WARNING: This story may contain content of an adult nature. If you are easily offended or are under the legal age to view adult content in your area, please exit now. This text is intended for adults only and may include scenes of sexual content or graphic violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Yerba Maté

By IndigoNeko and LillyOpossum

Chapter 4

Thursday, August 27th, 2015

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, illuminating everything with the pale blue light of dawn. Alyssa's Jeep was packed with all the things that the Paige family would need for their upcoming vacation at Aunt Peggy's farm. Chris was sitting on the back bumper of the Jeep, her guitar in her lap. As she waited for her mother to come back down with the coffee mug that Alyssa had forgotten in the kitchen, the young marsupial worked her fingers over the guitar strings, singing softly.

"You know, if you would put as much work into school as you do memorizing songs..." Alyssa grumbled with a thick spanish accent as she came around the side of the car, mug in hand. The older yapok yawned and took a sip of her coffee as her daughter rolled her eyes. "Y toca canciones más felices," she added.

A few moments later, a blue BMW pulled into the apartment complex, looking decidedly out of place amidst the far less expensive vehicles in the apartment parking lot. Surprisingly enough, the car was moving at the posted speed limit of 5 MPH, something that none of the apartment residents did. Half a minute later, the car came to a stop near the Jeep that Chris was sitting in.

Looking up from her guitar, Chris smiled at the sight of the car. "Están aquí," she stated happily.

"Don't get so excited that you pee again," Alyssa muttered over her shoulder as she walked up to the driver's side window. It wasn't fair that Chris had so much energy in the mornings. "Ayuda a llevar el equipaje," she called back to Chris, who was putting her guitar away.

The BMW's engine went silent, and a moment later both front doors opened. A tall ferret in a navy business suit stepped out of the driver's side, and a small stoat-ferret hybrid hopped out of the passenger side, wearing a teal tee-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of brown hiking shoes. A moment later the younger of the two pulled out a backpack as well, swinging it over one shoulder while her father went around behind the back of the car and pulled open the trunk. He pulled out a small black carry-case and handed it to his daughter as she came around the back of the car.

"Thank you, Father," the little stoat said as the ferret kneeled on the asphalt and gave her a hug.

"You're welcome, Princess. You have fun, and remember what your mother told you about horses. I don't want you coming home with a hoof-print in your tummy, or worse, okay?" the business-ferret said softly.

"Yes, Father," the little stoat replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing the side of his muzzle. "I will. I love you."

"I love you too, Princess," he said, kissing the side of her muzzle in return. Then he stood back up, reaching out and closing the trunk as he turned around to see a pair of yapoks standing next to the Jeep.

"You must be Terrence. It's nice to meet you," the older yapok stated, trying to suppress her accent and walking up to the hob with her paw held out. "I'm Alyssa. This is my daughter Chris," she introduced herself and her daughter, gesturing with her other at the younger yapok.

"Thank you for letting Elizabeth come with us. It means a lot to me," Chris said, smiling. The younger yapok was a bit oddly dressed in a t-shirt and some baggy jeans and sandals.

"And don't worry. We will have Elizabeth back in one piece," Alyssa added, smiling warmly.

Terrence smiled as he shook Alyssa's paw. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, and I'm sure you'll take good care of her. Oh, I did want to ask one question... Chris, do you happen to have a 3DS?"

"Sí, señor. It's in the car though," she replied, pointing to the back seat that was set up for a long trip. There were pillows, blankets, and several snacks visible on the seat.

"Excellent," Terrence replied, then turned around and opened the back door of the BMW, picking up a handful of small boxes. He held them out to the younger yapok. "Elizabeth's already got all of these, and they're multiplayer. I figured if you didn't have them I could get them for you so you'd have something to do together in the car. If you already have them, I can just return them."

The young yapok's eyes went wide at the sight of all the games, her tail tip twitching. "¡Guau! Muchas gracias señor," she said happily, smiling up at the ferret. "I really needed some new games for it... and now I have these and Elizabeth to play them with."

"Wow. That's extremely nice of you," Alyssa commented. "I feel like I should take you and your wife out for drinks... or coffee."

"Coffee would be good," Terrence replied while Chris looked over the games in his paws and picked a few of them out. "Perhaps next weekend we can go get Dutch Brothers and get to know each other a bit better."

Once the young yapok had finished selecting games, Terrence put the remainder of them back in the bag sitting on the back seat. "Anyway, it seems like you're all set. Elizabeth's clothes are in her suitcase, and her games, snacks, and medication are in her backpack. Just make sure she takes her meds with or after dinner."

"You two go ahead and get into the car. I'll be there in a moment," Alyssa told the two cubs, watching them pile into the back seat of the car before turning back to the business-ferret. "Don't worry about anything. I will have my phone on me at all times, and I know that Chris will have her's. It might as well be physically attached to her. I just have one thing to ask. Does she get car sick or anything like that?" the yapok asked.

"No, Elizabeth doesn't get car sick. If anything, she tends to fall asleep on long car rides. You should have our home phone number, and... " Terrence trailed off as he pulled a smartphone out of his pocket, then unlocked it. He tapped the screen a few times and a moment later Alyssa's phone began to ring from somewhere near her waist. "Now you have my cell number too," he finished, cutting the call.

"Heh, well it looks like everything is good to go," Alyssa stated with a smile, holding her hand out again. "It's been a pleasure to meet you and your family, and even more seeing that Chris has someone that can be a good influence on her."

Terrence returned the smile, clasping Alyssa's hand. "Thank you. Hopefully it continues to be so, for both of them. Anyway, I shouldn't keep you any longer, since it seems you've got a bit of a trip ahead of you. Also, I've got to return the rest of those games and stuff before I get to work. Drive safely."

"You do the same," Alyssa replied as she turned to get into the car. A moment later she closed the door and buckled her seatbelt. "Are you two back there good to go? Pillows, blankets, and all that?" she asked, peering over her shoulder into the back seat.

"I'm all good to go, mama," Chris answered, nodding. She had already gotten her pillow and blanket formed into some semblance of a nest.

"Almost. Let me get my seatbelt buckled," Elizabeth said, watching through the window as her father got into his car and backed the car around, driving back out of the apartment complex. She quickly reached down to unzip the backpack at her feet and pulled out her 3DS, then reached back and grabbed the seat belt, latching it into place. "Okay, I'm good now."

"Well then, it looks like we are good to go," Alyssa murmured as she started to pull out to the main road. "It is a little bit of a ride, so call out if you need to pee or something. Preferably before it gets too bad; weeing beside the road isn't as fun as Chris says."

"¡Madre!" The younger water opossum protested with a huff.

"Just saying, Charcos." Alyssa muttered, smiling to herself as she drove out of the apartment complex and started to head down the main road, heading off to the farm.

---

The group had been on the road for a little over an hour and Alyssa's belly was starting to make noises. "Sooo, I think that it's time to get something for breakfast," the older yapok stated as the Jeep came to a stop in a turning lane. "Drive through? Or do you two want to get out and stretch?"

"I'm good with anything," Chris answered, wiggling in her seat and letting out a yawn. "What about you, Elizabeth?" she asked as her mother pulled the SUV into the parking lot.

Elizabeth looked out the window at the McDonalds in front of them. "Oh wow. They have a play structure?" she asked, seeing the sign for the McDonalds PlayPlace. "I haven't been in one of those before. Mother and Father wouldn't let me when I was a cub."

"Well, I'm sure that they wouldn't mind. It's empty, so there is no one to get in the way," Alyssa replied as she put the car in park, opening her door and stretching a little. "What do you two want? That way you two can go have fun as I get the food."

"I want hotcakes," Chris stated, getting out, stretching and looking at the play structure, smiling at the thought of playing in one, namely the slide and ball pit.

"Oh... Do you think they'd have chicken nuggets this early?" Elizabeth asked, trying not to sound too excited. "I love those. I got them when I was with Alex once."

"I'll try to talk them into it," the older yapok said as she reached into her back pocket, pulling out her wallet. "What sauce do you want with them?" She asked, walking up to the door, opening it for the cubs.

"Ketchup," Elizabeth declared, giving a decisive nod.

"Interesante, extraña" Alyssa muttered. "If they can't make them, what else would you want for breakfast? Hot cakes, sausage and egg McMuffin, sausage burrito, or fruit and maple oatmeal?"

"Mmm... fruit and maple oatmeal?" the little stoat asked cautiously.

"Done. You two go play, I will get the food and yell when it's ready."

"Come on Elizabeth," Chris beckoned, reaching out and taking her paw, walking with her to the large indoor play structure as the mother went to get the food. "The ball pit is like the best thing ever," she claimed, getting into the pit and sinking about waist deep into the brightly colored plastic balls.

Elizabeth's eyes went wide when she saw the ball pit. Then she let out a squeal and jumped in after Chris. Plastic balls went flying as she started flailing about. "This is awesome!"

"I told you," Chris stated, poking her tongue out. "I just wish they were deeper," she commented as she sank down onto her hands and knees. She started to wiggle her way through the balls, humming the Jaws theme song.

"What are you doing, silly?" Elizabeth asked, giggling.

"I guess that you have never seen that movie," Chris muttered, poking her tongue out before wiggling under the balls, only her tail poking out, slowly circling around the stoat before coming up beside her. "¡Te voy a comer!"

Elizabeth giggled, then tossed one of the balls up in the air. A moment later it came back down, landing with a soft thunk atop Chris's head.

Chris let out a little squeak as she felt the plastic ball boop her on the head. "No, I have been defeated," she cried, giggling as she fell back into the balls with a little splash.

The little stoat giggled, then flopped down next to her. "I was wondering... Alex used to pretend shi was a girl at school. Do you pretend you're a boy or a girl?"

The question caught Chris off guard, she lay there for a moment thinking. "Well, I don't pretend to be one or the other. I'm both. I don't really try to be more of one than the other," she took a deep breath. "I'm a mix of both, if I was all male or all female, it wouldn't change how I am, it would just mean that I have less things to play with."

"So... does that mean you use the boy's restroom or the girl's restroom then?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled. "Or just whichever you feel like?"

"Well when it comes to that sort of thing, I use the one that's cleaner." She paused, thinking of some way to put it. "Um, that probably didn't answer your question; I guess I would say that I feel closer to my female side."

"Oh," the little stoat murmured. "I once asked Alex whether shi felt more like a boy or more like a girl. Shi said shi didn't know what it was like to be one or the other, since shi was both."

"I guess that I know more what it's like to live as una chica, cause I have never felt like trying to be un chico." The yapok paused a moment. "I might have to try it sometime. I don't know... I just like being me."

Elizabeth tilted her head slightly, unfamiliar with the words chica and chico. "Well, if that's what you like, then just keep being you," the little stoat suggested after a second, deciding to ignore them. "Oh, I want to go climb in the tunnels," she added, distracted from their conversation as she realized what was above them.

"This is why I just go with being me," Chris stated, giggling as she got up and started heading to the end of the ball pit before getting out and holding her hand out to help the smaller hybrid out.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, taking the yapok's paw and scrambling out. Then she darted over to one of the tunnels and scrambled up.

"Hey," Chris protested, following after the stoat through the tubes. "I'm not that minúscula; I have to wiggle into these things."

Elizabeth quickly made it to the top of the tunnel system, spotting where the slide started. She crawled over to it, then pushed herself down. "Weee!"

"Someone is having fun," Chris commented, snickering as she waited a moment or two before sliding down the tube, going a little slower due to her bigger size. "I can't wait to see you when you get to the farm."

"Chris, Elizabeth, the food is here. Darse prisa," Alyssa called, walking to one of the tables and setting down the tray. "I didn't know what you would like to drink, so I just got you a cup."

"Thank you, Ms. Alyssa," the little stoat said, hopping up from the bottom of the slide and jogging over to the table where Alyssa was sitting down. She took one of the cups and walked over to the soda fountain. Unfamiliar with the many flavors offered, she took the expedient route and filled the cup with some of everything. Then walked back over to the table, careful not to spill it.

"Gracias, mama," Chris said, as she opened the lid of her plate, picking up the little packet of syrup and starting to pour it on her hotcakes and sausage.

"De nada, sweetie," Alyssa said, smiling at her daughter before looking at the little stoat. "So how are you enjoying the trip?"

"So far, it's been great," Elizabeth answered, prying open the box of chicken nuggets and ripping open a packet of ketchup with her claws. "Thank you for letting me come with you."

"Good," Alyssa said, smiling and cutting into her hotcakes. "Is there anything that you have any questions about?"

"Nope," Elizabeth replied, dipping a chicken nugget in ketchup and taking a bite out of it. For a moment it looked like she might melt into a puddle of pure joy, but at the last second she pulled herself back together, then reached out and dipped the remainder of the chicken nugget.

"Wow the nuggets here must be good," Chris commented with a smile. "I hope you like trying all kinds of new food. Aunt Peggy likes to cook all kinds of things."

"She's going to try and fatten her up. I bet you money on it," Alyssa added, snickering and taking a sip of her coffee.

After swallowing, Elizabeth said "I like new things. And Mother and Father always want me to eat more. I don't like to though; it makes me feel weird and tired."

"I will make sure to tell Peggy then," Alyssa said, finishing off the food that she had gotten.

"Not everyone is built like us and likes to eat all the things," Chris replied, smirking and finishing the last of her hotcakes.

"I still don't know how you put all that away and not get fat," Alyssa muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I'm just that good," Chris replied, smiling and leaning back in her chair.

Elizabeth didn't say anything. She wasn't paying any attention to the two yapoks anymore; she was totally absorbed in eating her chicken nuggets, dipping them and nibbling them with a happy smile on her muzzle, eyes mostly closed.

"That's too cute," Alyssa said, looking from Elizabeth to her daughter. "Puedo ver por qué estás enamorado de ella."

"¡Madre!" Chris protested with a huff. "You said that you would behave and not do that."

"No, I said that I would try. It's my job to embarrass my kid in front of crushes and friends alike."

---

It was about nine in the morning when the Jeep pulled onto the dirt road. The SUV bumped and rocked as Alyssa continued driving, the farm eventually coming into view past the first field of crops.

"You two awake back there?" Alyssa asked, turning her head and sneaking a glance at the rear seat. Chris was asleep, drooling on the poor pillow. Elizabeth was asleep as well, legs tucked under her and leaning against the pillow between her and the door.

"¡Que lindo!" Alyssa exclaimed under her breath, waiting until she was pulling up to the main house before turning and reaching out to nudge the two cubs. "We're here," the yapok said, touching Elizabeth's shoulder before doing the same to Chris. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bacon."

The little stoat yawned, showing a pair of surprisingly sharp bicuspids, before blinking blearily and looking around. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes we are, sweetie," Alyssa answered, smiling and opening her door. "You two wait here for a moment or two. I've got to go tell Peggy that we are here," she said, getting out of the car, leaving Elizabeth in the car with Chris, who was apparently still asleep.

After taking a few moments to get her wits about her, Elizabeth unbuckled the seatbelt, then picked up her 3DS and stuck it in the backpack on the floor. That was when she realized that Chris apparently still hadn't woken up. She was about to reach over and poke her when she remembered Chris saying something about sleeping problems, and decided to let her sleep a bit longer. Instead, she opened the door and hopped out, leaving the door cracked instead of slamming it shut.

A few moments later the young water opossum started stirring, wiggling a little before sitting up and looking around. "Elizabeth?" she asked, looking around, tossing her pillow to the side. She unbuckled her seatbelt and slipped out of the car, looking for the stoatling.

Elizabeth was standing out in front of the car, looking around. Her nose twitched, assaulted by the various farm smells. The front of the main house was set up to look a lot like a storefront with signs in the window advertising goods they had for sale and when the next crops would come in. Next to the house was a small path that led up to a large storage building. Behind the car was a field of wheat that seemed to go on forever. The road that they came in on led to another house that had to be the guest house, and past that were the other fields and barns for the animals.

"Let's go in. You can meet aunt Peggy and look at the food and stuff that they sell," Chris suggested as she walked up to the younger girl, heading past her towards the house and motioning for her to come with her.

"Okay," Elizabeth said, following. "It smells funny out here."

Chris giggled at the stoat. "You'll get used to it. It's just the mierda that they spray out in the field to help with crop growth. Just breath through your mouth, or... here," she said, handing her a little cloth bandana. "That might help."

The little stoat took the red piece of cloth, wondering how it was supposed to help while following the older cub into her Aunt's store. After a few moments she stuck it into one of her pockets.

A bell on the front doorway rang the moment that the two cubs entered the shop, followed by the sound of pitter pattering from one of the hallways as a small puppy ran over to sniff the two newcomers. Alyssa and an older water opossum stood near the back of the store, past various sizes of oak barrels, a long counter with an old-fashioned register, and shelves packed with jars of jam and pickled vegetables.

"Aunt Peggy," Chris called out, waving to the pair of water opossums, carefully stepping around the puppy and walking up to them. "This is my friend Elizabeth. She's the one that's going to be staying with us."

"Well you weren't kidding about her being small and adorable," Peggy said, smiling and waving to the little girl. "It's nice to meet you, I hope that you have lots of fun here with us. And don't mind the puppy; she's friendly."

Elizabeth had already fallen to her knees and was trying to fend off the puppy attempting to lick her face. "Aww, she's so cute! What's her name?"

"That would be Flower," Peggy answered, smiling and giggling a little at the sight of the puppy and stoat playing. "Looks like you made another friend."

"Is she one that you're keeping or is she going to be picked up?" Alyssa asked, also smiling at the sight.

"That's one that we will be keeping. We just fell for her," the older yapok replied. "But man does everyone want to adopt her."

"Mom... I still-"

"No. You know that we can't have one at the apartment," Alyssa cut her daughter off, shaking her head.

"Don't worry Chrissy. When you get to where you can have one, I'll give you one," Peggy consoled the younger yapok, watching Chris' eyes light up with excitement.

"Gracias, Aunt Peggy," Chris said, heading over to Elizabeth to play with the puppy as well.

"I won't hold y'all any longer. I think this is what you needed," Peggy said, reaching into her pocket. She handed a set of keys to her sister. "And don't forget your punishment starts tomorrow." She added, looking sternly at Chris.

"I know," Chris grumbled with a sigh.

"You two ready to go to the guest house? Once we get things moved into the house, then you two can go look around, go see the animals, or the lake," Alyssa stated, walking up to the two cubs.

By that time the puppy had fallen onto her back and was squirming around as Elizabeth tickled her tummy. "I want a puppy too," the young hybrid admitted. "Mother and Father would never allow it though. Not while Charlotte is living with us, anyway."

"You never know till you ask," Alyssa said as she bent down to pet the puppy as well. "I know that a dog would love to have a front yard like the one you have," she added, standing back up and heading over to the door.

"Don't worry, there will be lots of time for us to play with the puppy. And there are the caballos too," Chris said, smiling as she stood up, holding her hand out for the stoat.

Elizabeth gave the puppy one last belly rub, then took Chris's paw and stood up. The puppy rolled back over and followed them as they headed outside to look at the guest house and unpack the Jeep.

---

"Well, this is it. This will be our casa for the weekend," the older yapok stated as she pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of the two story ranch house. "You two will be staying on the top floor," she added as she got out of the car, heading around to the back and opening the trunk. "As for rules... the first one is: you two are to be home before dark. The second one is: if you want to go swimming, you are to come tell me and I will come watch over you two."

"Sí, mama," Chris replied as she came around to the side of the car, taking the bags that her mother handed her. Elizabeth took her backpack out of the back seat and closed the car door this time, then followed the two yapoks.

"Oh, and Chris, you are to take care of our guest. You know the area better," Alyssa explained, holding a bag of her own and handing the last bag to Chris. "Can you two handle that?"

"Sí, mama," Chris repeated as she walked up to the house, fumbling with the key to get in.

"Yes, Ms. Alyssa," Elizabeth agreed, hoisting her backpack.

"Sweetie, you can just call me Alyssa," the older woman suggested, smiling and handing the little stoatling her luggage. "Now, vamonos," she said, stepping back to close the back of the Jeep before heading in to join the kids.

Elizabeth jogged over to the front door where Chris had just finished pulling it open and followed her friend inside. The inside of the house was decorated to match the theme of being out in the wild; most of the furniture was made of hewn stone and rough wood. In one of the corners was a small sitting area, with chairs and a sofa facing a large fireplace. Next to that was a breakfast bar and then the kitchen. A set of wood stairs led up to the second floor where a hallway ran past the steps, leading into the bedroom, bathroom and the rest of the house.

"This way," Chris said, motioning for Elizabeth to follow her up the stairs to the second floor. "To casa del... fluff," she said with a smile. The second floor of the house was an open area separated by a curtain. The biggest part of the room was occupied with chairs and a pair of sofas sitting around a coffee table, and a door that led to a small bathroom. On the other side of the curtain was the bedroom area, with the far wall occupied by a large window that overlooked a field.

"Wow. It's like... one big, open room," Elizabeth said, walking over to the coffee table and setting her backpack next to it. "It's even bigger than our living room." After a moment she wandered over to the curtain and pulled it aside. Once she spotted the dresser, she walked over to it and set her tiny suitcase down and opened the second-to-bottom drawer. Finding it empty, she popped her suitcase open and started taking her clothes out one by one, shaking them out and refolding them before placing them in the empty drawer.

"I thought that you would like the room up here," Chris said as she walked past the dresser, setting her suitcase down and walking to the window. "This is my favorite part," she added, motioning to the window and the view, looking out into the woodlands. "I have been coming here for years, and I don't think that I have explored it all."

Elizabeth stood up as well, peering outside. "Wow. You mean... all of that belongs to your aunt?"

"Yes. I forget just how many acres she has... but I have spent, like, all day walking and I never made it to one of the boundary markers," she explained, then pointed at the brown and white mare grazing in a field. "Look... there's one of her mares. I think that's the one that you'll be riding."

"Huh. Mother said something about saddles... are we going to be using Western saddles or English saddles?" the stoat asked before going back to finishing folding her clothes.

"We have both," Chris answered, coming back to join the stoat in putting clothes away. "And that mare is one of the young ones. She's small," she added as she opened her suitcase, waiting for her turn.

Elizabeth put the last of her clothes in the drawer and pushed it closed, then set her suitcase next to it. That taken care of, she made one long walk about the room, familiarizing herself with it and looking out the windows. When she ended up at the bed, she ran her hands across the covers, then hopped up onto it. "Oh wow, it's so soft," she murmured, laying on her back.

"That bed is like the best thing," Chris said with a grin as she continued putting her clothing into the other drawer. "It's like sleeping on a cloud... and amazing for nesting." she added, stuffing the last of the clothing into the drawer, closing her suitcase and setting it to the side before joining her friend, sitting on the edge of the bed before laying back and stretching. "Ahhhhhhhh."

"Nesting?" Elizabeth asked, looking over at her friend with a puzzled expression.

"Umm. Well it's when I get pillows and blankets gathered up and snuggle into them... like a nest." She paused, thinking of just how to word it. "Like, when you snuggle up to someone, but with pillows and blankets."

"Oh. I kind of do that, I guess, with my stuffed animals," Elizabeth said, taking a deep breath and relaxing. "So are we sleeping together?"

"Umm... well, yeah. I mean, if you don't mind," Chris squeaked, blush starting to tint her ears. "I don't move a lot or anything. Or if you want I could sleep on the sofa, or with mama..."

Elizabeth rested one paw on Chris's arm. "I don't mind. Only... mother and father made me promise not to mate with you," she said apologetically.

"If that's all... I can keep it in my pants," Chris said, a bit relieved. "I mean it's not like I sleep naked or anything like that. Mama did say something about me behaving and all that."

"Oh. I normally sleep in just my fur. Except during sleepovers," Elizabeth explained. "Mother says I have to wear my nightgown for those."

"Well, if you don't mind, then there is nothing wrong with you sleeping in the bed with me," the yapok said with relief, sitting up and looking over at the stoatling. "So... I have an important question. I know that you have been swimming in a big pool, but is it the biggest pool that you have been in?"

"Well... I've been to the ocean a few times. I don't think that could be considered a pool, though," Elizabeth mused, pondering the question. "Could it?"

"Na, that's an ocean," Chris replied, snickering. "We have a big lake here. Bigger than the pool at your house. It has a pier to dive off of and everything."

"Really?" the little stoat asked excitedly, sitting up. "Can we go swimming in it?"

"I was hoping that you would ask," Chris smirked, hopping off the bed. "I'll get my suit, then tell mama and get her to come watch us," she said, going over to the drawer that had her suit in it and darted down the stairs to talk to her mom.

"Awesome!" Elizabeth said, doing as Chris had done and walking over to the dresser to pull out her bikini. Mother had been a bit upset to find out that her old one no longer fit and didn't have time to make her a new one. Elizabeth didn't understand why Mother didn't want her wearing the white bikini; it was a perfectly fine swimming bikini, she thought to herself as she walked over to the bathroom to change.

A few moments later the yapok came bounding up the steps, smiling and dressed in her suit. "She said yes. You're going to love it," Chris said happily before bounding back down to wait for Elizabeth and her mom to get ready.

"It didn't take you long to convince her to go to the lake," Alyssa said coming out of the bathroom, dressed in her skimpy bikini. Much like her daughter's, the bikini that she was wearing consisted of several straps, bottoms straps wrapped around her hips and hugging them tightly. The fabric sported a snakeskin like pattern of black and purple. Just as she stepped out, Elizabeth came down the stairs. "Oh, Dios mío. Elizabeth, I'm not sure what Chris told you, but there is no skinny dipping," the older yapok said, looking at the stoatling, a blush tinting her and her daughters ears.

Elizabeth stopped halfway down the stairs, her head tilted slightly. "What's skinny dipping?" she asked, confused.

"What you're about to do," the water opossum replied, looking around for a moment. "It's where you go swimming with nothing on."

"Oh," Elizabeth said. "I've got my two-piece bikini on. See?" she asked, tugging the white strap on her hip out from under her fur. She let it go with a snap, then dug one claw along it, pulling her fur back out to cover the strap; she didn't like how it stood out against her summer coat.

"Oh," Alyssa murmured, clearing her throat. It was pretty clear that the older yapok was distracted. "Well, okay then. Solo espero que Chris no se muy exciter," she said snickering.

"Gee mom, throw me under the bus why don't you? Tú eres el único que planea las citas para nosotros," Chris grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Tú eres el que está enamorado de ella, y eso es lo que hacen las mamás. Come on you two," Alyssa said, smiling as she turned to open the door, holding it open from the two cubs.

"Don't mind mom; she's a little weird," Chris said snarkily, poking her tongue out as she walked past her mom, her tail twitching and wiggling a little as she did.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth apologized as she followed along behind them, still befuddled by the spat of Spanish the two marsupials had exchanged. "I didn't think it matched my fur that well. That's probably why Mother was upset when I couldn't fit in my old swimsuit."

"It's okay," Alyssa said dismissively. "It's partly my fault for not paying attention. I'm not used to things blending into fur. I only ever see Chris in her bathing suit and it sticks out," she said, following the pair. "The lake isn't too far."

"Yeah, it's just like past this little wooded area," Chris said, pointing down the path

"Oh, ummm... Chris, you know to look out for snakes." Alyssa paused a moment. "Elizabeth? If you're swimming and you feel something rubbing against you, don't move suddenly. It shouldn't be an issue; Peggy lays out snake repellent around the lake, but better safe than sorry."

"Uh... snakes? Feral snakes?" Elizabeth asked quietly, stopping dead in her tracks. "Like, the kind that bite you?"

"Well yeah," Chris said, stopping to look at the little stoat and cocking her eyebrow. "They're more afraid of you than anything."

"Yeah. And the only one that I ever pulled out of here was one that wasn't poisonous," Alyssa added, stopping with them. "Me and Chris will scare all of them for you."

"Um... okay," Elizabeth said nervously. After a moment she started following them again, scanning the ground around them. "I didn't know snakes lived in the water, too."

"Well, they don't really live in the water. They go fishing sometimes," Alyssa explained, reaching out to pat Elizabeth on the shoulder. "And if at any point you get scared or anything, let us know and we can go do something else."

"Yeah," Chris agreed, smiling and patting the stoat on the other shoulder. "We wouldn't push you into anything that you don't want to do," she added. The lake came into view ahead of them a few moments later, with a large pier to one side.

"No, it's fine..." Elizabeth protested. "I like swimming. I just... I don't like snakes. The feral kind, I mean."

"I don't like them either," Alyssa agreed, shaking her head. "A friend of mine had one when we were growing up, forever trying to get me to pet it. The moment that I did, it bit me, esa pequeña mierda."

"I can deal with them better than I can with spiders," Chris said, shivering. "So, do you want us to jump in first or do you want to join us right away?"

"Um... I'll let you go first," Elizabeth said as they approached the pier. It was large and wide, extending several yards out into the water of the large lake, part of the dock had benches that were used for fishing, including places to put the fishing poles. There were lights that ran along the side of the pier for night fishing or late swimming.

"Can do," Chris said grinning as she got to the end of the dock, climbing up onto the railing. "Snakes... you better run and hide!" she yelled before jumping into the water with a splash.

"Dork," Alyssa murmured, shaking her head. "Elizabeth, do you want to jump off or wade in?"

"I'll jump in, in a bit," the little stoat said, looking around. She wasn't used to swimming in water that was deep enough that it was hard to see the bottom. Especially water that might have snakes.

"Ok sweetie. Do you want me to wait with you?" Alyssa asked, looking out across the water, watching Chris swimming towards the middle of the lake.

"No, I'm fine," Elizabeth said, walking up to the edge of the pier and sitting down on it.

"Ok sweetie. We'll be right here if you need us," Alyssa said, clambering onto the railing, her tail sticking out a little for balance. "Hey y'all, watch this," she said before bending her knees and jumping into the water rather gracefully.

The little stoat watched as Alyssa dove into the water, noting the angle and making sure she didn't make her own dive any steeper. The last thing she wanted to do was crack her head on some unseen rock deep beneath the surface. A moment later, movement near the edge of the pier caught her attention and she looked down, noticing ripples in the water. She followed it with her eyes as it approached the shore. When it reached the edge of the lake, a snake slithered out of the water and into the reeds, then further into the grass away from the water. Apparently the two yapoks were right about two things: that there might be snakes in the water, and that being noisy scared the snakes off. Elizabeth shuddered, and decided to wait a tiny bit longer before jumping in herself.

The mother and daughter swam around the lake, splashing and diving. Chris soon swam over to the dock, climbing up onto it enough to be able to look at Elizabeth. "See? No snakes." She said smiling and nodding. "Scared them off all by myself."

"Mostly," Alyssa corrected, peeking over the edge of the dock. "Ready to jump in? We will be right here."

"Uhh... Okay," the little stoat said, standing up. She scanned the water, looking for any other unexplained ripples, but didn't see anything; it was probably safe. Alyssa and Chris hadn't been bitten, so... she walked to the edge, curling her toes over the edge slightly to ensure she didn't slip, she bent her knees and leaned forward, kicking off while simultaneously raising her arms above her head, pointing her muzzle and bringing her paws together. The little stoat hybrid arced through the air, bringing her toes together and straightening her legs and tail behind her as she approached the surface, and dove into the water with the smallest of splashes.

"Wow. That was... agraciada," Alyssa muttered to herself as she let go of the dock, sinking back into the water.

"I told you," Chris said with a smirk. "She's been teaching me how to swim better and faster."

"So is that why you have been lifting things with your tail?" the older yapok asked, watching where the young girl had entered the pond.

Elizabeth emerged perhaps twenty feet away, having gone quite a distance underwater. Once she reached the surface she continued to swim in smooth, deliberate strokes while veering to the left until she'd done a complete turn and was heading back towards the dock. For a non-aquatic mammal, the little hybrid was surprisingly agile in the water.

"It looks like she has a lot to teach you," Alyssa stated.

"Well... I could teach her something too," the younger yapok retorted, poking her tongue out. "I could teach her about swimming underwater."

"I don't know if that will work; she lacks something you have," The mother replied with a smile before swimming towards the stoat.

"Still..." Chris muttered frowning a moment before, diving under the water and swimming towards the stoat, swimming around, passing all of the tall underwater weeds as if she could see everyone of them, popping up next to Elizabeth, her eyes still closed.

"This is amazing! The water doesn't sting my eyes at all," Elizabeth exclaimed as the yapok surfaced.

"Well the water is, like, super clean and all... there are no chemicals in it," Chris said with a grin. "I'm used to swimming with my eyes closed 'cause of my feelers."

"Feelers?" the little stoat asked, puzzled.

"Well... something like that," Alyssa commented as she floated on her back past the pair of cubs.

"We have special whiskers on our face that help us sense stuff under water. I call them feelers." Chris explained pointing at the whiskers on the end of her muzzle. "We have some here and then on our forehead."

"Huh. Do you think I could use my whiskers like that too?" Elizabeth asked, brushing at the thin hairs at the side of her muzzle. "They're probably not thick enough."

"You might be able to. It would take a lot of practice, like with you teaching me to swim." Chris paused for a moment to think. "A lot of it is, well, closing things out and going with the feel and the flow. I bet that I could find you anywhere in the lake without looking," she added with a snicker.

"I'm envious. You've got feelers and webbed feet," Elizabeth complained, sticking her tongue out at Chris. Then she ducked her head underwater and kicked out, swimming around the yapok and towards the dock.

"There is no hiding from my feelers!" Chris hollered before closing her eyes and diving under the water. She floated there for a moment, sensing the currents in the water, before picking a direction and using all that she had been taught by the little stoat to catch up to her. A few seconds later she surfaced, wrapping the smaller girl into a hug. "I win."

"So cute. Ser joven y enamorada de nuevo," Alyssa murmured to herself, watching the two from where she was floating.

Laughing, Elizabeth ducked between Chris's arms after a moment, then sped off, this time going as fast as she could, racing around the lake with Chris in hot pursuit.

---

Elizabeth's eyes went wider and wider as they walked into the barn. "I didn't think they'd be so... big," the little mustelid said quietly, looking up at the horses peering over the tops of the stalls. They towered over her, and their heads were literally bigger than her entire torso.

"Don't worry, aunt Peggy said that she had one that would be the right size," Chris reassured her friend, glancing at the placards on the stall doors as they walked down the center hallway.

"Well... the mare over here is of the old women that we have here," Peggy explained, smiling and leading the little stoat to one of the stalls near the back. "She's sweet, tame and used to having small or frail kids around and riding." As the older yapok stopped at the second to last stall, a brown mare poked her head over the door at the sound of people.

"Is she still doing the therapy work?" Alyssa asked, reaching out and softly rubbing the nose of the mare.

"Nope, not since last year," Peggy answered before turning to Elizabeth. "This is Chestnut, and it looks like she wants to meet you. Why don't you hold out your hand and let her smell you. She's officially retired."

The little stoat walked up to the door and slowly held her paw up, holding the back of her paw underneath the horse's nose the way Mother had shown her. The big horse sniffed at the back of her paw for a moment, then snorted, leaning further towards the little stoat as if to try to get a better smell. Mother had said their eyesight was very bad compared to anthros, but their sense of smell was very good. Considering how big their noses were, Elizabeth could definitely believe that.

"I think she likes you," Peggy commented with a small smile as she watched the horse getting a good sniff of her next rider. "It's important to let them know that you're not going to hurt them or anything, and to let them know that you're going to be friends," The older yapok explained, reaching out and petting the mare's muzzle. "And you're going to be a good girl and give our new little friend a nice, safe ride... right?" She asked. The horse nodded it's head as if answering the question.

The stall door suddenly opened and a wolf in jeans and a thin flannel shirt stepped out, pushing past the horse. "Okay, Mrs. Peggy. She's all good to go," he said.

"Come on in Elizabeth. You can really meet Chestnut and say hello," Peggy stated, leading the stoat into the stall. "Don't be afraid to talk to her," she added, double-checking the saddle straps.

"Uh... Hello chestnut," the little stoat said, a bit nervously. Even though the horse was just a pony, it was still tall enough that Elizabeth could easily walk under her without ducking. The horse swung her head around and down, this time snuffling at the little stoat's face. Elizabeth stood stock still as warm air brushed across her face. After a moment, the horse lifted it's head again, looking back at Peggy.

"Don't worry sweetie," Peggy told Elizabeth while petting the feral horse. "She won't hurt you. She wouldn't let anything happen to you," the older yapok reassured, taking the rein from where it was draped over the saddlehorn, holding it out to the stoat. "She's been doing this for years. Now let's walk her out to the field."

"Okay," Elizabeth said, taking the reins and holding them out and to the side, so that the horse could see where she was while following. The little stoat followed Peggy as she led the way back out of the barn. "Did you already check her hooves for stones?" she asked as they walked. "Mother said you're supposed to do that before you ride them."

"We did. The man that came out of the stall did all of that for us, so we could get you riding sooner," the older yapok replied warmly, a smile creeping across her muzzle. "It looks like you know a little about horses already," she added as she led them through the barn, out to a massive sandy field.

"So how ya feeling about riding?" Chris asked, looking at the pair coming out of the barn from her perch atop a much larger white and black splotched mare, with silverish fur around the spots of black. "Don't worry. Chestnut there will take good care of you. She's the one that I started riding on," the yapok said, leaning in and petting the mare that she was sitting on.

"Okay, I guess..." Elizabeth replied halfheartedly, following the older yapok a bit further before Peggy stopped.

"Are you ready to get onto the saddle?" Peggy asked as she walked around the side of Chestnut, patting the mare as she did. "Now... make sure that you pat, and touch along her side, to let her know that you're here," the woman said, ready to help the stoat up.

Elizabeth nodded hesitantly. "I'm ready," she said.

"Okay," Peggy said, bending over and picking up the little stoat. "One, two, three." She said, surprised at how light the little girl was before setting her down on the saddle. "How's that feel?" She asked, making sure Elizabeth had the reins. "When you're ready I'll start walking her around."

"Good, I guess? Mother said I need to put my heels down and squeeze with my knees," she said, trying exactly that. "I think the foot holder things are too long," she said, leaning over a little bit to look.

"Just one sec kiddo," Peggy said, smiling and leaning down, making short work of adjusting the stirrup on one side before moving to the other. "So... you do know a little. Do you know how to make her trot?" the older yapok asked, standing close enough that she could jump into action if need be.

"It's Elizabeth, she's good at, like, everything," Chris cheered, dropping her reins for a moment and holding her arms up in playful celebration.

"Um... actually, I don't," Elizabeth replied before turning to Chris, "And I'm most definitely not good at everything." The little stoat looked down at the horse, wondering how to make it trot. "Actually, I'm bad at most things. Except swimming and video games," she added quietly. It was Alex who had been good at everything, she thought ruefully.

"I don't know, you could have fooled me," Chris retorted, turning in her saddle and sticking her tongue out. "And you can be good at anything that you put your mind to."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Chrissy?" Peggy asked looking at the younger yapok. "I never thought that I would hear something like that out of little miss punk rock," the adult stated. "Your mom wasn't joking about this cause of spring fever," she muttered, clicking her tongue and starting to walk the horse that Elizabeth was on, walking alongside them. "How's that sweetie?"

"It's fine," Elizabeth stated. She could feel the horse's muscles moving underneath her, even through the thick Western style saddle she was sitting on. The swaying motion from side to side felt really strange; she'd sort of expected that it would be just forward and backwards, like the mechanical horse that sat outside the grocery store when she'd been younger.

"That's it," Peggy said encouragingly, walking her away from the barn towards where Chris was riding. "You know... I bet that you could help teach her, Chris." The older yapok said.

"As small as she is, we could ride double on Mable here," Chris suggested, looking down at her friend. "Up for a ride on a real horse?" she asked with a smirk, trying not to snicker. "I won't go too fast or anything."

"Uhhh..." Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what to say. It wasn't that she didn't trust Chris, but the horse that Chris was on was really big. Almost frighteningly so.

"Don't worry," Chris reassured, smiling down at the stoat. "Mable here is a big sweetheart. She wouldn't hurt a flea, and I'll be right here to hold on and make sure nothing happens."

"See... this is why I want you to come help teach riding during the summer," Peggy stated before looking to the stoat. "It's all up to you sweetie. I can keep teaching you and showing you on Chestnut... or Chris can help you learn more hands on."

"I guess I'm okay with Chris teaching me. Only... how will I get down?" she asked.

"The same way that we got you on Chestnut, more or less," Peggy answered, thinking for a moment. "Hold still a minute," she said before slipping into the barn and returning with a step stool that she placed near Mable. "You can use the step ladder and Chris will help you to get on and off. That work?"

"Okay," Elizabeth said, reassured. "Thank you, Mrs. Peggy."

Peggy returned to the little stoat and in a fluid motion, the older yapok plucked Elizabeth off Chestnut's back and stood her on the ground.

"This will be easy," Chris reassured the little mustelid, leaning over and holding her hand out to help Elizabeth onto the step stool. "Baja niña," she instructed the Mable, who showed her training as she lowered her head. "Now, just swing your leg over her head and slide back into the saddle," Chris instructed, scooting back on the saddle to make room for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth did exactly that, lifting one leg and swinging it over, while Chris took hold of her sides to help her settle into place between Chris and the saddle horn. Once she was in place, Elizabeth leaned back slightly against the yapok's chest.

"See? It's not too bad," Chris said, wrapping one arm around the stoatling's waist. "You want to see if you can get her to start walking?" She asked, holding the reins up for the stoat to hold. "Just give her a little squeeze or tell her 'caminar'."

"Okay," Elizabeth agreed, squeezing slightly with her heels.

"There we go," Chris said, smiling and holding onto Elizabeth as Mable started to move, slowly moving across the sandy field. "See, not so bad is it?" She asked softly, half tempted to rest her head on the shorter girl.

"Nooo..." Elizabeth said cautiously, slowly coming to enjoy the smooth rocking motion as Mable kept walking around the field, guided by the gentle tugs on the reins.

"Wanna go a little faster?" Chris asked, leaning in just a little to steal a few sniffs at Elizabeth's hair and ears. "Just give her another little squeeze or tell her trote and she'll go faster."

Elizabeth didn't reply. Instead, she squeezed slightly with her heels, then gasped as the horse beneath her started to trot, bouncing her up and down between the saddle horn and Chris's hips.

Chris let out a little squeak as she felt the stoat starting to bounce between her and the saddle. "You still doing okay there?" she asked, making sure to hold her friend firmly, but not squeeze too much.

"Ye-ah," Elizabeth said, her voice breaking slightly every time her butt hit the saddle, pinching her tail slightly. "Though now I know why mo-ther told me to sque-eze with my knees," she said, her voice breaking slightly every time her butt hit the saddle.

"Lean forward on the saddle," Chris suggested, resting her chest against the stoat's back. "That helps with the bouncing when she's trotting. Think you're going to like riding?"

"Yeah," the little stoat said, panting slightly, her legs starting to burn a bit with the effort of squeezing them.

"Maybe next time we can go a little faster," Chris started to say, only to stop as she heard Aunt Peggy yell at them from across the field.

"Alright you two," Peggy hollered. "I think that's enough for now, too much and little one there won't be able to walk tomorrow."

"Yeah," Chris agreed, nodding and putting her hands around Elizabeth's, taking the reins to bring Mable back to where the step stool was. "Here we are. Baja niña," she ordered. After the horse had lowered it's head, Peggy held her hand out to help Elizabeth down.

The little stoat took Peggy's hand and swung her legs over, sliding off and barely managing to land on the top stair of the step stool. "Thank you Mrs. Peggy," Elizabeth said gratefully, carefully walking down the small ladder. Even after just that short ride around the field, her legs felt a bit weak. Whether that was from muscle strain or frayed nerves, she didn't know.

"Looks like someone got a little more of a workout than she thought," the older yapok commented, holding onto the little stoat's shoulder. "Do you need a little help sweetie?"

Elizabeth glanced up at the older yapok and shook her head. Her legs were a big shaky, but other than that she felt fine.

"Aunt Peggy, if you want, you can walk with her back to the guest house and I will take the horses back to the barn after I take Mable for a short run," Chris said, before turning and looking over at Elizabeth. "Or you can rest in the grass and I can carry you back," she added with a grin.

"I'm fine," Elizabeth said, bending over slightly and brushing her paws over the fronts of her jeans. "Can I watch you run Mable around?"

"Sure," Chris exclaimed, sliding back into her place on the saddle. "Here we go. Galope!" she said before kicking twice with her heels. Mable took off, galloping smoothly across the sandy field. Horse riding for Chris was like swimming was for Elizabeth.

The little stoat continued to walk in the general direction of the guest house while her new friend rode the large horse around the field, periodically glancing down at the path she was walking on even as she watched Chris ride. She didn't know anything about how a rider was supposed to look, but the water opossum made riding look easy.

Chris let Mable gallop a few laps around part of the field before slowing her to a walk to cool down, then bringing Mable back to the barn. She took her time going through the post ride ritual of checking and cleaning Mable's hooves, removing the saddle, and giving her a good brushing, just as Peggy had done the same for Chestnut. Once she was done with all of that, she wanted to run back to the guest house but at this point the best that she could manage was a quick walk with how stiff her legs were.

Back at the house, Chris's mom had been working on dinner for the two cubs: baked pork chops, string beans and a baked potato, with sweet tea. The little stoat helped clean and set the table, and by the time that Chris had gotten back the house was filled with the smell of food.

---

Chris sat on the couch playing one of the games that Elizabeth's father had gotten her, the little stoat snuggled up to her. "So this is Pokémon?" she asked, tilting her head a little.

"Uh-huh," Elizabeth confirmed, her back pressed against Chris's side. "The show is stupid, but the video games are fun."

"I think that I only watched the show a few times... and that was back when there were only a hundred and something of them. Now there's like five million of them," she stated before glancing over at the stoat. "So... umm... did you have fun?"

"You mean swimming? Or riding? Or both?" the little stoat asked, more focused on the video game than their conversation.

"Well... all of it," Chris clarified, turning her attention back to the game as she ran into a battle with some random pokémon. "I mean, I want to make sure that you're having fun and everything," she explained as she started battling the other pokémon.

"I'm having fun," Elizabeth replied, putting the Nintendo down with a yawn. "I'm kinda tired though. It's been a long day."

"I think that it's getting time for you two to hit the hay," Alyssa stated, looking up from the book that she was reading. "Go get changed and all that and I will be up to tuck you in"

"Mooom," Chris complained with a little huff, blush tinting her ears.

"Don't mom me. We don't want to freak Elizabeth out do we?" the older yapok asked.

"Not really," the younger yapok regretfully agreed, saving the game, before turning to the stoatling. "Ready?"

"Freak me out? What would freak me out?" Elizabeth asked curiously, swinging her legs off the couch. She stood up and stretched a bit, then picked up her 3DS and closed it.

"Well I have weird... habits when it comes to sleeping," Chris said, getting up and stretching as well.

"I'll handle this," Alyssa said, turning to the little stoat. "Chris has something called parasomnia, meaning that strange things happen when she's falling asleep."

"Yeah. When I'm falling asleep... sometimes I can't move, sometimes I might hear things that aren't there, or even see things," she explained, shivering a little.

"So I come sit with her as she's falling asleep. It helps a little." Alyssa added, setting her book on the table.

"Uh... Okay," Elizabeth said, hesitantly. "It's okay for us to sleep in the same bed though, isn't it? Like, you won't imagine I'm a monster and hit me or something will you?"

"No," Chris said, shaking her head. "The only time that I have seen things like that was when I was super stressed out cause of school. Most of the time I can't move," she explains as she started walking up the steps. "So no worry there. I might grab your hand and squeeze it 'cause that's what mom does for me."

"And I will be there with you two, so there will be no risk of anything happening," Alyssa said reassuringly.

"Okay," Elizabeth said, heading upstairs. Once upstairs she set her 3DS down on her backpack and walked over to the curtained off bedroom area. Pulling aside the curtain, she walked over to the dresser and pulled open the drawer with all her clothing, pulling out a thin white nightgown and closed the drawer behind her. Then she headed over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She pulled out a small bag of mixed pills, carefully swallowing them one by one. Once she had finished swallowing them, she pulled out her toothbrush and went to work.

With her teeth brushed, it didn't take her more than a moment to shuck her jeans and tee-shirt, followed by her undergarments, and pull the nightgown over her head. Then she pulled the door open, holding her clothes. "Do we have a hamper for our dirty clothes?" she asked Chris.

"I don't think that we have one. Just make a pile," Chris suggested, walking over to the bed. She'd stripped off her pants and was wearing only a long shirt and her panties. "I'll gather everything up and all in the morning."

"Okay," Elizabeth said, walking over to the dresser and dropping her clothes next to it. Then she crawled into the other side of the bed, sighing as her head hit the pillow. She pulled the thin cover up to her chin and tried to relax.

"You two ready? Elizabeth, did you take your medication?" Alyssa asked as she walked up the stairs. She stopped at her daughter's side of the bed, waiting for her to wiggle into the bed, get cozy and everything before taking Chris's paw, holding it and softly stroking one of her ears.

"Yes. Before I brushed my teeth," the little stoat answered, rolling onto her side with a sigh.

"Well then it looks like you're good to go." Alyssa said smiling, holding her daughter's paw. "Good night you two, sleep well."

Elizabeth nodded off almost immediately, as far as Alyssa could tell. She stayed with the two cubs until she was sure that her daughter was asleep before carefully and silently slipping out of the room.

---

Friday, August 28th, 2015

"Chris," Alyssa whispered, leaning in close to her sleeping daughter. "Es hora de levantarse. You've got chores to do," she said resting her paw on her daughter's shoulder, rubbing her fur. "You're not going to get out of this."

"Estoy despierta," Chris whispered back, opening her eyes and looking around. "I know. Feed the horses and all that," she muttered, softly as to not wake the stoatling that was snuggled up to her.

"Good. I was starting to think that I was going to have to lick you to wake you up," Alyssa said, sticking her tongue out and wiggling it.

"Depending on where you're licking, I might still want that," Chris replied, slowly squirming out of the bed before making sure that the little stoat was still asleep.

"Just remember what I said about that... I'd rather you come to me than you do something that will get you two into hot water," the older yapok said as she turned to leave, heading down the steps, leaving her daughter to get dressed.

"You know, this wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to get up at the culo crack del amanecer," Chris complained, walking down the steps and over to the bar.

"Oh c'mon... Look at it like this: if you work fast you can get back and snuggle back up with that little cutie," Alyssa said, sipping from her mug before setting it down.

"I know. That's the plan," Chris said, walking up next to her mother, picking up her coffee cup, and taking a swallow before making a face. "Damn, woman... don't you put sugar in that?"

"It's a grown up taste," Alyssa said with a smirk, turning her head and poking out her tongue. She let out a sudden squeak as she felt Chris licking her tongue before her daughter pressed her lips to her mother's for a moment or two.

"Pervertida," Chris said before snickering.

"You're one to talk. Olla llamando a la tetera negra," Alyssa muttered before picking up her cup again. "Now go get to work so you can get back. There might be a little surprise for you."

It didn't take too long for the young yapok to get to the barn that held the six horses and get started on her work, stumbling through the pre-dawn darkness. After turning on the lights, she went from stall to stall, cleaning them. Once cleaned, she made sure that they had fresh hay to nibble on and water, before taking the time to give each of the horses a brushing. She talked to them like they were anthros, spending a little extra time with her favorite black, white and silver colored mare. She promised that she would take her out for a good run through the fields and a little hoof cleaning later.

Chris wiped the sweat from her brow. Now hopefully she had time to see just what her mother was planning. The sun was just starting to crest in the distance as she got back to the guest house.

"Cariño estoy en casa," she whispered to herself as she stepped back inside and took off her shoes, smiling at the sight of her mother's door being cracked open.

"I hope you didn't expect a martini or something," Alyssa called from the room, just loud enough to hear it.

"No, but I think that is something else that I should try," Chris replied, closing the distance in what seemed like barely a single step or two.

"Well, I don't have a martini, but I have something here that I know you'll like," Alyssa said, smirking at the look on her daughter's face as she pushed the door open. The older water opossum was laying on the bed, propped up by some pillows. That sight was something that Chris was used to, but she definitely wasn't used to the fact that Alyssa had on a silken teddy that just barely covered her breasts. The translucent silk covered her down to her hips, but hid nothing from her gaze.

"You know," Chris started, licking her lips as she stepped into the room and pushed the door behind her, "you really need to buy me some stuff like that." She walked towards the bed, stripping her outer clothing as she went. "I mean, if I'm going to be trying to woo that cutie upstairs, I'm going to need nice things," the younger yapok said as she started wiggling out of her pants.

"I don't know... you're going to be trying to get into her pants, not mine. So why should I help you?" Alyssa asked, poking her tongue out as Chris climbed onto the bed with her.

"You act like you won't get to see me walking around in it," Chris replied, leaning in and kissing her mother's neck. "And you know that I'll tell you all the detalles jugosos, like about the blowjob she gave me in the shower."

"Such a chica mala," Alyssa said, before pulling Chris close and pressing her lips to her daughter's. Her tongue slipped into her daughter's muzzle, tongues dancing together. The two took the time to tease and taste one another, taking in all of the nooks and crannies. Alyssa's paws teased and scritching her daughter's back while Chris was making short work of her mother's bra clasps.

"Mujer sucia," Chris gasped after breaking the kiss, panting softly as she sat back on her mother's lap. "Sometimes I wonder who gets more worked up; you or me," she murmured, leaning down and starting to kiss the older yapok's neck and shoulder before moving her way down to her mother's chest, freeing a breast from the cloth prison. "Mmm... I hope that I end up with ordenada like this," she said before taking the pink nub into her muzzle and nibbling on it. She smiled at the sound of her mother's moans and gasps.

"Well, if you take after me," Alyssa started, her paws coming to rest on her daughter's hip moving around to her rump, "I'm sure that you will make quite a few girls envious." Her thumbs would hook into the band of her daughter's panties and started sliding them down, stopping just short of her knees. Her paws came back around, one of her fingers slipping along her daughter's slit. "You know, I think that you've been a pretty good girl the last few days. I think that you've earned a little treat," she whispered, wrapping her arms around her daughter, hugging her tightly. "I want you in me this time."

That was all that Chris needed to hear, her penis twitching. She quickly finished getting out of her panties, tossing them to the side with the rest of the clothes. As the young yapok climbed back over her mother, she saw her doing something to the tip of her tail, but brushed it off. One paw holding herself up as she used the other to line up her shaft, the two moaning out as they pressed closer. Once Chris had sunk all the way into her mother's passage, she lay there for a moment, holding onto her mother, enjoying the closeness of the bond before pulling back and starting to thrust. She would let out a little squeak as she felt Alyssa's tail starting to slide into her depths, but there was something different this time, something solid and cold.

"Mom?" Chris asked, tilting her head a little, her thrusting coming to a stop.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you will get a little kick out of it," Alyssa replied, pulling her daughter close again, rolling her hips.

"Sometimes you worry me a little." The younger water opossum shook her head a little as her mother pulled a small remote from under one of the pillows.

Alyssa smiled as she clicked the button on it, causing Chris to squeak as she felt vibrations in her depths, where the metal object rubbed against her walls. The younger water opossum let out something that sounded like a cross between an expletive and a moan, her hips starting to buck again.

The two were lost in the moment, Chris pumping into her mother as her mother's tail vibrator worked its way in and out of her, teasing places that none of her other toys had reached. The two were doing their best not to be too loud, not wanting to wake the sleeping stoat in the bedroom above them. "Te quiero, mamá," Chris gasped out as she felt the vibrations getting stronger as her mother had pressed the button again.

"Yo también te amo niña," Alyssa replied as she felt her daughter's thrusting getting more and more erratic, it was clear that she was getting closer to the point of no return. "Chris... Cum in me, make me a mom again," she huffed as she wrapped her arms around her daughter and held onto her tightly.

"Quiero una hermanita," Chris whined out as she leaned in close. "I'm getting close. Mom, I love you so much," she moaned, louder than she should have. They continued to grind against one another for several more seconds before Chris clamped her muzzle onto the older yapok's shoulder as she hit the point of no return; pressing herself as deep as she could, cock twitching as her vaginal walls milked the invading tail.

---

Unlike most of her friends and schoolmates, Elizabeth tended to wake bright and early. It was probably because she actually went to bed at a reasonable hour most nights, and was a deep sleeper to boot. Getting up and ready wasn't exactly a priority since this was supposed to be a vacation. The little stoat had a sensitive enough nose that she was confident she could smell anything cooking if Alyssa started making breakfast. She also vaguely remembered Alyssa mentioning that Chris was going to have to do some chores and figured she could play games until Chris returned. In either case, Elizabeth had gotten up to retrieve her handheld and then gone back to bed, laying there on the comfortable pillow-top while trying to find some of the few remaining pokémon that she didn't have.

At first the quiet noises coming from downstairs didn't register; she was far too absorbed in her game. Then her ear flicked, turning towards the stairs just in time to catch the phrase "Mom, I love you so much." It was obvious that Chris was back from doing chores.

Looking forward to breakfast, Elizabeth set the 3DS down and rolled off the bed, landing lightly on the pads of her toes. Careful not to scrape her toe-claws against the wooden floor, she padded over to the stairs and climbed down, holding onto the railing just in case. Unlike the stairs at home, these had no carpeting and the last thing she wanted was to slip and fall.

Halfway down the stairs, she glanced around, trying to figure out where the water opossums were. Her ears flicked about, catching noises coming from the hallway. She was kind of surprised they weren't in the kitchen starting breakfast. Mentally shrugging, she continued down the stairs and headed down the hallway.

The door at the end of the hallway was cracked, and as she approached, it became obvious that was where the murmurs were coming from. When she reached the door, she pushed it open, the hinges creaking slightly. For a moment she stood in the doorway, eyes growing wide as she realized what the two of them were doing. She let out a slight gasp, just as the two marsupials on the bed went silent, both of them twitching in climax.