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without any chapter breaks. All 36k of it. The story of Jay, a kind squirrel that moves in next to a pair of chipmunks, Veronica and her daughter Arin. He takes a shining to Arin, but quickly grows to dislike Veronica. The story follows as Jay and Arin grow closer through circumstances, and the consequences of it.\n\nIf you find this too long for one go, you can start at [url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3336160]Part 1 here[/url]\n\n- - - - -\n\nA massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:\n[fa]booleangemini352[/fa] | Sedyna | [fa]Kaden22[/fa] | [fa]jafferroshak[/fa] | RoleplayCentral | [fa]Tierr[/fa] | [fa]akinkyyfox[/fa]\n\nIf you would like early access to my stories, polls, monthly commission raffles, weekly previews and updates, behind the scenes talks, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my [url=https://subscribestar.adult/xp_author]SubscribeStar[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "In case someone is an absolute MAD MAN, here is the complete story of The Good Neighbor without any chapter breaks. All 36k of it. The story of Jay, a kind squirrel that moves in next to a pair of chipmunks, Veronica and her daughter Arin. He takes a shining to Arin, but quickly grows to dislike Veronica. The story follows as Jay and Arin grow closer through circumstances, and the consequences of it.

If you find this too long for one go, you can start at Part 1 here

- - - - -

A massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:
\n\t\t\t\t\tbooleangemini352 | Sedyna | \n\t\t\t\t\tKaden22 | \n\t\t\t\t\tjafferroshak | RoleplayCentral | \n\t\t\t\t\tTierr | \n\t\t\t\t\takinkyyfox

If you would like early access to my stories, polls, monthly commission raffles, weekly previews and updates, behind the scenes talks, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my SubscribeStar", "writing": "\n[center][b]The Good Neighbor[/b][/center]\n[center]By XP Author[/center]\n\nJay stood to the side and watched, mostly just doing his best to stay out of the way of the two movers currently loading most of his possessions from the big truck and into his new home. Though the grey squirrel did give a direction every now and then for where they could leave some box or furniture. He had worked with Where To Wheels before, so he knew he had little to worry about. This was hardly the first time he had moved. He just hoped this time they didn't find asbestos in the walls like where he was moving out of. The whole place had been filled with the stuff, and it was easier to just move out than wait for them to renovate the whole place. It did work out for him, though. It meant he was closer to the shop and the pier.\n\n\"Hello!\" A voice from behind him caught his attention. He turned to see it was a chipmunk stepping out of the other side of the house. She must be his neighbor. He was moving into the B side of a duplex. The woman was shorter than he was, her figure somewhat heavier set and her clothes were... dirty looking. A yellow tank top that did not fit her figure and a pair of pink spandex that did nothing to hide her dumpy thighs. Her shoulder length hair was also quite frazzled and unkempt. She also had a beer bottle in one hand and a lit cigarette hanging from her lips, the smoke wafting in the air. As she got closer, he could tell she was a heavy smoker, the scent hanging around her like a cloud he could almost visualize.\n\nHe still smiled and gave a wave as she made her way across the lawn to him. \"Hello.\"\n\nShe stood nearby, giving him a big smile. \"You must be the new B.\" Even with the overpowering stench of cigarette smoke, he could smell the alcohol on her breath as she spoke. \"I wondered what all the noise was out here.\" She held out her hand. \"I'm Veronica Tamish in A. A pleasure to meet you, Mr...\"\n\nHe shook her hand, finding her grip surprisingly strong. \"McGavin. Though you can call me Jay.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"Is there a Mrs. McGavin?\"\n\nHe blinked at the rather sudden personal question. Though it made some sense to ask if there were more going to live next to her. \"Uh, no. It's just me.\"\n\nThe chipmunk's grin got even wider. \"Oh? Bachelor, eh?\" She gave him a sly look. \"Well, Jay, are you new to town? I'd be happy to tell you all about our little city...\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"Uh, no. I'm actually from here. I'm just moving from the other side of town. They found asbestos all over my old place, and it was easier to move then deal with them renovating the place for the next month.\"\n\nShe tilted her head. \"That right? Huh.\" She took a step back and looked him up and down. He was wearing pretty relaxed clothing, a pair of denim jeans and a dark green polo. The only logo on the shirt was a little one embroidered at the top left, a fish jumping out of the water with the letters 'McG's F&H' under it. His fur was short and light brown with grey mixed in, his black hair short and neat. \"So what do you do?\"\n\nHe was a little put off by her casual inquiry, but he really had nothing to hide. \"Oh, I own the Fishing and Hunting shop over on Frazier and Samford. McGavin's? I'm the McGavin.\"\n\nIt was her turn to blink this time. \"Oh!? Own your own business? I've never heard of it. Not really the type to go fishing or hunting, but that is impressive.\" She glanced at the movers as they carried a recliner into his place. He could tell the question she was going to ask before she even put it to words.\n\n\"I like to live below my means. No need to live in a big mansion all by myself.\" He motioned to the house. \"I prefer small places like this.\"\n\nShe smiled at him again. \"Well. If you ever want some company, all you need to do is knock on my door. I'll be more than happy to spend some quality time with you.\"\n\nHe let out an awkward laugh, definitely feeling uncomfortable with her flirting with him... or trying to. He really wasn't into her type. He was about to try and turn her down politely when he noticed something behind her. A small face in one of her windows. It looked like a young girl. \"Oh. Is that you're daughter?\"\n\nVeronica turned. \"Hmm?\" Her whole demeanor changed when she saw the girl in the window, suddenly becoming very sour. \"Oh. Yes, that's my little one.\" She then called out in a shrill shout. \"ARIN! GET OUT HERE!\" He winced, hoping that wasn't something he'd have to deal with a lot. After a minute, the girl came outside. She was very short and thin, the polar opposite of her mother in almost every way. She wore a pair of baggy pants and an equally baggy shirt with long sleeves, both in dark blue. Her straight brown hair was kept in a pair of pigtails. He saw green eyes glance up at him, only to look back down at the ground as she shuffled closer. He guessed she was about 9 year old? She was obviously very shy.\n\nThough maybe it wasn't just shyness. As soon as she was close enough, Veronica reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, yanking her over to stand beside her. \"This is my girl, Arin.\" She looked at the young girl. \"Say hello to our new neighbor, Mr. McGavin.\"\n\nArin nodded at him once. \"H-Hello, Mr. McGavin.\" She didn't once look up at him, almost as if she was afraid of him. Though he couldn't help but think that she was still incredibly adorable. He had... well, he had a thing for young girls. Though he had never acted on it. He still found her far more attractive than her mother. He wondered just what Veronica looked like when she was younger. She was probably quite pretty, but had clearly let herself go.\n\nVeronica grunted. \"You run back inside now. He's a business owner, so don't you go bothering the nice man or wasting his valuable time!\" Before he could even say anything, Arin just nodded and mumbled some goodbye to him before hurrying back inside the house. Her mother let out a sigh. \"Do let me know if she bothers you. You know how teenagers can be.\"\n\n\"Teenager?\" He blurted out before he could stop himself. \"Uh... s-sorry. She just looks much younger than a teenager.\"\n\n\"Oh yes. 13, but still a runt. Stunted growth. Gets it from her father. He was a runt, too.\" She scoffed, and he knew he didn't even need to ask if the father was still in the picture, knowing that he wasn't.\n\nHe cleared his throat, taking a polite step back. \"Well. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tamish.\"\n\n\"Only Miss, but please, call me Veronica.\" That confirmed his suspicion.\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes, well, Veronica, it was nice to meet you, but it looks like they're nearly done unpacking the truck, and I have a lot of unpacking to do as well. But, uh... I'm sure we'll talk again.\" He was honestly hoping not to talk with her much. He had been resisting the urge to cough from the cigarette smoke the whole time.\n\nShe frowned a little. \"Oh, yes, right.\" She hooked her thumb back at her own door. \"I should probably go make sure the little spit hasn't broken something. Don't be a stranger, Jay!\"\n\nHe gave a wave and hastily walked away, definitely hoping to be a stranger. He wouldn't mind talking to Arin some more and getting to know the young girl... though he really shouldn't think about that sort of thing. It would only get him into trouble. He had managed to never give into his urges so far, and he wasn't going to start now. Especially since he had his suspicions about how short of a leash Veronica kept on her daughter. The last thing he needed was some overbearing Karen getting the wrong idea... or worse, the right idea.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nJay let out a tired sigh as he sat down in his executive chair. He had just finished setting up what was effectively his home office. The place was technically a two bedroom setup, one on either side. He had kept the master bedroom just off of the kitchen as his bed, turning this one into an office. \"Right, only... a ton of boxes left to go...\" He let out another heavy sigh. He didn't actually have that many boxes to unpack, though. Mostly just some things for the kitchen and some decorations for the living room. He had put his small library of books into storage, since he had digital versions of them anyway, so that wasn't something to worry about. Though he might get them later on just for the sake of it. As convenient as it was to have all his stuff on a tablet or laptop, it just doesn't look as nice as a shelf full of books, and the shelves in the office looked very bare without anything on them.\n\n\"Ah, fuck yeah!\" Jay nearly jumped out of his fur as he heard the man's voice from behind him. He turned and saw... the wall. \"Shit, that's so tight!\" The voice was just a little muffled, but very clear. It was also very clear why the man was crying out as he heard the rhythmic sound of bed springs paired with it.\n\n\"Yeah! Shove it nice and deep!\" This time he recognized the voice, being Veronica.\n\nHe sighed. \"Oh great. Paper thin walls, and she's a screamer.\" Though thinking back to just how much she was hitting on him earlier, he wondered just who the guy was. Then again, she struck him as the type to just have a string of fuck buddies more than a steady relationship. He heard the bouncing getting faster, the man moaning louder. He had the idea to maybe just enjoy the unintentional show... at least he hoped it was unintentional. But he was pretty worn out from the move. Plus, he had no desire to imagine Veronica going at it with anyone. He'd much rather imagine the young Arin, her little body bouncing on his lap, moaning as he-\n\n\"Yup! Shower time!\" He quickly got up from his chair and headed to the other side of the house. Thankfully, the sounds of the fucking didn't carry all the way to the bedroom, especially once he closed the door. Stripping himself down, he walked to the bathroom adjoined to the master bedroom. He had unpacked all the normal essentials already, including towels. The bathroom had a pretty large mirror, so he got a good look at himself as he flicked the lights on. His body was covered in light brown fur, with a lot of grey mixed into it. The grey was natural, and thankfully only in his fur, his black hair not having started fading yet. He frowned a little as he pat his belly, thinking, not for the first time, that he could stand to lose a few pounds. He wasn't particularly well toned, but other than the slight paunch, he wasn't too bad for someone in their late 30's.\n\nThe squirrel turned on the water for the shower, his large, fluffy tail twitching behind him as he waited for it to get warm. Once he was satisfied, he stepped in and closed the door. He rather liked these showers that were their own stall, rather than part of the bathtub. It reminded him of the small showers on boats, though this was slightly more spacious. He stood under the water, letting it soak through his fur and run down his body. He could feel his muscles relaxing a little as the hot water gently rained down upon him.\n\nHis thoughts again returned to the young girl in the next section of the building. This time, he didn't bother fighting the thoughts. With the baggy clothing she had been wearing, he didn't get a very good look at her, so he had to imagine what was under them. He imagined thin legs with soft thighs, a flat belly and flat chest covered in brown fur, and the twin stripes of darker running along her back. He did love the pig tails she kept her hair in, so the version in his head still had those. They were perfect to hold onto as her head bobbed back and forth while she sucked him off. He reached down to start stroking himself, his six inches already rock hard from his thoughts.\n\nHe imagined her very willingly falling back on his bed, her thin legs spreading to show her little pussy to him, his cock rubbing between those puffy lips. She was of course a virgin, embarrassed to be showing herself off, but eager for him to take her virginity. He stuffed into her, and she cried out for him, filling her tight pussy so perfectly. He let out a soft moan as he stroked himself harder, wishing he really could push himself into her tight little sex, get her moaning loud for him, begging him to fill her little womb and breed her.\n\nHe didn't bother holding back, quickly bringing himself to the edge. He grit his teeth, grunting as he felt himself throbbing in his hands. She would beg for it, moaning loud, needing to feel him blasting into her. In his mind, she came when he did. In reality, his cock twitched and jerked in his grip, spitting his load out in heavy spurts onto the floor, only to be washed away quickly by the running water. He leaned back against the wall as his legs shivered a little, cock squirting quite a bit, his hips jerking a little with the heavy shots. It had been some time since he had given into these thoughts and jerked off to that kind of thing. He hadn't realized how pent up he had gotten. He really wished he could fulfill this kind of fantasy... but he knew he never would. He was no rapist, and the idea of tricking someone innocent just for his own pleasure was abhorrent to him. There was also the whole being illegal thing. He didn't even go looking for any real porn for this, satisfying himself with just fiction. But the desires would always be there.\n\nShaking the last of his cum off the tip of his cock, he returned to washing himself off more properly now that he was feeling a little less distracted by his thoughts. For now, at least. He made sure to work at his tail, the fluffy fur needing a little extra attention. When he was done, he turned off the water, shaking himself off a little, enjoying that he didn't have to worry about making a mess doing so. Then he grabbed one of the towels hanging on the outside of the shower and started drying himself off properly. Again, the thick fur of his tail needed extra attention, but that was what blow driers were for.\n\nOnce he was mostly dried, he felt a little puffier than normal, but it would pass quickly enough. He got himself into his pajamas, though that consisted of nothing more than a pair of baggy black boxers and a white tank top. He wasn't quite ready for bed yet, so he decided to get himself a quite bite. He would see about watching a movie, but the net wouldn't be hooked up until tomorrow, and all the ones he owned were still in a box. He might just do some reading instead. He stepped out into the kitchen while contemplating what to do, but got distracted as he heard voices again. Not the sound of fucking this time, and they were coming from outside. He couldn't make out what was being said, though.\n\nCuriosity got the better of him, and he decided to peak out of the front window. He saw a man standing in the driveway for unit A, a canine of some kind, but he couldn't make out too many details in the dark. Though he did see the man was talking to Veronica, who was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Though she did have a cigarette in her mouth still. He wondered if she was ever without one of those, and wondered if he should invest in fire insurance... just in case she set fire to the house trying to smoke in her sleep or something. The canine handed something over to Veronica, which was quickly stuffed into a pocket of her robe. It looked like money. Then he walked away, getting into a very beat up looking old car. The moment it started, the window started to rattle from the bass of whatever music was blasting inside the car. It pulled out and away while Veronica moved back into the house.\n\nJay grunted. \"Wonder what that was about...\" He chuckled as the thought his neighbor might be some kind of hooker came to mind. Some people will do anything to get their dick wet. He just shrugged and turned away, heading back to the kitchen. He needed to do some shopping for food, but he had enough to make himself a basic sandwich.\n\n\"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU!?\" He nearly bit his tongue when he heard Veronica shrieking again, the same way she had done earlier. \"CLEAN THIS MESS UP!\" He let out a sigh as he continued eating. Thankfully, that was the last of the screaming he heard... at least that night.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nJay was very thankful that he had to go into the store for most of the weekend. The few times he was home, he was hearing more yelling next door. He was definitely starting to dislike Veronica. He also heard more moaning and sounds of sex at night. He chose to stay in his room and read to avoid it. He really hoped it was just a weekend thing. When Monday morning came around, it was blissfully quiet as got his morning coffee. For a while, at least. Just as he was getting ready to leave, he did hear the woman scream again. \"GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR OR YOU'LL BE LATE! I swear if I get a call that you were late again, I'll make you regret it!\" He frowned. The sentiment was fine, but he didn't like how it was said.\n\nAs he stepped out of the house, he locked the door behind him. He also heard something next door. He turned to see Arin also stepping outside. She was dressed in baggy clothes again, all long sleeves and pants to keep herself covered up. She still had her hair in pigtails, which did make him smile a little. She also had a pink backpack that looked a little heavy for her size. She caught him staring and froze for a moment. He just gave her a wave. \"Morning. Heading off to school?\" She just nodded. \"Need a ride? I pass the school on the way to the office.\"\n\nShe shook her head, and he was sure he caught a blush just as she turned away. \"N-no... thank you, Sir.\" She moved around to the other side of the house, and after a moment, pushed a pink bike forward.\n\nHe nodded. \"Ah. I see. Well, you be careful out there.\"\n\n\"I will.\" She swung her leg over the seat and hopped onto the bike. \"Um... have a good day, Sir.\" With that, she was off.\n\nHe frowned a little. \"Don't need to call me sir...\" She was already out of earshot by then. He just shook his head and made his own way to his pickup. He started it up and pulled out. Sure enough, he passed the girl as he went. He tried to wave, but she either didn't notice, or was ignoring him. He didn't want to bother her more, so he just kept going. There was something in her eyes, though, that stuck with him. She just stared ahead as she pedaled, like she was lost in her own thoughts. A result of her overbearing mother, he guessed.\n\nHe tried not to think too much about it. Though he did verify that he passed the middle school on the direct route to the shop. Maybe he could convince her to let him give her a ride eventually. He was still basically a stranger, after all. And even if his thoughts of her shifted to the lewd, he wouldn't try anything with her. He just hoped she wasn't picking up on anything from him.\n\nHis shop was a decent sized place, at least for what it was. It was no massive building, but there was room enough for all the stock. He was not surprised to find no other cars parked as he pulled in. The place wasn't going to officially open for hours. He just liked to get there early to deal with any paperwork before customers showed up. Not that he did much with them. He let the manager do that. He unlocked the back door and stepped inside, making his way to the office. He really didn't have too much left to handle, but there were a few last things to get sorted out. Though he did want to look at a few of the sample products sent, as they could be new items to sell.\n\nSure enough, there were a few boxes waiting in his office. He left them for now, tending instead to the last of the paperwork he had. Invoices, mostly. Once that was done, he turned his attention to the boxes. He opened one and found a neatly packed hunting scope. \"Huh.\" He held it up, blinking a little. It had a very strange recital inside, a circle with a few lines pointing to it. He frowned a little. \"I dunno. Obscures a bit of the vision.\" Hunters tended to like clean sights. Sometimes designers got a little too fancy. He'd reject this. Moving on, he found samples for fishing bait, a new heavy fishing line, and a rather nice looking rod in a dark, metallic purple. \"Ooo. I'll have to test these out.\" He picked up the rod, finding the weight satisfying. The reel also attached nicely. He would have to take this out next time he went fishing and test it properly, but from a few idle tests, it all looked pretty good. Fishing was one of his main hobbies, something his father had taught him when he was very young.\n\nGoing through a few more of the samples, he set aside the ones he knew would be an easy yes or no. While he was looking at a box that he was pretty sure contained a tent, he heard the back door open and close. He looked up at the office door and smiled as the woman peaked in. \"More samples?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yup.\" He motioned to one long box. \"Got a new hunting rifle for you to test. And a scope, but I don't think you'll like it. Sight is a bit cluttered.\"\n\nThe woman sighed, putting her hands on her hips, the motion making her very large breasts bounce under her polo. \"When will they learn? A clean sight is better!\" The tall zebra was Zinda Mwindi, his business partner... so to speak. Technically, she was his employee, but he treated her like an equal. She ran the day-to-day of the place, leaving the paperwork to him. His father had been friends with hers, so he had known her most of his life. When his father turned ownership of the place over, Zinda was already working there, and he was more than happy to keep her on. They had tried dating once, back when they were teenagers, but decided they worked out much better as friends. Probably for the best, as she was now married to a lovely woman, a horse named Theresa.\n\nZinda called out as she went up to the front to make sure everything was stocked up and displayed properly. \"By the way, you never did answer my question yesterday. How're you liking the new place?\"\n\nHe sighed a little. \"Eh, the place isn't bad, but the neighbor leaves much to be desired. She's very... loud. If you know what I mean...\"\n\nShe laughed a little. \"Well, at least you have some entertainment for the evenings.\" She set down a box of fish bait to restock the case. \"Surprised you didn't end up just moving onto the Azure Seam.\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"I might just do that eventually.\" He didn't bring up Arin. He had already told her about his neighbors, so bringing up the young girl on his mind would just sound awkward. Zinda didn't know about his fixation with young girls, either, and he wasn't about to sour their relationship hinting at it. He was pretty sure she thought he was into girls with big breasts like hers, considering she was constantly trying to hook him up with those types. He didn't mind them, but he preferred... well, girls like Arin. Small and flat... and too young to enjoy without getting into trouble. He went back to the samples to get his mind out of the gutter. It... mostly worked.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nOver the course of the next several weeks, Jay started to learn some patterns. His neighbors were thankfully quiet for most of the week, though Veronica would sometimes still start shouting at her daughter for whatever reason. Usually involving some kind of mess that was left. The fucking noises were mostly a weekend thing, Friday and Saturday most of all, but sometimes Sundays. He was almost certain that the woman was some kind of prostitute now, considering that it was never the same man twice that left afterwards. Or maybe she made amateur porn videos. That was possible, too. She didn't see to do anything else other than yell at her daughter, drink, and smoke several packs of cigarettes a day.\n\nWell, she did hit on him constantly, too. Every time he went outside while she was around, she would try to proposition him. If he was lucky, she didn't reek of alcohol at the time. More positively, he got the chance to talk to Arin a little more. He had started greeting her in the mornings as she left for school. Even when he didn't have to go to the office that day, he would drink his coffee outside to say hello to her and wish her a good day. At first, she was very hesitant to say much more than a hello and goodbye to him, but after about two weeks, she seemed to perk up a little when she saw him outside to send her off. He even managed to get her to stop calling him Sir all the time, instead settling for Mr. McGavin. He still would have preferred she just call him Jay, but he understood how awkward it was for kids to call adults by their first name. He still thought of some of his old neighbors as Mr. or Mrs. whatever, despite being older now than they were when he knew them.\n\nThis morning was another that he was going to have to go into the office. A new shipment was coming in, and he would need to be there for it. But he still waited outside for Arin. Soon enough, she came out, as always in her pigtails and baggy clothing, this time mostly green. When she saw him, her expression did brighten just a little. He waved to her. \"Good morning, Arin.\"\n\nShe smiled and waved back. \"Good morning, Mr. McGavin.\"\n\nHe stepped down the steps as he watched her getting her bike. \"Hey, I've got to head into the office this morning. You want a ride to school?\"\n\nShe pushed her bike out like she always did, but she looked at his truck and seemed to actually consider the offer. Though then she turned to look at her front door, her expression falling a little. \"I... uh... I shouldn't...\"\n\nHe put his hands on his hips. \"You sure? It is on the way, so it's no trouble. And you could just put your bike in the back of the truck, so you don't even need to worry about me waiting to pick you up or anything.\"\n\nShe hesitated again, her expression falling a little more. \"N-no... b-but thank you! I-I just don't want... Mom getting upset...\" She smiled at him. \"She doesn't like me bothering you.\"\n\nHe let out a slight snort, his big tail flicking behind him. \"You're not annoying me.\" He took a breath, then let it out slowly. \"But I don't want to make your mother angry with you, either. So okay. I can talk to her to let her know it's alright, though. It's really no problem at all.\"\n\nArin nodded, getting onto the bike. \"O-okay... if you want.\" She managed a smile at him. \"Um... have a nice day, Mr. McGavin!\" She waved as she started off.\n\nHe waved back. \"You, too, Arin!\" He watched her ride away, then turned to look at her front door. He didn't have the time right now to talk to Veronica about driving Arin to school, but he probably should at some point. But he did need to get to the office, so he got into his truck and soon was on his way. He did wave to the girl as he passed her, and for the first time, she waved back at him. That certainly brightened his mood.\n\nHe managed to get to the shop before the delivery truck did, beating it by only a few minutes. He had barely started the computer in his office when he heard the bell the drivers used. He took the paperwork from the grizzled badger, and showed him where the pallets could be dropped off, but mostly stayed out of his way while he unloaded the truck. It was not a huge delivery, so it was done in only around twenty minutes. With all the papers signed, the driver was off again before Zinda had even arrived.\n\nThe zebra did get there as he was unboxing things, though. \"Oh! New delivery? What'd we get this time?\"\n\nHe shifted to the side to show one of the open boxes. \"Bunch of new fishing gear. Some new tackle boxes, line, and reels. All from that new company. Still need to test it out first hand, but it's pretty good quality so I ordered a batch.\"\n\nShe put her hands on her hips. \"You still haven't gone out on the water with that new rod they sent you?\" He shook his head. \"I know how much you love fishing. You must be itching to get out there again.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Yeah. I really am. Just haven't found the time.\" He pointed to his office. \"I haven't even dropped it off yet. Still sitting in there. Haven't even strung it up, yet.\"\n\nShe scoffed at him, then grabbed one of the boxes and picked it up with noticeable ease. \"Well, I should order you to take a break and go out on the water. If for no other reason than to test the products you were given.\"\n\nHe couldn't help but laugh. \"I'm supposed to be your boss.\" She just chuckled at him. The two finished unpacking and reorganizing the storefront to display the new stock. It sat nicely among the rest of the fishing gear. It was definitely some of the most popular stuff they sold. Made sense, being a coast city and all. A lot of people liked to go fishing around here.\n\nThe day went by surprisingly quickly. Before Jay knew it, afternoon had rolled around. He bid Zinda a farewell for the day, though she made sure he took the fishing gear samples with him before he left. He just put them in the back of his truck for now and headed off back home. It was not long before he found himself passing the middle school again. It seems it had just let out a bit ago, as there were a ton of cars coming and going in and out of the place, and he saw several of the busses pulling away in the distance.\n\nThen he saw something that distracted him so much that he nearly slammed into the car in front of him. It was Arin. But the girl was not on her bike, instead just pushing the thing... awkwardly. Almost carrying it more than pushing it. Her head was also low, and her clothes looked... wet. As he got closer, he saw why the way she was pushing the bike looked strange. The front wheel was bent badly, with a very distinct dent. He decided to pull over as soon as he could. Thankfully, one of the waiting parents was just pulling away from the curb, so he quickly slid himself into the spot.\n\nHe got out when he could, thankfully before she passed him, and called out. \"Arin! Hey!\"\n\nThe girl flinched when she heard him call her name, gasping and looking around almost in fear. Then she saw him, and her head hung again. \"Oh... H-Hello, Mr. McGavin.\"\n\nHe made his way over to her. \"Hey. What happened to your bike?\"\n\nShe looked away again, her ears folding back a little. \"I-I... um... J-just hit a pot hole...\" Despite her best efforts to not look at him, he could tell she had been crying.\n\nAs he got closer, he saw that the wheel was not the only issue. The chain was also hanging loose, and the gears looked like they were bent. If he didn't know any better, he'd say they were smashed by something. \"That must have been some pothole... And I'm guessing it was also a very wet pothole?\" She flinched, nodding quickly. He didn't buy it for a moment, especially as he could smell just what it was soaked into her clothing. \"Never seen a pothole filled with apple juice before.\" She just squeaked, flinching slightly in place. \"Does this pothole have a name?\"\n\nShe whimpered slightly, then just sighed, knowing she was caught. \"C-Cindy... and Becky... a-and Kathy.\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Three potholes, then, huh?\" She nodded slowly. \"Does this happen a lot?\"\n\nThe young girl hesitated for a long moment, but then nodded again. \"Y-yes... but this is the first time they've smashed my bike...\"\n\nHe sighed softly, crouching down a little in front of her. \"Well. I'd very much like to talk to the parents of these potholes.\" The girl whimpered again, but he continued. \"More importantly, are you okay? Did they hurt you?\"\n\nAfter another moment, she answered. \"N-no. They just dumped a bunch of juice on me and laughed.\"\n\nHe believed that part. She didn't seem hurt, at least. \"Alright. Well, c'mon. I'll give you a ride home. You can put that in the back of my truck. And don't worry about getting the seat wet or anything. I have a spare towel you can sit on.\"\n\nShe tried to protest. \"Y-you don't have to. I can walk...\"\n\nHe scoffed. \"Nonsense. It's miles to the house! It'll take you over an hour to get there, especially dragging a broken bike with you.\" He stood up again. \"Besides, I live next door. It's not like I'm going out of my way.\"\n\nShe chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second, but then eventually relented. \"Alright...\" He smiled and helped her carry the bike over to his truck. More he helped her get it into the back, setting it down next to the stuff he had from work. He also tied it down with a bungie so it wouldn't bounce around. He also grabbed the towel for her. It was a big beach mat type thing in dark blue, and almost bigger than she was. She dried herself off a little, but she'd need to change to really get dry. So instead, he just spread it out on the passenger seat for her so it covered both the seat and the back. He helped her up and inside, since it was a bit tall for her short legs.\n\nOnce she was all situated, he got into the driver's seat and turned the truck back on again. \"Don't worry, I'm sure your mom will understand. I'll explain it to her myself.\" The girl just whimpered again, and he knew he hit one of her worries. \"And, I'll even do you one better. I'll help fix the thing up for you.\"\n\nThat got her attention. \"W-wait, you will!?\" She quashed her excitement a moment later. \"B-but... how?\"\n\nHe chuckled as he pulled out into the slow moving traffic. \"Well, my shop might not be a sporting goods store, but we do have contracts with a lot of the same types of companies. I know a few that produce bikes. I can get some spare parts ordered for you. New gear, new chain, new wheel, all that. Should even be able to get a vendor discount.\"\n\n\"B-but... I... I can't... pay you...\" She looked away a little. \"I... don't have any money... so-\"\n\n\"Don't worry about it.\" He saw the worried look out of the corner of his eye. \"I'm just being neighborly. You don't owe me anything.\" He smirked. \"Maybe just a smile and a hello in the morning like usual. Think you can afford that?\" She actually giggled a little, nodding slowly. \"Good. And I'll talk to your mom and let her know I can give you a ride to and from school while I get the parts.\" He held up a hand before she even said anything. \"Only if she says it's okay. It's my idea, so you're not bothering me! Got it?\"\n\nThe little chipmunk nodded again. \"O-okay...\"\n\nHe smiled. \"Good.\" He did what he could to hide his own excitement. He had wanted to get to know her better. Not just for the lewd reasons his mind conjured, but she genuinely seemed like she could use a friend, and he would be happy to do even a little to cheer her up. She did seem a little more perked up during the ride back at least. He was sure she was worrying all about how to get to school with her bike trashed. He hadn't seen any of the busses go near their place, so it was probably a walk to the nearest stop, too.\n\nAfter a few minutes of silence, the young girl spoke up. \"So... do you go fishing a lot?\"\n\nHe blinked as the question came out of seemingly nowhere. \"Huh? Yeah, though not as much as I'd like these days. Why?\"\n\n\"Oh... I saw the fishing rod and stuff in the back.\" He had already forgotten he put all that back there. \"I've never been fishing, but I've always wanted to try. It seems... nice.\"\n\nHe smiled. \"It is. Very relaxing. Though some people find it boring, but I love it.\" He chuckled a little. \"I actually have a boat that I like to go out on the water with. I just haven't found the time latel-\"\n\n\"You have a boat!?\" She excitedly interrupted him, though she lowered her head a little after that.\n\nHe chuckled. \"Yeah. Got it parked over at the pier in one of their... boat garages.\" There really was no better term for it. It wasn't exactly a boat house. \"I could show you some time. Though I doubt your mom would let me take you out with it. But I could ask.\"\n\nShe whimpered. \"N-no... sh-she wouldn't let me do that....\" She frowned and looked away again. \"She doesn't like me being away for a long time...\"\n\nHe nodded, figuring as much. Veronica seemed... very overbearing, to put it mildly. \"Well, I can still see about showing it to you some time. Even if we don't go out.\"\n\nArin got a little smile. \"I'd like that...\"\n\nSoon enough, they were home. He pulled into his driveway and turned the truck off. \"Alright. I'll get the bike. You go get your mom so I can talk with her about giving you a ride for school, okay?\" She nodded slowly and half-fell out of the seat onto her feet.\n\nHe was just pulling the bike out of the back when he heard the woman yelling. \"ARIN! Where the [i]hell[/i] have you been!? What are you doing bothering nice Mr. McGavin!?\"\n\nArin sputtered a little. \"I-I w-wasn't...\"\n\n\"I don't want to hear it!\" She swatted the girl's arm none-too gently, speaking through grit teeth. \"Get your sorry ass back in the house now!\"\n\nJay did what he could to keep his temper under control. \"It was no bother, Veronica.\" He set the bike down. \"Seems Arin ran afoul of a pothole and did a number on her bike.\" He saw the thankful look the girl gave him using her excuse. \"Thankfully, she wasn't hurt. I was just on my way home and passing by and thought I'd offer her a ride.\"\n\nThe older chipmunk gave him a forced sweet look that made his fur crawl. \"Oh, that's very kind of you, Jay. But you don't need to go out of your way for that girl. She's always doing something like this.\"\n\n\"It's no trouble.\" He leaned the bike against the side of the house. \"In fact, I wanted to talk to you...\" He glanced up to see Arin just going inside. \"In private.\"\n\nVeronica perked up hearing that. \"Oh?\" She gave him a... he guessed it was lustful look. \"What about?\"\n\n\"About Arin and the bike...\"\n\nHer expression immediately fell. \"Oh...\" She sighed, puffing out a cloud of smoke. \"What about it?\"\n\nHe explained what he had said to Arin about his shop being able to get parts, possibly at a discount. He was also handy with a wrench, so he could install everything. He was pretty sure the fact he was willing to do all of this for free was the only reason she even considered saying yes. \"There's also the matter of Arin going to and from school while the parts are being ordered. Since I literally pass by the school, I figure I could give her a lift until everything is all fixed up. Again, no charge or anything. Just... being neighborly.\"\n\nThe woman's mood seemed to have turned very foul. Or more, she had dropped the sweet act and was acting normal. \"I'm sure you are.\" She let out another heavy sigh, and he had to resist coughing as another puff of smoke wafting in front of his face. \"So long as you're not charging for it, then fine. Don't want the school calling about her again.\" She pointed at him, almost poking his chest. \"But don't you go doing her too many favors like this! She's spoiled enough! Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile.\"\n\nHe forced a laugh, backing away a step. \"I'll keep that in mind.\" Now he was sure of it. He was definitely going to spoil the hell out of her every chance he got.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nHe made sure to get up bright and early the next morning. After his morning coffee and a bagel with some cream cheese, he made his way outside and waited for Arin. He did not have to wait too long. She came out not much longer than he did, her hair in the usual pig tails, her baggy clothing a light blue this time, and her pink backpack over her shoulder. She had her usual dour look she had in the mornings, but seeing him, she brightened up a little. He smiled to her. \"Good morning, Arin. You all set?\"\n\nShe nodded as she walked across the lawn to his side of the building. \"Yeah. I'm all set.\" He opened the door to the truck and helped her inside. She set her backpack on the floor and buckled in as he got into the driver's seat. \"Um... th-thank you again for this.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Not a problem at all.\" He couldn't help but reach out and gently pat the girl's head. \"I couldn't leave you to walk all the way there and back every day.\"\n\nThe two sat in relative silence as he drove. But she eventually spoke up. \"So... your boat... what's it's name?\"\n\n\"Hmm? Oh. The Azure Seam.\"\n\nThe girl giggled softly. \"Oh, that's a cool name! Where'd you come up with it?\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"I dunno. It just came to me one day, and it sounded good.\"\n\n\"Is it big?\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Not really all that big, no. Big enough, I guess. I can take it out for a few days and be fine. I'll have to show her to you sometime.\"\n\nShe smiled a little more. \"I'd like that...\" There was a slight wistfulness in her voice.\n\n\"You like the ocean?\"\n\nShe nodded slowly. \"Yeah... all that water... so much blue just going on and on... like you could get lost in it and just... never come back.\"\n\nSomething about how she said that worried him, but he did understand the sentiment. \"Yeah, it's very peaceful out there sometimes. Though it can get a little scary when the weather turns suddenly. I never go far enough out that I need to worry too much about that, though. And as long as you pay attention to the weather reports and learn the patterns in the air, you can usually avoid the worst of it.\"\n\n\"That makes sense...\" She looked out the window, in the direction of the ocean. Though it wasn't really visible from where they were, too many buildings in the way. \"Have you ever been out there while there's a hurricane?\"\n\nHe laughed. \"No, I've always been careful not to go out during those, and I haven't been unlucky enough to be caught in anything that bad.\" He chuckled. \"Plus, they don't let you take the boats out when there's a weather warning going on, anyway.\"\n\n\"Oh... yeah, I guess they wouldn't...\" She got quiet again, just staring out of the window as they drove on.\n\nIt was his turn to break the silence. \"Anything special going on in school today?\" She shook her head. \"Mmm. Don't worry, I'm sure the day will pass by quick enough.\" She nodded, again remaining silent. He wished he could do something to cheer her up more. All too soon, the middle school was in sight. He pulled in with the rest of the parents dropping kids off. \"Alright. You try to have a nice day, alright? I'll see you this afternoon.\"\n\nShe nodded as she slid out of the seat, grabbing her backpack. \"I'll try. Thanks again.\"\n\nBefore she could walk away, he called out. \"Hey!\" She stopped, turning around and looking like she was in trouble. \"You owe me that smile, remember?\" She stared at him for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a little giggle, giving him that smile. \"That's better. Now off you go.\"\n\nShe nodded, her mood at least a little better. \"Okay. Thanks again, Mr. McGavin.\" She shut the door, then gave him a wave as she walked off to the school to join the other throng of preteens.\n\nHe let out a soft sigh as he watched her go. Someone behind him honked and he scowled. Though he shouldn't block the way, so he pulled out. He made his way to the store, only a few minutes away once he was out of the school traffic. He saw Zinda's car already there. He didn't normally go in on Tuesdays. So when he opened the back door, he heard her call out in surprise. \"Jay? That you? Did you forget something yesterday?\"\n\nHe laughed. \"Not quiet.\" He walked up to the front to find her getting the register ready for opening. \"My neighbor's kid had an accident with her bike. Banged up the tire and gears real bad. So I figured I'd order some replacement parts from some of our outdoorsy suppliers.\"\n\nThe woman's expression almost melted. \"Awww. That's real sweet of you, Jay.\" She gave him a big smile. \"It's a shame you never became a father. I think you'd have been a great dad.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Well, never found the right girl for that. And with no siblings, I have no nieces or nephews to spoil. Might as well spoil my neighbor's kid instead, right?\" Of course, he wasn't a father for other reasons. He would never want the temptation of doing something to his own kid, especially if he had a daughter. \"Oh, and don't worry, I'll be using my own funds, not the store's. But it'll still be shipped here, since that'll be faster. So don't be too surprised if we get an unexpected box in the next day or two.\"\n\n\"You got it, boss. I'll let you know when it gets here.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"I gotta go order it first. Make sure they even have what I need.\" He gave her a wave and left her to finishing with the register as he went to his office. After booting up his computer, he went through the vendor catalog for some of the outdoors companies. Sure enough, he was able to find parts for all kinds of bikes. Seems some of the offroading types liked to really tinker with their ride. Not that he was surprised at all. It was actually a bit of a struggle to find relatively normal parts among the lists, but he did eventually find them. He decided to get a new chain with the gears, just in case the one on Arin's bike had also been damaged. He also got both a new front and back wheel, and a new cushioned seat. Might as well go all out, while he was at it. In fact, he found a whole kit for changing everything, which included a tool set and new breaks, all at cheaper than buying them individually. He got that, and entered his vendor code at checkout, which knocked off 20% and the shipping. It was set to be shipped later that day, so it should come by tomorrow or Thursday.\n\nWith all that set, he decided to look at whatever else the company had to offer. They were mostly for offroading, but his store sold some of their camping things, since hunters liked to use those. Nothing really struck his interest, though. It was all more Zinda's thing than his. She was the type that liked to go out camping. Apparently she and her wife had met while camping. He's not sure how that worked, but they had been together for almost five years now. He was going to have to make sure to get them something for their anniversary coming up in a few months.\n\nHe spent most of the day just killing time, either browsing the catalogs, or helping when there was a customer. He did manage to make a pretty good sale for a whole new fishing set to a father looking to teach his son the ropes for his 9th birthday. So that was a nice highlight of the day. Though Zinda again teased him that he'd make a good father because of it. For a woman in a gay marriage, she was always so insistent about other people having kids. He figured she just wanted to be that doting aunt, since she also had no siblings.\n\nEventually, afternoon rolled around, and he said his goodbyes to Zinda and headed out. He made his way to the school again relatively quickly and parked with the other cars waiting to kick up kids. When he finally spotted Arin coming over, he saw her hair was no longer in pigtails for the first time since he had met her. It hung limp just past her shoulders. She also walked a little slow, her shoulders drooped. Though when she saw him waiting, she did seem to perk up just a little. When she opened the door, she practically tossed the backpack onto the floor before climbing in. \"Hey, kiddo. What's with the hair? Gym class?\"\n\nShe shook her head, closing the door again. \"No...\" She didn't elaborate further as she buckled herself in.\n\nHe sighed slightly. \"Was it those potholes again?\" She flinched, and he knew he had it. \"What did they do this time?\"\n\nAfter a long hesitation, she finally answered. \"They... cut my hair ties...\"\n\nHe frowned. \"They didn't try and cut your hair, too, did they?\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"No. Just the ties. Even my spares in my bag...\"\n\nHe let out another sigh. \"Did you tell a teacher?\"\n\n\"No... They never do anything. And if they do, it only makes it worse...\"\n\nHe shook his head, pulling the truck out onto the road. \"Someone should have a talk with their parents. That kind of behavior is not oka-\"\n\n\"NO!\" The forcefulness she said that surprised him so much he nearly swerved into the car next to him. \"D-don't... don't do that...\"\n\nHe quirked an eyebrow at her. The look on her face was almost afraid. Something clicked, and he took a shot. \"Their fathers are clients of your mom's aren't they?\"\n\nHer eyes went wide. \"H-how...\" Well that confirmed his suspicions.\n\n\"The walls are pretty thin between our places. I can hear a lot of what goes on in there...\" He saw her ears fall back a little. \"I can hear her yelling at you, too. Your mother, I mean. Is that why you didn't want to tell her about the bullies at school?\" She just nodded. \"Well, you still should. The things I've heard her say... She shouldn't say those things to you.\"\n\nHer eyes looked down at the floor again. \"She's right, though...\"\n\n\"No, she isn't.\" He sighed yet again. \"I know, she's your mom, but she's...\" He didn't just want to say she was a bitch, despite thinking it. \"Look, just... if she's too much, you can come talk to me, okay? Or even if you just want to talk about something else. Or just sit and be quiet away from her.\"\n\nArin sniffled slightly, though she hadn't started crying. \"Thanks...\"\n\nHe smiled a little. \"I have some good news. I got the parts ordered for your bike. They should be coming in a day or two. Then I can get it all fixed up for you.\" She just nodded slowly. \"Though if you'd like, I can keep driving you to and from school. I don't mind.\"\n\n\"I'll... think about it...\" He did see a little smile. \"Th-thanks... again.\"\n\n\"You're welcome.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nThe next morning, Arin was actually waiting for him this time. He smiled as he stepped outside. \"Hey, kiddo. I'm not late, am I?\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"N-no... I just... didn't want to be inside...\"\n\nHe frowned a little. \"You mean after that tirade your mother went on last night?\" She nodded slowly. \"Well, I don't blame you.\" He again helped her into the truck.\n\n\"She was... drinking all night, so she's still out right now...\" She actually smiled just a little. \"I like it when she doesn't wake up... She doesn't yell.\"\n\nHe frowned again. \"I'm really sorry that you have to deal with her.\" He took a breath, then let it out slowly. \"But like I said, if you ever want to just get away, you can knock on my door any time, okay?\" She nodded slowly. He pulled out of the driveway and started off in the direction of the school again. She didn't say anything else during the trip, and he wasn't really sure what to say to cheer her up. When they got there, she quietly slid out of the seat and grabbed her bag. \"I'll see you this afternoon. She did give him a very slight smile and nod, and walked off to join the other kids walking inside.\n\nHe shook his head, wishing he could do more. He pulled out and headed back home, since he had nothing else to do today, and had no reason to bother Zinda more right now. He might as well get some reading done. He hadn't gotten very far in the book he was reading in a while, so a quiet day would be nice.\n\nThough quiet did not last nearly long enough. Just before 11:00, he heard Veronica calling out, though whatever she was saying was impossible to figure out. It sounded more like some kind of whale call. Then a pounding on his front door nearly made him jump out of his fur. He set his tablet down and went to answer. He barely had it open before Veronica was yelling at him. \"Where'sh that fuck'n useless lil cunt!?\" Her words were... very heavily slurred, and she reeked of alcohol and... a lot of things. Her dress was also very dirty, and it looked like she had spilled something all over herself. Though for the first time since he had moved in, she was devoid of a cigarette in her mouth.\n\nHe stared at the woman. \"What? Who?\"\n\nShe scowled at him. \"ARIN! Who th'fuck else!?\"\n\nJay frowned. \"She's at school.\"\n\nVeronica blinked up at him, taking several seconds to focus on him. \"Wha...? Why th'fuck is she there? She needzz ta clean thi'shit up!\" She motioned as if at something, only to blink when she realized she was pointing at the recently trimmed lawn.\n\n\"Um... it's Wednesday. She's at school because it's the middle of the week.\"\n\n\"Oh...\" She swayed back and forth a little, giving him a blank look. \"Hey, so yer alone now right? Wanna have sum fun?\"\n\nHe sighed heavily. \"I'm perfectly fine. You should head back inside and go lay down.\"\n\nHe flinched back as she leaned forward, trying to grab at him. She nearly fell over when she missed. \"But I'd rather lay din with a big fuzzy man like you!\" She let out a hoarse laugh. \"If ye know what I man! Mean.\"\n\nJay shook his head. \"Yes, I know what you mean, and my answer is no.\" He nudged her shoulder gently to get her back out of the doorway. She nearly fell backwards this time as she stumbled back. \"Now please, go home and lay down. You're drunk. Go sleep it off. Arin will be home this afternoon after school.\"\n\nShe scoffed at him, though it was more like spitting. \"Pfeh. Fine. Yer prob'bly a faggot anyway. Ya got that look.\" He tensed up. Even if he wasn't gay, he didn't like that term. But she was stumbling away back to her own door, so he wasn't going to start an argument that would keep her there longer. Though she did still mutter to herself. \"Fuck'n useless pansy shits. Every man's just a fuck'n piece of shit...\" She slammed her door shut behind her, hard enough the windows rattled a little.\n\nHe took a deep breath now that the air was clear of her foul stench. \"What a lovely woman.\" He shook his head and went back inside. He had the thought to call the cops about her, but he knew there wasn't much they could do without some kind of evidence of something. The most she would get was a slap on the wrist and a stern talking to. Though knowing her, she'd probably proposition the officers while they tried. That might be an amusing enough sight for him to do it, but he still decided not to.\n\nThankfully, the rest of the day was quiet. When the afternoon came, he hopped into his truck and went to go pick up Arin from school. This time, when she came out, she seemed at least a little more upbeat than the last few times. She opened the door and smiled at him. \"Hello, Mr. McGavin.\" She set her bag down on the floor and climbed in.\n\n\"You have a good day?\" She just kind of made a noise, but at least she was smiling. The thought of his recent interaction with Veronica made him frown, though. He really didn't want to bring her back to that and ruin whatever good mood she was in. They were rare enough as it was. Then an idea came to him. \"Hey, Arin... do you want to go see my boat?\"\n\nThat got her attention. \"R-really!? B-but...\"\n\nHe already knew what she was going to say. \"It's fine. I'll tell your mom that I was held up at work and was late picking you up, so it'll be all my fault.\" He frowned a little. \"Besides, she was... pretty drunk earlier, so she's probably still sleeping it off.\"\n\nThe girl's ears fell back a little. \"Oh... was she bad?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah. Won't lie, it was pretty bad. Slurring her words, stumbling, very confused. Was looking for you for some reason.\"\n\nArin nodded slowly. \"She probably took the pills, too...\"\n\nHe blinked. \"Pills?\"\n\n\"Yeah... she takes painkillers... sometimes too much. It makes her confused and... angry... especially if she drinks, too.\" That explained a lot, actually.\n\nHe grunted. \"Well then. In that case, we won't have to rush. So, how about it? You want to see The Azure Seam?\"\n\nShe thought about it for a long moment, then nodded quickly. \"Yeah. I do!\"\n\nHe smiled. \"Alright. Next stop: the pier.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nThe truck pulled down the winding road, moving past several large buildings behind a gated wall. Arin looked at the gate as they passed it. \"What's behind there?\"\n\n\"Shipping docks. Not as busy these days as they were back 20 or 30 years ago. Still get big boats from time to time, though.\" He nodded ahead. \"Restricted of course. I don't have access, even if I wanted to. But we're close to the private piers. Just around this next turn.\" Sure enough, once past the high walls of the shipping docks, a long row of large buildings came into view. Each was a matte red and metal, with a black roof. They looked like rows of bland suburban houses that stuck out onto the water, each indistinct from one another save for a single number emblazoned at the very top. \"Mine is number 5.\"\n\nHe pulled into the parking spot right on the other side of the road from the building. \"Alright. Let's head on over.\" He got out, and smiled when Arin also excitedly exited the car, almost forgetting to close the door behind her. They walked across the way, and stopped in front of a small door. There was a keypad lock on it, with squishy push buttons. He punched in the code. \"4, 1, 1, 8, 9.\" There was an audible click and a soft, electronic buzz to signal it was unlocked. He grabbed the handle and looked at the young chipmunk. \"You ready?\" She nodded quickly, clearly excited. He chuckled and turned the handle, pushing the door open and stepping inside and flicking the lights on.\n\n\"Whoa...\" Arin followed, staring at the sight before her. The Azure Seam bobbed gently in the water, flanked by short, wooden piers on either side. The boat was more of a small yacht... or large house boat, depending how you defined things. The hull was a soft eggshell white, but the deck was smooth wood, stained reddish as a cherrywood, and sealed to resist the water. There was a small ramp that led up from one of the piers up to the deck. The wheelhouse was up near the front. \"There's no sails.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Yeah, I'm not much of a sail boat guy. She's got a pair of turbines down below the water. Nothing super powerful, but she can get some decent speed if she needs to.\" He moved over to the ramp. \"C'mon aboard. I'll show you the inside. Just watch your step up the ramp.\" He held out a hand to help her up the ramp. She giggled a little as she felt the bobbing the moment she was on the metal, but she kept her balance with his help.\n\nOnce she was on the deck itself, she looked around. \"This is so cool!\" There wasn't much to see, since he didn't leave anything sitting around above deck, but there was room for chairs. There were also several slots along the aft where he could rest a fishing pole once cast and waiting for a bite. The only thing that was around were coils of thick rope. One such coil was hanging over the other side of the hull, keeping the thing tied in place to the pier. \"I can barely feel it moving...\"\n\nHe smirked. \"You'd feel it if we were out of the dock. You don't get much waves inside the boat house.\"\n\n\"Yeah, um... how do you get it out of here, anyway?\" She looked past the fore, at the plain metal wall in front of the prow.\n\nJay pointed back in the direction of the door they came in. \"There's a set of controls over there, just next to the lights. They open the front, kind of like a garage door. Then you just sail right on out. Getting it in is a bit harder, since you need to back it into the port, which takes a bit of practice.\" He pointed to the rope hanging off the edge. \"Then you just tie her down, and she's set.\"\n\n\"Oh... that's pretty cool!\" She smiled at him again, and he couldn't help but smile back. Her excitement was infectious.\n\n\"You want to see the inside?\"\n\nShe gasped, nodding quickly. \"Yeah! I've never been in a boat like this before! Or... any kind of boat.\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"Well, this is more of a yacht, I guess. Though some people are really picky about how you classify different ships. I'm not really a stickler for details like that.\" He nodded at a set of stairs. \"Anyway, just down here. Watch your step, they can be a bit steep.\" He led her down below deck. Just at the bottom of the stairs was what looked like a combination dining room and kitchen. There was a small stove, a microwave, and a table bolted to the floor, though only one chair at the table. \"This is the kitchen. A little small, but you make do with the space you have.\" He pointed to something next to the microwave. \"Still made sure to make room for a coffee maker, of course. Can't go without that.\"\n\n\"Oh, this is so cool!\" She looked around with stars in her eyes. \"Is there a fridge, too?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yup.\" Moving over to the cabinet with the microwave, he opened one of the doors to show it was actually a minifridge. Though it was lacking much more than a supply of bottle water. \"I usually stock her up with a few days worth of food before I take her out. Though mostly I just cook any fish I catch.\" He shrugged.\n\n\"Days?\" She looked around. \"Where do you sleep?\"\n\n\"Oh.\" The squirrel pointed to a small doorway next to the stairs they came down. \"The bunk is back there. Further back from there is the engine room. I usually drop anchor and kill the engines when I'm going to sleep, otherwise they'd keep me up.\" He ducked down so he could step through the doorway. \"C'mon.\"\n\nShe followed him, and gasped again. \"Whao! An actual bed!?\" Sure enough, she was staring at a bed, mattress and sheets and everything. Though it did look like it was attached to the wall, or at least the frame it was sitting on was. \"I thought it would be like... a cot or something.\"\n\nHe laughed. \"Some boats have those, but I prefer to actually sleep on a bed, even when out to sea. You only need to have cots if there's a bunch of people on the ship, but it's pretty much just me most times, so I don't need to worry about that.\" He tapped a wooden door, which popped open to show an empty closet. \"Even got a place to store a few days worth of clothes. No washing machine on board, though, so laundry gets done when I come back to port.\" He motioned to another doorway, though this one was sealed with a bulkhead. \"Engine room is just back there.\"\n\n\"Can I see!?\" She was practically bouncing beside him.\n\nHe nodded. \"Sure. Just be careful. Even with everything off, it can be dangerous to poke at it.\" He turned the crank on the bulkhead and pulled it open, stepping inside. The engine itself was not super huge, but did take up most of the aft of the ship. It was a mass of metal machinery that the young girl could barely make much sense of, but she still stared at the whole thing with awe as she followed him inside. He pointed to either side near the bottom. \"You can just see where the turbines are connected if you look. Though that's just part of it, since they're actually under the water. There's also a bunch of batteries hooked up through this that make all the electrical systems work. When the engine is going, it charges up the batteries, so they can keep working while the engine is off.\"\n\n\"Awesome!\" She giggled and turned to give him a big smile. \"This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!\" She suddenly gave him a big hug, her thin arms wrapping around his middle. \"Thanks for this, Mr. McGavin!\"\n\nHe tensed up slightly, but did gently pat her back. \"Not a problem, kiddo.\" He was thankful she kept the hug brief, bounding back to the kitchen to poke around that. He took a breath and let it out slowly, forcing himself to keep calm and, most importantly, well behaved. Much as he would love to shove her down on the bed and have a go at her, he forced those thoughts out of his head... for now. He was just showing his neat toy off to a neighbor, nothing else.\n\nJust as he was about to join her, his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning as he saw the time. He checked the text. It was from Zinda. \"[i]Your... package has arrived. I set it aside for you.[/i]\"\n\nHe smiled, sending a quick reply. \"[i]Thanks. I'll pick it up in the morning.[/i]\" With that, he stuffed his phone back into the pocket of his jeans and joined the girl in the kitchen. She was looking through every cabinet she could reach, finding his set of mugs, some plates, supply of coffee, tea, and powdered cocoa, along with all the spices he used for cooking. She was just peering into the cabinet with all the pots and pans inside. \"Alright, Arin. I think we should probably get going. Don't want to give your mother too many reasons to be angry with either of us.\"\n\nShe frowned as she closed the cabinet door. \"Yeah... you're probably right.\" She still managed a smile, though. \"But this was really cool! Thanks again for showing me all of this stuff!\"\n\n\"Not a problem.\" He nodded to the stairs. \"C'mon, let's get going.\" He led her back up to the deck, then down to the pier itself. After turning the lights off, he closed the door to the boat house, which made another audible click as it locked again. As they returned to the truck, he spoke up again. \"One of these days, I'll try and get you out onto the water with me.\"\n\n\"Man, I'd love that...\" There was a slight sadness to her voice, just knowing her mother would never allow something like that. \"Someday...\"\n\nHe nodded as he got into the truck. \"Yeah.\" With that, he pulled out and started the short trip home, both of them wishing for that 'someday' was soon, but for very different reasons.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nJay's night was filled with dreams of Arin on his boat. Though a lot were somewhat wholesome in nature. The two of them out at sea, him teaching her how to fish, watching her excitement as he made the boat go much faster than it actually could. All while they were both completely in the nude, of course. There were a few that led to much more lewd places, sharing his bed, out on the deck, and one where they were fucking while floating in the water, with fish just kind of cheering him on. It was no surprise that he woke to find himself rock hard. A quick stroke in the bathroom helped to solve that issue.\n\nThe thoughts stuck with him as he drove Arin to the school, but he was pretty sure he kept those thoughts from showing. He was also happy to hear that Veronica was still passed out when he got the girl home the previous afternoon, so the older chipmunk was oblivious to their little field trip after school. Arin was still smiling from it, too. He'd have to take her back there some time, when her mother was mixing pills and booze again. He dropped her off and wished her well, and was happy to see her give him a big smile and wave as she walked away from the truck. All the lewd thoughts aside, he genuinely liked seeing the girl happy for a change.\n\nSpeaking of making her happy, he made his way to the office to get the parts for her bike. He was surprised to see Zinda's car already there when he pulled in. He peaked out to the store front and found her just sitting behind the counter, reading something on her phone. \"You're here early.\"\n\nShe gave him a smile. \"Yeah. Had to get Theresa to the airport at like, 6 this morning. She's heading back home for her mother's 60th birthday. Figured I might as well get an early start instead of sitting around at home for an hour.\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Well, hope her mother has a lovely birthday.\" He turned and made his way to the stock room across from his office. \"Holy crap.\"\n\nZinda laughed, joining him a moment later. \"Yeah, I said the same thing when I saw it.\" Now he knew why she said his package came the way she did. The box was huge. He could understand why it was so wide, since there were a pair of wheels in there, but it was also almost just as tall. \"Thought you were just ordering parts. Did you end up buying a whole new bike in pieces?\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"I guess? Should just be a few things with the wheels.\" He crouched down to lift the box, which thankfully was not nearly as heavy as he was worried. Though it still had quite a bit of weight to it. \"Can you get the door for me?\"\n\n\"Sure.\" The zebra moved past him and opened the back door so he could carry the box out and put it into the back of his truck. \"With all of that, you might as well have bought the kid a new bike.\"\n\nHe laughed. \"I thought about it. But the frame and handles will all be the same.\" He shrugged. \"Besides, you know I like tinkering with stuff like this. Be the first time I've done this kind of maintenance on a bike since I was about her age.\"\n\nThe woman chuckled at him. \"Yeah, we used to ride all over town back then. Remember that time we ended up just going and going and ended up in the next town over?\"\n\n\"How could I forget?\" He rubbed the back of his head, his fluffy tail twitching a little. \"Mom was furious when I called and said how late we'd be, and Dad had to smooth things over.\"\n\nThe zebra just grinned. \"Yeah, he had to talk to my dad to keep him cool, too. He always was good at playing peacekeeper.\" Her smile turned a little wistful. \"I miss the old codger.\"\n\nHe nodded solemnly. \"Yeah, me, too... I miss them both.\" Not long after giving the business to Jay, his father had died of a heart attack. His mother had only died two years ago from a stroke. He didn't let himself say sad for long. \"But, I still have you. You're the closest thing I've got to family now.\"\n\nShe nodded, then nudged him in the chest with her elbow. \"And that's why you need to find a nice woman and get yourself some kids. Gotta pass this business to someone, right?\"\n\nHe chuckled, rubbing his chest where she nudged him. \"I swear, you're worse than my mother was about that.\"\n\nShe just laughed at him. \"Well, someone has to be. I know first hand you're not gay.\"\n\n\"Not that there's anything wrong with that.\" He said in a slightly sarcastic tone. She just rolled her eyes, having heard that for years now from all over. \"If you're so big on kids, why don't you and Theresa adopt one?\"\n\n\"We've talked about it. She's hesitant, but I think she's coming around to the idea. Slowly.\"\n\nHe pulled the door to his truck open. \"Well, I'm going to head home and start working on the bike. If I'm lucky, it'll be done by the time I have to get Arin from school later.\" He gave her a wave as he got into the truck, and she waved back before heading back into the store. The drive back was quick enough, and soon, he hefted the box into his living room. He also went and retrieved the bike in question, also moving it into his living room. It looked very out of place leaning against the back of his couch, especially with how pink it was compared to the plethora of browns in the room.\n\nOpening the box, he saw why it was so big. The parts were all packed in layers, each with a square piece of packing foam separating them and keeping everything neatly secure for shipping. He was used to getting boxes filled top to bottom with products for sale, not packed for just one person like this. On top was all the smaller pieces, like the breaks and the lines to connect them, the bike chain, and the new seat. Under that was all the tools. Mostly a set of wrenches and allen wrenches, and a bag of different nuts, bolts, and screws. The gears were also here. Under that was the wheels, bare of the tires themselves. Those were in individual boxes tucked into two of the corners. There was even a little pump to fill them with air.\n\nHe set it all aside, then flattened the box so he could lay the bike atop that, to keep any of the grease from getting all over his carpet. Then he went to work. Getting the tires off was easy enough, but he struggled a little bit trying to figure out how the gears were attached. He finally figured it out when he realized he had to take the pedals off first. Then everything separated easily enough. He worked for most of the day, finding an odd satisfaction in the task. As he started to reassemble the thing, he realized he just upgraded her bike from a 10 speed to a 21, since there were a few extra gears more than the ones he was replacing.\n\nPutting it back together was somehow faster than taking it apart was. While it wasn't the most difficult part, using the pump to fill the tires was the most exhausting. He was thankful the seat was an easy replacement. When all was said and done, it didn't look like a brand new bike, but it did look just a touch nicer than it had. He tested the tires to make sure they were full enough by bouncing it a little, happy to that he didn't need to use the pump more. Though he also needed a shower once he was done. He had expected to get the grease on his hands, but somehow it had gotten all along his arms, in his tail, and on his face.\n\nOnce he was out of the shower and dressed again, he looked at the clock, then cursed. \"Shit. I'm going to be late.\" It was a bit later than he would have liked to leave to pick Arin up. He hastily finished with his clothes and headed out the door. The drive there was quick enough, but he had to wait in the line of cars to pull into the school. When he did finally get up close, he saw Arin standing and waiting for him. He smiled as she opened the door and set her bag on the floor. \"Hey, sorry I'm a bit late.\"\n\nShe gave him a smile as she climbed in. \"It's okay. I wasn't waiting long.\" He heard a trilling giggle from outside just before she closed the door. Her ears folded back a little when she heard it. Looking out, he saw the source was a trio of girls nearby, two cats and a coyote.\n\nHe nodded. \"Are those the... potholes?\" She nodded. \"Hmm.\" The three kept glancing over at his truck, muttering something to each other. \"Well, whatever gossip they're trying to spread, don't let it get to you, okay?\"\n\nShe nodded. \"O-okay...\"\n\nHe was about to pull out, but a black sedan suddenly swerved over to cut him off and park directly in front of him. \"What the... c'mon in!\" He frowned. \"Some people.\" The driver of the car was an older coyote, about his age.\n\nArin looked up, then back down again. \"Oh, that's Kathy's dad.\" Well, he now knew which of the trio was Kathy, at least.\n\n\"Well, now I know where she gets the dickish behavior from.\" He heard a slight giggle from beside him. Once the car was out of the way, he pulled out and started home. \"Got something for you when we get back home.\"\n\nShe looked up at him with a little excitement. \"Oh? W-what?\"\n\nHe smirked. \"You'll see when we get there.\" She frowned, but still did nothing to hide her anticipation the whole short trip. Once they were back, he held up a finger. \"Wait out here for just a second.\"\n\n\"O-okay...\" She watched him head into his own side of the house. When he came back, pushing her finished bike, she gasped, her eyes wide. \"WHOA!\" She rushed over, grabbing the handles and looking at it all over. \"Y-you did so much!\" She pressed her hand against the new seat. \"Ooo, it's... softer than the old one.\"\n\n\"Yup. Got more speeds than before, too.\" He stepped to the side. \"Give it a spin.\" She happily dropped her backpack on the grass and hopped up onto the thing. He was happy to see he had guessed the seat height at least close enough.\n\nShe grunted a little, not quite getting it going, then clicked the gears to change them down and tried again. This time, she was off much easier, riding down the street and back again a few times, testing the different new speeds. She squeaked when she squeezed the break, surprised how well it worked. \"Ooo... wow, stops a lot faster, too.\"\n\n\"Yeah, you're old breaks were pretty worn down, too. Whole new breaks, new gears, new wheels. How's everything feel? Not too stiff or loose?\"\n\nShe flipped out the kickstand and got off of the bike. \"It's great! Seat might need to be brought down just a little, and I need to get used to the new gear speeds, but...\" She smiled at him. \"This is... just...\" He saw her suddenly fighting tears. The next thing she knew, her arms were around his middle again as she gave him a huge hug. \"Thank you so much, Mr. McGavin!\"\n\nHe chuckled, gently patting the girl's back. \"You're very welcome, Arin.\"\n\n\"Alright, that's enough sucking up to the man.\" Both he and the girl flinched as they heard Veronica's voice from the doorway. Arin quickly pulled away from him, her ears back a little. \"Stop bugging him and get your ass inside. And put that thing away.\"\n\n\"O-okay, Mom.\" She slung her backpack over her shoulder before moved her bike over to the side of the house where she normally kept it. She still gave him a slight smile. \"Thank you again.\"\n\n\"Of course.\" He watched as she slipped past her mother and headed inside.\n\nVeronica gave him a scornful scowl. \"So, no more rides to school for her.\" It was not said as a question, more of a statement.\n\nHe shrugged. \"I can still take her if the weather's bad.\" She just grunted at him, then turned and followed her daughter inside. He shook his head, making his way to his own side. \"You're welcome for fixing your daughter's bike for her? For free, no less...\" He sighed as he closed the door. \"Well, at least she didn't try and proposition me again.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nFriday went... slowly. Jay greeted Arin in the morning as he had gotten accustomed to doing, but the girl was eager to try out her newly upgraded bike. She was so excited that he didn't even consider offering a ride. Instead, he wished her a good day at school, and waved her off, getting a big smile in return. That was payment enough for him. With nothing better to do, he spent most of the day reading, catching up on the book he had been neglecting since the move. It was hard to think that he had only been in this place for a week. So much had happened in that time already.\n\nHe did make sure he was outside enjoying an afternoon tea when Arin came back from school. He gave her a big smile as she rolled up. \"So. How do you like it now that you've been able to take it for a spin longer than the end of the street?\"\n\nShe gave him a big grin. \"It's great! Can really get going pretty fast now!\" She walked over to him and gave him another hug, though not quite as enthusiastic as the last few. It was also far more brief. \"Thank you again, Mr. McGavin. You've been really nice this last week.\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"Well, seeing you smile has made it all worth it. And just because I don't [i]need[/i] to give you a ride everyday doesn't mean I'm not still happy to do so. So you let me know if you want a ride in my truck.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"Alright.\" She returned to her bike to move it before her mother could come out and scold her.\n\nHe gave her a wave as she headed inside, but decided to enjoy the nice weather for a bit longer. He stayed out there long enough for the sky to start turning shades of pinkish orange. Just as he was about to head inside, a familiar looking black sedan slowed down and pulled into the driveway for the other side. Sure enough, the man that got out was the same coyote that he saw the other day. Kathy's father. He was very tempted to go over and say something about his daughter's behavior, but decided not to. Especially since the man looked a little skiddish when he saw Jay standing there. The squirrel just gave him a nod, then turned to go back inside.\n\nNot even 15 minutes went by before he started hearing the moans and squeaking of bed springs through the walls. \"Doesn't waste time, do they?\" He occupied himself making dinner, the kitchen just far enough away that he only heard the particularly loud moans from time to time.\n\nHe definitely knew when the man came. \"Take it, you little cunt!\" He blinked when he heard that. \"Fuck... here it comes! Gonna fill this tight cunt to the brim!\"\n\nJay shook his head. \"It's a wonder Arin can get any homework done with all that noise.\" He took his plate of pasta into his bedroom, closing the door to block the sound and eat in relative peace. He was just going to have to get used to this, he supposed. Asking her to keep it down would probably just get a scornful look. \"Can't be a healthy environment for that little girl.\" He was half expecting to hear her knocking on his door to get away from it. Though he didn't have much to entertain her in his house. No game consoles, a woeful lack of movies, and his computer was set up for business. He could probably pull up movies on the TV's internet connection or something like that. Though it was still in the living room, where the sound from next door was still pretty noticeable.\n\nHe finished his dinner and just set his plate on the table beside the bed. He would clean it up in the morning. He got changed into what passed for pajamas, just a pair of boxers, and laid down on the bed to continue his reading. Though at one point he did hear the car pull away outside, so he hoped that meant the noise was done. He didn't feel like checking, since he was finally getting into the book's better part. That kept him occupied for the rest of the night, until he finally decided to get some sleep.\n\nHis dreams were filled with visions of Arin again. This time, they were riding bikes together. He was one the one he used to ride when he was a kid, way too small for him now, but in the dream it was the right size. That was really all he remembered of the dream when he woke up hours later. After his morning shower, he went out to get some coffee and breakfast. \"ARIN! Where the fuck is my food!?\" He blinked, turning to look at the wall Veronica's voice was still very clear through. With some curiosity, he got a little closer to the other side of the house to listen. Though he couldn't explain why. \"Well hurry the fuck up you useless slut! And don't you dare go running over to that asshole today! You've been slacking!\"\n\nHe tilted his head. Was she talking about him? She was quiet for several minutes, long enough that he figured that was about it. Unfortunately, he was wrong. \"About fucking time! Give me that. And where the fuck is my toast!?\" He didn't hear the reply, but did hear something mumbled. Then the very distinct sound of a palm striking something with an audible smack. \"Don't give me that fucking lip! Get it done! And clean this fucking mess up! Useless piece of shit!\"\n\nHe just stared at the wall again, in a bit of shock hearing that. Was that how the woman always was to her daughter? Her words were slightly slurred, so she was probably still drunk, or at least hung over. \"Bitch.\" He was again tempted to call the cops about this, but he knew how little would happen. Maybe he should contact child protective services? But they were pretty useless, too. If anything, it would probably just make Veronica more angry afterwards. Which she would take out on Arin, most likely. The last thing he wanted. He was definitely going to try and talk to the girl about coming over here when her mother was like this. Dangerous as it may be for him, it was still probably a safer place for her overall.\n\nIt seemed most of the yelling was done for now. He glanced outside to see if he caught Arin out there, but he didn't see anything. He went about his day as he normally would, checking e-mails on the computer, and generally killing time. He really should go out on the water and test all the different fishing equipment he got samples of. Most of it was still sitting in the back of his truck. He checked the weather reports. Clear skies for the next week, at least. Seems it was going to be a very temperate spring, and they were saying summer would be the same. Which suited him fine. Maybe he would finally go out tomorrow. Spend all Sunday fishing. He really wished he could invite Arin to come, but he already knew what her mother would say about that.\n\nHe did decide to test if his TV was hooked up properly to the internet, since he hadn't yet. Thankfully, it was, and he was able to access the myriad of channels provided. Though a good deal of them were in Spanish, which he barely spoke any of. He did find a channel playing some of the popular movies, the ones he had missed seeing in the theaters. So he kicked his feet up and had a different kind of lazy afternoon. Unfortunately, several of the movies were quite bad. Poorly written, the actors were mostly phoning it in, and the special effects in some were pretty bad. \"Too much green screen, these days.\" He paused as he heard himself. \"Gods, I really am turning into my father.\"\n\nOutside, he heard a very loud engine pulling closer, then revving for no reason at all before finally turning off. His curiosity got the better of him again and he peaked out the front window, surprised to see it was already dark out. The car that was making all the noise was a cherry red sport car of some kind. And a convertible, the top slowly moved back into place now that the owner was getting out. The owner was some older orange cat, maybe in his 50's. Though he was obviously going through some kind of mid-life crisis, what with the leather jacket, and greying hair was slicked back. He looked like he stepped right out of some biker movie from the 60's. \"She sure has a lot of odd 'clients.'\"\n\nOnce again, it was barely 15 minutes before he heard the fucking. The guy was not quiet, either, grunting constantly. And oddly complaining a lot. \"Fucking... moan you bitch!\" He chuckled a little. \"I said moan for me!\" He heard a smack. \"That's better! I want to hear you enjoying my big cock!\"\n\nJay rolled his eyes, muttering to himself. \"If you have to say your cock is big, then it isn't. Your dirty talk needs work, mate.\"\n\nThe grunting continued. As did the complaining. \"Fucking... stupid bitch!\" There was another smack, then a thud. \"Fuck this. It's not working!\" The words got muffled as he walked away, but he could still hear that some loud discussion was happening. Soon enough, it moved outside. \"Keep the fucking money, it's not worth it anymore. I got other girls I can fuck that react better. And don't have worn out cunts.\"\n\nHe glanced out the window again, in time to see the man getting into his car. The engine roared to life again, and soon enough he pulled out and sped away down the street, leaving Veronica standing in the driveway in a purple house robe. The woman flipped the guy off, though he was already down the road by that point. Then she just stormed back into the house. \"Useless piece of shit, get your ass up!\" He blinked again. \"Get the fuck out of here. Go to your room! I'm dealing with you later, so get your ass ready. Now where the fuck are my pills?\"\n\nOkay, now he was getting worried about what he was hearing. It was another twenty minutes or so before heard anything else. Though not screaming this time. He heard the front door closing. Glancing out again, he saw Arin standing there shaking a little. She glanced in his direction, or more in the direction of his house... or maybe his truck? Then she went the other way. A moment later, she was on her bike and away into the night. He also noticed that she had her backpack, though it looked more stuffed than normal. Was she running away? \"Shit.\"\n\nHe rushed off to his bedroom to grab his clothes and throw them back on. If he was quick, he might be able to catch her before she got too far. Though if she turned down side streets or took bike paths, he wouldn't be able to see her. A thought struck him just as he was grabbing his keys. There was only a few places she would go, and he ruled the school out pretty quickly. In the talks they had during the trips back and forth from the school, she was pretty clear that she didn't have any friends she was close to. Not close enough to try and escape to, at least. But there was one place. And if he was fast enough, he could probably beat her there.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nHis truck made its way down the familiar winding road, moving just past the gated wall, and coming upon the rows of boat houses. There weren't many lights on, so everything was cast in deep shadows. He pulled into a spot a few piers down from his and turned his truck off, killing all the interior lights. Then he waited, and hoped he was right. Sure enough, a few minutes later, he saw the silhouette of someone on a bike coming down that winding road. She rode right past him, not seeing his truck in the dark, and made her way to number 5, just as he suspected.\n\nHe got out of the truck and closed the door as quietly as he could, then walked over to the building. She just dropped her bike on the ground and was leaned close to the keypad, trying to see the numbers since it wasn't lit up in any way. She whimpered as it made a harsh beep at her. As he got closer, he heard her arguing with the lock. \"No... What was it? 1... 4.... 4... 8... 1?\" Another harsh buzz. \"C'mon you stupid door! 4... 9... 8... 1... 9? Dammit!\"\n\n\"It's, 4-1-1-8-9.\" She practically jumped out of her fur when he spoke. \"You could have just asked.\"\n\n\"M-mmm... Mr.... McGavin! Uh... s-sir... I'm... uh...\" She looked around instead of at him, as if expecting to see him coming with a hoard of cops or something. \"I-I was... um...\"\n\n\"Running away?\" She squeaked again. \"I heard your mother yelling at you again. Sounded... pretty bad.\"\n\n\"Y-you... heard... it all?\" Her ears folded so far back they almost vanished in her hair. \"ALL of it...?\"\n\n\"Enough that I have a lot of questions.\" He took a breath and held it for a second.\n\nShe just whimpered again, looking down at the ground. After a long, awkward silence, she let out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping. \"I'll... get my bike into your truck then...?\"\n\nHe let out a sigh of his own. \"No...\" Her head tilted up just a little, the only show of her surprise. \"Believe it or not, I think you running away from that place is probably the best thing you could do.\"\n\n\"O-oh... Then...\"\n\nHe nodded at the door. \"Like I said. 4-1-1-8-9.\" She nodded slowly, turning and pushing the correct buttons. This time, the door made a click and a much more positive buzz as it unlocked. She pushed the door open, but he stepped around her to enter first. \"Let me get the lights. Get your bike. You can lean it against the inside.\" She just nodded, picking her bike up and rolling it through the door. \"C'mon. I'll start some water boiling and make you some hot cocoa.\"\n\nShe sniffled and nodded. \"That... sounds nice.\" She followed him up the ramp onto the deck, then down the stairs into the kitchen. She sat on the one chair at the table while he busied himself pouring some water into a kettle to boil. He figured he'd make some cocoa for her, and some tea for himself. While he worked, she just stared at the table for a long time. Though she did eventually speak up. \"You... said you had a lot of questions...\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah, but you don't need to answer them.\" He thought a moment. \"Well, maybe just one. Did you bring pajamas? Or were you just going to sleep in your normal clothes?\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"I... don't have pajamas...\"\n\n\"That's alright.\" He motioned to the door to the sleeping area. \"I forgot to show it during the little tour, but the head... uh... bathroom... that is also back there. Has a little shower and everything. But the water is limited, since the filter has to work out all the salt before it goes into the tank. So if you need to wash up, you take real quick showers.\" She just nodded slowly. Speaking of water, the kettle started to whistle as it got hot enough. He turned off the burner and poured it into two mugs, one with a tea bag, the other with a scoop of powdered cocoa. He stirred hers and set it down in front of her. \"Here you go. Careful not to burn your tongue.\"\n\nShe nodded again, but just stared at it instead of picking it up. \"Thank you.\" Her voice was so... defeated.\n\n\"You know you're not in trouble, right? Not with me, anyway.\" All he got was another nod. He let out a soft sigh. \"Well, that said, I can't just let you stay here alone all night.\" She tensed up a little, but he continued. \"You can sleep on the bed. Or as close to sleep as you can get. I've got some really comfortable lounge chairs that I can set up on deck. I've napped in them before, so I can just sleep in one of those up there.\"\n\nThat actually caught her by surprise, and she finally looked up at him. \"Wait, you're not-\" She stopped herself.\n\n\"Not what? Forcing you to sleep next to me on the bed?\" He shook his head. \"No. I won't.\" Much as he would love to.\n\n\"Oh...\" She was at a loss for words then, her eyes shifting around just a little, as if she didn't want to look directly at him. \"I just thought... this is the part where you rape me...\"\n\nHe nearly spat out his tea. \"[b]WHAT!?[/b] GODS no!\" Even in all of his fantasies, it was never rape. She was always fully willing and into it.\n\n\"S-sorry...\" She looked away, her ears folding back again. \"I'm just not used to people being... nice... without wanting something.\"\n\nHe stared at her for a long moment, several pieces finally settling into place. He had already figured it out in the back of his mind, but he had been refusing to accept it. Now there was no denying it any more. \"It wasn't your mother all those men were fucking, was it?\"\n\nHer lips quivered a little, but she shook her head. \"No... some of them did, but... most were... there for me...\"\n\nNow he felt like an asshole for not calling the cops all those times. And he felt pissed. \"Jeez... I'm sorry. I didn't know. I would have pulled you out of that house a lot sooner if I'd known.\" Though he had only known her for a week, so 'sooner' wasn't really all that much.\n\nShe shook her head. \"I-It's okay. It's been happening since I was 6.\"\n\nHe flinched. \"[b]6!?[/b]?\" She nodded. \"Wha...\" Now it was his turn to be at a loss for words. Eventually he just came up with, \"What the hell is wrong with your mother?\"\n\nArin looked down a little. \"She... never wanted me... Says I ruined her life.\"\n\n\"Oh, I highly doubt that. She ruined it on her own.\"\n\nThe girl continued anyway. \"N-no, it's true. She... never wanted me. She used to be pretty when she was younger. But then she had me, and whoever my father is left before I was born, and she had to take care of me all on her own. But... all I've ever done is just... take from her.\" Once the words had started, she couldn't stop them, just saying everything as it came to her.\" And I'm not good at anything but being... a hole... and the men pay her f-for that... a lot of money... and the videos she posts online... it's how she pays rent and buys food and... her pills... and...\" She was fighting tears now. \"But I'm not even good a-at that... because I haven't gotten pregnant and she wants me to... s-so she can do it 'right' this time...\"\n\nJay stared in shock as he heard all of this. \"Gods that's fucked up.\" He winced the moment he said it. \"Your mother, I mean. Not you. You should never have been forced to do all of that. Your mother is disgusting. As are all those men for using you like that.\"\n\nShe looked at him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment. \"But you want to.\"\n\nHe flinched again. \"W-what?\"\n\nShe just stared at him, looking him dead in the eyes. \"I-I've seen the looks you give me. They're... nicer than them, but... the same.\" He just stared back at her, feeling like he was suddenly on trial here.\n\nEventually, he let out a soft sigh. \"No sense denying it, I guess. Yes, I've thought about it. You.\" He held up a hand. \"But I will [i]NEVER[/i] force myself on you. I might have fantasies, but I'm not going to rape you. I'm not going to ask anything of you. That is a line I am not willing to cross. Ever. Especially now that I know what kind of... situation you've been forced to live in.\"\n\nShe kept staring at him, struggling to keep her tears back. She failed. \"W-why...\" She completely broke then, letting out a sob as the tears started to run down her cheeks. \"Why are you so nice to me?\"\n\nHe sighed. \"Because you looked sad. And I don't like seeing pretty girls sad.\" He held his arm out to her. \"C'mere.\" She got up out of the chair and moved over. He pulled her a little closer to give her a gentle hug. Her arms slid around him as her face pressed against his belly, doing nothing to hide her crying now. He gently pat her back. \"It's okay. Let it all out. I won't judge you. I won't hurt you. You have my word. You're safe here.\" He just stood there, letting her cling to him and soak his shirt with her tears.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nShe had cried for a while. Tears she had been holding back for years. Once she had calmed herself down a little, he led her to the bunk area. He just sat on the bed with her, letting her hold onto him even once her sobbing had died down again. He didn't say anything, just kept his arm around her shoulders and squeezed a little very so often. He didn't want to stop her getting all of it out of her system. He could tell it had been bottled up for so long.\n\n\"Your tail is really nice.\" It was the first thing she'd said in over an hour, and it caught him a little off guard.\n\n\"Um... thank you?\" His tail twitched a little in response.\n\nShe smiled. \"S-sorry.\" She sniffed, sitting up a little. \"I-I just think big tails are pretty. I-I've just got this little thing...\" She pointed at her back, her own tail indeed quite a small thing. Longer than a tuft like a rabbit, but not by much. It was also thin, and not nearly as overly fluffy as his massive twitchy tail was.\n\n\"I think your tail is fine.\" He sighed slightly as he heard his own wording. Though it did get the faintest giggle from her. \"You know what I mean.\" She nodded. \"Well, if you are feeling better, I should probably set up the chair and leave you to get some rest.\" As he stood, he heard a whimper from her. \"Don't worry. I'm just up the stairs, so I'm not leaving you completely alone.\"\n\nShe nodded slowly. Before he could walk away, she spoke up. \"You don't... have to.\"\n\n\"Have to what?\"\n\nShe hesitated again. \"S-sleep out there... I-I'd... be okay if...\"\n\n\"Hey, I already told you I'm not going to force myself on you.\" He turned and crouched down in front of her. \"I'm sorry for any of the times that I might have stared at you, or had bad thoughts, but I'm not like those men. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. You've been through enough.\"\n\nShe smiled a little. \"I-I know...\" She looked up at him. \"But... I'd still be okay... if you stayed...\" She reached out and grabbed his shirt sleeve. \"P-Please...\"\n\nHe sighed again. \"Alright. I'll stay with you tonight. But I also don't really have pajamas, so sorry if my jeans are a little rough.\"\n\n\"H-how do you normally sleep?\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"Usually just in my underwear.\"\n\n\"O-oh...\" He was pretty sure he saw a blush. \"Me, too...\"\n\nHe chuckled slightly, patting her knee. \"You sleep however you want. I'm still holding to my promise. I'm not touching you. Not that way.\" He bit his lip. \"Though I can't promise I won't still look.\" He shrugged, getting a goofy grin. \"But I'll try to keep the staring to a minimum.\"\n\nShe actually let out a slight grin. \"Y-you can stare. That's okay.\" She slid off of the bed, and gave him another little hug. \"You're... still the nicest person I've ever met.\" He knew she meant it as a compliment, but that made him very sad. He moved to sit on the bed again, then nearly fell off of it as she was already undressing herself. Her baggy blue shirt was pulled up and off, giving him a look at her bare back. He saw the white and black stripes running down along her spine, mixed into the light tan fur. But he also saw very clear scars along her back. Little thin lines here and there.\n\nBefore he knew what he was doing, he had reached out to gently touch one of the scars. \"What... are these from?\" He flinched his hand away the moment he realized what he was doing. \"S-sorry.\"\n\nArin didn't flinch, though. \"Mom... sh-she... has long nails ,and w-when she gets into some of her moods she... um... does that...\" She set the shirt down on the floor gently. \"S-some of the men do it, too...\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"I'm so sorry. You've been through so much.\" She just nodded and started to push her pants down. Her legs were just as skinny as the rest of her, but did have just a bit more tone than the rest. Probably from all the bike riding. It left her in nothing but a pair of soft pink panties that clung to her hips. But she was so small, he had to remind himself that she was 13 and not 8 or 9. He also cursed himself silently as he felt himself growing hard within his jeans. Especially when she turned around to face him, her flat chest left fully exposed for him.\n\nShe slid herself up onto the bed again, looking a little nervous. \"Um... y-you can also...\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"Probably best that I don't.\" She nodded a little, her fingers just tapping at her knees. \"Tell you what, I'll just take my shirt off. But the pants stay on.\"\n\nShe smiled. \"Okay.\" He pulled his polo off and tossed it onto the floor with her discarded clothing. It left his own chest and belly exposed to her, covered in the light brown and grey fur. She gave him a big smile.\n\nHe returned the smile. \"C'mon. Lay down and try and get some sleep.\" He scooted back and laid down close to the edge of the bed at the bulkhead. \"I'll be right here, so you won't be alone.\"\n\n\"Yeah...\" She shifted back a little, laying down with her back to him. \"Th... thank you again, Mr. McGavin... f-for just being so... nice to me...\"\n\nHe reached out and gently pat the top of her head. \"You can call me Jay. And you are very welcome, Arin.\" She let out a little giggle as he nudged the pillow closer for her. \"Let me know if you get cold. I've got blanket in the clos-\" He tensed up when she scooted a little closer to press her back against his chest.\n\n\"You're... warm.\" She was a little tense herself, probably expecting him to either shove her away, or to give in and have his way with her.\n\nHe just sighed and gently pat her shoulder. \"Alright. In that case.\" He shifted a little to bring his big tail over and drape it across both of them. \"You can use my natural blanket.\" She giggled, reaching down to take hold of it and pull it up a little and snuggle into it. He gently rubbed her head again. \"Get some sleep.\" She nodded, and did seem to actually relax pressed up against him under his tail. He let out a soft breath, resting his head on his arm as he continued to gently pet the top of her her head.\n\nThis was probably the worst position someone like him could possibly be in. But at the same time... it was nice. She was so close, he couldn't help but pick up her scent. There was a very slight muskiness to it from her long bike ride to get to the boat, but it wasn't bad. Of course, he was careful not to let his enjoyment poke at her too much, keeping his hips a little away from hers so he didn't accidentally rub against her or anything like that. He did continue to stroke her hair a little. She still had it in the pigtails. He wondered if he should have had her put them back down, but she seemed comfortable with them up like this.\n\n\"You smell nice...\" He blinked as she spoke, her voice softer.\n\n\"Um... thank you? You do, too?\" He winced. \"Sorry, that probably sounds weird.\"\n\nShe let out a soft giggle, her hands gently playing with the fur on his tail. \"It's okay... you're fur is so soft, too...\"\n\n\"I take care of it. It gets all tangled if I don't.\" He looked up a little. \"Your hair is also very nice. You can let it down if you want.\"\n\nShe thought for a moment. \"Do... you want me to?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"Doesn't matter what I want. I think it looks very cute like this, but if you want to let it down, then go right ahead. You look nice with it however you want it.\"\n\nHe got a soft hum in response. \"Then I'll leave it up. It gets messy if I leave it loose.\"\n\n\"Alright.\" He gently ran his hand down one of the tails of hair, then went back to gently rubbing and scritching between her ears.\n\nShe almost cooed at him. \"It's... okay if you want to touch me more.\"\n\nHe sighed. \"Arin... I said-\"\n\n\"I know.\" She shifted to lean back against his chest a little more. \"I'm saying... I'm okay with it. You're... very gentle... more than anyone ever has been. S-so... I'm okay if you want to... be gentle in more places.\"\n\nHe let out another sigh, resting his hand against her shoulder. \"If you're sure.\" He slid his hand down her arm a little, feeling the soft fur. She nodded to him, her own hands still playing with the fur of his tail. She giggled as it twitched a little against her. \"You tell me if you want me to stop.\" He slid his hand more around her, under her arm, so it could rest against her belly. It was more of an embrace now, his fingers very gently rubbing at her soft stomach. \"If you feel uncomfortable, then you tell me. Don't just say it's okay for me.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"I will... b-but this is... nice.\" She giggled a little as he gave her belly a gentle scritch. \"I like how you touch me... It actually feels... good.\"\n\nHe smiled, leaning over and giving the top of her head a gentle kiss. \"Then I'm happy to make you feel good. You deserve it.\"\n\nThat got a slight whimper from him. \"I-I don't... know about that...\"\n\n\"You do. Don't listen to what your mother's been telling you. Or anyone else that tries to put you down.\" He gave her a gentle squeeze. \"You're a very sweet girl. And you're very cute. And I'm not just saying that because of my... interests. I think you're adorable.\"\n\nShe let out a soft hum again. \"That just means I'm small.\"\n\nJay chuckled. \"Maybe, but that's okay.\" He slid his hand up to gently tease just under the nearly non-existent breast on her chest. \"I like small.\"\n\nShe let out a soft sound, not stopping him as he gently rubbed against her chest. \"I'm... pretty sure I'm not going to grow much more, too. I've only gained like... two inches in the last three years. Everyone in school calls me a midget.\"\n\nHe sighed. \"You're not. And even if you don't get any bigger, you're fine the way you are.\" He kissed the top of her head again. Then he took a risk and gave another kiss closer to her cheek. That got a giggle from her, so he just nuzzled against her. \"You are lovely however you are.\" He moved his hand down to gently pat her thigh. \"And you've got some nice tone from all that bike riding. You're just built for that. I bet with some practice, you'd be really good at bike racing.\"\n\n\"M-maybe...\" She tensed up for just a second when his fingers continued to gently run against her leg, but she didn't resist him. If anything, she relaxed into his touch even more, her legs stretching out a little. \"That feels nice...\"\n\n\"Then I'll keep making you feel ni- what are you doing?\" Her hips scooted back just a little so she could bump them against his. There was no way she didn't feel the hard lump on his crotch against her rear.\n\n\"I-I wanted to.\" She giggled softly, keeping herself against him. Thankfully, she didn't grind herself against him or anything. \"You've been so nice, and gentle and... And I'm okay with whatever you want to do.\" Before he could protest, she quickly added. \"Even if it's just hold me like this.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Well, doing more would get me in... a lot of trouble. Hell, just doing this probably would.\" He grunted slightly. \"And you rubbing that cute behind of yours against me is not helping much.\"\n\n\"I won't tell anyone...\" She turned a little to lay on her back as she looked at him. \"And... I want to know what it's like when someone isn't just... doing it for themselves...\"\n\nHe looked down at her a little, into those lovely green eyes. \"Have you ever... enjoyed it before? Sex, I mean?\"\n\nShe frowned a little. \"I don't... I don't know. I've never... thought about it.\" She looked up a little. \"I've... cum before... I think. A-at least, I think I have? The men... doing it have said it felt like I did, at least. But it... wasn't really all that good... still kind of hurt. And I've never played with myself to try... So I don't know...\"\n\nHe frowned, leaning over to kiss her forehead gently, getting a smile up at him in return. \"Sex is supposed to be enjoyed by both people.\" He gently rubbed the inside of her thigh, resisting the urge to slide his hand those few inches higher to touch between her legs. \"All those men are disgusting for just using you like that.\" He slid his hand back to the top of her leg, patting it gently. He realized some of the hypocrisy in what he was saying. Decrying men for just using her while he was feeling her up.\n\nShe seemed to pick up on his sudden thoughts, her hand coming up to touch his upper arm. \"You're not like them. I'm... okay with this. With... you... doing this.\" After a second, she leaned up and gave his chin a kiss. \"With you. You're... a lot nicer than them.\" She giggled when his fingers gently scritched at her leg. \"And your touch doesn't hurt.\"\n\n\"I promised I would never hurt you. And I mean it.\" He leaned down a little more as his hand slid back to her inner thigh, moving up dangerously close to the edge of her panties. \"I'm much happier making you feel good.\" His voice got quieter, not quite a whisper. \"Making you happy, even if only for a little bit.\"\n\nShe blushed a little, just visible through her fur. \"Y-you have... made me happy. Happier than I've ever been.\"\n\nHis smile softened a little. \"Good.\" He risked moving his hand just that little bit higher, resting against the spot between her legs. He could feel her pussy through the thin fabric, the crease between soft lips. He very carefully rubbed against that crease, to see her reaction. She let out a soft breath, her body shifting a little beside him. She didn't protest or stop him, her legs even parting a little for him. \"Let me know if you want me to stop.\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"N-no... this... feels really good...\" Another soft breath escaped her, not quite a gasp. \"I like it...\"\n\n\"Would you like more?\" She nodded quickly. \"Okay.\" He slid his hand up to her lower belly again, then sneaked his fingers just under the hem of her panties, moving them down until he was just above her pussy. \"You tell me if you get uncomfortable.\"\n\n\"I-it's... it's okay. I... want you to touch me.\" She smiled a little more at him. When he slid his fingers that last little bit down, she did let out a soft gasp. He carefully moved his fingers against her lower lips, gently rubbing and teasing at her sensitive parts. He could feel the warmth against him, her lips soft. Her breathing got a little faster, and she made a quiet noise when one digit ran along between her lips.\n\n\"You can moan if you want. No one will hear you here but me.\" She nodded again, letting out a soft moan this time as he ran between the lips again. She really gasped when he found her clit hidden at the top, giving it a gently rub. Her hips pushed up a little against him on their own. It sounded almost surprised, and he wondered if anyone had ever given it any attention at all. Or maybe she was just surprised by how good it felt when this was done right. As he continued to gently play with her lips, he felt her growing just a little damp, and smiled. She was actually getting turned on... at least he hoped that's what it was, and not just some reaction from her body. Gods knew he couldn't control his erection, which was currently throbbing hard and straining at his pants.\n\nHe curled one finger just a little, and ran it between her lips, then slid it just a little between them into the damp hole. This got a much louder moan from her, so he pushed a little further in. Her next moan was cut off as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She froze for a second, but then just melted under him. Her hands came up to grip at his shoulders, not to push him away, but to keep him where he was so she could return the kiss. He let her hold him, moaning into his mouth as he continued to slip his finger deeper, rubbing the inner walls. Her hips pushed up against him again, her whole body unable to stay still.\n\nHe opened his mouth a little and teased his tongue forward to lick at her lips, her own mouth parting a little for him, granting him access. He pressed his mouth down a little more, still gentle with her, but deepening the kiss. Her tongue slid out to touch his, even as she let out another muffled moan from his finger teasing and rubbing her wet tunnel. Her hands started to tremble a little against him, so he pulled back to look down at her. \"Still good?\"\n\nShe nodded quickly, her blush growing all the more. \"Y-yes... it's... ahh...\" She gasped again. \"It's amazing... P-please... don't stop... I-I'm... AHH!\" She cried out when his thumb rubbed against her clit, her whole body arching a little. He kept it up, two fingers parting her lips while one rubbed inside as much as he could, while his thumb worked at her clit. She cried out louder, gasping and moaning. She gripped at his shoulders, then his arms, then his shoulders again, her hands not sure where to go as shivers started to run through her. \"Ah... I-it's.... I'm....\"\n\nHe smiled. \"Don't hold it back.\" She couldn't if she wanted to. She gasped and squirmed, never once trying to push him away. Her body undulated constantly, her hips pushing against him to get the finger a little deeper inside. Her legs shivered and trembled, closing around his hand and squeezing. Then she let out a loud cry of pleasure, her back arching clear off the bed. Her inner walls clenched around his finger, her legs doing the same around his hand. Her hands shivered and clung onto his fur as she came. He stopped rubbing her clit, the finger inside just rubbing very slightly to keep the pleasure going.\n\nAll at once, she fell back to the bed, panting heavily. Little shivers and twitches ran through her, making her let out a moaning giggle each time. \"Ah... th-that... I-I've never... ha~\" Another shiver ran through her.\n\nHe smiled, getting another moan from her as he slowly slipping his finger out. He slowly slid his hand out of her panties, gently resting it against her belly. \"That's what it's supposed to feel like.\" He smiled down at her. \"I'm guessing you liked it?\"\n\nThat got a giggle, and a nod. \"Y-yeah... a lot...\" She slid her hands up around his neck and brought his face closer to give him another kiss. He returned it, but didn't push it deeper this time. \"Thank you...\"\n\n\"You're welcome.\" He shifted a little to lay down beside her again, just gently rubbing her belly as she caught her breath again.\n\nShe gasped after a few moments. \"Oh, b-but what about you? You must be... uncomfortable...\" She glanced down at his jeans, then back up at him.\n\nHe shook his head. \"It's fine. I said I'd keep my pants on tonight.\" He kissed her forehead gently. \"Tonight is just for you. So don't you worry about me. Seeing you like this is... more than enough.\"\n\nThe girl nodded slowly. \"O-okay...\" She shifted a little closer, nuzzling under his chin. \"If... you say so...\"\n\n\"I do.\" He let her just lean against him, holding her gently. This was probably more than he should have done already. But she seemed happy, truly happy for a change. That really was enough.\n\nThey laid in silence for a while. Long enough that he had thought she might have dozed off. At least until she spoke up. \"What... are we going to do about Mom...?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"I don't know. We'll have to do something. She might be a monster, but she is still your mother, and she can... get me in a lot of trouble if I try to keep you away from her.\" Even if she was willing, this could still be considered kidnapping. \"But hey, if she doesn't want you around, then maybe... she won't protest?\" He winced, thinking that sounded awful. Arin just shook her head. Then she started to cry softly, which surprised him. \"H-hey! I... know that sounded bad, but...\"\n\nShe shook her head, rolling over a little to bury her face against his chest. \"It's not you... Mom... she...\" She clung to his shoulders again. \"I don't want to go back. I know what she'll do...\"\n\nHe put his arm around her to hold her close. \"She's not going to do anything to you. I'm going to make sure of it... somehow. She won't hit you any more. Or force you to fuck all those men.\"\n\nShe shook her head again. \"Sh-she... she promised that... that if I... didn't... A-and I haven't given her a new baby like she wants... and I don't think I can! A-and sh-she said th-that she would...\"\n\n\"Would what? Throw you out? That would actually be for the best. Then you could stay away from her.\"\n\nShe shook her head again. \"That she would kill me...\"\n\nThat made him flinch. \"What!? She threatened to kill you!?\" Veronica was sounding worse and worse the more he heard about her. \"That's... terrible. But I don't think she'd actually kill her daughter.\"\n\nShe shook her head again. \"She would. That... that place she posts videos of me g-getting... fucked... it's... it's got a lot of people that kill and rape on it.\" He wasn't sure how to take hearing that. \"She'd probably make a lot of money putting the video of killing me up there...\"\n\nHe frowned. \"I'm guessing telling the cops about this isn't an option?\" She just nodded. Somehow he knew that. The site was probably some phantom that could shift its digital location easily. Plus a site like that would have to have some connections to exist, and he didn't want to mess with that. \"Well, I'm not letting her kill you. Even if I have to break the law and go on the run with you, I'm not letting her lay a finger on you.\" He smiled. \"I mean, I have a boat. We could just... sail away.\"\n\nShe looked up, tears still in her eyes. \"B-but... what about your business?\"\n\n\"Zinda can handle it. She's already running most of it as it is.\"\n\nShe tilted her head a little. \"Zinda?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah. She's the front manager of the place. She and I go way back, and she's been working there since she was a teenager. So I know she can handle it.\" He gently pat her head. \"Don't you worry about any of that. We'll figure something out. In the morning. We should try and get some sleep.\" She nodded slowly. With all that happened today, the incident at her house, running away, him finding her and her first true orgasm, and all the crying... she was looking pretty fatigued now. \"I'll be here with you tonight. I promise, I'll keep you safe.\"\n\nThat got a smile from her. She leaned up and kissed his chin. \"Thank you.\" She laid her head down on his arm this time, snuggling up against him again. He brought his tail around to drape over her once more, which she seemed to appreciate. He laid his head down near hers and just watched her. Now she finally managed to drift off to sleep. He had a harder time doing that. And for once, it had nothing to do with lewd thoughts about her. Instead, he was worrying about just what the hell he was going to do now. He would have to talk to her mother... see for himself if she was serious about that threat. And if she was... well, he would worry about that then.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nMorning came all too quickly. Jay opened his eyes to find he was laying in the bed alone, though the cabin still smelled of Arin. He slowly pushed himself up, feeling a slight kink in his neck. He groaned a little as he stretched. He pushed himself out of bed, looking around. The girl's clothing was no longer on the floor, only his shirt remaining. He picked it up and put it on, then moved to the fore cabin. The girl was sitting at the table, just staring at her hands. \"Good morning.\"\n\nShe jumped slightly when she heard him, then turned and smiled. \"Hey. You... looked like you needed the sleep, so I didn't wake you.\"\n\nHe smiled a little. \"I hope you weren't sitting around too long.\"\n\nShe just shrugged. \"I... no. Not too long.\" She gave him a smile as he pat her head gently walking past her. He moved over to the counter to start some coffee for himself. Though he saw a mug sitting in the sink, the remains of cocoa still on the inside. \"Oh... I... sorry, I didn't drink that last night. It was cold by the time I got out here, so I dumped it... I wasn't sure how to wash stuff here, so I just left it there... Hope that's okay.\"\n\nHe smiled. \"Yeah, that's alright.\" He finished getting everything into the coffee maker and got himself a fresh mug, then started washing the ones from the previous night, his own mug from the tea still sitting on the counter. \"So... you must be pretty hungry by now.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"A... little... I guess.\" She looked away again. He figured she was also pretty worried.\n\nHe sighed slightly. \"Tell you what. I'll give you some cash, and you can go get yourself some breakfast somewhere. There's a bunch of places nearby that serve it, so you have your pick. You can even get it to go and just bring it back here. You remember the door code?\"\n\nShe nodded. \"4-1-1-8-9.\"\n\n\"Right.\" He took a breath and held it for a moment. \"And while you do that... I'll go and talk to your mother... provided she hasn't called the cops on me yet.\"\n\nThe girl whimpered slightly. \"W-what are you going to say?\"\n\nHe rubbed the back of his neck. \"I'm not sure yet. I'll... try to figure that out by the time I get there.\"\n\nShe nodded, looking down at her hands. \"She's just going to want me to go back...\"\n\n\"Yeah. I know.\" He moved over and put his hand on her shoulder. \"But I'm not letting her hurt you ever again. Even if I have to run away with you to do it.\" She smiled at him. After he had his coffee, he gave her a small wad of cash. She was surprised by just how much, and even more surprised when he said she could keep whatever she didn't spend on food. Then he got into his truck, and went back to the house. The whole time, he was wracking his brain trying to think of just what to say. By the time he was pulling into the driveway, he hadn't figured that out yet.\n\nHe walked up to Veronica's door, took a deep breath, and knocked. Then knocked again when he got no response for several seconds. \"ARIN! GET THE DOOR!\" He heard the woman screaming inside, her words holding that same listless slur from when she had been at his door only a few days prior. \"ARIN!\" He heard movement inside. A minute later, the door was yanked open. \"WHAT DO YOU... oh, it's [i]you.[/i]\" The woman was dressed in just her purple houserobe again. Thankfully, her lips were devoid of a cigarette this time. \"So she ran off to your cock, did she?\"\n\nHe frowned at the woman. \"No, she ran off to my safety. Can I come inside? We have a lot to talk about.\"\n\nVeronica just threw her hand in the air. \"Fine. C'mon in and talk.\" She turned around and headed back inside. He followed, shutting the door behind himself. The house was... a mess. Small piles of empty bottles sat against one wall, most from hard liquor. The living room, if you could call it that, was home to an old TV that he was surprised still worked by how filthy it was. There was only one chair in front of it, an even more beat up recliner that looked like it was from the 70's, with a gaudy pattern just barely visible. The place smelled heavily of cigarette smoke and alcohol.\n\nHe followed the woman to the kitchen, watching as she pulled open a bottle of vodka and didn't even bother pouring it, just taking several gulps straight from the bottle before slamming it back down on the counter. \"Alright. So wha'the fuck do you wanna talk about, fluffy?\"\n\nHe crossed his arms. \"Arin, of course. I've learned what you've been forcing her to do.\"\n\nThe woman scoffed. \"You, you mean put that slut to some use? So what? It's the only thing she's good for.\"\n\nHe frowned at how flippant she was about it. \"You know that's a lie.\"\n\nShe scoffed again. \"Yeah, she can't even do that right! Been pissing off the guys lately with her dead eyes. And can't even get herself knocked up proper! No matter how many of 'em leave their load in there.\" She shook her head. \"Fucking useless cunt can't even do that right.\"\n\nHe scowled even more. \"You've been having them rape her since she was 6! She probably can't have kids now because of that!\" He was guessing, but had heard something about that a long time ago. Though he wasn't sure how true it was, he would still use that as a point. \"You're lucky she hasn't been hurt even worse than that!\"\n\n\"LUCKY!\" She picked up the bottle, and looked like she was about to throw it, but instead just took another swig and slammed it down on the counter again. \"Nothin' about that girl is LUCKY! She's been just a burden since the momen' she was born! Fucking leeching everything, ruin'n my looks, eat'n all my food, shitting everywhere! She's lucky I even let her leave the house!\" She blinked several times. \"Where the hell is she?\"\n\nHe managed to keep his cool, but his temper was definitely flaring up under the surface. \"Away from you and safe for now. And she's going to stay that way until I can get a promise that you're not going to force her to be a prostitute for you anymore.\"\n\nIt was Veronica's turn to scowl at him. \"Away from me? She's [i]my[/i] fucking daughter! I'll tell her when she can leave! She owes me her fucking life for bringing her into this world!\"\n\n\"She's her own person, not your slave.\"\n\nShe slammed her hand on the counter. \"She owes me! She'll do wha'ever th'fuck I want her to do! She'd better, or I'll fucking make her regret it!\"\n\nHis scowl got darker. \"About that. She told me you threatened her life.\"\n\nThe woman teetered back unsteadily, trying to look intimidating and failing. \"Yeah? Sho what? I brought her into this world, I c'n take her out of it!\"\n\n\"You'd really do it? Kill your own daughter?\"\n\n\"Yeah, why not?\" She scoffed. \"Pro'bly pay better as a corpse than she every did alive, too! An' she wouldn't fucking eat all my fucking food!\" She put her hand to her head. \"Ugh... and you've gone and giv'n me a headach. I need my fucking pills...\" She waved her hand at him as she walked past him. \"You said yer peace. Now get the fuck outta my house and bring my daughter back sho I can give 'er what she deserves.\"\n\nHe didn't leave. Instead he followed her as she walked to her bedroom. The place was set up like some kind of porn studio, cameras pointed at the messy bed and lights here and there. Sitting beside the bed was several open bottles of some kind of pills. And even more bottles of various alcohol. He also saw a small pile of what he could only guess were props used during the recording. Handcuffs, rope, a crop, a gag, and several sex toys. He just knew all of them had been used on Arin at some point. It made his blood boil even more just thinking about the girl being tied up and smacked by someone, all while this disgusting woman watched and recorded it.\n\nThat was the last straw. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a spool of heavy fishing wire, the kind used to reel in large fish like marlins. It had quite the tensile strength, so he wasn't worried about it snapping as he suddenly wrapped it around the woman's neck from behind. She immediately started struggling, her arms flailing about. He dragged her back a little, easily taking her off of her feet with how inebriated she was. He grit his teeth, his tail thrashing behind him as he pulled tighter. \"You're not laying a finger on that girl every again, you fucking bitch!\"\n\nVeronica continued to struggle, failing entirely to reach back and grab him, her legs kicking as he dragged her back by the wire around her neck. The thing bit into her, completely cutting off her air. She made a kind of choked sound, but that was all she could do. She kicked and flailed for some time, so much her robe fell open and he got the unfortunate view of her naked body, saggy tits flopping all over. She also pissed herself at some point, urine running down her pudgy legs and drooling onto the floor.\n\nShe gave one final struggle, then her arms went limp. She still twitched for a while, and he kept the wire around her neck until those stopped. When she was finally still, he pulled the wire away. Her body crumpled to the floor in a heap. Her mouth was open, tongue partially sticking out of her mouth and looking swollen. Her eyes stared at nothing, wide and bloodshot. He let out a breath, staring at the woman he just murdered. \"Fuck...\" He hadn't planned on going this far. At least that is what he told himself. But he had grabbed the fishing wire from the back of his truck for a reason, he just didn't want to admit it.\n\nNow he had to figure out just what to do with her body. He ran his hand over his head. \"Shit...\" He couldn't just leave her here like this, but what else was he going to do? He doubted he could drag her out to the truck and get her to the water to dump her. Even then, she would probably just wash up soon enough. It's not like he was going to be able to stomach cutting her into pieces or anything like that. Just the thought of it made him feel a little sick. Then his eyes fell onto the rope. He looked up, seeing a ceiling fan just above where he dumped her. \"Maybe?\" It was worth a shot.\n\nHe grabbed the rope and started to loop one end. He was pretty good with knots, thanks to his years of experience on the water, so he tied the end into a sturdy slipknot. Though not too good, since he didn't want it obvious he did it. He dragged a chair in from the kitchen, setting it just below the fan and stood on it so he could loop the end around the thing and tie it secure. He gave it several hard tugs to make sure it would hold. It... probably would. Now was the hard part. He reached down and slid his arms under the woman, grunting as he lifted her up. He got back onto the chair as he lifted her, just barely managing to get her head into the loop before his arms gave out. She sank immediately, the loop snapping tight around her neck, her feet bumping the edge of the chair.\n\nWhen he got down, he kicked the chair over, as if she had done it. To his untrained eye, it looked like she had just killed herself. She was even dangling just over the pool of her piss soaked into the carpet. He just hoped he didn't leave too much other evidence around. He checked to make sure the line he used hadn't snapped, but it was all still there. He'd cut several feet off and toss it away later. For now, he stuffed it back into his pocket and made his way to the front of the house. Though he stopped before he opened the door. He instead locked it, and went back inside.\n\nThe place was laid out just like his, so he went to the other room. In his side, it was his home office. Here, as he suspected, it was Arin's room. There was almost nothing in it. Just a bare bed with a single flat pillow. No decorations, no dresser of any kind, just a barren room. It looked like a prison cell. He went to the closet, finding a small set of plastic buckets with clothes in them. He grabbed as much as he could carry of everything, making sure to get a few full sets. Then he went to the kitchen. The window was unlocked, and he noticed it had no screen in it when Veronica had been ranting earlier. So he climbed out through that as carefully as he could, closing it again behind him. Looking around, he was sure no one saw him... he sure hoped no one did.\n\nHe moved around the house and to his front door as quickly and seemingly naturally as he could with his arms full of clothing. Once inside, he ran to his bedroom to change his own clothes. He'd dump the old ones somewhere else. He stuffed all of Arin's clothes into a duffel bag, along with several changes of his own clothing. He also grabbed some things from the bathroom. There was the chance that he would be fleeing very soon, so he made sure to get as much as he might need. All of it went into the duffel, the thing so stuffed he struggled to get it closed.\n\nWith all that taken care of, he went back outside again, locking the door behind him and fully expecting he would never see the inside of the house again. He again tried to act as natural as he could getting into the truck, setting the duffel on the seat beside him. He pulled out, and drove away from the scene of the murder he just committed. He still felt very sick. How was he going to explain this to Arin...?\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nHe didn't see Arin's bike inside the boat house when walked in. He must still be having her breakfast. At least he hoped that's all she was doing. If she got the idea to go home... He shook his head. She wanted to stay the hell away from that place as much as he wanted to keep her away. He brought the duffel down below deck and started emptying the contents onto the bed. He hung up the shirts and pants in the closet, folding what couldn't be hung up and set them on the low shelf in there. He was just finishing up when he heard the door buzz outside. He froze for a moment, listening.\n\n\"Mr Mc... Jay?\" He let out a relieved sigh when he heard Arin's voice.\n\n\"I'm just down here!\" He smiled when the girl stepped into the cabin. \"Hey. I got some of your clothes for you.\" He motioned to the open closet. \"Just in here.\"\n\nThe girl just nodded slowly. \"So... what did she say?\"\n\nHe tensed up, closing his eyes. \"She... won't be a problem. So, you don't need to worry about-\"\n\n\"Did.. you kill her?\" He froze. How the hell was this girl so good at reading him? His shoulders slumped... all of his slumped, even his tail drooping down. He heard her grunt. \"Good.\"\n\nHe turned to look at her more fully now. \"Good!?\"\n\nArin nodded, hopping up onto the bed. \"Yeah... she was... she deserved it, right?\"\n\nHe sighed, pushing the duffel to the side and sitting down beside her. \"I guess. But...\" He shook his head. \"She was still your mother.\"\n\nShe shook her head slowly. \"I never loved her. She never loved me, either.\" She looked up at him. \"Are... you okay, though? You've never done that kind of thing before, right? Take a life?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"No. Nothing bigger than a tuna, at least.\" He let out a sigh, looking at his hands. He was surprised they weren't shaking. \"I... never want to do that again...\" He let out a breath. \"I made it look like she hanged herself... And she was pretty stoned on her pills and drinking the whole time, so... maybe they'll believe she did that after you ran away?\"\n\nThe girl nodded. \"Maybe...\" They both just sat in silence for a long time, not sure what to say. He resisted the urge to give her a hug, not sure she's want to be touched by someone like him anymore, even gently. \"You... saw the bedroom...?\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Yeah. It's where I left her.\"\n\nShe grunted. \"Only good thing that's ever happened in there.\" She let out a long sigh. \"I hate that place.\"\n\nHe nodded again. \"I can understand why. I saw your room, too. It was so... empty.\"\n\n\"Mom didn't like me having... things...\" She kicked her feet a little. \"The kids at school make fun of me because I don't even have a phone.\"\n\nHe frowned again. \"Well... I'd say I'd get you one, but... I don't know how all this is going to go from here.\" She looked up at him with a confused look. \"Even if they believe the suicide thing... she was your only family right?\" Arin nodded. \"Well, they might try and take you and put you in a foster home.\"\n\n\"Oh...\" She looked away again. \"Even if I want to stay here with you?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"I don't know. But I'll... try and get you to stay with me... I've got a stable job, so that should help from what I know.\"\n\nShe nodded slowly again. \"Okay...\" They got quiet again, and he just looked down at the ground. Eventually, she leaned over a little, her shoulder resting against his side. \"Thank you...\"\n\n\"For... what? Doing... what I just did?\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"No... well, yes, but... for...\" She sighed, not sure how to say it. \"Just thank you for everything. If... if they take me away, I just wanted to say that. That you've been... the best person ever.\"\n\nHe smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders and holding her gently. \"You're welcome. You've been pretty nice to have around, too. I'll keep being the best I can while I can be.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nThe rest of the morning was thankfully uneventful. A little bit later, he was showing her the rest of the boat she hadn't seen. Mostly the wheelhouse. \"So this is what controls the speed. And you just steer it like you would a car. Though it turns a lot slower than a car would, so you need to be careful about that.\"\n\nThe girl nodded, standing right up next to him, despite that there was enough room for the both of them. \"Well, I've never driven a car...\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"True. But you've ridden in one.\"\n\nShe nodded slowly. \"Hey... is it possible to actually... go out on the water today?\"\n\nHe looked down at her. \"I... yeah, I guess it is.\"\n\nShe smiled. \"Can we? I-I mean... I might not be able to get this chance again...\"\n\nThat hit him. It was true. And he had promised to take her out at some point. \"Then yeah, let's do it.\" He pat her head gently. \"Let me just go grab something from the truck and get the doors open. Then I'll take you out for a while.\" She nodded happily, giving him a big grin. He ran out to the truck to get all of the fishing gear he still hadn't moved from almost a week ago, finally loading it up onto the boat. He might as well teach her how to fish while he was out there, after all. Once everything was on the boat, he moved to the controls. \"You ready?\" She gave him a big thumbs up, and he hit the lever. The place was suddenly filled with the sound of the machine over her moving. The front wall started to lift up like a garage door, letting sunlight start to fill the large room around them.\n\nOnce the door was open, he untied the mooring and chucked it up onto the deck. Last thing was to pull the ramp up, laying it across the floor. He joined her in the wheel house. \"Alright, all set. Engines on!\" He turned the key, and the whole craft made a shudder as the engines kicked to life. A soft hum vibrated the ship a little from the aft. \"Hey, you should stand up at the prow to watch. Just don't lean too far over, okay?\"\n\n\"Okay!\" She excitedly darted out of the wheelhouse and around to the fore, looking around in anticipation. He chuckled, and started the thing forward slowly. She gasped as they cleared the edge of the dock and she got a real look at the vast expanse of water stretching out in front. \"Whoa~!\" He chuckled to himself, remembering the first time he came out with his father. He was younger than her, but his excitement was just the same. He got the ship up to middle speed and just headed away from land, not really having any kind of set destination. Arin didn't seem to mind, happily looking around as they went further and further out to sea.\n\nShe ran back to the wheelhouse at some point. \"It's so much blue! I've never seen this much blue!\" She giddily hopped from one foot to another, then stumbled a little as the boat swayed a little. \"Whoa...\"\n\n\"Careful. You don't have your sea legs yet. You'll get used to the ground moving constantly pretty quick.\" He slowly turned to head northeast a little more. \"If you start feeling seasick, just head below deck. You'll feel it less inside.\"\n\nShe nodded, but just ran aft to keep gazing out at the water, and at the slowly shrinking coast. \"All the buildings look so small from here!\" He chuckled. The city wasn't known for having huge towers like somewhere like Alta Ferro, but it still had a fairly distinct skyline, especially from the coast. He kept going for around another half hour, getting farther and farther out. Though not too far. He didn't want to head out into deep ocean, but he went far enough that they were unlikely to end up getting near other ships. He mostly wanted to make sure he stayed out of the shipping lanes. One of those big ships passing by could capsize his little yacht with their wake. Eventually, he cut the engine and just let the ship drift. The water was pretty calm, and the weather was clear for several days. There were barely any clouds above, so he didn't anticipate anything that would make them have to head back in a hurry.\n\nWalking back to join the girl, he put his hands on his hips. \"Alright. Having fun so far?\"\n\nShe nodded excitedly. \"Yeah! This is just so awesome!\"\n\nHe couldn't help but laugh. \"Well, while we're out here, you want me to teach you how to fish?\"\n\nShe gasped. \"YEAH!\" He laughed again. The first thing he did was get her into a puffy live vest. She complained, but eventually relented when he got her to admit she didn't know how to swim. Something else he would have to teach her if he got the chance. Next was showing her how to string a rod. He cut a long length of the wire he had in his pocket and tossed it over board, not explaining why. He let her use his old rod, eager to test the new one. After showing her how to bait the hook, he showed how to cast. Her first attempt was... not very good, but he just had her reel it in and try again. She got the hang of it after a few more attempts.\n\nHe set his rod in one of the holsters on the rail. \"Wait here a second.\" He went down below deck for a moment, then came back up with two sets of folding lounge chairs. He set them both up just behind her. \"There. You can have a seat on that.\" She nodded, scooting the chair forward and plopping herself down onto it. He smiled and sat back on the other. \"Now we just... wait for a bite. And enjoy the salty air.\"\n\nShe took a deep breath and let it out. \"It smells... different.\"\n\n\"That's because it's cleaner than in the city.\" He looked out at the water. \"Hey, let me know if you get thirsty. I didn't grab any sodas, but I've got bottle water in the fridge.\" She nodded, but was staring intently at the end of her rod, as if she could will a fish to bite.\n\nThat didn't work. It was some time before one of the hooks got anything, and it was his. \"Oop, looks like I got something.\" He sat up and grabbed his rod, catching the reel before whatever was on the line pulled too far. He started to reel it in slowly, telling her about how this part worked, letting the fish tire itself out. In the distance, the water was very agitated at the end of the line from the fish under the water. He pulled back a little, feeling the rod flex in his grip a little. It had a pretty good give, and didn't feel like it was bending too much, or would snap. The line also held well, though he had... already tested how tough it was in a different way.\n\nEventually he reeled his catch in, puling it up out of the water. He grabbed a small net from nearby and set the fish down into it, letting it struggle in that. \"There we go. Not exactly a marlin, but it's not bad.\"\n\nShe looked at the blackish fish flopping around in the net. \"What kind of fish is that?\"\n\nHe set his rod down and reached in to remove the hook from its mouth. \"This is a black grouper. But it's pretty small. Must be a juvenile.\" He showed how to remove the hook, being careful not to hurt the thing more. \"There we go. Well, since it's a juvenile, I'll throw it back.\" He hung the net over the edge and turned it over, shaking it a little. The fish fell out into the water, quickly disappearing below the surface. \"There you go, little guy. Go grow up big.\"\n\nShe giggled a little. \"Don't get eaten by a shark!\" She looked at him. \"There's sharks out here, right?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah, but they don't usually go near boats. And even if they did, the movies make them out to be way more dangerous than they are.\" He went about setting new bait onto his hook. \"You're more likely to get hit by a car or be in a plane crash than be attacked by a shark. And even less likely that the attack will be fatal. They usually nibble once, but if you struggle too much, they usually just go off for something easier.\"\n\nShe nodded to all of what he said. \"Have you ever seen a shark out here?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Oh yeah, couple of times. When I was younger and out here with my dad, he went to throw a fish back, and shark came up and snapped the thing up right as it hit the water. They're more likely to be opportunistic like that than attack.\"\n\nShe giggled. \"What about dolphins? Ever seen any of them?\"\n\n\"A few, yeah.\" He held up a hand. \"Before you ask, no, I've never seen any whales out here.\" She just giggled again, since that was going to be her next question.\n\nIt was another few minutes before one of the hooks caught something. This time, it was Arin's. She squeaked, gripping the rod tight. \"W-what do I do!?\"\n\nHe set his own rod down, moving over to help her grip her own. \"Give it a tug, nice and hard.\" She did, and could feel the thing catch. \"Good. Now you've got it. Grab the reel before it gets too far out.\" She nodded, taking hold of the reel. She started to turn it, but it was really stiff. \"You really gotta work it. But don't pull too hard. Let it tire itself out like I said.\" She nodded again, slowly turning the reel. \"That's it. It's turning, move with it, or it'll put too much tension on the line and snap it.\" He walked her through everything as she slowly pulled the fish closer and closer. It was putting up quite a struggle against her, but she kept her grip on the rod.\n\nHe pat her shoulder and moved over to the edge, getting the net ready. \"Almost there...\" She reeled more, the fish starting to really tire out now, so it was getting a little easier. There was a splash as it was pulled out of the water. She squeaked, nearly falling backwards when the tension was suddenly gone. He reached out and got the fish into the net, pulling it up to show. \"Hey, look at that! You got a red snapper!\" He held out the net, showing the fish inside struggling away. \"Pretty good size, too. Looks like about 20 inches. That's a keeper.\"\n\nShe looked at the fish in the net. It was pretty big, at least to her. \"Whoa...\" A big grin spread on her lips. \"I caught something!\"\n\nHe nodded, smiling back at her. \"Yeah you did.\" He moved over and lifted a small hatch. Cold air immediately billowed out, and he dumping the fish into the cold storage. \"There. Don't worry, it'll go to sleep in the cold, so it won't suffer.\" He set the net down again. \"Good job! That can be dinner tonight.\" He held his hand out, and she gave him a high five.\n\nThey spent the rest of the afternoon like this. Most of what they caught were thrown back. Arin managed to catch another snapper, but it was smaller. Jay did catch a pair of Mackerel that got added to the box. Arin also managed to pull up an even bigger fish, big enough that he had to help with it again. It was a Crevalle Jack, a large fish with a rounded, bulbous head and tiny eyes. He agreed with her assessment that it was very goofy looking. Despite it being a pretty good size, it also got tossed back into the water.\n\nOnce the sun started to set, he dropped the anchor to keep them from drifting too much, and went below deck to start prepping the fish for cooking. Naturally, he had all of the stuff needed for that on hand, and he was quite experienced at it, so it did not take long to scale and fillet it. From there, it was quick work to put it in a pan with some oil and fry it up. He even had seasoning for it, though all it really needed was a little salt. When it was almost done, he called out. \"Arin! Dinner's just about done! C'mon down!\"\n\n\"Coming!\" He heard her feet humping against the deck and them coming down the stairs. \"Wow, that smells really good!\"\n\nHe nodded, grabbing a few plates from the cabinet above his head. \"It's a pretty easy fish to cook. So are the mackerel, but I wanted to do the one you caught.\" He slid the cuts onto the two plates, setting hers down on the table in front of her, along with a fork and knife. \"Here you go. Sorry I don't have any sides to go with it.\" He also made some tea, setting a mug down for her.\n\n\"That's okay.\" She popped a bit of the fish into her mouth, then let out a moan. \"Oh... this is good!\"\n\n\"Yeah. It hits different when it's that fresh. And when you caught it yourself.\" He chuckled, having to lean against the counter to have his since there was only the one chair. He really needed to get another chair for in here... provided she was able to stay with him.\n\n\"Yeah! This was so much fun!\" She giggled and just started going on about how exciting it was when something caught the hook, and struggling to pull it in. He just let her ramble to her heart's content, happy to see her happy. He was glad he could give her this after everything she had gone through. If this was to be their last time together, then he was happy to make it count. After they were done eating, he just set the plates in the sink. They talked for a little more over the tea, letting her wind down a little.\n\nShe did ask. \"So... when should we go back?\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"Well, I should probably take us back tonight. I know you've got school tomorrow.\"\n\nShe frowned. \"Oh... yeah, I forgot about that...\"\n\nHe smiled a little. \"Or... you could miss a day... and we go back in the morning.\" She brightened up a little, but he held up a finger. \"Don't think I'll let you make a habit of that, though. This is just a special occasion. Got it?\"\n\nShe nodded happily, getting up and giving him a big hug. \"Got it!\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nNight came quickly. Jay showed Arin how to use the quick shower to get herself cleaned up before bed, though he let her have her wash in private. She eventually came out with a towel wrapped around her small body, another around her hair. \"Heh. Very cute.\" She stuck her tongue out at him, but still smiled. He pat the towel atop her head. \"My turn.\" He took a little longer than she did, as he had to tend to his fluffy tail. It also took a little longer to dry. Before walking back out, he slid his boxers back on. He thought about putting his pants on, like he had the previous night, but... decided not to this time.\n\nWhen he stepped out, he froze for a second. \"oh...\" Arin had set the towels down nearby, and was laying on the bed... completely naked. \"I... uh... thought you'd be in your underwear again...\"\n\nShe looked up at him with a smile, and a slight blush on her cheeks. \"Well... y-you already touched me everywhere, so...\" her eyes fell on his boxers, noting the tent forming in the front. \"I... can put them back on... if you want me to...\"\n\nHe smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed and reaching out to rest his hand against hers. \"If you're comfortable like this, then it's okay.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"And... if you want to touch me again... like you did yesterday... I'd like that.\"\n\nThe squirrel couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. \"I thought we could just snuggle up close again.\"\n\n\"I'd like that, too.\" She shifted over a little so he could climb up and lay beside her. He also swung his tail over to drape over her again. She giggled, her fingers playing with the fur. \"It's even more fluffy!\"\n\nHe nodded. \"It gets like that after I wash it.\"\n\nHe let her play with her tail for a little while. She really liked the fluffy fur. She also nuzzled into it a little, burying her face among the fuzz. \"It smells nice... Like you.\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"Well, it is me. It's my tail, after all.\"\n\nShe shook her head a little. \"N-no... I mean... I like how you smell...\" She bit her lip a little. \"Is that weird to say?\"\n\n\"I dunno.\" He gently pat her head. \"But thank you.\" She had left her hair down this time, so he gently stroked his fingers through the loose strands. \"I think you smell nice, too.\" She nodded slowly, shifting a little closer to him, her hip bumping against his crotch. \"Hey, careful there.\" He just got a giggle in response. After a moment longer, she nudged him again, very purposefully bumping against him. \"Arin...\"\n\nShe giggled softly. \"Sorry.\" She looked up at him, her face half-hidden under her tail so all he saw was from the eyes up. \"I'm... okay if you want to... with me...\"\n\nHe pulled his tail away so he could look at her more fully. \"Arin...\" He let out a heavy sigh. \"Yes, I want to. I VERY much want to.\" His cock twitched just a little as she was still pressing her hip against him. \"But... you've had enough men... use you for that. I don't want to be just another guy using you.\"\n\nShe shook her head quickly. \"You're not!\" She turned a little to look at him. \"You're... you're the best guy I've ever met. The best person! You're kind and gentle and... and you took me out here and showed me how to fish! And the ocean! And...\" She looked away a little. \"And... we might never... be like this... again... I-I know you've wanted to... since you met me... and you might never again...\"\n\nHe reached out, resting his hand on her cheek. \"You don't have to do anything for me. Just being here with you has been some of the most fun I've had in years. I don't want to ruin it with you just... feeling like you have to pay me back.\"\n\nShe whimpered. \"I... do owe you... though.\" He frowned. \"And... I do want it...\" She blushed even more, her face warm and red. \"You... made me feel so great yesterday... with just your fingers. I... I want to know what... it's like. Done... the right way... A-and this might be the only chance to... feel that... before we can't be together anymore...\" She bit her lip for a moment, not looking at him directly. \"But if you don't want to, then I'm okay just... snuggling close, too.\"\n\nHe let out a sigh. \"You know you're not going to be able to pull that 'this is the last time' thing for long, right?\" She just kind of tilted her head a little to each side. \"C'mere.\" He leaned down and gave her lips a gentle kiss, and she leaned into it. \"I just want to know. Are you absolutely sure?\" She nodded. \"You're not just doing this because you think you have to?\" She shook her head this time. \"Then okay. I'll show you what it's like to make love the right way.\" Boy he sure hoped he could live up to that promise now!\n\nHe shifted back a little to get off of the bed, hooking his thumbs into his boxers. After a moment, he let them drop, his cock springing free into the air. She smiled at him, her eyes fixed to the shaft now that it was within her view. As he was getting back onto the bed, she asked. \"How... do you want to do it? On my back... all fours?\"\n\nHe thought about it for a second. \"On your back. So I can look at you.\" She blushed again, shifting to lay on her back for him. Her legs parted, letting him see her pussy fully. The lips glistened just a little with her arousal. He had a feeling he was the first guy to ever see her turned on. He smiled. \"You are so beautiful, you know that?\"\n\nShe squeaked. \"W-wha...? Um... I... th-thank you...\"\n\nHe chuckled, moving over to get closer, until he was directly above her. \"I mean it. You are beautiful. You're cute, sexy, and I love how excited you get when you're happy.\" He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. She returned it, then tensed up a little as his tip rubbed against her pussy. He teased gently at her lower lips, feeling the heat coming off of her, his cock twitching and pulsing. She moaned into the kiss, her hips moving a little up and down to match his teasing. He pulled back, looking down directly into those beautiful green eyes. \"Are you ready?\"\n\nShe nodded quickly. \"Y-Yes.\" He nodded back, pushing his hips forward. She let out a soft breath as he moaned, her lips slowly parting for his cock as he pushed himself inside. He had no idea what the hell that guy was talking about calling her loose. The tunnel he pushed himself into was tight, warm, wet, and squeezing slightly around him as he inched his way into it. He watched her, making sure she was okay as he pushed a little deeper. She was panting slightly, but her hips did shift a little to let him slide in a little easier. Before he could even ask, she answered his question. \"I-I'm good... You're... it feels... really nice...\"\n\nHe smiled, leaning down to give her a soft kiss. \"Then I'll keep going.\" She nodded, letting out a soft little cry of pleasure as he pushed more of his shaft into her tight hole. He moaned for her to hear. With just about half of himself inside, he started to pump his hips, starting slow. He pulled back, then pushed forward again, sliding just a little more inside with each thrust. He wanted to let her get used to him more naturally, instead of slamming himself full force into her like he was sure so many men had in the past. She seemed to appreciate it, her moans growing a little more loud with each thrust a little deeper.\n\nHer hands came up, arms wrapping around his neck to hold onto him. \"It... feels so good like this...\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"I'm happy.\" He pushed a little more inside, getting closer to the base of his shaft now. \"You don't need to hold back. I love hearing you moan.\"\n\n\"I-I can moan mo~oooh...\" She tensed up a little as he pushed the last bit of himself inside of her, his hips meeting hers. He held himself like this, feeling the muscles in her inner walls clenching a little. \"Ah... I-I can... moan more... if you want...\"\n\nHe smiled down at her, kissing her nose. \"Just keep making all those cute sounds you make. As long as you're enjoying it.\"\n\nShe nodded quickly, her face flushed once more. \"I-It's... the best this has ever felt! It doesn't hurt... even though you're so big!\"\n\nHe chuckled, kissing her gently again. \"You're just very small.\" She giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. Then she gasped again, letting out a louder moan when he slowly dragged his hips back, only to press forward again, fully sliding out and back in. Her whole body shook a little as he pumped his hips like this, willing himself to go slower. His cock pulsed and throbbed, demanding he go more, but he kept his calm... for now. But it was getting harder to stay slow. Soon, his pace picked up, once he felt he could go a bit harder without forcing it. He was rewarded with more little gasping moans from her. She had the most adorable look on her face, her eyes closed, mouth open, that little exertion while panting and gasping as she actually enjoyed sex for the first time.\n\nHis hips moved a little faster, not quite slamming against hers, but enough that his heavy balls started to swing back and forth, slapping against her each time he thrust all the way back inside. Her own hips started to pump back upwards against him to meet his. Her legs trembled a little, toes curling and uncurling. Soon, those legs moved up to wrap around him... mostly. She could only slightly get them around his waist, her feet resting against the base of his tail as it twitched wildly behind him. He took it as encouragement to go faster and a bit harder.\n\nShe let out soft whimpers as her body started to shiver under him, squirming a little more. Though from how much she was moaning for him now, it definitely wasn't her uncomfortable. She must be getting closer. He was, too, having a hard time holding himself back. \"I'm... I'm almost there...\" He grit his teeth, his cock throbbing hard with the need to release himself.\n\nShe squeezed her legs around him a little harder. \"Y-you can... do it inside...\" Her eyes opened to look up at him, and they were almost pleading with him. All the thoughts and worries he had about possibly getting her pregnant flew out the window when he saw that look. His hips moved faster and harder, slapping against her as he plunged deep over and over. She cried out louder, her back arching a little off of the bed. \"F-fill me... p-please!\" She whimpered, begging him for it. Her body arched again as she let out a louder cry, cumming for him, because of him. Her whole body tensed up, legs squeezing around him, dragging his hips down against her to keep him lodged deep inside of her clenching tunnel. The inner muscles squeezed him over and over, feeling like they were trying to pull him even deeper.\n\nHe couldn't resist any longer. He let out a loud cry of his own as he came, his cock jerking and twitching as it spat his seed deep inside of her wanting tunnel. He slid his arms around her to hold her close against him as they came together. His hips gave little thrusts with every heavy spurt inside, his tail twitching and almost thrashing about above him. He had never cum this hard before, all of his pent up desires unloading into her at once. He held onto her tight, even as he started to calm, his cock twitching a little as the last few shots squirted out. Her pussy still trembled a little against him, her whole body shivering as she held him back.\n\nThey stayed like this, holding each other, for a few seconds. Then she loosened her grip on his shoulders, her legs sliding away to lay on the bed again. When he loosened his own grip to pull back, he saw she was giggling giddily. \"Good?\"\n\nShe nodded quickly. \"Y-yeah... th-the best...\"\n\nHe smiled, kissing her nose softly. \"I'm really glad, then.\" He looked down, his hips still up against hers. \"Alright, I'll pull out slow. You ready?\" She nodded again, and they both let out a low moan as he moved his hips back, dragging his cock out of her. When he finally slipped free, she almost collapsed back to the bed, panting as little shudders ran through her. He was also panting slightly, his messy cock drooling a little onto the bed. It was still rock hard and ready for more, but he didn't want to push his luck. \"D-don't worry if anything leaks out. The bed's waterproof. Boat and all that, y'know?\" She nodded.\n\nHe moved to lay down beside her, putting an arm around her and pulling her close to cuddle up. She happily slid up beside him, nuzzling against his neck and chest. \"Thank you... I-I feel like it's all I'm saying but... I mean it. You've been... the best person ever... and made me so... happy in the last few days...\"\n\nHe kissed the top of her head gently. \"Good. That was my goal. And you've made me pretty happy, too.\"\n\nAfter a moment, she rolled a little and shifted to press her back against his chest. He slid his arms around her to hold her up close. Though it also left his cock rubbing slightly against her rear. \"You're still hard.\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah, it does that...\" He could actually go again... several times with the mood he was in.\n\nShe let out a soft hum, her hips shifting to rub herself against him again. \"I... if... you want to... keep going...\" She bit her lip a little. \"I would like it...\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"You want more?\" She nodded quickly. He shifted to get his cock to slip down between her legs, so the length rubbed against her slit just a little. \"You sure? I don't want you forcing yourself...\"\n\nHe did get a soft gasp and moan from her, her hips moving to grind slightly against him. \"I-I... it felt... amazing, and... And I... um... I w-wou- AHH!\" She let out a soft gasping cry when his tip poked at her hole again. His tip slid inside of her once more, easier this time than before. Her moan grew longer as he slowly pushed the whole length back inside of her this time. Her body shivered against him, her inner walls clenching tight around him again.\n\nHe leaned forward a little, kissing her cheek. \"I'm happy to fill you over and over if that's what you want.\" She nodded quickly again, then let out another loud moan as he started to pump his hips again. It felt different for her than the last time, but not in a bad way. His cock rubbed and poked at different parts inside of her. She still tightened up a little for him, lifting one leg up a little bit. He reached out to hold her leg, so she didn't have to hold it up herself. It felt like he was somehow deeper inside of her this time. Though with her already cumming before, and the load he left in there, he was able to slide in and out much easier. Especially since she was already stretched enough to take him without worrying about hurting her. It meant he could pick his pace up a little faster, his hips bumping into hers in hard thrusts.\n\nArin moaned and cried out for him to enjoy every time his hips slapped against hers. One hand came around to rest against her chest, groping at her flat breasts, gently teasing and playing with her little nipples. They were hard, poking through her fur. She shivered when he pinched one. \"I-I'm s-sorry I don't... have a-anything f-for you to play with...\"\n\nHe shook his head, giving her chest a gentle squeeze. \"I like flat better. And I think it suits you more than big tits would.\" He groped a little more. \"You are beautiful like this.\" She whimpered at the compliment, but he felt her inner walls squeezing a little more around him. So he continued. \"A gorgeous little girl, with soft fur, a lovely flat chest, and a very tight pussy.\" He kissed the top of her head. \"And you're sweet, and cute when you get excited...\"\n\nShe giggled. \"S-stop...\" She panted slightly. \"B-but tha- ahh... th-thank you... Jay.\"\n\nHe grunted slightly, his cock throbbing again. \"You're welcome.\" He gripped at her leg a little more, his hips pressing forward hard. \"Mph... getting close again... You ready for me to fill this tight hole up again?\"\n\nShe nodded quickly. \"Y-yes! P-please... do it! F-fill me up!\" He couldn't deny that kind of request. His hips thrust against her harder, her body pressing back against him. He felt himself growing closer and closer, cock throbbing hard again. He grit his teeth, squeezing her leg a little as he got right to the edge. With a loud cry, he pushed himself deep inside and let himself fall over the edge. His cock shot another heavy series of blasts inside of her, dumping more seed to join the first. She also cried out as she felt his warm cum filling her insides again. The leg in his grip shivered, the other squirming as much as the rest of her. He held onto her, feeling her shivering and shaking as another powerful orgasm washed over her tiny body. He held onto her and let her ride it out, while he rode his own.\n\nWhen she seemed to calm, he gently set her leg back down again. She curled them both up a little, pressing herself back against him. Her hand moved down, resting against her belly. \"I-I can... feel it... It's... so warm in there...\" She smiled and giggled a little giddily. \"It's the first time I've liked feeling it in there...\"\n\n\"Good. That you like it, I mean.\" He put his arm around her, holding her up close, his head resting against his other arm. He also slid his arm down a little, letting her rest her head against his forearm, too. \"And you're the best girl I've ever been with. I've never cum that hard before. Let alone that hard twice.\"\n\nShe giggled. \"And you're still hard...\" She squeezed his shaft a little, making him gasp this time. It forced a little more out of him as he twitched within her.\n\n\"H-hey... careful... still sensitive.\"\n\nAnother giggle sounded from her. \"Can you... leave it in me this time? I-If it's not too much for you...\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Sure. At least until it gets soft. It'll probably slip out on its own then.\"\n\n\"That's good...\" She relaxed a little more, her head sinking just a little bit more onto his arm. \"I like feeling you inside of me... and against me... and around me...\" Her voice was a little softer, almost listless. \"It's so... comfortable...\"\n\nHe smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head gently. \"I'll be here as long as I can be.\" He put his arm around her again, holding her against him gently. His fingers gently rubbed at her belly. He felt her breathing slow to an even pace as she drifted off, the fatigue from her day of excitement finally getting to her. He rested his head back down against his arm, holding her gently as he closed his eyes. He also soon drifted off to sleep, cuddling with her the whole night.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nJay was surprised by just how restful his sleep had been. He was sure he had dreams, and had been expecting the whole last day to have just been one such dream. But as his consciousness slowly came back to him, he felt the small, warm body still pressed against him. Her head was still on his arm, her back still against his chest and belly, and to his surprise, his cock was still inside of her. It was also still rock hard. It twitched as he started to rouse, and he heard the soft breath from Arin. He opened his eyes, slowly lifting his head up to look down at her, as if he couldn't believe she was still there until he actually saw it. \"Good morning.\"\n\nShe turned her head a little, giving him a sweet smile. \"Morning.\" She had a blush still on her face, like she also couldn't believe she was still here. \"You... um... s-stayed hard all night...\"\n\nHe cleared his throat. \"I noticed... I hope I didn't... keep you up.\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"N-no... b-but... you... uh...\" She blushed a little more. \"You came in your sleep... I-I felt it squirting into me... again...\"\n\nHe winced, feeling more than a little embarrassed about that. \"Oh... jeeze. I-I'm really sorry.\" His cock just twitched, ready for more. It was not helping.\n\nShe giggled softly, shaking her head quickly. \"N-no... I... it's okay. You... made some really sweet moans when you did. A-and it... I like how it feels...\" She bit her lip a little. \"I think I came a few times, too...\"\n\nHe chuckled softly. \"Well, as long as you had fun, too.\" He slid his hand down to rest on her hip. \"I should probably pull out now, though.\" She nodded slowly, then let out a low moan as he did slowly slip free of her. He also let out a moan of his own, then a soft sigh as he slid free, his messy cock twitching and bobbing. It felt oddly cold, having been left in such tight warmth all night. He rolled over onto his back and let out a breath. \"Ha... there we go.\"\n\nArin shifted a bit beside him, turning to face him and drape one leg against his. \"It... feels kind of empty with it out...\" She had also gotten used to feeling him inside of her all night. She looked down, seeing his rod still standing at full attention. She reached down and gave it a gentle poke, giggling as it twitched in response. \"It's still hard.\"\n\n\"Yeah, it seems to be pretty needy right now.\" He pat her head gently. \"Don't worry about it, though. It's gotten enough attention for now.\"\n\nShe looked up at him, a sly grin on her lips. \"But what if I want to give it more attention?\"\n\nHe blinked. \"More?\" He grunted as she suddenly climbed up onto him, her legs straddling him as she planted her butt down on his belly. She scooted back a little to rub her small, soft rear against his shaft. Her slit was still drooling some of his last load, which now soaked into his fur a little.\n\nShe giggled at him. \"I... I like feeling you inside me... you don't hurt, a-and it's warm and... and I've never... cum like that before...\"\n\nHe chuckled a little bit. \"My gods, I think I've created a monster.\" He reached down and took hold of her hips, mostly just to hold her. \"Well, I'm pretty sure I have a few more goes left in me.\"\n\nArin gave him a big grin, but also blushed a bit. She really hadn't ever thought she would be so excited for sex. It had always been something she dreaded, but with him... she didn't want it to end. Even though she knew it would have to... and soon. Her hips lifted up a little, her pussy drooling a little more onto him. She shifted back a little, until she was rubbing herself on his tip. \"Th-this okay?\"\n\nHe chuckled. \"I'm supposed to be asking [i]you[/i] that.\" He gently rubbed her thighs. \"This is find. Go at your pace.\" She nodded, reaching down to gently take hold of his shaft to aim it at her properly. Then she slowly lowered herself down. He gasped as the wet warmth slowly started to surround him again. She let out a louder moan as she sank down, taking inch after inch into her still tight hole. She slid down until she was sitting against him, taking shivering gasps of air. Her hands rested against his belly as she moved her legs to kneel a little more comfortably. He could feel her inner walls quivering around him already. With him left inside of her like he was all night, she must have been left at the edge for a while.\n\nThe young chipmunk started to rise back up, only to drop down again, letting out a loud cry as she felt him plunge deep inside. She started with a faster pace, forcing herself back down to take him deep over and over. He just held onto her legs, letting her control how fast she wanted to go. Though he couldn't stop himself from thrusting back up at her, making her cry out and moan that much more. He also moaned for her, not holding his pleasure back any more than she was. He felt those inner walls clenching more and more as she started to bounce faster and harder.\n\nIt was only a few minutes before she was crying out, her whole body tensing up as she came again. She squeezed hard around him, but didn't stop at all. She actually started to bounce even harder. Her hands gripped at his fur as her hips slammed down against him, taking him deep over and over as she shivered and clenched. He groaned, reaching up to hold her sides, keeping her from rising back up when she slid down. \"Don't force it. Let yourself ride it out.\" She whimpered slightly, but when he just pushed his hips up a little, she cried out once again, gripping at his fur even more. \"That's it, sweetie. You're allowed to just enjoy it.\"\n\nShe nodded, taking short, panting gasps as the pleasure washed through her. After she calmed down a little, she started to move again. This time he let her, thrusting back up to meet her hips. His hands still held onto her sides, helping her as she bounced on his lap. It was not long before she was moaning and crying out again, this time with him joining her. His cock jerked and pulsed as she squeezed him tighter and tighter. \"I'm... almost there, sweetie!\"\n\nShe nodded quickly. \"M-me... too... ahh!\" She threw her head back as she came once more, her body shivering atop him yet again. This time, he didn't stop her bouncing, thrusting up into her harder as he was so close. It forced her orgasm to grow even more intense, her cries getting even louder. Then he brought her hips down hard, thrusting up at the same time. His cock jerked as he came again, blasting her full of his seed yet again, joining all the rest he had planted inside of her. He thrust up in little jerks with each shot. Those tight muscles around him clenched more and more, pulling up and drawing as much as they could out of him.\n\nSuddenly, she fell forward atop him, though not fully collapsing. He still caught her, sliding his arms around her to hold her. She still panted and moaned, feeling her whole body quaking against him as the pleasure still ran through her tiny body. She let out a giddy, trembling giggle, tensing up a little again and again. It was almost a full minute before she finally calmed down, letting out a long, satiated sigh of contentment. \"B-best... one yet...\"\n\nHe chuckled, gently stroking his hand down her back. She still tensed up and shivered a little from how sensitive she was, but that, too, calmed after a few gentle pets. \"There you go. Take your time and let yourself settle down a little.\" She nodded slowly, her head resting against his chest again. He held her like this for... he wasn't sure how long. A while. Long enough that his cock finally started to deflate after so many uses. She let out a soft shudder as it slipped free, his cum drooling out of her onto his crotch.\n\nIt took a little bit for her breathing to calm down, but she did eventually relax once again. Her hand came up, resting against his shoulder, little fingers gripping a bit at his fur. \"I... don't want to go...\"\n\nHe let out a soft sigh, still stroking against her back. \"I know.\" He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. \"But you know we have to.\" She nodded. \"And we should probably wash up, first. Can't go bringing you back smelling like sex.\"\n\nThat did make her giggle a little. \"I don't mind smelling like you...\" She did shift to get off of him. \"But I know what you mean.\"\n\nHe gently pat her shoulder as the two of them got off of the bed... though she did still drool a little on the floor. \"Don't worry, I've got some rags. We'll wipe that up later.\" He pointed at the little bathroom. \"Do you remember how to use the shower in there?\"\n\n\"Uh... kind of?\" She tilted her head a little as she looked through the doorway. \"It's... like, a really quick thing, right?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah.\" He gently pat her back. \"Go on. I'll help you with it. You can help get my tail.\" That brightened her up quite a bit. Of course, that wasn't all she had in mind. He got them both soaked from the first batch of water, and was about to start working at her hair when her hands were suddenly at his crotch. It didn't take much for him to end up hard again, and before he could even protest, her mouth was around his shaft. He just leaned back and let her have her fun... especially since she was really very good at this.\n\nHe moaned louder, his voice echoing slightly around them. He gasped when she slid all the way forward to take his cock down her throat, gripping at her hair slightly. \"Fuck...\" her head bobbed back and forth along his shaft, her nose bumping into his crotch again and again. He pat her head to get her attention. \"Ah... I-I'm... almost...\" She didn't pull back like he had expected, instead swallowing his cock as much as she could, her throat clenching around him over and over as she swallowed. He couldn't hold back against that, spraying yet another load because of her, this time pumping his seed down her eager throat. She drank all he had to give. Though by now, he didn't have quite so much to give. She pulled back a little, so the last few shots spurted out onto her tongue.\n\nShe pulled back fully, squeaking as one more little squirt splashed out onto her nose. \"Mmm... you taste really good, too...\" She blushed a little bit.\n\nHe chuckled. \"We're supposed to be getting clean.\"\n\nArin giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. \"Well, I was helping you clean your cock off! It was all covered in your loads... a-and my... juices...\" She blushed a little. \"I could taste them, too... it... I liked it... Tasting both of us...\"\n\nHe let out a soft sigh, pulling her into a gentle hug. \"I know, sweetie. I know.\" She leaned against him. \"C'mon. Let's finish washing.\" He grunted as he poked her nose. \"Before you go and make yourself a mess again.\" She giggled again, not trying anything this time as they finished the shower. She did have fun helping him with his tail, both washing it and helping to dry it off afterwards. She was also surprised when he pulled out fresh clothes from the closet, having forgotten he brought some for her.\n\nOnce they were dressed again, he headed up to the wheelhouse to start up the engines and take them back to port. The trip took about an hour, since they had gotten pretty far out to sea. Arin sat down near the prow of the ship, just watching the water as they traveled. Something she might never be able to do again. His heart broke a little thinking about that, and that they might soon be separated forever. The temptation to turn the boat back around and just go out to sea and never come back came to him, but he knew better.\n\nWhen they got back to the docks, he got to show off backing into the boat house. He had done it many times, but it was always a little nerve-wracking every time. As soon as he was lined up, he slowly backed the boat into place. There was a very gentle bump as he got fully inside, and he cut the engines, quickly heading back to toss the rope and tie the ship down. Arin joined him, with her backpack over her shoulder. He had forgotten she had that when she ran away. He set the ramp down so they could get off. \"Alright... we should... probably go back home. At least to my side. \" He pat her head gently. \"And maybe get a proper shower. That was enough to wash the sex smell off, but I'm sure we both need a real wash.\"\n\nShe nodded slowly, but didn't seem in the mood for humor now. \"Yeah...\" She walked down the ramp and over to her bike, which was still leaning against the wall. She hesitated a moment, then turned to him. \"One more thing though... before we go...\"\n\nHe looked over at her from the controls to close the bay door. \"What's that?\"\n\nHe turned as she walked closer to him. Her arms came out, and were suddenly thrown around him in a big hug. \"This has been the best few days of my life. Thank you for being... so... amazing!\"\n\nHe smiled, crouching down a little to get to her height. \"You are very welcome.\" He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She hadn't expected him to do that, but leaned into it, her arms going around him again. He held her like this, not pushing the kiss deeper, but just holding onto her and saying more without words than he could with them. When he pulled back, she sniffled a little. He wiped away the tear from her face. \"Hey. I know we don't know what's going to happen from here, but... well.\" He smiled a little more. \"Might be a bit quick to say, but I love you, little Arin. You've been the most wonderful girl I've met.\"\n\nShe brightened up hearing that. \"Really?\" She blushed quite a bit. \"I... um...\" She wasn't sure if she should say it back... but she was sure she loved him, too. Her heart was certainly beating fast enough when he said it to believe it. But...\n\nHe shook his head. \"You don't have to say anything. I know, it's been only a little bit. Hopefully, it will be longer. But if not... I'm glad to have made you happy for a little while.\" He stood back up again. \"Alright, let's get going. I'll help you load the bike into the truck.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nAs he pulled down the street, they could see the lights flashing. Two police cars sat in the driveway on Arin's side of the house. She let out a soft whimper in the seat beside him. \"Yeah, I know. Just... play along with what I say. Don't say anything they don't already know.\" She nodded to him.\n\nOne of the officers standing out front, a tall raccoon, started giving him a warning wave as he pulled into his driveway. The man came over hastily. \"Sir, you can't be here. This is a crime scene!\"\n\nJay opened the door, but left the truck running just in case. \"Sorry, but I live here.\" He pointed to the door with the letter B on it. \"Did someone break into my house?\"\n\nThe raccoon frowned. \"Oh, you're a resident.\" He sighed slightly. \"No, it's... your neighbors. Someone reported that there was an... incident here. The woman seems to have...\" he hesitated. \"Well, I probably shouldn't say. But the daughter is still missing...\" His eyes looked up at the girl still in the passenger seat of the car. \"Or is that her?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes, that is her. Arin, is her name.\" He motioned for the girl to come on out. \"I found her on my boat this morning.\"\n\nThe man quirked an eyebrow. \"On your boat?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes. I was going to drop off some fishing equipment, and saw the door was open.\" As Arin got close, he put his hand gently on her head. \"Seems she was trying to run away from home.\" He looked over as another officer stepped out of the house, a skinny panther this time. Arin also looked, letting out a slight sound and shrinking away a little as she saw him. He was pretty sure he knew why, but he played innocent for now. \"Did... something happen to her mother?\"\n\nThe raccoon sighed heavily. \"Well, yes...\" He crouched down and looked at the young girl. His voice got softer as he spoke to her. \"Hey. Um... what's your name?\"\n\nShe stayed somewhat behind Jay. \"A-Arin. Arin Tamish...\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Well, Arin... I'm really sorry to be the one to say this, but you should hear it now. Your mother... It seems like she killed herself.\" The girl just nodded slowly. \"Do you have any other family we should call?\" She shook her head slowly. \"No? Your father? Uncles?\" He looked up at Jay, the squirrel just shaking his head that he wasn't any of those things. \"Any family?\"\n\n\"N-no... It... was just... Mom and me...\" She reached up and took Jay's hand, doing a very good job of playing like she was the 9 year old she looked like, and not the teenager she actually was. \"Did... someone hurt her?\" Jay tensed for a moment.\n\nThe raccoon shook his head slowly. \"It doesn't look like it. You didn't see anything before you... left, did you?\"\n\nArin shook her head again, shrinking back a little bit as the panther came over. Thankfully the man didn't say anything as the girl replied. \"N-no... she was... drinking and... had her pills... and went to sleep...\"\n\nJay spoke up. \"Hey, should you be asking this right now?\" He got a dirty look from the panther. He gave a look at him before adding, \"Without a lawyer or guardian present?\"\n\nThe raccoon nodded. \"Yeah, you are right. Sorry.\" He stood up again, looking at Jay. \"Do you know anyone we should contact? Next of kin? Someone out of town, maybe?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"No, sorry. I've only just moved in a little while ago. I didn't get to know her mother very well yet.\" He squeezed the girl's hand gently. \"But I can watch her for now, if that's alright. She trusts me, and I can keep her safe and calm until... something else can be figured out.\"\n\n\"Yeah... that... should work. She does seem to trust you.\" He rubbed the back of his head. \"Well, I'm really sorry for your loss, little one.\" He reached into a pouch on his belt, pulling out a small card and holding it out. Jay took it, reading 'Officer Talley' and the number for the police department. \"Here. Call us if you learn anything. Someone will probably be in contact with you soon to get her... situation sorted out. It might be a day. Can you watch her until then?\"\n\nJay nodded. \"I already said I would.\"\n\n\"Yeah... sorry.\" The man cleared his throat. \"Well, you take care of her. Like I said, someone should be in contact with you shortly.\"\n\nHe nodded again. \"I will. Thank you, Officer Talley.\" He looked at the panther then. \"I'll keep her safe.\" He then turned around, going back to the truck to turn it off and get his keys. He spoke softly to Arin. \"Grab your bag and we'll get inside and away from them.\" She nodded, doing as he said. As soon as they were inside his part of the house and the door was shut, she pushed against him in a hug. He could feel her shaking a little. \"That panther. He was one of your mother's... clients, wasn't he?\" She nodded. \"Yeah, I thought so.\" He crouched down, holding her gently. \"Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything to you. And I'll make [i]damned[/i] sure he's not going to be the one to take you anywhere.\" She nodded again, leaning against him once more, doing nothing to hide her soft sobs.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nJay's ruse seemed to have worked. When someone from the police department contacted him, they referred to it as a suicide. Not long after, a service worker came to visit. A middle aged doe named Francine Winters. She was a nice enough lady, but still seemed to keep Arin on edge a little. It was probably that she kept asking about other family, as if she didn't believe the girl had no one else to go to. Might have something to do with the fact that she had tried to run away at the same time her mother 'killed herself.'\n\nAfter having had a private interview with Arin, Francine sat down with Jay. \"She seems to have been through a lot before this. She's taking the news of her mother very well...\"\n\nHe nodded slowly. \"Yeah. I don't know all the details, but... well, to be frank, they didn't get along very well. I could hear... a lot of yelling through the walls. Mostly from Veronica.\"\n\n\"Including the night she tried to run away?\" He nodded. \"Well.\" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. \"Since you are currently the one watching her, I might as well fill you in. They did a test on her mother and found a rather alarming amount of alcohol and opiates within her system.\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yes, the officer that called earlier mentioned something about that.\"\n\n\"To the best of your knowledge, did she have a history with that?\"\n\nHe was surprised at the question, but then reminded himself that this woman was technically still a police officer. Or close enough to one. \"Yes. From what I saw of her, she was always drinking or... at least intoxicated. She even came banging on my door a few days ago, very confused and out of sorts. She was looking for Arin. Arin was in school at the time, since it was the middle of the day on a weekday. I explained that, and told her to go home and lay down. As far as I know, she did.\"\n\n\"And you didn't call the police about this?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"No. Though I kind of wish I had now... I didn't know she was that bad.\" He hoped that was believable enough. \"I was planning on calling the cops after I found Arin in my boat. Once I got her home, of course. But... well...\" He frowned, looking away a little and just staying quiet.\n\n\"It's not your fault.\" It took everything he had to not react to that. \"It can be hard to judge these things.\"\n\nHe nodded. After a long moment of silence, he spoke up. \"What's going to happen to Arin from here?\"\n\nFrancine sighed softly. \"Well... it doesn't seem like she has any relatives or next of kin that we can turn her over to. So... most likely, she'll be put into foster care. We'll also set up a grief counselor for her to visit. I don't think she's quite come to accept what's happened yet.\"\n\nHe hesitated for a moment. \"Is it... possible for her to stay here, with me? I'll do whatever background check or whatever it is you need to do for that.\" He looked back at his bedroom, where Arin was told to wait while they talked. \"I think I'm the closest thing she's got to a friend right now, and don't want to leave her to some stranger.\"\n\nHe was surprised when the doe smiled at him. \"I was actually hoping you might volunteer. We will need to do a background check on you, of course. But in situations like this, it is often best if children stay with someone familiar to them. Someone they trust.\" She also looked in the direction of the bedroom. \"And she does seem to have some affection for you.\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"I... uh... I've been giving her rides to school for the past week or so.\" He explained about the bike, being honest about the bullies and not using the pothole excuse. He also explained that they had grown close during those little trips, and that was when Arin learned about the boat, which is why she had tried to run away there. He of course left out the part about the two of them going out on the water and... everything else that happened out there. Just that they talked for a while before he brought her home.\n\nHe really hoped she bought all if it. \"Well, that's good. Though are you sure about all this? Looking after a child is a big responsibility. And a teenager, too. This isn't just something you can quit if it becomes too much.\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah. I know what I'm getting myself into.\" He smirked a little. \"I have a coworker who's been telling me how much of a great dad I'd be. Guess now is the chance to prove her right.\"\n\nFrancine let out a soft laugh. \"Very well.\" She stood up and straightened her blazer a little. \"Well, Mr. McGavin, thank you for your time. You take care of little Arin. I'll be in contact with you about your taking guardianship over her soon.\"\n\nHe shook the woman's hand. \"Thank you, Ms. Winters.\" He saw her out, then let out a heavy sigh once the woman was gone, feeling almost drained from that.\n\nHe heard a sound behind him and turned to see Arin poking around the corner. \"S-so... they're going to let you... keep me?\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah. It seems that way.\" She also let out a relieved sigh, coming over to give him another hug. He pat her gently. \"Guess you're stuck with me now, huh?\" She giggled softly, nodding.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nThe move went smoothly, which he was very happy about. Thankfully, he still hadn't fully unpacked from the last one when he and Arin decided that the house had too many bad memories attached to it for her. And she didn't have very much of her own things to pack... though he had bought her a whole new set of clothing. She still liked her baggy clothing, but at least now it was the right size for her. The new house was even closer to the docks, too, so they could head over to the boat and go out a lot more frequently. He had already taken her out again, since the school was giving her time off for grieving. Though she didn't do much grieving, instead doing a lot more moaning and panting with him.\n\nWhen he told Zinda about Arin, the zebra was over the moon with joy for him, congratulating him... with a note of sadness over the circumstances, of course. When he introduced the two, he was happy to find they got along quite well very quickly. She even got Arin to call her 'Aunt Zin' one time, though the girl was just placating her. She did refuse to call him Dad, though. That was just too weird for the both of them.\n\nThough it would soon be... technically correct. He had signed all the paperwork to become her legal guardian. And with that in place, he started looking to adopt her more formally. He got in contact with an orphanage called the Hart House for Wayward Children. Their headquarters were way up in Alta Ferro, but they had branches all over the country. They also had quite the sterling reputation from what he found in his research. Even Arin had heard of them, though she couldn't remember from where. The owner, a rabbit named George Hart, had won a few awards with the place, and it seemed even his own children helped out with the place where they could. With the help of the Hart House, he was able to start the process of formally adopting Arin. Something she was more than excited about.\n\nOnce the movers had left, the two of them fell onto his brand new king-sized bed. He looked over at the girl. \"So. How was your first move?\"\n\nShe smiled. \"Exciting! Tiring...\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah. And we haven't even started unpacking everything yet.\" She just groaned, which made him chuckle. \"We'll take it slow, don't worry.\" She nodded, shifting over a little to lay up against him. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, which was up in pigtails again. After a long moment, he leaned over. \"You up for some dinner?\"\n\nShe nodded excitedly. \"Yeah!\"\n\nHe leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. \"Then we can... test out the new bed if you want.\"\n\nShe giggled again, giving him a big grin. \"Yeah... And no neighbors to hear us...\"\n\nHe smiled back at her. \"Dinner first, though. Pizza sound good?\"\n\n\"YEAH!\" She hopped up to her feet immediately, bouncing on her toes. He chuckled, still loving how excited she got about things. Especially that big, goofy smile when she was happy. He was going to make sure she smiled like that a lot from now on.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
The Good Neighbor

By XP Author


Jay stood to the side and watched, mostly just doing his best to stay out of the way of the two movers currently loading most of his possessions from the big truck and into his new home. Though the grey squirrel did give a direction every now and then for where they could leave some box or furniture. He had worked with Where To Wheels before, so he knew he had little to worry about. This was hardly the first time he had moved. He just hoped this time they didn't find asbestos in the walls like where he was moving out of. The whole place had been filled with the stuff, and it was easier to just move out than wait for them to renovate the whole place. It did work out for him, though. It meant he was closer to the shop and the pier.

"Hello!" A voice from behind him caught his attention. He turned to see it was a chipmunk stepping out of the other side of the house. She must be his neighbor. He was moving into the B side of a duplex. The woman was shorter than he was, her figure somewhat heavier set and her clothes were... dirty looking. A yellow tank top that did not fit her figure and a pair of pink spandex that did nothing to hide her dumpy thighs. Her shoulder length hair was also quite frazzled and unkempt. She also had a beer bottle in one hand and a lit cigarette hanging from her lips, the smoke wafting in the air. As she got closer, he could tell she was a heavy smoker, the scent hanging around her like a cloud he could almost visualize.

He still smiled and gave a wave as she made her way across the lawn to him. "Hello."

She stood nearby, giving him a big smile. "You must be the new B." Even with the overpowering stench of cigarette smoke, he could smell the alcohol on her breath as she spoke. "I wondered what all the noise was out here." She held out her hand. "I'm Veronica Tamish in A. A pleasure to meet you, Mr..."

He shook her hand, finding her grip surprisingly strong. "McGavin. Though you can call me Jay."

She nodded. "Is there a Mrs. McGavin?"

He blinked at the rather sudden personal question. Though it made some sense to ask if there were more going to live next to her. "Uh, no. It's just me."

The chipmunk's grin got even wider. "Oh? Bachelor, eh?" She gave him a sly look. "Well, Jay, are you new to town? I'd be happy to tell you all about our little city..."

He shook his head. "Uh, no. I'm actually from here. I'm just moving from the other side of town. They found asbestos all over my old place, and it was easier to move then deal with them renovating the place for the next month."

She tilted her head. "That right? Huh." She took a step back and looked him up and down. He was wearing pretty relaxed clothing, a pair of denim jeans and a dark green polo. The only logo on the shirt was a little one embroidered at the top left, a fish jumping out of the water with the letters 'McG's F&H' under it. His fur was short and light brown with grey mixed in, his black hair short and neat. "So what do you do?"

He was a little put off by her casual inquiry, but he really had nothing to hide. "Oh, I own the Fishing and Hunting shop over on Frazier and Samford. McGavin's? I'm the McGavin."

It was her turn to blink this time. "Oh!? Own your own business? I've never heard of it. Not really the type to go fishing or hunting, but that is impressive." She glanced at the movers as they carried a recliner into his place. He could tell the question she was going to ask before she even put it to words.

"I like to live below my means. No need to live in a big mansion all by myself." He motioned to the house. "I prefer small places like this."

She smiled at him again. "Well. If you ever want some company, all you need to do is knock on my door. I'll be more than happy to spend some quality time with you."

He let out an awkward laugh, definitely feeling uncomfortable with her flirting with him... or trying to. He really wasn't into her type. He was about to try and turn her down politely when he noticed something behind her. A small face in one of her windows. It looked like a young girl. "Oh. Is that you're daughter?"

Veronica turned. "Hmm?" Her whole demeanor changed when she saw the girl in the window, suddenly becoming very sour. "Oh. Yes, that's my little one." She then called out in a shrill shout. "ARIN! GET OUT HERE!" He winced, hoping that wasn't something he'd have to deal with a lot. After a minute, the girl came outside. She was very short and thin, the polar opposite of her mother in almost every way. She wore a pair of baggy pants and an equally baggy shirt with long sleeves, both in dark blue. Her straight brown hair was kept in a pair of pigtails. He saw green eyes glance up at him, only to look back down at the ground as she shuffled closer. He guessed she was about 9 year old? She was obviously very shy.

Though maybe it wasn't just shyness. As soon as she was close enough, Veronica reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, yanking her over to stand beside her. "This is my girl, Arin." She looked at the young girl. "Say hello to our new neighbor, Mr. McGavin."

Arin nodded at him once. "H-Hello, Mr. McGavin." She didn't once look up at him, almost as if she was afraid of him. Though he couldn't help but think that she was still incredibly adorable. He had... well, he had a thing for young girls. Though he had never acted on it. He still found her far more attractive than her mother. He wondered just what Veronica looked like when she was younger. She was probably quite pretty, but had clearly let herself go.

Veronica grunted. "You run back inside now. He's a business owner, so don't you go bothering the nice man or wasting his valuable time!" Before he could even say anything, Arin just nodded and mumbled some goodbye to him before hurrying back inside the house. Her mother let out a sigh. "Do let me know if she bothers you. You know how teenagers can be."

"Teenager?" He blurted out before he could stop himself. "Uh... s-sorry. She just looks much younger than a teenager."

"Oh yes. 13, but still a runt. Stunted growth. Gets it from her father. He was a runt, too." She scoffed, and he knew he didn't even need to ask if the father was still in the picture, knowing that he wasn't.

He cleared his throat, taking a polite step back. "Well. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tamish."

"Only Miss, but please, call me Veronica." That confirmed his suspicion.

He nodded. "Yes, well, Veronica, it was nice to meet you, but it looks like they're nearly done unpacking the truck, and I have a lot of unpacking to do as well. But, uh... I'm sure we'll talk again." He was honestly hoping not to talk with her much. He had been resisting the urge to cough from the cigarette smoke the whole time.

She frowned a little. "Oh, yes, right." She hooked her thumb back at her own door. "I should probably go make sure the little spit hasn't broken something. Don't be a stranger, Jay!"

He gave a wave and hastily walked away, definitely hoping to be a stranger. He wouldn't mind talking to Arin some more and getting to know the young girl... though he really shouldn't think about that sort of thing. It would only get him into trouble. He had managed to never give into his urges so far, and he wasn't going to start now. Especially since he had his suspicions about how short of a leash Veronica kept on her daughter. The last thing he needed was some overbearing Karen getting the wrong idea... or worse, the right idea.

*     *     *


Jay let out a tired sigh as he sat down in his executive chair. He had just finished setting up what was effectively his home office. The place was technically a two bedroom setup, one on either side. He had kept the master bedroom just off of the kitchen as his bed, turning this one into an office. "Right, only... a ton of boxes left to go..." He let out another heavy sigh. He didn't actually have that many boxes to unpack, though. Mostly just some things for the kitchen and some decorations for the living room. He had put his small library of books into storage, since he had digital versions of them anyway, so that wasn't something to worry about. Though he might get them later on just for the sake of it. As convenient as it was to have all his stuff on a tablet or laptop, it just doesn't look as nice as a shelf full of books, and the shelves in the office looked very bare without anything on them.

"Ah, fuck yeah!" Jay nearly jumped out of his fur as he heard the man's voice from behind him. He turned and saw... the wall. "Shit, that's so tight!" The voice was just a little muffled, but very clear. It was also very clear why the man was crying out as he heard the rhythmic sound of bed springs paired with it.

"Yeah! Shove it nice and deep!" This time he recognized the voice, being Veronica.

He sighed. "Oh great. Paper thin walls, and she's a screamer." Though thinking back to just how much she was hitting on him earlier, he wondered just who the guy was. Then again, she struck him as the type to just have a string of fuck buddies more than a steady relationship. He heard the bouncing getting faster, the man moaning louder. He had the idea to maybe just enjoy the unintentional show... at least he hoped it was unintentional. But he was pretty worn out from the move. Plus, he had no desire to imagine Veronica going at it with anyone. He'd much rather imagine the young Arin, her little body bouncing on his lap, moaning as he-

"Yup! Shower time!" He quickly got up from his chair and headed to the other side of the house. Thankfully, the sounds of the fucking didn't carry all the way to the bedroom, especially once he closed the door. Stripping himself down, he walked to the bathroom adjoined to the master bedroom. He had unpacked all the normal essentials already, including towels. The bathroom had a pretty large mirror, so he got a good look at himself as he flicked the lights on. His body was covered in light brown fur, with a lot of grey mixed into it. The grey was natural, and thankfully only in his fur, his black hair not having started fading yet. He frowned a little as he pat his belly, thinking, not for the first time, that he could stand to lose a few pounds. He wasn't particularly well toned, but other than the slight paunch, he wasn't too bad for someone in their late 30's.

The squirrel turned on the water for the shower, his large, fluffy tail twitching behind him as he waited for it to get warm. Once he was satisfied, he stepped in and closed the door. He rather liked these showers that were their own stall, rather than part of the bathtub. It reminded him of the small showers on boats, though this was slightly more spacious. He stood under the water, letting it soak through his fur and run down his body. He could feel his muscles relaxing a little as the hot water gently rained down upon him.

His thoughts again returned to the young girl in the next section of the building. This time, he didn't bother fighting the thoughts. With the baggy clothing she had been wearing, he didn't get a very good look at her, so he had to imagine what was under them. He imagined thin legs with soft thighs, a flat belly and flat chest covered in brown fur, and the twin stripes of darker running along her back. He did love the pig tails she kept her hair in, so the version in his head still had those. They were perfect to hold onto as her head bobbed back and forth while she sucked him off. He reached down to start stroking himself, his six inches already rock hard from his thoughts.

He imagined her very willingly falling back on his bed, her thin legs spreading to show her little pussy to him, his cock rubbing between those puffy lips. She was of course a virgin, embarrassed to be showing herself off, but eager for him to take her virginity. He stuffed into her, and she cried out for him, filling her tight pussy so perfectly. He let out a soft moan as he stroked himself harder, wishing he really could push himself into her tight little sex, get her moaning loud for him, begging him to fill her little womb and breed her.

He didn't bother holding back, quickly bringing himself to the edge. He grit his teeth, grunting as he felt himself throbbing in his hands. She would beg for it, moaning loud, needing to feel him blasting into her. In his mind, she came when he did. In reality, his cock twitched and jerked in his grip, spitting his load out in heavy spurts onto the floor, only to be washed away quickly by the running water. He leaned back against the wall as his legs shivered a little, cock squirting quite a bit, his hips jerking a little with the heavy shots. It had been some time since he had given into these thoughts and jerked off to that kind of thing. He hadn't realized how pent up he had gotten. He really wished he could fulfill this kind of fantasy... but he knew he never would. He was no rapist, and the idea of tricking someone innocent just for his own pleasure was abhorrent to him. There was also the whole being illegal thing. He didn't even go looking for any real porn for this, satisfying himself with just fiction. But the desires would always be there.

Shaking the last of his cum off the tip of his cock, he returned to washing himself off more properly now that he was feeling a little less distracted by his thoughts. For now, at least. He made sure to work at his tail, the fluffy fur needing a little extra attention. When he was done, he turned off the water, shaking himself off a little, enjoying that he didn't have to worry about making a mess doing so. Then he grabbed one of the towels hanging on the outside of the shower and started drying himself off properly. Again, the thick fur of his tail needed extra attention, but that was what blow driers were for.

Once he was mostly dried, he felt a little puffier than normal, but it would pass quickly enough. He got himself into his pajamas, though that consisted of nothing more than a pair of baggy black boxers and a white tank top. He wasn't quite ready for bed yet, so he decided to get himself a quite bite. He would see about watching a movie, but the net wouldn't be hooked up until tomorrow, and all the ones he owned were still in a box. He might just do some reading instead. He stepped out into the kitchen while contemplating what to do, but got distracted as he heard voices again. Not the sound of fucking this time, and they were coming from outside. He couldn't make out what was being said, though.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to peak out of the front window. He saw a man standing in the driveway for unit A, a canine of some kind, but he couldn't make out too many details in the dark. Though he did see the man was talking to Veronica, who was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Though she did have a cigarette in her mouth still. He wondered if she was ever without one of those, and wondered if he should invest in fire insurance... just in case she set fire to the house trying to smoke in her sleep or something. The canine handed something over to Veronica, which was quickly stuffed into a pocket of her robe. It looked like money. Then he walked away, getting into a very beat up looking old car. The moment it started, the window started to rattle from the bass of whatever music was blasting inside the car. It pulled out and away while Veronica moved back into the house.

Jay grunted. "Wonder what that was about..." He chuckled as the thought his neighbor might be some kind of hooker came to mind. Some people will do anything to get their dick wet. He just shrugged and turned away, heading back to the kitchen. He needed to do some shopping for food, but he had enough to make himself a basic sandwich.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU!?" He nearly bit his tongue when he heard Veronica shrieking again, the same way she had done earlier. "CLEAN THIS MESS UP!" He let out a sigh as he continued eating. Thankfully, that was the last of the screaming he heard... at least that night.

*     *     *


Jay was very thankful that he had to go into the store for most of the weekend. The few times he was home, he was hearing more yelling next door. He was definitely starting to dislike Veronica. He also heard more moaning and sounds of sex at night. He chose to stay in his room and read to avoid it. He really hoped it was just a weekend thing. When Monday morning came around, it was blissfully quiet as got his morning coffee. For a while, at least. Just as he was getting ready to leave, he did hear the woman scream again. "GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR OR YOU'LL BE LATE! I swear if I get a call that you were late again, I'll make you regret it!" He frowned. The sentiment was fine, but he didn't like how it was said.

As he stepped out of the house, he locked the door behind him. He also heard something next door. He turned to see Arin also stepping outside. She was dressed in baggy clothes again, all long sleeves and pants to keep herself covered up. She still had her hair in pigtails, which did make him smile a little. She also had a pink backpack that looked a little heavy for her size. She caught him staring and froze for a moment. He just gave her a wave. "Morning. Heading off to school?" She just nodded. "Need a ride? I pass the school on the way to the office."

She shook her head, and he was sure he caught a blush just as she turned away. "N-no... thank you, Sir." She moved around to the other side of the house, and after a moment, pushed a pink bike forward.

He nodded. "Ah. I see. Well, you be careful out there."

"I will." She swung her leg over the seat and hopped onto the bike. "Um... have a good day, Sir." With that, she was off.

He frowned a little. "Don't need to call me sir..." She was already out of earshot by then. He just shook his head and made his own way to his pickup. He started it up and pulled out. Sure enough, he passed the girl as he went. He tried to wave, but she either didn't notice, or was ignoring him. He didn't want to bother her more, so he just kept going. There was something in her eyes, though, that stuck with him. She just stared ahead as she pedaled, like she was lost in her own thoughts. A result of her overbearing mother, he guessed.

He tried not to think too much about it. Though he did verify that he passed the middle school on the direct route to the shop. Maybe he could convince her to let him give her a ride eventually. He was still basically a stranger, after all. And even if his thoughts of her shifted to the lewd, he wouldn't try anything with her. He just hoped she wasn't picking up on anything from him.

His shop was a decent sized place, at least for what it was. It was no massive building, but there was room enough for all the stock. He was not surprised to find no other cars parked as he pulled in. The place wasn't going to officially open for hours. He just liked to get there early to deal with any paperwork before customers showed up. Not that he did much with them. He let the manager do that. He unlocked the back door and stepped inside, making his way to the office. He really didn't have too much left to handle, but there were a few last things to get sorted out. Though he did want to look at a few of the sample products sent, as they could be new items to sell.

Sure enough, there were a few boxes waiting in his office. He left them for now, tending instead to the last of the paperwork he had. Invoices, mostly. Once that was done, he turned his attention to the boxes. He opened one and found a neatly packed hunting scope. "Huh." He held it up, blinking a little. It had a very strange recital inside, a circle with a few lines pointing to it. He frowned a little. "I dunno. Obscures a bit of the vision." Hunters tended to like clean sights. Sometimes designers got a little too fancy. He'd reject this. Moving on, he found samples for fishing bait, a new heavy fishing line, and a rather nice looking rod in a dark, metallic purple. "Ooo. I'll have to test these out." He picked up the rod, finding the weight satisfying. The reel also attached nicely. He would have to take this out next time he went fishing and test it properly, but from a few idle tests, it all looked pretty good. Fishing was one of his main hobbies, something his father had taught him when he was very young.

Going through a few more of the samples, he set aside the ones he knew would be an easy yes or no. While he was looking at a box that he was pretty sure contained a tent, he heard the back door open and close. He looked up at the office door and smiled as the woman peaked in. "More samples?"

He nodded. "Yup." He motioned to one long box. "Got a new hunting rifle for you to test. And a scope, but I don't think you'll like it. Sight is a bit cluttered."

The woman sighed, putting her hands on her hips, the motion making her very large breasts bounce under her polo. "When will they learn? A clean sight is better!" The tall zebra was Zinda Mwindi, his business partner... so to speak. Technically, she was his employee, but he treated her like an equal. She ran the day-to-day of the place, leaving the paperwork to him. His father had been friends with hers, so he had known her most of his life.  When his father turned ownership of the place over, Zinda was already working there, and he was more than happy to keep her on. They had tried dating once, back when they were teenagers, but decided they worked out much better as friends. Probably for the best, as she was now married to a lovely woman, a horse named Theresa.

Zinda called out as she went up to the front to make sure everything was stocked up and displayed properly. "By the way, you never did answer my question yesterday. How're you liking the new place?"

He sighed a little. "Eh, the place isn't bad, but the neighbor leaves much to be desired. She's very... loud. If you know what I mean..."

She laughed a little. "Well, at least you have some entertainment for the evenings." She set down a box of fish bait to restock the case. "Surprised you didn't end up just moving onto the Azure Seam."

He shrugged. "I might just do that eventually." He didn't bring up Arin. He had already told her about his neighbors, so bringing up the young girl on his mind would just sound awkward. Zinda didn't know about his fixation with young girls, either, and he wasn't about to sour their relationship hinting at it. He was pretty sure she thought he was into girls with big breasts like hers, considering she was constantly trying to hook him up with those types. He didn't mind them, but he preferred... well, girls like Arin. Small and flat... and too young to enjoy without getting into trouble. He went back to the samples to get his mind out of the gutter. It... mostly worked.

*     *     *


Over the course of the next several weeks, Jay started to learn some patterns. His neighbors were thankfully quiet for most of the week, though Veronica would sometimes still start shouting at her daughter for whatever reason. Usually involving some kind of mess that was left. The fucking noises were mostly a weekend thing, Friday and Saturday most of all, but sometimes Sundays. He was almost certain that the woman was some kind of prostitute now, considering that it was never the same man twice that left afterwards. Or maybe she made amateur porn videos. That was possible, too. She didn't see to do anything else other than yell at her daughter, drink, and smoke several packs of cigarettes a day.

Well, she did hit on him constantly, too. Every time he went outside while she was around, she would try to proposition him. If he was lucky, she didn't reek of alcohol at the time. More positively, he got the chance to talk to Arin a little more. He had started greeting her in the mornings as she left for school. Even when he didn't have to go to the office that day, he would drink his coffee outside to say hello to her and wish her a good day. At first, she was very hesitant to say much more than a hello and goodbye to him, but after about two weeks, she seemed to perk up a little when she saw him outside to send her off. He even managed to get her to stop calling him Sir all the time, instead settling for Mr. McGavin. He still would have preferred she just call him Jay, but he understood how awkward it was for kids to call adults by their first name. He still thought of some of his old neighbors as Mr. or Mrs. whatever, despite being older now than they were when he knew them.

This morning was another that he was going to have to go into the office. A new shipment was coming in, and he would need to be there for it. But he still waited outside for Arin. Soon enough, she came out, as always in her pigtails and baggy clothing, this time mostly green. When she saw him, her expression did brighten just a little. He waved to her. "Good morning, Arin."

She smiled and waved back. "Good morning, Mr. McGavin."

He stepped down the steps as he watched her getting her bike. "Hey, I've got to head into the office this morning. You want a ride to school?"

She pushed her bike out like she always did, but she looked at his truck and seemed to actually consider the offer. Though then she turned to look at her front door, her expression falling a little. "I... uh... I shouldn't..."

He put his hands on his hips. "You sure? It is on the way, so it's no trouble. And you could just put your bike in the back of the truck, so you don't even need to worry about me waiting to pick you up or anything."

She hesitated again, her expression falling a little more. "N-no... b-but thank you! I-I just don't want... Mom getting upset..." She smiled at him. "She doesn't like me bothering you."

He let out a slight snort, his big tail flicking behind him. "You're not annoying me." He took a breath, then let it out slowly. "But I don't want to make your mother angry with you, either. So okay. I can talk to her to let her know it's alright, though. It's really no problem at all."

Arin nodded, getting onto the bike. "O-okay... if you want." She managed a smile at him. "Um... have a nice day, Mr. McGavin!" She waved as she started off.

He waved back. "You, too, Arin!" He watched her ride away, then turned to look at her front door. He didn't have the time right now to talk to Veronica about driving Arin to school, but he probably should at some point. But he did need to get to the office, so he got into his truck and soon was on his way. He did wave to the girl as he passed her, and for the first time, she waved back at him. That certainly brightened his mood.

He managed to get to the shop before the delivery truck did, beating it by only a few minutes. He had barely started the computer in his office when he heard the bell the drivers used. He took the paperwork from the grizzled badger, and showed him where the pallets could be dropped off, but mostly stayed out of his way while he unloaded the truck. It was not a huge delivery, so it was done in only around twenty minutes. With all the papers signed, the driver was off again before Zinda had even arrived.

The zebra did get there as he was unboxing things, though. "Oh! New delivery? What'd we get this time?"

He shifted to the side to show one of the open boxes. "Bunch of new fishing gear. Some new tackle boxes, line, and reels. All from that new company. Still need to test it out first hand, but it's pretty good quality so I ordered a batch."

She put her hands on her hips. "You still haven't gone out on the water with that new rod they sent you?" He shook his head. "I know how much you love fishing. You must be itching to get out there again."

He chuckled. "Yeah. I really am. Just haven't found the time." He pointed to his office. "I haven't even dropped it off yet. Still sitting in there. Haven't even strung it up, yet."

She scoffed at him, then grabbed one of the boxes and picked it up with noticeable ease. "Well, I should order you to take a break and go out on the water. If for no other reason than to test the products you were given."

He couldn't help but laugh. "I'm supposed to be your boss." She just chuckled at him. The two finished unpacking and reorganizing the storefront to display the new stock. It sat nicely among the rest of the fishing gear. It was definitely some of the most popular stuff they sold. Made sense, being a coast city and all. A lot of people liked to go fishing around here.

The day went by surprisingly quickly. Before Jay knew it, afternoon had rolled around. He bid Zinda a farewell for the day, though she made sure he took the fishing gear samples with him before he left. He just put them in the back of his truck for now and headed off back home. It was not long before he found himself passing the middle school again. It seems it had just let out a bit ago, as there were a ton of cars coming and going in and out of the place, and he saw several of the busses pulling away in the distance.

Then he saw something that distracted him so much that he nearly slammed into the car in front of him. It was Arin. But the girl was not on her bike, instead just pushing the thing... awkwardly. Almost carrying it more than pushing it. Her head was also low, and her clothes looked... wet. As he got closer, he saw why the way she was pushing the bike looked strange. The front wheel was bent badly, with a very distinct dent. He decided to pull over as soon as he could. Thankfully, one of the waiting parents was just pulling away from the curb, so he quickly slid himself into the spot.

He got out when he could, thankfully before she passed him, and called out. "Arin! Hey!"

The girl flinched when she heard him call her name, gasping and looking around almost in fear. Then she saw him, and her head hung again. "Oh... H-Hello, Mr. McGavin."

He made his way over to her. "Hey. What happened to your bike?"

She looked away again, her ears folding back a little. "I-I... um... J-just hit a pot hole..." Despite her best efforts to not look at him, he could tell she had been crying.

As he got closer, he saw that the wheel was not the only issue. The chain was also hanging loose, and the gears looked like they were bent. If he didn't know any better, he'd say they were smashed by something. "That must have been some pothole... And I'm guessing it was also a very wet pothole?" She flinched, nodding quickly. He didn't buy it for a moment, especially as he could smell just what it was soaked into her clothing. "Never seen a pothole filled with apple juice before." She just squeaked, flinching slightly in place. "Does this pothole have a name?"

She whimpered slightly, then just sighed, knowing she was caught. "C-Cindy... and Becky... a-and Kathy."

He nodded slowly. "Three potholes, then, huh?" She nodded slowly. "Does this happen a lot?"

The young girl hesitated for a long moment, but then nodded again. "Y-yes... but this is the first time they've smashed my bike..."

He sighed softly, crouching down a little in front of her. "Well. I'd very much like to talk to the parents of these potholes." The girl whimpered again, but he continued. "More importantly, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

After another moment, she answered. "N-no. They just dumped a bunch of juice on me and laughed."

He believed that part. She didn't seem hurt, at least. "Alright. Well, c'mon. I'll give you a ride home. You can put that in the back of my truck. And don't worry about getting the seat wet or anything. I have a spare towel you can sit on."

She tried to protest. "Y-you don't have to. I can walk..."

He scoffed. "Nonsense. It's miles to the house! It'll take you over an hour to get there, especially dragging a broken bike with you." He stood up again. "Besides, I live next door. It's not like I'm going out of my way."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second, but then eventually relented. "Alright..." He smiled and helped her carry the bike over to his truck. More he helped her get it into the back, setting it down next to the stuff he had from work. He also tied it down with a bungie so it wouldn't bounce around. He also grabbed the towel for her. It was a big beach mat type thing in dark blue, and almost bigger than she was. She dried herself off a little, but she'd need to change to really get dry. So instead, he just spread it out on the passenger seat for her so it covered both the seat and the back. He helped her up and inside, since it was a bit tall for her short legs.

Once she was all situated, he got into the driver's seat and turned the truck back on again. "Don't worry, I'm sure your mom will understand. I'll explain it to her myself." The girl just whimpered again, and he knew he hit one of her worries. "And, I'll even do you one better. I'll help fix the thing up for you."

That got her attention. "W-wait, you will!?" She quashed her excitement a moment later. "B-but... how?"

He chuckled as he pulled out into the slow moving traffic. "Well, my shop might not be a sporting goods store, but we do have contracts with a lot of the same types of companies. I know a few that produce bikes. I can get some spare parts ordered for you. New gear, new chain, new wheel, all that. Should even be able to get a vendor discount."

"B-but... I... I can't... pay you..." She looked away a little. "I... don't have any money... so-"

"Don't worry about it." He saw the worried look out of the corner of his eye. "I'm just being neighborly. You don't owe me anything." He smirked. "Maybe just a smile and a hello in the morning like usual. Think you can afford that?" She actually giggled a little, nodding slowly. "Good. And I'll talk to your mom and let her know I can give you a ride to and from school while I get the parts." He held up a hand before she even said anything. "Only if she says it's okay. It's my idea, so you're not bothering me! Got it?"

The little chipmunk nodded again. "O-okay..."

He smiled. "Good." He did what he could to hide his own excitement. He had wanted to get to know her better. Not just for the lewd reasons his mind conjured, but she genuinely seemed like she could use a friend, and he would be happy to do even a little to cheer her up. She did seem a little more perked up during the ride back at least. He was sure she was worrying all about how to get to school with her bike trashed. He hadn't seen any of the busses go near their place, so it was probably a walk to the nearest stop, too.

After a few minutes of silence, the young girl spoke up. "So... do you go fishing a lot?"

He blinked as the question came out of seemingly nowhere. "Huh? Yeah, though not as much as I'd like these days. Why?"

"Oh... I saw the fishing rod and stuff in the back." He had already forgotten he put all that back there. "I've never been fishing, but I've always wanted to try. It seems... nice."

He smiled. "It is. Very relaxing. Though some people find it boring, but I love it." He chuckled a little. "I actually have a boat that I like to go out on the water with. I just haven't found the time latel-"

"You have a boat!?" She excitedly interrupted him, though she lowered her head a little after that.

He chuckled. "Yeah. Got it parked over at the pier in one of their... boat garages." There really was no better term for it. It wasn't exactly a boat house. "I could show you some time. Though I doubt your mom would let me take you out with it. But I could ask."

She whimpered. "N-no... sh-she wouldn't let me do that...." She frowned and looked away again. "She doesn't like me being away for a long time..."

He nodded, figuring as much. Veronica seemed... very overbearing, to put it mildly. "Well, I can still see about showing it to you some time. Even if we don't go out."

Arin got a little smile. "I'd like that..."

Soon enough, they were home. He pulled into his driveway and turned the truck off. "Alright. I'll get the bike. You go get your mom so I can talk with her about giving you a ride for school, okay?" She nodded slowly and half-fell out of the seat onto her feet.

He was just pulling the bike out of the back when he heard the woman yelling. "ARIN! Where the hell have you been!? What are you doing bothering nice Mr. McGavin!?"

Arin sputtered a little. "I-I w-wasn't..."

"I don't want to hear it!" She swatted the girl's arm none-too gently, speaking through grit teeth. "Get your sorry ass back in the house now!"

Jay did what he could to keep his temper under control. "It was no bother, Veronica." He set the bike down. "Seems Arin ran afoul of a pothole and did a number on her bike." He saw the thankful look the girl gave him using her excuse. "Thankfully, she wasn't hurt. I was just on my way home and passing by and thought I'd offer her a ride."

The older chipmunk gave him a forced sweet look that made his fur crawl. "Oh, that's very kind of you, Jay. But you don't need to go out of your way for that girl. She's always doing something like this."

"It's no trouble." He leaned the bike against the side of the house. "In fact, I wanted to talk to you..." He glanced up to see Arin just going inside. "In private."

Veronica perked up hearing that. "Oh?" She gave him a... he guessed it was lustful look. "What about?"

"About Arin and the bike..."

Her expression immediately fell. "Oh..." She sighed, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "What about it?"

He explained what he had said to Arin about his shop being able to get parts, possibly at a discount. He was also handy with a wrench, so he could install everything. He was pretty sure the fact he was willing to do all of this for free was the only reason she even considered saying yes. "There's also the matter of Arin going to and from school while the parts are being ordered. Since I literally pass by the school, I figure I could give her a lift until everything is all fixed up. Again, no charge or anything. Just... being neighborly."

The woman's mood seemed to have turned very foul. Or more, she had dropped the sweet act and was acting normal. "I'm sure you are." She let out another heavy sigh, and he had to resist coughing as another puff of smoke wafting in front of his face. "So long as you're not charging for it, then fine. Don't want the school calling about her again." She pointed at him, almost poking his chest. "But don't you go doing her too many favors like this! She's spoiled enough! Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile."

He forced a laugh, backing away a step. "I'll keep that in mind." Now he was sure of it. He was definitely going to spoil the hell out of her every chance he got.

*     *     *


He made sure to get up bright and early the next morning. After his morning coffee and a bagel with some cream cheese, he made his way outside and waited for Arin. He did not have to wait too long. She came out not much longer than he did, her hair in the usual pig tails, her baggy clothing a light blue this time, and her pink backpack over her shoulder. She had her usual dour look she had in the mornings, but seeing him, she brightened up a little. He smiled to her. "Good morning, Arin. You all set?"

She nodded as she walked across the lawn to his side of the building. "Yeah. I'm all set." He opened the door to the truck and helped her inside. She set her backpack on the floor and buckled in as he got into the driver's seat. "Um... th-thank you again for this."

He chuckled. "Not a problem at all." He couldn't help but reach out and gently pat the girl's head. "I couldn't leave you to walk all the way there and back every day."

The two sat in relative silence as he drove. But she eventually spoke up. "So... your boat... what's it's name?"

"Hmm? Oh. The Azure Seam."

The girl giggled softly. "Oh, that's a cool name! Where'd you come up with it?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. It just came to me one day, and it sounded good."

"Is it big?"

He chuckled. "Not really all that big, no. Big enough, I guess. I can take it out for a few days and be fine. I'll have to show her to you sometime."

She smiled a little more. "I'd like that..." There was a slight wistfulness in her voice.

"You like the ocean?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah... all that water... so much blue just going on and on... like you could get lost in it and just... never come back."

Something about how she said that worried him, but he did understand the sentiment. "Yeah, it's very peaceful out there sometimes. Though it can get a little scary when the weather turns suddenly. I never go far enough out that I need to worry too much about that, though. And as long as you pay attention to the weather reports and learn the patterns in the air, you can usually avoid the worst of it."

"That makes sense..." She looked out the window, in the direction of the ocean. Though it wasn't really visible from where they were, too many buildings in the way. "Have you ever been out there while there's a hurricane?"

He laughed. "No, I've always been careful not to go out during those, and I haven't been unlucky enough to be caught in anything that bad." He chuckled. "Plus, they don't let you take the boats out when there's a weather warning going on, anyway."

"Oh... yeah, I guess they wouldn't..." She got quiet again, just staring out of the window as they drove on.

It was his turn to break the silence. "Anything special going on in school today?" She shook her head. "Mmm. Don't worry, I'm sure the day will pass by quick enough." She nodded, again remaining silent. He wished he could do something to cheer her up more. All too soon, the middle school was in sight. He pulled in with the rest of the parents dropping kids off. "Alright. You try to have a nice day, alright? I'll see you this afternoon."

She nodded as she slid out of the seat, grabbing her backpack. "I'll try. Thanks again."

Before she could walk away, he called out. "Hey!" She stopped, turning around and looking like she was in trouble. "You owe me that smile, remember?" She stared at him for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a little giggle, giving him that smile. "That's better. Now off you go."

She nodded, her mood at least a little better. "Okay. Thanks again, Mr. McGavin." She shut the door, then gave him a wave as she walked off to the school to join the other throng of preteens.

He let out a soft sigh as he watched her go. Someone behind him honked and he scowled. Though he shouldn't block the way, so he pulled out. He made his way to the store, only a few minutes away once he was out of the school traffic. He saw Zinda's car already there. He didn't normally go in on Tuesdays. So when he opened the back door, he heard her call out in surprise. "Jay? That you? Did you forget something yesterday?"

He laughed. "Not quiet." He walked up to the front to find her getting the register ready for opening. "My neighbor's kid had an accident with her bike. Banged up the tire and gears real bad. So I figured I'd order some replacement parts from some of our outdoorsy suppliers."

The woman's expression almost melted. "Awww. That's real sweet of you, Jay." She gave him a big smile. "It's a shame you never became a father. I think you'd have been a great dad."

He chuckled. "Well, never found the right girl for that. And with no siblings, I have no nieces or nephews to spoil. Might as well spoil my neighbor's kid instead, right?" Of course, he wasn't a father for other reasons. He would never want the temptation of doing something to his own kid, especially if he had a daughter. "Oh, and don't worry, I'll be using my own funds, not the store's. But it'll still be shipped here, since that'll be faster. So don't be too surprised if we get an unexpected box in the next day or two."

"You got it, boss. I'll let you know when it gets here."

He chuckled. "I gotta go order it first. Make sure they even have what I need." He gave her a wave and left her to finishing with the register as he went to his office. After booting up his computer, he went through the vendor catalog for some of the outdoors companies. Sure enough, he was able to find parts for all kinds of bikes. Seems some of the offroading types liked to really tinker with their ride. Not that he was surprised at all. It was actually a bit of a struggle to find relatively normal parts among the lists, but he did eventually find them. He decided to get a new chain with the gears, just in case the one on Arin's bike had also been damaged. He also got both a new front and back wheel, and a new cushioned seat. Might as well go all out, while he was at it. In fact, he found a whole kit for changing everything, which included a tool set and new breaks, all at cheaper than buying them individually. He got that, and entered his vendor code at checkout, which knocked off 20% and the shipping. It was set to be shipped later that day, so it should come by tomorrow or Thursday.

With all that set, he decided to look at whatever else the company had to offer. They were mostly for offroading, but his store sold some of their camping things, since hunters liked to use those. Nothing really struck his interest, though. It was all more Zinda's thing than his. She was the type that liked to go out camping. Apparently she and her wife had met while camping. He's not sure how that worked, but they had been together for almost five years now. He was going to have to make sure to get them something for their anniversary coming up in a few months.

He spent most of the day just killing time, either browsing the catalogs, or helping when there was a customer. He did manage to make a pretty good sale for a whole new fishing set to a father looking to teach his son the ropes for his 9th birthday. So that was a nice highlight of the day. Though Zinda again teased him that he'd make a good father because of it. For a woman in a gay marriage, she was always so insistent about other people having kids. He figured she just wanted to be that doting aunt, since she also had no siblings.

Eventually, afternoon rolled around, and he said his goodbyes to Zinda and headed out. He made his way to the school again relatively quickly and parked with the other cars waiting to kick up kids. When he finally spotted Arin coming over, he saw her hair was no longer in pigtails for the first time since he had met her. It hung limp just past her shoulders. She also walked a little slow, her shoulders drooped. Though when she saw him waiting, she did seem to perk up just a little. When she opened the door, she practically tossed the backpack onto the floor before climbing in. "Hey, kiddo. What's with the hair? Gym class?"

She shook her head, closing the door again. "No..." She didn't elaborate further as she buckled herself in.

He sighed slightly. "Was it those potholes again?" She flinched, and he knew he had it. "What did they do this time?"

After a long hesitation, she finally answered. "They... cut my hair ties..."

He frowned. "They didn't try and cut your hair, too, did they?"

She shook her head. "No. Just the ties. Even my spares in my bag..."

He let out another sigh. "Did you tell a teacher?"

"No... They never do anything. And if they do, it only makes it worse..."

He shook his head, pulling the truck out onto the road. "Someone should have a talk with their parents. That kind of behavior is not oka-"

"NO!" The forcefulness she said that surprised him so much he nearly swerved into the car next to him. "D-don't... don't do that..."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. The look on her face was almost afraid. Something clicked, and he took a shot. "Their fathers are clients of your mom's aren't they?"

Her eyes went wide. "H-how..." Well that confirmed his suspicions.

"The walls are pretty thin between our places. I can hear a lot of what goes on in there..." He saw her ears fall back a little. "I can hear her yelling at you, too. Your mother, I mean. Is that why you didn't want to tell her about the bullies at school?" She just nodded. "Well, you still should. The things I've heard her say... She shouldn't say those things to you."

Her eyes looked down at the floor again. "She's right, though..."

"No, she isn't." He sighed yet again. "I know, she's your mom, but she's..." He didn't just want to say she was a bitch, despite thinking it. "Look, just... if she's too much, you can come talk to me, okay? Or even if you just want to talk about something else. Or just sit and be quiet away from her."

Arin sniffled slightly, though she hadn't started crying. "Thanks..."

He smiled a little. "I have some good news. I got the parts ordered for your bike. They should be coming in a day or two. Then I can get it all fixed up for you." She just nodded slowly. "Though if you'd like, I can keep driving you to and from school. I don't mind."

"I'll... think about it..." He did see a little smile. "Th-thanks... again."

"You're welcome."

*     *     *


The next morning, Arin was actually waiting for him this time. He smiled as he stepped outside. "Hey, kiddo. I'm not late, am I?"

She shook her head. "N-no... I just... didn't want to be inside..."

He frowned a little. "You mean after that tirade your mother went on last night?" She nodded slowly. "Well, I don't blame you." He again helped her into the truck.

"She was... drinking all night, so she's still out right now..." She actually smiled just a little. "I like it when she doesn't wake up... She doesn't yell."

He frowned again. "I'm really sorry that you have to deal with her." He took a breath, then let it out slowly. "But like I said, if you ever want to just get away, you can knock on my door any time, okay?" She nodded slowly. He pulled out of the driveway and started off in the direction of the school again. She didn't say anything else during the trip, and he wasn't really sure what to say to cheer her up. When they got there, she quietly slid out of the seat and grabbed her bag. "I'll see you this afternoon. She did give him a very slight smile and nod, and walked off to join the other kids walking inside.

He shook his head, wishing he could do more. He pulled out and headed back home, since he had nothing else to do today, and had no reason to bother Zinda more right now. He might as well get some reading done. He hadn't gotten very far in the book he was reading in a while, so a quiet day would be nice.

Though quiet did not last nearly long enough. Just before 11:00, he heard Veronica calling out, though whatever she was saying was impossible to figure out. It sounded more like some kind of whale call. Then a pounding on his front door nearly made him jump out of his fur. He set his tablet down and went to answer. He barely had it open before Veronica was yelling at him. "Where'sh that fuck'n useless lil cunt!?" Her words were... very heavily slurred, and she reeked of alcohol and... a lot of things. Her dress was also very dirty, and it looked like she had spilled something all over herself. Though for the first time since he had moved in, she was devoid of a cigarette in her mouth.

He stared at the woman. "What? Who?"

She scowled at him. "ARIN! Who th'fuck else!?"

Jay frowned. "She's at school."

Veronica blinked up at him, taking several seconds to focus on him. "Wha...? Why th'fuck is she there? She needzz ta clean thi'shit up!" She motioned as if at something, only to blink when she realized she was pointing at the recently trimmed lawn.

"Um... it's Wednesday. She's at school because it's the middle of the week."

"Oh..." She swayed back and forth a little, giving him a blank look. "Hey, so yer alone now right? Wanna have sum fun?"

He sighed heavily. "I'm perfectly fine. You should head back inside and go lay down."

He flinched back as she leaned forward, trying to grab at him. She nearly fell over when she missed. "But I'd rather lay din with a big fuzzy man like you!" She let out a hoarse laugh. "If ye know what I man! Mean."

Jay shook his head. "Yes, I know what you mean, and my answer is no." He nudged her shoulder gently to get her back out of the doorway. She nearly fell backwards this time as she stumbled back. "Now please, go home and lay down. You're drunk. Go sleep it off. Arin will be home this afternoon after school."

She scoffed at him, though it was more like spitting. "Pfeh. Fine. Yer prob'bly a faggot anyway. Ya got that look." He tensed up. Even if he wasn't gay, he didn't like that term. But she was stumbling away back to her own door, so he wasn't going to start an argument that would keep her there longer. Though she did still mutter to herself. "Fuck'n useless pansy shits. Every man's just a fuck'n piece of shit..." She slammed her door shut behind her, hard enough the windows rattled a little.

He took a deep breath now that the air was clear of her foul stench. "What a lovely woman." He shook his head and went back inside. He had the thought to call the cops about her, but he knew there wasn't much they could do without some kind of evidence of something. The most she would get was a slap on the wrist and a stern talking to. Though knowing her, she'd probably proposition the officers while they tried. That might be an amusing enough sight for him to do it, but he still decided not to.

Thankfully, the rest of the day was quiet. When the afternoon came, he hopped into his truck and went to go pick up Arin from school. This time, when she came out, she seemed at least a little more upbeat than the last few times. She opened the door and smiled at him. "Hello, Mr. McGavin." She set her bag down on the floor and climbed in.

"You have a good day?" She just kind of made a noise, but at least she was smiling. The thought of his recent interaction with Veronica made him frown, though. He really didn't want to bring her back to that and ruin whatever good mood she was in. They were rare enough as it was. Then an idea came to him. "Hey, Arin... do you want to go see my boat?"

That got her attention. "R-really!? B-but..."

He already knew what she was going to say. "It's fine. I'll tell your mom that I was held up at work and was late picking you up, so it'll be all my fault." He frowned a little. "Besides, she was... pretty drunk earlier, so she's probably still sleeping it off."

The girl's ears fell back a little. "Oh... was she bad?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Won't lie, it was pretty bad. Slurring her words, stumbling, very confused. Was looking for you for some reason."

Arin nodded slowly. "She probably took the pills, too..."

He blinked. "Pills?"

"Yeah... she takes painkillers... sometimes too much. It makes her confused and... angry... especially if she drinks, too." That explained a lot, actually.

He grunted. "Well then. In that case, we won't have to rush. So, how about it? You want to see The Azure Seam?"

She thought about it for a long moment, then nodded quickly. "Yeah. I do!"

He smiled. "Alright. Next stop: the pier."

*     *     *


The truck pulled down the winding road, moving past several large buildings behind a gated wall. Arin looked at the gate as they passed it. "What's behind there?"

"Shipping docks. Not as busy these days as they were back 20 or 30 years ago. Still get big boats from time to time, though." He nodded ahead. "Restricted of course. I don't have access, even if I wanted to. But we're close to the private piers. Just around this next turn." Sure enough, once past the high walls of the shipping docks, a long row of large buildings came into view. Each was a matte red and metal, with a black roof. They looked like rows of bland suburban houses that stuck out onto the water, each indistinct from one another save for a single number emblazoned at the very top. "Mine is number 5."

He pulled into the parking spot right on the other side of the road from the building. "Alright. Let's head on over." He got out, and smiled when Arin also excitedly exited the car, almost forgetting to close the door behind her. They walked across the way, and stopped in front of a small door. There was a keypad lock on it, with squishy push buttons. He punched in the code. "4, 1, 1, 8, 9." There was an audible click and a soft, electronic buzz to signal it was unlocked. He grabbed the handle and looked at the young chipmunk. "You ready?" She nodded quickly, clearly excited. He chuckled and turned the handle, pushing the door open and stepping inside and flicking the lights on.

"Whoa..." Arin followed, staring at the sight before her. The Azure Seam bobbed gently in the water, flanked by short, wooden piers on either side. The boat was more of a small yacht... or large house boat, depending how you defined things. The hull was a soft eggshell white, but the deck was smooth wood, stained reddish as a cherrywood, and sealed to resist the water. There was a small ramp that led up from one of the piers up to the deck. The wheelhouse was up near the front. "There's no sails."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm not much of a sail boat guy. She's got a pair of turbines down below the water. Nothing super powerful, but she can get some decent speed if she needs to." He moved over to the ramp. "C'mon aboard. I'll show you the inside. Just watch your step up the ramp." He held out a hand to help her up the ramp. She giggled a little as she felt the bobbing the moment she was on the metal, but she kept her balance with his help.

Once she was on the deck itself, she looked around. "This is so cool!" There wasn't much to see, since he didn't leave anything sitting around above deck, but there was room for chairs. There were also several slots along the aft where he could rest a fishing pole once cast and waiting for a bite. The only thing that was around were coils of thick rope. One such coil was hanging over the other side of the hull, keeping the thing tied in place to the pier. "I can barely feel it moving..."

He smirked. "You'd feel it if we were out of the dock. You don't get much waves inside the boat house."

"Yeah, um... how do you get it out of here, anyway?" She looked past the fore, at the plain metal wall in front of the prow.

Jay pointed back in the direction of the door they came in. "There's a set of controls over there, just next to the lights. They open the front, kind of like a garage door. Then you just sail right on out. Getting it in is a bit harder, since you need to back it into the port, which takes a bit of practice." He pointed to the rope hanging off the edge. "Then you just tie her down, and she's set."

"Oh... that's pretty cool!" She smiled at him again, and he couldn't help but smile back. Her excitement was infectious.

"You want to see the inside?"

She gasped, nodding quickly. "Yeah! I've never been in a boat like this before! Or... any kind of boat."

He shrugged. "Well, this is more of a yacht, I guess. Though some people are really picky about how you classify different ships. I'm not really a stickler for details like that." He nodded at a set of stairs. "Anyway, just down here. Watch your step, they can be a bit steep." He led her down below deck. Just at the bottom of the stairs was what looked like a combination dining room and kitchen. There was a small stove, a microwave, and a table bolted to the floor, though only one chair at the table. "This is the kitchen. A little small, but you make do with the space you have." He pointed to something next to the microwave. "Still made sure to make room for a coffee maker, of course. Can't go without that."

"Oh, this is so cool!" She looked around with stars in her eyes. "Is there a fridge, too?"

He nodded. "Yup." Moving over to the cabinet with the microwave, he opened one of the doors to show it was actually a minifridge. Though it was lacking much more than a supply of bottle water. "I usually stock her up with a few days worth of food before I take her out. Though mostly I just cook any fish I catch." He shrugged.

"Days?" She looked around. "Where do you sleep?"

"Oh." The squirrel pointed to a small doorway next to the stairs they came down. "The bunk is back there. Further back from there is the engine room. I usually drop anchor and kill the engines when I'm going to sleep, otherwise they'd keep me up." He ducked down so he could step through the doorway. "C'mon."

She followed him, and gasped again. "Whao! An actual bed!?" Sure enough, she was staring at a bed, mattress and sheets and everything. Though it did look like it was attached to the wall, or at least the frame it was sitting on was. "I thought it would be like... a cot or something."

He laughed. "Some boats have those, but I prefer to actually sleep on a bed, even when out to sea. You only need to have cots if there's a bunch of people on the ship, but it's pretty much just me most times, so I don't need to worry about that." He tapped a wooden door, which popped open to show an empty closet. "Even got a place to store a few days worth of clothes. No washing machine on board, though, so laundry gets done when I come back to port." He motioned to another doorway, though this one was sealed with a bulkhead. "Engine room is just back there."

"Can I see!?" She was practically bouncing beside him.

He nodded. "Sure. Just be careful. Even with everything off, it can be dangerous to poke at it." He turned the crank on the bulkhead and pulled it open, stepping inside. The engine itself was not super huge, but did take up most of the aft of the ship. It was a mass of metal machinery that the young girl could barely make much sense of, but she still stared at the whole thing with awe as she followed him inside. He pointed to either side near the bottom. "You can just see where the turbines are connected if you look. Though that's just part of it, since they're actually under the water. There's also a bunch of batteries hooked up through this that make all the electrical systems work. When the engine is going, it charges up the batteries, so they can keep working while the engine is off."

"Awesome!" She giggled and turned to give him a big smile. "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!" She suddenly gave him a big hug, her thin arms wrapping around his middle. "Thanks for this, Mr. McGavin!"

He tensed up slightly, but did gently pat her back. "Not a problem, kiddo." He was thankful she kept the hug brief, bounding back to the kitchen to poke around that. He took a breath and let it out slowly, forcing himself to keep calm and, most importantly, well behaved. Much as he would love to shove her down on the bed and have a go at her, he forced those thoughts out of his head... for now. He was just showing his neat toy off to a neighbor, nothing else.

Just as he was about to join her, his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning as he saw the time. He checked the text. It was from Zinda. "Your... package has arrived. I set it aside for you."

He smiled, sending a quick reply. "Thanks. I'll pick it up in the morning." With that, he stuffed his phone back into the pocket of his jeans and joined the girl in the kitchen. She was looking through every cabinet she could reach, finding his set of mugs, some plates, supply of coffee, tea, and powdered cocoa, along with all the spices he used for cooking. She was just peering into the cabinet with all the pots and pans inside. "Alright, Arin. I think we should probably get going. Don't want to give your mother too many reasons to be angry with either of us."

She frowned as she closed the cabinet door. "Yeah... you're probably right." She still managed a smile, though. "But this was really cool! Thanks again for showing me all of this stuff!"

"Not a problem." He nodded to the stairs. "C'mon, let's get going." He led her back up to the deck, then down to the pier itself. After turning the lights off, he closed the door to the boat house, which made another audible click as it locked again. As they returned to the truck, he spoke up again. "One of these days, I'll try and get you out onto the water with me."

"Man, I'd love that..." There was a slight sadness to her voice, just knowing her mother would never allow something like that. "Someday..."

He nodded as he got into the truck. "Yeah." With that, he pulled out and started the short trip home, both of them wishing for that 'someday' was soon, but for very different reasons.

*     *     *


Jay's night was filled with dreams of Arin on his boat. Though a lot were somewhat wholesome in nature. The two of them out at sea, him teaching her how to fish, watching her excitement as he made the boat go much faster than it actually could. All while they were both completely in the nude, of course. There were a few that led to much more lewd places, sharing his bed, out on the deck, and one where they were fucking while floating in the water, with fish just kind of cheering him on. It was no surprise that he woke to find himself rock hard. A quick stroke in the bathroom helped to solve that issue.

The thoughts stuck with him as he drove Arin to the school, but he was pretty sure he kept those thoughts from showing. He was also happy to hear that Veronica was still passed out when he got the girl home the previous afternoon, so the older chipmunk was oblivious to their little field trip after school. Arin was still smiling from it, too. He'd have to take her back there some time, when her mother was mixing pills and booze again. He dropped her off and wished her well, and was happy to see her give him a big smile and wave as she walked away from the truck. All the lewd thoughts aside, he genuinely liked seeing the girl happy for a change.

Speaking of making her happy, he made his way to the office to get the parts for her bike. He was surprised to see Zinda's car already there when he pulled in. He peaked out to the store front and found her just sitting behind the counter, reading something on her phone. "You're here early."

She gave him a smile. "Yeah. Had to get Theresa to the airport at like, 6 this morning. She's heading back home for her mother's 60th birthday. Figured I might as well get an early start instead of sitting around at home for an hour."

He nodded. "Well, hope her mother has a lovely birthday." He turned and made his way to the stock room across from his office. "Holy crap."

Zinda laughed, joining him a moment later. "Yeah, I said the same thing when I saw it." Now he knew why she said his package came the way she did. The box was huge. He could understand why it was so wide, since there were a pair of wheels in there, but it was also almost just as tall. "Thought you were just ordering parts. Did you end up buying a whole new bike in pieces?"

He chuckled. "I guess? Should just be a few things with the wheels." He crouched down to lift the box, which thankfully was not nearly as heavy as he was worried. Though it still had quite a bit of weight to it. "Can you get the door for me?"

"Sure." The zebra moved past him and opened the back door so he could carry the box out and put it into the back of his truck. "With all of that, you might as well have bought the kid a new bike."

He laughed. "I thought about it. But the frame and handles will all be the same." He shrugged. "Besides, you know I like tinkering with stuff like this. Be the first time I've done this kind of maintenance on a bike since I was about her age."

The woman chuckled at him. "Yeah, we used to ride all over town back then. Remember that time we ended up just going and going and ended up in the next town over?"

"How could I forget?" He rubbed the back of his head, his fluffy tail twitching a little. "Mom was furious when I called and said how late we'd be, and Dad had to smooth things over."

The zebra just grinned. "Yeah, he had to talk to my dad to keep him cool, too. He always was good at playing peacekeeper." Her smile turned a little wistful. "I miss the old codger."

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, me, too... I miss them both." Not long after giving the business to Jay, his father had died of a heart attack. His mother had only died two years ago from a stroke. He didn't let himself say sad for long. "But, I still have you. You're the closest thing I've got to family now."

She nodded, then nudged him in the chest with her elbow. "And that's why you need to find a nice woman and get yourself some kids. Gotta pass this business to someone, right?"

He chuckled, rubbing his chest where she nudged him. "I swear, you're worse than my mother was about that."

She just laughed at him. "Well, someone has to be. I know first hand you're not gay."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that." He said in a slightly sarcastic tone. She just rolled her eyes, having heard that for years now from all over. "If you're so big on kids, why don't you and Theresa adopt one?"

"We've talked about it. She's hesitant, but I think she's coming around to the idea. Slowly."

He pulled the door to his truck open. "Well, I'm going to head home and start working on the bike. If I'm lucky, it'll be done by the time I have to get Arin from school later." He gave her a wave as he got into the truck, and she waved back before heading back into the store. The drive back was quick enough, and soon, he hefted the box into his living room. He also went and retrieved the bike in question, also moving it into his living room. It looked very out of place leaning against the back of his couch, especially with how pink it was compared to the plethora of browns in the room.

Opening the box, he saw why it was so big. The parts were all packed in layers, each with a square piece of packing foam separating them and keeping everything neatly secure for shipping. He was used to getting boxes filled top to bottom with products for sale, not packed for just one person like this. On top was all the smaller pieces, like the breaks and the lines to connect them, the bike chain, and the new seat. Under that was all the tools. Mostly a set of wrenches and allen wrenches, and a bag of different nuts, bolts, and screws. The gears were also here. Under that was the wheels, bare of the tires themselves. Those were in individual boxes tucked into two of the corners. There was even a little pump to fill them with air.

He set it all aside, then flattened the box so he could lay the bike atop that, to keep any of the grease from getting all over his carpet. Then he went to work. Getting the tires off was easy enough, but he struggled a little bit trying to figure out how the gears were attached. He finally figured it out when he realized he had to take the pedals off first. Then everything separated easily enough. He worked for most of the day, finding an odd satisfaction in the task. As he started to reassemble the thing, he realized he just upgraded her bike from a 10 speed to a 21, since there were a few extra gears more than the ones he was replacing.

Putting it back together was somehow faster than taking it apart was. While it wasn't the most difficult part, using the pump to fill the tires was the most exhausting. He was thankful the seat was an easy replacement. When all was said and done, it didn't look like a brand new bike, but it did look just a touch nicer than it had. He tested the tires to make sure they were full enough by bouncing it a little, happy to that he didn't need to use the pump more. Though he also needed a shower once he was done. He had expected to get the grease on his hands, but somehow it had gotten all along his arms, in his tail, and on his face.

Once he was out of the shower and dressed again, he looked at the clock, then cursed. "Shit. I'm going to be late." It was a bit later than he would have liked to leave to pick Arin up. He hastily finished with his clothes and headed out the door. The drive there was quick enough, but he had to wait in the line of cars to pull into the school. When he did finally get up close, he saw Arin standing and waiting for him. He smiled as she opened the door and set her bag on the floor. "Hey, sorry I'm a bit late."

She gave him a smile as she climbed in. "It's okay. I wasn't waiting long." He heard a trilling giggle from outside just before she closed the door. Her ears folded back a little when she heard it. Looking out, he saw the source was a trio of girls nearby, two cats and a coyote.

He nodded. "Are those the... potholes?" She nodded. "Hmm." The three kept glancing over at his truck, muttering something to each other. "Well, whatever gossip they're trying to spread, don't let it get to you, okay?"

She nodded. "O-okay..."

He was about to pull out, but a black sedan suddenly swerved over to cut him off and park directly in front of him. "What the... c'mon in!" He frowned. "Some people." The driver of the car was an older coyote, about his age.

Arin looked up, then back down again. "Oh, that's Kathy's dad." Well, he now knew which of the trio was Kathy, at least.

"Well, now I know where she gets the dickish behavior from." He heard a slight giggle from beside him. Once the car was out of the way, he pulled out and started home. "Got something for you when we get back home."

She looked up at him with a little excitement. "Oh? W-what?"

He smirked. "You'll see when we get there." She frowned, but still did nothing to hide her anticipation the whole short trip. Once they were back, he held up a finger. "Wait out here for just a second."

"O-okay..." She watched him head into his own side of the house. When he came back, pushing her finished bike, she gasped, her eyes wide. "WHOA!" She rushed over, grabbing the handles and looking at it all over. "Y-you did so much!" She pressed her hand against the new seat. "Ooo, it's... softer than the old one."

"Yup. Got more speeds than before, too." He stepped to the side. "Give it a spin." She happily dropped her backpack on the grass and hopped up onto the thing. He was happy to see he had guessed the seat height at least close enough.

She grunted a little, not quite getting it going, then clicked the gears to change them down and tried again. This time, she was off much easier, riding down the street and back again a few times, testing the different new speeds. She squeaked when she squeezed the break, surprised how well it worked. "Ooo... wow, stops a lot faster, too."

"Yeah, you're old breaks were pretty worn down, too. Whole new breaks, new gears, new wheels. How's everything feel? Not too stiff or loose?"

She flipped out the kickstand and got off of the bike. "It's great! Seat might need to be brought down just a little, and I need to get used to the new gear speeds, but..." She smiled at him. "This is... just..." He saw her suddenly fighting tears. The next thing she knew, her arms were around his middle again as she gave him a huge hug. "Thank you so much, Mr. McGavin!"

He chuckled, gently patting the girl's back. "You're very welcome, Arin."

"Alright, that's enough sucking up to the man." Both he and the girl flinched as they heard Veronica's voice from the doorway. Arin quickly pulled away from him, her ears back a little. "Stop bugging him and get your ass inside. And put that thing away."

"O-okay, Mom." She slung her backpack over her shoulder before moved her bike over to the side of the house where she normally kept it. She still gave him a slight smile. "Thank you again."

"Of course." He watched as she slipped past her mother and headed inside.

Veronica gave him a scornful scowl. "So, no more rides to school for her." It was not said as a question, more of a statement.

He shrugged. "I can still take her if the weather's bad." She just grunted at him, then turned and followed her daughter inside. He shook his head, making his way to his own side. "You're welcome for fixing your daughter's bike for her? For free, no less..." He sighed as he closed the door. "Well, at least she didn't try and proposition me again."

*     *     *


Friday went... slowly. Jay greeted Arin in the morning as he had gotten accustomed to doing, but the girl was eager to try out her newly upgraded bike. She was so excited that he didn't even consider offering a ride. Instead, he wished her a good day at school, and waved her off, getting a big smile in return. That was payment enough for him. With nothing better to do, he spent most of the day reading, catching up on the book he had been neglecting since the move. It was hard to think that he had only been in this place for a week. So much had happened in that time already.

He did make sure he was outside enjoying an afternoon tea when Arin came back from school. He gave her a big smile as she rolled up. "So. How do you like it now that you've been able to take it for a spin longer than the end of the street?"

She gave him a big grin. "It's great! Can really get going pretty fast now!" She walked over to him and gave him another hug, though not quite as enthusiastic as the last few. It was also far more brief. "Thank you again, Mr. McGavin. You've been really nice this last week."

He shrugged. "Well, seeing you smile has made it all worth it. And just because I don't need to give you a ride everyday doesn't mean I'm not still happy to do so. So you let me know if you want a ride in my truck."

She nodded. "Alright." She returned to her bike to move it before her mother could come out and scold her.

He gave her a wave as she headed inside, but decided to enjoy the nice weather for a bit longer. He stayed out there long enough for the sky to start turning shades of pinkish orange. Just as he was about to head inside, a familiar looking black sedan slowed down and pulled into the driveway for the other side. Sure enough, the man that got out was the same coyote that he saw the other day. Kathy's father. He was very tempted to go over and say something about his daughter's behavior, but decided not to. Especially since the man looked a little skiddish when he saw Jay standing there. The squirrel just gave him a nod, then turned to go back inside.

Not even 15 minutes went by before he started hearing the moans and squeaking of bed springs through the walls. "Doesn't waste time, do they?" He occupied himself making dinner, the kitchen just far enough away that he only heard the particularly loud moans from time to time.

He definitely knew when the man came. "Take it, you little cunt!" He blinked when he heard that. "Fuck... here it comes! Gonna fill this tight cunt to the brim!"

Jay shook his head. "It's a wonder Arin can get any homework done with all that noise." He took his plate of pasta into his bedroom, closing the door to block the sound and eat in relative peace. He was just going to have to get used to this, he supposed. Asking her to keep it down would probably just get a scornful look. "Can't be a healthy environment for that little girl." He was half expecting to hear her knocking on his door to get away from it. Though he didn't have much to entertain her in his house. No game consoles, a woeful lack of movies, and his computer was set up for business. He could probably pull up movies on the TV's internet connection or something like that. Though it was still in the living room, where the sound from next door was still pretty noticeable.

He finished his dinner and just set his plate on the table beside the bed. He would clean it up in the morning. He got changed into what passed for pajamas, just a pair of boxers, and laid down on the bed to continue his reading. Though at one point he did hear the car pull away outside, so he hoped that meant the noise was done. He didn't feel like checking, since he was finally getting into the book's better part. That kept him occupied for the rest of the night, until he finally decided to get some sleep.

His dreams were filled with visions of Arin again. This time, they were riding bikes together. He was one the one he used to ride when he was a kid, way too small for him now, but in the dream it was the right size. That was really all he remembered of the dream when he woke up hours later. After his morning shower, he went out to get some coffee and breakfast. "ARIN! Where the fuck is my food!?" He blinked, turning to look at the wall Veronica's voice was still very clear through. With some curiosity, he got a little closer to the other side of the house to listen. Though he couldn't explain why. "Well hurry the fuck up you useless slut! And don't you dare go running over to that asshole today! You've been slacking!"

He tilted his head. Was she talking about him? She was quiet for several minutes, long enough that he figured that was about it. Unfortunately, he was wrong. "About fucking time! Give me that. And where the fuck is my toast!?" He didn't hear the reply, but did hear something mumbled. Then the very distinct sound of a palm striking something with an audible smack. "Don't give me that fucking lip! Get it done! And clean this fucking mess up! Useless piece of shit!"

He just stared at the wall again, in a bit of shock hearing that. Was that how the woman always was to her daughter? Her words were slightly slurred, so she was probably still drunk, or at least hung over. "Bitch." He was again tempted to call the cops about this, but he knew how little would happen. Maybe he should contact child protective services? But they were pretty useless, too. If anything, it would probably just make Veronica more angry afterwards. Which she would take out on Arin, most likely. The last thing he wanted. He was definitely going to try and talk to the girl about coming over here when her mother was like this. Dangerous as it may be for him, it was still probably a safer place for her overall.

It seemed most of the yelling was done for now. He glanced outside to see if he caught Arin out there, but he didn't see anything. He went about his day as he normally would, checking e-mails on the computer, and generally killing time. He really should go out on the water and test all the different fishing equipment he got samples of. Most of it was still sitting in the back of his truck. He checked the weather reports. Clear skies for the next week, at least. Seems it was going to be a very temperate spring, and they were saying summer would be the same. Which suited him fine. Maybe he would finally go out tomorrow. Spend all Sunday fishing. He really wished he could invite Arin to come, but he already knew what her mother would say about that.

He did decide to test if his TV was hooked up properly to the internet, since he hadn't yet. Thankfully, it was, and he was able to access the myriad of channels provided. Though a good deal of them were in Spanish, which he barely spoke any of. He did find a channel playing some of the popular movies, the ones he had missed seeing in the theaters. So he kicked his feet up and had a different kind of lazy afternoon. Unfortunately, several of the movies were quite bad. Poorly written, the actors were mostly phoning it in, and the special effects in some were pretty bad. "Too much green screen, these days." He paused as he heard himself. "Gods, I really am turning into my father."

Outside, he heard a very loud engine pulling closer, then revving for no reason at all before finally turning off. His curiosity got the better of him again and he peaked out the front window, surprised to see it was already dark out. The car that was making all the noise was a cherry red sport car of some kind. And a convertible, the top slowly moved back into place now that the owner was getting out. The owner was some older orange cat, maybe in his 50's. Though he was obviously going through some kind of mid-life crisis, what with the leather jacket, and greying hair was slicked back. He looked like he stepped right out of some biker movie from the 60's. "She sure has a lot of odd 'clients.'"

Once again, it was barely 15 minutes before he heard the fucking. The guy was not quiet, either, grunting constantly. And oddly complaining a lot. "Fucking... moan you bitch!" He chuckled a little. "I said moan for me!" He heard a smack. "That's better! I want to hear you enjoying my big cock!"

Jay rolled his eyes, muttering to himself. "If you have to say your cock is big, then it isn't. Your dirty talk needs work, mate."

The grunting continued. As did the complaining. "Fucking... stupid bitch!" There was another smack, then a thud. "Fuck this. It's not working!" The words got muffled as he walked away, but he could still hear that some loud discussion was happening. Soon enough, it moved outside. "Keep the fucking money, it's not worth it anymore. I got other girls I can fuck that react better. And don't have worn out cunts."

He glanced out the window again, in time to see the man getting into his car. The engine roared to life again, and soon enough he pulled out and sped away down the street, leaving Veronica standing in the driveway in a purple house robe. The woman flipped the guy off, though he was already down the road by that point. Then she just stormed back into the house. "Useless piece of shit, get your ass up!" He blinked again. "Get the fuck out of here. Go to your room! I'm dealing with you later, so get your ass ready. Now where the fuck are my pills?"

Okay, now he was getting worried about what he was hearing. It was another twenty minutes or so before heard anything else. Though not screaming this time. He heard the front door closing. Glancing out again, he saw Arin standing there shaking a little. She glanced in his direction, or more in the direction of his house... or maybe his truck? Then she went the other way. A moment later, she was on her bike and away into the night. He also noticed that she had her backpack, though it looked more stuffed than normal. Was she running away? "Shit."

He rushed off to his bedroom to grab his clothes and throw them back on. If he was quick, he might be able to catch her before she got too far. Though if she turned down side streets or took bike paths, he wouldn't be able to see her. A thought struck him just as he was grabbing his keys. There was only a few places she would go, and he ruled the school out pretty quickly. In the talks they had during the trips back and forth from the school, she was pretty clear that she didn't have any friends she was close to. Not close enough to try and escape to, at least. But there was one place. And if he was fast enough, he could probably beat her there.

*     *     *


His truck made its way down the familiar winding road, moving just past the gated wall, and coming upon the rows of boat houses. There weren't many lights on, so everything was cast in deep shadows. He pulled into a spot a few piers down from his and turned his truck off, killing all the interior lights. Then he waited, and hoped he was right. Sure enough, a few minutes later, he saw the silhouette of someone on a bike coming down that winding road. She rode right past him, not seeing his truck in the dark, and made her way to number 5, just as he suspected.

He got out of the truck and closed the door as quietly as he could, then walked over to the building. She just dropped her bike on the ground and was leaned close to the keypad, trying to see the numbers since it wasn't lit up in any way. She whimpered as it made a harsh beep at her. As he got closer, he heard her arguing with the lock. "No... What was it? 1... 4.... 4... 8... 1?" Another harsh buzz. "C'mon you stupid door! 4... 9... 8... 1... 9? Dammit!"

"It's, 4-1-1-8-9." She practically jumped out of her fur when he spoke. "You could have just asked."

"M-mmm... Mr.... McGavin! Uh... s-sir... I'm... uh..." She looked around instead of at him, as if expecting to see him coming with a hoard of cops or something. "I-I was... um..."

"Running away?" She squeaked again. "I heard your mother yelling at you again. Sounded... pretty bad."

"Y-you... heard... it all?" Her ears folded so far back they almost vanished in her hair. "ALL of it...?"

"Enough that I have a lot of questions." He took a breath and held it for a second.

She just whimpered again, looking down at the ground. After a long, awkward silence, she let out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping. "I'll... get my bike into your truck then...?"

He let out a sigh of his own. "No..." Her head tilted up just a little, the only show of her surprise. "Believe it or not, I think you running away from that place is probably the best thing you could do."

"O-oh... Then..."

He nodded at the door. "Like I said. 4-1-1-8-9." She nodded slowly, turning and pushing the correct buttons. This time, the door made a click and a much more positive buzz as it unlocked. She pushed the door open, but he stepped around her to enter first. "Let me get the lights. Get your bike. You can lean it against the inside." She just nodded, picking her bike up and rolling it through the door. "C'mon. I'll start some water boiling and make you some hot cocoa."

She sniffled and nodded. "That... sounds nice." She followed him up the ramp onto the deck, then down the stairs into the kitchen. She sat on the one chair at the table while he busied himself pouring some water into a kettle to boil. He figured he'd make some cocoa for her, and some tea for himself. While he worked, she just stared at the table for a long time. Though she did eventually speak up. "You... said you had a lot of questions..."

He nodded. "Yeah, but you don't need to answer them." He thought a moment. "Well, maybe just one. Did you bring pajamas? Or were you just going to sleep in your normal clothes?"

She shook her head. "I... don't have pajamas..."

"That's alright." He motioned to the door to the sleeping area. "I forgot to show it during the little tour, but the head... uh... bathroom... that is also back there. Has a little shower and everything. But the water is limited, since the filter has to work out all the salt before it goes into the tank. So if you need to wash up, you take real quick showers." She just nodded slowly. Speaking of water, the kettle started to whistle as it got hot enough. He turned off the burner and poured it into two mugs, one with a tea bag, the other with a scoop of powdered cocoa. He stirred hers and set it down in front of her. "Here you go. Careful not to burn your tongue."

She nodded again, but just stared at it instead of picking it up. "Thank you." Her voice was so... defeated.

"You know you're not in trouble, right? Not with me, anyway." All he got was another nod. He let out a soft sigh. "Well, that said, I can't just let you stay here alone all night." She tensed up a little, but he continued. "You can sleep on the bed. Or as close to sleep as you can get. I've got some really comfortable lounge chairs that I can set up on deck. I've napped in them before, so I can just sleep in one of those up there."

That actually caught her by surprise, and she finally looked up at him. "Wait, you're not-" She stopped herself.

"Not what? Forcing you to sleep next to me on the bed?" He shook his head. "No. I won't." Much as he would love to.

"Oh..." She was at a loss for words then, her eyes shifting around just a little, as if she didn't want to look directly at him. "I just thought... this is the part where you rape me..."

He nearly spat out his tea. "WHAT!? GODS no!" Even in all of his fantasies, it was never rape. She was always fully willing and into it.

"S-sorry..." She looked away, her ears folding back again. "I'm just not used to people being... nice... without wanting something."

He stared at her for a long moment, several pieces finally settling into place. He had already figured it out in the back of his mind, but he had been refusing to accept it. Now there was no denying it any more. "It wasn't your mother all those men were fucking, was it?"

Her lips quivered a little, but she shook her head. "No... some of them did, but... most were... there for me..."

Now he felt like an asshole for not calling the cops all those times. And he felt pissed. "Jeez... I'm sorry. I didn't know. I would have pulled you out of that house a lot sooner if I'd known." Though he had only known her for a week, so 'sooner' wasn't really all that much.

She shook her head. "I-It's okay. It's been happening since I was 6."

He flinched. "6!??" She nodded. "Wha..." Now it was his turn to be at a loss for words. Eventually he just came up with, "What the hell is wrong with your mother?"

Arin looked down a little. "She... never wanted me... Says I ruined her life."

"Oh, I highly doubt that. She ruined it on her own."

The girl continued anyway. "N-no, it's true. She... never wanted me. She used to be pretty when she was younger. But then she had me, and whoever my father is left before I was born, and she had to take care of me all on her own. But... all I've ever done is just... take from her." Once the words had started, she couldn't stop them, just saying everything as it came to her." And I'm not good at anything but being... a hole... and the men pay her f-for that... a lot of money... and the videos she posts online... it's how she pays rent and buys food and... her pills... and..." She was fighting tears now. "But I'm not even good a-at that... because I haven't gotten pregnant and she wants me to... s-so she can do it 'right' this time..."

Jay stared in shock as he heard all of this. "Gods that's fucked up." He winced the moment he said it. "Your mother, I mean. Not you. You should never have been forced to do all of that. Your mother is disgusting. As are all those men for using you like that."

She looked at him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment. "But you want to."

He flinched again. "W-what?"

She just stared at him, looking him dead in the eyes. "I-I've seen the looks you give me. They're... nicer than them, but... the same." He just stared back at her, feeling like he was suddenly on trial here.

Eventually, he let out a soft sigh. "No sense denying it, I guess. Yes, I've thought about it. You." He held up a hand. "But I will NEVER force myself on you. I might have fantasies, but I'm not going to rape you. I'm not going to ask anything of you. That is a line I am not willing to cross. Ever. Especially now that I know what kind of... situation you've been forced to live in."

She kept staring at him, struggling to keep her tears back. She failed. "W-why..." She completely broke then, letting out a sob as the tears started to run down her cheeks. "Why are you so nice to me?"

He sighed. "Because you looked sad. And I don't like seeing pretty girls sad." He held his arm out to her. "C'mere." She got up out of the chair and moved over. He pulled her a little closer to give her a gentle hug. Her arms slid around him as her face pressed against his belly, doing nothing to hide her crying now. He gently pat her back. "It's okay. Let it all out. I won't judge you. I won't hurt you. You have my word. You're safe here." He just stood there, letting her cling to him and soak his shirt with her tears.

*     *     *


She had cried for a while. Tears she had been holding back for years. Once she had calmed herself down a little, he led her to the bunk area. He just sat on the bed with her, letting her hold onto him even once her sobbing had died down again. He didn't say anything, just kept his arm around her shoulders and squeezed a little very so often. He didn't want to stop her getting all of it out of her system. He could tell it had been bottled up for so long.

"Your tail is really nice." It was the first thing she'd said in over an hour, and it caught him a little off guard.

"Um... thank you?" His tail twitched a little in response.

She smiled. "S-sorry." She sniffed, sitting up a little. "I-I just think big tails are pretty. I-I've just got this little thing..." She pointed at her back, her own tail indeed quite a small thing. Longer than a tuft like a rabbit, but not by much. It was also thin, and not nearly as overly fluffy as his massive twitchy tail was.

"I think your tail is fine." He sighed slightly as he heard his own wording. Though it did get the faintest giggle from her. "You know what I mean." She nodded. "Well, if you are feeling better, I should probably set up the chair and leave you to get some rest." As he stood, he heard a whimper from her. "Don't worry. I'm just up the stairs, so I'm not leaving you completely alone."

She nodded slowly. Before he could walk away, she spoke up. "You don't... have to."

"Have to what?"

She hesitated again. "S-sleep out there... I-I'd... be okay if..."

"Hey, I already told you I'm not going to force myself on you." He turned and crouched down in front of her. "I'm sorry for any of the times that I might have stared at you, or had bad thoughts, but I'm not like those men. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. You've been through enough."

She smiled a little. "I-I know..." She looked up at him. "But... I'd still be okay... if you stayed..." She reached out and grabbed his shirt sleeve. "P-Please..."

He sighed again. "Alright. I'll stay with you tonight. But I also don't really have pajamas, so sorry if my jeans are a little rough."

"H-how do you normally sleep?"

He shrugged. "Usually just in my underwear."

"O-oh..." He was pretty sure he saw a blush. "Me, too..."

He chuckled slightly, patting her knee. "You sleep however you want. I'm still holding to my promise. I'm not touching you. Not that way." He bit his lip. "Though I can't promise I won't still look." He shrugged, getting a goofy grin. "But I'll try to keep the staring to a minimum."

She actually let out a slight grin. "Y-you can stare. That's okay." She slid off of the bed, and gave him another little hug. "You're... still the nicest person I've ever met." He knew she meant it as a compliment, but that made him very sad. He moved to sit on the bed again, then nearly fell off of it as she was already undressing herself. Her baggy blue shirt was pulled up and off, giving him a look at her bare back. He saw the white and black stripes running down along her spine, mixed into the light tan fur. But he also saw very clear scars along her back. Little thin lines here and there.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had reached out to gently touch one of the scars. "What... are these from?" He flinched his hand away the moment he realized what he was doing. "S-sorry."

Arin didn't flinch, though. "Mom... sh-she... has long nails ,and w-when she gets into some of her moods she... um... does that..." She set the shirt down on the floor gently. "S-some of the men do it, too..."

He shook his head. "I'm so sorry. You've been through so much." She just nodded and started to push her pants down. Her legs were just as skinny as the rest of her, but did have just a bit more tone than the rest. Probably from all the bike riding. It left her in nothing but a pair of soft pink panties that clung to her hips. But she was so small, he had to remind himself that she was 13 and not 8 or 9. He also cursed himself silently as he felt himself growing hard within his jeans. Especially when she turned around to face him, her flat chest left fully exposed for him.

She slid herself up onto the bed again, looking a little nervous. "Um... y-you can also..."

He shook his head. "Probably best that I don't." She nodded a little, her fingers just tapping at her knees. "Tell you what, I'll just take my shirt off. But the pants stay on."

She smiled. "Okay." He pulled his polo off and tossed it onto the floor with her discarded clothing. It left his own chest and belly exposed to her, covered in the light brown and grey fur. She gave him a big smile.

He returned the smile. "C'mon. Lay down and try and get some sleep." He scooted back and laid down close to the edge of the bed at the bulkhead. "I'll be right here, so you won't be alone."

"Yeah..." She shifted back a little, laying down with her back to him. "Th... thank you again, Mr. McGavin... f-for just being so... nice to me..."

He reached out and gently pat the top of her head. "You can call me Jay. And you are very welcome, Arin." She let out a little giggle as he nudged the pillow closer for her. "Let me know if you get cold. I've got blanket in the clos-" He tensed up when she scooted a little closer to press her back against his chest.

"You're... warm." She was a little tense herself, probably expecting him to either shove her away, or to give in and have his way with her.

He just sighed and gently pat her shoulder. "Alright. In that case." He shifted a little to bring his big tail over and drape it across both of them. "You can use my natural blanket." She giggled, reaching down to take hold of it and pull it up a little and snuggle into it. He gently rubbed her head again. "Get some sleep." She nodded, and did seem to actually relax pressed up against him under his tail. He let out a soft breath, resting his head on his arm as he continued to gently pet the top of her her head.

This was probably the worst position someone like him could possibly be in. But at the same time... it was nice. She was so close, he couldn't help but pick up her scent. There was a very slight muskiness to it from her long bike ride to get to the boat, but it wasn't bad. Of course, he was careful not to let his enjoyment poke at her too much, keeping his hips a little away from hers so he didn't accidentally rub against her or anything like that. He did continue to stroke her hair a little. She still had it in the pigtails. He wondered if he should have had her put them back down, but she seemed comfortable with them up like this.

"You smell nice..." He blinked as she spoke, her voice softer.

"Um... thank you? You do, too?" He winced. "Sorry, that probably sounds weird."

She let out a soft giggle, her hands gently playing with the fur on his tail. "It's okay... you're fur is so soft, too..."

"I take care of it. It gets all tangled if I don't." He looked up a little. "Your hair is also very nice. You can let it down if you want."

She thought for a moment. "Do... you want me to?"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter what I want. I think it looks very cute like this, but if you want to let it down, then go right ahead. You look nice with it however you want it."

He got a soft hum in response. "Then I'll leave it up. It gets messy if I leave it loose."

"Alright." He gently ran his hand down one of the tails of hair, then went back to gently rubbing and scritching between her ears.

She almost cooed at him. "It's... okay if you want to touch me more."

He sighed. "Arin... I said-"

"I know." She shifted to lean back against his chest a little more. "I'm saying... I'm okay with it. You're... very gentle... more than anyone ever has been. S-so... I'm okay if you want to... be gentle in more places."

He let out another sigh, resting his hand against her shoulder. "If you're sure." He slid his hand down her arm a little, feeling the soft fur. She nodded to him, her own hands still playing with the fur of his tail. She giggled as it twitched a little against her. "You tell me if you want me to stop." He slid his hand more around her, under her arm, so it could rest against her belly. It was more of an embrace now, his fingers very gently rubbing at her soft stomach. "If you feel uncomfortable, then you tell me. Don't just say it's okay for me."

She nodded. "I will... b-but this is... nice." She giggled a little as he gave her belly a gentle scritch. "I like how you touch me... It actually feels... good."

He smiled, leaning over and giving the top of her head a gentle kiss. "Then I'm happy to make you feel good. You deserve it."

That got a slight whimper from him. "I-I don't... know about that..."

"You do. Don't listen to what your mother's been telling you. Or anyone else that tries to put you down." He gave her a gentle squeeze. "You're a very sweet girl. And you're very cute. And I'm not just saying that because of my... interests. I think you're adorable."

She let out a soft hum again. "That just means I'm small."

Jay chuckled. "Maybe, but that's okay." He slid his hand up to gently tease just under the nearly non-existent breast on her chest. "I like small."

She let out a soft sound, not stopping him as he gently rubbed against her chest. "I'm... pretty sure I'm not going to grow much more, too. I've only gained like... two inches in the last three years. Everyone in school calls me a midget."

He sighed. "You're not. And even if you don't get any bigger, you're fine the way you are." He kissed the top of her head again. Then he took a risk and gave another kiss closer to her cheek. That got a giggle from her, so he just nuzzled against her. "You are lovely however you are." He moved his hand down to gently pat her thigh. "And you've got some nice tone from all that bike riding. You're just built for that. I bet with some practice, you'd be really good at bike racing."

"M-maybe..." She tensed up for just a second when his fingers continued to gently run against her leg, but she didn't resist him. If anything, she relaxed into his touch even more, her legs stretching out a little. "That feels nice..."

"Then I'll keep making you feel ni- what are you doing?" Her hips scooted back just a little so she could bump them against his. There was no way she didn't feel the hard lump on his crotch against her rear.

"I-I wanted to." She giggled softly, keeping herself against him. Thankfully, she didn't grind herself against him or anything. "You've been so nice, and gentle and... And I'm okay with whatever you want to do." Before he could protest, she quickly added. "Even if it's just hold me like this."

He chuckled. "Well, doing more would get me in... a lot of trouble. Hell, just doing this probably would." He grunted slightly. "And you rubbing that cute behind of yours against me is not helping much."

"I won't tell anyone..." She turned a little to lay on her back as she looked at him. "And... I want to know what it's like when someone isn't just... doing it for themselves..."

He looked down at her a little, into those lovely green eyes. "Have you ever... enjoyed it before? Sex, I mean?"

She frowned a little. "I don't... I don't know. I've never... thought about it." She looked up a little. "I've... cum before... I think. A-at least, I think I have? The men... doing it have said it felt like I did, at least. But it... wasn't really all that good... still kind of hurt. And I've never played with myself to try... So I don't know..."

He frowned, leaning over to kiss her forehead gently, getting a smile up at him in return. "Sex is supposed to be enjoyed by both people." He gently rubbed the inside of her thigh, resisting the urge to slide his hand those few inches higher to touch between her legs. "All those men are disgusting for just using you like that." He slid his hand back to the top of her leg, patting it gently. He realized some of the hypocrisy in what he was saying. Decrying men for just using her while he was feeling her up.

She seemed to pick up on his sudden thoughts, her hand coming up to touch his upper arm. "You're not like them. I'm... okay with this. With... you... doing this." After a second, she leaned up and gave his chin a kiss. "With you. You're... a lot nicer than them." She giggled when his fingers gently scritched at her leg. "And your touch doesn't hurt."

"I promised I would never hurt you. And I mean it." He leaned down a little more as his hand slid back to her inner thigh, moving up dangerously close to the edge of her panties. "I'm much happier making you feel good." His voice got quieter, not quite a whisper. "Making you happy, even if only for a little bit."

She blushed a little, just visible through her fur. "Y-you have... made me happy. Happier than I've ever been."

His smile softened a little. "Good." He risked moving his hand just that little bit higher, resting against the spot between her legs. He could feel her pussy through the thin fabric, the crease between soft lips. He very carefully rubbed against that crease, to see her reaction. She let out a soft breath, her body shifting a little beside him. She didn't protest or stop him, her legs even parting a little for him. "Let me know if you want me to stop."

She shook her head. "N-no... this... feels really good..." Another soft breath escaped her, not quite a gasp. "I like it..."

"Would you like more?" She nodded quickly. "Okay." He slid his hand up to her lower belly again, then sneaked his fingers just under the hem of her panties, moving them down until he was just above her pussy. "You tell me if you get uncomfortable."

"I-it's... it's okay. I... want you to touch me." She smiled a little more at him. When he slid his fingers that last little bit down, she did let out a soft gasp. He carefully moved his fingers against her lower lips, gently rubbing and teasing at her sensitive parts. He could feel the warmth against him, her lips soft. Her breathing got a little faster, and she made a quiet noise when one digit ran along between her lips.

"You can moan if you want. No one will hear you here but me." She nodded again, letting out a soft moan this time as he ran between the lips again. She really gasped when he found her clit hidden at the top, giving it a gently rub. Her hips pushed up a little against him on their own. It sounded almost surprised, and he wondered if anyone had ever given it any attention at all. Or maybe she was just surprised by how good it felt when this was done right. As he continued to gently play with her lips, he felt her growing just a little damp, and smiled. She was actually getting turned on... at least he hoped that's what it was, and not just some reaction from her body. Gods knew he couldn't control his erection, which was currently throbbing hard and straining at his pants.

He curled one finger just a little, and ran it between her lips, then slid it just a little between them into the damp hole. This got a much louder moan from her, so he pushed a little further in. Her next moan was cut off as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She froze for a second, but then just melted under him. Her hands came up to grip at his shoulders, not to push him away, but to keep him where he was so she could return the kiss. He let her hold him, moaning into his mouth as he continued to slip his finger deeper, rubbing the inner walls. Her hips pushed up against him again, her whole body unable to stay still.

He opened his mouth a little and teased his tongue forward to lick at her lips, her own mouth parting a little for him, granting him access. He pressed his mouth down a little more, still gentle with her, but deepening the kiss. Her tongue slid out to touch his, even as she let out another muffled moan from his finger teasing and rubbing her wet tunnel. Her hands started to tremble a little against him, so he pulled back to look down at her. "Still good?"

She nodded quickly, her blush growing all the more. "Y-yes... it's... ahh..." She gasped again. "It's amazing... P-please... don't stop... I-I'm... AHH!" She cried out when his thumb rubbed against her clit, her whole body arching a little. He kept it up, two fingers parting her lips while one rubbed inside as much as he could, while his thumb worked at her clit. She cried out louder, gasping and moaning. She gripped at his shoulders, then his arms, then his shoulders again, her hands not sure where to go as shivers started to run through her. "Ah... I-it's.... I'm...."

He smiled. "Don't hold it back." She couldn't if she wanted to. She gasped and squirmed, never once trying to push him away. Her body undulated constantly, her hips pushing against him to get the finger a little deeper inside. Her legs shivered and trembled, closing around his hand and squeezing. Then she let out a loud cry of pleasure, her back arching clear off the bed. Her inner walls clenched around his finger, her legs doing the same around his hand. Her hands shivered and clung onto his fur as she came. He stopped rubbing her clit, the finger inside just rubbing very slightly to keep the pleasure going.

All at once, she fell back to the bed, panting heavily. Little shivers and twitches ran through her, making her let out a moaning giggle each time. "Ah... th-that... I-I've never... ha~" Another shiver ran through her.

He smiled, getting another moan from her as he slowly slipping his finger out. He slowly slid his hand out of her panties, gently resting it against her belly. "That's what it's supposed to feel like." He smiled down at her. "I'm guessing you liked it?"

That got a giggle, and a nod. "Y-yeah... a lot..." She slid her hands up around his neck and brought his face closer to give him another kiss. He returned it, but didn't push it deeper this time. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome." He shifted a little to lay down beside her again, just gently rubbing her belly as she caught her breath again.

She gasped after a few moments. "Oh, b-but what about you? You must be... uncomfortable..." She glanced down at his jeans, then back up at him.

He shook his head. "It's fine. I said I'd keep my pants on tonight." He kissed her forehead gently. "Tonight is just for you. So don't you worry about me. Seeing you like this is... more than enough."

The girl nodded slowly. "O-okay..." She shifted a little closer, nuzzling under his chin. "If... you say so..."

"I do." He let her just lean against him, holding her gently. This was probably more than he should have done already. But she seemed happy, truly happy for a change. That really was enough.

They laid in silence for a while. Long enough that he had thought she might have dozed off. At least until she spoke up. "What... are we going to do about Mom...?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. We'll have to do something. She might be a monster, but she is still your mother, and she can... get me in a lot of trouble if I try to keep you away from her." Even if she was willing, this could still be considered kidnapping. "But hey, if she doesn't want you around, then maybe... she won't protest?" He winced, thinking that sounded awful. Arin just shook her head. Then she started to cry softly, which surprised him. "H-hey! I... know that sounded bad, but..."

She shook her head, rolling over a little to bury her face against his chest. "It's not you... Mom... she..." She clung to his shoulders again. "I don't want to go back. I know what she'll do..."

He put his arm around her to hold her close. "She's not going to do anything to you. I'm going to make sure of it... somehow. She won't hit you any more. Or force you to fuck all those men."

She shook her head again. "Sh-she... she promised that... that if I... didn't... A-and I haven't given her a new baby like she wants... and I don't think I can! A-and sh-she said th-that she would..."

"Would what? Throw you out? That would actually be for the best. Then you could stay away from her."

She shook her head again. "That she would kill me..."

That made him flinch. "What!? She threatened to kill you!?" Veronica was sounding worse and worse the more he heard about her. "That's... terrible. But I don't think she'd actually kill her daughter."

She shook her head again. "She would. That... that place she posts videos of me g-getting... fucked... it's... it's got a lot of people that kill and rape on it." He wasn't sure how to take hearing that. "She'd probably make a lot of money putting the video of killing me up there..."

He frowned. "I'm guessing telling the cops about this isn't an option?" She just nodded. Somehow he knew that. The site was probably some phantom that could shift its digital location easily. Plus a site like that would have to have some connections to exist, and he didn't want to mess with that. "Well, I'm not letting her kill you. Even if I have to break the law and go on the run with you, I'm not letting her lay a finger on you." He smiled. "I mean, I have a boat. We could just... sail away."

She looked up, tears still in her eyes. "B-but... what about your business?"

"Zinda can handle it. She's already running most of it as it is."

She tilted her head a little. "Zinda?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She's the front manager of the place. She and I go way back, and she's been working there since she was a teenager. So I know she can handle it." He gently pat her head. "Don't you worry about any of that. We'll figure something out. In the morning. We should try and get some sleep." She nodded slowly. With all that happened today, the incident at her house, running away, him finding her and her first true orgasm, and all the crying... she was looking pretty fatigued now. "I'll be here with you tonight. I promise, I'll keep you safe."

That got a smile from her. She leaned up and kissed his chin. "Thank you." She laid her head down on his arm this time, snuggling up against him again. He brought his tail around to drape over her once more, which she seemed to appreciate. He laid his head down near hers and just watched her. Now she finally managed to drift off to sleep. He had a harder time doing that. And for once, it had nothing to do with lewd thoughts about her. Instead, he was worrying about just what the hell he was going to do now. He would have to talk to her mother... see for himself if she was serious about that threat. And if she was... well, he would worry about that then.

*     *     *


Morning came all too quickly. Jay opened his eyes to find he was laying in the bed alone, though the cabin still smelled of Arin. He slowly pushed himself up, feeling a slight kink in his neck. He groaned a little as he stretched. He pushed himself out of bed, looking around. The girl's clothing was no longer on the floor, only his shirt remaining. He picked it up and put it on, then moved to the fore cabin. The girl was sitting at the table, just staring at her hands. "Good morning."

She jumped slightly when she heard him, then turned and smiled. "Hey. You... looked like you needed the sleep, so I didn't wake you."

He smiled a little. "I hope you weren't sitting around too long."

She just shrugged. "I... no. Not too long." She gave him a smile as he pat her head gently walking past her. He moved over to the counter to start some coffee for himself. Though he saw a mug sitting in the sink, the remains of cocoa still on the inside. "Oh... I... sorry, I didn't drink that last night. It was cold by the time I got out here, so I dumped it... I wasn't sure how to wash stuff here, so I just left it there... Hope that's okay."

He smiled. "Yeah, that's alright." He finished getting everything into the coffee maker and got himself a fresh mug, then started washing the ones from the previous night, his own mug from the tea still sitting on the counter. "So... you must be pretty hungry by now."

She nodded. "A... little... I guess." She looked away again. He figured she was also pretty worried.

He sighed slightly. "Tell you what. I'll give you some cash, and you can go get yourself some breakfast somewhere. There's a bunch of places nearby that serve it, so you have your pick. You can even get it to go and just bring it back here. You remember the door code?"

She nodded. "4-1-1-8-9."

"Right." He took a breath and held it for a moment. "And while you do that... I'll go and talk to your mother... provided she hasn't called the cops on me yet."

The girl whimpered slightly. "W-what are you going to say?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not sure yet. I'll... try to figure that out by the time I get there."

She nodded, looking down at her hands. "She's just going to want me to go back..."

"Yeah. I know." He moved over and put his hand on her shoulder. "But I'm not letting her hurt you ever again. Even if I have to run away with you to do it." She smiled at him. After he had his coffee, he gave her a small wad of cash. She was surprised by just how much, and even more surprised when he said she could keep whatever she didn't spend on food. Then he got into his truck, and went back to the house. The whole time, he was wracking his brain trying to think of just what to say. By the time he was pulling into the driveway, he hadn't figured that out yet.

He walked up to Veronica's door, took a deep breath, and knocked. Then knocked again when he got no response for several seconds. "ARIN! GET THE DOOR!" He heard the woman screaming inside, her words holding that same listless slur from when she had been at his door only a few days prior. "ARIN!" He heard movement inside. A minute later, the door was yanked open. "WHAT DO YOU... oh, it's you." The woman was dressed in just her purple houserobe again. Thankfully, her lips were devoid of a cigarette this time. "So she ran off to your cock, did she?"

He frowned at the woman. "No, she ran off to my safety. Can I come inside? We have a lot to talk about."

Veronica just threw her hand in the air. "Fine. C'mon in and talk." She turned around and headed back inside. He followed, shutting the door behind himself. The house was... a mess. Small piles of empty bottles sat against one wall, most from hard liquor. The living room, if you could call it that, was home to an old TV that he was surprised still worked by how filthy it was. There was only one chair in front of it, an even more beat up recliner that looked like it was from the 70's, with a gaudy pattern just barely visible. The place smelled heavily of cigarette smoke and alcohol.

He followed the woman to the kitchen, watching as she pulled open a bottle of vodka and didn't even bother pouring it, just taking several gulps straight from the bottle before slamming it back down on the counter. "Alright. So wha'the fuck do you wanna talk about, fluffy?"

He crossed his arms. "Arin, of course. I've learned what you've been forcing her to do."

The woman scoffed. "You, you mean put that slut to some use? So what? It's the only thing she's good for."

He frowned at how flippant she was about it. "You know that's a lie."

She scoffed again. "Yeah, she can't even do that right! Been pissing off the guys lately with her dead eyes. And can't even get herself knocked up proper! No matter how many of 'em leave their load in there." She shook her head. "Fucking useless cunt can't even do that right."

He scowled even more. "You've been having them rape her since she was 6! She probably can't have kids now because of that!" He was guessing, but had heard something about that a long time ago. Though he wasn't sure how true it was, he would still use that as a point. "You're lucky she hasn't been hurt even worse than that!"

"LUCKY!" She picked up the bottle, and looked like she was about to throw it, but instead just took another swig and slammed it down on the counter again. "Nothin' about that girl is LUCKY! She's been just a burden since the momen' she was born! Fucking leeching everything, ruin'n my looks, eat'n all my food, shitting everywhere! She's lucky I even let her leave the house!" She blinked several times. "Where the hell is she?"

He managed to keep his cool, but his temper was definitely flaring up under the surface. "Away from you and safe for now. And she's going to stay that way until I can get a promise that you're not going to force her to be a prostitute for you anymore."

It was Veronica's turn to scowl at him. "Away from me? She's my fucking daughter! I'll tell her when she can leave! She owes me her fucking life for bringing her into this world!"

"She's her own person, not your slave."

She slammed her hand on the counter. "She owes me! She'll do wha'ever th'fuck I want her to do! She'd better, or I'll fucking make her regret it!"

His scowl got darker. "About that. She told me you threatened her life."

The woman teetered back unsteadily, trying to look intimidating and failing. "Yeah? Sho what? I brought her into this world, I c'n take her out of it!"

"You'd really do it? Kill your own daughter?"

"Yeah, why not?" She scoffed. "Pro'bly pay better as a corpse than she every did alive, too! An' she wouldn't fucking eat all my fucking food!" She put her hand to her head. "Ugh... and you've gone and giv'n me a headach. I need my fucking pills..." She waved her hand at him as she walked past him. "You said yer peace. Now get the fuck outta my house and bring my daughter back sho I can give 'er what she deserves."

He didn't leave. Instead he followed her as she walked to her bedroom. The place was set up like some kind of porn studio, cameras pointed at the messy bed and lights here and there. Sitting beside the bed was several open bottles of some kind of pills. And even more bottles of various alcohol. He also saw a small pile of what he could only guess were props used during the recording. Handcuffs, rope, a crop, a gag, and several sex toys. He just knew all of them had been used on Arin at some point. It made his blood boil even more just thinking about the girl being tied up and smacked by someone, all while this disgusting woman watched and recorded it.

That was the last straw. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a spool of heavy fishing wire, the kind used to reel in large fish like marlins. It had quite the tensile strength, so he wasn't worried about it snapping as he suddenly wrapped it around the woman's neck from behind. She immediately started struggling, her arms flailing about. He dragged her back a little, easily taking her off of her feet with how inebriated she was. He grit his teeth, his tail thrashing behind him as he pulled tighter. "You're not laying a finger on that girl every again, you fucking bitch!"

Veronica continued to struggle, failing entirely to reach back and grab him, her legs kicking as he dragged her back by the wire around her neck. The thing bit into her, completely cutting off her air. She made a kind of choked sound, but that was all she could do. She kicked and flailed for some time, so much her robe fell open and he got the unfortunate view of her naked body, saggy tits flopping all over. She also pissed herself at some point, urine running down her pudgy legs and drooling onto the floor.

She gave one final struggle, then her arms went limp. She still twitched for a while, and he kept the wire around her neck until those stopped. When she was finally still, he pulled the wire away. Her body crumpled to the floor in a heap. Her mouth was open, tongue partially sticking out of her mouth and looking swollen. Her eyes stared at nothing, wide and bloodshot. He let out a breath, staring at the woman he just murdered. "Fuck..." He hadn't planned on going this far. At least that is what he told himself. But he had grabbed the fishing wire from the back of his truck for a reason, he just didn't want to admit it.

Now he had to figure out just what to do with her body. He ran his hand over his head. "Shit..." He couldn't just leave her here like this, but what else was he going to do? He doubted he could drag her out to the truck and get her to the water to dump her. Even then, she would probably just wash up soon enough. It's not like he was going to be able to stomach cutting her into pieces or anything like that. Just the thought of it made him feel a little sick. Then his eyes fell onto the rope. He looked up, seeing a ceiling fan just above where he dumped her. "Maybe?" It was worth a shot.

He grabbed the rope and started to loop one end. He was pretty good with knots, thanks to his years of experience on the water, so he tied the end into a sturdy slipknot. Though not too good, since he didn't want it obvious he did it. He dragged a chair in from the kitchen, setting it just below the fan and stood on it so he could loop the end around the thing and tie it secure. He gave it several hard tugs to make sure it would hold. It... probably would. Now was the hard part. He reached down and slid his arms under the woman, grunting as he lifted her up. He got back onto the chair as he lifted her, just barely managing to get her head into the loop before his arms gave out. She sank immediately, the loop snapping tight around her neck, her feet bumping the edge of the chair.

When he got down, he kicked the chair over, as if she had done it. To his untrained eye, it looked like she had just killed herself. She was even dangling just over the pool of her piss soaked into the carpet. He just hoped he didn't leave too much other evidence around. He checked to make sure the line he used hadn't snapped, but it was all still there. He'd cut several feet off and toss it away later. For now, he stuffed it back into his pocket and made his way to the front of the house. Though he stopped before he opened the door. He instead locked it, and went back inside.

The place was laid out just like his, so he went to the other room. In his side, it was his home office. Here, as he suspected, it was Arin's room. There was almost nothing in it. Just a bare bed with a single flat pillow. No decorations, no dresser of any kind, just a barren room. It looked like a prison cell. He went to the closet, finding a small set of plastic buckets with clothes in them. He grabbed as much as he could carry of everything, making sure to get a few full sets. Then he went to the kitchen. The window was unlocked, and he noticed it had no screen in it when Veronica had been ranting earlier. So he climbed out through that as carefully as he could, closing it again behind him. Looking around, he was sure no one saw him... he sure hoped no one did.

He moved around the house and to his front door as quickly and seemingly naturally as he could with his arms full of clothing. Once inside, he ran to his bedroom to change his own clothes. He'd dump the old ones somewhere else. He stuffed all of Arin's clothes into a duffel bag, along with several changes of his own clothing. He also grabbed some things from the bathroom. There was the chance that he would be fleeing very soon, so he made sure to get as much as he might need. All of it went into the duffel, the thing so stuffed he struggled to get it closed.

With all that taken care of, he went back outside again, locking the door behind him and fully expecting he would never see the inside of the house again. He again tried to act as natural as he could getting into the truck, setting the duffel on the seat beside him. He pulled out, and drove away from the scene of the murder he just committed. He still felt very sick. How was he going to explain this to Arin...?

*     *     *


He didn't see Arin's bike inside the boat house when walked in. He must still be having her breakfast. At least he hoped that's all she was doing. If she got the idea to go home... He shook his head. She wanted to stay the hell away from that place as much as he wanted to keep her away. He brought the duffel down below deck and started emptying the contents onto the bed. He hung up the shirts and pants in the closet, folding what couldn't be hung up and set them on the low shelf in there. He was just finishing up when he heard the door buzz outside. He froze for a moment, listening.

"Mr Mc... Jay?" He let out a relieved sigh when he heard Arin's voice.

"I'm just down here!" He smiled when the girl stepped into the cabin. "Hey. I got some of your clothes for you." He motioned to the open closet. "Just in here."

The girl just nodded slowly. "So... what did she say?"

He tensed up, closing his eyes. "She... won't be a problem. So, you don't need to worry about-"

"Did.. you kill her?" He froze. How the hell was this girl so good at reading him? His shoulders slumped... all of his slumped, even his tail drooping down. He heard her grunt. "Good."

He turned to look at her more fully now. "Good!?"

Arin nodded, hopping up onto the bed. "Yeah... she was... she deserved it, right?"

He sighed, pushing the duffel to the side and sitting down beside her. "I guess. But..." He shook his head. "She was still your mother."

She shook her head slowly. "I never loved her. She never loved me, either." She looked up at him. "Are... you okay, though? You've never done that kind of thing before, right? Take a life?"

He shook his head. "No. Nothing bigger than a tuna, at least." He let out a sigh, looking at his hands. He was surprised they weren't shaking. "I... never want to do that again..." He let out a breath. "I made it look like she hanged herself... And she was pretty stoned on her pills and drinking the whole time, so... maybe they'll believe she did that after you ran away?"

The girl nodded. "Maybe..." They both just sat in silence for a long time, not sure what to say. He resisted the urge to give her a hug, not sure she's want to be touched by someone like him anymore, even gently. "You... saw the bedroom...?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's where I left her."

She grunted. "Only good thing that's ever happened in there." She let out a long sigh. "I hate that place."

He nodded again. "I can understand why. I saw your room, too. It was so... empty."

"Mom didn't like me having... things..." She kicked her feet a little. "The kids at school make fun of me because I don't even have a phone."

He frowned again. "Well... I'd say I'd get you one, but... I don't know how all this is going to go from here." She looked up at him with a confused look. "Even if they believe the suicide thing... she was your only family right?" Arin nodded. "Well, they might try and take you and put you in a foster home."

"Oh..." She looked away again. "Even if I want to stay here with you?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. But I'll... try and get you to stay with me... I've got a stable job, so that should help from what I know."

She nodded slowly again. "Okay..." They got quiet again, and he just looked down at the ground. Eventually, she leaned over a little, her shoulder resting against his side. "Thank you..."

"For... what? Doing... what I just did?"

She shook her head. "No... well, yes, but... for..." She sighed, not sure how to say it. "Just thank you for everything. If... if they take me away, I just wanted to say that. That you've been... the best person ever."

He smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders and holding her gently. "You're welcome. You've been pretty nice to have around, too. I'll keep being the best I can while I can be."

*     *     *


The rest of the morning was thankfully uneventful. A little bit later, he was showing her the rest of the boat she hadn't seen. Mostly the wheelhouse. "So this is what controls the speed. And you just steer it like you would a car. Though it turns a lot slower than a car would, so you need to be careful about that."

The girl nodded, standing right up next to him, despite that there was enough room for the both of them. "Well, I've never driven a car..."

He chuckled. "True. But you've ridden in one."

She nodded slowly. "Hey... is it possible to actually... go out on the water today?"

He looked down at her. "I... yeah, I guess it is."

She smiled. "Can we? I-I mean... I might not be able to get this chance again..."

That hit him. It was true. And he had promised to take her out at some point. "Then yeah, let's do it." He pat her head gently. "Let me just go grab something from the truck and get the doors open. Then I'll take you out for a while." She nodded happily, giving him a big grin. He ran out to the truck to get all of the fishing gear he still hadn't moved from almost a week ago, finally loading it up onto the boat. He might as well teach her how to fish while he was out there, after all. Once everything was on the boat, he moved to the controls. "You ready?" She gave him a big thumbs up, and he hit the lever. The place was suddenly filled with the sound of the machine over her moving. The front wall started to lift up like a garage door, letting sunlight start to fill the large room around them.

Once the door was open, he untied the mooring and chucked it up onto the deck. Last thing was to pull the ramp up, laying it across the floor. He joined her in the wheel house. "Alright, all set. Engines on!" He turned the key, and the whole craft made a shudder as the engines kicked to life. A soft hum vibrated the ship a little from the aft. "Hey, you should stand up at the prow to watch. Just don't lean too far over, okay?"

"Okay!" She excitedly darted out of the wheelhouse and around to the fore, looking around in anticipation. He chuckled, and started the thing forward slowly. She gasped as they cleared the edge of the dock and she got a real look at the vast expanse of water stretching out in front. "Whoa~!" He chuckled to himself, remembering the first time he came out with his father. He was younger than her, but his excitement was just the same. He got the ship up to middle speed and just headed away from land, not really having any kind of set destination. Arin didn't seem to mind, happily looking around as they went further and further out to sea.

She ran back to the wheelhouse at some point. "It's so much blue! I've never seen this much blue!" She giddily hopped from one foot to another, then stumbled a little as the boat swayed a little. "Whoa..."

"Careful. You don't have your sea legs yet. You'll get used to the ground moving constantly pretty quick." He slowly turned to head northeast a little more. "If you start feeling seasick, just head below deck. You'll feel it less inside."

She nodded, but just ran aft to keep gazing out at the water, and at the slowly shrinking coast. "All the buildings look so small from here!" He chuckled. The city wasn't known for having huge towers like somewhere like Alta Ferro, but it still had a fairly distinct skyline, especially from the coast. He kept going for around another half hour, getting farther and farther out. Though not too far. He didn't want to head out into deep ocean, but he went far enough that they were unlikely to end up getting near other ships. He mostly wanted to make sure he stayed out of the shipping lanes. One of those big ships passing by could capsize his little yacht with their wake. Eventually, he cut the engine and just let the ship drift. The water was pretty calm, and the weather was clear for several days. There were barely any clouds above, so he didn't anticipate anything that would make them have to head back in a hurry.

Walking back to join the girl, he put his hands on his hips. "Alright. Having fun so far?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah! This is just so awesome!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Well, while we're out here, you want me to teach you how to fish?"

She gasped. "YEAH!" He laughed again. The first thing he did was get her into a puffy live vest. She complained, but eventually relented when he got her to admit she didn't know how to swim. Something else he would have to teach her if he got the chance. Next was showing her how to string a rod. He cut a long length of the wire he had in his pocket and tossed it over board, not explaining why. He let her use his old rod, eager to test the new one. After showing her how to bait the hook, he showed how to cast. Her first attempt was... not very good, but he just had her reel it in and try again. She got the hang of it after a few more attempts.

He set his rod in one of the holsters on the rail. "Wait here a second." He went down below deck for a moment, then came back up with two sets of folding lounge chairs. He set them both up just behind her. "There. You can have a seat on that." She nodded, scooting the chair forward and plopping herself down onto it. He smiled and sat back on the other. "Now we just... wait for a bite. And enjoy the salty air."

She took a deep breath and let it out. "It smells... different."

"That's because it's cleaner than in the city." He looked out at the water. "Hey, let me know if you get thirsty. I didn't grab any sodas, but I've got bottle water in the fridge." She nodded, but was staring intently at the end of her rod, as if she could will a fish to bite.

That didn't work. It was some time before one of the hooks got anything, and it was his. "Oop, looks like I got something." He sat up and grabbed his rod, catching the reel before whatever was on the line pulled too far. He started to reel it in slowly, telling her about how this part worked, letting the fish tire itself out. In the distance, the water was very agitated at the end of the line from the fish under the water. He pulled back a little, feeling the rod flex in his grip a little. It had a pretty good give, and didn't feel like it was bending too much, or would snap. The line also held well, though he had... already tested how tough it was in a different way.

Eventually he reeled his catch in, puling it up out of the water. He grabbed a small net from nearby and set the fish down into it, letting it struggle in that. "There we go. Not exactly a marlin, but it's not bad."

She looked at the blackish fish flopping around in the net. "What kind of fish is that?"

He set his rod down and reached in to remove the hook from its mouth. "This is a black grouper. But it's pretty small. Must be a juvenile." He showed how to remove the hook, being careful not to hurt the thing more. "There we go. Well, since it's a juvenile, I'll throw it back." He hung the net over the edge and turned it over, shaking it a little. The fish fell out into the water, quickly disappearing below the surface. "There you go, little guy. Go grow up big."

She giggled a little. "Don't get eaten by a shark!" She looked at him. "There's sharks out here, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but they don't usually go near boats. And even if they did, the movies make them out to be way more dangerous than they are." He went about setting new bait onto his hook. "You're more likely to get hit by a car or be in a plane crash than be attacked by a shark. And even less likely that the attack will be fatal. They usually nibble once, but if you struggle too much, they usually just go off for something easier."

She nodded to all of what he said. "Have you ever seen a shark out here?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah, couple of times. When I was younger and out here with my dad, he went to throw a fish back, and shark came up and snapped the thing up right as it hit the water. They're more likely to be opportunistic like that than attack."

She giggled. "What about dolphins? Ever seen any of them?"

"A few, yeah." He held up a hand. "Before you ask, no, I've never seen any whales out here." She just giggled again, since that was going to be her next question.

It was another few minutes before one of the hooks caught something. This time, it was Arin's. She squeaked, gripping the rod tight. "W-what do I do!?"

He set his own rod down, moving over to help her grip her own. "Give it a tug, nice and hard." She did, and could feel the thing catch. "Good. Now you've got it. Grab the reel before it gets too far out." She nodded, taking hold of the reel. She started to turn it, but it was really stiff. "You really gotta work it. But don't pull too hard. Let it tire itself out like I said." She nodded again, slowly turning the reel. "That's it. It's turning, move with it, or it'll put too much tension on the line and snap it." He walked her through everything as she slowly pulled the fish closer and closer. It was putting up quite a struggle against her, but she kept her grip on the rod.

He pat her shoulder and moved over to the edge, getting the net ready. "Almost there..." She reeled more, the fish starting to really tire out now, so it was getting a little easier. There was a splash as it was pulled out of the water. She squeaked, nearly falling backwards when the tension was suddenly gone. He reached out and got the fish into the net, pulling it up to show. "Hey, look at that! You got a red snapper!" He held out the net, showing the fish inside struggling away. "Pretty good size, too. Looks like about 20 inches. That's a keeper."

She looked at the fish in the net. It was pretty big, at least to her. "Whoa..." A big grin spread on her lips. "I caught something!"

He nodded, smiling back at her. "Yeah you did." He moved over and lifted a small hatch. Cold air immediately billowed out, and he dumping the fish into the cold storage. "There. Don't worry, it'll go to sleep in the cold, so it won't suffer." He set the net down again. "Good job! That can be dinner tonight." He held his hand out, and she gave him a high five.

They spent the rest of the afternoon like this. Most of what they caught were thrown back. Arin managed to catch another snapper, but it was smaller. Jay did catch a pair of Mackerel that got added to the box. Arin also managed to pull up an even bigger fish, big enough that he had to help with it again. It was a Crevalle Jack, a large fish with a rounded, bulbous head and tiny eyes. He agreed with her assessment that it was very goofy looking. Despite it being a pretty good size, it also got tossed back into the water.

Once the sun started to set, he dropped the anchor to keep them from drifting too much, and went below deck to start prepping the fish for cooking. Naturally, he had all of the stuff needed for that on hand, and he was quite experienced at it, so it did not take long to scale and fillet it. From there, it was quick work to put it in a pan with some oil and fry it up. He even had seasoning for it, though all it really needed was a little salt. When it was almost done, he called out. "Arin! Dinner's just about done! C'mon down!"

"Coming!" He heard her feet humping against the deck and them coming down the stairs. "Wow, that smells really good!"

He nodded, grabbing a few plates from the cabinet above his head. "It's a pretty easy fish to cook. So are the mackerel, but I wanted to do the one you caught." He slid the cuts onto the two plates, setting hers down on the table in front of her, along with a fork and knife. "Here you go. Sorry I don't have any sides to go with it." He also made some tea, setting a mug down for her.

"That's okay." She popped a bit of the fish into her mouth, then let out a moan. "Oh... this is good!"

"Yeah. It hits different when it's that fresh. And when you caught it yourself." He chuckled, having to lean against the counter to have his since there was only the one chair. He really needed to get another chair for in here... provided she was able to stay with him.

"Yeah! This was so much fun!" She giggled and just started going on about how exciting it was when something caught the hook, and struggling to pull it in. He just let her ramble to her heart's content, happy to see her happy. He was glad he could give her this after everything she had gone through. If this was to be their last time together, then he was happy to make it count. After they were done eating, he just set the plates in the sink. They talked for a little more over the tea, letting her wind down a little.

She did ask. "So... when should we go back?"

He shrugged. "Well, I should probably take us back tonight. I know you've got school tomorrow."

She frowned. "Oh... yeah, I forgot about that..."

He smiled a little. "Or... you could miss a day... and we go back in the morning." She brightened up a little, but he held up a finger. "Don't think I'll let you make a habit of that, though. This is just a special occasion. Got it?"

She nodded happily, getting up and giving him a big hug. "Got it!"

*     *     *


Night came quickly. Jay showed Arin how to use the quick shower to get herself cleaned up before bed, though he let her have her wash in private. She eventually came out with a towel wrapped around her small body, another around her hair. "Heh. Very cute." She stuck her tongue out at him, but still smiled. He pat the towel atop her head. "My turn." He took a little longer than she did, as he had to tend to his fluffy tail. It also took a little longer to dry. Before walking back out, he slid his boxers back on. He thought about putting his pants on, like he had the previous night, but... decided not to this time.

When he stepped out, he froze for a second. "oh..." Arin had set the towels down nearby, and was laying on the bed... completely naked. "I... uh... thought you'd be in your underwear again..."

She looked up at him with a smile, and a slight blush on her cheeks. "Well... y-you already touched me everywhere, so..." her eyes fell on his boxers, noting the tent forming in the front. "I... can put them back on... if you want me to..."

He smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed and reaching out to rest his hand against hers. "If you're comfortable like this, then it's okay."

She nodded. "And... if you want to touch me again... like you did yesterday... I'd like that."

The squirrel couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. "I thought we could just snuggle up close again."

"I'd like that, too." She shifted over a little so he could climb up and lay beside her. He also swung his tail over to drape over her again. She giggled, her fingers playing with the fur. "It's even more fluffy!"

He nodded. "It gets like that after I wash it."

He let her play with her tail for a little while. She really liked the fluffy fur. She also nuzzled into it a little, burying her face among the fuzz. "It smells nice... Like you."

He chuckled. "Well, it is me. It's my tail, after all."

She shook her head a little. "N-no... I mean... I like how you smell..." She bit her lip a little. "Is that weird to say?"

"I dunno." He gently pat her head. "But thank you." She had left her hair down this time, so he gently stroked his fingers through the loose strands. "I think you smell nice, too." She nodded slowly, shifting a little closer to him, her hip bumping against his crotch. "Hey, careful there." He just got a giggle in response. After a moment longer, she nudged him again, very purposefully bumping against him. "Arin..."

She giggled softly. "Sorry." She looked up at him, her face half-hidden under her tail so all he saw was from the eyes up. "I'm... okay if you want to... with me..."

He pulled his tail away so he could look at her more fully. "Arin..." He let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, I want to. I VERY much want to." His cock twitched just a little as she was still pressing her hip against him. "But... you've had enough men... use you for that. I don't want to be just another guy using you."

She shook her head quickly. "You're not!" She turned a little to look at him. "You're... you're the best guy I've ever met. The best person! You're kind and gentle and... and you took me out here and showed me how to fish! And the ocean! And..." She looked away a little. "And... we might never... be like this... again... I-I know you've wanted to... since you met me... and you might never again..."

He reached out, resting his hand on her cheek. "You don't have to do anything for me. Just being here with you has been some of the most fun I've had in years. I don't want to ruin it with you just... feeling like you have to pay me back."

She whimpered. "I... do owe you... though." He frowned. "And... I do want it..." She blushed even more, her face warm and red. "You... made me feel so great yesterday... with just your fingers. I... I want to know what... it's like. Done... the right way... A-and this might be the only chance to... feel that... before we can't be together anymore..." She bit her lip for a moment, not looking at him directly. "But if you don't want to, then I'm okay just... snuggling close, too."

He let out a sigh. "You know you're not going to be able to pull that 'this is the last time' thing for long, right?" She just kind of tilted her head a little to each side. "C'mere." He leaned down and gave her lips a gentle kiss, and she leaned into it. "I just want to know. Are you absolutely sure?" She nodded. "You're not just doing this because you think you have to?" She shook her head this time. "Then okay. I'll show you what it's like to make love the right way." Boy he sure hoped he could live up to that promise now!

He shifted back a little to get off of the bed, hooking his thumbs into his boxers. After a moment, he let them drop, his cock springing free into the air. She smiled at him, her eyes fixed to the shaft now that it was within her view. As he was getting back onto the bed, she asked. "How... do you want to do it? On my back... all fours?"

He thought about it for a second. "On your back. So I can look at you." She blushed again, shifting to lay on her back for him. Her legs parted, letting him see her pussy fully. The lips glistened just a little with her arousal. He had a feeling he was the first guy to ever see her turned on. He smiled. "You are so beautiful, you know that?"

She squeaked. "W-wha...? Um... I... th-thank you..."

He chuckled, moving over to get closer, until he was directly above her. "I mean it. You are beautiful. You're cute, sexy, and I love how excited you get when you're happy." He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. She returned it, then tensed up a little as his tip rubbed against her pussy. He teased gently at her lower lips, feeling the heat coming off of her, his cock twitching and pulsing. She moaned into the kiss, her hips moving a little up and down to match his teasing. He pulled back, looking down directly into those beautiful green eyes. "Are you ready?"

She nodded quickly. "Y-Yes." He nodded back, pushing his hips forward. She let out a soft breath as he moaned, her lips slowly parting for his cock as he pushed himself inside. He had no idea what the hell that guy was talking about calling her loose. The tunnel he pushed himself into was tight, warm, wet, and squeezing slightly around him as he inched his way into it. He watched her, making sure she was okay as he pushed a little deeper. She was panting slightly, but her hips did shift a little to let him slide in a little easier. Before he could even ask, she answered his question. "I-I'm good... You're... it feels... really nice..."

He smiled, leaning down to give her a soft kiss. "Then I'll keep going." She nodded, letting out a soft little cry of pleasure as he pushed more of his shaft into her tight hole. He moaned for her to hear. With just about half of himself inside, he started to pump his hips, starting slow. He pulled back, then pushed forward again, sliding just a little more inside with each thrust. He wanted to let her get used to him more naturally, instead of slamming himself full force into her like he was sure so many men had in the past. She seemed to appreciate it, her moans growing a little more loud with each thrust a little deeper.

Her hands came up, arms wrapping around his neck to hold onto him. "It... feels so good like this..."

He nodded slowly. "I'm happy." He pushed a little more inside, getting closer to the base of his shaft now. "You don't need to hold back. I love hearing you moan."

"I-I can moan mo~oooh..." She tensed up a little as he pushed the last bit of himself inside of her, his hips meeting hers. He held himself like this, feeling the muscles in her inner walls clenching a little. "Ah... I-I can... moan more... if you want..."

He smiled down at her, kissing her nose. "Just keep making all those cute sounds you make. As long as you're enjoying it."

She nodded quickly, her face flushed once more. "I-It's... the best this has ever felt! It doesn't hurt... even though you're so big!"

He chuckled, kissing her gently again. "You're just very small." She giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. Then she gasped again, letting out a louder moan when he slowly dragged his hips back, only to press forward again, fully sliding out and back in. Her whole body shook a little as he pumped his hips like this, willing himself to go slower. His cock pulsed and throbbed, demanding he go more, but he kept his calm... for now. But it was getting harder to stay slow. Soon, his pace picked up, once he felt he could go a bit harder without forcing it. He was rewarded with more little gasping moans from her. She had the most adorable look on her face, her eyes closed, mouth open, that little exertion while panting and gasping as she actually enjoyed sex for the first time.

His hips moved a little faster, not quite slamming against hers, but enough that his heavy balls started to swing back and forth, slapping against her each time he thrust all the way back inside. Her own hips started to pump back upwards against him to meet his. Her legs trembled a little, toes curling and uncurling. Soon, those legs moved up to wrap around him... mostly. She could only slightly get them around his waist, her feet resting against the base of his tail as it twitched wildly behind him.  He took it as encouragement to go faster and a bit harder.

She let out soft whimpers as her body started to shiver under him, squirming a little more. Though from how much she was moaning for him now, it definitely wasn't her uncomfortable. She must be getting closer. He was, too, having a hard time holding himself back. "I'm... I'm almost there..." He grit his teeth, his cock throbbing hard with the need to release himself.

She squeezed her legs around him a little harder. "Y-you can... do it inside..." Her eyes opened to look up at him, and they were almost pleading with him. All the thoughts and worries he had about possibly getting her pregnant flew out the window when he saw that look. His hips moved faster and harder, slapping against her as he plunged deep over and over. She cried out louder, her back arching a little off of the bed. "F-fill me... p-please!" She whimpered, begging him for it. Her body arched again as she let out a louder cry, cumming for him, because of him. Her whole body tensed up, legs squeezing around him, dragging his hips down against her to keep him lodged deep inside of her clenching tunnel. The inner muscles squeezed him over and over, feeling like they were trying to pull him even deeper.

He couldn't resist any longer. He let out a loud cry of his own as he came, his cock jerking and twitching as it spat his seed deep inside of her wanting tunnel. He slid his arms around her to hold her close against him as they came together. His hips gave little thrusts with every heavy spurt inside, his tail twitching and almost thrashing about above him. He had never cum this hard before, all of his pent up desires unloading into her at once. He held onto her tight, even as he started to calm, his cock twitching a little as the last few shots squirted out. Her pussy still trembled a little against him, her whole body shivering as she held him back.

They stayed like this, holding each other, for a few seconds. Then she loosened her grip on his shoulders, her legs sliding away to lay on the bed again. When he loosened his own grip to pull back, he saw she was giggling giddily. "Good?"

She nodded quickly. "Y-yeah... th-the best..."

He smiled, kissing her nose softly. "I'm really glad, then." He looked down, his hips still up against hers. "Alright, I'll pull out slow. You ready?" She nodded again, and they both let out a low moan as he moved his hips back, dragging his cock out of her. When he finally slipped free, she almost collapsed back to the bed, panting as little shudders ran through her. He was also panting slightly, his messy cock drooling a little onto the bed. It was still rock hard and ready for more, but he didn't want to push his luck. "D-don't worry if anything leaks out. The bed's waterproof. Boat and all that, y'know?" She nodded.

He moved to lay down beside her, putting an arm around her and pulling her close to cuddle up. She happily slid up beside him, nuzzling against his neck and chest. "Thank you... I-I feel like it's all I'm saying but... I mean it. You've been... the best person ever... and made me so... happy in the last few days..."

He kissed the top of her head gently. "Good. That was my goal. And you've made me pretty happy, too."

After a moment, she rolled a little and shifted to press her back against his chest. He slid his arms around her to hold her up close. Though it also left his cock rubbing slightly against her rear. "You're still hard."

He nodded. "Yeah, it does that..." He could actually go again... several times with the mood he was in.

She let out a soft hum, her hips shifting to rub herself against him again. "I... if... you want to... keep going..." She bit her lip a little. "I would like it..."

He chuckled. "You want more?" She nodded quickly. He shifted to get his cock to slip down between her legs, so the length rubbed against her slit just a little. "You sure? I don't want you forcing yourself..."

He did get a soft gasp and moan from her, her hips moving to grind slightly against him. "I-I... it felt... amazing, and... And I... um... I w-wou- AHH!" She let out a soft gasping cry when his tip poked at her hole again. His tip slid inside of her once more, easier this time than before. Her moan grew longer as he slowly pushed the whole length back inside of her this time. Her body shivered against him, her inner walls clenching tight around him again.

He leaned forward a little, kissing her cheek. "I'm happy to fill you over and over if that's what you want." She nodded quickly again, then let out another loud moan as he started to pump his hips again. It felt different for her than the last time, but not in a bad way. His cock rubbed and poked at different parts inside of her. She still tightened up a little for him, lifting one leg up a little bit. He reached out to hold her leg, so she didn't have to hold it up herself. It felt like he was somehow deeper inside of her this time. Though with her already cumming before, and the load he left in there, he was able to slide in and out much easier. Especially since she was already stretched enough to take him without worrying about hurting her. It meant he could pick his pace up a little faster, his hips bumping into hers in hard thrusts.

Arin moaned and cried out for him to enjoy every time his hips slapped against hers. One hand came around to rest against her chest, groping at her flat breasts, gently teasing and playing with her little nipples. They were hard, poking through her fur. She shivered when he pinched one. "I-I'm s-sorry I don't... have a-anything f-for you to play with..."

He shook his head, giving her chest a gentle squeeze. "I like flat better. And I think it suits you more than big tits would." He groped a little more. "You are beautiful like this." She whimpered at the compliment, but he felt her inner walls squeezing a little more around him. So he continued. "A gorgeous little girl, with soft fur, a lovely flat chest, and a very tight pussy." He kissed the top of her head. "And you're sweet, and cute when you get excited..."

She giggled. "S-stop..." She panted slightly. "B-but tha- ahh... th-thank you... Jay."

He grunted slightly, his cock throbbing again. "You're welcome." He gripped at her leg a little more, his hips pressing forward hard. "Mph... getting close again... You ready for me to fill this tight hole up again?"

She nodded quickly. "Y-yes! P-please... do it! F-fill me up!" He couldn't deny that kind of request. His hips thrust against her harder, her body pressing back against him. He felt himself growing closer and closer, cock throbbing hard again. He grit his teeth, squeezing her leg a little as he got right to the edge. With a loud cry, he pushed himself deep inside and let himself fall over the edge. His cock shot another heavy series of blasts inside of her, dumping more seed to join the first. She also cried out as she felt his warm cum filling her insides again. The leg in his grip shivered, the other squirming as much as the rest of her. He held onto her, feeling her shivering and shaking as another powerful orgasm washed over her tiny body. He held onto her and let her ride it out, while he rode his own.

When she seemed to calm, he gently set her leg back down again. She curled them both up a little, pressing herself back against him. Her hand moved down, resting against her belly. "I-I can... feel it... It's... so warm in there..." She smiled and giggled a little giddily. "It's the first time I've liked feeling it in there..."

"Good. That you like it, I mean." He put his arm around her, holding her up close, his head resting against his other arm. He also slid his arm down a little, letting her rest her head against his forearm, too. "And you're the best girl I've ever been with. I've never cum that hard before. Let alone that hard twice."

She giggled. "And you're still hard..." She squeezed his shaft a little, making him gasp this time. It forced a little more out of him as he twitched within her.

"H-hey... careful... still sensitive."

Another giggle sounded from her. "Can you... leave it in me this time? I-If it's not too much for you..."

He nodded. "Sure. At least until it gets soft. It'll probably slip out on its own then."

"That's good..." She relaxed a little more, her head sinking just a little bit more onto his arm. "I like feeling you inside of me... and against me... and around me..." Her voice was a little softer, almost listless. "It's so... comfortable..."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head gently. "I'll be here as long as I can be." He put his arm around her again, holding her against him gently. His fingers gently rubbed at her belly. He felt her breathing slow to an even pace as she drifted off, the fatigue from her day of excitement finally getting to her. He rested his head back down against his arm, holding her gently as he closed his eyes. He also soon drifted off to sleep, cuddling with her the whole night.

*     *     *


Jay was surprised by just how restful his sleep had been. He was sure he had dreams, and had been expecting the whole last day to have just been one such dream. But as his consciousness slowly came back to him, he felt the small, warm body still pressed against him. Her head was still on his arm, her back still against his chest and belly, and to his surprise, his cock was still inside of her. It was also still rock hard. It twitched as he started to rouse, and he heard the soft breath from Arin. He opened his eyes, slowly lifting his head up to look down at her, as if he couldn't believe she was still there until he actually saw it. "Good morning."

She turned her head a little, giving him a sweet smile. "Morning." She had a blush still on her face, like she also couldn't believe she was still here. "You... um... s-stayed hard all night..."

He cleared his throat. "I noticed... I hope I didn't... keep you up."

She shook her head. "N-no... b-but... you... uh..." She blushed a little more. "You came in your sleep... I-I felt it squirting into me... again..."

He winced, feeling more than a little embarrassed about that. "Oh... jeeze. I-I'm really sorry." His cock just twitched, ready for more. It was not helping.

She giggled softly, shaking her head quickly. "N-no... I... it's okay. You... made some really sweet moans when you did. A-and it... I like how it feels..." She bit her lip a little. "I think I came a few times, too..."

He chuckled softly. "Well, as long as you had fun, too." He slid his hand down to rest on her hip. "I should probably pull out now, though." She nodded slowly, then let out a low moan as he did slowly slip free of her. He also let out a moan of his own, then a soft sigh as he slid free, his messy cock twitching and bobbing. It felt oddly cold, having been left in such tight warmth all night. He rolled over onto his back and let out a breath. "Ha... there we go."

Arin shifted a bit beside him, turning to face him and drape one leg against his. "It... feels kind of empty with it out..." She had also gotten used to feeling him inside of her all night. She looked down, seeing his rod still standing at full attention. She reached down and gave it a gentle poke, giggling as it twitched in response. "It's still hard."

"Yeah, it seems to be pretty needy right now." He pat her head gently. "Don't worry about it, though. It's gotten enough attention for now."

She looked up at him, a sly grin on her lips. "But what if I want to give it more attention?"

He blinked. "More?" He grunted as she suddenly climbed up onto him, her legs straddling him as she planted her butt down on his belly. She scooted back a little to rub her small, soft rear against his shaft. Her slit was still drooling some of his last load, which now soaked into his fur a little.

She giggled at him. "I... I like feeling you inside me... you don't hurt, a-and it's warm and... and I've never... cum like that before..."

He chuckled a little bit. "My gods, I think I've created a monster." He reached down and took hold of her hips, mostly just to hold her. "Well, I'm pretty sure I have a few more goes left in me."

Arin gave him a big grin, but also blushed a bit. She really hadn't ever thought she would be so excited for sex. It had always been something she dreaded, but with him... she didn't want it to end. Even though she knew it would have to... and soon. Her hips lifted up a little, her pussy drooling a little more onto him. She shifted back a little, until she was rubbing herself on his tip. "Th-this okay?"

He chuckled. "I'm supposed to be asking you that." He gently rubbed her thighs. "This is find. Go at your pace." She nodded, reaching down to gently take hold of his shaft to aim it at her properly. Then she slowly lowered herself down. He gasped as the wet warmth slowly started to surround him again. She let out a louder moan as she sank down, taking inch after inch into her still tight hole. She slid down until she was sitting against him, taking shivering gasps of air. Her hands rested against his belly as she moved her legs to kneel a little more comfortably. He could feel her inner walls quivering around him already. With him left inside of her like he was all night, she must have been left at the edge for a while.

The young chipmunk started to rise back up, only to drop down again, letting out a loud cry as she felt him plunge deep inside. She started with a faster pace, forcing herself back down to take him deep over and over. He just held onto her legs, letting her control how fast she wanted to go. Though he couldn't stop himself from thrusting back up at her, making her cry out and moan that much more. He also moaned for her, not holding his pleasure back any more than she was. He felt those inner walls clenching more and more as she started to bounce faster and harder.

It was only a few minutes before she was crying out, her whole body tensing up as she came again. She squeezed hard around him, but didn't stop at all. She actually started to bounce even harder. Her hands gripped at his fur as her hips slammed down against him, taking him deep over and over as she shivered and clenched. He groaned, reaching up to hold her sides, keeping her from rising back up when she slid down. "Don't force it. Let yourself ride it out." She whimpered slightly, but when he just pushed his hips up a little, she cried out once again, gripping at his fur even more. "That's it, sweetie. You're allowed to just enjoy it."

She nodded, taking short, panting gasps as the pleasure washed through her. After she calmed down a little, she started to move again. This time he let her, thrusting back up to meet her hips. His hands still held onto her sides, helping her as she bounced on his lap. It was not long before she was moaning and crying out again, this time with him joining her. His cock jerked and pulsed as she squeezed him tighter and tighter. "I'm... almost there, sweetie!"

She nodded quickly. "M-me... too... ahh!" She threw her head back as she came once more, her body shivering atop him yet again. This time, he didn't stop her bouncing, thrusting up into her harder as he was so close. It forced her orgasm to grow even more intense, her cries getting even louder. Then he brought her hips down hard, thrusting up at the same time. His cock jerked as he came again, blasting her full of his seed yet again, joining all the rest he had planted inside of her. He thrust up in little jerks with each shot. Those tight muscles around him clenched more and more, pulling up and drawing as much as they could out of him.

Suddenly, she fell forward atop him, though not fully collapsing. He still caught her, sliding his arms around her to hold her. She still panted and moaned, feeling her whole body quaking against him as the pleasure still ran through her tiny body. She let out a giddy, trembling giggle, tensing up a little again and again. It was almost a full minute before she finally calmed down, letting out a long, satiated sigh of contentment. "B-best... one yet..."

He chuckled, gently stroking his hand down her back. She still tensed up and shivered a little from how sensitive she was, but that, too, calmed after a few gentle pets. "There you go. Take your time and let yourself settle down a little." She nodded slowly, her head resting against his chest again. He held her like this for... he wasn't sure how long. A while. Long enough that his cock finally started to deflate after so many uses. She let out a soft shudder as it slipped free, his cum drooling out of her onto his crotch.

It took a little bit for her breathing to calm down, but she did eventually relax once again. Her hand came up, resting against his shoulder, little fingers gripping a bit at his fur. "I... don't want to go..."

He let out a soft sigh, still stroking against her back. "I know." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "But you know we have to." She nodded. "And we should probably wash up, first. Can't go bringing you back smelling like sex."

That did make her giggle a little. "I don't mind smelling like you..." She did shift to get off of him. "But I know what you mean."

He gently pat her shoulder as the two of them got off of the bed... though she did still drool a little on the floor. "Don't worry, I've got some rags. We'll wipe that up later." He pointed at the little bathroom. "Do you remember how to use the shower in there?"

"Uh... kind of?" She tilted her head a little as she looked through the doorway. "It's... like, a really quick thing, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He gently pat her back. "Go on. I'll help you with it. You can help get my tail." That brightened her up quite a bit. Of course, that wasn't all she had in mind. He got them both soaked from the first batch of water, and was about to start working at her hair when her hands were suddenly at his crotch. It didn't take much for him to end up hard again, and before he could even protest, her mouth was around his shaft. He just leaned back and let her have her fun... especially since she was really very good at this.

He moaned louder, his voice echoing slightly around them. He gasped when she slid all the way forward to take his cock down her throat, gripping at her hair slightly. "Fuck..." her head bobbed back and forth along his shaft, her nose bumping into his crotch again and again. He pat her head to get her attention. "Ah... I-I'm... almost..." She didn't pull back like he had expected, instead swallowing his cock as much as she could, her throat clenching around him over and over as she swallowed. He couldn't hold back against that, spraying yet another load because of her, this time pumping his seed down her eager throat. She drank all he had to give. Though by now, he didn't have quite so much to give. She pulled back a little, so the last few shots spurted out onto her tongue.

She pulled back fully, squeaking as one more little squirt splashed out onto her nose. "Mmm... you taste really good, too..." She blushed a little bit.

He chuckled. "We're supposed to be getting clean."

Arin giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. "Well, I was helping you clean your cock off! It was all covered in your loads... a-and my... juices..." She blushed a little. "I could taste them, too... it... I liked it... Tasting both of us..."

He let out a soft sigh, pulling her into a gentle hug. "I know, sweetie. I know." She leaned against him. "C'mon. Let's finish washing." He grunted as he poked her nose. "Before you go and make yourself a mess again." She giggled again, not trying anything this time as they finished the shower. She did have fun helping him with his tail, both washing it and helping to dry it off afterwards. She was also surprised when he pulled out fresh clothes from the closet, having forgotten he brought some for her.

Once they were dressed again, he headed up to the wheelhouse to start up the engines and take them back to port. The trip took about an hour, since they had gotten pretty far out to sea. Arin sat down near the prow of the ship, just watching the water as they traveled. Something she might never be able to do again. His heart broke a little thinking about that, and that they might soon be separated forever. The temptation to turn the boat back around and just go out to sea and never come back came to him, but he knew better.

When they got back to the docks, he got to show off backing into the boat house. He had done it many times, but it was always a little nerve-wracking every time. As soon as he was lined up, he slowly backed the boat into place. There was a very gentle bump as he got fully inside, and he cut the engines, quickly heading back to toss the rope and tie the ship down. Arin joined him, with her backpack over her shoulder. He had forgotten she had that when she ran away. He set the ramp down so they could get off. "Alright... we should... probably go back home. At least to my side. " He pat her head gently. "And maybe get a proper shower. That was enough to wash the sex smell off, but I'm sure we both need a real wash."

She nodded slowly, but didn't seem in the mood for humor now. "Yeah..." She walked down the ramp and over to her bike, which was still leaning against the wall. She hesitated a moment, then turned to him. "One more thing though... before we go..."

He looked over at her from the controls to close the bay door. "What's that?"

He turned as she walked closer to him. Her arms came out, and were suddenly thrown around him in a big hug. "This has been the best few days of my life. Thank you for being... so... amazing!"

He smiled, crouching down a little to get to her height. "You are very welcome." He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She hadn't expected him to do that, but leaned into it, her arms going around him again. He held her like this, not pushing the kiss deeper, but just holding onto her and saying more without words than he could with them. When he pulled back, she sniffled a little. He wiped away the tear from her face. "Hey. I know we don't know what's going to happen from here, but... well." He smiled a little more. "Might be a bit quick to say, but I love you, little Arin. You've been the most wonderful girl I've met."

She brightened up hearing that. "Really?" She blushed quite a bit. "I... um..." She wasn't sure if she should say it back... but she was sure she loved him, too. Her heart was certainly beating fast enough when he said it to believe it. But...

He shook his head. "You don't have to say anything. I know, it's been only a little bit. Hopefully, it will be longer. But if not... I'm glad to have made you happy for a little while." He stood back up again. "Alright, let's get going. I'll help you load the bike into the truck."

*     *     *


As he pulled down the street, they could see the lights flashing. Two police cars sat in the driveway on Arin's side of the house. She let out a soft whimper in the seat beside him. "Yeah, I know. Just... play along with what I say. Don't say anything they don't already know." She nodded to him.

One of the officers standing out front, a tall raccoon, started giving him a warning wave as he pulled into his driveway. The man came over hastily. "Sir, you can't be here. This is a crime scene!"

Jay opened the door, but left the truck running just in case. "Sorry, but I live here." He pointed to the door with the letter B on it. "Did someone break into my house?"

The raccoon frowned. "Oh, you're a resident." He sighed slightly. "No, it's... your neighbors. Someone reported that there was an... incident here. The woman seems to have..." he hesitated. "Well, I probably shouldn't say. But the daughter is still missing..." His eyes looked up at the girl still in the passenger seat of the car. "Or is that her?"

He nodded. "Yes, that is her. Arin, is her name." He motioned for the girl to come on out. "I found her on my boat this morning."

The man quirked an eyebrow. "On your boat?"

He nodded. "Yes. I was going to drop off some fishing equipment, and saw the door was open." As Arin got close, he put his hand gently on her head. "Seems she was trying to run away from home." He looked over as another officer stepped out of the house, a skinny panther this time. Arin also looked, letting out a slight sound and shrinking away a little as she saw him. He was pretty sure he knew why, but he played innocent for now. "Did... something happen to her mother?"

The raccoon sighed heavily. "Well, yes..." He crouched down and looked at the young girl. His voice got softer as he spoke to her. "Hey. Um... what's your name?"

She stayed somewhat behind Jay. "A-Arin. Arin Tamish..."

He nodded slowly. "Well, Arin... I'm really sorry to be the one to say this, but you should hear it now. Your mother... It seems like she killed herself." The girl just nodded slowly. "Do you have any other family we should call?" She shook her head slowly. "No? Your father? Uncles?" He looked up at Jay, the squirrel just shaking his head that he wasn't any of those things. "Any family?"

"N-no... It... was just... Mom and me..." She reached up and took Jay's hand, doing a very good job of playing like she was the 9 year old she looked like, and not the teenager she actually was. "Did... someone hurt her?" Jay tensed for a moment.

The raccoon shook his head slowly. "It doesn't look like it. You didn't see anything before you... left, did you?"

Arin shook her head again, shrinking back a little bit as the panther came over. Thankfully the man didn't say anything as the girl replied. "N-no... she was... drinking and... had her pills... and went to sleep..."

Jay spoke up. "Hey, should you be asking this right now?" He got a dirty look from the panther. He gave a look at him before adding, "Without a lawyer or guardian present?"

The raccoon nodded. "Yeah, you are right. Sorry." He stood up again, looking at Jay. "Do you know anyone we should contact? Next of kin? Someone out of town, maybe?"

He shook his head. "No, sorry. I've only just moved in a little while ago. I didn't get to know her mother very well yet." He squeezed the girl's hand gently. "But I can watch her for now, if that's alright. She trusts me, and I can keep her safe and calm until... something else can be figured out."

"Yeah... that... should work. She does seem to trust you." He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm really sorry for your loss, little one." He reached into a pouch on his belt, pulling out a small card and holding it out. Jay took it, reading 'Officer Talley' and the number for the police department. "Here. Call us if you learn anything. Someone will probably be in contact with you soon to get her... situation sorted out. It might be a day. Can you watch her until then?"

Jay nodded. "I already said I would."

"Yeah... sorry." The man cleared his throat. "Well, you take care of her. Like I said, someone should be in contact with you shortly."

He nodded again. "I will. Thank you, Officer Talley." He looked at the panther then. "I'll keep her safe." He then turned around, going back to the truck to turn it off and get his keys. He spoke softly to Arin. "Grab your bag and we'll get inside and away from them." She nodded, doing as he said. As soon as they were inside his part of the house and the door was shut, she pushed against him in a hug. He could feel her shaking a little. "That panther. He was one of your mother's... clients, wasn't he?" She nodded. "Yeah, I thought so." He crouched down, holding her gently. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything to you. And I'll make damned sure he's not going to be the one to take you anywhere." She nodded again, leaning against him once more, doing nothing to hide her soft sobs.

*     *     *


Jay's ruse seemed to have worked. When someone from the police department contacted him, they referred to it as a suicide. Not long after, a service worker came to visit. A middle aged doe named Francine Winters. She was a nice enough lady, but still seemed to keep Arin on edge a little. It was probably that she kept asking about other family, as if she didn't believe the girl had no one else to go to. Might have something to do with the fact that she had tried to run away at the same time her mother 'killed herself.'

After having had a private interview with Arin, Francine sat down with Jay. "She seems to have been through a lot before this. She's taking the news of her mother very well..."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. I don't know all the details, but... well, to be frank, they didn't get along very well. I could hear... a lot of yelling through the walls. Mostly from Veronica."

"Including the night she tried to run away?" He nodded. "Well." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Since you are currently the one watching her, I might as well fill you in. They did a test on her mother and found a rather alarming amount of alcohol and opiates within her system."

He nodded. "Yes, the officer that called earlier mentioned something about that."

"To the best of your knowledge, did she have a history with that?"

He was surprised at the question, but then reminded himself that this woman was technically still a police officer. Or close enough to one. "Yes. From what I saw of her, she was always drinking or... at least intoxicated. She even came banging on my door a few days ago, very confused and out of sorts. She was looking for Arin. Arin was in school at the time, since it was the middle of the day on a weekday. I explained that, and told her to go home and lay down. As far as I know, she did."

"And you didn't call the police about this?"

He shook his head. "No. Though I kind of wish I had now... I didn't know she was that bad." He hoped that was believable enough. "I was planning on calling the cops after I found Arin in my boat. Once I got her home, of course. But... well..." He frowned, looking away a little and just staying quiet.

"It's not your fault." It took everything he had to not react to that. "It can be hard to judge these things."

He nodded. After a long moment of silence, he spoke up. "What's going to happen to Arin from here?"

Francine sighed softly. "Well... it doesn't seem like she has any relatives or next of kin that we can turn her over to. So... most likely, she'll be put into foster care. We'll also set up a grief counselor for her to visit. I don't think she's quite come to accept what's happened yet."

He hesitated for a moment. "Is it... possible for her to stay here, with me? I'll do whatever background check or whatever it is you need to do for that." He looked back at his bedroom, where Arin was told to wait while they talked. "I think I'm the closest thing she's got to a friend right now, and don't want to leave her to some stranger."

He was surprised when the doe smiled at him. "I was actually hoping you might volunteer. We will need to do a background check on you, of course. But in situations like this, it is often best if children stay with someone familiar to them. Someone they trust." She also looked in the direction of the bedroom. "And she does seem to have some affection for you."

He shrugged. "I... uh... I've been giving her rides to school for the past week or so." He explained about the bike, being honest about the bullies and not using the pothole excuse. He also explained that they had grown close during those little trips, and that was when Arin learned about the boat, which is why she had tried to run away there. He of course left out the part about the two of them going out on the water and... everything else that happened out there. Just that they talked for a while before he brought her home.

He really hoped she bought all if it. "Well, that's good. Though are you sure about all this? Looking after a child is a big responsibility. And a teenager, too. This isn't just something you can quit if it becomes too much."

He nodded. "Yeah. I know what I'm getting myself into." He smirked a little. "I have a coworker who's been telling me how much of a great dad I'd be. Guess now is the chance to prove her right."

Francine let out a soft laugh. "Very well." She stood up and straightened her blazer a little. "Well, Mr. McGavin, thank you for your time. You take care of little Arin. I'll be in contact with you about your taking guardianship over her soon."

He shook the woman's hand. "Thank you, Ms. Winters." He saw her out, then let out a heavy sigh once the woman was gone, feeling almost drained from that.

He heard a sound behind him and turned to see Arin poking around the corner. "S-so... they're going to let you... keep me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It seems that way." She also let out a relieved sigh, coming over to give him another hug. He pat her gently. "Guess you're stuck with me now, huh?" She giggled softly, nodding.

*     *     *


The move went smoothly, which he was very happy about. Thankfully, he still hadn't fully unpacked from the last one when he and Arin decided that the house had too many bad memories attached to it for her. And she didn't have very much of her own things to pack... though he had bought her a whole new set of clothing. She still liked her baggy clothing, but at least now it was the right size for her. The new house was even closer to the docks, too, so they could head over to the boat and go out a lot more frequently. He had already taken her out again, since the school was giving her time off for grieving. Though she didn't do much grieving, instead doing a lot more moaning and panting with him.

When he told Zinda about Arin, the zebra was over the moon with joy for him, congratulating him... with a note of sadness over the circumstances, of course. When he introduced the two, he was happy to find they got along quite well very quickly. She even got Arin to call her 'Aunt Zin' one time, though the girl was just placating her. She did refuse to call him Dad, though. That was just too weird for the both of them.

Though it would soon be... technically correct. He had signed all the paperwork to become her legal guardian. And with that in place, he started looking to adopt her more formally. He got in contact with an orphanage called the Hart House for Wayward Children. Their headquarters were way up in Alta Ferro, but they had branches all over the country. They also had quite the sterling reputation from what he found in his research. Even Arin had heard of them, though she couldn't remember from where. The owner, a rabbit named George Hart, had won a few awards with the place, and it seemed even his own children helped out with the place where they could. With the help of the Hart House, he was able to start the process of formally adopting Arin. Something she was more than excited about.

Once the movers had left, the two of them fell onto his brand new king-sized bed. He looked over at the girl. "So. How was your first move?"

She smiled. "Exciting! Tiring..."

He nodded. "Yeah. And we haven't even started unpacking everything yet." She just groaned, which made him chuckle. "We'll take it slow, don't worry." She nodded, shifting over a little to lay up against him. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, which was up in pigtails again. After a long moment, he leaned over. "You up for some dinner?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah!"

He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Then we can... test out the new bed if you want."

She giggled again, giving him a big grin. "Yeah... And no neighbors to hear us..."

He smiled back at her. "Dinner first, though. Pizza sound good?"

"YEAH!" She hopped up to her feet immediately, bouncing on her toes. He chuckled, still loving how excited she got about things. Especially that big, goofy smile when she was happy. He was going to make sure she smiled like that a lot from now on.

*     *     *
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