There was an odd tension that had began to build itself up with the months that had passed. There was something off between Lucien and Jean and for the first time, Mattie thought she would be relieved when she went on summer holiday. The air in the room stiffened a bit after Jean had brought a date home. Nothing came from it, with the exception of bickering words between her and Lucien. Mattie hadn't seen him come around in a while and when she asked Jean about it she just brushed it off as nothing important, telling her he wouldn't be coming around anymore. She frowned at the touch of sadness in Jean's eyes and gave her hand a squeeze but left it at that.

Mattie had recently taken to reminding Lucien of important dates and warning him of his mood in attempt to ease some of the tension, which had minor success. "You need to be very nice to her." "Maybe adding a thank you or a touch of appreciation around the house would be nice." "Next week is Jean's birthday." Lucien was slowly learning to be more considerate when it came to how he directly affected Jean but she was still not safe from his indirect effects. The ones that left Jean constantly defending Lucien and even her own standing. Mattie knew what was being said, she heard the whispers that were spread around town.

Personal issues aside, and there seemed to be many, tensions were also caused from knowing there was still a poacher on the rise. A person out there who's goal in life was to do the exact opposite of what they did at the Center. Finding two creatures mutilated and knowing there was nothing anyone could do about it seemed to dampen everyone's spirits. That and the threat it posed to their lives as well. After all, a criminal doesn't get away with something like this for this long because he or she is kind.

So yes, Mattie was thrilled to be out on holiday. Away from the tensions and drama of her secret world. That being said, she still adored the letters she and Jean wrote back and forth. Her son, Jack, had come to visit after a stint in jail and although Mattie would have liked to meet him, Jean said he probably wouldn't be coming around. That she would love to have him close to her but he was off with his friends, travelling. Jean's careful script wavered a bit on those sentences and Mattie wondered what that meant. On a lighter note, her oldest, Christopher, was being stationed in Adelaide and she was thrilled to have him closer. Jean claimed she and Lucien were getting on much better lately when Mattie had inquired but Mattie thought she would believe that when she saw it for herself. The final thing they had discussed (in secret of course) was the status of the poacher who was still on the rise. Mattie worried for them while she was away. Worried for the creatures who dwelled in the wild, away from the safety of the Center. She couldn't fathom how someone could do something so evil. The horrors Mattie saw when she snuck into Dr. Harvey's exam room were burned into her mind. Creatures lying lifeless, missing beaks and fur. She still felt the threat of tears swell when she thought about it.

P.S. Lucien and Charlie send their love.

Upon Mattie's return, she had noticed a bit of camaraderie between Lucien and Jean. The uncomfortable tension was eased and replaced by something else entirely but Mattie couldn't put her finger on it. She asked Charlie about it. She knew he would tell her, of course, after he told her it was none of their business. He told her about Jack's visit, how awful the tension was and how broken Jean seemed, how she and Lucien seemed to form a common understanding after Jack left. He noticed them communicating better in the Center as well after a few cases, like they shared something they hadn't before. Mattie was relieved. She didn't like seeing them at odds, pretending that they weren't for her sake. She did try her best to hide her beaming smile every time she saw a touch that lingered a bit too long or heard comments offered to one another in a conspiratorial tone.

She had been so relieved at the changes within the Blake residence that she almost forgot about the trouble that surrounded them. Almost.

Playing in the garden with Saphira one day had caused that air of uncertainty to arise once again. Saphira had been flaunting her art of camouflage, vanishing into the air, her purring and constant brushing reassuring Mattie that she was still there. Lucien watched them fondly from the window within the house. A man had walked up the path to the Blake residence and gave Mattie a nod as he passed. He had a bandage wrapped around the arm he was holding to his chest. Mattie would have wondered at the identity of this strange man she had never crossed paths with if she had not had a more concerning situation at her side.

Beside her, Saphira was letting out a low growl and Mattie could feel the air shift as the wildcat paced in front of her. As soon as the man's back had turned Mattie suddenly felt as though she was being pushed. She was being pushed. Saphira was pushing he her into the secret entrance of the Center with much force, her tail constantly wrapping around Mattie in a possessive manner. She hadn't even looked up to see Lucien disappear from the window with an apprehensive look on his face.

Feeling a bit shell shocked from the sudden shift in mood, Mattie allowed Saphira to lead her back to her habitat, sitting with her, listening to the sounds from upstairs. She couldn't make out any words but she heard murmurs and footsteps. The initial tone was Jean's, most likely welcoming the man into the surgery, then came Lucien's. Even without words she recognized that tone, the one that was incredibly pleasant and incredibly fake, the one he used around high society folks whose company he didn't truly enjoy. Something was wrong and she didn't know what. She thought it would be best if she stayed down in the Center until the man left, Saphira still needed comfort and to feel as though she was protecting Mattie anyway.

It was well after the strange man had left that Mattie had awoken to fingers gently brushing the hair away from her face. She knew it was Jean, she always had a gentle way about her when it came to Mattie. The serenity that easily flowed was suddenly drained away as the memories from earlier flooded back. When had she fallen asleep? What time was it? How could she have fallen asleep when she had something important to tell him?

"Where's Lucien? I need to tell him something. It's important." She sputtered, jolting upright, adrenaline threatening to fill her veins. She couldn't fight the feeling that something was off.

"Lucien's out for a bit, said he needed to check on something for a case. I'm sure he'll be back soon, he's been out for a while."

"No, that man. I need to tell him. Saphira, she knew him. He needs to know." She gasped in short sentences, trying to ground herself with the feeling of Jean's steadying hands on her shoulders as she wavered from getting up too quickly.

"Darling, I need you to breathe for me okay? Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

Doing as she was told, Mattie took a shaky breath and recounted her story of what had happened earlier to Jean and watched as the understanding formed in her eyes.

"He knows." She breathed, more to herself then to Mattie.

Without breaking her gentle guise, the panic threatening to break through, Jean guided Mattie upstairs and immediately went to the phone.

"Yes, Matthew, it's Jean. It's about Lucien. I think he's in danger."

Mattie listened as Jean recounted the story to the Superintendent, filling in the blanks as to what Mattie missed upstairs as well as any information she had on the man. She tried to stay calm but it was proving to a challenge. She heard Jean sound somewhat desperate when she implored them to find Lucien before hanging up and settling into the chair next to Mattie.

Nearly two hours had passed since Jean had called with Mattie's revelation. Mattie tried to focus on the soothing motions of Jean's thumb running over the back of her hand as it sat below hers on the table. Their tea was long gone and their nerves now truly had time to settle in. Mattie was fighting off sleep, her head beginning to droop a bit lower, and she could tell Jean was about to persuade her to go to bed by the way her hand shifted to brush through Mattie's hair. She had just opened her mouth to tell her so when a shrill ring of the phone broke the silence, sending them both rigid as Jean quickly rose to answer.

"Oh Matthew, I was just about to call you to check in, I -," Mattie heard the air leave Jean's lungs as she froze. "Is he? Okay. Y-yes, we'll meet you at the hospital then."

Mattie felt her stomach drop as Jean turned to her, eye's reflecting the same emotions as Mattie's although hiding them better.

What had Lucien gotten himself into?

(Notes: Hey guys, I just wanted to thank everyone who commented with kind words after the last chapter, I really appreciated them. Hopefully this chapter makes up for the last couple chapters a bit.)