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Part 3

12/10/1949- New Fur- Fourteen Days to the Performance

Jean looks down at his soaked footpaws, his chest heaving from the last refrain of "True Love" as his mane drips water into his eyes. Clenching his paws into fists, the large male lion collapses and sits on the soaked stone stairs and lets out a sob as he presses his paws to his eyes. Overwhelmed with emotion and questions, the white-lion's shoulders shake as the wind picks up and the rain blows across him from left to right.

"Terrible night to be on the stairs tonight, Jean." A silky voice behind Jean echoes, carrying with the wind as a warm object is wrapped around the sobbing white-lion's shoulders.

The feline clutches at the garment as his body is shielded from the torrential rain and looks up and over his shoulder at the fur who had come to help him.

It was Duke, the doorman, and the tall ferret had brought Jean his cloak.

"Thank you, Duke." Jean states in a shaking voice as he stands, turning to face the tall ferret as the white lion wraps his cloak around his shoulders and throws the hood up to hide his face from the ferret.

"It is my pleasure, Jean. But I think you should refrain from going outside without a cloak on when it is pouring like the dickens." Duke says as his muzzle twitches into a small smile.

The ferret was dressed in his doorman's suit, a black and white tuxedo. Clasped in his right paw was a red and gold umbrella that was dripping all around the tall male. In his other paw, Duke was grasping a black cane with a simple gold nob.

"Thank you for coming out to check on me, Duke. I appreciate that." Jean says as he runs a paw through his wet mane, brushing the dripping fur out of his eyes.

"I have known you for ten years, Jean. This opera house has been yours and my home for a long time. I see you, and everyone that works here, as family. Regardless of species, or sexual orientation." The marmot says as he wraps an arm around the white-lion's shoulders, leading Jean back to the open entranceway and the radiating gold light from inside.

"Did you...know? About...Ralik?" Jeans asks slowly, his head hanging.

The ferret looks up at the tall male. The hood of Jean's cloak was hiding the lion's face from the doorman, but Duke could tell that the younger fur had been quite emotional with the ordeal.

"I did know. Remember, Ralik and you are children to me. He came to me last year, confused and scared." Duke says, his voice in a mono tone, his cane tapping along the stone as the two of them slowly walk through the main entrance way, being bathed in a warm and golden light.

"Why didn't he tell me? He's my best friend. He's...a brother to me...known each other since we were kids." Jean asks, shaking his head as they walk to a plain, brown wooden door along the right-hand side of the entrance way leading to the seating area. The door was so plain and small, anyone who was entering for a show would easily not have seen it.

Slowly, Duke removes his arm around the tall lion's shoulders and moves to open the small door. Holding it as it swings inward for Jean to step inside.

"I think you and I need to have a talk, Jean. But first, let's get you out of those soaked clothes." Duke states with a soft smile, his tail flicking behind him as he watches Jean duck and enter the small wooden door. Following behind the tall male, Duke lets the secluded, and rarely seen oak door swing closed behind them.

Jean and Duke descend a large circular, wooden, and creaky staircase. Lit only with torches and the limited warmth of the fire, Jean shivers slightly as he rests a paw on the cold steal of the staircase railing, plunging lower and lower into not only the opera house, but his second home.

12/10/1949- New Fur- Fourteen Days to the Performance

"Charlene!" Madame Rork howls as she stalks quickly to the backstage door, her red dress flowing gracefully behind her as she keeps a paw on her wide-brimmed hat. "I'm going to go find my love! Jean, I'm coming for you!" Susan yells.

"Madame Rork! Wait!" Charlene calls desperately, clutching at her clipboard, her claws poking through as the she-wolf runs out from the backstage, and throws the wide doors open, disappearing from sight as she runs down the stairs, leaving Charlene and the stunned and muttering cast to mill around the dimly lit area.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the tigress starts to cut through the crowd, making headway to the door.

"Charlene?" A squeaky voice calls.

Turning, the tigress is met face to face with the tall ferret, Benjamin.

"Would you mind staying here and introducing yourself to the cast? Just to get things going again and take all their minds off from...what happened?" The conductor squeaks.

"Um. Yeah. I can do that. But, Madame Rork just ran out." Charlene says, retracting her claws from the punctured clipboard and taking a deep exasperated breath.

"That's fine. I will find her and Jean. The guards have taken David and Ralik to the station, and I would like to calm everyone down for a few last words before we start the finishing touches on "True Love." We still need to do a full dress rehearsal, and run through the entire opera. We're still practicing in sections." The ferret rambles as he starts to walk to the door, slowly picking up speed as his tail flicks back and forth.

"I will be right back! Introduce yourself!" Benjamin squeaks as he opens the door and disappears as well, leaving the stunned tigress wide eyed and alone with her new, and rather distracted, cast mates.

Letting out a soft growl, Charlene turns to the mob of furs still gathered around the door of the costume parlor.

"Um. Hi there. E-Everyone." Charlene speaks softly, not heard by any of the rambling and shocked cast-mates as she waves her clipboard.

Taking a deep breath and letting out a growl, commanding everyone's attention, Charlene puts on a soft smile and tilts her head as the furs turn their gaze to the tiger.

"Hello, everyone!" She calls to the cast now watching her.

"I am Charlene Dolson and I am Madame Rork's secretary and advisor. I can say with great confidence that, no matter what happened here, I am sure we all will continue to work hard to put on, what is considered the greatest Opera, "True Love", with amazing grace and professionalism." The tigress states, patting her khaki covered thigh with the clipboard and tugging at her purple collared polo.

"We have to find another fur to play the part of Draken!" A small black dragon calls from the back of the crowd.

"He's right! Without Ralik playing the part...it won't ever be the same! He and Jean were the two greatest opera singers here! It's the second most important part in the show!" A water-buffalo states, addressing the crowd and turning his head to look at Charlene.

"There's no need to worry!" Charlene calls, her smile faltering a little.

Jean and Ralik were the greatest opera singers here...oh no...how are we ever going to replace that damned wolf?

Charlene thinks to herself.

"Why don't we all head home for the night, ladies and gentlemen? Today has been a long day, and we will continue with dress rehearsals tomorrow." Charlene calls as she spreads her arms wide, exhausted as she puts on a fake wide smile to the now dispersing group of furs.

Continuing to smile, Charlene says small goodbyes as, one by one, the cast-furs make their way to the viewing entrance or the backstage cast entrance, and disappear from the stage.

Now standing alone, Charlene looks at her hole-ridden clipboard and lets out another sigh. Letting her arms drop to her side, and turning to the door of the costume parlor, the tigress growls.

"Damn homos" she says under her growling breath as she strides angrily to the backstage cast entrance, and down the stairs to find the overzealous, Susan Rork.

12/10/1949- New Fur- Fourteen Days to the Performance

Reaching the bottom of the spiral-staircase, Jean shivers with his arms wrapped tightly close to his body. The long descent into the opera house's underbelly was cold and dark, slowly turning from warm brick to a damp and frigid cavern. The soaked and trembling lion walked behind Duke as the old marmot leads the way with the warm orange glow of the torch in his right paw. The tall ferret's back arches forward from age and his cane echoes loudly as it taps the chilly stone floor of the long and slender hallway.

"I-I-I...always forget how...long that staircase is and...how...c-c-cold it is down here." Jean states as his maw clatters, laughing cynically. Wrapping his arms tighter around himself under the damp cloak, Jean walks closer to Duke for warmth.

"It's a good thing we are here then." The old ferret states as he wraps the arm with the torch around the white-lion's shoulders, smiling softly. The two of them approach a tall and slender wooden door, the torch bathing the new entrance way in a golden light.

"I-I...still can't believe we...lived under the opera house." Jean shivers as the old ferret steps forward, retracting his arm from around the feline, and opens the door.

A golden light fills the long hallway, basking it all the way to the bottom of the staircase with a warmth that makes Jean close his eyes with a small grin, feeling the cold from the rain and the cavernous hallway around him disappear along with his worries.

Images of the white-lion's childhood start to fill his mind, sparked by the familiar feeling of the shadows of the hallway being dispersed by the golden light in Duke's chambers.

Ten-year-old Jean and Twelve-year-old Ralik clasped their paws together, holding one another's tightly as they traveled down the dark and frigid stone cavern hallway under the warm and comforting Opera house. Following the tall ferret, Duke, whose slender black and golden knob cane was tapping, echoing along the stone corridor, the boys shivered slightly.

"Here we are boys. This is my home, and now, your home. What's mine is yours." The tall ferret had said to the shivering pup and kit as he turned around and placed his paw on the door, giving the two of them a warm and caring fatherly smile. Throwing the door open, the shivering boys were basked in the warm golden light, the chill in the air leaving, vanquished with the bright luminous inner residence.

Walking into the doorman's chambers, the two boys looked around, their paws still clasped together as their feet met plush white carpet. The smell of cooking chili immediately caught their nose's attention, making their muzzles water after a long and heinous day. The residence was lavishly furnished, though not very large, the home was warm and welcoming. On their right, a red sofa sits behind a coffee table along with two plush chairs. Two wooden chairs sit with a small chessboard table, the figures made of glass, glistening in the golden light. A tall bookcase, filled with novels, dusty with unused, sits behind these two wooden chairs and chess set. A gorgeous red-bricked fire place takes up the wall next to the bookcase, filling the house with a blissful warmth.

The doorman smiled as he watched the boys take in their new home's furnishings, looking around, their ears perked. The first sign of life in the young pup and kit.

On the left was a kitchen, furnished with wooden cabinets and marble stoned counters stacked with food and lavish pastries. A light wooden table and four chairs stands along the middle between the living room and kitchen.

A hallway with three doors, one at the end of the passage and a door on the left and right, follows the table, kitchen and living room. The door at the very end of the hallway lead to a lavish bathroom. A white stone tub sat in the middle, next to a large glass shower and toilet, along with a white sink. The rooms on the left and right were bedrooms. The one on the right obviously for the two boys as a twin bunked bed stands next to the wall. The left door, which was closed, clearly is Duke's bedroom. The boys look to the middle-aged ferret with their eyes wide. The small white-lion starts to tear up as the small wolf wraps his arm around his younger friend.

"Thank you...mister Patren." They both say simultaneously.

"Please, boys. Call me Duke." The marmot states as he crouches down and opens his arms. "Come here, my sons. It's been a long day for you."

The two boys fell forward and rested their muzzles in the male's chest, crying softly as their new father-figure held them, rubbing their backs.

Smiling softly, Duke closed his eyes and comforted the now musically talented orphans.

Jean slowly removes his soaked cloak from around his shoulders, and hangs it on the rack beside the wooden door while Duke closes the entrance. Shaking his head of the vivid memories, Jean rubs his eyes tiredly.

"It's been a while since I've been down here." The white-lion says softly to the old marmot as he peels off the soaked glittering white shirt clinging to his muscular torso and hangs it alongside his jacket, now standing in only his damp black dress pants.

"Your home will always be here, and you will always be welcome." Duke says as he pats the slim muscled lion's belly, looking into the tall male's gorgeous silver eyes and walking past him to the kitchen where he stirs a clove and garlic smelling soup.

Purring softly, his mind filled with memories of his childhood again, Jean makes his way to the red bricked fireplace, his tail swaying as he slowly removes his rain-soaked black dress pants. With shivering fingers, the feline slowly undoes the button and pulls the zipper down over his naturally bulging white briefs, the fabric clinging tightly to the tall male's scrotum and sheathe as if it were a part of the slim but muscular lion. Taking the dress pants from around his ankles, Jean slowly lays it out on the mantle of the fire place, hoping that they'll be dry by morning sunrise.

Staring into the fire, the feline rubs his muscular abs as his body is basked in warmth. Closing his eyes slowly and letting his worries out with a deep breath, Jean loses himself in his happiest of memories.

"You always seem to have something cooking." The white lion laughs softly, his abs contracting from the laughter as he pulls at his soaked briefs, adjusting his damp fur, sheathe, and balls underneath as he slides his paw beneath the waistband. Smiling with his eyes closed, the lion leans his head back and warms his jewels with the warmth from his paw, his purring growing louder from the warmth.

"I always wanted to keep you and Ralik fed and warm." Duke chuckles softly, as he makes his way to the hook holding Jean's shirt and cloak, and takes the two garments in his paws as he places his cane on the wall. Holding the clothes out and laying them next to the lion's soaked pants on the fire place, Duke looks to Jean with a tired smile, avoiding a glance at the paw under the lion's briefs.

"Duke. I can't help but feel so happy whenever I'm here...but...Ralik...why didn't he tell me?" The feline asks as he opens his eyes and removes his paw from under his damp underwear.

"Jean." The ferret replies, placing a paw on the wet fur of the lion's shoulder. "Ralik was a brother to you, and you were to him. He was afraid. As I said before, he only came to me last year with concerns. He was afraid of being punished. You know the laws. He knew them too. Anyone who is a homosexual will be sent to jail, unless they take pills to help with hormones. Ralik had a right to be afraid and refrain from telling people-"

"But why?" Jean interrupts the ferret as he stares at his older step-father. "Why is love so frowned upon." The white-lion asks as he brings an arm across the front of his abs and clutches at his waist with a paw, his claws slightly extended.

Smiling softly, Duke pats the younger male's shoulder and moves to the kitchen.

"Why don't you go put on some warm clothes, I believe I still have some ones that fit you from when you were here last. I have soup ready, and we'll talk about it then." The marmot states.

Nodding, his ears back and his tail hanging behind him, staring down at his footpaws, Jean stands in front of the fire as he loses count of the seconds. Taking breaths and losing himself in memories of his childhood. Memories of Ralik. Ever so slowly, he raises a footpaw from the plush white carpet, and turns to walk to his old bedroom. His and Ralik's old bedroom.

End of Part 3

Thank You for Reading!

-Vergennes