FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“Uncle Max!” Two voices called out in unison with the pitter patter of feet and paws on the home’s hardwood floor. Noah and Chelsea’s children ran to the front door as their babysitter tried to keep the children from falling in their excitement before jumping into the grizzled man’s arms.

“Hey there kiddos! I'd ask if ya missed me but I think I can figure that out myself!” Lifting up the young children in each arm he gives them a warm hug against his sides. “Just so you two know I missed you!” Rubbing his stubbly chin against them forcing giggles and pleas of ‘cease fire’ and ‘stop’ rang out into the air.

“C’mon Max let em breathe.” Chelsea passed him, dropping her windbreaker on one of the hooks next to the front door. “Besides, you have to introduce them to your new girlfriend.” Chelsea’s sly smile was complemented by both of her kids giving a harmonized ‘Ooooo’ just as their father passed the door.

“Kids, be nice. Well to her at least, I like her.” Noah shed his layers as he passed the kids and planted a raspberry on each of their heads as he passed with them giggling from the attention. He was a good father, at least from what Max had seen and he had seen a fair amount of his parenting skills.

That's when both of them had their eyes go wide. Standing in the doorway was Eli nervously wringing her gloved hands as she took in their home. Their brown and green eyes locked with her ruby orbs before calling out. “You look like the TV lady!”

Eli looked confused before Max laughed. It was a strong belly laugh with a wide smile showing off his straight teeth. It took a moment for him to steady his breathing to fully explain what was so funny about their innocent comment. “There's a snake character in one of their cartoons and she looks nothing like you!”

Eli lets out a soft laugh as the ice was broken between the children and herself letting her finally step past the threshold into Noah and chel’s fairly small home. “I kind of want to see the show they’re talking about. Not too many reptiles in media.”

“Alright kids, don't bother our guest.” Noah called from inside their home before the distinct sound of a beer cracking open rang out. “You can bother your uncle instead!”

As if a sleeper agent’s activation phrase was uttered they sprung into action. Limbs and shouts rang out as they flailed from Max’s grip before the young girl quickly tied his boots together as the son distracted with lightning fast stomach punches before scurrying away with his sister. “Hey get back he-OMPH!” He fell on his face as he tried to reach for the children just out of grasp much to the enjoyment of Eli. “Oh when I get y'all I’m going to tickle you until you pee!”

They laughed as Max worked his tied laces free before bounding into the house prompting Eli to follow into the kitchen. Noah was handing a few bills over to a young labrador girl that she assumed to be the babysitter before standing awkwardly in the kitchen. “Oh hun come sit down with me! Max will be a bit preoccupied with them for a little while so we can get some more time to chat.” Chelsea patted the seat next to her at their dinner table with her wide smile painting her face. As she sat down Chelsea leaned in a little and whispered to her. “So what did you do to him? Did you hypnotize Max? It’s almost like he’s been a different person these last few days.”

Eli chuckled as she looked between Noah that had joined them after practically pushing the lab girl out of their home and Chelsea’s warm smile. “Oh no nothing like that but sometimes it does feel that way. He didn’t smile when we first met but ever since our first date he’s been nothing but smiles around me.” The sounds of children laughing and harsh grunts from Max drew her eyes past the married couple and pulled a question to the forefront of her mind. “What are their names? I don’t think you’ve told me.”

Chelsea’s eyes lit up like she just heard the best news in the world before she clapped her hands together and motioned towards the kids currently climbing all over their uncle. “The young man over there with the lightning strikes is Michael and the resident trickster husky is Sarah! They make quite the dynamic duo don't they!?”

Max cried out as Michael gave his back the people’s elbow from the couch and Sarah gave his ears a firm pull. “Hey kids take it easy on him, he’s broken enough as is!” Noah called out before noticing Eli’s confused look. “Has he not told you about his hip?”

“Oh no he has but not the extent of it. How bad the injury is per se.” Noah nodded as he took another swig of his drink before setting it on the counter.

“Hey I’m gonna talk about your bum hip, is that cool!?” Noah’s voice carried over the children still pummeling their uncle as he worked to gain the upper hand of the children running circles around him. With a firm thumbs up that was almost immediately grabbed by the young girl Noah continued. “Happened before we met, a simple injury of a tendon tear but his units never let it get checked out until the damage went far beyond correction. It was one of the reasons he caught shrapnel in a training scenario.”

Eli’s eyes went wide as she looked back to Max that was still struggling with the little devils. “How bad is it now?”

“He has trouble lifting his leg, can't run very well but he can still jog.” Another swig passed his lips as he leaned back on the counter. “Didn’t help him overseas either. The big one I remember was-”

“Ware!” Max’s voice cut him off and drew all eyes on the man in question. The children shrunk away as his face was as still as stone, frozen in a visage of seriousness and barely concealed rage. His jaw was clenched as his arms shook with his brow furrowed. “Not yet.”

“Right, sorry I forgot that was a sore subject.” Noah drank the last of his beer before moving down to his best friend and tossing an arm over his shoulder and began whispering to his friend that Eli could just barely hear. “Bud I love ya but you can't just keep it in. He wouldn’t want you to.”

“You don’t think I know that? No offense but you weren’t there, you weren’t the one that could’ve saved him.” Max rubbed his eyes before taking a deep breath as his stiff shoulders slumped forward. “I just miss him, he would have loved it here.”

Chel’s hand reached out and grasped Eli’s, her fur tickling her scales in a comforting way as she squeezed her hand. “I know you can hear them. Max is still in rough shape from what happened. He’ll talk about it but he’ll just need some time, alright?”

Eli nodded as she looked to the floor. “I know what you mean. I haven't been…completely honest with him because it hurts to talk about.”

“Does it have to do with your family?” Chel was keeping her voice low as the two men shared a solemn moment between each other just like the women were doing. The children have left to go play elsewhere in their home. “Or is it about Trevor?”

Her eyes fell to the floor before she solemnly nodded in affirmation to Chel’s question. “It’s a long story…I’ll tell him when I'm ready.”

“Whenever you do know that he won't think less of you.” Chel chuckled as a thought crossed her mind and her idle hand danced across the lines and grain of the oak wood table they sat at. “He might be upset it took you so long but he wont be mad. He wants everyone else to be happy even if it's at the detriment of his own health.” Her smile fades as a buried memory surfaces to the forefront of her mind. “His altruism is actually how I met my husband. They were out hunting a few years ago and noticed me stumbling through the woods. My car had crashed into a tree after hitting some ice fairly close to them and I just sort of…wandered into the woods. I was bleeding and that attracted a feral bear. Long story short Noah brought me back to the hospital whilst Max bought us time. I still don't know how he got to the hospital that night bleeding like a stuck feral pig.”

Eli’s eyes moved back to Max, now standing straight again as he and Noah shared a drink together. Swallowing their shared sorrow in respect to their fallen comrades. “How the hell did he beat a bear? That's insane.”

Her warm and caring smile came back as she watched her husband and friend hug. “He’s a resourceful bastard. Not to mention that he’s prepared for pretty much anything. He has some quirks but hey who doesn’t.”

“What kind of quirks?” Her question was innocent but the mischievous look that crossed Chelsea’s face made a shiver run down Eli’s jacket heated spine.

Without missing a beat she looked back to the pair of men and called out. “Hey Max! What was that guy’s name again? Isaac something?”

Without missing a beat he whipped around and pointed an accusatory finger at Chel before he held his voice down in a strained but quiet scream. “You know his name is Isaac Clarke! You know that Chelsea!” With Max’s hushed outburst with Eli’s surprised reaction together it proved too much for the couple. Forcing a laugh from both Noah and Chelsea as Max rubbed his eyes. “I can’t believe I fall for that every time.”

-

“Hey uncle Max, where did mom come from?” Sarah was laying in her bed that her non-blood relative had lifted her up to. Her half lidded blue eyes told of the sleep that was about to take her.

Rubbing the back of his neck he pursed his lips as he leaned against their bunk bed. “Honestly kiddo we still don't know for certain. There are guesses but nothing concrete. Why do you ask?”

Looking down to her sleeping brother she stayed in bed before a worried look sank into her features. “The other kids at school have been saying we’re not related. He beat up another kid because he kept saying he was adopted and mom didn’t really love him.”

Max’s brow furrowed as he looked down to the sleeping boy. Every interaction with him was always smiles and rough housing bar the most recent one where Max snapped at his best friend. “That’s ridiculous, I was there when both of you were born. Chelsea is your mother and a damn good one too. But a fight? That doesn’t sound like him.”

Sarah whined as she looked over the edge of her lifted bed before she finally broke under her uncle's sharp gaze. “What if…it was because I was crying?”

“They were saying that you weren’t brother and sister huh?” She nodded. “Thus by extension mom and dad adopted you two and didn’t love you as much?” Max’s brow furrowed as Sarah nodded and teared up. His hand came to hold her cheek to try and ease the tears that began to flow. “Children can be pretty mean huh?” Another nod from the young girl as Max leaned in to give her a hug she desperately needed. Max decided to try and change the subject of their conversation by rounding back to her original question. “Do you still want to know where your mom came from?”

She nodded as Max reached out and pulled her thin covers over her frame. “Alright, tell your brother as well, ok?” With only her head and tired eyes above the pastel sheets she chose at a local mom and pop store. “You know that anthros have been around for a while but in early history they were in much smaller numbers. We never knew where they came from but they lived in small isolated communities and lived alongside us. That all changed in the late seventies when the largest influx happened and for the first time in recorded history humans disappeared. Everything was crazy for a few decades after that since it happened during the cold war. The other great power at the time, Russia, couldn’t handle the influx of nearly half of their population being switched out to have completely different ideals. Other growing powers had the rug pulled out from under them causing borders to shift and entire early nations to collapse back into older and more stable empires. That's why Mexico is part of the United states. And Russia is split up into several different countries now. Your mom was born after that in North Dakota before the most recent ‘Spill’ as everyone began calling it.”

His lamenting was cut off by Sarah pulling his sleeve and drawing his attention back to the small girl. “What brought them…us here?”

“That's the big question and honestly I don't really see the point in trying to figure it out. Anthros are here and they aren't going anywhere but the eggheads say it has something to do with the recent coronal mass ejections or CME events. Especially the one back in the seventies.” Scratching back behind her ears she relaxes back into the cool pillow beneath her. “Now get some rest, your mom will come in to check to see if you’re asleep soon.

With a yawn she fell back into the cool pillow beneath her as Max’s hand tousled her short fur once more and kneeled down to whisper to her brother that was very much not asleep. “Goodnight to you too, Micheal.” Before he leaned in and whispered softly to him. “You did the right thing, don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t do that.”

He sat up with speed as he lunged for his uncle, wrapping him in the tightest hug he could that surprised the older man that met his hug in kind. “They…they were making her cry and I-”

Max just held him close as he just kept reassuring him until the younger man as he began to sob into the man’s shoulder. Minutes passed as he comforted the young man as he shook against his frame and warmed his shoulder with tears. “It’s alright little man. You did the right thing.”

He didn’t know how much time passed until Micheal calmed down enough and slid back between the covers and rested his head. “Are mom and dad gonna be mad?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Giving him one last reassurance he stood back to his full height and exited the room. Idle conversation greeted him as the three other occupants of the home talked back and forth about embarrassing stories as the light of the moon lit the banks of snow outside in a sickly white light. Walking back into the main kitchen and drawing Noah's attention he pulled him to the side. “Micheal got into a fight at school. Before you get mad he was in the right.”

Noah’s posture flared before he just back confused by the additional information. “You want to fill me in a bit more?”

“Some of the kids at school were bullying Sarah to the point of crying and he stepped in. Apparently he throttled one of them just enough to make them back off.” Max lifted a melancholic smile to his best friend. “You’re raising him right. Just don't be surprised if the school calls you two.”

With pursed lips he nodded before looking back to his friend. “Thanks for letting me know, I knew something seemed off since yesterday but I couldn’t get them to talk about it. I'm just glad they feel they can be open with you.”

With a hand on his best friend’s shoulder he gives a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t beat yourself up. No son wants to tell his dad he did something bad even if it was for a good cause. He’s your son, I’m just the cool uncle he gets to roughhouse with.” Looking over his best friend’s shoulder Max catches a glimpse of Eli’s bright smile of needle-like teeth and her distant laughter that sounded like a mix of snake hisses and hiccups. For a moment his heart skipped a beat as her dark scales glistened in his eyes before bringing attention back to his best friend. “Besides, you’re doing a good job with Chel raising them. So dont worry and just tell the school to screw off if they give you or him any lip. But let's head back, pretty sure they'll be curious about what we’re talking about.”

With that the two rejoined their respective dates and continued to pass stories back and forth before a chaste kiss was exchanged between the married couple and Eli looked to Max confused. “What was that all about?”

Max leaned in and whispered to his scaled partner with a soft smile. “Some family stuff I’ll tell you later, broad strokes.” Their fingers interlaced as he leaned into her side and used it as a way to check to see if her jacket was still keeping her warm. That was the excuse he told himself anyway. “I hope I didn’t mess up dinner too bad for you.”

Her eyes rolled as she fully leaned into his side and spitting out an exasperated sigh. “Seriously I don’t know how you can think your cooking is bad. Marinated steaks with fresh greens might be fairly standard but it smelled amazing. Don't doubt yourself so much.”

Max’s mind flashed back to dinner as Eli took an entire ten minutes just eyeing the meal with her flicking tongue going wild. She later told him that's how she savors her food and the only reason breakfast earlier in the week was different was because the air was saturated with breakfast and coffee smells. Max just thought it was the cutest thing ever until she dropped the eight ounce steak into her jaws and simply swallowed. That's when he thought it was the coolest. “I’m glad you liked it, it's pretty much the only thing I know how to cook.”

Noah laughed as he heard Max’s explanation for his extent of cooking knowledge or lack thereof. “Give yourself some credit, you did cook for us during last thanksgiving and that turned out pretty well.” Max shrugged as he agreed partially before Noah continued. “Actually Eli since you’ll be here for thanksgiving why not join us? I’m certain you’d enjoy more of his cooking if anything.”

“Oh that's a lovely idea!” Chel spoke up, bringing her into the conversation. “It’d certainly be nicer than having to deal with your parents alone.”

“They aren’t that bad!” Noah put his hands up defensively as he tried to defend his blood relatives. “They don’t hate you just like how they don’t hate Max!”

“Max is human.” That statement shut Noah up immediately leaving the words to hang in the air as a sort of omen of past history and scars of hurtful words. “I know you don’t like me talking about it but they never liked me hun. Honestly at this point I'm not trying to please them since you and the kids are all that matters to me.”

“I know. I just…hope they come around soon.” Noah’s shoulders slumped as the words left his lips. Almost as if even uttering the idea was a false sense of hope that even he knew was silly to believe in.

The air around the central table was still with the tension between the married couple that prompted Max to stand from his seat. “Might be about time for me to get Eli back. It will be pretty late by then.” Pulling Noah to his feet the men of similar stature hugged and exchanged brief words of staying in touch and needing to talk everything over. Repeating these actions with Chel, Eli did the same before they parted ways with the other couple.

The packed snow crunched and crinkled beneath their boots as they made their way back to Max’s car in relative silence. The turn of a key brought the small vehicle to life before Eli wrapped herself around his closest arm. “It’s still a bit chilly, help keep me warm on the way back?”

With a warm smile in the pale moonlight Max nodded as their fingers interlaced over her thick gloves and the red tracker rolled off towards her home in comfortable silence.