Ch.1 The Tragedy that brought them close. "what? never ... you expect me to take a lioness cub to my home?" Zann screamed at the man. "She is without mother. Without father. Take her or she die." he had a spanish accent and it was evident he knew little english. "Ok, Ok..." He took the cub and the man ran off. "this will be a trip" Zann said softly "I'll call you Jessica" * * * Ten years down the line. 'I never thought a lion could speak. she can't speak lion either' Zann said as he fed Jess, which was her new nickname. "Zann can I see you for a minute in the living room?" Jessica asked. She was 12 now. Zann walked in. "yes?" "where did you find me?" Jessica asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Well..." I said thinking back. " it was right after the poachers killed your parents...A mexican man found you and brought you to me and then I took care of you." "oh...well...I'm differint from other lions...do you know why?" "no I don't...but all I do know is you can speak like a human and your age doesn't seem to age like a normal lion. You seem around my age" Zann grins as he sits beside her. "Thank you Zann" She slowly swirls her tail around watching the television. Jess didn't act like it, but she would be around 23. Zann was about 25 now. He went back to preparing lunch for him and Jess, when there is a knock on the door. As usual Jess quickly sauntered into a hiding place as Zann got the door. It was an environmentalist. "Hello..." Zann said slowly and the man quickly stepped in. "I have suspicion that you are keeping a lion here." The man showed his badge as an environmentalist. "Well I don't--" The man cut Zann off. "I've got a search warrent. Move!" The man pushes past and begins searching the house completely. Zann's blood ran cold and his mind raced to try and save his companion. Nothing came to him. He had to save her. She's been there for him and him for her. He heard Jess' scream and knew the environmentalist had found her. Zann ran toward the scream to where the environmentalist held the tranquilizer gun up to her head. "NO!" Zann jumped in front of the gun and take the dart. seeing this, Jess jumps up with a roar and attacks the environmentalist. "don't ... kill ... him ... Jess!" Zann said as the dart was taking effect, I passed out. She obeyed hi, just keeping him still until Zann woke up. Which was about an hour. "We're going to have to do away with him, unfortunately..." I said regretfully. "maybe burn him?" The man took out a pistol and shot Zann in one movement. The bullet went in and out his right shoulder. Jess roared and ripped the man's throat open before he had a chance to shoot her. "oh no! what do I do? what do I do?!" Jess excaimed pacing nervously. "get me the phone." I say wincing. Jess raced to get the phone, then brought it to me. I quickly dialed 911 and tolled them where we were and what happened. They said they'd come as soon as possible and I hung up the phone. "Jess...we need to get rid of the body...put it in the attic. in the secret panel you used to hide in for now." Jess nodded solemnly and drags him into the attic after cleaning up the blood on the floor. After a few minutes an ambulance is heard and 4 morph wolves run in all in medical suits and all of them have a hold on the stretcher. They clean the blood and inspect the wound. One wolf that is inspecting my wound "it nicked the lungs. he needs surgery!" They put him on the stretcher and run out to the ambulance followed closely by Jess. "Stop the bleeding!" "There's an exit hole! bandage the other side too!" "Fix the IV!" "Get him on the respirator!" Jess was so scared. All these doctors yelling things. Her life long companion shot and on an ambulance. It was all to much. She broke down, sobbing and whimpering. It took a full 5 minutes to get him to the hospital. Jess was still sobbing as they rushed him into surgery and hooked him up to a heart moniter. then dragged Jess out and locked her in a broom closet for fear of her going and hurting the patients. He was in surgery for hours and they thought they were doing good but... The heart rate monitor sounded: "beep, beep...beep...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."