Disappointingly, the first bear he finds is fast asleep and stays that way while he sneaks up to touch her.

Ethan is the furthest possible thing from disappointed.

Robin likewise!

The girls watch from the edge of the enclosure, and when everybody's gotten the bear and gotten out, they go land on an elephant.

Andi demorphs and acquires it first, since she can make the transition fastest and is less likely to get pulled or shaken off their target's back before it's entranced.

Bella's next, and she collects elephant DNA, and then remorphs to pigeon and follows her sister out.

All in all, a very tidy operation.

Trouble, having the most pigeon experience of all of them, leads the way back to the Swans' garage.

<Hoooooome,> trills Andi, when they arrive and creep under the gap leading into the garage.

"So, probably the safest way for you guys to try the bear morphs and make sure they're under control is to do it one at a time, while the rest of us are in the house." Bella glances around for anything that could be easily destroyed by a bear, winces slightly. "And try not to wreck stuff, I can explain a lot as 'I stumbled into the shelf' but not, like, claw marks."

Trouble finishes demorphing. "Yeah, got it. I'll go first."

Into the house with everyone else.

Bella opens the door to inspect Trouble-the-bear.

"You're very furry. Okay. Who's going next?"

Bella lets unfurried Trouble back into the house, then closes the door again.

Unfurry Trouble says, "Hug?"

Hug.

Hug. He has missed hug.

<Oh, wow, bears are awesome,> says Robin. <I feel like I could win a fight with a brick wall.>

Bella laughs. "I don't anticipate needing to fight brick walls, but if we ever do, noted."

<All right, demorphing now.>

Ethan waits by the door.

Out comes Robin. She gives Ethan a hug.

"Good choice of morph, huh? I wish we had space to try the elephants. With luck we won't need them any time soon."

<Hey, Trouble, c'mere.>

Trouble laughs. "Not in Bella's garage, man!"

"Yeah, that sounds messy. Thank you for your restraint. I'm sure you'll have the chance when we're up rescuing Charlie. Speaking of which, Ethan, Trouble, do you have carry-on bug morphs yet?"

"Yeah, I'm good to go."

<Likewise. And now, much to my regret, I suppose I'll demorph.>

"What are we going to be smuggling onto the plane, pray tell?"

<A couple of very handsome houseflies.>

"I might get you pillboxes or something to hide in."

"Yeah, just as long as we can get out of them in an emergency. 'Trapped as a bug in a little plastic box' is not high on my list of ways I want to die."

"Pillboxes with fly-sized holes," agrees Bella. "Maybe those travel toothbrush caps. Just so if you're tucked in my pocket and someone bumps into me that's not the end of you and you aren't sitting on my arm waiting for someone to well-meaningly slap me."

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Unfortunately we won't be able to talk you while you're in there, unless me and Andi decide to risk traveling as each other and increase the number of precariously timed bathroom visits we have to undertake. But you'll have each other's charming conversation. And I suppose you'll be able to talk to us, although I'd rather not start giggling or rolling my eyes without obvious prompting so it might not be wise."

"Pretend you're reading a book or something. People laugh at books."

"All right. Have you guys tried out your fly morphs? We have a while before Renée's due home."

"I have!"

"Me too," says Ethan. "It's surprisingly fun."

"Fun? How?"

"Flies," says Ethan, stepping in from the garage, "can fly."

"So can pigeons."

"Pigeons, as far as I know, can't fly upside-down, sideways, or backwards. Flies can do all three. And in comparison to their body size, they are much, much faster. Flying as a fly is a much more exciting experience."

"Fair enough. Perhaps at some point I will collect one."

"You should, they're fun," says Trouble. He hugs Ethan.

"Okay. Is this it for tonight?"

"Pretty sure it is, yeah," says Robin, joining in the hug.

"Okay. We'll see you guys later, then."

And Trouble will follow them. To help. Yes.

And Robin and Ethan, fully dressed and quite tidy, follow it out.

"Bye."

"Bye, guys."