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This is lucky Thirteen. I hope you took a little time to read number twelve (it was a might long). It covered a bit though. I might work on shortening up the chapters a little. Just give me your consent, ok? Here we go...

* * *

It was sunny, the usual early summer weather in which young furs were seen scrambling about the concise streets, shouting at one another to pass the ball, or pleading to have a go on the bicycle. This humble Pennsylvania town hadn't seen rain for a while, leaving it pleasantly dry, and the hustling winds warm to the fur, rippling it as it did the green grass on the ground.

A familiar, scrawny feline of a curious hue of cobalt blue followed his pitch black friend, also a feline of almost disturbing likeness in size, across the side street, preceding an open-backed moving truck parked on the corner.

"...did you hear me Aaron? Aaron!" Kyle snapped at his stone-faced companion, who was ignoring him to a point of utter frustration.

Aaron, the black one, sighed. "I heard you. But just for the hell of it... say it again." He sassed repeatedly like this for a few minutes as his azure disciple emptied the issues of his brain through his mouth.

"What I said? I'm sick of this alternative bullshit! If we're gonna play something, it's gonna be loud. I wanna bang the gong! I wanna rock and roll all night! I want to get carpal tunnel from rolling the G on the bass for so long..." Kyle stopped for a breath, his eye twitching, perturbed at his virtual reticence, "No more slow acoustic crap. Got it? I want loud, obnoxious, head-banging hair-metal!"

"Alright... whatever you say Kyle." Aaron stepped up into the back of the truck, which was stacked full of dozens of identical, rectangular crates. One of the moving-furs helped him lift a pre-marked one out, and lay it flat on the ground in front of the still-ranting blue cat. "Uh-hum. Kyle, this is for you." He stated finally, and loudly at that.

"Aaron, are you even listening? This band isn't going anywhere if-" Kyle peered down as the black panther shoved a crowbar into the side of the crate, prying it open with his furry foot as an anchor. Inside, was a glimmering, ebony guitar case.

Kyle's voice trailed off as he was saying, "Did you hear...?" the two charming blue orbs on his face shimmered as his friend popped the case open. "I love you Aaron..." he muttered absently. In the deep purple case, lined with bright red velvet, lay a custom-vintage 1958 Fender Relic bass. It was adorned with a shimmering new blue-marble body finish, a perfect match to the hue of Kyle's fur. Four lush smooth-wound strings gleamed back at him, as well as his own reflection in the chrome pickup cover and tuning pegs.

Best of all, as if a parcel, a reward of faith from God himself, along the frets in pure mother-of-pearl inlay, were the words Wild Blue Wonder. This was the most beautiful implement of hard rock Kyle had ever seen in his young life. He blessed himself and turned to his dark friend. The blue panther's lips flapped briefly, but no sound came out. In a second attempt, he merely uttered the words "For me?"

Aaron nodded, smiling, and cracking his neck from side to side.

"How...?" the boy was baffled. He wished he had a pair of shades to shield his eyes from the blazing hotness of this form-fit guitar.

"Dear old Bruce. He sent me thirteen fresh guitars." Aaron stretched intently. He honestly had no idea how his older brother obtained the money for these things. He hadn't seen him in six years, after all. He'd talked to him, mainly over a video-phone that the older boy had sent him, though even then, Aaron could only see a pair of yellow eyes.

"He just sent you fucking guitars?" Kyle mused, stowed energy in his body poising to break loose and cause his body to jump around like a Jack Russell terrier.

"He said he'll meet with me sometime soon. I'm so excited to see him again! I bet Mom will be too..." the yellow-eyed black panther unsheathed his metal claws and began enthusiastically boxing them in front of him.

"He had this guitar made for me?" the cerulean feline closed the case, and hoisted it by the handle in his right arm, neck out. Kyle hadn't seen Bruce since the third grade, before the older black panther disappeared.

Aaron nodded again, "Yes Kyle. For the final time, the bass is for you. A way of saying that Bruce says 'hi'." He paused, his eyes wandering measurably down to his blipping side-pocket. He flipped open his singing-ringing cell phone and looked at the screen. "It's Nikki." He passed it over to his friend, "For you, I assume."

Kyle politely refused the phone. He wouldn't use one of those things if his life depended on it, which it someday surely would. "Tell her I'll call her when I get home, ok?"

The jet-furred cat nodded, and repeated the message.

"Ok, I'll head home. Thanks so much Aaron. I can't believe this... thank you!" he smiled toothily, "Er... did you wanna come over?"

He shook his head, "Sorry Kyle, I gotta help unload..." he really wasn't sure what his mother would think of all this. A dozen guitars. Are they stolen? He wondered, then dismissed it, Nah. Bruce wouldn't steal.

* * *

Kyle limped up his driveway, purring loudly. His parents were off today, Saturday. The panther pushed open his front door to see his mother happily clipping coupons at the kitchen table, and his father carefully shining Raj's old violin. It was in the late siblings will that the instrument be buried with him, that was, if his body was ever to be shipped overseas to the Gettysburg Military Memorial.

"Mom, Dad?" he yipped, his happy purring persisting.

"Hey honey! Ooh, whatcha got there?" Fiona mused, and his father looked up curiously.

"Have a look for yourself! Aaron's brother got it for me." The blue boy placed his new toy on the dining table in the kitchen, flipping open the locks.

"Brucey? I haven't seen him in years. How is he?" the woman inquired, peering over the case as her son opened it slowly.

"I dunno. He sent it to Aaron..." Kyle ran his fingers over the smooth strings, showing his teeth.

"Oh that's cute!" Fiona giggled, "The Wild Blue Wonder? That's you isn't it?"

"Isn't this the most wonderful machine you've ever seen?" his eyes widened as he first laid eyes on the leather strap his under it, as well as the spare set of round-wound strings.

"My God... how much did that cost?" Zach said as he walked over to the table, his eyebrows arching in awe at the sheer shininess.

"I dunno Dad..." the boy avoided that certain look, rubbing his arm, which rained a storm of shedding blue fuzz. He was relieved as his mother broke the momentary silence.

"Oh yeah... Nikki called." Fiona tossed her son the phone, "Watch yourself, honey. She doesn't sound too happy..."

Kyle shuddered, then dialed in her number, holding the wireless up to his erect ear. After two-and-a-half rings, Curt, Nikki's father picked up.

"'Ello?" the man asked, and the ruffle of a newspaper sounded.

"Mr. Wagner?"

"Oh, g'dafternoon Kyle. I'll get Nikki..." the human male could be heard stretching and yawning, shuffling quickly upstairs to his bedridden daughter.

"Hellooo?" the Neko inquired, her voice sounding sickly and nasally. She rolled onto her side, quietly dismissing her concerned father.

"Hi. It's Ky-" the panther started, but the girl had already cut him off.

"Kyle! You gave me the flu! Why didn't you tell me you were so sick?" she blew her nose into a tissue and tossed it into the dustbin by her nightstand, which incidentally had already run over with used napkins.

Kyle blushed, about ready to slap himself. He'd wondered why she hadn't talked to him for the past few days. "I'm sorry Nikki. You know I would ever mean to make you feel bad..."

"It's ok... I should be resting up anyway..." the little Neko sniffed loudly, "I'll talk to you later..."

"Wait! Hold on, don't just-" Click. Kyle sighed, too lazy to hang the phone up, so he just placed it on the table.

"Everything ok honey?" Fiona asked, seeing the stone-cold look on his face during the phone conversation.

"Yes, mother." He decided not to go into the details. He received his consequence for going out sick, and laughed at the subtle irony. He whipped around, blue tail and all, sending another squall of fur fluttering behind him. There was a clear trail, by now, wherever the boy walked. He literally lost his fluff during the summer. Aaron had no fluff, therefore didn't shed and much as Kyle did, though, one might be led to believe that no one did.

Kyle seized his new guitar after plopping the case lid shut, and brought it up to his room. The deep purple, almost black case really looked like something against the sky-colored comforters that were spread over his bed. He graciously unplugged his old bass.

The tattered device had a bare-spot on the body where the finish was torn off, showing naked wood in awful contrast with the nearly minced pick-guard. After all, it was the very same old instrument that his father plucked in highschool back in the late seventies. Of course the panther wouldn't throw it away... he was just going to give it back to his Dad was all.

The boy flipped on the amplifier, and plucked a string. The beautiful noise shook the room, sending loose object sputtering across their surfaces. He struck again, gaining confidence and speed, beginning to play Detroit Rock City. Kyle put his bass-face on, shutting his eyes tight, biting his tongue, and swinging his hips around. Slowly, the song articulated and lengthened as he added harmonious notes and licks, laying back onto his bed as his thumb and index claws struck the very last note. He decided to let it ring.

Kyle slowly lapped his tongue along the quarter-octave on the side of the bass's neck. That's right, he licked his guitar. He sat there on the side of his bed, purring, for several minutes of bass-snuggling, before placing the devise on its stand and flipping the amp into a safe 'off' position. He actually looked forward to the next concert... that is if Aaron would get his stubborn tail in gear and get them a gig...

The boy listened to himself drone on as if the band that he was in was real. He huffed, and his attitude changed. The verdant blue panther just grabbed the nearest pillow and groped it within his arms and legs, still purring quietly. He would take a catnap, were he not so excited.

* * *

Aeiea scowled to no particular audience. She felt like such a stubborn idiot. The raven was bedridden now, for how long she did not know. Her wound had reopened, and she was forced to return to a miserable stay in the hospital. It wasn't all bad, though. Her loving foster family was at her side, not letting one eye wander from her until she healed completely.

Zen made sure that she was never bored, always there to play cards, Parcheesi, or just talk.

The girl was certainly not used to being loved. It all seemed like too much, when to the giver, it wasn't enough. Aeiea appreciated it more than anything, though.

A nurse appeared at the door, quietly poking her head into the room, "Miss Aeiea, you have a visitor." She said, her voice almost a whisper. "Shall I show him in?"

Mr. and Mrs. Beering looked at their adopted daughter, who nodded excitedly. She hoped dearly that it would be Casey. Instead of the jet-black wolf stepping through the door, though, a familiar looking raccoon entered, peering around with what looked like and air of paranoia.

The lion standing across the room squinted. He recognized that man from somewhere.

The coon leaned over shakily, stepping closer to Aeiea and reaching down to stroke her shoulder. "Aeiea... you're as pretty as ever..." he hissed, blinking repeatedly.

"Don't touch my daughter!" Leonard Beering growled, stepping forth toward the smaller man.

Blake Barchett, the ringtail, pulled at his collar, "Of course, sir... I was on'y-"

"Get out!" Leo roared, as he finally recognized the man from a photo on Aeiea's restraining order. He brandished his nearly pocketknife-sized claws and sneered, "I don't want you anywhere near my daughter! Leave now!"

Blake whimpered, and hid his head, "Y-yes sir! Of course sir!" he avoided looking at the man's colossal paw again, and scampered out of the door, laying eyes on Aeiea once more before disappearing through a run.

Aeiea didn't exactly know what to say, so her head just sunk farther into the blankets. She opened her beak-mouth to say something, then stopped.

Leo smiled, "It's ok Aeiea. If you ever see that man again, I want you so sock him as hard as you can."

Zen whooped, swinging about the medal of darker fur at the tip of his tail. "Yeah! I'll kick his ass!"

"Zenith!" Kathryn Beering, Zen's mother, scolded. She smacked him in the arm, "Where did you learn such dirty language?"

Mr. Beering pulled at his collar. "Er... yes. That's right son. I never want to hear you say that word again!" he leaned over and placed his muzzle up to his son's ear and added at barely a whisper, "When your mother is around..."

Aeiea giggled, though it hurt her injured belly. She pulled the blankets up father to avoid seeing her ebon-feathered body garbed in white. She sighed, letting her long black hair drape over her face, "How much longer do I need to stay here?"

Kathryn shook her head, "I can't say... shouldn't be too much longer though..." the lioness leaned over the bed and kissed her adopted daughter on the side of her beak, "Rest for now, ok honey?"

The crow nodded ruefully, then closed her eyes.

* * *

Neo trotted down the hallway past his friends, who merely stared him down as usual. They were always curtly cautious around him, mostly for prejudice of his open bisexuality. The fox-coon wove through tight groups of people coming his way, as he was following someone against traffic. He finally spotted the little snowy leopard whom he sought, though her big fluffy black-and-white tail was hard to miss. When he was sure that he had her on the sidelines this time, he stopped. She didn't.

She's avoiding me! The fox-coon thought, I shouldn't have been so harsh... he finally banked around, frustrated. His pace stopped directly in front of her, and he took special precautions to avoid looking into her eyes. "Trudy..."

The pint-sized leopard kitten stepped in the center of the nearest tile, and walked around him.

Neo's bushy tail fell between his legs. His ears pricked up as he pressed on, running after her with his track-built body. "Trudy, I'm sorry." He finally caught her full attention, then kneeled down in front of the kitten.

Trudy looked his straight in the eyes this time, making him almost physically unable to look away.

"Yes. I'm sorry I snapped. I was tired... and surprised." The hybrid boy recalled waking up to those awful eyes, and shuddered.

The girl mewed softly, a lone tear dropping the short distance from her chin to the floor. "B-but... you hate me..."

"I do not hate you. I really want to be your friend. I mean that, Little Fighter." Neo placed his paws on her shoulders and nodded to her.

"Y-you're touching me...!" the snowy leopard cub blushed, and levered her shoulders out of his soft grasp.

"I'm sorry. Well... I like you. I said something mean, and I feel awful about it. Will you forgive me?" the coon smiled warmly, and leaned forward as far as possible without making bodily contact with her. He blushed himself, trying to hold back an even wider smile as he heard very faint purring from her chest.

Trudy nodded, then looked down at her feet, waiting for something more to happen.

It was Saturday. No classes, and the campus was open for endless study hall, including the cafeteria for a bite to eat. The food always seemed to taste better on the weekends. "Are you busy?" Neo asked, seeing the usual perfect notebook cradled in her arm.

The girl shook her head, subconsciously attempting to cop a peek of Neo's chest pattern. She jumped, quite frightened as an older girl tapped her shoulder from behind. Turning around Trudy said, "W-y-yes?"

"Kitten... with the tail. You wanna come to lunch with us?" the older girl, an ocelot accompanied by a pair of chatty, and rather burly vixens, asked her drably.

Trudy's first response was to look left, and right. Is she talking to me? The cub thought to herself. She didn't really have any friends outside of her family other than Neo. This was odd... but lunch with popular girls! She turned back to Neo, and opened her little mouth to speak.

"Go on, I'll see you later. Have fun, Trudy." The 'masked' boy waved charming salutation, and left her. He was glad to have apologized finally.

Trudy looked at the ocelot girl, her eyes bright and hopeful that she may have found a new friend.

"Heh, yeah..." her attitude switched completely once she was sure that Neo was out of earshot, and the vixens behind her giggled.

The snowy leopard kitten facing the clique of older females wore an inquisitive expression now, and she once again opened her mouth to speak.

"Shh. Ok, listen good, kitten." The ocelot, Tara, hissed. She leaned down and pulled Trudy off to the side, "So, you like that boy, right?"

Trudy blushed, and started to pull back from her, but the pair of fox girls were already behind the kitten. "Hey..." she mewed, her eyes darting back and forth in panic.

"Don't sweat it. Listen good though, uh-kay?" Tara knelt down, "You want Neo to like you, right?"

The leopard nodded skeptically.

"We can tell you how. You wanna know how, right?" the older girl pressed on, and the vixens held the little girl's shoulders.

Trudy ignored the uncomfortable contact, and blinked. "Y-yes."

Tara grinned widely, and the vixens laughed. "A'right. You will, but... you gotta do something for us."

She hung her mouth open, widened her eyes, and nodded hastily this time, "Anything!"

"Good! Good. Ok..." the ocelot pulled a folded piece of paper from her purse, and pressed it into Trudy's paws. "There's a geography test on Tuesday. Big one. There's a sheet with all the questions. Answer 'em, and bring them back to us tomorrow, got it?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at the folded heap. She straightened out the uneven corners, then said, "B-but... that's cheating..."

Tara rolled her eyes and stood up. "Oh, so it is..." she turned round to leave, and the vixens followed, "Good luck with Neo..."

"Wait! I'll do it. You can help me though right?" the cub pocketed the paper, looking up at the older feline with her bewitched eyes.

The girl, her back turned to Trudy, grinned evilly and rubbed her paws together, "Absolutely. Right this way..." She and her friends led the kitten into the lunchroom, and to a table that seemed inconspicuous, shrouded as it was by the condiment carts. The ocelot sat down in between her two vulpine 'bodyguards', and faced Trudy, who was already wearing her familiar 'learning face'. "Uh-huh... so you want the boys, eh? Right... what do you think you have that boys want?"

Trudy leaned forward, a small notepad resting in her right paw, and a pen ready to write in her left, which she tapped pensively on her lips. "Um... I'm... smart, and nice."

"Heh... sorry Kitten, but boy's could care less about that. They want someone who will lick them clean after a football game. First of all..." Tara scanned the cub half-heartedly, "you ain't hot. You gotta go for something else. You gotta be cute, got it?"

She nodded, and wrote the word 'cute' and underlined it as a heading for notes.

"Right. It's all about your hips. The way you move your hips drives boys nuts." She paused and thought for a moment, "Keep your belly and your chest curved up. On that note: try to get your clothing wet at any chance you get."

The kitten looked confused, but wrote this down anyway.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot. Sit on his lap. Oh... oh and don't wear panties. Got that?" Tara watched the little girl scratch this down, then muttered something inaudible to herself. She then raised her head to face Trudy, "Just remember that stuff, and you'll have 'em on a hook."

Trudy grinned, and cradled the notes, looking over them numerous times to ensure that she had it down. "Ok, thank you! Thank you so much!" she squeaked, almost forgetting to push in and align the chairs before leaving.

"Hey, hey now! Don't forget our deal Kitten. The paper. Tomorrow. Kapeesh?" the ocelot waved, her face distorted with suppressed laughter.

The cub nodded.

Once Trudy was out of earshot, the two vixens and the ocelot burst into hysterical laughter, bashing their paws on the table and all.

That very next day, a short (not just short, all out tiny) white leopard bound nervously into the empty cafeteria. It was only half-past-six A.M. She needed to cross through that building to reach the west wing, where the pointedly luxurious dormitories housed a few hundred sleepy furries. She sneaked past the janitor, landing herself precisely along the carpet of the boys dorm. Again, where girls fear to tread. Trudy licked her paw, nuzzling it over her forehead to make absolute sure that she was perfectly spotless (Ehem... leopard. No pun intended.). Double-checking that her notes were safely in her pocket, the kitten proceeded.

Trudy stopped at the door bearing a familiar line of sticker-fuzz, and reached up to grasp the handle. She hesitated, of course. I'm being a bother. He's still in bed... she turned around, pacing back and forth across the hall until she decided to finger the small notepad in her pocket. At last, the leopard twisted the knob, and pushed the door open quietly, stepping in and closing it behind her.

The room was exactly as it was before: The blinds over the windows drawn to welcome the natural light that Neo had grown so accustomed to. Trudy padded over the carpet, across the cold tiles outside of the kitchen, and upon the fox-coon's bedside, content to watch him sleep for hours...

She didn't plan on that, though. Swallowing any fear, and placing her life in the hands of the notes in her pocket, the kitten placed her paws over the edge of the bed, and supported her weight on them.

Neo shifted, grunting, and rolling over to his opposite side, facing Trudy. He inhaled lazily through his nose, then yawned, his brown eyes opening slowly. His spread body jerked in surprise, then he settled quickly. After seeing her in here once, it wasn't as much of a surprise the second time.

Trudy drained of what little color she had under the monotone fur, and her knees began to chatter embarrassingly. She opened her little mouth, but only a dumb noise came out.

"Hey... Little Fighter..." he stretched, and could think of nothing more to say. Instead, he surprisingly patted his paw on the bed, inviting her up.

She wasn't sure whether to or not, but when she saw the loving smile on his face, she had no choice. The snowy leopard cub jumped up onto the warm comforters, reclined over the pillows opposite him.

Trudy couldn't remember if she had fallen asleep or not, only the fact that Neo was still laying lazy when she looked at him a couple of hours later. He was still in sound slumber at quarter to nine! When the boy finally woke up, he was a bit surprised, (again!) but got over quickly. He yawned and stretched, standing up.

He looked Trudy's way, and rubbed his eyes, "Hey Little Fighter. So... what?" Neo almost sat down on the bed again, but reconsidered quickly. He needed to stay awake, and if he hat down, he'd eventually lay down, then doze off.

"Uh..." the kitten's head drifted down to her side, and onto the notepad that she held in her paw. Hips. She blushed, doing the only thing that she knew how to do with her body: the good ol' lazy-cat stretch. The cub spread her paws in front of her, letting her body tremble in a refreshing vibrato, and curved her back upward, allowing her fluffy tail to twitch the excess energy from her system. She opened on eye and looked at him for a reaction.

He reacted alright. With a laugh. "What're you doing?" the fox-coon looked amused, though he didn't see the notepad in her paw.

Trudy's face turned deep red, and she scrambled into a sitting position, "Heh... heh, I'm just stretching..." the snowy leopard's throat adopted a cute, and almost silent little growl of disapproval. She crossed item one off the list. Item two: Sit on lap. Not a chance. She flipped over to the next page, her eyes still scanning over the pad in front of her face.

"Yoink." Neo mused, snatching the notepad from her paws, extracting a startled mew. "What have we here?" he didn't have any idea really, but he noticed that the kitten was quite reliant on it.

"No! Give me that!" Trudy jumped up, but the boy was holding it out of her reach.

A smile curled up on his lips as his eyes scanned over the notes. "Is this what you're at, Little Fighter?"

Trudy's lip quivered in reply, at she nodded shamefully.

"Who told you this stuff? This is a load of bull hockey!" the hybrid tore the page out, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the dustbin by the counter. He snapped up a pen from the small coffee table, and scribbled down a more effective set of notes, tore that one out, and handed it to the little girl.

She took the leaflet, and eyed the message, blushing even more heavily. It said Be Trudy. The kitten contemplated the possible, logical meaning for the statement, her oversized brain ticking and tocking. She came to the conclusion that she had been right all along. Her big eyes wandered innocently up to Neo's.

"Now, who exactly told you how to meet boys?" he asked her, smiling almost evilly.

That grin scared her a little, "That girl... the girl that asked me to lunch." Trudy wondered why the ocelot was trying to make her embarrass herself.

"Oh, I should've known. Tara Kirk..." the fox-coon presented his best 'Dr. No' laugh, then asked, "Did she ask you for something?"

Trudy sniffed loudly, "Just... just the answers to this test..." she took the paper, still in her pocket, and handed it to Neo.

The boy laughed again, wagging his fluffy tail back and forth. "Tara... what a wiss!" he looked over the questions. Fairly simple. If the ocelot needed help from a prodigy younger than she was, she was certainly an idiot (although, the older girlwasn't really a prodigy. Her parents had just bought her into Strauss Academy).

"Wiss?" Trudy asked curiously, rarely hearing a word of which she did not know the meaning.

Neo blushed and pulled at his collar, "Never mind. Don't use that word. I shouldn't have... it isn't nice."

Trudy took the notepad back, turned to one of the last pages, and added that word to her long list of words not to say. Her attention switched back to him as he looked over the test. "Should I give her the answers...?"

"Oh yeah. We'll give her the answers." His devilish smile returned, and Trudy winced. "Look here. 'What is the capital of Liberia?'"

"Monrovia." Trudy replied almost instinctively, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Well... er, right... but that's not what I'm getting at. Malaria." He scratched that answer down, his face still enduring a smirk.

"...but, but that's not right. That's a disease... the capital is-" her eyes adapted a rare twinkle as she realized what he was doing. A smile akin to his spread over her once-solemn lips. "Next question...?"

"Ha! I'll make a rebel out of you yet!" his smile diminished for a second as he noticed her serious expression to that, but the shroud of sobriety was evanescent. The kitten and the hybrid were both smiling again in almost an instant, and he read the next question aloud, "'Small inlets along the coast of Norway...'"

"Fjords..." Trudy replied, thinking of a burlesque answer, "Umm... gastropod." She smiled as Neo wrote the irrelevant word on the paper. For about fifteen minutes (fifteen whole minutes!) the two of them dismantled the geography test, giggling at what the reaction might be when the teacher sees when Tara turns it in... with all wrong answers.

Once they were finished, Neo folded the paper up as it was, and handed it to his kitten friend, "Alright, remember to give her today. Don't forget!" he smiled, and scratched her behind the ears, causing them to flare out to the sides.

"I won't!" The snowy leopard cub promised.

* * *

Aaron trotted up to his room, opening the door to the yet-unfamiliar spectrum of the many guitars hanging from the walls. It was damn pretty though. His parents were gone for the day as usual, working until almost six o' clock P.M. every day.

There was something unusual today though. As the panther peered into his quiet room, he noticed something laying on his bed. It was a plain bottle of water. One of the ones from his cooler, no doubt, but this one had a small note attached to it. Aaron picked up the bottle, and tore of the small piece of paper, looking over it carefully. It read simply:

Dearest brother Aaron,

If you wish to see me right now,

drink the water.

With love,

Bruce

Of course, Aaron mouthed, 'What the F#$@&?'. He wrapped two fingers around the cap skeptically, unsure whether to do it or not. He really wanted to see his brother. The two of them were inseparable in their earlier youth, and Aaron hadn't seen him in six years. He shrugged, and twisted cap... the seal was intact. The plastic bottle had not yet been opened. The panther took a large swig of the water, raising an eyebrow and smacking his tongue against his lips.

There was definitely something in the water... he could taste it. What...? Oh this is bullshit. His mind deducted, just as his legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed. Very much asleep.

* * *

Aaron opened his eyes in an instant. His spectrum came into focus around a very unfamiliar room. There was a singular light on the ceiling, though it wasn't on. The cubicle chamber was dark, he noticed his when he couldn't see himself. He poked a metal claw into his arm, drawing a bit of pain and blood. "Ow!" he whispered, a bit louder than he intended to actually.

He felt that. This wasn't some kind of dream. The black-cat stood up, staggering as if her were on a boat and didn't yet have his sea legs.

"Oh, you're up." A raspy voice sounded, though he couldn't tell where from.

It was too dark. Sense of direction and distance were absent. Suddenly, a pair of yellow eyes opened, only about three inches from Aaron's face, and he yelped. He continued to whimper as a Bouey Knife was pressed against his neck.

"Oh my God! No! Don't kill me, pleeeaase!" the boy started to cry pitifully, closing his own yellow eyes and turning his head. The lights flipped on, and the knife was dropped carelessly to the floor.

Bruce Spruce himself had been holding the knife, though no longer. He was laughing hysterically! The older panther threw his arms lovingly around his trembling younger brother, "Oh Aaron I missed you so much!"

The younger panther wiped the tears form his eyes and blushed. The cruel joke aside, he hugged his brother back. "B-Bruce?"

"It's me, Little Brother! Sorry about the knife thing, I wanted to see the look on your face... you're lucky though! Danny wanted to use a chainsaw..." the two of them hugged absently for a few more minutes before Bruce pulled Aaron by the wrist into a connecting hallway.

Unlike the antechamber, the hallway was adorned with golden wall trimming, matching laced tassels, and royal wallpaper to top it all off. There was an endless amount of uniquely decorated doors leading up to a marble grand staircase.

Up these marvelous steps, was a huge double-door, which Bruce promptly pushed open and led Aaron into. Inside was an octagonal room, lined with a circle of sofas, many guitars, some antique rifles, and a gargantuan plasma-screen television. Along the walls as well were various knickknacks, globes, telescopes, and a mounted sextant pointing to Polaris out a mysterious window.

One might assume that Bruce was an astronomer, though, in truth, he just liked shiny things. In the room, there was yet another black panther (a panthress, actually), a cheetah, and a pair of monotone felines playing video-games that Aaron assumed to be brothers.

"Welcome, Aaron, to Camera del Gato Nero." Bruce grinned toothily, waving his younger brother into the high-ceilinged, cozy-roomy room.

"Thanks Bruce! Wow... this place is amazing... I have so many questions... but I'm too lazy to ask them all." Aaron started with the fundamentals, "Why did you have to drug me?"

"Sorry Little Brother. It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't want too many people to know where I am..." Bruce frowned, then smiled quickly, "No more questions! C'mon in! Enjoy yourself!" he reached over to an oak setter, and grasped a small sack, tossing it to Aaron. "On me."

Aaron looked at it, his yellow eyes wide. The little plastic bag was stuffed with herb. "Wow... Bruce I can't accept this! Don't you want it?"

"You shutting me out, Little Brother?" the older panther asked, squinting ominously.

"Nope. No I'm not." Aaron forced a smile, not wanting to offend his loving brother. He stuffed the weed into the pocket of his hooded sweater, and took it off. "Erm... where should I hang this?"

"Just throw it anywhere." Bruce replied easily, stepping up the three-stepped edged of the terrace that the octagon of the room created, and snuggling up against the panthress on the couch, who was apparently asleep despite the sound of the violent games from the giant television.

The younger panther followed, taking a seat on one of the empty couches. Something tugged at him, though. He leaned down on the small sofa, beginning to unwillingly nuzzle the cushions, as if it smelled heavenly, though it didn't really. He mellowed, and wasn't surprised that one could fall asleep so easily on these. He was still puzzled though...

"Catnip," Bruce explained, seeing his younger brother's reaction, "You like it? It's in the couches..."

Aaron nodded in reply. He hadn't tried the stuff before. It wasn't a drug, in fact, it was perfectly legal, and didn't constitute dependency, though... most felines waited until they had time to devote to it before driving. Once he was calmed down, Aaron looked over to his brother, and couldn't help but notice the sleepy panthress, who was lazily waking up at the moment.

She was beautiful. The curves of her body seemed perfect, and the dimples in her belly were even visible through her small, blood-red top. Two perfectly round, and rather large breasts busted her little shirt, and shook a bit as she cat-stretched.

The panthress, Liana, stood up. Her gorgeous behind was facing Aaron, her long, slender tail coming out from the above the hem of her tight jeans, rather than through the tail-slit in the back. Aaron was almost sent to drooling, as the rim of her ass-crack was just visible.

"Aww... Bruce. What did you wake me for?" the panthress's voice was dubbed with the cool vibrato of an Italian accent, and an air of annoyance.

"Aaron is here, Liana. He's finally here." The older panther didn't make any moves toward the beautiful girl; he just pointed over to his younger brother, who was spread over the sofa gawking at her.

"He is so cute! Aww, let me look at you!" the panthress gracefully glided across the short distance between the couches, and leaned over Aaron, hugging him tightly.

Aaron whispered Thank you God, Thank you... in his mind, as his face was pressed into her chest. He would have been nervous were it not for the catnip. As his head was squeezed sideways against her, he realized that she was giving one of those 'extended family' type hugs, where they suffocate you, and don't let go for almost three minutes. Honestly though, he wasn't complaining. The panther boy slid his flat tongue out of his mouth, and lapped her right breast.

Liana jumped, quite startled by his guts, then grinned. Aaron flinched as well, assuming that she was Bruce's girl, and hoped that he wouldn't be angry.

"Is he that cute Liana?" Bruce teased, "I think you're a few years old for him, Milady. I'll admit he's a looker though... if he wasn't my blood bother I'd-"

The younger panther blushed heavily. "W-what? Aren't you two...?"

Bruce laughed, and stretched again, "No. Liana and I aren't mates. Just good friends." He stepped over another couch and sat down next to the cheetah, who was apparently sleeping as well. The black panther nudged the remaining sleeping cat, whose eyes opened peacefully.

The cheetah yawned, "Lazy time over already?" he smiled at Bruce, and looked over his shoulder. He laid eyes on Aaron and werfed. What? A second Bruce? I'm still asleep... or high. Whichever.

"Oh, Robby, this is my baby brother Aaron." Bruce introduced politely, and Aaron, once finished hugging the girl, shook hands with the cheetah. Robby, instead of shaking, engulfed him in another hug.

Oh boy, I haven't had this much attention since I learned to play "We're not gonna take it" on the guitar... The young black feline thought to himself, and the strength of the embrace subsided. The cheetah smiled at him again, backing up a step.

"...and Aaron, this is my mate, Robby." Bruce again introduced, grabbing the long-legged spotted feline's cheeks and kissing him on the lips.

Aaron was honestly surprised, but not exactly shocked. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and Liana giggled. In a second attempt, the panther said, "Uh... oh. I didn't know... that you were-"

"Gay? I neglected to tell you. It simply wasn't your business until now." He said, whispering something into Robby's ear, causing the cheetah to smile impishly. Aaron sat down on the couch, seeing the two older boys whisper back and forth to each other.

Robby, his stubby feline muzzle now in Bruce's erect ear whispered at a barely audible level, "You sure he's cool with this, Brucey?"

Bruce nodded, and whisper back which equal hush, "He's a nice cat. Just go for it."

"You don't mind?" the cheetah replied, all of this in a very quiet hiss.

"Of course not. Go." Bruce replied, ushering his mate along.

Robby smiled at Liana, who returned it tenfold. The cheetah padded back over to Aaron and looked him in the eyes.

Aaron blushed, proceeding to squirm uneasily as Robby sat himself down on top of him, his long legs over the black puma's waist.

W... hey!" the younger boy said, his entire face turning a hue of red similar to that of Liana's shirt, as Robby began to stroke his face, smiling too warmly.

"You are cute. Just like your big brother..." the cheetah licked his lips (not his own lips), and placed his paws on Aaron's trembling hips.

"N-no. Don't! I don't want to do this..." he struggled to free himself, but Bruce was already behind his brother with his paws on his shoulders holding him down.

Robby grinned at Bruce, sliding down Aaron's form and resting his elbows intently on the younger boy's legs. The cheetah nuzzled the black panther's crotch affectionately, wrapping his paws again around his hips, his spotted fingers eventually landing on Aaron's ass.

"Hey! It isn't funny... cut it out!" Aaron blurted, still blushing visibly. Liana giggled at his reaction. He asked himself within his own mind, Why can't she do this? He thought for a moment, then realized, She must be a lesbian!

Bruce tightened his grip on his younger brother's shoulders a little, his own metal claws digging in painfully. "What's the matter, Little Brother? Afraid it will hurt?"

"Well... no..." he rejoined, a chill crawling up his spine as Robby curtly lapped the front of his pants.

The older puma's serious expression adapted to a dismissive smile, "Well..." he mimicked his brother's reply, "Sit back..."

"...but people are watching!" Aaron whimpered, pushing the cheetah's head away from him again.

"Just Danny and Chip. As if they'll take their eyes off the screen anyway..." Bruce clapped his paws in a homely manner, "I'll watch... but honestly. I'm your brother. We took baths together in our earlier youth."

"But-"

"Liana? She'll watch too. None of us mind at all. Hell, she's not even interested in men..." Robby put in, turning his shoulders and playfully swatting the panthress behind him.

I knew it... Aaron muttered in his mind, blushing as he turned his attention back to Robby, who had unzipped his fly, and started to fawn over his white undies. The cheetah licked the younger boy's sheath repeatedly through the cloth, not quitting until he felt it begin to harden.

Aaron winced visibly. He'd never felt a cat-tongue like his own down there before. Once he was fully erect, Robby smiled again, wrapping his lips just under the boy's genital head and wetting the fabric with his own spit. On with the repetitive licking again...

The young black puma, having had as much as he could take of this, sighed in a mellow tone, and gripped the rim of his underwear, and pulled it down to his hips, thrusting his waist out as necessary to slide them over his long, snaking tail.

Robby made a catty sound like 'mrowl', as he was very amused now. He looked up to Aaron, who was blushing, and purposefully avoiding his eyes. The black panther's smooth crest was in reach of his lips now, so the cheetah promptly kissed it, wrapping his stark lips around it as if it were a warm, fleshy lollipop. The older boy placed his paws on his kneeling lap, and leaned forward, continuing to suckle gently on his young friend's tip.

Aaron began to purr, much in spite of himself, and leaned forward. He arched his back, causing some of his erection to slide back into its sheath. He curled his toes, and lightly placed his paw atop Robby's head, extracting a toothy grin from him.

Bruce patted his younger brother's shoulder, "See? It's not so bad, now is it?" he grinned, ushering Liana to follow him across the room. "You just get nice and cozy a while, and I'll be right back." The older black puma slipped out the door, along with the panthress. Aaron's ears adjusted too quickly as the sound of the booming video games ceased, and the two felines playing them yawned in unison, and left as well.

That left Aaron and Robby, of course. Bruce had done this deliberately, knowing that his little brother preferred privacy. The cheetah smiled warmly and closed his eyes, hitching up the teardrop-shaped fur lines under his eyes. He wrapped his long arms all the way around Aaron's waist and began to nuzzle his crotch, listening in on the panther's purring.

The fast-cat's expression turned serious suddenly, "Can I ask you something?"

The black feline nodded, a might startled at his tone.

"Did you loose any respect for your brother when you found out he was gay?" the cheetah asked seriously, lapping his rough tongue over his predecessor's rounded head again.

Aaron's expression turned to that of offense, and he snapped, "Of course not! He's my brother!"

"...but what if he wasn't? What if he was a friend of yours?" Robby pressed, pulling forward until he was able to rest his head on the boy's clothed belly.

He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. "No." was all he could think of.

Robby confirmed his sincerity by listening to his adamant tone. He smiled, and looked up, his long, spotted tail snaking back and forth behind him. "Have you ever had a mate?"

"A few dates... but only one mate." the boy sitting on the couch whispered in reply

"What was this significant other like?" Robert pressed on, causing Aaron to blush.

"She was... um..." he stuttered, trying to bring up and image of Riku in his mind, then dismissed it quickly. "She was a whore."

The cheetah was surprised at this, but ended in a grin. "Relationship trouble? Have you been successful in finding another mate?"

"Well... no. I'm not very good with females..." the panther blushed an even deeper red, purposefully pulling his shirt down over his erection.

"Have you ever stopped to think 'why'?" the older boy continued, licking the fabric of the puma's shirt where his shaft was.

"Well... I don't know... maybe I'm just awkward..." he deducted, setting his black tail at rest on the right side of his lap.

Robby clenched his hands just enough to send the tips of his metal shiv claws poking into Aaron's ass, causing him to wince briefly. "Maybe... or maybe you just aren't meant for women."

"You think I might be...?" the black panther's mind flipped upside down, and he wondered...

"It would certainly explain some things." The cheetah deducted, wrapping his lips up again, this time over the T-shirt cloth, and sucked on the boy's head.

Aaron gave a shrill moan, caught by surprise, and rested his own paw on Robby's head.

"I've never... looked at boys like that before though..." he recalled, though he had onceunder influence. Does that count?

"Maybe you have... I didn't know until I was about your age..." the cheetah wrapped back Aaron's shirt, beginning to muzzle the warm, fleshy appendage again. "Feel good?"

Aaron blushed, and nodded without hesitation. There was no hiding that. This whole thing started to seem less and less farfetched the more he thought about it.

"Well then, enough talk for now..." his fuzzy lips wandered down to the bit of loose skin under Aaron's sensitive peak, sliding his tongue between his teeth to tease him further. Robby looked up at him through bright eyes, smiling to show his fangs, then sliding his meat about an inch into his warm mouth.

The panther spread his legs apart and allowed his body to slide down, giving the cheetah free access. The droning from his chest became louder, and he closed his eyes intently. Robby closed his own eyes, and wrapped his entire warm mouth around his prize, even driving his sandpaper tongue into Aaron's sheath, mopping over his salty testicles. Now that his lips promptly kissed the panther's crotch, he lifted up again, leaving a line of spit behind. The older boy started to slurp and nibble softly with his back teeth. Rob licked him up one last time before swallowing his length again, this time including his balls.

Aaron blushed in small red complexions just under his big yellow eyes, Damn it... he's good... he couldn't believe he was thinking this, but it was true. He was even so martial as to wrap both of his big black paws around the back of the older feline's head, slowly pulling him farther over his manhood. He then, embarrassingly, wrapped his clothed legs around the cheetah's back, straddling his long, lanky body.

Robby pulled his head back, purring himself now. He hugged Aaron's waist tightly and muzzled his girth warmly, "Are you a cuddly thing?" he asked teasingly, closing his eyes halfway and licking the black panther's fleshy member dreamily, just above the end of his sheath.

Aaron didn't answer... verbally anyway. He hugged even tighter with his legs, and a string of pre-cum began to drool continuously from his hard penis, and he was sure that quite a bit of sperm would follow.

The cheetah smiled, his soft head still resting on the panther's pubic area. He decided that he would make this interesting. He continued by stroking the jet-black kitty's pink unit one in a while, expelling a slightly wider ream of pre. Once he was sure that Aaron was as close to his spurt as possible... the older cat stopped.

The monotone puma's lower lip quivered, "Come on...! Please, just one more! I have to cum very badly...!" he let his legs down, trying to remain in steady breaths, as more and more pre poured down from his tip onto his scrotum.

Robby grinned evilly, "Oh well..." he mused. Aaron reached down to finish it himself, but Robby was holding his hands in place.

"Please!" the panther begged pitifully, his bobbing member lusting to be pleasured, "Just one more! That's all!"

The older boy yawned, the warm air expelled from his mouth hitting the younger boy's cock almost made Aaron cum then and there, but it wasn't quite enough.

"Please. Please! I have to cum so badly!" Aaron pleaded again, being denied an orgasm so close driving him to tears.

Robby grinned again, and suddenly grasped the boy's dick softly between two fuzzy paws, and pumped him mercilessly, opening his big mouth and sticking out his tongue in eager anticipation.

Aaron loosed a screaming grunt, driving his steel claws into the couch, and his natural toe-claws into the floor. Finally, the panther mewed like a kitten, and released his warm, sticky seed in very numerous bouts into Robby's mouth, and all over his face, neck, and chest.

The older boy looked and his nearly drenched paws, and licked the lukewarm jism from his lips. He let a string of it drool down into his paws, then looked up at Aaron, blushing himself. "Wow... that was a good one." Was all he could think to say. The panther didn't reply, just panted furiously, purring, absent of mind and reason for s short period.

Bruce, having heard his brother's unmistakable cry of pleasure, re-entered the loom, laughing quietly to himself. Liana, Chip, and Danny had gone to do their own things, whatever those were (for all anyone knows, they could be constructing a vast army of clones). As the older panther stepped up, he saw the familiar sight of Robby amusing himself with webs of cum hanging from his hands.

"Shit. Did all that come from Aaron?" he asked, seeing his younger brother hanging his head over the back of the couch with his chest rumbling loudly.

After a few seconds of lapping and slurping, the cheetah had swallowed most of Aaron's seed, "It's not my fault... he came so easily. I didn't think anyone spouted faster than you, Bruce." He gave a wry smile as he said this.

Aaron's face turned completely red. Words could not begin to express how humiliated he was right then. He was a lightweight when it when it came to consummation, especially the way that jackass was teasing him...

"So... you think he's ready for another round?" Bruce asked, a wicked, demented grin, turning his jet-black face into a giant hole gritted with teeth.

"NO!" Aaron shouted, still panting. He crossed his legs to hide his softening member.

"Relax, Little Brother. I was only kidding..." the older puma laughed at his brother's seriousness. "Was I kidding?" he teased, though Aaron didn't seem amused. Bruce sighed, "Whatever..."

"Well...?" Robert prompted, gyrating his left paw as if to generate something more from Bruce.

"What?"

"What do we do now?" the cheetah asked his mate, his fuzzy head turning slowly for the large double doors.

"What do you propose we do next, Roberto?" Bruce asked in reply, watching Aaron as he nervously zipped up his pants.

The young panther was still a blush, and he seemed to be avoiding eye contact. He hoped that Robby wouldn't notice this... damn it. The cheetah had noticed, and opened his mouth to say something embarrassingly sympathetic on Aaron's behalf.

"Hey, what's the matter Aaron?" he asked, sitting down slowly next to the puma and throwing a friendly arm around him.

Aaron didn't say anything, but his face told the painfully conspicuous tale that he was ashamed. Robby frowned, and snuggled up to him, "Hey, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, big guy."

"Feelings? N-no. I'm fine. Just... fine." The youngest cat scooted away, but Bruce was already there to intercept him.

"No. It's not fine. That was just Robby bein' a jackass, and he knows it," the panther eyed his mate comically, "You're hot Aaron. Don't let anyone say anything else." Bruce changed the subject lightheartedly, "Did you want a tour of the house?"

Aaron smiled widely, showing all of his pearly-white teeth, "Yeah!" he made a motion to stand up, "...but where are we?" the smaller black panther, on his fuzzy feet now, walked over to the window without facing any opposition. He quickly saw why, though! The boy turned aside the precisely targeted sextant, and peered out the widely dimpled, elliptical window. All he saw, though, was a gigantic hedge maze; a lined sea of green with a faint view of a horizon of deep forest. "No way." He whispered to himself. This had to have been a dream... though, like most dreams, it felt very real.

"A tour, Little Brother?" Bruce prompted, quite eager to boast his 'humble' abode. At his brother's nod, the older black cat walked across the room. "If you're wondering where we are... how I came to obtain this headquarters..."

The young boy nodded excitedly; that was exactly what he was wondering!

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Aaron, but I won't tell you."

Aaron groused loudly. This is a dream, I know it. My mind can't think of an explanation...

"However, Little Brother, this is not a dream." Bruce assured him, as if he head read his brother's thoughts.

Of course it isn't. Aaron thought, jumping slightly in surprise as Robby placed his big, spotted paw on his shoulder without warning.

"We're cool, though, right?" the cheetah asked, "I dun' know what I was thinking burning you like that when you're so new to the club..."

The youngest boy's eyes lit up in an instant, "The club? You mean... you mean I'm with you guys?" the cat went all giddy and started to wring his paws together. Maybe it was the catnip...

"Yep. That's right, Little Brother. We were waiting 'till you were old enough... or at least mature enough." Bruce grinned and slid his pupils down until they were facing the left side of his chin, causing his eyelids to sink down slyly, "Now... I understand that you have things to do... but if you ever want to come for a visit again... give me a ring." The older almost identical pitch-feline held up his little PVP, or at least he called it that (for 'personal videophone'). "Here's my number. Feel free to bring some friends, if you trust them enough." He scratched down his number and handed it to Aaron.

"How about Kyle...?" the boy asked, peering at his own screen.

"Blue Boy! How's he been doing? It's been so long since I've seen that crazy bastard! Did he like his bass?" he leaned toward his younger brother hopefully.

Aaron grinned in reply, "Yes, he did. He purred like a kitten and took it home right away."

Bruce giggled and shook his fists excitedly, "Alright! I won't tell you how to get here, though. If I told you where you are right now, you wouldn't believe me. Just go where I tell you, and bring Blue Boy, aright?"

He nodded.

"Wonderful! Come on! Are you hungry?"

The boy's belly grumbled at him, "Uh..."

"Right this way!" Robby and Bruce both said in perfect unison.

They proceeded through the big oaken doors, down the marble staircase, and over to the right a bit.

Bruce looked along the white, brown trimmed royal walls opposite the staircase, stopping at an elaborate painting of a tiger gladiator standing upon the great Coliseum as a background, holding a bronze sword and shield that glimmered nearly off of the canvas. He placed his hands on the bottom of the frame, lifting up on it until it clicked loudly. The black panther pulled it off to the right, revealing a cubicle black hole behind it, containing a single safe-dial. He put in the combination: 4-26-4-45-27-11, and the whole wall clicked, and a handle popped out next to the lock, which Bruce pulled.

The entire wall segment swung ajar! It was a large metal door, which released a breeze of cold air from the room inside. It was their very own personal diner.

Aaron's mouth fell open. The place was huge, and seated with several more of the house guests. One thing that disturbed him a little though, was that they were all feline. Still though... Bruce owned this place! It was practically royalty!

Lord Bruce stepped into the diner, and said melodramatically, "Family is among us!" the older boy picked up his little brother under his armpits, and held him up.

Aaron blushed as everyone started to clap. This must be one of his drunken fantasies. The thought bubble in his head popped, as Bruce set him down and hopped behind the long counter, taking a wide, plumed hat from the shelf behind him and resting his royally on his head. Some hat! It was bright green, with a leopard-skin (fake, of course) band above the wide brim, and a gigantic pink feather hanging over it.

"Aaron, they call me the Cat in the Hat. That's just me of course... you call me whatever you want." The cat ran a sly finger over his wide brim, then pointed down a long row of soda taps, and a seltzer, "Fancy a pop... or something a bit stronger?" his index finger continued down to an impressive collection of liquors.

The younger brother took a seat. There was a girl at each of his sides in almost an instant, and he shifted noticeably.

One of the fine looking females leans over and purred into his ear, "I see this seat is taken... are you?" Aaron tried to scoot away, but realized that the bright diner had no chairs; only barstools and three-hundred-sixty degree booths centered around glossy tables.

"Hmm, Aaron?" Bruce prompted, sliding his sibling a beer.

The boy shrugged, and looked at the foaming mug. It's only a dream... I can drink in a dream right? "Er... I'll just have a root beer, thanks..." he decided, sliding the cup back across the counter. He smiled as a darker soft drink slid back to him. As the panther was taking his first pull of pop, the female as his right began to fiddle with the fur on his chest through his shirt, causing him to cough into the drink and look over.

"Excuse me..." he muttered, standing up and walking backward. Why... how do these people know me? What the hell is going on? He briefly considered asking Bruce these questions, but decided that it would be futile anyway; his brother's lips were sealed. As he was backing up, his clueless body bumped into someone, pretty hard, but 'someone' caught him and set him back up.

"Careful, Faccia dolce!" Liana giggled as she set the on his heels again, "Si ammucchia, cosi guardi il vostro punto."

"What?" Aaron blurted awkwardly, and the beautiful panthress only giggled again.

"Watch your step," she said in lighthearted finality, pinching his cheek and walking on.

"Hmm..." he finished, looking about the room at the many other chatting and eating felines. His nose led him over to the ordering counter, over which a retrospective menu hung.

"'Allo!" a very friendly looking gray feline yipped, as he was already there behind the counter, waiting to take an order.

Instead of food, the older cat received the question, "Who ships your food?"

"Hum... I believe Bruce runs this place entirely by Vertical Integration." The cat replied, straightening his hat and apron.

"That's illegal!" Aaron said aloud, trying to peak through the bar-doors and into the kitchen.

"Bruce is his own cat, kid. He does what he wants. Now what'll you have?"

Aaron wasn't convinced at all. Now... this doesn't make one lick of sense... "I'll have a... tuna sandwich..."

"That all?"

"Yeah." He sighed, and his head started to ache. Aaron sat down at the nearest stool and lay his head in his soft, furry arms. The panther felt a very soft whisper in his ear, causing it to twitch briskly.

"Little Brother, is something wrong? Please cheer up, it makes me sad." Bruce's soothing voice made his tense muscles go limp.

"I'm sorry... I just don't even believe that any of this is real..." Aaron felt his paw being grasped softly, and placed over his brother's heart.

"It's real. I'm real... can you feel that?"

The younger boy nodded.

"Good. Now cheer up, Aaron. Please." The 'Cat in the Hat' removed his coveted hat, his lower lip twitching as his beloved brother made no move. "What'll cheer you up?"

Aaron shook his head.

"Do you want a girl?"

"What?"

"Do you want to sleep with a girl? It might cheer you up..." Bruce pushed a mug of beer into his brother's hand. Aaron sighed.

...another beer later the younger boy was feeling slightly tipsy. Bruce sat down next to him again, speaking into his ear, "Alright?"

The boy didn't answer.

"I'll have a nice girl meet you. Wait here-"

"No." Aaron interrupted, "I don't want to make a girl do that..."

"Are you kidding? Do you know how many girls in here would pay to rub your back?"

"Why?"

"Because, Aaron, you're my brother."

Aaron heaved a deep sigh again, then stood up next to his brother, who quickly took him under his arm and led him out of the lounge, and up the marble staircase, then another set of spiraling stairs, down a long hall, and into a selected room.

"Wait here, alright Aaron?"

The younger boy nodded. He wasn't going to go anywhere. He couldn't, anyway, for the fear of getting lost in this colossal house...

There he waited for a few minutes. The room was cozy, painted the deep blue of a winter night sky, and dotted with numerous glowing white stars. There were no windows, only a comfy chair, and a bed.

What am I doing here...? This is stupid... He caught his train of thought, It's ok... I'll wake up. It's just a dumb dream. I'll wake up... The panther plopped down over the lip of the broad, deep blue bedstead, his long ropy tailsnaking back and forth along the seductively soft fabric. He pondered his reasons, his ambitions, his strengths, and his weaknesses senselessly for what seemed like and eternity...

At last, there was a soft knock on the door of the room. The boy inside merely grunted, "Come in..."

The door opened slowly, and a slender girl slipped in. Her hair blew briefly as she passed through the blowing air-conditioning above the room's entrance. Aaron looked up at her.

The female was plain, off-white in color, with glossy eyes that matched the blue hue of the room with near perfection. She had a charming, kittenish body, rich in precise curves, and boasting two C-Cup breasts. She was wearing a warm smile, which surprised Aaron, almost as much as her small orange skirt, and fuzzy red spaghetti-strap top.

"Hello," she mewed simply, taking a cautious step toward him, seeing that his face was in his hands. He wasn't crying, but he looked rather tired. "My name's Cindy... do you want to talk?"

Aaron nodded briefly, and the girl slowly sat herself down next to him on the bed. "How old are you?" the black panther asked, though he knew that she looked at least a year or two older than him.

"I'm seventeen." Cindy replied honestly, resting her fluffy soft tail over Aaron's long, bony one.

"Are you a whore?" he asked curtly, the alcohol in his system clouding his inquiries.

Cindy looked down at her lap, "You could call me that. What makes me different from them, is that I don't do anything for money. I do what I want. Just like Bruce, and everyone else here."

Aaron smiled emotionlessly; he liked that statement. "How did you get here?"

"Everyone here are friends of friends of friends of The Cat. Believe it or not, you are the only one who is related to Bruce here." The girl paused and flitted her tail, "I've been living here for two years. I received a weird invitation delivered by carrier-pigeon. I still remember what it said: Kiss your parents goodbye, and sleep early tonight. The next morning, I woke up here."

"You don't miss your parents?" Aaron inquired, looking into her blue eyes with his glowing yellow ones.

She huffed, "They were overly-controlling. They wouldn't let me do anything... I suppose that's all our story..." with that, she placed her paw on the boy's, "Why are you sad, Aaron?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Everyone knows your name, Aaron Sigley Spruce. We've all been waiting for you to come... Bruce rarely lets anyone here under fifteen though," the drab-colored feline girl pressed on, "Please tell me, though. I don't want to see you sad."

"None of this is real. That's it. I know that all of this is an elaborate dream." The black panther started to weep, causing jewels of tears to christen his eyes with melancholy brilliance. He didn't want this reverie to go away.

"Don't say that, Aaron. This is real, and you know it." Her voice was naught but a soothing whisper in his ear.

"No... no. I'm not going to believe you..."

"Yes you are." Cindy stated. The girl clasped the boy's cheeks in her paws and kissed him hard on the lips, whirling her rough tongue in slow circles around his. The panther closed his eyes, slightly dazed as his spirit was swept off its feet, and his body leaned back against his own will. Aaron began to slowly rub her back, and she moaned into his mouth, inflating his cheeks just a bit.

He felt nothing... just her fuzzy back-fur between his fingers, and her nearly professional tongue waltzing with his in an instantly mind-numbing rhythm. Cindy was just beginning to slip her paws under Aaron, when he curtly pushed her off of him.

"Aaron? What's wrong?" the girl attempted to cuddle him again, but he refused her a second time.

"I don't want to do this." The panther said firmly, standing up and cursing as the balance of his head was thrown aside.

"A-are you drunk?" she asked, sitting up on the bedside and watching the boy leave, thoroughly heartbroken.

"Hell, no. I'm perfectly fine. I want to go home, now." Aaron turned the knob on the door slowly and pulled it open.

Cindy was at his back in half an instant, "Uh-Ok... ok. I will see you soon then..." a light-bulb over her head dinged as she had an idea. She lifted the cross-necklace from around her neck and dropped it into Aaron's paw, "In case you still don't believe any of this..."

Aaron smiled, and let the necklace slide down into his pocket. "Thank you. I'll just pray that this isn't a dream... now how do I leave?"

The girl shrugged. "I'm not sure..." she merely pointed him out, kissing him on the cheek. "...but if you ever want to..."

He nodded firmly, "Goodbye." The black panther stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. He thought for a moment, then smiled, reaching into his left pocket, the one opposite the necklace, and held up his PVP. He flipped open the screen, and pressed the redial button, and peered at the small hour glass upon a blue screen as the display loaded up... and no reply came from Bruce's end.

"Hmm?" Aaron werfed aloud, closing the pressing the 'end' button and attempting another call. He shrugged absently, then continued down the hallway, its end seeming the only legitimate destination. He flinched notably as a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"Scusilo," Liana greeted from the boy's flank politely, somehow having ended up behind him from the diner, "Dove potreste andare?"

The boy pocketed his videophone immediately, turned around, and blurted, "I'm sorry...?"

"Scusi," the panthress mumbled, then said in English, "Are you going somewhere?"

"I... uh. I want to go home." He replied, somewhat remorsefully. He looked up at the pretty girl, admiring the way the light reflected from her glossy black fur.

"So, perhaps, I heard." Liana sniffed, "I spo-ke to Cindy." The name sounded more like 'Seendy' with her heavy accent, "You've broken her heart."

Aaron looked down to Liana's lower left. He had no idea Cindy actually felt anything for him... he had assumed her a harlot and left her. A tear nearly came to his eye, and he thought, I should have at least said something... he felt like a jerk now. "I... I didn't know it would hurt her... I thought she was a-"

Liana growled, and grabbed his shoulder tightly, her metal Shivs digging into his skin, "If that is you, then you have a lot to learn about women, Aaron Spruce!" she released him, and shoved him back in the direction of the room.

"Wait... wait! I have this..." Aaron quickly drew out the silver cross necklace that Cindy had given him, and showed it to the woman.

"Il trasversale... teme, allora, che lo scarterete o lo venderete..." the panthress crossed her eyes, looking at the small silver cross. "Be careful with that necklace. Don't loose it."

The boy raised an eyebrow, then his ears pricked up as he heard footsteps again behind him. He turned around to see that it was just a pair of feline furs walking across the hall, chatting amongst themselves quietly. Aaron turned back around to face Liana, beginning to say "I wo-" but the panthress was gone.

"H-hey! Hello?" the panther spun around, calling out, though there came no reply. He cursed, then turned around again, heading for the end of the hall, and down the spiral staircase. The boy continued to call out vainly, to still no avail.

Aaron finally came upon the cast-iron spiral staircase, descended it, and the main marble flight of steps came into view across the lengthy corridor. He knew that the octagonal den was behind the huge double-doors opposite the main-hall. The boy cautiously approached one of these doors, and cracked it quietly open. He peered in, not sure whether to smile as he saw Bruce and Liana inside, arguing in rapid Italian.

"Mi ha detto che desiderasse andare!" Liana bellowed, throwing aside her small, black-denim jacket.

Bruce looked slightly confused, pinching the skin on his forehead between his thumb and forefinger, "Non lo capisco. Perche non gode la mia ospitalita?" The panther snatched his massive hat from the small coffee table, and plopped it onto his head. "Aaron e al portello. Non credo che possa parlare Italiano..."

"Buon. Che cosa direte a lui?" the woman refrained from turning her head to look at Aaron.

The man wearing the ridiculous feathered hat shook his head ruefully, and finally turned to face his brother, "Ah, h-hello Little Brother..."

Aaron was set back on his heels at the sudden addressing, then said, "Hi Bruce. I-"

"Say no more. Say no more..." Bruce stepped across the room and took Aaron in a loving hug. He placed his muzzle into his brother's ear, and whispered, "What is wrong with this place?"

The boy politely pushed away, "Uh, nothing. W-why?" he looked his brother in his big yellow eyes.

"You want to leave?"

"Well, yes... b-but that doesn't mean I don't like it here..."

"Then what does it mean?"

"I want to go home, Bruce. Can you do that?"

"Certainly," the man removed his hat, "only if you promise to return sometime."

"Of course I will! It's been a wonderful stay."

"Not much of a stay, Aaron... but definitely a wonderful one," Bruce leaned into his brother's ear again and whispered, "Will you bring friends next time?"

Aaron nodded eagerly, "I can bring Kyle, and Keller!"

"Keller?" the man paused, "Who's Keller?"

"One of my best friends... aside from Kyle of course."

Bruce pondered, "What's he like?"

"He's pretty tall... and he drums for Holy Hand Grenade."

"What is he?"

The younger boy gave an inquisitive stare in reply.

"Is he a...? What species... and why exactly haven't I seen him before?"

"Oh, right. He's a jaguar... he moved in from Gettysburg after you left."

Aaron's older brother nodded, and threw his head whimsically from shoulder to shoulder, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, "Is he cute?"

Aaron blushed deeply, and made an unintelligibly pensive noise, "I... I don't know! I don't really pay attention to that..."

"Don't sweat it. Anyway... I'll give you procedure to return next time. Make sure they swear not to tell anyone that they don't trust about this place, ok?" Bruce waved goodbye, and Aaron looked slightly confused.

The boy jumped timidly as an unusually familiar paw rested itself on his shoulder. He heard Robby's smooth voice say into his ear, "See you later Aaron... and think about what I told you, right?" the cheetah licked the boy's pointed auricle, and brought up his right hand.

Aaron winced slightly as the needle of a syringe pricked into his arm. In a few seconds, his vision started to go hazy, and the hum of voices dimmed. His last thought before everything went black was: Hey... I never got my sandwich...

When the panther opened his eyes, he saw his room. He was home now. Aaron looked at his body, which was once again clothed in his hooded sweater. A rather large sack of drugs bulged his pocket... familiar... but what he was looking for was...

The boy reached up to his neck, and grasped a metallic object. His big yellow eyes now fixed themselves on a cross necklace dangling from between his fingers. The panther's face lit up, and he jumped high into the air, landing down and shaking the floor, causing harmonics from the guitars to ring. "Yahoo!" he whooped, then gave another jump and punched his fist upward. It wasn't a dream. It was real. He had proof now.

Aaron's attention switched over to the clock hanging between a Flying V and a Scorpion, satisfied that it read '4:19'. His parents wouldn't be home for about two hours. For the first time in a great while, he asked himself out loud, "What to do?"

* * * (Uh-huh. That's right. Three asterisks... that's how you switch scenes in style.)

Riku lay sprawled out in her bed, numerous body-parts twitching at random, and a loud snoring sounding from her open maw. The vixen's eyes popped open, and she slapped the alarm clock. Her spectrum closed in on the time, which read '11:02', in shining green numbers. "Ohhh... s'too early..." she moaned, but the words Cedar Park, Roderick, and Nine o' clock repeated through her weak train of thought. The girl shrugged apathetically, and closed her eyes again... what can ya' do?

Her eyes shot open an instant later, "CRAP!" Riku rolled out of bed with a thud, then jumped up hastily. She needed to meet Richie... but that was two hours ago! She wiggled into a pair of hip-hugger jeans, and a pink T-shirt. This T-shirt featured a crossed shovel and rake, and the words At least I'm not a ho. She stopped as she was leaving the room, and stepped back in to change. Definitely not the right shirt...

Riku returned shortly wearing a new shirt which featured Jimi Hendrix, and the word Foxy. Satisfied, the foxy girl stepped out the door of her quarters, and down the messy hallway into her kitchen and living room, which was currently stacked with unpacked boxes.

"Honey?" Russ called from the kitchen table, and Riku winced.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"You want breakfast? I made you ham and eggs." He dished her a plate of just a couple of eggs, knowing that his daughter didn't eat meat anyway.

The girl nodded skeptically. She was tempted to blurt 'Who are you, and where the hell is Russell?' but held her tongue. She sat down next to her father and scooped a fried egg into her mouth. "Uh. Thanks...?"

"You're welcome Honey." The fox paid her a warm smile, then said, "A little sleepy this morning, eh?"

Riku was a bit too confused to answer. What...? Russell, a good father? "Y-yes. Sleepy..." she slapped her forehead on her palm as she said this. She'd almost forgotten about Rod. "I have to go, Daddy!" the vixen stood up, but the man caught her by the arm.

"Hold on now!" Russ scolded in a playful manner, "I got a raise yesterday, Sweetie!"

The daughter wagged her fluffy red tail, in disbelief that she was even saying this, "Wow! Congratulations, Dad!"

"Wait! That's not all!" he continued, "You remember that thing that you always wanted..."

She gasped in reply, "You're not serious?"

"I am, honey." He extended his hands, presenting his daughter with a small, rigid metal chute, adorned with a glazed mahogany grip.

"Oh! Thank you Daddy! I love you!" Riku snatched the item, quickly, though with great guile and care. She held it flat in her hand, and pressed in the button on the edge of the horn-shaped hilt, causing a spring-loaded, ebon-blade to flip out. A genuine Italian stiletto switchblade, with a wavy blade, just as she had wanted. "Thanks!" she kissed him on the cheek, and ran out the front door, letting it swing shut behind her.

Russell rubbed his cheek and smiled. He'd done something nice (even if it wasn't the most legally legitimate gift...) for his daughter. It felt good. His grin persisting, he grabbed his lunch box and departed for work.

Meanwhile, Riku was racing time itself to reach Rockefeller Park, where she had agreed to meet Roderick. She was sickly late, and hoped that he would be somewhat forgiving. The girl looked up at the once spotless blue sky, which was now stained with budding thunderheads. She grumbled, hugging herself, spiteful that she wasn't wearing a jacket.

As the deep red vixen continued down the dirt path, across the grassy park and past a few vacant benches, and the potted fichus plants that stood guard around the front gate... but no Roderick. A sense of hopelessness dipped itself a gouge in her heart, and she again slapped herself on the temple for sleeping in.

"Please don't hit yourself. It doesn't solve anything..." a welcoming voice sleuthed from behind the fox girl, causing her to flinch, and turn around.

Riku smiled, and her bushy, vulpine tail began to wag, picking up speed like the propeller of an old Sopwith Camel. "Hi! I... Sorry I'm so late..." she frowned, and looked down at her blackish-brown feet bashfully.

Roderick, standing in front of her now, smiled snugly and wrapped her up in a friendly hug. "That's alright... you're here now, right? That's what matters," the wolf-man affectionately nibbled her ear and continued, "C'mon. Let's go!"

"Where?" Riku asked, breaking away from him and shivering inconspicuously.

"Anywhere you want!" Roderick slid off his own coat and draped it over his girlfriend's shoulders. The girl then shrugged, honestly unsure of where to go.

"Why so glum?" he asked her innocently, hugging her slender form up close to his side.

She felt her boyfriend's cold, wet nose on her cheek suddenly, and shivered. The vixen put on a sincere smile, "Oh... I can't decide. Where do you think sounds good?"

"Neither of us had a plan, eh?" Richie smiled and leaned away from her, "Let's just go for a walk, then." The two of them, satisfied with that, continued along the beautifully grassy field, making notes to themselves not to look up at the almost black rain clouds.

It was awkwardly silent for almost a minute before the wolf prompted, "Can you tell me about yourself, Becky?"

"What do you want to know?" the fox returned, quite thankful that a conversation was budding.

"Where you come from... maybe your interests...?"

"Well... my name's Ri-" she cleared her throat, "Becky Lapel. I'm from Newport, Maine. Didn't live there long... but I can still remember moving to P-A."

"I was born in Philly. Fairly close..." he hushed himself to let his lady speak.

"I haven't been to Philly in a long time..." Riku subconsciously stepped closer to Richie, "Well... I'd like to..." she blushed deeply, unsure whether she was comfortable telling him this, "Sing."

Rod's face lit up with interest, and he looked down over his shoulder, "You sing? What... gospel?"

Riku's blush endured, and she muttered, "N-no." In truth, her voice didn't really sound like a girl's, but more like a young boy's.

"What?"

"It's really nothing. I don't like to-" Riku looked ahead, giving a yelp as she was suddenly face to face with a growling, male tiger-morph.

"Rrrr... stay on your side, dog." The tiger snarled lowly, looking up at Roderick and puffing out his chest ruggedly.

"Side...?" Rod quickly observed that the contradicting species, most of the population being vulpine, lupine, canine, or feline anyway, had set up a boundary line, dividing the park in two. Felines played happily in the light drizzle on one side, while foxes, wolves, dogs, and the likes ran about on the other.

"I said get on your side, dog!" he repeated, poking a clawed finger into Richie's burly chest.

"Hey, I'm not a dog. I'm a wolf... and she's a fox." Rod pointed out, and the tiger showed one of his fangs, which were, though quite large, tiny toothpicks compared to the wolf's big chompers. It's the claws you have to worry about.

"You're all the same, Barkmeat." The striped feline gave a snobby sneer as he said the insulting name, standing up to his full height, which was about equal to Roderick's.

"What did you call me?" Richie cracked his knuckles.

"You heard me right. Barkmeat."

Rod growled, showing his own teeth now, "Don't mess with me, cat. I'm trained in Krav Maga."

"Oh boy... I'm shaking! Puppy thinks he knows karate!" the tiger feigned trembling knees.

"No. Not Karate. Krav Maga."

The feline spread his arms, "Ok... whatever you say, mutt."

Roderick gave a vicious bark, twisted his shoulders, and socked the cat in the face. He didn't stop there, though, placing a huge paw on his adversary's back, the wolf kneed him in the gut, and batted him in the muzzle with his elbow.

"Ahh! Oh God... son of a... KUUHH!" the large feline wailed, as Richie delivered a final, powerful one-two to his chin, sending him spinning out cold.

"Uh... is that police brutality?" Riku asked nervously, avoiding the spectacle of the fallen tiger's crunched up muzzle.

"Nah, I'm off duty. It's just regular brutality." He leaned over the tiger's head, and in case he was still able to hear, whispered into his twitching ear, "Hang in there, pussy." The wolf took his dame by the paw and strolled into feline territory. Instead of any trouble, the cat's filed aside to let him through. No wonder, anyway, eh?

Riku giggled at his sickly humorous joke, honestly hoping that no one called the police on them.

"Head home?" he asked her, taking her arm-in-arm now.

The vixen smiled, "Not necessarily... how about a sandwich, hm?" she looked at her watch and realized that this would be a light repast for her, considering how late she had woken up.

"Ok."

When they were out of earshot of any cats, Riku finally snapped, throwing her arms around her boyfriend and bending on of her legs at the knees, "Richie, that was awesome!"

Roderick blushed, "Well... that guy was kind of a jackass... he got what was coming." His vixen continued to hug him tightly, and he could not help but grin.

* * *

"Cheat." Aaron called for the millionth time this hour.

"Damn it!" Keller cursed, throwing down his hand of cards and dragging in the stack. Kyle, to the jaguar's right, chuckled. It was his turn now.

"Five eights," the blue feline declared, placing a well-hidden stack of cards from his hand into the center pile.

"Ok blue-boy, I'll buy it this time." The black one said drably.

"Yeah, me too." Added the spotted one.

Aaron's turn. "A pair of twos," and he set them down.

"Cheat." Kyle said, then frowned as his friend held up, as promised, a pair o' duce. The panther raked in the small center pile.

Keller's up. He looked at his gigantic hand of cards. Twenty nine of them, but not a single pair. He selected a four and a six, and his eye began to twitch, along with his hand and tail. What's the use? He couldn't lie. He opened his mouth...

"Cheat." The black panther across the table again called.

The jaguar growled and resigned his cards. "This isn't fair. I'm a crappy bluff, and you all know it!"

"Settle down, Keller. It's a stupid card game. Did you take your pills today?" Kyle asked, reaching way up to pat his giant of a companion on the shoulder.

"Darn it!" the jaguar took daily pills for muscular dystrophy, and had forgotten yet again. He couldn't keep a straight for more than thirty seconds, and he was constantly shifting back and forth on his feet, his arms shaking from the shoulders down. "Well... th-that's ok. I think I'll live."

The other two felines shrugged in unison.

"You guys ready to get started then?" Aaron watched Keller with satisfaction as he grabbed his drumsticks and smiled at them. Kyle did the same, though his bass was already safely in the garage. "Aright, I'll-"

There was a gentle, somewhat familiar knock on Keller's front door. The three of them went to answer it at once, though the tallest boy reached over their heads and opened the door.

Janelle stood smiling humbly on the other side of the frame, "Oh... eh, sorry. I didn't know you were-"

"Oh, by all means, c'mon in Yoko." The black panther gave an evanescent scowl at the snow leopard.

"What?" the spotted girl retorted, grinding her knuckles against her fist.

"Nothing."

She grumbled, "I'll see you in a mug-shot, jerk."

This time, Aaron blurted, "What?"

"Nothing."

"Hey, hey. Ladies, we're all cats, here, remember?" Kyle assured, though he wished he hadn't, as it sounded rather speciesist... and sexist for that matter.

Janelle and Aaron, the two banters, sneered in unison.

"C-can't we just get to-g-gether and m-m-make some m-music?" Keller offered quietly, so much that he feared that no one heard him. In fact, his mother did, and was on her way from the master bedroom.

"Keller, you sound awful dear!" the spotted woman retreated to the kitchen, and returned but a few seconds later holding a gigantic pill that looked like it weighed in the ounces. In the other hand, a cup filled with an apparently bubbling, and fowl smelling medicinal syrup. "Here you go."

The tall, lanky child blushed, then leaned over closer to his mama, "Mom! Why do I have to do this in front of all of my friends and my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?!" Mrs. Iedle bellowed, leaning to one side and laying eyes on Janelle.

Keller's throat tightened.

"Get out of my house!" the woman ordered, pointing for the front door, "All of you!"

All of the felines, Kyle, Janelle, Aaron, and even Keller went for the door.

The woman grabbed her son's pointy ear and yelled, "Oh no! You're staying!"

He mouthed the word 'sorry' to Janelle as she left, and as he was pulled into the living room, painfully, by the ear.

"Sit."

He reluctantly took a seat on the couch.

"Medicine."

Again, the boy complied to the order, swallowing what looked like a horse-pill, in what looked like tar.

"BOB!" she called, beckoning her husband into the living room, "Talk to your boy about girls."

Keller gulped. He hadn't had this particular talk yet. Margaret returned to the master bedroom to read.

Bob looked at his son, not saying a word. The boy gazed back.

"Who's this girl, son?"

"No one."

"Are you sure? She seems like enough of a living, breathing sack of organs covered in fur to be a-"

"Alright, I get it! Janelle."

"...And what exactly is she?"

"A snowy leopard."

"No, I mean... what is she to you?"

Keller sighed, and his voice lowered, "M-my girlfriend."

The father leaned closer to his son, looking over his own shoulder to see that his wife was safely away, and said, "Right on, son. I always knew you'd be one with the ladies... I'll see if I can persuade you're mother to think the same way..."

The tall boy looked at his father as if he was from another planet, then smiled emotionlessly. He suspected that this talk was over...

"Hey, hey, Boy. We're not done here. I still need to talk to you."

Keller gulped.

"It's great that you have a girl - it's part of growing up - but you're still too young to mate. Understand?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but his father was already prepared.

"What would you do if she got pregnant, hm?"

"Well... er... I..."

"You don't need a child yet, Keller."

"I..."

"Plus..." the man leaned a little closer, "Back when your mother and I were mating... she gave me the clap. Believe me, you do not want the clap."

"What's that...?"

"Picture a hundred red-hot needles poking into your wing-doodle when you try to pee."

Keller winced.

"It could happen to anyone... and that disease is the least of them. Understand me, Keller?"

"Y-yes..."

"Good. Now knock 'em dead, boy."

"Th-thanks, Dad."

Bob nodded, smiled, and smacked Keller hard in the back, almost knocking him off of the sofa. The feline man stood up, and left for the bedroom to meet his spouse, leaving Keller alone.

The tall jaguar boy sat there, deep in thought, for a few more hours, eventually lying down and rolling onto his side to face the back of the couch, his long legs folded in.

"Keller!" a nasally, childlike voice disturbed his rest from behind.

"What is it Steph?"

"Why'ya sleeeepin'? It's on'y 'leven o' clock in 'a mornin'!"

"Leave me alone."

"Clam!"

"Shut up, Steph!"

Keller's younger sister gasped, then turned around for the hall, "Mom! Keller told me to shut up!"

"Keller! Be nice you your sister!" Maggie chided back in a huff.

"Yes, mother." The boy obeyed without question, and turned around to see Stephanie sticking her tongue out at him.

Oh... how he wanted to strangle that brat. Ah well... nothing new. The gentle giant didn't have it in him to hurt someone anyway. He resumed attempted slumber, fending off any dreams or nightmares, remaining completely sound. Steph took this as a hint to leave.

* * *

It was nearly midnight, and Neo was standing alone behind the bleachers of Strauss's small sporting field. His girlfriend Kimberly had called to meet him here on urgent matters. When the female raccoon finally arrived on the scene, the boy quickly rushed over to her in anticipation.

"Hey Kim. It's kinda late... you wanted to see me?"

Kimberly shivered, and rubbed her shoulders, not smiling in her usual manner. "Yes."

"Alright, what's it all, then?"

"I'm breaking up with you Neo."

He nearly fell over backwards, "What? Uh... b-b-b... why?"

"I've heard too much about you... I mean... that you're... gay."

"I'm... I..." Neo didn't really know how to phrase it, "I... I love anyone that loves me back..." That didn't some out right, "That's you. You love me, right?" his lips twisted into a desperate, crooked grin, and he extended his arms.

"I'm sorry Neo. I want to date someone... normal. Just... don't call me. Goodbye."

"W-w-wait! No! This isn't fair! That's not fair! That's hearsay... and... and..." he walked after her, but she broke into a run, "Come back..." he wept pitifully, almost reduced to his knees. He was relatively new to the concept of prejudice, and frankly did not like it one bit. The fox-coon's attitude changed in an instant to that of utter frustration. Women! Is there any wonder why there are gays in this world?

* * *

The next morning, after taking four showers, washing her paws four times, and counting out and measuring every last particle of her cold cereal breakfast, Trudy tidied up her room and walked out the door, closing and locking it securely behind her. The white, spotted leopard padded down the hallway, careful that her swishing, metronome tail wouldn't get in the way of other drowsy, female geniuses rubbing their eyes and trotting down the corridor with their various folders and notebooks underarm.

The second Trudy stepped out into the hall though, she felt herself being hoisted up, and shoved against the nearest locker. A familiar pair of rather large, growling vixens were in her face now. A snobby, pampered-bodied ocelot paced back and forth in front of her now.

This wasn't much of a surprise to the snowy leopard. Trudy had been expecting this little confrontation for some time now. She just stared back at the older girl through her huge, entrancing eyes.

"You fleeced me you little brat." Tara, the ocelot, sneered. She surpassed her vulpine vanguards, and stood right up to the little kitten's round face, "All of your test answers were malarkey."

"It would be conceivable for me to state likewise regarding your advisory statements." Trudy replied calmly, struggling lightly against the strong foxes' captivating clamps of arms.

Tara raised and eyebrow, "In English, please...?"

"That was English, idiot... but I suppose I could dumb it down for you. Your love advise was ridiculous." The leopard exhaled a huff of air from her little nose, and set her arms vainly to rest.

"Oh... I'm sorry... I think I just heard you call me a name." The ocelot girl gave her vixen-companions a pair of hand signals, "Brit, Des, take this little rebel into the ladies room and inform her not to fuck with Tara Kirk."

"No! Wait! I'm sorry! I-" Trudy pleaded as the female foxes dragged her into the nearest restroom...

"...snitch and we'll cut off your tail." Brit, the larger of the vixens hissed into Trudy's ear, causing the poor little kitten to shake even harder.

Trudy was beaten and bruised as she stepped out of the white-tiled privacy wall. She held her right arm and hobbled across the hall, still attempting to stay within the center of the tiles. Her nose was bleeding, as was her ear, which now had a small hole through it. The kitten watched Tara catwalk away, as usual, between her vixen friends.

She spent her free first period carefully licking her wounds, shying away at anyone who walked past. Trudy was now snuggled painfully behind the door to the Spanish room, hugging up against the wall so that it did not ram into her when opened. Amidst the sting of her cuts and bruises, she arranged the crumbs onto the floor into a neat square to take her mind off anything else. She mewed suddenly as the door was swung aside.

"Oh my gosh! Poor kitten! What happened?" a friendly looking lynx girl reached down to pat the shaking kitten. Trudy gave no reply. "Get up. Please..." the girl pulled at Trudy's arm.

The lynx, Julie, placed a paw on her forehead, "You're hurt...!" she noticed a immediately knife wound on the tiny feline's shoulder, "Please tell me what happened!" Julie turned around and squeaked, "HELP!"

The distressed call was urgent, and a few people dropped their things and rushed over, and inquiries of "What? What is it?" rang out, before they laid eyes on Trudy, who was cowering in a fetal position with her face in her knees.

Tara Kirk smirked from down the hall, peeking at the commotion without a hint of curiosity. She leaned toward Brit, on of her vulpine comrades and muttered, "Get rid of that knife. I've got a feeling the police are going to show."

Brit nodded in reply, and strutted off.

It wasn't long afterward that the police were contacted. Trudy's lips were still sealed tight about what had happened to her, despite the best efforts of numerous psychologists. Mr. and Mrs. Biarde, Janelle, and Keller were all there now, as well, and followed the ambulance to the hospital. Then the day of summer-school continued normally... well, almost normally. Police officers, detectives, and bloodhound-morphs were scouting the area, questioning students at random.

* * *

Neo had locked himself in his room for the day, and cut the classes. He'd make up for lost work that next weekend. The fox-coon had a habit of drowning out his sorrows in his headphones, which currently played Queen's 'Don't stop me now'. He was oblivious to the fact that the whole school was under warrant until there was an urgent knock on his door. The boy moaned, and switched of his walkman. He opened the door, and gave a slight jump. He was face-to-face with a burly gray wolf, who was showing his police badge.

This better be good... Roderick, the officer, repeated in his head. He had been pulled away from taking his dame Riku to the movies to investigate this school. "I'm Officer Dole. Don't worry, I'm on your side... I just want to ask you some questions, ok?"

Neo, slightly shocked, nodded dumbly and showed Rod in.

"Where were you at about 8:05 this morning?"

"I was up here... in my room..." the fox-coon had been moping about his quarters all of the sleepless night, after having been dumped by his girlfriend Kim.

"Ok..." the wolf continued, "Are you aware of the alleged assault of Trudy Biarde?"

The boy's ears shot up immediately, and his lip quivered. He bellowed, "What happened to Trudy?!"

"At about 8:40 this morning, Miss Biarde was found cut and bruised outside of the Spanish room."

"What happened to her?"

"She appears traumatized... won't say a word," Roderick measured Neo's reaction, "Did you know her?"

"She was a friend of mine."

"Do you know anything, or anyone, that may have wanted to hurt Trudy?"

Neo gulped. He'd helped her rig a test for Tara Kirk. He opened his maw, but only a short "Uh..." came out.

"If you have any information, please tell me."

"Uh... well..."

"The life of a little girl was at stake today, sir."

"Yeah... I know... it... it was Tara Kirk. I don't know for sure..."

"Alright. Thank you. Your name?"

Neo shook his head.

"Your name will not be obliged, sir, without your permission."

"I'm Neo Ficher."

"Thanks. Now, Tara Kirk, is she around here now?"

"Probably... she's a gray spotted something. Uh... ocelot I think." He paused and thought for a moment, "Hangs around with two big girls. Foxes... I don't know their names."

"Thank you Neo. I'll get this thing figured out..." Rod looked at him, curiously this time, "You really look out for her, don't you?"

The half-coon blushed, "She's amazing... really. A genius..."

Roderick grinned and placed a and on the boy's shoulder, "So... I suppose you also had an excuse to cut class?"

Neo chuckled, "You're a cop, not the vice principle! Alright... I'll get to class if it makes you happy."

"...and it will. Take care, Neo. Nice chatting with you, and thanks." Richie shook the fox's paw firmly.

As the wolf was leaving, Neo pulled on his school clothing, sighing somewhat ruefully. He wished he had a window in his luxurious dormitory. He couldn't exactly place why... but he wanted to gaze outside without leaving the sanctuary of the small studio that his parents had rented for him. Ah well... he thought, reaching into his desk and rigging up his notebooks, I just hope Trudy's ok... he wanted to help more, but he knew that he couldn't.

* * *

Keller patted Janelle on the back as she sobbed into his belly. Janelle had dragged her mate along to the hospital as soon as she heard about Trudy, in desperate need of someone to comfort her.

The alpine jaguar, towering over everyone else in the room as usual, wore a ruefully empathetic expression, lost in thought as he peered down at the battered kitten who lay on the hospital bed. He returned to reality promptly, though, as his girlfriend groped two handfuls of his shirt with her claws, and loosed a voluminous lamentation. Across the room, Mister and Misses Biarde knelt over their daughter, ushering her to speak, and explain what had happened.

The snowy leopard cub would not speak. Trauma, shock, and fear of her attackers' threats had muted her tiny voice.

Trudy's father had called the nurse, who presented the girl with a small notepad and pen with which to communicate.

"Please, honey... Please! Tell us what happened..." Ken Biarde released his grasp on his daughter's paw, allowing her to write.

She only shook her head. Her arm, currently hooked up to an IV, pointed to Janelle, who pulled away from Keller very slowly and padded over to the bed.

"Can you tell me, Trudy? It's alright. Big sister... Janelle, hm?" Janelle whispered soothingly, kneeling down next to Trudy, opposite her father.

Trudy waved her arm feebly over the blank, blue and white room.

"You need to get up?"

She shook her head, and gave a sign akin to 'safe' on the baseball field.

"You want everyone to... leave?"

The kitten nodded.

"You want to talk to your sister alone?" Helen Biarde asked after a short silence.

The kitten, again, nodded.

Three white-spotted leopards, Nick, Helen, and Ken hesitantly exited the room, followed by the nurse, then Keller.

Janelle leaned further forward, giving a warm smile as Trudy spread her little arms in request for a hug. The older sister crawled into the white bunk, wary of the many cords spread over the side. When things were settled, she began to softly stroke the cub's belly, drawing out a weak purr.

"What happened...? How did you get hurt, Trudy?"

She shook her head in reply.

"You can tell me. Everyone else is out."

Trudy snuggled up to her sister, shifting into a more comfortable position and urging for more petting. She scratched the words onto her notepad, They will cut off my tail if I tell anyone.

Janelle coughed, turning it into a quiet gasp, "Who? Who will?"

The younger of the felines shook her head again.

"Talk! Tell me, Trudy, please. The police will catch them before they can lay a finger on you."

She gave the same reply yet again.

The girl heaved a sigh, and decided to change the subject, in the hope of comforting her younger sister into speaking. "So... have you met any new friends at your school?"

Trudy grinned excitedly, nodded almost forcefully, and scribbled the word Neo onto the paper.

"Neo... a boy, hm? What is he like?"

He is very nice to me, even though he is in eighth grade.

Janelle squinted suspiciously. There was definitely something fishy about that. "What do you two do?"

We played chess, did homework, and a project...

"Anything else?"

Lots of things. Neo is a lot of fun.

"Hm..." she rested her tail over her legs, and rolled onto her side to face Trudy, "If he ever tries to get close to you, run away, ok?"

Trudy shook her head, looking offended, then slashed onto the paper, He didn't hurt me. He would never do that.

"Ok. Can you tell me who did?"

No.

Janelle sighed, kissed her sister on the cheek, and wiped a tear from her own. She stood up, and walked out into the hall. Keller blushed as she openly placed her paw on his ass, and laced tails with him. The girl stood on her toes, and yanked the tall jaguar's ear down to her muzzle, hissing in the dialect of her waning tears, "You and I have unfinished business."

* * *

"...Where are your parents? They're going to come after us!" Keller yelped in a sort of half-gulp. Janelle had yanked him away the very second her parents looked the other way, and was running him by the wrist down the winding halls of the hospital, seemingly taking turns at random.

"Nah; they're back with Trudy..." the leopard replied, stopping, and knocking on a door to her left.

"Shouldn't we be?"

"I tried to get through to her... but maybe later." Satisfied that no reply came, she opened the door and slid in.

Keller waited outside, in the hopes that his mate would somehow miraculously forget about him. Not surprisingly though, a white, spotted paw lunged out, grabbing hold of his shirt, and yanking him in with her.

It was black as pitch in the vacant room, with the privacy curtain drawn. The boy heard the lock on the door click. Oh... not this again. She always does this... his thoughts groaned, then he gave out an embarrassing mew as Janelle pounced against his torso, thrusting his back to the door.

"Ready?" she asked in an impish tone, holding his struggling wrists against the door, and leaning forward to touch her cold, wet nose against his.

The boy shook his head.

Janelle sighed, and gave an irritated groan. She freed his wrists, and backed up a step. "Keller... this makes me mad. Why won't you mate with me again?"

"Well... uh..."

"Yes?"

"I was talking to my dad," he began, "about having sex with you."

She leaned closer, suddenly interested. "I thought your parents didn't approve."

"Well... they don't... but my dad isn't as adamant."

"Ok..."

"Well... what I'm saying is... you are probably pregnant already."

The snowy leopard flinched, "Well... maybe." Her voice was wracked with nerve.

"What are we going to do with a kitten, Janelle?"

"W-well... we could-" she stopped to think, "Not worry about it right now."

"Janelle! I'm not ready to be a dad..." Keller yanked at his hair subconsciously.

The girl reached up behind his ear and scratched soothingly, "Shh... c'mon, it's ok. Let's not fight over anything, ok? Besides, we don't know for sure if I'm having a kitten."

"Then why have sex now, when we could avoid a child?" the boy asked, tilting his head for more scratching.

"Because it feels good." Janelle answered, sliding out of her baby T-shirt. Her chest was bare now, as she didn't wear a bra if she could help it. She grasped Keller's paws again, and placed them over her breasts.

Keller's sheath hardened in an instant, and his maleness began to slide out. He couldn't see her... but he didn't necessarily need to at this point. The jaguar's breathing sped up in realization of the two soft, fuzzy globes that his hands were currently cupped over. He didn't dare move.

With all due respect to Janelle, the boy asked, "I don't mean to sound rude or anything... but why are your so... uh... obsessed?"

"Obsessed?"

"Well... I-I mean... with me."

The snow leopard sighed, and placed her hands over Keller's, over her chest. "I..." she paused for a long while, "I'll tell you later... but I'm not obsessed. You just mean w hole lot to me."

"Uh... ok."

"You really that worried about mating, Keller?"

He nodded regretfully, but remembered that it was pitch black in the small room. "Yes..."

"Well... w-we don't have to do it right away." Janelle muzzled his skinny belly, lifted his quivering, dystrophic paws off of her rack and backed into the curtain. She pulled the green drape aside, crawling into the nursing-bed. The girl slid off her robin's-egg-blue jeans, leaving her in a pair of panties, or what could easily be mistaken for a patch of her snow-white fur without spots.

Almost instinctively, Keller reached for the doorknob. Oddly enough, though, he found himself unwilling to leave. He padded over to the bed on which his mate lay.

Janelle closed her eyes.

"Er... what do you want me to... do?" he asked.

She could have thought of one million things to answer, but she merely replied, "You're a big boy. You figure it out."

Several minutes passed, and they were both beginning to worry of Mr. and Mrs. Biarde had gone looking for them. That was the least of either of their concerns for now, though.

The snowy leopard's eyes remained closed, her mind in eager anticipation of what the boy might do. She hoped that he wouldn't leave.

Keller padded across the dark room, disappointed that he could only see a hazy outline of the girl's limber horizon. Sweating heavily, the boy pulled off his shirt with one arm. He took note that she remained patiently motionless, waiting for him to make his move. His tall, lanky form lingering over the bed, he started to shake. Nothing out of the ordinary. He kissed his own knuckles for good luck, and for hope that he wouldn't screw up, then crawled into bed, planting his big paws on either side of her, and letting the weight of his chest rest upon her fuzzy belly.

Janelle gave an affectionate mew, and spread her arms apart. She began a droning purr almost immediately at the feeling of her lover's warm fur against hers. Keller carefully bowed his head over her right breast, and draped his lips over her silky pink nipple. He exhaled softly, then created a suction in his mouth, and swabbed his rough feline tongue in repetitive circles. He felt his mate's limber body squirm contentedly under him, cooing repeatedly.

Keller blushed, and his eyes widened slightly. His belly was resting over the front of her panties, which were now becoming wetter by the second. Janelle's breast twitched reflexively, and it was her turn to blush.

The jaguar, quite surprised, felt a squirt of breast milk in his mouth. He looked up at the leopard, a dribble of the lactic fluid running down his chin. Keller swallowed the milk intently, unsure of what to say.

Janelle opened her mouth, but spoke no words for several seconds. "Um... it's milk Keller."

The boy tilted his head, and werfed, "Milk?"

"Mm-hm." She looked at him, then giggled.

"B-but... uh...?"

"You didn't know?"

Keller shook his head.

The snowy leopard laughed again, "Keller, that's what these are for... babies drink milk from them."

The boy boggled for a moment, his eyes wide, and looked at her chest, mostly to avoid her eyes. "Uh... you... you mind if I... do it?"

She shook her head, "Not at all. In fact, please continue."

He let himself down again, and began suckling on her other breast. Janelle closed her eyes again, then tilted her head contentedly to the side. She lifted her legs, her feet now lingering over Keller's upper back, and began wringing her hand-claws in and out of the soft, white blankets to her left and right.

The jaguar looked down briefly, noting his now-full hard-on, and exhaled a nervous breath of hot air, causing her breast to ripple again. His sweaty paws meandered down the sheets, gently landing on her silky-soft hips, and slipped under the elastic of her panties. He edged them down further, sliding them down her sexy legs before completely removing them and carefully discarding them at the bedside.

The girl cooed, arching her back as Keller scooted up until his chest was parallel to her face, stopping in the process to kiss her once. He rested his torso on her momentarily, requiring the use of at least one of his hands in order to remove his pants and boxers.

Janelle, so incredibly horny that her judgment was clouded, uttered a whiny whisper, "Hurry up!".

Keller jumped briefly at the sudden order, and panicked in a sudden. His voice cracked, "I'm sorry! Sorry... I knew this was a bad idea..."

"You're fine, you're fine... I just want to get started."

"Ok... I gotta get my... erg! ...pants off," he whispered back, wincing as he accidentally pricked his pulsing boner with his index claw.

Janelle nuzzled her cheek against his, purring loudly into his ear. She heard his fly zip down at last, and his pants drop off of his feet and onto the floor. The boy did the same with his green camouflage boxers, finally allowing his fleshy manhood a breath of cool, fresh... umm... 'medical air'.

The snowy leopard reach up, and rested her hands on the back of her mate's sweaty neck, lifting her legs again, allowing him full access to her most valuable jewel. Keller looked down at his shaft, making sure that it was lined up, and he didn't miss. He finally set his head between the cozy, pink lips of her vagina, and gulped one last time. The jaguar shakily slid himself in to her snug opening, causing another short excretion to drench his pubic area. His body was enveloped in a familiar glove of warmth, and his head enlightened. He promptly started to purr, closing his eyes upon the image of his mate's sweet face, and his own, long hair dangling down upon her.

The white-furred female sighed contentedly, blowing Keller's hair up, and lifting her legs higher. She felt every instance of his eight-inch long shaft creep closer to her womb at a gruelingly slow pace.

Keller sunk his claws into the blankets to Janelle's right and left, a drop of sweat falling down onto her face as he pulled out. Growing ever more confident, the tall boy glided smoothly into her again, then recoiled. He tilted his big head back, forming a blissful rhythm of thrusts, all in a nonstop motion, due to the snow leopard's cervix fitting to his penis so perfectly. Keller let out a deep growl, already beginning to squirt numerous spouts of pre-cum. He sped up his beat, producing a repeated slapping noise, then his low growl morphed into a long moan.

Janelle groaned in a high pitch, her vaginal walls contracting rapidly. She sank her claws into Keller's back unintentionally, biting her bottom lip. The leopard squeaked, thrusting her waist upward as her swift orgasm overcame her body.

A bath of feminine ecstasy washed over Keller's maleness, and her clutched the sheets between his fingers until his claws met his palms. His feline barbs pricked out, from hilt to head, and his valuable fertility shot into his mates delicate groin. The jaguar's jaw hung limply, and he tilted his head forward, moaning absently, and allowing a ream of dribble to seep down his chin.

Janelle's legs lowered back down onto the bet, and her toes relaxed from the rhapsody of orgasmic pleasure, and she opened her eyes to see Keller's glazed expression glaring back at her. "Thank you. I... really needed that," the snow leopard yawned in a leisurely yerf, then cooed, "Did you enjoy it as much as I did?"

He nodded lazily in reply, and flinched as he withdrew his penis from inside of her. He looked down at it with crossed eyes, and werfed curiously, "W-what are those?" He noticed the rounds bumps at the base of his shaft, near the sheath, which grew more pointed toward the head. The boy carefully brushed his finger across one of the semen-soaked lumps, then grunted loudly and bit his lip. They were incredibly sensitive!

Janelle giggled quietly, "Mmm... those are your barbs Keller. You should start getting those from now on."

He started to stroke the bumps again as his dick softened, letting himself down on his side, taking the strain off of his weary knees. Keller lay his arm over his girl, who mewed contentedly and quantified the volume of her purring to let him know that she enjoyed it. "What are they for?" the boy asked, right into her ear.

The female shrugged. "I don't know... they sure feel nice, though."

Keller licked Janelle's cheek, then kissed her on the whiskers. The girl smiled and parted her lips for him, showing her cute fangs in the process. "Again later?" the snowy girl asked hopefully.

He shrugged, closing his eyes and cuddling her against his spotted chest. He extended one long arm down, shivering slightly in the draft, and pulled the blanket up over him and his partner. They snuggled for a good while, their purring simmering down to frail white noise.

The faint hum of voices could be heard outside the room, before a gentle tap on the door of the adjacent room, "Hello? Janelle? Keller? Y'in there?" came the voice of Helen Biarde.

She knew she had locked the room, but Janelle heard the jingling of a key-ring as the nurse outside searched for this room's key with some frustration. "Ah, here it is." The lock snapped open.

"Oh shit!" Keller hissed, rolling off the bed as quietly as possible, sweeping up as much of he and his mate's clothing as he could find. He yanked her out of bed by the waste, and frantically scrambled into the room's tiny lavatory.

Helen's voice sounded again, "Here, try jiggling the handle a little."

"Ok, ok, I got it!" the nurse snapped, and the door swung ajar just moments after Keller slid shut the bathroom slider.

The nurse, a skinny vulpine woman in her late twenties, peered in, followed by the middle-aged snowy leopard. "Hmm... empty."

"Hold on now... I made this bed earlier." The nurse observed, "Curious, now- wait. Do you year breathing?"

Keller sucked in his stomach.

The nurse followed where she had heard the noise over to the small bathroom in which the couple was furtively stuffed. She yanked at the handle, which produced nothing but a loud click.

The boy and the girl inside the tiny square restroom started to sweat, and held their breaths as the nurse pressed her ear against the door.

"Locked." She finally deducted, "Darn toilet must have clogged." The vixen-nurse shrugged apathetically, "Janitor'll get it."

Helen peered about suspiciously one last time, then departed from the room behind the vixen.

The jaguar let out his breath, and released Janelle from a tight squeeze. "A-are they... g-gone?" he hissed quietly to her.

"Yeah... yeah I think so," she replied, snuggling up against his body, and making it very difficult for him to maneuver his limbs through the tiny water-closet.

Finally, the couple managed to slide the door open and slip out. Keller placed his hand on her lower back, noting the closed room door, and sighed deeply in relief, "Whew... that was way too close."

Janelle nodded in agreement.

The boy leaned closer toward her and said in a whisper, "Ok... get your c-clothes on.. we need to get out of here f-fast."

She pulled on her panties, followed by her pants and T-shirt. Keller did the same, carefully buttoning up his signature plaid over-shirt. Janelle behind him, the lanky feline cracked the door to the hospital room slightly and peered out. Aside from a janitor wheeling a cart of buckets and vacuum cleaners, the coast was clear. He fully opened the door, and politely allowed his dame out into the bland hallway.

The janitor, a droopy looking brown Bassett Hound, looked over his shoulder and held up a finger, "Any problems with the bathroom in there?"

"Uh... nope. Just fine," Janelle squeaked, her legs still feeling gelatinous from her recent orgasm. She leaned on Keller for support, then whispered, "C'mon. Let's head back to Trudy's room."

The disproportionate pair of spotty cats wandered through the winding hallways, taking many odd glances from passersby, until they reached the room in which the kitten lay.

"Where's your dad?" the boy inquired.

Janelle pursed her lips pensively, then giggled, "Out looking for us, no doubt."

He sighed, then looked down at the white-furred cub lying on her side in the bunk. "I really hope she's alright," he said with deepest sincerity.

The teen-aged leopard nodded, "She'll be ok physically... but I'm worried that she might never talk."

Keller shrugged, "Well... I didn't talk until I was four."

The door swung open, and Ken Biarde popped his head in, "There you are!" the white leopard stepped into the room, "Where've you been?"

"We were... looking for a gift for Trudy," Janelle replied, smiling brightly, "She's so hard to shop for, though."

Ken returned her smile, "That's really nice of you two," he looked out into the hall and muttered something to his wife, then looked back in, "Alright. Keep an eye on her, ok?" With that, he left their presence, probably off to retrieve his youngest daughter some of the crappy hospital food.

Janelle and Keller both sighed in relief, and she stated, "It was totally worth it."

Keller was unsure, but finally said, "I suppose so..." then something seemed to nag at him, "Janelle... if you were giving milk... does that mean...?"

"I... just came out of heat," she confessed innocently, tilting her fuzzy head and looking up at him.

"Oy vey..." the boy groaned, resting his face in his palm.

* * *

"...Yeah, so my dad walks in on me takin' a pee, right? So you know what I say?" Roderick continued, sipping some coffee out of a paper cup.

Riku giggled, "What?"

"I said: 'Hey dad, could you give me a hand? My doctor advised that I avoid heavy lifting.'"

The vixen slammed her face against the table, laughing and pounding her fist, "That's great! Did you seriously say that?"

"Yep." The wolf finished off his caffeinated beverage, and crushed the cup, "You want some more?"

She shook her head, having finished off her vanilla frappuccino, "Thanks Richie."

"Do you want a brownie, or a Danish?" the grey-furred lupine man insisted.

The girl blushed, "Oh... Richie, come on, you're spoiling me."

He cupped both of his hands over on of hers and smiled, his nose now nearly touching hers, "You're hard not to spoil..." he softly lapped her cold, wet sniffer with his tongue.

Riku giggled, "You're really nice, Richie... I would never have thought."

Richie woofed almost silently, taking this as an irrelevant point at which to bring up his next issue, "You know... I think I might start looking for a new job."

"Hmmm...?" the primitive interrogative caused the boy's ears to stand up, "Why? Don't you like being a cop?"

"Well... I do. It's nice to know I can help the town... but my boss..." Roderick shifted the little café chair, "Well... he's a complete jackass."

"Eh... don't worry about it," she assured him, "The world is filled with butt-wipes... to the brim it seems. You just have to learn to live with 'em."

The wolf shrugged, "Surely words of wisdom... but It's not as easy as it sounds. I think I might..." he scratched his nose and deliberately broke eye contact to look down at this own feet, "Quit."

Riku pursed her lips, figuring that him finding a new job might help the case of the many illegal drug-runs that she'd had in the past. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah... I think so. The force was nice... but I'm really too young. At least I never had to shoot anyone..." he sipped his coffee. "Though the pay was nice..." he muttered.

The vixen pulled at her collar, clearing her throat loudly. She spent a few awkward seconds trying to find the right words, "I... I believe that you should have the right job. Ehem... one that you like I mean."

"Thanks... I feel the same way. Most people do unless they're in it for the money," he looked optimistically around the cafe, smiling and shaking his head at the many wealthy young people enjoying their yuppie-drinks, laughing away their troubles with laid-back expressions, "Do you have a summer job?"

Riku tensed, her fluffy red tail going rigid; she would indubitably have to lie it off in a few moments, "Yeah... I'm a-" Don't say waitress. Don't say waitress... "I'm a cafe waitress." D'OH! The expression on her adorable vulpine face remained a forced smile, "I work..." The girl's thoughts were lightning-fast, if nervous: Not here... not here. The soda fountain? No. 'Javalu's'? Not on my life. Starbucks? Eh... Think... think, "I work here." Yes... that will have to do for now.

"Really? That's cool. Looks like a nice place; you seem to get enough of those little yuppies," Richie turned around, peering about again, "So... anyway. Becky, I was thinking, would you mind going for a movie or somethin' like?"

A generously sincere smile painted itself over the nervous wreck that was Riku's muzzle, "Sure! That's sounds like fun... anything in mind?"

"I want to see that new movie Heat... from director Adam Wan. Of course... maybe you'll want to see something a little less-"

"Nah... no that sounds good. Friday?"

"Sure. I guess I'll stick it to Ferdinand tomorrow-" Roderick began, finishing his coffee and crushing the paper vessel.

The fix-girl's behind jumped a few inches from the seat, "Ferdinand?!"

"Yeah. Captain Carl Ferdinand... why, you know him?"

Riku, her heart thumping, looked back toward the floor to her right side, "I've met his son..."

"Oh God... Alex. Yeah, he brings him into the station every once in a while. That kid's a little... oh what's the word...?"

"Bitchy?"

The wolf laughed loudly, "Bingo."

She looked at her wrist, though she wasn't wearing a watch, "Oh... boy. You know, I'd better head home, you know?"

"You need ride, Becky? I'd be more than happy-"

"No. I'll walk," Riku stood up abruptly, wincing at a loud metal clang from her flank as the little metal chair tipped over. She grumbled, a spiteful scowl curling her lip upward, showing some serious canine fangs as some of the young business-tacticians giggled at her from behind.

"You ok, baby?" asked Rod, softly grasping her hand.

The girl blushed, covertly picking up the small chair and standing it on its feet, producing a few more disruptive rings from the frame, "Uh... yeah. Dumb chairs couldn't seat a kitten..."

Roderick nodded reluctantly, vaguely disappointed that he had missed a potent opportunity for a romantic gesture. He stood up, stretched, and yawned, curling his long tongue up toward his palate.

Riku watched him leave, content that she had entered a momentary armistice from the vessel to her pointless lies. It seemed as if she were purposefully trying to sabotage her own efforts at a serious relationship; the constant masquerade, inevitable to be uncovered at some point, was her way of emptying her inner pain on her poor victims; a way to channel the memories of her childhood abuse into a more subtle, yet very precise and complicated attack on he who seemed to be a temporary numbing from the truth.

With a sigh, the girl turned around. May as well make this last. Every day was a proverbial walk along the Green Mile, but it only made this lonely fox tougher. Padding up to the counter, she peered over the espresso machine.

Her gaze was returned by a sparsely occupied-looking weasel boy, "Can I help you?"

"Yes... actually. I'm looking to apply for a job here," Riku replied, making eye contact regretfully.

"Hmm? Oh... ok. You need to talk to the shift manager... hang on a sec," the boy scurried down the hall, retrieving a second apron-clad boy.

Riku gazed at the shifts manager. He looked about in his early twenties, from the rounded edges of his lion-ears, his neatly clipped and pony-tailed mane, down to his tan-furred paw-feet. His nametag read 'Dennis'. He peered drably at Riku.

The vixen opened her mouth to speak, then shut it in a first attempt. Amidst the second attempt, she succeeded in blurting, "I'm here to apply for a job."

"Ah, ok. Sure, we've got one opening," the lion, Dennis, padded over to a pile of papers, and flipped up a page on his clipboard, "Yeah. 'General maintenance'. That's... cleaning off the counters, tidying up the sinks, and washing dishes."

She pursed her lips, "Actually, I was hoping for a job as a waitress."

"I'm sorry. We don't have an opening..."

Riku watched the weasel return to his work, spraying cups full of java and cream. She looked the lion in the eyes, "That's too bad..." she swiveled around. Swinging her hips seductively in a vulpine catwalk, Riku headed for the door.

The lion's eyes affixed on her behind, mindlessly tracking the metronomic movements of her fluffy tail.

The weasel, currently sweeping the floor behind the counter, quirked an eyebrow at him, "Dennis...?"

The vixen's ear stood up, and her face adopted a sly grin, her back to the boys.

Dennis quickly snapped out of his trance, looking over at his fellow employee, "What?"

"You were... eh... zoning out again," the boy waved a hand over the lion's eyes.

"Hm? Sorry," Dennis peered across he counter at a white feline waiting to be served, "You going to... take that guy?"

"Hey, hey, hold on. I'm getting kind of worried about you Dennis. Are you... well?"

"Yeah, Zach. Why?"

Riku quietly placed a tip on her table, mostly to stall for time to listen in on the conversation from a distance.

"Well, ever since Haley left you... you've been a bit off," Zach, the weasel, said. He gaped down the hall, wondering why no one was going to serve the customer; he resolved to keep this brief.

The grin on the vixen's face persisted as she heard this segment. She shot a glare back, her eyes meeting the lion's briefly as she exited the cafe. She knew she'd have to get his job. A single error in continuity could spark more suspicion from Richie. This, though, had given her a rather drastic idea.

"I'm fine, really. She's been really cool about it," Dennis paused briefly again.

"Are you sure...?"

"Of course... what do you mean?"

"Well... I don't really know how to put this..." Zach pondered for a moment, then said, "I saw her with another lion this morning... on campus."

Dennis sniffed, a tear nearly meeting his eye, "G-go help that guy over there, Zach."

"I'm sorry man," the grey-furred weasel reached up to touch his friend's shoulder.

"Just go." Dennis ordered. He took the broom from Zach, and began sweeping furiously, using the mindless cyclicality to drown out his emotion.

Meanwhile, Riku strolled down the sidewalk, back toward the nearby suburbs. She was feeling abnormally happy for herself, her pride striking another tally into her personal score. This ruse may work to her favor after all.

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Thus concludes another chapter in my series. I hope you enjoyed it, and also hope that you will excuse the quick ending. I had been preoccupied lately, which is why it took me so bloody long to complete it. Again, you have my sincere gratitude for donating your time to read this chapter, and I will begin work on the next one soon.