"Hey, Kiddo," Stephen said while he grinned and looked at Luke while he tucked his head to his chest. "How are you? I'm Stephen. I'm Erin's buddy."

Luke bit back a small smile and clutched my neck. He didn't say a word while he looked at Stephen and then looked at me with wide innocent eyes.

"I think he is good but just tired," I said while I walked out of the exhibit, making sure to take my keys with me before I closed the door after making sure that it was locked. "It's been an exhausting day today, hasn't it?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow in question and looked at him.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said and nodded. He shifted in my arms and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Are we going to go see my mommy now?" he asked while he cocked his head and stared at me and then at him.

"Yes, Little Man," Stephen said and nodded in confirmation. "Are you comfortable staying in Erin's arms, or do you want to walk?"

Luke grabbed my neck tighter and moved closer to me, and I grunted. "Here," he said as if he was thinking that I would put him down now that he was safe. "I would like to stay up here, please."

I bit back a small laugh. "The kid has spoken," I said, and Stephen looked at me and then looked at Luke, raising an eyebrow in question. "Come on and let's go find his mom. After that, I need to get back to work." I grimaced and rolled my eyes, and Stephen snorted, amused.

Luke grinned and nodded before he turned to look at me. "Can't I stay with you, Erin?" he asked while he cocked his head and studied me, biting back a small pout. "Is that ok? I want to work, and I will behave."

I bit back a small smile and shook my head. "Sorry, Little Man," I said, apologetically. "I don't think you will be able to stay with me today. There is a way that we can set something up in the future, but you won't be able to stay today."

Luke pouted. "Are you sure?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, and I bit back a small chuckle while I nodded in confirmation. "Bu-"

"I'm sorry, Little Man," Stephen said and shook his head, interrupting Luke. "Erin said no, so it's going to be a no. You can't change her mind."

Luke pouted further, and I bit back a small chuckle and patted his leg. He didn't say a word and placed his head on my shoulder. He closed his eyes and sighed, biting back a small whine.

I bit back a small snort and shifted him just a bit, and he lifted his head and looked at me. "Hey, now," I teased and flashed him a small smirk and a wink. "You do need to get cleaned up and possibly get dressed in different clothes." I started to walk to the front of the building, where I hoped that his mother would be with someone else, and Stephen followed me.

"True," he said and wrinkled his nose, pursing his lips in annoyance. "I'm sorry," he said, and I bit back a small laugh and nodded. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's ok," I said before I cleared my throat and licked my lips, growing serious. "Were you climbing on the fence?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said and nodded in confirmation. "I wanted to see the gorillas, but Mommy didn't want to pick me up and help me see them."

Stephen and I looked at each other with a small frown on our faces, and a look of worry flashed through his eyes. We didn't say a word when we looked at each other before we looked forward and continued to walk to the door.

"She is not a bad mommy," Luke said, defending her. "She does a lot of things right as a mommy. She loves me." He shrugged and grimaced, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I mean, she just forgets sometimes."

"Forgets about what, Bud?" Stephen asked and patted his leg, and Luke looked at him with wide eyes. "Does she forget about you?"

Luke hesitated before he shrugged, not saying a word.

Stephen looked at me and raised both eyebrows in unison, and I shrugged and grimaced because I had no idea if what we were thinking was happening to him.

Was he being neglected..?

"Do you get enough to eat every day, Bud?" Stephen asked and looked at Luke, raising an eyebrow in question. "Or are you hungry?"

"No, I am not hungry," he said and shook his head. "I get enough to eat every day." He furrowed his brows and cocked his head, biting back a small frown. "I think. What's enough food for a growing boy?"

I bit back a small snort and looked at Stephen, who grinned innocently. "There isn't anything that will keep a growing boy from being full. Isn't that right, Stephen?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him.

"That's not true," he said and shook his head. "There is a lot of stuff that can keep us full."

I gave him a weird look, pursing my lips in annoyance. "Then why do you continue to eat my own food on top of yours?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because you love me, and you pack me extra treats," he said and shrugged, looking nonchalant, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl. "You also live like a five minute walk from here, so you can go home whenever you want."

I bit back a small snort and shook my head. "I can not," I said. "I am not allowed to go home every time I want. I have work to do. I'm not lazy like you." I flashed him a playful smirk and winked, and Stephen snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, Erin," he grumbled playfully and nudged my arm teasingly. "I am not lazy. I follow the rules and do things that do not promote bad behavior." He raised both eyebrows in unison and gave me a pointed look.

I gave him a weird look and raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you talking about me jumping into the gorilla pen?" I asked, and he nodded in confirmation.

"Exactly," he said and winked, biting back a small smile, and I couldn't help but grin, amused while I rolled my eyes. "You shouldn't have jumped into the gorilla pen to get to Luke." He gestured to Luke, and Luke moved closer to me and turned to look away from Stephen while he closed his eyes. "You should have gone the long way around to get him."

I shrugged and looked nonchalant, biting back a small smirk. "Eh, that would have taken too long, and he could have gotten hurt," I said. "That's why I did it because I knew that the gorillas wouldn't have done anything to me."

"Mmmmhmmm," Stephen said and narrowed his eyes while he scowled playfully and studied me further. "Did that bird have anything to do with it?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I rolled my eyes and scowled, knowing full well that he was talking about Garrett. "No," I said and shook my head. "Garrett had nothing to do with this."

"Garrett?" Luke asked curiously looking between the two of us. He cocked his head to the side while he studied me. "Who is Garrett?"

"My crow friend," I said with a small shrug while I grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "His name is Garrett. He likes shiny things and keeps tabs on everything that happens here."

"She talks to animals," Stephen mocked whispered and flashed him a small smirk and a wink. "Don't tell her that I told you." He placed his finger to his lips and made a shushing noise, and I rolled my eyes and scowled, biting back a small snort.

Luke's eyes grew wide, and he looked at me. "Really?" he asked, ignoring Stephen's gasp of shock. "Can you actually hear and understand what animals are saying?" he asked while he studied me.

I bit back a small smile and shook my head. "Sorry, Bud," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted him a little so that I was able to be comfortable, too. "I can't talk to them like that."

Luke's face fell, and I couldn't ignore the guilt that I felt, but he couldn't know that I was actually able to do it. "Oh," he said disappointedly while he pouted. "Ok."

"But I do talk to them," I said, trying to get that smile back on his face. "However, they don't talk back, and sometimes, I think that it is a good thing because they know too much." I flashed him a small wink, and a grin appeared on his face.

And with that, we walked the rest of the way in silence with me cursing Stephen every step of the way because I had no idea why he had to bring that up.

Oh Gods, bless him...