Chapters, pt 3
Chapters, pt 3
copyright 2008 comidacomida
Travis drifted for a time between the stages of asleep and awake, riding the currents of a euphoric existence somewhere beyond consciousness, but just peeking out from sleep. He felt the soft sheets draw across the back of his neck... the firm mattress supporting him from beneath, pressing back against his furry gut as he lay on his stomach, tail arched slightly against the heavy comforter that pressed the sheets against his rump. The young lion took a deep breath, letting a soft "mmm" escape his nose as he scooted closer to the large, brown-furred form that rested beside him.
The teen's uncle mumbled something in his sleep and Travis was rewarded with a large, thick, brown furred arm sliding around his midsection. The young lion slowly peeked one eye open, growing more and more aware of his surroundings as his body made it known that he was ready to be awake. Unwilling to give up his position on the bed, Travis was content to lay beside his uncle, side pressed against the large bear's body, enjoying the feel of his caretaker's coarse, curly fur. Uncle J was still asleep, and the teen had no problem laying with him, reveling in the warmth from his guardian... his uncle... his lover.
Though he could have laid there all day, young lion's body had other plans. Travis felt his stomach grumble followed by a twinge of a cramp deep in his guts. He realized he had to go to the bathroom... badly. Twitching his tail, the young lion still felt the distinct soreness that had settled into his muscles after having been taken by his uncle theprevious night. Slipping free of the loose hold the bear's draped arm had of him, Travis slid off the bed. He shambled his way to the bathroom, feeling a hot warmth beneath his tail, wincing with each step.
Though sore, the young lion regretted nothing of the previous night. The claws on Travis' toes clicked on the bathroom's tiled floor, having extended unbidden from his paws as he thought about his uncle's hard flesh slipping into him. A little shiver ran up his spine as he remembered the older bear's sure paws, one holding onto his tail, pulling it out of the way as the other wrapped itself around his attentive erection. Travis bit his lower lip as he sat down on the toilet, wincing at the pain that spread from his tail hole.
He thought of the warm, slick caress of his uncle's tongue, and he shivered again, overlooking the discomfort as he relaxed, letting his insides reorganize themselves as he relieved himself. Travis remained seated on the toilet for some time, taking the opportunity to let his tail hole calm. He took several steadying breaths and leaned back, resting his head against the wall.
After a few seconds, the young lion sat up again, and looked down at the sheath between his legs. The hard flesh between them pointed out clearly that the thoughts of his uncle and the night they shared had excited him more than he realized. He felt a faint flush come to his ears, and he thought again of his uncle's body moving against his, the bear's thick flesh deep in him.
The young lion closed his paw around his member, closing his eyes again as he slowly stroked himself. Travis licked his muzzle, thinking back to the heavy breaths, the grunts, the moans, and the murmured words of calming and encouragement. His hind claws raked across the tiled floor as he curled his toes, free paw gripping a nearby towel rack as his other furiously worked his heaving shaft... and he closed his fingers around the tip, emptying its contents into his paw with little bits of seed leaking out between his fingers. He gasped when he heard movement at the doorway.
"You know... other people gotta use the bathroom too, Trav." Uncle J stood in the doorway leaning against the frame, a wry grin on his muzzle, the firmness of his bear-hood indicating that he was enjoying the show. Travis failed several times to say anything, feeling his ears blush in embarrassment as he made a move to cover himself.
The large bear just chuckled, walking over and patting him on the head. Uncle J moved over to the shower and leaned in, turning it on, "Better get yourself cleaned up... you might be off of school but that doesn't mean you don't have some chores around here."
Travis found himself smiling at that... and he didn't know why. The lion didn't particularly like chores around the house, but there was something familiar and comforting about the words from his uncle. He hadn't thought about what the previous night might mean as far as a change in their relationship... in fact, upon second thought, Travis realized that he had worried that his uncle might become someone completely different once they shared intimacy in the bed... but, as he looked at his uncle, staring at him with paws on hips, he could only smile wider as he realized that things wouldn't change that much... and, if they did, it would be for the better.
The bear reached out and patted him on the head, and went over to the sink to root around in the cabinets. Travis took the opportunity to stand, flush, and climb into the shower. Uncle J continued to go through the drawers beneath the sink while the young lion situated the shower head just how he liked it. "Hey, Uncle J?" he called out to the bear.
"Yea?" his uncle called back to him.
"You remember that time when I was ten... and mom and dad went to New York for a week?" the young lion inquired.
"Sure I do... I was with you at their place for eight days playing cub-sitter... that was the first time they were gone for more than a day or two." the bear responded, "Why?"
"Well..." Travis noted, feeling his ears grow warm as he thought about his next words, "I think that's around the time when I... you know... started thinking about other boys." He fell quiet, waiting for a time for his uncle to respond. The bear continued his project beneath the sink and didn't reply, so Travis pressed further, "When did you?"
"A little later than you did... your dad and I had a pretty rough life and we had a lot of things to worry about." Uncle J responded matter-of-factly, but Travis' perceptive ears could detect in his tone that there was more to the story than that. He knew that his dad and uncle had been foster cubs and that their lives were hard ones, but he hadn't ever talked about his uncle's sexuality... at least, not like he was doing.
"Well... when did you?" the young lion pushed.
"About thirteen... it wasn't really as much of a thought as it was encountering an unexpected situation." his uncle chose the words selectively.
"You mean... that's the first time you--"
"Yea." replied Uncle J.
"Ah..." Travis answered back, wanting to know more, but certainly unwilling to push his obviously guarded uncle. The lion didn't really know the bear to be particular secretive, but he also know that the few things Uncle J didn't want to talk about were off-limits, and he learned to respect that.
"So... um..." the young lion began, considering a way to continue with the discussion without prying, "Did... you like it?"
"Like what?" the bear responded, standing up from his crouching position at the sink, apparently having found whatever he was looking for.
"Your first time." Travis inquired.
Uncle J didn't respond at first. Travis heard him move to the toilet, and could hear the sound of a scrub brush working on the bowl. It was several seconds before the bear responded, "Very much, yes."
"Oh..." Travis nodded to himself, blushing a little more at his uncle's admission, "And... was that with a boy or a girl."
"An older boy." Uncle J answered.
"Oh... cool." the young lion grinned to himself, "My first time was with an older boy too."
"Huh?" the sudden blurt by his uncle made Travis grin all the more as his comment obviously had the desired impact.
"YOU, Uncle J." the lion laughed.
"I think I'm a little too old to be a 'boy', Trav." responded the bear, and Travis could practically hear his uncle rolling his eyes.
"Did you ever do it with a girl?" Travis questioned, grabbing the soap to start scrubbing down his fur.
"Once or twice." his uncle admitted.
"Did you like it?" the young lion inquired.
"Why the sudden inquisition?" Uncle J countered, "I can't remember the last time we talked about anything like this."
"I just wanna know." Travis offered, "I like hearing about you." he couldn't keep himself from smiling, wet tail flicking back and forth in the shower as he washed himself off.
"Well... the last time I remember you grilling me for personal info was that time when your folks were away in New York." Uncle J noted, "We were talking about why you
had shaggy brown fur like your dad and not the smooth fur like your mom."
Travis laughed, remembering that talk, "Oh yea... and why dad didn't have a mane like me or mom." he noted, stifling a giggle before it escaped, and just smirking instead,
"And we talked about other things too... like pissing."
Uncle J laughed heartily, a deep, belly-laugh. When the bear recovered he only did so long enough to add, "If I remember, that discussion lead to you getting yellow fur and a long bath." and the bear's words dissolved into laughter again.
The young lion blushed furiously at that, remembering the event well. He and his uncle were both using the toilet, urinating and playing "swords", trying to cross one another's streams for no real reason other than to do so... one of several childish games he enjoyed at the time. Uncle J, like his father, had a full sheath.
The bear brothers both had a sock of flesh connected to their lower abdomens, keeping their members in a near-vertical position almost all the time. Travis always found that to be fascinating, especially since his sheath, he was told, was more like his leonine relatives, and was attached only at the base, left to hang free most of the time like the foreskins of other mammals.
He remembered that difference intriguing him as a cub... that his dad and his uncle could have such great control, and that their sheathes had enough flexibility to allow them to urinate downward into a toilet; he decided that he'd play at having a fully connected sheath as well. Instead of letting his furry sleeve hang loose, he took some medical gauss and wrapped it around his waist, pinning his cub-hood against his abdomen.
Travis remembered the strange feeling of the change in position and, for most of the day, everything worked out fine... but when it came time to go use the bathroom, the real trouble started. In the end, Travis was left with a urine-soaked chin and chest, and his uncle spent nearly three minutes rolling on the ground laughing.
"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" the young lion asked, grabbing a bottle of shampoo from the shower's ledge. He squeezed out a generous helping onto one paw, then stopped when he heard a ringing from the bedroom, "Is that the phone?" he asked his uncle.
"Yea... I'll let the machine get it." the bear answered back still working the scrubber against the toilet.
The two continued their various tasks as the answering machine went through its greeting, "Hello. You've reached Jack and Travis. We're either busy, not here, or just screening calls so leave a message and someone will give you a call back." the recorder gave the usual *beep*, and Travis clearly heard his aunt's voice as she began speaking.
Before the cub could say anything, Uncle J stood, and ran for the phone. Travis turned off the water of the shower, and peeked his head out, and looked out the open bathroom door to the bear as he spoke on the phone.
Part of him was glad that Aunt Vanessa had thought to call. He was sad that she missed his birthday, but at least hearing from her was a good thing. It was hard for him to think that he had heard less and less from his mom's side of the family over the years, and it always made him feel better when he got the chance to talk to them.
Travis knew that most of his mom's family didn't approve of her marrying his dad despite how much they tried to hide that from him, but Aunt Vanessa always made it a point to let him know that it didn't mean he was loved any less. The fact that she tried to make him feel more comfortable always made him feel better. His distant reverie was cut short when he heard his uncle hang up the phone.
"Uncle J... wasn't that--"
"Your aunt, yea." the bear called from the other room.
"Why'd you hang up? Didn't she want to talk to me?" Travis asked, leaning further out of the shower. He saw his uncle sitting on the bed, elbows on his knees, paws over his face. It didn't take more than a second for the young lion to know that something was wrong. He quickly got out of the shower, still wet, and moved into the bedroom.
Travis heard Uncle J's shaky breath, and knew that the bear was fighting to avoid an emotional display, "Uncle J?"
"She called to say that she was going to challenge the court's ruling... she wants custody." Uncle J spoke from behind his paws.
The comment struck Travis like a ton of bricks. He was stunned to think that Aunt Vanessa would come out of the blue and do something like that, but he also knew that his uncle wouldn't lie about something like that, "But... Uncle J... they already went through all that. The judge said that the closest family member with the--"
"She also said..." the bear interrupted the young lion, "that--" his uncle swallowed hard, and Travis could see tears in his eyes, "That you might not be my nephew..."
"I..." was all that escaped Travis' muzzle. If the first declaration caught him off guard, there was nowhere else for him to go at the second comment, "No..." the young lion rasped, "we're family... we HAVE to be."
"Your aunt said that..." the bear shook his head, "no... you don't need to hear about that... it's not fair. You're my nephew, and we're going to prove it... it's not fair for her to say things like that. Your mom was a good lady, and she wouldn't have cheated on Al."
"Aunt Vanessa thinks that Mom cheated on Dad?!?" Travis' voice was a near-roar, much louder than he had intended. He could feel the fur on his back standing on end. There were times when he had overheard Uncle J talking to others about his aunt... saying that she was manipulative and conniving, but his uncle always had the courtesy and decency to avoid saying anything negative about her in front of him.
Travis suddenly realized, however, that it probably took everything the bear had to remain amiable with her... especially if that had been the side he had always seen of her, and worked so hard to protect Travis from. "Why would she say something like that?" the lion snarled, "She's a bitch!"
"Travis!" Uncle J stood suddenly, "Do NOT talk about your aunt like that."
"But it's true!" Travis shouted, "She has no right to do something like this! Why would she?" he felt tears slowly begin to fill his eyes. He spent years trying to get over the loss of his parents... he didn't want to think that his aunt was going to be responsible for him losing his uncle... especially not now, when everything was going right. In the end, he lost the battle, and he sat down on the bed, crying, "It's... it's not fair! I don't want to go!"
"Travis..." the bear spoke up, quietly sitting beside the distraught lion, wrapping a large, thick arm around his shoulders, "Your mom was a good lady... she wouldn't have cheated on your dad... believe me. We can get this solved once and for all. She requested a DNA test... they'll test me and they'll test you... that will let them know if we're related... and, because we both know that no one else but Al is your dad, they'll see that we are related, which means I'm your uncle, and we won't have to deal with Vanessa ever again, unless you want to... alright?"
"I don't ever want her around... ever." Travis couldn't help but cry. He was frustrated, angry, and distraught. Most of all, he was scared. Although he knew his mom was the perfect woman and that she'd never cheat on his dad, he still couldn't help but think "what if?".
* * * * *
The car ride to the testing center was almost three hours. Travis didn't speak much with his uncle during the trip-- too many thoughts were running around in his head. He watched the scenery go by, wondering if every mile that passed took him that much farther from his uncle and the life he was truly coming to enjoy. Although the wait was agonizing, the car pulled into the parking lot of the clinic, filling the young lion with apprehension, making him wonder if he was ready for it.
He heard about DNA tests... other teens at school mentioned daytime talk shows that dealt with them all the time... but he hoped that whatever poking and prodding was involved wouldn't hurt. More than that, however, he hoped that the results would prove that his uncle really was his uncle.
If he were able to negotiate a result, he'd have gladly taken a painful test in exchange for safety from heartache. It wasn't that he doubted that his mother's fidelity... but, at the same time, he never really knew his aunt to be a liar... which is what worried him all the more.
Travis got out of the car and walked around to the sidewalk. He waited for his uncle to lock the doors, and, when the bear stepped up onto the walkway next to him, he couldn't help but slide his paw into the bear's. The lion's uncle glanced at him for a moment, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The two exchanged uncomfortable smiles and slowly disengaged; Travis followed him into the building.
The young lion took a seat in the waiting room while Uncle J went up to the window to speak with the receptionist. Travis watched the way the bear conducted himself: he had always admired his uncle's ability to interact with people in a professional and casual basis. The lion always considered himself something of a fringe-dweller... he tended to be the wallflower at gatherings and the quiet one in his group at school.
His uncle, on the other paw, was always right there with something to say... he was able to come up with answers to questions without a second thought and never bothered to ask what people thought about his decisions once he made up his mind. Travis admired the leadership qualities the bear displayed, and often wondered how life would be different if he too had them.
He was snapped out of his own thoughts when he heard the bell tied to the clinic's front door jingle. Looking to the sound, Travis saw his aunt enter. Seeing Aunt Vanessa walk into the clinic brought mixed emotions to the young lion. Part of him was glad to see her again, and validated to know that she cared enough to find a reason for becoming a bigger part of his activities.
The other part of him despised that she would stoop to such an act to muscle her way into his life, and mortified that she would suggest that his mother had cheated on his father. In the end, Travis' second half won out, and he scowled. His aunt saw him, and stood in the doorway, obviously uncomfortable with the situation and not knowing how to proceed.
"Hi, Travis..." she said tentatively, taking a seat next to him. She rested a paw on his knee, to which he scowled, and moved himself one chair further away. The lioness gazed at him, her emerald eyes appraising him for many long moments. Travis didn't bother looking away, rather, he gazed right back, staring at her, feelings bordering on contempt as he continued thinking about why he had been brought to the clinic. "Happy birthday." she added.
"It was yesterday." he responded, voice ice-cold. His aunt sighed, and he could tell at once that she surrendered all attempts at pleasantries, and her next words got straight to the point.
"Travis... I know that it may be a hard thing to understand right now, but this--"
"Is bullshit." he stated flatly.
"Woah... hold it right there, young man..." Uncle Jack was by his side in a moment, lifting him from his chair by one arm, "I don't care how upset you are; that language isn't acceptable." Travis paused, the wind taken out of his sails by the sudden interjection from the bear.
"I...I'm sorry, Uncle Jack... but we both know--"
"Calm down, Travis... this is something that's important to your aunt, and it's one last hoop we need to jump through before she's satisfied that everything is alright... isn't that right, Vanessa?" his uncle's words were spoken with a strange malaise... seemingly proper, courteous, and gracious, but holding as much kindness and warmth as a pit viper ready to bite. The young lion slid back into his seat, as surely paralyzed by his uncle's tone as a bird would be by a snake's swaying before a strike.
"I'm glad to see Travis is behaving." the lioness responded neutrally, heading to the check-in counter to speak with the young doe who was verifying the files.
"Trav..." the bear said to him, voice lowering to a quiet level.
"I'm sorry, Uncle J... it's just--"
"Just nothing, Travis... if she's going to this length to try something then the last thing we need to do is to give her more ammo."
The lion opened his muzzle to speak but, after a split second when his brain caught up with his heart, the teen knew that what his uncle was saying was the truth; Aunt Vanessa had gone as far as to question Travis' mother's devotion to his father... if she did that, then there would be no telling what her ultimate objective was. Despite how angry Travis was about the goings-on, he had to admit that his aunt had a purpose other than making him pissed off... and if she would be willing to do that... well... that scared him.
"Relax, Trav... it'll all be done with in a bit. We both know that I'm your uncle, so there's nothing wrong with convincing your aunt of that, right?" the bear offered him a reassuring smile, and ruffled the mane on his head.
"Yea..." the young lion responded, letting out a deep breath while his uncle returned to the receptionist's window. Travis looked down at his paws, examining his pads while a small argument broke out between Uncle Jack and Aunt Vanessa. Part of him wanted to smile at how quickly Uncle J took over for him in the verbal joust with the lioness... but most of him just wanted to curl up in a ball until it was over and done with.
"He looks like my brother... and he's a god damn bear..." Uncle Jack said, his voice raising enough that Travis could hear what he was saying.
"I suppose she spent too much time slumming... your brother wasn't the only bear in town, you know." the lioness countered.
"Well I just don't recall Laura being the easy type..." his uncle countered, "not like her sister, anyway." Travis winced when he heard the resounding smack of paw against muzzle, and he glanced at the two. The bear stood, easily a foot and a half taller than Aunt Vanessa, staring her down, seemingly unaffected by the slap.
"I suppose you don't have anything against hitting ladies?" the lioness challenged, and Travis could see his uncle's muscles flexing. The young lion could see that his aunt was inviting an attack, practically baring her face for his uncle.
"I don't hit ladies... good thing I don't see one around." Uncle J's voice was deep... the power of the growl threatening to grind Travis' bones together from the vibration.
"Sir... the doctor is ready for you." the receptionist quickly spoke through the window, forestalling any impending violence. Travis let out a deep breath, wondering how many arguments the people of the clinic must have seen on any given day. He hoped his family wasn't the only one that had crazy things going on in them.
"I'll enjoy rubbing the results in your face." Aunt Vanessa called after the bear. The lioness made her way back to the chairs and took a seat next to Travis; he moved over another seat without even waiting for her tail to touch the cushion.
"Travis, I'm sorry you had to see that, but--"
"Why do you hate Uncle J so much?" Travis demanded.
"I don't HATE your uncle, Travis..." his aunt noted. Travis just stared at her, knowing his expression said more than enough. She faltered several times before she found her voice, "Listen to me, Travis... your uncle is okay... for a bear--"
"So you're racist?" the young lion interjected.
"No... no... that's not what I'm saying--"
"Because I'm half bear, you know." the young lion challenged.
"I KNOW, Travis... and I still love you." his aunt offered, reaching out a paw to rest atop his. Travis didn't miss the way she phrased her reassurance... that she still loved him, as if him being half bear would detract from him being family. He seethed inwardly, pulling his paw away.
"I love Uncle J and I want to live with him... not you." Travis spat.
"Travis... the most important thing is that you're with family... if Jack is not your uncle--"
"Then I'd still rather live with him than live with you!" the young lion fumed, "How DARE you even guess how much Mom loved Dad? Do you think you'd just get to take me because you wanted me? That I didn't have any feelings? That I'd just sit here and let you say all sorts of bad things about them and be okay with it?" Travis lept to his feet during his shouts, screaming at the top of his voice as tears started flowing from his eyes, "I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
His aunt was standing in moments, wrapping her arms around him even as he tried to pull away. Eyes blinded by tears, Travis wanted to lash out... wanted to hit her... to make her hurt physically like she did to him emotionally... but he couldn't. The lioness made soft, calming sounds, wrapping her arms around him as she drew his head to her chest, resting her head on his shoulder as he cried; Travis hated himself for letting her comfort him... but he couldn't help it... he hurt.
Travis wasn't sure how long he had cried, or how long his aunt held him. She spoke softly, reaffirming that she had not meant to hurt him, and that it bothered her seeing him in such pain, but that she had to get some kind of closure... for herself, as much as for him... that he had a right to know. Travis finally pulled away.
"I know who my dad is, and he's gone. I don't need to know anything else. I just want to live with Uncle J and make my life into what I want out of it." Travis retorted, taking a seat again, "It's not fair for you to ruin that for me."
"It's selfish of me, Travis... I know... and I'm sorry." his aunt sat down, resting her paw on his again, "I'm really really sorry. I know your uncle loves you very much, and I know you love your uncle... but, right now, you each have someone... and I have no one... I lost all my family the same time you lost all yours, and what I think is unfair is the fact that I'm left with no one, and you two have each other."
"It IS selfish of you." the young lion stated flatly, pulling his paw away, though, slower, "You're willing to ruin my life so you can be happy... I think that sucks."
"I'm trying to set all of our lives right, Travis." Aunt Vanessa stated, "I'd LOVE to have you live with me... I have a house with a yard... you could have friends over... and everything would be fine." she sighed, "I know it isn't anything like Jack's house, but I do alright, and I know you'd like it if you gave it time. It'd be... well... a little more normal... I don't have anyone in my life right now, but if I do find someone, at least you'll have the right role model instead of--"
"Instead of what?" Travis questioned, turning to face her, "Uncle Jack? He's a good bear and I'm proud of him." the young lion noted, defensively.
"He is, Travis... he is. He's done a lot for himself, and he's managed to work his way out of nothing and become something... but, Travis... you have to understand that your uncle is... well... he's not normal..."
"Get away from me." Travis seethed. The young lion had lots of experience with anger... after his parents had died he went through bouts of it... yowling and spitting as often as anything else... but he had never truly growled before... until that moment, "I don't want to see you again, ever."
"Travis..." the lioness spoke quietly, "When the results show that Jack isn't any relation to you, I'll become your only living family. I want to make a place where you'll be happy..." she offered softly, "I want you to live with me because that's how it's supposed to be."
"I'll jump in front of a car first.... I swear to god." Travis stared at her, paws clenched tight. He barely noticed that his claws, mostly unsheathed, were cutting into his paw pads... all he saw was her... the woman that was bringing an end to everything he held dear, "I don't want you to be in my life, and I don't want to be in yours. I don't care if we're family, and I don't care if Uncle J and I aren't. I love him, and there's nothing you can do to change that."
The lioness said nothing to his outburst. She folder her arms in her lap, and slowly looked away. Travis turned his back to her at that point, holding either side of his head
with his paws, cleching his fingers in his mane, feeling like he could explode... but his anguish was cut short as a matronly-looking cow opened the door to the back room, "The doctor's waiting, young man."
* * * * *
The procedure didn't take but a few minutes, and, to Travis' relief, it didn't hurt. The young lion didn't remember much of it, following the doctor's direction without even thinking. His mind was on his family... his mother... his father... his uncle. He tried not to think about the lioness waiting out in the lobby for him. He didn't want to believe that she would despise his uncle so much. Travis loved his guardian... more so than he would ever be able to convey to the lioness-- he knew that he would be taken away from the bear immediately if he ever explained his feelings to anyone.
The young lion exited into the waiting room, the whole experience one big blur as he numbly moved to take a seat next to the large bear who sat waiting for him. Uncle J rested a paw atop Travis', and, it was at that point, that the teen's emotions finally began to flood back into him. The young lion turned and rested his face into the bear's side, and cried.
Uncle Jack embraced him around the shoulders, resting his large, blunted muzzle across the young lion's head. "Shhh... it's alright, Trav... everything is going to be alright. We both know that you're my nephew, and the doctors will be able to prove it. You won't have to go anywhere."
Travis laid against his uncle for some time, face buried into the bear's chest. He cried some of the time; his mind was roiling with thoughts and worry all of the time. When the doctor, a tall, thin stallion finally emerged from the back room, it was none too soon. Travis saw the lioness across the way straighten up, and he looked to his uncle, who glanced down and offered a reassuring smile.
"May I please see the parties involved in this morning's 10 o clock test please?" the horse rqeuested. He led the three of them into his office, envelope unopened, still in hand. Travis took the first seat he saw, while his uncle sat beside him. He watched as Aunt Vanessa took a seat a respectful distance across the way from the bear.
"To begin, I would like to say that the situation behind this test is curious, at best, as we have had no indication prior to this request that there had been any possibility of infidelity aside from the questions posed by you, ma'am." the horse noted to the lioness, "but, as all parties assembled have agreed to the procedure, I see no reason as to why we cannot conclude with the results."
Travis' heart was pounding in his chest. The rustle of the paper as it emerged from the folder was like thunder on a cloudy night. The doctor cleared his throat, and slid a set of glasses on. Travis gripped his uncle's paw tightly in his own, leaning forward in his seat.
"The DNA of an immediate family member of a deceased father can be used to trace lineage with a fair degree of accuracy... nearly 99%, assuming there is a comparable sample of genetic material from the mother. As provided by you, Miss," the doctor nodded to Vanessa, "We are able to compare genetic coding between you, Sir," he nodded to Travis' uncle, "to see if we have a likely match and determine if this boy's mother's husband was his true father."
The horse adjusted his glasses and looked over the paperwork, "In this case..." the doctor paused, reading the paperwork for several seconds before putting it down, "He was not."
Travis felt his heart sink immediately, and a cold, clammy sensation of horror wash over him... but the doctor was not finished.
"Sir..." the horse looked to Uncle Jack, "the genetic screening has determined that YOU are the boy's father."
The lioness' scream was heard out on the street.
* * * * *
Jack wasted no time leaving the office, but not before he took the papers into his possession. Travis had so many questions to ask... ones that, before that moment, had never entered his mind. The young lion was dumbfounded at the thought that Unc-- that his father was... well... his father.
Having spent so many years considering one of the brothers to be his dad then, only to find out that it was the other brother; Travis was aghast and relieved at the same time. Despite his personal feelings on the matter, one thing he knew for certain: his aunt would never be able to get at him again.
He walked, paw-in-paw with the bear... his father. There were strange sensations running through him... a sense of peace... but a sense of chaos. Travis knew before that there was a strange taboo about being so intimate with his uncle but... now... the young lion couldn't help but feel a stronger sense of forbidden passion knowing that he had been in the arms of his real dad... felt the bear's lust and been both the recipient and giver of such pleasure; he felt his tail arch as he walked.
The teen was lost on his own world, mind working furiously to catch up to present... having spent he most of the morning in utter fear and dread only to suddenly have everything turned around and thrust in another direction. Travis didn't care to bother looking back as Aunt Vanessa came running down the walkway from the clinic.
He paid numb affirmation to uncle Jac-- his dad's request to head on into the car. He ignored the two as they spoke to one another on the walkway, and he made his way to cross the street. The teen didn't bother looking up until he heard his uncle and his aunt both shout. When he did look up, he saw a large dump truck barreling down the street at him.
The young lion quickly put his arms up in front of his face, not that it would do any good against what was to come... and he closed his eyes. Travis was hurled to the ground as weight impacted him, not from the front, but from the side.
He was thrown out of the way as the dump truck raced by, tires skidding as the driver attempted to stop, but it didn't matter. Travis' heart practically stopped when he heard the thud of metal impacting flesh, and he felt none of his scrapes or bruises; the sound of shattering bone numbing him through.
* * * * *
The young lion watched the line on the monitor spike every time he head a blip or a beep. He hadn't gone to school any of the days that week... he remained at the hospital, never leaving the side of the bed. The paw he held was still warm... the only evidence of life in the shattered form that lay in the bed beside him.
Travis had spent time crying... spent time grieving, though death had not yet come. The doctors had no sense of hope, knowing that it was not a matter of if-- it was a matter of when; nothing short of a miracle would make a difference.
Travis cursed himself for his carelessness... knowing that, were he to have been paying attention, that neither of them would be in the hospital... and that nothing would have happened. He cried anew, finding wetness on his cheeks as he thought back to the events of the day at the clinic... the anger... the pain... the happiness... the gain... and the loss. He wept silently, resting his head down on the too-white sheets, shivering as he thought of what was to come.
A paw softly rested on his back, rubbing it gently as he cried. Travis didn't acknowledge the new visitor immediately; he didn't make any attempts at words, knowing neither what to say, nor how to say it. A stool was pulled over from the side of the room, and the young lion was embraced from behind.
"I... I..." Travis murmured.
"Shhh..." came the reply, "I know... I know."
Travis broke into tears again, turning to embrace his dad. Jack returned the hug, holding him close as he wept. The young lion couldn't help but remember the last discussion he'd had with his aunt... the anger and the pain he'd felt... and the way he had hated her; it was all gone. He held her paw as she lay dying, wondering if he knew what he knew then what he'd know at that point, would those hurtful words have still come from his muzzle?
She had thrown herself in front of the truck to save him... he had said that he would do such a thing if she had to be in his life... how painfully ironic it seemed to him that she did so since he would not be in hers.
"She... she's not perfect..." his voice cracked as he spoke. His father didn't reply, but continued to hold him, "but I guess nobody is." Travis noted.
"Everyone has little things... some peoples' little things are just bigger than others." the bear answered, softly stroking the young lion's mane.
"I don't want to lose her... I really don't." Travis' voice cracked.
"I know, kiddo... we shouldn't ever have to lose anyone."
"I didn't get a chance to apologize." the young lion whimpered softly.
"It's better that way, Trav..." the bear offered gently, slowly pulling the lion closer, "Ya see... when it comes down to it... not many people do get a chance to say they're sorry. It's one of those things that makes us better people... helps us learn how to treat people in our lives better so, when we finally do get the chance to say it, we don't need to." his father's voice was soft, gentle, and comforting.
"But... I said some really bad things..."
"I know, my boy... and so did I. We can regret them together." Travis was enveloped in his father's embrace, "But she knew that you didn't mean them... just like we know she didn't mean the things she said about us... and that she didn't really want bad things to happen to us... she had a chance to say that she was sorry... that's why you're here right now, Trav... the reason it's her in the bed and not you."
"I didn't want her to--"
"Of course you didn't... no one would.", his dad replied, gently stroking his back, "But she did... and it was her choice. It was her way of saying she was sorry."
Travis didn't reply for quite some time. The words went through his head as he considered them. He gently squeezed the lioness' paw, a shaky breath coming to him as he looked again to the monitors. The doctors had said that she would have three or four days... and it had been a week; hers was borrowed time. "I'd give anything for another chance to make things right."
He felt the bear's head nod next to his, "Then that means that you accepted her apology, Trav... that's all she could have asked for."
* * * * *
Travis held his father's paw as they both looked at the grave. It was hard for the lion to realize that it had almost been a year since the day at the clinic. Life had changed for him; one chapter had ended and a new one had begun. The bear he had known as his uncle turned out to be his dad, and the story behind it was, at length, explained to him.
Travis had always loved Jack as a family member, and, once the initial surprise was over, it did not take a lot for him to adjust to the change, though he often still referred to the bear as Uncle J... he saved "daddy" for the bedroom, where it only served to heighten the euphoria.
The teen let out a breath, gripping the bouquet of flowers in his paw as he knelt down to the gravestone. He rested them, propped up slightly, and the bear at his side added a second set to the first, "I'm sorry it's been so long since our last visit..." Jack spoke softly to the grave.
"I... know you like lilies... they were your favorite." Travis offered, fighting back the tears forming in his eyes.
The two stood together, Jack holding Travis comfortingly as the lion leaned against him. They both stood together, quietly, gazing at the gravestone as the warm spring breeze blew past them, neither caring nor wondering at the passage of time. Silently, the two stood vigil, Travis letting Jack have his own thoughts, while holding his own.
After a long pause, Travis looked back to the grave, and took in a breath.
"I love Jack... but more than an uncle... and more than a dad..." he gave the bear's paw a strong squeeze, and got a comforting one in return, "he makes me feel like I want to feel... like I don't need anything or anyone else in the world... and..." Travis' voice cracked slightly, and he fought to continue, "and I hope you can be happy for me."
The bear turned Travis to him, and they shared a long embrace.
"I know she's happy for you." the soft voice from behind them made neither jump. Travis looked up into Jack's eyes, and raised his muzzle. They each shared a soft kiss as a third set of flowers was added to the two on the grave.
"I miss you, Laura, every day." Vanessa straightened up slowly, using a cane for balance. Travis saw her glance back at the two of them before she looked again to the gravestone, "But having family close by makes it easier." The lioness smiled softly, and glanced back at the two of them, "PDA, gentlemen... please... watch your manners." The three shared a laugh.
The lioness moved to join the two, softly rubbing Travis' back as Jack helped her to the car. The doctors had said it would be a miracle if the lioness survived; she had. They said it would be a miracle if she'd ever have any use of her body; after months of painful, grueling physical therapy, she did. The doctors had told them that she would never be able to get around without a wheelchair; she added one more miracle to the pile. Travis laughed when the doctors said it would be a miracle if she were able to get around without a cane; she was working on that one.
Travis hadn't known a lot of things when he was younger... much of it was about his own family. He never knew that people could change so much, or in such little time. The young lion had no idea that life was so full of tragedy, yet was able to provide so much joy. Travis had been convinced of one thing, only to have another proven to him.
He was glad to let the past go, and was eagerly looking towards a brighter future. Even after all the hardship imposed upon him and his father and his aunt, he realized that the greatest miracle he had witnessed was in how it had turned out; something that could have torn them apart had done so well in bringing them together.
Glancing across the car at the bear he loved, Travis smiled, giving his paw a squeeze and glanced into the back seat, "Aunt V... wanna grab something to eat before we drop you off?" He only smiled more when he saw the glint of understanding in his aunt's eyes.
"That's alright, Travis... I'm tired, and I have plenty of leftovers at home. Why don't you two drop me off and get on with your evening." she smiled back.
"Okay." he turned to look at Jack, "Shall we?"
The bear grinned, "We shall."
Travis was ready to start the newest chapter in his life; he was looking forward to everything that would be cause to put pen to paper. The young lion knew that there would be plenty to write about that night.