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The Biggs & Cunningham Detective Agency Part 1 (Unedited Text)

By Danath

This is the exact text from the 50K-in-a-Day Challenge written July 14, 2018, from midnight to 9:52 p.m. Besides running a spellcheck and removing stream-specific information, the text is unchanged from how it was written during the stream.

Huge thank you to everyone who watched the livestream:

Remetheus Lifeforce Maloo Sanmer Ursasoul CallMyLucifer Segmentium Vishki Graith Darwen Jayce Rykela Alkain Libra Taiko Machine Elf

Additional thanks and credit to:

Concept developed by Ursasoul (https://www.furaffinity.net/user/ursasoul)

Helena © Graith (https://lycantiger.sofurry.com/)

Liffy © Lifeforce (https://lifeforcer.sofurry.com/)

* * *

Case #000: The Origin Story

Chapter 1: Cunningham

* * *

"Sam!"

The sound of my own name surprised me and I jumped, whirled, and stared into the dark alleyway behind me, until I saw a familiar outline heading my way.

"You scared me, Biggs!"

I kept my voice to a whisper, though I knew we could just about shout and still not be heard by the people in the car down the street. Besides the safety the distance provided, a chill wind gusted around, whipping through the streets and sending old newspapers and other trash and dirt flying through the air. I clutched at my long trench coat and wondered why I still refused to wear trousers as a particularly brutish blast of wind made my knees shiver despite the long socks I wore beneath my dress.

"Thanks for keeping an eye for me, Sam," Biggs said, drawing closer to the corner with me.

Biggs is the boss. Well, my boss. He owns the Biggs Detective Agency, at which I'm the secretary. Considering I'm his only employee, though, and that my paychecks are usually delayed, I tend to take on a more managerial role when I can.

I've been with Biggs since high school. Well, not with. But friends with. Back in school, he was the tall and popular kid with a large group of friends. Even back then he was fastidious about his appearance, always ensuring his head fur was parted just right and that his long black claws sparkled. He viewed everything in high school as a competition and he wasn't about to lose to any other bear.

Whereas he was the popular student in high school, I was a hanger-on like many others. I was attracted to him for his looks at first, but soon I realized he was much more than just a pretty face. I mean, it's a great face - long and narrow black muzzle, broad lips and shining white teeth, and a plush pelt that moved like velvet, all of the long black fur so gracefully trimmed and styled it was hard to believe he did it all himself. Behind the bright brown eyes, though, he possessed an intelligence I've always envied.

I struggled for grades in school. Math, science, English... every subject had its own challenges that made it more difficult for me. The only classes I ever really enjoyed were the shop classes and gym. I was good with my paws and could fix or build most things, plus I was a big girl. You'd think being a nearly six-foot-tall grizzly in my sophomore year would have meant I'd find some level of acceptance in athletics, but being a female made my size irrelevant. I could out-run, out-throw, and out-weld all the other boys in my class, even Biggs, but my requests to try out for sports were always laughed down. I spent four long years on the cheer squad - primarily as the lifter and thrower - watching Biggs and the other boys compete on the field.

College was better. Biggs and I went to the same school again, and it was there that we truly became friends. Nothing more than friends, unfortunately. For as much as Biggs was popular, handsome, and smart, he was particularly bad at dating. I wasn't sure I'd ever seen him with a girl outside of a case.

In college, I earned a degree in physical biology. It would qualify me for a job as a nurse if worse came to worst.

Biggs spent four years studying every single thing he could get his paws on, then quit after I graduated because he didn't want to settle for a single degree. Instead of continuing his education, he started the Biggs Detective Agency and hired me.

So now I was here, peering around the corner of a butcher shop and keeping an eye on a couple of hardened criminals Biggs tailed to their latest meeting place. I wasn't sure who the client for the case was - possibly there wasn't a client and Biggs was just being Biggs.

Despite the cold and the mysterious nature of why Biggs asked me to tail these two, and without even knowing where my boss disappeared to for the past few hours, I was glad to see him. The wind didn't feel quite so strong when he squeezed my shoulder and leaned past me for a quick look down the street.

"Perfect," he said, relaxing his fingers and looking up at me.

I'd only gotten larger in college. Despite my gender, my body never gave up, and I topped out around six and a half feet - a little more if I counted my ears. Though they, like my long, dirty blonde hair, was hidden beneath a gray headscarf. I smiled at him and felt the familiar flutter in my chest. And that was really it, I knew deep down - the reason I still bothered styling my fur, wearing attractive clothes (what few I could find built with my size in mind, anyways). I've been crushing on Biggs since high school and he still didn't have a clue.

"All right," he continued, leaning in close. "We just need to make sure they don't leave anytime soon and everything will work out according to plan."

"What plan?" I groused. Biggs hated revealing details. He liked making me work to keep up with him, even though I never could.

"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

I nodded and returned my attention to the street, wondering just how long we'd be standing out here in the wind and blowing trash. I pulled my trenchcoat more tightly around my shoulders, then stiffened when I felt Biggs move in front of me and check around the corner again. As he leaned back, his hips and shoulders pressed against my front.

"Sorry about the closeness, but I don't want to lose them again," he whispered.

I didn't say anything. Fortunately, it's hard to detect a blush through my dark brown fur.

The empty street remained silent. A few cars passed, but none slowed down near us or our targets, who remained likewise in their darkened automobile down the street. We could see the silhouettes of their heads against the small bit of light that made its way into their car from the street lamps above, but that was all. As to their identities, I was in the dark.

"Here they come!"

Biggs hissed the words and pulled back around the corner, squeezing even more firmly into my front. I tried not to shiver as I felt his closeness and resisted the temptation to wrap my arms around his slim frame. Not the time, girl.

Instead, I waited for his signal. I wasn't sure what was going to happen or what part I was expected to play in this tableau, but I was going to be ready one way or another.

That was my plan, anyways, until a moment later when down the street the other way from us, the lights in the front of a shop turned on and screams rang out into the night. The door to the shop - a tobacconists, I think, though I couldn't remember in the moment - smashed off its hinges and skidded across the asphalt, followed by a pair of large figures clad in all black, including masks on their faces. The screams continued, echoing down the street.

"My vase! They stole my vase!"

Biggs swore. The car we'd been watching gunned to life and took off, the occupants apparently disturbed enough by the scene down the street to flee. He jumped out from the corner and watched helplessly as his quarry disappeared into the night.

"Damn, damn, damn! I thought we had a lead this time!"

I rushed past Biggs the other direction, towards the two figures running down the street towards us. In the entrance of the shop, an older bear in a white nightgown leaned out, still shouting and screaming with indignant rage.

I ran straight towards the two thieves, not even thinking for a moment. They were both shorter than me by a few inches and I know for a fact that I can be terrifying when I'm not careful - I've shocked more than a few clients who showed up expecting a petite, stereotypical secretary, only to be confronted by a tall, broad-shouldered, lumbering mass of grizzly bear.

These two acted almost like that, but the one on the left was a little more seasoned. The one on the right clutched a large, expensive vase to his chest and looked to the other one as they skidded to a halt in front of me. Behind me, I heard Biggs shouting my name, but I ignored him as I narrowed my eyes and focused on the vase.

"Hey, you're not-"

The empty-handed one on the left crumpled to the ground as I shoved my palm out, stopping him with a flat shot to the nose. The bear's muzzle crinkled, then relaxed by the time he stretched out across the sidewalk. I didn't slow down my charge until I was on top of the right-hand thief.

To his credit, he did try to throw the vase at me and run, but I caught the expensive object in one paw and cradled it to my chest, just the way I'd seen the football players back in high school. Without a pause, my right leg swung upwards and connected solidly between his legs.

When Biggs finally reached us, panting hard from the run, the stricken bear was curled up on the sidewalk next to his partner in crime and clutching at his crotch while a satisfying series of harsh, wheezing whimpers blubbered past his lips.

"Uh... Sam?"

I whirled. Biggs took a step backwards.

"I think you got 'em. Want me to contact Joe?"

I nodded, then forced myself to relax. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest.

"Can't believe you took off like that," Biggs said, coming up alongside me and staring down at the two thieves. "I mean, I knew you were fast, but... wow."

I grinned and turned my head so he wouldn't see. Biggs liked to think of me as his assistant, but rarely took me on cases. Tonight was special - he couldn't be here, so I was here in his stead. I was more reliable than Carl, at any rate, is what he'd said at the time. Maybe this would change his mind.

"You dirty rats!"

The matronly shopkeeper, black fur tinged with gray and white, reached us a few moments after Biggs and delivered a few kicks to the groaning figures on the ground. Still holding the vase, I reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her away.

"Whoa, whoa... just leave 'em for the cops," I said. "No point in you getting arrested too. Here."

The older bear's eyes widened as she took the vase from me. From the way her paw slid across the painted ceramic, I knew it was more than just a pretty object to her.

"Thank you!" she cried, turning towards me. As though seeing me for the first time, she lifted her head and looked me over up and down. "Really, thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

I held up a paw and smiled. "Right place, right time, is all. Anyone would have done the same."

"But still, it was you that did, and you're... well, you're not what I was expecting."

"Expecting?"

The matronly bear smiled back at me and shook her head. "Oh, listen to me rambling on, when we still have to deal with these two miserable scum-sucking blackguard bast- oh, listen! The police!"

Biggs returned as the first of the thieves was regaining consciousness.

"Found a pay phone a block away," he said. "Joe was already close by waiting for my call, so they'll be here in just a moment."

Turning his attention to the shopkeeper, he nodded.

"Are you okay, ma'am?"

The tobacconist just smirked and shook her head. "You're not what I expected, either," she said, jabbing a finger towards Biggs's chest. "But still..."

"Expected?"

Biggs looked at her, then at me. I just shrugged.

Within twenty minutes the thieves were bundled up inside a patrol car and hustled off to the local jail. Detective Joe Ansom took statements from the three of us.

"Really, Joe, it's just a simple robbery," Biggs said. "You don't have to do the statements. Leave it to a rookie."

Joe grinned. He was always grinning and he had the face for it - deep crinkles and creases across his forehead, saggy flesh under the chin and around the cheeks, and far too much long hair sprouting around his nostrils and ears. He was a good guy, though, and a terrific detective, provided he didn't have to run much.

"Nah, I'll book 'em. This'll keep the chief off my back for spending the last two days under the radar following your wild goose chase."

"Wasn't so wild, Joe... we nearly had them."

"Still, collaring these two is a big get. How'd you manage it?"

Biggs motioned towards me.

"Sam heard the ruckus and charged right in. Laid 'em both out before I could think twice."

Joe favored me with one of his larger-than-usual grins.

"Eh? Really? Not bad, Sam."

I grinned, a satisfied feeling warming me up despite the still-constant wind gusting around us.

"Ma'am?" Joe asked, turning to the shopkeeper. "Let's go inside your place and I'll get your statement as well."

The three of us went into the tobacconist's shop. I was hit by the strong scent of the dried leaf as soon as the door opened. The interior was warm and muggy to the point I felt like my head would spin. I leaned against a counter, out of the way on the side, as Joe and Biggs talked to the older bear.

Turns out the vase was a family heirloom and she kept it on display downstairs. Her apartment was on the second floor. The thieves made such a racket breaking in she'd come down and found them just about to empty her register. They bolted, taking the only thing that looked valuable in close proximity, and a few moments later I arrived on the scene.

"Seems simple enough," Joe said, closing his notebook with a snap and pocketing the pencil. "We'll book 'em. You might not even need to come down to the station - I'm gonna try to get confessions from both before morning."

"Thank you, officer! And thank you both, too!"

Biggs held up a paw. "Wasn't me - thank Sam here. She's the hero of the hour!"

I grinned despite myself. Joe excused himself and left, eager to go put the finishing touches on the case against the two would-be thieves, leaving me and Biggs alone in the shop with the elder bear.

"Definitely not what I expected," she said after a long pause. Her paw stretched out and caressed the large blue and white vase again, using a surprisingly delicate touch with her long claws. "But you're also more than I expected."

"Ma'am?" Biggs asked.

"Oh, don't mind me, just thinking out loud. Now sit down, both of you, and warm up before you go. I'm sure I've got some coffee around here somewhere..."

A few minutes later, Biggs and I sat on a pair of stools the shopkeeper brought out and sipped on our hot coffees. The drink was excellent and helped warm me up. It was late now, even colder than before, and I could hear the wind outside clattering around.

"Now, let me get a good look at the two of you," the bear said, brushing her gray and black hair back over her large round ears. She stood in front of Biggs, leaning over a touch, and looked him up and down for a few long, awkward minutes. Biggs tapped his foot on the floor as he waited for her to finish, a patient smile on his face, even when she stuck her fingers against his face and lifted his lips to look at his teeth.

Satisfied, she moved to me next. I tried not to blush from her stare. I'd been getting looks like that all my life because of my size - or just being confused with a male, thanks to my relatively small chest. I'd learned not to let it bother me. Being a graduate meant not having to deal with that every day, at least, but there was something about this bear's gaze that made my heart thump.

"Hmmm..."

The old bear's paw gripped my chin and turned my head side to side before she released her fingers and took a step back, then turned and walked back to her large blue and white vase.

"I've got just the thing," she murmured.

With careful finesse, she lifted the lid of the vase with her claws and reached inside, then withdrew a dark brown cigar box with a gold leaf trim around the edges of the lid. There were no names or other markings - just a simple, elegant box. She held in in her paws and returned to the two of us, then smiled at me and handed it over.

I accepted, though already Biggs was protesting.

"Oh, really, ma'am, there's no need," he said.

"That's right," I agreed. "I was just doing what anyone would do."

"Nonsense!" the bear said, pushing the box into my palms. "This is just the thing for the two of you. I know you'll enjoy them."

I lifted the lid and peeked inside the box. Arranged in two pristine rows, one on top of the other, a dozen fine cigars rested snugly. The smell of the tobacco was fresh, sharp, and rich, easily discernible through the rest of the smells in the small shop. Biggs leaned over and took a look as well.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, nodding his head. "I'm sure we will."

Biggs, I knew, never touched tobacco, and I followed suit, though only because I was still trying to get his attention by pretending to some ladylike tropes. As the wind howled outside, I once more debated giving up on all that and switching to trousers.

"Now, it's getting late, so I want you both to head straight home and stay warm," the shopkeeper said, a grin stretching open her muzzle. "You enjoy those cigars, too, when you get the chance. There's only one thing."

The shop darkened, though I'm sure it was just my imagination as the gray and white bear loomed forward, looking down at us despite her short height. The fur on the back of my neck stood up and I shivered despite the warmth of the room.

"You have to smoke the first two together, the two of you," she said, pointing a finger at the box of cigars. "They're meant to be enjoyed with company."

Biggs nodded and stood, smiling. He reached out with both paws and wrapped them around the shopkeeper's.

"We will, ma'am, and thank you very much. You're too kind," he said, shaking her hand with both of his before turning to me. "Ready to go, Sam?"

I nodded and stood, towering over the two of them. "Sure," I said, reaching out to shake the bear's paw as well. "Thank you."

The shopkeeper saw us both off at the door. We were a little ways down the street when I glanced back, but the door was closed and the lights were already off. But something seemed strange about the shop. The sign over the door was faded and hard to read, but earlier I was sure it was bright and colorful. And there was an awful lot of dust and dirt in the window that I hadn't noticed before either.

Probably just my imagination.

* * *

Chapter 2: Biggs

"So you see, Detective, that Mr. Gralitch is the only one who had the motive, the opportunity, and the means to commit this murder!"

I'm usually not one to get lost in the moment, but here was I anyways, grandstanding like some television dick, gesticulating with a madness to get to the truth in front of a crowd of people. Sam was behind me, as always, the perfect secretary. The rest of my office was crowded - four uniformed cops, Detective Joe, several lawyers, and the accused, who I'd just proved beyond shadow of doubt committed a crime most foul.

Mr. Gralitch's eyes bulged. The huge grizzly was tall and broad-shouldered and probably outweighed me by a good century and a half, but if he thought he could intimidate me, he was badly mistaken. As he'd just found out.

"I'll kill you, just like I did her!"

Gralitch roared and surged from his chair before any of the assembled police could react. A massive black-padded paw swiped at me from the right. I could see it coming, huge claws glinting, ready to tear my head clean off my shoulders. Why had I gotten so close to him? Was I that theatrical? Could I really not help myself? Maybe a nice big 5-lined scar running up my face would keep my ego in check next time.

I closed my eyes, but the blow never landed.

Instead, I heard an ugly snapping noise that surprisingly didn't come from me, then a howl of pain that also didn't come from me.

I opened my eyes and felt my muzzle drop open.

Sam, for not the first time, saved my hide. And done substantial damage to Gralitch's arm in the process.

My grizzly stood over the other, a snarl crossing her muzzle. Lips back, teeth bared, a growl echoing out of her chest - she was something else. I hadn't seen her like this since the night of the robbery a month ago. Then all of the sudden her snarl turned off and her arms shot up into the air.

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Sam said, facing Detective Joe, who, along with the uniformed officers, all just stared at my secretary with as much surprise on their faces as I'm sure I had.

"Okay, everyone calm down," Detective Joe said, trying to maintain his composure. "Get him out of here." He pointed at the four uniforms and then at the huge grizzly clutching his elbow to his belly on the wooden floor, then pointed at Sam. "And you, Cunningham, can put your hands down."

Sam sat down on her chair and leaned back, shaking her head. "I really didn't mean to - it just happened so quick."

Joe rested his paw on her shoulder. The black bear's face spread into a grin.

"I wouldn't worry about it. You've got four cops and a detective to back you up, and I really doubt he'll want to press charges anyways."

I went over to the coffee maker and poured a cup for Sam as I listened to Joe explain that no thug like Gralitch would ever admit to getting their arm broken by a lady. He made a joke of it to ease her mind and apologized to me when I came back over with the cup of coffee for Sam.

"You're a lucky bear," he said, nodding at me. "Gralitch moved a lot quicker than I would have expected. Without Sam, you'd be the one going to the hospital."

"Don't I know it," I said, handing Sam the coffee and grinning. "Must be my lucky day. First, Gralitch forgets his hat in the cab he took to get to the crime scene, and then when he's ready to create another victim, my secretary steps up and lays him out."

Joe headed for the door and put on his long black coat. As he buttoned it up, he turned back towards us.

"Good job today, the both of you. Gralitch and his associates aren't going to be on the streets anymore thanks to the two of you. If I get any more unusual cases, I'll make sure to send them your way," he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some paperwork to do."

"Better you than me," I said, waving as he closed the door.

Joe stuck his head back in. "Oh, and not for nothin', but Sam's better'n a secretary. Take her serious, Biggs. See you later, Cunningham."

For a few minutes, Sam and I sat in silence, but then I stamped my foot.

"What are we being so quiet for?" I demanded to Sam's surprise. "Not only did we close our first real case, but you destroyed that huge lug!"

Sam smiled a little, but it was hesitant.

"Well... yeah... I'm really happy you figured out all the clues from the evidence," she said. Her paws cradled the coffee mug as her smile grew. "I could never have put it all together like that. It was wonderful watching you work."

"Thanks, Sam. You were a big help. After all, you were the one who noticed the gun was cleaned recently."

I thought about what Joe said just before he left and a sudden thought hit me.

"Joe's right," I said.

Cunningham cocked her head to the side. "How's that?"

"You are more than a secretary," I said, smiling. I was going to fix a mistake I'd made early on in my friendship with Sam: not giving her credit for her hard work. I was going to be different than those coaches and teachers that told her to limit herself. "How does 'partner' sound? The Biggs and Cunningham Detective Agency. Has a good ring to it, huh?"

Sam reacted how I would have expected: shock, then gratitude, then serious consideration, and after a few more moments, a big smile.

"That's amazing, Biggs!" she said, setting down her coffee. She stood up and wrapped her arms around me in a huge hug. I could feel her body squeezing the breath out of me as she leaned back, completely lifting me off the floor. Damn, but she was powerful.

"Okay, okay!" I gasped as she set me down. "Listen, partner, just one rule: don't do that again. Nearly suffocated me!"

Sam grinned and snapped her fingers, ignoring me.

"I know just the thing! Remember that cigar shop? I still have the box here in my desk! Let's have one to celebrate. It's what the detectives in the movies do - hang around the office smoking cigars and having a scotch when they solve a case."

I caught my breath and grinned as she bent over her desk, rummaging through the drawers. That was a good idea, though I'd never had a cigar before and wasn't sure if I'd like it or not.

"Have you ever smoked a cigar before, Sam?"

The large grizzly shook her head. "Nah, though my grandpa did. I always liked the smell, though. I suppose I never did because it's not considered ladylike," she said, "but I won't tell if you don't."

For some reason Sam was always worried about not being proper - a real lady - but it was her improper features I liked the best. Like how she kept trying to get on the sports teams even after being told "no" so many times, or how she was really good with machinery. And, as she'd now proved several times, with protecting my back. All fine qualities for a partner.

"If I remember right, the old panda who gave them to us wanted us both to enjoy them anyways," I said.

"You're right, I remember she said something about that. Oh, here!"

Sam pulled the gilt-edged dark blue box from her desk drawer. The intricate gold edgework shone under the lights. Using a claw, she sliced open the paper band holding the lid shut and flipped it open, revealing the top row of six cigars, with the edges of the six forming the lower row visible from the side angle. They were large, probably an inch thick and seven or eight inches long, with gold bands three-quarters-of the way up. There was no brand or manufacturing information on the bands, just a pair of stamped letters - "MM" - painted black and surrounded by a stamped circle in the foil, also painted black. My former secretary held the box up to me and I plucked one out. I pinched it between my thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger, unsure if I was holding it correctly or not, until I noticed Sam using just the tips of two of her large claws to pull it along her nostrils.

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Start of 50k Livestream

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Sam noticed my gaze and shrugged her shoulders.

"I saw my uncle smell them like this," she said, sounding a little abashed. "I don't know if these are good or not, but I like the smell."

I imitated her, drawing the long cigar beneath my nostrils. She was right - the tobacco did have a pleasant scent with a hint of fruit and sweetness on top of a heavy base.

"Let me do the honors," I said, digging into my desk drawer. I kept a pack of matches in there for clients, and I fumbled only a little as I flicked it against the scratch paper to light it.

Sam used her front teeth to nip off the tip of the cigar and leaned forward as I held out the match. The moment stretched on and on as I watched her lips purse and the tip of the cigar glow red. Smoke swirled around her eyes as she looked back at me, both of her ears forward, until I yelped and dropped the match.

Sam giggled and leaned back, exhaling a large cloud of pungent smoke. I blew on my singed fingers and struck another match to light my own cigar, carefully nipping the tip as Cunningham had done.

Neither of us spoke as the tobacco smoke filled the room. I'd never had a cigar before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the taste was surprisingly good. It wasn't as harsh as I might have expected. Probably wouldn't make a habit out of it, but I had to admit it was more enjoyable the longer I held it. I watched Cunningham take long draws, causing the tip of her stogie to light up, before she tipped her head back and blew the smoke towards the ceiling, where it rushed around the exposed light bulbs.

I stared at Sam, wondering why she stuck with me despite everything. I knew she had a crush on me, but despite my bravado, talking to people about my feelings isn't something I consider one of my stronger skills. Maybe it wasn't fair to her, but I've tried hard not to lead her on over the past few years. And besides, even if I did enjoy the company of the ladies, I'd still want her as a friend, nothing more.

Or would I? I had to admit, as I let the warm vapor roll past my tongue, that there was something about the way she handled Gralitch earlier. I froze up, but she was ready to go in an instant. Not to mention all the times she got the car running... or when she fixed the leaky sink... or the myriad other times she'd been helpful and friendly and nice. And now, as I watched her eyes half-lidded and relaxed, I thought I felt a stirring of something else for the large brown bear.

Probably my imagination. The rush from the tobacco hit me hard, I suppose, because the next half hour or so was a blue. I remember idle chatter with Sam, but we didn't talk about anything in particular. We mostly enjoyed the cigars, until the whole room filled with a thick haze of smoke, teasing my nostrils with the flavor and scent even when I wasn't taking another draw.

At some point Sam found a ceramic mug that we used as an impromptu ashtray, but before I knew it, my cigar was down to a stub, no more than an inch left from the wet tip. I felt relaxed, more relaxed than I had been in a while, as I stubbed it out in the bottom of the mug. I passed the cup to Cunningham, who looked even more relaxed than I did. She slouched in her chair and kicked her feet up, causing her short dress to flutter and reveal her long and thick thighs. I caught myself staring again and blinked. Maybe I needed to focus on a case instead of my new partner.

A movement caught my eye and I turned my head, watching Sam's finger slide across the top of the box, tracing the gilt edge with a claw.

"I think I might have one more," she said, her voice low and husky. "What about you?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was late, but then again, we didn't put away a murderer every day, either. It was the first big case, after all.

"You know what... I will," I said. "And I think we need something else to go along with them."

Sam grinned when she saw me go for the bottle of expensive whiskey I kept in my lower desk drawer. I rarely touched the stuff, but sometimes it was useful to offer a client, I'd found. Helped settle the nerves, I suppose.

I pulled the bottle and a pair of heavy-bottomed tumblers, poured a finger into each, and handed the glass to Sam, who held it in the same paw as her fresh cigar. She lit hers and then mine, and as the clouds of smoke once more filled the air, I found myself leaning back in my chair, occasionally sipping the whiskey, and thinking about Sam. I must have been close to dozing, though I'm sure I kept smoking the cigar, because it was down to a short stub again after an hour. I could hardly see Sam through the haze in the office and coughed as the spiciness of the pungent cigars made my nostrils quiver.

Half the bottle of whisky was gone. When had I poured another drink? Well, it was a celebration, after all. I glanced at Sam, who was leaning back in her chair like me, a beatific smile on her large muzzle as gray smoke curled from her nostrils. She held her cigar in front of her lips, turning it slightly one way or the other between long, slow draws. Her claws just pinched the barrel, holding it lightly as her unfocused eyes looked across the room towards me.

Her eyes widened, though, as she looked past me to the wall. Her large frame sat up and leaned forward, stubbing the cigar out in the mug with the remains of the previous stogies.

"Is it really midnight already?" she asked.

I turned in my chair and glanced over my shoulder at the clock. So it was.

"I wouldn't worry about it," I said, hearing myself talk as though from far away. "We're celebrating, and we don't have another case yet anyways."

Sam glanced at me, curious at my demeanor, but I just smiled and motioned for her to hand me the mug we were using as an ashtray.

"It's not that late yet," I said. "Let's have one more. Besides, we both need to finish our drinks."

The bottle was empty by the time we finished our third cigar each, leaving the dark blue box half empty. I opened a window at some point, allowing a little fresh air to circulate among the smoky haze, though it didn't seem to do much good. The scented smoke hung thick in the air as ever. Sam stared at me for a good long while, starting about halfway through the third cigar, until I was squirming under her gaze.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up in my chair.

"Huh?"

"Why are you staring?"

"Oh. Oh! Was I staring?" she asked, eyes widening. "I didn't realize..."

She trailed off as I leaned back and drew from the tip of the large cigar. I liked the way my lips tingled and plumped against the dark brown wrapper, and apparently Sam liked the way I looked doing it, because she stared with an even more focused gaze as I slowly exhaled. Well, that was alright.

For a brief moment, I felt like something was off, like I'd changed somehow, but the moment was fleeting and probably paranoid. After all, I was smoking and drinking, two vices I'd regularly avoided for so long, though I was re-considering that stance after such an enjoyable evening with Sam.

The feeling passed quickly and I smiled as I took another draw on the cigar. Sam's eyes didn't waver as she stared at me, and I shifted my hips a little and pressed out my chest. Sam was a big girl, much bigger than me, but right now, I kind of liked that she was so tall and broad-shouldered. All through high school I watched her struggle with her size, but she always handled herself with class. It's why I invited her to work for my agency in the first place - I thought she'd be good with clients in the office. I guess I underestimated how valuable she'd be in the field as well.

Sam's lips drew back and a low growl rumbled through the room. I recognized the sound immediately - it was one I'd heard before, usually just before I got into bed with someone.

The brown bear's large eyes widened again as she realized she was making the noise and her lips clamped shut. I just grinned and twisted my shoulders, stretching my upper body. Teasing Sam was fun. Just like cigars. Two new hobbies in one night - definitely a success.

We both finished our third cigars around the same time. Despite the rich and smooth flavor, my throat was dry and parched. I'd probably feel a bit of a hangover in the morning, especially considering we knocked back an entire bottle of whisky between us. No wonder Sam was acting a little forward, which wasn't like her. Well, usually.

I leaned back in my chair again and closed my eyes after stubbing out my cigar. My glass dangled from my fingers as I breathed deep, inhaling not just the scent of the cigar smoke still drifting through the air of the office, but the brown bear's scent, which was strong enough to be quite noticeable despite the two of us going through six cigars altogether. Sam really did smell nice, I thought, just on the verge of sleep. I'd have to remember to tell her in the morning...

Chapter 3: Sam

I woke up on the floor, still holding the stub of the last cigar I'd had the previous night in my fingers. I felt a warm weight against my side and blinked, trying to clear my head. My muzzle was fuzzy and felt about as furry as my pelt. I started to shift, but the warm weight against my side let out a noise and squirmed closer against my hip. I froze and looked down.

Biggs curled up against me, still sleeping. His shirt was off, but he still had his pants on. I watched his chest rise and fall with his slow, regular breathing, and shook my head. Some strange thoughts ran through my mind as I watched him... very strange thoughts. One of Biggs's arms draped over my belly, just under my chest, as he started to snore. I grinned despite myself. He was very cute when he slept. I reached out without thinking and stroked a claw through the dark black fur on the back of his neck, eliciting a murmur and a wriggle from the black bear before I pulled my paw back.

What was I doing? I couldn't use my claws like that. Biggs and I weren't... I mean, he was laying on top of me and all, but still... I didn't... I mean, it was...

Confused and hungover, I abruptly sat up. Biggs's eyes flew open as he slid off my stomach and onto the floor.

"Oof!"

"Oh, sorry," I said, getting to my feet. "Here."

I helped Biggs to his feet, but froze when he stood up straight.

"Uh... Biggs, how tall were you last night?" I asked.

He grinned. "Same height I've always been. You had a little too much to drink, I think!"

But Biggs wasn't the same height he'd been the night before. Sure, I'd always been taller than him at six-foot-six, but the black bear was also on the taller end of things, even if he didn't have the same mass as I did. Now, however, as he stretched his arms over his head, yawning, I could tell he was at least six inches shorter.

And as I looked more closely at him, I realized there were other differences as well. His hips didn't quite fit his trousers as well anymore and squeezed outwards, especially in the back. His shirt, once he pulled it over his head, hid the new plumpness in his belly and chest, whereas last night he'd been fit, if not muscular.

"Biggs? You're shorter than you were yesterday," I said, still trying to figure out what had happened. The previous night was kind of a haze. Cigars... some whiskey... more cigars...

"I think you're imagining things," Biggs said. He reached up with a paw and tapped the end of my muzzle on the nose, then grinned and turned. "I'll get us each a glass of water. That'll help you think straight!"

The black bear turned and walked towards the kitchenette in the back of the small office with a definite swish to his rump. The stub of a tail poking out through the trousers flicked as I watched him go, a warmth spreading from my thighs as some primal and instinctual thoughts drifted once more through my head.

I watched him even more carefully when he returned with two cups of water, one of which I accepted gratefully. I kept watching him as I sipped at the cool liquid. He moved differently. More smoothly. He was always confident, but now there was something almost sultry to the way he lifted the cup to his lips, tipped it up, and then glanced towards me from beneath his long eyelashes.

Long eyelashes? They were long. The black bear's eyes fluttered a little as he grinned and sipped.

"You sure seem to see something you like," he said without lowering the cup.

I felt a heat in my cheeks, but shook my head. "Biggs, I think something is wrong. You're shorter than you were yesterday, and you're moving weird, and also... well... you..."

The black bear rolled his eyes. "It's just your hangover, Sam. Playing tricks on you."

"I don't think so, Biggs," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "You look different somehow."

"I really think you're imagining things," the black bear said. "Let's go get some breakfast and maybe you'll feel better after we eat."

Did he really not notice anything was different? Did this have something to do with the cigars? Mabel acted strange while we were at her shop. I made a mental note to go back there to ask her about it later, but right now, Biggs was distracting me. As if noticing his shirt for the first time, he pulled it back off and sniffed it before making a face.

"Ick," he said, draping it over the back of his chair. "Fortunately, I have a spare. Be prepared, right, Sam?"

I licked my lips as a few more strange feelings fluttered through my loins and chest as I watched Biggs lean over and open a draw on his desk. His wide hips wiggled, stub tail wagging, as he pulled out a clean shirt. I was disappointed, I realized, when he pulled it over his shoulders, covering his plump and smooth belly and chest for the second time.

"C'mon, Sam - let's wash up and go to the diner for coffee. We've got to talk about where we're going to find out next case."

I followed Biggs out of the office, feeling like I was still in a daze. I stopped at the doorway and turned off the lights. A shaft of light cut in through the window, illuminating the dark blue box still resting on top of my desk, making the gold edges shine. I stared at the box until Biggs called at me from down the hallway.

"Coming!" I said, casting one more look back at the cigar box before closing and locking the door.

Biggs chattered my ears off at the diner, reliving the glory of the previous night over and over, praising me for dealing with Gralitch so efficiently, and how he was going to go shopping to celebrate.

That last part grabbed my attention.

"Shopping?" I asked. "You?"

He looked injured and paused, a forkful of sausage and light gravy hovering in front of his lips.

"Yes, shopping," he said, an indignant note to his voice. "I do need to buy clothes now and then, you know."

"You've always just ordered from the catalog," I said. "I don't remember you ever going out to a shop."

"Well, I'm trying something new," the black bear said, pushing the fork into his muzzle. After chewing and swallowing, he continued. "These pants just aren't fitting right anymore. I think they shrunk."

"Biggs, I'm serious about this. You're shorter than yesterday."

"I really think you're imagining things, Sam," the black bear said, grinning. "And anyways, maybe I'm not shorter. Maybe you're taller. Ever think of that?"

I hadn't, in fact, thought of that, and I left the bemused Biggs at the table as I rushed to the ladies' washroom and stared at myself in the mirror.

I was taller. Not by much, but enough to be noticeable. I was closer to seven feet now. And what was more, my clothes felt a bit tight, just like Biggs. I lifted an arm and curled, watching as the large bicep flexed outwards against the dress. I'd always been a big girl, but this was new - the ball of muscle was much larger than before. I flexed my arm a few more times, a bit self-conscious all of the sudden. After all, I spent a lot of time trying to act ladylike, and suddenly having gigantic arms wasn't going to do much for my figure.

What was I thinking? My body was literally changing overnight and I was worried about my looks? I had to get Biggs and myself to a hospital. Or a priest. Or back to Mabel's shop and get some answers out of her.

My arm paused. I'd been flexing this whole time, and what was more, I could feel the smirk on my muzzle. My brain, at least the part I wasn't consciously controlling, was enjoying this very much. I wondered if Biggs would like it, too.

I shook my head. I was really losing it. Biggs wasn't into big muscles, especially not on ladies. I think.

When I returned to the table, Biggs was finished eating. His nostrils flared as I sat down and he leaned forward, smiling.

"We both still smell like cigars," he said, lips spreading to reveal his white teeth. I resisted the sudden impulse to press my muzzle forward and lock onto his. "Smells good, though."

"Uh... yeah..."

His fingers inched across the table and rested on top of mine.

"Sam, you seem distracted. Are you okay? You know I'm serious about us being partners, right?"

I nodded and grinned.

"Yeah, I am, I'm just... I think you're right, maybe I am a little hungover," I said, trying to sound convincing.

If Biggs wasn't aware of the changes for some reason, but I was, what did that mean? Did Mabel intend for me to be unaware like the black bear?

A million more questions ran through my mind, but they all stopped when I felt Biggs's claws squeeze into my paw.

"You've barely touched your breakfast," he said. "Sure you're feeling all right?"

I nodded and grabbed my fork, chowing down as he started talking about what kind of case he wanted to take on next. I listened with half an ear, not really paying too much attention. He was the brains, after all, always trying to be one step ahead of everyone else. I had more pressing concerns, like why I was growing larger and why Biggs was shrinking, and whether those cigars and the strange panda shopkeeper had anything to do with it.

After breakfast, I decided, I would go back to the shop. After a quick stop at home to shower and change. My dress smelled quite strongly of the tobacco, and though the scent wasn't bad, I noticed a few of the other diner patrons glancing over at the two of us occasionally and sniffing the air.

Biggs went off on his shopping trip while I headed to my small studio apartment. It wasn't nice, but it was cheap, and after a quick shower and change, I hailed a cab to take me back to Mabel's tobacconist shop.

It was the same street, same row of small businesses, but of Mabel's store, there was no trace. The storefront was empty and vacant. It looked like it hadn't been occupied in quite some time, which was confirmed by the neighboring store owners when I went in to ask.

This was all getting too weird for me to understand. How could a store be there one day, then be gone without a trace the next? The strangest thing was that neither of the neighbors even recalled a tobacconist occupying that location...

Chapter 4: Biggs

"Sam! What do you think?"

"Biggs? Is that you?"

I grinned and used a paw to flip my hair to the side of my face. I had a fashionable short trim with blown-back bangs. A sleek red shirt hung around my shoulders, a brighter and brasher color than what Sam was probably used to me wearing, and a tailored pair of black pants that, I thought, did an admirable job of accentuating my rear end.

As I pressed my hips backwards, showing off that very rump, I could tell Sam thought it was nice as well.

The large brown bear's eyes widened and her lower body wiggled as her tail flicked back and forth behind her. At least she wasn't trying to convince me I'd shrunk anymore. That was some sort of weird joke, I suppose, but I didn't really get it.

I'd returned to the office after going out for new clothes. I ended up with a few shirts, a couple pairs of pants, and several hats. Maybe I'd take Sam out shopping sometime too. She was still in her dress from the previous day, but it was ill-fitting and hardly appropriate for someone her size. It barely came down to mid-thigh on the large brown bear and the sleeves cut into her large arms, which stretched the fabric flat.

I turned around and shook my head. "Forget about my clothes, though," I said. "Sam, we've got to do something about this."

The large bear glanced down at herself. She opened her muzzle, about to say something, but closed it again and shook her head, a confused look on her long muzzle.

"Listen, forget about that for now," I said. I didn't mean to make her feel bad, so I decided to change the subject. "I've ordered some food and it's going to be delivered soon. I have a list of potential clients and I want us to go over them tonight."

I reached into the paper bag near the foot of my desk and withdrew another bottle of whiskey, the same brand as the previous night.

"I also want us to get a little drunk again, because you need to relax," I said, grinning. "C'mon, Sam! Our first big case closed! The whole world is in front of us! Get a little excited!"

The brown bear grinned and nodded at that, returning my smile at long last. I handed her the bottle, then headed around her to her desk.

"Oh! And we can have another cigar, too!"

The cigars really had grown on me. I hadn't had a scratchy throat like I thought I might have, and to be honest, smelling Sam's smokey clothes really made my mouth water.

Before Sam could object, I pulled a pair of stogies from the box and carefully bit off the tips before handing one to her.

"Biggs... I know you think I'm crazy, but we're changing and I'm not sure why. Or what it means. Or even who's doing it," she said, "but I think it has something to do with these cigars."

"Oh, come on, Sam, what's the game? Weren't you trying to convince me I'd shrunk this morning even though my clothes were too tight?"

"Biggs, I'm not playing a game! Something weird is going on! I went back to the cigar store and it wasn't there!"

"Stores close, Sam."

"But the shops next to it said there wasn't ever a tobacconists there!"

"They were probably just confused. C'mon, relax and enjoy a cigar with me," I said, striking a match and talking around the rolled leaf in my muzzle. "Pour the whiskey while I get this started. And then we're going over the list. What do you think about Admiral Bennet? He called last week about a missing necklace."

Sam looked as though she wanted to keep arguing about it, but in the end, she just sighed and struck a match to light her cigar. I paced back and forth as she sat the desk, making notes on the paper containing the list of names. Just like the previous night, I could feel Sam's eyes on me as I walked back and forth. I liked the attention, even if I hadn't really appreciated it coming from Sam before. But now there was something about the brown bear I found appealing. Maybe she was right... maybe something had changed...

I turned and leaned back against the front of Sam's desk, hiking up my backside to make sure my rump spread across the top of the desk as I leaned forward a bit for maximum effect. This was a simple test.

"So, Sam, should we call Bennet tomorrow morning? Think we can track down the diamonds?"

No reply. I grinned and glanced over my shoulder. "Sam?"

The brown bear's glazed eyes flicked up to meet mine, back to my rump, and then rapidly up again.

"Oh! Yes, yes, I think that's a good case to start with," she mumbled, looking down into her lap. I could tell she was flushed under all that fur and grinned.

Suspicions confirmed. Interesting.

I swung my legs over and around, so that I sat facing Sam. My thighs shoved her pen and paper to the side as I leaned forward, taking a draw on my cigar and blowing upwards, over her head, as she stared at me again. I could smell her scent. It was nice... how had I not noticed it before?

Sam finally seemed to relax as I got closer. She took a lazy draw on her cigar and blew the smoke upwards, but most of it spread around my face. She giggled as I coughed, eyes watering, until I had to lean back to escape the cloud she sent towards me.

We didn't talk much after that. I enjoyed her company more than anything else as I leaned back on her desk, legs dangling over the side, her in the chair a few feet away, both of us puffing contentedly on our stogies and sharing a glass of whiskey.

As the smoke filled the room, I imagined I could hear Sam's heartbeat. I imagined pressing my fingers against her arms and feeling the swell of her biceps. I imagined her pressing against me, her muzzle seeking out mine...

I imagined a lot of things as, wordlessly, we finished our cigars and each lit a fresh one. And after that one, as the clock continued ticking, the last two cigars in the box of twelve.

By the time the final cigars were little more than damp butts and the bottle of whiskey was down to drops in the bottom of our shared glass, the clock showed it was late in the night. I yawned, more tired than I thought, and Sam followed suit. Her eyes hadn't left me all night as we smoked and drank together in near silence, though I think out scents did most of the talking.

I don't remember falling asleep or even getting down from Sam's desk, but in the morning, I woke up on the couch along the back wall of the office. A pair of large arms wrapped around my chest and stomach, keeping me from rolling off onto the floor. A deep and contented sigh rolled through my ears as the warmth pressing up against my backside shifted.

I grinned and wiggled backwards, shivering as Sam's claws stroked through my chest fur. I'd lost my shirt at some point, and only my trousers remained. Sam was still in her dress. I could smell the smoke in her clothes as she slid her fingers higher, between my smooth pacs and under my jaw, scratching through my pelt.

"Good morning," I said, enjoying the closeness. My wide hips flattened against hers, plush and plump as ever.

"Morning," she said, her voice more a grunt as her nose pressed into the back of my neck.

I shivered as I felt her sniff and press her nose more firmly into my pelt. Her claws tightened, pulling me back into her large chest. I reached back and pressed my palm against her side as she snuffled into the back of my neck again, a low growl rolling across my ears.

"You seem excited," I said, trying to sound sultry as she stroked my chest again.

"I... I am?"

The confusion in her voice confused me, but her grip didn't relax, so I brushed it off. She'd been acting a bit strange the past day or so, but hopefully it was just a phase. I needed my partner working at peak efficiency if we were going to make short shrift of the next case.

I shifted my hips, grinning as I felt a familiar bulge press against the back of my thighs.

"Very excited," I said.

Large paws suddenly released and I tipped forward, rolling down Sam's arms and landing in a pile on the floor as she sat up suddenly and grabbed at herself, pulling her dress up.

I shook my head. She really was losing it.

"Sam?" I asked, watching as she lifted up the skirt of her dress and looked between her legs. There was a weird look on her muzzle, like she found something she wasn't expecting. I couldn't imagine what, though. It's not like a bear her size could really hide it all that well.

"Biggs, this is so strange... I don't think... this is right. Something is... different."

I laughed. She was being so weird.

"Sam, we've been over and over this. Nothing is different. I think you're getting some deja vu maybe." I leaned forward and slid my fingers into the fur around her shoulders. "Maybe I should take your mind off what's troubling you..."

That got her attention. The brown bear's large head swung towards me. Even though I was standing and she was sitting, Sam was still as tall as me. When she stood, she was a towering presence, almost eight feet tall. Besides making a great impression on potential clients, my large partner made an indelible impression on me. I leaned forward, claws tickling through the exposed fur on her shoulders again. Sam turned towards me, paws stretching out to grasp at my hips.

"Biggs..."

I smiled and leaned in, brushing my nose against hers.

"Yes, partner?"

"I don't... I don't think..."

"You don't have to think..."

I leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers. That usually got her mind of things. At least it did this time, because her paws wrapped around my hips and pulled me forward, an urgency in her grip as I felt my lips spread around her tongue.

Her claws pressed into my lower back, pulling my hips forward, between her wide and powerful thighs. The hem of her dress rode up, exposing more and more of her long legs, until my stomach squeezed up against hers. I wrapped my arms around her thick neck, barely able to stretch my slight frame to reach, as her fingers stroked over my hips and clutched my large rump, smooshing the claws into the fabric of my pants and padding on my hips.

A low growl, part groan, echoed into my muzzle from hers as she tugged me forward until my hips ground between her thighs, squeezing against the masculine bulge in her straining panties. I smiled into the kiss as her fingers kneaded at my rump, getting a little rough, just the way I liked it. I could feel the tension in her as she pressed her tongue deeper, tasting me as I tasted her. Before long, she was hard against my lower belly and my lips and muzzle were coated in saliva.

I pulled away, gasping and grinning as she growled again, claws dimpling into my hips. I slid my hands down from her neck and over her arms, groaning a little as I felt the powerful biceps curl for me. She huffed, large lips spread as she leaned back on the couch. The dress hugged her chest, showing off the curves of her stocky, powerfully muscled body. Around her hips, the dress tented across her bulge, which I quickly set to work exploring with my fingers as she stared, muzzle open, moaning like it was her first time.

My fingers disappeared beneath the dress and she groaned even louder. I could feel the heat of her arousal, the fullness of the member trapped inside the feminine panties. The smooth fabric felt nice across my palms as I pressed my fingers more tightly around the length, squeezing and stroking until her growls increased in volume and echoed through the office.

Her claws and fingers tugged at my pants, undoing my belt and pulling them down, followed quickly by my plain white underwear. I really should have worn a nice pair for her. I shuddered as her palm closed around my thickness. I was embarrassingly hard, but then, I also got overly aroused around Sam. Could I be blamed? She was large, muscular, and just the right shade of dominant when she got going - and this morning, I decided I wanted her engine revving.

I pressed forward and clambered over her lap, settling my wide, plump rear end down around her bulge. My fingers stroked over her shoulders before cupping her chest, slowly massaging her large mammaries while her muzzle pressed forward against mine for another deep kiss. Her tongue pressed deep, faster and more eagerly this time, as I felt a rhythmic throbbing between my spread thighs.

"Ash..."

I shuddered. Sam rarely used my first name, and when she did, it sent little shivers of need up my spine, like it always did. I moaned and squeezed close as she lifted her arms and tugged at her dress. The too-small garment ripped in her claws because it was trapped under my hips, but neither of us cared in the heat of the moment, especially not when I could get my paws on her thick nipples. The large brown bear's muzzle broke from mine as a low gasp left her lips. I grinned, leaning forward, and nuzzle between her breasts, while both of my thumbs rolled around the large aereolae in small, tight circles. Her paws descended around my hips again, squeezing and pushing, rolling me suggestively against the swell of her arousal.

I lifted my hips and gasped when she tugged down her panties, freeing the beast inside. I wasn't exactly tiny between the thighs, but my partner was huge, dwarfing my own. She seemed embarrassed of it, though, so I reached down and pulled it up, making her shudder and groan as I held it between her bellies.

"Biggs... Ash... I can't..."

"Shhhhhh," I said, rolling my paws around the tip, teasing the throbbing maleness with my fur. "You just relax, Sam..."

The grizzly's eyes stared at me, half-lidded, as I leaned forward, hips rising higher. I shuddered as I felt the familiar thickness squeeze under my tail, as it had so many times before. Before Sam could get any more strange ideas, I did my best to show her everything was just fine. I pushed back, rump cheeks spreading around the wide girth of Cunningham's arousal. She gasped and clutched at me, claws digging into my hips, pulling me down until I groaned and pressed my fingers into her shoulders.

"Easy," I gasped. "You're a big girl, remember?"

Instantly the pressure alleviated and I shuddered as the tip of her maleness throbbed under my short, stubby tail. I could smell her scent, her arousal, and grinned down at her as I leaned forward, spreading my thighs and pushing back again, comfortable once more with her thickness. Even though I'd done this so many times, Sam was really packing... she always stretched me.

"Hahhhh..."

I sighed as I sunk down over the thickness, feeling its warmth fill my insides. The grizzly seized up and grunted deep in her chest, claws pricking through my black fur to the skin below as the last few inches sunk in. She was so thick, but I couldn't get enough of her, especially when she groaned and moaned and grabbed at me so possessively.

My eyes closed as she leaned forward and turned. Her heavy chest pressed down against me as my face slid across her deep brown pelt, somewhere between her neck and breasts. I stuck my legs out to the sides, knees bending and locking around her wide hips. I tried to get my ankles to hold on to each other, but she was too wide in the midsection.

She started slow, drawing back just a little before grinding in. I wriggled underneath her, gasping as her heavy weight pinned me down. The heat and warmth of her body thrilled me as my length flexed into her stomach. Her hips pumped forward, grinding into me, stretching me and filling me until I could hear myself gasping and moaning her name again and again.

"Nnnggg... Sam... yes, Sam! Yes!"

The grizzly's low growl of pleasure made my whole body vibrate as the thrusts increased in pace, almost like she was getting more and more confident with each stroke - but then, that's how she usually was. I liked getting her excited, building her up to this moment, when the line between primal instinct and passion blurred.

Her claws dug into my hips, dimpling my rump, as her thick sausage sawed into me, deep to the hilt each time now, eliciting one high-pitched moan after another from my open muzzle. The firm cushions of the green sofa beneath me wrapped around my narrow shoulders as her huffing pants echoed in my ears. I cried out, louder, unable to help myself as she hammered me, filling me as only she could, until I clutched at her shoulders, clenching and seizing and flexing around her invading stalk. I came into the thick fur of her belly as she lowered herself atop me, stroking deeper and harder yet.

Her shoulders lifted, stretching back. One huge paw spread across my chest, pinning me, as her other paw grabbed my leg and shoved it outwards, stretching my hamstring and exposing me fully to her invading length. With renewed vigor, her hips pumped in, harder and with more conviction. I put my arms over my head, unable to reach her shoulders now, and moaned back, crooning as her body shoved against mine, rocking me backwards every few seconds, maying my whole backside slide up and down the couch as she lunged into my upturned hips.

Sam's a big gal, but the noises she makes when she's about to pop inside me are the cutest you've ever heard. First, her lips pull back like she's about to snarl. Second, her breathing gets real huffy and deep. And finally, she lets out this long and quavering sort of grunt that's somewhere between my name and a curse word.

The warmth fills my backside and I go limp. I can feel my cock firing again as the thrills of another orgasm shoot up my spine, but I'm more focused on her. The muscular grizzly bear is just so huge and powerful that I can't resist her, but at the same time, she's gentle with me, always being careful not to get too rough even when I ask her to. It's cute, really, for someone as big as her, when the stereotype of grizzlies is so much different.

Her heavy torso collapses against me after the third flex of her thickness and I gasp as she squeezes the breath out of me. Maybe she's not always so gentle. Still, the warmth of her heavy weight on top of me is nice, especially when her head lowers and her long tongue slides against the short fur on my temples.

"I can't believe I just did that," she gasped.

"You mean you can't believe that we just did that," I said, correcting her, "and also, we do this every night... what's hard to believe about it at this point?"

I wiggled my hips and squeezed around her, knowing it's what she liked to feel, and was rewarded with a squeeze to my wide hips.

"No, I mean, it's not... I mean, I haven't ever... this is, well... it's..."

I shivered and clenched again, enjoying the heat of her muscular body and long, deep brown pelt.

"Tell me later," I said, sliding my claws through the fur on her shoulders.

She shuddered and gasped.

"Later," I heard her say, before those wonderfully powerful legs pushed her body against me for another round. "Later..."

Chapter 5: Sam

Biggs and I lay together on the couch until almost noon. The sun was high and shining through the closed window curtains. I was on my back, the couch cushions beneath my shoulders, with Biggs on his back as well, shoulders against my chest, legs spread around my maleness.

I know I didn't have a cock yesterday. I know it. But somehow, it's familiar. Especially as it lays across Biggs's own cute shaft and belly. I know it shouldn't be there, but it is. I know I shouldn't be eight feet tall, but I am. And I know Biggs shouldn't have hips like a girl, but he does.

I can't explain any of it. I'm certain it has to do with those cigars. But it's like there's two sides of me: the side that knows something has changed, and the side of me that is oblivious to the differences. I know I shouldn't be considering whether to flip Biggs onto his cute little stomach and mount him for the fourth time. But I am, it feels perfectly natural when he kisses his way up my biceps or presses his face into my abs and tells me how strong I feel.

Perfectly natural.

That unconditional acceptance is what makes the other half of my brain so nervous. As far as I can tell, Biggs is still Biggs - he talks the same, walks mostly the same, and can't shut up about which case we should take next, just like always. Me? I don't think I've changed so much, besides the part of me that's eager to show Biggs all the love and affection he can handle... but then, that part of me was always there. It took growing a maleness (that I know I haven't always had, even though it feels that way) to let me express it to the slightly smaller, slightly thicker hipped, and much more squirmier Biggs.

The black bear made the decision for both of us, though, by wriggling out of my grasp until his feet hit the floor.

"C'mon," he said, leaning over and pressing his muzzle close. "We've got work to do."

I wrapped one of my large paws around the back of his head. My hand was seriously huge now - I could stretch my fingers from one side of Biggs's head to the other with ease - which made it easy to tug his muzzle against mine. I tasted his lips and tongue, pushing and entering his muzzle as he squirmed and groaned. I breathed in his scent, nostrils flaring, and grunted with satisfaction before releasing him.

"Fine," I said, surprised to hear just how deep my voice was now. "Work."

Work didn't start until well after lunch, when Biggs and I returned to the office from our respective apartments. I arrived first and sheepishly set about cleaning up the soggy couch while I waited for Biggs. I wore the longest dress I could find in my closet, even though I felt ridiculous in it. The straps dug into my shoulders and my bust barely fit inside. I was sure if I turned my shoulders too sharply one tit or the other would fall out entirely. And it didn't do much to disguise the permanent bulge in my crotch. Until I could find more appropriate clothing, though, this would have to do.

The changed half of me screamed for trousers, arguing for their durability, flexibility, and cheapness. Compelling arguments, but the other half of me, the half that was aware that I was different now - that half wanted to wear a dress like always. Well... not always. And not lately, especially in the cold weather when the wind gets up the skirt. And...

I blinked and shook my head. I wasn't going to talk myself out of wearing the dress. I was still Sam, not... not whoever the other half of me was now. The half that looked forward to Biggs coming through the door so we could make out again. I sat down at my desk after finishing cleaning the couch and thought about what I could next. With the tobacco shop gone and no trace of the panda - Joe remembered that I stopped some burglars, but nothing about an old shopkeeper with a vase. I really didn't have much choice but to keep going, and to be honest, I was starting to enjoy the changes more and more.

It was close to two when the black bear finally arrived, but he wasn't alone. I looked curiously at the large, rotund male bear that followed Biggs through into the office.

"Mr. Philip Pinchbottom, this is my partner, Ms. Samantha Cunningham," Biggs said, motioning towards me. I got out of my chair at my desk where I'd been sipping a coffee and extended a paw.

"Yes, well, pleasure, of course," the bear said. He was older, with a large round belly. He wore fancy clothes, tailor-made to accommodate his bulk, and carried himself with an air of self-importance.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Pinchbottom, while I fill in my partner on the details of your case."

The gray-haired bear sat down at Biggs's desk while Biggs himself motioned for me to follow him to the back of the office.

"You know who that is, right?" he asked.

"Pinchbottom? Isn't he the owner-"

"-of Pinchbottom Industries, yes. Multi-millionaire, incredibly well-to-do, lots of powerful friends in powerful places."

"What's he doing here? If he's in trouble, can't he go to the cops?"

"That's the thing - too many cops are on the mob's payroll and he knows it."

I stared at Biggs and tried not to let my eye twitch.

"The mob, Biggs?"

"Yeah, apparently they've kidnapped his daughter, who is supposed to be at a debutante ball tonight, and if she doesn't show up it'll cause a big scandal. He wants us to find her before then."

Case 001: The Unexpected Debutante Departure

Chapter 6: Sam

"C'mon, boys! It's just one lousy dame! We can take her if we all go at on-onffff!"

The mobster collapsed, covered in splinters of the chair I'd just hurled at him. Unfortunately, it was my last one, and the remaining tuxedo-clad criminals advanced in a semi-circle around me. I grinned and cracked my knuckles pretending to a bravado that only half of me felt.

"Anyone else got any bright ideas?" I asked.

I looked around quickly, counting at least eight more thugs in the darkened interior of the club. Upturned chairs, tables, and the bodies of at least six unconscious or otherwise immobilized bears lay in piles in between, the results of my earlier efforts.

A large kodiak in the front suddenly charged forward. I slid to the side and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, whirling around and tossing him like a discus into the wall. The sconce above fell as his head went through the boards, causing the light bulb to break as it hit his backside.

"Not such a bright idea," I said, grinning. "Who's next?"

Of course, I hadn't planned on spending my evening fighting a dozen big, burly mobsters in some glitzy nightclub. This was only plan B. Plan A was somewhere in the building, hopefully, getting Plan C ready to go. I think. Sometimes Biggs goes a little fast when he's explaining his complicated schemes.

I've discovered I prefer a more direct approach, like when I direct my fist into the nose of the grizzly trying to sneak up behind me.

Only a few to go... hold on, Biggs...

Chapter 7: Biggs - earlier

"How do I look?"

From the expression on Sam's muzzle, I knew either I was nailing it or completely failing. One way or the other, though, it was the easiest way to sneak into the club. A few phone calls and a few $20 bills got me the location of the club where the mobsters who kidnapped Pinchbottom's daughter were holed up. The group responsible, led by a ferocious little black bear named James Candy, were known as the Sweet Gang. I'd heard of them before, but usually they did small time robbery jobs, not kidnapping - that was a worrying step in the wrong direction. They operated out of the Candy Club, which was owned and operated by James's sister, though everyone knew he was the real power. In order to sneak into the Candy Club and rescue Pinchbottom's daughter, I needed a disguise, and so as I stood in front of Sam, twirling around in a tight, bright red, sequin-covered cocktail dress, I hoped it was a good one.

"Sam? How do I look?" I asked again.

The large brown bear's palm reached around my hips and pulled me forward. I grinned as her muzzle dropped pressing under my cheek and chin, nipping at the large ruffs of fur framing my face. I could feel the swell of her maleness against my belly, pressing against the dress through the large brown trousers Sam wore. Though she said she was wearing male clothes for the case, I had a feeling she found trousers and suspenders more practical and comfortable than her regular dress.

And she must have found a dress more appealing and practical on me, based on how busy her claws were as she teased my neck.

"Sam! Sam, stop, you'll mess up my makeup!" I said, grinning and pushing at her.

She growled playfully and snapped at my fingers before relinquishing my rump. I ran my claws through my hair, restyled now to approximate a forward, fashionable 'do that rose up between my ears and swept back. Sam lent me a curling iron and after a short primer on how to use it, I'd managed to add a few curls into the look as well. With some powder in my fur on my cheeks and a bright cherry shade of lipstick, I hoped I'd look the part of a cocktail server.

"You look good," Sam said, grinning. "Never imagined you in a dress, but it works. Nice tush."

I grinned and looked away as she teased me, but inside I was thrilled. This plan might actually work.

I would slip inside the servers' entrance and mingle with the waitresses. I'd take the opportunity to case the club and figure out where they were keeping Penny, the industrialist's daughter. Sam, meanwhile, would pretend to be a regular customer, posing as a male in the dark brown pants, white shirt, and suspenders she wore. Despite the obvious swell of her large chest, she looked androgynous enough thanks to the beefy swells of muscle beneath her pelt to pass. And even though I lacked a chest, she assured me I had plenty of padding to make do.

"Alright, Sam... remember, after one hour, we meet up at the exit and leave together whether we find Penny or not," I said. "Anything I'm forgetting?"

Sam shook her head and reached out, groping at my rump and pulling me in close before grinning and letting go.

"I've got it, boss," she said, playfully calling me by the title I had when she was still just my secretary.

"Good... let's go save an heiress!"

The club was across town. We took Sam's old jalopy, a beat up mess that somehow she kept running through sheer determination. Claimed it was a hobby, but I think at some point the hobby turned to obsession. We bounced on the bench seat in the front as the vehicle rambled along, and not for the first time I remembered why I usually took a cab instead.

Eventually, though, Sam pulled up to the curb a few blocks from the Sweet's hideout.

I got out first and went one way; Sam waited a bit before going the other direction, up to the front doors of the club.

I found the back entrance and knocked. A large spectacled bear with a bright tan muzzle peered at me through the cracked door. I smiled.

"Hello! Tonight's my first night!" I said, hoping my voice sounded feminine enough.

The door opened wider and the spectacled bear looked down at me, eyes narrowing as they traveled across my frame. After a moment, his muzzle relaxed.

"Well, cutie, glad you're here. Go on and get with the other girls now," he said, motioning me inside. "Didn't they tell you not to use this door? We only use it for... uh, special events. You just come in the front next time, alright?"

"Yes, sir!" I said, then giggled when his paw hit my rump as I stepped past, putting on a little show for him.

When I got around the corner, I stopped to get my bearings. I was in the back kitchen area, but it was closed at the moment. There was a long hallway leading to some rooms in the other direction, while ahead of me the hallway turned and opened up into the large lounge area. I poked my head through for a quick look. The place was almost entirely empty save for a half-dozen tables occupied by large bears in tuxedos - probably members of the Sweet Gang. The decor was nice, if a little cheesy - lots of red velvets and gold braids on the walls, with black chairs and white tablecloths. A large chandelier hung overhead, dangling a shimmering array of crystals that glowed even in the half-lit atmosphere.

A few cocktail waitresses served them a steady supply of drinks, so I casually headed for the bar and introduced myself as "Ashley." The bar ran along the back wall. There were lots of stools fixed to floor for seating and a large humidor set into the middle with several shelves full of various boxes of cigars and cigarettes. Rows of bottles stretched away from either side towards the walls.

I gave nobody any reason to suspect I was anything other than a new waitress and quickly took some drinks out to the assembled thugs, enduring a variety of comments and pinches each time. I found that commiserating with the waitresses earned more information more quickly than spending time near the gangsters.

"So they closed the whole club for a special event?" I asked. "That's going to cut into tips."

Darla, a brown bear with an hourglass figure that I found myself envious of, leaned against the bar and poured some gin into a tumbler as she replied.

"Yeah, but usually they'll toss us a couple hundred at the end of the night to make up for it," she said. "I've worked a few nightclubs and this place isn't the worst."

Biggs pressed a paw against his rump. "They get a little handsy though."

"Yeah, you know it," Darla said. "Shoulda seen the girl they brought through earlier. Jimmy had his paw up her dress the whole time and you could tell she wasn't happy about it."

"Girl?"

"Oh, some hoity-toity rich girl. Jimmy said he's dating her, but he's dating someone new every week. Even asked me out once, but I shot him down."

"Where'd he take her?"

"Upstairs," Darla said. "Why?"

Biggs shrugged. "Just curious. I haven't seen anything here except for the lounge so far."

"There's a few offices upstairs and a room that Jimmy stays in some nights," Darla said, pouring a second glass of gin and adding some lime juice. "Otherwise it's just the club, the kitchen, and a storage room. Here, take these out to the boys, will you?"

"No problem, Darla."

Biggs balanced the tray with drinks on his upturned palm and swished his hips as he walked across the club towards the cluster of tables near the stage where the Sweet Gang sat. He grinned at the large bears as he felt the fabric of the dress shift and cling to his hips and thighs. There was something nice about a dress, he thought. Maybe he'd have to try wearing one more often... Sam certainly seemed to enjoy it.

A pair of claws snapped out and pinched at Biggs's hips. He whirled and batted at the paw playfully. It belonged to a grizzly, one of the larger bears, who leered at the smaller black bear as Biggs giggled.

"Cheeky, aren't you?" he said, leaning forward to deposit a glass in front of the large ursine.

"Haven't seen you around before, darling," the bear grunted. His paw ran down my backside and cupped my tush. "New here?"

"First day," I said, giggling.

"Good girl. Go get me another gin and tonic, and maybe I'll give you an extra tip. Har har!"

The grizzly and his friends laughed as I scurried back to the bar, empty tray under my arm. Darla cast me a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry, they lay off the new girls after a few nights."

I nodded, but something had distracted me - a familiar dark blue and gold box in the humidor. I pointed past Darla's large round ears towards the case.

"Say, Darla... could I see that box?"

Chapter 8: Sam - later

One arm wrapped around my throat, holding me, as another set of arms tugged my wrists behind my back. I could feel something warm and wet slide down my head - probably a cut from the table leg that bastard grizzly hit me with. As soon as I went down, they dogpiled on top of me. I may be eight feet tall and way four hundred pounds, but they were all big lads as well.

"Hold her still!" one of them snarled as they wrenched my arms behind my back tighter. I felt a rope go around my wrists and stopped struggling when I realized I wasn't going anywhere soon.

"Shit," a large grizzly said, blowing some blood from his obviously broken nose. "Where'd she come from?"

I grinned, baring my teeth at them as they shoved me down into a chair.

"Someone go get the boss."

"She here for the broad?"

"Think Pinchbottom sent her?"

"Some real balls to think one lady could take us all on."

I just grinned and worked my wrists, trying to stretch the ropes loose. I wasn't making much progress when James Candy himself appeared in front of me. The black bear was small, but still a few inches taller than Biggs, and broader in the shoulders. He grinned at me as I stared at him.

"Well... you know how to throw a punch, that's for sure," he said, his voice containing a spark of joviality that was missing in his hard brown eyes. "Put a couple of my boys out of commission for a few days. Not bad."

Candy grabbed a chair and slid it in front of me so he could sit down face to face.

"Pinchbottom sent ya?"

I didn't respond.

"I'll take that as a yes. Who else is with you?"

That got me a little nervous. Biggs was still around somewhere, and he couldn't fight at all, especially not these large males.

"Oh," Candy said, identifying the expression on my face correctly, to my consternation. "There is someone else. Who? Where are they?"

I shook my head, but Candy once again demonstrated why he was in charge.

"Count the girls," he said, pointing towards the bar without taking his eyes off me.

"Only three, boss."

"Was there a new one today?"

"Yeah, a little black bear."

"Find her. I'm going back to keep our guest company. Pinchbottom better pay up..."

I worked my wrists more quickly, but the ropes didn't give at all. The grizzly grinned at me and reached out, pawing at my shirt.

"Heh... play nice, now," he said, jerking his fingers away when I snapped at them. "You're gonna be here a while."

Chapter 9: Biggs

Penny wasn't too hard to find. I could hear her sobbing from out in the hallway. I leaned against the door, but I couldn't hear anyone else in the room. There were too many scents in the air already to accurately judge that way. I'd have to risk it.

I put my hand on the knob and turned just as I heard footsteps coming up the stairs around the corner of the upper hallway. I shoved open the door and closed it behind me, hoping the latch clicked before anyone outside realized it had opened in the first place.

A short, svelte bear with a light tan pelt stared at me.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice loud.

I shushed her with my paws as I listened to the footsteps coming down the hallway and dove behind the couch Penny sat on. The room functioned as an office, with a desk and some chairs in one corner and the sofa, a loveseat, and a coffee table in the center. There were a few filing cabinets off to the side and I dragged myself across the floor behind one as the door to the room opened again.

Don't give me away, Penny, I thought, both ears straining to hear.

"Well, Penny, your father sent someone to rescue you," a voice said. "Unfortunately, your father is a bit of a cheapskate and just sent one person."

The kidnapped heiress just sniffled in response.

"Yes, just one single bear. She put up quite a fight, though. Had to call a doc for three of my boys."

Was that a footstep? Was the person speaking moving closer? I couldn't tell over Penny's low, gasping cries.

"Fortunately, we got her tied up downstairs," the voice continued in a casual tone that I didn't trust. "So we shouldn't have any other... problems!"

A large paw reached around the filing cabinets I huddled again and grabbed me by the throat, dragging me off my feet and into the air. I clutched at the wrist as the powerful black bear growled at me, letting my feet dangle for a few more moments before tossing me onto the sofa next to Penny.

The black bear turned and sat on the loveseat across from the couch, folded his arms, and stared at me.

"What exactly was the plan? Sneak out while your friend created a distraction?"

I didn't say anything. The black bear sighed.

"Look, obviously Pinchbottom sent you. All I want to know is, will he pay or am I wasting my time?"

"He said he'd pay if we couldn't get Penny out." I didn't know if that was true or not, but I'd rather confirm the black bear's suspicions and lead him astray than tell him the truth: that Sam and I were here on our own.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Mr. Candy?"

"That's right. And who are you?"

"I'm a cocktail waitress," I started, but Candy held up a paw.

"You're cute and you obviously fooled my boys," he said, staring me in the eye, "but that dress is just a little too tight on you."

Penny looked over at me, confused. Candy leaned back on the loveseat, smirking.

"Now, who are you again?" he asked.

"Ash Biggs, private detective," I said. No point in hiding it now, and if he knew I was a dick, he'd know I would have police connections.

"And Pinchbottom paid you to rescue her?"

"Before the debutante ball tonight," I said.

"You know the deadline we gave him was for this weekend?" Candy said, shaking his head. "He's more concerned with appearances."

I didn't say anything. After a moment, Candy shook his head again, waving his long muzzle side to side.

"Look, I get it, you got paid to do a job," he said. "You and your partner downstairs are going to remain our guests until Pinchbottom pays up. After that, we'll probably let you go. If you behave. Got it?"

I nodded, small and tight. Candy grinned.

"Good. Now we're just going to wait here and be patient in case Pinchbottom decided to send anyone else in here," the black bear said. "Sorry, Penny, but you're going to miss that party tonight."

The revelation inspired additional tears from the tan-pelted bear. She leaned against the other end of the couch from me as I tried to still my heart and rationally think things through. There was no way to get out of the room without Candy seeing, obviously, and I didn't fancy my chances of taking him on in a fight, based on how easily he picked me up earlier. I didn't have my gun on me - no place to hide it in the dress - and Penny... well, Penny looked like your average 18-year-old bear from a wealthy family: mostly decorative. I'd be lucky if she ran when I told her to and didn't break down further into tears.

"Say... I thought you looked familiar," Candy said. "Yeah, you're the detective that put Gralitch away, right? Saw it in the paper the other week."

The black bear stood up and peered at me more closely.

"Definitely you. Ha! I gotta thank you for that. Because you took him out of the picture, we could make our move on Pinchbottom without worrying about him muscling in."

Candy turned towards the door when a loud knock rang through the office. He walked over to it and opened it up, leaning partway into the hall to speak in hushed tones with someone. I couldn't tell who.

When he came back into the room, he held a tray in his paws. Two glasses of water, a tumbler with an amber alcohol, probably whiskey from the smell, and a dark blue box with gilt trim sat on the tray. I stared at the box and tried not to grin. There was something comforting about that box - when I saw it, I somehow knew things were going to work out, despite the precarious situation that Sam and I were in.

Candy set the tray down on the coffee table and motioned to the two of us on the sofa.

"Water for you," he said, holding the tumbler with the whisky in his paw, claws scraping down the sides. He leaned forward and flipped open the familiar blue box before pulling a dark brown cigar from inside. He nodded at me and then at the box. "Feel free. On the house," he said.

I followed suit and he watched as I nipped the end and leaned forward as he held out a match, lighting the cigar for me before sparking his own. Penny wasn't crying anymore, at least, though I still hadn't had a chance to talk to her since Candy came to the room so soon after I did, interrupting my plan to calm her down and spirit her away.

Well, at least this was buying some time. The familiar flavor of the large cigar slid across my tongue and filled my cheeks before I exhaled, sending a cloud of smoke towards the ceiling. Candy did the same, though his eyes glazed over after a few puffs. Penny looked a little dazed as well - her breathing slowed as she inhaled the secondhand smoke which quickly filled the room.

"These.... These 'r good cigars," Candy muttered. The black bear's shoulders sagged back into the couch as he puffed away, inadvertently sending most of the smoke across the coffee table towards Penny, whose tan muzzle twitched as her nostrils breathed in the scent...

Chapter 10: Sam

"Here you go, boys - complements of the boss!"

One of the servers - I think I heard someone call her Darla - deposited a cigar box on the table in front of the large grizzly with the broken nose. It looked familiar: dark blue paper outside, gold trim work with complicated edging, and a dozen large, dark brown cigars on the inside. The same box Mabel gave to me and Biggs. What was it doing here? And full of cigars?

I looked around and saw the humidor behind the bar as the assembled gangsters reached for stogies, each of the remaining eleven ending up with one. I grinned at the grizzly and nodded my head towards the last remaining cigar in the box.

"Would you mind?" I asked.

The grizzly shot me a sharp look, then shrugged and leaned forward, grabbing the last stogie from the box and tucking it between my lips. As the various large males lit up all around me, I waited for the grizzly to light his own before he leaned forward with a match for me.

"Gotta admit you throw a hell of a punch," he said, grumbling.

"Thanks. You too," I replied, unable to stop the note of levity in my voice as I took a long draw on the lit cigar. Being unable to move my arms at all, I had to keep it clenched between my teeth, making talking in more than a few words difficult.

Cigar smoke billowed through the room. The familiar scent calmed me down as a familiar wave of pleasure washed over me. Was this going to change things even more? Would I realize they'd been changed? I was kind of excited to find out - especially now that I had proof Mabel was still around somewhere, distributing her unusual cigars. I kept an eye on the large grizzly as the three cocktail waitresses came over to the tables with drinks... and decided to stay, leaning against the large males as they smoked and talked and joked.

I grinned, plump lips squeezing around the end of my cigar, blowing smoke to the side after each draw. Things could get interesting.

Chapter 11: Biggs

"And you have the absolute nerve, the gall, to kidnap me?"

Penny stood up, hands on her hips, staring at the black bear shrinking back into the love seat. She leaned forward and plucked the still-smoking cigar from his lips and popped it into her own muzzle. The tan heiress's pelt bushed out in anger as she leaned over the black bear, finger pointing at his face.

"You. You! Kidnap me!" she said again, incredulous. "What was going through your head to make you think this was ever going to be a good idea? Don't you know who I am?"

"You're Penny Pin-"

"That's right," the tan bear said, growling and cutting Candy's words off. "I'm Penny Pinchbottom, soon-to-be-CEO of Pinchbottom Industries, and you have no clue who you're messing with!"

The tan bear took a sharp draw on the cigar, making the end flare bright red, before she blew the smoke towards the black bear, who grunted and squirmed under gaze.

As the other black bear in the room, I thought it might be wise to step in.

"Ms. Pinchbottom, I'm sure the police will deal with Mr. Candy directly," I said, trying to calm her down.

Penny was only 18, but she was built like a house. Tall, wide shoulders, powerful arms. She reminded me of Sam in a lot of good ways. Candy, in comparison, was kind of a shrimp. He was even shorter than me, but - and I'll lie if anyone ever asks me - his ass might be a little nicer than mine. I dunno. It's a close call.

Penny growled and tugged at the flowy chiffon debutante dress hanging from her shoulders. It barely stretched to her mid-thigh, revealing the swollen bulges shifting around against the slip she wore beneath the dress. The slip tore at the seams around her bulky arms as she growled at Candy again, sending another cloud of smoke around the small male's head.

"I don't want the police to deal with them," she said. "My father hired you to get me out of here precisely to avoid the police. Appearances are very important in my line of business."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, ears back. "Uh... in that case, what do you plan on doing with him?"

Penny's look of lust wasn't missed by Candy or me. She took a step forward and smirked down at the small, round-bottomed black bear on the love seat. The large female's paw stretched down between her legs, dragging her slip and dress up, revealing the thick male stalk curling over a pair of heavy balls, all strapped up in tight white lace panties.

"I've got a few ideas," she said, tongue sliding across her plump lips. "By the time I'm through with him, he'll know that it's a very bad idea to mess with a Pinchbottom's bottom line!"

Penny's hips pressed forward as I leaned back on the sofa, watching, occasionally puffing on my cigar. I was curiously relaxed despite watching the rough, sloppy foreplay taking place mere feet away. Penny's male bulge shifted and jiggled in her panties as she slid her hips forward, dragging it back and forth across the other black bear's face. I could see his nostrils flaring, inhaling her scent, as he grew obviously aroused in his tuxedo, which was far too large for the thin-shouldered male.

Penny smiled as she dragged her hips back and forth, smearing her semi-hard maleness along Candy's muzzle, until the smaller bear's tongue stretched out and licked along the taut fabric.

"Hmm... good boy," Penny said, her voice a lusty grunt. "Now let's find out how sweet that muzzle of yours is, Mr. Candy!"

Chapter 12: Sam

I could feel my eyes widen as paws stroked the insides of my thighs. The large grizzly whose nose I broke earlier was now almost two feet shorter than me. He knelt between my thighs as I kept trying to break the ropes around my wrists.

Nearby, one of the cocktail waitresses was on top of one of the thugs, having ripped his tuxedo pants clean off his hips, revealing a full and thick rump into which she was eagerly thrusting a powerful maleness. I saw it all happen in real-time as soon as the cigars came out. All the male gangsters began to shrink and lose mass, turning into bubble-butted cuties similar to Biggs. And the cocktail waitresses got larger and more powerful, like me, and of course, ended up with additional equipment between their legs.

Part of me knew it was all wrong, that things were happening that weren't natural. Some sort of supernatural power or magic was at work here. Or maybe futuristic science. I didn't know and I didn't care, all I know was that the changes were turning the dangerous gangsters into surprisingly supple and willing boytoys, while the waitresses let out a variety of lewd moans, sometimes calling the squirming, tuxedo clad males beneath them the same derogatory pet names they'd been called earlier in the night.

"Oooh... that's it, darling," Darla said, claws digging into the hips of a particularly lush-pelted spectacled bear gasping beneath her large chest. Another of the gangsters crouched behind her, long tongue stretching out to bathe her heavy, low hanging orbs in saliva.

The grizzly between my thighs groaned and huffed, nostrils flaring at the intoxicating scent of the intersex ursine. He leaned forward as he shrunk visibly in front of my eyes. His eagerness only increased as his paws pulled my trousers open and freed my maleness.

I can't lie and say I wasn't excited. The grizzly was cute, willing, and it wasn't like I could do anything about it anyways. My fat malenes throbbed against his muzzle, draping over the bridge and between his eyes and as he groaned with pleasure. I turned my head, watching as the other 10 males split off, two or three attending the muscular, dramatically larger cocktail waitresses, whose dresses clung to their bodies, seams stretching and tearing as they continued to swell with muscle and power.

High-pitched moans and groans echoed from the shrunken, reduced males, none of whom possessed the least amount of muscle mass anymore. Even Biggs would be able to take them on, I thought, as I watched the grizzly kneeling in front of me lean forward, submissively licking and nuzzling the length of my maleness. His claws and fingers kneaded at my heavy balls and I groaned around the smoking stub still clamped between my lips.

It wasn't long before the newly-submissive grizzly opened his jaws and pressed down around my length. I shivered in the chair, arms still bound behind me, legs stretching and spreading. I lifted my right knee into the air and curled it around the grizzly's backside, keeping him squeezed up close, preventing him from fully disengaging.

I looked to my other side and watched as one of the cocktail waitresses, a panda with the typical black and white pelt in addition to blonde hair cascading around her face in short curls. Three of the gangsters - two brown bears and a polar bear - squeezed in close. One of the gangsters faced away from her kneeling in front of her hips. Another lay underneath, with his head positioned between the thighs of the first gangster. His hips drove up between the panda's thighs as, behind her, a third gangster desperately clung to her large, firm backside, thrusting his much smaller shaft under her tail.

I was really jealous now. She got three, I only got one?

I shook my head. That was the part of me that was accepting all these changes as normal. I knew they weren't normal, though, so I was going to... hnnnngg...

The grizzly's long tongue slathered the underside of my maleness. The feeling of warmth and wetness was incredible. I shivered as he kept it up, expertly teasing and stroking and slurping, pulling my fat girth to the back of his throat before dragging off gradually, only to repeat himself again and again, all the while massaging my achingly full balls.

I grinned around the stub of the lit stogie in my muzzle and blew some smoke across his face as I watched, forgetting all about the four-way action going on a few feet away. The formerly big grizzly with the broken nose now greedily suckled my enormous maleness like it was going out of style, and all because he and his friends smoked the cigars from the blue and gold box.

I grinned as my arms flexed, straining against the ropes. I desperately wanted to get my fingers in the grizzly's hair... push him down... feed him inch after inch of my monster until he was swallowing it all... put him in his place...

No, nope, that's not me. That's... the other me. The me that likes having a big, floppy maleness and using it to abuse other males. Sure, it feels good... and the boys don't seem to mind it. Judging from the grizzly's sloppy gurgles, it's all he can think about right now. But is that who I want to be?

It feels natural. But of course, all the changes feel natural to everyone but me.

The grizzly's tongue goes to work again and my mind blanks. I'll have to work this out later, I decide. Right now, all my concentration focused on the warm, wet muzzle driving over my shaft with an unnatural eagerness...

Chapter 13: Biggs

I giggled as Penny's hips slammed forward, slapping the full, round pair of testicles hanging under her thick sheath against the back of Candy's thighs. Both bears were on the coffee table, wildly banging away, switching positions every few minutes. It was hard to tell who was into the action more: the muscular, well-hung heiress or the squirming, thick-hipped black bear beneath her.

For my part, I stayed out of it, letting them enjoy each other, though I did get my cock out and stroke myself some as I watched. It was pretty hot, after all.

Penny certainly lived up to her reputation as a bad bitch. She was rumored to be the real power behind her father's company already, and being only 18, she had plenty of years to impose her will on that sprawling corporation. Just like she was imposing her will on the sprawling black bear's plush, firm hips. Penny's claws dug into his sides as she leaned over, gasping, tongue out, eyes wide. A splurt, a gush, and then a moan as the overfilled bear's hips dripped with thick white seed.

"And that's how you seal a deal!" the tan bear groaned, sagging as she leaned over the panting, cum-drenched male beneath her.

I grinned, still watching, throbbing in my own paw.

"I trust the arrangement you've worked out with Mr. Candy will be satisfactory?" I said. "Obviously everything will have to be off the books, but it does take care of several problems at once."

The heiress's right paw reached down and grabbed Candy by the hair. She pulled his head back sharply and grinned down at him, all her teeth bared.

"Very satisfactory. This eager little thing is going to ship me the profits from his new boytoy brothel until he's paid me back for all the pain and suffering he put me through," she said, eyes narrowing. "And until that point, I'm going to take every penny I can out of his worthless hide!"

She dropped her hips, wiggling her thick maleness back and forth inside the groaning, lithe black bear underneath her, until his eyes popped open and his lips spread. Thick squirts of white appeared on the coffee table beneath his upturned hips a few moments later.

"Looks like the deal is sealed!" I said, grinning. "Now if you'll excuse me, Ms. Pinchbottom, I should go check in on my partner downstairs and make sure she's not in any trouble."

"Of course, of course," the heiress said, waving me out of the room. "I'll send a courier with a check to cover your fees tomorrow. And I would appreciate if you'd call me a cab."

I nodded and slipped out of the room. Ms. Pinchbottom was a person you were polite to, period. With as much money and power she controlled through her aging father, she was sure to be someone I wanted to be on friendly terms with. Generous with friends, ferocious towards enemies, I almost turned the job down on the basis of her reputation, but fortunately, things were turning out good so far.

When I made my way downstairs, I tucked my arousal away underneath my dress before moving into the club proper, not sure what sort of reception I would find. I needn't have worried, as the three cocktail waitresses were busily providing an invaluable service to their patrons, including free refills.

I could see Sam's backside and realized her wrists were tied together behind the chair she was sat in, so I crept up, listening as she groaned and moaned. Peeking around her large bicep, I watched, envious, as a cute, thin grizzly bear's muzzle filled up with Sam's broad length.

"B-biggs?"

"How's it going, Sam?" I asked. I reached down and used my claws to undo the tight knots in the rope.

"Nnngghh... it's... going alright," Sam said.

With a final snick of my claws, I managed to get the ropes loose. Sam's paws lurched forward, immediately wrapping all ten fingers around the grizzly's skull and shoving him down, hips battering upwards.

I leaned forward, both arms around Sam's neck and shoulders, my muzzle pressing against the side of her neck. I could feel her moaning and shivering and panting, even her heavy heartbeat, as I leaned in close. My claws tickled down her arms, over the bulging biceps, then back up, teasing her neck and shoulders, digging through the large ruffs of fur running down her cheeks and chest.

The grizzly's gurgles echoed as Sam's hips slapped upwards and held in place, keeping her stalk buried in the small male just like she does to me. I listened to her moans and grinned as she came, enjoying the feeling of her muscular shoulders and backside flexing and rippling. Her pelt is shaggy and deep, so when it draws tight, I can really feel just how big she is.

The grizzly's eyes cross as cum rolled from his muzzle, draining back around Sam's thickness. I leaned against her shoulder and smiled.

"So," I said, "things went pretty well down here?"

The eight-foot-tall bear grinned and leaned her head back on my shoulder as her paws rolled the grizzly's long muzzle around on her stalk, milking out a few more spurts of seed.

"Pretty well," she said. "I mean, first I was fighting them all, then they caught me and smoked some cigars, and then they all shrunk like you did and started going at it like crazy."

I grinned. "Sam, you know the Sweet Gang is notorious for this sort of thing. Always have been. Kidnapping is new, but if you saw what was going on upstairs, you'd probably think the same thing I am: Jimmy Candy only abducted Ms. Pinchbottom in order to get her in his pants."

The large grizzly grunted as I kneaded my claws into her shoulders. She dragged the small male grizzly off her shaft, dragging the half-hard length free of his hips, and let him fall over onto his side, panting and exhausted after going through such an eager blowjob with a still-broken nose.

"I guess I remember," Sam said, sounding unconvinced.

"Anyways, good work," I said. "Smart of you to enlist the waitresses to help subdue the Sweet Gang."

"Enlist... the... no, I didn't do that. They were just regular before, and then we... we..."

"C'mon, Sam," I said. "Let's get out of here. We have to get Ms. Pinchbottom a cab."

We saw the heiress off to her debutante party. Candy came with as well and stood between Sam and I as we, along with the hundreds of guests assembled at the huge Pinchbottom mansion, watched Penny Pinchbottom descend the long double staircase.

A murmur of appreciation went up among those watching as she came into clear view. The tan-furred bear's pelt was sleek and freshly combed. A professional, dark gray suit jacket, buttoned beneath her heavy chest, revealed plenty of deep cleavage as her large mammaries bounced and jiggled with each step down the stairs. The jacket led into a pair of matching trousers, perfectly tailored at last minute and great expense to replace the chiffon dress Penny found so distasteful at the last minute. The suit pants clung to her large legs, allowing the thick bulge of maleness in her crotch to press outwards. The heavy nuts rolled up and down her thighs as she lifted her knees to take each step.

I tapped Sam on the shoulder and nodded my head towards the door. I was still wearing my red sequin cocktail dress and felt a little weird about it, mostly because it was kind of shabby compared to the expensive fashion going on all around me at the party.

We were outside waiting for a valet to bring Sam's old, beat-up car around. She kept her paw on my rump, squeezing the cheeks absent-mindedly until the valet finally arrived with her car.

We piled in, Sam in the driver's seat and me next to her in the middle, leaning against her side, enjoying the warmth of her body in the chill night air.

A middle-aged polar bear in a long, seafoam gown knocked on the passenger window just before Sam was about to drive away. I scooted over and rolled the glass down, allowing the white-furred female to stick her head inside the car and hand me a slip of paper.

"I need your help," she hissed. "Don't have time to talk here. Call me tomorrow after ten in the morning and we can arrange a meeting."

She glanced behind her and pulled her head out, straightening up.

"Oh, sorry, wrong car, dearie me!" she said, voice rising.

"Cassandra? Cassandra, that's not our car," a deep male voice said.

"Go! Go!" the bear named Cassandra hissed.

Sam popped the clutch and the car took off, accelerating rapidly. I turned and looked back, watching the bear in the seafoam green dress turn to talk to a larger male, probably her husband. I glanced at the paper in my fingers, which had the name "Cassandra" along with a phone number.

"Looks like we might already have our next case, Sam," I said, leaning back against her. The grizzly's large arm draped around my shoulders as she kept one paw on the wheel.

"I wonder what it's going to be about," she said, squeezing my shoulder.

"Well, we won't know until tomorrow after 10," I said, slipping a paw between Sam's thighs. The car swerved a bit and I grinned. "We'll have to keep ourselves busy until then, won't we?"