23 A boy and His Plan
Soon Cecily had settled into Daisy's lap a waiter came and took their orders, leaving the group in an awkward silence for a moment. Looking over at the young Moose panda couple Lilly sighed. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ralph, Zoe, I want to apologize if I upset you with the things I said this morning at breakfast. Really I don't work around kids your age, well not yet anyway, and I don't really think through what I say before it hits my tongue. Really I think you two are good kids. Hell horn head over there is the first teen I know to man up and take having a baby seriously." Looking over at the moose herm for a moment, "What I was doing was seeing how far I could push your sister. But, after our little talk just now, I'm not sure if it was a fair test. You're all going through a lot, more than kids your age should have to, and having a fuckstick for a dad is not helping." Leaning back in her chair she shifted gears, "And talking more about it aint gonna help it right now. So.. that any good or do I need to work on the apologies?" Waiting a moment she said, "Come on, I need feedback here. If I'm going to be a teacher I need to know how you guys work.""That was pretty good Lilly, if I didn't already know you were crazy I would have bought that in a second," Daisy replied, grinning slightly. "You had me hooked that you were serious right up to the fuckstick remark."Looking to his sister then to the liger Ralph said, "Ummm I think she actually did mean it.""Note to self, Fuckstick may not convey a message well." the liger said softly."Wait," the moose herm exclaimed, "you were seriously apologizing?""What you think I just nonchalantly pass out 'I'm sorry you're offended now go fuck yourself' statements to everyone? Hell no, I leave off the 'sorry' and you can just go fuck yourself." The liger said as she looked over at the older moose sibling. "Those two didn't deserve what I said, they were just in the line of fire, and that's not right. If I just left it and pedphile and gutter slut I would be no better than your dads. They didn't do anything wrong, and the boy even did better than most getting the okay before testing the treats. I actually am sorry, just not used to having to say it. I'm usually right when I label, but your brother is smart... kinda... well, to a point, But even smart guys make mistakes. But he owned up to it and is doing the right thing., and what did I tell
you about that?""That you should do the right thing no matter what it costs you," the moose girl said quietly."Oh My God, she has ears and uses them." Lilly said with a smile, "Good mouse bait. Just keep that in mind." Glancing over at the younger brother, "You too pops, it ain't gonna be easy, just keep doing the right thing."Just above a whisper the little mouse in Daisy's lap said, "Better to do the hard right than the easy wrong."The three teens sat quietly, considering what the ligar had said, a grin came to Ralph's face and his eyes began to sparkle a little as he looked at his sister, "then I know I did the right thing today, it has to be because it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."Interrupting the boy before he could finish, Lillian leaned forward with a mock look of shock on her face, "Oh my god, you killed your father?"Shaking his head, a giggle escaping him he continued, "not yet, but it'll have the same effect. Daisy, you need to know something, something important. You know I'm not going home with mom and dad."Daisy's eyes shot open wide as she looked to her brother, her jaw dropping as she tried to ask him if he was sure .."Hear me out sis, I haven't lost my mind and I do have a plan. I talked to Mark Jameson about a job offer he made me a few months back. I had almost forgotten about it, I kind of thought he was joking to be honest. But with Zoe being pregnant... Anyway the offer still stood, but he asked me why I was interested now. I told him about us," he said taking his girlfriends paw in his, "and about the baby on the way. Long story short," he said reaching his other paw across the table to hi sister, waiting for her to take it before continuing. "Thanks to a lot of help from Mark, I have a job with BioGen, I can work from home and be with Zoe as much as she needs me. We'll be staying with Mark and Ariel for a week while he gets a rental property he owns ready for us to move into so we have a home. He said he'd do whatever he can about transportation to her doctors appointments and all. So we're set and safe, and to make sure of it, he made some calls and hired us a lawyer to keep dad from getting his way or breaking us up." Squeezing Daisy's paw firmly he
added, "I know that Zoe and I have been part of what's been bothering you since this mess started, I wanted to tell you what I had in mind but I really needed to have a plan first not just an idea. You know I always have to have a plan Daisy, and in this case... how could I leave anything to chance? I couldn't, there's way too much at stake for that. Don't worry about us, we're set and we're safe, the papers are waiting for dad when he get back to Colorado and Mr. bell had a change of heart. I think Zoe's mother had a lot to do with that, but he's on our side now too. Do what you have to do sis, but do what's right... for Daisy, please.""Oh shit," he added suddenly Zoe do you want to see the pictures of the house we'll be living in? Mark dowloaded them to my phone so I could show you?""Sure, but what are we going to do with a house? Sleep in the floor?" the panda girl asked, looking at him like he lost his mind."Of course not," he replied pulling out his phone and flipping through the menus as he spoke. "That's something else I need to tell you. After we get home Mark and Ariel are taking us shopping to help us get set up in the house. I told Mark he was crazy for doing all this but he said it was worth it." Pausing for a moment, staring at his phone intently he continued, "here they are take a look at what your new home looks," he added handing the phone to his girlfriend."This Mark guy sounds interesting. Stupid, but interesting." Looking at the moose by she continued, "He reminds me of something, I just can't put my finger on it."Cecily looked over at her mother. "He reminds me of a crazy woman that pulled a gun on a group of coyotes in a dark alley to defend someone she didn't know." The small mouse began to fidget with her tail. "I remember someone telling me that they were about to make the stupidest choice in their life, but I had to make it with them."A sinister grin crosses the ligers muzzle, showing her pointed teeth, as a sparkle fills her eyes, as she leaned back crossing her arms. "Ok, you got me there, Squeaky. Never said right was always smart. I'd like to meet the guy that suffers from a similar stuid to what I have."Having been silently looking through the pictures on Ralphs phone Zoe spoke suddenly taking the table by surprise, "HOLY SHIT, how big is this damn place
Ralph? Unless there are a lot of pictures of the same room from different angles it looks like a mansion for pete's sake."It's not that big honey, but it's not tiny either, I asked about the same thing myself when he showed those to me. It's three bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room and a family room. Seperate laundry room and a two car garage.," the boy replied."So how are we going to afford that? How much does this job of yours pay anyway?", she asked wide eyed at his news so far.Grinning broadly he answered, "Well the house belongs to Mark, so that costs us nothing, he insisted on that. Our only real expenses will be utilities and food. But I'm glad you're sitting down, this job of mine, which lets me work at home most of the time and be with you and the baby, pays one hundred and fifty.""A week? that's not a whole lot there stud, will that pay what we have to?" she asked with a smirk on her face.The liger folded her arms across her chest as she looked over at the pair. "A year you stupid panda. One hundred and fifty "K" a year." She glanced over at the boy. "Am I wrong?"Smiling broadly at the Liger, "Nope, your right on the money, Zoe, that's a hundred and fifty thousand a year sweet cheeks.""OH MY GOD!" she nearly screamed, her jaw dropping as she stared at him. "And you get to stay home with me and the baby?""Most of the time yes, I have to go into the lab once a month for formal meetings, and occasionally if the research team has a problem they can't explain well any other way. But most of my time will be at home with you, when we're not in school. That was one stipulation to the deal, we both have to finish high school at least, and he would prefer if we go on to college after that," he paused as the panda considered what he had said. "Also, we get full benefits, insurance for medical, dental, the works, so we won't be fighting a huge bill when the little one gets here.""Wow," she said wide eyed. After a few moments she said, "this is great and all, but why is he doing this for us?"Lilly looked at the panda with a strange smirk on her muzzle. "The guy's brain is broken, just go with it. I am sure he has his reasons for interfering like this. Here is the only advice I have for you , young lady, Let that man of yours dig this hole with Mark. One of two things will happen in the end. Either it will rain and they both drown in it," she paused for a moment, then looked over at the boy, "Life insurance included in those benefits?""Yes it is, a rather large policy to be honest," the boy replied."Ok, that angle's covered. The other option is you end up with a pool to swim in. Either way, they are both already shovel deep from the sounds of it." Sighing the moose looked at the faces around the table , "okay okay, he wants someone he can trust in the company keeping an eye on things. It's a new Biotechnology company and he's looking out for his own best interests in a way. He has a lot invested in it, and doesn't want to get broadsided by someone on the inside selling off their work to someone else. So part of my job is to keep a watch on the ongoing projects to make sure nothing goes 'missing'. A lot of the things they are working on appearently have a lot of potential to do a huge amount of good and that makes them very valuable to whoever owns the rights to the technology."Lilly's smirk rolled into a frown as she looked at the moose boy. "If you buy that line, you're stupider than I gave you credit for. He has some other reason to be doing things they way he is with you. the paycheck and benefits alone cover more than you two will need. To add the other shit on top is either just plain stupid on his part, or he has other reasons." She leaned back in her chair. "But, I'll leave it at that. Not my place to pry into his affairs.""I don't know if he does or not, I guess only time will tell that one way or the other," the moose boy replied, "but I do know about BioGen, I was looking into them on my own even before I met Mark. The head guy Dr. Brian Saunders has been working on some new technologies that will revolutionise medical procedures in a lot of fields. It was him and BioGen that came up with the implants that were used to make Samantha look more ... womanly than she did before. But I will keep myself covered and if anything seems wrong I'll get my ass out of there in a flash.""Business, future, innovation, Blah, blah, blah. All great and good. I hate business at dinner, it's ninety percent fluff until the food shows up." Leaning forward again she looked at the moose boy and his girlfriend, "Looks like you have a plan and a support team there boy, even if I would have a few questions on some angles if I were you." As she finished speaking the group heard the growl of a stomach. "Jesus, did they have to kill the cow for those ribs?"As if the question had been answered the waitress came towards the table, three orders of potato skins in her paws. "On the house," she said as she approached, "some fool threw all the order tickets in the fryer and messed things up in the kitchen so your foods going to take about 20 minutes longer. This should hold you over until then," she said setting the plates of steaming appetizers and a small stack of plates on the table and walking away.Looking at the hot free food Lilly said, "Lower enlisted first, dig in munchkins."Passing a plate to Zoe and then to Cecily Ralph said, "ladies first,' as he handed plates to his sister and Lilly.Swiftly grabbing a potato skin in each paw, then handing one up to Daisy the little mouse told the boy, "She's letting you get what you want now, better take it." She finished with a smile.Looking at the mouse for a moment before her meaning sank in he saw the look in the ligers eyes, grabbing three of the potatoes and placing them on Zoe's plate and two for himself quickly.Seeing each of the teens with at least one appetizer the liger seized a full plate to herself and began munching at them happily. As the group ate and chatted, each sharing anecdotal stories of teen life, Lilly listened and smiled as the group seemed to relax and act more like the teens they were. As the minutes rolled into hours and the meal finished, Lilly interrupted the seemingly jovial quartet and said, "I think its about time to head back, unless you all just want to catch a ferry to the next island." She stood up and dropped a small wad of cash on the table and finished with, "I'll meet you all back at the ship. I have a few things I still need to pick up." and walked away from the group.Looking down at Sisy, Daisy whispered quietly, "should I be
concerned about that?""Nope." the small mouse said, "she just doesn't want to get you in too much trouble if she can manage.""Okay, so I guess we need to haul ass people, the car rental lot is next to the dock so we can drop off the car and walk to the tender. Move out troops," she said stopping suddenly with an odd look on her face, before following the group out of the eatery.Taking the moose by the paw as they left, Cecily looked up at her and said, "It only gets worse.""Oh great," the moose mumbled as she and Sisy walked out paw in paw towards the car.