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When the boys got there, the track wasn't as empty as they'd expected it to be. Some of the guys from Mark's soccer team were doing laps around the soccer field.

"Probably did something to piss off the coach," Mark whispered. "Really piss him off, in fact; I don't think any of them ever stayed this late."

As they came closer, one of the guys, Andy, stopped his run and sauntered over in their direction. "Well, well, well!" He stopped several feet from the two boys and jogged in place, fixating Mark and Arden with a wry smile. "Marky-Mark in the flesh! Where have you been, man? Hangin' out with your boyfriend?"

Mark pulled his paw back reflexively, even though he and Arden weren't even holding paws. "No... I..." He started to stammer.

Before things grew any more awkward, Chris, the coyote left in charge of the runners, stepped in. "Hey, Andy!" He put a paw on the weasel's shoulder and steered him back toward the other runners. "How about you shut the fuck up and get back to your run."

Andy snorted, shot Mark one more sneering glance and returned to the track.

"Sorry about that, man," Chris said. "Those guys are total assholes. Your ex-girlfriend's started spreading rumors about you being gay, and they latched on to them; jealous bitch. Coach made them stay after and do extra laps for being douchebags."

"Does everyone think I'm gay now?" Mark's ears grew more and more noticeably twitchy. He had a panicked look in his eyes, like he was seriously contemplating running off and leaving Arden behind.

"Nah, just those three." Chris nodded toward the track. "Everyone else knows you're too cool to be a faggot."

Arden wanted to speak up, but Mark, as if reading his mind, looked him in the eyes. It wasn't a threatening look, but a pleading one. He saw all the fears and doubts from the night before resurface, masked by a thin veil of self-confidence.

"Cool." Mark looked over at Chris and faked a smile. "We just... I came by to see if Coach was still around."

"Nah, he went home," Chris said. "You'll be at practice tomorrow, though, right?" He gave the wolf a friendly jab to the shoulder. "The whole team's fallin' apart without you."

"Oh, yeah... Yeah. I'll see ya tomorrow, then." Mark turned around, not waiting for Arden to follow him, and headed out.

The otter stood there, trying to figure out his next move. He wanted to do his run and cool off before talking to Mark, but the wolf's sudden passage and his jeering teammates finally pushed him to leave the track as well.

"What was that all about?" He walked just behind Mark, trying to keep his voice level and not start a fight.

"I'm sorry." Mark's ears were folded and he was seconds away from tears again. "It's just that... I was beginning to feel so normal about the whole gay thing... and then, when those guys started heckling me... I felt like a freak."

"There's-" Arden began, but Mark cut him off.

"I know there's nothing wrong with me, Ar. It's not about that." He continued walking at a pace too brisk for Arden to match. "I guess I just forgot how much hatred there really is in the world, what with my dad and your family accepting me. Even my mom didn't shake me as much as those guys did. I'll have to face them every day in school and at practice now."

"I know." Arden couldn't think of anything else to say. "It's tough."

"I'll get better though; I promise." Mark finally slowed down enough to let Arden catch up. "I'm not perfect..." He put his arm around the otter as they walked. "...but I'm trying as hard as I can."

"I know." Arden smiled and snuggled up against him. He thought he felt Mark's fur bristle slightly, but he ignored it; the wolf really was trying his best.

***

The kitchen was a veritable bustle of activity by the time they got home. Mrs. Halinen, Mr. Halinen and Mikey were busy preparing a huge meal.

Mrs. Halinen was the only one to even acknowledge their arrival. "Oh, you boys are home early."

"Yeah, we decided not to go running, I wasn't feeling well," Arden lied; and then it hit him. He wasn't lying for his sake; he just wanted to avoid a confrontation; Mark was doing the same thing. He wasn't afraid of being gay, or ashamed of his boyfriend; he just wanted to keep the peace.

"Well, we were going to cook you a surprise dinner," Mrs. Halinen said. "But since you're back, you can help. You're not getting sick, are you?"

"Nah, just a leg cramp."

"Okay, then. Wash up and come help."

Arden decided to use the upstairs bathroom. It wasn't because it felt more familiar, but because he wanted some private time with Mark.

The wolf barely made it through the door when Arden wrapped his arms around him and kissed him passionately on the muzzle.

"Wow, do I get one of those with every paw wash?" Mark grinned.

"That's not a bad idea, actually." Arden turned on the faucet and splashed some water in the wolf's direction.

It took them a qite bit of time to get back downstairs; Mark decided to give him a kiss for washing his paws as well, then things went a bit further.

"Welcome home, hon!" Arden's mom greeted them as they walked down the stairs together. "How are the bathrooms in Finland?"

"Finland?" Mark didn't get it.

"Well, when you were gone for so long, I assumed you decided to hop a plane to Finland to use their faucets instead."

"Oh, we were just-" Arden began.

Mrs. Halinen rolled her eyes. "Is it something you want your mother to hear?" She smiled knowingly.

Arden blushed. "Well... No."

"Then just say you couldn't get the hot water going or something." She chuckled and walked back to the kitchen.

Mark scratched the back of his head and stared after her. "Can your mom be my mom, too?"

Arden wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "Sure. But then what we're doing would be kind of incestuous, wouldn't it?"

"As long as it's with you," Mark said, giving the otter's nose a quick lick, "it doesn't really matter to me."

They walked into the kitchen just as everyone else was finishing up with the cooking.

"All done here." Mikey sighed dramatically and took off his apron. "You guys can just wash the dishes."

The meal was beyond delicious - Stuffed grape leaves, grilled salmon, mashed potatoes with two kinds of gravy, toast with caviar, and a huge carrot cake for dessert.

After dinner, everyone headed straight to bed. They all felt extremely drained from the events of the past few days; even Mikey, who normally stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, was asleep by nine.

Arden and Mark slept in the same bed. Both boys were too tired to play around. They cuddled for a bit and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Thursday seemed to come and go with blinding speed.

They went to visit Mr. Heeley in the hospital. He was still covered in bruises and bandages, but claimed to feel a lot better.

Afterward, they dropped Mark off at soccer practice and headed home. Arden had an hour to himself before he was scheduled to meet Mark for their (almost) daily run, so he spent the time reading. It felt like years since he'd last opened a book, and he had to start The Rogue Crew from the beginning because he'd completely forgotten how it started.

His alarm went off an hour later, and he headed over to the track.

Their run went off without a hitch this time and they decided to drop by Rabbit's to celebrate.

Smoothies in paw, the boys headed home.

Dinner was already on the table when they got there -- shark steak with baked potatoes. Mrs. Halinen chided them for ruining their appetite with smoothies, but smiled when Mark told her that, appetite or not, her food was too delicious not to eat.

"See, Arden," she said, smiling at Mark. "This is called a compliment; you should really learn to give them from time to time."

Dinner didn't end until way past seven. They joked and laughed and told stories; Arden was extremely happy that Mark fit so well into his family.

The only topic not touched on was the trial. None of them were looking forward to it, and the conversation was always steered clear of anything relating to the subject.

Just like the night before, everyone turned in early. Mark and Arden cuddled again; although it seemed that Mark was a lot less into it than he had been the previous night. He just lay there with his arms wrapped around the otter, staring blankly into space before he fell asleep.

Morning came way too soon. Unlike with other mornings that snuck up on them, nobody complained. They all got up, groomed themselves, got dressed, ate and headed over to the hospital.

The orderly on duty was the same one as two days ago; she smiled and nodded as they walked past.

They reached the room, but before Mark could put his paw on the door, it swung open and a tall, lanky fox walked out.

"Afternoon." He touched the brim of his hat and walked off down the corridor.

Mark watched him disappear behind the closing elevator doors and proceeded into his father's room. "Who was that, Dad? Mom's lawyer?"

"No, er... He... He's helping me with a few things," Mr. Heeley said. Whatever the fox was doing, he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

Mr. Halinen squeezed his shoulder gently. "Ready to go, James?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." He began getting up, but a nurse who'd just walked in stopped him. "I'm sorry, sir," she said, unfolding a wheelchair that stood in the corner of the room, "but we have to wheel you out. Hospital tradition."

"Oh, very well." Mr. Heeley nodded and climbed into the chair, though somewhat reluctantly.

They stopped by the front desk to fill out the necessary paperwork, then headed out to the parking lot.

With some effort, they all managed to squeeze into the Tuareg.

"Bit of a tight fit; but I wasn't thinking about this, to be honest." Mr. Halinen smiled sheepishly.

When they got to the courthouse, Sam and his father were already waiting for them on the steps.

"Oh my goodness!" Sam pulled both Mark and Arden into a tight hug. "I leave you two alone for... what... three days? And look what happens. Don't worry, though," he added, seeing Mark's crestfallen expression. "My dad will take care of everything."

"Dennis Fradin," the otter introduced himself, shaking Mr. Heeley's paw. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Likewise, I'm sure. I'm assuming you were the one who pushed the trial forward. Those take months to schedule. You have my thanks for that." Mr. Heeley cleared his throat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find a place to change before the trial begins."

"You don't actually have to change," said Mr. Fradin. "Nothing to win over the jury for good like scrubs. Although, come to think of it, we've got this case locked down so tight that it doesn't even matter."

Mark sighed, but quickly composed himself again, clearly embarrassed at having done so.

Arden gave his paw a gentle squeeze. "Be strong," he whispered. "I will be right there with you."

A voice from behind made them turn. "Ah, it's the queer-lovers."

It was Mr. and Mrs. Clawell, Donnah's parents. They were both just as large as their daughter, but their fur had long since turned a silvery-gray, so they didn't look anywhere near as intimidating.

"My daughter better not go to jail for this, ya hear me?!" Mr. Clawell snarled at James. "I always knew you were a good-for-nothin' waste of life, just like your faggot son."

"Well, if I may give my professional estimate," Mr. Fradin said, "the lightest sentence she can get is two counts of aggravated assault; that's up to five years in prison. If the judge decides on attempted murder... well... that could mean life."

"You're gonna burn in hell for what you're doin'!" Mr. Clawell spat. "Just like the queers." With that, the Clawells brushed past them and went inside.

The interior of the courthouse smelled like fresh paint and cigarette smoke. This was apparently one of the few places left in the state where smoking indoors was still allowed; it was obvious that everyone intended to take full advantage of it.

Sam's father escorted Mr. Heeley to the nearest bathroom to change into a suit while everyone else waited by the entrance to the courtroom.

James came out of the bathroom a few minutes later looking much sharper than he did in the scrubs. If anything, Arden thought, he presented an even stronger image - someone who was badly battered but refused to sit in a hospital bed feeling sorry for himself.

"Everyone's already inside," Mr. Halinen said. "They're waiting for us to begin."

"Well, let's begin, then," Mr. Heeley said, adjusting his tie.

They walked into the courtroom together. It wasn't overly crowded, but there were far more people than Arden expected. Most were wolves - probably from the Clawell side of the family.

The bailiff met them at the door and showed them to a row of seats at the very front.

Just as they were sitting down, the doors of the courtroom swung open again and Mrs. Heeley was led in by two fierce-looking bulldogs.

She wore an orange jumpsuit and filling it well. She had all the makings of an inmate already, Arden mused -- the jumpsuit, the scowl and the deep hatred for most living things.

She looked over at him, as if to say, 'If I weren't in shackles right now, I'd finish what I started.'

They escorted her to the bench and the bailiff stood at attention by the dais.

"All rise in the presence of the Honorable Judge Dawfrin."

Everyone stood up as a tall, elegant stag walked into the room. His black robe trailed slightly behind him; his look was cool and calculating, betraying no emotion.

"Please, be seated."

"We are now reviewing case number three hundred and forty; Mark and James Heeley versus Donnah Heeley," The judge said, leafing through a packet of what must have been thousands of cases.

"The defendant, Donnah Heeley, is accused of assaulting her son, her husband and then attempting to force entry into a private residence. Who will represent the defendant?"

"I will, Your Honor." An evil-looking rat stood up. "Mister Ronald Varminn."

The judge nodded. "And who will be leading the prosecution?"

"I am, Your Honor." Sam's dad stood up. "Mister Dennis Fradin."

Judge Dawfrin nodded. "Very well. Mrs. Donnah Heeley, how do you plead?"

Varminn stepped forward. "My client would like to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, Your Honor. She was acting under an honest belief that her son was in danger due to his sexuality."

The judge scribbled something on a nearby notepad. "Very good. Mr. Fradin, you may proceed."

Sam's father bowed. "Thank you, Your Honor. I would like to call as my first witness..." He trailed off, scanning the crowd.

Arden reached his paw to the seat next to him, but found that it was empty. Panic gripped him. He realized that he hadn't seen the wolf at all after they'd entered the courthouse.