Sarah's Story

A sequel to "Jason's New Home" by Alex Reynard
*****


Jared Ravensfire yawned as wide as his mouth would allow and tilted himself back in his chair as far as it would bend.

He rubbed his eyes a little. He'd been at his computer, working, for a little too long now. The screen was starting to get blurry. That, plus the cramp in his leg, told him it was time for a break.

The gangly fox was certainly glad that most of the serious business of the company was taken care of by suits and underlings. Being the sole inventor of the Rejuvenator and various other medical wonders however, there were still plenty of things he had to take care of personally. Luckily, he was able to handle a good ninety percent of it right here on his home computer. Not only a convenient arrangement, it also gave him the much needed (and much enjoyed) time to keep up with his little rugrats.

Jared quit all his work programs and brought up Foxhole Manor's security network. He'd expanded it some since the break-in a month or so ago. He clicked on the camera in the playroom and saw his four beautiful children all playing basketball together. Every time he watched Leanna scooting about in her 'wheelbowl' it amazed him. She was playing just as good as anyone else, using her chair as well as any pair of legs (though she did tend to splash a bit). He'd asked her before if she wanted him to buy her a powered one for her birthday. But she refused with smiling defiance. She said she enjoyed the independence of pushing her bowl around. It was good exercise too. And if she ever really wanted a motorized one, she'd want to build it together with her daddy anyway.

Jared powered down the computer. He sighed happily, thinking of how proud he was of his children.

Leaning back in his plush office chair with his arms interlocked behind his head, he gazed out the window, letting his mind go blank for a bit.

It didn't rain too often over the Manor, especially during summer. But when it did, it poured as if to make up for lost time. Today was no exception. The sun tried valiantly to break through the thick clouds, but it wasn't winning by a long shot. The air was sultry and sticky, making one feel as if they'd just stepped out of a hot shower. 'Thank heaven for A.C.,' Jared thought absently.

A sudden, insistent knocking snapped him into alertness.

The work study was the room closest to the front door, so Jared didn't need the security system to tell him when someone was there. The knocking came again. Whoever was there was pounding much too hard to merely be selling magazines. Possibly someone whose car had broken down? That was his best guess at the moment.

Jared walked swiftly to the entranceway. He swung both doors wide open, looked out, then looked down, and was shaken by what he found on his doorstep.

Sarah.

He'd found the young squirrel-plant hybrid a home just three weeks ago and everything had seemed fine. But the Sarah he'd seen leaving his house that day was not at all the girl who stood before him now.

She was naked, shivering and drenched to the bone. She looked as if she'd walked here and was about to collapse from exhaustion. Her normally lively vines, all fourteen of them, were hanging like limp noodles all around her. Some even looked like they'd been cut short. She was unnaturally thin: not skeletal, but noticeable enough to worry him. Her skin was marked in places with what looked like cuts or burns or maybe something worse. Dark circles ringed her eyes.

And most frightening of all; she wasn't blooming anywhere. Normally, Sarah had tiny yellow flowers constantly sprouting all over her body. Now, he couldn't see a single one.

She looked up to him with eyes so filled with pain he could barely meet their gaze.

Sarah burst into tears and threw herself at him, hugging him as if her life depended on it. Jared wondered if that wasn't exactly the case.

Trembling from worry and confusion, he managed to get the doors shut and then immediately knelt down to return Sarah's hug. The poor girl was crying so hard she couldn't speak. She was shaking like a leaf, quite literally.

"Sweetheart..." Jared started. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?"

She tried to talk but was unable to form words through her sobs. Jared felt his heart shattering, wondering who or what could have done this to such a sweet little girl.

He ever-so-gently lifted her up in his arms. He looked up and noticed the other four cubs out in the hall, staring in shock and sorrow at their friend's condition.

Jared spoke softly to them. "I think we're going to need a little time alone now, guys." It was then that he noticed Sarah had gotten him soaking wet from all the rainwater she'd brought in with her. "And if one of you could bring me a big fluffy towel, that would be great."

All four immediately ran off to the main bathroom.

Jared patted Sarah on the back and whispered soft, soothing sounds in her ear. "Shhh, shh, it's okay. I'll make everything okay. You're safe, sweetie. Everything's gonna be okay. Hush now, my beautiful little flower."

She squeaked out a small happy sound at his words, and he was glad to see her face struggle into a weak smile.

He took her into his study and sat her down gently on the couch. It was the biggest, comfiest couch he'd been able to find. It was great for stretching out and relaxing, and also for helping young squirlettes feel a little better. Jared felt a tug on his pants leg and turned to see Rosie, Leanna, Jason and Mike all bearing big fluffy towels. He smiled warmly and nodded his gratitude to them.

He wrapped two of the towels around Sarah and rubbed her up and down a bit. "There... Feelin' comfy now?"

She sniffled a tear away and nodded.

"Anything else I can get you? Thirsty? Hungry?"

She spoke finally. Her voice was frighteningly raw and hoarse. "No, I'm okay. Thanks." She sounded as if she'd recently been screaming for long periods of time.

The other kids all looked incredibly worried. Jared hated to usher them out of the study, but he had a feeling Sarah wanted to be alone with him at the moment. "Sorry, guys. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I can, okay?"

They nodded. "Hey, let's go make some lunch," Mike suggested. "Sarah might be hungry later."

Mike was impressing Jared more and more these days with his responsibility. He thought the young mouse would make a great dad someday. "That's a wonderful idea," Jared told him. "Go fix something tasty. And be brave, guys. Whatever's wrong, I'll make it right."

None of them had the slightest doubt in their hearts that he would do exactly that. They tried to look as brave as they could as they filed out the door.

Jared eased it closed behind them and went back to the couch.

He dried himself off a bit first, then motioned for Sarah to lift herself up so he could slide another towel underneath her. Judging by how soaked she was, she'd obviously been walking a very long time.

He sat down at her side and put his arm around her.

"What happened, Sarah?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hesitated a bit. When she spoke, her voice was almost inaudible. "I ran away from home."

He'd had a feeling that was the case. He nodded. "Why did you run away, sweetie?"

"Because... Bec-c-c-cause..." She started stuttering and shut her eyes tight. She looked for a moment as if she was in pain. Jared held her closer.

"They were mean to me!!" she suddenly burst out.

Jared shuddered. He could feel the intense hurt in those words. This had not been caused by a spanking or from being grounded. This had been something terrible.

Her outburst opened her floodgates. Sarah started talking fast and panicky, as if she didn't know how much time she had to tell her story in.

"They were so nice at first! I really thought they were gonna be my mommy and daddy from now on. I left here and I was all excited.

"Then we got back to their house and they just *changed*! It's like they became different people all of a sudden! Janice got all distant, like I wasn't even there. Like I wasn't really a furson at all. But Duncan really scared me. He got this weird condescending tone in his voice, like he was talking to a baby or something. He was smiling too much. Big, fake scary smiles. He made me go to this little room in their basement with just a bed and a toilet and some old books in it and they locked me in there."

Jared was beyond shocked. Duncan and Janice were two friends he'd known for years. Janice was a mixed feline and Duncan a badger. They were fellow medical scientists, specializing in botany, and had always appeared to be the nicest couple you could ever want to meet. Jared himself had arranged for them to adopt Sarah as their daughter. He'd had no indication whatsoever that they were anything than what they'd always appeared to be. He felt a horrible knot in his stomach at the thought that perhaps he had made an unforgivable mistake.

"The room didn't have a window, so I couldn't get any sunlight. Not unless they took me out to another part of the house. I always ran to the windows then," Sarah said.  "There wasn't any dirt in the basement room for me to put my roots in either. All they gave me was regular food; no fertilizer. Not enough water either. I felt like I was starving."

Good lord! Three weeks with no sunlight or fresh soil? How on earth had she survived? Even the stupidest of her past foster families had understood she had the same basic needs as a plant as well as a child!

Sarah let out a low, sighing breath. "That wasn't the worst part though." She leaned over a bit to snuggle against Jared's chest. "They did... experiments. Experiments on me."

Jared's lip trembled. He didn't know if his heart could stand hearing this. "W-what kind of experiments?"

"They took me out of the room sometimes into this laboratory-type room. They put me on this table that folded, so it could be like a chair. It had clamps on it that held my hands and feet so I couldn't get away. There was a big light over me that was so bright it made my eyes hurt. Sometimes they cut off my vines to see how long it took me to grow them back. Sometimes they stuck me with needles. Sometimes I got sick. Sometimes they cut me or peeled off patches of my skin. Sometimes they opened me up and took out my organs for a while to study them." There was more. Much too much more than she could tell now.

Jared took her paw in his, squeezing it gently.

"Janice just acted like it was work; like I was some specimen she was analyzing. But Duncan... He was the scary one. He smiled all the time, like he was enjoying it. I think he likes to hurt me. I think it got him, um, aroused. Because sometimes he'd tell Janice to go away and he'd leave me on the table and he'd get real close to me and..."

Jared choked. "You don't have to go on, Sarah. I know what you mean." He shook his head, finding this all so hard to believe, but not doubting Sarah's truthfulness an iota. "But I'm so confused, sweetie! I called there a few times and we talked, remember? You sounded fine! I had no idea..."

Sarah sobbed once more and looked up into his eyes. "I know! They wouldn't let me tell you! I thought I could just yell for help and you'd come and rescue me, but Duncan knew that was what I was thinking so he pointed a scalpel at me! He looked at me and I knew he'd cut my throat if I didn't act like I was happy and everything was just fine. I really wanted to come up with some secret code to let you know what was going on, but I just couldn't think of one!"

He gave her a gentle pat on the head. "It's okay. I know you must have tried your best. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to pick up on anything that would have let me figure it out. Oh Sarah I wish I could have burst in there and rescued you! I'm so sorry." He leaned closer to lovingly kiss her cheek. "How did you manage to get away?"

Sarah smiled just a little, proud she'd been able to save herself on her own. "Well, after the experiments, they'd always take me back to the room and lock me in. I figured it was best to just act like I was in a daze and wait for a good chance to escape. Eventually I got 'em to believe they'd made me too weak to resist anymore so they stopped locking the door after a couple weeks. They even let me use the regular bathroom a few times. Last night, Janice went to bed and Duncan was on the couch in the living room watching TV. He fell asleep. This was my chance. He was snoring pretty loud and I thought he wouldn't hear me. I tried all the doors, but they all had those chain locks at the top and I couldn't reach them. My vines can't move well anymore, so I couldn't use them either. Finally, I went to the kitchen and got one of the windows open. I just ran, as fast as I could. I'm so glad I remembered the way back here. I followed the street signs all night. It got light after a while. I saw a house with a big garden in front, and I didn't think they'd mind so I took some soil. It really helped; I was getting so, so tired by then. But I just kept on, and it started raining, which felt nice after a while, and I knew your house wasn't too far away. Finally I could see it. But I was so tired I didn't think I could make it! I'm really, really glad you were home."

She shifted under the towels, reaching around to hug him. Jared was packed so full of diverse emotions he could barely think straight. He held her closely, nuzzling her hair. "You walked all the way here? I can't believe it! Do you realize that's almost fifteen miles!? You are _so_ brave, Sarah. You are the bravest girl in the world. You are such a good girl. I can't even tell you how proud I am of you." She let out a happy little sound at his praise and cuddled even closer to him. Jared felt honored that she trusted him so much; that she would travel so far to be with him. She obviously felt she'd be safe here. 'And she _will_ be,' Jared vowed to himself.

She looked up at him, realizing suddenly what he'd said. "Wait... Fifteen miles? In one night!? Gosh, no wonder my feet hurt so much!"

Jared's ears shot up in alarm. "Your feet hurt? Why didn't you tell me so!" He scooped her up and swiveled her around so she could rest against the arm of the couch with her feet in his lap. As gentle as a cloud, he began to stroke her swollen paws. She winced just a little at first, then began to visibly relax at his caring touch. "Such pretty little paws, Sarah. I'll make them feel better, okay?"

"Thank you, Daddy..." she said quietly.

He stopped for a second. "Sarah... You called me 'daddy'... I-I'm... You really trust me, don't you?"

"Of course," she said, without any hesitation.

He smiled ear to ear and felt his eyes watering from happiness. They couldn't quite hug in the position they were in, so he leaned down to kiss her cute toes. "Oh, Sarah... that makes me feel so good. I'd be honored to be your daddy. Sweetheart, I'm *so* sorry. I'm so very, very sorry that I gave you to those awful people. I really thought that they'd be different."

She shook her head. "You don't have to be sorry. I don't blame you. Not at all! I know you wouldn't have let them even *think* about adopting me if you thought they might be creeps. It wasn't your fault."

Her concern touched him deep in his heart. "Thank you, Sarah. You're absolutely right; I never would have even let them so much as *look* at you if I'd had any idea they'd turn out to be so... So..." He sputtered, unable to put to words what he now thought of his former friends. At least, not words that should be said in front of a cub her age. Instead, he just smiled at her and continued to rub her sore soles.

"That feels good, Daddy," she told him. She laid back and smiled widely at the devoted motions of his fingers. He was glad to see she was able to smile at all. An experience like hers, he thought, would probably traumatize most people for the rest of their lives. She was stronger in her heart than he'd given her credit for. She seemed to be on the mend already. In fact, it seemed as if his presence was helping her more than anything. Again, he felt honored. Sarah had been able to stay calm and keep her wits about her in that terrible place enough to make a successful escape. Jared realized that the thought of having a sanctuary to run to was probably what kept her going, and having it all turn out the way she planned was like a dream come true.

"Sarah, I have to say again, I am so proud of you. I'm just amazed at how much courage you showed. What you went though... Oh Sweetie, I promise you, I'll do everything I can to make things better. I'll be the best daddy ever. I'll never hurt you, never. I promise on my very soul. I'll never be like them. You're safe here forever, Sarah. I promise."

She curled herself around on the couch and hugged him gratefully. "I believe you, Daddy. I believe you."

"I love you Sarah. I love you so much, little beautiful squirrel."

"Love you too. Big handsome fox." She giggled, and it was the most gorgeous music in the world to his ears.

They kept their hug silently for a little bit, then Sarah spoke up again. "Um, now I'm kinda hungry. Can I get something to eat and drink?"

He nuzzled noses with her. "Of course, honeypie! Anything you want. Ice cream, cookies, cupcakes, potting soil, Miracle Gro, anything!"

Again she giggled, and his heart simply melted in joy. He scooped her up in his arms and plopped her onto his shoulders. He knew she liked piggyback rides, even if she was a little big for them.

Off they went to the kitchen, where the other children had indeed fixed a lunch fit for a queen.

***

As they ate, Sarah retold her tale, this time with much more confidence. She knew she was safe now. She knew it was over. Her siblings gasped in heartbreak as she told them of the tortures she'd undergone, and they cheered her when she described her incredible escape. She received many more hugs from them. She didn't think she'd ever been hugged so much in one day.

But her happiness shattered when the knock at the door came.

It was immediately obvious who it had to be.

Jared stood straight up, a determined, angry look on his face. He knew it wouldn't be the police. Duncan had come over in person. The knock told him everything. It was as desperate as Sarah's had been, only the person was trying badly to disguise it.

Jared knelt down and put his strong paws on Sarah's shoulders. He looked into her eyes, wanting her to know he meant his next words down to his soul. "Sarah, don't be scared. He is not going to take you back. He is NOT going to take you back. I promise you."

She nodded. "Okay. I believe you."

Jared gave her a kiss on the forehead. Then he stood up and addressed all the little furs at the table. "Probably best if you guys keep out of sight. If he's as... as evil as I think he is, he might do anything to get Sarah back. Stay together. And try really hard not to give him any clue as to where you are, okay?" They agreed.

Jared grinned an extremely vicious grin. "Daddy's going to go have a little 'talk' with Duncan..." He cracked his knuckles and strode out of the room to the front door.

The kids watched him go.

"Wow, Duncan is really going to get his ass kicked," Leanna remarked matter-of-factly.

The others couldn't help but giggle. It was a tense situation, but a little humor in such situations can often help one find their strength.

***

Far from hiding somewhere, all five cubs agreed that they had to sneak over to the study to try and overhear what was going on in there. They all knew that Leanna might very well be right about Duncan's ass. All of them knew that the only time Jared ever showed rage was when his children were threatened. They still remembered the night some thug had broken in and tried to kidnap Leanna. Jared had been like a swift, deadly ninja, then went right back to being his gentle self once the threat had passed.

Rosie, being a bat, had the best hearing. So she was the one chosen to eavesdrop. She had her giant ear pressed flat to the door. It was thick wood, but she could at least make out the tones of their voices if not the words.

"Okay, the creep sounds kinda mad, like he's trying to explain something to Dad as if Dad was an idiot. Dad's real calm and smooth. I think he's making the creep madder," she reported.

"Can you make out any words?" Jason asked.

Rosie listened harder. "Ummm... I think the creep just said something about 'scientific progress'."

Sarah shivered, _hard_.

Leanna held her paw. "What is it?" the merfox asked.

Sarah closed her eyes and gulped a breath. "He used to talk about scientific progress a lot. When he'd hurt me, he kept saying it was to 'further scientific progress'. Like he was doing something noble to help save the world." Her tone turned quickly to anger. "That dirty liar. He just liked it," she growled.

Leanna wheeled herself closer to put her arm around Sarah's waist. She'd had a sudden insight. "I imagine a lot of evil people like to think up fake reasons why they do the things they do; to make themselves feel better, so they don't have to realize what monsters they are."

Leanna's words struck a chord in Sarah. "Thanks," she said to her sister. "I'm sure you're right."

They quietly discussed the topic of evil men's lies for a bit while Rosie kept on listening. "Ssssh!" she suddenly hissed. "Something's going on. They're getting louder."

A second later, they didn't need Rosie to listen for them. Duncan's enraged voice thundered through the door into the hall, "It was all *necessary*! Why can't you *see* that?!"

Jared replied, but it was too muffled to make out.

A second later, Duncan roared back. "She's the only successful plant/animal hybrid ever created! No one's been able to duplicate the experiment since! There has to be research on her! There HAS to be! You can't tell me you don't realize the things we could do with a better understanding of what makes her work!" His volume lowered just enough that they couldn't make the words out anymore.

The kids backed up into the hall. It wouldn't be a good idea to be right in front of the door if that maniac came bursting through suddenly.

Jared responded. Again, too quiet to hear.

The reply was instantaneous. "You have no right! She's *mine*! She's my PROPERTY!!"

This time, they had no trouble hearing Jared's words. "She's a _CHILD_!! She's a LITTLE GIRL, you MONSTER!!!"

"That's irrelevant to anything!"

"Are you listening to what you're saying!? Do you even have a soul anymore? Or did you dissect it for research purposes!?"

"Good one, dad," Mike said under his breath.

They heard more heated, sharp mumbles, then the sound of chairs scraping across the floor. Jared's enraged words seemed to fill the whole house. "Get OUT!!!"

The kids ran to the nearest doorway and huddled there; Mike and Jason in front, the girls just behind them. They were not going to hide. They wanted to see this jerk get kicked out with their own eyes.

The door opened and Duncan shuffled out looking extremely annoyed, bristling and gnashing his teeth like a man who'd just been trying futilely to relate the simplest of concepts to a retard. He was followed immediately by Jared. The fox's gaze and his will were so firmly set, he seemed almost made of steel.

They both saw the kids at the same time. Jared gritted his teeth. He hadn't really expected them to do what he'd said anyway. Duncan looked upon them as vermin.

Mike stepped out into the hall. The others followed him out, forming a line. They all glared hard at Duncan, as if trying to burn a hole in him.

Sarah thought again and again to herself, 'I'm not afraid of him anymore. I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid...'

Mike held up his hand and extended one finger. One very special finger. The others followed suit, their expressions deadly serious.

Duncan looked disgusted at their rudeness. Jared tried not to giggle; Rosie flipping Duncan off with such determination was pretty darn cute. He flashed them a very quick glance that said, 'Good kids. I'm proud of you.' 

"I think my dad told you to get out," Jason said very firmly.

"You know, I think he's right," Jared said humorlessly, staring at Duncan, trying to force some tiny little bit of shame into him.

Duncan looked at Jared, then looked at the kids, then back at Jared. His expression was pure disgust. "Fine," he spat out petulantly. The fat badger turned his back to them and walked towards the door.

Then something inside Sarah snapped.

She had had _Enough_.

She was not about to let this evil man walk away without letting him know that he had not broken her; that she had won and he would never hurt her again.

She didn't even hesitate. She broke into a run, straight towards him. She lashed out and kicked him as hard as she possibly could in his fat behind. He cried out in shocked pain and tripped over his own feet and nearly fell face-first into the door.

Her mind's eye saw herself in slow motion, watching herself kick him again and again and feeling stronger every time. She waited until he had turned around enough to see her eyes. She stared straight back into his, then opened her mouth and shouted in her loudest, most powerful voice, "GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!"

He stared at her, dumbfounded, for several seconds. Not believing she had really dared to do such a thing to him.

Then his expression of bafflement changed in a sudden heartbeat to the ugliest sneer of outright rage any of them had ever seen. He got to his feet, his eyes still locked on hers. "Disrespectful little bitch," he snarled. He raised his hand back to slap her in the face.

He stopped when he heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn. Jared seemed to have pulled it out of thin air, and was holding it steady as an arrow towards Duncan's throat.

"Say, did you happen to hear about the guy that broke in here a month ago?" he asked, his tone almost conversational. "Did you hear what I _did_ to him?"

Obviously Duncan had, as he immediately recoiled. "You wouldn't."

Jared's eyes were cold and hard as glacier ice. "He was going to hurt one of my children and I chopped off his head in one slice. *One* slice. Need I say more?" The sheer calmness of Jared's voice was even more terrifying than his implication.

"Are you threatening me?" Duncan snorted, incredulous.

"If you are threatening her, then yes, I am most certainly threatening you." Jared lowered his gaze to meet Sarah's for an instant. She quickly backed up, still keeping her eyes on Duncan, until she felt Jared standing behind her. He put his free arm across her chest protectively.

The badger's whole body seemed to go flaccid then. He knew he had lost, but still couldn't believe it. "You're not thinking about the future, Jared."

The fox's eyes narrowed. "Yes. I am."

Duncan grit his teeth. "You have no right to keep her here. She belongs to me now. I signed those papers."

Jared allowed the slightest trace of a satisfied grin. "Actually, Duncan, you are dead wrong." He'd been waiting for the badger to bring that up. "If you'd been paying any attention, you'd have noticed that you did not sign an adoption form; you signed an attempt-to-adopt-former-cubslave form."

Duncan, predictably, looked lost.

Jared's tone started out silky smooth, then gradually boiled into a combination of anger and triumph. "Had you bothered to read the fine print, you would have known that as of the moment of signing, she was still classified as a cubslave pending advancement to child status. She remains that even now. The contract stated that, when you signed, we would both have dual ownership of her until a six month probationary period had passed. During this time, which we have barely started if you'll recall, you and your wife may take possession of the cubslave unless it can be shown that she has been placed in an unsafe environment. And while I'm sure laboratory experiments are not listed specifically in the contract, I would Damn Well Think that would fit the Goddamned Description of an Unsafe Environment!!!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Duncan snapped.

The fox had never looked more sharkish. "It's simple, really. Since you have shown no regard for Sarah as a living sentient being whatsoever, you have failed your six month probationary period spectacularly. And the best part is that whenever I work up a contract like this, I make sure to slip in a little loophole, just in case, that makes sure *I*, the former owner, have total control over what I think is an unsafe environment. Boiled down, you bastard, what it means is that, as of right now, I have reclaimed complete and total binding legal ownership of Sarah and there is absolutely not a single thing you can do about it!!!"

Sarah barely followed Jared's lightning-quick legalese, but she certainly understood the gist of it: Jared owned her again! She was safe! She grinned and hugged the fox's leg in a loving squeeze.

Jared looked down oh so briefly to return her smile. His iron gaze flashed back to Duncan and the tip of his sword still zeroed in on him. "Understand now? She's not yours. She's mine. And I am going to take care of her and love her because she's not some damn test tube experiment, she's my daughter!"

Duncan shook his head. "Why do you even care so much?" he asked, genuinely unable to understand.

"Why do you care so little?" Jared spat back immediately.

Duncan seemed to sag, as if he'd partially deflated. "Dammit, Jared. We've been friends for eight years. Don't do this."

Jared's lips curled into a disgusted snarl. Amazingly, Duncan had actually meant that. He still thought Jared was acting irrationally, and he himself had done no wrong. "We're not friends. I don't even *know* you. You are a child-abusing piece of shit. I am _damn_ sure I'm not friends with anyone like that."

Duncan instantly became hostile again. "Fine! If that's it, then that's it! You want to be childish, Jared? Fuck you. You backstabbing treacherous son of a bitch!! I hope I never have to set eyes on you again!" He reached for the doorknob.

"Finally, something I agree with," Jared said coldly. He advanced a single step, still keeping the sword perfectly pointed, and the threat was enough to coax Duncan out the door, back into the rain.

"Keep the bitch," he said sourly.

Jared was more than happy to slam the door shut behind him.

Almost instantly, the tall fox collapsed. He sagged to the floor and let out a huge deep breath. "Oh hell, I don't know how much longer I could have stood there and kept from stabbing his freakin' eyeballs out!" he lamented. He tossed the sword aside, letting it clatter noisily on the hall floor.

He looked up to see five young faces, all looking at him in loving admiration. "C'mere," he said. He held his arms open and was soon covered head to toe in hugs.

"That was cool!!" Rosie shouted. "You sure showed him!"

"Is it true? Do you really own me now?" Sarah asked him eagerly.

He lovingly ruffled her pretty grasslike hair. "Yup. You're mine, valentine. And if you want, I can get the real adoption papers tomorrow and you can stay here as my beautiful little green daughter forever and ever. How's that sound?"

"Oh, Daddy!!!" was all she could say, as she kissed him joyfully on both cheeks.

Jared chuckled and gave all his wonderful children a great big squeeze. Then he stroked his chinfur thoughtfully. "You know, I should probably punish you all for disobeying me when I told you to stay out of sight..." he considered.

They all looked suitably regretful.

Jared's facade cracked and a huge grin spread across his muzzle. "Oh, but I just can't! I mean, you guys were great! You were so brave the way you stood up to him!" Jared looked to Mike and nuzzled noses with him. "And while I have to ask you all please not to ever use some of the language I was just using; Mike, that middle finger thing was PERfect!!"

Mike giggled. "I figured it was kinda naughty, but it's not like he didn't deserve it."

"Very very true," Jared told him. He turned to Jason and nuzzled him. "That was very impressive, when you told him off. I wondered for a second where my shy little fox kit went."

Jason smiled bashfully. "I just wasn't shy for a second there, I guess. Thanks, dad."

Jared then turned to Sarah again. "And you, sweetiepie... Way to go! You should have seen your face when you kicked him. You were so beautiful and powerful, like some kind of avenging goddess! I think he knows now that you're not scared of him anymore!"

"Right!" she said, beaming. "Never, ever again!"

Leanna perked up. "Hey, remember? Didn't I say Duncan was gonna get his ass kicked? I didn't know *you* were the one who was going to do it, sis!" All of them laughed together at that.

"That was an ass-kicking that will live on in history!" Mike said grandly.

"Indeed," Jared said. "Sarah, you hit him in the most sensitive place a man can be hit."

"I thought that was the balls," Sarah blurted, then blushed when she realized what she'd said.

After the giggles died a bit, Jared continued. "Nope! Actually, the most sensitive place is his pride. Think about it; for the rest of his life, he's going to remember that he got kicked in the butt by a little girl. A little girl he *thought* he'd had control over. I guarantee you, he will never recover."

Sarah liked that idea. "Maybe he'll remember it and it'll keep him from hurting anyone else like he hurt me."

Jared sighed and gently cupped her shoulder. "I don't know. People like him... I don't know if he even *can* care about anyone else but himself. Either way, I know I'm not letting him get away with this. If you guys will let me up, I'm going to go call the cops on him."

As Jared stood up (getting a hand from Mike to compensate for his shaky legs), Sarah looked worried for a second. "But wait! What if he just covers up all the evidence? What if they don't believe you?"

He smiled reassuringly. "They will. Remember how I've got those security cameras all over the halls? I've got one in my study too. They record everything; pictures and sound. And considering he pretty much confessed to everything you said, and told me Janice did it all with him, I don't think there's any way he can keep himself out of jail. He _will_ be punished, I promise."

Sarah sighed in relief. "Thank you. I knew you'd make sure everything turned out right."

Jared put a paw on her shoulder. He spoke softly and reassuringly. "Actually, sweetie, the camera also recorded you when you first came in. If it's okay with you, I'd like to give the police that part of the tape too. I think when they see how terrified you were, and hear the things you said, we can pretty much guarantee both those awful people will be convicted."

Sarah nodded. "Okay. Do it. I don't mind. If I have to, I'll even get up in court and say it again."

"I don't think you'll need to, but that's really brave of you to say." He gave her his very warmest smile. "Sarah, you are so strong. You are so beautiful. I could not be more proud of you."

She blushed a little. "You said that before."

"I know. And I'll keep on saying it until I feel like stopping, because it's one hundred percent true." He grinned and leaned in close to tickle her tummy, making her squeak with laughter. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of you, I'm proud of you." And then he kissed her right on the nose.

Jared gave Sarah a moment to get her breath back. "Well, I'm going to go call the law. I'm betting they'll have those two monstrosities in a cell by sunset," he said.

"Hey, we didn't finish lunch," Leanna remembered. "Why don't we go back and have a snack while dad's calling?" she suggested to the others.

"I've got a better idea," Jared said. "How 'bout you guys put the extra stuff away and clean up a bit and then go wait in the bedroom on the big canopy bed? I think we've all earned some good quality snuggling time today."

All the kids grinned. "Yeah!" Then they hurried off to the kitchen.

All except Sarah. She hung around just long enough to give Jared one more hug. "I'm so happy you're going to be my dad now. I love you so much."

Jared was speechless. All he could do was scoop his wonderful new daughter up in his arms and return her hug as best he could.



	~ ~ ~ ~ ~



The bedroom had never looked more inviting. Sarah took in a deep breath as she scanned the large room corner to corner. She remembered all the happy nights she'd spent curled up in one of the many comfy beds here, often cuddling beside Jared or one of the other cubs. Her smile widened when she noticed her pod had been moved in here, and that Jared had obviously been taking good care of it. He'd promised her when she left he'd keep it for her if she ever wanted to visit. He had kept his promise.

Of course, he'd made that promise believing that Duncan and Janice would help her grow a new pod as soon as she arrived at their house. And they had. But not for Sarah's sake. Theirs was only to study. Sarah was only allowed to connect to it once a day. For a plant/animal hybrid as she was, her pod represented her means of gaining vital nutrients. Being denied it was as horrible for her as it would be for any other furson to be restricted to a single meal a day, or a single bathroom break.

'How did it go so wrong?' Sarah thought to herself. When Jared had first bought her, she'd gone from yet another ignorant and uncaring family, in a sequence of so very many, to a home that had overflowed with love and understanding. She was happier than she could have ever imagined. And it was made even better because she knew that soon she'd be placed with permanent parents who would love her and protect her and take care of her special needs. She'd met Duncan and Janice before. They'd seemed so nice, not like the others. The others who were fascinated by the novelty of her existence but soon tired of her once they realized she did not like being treated as a conversation piece. No; Duncan and Janice had seemed as if they truly appreciated her as a furson, and not just a science experiment. They had *seemed* to... 'So how?'

Even now it was hard to believe that the whole time they'd been lying to her. They'd only been pretending to care about her, all just to seize her from Jared so they could take her home and perform those unspeakable tests on her.

And for what? What incredible scientific knowledge was so important that it made her life and her soul so disposable in comparison?

Sarah felt her cheeks starting to burn. Her vision was getting watery. She didn't know if she wanted to let herself cry or not.

She heard a sound behind her. Wheels on the hardwood.

"It's okay," a calm, caring voice spoke. "It's over now. You know it's over."

Sarah turned around to see Leanna scooting her wheelbowl up alongside her.

"Sarah..." the mervixen started, "Sis, it's going to be okay."

"I know," Sarah replied softly. Hearing Leanna refer to her as her sister made the young squirrel's anger start fading away. "But It's not gonna feel like it's over for a long time, I think."

Leanna wheeled closer and hugged her sister. "Can I help?"

Sarah leaned over and rested her head upon the fox's shoulder. She liked how Leanna's long, beautiful blond hair felt against her cheek. "You already are. Just you calling me sis made me feel really good."

"Well, you *are* my sister now. In fact, as far as I care, you always were."

Sarah shook as a little happy sob passed through her. "You're my sister too."

"I love you, Sarah. And I'm proud of you too. Dad's right; you were so brave, I can hardly believe it!"

"Thanks."

Leanna grinned foxily. "I wish I had legs. I would've liked to have given that fat jerk a kick in the butt too!"

Sarah laughed. It felt so good. She hadn't laughed for so long. And now she could, because she was safe.

Leanna and Sarah held each other close in the dim light of the bedroom. Though it was only late afternoon, the storm outside had darkened the day to twilight. Just looking at them, the two sisters could not have appeared more different. Leanna; a mermaid fox, a predator, seated in her strange but necessary contraption. Sarah; a fusion of plant and animal, a squirrel, prey, standing as her vines twitched and flitted around her.

But in their smiles, anyone could have seen that they were sisters.

About then, Mike came in. He regarded his two siblings hugging for a bit.

"Awww, that's sweet," he couldn't help remarking. "...and I'm not being sarcastic!"

The girls giggled. "I'm guessing you want a hug too?" Sarah asked.

"I don't *need* one. But I'd be happy to give you one if you do," Mike told her, his eyes warm with kindness.

Sarah embraced her brother. She chuckled as she noticed that now she had to reach up to hug him, which felt a lot different from hugging Leanna.

"I love you," Mike said, filling the words with as much heartfelt sincerity as he could.

Sarah held him tighter. She knew the balloonie mouse was a joker almost all the time, but she also knew that his humor was never, ever mean-spirited. Mike was one of the most big-hearted people she knew. "I love you too, big brother." She gave him a kiss on his shoulder, which was the easiest place for her to reach.

The two of them, and Leanna, all turned when they heard a gasp from the doorway. Rosie and Jason were there, both looking like they were witnessing a miracle.

"Geez, what is it?" Mike asked. "We were just hugging. You didn't miss anything."

"No, that's not it," Jason said.

"You're blooming!" Rosie burst out.

"Huh?" Sarah turned around to try and see where Rosie was pointing. She gaped too. Mike and Leanna joined her.

On her left side, down near the center of her back, was a tiny yellow bud.

"...I haven't bloomed in weeks!" Sarah gasped in amazement.

Rosie and Jason came closer to admire the little flower. It was small and obviously brand new. They hadn't even seen it just a few minutes earlier. As they watched, it slowly struggled open.

No one really knew why Sarah bloomed. She didn't have any biological need to. Though partly plant, her reproductive system was more similar to a mammal's, so she didn't need to pollinate. Nevertheless, she had always sprouted tiny yellow flowers all over her body. They seemed to grow almost totally in relation to her mood. When she was happiest, she would somewhat resemble a walking flower garden. When she was sad or scared, as she'd been for the last two weeks, her petals shriveled and fell away. To Sarah, looking at the tiny blossom growing from her smooth green skin was a sign to her that she was really on the mend.

"This..." she started, her voice trembling from happy tears. "*You* did this. Just *being* with you. I feel so safe here. And I'm going to be okay!" she said; almost a shout, her voice clear and pure with triumph.

The others gathered around her, exchanging hugs and kisses and admiring her new flower.

So when Jared finally walked into the room, wiping his paws on his jeans from just finishing up with the dishes, he found his five children together, all smiling, all showing their love for one another, and his heart felt ready to grow wings and soar to the clouds.

"Daddy!" Sarah cried out. "Look! I bloomed!"

Jared gasped just as they all had. He kneeled down to get a better look at it. "Wow! Oh my gosh, it's so beautiful! Sarah! ...Wow!" He was clearly too astonished to say anything more coherent.

"This means I'm going to be better!" Sarah said. "I'm going to be just fine, and I'm gonna grow more flowers until I'm covered with them all over!"

"...And we'll have to replace your hairbrush with a lawnmower!" Mike added cheerfully.

That busted everyone up. Nearly doubled over in laughter, Sarah gave him a very light punch on the arm, which naturally bounced off his rubber skin. "You're a big jerk!" she kidded.

"Well, somebody's gotta be," he replied.

She gave him another kiss. "I'm glad you're a big jerk, Mike. It feels good to laugh again."

He kissed the top of her head, obviously pleased by the compliment.

Sarah felt something tug on one of her vines. She looked to see Jason gently pulling on it like a doorbell. "What are you doing?"

"I'm being a big jerk so you'll give me a kiss too," he explained logically.

Giggling, she leaped onto him and gave him a big squeeze and kissed him all over. "Nope, sorry Jason. You're too nice to be a jerk."

"Aw, darn," Jason replied with a grin.

All of a sudden, Sarah felt a wash of giggly giddiness come over her. For the first time in weeks, she felt like cuddling and playing and being yiffy and being naughty! It felt good to feel that way again!

Her big leafy tail shaking in excitement, she ran over to the biggest bed; the incredibly comfy canopied four-poster, and pounced right into the middle of it. "C'mon! Let's cuddle!" she said, her grin lighting up her face like starlight.

They were all glad to see her so playful and happy now, but none more so than Jared. He'd gazed into her eyes just hours ago and had seen a little squirrel who looked as if she'd never feel joy again. This change in her was downright miraculous. And most amazing of all, it didn't seem forced. He didn't sense any indication that Sarah was trying to make herself get over it too soon, that her feelings were artificial. No, a smile that bright and true could only come from within. Sarah might not be totally cured, but she had definitely put the worst of it far behind her. And she had done it on her own. With a little help from her family, of course.

Jared actually ran across the room, leaped into the air, and plopped down on the bed hard enough to send Sarah bouncing up into the air. He caught her in his arms and nuzzled her all over. "You're incredible," he told her. "Look at you! Your smile is so pretty! I can't believe how different you are from earlier!"

She gazed into his dark brown eyes. "It's because I'm home. It's because I love you guys so much."

The other little ones hopped up onto the bed to join them. Clothes were hastily shucked off and flung every which way. Sarah and Rosie helped Jared unbutton his shirt and take down his pants. Jason helpfully got out Leanna's special pajamas that would keep her fin moist and set them close by in case she'd need them later.

Soon they were all naked and yiffy. Sarah murred in pleasure at the feel of five different kinds of fur rustling against her smooth waxy skin. Her vines wiggled happily. She got herself into a position where she was lying alongside Jared with the others all surrounding her. She rubbed her cheek on Jared's soft foxy tummyfur and chittered happily.

The others all set about making Sarah feel good. They rubbed and stroked her all over in a loving massage. Rosie snuggled up to her big green tail. Mike caressed her pretty feet. Jason and Leanna gave her back and shoulders a good rubdown. Sarah felt like melting, it was all so nice.

She looked up to Jared. "Um, can we yiff?" she asked softly.

Jared looked a bit concerned. "Are you sure, sweetie? I mean, after all that-"

She shook her head. "No. It's okay. I want to. I know Duncan did all sorts of nasty stuff to me. But that's not what I want to remember. When I think about yiffing, I don't want to have it always linked to what he did to me. I'm not saying I want to forget it ever happened; I know I can't. I just..." She seemed to be trying to put it into words. "I just..."

Jared ran his slender fingers slowly through her grasslike hair. "You want a happy memory to overpower it, is that what you mean?"

Sarah lit up. "Yes! That's it! I don't want to let Duncan ruin it for me. I want to be happy when I think about yiffing! I want to think about how much I love you." She looked around at her siblings, "_All_ of you! And how *good* it feels and how nice I feel inside when I'm with you." She closed her eyes, doing her best to feel her words more than say them. "I'm not going to let Duncan win. *I* won. I got away from him, and he's not gonna make me feel bad anymore!"

Jared put his arms around the young squirrel. He was starting to get a bit misty-eyed. "Sarah... I don't know if you realize how wise you are. I think most people who went through something like you did would let themselves fall into self-pity and depression. They'd be letting the one who abused them win, just like you said, without even knowing it. Sarah, you are a little furry miracle, you know that? You are so smart and so wise. You have it exactly right. Don't let him win. He doesn't even deserve to live on the same planet as you! If, in your heart, you want to yiff with me, then we will. I'm happy to do whatever helps you to keep on making sure he doesn't win."

Her eyes shut tight, holding the wonderful fox who was now her daddy forever and ever, Sarah could only let out a little squeak of bliss at his words. They made her feel so strong and so safe. They made her believe that Duncan would never win any tiny little bit of herself again. Not ever.

The little squirrel lifted herself slowly and carefully onto Jared, so she was lying atop his tummy. "I want to. You're so gentle. I know... Oh Daddy, I love you and I want you to hold me and make me feel good..." Her soft voice wavered, but it did nothing to obscure how forcefully she believed in her words.

Jared lifted her gently in his arms, pulling her a little closer so they could rest their muzzles on one another's shoulders. "Allright, little one," he whispered into her leafy little ear. "Anything to make you happy. I'd do anything to see that smile of yours glow so bright and beautiful."

The other kids, seeing that this was Sarah and Jared's moment, gave the two of them some space. The bed was big enough that there was plenty of room for all. Jason and Leanna, and Mike and Rosie, paired off on opposite sides of the bed and cuddled together as they watched their daddy and their sister showing how much they loved each other.

Jared placed his paws oh-so-lightly upon Sarah's soft bottom. He moved his paws in a circular motion, massaging the warm little butt. Sarah moaned softly. That felt very nice. She thrust up her hips a bit to meet his strong, gentle paws. She kissed his neck and shoulder and took in deep breaths of his musky fox scent.

The fox's paws slowly explored his little girl. Her body was warm and soft and perfect. Even with his eyes closed, he could appreciate the beauty of her body. Jared made sure to go nice and slow, easing into every motion. He wanted to let Sarah know through his body language that this was all for her. If he sensed even for a second that she was uncomfortable with any part of it, he would stop right away. He knew that she trusted him. It was his part to honor that trust in every way he could. This was all for Sarah. This was all to make her happy.

Sarah could feel Jared's meaning in his wandering paws. She understood how much he wanted her to know that she could trust him. She let his touch shiver through her like electricity. This was so different than any touch she'd felt in the last three weeks. Janice and Duncan's touches had been cold and cruel. Jared's kind paws were wiping away their cruelty like a magic eraser. Sarah wanted to get lost in his touch, his fur, his love, and never think about those cold, cruel touches ever again.

Sarah wriggled her cunny into position so she could feel just the tip of Jared's big warm penis touching her. She let out a little gasp. The feel of it was even better than she'd remembered! She thrust her hips a little, letting the soft head of his shaft caress her cunny.

"Daddy... Put it in," she quietly asked.

"Allright, sweetheart."

Jared took his cock in his hand and touched the tip to the center of Sarah's petals. She shivered and made sweet sounds of pleasure. Deliciously slow, but not teasingly, he pressed it into her. Taking it nice and easy, letting her open to him, giving her every opportunity to tell him to stop if she needed to.

Sarah had her arms around his chest and she hugged him tighter. His penis was hot and hard, but so very gentle. She wanted to feel it in her special place. She wanted to join with him, to connect to him. To feel as one with him. She wanted to be here and now with her daddy and know how much he loved her and cared for her. Sarah felt all her sadness gently wash away. She cooed in pure contentment.

The fox slid slowly into the little squirrel. It was a snug fit, but not at all uncomfortable for either of them. It felt right. It felt like they were made for one another. Like when Sarah was connected to her pod so it could give her the nourishment she needed from the soil and the sun. Two parts connecting to form a single life. It felt like the most natural thing in the world for her and Jared to lie here together like this.

She gave a little squeak as daddy's cock glided finally into place. It was all the way inside her now. She could feel his fuzzy balls tickling her vagina. She moaned softly. This felt so nice...

"Am I doing it right?" Jared whispered to her.

She looked up to him with bright eyes. "Daddy, it feels so good!" she whispered back. "It feels just right. It feels *perfect*. Oh daddy, thank you. I've wanted to feel like this for a long time, like someone cared about me."

"I do care about you, sweetie. I always will. Forever, I promise." He placed a comforting paw upon her neck and ran the fingers of his other hand along her back, gently teasing and nudging where her vines grew. "I care about you, Sarah, because you deserve to be cared about. You are unique. Not because someone made you in a lab, not because you're a little green squirrelplant..." He tickled the base of her tail and she grinned. "But because you're *you*. Because you're so smart, and so kind, and your heart is so big."

She laid her head on his chest, feeling his own heart's rhythmic vibration.

Jared tenderly stroked her ears. "Because you're a good little girl, Sarah. I love you because I couldn't possibly *not* love you. You've made it impossible."

She smiled, deeply affected by his words. The tears she'd been about to cry earlier now came, and she let them come. Before, she had been about to cry out of sadness and rage. Crying from joy felt so much better. "Thank you..." she uttered, almost too softly for him to hear.

He ran a finger along the ridge of one leaflike little green ear, and she shivered all over in tickly pleasure. "You're welcome, my sweet little flower." He touched the tip of his nose to her forehead and gave her a soft nuzzle. "You're so special."

He noticed then that she was beginning to sob.

"Sarah? What is it? Is something wrong?"

She was quick to reassure him. She looked up to him, smiling gratefully through her tears. "No, of course not. Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. Everything's okay now. That's why I'm crying. It's all okay now. I'm home. I'm here. And I'm with you. And Leanna and Mike and Jason and Rosie. I'm home. And you're making love to me and making me feel good..." She gave him another loving squeeze, unable to finish with mere words.

Jared looked upon her in the soft, dim light. She could not have been more beautiful to him. She was strong and smart and sweet, and she was his. His to protect and take care of and love with all his heart. Seeing her happy was its own reward, a million times over.

"Sarah... I'm so proud of you. I'll never stop being proud of you."

"I'm proud that you're my daddy," she whispered.

Her eyes still closed, she added, "Yiff me some more?"

Still gazing upon her, the shadows draped across her form like wispy blankets, he slowly urged his hips forward. Just a fraction for now.

She let out a tiny cry of perfectly pleased surprise.

"Daddy..."

Her voice, so content, so unafraid, made him treasure her all the more. He gave another tiny thrust. Another. He started setting up a gentle, easy pattern to his movements. Sarah clung to him. She pushed back into his pushes. Her tail swished languidly behind her. She curled and uncurled her little green toes.

Another thrust. Gently, gently, gently...

She murred and chittered and moaned ever so quietly. The little sounds were like musical notes.

Sarah moved her head back and forth on daddy's warm chest. She loved how the fur brushed against her muzzle and her sensitive nose. She gave him tiny little kisses all over.

Jared moved his hands down to cup her pretty butt. He gave soft squeezes in time to their thrusts. He thought her delicate emerald tush was absolutely adorable. He loved the feel of her cool skin, like the texture of a lush green leaf. Her fur like soft moss. Sarah; so unique, so special.

She loved how his agile paws fit the curve of her bottom so nicely. She could feel the leathery pads on his fingers as he caressed her. She smiled sweetly. Every touch was perfect. She could not have dreamed of anything better. And the slow, unhurried movement of his warmth within her...

Jared felt his love for Sarah become its own energy that rippled and pulsed through him. He felt himself getting close. He wanted to wait until Sarah was ready. This was all for her, of course.

She could tell by how his whole body had shivered that he wanted to come soon. She wanted it too. She wanted her daddy to make all the bad memories wash away in a splash of warm love.

Her little tush was pressing more firmly into him. She was getting herself ready. She wanted to receive his gift. It truly was a gift. From him to her, and from her to him as well. To show how deeply their love and trust bound them together.

He felt it coming.

She felt him hold her tighter.

He opened his mouth to let out a hushed moan.

She pressed tighter to him, wanting to become one with him.

Jared and Sarah both cried out, their voices soft and joyful.

The warm splash inside her...

Feels so nice...

Oh Daddy...

Oh Sarah...

His peak touched off her own.

Sarah shuddered.

She whimpered.

Jared held her.

"Daddy..."

He gave her a little kiss on top of her head.

...It was done.

It had been more than she ever could have hoped for. Sarah felt complete now. Her ordeal was truly over. Her escape had been only the beginning of it. Cubslave contracts and papers and legal talk meant nothing; it was only now that she could let herself fully believe Jared owned her. That he was her guardian. That he would forever keep her safe.

That she was finally, truly, his daughter.

It had taken so very long, through so much sadness, misunderstanding and shame. So many families that didn't understand her, who she was inside and out, and who didn't care to. It was all over.

It was _all_ over.

Not just the last three weeks, but everything that had ever hurt her before.

She knew life would never be perfect, but she knew that with Jared she could finally be happy.

"Thank you..." she said to him again.

"I love you, sweetie," he told her again.

She let herself slide off of him. She let out tiny squeaks as his penis was drawn oh so sweetly slowly out from her. She felt a little pool of their fluids dribbling down her skin, but she liked how it felt.

Taking her in his strong paws, Jared laid her down beside him.

She cuddled up to him, loving how she felt. Loving that she was here, now. That she was loved.

"Was that what you needed, my little one?" he asked her tenderly.

She nodded assuredly. "Yes, Daddy. It was perfect. I feel like I did before. Like how I want to feel. All the bad stuff is gone, at least for now. I know it'll take me time to get over all of it, but I know I can. I know you'll help me."

"I will," he pledged.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you for something else?"

"You know you can," he assured.

She thought about it for a bit first, making absolutely sure that it was what she really wanted. "Um... Would it be okay if I wanted to be cooked for supper tonight?"

The request surprised him more than a little. "Sarah! I don't know... I mean, of course I'd let you... But are you sure? It seems like a bit too much too soon."

She nodded. "I know, but it's okay. I'm pretty sure that I want this. I remember when you cooked me before. It was so much fun! I loved knowing I was feeding everybody. And it was a little scary too, but it didn't hurt a bit. And I thought I was pretty tasty."

"Of course you were!" he said with relish. "You were the best salad I've ever eaten. And I'd never cared much about roast veggies at all until you came along."

She giggled. "I want to do that again! It's like before; when I asked you to yiff me. I know Duncan and Janice cut me up and did all those horrible experiments on me. I don't want to have to think about that anymore. I want more good memories to push the bad ones down. I want all the good memories I can get right now to make sure the bad ones won't keep popping up. And if they do, I can say to them, 'Look, I'm not going to be scared of this, or sad about that, because it's supposed to be something happy, and I'm gonna keep it that way'."

Jared gave her another kiss. "Allright. I understand. I just wanted to make sure. This is all happening so fast, and I want to make sure you're not rushing into anything."

She was about to add to that, but he stopped her before she could. "...And no, I'm not saying I don't trust you. I know you know what's best for you. I know you can decide for yourself what feels good and what's too much too soon. But if I'm going to be your dad, I _have_ to worry about you sometimes. It's in the job description."

She chuckled. "Well, okay."

"So, if you really think you're up for it, you can be dinner tonight. It was going to be Jason's turn, but I'm sure he'll let you take his place."

"Mmmm. I dunno now. Jason *is* pretty delicious... Well, we can have him tomorrow!"

Jared smiled. "Certainly. And I'm also sure that he'd love to have you help cook him again!"

Sarah giggled, remembering the second time Jason had volunteered to be dinner, and how he'd gotten over his initial squeamishness pretty quick when the two of them had so much fun preparing him. He'd had a nice plump erection the whole time she was roasting him!

"So, my scrumptious squirrel, how would you like to be cooked tonight?" Jared asked.

Sarah gave it some thought. "I think I'd like to go on the spit. I had been thinking about just getting made into soup in the pot, but I don't want to ease into it. I loved getting spitted those other times! Even if you did cut me up. I don't want to be afraid of that. I liked it when you did it because I knew it wouldn't hurt and that I was perfectly safe. I wanna feel like that again. As much of it as I can."

Jared grinned. "Sounds good to me." He licked his chops. "Mmmm, I can practically smell you cooking already!" He tickled her tummy and she squirmed and laughed. "I can't wait to eat you all up!"

She gave him another big squeeze. "I promise I'll do my best to be a nice tasty meal!"

"I'm sure you will, my yummy little Sarah!"

Sarah felt a big yawn suddenly come over her. "Oops! Don't worry, you're not boring me!"

Jared nodded and patted her head. "Say, it'll be a few hours before we should start dinner. Do you wanna just take a nap for a while?"

Sarah nodded. "Okay. I hadn't realized till now how tired I am from all that walking I did." She blinked. "Gosh, was that really just last night? It seems so long ago..."

"Well, when you change your whole life in a few hours, I'll bet it does feel much longer," he agreed.

She smiled at him. She let out another dainty yawn.

Jared sat up and tucked a pillow beneath her head. He patted her bottom again. She giggled.

"I like when you do that," she told him, a little bit of sleepiness creeping into her voice now.

"You have the cutest little buns, sweetie." He leaned over and gave each cheek a kiss. "Can't wait to eat 'em up later tonight!"

She grinned. "I'm sure I'll cook up nicely."

"I know you will. You're such a talented chef, sweetie. That's one more reason I'm glad to have you back. Even *I'm* starting to get sick of my cooking!"

She chuckled. She felt happy too. That was one more reason she was glad to be back; she hadn't done any cooking for the past three weeks. It was one more thing she loved that she was free to do again.

Sarah held her pillow like a big teddybear and snuggled into it.

"Sleep tight, Sarah. I'll be back in a little while when it's time for dinner. Get some rest. Have happy dreams of getting eaten all up."

She shivered in delight at hearing that. "I know I'll have good dreams," she said.

Jared smiled at her, just happy to know she was back in his life again, and that they would be family from now on. "Goodnight, little one."

"'Night."

"Goodnight, Sarah," said her brothers and sisters. The four little ones, who had been watching their daddy and their new sister yiff so lovingly, all crept off the bed and followed Jared out the door.

***

Jared paused in the hallway. He was about to close the door when something occurred to him. He went over to a little hammock in the corner of the bedroom that was filled with plushies. He rooted around for a bit before finding a little stuffed blue skunk that Sarah had liked to sleep with before she'd left. "A-ha."

He silently tiptoed over to the sleeping squirrel. He could tell she'd fallen into a deep dream almost as soon as he'd told her goodnight.

As he reached down to tuck the little plushie into her arms, he noticed something extraordinary.

It had happened so gradually, he hadn't even realized what he was seeing until just that moment.

He smiled.

Four more tiny yellow flowers had bloomed already.

Sarah was going to be just fine.


		The End.
		(for now)