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Samantha Johnston yawned as she sat up in bed. Once she was on her feet, she opened her window and looked down at the city below. For some reason, it pleased her to see all the vehicles and pedestrians going about their way. By now, Samantha was fully awake, so she ran to the other side of the room, flung off her nightgown, and started rooting through her dresser for something to wear. She chose a pair of red panties, a pair of shorts, and a blue tank top. Once she was dressed, she dug out her pink one-piece bathing suit and stuffed it into her backpack. Then, she dashed out of her room, ran down the hall to the living room, stepped out onto the balcony and called out,

"GOOD MORNING NASHVILLE!!!" Of course, no one answered; they were all just too far below to hear. Yes indeed; Samantha lived in a high rise condo on the twelfth floor of a beautiful apartment complex right by the river. Samantha loved the panoramic view over the river she could get from the balcony; it was fun to watch all the different boats going up and down the river all summer long.

"Well, well..." said a voice from behind her, "Someone's excited this morning." Samantha turned around to see her older brother, Jasper Johnston. Jasper was tall for his age of sixteen and was very strong.

"I guess I am excited, Jasper;" said Samantha, "Cindy's cousin's come all the way from California to visit her."

"Really...?" said Jasper, "Is she nice?" Samantha couldn't understand it; why did her friends and even her brother think that Cindy's cousin was a girl?

"Her cousin's actually a boy;" she said, "And yes, he's very nice."

"Well that's good;" said Jasper, "In any case, I'll be out most of the day."

"Still training hard?" asked Samantha.

"Yep;" said Jasper, "If I'm gonna be a green beret I need to stay in my best shape."

"Well, good luck;" said Samantha, "I'm sure the green berets will be happy to have you."

"Thanks, little sis;" said Jasper as he ruffled her hair and headed for the door. Samantha smiled as she watched him go; he was a great brother and did his best to look out for her. Lately he had been training nonstop for when he would enlist in the army; he hoped one day to become a green beret and fight alongside America's finest. This worried Samantha a little bit; what if he didn't come home after going to war? Such a blow would be too much for her and her parents. Speaking of whom... they were most likely up by now and preparing breakfast; so Samantha turned around and headed into the kitchen.

As Samantha entered the kitchen, she saw her father tending the stove.

"Good morning, Daddy." she said. The adult skunk turned around and smiled at his daughter.

"Mornin', pumpkin!" he said, "I've already got your eggs on; sunny side up like you like them."

"Thanks, Daddy!" said Samantha, "I'll need a good breakfast for today."

"We all do, Sammy;" said her father, "I'll be going to the mill today for the inspection." Samantha's father, Daniel Johnston was a handsome skunk, only 38 years of age. Instead of being well-built like Tammy and Sherry's fathers, he was thin and tall, which was probably where Jasper got it from. He was the owner of a steel mill ten miles out of town; a job that brought in a massive income. Even so, he was fairly conservative with his wealth; using it to care and provide for his family.

"Sounds good;" said Samantha, "I hope everything goes okay."

"So do I." Daniel remarked as he went back to the eggs. Samantha poured herself a glass of apple juice and took her seat at the small table. In another minute, Daniel brought her the eggs and went back to make his own breakfast. After a few minutes, another adult skunk entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, you two." she said.

"Good morning, Mom." said Samantha.

"How are you feeling this morning, Kathrine?" asked Daniel.

"Much better;" said Kathrine. "My leg isn't hurting as much as it was a week ago." Kathrine was a beautiful skunk, age 37. She was a kind mother, but could be a bit of a busybody. She used to be a stage dancer, and now taught ballet classes at the health center in town. Three weeks ago, she had broken her leg after falling onto it during a rehearsal and spent a week and a half in a cast and crutches. Now she was walking again and would get back to her classes relatively soon.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Mom;" said Samantha, "I know how much ballet means to you."

"Thanks, Sweetie..." said Kathrine as she gave her daughter a small kiss, "By the way... How did things go at Cindy's place yesterday?"

"We all had a good time;" said Samantha, "And guess what...? Cindy's cousin Liam came from California to spend the week with her family!"

"That's wonderful;" said Daniel as he sat down with his breakfast, "Is he nice?"

"He's very nice;" said Samantha, "And he's the son of a police officer too!"

"That's very interesting;" said Kathrine, "Does he follow his father's example?"

"Well, I've only known him since yesterday," said Samantha, "But I'll try to find out a little more about him before he goes home."

"That's a good idea;" said Daniel, "It's always nice to make new friends." At this point, Samantha was wondering if she should let her parents know about the strange thoughts she had been thinking the night before on her way home. She decided to give it to them simple and straight.

"By the way..." said Samantha, a little nervously, "I... I think he's a really nice boy and I'd like to get to know him a little better." Kathrine and Daniel looked at each other; they had a good idea they knew what Samantha was talking about.

"Well," said Daniel, "If you'd like to get to know him better, it might be a good idea for you to make the first move; that way he won't feel uncomfortable."

"Really...?" asked Samantha. She thought about it for a moment, then said, "In any case, Cindy's taking us swimming at the community pool today; I think I'll let him know at the end of the day."

"That's wonderful, Samantha;" said Kathrine, "But don't forget; IF he gets out of line with you, don't hesitate to spray him! That'll show him who's boss!"

"I... don't think that will be necessary, Mom..." said Samantha, "But thanks anyway!"

"Have a good day, sweetheart!" said Daniel.

"I will, Dad!" said Samantha; and with that, she grabbed a muffin from the plate, collected her backpack and headed out the front door. After taking the elevator down to the parking garage, she unlocked her bike from the rack, threw her backpack on, hopped on her bike, and pedaled up to the street and out into the city. Fortunately, she had ridden in these streets since she was eight years old, so Samantha knew how to stay safe. In no time at all, she was well on her way to Cindy's house.

Samantha met up with her friends at Cindy's house, and they headed off for the community pool with Cindy's cousin Liam and Uncle Mike with them. Samantha could tell that Cindy was a little ticked at her, because she had suggested that Mike and Liam join them at the pool that day; sure Mike and Liam were cops, but Sammy wanted to see how they could do just having fun. And besides... there was something about Liam that she really liked. He was kind, he looked like he was very strong, and he seemed like the honest type. Once they had arrived at the Nashville community pool, Mike and Liam headed to the boys' side of the bathhouse and the girls entered their side. Since it was still late morning, not many people were in the bathhouse; so the girls each chose a stall and began to get undressed.

"Sure is a nice day for swimming;" said Tammy, "Not too hot anymore."

"Yup!" said Sherry, "Ah'm glad the heat wave's finally subsided."

"Well I wish it was a bit warmer;" said Cindy, "My exposed fur will get chilly!"

"Bet Sammy doesn't have that problem with her one-piece!" laughed Sherry.

"Oh you girls!" said Samantha.

"Since Mike and Liam are with us," said Tammy, "It might be fun to show them what we can do in the water."

"Yeah;" said Cindy, "I'm ready to impress them with how fast I can swim."

"So..." said Samantha, "Does that mean you forgive me for inviting them to swim with us...?"

"Well... Yeah;" said Cindy, "Mom would have insisted we let them come anyway, so I can't pin all the blame on you."

"Say, Cindy..." said Sherry, "Ain't Mike and Liam municipal service people; jus' like yer mom an' pop?"

"Yes they are;" said Cindy, "What's your point?"

"Well..." said Sherry, "Ah'm sure firefighters have just as much rules as police officers do."

"And your parents are both really fun people;" Tammy added.

"So I'm sure Mike and Liam don't think about rules and regulations all the time;" said Samantha, "Only when it really counts."

"Well..." said Cindy, "I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. We can pass judgement after their whole visit." Samantha was relieved that Cindy was winding down a bit. By this time, all four girls were in their swimsuits, so they exited the stalls and put their things into the locker before heading back outside.

As the girls exited the bath house, they were met by Mike.

"Okay!" said Mike, "As soon as Liam joins us, we can hit the pool!"

"What's he doing, Mike?" asked Tammy.

"Oh he's just making sure all our stuff is together safely;" said Mike, "Going somewhere as a group has its advantages because you can keep all your things together and don't have to worry about finding some things but not the rest."

"Oh really?" asked Sherry, "Well... what happens if ye can't find all of yer things again?"

"That's what makes it so great," said Mike, "Everyone can remember the same thing and not multiple separate places." Tammy, Samantha, and Sherry looked at each other; Mike had a pretty good point with that.

"Okay..." said Cindy, "So... it makes stuff easier to find. I guess that's nice." At that moment, Liam emerged from the boys' side of the bath house. He was wearing a pair of swimming trunks that had two colors; red for the left leg and blue for the right. But what was more, for the first time, all four girls got a glimpse of how handsome he was! His chest muscles were finely toned and his arms were broad and strong.

"Hey..." said Sherry, "He looks good in those trunks!"

"Yep!" said Mike, "He chose them because they reminded him of the police lights on our cars."

"Ugh...!" said Cindy, "Does he think about anything other than the police?"

"Sure!" said Mike, "Even I don't think about police work all the time." At that moment, Liam came over to the girls and said,

"Okay! All of our stuff's locked away and we're ready to go swimming!" He looked at Sherry and said, "Hey, Sherry... that bikini looks really tight; does it hurt at all?"

"Uh... no!" said Sherry, blushing slightly, "It... Ah... Ah like it this way; it's... less likely te come off."

"Okay;" said Liam, "Just wouldn't want it to leave any marks on your skin; they can hurt, you know." Sherry just chuckled, lightheartedly. Cindy looked a little uncomfortable at that comment, but Mike knew Liam had only been expressing concern. At that moment, Liam made eye contact with Samantha, and looked at her in her pink one-piece bathing suit. Samantha had had her eye on Liam since he had come out of the bath house, but had been too shy to say anything. "Wow... Samantha..." said Liam, "It's a... a one-piece..."

"Yeah..." said Samantha, blushing a bit, "My mom says... I'm still too young for a bikini..."

"Well... I think that one-piece looks great on you." said Liam.

"What...?" asked Samantha, a bit confused, "But... you can't... I'm not..." She paused a moment before saying, "You're just saying that!"

"No!" said Liam, "I think it suits you quite well." At this, Samantha cracked a bit of a shy smile.

"Aww..." she said, "Thank you. You know... I like your police trunks..."

"Oh you do...?" asked Liam, "Thanks! I got them half off!"

"Uh... Excuse me..." said Cindy, "But can we cut with the compliments and please go swimming now?"

"Yeah!" said Sherry, "Don't want this te get all mushy!" Samantha laughed a bit at Sherry's comment; but deep down inside... she was a bit hurt by what Cindy had said.

"Its okay, Sam!" said Mike.

"Yeah!" said Tammy, "We'll have plenty of time to chat at break time!" So Cindy, Tammy, and Sherry took off heading for the pool. Mike followed them, and Liam and Samantha stayed behind a moment.

"Thanks, Liam..." said Samantha, "No boy's ever complimented me on my one-piece before..."

"I really mean it, Sam;" said Liam, "It looks beautiful... you look beautiful." Samantha smiled, a little less shyly this time, and turned to head for the pool. Liam followed on when suddenly Samantha saw something.

"Oh look!" she said, "A quarter!" she bent over to pick it up, and in doing so, her tail flopped over onto her back; and so Liam found himself looking right at her caboose and the piece of her suit between her legs! As Samantha straightened up, she said, "Wow... A Hawaii quarter! These things are so rare!" She turned back to Liam and saw that he had suddenly gone all rigid like and was blushing madly. "Liam..." she said, "Are you okay...?"

"Okay...?" asked Liam in a monotone voice, "Okay...?" Samantha looked weirdly at him for a moment, but when she put together what she had just done, she realized what he must have seen, and her whole face went red with embarrassment! She checked to make sure no one was looking, then leaned in and gave Liam a small peck on his cheek. He snapped out of his trance and said, "Whoa!" He then rubbed his cheek and said, "Hey, Sam... did you... did you just...?"

"Yes..." said Samantha, "I did..."

"Oh... Well..." said Liam, trying to find the right words, "Um... how about we join the others so they don't worry about us?"

"Yeah..." said Samantha, "Sounds great!" so Liam followed the others and Samantha followed on behind.

Samantha and Liam caught up to the others over by the diving board.

"There you guys are!" said Tammy, "We were all gonna go off the board to show off our stuff."

"I'm sure all of you are very good swimmers;" said Liam, "If you spend so much time here, you must get a lot of time to practice."

"We shore do!" said Sherry, "So, who's goin' first?"

"Ladies first..." said Mike.

"Okay then;" said Tammy, "I'll go first." The fox girl took hold of the ladder and began the climb. The diving board was only one and a half stories up, so it didn't take too long for her to get there. She strode to the end of the board and paused. Then she jumped once, and lept off the diving board; piercing the water with barely a splash. As she surfaced, Mike, Liam, and the girls cheered for her.

"Way te go, Tammy!" said Sherry.

"Perfect form!" Cindy added. As Sherry climbed the ladder, Liam looked over at Samantha and said,

"What dive are you gonna do, Sam?" Samantha looked up at Liam with a nervous expression.

"I... I... I'm... not really a good diver..." she finally managed to say.

"Why not?" asked Liam, "Have you ever done it before?"

"Once or twice;" Samantha admitted, "And both times I wound up spraining my tail." She patted her big bushy skunk tail.

"Ouch..." said Liam, "That must not have been fun." At that moment, there was a splash; Sherry had just preformed a majestic swan dive.

"Nice job, Sherry!" Samantha said.

"Absolutely magnificent!" added Mike.

"Okay!" said Cindy, "Stand back, everyone; it's my turn!" She climbed to the board and stood at the back. She walked to the end of the board, bounced once, and jumped. "CANNONBALL!!!" she yelled as she somersaulted in midair and landed with a KERSPLASHO!!

"YEE-HAW!!" cried Sherry, "That was some serious splash work!"

"Beautifully done, Cindy!" said Mike, "Very well executed!" Samantha was surprised; she had half expected Mike to say that the diving board was for diving and not for cannonballing. "You next, Samantha?" Mike asked.

"Uh... No thanks;" she said, "You can go next if you want."

"If you say so;" said Mike. He climbed the ladder to the board, and stood on the end. After a brief second, he bounced once... twice... and launched himself into the air, somersaulting twice before entering the water! "How was that?" he asked when he had surfaced.

"That was awesome!!" said Tammy, "I've never seen anyone actually do that in person before!"

"That was a super dive, sir!" said Sherry.

"Thanks!" said Mike. Over on the shore, Liam looked at Samantha and said,

"So... I guess I'm up next."

"Yeah..." said Samantha, "I really don't want to mess it up."

"This isn't the Olympics, Sammy;" said Liam, "This is just for fun. All that matters is whether you have fun or not."

"But... My tail..." said Samantha.

"Here's a tip;" said Liam as he mounted the ladder, "Try pulling up as you enter the water; that should coordinate the flow of your body with the shape of your tail." And he climbed to the board. Once at the top, he bounced twice, and turned and twisted his body as he fell; somehow managing to straighten out as he entered the water. Samantha was amazed by Liam's incredible dive, and thought about what he had said. Once she saw that Liam and the others were out of the way, she made up her mind and mounted the ladder.

"Sammy!" called Cindy, "Are you diving too?"

"Yes I am!" called Samantha.

"You don't have to if you don't want to!" said Liam.

"It's alright, Liam!" said Samantha, "I want to do it!" And she continued her climb to the top.

"Wow..." said Sherry, "Ah think she's really gonna go for it!"

"I just hope she doesn't hurt herself this time." said Tammy. Samantha reached the top of the ladder and walked to the end of the board. She looked down to see her friends looking back up at her, and realized that it wasn't quite as high as she remembered.

'Pull up as you enter the water..." she told herself, 'Can't be that difficult... can it...?' Samantha took two deep breaths; there was no going back now. She bounced once... twice... and launched herself off the board. As she fell, she put her arms in front of her, hoping they would help her pull out instead of going straight down. She shut her eyes a meter from the water, and SPLASH! Her body was engulfed by the cool water, and she felt herself pulling upwards. It took a moment for her to realize it, but there was no sharp pain in her tail! She had done it! Smiling, Samantha swam to the surface, and found that all her friends were cheering for her!

"YAHOO!" cheered Cindy.

"You did it, Sammy!" said Tammy.

"Ah knew you could do it!" added Sherry.

"That was a very brave thing to do;" said Mike, "You just conquered a fear today."

"Yeah..." said Samantha, "I guess I did!" Liam swam over to Samantha and said,

"You can feel proud of yourself, Sam; you were very brave."

"I was...?" Samantha asked.

"You were." said Liam. Samantha shivered a bit; she realized that she really liked Liam being this close to her, with a warm, friendly smile.

"Hey..." she said, "You know what...?"

"What?" asked Liam.

"SPLASH FIGHT!!" Samantha answered as she splashed the Dalmatian boy. Liam laughed and splashed her back. Soon all six of them were playing and splashing each other, having a great time.

The group played in the pool for the entire day. Samantha was very impressed by Liam's swimming skills, and she got the feeling he was trying not to look stupid in front of her or his cousin. All too soon, the lifeguards sounded the final whistle.

"That's us!" said Tammy, "Everyone out!"

"Bummer!" said Mike, "That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

"Really?" asked Cindy.

"Sure;" said Mike, "When you're in my line of work, you gotta learn to covet all the fun moments you can."

"My mom and dad tell me the same thing..." said Cindy, quietly, "They say that we should always cherish and remember the good times, because we never know when they might be... cut short..."

"Yep..." said Mike, "Police, firefighters, emergency workers; saving lives is a dangerous business."

"It shore is;" said Sherry, "Ah gotta admit, Sir; Ah admire you an' Liam for the things you must do for citizens."

"Thanks a lot, Sherry;" said Mike, "It's good to know our work goes noticed." Then he turned to Cindy and said, "And Cindy... I really admire your parents; firemen put their lives in more danger than we policemen do; not everyone has the courage or the dedication to do that."

"Thanks;" said Cindy, "I'm really proud of my mom and dad for keeping the city safe and saving lives the way they do." Soon, the group met up with Samantha and Liam, and they headed for the bathhouse.

"We'll be right out after we change;" said Tammy, "We'll all meet here?"

"Absolutely." said Mike. So the girls went into the girls' side of the bathhouse and Liam headed for the boys' side. Mike was about to follow, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tiger and a pig going around the back of the bathhouse. "Hold the phone..." he said to himself. He turned himself around and began to follow the two characters around the back. As Mike approached the back, he slowed himself down; trying to make sure he didn't make much noise. He edged around the corner... and was met with the sight of the pig climbing up a ladder to the roof of the bathhouse. "Oh no..." he whispered to himself; these two were peeping toms! He had to do something! Faster than he had ever ran in his career, Mike sprinted towards the boys side of the bathhouse. Once inside, he opened his backpack and fished out his phone. On the way back, he switched it on, and selected camera mode. Fortunately for him, the peepers were still there. Inching out around the corner, he lined them up in his sight and used the phone to take a few pictures of them; then he quickly ducked out of sight and went around to the front of the building.

Once by the door, Mike dialed the local operator.

"Get me the police station..." he said. After waiting a tense moment, the police dispatcher was heard on the other end.

"Nashville Police Station;" the dispatcher said, "What is your emergency?"

"I've got two peeping toms at the Nashville community pool..." said Mike, "One a male pig, age 36, wearing a blue long sleeved shirt and brown trousers; One a male tiger, age 30, wearing a black tee shirt and jeans." Mike suddenly realized that the crooks were coming around the corner, so he held his phone down and pretended not to notice them. Luckily, they didn't see him, and just continued to the parking lot. Mike watched them out of the corner of his eye and said, "Subjects are entering vehicle; Red and white Mini Cooper, license number... Z, four, Q, three, five, G."

"Thank you, sir;" said the dispatcher, "We are dispatching our units now."

"Thanks;" said Mike, "Over and out." and he hung up the phone. At that moment, Liam came up to him.

"Who was that on the phone, Mike?" he asked

"Just someone from the station in Firewall;" Mike lied, "Keeping me updated on what's going on."

"Mike..." said Liam, "Like you said, we're on vacation; we don't have to worry about work until we get back."

"Yeah..." said Mike. After another minute, the girls came out of the bathhouse and joined them.

"How's everything, Mike?" asked Samantha. Mike thought for a moment; he didn't want to send the girls and probably everyone else around him into a panic, so he said,

"Everything's great, Samantha. What say we all head back to Cindy's house?"

"Alright;" said Cindy, "I'm looking forward to watching that new movie when we get there." So they all grabbed their things and headed back to Cindy's house.

An hour later, everyone was back at Cindy's house. After telling Dilly all about the fun time they had had at the pool, they decided to relax and chat a bit. Cindy, Samantha, Tammy, Sherry, and Liam were all on the floor in the living room in front of the television; and Mike and Dilly were on the sofa.

"I'm happy that you all had fun today;" said Dilly, "This is what these visits should be about."

"Yeah..." said Cindy, "I gotta admit, Uncle Mike's a lot more fun than I thought he would be."

"Thanks, Cindy;" said Mike, "That's good to know." Samantha in the meantime, had her eye on Liam, thinking about what a good swimmer he was. She was sure he could match Tammy for endurance and maybe even Sherry for strength.

"Something I can help you with, Samantha?" Liam asked suddenly.

"Uh... well..." Samantha stuttered, "I... I just... wanna say that you did really good at the pool today; I've seldom met a boy who can swim as good as he says he can."

"Really...?" asked Liam.

"Yeah!" said Tammy, "Most of the boys around here spend all their time making sure they look good in bathing suits, but don't really focus on swimming well."

"We spend our pool time working on our swimming skills;" said Sherry, "And it don't hurt that we look good in bathing suits by default!" This earned a chuckle from Cindy and Tammy, but caused Samantha to blush. At that moment, everyone heard something on the news that got their attention.

"This... this news just in!" The newscaster said, "Two men were apprehended this evening on the outskirts of Nashville Tennessee. The felons were found in possession of numerous indecent photos; most of which were taken from a distance and without consent. Thankfully the evidence is intact and should be more than enough to put these perpetrators behind bars for a minimum sentence of fifteen to twenty years..."

"What a bunch of creeps!" said Tammy as she heard the report, "How low can anyone be to take very rude pictures like that!" she said in a very frustrated tone.

"Definitely, Tammy," said Sherry, "Plus it was right here in Nashville and that's too close for comfort if ya ask me!"

"Oh!" said Dilly, "Those lousy rotten peeping toms! How could they have gotten away with it for so long?"

"Criminal minds think craftily, Aunt Dilly;" said Liam, "Quite often they're a lot smarter than we think."

"That's right;" said Mike, "They must have specialized in blending in to their environments; it would take a special kind of suspicion to see what they were really up to." At this point, since they were all alone, he figured it was time to say something. "I should know..." he said, quietly, "I reported them..."

"What!?!?" Dilly gasped.

"Huh?!?" asked Cindy.

"Say what?!?" cried Samantha.

"They... They were on the roof of the bathhouse at the community pool..." said Mike with a quiver in his voice, "I think they were looking down into the girls' side..."

"Holy espionage..." breathed Liam.

"B-but... We were in the bathhouse at that time....!" Cindy said, nervously.

"That means..." Tammy said as she started to tear up, "They saw us getting undressed!" With that, Tammy started to cry and simply ran out of the living room.

"How degrading! Ah'm glad they're locked up and Ah hope they rot!" Sherry said angrily. She shook in fear a little bit but quickly went after Tammy to check on her.

"My god..." said Dilly as she clutched her heart, "I... I'm a terrible mother...!" Liam rushed to her side and held her hand.

"No you're not, Aunt Dilly;" he said, "What makes you say that...?"

"I... I should have been there with them..." Dilly answered, "I should have been there to protect them...!"

"Calm down, Dilly!" said Mike as he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hardly anything would have been different if you were there! Even if you had seen them they might have found a way to disguise their true intentions. And you wouldn't have known anything if you were in the bathhouse with them."

"But still... I..." Dilly began to say.

"You couldn't have known it was going to happen." Mike told her, "Heck; if I had kept my eyes straight ahead, I wouldn't have known anything about it either.

"Oh... my... God..." Cindy breathed, "I can't... believe this happened..." Samantha on the other hand just sat there in stunned silence.

"Liam," said Mike, as he got off the couch, "Look after your aunt. I better see if Sherry and Tammy are okay..."

"I-I better go with you, Uncle Mike...." said Cindy as she followed him. Samantha just sat there in shock; then she started to cry. Liam put his arm around her and said,

"Sam... It's okay; everything's gonna be taken care of."

"I'm sorry, Liam..." Samantha said through her tears, "I'm so scared....will there be more of those creeps?"

"I... I couldn't tell you, Samantha." said Liam, "But if it's anything at all... there's two less crooks on the streets tonight." Samantha found herself unable to answer, so she just put her arms around Liam and hugged him. "Aw... Its okay, Sammy;" said Liam, "we're just doing what we know is right."

"You're the best Liam," Samantha said as she looked at him with sparkling eyes, "You... You're my knight in shining armor!"

"Oh... Well... I don't know about a knight;" said Liam, "But I am a certified officer of the law. Sworn to protect the innocent and serve the public trust."

"Oh Liam..." said Dilly, "I can just tell Mike raised you right."

"Thanks, Aunt Dilly;" said Liam, "I'm happy to help." After a pause, he said, "Do you think we should check on the others?"

"I think that would be a good idea;" said Dilly as she got up from the couch, "Let's go."

"Tammy!! Where are ya!?!" Sherry shouted, trying to find her friend, "Tammy, please are you there!?!" She was now getting frightened that something may have happened to Tammy. Mike and Cindy were also searching the house.

"Tammy!!" called Mike, "Are you okay?!?" it was at that moment that he heard the gut wrenching sound of uncontrollable bawling, and it was coming from behind Cindy's bedroom door. "Tammy...?" he said, gently as he opened the door to find Tammy lying face down on the bed crying her heart out. Very gingerly, Mike approached the frightened fox girl and sat down next to her on the bed. "Tammy..." he said, as she looked up at him; her eyes red from crying and brimming with tears, "I'm sorry... I did everything in my power... Please don't hate me..." Tammy moved over and hugged Mike very tightly.

"I- I don't hate you, Mr. Mike..." she said between sobs, "I... I just feel so....violated!!!" And she continued to cry into his chest.

"Its okay, Tammy..." Mike said as he gently rubbed her shoulder, "It's okay; they can't hurt you or your friends anymore."

"I know..." said Tammy, quietly, "But I'm... I'm afraid to go back there..." At that moment, Sherry and Cindy appeared in the doorway. they looked in to see one of their best friends resting in the arms of the big strong police dog. Sherry looked up at Mike and asked,

"Is she gonna be ok?"

"Fear is a strong emotion, Sherry;" Mike told the pony girl, "It can sometimes delude all the senses... But I'm sure in time she'll be just fine." Sherry came over and sat down next to Mike.

"Tammy..." Sherry said, quietly, "Mike is right...they won't hurt you anymore; and, well... they won't be there anymore either. The police took care of the bad guys!" Tammy finally settled down and began to relax. Cindy gently approached the bed.

"Um... Uncle Mike..." she said, "I... I owe you an apology... I'm sorry for not... trusting you and my cousin..." Mike looked up at Cindy and smiled.

"I appreciate that, Cindy;" he said, "I know how you felt about me at first; Even an elite cop like me isn't all work and no play. But when there's a job to be done, I get it done; and if there's an omega on the loose... My bite is worse than my bark." Cindy walked over to her bed and sat down on the other side of Mike.

"And for that; I, Cindy Vanderspot, salute you!" She said as she delivered a crisp salute.

"Thanks for your support, Cindy Vanderspot!" said Mike as he saluted back. After a minute, Dilly, Liam, and Samantha entered the room as well.

"Is everything okay in here, Mike?" Dilly asked.

"Things have calmed down here, Dilly;" said Mike, "These girls are all strong young ladies." Tammy, Cindy, and Sherry smiled up at him; it was nice to know he thought so highly of them. He then looked at Tammy and said, "Tammy, are you feeling a bit better...?"

"Yes, I am now;" said Tammy, Thank you a lot, sir; though it might be a good while before I want to go back to the community pool..."

"That's perfectly understandable, Tammy;" said Dilly, "How about next time, whenever you are ready to go back to swimming at the public pool, One of us or more can accompany you girls to keep an eye out? Does that sound good?"

"That sounds like a good idea, Dilly." said Mike. Then he looked at Tammy and said, "Of course that's not to say you won't ever be able to go by yourselves again. I think it would be a good idea to have an adult that you trust with you until you feel safe going on your own again. Remember, Tammy; even on the cloudiest day, the sun will come out some time."

"That's right!" said Dilly, "And remember this, Tammy. Bad folks may hurt you from time to time but they can never put out the eternal flame of happiness in your soul."

"Thank you, everyone." said Tammy as she wiped her eyes one last time, "I'm feeling a whole lot better now thanks to you all."

"Ain't no biggie, Tams!" said Sherry, "When we all stick together, ain't nuthin' gonna stop us or split us apart!"

"True that, sister!" added Cindy.

"Definitely!" said Samantha.

"You can always count on us." put in Liam.

"Say... I know something that'll do all of us good." said Mike, "Dilly... do you have any ice cream?"

"Well... sure!" said Dilly.

"Okay then!" said Mike, "Who's up for some frosty milkshakes!?"

"ME!!!" Tammy, Samantha, Cindy, Sherry, and Liam all said at once. Dilly just laughed.

"Well I guess that answers your question, Mike!" she said. And with that, they all headed downstairs. In no time, Mike and Dilly had whipped up some delicious creamy milkshakes for everyone.

"Here's to law and order!" said Mike as he raised his glass.

"And to friendship and family!" added Cindy. Everyone clinked their glasses, and took a swig of their shakes. Samantha couldn't help looking over at Liam.

'He comes from such a good family...' she thought, 'And he knew just how to make me feel better. I think I really like him a lot!' Samantha blushed and continued drinking her milkshake. By now, she was sure that what she was feeling about Liam was love; and she had a pretty good feeling that he felt the same way.

To Be Continued...