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Cassandra stretched her neck out comfortably, her tensions washing away as she continued her unscheduled vacation day. Isaac had granted her on request of his wife, the two spending a rather eventful day together. The doe let out a soft little murr as she pushed back down on the dildo in her paw, watching as it sunk down slowly into the bear's tight ass. "Carol dear," the doe cooed, "I do believe you're getting better at this!"

"Mmm, am I?" the bear said in a daze, arms crossed on her pillow as she remained in her doggy style position, ass arched up as the doe behind her sat cross-legged working the jelly cock in and out of her rear. "I missed you Cass!" the bear moaned lustfully, sighing as she felt fingers rub her soaking wet folds.

"I missed you too babe!" the doe said gently as she reached her muzzle down, giving several short pecks of kisses to the bear's soaked sex. She sucked eagerly on Carol's clitoris, eliciting needy screams as the dildo had been placed nearly all the way into her ass.

"Oh god Cass that's it!" the bear moaned eagerly, bucking her hips as the dildo sunk in and out of her, the doe's tongue trailing along her velvety folds. "Ahh, god!" she growled like a feral creature, gripping the doe's legs and changing their posture, "I wanna eat your pussy Cass, let me taste it again!"

"You got it sweetie!" she gasped in between strokes of her tongue, unable to hold back her appetite for the bear's sweet taste. The moment the doe spread her legs, Carol already smelled her arousal, her muzzle just salivating as it hung just above the smooth velvety folds. The bright pink labias were shimmering in the light as they were on display, soaked from the doe's excitement.

Carol lunged for the lovely lips, dragging her tongue along each damp spot until it was dry again, the taste mesmerizing her senses. The moment it was dry, the doe's shiver body only made it wet again, the two easily building up a strong climax the more they pressed their tongues into each other.

Cassandra pulled against the bear's folds gently with her lips, tongue sliding along her inner walls as she pushed the dildo further into her ass, pulling it out each time she dove her tongue deeper. She cooed out a low hum as the bear's tongue snaked into her ass, taking long dives into her backside before sliding back over to her snatch, the bear taking gracious turns between both of the doe's lovely holes.

Carol moaned as she kissed the doe's tight pucker, having easily falling in love with her husband's favourite fetish. She sucked on the tight button of flesh, thumb rubbing on the doe's clit just before she switched over, lapping at her folds again. All the while Cassandra kept panting and slurping inches from orgasm just as Carol reached her own.

Their moans were muffled when they finally came, both muzzle quickly filling with girlcum as it came gushing out in a flood. Carol's was longer and more powerful as she had been toyed with much longer, and she shivered when the doe removed the thick dildo inside her ass, kissing the pucker before laying back on the bed.

The two shared long comfortable sighs as they lay back on the bed, turning to embrace each other in a kiss laced hug, tasting each other's aromas off the dancing of their tongues. With their primal displays of passion concluded and their bodies simmering down, Cassandra began to look a tad remorseful. Her breath was anxious as she contemplating things, easily noticeable to her partner.

"What's wrong Cass?" the bear asked, gently stroking her fingers over the doe's chin.

Cassandra let out a huffed little exhale as she thought through her feelings, sorting them out into words. "What you said to me back on that cruise this summer..."

The bear blushed furiously, "Oh yeah that, w-well I don't want to scare you off Cass, I do have feelings for you but I didn't mean we had to date outside my marriage or anything weird like that..."

"Well that's the thing," Cassandra began, "I'm sort of seeing someone now."

"Oh..." the bear replied softly, looking a little hurt.

"Oh please Carol, you're fucking married!" the doe said, smacking the bear gently on the side.

Carol smirked for a second before losing herself to a fit of laughter, "Ok ok, we're both sluts, so what do you want to do about this situation."

Cassandra sighed as she thought over her little predicament, scritching her chin as the image of her gemsbok lover came into her head, thrusting himself into the sexy bear. She smiled as she said quite passionately "I want him included, but I don't think I can just bring this whole thing up casually..."

Carol cocked her head to the side as she couldn't help but be wildly curious. "Well, what did you have in mind?"

The doe grinned, looking almost as devious as Isaac for a fleeting moment, "Something...crazy!"

...

The following day, every member of the Ridgewood staff was prim and proper as they stood in attention, each having arrived an hour earlier than they normally would have. Isaac was sweating bullets as he paced back and forth, Cassandra constantly chasing him around the table with a handkerchief to pat his forehead dry, "Honestly Isaac calm down, you're going to give yourself a heart attack!"

"Good," the bear groaned as he wrung his paws, "Save me the trouble of seeing that woman again!"

"She's really not that bad" Abby added, the poodle filing her nails as she waited for the need to look professional.

Isaac shivered as he thought about the super intendant, "She's cold, heartless, loathing and just plain evil!" His staff couldn't decide if the bear was afraid or just plain disgusted, but his face soured the moment the group heard a call came screeching to a halt out front. Abby and Erik got to their feet as they left the room with Isaac, both stepping towards the front door to both unlock and hold them open for their superior.

Isaac's expression changed to a plastered on smile as the hyena stepped towards them, the bear already mentally noting how she had chosen to park her Cadillac out front, away from the parking lot with the rest of her staff. She wore her thin circular spectacles just under her eyes so she could scowl forward, her black hair tied to a bun to match her deep orange eyes in a glaring form of superiority. "Good morning Ms. Fletcher" Casandra said brightly, moving her offered paw away as she was given a vicious glare.

Isaac quickly intervened, giving the group an uncomfortable smile, "Bridget prefers to be addressed by her first name Cass" he patted her on the back, watching as the hyena shuffled past them, stepping into the staff room to view the waiting members of Ridgewood's staff. "Well...here's a motley crew," she said in a low regal tone, nearly hissing out each inflection, "So many new faces, I sure as hell hope you're taking good care of my school!"

A low mumble of attempted response sounded out as they all went to respond, Bridgette immediately interrupting them with an inquiry to Isaac, "Who does physical education now?"

"That would be Mr. Mitchell," Isaac said proudly as he patted the gemsbok on the back, "He's from-"

"Look firm, he'll do," the hyena interrupted yet again, "Teaching all classes or is Mr. Benedict still teaching some of the grades?"

"Mr. Benedict has one week left of sharing the burden, then Erik here will be teaching every class."

"Hmm," the hyena said with a scowl, "I'm impressed Fuzzy." Isaac winced at the childish nickname she insisted on keeping for him. "Ok muscles," she called Erik as she pat his arms, seeing how firm they were, "Start tryouts for our teams next week, I will NOT be at the bottom again this year, with ANY of my schools, is that understood?"

"Mam!" Erik responded and she smacked his abs.

"It's Sir! Sir is genderless, but you wouldn't know would you gym teacher?!"

"S-sorry, Sir!" the gemsbok replied obediently.

Bridgette laughed for a second her smile so momentarily it could have been missed with a blink. She cleared her throat as she sneered again, "I like him Fuzzy..."

"Uh Sir, umm," Erik cowered for a second as the hyena gave him a death glare, "I've already set up tryouts for this week, Volleyball in particular is tonight..."

The hyena nodded as she turned her gaze back to Isaac, "Careful Fuzzy, he keeps it up and I'll give him your job!" As Isaac grimaced at her constant nagging she turned to the gemsbok one more time, "I want full physicals from each student, I need them proven physically fit, and I want a demanding training course...but we'll seek more of this later, I have important news for all of you."

She pulled the front chair out from its spot, taking a seat before motioning for the rest of the staff to join her. As she faced them all, her claws drummed along the mahogany furnish of the desk, her eyes surveying every member of the school's roster. "It has come to my attention your school is lacking a Vice Principal and that Ms. Kingston has been doing double the workload," the group listened on intently, wondering where she was going with this, "I shall be interviewing several candidates to rectify this situation, but in the meantime...I am your new Vice Principal."

A look hit Isaac's eyes as piercing as shattering glass, several staff members anxiously sweating as they thought over the prospect of having this terrifying looking hyena as a full time staff member. Finally as the room was ripe with tension, the poodle broke down, laughing until there were tears in her eyes. "Abby shut up!" the hyena growled, quieting the silly teacher. She cracked her knuckles as she once again looked ready to strike speaking in a low, miserable voice, "We need to discuss this school's disciplinary approach!"

...

Sierra stared blankly at the windows of the cafeteria, her eyes following the small drops of rain that pattered against their surface. Her stomach curled in tiny knots as she thought about the volleyball tryout waiting for her at the end of the day, her passion for the sport leaving her with a desperate need to succeed.

When Mikhail suddenly sat beside her, the clatter of his food tray hitting the table caused the young mouse to jump. "S-sorry Sierra, I did not mean to startle...is something the matter?"

"Hmm..." she replied idly, "Oh just worried about a tryout today, been meaning to make one of the sports teams here and well...just nervous is all." She looked at the blue bear with a gentle smile, "Hey do you like any sports Mikhail?"

"I like hockey," the big bear beamed with pride. "I was one of the best junior league goalies in Russia. I could play, watch, and talk about hockey all day long. Football is also nice. I don't mean what the Americans call 'football,' I mean real football. American football has lots of silly rules. Too much stoppage of the play while they talk about what they will do next. Is... skuchnyy. Uninteresting. I watch something else. How about you? What sports does Little Sister like? What are you trying out for?"

"Oh me...well first off I love hockey too, the Jets are my favourites...I'm actually planning to try out for the hockey team as well," the mouse beamed brightly, "...but the tryout today is for volleyball, that's my real passion when it comes to sports, I was the Captain for my team at my previous school, so it's very very important I make the cut today!"

Mikhail smiled at her, and placed a large paw on her shoulder. "You will do excellent. Trust Mikhail. I know this. I can see how passionate you are by the fire in your eyes. Don't worry. Don't be nervous. This school will be lucky to have you. So, if you don't mind me asking, where was your old school?" He took a large bite of his sandwich and began chewing, awaiting her reply.

Sierra watched him chew, a little mesmerized by the bear's ability to pick all the right things to say to alleviate her mood. "Dakota Elementary, it's a K to eight school. A rather small one, well, smaller than Ridgewood at least, so that's why I'm a tad nervous. The competition here might be a little bit more challenging." Sierra said while scratching the back of her paw and fingering a bead or two on her jade bracelet. "My old school was back in frozen city. Winterpeg...I mean...Winnipeg."

"Jets fan?" he replied cheerfully, "I am happy you have a team again. Since I am new to Canada, I don't have any... is the word loyalty?... to any team yet. I support players I like, instead. My favorite player is Ovechkin. I wanted to be like him, when I was younger, but coaches said I should be goalie. I block most of net without having to move much."

Sierra was midway drinking a glass of water when the name Ovechkin was mentioned to which she spat some water back in and unto herself. "Pffff...he's only got a slap shot, but other than that he's a brainless two hundred pound bag of arrogance. Oh and did I ever tell you how much I hate arrogant people?" She said teasingly, reaching over to give Mikhail a little bump in his shoulder. "It's all about Crosby...Canadian born, Canadian made. Now that guy can handle a puck..." Sierra crosses her arms and looks back at Mikhail, keeping her front more playful than anything else. "When the pond freezes over, I'll have to shoot some pucks against you."

"Crosby is good player. Maybe the best right now," the boy nodded. "I have a lot of respect for him. Back home, though, Ovechkin is national icon. All the young players worship him. I wanted my jersey number to be eight, like him, but coach gave me eighty-eight. He says it's because I block the goal like two Ovechkins." He laughed at the memory, a deep, rumbling sound.

Sierra smiled and rubbed her paws together as she leaned in a little closer. She slowly got up and her tail waved behind her excitedly as she pronounced her next words. Her eyes were playful and she wanted to reassure him that she was just nurturing the possibility of friendly competition. "You see Mikhail. I think your number is eighty-eight not because of two Ovechkins. But because eighty-eight is full of holes, like the ones I'll be making through you with my slap shots."

With that she sat back down with a grin, happy of her thrust. In order to prevent a retaliation, she followed with a question, addressing a topic they had almost begun to discuss before class. "So why do you insist on calling me 'little sister'?"

"I see sadness in your eyes," he told her, his expression softening despite her jabs at his prowess. "It reminds me of the sadness in my own little sister's eyes. Two years ago, our mother died. She was coming home from her job, and another driver ran into her. She died at the hospital holding our paws. There was nothing the doctors could do to save her. They let us come in for us to say 'do svidaniya,' and then she was gone."

He paused to take a deep breath, poking at his forgotten lunch, before continuing. "Mama came from a - what is the word for having lots of money? - bogatyy family. She was a purchasing manager for a very large company, and she paid for Papa to attend school to become world-class chef. Our father's family was poor, and did a lot of nezakonnyy things, stuff that is against the law. Papa is a good man, despite his background, and Mama helped to raise him out of the dirt."

"Mama's family did not like her dating our father. She was too good for him, they said. They did not - sorry, I forget the word, but when you let someone know that you know they are there? - priznavat' him when we would visit, so he often stayed home," he explained.

His pale gray eyes began to water up as he continued his tale. "When Mama died, he took us to visit her family. They looked at Gemma, then turned us away. They said Gemma looked too much like our mother and that it hurt too much. They said they did not want to see us any more. We were zabroshennyy, alone."

Sierra felt tears slide along her eyelids as the bear spoke, her fingers slipping through the emerald spheres that made up her bracelet. It seemed to calm her knowing it was around, but the bear's story still toyed with her senses, her breath tightening as long dark hospital halls crept into the back of her mind.

"When Papa's family found out about her life insurance money, they started bothering us." Mikhail noticed the subtle movement of her hand towards her wrist, but focused on continuing his story. "Suddenly, they cared. When our father refused to help them, they started getting angry, agressivnyy. They made threats against my sister and me. Our father tried to talk to the police, but the threats were dismissed as a family dispute. Papa was not convinced. He was scared for us, and so we left Russia."

"No mother, no grandparents, no more friends... just Papa, Gemma, and me. Our father decided to come to Canada because of the hockey. I love to play, and they say I am pretty good. My coach back in St. Petersburg called me led d'yavol, 'Ice Devil.' Here, he has found a job as head chef in a nice five-star restaurant. Things are starting to get better. Do I miss the ones I have lost, the people I have left behind? Yes. But I cannot go on being sad. Mama would not want that for me," he took his napkin and softly blew his nose.

He looked up in time to see the young mouse sobbing quietly, his finger reaching out to wipe some of the tears away, "I call you 'Little Sister' because you remind me of Gemma with your pretty, sad eyes. She is not having it so easy. English is harder for her, so she is quiet and has a hard time making new friends. I see you, and I see that you need a friend. So I talk to you. You are just like Gemma. I will call you, 'sestrenka.' It means, 'Little Sister.'"

"B-but, you already have a sister," Sierra began, "Wh-what would Gemma think if she heard you calling me that?" The mouse's question was innocent and honest, her paws behind her back as she shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

Mikhail laughed gently as he moved closer, clutching her in a warm hug, "If parents have more than one child, does this mean first was not good enough? A big family is a good thing! Friends are family you get to pick for yourself, close friends are like brothers or sisters. No, this does not mean I love Gemma any less. What do you say? Are we friends? Can I call you my 'sestrenka?'"

Sierra sniffled a little as she wiped the last of her tears away nodding as she let out a gentle whisper, almost as soft as the wind that rattled the windows, "Yes."

...

Erik cleared his throat as he stretched his arms and legs, slowly reaching one to the other as he shook out the tension in his joints. The small bundle of students would enter any time now and he wanted to be prepared when they did. His ears perked as the door squeaked open, chattering voices filling the room as bundles of cubs shuffled in.

This particular tryout was mixed, Erik looking for star players to fill both of his Volleyball teams. He waited patiently until the room was filled, clearing his throat again to quiet down the room. "Welcome to Grade 6-8 Volleyball, here at Ridgewood we take our sports programs quite seriously, so I will only allow serious players on my team..." he looked over the crowd trying to pick out who looked poised and who seemed here just for fun, "That being said, "That being said whoever has their permission forms, please bring them to the front and we'll get things started."

Sierra had followed in with the other girls without saying much. She sat on the gym floor before her Physical Education teacher with the rest of the kids, sitting mainly with who she had picked out to be less popular kids. She was serious about this team and groaned with irritation every time Mr. Mitchell was interrupted by the chatter or giggles. There were too many girls and boys who thought this was a time and place to socialize more than train.

She was happy when he called out for the forms, quickly getting up and handing it in. She tugged at her t-shirt and unwedged her tight spankies from her inner thighs. Raising her paw, Sierra waited to have his attention and when she did, she asked "How many members will there be in a team, and what's that I heard about a certain complete physical test?"

Erik smiled at the pretty young mouse, happy to see at least one student who was taking things seriously, "Twelve students will be chosen...so long as I somehow find that many that I'd even consider athletes...as for the physical examination..." he paused for a moment trying to hide a giggle as he remembered the earlier bantering between Isaac and his boss, "Ms. Fletcher believes it a good idea for all students to be tested for physical soundness and all around potential, both for the team's benefit and the student's physical safety."

The young mouse shifted a little and gave Mr. Mitchell a confused look. His answer or explanation wasn't really satisfactory. Never before had the students been required to pass a physical examination to participate on a sport's team back at her old school. After some reflection she nodded a little, understanding that perhaps it was a sign of an authentic and elite sports program, which was something she had dreamed of for a while.

She took a deep steadying breath, fearing that she wouldn't pass the physical examination for whatever reason. Her hand shot up quickly again as another question came to mind, "How many tryouts will there be and when will we learn whether or not we're going to make the team?" Her bracelet dangled down her arm as her paw raised, falling back to its stationary position when her arm lowered.

Erik looked at the pretty little bundle of green balls wrapped around the mouse's wrist, noting to himself to keep an eye on it as it might become hazardous during play. "There will be two tryouts, one to pick the main teams and a second to make sure the decision was precise on my part" he smiled at the young mouse as she started to grow on him, her inquisitive attitude matching as impressive as the fact she had come to practice in her own gear.

"That being said," the gemsbok continued, "A small group of you will be on a standby list and come to certain practices as well, should any player not work out or ever be injured before an important game...I know this may seem unorthodox compared to the way things have run in the past, but Ms. Fletcher was very...persistent that we increase our edge this year."

Sierra had one last question and this time, she just asked it without raising her paw, the crowd of kids having fallen silent as they all listened in, "Are we supposed to schedule our own physical exam before the last tryout, and do you need to be there during it?"

She wanted to ask whether or not they would have to get naked, but she didn't deem it appropriate. She was there to play volleyball and had hoped they could start passing or hitting some balls. She looked at her competition and didn't fear too much, she knew her skill level and couldn't wait to show it off. Perhaps it would garner her some respect amongst her peers.

Erik smiled softly as the mouse seemed a little hesitant with her last few questions, "Don't worry, everyone who makes the team will have their own examination scheduled, privately, so no I won't be present during it." He smiled as he reached behind him, picking up one of the smooth white balls to idly bounce in his palm, "So...any further questions or do you kids wanna start smacking these things over some nets?"

...

The sounds of cheering, giggling and bouncing balls could be heard as the energy level in the gymnasium raised to an all new high for Ridgewood's sports program. The girls were on one side and the boys on another, separated by a long curtain to preserve the balls on their respective courts. The young kids were separated into drills, some of them passing in lines, others practicing their serves. Only later in the tryout would they start hitting, and Sierra couldn't wait as that was her favourite exercise.

Of all the girls, she was one of the few that could serve overhand and it came out as a rocket. She was impressive, getting most of her serves over the net. Especially when Mr. Mitchell was watching, she missed a few and showed her competitiveness by beating herself up for it, but she made it up with some good receptions and passes. Her position remained solid and when she awaited a serve during reception training, her tail swished eagerly from left to right sometimes distracting the girl in a position behind her.

The gemsbok had his eyes on several young girls and boys, but none the same level as Sierra. The young mouse contained the energy of a young adult, the skill of a seasoned trainee and the passion of a true fan of the sport. He could see the same eager shine in her eyes that he once had as a cub, that unfiltered hopefulness and determination to steal her shot at the court. The only thing that occasionally suspended him from his impression was those little green balls that continually dangled almost dangerously close to her palm.

"Sierra!" Erik called as he stepped over to her, her little group pausing their serves momentarily. "I need you take that bracelet off, it's not safe to wear during play."

Her lips quivered as she worded his request under her breath. 'Take off my bracelet?' she asked herself and noticed all the girls looked unto the mouse. Her next actions would speak louder than words and she had to make a decision. If she would take it off, the game would resume and nobody would think more of it. If she refused to take it off, not only would she be disobeying, but she'd show all the girls rebellious behaviour and it might hurt her chances at socializing.

Yet what nobody understood was the meaning and significance of the green beaded bracelet. This was the bracelet Lucas had given her at the end of her cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii and back over the summer. It meant so much to her and as she reflected on what she should do, every second that ticked feeling like a minute. She felt a queasy feeling in her stomach and she had to swallow her saliva on more than one occasion.

She looked towards Mr. Mitchell who looked on expectantly, but with slight regret, she did something she never did towards a teacher before. She shook her head, got back in a ready position and looked on to the server.

The gemsbok raised his eye in surprise as not only did she disobey him, but she motioned to continue the play without so much as giving him a reply. "Sierra...now!" he didn't yell, but his voice was firm, showing that he wasn't merely suggesting it.

The girl serving wouldn't continue play, obviously supporting her coach over the new girl. Sierra's tail went limp and she lowered her head, placing her hands on her knees, bent over slightly. Upon the third and final obligation, she threw her head up and simply walked off the court to stand at the side, refusing to take it off. She rested against the wall and was quickly replaced as the play continued.

Sierra crossed her arms and fought back tears, she didn't watch the play. She hated herself and wanted to be left alone and if she would see anyone walk towards her, especially Mr. Mitchell, she wouldn't be able to look him into the eyes and would run to the girl's changing room.

...

With less than hour gone by after Sierra's little display of disobedience, all the cubs had fled the school to head home. The only exception was Sierra, and knowing that everyone else had left, Erik slipped quietly into the girl's change room. "Sierra, are you decent? I want to have a word with you."

Her breath quivered and her sweaty palms were being rinsed as she sobbed in front of the mirror. She didn't like what she saw and a cataclysm of emotions surged within her. She couldn't believe what she had done and the damage it would do to her reputation. She blamed her father's death for her act, but questioned whether or not the bracelet meant a lot more to her than she originally believed.

Truth is, she wished to see Lucas again but knew that it could potentially never happen. Now she had to face her reality. A new life, a new town, a new school and now what she believed to be an angry coach. She swallowed her saliva but didn't answer her coach, she just stepped back at her locker and sat on the bench. Her skirt, blouse and a clean pair of underwear for after the shower with a hole sized for the tail in the back lay folded in a pile next to her.

"O-one second please!" she squeaked out, grabbing her clothes after she had wiped herself dry. She slipped each piece of clothing out daintily, tail slipping carefully into the little hole in her underwear. When she was finally clothed she gave Erik a soft "Ok, you can come in now" plopping down onto the bench.

Erik groaned as he dropped down next to her, unstrapping a brace from his knee before softly rubbing it with his paw, wincing a tad. "Sierra I hope you know I only asked you to remove that bracelet for your own safety, you only had to part with it for an hour." He rubbed her back with a paw, not invasively but just enough to show that the warmth in his voice wasn't forced, "I'm not gonna pry, but I can see that thing has some real sentimental value to you."

Sierra listened and didn't budge at his touch, nor did she look up to him but when he began to speak about the bracelet, she burst into tears and buried her face in her palms. "I'm so sorry..." she said between sobs, quickly trying to regain control over herself. She took off her bracelet and reached over to give it to him. "C-C-Can I hit a few balls...to make...up for it?"

Erik's eyes widened a little, as he felt the small bracelet drop into his palm. He looked down at it, admiring the pretty little thing. He gave a warm smile as he looked back at Sierra, "Only if you want to dear..." he gave her a small hug, short and gentle as to not seem weird to the girl, "You made my team in the first ten minutes kiddo."

"Really?" Sierra perked up, her ears opening and raised over the top of her head. A smile came back and energy flowed into her arms once more. Energy that she used to wipe off all traces that her tears left behind. "Wow" she bit her lip and smiled up to him. "Thank you, that means so much, It's the first group I can feel I could belong to!" she said, sobbing her last few tears.

She got up and stretched, taking a deep breath and a drinking down some water, bending over to lap up at the fountain. Her tail became livelier and after rearranging her ponytail, she was eager to get started, "I've never had one on one coaching before."

Erik smiled as he watched the young mouse get back to her eager passionate state, still sitting on the bench as he rubbed his knee. "Y-you go on ahead, I'll catch up with you, ok?"

"Mister Mitchell," she paused, looking back over her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Her eyes went to his paws, tenderly massaging the ache out of his leg.

"Just my knee, is all," the older gemsbok told her, returning her look as he strapped the brace back on and rose up to his hooves. "Blew it out in college, effectively ending my prospects at a pro career. It's how I found myself teaching." Sierra had a look of sympathetic concern as she waited for the teacher to be ready to leave. Grabbing his paw to help him up when he was ready to go.

Coach and player walked together out on to the hardwood court, Erik stopping beside the cart full of equipment and gathering up a half dozen volleyballs into his arms. Sierra strode to the opposite side of the net, asking, "What did you play?"

"What didn't I play?" He replied, sending a hard overhand serve the younger mouse's direction, which she easily returned with only a few steps to the right. "Baseball, basketball, hockey... Mostly hockey, though. I was being scouted by a few teams, then I messed up my knee playing a pick-up game of basketball with some friends of mine."

"And there was no coming back from it?" Sierra asked as she returned the next serve, watching the ball land in-bounds a yard or so in front of her coach. "Lots of athletes manage to recover after surgery."

"I tried, believe me," Erik told her. "Don't return these next ones; just set them up for your spiker." He sent the next serve her way, and she gently redirected the ball vertically with her fingertips. "Good! No, I tried coming back, but the knee gave out on me again, this time during a game and with scouts watching. My chances were pretty much done after that. After a second surgery, the docs told me as much. I didn't want to hear it, so I got another opinion. Same bad news."

"So you settled for teaching?" Sierra asked.

Erik gave a bright, almost illuminating smile as he reached out, paws grabbing the ball so it came to a grinding halt. "No Sierra...I didn't settle," his voice was soft but confident, a serious depth in the way he chose his words, "Life isn't always scripted kiddo, and what we think we want isn't always what we get. What I was given was a new perspective, am I sometimes a little bitter? Sure... but there's something so special about sharing my passion with all you kids, guiding you to fight for the same goals, the same dreams that I did...no," his smile was pure and unhindered, "I didn't settle...I found a new goal."

He served the ball back to Sierra, and for the first time in her life, her body stood still, missing the ball as it came right smack down to the floor, her eyes staring wildly into the gemsbok's as she felt his endurance, the pride in which he attained it, and most of all, the strength of his courage. Erik chuckled as he watched her stare in short bewilderment, nodding to the ball as he teased her, "Y'know if you want to stay on the team you gotta make sure that ball doesn't touch the floor."

"Oh..." the mouse said as she slowly turned to look at the ball, "Y-yeah...heh, silly me." She had a slight blush as she fumbled over to grab the ball, slightly embarrassed by the short moment of fleeting daze she had just experienced. "Hey, umm Mr. Mitchell, it's been a long day, I should head home now...w-would you be up for this again tomorrow?"

The gemsbok nodded with a grin as he moved away from the net, opening the large container by the wall that held the school's collection of volleyballs. The mouse skipped over to him in her flustered little rush, a small squeak sounding out as she tripped on her own feet. The ball hit the gymnasium floor again with a gentle thud, Erik swooping down to catch the girl just before she hit the hard floor.

The two looked at each other for a moment, silent and still as they held each other for support. "Oh umm, I, uh..." Erik said awkwardly as he pulled her up, making sure both feet caught the floor. In the short embrace, they both looked away, blushing slightly before ending it in a hug. Although innocent in nature, both felt a shiver chill through their body, each sighing in a confused warmth before breaking their hold on each other. "Don't worry about the ball...umm, I'll get it!"

Sierra giggled as she nodded back at her coach, "Oh, ok thanks, I-I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Mitchell." As she trotted off Erik shook his head, grabbing the volleyball as he laughed at his own awkward display. He looked over as she left, gulping as he caught a glimpse of her backside, fit and firm for a cub's, bouncing along with her steps as she left the gym, door closing with a snap.

He shook the details out of his head, a slight guilt filling him from the momentary peek he had allowed himself. The talk from earlier seemed to wash over him quite suddenly as the cute young athlete reminded him of his own youth. He had no bracelet, no physical idol, but in his mind he kept several trophies, each scout that watched him those youthful days always in there, guiding him through each purpose.

He imagined the crowd around him as he stepped up to the net, for just a moment, fleeting, betraying, and sweet, there he was, just a boy surrounding by young stubborn dreams. With a slight grit to his teeth, he tightened his legs tossing the ball in the air with one paw as the other landed on it with fierce precision, the smooth sphere sailing with purpose over the net and across the empty room.