Things were relatively quiet as Tom returned to Moon Lake and he was glad to find that there were no protesters outside the Stevens home and that the love of his life, Alice Stevens was waiting for him as he pulled into the Stevens driveway. He couldn't help but smile as he parked beside where Alice had parked her own. Normally the pair of them lived in Seattle in a relatively good neighborhood which would enable them to be close to where they worked, and meeting Alice had brought him something he would never lose happiness over. Real love and a feeling that she was worth the effort while most women that Tom had known before weren't. Becoming a werefox to be with her was new, but when he felt the bond between them after his transformation completed, the newness wasn't an issue at all.
"You weren't just waiting out here for me, were you?" Tom asked.
"And why not?" Alice smiled to him, "things are calm for the moment... and waiting out here means I get to see the most handsome man in the land come home."
"Your parents' home, you mean," Tom spoke as he hugged Alice after getting out of the car and slowly making his way with her toward the Stevens front door.
That was the thing that was something that Alice did conceded. Normally they would be in Seattle and happily thinking over things that would go through to their wedding and working around the possible guest lists and all that related business. But she also knew Tom's position on things like honesty and openness and how that was a big factor in his interest in news reporting and it also meant that things like the were secret didn't sit right with him, and to a certain extent he had very good points as to why hiding behind that secret wasn't a good idea. That had gotten her firmly behind his proposed big reveal that Moon Lake was now debating and that was further helped along by what she was sure was a prophecy dream that would display her and Tom in a rather prosperous future.
Though that didn't mean they were without struggle. Two men had apparently threatened Tom in Seattle over his reveal plan, which had them move from Alice's residence in Seattle to Moon Lake where it was hoped that the two "secret agents" couldn't just attack Tom and then fade into a crowd. There was the hope that Moon Lake would at least be respectful of Tom's opinion and give it the chance to succeed before passing a final verdict on it and thus not let the two bully Tom or her father in Moon Lake. But there had been some intense division in Moon Lake with some scattered fights and apparently a riot at the college, and worst of all a major protest outside her parents' home complete with insults that weres wouldn't normally use against each other. And while things were quieter now, that didn't necessarily mean that the problems were gone.
"True... but for the moment, things are quiet," Alice answered, "I can't say if you've won over too many... but it would seem that the outright violence over the reveal has died down and gone away... Which is a good thing."
"I'd suspect that they will be changing tactics for the moment," Tom sighed as they reached the doorway and entered the Stevens home, "and while these reveal meetings seem to be once a week on Wednesdays... because we're only just getting started and I'm trying to get those that are doubting on the City Council. And that makes sense... I'm not keen on secrets, but with those that have lived with them for years... and in Moon Lake's case, probably centuries... giving them up is going to be hard."
"I'll always be behind you," Alice assured him and rested her head on Tom's shoulder for a moment as they came across the house to find Harold and Lucy Stevens already working on the night's dinner. Alice's parents did look up to them as they came in. There were a few small smiles as they came in as well.
"Hey, you two," Lucy said as they came in, breaking apart just long enough for Tom to set some of his things against the wall behind the diner table, "did you have a good day?"
"My day was pretty normal... all things considered," Alice commented as she looked over to Tom, waiting for his answer.
Tom noted his fiance's hopeful smile and then slowly nodded before giving his answer. Most of his day went well in that he had no threats made to him. The biggest thing from his day was more with the events that related to the main story that he was assigned to.
"My day was also pretty quiet," Tom then spoke, "no one has really given positive answers with regard to the story I've been assigned..."
"Meaning someone things some major crime is coming?" Harold wondered.
"No... they'd think that the crime rate is within the perceived "normal" range," Tom answered, "but that many of the police departments that I've contacted didn't want to be even conduct interviews at all."
Tom paused his answer to run his hand back through his hair as he looked to Alice's father before continuing, "it's like they get the sense that the story... or my editor... are panicked over the things that the Gambonis did when they came into the state, blown their actions out of proportion and don't want to even hold the interview to say that there is no threat. That they see that it's a joke... that sort of thing."
"I would tend to think that you could then draw your conclusions on the whole thing, then," Harold commented he checked something in the oven while Tom and Alice sat down at the dinner table.
"I'd tend to agree," Tom answered, "particularly while the things that would effectively prove that would essentially relate to the reveal... which will be its own story once the plan is put together... and there the best I can do is help. And since any of that can't come out until after the reveal is done... at least... I can't bring those full details in."
"The Gambonis threat to the Charleston girl wouldn't relate to the reveal," Lucy commented.
"In general... that is correct," Tom nodded, "but there could be certain details that would skirt to close to Moon Lake's secrets... which I've assure the city council that I won't touch on until after the big reveal has been made..."
"And that won't come until after we have the plan fully put together," Harold finished as Tom nodded. Eventually Lucy and Alice nodded in agreement on that issue in particular.
"And how have things been on that front here?" Alice asked, "Since Tom and I have been in Seattle all day?"
"Quiet," Harold answered, "but as Tom speculated as you two came in... a lot of that might only be in changing tactics for the moment. Whether or not the tension has gone down will be something that is determined later as that issue continues to develop. Though, I'd say that with things quiet... I'd think things may well continue to get a bit better, if only slightly..."
"We can all hope for that," Lucy said in agreement.