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Chapter 31: A Family to Protect

The days progressed into winter. With the first snow fall, Krystal was less inclined to venture forth from the cozy warmth of their home. She had never been able to adjust well to the colder weather of winter on Corneria. Marcus and Ophelia on the other hand had inherited their father's ability to grow a winter coat. And Ophelia was a positive ball of fluff. It of course posed some difficulty for the family.

The house could not be kept as warm as Krystal would have liked. Otherwise, her husband and children would have been overheating inside given their thick pelts. Fortunately, Fox had found a solution. In previous years, he had kept the fur he had shed each spring, and now had enough. So one particularly cold morning, he had gifted his vixen with a coat and pants woven from the reddish-brown fur he had shed each prior year since they had been married.

One week before the winter solstice, schools went on break. So Fox was not surprised when on that first day off from school Marcus came to him and asked. "Papa, could Katy and Ozzy come over and play?"

Fox smiled down at his son and ruffled his head fur. "Sure, if your Uncle Kei and Aunt Fara say it's okay."

"And Ruby and Oliver?" Marcus asked hopefully.

"Yes, the same goes with them. If their mom and dad say it's okay."

"And Sean and Jenny?" the pup pressed on.

Fox could only laugh at his son's exuberance. He knelt down in front of his pup. "Tell you what. I'll invite everyone and we can all have fun together."

Fox went to his comm station and began placing calls. By midday the following day, the house was made ready. The banquet table was extended and set, a feast was being cooked in the kitchen with the help of ROB-48, and extra seating was arrayed in the living room and recreation room. Then their guests began to arrive.

First were the Banks since the neighboring otter family was naturally within walking distance. Krystal greeted them at the door. "George, Winifred. It is so good of you to come." Her smile broadened when she saw that all four of their children were there as well. "Michael, Jane, you have grown so much since I last saw you."

"Thank you, Missus McCloud." Jane replied shyly.

"Where is Fox?" Michael asked.

"He's in the kitchen overseeing things." Krystal smiled. She could sense that the adolescent otter still idolized her husband.

She then knelt down in front of the Ruby and Oliver, the two younger pups, "Why don't you go play outside in the back with Marcus? He's excited to see you."

Just then, Marcus came sliding down the circular banister from upstairs and ran up to his friends, who then brightened and ran with him through the mansion and out the back door.

George chuckled. "I see your son is still mind-speaking to our younger children."

"Yes. He'll only do that with your children and the Phoenix twins. He's very close to them." Krystal revealed.

"How is your younger daughter?" Winifred asked.

"She's almost two now. Fox has begun her telepathic training, which is a good thing since with my own twins on the way, we'll have our work cut out shielding their minds." Her face then brightened. "The Phoenixes are here, along with the Reinards, and Charles too!"

"No need for a door bell in this house, I see." George commented to his wife with a grin. "Quite handy, this telepathy is."

Krystal again answered the door and welcomed their next wave of guests.

"Where's Marcus?" asked a young fennec pup with reddish brown fur like his father's.

"Manners, Oswald." Fara admonished.

"Hello Aunty. May we go play with Marcus?" he and his sister asked together as twins are often prone to.

"Of course, Sweeties. He's in the back with his friends." Krystal replied while ruffling the little vixen's head fur and that of her brother's. Little Katherine was a fox like her father, but had her mother's tan-colored fur and eyes.

Just then, Fox walked up to the growing gathering. "Fara, Kei, if I did not sense it otherwise, I'd think your children were telepathic by the way they double speak."

Both Krystal and her husband immediately sensed Kei's nervousness. The vixen winked to Fara. "Perhaps we should do a genealogical research to see if you or your husband are in any way distantly related to Fox's great, great, grandfather Takara."

Kei rolled his eyes. "I'm happy enough to be related to Fox on Cousin Vixy's side of the family."

Fox grinned to his second cousin twice removed. "What do you think, Dietrich? Could the Reinards and McClouds be related in any way?"

Teasing and speculations continued as they all settled down in the living room. "So what do you think, Charles? Any Cerinian telepaths in your ancestry?"

The Phoenix patriarch shook his head and chuckled. "Afraid not. Katherine and I were able to trace our whole family tree back centuries to way before the Wayfarer made first contact with Cerinia."

Conversations continued on, going from the goings on in Cornerian politics, the economy, gardening, decorating, family gossip, and so on. Fox and Krystal then sensed the last expected arrivals. At that moment, Fox closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll be right back."

"What's with Foxy?" Fara asked when he had left.

"This will be the first time he sees Wolf O'Donnell since it became known that Fox had been a latent telepath."

"I don't follow." Kei replied.

"Before he and Wolf reconciled and put their difference behind them, they had many encounters where they fought, Arwing against Wolfen." Krystal explained. "It's almost a certainty that Fox was subconsciously using his latent telepathy against Wolf in all their encounters."

"Awkwaaaarrd....." Jane Banks murmured.

In the front, Fox opened the door and was met with a dour-looking Wolf O'Donnell. With him were Vanessa, who was rolling her eyes at her husband's demeanor, and Sean, who looked on uncertainly between his father and the retired Star Fox leader. Behind them were Panther, Miyu, and Jenny Caruso. Panther's expression was neutral while Miyu and Jenny looked on nervously.

Fox could immediately sense the annoyance from his former rival. "Uh...Look Wolf, I uh...really had no idea I was even a latent telepath back then....and...."

Wolf raised a brusque hand to silence Fox. "If I'm annoyed, it is only with the fact that it seems like I never had a level playing field against you in all our years of rivalry. So calm down, Pup. I'm not angry with you."

Fox slumped and covered his eyes with his hand. "Oh thank the spirits!" he exclaimed.

Wolf could only smirk at his old nemesis' discomfort. "Had you worried that we would be enemies again, did I?"

Opening his eyes and gazing up at the larger lupine, Fox spoke from the heart. "More that I was worried I had lost your friendship....especially when I sensed your annoyance through my empathy."

Wolf's smirk softened into a genuine smile of affection. "After all the angst we've endured in our past history, I have come to value your friendship too, Fox." He then turned around, took Vanessa's hand in his, and kissed it. "And I could never forget how you welcomed me into your home the day I wed my snow vixen."

Sensing that the tension had been lifted, Fox beckoned his friends inside. "Welcome, all of you." His attention was then fixed upon the young, white-furred folf. "My goodness, if you keep growing any faster, you'll end up bigger than your dad." He then grinned when he sensed the pride well up in Sean O'Donnell. "Your friend Marcus and the others are all playing out in the back yard. Why don't you join him?"

When Wolf's son had scampered off through the house, Fox turned his attention to Panther's daughter, who shyly waved. "Hello Uncle Fox."

The elder McCloud blinked and felt his heart swell at the familial address he received from Panther's kitten. "Hello, Jenny. Did you want to go play with Sean, Marcus, and the others in the back?"

She shyly nodded and then looked up at her mother. Miyu smiled down at her daughter and took the kitten's hand. "Come on. I'll take you to them."

Fox watched them go and then turned around to find himself facing Panther, who he saw was eyeing the tattoos around his arms and then the diadem he wore. "Interesting head jewelry you have there, Fox."

Reaching up self-consciously to run a finger over the gold band and the emerald resting against his forehead, Fox explained. "It's my focusing gem. It was given to me when I finished my telepathic training. We...Cerinians...wear them to focus our mental powers."

Vanessa tilted her head upon hearing Fox reference himself as a member of the telepathic vulpine race. "So you consider yourself one of them?"

As they walked together back to the living room, Fox explained to Wolf, Panther, and their spouses. "As you've all heard, I'm one sixteenth Cerinian through my great, great, grandfather Takara McCloud. But after being with Krystal's people so much, and being trained by their elder to control my powers, I've embraced their ways and think of myself more as one of them than a Lylatian fox from Papatoon."

They sat down amongst their friend in the living room. "You've changed a lot, Fox." Wolf observed.

"Yeah, I guess I have." Fox admitted. "I'm no longer the same person I was when I led Star Fox." He drew Krystal in his arms and embraced her. "And you know what? I'm alright with that." He gazed to his friends around him. "We've all changed in some way, and it can be a good thing."

Kei looked down and ran his hands over the pink Lolita dress he was wearing. "I have to agree. I used to be a shy, introverted tod afraid of expressing himself who would have been mortified to be seen dressed like a vixen. Fara helped me discover my feminine side and the confidence to be myself."

"Kei helped me embrace my femininity too. I rarely wore dresses before." She admitted, eliciting laughter form those around them.

"I used to style myself as a great lover, always on the lookout for my next conquest." Panther admitted.

"And then found yourself conquered in turn by one Miyu Lynx Caruso." Krystal quipped, drawing out titters of laughter from the ladies in the room. Panther's wife purred and drew her claws over her husband's chest under his shirt. "And heaven help any girl out there who tries to take him away from me. He's mine!"

Panther shivered and rubbed his muzzle against Miyu's. "None would stand a chance, My Sweet."

Vanessa leaned against her husband. "My Wolfy was so serious when I first met him."

"I did not have much to smile about until you came into my life." Wolf confessed and then drew his wife into a sideways embrace."

"She's changed too." Fara revealed. "A tabloid reporter tried to goad her into a response by talking trash about her husband. He got more than he bargained for when she yanked him by the collar, brought him muzzle-to-muzzle with her, and let loose with the deepest snarl I have ever heard."

Wolf beamed with pride. "That's my she-wolf, and she can...."

Whatever Vanessa's husband was going to say was interrupted when Charles' comm unit chirped loudly. The Phoenix patriarch quickly answered. They then hear the voice of a black jaguar familiar to Fox and Krystal as Shadow 1, the leader of the Phoenix family protective detail. "Sir, be advised that there might be an intruder. We have found evidence that some unknown individual has climbed over the wall of the McCloud Family Estate."

The room went quiet. Krystal then spoke up. "I'll call Marcus and the other children inside." As she said this, Fox stood up and struck his hand out. From a charging station mounted on the living room wall adjacent to the kitchen, one of two collapsed Cerinian staves flew into Fox's open hand and promptly extended to its full length. "And I'll take care of this intruder." With those words, he quickly left his perplexed and concerned guests, knowing that his wife would explain things.

Stepping out onto the veranda, Fox reached out with his telepathy. He immediately sensed nine individuals moving about his property. He knew that there would ex members of CDF special forces that had been hired on a permanent basis to protect Charles Phoenix and his family. All were invisible, cloaked by the stealth suits they wore, but in his mind's eye, Fox could plainly see them. He walked over to where he could sense Shadow 1.

The black jaguar was startled to discover that he was so easily detected by the telepathic vulpine that walked right up to him, despite the fact that he was invisible. Fox though did not waste any time. "How many of you are here?" he asked without preamble.

Shadow 1 replied. "There are eight of us."

"I sense nine. Have your people move to stand on the driveway."

Activating his comm, the leader of the Phoenix family protection detail gave the command. "Shadow 2 through 8, deploy along the driveway."

The telepathic fox could immediately sense seven cloaked individuals move as their leader commanded. One though, remained stationary. Shadow 1 watched in interest as Fox's demeanor changed. Small arcs of electricity began to crackle along the exotic staff he held in one hand, which quickly spread over his entire body. The vulpine began to growl while the hairs of his thick winter coat stood on end from the static electricity. His eyes started glowing brightly until his pupils and irises were no longer visible. "She's hiding in my son's treehouse."

Fox took off across his property and into the heavily wooded side lot. Reaching the base of the tree, he could sense the fear above him. He planted the end of his staff into the ground and activated its rocket boost, propelling him up into the air and onto the treehouse's main level. Once inside, he shot an arc of electricity at the cloaked individual, who screamed in agony even while her stealth suit was overloaded and shorted out.

A calico cat appeared before Fox, writhing in the grips of electricity that was enveloping her from the end of the tod's staff. About her were several video and audio recording devices. The sight of this paparazzo on his property filled him with rage. While she recovered from the electrical shocks she had been subjected to, Fox threw all of her equipment out of the treehouse and blasted each item with a fire ball from his staff.

By then, Shadow 1 through 4 had come upon the scene, having seen several fire balls shoot out of the treehouse. When they reached the base of the tree, they heard a female scream, followed by a calico cat being thrown out to fall gracelessly onto the snow-packed ground. This was followed by Fox McCloud leaping out to land next to her. The telepathic vulpine then demonstrated how terrible an enemy he could be when the she-cat looked up at him. Her eyes dilated and she screamed in abject terror at the fox glaring down at her furiously. "Take this piece of filth off my property." Fox commanded.

Within minutes, police had arrived. The paparazzo, who was gibbering incoherently, was arrested for trespassing on private property and taken away. During this time, Fox remained kneeling with his eyes closed under the veranda, taking deep, slow, calming breaths. It was only after the police had left and Shadow 1 approached him that he finished meditating and stood up.

The black jaguar, realizing that a stealth suit was pointless when facing a telepath, had approached Fox openly. "On behalf of myself and my team, I wish to offer you our apologies for letting this intruder get by us."

"It's alright. You could not have known. She was using a military grade stealth field similar to the ones you and your team wear."

"That is disturbing. I think this intruder and I need to have a chat." Shadow 1 growled.

Fox gave the feline a feral grin. "I'm quite sure she'll tell you everything."

Shadow 1 returned Fox's grin. "Of that, I am certain."

Inside, Krystal related to all their guests what had transpired outside as she saw it through her husband's eyes. When Fox walked in and placed his collapsed staff back in its charging stand, he did not need to explain anything. He had only sat back down next to his vixen for a moment when ROB-48 announced that dinner was ready.

While the children all sat together in a table set up in the playroom, the adults all gathered together in the formal dining room to enjoy the feast prepared for them by Fox, Krystal, and ROB-48. All enjoyed the food and the company of friends. Fox put the unpleasantness of dealing with the tabloid journalist out of his mind and basked with his soulmate in the positive emotions around them. After everyone had eaten their fill, the adults, along with Michael and Jane, all moved on to the basement where they first gathered around the recreation room. Marcus, Ophelia, Oliver, Ruby, Oswald, Katherine, Sean, and Jenny retreated to the upper living room on the mansion's second floor where the adults could hear them laugh and cheer as they played video games.

Outside, the sun had just set. As he had at the dinner table, Michael Banks sat next to Fox, who was deeply touched and a bit amused at the adolescent otter's hero worship. Wolf smirked at the scene between his former rival and the son of George and Winifred. "I don't have to be a telepath to see that you have a fan there, Fox."

Michael looked away, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. To mollify the young otter, Fox rubbed his back and said, "I am actually deeply flattered by the admiration I am sensing from you." He then drew his other hand under the otter's chin and brought his gaze up to meet his.

Looking into Fox McCloud's eyes, Michael felt a gentle presence skirt across the edge of his consciousness while his hero went on to say, "And while I'll never read someone's deepest, most personal thoughts without their permission, I can read what is on his mind right below the surface and avoid anything that he would want to keep private."

When he sensed Michael's nervousness, Fox revealed, "Just a moment ago, he was thinking that he would love to hear about some of the missions I did during my Star Fox days, but is afraid to ask." He then sent him a bust of affection into his mind, moving the mustelid to tears.

So Fox began to tell the tale of Star Fox's involvement in the Aparoid War, which began right after Andrew Oikonny's flagship was destroyed by that first Aparoid on Fortuna. Krystal and Fox then together told how they defeated that lone robotic insectoid. They then revealed the little-known fact that the Cornerian fleet had been ravaged by a similar entity 17 years prior. It was for that reason that Beltino feared an invasion and tasked the Star Fox team with retrieving an undamaged core memory in order to find a way to stop the Aparoids.

Lured by a false distress signal, the Star Fox team was deceived by Pigma Dengar, who tricked them into destroying a giant Aparoid so he could steal its core memory and sell it on the black market. Wishing to find Pigma, the team attacked the base of his former cohorts, Star Wolf, and got them to reveal his hideout's location. Fox paused to muse at the recollection while looking at Wolf. "You know, I do believe that was the last time we fought against each other."

The lupine huffed. "And knowing what I know now about you, it's no wonder you were always outmaneuvering me."

Fox shrugged disarmingly. "Eh. It's all in our past and behind us. Anyhow, by the time Team Star Fox arrived at Pigma's hideaway, he had already been assimilated by the Aparoids and we were forced to kill him. The memory core he stole was sent to Beltino for analysis."

Krystal then spoke up in a quiet voice. "It was then that I sensed a distress call from the dinosaurs on Sauria. I could hear their cries of agony." She briefly shivered at the memory and then pressed on. "When we got there, the saurian population had been overwhelmed by the Aparoids."

"What about the Krazoa?" Fara asked. "Couldn't they have prevented this?"

Krystal shook her head. "No. As incorporeal beings, the most they could have done was to attempt to attack them telepathically, but that would have left them open to assimilation by the hive mind." She then revealed something that was hitherto unknown to anyone in Lylat. "I quickly understood this when Fox and I went groundside to fight them. This was the first time I came into close proximity to the Aparoids. When I tried to telepathically probe them, I could feel their hive mind press back against my telepathic barrier. This was how they assimilated life forms they came into prolonged contact with them. They would first take over their minds, and then infect their bodies to turn them into robotic insectoids like themselves."

Fox wrapped a comforting arm around his wife and sent her a burst of his love before taking over the narrative. "They had thankfully taken foothold only in Walled City. With Falco and Slippy providing air support, we fought them off on the ground and liberated the EarthWalker capitol and prevented Sauria from being taken over. Tricky showed up right after. He was so happy to see us too."

"So happy that he wanted us to come back after the war for our honeymoon...." Krystal giggled.

Fox laughed. "Oh spirits....I was so embarrassed back then, and so unsure of myself when it came to this vixen who I did not even realize was already in love with me." He and Krsytal then gave a detailed account of the conversation they had with Tricky.

With the brief moment of levity having been enjoyed by all of them, Fox pressed on with recounting what followed, telling them of the battle to liberate Corneria itself. All in the room became quiet. Even Michael and Jane, who had been little more than newborn pups, sat there contemplating what had almost happened to all of them. Fox concluded that part of the tale by saying. "With Wolf's help, we were able to save General Pepper from the Aparoids in the final battle over Corneria City. The old dog never fully recovered from being infected by the Aparoids though."

"He's at peace now, and in a better place." Krystal assured all of them.

"Was that when you switched sides, Mister O'Donnell?" Jane asked.

Wolf scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Not so much as changed sides as joined Fox against a common enemy. I was still annoyed with him back then for attacking my base on Sargasso, but realized that we were all in danger of being overrun by those bugs." He, Fox, and Krystal continued to each contribute to the narrative, leading to the climactic battle on the Aparoid Homeworld, and the destruction of the Aparoid Queen, forcing all of the robotic insectoids everywhere to self-destruct, and thus saving Lylat from annihilation by assimilation.

Fox could see and sense the hero worship in Michael Banks and decided to temper that adoration be reminding him that it was not all glorious. "I, Krystal, Wolf, and the others...we all did what we had to do to defend Lylat from those insects." Fox paused and looked down at his hands. "And sometimes, that meant doing things that were unpleasant. The worst was when I had to fight my way through the streets of Corneria City. I had to not only fight Aparoids, but also the poor souls that they had assimilated. I'll never know for sure, but one of those CDF soldiers that I was forced to kill may have been your Uncle William."

Michael's demeanor become solemn as he looked down at his webbed hands. "I never knew him, but Mom tells me he was set free by whoever killed him. Even Uncle Kelly was going to kill my aunt and cousins and then himself to protect them from the Aparoids."

"Then you understand." said Krystal. "To protect those you love, you sometimes have to do terrible things."

Everyone in the room mutely nodded. The somber mood was suddenly broken when Krystal brightened up. "Marcus just asked me if he and his friends could go swimming in the pool downstairs."

Being otters, George and Winifred and their two older children all perked up at the idea. "That is a wonderful idea." the head of the Banks household proclaimed. "I'll rush home and get our swimsuits."

"Thankfully, we've been here often enough to foresee this." Fara quipped with a grin, picking up a small bag she had brought in with her and taking Kei's hand in hers to lead him to one of the small bathrooms adjoining the exercise room.

Wolf smirked at his former rival. "You knew this would turn into a pool party. That is why you told us to bring swimming clothes."

Fox laughed. "A mansion with a large swimming pool in the basement, and eight children in the house? How could it not, especially with my neighbors being otters?"

All were gathered about the basement swimming pool. Music was coming through speakers. Snacks had been arrayed on tables along the wall. Krystal was again wearing her two-piece bathing suit, with the white and gold trim that matched her bra and loincloth, except that she now wore a thong. Fox wore swim briefs with the same Cerinian markings, matching that of his wife's. Marcus and Ophelia sported swimming outfits that matched their parents. Their guests all wore a variety of swimming trunks and briefs as suited them. Vanessa's two-piece swimming attire was as white as her fur, giving the illusion that she was naked, much to Wolf's delight.

Kei and Fara were the last to come out in their swimming attire, the former having to need some help from his wife to get out of his corset and Lolita dress. Both of them wore matching green one-piece bathing suits made for vixens, with Kei's having been altered to fit his effeminate male physique. The Banks family all were the most exuberant and demonstrated their swimming prowess as befitting of their lutrine heritage.

After a while, the remaining adults migrated to the large posh tub in the corner of the swimming pool area. Fox and Krystal looked up together at the windows that went around their circular alcove, closed their eyes, and reached out with their minds. Sensing nobody except for the Phoenix Family protective detail, they exhaled slowly and sat back in the relaxing warm, swirling water of the tub. When they opened their eyes, they all saw their friends had been watching them.

"I take it you were mentally scanning for intruders?" Charles asked.

"We could sense none, thankfully." Krystal replied.

"Do not let your guard down." Wolf warned. "Tabloid journalists have been getting more aggressive lately, especially now that we have children."

"Indeed." Charles said darkly. "My family's security protection have intercepted several paparazzi attempting to follow Fara and Kei when they go out with their children."

"And they have been swaying the opinions of those foolish enough to believe them." Wolf added.

"Wonderful." Fox grumbled. "I'm almost afraid to hear what crap they are saying."

"The Corneria Enquirer is putting forth the claim that you caused the death of Felice Tawny." Panther growled.

"What?!?" Fox and Krystal exclaimed.

"They fabricated that story to deflect attention from the fact that five of their photographers were accessories in her murder at the hands of those rogue CDF soldiers who attempted to abduct your son."

"Cowards" Marcus' parents seethed. "And people out there are stupid enough to believe them, despite news coverage from Lylat News that reported that she was dead even before we arrived to rescue our son."

"They are fanning the flames of fear now that it has become known that you are capable of telekinesis." Panther revealed.

"They've gone as far as playing clips of the archival footage you presented at the Senate years ago from Cerinia's history, focusing on that incident where telekinesis was used to murder those children." Miyu added, shaking her head despondently.

"You mean that that is actually true?" they heard a voice nervously say. Winifred had gotten out of the swimming pool to join the McClouds and their friends and had heard the last part of the conversation. The telepaths had sensed her unease, and were about to speak up to put her mind at rest when Fara spoke up firmly on their behalf.

"Winifred, I've known Fox longer than even his wife. We fought together against Andross during the Lylat wars, and Krystal is like a sister to me. I trust her so much that she has my permission to read my mind. Neither would do such terrible things with their powers."

Krystal also reminded her friend, "Dear, please remember that that awful scene they are showing is from 320 of our years ago, during a violent period in our history. Before Cerinia was destroyed, such unspeakable acts had become nonexistent." She then turned to her husband and squeezed his hand. "My husband has also been indoctrinated in that same code of ethics when it comes to his powers."

"Besides, we'd rather use our telekinesis to bring joy to children." Fox smiled disarmingly. He and his wife then demonstrated that fact by stretching out their hands towards the pool. All watched in amazement as small waterspouts sprung out of the water to swirl harmlessly about, eliciting squeals of delight and laughter from the children.

George looked up and gaped at the sight, utterly mesmerized by the unnatural swirling columns of water moving about. He then cried out in surprise when a larger waterspout burst forth under him, lifting him out of the water. Winifred watched wide-eyed as her husband was spun slowly by the waterspout holding him aloft, only to suddenly collapse back into the pool. She could not suppress a giggle when he fell gracelessly into the water with a large splash.

Fox and Krystal got out of the posh tub to stand on each side of the swimming pool and for the next half hour, they entertained their guests with feats of telekinesis, causing whirlpools to spin in and out of existence and waves to race across and crash against each other. They also made toy boats and rafts race about with the children riding them. They then levitated Marcus and Ophelia out of the water, sending their son into a dive into the deep end of the pool and their daughter to race faster across the surface of the water than any of the Banks children could swim. All at once, the other children clamored to be telekinetically levitated.

Diverting some of his concentration from the pool, Fox turned to grin mischievously at his old rival and started to raise his hand towards him when Wolf narrowed his eyes. "Don't even think of it, McCloud."

Laughing, Fox's raised hand turned into a placating gesture. "Okay, okay. No wolf levitation."

Any concern Winifred and George had regarding their neighbor's telekinetic powers were dispelled by the whimsical display. For Charles, Fara, Wolf, Panther, and Miyu, there had never been any doubt as they had all known Fox and Krystal for a long time. Vanessa trusted her husband implicitly, and if he trusted his former rival, then that left her with no doubt either. As for Dietrich, Josephine, and Kei it was very simple. These were the heroes who had saved Lylat multiple times. And they were family.

In the end, Fox and Krystal were both deeply touched by the lack of fear and total acceptance of their friends. The pool party went on for another two hours before parents started calling their children out to be dried off amid protests about their fun being ended. Each family took turns in the fur drier. Fox and Krystal helped, using their telekinesis to draw the water out of their friends' fur, especially those who had winter coats. By then, Ophelia had fallen asleep in her father's arms and Marcus was dozing off as well.

After bidding their friends a good night and putting their children to bed, Fox crawled into bed with his wife. "These tabloid reporters are getting worse."

"I agree." Fox thought back. "I wanted to avoid having to do this, but I'll be going to the courthouse tomorrow to have on record a sign warning that I'll do whatever it takes to protect our children, even if that means using lethal force."

Krystal laid supinely upon the bed next to her husband and looked up at the ceiling while running her hands over her abdomen. It would be another two months before she began to show with the twins growing within her. Marcus and Ophelia were a gift to her from her husband. The brother and sister within her that would be born next would be a final gift from her deceased mother and father. She would do anything to protect them. "Do it. Let it be known that we will kill to protect our family if we have to."

*****

The following week, Fox McCloud gave an interview with Walter Kent, inviting the reporter onto his property where he showed the hound where the paparazzo had hidden with sensitive boom microphones and cameras to record the goings on inside and outside his home.

"And how did that make you feel?"

"I was furious. These vultures are getting more aggressive with each passing week, especially after my children were born. They frightened my son by cornering him at River Rapids. They stood by and took pictures while those Striker loyalists tried to abduct him, and then blamed little Felice Tawney's death on us when she had been killed by those same agents even before we arrived to rescue Marcus. And now, one of them had the gall to camp out in my own son's treehouse on my property."

"The paparazzo in question claimed you telepathically attacked her."

"Did I mind rape her? No, absolutely not. That is against the Cerinian Telepathic Code of Conduct, and I would never debase myself to committing a heinous act that is worse than murder." Fox vehemently declared. "Projecting our emotions onto others though is perfectly acceptable. And what she felt was my fury being directed towards her."

"She said you were terrifying..."

"Yes, that would be the effect I'd have on someone on the receiving end of my anger."

"And the stories that you can do telekinesis?"

"I did not even need to use that power on her. I simply grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and threw her out of my son's treehouse." Fox then picked up on the unasked question at the forefront of his mind. "Look Walter, I ask that you remind your viewers that that recording the tabloids are showing of children being murdered by a telekinetic Cerinian was taken from the presentation my wife made to the Senate. It is from Cerinia's violent history three of their centuries ago."

"Yes, I recognized the scene. I was up in the gallery when she convinced the Senate to vote against researching telepathy."

"Then remind your viewers that that is in our past. It was the horror of that act that in fact put an end to the clan wars. Such despicable acts are unthinkable to us now."

"And the sign you have now posted along the wall of your property?" Walter asked.

"A state of war now exists between the McClouds and the tabloid media." Fox declared. "They have endangered my family and invaded the sanctity of my personal property. And it applies not only to them, but anybody who would sneak onto my land." Fox paused and sighed. "In all my years as the leader of Star Fox, I have made many enemies. And with my children and their friends often playing out here in front or in the back of my home, I will do what is necessary to protect them, including using lethal force. A sign next to the front gate now warns any who would dare come uninvited of the consequences."

On media center screens in the many homes of those watching Walter Kent's interview, the scene cut to the aforementioned warning:

PRIVATE PROPERTY

TRESPASSERS WILL BE KILLED ON SIGHT

Jack Conley sat in his flat watching Walter Kent's broadcast. Learning that the McCloud children often played in the front yard of the mansion gave him an idea. With so few pictures of Marcus and Ophelia McCloud available, any photograph of them could land him a fortune and he would be set for life.

He gazed down at his tablet which displayed a schematic of the McCloud property that was publically available. The far corner had the best potential, being completely out of view of any window with only the tops of two of the corner towers in view. It would be a challenge to get pictures of the children, but he was willing to camp out there for as long as necessary.

Jack gazed up at the stealth suit hanging in his closet. He had paid a pretty penny for it on the black market. It was not enough though. That photographer that had been caught by Fox had also used one, and he realized it was because the retired Star Fox leader was a telepath. He gazed down again at his tablet and brought up the advertisement for the meditation class. He would need to learn to clear his mind to be mentally invisible as well.

*****

Life for the McCloud family resumed its normal routine. Winter progressed to spring. Fox continued to train Ophelia in her telepathy. Marcus progressed through the remainder of his first year of school. All his friends were invited to the McCloud Family Estate for his seventh birthday party. And Krystal's brother and sister grew within her womb. To even a precocious pup like Marcus though, such complex concepts as genetics were beyond him. So his parents simply told him and Ophelia that their mother would soon give them a new baby brother and baby sister.

For Marcus, it was just as profound as the first time when he once again laid his head on his mother's belly with his father and sensed two consciousness spark into existence. And this time, Ophelia joined them.

Krystal smiled down to her daughter. "Do you sense them, Ofiria? Your little brother and sister are happy."

Ophelia was mentally captivated by the experience. She briefly glanced to her brother and father. Marcus had his eyes closed as he rested his head against his mother's abdomen. She made eye contact with her father, who sent her a burst of his love. She could sense the same wonder in them that she felt at the magical experience. She tentatively reached down mentally into her mother's belly to the presence there. "Yes, Mama. I can sense them. Are they really my little sister and brother?"

"Yes, they are Sis." Marcus mentally replied. _ "That is our little sister and brother growing inside Mama."_ Krystal ran her hand through her son's head fur fondly. She loved how her son acted as a mentor to his little sister.

"Hello little sister. Hello little brother" Marcus and Ophelia thought together, being instantly rewarded with a burst of happiness that echoed theirs. They then felt a powerful burst of bittersweet joy above them and glanced up to see their mother crying.

Sensing the question in Ophelia's mind, Fox answered for his wife. _"When someone is really, really happy, they cry. Your big brother cried the first time he held you right after you were born." _ He then recalled the first time he sensed his son and then daughter's minds, and his own eyes misted over. "I cried too when it was your big brother, and then you inside your mother."

"What should we call them?" Fox mentally asked his wife. Over the prior weeks, they had discussed many possible names. Two though stood out. _"Let's call her Kushinju and him Nozomi." _ It was fitting that Krystal's new sister should be called 'black pearl' given that scans the prior week indicated her fur would be an even darker shade of blue than their mother's, appearing almost black. Nozomi meant 'morning sun' in Cerinian. It echoed the name of her dear brother Sanshain, whose name had meant 'sunshine' while also symbolizing a new day for her people.

Krystal cradled her belly and focused her mind on her little sister. "Do you want to be Kushinju?" The little burst of happiness was all the confirmation they needed. Krystal then mentally focused on her little brother. _"And you, little one. Would you like to be called Nozomi?" _ Another bust of happiness confirmed that the name was pleasing.

_"Sometimes, I wonder if all unborn children always love the names they are given. I'm thinking that they are just happy to be given a name." _ Fox mused.

Krystal laughed. "That may be the case, but regardless, it is decided. They are Kushinju and Nozomi."

Fox got up from where he was kneeling at his wife's feet and sat down on the sofa next to her. Ophelia wormed her way between her parents and Marcus sat next to his mother, opposite his sister. He noticed his son focusing his empathy on his mother and knew he sensed the slight melancholy that was intermixed with her happiness. This bittersweet joy confused Marcus.

Focusing his telepathy on Marcus alone, he thought to him, "Your mother and I will explain why she is feeling the way she is when you are old enough to understand."

The little tod sighed and leaned against his mother. It was not the answer he had hoped for, but he resigned himself to not having his question answered as to why his mother was feeling both happy and sad at the same time.

The fact that Krystal was pregnant with her late mother's eggs that had been fertilized by her late father's sperm, which had both been part of the Legacy of Cerinia, was a secret known only to Florence, Fara, Charles, and Kei Phoenix, and Peppy Hare. The rest of their friends would eventually be told in person. To the rest of Lylat, they were simply the latest children of Fox and Krystal McCloud. The truth of the twins' parentage would be just another reason to draw unwanted tabloid attention.

In the last two weeks before the twins were due to be born, the McCloud family once again took up temporary residence within Phoenix Manor. Fox helped his very pregnant wife off the lift onto the second floor and walked with her to the living room. Despite the sore back she had from having to support the weight of her unborn siblings, Krystal was beyond happy. And Fox shared in her happiness at the thought that two more children would be gracing his home, even if they were not his progeny.

When Fara saw Krystal walk into the living room, her eyes widened like saucers. "Oh my stars! Girl, you look even bigger than I was before my twins were born."

Dietrich shook his head in incredulous amazement as his second cousin, twice removed helped his wife settle into one of the couches. He whistled and said, "Cousin, I can't believe you'll be putting yourself through your wife's labor pains again, and with twins this time."

Smiling, Fox climbed onto the couch and scooted himself behind Krystal, letting his pregnant vixen lean back against him. He then placed a finger on each of her temples, and applied the telepathic technique taught to him by Elder Hiroshi. Krystal immediately sighed blissfully as her back pain vanished.

Fara's eyes squinted together as she intently observed her telepathic friends. "What did you do to her?"

"Something I was taught on our last trip to New Cerinia." Fox explained. "It's a technique where I suppress her perception of pain. It's something all expectant Cerinian fathers are taught. I'll be using it on her when she goes into labor."

"Well damn! Now I wish I were a telepath." Kei exclaimed. "Fara and I are wanting another pup. I'd love to be able to keep her from feeling the labor pains I'd be putting her through."

Fox shrugged. "Having gone through it twice with Krystal, I can confirm what many mothers say that it's easier the second time around, and quicker too."

Josephine smiled ruefully and shook her head. "Still, I'd keep that one a secret. Every mother-to-be will be envious of any who are married to a Cerinian tod."

"But what about pain suppressing drugs or neural suppressants?" Fox asked. "The only reason Krystal could not have any of those when she gave birth to Marcus and Ophelia was that they would have had an adverse effect on their nascent telepathic development."

"I had a neural pain suppressor given to me when I gave birth to the twins." Fara replied. "They do help, but they don't eliminate labor pains completely." She then leaned against her husband and nuzzled him. "Still, I'm up for having another daughter."

Kei kissed his wife and rubbed his muzzle against hers. "I'd like that."

The days that followed were reminiscent of their last time with the Phoenix family, except this time it was to Ophelia that they had to explain what would happen when Kushinju and Nozomi were born.

As it turned out, it was in the middle of the night that Krystal's water broke. Fox activated the intercom and called Kei. It took a full minute before he heard the sleepy voice of his third cousin, once removed. "Yes?..."

"Sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night, Cousin. Krystal's water just broke. She's gone...unf...into labor." Fox replied.

In his bed, Kei sat up abruptly next to his sleeping wife. "I'll be there in less than five minutes."

"Thanks. I'll call Florence while you get ready." Fox then closed the connection and placed a call to his wife's obstetrician.

Within ten minutes, Krystal was being taken up to the birthing room on the fifth floor of Phoenix Manor. This time though, Fox sat down on the birthing bed behind his wife with her head resting on his lap. Mystified, Florence watched Krystal's husband press his fingers against her temples.

Another contraction rippled through Krystal's womb, but this time, she felt no pain whatsoever. With a sigh, she relaxed fully with her head cradled in her soulmate's lap and hands. "Oh spirits. This is so much better."

Fox found himself agreeing and kissed her on the nose while he kept focusing his mental powers on his vixen.

As the night progressed, Krystal's contractions grew stronger, but she felt no pain. Florence grew suspicious. Her patient would at most grunt quietly with each contraction, but showed no signs of discomfort. When Fox leaned his head down and started kissing her, she could remain silent no more. "Alright, what's going on?"

It was Kei who answered. "Cousin is using his telepathy to keep Krystal from feeling any labor pains, Doctor."

Florence turned to her nephew-in-law. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. It apparently is a technique all Cerinian fathers learn. The way Fox explained it, he's preventing his wife from perceiving any pain." Kei elaborated.

She looked again at the McCloud couple. They were actually making out even as she was having contractions. "Unbelievable!" she muttered and continued to monitor the vixen. Krystal would sigh happily and hum as she continued to mouth and kiss back her husband, even uttering a quiet giggle at times, and would only utter the occasional grunt with each of her contractions.

The one thing both Krystal and Fox discovered was that though giving birth was now painless for them, the process was still exhausting for her. She was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, and grunting loudly with each contraction. On a positive note, because Fox was not experiencing any labor pains, he was not becoming exhausted like his wife and was able to easily maintain his telepathic concentration on his vixen.

"I can see the head of the first one." Florence said.

"It's Krystal's sister. We can sense that Kushinju is almost ready to come out." Fox murmured. "Time for that big final push, Beautiful."

His vixen smiled up tiredly at her husband when he gave her those encouraging words, and breathless said, "Kiss me."

Their muzzles melded and locked together in a deep kiss. Fox then poured all his love for his soulmate into her with the same intensity he had the night they were rebonded as telepaths. This time though, he anticipated the effect it would have on her. As she uttered a long, muffled grunt and pushed her sister out into the beginning of her new life, Krystal's back arched and her chest heaved while she and Fox both cried out in orgasmic joy.

Kei's jaw dropped. Florence was equally gobsmacked, even as she busied herself with cutting the newborn's umbilical. "You two are unbelievable!" she muttered while she quickly dried little Kushinju. Already, she could hear the newborn vixen mentally cry out for her mother. It was disturbing to her how little she was unnerved now, having experienced it twice before with Marcus and then Ophelia. "Yes, yes, little one. I'll get you to your mama." she murmured as she finished drying off the pup.

When Kushinju was placed in her sister's arms, the little pup's whimpers immediately quieted. Fox gently ran his hand over the newborn vixen's head as she snuggled against Krystal. Kei smiled while he busied himself with cleaning up the afterbirth. "Congratulations Cousin. You now have a new sister-in-law."

Fox's eyes glistened. The pup was beautiful and he knew that he would love her as his daughter. In this brief respite in Krystal's labor, he gently helped his wife reposition the newborn so that she could have her first taste of mother's milk. The moment Kushinju started to suckle, a sharp ache flared up in Krystal's lower abdomen accompanied by a strong contracting wave that rippled through her womb. Both she and Fox cried out in pain, having been caught off guard by the sudden, intense resumption of labor.

"Owww" Krystal whimpered, but then sighed in relief when Fox quickly placed his fingers against her temples and resumed suppressing her birth pains. His breathing slowed and his sighs joined hers. "Sorry Kurisutaru. That caught me by surprise."

Florence gave a gentle laugh and tousled Krystal's hair and Fox's head fur. "I guess I should have warned you that nursing will often induce strong contractions in the mother when there's another pup on the way."

Fox huffed as he focused his mental powers on his vixen. "Now she tells us."

"Well, it should not be long now before you are done." Fara's aunt declared as she resumed her position to receive their second child. A few minutes later and Nozomi was born, followed by Krystal again crying out in blissful joy as another orgasm rippled through her lower regions. The umbilical was cut, the newborn pup was quickly cleaned, and then placed in his big sister's arms where he joined the little vixen to nurse on Krystal's other breast.

"You go ahead and bring Marcus and Ophelia up while I clean up." Florence told Kei.

Fox gently combed his fingers through Krystal's hair while watching the newborn Cerinian pups nurse on the vixen they would grow up to think of as their mother. Moments later, Kei returned with Marcus walking at his side and Ophelia in his arms. Behind him were the rest of the Phoenix household. The McCloud children were helped up onto the birthing bed and introduced to the newborns, each being allowed to briefly hold one of them.

None corrected Marcus or Ophelia when they called the pups their baby brother and sister. The adults all understood that they would be told later that Kushinju and Nozomi were actually their aunt and uncle, when they were old enough to understand.

*****

Spring progressed to summer. Ophelia celebrated her third birthday. Marcus finished his first year of school, and would start in the third grade the following autumn. Nozomi and Kushinju grew quickly. Raising twins took up most of Krystal's and Fox's time, but they still devoted a good portion of their love to their older children. It also helped that Marcus and Ophelia were eager to assist in caring for their baby brother and baby sister.

The growing family settled into the daily routine of life. They tended to their hydroponic garden in the greenhouse. They visited friends and welcomed them in turn into their home. They continued to paint and to play their guitar and harp. Outings to the local park now involved Marcus walking along his father while Fox pushed Ophelia in her stroller and Krystal tended to the twins in their pram.

It was while they were at one such park outing that they noticed that things had changed. With Ophelia now having learned to control her telepathy, Fox felt comfortable letting his daughter wander off with her brother to play in the nearby swings while he and his wife tended to the twins and kept their young minds shielded. Marcus and his sister had just started playing with the other children when they heard several mothers in the area call them away. Within minutes, Marcus and Ophelia were alone among the swings, seesaw, and merry-go-round.

When Fox saw his son's ears wilt and his tail droop to the point that it was almost between his legs, he and Krystal knew something was amiss. Then Ophelia's posture began to match that of her brother's and she started sniffling. Krystal and Fox then gazed towards the nearby parents and immediately sensed emotions of fear, distrust, and outright animosity. Neither could understand this change in behavior, but they quickly left with their children.

It was not until they went together to the West End Market that they got an inkling of what was happening. With Fox pushing the pram, Krystal pushing the shopping basket, and their children walking along with them, they went through the different areas of the market. They were at the fish monger's stall when Fox and Krystal first sensed it through their empathy: distrust and fear.

Having been a full telepath for only a year, this was a new experience for Fox. He looked around uneasily and noticed one angry-looking terrier glare at him. When he locked eyes with the canid, Fox sensed such strong emotions that this dog's hostile thoughts pushed past his mental barriers.

He was sitting in his living room watching an interview on the Corneria Enquirer of a reporter interviewing Pricilla Kane describing how Krystal McCloud planted terror in her mind. The memory quickly flashed forward. "Honey, I don't think we should get near them. They're dangerous. Fox McCloud telepathically attacked a reporter and then used his mind to throw her out of a tree." Another memory surged through Fox's mental barrier. _He was sitting with his wife. They were watching an interview of former senator Winston Starkey. "It is tragic how a great hero like Fox McCloud has been corrupted by the Cerinians and has now shown more allegiance to them than to his people on Corneria. We must be vigilant. These telepathic foxes could turn against us one day when their numbers have grown. It is why I had insisted that we research telepathy ourselves to counter this growing threat. I can only hope that the people of Lylat come to their senses and oust every senator in the next elections who voted against me." _ The final memory that flashed through Fox's telepathy sickened the tod. It was the same archival recording from Cerinia's past that showed children being murdered with telekinesis, except that it had been doctored to show Fox McCloud using his mental powers to crush the skulls of Cornerian children.

It abruptly ended when Fox yanked his gaze away from the terrier whose memories were at the forefront of his mind. Krystal put out a hand to rest on her husband's shoulder to steady him as he staggered back. A display of canned fish nearby briefly shook when Fox momentarily lost control of his telekinesis. She, like her soulmate, was deeply shaken by the horrid vision. Together, they bolstered their mental barriers around themselves and their children and quickly left the West End Market.

In the weeks that followed, Fox went to the Lylat News studio and gave several interviews in an effort to counter the sensationalized misinformation put out by the tabloids. He also instigated several defamation lawsuits against the Corneria Enquirer and against Winston Starkey. The latter he knew could take months, but he felt compelled to do so for the sake of his children. When summer was over, how would Marcus be received at school when many parents out there were gullible enough to believe such ridiculous lies about him and his family?

Fox had fought in the Lylat War, the Aparoid War, and the Anglar Blitz and had come out victorious every time. Now he was in a fight against lies and misinformation from a media organization that did not care about the truth or how they hurt others, that cared only about profits and ratings. Krystal though knew how to take her soulmate's mind off such troubles.

As far as she was concerned, it would be others like Martin Ashley, their lawyer, who would fight on the behalf of the McClouds. It would be Wolf O'Donnell of Star Wolf Security and Investigations who would monitor the tabloids and other media sites to be one step ahead of any trouble on the horizon. Given that Fox was her slave while they were in the privacy of their home, she forbade him from watching any media sites. Seeing her in her dominatrix outfit, Fox knew he could take refuge from his worries under her loving care and spent many hours are her pleasure slave in the safe confines of their private dungeon.

With the McCloud family becoming more reclusive, paparazzi became desperate. Many camped out at the end of the street leading to the McCloud Family Estate, hoping to catch the family of telepathic foxes as they left on an outing. When the McClouds did go out, the tabloid photographs were unable to follow them though. Fox and Krystal took perverse pleasure in using their telekinesis to crush the motors of each of their vehicles. On one occasion, paparazzi went out on boats offshore with cameras focused on the back of the McCloud home. Fox snuck along a side path in his back garden until he reached the shoreline. Hiding behind a tree, he caused a large wave to rear up and go against the tide to capsize their boats.

It all came to a head though during one gathering of friends at the McCloud home. It was a normal summer afternoon. Ruby and Oliver Banks had come over to play with Marcus. With them were other friends Marcus had made from school. There was Jock Doglas, Marcus' terrier friend and Vincent Vulpus, the grey fox/fennec hybrid. Also with them was Eddie Tawny, whose younger sister had been killed the previous year during that terrible abduction attempt of Marcus. Fox's son and Eddie had become close friends in the months that followed that awful day.

They had been playing in the upstairs living room. Ophelia, Kushinju, and Nozomi had all been put to bed for their afternoon nap. Marcus sensed that his parents were feeling especially loving towards each other. He knew that they would soon be making each other feel good, which made him feel happy. "Hey, let's go play outside!" he declared.

"But why?" Eddie asked. "I thought we were going to play games here."

"Because my mama wants to love Papa." he simply explained as he stood up. They all followed Marcus as he led them downstairs and out the front door.

Ruby giggled. "Are your mama and papa playing grownup games?"

Marcus' tail was wagging in response. "Yeah. I can sense that they want to make each other feel good."

Over the few short years of Marcus' young life, he had taken to riding his bicycle around the front yard of his home, renewing a well-worn trail that had been made by his own father when he was a pup. The children all raced around on their bicycles along this path that spilled over into the adjacent, heavily wooded lots that were also part of the McCloud Family Estate.

The trail also went by the treehouse and after riding past it several times, they mutually decided to stop, rest their bicycles at the base of the tree, and climb up into the large, though still child-sized domicile that sat among the branches. Even from where he was now, sitting on his matt with his friends, Marcus could sense the intense love telepathically radiating between his parents. The smile on his face and the happy wag of his tail did not go unnoticed by his friends.

Eddie spoke up and asked, "What's got you feeling so cheerful?"

Marcus giggled, "Mama and Papa are so happy together."

Vincent, who was the oldest and so more aware of certain facts of life, rolled his eyes. "You are so weird sometimes with your telepathy, listening in on your parents having sex."

"Sex?" Marcus asked. Though emotionally mature beyond his age because of his filial bond with his parents, he was on many levels still an innocent pup.

"It's what moms and dads do when they love each other." the young fox replied.

"Yeah. They're always hugging." Marcus replied. His happy mood though was intruded upon by strong emotions of misery that washed over him along with a mental vision.

He watched his father and mother once again get into one of their arguments. Their shouting match as his mother gestured to him was all the more hurtful. "I don't want him playing physical sports. He's too young and would get hurt!"

His father countered. "You're coddling him, as always. How is he ever going to grow up into a strong terrier like his cousins?"

"You mean those brutes on your side of the family?"

He sat there in tears, feeling utterly helpless as they snarled to each other.

Marcus whimpered and covered his eyes with the palms of his hands as he strove to block out Jock's thoughts. His terrier friend looked at him accusingly. "Keep out of my head, or I'll tell your mom and dad on you!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Marcus sniffled. "I didn't meant to read your mind." He drew his knees up to his chin and hugged himself. "You were feeling so sad that your thoughts pushed into my head." The misery in his expression matched Jock's as Marcus' eyes met those of the young terrier. "Why were your mom and dad screaming at each other?"

"They always argue about everything." Jock replied sullenly while breaking eye contact with his friend.

Any further thought or words were interrupted when Marcus sensed another presence, accompanied by unpleasantly familiar emotions: avarice and malice. His friends all noticed him stiffen and became nervous themselves when he said in a hushed, fearful voice. "There's somebody here. He's watching us."

Fox absolutely loved being a telepath when it came to making love to Krystal. Being able to reciprocate his wife's love the way he now could made their intimate moments all the sweeter. He now luxuriated under the comforting weight of his vixen with his knot deeply embedded in her in a shared post-coital bliss. "I love you."

"I love you too." _Krystal thought back. She then laid her head down on his shoulder and murred contentedly, squirming at the familiar, pleasant sensation of her husband's knot insider her. She playfully curled a finger through one of the D-rings on Fox's slave collar. _"I'm in a rather dominant mood. After the children are in bed tonight, I should take you down to the dungeon."

Fox closed his eyes and shivered in joyful anticipation. What thought he would have had was suddenly supplanted by a telepathic cry for help. "Papa! Mama!"

Krystal and Fox stiffened upon sensing their son's fear. "Marcus, what's wrong?"

"There's a stranger near us. He feels like the meanies with the cameras. I'm scared."

Hearing their son's plaintive cry ignited a fire of protective rage in Fox and Krystal. _"Hang in there, Marcus. We'll protect you." _ The romantic mood having been broken, his knot quickly softened and they were able to separate. A plan immediately formed in their minds.

While Krystal went to their home's main computer terminal in their private study, Fox took off his slave collar, quickly went to the walk-in closet and put on his old Star Fox uniform, and raced towards the front door of his home, grabbing his staff along the way. Once outside, he propelled himself up to the roof using the Cerinian weapon's rocket boost. From his elevated vantage point, he was ready to attack any who threatened Marcus and his friends or use his telekinesis to rescue them. "Whoever this person is, he's learned to keep his mind still. I can barely sense him."

"That may be the case, but he is not masking the signal he's broadcasting." Krystal thought back from where she sat monitoring the situation from the computer terminal. "I'm intercepting video and audio signals from the far corner of our property to your left, just beyond where the children are in the treehouse."

Fox scanned the area, looking for anything suspicious near their home. That was when he saw them. Down at the end of their street were several ground vehicles and one van with a receiving antenna dish. About them were many individuals. Seeing the same thing through her husband's eyes, Krystal focused the scanners in that direction. On her monitor, she saw magnified images that revealed tabloid journalists, several of whom they recognized from previous encounters with paparazzi.

Both seethed with fury. Despite having previously apprehending a paparazzo and charging her with trespassing, and despite the dire warnings now posted along their property wall, a paparazzo was once again invading the privacy of their home. Both knew that if they did not carry out their threat, it would invite further intrusion upon the sanctity of their private refuge from prying eyes. An example had to be made of the consequences of sneaking into the McCloud Family Estate uninvited.

Fox called out mentally to his son. _"Marcus, you and your friends come inside. Your mother and I will take care of this stranger." _ He then leapt off the roof, and using his telekinesis to repel off the ground, landed softly near the front door of his home just as Marcus, Eddie, Jock, and Vincent raced up to him on their bicycles. "Go on inside and play upstairs while we get rid of that stranger."

With muted "Yes Sirs", the children raced up the stairs in the safety of Marcus' home while Fox walked down to the basement and headed to the garage. Between the bottom of the main stair case and the exercise room, between the two mechanical rooms, deuterium and tritium atoms began to fuse into helium at a faster, more intense rate. Even as he made his way down the subterranean corridor towards where he kept multiple vehicles stored, including one special one from his Star Fox days, Fox McCloud could hear the hum of his home's compact fusion reactor get louder.

From her console, Krystal had narrowed her scans and knew that the video and audio signal was being transmitted from somewhere within a five-meter radius of the far corner of their property. She targeted that area and sent out a strong electromagnetic pulse. On her viewer, a familiar beagle appeared. Both she and Krystal immediately recognized the interloper and snarled. This was the same paparazzo who had accosted them at the apartment complex years before while they were engaged, whose wrist Fox had broken when he presumed to invade her fiancé's personal space. This beagle had since then on many occasions camped out beyond their property wall with other paparazzi after they were married. He had continued to stalk them over the years, most recently cornering Marcus at River Rapids with other tabloid photographers, the first time they took their son to the water park. This though, would be the last time this stalker would trouble the McCloud family. Depressing a few keys on her console, Krystal increased the power output from the turret emitters to lethal levels.

From his hiding space, Jack Conley began to panic. Right after hearing that all-to-familiar thumping sound from the McCloud home EMP weapon, all his recording and transmitting equipment had ceased to function. Worst of all, his stealth suit had fizzled out. He was now visible and it was only a matter of time before Fox McCloud found him. Not wanting to face the wrath of the retired Star Fox leader, Jack got up from his hiding place and started heading for the property wall with no thought other than to make his escape. He had not even taken two steps when he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye from the top of one of the towers. In the next instant, his entire world was consumed in plasma fire and he knew no more.

*****

Officer Chase Falk of the West End Police had a very low opinion of tabloid media. Unlike many in Cornerian society, he was not so stupid as to believe any of the garbage they produced. It had frustrated the police dog for weeks to see these people camped out at the end of the street leading to the McCloud home. He had had no legal basis to force them away, until this day. Thanks to multiple complaints from residents in the neighborhood of these reporters blocking the main road, he now had an injunction in hand from the local judge.

It was with great satisfaction that he marched up to this obnoxious cluster of paparazzi with electronic tablet in hand. "Everyone, may I have your attention."

Several gave him a contemptuous regard, but Officer Falk did not care. "I have here a court order for you to leave the area. You are to immediately depart, or you will find yourselves under arrest."

"On what basis? We have the right of a free press." one black felid retorted.

"But you do not have the right to obstruct the free flow of traffic and impeding the local residence's right to drive through this area. After receiving multiple complaints, the West End court has signed this injunction, forbidding any of you from camping out here."

"What? They can't do that!" another photographer in the background shouted. Further arguments though were interrupted by the approaching sound of rolling thunder. All of a sudden, one of the ground cars belonging to a paparazzo exploded in a ball of plasma fire, followed by the concussive report of a large gun coming from up the street leading to the McCloud home. Every tabloid photographer ran for cover behind Officer Falk's police car. An instant later, they heard that large gun's report again, just moments after the paparazzi van with the antenna receiver erupted in flames.

Looking up at the source of the terrifying sound, they beheld a fast-moving tank approaching them down the street from the McCloud home. The heavily armored behemoth raced through the intersection and right over the cluster of ground vehicles that had been the source of complaints from the local residents. The paparazzi all looked on in horror as their personal vehicles were crushed under the weight of the tank, including the two that were reduced to molten slag. Painted in white except for the blue engine cowlings on the sides, and with a Star Fox emblem on each side of the cab, there was no doubt as to what they beheld.

Constructed by Space Dynamics, the Landmaster tank was the most powerful ground assault vehicle in Lylat. And this one personally belonged to Fox McCloud, the only civilian allowed to own one. The terrified tabloid reporters now found themselves looking down the barrel of its large gun as the tank came to a stop. So fixated in fear were they on its main weapon that it took them a moment to notice an even more horrifying sight on the right front fender.

The canopy of the tank swung open and out came Fox McCloud in his Star Fox uniform. They watched him walk along the top of his tank to the fender. After cutting the ropes holding it down, the tod tossed to the feet of the paparazzi the charred remains of Jack Conley. "Are all of you so stupid as to think we did not mean it when I posted that warning that we would kill trespassers on our property?" Fox snarled. "Perhaps you will now take seriously that warning sign on our wall."

Horrified by the sight of the beagle so ruthlessly slain by the retired mercenary, they were once again reminded how dangerous their quarry was. A few turned away from the ghastly sight and retched the contents of their lunch onto the pavement. Several others then yelped in surprise when their cameras and other recording devices were yanked from their hands and flew in the air to float in front of Fox McCloud, who then used his telekinesis to crush the cameras and make them burst into flames before letting them fall to the ground.

Fox then leapt off his tank and walked up to the cowering paparazzi to stand in front of them with the blackened remains of Jack Conley at his feet. He looked on in satisfaction as he sensed and smelled their fear. "After losing my parents to Andross, after my wife lost her family and her entire world to Andrew Oikonny, we are fiercely protective of our growing family." He then gestured to the body in front of him. "Make no mistake. We will kill anyone who threatens them."

Fox then glance over to the officer who had witnessed his actions. He knew he had stepped over the line of legality by destroying the paparazzi's personal vehicles on a public road away from his home. But when he saw the police dog stand there with his arms folded and a satisfied smirk on his face, he knew he had an ally on his side.

Chase Falk grinned to the retired Star Fox mercenary. This would be a tale he would share with his fellow officers. There was no way he was going to arrest this vulpine, no matter what his superiors might say. "I had an injunction in hand in response to complaints by your neighbors that these people were impeding their free passage through this street. Thank you for enforcing it for me, Mister McCloud."

Fox grinned back to the officer, noting the name of his badge. "Thank you, Officer Falk. It's good to know that there are good people like you," He then gestured to the paparazzi standing there in dazed shock, "who are not fooled by all the fake media these creeps have been putting out."

"Unlike a lot of people, I have not forgotten what Star Fox did for Lylat. Have a nice day, Mister McCloud, and don't worry about this mess. I'll see to it that it's cleaned up."

Satisfied and with a heart filled with hope, Fox got back into his Landmaster tank and drove it off of the crushed vehicles and back up the street to his home.