin?  Why was that sticking in his head?  OH YEAH!  Now I remember!  My brother had a t-shirt and the school suspended him for it.  Mom and Dad would never tell me what it said.  What was it?  Oh yeah.\par
\par
\ldblquote Hey, Dagomarus, I got a question for you.  My older brother got suspended from school for wearing a shirt that had Latin on it, but nobody would tell me what it said.  What does \lquote Coito, ergo sum\rquote  mean?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Dagomarus exploded, he was coughing and rumbling and huffing.  He huffed for a few seconds then howled.  Mark and Nikki watched in shock, they didn\rquote t know if something was wrong with him or what was going on.  After a few seconds, he calmed down, but he was still huffing lightly.  Nikki looked at him, worried.  \par
\par
\ldblquote What is it, love?  What\rquote s wrong?\rdblquote\par
\par
\i There\rquote s nothing wrong, love.  \par
\par
\i0 He pushed a little harder so that Mark could also hear the next thing he was going to say, too\i .  \par
\par
It means, \lquote I fuck, therefore I am\rquote .\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj When they heard it, they started laughing as well.  Mark was laughing the hardest.  \par
\par
\ldblquote No wonder my mom and dad wouldn\rquote t tell me what it meant.  My brother got such a whipping that he didn\rquote t dare repeat it to me, no matter how much I begged him.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Nikki was blushing a little.  She thought it was funny, but she thought about the sentiment, too.  Yeah, I can sympathize with that.  With Dagomarus, I can definitely empathize with that statement.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Okay, so now that I know the BIG SECRET you two were hiding, question.  This werewolf stuff can\rquote t be passed from casual contact, can it?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was looking at Dagomarus as he asked the question.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i It never has before.  I haven\rquote t passed this to anyone, at least, to the best of my knowledge I haven\rquote t.  I can sense others of my kind, and nobody I was ever around changed.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote You answered my next question, Dagomarus.  So there are other werewolves?  A lot?\rdblquote\par
\par
Mark wasn\rquote t sure if he really wanted to know, but if the rest of the werewolves were like Dagomarus, then it wouldn\rquote t be all that bad.\par
\par
\i I have never counted them.  We always avoid each other because of the urges it forces us into.  It\rquote s instinctual in nature; we stay away from each other and pass on by if seen. \par
\i0\par
\ldblquote Okay, so I can assume you are the only one around these parts?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was still smiling from the shirt joke, but there was an underlying seriousness as well.  Nikki spotted it and said something about it.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Why the concern about other werewolves?  Do you know something?\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Well, I guess I should tell you.  I have had some of the local ranchers complain about missing cattle.  The latest item was Bud Grierson down at Merv\rquote s Tavern bragging about how he shot some giant wolf with his new 7mm Remington Magnum last Saturday morning.  He was telling everyone who would listen that he blew a hole the size of a basketball out of the side of the wolf and it just kept running.  Nobody really believes him, but the three guys that were with him that morning swear its true.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was hoping to get a reaction out of Dagomarus, and he did.\par
\par
\i I am the only one in this area.  I have been known to eat a cow or two when the elk and moose are scarce.  I am the one this Bud Grierson shot.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj Nikki hugged Dagomarus as she listened to him talk to Mark.  She shivered as she remembered that day, seeing the gaping hole in his side and the blood dripping from his nose.  A tear glistened in her eye as she thought about that fateful day.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Yes, fate, My Love.  If he hadn\rquote t shot me that morning I wouldn\rquote t have met you.  \par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj He laid his head in her lap and crooned.  Mark thought about what Dagomarus had said to him, but he hadn\rquote t heard what Dagomarus said to Nikki, he just saw her tear up and heard the crooning coming from Dagomarus.\par
\par
\ldblquote Okay, that explains a couple things.  I can\rquote t blame you for eating a cow or two if all you were doing was surviving.  The gunshot is a little disconcerting, however.  That was only a few days ago and I can\rquote t see any trace of it on you.  Is that part of the legends true, then?  That it takes a silver bullet to kill your kind?\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark tried to keep his voice light and curious, but deep down he really wanted to know what it would take to kill this monster just in case he ever had to protect himself and the community he swore to do the same for.  Nikki gave him a sharp look, but didn\rquote t say anything.  Dagomarus raised his head and stared Mark right in the eye.\par
\par
\i All bullets hurt, but silver doesn\rquote t hurt any worse.  That has been used against me in the past and it didn\rquote t make any difference.  \par
\i0\par
Dagomarus could sense what Mark was looking for and he decided that even if Nikki wanted to call this human a friend, this friend would try to kill him if he thought he needed to.  Dagomarus paused for a second, contemplating whether to tell Mark of his ability to survive just about any wound.  Yes, I need to make sure Mark doesn\rquote t think he can kill me, so he will stop planning on how to do it.  \par
\par
\i Mark, I can heal from any wound.  Do you understand that?  I am immortal.\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
\pard\fi720\qj Mark went pale.  The tone of Dagomarus\rquote s voice had changed when he said that last statement; it had a finality to it that made Mark\rquote s blood run cold.  Immortal.  It was just a vague concept to Mark, but here he was, sitting in a chair, staring at something that couldn\rquote t die.  \par
\par
His officer training helped him deal with the stress a little better than most people would have, but it still shook him to the core.  He had always known that if you shot the bad guy, it was over.  Now, however, the bad guy wouldn\rquote t stop if he were shot.  \par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Now that I have rejoined civilization and I am living with Dominique, I will conform to your laws.  However, if someone tries to harm Dominique or me, then all bets are off.  Understood?\par
\pard\fi720\i0\par
Mark thought about that for a minute.  Yeah, I can live with that promise.  I would do the same if someone tried to kill me or one I love.  Mark looked at Dagomarus and nodded.\par
\par
\pard\fi720\qj\ldblquote Yeah, I understand.  I will ask one thing in return, though.  Don\rquote t do something that will make me have to hunt you down.  I do have a duty to the people of this county, and I take that very seriously.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was nervous, he didn\rquote t think he had any way of stopping this creature, but he would do his best if he had to.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i I understand duty, Mark.  I agree.  Live and let live?\par
\i0\par
\ldblquote Yeah.  Live and let live.\rdblquote   \par
\par
Mark was relieved.  He suddenly felt very sleepy.  Well, damn, no wonder I feel tired.  Two beers, tons of stress and a severe adrenaline withdrawal; who wouldn\rquote t be sacked?  He stood up.  \par
\par
\ldblquote I can\rquote t say this has been fun, but it certainly was interesting.  I need to get some sleep and think about what all has been said.  I\rquote ll keep you updated with the Scott situation.  Good night, guys.\rdblquote   \par
\par
With that he walked out the front door.  \par
\par
Nikki and Dagomarus looked at each other for a second, then she laughed.  \par
\par
\ldblquote Well, that went better than I expected.  But what about the two of you?  Do you think you can get along with Mark?\rdblquote\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i Yes, I can \lquote get along\rquote  with Mark.  I understand him.  As long as he doesn\rquote t think I am breaking his laws, we will get along fine.  If I ever have to cross that line, we will have trouble.  I know this, and he knows this; so we have agreed to tolerate each other.  Don\rquote t worry, my love.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\pard\fi720\qj\i0\ldblquote Okay.  Well, now that company has left, let\rquote s get naked and go to bed.\rdblquote   \par
\par
She winked and then blushed at his reply.\par
\pard\fi720\par
\i I\rquote m all ready naked, My Love.  \par
\i0          \par
    \par
\pard\fi720\ri-1440              \par
       \par
   \par
}