Moe found his alarm going off early the next morning and he groggily got up. There was a lot that still needed to be done with regard to moving in. The movers and Moon Lake had done a lot to help, and more than what Moe would expect otherwise, but there was still a lot to do with regard to unpacking boxes, placing furniture, and so on. That would be a lot to handle for anyone moving to a new town, especially with the fact that Karen would need to be enrolled in a new school, which on the run from the Gamboni crime family had become something all to common for the Charleston family. However, that sort of thing wasn't the only thing that presently hung over his family gave them worries...
The other thing was Moon Lake's secret, that most of the town were were-beasts of some kind, and that an old friend of his, who had been the one to urge him to bring his family to Moon Lake, had become one of them fifteen years prior to the present day. To add to it, the town also appeared to have a law that demanded that one member of every new family become a were so as to protect the were secret, as they expected that people wouldn't betray their own family. Some of that made some sense, but a lot of it was too fantastic to easily accept and Moe knew that his, Nichole, didn't really accept it all.
But Moe also knew he really didn't have much choice. The Gambonis had been a successful crime family for years and had often managed to avoid serious prosecution from just about every law enforcement agency in the country. Their lawyers either got the charges reduced or witnesses and evidence that would have convicted them went missing and thus they were let go, and Moe and Nichole both knew they couldn't just keep running. If they kept doing that, either A) they'd get caught by the Gambonis in a position where they couldn't get away or B) they'd run into some other crime group that saw the Gambonis as rivals and would be killed as a message. They couldn't just keep running, and to Moe, there was some thought that maybe Moon Lake and all that made it "weird" if the rest of the world knew about it could actually protect them.
"Ungh," Moe heard a grunt come from the bed as he moved to get his pants on to start the day. There was only a small amount of light, mostly coming from the closet where he'd flipped on a light switch, but he'd heard that grunt before and knew full well that it was Nichole also waking up.
"Morning," Moe said softly to her as he watched Nichole switch the alarm off.
"I'd forgotten on how early police officers start their day," Nichole said slowly and gave a yawn in reference to why the alarm had been set, mostly so that Moe could go in with Daniel and see about his phone being de-bugged.
"Yeah... but it would be something that would have to be done and we only just arrived here," Moe sighed, "I don't know where their police station is and if we simply made an appointment... I could end up wandering all over town just to find it. Daniel does know where it is and his help would make getting my phone de-bugged easier."
"If they can or will even do that," Nichole grumbled as she stood up.
The exchange related to news they'd gotten the night before while talking with Daniel and his family about Moon Lake's secrets, laws, and other issues on that the Gambonis at some point had managed to steal Moe's cellphone and plant a bug in it... or sent an email that he answered on his cellphone that put some tracking signal that had allowed them to keep track of him while trying to get away from the Gambonis. It served as a reminder of the problems that the Gambonis had put on his family and why he'd accepted Daniel's offer to come to Moon Lake in the first place, to protect Karen from some crime boss who didn't understand the concept of "no."
However, since Daniel hadn't explained Moon Lake's secret when he made the offer, when Moon Lake's Town Chancellor provided the alert to Moon Lake's were secret and the laws associated with people joining were society, there was a great deal of consternation for the Charlestons regarding that secret and the law. Moe was nervous on the issue, but because Daniel did ultimately explain everything and the reason for why he hadn't explained the secret beforehand and had offered to make sure Moe's phone was de-bugged, Moe did trust his old friend with regard to his want to protect Moe and the Charleston family. And while Moe might not want to become a were, if it meant protecting Karen, he felt that'd be a worthwhile sacrifice. Nichole, however, had been far less accepting. While she hadn't gone to the point of exposing Moon Lake or anything like that, she was far less keen on becoming a were, and Moe knew that that issue hadn't been solved yet and probably wouldn't be for a while. The fact that Karen had also expressed some interest in being the family were had also provided some frustration within the Charleston family.
"You'd really just forget all that Daniel's done for us in the past?" Moe asked his wife as they finished dressing and made their way out toward the kitchen, "and think that they'd purposely sell us out to the Gambonis?"
"If he can hide the truth until it's too late to get away from it, yes," Nichole said firmly, "Just because he has a good reason for it doesn't mean following that "good reason" was the RIGHT thing to do. I mean... if we're to stay here, at least one of us has to give up being human, and if that ends up being you... then I have to give up being human... and if Karen decides to... then we've failed to protect her, which is why we came here in the first place. They want to protect weres, that's fine, but they don't need to take OUR choices away to do so."
The paused their discussion as they passed Karen's room and then then walked across the living room toward the kitchen. It reflected their differences of opinion on the overall issue, but they weren't going to disturb their daughter's sleep over the issue. Both of them were also well aware of the fact that they really didn't have too many choices. They could flee Moon Lake, but all that would do is potentially make their situation with the town worse and would definitely put them right back in the same position they'd been in before coming to the town, running from the Gambonis. Nichole hated the situation, but knew it wasn't one they could get out of.
"You know I agree, dear," Moe spoke, "but at the same time... that doesn't mean we give up all trust in people we've known personally. And we knew Daniel and Francine BEFORE we came here. I'd think we can at least trust them to wish to protect us. Daniel wouldn't have done as much as he has to ease things for us if he didn't want to protect us... and he wouldn't be willing to see if my phone can be de-bugged if he didn't want to protect us."
Nichole slowly nodded, but Moe knew that it was more begrudging agreement. Nichole agreed, but more because there wasn't much choice in the matter. He sighed as settled into opening out a bag of bagels while Nichole began making coffee for the morning. They quietly went about the process of getting ready, though the quiet remained rather uneasy. Things outside the house were still rather dark, but both noticed that it was quiet. There were no weird or threatening animal noises or anything of the like... and that let them eat their breakfast calmly and quietly. Eventually a question did come up...
"You'll make sure that Karen is enrolled, right?" Moe asked, "she may not be able to start school today... but we could at least make sure we have all the paperwork lined up..."
"And make sure a school full of weres treats a normal human with respect," Nichole nodded with a sigh, "Yes... I can handle that."
Moe nodded. That made sense with how that worked, though it also reflected the sort of problems that had them where they were presently. He knew Nichole was the least at ease with the situation, but they didn't have much choice. They couldn't keep running, and Moon Lake would be about all they could work with.
"Just don't antagonize anyone," Moe spoke, "these people may be different and there is a lot we don't understand... but we also don't have many choices and the Gambonis will be far worse to us than the weres here have been..."
"So far," Nichole put in.
"So far," Moe nodded, "but, antagonizing those that don't know us ISN'T going to help us. They could get mad and do precisely what we don't want... For... perhaps things here... in this town... AREN'T all that bad and that the weres here are by nature tolerant and welcoming. Just because things were... surprising... doesn't mean that they are inherently bad."
Nichole slowly nodded, "I suppose..."
There was a sighing tone to it as she looked out from the small kitchen table into the living room. Some of the look was rather blank, but Moe knew that Nichole was still processing a lot of the information that was so knew to them. He was doing the same, and that sort of focus on the big picture could lead to that sort of look, as the things being thought on wouldn't be limited to boxes that needed to be unpacked and organized, furniture that needed its finishing touches with regard to where they were placed. He wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Moe sighed and stood up.
"That's probably Daniel," Moe spoke.
"How long will it take to get your phone de-bugged?" Nichole asked him.
"I don't know," Moe answered as he walked into the living room, ultimately picking his cellphone up from an end table by the couch on the way to the front door with Nichole following behind him, "I'd never thought that the Gambonis would have been able to put a tracer on my phone... so... either they have some little signal device or some really high tech virus that they used."
"I trust you'll still be human when you come home," Nichole spoke.
"Yes, dear," Moe answered, "if being a were is what it takes to protect Karen... maybe it'd be something we SHOULD do... especially if things here turn out to be okay, but it'd be a decision we make together, and I'd never let you out of the loop."
Nichole sighed and nodded, "I was hopping more for the argument for a wavier and avoid all this "someone must be a were" nonsense."
"I know," Moe sighed, "but think of Karen and what we're trying to protect her from..."
"That's about the ONLY reason I'm willing to entertain the thought on a lot this," Nichole gave a slow sigh.
They then made it to the door, where Daniel was waiting for them. He was in uniform, a pretty standard police uniform that really wouldn't look too different from any other police uniform in many respects. He gave both Moe and Nichole a rather friendly smile, and one that was fairly familiar, as they'd seen it before when they were younger.
"Morning... sorry about having to do all this so early," Daniel said somewhat weakly, "but... on the plus side, if we can get it de-bugged, the Gambonis will lose their connection and may end up overlooking you and going elsewhere... Especially if what I was told about them blundering onto a military base is true."
"The big thing is keeping Karen safe," Moe spoke, "Marcus has been a problem... and... and one we've wanted to get away from... BADLY."
Daniel reached out and patted Moe's shoulder, "Of that you can rest easy. There's a lot about Moon Lake to get used to... but you can trust that you will be protected."
Moe nodded and then stepped out to join Daniel on the front step and looked back to Nichole and said, "I'll see you later..."
With that Daniel lead Moe out toward his car, which was parked out on the curb in front of the house. Moe could hear the engine idling as it sat there, and they made their way to be ready for what would come next.