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Travis had spent the rest of the afternoon being cuddled in a Chakat pile. His adrenaline withdrawal had passed, and he was mostly back to normal. Serenity had stayed by his side the entire time. Hir warm fur and comforting purr kept him grounded. Even his mind couldn't wander off to dark places. There was just too much happiness and love flowing in and around him to let that happen. He had ended up snuggled into hir bosom towards the end of the day. Being held like that released tension that had been growing since the accident. Both held onto the other as their rock. Travis loved it. He kicked himself several times for thinking that this was something less than what it truly was. He was loved by the Dancing Lights Clan. He shouldn't be worrying about his place.

During this cuddle time, Serenity had thought long and hard about hir Companion. His bravery was admirable. That shi would not deny. To have him nearly throw his life away did cause some concern. Shi knew that it was something ingrained in him during his time as a mercenary. Duty before self was a saying that hir aunt always repeated when people asked hir why shi joined Star Fleet. Shi didn't want Travis to give up his life so soon, though. They were supposed to have many years together. Shi would have been devastated if he hadn't returned to hir.

As the working day ended, the rest of the clan made their way home. Sequoia came home first and was surprised that Marathon called hir over. When Sequoia saw the state hir denmate's Companion was in, shi understood why shi was needed. Shi cuddled behind Travis and squished him between Serenity and hirself. Sequoia nuzzled both before gently asking what had happened. Serenity gave the rundown of the story as best shi could. Sequoia was amazed at Travis' bravery but did add in a smack to Travis' head.

“You fool! Do you not realize how we would feel if you were lost to us?!" Shi pressed hirself to his back as Serenity brought both closer. Both of them were not happy with his decisions but were glad that he was safe.

Travis tried to deflect by saying, “You would have gotten over it in time. I'm not that important."

“Alright," Serenity said with some finality. “That's enough about that!" Shi pulled Travis back enough to get his face free from hir bosom. Shi looked over to Sequoia and continued, “I think he needs to be punished. What do you think, Seq?"

“I can agree with that. Smothering?"

“Smothering," Serenity agreed. Shi took his head and shoved him back where he had been moments before. Sequoia used hir own breasts to wrap him in a haven of flesh. They continued to cuddle like that. After a while, they did let him up. He was majorly blushing as they grinned at him. He gave a few nervous coughs as he looked away in embarrassment. The smile he had was small and honest.

“Well," he started to say. “Is it really punishment when I enjoy it so much?" They laughed together at the joke. Diamond had decided to get another hug into his back. As shi leaned against him, Serenity brought hir hands up to his face and laughed with him.

Shi said to him, “Maybe, maybe not. Whenever you want to be smothered, just let me know. I'll let you play with my girls." Travis' blushed increased to a nice red. His eyes bulged in shock and wonder as Serenity accentuated that with a slight jiggle. Diamond leaned hir head over his shoulder and gave a snicker.

“Shi's beautiful, isn't shi?" Diamond said to him. “Go on, lover boy. Go get hir." Shi pushed him into Serenity who caught him easily. Shi grinned down at him then gave him a kiss. The Clan gave their enthusiastic support.

As time passed, the rest of the Clan started to arrive home. Braveheart was the last to arrive. Once shi was home, the Clan decided to get pizza since no one was up for cooking. Even Sequoia wasn't fully up to help Marathon cook. They spent time together as family. Travis loved every minute being with these wonderful people. The stray thought of moving closer or with these people came back stronger than ever. The more he spent time with this family, the more he wanted to stay with them. He hoped one day that could be reality.

During dinner, they got a message from Gearbox. Shi had given them the rest of the week off due to the events on Orion. They were expected to return to work on Firstday next week. It would take maintenance several days to repair and troubleshoot the warp core. This accident, while not unprecedented, bode ill for the program. Shi wanted the team to relax and recover from the incident before tackling all the paperwork that would be required. There was plenty of work waiting for them when they got back in the saddle. Travis just hoped that he would be clear from the fallout. He didn't want to be investigated by the Federation Transportation Safety Board. That could cause problems.

Since the rest of the week was free, Serenity asked if he would like to spend time with them. He agreed, of course. He had questions he needed to ask but was unsure how he should ask them. He was hoping to use the time given to figure that out. There was also the implicit date that Baiyoshay wanted. He had to bring that up as well. He was being stretched way too thin with all this. He had hoped that he could figure this out but found that the mountain he wanted to climb was filled with traps and cliffs. He needed to tread carefully. He would have to bring it up at some point. He just hoped things would work out for him.

The pizza was from a local shop the family had found when they moved to Azure Beach. It was family-owned and run. There were several other locations in Amistad and one mini location in Gateway. It was the same shop that Serenity had mentioned that the warp core team would go to every so often. Travis' favorite was one that Serenity and Diamond seemed to enjoy. Pepperoni, sausage, black olives, and pineapples were the perfect combination of salty and sweet. The stuffed crust they added was an enjoyable addition as well. Overall, Travis was having an amazing meal with good people.

After the meal, everyone went to the family room to enjoy some togetherness and mutual support. Travis ended up being Lapis' cuddle buddy as shi held Mr. Splash. Diamond was also a little more affectionate, sitting beside him and playing with Lapis. Everyone else took positions around and started talking amongst themselves. The conversations were wholesome as they discussed plans. He couldn't exactly get an accurate read, but he was sure that Serenity was still miffed at him. He guessed that shi didn't like the idea that he would have died. He wished he could tell hir that he wouldn't throw his life away needlessly.

The night was growing long, and it was time for bed. The Clan had decided to sleep in their own homes for the night. Serenity had discussed with hir housemates to offer their sleeping space to Travis. Kairen and Amethyst were all for it. Sequoia's answer was to grab him and start dragging him along out the door. Travis nervously laughed along while trying to not fall onto his rear end. Lapis and Diamond quickly got hugs out from him before Braveheart and Marathon came over to give their encouragement for his bravery. They hoped that he would not be forced into another situation like that any time soon. He agreed with them. The next thing he knew, he was at Serenity's.

For being Human, Travis was getting more and more used to Chakona's nudity laws. It was still embarrassing to be outside sans clothes. He'd have to wait for laundry to be done. That wasn't much of a priority right now, but he was willing to forgo till he needed to head home just like last time. He hoped that they would be okay with that. He was sure that they wouldn't care. He would focus on that instead. There was also the fact that they put him in the middle of their little group. He felt safe and secure in their presence. He knew that no harm would come to him if he was among these people.

They entered the house ready for a good night's sleep. They were already moving for the sleeping mats. They gathered themselves into their family room with pillows and a blanket for Travis. Not that he would need it. With four furred bodies surrounding him, he would be toasty warm. Travis was fortunate that these people were allowing him to stay the night. Trying to travel in wet clothes was the last thing he wanted to do. He had done that before, and the whole experience was miserable. He'd never do that again if he could help it. He'd spent so many nights in a wet jungle marching and fighting.

Travis went to sleep that night in relative peace at first. His adoptive family was with him, and he didn't need to worry about a thing. However, his brain had other plans. His mind was plagued with nightmares from his past life. The sounds of phaser fire, plasma explosions, and the screams of the dying. The phantom pains from being shot, stabbed, and blown up. The mental torture he went through while a prisoner. Everything that he had gone through raced through his mind. His mind was forcing him to relive all his horrors as a by-product. Getting that adrenaline rush activated his muscle memory. He couldn't escape his dreams, so he screamed into the void.

---

The dreamscape is supposed to be a place where the mind processes things. Memories of the day, things it had learned, and emotions it had experienced. Dreams were meant to catalogue everything into its proper place. There were times during childhood where the brain went to dark places. Fear and uncertainty could rule unimpeded. Dark visions of monsters and peril that only the imagination could produce. Normally, children grow out of these nightmares. That didn't mean that adults weren't susceptible; it just wasn't considered normal.

Travis first knew he was in a nightmare when he saw the desert streets and rubble. The two rotting bodies lying there were proof of where his mind had taken him. The red tinge of the afternoon sun gave an oppressive heat that didn't stop the chill he felt. The stink of decomposing flesh made his eyes water. His feet started to move on their own accord toward the two. As he got closer, he noticed the wounds both had. They matched with what he remembered from that time.

The smaller body, a Human boy no older than ten, had three burn marks where the plasma bolts had hit him. Two to the chest, one to the head. A perfect combat takedown. The Human woman was riddled with more burnt holes than her son. Her body and face had been completely torn apart after a comrade had let loose a torrent of plasma from a light machine gun. They were lying next to each other exactly as they had fallen all those years ago. As he stood above them, something in the atmosphere changed. The nightmare got worse. Way worse.

The boy moved. His hand reached out and grabbed Travis' ankle. The glowing red eyes that stared back were filled with hatred and evil. His mouth opened to show a horrific maw filled with sharpened teeth. This thing, whatever it was, hissed at him. Travis tried to step away but the hand that held him kept him still. He fell to his rear end in shock. The boy started to crawl toward him. His mother also rose from her supposed death and turned her own red eyes to him. A single word was hissed out from both.

“ MURDERER!!!" The call was demonic, a growl that shook him to his very soul. Travis screamed as his free foot came up. A solid kick to the face snapped the neck with a resounding crack. He thought that would have freed him. That thought was dispelled when the boy's head turned back to him. That mouth opened once more to scream again.

“ DECIEVER!!!" The boy leaped onto Travis' chest. The claws pierced his skin and drew blood. The pain was immense, fit to drive one mad. Training took over from deep within the fight response. Several precision strikes freed him from the boy attacking him. Travis quickly got to his feet and defended himself from the mother. Her rage was palpable as she tried to rip his throat out. He was able to push the mother away and into the boy. With the path clear, he turned to run away. He got two steps before an ungodly sound came from behind. He risked a glance. What he saw was something one would only see in a zombie apocalypse movie.

A horde of the undead were chasing him. Each one a face he remembered from his time as a mercenary. Each person that he had killed was after him. There were also faces that had been allies at one point. He saw old friends and colleagues that had died in service with him. They were the ones he had failed to save, people that were dead because of his decisions and actions. He had let them down, and now they were looking for their pound of flesh. Fresh tears pricked his eyes as he turned back to escape. He had to wake from this nightmare. He had to get away.

He took turn after turn trying to outmaneuver the horde. He could hear them gaining on him, so he tried a few tricks he had learned. He climbed onto several buildings, jumped over gaps, and overall kept himself mobile. He couldn't slow down, or they'd catch him. He didn't know exactly what they would do to him but was sure that it wouldn't be a pleasant experience. Since avoiding these monsters would be his best option, he put on the speed and slid around a turn. What he saw on the end of the street gave him hope.

“Guys! Help me, please!" The Dancing Lights Clan and Baiyoshay were there, waiting for him. He was so happy to see them. Sanctuary was just down the street. He just had to run to them, and he'd be safe. They were the safe harbor in a storm. He just had to reach them. That's when he noticed that when he tried to run to them, the further they seemed to get. He was experiencing Zeno's Paradox. One by one, they started to turn their backs on him. First Braveheart, then Marathon. Kairen, Amethyst, Diamond, Lapis, Sequoia. Each once turned away and started to walk into the light. Baiyoshay looked away in disgust before hy too started to walk away.

“Wait, no! Please! Guys?!" Serenity was the only one left, staring at him in anger and disgust. Hir muzzle turned to a snarl that broke his heart. He reached out to Serenity in hopes that shi would reach out to him. Shi never did. Shi pulled further away from him, turning hir head to look away.

“Monster." That one word made him skid to a halt. The shock he felt was something that crushed him harder than anything. The tears flew harder as he realized that his worst fears were being realized. He was being rejected. He was losing his family. He was being left alone.

“No, Ren! I'm not a monster!"

“Liar. Deceiver! I don't want anything more to do with you." He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He didn't even react when the horde ran into his back. His face planted into the ground as one of them started ripping into his back. He screamed as the pain hit him again. He wanted to fight back, but it just wasn't in him. He cried out to the one person he thought loved him. He couldn't believe this was happening.

“Ren, wait! I love you! Please, don't leave me!"

“I hate you, monster. May your soul rot in the deepest of hells. Do with him what you will." Shi turned away from him. He watched in horror and fury as shi walked away into the light. The darkness started encroaching as new energy seemed to infuse him. He tried to fight back, but it was too late. He was captured. He wouldn't be escaping from this.

“Ren! Ren! I'm sorry! Please!" He was flipped onto his back. There, staring at him from above, was the face of his mother. The burnt and mangled husk that he had once thought would protect him in his youth. The bitch who sided with his father. The same bastard that had threatened him with disownment after beating Travis to an inch of his life. He had taken that badly. To such an extent that he had taken a very drastic measure. His dad had been a bomb maker, and Travis had a natural talent with electronics and explosives. Travis had rigged a bomb to kill his asshole of a father. It ended up catching his mother instead. That was the day he ran away from home and from his abusive sperm donor.

“ So, my son had decided to lay with an animal! How low you have fallen! I think you need to be punished!" Travis was able to get one good punch into his mother's visage. It did feel a little good to give a good knuckle sandwich. She returned his strike with her own. The blow dazed him which allowed her to get a hold on his neck. The fingers around his throat constricted painfully. He couldn't breathe. “ Naughty boy! Don't you know it's not nice to hit your mother?! Your father will be sure to hear of this!" The darkness was now consuming his vision. He couldn't get her fingers away from his windpipe. He was losing consciousness. He'd pass out soon. After that, he would be dead. It would be a release from the hell he had been put through.

He was able to gasp out, “Serenity…" with his last breath. His mother's face turned absolutely rageful and putrid. Spittle tinged red with blood spewed from her maw as she screamed one final word in his face. Thousands of other voices called out with hers. Judgement had been passed on him.

“ FAILURE!!!" Yet, out of the chorus of angry demonic yelling, he saw a single person appear in the blood red sky. It was a Chakat but was an odd looking one. Fur as black as midnight covered hir from nose to tail. Hir headfur had been shaved down to the roots. Across hir whole body was white paint outlining the bones in hir body. A white skull was painted on hir face, giving hir somewhat of a voodoo practitioner, or a Norse warrior. Shi came down from the sky like an avenging angel.

Hir voice pierced the darkness. A voice he hadn't heard in a while. The last voice he had talked to before he stepped off the shuttle craft on Gateway to start his new life on Chakona. An old friend, one he had hurt when he refused to look at hir when they separated. One he thought would have forgotten him easily. He didn't know why shi was in this nightmare hellscape but was grateful shi was. As hir voice rang out, the demons around him recoiled. Shi said a name that he hadn't heard in a long time.

“Hazard!" Then, everything went black. A comforting warmth filled him as everything seemed to drain away. It felt like the warm embrace from a mother to her child. Travis could equate it to when he had woken in Braveheart's arms. There was not a sound to be heard. No zombie horde, no screams of rage. Sweet silence. Peace.

---

Travis woke up that morning in a cold sweet. His breath came back in ragged gasps as his body reacted to the threat his mind had conjured. He looked around to find the threat but found only the Dancing Lights Clan. At least, the members of the second household. Serenity and Sequoia were using him as a teddy bear while Amethyst and Kairen were cuddling each other. No matter how much Travis wished he could, the feeling from the nightmare wouldn't go away. He had to get away. He had to be alone.

He pulled himself out of Sequoia and Serenity's arms with some ease. Both were dead asleep. He slipped out the room with barely a whisper. He went downstairs to the kitchen and hot himself a glass of water. He took a seat at the island with his glass in hand. He quietly sipped it as he tried to calm his nerves. Reliving those memories took a lot out of him. His mental state was not in a good place. He was shuddering slightly as the cold sweat persisted. He was sure that he had PTSD, but never really got a handle on it. He probably should. However, he wasn't keen on going through all that. He'd rather suffer alone and in silence. It was the only thing he could do to spare those he cared for.

As he was beating himself up for his perceived failure, Serenity was waking upstairs. Shi gave a cute yawn before sitting up. Hir routine had hir give a quick look at hir bedmates to do a headcount. Shi quickly noticed that hir Human was not in bed. A quick empathy scan of the house told hir that Travis was still nearby. Shi relaxed the tension that had grown and stood from the bed. Shi gave a few more stretches to get the kinks out as shi headed out the bedroom. Shi found him on the back porch, back facing towards hir. He was gazing into the sky that showed the barest hint of light. There was no way shi couldn't miss how tense he was. Something must have spooked him during the night. Shi knew he could have nightmares from his previous life. There was some hope that he would have taken care of himself. From the response he had going on, it seemed that didn't happen.

Shi padded silently up to his side and placed an arm around him. He tensed even harder. The cords of his muscles protruded out as he hunched lower into himself. He was pulling away from hir. He wanted to reach out to hir. His fears of codependence came back. He realized that if he didn't fix his mental state soon, he would effectively lose hir. He needed to take care of himself before he dragged hir into his mud pit.

“Sugar? Are you alright?"

He sighed, “I don't know." He didn't elaborate much further on it. He wanted to crawl into a corner and die. The frustration that he couldn't open up to hir burned him. For hir own safety, he had to find ways to cope. Forcing someone not qualified to deal with his issues was putting pressure on them to be something they can't. He wouldn't do that to Serenity.

Serenity was aghast at his attitude. There was so much he wasn't saying that shi knew needed to be said. Travis was suffering and wouldn't let hir help. Incense didn't even describe half of the anger shi knew was bubbling up. Yet, shi knew that Travis wasn't doing this out of malicious intent. He was too kind to be that cruel. This was all about him wanting to be independent and not bother hir with his problems. Shi remembered him saying he didn't want to be codependent. Shi knew that kind of relationship was draining and could ruin what they had. Shi also knew that a good relationship required communication. There was a balance that had to be maintained, and he was swinging to the side of not communicating.

“I know what you are trying to do." Travis felt even more shame and despair wash over him. If shi knew, then shi would try to get involved. He didn't want that. He was supposed to deal with this himself. “I also know why. But I'm here to support you. That means I'm here to listen and help you when you need it." He shook his head at hir. Shi wasn't prepared for this, and neither was he. It would hurt them both.

“Ren, I appreciate you wanting to help, but I have to do this on my own."

“Why? Is it that secret you can't tell me?"

“No, it's that stupid. It's a Human issue. You shouldn't have to deal with it." Serenity seemed to get angrier. Hir arms crossed over hir chest as a slight growl came up. Hir tail started to swish in anger. Hir ears folded back to hir skull. He felt hir rage start to boil over. Shi had lost some of hir empathy control and was bleeding out. He was on thin ice.

“Well, we're dealing with it whether you like it or not. This problem has to be addressed. Now, either you talk to me, or I'll send Amy after you. Shi's a licensed therapist and a telepath. Shi'll help you fix those issues before they ruin our relationship." Travis had stopped and stared at hir. His face was as shocked as hirs was angry. When shi noticed his face was locked in horror, hir rage started to dissipate. “Sugar?"

“Amy's a telepath? You're sure?" That was a weird reaction from him. Shi didn't know why Amy's telepathy was the block he had. The more shi learned about him, the less shi felt shi knew. There were parts of him that were starting to come out as they interacted.

“Yeah, I'd think I would know what my sister could do. It's helped hir in hir career field many times. Why? Does that bother you?" Travis blinked several times. He screwed his eyes shut to keep himself from exposing his true thoughts. Amethyst had not given him any reason to question hir intentions. There was no need to think shi was rummaging around in his head.

“No, not a bother. Just make sure Amy understands that my mind is my sanctuary." He motioned to his head as he tried to temper his fears. Things would work out if his secrets remained his. Amethyst had been honest with him so far. He hoped that honesty would not later hurt hir or the Clan. “I've got things up here that shi can't know. Bad things could happen if shi did. Shi needs to stay out for the Clan's safety." Serenity acquiesced to that statement. With his past as a mercenary, shi was sure there were plenty of things he knew that shouldn't be brought up. Amethyst was not one to go stinking hir muzzle into things shi shouldn't.

“I'll be sure to advise hir. We're getting off topic, though." Travis nodded and blew out a shaky breath. He knew shi was too smart to be distracted by his feeble attempts. Honesty is the best policy, especially with a Chakat. “Sugar, I want to be your partner in life. I can't do that unless you talk to me."

“I know that, Ren," Travis responded as a hand scratched the back of his head. “I just don't want to be a burden. My problems should be mine alone."

“Wrong. Your problems are our problems. We will face them together." The sincerity of hir words broke through the clouds that had gathered. He couldn't hide any longer behind them. Nothing would be hidden from each other if Serenity had any say on the situation. Life would get a lot more complicated after this juncture.

“I'm worried about the future," he finally admitted. Serenity didn't say anything, but shi did offer a steady rock that he could lean on. “I'm also worried about hurting you, Sequoia, and Baiyoshay. I don't know if I'm cut out for a poly relationship."

Serenity asked, “Why would you say that?" Travis fought to gain the words to describe what he was feeling. Life had thrown him into the deep end without a life jacket. The sea of uncertainty was threatening to overtake him. Serenity was providing a somewhat safe harbor.

“Ren, I've known you for a grand total of three Chakonan weeks. Almost thirty days. I felt that we were going fast, but I attributed that to you being a Chakat. Now, there are possibly two other beings wanting a deeper relationship with me. I don't know why, or how. I didn't want a problem to crop up between us because of that."

“Are you worried I would be angry?"

“I'm worried about disrespecting you. We've been Companions for a short while. Should I really try to bring more people in when we haven't even established our boundaries? Should I pursue Sequoia even though shi is your denmate?" Serenity got a pensive and knowing look. The whole situation became clear with those admissions. Shi was a little surprised those were the problems that he was musing over.

“Sugar, Seq likes you. I bet you shi'd be thrilled if you were considering getting to know hir better. I bet Baiyoshay would feel the same." Travis sighed deeply. He had forgotten one crucial aspect of all Chakats and Chakat-kin. Their compersion would suggest that him finding both Sequoia and Baiyoshay attractive would be a good thing. He rubbed his temples as a slight headache started to form.

“I forget about your lack of jealousy. Should have known you'd see it as a good thing."

“Of course, it's a good thing! Love should be embraced and celebrated. I would love for you and Seq to grow closer. That would make this little portion of our family all the more intimate. And I like Baiyo. I think hy will be a great addition to our family." Well, he couldn't disagree with that. He recalled the day when he, Serenity, and Sequoia enjoyed a nice morning together. He was growing to really like Sequoia. If boundaries were respected, there shouldn't be any problem. That was the hope at least.

“That's not the point, though. I'm loosely committed to you. I can't go wandering when we have only been Companions for two weeks."

“That doesn't matter," shi retorted. “We've been talking so much during that time; I feel like we've known each other for years. Sugar, why are you being so stubborn?" That question hit something inside that Travis was sure was his guilt button. He held firm, though. There was no reason for him to let that guilt keep him from establishing a boundary.

“I want to focus on us, Ren. Our relationship. I don't know if I can juggle so many people at once. I'm bound to hurt someone."

“That's why I'm here to help. I can guide you. Why do you think I can maintain all my relationships? I'm mated to Sequoia, and Kairen is my Companion. And now, I have you. I think I've been able to juggle all three of you quite effectively."

“It's different for me, Ren! I'm only Human!"

“So what? I also know several Humans who are—"

“Not relevant!" Travis shouted. He wasn't loud enough to wake the house, but just enough to get the point across. Shi just wasn't understanding him at all.

“Then what is relevant? Help me understand, sugar." While shi was slightly frustrated, shi could tell that this was taking a lot of willpower to confess. He was putting everything on the line. In response, shi held back on hir anger and instead focused on getting Travis the support he needed. He reached up and gripped his hair. He was losing ground. He'd soon be out of excuses if this keeps up. He had to make Serenity realize the problem.

“It's me! I'm the problem! There are so many different things wrong with me. I'm jealous that you can freely love people so easily and that you have a family that loves you as well. I'm frustrated with myself for being so insecure about being with you." He fell to his knees as his emotions overcame him. The bottled-up insecurities he had been trying to hide from hir came out all at once. The self-loathing he thought was going away came back and slammed him hard.

“Oh, sugar…" Serenity went down as well. The scene was reminiscent of the day shi first asked him to be hir Companion. Too similar. This could make or break them. Serenity was determined that this would be the catalyst to let them grow. Travis, though, was certain this would ruin everything.

“I've made so many mistakes," he told hir quietly as shi held him. “Because of them, I felt like I couldn't find love. Then you came along and showed me how wrong I was. I wanted forgiveness for my sins, and you gave that to me. Yet, I'm Human. Flawed. Weak." Hir hands rubbed his hair as he confessed to his mental struggles. There was so much left that he had to reveal. So many issues that needed to be addressed. “I'm not worthy to be your Companion."

During this conversation, the others in the house had awakened to start their day. Sequoia had gotten up first, an unusual occurrence. Usually, Kairen was up after Serenity. Checking the time, Sequoia saw that Kairen should be up in about ten minutes. Deciding to let the 'Kat sleep, shi moved to the bathroom. Shi took a quick shower, got hirself dry, then found some clothes to wear for the day. Shi made hir way downstairs to hear something shi didn't think possible.

Travis and Serenity were on the back porch holding on to each other. Travis had tears stinging his eyes. Serenity's tail was thrashing slightly. The whole scene was peculiar. Sequoia heard Travis mumble something about not being worthy. Instantly shi could tell that whatever he said had hurt Serenity. Serenity's drooping tail and pulled back ears were enough of a signal for Sequoia.

Sequoia was about to intervene when Serenity started saying something in his ear. It was rapid and intense. This was a conversation that Sequoia knew were for them and them alone. Shi padded silently away to avoid announcing hir presence. That was when Kairen came down. Shi greeted Sequoia with a yawn but was shushed. Sequoia pointed to the couple outside. Kairen nodded knowingly at the implied order. They went to the kitchen to start on breakfast before the workday started for them.

Serenity had known for a long time that Travis had some mental problems. Whether those problems were from a mental illness, abuse, or something else, shi didn't care. All shi was interested in wat to make sure hir Companion felt loved, desired, and wanted. There had been so many signs that shi caught. Shi had let the issue lie in respect for his autonomy. Now that his fears had been revealed, it was time to start pushing for him to trust hir.

“Sugar, I decide who's worthy of my time. So, get that thought out of your head." Shi brought him up so shi could start showing him how worthy he was. Hir tongue swept over his face in loving strokes. He half wanted to push hir away so he wouldn't have the indignity of being bathed. Shi kept him wrapped in hir arms as shi made sure he felt all hir desire.

“Ren, please…" he begged hir.

“Nope. You need to understand how much you mean to me," shi said with no room for argument. Shi continued to bathe him like a cub. After a few more minutes like this, shi pulled him away to continue hir little speech. “I love you. You may think it's too fast, but that's normal for Chakats. We sometimes find someone we like, then we love hard and fast."

“But what about—"

“Hush. I'm not finished. Next, developing a relationship with Seq and Baiyo will not disrespect me. You have the capacity to love just as deeply and fiercely as I do. That will not change our connection. In fact, I'll predict that it will only make us stronger." Shi looked down into his eyes. His brown orbs were rife with uncertainty. Shi knew that shi had to be delicate. “Sugar, you know I will not lie to you. I will not allow us to lose what we have. You're mine. Mine to me. I'm not letting you go."

Travis was shaking as he said, “I'm such an idiot." His arms went around hir. He squeezed with all his might. Shi returned the embrace with equal measure.

“No, you're not. You want me to be happy, but at the expense of your own wellbeing. I can't ask that of you." Shi paused as shi thought over his confession. There was one last piece they had to discuss. An important one in hir opinion. This part would be the most difficult challenge yet. “We have one last thing. We need to discuss your jealousy." His shame increased a thousand-fold. He wished he hadn't said those words. Too late to take them back. He must own up to his mistakes and rectify them.

“Ren, I didn't mean to—"

“Sugar, please. Be silent." His mouth shut itself. Shi was not aggressive nor demanding. This order was gentle and full of love. “My family loves you just as much as I do. You're now a part of us. There's no need to feel jealous of that." He grimaced at hir words. Shi was right, in a sense. However, this was not the full extent of the envy. There was so much more to it that hadn't been said yet. Travis wanted to continue into those but feared the repercussions. He shouldn't have been so afraid, though.

“I love your family, Ren. I love Dee's spunkiness, Amy's kindness, and Lapis' energy. Braveheart and Marathon have become foster parents to me. I don't think I could live my life fully happy if I hadn't met them and you."

“I'm glad for that. We all care for you and want to see you grow into the best man you can be. To be someone you can be proud of."

“I want to be that person. I don't want these insecurities and fears anymore."

“Then we need you to go into therapy," a new voice said from the sliding glass door. They both looked over to see Amethyst standing there. Shi was leaning against the door with a somber look. Shi resumed with, “Whatever it takes, I'll be sure to help you."

“Amy," Travis sighed. “I know you want to help, but I don't think you can. You'll need to jump through so many hoops to even take me on as a patient. It'll take a while, maybe a year, before you can dig. It may not be worth it at the end of the day."

“You're worth it, Travis. Don't ever think you are not. I wouldn't worry too much about all the red tape. I'll find a way to get qualified to take you on. Then, I'll help you get through this." Travis could tell that Amethyst wasn't going to let this go. Shi had set hir sights on him. He was going to therapy with hir and for some odd reason, he was okay with that. Serenity was of the same mind. Shi was going to help out wherever shi could.

“We all will, sugar. The whole Clan and Baiyoshay."

“Alright, fine," he capitulated. “I'll send a request. We'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I guess we can start with the basics."

Amethyst nodded and said resolutely, “Good. I'm glad you're seeing things our way. You'll thank me later." Shi turned to head back inside. Before shi entered the house, shi called over hir shoulder, “I need to head to work. Kai and Seq are already gone. They made breakfast which is on the table for you too. Eat up before it gets cold. Tail High, you two!" Amethyst then disappeared. The front door opened and closed, signifying that they were the only two left in the house.

Serenity gently ordered, “Let's head inside. We need to eat. We'll continue our talk then. There's still the problem of you not understanding what love could be, or what it means to be with a Chakat." Travis gulped in nervousness. Will he ever get a break?