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The Black family rallies together to find a date for Tatiana, while Ethan and Claire take important steps toward their future together.\n\nLewis Henshaw © and written by [iconname]kemosabe[/iconname].\n\nMelissa \"'Lissa Jo\" Parker © \nJacinth\nJacinth.\n\nStarbucks © Starbucks, CX-5 © Mazda Motors America.\n\nUnless otherwise noted, all characters and places are © me, except New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Ever wonder what was happening in Marblecliff during the cruise? The Black family rallies together to find a date for Tatiana, while Ethan and Claire take important steps toward their future together.

Lewis Henshaw © and written by [iconname]kemosabe[/iconname].

Melissa "'Lissa Jo" Parker ©
Jacinth
Jacinth.

Starbucks © Starbucks, CX-5 © Mazda Motors America.

Unless otherwise noted, all characters and places are © me, except New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.", "writing": "[center][b][t]Hope for the Future[/t][/b]\n\nJuly 6, 2013[/center]\n\n``I'm telling you, we should set her up with those wolf girls at the gym!'' Illyana stated, folding her arms over her modest chest.\n\n``The sisters? Both of them?'' `Lissa Jo giggled. ``That sounds pretty hot,'' the young doe stated. Her thick Southern accent slipped out with her excitement, causing her to blush. She bashfully slumped down in the loveseat, nestling against her girlfriend's arm.\n\n``Riiggghhhhttttt...'' Svetlana groaned. ``Multiple partners. Tell them how well that idea worked out for you, Ethan.'' The eldest Black daughter glanced over at her cousin, sitting in an armchair with his artificial leg propped up on an ottoman. His girlfriend, Claire, sat in his lap, scritching his chest affectionately. The squirrel stared daggers in Sveta's direction.\n\n``Sorry, that was rude of me,'' the fourteen-year-old girl sighed. ``But I think it's a bad idea. Especially for Mom, after what she went through with Dad. Monogamous relationships only, please.''\n\n``What about that fennec she works with?'' Claire spoke up. ``She seems nice.''\n\n``Yeah, but she smokes. Aunt T would never go for that,'' Ethan replied, shooting that suggestion down. ``Plus, if they broke up, that could make work pretty awkward.''\n\n``There's that snow leopard with the glasses... Maria's assistant. What was her name?'' Svetlana was referring to Ethan's attorney's paralegal.\n\n``Diana? She's a herm. You saw how she reacted to Wendy,'' her cousin replied. Ethan was right. When he had brought over his hermaphroditic ex-girlfriend for the first time, Svetlana's mother had done everything she could to make the mouse girl uncomfortable. ``And what's with all these women? How do you even know your mom would go for any of them?''\n\n``Well, there was that liger she takes her kickboxing lessons with. She's made it obvious that she is attracted to him, but he hasn't been responsive,'' Illyana shrugged.\n\n``Oh well, his loss. Mom deserves a man that will appreciate what she has to offer,'' the older sister was getting agitated. ``Any other suggestions?''\n\n``I have one,'' Ethan said, shifting in his chair to get more comfortable. ``Stop thinking about people she knows. You don't know them as well as she does, so there's probably a good reason why they aren't together already. Start thinking about nice people that you know.'' He shifted his gaze back and forth between the two raccoon-rabbit hybrids, before adding, ``And do you really see your mom going lesbian, or is that just wishful thinking?''\n\n``Wishful thinking,'' Illyana and her girlfriend muttered in unison.\n\n``What about Larry?'' Claire chimed in. ``He's a great guy! Honest, hard-working, takes care of his kids, drug-free -''\n\n``And Wendy's Dad,'' Ethan reminded her. ``That would probably get awkward really fast.''\n\n``True,'' Claire said, biting gently on her lower lip.\n\n``What about that panda bear that teaches at your school? I don't know his name, but he looks so cute and cuddly,'' Illyana giggled.\n\n``Mr. Muldowney?'' Ethan asked.\n\n``The metal shop teacher?'' Claire scrunched up her face. ``He's overweight, out of shape, and kind of gives me the creeps...'' Rumor had it that the advisor of the A/V club had a vast library of students fucking on tape, but nothing had ever been proven.\n\n``Well, whoever you decide on, make sure it's someone that you girls think you can be happy with, also,'' Ethan warned them. ``The last thing Aunt T needs is to fall for a man, and then have to break up with him because her daughters can't see him in their lives for the long haul.''\n\n``Hmm,'' Svetlana mused, tapping her finger on her chin. ``What about Mr. Henshaw?''\n\n``Who?'' Ethan asked.\n\n``He's the Sixth grade history teacher at Manticore,'' Claire quickly explained. ``Nice guy. Doesn't bullshit. Gives it to you straight. Former Army Ranger. Ex-POW. Great with the kids.'' It helped that Claire's mother was also a teacher at the middle school; she was able to find out things that the students normally would never know.\n\n``I don't remember him,'' Ethan said, confused. ``Refresh my memory?''\n\n``Oh, he started there after we graduated,'' Claire explained. ``Mom talks about him from time to time. Dalmatian, mid-forties, tall, built like a barrel. I think he'd be a good match for your mom,'' the teen squirrel said, looking at Svetlana.\n\n``But we don't go back to school until almost September!'' Illyana whined, almost bucking her girlfriend onto the floor. It was the first time he had ever heard the girl complain about not having school, and would probably be the last.\n\n``Tell you what,'' the raccoon teen said. ``You three talk to Aunt T, try and organize a girls' day out or something, and take Sienna with you. Claire and I will get have Mrs. Summers call Mr. Henshaw and arrange a meeting so that we can tell him about your Mom and set things up.''\n\n[center]-----\n\nJuly 7, 2013[/center]\n\nClaire parked the CX-5 in front of Starbucks and waited patiently on the sidewalk for Ethan to get out of the car and join her. He was doing much better getting around now, and had stopped using his cane completely. Still, he had definitely lost a step with the loss of his leg. The middle-aged Dalmatian glanced up from his phone, looking across the cafe as the young red squirrel and teenaged raccoon walked through the door. He raised his cup of coffee and nodded, acknowledging their arrival.\n\n``You go ahead,'' Ethan told her. ``I'll get us something to drink. What would you like?''\n\n``I'll take an iced caramel macchiato,'' she said, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. ``Thank you.''\n\n``No problem,'' he answered back. ``See you in a minute.''\n\n``Claire Summers, it's lovely to meet you. You look so much like your mother,'' Lewis said, standing up to greet her and taking off his reading glasses. ``I was surprised when she called me out of the blue during summer break, but she said you might know a woman interested in an old spottydog?''\n\n``Yes, Sir,'' she said as she took his paw and gave it a firm shake, ``and it's nice to meet you, too. But she's my boyfriend's aunt, so I'll wait for him to get over here so he can get to know you and tell you a little bit about her.''\n\n``Of course, of course.'' He smiled lightly and took a step around the small table to pull a chair out for the petite squirrel. ``Sit down, please.''\n\n``Thank you,'' Claire said sweetly as she took the offered seat. ``So, how's your summer going so far?''\n\n``It's going well enough, Ms. Summers.'' He took his seat across the table and made himself comfortable again. ``It's quiet during the off-season, mostly. There's a reunion coming just before the school year starts again that's looking to be one of the biggest ones yet.'' He took a drink from his deep, dark coffee then swallowed with a happy sigh. ``How is your summer so far?''\n\n The attractive red squirrel gave a slight shrug. ``Good enough, I suppose, all things considered. I have my boyfriend, and he's making a lot of progress. But our two best friends flew off on a cruise for twelve days without us, which kind of sucks. I'd like to see Hawaii someday.'' She paused for a moment, likely imagining the tropical sights and sounds. ``But at least they left Sienna with us!'' Her eyes lit up at the mention of Ethan's little girl. \n\n``I'd be lying if I said I hadn't heard rumors about the little bundle of joy. Is it everything you hoped it would be?'' He got a little twinkle in his own eye at the mention of the little one.\n\n``So far, yeah,'' she smiled. ``I mean, I'd prefer it if she was my own baby, but that's not likely to happen anytime. I'm thankful that Shy allows me to spend as much time as I do with her. She's an angel.''\n\n``I understand how you feel, believe me.'' He smiled tenderly across the table at her, his face expressing a soft sympathy. ``Men may not have a biological clock like you ladies do, but there comes a time when you know you'll never play ball with your kids even if you had some or that you'd be lucky to see them graduate, and it gets you in the pit of your stomach.'' He chuckled and shot a glance over at Ethan, patiently waiting for his and Claire's orders. ``And if rumors are true... Well, I don't think you'll have to wait long, suffice to say. A healthy young woman and a healthy young man, after all.'' He took another drink of his coffee, his tail wagging intently at the thought of more happy children around.\n\n``Yeah, well,'' Claire sighed, ``I hope you're right, but when I was little, I dealt with leukemia. The docs say the chemo treatments left me pretty much barren. They didn't say it was impossible, but they told me to not get my hopes up. Still, I suppose a slim chance is better than none.''\n\n``Anything's possible.'' He turned and looked out the window, his brown eyes deep and sharp despite his age, showing no signs of dulling. ``Then again, kids these days trust their doctors more than hope and blind faith, don't they?''\n\n``Don't knock the doctors, Mr. Henshaw,'' Ethan said as he walked to the table with their drinks. ``Without Dr. Genevieve, I wouldn't be moving about as well as I am right now. I'm not saying hope and blind faith had nothing to do with my recovery, but she definitely worked me back to functionality.'' He set Claire's iced caramel macchiato in from of her then pulled out his chair, sipping on a cup of iced green tea.\n\nLew stood up and extended his hand before giving Ethan a chance to sit. ``They help. All things in moderation, as they say, right?''\n\n``Indeed. It's nice to meet you, Sir,'' the teen raccoon said as he reached across the table. ``I'm Ethan Black, Claire's boyfriend.''\n\n``Oh, I know who you are.'' Lew smiled and shook his hand firmly before releasing it and sitting down. ``I reckon most do, don't they? The boy who brought little Wendell O'Donnell to school in a dress and pigtails, ain't you?'' Lew's smile didn't fade, half-teasing but mostly genuine. ``Good job.''\n\n``To be fair, she asked me to,'' he grinned, ``and it was in the appropriate school attire, so a skirt and blazer.'' Shaking his head and chuckling, he added, ``And of all the things I'm known for, it's that.''\n\n``Well, that and being a trespassing savant-level graffiti artist. You're lucky some old man fishing didn't catch you painting up that old bridge.'' The dog smirked, his ears perking a little bit as conversation livened up.\n\n``You can't tell me it doesn't look better than all that built-up rust and lime scale,'' the young man retorted. ``Besides, it's former trespassing graffiti artist.'' He leaned back a little and hefted his right leg up onto the table, pulling up the leg of his pants to show off his prosthetic leg.\n\n``It definitely does. Might've made you paint me in, is all.'' He winked at Claire and said, ``Maybe just pen me in between the pretty girls, give me some Fabio hair and Arnie muscles.''\n\n``Wouldn't you rather have a three-dimensional woman at your side that loves you for how you really are?'' Ethan said. ``After all, that's why we're here.''\n\n``That'd be nice. Then again I'd also rather if it rained Southern Comfort and rare steaks grew on trees, so...'' Lew took a sip of his coffee and chuckled. ``Can't say I'm not interested, though. Want to set me up with a supermodel a decade my junior?''\n\n``I just met you, so whether I want to or not remains to be seen,'' Ethan said with a smirk, enjoying Mr. Henshaw's humor. ``I'm sure you won't mind if I ask you some questions, since you seem to know my Aunt Tatiana so well already?''\n\n``I know what I was let in on by Mrs. Summers, which was just enough to get a bite. Besides, if she's where your cousins get their pretty from...'' He smiled widely and drank his coffee deep, emptying his mug. ``What would you like to know, young man?''\n\n``Obviously, family is a big deal to us. After Walter,'' his voice dropped almost to a contemptuous growl as he spoke his deceased uncle's name, ``it's important that we find her a good, family-oriented man. Why don't you tell us a little about where you're from and what your family is like?''\n\n``I'm from Pennsylvania. Out in the country about twenty minutes from town, and an hour from the nearest city, if you'd call it that. I was the middle of three brothers, and one of the youngest boys among our... some odd sixty cousins in the county. My folks had around ten siblings apiece and nobody moved far. I joined the Army out of college, it wasn't as fun a time as the advertisements made it out to be. When I got back my little brother was dead, my big brother was in California, and my dad was in the hospital with black lung. Used the G.I. bill to go to college at UNHM and help the family what I could, dad passed, started teaching, Manticore was looking around and I managed to snag a job, moved back up here... that's about it. Cliff's Notes to my autobiography.'' A practiced lecturer, he delivered the block of text smoothly, without stuttering, pausing, or taking any out-of-time breaths.\n\n``Do you go back often?'' Claire asked. She'd been quiet throughout most of the exchange.\n\n``Holidays, Mama's birthday, reunions, anytime big brother comes home... Whenever there's a good excuse.'' He chuckles a little. ``If we make it that far maybe I'll bring you guys to the reunion.''\n\n``Not bad,'' Ethan said before taking a long sip of his tea, ``and thank you for your service. But to last that long, you need to make it past the first date. Any ideas what you and my Aunt Tatiana would do?''\n\n[center]-----\n[/center]\n``I think things went pretty well,'' Claire said as she and Ethan got back into his car. ``Mom told me he was a nice guy.''\n\n``Yeah, he seemed pretty decent. He kind of has this stern, authoritative way about him, without coming across like a dick,'' he replied. ``I think he'd be a good influence on Illyana.'' He stopped talking as his phone went off. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw that he had a text message from Shyara.\n\n[4:46 PM - Shyara: Good morning. How was she? How are you and Claire holding up?]\n\n``I take it Shy's having a good time on vacation,'' Ethan said, looking over to his girlfriend. ``Not only did she ask about Sienna, but she asked about us, as well.''\n\n``Well, that's an encouraging improvement,'' the squirrel said with a smile. ``Maybe she'll meet someone on the trip and get over everything that happened between us.''\n\n``Let's hope,'' he said, returning his attention back to his phone and typing out a reply.\n\n[4:51 PM - Me: Good morning. Things are going fine. She woke up once last night, but the usual clean diaper, warm meal, and short car ride did the trick and she went back to sleep happy. She's out with Tatiana and the girls today.]\n\n``So, dinner at your place or mine tonight?'' he asked as he set the phone down in the cup holder.\n\n``I think it would be good if we ate with my parents tonight, that way they can see that you haven't completely stolen me away from them... yet,'' she said as she pulled up to a red light. She leaned over and looked him in the eyes. ``I love you,'' she added then puckered her lips for a kiss.\n\n``I love you, too,'' Ethan replied, leaning in to return the affectionate gesture. ``Is it going to be just us and your mom, or will your dad be there, too?'' Ethan was trying hard to win his girlfriend's father over. Ever since the accident, things had been slowly getting better between him and Lieutenant Daniel Summers, but his prior history of trespassing and vandalism, and the fact he had a child with another girl, made the older squirrel extra protective of his youngest daughter.\n\n``He should be, but that doesn't mean he won't have to work late,'' Claire answered. ``It kinda just depends on how busy dispatch is.''\n\n``One sec,'' he said as his phone went off again.\n\n[4:57 PM - Shyara: Nice. You have any plans?]\n\nHis fingers danced across the touchscreen of his phone as he typed out his reply and hit `Send.'\n\n[4:59 PM - Me: Claire and I just got done setting Aunt T up on a date. He's going to join the family for dinner at our place later this week. Aunt T has no idea yet. What are you up to?]\n\nLooking back at his girlfriend, he said, ``All right, so let's swing by my place and let Aunt T know about the date, so she can clear her schedule and then we'll head on over to your place for dinner.''\n\n``Call my mom and let her know we'll be there, so she makes enough for all four of us,'' she said as she turned onto Walnut Trail, where Ethan lived with his aunt and cousins.\n\nHis phone went off again, but he ignored it while he called Mrs. Summers. ``Hello, Ethan,'' she said cheerfully as she answered the call, ``How did things go with Mr. Henshaw?''\n\n``Fine, thank you. Sveta and Illya did a good job suggesting him. He seems like he'd treat my aunt like she deserves and would be a good influence on the girls,'' he answered honestly. ``Thank you again for getting me in contact with him.''\n\n``No problem,'' Laura said sweetly. ``Lew is a good guy, and deserves a nice woman like your aunt. So, when's the date?''\n\n``This Friday, after Tatiana gets home from work. We're heading to her place now to make sure she doesn't make other plans,'' he told her. ``But after that, Claire and I are going to come over to your place for dinner, if that's okay.''\n\n``Of course it is! You're always welcome in our home, Ethan,'' the older red squirrel replied. ``Never mind my husband, he likes you just fine. He's just riding you to make sure you keep treating our girl properly. Just don't let him know you know, or he'll start riding you harder.''\n\nLaughing, the teen raccoon said, ``Thanks for the warning, and for clearing that up. We're pulling into my driveway now, so I'm going to let you go and check in here, but we'll see you in an hour or so.''\n\n``That sounds good,'' Laura told him. ``I'm making fajitas for dinner tonight, so save your appetites. Tell Claire I love her.''\n\n``Okay, Mrs. Summers, I will,'' he answered. ``Bye.''\n\n``Good-bye, Ethan,'' she said, before ending the call.\n\n``She says she loves you, and that she's making fajitas,'' Ethan told his girlfriend as she parked the car. He checked the message he had received a few minutes earlier.\n\n[5:04 PM - Shyara: Supposed to hit the pool with Wendy and Joel. Dinner with Larry and Vince, probably. Might try and find a hottie or two while I'm at it.]\n\n``Shy says she might try and find a hottie or two,'' he chuckled as he slowly eased himself out of the car and shut the door behind him.\n\n``For her sake, and ours, I hope she's successful,'' Claire said as she opened the front door to the house. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by the sounds of two pairs of footpaws and a pair of hooves running down the steps.\n\n``How did it go?'' Svetlana asked excitedly.\n\n``Is he interested?'' `Lissa Jo added.\n\n``Of course he's interested! Mr. Henshaw isn't gay,'' Illyana teased her girlfriend by swatting her on her rump. ``So, when's the date?''\n\nEthan smiled at their eagerness to know more, and walked past them to sit down on the loveseat. ``What are you doing home? Where's Aunt T and Sienna?'' he asked, not wanting to discuss things within earshot of their mother.\n\n``Mom dropped us off after we went to the salon and got manis and pedis,'' Sveta said, and the three girls held out their paws to show off their claws. ``Sienna got her claws painted a really cute aquamarine color, too. It's so adorable!'' When she saw her older cousin open his mouth to protest, she quickly added, ``Don't worry, it's an all-natural, non-toxic polish.''\n\n``Right now, Mom's taking her clothes shopping to get her some more cute summer outfits and to pick up some groceries,'' Illya said, answering the original question. ``She said she would need the extra space in the car, so she didn't take us. She's going to pick up Chinese for dinner on the way home, so if you want some, just let her know.''\n\n``Nah,'' Ethan said, lifting his arm to make room for his girlfriend. ``We're going to eat at Claire's place tonight, once we let your mom know she has a date on Friday.''\n\n``I told you he said yes!'' Illyana exclaimed, ribbing the young doe playfully before asking, ``Where's he planning on taking her?''\n\n``Well, that's just it,'' Claire answered, ``he wants to make sure that she's comfortable and can relax, and he thinks that having all of you there to interact with him will help her to see that she can trust him.''\n\n``So he's taking all of us out?'' Svetlana asked, incredulously, ``That sounds like a pretty expensive date.''\n\n``Not quite,'' Ethan said, ``Mr. Henshaw is coming over on Friday to cook dinner for us and your mom. Traditional Latvian cuisine. You'd better make sure your room is clean.'' He looked dead on at Illyana as he added that last part.\n\n-----\n\n``So, Ethan, what are your plans after high school?'' Daniel Summers asked him. The middle-aged gray squirrel sat directly across from the young raccoon at the dinner table. ``You have a little one to take care of, and you never know what the future might bring. That trust fund money of yours might not take you as far as you would want.''\n\n``Daniel,'' Laura began, trying to warn her husband about provoking their daughter's boyfriend and ruining dinner.\n\n``No, Mrs. Summers, it's okay,'' he said with a smile. It was a good question, and seemed as though it had been asked without any sort of judgment or accusation behind it. ``I'd like to get into graphic design. I've always been artistically inclined, and I'd like to earn a living doing something I enjoy. Once I'm old enough to start a career, I'd prefer not to touch the fund at all, except for major things like a house, or Sienna's college tuition.''\n\nDaniel sat there, just listening as the young man spoke. Given Ethan's prior history of trespassing and vandalism, the two of them had numerous encounters with each other. Most of that was water under the bridge by now, though, as the details about Walter Black's relationship with his family members became known. Now that his uncle was no longer in the picture, things at home had improved drastically for Ethan, and his delinquent behaviors had all but ceased.\n\nThe real issue between the two of them was the fact that, at seventeen, Ethan was the father of another woman's baby. It was a topic that the young dad didn't hesitate to discuss, being proud of and completely in love with his little girl. Claire had even explained things to her parents about it being her own idea, and Shyara's desire for citizenship and emancipation. Still, Daniel worried that having such strong ties to a former lover would cause Ethan to break his daughter's heart.\n\nTheir eldest daughter, Julia, was married to a wonderful man, Darren, who had tragically lost his first wife several years earlier. He had a daughter from that marriage, Elise, who Julia loved and got along with exceptionally well, but had more of a big sister relationship with. Julia herself expressed little-to-no desire to have children of her own anytime soon, being so fresh out of college and wanting to focus on her career. Jeremy, their son, had stated several times that he didn't plan on ever having children of his own. He was too carefree and easygoing, and was likely going to live out his days as a perpetual bachelor.\n\nClaire, their youngest, was a different story altogether. Of all the Summers children, she was the one that expressed an interest in motherhood, but a childhood battle against leukemia and the ensuing chemotherapy treatments had greatly reduced her chances of ever conceiving, or even taking a pregnancy full-term. As it was, she was enjoying the opportunity to play `second mother' to Ethan's daughter, but both parents knew how devastated she would be if anything ever happened to take Sienna out of her life.\n\n``It sounds like you have a plan,'' Daniel said, forcing a smile to mask his worries. ``Have you put any thought into where you'd like to go to school?''\n\n``I have, and I have a few options in mind, Sir,'' he answered politely. ``I've looked at several graphic design programs, and it looks like that a lot of them offer online instruction. I'd like to find a job and a place outside of my aunt's house, and take care of my daughter, using my nights to work on my studies.''\n\n``What about things with Claire?'' the older male asked. ``What will happen between you two if she goes out of state for college?''\n\n``Don't worry, Dad,'' Claire said, reaching over the table to grasp her father's paw. ``I'm not leaving like Jeremy and Julia did. I know how much you and mom miss being able to see them. Besides, UNHM has the second best Physical Therapy program in the country. It's not a bad choice for me.''\n\n``Well, I'm sure your mom appreciates that sentiment, Honey,'' Daniel said as he clasped his paw over hers. ``I know how much she worries about Jeremy; Tennessee is a long ways away, and you know how little he calls home.''\n\nOnce dinner was over, Ethan and Claire handled the cleanup while Mr. and Mrs. Summers adjourned to the living room to watch the evening news. ``I think he's starting to warm up to you,'' she said as she passed him a plate and he put it into the dishwasher. ``He didn't even ask me how late you were staying tonight.''\n\n``I wonder what he would have said if we mentioned you moving in with me after graduation?'' he replied, leaning in to give her a quick kiss.\n\n``We'll give him a little more time to warm up to you first. I actually managed to get him to agree to let you stay the night,'' she said excitedly, bouncing on her heels, before adding, ``That is, as long as we don't do anything besides sleep. I hope you don't mind?''\n\n``Are you kidding?'' Ethan asked. ``This is a first. Of course I don't mind.''\n\n[center]-----\n\nJuly 8, 2013[/center]\n\nEthan was awakened by the feeling of warm sunlight on his face, coming in through Claire's bedroom window. He smiled, and reached forward with one paw to caress his girlfriend, only to realize that she had gotten out of bed. Focusing his other senses, he could make out the faint whirr of a hairdryer coming from down the hallway. Realizing that she must have gotten up and showered, he rolled out of bed and used the 2nd bathroom to relieve his bladder.\n\nAfterwards, he went back to her room and patiently waited for his girlfriend to finish. A few minutes later, he heard the hairdryer click off, and smiled up at Claire as she came back into her room wrapped up in a plush terrycloth bathrobe and using a towel to dry her long, flame-red hair. ``Good morning, Beautiful,'' he said with a playful grin.\n\n``Good morning, Sexy,'' she winked, taking the towel and tossing it into a nearby laundry basket. ``Sleep good?''\n\n``I'm not sure. I think I might have died, since I woke up to the sight of an angel,'' he flirted. It was cheesy, he knew, but she seemed to appreciate his comments. Either way, it was true. Claire Summers had been a vision of heaven from the moment he had first laid eyes on her, and even now, almost a year into their relationship, she still took his breath away. Even in her natural morning glory.\n\nShe grabbed him by the collar and pulled him on top of her as she lay flat on her bed. Ethan just watched her in awe as slowly she undid the belt of her bathrobe. Even after all the times he had seen her naked, he still couldn't get enough of her. She let the sides fall away and revealed her perfect body. Unable to resist, Ethan lowered his muzzle to hers, her lips parting with desire as his tongue found its way into her mouth.\n\nAs they kissed, she gripped the hem of his t-shirt in her paws and tugged it up over his head and onto the bedroom floor. The athletic teen squirrel then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in close, kissing once more as their paws explored each other's bodies. Her silky fur was cool by now, and just a little damp from her shower. The time she spent playing volleyball had left her with a well-toned, muscular body.\n\nShe broke the kiss once more. ``Thanks for behaving last night. I know it must have been difficult, but my parents were sleeping right down the hall.'' The sparkle in her green eyes told him that it had been hard for her to resist giving in to her urges, as well. ``But, if it makes you feel any better, my dad just left for work and my mom is out grocery shopping.''\n\nClaire laughed as he lowered his mouth onto her breasts, knowing how sensitive and ticklish her nipples were. As he sucked on one, he cupped the other gently in his paw. He marveled at her breasts; they were firm but had a spring to them that was delightful.\n\nHe reluctantly popped the sensitive bundle of nerves from his lips and cupped both tits in his palms before moving down between her thighs with a long line of kisses. The young squirrel spread her legs slightly to allow him access and twitched slightly as Ethan gently kissed high up her thighs. The moment his tongue made contact with the folds of her damp slit however, her legs quickly squeezed shut, trapping his head between her strong legs. Her paws grabbed at his hair and pulled him into her. Claire let out a loud moan before slowly spreading her legs once more and her raccoon lover slowly sank his tongue onto her hot pussy. She squealed in pleasure as he went back to licking and kissing her, his fingers slipping beneath her firm backside and lifting her hips up to meet his oral attentions.\n\nEthan glanced up, and the fire in the beautiful squirrel eyes told him she was past the point of foreplay. He stopped licking her cunny and gave her a playful grin before she tugged him by the ear, bringing him level with her prone form. Ethan positioned himself between her legs and she slipped her paw between them, fishing his steel-hard shaft out through the opening in the front of his boxers. Slowly, he lowered his hips and aligned the tip of his cock to her small, tight opening. They held one another in a tender embrace as he ever-so-slowly pushed his cock into her.\n\n``God, I missed this'' she sighed, never breaking eye contact as the powerful walls of her passage welcoming him with a tender squeeze.\n\n``Me too,'' Ethan whispered softly into her ear. ``I can't wait until we have our own place together. Then we can do this whenever we want.'' He could already feel some of her juices on his balls as she practically dripped with desire for him.\n\nHe drew his hips back pushed in slightly more forcefully than before. Claire squirmed in pleasure as drove his shaft him, burying himself inside of her tunnel all the way until his hips pressed against hers. He could feel the head of his dick pressed up against her cervix. It felt as though their bodies were made for each other; his length and thickness customer-made for her depth and tightness.\n\n``You realize we'll probably spend the whole first week in our bedroom,'' she teased, rolling her hips and massaging his shaft with her velvet walls.\n\nEthan almost pulled out completely before he roughly buried his cock to the hilt once more, in one hard thrust. The penetration caught the lovely squirrel by surprise and once more she let out a cry of pure pleasure. He repeated the action over and over, taking her paws into his, their fingers intertwined. With each thrust, the walls of Claire's pussy tightened and gripped his pulsing erection. Her juices were flowing freely now and he glided into her easily.\n\nHis girlfriend's perky breasts bounced back and forth with each thrust, her erect nipples scraping through his chest fur along the way. The young couple quickly found their rhythm, their bodies accustomed to each other by now, and Claire wrapped her legs around his hips. He let go of her paws, using one to support himself against the bed. He took his free paw and grabbed hold of her tight, muscular ass and rammed her into the bed. She eagerly met his thrusts, moaning softly. Her fur started to feel damper and her body gleamed from sweat in the pale, early morning sunlight.\n\nThe young couple broke their kissing, and Ethan kissed his lover all over her neck, an act he knew she enjoyed. She threw her head back and was lost in the frenzy of their lovemaking. She let out soft moans and groans with each thrust of his hips. He looked into her eyes, but she was lost in the thrill of impending orgasm. Every muscle in her body tightened up as she arched her back up off the bed, her beautiful face contorted in pleasure. She dug her claws deep into his back so hard that it actually hurt, but it was the most exquisite pain Ethan could imagine.\n\n``Oh, god, Ethan,'' she gasped as the passion overwhelmed her body. He felt her passage tighten and squeeze around his member, trying to coax him of his essence. Despite the battle her body had endured when she was a child, it wouldn't give up the hope that it could create new life. She dug her heels in beneath his thrusting buttocks, driving him into her as deep and hard she could manage.\n\n``Claire, I'm c-close,'' he panted, the familiar sensation of his own climax beginning to rise up from his loins. The rhythmic back-and-forth bouncing of her breasts became erratic as the raccoon's muscles began to twitch and jerk. Finally, his dam burst, and with a powerful lunge forward, he buried himself fully inside of his mate.\n\nThe young couple cried out with unbridled passion and ecstasy as his cock spasmed, aided by the trembling muscles of her silken tunnel. He emptied strand after strand of his pearly seed into her waiting womb, both of them hoping to bring another life into this world. As his release subsided, Ethan gently continued thrusting into the young squirrel's pussy, squeezing out the final drops of his cum into her body.\n\nExhausted, she rolled out from under him, breathing heavily and short of breath. Both of their bodies gleamed with sweat. Claire moved her paw down her swollen opening, where their juices oozed slowly out and dripped all over her fingers. Her dropped down onto his side and pulled her towards him in a loving embrace.\n\n``That was amazing,'' she panted. ``After I catch my breath, can we do it again? I want so badly to feel our baby growing inside me.''\n\nEthan smiled before grabbing his lover and swinging her on top of him. Her firm breasts dangled in his face. ``If this is what living together is going to be like, I think I'm going to enjoy waking up.''\n\n[center]-----\n\nJuly 12, 2013[/center]\n\nThe middle-aged hare jumped slightly when the doorbell rang, still very nervous about being set up on a date by her family. ``Don't worry,'' Ethan told her reassuringly, ``I'll get the door. Relax. Everything will be fine. He's a good guy, and we're all here with you.'' Tatiana gave him a soft smile and a slight nod, tucking back a stray lock of her golden hair that had fallen out of place.\n\nThe teen raccoon opened the front door to see Mr. Henshaw on the doorstep. The Dalmatian was dressed plainly as usual. A dark-brown sport coat hung over a red dress shirt, he had foregone a tie and left the top button open casually. He held a fairly large salad bowl under one arm and a well-weathered large baking pan under the other. ``Evening, young Mr. Black!'' He smiled warmly at Ethan and his tail wagged lightly behind him as he greeted the young man.\n\n``Hello, Mr. Henshaw,'' he said, opening the door wider to welcome their guest into their home. ``Thank you so much for joining us. Everyone is gathered in the kitchen. Right this way.'' He closed the door behind Lew and gestured for the man to follow him, giving an abbreviated tour of the house along the way. ``The coat closet is right over there,'' he said, motioning towards a door a yard or so away, ``in case you get warm and want to take off your sport coat. This is the living room; hopefully you'll be able to join us in here for movie night sometime. The kitchen is back this way.''\n\nLewis followed Ethan, nodding in recognition as he spoke and taking mental notes on the layout of the very handsome home. ``I'll probably take you up on that offer, young man. It brings the outfit together, but I think it's out of season right now. Let me set this food down and I'll find my way back around to the closet.'' Mr. Henshaw handed Ethan the containers of food and opened the closet door. As he took his sport coat off, the older male asked, ``You said the family is Latvian, right? Is she used to old-country food?''\n\n``She loves it. Illyana might complain a little bit, but we'll try to make her behave herself. She eats too much junk anyway,'' Ethan said with a grin. ``I'm sure Aunt T will appreciate the effort, though.''\n\nMr. Henshaw walked briskly back to the coat closet to hang up his coat, and quickly returned to retrieve the load. ``I can only hope so. It may not be exactly like mother used to make, but I think it looks decent.'' He nodded towards the kitchen, the way Ethan had been leading to begin with. ``May we continue?''\n\n``Compared to... Well, it's probably better to avoid the subject of her ex-husband, but I can tell you it's more than she's used to,'' the teen said as he lead their guest further towards the back of the house. As they neared the kitchen, the sounds of feminine voices and laughter began to come into focus. The males entered the pristine kitchen to find Tatiana and her two daughters gathered around the kitchen island. All three ladies looked their direction.\n\n``Hello, Mr. Henshaw,'' Svetlana said sweetly, giving her former teacher a big smile.\n\n``Hi, Mr. Henshaw,'' her younger sister added, though with a little less enthusiasm, likely because she still attended the same school where the Dalmatian taught.\n\nTatiana just sat quietly and observed the exchange between her daughters and the man who had been their teacher. Ethan noted the faint smile that crept across her lips while the girls welcomed her date into their home.\n\nMr. Henshaw nodded at the girls in turn as they greeted him. He took the initiative to head on to the dinner table to set down the dinner for the night. ``Good evening, girls! How is your summer going?'' He kept eyes on them politely as he greeted them in turn, but found them drawn helplessly to Tatiana at every opportunity.\n\n``Not bad,'' Sveta said with a smile ``Mostly I've just been relaxing and designing new outfits. I want to be as rested as possible before starting high school.''\n\n``Mine's been okay,'' Illya replied. ``I'm supposed to go with `Lissa Jo and her family on vacation to Myrtle Beach later this summer, and then over to see her family in North Carolina. So of course, mine is dragging by while I wait.''\n\n``But you're not here to talk to us about our summer vacations,'' the older daughter smirked. ``Mr. Henshaw, this is our mother, Tatiana Bla-... err, Rosanov.'' She waved across the kitchen island to her mother, who rose up from her stool and walked around to greet her date.\n\n``Of course,'' Mr. Henshaw turned to Tatiana, holding his hand out to her. ``Miz Rosanov, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I'm Lewis Henshaw, please just call me Lew.''\n\n``Hello, Loo,'' the beautiful hare said as she wrapped her slender arms around her date's chest in a warm hug, ``Velcome to our home. It's so nice for you to join us. My daughters and nephew have told me so much about you.'' When she let him go, her eyes lit up and she sniffed. ``Do I smell Chicken Anastasia?'' she asked.\n\n[center]-----[/center]\n\n``After dinner, can we all play Uno?'' Illyana asked as she pushed her empty plate aside. It was a family ritual; Tatiana, Svetlana, and Ethan would all sit around and play Uno a few nights a week, sometimes with Claire or Melissa joining them at the table. It would seem like a trivial little detail to the casual onlooker, but the way Lew affected the dynamic of the card game was pretty important.\n\n``Ve'll leave that up to our guest, Sveetheart,'' the woman said as she kissed her youngest daughter on the top of her head.\n\n``What do you say, Mr. Henshaw? Our Uno matches tend to get legendary,'' Ethan said as he swallowed his last bite.\n\n``I wouldn't be against that at all,'' The older Dalmatian said as he wiped his face on a napkin. ``And I think you all can call me Lew outside of school.''\n\n``Loo, zhank you so much for zhe delicious dinner,'' Tatiana said with a warm, genuine smile. ``It's been too long since I had auzhentic Latvian cuisine. It vas very zhoughtful of you.''\n\n``You're very welcome, Tatiana.'' Lew put his hand on Tatiana's and gave it a soft squeeze.\n\n``Yes, thank you Mr. Henshaw,'' Svetlana said, giving her former teacher a big smile. ``I mean Lew. I had no idea you could cook!''\n\n``It was pretty good,'' Ethan agreed as he wiped his mouth. ``I'd almost believe you were Latvian yourself, Lew.''\n\n``Thank you, Lew,'' Illyana said, before asking, ``So, can I be excused to get the cards?''\n\n``Dishes first, young lady,'' Tatiana said.\n\n``But mom -'' she started to protest.\n\n``No `buts,''' her mother interrupted her. ``You know ve split zhe chores around zhe house up, and you are zhe one zhat vanted zhe dishes. Your sister already did zhe laundry today, and Ezhan vacuumed. Now, it's your turn.''\n\n``Don't worry, Sis, I'll help,'' the older daughter said, taking Ethan and Lew's plates. Illyana took their mother's plate and together, the two sisters disappeared into the kitchen.\n\n``I guess I'll get the cards, then,'' Ethan said as he rose up from the table. ``I'll peek in on Sienna while I'm up. Back in a few minutes.''\n\nIt was just Tatiana and Lew, alone together at the dining table. ``I'm having a very nice time tonight, Loo,'' the hare woman said. ``Zhank you for trying to make sure I am comfortable. I really appreciate everyzhing you've done. Maybe for our next date, ve can go out alone someplace?''\n\n``That would be absolutely wonderful, Tatiana.'' He idly stroked her hand as he looked her in her eyes, trapped helplessly in the vibrant green. ``What are your interests outside of being a wonderful mother and housekeeper?''\n\n``Vell, zhere's not much to talk about, I suppose,'' she said thoughtfully, taking a sip of wine as she thought about what to tell him. ``I vork as a financial advisor, so I like to keep track of zhe markets. Most of my TV watching is CNN Money. For fun, I enjoy kickboxing, reading, and gardening. Vhat about, Loo? Vhat are your interests?''\n\n``More or less the same, not that much to tell. I have a little garden in my backyard that I like to take care of and Mr. Thai has been helping me learn to read music. I like to read biographies, autobiographies, historical fiction, military history...'' Lewis chuckled a little and leaned back in his seat. ``Outside of work there's not much in my daily routine, sad to say.''\n\nTatiana giggled a little as she listened to him list off his passions. ``You're a lot more interesting zhan me, I'm afraid. Vhen I said `reading,' I vas referring to fashion magazines. I used to be a model, you know.'' With a brief tilt of her head towards the kitchen, she added, ``Svetlana shares my passion for style; she vants to be a designer vhen she grows up.''\n\nJust then, Ethan returned to the table with the deck of Uno cards in one paw and little Sienna clutched comfortably against his chest in the other. ``Aunt T, would you mind taking her for a moment, please? I'm going to go warm up some milk for her. I'll be right back.''\n\n``Of course,'' the beautiful hare woman said, a bright, beaming smile forming on her face as she reached out to take her nephew's daughter. ``Zhere's my pretty girl! How did you sleep, my little e??elis?''\n\nLewis smiled broadly watching Tatiana with Sienna. ``Oh, I'd definitely been made aware of your prior occupation.'' He chuckled as his tail wagged behind him. ``And even if I hadn't, just to see you says you should be a model at the very least.'' He paused for a moment, watching her with Sienna, and nodded down to the infant. ``You must be so proud.''\n\n``I am, zhank you. Ezhan is a good fazher. I only vish his parents vere alive to see him today, and to see zheir granddaughter,'' she said as she began bouncing the happy infant on her knee. Despite the smile on her face, traces of painful memories still managed to show through, but Lew decided not to pry; she would open up and talk about it when she was ready.\n\n``I've seen how he handles her, and how he treats Claire. He is a fine young man.'' He leaned closer to Tatiana to get a closer look at Sienna, smiling down to her. ``And you look beautiful with her. Your eyes just glow.'' He reached down with one finger to pet the little girl's chin. ``Auntie Tiana is very pretty, isn't she Sienna?''\n\nThe two adults gave a cute chuckle of adoration as the little sugar glider/raccoon hybrid wrapped her little paws around the Dalmatian's finger. ``I zhink she likes you, Loo.'' Svetlana and Illyana returned from the kitchen just then, with Ethan following close behind with the bottle.\n\n``Sienna!'' Svetlana squealed happily, rushing to her mother's side. Looking over at Ethan, she asked excitedly, ``Can I feed her while we play? Please?''\n\n-----\n\nThe game of Uno flew by unbelievably fast as the small family of five sat with their houseguest, joking, laughing, and having a good time. Lewis's witty banter fit in well with their chemistry, and added a new dimension to the fun of game night. Ethan found himself wondering what it would be like to play with everyone, including Claire and `Lissa Jo, at the table. His girlfriend's fierce, competitive nature would be an amusing contrast to Lew's formal demeanor and clever remarks.\n\nIn the end, Svetlana ended up winning the game, finishing with the low score of 178 after Ethan went over the 500 mark on a Wild Card and a Skip. Glancing at his watch, Ethan realized it was almost 10:00. ``All right, that's about it for me, guys. I'm gonna give Claire a call and say good-night.''\n\n``Good-night, Ezhan. Say hello to Claire for us,'' Tatiana said as her nephew leaned over to give her a hug.\n\n``I will. Mr. Henshaw, thanks for coming by,'' the teen said, holding his paw out to the older male. ``Maybe the girls will let you grown-ups talk for a bit,'' he added, trying to be as blunt as possible.\n\n``Heh, it has been wonderful being able to spend some time with such a wonderful family,'' he chuckled and turned to Tatiana, making contact out of the corners of his eyes as his paw lit over hers, ``but I think it would be nice to have a little alone with this very lovely lady. What do you think, Tatiana?''\n\n``Yes, I had enough fun tonight zhat I'd like to talk to Loo alone for a little vhile,'' she said. ``Zhank you, all zhree of you, for setting zhis up.''\n\n``It was all Svetlana's idea,'' Ethan said. ``Trust me, we ran through a pretty long list of candidates.'' The two younger girls rolled their eyes, confirming his statement. ``Suddenly, she just blurted out Mr. Henshaw's name.'' The elder daughter beamed pride at the praise for a job well done as she passed Sienna back over to her father. Ethan cradled the little infant in his arms and retreated to his room for the night.\n\n``Dumb luck on my side again,'' Lew said, nodding to Svetlana. ``Thanks for remembering me, Sveta.''\n\n``It wasn't hard. Your classes were my favorites,'' she said, rising up from her chair. ``You're probably the only teacher I've had I wouldn't mind seeing outside of school on a regular basis.''\n\n``Well, perhaps if I'm lucky you'll be seeing me more often, hmm?'' Lewis' tail wagged and his floppy ears slicked back slightly. ``And I'll definitely look forward to seeing you girls more often, as well,'' He winked to Sveta and Illya, ``Two of the most lovely little ladies at Manticore.''\n\n``Well, you'll see Illya,'' the teen hare/raccoon mix said, ``I'm starting at Chimera in the fall.''\n\n``Haha!'' He laughed and smacked his leg with one hand. ``Of course you are! Going to take the place over by storm, right?'' He leaned towards Sveta, expecting an answer. ``Break some boys' hearts, win prom queen, Valedictorian, or maybe cheerleading captain?''\n\n``Ugh. Cheerleaders,'' the girl said, rolling her eyes. ``No thanks. I'm pretty nervous, though. I haven't been without my sister for years.''\n\n``You'll be fine,'' the younger sister said, ``I'll be there next year. Plus, you've got Ethan, and Claire with you.'' She squeezed her sister's paw and said, ``And don't worry about me; I've still got `Lissa Jo, Taybra, Jordan, Kaitlyn, and Abby with me.''\n\n``Sounds like you both have enough to get you through the year, at least.'' Lew leaned back in his chair, still idly stroking Tatiana's hand without really realizing it. ``Besides, Illya's got me taking care of her too. ``He gave a wink to the younger girl, and a little bit a mischievous smile. ``I'll be sure everyone knows not to bother Illyana. Teacher's pet and all. That will cut down on any bullying or teasing, right?''\n\n``Here's hoping. If Vanessa gets up in my face...'' She left the thought incomplete as she imagined the school's most notorious bully cornering Jordan in the restroom. ``No, you're right. It's going to be a good year!''\n\n``Is the Zaritsky girl still being a bully? I thought we had taken care of that...'' Lewis shook his head and sighed. ``I'll have to call her mother in and have a talk about this behavior.''\n\n``Please do. I'll slap the shit out of her if she tries any of her shit with me. I don't give a damn if her daddy's a city councilman,'' Illyana growled.\n\n``Illyana Velna Black!'' Tatiana spoke up, ``Vatch your language!''\n\n``Sorry, but I see how she treated Jordan and River, and I'm not going to put up with it if she tries it with me,'' the pre-teen said. ``Just be ready to have me on at-home suspension if it happens.''\n\n``It's...'' He sighed and turned to Tatiana with a frustrated frown. ``Illya's attitude is really understandable. I had heard about how bad Miss Zaritsky could be in the past and thought it was handled.'' He shook his head and took a sip of what drink he had left. ``I miss the good old days when you could just get into a fight on the playground and everything was settled.'' It suddenly dawned on him what an old man he was starting to sound like and let out an embarrassed chuckle.\n\n``Still,'' Tatiana said with a huff, ``she knows better than to talk like zhat. You two should get yourselves ready for bed, anyvay. Say good-night to Loo,''\n\n``Good-night, Mr. Henshaw,'' Svetlana said.\n\n``Night, Mr. H,'' Illyana, added.\n\n``Good-night, girls,'' Tatiana said, standing up to give her daughters a hug.\n\nLewis stood as well and nodded at them. ``Goodnight, Sveta, Illya. It was wonderful seeing you at home like this.''\n\nLooking over at her date, the hare asked, ``So, Loo, vould you care to vatch a movie?''\n\n``I would love to, Tatiana.'' He wrapped his arm around hers and waved her towards the living room that Ethan had shown him earlier. ``I believe I'll let the lady of the house lead.''\n\n``Do you have a favorite movie?'' she asked as she led him to the sectional in the living room. ``Ve have a pretty large library, plus streaming, for you to pick from.''\n\n``Hmm... Probably Predator. I don't know how you'd enjoy a silly action flick like that.'' He laughed a little and scanned the open shelves to see what particularly they had. ``What kind of movies do you like?''\n\n``I don't know,'' she shrugged. ``I haven't really seen many films. My ex-husband and I vould never watch them togezher, and I vas alvays vatching zhe fashion channels to see vhat is new in zhe business,''\n\n``Hmm... Well I suppose I can pick something.'' He guided her to take a seat, and his tail swung lightly behind him as he went through the shelves, trying to find something half decent. ``So... Tell me about the old country? Where particularly are you from?''\n\n-----\n\nA couple of hours later, as the end credits rolled, Tatiana lifted her head from Lew's shoulder. ``Oh, vow, I can't believe it's almost von o'clock. Zhat vas a pretty good movie. Zhe special effects on zhat alien vere pretty impressive for zhe eighties.''\n\n``I know, right?'' His arm rested on her hip, stroking up and down her side. ``Sometime I'll have to show you the original monster design. It looked like a lobster and a Xenomorph had a baby.'' He didn't acknowledge her about the time, enjoying this night far too much to get in a hurry to cut it off. \n\n``Vhat's a zeenomorf?'' she asked, her beautiful face scrunched up in confusion.\n\n``Ummm...'' He looked at her with a slight tilt of his head, having forgotten again how sheltered she'd been from 80's media. ''Okay, so there are these little slimy eggs, and facehuggers hatch from the eggs, facehuggers grab you and lay eggs in your throat, and then about 4 hours later a little baby Xenomorph eats its way out of your belly and skitters away to turn into a giant, vaguely insectoid monster.'' He laid out the basic idea quickly, not realizing how little sense the pulpy movie would make to someone with her small amount of knowledge of science fiction.\n\n``Ugh!'' she groaned, sticking out her tongue and holding up her paws. ``I've heard enough. No zhank you. You can skip zhat von.''\n\n``Noo, nonono!'' He squeezed her a little and laughed. ''It's one of the last great science fiction horror movies! The kinda thing you go to a drive-in to watch.''\n\n``Maybe ve'll have to vork our vay up to zhat von, zhen,'' she smiled. ``Maybe you should pick out anozher movie for our next date?''\n\n``Hmm... I could.'' He tapped his chin for a moment and then smiled. ''So does that mean I managed to earn a second date?''\n\n``You did. I had a vonderful time tonight. I zhink zhis vas zhe most fun I've had vith anozher adult since before Ezhan parents died,'' she said, a bittersweet expression on her face as she recalled her brother-and-sister-in-law. ``Vhen vould you like to go out again? Someplace vithout zhe girls, vhere ve can talk like adults?''\n\n``How do you like the nature around here? There are some nice little trails to walk, some fishing, some swimming holes.'' He turned to face her putting his arm over the back of the couch. ''Or a nice dinner and a movie? There's a good restaurant or two here, and there's even a bakery in town that can actually make a good chocolate pie.''\n\nA playful grin formed on her lips, and Tatiana asked, ``How about you let me kick your butt in kickboxing, and zhen ve go eat pie? Ve both like vorking out, so it should be fun, no?''\n\n``Ah, you want to beat up an old man and then make him buy you sweets? What a rotten little lady you are.'' He smiled broadly and his tail wagged, smacking against the couch cushions. \n\n``You catch on quickly, Loo,'' she smirked. ``I like zhat. Vhat do you say? Next Friday? Saturday, maybe?''\n\n``I'll tell you what, Tatiana...'' He stood up, straightening up his shirt and holding a hand out for her. ''We'll make our date Friday, and see if I can't convince you to go trompin' on up in the woods with me Saturday?'' \n\n``Sounds good to me,'' she said, taking his paw and allowing him to pull her up to her footpaws. ``Vhat time vere you zhinking?''\n\n``You tell me.'' He took her hand and pulled her up, holding onto it and wrapping his other arm around her loosely as they walked to the front door. ''I can be around whenever you want me to be. Just handle the plans with your family first, and I'll accommodate that.'' \n\n ``I vill,'' she said, wrapping her arms around his broad chest and hugging him tightly. ``Zhank you for coming tonight. I had a good time.''\n\n He squeezed her around the waist tightly, returning the hug. He nuzzled the top of her head affectionately. ``You know, I couldn't help but notice when we first cuddled up while watching the movie,'' he pulled away and smiled. ``Do you know that you smell absolutely lovely?''\n\n\f\nGood-night, Loo,'' she grinned, shooing the Dalmatian man out the front door. ``I'll talk to you soon.'' Waving good-bye to her date, the middle-aged hare closed the door and leaned her back against it, sighing happily.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Hope for the Future

July 6, 2013


``I'm telling you, we should set her up with those wolf girls at the gym!'' Illyana stated, folding her arms over her modest chest.

``The sisters? Both of them?'' `Lissa Jo giggled. ``That sounds pretty hot,'' the young doe stated. Her thick Southern accent slipped out with her excitement, causing her to blush. She bashfully slumped down in the loveseat, nestling against her girlfriend's arm.

``Riiggghhhhttttt...'' Svetlana groaned. ``Multiple partners. Tell them how well that idea worked out for you, Ethan.'' The eldest Black daughter glanced over at her cousin, sitting in an armchair with his artificial leg propped up on an ottoman. His girlfriend, Claire, sat in his lap, scritching his chest affectionately. The squirrel stared daggers in Sveta's direction.

``Sorry, that was rude of me,'' the fourteen-year-old girl sighed. ``But I think it's a bad idea. Especially for Mom, after what she went through with Dad. Monogamous relationships only, please.''

``What about that fennec she works with?'' Claire spoke up. ``She seems nice.''

``Yeah, but she smokes. Aunt T would never go for that,'' Ethan replied, shooting that suggestion down. ``Plus, if they broke up, that could make work pretty awkward.''

``There's that snow leopard with the glasses... Maria's assistant. What was her name?'' Svetlana was referring to Ethan's attorney's paralegal.

``Diana? She's a herm. You saw how she reacted to Wendy,'' her cousin replied. Ethan was right. When he had brought over his hermaphroditic ex-girlfriend for the first time, Svetlana's mother had done everything she could to make the mouse girl uncomfortable. ``And what's with all these women? How do you even know your mom would go for any of them?''

``Well, there was that liger she takes her kickboxing lessons with. She's made it obvious that she is attracted to him, but he hasn't been responsive,'' Illyana shrugged.

``Oh well, his loss. Mom deserves a man that will appreciate what she has to offer,'' the older sister was getting agitated. ``Any other suggestions?''

``I have one,'' Ethan said, shifting in his chair to get more comfortable. ``Stop thinking about people she knows. You don't know them as well as she does, so there's probably a good reason why they aren't together already. Start thinking about nice people that you know.'' He shifted his gaze back and forth between the two raccoon-rabbit hybrids, before adding, ``And do you really see your mom going lesbian, or is that just wishful thinking?''

``Wishful thinking,'' Illyana and her girlfriend muttered in unison.

``What about Larry?'' Claire chimed in. ``He's a great guy! Honest, hard-working, takes care of his kids, drug-free -''

``And Wendy's Dad,'' Ethan reminded her. ``That would probably get awkward really fast.''

``True,'' Claire said, biting gently on her lower lip.

``What about that panda bear that teaches at your school? I don't know his name, but he looks so cute and cuddly,'' Illyana giggled.

``Mr. Muldowney?'' Ethan asked.

``The metal shop teacher?'' Claire scrunched up her face. ``He's overweight, out of shape, and kind of gives me the creeps...'' Rumor had it that the advisor of the A/V club had a vast library of students fucking on tape, but nothing had ever been proven.

``Well, whoever you decide on, make sure it's someone that you girls think you can be happy with, also,'' Ethan warned them. ``The last thing Aunt T needs is to fall for a man, and then have to break up with him because her daughters can't see him in their lives for the long haul.''

``Hmm,'' Svetlana mused, tapping her finger on her chin. ``What about Mr. Henshaw?''

``Who?'' Ethan asked.

``He's the Sixth grade history teacher at Manticore,'' Claire quickly explained. ``Nice guy. Doesn't bullshit. Gives it to you straight. Former Army Ranger. Ex-POW. Great with the kids.'' It helped that Claire's mother was also a teacher at the middle school; she was able to find out things that the students normally would never know.

``I don't remember him,'' Ethan said, confused. ``Refresh my memory?''

``Oh, he started there after we graduated,'' Claire explained. ``Mom talks about him from time to time. Dalmatian, mid-forties, tall, built like a barrel. I think he'd be a good match for your mom,'' the teen squirrel said, looking at Svetlana.

``But we don't go back to school until almost September!'' Illyana whined, almost bucking her girlfriend onto the floor. It was the first time he had ever heard the girl complain about not having school, and would probably be the last.

``Tell you what,'' the raccoon teen said. ``You three talk to Aunt T, try and organize a girls' day out or something, and take Sienna with you. Claire and I will get have Mrs. Summers call Mr. Henshaw and arrange a meeting so that we can tell him about your Mom and set things up.''

-----

July 7, 2013


Claire parked the CX-5 in front of Starbucks and waited patiently on the sidewalk for Ethan to get out of the car and join her. He was doing much better getting around now, and had stopped using his cane completely. Still, he had definitely lost a step with the loss of his leg. The middle-aged Dalmatian glanced up from his phone, looking across the cafe as the young red squirrel and teenaged raccoon walked through the door. He raised his cup of coffee and nodded, acknowledging their arrival.

``You go ahead,'' Ethan told her. ``I'll get us something to drink. What would you like?''

``I'll take an iced caramel macchiato,'' she said, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. ``Thank you.''

``No problem,'' he answered back. ``See you in a minute.''

``Claire Summers, it's lovely to meet you. You look so much like your mother,'' Lewis said, standing up to greet her and taking off his reading glasses. ``I was surprised when she called me out of the blue during summer break, but she said you might know a woman interested in an old spottydog?''

``Yes, Sir,'' she said as she took his paw and gave it a firm shake, ``and it's nice to meet you, too. But she's my boyfriend's aunt, so I'll wait for him to get over here so he can get to know you and tell you a little bit about her.''

``Of course, of course.'' He smiled lightly and took a step around the small table to pull a chair out for the petite squirrel. ``Sit down, please.''

``Thank you,'' Claire said sweetly as she took the offered seat. ``So, how's your summer going so far?''

``It's going well enough, Ms. Summers.'' He took his seat across the table and made himself comfortable again. ``It's quiet during the off-season, mostly. There's a reunion coming just before the school year starts again that's looking to be one of the biggest ones yet.'' He took a drink from his deep, dark coffee then swallowed with a happy sigh. ``How is your summer so far?''

 The attractive red squirrel gave a slight shrug. ``Good enough, I suppose, all things considered. I have my boyfriend, and he's making a lot of progress. But our two best friends flew off on a cruise for twelve days without us, which kind of sucks. I'd like to see Hawaii someday.'' She paused for a moment, likely imagining the tropical sights and sounds. ``But at least they left Sienna with us!'' Her eyes lit up at the mention of Ethan's little girl.

``I'd be lying if I said I hadn't heard rumors about the little bundle of joy. Is it everything you hoped it would be?'' He got a little twinkle in his own eye at the mention of the little one.

``So far, yeah,'' she smiled. ``I mean, I'd prefer it if she was my own baby, but that's not likely to happen anytime. I'm thankful that Shy allows me to spend as much time as I do with her. She's an angel.''

``I understand how you feel, believe me.'' He smiled tenderly across the table at her, his face expressing a soft sympathy. ``Men may not have a biological clock like you ladies do, but there comes a time when you know you'll never play ball with your kids even if you had some or that you'd be lucky to see them graduate, and it gets you in the pit of your stomach.'' He chuckled and shot a glance over at Ethan, patiently waiting for his and Claire's orders. ``And if rumors are true... Well, I don't think you'll have to wait long, suffice to say. A healthy young woman and a healthy young man, after all.'' He took another drink of his coffee, his tail wagging intently at the thought of more happy children around.

``Yeah, well,'' Claire sighed, ``I hope you're right, but when I was little, I dealt with leukemia. The docs say the chemo treatments left me pretty much barren. They didn't say it was impossible, but they told me to not get my hopes up. Still, I suppose a slim chance is better than none.''

``Anything's possible.'' He turned and looked out the window, his brown eyes deep and sharp despite his age, showing no signs of dulling. ``Then again, kids these days trust their doctors more than hope and blind faith, don't they?''

``Don't knock the doctors, Mr. Henshaw,'' Ethan said as he walked to the table with their drinks. ``Without Dr. Genevieve, I wouldn't be moving about as well as I am right now. I'm not saying hope and blind faith had nothing to do with my recovery, but she definitely worked me back to functionality.'' He set Claire's iced caramel macchiato in from of her then pulled out his chair, sipping on a cup of iced green tea.

Lew stood up and extended his hand before giving Ethan a chance to sit. ``They help. All things in moderation, as they say, right?''

``Indeed. It's nice to meet you, Sir,'' the teen raccoon said as he reached across the table. ``I'm Ethan Black, Claire's boyfriend.''

``Oh, I know who you are.'' Lew smiled and shook his hand firmly before releasing it and sitting down. ``I reckon most do, don't they? The boy who brought little Wendell O'Donnell to school in a dress and pigtails, ain't you?'' Lew's smile didn't fade, half-teasing but mostly genuine. ``Good job.''

``To be fair, she asked me to,'' he grinned, ``and it was in the appropriate school attire, so a skirt and blazer.'' Shaking his head and chuckling, he added, ``And of all the things I'm known for, it's that.''

``Well, that and being a trespassing savant-level graffiti artist. You're lucky some old man fishing didn't catch you painting up that old bridge.'' The dog smirked, his ears perking a little bit as conversation livened up.

``You can't tell me it doesn't look better than all that built-up rust and lime scale,'' the young man retorted. ``Besides, it's former trespassing graffiti artist.'' He leaned back a little and hefted his right leg up onto the table, pulling up the leg of his pants to show off his prosthetic leg.

``It definitely does. Might've made you paint me in, is all.'' He winked at Claire and said, ``Maybe just pen me in between the pretty girls, give me some Fabio hair and Arnie muscles.''

``Wouldn't you rather have a three-dimensional woman at your side that loves you for how you really are?'' Ethan said. ``After all, that's why we're here.''

``That'd be nice. Then again I'd also rather if it rained Southern Comfort and rare steaks grew on trees, so...'' Lew took a sip of his coffee and chuckled. ``Can't say I'm not interested, though. Want to set me up with a supermodel a decade my junior?''

``I just met you, so whether I want to or not remains to be seen,'' Ethan said with a smirk, enjoying Mr. Henshaw's humor. ``I'm sure you won't mind if I ask you some questions, since you seem to know my Aunt Tatiana so well already?''

``I know what I was let in on by Mrs. Summers, which was just enough to get a bite. Besides, if she's where your cousins get their pretty from...'' He smiled widely and drank his coffee deep, emptying his mug. ``What would you like to know, young man?''

``Obviously, family is a big deal to us. After Walter,'' his voice dropped almost to a contemptuous growl as he spoke his deceased uncle's name, ``it's important that we find her a good, family-oriented man. Why don't you tell us a little about where you're from and what your family is like?''

``I'm from Pennsylvania. Out in the country about twenty minutes from town, and an hour from the nearest city, if you'd call it that. I was the middle of three brothers, and one of the youngest boys among our... some odd sixty cousins in the county. My folks had around ten siblings apiece and nobody moved far. I joined the Army out of college, it wasn't as fun a time as the advertisements made it out to be. When I got back my little brother was dead, my big brother was in California, and my dad was in the hospital with black lung. Used the G.I. bill to go to college at UNHM and help the family what I could, dad passed, started teaching, Manticore was looking around and I managed to snag a job, moved back up here... that's about it. Cliff's Notes to my autobiography.'' A practiced lecturer, he delivered the block of text smoothly, without stuttering, pausing, or taking any out-of-time breaths.

``Do you go back often?'' Claire asked. She'd been quiet throughout most of the exchange.

``Holidays, Mama's birthday, reunions, anytime big brother comes home... Whenever there's a good excuse.'' He chuckles a little. ``If we make it that far maybe I'll bring you guys to the reunion.''

``Not bad,'' Ethan said before taking a long sip of his tea, ``and thank you for your service. But to last that long, you need to make it past the first date. Any ideas what you and my Aunt Tatiana would do?''

-----

``I think things went pretty well,'' Claire said as she and Ethan got back into his car. ``Mom told me he was a nice guy.''

``Yeah, he seemed pretty decent. He kind of has this stern, authoritative way about him, without coming across like a dick,'' he replied. ``I think he'd be a good influence on Illyana.'' He stopped talking as his phone went off. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw that he had a text message from Shyara.

[4:46 PM - Shyara: Good morning. How was she? How are you and Claire holding up?]

``I take it Shy's having a good time on vacation,'' Ethan said, looking over to his girlfriend. ``Not only did she ask about Sienna, but she asked about us, as well.''

``Well, that's an encouraging improvement,'' the squirrel said with a smile. ``Maybe she'll meet someone on the trip and get over everything that happened between us.''

``Let's hope,'' he said, returning his attention back to his phone and typing out a reply.

[4:51 PM - Me: Good morning. Things are going fine. She woke up once last night, but the usual clean diaper, warm meal, and short car ride did the trick and she went back to sleep happy. She's out with Tatiana and the girls today.]

``So, dinner at your place or mine tonight?'' he asked as he set the phone down in the cup holder.

``I think it would be good if we ate with my parents tonight, that way they can see that you haven't completely stolen me away from them... yet,'' she said as she pulled up to a red light. She leaned over and looked him in the eyes. ``I love you,'' she added then puckered her lips for a kiss.

``I love you, too,'' Ethan replied, leaning in to return the affectionate gesture. ``Is it going to be just us and your mom, or will your dad be there, too?'' Ethan was trying hard to win his girlfriend's father over. Ever since the accident, things had been slowly getting better between him and Lieutenant Daniel Summers, but his prior history of trespassing and vandalism, and the fact he had a child with another girl, made the older squirrel extra protective of his youngest daughter.

``He should be, but that doesn't mean he won't have to work late,'' Claire answered. ``It kinda just depends on how busy dispatch is.''

``One sec,'' he said as his phone went off again.

[4:57 PM - Shyara: Nice. You have any plans?]

His fingers danced across the touchscreen of his phone as he typed out his reply and hit `Send.'

[4:59 PM - Me: Claire and I just got done setting Aunt T up on a date. He's going to join the family for dinner at our place later this week. Aunt T has no idea yet. What are you up to?]

Looking back at his girlfriend, he said, ``All right, so let's swing by my place and let Aunt T know about the date, so she can clear her schedule and then we'll head on over to your place for dinner.''

``Call my mom and let her know we'll be there, so she makes enough for all four of us,'' she said as she turned onto Walnut Trail, where Ethan lived with his aunt and cousins.

His phone went off again, but he ignored it while he called Mrs. Summers. ``Hello, Ethan,'' she said cheerfully as she answered the call, ``How did things go with Mr. Henshaw?''

``Fine, thank you. Sveta and Illya did a good job suggesting him. He seems like he'd treat my aunt like she deserves and would be a good influence on the girls,'' he answered honestly. ``Thank you again for getting me in contact with him.''

``No problem,'' Laura said sweetly. ``Lew is a good guy, and deserves a nice woman like your aunt. So, when's the date?''

``This Friday, after Tatiana gets home from work. We're heading to her place now to make sure she doesn't make other plans,'' he told her. ``But after that, Claire and I are going to come over to your place for dinner, if that's okay.''

``Of course it is! You're always welcome in our home, Ethan,'' the older red squirrel replied. ``Never mind my husband, he likes you just fine. He's just riding you to make sure you keep treating our girl properly. Just don't let him know you know, or he'll start riding you harder.''

Laughing, the teen raccoon said, ``Thanks for the warning, and for clearing that up. We're pulling into my driveway now, so I'm going to let you go and check in here, but we'll see you in an hour or so.''

``That sounds good,'' Laura told him. ``I'm making fajitas for dinner tonight, so save your appetites. Tell Claire I love her.''

``Okay, Mrs. Summers, I will,'' he answered. ``Bye.''

``Good-bye, Ethan,'' she said, before ending the call.

``She says she loves you, and that she's making fajitas,'' Ethan told his girlfriend as she parked the car. He checked the message he had received a few minutes earlier.

[5:04 PM - Shyara: Supposed to hit the pool with Wendy and Joel. Dinner with Larry and Vince, probably. Might try and find a hottie or two while I'm at it.]

``Shy says she might try and find a hottie or two,'' he chuckled as he slowly eased himself out of the car and shut the door behind him.

``For her sake, and ours, I hope she's successful,'' Claire said as she opened the front door to the house. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by the sounds of two pairs of footpaws and a pair of hooves running down the steps.

``How did it go?'' Svetlana asked excitedly.

``Is he interested?'' `Lissa Jo added.

``Of course he's interested! Mr. Henshaw isn't gay,'' Illyana teased her girlfriend by swatting her on her rump. ``So, when's the date?''

Ethan smiled at their eagerness to know more, and walked past them to sit down on the loveseat. ``What are you doing home? Where's Aunt T and Sienna?'' he asked, not wanting to discuss things within earshot of their mother.

``Mom dropped us off after we went to the salon and got manis and pedis,'' Sveta said, and the three girls held out their paws to show off their claws. ``Sienna got her claws painted a really cute aquamarine color, too. It's so adorable!'' When she saw her older cousin open his mouth to protest, she quickly added, ``Don't worry, it's an all-natural, non-toxic polish.''

``Right now, Mom's taking her clothes shopping to get her some more cute summer outfits and to pick up some groceries,'' Illya said, answering the original question. ``She said she would need the extra space in the car, so she didn't take us. She's going to pick up Chinese for dinner on the way home, so if you want some, just let her know.''

``Nah,'' Ethan said, lifting his arm to make room for his girlfriend. ``We're going to eat at Claire's place tonight, once we let your mom know she has a date on Friday.''

``I told you he said yes!'' Illyana exclaimed, ribbing the young doe playfully before asking, ``Where's he planning on taking her?''

``Well, that's just it,'' Claire answered, ``he wants to make sure that she's comfortable and can relax, and he thinks that having all of you there to interact with him will help her to see that she can trust him.''

``So he's taking all of us out?'' Svetlana asked, incredulously, ``That sounds like a pretty expensive date.''

``Not quite,'' Ethan said, ``Mr. Henshaw is coming over on Friday to cook dinner for us and your mom. Traditional Latvian cuisine. You'd better make sure your room is clean.'' He looked dead on at Illyana as he added that last part.

-----

``So, Ethan, what are your plans after high school?'' Daniel Summers asked him. The middle-aged gray squirrel sat directly across from the young raccoon at the dinner table. ``You have a little one to take care of, and you never know what the future might bring. That trust fund money of yours might not take you as far as you would want.''

``Daniel,'' Laura began, trying to warn her husband about provoking their daughter's boyfriend and ruining dinner.

``No, Mrs. Summers, it's okay,'' he said with a smile. It was a good question, and seemed as though it had been asked without any sort of judgment or accusation behind it. ``I'd like to get into graphic design. I've always been artistically inclined, and I'd like to earn a living doing something I enjoy. Once I'm old enough to start a career, I'd prefer not to touch the fund at all, except for major things like a house, or Sienna's college tuition.''

Daniel sat there, just listening as the young man spoke. Given Ethan's prior history of trespassing and vandalism, the two of them had numerous encounters with each other. Most of that was water under the bridge by now, though, as the details about Walter Black's relationship with his family members became known. Now that his uncle was no longer in the picture, things at home had improved drastically for Ethan, and his delinquent behaviors had all but ceased.

The real issue between the two of them was the fact that, at seventeen, Ethan was the father of another woman's baby. It was a topic that the young dad didn't hesitate to discuss, being proud of and completely in love with his little girl. Claire had even explained things to her parents about it being her own idea, and Shyara's desire for citizenship and emancipation. Still, Daniel worried that having such strong ties to a former lover would cause Ethan to break his daughter's heart.

Their eldest daughter, Julia, was married to a wonderful man, Darren, who had tragically lost his first wife several years earlier. He had a daughter from that marriage, Elise, who Julia loved and got along with exceptionally well, but had more of a big sister relationship with. Julia herself expressed little-to-no desire to have children of her own anytime soon, being so fresh out of college and wanting to focus on her career. Jeremy, their son, had stated several times that he didn't plan on ever having children of his own. He was too carefree and easygoing, and was likely going to live out his days as a perpetual bachelor.

Claire, their youngest, was a different story altogether. Of all the Summers children, she was the one that expressed an interest in motherhood, but a childhood battle against leukemia and the ensuing chemotherapy treatments had greatly reduced her chances of ever conceiving, or even taking a pregnancy full-term. As it was, she was enjoying the opportunity to play `second mother' to Ethan's daughter, but both parents knew how devastated she would be if anything ever happened to take Sienna out of her life.

``It sounds like you have a plan,'' Daniel said, forcing a smile to mask his worries. ``Have you put any thought into where you'd like to go to school?''

``I have, and I have a few options in mind, Sir,'' he answered politely. ``I've looked at several graphic design programs, and it looks like that a lot of them offer online instruction. I'd like to find a job and a place outside of my aunt's house, and take care of my daughter, using my nights to work on my studies.''

``What about things with Claire?'' the older male asked. ``What will happen between you two if she goes out of state for college?''

``Don't worry, Dad,'' Claire said, reaching over the table to grasp her father's paw. ``I'm not leaving like Jeremy and Julia did. I know how much you and mom miss being able to see them. Besides, UNHM has the second best Physical Therapy program in the country. It's not a bad choice for me.''

``Well, I'm sure your mom appreciates that sentiment, Honey,'' Daniel said as he clasped his paw over hers. ``I know how much she worries about Jeremy; Tennessee is a long ways away, and you know how little he calls home.''

Once dinner was over, Ethan and Claire handled the cleanup while Mr. and Mrs. Summers adjourned to the living room to watch the evening news. ``I think he's starting to warm up to you,'' she said as she passed him a plate and he put it into the dishwasher. ``He didn't even ask me how late you were staying tonight.''

``I wonder what he would have said if we mentioned you moving in with me after graduation?'' he replied, leaning in to give her a quick kiss.

``We'll give him a little more time to warm up to you first. I actually managed to get him to agree to let you stay the night,'' she said excitedly, bouncing on her heels, before adding, ``That is, as long as we don't do anything besides sleep. I hope you don't mind?''

``Are you kidding?'' Ethan asked. ``This is a first. Of course I don't mind.''

-----

July 8, 2013


Ethan was awakened by the feeling of warm sunlight on his face, coming in through Claire's bedroom window. He smiled, and reached forward with one paw to caress his girlfriend, only to realize that she had gotten out of bed. Focusing his other senses, he could make out the faint whirr of a hairdryer coming from down the hallway. Realizing that she must have gotten up and showered, he rolled out of bed and used the 2nd bathroom to relieve his bladder.

Afterwards, he went back to her room and patiently waited for his girlfriend to finish. A few minutes later, he heard the hairdryer click off, and smiled up at Claire as she came back into her room wrapped up in a plush terrycloth bathrobe and using a towel to dry her long, flame-red hair. ``Good morning, Beautiful,'' he said with a playful grin.

``Good morning, Sexy,'' she winked, taking the towel and tossing it into a nearby laundry basket. ``Sleep good?''

``I'm not sure. I think I might have died, since I woke up to the sight of an angel,'' he flirted. It was cheesy, he knew, but she seemed to appreciate his comments. Either way, it was true. Claire Summers had been a vision of heaven from the moment he had first laid eyes on her, and even now, almost a year into their relationship, she still took his breath away. Even in her natural morning glory.

She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him on top of her as she lay flat on her bed. Ethan just watched her in awe as slowly she undid the belt of her bathrobe. Even after all the times he had seen her naked, he still couldn't get enough of her. She let the sides fall away and revealed her perfect body. Unable to resist, Ethan lowered his muzzle to hers, her lips parting with desire as his tongue found its way into her mouth.

As they kissed, she gripped the hem of his t-shirt in her paws and tugged it up over his head and onto the bedroom floor. The athletic teen squirrel then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in close, kissing once more as their paws explored each other's bodies. Her silky fur was cool by now, and just a little damp from her shower. The time she spent playing volleyball had left her with a well-toned, muscular body.

She broke the kiss once more. ``Thanks for behaving last night. I know it must have been difficult, but my parents were sleeping right down the hall.'' The sparkle in her green eyes told him that it had been hard for her to resist giving in to her urges, as well. ``But, if it makes you feel any better, my dad just left for work and my mom is out grocery shopping.''

Claire laughed as he lowered his mouth onto her breasts, knowing how sensitive and ticklish her nipples were. As he sucked on one, he cupped the other gently in his paw. He marveled at her breasts; they were firm but had a spring to them that was delightful.

He reluctantly popped the sensitive bundle of nerves from his lips and cupped both tits in his palms before moving down between her thighs with a long line of kisses. The young squirrel spread her legs slightly to allow him access and twitched slightly as Ethan gently kissed high up her thighs. The moment his tongue made contact with the folds of her damp slit however, her legs quickly squeezed shut, trapping his head between her strong legs. Her paws grabbed at his hair and pulled him into her. Claire let out a loud moan before slowly spreading her legs once more and her raccoon lover slowly sank his tongue onto her hot pussy. She squealed in pleasure as he went back to licking and kissing her, his fingers slipping beneath her firm backside and lifting her hips up to meet his oral attentions.

Ethan glanced up, and the fire in the beautiful squirrel eyes told him she was past the point of foreplay. He stopped licking her cunny and gave her a playful grin before she tugged him by the ear, bringing him level with her prone form. Ethan positioned himself between her legs and she slipped her paw between them, fishing his steel-hard shaft out through the opening in the front of his boxers. Slowly, he lowered his hips and aligned the tip of his cock to her small, tight opening. They held one another in a tender embrace as he ever-so-slowly pushed his cock into her.

``God, I missed this'' she sighed, never breaking eye contact as the powerful walls of her passage welcoming him with a tender squeeze.

``Me too,'' Ethan whispered softly into her ear. ``I can't wait until we have our own place together. Then we can do this whenever we want.'' He could already feel some of her juices on his balls as she practically dripped with desire for him.

He drew his hips back pushed in slightly more forcefully than before. Claire squirmed in pleasure as drove his shaft him, burying himself inside of her tunnel all the way until his hips pressed against hers. He could feel the head of his dick pressed up against her cervix. It felt as though their bodies were made for each other; his length and thickness customer-made for her depth and tightness.

``You realize we'll probably spend the whole first week in our bedroom,'' she teased, rolling her hips and massaging his shaft with her velvet walls.

Ethan almost pulled out completely before he roughly buried his cock to the hilt once more, in one hard thrust. The penetration caught the lovely squirrel by surprise and once more she let out a cry of pure pleasure. He repeated the action over and over, taking her paws into his, their fingers intertwined. With each thrust, the walls of Claire's pussy tightened and gripped his pulsing erection. Her juices were flowing freely now and he glided into her easily.

His girlfriend's perky breasts bounced back and forth with each thrust, her erect nipples scraping through his chest fur along the way. The young couple quickly found their rhythm, their bodies accustomed to each other by now, and Claire wrapped her legs around his hips. He let go of her paws, using one to support himself against the bed. He took his free paw and grabbed hold of her tight, muscular ass and rammed her into the bed. She eagerly met his thrusts, moaning softly. Her fur started to feel damper and her body gleamed from sweat in the pale, early morning sunlight.

The young couple broke their kissing, and Ethan kissed his lover all over her neck, an act he knew she enjoyed. She threw her head back and was lost in the frenzy of their lovemaking. She let out soft moans and groans with each thrust of his hips. He looked into her eyes, but she was lost in the thrill of impending orgasm. Every muscle in her body tightened up as she arched her back up off the bed, her beautiful face contorted in pleasure. She dug her claws deep into his back so hard that it actually hurt, but it was the most exquisite pain Ethan could imagine.

``Oh, god, Ethan,'' she gasped as the passion overwhelmed her body. He felt her passage tighten and squeeze around his member, trying to coax him of his essence. Despite the battle her body had endured when she was a child, it wouldn't give up the hope that it could create new life. She dug her heels in beneath his thrusting buttocks, driving him into her as deep and hard she could manage.

``Claire, I'm c-close,'' he panted, the familiar sensation of his own climax beginning to rise up from his loins. The rhythmic back-and-forth bouncing of her breasts became erratic as the raccoon's muscles began to twitch and jerk. Finally, his dam burst, and with a powerful lunge forward, he buried himself fully inside of his mate.

The young couple cried out with unbridled passion and ecstasy as his cock spasmed, aided by the trembling muscles of her silken tunnel. He emptied strand after strand of his pearly seed into her waiting womb, both of them hoping to bring another life into this world. As his release subsided, Ethan gently continued thrusting into the young squirrel's pussy, squeezing out the final drops of his cum into her body.

Exhausted, she rolled out from under him, breathing heavily and short of breath. Both of their bodies gleamed with sweat. Claire moved her paw down her swollen opening, where their juices oozed slowly out and dripped all over her fingers. Her dropped down onto his side and pulled her towards him in a loving embrace.

``That was amazing,'' she panted. ``After I catch my breath, can we do it again? I want so badly to feel our baby growing inside me.''

Ethan smiled before grabbing his lover and swinging her on top of him. Her firm breasts dangled in his face. ``If this is what living together is going to be like, I think I'm going to enjoy waking up.''

-----

July 12, 2013


The middle-aged hare jumped slightly when the doorbell rang, still very nervous about being set up on a date by her family. ``Don't worry,'' Ethan told her reassuringly, ``I'll get the door. Relax. Everything will be fine. He's a good guy, and we're all here with you.'' Tatiana gave him a soft smile and a slight nod, tucking back a stray lock of her golden hair that had fallen out of place.

The teen raccoon opened the front door to see Mr. Henshaw on the doorstep. The Dalmatian was dressed plainly as usual. A dark-brown sport coat hung over a red dress shirt, he had foregone a tie and left the top button open casually. He held a fairly large salad bowl under one arm and a well-weathered large baking pan under the other. ``Evening, young Mr. Black!'' He smiled warmly at Ethan and his tail wagged lightly behind him as he greeted the young man.

``Hello, Mr. Henshaw,'' he said, opening the door wider to welcome their guest into their home. ``Thank you so much for joining us. Everyone is gathered in the kitchen. Right this way.'' He closed the door behind Lew and gestured for the man to follow him, giving an abbreviated tour of the house along the way. ``The coat closet is right over there,'' he said, motioning towards a door a yard or so away, ``in case you get warm and want to take off your sport coat. This is the living room; hopefully you'll be able to join us in here for movie night sometime. The kitchen is back this way.''

Lewis followed Ethan, nodding in recognition as he spoke and taking mental notes on the layout of the very handsome home. ``I'll probably take you up on that offer, young man. It brings the outfit together, but I think it's out of season right now. Let me set this food down and I'll find my way back around to the closet.'' Mr. Henshaw handed Ethan the containers of food and opened the closet door. As he took his sport coat off, the older male asked, ``You said the family is Latvian, right? Is she used to old-country food?''

``She loves it. Illyana might complain a little bit, but we'll try to make her behave herself. She eats too much junk anyway,'' Ethan said with a grin. ``I'm sure Aunt T will appreciate the effort, though.''

Mr. Henshaw walked briskly back to the coat closet to hang up his coat, and quickly returned to retrieve the load. ``I can only hope so. It may not be exactly like mother used to make, but I think it looks decent.'' He nodded towards the kitchen, the way Ethan had been leading to begin with. ``May we continue?''

``Compared to... Well, it's probably better to avoid the subject of her ex-husband, but I can tell you it's more than she's used to,'' the teen said as he lead their guest further towards the back of the house. As they neared the kitchen, the sounds of feminine voices and laughter began to come into focus. The males entered the pristine kitchen to find Tatiana and her two daughters gathered around the kitchen island. All three ladies looked their direction.

``Hello, Mr. Henshaw,'' Svetlana said sweetly, giving her former teacher a big smile.

``Hi, Mr. Henshaw,'' her younger sister added, though with a little less enthusiasm, likely because she still attended the same school where the Dalmatian taught.

Tatiana just sat quietly and observed the exchange between her daughters and the man who had been their teacher. Ethan noted the faint smile that crept across her lips while the girls welcomed her date into their home.

Mr. Henshaw nodded at the girls in turn as they greeted him. He took the initiative to head on to the dinner table to set down the dinner for the night. ``Good evening, girls! How is your summer going?'' He kept eyes on them politely as he greeted them in turn, but found them drawn helplessly to Tatiana at every opportunity.

``Not bad,'' Sveta said with a smile ``Mostly I've just been relaxing and designing new outfits. I want to be as rested as possible before starting high school.''

``Mine's been okay,'' Illya replied. ``I'm supposed to go with `Lissa Jo and her family on vacation to Myrtle Beach later this summer, and then over to see her family in North Carolina. So of course, mine is dragging by while I wait.''

``But you're not here to talk to us about our summer vacations,'' the older daughter smirked. ``Mr. Henshaw, this is our mother, Tatiana Bla-... err, Rosanov.'' She waved across the kitchen island to her mother, who rose up from her stool and walked around to greet her date.

``Of course,'' Mr. Henshaw turned to Tatiana, holding his hand out to her. ``Miz Rosanov, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I'm Lewis Henshaw, please just call me Lew.''

``Hello, Loo,'' the beautiful hare said as she wrapped her slender arms around her date's chest in a warm hug, ``Velcome to our home. It's so nice for you to join us. My daughters and nephew have told me so much about you.'' When she let him go, her eyes lit up and she sniffed. ``Do I smell Chicken Anastasia?'' she asked.

-----


``After dinner, can we all play Uno?'' Illyana asked as she pushed her empty plate aside. It was a family ritual; Tatiana, Svetlana, and Ethan would all sit around and play Uno a few nights a week, sometimes with Claire or Melissa joining them at the table. It would seem like a trivial little detail to the casual onlooker, but the way Lew affected the dynamic of the card game was pretty important.

``Ve'll leave that up to our guest, Sveetheart,'' the woman said as she kissed her youngest daughter on the top of her head.

``What do you say, Mr. Henshaw? Our Uno matches tend to get legendary,'' Ethan said as he swallowed his last bite.

``I wouldn't be against that at all,'' The older Dalmatian said as he wiped his face on a napkin. ``And I think you all can call me Lew outside of school.''

``Loo, zhank you so much for zhe delicious dinner,'' Tatiana said with a warm, genuine smile. ``It's been too long since I had auzhentic Latvian cuisine. It vas very zhoughtful of you.''

``You're very welcome, Tatiana.'' Lew put his hand on Tatiana's and gave it a soft squeeze.

``Yes, thank you Mr. Henshaw,'' Svetlana said, giving her former teacher a big smile. ``I mean Lew. I had no idea you could cook!''

``It was pretty good,'' Ethan agreed as he wiped his mouth. ``I'd almost believe you were Latvian yourself, Lew.''

``Thank you, Lew,'' Illyana said, before asking, ``So, can I be excused to get the cards?''

``Dishes first, young lady,'' Tatiana said.

``But mom -'' she started to protest.

``No `buts,''' her mother interrupted her. ``You know ve split zhe chores around zhe house up, and you are zhe one zhat vanted zhe dishes. Your sister already did zhe laundry today, and Ezhan vacuumed. Now, it's your turn.''

``Don't worry, Sis, I'll help,'' the older daughter said, taking Ethan and Lew's plates. Illyana took their mother's plate and together, the two sisters disappeared into the kitchen.

``I guess I'll get the cards, then,'' Ethan said as he rose up from the table. ``I'll peek in on Sienna while I'm up. Back in a few minutes.''

It was just Tatiana and Lew, alone together at the dining table. ``I'm having a very nice time tonight, Loo,'' the hare woman said. ``Zhank you for trying to make sure I am comfortable. I really appreciate everyzhing you've done. Maybe for our next date, ve can go out alone someplace?''

``That would be absolutely wonderful, Tatiana.'' He idly stroked her hand as he looked her in her eyes, trapped helplessly in the vibrant green. ``What are your interests outside of being a wonderful mother and housekeeper?''

``Vell, zhere's not much to talk about, I suppose,'' she said thoughtfully, taking a sip of wine as she thought about what to tell him. ``I vork as a financial advisor, so I like to keep track of zhe markets. Most of my TV watching is CNN Money. For fun, I enjoy kickboxing, reading, and gardening. Vhat about, Loo? Vhat are your interests?''

``More or less the same, not that much to tell. I have a little garden in my backyard that I like to take care of and Mr. Thai has been helping me learn to read music. I like to read biographies, autobiographies, historical fiction, military history...'' Lewis chuckled a little and leaned back in his seat. ``Outside of work there's not much in my daily routine, sad to say.''

Tatiana giggled a little as she listened to him list off his passions. ``You're a lot more interesting zhan me, I'm afraid. Vhen I said `reading,' I vas referring to fashion magazines. I used to be a model, you know.'' With a brief tilt of her head towards the kitchen, she added, ``Svetlana shares my passion for style; she vants to be a designer vhen she grows up.''

Just then, Ethan returned to the table with the deck of Uno cards in one paw and little Sienna clutched comfortably against his chest in the other. ``Aunt T, would you mind taking her for a moment, please? I'm going to go warm up some milk for her. I'll be right back.''

``Of course,'' the beautiful hare woman said, a bright, beaming smile forming on her face as she reached out to take her nephew's daughter. ``Zhere's my pretty girl! How did you sleep, my little e??elis?''

Lewis smiled broadly watching Tatiana with Sienna. ``Oh, I'd definitely been made aware of your prior occupation.'' He chuckled as his tail wagged behind him. ``And even if I hadn't, just to see you says you should be a model at the very least.'' He paused for a moment, watching her with Sienna, and nodded down to the infant. ``You must be so proud.''

``I am, zhank you. Ezhan is a good fazher. I only vish his parents vere alive to see him today, and to see zheir granddaughter,'' she said as she began bouncing the happy infant on her knee. Despite the smile on her face, traces of painful memories still managed to show through, but Lew decided not to pry; she would open up and talk about it when she was ready.

``I've seen how he handles her, and how he treats Claire. He is a fine young man.'' He leaned closer to Tatiana to get a closer look at Sienna, smiling down to her. ``And you look beautiful with her. Your eyes just glow.'' He reached down with one finger to pet the little girl's chin. ``Auntie Tiana is very pretty, isn't she Sienna?''

The two adults gave a cute chuckle of adoration as the little sugar glider/raccoon hybrid wrapped her little paws around the Dalmatian's finger. ``I zhink she likes you, Loo.'' Svetlana and Illyana returned from the kitchen just then, with Ethan following close behind with the bottle.

``Sienna!'' Svetlana squealed happily, rushing to her mother's side. Looking over at Ethan, she asked excitedly, ``Can I feed her while we play? Please?''

-----

The game of Uno flew by unbelievably fast as the small family of five sat with their houseguest, joking, laughing, and having a good time. Lewis's witty banter fit in well with their chemistry, and added a new dimension to the fun of game night. Ethan found himself wondering what it would be like to play with everyone, including Claire and `Lissa Jo, at the table. His girlfriend's fierce, competitive nature would be an amusing contrast to Lew's formal demeanor and clever remarks.

In the end, Svetlana ended up winning the game, finishing with the low score of 178 after Ethan went over the 500 mark on a Wild Card and a Skip. Glancing at his watch, Ethan realized it was almost 10:00. ``All right, that's about it for me, guys. I'm gonna give Claire a call and say good-night.''

``Good-night, Ezhan. Say hello to Claire for us,'' Tatiana said as her nephew leaned over to give her a hug.

``I will. Mr. Henshaw, thanks for coming by,'' the teen said, holding his paw out to the older male. ``Maybe the girls will let you grown-ups talk for a bit,'' he added, trying to be as blunt as possible.

``Heh, it has been wonderful being able to spend some time with such a wonderful family,'' he chuckled and turned to Tatiana, making contact out of the corners of his eyes as his paw lit over hers, ``but I think it would be nice to have a little alone with this very lovely lady. What do you think, Tatiana?''

``Yes, I had enough fun tonight zhat I'd like to talk to Loo alone for a little vhile,'' she said. ``Zhank you, all zhree of you, for setting zhis up.''

``It was all Svetlana's idea,'' Ethan said. ``Trust me, we ran through a pretty long list of candidates.'' The two younger girls rolled their eyes, confirming his statement. ``Suddenly, she just blurted out Mr. Henshaw's name.'' The elder daughter beamed pride at the praise for a job well done as she passed Sienna back over to her father. Ethan cradled the little infant in his arms and retreated to his room for the night.

``Dumb luck on my side again,'' Lew said, nodding to Svetlana. ``Thanks for remembering me, Sveta.''

``It wasn't hard. Your classes were my favorites,'' she said, rising up from her chair. ``You're probably the only teacher I've had I wouldn't mind seeing outside of school on a regular basis.''

``Well, perhaps if I'm lucky you'll be seeing me more often, hmm?'' Lewis' tail wagged and his floppy ears slicked back slightly. ``And I'll definitely look forward to seeing you girls more often, as well,'' He winked to Sveta and Illya, ``Two of the most lovely little ladies at Manticore.''

``Well, you'll see Illya,'' the teen hare/raccoon mix said, ``I'm starting at Chimera in the fall.''

``Haha!'' He laughed and smacked his leg with one hand. ``Of course you are! Going to take the place over by storm, right?'' He leaned towards Sveta, expecting an answer. ``Break some boys' hearts, win prom queen, Valedictorian, or maybe cheerleading captain?''

``Ugh. Cheerleaders,'' the girl said, rolling her eyes. ``No thanks. I'm pretty nervous, though. I haven't been without my sister for years.''

``You'll be fine,'' the younger sister said, ``I'll be there next year. Plus, you've got Ethan, and Claire with you.'' She squeezed her sister's paw and said, ``And don't worry about me; I've still got `Lissa Jo, Taybra, Jordan, Kaitlyn, and Abby with me.''

``Sounds like you both have enough to get you through the year, at least.'' Lew leaned back in his chair, still idly stroking Tatiana's hand without really realizing it. ``Besides, Illya's got me taking care of her too. ``He gave a wink to the younger girl, and a little bit a mischievous smile. ``I'll be sure everyone knows not to bother Illyana. Teacher's pet and all. That will cut down on any bullying or teasing, right?''

``Here's hoping. If Vanessa gets up in my face...'' She left the thought incomplete as she imagined the school's most notorious bully cornering Jordan in the restroom. ``No, you're right. It's going to be a good year!''

``Is the Zaritsky girl still being a bully? I thought we had taken care of that...'' Lewis shook his head and sighed. ``I'll have to call her mother in and have a talk about this behavior.''

``Please do. I'll slap the shit out of her if she tries any of her shit with me. I don't give a damn if her daddy's a city councilman,'' Illyana growled.

``Illyana Velna Black!'' Tatiana spoke up, ``Vatch your language!''

``Sorry, but I see how she treated Jordan and River, and I'm not going to put up with it if she tries it with me,'' the pre-teen said. ``Just be ready to have me on at-home suspension if it happens.''

``It's...'' He sighed and turned to Tatiana with a frustrated frown. ``Illya's attitude is really understandable. I had heard about how bad Miss Zaritsky could be in the past and thought it was handled.'' He shook his head and took a sip of what drink he had left. ``I miss the good old days when you could just get into a fight on the playground and everything was settled.'' It suddenly dawned on him what an old man he was starting to sound like and let out an embarrassed chuckle.

``Still,'' Tatiana said with a huff, ``she knows better than to talk like zhat. You two should get yourselves ready for bed, anyvay. Say good-night to Loo,''

``Good-night, Mr. Henshaw,'' Svetlana said.

``Night, Mr. H,'' Illyana, added.

``Good-night, girls,'' Tatiana said, standing up to give her daughters a hug.

Lewis stood as well and nodded at them. ``Goodnight, Sveta, Illya. It was wonderful seeing you at home like this.''

Looking over at her date, the hare asked, ``So, Loo, vould you care to vatch a movie?''

``I would love to, Tatiana.'' He wrapped his arm around hers and waved her towards the living room that Ethan had shown him earlier. ``I believe I'll let the lady of the house lead.''

``Do you have a favorite movie?'' she asked as she led him to the sectional in the living room. ``Ve have a pretty large library, plus streaming, for you to pick from.''

``Hmm... Probably Predator. I don't know how you'd enjoy a silly action flick like that.'' He laughed a little and scanned the open shelves to see what particularly they had. ``What kind of movies do you like?''

``I don't know,'' she shrugged. ``I haven't really seen many films. My ex-husband and I vould never watch them togezher, and I vas alvays vatching zhe fashion channels to see vhat is new in zhe business,''

``Hmm... Well I suppose I can pick something.'' He guided her to take a seat, and his tail swung lightly behind him as he went through the shelves, trying to find something half decent. ``So... Tell me about the old country? Where particularly are you from?''

-----

A couple of hours later, as the end credits rolled, Tatiana lifted her head from Lew's shoulder. ``Oh, vow, I can't believe it's almost von o'clock. Zhat vas a pretty good movie. Zhe special effects on zhat alien vere pretty impressive for zhe eighties.''

``I know, right?'' His arm rested on her hip, stroking up and down her side. ``Sometime I'll have to show you the original monster design. It looked like a lobster and a Xenomorph had a baby.'' He didn't acknowledge her about the time, enjoying this night far too much to get in a hurry to cut it off.

``Vhat's a zeenomorf?'' she asked, her beautiful face scrunched up in confusion.

``Ummm...'' He looked at her with a slight tilt of his head, having forgotten again how sheltered she'd been from 80's media. ''Okay, so there are these little slimy eggs, and facehuggers hatch from the eggs, facehuggers grab you and lay eggs in your throat, and then about 4 hours later a little baby Xenomorph eats its way out of your belly and skitters away to turn into a giant, vaguely insectoid monster.'' He laid out the basic idea quickly, not realizing how little sense the pulpy movie would make to someone with her small amount of knowledge of science fiction.

``Ugh!'' she groaned, sticking out her tongue and holding up her paws. ``I've heard enough. No zhank you. You can skip zhat von.''

``Noo, nonono!'' He squeezed her a little and laughed. ''It's one of the last great science fiction horror movies! The kinda thing you go to a drive-in to watch.''

``Maybe ve'll have to vork our vay up to zhat von, zhen,'' she smiled. ``Maybe you should pick out anozher movie for our next date?''

``Hmm... I could.'' He tapped his chin for a moment and then smiled. ''So does that mean I managed to earn a second date?''

``You did. I had a vonderful time tonight. I zhink zhis vas zhe most fun I've had vith anozher adult since before Ezhan parents died,'' she said, a bittersweet expression on her face as she recalled her brother-and-sister-in-law. ``Vhen vould you like to go out again? Someplace vithout zhe girls, vhere ve can talk like adults?''

``How do you like the nature around here? There are some nice little trails to walk, some fishing, some swimming holes.'' He turned to face her putting his arm over the back of the couch. ''Or a nice dinner and a movie? There's a good restaurant or two here, and there's even a bakery in town that can actually make a good chocolate pie.''

A playful grin formed on her lips, and Tatiana asked, ``How about you let me kick your butt in kickboxing, and zhen ve go eat pie? Ve both like vorking out, so it should be fun, no?''

``Ah, you want to beat up an old man and then make him buy you sweets? What a rotten little lady you are.'' He smiled broadly and his tail wagged, smacking against the couch cushions.

``You catch on quickly, Loo,'' she smirked. ``I like zhat. Vhat do you say? Next Friday? Saturday, maybe?''

``I'll tell you what, Tatiana...'' He stood up, straightening up his shirt and holding a hand out for her. ''We'll make our date Friday, and see if I can't convince you to go trompin' on up in the woods with me Saturday?''

``Sounds good to me,'' she said, taking his paw and allowing him to pull her up to her footpaws. ``Vhat time vere you zhinking?''

``You tell me.'' He took her hand and pulled her up, holding onto it and wrapping his other arm around her loosely as they walked to the front door. ''I can be around whenever you want me to be. Just handle the plans with your family first, and I'll accommodate that.''

  ``I vill,'' she said, wrapping her arms around his broad chest and hugging him tightly. ``Zhank you for coming tonight. I had a good time.''

  He squeezed her around the waist tightly, returning the hug. He nuzzled the top of her head affectionately. ``You know, I couldn't help but notice when we first cuddled up while watching the movie,'' he pulled away and smiled. ``Do you know that you smell absolutely lovely?''

\f
Good-night, Loo,'' she grinned, shooing the Dalmatian man out the front door. ``I'll talk to you soon.'' Waving good-bye to her date, the middle-aged hare closed the door and leaned her back against it, sighing happily.

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