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"Cindy... Cindy... It's time to wake up, Dear." Dilly gently shook her daughter awake. Cindy moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still in the car and realized that they were parked in their driveway.

'Oh yeah...' Cindy thought to herself, 'I forgot we were on the way home from dropping Dad off.' "Sorry, Mom;" she said, "I must have dozed off."

"It's okay, Sweetie;" said Dilly, "You must have woken up early to come get me." She gave her daughter a pat on the head before opening the door. "I'll cook us some breakfast;" she said, "Some nice hot food will get the day going for both of us." Dilly smiled and got out of the car while Cindy followed suit.

"You're the best, Mom." Cindy said, while half yawning. They entered the house and Cindy kicked her shoes off before sitting on the couch to watch some TV. After flipping through the channels and trying to find some early morning cartoons with no avail, she finally stopped on the Beaver News Network. It could be boring most of the time, but she knew it was important to keep up with current events. In the kitchen, Dilly was preparing breakfast for the both of them. Hearing the news on the TV was also helpful, since she liked to hear about the weather patterns. She could hear the newscaster say,

"After Friday's rain storm, the heatwave appears to be fluctuating, with lower temperatures expected during the week. So please enjoy it, because over the weekly forecast it is projected to have soaring heat and really low humidity. So after today, expect dry and hot days. So in terms of you amphibians and reptiles out there, keep that moisturizer out to prevent irritation."

"UHH! More icky heat!" Cindy groaned out loud. Dilly, on the other hand, was more concerned.

"Yeah, that isn't much good news to hear either." she said, "If it dries this quickly, then you can count on that there will be fires popping up."

"Will Dad be ok?" Cindy asked, while getting up and walking to the table.

"I'm sure he will be;" said Dilly, "If people are just careful, then everything will be A-OK!" She smiled and set plates of eggs, toast, and sausage down for Cindy and herself. She then poured herself some coffee and some apple juice for Cindy and sat down herself. After eating and thinking for several minutes, Cindy decided to bring up a new subject.

"So, on a lighter subject;" she asked, "What do you have planned today, Mom?" Dilly smiled as if she was hoping her daughter would ask.

"Well;" she said, "I figured since it's just us girls, why don't we go shopping at the mall?" Cindy beamed with happiness as she wagged her tail.

"Awesome! I love going to the mall!" Cindy said as she finished her plate..

"I knew you would like that idea." Dilly said as she finished her plate as well, "Just let me go and get changed into some different clothes first." She got up and took the dishes and cups to the sink to wash them. Cindy nodded and went upstairs to her room to retrieve her allowance money. She had been wanting some new shorts since the last pair she had ripped at Sherry's house.

'Stupid wire fence...' she said to herself as she reached into the coffee can that contained a large wad of bills. After pocketing her money, Cindy went back to the living room to wait for her mother. Soon, Dilly arrived in some nice fitting jeans and a simple summer shirt.

"Ready, my dear?" she asked as she grabbed her keys.

"Yep!" Cindy yipped, "Let's start this start this girl's week with a shopping party!!" The two of them climbed back into Dilly's Jeep, and started heading out for the city. While driving down the road, Dilly and Cindy started to make some idle conversation.

"So, Cindy," said Dilly, "I was thinking that after we shop for a bit, why don't we go to the park and walk some of the trail while the weather is cool? It might be the last day to do this for a while since the weather will go back to near unbearable." Cindy nodded in agreement.

"Sure, Mom;" she said, "I always enjoy going to the park and enjoying nature. Heck just spending time with you and dad is always a fun time." She added. This statement made Dilly smile.

"You're so sweet; you know that?" She patted her daughter's shoulder. "I just wish we could spend more time with you as a whole family."

"Aw, Mom' it's ok..." said Cindy, "You and Dad work really hard to provide a good living for all of us; and well... I know you both make sacrifices to make it all happen." She said with the upmost respect. "Just know that I will always understand and love you both; and that I'm proud of you." She gave her mother a loving smile. This struck Dilly in the heart in such a loving way; so much so that she almost began to cry.

'Hold it together, Dill... Hold it together...' she said, mentally, as she fought back tears. "Thank you Cindy..." she said with a struggle, as she was still holding back tears. "Thank you for being our little bundle of joy. We love you too and we never want you to stop being amazing." She then found a distraction as the mall appeared in sight. "Ah... It looks like we have arrived." she said as she found a parking spot. "Ready to have some fun?" she said as she and Cindy got out of the car.

"You betcha!" Cindy said, happily, "I'm going to look for a new pair of shorts and a few other things."

"Sounds good to me;" said Dilly as the two of them entered the mall, "I'm going to hunt for some new work pants and some workout clothes." With this in mind, the two girls started their shopping extravaganza.

*****

Store after store they stopped in, until they finally gathered up their desired items. Cindy ended up getting a new pair of khaki cargo shorts; and to boot, the store was having a buy one get one free sale so she ended up getting a free pair of shorts that were in camo design. Dilly on the other hand ended up with with some ultra tough utility pants and a nice set of yoga attire.

"Uh, Mom..." said Cindy, "I thought you were getting workout clothes; not yoga clothes."

"Well, I was;" said Dilly, "But I actually saw Tammy's mother, Wendy, the other day, and well... I told her how I get stiff in the mornings and she offered to teach me yoga! Isn't that exciting?"

"Yeah;" said Cindy, "That's really nice of Wendy." She thought for a moment, then said, "I guess she's just like that, isn't she?"

"What makes you say that?" asked Dilly."

"It's actually an interesting story;" said Cindy, "When I stayed over at Tammy's house, there was that thunderstorm. I was scared stiff until she helped to soothe my fear. Now, I'm not so scared of thunder anymore."

"That's wonderful, Sweetie;" said Dilly, "I'm so glad."

"So am I." said Cindy. They passed a few more stores until Cindy stopped in front of one in particular. "Mom, wait here! I'll be right back!" she said and entered the fashion store and located what she had seen from the window. Grabbing two of them, she took them to the counter and paid for them. Dilly waited, patiently, outside until her daughter came back.

"See a deal you just couldn't pass up?" she chuckled.

"Even better!" Cindy replied, and she pulled out two bandanas that matched. They were fire engine red with gold trim on the edges. "See... one for you and then one for me." she said as she handed her mother one of the bandanas, "We can match!" Dilly smiled, brightly.

"Aw, Cindy, this is wonderful. Thank you so much!" she gave her daughter a hug. "We can wear these later at the park." she said, happily, "Speaking of the park, let's stop at one more store before we head on over there." Dilly began walking to a different store with the name written in light blue writing above the door. The store in question was called Stella's and it was a girls' clothing store that mostly sold panties and other similar attar. Cindy couldn't help but giggle.

"Need new panties, Mom?" She asked as they both entered Stella's. Dilly playfully rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Actually, yes..." she said, "All this firefighting has given my body a more toned and muscular look; which I must say I'm very happy for, and so is your fath... Ahhh... What I mean to say is that some of my old undies are getting a bit small." She blushed a bit, "So I think it's time I get a few new ones. Why don't you get a few yourself, Sweetie" She added before starting to brows the selections.

"Mooom..." groaned Cindy. But her mother did have a point; She did take notice that her mother's body was in very good shape. 'Heck, you can't go wrong with getting some cute new panties.' Cindy thought to herself. So she too started to browse through the younger section. Soon, she found two pairs of undies that really caught her eye. One was a pink bikini type panty with black polka dots and a cute bow on top; the other was a brief type that was green with pink trim that had the word 'smile' on the back. 'These are perfect...' she thought. She picked them up and began to head to the cashier until she saw a particular pair of panties that she always wanted to try; a pair of thong panties. The last time she had seen them, she had asked her mother if she could get one. Dilly, of course, said no and that she was too young. Cindy turned and looked at her mother and noticed that she was still busy looking at other things. She turned back to the thongs and thought for a bit. 'I could just sneakily buy one without Mom knowing...' she thought, 'But what if Mom found out...? Or what if the cashier were to say something...?' She sighed; thinking about what could happen, and decided to just try again and ask.

"Mom..." Dilly's ears perked up as she heard her daughter and turned to her.

"Yes, Cindy?" Cindy built up her courage and asked,

"Mom... do you... think that I could... possibly buy a thong this time...?" she asked, timidly.

'Oh Cindy...' Dilly thought. She sighed, but then gave her daughter a light heartfelt smile and kneeled down to her level so that they were eye to eye. "Sweetie..." she said, "I know you are curious and want to try them, but those... those kind of underwear are really for girls that are a bit older." Cindy's face fell, but Dilly put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Listen..." she said, "How about this. As soon as you're old enough, I'll buy you a pair myself so you can try them; Just not now, Okay?"

'Darn...' Cindy thought to herself. But she smiled at her mother's honesty and understanding. "Okay..." she said, "Thanks, Mom; I understand."

"Thank you, Cindy;" said Dilly as she gave her daughter a hug, "And thank you for being a well mannered and asking me first."

"You're welcome, Mom." Cindy said as she hugged back. As Cindy went to pay for her items, Dilly thought,

'Cindy, my child... Never ever stop being who you are.' As she chose her last pair of panties, she began to reminisce about her childhood and her own mother. 'She would always tell me how curious and adventurous I was... Cindy certainly gets it from me.' She looked at her own selection which consisted of string bikinis which ranged in a variety of colors, and some short bloomers that were lacy and slightly see-through. 'Those will be for my special private time...' she giggled. She even got a few new thongs for herself; one in particular was leopard print. Satisfied, she finished and paid before going out to meet Cindy.

"Ready for the park, Mom?" asked Cindy.

"You know it!" said Dilly. She and Cindy walked back out to the car and set off for the park.

*****

The drive to the park wasn't a long one; and soon they arrived and parked. Cindy stretched a bit when she got out and took in the scenery before her. The park itself was pretty big, and was always full of activity. But today, it was emptier than a ghost town.

"That's odd..." she spoke up, "There are always other people here."

"You're right, Cindy;" said Dilly, "It must be because of the heat." Indeed, it was rather hot for the time of day. "Didn't the weather man say that it was going to be cool today?" asked Dilly, "Because it sure doesn't feel like it." She chuckled and started to walk down a path with her daughter next to her. Cindy chuckled as well.

"Mom, you should know that the weather man is always wrong. They could say it will be a nice fall day, and the next minute there's a blizzard!" She giggled. They took to their usual trail which led them through thick wooded areas and sunny fields. Dilly and Cindy loved being outdoors; it was in their nature, and whenever they could, they would go to the park. As they came across another wooded area, Dilly stopped for a moment.

"What's wrong?" asked Cindy as she stopped as well.

"Nothing, Sweetie;" said Dilly, "It's just that I'm curious." Cindy looked around to see if anything was out of the ordinary, until she spotted a wooden post that said 'DO NOT CROSS! TRAIL NOT AUTHORIZED!'

"You're curious about the sign?" Cindy asked, "We've been passing this sign for like... years."

"I know;" said Dilly, "But I would kinda like to know what's down there, don't you? I mean, like you said, we passed it for years now, and yet we've never been curious as to what's down there." Cindy thought for a moment.

"Now that you say it, Mom, I'm curious as well." She admitted as she started to wag her tail, "I... guess it wouldn't hurt to find out; so long as we don't get caught or anything."

"Well if it gets hairy, we can just turn back;" said Dilly, "And f we get caught, I'll just say we got lost." Cindy smiled and said,

"Okay then; let's go!" So they circumnavigated the sign and started down the trail. The path was over grown and uneven; so it was quite the workout to just go down it. Unfortunately, Neither Dilly nor Cindy had taken the precaution of bringing water bottles, so it wasn't long before they started to get hot. Ten minutes later, Cindy stopped and bent over, placing her hands on her knees. "Can we stop for a bit?" she asked Dilly, "I'm getting sweaty."

"Sure;" said Dilly, "Just a few more feet; I see a clearing ahead." She pointed to a break in the trees and kept walking. Cindy pulled herself up and kept walking. When they finally came through the trees, they were stunned at the sight before them. It was a small open area with a pond in the center surrounded by beautiful flowers. Across the pond was a small cliff with a tree that had fallen over it, forming a natural bridge to the cliff above. Complimented by its beauty was the sound of nature and nature alone. It was as if this place had been completely isolated from the world.

"Oh wow!!! It's amazing!" said Cindy.

"Indeed it is, Dear;" said Dilly, "And to think, we've been passing this up for years now!" Wanting to enjoy the beauty of this hidden Eden, Dilly sat down and leaned back against the base of the tree. Cindy sat next to her and continued to enjoy the view.

"Maybe they closed off this spot to protect the beauty of this place." she said, "I know Mrs. Wendy would love this." Dilly nodded.

"I'll certainly tell her about it at my next yoga appointment." she said, "I think she and Tammy would love it." Dilly and Cindy sat there for several minutes, enjoying the peaceful serenity. After a few minutes, however, things were starting to get a little warm, and Cindy was eyeing the pond. The water looked cool and inviting, and that was almost enough for her to just jump right in. But she also knew that it probably wouldn't be a good idea since they didn't have anything dry to change into, and she certainly didn't want to leave a massive wet stain on the seat of her mom's car. After a little bit longer, Cindy looked up at her mother and said,

"So... wanna keep going?"

"Sure;" said Dilly, "I'm interested in seeing what's up on that cliff."

"Me too;" said Cindy, "I'll bet it's an even better view from up top." She eyed the tree, then said, "I better try to climb it first, just to make sure it's safe."

"Are you sure, Cindy?" asked Dilly, "Maybe I should go first."

"But I'm smaller and more nimble;" said Cindy, "I bet I can get up there lickety-split." Dilly took a moment to think, then said,

"Well... alright, but you better let me hold your phone in case you fall into the pond."

"Even if I do," said Cindy, "I'm sure I'll be able to make it back to shore alright." She dug out her cell phone and handed it over to her mother. "Well..." she said as she climbed up on the tree, "Here I go!"

"Be careful, Sweetie..." said Dilly, bearing the concern that a good mother would have. Cindy started out on all fours, then slowly stood herself up. Gently putting one foot in front of the other, she made her way up from ground level until she was over the water.

"Nothing to it, Mom!" she called, "It's holding too; you might as well come on up."

"Okay..." said Dilly, "Here I come..." She put her wallet, phone, and Cindy's phone down on the ground and hid them in the grass. She climbed onto the log, but instead of trying to stand up, she slowly shimmied her way upwards until she was right behind Cindy. "You're right..." she said, "It does seem to be holding."

"Yeah..." said Cindy, "We should get to the top in no time." But at that moment, her shoe hit a patch of moss and she slipped! "YIKES!!" she cried as she managed to grab a branch hanging off of the tree.

"CINDY!!" cried Dilly, "Hang on! I'm coming!" She shimmied up closer to Cindy, and tried to work her way onto the same branch. But as she did so, she too slipped on the moss and wound up hanging from the same branch as Cindy. "Oh dear...!" she said.

"Hi, Mom..." Cindy said, sheepishly, "Uh... I guess this is another way of hanging out...?"

"Apparently so..." said Dilly, "This probably wasn't a good idea after all. Do you think you can use me to climb back up?"

"Maybe..." said Cindy, "But I'd never be able to pull you up with me." She looked down at the pond and said, "As much as I hate to say it, our best choice is probably to just drop into the pond."

"I don't know..." said Dilly. But at that moment, there was a cracking sound. A quick glance upwards confirmed the branch couldn't support the weight of two Dalmatians much longer. Knowing there was no other way out of it, Dilly said, "I guess we're going swimming!" That was all Cindy needed to hear.

"Here I GOOOO!" she shouted as she let go of the branch, and plunged into the pond. Dilly waited a few seconds, then yelled,

"Look out below!" as she let go and dropped into the water herself. After a few seconds, Cindy came to the surface, coated with light brown mud. Dilly surfaced just a few seconds after her daughter. The two of them looked at each other and their eyes went wide! At the same time, they both pointed at each other and screamed.

"YOU'RE COVERED IN MUD!!" They each paused and looked at themselves and then back at each other in silence until Dilly burst into laughter; at this, Cindy did too. Dilly was the first to speak.

"Looks like yesterday's rain stirred up the mud at the bottom of the pond." Cindy floated up onto her back and said,

"Looks like it; but I have to admit, it's kinda fun!"

"Hmmm... you're right!" said Dilly as she began to swim around a bit, "Honestly, the mud doesn't feel all that bad. It's like getting a mud bath at the spa." Cindy nodded with agreement, then got a mischievous look on her face.

"Think fast, Mom!" Cindy shouted as she lobbed a small mud ball at her mother, which splattered onto her chest.

"AH!" Dilly yelped. But she laughed and threw one back hitting Cindy's arm. Soon a mud war began and continued until they were covered again except for their faces. Tired, they both halted their fight and sat in the neck deep mud by the pond's edge to relax. It was now Dilly's turn for an idea. "Cindy;" she said, "I know this may be out of left field, but would you like a mud facial?"

"Uh..." Cindy thought, "I don't know; I've seen them in magazines before, but I've never actually thought of getting one before."

"They're perfectly safe, Sweetie;" said Dilly, "I was skeptical at first; but one day I went with Wendy to the spa, we each got one, and man did my fur and face feel good. They said it was good for complexion and they were right." She giggled. Hearing this gave Cindy a bit more confidence.

"Alright, Mom;" she said, "You sold me." She leaned back against the bank, and shut her eyes. Dilly carefully spooned out a small amount of mud and used her fingers to apply it to her daughter's face. Cindy discovered that she really enjoyed the feeling of light mud on her face. Afterwards, Cindy said, "You know, Mom, I just realized you and Wendy seem to be close and doing a lot together. Spa...yoga..." Dilly smiled and said,

"Well she is my friend, Silly. Kathrine's a good friend of mine too. The same way Sherry, Samantha, and Tammy are your friends."

"True." Cindy replied, "You want me to give you a facial too?"

"Sure, I'd love one." said Dilly. She leaned back as Cindy scooped up some mud and gently applied it to her mother's face. Soon they were both relaxing in their improvised and unintentional mud spa.

"This day was awesome," Cindy said with a yawn, "Wasn't it...?"

"Oh is someone tired?" Dilly chuckled as she scooped up her daughter in her arms and cradled her.

"Yeah just a bit..." said Cindy as she snuggled her mother, "All this mud wore me out." Dilly leaned in and gave her daughter a kiss on the nose.

"I don't blame you;" she said, "It is getting late anyway; we should head home and get cleaned up."

"Yeah... a good wash sounds amazing right now." said Cindy. She and her mother got out of the mud and walked back to where their valuables were hidden. "Just one thing..." said Cindy, "How are we going to clean ourselves up enough to get in the car?" Dilly thought for a moment. With no towel and no usable water to get the mud off, there was only one option.

"We'll just have to sit in the car coated in mud." she said.

"Really?" asked Cindy.

"We do reap what we sow after all;" said Dilly, "Just the price to pay for being a little adventurous. I was planning to have the interior cleaned soon anyway." Cindy shrugged and took one last fond look at the beautiful place that they had found together. Then they started back towards the car. Thankfully, they were not spotted on the way back; for that would have been rather difficult to explain. Soon, they were back in the car and on their way home.

*****

"Okay, Cindy;" said Dilly, "Now once we get home, we'll use the hose to clean ourselves off in the backyard. Then our clothes can go into the wash, and you and I will clean ourselves off inside." Cindy nodded in agreement. Despite everything, she couldn't help but feel guilty that she was making a massive dirty stain on the seat of her mom's car. In no time, the jeep pulled into the Vanderspots' driveway. Dilly and Cindy got our, wiped the seats as best they could, and headed into the backyard. For a nice average sized house in the suburbs, the yard was decently sized with a seven foot high privacy fence.

"Let's see now..." said Cindy, "Where does Dad keep the... AH! Here it is." She grabbed the hose from next to the shed and hooked it up to the faucet on the house.

"You ready, Mom?" she asked.

"Ready!" said Dilly. Cindy turned the valve to full open. After a few spurts, the water was now flowing freely. Sticking her hand in the water to test it, Cindy was surprised to feel how warm it was.

'Man, usually this is cold. It's got to be this heat!' she thought to herself. She looked up at her mother and said, "It's warm; so it won't be a cold shock when we start to hose down."

"Oh, that's nice;" said Dilly. She turned the pressure down a bit, then took the nozzle and said, "Want to go first?"

"Sure!" said Cindy. She got in a spread-out stance, and Dilly began to spray her down. Cindy giggled as the mud was washed off of her clothes, and the normal colors began to show again. "I feel better already!" she said, "I wonder if this is what it feels like when Nito sheds his skin." Dilly chuckled.

"Have you been talking to that old lizard again?" she asked as she kept on hosing Cindy down. Nito was their next door neighbor; an old lizard who was over one hundred years old. Of course, Dilly wasn't at all worried about Cindy talking to Nito; he was just a harmless old timer who liked to tell stories about his glory days in the roaring twenties.

"I think I'm good enough, Mom;" said Cindy, while shaking off the excess water from her fur, "Your turn now." She took the hose from her mother and proceeded to soak her down. Dilly was relieved to find that Cindy hadn't been fibbing about the water being warm. Soon, she felt much lighter and a tad bit refreshed.

"I can guarantee that the combination of a good mud bath and a good rinse down will leave both of us feeling amazing." said Dilly as she shook herself off as best she could.

"Now what do we do?" asked Cindy as she shut off the hose.

"Well..." said Dilly, "I certainly don't want to go tracking water all through the house. We might as well take our clothes off out here, then go inside and take a nice bath or shower."

"Oh definitely!" said Cindy, "I'll probably sit in my tub for a good while to just relax."

"Sounds like a plan to me;" said Dilly, "But before we do that, can you please help me with the laundry by getting your dirty clothes from your room?"

"Sure thing." said Cindy. She stripped off her shorts, leaving her in her panties and her shirt. She then scampered off to her room. There wasn't much laundry of hers that was dirty; just the clothes she had from the sleepover a few days ago and yesterday's. 'Well... and today's.' she thought. Gathering up what she could, she brought her laundry downstairs, and was shocked to see her mother, standing near the bottom of the stairs completely naked! Despite it all, Cindy couldn't keep herself from giggling, "Uh... Mom..." she said, "Why are you... in the fur?"

"Well, I have to wash my clothes;" said Dilly, "And I'm going to take a bath anyway. That, and your father isn't home! Are you... embarrassed...?" she asked.

"No, no... not at all." said Cindy, "It's just a surprise to see you naked in the middle of the house; that's all." She tossed her laundry into the basket that Dilly was carrying, then followed her into the laundry room. Once everything else had been thrown in, Cindy took her shirt off and threw it in as well; leaving her in just her panties. With a smirk, Dilly hit the wash button.

"Well, that's that." she said, "By the way, Cindy, I had this thought."

"What kind of thought?" asked Cindy.

"Well," said Dilly, "I was wondering if you might want to... take a bath with me in my massage tub. It would be a good way to conserve water in this heatwave."

'What is she...?' Cindy thought, 'A mind reader...?' It didn't take long for her to say, "I'd love too!" She was so excited that she almost jumped for joy.

"Sounds good to me, Sweetie;" said Dilly, "Now you go grab a towel and anything else you need from your bathroom, and meet me in mine. I'll get the tub running."

"Sure thing, Mom!" said Cindy, and she dashed off upstairs. From her room, she grabbed a pair of pajama pants and a clean t-shirt, and from her bathroom, she got her hairdryer and her towel. 'This is going to be so fun!' she thought; It had been a while since she had taken a bath with her mother, and since the two of them were so close anyway, she didn't mind the slightest. Once she finished gathering her things, she went back to her mother's bathroom; where, by this time, the tub was filling up, and her mother already relaxing in it. "Trying to start without me?" Cindy chuckled as she and set her stuff on the counter.

"Not in the slightest;" said Dilly, "I was just testing the water; that's all." Cindy, still clad in her dirty panties, climbed into the tub and sat down with her mother. They then both sighed in unison and leaned back, sinking into the water a bit. After a moment, Dilly broke the silence. "So, Cindy;" she asked as she began to lather herself with the shampoo, "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Not really anything to be honest;" said Cindy as she scrubbed herself as well, "I might just message my friends on my computer; if they're on tonight, that is." It was then that Cindy remembered something. "Oh! Yeah! I just remembered that the Olympic swimming events are on tonight; so I'll be watching that."

"Oh that's right;" said Dilly, "I remember how excited you were to watch the Summer Olympics. Are your friends just as excited?"

"Yeah, kind of;" said Cindy, "I know Samantha and Tammy were; But Sherry, not so much. She said she rather play sports instead of watching them. But Sherry's sister, Alice, was actually really hyped; but that's because she plays a lot more sports." Dilly remembered seeing Sherry's younger sister only a few times; and because of this, she started to wonder.

"Does she... ever tag along with you girls?"

"Umm... Not really;" said Cindy, "I mean, she has her own friends and such. Plus, she doesn't really like to swim. But there are a few times she will hang out with us. I mean, it's not like we avoid her; I guess it's just an acquaintance thing. When we're at school, we all say hello to each other in the halls if we see one another." Cindy smiled. Then she asked, "By the way, I know you hang out with Tammy's mom a lot, but do you ever hang out with Samantha's mom at all?"

"Yes I do;" said Dilly, "Kathrine and I have our regular lunch and coffee get together every now and then. I don't see Kathrine as much, but that's only because she has a busier schedule and can't always match her free days to mine. I also go out with my friends that I keep in touch with from my school days." She smirked a moment, then continued, "Now your father, on the other hand, if you're wondering; he, Zero, Theo and Daniel all have their bar day. I can only imagine what goes on when all four of them get together."

"Do you think Mr. Theo feels left out?" asked Cindy, "I mean... Zero's a former soldier, Sam's dad's a steel baron, my dad's a fireman, and... Mr. Theo... he's a farmer."

"I'm sure that occupation doesn't hold any water when it comes to friendship;" said Dilly, "What matters is that they enjoy spending time together and help each other when the need it; just like you and the girls." She smiled and asked, "Hey Cindy, you wouldn't mind getting my back would you?"

"No, I don't mind at all;" said Cindy. She waited for Dilly to turn around, then picked up the soap and washcloth to wash her back. "And, yeah; I remember Dad saying something about cracking a cold one with the boys" She added. "Though I guess that's a beer or bar term." She gently scrubbed her mother's back, working out any grime stains that might have remained, "So..." she asked, "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Me?" asked Dilly, "Well I'm finally going to go through all my clothes and donate the ones I don't wear or the ones I've outgrown." This being said, Cindy snickered a bit when a thought came to her. "What's so funny Ms. Giggles?" Dilly asked

"I uh... I don't think anyone would want your old undies and socks, Mom." Cindy laughed as she finished with rinsing her mother's back. "Finished back here, by the way." She continued.

"Oh har-dee-har-har... Very funny." Dilly mocked, before laughing herself. Then, she turned around and motioned for Cindy to turn so she could get her back as well. "The socks and undies will be going into a separate bag with the rest of the other clothes that can't be given away and then I'll throw those in the trash." She said as she began to scrub Cindy's back; the same way she had done when she was just a puppy.

"Glad you thought that was funny, Mom." Cindy giggled, and leaned into her mother's touch. Soon they were both clean. "Well, I feel SOO much better now;" said Cindy, "It's like I'm ten times softer after getting all that mud off." Cindy started to get out of the tub.

"Where are you going?" asked Dilly.

"Uhm... We're clean, aren't we?" asked Cindy, cocking her head in confusion.

"True..." said Dilly, "But you're forgetting our jet massage, Silly!" Dilly laughed and guided Cindy back down into the water. "Here..." she said. "Sit on my lap and lean back on me."

"Oh Yeah!" said Cindy as she did sat back down, resting her head against her mother's bosom, "I forgot the massage!" With a few clicks on the control panel, the tub started its 'deep tissues cycle massage', and soon, bubble jets surrounded the both of them.

"There we go..." Dilly said, softly, "Just relax and enjoy." She and Cindy both leaned back, letting the jets do their work.

'Oh my goodness, this feels amazing!' Cindy thought to herself, 'I never used this setting before on the tub. I guess I'll do it next time I sneak in a bath.' Cindy relaxed and closed her eyes, but then, they suddenly shot open again. 'Wait a minute...' Cindy told herself, 'She'll be throwing her panties and such away in a separate bag... I wonder if maybe... just maybe she'll throw out one of her thongs!' A sly smile formed on her muzzle, 'They may fit me since it's stretchy material; and mom does have a small frame; and it isn't stealing since she's throwing them out anyway! Plus, they'll be in a separate bag, and they'll be coming from her room, so it will be clean!' Making sure her mother wasn't watching, Cindy began to mentally draw up a battle plan. 'I could just wait until she's asleep, find the bag, sneak through it to find one, reseal the bag, and then make it back to my room with the cargo!' With this in mind, Cindy just relaxed to enjoy the rest of the jet cycle.

*****

About ten minutes later, the jest shut down, and the two Dalmatians got out of the tub and dried themselves off. After that, they ended up doing each other's hair as well. Dilly gave Cindy a cute braided ponytail; and in return, she gave Dilly a bun style hairdo. All in all, it was the perfect way to end their spa day. Thoroughly refreshed, Cindy tossed her sodden panties into the laundry and put on a fresh t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants. It wasn't long before she was on the sofa with a bowl of cereal, watching the Olympics. As the swimmers raced from one end of the giant pool to the other, Cindy closely studied their swimming techniques.

'Gosh, I wonder if I can pull those off...' Cindy thought to herself, 'Those techniques are pretty advanced, but I can also see the basic routines in there that our coach taught us.' Just after the hundred-meter freestyle race was won by the Japanese racer, Dilly came downstairs with two large trash bags in her hands. "Find all the stuff you needed, Mom?" asked Cindy.

"Yep;" said Dilly, "I managed to fill a whole bag up for donations." She held up the white bag while setting the half-full bag down next to the kitchen entrance. "Though, I do have some bad news." She said, with a frown.

"Uh-oh;" said Cindy, "What's wrong?"

"The work pants I got today are a bit short compared to my other ones;" said Dilly, "I need them a bit longer so they provide extra cover in case water or debris were to somehow get on my legs." She shrugged and continued, "So that means we need to head back to the mall tomorrow so I can get a different pair. After that, we can stop at the donation center; and then, how about some ice cream?"

"That sounds like a plan." said Cindy, "I'm sorry about the pants though."

"It's ok, Dear." Dilly chuckled, "As long as the pants were shorter and not wider, I think I'll live. Now how about some dinner?" She set the donation bag by the door, so she wouldn't forget it, and headed into the kitchen to prepare some food. Dinner was pretty much uneventful. Dilly and Cindy they both sat and ate their pepper steaks with boiled potatoes in the living room as they watched the rest of the aquatic events that day. After that, it was time to get ready for bed. Saying their goodnights, they both went to their rooms. But in her room, Cindy was restless as she waited for the right time to start her mission. 'I have about an hour before she falls asleep;' she thought, 'She'll read her book for a while and then fall asleep. Lucky for me, she is a deep sleeper.' Cindy knew she had a while to wait, so she went on her computer and mindlessly browsed the web for a bit, then played a quick game of solitaire. After a while, she noticed the time. 'Eleven thirty on the dot... perfect!" she said to herself, 'Time to begin operation panty hunt!' she shut down her computer, then reached under her bed and got her flashlight.

Opening her door, Cindy snuck out of her room in a crawling position and snaked her way over to the stairs. She could see the door to her parents' bedroom at the end of the hall. For a moment, she remained dead still, trying to hone her canine hearing on what was behind that certain door. Soon enough, she was able to pick up the faint sounds of a light snore. 'Perfect!' she thought, 'Phase one complete...' Flicking on her flashlight, she stood up and slowly made her way down the stairs to the ground floor. She then moved with her back against the wall until she was right next to the bag next to the kitchen door. 'Oh man, this making my heart pound...' she thought as she aimed her flashlight at her target and sat down next to it, 'Okay... okay... just relax...' She prepped herself and carefully undid the knot on the bag. With one shaky hand holding the light, she used the other to take out the clothes in the bag, one by one. 'Let's see here... bra....bra... shorts... collar...?' she mentally went through the items in the bag. Most were regular bras and panties with some pants and such. 'Come on...' she thought, 'Please let there be at least one in here...' With that being said, the last item she pulled out was just what she was looking for. 'BINGO WAS HIS NAME-O...!' she mentally cheered as she held up the garment in her light; a baby blue thong. Her heart pounding faster from the adrenaline, she took a few deep breaths. 'Phase two...complete. Time to clean up and make it look as if I was never here.' Cindy started to repack everything in the bag, and then retied it. Getting up and surveying the area with her light, she was satisfied. 'Now to just put these in my pock.... Oh no...' she panicked a bit, realizing the pajamas she was wearing had no pockets. 'Oh for the love of wildfires... really...?' she tried to think quickly on what to do. 'I could just carry them up; but what if Mom somehow catches me...?' she thought for a few moments until a bright idea popped into her head. She grinned and pulled the front of her pajama pants open, then placed the thong inside them. She began her tiptoe journey back to the stairs and carefully snaked her way back to her room and closed the door behind her.

"Mission accomplished!" she whispered out loud. Smiling, she pulled her pajama pants down and grabbed the thong to get a better look at it. "It's so... small..." she said to herself, "And it looks like it barely covers anything. It does look cute, though." She pondered a moment, then said, "I might not get a chance to wear them for a while, I might as well try them on now." Cindy opened her closet door, which had a full length mirror on the inside. With her pajamas already off, she put her legs through the appropriate spaces and slowly slid the thong all the way up like a standard pair of panties. 'Oh my gosh, they feel so...weird...' she thought as she made some adjustments and looked herself over in the mirror. There she was, the thong did indeed fit nicely on her, but they gave her a very risqué look. She turned around and her face went bright red as she saw what her caboose looked like. 'Now I know why Mom said these were for older furs...' she thought, 'But... I do like how they feel...' she added, and she checked herself out in the mirror for a few more minutes, doing a few poses. When she finally tired out, she said, "I'm so keeping these." With that being said, she took them off and changed back into her normal sleepwear. Taking great care, she hid the thong in a box on the top shelf inside her closet. Happy with the hiding spot, Cindy crawled into bed, and quickly drifted into slumber.

*****

Summer vacation was flying by. Cindy's cousin, Liam Bullworth, even came to visit her with his adoptive father, Mike. During this time, Mike managed to catch a pair of perverts who had the nerve to try and peep on the girls' changing room at the community pool. On top of that, Samantha had become rather smitten with Liam. Cindy had... mixed feelings about the whole thing, but ultimately decided that the two of them were indeed right for each other. By now, it was mid-July, and another heatwave had hit Nashville; this one hotter than the last. Water had to be conserved, and lawns dried up like raisins. One morning, in another part of the suburbs, two cars pulled up next to each other on a quiet street. One was a red nineteen-fifty-four Ford Thunderbird convertible, and the other was an ugly brown nineteen-fifty Chevrolet Styleline. Time certainly hadn't been good to them; their paint was faded and rust was splotched over various areas of their bodies. The driver of the Thunderbird, a raven, looked over to the other driver.

"Hey, Joey!" he called, "You ready to test out the new engines? I scoped this area out the other day; it's a straight shot with no stop signs and one traffic light." The other driver, a badger, seemed worried.

"Uh, Mickey..." He asked, after taking a drag from his cigar, "Shouldn't we do this in a more... private area? There's lot of houses around here; what if someone sees us...?"

"Ah... Don't worry, Buddy;" said Mickey, "It's hotter than all hell, so no one will be out in this weather! Plus, we're getting paint jobs done tomorrow, so it's a win-win! You chicken?"

"Well... No..." said Joey, taking another drag.

"Besides;" said Mickey, "How are we gonna win the state championship if we don't work out the bugs now?" He paused, then adopted a seductive tone of voice, "Just think..." he said, "Once we beat the Memphis team, we go to the national championship in Firewall City! Think of it, Buddy... Beautiful babes in bikinis as far as the eye can see; not to mention all that prize money and spanking new car upgrades!" Mickey was bouncing in his car at this point. At this point, Joey was unable to resist.

"Aw man, you ain't lying." he said, "Let's do this!" Joey gently revved up his Styleline and pulled level with Mickey's Thunderbird.

"Okay;" said Mickey, "First one to the light wins. Now, since we tuned these engines for drag, make sure you run higher RPM's before changing gear. The first three should do before hitting the light. We'll go at the third sound of my horn."

"Gotcha!" said Joey, before taking a final drag of his smoke and flicking it out onto the lawn next to him. This lawn in particular was dangerously dry and dead in some spots from the heat. Soon, the honking started; and on the third, they were off; engines roaring and tires squealing for traction as the two cars blew off the line and raced to the light three blocks away. Unbeknownst to Joey, his cigar that he had tossed on the lawn had ignited a small fire; and that fire was slowly making its way to the house.

*****

A little bit later, down at the fire station, George was having a conversation with another fireman; a komodo dragon.

"So, Chang, what is your son up to these days?" George asked as he drank some soda.

"Ah... well, Joseph finally graduated college this year to become a pharmacist." Chang said, in a raspy voice, "I'm so proud of him; he is the first to ever finish college in my family line."

"Oh good for him;" said George, "And you too, Chang. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful pharmacist where ever he may work." But the joyful moment soon ended as the fire alarm started to blare and the dispatcher's voice came on over the PA.

"All units be advised, house fire reported in the west suburbs. House is reported empty and fire is quickly spreading. Dispatch all units!" Hearing this made George and Chang scramble for their gear.

"I knew we couldn't make it through another drought without a house going up!" said Chang said as he yanked his suspenders up over his shoulders and grabbed his fireproof jacket.

"We'll know what it was once we put it out!" George replied, as he threw on his helmet and climbed into CINDY's_cab. In the next few seconds, the rest of the firemen clambered aboard their assigned trucks. Once the door was open, George flipped on _CINDY's_lights and sirens before driving out of the station, followed closely by _KING_and _DIAMOND. About five minutes later, the team arrived at the area; but by the looks of things, the house was fully engulfed. "Aw geez..." George said to himself as he grabbed the radio, "Alright, Team!" he ordered, "This just went from save the house to stop the fire from spreading! Set up a perimeter, and soak the surrounding area; then start putting the house out!" He parked his truck at the face of the house as the other two trucks went to their positions. Like they had done a thousand times, the firemen leaped out of their trucks and immediately hooked one end of a hose up to the nearest fire hydrant and the other end to _CINDY's_pump. Other hoses were also attached to the pump, and rushed into position. As soon as they were ready, the teams started to douse the surrounding area to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading to the other houses. Then, they started to start on the house itself. By now, the police had blocked off the area; which was just as well since there was a bit of a crowd gathering. As the house fire began to bank down, George got on the radio; "Dispatch, George here. Fire is contained and is slowly simmering down. No casualties to report as of yet, and the team is in good health. Please send the marshal down."

"Ten-four, George;" said the female voice on the radio "Fire Marshal Crovan has already been advised and will be on scene shortly." No sooner had George put down the receiver, than a red pickup was let through the police line.

"Always on time..." George said as he went over to greet the marshal. George hated this part of the job; the marshal was a complete pain in his tail. "Afternoon, Marshal." said George. Stepping out of the red truck was a bulky crow wearing a gray uniform and an official white cap.

"Well, Vanderspot, what's the damage?" He asked as he eyed the house, which was now about eighty percent out.

'Well, hello to you too, you...' George quickly shook off the thought. "Uh... we arrived on scene to find the house was fully engulfed." he informed Marshal Crovan as they walked over to KING, "I ordered the surrounding area to be soaked to prevent further fires, and then gave the okay to put the house out. The surrounding houses are fine. Thank goodness the people who were in them evacuated before we arrived." Crovan only nodded and began to walk to the commanding police officer on scene. "Anything suspicious?" he asked. The officer in question was a bear named Zane Barnes; a sergeant of the Nashville Police Department.

"Well, Sir..." he said, "Not too long after we got the civilians safely out of the way, a witness came up and reported that she had seen two older model vehicles racing away from said house. Upon investigation, one of my officers called me over to see those tire marks over there." He pointed to the black tire stains.

"Thank you, Zane." said Crovan, as he walked over to the tracks. "George, continue with the house and notify my when it's out." Nodding, the Dalmatian went to check on the progress and see if the other teams were okay. But as he was walking, he noticed a commotion at the police blockade. He looked to see what was going on, and saw a familiar face.

"Theo?" he said to himself as he started to walk to the police line. At the police line, Theodore Phillips and Zane were trying their best to hold a struggling tigress back. George guessed from the way she was crying, she had been the owner of the house. He got a gut-wrenching feeling; this was always the hardest part of the job. As he came closer, he could see that she was in complete shock and tears as she tried in vain to get to her burning house.

"My house... My... house... No..." Was all she could say before collapsing on the ground and crying. "Everything... Everything I have is... gone...!" Theodore picked her up off the ground and let her cry into his chest as he watched the house in its smoldering state.

'How in tarnation... This poor girl....' He thought to himself as he held his tiger girlfriend in his arms. He then looked over to see his spotted friend. "George..."

"Sergeant, please, these are my friends;" said George, "The area is safe enough." Zane nodded and motioned for Theo to cross. Theo held Tanya close as he walked with her and George towards KING. He then motioned the crying tigress to sit on the footplate of the truck.

"George... What happened...?" He asked in his thick country accent. Tanya, at this point, was in complete silence as she just blankly stared at the blackened skeleton of her house. George tried to think of something to say.

"Well, Theo... I..." Was all he got out before Marshal Crovan interrupted.

"This your house, Sir?" He asked, bluntly. This made George cringe.

'For hydrants sakes! Can't you please be less blunt...?' he said, mentally.

"No, Sir;" said Theo, "It was my lady friend's, here."

"Well to answer your question," said Crovan, "I am one hundred percent sure that this little devil right here caused the house fire." He held up a cigar butt, "I found it on her front lawn. Seems like the scum who tossed this managed to set the grass on fire and there is a clean burn trail to the house. According to Sergeant Zane, a witness saw two cars racing away from the house. It may have been a possible robbery attempt before they may have gotten spooked, but we have no way of knowing. I can assure you that Sergeant Zane has issued a BOLO on the suspected vehicles, but that's all we can go by. I am sorry for your loss ma'am." With that being said, the crow tipped his hat and walked away towards the now extinguished house.

"Theo, Miss Tanya..." said George, "I am so sorry for my superior's behavior. I..."

"George, its ok; honestly, Ah..." Theo started to say, "It ain't you, and Ah know ya'll did your best." Theo smiled up at him, and then looked to Tanya. "You think ya'll could give me n' her a minute?"

"Sure;" said George, "Please take all the time you need. I'll be over by the other truck if you need me." Once George had left, Theo looked over to Tanya and gave her back a rub.

"Hey, Tanya..." he said, "Ah... know it looks bad, and you must feel just plain awful; but... you haven't lost everythin'." Tanya turned to look at him with teary eyes.

"But... everything I had besides my café was in there..." she sniffled.

"That may be true, but... you're still here." said Theo, "Those things in the house can be replaced, but you can't; and I'd say that's a blessin'." He hugged her; "If you'd been in that house when it was up in flames and I'd lost you, I'd don't know what I woulda done..." he began to tear up. Tanya felt her heart skip a beat when she heard this.

"Your right Theo, I..." she stopped talking and returned his hug.

"Look... Ah knows we only been dating for a short while now," said Theo, "But... why don't y'all come live with me and the girls? Ah'm sure Sherry and Alice would love te have you around. I'll... just sleep on the sofa so you can have mah room."

"Oh Theo..." Tanya smiled and sniffled again, "Thank you so much, but... I don't want to intrude."

"Nonsense, Girl; our house is your house."

"Well then... I'd be glad to." She hugged the stallion tightly, "I love you, Theodore." she said. He turned a bit red, but returned the kiss.

"Ah love you too, Darlin'."

"Oh, and Theo;" said Tanya, with a small smile, "Instead of just giving me your room... Why don't you and I just move into the same room?" Theo couldn't help but blush, but he shrugged and said, "Ah won't argue there..." He chuckled and held her close as they watched the firemen finish the job. Meanwhile, George was taking a few minutes to rest. He looked over to his friend and Tanya; Right now, he wished he could be home with Dilly and Cindy.

'_I wonder what they're up to...'_He thought as he took a drink of water.

*****

That same morning, Dilly was in the kitchen, cooking up some breakfast for her and Cindy. Looking at the clock, Dilly wondered when Cindy would wake up; She usually an early riser.

'She must have been talking with her friends on the computer...' she thought. Once she turned the stove off, she headed upstairs to wake her daughter up. Giving her door a knock, she entered to find the young Dalmatian sprawled out on the bed still fast asleep. "Cindy, Hon... time for breakfast...." Dilly said, while gently shaking her daughter awake. With a few moans and groans, Cindy stirred.

"Nnngh... I'm up... I'm up..." She mumbled and sat up, remembering the events of last night, "I was just... thinking about Liam and Samantha. You know; how Samantha came out to the train station with me, just so she could say goodbye to Liam." Dilly chuckled.

"You know," she said, "I think that Liam and Samantha make a cute couple." Cindy rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, Mom..." She groaned.

"What? I'm just saying." said Dilly.

"Sure, I guess they are cute and all;" said Cindy, as she got out of bed, "But... seeing my best friend all googly-eyed over my cousin is just... Ugh...!" she faked shivered.

'Oh to be young again...' Dilly thought, "You know, Cindy; when you meet the right someone, you too will be 'googly eyed'. Then, as time goes by, and you get to know them better, you'll want to always be with them." She sighed, and said, "I felt that sometimes when I was your age, Sweetie; it's completely natural. Now, c'mon down and have some breakfast."

"Okay." said Cindy. She got out of bed and followed her mother downstairs. Once at the table, she poured some milk into her cereal, and took a bite of her toast. Dilly began to eat as well; taking several glances at her daughter.

'She's coming of age..." she thought, 'Certain feelings will be starting to kick in soon; if they haven't already. It won't be easy for her, but then, it's never easy for anyone. I just hope that someday, she does find someone who is perfect for her and who will make her very happy...'

"What's so funny?" Cindy asked.

"Nothing;" said Dilly, "Just something your father said." As soon as breakfast was over, she got up and said, "Well, since we've got nothing else to do, wanna be a little reckless today?"

"Reckless...?" Cindy asked, getting a devious smile.

"Sure;" said Dilly, "I've got some money set aside from my last paycheck; want to blow it at the arcade?"

"HECK YES!!" Cindy shouted as she jumped at the thought.

"Brilliant;" said Dilly, "I'll take care of the dishes, you go upstairs and get dressed."

"Sure, Mom!" said Cindy, "Meet you in a minute!" She dashed back upstairs and jumped in and out of the shower. After that, she threw on a pair of blue and pink striped panties, a black bra, a pair of black cargo shorts, and a white sleeveless top. Since it had been really hot lately, she and her mother had invested in some lighter clothing to keep cool. She came downstairs to find her mother also wearing a white sleeveless shirt, and jeans.

"My, Cindy;" said Dilly, "You look great."

"Thanks, Mom;" said Cindy, "And thanks for letting me work out with you at the park."

"My pleasure, Sweetie;" said Dilly. With that, the two Dalmatians climbed into Dilly's jeep (with had thankfully been cleaned out since their little swim in the mud pond) and set out for the mall.

*****

They made good time getting to the mall. Once there, they parked, and went inside. It felt really good to be out of the sun and in the mall's air conditioned refuge.

"By the way, Cindy;" said Dilly, "I'm actually going to buy a few extra baby supplies for my friend, Stanford. His wife's been putting a lot of hours, and I want to help them out somehow."

"Where does she work?" asked Cindy.

"She works at the water treatment plant;" said Dilly, "Most of the money they've been making has been going towards taking care of their baby."

"I'll bet they've got their work cut out for them with this drought;" said Cindy, "Rationing the water and all that."

"Yes..." said Dilly, "This damn drought makes life miserable for all of us."

"Even the scalies...?" asked Cindy.

"Sure;" said Dilly, "Even if they love the hot weather, they still get thirsty like the rest of us."

"Yep..." said Cindy. "Mind if I wait out here, Mom? I'm not up for looking at baby stuff."

"Fine by me, Sweetie;" said Dilly, "I shouldn't take long; just keep around here, okay?"

"Sure, Mom!" said Cindy. Dilly ventured off towards a store that sold infant and toddler supplies, and Cindy sat down on one of the benches. In the meantime, She casually looked at her phone every now and then to text her friends. Sherry was spending the day at the ballpark with Alice and her friends; and Samantha was at an amusement park with her family; thus leaving her and Tammy texting back and forth.

Tammy: So what are you up to?

Cindy: Eh... waiting for my mom to finish shopping for clothes.

Tammy: Uhh I know the feeling. My mom takes forever. Oh anyways, are you still coming to the cookout?

Cindy: Heck yeah! I'm looking forward to swimming too.

Tammy: Oh definitely, it's so hot out here that I wish I could just jump in right now! Anyways, I gotta go, my mom needs help with the garden. Bye!

Cindy: See ya!

Cindy clicked off her phone, and looked up just in time to see a commotion at the big circle fountain in the center of the mall.

"What's this?" she said out loud as she watched. It appeared to be a young canine boy; a Greyhound by the looks of things, being harassed by... 'Oh no...!' Cindy thought. 'It's the Douglas brothers! Looks like they found another victim!' She got up and headed over to the fountain. She had been bothered a few times by the cougar brothers, and never let them get to her. But this was different; she couldn't possibly stand by and allow them to hurt someone. While walking to the fountain, she looked at the boy. 'I've seen him at our school... I think he's in our grade...'

"How's this..!" one of the brothers barked as he punched the Greyhound in the shoulder, "That barbaric enough for you...?"

"Stop it!" the Greyhound protested, "Why can't you Neanderthals just leave me alone?" It was at that moment that Cindy stepped in between him and the Douglas brothers.

"Daryl and Jeremy..." Cindy said, "Don't you losers ever leave people alone?" Daryl just laughed.

"Oh look, Jerry!" he said, "It's the Spaz from her group of water freaks!"

"Butt out, Spazzy;" said Jeremy, as he stepped in front of her, "This doesn't concern you." Cindy cringed when she heard what Daryl said, and looked him straight in the eye.

"FREAKS!? Are you kidding me?" she growled, "You're the ones terrorizing the poor defenseless kids at our school and you call me a freak?" She poked Daryl in the chest, and then turned her attention to Jeremy. "And as a matter of fact, Jeremy, this does concern me!"

"Oh does it now...?" asked Jeremy, "Then you must be stupider then I thought! You know that his high test scores make it harder for the rest of us to get by in school; I would think you'd be on our side." That comment just about made Cindy's blood boil. But, she remembered herself, and said,

"I'll keep this simple... I'm tired of you two making school a living nightmare for the rest of us! I don't want to see you two pick on him or anyone else in school! Understand!?!" She glared at the two of them. At this point, Daryl and Jeremy started to laugh.

"Well, Jerry... I think we better stop." Daryl mocked.

"Oh no...!" the Greyhound said, his eyes widening with fear.

"Oh yeah..." said Jeremy, "We are so sorry... NOT!" He reached out and grabbed Cindy, while Daryl grabbed the boy.

"Houston, we've had a problem!" yelped the Greyhound.

"You just committed social suicide, Spaz!" said Jeremy, "This will teach ya for sticking up for the nerd!" At this point, there wasn't much, Cindy could do. She was lifted up by Jeremy and pushed over the railing and into the fountain! A second later, Daryl tossed the Greyhound in with her. Luckily, the fountain was deep enough to cushion their landing, but they were new sopping wet.

"AAAHH!!" cried the Greyhound, "Chlorine in my nose! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Thinking quickly, Cindy waded over to him and lifted him up so his head was clear of the water. Daryl and Jeremy were laughing in a fit as they watched the two canines struggle in the fountain.

"Better think twice before messing with us next time, Spaz!" Jeremy taunted. The brothers turned around to walk away only to bump into someone; someone who was quite big.

"Hey watch where your wa..." Daryl stopped talking as he looked up to see an absolutely furious female St. Bernard. "Uh...." With a growl, the St. Bernard grabbed both of the cougars by their shirts and hoisted them up with her sheer strength.

"Pick on my boy, will you?!?" She barked at them, "I should put both you ruffians in the trash!!" She carried the two brothers over to a security officer standing across the hall. Cindy couldn't help but chuckle as the big Bernard woman hauled the Douglas brothers off. She looked over at the boy.

"Uh, are you ok?" She asked. The Greyhound boy looked up at her.

"Yeah, I..." he suddenly stopped, his eyes growing wide.

"What's the matter?" asked Cindy.

"Trans... per..." he struggled to say. It then occurred to Cindy what he was getting at.

"EEK!!" she cried as she quickly covered her shirt with her hands; her black bra was now plainly visible under her transparent shirt! "Sorry...!" she quickly added. The boy just blushed before looking down, in shame. It was at this point that Dilly walked out of the store, only to see Cindy in the fountain.

'WHAT IN THE INFERNO!" she mentally yelled, and stormed over to the fountain. "Cindy Vanderspot! What in the blazes are you doing!?!" she yelled, "If this is a joke, this isn't funny!" Cindy's face went red as she looked up at her mother, but before she could explain anything, the St. Bernard came back with some towels, and a security officer following her.

"Ma'am, please don't be mad at your daughter;" she said, "She was standing up for my boy here against two bullies, and well... the ruffians decided it was a fantastic idea to toss them in. She must have seen the two brats harassing my Kurtis, and I guess she couldn't stand it. I must say she is very brave." The security officer unlocked the gate that led down to the fountain, so Cindy and the Greyhound boy could climb out via the stairs.

"Oh, Cindy..." said Dilly, turning to her daughter with an apologetic look, "I'm so sorry I yelled; I'm so proud of you for trying to help." She took one of the towels from the St. Bernard, and started to dry her daughter off.

"Ah... it's okay, Mom;" said Cindy as she covered herself, "Those two idiots are always making trouble in school. I guess I should have seen that coming." At this time, Dilly turned back to the St. Bernard woman.

"I hope those two scoundrels get what's coming to them;" Dilly said; then she offered her hand for a shake, "I'm Dilly Vanderspot and this is my daughter, Cindy."

"Splendid..." said the St. Bernard, "I'm Melissa Paxton, and this is my son, Kurt." She thought for a minute, then said, "Say... You wouldn't happen to be the same Vanderspot that's a fireman would you?"

"Yeah; I work at the fire department;" said Dilly, "How did you know... Wait a minute; I remember now. Melissa Paxton the EMT! Oh my hydrants, how have you been!" she the St. Bernard a friendly hug, which was returned.

"Oh I've been wonderful, Dilly!" said Melissa, "Gosh, it's been two years since that day we met." In the meantime, Cindy and Kurt looked at each other and shrugged.

"I guess our moms know each other." Cindy giggled. Kurt nodded, before saying,

"Indeed, it seems so. In fact, the chances of them knowing each other were approximately one thousand to one; taking into consideration the magnitude and population of the surrounding area. A complete roll of the dice; in other terms." He chuckled, while adjusting his glasses. This made Cindy cock her head in confusion.

"Uhm... yeah...?" she said.

"Sorry;" said Kurt, "I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes. Actually, a lot; which invariable lands me in a mess like the one we were in a few minutes ago." He gave a small smile, and said, "I'm Kurt Paxton, by the way; and I must thank you, Cindy, for helping me." He offered his hand for a shake. Cindy giggled a bit from hearing his rambling and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kurt;" she said, "I knew I recognized you from our school; I just never knew your name. Though, how did you know mine?" She asked.

"Well that's understandable;" said Kurt, "Most of my classes are in the west wing of the school, where all the advanced classes are. However, I do also take standard classes in some subjects, so you may have seen me in the halls from time to time, and that is perhaps the root of your recognition of me." He paused, and then said, "I'm not saying that you are not smart of course, I'm just saying..."

"It's okay;" said Cindy, "I know what you mean." Kurt visibly sighed with relief.

"Thanks..." he said, adjusting his glasses again, "Oh, and to answer your question about your name, besides hearing your mother, your picture is in the hall of fame case in the main lobby. I must say, being captain of the swim team is an amazing accomplishment; aside from being the fastest swimmer in the whole school."

"Oh, that old picture..." said Cindy as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense..."So, why were the Douglas brothers bothering you?"

"In all probability, it's most likely because they think that this mall is their territory." said Kurt, "Or perhaps that they resent me due to my high test scores making their scores look poor as a result."

"Well, that's just stupid." said Cindy, "But what's the point? They're both just a pair of boneheads. There is nothing wrong with being smart; I'd say they're jealous!" she giggled. Never hearing such a compliment before, Kurt was a bit stunned.

"Gosh, you really think so?" he asked, "Usually, everyone I meet says that I'm too smart for my own good; or that I'm an Einstein wannabe." Cindy grimaced when she heard what Kurt said.

"People can be real mean sometimes;" she said, "I wouldn't listen to them. In fact, I think being as smart as you are makes you unique."

'Gosh...' thought Kurt, 'She's really, really nice...' He smiled, and said, "Thanks, Cindy; you're the first one my age who said anything like that to me." Before Cindy could say anything else, her mother called her.

"Cindy...!" called Dilly, "This amazing woman is Melissa."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Paxton;" said Cindy, turning to say hello, "But, how exactly do you two know each other?"

"Remember when this mall caught fire a few years ago when they were renovating it one night?" asked Dilly, "Well, Melissa was the first EMT on scene, and we were both in the thick of it; getting the workers out safely. Let's just say we bonded like fire to gasoline that day. She is one tough girl!" She laughed.

"Ah shoot, Dilly;" said Melissa, "You're just as tough." She then said, "You know, I just had an amazing idea. Would you and Cindy like to join us for dinner tonight at our house? We can do our catching up from there! Plus it could give my boy a chance to get to know his knightess in shining armor." She laughed and nudged Kurt a bit.

'Oh no, Mother! Why must you say such things?!?' Kurt thought as he blushed. On the other side, Cindy had a small smile on her face as she saw Kurt blush.

'He's kinda cute when he blushes... WAIT WHAT DID I SAY!?!' she mentally said in a small panic. Dilly nodded and smiled.

"Sounds perfect!" she said, "You still live at your same address?"

"Yup!" said Melissa, "Does six sound good?"

"It's great;" said Dilly, "It'll give us time to get ready and what not. It was so good to see you again, Melissa; and I can't wait to catch up." She gave her one last hug before they departed. Turning back to Cindy, she said, "I uh... may have gotten a little carried away there."

"No, it's fine, Mom;" said Cindy, "Anything's better than just sitting around by ourselves another night. Besides, It should be interesting to get to know Kurt some more."

"That's nice, Dear;" said Dilly, "In the meantime, we better get you home and into something dry." She then thought of something, "By the way... did your shirt...?"

"Yeah..." said Cindy, blushing redder than the truck that was named after her, "But it's my own fault for wearing something like this."

"You couldn't have known, Cindy;" said Dilly, "Just... unfortunate circumstances, that's all." So the two of them left for the journey home; at least this time, they would have a towel for Cindy to sit on in the car.

*****

Back at home, Cindy was taking a shower.

"Did I really say that back there?" she asked herself, "I said cute, right? I actually said that? I mean... sure, he's a bit nerdy, but he is polite and kind." All of a sudden, she remembered something.

'Mr. quirky has soul...' her fathers voice replayed in her head. "OH WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE!!" she shouted, as her eyes went wide, "Do I... Do I have a crush on him...? No... no way... I mean, it was just... a spur of the moment thing." she said, and finished washing up. Downstairs, Dilly already set for dinner at the Paxton's, wearing a simple red dress. She couldn't help but think back to the mall where she took notice of Cindy talking to Melissa's son, Kurt.

'This little dinner will be good for her;" she thought to herself, 'Heck, it may even be the start of something.' A little while later, Cindy walked downstairs. "Oh, that outfit looks nice on you, Honey." Dilly complimented. Cindy was wearing a red polo shirt and a blue knee high skirt.

"Thanks, Mom." she said; she loved getting compliments on her outfits. Dilly took this opportunity to have a little fun.

"Dressing nice for your date with that Kurt boy?" she laughed.

"MOOOM!!!" Cindy groaned and covered her face, "Now I'm gonna worry what Kurt will think of my clothes!"

"Oh, Cindy, come now;" Dilly chuckled, "I'm just messing with you. But to be honest with you, my dear, I am still very proud of you for helping that boy out. Even though it didn't go according to plan, I'm still very happy that you stood up to such nastiness." She gave her daughter a pat on the head as they headed out the door and got in the car.

"Yeah; No one else ever stood up to them, so I figured I would;" said Cindy, "But I guess I can see why; seeing how I still got tossed in the water." she grumbled.

"Yes, that happened;" said Dilly, "But you still did what you knew was right. You showed those bullies that you are not to be messed with, and that not everyone will be a pushover. Sure, it didn't go exactly as planned, but I know for a fact that some points got drilled into their thick skulls. I'm sure that Kurt appreciated what you did for him."

"Yeah, I know..." said Cindy, "It probably would have been worse for both of us if I had actually gone and hit one of them."

"Indeed;" said Dilly, "You know violence only begets more violence." With nothing else to say, she started the engine and drove out of the neighborhood to head for their destination. It was only a fifteen minute drive before they pulled into the driveway of the Paxton's residence. It was a nice sized house with two stories and a decent yard; almost just like their own, only without a privacy fence. Walking up the steps, Dilly rang the doorbell, and Melissa answered the door.

"Welcome, Dilly and Cindy!" She said, "My you two look pretty; Come on in." She stepped aside as they walked in. "Adam! Kurt! The Vanderspots are here!" In a moment, Kurt came down the stairs, wearing a blue polo shirt and a pair of black trousers.

"Hi, Cindy;" he said, "Uh... am I overdressed?"

"No, not at all;" said Cindy, "I think you look... nice."

"Thanks;" said Kurt, "I thought it would be appropriate to wear something presentable for a social gathering."

"By the way;" said Cindy, "Who's Adam?"

"That would be me." said a male voice. At that moment, Cindy looked up to see an adult Greyhound wearing coveralls and boots. What really stood out about him was that he had an eyepatch over his right eye. "Good evening;" he said, "You must be Dilly and Cindy Vanderspot." He gave a light bow and said, "Adam Paxton at your service. Please excuse the way I look; I just got home from work, and Melissa didn't tell me we were having company."

"It's quite alright, Adam;" said Dilly, "You look fine."

"May I get you something to drink, Dilly, Cindy?" Asked Melissa, "I have some wine if you would like... uh... for you, Dilly!" She laughed and said, "Sorry, Cindy; you'll have to wait a bit longer for such a drink."

"But you're welcome to have some grape juice;" said Adam, "Would you like some?"

"I'm okay; thank you, Mr. Paxton." Cindy said, politely.

"I'll give the wine a shot, Mel." Dilly chimed in.

"Sounds good to me;" said Melissa, "Kurt, why don't you show Cindy your room? It's going to be a little while before dinner's ready."'

"Sure thing, Mom!" said Kurt. He then motioned to Cindy and said, "Shall we?"

"Sure!" said Cindy. She walked past Kurt and started up the stairs. As she did, Kurt took notice of her outfit.

'Golly... She looks stunning as a ten carat diamond...' He thought before quickly shaking the thought off and following her up the stairs. Once they had gone, Dilly and Melissa looked at each other.

"Seems my son has taken a liking to your Cindy." Melissa said as she went into the kitchen to find the wine bottle.

"I'll wager Cindy may feel the same way about Kurt;" said Dilly, "She got all flustered when I brought him up back at our house."

"Really...?" asked Adam, "How so?"

"Well..." said Dilly, "I mentioned that she was dressing nice, and she suddenly seemed worried about whether or not he would like her outfit; she's never been concerned about that before!"

"Even if it's... not that deep;" said Adam, "It'll be nice for Kurt to have a friend outside of the... academic circle."

"He does have friends;" said Melissa, as she poured Dilly the wine, "But it'll be nice for him to be exposed to elements other than what goes on in the classroom."

"I'm sure Cindy will be a very good friend to him." said Dilly. With that, the adults started chatting and preparing the meal.

*****

"Welcome to my humble abode, Cindy." said Kurt as he opened the door to his room. Stepping in, Cindy was in awe; Kurt's room was full of neat figurines of cartoon characters, and models of all kinds of airplanes.

"Wow...!" she exclaimed, "This is so cool; it's honestly not too different from mine except my room is more... girly!"

"Nothing wrong with that." said Kurt.

"You must really like airplanes." said Cindy as she looked up at his ceiling to see the hanging models.

"Oh I certainly do! Aviation is one of my favorite hobbies;" said Kurt, "I hope to be a pilot someday. One of my other hobbies is... collecting vintage cartoons.

"Vintage cartoons?" asked Cindy, "Is that what all these old VHS tapes are?" She pointed to the shelves of tapes.

"That's an affirmative!" said Kurt, "I find that the older cartoons hold more of a joy and passion to them than most modern cartoons. They have more effort put into them, and are made for everyone to enjoy; not just a specific target audience." He chuckled a bit, "Also, back then in the eighties and nineties, they could add things in that would be considered a no-no in today's cartoons."

"Really...?" asked Cindy, with a sly smile, "You have my attention; got any that I might like?"

"I'm not sure;" said Kurt, "Do you have any particular interests?"

"Well..." said Cindy, "I like adventures, but the only cartoon I know of with that kind of thing is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Don't get me wrong, it's a good cartoon, but it gets kinda annoying after a while; there's always some lesson to be learned in every episode. I wish they could have done one that just had adventure for the sake of adventure." Kurt pondered for a moment before snapping his fingers, and pulling a tape out from his shelf.

"How about, Earthworm Jim?" he asked.

"Earthworm Jim...?" asked Cindy.

"I know it sounds absurd;" said Kurt, "But trust me; it's a very neat show and should certainly tickle your hubris."

"My what...?" asked Cindy, "Do girls even have those...?" Kurt stifled a giggle, before saying,

"In general terms, it will make you laugh." He popped the tape into the VCR, flipped on the TV, and pressed play. In the opening moments, Cindy and Kurt sat down in the two bucket chairs, and settled in to watch. A few minutes into the show, Cindy couldn't keep herself from laughing. The antics of the titular character and his sidekick, battling the outrageous villains were absolutely hilarious.

"Oh my gosh, you were so right about these!" she told Kurt, "And this is only one cartoon too!" As the second episode ended, and the credits began to roll, Cindy unknowingly rested her hand on Kurt's. Suddenly feeling something, Kurt looked down to see what was on his hand.

'Oh gosh...!' he thought, 'She put her hand on mine without knowing it! Seven times out of ten that's a sign of affection!' He soon checked his thoughts, thinking, 'No... it's so soon... we only just met each other, and that was by a freak incident. But... I have to admit, she is really friendly, accepting, and she doesn't even seem to mind the fact that I'm a geek. OH what am I saying...? I'm rambling... what to do?!?' he panicked a bit. Cindy wondered why Kurt had suddenly gone all quiet. She looked over at him, and then saw that her hand was resting on his.

"OH JEEZ!! I'M SO SORRY!!" She lifted her hand off his as quickly as possible. 'Oh man, I just literally held hands and didn't even know... snap out of it!' She blushed heavily and looked at him with a shy smile. 'Though... he is very nice. Plus, his geeky nature is rather cute.' She blushed a bit harder and felt her heart pound and her mind start to race as she remembered again her parents' words. 'Soul... eye contact... can't stop thinking about him...' She thought and suddenly it struck her and time slowed down. 'Is this... the feeling of love!? I...I think I'm crushing on him!' she mentally screamed.

"Uh, Cindy...? Earth to Cindy...!" Kurt waved his hand in front of her. She finally snapped out of it upon hearing her name.

"S-sorry..." she said, "Uhm... that was embarrassing. What I meant to say, Kurt, is that I would... like to be your friend." She giggled a bit, and Kurt smiled, brightly.

"You consider me a friend...?" he asked as he wagged his tail.

"Well, yeah..." said Cindy, "What else would I consider you?"

"An embarrassment..." suggested Kurt, as he stopped wagging and his smile faded, "A cliché character from a nineties romantic comedy come to life..."

"Stop right there." said Cindy, "Just stop; why are you being so hard on yourself?"

"Well..." said Kurt, "I consider you a comrade as well, Cindy, but... I think it's best we keep our friendship a secret." He sighed and lowered his head, "If your friends or others know about us being friends, they may not like it. Like that pea-brained Jeremy said, its social suicide, and I would hate to see you lose your popularity and your friends because you're friends with a geek like me." He began to tear up; this struck Cindy on her heart strings. She scooted her chair closer to his and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kurt." she said, "I think you are a unique kind of pup. I would love to call you my friend, and I bet you more than anything that my friends would love to be your friends as well." She smiled as she remembered something else. "In fact," she continued, "I have a friend named Tammy; she's part of the swim team too. And her boyfriend, uh... she has a friend, who is a boy... named Stoker, who loves everything and anything railroad related; kinda like you do with airplanes." This brought Kurt's feelings from low to high.

"Railroads?" he asked, "Then he must know a bit of railroad history; maybe he's into the new experimental engines that are being developed lately." He pondered for a moment, and then looked at Cindy. "You know what, Cindy; I think I'd like to meet Stoker. Wait... scratch that... I'd like to meet all your friends because it's high time I stop being afraid to make new friends."

"There you go!" said Cindy, "Like I said, my friends are gonna love you; and if they don't at first, they will once they get to know you like I do." At this point, Melissa called from downstairs to let them know dinner was ready.

'Saved by the mom...!' Kurt thought. So he and Cindy went downstairs to eat.

*****

Dinner consisted of smoked salmon, scalloped potatoes, and steamed vegetables, which Dilly and Cindy thoroughly enjoyed. The after dinner conversations were mostly of Dilly and Melissa catching up with each other still while Kurt and Cindy made small talk as well. Cindy was curious as to how Adam had gotten his eye patch, but knew it would be rude to discuss such a matter in their current scenario. Soon, the fun had to come to an end. But Cindy and Kurt made sure to swap their email addresses so they could keep in touch. They would have swapped phone numbers, but Cindy's phone had been waterlogged during her dunking in the fountain, so she would need a completely new one. Nevertheless, they promised to write to each other often. By the time Cindy and Dilly arrived home, it was late and they were both yawning.

"I don't know about you, but all that fun has me beat." said Dilly.

"I agree;" said Cindy, "I did have a fun time though." She yawned once, and said, "I think I'll call it a night." She started up the stairs for her room.

"See you in the morning, Sweetie!" Dilly responded, with another yawn, and went to her own room. In her room, Cindy opened her window to let in the summer night air.

'Whew... it's a warm night;' she thought to herself, 'I guess I'll just sleep in my undies tonight.' She removed her clothes, leaving herself in her green panties and bra. Even though she was tired, Cindy found the warm air to be a bit bothersome, so she decided to go on her computer to see if her friends were up for a chat. Once online, she started an IM chat, and waited. Finally, a message from Samantha came up on screen.

Samantha: You're up late again lol enjoying the summer night air?

Cindy: Yup yup, it's so peaceful outside; I love the breeze through the windows. Why are you up late again lol?

Samantha: *blush face* I'm talking to Liam ?

Cindy faced palmed when she read that note, 'Of course you're talking to my cousin...' she thought, before giggling and replying.

Cindy: That's nice, I hope you two don't flirt up a storm over there lol.

Samantha: UGH! NO! we are just casually talking to one another. But he just said he had to leave and its pretty late so I'm probably going to go to bed now. I'll see you hopefully soon.

Cindy chuckled at her friend's response and typed back a goodbye message herself and signed off. What Samantha had said stuck with her, and when she finally got into bed, Cindy had trouble sleeping as she couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened that day. 'What exactly happened today...?' she asked herself, 'I mean... we shared moments and had fun but, I couldn't stop noticing other things about him and when I felt his hand... why did I have to let go of it...?' Cindy began to worry again and tried to piece the puzzle together while remembering what her parents had said. She began to tear up a bit as she struggled with her confusion. 'I can't sleep...' she thought, 'There's too many questions... too many questions...' In her heartache and confusion, she decided that it was best to pay a visit to her mother. She climbed out of bed and walked down the hall to her mother's room, before giving the door a few knocks. "M-mom...?" She called. At moment, later, Dilly opened the door, appearing before her daughter in just her yellow bra and panties.

"Yes, Honey?" she asked, before noticing that her daughter had tears in her eyes. "Oh Cindy, what's wrong?" She knelt down and gave her daughter hug. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"No..." said Cindy, as she started to choke up.

"Ok, ok, shh..." Dilly soothed her daughter, "Come sit with me on my bed." She scooped Cindy up and set her down on the bed before sitting down next to her and holding her close. "What's wrong?" she asked, "Are you sick? Does something hurt?"

"No, Mom..." said Cindy, "I've been getting all these strange feelings. Feelings... about Kurt, and I just can't explain them! It's like a fire of confusion, and no matter how I try to put it out, it keeps burning hotter and hotter and..." she started to sob in her mother's chest.

'Kurt...? Feelings?' thought Dilly, 'OH...! I think I know what she means.' She took a sigh of relief, knowing that it wasn't anything life threatening. "Oh, Cindy, it's ok..." she said, "Why don't you tell me all about it, okay?" Dilly moved on her bed and sat cross legged. Cindy did the same, so that they were facing each other.

"Well..." said Cindy, wiping her eyes, "It all began when I had breakfast with Dad at the start of summer vacation. We got into the conversation about what love was. He explained that I had to find someone with a good heart and soul." Dilly just nodded.

'Well, George is right about that.' she thought, and continued to listen.

"Earlier, I never really thought about finding someone special;" said Cindy, "But after what happened between Samantha and Liam, I found myself wondering what it would be like to experience what they experienced. Then, when I... met him at the mall, it's like something happened. I found myself saying things like cute or sweet when I was describing him..." Cindy had calmed down considerably now, and was able to talk regularly. "I just shrugged them off at the time;" said Cindy, "Thinking they were just flukes. But when we went to his house and I was upstairs with him... I couldn't stop thinking of those things either. I kept using those words to describe him; not because I wanted to, but because he genuinely was... cute. Now... I feel like I really want to know as much about him as I can and be there for him." She giggled slightly, and said, "And them... I even put my hand on his without noticing it." Dilly, at this point, kept a straight and concerned look; but inside, she was smiling brightly. "I... just don't understand..." said Cindy, "Are these feelings of friendship, or...?"

"The feelings of love..?" Dilly finished her daughter's sentence with a smile now on her face.

"Y-yeah..." said Cindy; blushing a bit.

"Cindy... Oh my Cindy..." Dilly said, happily, as she brought her daughter close to her and held her. "Cindy, I can help you on answering that question. The answer is yes, my darling child; those feelings you are having are the feelings of love; and it seems like they are quite powerful in your case. Kurt really must have made an impression on you to cause them."

"But... I literally just met him!" said Cindy, "Shouldn't I have had dated him or something a few times before the love feelings came?"

"That is true in some cases;" said Dilly, "But sometimes you just meet someone who you... start crushing on right away. It isn't really a bad thing at all; it just happens sometimes." She rubbed her daughter's head, and said, "Let me tell you, Sweetie; I was the same way when I met your father."

"You were?" asked Cindy.

"I was." said Dilly, "Right from the day I met him, I couldn't stop thinking about him; especially when I thought about how he'd look in... Uh... never mind." Cindy giggled, and Dilly blushed. "Anyway," said Dilly, "If Kurt is the kind, sweet, cute person you say he is; then I'd say go for it, Cindy." She thought a moment, then said, "Does he feel the same about you?"

"Well..." said Cindy, "I did see him look at me and then blush a few times." She giggled a bit.

"Ahh, see? That's a very good sign that he has taken a liking to you." said Dilly, "Shoot, Cindy; I'll bet he's ecstatic to have met an amazing person like you. He might be a bit shy about letting you know how he feels. He was probably sweating bullets when thinking about you."

"Well, his face lit up like a brush fire when I said that I would like to be his friend." said Cindy.

"Then I'd say you have a winner, my dear;" said Dilly, "Now the next step is just let things come naturally. Take things slow; like... texting or talking to him. Invite him over to your house, or go over his and get to know each other more. Find common interests, and try to open up to new interests. Soon after, you two will open up to each other more; and before you know it, you two will be saying, 'I love you''; just like Samantha and Liam did with each other." Cindy took all this information in. Everything her mother said made everything much clearer; and she now felt like the weight of the world was finally off her shoulders.

"M-mom?" she asked.

"Yes?" Dilly smiled. With a sudden move, Cindy gave her mother a big hug.

"Thank you so much."

"Any time, Cindy..." said Dilly as she hugged her daughter back, "Any time at all. If you have any more questions, I'll always be glad to answer them." She let go of her daughter, then asked, "I'm sorry if this sounds strange, but, would you like to sleep with me tonight?" Cindy yawned, before saying,

"Yeah... I would like that." She smiled. The two Dalmatians got off the bed, then Dilly lifted the covers and let Cindy climb under them first before getting in herself. After getting comfortable, Dilly whispered,

"Goodnight, Cindy."

"Goodnight, Mom." Cindy replied, as she closed her eyes. Smiling, Dilly wrapped her arm around her daughter and held her close as she shut her own eyes. The comforting embrace made Cindy feel more at ease; and soon, she fell into a deep slumber.

'Cindy... I'm so proud of you.' Was all Dilly thought before she was asleep too.

_ To Be Concluded... _ _ ? _