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Therian Dreaming

New Beginnings

Chapter Three

6th October, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

Pete gently placed the sleeping fawn in a laundry basked he'd lined with warm fluffy blankets and carried her out to the car. Placing her on the passenger seat, he carefully shut the door and walked around to the drivers side.

Sitting in the car, his mind thought over the last night.

“Kelsie, you're going to probably hate me, but I need to get our daughter checked out, I want to make sure she's okay...” Pete muttered to himself.

Starting the car, he drove quietly down the driveway, making a mental note to get Kelsie something nice to encourage her to eat...

*

“She is a bit small, you sure you want to take the risk in hand-rearing her?” Asked the Vet, as he gently stroked the sleeping fawn.

“Its not my first - “ Pete laughed weakly. “So, other than a bit on the small side, she's been sleeping really well – her poor mother got shot, gods, people who shoot Does...”

Unaware of the lie Pete fed him, the Vet placed a stethoscope against the fawns chest and listened. She woke with a start when the cold metal pressed against her chest and uttered a low, frightful bleat. Pete gently stroked her head and soothed her more with his touch and scent, than the nonsensical words he murmured to her.

“Her heart sounds regular, you are aware, that most fawn does don't live past their first month in captivity...”

“I'm aware, but as I said, she isn't my first. I'd like some milk formula for her, I live a fair way out of town and, well, I'd rather not have to drag the poor thing with me every time...”

Nodding, the Vet made a few notes on the clipboard and smiled.

“I understand completely! Its stressful for them to be in captivity, but she is very young – I'm certain she got her first drink from her mother, so there's that to be thankful for...okay, I can see she's getting quite stressed, so I'll forgo the whole examination.”

Pete gently picked up the fawn and cuddled her close against his chest, covering her with a blanket from the basket.

“Amazing,” Exclaimed the vet. “You must have a magic touch, she's almost instantly gone straight to sleep...”

“Something like that - “ Pete chuckled as he held the sleeping fawn.

*

Kelsie wasn't home when Pete returned, so he set the basket and the awake fawn in the sun where she'd stay warm and get some sunlight, whilst he returned to the car and retrieved the cardboard box.

“Lets see, I got four teats, two bottles...and about a months supply of milk for you little one. Gods, I hope I don't have to fight you, like I did dear Kelsie when she was a fawn...”

Lifting her head, the fawn looked up at her father, blinking her eyelids slowly as she watched him with a look of confusion.

“You probably don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?” Pete asked her.

With a soft bleat, the fawn began suckling on a corner of her blanket.

“Hey, no little one, not on that, please?” Pete chuckled, as he gently extracted the wet blanket from the fawns mouth. “Just a moment, I'll have a nice warm bottle of milk for you...”

He mixed it up and set the bottle in a saucepan of hot water to warm it, whilst he gently picked her up and worked out how best to bottle feed her – or at least try. He expected it'd end up with him having to force her muzzle open and shove the teat in, whilst the fawn fussed and tried to pull her head away.

“You know something...” Pete smiled, as he gently tickled her under her chin. “I can't believe we haven't named you...oof, do Therian's name their offspring when they're born, like humans? When you reach adolescence – will you learn to speak like your mother and I?”

Gazing up at him the fawn bleated and tried to suckle on his fingers.

“Alright little one, I know, you're hungry...here...”

Pete took the bottle and sprinkled some on his wrist, testing its warmth.

“I don't know exactly how hot your mothers milk is, so...please, drink some of this, will you?”

As expected, the fawn baulked at the latex teat, forcing Pete to gently open her jaws and slip it in as he tilted up the bottle. For a few minutes, the fawn fussed and trembled, before she finally swallowed a little of the milk and blinked.

“Taste alright?” Pete asked, as he smiled and gently shook the bottle.

Hesitantly at first, the Fawn began to timidly suck, drawing a little more into her throat, then seeing as it wasn't quite like Kelsie's milk – what little she'd had, she began to suckle harder and faster.

“Woah, hey, easy little one – not too quick!” Pete laughed as the fawn nursed from the bottle with strong throat contractions. “You are hungry, aren't you?”

A clip clop of cloven hooves come to Pete's ears and he looked sideways, as Kelsie timidly peeked around the corner, her eyes wide and ears flat.

Pete smiled at her and resumed feeding their fawn, whose little nub of a tail began flagging as she tilted her head up and sucked vigorously on the latex teat. Kelsie crept closer, keeping her distance either from fear of disturbing their fawn – or because of her lack of maternal nature.

“She's nursing well,” Pete told Kelsie. “I remember, when you were a fawn, how you'd kick and cry and...”

Kelsie trembled and lay down, tucking her legs beside her, remaining silent.

“My love...what's wrong?” Pete asked, then blinked as the fawn sucked the last of the milk and cried softly.

Kelsie sniffled, the tears welling in her eyes as she looked away and lowered her head to the floor. Gently, Pete wiped the fawns muzzle with a wet cloth, then he placed her back in the sun warmed blankets where she curled up and went almost straight to sleep. Pete walked over to Kelsie, then crouched down and lovingly stroked her neck and shoulder.

“Honey, please...” Pete begged. “What is wrong with you. I'm not angry with you, I swear – you know you can smell if I'm lying to you...”

“I...” Kelsie whimpered and tucked herself up tighter.

“Shhh, come on my love...please don't cry so!”

“I...why can't I...I don't know anything about raising a fawn! My...” Kelsie wept unashamedly. “Why can't I produce milk for her? Why do I not feel that...that bond I'm supposed to have? To want to protect and care for her and...”

Pete sighed softly, then gently pulled Kelsie's head into his lap and stroked her ears lovingly.

“I...don't know the first, the middle, or the last of it my beloved... Raising you from such a young age – I almost lost you, many times! You were a sickly little fawn, yet I muddled through like any parent must do. We will make mistakes my love, its part of what being a parent is all about – or so my own once told me. As for why you can not produce enough milk for her – I -”

Kelsie's ear flicked and she rolled her eyes up to look at Pete.

“I...took her to the vet today – I had too!” Pete confessed.

Kelsie's eyes widened in horror and shock. “You know we can't...go to them!”

“No, its not like...like that honey, please, believe me! He never did anything, other than give her a quick look over and check her heartbeat. You know I would never, ever, do anything to draw attention to us... I told him a lie – I said his mother was shot by...”

Kelsie's eyes welled up and she whimpered, terrible memories of that night flooding her mind as Pete mentally kicked himself for being so careless and stupid.

“Hey, come on my love, shhh – its alright, I'm sorry, I was careless and didn't think...you're safe here with me – so it our daughter. We will raise her together, when you're stronger – you'll be able to shift and together, we'll raise her just how I raised you!”

A weak smile crinkled Kelsie's lips as she sniffled.

“Well...not exactly how I raised you...” Pete blushed, turning a brilliant crimson. “She is our daughter and...no, that won't happen again, I swear!”

“I was a young fawn, I didn't know any better...” Kelsie sniffled. “Or so you told me...”

Pete shuddered and smiled weakly. “Aye my sweet, gentle doe...you were and...”

Kelsie shuddered, then felt a growing lump that pressed under her chin.

“Sorry...I couldn't help it...” Pete laughed nervously.

With a tremble, Kelsie stood up and nuzzled him on the neck, as he cuddled her close and stroked her neck.

“Think you...would mind if I...helped with that?” Kelsie trembled and looked down, then back up at him.

“You...I mean...”

Pete looked at the fawn, then at Kelsie.

“I think she'll sleep for a while..,” Kelsie too, glanced at the fawn, then back at Pete. “It has been too long mas...”

“Please, Kelsie, don't call me that - “ Pete sighed, as he stroked her chin gently.

“I'm sorry...” Kelsie hung her head and Pete sighed, then lifted her chin up to look into her eyes.

“No need to apologise my love, you make mistakes from time to time, that's all they are – are simple mistakes. Now...”

Kelsie looked down at Pete, then at the fawn, then back at him, before she trembled and followed him to the bedroom, her cloven hooves clicking lightly on the polished timber floor.

“Kelsie...” Pete murmured.

“Yes?”

“We better leave the bedroom door open...just in case...”

To Be Continued...