Found

The small group took out two more guards, they were dragging the last man into a room when gunfire broke out. They dropped the bleeding man and ran for the sound, no doubt anyone left would be doing the same.

Near the offices was a violent jumble of men, some dying, most fighting. The gunfire was stopped, it was far to close quarters to continue shooting safely.

Lilli huddled against the wall where Sir shoved her, she wanted to run for safety, but she also desperately wanted to help. The maelstrom of fists, limbs and legs was terrifying and she held her breath for the people she loved and cared for. Yet she knew she would likely be worse than useless, possibly even a danger, not only did she have no idea what to do because she'd never fought, but she didn't even know who was on their side.

"You fucking whore!" Someone snatched her off the wall and shook her hard enough to rattle her teeth. "This is your fault, everything is your fault!" Lilli realized it was Carlos and her blood went cold.

She fought, kicked and even smashed his head with her own as he struggled to contain her, screaming obscenities at her.

A floor shaking roar echoed through the wide hall and everyone froze, knowing that sound meant death for someone; then Carlos was snatched away from her and sent flying across to the opposite wall.

Terrified Lilli's eyes were clenched tight, her body quaking in fear when a soft grunty purring sort of noise startled her eyes open.

A simply enormous polar bear was filling up the now cramped space of what was once a rather large hall.

Polar Bear?! The massive creature was snuffling her all over making that surprisingly soft noise and Lilli realized that the beast had to be her Master and that he was searching her for injuries.

"Master?" She whispered, bringing her hand up to his neck. Her fingers grew warm in his fur and he oh so gently rubbed his muzzle against her shoulder.

"Bitch," wheezed out a harsh voice behind them.

With a scary growl Sir managed to somehow urge Lilli forward with him to where Carlos lay trying to climb up the wall.

"You fucking cunt," the idiot spat, clearly not knowing when to stay quiet.

A large paw hooked carefully around Lilli and the gigantic bear thrust his muzzle into Carlos' face and roared. In this form he had no words, but the meaning was clear. "Mine."

The smell of urine filled the hall and everyone felt that tickle of energy as the guard prepared to change.

Very gently Sir used his deadly paw to turn Lilli into his shoulder, away from the guard. With a soft growl the bear bounced once on his front legs and a sickly sound echoed through the hall. That other worldly energy abruptly ended.

Turning, Sir managed to keep her faced away from the guard when she tried to look. If she'd had any doubt that the bear contained her Master, that gentle but firm action put it to rest.

The few remaining guards in the area all quickly surrendered, whatever Sir had done to Carlos had apparently been warning enough.

They continued to work through the building as a group, but they found no one new and shortly encountered most of the rest of their group stationed outside the large conference style room.

A quick discussion and everyone stood stunned, they were done, minus possible stragglers they were done. Not a one of them had truly expected this to work.

"It's over?" Lilli whispered. Kieth gave her a huge grin. "Yes. We did it, you'll never be trapped here again."

"It's over?" Lilli whispered again. Everything rushed her at once, all the pain, anger, fear and stress of the last few months and her world went black.

Luckily she had her hand touching Sir and he felt her slipping, allowing him to slow her fall.

Kieth moved to lift Lilli but a deep growl rumbled through the bear.

"You can't check her or pick her up as you are." Kieth defended himself, knowing the other man was stuck as a bear for a while yet.

With a soft noise Sir nuzzled the girl, then backed up slightly. Kieth made a small motion toward Lilli but stopped when sharp shifter energy exploded through the small space.

All the changers gasped and fought off the need to change. None of them had felt anything like it and all stepped back at once. Between one blink and the next Sir went from polar bear to gasping weak human. He braced himself over the passed out girl.

"Jesus." Someone whispered. What he'd done was incredibly rare, in general changers needed at least an hour between changes or they passed out. The sheer power it took was something most changers could never possess. Everyone stayed respectfully quiet as Sir caught his breath.

Oh so gently Sir gathered Lilli into his arms and stood, everyone gave him space as he carried her outside. He was sure she'd not want to spend one more moment inside that place.

Sir laid her out in the grass out front, he thought about putting her in his car, but was worried she wouldn't want to wake in an enclosed space and knowing she'd need contact with nature to center herself anyway.

Lilli's eyes opened to the star speckled sky and sighed, tension she hadn't known she was carrying leaving her in that exhalation of air.

"I'm out." She whispered.

"Yes little Dove, and you never have to go back in."

"Never?" Her eyes, when they found him were a tad desperate.

He caressed her face. "Never," he whispered back.

Without warning she burst into tears, Sir gently gathered her into his arms and held her, she had every reason to cry. Slowly those tears slacked off.

"You're a polar bear." Her voice was full of awe.

With a laugh Sir pulled away enough to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, indeed I am."

"I wouldn't have guessed that in a million years."

"Why, what did you think I am?"

The so serious look on Lilli's face chased away the last of the tears. "I don't know. I knew you weren't a cat, but honestly I'm so very new to this and have no idea what changers there are out there."

That wiped all the humor out of Sir. She'd told him her story, the fact she was so unaware of the world she had suddenly found herself in made the story all the worse.

For a short while they laid out and stared up at the stars.

"I have to go Dove." He felt her stiffen next to him. "You can stay out here or in my car if that'll make you feel better." Some of the tension eased. "I need to help them clean up and figure out what to do with the girls." He was embarrassed to admit that they hadn't given much thought to those girls. It's not like they were wild animals that could just be set free.

Lilli jerked upward. "Ember! She'll be scared, I'm not sure she's ever seen anyone not from this house." She started chewing on her thumbnail, Sir gently pulled the nail free.

"Talk to me."

"I think I need to go in and get Ember myself, I don't want her to be scared."

Nothing he said changed her mind, so against his better judgement Sir walked her back into that hell hole. He felt her shaking, but as long as she was willing to keep moving he'd be with her.

"Bartholomew!" The hollered name stopped Sir and he halted Lilli with a hand on her arm.

While he and the stranger talked Lilli couldn't keep from staring at the man she called Master. Once the conversation ended he gave her a rather bemused smile.

"I assume you didn't think my name was actually 'Master'."

"Well I... No.. I just..." Lilli smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

"Let's go get your girl."

The girls in the pod were in a frenzy, all except Ember who leapt into Lilli's arms as soon as the door opened, they'd heard plenty of noises and yet no one had come to the door. Even after far to much explanation they just couldn't understand, eventually Lilli just gave up and turned her attention to the little girl in her arms. The other girls would have to come later, they certainly couldn't head out into the world as they were now, they basically didn't exist and didn't even know what money was.

"Do you want to come with me bumble bee?"

"Where?"

With oh so slightly trembling fingers Lilli tucked the hair so like her own behind Ember's tiny ear. "Out into the world I told you about."

Ember bracketed Lilli's face with her hands and just studied the woman she'd taken in place of her mom. There was no knowing what the little girl saw, but eventually a brilliant smile lit her tiny face. "Okay!"

Bartholomew ran a critical eye over a drooping Lilli. He, Kieth and Andre were all in a rather large hotel room. He would have brought them to his place, but he worried that after today that would just be to much.

Lilli sat on the floor with Ember in her lap, the three men sat around her either in chairs or on the floor. She wanted to be able to touch whomever whenever she felt the need, but it'd been plenty long as far as he was concerned. He'd given either Lilli or the other two men the chance to notice she needed rest, but no one had.

"That's enough." He stood and gently gathered the sleeping child into his arms so he could carry her to the roll away, then he returned and scooped up a startled Lilli.

"What?" She had time to gasp out before he carefully tucked her into the rooms large bed.

"You are completely shattered Lilli, you need rest and food. I will not put up with you hurting yourself this way." Bartholomew gently tucked a curl behind her ear to take the sting out of the reprimand. "The rest of us will take turns laying next to you."

Kieth would be in and out checking on his band of misfits and sports as they worked to find out where the other houses were.

They were also working on what to do with the houses inhabitants who largely refused to step foot out of the building, except for Jasmine, who insisted on being taken to Mateo who was in critical condition.

"I'm going to order us some food, how about pizza?"

"And a cookie?" Lilli asked softly.

"And a cookie." He agreed, relief flooding through him. They were fine.

*

THANK YOU, every single one of you that held on this long and pushed for more. I know it's unlikely anyone thought the story was going here, but I hope it was worth the wait. There is more that happened to Lilli in that unexpected place, but very honestly I had to edit it down to keep it from being just way to long to be called a short. After some encouragement from friends I'll save all that and start turning it into a book. I'd love to hear from you if there is something you feel I need to know. Thank you again, for pushing me to get Lilli's full story.