FSE

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This chapter doesn't have any yiff in it. I tagged the chapter based on the entire story.

I apologize for any and all grammar/spelling mistakes (I'm sure there are tons.)

I love comments so please share your thoughts if you have any.

Cub Services

Chapter 5

Dust motes danced across the bar of light the sun cast through the frosted windows in the French doors that led to Liz Moreau's bedroom. As the sun made its slow journey across the morning sky the shaft of light slowly inched its way across her bed, until the two furs nestled in each other's arms lay basking in the sun's warmth.

Liz stirred and awoke slowly, feeling warm and cozy, despite having fallen asleep in a puddle of her own juices on the large four poster bed. The vixen's red and white fur shimmered and gleamed in the sun, but it paled in comparison to the magnificent glow of the silver white fur of the 11-year-old cub cuddled against her.

Mikey's warm body shifted as he sighed contentedly in his sleep. The feeling of silky smooth fur gliding across her fur made the expensive red sheets she'd just slept on feel like burlap and sent waves of comforting warmth blossoming through her chest.

She looked down at the adorable little cub that lay against her and tenderly stroked the silver white fur of his cheek. Her chest swelled with feelings of love and adoration as she looked at her perfect little wolf. His short muzzle rested against her breast and as she caressed it his eye lids slowly parted.

The ring of deep blue that circled his eye looked up at her, standing in sharp contrast to the vibrant yellow eye that was hidden in her bosom. A deep love radiated from those eyes as a warm smile replaced the sleepy pout on Mikey's face. Liz leaned down and tenderly licked his muzzle, caressing him in the same affectionate gesture she'd received earlier in the morning.

There eyes met as she left her muzzle gently resting against his, enjoying the tenderness of the moment and the warmth of his breath against her cheek. Time seemed to stop as she lost herself in those beautiful mismatched eyes. Her heart beat in perfect harmony with his, pounding in a slow but steady rhythm that proclaimed with each thump the love for one another that was held within.

The special place in her heart she'd saved for Mikey was no longer enough and the feelings she held for him seemed to swell and invade into every part of her body. A part of her wondered when these feelings had come about. Of all the things he did that made her smile, which one was it that made her fall in love with him? Or was it that no matter what he did, he made her smile and want too be near him? Had she suddenly fallen in love? Or had she always loved him, and his proclamation of his feelings had simply been the key to unlock her own?

She'd never believed in love at first sight, but as she recounted the last few months in her head she began to believe. As the bigger picture began to become clear she suspected that she had always loved him, and just didn't know it. She began to wonder if the conflict she felt in being physically attracted to him was simply her conscious minds disapproving reaction, to feelings her subconscious mind already knew.

Liz didn't know how long she lay in bed with her little cub pressed against her body, or how long she lay contemplating the meaning behind her feelings. The sensation of his slim form pressed between her thighs and nestled against her chest gave her a feeling of completeness that she'd never experienced during any of the few relationships she'd had in her life.

With a sudden shock of surprise she realized her alarm had gone off before she'd gone back to asleep. She peeked nervously at the clock on her bedside table, hoping that it wasn't terribly late as she made a mental list of the things she needed to do today, already trying to decide which things she could skip if it was too late. The digital red display read 8:34 and Liz sighed with relief, knowing it could have been lots worse.

Mikey closed his eyes and rested his head against Liz's chest. Her heartbeat calmed and soothed him in a way he didn't quite understand. The sounds of birds and cars went unnoticed outside as the steady sound of her heart beating filled his head.

With each thump a warm feeling of love rushed through his body, emanating from his chest, coursing up to his skull and down to the tips of his toes. He combed his fingers through her fur, enjoying the feeling of her fur gliding between his fingers.

Liz sighed and looked down at Mikey as his fingernails brushed the skin under her fur. His black hair fell down across his forehead as he looked up at her with his magnificent mismatched eyes, brimming with the same love and adoration she felt for him.

She entwined her fingers in his hair and hugged him closer to her. The leg that hooked around his waist pressed into the base of his tail as she buried her muzzle into his neck fur and took a long deep breath, tasting the sweet smell of his body as it wafted up to her pointy black nose.

Her tail curled in around the two of them as she nuzzled her nose under his ear and softly whispered. "As much as I'd love to lie in bed all day, we have things we need to do."

She felt his body squirm closer to hers as his arms hugged her tighter, unwilling to let go quite yet. She let him hold on for a moment as he gave her one last kiss, his pink tongue darting out and gently caressing the side of her muzzle.

His ears folded back and he looked crestfallen but after a moment she felt his fingers slowly disentangle from her fur and his arms slowly snake away from her body, allowing her to move.

Liz gave him a warm reassuring smile as she sat up in the large bed. She didn't want to move any more than he did but she had things she'd planned to do today, and she was already running late.

"Why don't you get cleaned up while I get breakfast started?" She suggested as the chilly morning air penetrated the warm spot Mikey had created against her body, chilling her skin beneath her fur and sending a shiver up her spine.

Mikey sat up next to her, still sulking as his little body quivered against the cold. His body didn't have an ounce of fat on it and she was sure that he was freezing. She made a note to get him some thick pajamas when they went shopping this morning, as the cold months were just beginning.

She scooted forward and dangled her legs off the bed, allowing her footpads to brush the squishy green carpet beneath them. As she stood up an idea struck her. She turned her head, looking back over her shoulder at the little cub as he sulked.

"Would you like pancakes for breakfast?" She offered, remembering the doctor's lecture on proper diet and trying to remember what fruit she had in the fridge.

Mikey's ears perked up and his mismatched eyes sparkled with excitement as his tail twitched and thumped against the bed. "With syrup?" He asked. His high tenor voice cracking as he spoke.

Liz gave him a fake skeptical expression before saying "Only if you shower really quickly so that we can get going." She smiled, happy to see he was so easily cheered up.

Mikey nodded his head enthusiastically and stood up on the bed. He took a running step and launched himself off the edge, letting out a small yip of excitement as he flew through the air. She smiled, amused by his antics, as he landed with a thump and ran off to the bathroom.

*******************

Mikey came out of the bathroom after his shower wearing his long baggy red shirt, now clean and dry. And the black shorts from yesterday that bunched uncomfortably against his hip. Liz had said she'd get him more clothing today, so it wasn't a big deal. Besides, he was accustomed to wearing the same thing every day.

Liz stood in front of the stove in a light blue bath robe, loosely tied around the waist and gaping open in the front. He took a moment to enjoy the alluring curves of her lithe body before moving on to the pancakes.

His stomach growled and he reminded himself that the word hungry was no longer a bad word. He looked at the fluffy brown disks sitting on the plate, leaning dangerously to one side.

The skin under his fur tingled, as a strange sense of déjà vu spread through his body. He felt a catch in his throat as he remembered the last time he'd had pancakes, he'd not had them since.

He let out a tiny whimper and clenched his eyes closed as the loneliness he'd once been so accustomed to returned, ripping through his chest like a chainsaw. He took a deep breath and tried to force the feelings from his mind. When he opened his eyes again Liz stood with her back to him, turning pancakes on a large griddle and completely unaware of his sudden inner turmoil.

He felt the hollow pain lessen some as a single tear trickled down his cheek. He took a trembling breath as he reminded himself that he had Liz now, a thought that soothed and comforted him greatly.

Liz turned with a smile and noticed Mikey staring at her from across the room. She felt a rush of excitement at his roaming eyes, not realizing that he wasn't actually staring at the exposed white fur of her luscious chest or the sleek red fur of her slender legs.

For the first time she felt relief at not feeling the accompanying twist in her stomach that came from knowing she was exposing herself to Mikey. She needed to talk to him about this whole situation. She understood her feelings now and that made her feel almost giddy with validation and excitement, but there were things they needed to discuss.

She put a large black plate on the island counter next to a matching black bowl full of grapes, a glass mug of milk, a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth and a fork and knife. She pulled a stool out for Mikey to sit down on as he approached.

Rather than climbing the stool she'd pulled out for him, Mike gave the thick cloth rope that tied Liz's robe together a quick tug, and was relieved to see the loose knot slip undone. He suddenly felt like he was going to cry as he tried desperately to hold back the pain in his chest and the flood of tears in his eyes.

Mikey wrapped his arms around Liz's waist. Burrowing his muzzle through the robe to the soft fur of her stomach, he let out a tiny whimper that Liz didn't hear. His wet nose brushed through her fur to her bare skin beneath it as she rested her paws on his head, holding him to her stomach, still unaware that he was close to tears.

When he finally got his emotions under control Mikey began to feel content and complete again. He stood half engulfed in the frizzy blue robe Liz wore with his face held against her body. The sweet smell of soap and the lingering musky sweet smell of her sex filled his nostrils and sent a thrill through his loins while simultaneously washing away the last vestiges of pain from his body.

He was able to breathe again and felt confident that he could speak with out his voice betraying his emotions. "Thank you for the pancakes." He said against her body, feeling extremely grateful for everything she'd done for him, but not quite sure else how to express his gratitude.

Liz smiled broadly at him and made no attempt to keep him from the bare fur beneath her robe. In fact she encouraged it, pulling the robe aside slightly as she combed her fingers through the slick black curls of hair that clung to his skull. She reveled in the myriad of wonderful feelings that coursed through her body. He still seemed a bit upset about having to get out of bed, but she felt proud of him for not throwing a fit and let him nuzzle against her once again.

Mikey let go of her with a content smile and climbed up to the stool as Liz retied her robe in a half-hearted attempt to better cover her self. She gave him a warm smile and turned to the griddle to flip the last batch of pancakes she'd made.

Mikey watched Liz as he munched on the grapes and waited to see if she was going to eat with him or go shower. When she headed off to shower he began to eat quickly, devouring the first two deliciously sweet pancakes in minutes. He ate them drenched in syrup and butter and drank greedily at the mug of milk she'd poured for him, enjoying the fact that the milk lacked the paper box taste school milk had. He surprised himself with how hungry he was as he flopped two more pancakes on his plate.

Half way through his sixth pancake he ran out of milk, only realizing as he tipped the mug back that it was empty. He looked at the fridge and then over at the bathroom door. His ears twitched, catching the whooshing sound of the running shower. Liz had said she could always get more food if they ran out. Would she mind if he got another drink of milk? He decided she wouldn't, remembering her reassuring smile as he'd eaten a total of five hotdogs last night for dinner.

Holding the glass mug in his left paw he leaned forward and swung his legs out in front of him, using the momentum to hop off the stool. He curled his tail up so that it didn't get in the way of his landing, accidentally smacking it against the island with an audible thump. He yelped in surprise and fell forward as his graceful hop off the stool turned to a clumsy fall.

He landed on his toes, but with his tail swished wildly behind him. The move threw his balance off and he stumbled forward, falling to his paws and knees, shattering the glass mug on the ground, against his paw, as he fell to the tile floor.

Pain lanced up his arm as deep red droplets of blood dripped and swirled with the left over milk from the glass mug. He stared in horror at the shards of broken glass. The long slivers sparkled in the light as they scattered and slid across the floor.

Mikey's blood ran cold as he stared at what he'd done, sure that Liz was going to kill him for this. Large droplets of blood continued to run down his fingers and into the puddle of blood and milk on the ground.

It stained the fur of his fingers a deep red and filled the cracks and crevices in his fingernails. He didn't notice as he panicked and tried to come up with a way to hide the broken mug. His heart began to race and he began to gasp for breath as panic filled his mind.

Tears began to trickle down from his eyes, dripping from his cheeks and mixing with the pink puddle on the ground. A throbbing pain began to spread through his paw in time with his racing heart.

He didn't know if he was crying because it hurt, or because he knew Liz would be furious with him over the shattered mug. His ears folded back and he hunched his shoulders, awaiting the blow he was sure was coming as he began to cry in earnest.

Liz stood in the large bathtub that doubled as a shower as the water rained down on her from the massive multi function shower head on the wall. Steam billowed up and over the top of the shower curtain, filling the room with a hot moist heat as she turned around in a circle, rinsing soap from her body.

Across from the tub hung a clean white toilet on a hanger to its right. Next to the toilet stood a large white tile counter top that extended out on either side, with a clean white sink set in the middle. Typical bathroom stuff sat along the back of the counter and a mirror that stretched the length of the counter top hung against the wall.

She rinsed the last of the soap out of the fur on her thigh as the faint sound of a wind chime trilled through the air. She frowned in confusion as her ears perked up. There were no wind chimes in her apartment, and nothing that would make that noise, unless...

She hopped out of the shower and tossed her bathrobe to the floor, creating a cloth bridge between the door and the bath mat she stood on. She swallowed back the concern that welled up in her chest as she walked over to the door. Anxiously opening it enough to stick her head through and shivering as the cold air rushed past her face, chilling her to the bone.

Her stomach lurched to her throat as she saw Mikey squatting down next to the stool he'd been sitting on. His paw was covered in blood and shards of the shattered glass mug that had sounded like a wind chime were scattered across the tile floor.

She moved like a red streak across the apartment until she was at Mikey's side. He turned as she approached, flinching away from her as she leaned down. Liz scooped him up in her arms as she tried desperately not to panic. The worst thing she could do in a situation like this is panic. She told herself over and over as she cradled Mikey in her arms and rushed back to the bathroom, where she kept the First Aid Kit.

She put him down on the long counter in the bathroom and turned on the sink as the initial shock of seeing him crying and bleeding began to recede. The bit of medical training she'd received in school began to kick in.

"It's ok; everything is going to be ok." She said over and over as she checked his palm for broken glass.

She grabbed a white towel from the counter and got it wet in the sink before gently pressing it against the slice in his skin, causing him to whimper and whine in pain.

As she held pressure to the cut in his palm she used her other paw to grab the First Aid kit that she kept under the bathroom sink. Mikey sniffled and whimpered as tears continued to trickle down his fur. He sat hunched over on the counter, making no attempt to seek comfort from her as he cried.

The bleeding began to subside as she continued to apply pressure and after further inspection of the cut Liz let out a deep sigh of relief. The cut was long, but shallow. She removed the bottle of liquid skin from her First Aid kit and after wiping the cut with some numbing antibacterial swabs; she gently painted the liquid skin on with the little brush in the cap, effectively gluing the cut back together.

Mikey sniffled as he hunched over on himself, still waiting for the blow he was sure would come. As Liz finished putting the stuff in the little glass bottle on his paw, his body tensed up, sure that the yelling was about to start. His lip quivered and his ears folded in closer to his head as fear and sadness washed over him.

"I'm sorry about the mug." He whined as he hunched his shoulders and leaned away from Liz. His heart raced as panic and fear took a firm hold, whipping his mind into a frenzy of horrible memories.

Punishment after punishment flashed through his mind. The time he'd burned the pan and his Mom had spanked him with it, the time she'd put her cigarette out on his thigh for getting grass stains on his new shorts.

One reoccurring memory flashed endlessly through his mind. The time she'd spanked him with her belt for breaking the gravy carafe last thanksgiving. She had been livid and he could almost feel the sharp lashing pain slice across his bottom and back as he thought about it, causing him to cry harder.

He flinched away as Liz wrapped her arms around him, hugging him gently and making him feel even worse. He deserved whatever punishment she gave him and he whimpered softly as he dreaded and accepted the blow that he was sure was coming.

Liz hugged Mikey against her chest, relief flooding through her body. The cut wasn't nearly as bad as she'd first thought and wouldn't require stitches. She kissed his forehead, right on the black patch of fur between his eyes as she said. "It's just a mug sweetheart, I'm not mad."

She felt Mikey's shoulders relax very slightly against her and he almost began to lean into her body as his ears perked up slightly.

"You're not going to hit me?" he asked softly as he sniffed and wiped his nose against the fur on his arm.

Liz pulled back from Mikey as her muzzle fell open in shock, her mind reeling at his question as he knees went weak. She couldn't possibly imagine what would give him that idea but as she leaned back he flinched away from her. He was serious, and the realization sent a violent wrench through her stomach.

"I would never hit you!" She said.

Confusion flashed across Mikey's face as she hugged him tighter. She nuzzled his neck and gave him one of their special kisses, her tongue barely brushing his muzzle in a tender caress. "I love you, and I would never do that, even if I was mad."

He looked at her for a second before his body finally slumped against hers in relief. The tension in his body washed out of him as he leaned heavily against her, nuzzling her neck and giving her a kiss in return. Tears continued to trick down into the fur on his cheek but after only a few moments they slowed and stopped, leaving the silver white fur under his eyes wet and disheveled.

Mikey let out a deep sigh as he looked up at the pained expression on Liz's face, feeling a fresh wave of tears threaten to flood his eyes. These weren't tears of pain or fear; they were tears of love and relief and as he calmed down and began to think clearly he wondered what would make him think Liz would be like his Mom.

The silence in the room was deafening as Mikey relaxed and Liz continued to fight the urge to be sick. She couldn't believe that he actually thought she would hit him, and as she tried to understand why he would think that, a burning dread began to spread through her body.

"Who hit you?" She finally choked out. She felt a stab of pain in her chest, fearing she already knew the answer to her question and fearing his response.

Mikey looked at her for a second and wrapped his tail around her waist "Mom, she used a belt some times." He whispered. He'd never told anybody that before and his first reaction was to lie. But what harm could it do?

The response was like a punch in the stomach to Liz and the sudden wave of nausea and dizziness that took a hold of her nearly caused her to throw up. How had she missed this during all of those visits to his home? She would never have guessed that Mrs. Williams was violent, negligent definitely, but violent! The idea tore at her chest, as tears flooded her eyes.

Liz began to cry softly as anguish washed over her, crashing over her body and slowly drawing her down to a cold black pit of despair. She'd failed miserably at her job and as a result she'd left a cub in a home with a negligent and violent parent. The fact that she'd left Mikey in that situation was even worse and she began to cry harder as she hugged Mikey tightly to her chest, trying to find the words to beg his forgiveness and apologize.

She cried for a time, until the feeling of Mikey's warm tongue stroking her muzzle and cheek began to pull her back towards the light of day. Her blurry eyes focused on his own concerned mismatched eyes as he nuzzled her again. The pure innocence and love in his eyes made her cry even harder.

She slumped against his body as he nuzzled her again and again. "Please don't cry." Mikey whined. The anguish and pain in her chest threatened to crush her with its weight, but she began to press it back as a note of hysteria crept into Mikey's voice, alerting her to the fact that she was scaring him.

"I'm sorry I didn't take you away long ago." She sobbed. Liz struggled to take control of her emotions. The amount of effort it took to regain control was staggering, leaving her exhausted. After a few deep breaths and a lot of struggling, she managed to regain control of herself. She forced the pain back for Mikey, pressing it down into the pit of despair as she clung hopelessly to the feeling of love that flickered in her chest.

Mikey took a deep breath and peeked up at Liz, unsure if it was a good idea to ask the question he wanted answered. She'd told him never to be afraid of asking her something, or telling her something.

"Would you be mad at me if I said I wasn't?" He asked. His voice came out barely above a whisper and his face began to heat with embarrassment, adding a very faint red hue to the silver white fur of his cheeks and ears.

He shifted on the counter as Liz blinked at him, a blank expression on her face. Pivoting on his bottom, he shifted until he had a leg on either side of her hips. Sitting on the counter made him as tall as Liz was and she felt his legs curl around her waist as his thin chest settled between her breasts.

"What if you'd taken me away after the first visit and found a home for me?" He asked softly.

Mikey felt apprehensive and nuzzled Liz's neck as she looked at him. She wasn't responding and it was making him nervous. His words sounded strange, even to him, but they felt right as well and as he said them he realized he meant it.

"I wouldn't be here now." He continued.

Liz felt his thighs and arms squeeze her tightly, emphasizing what he meant by here. Mikey's words sent twin waves of love and pain crashing through her body. The true depths of his love for her shown through in his words and Liz simply wrapped her arms around Mikey's little body and hugged him tightly, as she stood there speechless.

They stood there until Liz's fur began to dry. She began to wrestle with what she needed to do next as the unsettling feelings she'd pushed down to her stomach began to boil back over. She needed to call Allen, but she needed to confirm what she'd been told.

She cleared her throat and leaned away from Mikey. "I need to see your back." She said, in a shaky voice. Mikey looked at her curiously, but leaned sideways and pulled his shirt up and over the top of his head with a paw.

The silver white fur that grew down his back looked perfectly smooth at first glance, but as she took a step sideways and leaned in to get a closer look at the base of his tail and lower back she began to notice tiny tufts of fur that didn't quite lay flat, creating very faint shadows along the waistline of his shorts.

His fur was all the same color, making it near to impossible to pick out the imperfections in the way his fur grew, but as she combed her fingers through his fur and pulled it to the side she saw thin puckered red scars that crisscrossed his skin.

She let out a tiny whimper of sadness, feeling the blood drain from her face as she closed her eyes. She didn't want to see any more and she'd seen enough to confirm her fears. She pulled his shirt back down over his back as she began to feel nauseous again.

She patted his back and hugged him back to her chest, realizing for the first time since the ordeal began that she was still completely naked from her shower. She wondered how awkward it would have been to be naked in front of him for the first time while she tried to fix his cut.

Liz looked down at the bathrobe that was now balled up on the ground near the door, realizing what she'd have done if she'd not been so comfortable being naked around Mikey. She shrugged it off with a sigh; her newfound uncertainty in her ability to make decisions made her question her feelings.

Mikey watched curiously from the counter as Liz got back into the shower and finished cleaning up. Now that he was back to his normal happy self, he realized she was naked. He was surprised to find that his heart began to beat faster and there was a warm tingling sensation in his loins. He'd expected those things to go away now that he'd seen her naked. The fact that they didn't made him excited and he felt the familiar itch return, he ignored it, finding that his thing only grew a bit as his eyes feasted on the sights of Liz showering.

He helped comb and blow dried her fur and hair, brushing and working it to a magnificent sheen. When she was done she dressed in a pair of white panties with a heart across the front and a white bra with scroll on the cups that followed the sharp curve of her breast. She wore a light blue pull over shirt over the bra and a pair of black slacks that hugged her hips tightly and flared out around her ankles.

The entire time she seemed cheerful, but distracted and Mikey felt a nagging concern in the pit of his stomach, he worried that she was still upset with him over the mug. Twinges of pain spread through his paw as he examined the irritating stuff she'd put along the cut. Every time he moved his hand it tugged at his skin and he found that it was already beginning to itch underneath.

Liz slid her arms around Mikey's waist and picked him up to help him off the counter but as she lifted she felt his legs snake around her waist and felt his weight shift so that he was hanging on to her. He really was very small for his age and she found that she could carry him with out too much trouble as he laid his head against her shoulder.

She carried him back into the kitchen and put him back on his stool, before turning to grab the broom and dustpan she kept beside the fridge. Liz picked up the glass shards, being careful not to cut herself on the razor-sharp pieces of glass and marveling at how much worse the cut in Mikey's paw could have been. The shards were like daggers and any one of them was long enough to have sliced clear through his little paw.

"We need to get you to school." She said to Mikey as she tied a knot in the trash bag with the glass in it and put it in the trash bin that stood against one side of the island.

She looked over at him, trying to gauge his reaction. His teacher had been the initial whistle-blower to Cub Services and after all the things she'd gotten wrong on his case, she wondered if her assumptions about his schooling were also incorrect.

She felt that same deep darkness boiling up in her stomach as regret washed through her. The entire experience shook her confidence to her core, making her question every judgment call she'd made recently.

Mikey's stomach dropped to his toes as the one word Liz could say to make him feel worse than he'd felt about the mug, echoed in his ears. They folded back as he swallowed, unable to meet her soft loving gaze.

"Umm" He said. "I kind of got suspended." His voice coming out barely above a whisper. His tail hung limply behind him and his ears folded back into his black curly hair. Liz noticed him flinch away from her very slightly, but he made no other attempt to move away from her.

"Why?" Liz asked as she suppressed the surprise she felt. As much as he liked to read and as smart as he was, she'd suspected him to be the book-worm type, not the suspended type.

Words began tumbling out of Mikey's mouth as he tried to explain the entire situation all at once. "Dillon pushed Nick first, so I pushed Dillon, and then we started fighting, but when the recess monitors came they wouldn't listen to me and the principle doesn't like me anyway. She's had it out for me since I put a snake in her office."

His mismatched eyes widened to the size of saucers as Mikey realized he'd admitted the last bit out loud. Nobody knew the snake was him. Most of the school had their suspicions, including his Principle Mrs. French, but nobody could pin it to him.

Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise as she fought the urge to smile at the adorable expression on his face. This was a serious matter, and she needed to handle it just right. A cold twist of pain shot through her stomach as she realized he'd probably already been severely punished once for this. She questioned whether or not she was capable of making this decision, but pushed her feelings to the back of her mind.

"How long did they suspend you for?" She asked, as she tried to buy time while she figured out what to do. It sounded like he was suspended for fighting, which meant he would be suspended for three or four days at the most.

Mikey shrugged and swallowed as anxiety filled his chest and turned his stomach. He'd thought suspension was great until now. He saw the look of disappointment in Liz's eyes and resolved to do better in school.

Liz watched him squirm uncomfortably on the stool for a time as she determined the best course of action. She decided to simply tell him the truth and hoped it was enough. She immediately questioned her decision, wondering if she was making a bad choice.

Liz stepped forward slowly until she was standing where she'd been when she'd put him on the stool. Drawing her arms around him and pulling her close to her body she could feel the heat of his body against her own.

"We'll get it all worked out. But I want you to promise that you won't get in any more trouble." Mikey nodded emphatically and opened his mouth to speak but she spoke before he could get a word out.

"It's important, Mikey: If the court system feels that I can't control you, they will put you in a different foster home." She let the feelings of pain and anguish she felt at the prospect of losing him wash over her face.

Leaning in, Liz touched her nose to his and then rested her muzzle against his. "I don't want to lose you." She whispered, pain filling her voice as looked him in the eyes. She saw understanding and love all mixed together with a pain she didn't understand.

"I promise." Mikey whispered. "I don't want to lose you either." The words struck a cord in his heart; touching on long buried feelings that Liz new nothing about, making him want to scream in pain and agony. He buried his face against Liz's shoulder and began to cry.