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The wintry wind whipped around Ivy, blowing her scarf every which way as she tried her best to grab her carry on and her cat. She wasn't sure how Mr. Kitty was going to do on the airplane ride, but she didn't want to give him to a permanent new home, and so, he came along for the ride. She had already approved the transfer and the carry on kitty with each airline, and so, unless he started meowing or freaking out, everything would go off without a hitch.

She went to the ticket counter to retrieve her tickets, but she didn't have any bags to check: She had shipped everything she owned over the last few weeks to her destination, and her mother had promised to wash the rest of her clothes and send them along as soon as she could. She had a few emergency supplies in her carry on, like toothpaste, in case her luggage hadn't arrived yet, but she had sent the important stuff well in advance.

For now, they were putting Ivy up in the same research facility that she had left only five months prior. She would be the only person in the place, but from there, she could decide to move off the island. Or move in with Alex, her inner voice taunted her, and she pushed those fantastical thoughts out of the way. They had only shared a couple of kisses and near death experiences. No reason to talk about moving in or marriage, yet. Mr. Kitty was perfectly silent as she shouldered his bag and set him gently down on the security counter.

"I have a cat in here." She explained to the nearest security officer. "I don't think he can go on the conveyor belt."

"Okay. Just hang on to him and walk him through the metal detector with you when you're ready." Ivy nodded and removed her shoes, socks, and laptop from its case.

"You have approval from the airlines, right? For the cat?"

"Yup." Ivy said to the older gentleman and he smiled.

"Looks like a sweetheart. I have a kitty just like him at home."

"He's my best friend." Ivy said, a smile on her face. She absently tapped the carrier. "I'm glad he gets to come with me."

"Good luck." The security officer smiled at her and motioned her through the metal detector. She and Mr. Kitty both passed with flying colors. She got to her gate with an hour to spare, and the realization that she was a real scientist, with a real job, hit her rather hard. She knew she couldn't take Mr. Kitty out of his cage, but she scratched his chin by slipping her hand in. He loved every second of it.

"Are we doing the right thing?" She asked her kitty, but he had no answers for her. She had turned down two other job offers to wait for the official job offer from Kir'nu. Haywood and the others thought that she was crazy, especially in the current market, but she was determined to have her dream job, and be close to the adventure that she had over the summer.

She relaxed into the chair and pulled out her phone, deciding that she should call her mother to at least tell her that she and Mr. Kitty had made it through security. The phone call was short, and sweet, but soon, Ivy heard calls for boarding. Good. Her adventure was about to begin.

#

She watched him change, amazed at the ease with which Alex changed from wolf to man and back. He was speaking to her, but she couldn't hear him, as his words were lost on her whenever he changed. It was like he was trapped in a bad television, his image kept flickering between the two forms so fast that it seemed, for a while, as if both creatures stood before her at once.

"Hi." His voice echoed in her head. "I've been waiting."

Ivy woke with a start, buoyed forward by turbulence on the plane. She had slept through most of her first flight, and apparently, most of her second. Mr. Kitty was happily asleep, too, and thankfully, the turbulence did not wake him. She smiled at her seatmate as she sat up and cleared the sleep from her eyes. It had already been a long day, and she still had to put on a brave face to meet the rangers at the airport.

"How long 'til we land?" Ivy asked her seatmate, a businessman who was surprisingly friendly. Most businessmen she sat next to on flights were rude and wrapped up in their electronics, hastily firing emails until the stewardess forced them to put their laptops away. This man, in contrast, had made friendly conversation with Ivy until they took off, when he settled into a tablet, reading a novel of some sort.

"I think about half an hour. How's the kitty?"

"Oh, he's fine. He's very lazy anyway. I'm sure he'll be happy to get out, but he's been amazing this entire trip."

"Where you coming from?"

"Wisconsin."

"Wow." The man laughed. "Impressive."

"I got a job on Kir'nu." She explained. "I'm a scientist, and we spent the summer there as a research group. They offered me a job when I finished my thesis, and I accepted."

"That's amazing." The man said. "My story is much less interesting." He admitted. "My parents moved out west to retire, and I'm just joining them for a week, since I wasn't able to visit during Christmas."

"Well, that's pretty sweet." Ivy said. "I used to love visiting my grandparents down in Florida every winter."

"I suppose. But, I mean. Wow. A scientist?"

#

Ranger Phelps was the first smiling face Ivy saw as she stepped into the non-secure area, bags in hand. She tried not to be too disappointed -- she did like Jon, a lot. It just wasn't who she wanted to see right now. She swallowed her anxiety though, and tried to make sure that the first words out of her mouth were not about Ranger Alex Sloane.

"Hey, Ivy. How was the flight?" Jon opened his arms for a hug, and Ivy gently set Mr. Kitty and her other bag down.

"It was good." She responded, and hugged him tightly.

"We have to talk about some of the more important rules about working for Kir'nu, but don't you worry. Alex is just driving the truck so we didn't have to pay for parking. You'll see him soon."

Ivy's heart flew with joy. She laughed softly.

"Now who said I wanted to see wolf man?" She asked, but the tears of gratefulness welling up in her eyes told a different story.

"Let's just call it a hunch." Jon said. "Is this your kitty? What's his name? I forgot it already."

"That is Mr. Kitty."

"Wow. Creative." Jon said, as he crouched next to the cage. His phone buzzed and he stood.

"That must be Alex making his rounds. I'll let him know we're ready." Jon picked up the phone and said that they would be out in a minute. Hanging up, he shouldered Ivy's bag and let her take her cat carrier, moving slowly towards the revolving doors, winding his way through the crowds of people.

Alex got out of the truck to greet them. He looked much the same, his glasses resting on his face and complimenting his smile perfectly. He let Ivy set Mr. Kitty's carrier down before he enveloped her in a bear hug so strong that he lifted her clear off of the pavement. With a grin, he set her down, then ruffled her hair, and opened the back door for her to load her bag and cat inside.

"I told you I'd be waiting."

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