The Second Law - Part XXII

Story by OttersGonnaOtt on SoFurry

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#100 of Entropy Series

The gang gets a little bit larger, but not without a few surprises. The crew uses the last of their elongated free time to its fullest potential. War on the horizon draws out the worst, burning fears in some, only to be quelled by love and family. A ghost of the past steers a government cover-up conspiracy out of theory.

Just as a reminder / warning, the last chapter of The Second Law was posted as SoFurry was recovering from downtime, so some notifications may have not gone out as they normally do. To those that didn't get the heads-up, congratulations on the impromptu double issue!

I had a lot of opportunity in the last few chapters to fall back into a more relaxed tone. A several month long starliner cruise seems like a great idea, but in the end I thought it would take a bit too much momentum away from the greater story. Yangurraar is on the horizon (well, there's no horizons in space except the event type) and with that planet comes some much harder times. Considering there's yet another battleground to come after that, perhaps it's best that we keep the pace moving. We get some worried rest here, but the action comes back into favor next chapter.

As always, this story may contain adult content and explicit sexual imagery. If you aren't allowed or don't wish to view such material, please stop reading immediately. You may cringe / giggle / have an aneurysm from silly content tags. Love is in the air, and may or may not affect your capacity for rational thought. Common side effects include squealing, crying, and smiling. To all the rest, enjoy! Comments and critiques are welcome and encouraged.


Sydney threw herself onto a medical bed and clutched the bulge in her stomach, hissing as she coped with a bout of pain. "Oh gods, not again."

"Oh, they're here already?" Ashe crept to her side until she felt a wall. "I'll just... get out of your way."

"What? No, I need some help. This takes at least three paws." Elliot pulled on some sterile gloves and then guided Ashe's paw to another pair for herself. "Damn, I'm getting too used to this. Maybe I should change my specialization."

Carbon sat next to the bed and held his wife's paw. "Thanks, girls. You're both lifesavers."

<With keeping her from crushing your skull? Always a pleasure.> Mikhaila and Michelle closed the portal they used in lieu of an ambulance and started walking to the other room. <We'll take care of the tribe. Focus on her, Carbon.>

"He'd better." Sydney squeezed down hard on Carbon's paw as another wave of pain set in. "Doc, get this thing out of me. No woman should have to pop out ~two~ kids in the normal span of ~one~."

"Don't let R&B hear that." Ellie walked over to the side of the bed with a syringe of sedatives, but paused with a grunt as a bed behind a digital curtain emitted a plea for help. "Sorry about the noisy neighbors. Seems the new guys like to blow their fingers off with guns."

"Seriously? Like, fully blown off?"

Evelyn used her peculiar material properties to phase through the curtain and check. "Not quite. Pretty bad though."

Sydney hissed as the needle pricked her arm. "Is it still bandaged?"

"Yeah."

"Then he's fine. ~I~ need help now," growled the bulging meerkat.

Carbon waved his paw around the side of the curtain. "Sorry for Eve. You deserve your privacy."

"I want my fucking finger back, not my privacy."

"Oh, is this the reason?" Eve's eyes lit up as she found the culprit and snatched it for inspection. "Where have I seen this design before? You don't see many revolvers these days."

"Yeah, except Ari's and--" Carbon Took a good look at the pistol, then locked eyes with Sydney as she outstretched a paw with a perturbed expression. "Or Cid's. Here, hon. This deserves to be in your care."

"Gods, I thought I'd lost it." Sydney gave the weapon a quick inspection to take her mind off her pain. "My dad's three-fiftySeven, alright. I see only minimal dings were added."

"Yeah, not surprising. I've seen that thing a few times as maimed furs brought it in. That thing only obeys its master or something." Ellie finished prepping an intravenous drip and held the needle near Cid's free wrist. "This might pinch. It'll help in the long run though."

"Yeah, I know the drill. Just do i--EEAT!" Sydney clutched her pistol upward and nearly fired off a round until one of Carbon's tendrils held back the hammer. "Damn! Little warning!?"

"You said to do it..."

"Not quite the point you should be focusing upon, honey." Carbon reached out, plucked the revolver from his wife's paw, and unloaded the shells into his pocket. "Here you go. Squeeze away. Just remember to breathe."

"Ha. Funny." Sydney fumbled with the weapon, rotating the cylinder and snapping the hammer. "Hey doc, the kid's dying down."

"On it." Ellie pulled out an ultrasound unit and checked the sonogram on the screen. "Okay... It looks healthy. It's apparently the right age, size, weight..."

"What do you mean, 'it'?! My baby girl isn't some kind of--!?"

"She's fine. I just don't normally state the gender. I'm a believer in letting the kid choose that." Ellie sighed as he continued his examination with Cid's glare stuck on him. "Why don't you guys give her some space. It'll be a little while until the good stuff happens and this room is cramped."

"Yeah, that's... good advice." Carbon leaned close, lifted his mask, and planted a solid kiss on Sydney's forehead. "I love you, Sydney. We'll be just out there, do... ~shout~ if you need us."

"Laugh it up, Carbon. Somehow I'm making it so you tackle the next one." Cid rolled her head to the side as the drugs really started kicking into gear. "Go while you still can. I'll just... I'll get crazy on you in a minute..."

"You always drive me crazy, Sydney." Carbon dropped his mask and sealed it with a blown kiss. "Come on, Eve. Let's go keep Ari's girls company."

"We should thank them somehow. They're being... nice, recently." Eve's face scrunched as she said that, unable to believe the words projecting from her own mouth. "They gave up their birthday for Fleur. Maybe we can throw them another?"

Carbon slipped out the door and held it open for his mate. "They play around enough as it is. There's got to be a more creative way than that. They'd appreciate creativity."

"You're probably right; they're always curious for new things. You sure the Rihzyets don't have some ferret in their blood?"

"Nah, just otter and puppy. That's already a fatal overdose of cuteness." Carbon straightened up when the girls suddenly surrounded him and Eve. "Oh, um... Nobody's here yet?"

<Nope. We sent out a few messages.> Mik snickered as she pulled up the custom communicator strapped to her wrist and opened a very crude image. <I managed to sneak in a dick pic to our moms.>

"I never doubted my hunch on how you girls use those." Carbon took a seat and the girls followed, leaving Eve to take a bench of her own. "I can't thank you enough for--"

<We can see through some walls and we read lips. We already know, Carbon.> Chelle tried tapping a missing finger on the hybrid's visor, then tried again with her existent paw. <Screw this. I'd much rather sign than use these hard light placards.>

Mik booped the otter's visor as well. <If you really want to pay us back, maybe you can finally let us use your ætir? We wanted to have our paws done by now, but our foundry isn't quite up to the task.>

"So you need more umph? More accuracy?"

<We just can't safely split some simpler molecules into raw atoms. We need to build a custom molecule for an artificial muscle idea we've gotten.> The girls Linked together with a pair of vines looping around Carbon's waist. <Oh, yeah. Olivia looked over it and she agrees. She wants to try something as well. Ditto Gimbal and her help in figuring this out.>

"You've been talking with Gimbal? You girls have been scheming for a while on this, huh?" Carbon adjusted the vines, making sure not to accidentally Link with them and intrude. "How much work are we talking? We can't have my ætir down when we get to Yangurra. We might need it."

<Our paws won't take but a few days. The rest is... a passive project, you could say.>

"I don't know..." Carbon looked to Eve for advice, receiving a set of nods out of their obligation to the girls. "Let me sit in on the first run. If I'm fine with that, I'll let you use the ætir--supposing you don't use up all our æti in the process."

<Thank you!>

"Thanks for what?" Ilaria slowed from a jog as she entered the Medical Bay, soon realizing that she wasn't missing anything. "Are they bugging you for stuff? Girls, are you?"

"They deserve a late birthday present, that's all." Carbon stood to greet Ari, the lashes around him taking the girls along for the walk. "Sorry to say, but you're a bit early. The show starts... soon, I hope for Sydney's sake."

"We miss the fireworks?" Iolvin huffed and puffed as he used his sister's back for support to rest. "Shit... I need to get used to running with only half a body."

"It's good to push yourself when it's safe, Yoyo. Just don't push me." Ari smiled as she glanced her shoulder forward and forced her brother to catch his balance. "Carbon's just been saying we're early for--"

"Oh gods _fucking damnit _!"

The two twins simultaneously turned around and headed back to the hallway with a synchronous response. "Nope!"

Their father ended up catching them and turning them back around. "She may sound scary, but Cid's tough as nails. Doesn't mean we shouldn't support her--" Vasily's combat experience immediately pucked up on Sydney waving a pistol around in the air through the cracked door. "She's got a gun."

The three now retried their apparently hereditary maneuver and went for the exit. "Nope!"

The trio then unexpectedly walked right back where they started, thanks to a set of portals. <It's not loaded, mom. Now show your support.>

"Sweetie, you're letting your kids school you now." Catherine roped the group together from behind and guided them to a clear bench. "I'd say you shouldn't show them any weakness, but... they're the type that's pretty good at learning by trial and error."

"No weakness, huh? I remember that ~terror~ growing up." Ari drooped her head onto her mother's own. "Dad was always the soft one, and he treated us like soldiers."

"That might explain a lot." Adrian grinned as he strode into the room and sat in his husband's lap on a bench. "Sorry about the wait. Had an issue in Engineering plus Zoë needed a paw with the kids."

"No need for excuses. You're busy. I get that." Yoyo gave his mate a smooch. "Zoë isn't getting overwhelmed, is she? Those pups are getting her size quickly."

"Nah, she just forgot a few preferences between Ari's girls." Dee smiled again as he faced forward and away from his husband. "The reactor almost had a meltdown, though. Super fun."

Ari shot the fellow otter a cold look. "Dee, what did you do to my engines?"

"Reactors. There's a difference." Dee sighed and pulled up his work tablet. "When we regularly change out the fuel in the oxydium reactor, there's a moment where there's nothing to absorb the heat and radiation of the power rods. Just had something get stuck for a bit. No biggie."

"That was not what I would calls it." A quite diminutive sugar glider shook his head as he walked through Cid's room. "I have the tricks up my wings for getting the coolant jig loose, ja. Nothing we can't handle--" He froze stiff upon spotting a magnum waving around wildly. "Is that a gun!?"

Yoyo snickered as he whacked his tail into the poor guy's back. "Calm down, Candy Cane. Just for show."

"Candy Cane?" queried Ilaria.

"He calls me the candy names. This joke is not as fun as it sounds after hundred times. Now please excuse me." The glider carefully opened the door and scampered out of Sydney's sight. "Lee, my friend! You have all fingers still! Gud!"

Ari cocked her head to the side and directed her confused stare to Dee. "Who is that guy? I don't think I've seen him before, and I've seen nearly everyone across the fleet by now."

"Hans is my second in charge right now in Engineering. He's nocturnal so it fits well for him to take over night shifts. Might be why you haven't seen him."

"But after this much time? I'm sure I'd have met him." Ari checked the small man through the window into the next room. "Someone of his stature especially... I'd make not not to ~step on him~ with my size."

"He's part of the original crew. Been here since we started taking the Starbreeze out for real." Carbon sat back, letting the twins to either side of him tug and comb on his fur and queii of his arms. "Lieutenant Hans Gretel, hailing from actual Germany and not a fairytale. He knows how machines work, that's for sure."

"Germany is pretty small still. I didn't know they had engineering schools going."

"They don't. Hans is a natural." Carbon drooped his head some and broke eye contact with Ari. "I originally picked him because he seemed like a good fit for Robyn. He learns and adapts quickly. He also sleeps a large portion of the day, hence the seclusion."

"Oh." Ari took a moment to squeeze her mother. "Well I'm glad to have him aboard. I like having a diverse crew."

"I just like having someone that knows the more mechanical side of things around. Pretty sure theoretical physicists do better with pens in their paws and not spanner wrenches." Dee checked inside the room and found the curtain had been drawn in front, likely due to Hans' visit. "So it looks like we've got time to spare? What's the verdict?"

"It'll happen when it happens. I'm in no rush, though don't tell Sydney that." Carbon roped the twins closer and scritched their heads. "We already know Cait is a girl and all. Just need her to pop herself free so we can shower her with love."

"She's probably going to be pink. You know that, right?" Eve reformed her body in the middle of the room to escape the busy seats. "Her genetics determine her mental avatar. That means Sydney's popping out a pink cotton candy monster."

Yoyo slammed his fist into a paw. "Ah! I should have called him that!"

"Heh. Well she'll love her. Even Sydney has the capacity to love pink." Carbon performed an exaggerated wink for the group. "She has a surprising ability to nurture. She's a good mother."

"Is that the twitch she'll suffer every time she sees Cait?" Eve grinned and held back a bout of laughter. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if she ate the kid at birth."

"Only because she'd look too delicious." Carbon sat back and relaxed. "She'll be fine. You'll see."


"Augh! Almost! I'm so close! Grah~!"

"Lirou, wait. Let me grab here... and go!"

Niishal groaned through his torn breathing mask as the pressure on his chest lifted away. "Are we.... safe yet...?"

Eiita slid her leader out of the damaged remains of their shuttle. "No. The weapon that shot us down is still circling above."

Lirou shoved the stone slab she supported to the side and grabbed her spare breathing unit. "Here, Niishal. You need fresh air if we are to continue."

"Thank you, Lirou. Let's get moving and find some cover." Niishal coughed up green blood as he tried to move, his two faithful guards hefting his arms over their shoulders. "Once we find a safe route we can return to hide the ætir."

"Is there a way to disable it, just in case?" Lirou eyed the device through the wreckage and sighed as she refocused on her leader. "We might not be able to access the ship after this point. I'm concerned--"

"The only person on this rock that can use it is myself. The source of the ætir's power is untouchable." Niishal started moving, pausing in awe at the propeller-driven aircraft that battled overhead. "These Terrans appear to be fighting a war with themselves and we were just collateral damage. With any luck they didn't recognize we were different than the rest. It may just be wise to out-live them and continue our work when this war is over."

"While that is a wise assessment, I still must insist that we continue under the assumption of a persistent predator." Eiita carried Niishal and allowed Lirou to brandish her weapons with all appendages. "Come. I noticed a valley as we came down. There may be a cave."

"This world is not like home. Caves are not as extensive." Chleek groaned in pain as he ignored his veile's warnings and trudged through the sandy terrain. "Let's hurry. The weapons fire seems to have died down."

Lirou checked her armor, nodded, then cautiously led the way. "Right."

Eiita aimed at a cluster of falling rocks before following. "I didn't think the people of Terra were this advanced."

Niishal forced himself to carry more of his own weight for Eiita's benefit. "The last information we've gotten about them was a few generations back. That's... several thousands of their annual cycles and perhaps a hundred of their generations." The family leader shifted his weight just enough that his colleague could ready her plasma pistol with one arm. "I expected less myself, but this works in our favor. I will need a manner to find the right genes and with technology comes historic records. Do not worry, Eiita."

"We just got shot out of the sky. I do have ~some~ reason for worry, Niishal."

"Well that reason is lessened. Look yonder." Niishal pointed to an apparent cave, though one that seemed constructed more than naturally grown. "If we can't see inside this cave, neither can any of their sensors. This could make a good base."

Lirou froze for a moment, then raised her plasma caster toward the opening. "I wouldn't be so sure. We have unexpected company."

Soldiers of smooth-skinned locals flooded both from the opening of what turned out to be a military bunker and flanking from the ridges above. "Lirou! Drop your weapon!"

"Niishal, run! I'll--" Lirou fired two pulses and hit a soldier square in the chest, but soon a hail of smoke and lead returned her way. "Gah! Goddess!"

"<Hold your fire! Hold your damned fire, soldiers!>" A grayer, hairier Terran shoved through the crowd, apparently holding the most respect amongst the group. "<Damn. I knew they weren't Nazis, but this... That one's bleeding green, soldiers. We need to mop that up and get it to the eggheads, not kill it.>"

"Lirou!?" Niishal raised his voice, as the wireless communications in their masks didn't seem to be working. "Lirou, are you still there!?"

"<Well looky here. That one seems to want it's buddy alive too.>" The elder pulled a small weapon from an animal hide pouch attached to his hip and cautiously approached the two standing Yangurraa. "<You're bleedin' too. We need to get you and your friend there to someone that knows how to fix those squishy bits. That sound good, greenie?>"

"Do you have any idea what he's saying?" Eiita angled her pistol toward the elder, trying to keep the action subdued instead of raising her arm out. "Or should we skip this and kill the leader? It might buy us time to get free."

"No, he's taking a risk on behalf of his men. He's trying to get us to forfeit peacefully." Niishal perked his head up at the sound of Lirou coughing up her own blood, at least proving she wasn't quite dead yet. "Lirou needs help and they haven't proven to be our enemies yet. This may have been a misunderstanding."

Eiita clutched her weapon and caused a fair fraction of the other solders to raise their own long weapons to their shoulders. "You can't seriously mean to surrender."

"No, just to leech their help and wait for them to die. With those odd weapons though, I'm sure we will find a more timely solution as well, so long as we do what we must to avoid imprisonment. Armies do often document health records, yes?" Niishal broke free from Eiita and wobbled for a bit, then took her pistol from her side and eased it to the dirt. "We will accept their proposal and reorder it to our needs."

"<Well will ya' look at that, fellas. I wrangled me an alien.>" The Terran leader put his own weapon away and guided an odd five-fingered hand toward the bunker entrance. "<Looks like you got enough o' a brain to choose the right strategy here. Let's get you patched up. Bet the brains could use you to make us a nice birthday present for Hitler.>"

Eiita slowly lowered her rifle from her hip and to the ground. "This guy likes to talk, doesn't he?"

"Let him. My veile needs the reference if we're going to figure out how to interact." Niishal coughed up another helping of blood, though less than before thanks to the aid of said veile. "Actually, I might let him keep me alive if your would rather decipher that language."

"Agreed. Aim to stay alive, Niishal."

"<Well don't just stand there. Walker, Jones, Persimmon--grab the one on the ground and take it to the lab. Call the medics for Elton too.>" The elder dusted off his thick jacket and straightened a few metal emblems pinned to it. "Now then... what to do with you two. Ah, get the MPs over here to strip these things down. Once they're clean we can lock 'em up until we get word from the big brass.>" The Terran put an odd cloth cap on his head and then tipped it before taking his leave. "<Welcome to Roswell, ya ugly bastards.>"


"I need a drink and a bed." Carbon slumped into a seat in the construction barge's gravity-free lounge, holding himself in place with a few strategically placed vines. "Eve, what are the chances you'll let me get a buzz?"

"Hm? Oh, ah..." Evelyn snapped out of daydreaming upon hearing her name. "None. You've got a fungal infection of some sort so I'm controlling your chemistry to fight it. I haven't seen this fungus before though, so I'm guessing Ceylon brought it along with him."

"Is that why I'm so tired?"

"No, that would be our newborn baby girl. That fungus is external only." Eve stood upside down on the ceiling with her arms crossed. "Speaking of which, the only way I could repel the stuff is by changing your genetic code a bit to bring out some suppressed parts. I hope you like being female again. Oh, and a polecat."

"I think that's the first time you've brought out the polecat genes in me. This should be... interesting." Carbon sighed and watched his mask fog up from his breath. "Well try to change me tonight if you can. The species shifts take a lot more out of me."

"It probably doesn't help that you've been watching M an' M so much." Iolvin raised a pencil for a moment in acknowledgment, then used it to measure the hybrid as he drew on a paper pad. "There a reason for that? Some kind of scheming I don't know about?"

"Nope. They helped Fleur, so I'm helping them get the hang of my ætir so they can build their paws." The mostly-otter 'stood' and bungie-walked over with his tendrils as anchors. "I've got no clue how they can even use the thing, but it's probably related to the light and spacial manipulation they can perform."

"Yeah, I'm clueless on that one. That requires a specific common gene. They do resemble ouschee, though. Somehow they got some Yangurra in them. Maybe they've got a bit of the aetir's imprint itself?" Eve shrugged her shoulders, then returned to her original pose once she realized Yoyo was drawing her and not Carbon. "I don't care though. They're becoming Fleur's best friends right when she needs them. They're proving to be good people and that's what matters most."

"Yeah, they've grown up quickly." Carbon hooked behind Yoyo and squinted at the drawing. "I didn't know you were into more than photography. Pick it up in art college?"

"It was a requirement for the first few years. I'm rusty, so don't laugh at my stick figure of your mate."

"That's Eve? ~Oh~."

"Really? I know I'm still sketchy, but my drawing can't be that bad." Yoyo drooped his drawing pad down and sighed at his cleanly drawn sketch. "I mean... I'm not saying you're blind or anything, but I think I captured her well enough. I was going to give this to you if you liked it..."

"Well... I ~am~ blind, depending on what you make me look at. I see a godsdamned everything that kills you in space from radiation to microwaves, but my accuracy in the rainbow light band is pretty bad. I can barely tell red from yellow." Carbon ducked his head down and shifted around until the reflection against the pencil's graphite gained a sheen. "Oh, there it is. Not bad."

"Damn. How do you even get anything done when all the controls on these ships are graphical?"

Eve realized the sketching was over and joined the two. "Well he can Link to the systems directly and get the information raw. That's actually how all Yangurraar tech works."

"It's also why I had the administration side of Lambda Tower retrofitted with holograms. It's easier to see volumetric shapes of light than to rely on color on a flat screen." Carbon chuckled at the sight of nothing but flat screens around him. "And now I live on a ship filled with stuff I can't read. At least we lucked out with the Starbreeze having holograms."

"What are you guys saying about my ship?" Ilaria floated into the room with Ceylon deciding to keep his larger self in the hallway. "I saw my girls' new paws. Thank you, Carbon. They said you were instrumental to that."

"Family helps family. Think nothing of it." Carbon leaned over and waved for the Versa in the hall. "Hey, Ceylon. Sorry I haven't come to visit lately."

«Think nothing of it. Your company is a gift, not a necessity.»

Ari rolled her eyes and joked, "So if you're best buds, can I give him to you? Please?"

"You haven't seen his bedroom, have you?" Carbon grinned as he touched a nearby console and hacked into the security camera feeds. "Your girls converted the second hazardous material storage bay into a zero-G swimming pool."

"Oh, wow. I thought they just installed some misters or something." Ari peered into the screen, forming a set of nanite glasses to aid her. "So that bay really has a giant blob of water in it? I guess the real question is whether I brought along my swimsuit."

"Who needs swimsuits?" Yoyo shoved his sketching materials into his bag and then removed his shirt to stow it as well. "Come on, Lulu. Let's have a swim with Ceylon. That looks like a blast."

Eve morphed away her faux clothing and replaced it with a bikini. "I'm game. Also I guess I'm the lifeguard since I don't breathe."

"No, I think Ceylon might be better at that." Carbon stopped Eve from removing his shirt and shook his head. "I'll watch. Don't need me spreading that fungus in any case."

"Fungus?" Ari's eyes widened. "What fungus? This something I need to keep an eye on?"

Eve gave up on trying to strip her mate and instead focused on stylizing her swim wear. "Carbon caught a thing in his leaves he probably got from Ceylon. Looks like it wont affect you guys, but I'd keep anyone with even a hint of Yangurra in them away for a while. It isn't dangerous, but... better not to risk it."

«Apologies.» Ceylon rolled around in the hallway, stretching in preparation for the swim. «I have groomed myself free of that annoyance, but it must have lingered.»

"No problem, bud. We've got it covered."

«No, I have caused you hardship.» The large alien steadied himself and then began moving down the hallway preemptively. «I see that you're changing yourself because of it. For this, I will owe you a favor.»

"You could keep Michelle and Mikhaila busy for a while." Carbon kicked off a wall and shot himself out of the lounge. "Give me some peace and quiet to rest it off and we'll be even."

«I will try, but those two are... energetic.»

"There is no greater understatement." Ari used her tendrils to speed past the rest of the raft, the opportunity to swim genuinely getting her excited. "You deserve a medal for that one. Wait, I'm a Commander right? Can I give out medals?"

Carbon latched onto the taller otter's momentum with his queoo and a smile. "You can give out all the medals you want, Ari."


"Make me more grandchildren."

Iolvin quirked his head at his mother as he cuddled Zoë on his couch. "Now? Sure thing. One order of pups, coming right up."

"No, I'm serious. After seeing Sydney's cute girls, I want more little whelps in my life. They're... cute." Catherine caressed Vasily's cheek as he held her from behind. "We never had much luck in that department, but apparently the children we actually could have were blessed by Moira. No fertility issues there."

"According to Ellie, I'm as sterile as they come. I think we just had a few flukes ourselves." Yoyo kissed his wife and held her close. "Or maybe Zoë is just the special sauce. In any case, I can't argue against trying for hours on end."

"For hours? Damn, son."

Cathy playfully pinched her husband's ear. "Definitely raised them right in that respect. Great genes, too."

"Well ~now~ I'm in the mood. Zoë? Adri?"

Zoë shimmied in place and cooed at the soft fur playing against her smooth skin. "You know I'll never decline that offer, not when you're so warm and cuddly." The human slipped her panties out from beneath her sirat drapes and pulled her husband's manhood into place between her legs. "You're not kidding. See? this is what I have to deal with, Cat. All day, every day... and he makes sure I lose my mind each time."

"I don't see a ~complaint~ to go along with that whining, dear." Cathy reached over and fed her son's cock into her new daughter's folds. "I'm happy for you three. It's good to know my son found such compatible mates."

"Speaking of..." Yoyo took a moment to hiss in satisfaction at the warmth enveloping his length. "Damn... Hey, Adri. Why don't you take me from behind, too? I know you're more into receiving, but..."

"Sorry. I'm not really... in the mood for that right now."

"Well if you'd rather more freedom, there's options." Cat nodded with her own husband before pulling her drapes to the side and presenting her spread pussy for the otter. "Perhaps I'd be a little more accommodating? I've been wanting to finally spend some time with you, too."

"Um... Sorry, but I'll pass." Adrian stood and half-wobbled into the hallway, his attention not fully on the real world and more stuck in his head. "It's nothing personal. I've just got a lot of stuff on my mind. I think... Maybe I'll go find something to work on and clear my head."

"Oh. Well do whatever helps, hon. The offer's always on the table for later, no matter the time or place. I might be going into heat, so it all helps." Cat turned around and fumbled with her husband's belt, shedding his pants so she could immediately fill herself with his straining manhood. "Gods, yes. This will more than do for the time being. You want to give me what I'm craving, Vasily?"

The husky smiled and bucked into his wife. "Happily."

"Wait, Adri..." Yoyo shifted into an upright sitting stance to reach a blanket folded over another chair and toss it to his mate. "In case I find you sleeping at your desk again. Can't have you getting sick, babe."

"Thanks. Love you, guys."

Zoë was the first to answer, her confidence in her new marriage increasing every day. "Ah... Love you too, Adrian!"

"Ditto, kiddo. I love you, Adri. Take care."

"I will." Just seconds after closing the hatch to his room someone inside yelped and squealed, probably Cathy taking her mate's knot too abruptly. Dee looked down at the raging boner in his pants and shook his head. "Sorry, little guy. I'll make it up to you later. The galaxy isn't gonna save itself."

Adrian hooked himself into the nearest elevator shaft and kicked upward in the zero-gravity field. He reached the top and landed straight on his hindpaws, ready to walk out to the inverted gravity of the Observation deck. The otter found a survey console and pulled up a batch of new data from long range sensors. Dee swiped the data over to a folder representing his personal files and shut down the holograms, his ears perking at a sound in the otherwise silent night. He spied one of his undressed boys through a clear pane of aluminum leading to Michelle and Mikhaila's former loft bedroom.

"Boys? What are you guys doing up here, and nude at that?"

"Oh, hey dad." Phoebe waved from atop the clear bed, his paw pulling free of Rose's uncovered hip in the process. "We were getting used to the place. Our cousins finally moved everything out yesterday."

A camera flashed and whirred, Themis momentarily blinding his dad to sneak in a candid shot. "I'm liking the clear walls."

"Well ~I'm~ liking the air system." Rose reached for her breathing mask and slid it over her face in preparation or unsealing the room for Dee. "I get a rash when I have to wear this thing overnight. I don't sleep much, granted... but it still sucks."

"Well that tent in the side bedroom was too small for you three. I'm happy you've found a place to relax more comfortably, guys." Dee waved his paw side to side over the controls to verify he wasn't planning on opening the room. "Well I was just grabbing some fresh sensor data. Don't let me bother you three, especially if you're trying to be intimate."

"Uh... Yeah. Thanks, dad." Pho made himself almost completely clear and then slid his paw into Rose's panties, an eerie bulge forming through the clothing. "You know, I think you're right Emmi. Clear can be fun."

That camera swiveled around and snapped a few photos of the phantom paw. "Awesome fun."

"Not the first time that camera's seen pussy, son. There's a pretty good video mode too." Dee shook his head with a smile as he headed back toward the elevator shaft, another noise diverting his path to the lab on the far side. "Share some with me when you're done. Have fun, kids."

Rose gasped as she ripped off her mask. "We will."

"Ah, Monsieur Adrian." Fleur nodded as she set a bag on a table and raided a cabinet. "Uhat brings you 'ere zo late?"

"I could ask you the same, you little ~French thief~." Dee grinned as he checked the contents of the bag from afar. "Planning a science experiment, Fleur? Should I be concerned?"

"An, non. Zhis iz not... I am fine. I do not uant ze... uh, self 'arm." The elk grabbed the item she sought--a bottle of iodine--and carefully placed it in her bag. "Michelle and Mik'ala need ze chemicals for zheir projects."

"Sorry, hon. I just see you dressed up in a nice suit and reaching for things that could kill you and... Sorry." Dee started backing away, but paused at the edge of the elevator shaft once Fleur started following. "What are you guys doing so late though? It's not that important, is it?"

"Zhose two do not have ze same needs as us, yet... I feel oubligated to 'elp zhem--as zhanks for 'elping me." The elk drooped her head and clutched her bag shut as she stepped into the zero-gravity field. "Pardon, monsieur. I... should 'ead back."

"Fleur, wait." Dee pushed down the shaft and caught the girl in a rearward hug. "Don't feel like you owe us anything. When you lost Buck, so did we. We're family, and we love you. We... We know what you're feeling, and we want to see you happy again."

"Adrian... Zhank you." The two stopped as Dee grabbed a post on the Command deck, but Fleur broke free and continued to the Cargo Bay. "But ze twins, zhey... make me 'appy."

"Oh, well... If they're doing something special for you, I won't argue there. Find whatever makes you happy and chase it, honey." Dee waited for the finely dressed doe to vanish deeper into the ship, then smiled as her words finally processed in his head. "Nothing wrong with finding someone new so soon. Love's a strange thing."

"Query: Love definition?"

Dee spun around at the modulated, foreign voice behind him, though there was nothing there. "Hello!? Ari, you better not be fucking with me on the intercom again!"

A matte gray, crystalline pillar drooped from the ceiling, followed incrementally by the various other appendages of Gimbal as she came out of the shadows like a brooding spider. "Apology: Startling undesired. Repetition: Love definition?"

"Oh... 'kay. Totally not creepy at all." Dee took a moment to examine the various floating, polygonal shapes that built a nearly complete humanoid shell for the alien. "Is this why you've been hiding recently? And wait... You're talking."

"Explanation: Voice speaker new construction. Social elaboration: Language translation learning."

"Oh, I see. You're trying to remove the language barrier between us?"

"Confirmation: Prisma, Sprite insufficient." Gimbal reached out a disconnected yet collectively whole hand cluster and prodded at Dee's shoulder fur. "Personal admission: Desire social interaction. Elaboration: science research mandate."

"So... you're a scientist? What, a social science probe for your people?"

"Correction: Exploration forbidden. Personal admission: Rule broken for kind."

"Ah, I see. You're breaking away from the pack for the good of your people? That's honorable to most of us. No need to hide that." Dee finally built up the courage to prod the alien orb's hand in return, but Gimbal rotated a sharp edge of a tetrahedral finger away to prevent a cut. "Oh, sorry. I'm surprised your new body doesn't give much though, considering it's just hovering pieces."

"Explanation: Magnetism strong. Elaboration: Current metal abundant environment." Gimbal reconfigured her floating parts to create a spiral configuration around her core. "Insight: Speech not clear. Hypothesis: Speech insufficient."

"No, you're fine. I'm used to reading technical guides translated five times before reaching English. You're not any worse, and you'll get better as you understand our grammar."

"Query: Grammar definition?"

"It's the way we structure words to logically add meaning to each other, so we can convey ideas clearly." Dee backed away to continue moving and nodded for the sphere. "I remember Prisma said something about emotion being part of your basic speech, so I understand your reason for breaking grammar. Just use us as examples and you'll get a grip on it. Watch out for sarcasm and jokes though. Might want to read up on them, actually."

The faceless orb somehow gained a sense of happiness in her hovering motions and the oscillating spin of her orbiting shards. "Compliment: Wise method. Statement: Research planning. Gratuitous statement: Path again clear."

"Good for you, Gimbal. Self improvement is a noble endeavor. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some stuff to work out in my squishy brain before I can dream of sleeping. Oh, try to announce yourself better. And maybe try the spider thing on Cathy; she's scared to death of the things." Dee chuckled as he rounded the corner and entered Engineering, but slumped in disbelief as he checked his workstation. "Is ~everyone~ having sex except me right now?"

"Blast! Ashen, stop!" Sparks perked her head up from a makeshift hammock, her nude body's fur meshed into the netting comprising the bed. "H-Hello?"

"Mn... Damn, Ashe... Ah!" Sparks' hips jutted forward suddenly, soon followed by Ashen's face moving up to nip and bit at the small of the girl's shoulder. "You get wonderfully tense when you're startled, my lovely mage. What's the big deal?"

"Someone's here! You had to have heard him!" Sparks reached between her legs and rubbed a small swell inside her swollen pussy. "You had to tie me at a time like this? C-Could you please give us some, um, privacy?"

"Well I needed my station's extra power to do some simulations. I guess I can wait though." Dee took a step back, but stalled his efforts to leave the room once he realized the two couldn't see him. "I'll leave you two alone. Just clean up after yourselves, please. That spot is special to a few of us."

"It's special?" Sparks eased her tense muscles as she ran through assumptions in her head. "We... We didn't mean to ruin anything. We just wanted to be close and the others are... on edge."

"We didn't think it prudent to add sexual tension to the mix, so we found a new spot to fuck." Ashen gripped his lover's large breasts from behind and massaged them in small, taut circles. "I'll take responsibility for that decision. If you need me to--"

"It's fine. She would have wanted her hammock to be used like that." Dee moved a little closer once the pair opened up to company. "It's actually my fault that nook is still there in the first place. I just... don't have it in me to destroy anything Robyn added to her ship."

Ashen perked his ears at that. "Robyn? As in...?"

"Yeah, Ari's late wife. She literally lived in this Engineering bay for a few weeks." Dee moved closer still, reaching out to feel the rope of the hammock near a hinge. "I wasn't as close to her as my husband, but I can tell there was a lot between them. She put a lot of effort and life into everything she loved, and my new family was the only thing she loved more than this ship. I can't remove either from my life."

"Married? Wait, you're not--!" Sparks haphazardly threw her arms around her exposed bits, unable to tell where prying eyes might reside. "Dee! I thought you were Ellie! Don't look!"

"He's seen it all by now, Sparks. Might as well give him a show." Ashen lifted his paws away and forced Sparks to frantically shift her covering paws. "The guy deserves a bit of compensation for our inconvenience. Not like he doesn't smell what we're up to anyway."

"Uh, I can see it well enough too. Nice knot?"

"But..." Sparks slowly lowered her guard, eventually letting her arms droop over the edge of the hammock. "I... suppose you deserve payment of like kind. You may examine me to your liking, Dee. I would have you satisfied before leaving you unfairly transgressed."

"Bit of a power bottom like our Ashe, I see. Alright then." Adrian dropped his pants, stepped out of them, and worked his enticed cock to full mast. "I could probably use a good pop before I get to work anyway, especially after seeing my sons and Rose a minute ago."

"Don't tell me...?" Sparks sniffed the air and shot her eyes wide open. "You're... handling yourself to my body?"

"Well, yeah. You said you wanted me satisfied, didn't you?"

"I chose my words... poorly."

"She likes it. I can feel her gripping me harder now." Ashen avoided a swat from his lover's paw and grinned as he bucked into her as pleasant retaliation. "Why don't you embrace it? Give the man some truly like compensation."

"But I've only ever been with you!"

"Oh, I think I get it now." Dee sped up his paw as he angled his head to better spy the locked juncture of the two wolves. "It is a bit odd to see someone effectively fucking themselves, but you two really like each other. I'm glad you lost your first time to someone you love. I'll let you stay that way if--"

"W-Wait..." Sparks reached out a paw blindly. "If you really think that... I might be willing to try, for my Ashen."

Dee took that paw and replaced his own around his length. "If it'll help you two get closer to each other, I'm game. I... happen to be quite attracted to the lot of you anyway, so it won't take much. Even a pawjob would be great."

"You sound like you'd prefer something more." Ashen tugged on his knot and enticed a whimper from his lover. "We're still stuck for a bit, so that's out. Maybe... you'd like to sample Sparks' amazing muzzle? That wouldn't be too much to ask, would it?"

"That... No, that's alright." Sparks tugged her new grip and guided Dee's tip in for a testing lick. "Just let me do all the work. I don't handle surprises well."

"This is a gift. I'll let you decide the works, hon." Dee adjusted his position and Sparks' mouth slowly enveloped him until reaching her throat. "Wow. That's... I can see why Yoyo had that silly look on his face from that time with Ashe..."

Ashen brushed his lover's hair back and played with it to keep it out of the way. "Oh, they were once an item?"

"No... Truth be told, Ashe randomly just blew him in his truck. I think I get why now, with her having to pay for everything with sex at the time... but still... I wish I didn't react the way I did, knowing what I know now." Dee sighed at the thought, then gasped at the sensation of Sparks' tongue swirling around his manhood. "Oh, fuck. That's perfect."

Sparks backed her head away and took a good breath. "How is that not even half of you? I'm afraid to go any further with that beast."

"If you think that's big, you haven't seen my husband's or his sister's. Mine's somehow gotten pretty long, but theirs are massive." Dee nearly whimpered as he was taken again, this time far enough that his tip caused Sparks to gag. "You don't need to use your throat, hon. You were doing great."

"Oh no. She should at least give it a try, shouldn't she?." Ashen grabbed Dee's ass and put a paw on the back of Sparks' head, then quickly squeezed the two flush to each other. "No need to fight it, Sparks. Relax and it'll all work out."

"I don't think I'm supposed to go that far, Ashen!" Dee's eyes started rolling into the back of his head at the insane pressure of not just a throat, but partially the pathway to the girl's stomach. "She can't breathe. Don't hold her there."

"Ah, perhaps you're right." Ashen removed his paws and let the two noisily part. "Too much. Sorry, my love."

Sparks gasped and coughed for a pawful of seconds, then steeled herself for more while aligning Dee's tip to her lips. "That is nowhere near what I would think possible nor easy, but if you keep thinking of my wellbeing I will... I'll try."

"I would love a taste of that treat myself, actually." Ashen finally managed to free himself from Sparks' tightly coiled folds, his length hard and throbbing with only his knot giving up the ghost. "Seems there's a new dish ready to taste down here as well, if you'd like."

"But that's just for you..." Sparks reached between her legs and caught her lover's essence as it tried to escape. "Would you really give up that gift just for a fleeting show?"

"No, never." Ashen rolled his lover's head to the side and guided her into a tender kiss. "But I would do anything to see my mate screaming in joy when she's in need. If you are truly against it, just say so. I just know you weren't satisfied with my performance tonight and I desire to see your climax as well."

"It's true that I didn't... but..." Sparks' paws started to worm their fingers into herself, driving home her decision. "I suppose I am wound like a clock. Could you not help me yourself?"

"If I tried in this state I wouldn't last long enough. Besides, I have a feeling our well-endowed friend might get you there easier."

"Then... Yes, I will try this. I'd hate needing to wake you all night for assistance in any case." Sparks wobbled a bit as she wrestled the hammock, easing her legs over the side so her drooling petals offered themselves to Dee. "Please, take me like this from behind. Just use as much force as you'd like so I'm surely not wanting afterwards."

"I swear I won't go overboard. I'll just ease it in..." Dee pressed his tip to the pre-lubricated cunt and pressed forward. He used the give of the swinging hammock to smooth out his motions as he went deep, surprisingly finding only welcoming resistance from the Arctic wolf's cervix as he brushed the back of her womb. "Holy crap. You got tight as hell when I reached the end there."

Sparks brought a paw down to rub her stomach, eventually tracing down to discover another six inches of otter cock remaining. "You--Ah!... definitely aren't lacking in size. I bet your wife loves this even more."

"She enjoys me, but I think there's a bit of preference for Yoyo. She was his slave before being his wife, so... there's a bit more of a bond there, even if I hate to admit it." Dee pushed the hammock enough to clear the wolf's womb, then eased himself back into the end of her spasming tunnel. "You like when I go that deep? It doesn't hurt?"

"It's perfect. Even my Ashen can't go that far, knot or not." Sparks chuckled for a moment at the confusing wording, but nearly howled as Dee brought his most recent motion into a steady rhythm. "Gods! How can this not feel like enough!"

"Sh... You're forgetting about me, my love. Here..." Ashen shifted his position so he leaned out the far side of the hammock, holding himself in by with his paws near the two hinge hooks. "There we are. Please, show me what you've shown Dee here."

"Gladly."

Ashen lifted his head back in bliss as his length slid into Sparks' muzzle and beyond to her rippling throat. "Sparks! Ashe! Oh gods, that's great!"

Dee smiled not only at the sight, but at the way Sparks lifted her hindpaws and tugged him to her deepest core every time her nose tapped Ashen's groin. "Fuck, that's too great. I'm about to blow."

"Same here, sadly." Ashen started thrusting his hips in time with the bobbing of Sparks' head, inadvertently forcing the hammock to intensify its swinging as he rocked on his grips. "Ashe! I'm cumming!"

Sparks gave a few shallow nods and moaned out, "Nm-hm!" a few times as she approached her own climax.

"Fuck! Oh fuck!" Dee couldn't believe his eyes as he sank further and further, Sparks' folds and womb stretching barely enough to fit another two or three inches between pleasured convulsions. It of course helped that the wolf's hindpaws were pulling just as hard as he thrust. Of course that didn't help with Dee's intent to pull out and save his brother the delivery of yet another child. "I can't...! Sparks, let go of me!"

Ashen relaxed as his thick load pumped directly into his mate's throat, the occasional drips escaping from her nostrils. "She won't. She's in the prime of her heat, Dee."

"Wh-What!?" The otter felt himself go over the edge. Upon the first blast of cum touching fertile ground, Sparks' grip wound tight in pulses timed to his own. By the time Dee realized his mistake it was far too late, but he forced himself free once Sparks convulsed in her own pleasure. His last three pulses painted the wolf's tail and back with green-tinted seed, soon soaking into her silver fur to make a more lime complexion. "Fuck... Shit... I didn't want to do that. Shit, what are we gonna do?"

"It's fine. If the child is yours I'll still be a good father. It may even save us some genetic hassle." Ashen pulled Sparks muzzle upward gently to allow her to breathe, her bliss overpowering her muscle control as she jerked almost randomly. "I've only felt her like this once before, so I have to thank you. I also should probably repay her with another massive orgasm on my tongue after this."

"Oh, good point!" Dee ducked down and shoved his face into Sparks' pussy, his barbed tongue licking deeply and his throat swallowing heartily as he cleaned the girl out. "Pwah! Damn, she's so tight still."

"I think she just came again. Please, don't stop whatever you're doing."

"Oh, uh... Yeah." The otter lapped at the newest leakage, then took his time to suck and lick every last drop of cum from Sparks' gushing cunt. Then for good measure he licked up her own native juices and tickled her clit until she squeezed down on the thick muscle harder than ever. "You weren't kidding. I usually have horrible luck with cunnilingus."

"Y-You must kn-know how I like it then!" Sparks shook limply over the edge of the hammock, the cool air relaxing her heated folds in just the right manner. "I believe I owe you more than this session alone for that. I just... don't know how your mates would take that. Damn... I wasn't thinking when I offered, either."

"I didn't know you were in heat, but it can definitely cloud the mind." Dee picked Sparks up and rolled her into the swinging bed, following behind to lay facing her in the now-cramped space. "My mates won't mind, though. We're very open to others, so long as nothing is hidden. In fact, I'm sure Yoyo would be thrilled to try your muzzle again--well, yours for once, but--"

"I understand. We should physically be the same, after all." Sparks aligned Dee's still-hard cock with the intent to catch it with her thighs, but accidentally fed him back inside up to her clamping cervix. "Gods, I'm sorry! I just meant to--!"

"You can't see what you're doing. It's alright." Dee tested his luck, finding that though her body was acting on instinct and sealing her womb he still could press inside. "I happen to enjoy resting it there."

"So do I, every chance I get." Ashen smiled as he followed suit, teasing the two by pressing his cock against the rear of Sparks' pussy. "If only it were possible to--" Ashen's playful demeanor shifted briefly to horror and then to pleasure as he slipped and shoved his cock inside his mate's slippery confines. "Oh gods! I was just joking!"

"Oh, this is definitely possible. I shared my husband's twin with him before, and he's much thicker."

"Even...?" The tightness and the taboo quickly compounded, sending Ashen's knot into a renewed frenzy so he locked himself tightly inside. "Gods, I'm so sorry. Ashe, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Hurt me? Hell..." Sparks gasped as her man's hair trigger fired inside her, even though Dee's intrusion prevented his knot from creating a desirable seal. "Damn... If you can keep up this stamina every heat, I don't care what you do to me."

"Is that so? Such a fun answer." Dee rocked his hips in test, then once the overwhelming tightness and thick lubrication set in he pummeled the poor pup. "I think I might cum as well... Ah... Yeah, I can't--"

"Do it. Fill me!"

"Wish fucking granted!" Dee drooped his face into Ashe's tits, finding one to suckle until it was sore as he gave his final shallow thrusts. Being quite spent himself he didn't have much to add to the offering at first, but then Ashen's tip joined his in Sparks' womb and caused her cervix to become the tightest hole in the known universe. "Shit! Oh, it hurts!"

By then Ashen worriedly removed his own length, but in reaching down he felt two paws squeezing the life out of the otter's engorged balls and realized the error. "Seems you have a lot more to offer my lady than I thought. Maybe I should call you when we need some help." The male wolf licked his chops and slid free of the hammock, trying a few times before he found his female's stuffed womanhood. "What better time than now to pay my little debt?"

"What?" Dee's renewed orgasm fired up to it's maximum, his control over his nanites waning and letting him drive on instinct alone. As such Ashen found himself practically gulping as he slurped and licked, the otter instantly producing several gallons of his essence and injecting it directly into heated, swelling bitch snatch. "Shi~it...!"

"Ah! Yes! Ye~s!" Sparks squeezed Dee's shrinking balls as they released their pressure, but one paw moved to the rear of Ashen's head as he gave up on drinking and used the lube to venture into unexplored territory. "Yes! My t-tailhole! Don't stop!"

Dee joined her in gripping Ashen as the wolf grasped the few inches uncovered by Sparks' pussy and stroked with a firm, slippery grip. "Gods, I've never been so... Oh gods... That last bit..."

"N-Not so deep...!" As Sparks swelled and ballooned with otter cum her mild fear subsided. Ashen fed the remainder of Dee's cock into the widening space and returned to lapping up the spillage. "So... Gods, ~so~ deep..."

"Hah... Damn. I've never fit into anyone after my dick started growing."

"I'm happy to give you such a first." Sparks used her paw to shove Ashen away, signaling that she was far beyond sensitive after her massive chain of orgasms. "It's a night of firsts, isn't it Ashen?"

"I'm so happy you gave me your virginity, my love." Ashen rejoined the two in cuddling Sparks, with the eternally happy pup licking his face clean in thanks. "And I'm very glad you finally tried using your throat. I've been too scared to ask about that for months now."

"Wait... You guys just had your first time together tonight? But she's so..."

"Sparks' crystals make amazing toys. We've had some fun, but mostly muzzles and paws." Ashen reached down and positioned his knot-hardened cock to nestle into Dee's drained balls, a smirk forming when he realized the otter was nowhere near soft. "And now we have you for some extra fun. Maybe you can try out another first for me? Listening and feeling you two gets me going, and I might just follow behind you soon if all goes well."

"I really shouldn't steal a first time from you. I--"

"Nonsense." Ashen eased Dee's length out of his mate and then flipped Sparks over. He used the ample goop slopping out of her and aligned Dee's tip with the pucker below her tail. "Being with a man, I'm sure you have more experience with this than we could ever hope to have. Please, show us how it's done."

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." Sparks squirmed at the thought, but loosened up when Ashen plunged his manhood into her nethers and re-tied to keep her corked and plump. "Oh, crap... Fuck it."

Ashen grinned ear to ear. "You heard the woman."

"Actually, I might not have anything left myself. I'll try if you want though."

Sparks ground her tailhole against Dee's tip, teasing him in enticement. "Please do. I'm far too curious how it feels now."

"Alright. I guess I should try while I'm still hard anyway." Dee slowly slipped himself deeper and deeper into Sparks' ass, pausing at about half his length to test the waters. "Are you alright? How's it feel?"

"It's... not bad, but I think I'm just still too worked up." Sparks eased up as she focused more on her mate's cock and less on her ass, leading to an opening where Dee could sink the remainder of his cock to the hilt. "Damn... It's tight, that's for sure. Isn't this supposed to hurt?"

"With a lot of lube and you staying relaxed like that, there's not supposed to be any pain at all. I have to admit I don't know how it feels good to a woman though, since for me it's all about my prostate." Dee settled into position and decided it might be best to just cuddle so Sparks could get used to the experience rather than try forcing pleasure. "Thank you for this. I... I've been thinking so much about this damned war that I didn't even listened to my own body's needs."

"We should be thanking you with the number of times you made me cum. Hell, my Ashen even managed more than once in a night. We're approaching miracle territory."

"And I look forward to more nights like this." Ashen wrapped his tail around his mate to keep her extra safe and warm and Dee soon followed suit. "You've been thinking about this war a lot too? That's what prompted us to finally cross that final line."

"I was holding out for marriage, like a good mage." Sparks licked her mate's snout and landed a deep kiss. "But there's no point if you won't be alive for hat ceremony. So... we made a pact before the gods and hope that's enough."

"That's cute. Ari and Carbon could always marry you, though--and not as part of our wacky tribe if you'd prefer something more traditional or religious. She isn't against that sort of thing, especially when Rob--" Dee caught himself before he finished that sentiment, his paws roaming to grip the netting of the hammock. "Robyn had a traditional wedding. Now this war claimed her from all of us. Damnit."

Sparks loosened up as she noticed Dee was rapidly becoming flaccid in his sorrow. "Oh. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't know. Besides, I'm over-thinking things again."

Ashen smiled and found one of Dee's paws. "You don't know us, apparently. We do that all the time. Nothing wrong with that if you don't let it get out of control."

Adrian took a deep breath and decided to clear his head. "Well it might be wrong when you think you and everyone around you is dead already. I keep doing the math like this longer and farther into each night. The result is always the same, that we... We don't have enough resources to stop a black hole, and certainly not one of this size. I study this sort of thing for a living and... it's just impossible."

Sparks found that same paw and squeezed firmly. "I thought many things were impossible. Then I met you and your crazy family. Now there is no such thing."

Ashen added another paw to the pile and gripped tightly. "Apparently the impossible is fueled by love and wishes. I'm a believer now."

Dee brought his paws to Sparks' breasts to playfully cuddle and the three laughed. "Well that's what Robyn was all about, love and wishes. In fact, I'm certain she planned on breaking in this bed with both one day." Dee found his manhood renewing itself, which was a unique pleasure while still hilted inside Sparks' inviting tautness. "I think she approves, and maybe she's even helping make this happen wherever she is."

Ashen felt the resurgence and gained one of his own. "I'd like to think that too."

Sparks held Dee's paws on her tits and clenched her leg around her mate's own to give him some encouragement. "I'd like that as well."

Adrian looked up at the ceiling and by chance found a photo wedged in a corner. "Somehow, I think we might just be alright." The otter reached for the photo as he started softly bucking into Sparks, finding a familiar message on the undelivered gift to drive his efforts. "Heh. We'll make our own luck if we all stick together."

The otter placed the photo on his nearby desk and pulled Yoyo's blanket over the three as he got to work, sating his worry with a reminder of love's vast power. Depicted in the slightly worn frame were two newlywed mates hugging their soaked brother and his mildly-damp boyfriend, a rescued bouquet in the boys' paws. [Sweet as catch, Yoyo! Good on ya! Make your own luck like that and you'll be landing a mate before you can blink. Cheers, love!] The bottom of the contested photo was worn more than the rest but contained a series of stars and hearts surrounding a singular name. [Robyn]