FSE

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Diane looked around the large ballroom filled with chairs filled with morphs and humans intently watching the stage. Kristine sat excitedly beside her, though she doubted her daughter was paying any attention to the fox that was speaking. To be honest, she wasn't, either. There were so many morphs around her, so many different species, many she couldn't even identify. She trusted her sister, but some of those morphs looked dangerous. Applause erupted, mixed with barks and other animal sounds and she grabbed Kristine. The cat morph beside her was clapping and laughing and she couldn't help noticing the sharp teeth in his open mouth.

“Mom, let go.”

She looked at her daughter and released her, but kept a hand protectively on her back. She was handling all this a lot better than her mother, but she was an innocent and trusting child. She hadn't heard all the horror stories of morph attacks. She didn't know about the pit fights or The Game. She didn't know about the horrors her father saw down in Australia, trying to help them.

Diane stopped herself. She thought about each of those and what she actually knew. Her husband didn't want to talk about anything that happened. What she had heard came from the news. She could remember videos of human soldiers fighting morph soldiers, but only stories of the horrible things morphs would do: tearing them apart with their teeth and claws. The pit fights and The Game and things like it were run by humans, setting morphs against each other, like … animals.

These morphs didn't seem like the vicious creatures she had heard about. They were laughing and hugging and being friendly. She opened the book and looked through the schedule for anything violent. She found a couple things that sounded bad, but the descriptions said they were video games. Everything scheduled looked like harmless entertainment, support groups, and creative workshops. They seemed like they were trying to be human.

She had told herself that Julie Ann was okay because rabbits aren't dangerous, but she still worried. She was supposed to worry. It's a mother's job to worry. It was also a mother's job to try to give the best she can to her children. She used to think that meant a stable home, food, schooling, love and support. Now she wondered where she went wrong. Her life would have been so much better with Robert. Brandon was just nothing like him, but it was still hard to believe he was so horribly different from the man she thought she loved.

The audience around them applauded again and she looked down at Kristine applauding excitedly with them. She seemed happy. Not like the quiet girl that spent so much time in her room at home. Maybe she was just enjoying the spectacle. She looked around at the variety of morphs and people in the room and on the stage. As much of a spectacle as it seemed, it looked more normal than her home felt right now.

The cat beside her stood up and she noticed the audience starting to leave. Not wanting to get stuck in the mob, Diane shooed her daughter and sister out of the row and out of the room. Jane took the lead and led them away from the crowd. She stopped in the middle of an empty hall and leaned on a glass wall railing to look down at the floor below. It was filled with rows of booths and tables and humans and morphs were starting to file in to wander through them.

“Jane, why are we here?”

“Look down there and tell me what you see.”

Diane sighed in frustration, but looked, “I see a bunch of stalls of people selling stuff and more people coming in to buy it. Jane…”

“You called them people.”

“Well … yes, but…”

“That's the point. They are people. All of them. The ones selling, the ones buying, the ones just hanging around, whether they have fur or not, they're all people. It's not what they look like on the outside that makes someone a monster, it's who they are and what they do. That's why I wanted you to come out here. That's why I invited you last year and the year before that. I want you to meet some of these people. Forget what they look like for a moment and just talk to them.”

“Jane, I don't want to make any new friends. I need to take care of my family.”

“You can do both.”

“Jane I'm not going to play your game.”

“Fine. Then just stand up here and be anti-social, but I have things to do and Kristine wants to meet my friends.”

She started to object, but knew it would only be an argument and she knew Jane would never let anything happen to her niece.

“Come on, K, your mom needs some time alone to think.”

“Are there any my age here?”

“I'm not sure, but I know who to ask. Let's go talk to Swimbear.”

“Is he scary?”

“She is a very nice otter that is managing the children's activities this year.”

She watched her sister and daughter walk around the balcony walkway. Kristine continued excitedly asking questions and Jane just as enthusiastically answered them. She wished she could share her daughter's exuberance, but she felt like she had been abducted to an alien world where even the simplest things were unfamiliar. The worst part was even her home was unfamiliar. The comfort she thought she had was turning out to be a delusion. She felt herself starting to fall apart and turned her focus to the crowd below, searching for something she could recognize.

She noticed the well-dressed gray cat that had escorted them to their room; today his suit was a shimmering green. He was animatedly talking to a dark haired human and a small pale cat, both wearing red shirts. He laughed heartily and they echoed it. She couldn't hear what the joke was, but their laughter seemed like a long lost friend. Then he spotted someone coming in and she heard him call over the din.

“RED!”

A fox came over and hugged him, then patted the smaller cat's shoulder. They obviously knew each other. It took a moment, but she realized that she knew him, too. He was the same fox that escorted her to the convention center. She watched him as he greeted others around the room. His open friendliness put her at ease, but it was his color that was really comforting. She imagined that if Robert had fur, he might have looked something like that fox. Then she wondered what it would have been like. She wondered if the fur all over his body would be as soft as Robert's hair. She wondered if that fluffy tail was as soft as it looked.

She gasped as she saw him grab a grayish fox by the face and kiss them on the lips. She shook herself from her fantasy and scolded herself for having it. She had more pressing matters to focus on. Besides, she didn't really know him and he wasn't even human; it was futile to think such things.

He recognized someone at the door and dodged through the crowd to get there. Diane sighed in relief that he was gone; now she wouldn't be tempted to think of such frivolous things when she should be trying to figure out how to protect her children.

She saw Kristine dash into the room and for a moment worried that she was alone in that den of strange animals, but Jane came in behind her. They found the gray cat and he let Kristine pet his tail, then it looked like he was going to give them a guided tour around the stalls. She watched him introduce her daughter to a rat that shook her hand, then caught herself as she realized that the first thing she thought was to wonder if the rodent ever washed its paws. She knew humans that didn't wash properly, but you would never know by looking. Why should she assume this person didn't just because they look like a rat? She sighed and wondered how deep her prejudice was that she didn't even notice she had any until now.

“Enjoyn tha view?”

Diane sighed again, hoping that if she didn't turn to acknowledge them, they would move on. “I'm just watching my daughter.”

“So why'n you up here?”

She reluctantly turned to face her intruder, “Her aunt is with her and …” She froze as she recognized the fox she had been fantasizing over just moments before.

“I ask ag'in, why a' you not down theah?”

She couldn't tell him the truth about her recently discovered prejudice and she couldn't tell him what else she had been thinking, though, having him so close, those thoughts came fresh to her mind.

“¿Engentilarse?”

“What?” All her thoughts stopped at the unfamiliar word.

The fox turned around to lean his back against the rail and swung his tail by her legs with a sly smile, “The crowd makes you uncomfortable.”

“Uh, yeah.” She looked over the rail and realized that she had lost track of her daughter. Then she found her playing dress up by a corner stall with a small audience.

“It's a'right; you're not the only one. I'd rather have a more intimate setting, m'self.”

She looked down and saw his tail through the glass wall. For a moment she thought about touching it, then realized something else. Was this fox hitting on her? She's an almost forty, mother of three, in a broken marriage, with an unreasonable fear of morphs. Why would he…?

“Maybe we could find someplace more comfortable to talk?”

She turned and his face was right there. She froze, terrified, but in her gasp, she smelled him. It wasn't the dirty, animal smell she expected. It was light, sweet, comforting, like … Robert. She gasped again and started to step away, but stumbled and sat down hard on the floor.

“Oh! I didn't mean to scare you. M'sorry, y'okay?” He knelt down, but kept his distance.

“It – It's not you; it's me. You just …” She couldn't put the words together to tell him he reminded her so much of her dead husband, the one she actually loved.

“Guess I shouldn't stick my nose where it doesn't fit, eh?”

“Huh?” That was something her Robert said, but she didn't know anyone else did.

“C'mon. Let's get you off the floor.”

She pulled herself up with the rail, not ready to let him touch her, while her mind wandered to all the places they found that his nose did fit. Her legs went weak, but she was suddenly wrapped in soft fur. She gasped in surprise, but couldn't think of a reason to be afraid.

He set her on her feet, then took her arm, “Let's go and find you a better place to sit down.”

She let him lead and focused on the fur she was finally touching, it was soft. His hand … paw? … was black instead of the red on the rest of him that reminded her of Robert's hair, but it was just as nice. They went down an elevator. The sunlight made his fur shine and she remembered her husband's smile as they would walk on the trails. She was almost sad when they went inside again. They rode up an elevator. It was oddly comforting being close to this stranger, not even human, but more human than her current husband. He let go of her to open a door and let her in first. When he turned on the light, she finally thought about where she was.

“Is this your hotel room? I shouldn't be here.” She turned to leave, but ran into him.

“Relax. M'not goan force m'self on ya. Yer sis would skin me.”

“You know Jane?”

He chuckled, “Ev'body here knows Canary.”

Diane sighed and turned away, walking into the room, “I don't understand why she thinks she's a canary.”

The fox laughed, “She's not a canary. She's a yellow cat named Canary.”

That made a lot more sense. Her favorite color was yellow. She collected cat figurines, particularly yellow ones. She even went trick or treating a few years when she was younger in a yellow sweatsuit with a cat tail and ears she made herself. How could she miss it? Of course, she had missed a lot of things, like her husband is abusive. “I guess I'm pretty stupid.”

“Don' be so hard on y'self. Y'wouldn't know if she didn't tell you.”

“She tried to tell me. I wasn't listening.”

“I'm sure you had more important things to …”

“Nothing should be more important than my daughter!” She spun around quickly, then stopped when she saw the surprised fox. “I'm sorry.”

“I don't think we're talkin'bout the same thing. Why don'cha have a sit and fill my ears.” He guided her to sit on the side of the bed and sat down on the end behind her. “Find a good begin'n and just let it go.”

Diane sighed, “There isn't a good beginning.”

“You can't tell me yer whole life was bad.”

“Well, no, but…”

“So, what was good?”

She closed her eyes to hold back the tears as she thought about all the good times she had with Robert.

“So, tell me what's bothering you, then.”

“My life is gone!” She broke down and started sobbing.

The fox cautiously put his paws on her shoulders, “Your life ain't gone; you're still here.”

She turned around to look at him and everything just came out, “My oldest daughter is in love with a rabbit morph; my son has made friends with a bear; my sister thinks she's a cat; my youngest is afraid of her father; and I don't know who I am anymore!”

He stared at the exasperated woman in shock and tried to make himself say something, but there were no words.

Diane turned back around and resumed crying, wishing she could just be home again with the normal family she had just the week before.

The fox huffed, “Well, two of yer kids sound jus' fine and I'm still learnin' you, but why should your daughter be afraid of her father? Is not that cheerful petite puce I met earlier, eh?”

She caught her breath, “I shouldn't have told you.”

“You should tell some body and you already opened the bag here.”

Diane sighed, “She saw him … It was my fault. I shouldn't have asked him.”

“He hit you?”

“Oh no, he wouldn't…” She pushed away the memory of when he had. “He just …” She remembered his aggressiveness. “… was a little rough when we …” She couldn't even call it the making love that she had wanted it to be. “… and she saw it …” She could remember Kristine's face. “… I don't think he did anything to her …” But she was starting to wonder. “… nevermind, I shouldn't…”

“Bonne, if he has been anything less than a gentleman to you and your daughter, I'll be on the first right up there to set him straight.”

“Please don't do anything. I - I do care about him. Brandon was a good man. He takes care of us. He's a Marine. He's just … He was different after he went down to Australia.”

“I know Marines, too, and they don't act like this. There is no excuse for hurting a little girl.”

“But I don't know that he did. Please, he's her father and … and we don't have anyplace else to go.”

“Don't you worry about that, ma chér, You don't need to go back to that … that monster.”

The word echoed in her ears, “Kristine said a monster had replaced her father.”

“She's right. No right-thinking man would ever molest his own daughter. Es impensable.”

“I just … I don't know what to do.”

He put his paws on her shoulders again, “Well, you did the first thing right and got out of there.”

“But he's … my family … my children. What do we do without him?”

He pulled her over and she buried her face in his lap as she started to cry again.

“Oh, Robert, I've ruined our happy home.”

He stroked down her back soothingly and waited until her sobs quieted.

Diane calmed herself and caught her breath, letting all the horrible thoughts drift away as she returned to the moment. Falling apart wouldn't help her situation; she needed to keep her head and figure out what to do. The fox was right about one thing, she didn't want to take Kristine back if Brandon was still in the same mood. Maybe Jane would keep her for the rest of the summer and she could go back alone to make sure he was calm. She wondered if the fox meant what he said about coming after him. The fox … she remembered that she was laying with her head in his lap and she didn't even know him and she's married. That wouldn't help keep Brandon calm. She sat up and wiped her face, “I'm sorry. I should go.”

“Relax, you're safe here.” He slid his tail beside her. “You have all weekend to enjoy yourself and not worry about a thing. Forget about what you think you should do and try a little of what you want to do.”

She stared at the fluffy tail, resisting the urge to touch it. “I – I don't want to impose on you.”

“Please, impose. I didn't chat you up here on accident, you're welcome and wanted. What can I do f'you?”

She hesitated, never having thought to ask, she wasn't sure how. “I just … Is your fur soft?”

“Ah,” he grinned and pulled his tail between them to offer it to her. “Why don' ya see f'y'self.”

She carefully took it in her hands, feeling like a child being allowed to hold a delicate heirloom.

“Gwan, it won't break.” He flicked the tip to encourage her.

She slid her hand down the top of his tail, watching the fur spring back up as her fingers passed and enjoying the soft sensation on her palm. She did it again and spread her fingers to feel the fur surround her hand. It was calming and soothing, like petting a kitten. “Your tail has so many different colors.”

“Ah, you notice. I'm a fox that is more than his name implies. So much more than just red.”

She looked at his black paw and up his arm to the red she liked, then looked up at his face. “I like the red. Robert's hair was this red.” She touched the side of his neck, feeling the red fur.

“Now, who was this Robert you keep speakin' of?”

Diane looked back down at his tail as she remembered the good things about him. “He was my first husband, my first love, and he was wonderful.” She ran her fingers through his fur, watching the red hairs dance among the black, white and gray. “You remind me of him.”

“Me? Why, was he a fox, too?”

“Oh, no. he was human, but he had vibrant red hair, like yours.” She turned to stroke higher on his tail, where there was more red.

“Ah, well, tis a good colour. Must've been a good sight, he was.”

“He was very handsome.”

“And nothing like your current husband.”

She squeezed his tail and he flinched, then she hugged it gently to her. “Robert was a very generous man. He loved me and loved helping people and when Julie Ann was born, he loved her, too.”

“Sounds like he was a lovin' man.”

“Mmm, and he was good at it.” She hugged the fox's tail to her chest as she thought about her loving husband's arms around her.

“And he wasn't … rough with you.”

“Absolutely not. He didn't even have to touch me to make me feel good. Just his smile and I was filled with warm …” She tried to hold onto the feeling as it filled her from the memory, but it faded quickly away.

“Sounds like you really miss him.”

She sighed and let the tail fall to her lap again. “He was hit by a car while saving a young girl's life.”

“Sounds like he was a saint.”

“He should be.” She resumed stroking the fox's tail, letting the softness brush away her sadness. “He was an angel to me.”

“Ah now, he still is. I'm sure he's watching over you.”

Her breath stuttered, “He'd be very disappointed that I married Brandon, but I just couldn't make it work on my own with Julie Ann and …”

“Hey now, if it got you that sweet peeshwank I met, don' you regret it.”

“Oh, I don't regret Kristine, or Brian. I just wish … Oh, nevermind, there's no point.”

“Now, wishin' keeps hope alive and hope is why we live.”

“But I wish they were Robert's children.”

“Oh chér, they're your chil'n, that's what matters.”

“I know. I just miss him so much.” She buried her hand in the fur of his tail and sighed, then pushed it off her lap. “I'm sorry. I've been holding your tail too long. Just … your fur is so soft and it reminds me of Robert's hair.”

“Worry not, bonne. Welcome to Café Cafuné.” He pulled his shirt over his head and lay back on the bed. “Touch wherever you like. I'm all your'n.”

She gasped in surprise, but couldn't help looking at his furry body and the stripe of white down his front.

“I, uh, can rollover if ya p'fer.” He flipped himself over on the bed and swished his tail in the air, then laid it over his legs.

She started to say it wasn't necessary, but he was already on his belly. She gave in to her curiosity and turned around and leaned over the bed to reach his back. It was just as soft as his tail, even though the fur was shorter. He sighed at her touch and she pulled her hand back.

The fox looked over his shoulder, “Relax, get comfy, do what you want fer a change.”

Pushing back her fears and reluctance, Diane crawled onto the bed beside the fox morph and ran her fingers through the fur of his back again. It reminded her, not only of her late husband's hair, but of the dog she had when she was a little girl. She was a large spaniel and she would cuddle up with her sometimes. She lay her head on the fox's shoulder and lost herself in the soft, familiar feel of his fur as she thought about all the things she had forgotten.

Diane heard her phone ringing and as she woke up, she realized that she was laying on fur. She pushed herself up and remembered where she was. She hurried to answer her phone, but missed it. It was her sister and there was another missed call and a dozen messages from her, as well.

[Want to meet us for lunch?]

[I'm having lunch with Kristine. Don't forget to eat something yourself.]

[We need to talk.]

[I had a chat with Kristine]

[You didn't tell me it was this bad.]

[Where are you?]

[You can't just ignore this.]

[Are you okay?]

[Do I need to send a search party?]

[I checked the room. Where are you?]

Another phone rang and the half-naked fox in bed beside her rolled over to pull it from his pants pocket. “C'est moi. … O-K.” He looked at her with a smile. “Found 'er. … Oh, my room. … … I didn't. We didn't. … Jus' m'shirt. … Ite, w… … Oui, sí, yes. We'll be right there.” He hung up and looked at his phone. “Yer sis is rile up 'bout sum'n an' I think it's more'n jus' ya bein' in ma bed.”

Diane stood up quickly and looked at the messages from her sister again. “I think I need to go find her.” She quickly sent a response.

[I'm sorry. I fell asleep. Where can I find you?]

“Won't be hard. She say she's gone to her room. Now where my shirt?”

Diane huffed and headed for the door.

The fox pulled his shirt on as he jumped after her. He led her back to her room and her phone rang again.

“Jane?”

The door swung open and Jane popped out to grab her sister and pull her into the room. The fox caught the door and followed them in. She dragged her to the middle of the room and turned around, “How could you keep this from me? Why aren't you doing something?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about Kristine being sexually molested by her own father!”

“WHAT! He wouldn't do that!”

“According to Kristine, he did, and I believe her.”

“What did he do?”

“She said he tucks her in every night.”

“Of course, every night. What's wrong with that?”

“He does 'cleanliness checks'”

“Okay, so he wants her to be clean.”

“Of her vagina.”

“What?”

“He takes her panties and smells her vagina and sometimes he licks it and he has even put his finger inside her!

“Feet pue tan!” The fox tensed with his tail frizzed and teeth bared. “He can't get away with doing that to her!”

Jane held her hand up, “Relax RED, this doesn't concern you.”

“It concerns everyone! A monster like that shouldn't be allowed to live! ¡Es demente!”

She spun around to face him, “Back off, I'm handling this.”

He turned and walked away, then punched the bathroom door and it wobbled violently on its hinges as it swung slowly in.

Jane turned back to her sister, “Are you saying that you had no idea that he was sexually molesting Kristine, his own daughter, your daughter?”

“I - …” She tried to think of anything that should have been a clue. None of the kids were close to Brandon; he kept to himself. All the kids did their own things, too. Kristine was affectionate towards her. Nothing seemed to say anything was wrong. “Until … this happened, I thought everything was normal.”

“You mean when he raped you in front of her?”

“She was supposed to be in bed and I … asked him.” She couldn't help defending him, even though it sickened her.

“You asked him to rip off your clothes and pound your face into the table?”

“Well, no. I was thinking of cuddle time, but he wanted a quickie.” The excuses she had told herself just came out.

Jane started to walk away, but ran into the shocked fox. “Just … sit down!” She shoved him onto the bed and turned back to her sister. “You can't take her back to him. I won't let you.”

“I don't want to, … but I have to go back.”

“No you don't.”

“He'll get mad if I'm not back on Monday like he said.”

“Let him get mad. You're staying here.”

“Jane, he's my husband.”

Jane grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes, “Diane, you're my sister.”

“I - …” She couldn't argue anymore; she didn't want to. “Our home, we'll have no place to go.”

“It's your house, remember? Kick him out.”

“I couldn't do that. Where would he go?”

“Does it matter? If we do it right, the state will give him a place to live with lots of company.”

“Jane.”

“I say it's too good for him. ¡Coño carajo! He should be put through a tree shredder, dick first!”

“RED!” Jane huffed. “Besides, death's too quick. He should suffer and everyone know what a monster he is for hurting my niece.”

“Why didn't I think of that?”

“You're stuck on Cuban.”

“Es posible. Este jamonero es jodido.”

“Jane, what are you going to do?”

She took her sister's shoulders and sat her on the other bed. “Don't worry about that. I'll take care of everything.”

“Where's Kristine?”

“She's safe. She's watching a movie with the other children in the pup room.”

“But what are you …”

“Just relax. You wait here while I find some people that can help. RED, keep an eye on her. And keep your shirt on. On second thought…” She grabbed his shirt and he shrugged as she half dragged him out the door.

Diane sat alone in the sudden silence and wondered what happened to her life. She just wanted to go back home and have everything be normal again, but she knew that normal didn't exist. It wasn't the happy home she thought it was. Her daughter was in danger and her husband was a monster. She couldn't help remembering all the good things Brandon had done and it just didn't make sense with how he was now. She fell over on the bed and crawled up to the pillows, hugging one as she tried to fight back her tears.

The door opened, “Diane? … Diane!” Jane hurried to her sister to check on her. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I … think I fell asleep.” She looked past her sister and noticed other people coming into the room. She sat up quickly and straightened her clothes, wiping her face and trying to make herself presentable for company.

“You've been sleeping a lot today. I know this is stressing you out, but we're here to help. Diane, this is Klark, he's a cop.”

“Retired. Nice to meet you.” An elderly man with a disarming smile offered his hand and she shook it.

“This is Sandy, a lawyer.”

“Almost. Mark Sanders, I take the bar next month up in New Hampshire.” A tan cat offered his paw.

“A morph lawyer?” She took his paw cautiously.

“Yes, though I'm not the first. Some wolf beat me to that.”

“Here's Brick, another cop.”

“Aaron.” A fox offered a paw. “I'm from Montreal, but I've handled cases like this.”

She shook his paw, getting a little apprehensive.

“And then Tiva. She's a social worker out in California.”

A ferret worked her way through the small crowd, “I don't know what I'll be able to do for you, but I'm here to help.”

“We're all here just for advice. To help us form a plan of attack to get him out of the house permanently.”

Brick scoffed, “That shouldn't be a problem if even half of what you told me is true.”

Jane looked at the fox, “I haven't even told you half of it.”

Tiva gasped, “Oh, the poor girl.”

Diane sighed, “I feel like such a bad mother.”

They all objected in a cacophony of disagreement, but Tiva took her arm, “As much as we wish it were true, parents are not omniscient. We can only act on what we know.”

“If anybody's a bad parent, it's the dickhead that touched his daughter like that.” Klark sat on the other bed and gave a punctuating nod.

“We'll get it figured out. You don't have to tackle this alone. We can find resources online and these guys have the experience and knowledge to help us sort through it.” Jane turned to grab her computer. “Oh, RED, go find Kristine and keep an eye on her. She should be with Swimbear. Don't talk about any of this, just keep her safe.”

“I cae'fu li she wa m'own, me.” He stood straight and saluted

“Just go.”

The red fox morph dashed out the door on a mission. The eleveator was too slow, so he took the stairs, catching a few on his way down. He hit the door and looked about. No red shirts in sight, so he wove through the light crowd and made his way across to the convention center. Having no reason to know, he checked a map, then headed for the pup room. He crept up to the door and slipped silently inside. The children were quietly watching a movie projected on the wall, unaware of the fox lurking behind them, an invisible guardian.

“Hey RED.”

He looked over his shoulder, “Oh, hi, SB. You keep a pretty good watch o'er these lil'uns.”

“And anything else that tries to slink in. Speaking of, you don't have any little uns.”

“Ah, right.”

“Come for the cartoons?”

“Actually, I'm on a mission from Canary.”

The otter straightened, “Oh?”

“Am s'posed to keep an eye on her niece while they be plottin' and plannin'.”

“Kristine? She's fine. There are no kids quite her age, but she's getting along.”

“I see that.”

“So no scheming for you?”

“They din' like my woodchippah idea.”

She chuckled, “But they trust you with a kid?”

“Hey! I'd nevah hurt a chile!”

She put up her paws, but kept her eyes on the kids, “Oh, I know. If I didn't trust you, you wouldn't still be in here.”

“Oh.” They watched quietly until the movie finished.

The children started to stir, but the otter was on point, “Alright, next movie is last year's Little Red. Ten minutes of cartoon shorts first. If you need to go to the bathroom, now's the time.”

Kristine got up and looked around the room. She didn't see her aunt, but she noticed a familiar fox and headed for him, “Hey RED, where's my mom?”

“Ai, Big K. She's in her room.”

“Did you make her feel better?”

“I, uh, I think so, bine.”

“Have you seen my aunt Jane?”

“Ah, she's up with your madre.”

“Is she okay?”

“Oui, they jus' talkin'bout adult things.”

Kristine scowled, but knew better than to complain about being left out of adult things. “I'm hungry.”

“Din' you jus' et lunch?”

“That was before the movie. I want ice cream.”

“Oh, ah, um. Hey SB, ice cream?”

“Just a sec and I'll send you something.” The otter finished disentangling a small ferret from his own shirt, tugged it down and sent him back to sit down, then pulled out her phone and jabbed at it for a moment.

RED jumped as his phone chimed and pulled it out to find a map invite for an ice cream shop, “Gracies, SB”

The otter was already on the other side of the room separating two young cats.

The fox looked at Kristine with a smile, “Well, I've got the place. Let's go.”

They headed out of the convention center, following his phone. After a couple blocks, Kristine looked back, “Aren't we getting far from the convention? Should we go back?”

“I've got the map. We're fine. It's right here.” He pointed to the next storefront.

Kristine relaxed and they went in to get a couple cones, then came back out to sit at a table on the sidewalk.

“This is good stuff, eh, no?”

“You talk funny.”

Red chuckled nervously, “Ah, well, I have been called a jambalaya mouth.”

“What does that mean?”

“Ah, it means I've got too many words in me mouth at the same time.”

“Oh. I get that sometimes.”

He watched her eating her ice cream, but all he could think about was her father touching her and taking her panties and sticking his fingers inside her little… He gasped as his ice cream landed on the table and he hurried to scoop it back onto the cone.

“You're supposed to eat it.”

The fox sighed and tried to clean up the table with the one napkin they wrapped around his cone, “I know, petit bonne, I'm jus' a mite distracted.”

She offered her napkin and ate her ice cream as he smeared his mess on the table, “RED, will we be okay?”

“Of course, chica, we're just a couple blocks away.”

“I mean me and my mom. I don't want to go home.”

He sighed, “Ah, Big K, you need a home; and your friends.”

“I like my friends here, like you.”

“But moiselle, your friends here are from all over the world and they go back when the convention is over.”

“Oh. Can I live with you?”

“I would love that, cariño, but I don't have a home right now.”

“Why not?”

“I'm … between homes at the moment.”

“Well … Why don't you come live with us? You can protect me from the monster.”

He smiled, loving her innocence, “K, I would protect you from any monster.”

She grinned, “I knew the morphs would save me.”

“Now, not all morphs are good people.”

“I know, but you are and you won't let anything hurt me.”

“Absolutamente, vraiment, definitely, you can bet your ice cream.”

Kristine giggled, “Jambalaya mouth.”

RED smiled, then slapped his paw on the table. “That's it. You need to know what's going on.”

Kristine was suddenly confused, “What's going on?

“I want to know what's going on, but there's no sense making you worry like this. Yer too young to get old.” He got up and tossed his cone in the trash, then offered his paw to his smaller companion.

She smiled and took his paw as she got up, keeping her cone to finish as they headed back to the hotel.

–

“I'm sorry there's not much I could do.”

“You've done a lot, Tiva. Without your level head, these guys would probably have been searching for guns and assassins.” Jane closed her computer and put it aside.

“Wouldn't need to search, I've got the guns and I'd do it myself.” The fox patted his empty hip.

The man beside him smirked and nodded agreeably.

“And I would help you get away with it.” The cat at the end of the bed added.

Diane hugged the ferret beside her with tears in her eyes, “Thank you. Thank all of you. I don't feel so helpless anymore.”

“We've got a solid plan and you'll have your home back before you know it.”

“I've never been called level-headed before.”

Diane hugged Tiva again as there was a knock at the door.

Jane started to get up, but Brick put his paw on her shoulder and headed for the door.

“Ai, Brick,” the fox on the other side chuckled nervously under the judging glare in the doorway. “Look what I brought.”

The larger fox saw the girl and smiled, then opened the door and offered his paw, “Hello Kristine, I'm Brick.”

“That's a funny name.” She shook his paw with a smile.

He chuckled, “Well, it started with the color of my fur, then my fellow cadets used it to suggest I'm not smart. That didn't last long when I started scoring better than most of them. Then I fell out of a window.”

“Like a brick,” RED laughed, but a quick glare from the other fox silenced him.

“Are you okay?” Kristine drew his attention again.

“I left a crack in the sidewalk and spent some time in the hospital, but graduated on time. Somebody marked the spot with 'Brick was here' and now the cadets coming out think I'm Brick because I'm tough.”

“Are you tough?” She looked at him hopefully.

He stared down the other fox, “Tough as I need to be.”

Klark called from the bed, “Oh, don't scare the kid. You're plenty soft.” He got up and stretched, “Well, I need to get going. There's a panel I was hoping to catch.”

Tiva jumped and pulled a booklet out of her pocket and checked it along with the clock, “Oh, me too. Are you going to be okay?”

Diane nodded.

The ferret got up, but held her new friend's hand, “You have my contact now, if you need anything. Anything.”

Diane nodded again, “Thank you.”

Tiva made her way to the door and knelt to hug Kristine. “I hope we can help you stay a happy kid for as long as you want.

Kristine hugged the ferret back, “Don't worry, I'm happy here.”

She squeezed the girl again, then got up and pushed past the two foxes to leave.

Klark offered his hand with a smile, “Nice to meet you Kristine.”

She shook his hand and smiled back at the grandfatherly figure.

He looked to the foxes and they pressed themselves against the walls to let him pass.

“I guess I'll head out, too.” Sandy walked up to Kristine and offered his paw. “Don't worry, little lady, we'll get rid of that monster for you.”

Jane pushed him past the foxes, angrily muttering, “Why'd you say that?” and shoved him out the door.

“My turn.” Bricks hugged Jane, who grunted in surprise, then stroked Kristine's hair. “I'll see you later, kid. Maybe at the dance?”

She smiled, “I like to dance.”

The fox winked, then gave the other fox a glare and left.

RED shut the door behind him, “Ce tracas. I been nutin' but nice to him.”

Jane sighed, “He said he doesn't like anyone that doesn't speak straight.”

“I speak plenty straight! Ser un punto, vaut-rien canuck.”

Kristine giggled and tugged his tail, “Jambalaya mouth.”

He sighed and drooped, “Sí, I guess I's jus' a mess at talkin'”

Jane grabbed his muzzle, “Don't worry about him. Your mouth works just fine.”

He grinned and raised his ears as she let go, “My tongue's good, too.”

“Not for this cat.” She poked his nose and headed back to the bed. “Feel better now, sis?”

Diane nodded, “I do. I was always worried about you; because you make friends so easily, that you'd get into the wrong crowd, but these are good people, even the morphs.”

“That's the point, Diane. They are people and there are good and bad, just like humans. I think it's because I make so many friends that I get to choose the good ones instead of getting stuck with…”

Diane sighed, “A monster.” She looked at the name badge hanging on her sister's shirt with a cartoonish yellow cat morph and Canary in bold letters bellow it. “Do I need to become one of those now?”

Jane grabbed her badge to look at it, then smiled at her sister, “Absolutely not. … Diane, I know I'm human. It's just fun to play the character and imagine what it would be like to be a cat morph. It helps me relate.”

“But if ya like, I c'n getcha drawn as a mango zorra.”

“ RED!”

“What? I think she'd look good in red.”

“She's my sister.”

Diane smiled, “I don't know what he said.”

Jane waved off the fox, “Forget it. If you want, you can make a character or you can just be you. There's nothing wrong with human. … So, now that we've worked things out for back home, do you think you can relax some and enjoy the rest of the con?”

“Aunt Jane, mom, what's going on?”

Jane sighed, “Don't worry about it, little K. We're taking care of everything.”

Kristine scowled, “I'm Big K.”

“She's worryin' more not knowin'.”

“I'm sorry, Big K.”

“Come here, Kristine,” Diane held her arms out.

She ran over and climbed onto her mom's lap.

“We're getting the monster out of our home. We'll let you know when it's your turn to help, but right now, some of Jane's friends are going to do some things for us.”

She hugged her mom.

Jane rubbed Kristine's back, “I'm sorry we have to do this to your dad.”

“That's not my dad. My dad didn't come back.”

Diane hugged her daughter and felt like the child was more grown up than she felt.