Home Is in Your Heart

"Mom. Hey, we're here." Iolvin hopped out the driver's side of his jeep and headed to the back to grab some bags. "I have no clue how you could sleep the whole way over. Lulu's been screaming at me, haha."

"Well you haven't driven a car in years! And your new body is all twitchy!" Ilaria slipped out the passenger side seat and focused entirely on keeping her legs from shaking, her eyes settling upon her robotic leg. "I can't help it. I've never been right since the accident."

"It's all good, Ottah." Robyn slid out the seat behind Ari's and gave her a waist-level hug. "Just breathe, love. Breathe."

"Baby girl..." Catherine stepped out the remaining seat and rounded the front of the vehicle to bolster that hug. "I'm here if you need me."

"Yeah, but not for long." Yoyo dropped the first bags by the front door and returned for the rest. "I can't believe you're going through with that plan. I mean, I support it and all but... this is home."

"I know... but I can't stay here." Cathy walked to the side door and fumbled with the lock, almost regretting having come back enough to delay her entry. "Just standing here reminds me too much of your father."

"Well I don't see that as a bad thing." Yoyo schlepped the luggage inside and settled it all in the living room for the time being. "Damn... it still smells like sex in here."

"Well the libido runs in the family." Carbon entered through the front door along with Adrian, Zoë, and Rhyme in tow. "Wow, though. I can smell it through my mask."

"Hey, guys. Odd to see you get here after us, considering that amped-up SUV of Carbon's" Yoyo walked over to greet his mates with a hug. "Welcome home, guys."

"For a few weeks, anyway. C'mere..." Ari wobbled over to the couch and fell back into it, beckoning to her own mates with outstretched arms. "Hey, how did Carbon get in here, anyway?"

"I have a key." Carbon dropped a few bags he toted near the door and decided to rest in an armchair. "You're looking at the new owner of this place."

"Wait, you're the buyer? We only spoke to an attorney." Cathy leaned down over the hybrid's chair and planted a kiss on his temple. "That puts me more at ease. I didn't want the new owner to wreck the place."

"Well I still might. You guys used to hold awesome parties here, after all." Carbon snickered as she pulled a packet of papers out of her bag. "I have a security firm and maid service lined up to watch the place for you. As long as I'm able, I'm not letting my second home go away."

"So Yangurraar isn't your second?" Ari pulled Robyn into her lap and welcomed Rhyme to her side. "We're spending some time settling back down, but what are you going to do now?"

"We're still talking about it, but Sydney and the kids might want to tag along back to Yangurraar. Apparently your girls have some kind of plans for Sydney, too." Carbon stretched out a bit, only to have Cathy drop into his tiny lap. "Ouf! Seriously?"

"I'm just happy you're sticking to the family instead of the military." Cathy shimmied to her side and wedged her small frame next to Carbon in the single seat. "Maybe the family life will be good for you. You're so serious all the time."

"I never said I preferred my line of 'work'. I just... was compelled to do it." Carbon cuddled up against Cathy and rubbed her toned belly. "I'd much rather your job. Hey, you look pretty good for having a kid at your age. You're one sexy otter, you."

"Don't remind me of her. I already miss my baby Nadiya."

"Sydney has her covered. She's... surprisingly good at this whole mother thing." The hybrid stroked Cathy's hair as she held her close. "Packing up your stuff should be your focus right now. We're here to help, hon."

"Thank you, but... packing isn't the important part here." Cathy eased herself up and scanned a batch of framed pictures on the fireplace mantle. "Family is the one thing I think we've proven I'll never have to worry about. My tribe however... They need a home."

Yoyo picked up a picture of the whole family at a tribal camping trip. "Mom, they have places all over town."

"That's the problem. We're scattered. We're living off of the government. Many of our people want to return to the wilds." Cathy found a nice picture of her husband with the children and had to wipe a tear from her eye. "I am their Raft Mother. It's my duty to lead them back."

"Well my girls will have their changes done in a few weeks if we're lucky. If things work like they say they will, we should be able to execute that plan of yours in no time. They're saying the trip could take only _one month _." Ari checked her watch display and nodded at some data she had on alert. "In fact, they just got their first delivery up the Lambda Tower platform."

"Damn, they work quickly." Adrian chuckled at the energy those twins mustered up out of nowhere. "I'm impressed what they managed to accomplish just on the trip back home. That ship of theirs is pretty luxurious now."

"You should take a gander at my plans, mate." Robyn picked up one of the pictures and accidentally cracked the glass front with her robotic paw. "Blast... I know I just got the Starbreeze up and running, but I had months with nothing but free time and CAD software."

"You were making replacement designs and stuff, right? Here..." Rhyme helped Robyn put down the picture frame so she could focus on holding her cut closed. "I didn't think you had the time for something like a whole ship. What class is it?"

"There isn't one; it's something entirely new." The robo-squirrel giggled as she got into engineering mode with her mate. "You see, length isn't the greatest but the design maximizes the internal volume, which leads to the overall displacement going far over the expected value for a ship of her..."

"Okay, they'll be busy for hours." Ari softly kissed her mother on the neck and pulled her away from the hard memories stacked on the mantle. "Let's get you settled first. We can always pack tomorrow."

"We raised you two well. You're so caring." Cathy nuzzled her daughter, tugging the waist of her sirat gently. "Now let's go see if the bed still works. I need to stretch before I work."

---

---

May 4th, 2005

A'ana, Island of Upolo, S?moa

---

---

"You sure you saw them this way?" Carbon hopped over a low branch as he followed his small fire-team through a tropical forest. "I'm seeing a lot of heat signatures, enough I can't tell what's what."

"Well I don't need to see them. I've got their scent from the last tribe we asked." Vasily trudged through the brush, slashing away pointy date palms so his team didn't accidentally become skewered. "It's getting a lot stronger. We're right on them now."

"Keep your weapons down, guys. No need to spook them." Carbon sped up his pace to match his point-man's side. "I think I spot a fire. See? That way?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess we could have checked for smoke this whole time." Vasily diverted that direction, his nose winking wildly at the multitude of smells wafting over it. "Yeah, that's cooking fish. Definitely found those otters."

"Sir?" One of the other soldiers got Carbon's attention, nudging his rifle to a lookout in a tree. "They've made us. Orders?"

"Crap. They're one of the defensive tribes." The hybrid adjusted his gas mask and used the moment to scratch his sore skin. "Okay, you guys stay back once we clear this tree line. Keep our exit open. Volk, you're with me. Radio every half hour."

"Yes, sir."

"Got it, little buddy." Vasily let his leader gain some ground so the tribals knew he was the one in charge. "Want me to ditch the rifle, too? It helped last time."

"I know the damage that pistol of yours alone can do, so go for it if you think it's safe." Carbon spotted Vasily handing off his primary weapon to a teammate as he entered the open, waving a paw over his head a certain way that signified peace. "Hello! Do any of you speak English? Parlez-vous Français?"

There was a silence for a moment as a few loincloth clad otters paused their routines for a frown or two. "Oui." A young woman stopped a conversation she was having and walked over, the sirat she wore bearing far more color and decoration than the others. "Nous n'avons normalement pas de visiteurs."

"Gods, the pelt on her..." Vasily rejoined his friend and leader, nodding apologetically to the woman. "Sorry. What did she say? Something good?"

"She just mentioned they don't get many visitors."

"Ah! English!" The otter smiled brightly for Vasily. "I want to be like friend. Will use English for you."

"Oh, that's a pleasant surprise. Not many islanders speak English." Carbon offered two paws, palms upward, as a show of good will. "My name is Carbon."

"I am Catherine." Cathy retained her smile in earnest as she laid her arms over Carbon's so he cupped her elbows and vice versa. "I learn English for good of Vaiinu. Is good, yes?"

"It's, uh... not bad." Volk took a jab to his side and coughed out a correction. "It's nice of you to study for our sake. Thank you, Catherine. I'm Vasily."

"We meet well, friends." Cathy checked around her and lost her smile upon spotting two similarly dressed otters heading her way. "Leader speak with you, please. You want me to... English for you?"

"I can speak French if it helps."

Cathy shook her head at the hybrid. "No French. Not correct isle. Only speak S?moa."

"She's right; we're not in French Polynesia anymore. Well then that would be much appreciated, hon." Vasily offered a single paw and received a shortened version of the same greeting shake. "You have a beautiful accent, by the way."

The otter girl ducked her head into her shoulders a bit and flushed red in her face. "Th-Thank you." The elder otters slowed to a stop, leading to a quiet exchange between them and Cathy. "They ask who send you? Ah... What tribe you follow?"

"We are part of the United Nations of Earth Army. We come in a gesture of peace."

Cathy relayed the message and received a grumpy response. "Peace means we are at war. What war requires peace?"

"Oh, that's not quite what I meant. The rest of the world was at war and destroyed a large part of the planet--of nature." Carbon pulled out a strip of cloth that had various totems tied to it. "We have helped other tribes near you. We want to stop the sickness spread by our war."

Vasily pointed to a the framework for a large space elevator anchored in the middle of the ocean. "We're building this tower and making sure everyone around it is still safe, just to be sure.

"Ah... This makes sense to me, but... my parents know less of the world." Cathy took a minute to explain the concepts to what apparently were her parents, the elders soon nodding with more pleased expressions. "They like this act. They say... if you follow way of Vaiinu, you are welcome to stay and help."

"Right on."

"This is perfect. We only ask that you leave our guards behind us alone, or they may hurt you out of misunderstanding." Carbon gave the otters a moment to converse, then smiled when they did. "Good. We have an agreement. So, might we borrow you to help with the tribe, Cathy?"

"I... I will ask. This would be nice." Cathy poised the question and was answered with grumbles resembling insecurity. "They say for guiding and English, yes. I tend to needs. For ceremony... no."

"Well that's a shame, but I think I'd rather that than nothing." Vasily smiled widely as he started panting from the heat. "It's nice to have someone so pleasant as our guide."

"I, um..."

"Volk here is just being nice. Don't think too far into his words." Carbon shook his head at his friend's goofiness and leaned in closer for a comment. "Could you stop trying to get in bed with every woman out here? She's the leader's daughter."

"I know that. I'm just... I feel like being nice for a nice lady. That's all there is to it." Vasily placed a paw over Cathy's shoulder and lightly apologized. "I'll try not to embarrass you, Cat. You are quite pretty though."

"Thank you!" The girl regained her patent smile and led the way to a cluster of stilt house lodgings. "We have... show of peace, too. You... You have need of women, yes?"

"Oh, like the other tribes? You'll provide women to help us?" Carbon again whispered to his friend to make sure he didn't upset the locals. "Remember? They basically ruined those girls' days just to follow us like slaves?"

"Oh, that? But they look busy here." Vasily grinned for Cathy and rested a paw on the head. "We don't need women; we already have a beautiful woman right here. You're happy to help us anyway, right?"

"I-I... But my parents said I cannot help..."

Vasily shook his head with a smile. "They said you could take care of us, just no ceremony stuff. Why bring other women into this and bother them when we'd rather have you?"

"But they are pretty. They will make your time pleasant." Cathy looked toward two scantily clad girls roughly her age that were flush in the face and smelling strongly of estrus. "They want time with you, too."

"They're definitely pretty, but we're not looking for that sort of thing." Vasily smiled, placed a reassuring paw on Cathy's shoulder, and looked her in the eyes. "I'm telling you that I'd rather have your sweet company. Do you understand?"

"But I..." Cathy looked troubled as she thought about her orders. "I want this as well, yes. But no ceremony. Only help, yes?"

"That sounds perfect." Carbon checked around and couldn't determine the reason they were in the rear of the living quarters. "So should we get this done? Then we can have a fun chat while we test your water and food."

"We go in here, please." Cathy lifted the drapes over the entrance of a small stilt house and led her two guests inside. "This for us to use. Good? Yes?"

"It's definitely cozier than sitting in the mud and rain." Carbon found a small cushion filled with some kind of plant fibers and eased onto it. "So when are we doing whatever we're doing?"

"I do this when you please." The girl slid over a larger cushion and rolled onto her back... then proceeded to lift the drapes of her sirat with her tail and spread her legs wide. "Make mating with me... please, Vasily."

"Oh, uh... Shit." Vasily sat on the edge of the makeshift bed and tried to keep his eyes on Carbon. "What the hell is going on?"

"Well according to what's between those legs, I'm guessing we're supposed to have sex." Carbon shoved his friend's shoulder so he faced the inviting lover. "Remember the second tribe we found? I was gone for a while for the same thing. It's a show of faith and it's rude to back out now..."

"Am I... not good for you?" Cathy slowly lowered her tail so her drapes covered her clam. "I... will find girls in season..."

"Cat, wait. I'm... I think you're beautiful. I just..." Vasily crawled closer and looked the wonderful otter in the eyes. "I haven't done this before."

Blood rushed to Cathy's face as she lifted her tail for renewed access. "My first mating... as well..."

"As sweet as that is... I thought you've been with tons of girls, Volk." Carbon casually freed his manhood from his pants and lightly stroked it, his excitement getting the better of him. "I've seen you sweet talk more than a few young things into a room on more than a few leave days. What, you just talk all night?"

"Actually... I've fooled around some. Let's just say all of them liked my tongue and I enjoyed theirs." Vasily eased out of his pants and slowly encroached upon Cathy's nethers. "But this... is a whole different beast."

"I am... beast? This is good or bad?"

"No, you're amazing. I'm the one that's bad at this." The husky reached a paw to Cathy's sex and gently rolled it in circles. "So this is your first time too? Are you nervous? Scared?"

"I..." The otter huffed as she became aroused and moist for her lover. "I enjoy you. You make me feel safe. I... I trust you."

"You... seem like you're enjoying this. Gods..." Vasily swallowed harshly as he pressed the tip of his dog cock against Cathy's drooling petals. "Shit, why am I such a pussy all of a sudden? I'm about to make love to a gorgeous otter from my dreams."

"I knew you fancied her the moment you saw her." Carbon pawed himself slowly as he watched his friend get lucky, a boot nudging the husky forward. "Don't keep her waiting. She wants this too, Volk."

"Well let me give you what you want, Cat." Vasily shoved his hips forward and found himself gasping at the intense heat and tightness enveloping his manhood. "Holy... shit..."

"Ah!" Cathy cringed as the foreign sensation hit her all at once, misinterpreted as a pang of pain. "Slow! Please!"

"Crap, I hurt you? I didn't think it really hurt your first time... Fuck." The husky clambered over Cathy and kissed her neck softly. "Just focus on this. Relax and I'll try to--"

Cathy lurched her head over and caught Vasily's muzzle with her own. The two shared a long, passionate kiss until neither could breathe properly. "Hah... I... feel good..."

"Gods, that... Wow... So you want me to go on?"

"No go! Stay and mate! Please!"

Vasily smiled at the pleasant misunderstanding. "I'm not going anywhere, Cat." The wolf dog shoved his hips forward until they were flush with Cathy's own. "This feels good for you now? It's not too much?"

"You care so much..." Cathy smiled through squeaks and gasps as Vasily slowly started pumping his manhood. "Mating... is fun... with you..."

"And you feel absolutely wonderful, Cat. I can't believe I'm doing this with you."

"Give it to her, Volk. Don't hold back." Carbon leaned back and really went to town on himself. "You can't break her... not even with that knot."

Vasily hammered into his lover, drawing out squeaks and coos as his growing knot crushed her clit repeatedly. "Shit, I can't do that to her."

"Sure you can. She's not in heat."

"You... cannot fit...?" Cathy pulled herself up to her lover's ear and squeaked out, "I want all you give. I want it... inside me."

"Well fuck, I can't... deny that request..." Volk picked up the otter and spun her around, using her incredibly solid tail as a lever to hammer himself deeper. "Like this. You ready?"

"Yes! Do it!"

The husky slammed his hips forward as hard as he could manage but his knot had grown too large for the incredibly tight tunnel it drilled. "I can't! It won't--!"

Carbon grunted as he had a dry orgasm, yet was embarrassed to cum by himself. He pressed on Vasily's ass with his shaky boot and set the husky off balance as a corrective measure. "Oh, fuck... There we go..."

"Oh, gods!" Volk tipped forward and crushed the small otter beneath him, his entire body weight finally shoving his knot home to tie with his lover's searing depths. "Oh, fuck! Oh gods! Aroo~!"

"G-Gods...!" Cathy's limbs jerked spastically as her eyes rolled back into her head from waves of pure bliss. "H-Heavy..."

"Heavy?" Vasily's eyes shot open as he realized he was crushing the tiny otter, leading him to roll onto his side and spoon her from behind. "Sorry... It felt so good I just... Wow."

"You are very big..." Cathy reached down between her quivering thighs and felt how stretched her pussy had become. "I am... real woman now..."

"And Volk, you're a real man too I guess. Your mom would be proud." Carbon chuckled to himself, his rock hard cock still in his paw. "Well maybe not about your stamina. Nobody lasts long their first time though, and you'll get better with time."

"Huh? If I could move without hurting her, I'd go again and again." Vasily reached down himself to test the immovable tie and freaked out at the sight of blood on his paw. "Shit! I hurt you!"

"I feel... safe..." Cathy started dozing off, apparently unphased by the blood or pain. "You are very warm..."

Carbon leaned forward to inspect the wound and stifled a laugh. "I thought she might be too young for you. Just a bit of overstretching. Maybe go easy with the knot in the future."

"Well I don't like hurting her at all. I like her." Vasily kissed around the side of Cathy's neck, guiding her muzzle to his for a slow, tender finisher. "Thank you, Cat. I'll find some way to make up for hurting you."

"Just... mate more?"

"Damn, you're a keeper. If only you lived in WildeBrooke." The husky shifted so Cathy's tail fit better between them and finally noticed Carbon's raging boner. "Looks like you need some help yourself, little buddy. Maybe we can see about solving that once my knot goes down?"

"Maybe. I'll leave that up to Catherine here."

Cathy looked back to Vasily as if she needed his permission. "You want me mate with Carbon? I trust you..."

"You can if you would like to. I won't stop you." Again the husky smothered his otter in neck kisses and nuzzles. "I'd like to spend the rest of my time here with you, in any case. If that means Carbon's here too, so be it."

"I like that..."

"Well aren't you a cheeky son of a--"

"Catherine! E fafine talitane!" Cathy's mother stormed into the house and slapped her child across the face. "Ia lototele e faapefea ona e usitai i tatou!"

As her mom tried to repeatedly strike her daughter, Vasily rolled atop Cathy protectively and took all of the hits for her. "What the hell!? Cat, what's she saying?"

Cathy was too shaken from the slap, sobbing and choking on her words. "Sh-She... c-c-called m-me..."

"***Ua lava lena.***" Carbon corrected his manner of dress and stood between the mother and his friend. "I think Eve's picked up enough by now. She's pissed her daughter had sex, to put it mildly."

">You are wading into waters where you do not belong, foreigner.<" The mother slapped Carbon enough to send his breathing mask flying, but the hybrid took it with a stern face to let her know he planned to stand his ground. ">Catherine, you will meet me at home for a talk. This is unacceptable.<"

">Yes, Raft Mother...<"

The outraged mother stormed out of the small building and was replaced by her husband, who much like her shoved Carbon aside and raised a closed fist. ">I am in my rights to kill you, foreigner!<"

"Fuck off!" Vasily bared his teeth and snarled at the elder otter, growling as he presented his back protectively. "You're not hurting her! Hit me instead!"

The elder calmed at this display, then lowered his fist as Carbon chose to translate those choice words. ">You would defend my daughter, whom you only met today? You would take injury for our own?<"

The husky listened to the translation carefully and started to calm down. "Yes, I would. She's a kind person. I like her."

">Then you have proven yourself worthy of her. More so, you have proven yourself a friend of the Vaiinu.<" The father placed his open paw between Vasily's shoulder blades and calmly made his peace with the situation. ">You may mate with my daughter so long as she wills it. May the gods bless you with plentiful children.<"

Carbon explained the father's concerns as best he could, leading Vasily to roll over and relax with Cathy in a soft cuddle. "Thank you. I'll... aim to make her happy."

Carbon relayed that sentiment and bowed politely as the Raft Father left with a smile. "Why do I feel like we just dodged a bullet?"

"I think we did better than that. It might not be the way they'd have liked, but I think we let them know we really do want to help them." Vasily rubbed up and down Cathy's sides trying to calm her, eventually unwrapping her chest to over through her budding breasts. "It's alright, Cat. You're safe."

"I... trust you." Cathy kissed her lover's paw as she sniffled the last of her tears. "You are Vaiinu in... Um... >You are honorary tribesmen of the Vaiinu now.<"

"She says we're like part of the tribe. That's good. We can move about freely to conduct our tests." Carbon watched as Vasily's know popped free of the overstuffed otter, their mixed juices leaking out over the cushion. "Damn, you really are still hard. I take back my mention of stamina."

"Yeah? Well let's see how much you have." Vasily eased back from Cathy and presented his cock to her muzzle. "Cat, would you care to mate with the both of us?"

"Both?" The otter looked down past her tail and found Carbon pulling out his erect manhood again. "You... wish for this, Vasily? I trust you."

"If you trust me, you can trust Carbon. I've known him my entire life. He's a good guy."

"You not understand..." Cathy groaned to herself and muttered the words that she wanted to say, only in her own tongue. "Ou te alofa ia oe."

Carbon held back from penetrating the girl upon hearing those words, smiling as he was taken aback. "Volk... Their word for trust translates a lot like another--love."

"Well I... might have feelings for her too." Vasily pet Cathy gently from between her eyes through to the back of her head. "I'd never force you to do anything you don't want to do. We can just rest and talk for a while if you'd like."

Cathy gave Vasily's cock tip a lick with her rough tongue. "I want to... mate again..." She raised her tail and kicked up a leg, offering her used, messy clam to Carbon as well. "I trust you."

---

---

May 28th, 2037

Michelle's and Mikhaila's Ship, Vapor Furnace Prime

En Route to Yangurrar, Twin Spirits System

---

---

Catherine shot awake as her whole body shook in orgasmic bliss, gasping raggedly as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of her room. "G-Gods..."

"There she is. Good morning, beautiful." Iolvin whispered into his mother's ear as he rammed his twitching manhood deep into her spasming folds. "Your squeaks are so cute when you're asleep, mom. Did I even hear dad's name a few times there?"

"Fuck... I was having the most wonderful dream of him and Carbon. We were on our third round of the day..." Cathy felt her son pull out of her and whimpered in protest. "Do you have to do that? I like the feel of you inside me. It's larger but... you remind me of your father so much--the way you hold me, especially."

Yoyo nudged his cock between his mother's thighs and presented a rapidly inflating condom. "Sorry, mom. I didn't want this to pop inside you. Glad I found some that mostly work for me back home though." He pulled off the condom and tried to tie it off, his mother instead snatching the latex balloon of glowing cum for a taste. "You don't have to do that, mom. I just wanted to wake you up in a nice way, not get you to act sexy for me."

"What? It's not an act. I just so happen to like how you and your sister taste." Cathy gulped down a few hefty mouthfuls from the condom and tied it when she was done. Then she noticed her son was still spurting jizz between her thighs and reached down to press him back inside her pussy. "Much better. I love the way it feels in me."

"Mom, I was trying to be responsible. After Sandy, I realize Lulu and I aren't as infertile as we once thought." Yoyo just went with the flow of the moment and jerked his hips until his knot kissed his mother's cunt. "Without dad here, I'd rather not get you knocked up. One pup is already enough to deal with, let alone a tribe."

"So considerate. We raised you so well, my handsome boy." Cathy cooed as she felt her son's deposit overflow from her, the otter not holding back his quantity at all now. "Wait, where's Nadiya? She was sleeping in my arms."

"Zoë has her." Yoyo pulled out of his mother once he was finished defiling her with his massive load and threw himself to her other side to face her. "Take a look for yourself. They're so cute."

Cathy flipped over to get a glimpse and instead found herself reaching for her phone near the bed. "I have to get a picture of this. That's so damned sweet."

Zoë fluttered her eyes open at the flash of a camera, Nadiya suckling and nibbling at her voluminous breasts. "Hm? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes, dear. And it looks like Nadiya is hungry, too." Cathy pulled her baby girl to her smaller chest and let the pup feed. "If only those knockers of yours worked. Nadiya likes to bite when I'm running dry and you'd have pints in those monsters."

"Well with any luck little Hope here might have just that before long." Yoyo pet his baby sister between her ears, appreciating the coloration of her fur being like his father and the patterns matching his mother. "She really is cute, mom. She looks a lot like both of you, but dad's definitely winning out here." He chortled as he lifted the girl's leg, revealing a tiny nub of a penis on the pup. "In more ways than one. Why call her a girl? Lulu?"

"Partially. She looks more like a female husky than a male one, but your sister's situation definitely came into that choice. I'll let her choose when she gets older though."

"Is she a husky?" Zoë received a set of odd looks as she scritched the pup between the ears. "What? I thought she was a fox."

"Now that you mention it, your father's father was a fox." Cathy grunted as the vixen bit down on her depleted teat. "Maybe you're more special than we thought. A fox, huh?"

"Well, I'm going to clean up a bit and find Siamun. We're doing some more Ancient Egyptian lessons today." Yoyo slid out of bed and went for the bathroom, returning a moment later with a damp towel. "Here, mom. Sorry I made a mess so early."

"It's alright, Iolvin. I love smelling like you." The otter only quickly wiped her thighs clean, leaving her son's gift to leak out of her as it pleased. "I think I'll carry that scent all day. Might remind the tribe of our values."

"You just like feeling naughty." Yoyo chuckled as he quickly hopped into the shower to rinse his waterproof fur, not bothering to shut the door for his close family. "I'm glad to see you doing this, mom. You honestly look a lot happier leading the Vaiinu again."

"Well it's not all of them, but we're stronger than before. We left S?moa only eighty strong, and now we are three hundred." Cathy found her decorative cloth and began wrapping it around her to make her sirat. "Bless those that decided to start new lives in Wildebrooke, but those that decided to follow make me proud to lead this raft--though I suppose we're not all otters now with the new mates, so maybe 'raft' isn't appropriate anymore."

"Tribe or raft, it doesn't matter. We're all happy to have each other." Yoyo slipped out of the shower and quickly shook off most of the water over his fur, towels not really required for his species. "Lulu's girls say we have a few days left. Wait until our people see their new home; they'll be thrilled to be part of this great tribe."

"Don't forget the Ancients." Zoë walked over to her husband and pressed to her tippy toes for a kiss. "You're doing so well with them, Iolvin. I think they'll really be happy working with our tribe."

Yoyo snugged down on a hug before reaching for his own cloth to dress. "That's the spirit. Speaking of, the Ancients don't much like nudity in case you're joining me. Did you bring your sirat?"

"Ah, no. I was feeling like I needed the freedom last night."

"Well then let's make a pit stop on the way." Iolvin squeezed his wife's ass playfully as he guided her to the hallway door. "We can even sneak in a video call with Adri while we're there. I'm sure he's missing that voluptuous body of yours, Kiddo."

"You three are so sweet with each other. I'm so happy for you." Cathy finished wrapping her sirat and straightened her loin drapes, her tail not quite centered out the rear. "Go have fun. I'll be with our people if you need me."

"Love you, mom."

"Love you, Cat!"

"I love both of you too." Cathy kissed her son and daughter-inLaw goodbye and waved for them as they left. "Just the two of us now, Nadiya." Cathy sat on the side of her bed and idly played with her daughter's tummy fur as she reached for a photo, admiring the content with happy tears. A soldier husky leaning out a helicopter held up a young female otter with her arms outstretched, the two smiling as the husky kissed the otter's neck. "No, we're not alone. We have our family lending a helping paw."

---

---

June 9th, 2005

A'ana, Island of Upolo, S?moa

---

---

"Are you sure about this, sir?" Warrant Officer Copenhagen looked back into the cabin of his aging chinook helicopter as Carbon leaned out the side with the aid of his vines. "We don't have much time before that ship blows. The impact was bad enough but that reactor will make tidal waves. Keep going?"

"Not my call, Cheat. I've got a debt to pay for a friend." Carbon pulled himself back into the cabin and shook the rain water of a tropical shower from his fur. "Volk, she's a sweet girl but are you sure she's worth it?"

Vasily slapped his radio as he checked his gear. "I can't leave her alone. I promised her we'd return and--"

"And you never break a promise. I know." Carbon sighed as he surveyed the area, minor flooding impacting areas near rivers and ponds. "You heard the husky. Let's find them and get back. Are the other choppers still with us?"

"The dropship is still in formation, plus two chinooks. The rest headed back to Tahiti because of fuel." Cheat groaned at the limited capacity of the small wing of vehicles. "How many did you say there were?"

Vasily stood and clipped a safety line to the door slot opposing Carbon's. "About a hundred. We only need to worry about the ones that might get drowned out from that water surge though. We can come back for the rest."

"Fifty at a time won't do. We have a weight limit for about fourty at a time after crew. It'll take three passes and I'm not sure we're fast enough." Cheat corrected his course upon spotting the tribe below on a thermal camera. "Got 'em! Foxtrot-Three, slow for immediate decent. Targets located one grid out at heading one-fiveFive."

"I see them too. Gods... the mountain's washing out." Vasily leaned out his door and connected a fast rope system. "Cheat, you see that rock table? Can you get me over it?"

"We're coming in a bit hot for that LZ."

"I'm jumping. Just slow down and I'll let me gear take the hit."

"Volk, that's a stupid idea." Carbon hopped out the chinook and hung from one of his vines. "Oh, but that really is the best landing spot. Cheat, circle back and put us down there so--"

"Not enough time." Vasily jumped from the helicopter and squeezed the brake handle on his rope. "They're getting washed out. Catch up when you can."

"Always the fucking hero." Carbon stretched out his vine in preparation for a drop. Once Vasily detached into a hard roll he shouted, "Cheat, dive fifty down, now!"

"You got it!" The poison dart frog let gravity do all the work and sent the chopper plummeting to the desired height. "You're set!"

"Loop back for us! Stay on radio!" Carbon detached his tendril from the helicopter and fell onto the stone surface. He tucked his shoulder into the impact and rolled over his back, sliding to a stop on his spine and tail armor. "Holy fucking hell, Volk! You're crazier than I am!"

"These people will die! We ain't got time to bleed!" Vasily groaned as he stood, then wobbled as he ran to a group of otters. "Shit. They can't understand me."

"I've got it. Just do your thing."

The husky shook water out of his eyes and pulled down his goggles. "Everyone needs to get back to the rocks!" He pushed forward to the edge where the rocks turned into gravel and mud, the material giving into a rapid slide under the slightest pressure. "Cat!? Catherine!?"

"Vasily!?" Catherine scrambled onto a large stone as the ground behind her crumbled away. "Stay! Not safe!"

"I'm coming to get you!"

"No! Stay!" Cathy checked around her and reached for a fellow tribesman as he slid down the mountain. ">Get on solid ground! Hold each other up so nobody slips!<"

Vasily found a large tree and threw a rope around it. "I'll make a it to you! Just be careful!"

">Move along the rocks! Watch your tails!<" Cathy saw a large tree fall over and after a few testing prods she ran across the new bridge. ">Mother!? Father!?<"

">Catherine!<" The otter's father jumped across a gap with a child in his arms. ">Your mother is the last one. She's right behind me.<"

">I'll help her. Get Jonas to the prayer grounds.<" Cathy slipped past her father and found most of the path washed away. A mother and child jumped the gap, barely making over even as Cathy pulled them up. ">Where is my mother?<"

">She's... Gods, she's still back there.<"

">Thank you. Now go, quickly!<" Cathy jumped the large gap and puled herself onto the rock on the far side. She slid down a slippery slope to another platform and finally found her mother carrying a whelp in her arms beyond what had now become a river of mud. "<Mother! Can you find a way across!?>"

">I don't know... This, perhaps?<" Cathy's mother pulled a bunch of vines from a large tree and tugged them taut, the whole assembly holding under her weight. ">I cannot swing while holding this child. I will send her over first.<"

">Yes, mother. I'll catch her. Hurry.<" The child was tied to the vines with a loop beneath her arms, then Cathy caught her as she was swung across the gap. ">I've got you, Lisa. You're safe.<"

">Now tie a rock or log to the loop. Send it back with the weight.<"

Cathy checked around and found a large log, shoving it through the loop and snugging down the knot. ">I've got it. Mother, here. Catch it.<" The log went soaring like a pendulum, but as it crested the apex the log splashed into the rising rapids and dragged to a stop. ">No! Mother!<"

">Daughter...<"

"Cat!" Vasily finally caught up with the otter covered in mud and out of breath. "We need to get moving. This is getting worse. What--"

"Vasily! My mother stuck!" Cathy pointed to the failed transfer and the elder otter beyond it. "Help!"

"Crap. Oh, you tried to swing her? Let's see..." Vasily took a survey of his options and came up with a plan. He pulled out his climbing rope and clipped a carabiner to the lanyard loop of his survival knife. "Stand back, Cat. I don't want to cut you."

"Cut?" Vasily started twirling the knife in fast circles as he prepared to launch it, Cathy quickly understanding his plan and backing away. "Careful, Vasily."

Vasily chucked the knife into the floating log, then started towing it back carefully so the blade didn't come loose. "Got it. We just tie it a little higher and swing it back over... Okay?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Cathy helped lift up the log while Vasily retied it, clipping his rope to the knot in case they needed to reel the swing back. "This works?"

"We'll see." Vasily hurled the log over the river with all his strength, the swing barely clearing the water this time. "Catch it!"

Cathy's mom barely grabbed the log now that the line was shorter, but she managed to shove the log around a tree trunk to hold it in place. ">I will need this man's help. Tell him to--<"

">Help!<" A young man struggled to stay above the rapids as they carried him helplessly down the river. ">Help me!<"

">I'm sorry, my daughter...<" Cathy's mother timed the push, then sent the log swinging so the boy could grab it midway. ">Hold onto that tightly! They will pull you!<"

"I've got you!" Vasily fell backward and braced his boots as he strained to pull the otter boy to safety. "Cat, grab him!"

">James! Here!<" Cathy reached for the boy and pulled him over the lip of their rock. ">Stick to the rocks and go! Hurry to the prayer grounds!<"

">Thank you, Catherine!<"

"Okay, time to reset. Just pull up a bit more slack and..." Vasily hurled the log back across, only this time it Cathy's mother couldn't reach the vines.. "Shit! Cat, tell her to jump for it!"

">Mother, you'll need to jump to grab it!<"

">No, my child. The vine will break if I pull it so hard.<" The mother forced a smile as she resigned to her fate with honor. ">My time has come. Our raft is safe. Now I am simply content that my daughter is safe and in the presence of such a strong mate.<"

">Mother...<"

The stone Vasily stood atop quickly washed away, forcing him to jump backward to another. "Cat... Gods, Cat..." The husky picked up the baby girl and tugged on his lover's shoulder. "Catherine, we... need to move."

Cathy's mother sat down on her weakening platform as the raging mud and water rose up to splash her. ">Go, my child. Lead our people beyond this tragedy. I shall watch you with love from beyond.<"

">I love you, mother!<"

">And I love you, brave daughter.<"

"Cat... Please, we need to go."

"Yes. We move." Cathy bowed for her mother and then ran back the way they came, offering a paw or tail where her tribe needed one. ">Watch your balance! Don't flip over the stones!<"

"Holy crap. She's like a machine." Vasily leaped over the last large gap and followed the others back to safety. "Carbon, you read me? Where are you? What's the sitrep?"

"Volk, hey. We have the first round flying. The other choppers are refueled and on a return route as we speak." The hybrid found his friend and waved him over. "Holy crap. Is that the same Catherine? She's hard as nails now."

"Yeah, that's what I was just thinking." Vasily ran ahead and helped corral the tribesmen to higher, safer ground. "Honestly... I think I'm in love."

"Just because she's the only pussy you've ever gotten doesn't--"

"No, it's more." The husky passed off the child he carried to her mother and stood tall, simply watching as Catherine took command of her people with natural grace. "If there's anyone I'd ever have bear my children, it's that otter."

---

---

June 9th, 2037

---

---

"You've been carrying this photo around all day, mom." Ilaria peeked over her mother's shoulder to spy the contents of the photo, the elder otter happily handing it over for a better look. "This is cute. That otter looks so happy flying for the first time."

"Oh, I've never seen this one before." Iolvin sidled next to his twin sister and smiled at the photo as well, his paw slipping upward to tickle his baby sister's tummy. "Hey... Wait a minute. That ring..." Yoyo checked the photo closely, then held up his mother's paw to find a matching trinket. "Mom? That's you?"

"Yes. And that young stud behind me was your father." Catherine looked up at various landing craft as her Vaiinu tribesmen and Ancient Egyptian humans unloaded gear onto an alien planet. "That was both the saddest and happiest day of my life. After saving us from S?moa's ruin your father then found the additional courage to propose to me. I was up and down all day."

Ari gave back the photo with a chuckle. "That's sweet. A bit odd on the timing, but sweet."

"Well he was on duty, so after we were moved to Tahiti he might never see me again. So, he proposed and a few hours later the tribe married us as mates." Cathy rested her eyes on her simple engagement ring and couldn't help from smiling. "He told me I looked like a strong mother that day. He actually said he wanted to have a dozen healthy children together, the dopey dog." The mother roped her children into a hug. "Then about a year later you were born."

"A year later? Weren't you thirteen?"

Yoyo held up the photo in nis mother's paw and nodded. "I don't know what dad was thinking. You definitely look thirteen here."

"I sure as hell didn't feel thirteen that day. Your father must have thought the same." Cathy recalled something her mother used to always tell the tribe's whelps. "'The road to adulthood is rough and treacherous, but ends with honor.' We had plenty of that on that day."

"Are you okay, mom?" Ari wiped a few unnoticed tears from her mother's face. "We should focus on assembling your house."

"No, it's alright. I was just thinking back." Cathy looked to the sky, the enormous moon of Yangurraar looming overhead. "He's right there, isn't he? You buried him on that mountain?"

"Yeah. We can visit if you'd like." Yoyo rubbed his mother's back as the three admired the clear view. "He's got a good spot to watch over everyone."

"I feel like he's keeping us safe even now. His protective arms wrapped around me..." Cathy shut her eyes and smiled for once that day. "Happy anniversary, Vasily. Let's stay together until we meet again."

Yoyo gave his mother a smooch on her forehead. "You're the strongest woman I know. No wonder you married the strongest man I'm proud to have ever known."

"Thank you, sweetie."

"Well I think it's a fitting location for the Vaiinu. You couldn't have picked a better place to retire, mom." Ari surveyed the various colonists as they worked, the Starbreeze floating in an ocean in the background. "It's a tad cold, but all the water is fresh and there's plenty of wildlife. Our people will prosper here, even more so with such a strong leader."

"Baby girl..." Cathy pulled her children down to her level and gave each tender kisses. "I'm proud of what we've made and where we've come. Standing here with you is the greatest gift I could ever receive."

"Well I have one more, actually." Iolvin grinned as he pointed to a small group of Yangurraa struggling in the chilly weather. "This planet has a bunch of ominous nicknames, but no proper one. In honor of the colony and dad's heroics, the Yangurraa want you to name their parent planet."

"Oh, that's crazy." Ilaria snickered at the impact that decision carried. "I'd never be able to make a choice like that. What do you name a planet that everyone will know forever that won't sound cheesy?"

"There's only one name I could ever use." Catherine smiled and looked to her new guardian moon. "Vasily."