Touchdown
(July 19 11:00pm, 2013: Portland) Immediately as the plane landed Lilliana looked at the shiny new screen on the Droid 4 the girls had gotten her. There was the messages that she had been looking for, waiting to see.[7:00AM DR23B: We are on the plane should be at DIA in 6 hours.]Two maybe three hours before they landed. Her heart was racing with the thoughts of what could happen to them. She would be out at the cabin by the time they were able to even try to contact her. She did not like the thought of the two teens driving across country by themselves, yet she could not let the moose hermaphrodite make the trip alone.So many things had changed in such a short time. She needed to get out. needed to run, She needed something. Her mind shifted to Hank, he still had all the gear. She was always calmed by the controlled mechanical sound of gun fire. She needed to think, she needed to shoot, and he was her counterpart. Just two hours and she could think things through again.(July 19, 2013, 12:40pm: Denver International Airport)As they emerged from the passenger gate, the long flight from Hawaii now behind them Daisy jostled Sisy as she spoke, "okay sweet cheeks, need to put you down for a minute so I can check to see where..." her words cut off as a loud and familiar voice rang out above the din of the surrounding crowd."Over here moose face," came the cheery voice of her friend Jennifer Ashcroft, the badger girl practically beaming at the sight of her friend. As she drew closer the girl stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping when she saw the small mouse in her friend's arms as she spoke, "Jesus Christ on a stick Daisy, are you trying to get us both thrown in the slammer? What the fuck girl? I know I said I would help you any time, anywhere, anything, but damned if I'll be in the middle of a damn kidnapping.""Relax Jen, it's nothing like what you think, for Christ's sake you know me better than that." Looking at her girlfriend she continued, "Cecily Fargo, met one of the few people I know that I would actually call a true friend, Jennifer Ashton, Jen, this is Cecily, my girlfriend.""Your what? Girlfriend? Hold the damn phone, is this the girl your ass is all torn up about? God Damn Daisy, rob the fuckin' cradle why don't ya, what the hell is she like eight?" the badger asked, her eyes as wide as plates."What you too? No Jen, she's fifteen and with me with her mother's permission, to help me pack my shit and load up, and help me drive out East." the moose herm explained."Then you really are running away?" her friend asked, a sadness in her voice."More like running to than away Jen. Dad really went off the deep end when all the shit went down on the cruise. I think he may be starting to figure things out, but... but this little sweetheart needs me as much as I need her." Daisy said as she held the mouse to her chest warmly."Well I'll be damned, you really did fall in love on that cruise didn't ya? I kind of thought you were pulling my leg with that shit, figured it was just a vacation romance that got a little out of hand or something. Well damn, and here I thought we would have the rest of the summer to cruise the malls and torment the hell out of the hot guys and girls together," her friend said, grinning broadly at the moose. "Okay so what do you need from me then? If I'm gonna give up the best wing girl in the state I'm not letting you out of my sight until I have to.""Hold that thought for a minute, gotta couple of calls to make before we do anything else, let's head to baggage claim, we can make the calls on the way." Looking down at the mouse in her arms she asked, "so, do I put you down or have you got it on calling the mom's to let them know we got here safe sweet lips?"Before the mouse could answer the moose Jennifer looked her friend in the eyes as she said, "sweet lips? Dear God you have got it bad girl, come on, let's get your shit and get you two to your house so you can start packing shit up. We'll stop on the way and get some boxes and tape."The small kangaroo mouse fished the phone out of her pocket with one paw while she held onto her girlfriend with the other. "Lilly is out of range. I Sent the check in to her, She'll get it the second she is back in data coverage. You can put me down if you want.""In this crowd? Like hell if I'm gonna have to answer to Lilly how I lost you in a damn airport sweet cheeks. Until we get to baggage claim you're staying right where you are. Besides, I like having my cuddly mouse all to myself for a little bit," the moose girl said as she squeezed her girlfriend a little tighter in her arms.Three hours and more than one round of telling people to keep their eyes to themselves later the trio emerged from the busy airport dragging along the girls luggage as the walked across the parking lot to Jens vehicle. As they tossed the bags into the bed of the Ford F350 truck Jen asked, "so straight to the house or should we hit a drive by and get some food first?""Sounds good to me, what about you sweet cheeks? Any requests?" the moose asked the small mouse as she plopped her into the front seat of the quad cab pickup.As she was dropped into the seat, Cecily fished the camera out of her backpack and started snapping pictures of the truck,airport and the badger girl. After a moment she looked up at Daisy and said, "I don't really care. Anything you two want.""Well you two are not stuffing up on pizza and shit," the badger girl said as she climbed into the drivers seat. "This may be the last time I get a chance to shove food at moose face and I'm not wasting the opportunity on crappy excuses for food. Fuzz face eats just about anything that doesn't move too fast. How about short and cute there? Veggie, vegan, don't give a shit or only eats moose?""Whatever, Lilly thinks I need to eat more meats, but that's almost all she eats so..." the small mouse replied shyly."Okay so that's one I don't know and one I don't care, no idea where to get either of those even in this place."W-what can you only get here?" She looked at her lover and asked, "What's something you're not going to be able to have again for a while.""Hmm, let me think for a minute..." the moose said as she slowly turned her head to look at the badger, bothe of them breaking out in wide grins. "I know just the place, and I think you may like it too sweet lips," she replied, both of the larger girls saying in unison in
very poor imitations of a hispanic accent, "Casa Bonita!" After a fit of giggles died down between them Daisy asked, "so which room do we take her to once we get there? Oh how about the crows nest, so she has a good view of the cliff divers?""Or maybe the cave, it's quieter down there and not a lot of people go there unless the place is crowded. It would be a better place to sit and talk while I have the chance to catch up before you leave. Anywhere is fine with me, except the banquet hall, that place... still gives me the creeps so not there okay?""Yea, that room is off limits for me too. I don't give a shit what anyone else says, I know what I heard in there and it just creeps the fuck out of me too. We'll just pick a spot when we get there, to the Nita Jen," the moose said, pointing through the windshield as the badger girl pulled out of the parking area."W-what's the banquet hall?" the small mouse asked as she looked between the two other girls."A big room set up and decorated out to look like a medieval dining hall in a castle, it's a nice room, but a bunch of us went there one night after a football game to eat and celebrate. Puff butt and I, and a few others heard some wierd ass noises in that room. Everyone else kept trying to tell us it was pipes groaning or some shit like that," the badger girl said, "I don't give a damn what they say it was, it wasn't no damn pipes. It sounded more like some kind of roman orgy in overdrive to me. Damn moaning and panting, hell I thought someone was going at it right there under the table when I heard it.""Sounds... um... interesting," Cecily looked at her girlfriend, "So... um... how many orgies have you heard?"Looking oddly at the mouse Daisy replied, "Only one, and I left before it got too... busy. Thing is it didn't start out that way, it was just supposed to be three couples sharing some space to make out and have sex if we wanted to. The next thing I know more people start showing up and it started getting a little out of hand so I left. People seem to think that the herm in the room is supposed to be the cum dumpster by default just because you're there. One jackass had the balls to ask me if I would let him and his eight buddies tag team three way me until they all got off at least twice. I punched him in the dick and left."Cecily shyly looked away as she responded, "I-I'm sorry. M-most people I used to know would brag about stuff like that. I.. I guess I still have a lot to figure out about being normal."Unable to restrain herself the badger girl burst into laughter, "I'm sorry, but if you're trying to figure out normal what the hell are you doing with Daisy? There ain't shit normal about her any way you look at it."The small mouse shrank back from the laughter and question. When the badger girl finished her comment the two girls saw something snap in the shy, withdrawn, demeanor as she looked at the Badger in the drivers seat, "I Don't care! I don't want normal if its not with Daisy. She's the only one who ever cared, who ever came back," her voice softened after her little outburst, "I.. I just don't know about everything I left, or how it fits into our lives now.""It's okay sweet cheeks, I don't know how everything I'm leaving fits in our lives either, but we'll figure it out in time, and we'll do it together," the moose said cuddling her mouse lover."I.. I'm sorry Daisy. It was a stupid question." the small mouse said as she pushed herself into the moose's embrace. "Let's just go eat, the place sounds interesting.""Head us there Jen," Daisy said to her badger friend as she leaned down to whisper in the mouses ear, "no it wasn't Sisy, you wanted to know and you asked. It doesn't bother me to talk about stuff like that with you sweety." Raising her head to stare out the windshield Daisy smiled slightly. "So I forgot to ask Sisy, do you like mexican food?"She looked up at the moose and asked, "Real mexican or that franchize, americanized crap they label mexican?""Real mexican, this place is no Taco Bell. It's owned and run by a family that came from Mexico about forty years ago. The grand mother is still in charge of the kitchen and the last time I heard of anyone mentioning how they could make more money by using cheaper stuff she slapped the boy with a rolling pin," the moose herm told her giggling softly, "I know she did, Jen and I and a few others were in line ordering when he said it and she slapped him."With a snicker, the small mouse said, "I guess I can go for a nice bit of ethnic food. If that's what you want.""Whispering into her lover's ear, her voice barely audible even to the mouse at this close range Daisy, said, "you know what I really want don't you trail mix? But there's no ready whip at the house."The mouse giggled as the moose's breath rolled into her ear, "Let's eat and you have fun with your friend, we have all the time in the world for dessert.""Okay sweet lips," she whispered in response to the mouse. "Hey Jen when we head to my house, we need to stop by Safeway and pick up a few groceries so me and Sisy will have food at the house okay?""Yea sure," the other girl responded, "wouldn't want you two starving to death before you get out of town would we?"Cecily snickered softly, and whispered so that she thought only Daisy would hear, "Starve for attention maybe." Whispering to her lover Daisy added, "remind me to get some Gatorade too sweet stuff.""You know what, we should go ahead and get some stuff to snack on for the drive too," Daisy said louder as she squeezed the mouse girl slightly. "Quick stop food generally sucks and I'm not up for scarfing burgers the whole two days we're on the road. Besides we gotta have some chips and drinks. Okay slight change of plans, we go eat, then we hit the grocery store then we hit the house and get naked," she said as one paw went to the mouses muzzle for a moment to keep her from commenting. "Well I'm up for all but the getting naked part," the badger girl said flatly, "the last time I got naked around you fuzzy butt I embarrassed myself so damn bad Samantha and Debbie didn't let me live it down for two years." Cecily looked up at Daisy and asked, "Who's Samantha?""Oh that's right, you didn't meet her on the ship. Samantha is another friend of ours. I think you would really like her now that I think about it. She's kind of quiet and shy when she first meets people but she warms up to them pretty
quickly..." the moose girl started explaining when another thought hit her suddenly. "Which reminds me Jen you have got to make her show you some pictures of the guy she met on the cruise. Holy shit did she land her a hunk.""She was on the cruise?" the small mouse asked, "Was she part of that wedding think like your brother?" The small mouse pulled her sketchbook out of her backpack and started flipping through the pages."Yes, to both questions Sisy," the moose said as she looked down at the sketch book in the mouse's lap.""That was before I got the camera, I should have some photos, they were on the roll with the day I met you." She said as she started shuffling through some photos tucked in the pages. "I should have some pictures here. Which one is her?" she asked as she pulled out some shots of the wedding party."Oh good, umm she's the Saluki that was the maid of honor, right next to Ariel, the bride. There that's her," she said as the mouse flipped through the pictures. "And that one.... there that one of the guys the white furred guy is the guy she met. Derek, ummm Blackfoot , yea Derek Blackfoot. Seems to be a really nice guy and treats her good.""I thought they were there together. After the wedding I hardly saw one without the other." She shuffled through a few more shots of the couple on the ship. "They are a cute couple. they look good together.""Yea they do, from listening to Samantha she seems to really like the guy so I hope it works out for her," Daisy said as she looked over the other pictures Sisy had taken of the wedding.The small mouse flipped through a few more pages of the sketch book as she looked for more pictures. Daisy felt the mouse shiver for a moment before she slammed the book closed, "We can look at more pictures later," as she blushed lightly, 'We need to go ahead and eat so we can get packed. Lilly expects us to be on our way by midday tomorrow."(July 19, 2013, 12:40pm: Hank's Cabin)The candy apple red custom restored '73 Camaro rolled into the clearing near the cabin as the sun hung high in the sky. They arrived to see the already packed caravan of
vehicles. Without consideration Lillian pulled the Camaro onto the car dolly trailer and immediately began to secure it in place. When the Camaro was secured in place she walked to the cabin and connected the small cell amplifier to the phone and sent out a text to Susan.[12:45 PM DR23A : Back at base camp. Gear nearly secured for transport. Will mobilize to site Bravo with in the day.][12:45 PM DR81B: DR72D and I are secure at TAC. Will begin recon for HQ location at 08:00]As the badger and otter arrived at the the trailer the liger sat on she began to speak. "Is everything packed?""Yes, we are set to go first thing in the morning," Hank replied matter of factly."Good, We're leaving tonight."Detlev asked, "Tonight?""Yes tonight. we have a long drive ahead of us and I want to get the hell out of here and headed in the right direction before I change my mind and head somewhere else." the liger looked up from her phone at the otter, "But, before we go, I need to do a little hunting."Hank looked around and asked, "Where is Squeaker?"Lilly did not look at him as she answered, "She is fine, With a friend, they will meet us in Chicago. A little last minute change of plans.""Um, Lilly, what the fuck is going on here?" The otter looked worried as he asked."It's a lot to explain, that's why we are leaving tonight. I need to get those girls in my hands as soon as possible. I'll let them explain when we get to Alex's.""Them? Girls? What the fuck, Lilly?" "Shut up and get the lapua." She turned from him and started walking into the woods. She couldn't think straight right now, she needed to blow off some steam and work through it all one more
time.(July 19, 2013, 02:10pm: The Daniels Home)"Okay, let's see how about you start here with the dresser Sisy, you can put the clothes in these," the moose said hold out two large duffle bags to the mouse girl, "and I'll start going through the crap in the closet." As she started towards the door her phone rang again, "oh for the love of... oh shit you I need to talk to," she said as she glanced at the screen of her phone, ready to hang up on yet another interruption in her plans to get packed as quickly as possible. Answering the call her voice went rather sweet and nice as she began to speak, "Chucky, how are ya sweet cakes," the moose herm said, holding a finger in front of her muzzle to quiet her girlfriends protest before the mouse could speak. (I see you got my message. Yes I did want to talk to you about that box trailer you have.)[Why? Ya need to borrow it to haul the bike to a rally or something babe?](No I don't want to borrow it, I want to buy it outright if it's cheap enough.)[Buy it? What the hell moose face, you planning hidin out in the woods or something'?](No I'm not, I'm moving out.)[Moving out? As in out of the house on your own? Shit hot legs you don't need to buy it, you can use it any time you need, you know that.](Not this time sugar, it's a one way trip. I'm headed East and not planning on coming back.)[Are you shitting me? You're gonna leave me here in hillbilly hell, with that bunny friend of your's that's always trying to get in my pants and no moose to come to my rescue? That's not fair Daisy.](Look, I'm not gonna get into a long drawn out gab fest Chuck, I need the trailer, so can I buy it or not and how much?)[You know I'm gonna miss you right sweet meat? Fine if you want it it's ours, fork over a c-note and you can have it. You better look me up when you get settled hot legs, don't make me
have to hunt you down just to hear from you girl.](Thanks Chucky, and I will, I'm gonna miss you too fluffy butt. I'll swing by later and pick the trailer up and give you a proper good bye, later zipper.)Looking at her girlfriend, the mouse girl glaring at her sternly she said, "Don't give me that look sweet cheeks. He's a friend, a real friend that I could always count on. Okay so he's more than just a friend, he was the first guy that didn't freak the fuck out when he found out I was a herm, after we moved here. The dress code at the school mom and dad got me into had a dress code that made me wear skirts. Kind of ticked me off but it did make me look more like a girl so I put up with it. About a month later I got knocked on my ass by an idiot that wasn't looking where he was going and ended up with my junk nearly hanging out, that was before I started wearing the boy short panties. Long story short, of the dozen or so guys around, figuring they may get a crotch shot view out of it, Chuck was the only one that didn't get all stupid and weird about it. He helped me to my hooves and told me it didn't matter to him if I was a herm or not, he still thought I was cute. We became friends and he's always had my back since.""Daisy," the small mouse looked at her from the dresser as she pulled things out and loaded them into the duffles, "you have a lot of friends here. You're going to leave them all. You should do something to let them all know. So they don't hear it the wrong way." We need to be packed and ready to go. Lilly doesn't expect us to leave until tomorrow." "Step ahead of you Sisy, figured I would do that when I go online to make the kotel reservations in a little bit. Mass e-mail and can chat a little with who ever is available before we go get the trailer and load this crap up. Shit, you know I didn't even think to ask about the bed and shit... ah fuck it I'll just buy a new one when we get where we're going."The small mouse held a few of Daisy's shirts up to her body, like dresses as she responded, "Hank was going to make new furniture, beds and tables and stuff, until he found work. Alex and Susan were in fully furnished apartments and Lilly sold off most of her stuff. So we're all a little short in the sleeping arrangements department for now." She looked over at her girlfriend from the dresser, "You have a lot of clothes, and stuff. Everything I have fits in a duffle bag and backpack. Then again, You've had a home for more than a few years." "Too many clothes and too much stuff as far as I'm concerned sometimes, but I think we'll take a big part of it. Looks like we need to take all my t-shirts at least, since you look like you're trying to lay claim to about half of them there sweet cakes. Would make good night gown I guess, if you want to that is," the moose said as she watched the small mouse out of the corner of her eye, packing the smaller items from her dresser and shelves into boxes. "A bunch f this stuff," she said holding a small statuette above her head, "is junk to be honest. But it holds some sentimental value, stuff that friends have given me over time." As she picked up a worn looking figure of a baseball player sliding into home plate she paused i her movement, starting at it sadly as she continued, "not all of them are still around to even say good bye to."Cecily slumped down by the now empty dresser as she spoke softly, "Daisy, you have so much you can't take with you. Don't leave anything you can." She looked up at the moose, "I want you to be with me, not take you away from everything you have. I... I never had friends that were around long enough, or liked me enough to give me things. Most of the stuff I've ever gotten was stuff I needed. Never anything cool like..." She trailed off and she began to fidget with her tail. "Are you sure you want to do this? Leave all your friends and stuff for me? If... if I had this many people that cared about me, I don't know if i could just leave like that."Without a word Daisy scooped the small mouse up off the floor, setting her on the dresser as she looked her in the eyes. "Sisy, let me explain something so you understand exactly how I feel about you and about what I'm doing. Yes I have a lot of people in my life, only some of them are what I would really call a friend. That list is a lot shorter the all this junk would make you think. Most of this crap is just keepsakes from people who I thought were a bigger part of my life than they did. A few of them are from people that mean alot to me, like this one," she said holding up the baseball player statuette. "The guy that gave it to me was a baseball player obviously, and a guy that had the balls to go out on dates with me. He decided a herm just wasn't his thing, but was man enough to tell me to my face without being an asshole about it. We stayed friends after that until he was killed by a drunk behind the wheel of a car he shouldn't have been driving. That's what I reacted to sweet thing, not that I was leaving someone. Yea, I'm leaving my friends here and going off with you, but that doesn't mean our friendships end. My real friends wouldn't want me to stay here miserable when I could
do something about it. Even for all her bullshit, Jen wouldn't want me to stay if it meant I'd be unhappy. That's what real friends are like, they care enough about you to want you to be happy, no matter what it takes for that to happen. I don't know what's going to happen between us a week from now, or a month, or a year. Putting up with me all the time you may find out you can't stand to be around me for all either of us know right now. What I do know," she said as she place her paws on the small mouses cheeks, looking deeply into the girls brown eyes, "is that right now, we love each other and I have to know if that's for a while or forever. Lilly keeps telling me something, and she's totally right. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into being with you, but it's worth all of this to find out."The small mouse looked up at her lover with a weak smile. "I guess we need to figure out what you want to keep and what you want to leave. How much space will we have in the trailer? with the bike and all.""The trailer is an eight by ten, four feet high inside, if I cover the bike once it's loaded we can pack stuff around it and that'll help keep it stable. Gramps bike takes up about a fourth of the room inside so about half the clothes and eight to ten medium boxes should fit without a problem. I'll show you which clothes have to go, and which ones I could care less about, the I'll sort through this other shit and get what I need to take packed first and fill in with the stuff I want to take if can.""You sound like Susan when we packed her out of her apartment," Cecily said with a giggle, "Well let's get this finished up so we can have fun till we leave."The two girls spent the next few hours sorting through the moose girls room packing her belongings to make the trip. As the time passed Daisy became more cheerful as she and her girlfriend talked about the things they wanted to do together in the coming days and weeks. Even when the conversation turned to the coming of the school year nothing could dampen their spirits. True to her word, once the majority of the packing was completed Daisy used her computer to message her friends, explaining parts of what had taken place on the cruise and her plans to move away from the house she had called home. There were several tense moments as she talked things over with the people that had come into her life and stayed as friends but overall things went well and nearly all of them supported her decision and wished her well, promising to keep in touch. Through out the afternoon their conversation often turned teasing and
playful as they completed the task before them more quickly than either had imagined. As the last of the boxes and duffle bags was hauled down stairs and out to the garage to make loading faster Daisy looked to her girlfriend as she spoke, "well, that's the last of it just this pile of crap and that," she said pointing to a large lump under a heavy tarp that was mostly distinguishable as a motorcycle.Cecily looked up at the moose and said, "I guess we need to get the trailer from your friend then.""Yea, I talked to him online and told him we should be there around seven to get it. That gives us enough time to stop someplace and grab a go order if you're hungry. That way we can get this stuff loaded and get some sleep.. or whatever, and be ready to go with time to spare tomorrow. Go gra your backpack and let's head that way sweet lips," she said as she led the way back into the house."Sound's like a plan to me," As she finished a small rumble emanated from her small body."We're outta here babe, let's roll," the moose said as they left on the only errand left to take care of. (July 19, 2013, 3:25pm: woods out in the mountains)Lilliana laid in the thick grass as she held the custom .338 Lapua sniper rifle in an unusual contorted position. She leaned over the rifle from the left side while she held the grip and trigger in her right paw. She lined her left eye with the scope and calmly looked through the lightly forested field. Next to her in the grass was Hank, her trusted spotter and partner from her days as a sniper in the service. The pair sat nearly motionless and silent for what seemed like hours. Hank finally whispers to her, "Why the hell are we out here doing this?""We're moose hunting.""What the hell are you talking about, Lilly?""I am avoiding doing something stupid and blowing off some steam. You want to know why I took the job so quickly? It's not like the pay is all that good for what I am worth.""You're fucking talking in circles Lilly. Just say it already. That girl has you all fucked in the head right now. Tell me what's going on or we can't help you.""Shut up and spot, river rat." the liger thought about what he was saying. He was right, having Cecily made her life so much different. She had to think through so much and consider how the outcome might affect the kangaroo mouse. The world was so much more difficult when you have others to worry about. Now she had at least one more girl on her mind, the moose hermaphrodite that her adopted daughter had fallen in love with."Distance 700 meters, wind 2 meters per hour from the northwest." The otter spoke just loud enough to be heard over the deafening silence"Target spotted, eight point, Ready." Lilliana thought about what the moose matron had told her. The woman's son had gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and the father wanted not only to break the two lovers up, but wanted to have the child aborted. The rage burned in her as she thought about it."Fire."She envisioned the moose man as she stood before her in the room after the incident between his younger son and Cecily. The look in the moose man's eyes, the anger he had for them just being in the room. 'Breath, hold, squeeze.' the sound of the rifle report rang through the trees as she waited to see the target impacted and fall. The boy's father was losing control as he realized what had happened between the mouse and moose boy. The fact that the man was partially at fault for placing the boy in a bad, nearly defenseless position. The man had allowed the boy to generally be free in the care of his sister after he had raped his brother's girlfriend."500 yards east. Distance 1000 meters. wind consistent.""Target spotted, twelve point, Ready." The boy should have been locked away in a room under guard, for his own safety as well as that of the rest of the people on board. At the time he made that choice it was only a matter of keeping both boys and the girl out of jail and getting them home. "Fire."The boy was left alone with Cecily as the family received the news of the girls conception. From what she was told, both fathers made a stupid, knee jerk choice for termination, never considering the ramifications on the boy or girl. 'Breath, hold, squeeze.' leaves caught fire as the hot brass hit the ground. Only seconds passed before the deer's head jerked and the beast fell.The boy had done the right thing. He stood up to both fathers. He protected the life that the couple had started. At that moment he became the only man in that room, a sight she wished she had seen. The boy was going to run from his home, his family, to take care of what he had started, Law or reason be damned. The moose patriarch had lost his power and hold on his family. What she had seen in his eyes that night was his last hope of sanctuary for his choices being ripped from his grasp. And he blamed her and Cecily."600 yards east, Distance 500 meters, wind consistent." The otter at her side continued to find the next target to fall."Target spotted, too small. Next." Raquel, the moose's mother and the Panda woman, Amanda, had had enough of their men making poor choices. The moose matriarch had saved her husband from Lilliana's wrath by getting him out of the room before he showed the fool that was working in his mind. It was days later before she had found out about the men's first thoughts about the new child now conceived by their offspring. Lillian had almost gone to lay waste to them on the spot, yet was set slightly at ease by the other mothers. "20 yards west, Distance 300 meter, wind 1 meter per hour from the north west,""Target spotted, ten point. Ready." She had sat on the sideline of this family as she watched the man's children run from him. They were so afraid, something she understood more than anyone knew. It was twelve years ago when she had gone to her father with her boyfriend. She was in the same place that Zoe was. The difference was her man backed down from her fathers stance. The young tiger cowered from the older lion as he ran the boy out of the house. Her father forced the termination of the pregnancy as soon as she was able. He had taken from her the first life she was going to
bring into the world. For the next two years he changed, He became more aggressive, More protective, more unreasonable about everything around them."Fire"She did not have a mother to push back against her father. He began to take everything out on her, blame her for anything that seemed wrong with their relationship. Over the next two years the animosity between the two had gotten so bad that she left, the only way she could. She joined the service.'Breath, hold, squeeze.' The ring of the shell bouncing off Hanks rangefinder followed the crack of the shot.It was years later that he finally came back to her, he had written her a letter trying to apologize, to make things right, but she thought it was too little too late. It was only three weeks after the letter that he died. She regretted her actions in the end, she understood why he had changed. Their lives had fallen apart, and he accepted his portion of that, She had not accepted her share until the end. Now all she had was a pocket watch to remind her of the nine years they had wasted together, pushing eachother away.She had done the only thing she could think of as she saw the same thing happening to a whole new family. The events that dragged her into the circle had nothing to do with why she made the choices she had. She watched as his oldest son ran to a friend, rescuing his girl form the same fate she suffered. Now she had helped his eldest child escape his reach, in hopes that it would open his eyes sooner than her father's. The moose man needed to set aside his pride and look at what he was doing to his family. She wanted to save them all from the regret that shadowed her, that she now had no way to rectify.She stood and looked down at the otter beside her. "Get the truck, we're done here. the meat goes to the shelter." she lifted the rifle and rested it against her shoulder as she walked away, into the woods. "We leave when I get back."