FSE

Furry search engine

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"Mom! Almon's touching me again!" A young and very cranky girl no more than twelve cried out, calling her little brother's actions into question. He whimpered and huddled away as far as he could in the confines of the dark vehicle bearing them aloft towards their destination. The vixen the child called out to rolled her eyes and without even looking back to see if it was true or not, she snapped at the pair.

"If you both don't settle down this instant we're going back home!"

That seemed to silence the girl, at least for a while. Almon had long since given up trying to defend himself, even when he had done nothing wrong, which was indeed most of the time. He was tired of expending energy in his own defense when it did no good. He was almost always accused of what his other siblings had done, and had judgment brought upon him. Instead, he quietly peered out of the window he sat near, ignoring the squawks and squabbles of his brothers and sister, the ones his parents overlooked. The land outside fascinated him. Rarely did he get to see anything of the natural world. The city offered very few parks he could visit on his own and they were small and largely without an abundance of trees or shrubs.

This however was something of a treat for him. The forest sailing by under them offered him no end of wonder. He quietly let thoughts and questions of what it was like below bubble up in his mind, wanting to see a squirrel or a bird or some sign of life he couldn't find back in town. Unfortunately they were moving so fast it was virtually impossible to see any of the woodland creatures. It was of little concern. Just seeing so much plant life in one place left him in awe. There wasn't much he knew about where they were going. It was some sort of resort. His father had won a week's stay for the whole family, and surprisingly little Almon was permitted to join them. A vacation was something he didn't get to enjoy but maybe once or twice a year when his father was feeling generous enough to bring him along rather than leave him... and only him... in the care of his grandparents. A vacation like this was especially uncommon. He felt privileged just to be included.

The craft skimmed along just a few yards above the highest trees, racing forward at blinding speed. How such a vehicle was able to maintain such a pace and offer not even the tiniest hint of turbulence or unsettling wind-noise was something of a mystery... but then many things about their destination remained as such. Thankfully, the other children were leaving the quiet little fox alone. It was a much savored reprieve from their usual onslaught of insults, teasings, and even physical abuse. Even their unpleasant cries and cruel laughter died out as the pilot, or driver as he appeared more to be, announced to his passengers they were 'on approach'.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you look forward and to the right, you'll see the Treetop Inn coming into view. We'll be landing in a few minutes so please be sure to stay fastened in," He paused his announcement to those gazing out to catch a glimpse of the resort, turning his attention to what must have been a radio, "This is Naotus 5 on approach from the northwest. Confirm clear flight path please, over."

Almon turned hearing that name, sitting forward and leaning up over the back of his parents' seat.

"Naotus... isn't that the name of that smuggler from the latest book in the 'Immortals' series?"

The pilot chuckled and nodded, "Yes, I suppose it is, but we were using it long before that was printed. It's actually the name of-"

"A god from ancient mythology, right? The one who commanded the western winds and watched over those journeying to distant lands, right?" He didn't mean to interrupt. In his exuberance in finding someone else who showed at least some interest in something he could relate to, he found it difficult to contain himself.

"That's right! You're a clever lad! Where'd you learn about that?" The pilot was genuinely impressed. Not many people knew of the lesser deities from ancient theologies.

Almon simply blushed a little, "I got curious about the world that series of books was set in so I started looking up the actual myths. In a lotta ways, they're a lot more interesting. Did you guys pick the name because you use these ship things to ferry people around?" He was certainly beginning to break out of his usual shell. The once quiet and reclusive boy was becoming quite chatty having found someone he could have a decent conversation with. The change in his behavior earned him a scolding from his father.

"Be quiet and let the man drive, Almon! He has enough to worry about without you pestering him with pointless questions!" The older fox grumbled and turned to peer out the window again having silenced the boy. The pilot meanwhile opted to at least provide an answer to close the boy's curiosity.

"It's quite alright. And yeah, that's exactly why we picked it. You know your ancient history, and it sounds like you enjoy reading. You'll love how many books we've got in our library." From there, he fell silent, tending to the task of bringing them in for a landing. Almon, having shrunk away from his father's anger, let a little smile creep back across his muzzle as his tail swished ever so gently. He should have tucked it between him and the door when he got in.

"Mooooom! Almon's hitting me with his tail!"

The pilot bit back a quiet grumble hearing the other kids growing unruly again. At least they were almost there. The sleek craft turned and gracefully arched well over the tops of the trees, gently coming about to line up with a series of lights guiding it in. The passengers all marveled at the sight of those blinking spheres, seeming to hover completely motionless in the air with no apparent means of being held aloft. The mouth of the hanger welled up before them, shade cast across the vehicle as the sun was blocked out, first by the foliage of the massive tree it was built into, and then by the hanger itself. The walls were lined with similar vehicles, an impressive fleet that ensured no one would have to wait too terribly long to be picked up or dropped off. It must have been horribly expensive. The pilot brought them down upon the landing platform and the almost inaudible sound of whatever powered the craft died away.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Treetop Inn. The bellhops will help you with your luggage. If you need to make an emergency trip while you're here, just speak to the front desk and we'll arrange a flight for you. Enjoy your stay." He was a polite fellow. He climbed out as the other doors were opened to permit the newly arrived guests a chance for freedom as well. Their bags were collected with the same loud squabbles he had come to try so hard to ignore. The party was aimed towards the gateway that led to the foyer above as one of the traffic controllers stepped in close to the pilot.

"Wow, bet that must have been a pleasant flight, all those screaming kids... and a couple of parents that just didn't care to shut them up."

The pilot nodded with a frown, "Yeah, wasn't exactly fun. But not all of them were bad. The little one in the back there... I kind of feel sorry for him. Something tells me he doesn't get a fair shake."

"Think we should tell the boss?" The controller repositioned the microphone resting near his chin, ready to make the call.

"No.... no we shouldn't bother him just because of a feeling. Probably wouldn't hurt to note it in the log though... just in case it crops up in the future."

The controller nodded and returned to his console, doing just that while the pilot sighed once more in sympathy for the child, finally turning to continue his work. His next flight was no doubt waiting for him.

---

"Quick! He's gonna catch us!" The giggly voice of a young girl bounced softly off the walls of one of the less-traveled corridors of the inn, joined by another voice cackling away in childish glee. A pair of vixens, looking to be about ten years old, darted down the hall as a large, black wolf pursued them, looking very unhappy.

"You're not gonna get away from me!" His deep voice boomed through the hallway, his feet falling in rapid succession as he gave chase, offering the two children no handicap. He intended to capture them. The burly fellow's imposing presence forced what few passers-by there were to weave out of the way. Some considered helping the poor girls, but what could be done to stop something so large? Without any warning, the bright orange one of the two suddenly turned and darted into the stairwell to the next floor. Her dark doppelganger, they had to be twins, followed sharply. The wolf, not having expected so quick a change in direction was taken by surprise and caught off balance. As he tried to stop and turn as well, he slid along the carpeted floor. It quickly became clear he wouldn't be able to stop properly, especially when he felt his torso pass over his feet, continuing forward with considerable momentum while his legs seemed to stay put. With an undignified crash, the big black wolf went tumbling end over end. He griped and growled in annoyance as he tried to right himself and resume the pursuit.

"In here!" The girl who had spearheaded the sudden change in tactics beckoned her sister into an open supply closet with a slightly less than quiet hiss. The black-furred sibling nodded and zipped in behind her sister, the door closing behind them. They stifled their giggles and crouched near the door, peering out through the slitted vent towards the bottom of the wooden barrier they were concealed behind. Sure enough, in short order, the feet of the wolf chasing them came into view, large, clawed, and menacing. He paused and craned his neck about, gazing down one direction of the circular hall, then down the other, looking for any sign of the little ones he sought.

"You can't hide! I know you're here somewhere!" With a subtle growl, he turned and began patrolling the area quietly and slowly, walking in a large circle. The sound of a few sniffs of the air reached the ears of the two girls trying so very hard to be quiet. A huge frown crossed their muzzles hearing the lupine making use of his nose. Eventually though, their patience paid off and his feet vanished from the vent of the door and the sound of his footfalls faded. Tempting though it was to jump out in that instant and rush off down the hall in the opposite direction, they waited just as quietly as before. After a good five minutes, they dared to speak in a hushed whisper.

"I think he's really gone, Angie. We should go hide somewhere else now!" The dark vixen pressed in against her sister, giving her shoulder a light jostle to drive home the sense of urgency.

"Yeah, c'mon Abby, let's go!" The two girls pushed the door open ever so slowly and peered out. They so no sign of the big bad wolf, grinning and stepping into the hall, "Hehe, he couldn't smell us! I knew the closet was a good idea! All that stuff in there's just too strong!" The orange furred girl gave her dark counterpart a firm hug. Abby giggled and returned it happily, ready to rush off to the next hiding spot before she paused, catching sight of something out of the corner of her eye.

"Sis... why does the closet have eyes in it?"

Angela turned to look, blinking at what she saw. It did indeed have eyes, two bright shining yellow eyes piercing the darkness of the shadows in the very back. The gleam of glistening fangs and claws joined the haunting pools of gold as a dark figure rushed out at the stunned children. They screamed in fright and their tails, a pair of them each, fluffed and frizzed in surprise. Two large, muscular arms lashed out with shocking speed and wrapped tightly around them both, pressing the girls against the wolf's chest in an inescapable embrace.

"I said you couldn't hide! And now I've got you! I win!" He cackled and kept the wriggling girls held fast, even as they complained.

"No fair! No fair! You used your nose you cheater! You said you wouldn't track us by smell!" Angela's complaint was rather noisy, the wolf's hold on the both of them keeping her from managing to get away.

"I didn't cheat. I knew you were in the closet before I ever sniffed around. I was hoping it would make you jump out and call me out on cheating. Nice job holding back there sweetie." He gave the orange fox a firm kiss on her forehead, but that didn't seem to slow her writhings.

"Liar! You didn't know we were there! That was the best hiding spot ever!" At this point, it was more a sound of amusement she made rather than actual whining. Her sister, just as fitful as her, had other concerns on her mind.

"How'd you get in the closet like that? That was scary!"

"Oh that's a very simple trick. It's called shadow-walking. I might teach you both how to do it if you're good. But... that's for another day! I've caught you and now I get to gobble you both up just like little red riding hood!" He cackled again, especially seeing both pairs of eyes grow wide. Their efforts to escape suddenly redoubled, laughter rising up through their voices.

"No! No you can't eat us! You cheated! You gotta let us go!"

The black wolf smirked, holding the two little girls well up above the floor, giving them both a lick on the cheek before parting his jaws. A push saw Abby's similarly colored head slip into the lupine's muzzle with an adorable squeak. She continued to wriggle and fight, trying to get away, but the wolf's throat was just too much. It gripped her and dragged her down in incredibly short order, her twin tails slurped up past the big meany's lips all too quickly. The lumps she made in his throat vanished as his belly distended, the little fox landing inside with a plop. Angela complained and squirmed further seeing her sister eaten. She could gain no purchase just as Abby couldn't. Those grand jaws opened again, the wolf's teeth glistening as they drew in around her. She cried out in false-terror as her sister did just as the warm, dark environment of the big male's throat welcomed her. He gulped and growled around his second helping of adorable vixen, running a hand along the swells in his neck until they vanished, Angela's tails disappearing just as her sister's had. He sighed in satisfaction as he felt the second morsel land in his belly with her sister, both of them squabbling and squirming, trying to fight their way out of the gut they had been deposited in.

"Let us out! That's not fair! You cheated!"

The wolf chuckled and gave his swollen stomach a pat, amused as the girls tried so very hard to get out.

"No, you knew what was coming if you couldn't outrun me. You hafta face the music. Now be good little girls and behave or I just might not let you out until the end of the week."

"Oh don't say that... they'll misbehave just to get you to make good on your word." A feminine voice reached the wolf's ears. He turned to find a tiger staring up at him, hands on her hips, her eyes shining softly in the light of the afternoon, "You know they love it in there."

The black wolf laughed and nodded, patting his distended gut again, "Yeah, I know they do. Maybe I said it on purpose."

The feline, a strange black with red stripes and chest, stepped in close wrapping her arms around the big male, leaning up to kiss him firmly before turning her attention to his writhing abdomen.

"You can't keep them in there all week, Daemian. They'll find a way out. Still, it's a good look for you. I'd love to see you like this more often."

The round-middled fellow smirked, "Well there's always one way to accomplish that..."

"If you eat me, how can I see you enjoying the belly?" She had a point.

"I was thinking more along the lines of having more kids, Celeste." He smiled, wrapping his arms around his wife, holding her close. They had discussed it, but not in earnest. There were too many other things to have to contend with to think about more children at the moment.

"Mmm, a big, strong, pregnant wolf-man... maybe I could just shove someone in there and we could have a bit of roleplay one night."

"Sounds good to me. What's on the agenda for today?"

The feline purred and pulled away, taking one of Daemian's hands in hers as she walked back down the hall.

"I've got a couple of classes today, one of them starts in about half an hour. You're welcome to join in."

"I think I'll wait until I can get a private session. Besides, they need me down in the garden. We're putting in some new bushes in the spring quarter." He hated letting the lady go, but they would have plenty of time later tonight and that spurred him on.

"Suit yourself. See you tonight, dear."

---

What had been called 'settling in' was well into its third hour. Realistically, it was more Arnold's chance to sober up a bit, likely just so he could make his way to a the bar in the dining hall without looking like he had already had a few. Lisa spent her time shouting at him as she unpacked. Her gripes were returned passionately by her husband. With their rage focused on one another, the children were all left to their own devices within the confines of the suite. The two remaining rooms were quickly assigned amongst themselves, the older brothers taking one and the 'baby girl' as she liked to be called claiming the other for herself.

"But, there are two beds, you don't need both."

"Shut up Almon! I get both! Now push'em together so I can make one big bed! You know how I toss and turn!" She snapped harshly at him, clutching her pink, velveteen bunny in her arms all the tighter; as if her little brother would steal it at the first opportunity.

The boy just hung his head and did as he was told, shoving one of the frames towards the other as best he could. With no help from the spoiled girl, it took him until he was exhausted, slumping to the floor.

"Can... can I at least have a pillow?"

"No!! They're mine!! Use a towel or something!" Immediately the entitled child leapt onto the beds and began to bounce around on the mattresses. Almon simply hung his head again and took his bag, what meager possessions it contained, as he returned to the living room. He tossed it onto the sofa and climbed up onto it, leaning over the back to stare out the window. The trees beyond and the gardens below were almost enough to take his mind off how especially awful his family was being. Almost.

Eventually, Lisa's shouts, insults, and swears got to be too much and Arnold emerged from the master bedroom, prompting everyone to meet in the living room with him.

"Alright kids, daddy's going to go have a look around. You all behave and look after one another or you don't get to leave the room until tomorrow." It almost sounded like a properly fatherly thing to say. The fact that he looked only to the older three and completely refused to even look at Almon gave it a subtle, bitter sting. Instantly the children he address darted towards the door, quite anxious to get downstairs.

"Hold on!!" The three cubs froze at the sound of their mother's raised voice, "Take Almon with you! And you'd better look after him too!" Again, on the face of it, it sounded as though something a parent might actually say. In actuality, it was something else. Almon hated being forced to spend time with his older siblings. She knew that. If he didn't go with them, she would have to take him with her and he would likely 'throw her game off'. She couldn't leave him here as well. He would be waiting should she return with company and that would end badly. At the deepest part of the very heart of the matter, he reminded her of her infidelity and all the unpleasantness that came with it. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Aww! Mooom! Can't the stinky baby just stay here!?"

"No, you take him with you. Heaven forbid you actually treat your little brother nicely." She glared at them. She would have nothing holding her back in so glamorous a place.

"Half-brother." The oldest said just a little too loudly under his breath. It was the last thing he said before a sharp, stinging slap shot his gaze across the room.

"You watch your mouth! You're all lucky we decided to bring you with us on this trip! Now you do as your told or the flight in will be the last you'll get to see the outside of this room!"

"Oh settle down Lisa," Arnold grumbled, "They're only striving for accuracy," He pushed past the vixen towards the door, throwing a comment over his shoulder as he stepped out into the hallway, "I trust you'll have the good sense to either provide a little warning you've brought company back with you or perhaps even use their room instead... but then that would make it less fun for you I guess."

Lisa glared daggers at her husband, finding it harder and harder to truly get under his skin with her cheating anymore. It would have to be rather flamboyant this time if she was to really infuriate him.

"Be sure you order a spare bucket with your gin. We wouldn't want you to stain their lovely, clean countertop with your bile."

Arnold grimaced and proceeded on, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing how deeply she actually dug into him. The three older kids darted off noisily, ready to cause trouble wherever they might. Almon hung behind at the door, conflicted as he always was.

"Mom... do I really have to go with them?"

"Yes, dear... you do. You can't stay here because I'll be going downstairs to the lake and you can't be left on your own. And you should spend time with your brothers and sister. It will do you good."

The little fox looked down at the floor, whimpering, "They hate me. I don't want to go with them. They just pick on me and make me take the blame for anything they do."

"Oh don't be like that," the lady crouched before her son, only half-heartedly attempting to console him, "No one likes a tattle tale. If you keep going behind their backs like that, of course they're going to be sore. You have to be cool. You know... have their backs." Her attempt to use modern parlance was painful. Almon simply sighed and turned to leave, realizing he was not going to find any justice through his mother's grace. He simply wanted away from her. She let him without any protest as though the matter was resolved. All he could do was seek out his siblings and hope their biting words were duller than usual. They hadn't gotten too terribly far ahead of him, waiting for their youngest sibling to finally come along. They didn't want to get in trouble after all.

"Finally! Baby's got to cry to mommy before he can go anywhere! Hurry up 'Almanac'!"

At least it was a slight he had heard before, one of their less hurtful ones. He hung his head and dragged his feet as they scampered off, keeping pace only as needed to keep from being left too far behind. They made their way to the gardens below. The children were all amazed by the strange golden ring that served as the link between foyer and gardens. They marveled at the fact that looking through one direction, they saw the world outside and several hundred feet below, but if they walked around behind it, they simply saw the room they stood in.

The gorup stepped through the gate and took off with all due haste towards the autumn quarter, its brilliant foliage looking like fire in the gentle breeze. Almon sighed and crunched his feet upon the dead leaves as he followed, keeping quietly to himself as he watched the older three go about their usual terror. Nearby guests frowned and hurried their steps away from the unpleasant squeals and screams. Other children were tripped up or pushed into piles of leaves. Their parents, were they nearby, turned to glare and attempt to discipline the unruly ones only to find them darting off, never to be captured. Poor Almon simply shrank into his clothes as much as he could, grateful that no one made the connection between him and the others. At least, most people didn't.

"Hey!" A large hand gripped the fox's shoulder and whipped him around, "Are you with those kids!?"

Almon shook in fear as he stared timidly up at a thick badger towering over him like a small mountain of fur, muscle, and rage.

"M-m-me?"

"Yeah! You! Are you with those other snot-nosed brats!? My little girl's got a scrape on her forehead because of them!" He jerked the cub to look over at the little girl in question, no older than five, seated in the grass, sobbing loudly as her mother tried to dab a tissue to her wound, "I wanna know where they are! You tell me right now or you're in a world of hurt!"

By now, Almon himself was on the verge of tears as well, "I... I don't know! I'm sorry! I didn't do it! Please don't hurt me!!" Out spilled the script he had unwittingly developed out of fear from countless other incidents like this. The badger growled as he watched the boy he had caught trembled and fought back the urge to cry. Satisfied that his captive was innocent and likely would be no help in apprehending the culprits, he released Almon with a light shove.

"Go on... get out of here... and if I catch you hanging out with those three, you'll get just as much of what I plan on giving them!"

The boy tumbled backwards to the ground, crawling away from the angry father before rolling and climbing to his feet which carried him away as fast as he could command them to. As he escaped, he caught sight of a white figure approaching the badger, asking what was the matter. It looked to be one of the staff but the boy didn't care. The gardens raced by as he ran, trying to get away from anyone and everyone he possibly could, giving in to his tears, but only lightly. Finally, a bend in the path created a somewhat private nook in the shrubbery. Immediately, Almon darted in out of sight. He dropped onto his rump and lifted his hands to his face, wiping away the wetness on his cheeks. It would be a hard fight to keep from letting the rest of it out.

"They're so stupid! They do this on purpose! They always try to get me in trouble! They hurt someone or break something and run off, leaving me to get caught! I hate them!" His voice continued to get louder, perhaps too loud, until it drew some unwanted attention.

"Well guess what shrimp, we hate you too!" A powerful slap knocked Almon onto his side, jarring him, "If you'd keep up with the rest of us, you wouldn't get caught! So who's fault is it!? Who's the stupid one!?" It was the oldest of the group, glaring down at him as the other two joined in the harsh gaze. Before the youngest could turn himself onto his back and sit up to answer, the oldest was upon him, gripping the boy by his collar and shaking him roughly. Almon's head bounced on the ground, cushioned only lightly by the grass.

"Show him what we do to snitches, Danny!" It was the sister, grabbing one of the boy's arms at the wrist and jerking it away so he couldn't defend himself, stamping down hard on his elbow. Cries of pain rose up from the bushes, but no one seemed to notice. Instead, those who were nearby seemed to only move farther away as quickly as they could.

"You think you're so much better than the rest of us! You're a freak! You don't belong in this family!" Danny's rage poured out of him and onto his half-brother, balling a fist and beginning to strike repeatedly. The younger brother of the trio behind him cackled and gripped the other arm as his sister had. Without realizing how much stronger he was than Natalie, a sickening snap followed the sudden, sharp tug. Almon's cries for mercy were suddenly forced to take a back seat as he screamed in agony at the top of his lungs. Then that was silenced as well. His oldest brother's blows refused to cease. Droplets of red began to stain the grass and the white knuckles raining down upon him. It seemed the three had no intention of stopping. And yet, strangely enough, it did.

The punches came to an end and the weight on his arms vanished. Danny's fingers curled in a tight grasp of the now dazed boy's shirt collar once again, hoisting him up to glare at him in the eye.

"You know he's not your real dad. He doesn't even like you. It's because of you mom and dad fight. It'd be so much better if you weren't around."

Almon had suspected something of that nature but to have it confirmed... it stung worse than the wounds he had suffered. Another solid connection from the older boy's fist sent him reeling again. It started once more, and this time he was sure he wouldn't survive.

"You ruin everything! You shouldn't be here! Mom and dad should have gotten rid of you!" The other two concurred, offering their own insults as the largest of them pounded Almon into submission. The world started to lose focus. Even the punches themselves seemed to hurt less and less as his lips and teeth turned darker with blood. He began to silently wish for Danny to finish it, to just keep going until there was nothing left.

And then, Danny was gone. A sharp jerk from behind pulled the bully off of his victim. The two younger siblings backed away in terror from the broken fox on the ground. A large white figure loomed over Almon as he lay there, hardly able to breathe. A voice rung in his ears but so distorted by the thrashing he couldn't make out what was being said. Whatever it was, the person was angry. It might be the badger from earlier. He hoped it was. As his eyes glazed and struggled to focus, the figure moved in closer. The boy mustered all his strength to utter what he knew would be his final words.

"I'm... sorry..."

The face came into focus as he spoke. It wasn't the badger. It was a wolf, possibly the figure he had seen earlier when running away. There was a curious mark on his face, a black patch in the shape of a five pointed star surrounding his left eye. Those eyes. They were so powerful and brilliant, a piercing yellow. They locked with his, unhappy, hiding rage behind them, but not directed at the suffering child.

"I am too. Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Two large hands cupped behind the boy's back, scooping him up only to elicit a sharp cry of agony from Almon. His shoulder dangled limp. It was worse than the wolf had thought. He rest the boy on the ground again and lifted his hand, speaking into a small black device, "Medical emergency in the gardens."

That was all the boy could make out. The rest was too badly garbled. The world went fuzzy again and darkness claimed him.

---

"I understand how you feel Sirius, but as of right now, all we can do is treat his injuries. When the situation demands further action, it will be taken." The blue dragon tried his best to cool the wolf's temper, keeping him seated in the infirmary's private waiting room. The tension was quite pronounced, so much so that it felt as though it was close to snapping.

"Don't give me that legal banter bullshit, Smokey. You know as well as I do what's going on here. We have to do something. Now." He was showing remarkable restraint, if only because his employer, the azure reptile who had come to talk to and calm him, was also one of his closest friends.

"If we get carried away, mistakes will be made. Trust me. I know that lesson better than I should. For now, just... sit tight. Shayna and I will take care of the boy. Besides, I'm suppose to speak to the father as soon as he gets here. They had to hunt him down... and found him at the bar. I'll be surprised if he's even halfway sober. I want you out of sight for now. You're too agitated. I'll be back in a bit."

"Smokey..." The wolf gripped the blue dragon's wrist as he turned to leave, catching his attention, "You can't let him go back there. They'll kill him. Maybe not physically, but they'll crush him to the point where there will be nothing left of him. I've been there."

"I know. Believe me, I know."

The two broke their gaze and the innkeeper slipped out of the privacy of the sitting room. He adjusted his vest and glasses before approaching a vulpine dressed as though he was rather well-to-do. As he drew near, the fox climbed to his feet, a little shakily.

"Mr. Nelson," the dragon extended a hand towards the 'concerned father', "I'm terribly sorry for what has happened. We're doing everything we can for your son."

Arnold locked eyes with the scaled figure before him, ready to draw upon his skill if need be, "I'm sure you are. I want to know how the hell this happened."

"A member of my staff happened upon the incident in the middle of it. He tells me another one of your boys was doing this to him, and the other two were holding him down. He happened to hear a few things that... well... to be frank sir, give us cause for concern. It calls into question his living situation." Smokey made every effort to play through the moment with as great of diplomacy as he could muster. As angry as Sirius appeared to be, he seemed the exact opposite; calm, collected, disconnected. Unfortunately, Arnold took it for the threat he was expecting to be hit with.

"You've got no right to call my abilities as a father into question! You're lucky I don't sue you for slander!" He paused, seeing his opponent unfazed by the threat, "How much is the boy's treatment going to cost me?" Concern for circumstances and cost, he was a lawyer through and through, certainly not a father.

"Mr. Nelson, I can assure you any and all medical care Almon is receiving will be at no cost to you. We do not charge for treatment of injuries that occur on the premises," He narrowed his eyes ever so softly, almost impossible to see, as he watched the fox's posture soften in relief, "However... I'm afraid there is the matter of the bill for repairs. Your children caused significant damage to the gardens. They ripped out several rather expensive bushes and flowers. And while we don't intend to charge you for Almon's care... I can't speak for the parents of the other children that were injured. I've been hearing rumblings of a potential civil suit."

Arnold froze, not having heard the whole story until now. His fists tightened at his sides as did his lips against his teeth, pulled into a narrow grimace struggling to hold back his fury.

"Bill for repairs... other children's injuries... you're telling me Almon did this?"

"No sir, the other three did. We have numerous eye witnesses that have all provided corroborating statements. Almon was not the cause of any of it."

"That's not what the other three tell me. They placed the blame squarely on him." It was getting harder for Arnold to hold his rage in at this point, his hands shaking.

Smokey weighed his words carefully sensing the fox was almost ready to lash out, "I'm sure they did. They don't seem to like their youngest brother very much. Perhaps it's time you had a talk with them, find out where this animosity comes from before something like this happens again."

"I know exactly where it comes from, Mr. Aquatos. And I would thank you to stay out of my family's private matters. I want to see the boy."

"I'm afraid he's still receiving treatment. The attending physician isn't allowing anyone in at the moment." The innkeeper watched as the vulpine began to pace. It was clear the wheels in his head were turning, trying to figure out how to approach all of this. Then, he stopped and stood himself upright.

"You said a member of your staff came upon the four of them... were there any other witnesses?"

The dragon narrowed his eyes softly again, suddenly feeling a soft knot forming in his stomach. The fox was up to something, "At the point of breaking up the fight, no sir, there was only the one, but I trust his word. His honor is above reproach."

"Well that may be all well and good for you, but I'm afraid it's not good enough for me," Arnold began to step in closely towards the blue fellow, not at all intimidated by his lineage. He was playing the game at this point, and he always played to win, "How do I know your man didn't cause this? How do I know what he said to you was the truth or what you're telling me now is actually what he said? For all I know, he could have beaten the boy himself! He could have told you everything and you came up with this clever story to cover it up! I hope you have a damn good lawyer Mr. Aquatos! I'm going to bring you down! I'm going to take you for every cent you have got! When I'm through with you, your little resort here will be a smoldering ruin!"

Threats usually didn't go over well with Smokey, especially when they were aimed at his inn. He dropped the diplomatic facade a level, not completely done away with but certainly not showing his usual good-natured self. He frowned in a most unamused fashion and spoke rather sternly.

"If you feel you absolutely must take legal action that is your right, sir. For now, I recommend you return to your room since I cannot speak to you on the matter without legal counsel present. Mr. Greene here will escort you," he lifted a hand to a rather sizable canine covered in short black fur, his ears standing at attention, "I'm now considering this a matter of internal security. A member of my staff with be posted outside your room at all times until further notice. You aren't restricted to your room, but we will need to monitor your movements... for your own safety. The other parents are very... Very angry with you and your children. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"For your information, Mr. Aquatos... I am my own legal counsel. I'm one of the best lawyers in the country and you've just pissed me off. I'll see you in court!" He turned and marched off, fuming so much the storm cloud over his head was almost visible. Just as he reached the door to the hallway, his attention was called for one last time.

"Mr. Nelson... might I advise you refrain from imbibing for the rest of your stay?"

The fox grit his teeth and stamped out, giving the swinging door a solid punch. The Doberman assigned to escort him followed closely, looking down upon him quite harshly to ensure he would behave himself along the way. That last little comment really struck a nerve for some reason. It brought a cruel little smile briefly to the dragon's lips. Sometimes it was incredibly satisfying getting under someone's skin like that. The wolf hiding away in the private room finally emerged, still rather displeased with the situation.

"That's it? You're assigning security to guard his room? To protect him from the other parents!? How can you let him get away with this!?" He turned and powered towards the door, intent on letting the hunter emerge, "I'll take care of this! I'll do what you can't!" Before he could get too close to the exit to track down the uncaring father, Smokey grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and tossed him against the wall, pinning him there with one of his forearms over his chest.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Green eyes met with yellow, the two boys growling at one another, "If we don't play this right, he'll take the boy and leave and that will be the last we ever see of him! You can't just charge in there, guns blazing! Believe me! I know!"

"You don't know what it's like! You can't! You had a perfect childhood! Some of us weren't so lucky! He's getting off scott-free! Hell you're protecting him for god's sake!" He winced as the arm holding him in place mashed into his chest a bit further, the dragon baring his teeth. The wolf had crossed a line he didn't know existed.

"I'm not protecting him!" Smokey stopped, realizing how enraged he had become, trying quickly to reign himself in, "I'm protecting everyone else. With the guard outside, we've got eyes and ears on them. We can watch and listen. That's our greatest asset, patience. Things work differently here than where you're from. You have to trust me."

"Mr. Aquatos!" A feminine voice jerked the boys out of their argument, bringing them both to gaze at an orange stripped feline in a handsome pantsuit glaring back at them, "This had better not be why you brought me here!"

Smokey stepped away from Sirius quickly, straightening his clothing, "Mrs. Epstein. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Short notice indeed! Please tell me that you did not pull me out of a very important business dinner and flew me over five hundred miles just to break up a fight!" She adjusted her own glasses, the elderly woman crossing the short distance between the two of them, briefcase and purse in tow.

"Of course not," The dragon paused before it dawned on him that introductions had yet to be made, "Oh... Sirius, this is Mrs. Epstein. Mrs. Epstein, this is Sirius Nocturne, a member of my staff and friend. We were just... having a disagreement about how to handle the situation."

Sirius dipped his head briefly in a polite bow, "Hello."

"And hello to you Mr. Nocturne. You would do well to listen to your employer. He knows what he's doing. I know when I get a call from him and he says it's urgent that I'd better come running. I keep an overnight bag packed for just such an emergency." Her demeanor seemed to soften as the situation was quickly diffused.

"Mrs. Epstein is the head of Child Protective Services for the entire country. She and I go back a good ways," Smokey turned sensing the shift in the mood, wrapping his arms about the smaller, slightly graying cat, "It's good to see you again Madeline. I wish it was under better circumstances."

The feline returned the hug with a smile, "Good to see you too, Smokey. And I'm used to it. Comes with the territory when you're in someone's back pocket," She winked at the blue, teasing him with false accusations of corruption, "It was a boring dinner at a restaurant I utterly despise anyway. With the exception of knowing there's a little boy in pain, this is a much better alternative. Better use of my time too. I read the packet your people prepared for me. Even took the time to do a little research and build a file of my own. Shall we get down to business?"

Sirius had fallen silent seeing and hearing what had transpired in just the last few moments. Suddenly he felt very dirty for having said the things he let slip and acting in the way he had. Smokey didn't seem to dwell on it. It was business as usual for him and he carried on as such.

"We're just waiting for when we can go in and see Almon. Would you care to have a seat?"

"I'll stand for now, thank you. A three hour flight in even the most luxurious of comfort is still three hours sitting down. How long has he been in there?"

"About the same," A new voice joined the party, a feminine one belonging to the very angelic creature the innkeeper had found himself attached to. She wiped her hands with a thick, deep blue paper towel popular in most medical facilities, dressed in pale jade scrubs rather than her usual robes. The sweat on her brow and the expended look on her face told the room the story of how hard she had been fighting, "We've finally got him stable enough to permit visitors. Hello again Madeline. You've no idea how glad I am you got here so quickly."

"I'm glad I could. Luckily, one of your shuttles was in the area dropping someone off. Good to see you're still fighting the good fight Shayna. How bad is it?"

The ivory-hued lady averted her gaze as she ran a wrist just under her nose, sniffling lightly.

"It's pretty bad. Jaw's fractured in three places, dislocated left shoulder, broken right elbow, five broken ribs, countless contusions on his face, petechia so bad one whole eye is red, extreme torsion trauma to his neck, concussion, decent amount of blood loss. I'm surprised they didn't detach his retinas. He's in a coma and I'm not sure when he'll wake up if we keep his treatment on this level. Had Sirius here not stepped in when he did... well... there'd be no need for pain killers."

Madeline frowned deeply, reaching into her purse to retrieve a camera reserved specifically for photographing evidence.

"Then let's get this over with. The sooner we can document it, the sooner you can end his suffering." She followed quickly behind the very physician-looking Shayna. Smokey and Sirius were close behind. Almon's room came shortly and the group stood around his bed as he lay there, silent and motionless, the machines keeping him alive and helping him breathe providing the only noise for a brief moment.

"You didn't heal him?" The wolf was stunned into disbelief.

Shayna peered over at the lupine, "Smokey told me not to."

"But why!? He's suffered enough as it is!"

"Because Mr. Nocturne, if she had healed him the way that would be the most kind, it would be the most cruel," Madeline began to take photos of the boy, bandaged, battered, and bruised as he was. Sirius blinked at the feline completely mystified, "If his health had been restored completely, he would have been forced back into the 'loving arms' of his family. This way, we can hold him here, away from them. And we can document his condition, what they did to him. The more we can document, the stronger our case. Smokey knew that, and so did Shayna. He's probably the twentieth or so child they've been forced to take action to protect."

"Twenty? Really? That many?"

Smokey nodded to the canine, "Yeah, sounds about right. Granted that's over a very long period of time."

"I knew you did something like this when I came here, I didn't know you had a system developed. How long have you guys been doing this?" The wolf gazed over at his azure friend, suddenly feeling that sense of self-loathing he had experienced earlier.

"About forty-five years. We've learned a lot about how to do this in that time." Smokey crossed his arms as he watched little Almon sleep, finding it hard to look at him yet impossible to look away. Madeline paused and looked back at him incredulously.

"Has it really been that long?" She received a nod from the blue, "Well... now I feel really old."

As she finished taking photos, one of Shayna's nurses approached with a packet of papers and documents which were promptly handed over to the feline, "This is everything regarding his condition and treatment with us as you requested."

Madeline nodded, "If you'll excuse me, I have some homework to do. I'll let you know once I've got something for you. And let me know if you hear of anything suspicious coming from Mr. Nelson's room. Something tells me he's not going to just sit quietly on his hands."

"I had the same feeling. Might I join you? I had hoped we could compare notes." The blue stepped closer, holding out an arm to guide his latest guest out of the room. She nodded, but before she disappeared off to her room with the dragon, she slipped around the bed and gave Shayna a firm hug.

"It's really good to see you both. It's been far too long," She pulled away to look the angel in the eyes, a stern expression on her face, "Take care of him."

"I will. I promise. Now you two get moving. You've got work to do, and so do I."

Madeline nodded once more and turned to leave, Smokey following closely behind her. Sirius remained, watching the boy as he silently recuperated under the healer's expert care.

"I really wish we didn't have to leave him like this. When he wakes up, he's going to be in so much pain."

"Actually," the angelic dragoness moved up along the bed, resting a hand on the child's forehead, "Now that she's taken her photos, I can ease his suffering a bit. I can't fix all of it, but I can at least make it not quite so bad." Her eyes closed and a soft light surrounded her palm. Presently, the boy began to wriggle softly, his face contorting into an expression of 'just let me sleep'. His movements faded as he let a quiet whimper escape. Shayna removed her hand and beckoned Sirius closer on the other side of the bed.

For the first time since the attack, Almon opened his eyes, looking out blearily at the two white figures standing over him. The dragon's appearance brought with it the usual misconception.

"Am I dead?"

Shayna chuckled and smiled, stroking softly between the boy's ears, "No, you're not dead sweetie. You're going to be just fine. We're going to get you fixed up good as new in a couple of days."

Almon whimpered again as he tried to move his arms, finding one in a sling, not pleased with the command, and the other in a cast, "I don't want to be 'good as new'."

A frown creased the wolf's muzzle as he settled atop the edge of the boy's bed, "It's pretty bad back home, huh," Almon nodded to him, "Well, we're trying to do something about that. My name is Sirius. I was the one that found you. Shayna here is a doctor and she's taking care of what they did to you."

"Sirius?" The wolf nodded, as did his winged friend. The boy looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, "You shouldn't have saved me. It would be better for everyone if Danny had just kept going. I wouldn't have to go home with them and they wouldn't have to go home with me."

"Don't say that, please," Sirius fought to suppress his anger again, "I won't let them hurt you anymore. I promise. Everything will be different from now on."

Shayna lifted her gaze to watch the lupine, concerned that he was promising more than he could, but she dared not contradict him.

"Try not to move too much. You're still pretty fragile right now. If you need anything, just let us know. Someone will be here to keep an eye on you around the clock."

Almon turned his eyes towards the angel, finding her voice rather soothing, "Can it be Sirius?"

The two adults looked at one another briefly before the wolf answered, "Of course I can stay. Is there anything I can get for you? Are you thirsty or hungry?"

The boy shook his head, closing his eyes as he felt overcome by his exhaustion.

"Would it be okay... if..."

The dragoness tilted her head, "If what?"

"If... I could pick out a book to read?"

---

As evening fell, the blue dragon and the orange feline poured over their findings, trying to find some order in which to put everything. It had not been a pleasant trip through the family's records. Arnold Nelson, a well-respected lawyer, proved to be a daunting target to nail down. Either the people they contacted knew nothing about his home life or were simply too frightened to say anything. His reputation fit the profile Madeline had seen in cases like these; driven in his job, not much attention or time spent or paid at home, fractured relationship with his wife, children showing hardly any sign of his influence in their life aside from financial support. An apartment in the same building as his office was the biggest red flag of all.

"Well Smokey... you sure do know how to pick them. There are hints and trails that he's a bad father but... aside from the fact that Almon ended up essentially an the ICU, I can't find anything substantial to pin on him," The cat sighed and slouched in her chair, rubbing her eyes as the only remaining course of action demanded to be taken, "I think it's time I met this man."

"I can arrange for him to meet you in my office if you like."

"No... as much as I would appreciate that, it has to be a neutral location. I can't appear to be siding completely with you. Remember the whole 'back pocket' comment?" She had a point, one that the dragon quickly conceded, "If you have another office somewhere around here where I can hold an interview..."

Smokey paused, pondering for just a moment before a grin spread across his muzzle, "I think I can help you out with that." He retrieved a small device from his pocket, something of a cross between a radio and a phone. After a brief conversation, he rose to his feet and beckoned the feline to follow him. As they made their way through one of the many halls, they were met by a fox of smallish stature and rather large ears. He turned to walk along with the pair, offering his greeting to them.

"Hey boss. Hey Mrs. Epstien. You said you wanted to set up a meeting room?"

The dragon nodded, "Yes, and I figured it was about time we put your little experiment to the test."

"Yeah, that's all fine and good but... I just came from the infirmary since Carmel wanted to pay a visit. The boy's awake, has been for a while. Maybe we should wait on the room for now so you guys can go have a chat with him first."

The three came to an abrupt stop, commanded by the blue fellow, "He's awake?" the fennec nodded to both dragon and cat, "Alright, we'll go see him first. In the mean time, do what you need to, to get things ready on your end. We're trying to move fast on this one."

"Yeah, I noticed. Poor kid... he's not even crying. I don't think he can right now."

The group dispersed, Jace heading to make the necessary preparations while Smokey and Madeline turned to head back to the infirmary. What they found was a group of people come to cheer the little boy up. The wolf from earlier was seated next to the fox's bed, reading from a large, thick, leather-bound book. Behind him stood the Darkstars, a married couple come to pay a visit and introduce themselves. One was another of the snowy fellow's species, much larger and colored as the night sky. With this large canine stood a tiger of unusual hue. What should have been black stripes and white underbelly were all red and what should have been an orange field all of this was set upon was instead just as black as the wolf she stood next to. Lining the windows were the brightest, most gleeful flowers the gardens could produce, care of Carmel, caretaker of the grounds below. Sirius looked up and offered the two newcomers a nod in greeting. Daemian and Celeste remained where they stood, offering the arrivals smiles and waves each while the dragoness, a lovely shade of verdant green, rose to embrace both.

"Hello Madeline, it's great to see you again."

"You too, Carmel. I have to say, you haven't lost your touch. You always could brighten a room. I see our guest is awake."

The wolf placed a finger between the pages he had been reading from, closing the book as both his and Almon's attention turned to the visitors. The boy was just a little apprehensive at the sight of what looked to be some sort of figure of authority.

"Sirius... who's that?"

"This is Madeline," He rose to his feet and took the lady's hand, offering it his customary kiss on the back of her palm which had managed to forget during their first meeting, "She's a friend of ours, kinda like Daemian and Celeste."

The tigress stepped in closer, having been present long enough to settle the boy's fears about her, "She's probably going to want to ask you a few questions, find out what happened, learn about your family, that sort of thing."

Almon shook his head and looked off out the window, not interested in digging back into what he was still recovering from.

"No. I don't want to talk about it."

The domestic feline sighed and moved to sit where Sirius had been seated, reaching over the bed to gently take one of the child's hands.

"I know. I know how awful it is. You just don't even want to think about it. You just want to pretend it never happened and that it never will again. You sure don't want to talk to a stranger about it. It hurts too much."

Slowly, the boy turned to glance back at the cat from time to time, not having expected someone to cut right to the truth of how he felt so quickly.

"How do you know?" It wasn't meant to be disrespectful but quite the opposite. His voice was small and trembled with genuine curiosity.

"Because I've been right where you are. It never got quite this bad but... it got so bad I had to be taken away from my parents. Mr. Aquatos and his friends here helped me. They protected me. That was a very, very long time ago. I was younger than you are."

It was a curious thing, knowing that one wasn't alone. It seemed to paint the world a darker place, seeing others suffer the same way, but by the same token, Almon felt a strange sense of relief. She understood, probably better than most. It started as a trickle, his explanation of the state of affairs, but as he continued, and the listeners all offered their sympathy and signs of understanding, it began to pour out more briskly. By the time Madeline had learned all she needed to know, Almon was in tears, sobbing as loudly as his poor, damaged body would allow him without intense discomfort. Seeing just how painful it was only for the physical act of crying left everyone unable to keep from feeling their chests ache and twist in knots. When the physical pain became so bad that he was crying more out of that than what he had to contend with every day, Shayna returned and gently put him to sleep once more. The room was cleared and Madeline addressed the group.

"I think it's a pretty clear case. I've got enough I think that a meeting with his parents would really only be a formality. If we're going to put him into protective custody, we'll need to pick someone to take care of him."

Sirius stepped forward, already deeply passionate about the matter, "I will."

"I'm sorry but I don't think that would be a wise idea," She turned to face the wolf, putting a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him before he let himself get worked up again, "It has nothing to do with you as a person nor your willingness to take care of him. Fast tracking these things like this is a precarious business. You would be a single parent with no experience on file. If we want the state to only take a passing glance at this so we can rush it, and still not have to worry about it coming back to haunt us, we need two parents who are on file, who have a good history with the department."

"That would be us, Sirius." Celeste offered her own attempt to sooth the lupine's nerves, "We've done this a few times with Madeline guiding us. We've had excellent results as far as the state is concerned. You'd be more than welcome to spend time with him... but on paper, we're the ones who have to take responsibility for him."

The large dark wolf nodded, peering down at him earnestly, "It's ridiculous that we have to jump through hoops like this. It's clear you and Almon have developed a report and that will be incredibly important for him to recover. But... you have to trust us. It's really the only way."

Sirius nodded slowly, gradually coming to accept the explanation. At least he would be allowed to visit the boy. And frequently.

"Alright... sounds good. What's the next step?" It took everything he had in him to maintain his composure. Smokey saw that and appreciated his effort.

"From here, Madeline will meet with the parents, probably tomorrow morning. She'll conduct a quick examination of the environment and living conditions they keep him in. She'll get their permission to have a social worker visit their home back in town to provide us with the assessment there while she checks in on them here. Unless there is absolutely no indication whatsoever that he's been mistreated, either by his parents or his siblings, she'll be able to officially remove him from their custody."

Daemian stopped the blue dragon for a moment, "I might also have a closer look at this... Danny. Something tells me his mindset in general isn't a healthy one. I'd be willing to bet he's the ringleader. He marches and the other two follow."

"I had thought that myself," The woman adjusted her glasses after wiping her eyes. Listening to the boy's statement had come closer to breaking her professionalism than most cases, "I've already called the office and requested they assign someone to investigate the Nelson's home. We just need to provide him with proper notice. We don't even necessarily need his permission at this point. The case is that far gone."

"Okay, so what should I do?" The white fellow was at a disadvantage. Everyone else seemed to know the process. He was in the dark.

"Be with him," Shayna took Sirius by the arm gently and guided him back towards the door, "He's taken a shine to you. He seems to really like stories... and well... you are the quintessential bard. You've got him wrapped around your little finger. Use that to make him better."

A faint blush came to the wolf's cheeks as he chuckled, having noticed that as well.

"He did really like it when I read the different parts with different voices."

"See? You're good for him. That's where you're strong. When he wakes up, you'll be there. He knows that." The angel gently pushed him into the room as Celeste chased him in with one last comment.

"We'll send the girls to come visit in a little while. They'll want to meet their new little brother. Just... keep an eye on them. They can be a little... unpredictable sometimes."

The door closed quietly and the group began to disperse, each one going back to what they needed to do. It was looking good, the chances of saving the boy. If their luck held, the promises made to him would be kept.

---

Hours passed as Almon slept. His emotional outpouring had not helped his injuries. Sirius sat next the boy's bed as he lay there quietly, nodding off from time to time as he waited for the child to wake. When he finally did, the fox was quite groggy. He remembered where he was and why he was there, but he didn't recognize the two girls huddled in against the kindly wolf, all three napping soundly. The lupine he recognized, and was grateful for his presence. The two kitsunes seated in his lap, leaned in against his chest, he was sure were new. One seemed to be the usual color, a fiery orange with creamy white along her forearms and throat. The other was a curious shade, pitch black instead. Other than their pelts, they were virtually identical and appeared to be only slightly older then he happened to be.

"Sirius?"

The voice brought the wolf out of his slumber almost immediately. His head pulled back from the skyward-pointed posture that was no doubt going to leave his neck stiff. As he sat up properly, he ended up waking the twin girls in his arms.

"Oh... hey Almon. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Still hurts." He whimpered a little as he tried to adjust his position.

"Don't try to move. You really did a number on yourself earlier," The girls sitting in his lap remained quiet, looks of concern creasing their faces, "Oh... by the way. You've got some more company. The big wolf and tiger lady that came to visit earlier... they're going to be taking care of you once you can leave the infirmary. They're great. You'll love living with them. And I'll get to see you real often. These are their daughters, Angela and Abigail."

The young vixens bounced out of the wolf's lap and pressed against the edge of the bed, wanting to get a good, close look at their new little brother. Their bright faces, now smiling happily at him, seemed trustworthy enough, and if Sirius said they were okay, that was good enough for him.

"Hi... um... which one's which?"

The girls both giggled and offered their identification. The orange one bounced on her feet first, "I'm Angie!" and the darker one followed, "And I'm Abby! We're gonna be your big sisters! It's gonna be great!"

"I've only had one big sister... two will be interesting. Angie's the orange and white one... and Abby's the solid black one... right?"

"Yeah! You got it!" They both sounded in unison, bouncing away happily, seeming to be incredibly full of vigor and joy. They bounded in place until finally, they froze, gazing back at him, "Hey! You wanna see the playroom!? It's like a daycare for all the kids in the inn to hang out in while the adults all do their jobs!"

"Yeah, I'd like to. But," He closed his eyes and laid his head back, grimacing softly, "I still don't feel so good."

"I'll see if we can't fix that," Sirius had stood by now, resting a hand comfortingly on the boy's forehead, "I'm sure we can get the doctor to do something to help make you feel better. Girls, keep an eye on him for me, Uncle Sirius needs to go find Auntie Shayna."

They both nodded and began chattering away with the boy, keeping it at a pace he could manage. Or at least they tried to. Sirius slipped out confident he would be in good hands with the girls before tracking down the angelic dragoness. She had changed out of her scrubs and slipped back into her more comfortable, more preferred robe.

"Is he awake?"

"Yeah, and it looks like he's still in a good deal of pain."

The angelic lady nodded and turned to pay her patient a visit, "I'll see what I can do." In she stepped and moved quickly to the young fox's side, cupping hand against his cheek. Her smile seemed so disarming. He had seen her around before and knew what she was, or at least what her job was. Still, that smile had taken care of any fear he might have had about her. She wouldn't hurt him. He felt that truth deep down inside and that smile was only confirmation.

"You're wearing different clothes."

Shayna nodded with a bit of chuckle, "Very astute of you. Yeah... I got tired of the scrubs so I decided to change back into my usual clothes. Far more comfortable."

"Could I have a robe like that instead of this really thin gown? It doesn't keep you real warm."

"I think we can get you one. For right now though, I want to see if I can't make you feel a little better. Sirius said you were uncomfortable." She glanced over at the two fox girls and the look she offered them told them what to do. Immediately, and in a fit of giggles, they were out the door, rushing off to find the very robe Almon had requested.

"Yeah, my chest still hurts a lot. When I breathe it hurts more."

In an attempt at humor, Shayna just looked at him rather matter-of-factly and lightly tapped the end of his nose, "So what should you stop doing?"

For a moment, the fox thought she was serious but the gradual smile that crept back across her lips reassured him. When he was certain she was being silly, he allowed himself a moment to chuckle, wincing as he did so. With the sudden sharp pain, he jokingly agreed, "Maybe I should. It really hurts."

"No, don't stop breathing, let me take care of that for you," The angelic dragoness moved her hand from his cheek to his chest, pressing only ever so slightly. He winced as she rest her palm there, suddenly feeling an odd warmth rushing out through him starting at where she made contact. He inhaled sharply only to find that the vast majority of the pain had gone. It absolutely astounded him, "There we go, how's that? Better?"

He was completely stunned, utterly mystified by the lady's powers, "How did you... I was coughing and feeling like my chest was gonna collapse. Now it feels almost like there was nothing wrong, at least in my chest."

"That's because now, there isn't. Your ribs aren't broken anymore. They're as good as new." Her smile only seemed to widen the boy's eyes.

"But how is that possible!? Unless..."

Gently, Shayna pressed a finger to his lips to tenderly hush the boy, "I'm guessing your parents aren't exactly fans of magic," his slow nod confirmed her suspicions, "Well, we use it quite a lot around here. I'm sorry I can't use it to make you all better. I hate that you're suffering."

"No! Don't fix anything else... if you do, I have to go back to my family. I don't want to go back!" With his chest no longer holding him back, a mild panic began to grip him. He sat up and raised his voice as if trying to fight a verdict that had already been passed.

Sirius leaned in and took Almon by the shoulder, leaning him back against the pillow behind him, "No one is going to make you go back. Just relax. You don't want to make your arm worse. Shayna took care of the dislocated shoulder, but your elbow is still very delicate."

The boy nodded, allowing himself to be reclined again, sighing softly in mild frustration. He didn't want to think about any of this. During situations like this, he would just go to his room, pull out a book and disappear into it for as long as he could muster. Here, that was a luxury he wasn't exactly able to afford. The wolf turned back to the angel and conversed with her briefly about his condition, if he would be okay to leave for a little while. She seemed satisfied with his state after taking care of his chest. While the adults spoke, Angela and Abigail huddled in close to the side of the bed, grinning broadly at the boy.

"We're gonna have lotsa fun! What would ya like? Video games? Board games? Cards? Movies?"

"Do you have any good books?" He winced internally, expecting a hail of insults akin to 'nerd' or 'bookworm' but none came. Instead, the girls only smiled brighter.

"Yeah! We have tons! Mr. Aquatos makes sure we always have lots ta read!" The orange girl bounced away eagerly while her darker sister seemed a bit more subdued, though similarly excited.

"Most of the other kids are more interested in the electronic stuff. It's nice ta know you like the kind of fun you don't hafta plug in."

"Alright kids, let's back up and see if we can get Almon on his feet," Sirius stepped forward to help the boy sit back up and slide to the edge of the bed, "Now girls, he's gonna need your help. He can't open doors for himself right now and he can't really carry much so he'll need you to be his arms and hands."

The twins bounded back with their bubbly exuberance, giggling and grinning, unable to hardly wait. They agreed to help and Sirius nudged Almon off the bed carefully, the boy's feet landing on the smooth floor to hold him up. The boy was changed into the robe he had requested ever so delicately. He was a little unsteady at first but soon found his balance, precarious though it was. He had taken quite a pounding after all. On wobbly legs but with two vixens, a wolf, and a dragoness to help him, the fox managed to walk out of his room into the hall. A few long looks were turned his direction, expressions of concern spreading across the faces of much of the staff. Almon didn't seem to notice, or at least he put on the appearance as such. The infirmary was left behind for the time being and the small group made their way slowly towards the playroom. Along the way, the boy was finally able to get a better look at his surroundings, marveling at the inn now that he could properly drink it in.

"Just how big is this place?"

Sirius smiled a bit, "It's pretty big. We've got almost a thousand rooms between the tree house and a few other outlying guest areas. Not too long ago, we just opened up what we call the temple annex. It's really cool and it's a big hollowed out mountain. Maybe we'll get to show you sometime soon."

"I'd like that." The boy went back to being his quiet self, watching the world out the window just like he had on the trip to the inn. Could he really get to stay here and not go back with his family? Could he really be so close to freedom? It all sounded too good to be true. There had to be some sort of catch. There always was. He shoved the notion away and sank back into his wonderment, indulging himself while he could. Eventually, their walk brought them into a wing that seemed to be much less populated, signs on either side of the doors to the connecting walkway labeling it as an 'employees only' area. The doors concealing the rooms facing out through the foliage of this particular tree all seemed to be decorated differently, feeling more like homes, perhaps apartments, rather than hotel rooms. After a short walk through the staff quarters, they reached the 'playroom' as it was referred to.

It was bright and colorful as any children's play area might be designed to be, but it lacked that tacky sense so often plaguing such facilities; that sense that the designer knows what kids want more than they do. There were a dozen or so other youngsters playing, squealing, running about, or sitting engrossed in whatever held their attention. It seemed quite nice indeed.

"C'mon Almon! We wanna show you our favorite spot!" The girls bounded away in what had to be their preferred form of locomotion, bouncing and skipping happily while Sirius aided the boy's efforts to follow. The twins rushed over to a circle of beanbag chairs and leapt into one of the largest in the group, patting the center void for the wolf and the young fox.

"Looks comfy... might need a little help." Before he could request any of them to, Sirius picked the lad up and turned about, settling into the cozy seat with Almon in his lap. Immediately, the girls pressed in to enjoy the company. Just as they were getting settled, a sudden vibration claimed the lupine's pocket. He sighed and reached into the pouch in the side of his trousers and retrieved a small black device. He studied the screen for a moment and frowned seeing the message that was taking him away.

"Looks like I have to vanish for a little bit, kids. I'll be back in a flash. Just need to get a sketch from my room to the cartographers." Carefully, but much to everyone's displeasure, he rose and set Almon down in the divot he had created, still lightly warmed by his presence there. The fox sank into it and closed his eyes, sighing gently.

"You'll be back soon?" Clearly the boy didn't like seeing his white wolf friend leave.

"Yeah, say about... fifteen, twenty minutes or so. Girls, take care of him for me, okay? You know how to reach Shayna or me if anything happens."

The twins nodded, saluting the wolf as they puffed up, trying to look as big and mature as a pair of ten-year-olds could look.

"You can count on us, Uncle!"

With that, the wolf was gone, hurried out the door in his best effort to make the absence as short as possible. As they stood there in the few remaining moments, Almon tilted his head softly, beginning to wonder lightly. They were different species, not just Sirius and the girls, but the girls and who they had claimed were their parents.

"Is he really your uncle?"

"No, not really, he's just a really good friend that we like to call uncle," Angela popped up out of her seat in the cushion, turning to grin back at her sister and the boy they were looking after, "I'm gonna get a book for us to read!"

Abby nodded and cuddled in closer to Almon, giving his cheek a little nuzzle. It surprised the lad, having never received such affection from... well... anyone!

"Okay, so Uncle Sirius isn't actually an uncle, that's cool and all. Was wondering since he's a wolf. But... your dad's a wolf, and your mom's a tiger. How'd you two end up foxes? Are you adopted?" If they were rescues like him, it made perfect sense... unfortunately for his coming confusion, it wasn't the case.

"No, they're our parents. We're special, all four of us. We can change ourselves if we want to. Mom wanted to be a tiger, dad wanted to be a wolf, Angie and I wanted to be foxes."

"You can change yourselves?" Now he was sure they were messing with him, but he played along. Angela nodded as she climbed back up into the beanbag to join them.

"Yeah! It's fun!" She closed her eyes and as Almon watched, the vixen suddenly transformed into a cat. She giggled and grinned before turning into a squirrel, then a gryphon, and then half a dozen other things before changing back into what Almon had seen her as originally. The boy, needless to say, was stunned to silence... for a moment. When he found his tongue again, the usual questions began to surface.

"How did you do that!? What all can you turn into!? Is it hard!?" A hand cupped over his muzzle to hush him, not as gentle as Shayna, but certainly not rough. Angela rolled her eyes a little and sighed as she looked over at her sister.

"I think it'd be easier if we just showed him rather than tried to explain it all." Her voice seemed to be devoid of the youth and exuberance it once possessed, as if she had matured ten or twelve years in just that instant. Abigail nodded and lifted a hand, pointing a finger at the boy's forehead before lightly tapping it and holding there. Instantly, a flood of images surged into his mind, overwhelming him for the fraction of a second they took to enter. He gasped and panted, his eyes wide as he tried to sort it all out.

"You're... you're aliens!?"

"That's right. Now just relax, take it easy. You're assimilating a lot of information. Give it a minute to filter through." Angela's face had taken on a far more mature appearance, even though nothing had actually changed. It was what he saw in that face that changed. She eased him back against the cushion they sat in, waiting patiently for him to come to grips with everything that had just been fed into his mind.

And she wasn't kidding when she said it was a lot.

He saw flashes of other worlds, entire civilizations, wonders unlike anything he had ever seen before. Celeste and Daemian figured prominently in those memories. They had fought a war against one another, armies on both sides, the tigress working to stop the wolf. He wasn't well. The forces that created Celeste also created him, leading them to consider one another to be brother and sister, but his creation was unbalanced. He was deranged, psychotic, deriving pleasure from the suffering of others. The feline took it upon herself to stand between him and as many innocents as she could protect. In Almon's mind, she wasn't entirely sane either, but for having spent her first two centuries alone, watching other forms of life, she had done well for herself.

Eventually the war was ended but only after the girls were born. That alone was an odd tale, even just the small fragments he was permitted to see. Daemian was imprisoned back between the neutron star and black hole that had formed him, locked by the mighty struggle of the two celestial titans, threatened to be ripped apart and his remains dragged down into the singularity. As the tidal forces pulled ferociously at his body, something clicked in his mind and he began to weep. He cried out in agony, not for what was being done to him but for what he had allowed himself to do. Against her better judgment, Celeste freed him, hoping that perhaps his... imbalance... might have been corrected. Even if he was no longer a threat or danger, there were countless civilizations out amongst the stars that wished him dead. He had to be hidden while he underwent his rehabilitation.

Smokey's inn seemed ideal. Celeste had visited there numerous times and even brought the girls there when they were young. A bargain was struck between tiger and dragon. The wolf would be permitted to remain so long as he was employed and followed the rules. One of the greatest tyrants the universe had ever seen had been reduced to little more than a florist and gardener. Daemian took up the role conscientiously. The art of nurturing and protecting such delicate life would give him the respect he would need to cultivate for all life forms. He changed, drastically. Hope had been sewn where none had existed before. The short version of the family's history made Almon's problems seem so tiny and insignificant, and yet it left him feeling he had a great deal more in common with the girls. He felt at ease with them in spite of the tremendous power they harbored.

"I... I don't know what to say. I kind of envy you two. Your parents love you, you don't fight, you don't hurt one another."

"Well, not anymore we don't. And now you don't have to worry about that anymore yourself. Our parents will take care of you just like they take care of us." Angela's voice carried that same irrepressible chipper tone from before, but it didn't seem to help the boy too much. He simply hung his head and gazed blankly at his feet.

"It won't matter. Dad's got all kind of friends. He'll get them to come and take me away eventually. I really like Sirius, he's kind and caring and I feel safe around him... but... I wish he hadn't shown up."

The girls both froze, their jubilance dying away as they began to piece together Almon's meaning.

"Why do you wish he hadn't found you?"

The boy couldn't even bring himself to look at either of the twins as he spoke, his voice low, ashamed to even utter the words.

"Because then Danny wouldn't have stopped and none of them could get to me ever again." He knew his death would have brought all sorts of unpleasant consequences for his oldest brother, but he didn't care about that. He only wanted to be away from them and he'd read enough books to understand the permanence of the end of one's life. Angela and Abigail both turned to one another, seeming to have a sort of silent conversation between them. They were scheming but before they took action, they wanted to be sure of the boy's certainty.

"You said your dad has friends who would come and take you away... has that happened before?"

Almon nodded, "Yeah. I tried to run away a couple of times before. The people at the office downtown made it sound like I'd never have to go back. Dad came and had a bunch of friends in suits and uniforms come and yank me out of wherever I was. When other people could see us, he acted like he cared... sorta. But when we got in the car and no one could see or hear us, he would punish me for running off. He said if I ever did it again, I'd be really sorry. So... as much as I appreciate what you and your parents and Mr. Aquatos and Sirius and everyone's trying to do... it'll just happen again. No matter what you make him sign, no matter who stands up to him. The only way I'll ever get to leave is when I die."

That seemed to cement the situation. Things were more dire than the adults knew. Arnold had a private army of lawyers, experts, and even law enforcement officers he kept in his back pocket. Keeping Almon would require a miracle.

"What if we told you there was a way to keep you here? A way not even your dad could fight?"

---

A sharp rap on the door, sounding an unfriendly visit, echoed through the suite the family of foxes shared. The father stood from the sofa, rubbing his head as he continued to claw his way through his hangover, a small one compared to his usual fair. He opened the door to find the blue dragon from earlier standing just outside, a stern expression on his face and two sizable security officers behind him.

"Mr. Nelson, I need you to come with me please."

"What? I'm being arrested now?" He growled, resolving not to budge for anything.

"No sir. You're not being arrested but I've been advised to have security escort you to your meeting."

"My meeting? I wasn't aware I had any meeting."

Smokey nodded lightly, "I wasn't made aware of it until just a few minutes ago. Madeline Epstien would like to speak with you privately about your son."

That caught Arnold's attention. He fought to keep his expression from shifting or showing any sign of sudden apprehension. He knew who Madeline was. It was hard not to being a lawyer of his caliber. They had notified the authorities and managed to climb up the ladder awfully quick. The board on which the game was played had suddenly reconfigured and he felt himself at a terrible disadvantage so far from his firm. He turned to walk back into the room, leaving the door open.

"Mind if I change first?"

"I'm afraid she would like to speak with you immediately. She's waiting for you in her temporary office. You can come as you are. Please." The dragon turned and stepped back out of the way, an arm extended to show him the way. Arnold grumbled and simply turned back towards the door, his footfalls heavier than usual as he practically stamped his way out into the hall. Smokey watched in quiet before taking up a gait that kept him alongside the fox. The two sizable fellows behind them kept close, their eyes locked on the back of the vulpine's head. He still smelled lightly of alcohol, but it was weaker than earlier in the infirmary. Perhaps he had taken Smokey's advice after all. The trip saw the group arrive at a pair of large doors with no handles or doorknobs. Instead of conventional practice, the doors slid open revealing a massive office overlooking one of the larger metropolitan regions of the world. Immediately Arnold recognized the skyline. How was he back home? Certainly the Inn was known for its wonder and breath-taking features but this was just cruel.

"Mr. Nelson, so glad you could come on such short notice. We've a great deal to talk about. Please have a seat. Thank you Mr. Aquatos, you're welcome to join us if you prefer." The elderly feline sat behind a large desk that was almost completely featureless save for the thick file folder in front of her. The fox settled into a chair gazing harshly back at her while the blue sat next to him.

"Yes, we most certainly do Mrs. Epstien. You and your scaled friend have been busy. Usually this sort of thing takes days to get this far along. I wish I knew your secret so I could move so fast in my cases."

"It's been expedited by necessity. We've found that cases like this, matching a certain profile, often frequent the Inn and Mr. Aquatos has been kind enough to allow my office unlimited access to his facilities so we can progress as quickly as we can. Now, if you'll pardon me for skipping any other pleasantries, I'd like to get down to business," She opened the folder in front of her and collected a few of the documents within, sliding them across the wide desk towards the fox, "Here is a detailed medical report of your son's injuries."

Arnold took hold of the pages scattered in front of him and looked over them carefully, his brow furrowing in confusion as he read a report about minor abrasions and contusions on the knuckles of his oldest child.

"I thought we were here to talk about Almon."

"We are indeed, but I thought you should see just what sort of damage your son inflicted upon himself while injuring the boy."

The fox set the short stack of papers back on the desk and reclined again.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's just a case of sibling rivalry."

"Half sibling. Almon isn't your son, is he?" The cat gazed sharply at the would-be father, her fingers crossed just in front of her chin. Arnold fought to maintain his composure, not liking old wounds being torn open like this.

"No... no he isn't actually my son. My wife had an affair some years ago and Almon was the result. But I've raised him as if he were my own. I didn't immediately divorce Lisa. I didn't even kick her out. I've fed the boy, clothed him, put him in school, and given him a roof over his head. I've been a damn good father to a kid who isn't even mine."

Madeline didn't bother to answer straight away. Instead, she collected the second medical report in front of her and slid it across the desk towards him, this one showing all of Almon's injuries, fresh and recent as well as evidence of past conflict "If that's what you call 'raising him as your own' then I shudder to think what the other three have been put through. Daniel beat him almost to death. Had Mr. Nocturne not intervened, we'd be discussing charges of manslaughter and the possibility of your oldest son going to juvenile detention. I want you to have a good hard look at that report. Underneath the savage beating he received, the doctors found evidence of trauma that's years old. Now it's possible that Danny's been assaulting Almon for years... but... the sorts of things Sirius heard him screaming as he came up on them... my experience tells me it's more of a learned behavior."

"Are you suggesting that I hit my son!?"

"We've already established he's not your son, Mr. Nelson." Her sharp retort silenced the fox. He lowered his eyes back to the report, reading over it carefully as he strained to contain his anger, "I've elected to remove Almon Nelson from your custody and place him in protective care pending a hearing to determine your and Mrs. Nelson's fitness as parents. To that point, I have a couple of agents from Child Protective Services standing outside your door right now waiting for permission to enter to examine the living conditions. You can refuse if you like but I'll simply have a judge provide a warrant... and as I've said, we've managed to expedite this process. It would be much easier on all of us if you would just cooperate."

The fox growled, gritting his teeth as he began to crumple the pages in his hands. Never before had he experienced this, the opposition moving so quickly, or even able to, to build a case against him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmly placed the report back on the desk, opening his eyes again to look back at the feline, an unmistakable hatred burning in that gaze. This game wasn't fun anymore.

"You're welcome to have a look around my home. And when you see that my son is well cared for, you'll understand why I'll be filing to have the case thrown out. Any issues between Almon and Danny will be handled internally. We don't need the state stepping in."

"I'm afraid we do need to step in Mr. Nelson. We've already placed him in the care of a foster family. You won't be getting him back. You'll be lucky if you don't lose all three of the children that are yours," She began to collect the documents again, filing them away neatly into the folder, "And I've told you already Mr. Nelson... he's not your son. He never was and he never will be. You can't hurt him anymore, not by your own hand or voice... and certainly not by conditioning your other children to hate and abuse him. You are to be confined to your room here at the inn until these proceedings have ended. Mr. Aquatos' security staff will maintain guard outside your door until the authorities arrive to take over. I will be coming by to conduct the official interviews for you, your wife, and your children within the next couple of days. In the mean time, you are not permitted to enter the infirmary without expressed permission. Any attempt to come within one hundred feet of Almon Nelson will-" She was immediately cut off by a frantic voice crackling away over the small black device the dragon kept in his pocket. It was clear enough to tell a short story that changed the course of the matter once again.

"Angela to the infirmary! Medical emergency in the playroom! Almon's lost consciousness!"

---

The infirmary had turned into the emergency room at a hospital deep within a metropolitan area with all the activity suddenly flowing through. And all of it in the efforts to keep a single pre-pubescent fox alive. To most, it would appear quite touching and heart-wrenching. To Arnold and Lisa, it was a sign of either one's career or social life coming to an end; possibly both. As the activity began to dwindle and fade from the pulse-pounding stress that had suddenly invaded the once peaceful resort, several people sitting in the waiting area began to glance more and more frequently towards the door concealing the child in danger.

Eventually, Shayna emerged, back in her scrubs, much to her dismay. She pulled the latex gloves off of her hands as a somber expression remained fixed across her face.

"He's resting."

That was all she could utter before Lisa jumped to her feet, instantly transmographying into a concerned and heart-broken mother. No one was believing her charade, not even her.

"Tell me doctor! What's the prognosis!? Will my little boy be okay!?"

Shayna pushed back away from the artificially hysterical vixen, getting out of arm's reach as fake sobs stung her ears.

"Almon has had a stroke. A massive one," Silence fell on the crowd, even Lisa. Questions were bubbling up but Shayna pre-empted them, "Near as we can tell, it was caused by at least three distinct clots all within close proximity but affecting different regions of the brain. The reason why he developed the clots... I don't know for sure. If I had to guess, the cranial trauma he received about fourteen hours ago likely caused it but I can't rule out prior injuries."

Arnold frowned and stood up, giving Lisa a light shove to one side.

"You don't know for sure!? Just a few hours ago you said he was going to be fine! Now he's probably brain dead and you can't tell for sure what caused it!? Your incompetence! That's what caused this! Had you been paying closer attention to my son's test results and his condition, you might have spotted the clots before they became an issue! You can expect a lawsuit over this!"

"Mr. Nelson!" Madeline's voice boomed powerfully, likely louder than it should in the infirmary. Perhaps she had some lion in her, "You lost the right to levy suit against anyone regarding the boy's condition and health the minute I informed you he was no longer in your custody! Now be quiet or I'll have security escort you out!" The cat's strong protest silenced the fox and he grumbled before the lady nodded for Shayna to continue.

"There were signs of severe trauma to the boy's brain. We're beginning to see lesions forming. I'm sorry but... it's only a matter of time before his body gives out. I can't even wake him up for you to say your goodbyes. He likely wouldn't recognize you if we could."

The parents both stood in silence. The fact that it had come to this stunned them utterly and completely. Arnold opened his mouth as if to try and say something but no words would come. He stuttered incoherently as Lisa simply stared in disbelief. Madeline looked over to the two burly security guards and nodded to them, the men crossing the floor to stand on either side of the father and mother.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, under the authority of the Child Protective Services Act, I am hereby confining you both to your room until such time as appropriate authorities arrive to take you and your surviving children into custody. Unless by some miraculous turn of events and your son pulls through, Daniel Nelson will be charged with manslaughter and face time in juvenile detention. If I have any reason to suspect he or the other two remaining children are being mistreated as well, I will have them removed from your custody. Consider yourself lucky Mr. Nelson... your son will take the blame for what I'm sure you wanted to do. How proud you must be." The feline's voice was somber and dripped with sarcasm towards the end. The amount of contempt she held for him, his wife, and the oldest boy was unparalleled. The two security guards escorted the startled parents away back to their room as the elderly cat contacted the appropriate branch of law enforcement.

"Well... it's done then. The case is closed. Is there anything more we can do to help you Madeline?" The blue seemed less upset than he should be considering the circumstances, unwittingly drawing the feline's ire.

"Yes... there is something you can do! I want to know how this happened! He was stable! Your people took care of his internal injuries! You're healers for god's sake! Why was it decided he should die!?"

Smokey recoiled ever so subtly in defense, not expecting so harsh a reaction, "It's okay. The Promise will catch him and bring him back. You know that. You've seen it firsthand. It's probably for the best anyway. You've looked over Arnold's file, seen how aggressive he is in the courtroom. He wouldn't have let this go."

"So you just gave the order to have an innocent boy killed!?" Madeline was furious at this point. True, the child's death would likely be undone and his bonds to his old family would be effectively and irrevocably cut, but forcing him to suffer a stroke seemed utterly heartless. Shayna stepped in, offering her expertise to defend the innkeeper.

"He didn't give any order. I can attest to that. His brain scans were clean when we were treating him initially... well, except for the concussion. No lesions, no clots, no evidence he would develop either. I even took care of the concussion personally. He had a completely clean neurological bill of health when I let him leave," The angel paused, turning to the pair of vixens, no longer children but adults. Clearly their shape shifting powers were not limited to changing species. Their child-like appearance had been nothing but an illusion, one everyone present was aware of, "Which means one of you did something. I want to know what and why." Shayna was rather displeased, but far calmer than the feline. Madeline was quietly surprised by the sudden shifting of blame.

"You two? You were going to be his older sisters... and you killed him!?"

Angela stepped forward to stand between Abigail and the rest of the group, "We gave him a choice. We told him there was a way to never have to go back to his family ever again. We explained everything; the Promise, our abilities, what he could gain, and what he could lose. He chose this. He wanted to take the path that would sever all ties with his past. We simply undid what Shayna had done. It didn't hurt. He didn't suffer. We put him to sleep and un-mended the damage."

"What damage? All he had was a concussion. I checked him out myself."

Abigail took her turn to speak up, the darker vixen staying behind her protective sister, "Not just what had happened here... all of it. We brought it all back. They've treated him so badly. It's a miracle he survived infancy. Now he can't ever be hurt by them ever again. And it won't be the Promise that saves him. We will. We already have."

Silence prevailed as the revelation of Almon's future dawned on the entire group. Angela maintained her defensive posture, protecting her pregnant sister as Almon's new life began inside her. Madeline simply shook her head and sighed in frustration. Her gaze turned back to the blue dragon she had lashed out at earlier.

"I've said it before... it's one hell of a staff you've got here Smokey," Her gaze then shifted to the twins, the lovers that would soon be mothers, "I'm not exactly happy you acted on this without consulting me first. You didn't have to go this far. He would have been safe here. There is no way I would have let that monster take him back. But you two... you just acted as if you were judge, jury, and executioner. You took the law into your own hands. I cannot condone that."

"We didn't take the law into hands. We simply let the most likely outcome play out here where we could control it. He would have gone back. He's run away before. He's been in court before. Arnold takes him back every time, each instance worse than the one before it. He would have gone home with them and they would have killed him there. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, maybe not even before the end of the year, but before he reaches the age he'd need to be to get away legally, they would have broken him and ended his life. And he wouldn't come back. At least here, we can give him a new life. He isn't Almon Nelson anymore."

"You know exactly what this sort of behavior can cause." It was Daemian, not so much glaring at his daughters but gazing firmly in concern and disappointment. His broad arms crossed in front of his chest as his feline wife took up a similar stance.

The tigress agreed, "We've got rules about how we behave for a reason. You could really cause a lot of problems by doing what you're doing."

Angela nodded, looking back at them both with unmatched determination, "We know. And we're teaching him what you taught us. He's learning everything we know. And what's the point of being a 'chaos spirit' if you have to follow rules all the time?"

"The reason is we don't know what sort of person he'll become! He's too young for us to know how he'll develop! These things take time and careful consideration. You can't just give a child that kind of power!" Celeste knew instantly as the words left her mouth how Angela would respond.

"Like you gave us?" She gazed back at her parents, waiting for an answer. None came. She had made her point and that point had gotten through, "We've both seen his past, his memories... we know who he'll be, and he'll make us all proud to call him one of us."

Smokey frowned softly as they spoke, moving to slip past Angela as her defenses softened. He guided Abigail into a seat and moved to rest a hand on her still trim stomach, shivering a little as he felt the strange, unearthly warmth spread up through his palm. Something powerful was going on in there. They removed the boy from his old body, the empty husk lying in the infirmary bed slowly giving out. His soul had been captured and bound to a new form growing in his new mother's womb.

"So... if he isn't Almon anymore, who is he now?"

The black vixen lifted a hand and rested it across the back of the dragon's palm, "Brian Xavier Darkstar."

---

The afternoon quickly turned to evening as life carried on as it usually did for most throughout the inn. The Nelsons were confined to their room and all seemed rather quiet. Maybe the irreversible nature of the state of affairs finally jarred a sense of guilt from them. Smokey and Shayna remained by the boy's lifeless form as the mechanics of his life slowly drained away, pondering whether or not they had gone about this the right way. New protocols, new rules would need to be put into place it seemed. They couldn't just steal children like that, no matter how badly they might want to. Unfortunately, as they had been described before, Angela and Abigail were indeed unpredictable.

To the girls, all that mattered was making sure their new son was getting everything he needed, becoming exactly who they helped him find he wanted to be. Of course, they went about the matter in an unorthodox fashion. In only a few short hours, Abigail began to show, her abdomen gradually stretching outward. Angela fawned over it lovingly, giving her sister's growing dome a tender kiss and stroke every few moments. They lounged atop their bed, squeezed together tightly as they paid close attention to the boy's progress, concerned by a strange sensation of emptiness that radiated from him.

"I don't understand. He's not doing as well as we'd hoped. It's almost as though he's holding onto some sort of regret." The dark vixen caressed her rounded middle, watching it as it continued to swell, too slow to actually see the change as it happened. Her sister nodded, pressing her cheek to the dome.

"It can't be that he's homesick. There's something else. Almost like he's missing something." The words hung in the air for a moment before both girls brought their eyes to meet. The mother-to-be voicing what they had come to conclude was the case.

"Or someone... I'll wait here."

Angela nodded and rose from the bed, hesitantly at first but then she turned and took her leave, racing down the hallway to a nearby room occupied by a single person.

Sirius lay on his back atop his bed, sighing quietly as he stared at the ceiling, one hand behind his head, the other on his chest. The past two days' events had taken quite the toll on him. There wasn't much he could do other than wait to hear of this 'Brian's birth. Would he be at all the same? Would he even remember what happened? In all fairness, it was probably better that he didn't, but a part of the wolf hoped he would. He'd let himself get too attached to the boy far too quickly. It was bringing up dreadful thoughts and memories. Sleep would be his only refuge; if he could just find it.

The knock at his door would delay his search just a bit longer. With a grumble, the wolf rose from his bed and slowly dragged his feet across the room to the source of the offensive noise. A twist of the knob and a tug brought the wooden barrier from between him and his guest.

"Yes?" That was all he could utter before two arms wrapped around his neck and his lips were pressed against another's. It was Angela, and she was showing a curious level of affection. It wasn't something new, but it wasn't terribly common. Beyond that, her attitude seemed to be less of lust and more of a desire to be close. After she left him dizzy from the kiss, she tucked her head under his chin and leaned firmly into his chest. Her tails swished quietly behind her as she let the canine gradually realize what had just happened. She moved a little too fast sometimes.

"We need you Sirius. Brian needs you."

The lupine frowned softly, pulling back to look down at the vixen huddled in his arms, "What's wrong? Is he okay?"

"He's not doing as well as we had hoped. He's... well... the best way to describe is... he misses you." The tone of her voice suggested a sense of pain, not physical but empathetic. She was hurting because her son was. Sirius was taken aback by how swiftly the bond between mother and child had formed. He had known the girls for quite some time but this was quick even for them. Still, they needed him, and he wasn't about to say no.

"What can I do?"

Abby lounged on her bed, continuously running her fingers across and around the spherical swell she lovingly cared for, marveling at her unborn child's strength. As she waited patiently for her sister to return, she closed her eyes and attempted to reach out to the boy, feeling for him with her mind. He was still distraught, happy that he was well and truly done with his past but longing for the presence of the wolf who had been so kind to him. She sighed as she retreated back into herself, gazing at her stomach in impotent frustration. Blessedly, her displeasure was short lived. The door opened and in walked Angela with their lupine friend in tow. Without hesitation, the two moved swiftly to the dark vixen's sides, providing her with the attention she and her child yearned for. Almost immediately, both ladies sensed a dramatic improvement in the unborn fox's emotional state. He could sense Sirius. The rapport had grown that strong.

"Thank you... he's doing much better now." Abigail leaned into the wolf's embrace, grateful that someone had made so strong a connection with the boy. The snowy fellow nodded with a quiet sigh, concerned by his need to be close by.

"How long will it be before he's ready to be born?"

"We're hoping he'll have solidified his appearance by tomorrow morning. When that happens, he'll be ready to join the rest of the waking world. It might take a bit longer though. We didn't anticipate his strong attraction towards you."

"So... he could end up needing to stay... how much longer?"

Angela propped herself up on an elbow, pondering the question and doing the math so to speak, "I wouldn't say more than one more day. In fact, I'd be willing to guess mid-day if he's not ready by morning."

"And that's if I stay with you two the whole time. That presents certain complications. I've got work to do in the morning. Smokey needs me to go have a look in the southern region of the preserve. He was hoping I could map the new plot he purchased. I was going to head out before first light."

Abby clung tightly to the wolf, not wanting him to leave, if only for the boy's sake, "I'm sure he'd be okay with waiting on that for a little while! Please stay with us until Brian's ready!"

"I've already delayed it a couple of days. I really need to get on top of it."

The dark vixen sighed and buried her face in the lupine's chest, desperate to give her son what he needed to be strong. And then Angela leaned in, a sly grin on her face.

"I think I know how we can keep Brian close to you and not keep you from your work..." The kitsune whispered to her sister, bringing a giggle to her lips. Abby nodded in agreement and the twins shuffled about, pinning the wolf onto his back as two pairs of hands began to undress him. He looked up at the girls, unsure what their plan was as they slid his trousers off. As soon as he was completely exposed, both vixens turned to the lupine's groin, nuzzling and licking ever so softly at his sheath. A moan rose from the masculine fellow, not expecting their attention to turn so intimate. In but only a few brief moments, they had elicited a firm arousal from the canine. And then their attention shifted lower. Angela massaged the plump spheres resting between Sirius' thighs, giving them as much tenderness as she felt they deserved before her fingers dove lower. A hidden cleft concealed behind the fluffy pouch she had been fondling was her target, and it drew a sharp inhale from its owner.

He shivered, then settled again, "What's on your mind, girls?"

They refused to answer him. Instead, both orange and black fox settled between his legs, spreading them wide before Angela took her darker sister and helped her to recline. The ebony vulpine's feet nudged against the wolf's groin, her toes teasing at his womanly features until they were tickled open just enough to begin. A single foot wedged itself into the heated environment, bringing a new moan from Sirius. He shivered as a second foot joined in, stretching him a bit further. He had done this before, several times, even with the girls, but it wasn't a regular occurrence. This was something of a rare treat for him. A steady pressure saw the girl's calves slip into the moist, slick tunnel, her feet providing a visible bulge in the wolf's abdomen. A hand moved to the swell, holding it possessively as she continued to enter.

Cries of muted elation filled the room as Abigail's progress continued, shivering happily as she felt her knees disappear inside, wrapped up in the lupine's flesh. Angela nuzzled into her sister's cheek as she helped to guide her in, stroking over the expectant dome housing the newest member of the family. In only a surprisingly short wait, Sirius felt the lady's hips force his wider, the great sphere pressing against his groin. It was going to be quite the challenge getting it in, but he was up to the task. He drew a sharp inhale through his teeth as it began, his already stretched lips going further to consume the pregnant vixen. The dark lady's hands slipped in under the pink flesh and pressed out to try and expand the entrance as best she could. The act felt as though she were trying to slip in a pair of pants and it amused her. Slowly the wolf's womanhood inched its way up over the gravid shape of Abby's abdomen. She shuddered again as her navel entered Sirius' embrace. Her knees forced themselves upward, distending his own stomach further still. As the curve of the lady's belly began to slope down, progress hastened and two pairs of hands spread across the steadily growing dome of white.

"Almost there honey. Not much further to go." The timbre of the dark vixen's voice betrayed a giddiness, an excitement at the prospect of hiding herself completely in the wolf's womb. Sirius was breathless, straining to maintain some degree of composure. He clutched the sides of his bloating stomach and moaned frequently. A powerful ache filled his length, screaming for release as he felt the girl's supple bust fill his tunnel. He could sense every inch, every curve of her form, and it was marvelous. Down she slipped into the darkness within, her shoulders vanishing, leaving only her head and arms outstretched above her. Angela leaned down and pressed her lips to her sister's in a firm, passionate kiss, the last one she would be able to enjoy for a little while. Soon, those lips were gone, hidden away by another set that hungrily devoured the arms that remained. When all that was left was a collection of fingers, the wolf shivered and arched his back, dragging the very last of Abby into his womb, sealing her in for however long he might have to carry her. He fell limp on the bed, panting profusely as he explored the great belly he now sported. The vixen under his fur shifted and turned about, stirring all manner of sensations and emotions within him.

"Oooh god... haven't done this in a while. I've missed it."

Angela giggled and draped herself against the lupine's active tummy, kissing it fondly as she felt her sister swirl about within.

"It's a good look for you. And if you've been missing it so much, you should have said something. We would have been more than happy to oblige. Now... think you've got room for one more? Watching all of this has got me a little... frustrated, and I'm sure Abby's feeling the same way. If you're interested, I'd like to make your belly bounce good and hard."

Sirius chuckled tiredly and nodded, spreading his legs again as he watched the remaining vixen stand. He watched her trace one of her hands down from her chest to her groin, stroking a feature there she frequently kept hidden while guests like Madeline visited. The kitsune moaned softly as a firm spire rose from between hir legs and demanded attention, attention shi wanted to receive from the twin sister shi had just stuffed into the wolf's gut. Without any real call for ceremony, the well equipped vixen slipped back down between Sirius' legs and began pressing in. Hir enthusiasm was a great deal stronger than before, working to literally cram hirself in. Deeper shi plunged and louder the lupine cried as he began to grow again. A second bosom slipped into the delicate, tender passage, giving the conscientious host reason to shudder anew. Hir chest slipped out of sight and her trim, flat stomach was made short work of. It was far easier consuming someone who wasn't expecting, but it was certainly more fun when a guest was as far along as Abby.

Hips forced their way in, leaving only a pair of legs and tails flailing about on the other side of the wolf's great belly, unable to see around it. A sudden powerful jerk dragged Angela's thighs well out of sight, her knees following in short order. Abby had joined in the fight to stuff the canid. She gripped her sister and pulled hard, yanking the other vixen's calves in as well. When all that remained was Angela's feet, shi wriggled hir toes and one by one popped the dangling paws in. The petals squeezed shut behind hir as the two fluffy appendages tickled Sirius' motherly tunnel. He cried out in a terrific howl, soaking the sheets under him as a mighty climax ripped through him. Motion continued under his skin as the girls found a comfortable position, curled up so very tightly together, and yet they found it extremely comforting. It took what seemed like an eternity for them to settle and let their host catch his breath. Sirius groped at the tremendous dome he now sported, his eyes glazing over as he lounged under the heavy weight in his middle. They had only just begun to make him groan, but they at least offered him a brief respite.

"Ooo... everything alright in there? You two comfy? Don't need a blanket, a bed warmer, a few throw pillows..." He chuckled weakly as the girls giggled at his jokes.

"Brings a whole new meaning to the term 'interior design'... but thanks, we're good. You'd better find something to hang on to. It's going to be a bumpy night." Those were the last words that rose from the white wolf's swollen middle. He gasped immediately as he felt the girls move again, turning about as Angela brought hir sister's back to press against hir chest. Hir arms wrapped about Abby in an intimate embrace, hir aching manhood seeking out the other vixen's warm embrace. Outside, Sirius felt a steady, regular series of waves of motion stir in his belly, stealing his breath away. He grunted and groped at his writhing gut, finding himself being pushed closer to another peak, one of many he was sure to be struck by tonight.

Moans and cries of passion, muffled softly by canine flesh and pelt, floated about the room, mixed with the gasps and grunts of the lupine housing two very amorous ladies. His hips began to buck in time with Angela's, feeling hir thrust into hir sister and adding force behind it with his own ministrations. His fingers dug into the wobbling sphere harmlessly, trying fruitlessly to control his guests, to try and guide their efforts and perhaps keep from allowing them to overwhelm him. It was a tall order. This wasn't the first time they had used him as their private love-nest... but it was the first time doing such while one of them was pregnant. Eventually, a howl of climax filled the room as Sirius was wracked by the latest in what would be a long series of orgasms, falling exhaustedly into a somewhat relaxed posture. He panted fiercely and gazed at his wriggling belly. It was going to be a long night indeed. Hopefully they would force him to pass out from all the excitement and he could get some sleep.

The girls inside soaked up the wolf's sexual energy, his arousal and release providing them with a feast to nourish themselves with, as well as the growing boy they had rescued. The unborn child would no doubt feel the power flowing into him from his mothers' efforts. Sensing his lupine savior close by left him at peace, clam, content... until he got that first dose of what he would use to sustain himself for the rest of his life. Immediately he began to stir, energized and excited, though what about he could not grasp. His mind was still reeling. So much information was flooding in. He wouldn't be an innocent child anymore. The combined experience of all four elder Darkstars was stealing it away from him. But then he could always pretend, make believe he was a child, just as Angela and Abby often enjoyed doing. But it would only be a farce, a distraction to amuse himself. As he learned more and more, he began to see a shape forming in his thoughts, a shape that would define how he would live his new life. It was his new body, what others would come to know as the new him.

The sounds of love-making continued to fill the room for at least another hour before Sirius lost consciousness, the activity in his womb remaining quite fervent even after sleep claimed him.

---

The walk through the forest the next morning was a little tricky. Sirius had risen before any of his passengers awoke, giving him a chance to get on top of the project he had promised his employer. He had grown even bigger in the night, undoubtedly because of the boy's progress. He had not the heart to disturb any of his guests so without explicitly trying to bring them out of their sleep, and with great care to keep his movement from inadvertently doing so, the wolf made his way down to the gardens and out into the preserve, headed for the newest region recently purchased. With the help of the modern technology he was reluctantly willing to use, he was able to map out exactly where the new border lay and began charting it in his current mapping notebook. He preferred doing the job with pen and paper rather than simply scan the area and being done with it. This was an art form, one that in his opinion needed to be revived.

The sun had only just barely crested above the distant mountains when stirs gave his tremendous belly reason to shift. He paused his work and cradled the enormous bulge, feeling for the two ladies hiding inside him.

"Hello? Anybody awake in there?"

Soft moans emanated from the great white sphere, hands pressing out against the tender walls holding them back. The wolf fought with all his might to maintain his composure. He rather enjoyed being pregnant it seemed.

"Morning, Sirius. Thanks for the great night's sleep. You manage to get to that mapping thing you promised Smokey?"

The wolf smiled and gave the steadily sobering swell a pat before attempting to get back to work.

"I'm doing it now actually. How about you two? Is your new little boy done 'cooking' yet?"

The twins both remained silent for a moment before they set to moving gently and carefully. Sirius inhaled sharply as they pressed in on a tender spot. He cupped a hand along the lower curve of his belly and slowly eased himself down to the ground. It was unwise to try and stand while one's passenger moved about. After a moment or two of this, they fell motionless again and an answer was provided.

"It looks that way. He's ready to come out. Hope you don't mind but Abby wants to give birth while we're in here. Is that okay?"

The instant 'hope you don't mind' reached his ears, he had a pretty good idea of what was to come. Without hesitation, he unfastened his trousers, the modest garment unable to do any good about concealing such a hefty bulge, and reclined completely on the ground, belly pointing skyward.

"Just do whatever you need to. I'm ready."

Angela gave hir sister a squeeze before they began. Abby grunted and pushed, her legs spread in the dark, damp, warm environment of their friend's womb. She moaned as movement claimed her own middle, feeling her son descending. Sirius gasped as he felt the shape of his stomach stretch in an odd direction. He could feel the boy emerging from his mother. But something felt off about it. This kid had to be pretty big for a boy. Cries continued to rise out of the white wolf's abdomen as the dark vixen gave birth, pushing with all her might until what once had been only two foxes was now three concealed away under the lupine's fur. Sirius fought to catch his breath as he groped over the gravid dome, not having actually grown any bigger, but he could certainly feel the difference between a pair of twins, one expecting, and three individuals.

Angela called out, "He's out. You okay Sirius?"

"Yeah... just... a little out of breath. Are all of you going to climb out now?"

"Probably would be a good idea. We should let our little boy get a good look at himself." Angela's smile was painfully audible. Whatever had been done to the boy, shi was deeply pleased.

"Alright, you're clear to slide out. Just... one at a time please?"

The request was granted and the lupine shivered as the first of his three passengers began to descend. Grunts and moans rose through the trees as the wolf gave birth. His legs spread wide as he felt one of the girls' heads emerge into the air. A deep inhale sounded from between Sirius' thighs as Angela could finally access the fresh air again. This wasn't hir first time crawling to freedom from someone's womb. With only a little effort, the vixen managed to pull hir shoulders and chest free, making the rest of hir that much easier to extract. Once loose, shi lay sprawled out on the ground, soaked head to toe, panting lightly.

"It's... it's cozy in there... even with three people... but... feels good ta stretch out again."

Sirius nodded, holding his still rather bulbous gut, feeling the remaining two shift about so the next could slip out, "I know what you mean. You're more than welcome to climb in there again sometime."

"As usual," Angela smiled, crawling over to lean against the lupine's stomach, nuzzling it affectionately, "You ready Abby?"

"Yeah, here I come."

The wolf cried out again as he felt passenger number two begin to slip free. Her progress was a bit faster than the first, her dark fur contrasting with her host's as she was pushed and pulled free. Angela tugged on hir sister's arms, grimacing as they strained to remove Abby. With a sudden slurp, her hips popped free and she came tumbling out, landing on top of the orange and white lady, just as drenched as her sister. They giggled tiredly and rolled to the side, managing to sit up and gaze back at the still pregnant lupine, his belly now far more manageable.

Angela reached forward, giving the dome a pat, "Alright big boy... your turn. Come on out and see the world for the first time all over again." Hir voice was heard easily deep in the wolf's womb, signaling the fox still inside to emerge, and emerge he did. With two out of three of the visitors removed, the going was a bit easier, more relaxed. Sirius cooed as his last guest began to pass through him, a nose parting the already well used folds. The nose was followed by a muzzle which was attached to a head, a rather adult looking head. The 'newborn' continued to wriggle his way out, his shoulders following, revealing a change in color. He was no longer the typical orange or red most vulpines sported. Instead, he was coated in a luxurious silvery-grey pelt that was incredibly soft to the touch. His figure, as it emerged, was lithe but possessed hints of tone, betraying an underlying strength. He was older as well. As his stomach and hips were released from the wolf's womanly tunnel, it became clear he was not a boy anymore. He appeared to be closer to thirty than his teenage years anymore. A pair of legs joined the rest, as did two large, bushy tails covered in the same glossy fur, and he was born.

The new kitsune stood, inhaling the air deeply as he basked in the warmth of the sun. It felt different, something about it was so much better than before. All his injuries were healed, he was healthy, and he was no longer Almon. Sirius fought to catch his breath as he gazed up at the fellow that had just crawled out of him, stunned by what he saw, as were the two girls. The fox looked over them all with his azure eyes, stopping on Sirius and extending a hand to help him up.

"Hello there... I'm Brian. Pleasure to meet you."

---

"It's so strange. I know it's me, but it's not me. It's damned surreal." The new member of the Darkstar family sat next to the bed where the motionless former body lay. He reached up and rest a hand on his shoulder, massaging it gently. He quite clearly recalled the pain, as did he recall the other injuries, both from this incident and assaults past. The small crowd that had come to meet him stood quietly as he offered his last respects to his old life, his old self.

"You're probably the first who's ever been able to 'fake' his own death by actually dying." Sirius nudged him with a slight chuckle. The blue dragon and his angelic counterpart looked to one another, shared an expression, and simply chose to remain silent. Brian chuckled lightly, unable to help himself in spite of how odd it felt allowing such levity around what was essentially a lifeless body.

"So, what happens now? He... I... won't have much longer. Do we just cut off life support or let it happen?"

"That's up to Celeste and Daemian really since they took custody... officially anyway." The ivory-hued dragoness settled next to the handsome kitsune, draping an arm supportively around his shoulders, "You don't have to be here for it. In fact, you don't even have to see your family ever again."

"Oh darn, and I was so looking forward to sneaking into their room, seducing mom and dad, shoving them into me, and then eating the kids one by one," He smirked through his sarcasm. A dark, twisted, vengeful side of him found the notion alluring, but it was a very tiny part that was easily shoved aside, "No... I may pay them one final visit. Maybe try to convince them to be a little nicer to one another."

"I would advise against that," the azure innkeeper stepped forward, trying his best to gauge the new resident's mood. He wasn't familiar enough with this new fellow to be able to calculate how he would behave, especially with all the abilities he had been granted, "It might be a wiser idea to just cut all ties completely. If you try to approach them about... their son, it could trigger an unpleasant incident. Arnold is," he paused, attempting to find the kindest word he could and still portray him accurately, "...aggressive."

The kitsune stood, his glossy fur shimmering ever so subtly in the somewhat unflattering florescent light. He turned to the dragon and rest a hand on his shoulder to try and lay his fears to rest, "Don't worry. If it's done right, they won't even know it happened at all." His comment and sideways grin brought his two mothers to snicker quietly, having kept silent the whole time to keep from drawing attention to themselves. Their sudden break brought the wrath of their own parents down upon them.

"Alright you two, let's go. You broke the rules and now you have to be punished for it. One week, solitary confinement." The large, black wolf took both girls by the ear, making them wince a bit as they stood. It was an odd sight, two full grown women being disciplined as though they were children, and in the manner it was being executed, rather amusing to watch. Daemian and Celeste escorted them both out of the room to exact their punishment, much to Sirius' dismay.

"They're actually punishing them for this? Solitary confinement!?"

Brian laughed and tugged on the white wolf's arm to guide him out the door, "Don't worry, it's not as rough as it sounds," As they stepped out into the hallway of the infirmary, they were greeted by the sight of both lupine and feline each gulping down a pair of feminine vulpine legs. With both new grandparents nicely fed, they seated themselves on a nearby bench, both new swollen bellies getting a few firm pats, "See? It's not so bad. If they were confined together, they'd just have fun. Separate, they have to behave themselves. And it's not like they aren't enjoying it anyway, they just can't get up to their usual hijinks. Probably won't even be in there for a full week."

A deep, guttural belch rose up from low within the sizable black canid, reclining and leaning against his dark tigress, "Did you really think we'd imprison them like they're criminals or something?"

Sirius just stared for a moment, blinked, then shook his head as an amused grin spread across his lips, "I knew your family was interesting, but perhaps that's not a strong enough word."

"It's as fitting as any from what I can tell," The silvery fox took the bewildered Sirius' hand and began to tug him along towards the door leading out, "Come on... I'm kind of hungry and I don't want to eat alone."

The white wolf followed happily enough. The pair found an empty table in the main dining hall and ordered something hearty and filling for breakfast. Small talk was made, largely centering around Brian's new state of being. He didn't necessarily need to eat, not with what he had been turned into, but it was still a viable source of energy. He could just process it far more efficiently. The amicable canid's curiosity led them through a number of topics but it all seemed to dance around a central thought that weighed heavily on the fox's mind. As they both drew close to finishing their meal, he could bear it no longer. He had to say something.

"Sirius... there's something I'd like to tell you. Before I actually get to it, I want you to understand that I am fully aware how odd this may sound coming from someone who only yesterday wasn't even a teenager. I know all about the taboos and cultural norms and all that garbage surrounding relationships, what is appropriate, what isn't, gender, age, species, the whole thing," He reached out and placed a hand over one of Sirius', looking into his eyes earnestly, "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Yes, I know the inn's Promise and Shayna's abilities and everything... but I'd still be the old me. I wouldn't be what I am now. I would still be at risk of going back with Arnold. Because of you, I was given a chance to shake myself free of them once and for all. I have a new life because of what you did for me."

The wolf smiled, a soft blush hidden beneath his fur as he averted his gaze for a brief moment to peer down at their hands, his other moving to rest atop Brian's, offering it a light pat.

"Were our positions reversed, I've no doubt you would have acted in my stead as I did in yours." He hadn't used his rogue's tongue in quite a while. It felt good making use of it again. It seemed to amuse the fox for a moment before his expression returned to its previous state.

"That may be... but, I honestly don't know if I could ever properly thank you for what you've done," he squeezed the canine's hand firmly in a sign of affection, "But I'd very much like to try." There it was, his heart laid bare on the table. Would it be crushed, crumbled, or comforted? Sirius let the words roll around in his head for a moment, slowly coming to understand what the kitsune gazing into his eyes was actually saying. It was indeed quite odd hearing such words, with such an intent behind them. Considering how the boy had changed, it was quite clear he was now a man, and as a man he wanted to express not just his gratitude but something else. They had indeed developed a powerful bond. Was it the sort that would lead to this kind of intimacy? Would it be wrong? Could they make it work? It was rather alluring. He did care for the 'boy'... but did he care for the 'man' in the same way? He braced himself quietly and made the call.

"You don't have to thank me," He watched as the fox's ears started to droop ever so subtly, "But... it has been my experience that when someone wishes to express their gratitude for a tremendous gift... like a second chance... it's rather difficult to stop them. Often times, the best course of action is to simply allow them what they want." He smiled warmly, letting their hands remain locked in place. Brian slowly began to smile and scooted his chair around the table to close the gap between them. Without another word being spoken between them, the fox leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sirius'. The expectation was that it might be lustful, heartily impassioned, bordering on the loss of one's self-control; but this was something else. It was calm, gentle, and tender. There was passion, but it was muted, subdued as if tempered by the notion that they were now on their first date. The wolf made no attempt to try and stop him, relishing the loving contact.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having a boyfriend, especially one so handsome. At least, that's what they both thought.

---

The sun had long since been up and yet both Lisa and Arnold had not bothered to rise. The curtains were drawn and the doors locked. The police had yet to arrive but they were certainly on their way. Until they knocked on that door, neither parent was going to deal with anything pertaining to the real world. The night before, Arnold had resumed his drinking habit in force. Lisa joined him. The two then passed out in a stupor on their bed, not caring that they were sharing it anymore. The children remained in one of their rooms, sensing something big was happening. Any sounds that came from the den or beyond they did their best to keep away from. Sleep for the adults was empty and dark. Any dreams that were in play weren't making enough of an impact to be remembered.

That may have been the entire idea, what with how much they had drunk.

The curtains fluttered softly as though there was a breeze; odd considering the windows were closed and the air in the room was not moving. The darkness of the master suite concealed the true cause. As the two parents lay passed out on their bed, a pair of eyes gazed over them silently. The figure they belonged to slowly dissolved and melted away, becoming a fine mist that filled the room, gradually concentrating around the surface of the mattress. It seemed to condense around the two foxes, carefully drawing them toward one another. The transparency of the cloud shifted to translucent, then opaque as the cloud resumed a physical form. The intruder who had stood at the foot of the bed watching the sleeping couple now sat on the edge holding a tremendously swollen abdomen. The form, decidedly masculine, shivered as he stood, finding something about the process unpleasant. It wasn't the transformation that bothered him, but the moods and thoughts of the two he had consumed. They appeared so peaceful on the surface, but just beneath that glossy veneer, they were both raging tempests.

The swell gradually shrank away as he caressed it, his eyes watching as a few odd shapes, hands, feet, even a face now and again, made themselves visible through his silky fur. At least they weren't in pain. That tended to create a number of other issues he simply didn't want to deal with. Once the occupied bulge had shrunk away completely, he stood and dissolved back into mist. The fog seeped under the door back into the common area of the suite. The invading figure returned to his corporeal state and moved to press an ear against the door concealing the three children left to the married couple. It was quiet, but he could sense they were awake. Awake and fearful. It was something he didn't expect. Brian frowned and stood back from the door, pressing a hand against the barrier as he closed his eyes. A simple thought resonated in his mind, letting it drift through the wooden portal in front of him and seek out the minds of those in the room beyond. The thought was 'sleep'.

Moments passed before all three children within yawned quietly and began to slouch in their respective seats. Soon, they had become too tired to resist anything that might occur. Daniel was the first to drift off. His younger brother was the next. The little girl remained awake, but only just barely. Her eyes fluttered as the door opened and the kitsune quietly, gracefully entered. His frown deepened slightly as he noticed all three children spread out in the room. He had envisioned the sense of fear forcing them to huddle together for protection. Apparently they found one another so repellant that they could find no comfort in the presence of their siblings.

That would not do.

Brian's first stop was with Daniel, stretching him out on his bed before looking him over carefully. There were no marks or scars showing any sign of physical abuse, or at least none he wasn't already familiar with, and those he knew were from ordinary innocuous accidents. Even the damage inflicted on his hands during the assault was healed. Shayna was indeed quite gifted. Quietly, the fox opened his mouth wide and pulled the lad into the dark chasm of his throat. Gulp after gulp saw the boy slip completely out of sight with not a hint of effort. He had used the mist trick a bit too much too quickly. It would need time to 'recharge'. To that end, he was left going about his plan in a more traditional manner. He sighed as he squeezed his once-more swollen belly, moving over to the second boy, Tommy. He was equally free of evidence of harm and in the same display of ease, he was swallowed up to join his brother.

Brian huffed quietly as he sat on the now empty bed, his stomach rather full, but not completely so just yet. He turned to see the girl was staring at him, groggily, unable to properly process what was happening. She was hovering in that ethereal state between asleep and awake, ensuring that if she remembered this, it would likely be viewed as a very vivid dream.

"Why... why are you... eating my... brothers?" She found it hard even to form a complete sentence in her stupor. Brian sighed and rose to his feet, practically gliding over to the last of the three, collecting her in his arms and pressing her against his rounded middle.

"Your mother and father... they're not very nice to you and your brothers are they?" Brian uttered quietly, almost cooing to the small vixen. She found his voice soothing and his face kind, feeling as though she could trust him.

"No... but they're ev... even meaner to Almon. He's hurt re... real bad."

"I know. But he's not in pain anymore. You don't have to worry about him." He stroked tenderly against her cheek, surprised to see Natalie in so docile a mindset, so concerned for her younger brother's wellbeing. Was it the effect he was having on her? Was this always there and just hiding under a dense layer of sibling rivalry and peer pressure? He would have his answer in but a few moments.

"Are you... guh... gonna eat me... too?"

"Yes. I'll hide you in my belly so your mommy and daddy can't hurt you anymore. Just close your eyes and go to sleep." He watched as she did just that, drifting off swiftly. With her unconscious, he carefully slipped her past his jaws, adding her mass to his stomach. He sighed softly as he felt her settle under his pelt and he gave all three within a gentle pat. Without a sound and in only a few short moments, that bulge shrank away to nothing. He stood and returned to the den, settling on the sofa as he considered what he was about to do. Was it right? To create such an influence? Surely for the sake of protecting a child from harm anyone would say yes. If he was skillful enough, all he would need to do is manipulate what his former family had experienced and only subtly; create a vivid dream that somehow reached them all. With any luck, he wouldn't need to reorganize their thoughts for them.

All five found themselves floating in darkness, the sort of weightless sensation one comes to expect from a deep sleep. The world was but a formless void. Though there was no source of light, they could all see one another as plainly as though it were day. A gradual downward drift claimed the five foxes, bringing them to the ground, or was the ground brought up to them? It was impossible to see and thus impossible to tell. As near as they could determine, they were standing on nothing. As the family gazed around in silence, a figure appeared some distance away, hauntingly familiar and standing in the center of a bright spotlight shining down. They couldn't see the person's face while they hung their head, and yet somehow they knew who it was.

The boy lifted his chin and peered back at his family.

"There's no turning back."

It was Almon, his body broken and battered just as it had been immediately following the savage beating. As he spoke, the others found themselves to be oddly without voice, opening their mouths as if to speak but finding it impossible to do so.

"There's no turning back. What's done is done," He looked to all five of them, one at a time, his pace moving between them kept slow and earnest, "I won't come back. I can't come back. I'm gone already."

The family stood in stunned silence, finding it strangely powerful, the sudden welling up of emotion within them. It was as though someone had removed the lock on their hearts and allowed their sorrow to pour out. Had it been there all along? Was this just a manifestation of the dream? It was hard to tell, but it was strong.

"Don't let it happen again. No one deserves this," As he attempted to convey his message, the wounds melted away and a light of brilliant warmth shown behind him, "You don't have to be so mean to each other. There's still time for all of you." The light grew in intensity, shrouding much of Almon's features as his family struggled to try and say something, tears rolling down cheeks as they all sobbed in silence together.

The boy turned and began to walk into the bright light, the warmth it provided fading to a cold, empty, hollow chill for those left behind. A single word rang out in their ears, the last they would ever hear from their departed Almon.

"Goodbye."

The light vanished as if a light switch had been thrown. The parents and children all huddled together as they continued to cry, not understanding why it was coming now and not before. The darkness enveloped them like a gentle fog, separating them from one another as the dream faded.

Arnold bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath and bathed in a cold sweat. He clutched at his chest as he panted, his eyes wide and his face pale as if he'd just seen a ghost. Lisa sat there beside him, similarly gripped by anxiety. They had both been ripped from sleep in the same swift, unpleasant fashion. Their gazes met as they processed what had just happened. They hadn't shared the same dream, had they? As they looked over one another, the signs of tears became plainly visible. They had both been crying, and their cheeks were sore from being pulled into the sobbing expressions they had been put through.

"Arnold?"

"Lisa?"

"Did you..."

"...Just have a dream about..."

"...Almon?"

Their back and forth was brief, completing the sentence for one another. Whether what had happened was genuinely a shared experience or they were both simply overcome with guilt and grief was something of a mystery. There was something they wanted to say to one another, their mouths hanging open as if they were about to speak for several moments before the sounds of children crying caught their ears. In a flash they were out in the living room of their suite, darting to the door blocking them from the little ones. It was shoved open to find the three youngsters huddled together, sobbing loudly and muttering incoherently about the loss of their brother. Danny seemed especially upset, apologizing over and over to his brother and sister, and then to his parents as they barged in. Arnold and Lisa quickly found themselves wrapped around their children, likely the first true act of parenting they had ever engaged in.

The family had been united by the tragedy, somehow. Outside the door in the hallway, a silver fox passed by, his twin tails swishing gently behind him. He paused as he passed the Nelsons' room, an ear twitching as he heard their cries. A sigh escaped him before he pushed on past. Hopefully, what had happened to him wouldn't happen again. The lengths he was forced to resort to were perhaps a little extreme, but he continued to tell himself it was for the greater good and pushed it out of his mind. He had a funeral to attend and he didn't want to think about such things.

---

"So... they were all actually brokenhearted at the ceremony because you made them that way?" Celeste wasn't terribly happy hearing the news. She stood with her arms crossed in front of her as she regarded her grandson. Brian was a little concerned he had gone too far, cowering sheepishly in front of her.

"Yeah... I... I gave them a dream that sort of... well... rewired them emotionally. But only a little! It's not like I snapped my fingers and they were suddenly the perfect family! I only nudged them in the right direction!"

"Right direction... that's a very subjective thing, Brian. You should know that. You've got all our knowledge and experience. Give me just one good reason why I shouldn't go change them back right now."

The fox lifted his gaze, finally standing up for himself now that he had the opportunity.

"Because this way they won't hurt one another anymore. The abuse stopped the minute I died. Sure it's not going to be miraculous and overnight, but the change is in place. Or at least, the desire to change. I just showed them a movie that spoke to them."

"And you cheated. You altered their minds." The tigress frowned.

Daemian remained silent, his gaze piercing into the fox's very being. Angela and Abigail both had been dragged away from defending him. His first day as a chaos spirit and he had already stepped across a line they very rarely crossed.

"Not much... just... one little tweak. One little adjustment in the right place to make them love one another. It will probably keep the two younger ones from being the next target. That's worth something, isn't it?" His eyes pleaded for Celeste to understand. She frowned back but soon her expression softened and she sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I suppose it is... but... be careful. Tinkering around in someone's mind is a dangerous affair. Leaving just the seed for an idea can have vast, far-reaching implications. Promise me you won't do something like that again." With her attitude easing down, the kitsune nodded, wrapping his arms around his grandmother in a warm hug.

"I promise. Anything like that I discuss with everyone here first."

As they pulled away, the two dragons who had been so heavily involved in the whole operation stepped through the door into the blue fellow's apartment, the group meeting there to discuss the matter after the fact.

"So, it's all finished. Madeline and the police are transporting Danny to juvenile detention. Arnold is facing a public inquiry about his fitness as a parent, Lisa too. The other two are in protective custody pending the findings of the investigation. I don't think they'll be separated, not after the change of heart they all seemed to have."

The group all nodded as Smokey advised them of the latest news. He plopped down on the sofa and sighed, Shayna settling next to him, similarly mentally spent.

"I'm glad it's over with. With good behavior, maybe Danny will get released rather than go to prison when he turns eighteen." The angel closed her eyes and rest her head against her companion's chest. The silvery kitsune nodded, taking a seat as well. Angela and Abby practically tackled him once he was settled, cuddling from either side, a week in solitary confinement indeed. He smiled and hugged them fondly.

"I heard the little speech Arnold gave him just before they hauled Danny off. It was... touching. In all the years I've known that man, I've never heard anything like that come out of his mouth." The idea of his supposed father offering those heartfelt words lingered with the fox, his contemplation visible on his face. Just as he was sure Celeste was going to chastise him one last time, her expression softened again.

"Maybe you managed to reach them after all. Now... don't do something like that again without at least talking to us first. Don't make me regret letting the girls keep you."

Brian nodded and squeezed each vixen, cuddling them even closer. It was already looking brighter for the new fox. He had a loving family and several friends who were kind enough to give him a home, a fresh start. And he had something new, something he didn't even consider to be a possibility as he was before coming to the inn. The twins sat up and offered his cheeks a shower of kisses before they dragged themselves away; a difficult task considering what they had turned him into.

Abby nosed softly into Brian's neck, "I think you should go find Sirius. He's probably hurting after the ceremony."

It must have taken all of their will power to permit the young man to leave. The silvery kitsune offered a soft smile before giving his mothers one last brief hug and disappearing out the door. He had a pretty good idea of where the wolf would be hiding. The gardens welled up before him as he started down the path that would lead him to where it happened. He didn't get terribly far down the walkway before he found himself knocked to the ground, pinned by the same vixens who had let him go earlier. Their will power had run out apparently. He groaned a little as they pressed in tight against his form. Before he could say another word, the dark kitsune slipped down between his legs and tugged his trousers off. A yelp escaped the silvery fellow as a muzzle found its way to a hidden womanly cleft they had made sure he would possess.

Sirius stood quietly as he gazed at the very spot he had found the children. The grass was matted down still, though any other sign of what had happened had been washed away by footsteps and the daily afternoon shower. He played it over and over again in his mind, unable to shake the feeling that it could have been much worse. It dredged up bad memories he wanted to keep hidden. All the time he had spent at the Inn, learning about its subtle nuances, its wondrous features, acclimating to the peaceful nature of it all; and yet even here it could turn so darkly violent. He began to see why it was made the way it was. Violence or tragedy; it seemed that was a common theme for many of the people who came to work and live here. Somehow, having such a history made this place all the more precious. It was a sanctuary, and he was grateful he ended up here.

As he turned to leave after what seemed like hours of staring, the wolf was stopped by a silvery figure, all too familiar, though a good deal rounder about the middle than he remembered. He chuckled and crossed the distance to the waddling, stumbling kitsune who moaned quietly as he walked. Brian hunched forward slightly, both hands cupped under the grand gravid swell of his belly, the dome moving and wriggling visibly. It was an amusing sight to say the least, and from the scent in the air, Sirius was quite sure he was enjoying it.

"Not even a full day old and already you're getting into trouble." He stepped in close, wrapping an arm around the fox and forcing one of the kitsune's over his shoulders for support.

"Ooo, blame my moms. They couldn't leave well enough alone," He paused, looking up to grin at his lupine companion, "Not that I'm complaining. How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Better knowing that it's all over and done with. Ready to take my mind off the whole matter." Carefully, he eased Brian to the ground under a tree and sat with him, leaning in close. They basked in the shared warmth as both sets of hands explored the fox's writhing belly. The moans of the two vixens inside his womb were just barely audible, at least to those still walking along the path. Sirius and Brian could hear them perfectly well.

"I know how you feel. I still need to figure out where I'm going to stay. Smokey said he'd let me pick out quarters but... I kind of had something in mind already. I was hoping, maybe, I could stay with you."

The wolf smiled and pressed his nose against the fox's cheek, pursing his lips in an affectionate little kiss.

"Nothing would make me happier. Your girls are welcome to visit whenever they like as always."

"Good. They'd get upset if you tried to hog me all to yourself. Still... I'm sure they'll give us plenty of privacy." The fox moved to rest his head against the wolf's shoulder, closing his eyes as the stirring in his middle continued, drinking in the sensation and the oddly energizing charge it brought with it. Being able to feed on the lust of others was something he would have to acclimate to. Sirius tilted his head to bump it gently against Brian's as they settled into a comfortable posture. It was almost perfect. Sure there was still something of a sting left behind by the recent unpleasantness, but the 'warmth' radiating from the three foxes nearby seemed to make it all seem so very far away. The lupine let his eyes drift shut as well, content to remain there with his new boyfriend; if they were indeed going that far.

Sirius deeply hoped so. He liked the idea.

"I think I could get used to this."