"Megan? Margot?" Abbey called from inside the mirror in the men's bathroom.
While she was certain Alice would be mad with her, and Julie, Fran, and Darla would want to scold her for looking into the men's room, but, Megan still wanted to free Ashley, and she sounded so logical in her explanation, and the men's bathroom was the closest to where Ashley was. She heard shouting, the sound of a young lion, not quite a roar, but upset, pained cries from Megan and Margot, but she expected them to return with Ashley in tow. But they hadn't, and finally her curiosity got the better of her and she emerged from the mirrorverse.
She quite deliberately left the bathroom, so not to be caught by any males in a room she considered very dirty. She found the hallway crowded with a couple of police with their guns aimed at an unconscious Megan and a panicked looking Margot.
"Megan! Margot!" Abbey shouted, fearful of losing pack mates and ran forward.
The startled human officers were caught off balance as the the five year old glass wolf dove at the back of their legs. They ended up crashing to the ground, and Abbey continued on into the room.
"Abbey!" Margot gasped, "You were told to stay in the mirrorverse!"
"You didn't come back with Ashley, so I came to get you," Abbey said, "We came to free Ashley and go home. To our Pack and family."
Mary and Trevor were startled by the appearance of the glass wolf pup, as like Mary stood little real chance against the adult wolves in a fair fight, the wolf pups wouldn't be able to beat the policemen and certainly not the adult lions... but then, the fact that Abbey and her sisters were indestructible was a different matter.
The human officers, however, didn't know this yet and took aim at Abbey. Mary was quick to recognize this and turned to them.
"NO! Don't shoot!" Mary yelled to the officers.
But it was too late. The first officer fired three shots. One hit Abbey in the temple, the second hit her in the neck, and the third hit her in the shoulder. The second officer fired two shots, the first hitting her stomach and the second hitting her knee. The shots did no damage to Abbey's form, but the resulting ricochets were the real problem, and it was a miracle that no one was hit by them.
"I am indestructible," Abbey said calmly, and trying to sound brave, but guessing that they were caught.
The officers, lowered their weapons, looking completely perplexed as to why the glass wolf didn't shatter, especially since one of them had fired a relatively large caliber revolver at close range.
"Abbey, don't fight," Margot instructed, "it is we who attacked them."
"But, Ashley?" Abbey asked confused.
"Getting her back didn't have to require attacking them," Margot spoke, "and the only real reason Megan wanted to do it was that she wanted to avenge Roger."
"Roger?" Trevor asked.
"Her brother, by blood," Margot spoke to the cat, "the one who's eye you clawed out at that house..."
"My house," Mary spoke.
"She was guilty that she wasn't there to protect him, as she always had before and felt she needed to do something to justify her not helping before," Margot explained.
"She attacked us out of love?" an officer asked.
"For her brother," Margot answered, "It wasn't smart on her part, and I was stupid to agree to it... but under the curse... wouldn't you do the same if a family member were held prisoner?"
The officers looked at the red-violet she-wolf in confusion.
"The officers that believe in the Curse are the Pride now," Mary spoke, "the rest either don't believe or won't touch it."
"Oh."
"So we're not going back home?" Abbey said weakly, ready to cry if glass could.
"Free her!" Trevor encouraged.
"From what?" Abbey asked.
"Your brainwashing," Trevor groaned.
"Your the mean cat that tried to take my Aunties from me and keep me separated from my cousin," Abbey spoke.
Trevor looked back, too confused by every thing. The two she wolves bursting in, him and Mary only being saved by Mary's pepper spray. And then Ashley essentially freeing Margot. Now the glass wolf's arrival.
"I was trying to help keep you safe so you could be with your father again," Trevor protested.
"My old father is now my Aunt," Abbey spoke, "Auntie Fran. The identical sister to Auntie Darla and my mother Julie. My new father is Jensen."
"He's brainwashed you," Trevor spoke.
"Wouldn't I be dead if he took my brain out to wash it?"
Mary slapped her face. They were trying to use logic with a five year old, and then something clicked... Fran, Julie, Abbey... this was daughter of Frank and Julie. One of the girls she had babysat before she became a lion cub.
"He's controlling you Abbey," Mary spoke, trying to be gentle, "Like the curse is controlling him."
"He loves me," Abbey spoke, "the first thing he said to me and Samantha was that he hoped our years with the Pack would be happy ones. Everything he's done has been to protect us and provide for us."
There was a pause for a moment.
"Who are you?"
"You don't recognize me?" Mary asked.
"I've never met a lion before."
"I'm Mary, your baby-sitter, don't you remember me?"
Abbey then turned and slowly approached Mary. Trevor and Paul standing nervously by, and the officers nearly out cold from confusion. Mary watched as Abbey looked closely at her.
"Shouldn't you be older? A teenager... I think," Abbey asked.
"It's a long story," Mary sighed, "but I'm happy as I am now."
"As am I," Abbey answered, "As is the Pack. But that cat and his weird lady are trying to make us sad. Driving us from our home. And has made Father, Mother, Aunties, and Step-Mother very sad and nervous."
"Step-Mother?" Trevor asked.
"Kaylee," Abbey spoke, "Father's Alpha Female."
"Best get Gill and Serenity," the first officer there spoke, "I think we'll need them for this to sort it all out."
++++++
The locking of the gargoyles forms was done swiftly and easily. Isabelle gave Alice's wording to Southeast and Northeast, who then returned to their pedestals, facing out. Hope asked Frontdoor. Grace gave the turn to Backdoor. Millie used her turn on Southwest and Northwest, who like Southeast and Northeast returned to their pedestals facing outward. Jensen watched calmly with Yamato standing by his side.
"Now, Jensen-Sama," Yamato spoke, "if the lions attack from any direction they will meet resistance far sooner then they think, and resistance that they can not beat physically."
"Yes," Jensen nodded, "now here is to wish that we do not have to have a fight."
++++++
Gill was already on his way to the cell-block when the officer came and got him, and he quickly gathered Serenity. When he arrived at the cell-block, he found one man out cold by the toppled bathroom door, the cell-block door knocked down, the other officer standing in the doorway, with one unconscious pastel green she-wolf, one red-violet she wolf, and one five year old pup. Mary, Trevor, and Paul were also present.
"What is the meaning of this?" Gill demanded.
"A mistake, sir," Margot spoke, "we came to try and free our pack mate, which in the way we went about it was a mistake."
Gill looked at Serenity.
"I freed her from the Curse's brainwashing," Ashley spoke from inside the cell.
"So you'll press charges against Jensen?" Gill asked first.
Margot thought for a moment. Her pack was a family. They would die for one another if pushed. The problem she found was that nearly everyone, including Jensen, was the victim of an unwilling transformation, the Pack's bonds was stronger then that. She still loved and would serve Jensen, but they had all made mistakes. Mistakes they'd have atone for... or correct if possible.
"No," Margot spoke, "he is still my Alpha, and has been a good leader. Everything he's done has been for the good of the Pack. It's the methods that have really been wrong."
"Much like what Ashley went through when Felicity freed her," Serenity thought.
She then looked to Abbey who nervously stood by both Mary and Margot, although she couldn't tell which of Mrs. Butler's girls this was.
"This is Abbey," Mary spoke, "I'm not entirely sure she's brainwashed like the other parts of the pack and Jensen are. Some things are different, but she doesn't appear to be brainwashed the way the others were."
"Hello Abbey," Serenity spoke.
Abbey nervously pulled back and moved toward Margot, looking for some possible escape.
"I won't hurt you," Serenity spoke, trying to comfort the pup.
"I CAN'T be hurt," Abbey spoke.
Serenity sighed, "I wouldn't try to hurt you even if it was possible. If you're not brainwashed, you must understand that I'm trying to help."
"What about this one?" Gill asked.
"Paul knocked her out," Mary informed him.
"I can free her from the curse's brainwashing when she comes to," Margot volunteered, "it could ultimately save the pack and you any more violence."
Gill glanced to Serenity. The older woman slowly nodded. To her, if Jensen's pack freed itself of its own accord, the desired goal would be the same... although she was also certain that Gill would be upset as since he had only allowed the transformation of the Pride to counter the pack, which would now be unnecessary if the Pack freed itself.
++++++
Penny limped heavily, and largely using Kirk and Elise as a crutch as her knees were still weak as the pride came into Glendale's main hospital emergency room. The hospital staff was all startled by the appearance of lion people, but it didn't last long and Penny was soon a cart, as a wheelchair wouldn't support her 300+ pounds of muscle. Kirk was soon trying to explain how Penny had been wounded and assuring the doctors that they were all police... although some from different generations.
"I'm afraid you'll need to wait out here, sir," a doctor spoke to Kirk as Penny was taken out of the examination room, "the waiting room is just down that hall."
"I can't leave her," Kirk told the doctor, "I love her. She loves me."
"I'm sure, but we'll need to do some surgery to close the wounds make sure that all the tendons and ligaments line up," the doctor spoke, "I can't have you in the operating room... You can see her when we're done."
"I'll be fine, Kirk," Penny called to him.
"I'll be waiting for you."
He came back the waiting room to find the rest of the pride nervously waiting.
"Will she be alright?" Bernie asked.
"The doctor thinks she'll be fine, but they'll need to close the wounds and make sure all the ligaments and tendons line up," Kirk answered, "But she'll be fine. In time. You'd all best get going if you're to save them..."
"You're staying here?" Gary asked.
"I can't leave my mate," Kirk said, "I'll help her get back to the station when we're done here. Good luck."
++++++
Megan slowly came too to find two officers standing behind her, guns aimed, one elderly African American woman who she guessed was Madame Serenity along with another officer who was the chief of police. Margot stood over her with Abbey by her side. Mary and Paul stood nearby as well. Trevor was not present.
"We're caught aren't we?" Megan sighed.
"No," Margot spoke, "We're going to be free. Transform or Dare, Megan."
++++++
It was nearly ten when the rest of the pride returned to the station. They were still nervous and frustrated. The pack's numbers were too great. And given what had happened to Penny, both Brian and Gary quickly admitted that the wolves wouldn't be the pushover they had originally thought they would be. If they fought to the death to defend their home or their pups, the pride might win... but they'd be decimated in the process.
"You really think the Pack will defend the Pups first?" Gary asked.
"If Jensen is becoming more like a normal wolf person rather then the fictional "big bad wolf", he'd have to do that," Felicity said, "His pups are to him what Mary is to us. His next generation. His life would be meaningless if they're harmed. If we can get in... Jensen and maybe four others would be rather easy to get to. Bernie might be right. We free Jensen... and the Pack follows him... they'll willingly let us free them."
"You and Brian best sneak back to our room," MJ spoke, "Gill probably won't like it that you came with us. He's going by the book. I'm sure he'll give your the references for entrance to the academy, but until then..."
"I know," Felicity sighed as they came out of van made for them and began to walk back into the station.
Unfortunately, neither Brian nor Felicity had a chance to sneak back to the room as both Gill and Serenity were waiting for them all as they entered.
"Where have you been?" Gill asked.
"Well, sir," Gary began, "Penny went to the Gallery, hoping that she could free Katie, and in the process there was an altercation."
"Altercation?" Gill asked.
"She ran into several wolves there, including Frank, Daryl, and Julie... with Frank and Daryl now being Fran and Darla," Gary explained, "apparently they had the same idea Penny had. They trounced Penny and took twelve of the gallery."
"So we've lost them all?" Gill asked sounding depressed.
"No," Gary reported, and motioned for Arael, Armisael, Gabriel, and Mal'akh to come forward, "for some reason, one of the pups that has powers similar to ours lied to her pack mates and left Katie and these four for Penny, and they joined us... although I think some were in the Gallery for quite a long time. They were "cops" but are presently out of date."
"What about Penny?" Serenity asked.
"The wolves only wounded and knocked her out," Gary said, "I can not say way. Julie and Darla knocked her out, but made no move to kill her, and a male, they called Yamato ordered another wolf to stand down. I can not say why they spared her."
"Where is she now?" Gill asked.
"She and Katie, now Kirk, are at the hospital," Gary spoke, "the doctors are sewing up her wounds and making certain that everything will still work. Kirk won't leave her... I think that was because Penny as Penn had either just proposed to Katie, or were close to it. Kirk sees Penny as his mate. Kirk wants to be with her until she can leave the hospital... in the meantime, we've been thinking of how we're to attack the wolves..."
"And what is your plan?" Gill wondered.
"Well, I'm afraid my earlier assessment of the wolves abilities was inaccurate," Gary admitted, "with the possible exception of Jensen himself, they may all be weaker then we are as individuals... but their numbers are massive. Well over fifty, possibly even sixty... and with the earlier attack plan, there'd still be two gargoyles to fight, which even if we took the human SWAT officers we wouldn't beat them. If Jensen fights to the death to defend his pack and his pups, that plan, even if we won, would have decimated the Pride..."
Gill listened quietly.
"And since our objective is to save them... engaging in such an option wouldn't really work," Gary sighed, "and Bernie had the idea that maybe the approach we should take is more surgical then outright attacking."
"Bernie?" Gill questioned.
"The wolves all follow Jensen, right?" Bernie commented, "So why not sneak in and free Jensen and whoever is with him first. Then he will command the rest of his Pack to let themselves be freed. Use their own command structure to free them."
"And you planned that someone from your pride would sneak in and do this?" Gill asked.
"Yes," Gary nodded, "Felicity says that most of the pack's defenses will be centered around the pups... which means Jensen and small handful of others might be easy to get to."
Gill glanced at Brian and Felicity, but didn't say anything for a moment.
"It would appear that we've both had similar brainstorms," Gill commented as he lead the pride into what was their break room in the station to find Ashley, Margot, Megan, and Abbey seated around the table with Mary and Paul, currently in a game of "Go Fish", "although Serenity's idea will actually involve someone Jensen already trusts."
"They're here?" Lexi gasped.
"Wolf Megan had some personal beef with Trevor concerning the attack on the Hardys home," Serenity spoke, "Trevor clawed her brother and apparently, wolf Megan was highly protective of her brother, and decided to punish Trevor for hurting him."
The pride looked at the pastel green female.
"So she urged Abbey, the glass wolf to take her and Margot, the red-violet she-wolf here to punish Trevor and free Ashley," Serenity continued.
"Oh my God... Mary...!" Brian and Felicity said together.
"As you can see, she's fine," Serenity spoke, "I don't think wolf Megan had any interest in fighting with Mary. She wanted to get in, punish Trevor, free Ashley and leave. Mary happened to be there and managed to keep wolf Megan from harming Trevor... although if their fight had gone on, I would think that wolf Megan would have eventually killed her out of anger that Mary wasn't simply leaving Trevor behind... but Mary managed to avoid any serious blows, which allowed Paul to come in and surprise wolf Megan. Meanwhile, Ashley freed Margot from her brainwashing, which essentially ended the fight."
"I take it Margot then freed Megan?" Bobbi asked and then noticed lioness Megan looking at her weird, "wolf Megan that is."
Serenity nodded, "and once freed, they actually volunteered to do what you've changed your plans to. As I suspected, they're still completely loyal to Jensen... but they feel the manner in which he's gone about trying to provide for his Pack has been wrong, and have volunteered to undo the Pack's brainwashing for us."
"You'd trust them?" Brian asked.
"Much of their defiance and violent nature toward non-wolves was the game's influence," Serenity spoke, "with their brainwashing gone, while they're still loyal to their Alpha, their minds are free to think as they were before they were transformed. Megan, Margot, and Ashley are all willing to do this, and Abbey has stated that she'd do anything to keep her present family together."
"What about the powder to kill the turns the wolves hold?" Wanda asked.
"We'll still need it," Serenity spoke, "arresting Jensen or his Alpha Female is extremely unlikely. There probably isn't any evidence that he planned the attack on the Hardy's home other then some verbal testimony that he planned the attack. Any good lawyer would then give Jensen the "argument" that the attack was planned only by those caught, for those charges. And the wolves won't be pressing charges against Jensen for transforming them..."
"Which means all we can legally do is free them from the curse," Bobbi spoke.
Serenity nodded, "Once Jensen and the pack have been de-brainwashed, Margot and wolf Megan have assured me that Jensen will have the gargoyles stand down to let us enter... which should make transforming them back easier."
"However, in order for this to work," Gill spoke up, "Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, I will need you to drop all charges against Ashley and any of the other wolves that attacked your home... otherwise, I'll be looking at being fired, and you two might never see the academy, depending on who replaces me..."
"Wasn't Frank in line for that?" Nellie asked quietly to Elise.
"It was the curse that did it, Mommy, Daddy," Mary spoke, "Ashley didn't want to attack us, but she couldn't fight it. She's actually quite nice when you get to know her."
"How...?" Gill wondered as they were speaking softly and weren't that close to Mary.
"Our ears and theirs aren't for show," Margot spoke, not looking up from the card game.
"You would let her go?" Felicity asked as she approached her daughter.
"Yes," Mary nodded, "It's the Curse that made her so willing to do what she did before... just as it was like the curse that urged me to want you to be like me... to want to lock our forms... and maybe ultimately why you locked the pride's forms when you changed them... all to try and make us miserable."
"But we're not," Felicity told her daughter, "we're all glad to be lions... and those of us that aren't glad now have at least accepted it and will try to get used to it."
"And neither really is the Pack," Mary spoke, "misguided because of the Game, but they're happy together. So shouldn't we try to give them a shot at happiness and sock it to the Curse?"
"Do you think this will work?" Brian asked the wolves, "Jensen knows we have Ashley here. He might suspect something if you suddenly show up with her."
"It won't matter what Ashley has told you," wolf Megan answered, "Alpha Male Jensen may have some questions, but he will likely welcome Ashley back as a member of the Pack and praise Margot and I as being brave for "freeing" her from you... although he may question our intelligence for undergoing such an operation with only two of us, not counting Abbey, and without his approval... but, it should still give us the opportunity to free him from the curse's brainwashing. Abbey still has her turn as well and knows the wording Ashley used to free Margot and Margot used to free me, so we can deal with up to ten wolves at a time... and the only time we've really had more then that in one place is at meal times."
"Meal times?" Sasha asked.
"We dine together as a Pack, we live together, love together," wolf Megan said, "but for the most part... we are not all in one group very often. So, whether or not it could work is not an issue. It will work. Once Jensen and whoever is with him is freed, the Pack will likely free itself like a row of dominoes going down. One asking five and so on until every wolf has been freed."