The next few weeks had everyone upside down and inside out. Word had gotten out about the fights and more and more spectators were coming to the fights from outside of Sylvan City. They’d had to double the clean-up crews to manage and there were talks of buying up a neighboring property and expanding the parking lot. That was just on the work front for Cage. He could handle the business, but there were family concerns that were more pressing.

The custody case was advancing. It turned out they didn’t end up with a lawyer from the pool of pro bono lawyers at one of the two Shapeshifter Rights Service Centers. When word got out through the grapevine in Sylvan City, Cage found Adrian DeMello on his doorstep. A Family Law attorney with a staff larger than the City Council, had a soft spot for shifters. His wife and son were shifters, wolves, and he was eager to help.

They’d spent hours and hours discussing strategy, which Cage had hated, and more time than that talking about exactly what this meant for everyone in his life and Frances’.

And through it all, there was Maggie.

She acted like she’d been through it all before, and in a way she had. Sure, her legal issues had been different, but instead of Children and Family Services putting her with a family, they were the family being investigated.

Adrian’s words echoed in his head.

“We have an uphill battle here. Blood is the first concern in cases with orphans. The parents’ wishes come into play, but there are all kinds of other pieces to the puzzle that are deciding factors. The first of which is providing for the child.”

Luckily, he hadn’t said that in front of Frances. Any implication that she was a child didn’t sit well with her at all. But in the eyes of the court, that was exactly what she was. And at her age, the court would listen to her wishes, but Adrian had explained it in no uncertain terms, if the court felt that Frances’ current living situation wasn’t the best for her, then it might not matter what her parents wanted. The Hallworths were a titled and monied family that had enjoyed privilege and rank for hundreds of years.

Now that they had decided to bring Frances back into the fold, it was going to be hard to stop them.

But they did have some pluses on their side. Frances was well taken care of. Her grades and school attendance and participation had improved. She was nearly done with her work release and probation for the vandalism.

And yet there seemed to be a mountain of negatives.

The area they lived in was more industrial than it was residential and while the streets weren’t littered with trash or vagrants, it wasn’t exactly a white picket fence and yard.

Add to that the constant ‘violence’ happening in the adjoining building, it wasn’t necessarily the best environment for a young woman.

He could ruminate on it for days, but right at that moment he pushed open the door of the diner and was treated to the welcome smile of the one woman who had the ability to calm some of his nerves. All she had to do was look up at him or touch him in some way and he was putty in her hands.

“What’s on your mind?” She gave him a curious look and set a cup of coffee down before him. “You look like you were doing some heavy thinking while you were standing there across the street.”

He felt his lips pull into a thin line and shook his head. “Nothing important right now.” She opened her mouth to ask again and he snaked his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer for a kiss.

When he pulled back, her eyes remained closed for a few seconds, her smile softening into a sigh. “That was marvelous.”

“Just marvelous?”

She pulled the towel from her apron strings and smacked him on the arm with it. “You’re fishing for compliments.”

“I wanted to make you feel good.”

Her expression changed a little and she leaned closer. It was fairly safe, given that the other patrons in the diner were all human like her. “You always make me feel good, but if you want to make me feel better. I can’t wait for tonight.”

His growl turned a few heads in the diner and Maggie used the towel to cover the flush on her cheeks. “You better get some rest this afternoon,” he warned her.

“I’m liking this already,” she returned and then moved away to fill some coffee cups.

* * *

Maggie looked up at the clock later that day and was surprised to see the minute hand just five minutes away from turning the sign by the door from OPEN to CLOSED and falling into bed for some needed shut-eye before making dinner for two of her favorite people in the world.

Letting out a breath she picked up a bussing tray and started to clean off all of the last few tables that she didn’t get to earlier. It was one of those mindless tasks that she could do in her sleep and let her mind roam, so it wasn’t half bad cleaning up on her own.

In the corner of the far booth, some napkins had fallen into the space between the booth seat and that wall. Setting her tray down on the table, she put a knee down on the booth seat and managed to grasp the napkin between her fingertips and pulled it out with a victorious laugh. “Gotcha!”

The front door swung open and she looked up. “Hey, I’m sorry, but we’re-”

The second man through the door made her stomach turn. It was one of the lawyers working for the Hallworths and the woman behind him was from the Health Department. And the man standing out on the front step was from CFS.

The policeman at the front of the line had the grace to look a little embarrassed as he approached her with the folded paper in his hand.

“What’s this?”

Clearing his throat, the officer explained. “This is an order to search your diner for any illegal substances. Any irregularities in the health standards of your establishment. And if this is a safe environment for a young girl to work.”

Oh, there were all kinds of things that she could have said, but she knew they wouldn’t do her any good. All she had to do was hope she was up to code on everything. She thought it was, but with the look on the face of the inspector, she was just itching for something to ding her on.

She wanted to call Cage. She wanted to have him tell her it was going to be all right, but she knew if he came over and saw what they were doing, he was liable to lose his temper and she couldn’t do that him or Frances.

She stood there while the inspectors began their work. She pulled her camera out from her back pocket and turned on the video recorder. She watched as the lawyer seemed to lead the others around the diner, pointing out things and based on the expression on his face, he was enjoying this chance to pick apart her life.

The final straw… straws were the two trained drug dogs that were released into her diner.

Drug dogs.

Even though she hadn’t taken a drug in years, they were going to search her place. On one level she couldn’t blame them. The inspectors, she hoped, were doing this for the right reason. For Frances.

And so was she.

When the dogs were done, Maggie followed them outside and saw Cage and Brass waiting on the opposite corner. The dogs looked like they hit a wall, the two German Shepherds drew up short well in advance of the end of their leashes, their ears pulled back, flat against their heads.

“Well,” Maggie look at the officer already knowing the answer, “what did you find?”

The man jerked at the dog’s collar to pull him closer and Maggie felt her teeth grinding together at the back of her jaw. “Nothing.”

“Then I’ll expect to get a copy of your report for my records, Officer Sinclair. Is there any chance that the SCPD will replace the ingredients they ruined today?”

“You’ll have to speak to my supervisor.” He fished in his pocket and brought out a business card. “Here.”

She read the words on the card. “Huh, Special Investigator Devlin Kerr.” She could almost feel the officer’s shoulders sagging in defeat. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to help me. Thank you, officer. Have a nice day.”

Once the man had secured the Sniffer Dogs in the back of his vehicle he left, and Cage and Brass crossed the street to her side. She couldn’t help the rough scoff of laughter that burst from her lips. “Imagine two big dogs afraid of a couple of cats.”

Brass’ wry smirk was no match for Cage’s open scowl and bared teeth. “I saw the lawyer leave.” Cage reached out and wrapped his hand around her upper arm and stepped in close to her side. “Did he hurt you?”

She knew he didn’t mean physically, but just the fact that he asked had her all warm and hungry inside. Would she ever stop craving his touch? His voice? His… everything?

Maggie shook her head. “No, but I’m sure I’ll hear from the health inspector, she was scribbling notes like a madwoman.” She sighed, and the frustrated sound echoed in her chest. “It was the end of the day, I was working alone… I’m sure she found something, and it’s all my fault.”

Cage stepped in closer, his arms circling her body, laying her head down on his chest. “It’s my fault. I dragged you into this.”

Lifting her head, Maggie leaned back far enough to look up into his face, but not far enough that she had to let go of him. “Hey, I volunteered remember?” She drew one hand up his back, around his neck, and up to his cheek. “I wanted to help, not just because of how I feel about you, but because I wanted to help Frances. To do something good with all the time I wasted when I was younger. But, those dogs…”

Her head hung down for a moment as tears filled her eyes. When she lifted them again she saw Cage’s concern written plainly on his features. Concern for her. “Those dogs were here to find drugs. I might be one of the reasons that they can take her away from you.”

Cage’s fingers bit into her hip but they didn’t hurt, they felt like he was anchoring her there beside him. “They didn’t find anything.”

She shook her head. “They didn’t have to. I have a history, Cage. I have a past and it’s all there in court documents. In my arrest record. If I cost that girl her home because I felt this need to help you…”

“Hey.” She felt Cage’s cheek brush against hers, the sensation alone sent chills through her body, sparking in all kinds of delicious places, but it also tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “You’re my mate. I can’t stay away from you. The fact that you care about Frances, that you care about both of us, only makes it easier. But there is no way, none, that I wouldn’t have come to you, wouldn’t have made you a part of my life, Maggie.”

She nodded, turned her head and stopped. “Where… where did Brass go?”

Cage’s smile tickled along her skin. “I think he was giving us some privacy.”

It was her turn to laugh. “On the street?”

He licked his lips and narrowed his eyes on her. “Like I noticed anything but you.”

* * *

Later that evening, they were sitting on the back porch of the house of Devlin and Paige Kerr. They’d had dinner inside, but kept the conversation light, as light as they could given the circumstances.

But seated on the soft outdoor chairs, overlooking their woods-enclosed backyard, Maggie drew in breath after breath of fresh air. “Thanks again,” she looked at Paige and Devlin in turn, “for inviting us out here. You have a really beautiful home.”

Paige blushed, and Devlin set his hand on her shoulder with a gentle squeeze. “We’re glad you could come. I wanted to personally apologize for the K-9 unit today.”

Maggie felt Frances tense up beside her on the couch and reached over to take her hand and fit their fingers together. “It was fine. There wasn’t anything for them to find. I put that part of my life behind me… years ago.”

Devlin narrowed his eyes. “I know.”

She felt a wan smile touch her lips. “That’s a lot of faith to put in someone you don’t really know.”

His smile was genuine. “You’re Cage’s mate. If you were using, he would have put a stop to it.”

The tone of his voice was so matter of fact it had a bracing effect on her.

Paige immediately jumped in to smooth it over. “Because it would hurt you, he’d find a way to stop you from hurting yourself.”

Maggie felt Frances lean her head on her shoulder and Maggie turned to place a kiss on the crown of her head. “I know,” she looked up at the group. “I know what you mean. It’s just hard to imagine someone lo- caring for me like that.”

Cage reached out from his place beside her on the chair and set his arm over her shoulders. She turned, and he placed a lingering kiss on her lips. “Forever, Maggie. I’m never going to let you go.”

A knock on the front door turned the attention into the house.

Coming out of her sudden stupor, Maggie flushed and met Paige’s knowing smile. As the two humans in the area they had a connection that she hoped would grow with time.

Devlin and Cage exchanged a look. Devlin moved for the door. “I’ll get it.”

While he walked away, Maggie turned to Cage. “Hey, while we’re out here, do you think I could just stop in next door and check in on Willa before we go home.” She blushed even deeper. “I mean back to our apartments.”

Cage didn’t need to answer, Paige did. “No need,” she told them, “that should be Willa now.”

Maggie got up from the couch and flushed to the roots of her hair when Cage’s hand smoothed up and over her backside as she moved into the open. Paige joined her, and they leaned their heads together.

“Do you ever get used to… you know?”

Paige laughed. “You mean how touchy feely they get?”

Maggie sighed. “Exactly.”

Linking her arm through Maggie’s, Paige shook with laughter. “No… and he makes me shiver every time.”

Maggie smiled. “Me too.”

Devlin reappeared walking beside Willa who was progressing slowly with her rounded belly. Behind her a young man, who was even taller than Devlin, walked close enough to look like a bodyguard more than a guest.

Paige reacted first, almost squealing with happiness, “Cobb!”

Willa started down the steps to the patio and the taller young man took hold of her right elbow as Devlin took hold of the left. The very pregnant woman gave Paige a slightly sour look. “Oh fine! Forget about me.”

Paige rolled her eyes and moved close enough to take Willa gently in her arms. “Silly girl.”

“Silly incubator,” Willa laughed and met Maggie’s eyes. “Hi.”

Maggie stepped up and pressed a kiss to Willa’s cheek. “So glad to see you. You have to let me know when it’s a good time to return the favors. I owe you and your family a bunch of meals for the help you’ve given me.”

Paige’s curious gaze spoke volumes.

Willa answered. “With all of the meetings with the lawyers, I took a couple of shifts at the diner.”

“I owe them dinners, a lot of dinners.”

“Can I get a raincheck for after the baby is born?”

Maggie nodded. “That sounds great.”

“Can I come too?”

Maggie’s surprise was a happy one. “Frances, really?”

Frances shrugged her shoulders. “Sure. I like babies.”

Willa stepped closer to the couch and Maggie took over elbow duty, helping Willa sit down beside Frances.

The pregnant cook smiled at the younger woman. “You might have to fight off some of my boys, they’re all trying to get at the top of the list as favorite big brother.”

Sitting back against the cushion, Frances laughed. “I can take them.” She waved her fingers in the air. “I’ve got claws.”

“So do we.” The young man that came in with Willa stood near her elbow and looked down at Frances. “We’re all bears.”

Maggie saw the way that Frances reacted to the young man. It was subtle, but there. She lifted her chin a little more. She drew in breaths with a little more force than she let them out. And her lips pressed together, ever so slightly. “I’m a lion.” She smiled then, her lips peeling back to reveal an impressive set of fangs.

Willa smiled at Maggie. “She sounds like she’s right out of Downton Abbey.”

“Ha,” Frances laughed, “not quite that posh, Miss.”

Cobb offered a small smile. “You sound more like Rose to me, Rose Tyler from-”

“Hey, I know where Rose Tyler’s from,” she laughed. “I’m British, I’ve seen Doctor Who a few times and I think you just earned yourself a friend. Rose is my favorite companion.”

Cobb grinned right back. “She’s mine too.”

Maggie saw movement on the other side of Frances and she sucked in a breath. She wasn’t the only one seeing the connection between the two younger people. Cage had eyes and he certainly had an over-developed protective streak.

The tall lanky teenager beside her was easy going, his manner said so. And the fact that Willa’s mate trusted her in the young man’s company spoke volumes to her.

But she saw the look in Cage’s eyes and knew what he saw. A male near his daughter. About the same age, handsome, and male. Male being the operative danger here.

Before Cage could get between them, Maggie put her hand on Cobb’s shoulder. “I’ll admit I don’t know the first thing about this Doctor Who. What’s it about?”

That got both of the teens talking and Cage sat back down in his seat. To make sure he stayed there, Maggie moved over and started to sit on the end, but Cage had his own distracting methods. He pulled her right down onto his lap.

As Frances and Cobb spoke in animated tones, she draped her arm over Cage’s shoulders and felt his warmth beside her.

She knew this whole problem would work out, it had to. When it did, they could settle into a life… like this. Friends. Family.

Maggie couldn’t wait.