Disclaimer: usual stuff…except Lupos and Deliciae, you should know they are mine by now.

Dr. Oliver's house, morning

Kira yawned and stood up. "MY BACK DARN IT!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "Well you were sleeping with your back against the couch." Dr. Oliver said from his kitchen. "Keep it to a dull roar dear." Mesogog mumbled. "Both of you shaddup!" Kira snapped, rubbing her spine. Deliciae peeked around the edge of the doorway. She squeaked in greeting and ran into Kira, sending her crash landing on top of Mesogog. "HEY!" The dinosaur roared as they fell on top of him. He flapped is wings to keep them at bay. "Sorry." Kira mumbled getting up, then laughing.

She picked up Deliciae. "What was that for?" she asked putting Deliciae back down. Deliciae shrugged and walked back into the kitchen. "My word, less then a year old and rebel already." Mesogog sighed, standing next to Kira. "You sit back down." Kira said. "Why?" Mesogog replied. "You are uncomfortably taller then me." Kira said as she followed Deliciae.

Mesogog rolled his eyes and walked after her. "Where's the stomach on legs?" Mesogog asked Dr. Oliver. "Outside, I made him hunt his own food." Kira mumbled something under her breath about Lupos bringing her and Deliciae back. "You can stay here for a little longer." Dr. Oliver, "I made bacon." He added, showing her the pan. 'What if my parents are back?"

"Called, they weren't there."

Kira banged her head on the table. Soon after she found an already toasted bagel shoved in her face. Deliciae stood on the table, holding the bagel. "They're good." Deliciae squeaked. "I guess you guys aren't leaving me alone until I eat huh?" Kira said. Deliciae nodded and nibbled and her own bagel while still holding out the other one.

Kira took it grudgingly and began to eat. "And juice." Deliciae added pushing a glass of apple juice over. "Who died and made you my mother?" Kira asked. Mesogog almost choked laughing. "Shut it." Kira snapped.

Lupos pawed at the back door. "Keyra?" Lupos asked quizzically. 'I'm fine Lupos." Kira replied. The wolf sat back down and watched them, waiting to be told something. "Hey guys, can I go back, I kind of need to take a shower." Kira said. "But we like having you here." Mesogog complained sarcastically. "I know you do…I just have a need for personal hygiene… and a clean pair of clothes, same for Deliciae." Kira said.

"I can give her a bath for you Kira; you can go on home if you have to." Dr. Oliver said. "Thanks." Kira said relieved. "And why can't I?" Mesogog asked. "She is my daughter after all." Kira began to snicker. "Because Deliciae would probably drown you if you weren't careful enough."

"Won't she drown Tommy?"

"Not as easy."

"What makes us any different?"

"She isn't Tommy's little girl, she's Daddy's little girl and she'll get away with getting water on everything."

"Touché." Mesogog mumbled in defeat.

"Okay, you all play nice now." Kira said getting up. Kira hugged Deliciae then kissed Mesogog on the top of his head. "Thanks Dr. O!" Kira yelled. Dr. Oliver waved as Kira walked out the door.

Mesogog sat in almost awed silence for a few minutes. "Did… she… did… she… did she just kiss me?" Mesogog stuttered. Deliciae fell on her rear giggling. Mesogog took that as a yes and went to yell something out the back door but Kira and Lupos had already gone.

"Lupos, I need to talk…" Kira sighed, her hands curled in Lupos's thick brown fur. Lupos walked up the steps to Kira's back door and asked, "About what?" Lupos asked. "How should I thank Mesogog…I mean, he just saved my life… I just didn't say thank you." Lupos smiled good naturedly. He hit Kira off her nose with the black tip of his tail. "Just say thank you." Lupos told her, still smiling.

"Well, it just isn't that easy." Kira said, running, grabbing a brush and then attacking the tangles in Lupos's fur. "Love…?" Lupos asked. Kira shrugged. "I don't know! I just, I just…ARGH!" Kira yelled.

"Ow," Lupos said as Kira pulled his fur too hard. "Sorry." Kira mumbled, sighing. "I right wasn't I?" Lupos said. Kira looked up, amazed at how well the wolf's speech had progressed over only a few days. "Remember…you said you broke up wif Trhent?" Lupos said.

"Yes."

"And remember I said after?"

"Couldn't speak yet but yeah, I remember what you implied."

"Im…implied?"

"Thought, tried to communicate."

"Yes," The wolf said, grinning broadly.

"Darn, I think you are right." Kira said, finishing brushing the wolf's coat. Kira dragged the hose over. Lupos took it, turned it on and was about to give himself a shower as Kira turned her back to go inside. Lupos sprayed her in the back. Lupos fell over laughing. "HEY!" Kira yelled, turning around. Lupos reared on his hind legs and gave a belly laugh. Kira ran and tackled him straight in the gut.

Lupos fell over backward in a howl of surprise. Lupos fell into some mud and growled in mock fury. He leapt for Kira who dodged him and he slammed into the side of the house. Kira laughed at the comical picture the wolf now cut. His fur was all mussed up again. "You can brush your own fur now." Kira said. Lupos stuck out his tongue in a childlike way and took the brush from Kira's hand.

As Kira was taking her own shower, she didn't hear the car come up the driveway. Her parents came out of the car, tired. Anton had finally decided that Mesogog was no longer a serious threat. Eric Ford sighed and said, "I kind of regret being nice to the creature, I'm just worried he might come here, looking for shelter or something." Joanne looked at him and replied, "He knows we work for Anton, I highly doubt he'd come here."

When Eric entered the house he could see the sliding door was half open and just beyond it, Lupos lay on the porch, drying his fur. Eric silently walked over to the still form. Thinking Lupos asleep, he drew his gun and was about to fire a bullet into the wolf's brain when suddenly Lupos reared up and roared.

Kira stepped out of the shower. She was just putting her clothes on when she heard Lupos's roar. Hurrying down the stairs she saw her father, gun in hand aiming for Lupos's heart. "LUPOS RUN DAMN IT!" Kira yelled. The wolf looked at Kira and her father turned. "Kira?" He asked. "Kira you know this thing?" Joanne spun around and was face to face with Kira.

Lupos took the chance and bolted. "He was only here…he is only here to protect me!" Kira sobbed as her parents advanced. Before either of them could say anything, Kira ran out the front door. Lupos stood there; he had been waiting for her. Eric aimed and fired. Blood began to flow from Lupos's side. The wolf howled and stood over Kira protectively. He started his charge when Joanne raised the gun and fired. The bullet didn't hit Lupos.

Kira slumped down to the ground. She held a hand to her right shoulder. She was crying in fear, pain, and anger. Joanne dropped her gun and stared at her bleeding daughter, would had run to protect the monster. Lupos rose up to his full height behind her and snarled, saliva dripping from his jaws. His full height was a towering ten feet when he was on his hind legs. He filled out his chest with air and roared; the booming sound carried and was answered.

Mesogog had heard the gun shots and had flown as fast as he could manage to their source. Joanne raised the gun, ready to shoot Lupos now that his vital spot was away from Kira, but found herself slammed to the ground by two hundred pounds of muscle, scale, and anger. Mesogog stood on Joanne's arms, keeping them from being raised. Mesogog felt a jolt as a bullet hit him in the side. "You didn't have the guts to be mean to me then Eric, you never will." Mesogog said, fixing him with a glare. Eric dropped his gun and knelt down, hands up in gesture of surrender.

Mesogog walked away from both of them and over towards Kira. Kira was on the ground, blood seeping slowly through her fingers. "Kira, you alright?" Mesogog whispered, crouching down and placing a talon under her chin. Kira shook her head in reply. Mesogog snarled and was about to attack Kira's parent's when Kira leapt up and stopped him. "Don't…please, don't." Kira whispered to him.

Mesogog could feel Kira's blood flowing down his chest as she stood close to him. "Come on then, let's go get you patched up." Mesogog said to her. Mesogog picked Kira up and placed her Lupos's back when the wolf returned to four limbs. Before they took off Joanne said, "Kira, what is the meaning of this? How do you know him?" Kira looked at Mesogog then at her mother. "I'll tell you when you wisen up seeing as you won't understand." Kira snapped. Joanne almost fainted in shock at her daughter's curt reply.

Lupos took off, followed by Mesogog, and headed towards Dr. Oliver's house. Deliciae had had her face pressed against the glass of the window and watched her father land. Deliciae came running out to hug her father but she immediately turned around as he staggered forward with Kira leaning on his shoulder. "Get Tommy!" Mesogog yelled to his daughter.

Dr. Oliver came running out. "Oh God, what happened?!" He yelled. "Her parents shot her." Dr. Oliver hurried Kira inside when he noticed Mesogog was bleeding as well. "Get in will you…darn it, all three of you are bleeding!"

It was a few hours later before all three of them were patched up properly. Kira looked drained and pale, Lupos fell asleep, and Mesogog was walking around, fuming. "Kira, why did you? Never mind…"Mesogog was about to say when he stopped himself. Kira raised her head gently to look at him. He was still covered in blood, his as well as hers. Kira remained silent.

Dr. Oliver watched Mesogog walk into the kitchen and pick up a knife. Mesogog raised it over his wrist and was about to plunge it in his arm, Dr. Oliver tackled him. "You aren't killing yourself!" Tommy roared. "It's my fault Kira ended up like that!" Mesogog yelled back, scrabbling for the knife.

When Mesogog had thrown Dr. Oliver off, he raised the knife again. Kira slapped him across the face. "KILLING YOURSELF ISN'T GONNA MAKE IT ANY BETTER!" Kira cried. The knife clattered down again. Kira was sobbing uncontrollably. "It just isn't, just isn't." She sobbed, punching Mesogog in his chest as she said it. She collapsed against Mesogog in a faint from exhaustion.

Mesogog caught her and began to cry. "I told you, it's my entire fault!" Mesogog hissed. "Killing yourself will just make it worse." Dr. Oliver said. Deliciae looked fearfully at her father before he sank down to the floor, fainting from exhaustion as well.

Dr. Oliver felt his shoulders slump. It wasn't even five o' clock yet and everything was going from bad to worse. "Lupos, help me bring Mesogog and Kira upstairs. They need sleep." Dr. Oliver said. The wolf raised his head and picked Mesogog up in his arms and brought the limp figure in the spare room. Mesogog didn't stir.

Dr. Oliver held Kira gently and followed. He placed her down next to Mesogog. Lupos walked to the back of the room and watched. "No kill." Lupos said, pointing at Mesogog. "Good idea." Dr. Oliver replied, walking out.

Midnight

Mesogog raised his head. His head was pounding and everything was fuzzy. He felt very ill and wanted to sleep again. Something warm was curled up against his back. Flipping over onto his side he found Kira breathing deeply, her breath made purring noises. Mesogog sighed heavily and watched her. "Why didn't you let me die? It would've been over, you would've been free." He said. Kira didn't wake up but clutched at his shirt gently in her sleep. Mesogog placed an arm around her protectively and slowly dozed off again himself.

When he woke up the next day, he found Kira using his chest as a pillow. She breathed evenly, she was still asleep. Mesogog got up stretched. He still felt sick; he had lost a lot of blood over the past week. A week? Is that all it's been? He thought. He stalked down the stairs in a bad mood. Deliciae greeted him, squeaking in joy. Mesogog smiled at her but sank down immediately onto a chair.

"Morning." Dr. Oliver said, seeing Mesogog awake. Mesogog nodded his half awake greeting and found himself forced to eat breakfast. They heard a shower running upstairs. Kira was cleaning the remaining blood off her body.

She came downstairs a few minutes later, wearing clothes Hayley had given her. "Mesogog, can I talk to you?" She asked after bolting down some food. "Sure." He said, looking up. Kira walked outside and beckoned him to follow. Mesogog got up and walked outside with her.

They were a little ways into the woods when she looked up at him and said, "I wanted to say thank you for you know, rescuing me." Mesogog stopped and looked at her calmly. "Is that all?" He asked. "I don't know." Kira said, sitting down on a log. Mesogog sat next her and asked, "Is something up, I mean…really, not just what happened yesterday with your parents?" Kira shook her head. "Mesogog, do you love me?" she asked. Mesogog smiled and said, "What do you think?" Kira was about to reply when she heard her communicator beep.

"Its Lothor, he's here." Dr. Oliver said through the comlink. Mesogog sighed and stood up. He offered Kira his hand and said, "Ready to end this?" Kira nodded in agreement, her hazel eyes turned as hard as stone.

Author's note: Okay, you gonna kill me for ending this here? Are yah? Are yah? (grins) Okay, I lied, this is not the last chapter. You're gonna have to wait till next chapter, which will be the last one, not counting the epilogue. Nothing much to report except I really kind of forced this one, honestly, I did. Signing off!

-Ptera