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[crazyspacegirl]

Zoe had liked the carnival a lot, while it had been around. She'd got to ride in circles on wooden animals for hours, and had come home with a good number of interesting stuffed animals. Her favorite, the one that had made her laugh from the moment she'd seen it until her Daddy won it for her, was the giant banana. It looked like it was

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[polly_okeefe]

I had heard a lot of shouts and screams that morning, and had seen a lot of horrible things, but this was the first time I'd heard a child's cry. And that made me sick and angry at the same time. Do what you want with us, Island, but if you ever harm a child...!

I rushed along the path, Zell's shotgun under one arm, and my knife in my other hand. That's when I saw River and her daughter, surrounded. I rushed forward, shouting, and brought my knife down hard through the nearest animal, skewering a stuffed turtle to the ground.

[crazyspacegirl]

Simon Chicago's wolf heritage was never more evident than now, when he growled and snapped and fought his way to the side of the smallest member of his pack. He put himself between her and the banana and glared at the thing, trying to figure out where its throat might be so he could kill it.

River was glad that her good dog was managing to protect Zoe, at least for the moment, because she was having a hard time getting herself free from a pack of bears that might only have come up to her knees but were still managing to make more than a nuisance of themselves. She was managing to rip into them with her hands, but it was a slow process and they were biting her as she tried.

[polly_okeefe]

I was thankful that Zell'd had the forethought to hand me my knife, rather than just letting me go out with a shotgun. He'd also said 'don't shoot any good guys', and I could see what he meant. In this melee of stuffed monsters, there was no way I was going to get a clear shot, and I risked doing far more damage than the toys if I tried.

I pulled the turtle I'd skewered to the ground, ripping him clear in half and turned, just in time to see a unicorn leap, its horn aimed right at my face. I batted it aside. Then, as the stuffed animals started to swarm, I grabbed each one I could and heaved them as far as I could. It didn't kill them, but it bought us time.

[crazyspacegirl]

River grabbed a toy unicorn that was coming toward her and managed to rip off its horn. Now she had a weapon, and these bears didn't stand a chance. She made her way to Zoe and Simon Chicago just as Simon was managing to wrestle the vicious banana to the ground, snarling and tearing out mouthfuls of fluff. She scooped Zoe up and away from the worst of the danger, stabbing another bear with the horn in her hand as she stood.

[polly_okeefe]

The tide was turning. River was holding her own. Doing much better than holding her own. I made a mental note not to get on her bad side. She dispatched another bear with a unicorn horn, and I skewered another turtle. And then we seemed to have a respite. I looked over to River and Zoe. "Are you two all right?" I asked.

[crazyspacegirl]

River checked Zoe over, not an easy task with the way the terrified little girl clung to her, and then nodded. "I think so. You?"

Simon Chicago ripped the head off a bear and sneezed at the stuffing that tickled his nose.

[polly_okeefe]

"Yeah," I said. I came closer, cautiously, and reached out gently to Zoe, ready to back off if Zoe or River demanded it. "There, there," I said, softly. "You're safe, now. Your mommy's got you."

Poor Zoe, I thought. In fact, I felt sorry for all the kids. The Children's Office was probably going to have to throw out its collection of stuffed toys. The realization made my anger for the island burn hotter.

"We're gathering people at the Hub and the Compound," I said to River. "To make sure everyone's safe. You want me to take you there?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Bad nana," said Zoe, a note of betrayal in her voice. She might have eaten a lot of bananas, but other than that she hadn't ever done anything but love them. She hadn't ever expected one to try to hurt her.

"No, thank you. None of those places are safer than Serenity." River wouldn't speak for Zoe, but she wanted nothing so much as to just go home.

[polly_okeefe]

I nodded. Seeing River defend her child, I believed it. "Okay, then. Need any help? I could walk you there."

[crazyspacegirl]

"I think we're okay, but you don't have to go off alone if you don't want to." River knew she was capable of taking care of both herself and Zoe, but she wasn't one to refuse help, either.

[polly_okeefe]

"Thanks," I said. I definitely appreciated the company. "I'd like that very much."