It was Friday morning, and Ann, who was still asleep, still hadn't found anything about the lab or where the information might be kept and they had to leave the next day. There was only one place left that she could think to look, and she didn't even know if it was real or how to find out if it was.

At seven-thirty, she finally opened her eyes and looked over at Zoc to see if he was awake yet. She couldn't help smiling when she saw him-- he was laying chest down, and although that meant the spikes on his back weren't cutting into the bed, he would still have to make some repairs when he got up. He was facing Ann, and she could see that one of his mandibles had cut into the pillow. Ann quietly slipped out of bed, got dressed and then opened the curtains.

Sensing the sun on his face, Zoc opened his eyes and rolled over, smiling as he said, "I think coming on this trip was a mistake."

"Why?" Ann asked as she turned to face him. It took everything in her to not start laughing: Zoc had a good-sized piece of stuffing stuck on his mandible.

"I've gotten too used to waking up and being able to see the sunlight," he explained, unaware of the stuffing. "I'm going to miss this when we get home."

"Yeah, I know. That's the hardest part for me-- staying in the basement. I miss having windows and being able to see outside," Ann said, trying not to smile but failing miserably.

Zoc looked at her for a second then asked, "What are you smiling about?"

"You just look funny with a beard," Ann informed him.

Zoc acted like he was trying to figure out what she meant. Ann recognized that look-- it meant he had heard the word before from Lucas, but couldn't remember what it meant. Ann walked over to him, took the end of the stuffing and draped it over his other mandible. "I bet you would look really cute dressed up as Santa Claus," Ann laughed.

Zoc pulled the stuffing off and said, "Aren't I a little too skinny?"

"Okay, so you could be the skinniest Santa ever," Ann conceded. "How'd you know who I was talking about?"

"Lucas has shown me pictures and told me about him," Zoc explained. "So what's the plan for today-- is there anywhere we haven't looked for those records?"

Sighing, Ann admitted, "I don't know. The only other place I can think of to look may not even exist."

"How would you have heard about it if it didn't?" Zoc asked.

"It could have been something someone made up," Ann said. "I just remember reading something about it online."

"Online?" Zoc inquired.

"Don't ask," Ann told him. "It's more complicated to explain than the TV. I'll explain it to you when I have a lot of spare time and we're at home."

"Okay," Zoc agreed. "So where is this place supposed to be?"

"About twenty stories under the Lincoln Memorial," Ann replied. "I don't even know how we could look for a way in with out being caught."

Zoc smiled almost mischievously and said, "You might not be able to, but I could."

"You mean let you run around there alone? What if something happens to you, what if someone steps on you?" Ann asked worriedly.

"If there is some type of hidden door, it would be along a wall-- I'll just stay along the walls," Zoc explained. "No one will be walking close enough to the wall to step on me; I'll be fine. You can drop me off, we'll set up a time and place to meet and you can spend a few hours doing some more sightseeing."

"How will you know what time it is?" Ann asked.

"I'll take your watch with me," Zoc replied.

"Maybe we should just forget about it," Ann dismissed. "There's just too much that could go wrong if you're alone. What if another bug attacks you?"

"My father taught me how to fight, and I've fought the wasps for years," Zoc assured. "If anything does attack me, I won't have any problem dealing with it."

"But it's been over three years since the wasps stopped attacking the colony," Ann pointed out.

"Ever since they stopped attacking, we've had fighting competitions a couple times a year," Zoc explained. "It started when a wasp said that if the colony didn't work together and it was just a one-on-one fight, the wasps would always win. The ant he was talking to challenged him to a fight, the wasp accepted and they agreed to do it a few days later. In that time the whole colony heard about it, too, plus all the wasps, and several more ants and wasps decided they wanted to participate in the fight, too. By the day of the fight, there was one more wasp than there were ants and Hova convinced me I should try it. After that first time, it sort of became a tradition-- every spring and fall we have another competition."

"Does anyone ever get hurt?" Ann asked.

"Nothing worse than minor scrapes and bruises," Zoc reassured her. "There are only two rules for the fight: you can't hurt your opponent and no magic, although that second rule only applies to me."

"So… between you and a wasp, who usually wins?" Ann asked, curiosity piqued as she raised her eyebrow.

"No one-- it's always ended in a draw between me and one of the wasps," Zoc sighed. "But that could be because, being a wizard, I have more spare time to practice. But don't worry about me running in to any other insects. I'm the best fighter in the colony, and that's without using my magic."

Sighing, Ann said, "Fine. But you will be careful, right?"

"Of course I will," Zoc assured again. "Now let's have breakfast before all the doughnuts are gone."

Ann smiled and said, "Are you sure you don't want to try any of the other foods they have for breakfast? I mean, they have toast and bagels and cereal and--"

"And you usually have those things around, so I can have them whenever I want at home," Zoc finished. "You've never given me a doughnut before."

"That's because they're more expensive than what I normally buy for breakfast," Ann gently reminded him.

"Then we should enjoy having as many as we can while we're here," Zoc replied.

"All right-- but I get the cream-filled ones if there aren't enough for both of us," Ann said, grinning.

"But those are my favorite," Zoc said, crossing his arms and pouting.

Ann started laughing and said, "You always look so funny and cute when you pout."

"And you always laugh at me. Now please get down there before someone else gets all the good doughnuts," Zoc said, trying to sound serious, but he still ended up smiling.

After eating breakfast, Ann started to put on a pair of earrings, one of which Zoc had changed so there was an area that looked kind of like the basket of a hot air balloon attached by one side to the back of the earring where he could ride and stay out of sight. However, he would still be able to see where they were and he was close enough to Ann's ear that she could hear him. Ann had never liked the idea of having her ears pierced, but she was beginning to wish they were. She was constantly worrying that the earring that Zoc was in would fall off and he would get hurt.

"You know, if it falls off I can get down far enough inside that I won't get hurt," Zoc said as Ann clipped the earring on.

Sighing, Ann said, "I know, and you can hold on tight enough that you won't fall out if it hits the ground." The way she said it made it seem like a common refrain.

"And the earring hasn't fallen off or even started to move at all the whole time we've been sight-seeing. Maybe if I keep telling you all this every day for the next fifty years, you'll stop worrying," Zoc told her with a smile.

"I can't help it," Ann answered with a shrug.

"Then I guess the only thing we can do is get this done and over with so you can stop worrying," Zoc told her.

Ann smiled and said, "Okay."

When they got to the Lincoln Memorial about twenty minutes later, Ann and Zoc agreed on a place and time to meet. Ann carefully let Zoc climb out of the earring, onto her hand then she set him on the floor by the wall, whispered her goodbyes and left.

Ann spent the next couple of hours looking around, although she was so worried, that she wouldn't remember anything she had looked at when asked about it later. When it was finally time for them to meet back up, Ann sat along the wall waiting for Zoc to show up, wondering if he was alright, if he could be laying somewhere hurt or worse. Every minute that went by seemed like an hour. She looked up at a nearby clock and her hands started to shake when she realized he was over twenty minutes late.

Suddenly: "Sorry I'm late. Now stop worrying-- I'm fine."

Ann let out a relieved sigh and whispered, "Are you in?"

"Yes. Now let's get back to the hotel so I can tell you what I found."

When they got back to the hotel and Zoc had made himself bigger, Ann asked, "What did you find?"

"I don't know if the records you're looking for are there," Zoc began, "but there's definitely something under the building. I found a hidden door-- if I hadn't been small enough to see the space between the door and the floor at the bottom of it, I probably would have never noticed it. The top and sides are so well blended into the wall that even at my normal size, it was difficult to determine where the edges where."

"Do you have any idea what's on the other side?" Ann asked, managing to contain her mounting excitement.

"Yes, that's why I was late," Zoc confirmed. "I got so distracted looking around, I lost track of time. There was a long stairway that lead down several stories and then several floors of offices with computers and the lower floors where rooms filled with shelves of boxes full of papers."

"Excellent. We can sneak in tonight and-- wait a minute! How do you know what a computer is?" Ann asked, realizing it wasn't something she had ever told him about.

"Discovery Channel," Zoc replied, smiling.

Ann smiled and said, "Okay, I give. Anyway, by the time I get back from visiting Mary, it should be late enough that we can go ahead, sneak in and try to find the records."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Zoc asked, concerned.

"Zoc, if you could go in without being noticed during the day, I'm sure we'll be fine at night," Ann assured. "We can stay small until we find out where the records are and if there are security cameras where the records are kept, we'll just leave-- I promise."

Sighing, Zoc said, "All right."

"Good," Ann replied. "Now, I should be back in a few hours, but don't worry if I'm late. Mary and I have a habit of losing track of time when we haven't seen each other for a long time." Ann started to get ready to leave.

About thirty minutes later, Ann got to Mary's apartment and knocked. When Mary opened the door, she and Ann hugged as Mary said, "I can't believe how long it's been since we last saw each other! How have you been holding up with everything that's happened the last few months?"

"A lot better than I would have expected to," Ann said as they sat down in Mary's living room.

They spent the next couple of hours talking and ordered a pizza. They were just finishing dinner when Ann asked, "So, for the last month you have been telling me in every email I've gotten from you that there was something you had to tell me, but wanted to wait until you could tell me in person. So what is it?"

"Well, you remember me telling you about John?" Mary began.

"The geneticist?" Ann asked.

"Yep," Mary replied.

"You're still dating him?" Ann asked.

Mary grinned. "Kind of," she said excitedly as she held up her hand so Ann could see the engagement ring she was wearing.

"Congratulations!" Ann replied sincerely. "When's the wedding?"

"We haven't set an exact date yet," Mary answered, withdrawing her hand, "but as soon as possible after we graduate next year."

"Will this change your plans to move back home after you graduate?" Ann asked.

"We thought it would," Mary told her. "It's harder for a geneticist to find work than an obstetrician, but we found out a few day's ago that there's a place that will hire him when he graduates—its close enough that I can still be close to home."

"That's great," Ann sighed. "I really miss having you around."

"So what about you?" Mary asked her friend. "Do you have boyfriend yet?"

"No," Ann said.

"What about a guy you at least like?" Mary went on.

When Ann hesitated, Mary grinned and asked, "Who is he? Tell me all about him."

"What makes you so sure there's someone to tell you about?" Ann asked, trying to hide her thoughts.

"Because you didn't say 'no,'" Mary told her.

"You barley gave me time to answer," Ann weakly protested.

"So?" Mary said impatiently. "Every other time I've ever asked you that, you say 'no' right away; this time, you hesitated, which means you weren't sure whether to tell me something or not. So come on-- tell me. "

"I–I can't," Ann stuttered.

"Why not?" Mary asked.

"I just can't—I really wish I could, but I can't," Ann said reluctantly.

"You know you can trust me, right?" Mary asked, laying her hand on Ann's knee

"Of course I do," Ann answered. "I just promised I wouldn't tell anyone about him."

Mary raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh my gosh-- you found a real live shape-shifting dragon?"

Ann sighed, "I wish—that would make things so much easier."

"Come on-- can't you tell me about him without telling me what he is?" Mary begged.

"What do you mean 'what he is'?" Ann asked, feeling her mental defenses go up slightly.

"Well, as crazy as it sounds, the only reason I can think of for you not being able to tell me about him is that he's not human," Mary explained. "Look: I promise I won't tell anyone anything that you tell me or that you like a guy who's not human."

Unsure what to do, but desperate to have someone human to talk to, Ann sighed and finally said, "Alright, but, if I tell you I can't tell you something about him, you have to accept that and not ask again."

"Deal," Mary agreed, grinning. "So… he's not human, right?"

"He's as intelligent as a human, but if you want to get into scientific classification, your parakeet is more closely related to humans than he is," Ann said.

"Wow," Mary whistled. "So you've finally met a guy you like and he's not even close to being human."

"Yeah, and I'd say I'm well past just liking him." Ann let out a frustrated sigh and asked, "Do you think I'm crazy, falling in love with someone who's not human? Is that wrong? I mean, scientifically, he'd be considered an animal. Is it a sin for me to love him?"

"The Bible only says it's a sin to have sex with animals—there's nothing about falling in love with one," Mary explained. "And you always used to say as long as someone is as intelligent as a human, then they aren't really animals because animals aren't that intelligent--so the only difference is what they look like, so it doesn't mater if he doesn't look human… Have you told this guy how you feel?"

"Of course not," Ann denied.

"Why?" Mary asked gently.

"I just can't see him ever feeling the same way and I don't want to tell him and then have him end up being uncomfortable around me or avoiding me," Ann confessed. "If I hadn't had him to keep my mind off of my family, I don't know how I would have survived losing them; I just can't take the chance of losing him, too.

"Besides, there are plenty of women of his own people for him to choose from. Why would he want someone he could never have a normal life with? I mean, I don't know how his people would react, but you know most humans would never accept something like that. He's great with kids and babies, but we'd never be able to have our own-- physically, we're just too different. We'd never even be able to try to have children."

"Wow, okay," Mary asked sounding a little shocked. "So he can't, like… shape-shift or anything?"

"No," Ann said, trying not to laugh at the look of shock on Mary's face. "He can change his size, but not his appearance. I actually asked him about that before we came to Washington-- it sure would have made the sight-seeing a lot easier."

"Hold on-- you mean he came with you?" Mary asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Ann confirmed

"Why?" Mary questioned.

"Because we were going to try to find out how his people became so intelligent and different from others like them," Ann explained. "He just came along to make sure I don't get myself killed trying to find the information."

"Okay, why are you looking here? What exactly is he, some type of escaped top secret government experiment?"

"Well, he isn't," Ann said slowly, "although there may be a chance that one of his ancestors was. No one still alive knows where they came from or why they're so different."

"And where exactly do you think you're going to find the information?" Mary asked her friend.

"Oh, that's easy: under the Lincoln Memorial," Ann dismissed easily, trying to sound like she was joking. "We're going to sneak in tonight and see if we can find the records."

Mary rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, whatever you say. I take it that means you haven't been able to find anything?"

"Nothing and I leave tomorrow," Ann said with a note of sadness.

"Well, you could tell me exactly what it is you're hunting for and I could keep looking until I come home. Of course, that would mean telling me what your boyfriend is," Mary said, smiling mischievously.

Ann groaned and said, "Don't call him my 'boyfriend'-- I already have Lucas harassing me and Hope trying to convince me to tell Zoc how I feel… it makes me miserable enough. I don't need it from you, too."

"Wait a minute-- how does Lucas know about this?" Mary asked.

"He was friends with Zoc and his people a long time before I met them," Ann elaborated.

"And who is Hope?" Mary went on.

"She's Zoc's sister," Ann clarified.

"Okay, and Zoc would be the guy you've fallen in love with?" Mary assumed.

"Yes," Ann confirmed.

"And Hope and Lucas both know that you like Zoc?" Mary questioned.

"No," Ann sighed. " Hope knows, but Lucas is just a brat. It's kind of hard to explain, but after a room full of a few hundred people collapsed, I ended up helping take care of the injured while Zoc helped dig people out. By the time everyone was out safe, it was four in the morning. Zoc took me home and I told him he could stay and get some sleep. We were both absolutely covered in mud, so I told him he could sleep in my bed with me so he wouldn't get the couch muddy. Lucas caught us the next morning and hasn't stopped harassing me since."

"Well, you're the last person I would have expected to get caught sleeping with a guy you weren't married to," Mary said, seriously crossing her arms.

"Mary!" Ann shrieked.

"What? Oh yeah, I forgot—sex isn't a possibility," Mary said. "Well, all that might be a bad thing when you two get married, but you can spend the night with him whenever you want and no one will be able to accuse you of doing anything wrong."

"What do you mean, 'when we get married?" Ann asked half-tartly.

"You're obviously completely in love with this guy-- why wouldn't you end up married?" Mary asked, shrugging her shoulders

"Have you heard anything I've told you tonight?" Ann asked, hurt that Mary wasn't using the common sense she had.

"Of course I have," Mary replied sincerely. "You've fallen in love with a guy who came half way across the country with you just to make sure you're safe; it sounds like you both spend a lot of time together, which means you get along well and enjoy each others company; and his sister keeps telling you to tell him how you feel."

"What does his sister have to do with this?" Ann asked, getting frustrated.

"Think about it, Ann," Mary told her. "If you have a crush or you like someone, sooner or later, you're going to tell someone or someone will find out. Now, either it will be a close friend or, if you're close to your siblings, one of them. So, if Hope knows that Zoc likes you and that you like him, but you both made her promise not to tell anyone--or, more importantly, each other-- then all she can do is try to get you two to admit your feelings to each other."

"Hope just likes the idea of us being sisters," Ann said. "Why would Zoc want to give up a normal life to be with me?"

"Would you be willing to give up a normal life to be with him?" Mary asked gently.

"Yes," Ann answered without hesitation.

"Why?" Mary asked, sounding more like a psychologist than an obstetrician.

"Because I love him-- he seems to be everything I've ever wanted in a man but have never been able to find," Ann confessed.

"So why is it so hard to believe that he might feel the same way?" Mary questioned. "He could easily be thinking the same things you have been: 'She has plenty of men to choose from-- why would she give up a normal life to be with me? How can I risk our friendship when it seems impossible?'"

"Do you really believe that's possible?" Ann asked, desperately wanting to believe it might be true.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't," Mary said sincerely, laying her hand on her friend's shoulder. She yawned and looked at the clock. "Shoot, it's already ten-thirty. It's amazing how we lose track of time."

"I know," Ann agreed, smiling, "I guess I should get back to the hotel before Zoc starts worrying that something happened to me."

"Alright, but you have to promise me you'll tell him how you feel," Mary ordered as she and Ann stood.

"I want to, but what if you're wrong?" Ann asked miserably. "I just need some sign that he feels the same way before I can take that risk."

"Well, when you get home, corner his sister and just ask her if he feels the same way," Mary suggested. "Either she'll give in and tell you what she knows, or you may be able to tell if she's lying or trying to avoid telling you."

"Alright, I'll try that," Ann said with a smile. She hugged Mary as she said good-bye, then headed back to the hotel.

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