{"sf1_id":2017515,"sf2_id":"pnG2XPMm","title":"Chapter 4: Family","author":"HeatherOBunn","words":17969,"posted_at":"2023-07-03T14:35:00.000Z","tags":["Attraction","Buck","Bunny","Cat","Chapter","Cooking","Doe","Fighting","Friendship","Kitty","Novel","Predator/Prey","Prejudice","Rabbit","Reconciliation","Romance","Siblings","Snuggles","Thriller","argument","pine marten","snob","tom"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2017515-chapter-4-family","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/pnG2XPMm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/3b/e8/3be8b56a-4f5d-4ae9-ba0c-9d372a79a820","description":"#4 of The Murderess of Maplesburg: Reign of Terror\n\nHaving escaped from the cruel duchess, Ellie and Jason travel to Ellie's hometown of Willowdale. But how will Ellie's friends and family react to learning she's in a relationship with a cat? Meanwhile, Rita has been captured and must now use all of her wits to save Maplesburg, and maybe all of Vulpineva, from the existential threat of the carnivore cult!","content":"Chapter 4: Family  \nEllie, Jason, Edgar, and her parents spent Tuesday morning cleaning the house to  \nprepare for the arrival of her siblings and their families. Unlike Jason, and apparently Edgar,  \nthough Ellie didn't know how much of it was for show, Ellie hated cleaning. She'd agreed to help  \nonly because she felt guilty about being the only one not helping. She was sure the rest of them  \nhad gotten more done, but she didn't care. If they loved pushing dirt around, why not let them do  \nmost of the work?  \nWith five of them working, the job didn't take long at all. By lunch time, they were  \nfinished, and Ellie was able to relax as she ate her grass and clover salad and cucumber  \nsandwich, content in the knowledge that there would be no more forced labor today.  \nAs her mother collected the dishes--it was her turn to wash--she stopped behind Ellie  \nand Jason. \"You know, there's still plenty of time to wash the cars today,\" she declared lightly.  \n\"We are not washing your car,\" Ellie grumbled. \"Drive it through the carwash at the gas  \nstation if you're so concerned about it.\"  \n\"Er, actually, I was wondering if I could do your car, Ellie,\" Edgar responded  \nuncomfortably.  \nEllie gave him an annoyed look, \"I think the bullet holes are a more pressing issue than  \nthe dirt and bugs. I'm definitely going to have to get the windshield replaced. I haven't even  \nlooked at the one in the back yet.\"  \n\"I, um, what I really wanted to do was clean up the, uh, Howard's blood,\" he murmured.  \n\"Oh. Uh, yeah, I guess you can do that,\" Ellie replied awkwardly. \"Let me get the keys.\"  \nEllie retrieved the keys from on top of the dresser under her bed and delivered them to  \nEdgar. She watched him waddle out the front door with bucket and sponge, wondering if she  \nshould keep an eye on him in case he decided to drive away. However, she didn't really want to  \nwatch him scrub the blood out of the seat or smell its ferric tang again like she had in the  \nshower. Even though he'd been vile to her and Jason, Ellie didn't relish the memory of dragging  \nthe white ferret's limp, blood-soaked body away from her car.  \nEllie and Jason and her father moved to the living room, Jason and Ellie taking the light  \nblue loveseat and her father taking the dark brown armchair across the room. Ellie scooched  \ndown to snuggle her head under Jason's right arm. It was good to be able to relax together  \nagain without worrying about what the cruel vixen might put them through next. While in  \ncaptivity, their mutual affection had given them resilience to weather the vixen's torments and  \nintrusions. Now, they could get back to loving each other for love's sake, taking the other's  \ncaresses and embraces not as a salve but purely as a source of joy and contentment.  \n\"Jason, tell me something about your parents,\" her father requested. \"Evelyn said they  \nare still in Maplesburg right now. They were staying safe when you talked to them, I hope.\"  \n\"Mom said the cul-er-terrorists were leaving predators alone. I hope they're staying safe,  \nbut Mom is needed at the hospital. She can't stay at home.\"  \n\"I see. She works in medicine too?\"  \n\"She's a doctor.\"  \n\"Well, even terrorists might need a doctor. I don't suppose they'll attack the hospital,\" her  \nfather seemed like he was trying to reassure Jason, but he didn't sound completely convinced  \nhimself.  \nEllie reached across Jason's lap to clasp his hand. Even though Jason hadn't mentioned  \nit, he must be terribly worried about his parents. It wasn't safe to celebrate just yet; for the  \nmoment, they were safe, but they had friends and family in danger. And who knew what the  \nterrorists' next move might be if the authorities didn't stop them? Ellie doubted Willowdale was  \nhigh on their list of targets, but she didn't know how large a group they were. The idea of an  \narmy of murderous predators marching across Vulpineva was not a pleasant one.  \n\"What does your father do?\" her father queried, changing the subject.  \n\"Computer animation.\"  \n\"Interesting, anything I might have seen?\"  \n\"Do you play video games?\"  \nHer father shook his head.  \n\"Have you ever seen the cartoon with the fox who's constantly outwitting larger  \npredators and prey?\"  \n\"You'll have to be more specific,\" Ellie quipped.  \n\"Er, the protagonists are a little red tod and his arctic vixen friend,\" Jason specified.  \n\"Felix and Felicity? I used to watch that one!\" Ellie piped.  \n\"Yeah, he worked on that. Apparently, it was a bureaucratic nightmare. Every script and  \nepisode had to be approved to make sure it was portraying foxes in the right light. After that, he  \nswitched to video games.\"  \n\"Those don't have to be approved then?\" her father asked.  \n\"Not to the same degree. As long as there's nothing overtly anti-vulpine, they let it slide.\"  \n\"It's gross how the government can't keep its paws off of entertainment,\" Ellie grumbled.  \n\"I hope people see through the propaganda. I'd like to see a Vulpinevan film with a rabbit as the  \nhero or even a cat. At least they don't restrict foreign films.\"  \n\"Everyone I've talked to thinks it's annoying too,\" Jason stated. \"Sometimes I wonder  \nwhether it's supposed to be effective propaganda or whether they just like seeing flattering  \ndepictions of themselves on screen.\"  \n\"I guess we should have asked the Duchess when we had the chance,\" Ellie said dryly.  \n\"But hearing how broken our political system is wasn't something that made me feel better  \nabout my situation there.\"  \n\"I still find it hard to believe that it's really as she said,\" her father remarked. \"I can  \nbelieve there's corruption, but they can literally override any decision they want?\"  \n\"She certainly had the police on her side,\" Ellie grumbled. \"If she was lying about  \neverything else, it's still pretty bad.\"  \n\"I'll have to bring it up with the Association,\" her father concluded. \"We'll look into  \nwhether and how often that kind of thing has happened. People ought to know if their votes or  \nthose of their representatives don't matter.\"  \n\"You and your band of anarchists aren't going to change anything, Eli,\" her mother's  \nannoyed voice came from the door.  \n\"We're not anarchists,\" her father replied. \"And it's better to try than to accept a rotten  \nsystem as is.\"  \nHer mother snorted dismissively. She tromped across the room to plop down on the dark  \nbrown couch. Her father got up from the armchair and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around  \nthe larger rabbit.  \n\"Is something wrong, Honey?\"  \n\"No, I'm just tired of hearing about conspiracies and intrigue. Why can't predators  \nbehave like civilized people and let things work how they're supposed to?\" She gave Jason a  \nquick glance. \"Some predators,\" she amended.  \nEllie was trying to think of a new topic when Edgar trudged into the room, his  \ncountenance melancholy.  \n\"Um, would you mind meeting me out back? There's something I want to do,\" he  \nmurmured cryptically.  \nEllie and her parents glanced at one another curiously but then stood along with Jason  \nto follow the pine marten. He led the four of them out the front and around the house. The  \norange bucket he'd used for cleaning was resting next to a shallow hole in the backyard a few  \nsteps from the trunk of the towering sweetgum that occupied most of the yard between the back  \nof the teal house and the white picket fence. Ellie noticed dirt embedded under Edgar's long  \nfront claws. He kept his eyes on the ground, facing the cat and rabbits but not looking at them.  \nHe nudged a spiky seed pod with his foot.  \n\"I, uh, I wanted to say a few words about Howard,\" Edgar began. \"He, he wasn't the  \nnicest ferret, but I thought of him as a friend. And he was part of our family at the manor.\" He  \npicked up the bucket and poured the red-tinged water into the hole, transforming it into a  \nswirling mud puddle. He watched silently as the water soaked into the ground then bent down to  \nscoop the pile of dirt back into the hole. Standing, he spoke in a thick rasp, \"Goodbye, Howard.  \nWherever you are, I hope you're happier than you were here. You died trying to save me, and  \nI'll never ever forget you.\" Looking down at the pitiful grave, large tears welled in the corners of  \nhis eyes then dropped onto the mud. His shoulders began to shake as he wept silently, more  \ntears adding to the saturated earth.  \nEllie hopped up behind him and hugged him tightly around the middle. He didn't turn to  \nlook but clasped his hand over her left. Jason stepped up beside them and put a hand on  \nEdgar's shoulder. They stood in awkward silence as the pine marten continued to cry. Finally,  \nafter a few minutes, he sniffed wetly and wiped his right arm across his eyes.  \nHe pulled Ellie's arms open and turned to address the four of them. \"Thank you,\" he  \nmurmured.  \nHe walked back around the house, and Ellie heard the soft whump of the front door  \nshutting. Ellie looked back at the muddy indentation in the yard. She wondered if that was really  \nthe only remembrance the ferret was going to get.  \n\"I'm worried about him, Ellie,\" her mother murmured.  \n\"I'll make sure he's okay,\" she replied.  \n\"No, I mean, I'm worried about his lack of understanding of what happened to you and  \nJason. You were tortured, kept prisoner, and from your story, he kept going along right up to the  \nend. The ferret you described sounded irredeemable, but he was Edgar's friend and family?\"  \n\"He knows what they did was wrong. I think he can be excused for feeling sad about  \nsomeone he lived with dying,\" Ellie defended him. She didn't like Edgar's attachment to the  \nDuchess or her more callous servants either. But the ferret was dead, and he had been trying to  \nhelp Edgar escape. It made sense for him to feel upset. Perhaps he even felt guilty.  \n\"But how can he be friends with you and someone like that?\" she pressed.  \nEllie shook her head, \"That's not important right now. It may take some time for him to  \ncome to grips with the kind of people they were, but they were the people he lived with, I don't  \nknow how long. Right now, he needs to know he has friends here too.\" Ellie didn't say it, but she  \nmentally finished, Or he might go back to her. Ellie believed Edgar had the instincts of a kind  \nand decent person; he'd simply been manipulated by the vixen, his desire for love and  \nbelonging used against him. That's why he needed to feel he belonged here now. Ellie headed  \nback around the house, and the others followed her.  \nEdgar wasn't downstairs, so Ellie headed upstairs, assuming he had gone to his  \nbedroom. Jason followed, and she turned to regard him a moment before nodding. Edgar  \nshould feel he had the support of more than her alone. Her parents remained downstairs, which  \nEllie understood too; they hardly knew the pine marten, and her mother's concerns made sense.  \nAs expected, Ellie and Jason found Edgar in his room, slumped on his bed. Ellie hopped across  \nthe room and up onto the bed to sit next to him. Jason followed, standing beside the bed. Ellie  \nwrapped her right arm across Edgar's back.  \n\"I'm sorry about your friend. We all are. Jason and I are available any time you need to  \ntalk about it,\" Ellie murmured sympathetically.  \nEdgar sniffed wetly and turned his head to look at her, \"Thanks, Ellie,\" he murmured.  \nEllie reached her other arm around him to hug him, and he hugged her back.  \n\"Thank you for giving me a place to stay,\" he continued. \"I-I'd understand if, if you  \nwanted to be done with me.\"  \n\"I don't want to be done with you, Edgar. Jason doesn't either. We don't blame you for  \nwhat happened. You were under the control of that, of the Duchess, same as we were.\"  \nEllie let Edgar go, and he turned to look at Jason, \"You're not angry about what I did  \neither? Howard and I watched while Her Grace starved you. I could have let you out.\"  \n\"You could have,\" Jason agreed. \"I'd like to think that's what I would have done in your  \nsituation, but I guess I can't really know. If you know now that it was wrong and you're truly  \nsorry, then I forgive you. At the very least, it wasn't your idea.\"  \n\"I-I am sorry and for all of the other times I didn't try to stop Her Grace from killing  \nsomeone.\"  \nJason nodded once in acknowledgement. \"We can't change what we did in the past; we  \ncan only change what we do in the future. Ellie believes you have the capacity to change, and I  \ntrust her judgement. If you need help, I'm here.\"  \nEdgar slipped off of the bed and hugged the cat around the middle. Jason hugged him  \nback.  \n\"C-can I call you a friend, Jason?\" Edgar asked hopefully.  \n\"Yes.\"  \nEdgar breathed a contented sigh. He reached his snout up to nose Jason's cheek.  \nJason patted his back. After a couple seconds, they broke apart. Ellie thought Edgar looked a  \nlittle embarrassed, but he almost always looked that way.  \n\"Do you want to come back downstairs now?\" Ellie asked Edgar.  \nHe nodded. They returned to the living room, and Ellie led Jason to the couch, stopping  \nby the bookshelf to grab The Fellowship of the Ring.  \n\"Jason was reading this to me yesterday,\" she told Edgar. \"You can listen too if you  \nwant.\"  \nJason took the book, and he and Ellie sat on the couch with Ellie snuggled against his  \nleft side. Edgar hopped up next to them, but to Ellie's surprise, he sat on Jason's right instead of  \nnext to her. She peered around Jason to see the pine marten scooted down with his head  \ntucked under Jason's arm. Ellie smirked; it seemed like Edgar was taking his newly declared  \nfriendship with the cat to heart. Jason didn't seem to mind. Jason began to read, and Ellie sat  \nback, tucking her own head under Jason's other arm.  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nJason read until it was time for him to fix his and Edgar's dinner. He waited until Eli and  \nEvelyn were done in the kitchen before he started cooking the pork filets. It meant the rabbits  \nwould be mostly done eating by the time he joined them in the dining room, but it was the best  \nsolution to avoid them suffering from the smell. Edgar watched him from the small table by the  \nwindow whilst Jason cooked. Jason didn't mind the company, but he did feel a bit awkward  \nabout the affection the pine marten had been showing him since he'd told him he could call him  \na friend. Jason would have been comfortable if they'd know each other better, but he still felt he  \ndidn't know the pine marten well. He deferred to Ellie's judgement about him, and he did seem  \nsorry for his part in their captivity. However, aside from a few polite conversations with him, he  \nhadn't had that many interactions with him. Ellie did say she wants him to feel like he belongs  \nand has friends here.  \n\"Is it almost done?\" Edgar queried.  \n\"Almost.\"  \n\"Thank you for cooking for us. I, uh, I don't think I'd be much good at it.\"  \n\"It's not hard. I'll show you sometime.\"  \n\"Thank you for doing your best to make me feel welcome here.\"  \nJason glanced back at him, \"You are welcome here. You're Ellie's friend, and she  \ndecided to bring you. Even if I had some doubts at the beginning, I'm glad she made that  \ndecision.\"  \n\"I'm not sure her parents would agree,\" Edgar mumbled.  \nJason turned around to address him, \"They probably just need a little time. It's  \nunderstandable if they're protective of their daughter, especially after what she went through.\"  \nEdgar looked down at the floor, \"I guess you would know that better than anyone. I'm  \nsorry if anything I've done has made it harder for you.\"  \n\"I doubt it has, but if so, then I forgive you.\" Jason turned back to the stove to continue  \ncooking.  \nDinner was uneventful. Afterward, Jason helped Eli with the dishes, and then the rabbits  \nwent upstairs to shower and get ready for bed; it was going to be a busy day tomorrow. Jason  \nsmiled to himself as he thought about meeting Ellie's siblings and their families. There would be  \nso many bunnies; it would be like the time at the speed dating except they'd want to talk to him.  \nJason proceeded to the couch to handle his own grooming. Edgar, who was waiting for his turn  \nin the shower, watched him from the loveseat.  \n\"Don't you get hairballs from licking all of that fur?\" Edgar queried.  \n\"Sometimes,\" Jason answered perfunctorily.  \n\"I, uh, there's something I want to tell you,\" Edgar murmured nervously.  \nJason nodded for him to go on as he continued licking his leg.  \n\"I, uh, I've been a little jealous of you and Ellie.\"  \nJason paused in his licking to sit up. \"Ellie told me you said you love her. I won't say it  \ndoesn't bother me at all, but as long as you understand we're committed to each other, it's not a  \nproblem.\"  \nEdgar nodded nervously, \"I-I understand.\"  \n\"Good.\" Jason bent back toward his leg.  \n\"But what I wanted to say is I like you too!\"  \nJason stopped, his tongue part way out of his mouth to stare at the pine marten.  \nEdgar fidgeted in his seat. \"I thought you were p-pretty the first time I saw you. I, I liked  \nHoward too, but he didn't feel the same. I understand that you're with Ellie, but I, um, I thought  \nyou should know.\"  \nJason noticed his tongue getting dry and pulled it back into his mouth. \"Uh, okay, like  \nyou said, I'm with Ellie, and I like women. Sorry,\" he finished embarrassedly.  \n\"I understand if you don't want me to touch you after this,\" Edgar murmured sadly.  \nJason sat up, regarding the dejected pine marten concernedly. He felt guilty that his  \nshort response had made Edgar feel rejected for his orientation, \"You shouldn't feel ashamed of  \nwho you're attracted to. I don't mind if you sit with me like you did earlier. I'm glad you told me  \nhow you feel. If we're friends, then I don't want you to feel like you need to hide who you are  \nfrom me.\"  \nEdgar brightened up a little, \"You don't mind if I want to sit with you?\"  \nJason shook his head, \"Even, uh, even though I'm not attracted to him, I used to hold my  \nferret friend Fitzie and wash his ears. There's nothing wrong with showing affection for your  \nfriends as long as they're comfortable with it, and it's best to know where everyone's coming  \nfrom.\"  \nEdgar gave him an embarrassed smile, \"I-I'd like it if you held me. You can lick my ears  \ntoo if you want.\"  \n\"I need to finish washing myself first,\" Jason stated.  \nHe went back to grooming himself, but he could feel Edgar watching him. When Jason  \nglanced up, Edgar smiled at him shyly. Jason felt a little shot of embarrassment and quickly  \nwent back to washing. When he was done, he went to the kitchen to have a sip of water then  \nreturned to the living room area. Edgar looked at him hopefully. Jason hopped up beside him on  \nthe loveseat and wrapped his right arm around him. Turning his head, he nosed Edgar's velvety  \ncrescent of an ear, smelling his sweet musk. The pine marten closed his eyes and pressed  \nhimself closer to Jason, his warm, lithe body flush with Jason's own. Jason began to groom his  \nhead and ears, and the intimate task brought forth a warm feeling of friendly affection for the  \npine marten. His scent wasn't so different from Fitzie's; Jason missed Fitzie. He hoped he was  \nokay. Even though his inaction had condemned Jason and Ellie to torture and humiliation at the  \nhands of the cruel Duchess, Jason wanted to see him again. He wanted to tell him he forgave  \nhim. Jason began to purr as he stretched his neck to reach Edgar's right ear. Edgar leaned his  \nhead against Jason's neck and sighed contentedly. When Jason was done, he sat up and let go  \nof the pine marten.  \n\"Thanks, Jason. I'm glad we're friends,\" Edgar breathed.  \n\"Me too.\"  \n\"Do, uh, do you miss Her Grace even a little bit?\" Edgar asked nervously.  \nJason frowned. \"Part of me wants to know she's okay, but I wouldn't go back to that life if  \nthat's what you're asking.\"  \n\"N-no, I know you didn't like being, er, being her pet, but if it wasn't like that, if she  \nstopped, um, doing what she does, would you want to see her again?\"  \n\"Those are big ifs. I don't know. Do you miss her?\"  \n\"Yes,\" he murmured sadly.  \n\"I'm sorry.\"  \n\"Do you think that's wrong?\"  \nJason took a deep breath and held it a moment while he considered what he thought  \nand what he should say. He understood why Edgar cared for the Duchess. Unlike Ellie, Jason  \nwasn't convinced her affection was all cynical manipulation. Still, she was a torturer and a  \nmurderer. Logically, no one should want anything to do with her. \"I suppose it's not wrong to  \nmiss someone you care for,\" Jason replied diplomatically. \"Even if they've done terrible things.\"  \n\"Do, do you think Ellie's parents will ever agree with that?\"  \nJason hesitated before answering, \"No.\"  \n\"What do you think I should do then?\"  \n\"I don't know. Maybe your feelings will change after you've been away from her for a  \nwhile. Even if you cared for each other in a way, that doesn't mean it was a healthy relationship.  \nI wouldn't go as far as Ellie, but I think you're better off away from her.\"  \n\"I don't want my feelings to change!\" Edgar protested, upset.  \nJason frowned again. \"I don't know what to tell you then. You wouldn't tell her where we  \nwere if you did go back to her, would you?\"  \n\"No!\"  \n\"Then I guess it's up to you, but you're welcome to stay with us as long as you need to.\"  \n\"Thanks, Jason.\"  \nEdgar leaned against him again, and Jason put an arm across his shoulders. Jason was  \nglad he'd had this conversation and moment with the pine marten; he felt that maybe they really  \nwere friends, rather than friends as a matter of polite words only. They sat together in friendly  \nsilence a few minutes before Ellie returned, her fur fluffed up from the blow dryer.  \n\"I see you two are getting along,\" Ellie piped cheerfully. \"The shower's available now,  \nEdgar. Hopefully, there's enough hot water for you.\"  \nEdgar slipped off of the loveseat and left the room. Ellie smirked at Jason.  \n\"Did you have fun with Edgar while I was in the shower?\" she teased good-humoredly.  \n\"He, uh, he told me he's attracted to me,\" Jason admitted.  \nEllie blinked. \"Huh, I wouldn't have guessed he likes guys too.\" She paused. \"Are you  \nattracted to him?\"  \n\"No! And if I were, it wouldn't matter because I love you!\" Jason averred.  \nEllie shrugged nonchalantly, \"Okay. I'm glad the two of you are getting along. He's not a  \nbad guy when you get to know him. He'll realize he was wrong about that monster before long.\"  \n\"I'm not so sure about that,\" Jason muttered. \"He said he doesn't want his feelings to  \nchange. I think he might go back to her.\"  \n\"He can't go back to her! She's a murderer!\"  \n\"He didn't leave her because he realized that. He left because we took him with us. Even  \nif he knows we're his friends, he might prefer to be with her. They were, you know; it's not like  \neither of us are going to give him that.\"  \n\"He can find someone else to fuck! He shouldn't have to settle for a murderer who's only  \ntrying to manipulate him! Without us there, she might not even bother!\"  \n\"I don't believe it was pure manipulation, Ellie. I'm sure that was part of it, but I got the  \nfeeling she really did care for him in a way. Didn't you?\"  \nEllie grumbled, \"Maybe,\" she conceded. \"But that doesn't make it all okay. She was still  \nmanipulating him, and she's still a murderer. Like I told him, it's one thing to try to get her help;  \nit's another to keep serving her while she murders people.\"  \n\"You don't have to tell me that.\"  \nEllie crossed her arms and scowled at the floor, \"Do you really think he'll go back to  \nher?\" she muttered.  \nJason jumped off of the chair and put his hands on her shoulders. \"All we can do is show  \nhim he's welcome to stay with us. If we do that and he still chooses her, there's nothing more  \nwe could have done. I know you feel like we saved him, but not everyone wants to be saved.\"  \nEllie sighed in reluctant acceptance, \"I still hope he realizes we're right. I'll feel like we  \nfailed him if he goes back, even if we did all we could.\"  \n\"I know, Ellie. I hope he makes the right choice too,\" Jason soothed.  \nEllie stood contemplatively a couple minutes before speaking again in a more cheerful  \ntone, \"I guess we should go to bed. I hope my nieces and nephews won't run you ragged trying  \nto play with you tomorrow,\" she teased. \"I might suggest a game of 'catch the kitty by the tail'.\"  \nJason frowned, \"You wouldn't.\"  \nEllie smirked, \"Wouldn't I? I guess we'll find out tomorrow.\" She stepped forward to hug  \nhim but then ran her hand down his back and snagged the base of his tail. She pulled his tail  \nthrough her hand until she had enough to pull it around in front of her. \"Looks like I already  \ncaught the kitty.\" She gave his tail a tug, \"Come on, let's go to bed.\"  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nAfter they'd finished their breakfast the next morning, Ellie began helping her parents  \nprepare lunch for the visiting rabbits. Jason would prepare lunch for himself and Edgar, but  \nfeeding two people was much less of a hassle than feeding over twenty.  \n\"Chop some celery for the salad, Ellie,\" her mother instructed.  \nEllie retrieved the cutting board and chef's knife from the left end of the white counter  \nwhere her father had left them after chopping turnips, potatoes, and beets for a vegetable pot  \npie, which was one of the five main courses. She briefly rinsed both under the sink then  \ncollected the celery from the fridge.  \n\"How many stalks?\"  \n\"Five should do.\"  \nEllie pulled the stalks off of the bunch and rinsed them as well before beginning to chop  \nthem. For rabbits, salad was also a main course, and the hearty salad already contained  \ncarrots, spinach, red leaf lettuce, clover, and dandelions.  \nJason poked his head in from the hall. \"Is there anything I can do to help?\" he meowed.  \n\"Do you know how to make lasagna?\" her mother asked.  \nJason hesitated. \"Uh, if you tell me what to put in it, I can.\"  \n\"Eli will tell you. The noodles are cooling on the stove.\"  \nJason collected the pot of noodles, and her father directed him towards the spinach,  \neggplant, and tomato sauce.  \nHer mother turned to her. \"I think everything is coming together,\" she stated, satisfied.  \nEllie glanced at the large slices of cauliflower waiting to be braised and the vegetable  \nskewers with tomato, bell pepper, carrot, beet, and broccoli waiting to be grilled. \"It's going to be  \nwild with everyone here,\" she remarked. \"It's like Saturnalia but in summer.\"  \n\"It's nice to have the whole family together, but it is getting to be a lot of you with your  \nsiblings' spouses and children. Hopefully, it stays nice so that we can overflow into the  \nbackyard.\"  \n\"Right, it'll get pretty crowded in here otherwise.\"  \n\"Um, speaking of children,\" her mother murmured awkwardly, her voice low so that only  \nEllie could hear. \"You said the other day that you could adopt. Is, is that something you and  \nJason have thought about?\"  \nEllie frowned, \"Not really. I mean, we've been through a lot together, but discussing that  \nhasn't really been on the top of the agenda in the past couple weeks. I'm not ready for a family  \nyet anyway.\"  \n\"Do you even know if he wants them?\"  \n\"He mentioned it once, but he wasn't well then. I don't know whether he really wants  \nthem.\"  \n\"That's something you ought to discuss before it gets too serious. You wouldn't want to  \nbe stuck with someone who doesn't want children when you do or vice versa.\"  \n'Before it gets too serious.' Ellie was annoyed by the insinuation that their relationship  \nwasn't already serious, but she let it slide. Her mother was right, at least in that it was an  \nimportant thing to discuss.  \nThe lasagna and pie were in the oven by the time the first car arrived. Ellie spotted the  \nsilver minivan stopping out front.  \n\"Someone's here!\" she alerted everyone.  \nHer younger brother Henry climbed out followed by his wife Delilah and their four  \nchildren. Henry was similar in size and markings to Ellie and her father though his chocolate  \nsplotches were differently placed and, like the rest of her siblings, he lacked the 'mustache'  \nspot. His wife was a larger brown rabbit, and two of their children were colored like her while the  \nothers were like him. While Henry wore a red t-shirt and the children wore nothing, Delilah was  \ndressed in a dour long-sleeve, black dress that extended to her knees.  \nEllie and her parents hurried to the door. Jason followed closely behind them. Apparently  \nhaving heard her from the living room, Edgar also emerged but hung back. Ellie opened the  \ndoor, revealing Henry about to ring the doorbell.  \n\"Ellie!\" he exclaimed happily. He grabbed her in a tight hug. \"You look great for being  \ndead two weeks!\" he joked. They broke apart, and Henry stepped by her to hug their parents.  \nDelilah gave Ellie a curt nod, \"You look well,\" she stated tersely.  \n\"So do you. But didn't Henry tell you I'm alive?\" Ellie queried good-humoredly.  \n\"You forced me to go out and buy this, I wasn't not going to wear it,\" she returned  \npeevishly.  \nEllie resisted rolling her eyes. She didn't know what her brother saw in this petulant doe.  \n\"I'm sorry we inconvenienced you,\" she replied sarcastically.  \n\"This is Jason,\" her mother was saying. \"Ellie's partner at her practice.\"  \nEllie turned around to see Henry shaking Jason's hand politely. \"And my boyfriend; don't  \nforget that,\" Ellie added jovially.  \nHenry's eyes widened, and he eyed Jason with newfound interest. He let go of Jason's  \nhand and turned to Ellie, grinning, \"I should have known hooking up with a rabbit would be too  \nboring for you,\" he declared amusedly.  \nDelilah sniffed disdainfully, \"Too normal, you mean. I'm surprised it isn't a raptor. I'd  \nimagine she'd like being carried off in a pair of nice sharp talons.\"  \nEllie shot her a dirty look. Henry gave his wife a pleading look, silently begging her to be  \nnice; she didn't seem to take any notice. Pushing past the rest of them, Delilah herded her  \nchildren inside. She didn't even make eye contact with Jason. Henry looked at Ellie  \napologetically, and she shook her head to tell him not to worry about it. She'd realized she  \ncouldn't get along with the conservative Delilah a long time ago.  \nA few minutes later, two cars--a bright blue compact car and a silver sedan--pulled up  \nbehind the minivan. Her younger sister Farida and her littermate Claire hopped out of the two  \ncars respectively. Claire took after their mother in size and was white with a dark brown belly  \nand ears while Farida took after their father and had dark brown fur on her hands, feet, scut,  \nand ears and an oval-shaped black spot in the middle of her back. Claire bounded across the  \nyard when Ellie opened the door and swept Ellie up in a hug, lifting her off her feet. Ellie hugged  \nthe larger rabbit around her neck.  \n\"Ellie! You're alive! When, when Mom told me,\" she hugged Ellie tighter. \"Never scare  \nme like that again.\"  \n\"I'm sorry I worried you,\" Ellie murmured.  \nClaire set her down. As she did, her eyes fell on Jason. \"Who's this, Ellie?\" she asked, a  \nbit nervously Ellie thought.  \n\"That's Jason. He's my business partner and, more recently, my kitty sweetheart.\"  \nEllie's use of the term 'kitty sweetheart' had the intended effect as Jason's ears  \npinkened.  \nHe flipped his tail embarrassedly as he smiled shyly at Claire, \"Hi.\"  \n\"You do it with a cat!?\" Farida gasped, having made her way to the door more slowly.  \nShe lowered her voice to a still all too audible hiss, \"What's it like?!\"  \n\"Farida!\" their mother scolded.  \n\"Later,\" Ellie whispered to Farida under her breath.  \n\"Hi, I don't think we've met before,\" someone spoke from the front step.  \nEllie turned to see an albino buck, similar in size to Claire. \"Uh, hi, I'm Ellie,\" she  \nextended her hand.  \nThe buck shook it, \"So I've gathered.\"  \n\"Sorry!\" Claire exclaimed. \"This is my fiancé, Seth.\"  \n\"Pleased to meet you,\" he said amusedly. They broke apart and he followed Claire in.  \nHe and Claire greeted her parents and Jason. Claire looked nervous as she shook  \nJason's hand. Farida eyed Jason from the side of the entry; she slowly ran her eyes from his  \nears down to the tip of his tail. Ellie stepped in front of her to give her a hug and to stop her from  \nmolesting Jason with her gaze.  \nFarida grinned at her, \"You lucky doe,\" she whispered. \"I thought rising from the dead  \nwas going to be your big trick, but landing a hunk like that? Tell me he has brothers.\"  \n\"He has one.\"  \nFarida grinned wider.  \n\"I believe he's married.\"  \n\"Damn!\" She pushed Ellie away but held her by her shoulders at arm's length.  \n\"Seriously, what was your trick?! Cats just walk away when I flirt with them! If I'm lucky, they  \ndon't laugh!\"  \n\"Go into business with one and don't even realize you're into him until he tells you he  \nwants to live together five years later,\" Ellie instructed.  \nFarida scowled, \"Helpful,\" she replied sarcastically. She pushed around Ellie and  \nstepped up to Jason to shake his hand. She narrowed her eyes and smiled slyly, \"I'm Farida.\"  \nJason shook her hand, \"Nice to meet you, Farida.\"  \nShe smiled at him a second longer before letting him go. She turned her head to eye his  \nback side as she passed, and her left leg 'inadvertently' brushed his along his tail. Jason looked  \nat Ellie embarrassedly. Ellie wasn't sure whether to be amused or irritated.  \nEllie's other littermate Daisy was the next to arrive. She anxiously herded her three sons  \nout of their tan SUV as her husband Raul approached the door. Raul was a black Dutch rabbit,  \nand one of their children took after him. Another of their sons was white and dark brown, and  \nthe third was albino. Daisy herself was almost entirely chocolate brown with a white tail, left foot  \nand left ear; like Ellie, she took after their father in size. Raul was also below average size  \nthough slightly larger than Daisy. Raul briefly shook Ellie's hand before proceeding inside. Daisy  \nkept an eye on the children as she hugged Ellie.  \n\"It's good to see you again,\" Daisy greeted.  \n\"You too. It looks like you're keeping busy,\" Ellie noted.  \n\"They're a handful.\"  \n\"If they get to be too much trouble, send them Jason's way,\" Ellie suggested playfully.  \n\"I'm sure they'd have fun chasing him around.\"  \n\"Jason?\" Daisy asked confusedly.  \nShe looked up, spotting the cat, who was shaking Raul's hand, and her eyes shot wide.  \nJason gave her a disarming smile, but it didn't seem to have the intended effect. Her eyes  \ndarted down to her sons who were already hopping around the cat's legs, the albino crouched  \ndown and poking at the sharp claws on his feet. Daisy broke away from Ellie and quickly shooed  \nher children away from the cat.  \nShe looked up at him nervously, \"I-I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to let them annoy you!\"  \nJason extended his hand calmly, \"It's Jason. They weren't hurting anything. As long as  \nno one tries to dangle from my tail, it's okay.\"  \n\"I-I'll make sure I tell them to leave your tail alone!\" she promised nervously.  \nJason dropped his hand, realizing she wasn't going to take it. She looked at his hand as  \nif she hadn't noticed before.  \n\"Sorry!\" she extended her own hand, and Jason took it, shaking it gently. She eyed the  \nrazor-sharp claws adorning the hand engulfing her own.  \n\"Nice to meet you,\" Jason said.  \nShe jerked her gaze away from his claws to make eye contact with the cat, \"Y-yes, nice  \nto meet you too.\"  \nJason let her hand go, and she gave him a nervous smile before darting off to pursue  \nher children who were making their way to the great room. Edgar was standing just outside of  \nthe great room, and Daisy stopped short with a start as she saw the pine marten. Edgar waved  \nawkwardly, and she turned to eye Ellie worriedly before ushering her children into the great  \nroom, peering inside--possibly to check for more predators--before proceeding through the  \ndoor.  \nEllie waited by the door with Jason whilst her parents went to attend to the family that  \nhad already arrived. Edgar also disappeared into the great room.  \nEllie smirked at Jason, \"Having trouble remembering everyone's name yet?\"  \n\"I think I'm okay so far.\"  \n\"Just don't forget Farida's name. She'd be heartbroken,\" she jested.  \n\"She did seem more interested than the rest,\" Jason noted embarrassedly.  \n\"If you want her to really like you, give her some tips on how to catch the interest of her  \nown kitty,\" Ellie teased.  \n\"She could try rolling in catnip. It might attract the wrong kind of attention though.\"  \n\"I'll suggest it.\"  \nIt was several minutes before the next car arrived; this time her older brother Aaron, his  \nwife and kids, and her younger sister Gwendolen exited the red SUV. Aaron and Gwendolen  \nwere both intermediate in size between their mother and father. Aaron was white with dark  \nbrown splotches on his body but none on his head; his scut was also dark brown. Aaron's wife  \nJulia was heather gray with white hands, feet, and belly; she was larger at roughly their mother's  \nsize. Two of their three children were colored like Julia, and the other was like Aaron.  \nGwendolen was mostly chocolate with a white belly and chin and a tapering white line that ran  \nfrom her chin up her nose, coming to a point on her forehead. Spotting Ellie, Gwendolen raced  \nahead of the family.  \nStopping just short of Ellie, she beamed at her proudly, \"I knew some stupid serial killer  \ncouldn't stop my big sis!\" she proclaimed. She grabbed her 'big sis', who was half a head  \nshorter than her, and hugged Ellie close. Ellie hugged her back.  \n\"I never would have made it without Jason,\" Ellie told her, turning her head to look at him  \naffectionately.  \nStill holding Ellie with one arm, Gwendolen held out her hand to the cat, \"Pleased to  \nfinally meet you, Jason. Ellie's mentioned you before. I've been interested to meet her feline  \npartner.\"  \n\"It's nice to meet you too,\" Jason replied.  \n\"He's not just my partner anymore, Gwen. He's also my boyfriend!\" Ellie put in jocularly.  \n\"Really?\" Gwendolen gasped. She stared at Jason, still holding his hand.  \nJason smiled at her shyly. Gwendolen dropped his hand and put her hands on Ellie's  \nshoulders, staring into her eyes in wonder as they stood chest-to-chest. Even though she was  \nher sister, it made Ellie a little uncomfortable.  \n\"You're so brave, Ellie,\" she breathed.  \nEllie laughed embarrassedly \"Heheh, you don't need to be brave to handle this goofball.  \nSpend some time chatting with him; you'll like him.\"  \nGwendolen nodded solemnly, taking Ellie's suggestion as edict. She finally let Ellie go.  \nHeading toward the great room, she bobbed her head to Jason, \"We'll talk later.\"  \nEllie turned back to Aaron and his family, who were waiting patiently.  \n\"Sorry, how are you, Aaron?\"  \n\"Well. We're all doing well. Interesting to see you found a new boyfriend. He looks a lot  \nsmarter than Cliff or whatever his name was,\" he stated matter-of-factly.  \n\"Cliff was back in high school! I've had boyfriends since then!\" Ellie shot back.  \nAaron grinned, amused that his teasing had elicited a reaction. He stepped forward and  \nhugged her, \"It's good to see you, Ellie.\"  \nEllie was annoyed that she'd let him annoy her with such stale material, but she hugged  \nhim back. Aaron broke away to shake hands with Jason, and Julia hugged Ellie next.  \n\"Glad to see you're still alive!\" Julia piped.  \n\"Good to see you too,\" Ellie replied cheerfully. Julia was the sister-in-law she actually  \nliked.  \nJulia smiled at Jason amicably as she shook his hand and then followed Aaron inside.  \nTheir children followed them. The gray buck stared up at Jason as he passed, and Jason gave  \nhim a friendly smile. The buck hastened after his mother.  \nLast to arrive was Ellie's older brother Beau. He and his husband Jack climbed out of  \ntheir black convertible with their two adopted children, both brown hares with black-tipped ears.  \nBeau was the largest Bennett and completely white but with brown eyes. Jack was small, a little  \nsmaller than Ellie even, and completely black with hazel eyes. The colossal Beau carried one  \nleverate in each arm as he approached the door. Setting them down, he hugged Ellie to his  \nchest. He stayed silent a few seconds as he held her with one arm across her back and the  \nother hand on her head.  \nFinally, he looked down at her sternly, \"Don't ever scare me like that again.\"  \n\"Next time I'm planning to let a psycho catch me, I'll let you know ahead,\" Ellie jested.  \nHe frowned.  \n\"Sorry. I'm sorry I worried you, Beau,\" she said sincerely.  \nHe nodded once in acceptance.  \n\"Let me introduce you to my boyfriend and partner. Beau, this is Jason.\"  \nBeau eyed Jason grimly. Letting go of Ellie, he stepped in front of Jason, sizing him up.  \nBeau was almost as tall as the cat and probably at least three-quarters of his weight. He looked  \nat Jason sternly a few seconds. Jason looked back nervously.  \nFinally, Beau grinned amiably, \"Nice to meet you, Jason!\" He held out his hand then  \nshook Jason's heartily.  \n\"Nice to meet you too,\" Jason replied, relieved.  \nBeau ushered the children inside, and Ellie turned back to Jack, who wrapped her in a  \ntight hug.  \n\"Ellie! Always a pleasure to see my favorite sister-in-law!\" he declared.  \n\"And you. Everything's going well with you, Beau, and the little hares, I hope.\"  \n\"Very well. Come visit us sometime. We'd love to have you.\" He smiled at Jason, \"And  \nthe pretty kitty too.\"  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nAfter Jack shook his hand, Jason and Ellie followed the black rabbit back to the great  \nroom; the living room area was crammed with rabbits. The couch and loveseat were packed.  \nOnly the armchair had a single occupant, and this was probably because it was Edgar. Had a  \nrabbit sat there, they likely would have soon been joined by another trying to squeeze in. Henry  \nand Delilah occupied the light blue loveseat while the dark brown couch held Claire, Raul,  \nGwendolen, Aaron, Julia, and Beau. Beau gave up his seat to Jack to stand by the arm of the  \ncouch as the black rabbit entered. The others, Julia in particular, seemed relieved to have more  \nspace while sharing with the smaller rabbit. In the middle, Eli was down on the tan carpet  \nplaying with his grandchildren. Evelyn was watching him fondly a couple paces away. Daisy was  \nup trying to keep an eye on her sons; the black and white one was sparring with the lanky male  \nhare while the others joined in the game with Eli. Eli was trying to pounce on the diminutive  \nrabbits as they darted around him, squealing in laughter. The female hare seemed reluctant to  \njoin in, hanging back by the couch, until Beau crouched next to her and put a hand on her head,  \nspeaking too softly for Jason to hear over the other voices. She gave a small nod before  \ncreeping forward to join the others; soon, she was running and squealing too. Farida was by the  \nside of the armchair, apparently flirting with Edgar; the pine marten seemed very embarrassed  \nby whatever she was saying.  \nEllie made her way over to the left side of the couch where Claire was seated. Jason  \nfollowed her, but he was intercepted by Gwendolen, who hopped off of the couch. She quickly  \nlost her seat as Beau squeezed back in.  \n\"Jason! Ellie said I should talk to you,\" she reminded.  \nJason glanced at Ellie leaned against the arm of the couch next to Claire before  \nresponding, \"Sure, what did you want to discuss?\"  \nShe blinked, \"I don't know.\"  \nThe conversation was off to a great start. \"Uh, what do you do? For work, I mean,\" Jason  \nqueried.  \n\"I'm in medical school at UNV. Farida is too.\"  \n\"You didn't come together,\" Jason noted.  \n\"You've never ridden with her! Her driving is horrific! Aaron offered, and I took it! I don't  \nknow how many times I've thought I was going to die in her car!\"  \nJason gave her a sympathetic look, \"Ellie is a scary driver too. I'm certain she goes out  \nof her way to terrify me.\"  \nGwendolen's eyes widened in surprise, \"You get scared? Now I don't feel so bad. I didn't  \nthink cats were afraid of anything.\"  \nJason wasn't sure how she'd come by such a misconception. Amongst predators, cats  \nwere often regarded as particularly skittish. Maybe any predator seemed fearless to some prey.  \n\"We're not immune to head-on collisions,\" Jason pointed out. \"Besides, everyone is afraid of  \nsomething. I get nervous around big groups of dogs, for example.\"  \nGwendolen nodded, \"I guess so. What about a big group of rabbits? Does this make you  \nnervous?\" she glanced around the room.  \n\"Only about making a good first impression with Ellie's family,\" he admitted.  \n\"You're doing fine so far.\" She paused a couple seconds. Jason was unsure what else to  \nsay. \"Sooo, how long have you and Ellie been together?\"  \n\"We've been working together a little over five years,\" Jason answered. He knew what  \nshe meant, but he wasn't sure he wanted to discuss their relationship. He felt that was more  \nEllie's prerogative when it came to her family.  \n\"I mean dating or whatever.\"  \n\"We decided to start living together two and a half weeks ago, but uh, most of that time  \nwas while we were being held captive.\"  \n\"You really just started seeing each other then.\"  \n\"Er, well, I think we know each other pretty well from working together. Obviously, you  \nget to see a different side of a person when you're in a relationship than when you're at work,  \nbut we were friends already.\"  \n\"I see. So that's why you decided to go ahead and move in together. How's that been?\"  \n\"Um, like I said, we spent most of that time in captivity, but other than that, it's been fine.\"  \n\"You really were captured by a serial killer like they said then, right? How did you get  \naway?\"  \n\"We got lucky. The cultists who attacked Maplesburg also attacked her. We were able to  \nget away in the confusion.\"  \nGwendolen's face screwed up in confusion, \"Why, why would the terrorists attack them?  \nThey were killing prey, weren't they? Seems like someone they'd agree with.\"  \n\"I don't know that they knew she was the serial killer. We were being held by the  \nDuchess. I assume they attacked her because of her position.\"  \n\"Puhwha?! The Duchess?! You mean the Duchess of Gooseberry?\"  \nHe nodded.  \nGwendolen shook her head in confusion, \"That, why, I thought.\" She stopped shaking  \nher head and stared at him, pleading for answers, \"I don't understand. The Duchess?\"  \nJason was at a loss for what to say, \"That's who it was,\" he reiterated lamely.  \n\"But she's a fox! I thought they were the good guys!\" she cried.  \nJason flipped his tail and reached his right hand up to scratch his ear awkwardly before  \nanswering carefully, \"Uh, well, that's how they're portrayed on tv, but they're people like the rest  \nof us, some good and some bad.\"  \nShe looked down at the floor, her ears drooping, the picture of devastated  \ndisillusionment, \"But King Philip pushed forward lab-grown meat for us. He made it so we could  \nlive in peace. I thought they were there to protect us,\" she murmured sadly.  \nJason placed his right hand on her shoulder. \"I'm sure many of them hold that sentiment,  \nand not only foxes, other predators too. Many of us cherish what peace has given us, myself  \nincluded.\"  \nShe looked up at him with a small smile and placed her hand on his own, \"I think I see  \nwhy Ellie likes you now,\" she spoke softly.  \nHe smiled warmly, \"I guess Ellie was right as usual then. I'm glad she brought me here  \nto meet all of you.\"  \nGwendolen leapt forward and wrapped him in a hug, pressing her nose to his collar.  \nJason's ears instantly grew warm, and he patted her back while his tail swept across the floor  \nembarrassedly.  \n\"No fair!\" Farida yelped.  \nJason could feel the other rabbits' eyes on him, watching in surprise or concern. Only Eli  \nand the children seemed to take no notice. He kept his eyes on the brown and white rabbit with  \nher arms wrapped around his chest, avoiding their judgmental gazes. After a few seconds,  \nGwendolen broke away. She noticed the others staring, and the insides of her ears pinkened  \ntoo.  \n\"I, uh, I was just welcoming him to the family,\" she mumbled.  \nEllie hopped over beside them, \"Don't worry about it, Gwen. I'm sure they'd all want to  \nhug my sweet kitty after chatting with him a few minutes,\" she stated lightly.  \nGwendolen glanced at Jason embarrassedly, \"Sorry.\"  \n\"No harm done,\" he assured her.  \n\"I'll let you have this kitty snuggle for free, but the next one is ten credits,\" Ellie joked.  \nGwendolen smiled amusedly, and a few of the other rabbits chuckled. Jason was glad to  \nfeel the tension in the room diffuse away.  \n\"Get the kitty!\" someone squealed.  \nJason quickly yanked his tail away from the noise and looked down. He was relieved to  \nsee Eli flopped out on the floor exhausted while the little bunnies climbed on top of him. Jason  \nsmirked.  \nEvelyn sidled over to Jason, Ellie, and Gwendolen. \"I think you ought to get started on  \nyour and Edgar's dinner if you're going to eat with us,\" she noted.  \nJason nodded, \"We can talk more later if you want,\" he told Gwendolen.  \nShe nodded, and Jason made his way out of the noisy room and into the kitchen. Ellie  \nstayed behind, so Jason had the kitchen to himself. The sweet and savory aromas of baking  \nlasagna and root vegetable pie filled the room; though they didn't make Jason especially  \nhungry, they smelled nice.  \nJason selected a pair of beef steaks that he'd set out to thaw on a plate next to the fridge  \nearly that morning. Eli was already planning to grill vegetable skewers on a gas grill out back, so  \nJason had selected something he could cook outside as well to avoid disturbing the rabbits.  \nThere was a glass backdoor out of the great room, but Jason felt a bit self-conscious about  \ncarrying the meat past everyone. It was a bit odd being one of only two carnivores in a house  \nfull of herbivores. He wondered if Ellie ever felt similarly, but he suspected it didn't bother her.  \nJason considered going out the front door and walking around the house. You shouldn't be  \nembarrassed about what you have to eat; they know you're a cat, he silently scolded himself.  \nJason grabbed a pair of red-handled tongs that were hanging by the stove, and taking a deep  \nbreath, he strode out of the kitchen. He hesitated momentarily before entering the great room  \nbut then marched purposefully toward the backdoor and outside to the rectangular grill. No one  \npaid any attention. Of course they didn't! Jason shook his head at his own foolishness.  \nJason lit the grill and began cooking the steaks. A few minutes later, Edgar suddenly  \nappeared next to him.  \n\"Have you been getting to know Ellie's siblings?\" Jason queried conversationally.  \n\"Too well,\" Edgar muttered. \"I finally got away.\"  \nJason glanced at him sidelong, \"You mean from Farida? I noticed her talking to you.\"  \nEdgar nodded, \"She asked if I had a girlfriend, and when I said no, she asked if I wanted  \nto come home with her,\" he murmured. \"I said I'd rather stay here, but she wouldn't let it go.  \nShe, I don't want to go into it,\" he finished embarrassedly.  \n\"I guess you don't find her attractive then,\" Jason commented.  \nEdgar slowly shook his head, \"She scares me.\"  \n\"The Duchess didn't scare you, but Ellie's sister does?\" Jason asked incredulously.  \n\"Her Grace never looked like she wanted to eat me,\" Edgar muttered.  \nRight, she saved those looks for Ellie. Jason tried to feel sympathetic for the pine  \nmarten, but being aggressively hit on was categorically less than what either he or Ellie had put  \nup with even after the Duchess had stopped trying to kill them. \"I'm sure she'll get the hint  \neventually. You're welcome to stay out here,\" he offered.  \nEdgar seemed like he was going to take Jason up on the offer, but then he glanced back  \ntoward the door. \"She's coming!\" he yelped. He dashed away around the house.  \nMoments later, Farida hopped out into the yard. \"Have you seen, Edgar?\" she asked.  \n\"I think he had to use the bathroom,\" Jason lied.  \nFarida shrugged and bounded over to inspect what he was cooking, \"Looks tasty,\" she  \ncommented. She didn't sound sarcastic, so Jason assumed she was being polite.  \n\"If the smell bothers you, you don't have to stay,\" he responded. \"It bothers Ellie quite a  \nbit.\"  \n\"It doesn't bother me. I've smelled a lot worse in medical school,\" she stated matter-of-  \nfactly. \"Actually, I kind of like it. I tried it once, but it made me feel sick.\"  \nJason glanced at her, \"Really? But it didn't taste bad to you?\"  \n\"It was alright, not something I'd eat on a regular basis but not bad, except that it made  \nme feel ill later, and then I couldn't eat my caecotrophs. So that wasn't good.\"  \nJason blushed at the excessive information.  \n\"Oops! I'm sorry; I forget that's gross to other people,\" she apologized embarrassedly.  \n\"It's alright. I've gotten used to the idea since I've lived with Ellie.\"  \nFarida regarded him intently for a few seconds; Jason felt his ears getting even warmer  \nunder her probing gaze.  \n\"You and Ellie do do it, don't you?\" she inquired. \"I mean, you don't just cuddle or  \nsomething; you actually go at it, right?\"  \nJason shifted his feet embarrassedly as his ears and cheeks burned. His tail swished  \nanxiously. \"Uh, yeah,\" he answered awkwardly.  \nFarida sighed wistfully, \"She's so lucky.\" She contemplated him a moment longer. \"Your  \nbrother really is married, huh?\"  \n\"With kids,\" Jason answered embarrassedly. \"I, uh, he never mentioned a thing for  \nrabbits anyway.\"  \nFarida frowned frustratedly, \"How did she hook you?!\"  \n\"I asked her,\" he corrected awkwardly.  \n\"But she must have done something! Something to catch your attention!\" she demanded.  \nJason tried to push through his embarrassment to consider the question. What had  \ndrawn him to Ellie? \"She was just, just always there for me, a friend I could count on, my  \npartner. I, um, I knew I cared for her, but then I realized it went deeper than that.\"  \n\"She was just your friend? She didn't do anything to, to seduce you or whatever?\"  \nJason's tail flicked nervously again, \"Uh, actually, I'm not really attracted to rabbits. I-\"  \n\"Huh?! But you-\"  \n\"I do like to make Ellie feel good, but uh, I would have been fine if she never wanted to,  \nyou know.\"  \nFarida's ears drooped disappointedly, \"Maybe no cats like rabbits,\" she murmured.  \nJason didn't want her to feel hopeless, \"I'm sure there are some cats out there, or maybe  \nthere are some who would realize they're attracted to rabbits if they gave them a chance. I know  \nit took me longer than it should have to realize my feelings because I didn't think it was a  \npossibility.\"  \n\"But how do I get them to give me a chance?!\" she complained.  \nThat was indeed the tough question. Jason tried to think what could have gotten him  \ninterested in a rabbit's body, but he didn't come up with anything better than what he'd  \nsuggested to Ellie. \"I, I don't know if this is a good idea, but you could try rolling in catnip. That  \nought to get them interested, but um, on the other paw, I wouldn't want you to get clawed.  \nCatnip can, it can be exciting, but it's easy to get carried away on it.\"  \n\"But that would get them interested?\" she reiterated eagerly.  \n\"Yeah, they'll probably want to, uh, to sniff or lick you, and then maybe, maybe you can  \ngo from there,\" he concluded embarrassedly.  \nFarida fidgeted excitedly, her eyes crossed as she presumably imagined an encounter  \nwith a catnip-enthralled feline. She looked back at Jason with a grin, \"Thanks a ton! I'll let you  \nknow how it goes!\"  \nJason blushed, \"Promise me you'll be careful. I'll never forgive myself if you get  \nshredded.\"  \n\"I'll be fine,\" she dismissed. \"But I'll be careful.\"  \nJason bobbed his head in acceptance. He hoped she really would be careful and that  \nwhatever cat she tried it on would be able to control themself. Catnip did make it harder, but  \nunless they'd never had it before, then hopefully, they'd know how to handle it.  \nFarida quickly peered back at the house and turned back to him, \"Maybe I'd better go  \nbefore Ellie wonders what I'm up to. She might try to charge me ten credits even if I didn't get  \nkitty snuggles.\"  \nJason blushed slightly again at her use of the term 'kitty snuggles', but he wasn't anxious  \nto be left to himself. \"If you want to stay and talk, the vegetable skewers need cooked. You  \ncould ask Eli if you can see to those,\" he suggested.  \nShe smiled happily, \"Good idea! I'm not bothering you then?\"  \nJason shook his head, \"It's nice to have company and to get to know Ellie's sister.\"  \n\"Okay, I'll be back in a minute!\" She loped back to the glass door.  \nJason had been keeping one eye on the steaks, and he took the opportunity to flip them.  \nHe wondered if Farida would be successful in finding a cat to date her. He hoped she would  \nboth because he wanted her to be happy and because that might mean he wouldn't be the only  \ncat in the family. Hopefully, Evelyn will be less shocked at the idea the second time. Jason didn't  \nfeel Evelyn's concerns had been entirely unreasonable, but that hadn't made it any easier for  \nhim to endure some of her comments. Or for Ellie to endure them. He was glad Evelyn seemed  \nmore comfortable with their relationship now; although, in the past day, he'd caught her giving  \nhim some odd looks, so maybe it would still take her a little while to get used to the idea.  \nA few minutes later, Farida returned with the skewers and placed them on the empty half  \nof the grill. She carefully arranged them with her own set of green-handled tongs before  \naddressing him again, \"How's it been meeting everyone? I bet Mom and Dad were pretty  \nsurprised, especially since it was Ellie who brought you home. They'd expect me to do  \nsomething crazy like that, but Ellie is so serious. I thought she hardly even had time for guys.\"  \n\"They were pretty surprised, especially your mom,\" Jason confirmed.  \n\"What did they say?\" she inquired. She kept her tone light but there was an undertone of  \nconcern.  \n\"Eli was very positive about it,\" Jason answered cautiously.  \n\"What about Mom?\"  \n\"She, uh, had some concerns. Nothing unreasonable, but she and Ellie spent a lot of  \ntime arguing the day we got here.\"  \n\"Yikes! Really? What did Mom say?\" she pressed.  \n\"Um, well, first she was concerned that Ellie didn't care about the history of cats and  \nrabbits, uh, you know.\"  \nFarida scoffed, \"That's absurd!\"  \nJason quickly went on, \"Then she was concerned about some things that happened  \nwhile we were being held captive, but after she heard the whole story, she changed her mind.\"  \n\"What did happen?\"  \n\"I don't really want to go into it,\" Jason answered awkwardly. \"It was rough. We're lucky  \nwe made it out alive.\"  \nShe looked at him concernedly, \"I'm sorry. I understand that you don't want to keep  \nreliving it.\" She paused. \"Uh, how about the rest of the family? I know you haven't had much  \ntime to talk to most of us, but is it weird being the only cat with all of us rabbits?\"  \n\"It's fine. Some have seemed a little nervous, but everyone's been polite.\"  \nSurprised, \"Even Delilah?\"  \n\"Okay, she was, er, less than polite, but everyone else has been.\"  \n\"I was going to say. She's a jerk. Henry is an idiot for marrying her.\"  \nJason thought that was a little harsh.  \n\"One time,\" Farida went on irritatedly, \"They were here for Saturnalia, and I mentioned  \nthat a cat they were interviewing on the news was cute. And she suggested I take some  \nvegetables and bread and offer myself as his holiday dinner. I didn't say I wanted him to eat  \nme!\"  \nJason swished his tail uncomfortably. \"She said something similar to Ellie when she got  \nhere. Your brother looked embarrassed, so I assume he doesn't agree with those attitudes.\"  \n\"Of course not! But Henry's such a wuss, he won't argue with her! I wouldn't be  \nsurprised if he sleeps at the end of her bed and wears a collar while they're at home!\"  \nJason flicked an ear self-consciously. He wondered how Farida would judge his and  \nEllie's relationship. \"Everyone else has been alright,\" he repeated to conclude the discussion  \nabout Farida's unpopular in-law. He poked the steaks and checked the underside. \"These are  \ndone. Can I take your plate? I'll bring you a clean one.\"  \n\"Okay.\"  \nJason transferred the steaks to the plate Farida had brought the skewers on and  \nreturned to the kitchen to place them on the small table where the lasagna, pie, and salad were  \nalready collected. They would serve themselves then eat wherever they could find room. Eli was  \nbusy braising the cauliflower steaks on the stove.  \n\"Looks like everything's about done,\" he commented. \"Thanks for sending Farida to help  \nwith the skewers.\"  \n\"No problem. We were talking, and I figured we could cook together at the same time.\"  \nJason retrieved a plate from one of the light blue upper cabinets.  \n\"I'm glad you're finding a place in our family,\" Eli stated. \"I know Evelyn didn't make it  \neasy the first day, but I think she's really warming up to you.\"  \nJason nodded. He hoped that was really the case and not merely Eli trying to make him  \nfeel better. \"I have to take this out to Farida,\" he noted, lifting the plate.  \nEli bobbed his head in acknowledgement. Jason made his way back outside and gave  \nthe clean plate to Farida. She transferred the skewers to the plate and shut off the grill.  \nShe motioned toward the house with her head, \"Let's take these inside then see about  \ngrabbing seats for dinner.\"  \nJason collected the dirty plate the raw steaks had been on and they returned to the  \nkitchen. Eli was setting the cauliflower on the table, and Farida added the vegetable skewers.  \n\"Looks like that's everything,\" Eli commented. \"I'll tell everyone the food is ready. You  \ntwo can go ahead.\"  \nJason and Farida each collected a plate and fork from the end of the counter nearest to  \nthe door. Collecting his fork, Jason realized there weren't any steak knives.  \n\"Uh, do you know if there are serrated knives somewhere?\" he asked Farida.  \n\"There's probably something. Second drawer from the right, I think.\"  \nJason checked the drawer and was able to find a serrated knife; it was a bit large for a  \nsteak knife, but it was better than trying to use his teeth. Jason imagined sitting with the rabbits  \nwhile he tried to tear chunks off of the steak with his teeth. That would have been awfully  \nembarrassing!  \n\"If we hurry, we can nab seats in the dining room,\" Farida remarked as she scooped  \nsalad onto her plate. She also took a slice of lasagna and some vegetables from one of the  \nskewers.  \nJason stabbed one of the steaks with his fork to transfer it to his plate. He also took a  \nlittle of the strange lasagna, which had neither meat nor cheese, and a small slice of the pie.  \nFarida led him back to the dining area. She sat at the far end of the long oak table, and Jason  \nsat at her left. He flipped his tail up onto the seat next to him to save it for Ellie. They began  \neating; Jason thought the lasagna was interesting, but he didn't like the pie. He was glad he'd  \nonly taken a small slice.  \nFarida waved to someone across the room, \"Claire! Come join us!\"  \nThe larger rabbit hesitated before marching over to join them. She sat at Farida's right,  \nacross from Jason.  \nClaire smiled at him nervously, \"Hi again.\"  \n\"Jason and I have been chatting for a little while,\" Farida informed her. \"Did you ever  \nthink Ellie would be the first to bring a predator home? They're already living together, you  \nknow.\"  \n\"Ellie told me as much. She seems to really adore you,\" she told Jason. \"I'm glad she  \nfound someone to make her happy.\"  \n\"Don't you wish you'd been a little more adventurous now?\" Farida teased. \"Seth seems  \nnice, but,\" she eyed Jason lasciviously. \"There's handsome, and then there's gorgeous. Ellie hit  \nthe jackpot! He's really nice too.\"  \nJason smiled embarrassedly, \"Uh, thanks.\"  \n\"I'm not into cats,\" Claire stated. She gave Jason a quick, apologetic glance, \"No  \noffense.\"  \nHe shook his head to indicate he hadn't taken any.  \n\"Look at his pretty eyes though!\" Farida argued. \"Imagine lying in bed and gazing into  \nthose big green eyes.\"  \nClaire didn't seem convinced. Jason was embarrassed by the thought of Farida  \nimagining lying in bed with him. Someone set their plate next to Jason. He turned to tell them he  \nwas saving the seat for Ellie, but it was Ellie. She pulled out the seat and lifted his tail out of the  \nway to sit down. She placed his tail on her lap and gave it a pet. Jason twitched the end of his  \ntail embarrassedly; he'd meant to pull it onto the floor when Ellie arrived, but he'd been too  \ncaught up in the conversation to notice.  \nEllie tweaked the tip of his tail. \"So you've already abandoned me for my younger sister,  \nhmm, Jason?\" she joked.  \n\"Jason gave me some tips on how to attract my own cat,\" Farida informed Ellie  \nsatisfiedly.  \n\"You mean the rolling in catnip thing?\" Ellie queried.  \nFarida nodded.  \nClaire frowned, \"That sounds awfully dangerous, Farida! Trying to approach a cat is one  \nthing, but covering yourself in a plant that makes them go crazy?!\"  \n\"Most cats will be familiar with the effects,\" Jason told her. \"It shouldn't be too risky if  \nshe's careful.\"  \n\"Still! We're talking about a predator more than twice her size with sharp fangs and  \nclaws!\" Claire protested. \"What's she going to do if they do go crazy?!\"  \n\"I can defend myself!\" Farida shot back.  \nClaire gave her a dubious look, \"Do you think you could take on Jason if you had to,  \nFarida? He could rip you apart in an instant!\" she argued. \"Not that you would,\" she quickly  \nadded to Jason.  \n\"Maybe it wasn't a good idea,\" Jason murmured embarrassedly.  \n\"No! It was a good idea!\" Farida rejoined. \"Claire is being a pessimist! I'll be careful; I'll  \nfind someone I can trust before I try it. It's worth the risk! I can't wait around for years hoping a  \ncat will fall for me like Ellie!\"  \n\"I wasn't 'waiting around',\" Ellie returned annoyedly.  \nFarida gave her a dubious look, \"What would you call it?\"  \n\"Daisy! Come sit with us!\" Claire called across the room, mercifully interrupting the  \nincreasingly uncomfortable conversation.  \nDaisy glanced at them and then at her sons, who were carrying their plates toward the  \nback door. Jason noticed that the rest of the children were also out on the grass along with  \nHenry, Delilah, Beau, and Evelyn. Daisy quickly shook her head apologetically and followed  \nthem out.  \n\"Poor, Daisy,\" Farida commented. \"She has to put up with brats all day at work, and then  \nshe comes home and has to deal with those miscreants. You'd think Raul could help.\" She  \nglanced disdainfully at the black Dutch rabbit who was sitting on the couch and calmly chatting  \nwith Aaron and Julia, who had taken the loveseat. Farida glanced at Jason and Ellie, \"That's  \none good thing about marrying outside of your species: Mom will never be asking you when  \nyou're going to spawn brats of your own.\"  \nJason glanced at Ellie; they'd briefly discussed the possibility of adopting, but he wasn't  \nsure she really wanted kids.  \n\"She still asked about whether we'd adopt,\" Ellie informed Farida. It was news to Jason  \ntoo.  \nFarida scoffed, \"Fat chance of that! I get that Beau wanted them, and he makes a good  \nfather. But the last thing I need is a bunch of whiny brats!\"  \n\"No one's saying you have to have them,\" Claire stated. \"Even if you were with a rabbit.  \nSeth and I want them though.\"  \n\"Jason and I might want them too,\" Ellie stated. She looked to Jason for confirmation.  \nJason twitched his tail nervously before remembering it was in Ellie's lap.  \nShe patted it. \"You don't have to decide right now, Jason. I could go either way, but I  \nthink it might be nice to raise a family together. You asked about it when we were with the  \nDuchess though you weren't well at the time.\"  \nJason wasn't even sure he remembered the exchange. He'd blocked out a lot of that  \nterrible week of hunger and pain. However, looking at the rabbit he loved, he found he liked  \nimagining them with their own little ones, little kittens or bunnies who they would care for  \ntogether, the two of them sharing in the joy and stress of rearing children. \"It's something we  \nshould think about,\" he concluded.  \n\"What species do you think you'd want?\" Claire asked curiously.  \n\"We'll have to think about it more,\" Ellie stated. She gave Jason a small, affectionate  \nsmile.  \n\"What do you mean 'when you were with the Duchess'?\" Farida asked.  \nEllie gave her a confused look, \"Didn't Jason tell you? That witch was who held us  \ncaptive!\"  \nFarida blinked, \"He didn't want to talk about it. You were really held by the Duchess? As  \nin Rita Belmont?!\"  \nEllie nodded.  \n\"That's awful! So she's abusing her position to, to murder people?\"  \n\"That's exactly what she's doing, and the police are on her side. According to her, the  \nentire democratic system is a sham.\"  \nFarida shook her head in stunned disbelief, \"And so Edgar was also being held by her?\"  \n\"In a manner of speaking,\" Ellie answered.  \nFarida blinked, \"What do you mean?\"  \n\"She certainly had control over him,\" Ellie answered evasively.  \nFarida glanced at Jason. He knew why Ellie was reluctant to give them a straight  \nanswer, but he felt they had the right to know, especially Farida who'd been talking to the pine  \nmarten.  \n\"Edgar worked for the Duchess,\" he explained. \"He was one of her more friendly  \nservants, but he still helped keep us captive.\"  \n\"That's not fair, Jason! She might have killed him if he let us go!\" Ellie protested.  \n\"She might have,\" Jason agreed. \"Or he might have escaped with us. I believe he's  \nsorry, but he still did what he did.\"  \n\"But he helped you escape eventually?\" Farida pressed. \"How else did you end up  \nescaping with him?\"  \n\"That was an accident,\" Jason told her.  \nEllie scowled.  \n\"A happy accident,\" Jason amended. \"I'm glad we helped him get away, but if the  \nterrorists didn't attack the Duchess as well as Maplesburg, we'd all still be with her.\"  \nEllie sighed resignedly and nodded, conceding the point. \"He's not a bad guy, but he  \nwas devoted to the Duchess. At the same time, he was a friend to me. He might have been  \nunder her spell, but he isn't cruel like her.\"  \n\"You might have told me all this!\" Farida complained. \"I asked him to come home with  \nme! I didn't know he was dangerous!\" She looked around the room. \"Where is he by the way?! I  \nmight have some other words to say to someone who helped a psychopath hold my sister!\"  \n\"Edgar's not dangerous,\" Ellie argued. \"And I don't want you browbeating him for what  \nhe did! He's sorry, and I forgive him.\"  \n\"Still, you might have told me!\" Farida groused. \"I don't want to have sex with someone  \nlike that!\"  \nEllie rolled her eyes, \"I'm sorry I didn't try to stop you from fucking someone you just  \nmet,\" she replied sarcastically.  \n\"C-can I sit here?\"  \nThey all looked toward the other end of the table where Gwendolen was standing  \nawkwardly, holding her plate.  \nClaire patted the seat next to her, \"Come sit by me. I think this conversation has gone on  \nlong enough.\" She gave the rest of them a stern look.  \nJason felt chastised for his part in the argument, but Ellie and Farida looked annoyed.  \nGwendolen smiled at him shyly as she sat across from Ellie. Across the room, Raul, Aaron, and  \nJulia finally decided to get their dinner, and they then took three seats at the other end of the  \ntable. Seth and Jack soon took the final two seats between Gwendolen and Aaron and between  \nEllie and Julia, respectively. They finished their meal without further argument, lightly discussing  \nwhat the others had been up to lately. Jason never saw Edgar, but when he took his plate to the  \nkitchen, the other steak was gone. So he must have come out of hiding to get it.  \nAfter dinner, Jack and Raul made their way outside. Aaron and Julia reclaimed the  \nloveseat, and Ellie led the rest of them back to the couch. Farida tried to sit next to Jason, but  \nEllie put him on one end and sat next to him. Gwendolen sat next to her with Claire and Seth at  \nthe other end. Farida gave Ellie a devious look, climbed up onto the arm next to Jason, and  \npetted his head.  \n\"Kitty snuggles aren't free!\" Ellie told her.  \n\"Gwendolen got them for free,\" Farida replied. \"Besides,\" she gave him an amused look.  \n\"He's enjoying it.\"  \n\"Seems the cat has enthralled another one,\" Aaron commented jovially. \"What about  \nyou, Claire? Have you succumbed to his feline charms?\"  \nShe put her arm around her fiancé and shook her head, \"Seth is the only man for me.\"  \n\"Perhaps I'll leave you for a cat, Dear,\" Julia jested. \"Find out what all the fuss is about.\"  \nAaron frowned.  \nShe nudged the smaller rabbit, \"I'm joking.\"  \nJason didn't find the situation particularly amusing as he was stuck between Farida, who  \nwas still petting his head while challenging Ellie with her eyes, and Ellie, who was glaring at  \nFarida dangerously.  \n\"I think you owe me after letting me flirt with the weasel,\" Farida stated haughtily.  \n\"Edgar's a pine marten, and no, I do not!\" Ellie shot back.  \n\"Now, now, I'm sure he has time to cuddle all of you,\" Aaron teased.  \nEllie shot off of the couch and dashed around toward Farida. Farida yelped and fell off of  \nthe arm and into Jason's lap. She jumped off of the couch and raced away. Ellie hared after her.  \nClaire jumped up and chased both of them. On the loveseat, Aaron shook with mirth as Julia  \nworriedly watched them disappear from the room. Suddenly, a squeal split through the house.  \nJason leapt up and hurried toward the sound, which he determined had emanated from the  \nbasement. He raced down the stairs to find the three rabbits staring wide-eyed at Edgar whose  \ntail was fluffed out like a bottlebrush.  \n\"Who screamed?!\" Jason asked urgently. \"Is someone hurt?\"  \n\"Edgar,\" Ellie answered perfunctorily.  \nGradually, Edgar's fur lay flat, but he continued to eye them nervously, \"Wh-what do you  \nwant?\"  \nRecovering from her surprise at scaring the pine marten, Farida tromped forward, \"You  \ndidn't tell me you helped hold my sister captive,\" she growled.  \n\"I-I'm sorry,\" Edgar whimpered.  \n\"We ought to tie you up down here. I doubt anyone will miss you,\" Farida threatened.  \nEdgar whimpered wordlessly and trembled.  \nFarida snorted contemptuously and turned her back to him, \"You're not even worth my  \ntime.\" She stomped back up the stairs.  \nEdgar looked to Jason and Ellie desperately.  \n\"She doesn't understand what really happened,\" Ellie soothed. \"I know you're my friend.  \nJason knows you're his friend too.\"  \nJason nodded.  \nEllie held out her hand, \"Come on. Enough hiding down here.\"  \nEdgar crept forward and took Ellie's hand. Claire watched him worriedly. Ellie led them  \nupstairs. Beau had come in and was now occupying the couch with Farida. She whispered in  \nhis ear as they came into the room, and Beau's expression darkened. Claire took back her spot  \nnext to Gwendolen and Seth. Ellie glanced at the armchair and then at the hostile-looking Farida  \nand Beau.  \nShe stepped in front of Edgar, still holding his hand, \"This is my friend Edgar. I know I  \ndidn't introduce him when you got here; I should have. How he came to be with us is  \ncomplicated, but he was a friend to me and Jason when the Duchess had us captive. Anyone  \nwho has a problem with him can bring it to me. Is that understood?\" She glowered at each of the  \nother rabbits until they all nodded.  \nFarida still looked angry, but Beau looked chastised. The others looked concerned.  \nEllie looked back at the chair, \"I don't think there's room for all three of us. You take it,  \nEdgar.\"  \nInstead, Edgar pulled his hand away, and crept over in front of Farida. He kept his eyes  \ndowncast as he addressed her nervously, \"I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you I worked for the Duchess. I  \nlet a lot of, a lot of bad things happen when I could have o-objected. Even if I couldn't have s-  \nstopped some of them, I could have let Jason and Ellie go. I, I don't blame you if you hate me;  \nwhat I did was wrong, and I can't ever make it right.\"  \n\"Okay,\" Farida replied coolly.  \nEdgar looked up at her nervously.  \n\"You said you don't blame me if I hate you; well, Ellie could be dead because of you. Or  \nshe could be trapped with that psycho, and I'd still think my sister was dead. If you'd ever  \nhelped her get away, maybe I could forgive you. But you didn't, and I don't.\"  \nEdgar nodded slowly. Looking back at the floor he trudged out of the room.  \n\"Farida!\" Ellie yelled. \"I told you I forgive him! I was the one who that witch locked up!\"  \nFarida glared back at her, \"You can forgive if you want to! You don't have the right to  \nforgive for the rest of us! Do you think we didn't suffer?! I thought my sister was dead! Probably  \ncut to pieces by some serial killer! We all thought that! We were going to have your funeral  \ntoday! So don't think you can forgive him or the Duchess or anyone else involved for us!\" Farida  \nwiped away tears with her arm as she finished, and Beau put his arm around her.  \nBeau looked at Ellie sternly, \"She's right, Ellie,\" he rumbled. \"You don't have the right to  \nforgive for us or to decide everything is okay. When we thought we'd lost you, Mom and Dad  \nwere devastated. We were all heartbroken. Maybe this pine marten was kind to you in some  \nway regardless of keeping you captive, but he helped take you away from us. It takes more than  \na day to forgive that, and you didn't even tell us who he was at the start.\"  \nEllie looked at the floor ashamedly. Jason put his hand on her shoulder.  \n\"I'm sorry, Beau, Farida, everyone,\" Ellie murmured. \"I'm sorry for what you went through  \nthinking I was dead. I'm sorry for not introducing you to Edgar properly.\" She looked up, her  \neyes fierce, \"But I'm not sorry for rescuing Edgar and bringing him here. I couldn't toss him out  \non the road with no place to go or worse, to return to that monster! Edgar deserves a second  \nchance, and I'm going to give it to him even if no one else will!\"  \n\"I'm sorry, Ellie,\" Jason murmured. \"Maybe I shouldn't have said what Edgar did.\"  \nEllie shook her head, \"No, it was a mistake to not let everyone know from the very  \nbeginning. Edgar has to live with what he did; I can't shield him from it. He has to apologize for  \nhimself to the people he hurt. He can't be forgiven if he never admits what he did.\"  \n\"I'm glad you understand now,\" Farida responded tersely.  \nEllie looked at her cautiously, \"Truce?\"  \nFarida frowned back at her pensively a couple seconds and then glanced at Jason, \"If I  \ncan hug the kitty.\"  \nEllie smirked slightly, \"Okay, deal.\"  \nFarida leapt off of the couch and dashed over to Jason wrapping her arms around him.  \nShe didn't so much hug him as run her hands down his back while pressing herself against his  \nchest. Jason hugged her back awkwardly.  \nHer right cheek pressed to his chest, Farida peered at Ellie mischievously with her other  \neye, \"I'll really forgive you if you let me borrow him for the night.\"  \nOne of her hands reached the base of his tail, and Jason quickly reached his right arm  \naround to stop her from going any lower.  \n\"Alright! Kitty snuggles are over!\" Ellie demanded.  \nFarida broke away with a huff, \"You're no fun!\"  \nSome of the other rabbits giggled.  \n\"I could stay the night, and you could let me sleep with him,\" Farida suggested.  \n\"No way!\" Ellie rebuked.  \n\"We wouldn't do anything, just sleep and cuddle,\" Farida insisted.  \n\"Those sound like two things you are not going to do with my boyfriend!\"  \nFarida crossed her arms, \"You're so greedy!\"  \nMore of the other rabbits giggled. Farida turned with another huff and tromped back over  \nto the couch, hopping up next to Beau.  \nBeau wrapped an arm around her, \"I'll cuddle you, Farida,\" he teased.  \nShe pushed his arm away.  \nEllie turned back to the armchair, \"I think there's room for both of us now,\" she noted.  \n\"It'll be pretty close,\" Jason noted, trying to figure out how they were both going to  \nsqueeze onto the cushion.  \n\"Really close. I want my kitty snuggles. Get up there!\"  \nJason complied, and Ellie climbed up into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and  \nshe sighed contentedly.  \n\"Comfy,\" Aaron commented amusedly.  \nFarida muttered something Jason thought was \"greedy\" under her breath.  \nThey had been relaxing for a while when the backdoor opened, and the little bunnies  \nand hares streamed into the living room area with the other adults close behind.  \n\"I did make rhubarb pie if anyone wants it,\" Evelyn announced.  \nAll of the rabbits eagerly affirmed that they did.  \nEvelyn beamed, \"Eli and I will get you each a slice!\" She glanced at Jason, \"Er, sorry,  \nJason, I didn't make anything for you.\"  \n\"That's okay,\" he replied.  \nThe other rabbits spread around the room. Daisy squeezed between Gwendolen and  \nClaire onto the crowded couch, and Beau switched with Jack to make more room. Jason  \nnoticed the female hare looking at him and Ellie worriedly. Beau crouched next to her and  \nstroked her head.  \nStill watching Jason and Ellie, she turned her head to whisper to Beau, \"Dad, did the  \nkitty catch Aunt Ellie?\"  \n\"No, Katy, she wanted to sit with him,\" Beau murmured.  \nShe looked confused, \"Why?\"  \n\"Because they love each other.\"  \n\"Why?\"  \n\"Why do Daddy and Papa love each other?\"  \nShe hesitated a moment, \"Because you do?\"  \nHe petted her head again, \"That's right.\"  \nThe leverate hopped over to the armchair and looked up at them shyly.  \n\"I think she wants to meet you,\" Ellie murmured amusedly.  \nShe slipped off of his lap, and Jason stood. He crouched in front of the lanky little hare,  \nwho only came to his knees while he stood; however, that still made her taller than the little  \nrabbits. By Jason's judgement all of the children were under five-years-old, with Daisy's sons  \nbeing the youngest--maybe under three--and Aaron's and Henry's children approximately a  \nyear older. The hares might have been about four.  \n\"My name's Jason,\" he meowed gently.  \n\"I'm Kaitlyn,\" she squeaked nervously.  \nHe held out his hand, \"Nice to meet you, Kaitlyn.\"  \nShe eyed his gigantic hand nervously and carefully reached forward to touch one of his  \nclaws. Jason turned his hand over so that she could see better, and she jerked her hand away.  \nShe stared at him fearfully, her nose twitching furiously.  \n\"I'm not trying to get you,\" he soothed. \"I thought you wanted to look at my claws.\"  \nShe nodded.  \n\"Go ahead.\"  \nShe cautiously reached back toward his hand and gave the claw on his middle finger a  \ntentative poke. The claw did nothing, and she reached back to push on it again.  \n\"Are you trying to make it extend? Let me show you.\" Jason extended his claws; the  \nrazor-sharp weapons curled out over the tips of his fingers.  \nKaitlyn gasped and pulled her hand away.  \nJason retracted his claws, \"Sorry.\"  \n\"C-can you do that again?\"  \nJason extended his claws again, and she reached forward to run a finger along the claw  \non his middle finger.  \n\"Careful, they're very sharp,\" Jason cautioned as she neared the needle-like point.  \nShe gingerly took her finger away, \"Why are they like that?\"  \n\"Because I keep them like that, by sharpening them,\" he answered.  \n\"Why?\"  \n\"Um, in case I need to defend myself, I guess.\"  \nShe looked up at his face, studying his exotic features closely, \"Your eyes are funny.\"  \n\"They're normal cat eyes,\" he stated lightly.  \nShe pointed, \"What's that?\"  \nJason couldn't tell what she was pointing at, \"What's what?\"  \nShe pointed to the left side of her mouth, \"There.\"  \nJason ran his tongue across that side of his mouth, feeling only his teeth. Oh! He  \nrealized she'd probably seen his canine sticking out under his upper lip. \"That's one of my  \nteeth.\"  \n\"Huh?\"  \nHe grinned to show her all of them.  \nShe took a step back, \"W-why are they like that?! Do you sharpen them too?\" she asked  \ntremulously.  \n\"No, that's just how they are.\"  \n\"Why?!\"  \nJason looked up at Beau, who scratched his ear embarrassedly.  \n\"We may have kept them a bit sheltered. She starts pre-school in September, so then  \nshe'll get to know predators her age. But it's risky before then because, well, I'm sure you know  \nall about it.\"  \nJason nodded. Predators had to receive rigorous training to control their violent instincts.  \nThey had to demonstrate sufficient control before entering pre-school, but before then, allowing  \nprey to play with them would be a risk most prey wouldn't be willing to take unless they were  \nsignificantly larger than the predator species in question. As Jason looked back toward Kaitlyn,  \nhe noticed the rest of the children gathered around him, pressing in curiously with noses  \ntwitching; it was a rather amusing sight.  \n\"Hi there, my name's Jason,\" he meowed.  \n\"Are you a tiger?!\" one of them piped.  \n\"Dummy! He's too small to be a tiger!\" another rebuked.  \n\"You're the dummy!\"  \nThe two bucks ran at each other and started trying to punch the other. Jason thought he  \nrecognized them as Daisy's albino and brown and white sons. Daisy leapt off of the couch to  \nseparate them, picking up the brown and white one.  \n\"No fighting, Diego, Billy!\" she scolded.  \n\"Do you want to eat us up?!\" another of the children piped.  \n\"Evie!\" one of the others warned in a low hiss.  \n\"That's what Mom says!\" Evie returned.  \nJason was able to locate the voice: the doe, Evie, was brown and white, making it  \ndifficult to tell who she belonged to, but the buck standing next to her was brown, suggesting  \nthey were Henry's and Delilah's. I should have guessed.  \n\"No, I don't want to eat you,\" Jason answered patiently.  \nEllie, who was standing behind him, petted Jason's head, \"You don't need to be afraid of  \nJason; he's a sweet kitty.\"  \n\"Can you try to catch us?\" the male hare asked.  \n\"Um, it's probably better if someone else plays with you like that,\" Jason answered. Even  \nthough Jason had a good handle on his instincts, any kind of simulated hunting of prey was  \ndiscouraged, and Jason doubted the other rabbits would look favorably on it either.  \nFortunately, Evelyn and Eli returned with circular metal trays carrying pale pink dessert  \nplates with slices of rhubarb pie. The crowd of little bunnies herded over to their grandparents,  \neagerly reaching for the pie. Jason stood but then looked back down when he heard a squeak:  \nKaitlyn was still standing in front of him, and she reached her arms up when he looked down at  \nher. Jason glanced at Beau, and Beau gave him a nod to indicate it was okay. Jason crouched  \nback down and lifted the little hare, sitting her on his left arm facing him with his right hand  \nsteadying her on her back. She reached out to stroke his whiskers, which he allowed, then  \npoked at his left upper canine. Jason gently pushed her arm down away from his mouth.  \n\"Why are they like that?\" she asked again.  \n\"Because of what I eat.\"  \n\"What you eat?\"  \nHe nodded. \"You can ask your dad about it.\"  \nShe turned her head to look back at Beau then looked over at Ellie, who was getting her  \npiece of pie. \"You and Aunt Ellie love each other?\"  \n\"Yes.\"  \n\"I want pie too.\"  \nJason smirked and set her on the floor. She hopped over to Evelyn who gave her a  \npiece of pie, and then she made her way back to Beau. Ellie sauntered up to him and stuffed a  \nbig bite of pie into her mouth.  \n\"Mmm, you sure you don't want any?\" she mumbled around the mouthful.  \nJason shook his head, \"I don't think I'd appreciate it.\"  \nEllie gulped down the bite. \"Then you can give it to me!\"  \n\"I figured that's where that was going,\" he said dryly.  \n\"It seems like you got another admirer,\" Ellie teased.  \n\"She seemed curious. I guess she hasn't seen a cat up close before.\"  \n\"You should have offered to let them chase you, a nice game of 'catch the kitty by the  \ntail'.\"  \n\"I don't think so.\"  \nAfter the rabbits had finished their pie, they remained in the living room, chatting and  \ncatching up on the events of their lives. They avoided returning to Jason's and Ellie's horrific  \nexperience with the Duchess, but Ellie did describe some of the lighter events from the past  \nseveral weeks: Jason's visit to her apartment when he made himself ill, her dates, and their trip  \nto the grocery when he had to carry her around. The others found the latter story particularly  \namusing.  \nFinally, it was time for Ellie's siblings to head home. Evelyn and Eli offered to let some  \nstay the night, and Farida seemed tempted. However, they all had things to do tomorrow. Jason  \nand Ellie stood outside the front door to say goodbye to each of them as they left. Jason got  \nanother hug from Gwendolen and Farida. Ellie kept a close eye on Farida and didn't let the hug  \nlast long. Henry and company were the last to leave.  \nHenry hugged Ellie, \"Bye, Ellie, I hope it doesn't take you disappearing again for us to all  \nget together. You're welcome to come visit sometime.\"  \nDelilah, who was waiting with their four children, didn't appear to agree but didn't say as  \nmuch.  \nHenry turned to Jason, \"Nice to meet you, Jason. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk more.  \nMaybe next time.\" They shook hands, and Henry went to say goodbye to his parents.  \nDelilah coolly shook Ellie's hand, \"We'll meet again, I expect.\" She turned to eye Jason  \ndistastefully. \"Perhaps you'll have remembered what species you are by then.\"  \nEllie looked like she was going to issue a stinging retort, but she glanced at the children  \nand then let out a breath. \"Maybe you'll be a little more open-minded next time,\" was all Ellie  \nreplied.  \nDelilah sniffed haughtily and led her children to say goodbye to their grandparents.  \n\"Snooty, churlish bigot,\" Ellie grumbled under her breath. \"I'm glad I could disappoint  \nyou.\"  \nThey waved as the silver minivan drove away. Jason breathed a deep breath and let it  \nout, both relieved and a little sorry the visit was over. He'd enjoyed meeting Ellie's siblings and  \nwould have liked to have had the opportunity to talk to some of them more. In particular, he  \nhadn't gotten to talk to Daisy, who'd barely had a moment free from watching her rambunctious  \nsons, or Henry, who'd trailed after the unpleasant Delilah the entire time. They stepped back  \ninside, and Ellie's parents headed to the kitchen to do the dishes.  \n\"We ought to find Edgar and see if he's alright,\" Ellie muttered grumpily. \"That was one  \nthing that might have gone better.\"  \nThey found Edgar in his room again, hiding under the blankets. Jason patted his back  \nthrough the sheets.  \n\"Everyone went home; you can come out now, Edgar,\" he soothed.  \n\"What's the point?\" Edgar muttered moodily.  \n\"There's still some rhubarb pie left if you want it,\" Ellie tempted. \"Otherwise, I'm going to  \neat it all. Come out and save me from getting fat.\"  \n\"I don't want any,\" Edgar muttered.  \n\"Look, Edgar, I'm sorry how Farida and the others reacted, but it's something you're  \ngoing to have to live with,\" Ellie chided. \"You can't make people forgive you. You can only try to  \nmake amends and show that you're better now. Hiding isn't really doing either.\"  \nEdgar remained silent.  \n\"I've been trying to help you, but I think maybe I've been shielding you too much,\" Ellie  \nwent on. \"I forgive you, but I can't make others forgive you. And it's not right to lie to them, even  \nby omission.\"  \n\"We're still here to help you,\" Jason added. \"But to make amends for what you did, not to  \nhelp you hide from it.\"  \n\"That's right,\" Ellie stated.  \nEdgar poked his head out from under the blankets, \"H-how do I do that?\"  \n\"It's going to be different for every person, but admitting what you did and sincerely  \napologizing is the first step,\" Ellie answered.  \nEdgar nodded resignedly. Jason felt sorry for him. It must be miserable feeling like  \neveryone hates him and not knowing how to make it right. Jason suspected it was easier for him  \nand Ellie to forgive Edgar because they'd actually met the Duchess. They knew what she was  \ncapable of and had her as the primary target for their anger. In the Duchess' absence, Ellie's  \nfamily only had Edgar to direct their pain and rage towards. For Jason and Ellie, the fact that  \nEdgar had been one of the Duchess' servants who had tried to treat them well meant  \nsomething. For Ellie's family, it meant little. They didn't know all of the worse actors; they only  \nknew Edgar. Uncomfortably, Jason admitted to himself that perhaps neither perspective was  \nmore correct than the other, though he wasn't sure Ellie would accept that.  \nEdgar got out of bed, and they went back downstairs. Edgar proceeded to the kitchen  \nand was soon helping with the dishes. Maybe with Ellie's parents at least, he has begun to  \nmake amends. Jason had found Edgar's ingratiating behavior unsettling, but perhaps actively  \noffering his help was one way he could show that he wanted to be better than he had been,  \nbetter than the stooge who'd complacently watched while his employer tortured and murdered  \ninnocent people.  \nJason and Ellie went to the living room to read. Sitting together on the light blue  \nloveseat, Ellie held their book while they both read silently. Jason nosed Ellie's ear to let her  \nknow when he was ready for her to turn the page.  \nAfter a light supper, where the rabbits ate leftovers and Jason and Edgar split a chicken  \nfilet, they all returned to the living room.  \n\"What do you say we watch a movie?\" Eli suggested cheerfully.  \nJason glanced around, not seeing a tv.  \n\"It's in our bedroom,\" Eli explained. \"I could use your help bringing it down if you want to  \nwatch.\"  \n\"That sounds nice to me,\" Jason agreed.  \nEli led him up to the pale-pink-walled room. The top cover on the queen-size bed was a  \nrather gaudy quilt decorated with large red roses. The tv in the pine stand was no larger than  \nthe one Jason owned. While it might have taken two of the rabbits to carry it, Jason could  \nhandle it on his own; it would be less awkward to maneuver that way. Eli got the DVD player  \nand cords. As they exited the room, Evelyn squeezed by.  \n\"I'll pick out something nice,\" she piped.  \nJason and Eli proceeded downstairs and set up the tv on a wooden chair from the dining  \ntable, placing it in front of the armchair. They had to run the power cord under the armchair to  \nreach the outlet on the wall.  \n\"What did you pick?\" Ellie inquired.  \n\"Your mom is deciding,\" Jason told her.  \n\"Uh oh.\"  \nShortly, Evelyn returned.  \n\"What did you pick?\" Ellie asked cautiously.  \n\"Casa Blanca,\" Evelyn answered simply.  \n\"At least it's not a musical,\" Ellie grumbled.  \n\"Would you prefer a musical?\" Evelyn queried.  \n\"No.\"  \nEvelyn put the disc in the player, and they all sat on the couch. Jason sat at the left end  \nwith Ellie next to him, and Eli sat at the opposite end next to Evelyn. Edgar hesitated a moment  \nbefore sitting between the two does.  \nHe turned to Evelyn, \"I-is it okay if I sit here?\"  \nShe patted his knee, which he had propped up with his feet on the couch, \"Of course,  \nDear.\"  \nEli started the movie then got up to turn off the lights. Only the faint light from a  \nneighbor's security light filtered in through the back windows. Jason had noticed dark clouds  \nrolling in during supper, and now the sky was completely overcast, offering no silver moonlight  \nto illuminate the room. Without the living room's overhead light, the primary illumination was  \nfrom the tv itself. Ellie snuggled close to Jason in the semi-darkness. Jason, being able to see  \nperfectly well, noticed Eli and Evelyn do the same, Eli scooting down to tuck himself close to the  \nlarger rabbit.  \nWhile the movie may have been a classic, Jason found it to be more than a little cheesy,  \nespecially the line about beans at the end. They left the tv where it was and headed upstairs to  \nget ready for bed. Edgar managed to get their shower first. Jason groomed himself while they  \nwaited then brushed his teeth whilst Ellie was in the shower.  \nJason returned to their room to wait, but instead of climbing into the small bed, he poked  \nthrough Ellie's things. He filed through her shirts noting some of the sillier graphic designs,  \nincluding a rabbit riding on an eagle's back. He opened the top drawer of her dresser but found  \nonly gloves, leg warmers, and other cold weather accessories. The next drawer was more  \ninteresting: Ellie had several issues of a graphic novel, the covers depicting a hare in a tan  \ntrench coat with a cigarette between his incisors. On several covers, he was also holding a  \nhandgun. The title read \"Detective Johnson\". Jason flipped through a few pages, studying the  \ndepictions of the grim, grimy city and various tough customers the fearless hare encountered.  \nClosing this drawer, Jason moved down to the third of four drawers. Inside he found a pair of  \nplastic handcuffs, a set of playing cards, pens and pencils, a notebook, some worn paperbacks,  \nand--oddly enough--a pair of what appeared to be black and pink striped stockings or long  \nsocks rolled into a tube. Jason lifted the loose end of the stockings curiously, and they unrolled.  \nSomething fell out into the particleboard bottom of the drawer with a loud clunk, causing Jason  \nto start. Embarrassedly, he identified the electric blue object as a vibrator.  \nA soft cough came from the entrance to the bedroom, and Jason almost leapt up and hit  \nhis head on the bed, but he managed to stop himself, steadying himself on the dresser. He  \nturned to see Edgar standing nervously in the doorway. Relieved it was only the pine marten,  \nJason dropped the stockings back in the drawer and quickly pushed it closed with his foot.  \n\"A-are you busy?\" Edgar asked nervously.  \n\"No,\" Jason answered quickly.  \n\"Uh, what were you doing?\"  \n\"Looking for something,\" Jason answered evasively.  \n\"Looking for what?\"  \n\"Nothing. Do you need something?\"  \nEdgar looked at his feet embarrassedly, \"I, uh, I just wanted to say thank you for  \nforgiving me and, um, for all your help.\"  \n\"We're glad to help,\" Jason replied sincerely. \"We know you have what it takes to be a  \ngood person.\"  \nEdgar nodded in acknowledgement, \"Thanks.\" He hesitated a moment. \"Um, could I get  \na hug, Jason?\"  \nJason nodded and opened his arms. The pine marten scurried across the room and  \nthrew his arms around Jason's chest, squeezing him tight. Jason hugged Edgar tightly, and  \nEdgar let out a plaintive little whine. Jason was momentarily worried he'd hurt him somehow, but  \nEdgar reached his snout up to nose the base of Jason's ear affectionately.  \n\"You're a good friend, Jason,\" he murmured.  \nJason patted his back.  \n\"I, I wish you could hold me like this, like Her Grace did. I-I feel, I feel like I belong when  \nyou hold me, like I knew I belonged when Her Grace held me,\" Edgar breathed.  \nJason felt a little embarrassed by Edgar's admission. While it felt good to comfort the  \nfriendly pine marten, he didn't have the same feelings he knew Edgar had. The only person who  \nbelonged nestled in his arms the way the pine marten wanted was Ellie. Still, he held onto  \nEdgar for the moment, letting him have as much of this closeness as he could give. \"You'll find  \nsomeone of your own, someone to hold you or for you to hold,\" Jason soothed.  \nEdgar didn't reply but nuzzled Jason's cheek, breathing deeply and letting it out in a  \nhappy sigh. After several seconds, Edgar let go. He stepped back and looked down  \nembarrassedly, \"Sorry.\"  \n\"No, it's alright. Do you feel better?\"  \nEdgar nodded.  \n\"I'm glad. I'm here anytime you need me.\"  \nEdgar shuffled his feet, \"Thanks, Jason.\" He turned and ambled back out of the room.  \nJason watched him go then looked back at Ellie's things. He didn't think he'd snoop  \nanymore. He climbed up into the bed and waited for the rabbit who truly belonged tucked safely  \nin his arms to return.  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nBy the time Ellie had dried off and returned to the bedroom, Jason was already dozing.  \nHowever, he stirred as she climbed up the scaffolding into the lofted bed. Rain pattered against  \nthe window as Ellie crawled to the head of the bed, squinting in the dim red light of Daisy's  \nclock. Jason pushed down the blankets so that she could slide under and then pulled her in  \nagainst his chest.  \n\"Did you have a good time meeting everyone today?\" she whispered.  \n\"Mmhm.\"  \n\"That's good. I think they liked meeting you too. I wish it had gone better with Edgar, but  \nit was nice to see everyone and to introduce them to my sweet, silly kitty.\"  \n\"Edgar was here while you were in the shower,\" Jason murmured.  \n\"Did he need something?\"  \n\"Just a hug. He had a rough day.\"  \nDespite her better intentions toward the pine marten, Ellie felt a twinge of jealousy.  \nEdgar had told Jason he was attracted to him and now he was sneaking around hugging him,  \nwas he? \"Is this a thing now?\" Ellie murmured annoyedly.  \n\"Huh?\"  \n\"You hugging on Edgar when I'm busy. I thought Farida was the one I had to watch.\"  \n\"I, I was just trying to make him feel better,\" Jason replied awkwardly.  \n\"I'm sure you were, but was that all he was trying to get out of it?\" Ellie asked pointedly.  \n\"If I knew it was only friendly, I wouldn't mind, but I don't like the idea of him feeling you up,  \nespecially when I'm not there.\"  \n\"He, he didn't put his hands anywhere inappropriate,\" Jason mumbled. \"But-\"  \n\"But?\"  \n\"He did say it made him feel like when the Duchess held him.\"  \nEllie grimaced, \"He's still on about her?\"  \n\"He said being with her made him feel like he belonged, and, uh, he felt the same with  \nme. Obviously, we're not going to, you know, so if the occasional hug is what it takes to make  \nhim feel like he belongs here, does it matter if he has other feelings too?\"  \n\"I suppose it's acceptable,\" Ellie muttered. \"But I'd like to be there. I don't like the  \nsneaking around while I'm in the shower.\"  \n\"Alright, Ellie, I'll tell him. I think he's just shy about it. I don't think he meant it to be  \nsneaky, but if you'll feel better, I'll tell him he has to wait until you're around.\"  \n\"I might be being silly,\" Ellie conceded. \"But thanks for understanding, Jason. I want him  \nto feel comfortable with us, but I don't want to be jealous about what you might be doing with,  \nwith Edgar of all people.\"  \n\"I understand,\" Jason soothed. \"I don't want you to ever question how much I love you.  \nI'd never cheat on you with anyone, not even the most beautiful cat in the whole world.\"  \nEllie nudged her head under his jaw affectionately, \"I know, Jason.\"  \nJason curled himself around her, tucking his tail up by her head. Ellie hugged it to her  \nchest and sighed contentedly. It was silly to be jealous when she knew how much Jason loved  \nher, but she couldn't help feeling protective of her sweet kitty when she thought of someone  \nelse stroking his soft fur with lustful intent, whether it was her sister or Edgar or anyone else. But  \nwrapped by his warm body and engulfed in his faintly tangy scent, Ellie knew he was hers. She  \nsoon slipped into peaceful slumber.  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"The Murderess of Maplesburg: Reign of Terror","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2015915-chapter-3-cultists-and-pragmatism.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2017518-chapter-5-intrigue.json"}}