FSE

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In memory of John Dye

Hehhey, and hello!

I've been working on this for a while now, and I was considering whether to post this as a huge one-shot or a miniseries, and I have finally opted for a miniseries...maybe best to post it like that, so that I'll get a bit more feedback, and see what you guys think. I've been having a ton of fun writing, that's for sure, and I am most curious to hear how this goes down...I think it can go either way. *chuckle* Consider this a mid-season replacement for The Hockey Hunk, or something. Just having fun with writing, doing the best I do.

As always, remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well!

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It had taken him quite some time to paint the wall, and now, hours later, with the sun going lower, and with his furs speckled with paint, Benjamin was more than happy to drag his mundane body into the relative coolness of Annie's diner. The place was not too much occupied, only a few furs sitting in the booths or on the counter. Benjamin decided on a booth by the window and slipped down, took a comfortable posture, and made a little inventory of the familiar items on the table. Little basket with Tabasco, salt and pepper, toothpicks and napkins, a small vase with plastic flowers inside it, plastic table covers, a couple of crumbles...all seemed to be in order, as he sat there, paws gently held together as if in prayer, but now only simply in concentration.

"Want a menu, kid?"

Benjamin smiled upon the sight of the expansive form of Carmel, still dressed in her diner uniform and looking solid as a rock as she looked down at the smaller wolf with a stern look on her eyes. She had a rag in one paw, and a red plastic-covered menu in the other. Her voice was not unkind, just...Carmel...the wolf noted, with some pleasure at the familiarity.

"What would you recommend...uhm...Carmel...?" Benjamin remembered to act indecisive as he spied on the bear's nametag, attached to her ample bosom.

"Well there's nothing on the lunch menu that isn't deep fried so..."

"Hmmm..." the wolf mused, "how about a beef sandwich, then? Do you make those?"

The bear glanced in the direction of the counter, staffed by the shrill-laughing squirrel, and then huffed at the wolf.

"I can try."

"Thank you, sweetheart," the wolf gave her his best smile, "and some coffee too, please? Just regular coffee, thank you, black."

The bear rumbled to herself while she ambled away, leaving the wolf to sit alone again. Benjamin hummed softly to himself while he looked through the door, into the drowsy main street of the small town. He could only see a few passers-by and the occasional car...until a rather familiar one pulled up next to the diner, and a lion with an unruly mane stepped out. The wolf smiled.

"Hmmm...interesting..."

He appeared to mind his own business, as the door opened and John the lion stepped into the diner. He looked about the place, ears flicking curiously as he took in what must've been a very familiar setting to him, Benjamin thought, wondering on what he sought...and then their eyes met and the wolf smiled and waved a quick paw in greeting. The lion acknowledged it with the smallest of nods before he walked over to the counter to make an order from the squirrel. Benjamin's own stomach rumbled. The physical sensation made the wolf smile. Typical of Father's wisdom, he thought, making him hungry when he was in a place of food consumption...making it easier to blend it...to experience what these furs were , to become closer to them...to know them better to help them better.

These mortal feelings were nice, he thought.

"...sorry, I'm just going to clean these tables, unless you want to sit on the counter, it's the only free space..."

Benjamin's ears perked as he heard the larger-than-life voice of the bear again, speaking to someone behind him, the wolf's eyes still on the window and the mingling of furs beyond...

"..okay, whatever."

A shuffle on the corner of his eye turned into a flash of golden and red furs, and then John the lion was sitting on the other side of the little table from him, looking not too comfortable, shirt's top buttons open. Carmel was holding two plates, which she then proceeded to place onto the table in front of each fur.

"Sandwich for you, wolf boy, and a burger for you, baby," the bear flashed a massive smile to the pastor's son as she shuffled backwards to give them some room, "I'll be just back with the coffee and the milk."

"Thank you, darling!" Benjamin smiled before he sniffled the treat on the little plate, "Oh this looks nice!"

"Thanks," the lion mumbled.

Benjamin looked at the hamburger with envy. It smelled fresh, a delicious patty covered in the fried dough, a little bit of salad, relish and onion rings protruding from the golden edges. The fries piled by the side looked so very crisp.

And no wonder these furs grew so big nowadays....not the lion, though. He was thin. Some muscle definition in his shoulders, he could tell, maybe some lower down, too. Benjamin was already aware that he surely had a nice butt...

"That looks so nice," the wolf smiled to the lion, just in the lupine way his jaws allowed him, "I didn't know they make hamburgers here, too."

The lion shrugged.

"They're the one thing they do right in this place," he spoke before grabbing the burger for a big bite. Benjamin's ears flicked as he listened to the sounds of noisy chewing.

"Really now?" he asked, glancing at his own quite nice-looking sandwich and wondering if the lion's words held true.

John finished chewing and wiped some sauce from his lips with a napkin.

"Pretty much."

The wolf barely had the time to take a little bite off the corner of his own sandwich before he sensed Carmel returning again, the bear this time busily carrying a tray that contained a tall glass of milk and a big mug of coffee, both of which she rapidly placed down onto the table in front of their respective consumers.

"Would you like some milk?" the bear brandished a little pitcher. "Sugar and sweetener are on the little basket."

"I like it black," the wolf grinned. "Thank you."

"Thanks, uh...I don't know your name," the lion addressed the bear.

"That's Carmel, baby," the bear smiled again, "do give me a call if you need anything else."

"We will!" Benjamin beamed.

Carmel wandered off, humming to herself, and leaving the wolf to smile at the lion once more.

"She was nice," he spoke, keeping up with the pretense that he'd just interacted with a stranger.

"Wonder what pills she's on," the lion replied in a dejected voice while he picked up his milk and took a long sip. Benjamin watched on, curious enough that once the lion was done, he gave the wolf a scowl.

"Never saw anyone drink milk before?"

"I would've rather expected you to have a Coke or something, I must admit," Benjamin smirked.

The lion smacked his lips derisively.

"I like milk. It's good for you."

"It sure makes your fur shine wonderfully," Benjamin smiled, "or is that just a family trait?"

"Yeah, we come with a halo, but I don't walk on water, if you wonder about that," the lion snapped in reply.

Benjamin's ears flicked curiously. That was such an odd comment, or a response for that matter, to his little compliment. He'd immediately seemed to draw a most curious conclusion about it. What did that mean? Why would he think he'd meant something bad with it? Or...anything else for that matter.

"Well I don't see a halo," Benjamin said.

The lion stuffed his face with some more hamburger.

"Guess I've lost mine," he spoke after he was in the clear.

"You speak the most peculiar things, John," Benjamin spoke, watching the lion seriously.

"Whatever," the lion snuffled.

He picked up the small bottle of ketchup from the basket and squirted a drizzle of tangy oral pleasure onto his fries. Benjamin felt even hungrier, and took another good bite of his sandwich. It didn't taste bad at all, he decided, it was a good meal, something hearty and filling to eat after a day of manual labor. There were no painting-related miracles happening in Mariposa today.

Benjamin's ears flicked at the sound of screeching tires outside. John was still munching on his hamburger, giving the occasional looks out through the shaded window.

"So what do you study, John?" the wolf asked, as he detected a suitable moment to start the conversation anew...he hoped!

The soft shaking movement of the lion's whiskers came to grinding halt upon him stopping his slow chewing.

"I'm going to become an engineer specializing in water treatment systems," the lion said.

Benjamin smiled.

"Ohhh that is impressive!" he exclaimed. "You'll be helping to preserve some very important resources, protecting what we have for the future generations!"

The lion scowled.

"Why is it that everything you say sounds like it's out of Sesame Street?" the lion's tail smacked the floor underneath the diner table. "Jesus Christ..."

Please forgive John for using your name in vain, Benjamin thought.

The wolf chuckled instead.

"Well..uhm...awesome, duuuuude!" he flicked his ears amusingly.

"Still not convinced..." the lion shook his head.

"Your parents must be really proud of you, studying to be an engineer."

The lion's fingers toyed around with a piece of potato on the plate.

"Not as proud as they are of my dear brother Jacob, considering that he decided to follow in my father's pawsteps and went into a seminar," the lion wasn't looking at Benjamin while he spoke, instead choosing to stare through the window.

Benjamin was quite sure that he didn't need any kind of special senses to detect the sadness in the lion's voice - no matter how simply he put it, speaking like that, just a soft rumble, as if he didn't care...but that voice...that voice cared. He felt the urge to comfort the lion, somehow, and wondered briefly whether that was indeed his assignment...to help John accept...to grow as a man...discover his own worth, which was surely considerable...and maybe help him seek God's counsel and guidance, in his life. It sounded like he felt overshadowed by his brother, and with his father's bad attitude and harsh words...no wonder he was feeling down.

"So your brother is going to become a pastor as well?" the wolf asked, wanting to sound interested and nonjudgmental, of course.

"Yeeeeeup" the lion snorted.

Benjamin took a sip of his coffee, to buy some time for thinking, and to simply practice his social behavior routines, because you never did too much of that, and even smacked his lips afterwards on the tangy taste.

"Does he intend to work with your father, to continue his work?"

"Perhaps," John replied, "not at first, of course. There's only room for one pastor in this town and dad isn't about to share his throne with anyone else. I'm sure he'll find some place or the other to preach the Gospel."

"I've seen many fathers and sons working together quite well," Benjamin opined meaningfully, "even with their occasional differences."

"Well, I'll rather work in a shit processing plant than in my father's robes, if that's what you mean," the lion snapped, "my brother is much more suitable for that, and I'm sure he and father will be best buddies and pals from here to eternity."

Such a strong thing to say...how easily these furs speak like that...

Benjamin decided to be diplomatic.

"It takes a strong calling to become a servant of God in that most tangible sense," he spoke, "priesthood is all about facing every aspect of life, every day..."

The lion snuffled.

"Good grief, you sound like a brochure," the lion chucked hollowly.

"I'm simply speaking from my own experience, how I have seen those of the cloth work among the furs, helping them in their trouble," he replied.

Though best not to talk about the alarming numbers of angels sent to guide priests who had lost their faith in God...

"Well you haven't lived in Mariposa all your life."

"Neither have you," Benjamin grabbed the opportunity. "Surely you have seen many things out there...other pastors, too."

"I don't go to the church anymore," the lion replied, "I don't care."

Diplomacy...remember diplomacy...

"It is possible to speak to Him even outside a church," Benjamin smiled, "all it takes is a prayer, and an open heart so that you can hear His response."

John's for fell onto the table with a clatter.

"What the hell do you care about me speaking with God or not?" the lion scowled, his voice lowering into a dark hiss.

"Well I was simply..."

The lion stuffed a paw into his pocket and took out a leather wallet, out of which he quickly pulled out a ten-dollar note and pushed it halfway under his still mostly uneaten plate before he got up, gave the wolf a glare, and then walked out of the diner without looking back.

Benjamin blinked.

"Oh dear..."

"Would you care for more coffee, baby?"

Carmel had appeared covertly by him, brandishing her coffee pot in a remarkably passive aggressive manner while she looked at the softly frowning wolf still sitting on the booth.

"Well..." Benjamin glanced down into his half-empty mug.

"There's always time for more coffee," the bear said.

Benjamin made a worried glance through the window before he nodded softly to the big bear.

"Thank you, Carmel."

*

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