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A LEOPARD'S TAIL

1. Part Fourteen

"...And so I FINALLY got out of that meeting." Karen finished with a sigh as she leaned against Peter on the sofa. "So. How did your day go Peter?"

"Oh, not bad. The same old same old really. Ted just cut a big deal with an electronics company to handle most of their work, so he's been even MORE cheerful that usual lately." Peter replied with a grin as Karen snuggled against him a bit.

Karen laughed lightly. "You're lucky to have such a friendly boss." She said.

"And you're lucky to have a secretary willing to bail you out of meetings."

Karen swatted at Peter's arm lightly. "Don't you go making eyes at my secretary!" She said playfully. "She's all mine, do you hear?" Peter laughed and bowed his head slightly.

"I wouldn't dream of it M'lady." He said with a slight aristocratic accent, eliciting another light whap on the arm.

"Peter...? What do you think of... Ranches?" Karen asked after a moment of silence, sounding a bit serious.

"Ranches? Well, I don't know... I don't know very much about them really. I went to a Dude ranch or two on vacation with my family when I was little, but that's about it. I guess they're okay." He said, shrugging slightly to show his ignorance. "Why?"

"Well, it's my parent's thirtieth anniversary this weekend, and my brothers and sister want me to come down and celebrate, so I was wondering if you'd care to join me..." She said seriously.

Peter smiled and nodded. "I'd be happy to come with you and meet your family." His face fell slightly as he became a bit more serious. "As long as there won't be any problems with the accommodations..." Peter said a bit slowly. "You don't want me to fill them in on my.. condition, do you?" He asked nervously.

Karen smiled and shook her head slightly, letting out a small breath she hadn't quite realized she'd been holding. "Oh, of course not. I just thought you might like to meet them. We have a guesthouse for when family visits from out of town, so there shouldn't be any problems getting you a room. My family can be a bit... rough around the edges sometimes." She said with a grin. "So we wouldn't want them to see what a big ball of fluff my boyfriend is..." Karen and Peter both chuckled and leaned against each other a bit more.

"We had better work out the details of when and how we're going to go." Peter said after a moment.

"Oh, we can do that tomorrow." Karen said with a grin. "It's getting a bit late now though, isn't it? Maybe you should be getting ready for bed?" She said, raising an eyebrow. Peter sighed in exasperation.

"All right, all right. I can take a hint." He said with a chuckle, sitting up straight. "If I didn't know better I'd say the only reason you hang around is to pet me."

"What can I say?" Karen asked, grinning even larger. "I've always liked men with whiskers, and how many other girls can say that their boyfriend gets them a new fur coat every night?"

Peter just shook his head and laughed as he walked to his bedroom.

"Well, looks like its time to head off." Dan said as he passed by Peter's cubicle.

"Yeah, I'll be leaving in a minute myself... Just want to finish this document... There we go!" Peter said, hitting a few more keys on his keyboard and watching the computer save the information.

"So, all prepared to meet your future in-laws?" Dan asked with a grin. Peter's face flushed a tiny bit."We're not THAT serious or anything." He said.

"Sure you're not, sure you're not." Dan said with a grin, eyes hidden behind his omnipresent sunglasses. By now the rest of the gang was finished working, and were hanging out around his cubicle as Peter picked up a pile of papers and disks.

"I only went to see my girlfriends family once." Jake said, bottle of Jolt in hand. "Couldn't stand to stay there for more than a few hours though."

"Really? What was wrong with them? Were they really obnoxious or protective?" Brooke asked curiously. Jake shook his head.

"Oh, no. They were very friendly people. But they were some kind of health freaks. Not a cup of coffee in the entire house!" Jake shuddered slightly. Everyone else just stood there for a moment and stared in shocked silence.

"What?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders and taking another gulp of soda. Finally Peter shook his head and started heading for Mr. Murphy's office.

"I'd better get going or I'll be late. I'll see you guys next week."

"See you later Peter! Have fun! And just remember that the trick about meeting parents is knowing the difference between when the father is brandishing his shotgun... and when he's aiming!" Dan patted Peter on the back as everyone laughed. Peter shook his head in amusement and continued on his way.

"So remember, if any of the animals get sick, call me at the Ranch." Karen said for the twentieth time. Lauren just nodded her head and smiled in exasperation.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have everything under control."

"Don't you always?" Karen replied humorously, raising an eyebrow. Lauren chuckled.

"Are you all packed and ready to go?"

Karen nodded her head. "I'm all set. It's just a weekend trip after all. Not a month long expedition into a rain forest or something."

"You seem a little nervous. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no." Karen said quickly. "Well, not really." Lauren raised an eyebrow, and Karen sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right. I'm just a little worried about Peter."

"About Peter? Why?"

"Well, not exactly about Peter... About how my family is going to get along with him."

"Ahhhhh... " Lauren replied in understanding.

"Yeah... My family can be a bit... rough sometimes. There's nothing wrong with them, but living on a ranch their entire lives..." Karen shrugged slightly, and Lauren nodded his head.

"Well, it sounds to me like this is just what the doctor ordered. Peter sounds a bit too quiet if you ask me." Lauren said. "Of course, they say it's the quiet ones who are real animals in bed." She said, raising an eyebrow.

Lauren couldn't understand why it took Karen so long to stop laughing.

I hope this goes well. Peter thought to himself as Karen drove them to her family's ranch. He watched the fields pass by without paying much attention. What exactly am I supposed to say to her family anyway? "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Fuller. So, seen any good crop circles lately?"

"Penny for your thoughts?" Karen asked, looking over at Peter.

"Oh, just wondering if your younger sister might not be cuter..." Peter said with a grin. Karen smiled as she elbowed him in the chest lightly.

"I just thought you might be a bit nervous, that's all."

"Oh, why would you think that?"Well, for one thing, I'M a bit nervous myself." Karen said, trying to cover the stress in her voice with humor. "And for another thing, you look like you could us a shave..." Karen giggled at Peter raised a hand to his face, and pulled down his sunshade to look in the mirror.

"Oops..." Peter said a bit sheepishly as the fur quickly vanished from his face.

"So, exactly when do we get to your family's ranch?" Peter asked after a few minutes of silent driving.

"We're already on it." Karen replied. "We've been on it ever since we got off the highway really. The ranch isn't that big as far as ranches go, but it still covers a few hundred acres. " Peter nodded his head, then squinted his eyes a bit.

"Looks like we're almost there." He said, pointing. A moment later Karen nodded.

"Yeah, there it is. Home sweet home." Karen said as the buildings came into view in the distance. She looked over at Peter. "Now remember, my family can be a bit... Old fashioned sometimes. But they're really very friendly once you get to know them."

Peter smiled slightly and spoke with a bad southern accent. "We don't like strangers in these parts..." Karen shook her head in amusement and kept driving.

Peter watched as the ranch quickly grew in his view as they approached. The ranch house itself was an impressively large structure, built of wood and stone. A smaller, newer looking house had been built a few hundred feet across from the main building. There were several large barns arranged around the property, as well as a small grain silo. As they got closer, Peter could make out a vegetable garden by the side of the house, and apparently behind it as well. A hen house surrounded by chicken wire sat a few yards away from the building, and Peter could see a few chickens wandering around pecking at some corn left on the ground.

Karen smiled as Peter looked around, taking in the sights.

"So, what do you think?" She asked him quietly.

"Looks nice. A bit quaint. Nice and quiet." Karen laughed as she parked the car.

"You say that NOW...." She said.

As they climbed the steps onto the porch before the front door, Peter noticed a young woman standing in the corner. Her hair was either black or a very dark brown, Peter couldn't tell, and was hanging down her back well past her shoulders. Her face was very similar to Karen's however, and she had the same distinctive, piercing hazel colored eyes. As soon as Karen saw her she grinned and hopped up the stairs, arms stretched out for an embrace.

"Cassandra!"

"Karen!" The sisters hugged each other for another moment, then broke apart.

"It's been a while." Karen said with a smile. "How have things been going down here?"

"Oh, same as always. You know nothing ever changes much around here." Cassandra replied. Then she looked over at Peter and grinned. "And this must be your friend Peter." She said, stressing the word friend and grinning at Karen. Karen quickly cleared her throat and nodded at her sister.

"Peter, this is my sister Cassandra. Cassandra, this is Peter." She said, making formal introductions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Cassandra said with a demure smile, holding out her hand.

"The pleasure is mine." Peter said, taking her hand and leaning forward to kiss it. Cassandra laughed and reclaimed her hand, looking over at Karen.

"Handsome AND a gentleman. Where DO you find them Karen?" She grinned. Karen just rolled her eyes at Peter and chuckled as Peter shrugged helplessly.

"You're just in time. Dinner is just being put on the table. You can introduce Peter to everyone there." Cassandra said, turning around and walking into the house.

Well, that's ONE good first impression down I think. Peter thought to himself, feeling his stomach flutter a bit. Why do I feel like a teenager meeting his date's father before the prom? I'm too old for this. He thought ruefully. He made himself take a breath and calm himself a bit. Now would be a very bad time to start changing. He told himself sternly.

The dinning room was a large room with a polished wood floor and walls. There were several pictures and paintings on the walls, apparently of previous generations of Fullers. Small tables in the corners held a few trinkets and vases to brighten up the room. The center of the room was filled with a large, sturdy looking wooden table. Places were already set, and several platters and pots were already arranged along the center of the table.

Most of the family was already present apparently. At the far end of the table sat a tall, stately looking man with a worn, tough looking face, appearing to be somewhere in his fifties. His hair had mostly turned to gray, but some black was apparent around the edges. Just as Cassandra, Peter, and Karen were stepping into the dining room, a door on the side opened, and a woman stepped through, carrying a large pot of something in hands covered with baking mitts. She saw Karen and smiled, quickly placing the container down on the table and pulling off the mitts. She was significantly shorter than her husband, but Mrs. Fuller's presence more than made up for it. She wore a friendly smile on her slightly wrinkled face. Her hair was a fiery shade of red despite showing a few spots of gray as well.

"Karen! It's good to see you!" She said, embracing her daughter.

"It's good to see you too mom." Karen said with a smile. Then Mrs. Fuller looked over at Peter.

"Well, don't just stand there girl!" She said in a stern but pleasant voice. "Introduce your friend!" Karen's lips twitched slightly in amusement at her mother's tone, but she nodded her head and gestured at Peter.

"Everyone... I'd like you all to meet my boyfriend Peter." Karen said. Peter felt his stomach tense up nervously as everyone started to stare at him, looking him over. He resisted the urge to fidget and forced himself to relax. Karen quickly began introducing her family.

"This is my younger brother Chris." She said, pointing at a young man who appeared to be in his late teens or perhaps early twenties. He had dark brown hair, and a rather plain face, but he had something of a mischievous look about him as he nodded back at Peter and smiled.

"You've already met my sister Cassandra." Karen said, nodding at her. "This is my older brother Gary." She continued. "And his wife Sarah and son James." She smiled at her sister in law and nephew. Gary appeared to be somewhere in his late twenties, with red hair like Karen's, and a somewhat hard, rough looking face. His wife was a bit more fair skinned with blonde hair, and appeared a year or two younger. His son, no more than four or five years old and miraculously sitting still in his seat, apparently took after his mother, with fair skin and blonde hair.

Gary gave Peter a small, neutral nod. His wife on the other hand gave him a large smile and his son smiled and waved happily, causing Peter to smile back.

"And these are, of course, my parents." Karen said, gesturing at her mother and father.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fuller." Peter said, shaking Karen's mother's hand, and nodding at her father who was across the table. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Well everyone sit down, sit down." Mrs. Fuller said, gesturing for Peter and Karen to take their seats as she walked back to the other end of the table. They both sat down, and Peter reached for he glass of water in front of him, his throat feeling a bit parched from being nervous. Just as Peter was taking a sip of water, Karen's father spoke for the first time.

"So, you're the one who's been deflowering my little girl?" He asked in a calm, cool voice, piercing eyes never leaving Peter. The suddenness of the question caused Peter to choke as he swallowed his water, and he began to cough violently. It was a credit to his self-control that his face didn't start growing fur right there.

"FATHER!" Karen said, glaring at her father, as Peter tried to control his coughing. The rest of the family did their best not to laugh, Cassandra lifting a napkin to her mouth to hide her giggles, Chris valiantly fighting the urge to grin, and Gary coughing into his fist to cover his amusement.

Just as Karen called out Mrs. Fuller gave her husband a look. "Roger! What have I told you about badgering your daughter's friends?? After all these years you would think I'd have been able to teach you some manners!" She berated her husband

"She's my daughter Catherine! I have a right to know!" Mr. Fuller growled back. From the lack of concern the rest of the table was showing, such arguments obviously weren't uncommon.

"She's a grown woman now Roger! She can spend her nights where ever and however she wants." She said firmly. She nodded at Karen. "You just ignore your father dear. It's none of our business."

By now Peter had finally managed to stop most of his coughing, and, with Karen patting his back, caught enough breath to talk.

"I.. We.. Haven't..." He managed to get out.

"Of course you haven't dear. Just say no more." Mrs. Hoffman said in a motherly voice, back to being a pleasant hostess. Mr. Fuller just snorted slightly, not looking thrilled.

Peter had a feeling it was going to be a loooonngg night.

"Well, I think you made a pretty good first impression." Karen said as she led Peter down a hallway in the ranch house.

"Oh yeah, a wonderful first impression." Peter said a bit ruefully. "You father and older brother seemed to love me." A few minutes after Peter had managed to breathe normally once again, the usual questions and dinner conversation had started up. Where did he live, where did he work, what was his life like. The usual sort of thing. Neither Mr. Fuller nor Gary had talked all that much during the meal however.

"The only way I could have made a better impression would be if I'd squirted water through my nose instead of just choking." Peter joked, trying to cast of his gloomy thoughts. Karen laughed and shook her head.

"It wasn't THAT bad." She said. "You have to understand, that's just the way my father is. What he lacks in tact he makes up in bluntness. But he's really a great guy once you get to know him. He's the one who pushed me to go to college, and to go into veterinary science when I realized Pre Med. wasn't to my liking. As for Gary, well, he's almost as bad as dad when it comes to being overprotective of me."

"Oh, I know what it's like to have an over protective older sister." Peter said with a smile.

"I wouldn't worry about them. Actually, I'm more worried about Cassandra." Karen said.

"Cassandra? Why?" Peter asked curiously.

"Because I don't plan on letting my sister steal you away!" Karen said with a laugh, hugging Peter. Peter laughed along with her.

"Oh, don't you worry about THAT. If she tries anything, I'll just change in front of her. She'll run off so fast all you'll see it a trail of dust!" Karen giggled and poked him in the side.

"Well, here's your room." She said as they stopped in front of a door."

"I thought you said you had a separate guest house?" Peter asked curiously as he opened the door.

"Oh, we did a long time ago. But we kept adding onto the ranch house, and got closer and closer to the guesthouse, so someone decided it would be a good idea to just link the two together. This way if you want to go back to the main house for a midnight snack you don't have to put on shoes and a jacket. " She said with a chuckle. "The two buildings have been connected since I was little, but everyone still calls this half the guest house." Peter nodded his head as he stepped into the room and looked around.

The room was relatively empty, and smelled of disuse, as if no one had stayed in it for a while. Everything was completely clean and dusted however, with new sheets and pillows on the bed and curtains on the window.

"Well, I'd better head back to my room and get some sleep. Good night Peter. Hang in there." Karen said with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will. I'll see you in the morning." Peter gave Karen a light kiss on the lips, and waved as she walked out of the room. He closed the door behind her, tested the lock to make sure it worked properly, and closed the curtains so no one could see in.

Confident that he wouldn't be seen or disturbed in his sleep, Peter prepared for a well-deserved rest.

Peter was walking through a huge, empty field of tall brown grass. No, he was running through it. Running on all fours. He could feel the grass rub against his furry underbelly as he ran, hardly making a sound. But then he stopped suddenly, and crouched down in the grass. Something was wrong. His ears perked up as an eerie, unidentifiable sound was carried to him on the wind. It was a horrible, grating sound, and it was getting closer. And louder! Peter turned his head from side to side nervously, ears folding back against his head as he tried to decide in which direction to run, when suddenly the noise was right beside his ear, the horrible piercing sound shooting into his brain...

"COKADOODLE-DOOOOoooooo" Peter's eyes shot open as he shot up to his feet, finally awake. He blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings. One moment he had been running from some horrible noise, and the next he was laying on the floor in an unfamiliar room... Then it all came back to him, and he relaxed and yawned tiredly.

Looking at the shuttered window, Peter could just see a few dim rays of light slipping through the cracks. What time is it? Peter asked himself. Then he shrugged mentally. Too early, that's what time it is. But just as he was curling himself up to go back to sleep, the rooster crowed again. And again. And again.

Doesn't that damned thing have a snooze button?? Peter was just wondering if a rooster would taste like an ordinary chicken, when there was a knock on his door.

"Mr. Hoffman?" Cassandra said after knocking on the door lightly. "Peter? You might want to get up before your breakfast gets cold."

Breakfast? This is closer to a midnight snack than breakfast! Peter quickly concentrating on changing back to normal. His fur shortened as his muzzle pulled in, and his legs bulked out into more human looking appendages. He almost fell over as he changed back, still a bit disoriented and sleepy.

"I'll... I'll be there in a moment, thank you." Peter said after changing about halfway back and clearing his throat.

"No problem. I'll see you in a few minutes Peter." She said. With his acute hearing, Peter could just make out low giggling as Karen's sister walked down the hall.

Peter shook his head sadly, and tried to remember where the light switch was so he'd be able to change back to normal without blindly walking into walls in the near darkness. This definitely didn't seem to be the best way to start a day.

Peter nodded hello and greeted everyone as he sat down at the kitchen table a few minutes later. Breakfast was apparently a less formal affair than dinner, with everyone sitting around a large round table in the middle of the kitchen. The kitchen itself was quite large, with a huge stove, pots and pans everywhere, lots of cabinets, and a door with "Cellar" stenciled on it and another marked "Pantry," as well as a back door out of the house. The smells of bacon and eggs and toast filled the room as Peter took a deep breath. Just about everyone was already seated at the table already, though Karen looked like she had just gotten there as well.

Peter was looking a bit worn and tired as he took a seat beside Karen, and it was taking him a bit of concentration to resist the urge to curl up and take a quick cat nap. Looking over at Karen, he could see he wasn't the only one missing a few hours of beauty sleep. Her hair was in disarray, and she looked about as tired as Peter felt.

"I'd forgotten just how early you have to get up around here." Karen whispered, stifling a yawn.

"Good morning you two sleepyheads!" Mrs. Fuller said cheerfully as she entered the kitchen from the pantry. She walked over to the stove and shook up a pan of scrambled eggs. "How many eggs would you two like?"

It didn't take Peter or Karen very long to dig into the food with gusto. The breakfast was delicious, and a full stomach helped Peter throw off his lethargy.

"Mmmm.. You can't beat god old fashioned home cooking." Karen said with a smile. "Thanks mom."

"Yeah Mrs. Fuller. That was truly delicious. And I imagine eggs don't get much fresher than that." Peter added. Karen's mother just took the praise in stride and nodded.

"You can go into the chicken coop and see just how fresh if you like." She said.

"Oh, I don't think that would be a very good idea. I doubt the chickens would appreciate it." Peter replied. If they panic over a fox in the hen house, I don't even want to think how they'd react to a leopard! With my luck, they'd try to peck me to death!

Breakfast had gone relatively quietly, without much talk. Mr. Fuller was finishing up his breakfast while reading a newspaper, while Chris was drawing or writing something on a pad. Cassandra was simply sitting there, obviously deep in thought about something, lightly tugging her hair with one hand.

"Um... Where's Gary? And Sarah and James?" Peter asked, thinking this might be a good time to comment on the elder sibling's absence.

"Oh, Gary will be here in a little while." Chris said, looking up from his work.

"They live in the house across the lawn." Karen clarified. "When they got married, we set up a new house for them, so the newlyweds could have some privacy." Peter nodded his head in understanding. "Gary will come down as soon as they finish breakfast over there."

Peter nodded his head and then brought his plate to the sink to help clean up. A few minutes later, the back door opened and Gary walked inside. He said greeted everyone when he came in, then turned to his brother.

"Come on Chris. Time to check out the cattle." Chris nodded, slipped his pad into a pocket, and stood up.

"Why don't you take Peter with you? Show him around the farm?" Mr. Fuller said, looking up from his paper. "Teach him how to ride. You ever ride a horse before, Peter?" He asked. Peter shook his head.

"No sir. Not unless you count the old nags at a dude ranch. They looked about ready for the glue factory, and knew where they were going better than I did." He replied with a small laugh.

"Well then, Gary and I will teach you how to ride one, right Gary?" Chris said. Gary nodded his head.

"Yeah. It's as easy as falling of a log." Gary replied with a cool tone of voice."That's what worries me." Peter mumbled to himself, just loud enough for Karen to hear. She looked up at him and shrugged with a small smile.

"Sounds good to me." Peter said, standing up. "I'll see you a little later Karen. Cassandra. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller." He said, addressing each of them and giving them a nod before following Chris and Gary out of the house.

"So... I'm guessing I don't need spurs or anything." Peter said as he followed the brothers into what was obviously the ranch's stable. Chris and Gary chuckled to themselves.

"Nope. Don't worry about it. We've got the perfect horse for you." Chris said, grinning at his brother.

Somehow that isn't filling me with confidence. Peter thought to himself as he passed a few stalls.

"Here she is! Best horse on the ranch." Chris said with a grin, gesturing into one of the stalls. "Good old Nellie."

Peter looked over the door at the horse sitting complacently in it's stall, a grayish colored old nag that looked as if it had been on geriatrics when Peter was still wearing diapers.

"Old is right!" Peter said aloud, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't worry, you won't have any trouble with her." The two siblings chuckled a bit. "Why, even James can handle her." Chris said, and both brothers laughed a bit louder.

Well, it could be worse. At least I didn't end up with a horse nicknamed 'Widowmaker.' The only trouble I'll have with THIS beast is if it dies of old age while I'm riding it!

"It'll just take a second for us to saddle her up..." Gary said, picking up a saddle. The horse stood there stoically as the familiar ritual of saddling began. Then Gary and Chris saddled their own mounts, two large, healthy, and much younger looking animals. The horses were quickly led out of the stable by their reigns. Nellie neighed slightly when Peter stepped beside her, rolling her eyes a bit, apparently not liking his scent. But she calmed down pretty quickly, apparently too old to get worked up.

"Up we go." Chris said, putting one foot in the stirrup and smoothly mounting his ride. Gary followed suit a moment later. Peter watched both of them carefully as they mounted, trying to see exactly how they did it.

"Need some help getting up?" Gary asked with a small smile on his face and one eyebrow raised.

"No thanks. I think I've got it." Peter replied coolly. He placed one foot in the stirrup, tested his balance, and then quickly pushed himself up into the saddle. His technique might not have been quite as graceful as the brother's but it was serviceable none the less. Gary nodded his head slightly in grudging respect, and Peter nodded back.

"Well, let's check on the herd, Gary." Chris said, starting his horse on a slow walk away from the stable. Peter managed to get Nellie to follow the other two horses without much difficulty, the old mare trudging along after them

Peter waited until both horses were ahead of him before quietly sucking in a pained breath and trying to adjust his seat in the saddle. Next time I use a step stool to get on the damned horse...

Several hours later Peter was finally realizing just how incredibly boring it was watching cattle graze. At first it had been interesting, and a bit exciting. A completely new experience. Then it was a bit relaxing, riding out in the middle of huge empty fields and rolling hills, with not a building or car in sight. But it's hard to relax while trying not to fall off an animal which seems determined to step on every rock and into every hole on the field, and endless rolling hills and grazing cattle meant there wasn't much WORTH looking at anyway.I think my ride needs better shocks. Peter thought to himself, wincing a bit as Nellie bobbed along without a care. Over the past few hours Gary and Chris had gone out farther and farther from the ranch house in a widening circle, checking on the cattle and the grounds. Peter found himself wondering just how large the Fuller ranch was.

"Well, I guess we should start back to the ranch about now." Gary said, squinting at the sun.

"How about a little race, brother?" Chris asked with a grin.

"A race?" Peter asked cautiously.

Gary grinned back. "First one back to the ranch gets first pick on mom's biscuits?

"You're on!" Chris said, immediately kicking his horse into a quick trot.

"Seeya back at the house Peter!" Gary said with a laugh as he hurried to follow his brother.

"Hey! Wait up you two!" Peter called out as Chris and Gary took off. "You forget how to show me how to put this thing in second gear...." He said, trailing off with a sigh. "Well Nellie, it looks like it's just you and me now."

Peter watched the two dots that represented the brother grow smaller and smaller in the distance. "Looks like it's going to be a long trip back...."

Gary and Chris both laughed loudly as they reigned their horses back to a walk beside one another.

"How far behind do you think we left him?" Chris asked between spurts of laughter.

"More than far enough I think." Gary replied, chuckling.

"It'll take him forever to get back to the house on old Nellie." Chris grinned.

"Yep, looks like it." The two brothers grinned at one another for a few minutes.

"We might as well take it easy. We don't want to leave the city boy TOO far behind. Karen might get mad if we lose her boyfriend."

Gary snorted slightly. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"You don't much like him, huh?" Chris asked. He shrugged slightly. "He seems like a pretty decent sort to me, even if he is a bit weak kneed." He chuckled. "Besides, Karen seems to like him quite a bit."

"Yeah, well she also liked Bill Hendier for a while too." Gary replied.

"Oh, come on now Gary. You know that was just a crush when she was in school. She'd never have linked up with the likes of him. Not that he'd be likely to try anything on HER after you punched his lights out!" Chris laughed.

"Well, he never did know when to keep his mouth shut. And I won't listen to anyone saying things like that about my sister." Gary said resolutely.

"Yeah, he always was a low life. But this Peter doesn't seem like that." Gary nodded.

"He's not that bad I suppose. And Karen IS a grown woman." Gary admitted.

"Still, if he turns out to be a bad apple, he'll be heading back to the city with a black eye." He said, and snapped the reigns to make his mount speed up, pulling in front of Chris.

"Giddyup!" Peter said, yanking on Nellie's reigns. "Handele?" Peter said hopefully, trying Spanish. "Aw come on you walking bottle of Elmer's glue! Let's get a move on it!"

Peter signed. "This is hopeless. At this rate at least one of us is going to die of old age before we get back!" He looked out over the plains for some sign of Karen's brother's, but couldn't make out anything. "You're making me look bad here!"

Peter was about to sign again, but instead he grinned as an idea for a new approach came to him. Well, I might as well give it a shot.

Peter leaned forward over Nellie's neck so he could speak right into her ear. "Look you old nag, if you don't put the petal to the metal right now then tonight I'm going to come out to the stable... And find out just what horse meat tastes like." He said, allowing his body to change slightly as he spoke, and finishing off his speech with a low growl.

The effects were instantaneous and surprising. Nellie's eyes shot wide open in shock and terror, and she immediately broke into a run, almost throwing Peter from the saddle. He clutched at the reigns frantically, trying to keep his seat as the ground blurred past beneath him.

"WHOOAAAA NELLIE!!!!!"

"I never thought the old girl had it in her to run like that." Chris said in awe as he led the sweating old mare into the stable for a rub down. She stilled seemed a bit nervous even after the long ride back to the ranch. It had only taken Nellie a few minutes to make up the distance between Peter and Gary and Chris at the breakneck speed she was moving at, and it had taken Peter that long to calm her back down and get her back under control. And it had taken Peter an even longer time to catch his breath again.

It's just a good thing I went past those two too fast for them to get a good look at my face. Peter thought to himself, rubbing a hand over his chin. The horse's mad rush had startled him so badly he'd started to change into a leopard. Which, of course, had panicked poor old Nellie even more. Only when Peter finally managed to concentrate enough through his own panic to change back had Nellie slowed down.

"How'd you ever manage to get her to move like that?" Gary asked as his brother led the horse away.

"Let's just say I have a way with animals." Peter replied, heading back towards the ranch house. His gait was a bit off and his legs bowed from the hours spend in the unfamiliar saddle. So THAT'S why cowboys always walk funny in the movies...

"Yeah, Karen always had a way with animals too." Gary said, nodding at another barn. "She used to take care of all the animals around here." Peter nodded.

"Yeah, she's like that."

"And I always used to take care of her." Gary continued over Peter.

"I take it you don't like me very much." Peter said calmly, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that. And I didn't say I liked you either. But I will say this. Karen is my sister, and if you ever do anything to hurt her..." He paused for a moment and Pete said his hand in the air to silence him, stopping dead in his tracks.

"First of all, I would never do anything that I thought might hurt Karen in any way." Peter said calmly, raising one finger. "And secondly, I can understand you feeling protective of your sister, and I would prefer it if we could get along. It would make life a lot easier, and I think it would make Karen a lot happier. But if she has to decide between me and you, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it's me. Now, if you really want to, we can arm wrestle over this, do pistols at twenty paces, or anything in between. But understand that there's no way I'm going to let you come between us without a fight." Peter finished, voice deathly calm. Gary nodded his head at him in respect.

"Just so we understand each other." He said. Then he grinned slightly and slapped Peter on the shoulder. "At least you've got SOME backbone. You might not be so bad for a city boy after all." He said, turning back towards the house.

Well, I think I handled that pretty well. Peter thought to himself, letting out a small breath. I just hope he doesn't take me up on that offer to arm wrestle... Peter rubbed his shoulder lightly as he followed the older man into the house.

"So, how did your ride go?" Karen asked as Peter walked into what passed for the living room, a large, open room with several couches and a wide screen TV.

"Oh, not bad." Peter said, sitting down gently beside Karen with a small sigh of relief. "I got to see what a hamburger looks like BEFORE it becomes a hamburger, your brother Gary made it clear that if I dishonor you in any way it will come down to drawn swords, and I almost broke my neck flying along on a run away horse. All in all a thrilling day." Peter finished dryly, leaning his head back. Karen nodded and smiled.

"Yep, that sounds like Gary all right. He's always been like that. I'll never forget the time he punched out Bill Hendier's lights because he was making eyes at me. And he thought I never noticed." She laughed.

"Well, that's reassuring." Peter rolled his eyes skyward and grinned lopsidedly, earning a giggle from Karen.

"Awww, poor baby. Well, don't worry about him. If he starts picking on you, I'll beat him up." Karen said, giving Peter a kiss on the forehead.

"YOU'LL beat him up?" Peter asked.

"Why, of course. I'm his sister after all. I already know all of his dirty tricks!" She replied humorously. "Now then... What was that about you falling off a horse? Which one did my brother's give you to ride?"

"Old Nellie."

"Old Nellie?" Karen asked incredulously. "She was practically ready to be put out to pasture when I was little! How could she almost break your neck? I doubt she has enough life left in her get up past a trot!"

"Oh, she had plenty of life in here this afternoon!" Peter said, rolling his eyes. "She took off like a shot! Of course, I might have been at least partially to blame for that..." Peter admitted.

"Oh really?" Karen asked. "Just what did you do to poor Nellie?"

"Well... I couldn't seem to get her to move at anything faster than a walk, so I decided to try to get her to hurry along by.. Well..." Peter made a few hand gestures of claws and fur on his face. Comprehension dawned on Karen's face, quickly followed by disbelief.

"You didn't?"

"Well, just a little..." Peter admitted sheepishly. Karen gaped at him for a moment, then start to break out in laughter.

"No... No wonder she took off!" Karen said between gasps of laughter. "You probably scared a few years off that poor horse's lifespan, and it's not like she has many left to spare!"

"I scared HER?" Peter asked. "I almost changed right there she gave me such a scare!" Karen just laughter harder at the thought, and Peter sighed silently. He placed his chin in his hand and just watched her, waiting for the laughter to subside.

"And just what were YOU doing while I was risking life and limb, if I may ask?" Peter said with a grin when Karen's laughter had slowed.

"Well, after you left Mom, Dad, and I had a little chat."

"Oh? How'd it go?"

"About how you'd expect. Dad is still a bit overprotective, but it doesn't seem like he's quite ready to pull out his shotgun." Karen said with a smile. "I think he likes you."

"Yeah, I could tell." Peter replied, rolling his eyes a bit. "And how about your mother?"

"Oh, Mom just seems happy that one of her little girls has finally caught herself a man." Karen laughed. "She's practically humming the wedding march to herself." She laughed again. "Cassandra is going to be ticked off at me..." "Why is that?" Peter asked curiously. Karen grinned and chuckled.

"Because now mom is going to try to get her to take pointers from me on how to catch a man." Peter laughed and shook his head, then leaned over and looked up at her.

"Well, all I can say is that you caught me fair and square." He said with a grin. Karen shook her head in amusement and pushed him away gently.

"We should probably go wash up and get ready for dinner. " She said, standing up. Peter nodded in agreement.

"I just hope I packed enough "

"Enough clothes?" Karen asked curiously.

"No. Enough sports cream." Peter winced as he stood up. "Who knew you could get saddle sore so fast?"

A few hours later, everyone was once again sitting around the dinner table, including Gary's wife and son, with Mr. and Mrs. Fuller at the head. Chris tapped his glass with his fork to get everyone's attention

"Mom. Dad. I think your thirtieth anniversary calls for a toast." He said with a smile, and nodded to his older brother. Gary cleared his throat and raised his glass.

"To mom and dad. Here's hoping you two have another thirty years together." Everyone nodded their heads and raised their glasses as well, James having difficulty holding his cup very high without standing on his chair. Mr. Fuller smiled slightly as Mrs. Fuller gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Who knows?" Mrs. Fuller said a moment later. "Maybe with another thirty years to work with, I can teach you some subtlety." She said to her husband with a smile, eliciting a few chuckles from everyone and a small grin from Mr. Fuller.

Dinner proceeded without any major incidents, small talk passing around the table as well as food. After everyone had finished the meal, they began getting up from their places.

"We had best get back home now Mom." Gary said.

"We'll see you tomorrow morning dear." She said, giving her son a peck on the cheek. "You too Sarah dear, and James." Little James smiled tiredly and waves goodbye to his grandmother as Gary led him out the door.

"I guess we had all best head off now." Chris said after a moment. Chris and Cassandra both quickly said their goodnights and left the dinner table. Peter was just standing up when Mr. Fuller spoke.

"Peter? I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes son. In private." He said emotionlessly. Peter swallowed a bit reflexively and nodded his head.

"Oh course." He replied simply.

"Come on." Mr. Fuller said, standing up and walking towards the kitchen and back door. He nodded at his wife. "We'll be back in a minute."

Peter took on look back over at Karen, then followed her father through the kitchen, out the back door, and onto the porch. They stood out there in the growing darkness for almost a minute before Mr. Fuller spoke.

"Son, like my wife says, I'm not a very subtle person. So I'll be blunt. What are your intentions towards my daughter." Peter paused for a moment to think.

"I'm... I'm not really sure." Peter said honestly. "I want to make your daughter happy if I can. I think... I think I've really fallen in love with her." Peter finished after a moment, not looking at Mr. Fuller, but out towards the fields.

"You THINK?" Mr. Fuller asked calmly. Peter simply nodded his head."I'm not sure. I don't think I've ever really been in love like this before." Mr. Fuller thought that over for a moment, then sighed.

"That's the best I can rightfully expect I suppose." He said, half speaking to himself. "Karen's a grown woman now, and she can make her own decisions. She seems to love you, and I'll just have to trust her judgement on this." He sighed again.

"But just so you understand, if you ever hurt my little girl in any way, I'll hang you out by your balls." Mr. Fuller said simply. Then he turned back towards the door, gave Peter a light pat on the back, and headed back inside.

Well, I guess we know which side of the family Gary takes after. Peter though to himself. He took a deep breath and let it out, looking out into the distance at the dwindling sunset before turning around and entering the house once again.

"I heard about how Old Nellie took off with poor Peter this afternoon." Cassandra said to Chris as they walked down the hallway.

"Yeah. I'm amazed. I didn't think the old girl had it in her to move like that anymore."

"I wonder how Peter manager to get her to run like that."

"I have no idea. I don't think I could get her to run like that even if I put spurs to her! She was running like the devil himself was behind her and gaining." He shrugged. "He said he had a way with animals. I guess he does."

"Oh yeah. You should have seen Whiskers and Mouser following before. He practically had to shoo them away when they started following around."

"Mouser? That old tomcat is nastier than a rattlesnake! He always hates strangers."

"Well, not this one apparently. It seems like Karen's boyfriend has a few talents he hasn't told us about." Cassandra said a grin.

"Well, I guess we'll find out if running is among them tonight." Chris said with a laugh. Cassandra gave him an odd look, then stopped walking and put her hands on her hips.

"Little brother, what have you been up to?" She demanded. Chris just grinned back.

"Oh, nothing serious Cass. Take it easy!" He grinned. "Do you remember that Garter snake I found the chickens squawking over this afternoon?" He asked. Cassandra nodded her head slowly as it suddenly dawned on her.

"You didn't...." Chris just grinned wider and nodded his head.

"Guess we'll see just how fast city boy can run when he finds that little fellow slithering around his room." Cassandra covered her mouth with her hand to suppress a giggle.

"Chris! I can't believe you'd do something like that! Especially to a guest! And ESPECIALLY to Karen's boyfriend!" She said, trying to sound indignant while attempting not to laugh. Chris just grinned innocently.

"What can I saw? It's what I do!"

Cassandra shook her head and allowed herself to laugh as they continued walking again.

I swear, tonight I'm going to sneak out there and eat that damned rooster... Peter stifled a yawn as he walked into the kitchen the next morning. Cassandra, Chris and Karen were already at the table when he arrived. Karen was looking better this morning than last, evidently getting back into the groove of ranch life.

"Good morning." Peter said as cheerfully as he could manage at such an ungodly hour.

"Good morning." Everyone replied in return. Chris gave Peter a slightly sly look, trying to cover a grin while reaching taking a sip from his cup of coffee."Sleep well?" He asked nonchalantly after a moment, giving Cassandra a small grin.

"Oh yeah, fine." Peter said distractedly, pouring himself some coffee. Chris and Cassandra gave each other curious looks.

Maybe he just didn't find the snake. Chris thought to himself. It had been awfully quiet last night after all.

"Oh, that does remind me though." Peter said after a second. "I hope the snake I found in my room last night wasn't someone's pet." Everyone's heads rose at that.

"A snake?" Karen asked.

"Yeah. Just a little Garter snake actually. I figured he's slipped into the room through a crack looking for someplace warm. I found it laying under my bed sheets." Peter said with a laugh. "It didn't occur to me that it might be somebody's pet until I'd let it go out the window. I hope it wasn't a problem..." Peter finished calmly while getting some food.

"Oh. Oh, no. No problem at all." Chris said after a moment, a bit off balance. "We don't have any pet snakes. It probably just slipped into your room like you said." Chris looked a bit befuddled by Peter's lack or reaction, and Cassandra smiled slightly, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Well, good. I'd hate to have let someone's pet go." Peter said with a grin. He hid a smirk with a bite of toast. Karen just shook her head slightly in amusement, quickly figuring out that there was something going on.

Chris shrugged slightly to himself, and then pulled out his pad and pencil again. Peter watched as he wrote for a moment or two, then stared at the pad for a few seconds, tapping his pencil.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you working on over there?" Peter asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"What, this?" Chris asked, holding up the pad slightly. "Oh, nothing important. Just trying to work out the shape of a part I need to replace on an old piece of machinery."

"Maybe I can help." Peter said, trying to make out what was on the pad.

"You know anything about machinery?" Chris asked. Peter laughed lightly.

"I've had more schematics and technical drawings pass through my hands than I care to remember." Peter replied with a grin. "I'd almost have to be blind not to have picked up a few things. Exactly what are you trying to do?"

"Well, I'm trying to figure out how to make a part to replace a gear in this spot here..." Chris said, moving his chair closer to Peter so he could show him the rough drawing he was working on. "But the problem is that no matter what I try, the part rubs against this overhang."

"Ahhh, I see. And you can't cut that overhang out..."

"Because the shaft above it will move out of position..."

Cassandra and Karen just looked at each other for a moment, then shrugged. They continued with their breakfast as the two men compared notes, picking at their food.

"Where exactly are we going again?" Peter asked as they drove down the road.

"Back to town. The Carnival is there again." Karen said, grinning excitedly. "I haven't been to the carnival in years. It's not that big, but it was always a nice change of pace out here."

"Well, that's a good enough endorsement for me." Peter said with a smile.

Before long the circular shape of a Ferris Wheel could be seen in the distance as they approached the town. As they drove closer the sounds of rides, laughter, and screaming children could be heard, and the scents of popcorn and cotton candy wafted through the air.

The fair had been set up in a large field a small distance away from the town in a vain attempt to keep the noise of the attractions away from the residential areas. The area was filled with booths and rides and tents. There was a light haze in the air, a combination of smoke from the many vendors, and dust kicked up by running children. It took Karen and Peter a few minutes to find a place to park in the empty field surrounding the carnival.

"Seems pretty busy." Peter said as they walked towards the entrance.

"Yeah... The Carnival is usually only here for a few days before it moves on, so people from all over usually come by to see it. It was always a big attraction when I was little."

After a few minutes in line Peter purchased a pair of tickets, and they were inside. Peter looked around at all the various attractions. There was a Ferris wheel, a giant slide, and a Tilt-A-Whirl, as well as a few other rides. Numerous booths with games of skill and chance (all heavily weighed against the customer, of course) dotted the carnival. There were food carts all over as well, selling all manner of food; baked, fried, and everything in between. Parents kept tight holds on their children as they walked around while other people, both young and old, tested their luck and their stomachs on games and rides.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Peter asked.

"Hmmmm... I don't know. Why don't we try a few games first?" Karen said. Peter shrugged and smiled.

"As you wish." He said, holding out his arm. "Though I warn you, my luck usually runs a bit thin."

"I don't know about that." Karen replied with a smile, hooking her arm through his. "You were lucky enough to meet me, weren't you?" Peter chuckled and nodded his head.

"You DO have a point there..." He said with a smile.

Peter and Karen walked arm in arm down the path between booths for a few minutes, until they passed a booth owner hawking his game.

"Step right up and give it a try! One dollar a ball! Just knock down all the milk bottle and win a prize of your choice!" The man called out. Peter looked over at the booth. It was a classic game where you had to knock all of the milk bottles, stacked up like a pyramid, off the little round table. The prizes in the booth were huge teddy bears and other stuffed animals. The size of the prizes explained why a ball was so expensive. It also meant that WINNING a prize would be nearly impossible.

"How about you sir?" The man said, pointing at Peter. "Would you like to give it a try?"

Peter looked over at Karen who was grinning slightly, and shrugged. "I guess this is as good a place as any to lose some money." He said good-naturedly. He walked over to the booth and put down a dollar.

"Here you go sir. You just have to knock all the bottles completely off the stand." He said with a smile. Peter nodded his head and took the baseball, concentrating on the stack of bottles at the other end of he booth. He wound his arm back, released... And missed the bottles completely, the ball smacking into the rear of the tent with a dull thud.

Peter sighed slightly and Karen did her best to suppress a giggle.

"I'm sure it must have been a fluke." The booth owner said. "You're aim was just off a bit..." Peter just laughed and rolled his eyes, putting down another dollar. The pleased owner handed him another baseball. Peter focused, wound up once again, threw the ball... And managed to just barely hit the topmost bottle, knocking it from it's perch.

"You were much closer that time. " The booth man said, replacing the fallen bottle. Peter just shook his head with a grin and out down another dollar.

Several minutes later Karen and Peter walked away from the booth, Peter a few dollars poorer, with no prize in sight.

"Next time I think I'll just go to the store and BUY you a stuffed animal." Peter said in good humor. Karen just grinned and hugged him.

"Why would I want a stuffed animal when I'm going out with the real thing?" She said with a grin. Peter smiled happily as Karen gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, by the way." She said a moment later. "I wanted t tell you, it was very nice of you to help my brother with those drawings, especially after he put that snake in your room."

"How do you know HE did it?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, Chris was always a bit of a trickster when he was little, and it seems he hasn't changed very much. He used to drive the rest of us crazy when he was little with all his practical jokes."

Peter grinned in amusement. "Yeah, I pulled my share of dirty tricks on my sister when we were little too. I never got my hands on a snake though, so I had to settle for frogs." He said with a laugh.

"That doesn't sound very nice..." Karen said with a grin.

"Hey, it was self defense!" Peter said. "I only did it after she poured a pound of flour on me and tried to convince everyone I was a ghost..." Peter grinned as Karen shook her head and laughed.

A few minutes later they walked over to a food stand and picked up two bundles of cotton candy.

"I haven't had this since I was a kid." Karen said.

"Neither have I." Peter replied, taking a bite. Karen suddenly started giggling at him as he lowered the mass of spun sugar.

"What?" Peter asked, wondering what Karen was finding so amusing. She gestured at her chin, still laughing when Peter reached down and found the wad of cotton candy stuck under his mouth like a pink beard.

Peter chuckled. "The last thing I need are any MORE whiskers!" He said with a smile. He stopped laughing suddenly as he looked over Karen's shoulder. There was a short, stocky, elderly looking woman wearing a shawl standing a few yards down the carnival, staring at him. Peter blinked and stared back curiously, wondering what the woman was looking at. The woman's eyes bored into him for another moment, and then she turned around and walked off out of view behind a booth.

"Something wrong?" Karen asked, noticing Peter's gaze and turning to look in that direction.

"No. No, it was nothing. Just some old lady staring at me." He shrugged and smiled at Karen.

Peter and Karen continued to wander around the carnival for a while, with Peter playing (and losing) a few more games. After capping off the visit with a ride on the Ferris wheel, they were just about ready to head back to the ranch. It was approaching late afternoon by that time, and there was a bit of a lull in the carnival as the afternoon crowd started to depart while the evening crowd had yet to arrive.

Karen and Peter were on their way to the exit when Karen stopped and pointed at a nearby tent.

"Look at that." She said, gesturing at a small tent with a sign outside that read 'Madame Zelda. Futures Foretold, Fortunes Read'

Peter read the sign and shook his head in amusement. "Don't tell me you actually believe in that stuff." Karen just grinned and tugged on his arm.

"Come on. It'll be fun. At the very least it will be worth a laugh!" Karen replied.

"I don't know..." Peter said, feeling a bit hesitant for some reason. "I don't put much faith in fortune teller that has her rates posted outside her tent."

"Please?" Karen said, giving him a half-smiling, half-pleading look. Peter sighed and blew air out his nose.

"All right, you got me." He said in exasperation. "I just wish you'd stop giving me that look. I still don't know how you get me to say yes to these things!" Karen just grinned and patted his cheek.

"It's a family secret." She said smugly. Peter laughed and followed her into the tent.

The room beyond the tent flap was dimly lit by a few strategically placed candles. A few pictures and talismans hung from the walls to add to the atmosphere. In the center of the room was a small round table, with a large crystal ball in the center. Two chairs sat in front of the table, and a large padded chair sat behind it. There was a small bell on the table, so Peter shrugged, picked it up, and rang it.

A few moments later a tent flap at the other end of the room opened, and a woman stepped through. Peter blinked in surprise as he recognized the woman who had been staring at him at the concession stand earlier. She was dressed as a stereotypical gypsy fortuneteller with scarves and beads, and a slight hunch to her back.

"So.. You come to have your fortune's told by Madame Zelda?" She asked in a wizened, mysterious old voice. "You have come to the right place. There is, of course, the matter of compensation..." Peter smiled slightly in amusement and handed over several dollars, which quickly disappeared into the folds of 'Madame Zelda's' robes.

Madame Zelda then waved her hands over her crystal ball, which obligingly lit up. She turned towards Karen, staring at her for a moment.

"You are a very strong woman." She began, in a deep, mysterious voice. "You have few friends, but you are very close to those who know you. You are concerned about something. About family. Cousins or siblings. You excel at what ever you choose to do, and take great pride in your work and responsibility." Karen smiled slightly at the description of herself, and Peter looked at her and shrugged slightly, skeptical. He looked back at Madame Zelda as she stared at him. She looked at him for several moments, making Peter feel vaguely uncomfortable, though he tried to shrug the feeling off and attribute it to the woman's showmanship.

"You worry... About many things. Often things that you need not worry about, that others see as obvious." She began, still staring at him. "Much knowledge passes through your hands. You like to use your mind more than your hands." Peter just smiled skeptically at the vague generalities as she fortuneteller spoke.

"Although you worry often, you have great inner strength. You have a strong aura... Like that of a hunting cat. A.. Leopard" Peter blinked in surprise at the woman's reading, the dim lights hiding the way his face paled slightly as the fortune teller seemed to hit on his secret. She nodded slightly as she finished, and the smile vanished from Karen's face, replaced by a much more serious look as she glanced over at Peter.

"I see.. a strong bond between the two of you." Madame Zelda continued. "You are very close in many ways, on many levels. I see... Adversity in your future. Gray thunderclouds. But there is light on the horizon. Obstacles and fears can be surpassed." She waved her hands over the crystal ball, which dimmed back down. "So says Madame Zelda." She finished, completing her reading.

"T.. thank you." Karen said. Peter just nodded his head and quickly and quietly followed Karen out.

"Whoa..." Karen breathed after they'd walked a few yards away from the tent. "She really hit YOU on the head with that one."

"Yeah..." Peter seemed a bit nervous. As he watched a hand stuck out of the tent and placed a sign over the flap that read 'Closed: Will be back in: Fifteen Minutes.'

"I still don't really believe in that stuff..." Peter said after a second. "But I wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

"If maybe I should ask her... If she knows anything?" He shook his head. "It must have just been a lucky guess. But still..." He stared at the tent for a few moment.

"Peter..." Karen said lowly, looking around to make sure they were relatively alone. "You grow fur when you're nervous and transform into a leopard when you go to sleep. If you can believe THAT...." She shrugged slightly. "If you want to ask her, I think you should. What harm could it do?" Karen said, looking him in the eye.

Peter averted his eyes for a moment, wresting his indecision. Finally he let out a breath and nodded his head.

"I guess I might as well give it a try." He finally said. Karen smiled reassuringly and nodded at him.

"I'll wait right here for you." She said. "Just scream if you're in trouble." She joked, trying to break his tension. Peter grinned back a bit.

"If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, send in the National Guard. Just make sure to tell them the big spotted feline is on THEIR side." Peter joked back. Then he took a deep breath and walked back to the tent.

Slowly opening the flap, he stuck his head inside. "Hello?" He called out quietly. No one answered after a moment, so he took a step inside. The lights had obvious been cranked up a few notched, and the area was well lit, unlike the moody atmosphere from moments before. Looking around, Peter shrugged and picked up the bell, ringing it.

"Like the sign says, I'm closed. I'll be back in... Oh, it's you again." Madame Zelda said as she poked her head through a flap in the back of the room and spotted Peter. Her mysterious gypsy accent was noticeably absent, replaced with what sounded suspiciously like a mild Brooklyn accent.

"Um.. I just wanted to ask you about before... If you know anything.. I mean..." Peter said, a bit anxiously. The woman just shrugged.

"Look, I don't know anything. I just call 'em as I see 'em. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong. I guess I'm right more often than I'm wrong, since I'm still doing fortunes." She said with a laugh.

"So you don't know anything...?" Peter asked.

"Like I said, I just call them as I see them." She wagged a finder at him. "Something struck me as a bit odd about you the moment I laid eyes on you though. Something tells me you're not an ordinary guy." She shrugged again. "But past that, who knows? If I did, I definitely wouldn't be hanging around HERE. I'd have hit the lotto a long time ago, and be on a cruise to Bermuda right now. And besides, it's none of my business anyway. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to eat before this place fills up again."

"Oh, sure. Um, thanks for your help." Peter said as the fortune teller turned her back to him and headed back through the flap into the back of the tent. The waved a hand behind her as she left.

"No problem." She said as she vanished. Peter just stood there for a moment, then turned around and left the tent. Karen was still standing outside waiting for him.

"Well, what did she say?" Karen asked curiously as they started to leave the carnival again.

"Nothing. She didn't know anything." Peter said.

"Well you can't win them all." Karen said.

"No, but you can come out on top." Peter replied with a grin, wrapping an arm around Karen's shoulder's as they headed back to the car.