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Hey, OK I'm finally getting to posting again. Life is...getting less hectic (at least academically)!! I find that my day is not justto trying to integrate or blow anythign up anymore, which leaves time for writing again! Well, that made me happy for that revelation....I hope everyone likes teh story and what not...compliments are welcome as is any criticism;

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The weeks passed quickly. Lucas was surprised at how fast they went by. Between hanging out with his friends and spending time with his family he was amazed at how quickly the season snuck on him. He had spent time with Jenny, Sam, Alex, and Gina a lot-hanging out and It was already Christmas eve, and he was excited; excited for the season, and that Jake would soon be here. He knew there were still a few days but the past three weeks had felt much longer. It must've been obvious because his father often teased him because of it. The strange thing was, he enjoyed it, the way his father teased him about having a mate. Now was one of those moments.

"Hey, look, Jake's pulling in!" Mr. Vadikson said cheerfully, but his son shot a glare at him up from his book.

"Haha..." Lucas scoffed at his father. He enjoyed it actually though.

"You know...when he gets here I'm going to lock you in your room...that or I'll have you running back and forth," Mr. Vadikson joked.

Lucas smiled, "Nah...I think I'll wait outside for him,"

Mr. Vadikson chuckled and rolled his eyes. It was strange to see his son act like this, but it was good also. He didn't mind the 'puppy love' that he exhibited, it wasn't intolerable and it was actually rare-he usually ended up making the wolf do it. He enjoyed to see his son so attached to someone, someone that wasn't family.

Lucas looked up at his dad, "So...when is Mom's family popping in?"

Mr. Vadikson looked down at his watch, "They should be arriving soon,"

Lucas sighed, they hosted Christmas at the house normally. He wasn't really sure what would happen. He knew that his mother's sister knew he was gay, and also knew that she had a big mouth. The idea that more than just his parents and his mother's sister would know was on his mind. The family was pretty large, or at least it wasn't tiny. His mother had four siblings, four sisters and a brother. The youngest sibling was the brother, who he got along the best with.

Mr. Vadikson sighed and they both didn't say much, they'd already talked about it. If the family became troublesome he had told his son to leave if he needed to. He had no interest in his wife's family talking rudely about his son. He was brought out of his thought by the doorbell ringing, and looked up to see his wife answering the door and welcoming people in.

As more people came in Lucas couldn't help but feel more and more nervous. It wasn't like during Thanksgiving. At least then it was bearable, now there was a different feeling in the air. Occasionally someone would come up to him and smile, say hello, ask how school was going, and then walk away, but he also saw how he was being pointed out. He noticed how when they thought he was out of earshot or wasn't looking then they would just point at him or say something in a whisper. One of his aunts, Lorry, the one he knew knew he was gay came up to him, "Lucas, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine....how about you?" he asked, struggling to meet her gaze. He wasn't scared, it was just that he didn't really want to look at her.

"I'm good, so how is school?"

"It's fun, I'm enjoying i-" Lucas was saying before she cut him off.

"That's good, that's good....I'm going to go talk with your father's wife,"

Lucas's ears perked up, she didn't call him her son. It was almost like she was trying to make him sound distanced. Lucas let out a troubled sigh and looked over at his father, who just sighed also.

"Don't let it get to you..." his father said.

"I'm trying...but, I guess going around my back doesn't exactly scream of support or any real good signs does it?" Lucas asked with a forced chuckle. He knew that if they did know then it would be the talk of the family, at least when he wasn't around. After all, they loved to talk, so why not talk about the family disappointment.

Mr. Vadikson laughed and was about to say something when his wife's voice rang throughout the house. He stood up and walked over to her, taking his place by her side as she welcomed the family. He gave his best genuine smile as he wrapped an arm around her and wondered how long it would go on. She spoke, telling them how great it was for everyone to be here and all the usual generic greetings. When she finally stopped he felt her move away from his arm and he frowned. He moved up to her, "Hey...sweetie, is everything OK?"

"Yes, of course everything is alright," she replied and kissed him gently on the cheek.

Mr. Vadikson gave a smile but as soon as she turned around frowned. He felt like his muzzle would have frost bite from how cold her tone was. It was weird, they could usually get along well, but ever since Lucas came home she had been even more venomous than usual. That's part of what he hated so much; that she became an entirely different person when Lucas or Jake was around. He sighed, that wasn't right, she didn't become a different person, it was just her true colors. Why she was doing it wasn't a huge mystery, but he thought it was a bit much, even for her. For a week he thought she had gotten a bit better, but now it all that seemed unsure. At the beginning of the week he heard her and Lucas talking, she was trying to convince him that he was making a huge mistake-still. He saw his son standing to the side and walked over to him, "Come-on, let's get something to eat,"

Lucas smiled and nodded, it occurred to him that his fear had been right; everyone in his mother's side of the family knew about him. Even if they didn't say it out loud, it was too obvious, how they avoided him, how they would cast sideward glances at him, how their tones were always lower when he was around. When he got his food he looked for a seat and found that all the ones at the main table were taken, so he went over to the table for the children. He grimaced, he was old enough to sit with the adults, he knew that, it was just that they didn't want him around. Giving a light smile he sat down with some of his cousins and they barraged him with questions. He was the oldest of the cousins so he had to deal with all the strange questions. The second oldest was only a twelve year old named Matt, who was a bit of a brat. Even though he was a brat he was at the table with the other adults, his mother had called him over, and his mother was his mother's sister.

The time passed slowly, and Lucas drudged through most of it. After a bit his cousins stopped annoying him, stopped pulling on his fur to get his attention, consistently saying his name so he'd ask what they wanted, or just ask him some stupid question. He tried to ignore it mostly, but it was difficult, and whenever he managed to ignore them he had to listen to the adults. After awhile he stood up and went over to his father, who was talking lightly with someone. Lucas couldn't help a small growl at the fact that he was being treated like this, but he tried to suppress it. It could've been worse. "Hey Dad...can I head out?"

"Why?" his mother asked.

The room went a bit quiet and Lucas thought of a lie, "Well...Gina said that her car broke down and she wan-"

"You don't know anything about cars," his mother said, interrupting him.

Lucas looked at his mother then at his father who was shaking his head from side to side. He looked once more at his mother, "I just...want to get away for a moment," he said, deciding to not fight it.

"You've hardly spent time with us. You so eager to get back to college?" his mother's sister asked. Her name was Lorry, and she was usually very critical of people.

Lucas looked at her, "Kind of...I mean, it is fun there. But..." Lucas said and went away. He came back a moment later with a chair, "I can spend time with ya'...haven't seen you since...Thanksgiving,"

Lorry looked at the wolf for a moment before returning her attention to her husband, they were talking about something that had happened this week. Lucas started a conversation with his uncle, and could tell there was a bit of tension. He tried to ignore it though, hoping nothing terrible would happen. "Well...I don't really care for that kind of stuff...it's like politics...they just get in the way," Lucas was saying.

"What?" his uncle, Steven, asked. He was into politics and was trying to explain why they were so vital to his nephew. They were talking about a border conflict between two countries that had happened nearly a century and a half ago, and both had a different opinion. His uncle was pretty militant and thought that pure brute strength was key.

"Well, think about it; politics is more or less about having a set of rules used to bind a group of people so that there is a set hierarchy...when really all that a healthy society needs is a good, strong, backbone; one that pushes on not only caring for all within the community but also on issues that are of vital importance; clean water and then education...those are the necessities. And in a country such as that, a third world one, it is extremely important to have those...which many in that country didn't,"

"That doesn't give them the right to throw a riot in the capital,"

"No, it doesn't...but I'm not saying what they did was right...I'm simply saying that if you take care of the base needs of people then you may not need to worry about them striking out against you. Because you see that this entire issue started over rights to the use of the dam, which started in one country and deprived another. These people became angry...and it can get a bit difficult I guess, but there could've been a solution...it was just them becoming greedy or something along those lines because they automatically assu-" Lucas was in the middle of saying before his mother interrupted.

"What are you two talking about?"

"The Border War of 1865..." Lucas said, as though it weren't common sense.

"Why?" his mother asked.

Lucas thought for a moment then looked at his uncle, who shrugged his shoulders. He chuckled and looked back at his mother, "Because it's fun...I guess,"

Steven chuckled, "Lucas thinks it was avoidable,"

"It was!" Lucas retorted. He wasn't an expert on history, but he knew enough to argue with most people. If it happened in the past he probably had a slight idea about it, but if it was present day news, he was clueless. "That's what I'm saying...the entire thing was one huge breakdown in communication of two societies,"

"Countries..." Steven corrected.

"No, countries are what elevated it into a war" Lucas said. By this time his mother wasn't interested anymore, though he though she saw her smile at him. She was talking with her sisters again, "...it was 'countries' that caused the entire thing...it started between two small tribes, one angry that its river was dying because a tribe in the other country had built a dam...and guess what. It was then that the 'countries' got involved, by the way...the countries are government, and they screwed it all up. There was a treaty that was supposed to be signed befor-" Lucas was saying, almost quoting it from his history book before his uncle interrupted.

"That's such a load of BS and you know it. There was no way that the entire thing could've been avoided by just signing a piece of paper,"

"It could've! People don't always have to die for peace to come about. If they would just all think about each other and if everyone would just think about how to improve the life of others then stuff like that could be avoided,"

"No it couldn't because there will always be conflicts. Besides, you know that those tribes were just cover stories,"

"Cover stories?" Lucas asked with a scoff. "I don't know what book you read but I would suggest you ge-" he was saying before his phone rang. He looked down and saw Jake was calling. He picked it up and was greeted by the bear's voice, surprisingly cheerful.

"Merry Christmas!" Jake said with a happy tone.

"I'm not going to say that back you know..." Lucas replied apathetically. He looked at his uncle who just looked away and began to talk lightly with his wife.

"Aww..."

Lucas couldn't help but smile, Jake's mood had improved considerably over the course of the weeks. He still barraged the bear with compliments and he was sure that Jake getting a proper amount of rest was helping too. Jake would tell him that he selpt for twelve hours on some days, which was good for him, considering the usual amount, the bear needed to repay his debt to sleep. Though they sometimes spent all night just talking on the phone. "So, what are you up to Big-guy?"

"I'm playing a game...I just started this one, but I'm about to have to head out for dinner with my dad's side of my family...joy," Jake said with a sigh.

"Oh come-on, it's not that bad...af-" Lucas was saying before he realized that he was with his own family, and that it was almost quiet. He looked over at his mother who was glaring at him, as were most of the women at the table, and a few of the guys had a more confused look. His mother gave a tiny nod to the kitchen, and Lucas caught the hint. It did seem like a good sign, she didn't give him the death stare; it could've just been that she didn't want him talking on the phone at the table. Lucas stood up from the table, and walked away, already talking again, "It's not that bad!"

"I guess not...so what are you up to? Your mother's family arrive yet?"

"Actually..." Lucas said and let the words drift.

Jake grimaced and punched himself in the mind, "Crap...I'm sorry...I need to hang up don't I?"

"No, no," Lucas said quickly as he leaned against the wall in the kitchen. He was still within earshot and knew that if his family wanted to they could hear his entire conversation but he didn't care. He heard that they were talking again, though it was much quieter. His father came in and just smiled at him, and he smiled back before returning his attention to Jake, "Give me one second..." Lucas said and went over to his father.

"What's up?"

"Should I talk with Jake right now?"

"Do you want to?" Mr. Vadikson asked, as though it were that simple.

"Of course I do...it's just...you know," Lucas said and nodded in the direction of the family.

"Lucas, I won't lie...they know. It's already been talked about, and the best thing you can do is to just act like you always do,"

Lucas looked at his father, "I guess...What if they get angry?"

"I'll handle that," his father said and patted him on the shoulder. He walked off, a large chunk of cake on the plate in his paw.

Lucas saw his father sit down next to his mother and they talked, he heard a bit of laughter. He turned his attention back to Jake, "I can talk for as long as I want..." he said and lowered his tone, "if they have a problem with it they can just say it to my face,"

"I don't want to get you into any trouble,"

"How could I get into trouble?" Lucas asked and before the bear could answer was saying his own answer, "See, there isn't a reason...no more about that. OK Big-guy?"

Jake felt a small smile cover his muzzle, "OK..."

"So," Lucas said with a chuckle, "how's it going?"

"It's going pretty well...I just wanted to call you before I had to head out..."

"Thoughtful and caring...how nice,"

Jake could tell from the tone that Lucas was trying to make him embarrassed and chuckled, "That's me...so, umm, how is the situation?"

"Well, they all know if that's what you mean..." Lucas replied with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean it's bad. I don't mind it. If they don't like me then they don't like me. They're still my family and I love them, but that's all I can do; I'm not about to do anything different," Lucas said, and was surprised. It felt like a weight falling from his shoulders.

Jake smiled, he wasn't sure if he should've been, but he was happy. Happy to hear the wolf say what he had. "OK..." he said, not able to say anything else.

"I'm grabbing desert right now,"

"What?" Jake asked, laughing slightly.

"Well, you weren't saying anything...so I figured I'd tell you something,"

Jake laughed, "Oh, OK, so how is it?"

"It's good...have you ever made a desert dish before?" Lucas asked, not able to recall such a thing. He grabbed a piece of pie and looked around, wondering what else he could eat.

Jake thought back onto all the times he'd cooked. "No...I'll have to get some recipes or something,"

"Yeah that's a good idea...of course I think my dad is also a bit set on teaching you a thing or two also," Lucas said and chuckled, "You may not make it back from the kitchen..."

Jake laughed, "Oh come-on, I made it through spring break didn't I?"

"You did, but it will only get harder!" Lucas replied with a foreboding tone.

Jake smiled and continued to talk with his mate for a bit longer. After a few minutes he had to go though. He rode with his parents to the family reunion for his father's side of the family.

Lucas went back to the table and as he did it got a bit quiet. His mother was the first the speak.

"Who was that?"

"Jake," Lucas replied casually. It was silent for a few moments. He looked over at his father who didn't show any signs of having an opinion.

"Your friend?" Lorry asked with a small sneer on her muzzle.

"Well...he's my mate too," Lucas replied. He could tell that the direct route would be the best advantage. It was quiet, except for the sound of his cousins playing in the other room of the house. They were completely ignorant of what was going on, which was better. The looks on his family's face wasn't as bad as he had thought, and there was an idea that not all of them were totally against him now. Only a few seconds had passed, though it seemed much longer. "I think you guys would like him, he's a great guy,"

"I don't think I would," Lorry said, not bothering to hide any spite.

Lucas tried to hide a small growl but knew that it got through. He looked over at his aunt, "That's too bad..."

"He is a nice child, but has some troubles," Mrs. Vadikson said.

Lucas looked up at his mother, shocked she had actually complimented the bear. He almost waited for the world to fall apart, but it didn't.

"So...umm, where'd ya' meet him?" Steven asked. He didn't support it, not in the least, but that didn't mean he wanted to go out against his nephew.

"College...sorry, I'm gonna be blunt; yes, I'm dating him. I won't say anything out of that, you guys don't have to accept it...it really doesn't matter if you do or not," Lucas said and sighed.

"So you are a fag?" one of his uncles asked.

A growl stopped Lucas from answering, but it wasn't from him. He looked over across from him as his father glared the person down. For a brief moment he thought his father may attack his uncle but his father stopped himself and leaned back into the chair. His mother was shaking his head and patting her husband. Lucas looked back at his uncle though and sighed, "I...prefer gay,"

"No difference..." his mother said.

"Well...I'm not some flaming guy whose running around in a dress...and you guys obviously didn't know till just a bit back, though I guess some of you don't really care about that," Lucas replied, being blunt as he talked.

"Of course we care about that..." his mother said.

"Lucas, you sure you aren't just confused...didn't hit your head or something?" one of his uncles asked. Through the entire time Steven was being quiet. Lucas thought that he wasn't too angry or disappointed about it, Steven had always been kind to him. He was his favorite uncle on his mother's side.

Lucas looked up at the person, "No I didn't hit my head..." he said, as though it was a stupid question.

"You're ju-" Lorry was about to say but Lucas interrupted.

"Just the same guy from all the years you've known me...you don't like me; fine, I'm not going to turn my back on my mate. I still love you guys and always will, you are my family after all...but I love him too," Lucas said, his tone showing a bit of emotion.

"You're not blood to us though,"

Lucas looked up at the voice, it hurt. That was the worst comment he could've received. It was basically banishment, and he saw his mother not even looking at him. His throat had a lump in it, as if any words died after the air was in his lungs. His eyes went around the table, each face housing something in itself. Some avoided looking at him, such as Steven though he thought that was only because his wife was the one who was against him being gay. Some were staring down, some had a disgusted look, some angry; the only common link was the one that it was full of eviction save for three faces. His mother didn't support him, but he knew that she still loved him, his father supported and loved him, and he didn't really know what was going on in Steven's head. "I...guess I'm not," he managed to get out, staring at the floor now. He didn't bother to look around him, he just stood up and walked away again. He heard a chair slide out. He got to his door and in his room.

Mr. Vadikson looked around at the table and at his wife. "You're all...the type of family no one needs to be a part of," he said and walked away, going after Lucas. When he got the door he saw his son sitting on the bed. He opened his mouth to ask if his son was OK, but the words didn't want to come out. He stared, surprised at his own tied tongue. When he felt the need to be there for his son he had nothing to say.

Lucas looked up at his dad, and looked back down. After a moment an arm wrapped around him as his dad sat down next to him. Without really thinking he moved closer to his father, leaning on him. It was strange, he wasn't really sad, he hadn't expected acceptance. The realization of the rejection was what got to him, how they had so quickly put him away. After a minute he looked up at his father, "So...I guess I don't really take after Mom to-" he tried to say but after saying anything with his mom he broke down a bit.

Mr. Vadikson pulled his son closer as he choked away a sob. He never began to cry though, instead a few stray tears falling but nothing more. After a bit even that stopped and Lucas pulled away. Mr. Vadikson stared at his son still, not really sure what he could do, what he could say.

Lucas looked back up at his father, "I don't really take after Mom too much I guess..." he said, finishing his first statement with a weak and forced chuckle.

Mr. Vadikson couldn't stop a chuckle, but it wasn't really funny, "No...I don't think you do," he said and stared at his son who just stared off into the distance. "Is...there anything I can do for you?"

"No..." Lucas replied with a sigh, "I don't think so,"

Mr. Vadikson hugged his son once more before pulling back and getting up. He went to the door, "I'm gonna head back...you just stay in here and rest,"

"Thanks," Lucas said as he watched his father walk off. When he was gone he leaned back against his bed and sighed. There weren't any more tears, and there really wasn't any emotion either; all he did was stare off into the distance. He didn't really know what to think, but he knew that things wouldn't be good around his mother's side with him for a long time to come. At some point he fell asleep and he woke up he heard the door opening and shutting, his family beginning to leave the house. He got up and went out, but the only person there was his father. He stared around for a moment, "Where's...Mom?"

Mr. Vadikson stared at his son for a minute, "She decided to go to her sister's house..."

Lucas looked over in the other room where Ana was sleeping lightly. He felt a pang of guilt run through him, "What about Ana? Mom'll come back for Christmas right? It's not fair for A-"

"Yes, don't worry about that...She's just trying to get through this...like you are. It's not easy for her, and she still doesn't want to accept what you've decided. She does love you though Lucas...she defended you just as much as I did," Mr. Vadikson replied with a small sigh. It was taxing to be around those people, and all he felt like doing was resting. For the past three hours all he'd done was defended his son from bigoted statements and unjustified judgments of impotence. His wife did draw a line, but never supported his actions. Mr. Vadikson stood up, "Well...are you OK?"

Lucas looked around the house that now felt so empty to him and forced a tiny smile across his muzzle; "Not really, but...I'll be fine," he said and saw his father nod in response. His father walked over and scooped up Ana before walking past Lucas and going into her room. He came out after a minute and then went to his own room and the door closed quietly. Lucas looked over to a clock and saw that it was only ten in the evening. Walking over he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, though there wasn't anything good on. He thought about his mother mostly. They had argued at points but also got along. He could remember times when they would talk, and enjoy each other's company, without some barrier between them. He loved his mother, that wasn't a question, it was just that it seemed like they could never be like they were. He flipped through the channels lazily and then a door opened behind him. He cast a glance back, "You aren't going to sleep?"

"I'm not tired," his father said as he sat down in a small chair.

Lucas just nodded and returned his attention to the TV. His mind wandered a bit and he looked back over at his father, "Hey...if you don't want to answer then don't...but," Lucas said and stopped for a moment, gathering his will to speak, "What exactly did they say about me?"

Mr. Vadikson looked at his son and sighed, "You're a fag, you're making big mistakes, that you're sick in the head...nothing beyond intolerant and petty words," he replied, not giving his son much more than that. The comments didn't matter, and he was having enough of a time with them himself.

Slowly an hour passed, and soon it was nearly Christmas. Lucas felt his apathetic mood lifting as the minute hand drew closer and closer to the top. Even though he was an adult watching Christmas come in was still something he loved to do. He counted it down in his mind and then looked over at his father, "Merry Christmas,"

Mr. Vadikson looked at the clock and felt a smile cover his own muzzle, "Oh, yes, Merry Christmas!" he replied, a bit more cherry.

Lucas smiled and they both just continued to watch television. The mood began to dissipate, for some reason the new day making their moods better. After a few more minutes his phone rang. Lucas looked down and saw that Jake was calling. He looked over at his father who gave a light smile and stood up.

"I'm tired...and you need to talk with your mate," Mr. Vadikson said and walked over to his son. He gently kissed him on the top of his head then walked off, deciding to get some sleep.

After a moment Lucas finally flipped open the phone and the bear's voice came through, still strong and cheerful.

"Merry Christmas!"

Lucas felt a smile cover his muzzle, "Merry Christmas Big-guy..."

Jake caught the wolf's tone, even if it did sound a bit cheerful. "Are you OK?"

Lucas leaned back against the couch and sighed, "I'm going to be OK....but, well, things didn't go well today,"

Jake felt a frown cover his muzzle, "Want to talk about it?"

Lucas sighed, "There really isn't much to talk about..." he said but Jake didn't say anything in response. After a moment he went on, "Well, my family knows, my mother's side at least...they don't accept it. I guess I'm a bit on the outsider side of them now..."

"I'm sorry...for what happened I mean,"

Lucas felt a tiny smile cover his muzzle, "Well, I still have you,"

"You always will," Jake replied and heard the wolf chuckle weakly.

"That'd better not be the only present I get..." Lucas said, trying to laugh a little

Jake began to laugh at his mate, "What? I'm not good enough?"

"I never said that!" Lucas replied with a chuckle. His mate's words had helped measures already.

"Yeah but you implied it!" Jake said with a whining tone. "I hope you feel terrible when you get your present!"

"Oh...and what would that be?"

"You'll just have to sit and wait..." Jake replied defiantly.

"As long as you come with it,"

"You're really cheesy, you know that?" Jake asked with a smile. He was lying on his bed and could hear the sounds of his parents setting out presents as they talked. "I kind of miss it I guess,"

"Really? You do?"

"Yeah, just a bit...and you too,"

"The last one more so?" Lucas asked, chuckling to himself as he did.

"Maybe more than just a bit..." Jake replied.

"I miss you too...you're still coming over, right?" Lucas asked.

Jake chuckled a little, it was a question he'd become used to. The wolf asked it everyday of break, and Jake was happy he did too. "I'll be there,"

"I'm looking forward to it. Hey, Big-guy...I forgot to tell you...but you may be meeting some of the family..."

Jake felt his heart beat a bit faster but he didn't panic. He knew Lucas's mother side had already been over. "Your father's side?"

"Yeah...but they don't know...it can just be us as friends,"

Jake felt a frown and tried to make his tone strong, "Why would we act like just friends?"

Lucas couldn't help but smile, "We don't have to charge into it,"

"I know...but I'll be there for you. If someone asks me I'm telling them you're my puppy,"

Lucas smiled, "You know I'd kill you, right?"

"Fine...take my fun away. But Lucas, if someone does ask...do you want me to be honest or to say we're just friends,"

"Let me handle it...I don't think they're going to flip out, but I think it'd be better to hear it from me...ya' know?"

"Yeah...as long as I can be there for you. I can't wait to see you,"

"I'm glad to hear it...but I'm about to hang up on you...I need to get some sleep,"

"So you're either excited or I'm boring you..."

"Maybe it's both,"

Jake chuckled, "Well, I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah...I love you Big-guy,"

"Love you too...bye," Jake replied and hung-up.

Lucas smiled lightly and stood up. He stretched and went to his room, immediately falling asleep. The morning came quickly and he heard someone bursting through his door. He grumbled under his breath as he heard both his parents wish a merry Christmas in a singsong manner. It was a bit strange to hear his mother sound so joyful, but it wasn't a real surprise. He sat up and stared at them both, before Ana jumped up on the bed and was vigorously shaking him.

"Come-on, come-on, Santa came! Santa came!" she yelled, Lucas wincing at the high pitched voice.

Lucas sat up and rubbed sleep from his eyes. His father was gesturing Ana out of the room, leaving him and his mother along. They both stared at each other before his mother made the first move.

"Lucas...are you OK?"

Lucas felt his ears perk up and he looked at the wolf. "I'm fine," he said, lying.

His mother sighed and sat down next to him, "You know...that I still care for you?"

Lucas looked down at the bed, it seemed strange. He noted the words mostly, it wasn't love, it was care-a completely different word. He nodded though, "I love you still, you guys will be my family, no matter what,"

Mrs. Vadikson looked at her son, "I told you it'd be trouble...that you were making a mistake,"

Lucas looked up, the conversation was horrible. He wanted nothing more than to get away from it. Something made sense to him though, the fact that his mother wouldn't ever really accept it. "I don't care..."

His mother sighed and stood up. She thought about what her sister had said, how the wolf was making a mistake. She believed it, and knew that Lucas wouldn't listen to her though, that he was set on his path-on his mistake. She kissed the wolf on the top of the head gently and moved away, "You'll get better...we'll be in the living room,"

Lucas stared at the door as it shut. He wondered for a bit about what his mother said and sighed, "We'll get along...for now...and then we'll fight...and then we'll get along, and then we'll fight," he said, thinking about the cycle it would be.

He stood up and stretched lightly, his mood wasn't too bad. Despite the situation he felt happy, it was Christmas and he couldn't hide that feeling in him. He put on a shirt and moved to his closet. He pulled out a few bags and ran out to the living room, Ana was jumping around with joy. He smiled and distributed the presents, giving one to his father, mother, and to Ana. He chuckled as the wolf jumped and grabbed the present from him, thanking him before tearing into it.

He looked down at the tree and grabbed three boxes, they were his presents and he smiled at them. They were all marked, 'From Santa' even though he was too old to believe in the myth anymore, though it was a healthy myth. He opened the first box and opened it; a few books inside. They were nice and he glanced through them, wondering which one he would read first and then looked at the other two boxes, he knew one of them would have clothes. The next one he opened was the one with clothes. It had a shirt, a pair of socks, two pairs of jeans, and a nice pair of pants with a matching shirt. It was nice, and he thought it would be good to wear on a date with the bear. He tucked them away next to him and looked at the final box. It was small, about the size of a handheld dictionary. He opened it and it revealed another box, which he opened more curiously. Inside was a watch, a really nice one. The leather band was brown and the watch itself had a glass case and it ticked slowly-precisely once a second to be exact. There was no tag on it, but he knew it probably came from somewhere nice. He put it on his right wrist and his father stopped him.

"It goes on your left wrist,"

"No...it's a watch...it goes on a wrist, not a specific one," Lucas said, chuckling.

His father sighed, "You're right pawed though..."

"See, that's why it goes on my right side,"

"You have no taste,"

Lucas chuckled, "What? You're the one who will wear tropical shirts year round...you butcher all that's right with color combinations,"

Mrs. Vadikson chuckled lightly and Lucas was happy she smiled. He saw they had opened their presents and smiled, "You guys like em?"

"These are great," his mother replied smiling at her present. It was a set of nice plates and glasses. He knew that even though she didn't cook she loved to have nice things to eat on and thought that she would like them.

"Yeah, this is really nice," his father said and held up a shirt, part of a gag gift. It was a tropical shirt, one that really did butcher color, and his real present was underneath. There was a set of knives for his father, some he knew his father thought were good. His father would sometimes complain about the kitchen not being very great, about how he was cooking with stone knives.

Lucas smiled, "Good..." he said and chuckled lightly. He smiled as his sister was jumping with glee about getting a doll house along with a variety of other toys. She insisted on showing him all her toys and what she had received, which he helped her get out of the boxes.

"Hey, you guys are forgetting your stockings," Mrs. Vadikson said with a laugh.

Lucas looked over and saw them, and smiled. He picked his up and dumped it out next to him. Inside was a candy cane, four bags of various candy, a gift card to a store, and a few other things. He smiled, the candy would last him forever. He felt his phone vibrate and looked down, it was a text message. He opened it, and saw it was from Jake, who just wished him a merry Christmas and told him he loved him. He replied with the same and returned his attention to his own family. The day passed slowly, and Lucas just enjoyed the time with his family. It was nice actually.

His mother didn't say anything out of line, and he didn't try to push his relationship with Jake on her. It was almost as if they had reached an equilibrium, but a part of him knew it was only temporary. A bit into the day he got another call, this time from Alex. The mastiff was asking him about them all getting together. Lucas thought the idea was good, and wanted to get with them, it was a Christmas party for them of sorts, though it'd be three days short. "Yeah...we can do it here, that'd be fine," Lucas said with a smile.

"Awesome...umm, I need to go but I'll call the others and we'll work out a plan, that good with you?" Alex asked, he sounded like he was running around.

"Yeah...just tell me what I'll need to do," Lucas replied, "I'll talk with you later," he said and hung-up.

___

The next two days passed quickly and Lucas grew more and more excited about Jake's upcoming visit. He was going to have his friends up tomorrow and had taken care of everything already. He made sure there was some food and just a few things they may want. As he was setting a few things he suddenly realized that Jake was coming in tomorrow. He felt excited and then realized his friends were coming also. He wondered if he should tell Jake about it but assumed that the bear wouldn't arrive until late.

Lucas was ready to see the bear, over the past weeks he'd missed his mate. It was nice to talk with him, which he did every night, but it wasn't the same as being with him. He was almost anxious to see the bear, as if he needed to be with him. It was the worst right now though, because he knew it was so close. Jake would be here soon, and yet it seemed so far away.

Over the day Lucas tried to keep himself occupied, doing whatever he could think of doing. He cleaned his room, his bathroom, the living room, the kitchen, and every other part of the house. When he finished with that he began to clean out his car also. After a few hours he had nothing to do though and tried to read a book. It didn't help much though.

"Hey, look, there's Jake," Mr. Vadikson said.

Lucas looked and immediately heard his father laughing. He glared at his father, "You're a jerk,"

Mr. Vadikson chuckled, "You're pretty excited,"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, "I've missed him I guess...I'm just ready to see him again,"

Mr. Vadikson smiled lightly and thought it was nice to see his son acting like that. It was a bit strange in some respects, but at the same time a bit heartwarming to see him so anxious to have someone close to him.

The day passed slowly and when night finally came Lucas went to bed early, trying to make day come quicker. He fell asleep sometime after midnight and woke up throughout the night, his body always telling him to get up. It was strange, how he reacted to knowing that Jake would soon be back with him. There wasn't anything he could do about it, and he tried his best to know when he should just sit down and try and keep his excitement toned down. When he woke up the next day he was happy that his friends would be coming over, and that the bear would be there soon also. At about one the entire group arrived and Lucas was glad to see them.

Jenny ran up and hugged him as did Gina and they all exchanged seasonal greetings-though a bit late. He saw the bull and mastiff also, though they were carrying things up the drive way. He ran down and helped them, "What's up guys?"

"Not much..." Sam replied as he entered through the doorway. "I guess I've just been relaxing over the break...how about you?"

Lucas set down one of the dishes, "Same...I need some R&R from school,"

Alex chuckled, though it sounded more like the earth rumbling, "I know what you mean. I think that college is actually worse than high school,"

"Well," Lucas said as they walked back to where the girls were, "I can't say that I don't miss you guys...I mean, it's nice up at Kirson, but...ehh...it's different too,"

"Why don't you come back down here?" Jenny suggested teasingly.

Lucas laughed a little, "I don't miss you guys that much," he said and watched as Gina pouted. They all laughed and just hung-out. There wasn't anything huge, it was just a lot of fun. Lucas was glad that he could always seem to enjoy the company of his friends, how it didn't matter where or what they were doing; they always got along very well. They all watched a movie and when it was over it was nearly five. They talked for a bit and Lucas felt his stomach growl. "Hey guys...let's get a bite...I got some stuff in the kitchen,"

"That sounds cool," Sam said as he stood up and stretched. "Come-on guys, let's get eat,"

"That's all you ever think about-food, food," Jenny said with a laugh and looked over at Gina who just nodded. The fox's face suddenly changed though, as if she'd hit some sort of revelation.

"Oh Lucas! While I have it on my mind; what are you doing on New Year's Eve?" Gina asked, her eyes seeming to sparkle.

"Why?" Lucas asked cautiously. The fox was up to something, and he knew that if he blindly went into it he'd be a prisoner of his word.

"My father's company is having a party...and my dad doesn't mind if we all go also...though it's more just one big party. You should bring a date too...you know, you can't just go stag all the time...there'll be lots of people and food," Gina said, her words coming out quickly, but with perfect annunciation.

"Umm...I think I'll jus-" Lucas was trying to say as he walked into the kitchen.

"You're coming," they all said at once, as if they'd planned it.

Lucas opened his mouth to complain but it was no use, they were already telling him that he didn't have a choice. He managed to finally get a segue way in, "Guys...I'll go if I can, but I'll have to clear it with Jake,"

"Jake?" Alex asked. He knew who Lucas was referring to, but the bear was no where around.

"Yeah...he's coming up and we're just going to hang-out,"

"Hmm..." Gina said and pondered.

Lucas felt a pit in his stomach, "If he can't go then you know I won't go...and he won't want to feel like a tag-along,"

Gina looked up at Lucas and playfully hit him on the arm, "That isn't what I was thinking about! Of course Jake can come...we like him! It's just...now I'll be trying to find a date for him and you,"

Instead of going away the pit in his stomach only got worse. He tried his best to smile, but it probably looked more like he was demented than that he was happy. His entire group thought that trying to find two dates was hilarious. "Umm...I don't think he'll like that,"

"What? But you can't have a party without a date," Gina said, as if it were a law.

"How about Lana?" Jenny suggested.

"No way!" Lucas replied, growling a bit. There was silence then and it hit him; they still had no idea he was gay. That fact alone made him feel a bit overwhelmed, and the situation was not helping him any.

"Woah...what was with that?" Sam asked.

"You guys have something going on between you?" Alex asked.

Lucas looked between them, his face still a scowl. He wasn't trying to show how much he disliked the otter's presence, but sadly it came through. It wasn't that he hated the otter, it was just that she was one of the first people he met that caused problems in his life with Jake. Even though it wasn't her fault he didn't like her for that reason alone, but he also knew that the last time he'd talked with her he'd been a jerk also. The biggest factor was that he was the bear's mate, and didn't even want to consider being with someone else. "No, I have something going on between me and someone else," Lucas said aggressively, but felt as though he should've told them it was Jake.

"Oh, you could've just said that," Sam said, the wolf's aggressive behavior strange and uncommon.

"Yeah, but...it's not just that. I mean..." Lucas said and sighed as he tried to find the words. He let out an agitated growl and closed his eyes.

"Oh...wel-" Gina was about to suggest when Lucas's father's voice rang through the house.

"Lucas, can you help me out in the living room!" his father yelled suddenly.

Lucas quickly ran off and went to where his father was, who was sitting idly on the couch.

"Need time to think?" Mr. Vadikson asked his son, telling from the kitchen that he was struggling with how to react.

Lucas just looked back at the kitchen and sighed, "Nah...but with this topic...I guess it would be a good time to tell them,"

"Just do whatever you feel you can...at the very least let them know you aren't going to be going with the intention of being with someone,"

Lucas nodded his head and looked back at the kitchen, where he could hear a lot of laughter. He smiled, they were his friends, they wouldn't be angry. He looked back at his father who was staring out the window now. "Thanks..." Lucas said and began to walk off. He went back into the kitchen and they talked for a bit. He never told them about Jake though, the chance never came up. He wanted to transition to telling them to be smooth. Eventually the idea left his head, not because he didn't want to, they were just simply talking and it didn't come up again.

They were all sitting down at the table and the mood was nice. They hadn't asked him about the party again, and instead it seemed like they were avoiding it. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad at the fact. On one hand, they knew him well enough to not bring up something that was uncomfortable, but on the other he wasn't able to transition into the talk about Jake.

Now, instead, they were talking about times at their colleges, exchanging stories about funny or ironic things that had happened. At one point his father came in and Lucas looked over at him.

"I think Jake's here," his father replied, looking directly at his son.

Instead of the usual, humorous tone there was seriousness and Lucas got up and walked over to a window. He saw Jake's car and felt his tail begin to swish back and forth, and he moved towards the door. He opened the door and he could see Jake coming up the driveway, the bear's figure getting ever closer. He felt a smile cover his muzzle, "I'll be right back!" he yelled and slammed the door behind him. Lucas moved down the driveway quickly, the bear had already seen him.

Jake saw the wolf and set down his stuff. He ran up the driveway and pulled the wolf into an embrace, spinning him around. He had gotten up early in order to get here; he'd wanted to see Lucas. The wolf was laughing as he spun them and he stopped and the wolf was smiling at him. Jake kissed the wolf deeply, obviously surprising his mate. Lucas tried to talk a little, but the wolf's tongue kept running across his own. He pulled Lucas as close as he could to him. At first Lucas seemed to try and push away, but that didn't last long. The wolf was returning the kiss now and hugging him tightly.

Lucas had felt great at the sight of the bear, but now he felt amazing. The fact that Jake was here now, that he could actually feel the bear changed everything. When the bear picked him up he had been a bit surprised, but also enjoyed it. He could tell that Jake was happy to see him and the when the bear stopped spinning they smiled at each other. Lucas had tried to say something but the kiss stopped him. He tried to push away, but that didn't last long. After a moment he pulled away from Jake, "I missed you,"

Jake smiled and kissed Lucas on the nose, "I missed you too," he said.

Lucas smiled, the bear's face holding a familiar grin. It always looked strange, like Jake was just goofing off, but he'd come to know it was just his mate's natural smile. Lucas smiled and kissed the bear again, hugging him tighter. He buried his nose into the bear's chest, smiling at the feel of his mate.

"Did...Jake just attack Lucas..." Jenny asked, her voice full of shock.

Alex was standing there, his mouth wide open. They had gone to the window to look out, and they'd seen the whole thing. He looked over at Mr. Vadikson who was staring out also, but it was obvious the wolf wasn't surprised like they were. Alex shook his head and moved back, "Come-on guys...just give them space," he said, trying to not let the thoughts flood his head. After a moment they all moved away from the window.

Gina walked over and looked between them, They were all gathered into a circle, like before a play in football, "Did we know Lucas is gay?" she asked, as though it should've been common knowledge.

"I...don't think so," Jenny replied as she cast another glance to the window. "Why was he just kissi-kissing Jake?" she asked, tripping over the words.

Sam looked at the tiger, "I guess that's what gay guys do..." he said, his voice just filled with a certain uncertainty. It wasn't malicious; instead he'd said it with more doubt than with humor.

"Wait...what if it wasn't Jake?" Gina asked.

Alex looked over at the fox, "That was Jake...no doubt..." he said and it was silent for a minute.

Outside Lucas was still hugging the bear. He didn't want to let go of his mate. He felt the bear embracing him lightly and he nestled closer to him. He could smell Jake's scent and kept breathing it in. Over the weeks it felt as though any hint of the bear's scent on him or his clothes had gone away. It was just as he remembered it though. To be near it again was nice, to be with his mate was the best thing he could think of. He could feel a few tears run down his muzzle, but he wasn't even close to sad. He chuckled, they were just happy tears, and he felt Jake pull him closer again. After a minute Lucas pried himself away, "Big-guy...I missed you,"

Jake leaned down and nuzzled Lucas lightly, "I love you,"

"I love you more,"

Jake smiled and let go of the wolf. He slung one of his bags over his shoulders and looked at Lucas, "Well...you gonna help me?"

Lucas smiled and grabbed another bag for the bear, "Yeah, yeah...sorry," he said as he ran to grab something.

Jake waited for the wolf to return. He looked around and noticed the cars. He wondered what was going on, but didn't think too much, instead just watching Lucas. When the wolf came back up he greeted him with a small kiss.

Lucas smiled, "Come-on...let's get insid-" he was trying to say before he realized that his friends were still here. When he'd seen Jake he completely forgot about everything around him. It wasn't that he'd simply forgotten how close by they were, he'd forgotten they were even at his house.

"What's up?" Jake asked, seeing the wolf's face change a bit.

"Big-guy...my friends are here...just to let you know,"

Jake looked up at the house and didn't see anything. He smiled, "OK..."

"Well, I guess you already know then," Lucas said with a sigh. If his friends had been at the door or window then there was no way they wouldn't have seen them. He'd kissed the bear in the middle of the driveway. There was a good chance his friends now knew he was with the bear. He chuckled lightly; if they knew then he'd have to do a lot of talking. He sighed, "You know...this isn't the best way I had in my mind of the ways to tell them,"

Jake couldn't help a small chuckle. He knew his mate had planned to tell them so it wasn't like the wolf was scared. In their talks he had learned a good bit about the group, and Jake could tell the wolf cared for them. He let out a huff of air, "Well, you ready?"

"Yeah...are you OK with this?"

"Yeah, as long as you're happy you know I am,"

Lucas smiled and they began to walk up the drive way again. His mood hadn't changed at all, he was still happy. He didn't think anything horrible could happen that would make his current mood go away. Seeing the bear had put him back on cloud nine. They got to the door and Lucas opened it. He saw his friends were in a circle, whispering together. That pretty much confirmed it for him. He looked back at Jake who seemed to understand it also. The first to look over was Alex, who just stared for a moment at Lucas.

Alex sighed and walked over. He knew that acting like they hadn't seen anything wasn't going to do anything. The fact that they were in a small circle and had been whispering was strange enough. He outstretched his paw to Jake, "Hey man...haven't seen you in forever,"

Jake took the paw, "Hey," he said with a smile. It didn't matter what happened, as long as he was near Lucas he knew he'd be fine.

Gina was a bit more direct though. She glared at Lucas, and the wolf looked unsurely at her. She sighed, "Lucas, is there anything you are going to say?" she asked a bit angrily.

Lucas looked back at Jake who just stared unsurely at him. He looked back at Gina and tried his best to smile. He wasn't sure if she was angry at the fact that he was gay or the fact that he had been hiding the bear from them. "Umm...well, that all depends if you saw me kissing Jake," he said, deciding that if they hadn't seen that would be a good way to start. Apparently his father thought that was funny, because he let out a quick laugh, and tired to quiet himself. There was no response and Lucas knew that they had seen it. He blushed a little, it was embarrassing to think of his friends seeing such a personal time with the bear. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his father just watching him, having successfully stifled his laugh. Looking at his friends he sighed, "Well...you guys probably now know that I'm with Jake...we're dating,"

Jenny looked at the bear and then at Lucas. She felt her face blush at the idea of the two together, and continued to glance from one to the other. It did make sense now why Lucas reacted the way he did whenever they mentioned Lana or anything about the party and getting him a date. "When did you plan to let us know that? Don't you think that your friends would like to know that kind of stuff?"

Lucas was about to reply but instead he heard the bear's voice.

"He was going to tell you guys...but I was scared, so he never did. I'm sorry," Jake said, his tone was filled with everything but certainty. The bear was staring at the ground. He didn't want to think of them rejecting Lucas. He'd rather have them all hate him than to have any of them be angry at Lucas.

"Lucas...when did yo-" Sam was trying to as before Lucas stopped them.

"Guys...hang on...if you want we can talk about it. But one minute. If ya'll want to talk about it then we can, but can we do it where ya'll aren't all gawking at me and Jake?"

"How else are we supposed to react?" Gina asked. It was strange, she seemed more surprised at the fact that Jake was gay, than that Lucas was.

Lucas sighed and walked into the kitchen. He sat down at the table and the others soon followed. He didn't see Jake follow though.

Jake followed after Lucas but felt a paw on his shoulder. He turned around to see Mr. Vadikson. He looked at the wolf, "Is something the matter?"

"Just let Lucas tell them...without you there,"

Jake looked back to the kitchen, "Why? Do-"

"It's nothing about you...it just will be easier for them to hear it. I know that some of them aren't exactly comfy with you and Jake going out...just by seeing the two of you in the driveway," Mr. Vadikson said and saw the bear blush. "And with that...it might be better for Lucas to just tell them plain and simple,"

Jake sighed and looked back to the kitchen.

"Don't worry," Mr. Vadikson said, trying to make the bear feel better.

"I'm not worried...I guess a bit disappointed, do you think they hate me now?" Jake asked as he followed sat down next to the wolf.

Mr. Vadikson chuckled, "No, I don't think they hate you. It was kind of shocking way for them to find out though..."

Lucas saw Jake follow his father and sighed. He guessed there was a reason for it though. Soon they were all sitting down. He looked from face to face, it wasn't like with his family though. There weren't any looks of banishment, though there were looks of confusion and surprise. "OK...how about I just tell you guys the short version...please don't interrupt,"

Over the next hour he felt like he was giving a small narrative of his life. He left out a lot of details and just kept to simple facts. He told them that the bear was his mate, and that he was the bear's mate in return. He told them that he loved the bear and that he and Jake were serious about each other. After he finished he sighed, "OK, there you guys have it...are you guys...OK with this?" he asked, looking around the table.

Alex was the first to reply. He hadn't really listened to his friend, instead focusing on his own thoughts most of the time. He looked over at Lucas, "Would it matter if we weren't?" he asked with a small chuckle and then continued, "As long as you're happy then I'm fine with it...besides...I think Jake's cool," he said, speaking for himself.

"I won't lie...I'm not comfortable with it. I mean...I just can't say I am," Sam said and looked between the bear and the wolf again, "But...it's not like ya'll are going to be making out in front of us all the time, right?"

Lucas felt his face go red, but he was happy that so far they seemed to be accept his relationship with Jake, or were willing to bite their tongues. He did look at the bull though, "You were the ones who were following me..."

Sam chuckled lightly, "I guess that's true..."

Jenny smiled, "I'm in the same boat as Alex...if you're happy...then so am I,"

Lucas smiled and looked over at the fox and Gina was glaring at him again.

Gina's eyes went to Jake, "I can't believe I hit on a gay guy," she said and couldn't understand why everyone was laughing. She glared at all her friends and scoffed, "What? This is a big-deal!" she said seriously, which only made everyone laugh more.

Lucas waited till they were finished and smiled, "Thanks...I was scared about what you guys would think,"

Jenny chuckled, "Ehh...it makes some sense I guess...you not ever dating any girls in high school, at least not seriously...but why did you date Lana,"

"I made a mistake," Lucas said with a sigh, "A big mistake...I was down, I was scared, and I was stupid; that's all,"

Alex nodded and the rest of the group left it at that. The mastiff chuckled a little, "So you gonna ask Jake to go with you to the New Years Party?"

Lucas felt his ears perk up, "Umm," he tried to say something more but couldn't. He looked over at Gina, "Is that OK? You know...if I take Jake?"

"I don't think it's a problem...my dad's company isn't prejudice, and I know that my dad's company also works by other people in other companies...who I think some of are...well, like you I guess," Gina said.

Lucas smiled, "Cool,"

"Really? That's just cruel," Jake said with a laugh. Mr. Vadikson was telling him about how he'd teased his son-telling him that the bear was here. Jake thought it was funny, and could almost imagine how Lucas reacted.

Mr. Vadikson was laughing, "You would do the same thing and you know it,"

Jake chuckled, "I would...well, it's endearing I guess,"

Mr. Vadikson smiled, "I think so too..."

Jake looked up at the wolf, "Can I ask you something?" he asked and leaned a bit closer to him. "OK, so...just on the present I got for Lucas...and I want to know if you think he'll like it,"

Mr. Vadikson listened to Jake and after he finished he smiled, "I think he'll like it,"

"Really?"

"Yes, really, don't worry so much," Mr. Vadikson said. The bear was stressing over if he'd gotten his son a good present or not. It was funny to watch, his son had actually done the same thing to him. The bear had told him about how the break was going and they just caught up. It was nice to see Jake again and he could tell the bear was anxious for Lucas to finish talking with his friends. In truth he was surprised his son was actually taking as long as he was. At the thought though he saw his son come into the room.

Jake looked up and cut off anything he was about to say. He smiled at the wolf.

"What were you two talkin' about?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing," Jake said and stood up.

Lucas smiled, "Now I know it's something though..."

Mr. Vadikson chuckled, "So you finish talking with your friends?"

Lucas nodded, "They're...willing to accept it. Sam is a bit freaked, Jenny isn't all that comfy with it, Gina is kind of angry that she hit on a gay guy, and Alex...well, he's like he always is, but they all are happy that I'm happy...so I guess it's good,"

Mr. Vadikson nodded, "I'm glad...why aren't you with them right now though?"

Lucas smiled and looked up at Jake, "I had a question for Jake..." he said and the bear looked over at him, wondering what the wolf meant. Lucas smiled, "Well...there's a New Year's Eve Party...and I was wondering if you wanted to go?"

Jake nodded and Lucas sighed. Mr. Vadikson smiled and turned his attention elsewhere, turning on the TV.

"Sorry Big-guy...they made me ask you one way or the other..."

Jake chuckled, "Ehh...it could be fun I guess," he said as they walked back to the group. Jake looked at them and tried his best to smile. He saw Alex smile back at him, a genuine smile, and the others smiled too, though it looked a bit more forced. It wasn't rejecting though, and he felt as though they didn't hate him. "So...you guys aren't angry,"

"Of course not," Jenny said and smiled at the bear, "Though now...seeing you two together...doesn't seem near as innocent,"

Jake looked over at Lucas who chuckled. The wolf seemed happy, and he was happy for him.

"So...what did he say?" Gina asked, as though the entire world hinged on the question.

Lucas looked over at Gina, "What do you think?"

Jake chuckled, realizing it was Gina who forced him to ask. It wasn't a big deal, the party might even be fun. "Yeah...I said yes....but...what exactly is a New Years Party like?"

Gina's face changed and she began to assault the bear with questions and information. It was humorous. Over the next three hours they all hung out and the bear felt as though they were actually beginning to know each other. Before they had all just known names, but now it seemed like they knew each other more personally. He didn't need to worry about messing up and saying something that would reveal too much about him and the wolf, or to worry that they would reject him. It seemed very comfortable, something that he knew he'd been looking for with people.

"So...see you guys at the party?" Lucas asked as the group walked to the door.

"Yeah, see you there," Jenny said and pulled on Sam, who followed behind him. They both waved and got to their cars. Gina ran behind them yelling for them to wait.

Alex waited for a moment and smiled at both of them, "Hey Lucas...I'm happy for you,"

"Thanks," Lucas said with a smile.

"It was good to see you again Jake...and hopefully we'll see you around more?" Alex asked and extended a paw to the bear.

"I hope so," Jake replied as he shook the mastiff's paw. He stood by Lucas as the wolf waited for them all to leave. He hugged the wolf lightly and felt Lucas nestle closer to him. For the sake of the others being comfortable they hadn't held each other or really acted like they were mates, but now they could be more open.

"I'm glad you're back Big-guy,"

Jake smiled and kissed the wolf on the top of the head, "I'm glad too,"