It was before noon when Karen and Peter arrived at the Talbot home and Karen got to meet the rest of the Talbot family. From her initial impression, they had all seemed very nice and friendly, though with their own personalities. Having gotten along well with Leon and Regina the night before at dinner, she felt fairly comfortable with meeting them and the fear of them behaving the way Liz had to her wasn't that much of an issue. Of course it was a large family, and Karen was fairly certain that it would take some time to get all the names right, but with Peter's help she was sure she could manage. She was also a bit curious about some of the names as there were a few names that didn't quite sound like names that were common in America and to some extent stood out when many other members of the family did have more traditional "American" names. She privately figured she'd ask Peter about that later, as she didn't want to be rude in front of his family.
The big thing that had really been on her mind was asking for a favor to see that Jenny and Harry would be able to get their happy ever after together. Karen felt Jenny deserved it after the life she had gone through in Alabama and after what Yvette Smith had done to her. Leon had listened well, but the conversation had lead into the suggestion of her becoming Peter's lioness and making getting the favor done more formal among all of the werelion prides. From there, Karen and Peter went into the backyard to discuss those options and suggestions. Some of it had been a bit of a surprise and Karen admitted that she did want to become Peter's lioness, but Karen had also agreed with Peter that her welcome to the pride should be a happy and romantic moment. They shouldn't just have sex just to protect Jenny and to fit a sort of technical rule. The only thing they didn't know, was that Emily, Cecelia, Maggie, and Heather Talbot were all watching from around a corner of the house and had been paying attention.
"She wants to join the pride," Cecilia commented softly as they watched Peter and Karen talk to Peter.
"And Peter wants her too," Maggie agreed.
"But they want it to be a romantic moment," Emily commented with a hake of her head.
"So... we can't have fun?" Maggie asked, having some some ideas for games and play with Karen and maybe look at some of Karen's drawings, since everyone said she was an artist.
"Of course we can have fun," Emily commented, "but it will be to help cousin Peter. We make them happy and make lunch romantic. Then cousin Peter will mate with Karen and she'll become our cousin too."
"Cousin in law," Heather corrected.
"Doesn't matter," Cecelia commented, "they'll be happy together."
"So, how do we make them happy?" Emily asked.
The four of them looked to each other with some puzzled looks. Cecelia wasn't too far away from when her first transformation would be on the near horizon, but her other cousins were younger, and none of them really had that much experience with regard to dating and setting the sort of mood that would make Peter and Karen go through with it. All that they knew was that Peter and Karen were dating and were happy with each other and that Karen wanted to be Peter's lioness. That left them with a lot of excitement on the issue and wanting to do what they could to expedite matters.
"Maybe our moms can help," Cecelia commented, "after all...my mom and dad always seem find ways to have fun at night... even though she thinks I'm asleep."
The other three traded looks and nodded. They watched for a few moments as Peter and and Karen walked along in the backyard before the moved to head back in through a side door. They were quick to head inside. They went through a side hallway that went between Leon and Regina's room on one side and Peter's room on the other side of the hall and entered into the Talbot family living room where they found Ife seated on a doodling in a notepad. Emily looked over Ife's shoulder as she walked by and found that the drawing was pretty much random doodles of cars and random high fashion women in a cartoon-style, with more rounded heads and bigger eyes, but not quite like they were anime type drawings.
Emily only shrugged and walked on with the other three younger Talbot daughters until they came to the kitchen area where Regina, her sisters-in-law, and Joy were hustling about with regard to getting lunch ready. While Cecelia, Emily, Maggie, and Heather hadn't transformed yet and didn't have their full heightened "were-senses," they were good enough to catch the scent of ham and various lunch meats, cheeses, pickles, lettuce, chips, olives and other sides as their mothers/aunts and older cousin hustled about to make sure lunch was ready.
"Lunch will be ready soon, dears," Astra spoke to them as came in, "why don't you go wait with Ife."
"Mom, Peter and Karen like each other," Maggie said.
"Yes, dear, they're dating," Astra said with a smile as she proceeded to mix some punch in a large glass bowl a nearby counter, "that's why we were all invited to meet her."
"No... they REALLY like each other," Cecelia commented, "they're talking outside... Karen said she wanted to become Peter's lioness."
"That'll be good for Peter," Regina said with a smile as she came into the kitchen, remembering her conversation with Karen the night before. Karen had pretty much admitted that she was more than willing to be Peter's lioness in spite of her concerns. "She made a very good impression with Leon last night and most of her concerns are things that are pretty typical for any normal coming to Moon Lake."
"She would make a beautiful lioness for Peter," Nubia commented.
"And would be a good older friend for Ife," Olivia nodded as she was pulling out some plastic boxes of coleslaw from the refrigerator, "shared interest in art and all."
"You said she had concerns with being a were, Regina?" Lily asked as she got out some paper plates from a cabinet.
"Nothing that would be very different from the concerns I had," Regina answered, "but... Leon and I are in agreement that so long as Peter loves her the way Leon's loved me...they'll be no problem. She's even said to me that she's more than willing to be Peter's lioness. Hopefully, though, the two of them are able to go with it under the right conditions... You know..."
"Like how I transformed Apio," Lily smiled, "taking him out to the were recreation area and proclaiming my love for him and taking him in front of the campfire."
"Certainly better than some rogue going around doing it on purpose or some girl being a bit too over-protective for her own good," Astra commented, thinking over some of the things that had recently gone on with the hospital and what had lead to those specific developments.
"Agreed," Regina nodded.
"That's the thing," Emily commented, "we want to set a mood so that they well mate."
"Yeah, she seems like fun," Maggie commented, "I like her."
Astra gave a soft smile down to Maggie, "now dear, I know you're excited... but if Peter is playing this to be a gentleman, you can't just "make" the moment to get them to moment. Especially when we're all here in a family setting."
"Yes," Nubia nodded, "If she and Peter mate and she becomes his lioness... neither of them will have much time to be with you today. They will be busy cementing their own union."
"We want them to be happy," Heather commented, "and if they want it... wouldn't giving them something to feel happy and proud to be together... something romantic..."
"Like in your Jane Austin collection," Cecelia said to Rose as she came into the kitchen. Rose hadn't been paying that close attention, but she did know that the young ones had overheard something that got them excited.
"Something romantic is nice," Rose commented, "but you've been there when I've watched through some of the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice... one must remember that Elizabeth and Darcy are allowed to fall in love on their own schedule. We should give Peter and Karen the same chances to make their own choices and set their own moment. I'm sure you're excited and want them to be happy... but if they do love each other, they will be happy. Karen's day might come today... but then it might not. It'll come when it comes, rushing won't make it better."
The four youngest Talbot daughters sighed and hoped whenever the moment came, that it would be happy for Karen and Peter. For Peter because he was their cousin. For Karen because she had seemed nice and friendly, which to Cecelia, Emily, Maggie, and even to Heather mad them see Karen as a member of the Pride already. As the clock in the Talbot family struck noon, the four of them nodded. They were still excited and looked forward to the day when Karen joined their mothers/aunts as a Pride female.