Stephen got a message from someone on his phone and bit back an annoyed sigh while he answered it, and I looked at him curiously because I had no idea what was going on. "I guess I can not go with you to the gorilla pit," he said and looked at me while he pursed his lips in annoyance. "I am needed somewhere else and can't go with you."

I raised an eyebrow in question and cocked my head to the side while I studied him. "Oh?" I asked, and he nodded in confirmation. I furrowed my brows and cocked my head to the side while I studied him. "And where do you have to go?"

"Do stupid paperwork stuff that can not wait," he said, and I could tell that he was lying. He sighed and shook his head, silently telling me not to push before he cleared his throat as if he knew that I knew he was lying. "Keep me updated about what's going on with the kid and the gorilla pit. Ok?" He raised an eyebrow in question, offering me a tight smile. "I will see you when you are done with whatever else you have to do and I am done with this stupid paperwork."

I scowled and narrowed my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word while I stared at him, silently debating on whether or not I should argue with him and have him tell me the real reason what was going on and why he was wanting to keep me in the dark.

Stephen bit back a small smile and tucked his head closer to his chest as if he knew what I was thinking. "Please, Ernie," he said softly while he shook his head, again silently telling me not to push him to tell me for right now.

I bit back an annoyed sigh but slowly nodded, relenting because I knew that he would not tell me what was going on, even though I had a feeling that it was something important. "Ok," I said, letting him hear the annoyance in my voice, and he instantly grinned cheekily. "But one of these days, you'll tell me what's so important that you had to stop this meeting with each other, right, Burt?" I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Maybe," he said and sent me a small smirk and a wink, earning an eye roll from me while my scowl grew deeper, "but I want to make sure that everything is good for me to say anything before I do. Ok? Ok."

"Stephen," I warned, earning a snicker from him while he nudged my arm teasingly. I scowled and narrowed my eyes, and he laughed, grinning.

However, that didn't last long while he cleared his throat and grew serious. "I'm serious, Erin," he said while he tucked his head closer to his chest. "I'll see you later," he said while he looked around before he looked at me with a small smile on his face. "Keep me updated about the kid, please?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I bit back a tired sigh while I moved a hand through my hair and across my face. "Maybe," I said, and he scowled and narrowed his eyes playfully while I gave him a victorious and playful smirk.

"Touché," Stephen grumbled teasingly. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet before he looked around and then looked at me, biting back a small smile. "I will see you at lunch. Did you pack something for me?"

"Don't I normally?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, biting back a small scowl. "I don't need you to get my food and leave me with nothing. You know that I hate it when you do that, Stephen."

"Oh, I know," he said before he nudged my arm teasingly, "but you live closer to the zoo than me, so it is easier for you to get food than it is for me to get food." He cleared his throat while he shifted on his feet. "Anyway, I will see you later."

I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Have fun with your stupid paperwork, Stephen," I grumbled while I narrowed my eyes, "and don't miss me too much."

"I won't," he said and winked teasingly, and I scoffed and rolled my eyes while a small smile tried to appear from underneath my scowl. "Bye, Ernie." He waved before he turned and walked away from me, and I shook my head and bit back a small sigh before I turned in the opposite direction and went to the gorilla pit by myself.

Oh, please don't let this be something stupid or dangerous that Stephen is having to do that will hurt the animals living here, I silently prayed while I bit the inside of my lip, worried about my animals living here. Please, because I don't know what I will do if it is...

***

I grabbed some snacks for the gorillas and made sure to log what I had given them before I walked to the buckets of food over to the edge of the gorilla pen where I would signal them to come in and eat, especially since I wanted to talk to Frank about what had happened and if he saw something before the boy fell into the pit.

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance. I filled the bowls that were in the cage before I walked over to the button and pressed it, signalling to the gorillas that I wanted them to get ready to enter so that they could get fed.

After a few seconds, there was a loud bang against the steel door, silently indicating that there was someone there, and I couldn't help but chuckle while I shook my head, knowing full well that it was Frank.

"Very funny, Frank," I said while I walked over to a group of buttons on the wall and pressed one of them, and the steel door slowly started to open, and I bit back another tired sigh while I waited for the door to open all the way so that the gorillas could walk into the area.

"Is there food for all of us?" one of the newer gorillas, named Rashma, asked when it was in a position that I would be able to hear them. There was a small pause, and I had a feeling that Rashma shifted on his feet nervously. "Or is it not Erin?"

"Oh, it's Erin," Frank said and banged against the steel door a second time, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Hurry up, Erin," he said. "Why is this taking so long?"

"Because it always takes a long time, and it will take a longer time if you keep banging on it, Frank," I said, "but to answer your question, Rashma, yes, I have made sure that there was food for everyone."

"Even though there is more food for me, right?" Frank asked and banged against the door again. "Because I had been a good boy and made sure that everyone stayed away from the boy."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I did not give you more food because of that, Frank," I said, and he groaned in annoyance.

"And why not?" he asked, biting back a small whine. He entered the room with the others following him as soon as the door was open fully. He pouted and slowly blinked, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl. "Please? I don't want to eat so little food when I did something to help you and the other humans."

I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips into a thinner line, biting back a tired sigh. "Very funny, Frank," I said with an annoyed sigh. "Hurry up and go to your bowls so that you all can eat. Rashma, are you feeling comfortable eating with them?"

"Yes," Rashma said and nodded. "I will be able to eat with them." He hesitated before he moved to his bowl only to be pushed aside by Frank. He backed up and stared at Frank with wide eyes, filled with nervousness and fear.

"Frank," I warned and narrowed my eyes, scowling while I looked at them, and he instantly looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Don't. You know better."

Frank rolled his eyes and scowled. "But I want that one, Erin," he said and pointed at the bowl that Rashma was wanting to go to, which was his and not the other gorilla in front of it.

"And that one is not yours." I pointed toward the one that was closer to me, and Frank looked at it before he looked at me. "Now, go to yours."

"Bu-"

"Now."

Frank grumbled before he rolled his eyes and scowled. "Then wait until I am at my bowl before you go to yours, Boy," he said while he slowly started to walk to his bowl.

"Frank," I warned while the females grumbled in annoyance, and Rashma waited silently while he sat down and waited for Frank to move over to his bowl. "Would you come here? If you do not, then I will make sure to never give you all extra food ever again. Is that understood?"

Frank's eyes grew wide, and he narrowed his eyes and scowled. He paused and looked at me with a hard look on his face. "You wouldn't dare," he said, threateningly and bared his teeth in warning, and I couldn't help but smirk while I tucked my head closer to my chest.

"Try me," I said, and my smirk grew deeper while I tucked my head closer to my chest. "And you will see what I can do in the future. You have my word."