Karen privately marveled at the car that Leon Talbot and his brothers had been working on. She wasn't a complete expert on classic cars, but she could recognize the fine detail that they had to put into restoring the vehicle. She clutched onto Peter's arm as he lead her into the garage. She noticed Leon's brothers talking on ideas for their next project and that Leon, was for the moment near the door that lead into the house giving Regina a warm hug as the others began to go inside the house. She began to pull Peter along so as to get some time to voice her concerns over protecting Jenny's wedding to him.
"We should have lunch ready soon, so don't get too dirty," Regina said to her husband as they broke apart.
"We'll have fun after lunch, right Uncle Leo?" Maggie asked from Astra's side and with a bit of a giggle.
"Of course," Leon smiled to her, "Perhaps we'll all play something fun after lunch."
The others went inside and gave some small smiles to Karen and Peter as they approached.
"So... are the you two going to stay and watch us finish up what work we can with the Mustang?" Leon asked to them and gestured to the 66 Mustang, "or are you going to go in with the others?"
Karen watched as Leon's eyes drifted toward the door. A part of her didn't think that it should be the woman's job to feed everyone, but then she also had to reason that given how much she had learned about were-society, both from the handbook and from Peter directly, it could be very possible that werelions ultimately had a culture that was rather loosely based on how a mundane lion pride worked. The females hunted... or in this case cooked... while the males were on the look out. And the same time, a good part of Karen's request would actually work within those instincts and she couldn't truly complain too much on that sort of arrangement. Besides, she also reasoned that maybe there was something in werelion prides that might also equate that the cooking and hunting would lead to gender equality in a way that she wouldn't herself notice until she could stand on even footing with Regina and her sisters-in-law as Peter's lioness.
"For the moment... I'd like to talk with you, if you don't mind," Karen said slowly to him.
Leon looked to her and then over to his brothers. Adongo and Rudy were already checking out the boxes for the parts that they needed. Thankfully, he'd already settled things with them so that his brothers wouldn't be too upset over what last minute touches he had done the night before while talking to Peter. Introducing them to Karen had gone a long way in that regard. He then nodded to Karen and ushered her toward the back wall of the garage so that they would be out of the way. He then offered her a stood to sit on, which Karen hesitantly took while Peter moved to stand beside her.
"This is about your roommate, I take it?" Leon said softly to her.
"Yes," Karen nodded slowly, "she was the first real friend I made here in Moon Lake when we moved into the dorms... and well... she seemed to have been thrown A LOT of curves in live. First her unbelievable parents and then Yvette Smith deciding to claw her because the police were after her. And now it seems as though some guy from Alabama wants her... or at least wants the her that existed before she became a werefox... and sent a guy up here to try and secure her for him. The guy actually walked right onto the campus and to our dorm building. Thankfully, I was here with you and Peter and your wife... and Jenny was at the Skulk's induction ceremony. But... the fact that someone would do that makes me nervous that this guy MIGHT pull something at the wedding... either hurting Jenny directly... or hurting Harry, which would make Jenny feel worse."
Leon slowly nodded.
"And I know I'm only dating Peter and not truly a pride member," Karen spoke while mentally adding the word "yet" to it, "but I would ask that someone be there, just in case something happens."
"Volunteer members of the pride to help protect the peace at the wedding?" Leon asked back, only to confirm what Karen wanted.
"Yes," Karen spoke, "I'm sure the Skulk will do their best to protect Jenny and Harry and the police might even make some effort, given what happened last night... but that just doesn't remove the image in my mind of Jenny hurt physically or sobbing at Harry's death. I mean... who's to say that this guy won't storm Moon Lake with an Uzi?"
"That is a real fear," Leon commented, "and in general one that Moon Lake has always had... that we'd be discovered and hunted down."
"This is more just some lunatic with a grudge against a friend," Karen spoke, "regardless of which way it goes... I don't want to see Jenny hurt."
Leon slowly nodded, "Yes... I believe Peter has already mentioned this to me. Though it isn't something easily dealt with. The Skulk is well organized with dedicated security wings. I find it doubtful that if this guy was to be so obvious as to assault Moon Lake with guns that they would let him get close enough to be a true threat. He'd either be caught and subdued... or sliced up..."
"Sliced up?" Karen wondered.
"While Akane Tachibana is on the whole something of a pacifist, she is still a noble and a skilled businesswoman and grew up in an era that valued martial arts training and "Bushido," I believe the Japanese word is," Leon answered, "Given the dishonorable stain that the rogue put on the werefoxes, I find it doubtful that the Skulk is going to stand by and let your friend get hurt again. They'll bend over backwards to make her happy to apologize for the misdeeds of one of their own. Which could mean that if this guy is still out there... and does have violence in his heart... he could well run into a Tachibana Enterprises Security agent who is armed with a katana."
Karen blinked and recognized that Leon had been referring to a sword when he said sliced up, which made sense. While it looked as though Harry had sharper claws than Jenny, Karen had seen that even Harry's claws weren't very long. They might help him climb a tree, as Grey Foxes could do that, but they wouldn't long enough or sharp enough to be used as a major weapon. Jenny's claws were shorter and duller, as Fennec Foxes weren't known for climbing trees, and if most of Moon Lake's werefoxes were based off of the Red Fox, their claws wouldn't be any longer or sharper than Jenny's. An actual weapon made sense. However, that didn't entirely ease her fears.
"But suppose he has a gun?" Karen asked, "or he can avoid detection? If he got as far as he did without raising suspicion he might be able to get into the wedding. An extra set of eyes and ears couldn't hurt."
"I'm sure the Skulk would accept the help if it is offered, dad," Peter commented, "for your information."
"And you don't have to say yes... as I'm not officially a pride member," Karen said weakly, "I'm just asking that you allow me to help a friend."
"That could easily change," came a new voice.
The three of them turned to see that Leon's brothers had gathered around. While they had been in a quiet portion of the garage, Tau, Jay, Rudy, Apio, Adongo, and Noah could overhear plenty of the conversation.
"You do love, Peter, right?" Noah asked to Karen. Karen nodded and felt Peter hold onto her shoulders gently and even protectively.
"And I love her," Peter added, "but... wouldn't it be a bit soon for that? Even if..."
Karen's eyes widened as she realized that they were talking about inducting her. She felt her heart pound in her chest as on some level, that was something she was wanting to happen. Her talk with Regina had made her feel more at ease with the open nature of werelion's marriages and what she had seen of Peter's love for her had made her even eager to become his lioness.
"I'm just saying it would ease any issue the other males besides us might have with the request," Noah commented, "If she is agreeable to become a lioness, she could formally make the request as a pride member and the other males in Moon Lake can't deny the request on a technicality."
"That should be a romantic moment and when the time is right, not because she needs help," Apio commented, "and even if the other males don't agree... we could talk among ourselves and the Talbot family agree to help or not."
"And give everyone a chance to get to know Ms. Karen better," Jay commented, "if she's as good as Leon told us, we can ask again if she'd like to join us and go from there."
"I'm actually rather keen on being a werelioness... Peter's lioness," Karen spoke, "but... I don't want to push him into anything..."
Karen turned back to Leon, "Nor do I wish to use myself as some tool."
"See, she agrees with me," Apio commented, "a sign of maturity, if I've heard it."
"Only by five minutes," Adongo grumbled at his older brother.
Karen figured that was simply some sibling rivalry between the twins. However, she kept her focus on Leon, who she felt was the most important person to convince. Even if he couldn't declare it outright, his support for it would surely go a long way.
"I'm only asking for a favor," Karen spoke to Leon directly, "to do what is right and protect someone's who's had a pretty hard way in life."
"I see," Leon said slowly.
"I'd probably be there, as Karen is part of the wedding I would want her to stay safe," Peter spoke carefully, his hands still resting protectively on Karen's shoulders, "all that would be needed is perhaps one or two to provide the Skulk with some extra muscle."
A part of him even wondered if maybe they should go through with it and make Karen a werelioness for her own safety. If she was the Maid of Honor, she'd potentially be in the line of sight for this guy or his boss or whoever else from Alabama that might give trouble at the wedding. Another part of him roared at that part of him for being either selfish or trying to force things. A third part of him was curious by what Karen had meant. She said she was keen on it, and he knew she'd already bought werelioness birth control pill prescription and had it in her purse. Would she go along with it if he asked? Would she even ask him if came up in another context? As with the whole family here... the official welcome ceremony could be done easily, Peter and Karen could excuse themselves to a private room and emerge as lion and lioness.
Leon and his brothers traded glances. While not all of them would have agreed to offer help to defend Jenny, as they were certain that the Skulk would do everything in their power to make sure that NO ONE harmed their new member, Peter's presence would be another matter altogether.
"We will consider it and talk it over carefully," Leon spoke to Karen, "I will not force you to do anything with regard to your transformation before YOU are ready and in a situation where the mood doesn't feel right... and don't feel rushed because it might help with regard to technicalities. That's why they're called technicalities... you shouldn't let them force your hand."
"Thank you," Karen said calmly.
Leon nodded, "now, why don't the two of you go out into the backyard for a few moments. My brothers and I will have some pride business to discuss..." he paused to glare to Noah... "and I'm sure you and Peter have plenty to talk about."