Safe Haven

Standing Firm

Dear Wonderful Fans, I know I'm a terrible person because I haven't posted anything in what seems like forever. Unfortunately, school started up again and I'm determined to successfully stomp out some classes. Between that, and covering football practice, it seems like I barely have time to breathe. So, this may come a little late and many have probably lost interest and I'm sorry about that. But I hope those of you who stayed apart of my fans will enjoy this next bit.

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"Is it completely normal for you to be holding cubs as though they're human children?" Bo questioned, his eyes shooting up to observe Sage as he scribbled down quick notes about the random facts she spurted. The one thing he loved about her is when she caught so caught up in what she was doing that her thought processes began traveling in circles. He heard the distinct click click click as Cooper stepped around them, taking as many pictures as he could.

"When they're tiny little cubs still feeding from a bottle, yes," Sage admitted, swaying as though she were rocking the small animal. "They're just as high-maintenance as any other baby out in the world." She tilted the small bottle back down toward the cub, allowing Skittles's tongue to strike out and like the beads of milk from the bottle.

"Do you think it will be more difficult for Skittles to learn to live out in the wilderness. Maybe some psychological factor gets involved since he has no mother to glean information from?" Bo pressed, trying to be careful with his wording. He knew the incidence with Dusk was still a touchy subject. However, if Sage didn't show whether or not it affected her.

"It may end up being a little more different for him, but not necessarily harder. Every animal has certain instincts that keep them from dying off. However, the funny thing about animals is when one baby is left alone, the mother of an entirely different species can care for the baby," Sage explained as Skittles finished off the rest of the bottle. Bo watched as she continued rocking the swaddled couger cub. He knew she would be a good mother.

As the cougar fell asleep, Sage passed him on and led Bo back outside, pausing by an enclosure where no animal sat near the fence. Sage stared into the pit, frozen as her eyes darted back and forth. But Bo somehow knew she wasn't in danger; she was just searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" Bo whispered into her ear, causing her to jump. Giggling, she turned to him, made sure no one was watching and pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"Remember when I told you about the snow leopard? I'm looking for him," Sage responded, turning back to the enclosure. "There's no telling how long we're going to have to sit here today."

It was at that point when Bo decided he'd be goofy. He stepped up to the fence, nudged it a little with his foot and called out, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

Sage shook her head in disbelief at him. "Bo, if that really worked, don't you think I would've--"

When her sentence stopped short, Bo glanced over his shoulder to see a white leopard peeking around a tree at him. Bo and Sage watched as the snow leopard slowly crept out, tensing every few seconds as though it were afraid one of the humans would go attack it. As it was, both of them were frozen in place.

Willing to toy with Sage, Bo spoke up to the leopard again. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty." At his voice, the leopard began chuffing, and trotted up to the fence, pushing against the gate in an attempt to get Bo to pet it. Bo turned around and grinned at Sage.

"Show-off," she muttered, rolling her eyes as Cooper captured one moment after the other. Sage had spent hours just sitting outside of the enclosure, waiting for the un-named leopard. Bo took less than a minute to get the monster to the fence and bond with it. "You know what? Since that beast seems to like you, why don't you name him?"