Stephen cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow in question. "So, he wasn't able to find anything out about the kid?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he stared at me before he looked in the direction that Garrett had flown in before he looked at me.

"No," I said and bit back an annoyed sigh, pursing my lips in annoyance while I moved a hand across my face and through my hair. "He hadn't been able to find something about the boy and if there is anything going on behind the scenes that we have to be concerned about."

"Hmmm." Stephen slowly nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line before he looked at me. "So... what do we do now?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, cocking his head to the side while he studied me. "Or do you have a clue?"

I bit back a small snort and shook my head. "No," I said. "I do not know what we are going to do now. I want to ask some of the others closer to the gorilla pit, but..." I shrugged and grimaced. "I can't do that while we are still in business, and I don't want people to think that I am crazy."

"Well..." Stephen smiled innocently, and I rolled my eyes and scowled while I nudged his arm, and he moved with my shove while he snickered.

"Very funny, Stephen," I grumbled while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "You already knew that I was born with this gift, so I do not know why you are acting like that."

"Well, I am acting like that because I find it funny," he said and winked teasingly, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and press my lips into a thin line. "I know it is a gift, and it's a cool gift."

"Sometimes," I said and bit back a tired sigh while I moved a hand across my face. "It's not when a lot of animals talk to each other and then you, asking a lot of questions and wondering if you can actually understand them or not."

"That should have stopped, though, right?" Stephen asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I mean, the animals asking you if you can understand them because most of them know that you can."

"But there are still new ones that cross my path every so often that question me about my abilities," I said. "Speaking of which, aren't we expecting something "new" in the next couple of days?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Stephen scowled and rolled his eyes before he narrowed them and folded his arms across his chest. "Don't change the subject, Erin," he said. "How many animals have asked you if they could understand you?"

"More than I can count," I said, holding back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line, and he grinned innocently. "Now, come on, let's go do something work related or see what Isiah had found out, if he had found out anything."

Stephen slowly nodded before he bit back a small smile. "Well, let's give Frank his treat first," he said with a laugh in his voice. "Maybe they have figured out something for you."

"True." I slowly nodded and started to make my way to the entrance of the "hidden area," and Stephen followed me, trailing behind. "Are you still going to follow me?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation. "I do not know why you think that I will do anything different, especially since I am just as curious about what happened as you are."

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Even though you can't understand half of what is being said."

Stephen shrugged and grimaced. "I don't mind," he said, and I could tell that he was being honest. He looked at me and offered me a tight smile. "It's sometimes fun to see the look on your face when they say something that annoys you, but you can't show that you are annoyed because no one else is able to hear them."

"I do not get annoyed with them," I said, earning a small snort from him.

"You do too, Erin," he said and nodded in confirmation. "I mean, you got mad at Garrett for saying something and then all blushy and what not. Your cheeks turned a shade of red that looked like little cherries."

My cheeks turned a slight shade of red, and I looked away from him, earning a small snort from the other male. "Shut up," I grumbled, and he laughed. "I do not know what you are talking about, Stephen."

"You do," he said and nudged my shoulder teasingly. "Your cheeks don't lie."

Sure enough, my cheeks turned another shade of red, and I couldn't look away from him while I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Shut up, Stephen, or else, I'll ask Isaiah to tell you to do something else so that you can't come with me."

"And what will you have Isaiah tell me to do if I don't shut up?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.

I shrugged and grimaced. "I don't know," I said before I cleared my throat and moved a hand across my arm, biting back a small sigh. "I just know that I will have you do something else so that I can do this alone."

"But Isaiah will not want you to do this alone," Stephen said and shook his head. "I do not know why you think that will be any different, but I can assure you that he won't let you do this by yourself."

I bit back an annoyed sigh and slowly nodded, pursing my lips in annoyance. "I know." I moved a hand across my face and bit back another annoyed sigh before I cleared my throat and grew serious. "That's why I am not going to radio him about it."

Stephen hummed and nodded. "I am sure that he will call to check on you, though," he said, "or to tell you that it's a good time to check in on the boy."

My heart ached, and I bit back a small sigh while I slowly nodded. "I am hoping that he will be ok," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted from side to side while I walked to the gorilla pen. "I hope that he tells them everything and tells them the stuff truthfully."

"He might not," Stephen said and looked at me from the corner of his eye. "I mean, there have been times where you haven't said a lot of stuff truthfully."

I bit the inside of my lip and folded my arms across my chest, not saying a word. I had no idea what he was talking about, what he was implying, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had tried to do some research on me and what my background was like, especially since I didn't normally talk about it.

"Erin?" Stephen asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head. "Leave it alone, Stephen," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what you know or what you have found out, but I want you to leave it alone. We're at work, and that's not work related."

Stephen rolled his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. "One day, can you tell me what you are hiding?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question. "Please?"

I bit back an annoyed sigh and slowly nodded, pursing my lips in annoyance. "One day," I said, not saying when that would be. "However, let's work on this first so that we can get this stuff done. Ok? I think it's almost lunch time for us."

My stomach growled when I said that, and Stephen laughed and nodded. "Ok," he said, "but I promise that I will keep asking you stuff until you tell me." He flashed me a small wink, and I rolled my eyes, biting back a small laugh.

"Shut up, Stephen," I said. "Just shut about it already. You will know later, and that's all that you need from me. I promise."

And you had my word...