My thanks to Rick Coona and his alter ego, Joe Martelle, for their kind permission to write this story in their universe. Their comments and encouragement have been instrumental in bringing this story to life.

George Woodrow 4 - 2009

Kassir Ujinkhan, Joe Fenris, Carol Fenris, Jeff Salters, Michelle Musteline, George MacInnes, Tim Johansen, Bill Richards, George Leonis, Phil Leonis, Leona Felis Leonis, Lynne Smyth, Michael Pardis, Christine Uncia, Karl Ursiris, Richard Kassir Charles Procyon, Kelso Gwenwyfar Procyon, Janice Lynne Ujinkhan, Alexander Kassir Ujinkhan © Chuck Percy

Rick Coona, Gwen Smith Coona, Kacy "KC" Coona, Kirk Otterman, Mike Ferretti, Cassy Bhunny Ferretti, Max Badger, Kath Badger, Bill Badger, Ted Badger, Bruno, Lupé Carlotta, Panda Phil, Jo-Ann Procyon, Charles Procyon, Marcus Procyon, Jack Canus, Esmerelda Smyth, Richard Coona, Helen Coona, Max Coona, Sally Coona, Kacey Kelso Coona, Richard Randolph Coona, . © Joe Martelle

Vince Panthris, Veronica Dae Wynne, Kessira "Ghost" Tigris, Valerie Vulpes, FursList, FurMail, Dwight "Scratcher" Daniels, Molly Daniels, Clyve "Spots" Asher, Purity Spices, Janice Wyld, Albert Wyld, Petty Officer 3 Fenrir, Claire Kurisawa, Petty Officer 3 Dwight Lupin, Petty Officer 3 William 'Wild Bill' Strynger, Petty Officer 3 Tymoth Edwards, Petty Officer 2 Annalisa Snowpaws, Lieutenant Mykhail Friedrich, Geoffry Oceanis, Annette Oceanis, Sylvia Oceanis, Stevie, Cliff, Malachi, Zeke, Deke, The Children of the Pure Moon, Wylde Longstride, Reginald Blackfeather, Blake Paguma, Miz Swenson, Sylvia Paguma © George Woodrow 4

Any resemblance to any person or fur, living, dead, or fictional is coincidental and unintentional.

All rights reserved

Chapter 2: Trouble Brewing

Pulling into the protected garage attached to Casa Coona North, Rick reviews his day. "Honey, I'm home," he calls out as he comes in the door, wondering who might be up, besides Kelso, who had beaten him home.

"I'm in the kitchen, hon," replies Gwen, "Just got done helping Kel feed Janice and Alexander."

Rick nods, "Did she tell you anything yet?"

Gwen smiles, "Yes, she was able to fill me in on how Jo-Ann's friend feels, from a Healer's perspective. She also mentioned that some of the training Kass gave her added information about the other two, even if it's a vague thing."

Rick chuckles, "Fair enough. I did get a good feel for Vince while he was there. First I tried with my normal skills, and he came across as feeling like Kass, but less intense."

Gwen nods, "Go on, and I know part of Kass' intensity is how thorough his training was."

Rick gives an amused smile, "True. As for doing a deeper scan, it's a good thing this was a Karaoke night, and the crowd wasn't as intense as a BOTB night. Vince definitely should be brought to Kass' attention, as I sensed he would do better with that sort of training, despite being a police fur. Something about how he sung, when he took his turn, led me to think he's inclined to Shamanism."

Gwen nods, "Did you notice anything else?"

Rick nods, "Veronica has an aura around her, very similar to Kel's, but when I did the deeper feel, it felt like the entity Kass calls up from 'Mother Earth' as a Guardian."

Gwen nods, "Kel did mention something about Veronica 'calling' to her, but she wasn't sure what. I thought it might be part of the pain that femme carries with her."

Rick tilts his head curiously, "Pain, what sort of pain?"

Gwen grimaces, "Veronica's parents were killed by purists when she was five. They left her a pretty sizable trust fund, but the hurt of losing them as she did still lingers."

Rick grumbles, "Another survivor of those assholes, eh?" He then sighs, "You ever get an inkling off her?"

Shaking her head no, Gwen responds, "Never had a reason to. Thankfully the general atmosphere at work's been pretty positive. I think I'll manufacture a reason to invite both her and Kessira here on an upcoming weekend."

Rick nods, "Aye, the third of that odd group." He then smiles, "Let's just say that if she decides to take up training, I'll be the one gaining an apprentice."

Gwen gets a startled look on her muzzle, "Three new magick users, and they're forming a band." She then shakes her head wryly, "I hope they'll all opt for training, no matter how much extra stress it brings."

Rick looks curiously at Gwen, "Why's that?"

Tapping the side of her muzzle, Gwen says, "Imagine if they had a breakthrough on stage, in front of a crowd!"

Rick gets a horrified look on his muzzle, "Great heavens, that could end up being catastrophic!"

Gwen nods, "Especially since it appears all three mesh in some way." She elaborates, "If one had a breakthrough, it could trigger the other two."

Nodding, Rick smiles, "The hard part will be convincing them that we're not crazy and that they'll need the training."

Gwen replies with an amused look at her mate, "The Hard Part indeed, my procyon prognosticator."

# # #

Jo-Ann smiles as she enters through CCN's door in the morning before Gwen and the rest have to go to work, checking in and dropping her kits off so Gwen can take them to HSE's daycare facilities, "Good morning folks, just popping by with little Richard and Kelso."

Rick draws the femme in, hugging her to him, "And I'm sure that you're not the least bit curious about what we learned about that interesting fur at your precinct?"

Laughing, Jo-Ann responds, "All right, you caught me!" She then teases, "You sure you don't want to try your hand at my job? You'd make a great Detective!"

Rick laughs at this sally, "Quite sure. I only do it with friends." He then ushers her into the kitchen, "You have breakfast yet?"

Jo-Ann shakes her head, "Not a full one, forgot to get breakfast supplies the last time I went shopping."

Nodding, Rick moves into the kitchen, "I'll fix you up an omelet and fill you in on what we've found out so far."

Jo-Ann pulls up a chair and smiles, "Kass has taught you a few tricks with those, hasn't he?"

Rick nods, "Yes he has." He then goes about preparing the omelet, speaking as he does, "First off, you're correct, Kass should be made aware of Vince, there is something about him that's very similar to Kass when we first knew him."

Tilting her head curiously Jo-Ann responds, her body language indicating her level of interest, "Fair enough. When's the spotty one going to be coming back this way?"

Rick laughs at Jo-Ann's little nickname for Kass, "Should be by next weekend, last I heard, this latest batch of trainees have been doing well." He then serves her the omelet, "Seems Vince is looking to start up a Classic Rock band, and gathered two of Gwen's employees to him as the other members."

Jo-Ann blinks at this, "Sounds interesting. I know the guy's doing well in the Evidence room, seems like he's got a knack for remembering where stuff is stored."

Rick nods at this, "Anything else about him that comes to your mind?"

Thinking for a moment, Jo-Ann replies, "Just that Spots, the Detective down there, mentioned that it seems that Vince wears his body armor, no matter what."

Rick gets a thoughtful look, "Any thoughts on why he'd do that, hon?"

Shrugging, Jo-Ann replies, "Well, I know he was a beat cop before he got himself hurt running after a perp. Depending on where his beat was, it might have been prudent to leave his home wearing protection, even in plainclothes."

Rick nods, "Figured as much, and by now it's pretty much a habit that he doesn't question, it's just part of his routine."

Jo-Ann nods, a chagrined look on her muzzle, "Police furs do tend to pick up habits that stick through their life." She then looks at Rick, "It's why I added that plaque to my room here, it added another trigger for me that I was 'off duty'."

Remembering the '10-42' plaque Jo-Ann brought with her one day, and remembering that that was also the number on her condo, the one she said her Dad had helped her find, Rick nods, "How is your dad doing, anyway?"

Jo-Ann beams, "Oh, enjoying life. Seems that being separated from the attitudes that were brewing at home has done a world of good for him."

Nodding, Rick says , "I wish your folks would reconcile their differences, especially since there's new relatives to introduce."

Jo-Ann nods sadly, "It's their own fault. I've tendered the olive branch, which started my own path to healing the hurts that are there." She then grins, "Pops, on the other hand, adores his grandkits and doesn't mind watching them when I ask."

Rick nods, grinning, "He's more or less adopted mine and Gwen's kits as well. Makes it easy to find someone when 'Grandma Kath' is busy."

Remembering having been introduced to Katherine Badger back before Gwen had had her kits, Jo-Ann wonders, "Where does that woman find her energy? I do hope one of her boys finds someone soon, so she can concentrate on fussing over them."

Rick smiles, then checks the time, "You'd better scoot so you get there on time. I'll make sure the kits all get to the daycare." As Jo-Ann puts her plates away, he mentions, "Oh, and Gwen said that a week after Kass gets home we're scheduling a big barbecue, so if you can use your wiles to get Vince to attend, it'd be a bonus."

Jo-Ann gets a speculative smile on her muzzle, "Thanks for the head's up. I'll see about inviting him. Perhaps Gwen could invite the other two here."

Making shooing motions, Rick smiles, "I'll talk it over with her, I think she's already got something planned. Now you go off and make things safer for us all."

Jo-Ann gives Rick a jaunty salute and then, grinning, scampers to her car and heads in to work.

# # #

Groaning as he gets out of bed, Vince stretches, working the kinks out of his frame, wincing only when he comes to his right knee, "Feels stiff, hope that doesn't mean it's going to rain."

He then gets up and pads to the shower, reviewing the previous day, "All right, seems like the day did end on a high note. Got two potential members for the band, and judging from our conversations yesterday we have similar tastes in music. We'll definitely be striking up on the stage. I know my stripes 'glow' under certain types of light, and I bet Kessira's do to. Veronica's coloring may change under the effects of light as well, we'll have to play with that."

Getting into the shower, Vince finds himself wondering when the next chance he'll get to speak with Jo-Ann, "Why is that femme so on my mind? I know I sang the song I did last night because I was thinking of her, and I know I put a little something extra into it as well."

As he finishes his shower and grabs his towel, he finds himself going over what he's learned so far about his new job, "I never realized just how much work was involved in keeping track of Evidence. Though, from what Detective Asher has told me, I seem to have a knack for remembering where things are located, once I've found them the first time." He then smiles, remembering the Dalmatian Detective, reminding Vince to call him 'Spots.'"

He then gathers his clothes for the day, putting on the light Dragonscale armor that he had purchased for himself out of his paycheck, checking it to make sure the plates in it hadn't shifted. "Bless my old Captain, he had come up from the street and knew it was trouble, and he knew the beat I was heading into. He convinced me that getting this stuff and wearing it even when I was in plainclothes or off duty was worth the money and effort. Seeing how the old Lynx limped from his old wounds led me to believe him."

Getting into his uniform, he checks his appearance and then turns out the lights, locking the door as he exits. Traveling down to his Jeep he makes note of some seedy looking characters hanging around the block, "If I get a chance, I'll mention it to Jo-Ann, if not, I'll make a report to the Captain. I don't like the look of those furs, and if the drug trade's moving to my neighborhood, I'm going to do my best to nip it in the bud."

Merging into traffic he makes his way to work, arriving a minute after Jo-Ann does. Calling out, "Detective Procyon! Might I have a moment?"

Turning and then smiling when she sees who it is, the Raccoon femme says, "Sure, Sergeant Panthris, what's on your mind?"

Vince catches up to Jo-Ann, returning the smile, "Well, I'm going to mention it to the Captain too, but it seems that there's a bunch of seedy looking characters setting up shop near my apartment. I didn't get too good a look at them, since once they saw my uniform they made themselves scarce."

Jo-Ann nods, walking in with Vince, "Well, I'll mention it to the higher ups in Narcotics, might not be anything, but it's worth checking out. Thanks."

Giving a shrug, Vince responds, "No problem, Detective." He then smiles, "If we can't work together, the bad guys win."

With a chuckle for the words, Jo-Ann says, "Too true." She then turns to him, "If I'm not out doing reconnaissance, do you mind grabbing lunch together?"

Vince shakes his head no, "No, I don't mind. I'll let Detective Asher know. Say about one thirty pm?"

"Works for me. And say hi to Spots for me," and then with a saucy swish of her hips, Jo-Ann makes her way to her desk.

Shaking his head and smiling fit to split his muzzle, Vince responds, "Will do, Detective, hope to see you at lunch," he then makes his way towards the Evidence room, unaware that Jo-Ann had stopped to watch him, a small smile on her lips.

# # #

Kessira has just punched in for her shift, the new electronic system adding a level of security for her. "No one saying they got in earlier than they punched any more. Damn paper tickets allowed folks to fudge their hours something fierce."

She then wends her way to her office, where she logs into the system and checks for any new alerts since she last checked. She kept her Blackberry with her, so that she could keep appraised of things quickly. "Nothing major, but that doesn't mean there weren't any problems." As she scans the reports she takes inventory of what's incoming. "All right, we've got Saffron coming in from India, Cinnamon from Sri-Lanka, Tea from China, and a new firm bringing in Sugar. Hmm, Scratcher didn't like the fellow who showed up. Seemed they were pretty shifty seeming, didn't want to have any interactions with anyone obviously a Hybrid. Great, just what I need, a Purist prick in charge of delivering us stuff we need. I have to bring this to Gwen's attention."

She then picks up her phone and puts in Veronica's extension.

Veronica, already hard at work, notices the incoming call from Kessira, and picks it up, "Yes, Kessira? You need something?"

Picturing the Skunk / Wolverine hybrid sitting behind her desk, Kessira speaks, with a smile Veronica can hear, "Yes, Veronica, just need to schedule a few moments with the Boss. Dwight noticed something about the new shippers that should be brought to her attention."

Veronica chuffs, "Oh, them," she replies with a hint of disgust, "Yah, I'd say Dwight noticed the same thing I did. Prissy bunch didn't seem too happy to be near me. I'll see if she's busy, can you hold a moment?"

Kessira answers, "No, I don't mind, it is important."

"Right you are," Veronica then places Kessira on hold and presses the intercom button, "Boss?"

Gwen tilts her head up from the reports she's reading at the bleep of the intercom, "Yes, Veronica?"

Veronica continues, "Kessira on line two. Seems Dwight noticed more of what I caught up here and Kessira wants to discuss it with you."

Rubbing her eyes a moment, "Thanks Veronica, I'll get her report now." She then disconnects the intercom and picks up line two, "Gwen here, Kessira, you needed to talk to me?"

Kessira, keeping a light tone, "Well Gwen, I came across the notes Dwight made yesterday about those new shippers, the ones that got us such a good deal on the Sugar."

Gwen grumbles, "Yes, I know which ones you're referring to. What were Dwight's notes?"

With a slightly grave tone, Kessira replies, "It seemed quite important to the fur that no 'lesser' breeds be allowed in his vicinity. Had a real attitude problem whenever he caught a glimpse of one of the more obvious hybrid workers we have."

Gwen sighs, "So he might be a purist idiot, doesn't mean his business is bad, it just means he's an idiot. I do want you to keep a close eye on their shipments, however. I don't trust how low his prices are. He's beating the competition by a margin of ten percent, in a commodity that doesn't see that much fluctuation in price."

Kessira sighs as well, "All right, Gwen, I'll beef up the inspections and let the others know to look out for anything out of the norm. Did we tell them of our inspection policies?"

With a grin Kessira can hear, Gwen replies, "I didn't specify how frequently the containers would be inspected, nor the thoroughness of said inspections."

The tigress snickers, her reply reflecting her appreciation of her sneaky boss, "Good, because we're going to ramp up inspections for this quarter, I'm going to post a notice to our regular shippers, mainly to see if there's anything they know about our new clients, but also to let them know that 'due to market conditions, an increase in vigilance is required.' The managers I know in those companies know what that means and will let their folks know."

Gwen chuffs, "Aye, I've met with them, they're pretty sharp, and the seeking of information on Purity Spices will alert them to the fact that there's something afoot that they should have an eye out for as well."

Kessira sighs with relief, "Thanks boss, I just figure I'd give you a heads up."

Gwen smiles and says, "Thanks for the heads up, I do appreciate it." She then chuckles, "Oh, by the way, my mate and I are having a barbeque the Sunday after next, do you think I could convince you to attend?"

Blinking a moment at the topic change, Kessira says, "I think it sounds delightful. I'll have to see if the new friends I made yesterday would mind coming too."

Gwen grins, Loki dancing in her eyes, "That would be Miss Dae Wynn and a Mr. Panthris, right?"

With a startled purr, Kessira says, "And how do you know that?"

Gwen chuckles, "My husband's a bartender at Open Season, and he saw you three there. Believe me, we're going to do our best to get the other two to attend."

Kessira laughs, "Fair enough. Seemed almost magical how you knew, though."

Gwen smiles, "No, just a well trained husband." She then looks at the time, "Well, time to get back to these blasted reports, hope your day goes well."

Ending the report on a happy note, "Same here, Boss, happy hunting." She then closes the connection and heads out to the main security room, where a wall of monitors keep an eye on all the various holdings for the Smyth Spice & Pharmaceuticals Company, as well as Harcourt Shipping, the cameras set at points so that their coverage overlapped enough that if one of the cameras went down, it wasn't a blind spot in the defenses.

Arriving at the monitor room, she nods to the two furs stationed there, "Jessica, Albert, anything to report?" The Hedgehog and the Civet smile, then take up a list, "The warehouses down at the East Pier need maintenance on their cameras and security system. Seems someone tried to breach the alarm system. Fortunately the backup came up without any problems and the furs trying to gain access were caught."

Making notations of her own, Kessira responds, "I'll call up the camera and maintenance folks, I'm glad to hear that the backup worked. Guess it pays to have a back-up that isn't visibly wired on the outside. Go on."

The hedgehog femme, Jessica smiles, "The firewall has caught several new attempts to hack into our systems, our rotating password system seems to be foiling even the most persistent."

Albert, a strikingly patterned Civet, takes up the challenge, "Our warehouse security system has already paid for itself, in saved product, but it seems as if those who want to take that which does not belong to them are attempting to rise to the challenge presented by our security."

Kessira nods, "I'll mention it to the boss in my next report, good job you two." She then smiles, "Now here's a heads up, you know the new Spice company we just signed?" The two furs nod. The ice white tigress continues, "Well, I'm going to be beefing up the security on the warehouses that their shipments end up in. In fact, do you think it would be possible to allocate a single warehouse to store all their stuff in?"

Accessing her computer, Jessica says, "Well, Warehouse number fifteen is already empty, so it shouldn't be that hard to add extra security to it. Any particular reason why we're keeping a close look at them?"

Kessira nods, "Yes, first off is that they're managing to undercut their competition by ten percent. That raised a red flag with the Boss."

Tapping his muzzle in thought, Albert questions, "What sort of extra security are you thinking about, Kessira?"

Kessira smiles, "First, I want to make sure each camera has redundant systems. Next I want to double up on the locks on the doors. Lastly I want to make sure the interior security is beefed up."

Jessica takes notes on all this, "And how are we going to explain these changes?"

Smiling wickedly, Kessira says, "We're prototyping a new system of secure storage."

Albert nods, with a soft chuckle, "And the other reason we're keeping an eye on these furs?"

Kessira sighs, "They appear to have Purist leanings."

Both Jessica and Albert look shocked at this, then look to each other, "So they wouldn't be too happy with us, would they?"

Shaking her head no, Kessira responds with a firm, "But I have no reason to be less than happy with you or your performance." She then smiles, remembering how the two had met. Albert had come with the company when it moved and Jessica was a new hire. "And once they set eyes on each other, it was surprising there were no sparks flying, they get along so well and compliment each other very well."

Jessica smiles, "We'll keep an eye peeled, Kessira, and we'll also spread the word to the security crews."

Albert nods, "Any other new business we should be aware of?"

Kessira shakes her head, "No, at least not right now. The only other thing I have on my plate is making sure this place keeps running smoothly."

The couple nod and turn back to their duties, Jessica making a note on her Blackberry of all the changes just discussed, and then formulating an email to be sent to the other security team leaders.

Kessira, smiling as she leaves, puts her mind to other business, which includes how to beef up security without running up costs high enough to overcome the profit made from sales, one last thought running through her mind, "It's amazing how each security shift is staffed by a mated pair. I'm not going to look gift horses in the mouth, though, since it works out better for us in the long run to have it be that way." She then pads quietly along the hallways, getting an earful of the general atmosphere of the business, another facet of her job, and not one she always enjoys performing.

# # #

Seated at his desk at Base, Kass grumbles as he reviews the latest batch of trainees about to graduate from the SCAT classes. He looks at the pile of already completed profiles, noting he was mostly done, it was this last trainee that was giving him fits. He studies the profile before him, carefully, making notes mentally, "Let's see, Petty Officer Fenrir. Good marks from his other trainers, though it seems he has a bit of an attitude when it comes to taking orders from non-canines. Last review noted an improvement in that regard, seems one of his trainers had a good long talk with the wolf." He then sighs, rubbing his forehead, remembering his own feelings from dealing with the Petty Officer, "My reading of the fur tells me he's trouble. Not evil per-se, but definitely not a force for good. His aura really spiked when he saw myself and Kelso together. If I didn't know that we do a pretty good screening against such, I'd swear this guy was a Purist." He then hits his comm, "Chief, if you have a moment, I'd like to get your opinion on a trainee."

His Chief, Salters, responds, / Aye sir, be right in;/ before closing the comm. The wiry Sea Otter enters and salutes, "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

Kass returns the salute, "Aye, Chief." He then brandishes Petty Officer Fenrir's profile, "What's your take on this fur, Chief? And don't hold back any gut feelings about him either."

Chief Salters takes the profile, and gazing at it, gives his Snow Leopard Captain a wry grimace, "You would ask me about this piece of work, sir." He then taps his muzzle, briefly, "First impressions were that he was going to be a handful. He's just not your normal sized fur, and I was dreading the effect his mass would have on the SCAT."

Nodding, Kass thinks on the trainee, "Aye, he is a big fur. Go on, Chief."

Chief Salters nods, "He did seem to get along with most of the other trainees, though, thinking back, I now notice he always stayed on the opposite side of whichever room or exercise he was in from the obvious hybrids in this group."

Kass grimaces, then rolls his eyes, "This just gets better." He thinks of the two hybrid furs in this batch of training, one an Otter/Tiger mix and the other a Ferret/Dhole mix. Both trainees taking to the SCAT as if born to do their job.

The Chief says, "He would work with them, but, again, looking back, it always seemed as if he was trying to get the evolution over and completed so he didn't have to stay close to them."

Kass nods, "So you noticed that too." He makes a notation on his review of the fur, "I really hope this doesn't mean the screening process needs to be looked over again, but I am getting a feeling that, in this case, something slipped through the cracks."

Grumbling, Jeff states, "I hope not, Sir. But I won't take bets against it either."

With a wry look on his muzzle, Kass agrees, "I'll make a report to the higher ups, if what we both think happened occurred, the witch hunt will be memorable."

Jeff nods, then hands back the profile, "I'll get you a copy of my observations to include with your report, Sir. Figure the extra ammunition can't hurt."

Kass nods, "Good idea, Chief, why don't you get on that?"

Jeff salutes, "Aye, Sir." He then turns and exits, closing the door behind him.

Kass sighs and ponders his next move, "Do I risk bringing the big guns in on just a hunch? First step is to get the Navy's investigation group to do a more thorough check on Fenrir's background, making sure that no inconsistencies are overlooked. I don't trust the background that I see here, it doesn't mesh with what I've observed of the fur." He then picks up the phone and punches in the extension for the Navy's Criminal Investigative Service, when it's picked up, he identifies himself, "Captain Kassir Ujinkhan here, could I speak with someone in investigations?"

The response from the other fur is quick, /One moment, Sir, let me connect you./

Kass waits a few moments on hold, then gets to the fur he needs to speak to, "Captain Kassir Ujinkhan here, I've got a potential issue with one of my trainees." He waits for the other fur to get their pad ready, "Name: Lance Fenrir, Species: Grey Wolf, Rank: Petty Officer 3, Trainee number: Alpha Zulu Eight Foxtrot Golf Five Five Sigma X-Ray."

He hears a response, "I consider this high priority, I suspect the individual to have gotten past the normal screening methods and may be a hazard not only to his fellow trainees, but to the Navy as a whole." He hears a response, "You'll have both my report and that of Chief Salters as soon as possible, enumerating our observations. I want a thorough background check, down to any groups he attended in school ..." He nods to himself as he hears the response, "I'll be passing this information up my chain of command as well, so if clearances are required, I foresee little trouble in acquiring them." He then grins at the final response, "Let's just hope I'm being overly sensitive, or else this is going to be a headache. Have a good day." He then hangs up the phone with a growl, "Scratch that, it already is a headache."

Looking at the clock he sighs and begins typing out his report, detailing everything he's observed about the fur in question, noting dates, times, places, and any other possible pertinent information. He also includes any complaints brought to him by the other trainees or instructors, plus any other data that might prove useful. He hears a bleep of incoming email and smiles when he sees it's Chief Salter's report. He attaches that and his own report in an email to .gov, along with the names of the furs he spoke to to start the investigation.

Once that's done he sighs and pushes himself back from his desk, rubbing his forehead, "This is one of the downsides of Command. I'm definitely looking forward to this Leave I'm due for. Hope this investigation doesn't screw things up too badly there."He thinks back to the call he got from his wife, "Seems there's a new fur who's caught Jo-Ann's attention. Interesting. And she thinks I should meet him as well. Should make for an interesting time on Leave."

Checking the time again he gets to his feet and stretches, "Time to inspect the troops. This break in the training shouldn't be too bad, and it does the furs good to be with their families this time of year." He then gets his cap and exits his office, gathering up Chief Salters on his way out, he grimly says, "Let's get this over, I'm looking forward to spending a little time with my family," to which the sea otter nods enthusiastically.

As Kass walks to the trainee barracks he's going over the checklist of what he's looking for, and mentally reviewing what is in store when he returns from leave as well. "Nice of the Navy to cease this training when the waters out there are cold enough even Jeff feels it. Not that they'll be any warmer when we return, but this is the worst part of the season. I will say this, this batch of trainees has been a joy to teach, watching them take their turns at the SCAT lessons has been amusing, so far, and fortunately no one's managed to scuttle one of them this time. I just wish that there wasn't the issue of that Wolf making me think something is going to go sour damn fast."

Following Kass, Chief Salters goes through his own list of things he's looking for, and getting out the requisite form, starts putting in the relevant information. He too is looking forward to going home and seeing his family, his oldest will be on leave from Annapolis as well, following in his father's footsteps. "And I hear rumors about a femme who's caught his attention. Good thing he decided not to go into SEALs, then. Kid's a crack shot, and looks to be shaping up pretty well for his chosen MOS. Never would have thought Carrier work would have appealed to him, but it seems to be suiting him well."

As they enter the trainee barracks, they hear a booming 'At-ten-shun' coming from the other lupine: a Petty Officer 3, one Dwight Lupin, who somehow managed to do all that the SEALs required of him, despite being big enough to make Fenrir look small. "And that's no mean feat. I do know that whichever team Dwight ends up on, they will treasure him for the jewel he is. The kid's definitely a natural at this."

Smiling as he says, "At ease, trainees. This will be your last inspection before we take leave for the holidays," Kass surveys the group, mentally cataloging their strengths and weaknesses. "Dwight: His size is his biggest weakness, and he's good enough it shouldn't be an issue; Lance: Attitude and unwillingness to work with certain furs, by all the bright Powers, I hope I'm wrong about you; Petty Officer 3 William 'Wild Bill' Strynger: Wild streak, very competitive, but damn good scores. I may recommend him for Black Ops, he's got the right psyche for it; Petty Officer 3 Tymoth Edwards: I know he's headed for covert ops, this kid's just way too good at eeling himself into position and eliminating his targets with a minimum of fuss; Petty Officer 2 Annalisa Snowpaws: Very driven, and determined. I definitely respect her, and I believe she'll set a sterling example for letting femmes do this kind of work; and finally Lieutenant Mykhail Friedrich: Fine officer, and learns well. I like the fact he's willing to do this as a simple trainee rather than with the officer's rotation, he'll be one who can command furs to do things for him, simply because he's willing to get his paws dirty along with them."

As Kass begins the inspection, he goes through with a rehearsed speech, "All right, furs, let me remind you, there is no discussion of what you're learning here with your family, and if you are taking any study material home," he pauses to add to himself, "Like any fur determined to pass this training should," moving to inspect one of the bunks, "remember to keep it secure and unavailable to any unauthorized eyes." He looks into the nearest trainee's eyes, "I know you feel you can trust your families, but because of the nature of what we do, this is not to be discussed with anyone not in the training itself, do I make myself clear?"

The trainees, as one, shout, "Sir, yes, Sir!"

Kass smiles, "Good. Now I know that Stores has signed out six secure lock boxes and laptops, so I am pleased to let you know that once we return, we shall move onto the next phase of training, which will include real world operations and may include running simulations against other teams of furs who have already passed this class." He smiles broader at the gleams he sees in all the eyes turned towards him, "So, study hard, make sure you read up on all the material there, and hopefully when you return, what happens won't be a pop quiz."

After inspecting the last bunk he turns to the trainees and says, "Trainees, Dis-missed!" He then chuckles to himself as the trainees get the gear they're taking with them together and head for the mess hall to eat before boarding the flight back to the mainland. Kass could hear, faintly, the crew getting the C-130 ready for flight, his own gear already stored aboard, he turns to Chief Salters, "You ready to go, Chief?"

Jeff nods, "Aye, Sir, I am. And I bet my gear is in the same place yours is. Shall we eat something before boarding, Sir?"

Kass chuckles, having seen another Gunny sack in the secure Locker on the plane when he had availed himself of the same facilities, "Good idea, Chief. Oh, and just a heads up, I made my report about our lupine trainee, so you may get a call when home."

Jeff nods, gravely, "Thank you, Sir. I'll keep my work phone close to me, then."

The two furs then make their way to the mess hall, where they eat just enough to tide them over for the flight, experience telling them that if they over eat, they could run into trouble with turbulence on the flight. Kass noting both the Lieutenant and Petty Officer 2 following the same example, while the Petty Officer 3s had all loaded up their plates, "Though with those two wolves, that might be just a small snack, they certainly don't seem malnourished with the food they serve here."

Kass' attention is not really on what he's eating, it was more on the planned rendezvous with his 'Family' ... Rick and Gwen; Mike and Cassy; Kelso; and Jo-Ann; plus the kits, Richard and Kacey Coona; Kelso and Richard Procyon; and his own twins, Janice and Alexander. He smiled, remembering when Tigermark had let him know Kelso was expecting, he had been quite stunned to say the least, "Though I'm glad Straga Nona didn't decide to kick things up past twins," he thinks privately to himself. Then, finishing his meal, he heads over to the plane, checking in with the maintenance and flight crews, seeing if there was to be any delay, or if things were go as soon as all the furs got on it, "Thanks, guys," he says to the maintenance crew, most of whom he knew would be catching the same flight, a skeleton crew staying on to keep things running, all of the remaining crew were, surprisingly, all one family, a group of Sea Otters who maintained the island for the Navy. He sought one out, "Geoffry, I'd like to again thank you and your family for what you do."

Geoffry Oceanis, shakes his head, "Me an' ma folk's glad ta do tha' service, Sah. I won't kid yah none, tho, Sah, it does a body good ta hear feedback from ta folks we doin' dis fah." He then extends a paw to Kass, "Since yah took over heah, Sah, things hae been getting bettah, an it seem ta folk who come heah hae been behavin' temsef mighty proper."

Having read reports of some of the occurrences that happened before he had accepted command of this base, Kass nods. There had been a couple cases of trainees overstepping their bounds and making a nuisance of themselves with a few of the unattached members of the Oceanis family. He then grins at Geoffry, "We're your guests here, and it's in our best interest to behave as we'd like you to behave if you were visiting our home. All it took was to ask the trainees how they'd want their family to be respected to get the hint across," he then smiles grimly, "Plus a boot applied liberally to those who couldn't take the hint."

Chuckling at Kass' words, Geoffry says, "Ayah, Sah, an me sistahs appreshiate ta change as well. Tho, struth is, one of ma sibs is thinkin' on enterin' yah Academy, once she graduates. She's already been takin' the pre-screenin' tests, Sah."

Kass smiles, "Well, I hope she gets in, which one is she? I might be able to point a few furs in her direction, if you know what she wants to study."

Grinning proudly, Geoffry states, "Annette, an she's wantin' to do what yon trainees are doin', me thinks."

Kass nods, remembering seeing the femme watching the recruits, a hungry look on her muzzle. He also knew Annette was one of the 'accidents' that had occurred before he had taken command, Annette's mother, Sylvia, was Geoffry's sister, had the misfortune of running into one of the trainees at the time seeking comfort that was supposed to be sought within the Naval offices on the base. One thing had led to another, and Sylvia had found herself with kit. The trainee in question never denied what happened, but Sylvia chose to raise the child on her own, with the help of her family. The Tiger / Sea Otter mix was a stunning melding of the two species, and seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, "I'll mention her to the recruiters, if you wish. I think she'll do better than most of the folks coming in blind. She's seen some of what's required and knows it's hard work."

Geoffry smiles, "I'd like that, Sah, she be needin' some fur ta watch fer her."

Smiling happily, Kass nods, "Consider it done, Geoffry, and I know how having a mentor can help. I'll pass the word, and I think I know a good fur to be her mentor."

Geoffry beams, "Thankee, Sah, takes a load off mah mind that do."

Offering his paw, Kass smiles, "Glad to help, Geoffry, in fact it's a pleasure to do so."

The Sea Otter takes the proffered paw and shakes it, "Still apreshiate it, Cap'n. Not many folks would take tha much interes' in thin's lahk tha."

Kass smiles, "The mentor should be contacting her mother shortly, once I get things started."

Geoffry nods, "You go home tah' tha spouse of yous, Cap'n, hae a good rest befah comin' back to work."

Smiling, Kass nods, "And you go have fun with your spouse, Geoffry, and say hi to your kits for me, won't you?"

Chuckling, Geoffry gives Kass a mock salute, "Aye, Sah, ah will do that." He then waves as he takes his leave, heading back to his home on the island.

Returning the wave, Kass heads for the C-130, grateful to be already prepared. On his way to the plane he notices a pair of the trainees heading for the plane as well, smiling to himself he times his arrival to be the same as theirs, "Petty Officers Lupin and Snowpaws, good to see you're able to get yourselves together quickly."

The two salute, then Petty Officer Snowpaws speaks up, "Sir, I don't know about this big guy here, but coming from a large family, I have learned the benefits of being able to pack the essentials quickly." The Snow Leopardess then chuckles, "Made it more likely to get a better seat in the family vehicle. Stragglers always got the 'way back' seat."

Dwight speaks up after the Snow Leopardess, the timbre of his voice sounding as if there's a thunderstorm looming, "Sir, me famly wer nomadic sorts, true Gypsy sort. Me trick is tah ne'er unpack more'n wha chu need fo the tahm you is plannin' tah be dere."

Kass nods, "Good solutions, both of you, and at ease. Now why don't you both find as comfortable seats as this plane has to offer."

The two trainees comply happily, nodding hello to Chief Salters who is already aboard. Kass then takes a look out on the island and nods, happy with how he finds his life, though wishing he was a bit closer to his wife, "Kel's gonna pounce me when I get home, there's no doubt she's missed me almost as much as I've missed her. I look forward to the hot tub and time spent with good friends, it's been too long." And with that, Kass settles himself down close to the Locker that holds his possessions, waiting for the other trainees to arrive.

# # #

As Kass deplanes the 757 that brought him and Jeff from Honolulu to Seattle, he waves to the Chief, "Say hi to your family, Chief. Perhaps soon we should all get together and have a good barbecue, your family and mine."

Jeff thinks a moment, "Well, having met that energetic vixen of yours, I can bet the rest of the bunch are quite amazing as well. I'll talk to my wife about it, and see what we might be able to set up."

Smiling, Kass nods, "Fair enough, now I'm keeping you from your family. See you when I see you, Jeff."

The wiry Sea Otter nods and waves as he makes for where he knows someone's waiting to pick him up.

Kass, on the other hand, after collecting his luggage, starts heading for where the Taxis are lined up. However, halfway there, a sight over to one side of the terminal stops him. Shaking his head as he sees a male raccoon dressed up in a chauffeur's outfit, he changes his direction, smiling as he sees no one else from CCN in evidence yet. He then calls out, "Rick, how'd you know when to be here?"

The raccoon smiles upon hearing Kass' salutation, "A little foxxie told me." He then grins widely, taking in the snow leopard's attire, "Same one who told me you'd change before arriving."

Kass blinks, then shakes his head, "Can't surprise her again, can I. I don't know how she did it, but she must have convinced Jeff to give her some sort of heads-up for when I'd be arriving."

Rick laughs, "Kass, my friend, if you want my opinion on it, Jeff got all the convincing he needed the first time he ever saw Kelso shoot."

Smiling wryly, Kass nods, "Probably the last argument about it went out the window when that happened, I'm sure." He then gestures with his luggage, "Seeing as you went the whole nine yards, let's continue this to the end zone, that being CCN."

Laughing at the sports lingo, Rick nods, "Did you get our messages?"

Kass nods, "About the fur who's caught Jo-Ann's eye? Yes, I did. Must be some specimen to turn her head like that."

Laughing, Rick smiles, "I can tell you my feelings on the fur on the ride home. Plus the feelings on the other two furs that he seems to have grouped up with."

Tilting his head, "Grouped up with? That sounds intriguing."

Rick nods, then leads Kass to the Phantom 3 Rolls Royce that was waiting in the designated spot for limos. "Seems the guy's trying to start a rock band, and the other two members, at least so far, are employees of Gwen's."

Kass hrms, "Sounds like an interesting grouping, to say the least." He then looks at Rick, "Are the other two furs 'interesting' in other ways than the obvious?"

Chuckling, Rick helps put Kass' stuff in the trunk, "Well, other than the three being obvious hybrids? I'll tell you on the way home."

The snow leopard nods, taking that to be a 'yes' and that this was definitely more of a conversation for private consumption, "Interesting indeed." He then takes the passenger seat next to the driver's, to make conversation easier.

Rick nods, then gets behind the wheel, starting the vehicle and listening to the engine purr like a contented kitty before easing carefully into the stream of traffic. After successfully navigating the way out of the Airport, the raccoon picks up the conversation again, "To get back to what we were discussing, yes, there were several things that were interesting about all three furs. Firstly, Jo-Ann's interest definitely feels similar to what you did when you first came to Open Season, though his focus seems musical in nature."

Kass nods, "That would be Vince Panthris, right?"

Smiling, Rick nods, "He's a Cougar / Raccoon mix."

Tilting his head at Rick, Kass states, "That's a pretty striking combination there, and the other two?"

Rick grins, turning onto the road that leads to CCN, "One's a Wolverine / Skunk mix, and it seems the other's a Tiger / Polar Bear mix, both femmes."

Kass blinks, "Damn, those three sound pretty striking." He then looks at Rick, "We still planning the barbecue next weekend?"

Rick nods, then carefully parks the Rolls Royce, "Aye, and all three have been invited." He then leads Kass inside, "Honeys, we're home!"

From the kitchen echoes from three femmes, "We're in the kitchen, hon!"

A moment later, barely a heartbeat or two, a red and cream missile hits Kass, Kelso wrapping herself around her husband, who has just enough time to drop his stuff and brace himself for the low flying vixen missile, "Hey hon, missed you tonnes!"

Kelso, on the other hand, seems determined to make up for the months away from him as soon as possible, murmuring, "I missed you so much!" She then grouses, "Wish the Navy had told you before hand that you'd be spending so much time away, hon."

Kass pats Kelso's head, "I know, my love, I know. It's horribly unfair. We've another year plus before this is done and over. I like command, but I love you, my sweet vixen!" He then sneakily gooses her, causing Kelso to yip and shift her grip, which, incidentally, allows the snow leopard to settle himself into a chair, "And where are the kits?"

Arriving a few moments after Kass has settled himself, Gwen and Jo-Ann walk in, Kacey and Richard following their mother, Ricky and Kel following theirs, each mother carrying one of Kass' kits, Gwen bearing Janice and Jo-Ann bearing Alexander, "Ask and ye shall receive, Kass," says Gwen.

Kass' eyes light up, smiling as the two older sets of twins come up and give him a hug, each saying, "Welcome home, Unka Kass!" He frees a hand so he can hug them each back individually, marveling in how much they seemed to have grown while he was away.

# # #

Kessira pads around the office building where Gwen's office is located, lost in thought. She is thinking about what Gwen asked her, and thinks it wouldn't be a bad idea. She starts when she bumps into Veronica, then smiles, "Hi there."

The wolverine / skunk hybrid smiles, "What'cha thinking about, Kessira?"

Kessira purrs, startled into a laugh, "Gotta invite to a party at Gwen's place in two weeks, on Sunday."

Nodding, Veronica smiles, "Aye, I got my invite earlier. I think you'll like it there, the amount of love evident there is quite astounding."

Tilting her head Kessira purrs, "Sounds like you've been there before. Could you tell me what to expect?"

Veronica smiles, "A couple of times, yes. Mostly to enjoy the hot tub Gwen has there, after a hard day. Saving up for one of my own, right now." She then taps her muzzle, "As for what to expect? I'm not sure, as I've never been to one of their barbecues. I do know that the Coonas are Naturists, though they do provide robes for those who are body shy. Though the robes are not allowed in the hot tub or spa."

Kessira blinks, then her muzzle fluffs as she blushes, the color quite evident through her fur, "I don't think that'll be a problem ... though I may need to get used to them before I fully join them."

Veronica nods, grinning, "It took me a few visits to get comfortable with the concept, myself. But the Coonas are so understanding that it helped put me at ease and feel comfortable with them."

Nodding, still trying to control her blush, Kessira smiles, "I heard that they're gonna try and invite Vince too."

Veronica giggles, her muzzle fluffing a bit as she thinks a bit about Vince, but her mind is more on seeing Kessira there, "I hope he comes, he's a good fur."

Kessira nods, "Yes he is." She then does her best to compose herself, "So I guess you're going?"

Veronica nods, "Most definitely. This'll be my first chance to meet the whole gang."

Smiling, Kessira purrs, "I'm going as well, I could use a dip in a hot tub, myself, plus I'd like to meet Gwen's family."

Veronica giggles, "I think you'll like 'em, Kessira, they're quite an unusual bunch, from what I hear."

Kessira blinks, "What d'you mean?," she queries, "How unusual?"

Grinning fit to split her muzzle, "Well, quite a few different species will be evident, and there will be a few hybrid kits to be introduced to, from what I'm told." She thinks, "There's Gwen's kits, and apparently there's a pair of Snow Leopard / Fox kits as well. Plus a pair of Raccoon kits, who come with Gwen's to the Daycare."

Kessira nods, "I've seen Gwen's kits, as well as the twins she brings with her." She giggles, "Little scamps keep their minders busy some days, but they're always good about stopping when they're told to."

Laughing, Veronica nods, "Aye, they are little scamps, and quite loved by their family."

Giggling, Kessira smiles, "Well, I look forward to seeing them in their natural habitat."

Veronica nods, "See you there, my friend."

# # #

As Vince is leaving the precinct he runs into Jo-Ann again, "Did you need something from me, Detective?," he asks curiously.

The raccoon femme nods, "Forgot to mention it earlier, but a couple friends of mine are planning a barbecue the Sunday after next, and they asked me if I knew anyone I'd like to invite."

Vince nods, then blinks, "So, you're inviting me?" The hybrid sounding a bit startled.

Jo-Ann nods, "I'd like you to meet my friends, and I think I can tempt you with the fact that they have a hot tub."

With a purring chuckle, Vince nods, "Very tempting indeed. My physical therapist did recommend spending time in a hot tub to help alleviate the arthritis that's creeping into my knee."

Smiling, Jo-Ann nods, "And several of the furs know massage too."

Vince growls with pleasure, "Then count me in, though I might have to explain to the two furs who I talked to last night."

Jo-Ann laughs, "Something tells me you won't have any problems there, Sergeant."

Tilting his head Vince looks at Jo-Ann, but doesn't ask the obvious question, "Anything I should bring?"

Jo-Ann taps her muzzle, "Musical instrument, if you have one, though just coming is enough."

Vince's muzzle fluffs slightly, "Anything I should be warned about, before I go there?"

Smiling playfully Jo-Ann nods, "The hosts, the Coonas, are Naturists. They do provide robes for those who are body shy, but they're not allowed in either the hot tub or sauna."

His muzzle fluffing more, Vince nods, "Good to know." "I shouldn't have a problem with that, though the sight of Jo-Ann unclothed may prove to be quite enticing."

Jo-Ann smiles at the fluff, and then says, "I look forward to seeing you there, Vince."

Vince smiles, "As do I, Jo-Ann, as do I." He then makes his way to his car, shaking his head so he can collect his thoughts before hitting the road.

# # #

While Vince and Jo-Ann are talking, several scruffy canids are congregating outside his apartment door.

"Stevie, is dis da place?" asks one, a very large wolf, his unkempt fur not disguising just how thin he is.

Stevie, another gaunt wolf nods, "Aye Cliff, 'tis what we got from da 'partment manager."

The third wolf, seeming to be a bit better fed mutters, "We gotta sho that Scumbreed Fuzz that we own dis turf, not him."

Stevie nods, "Aye Malachi, We sho him good." He then looks at the last two of the motley group, "Zeke, Deke, get your mangey hides over here an open dis door for us."

The twin wolves nod as they're addressed, and when they come into the light, it is quite evident that they're not as 'pure blood' as the other three, "Sure boss," they say in unison.

Malachi smiles, "We dun take nothin' dis time, we jus let him know dat we is in charge here, not him."

Zeke and Deke have a bit of difficulty getting through Vince's door, and they trigger his alarm system, which is a silent alarm so as to give the police more time to apprehend those entering the premises. The rest of the crew file in and start making a mess of the kitchen, the bedroom, and destroy Vince's library of sheet music, using it to leave a message.

Watch yourself, Scumbreed, The Children of the Pure Moon owns this place, and we don't like Fuzz nosing into our business. Best move for you is to leave before you get hurt! Is scrawled with a large Sharpie™ across the front page of the only book of music left intact, a book of folk tunes based off the songs of feral wolves.

Malachi nods as he surveys the damage then barks, "All right, let's scatter before some one comes to investigate."

The rest nod, and say, "Got it, Boss, see you back at the Den." They then each take their own way out of the building, meeting up at one of the neighboring apartment complexes. One thing obvious about this one, however, is that all the tenants are canines or lupines.

# # #

As Vince is starting his Jeep a patrol officer races out and then yells, "Sergeant Panthris! Wait!"

Vince blinks and then shuts his vehicle down, "Yes, Officer Wylde?"

The Ocelot stops close to the Jeep, "We just got an alert, the alarm at your place just went off!"

Vince blinks, then utters a curse that makes the other fur blanch, "Seems I was right in alerting the Captain about the unsavory types near my complex."

Wylde Longstride, nodding at Vince's words, purrs, "We've sent a patrol over, once the scene's been secured we're going to be letting you go home and see what's happened."

The cougar / raccoon hybrid nods, "Glad you caught me, Wylde. And I'm even happier I set the alarm for 'silent' when I'm out. I hope we catch a break and apprehend the fur who broke in."

Wylde nods, "Must be real desperate types, to break into a policefur's place."

Vince nods, then, locking his Jeep up, heads back into the precinct, running back into Jo-Ann as he does so.

Jo-Ann looks like a localized thunderstorm as she walks with Vince and Wylde back to the Captain's room in the precinct, "Vince, the patrol just got there. Your place has been pretty thoroughly trashed, though it doesn't look like they took anything."

Nodding as he walks beside the grumbling raccoon femme, Vince sighs, "As long as they didn't harm anyone, it doesn't matter. The rest is just objects, they can be replaced."

Wylde nods, "Just take it easy, Vince, it's still an intrusion and a disruption to your life."

Jo-Ann smiles at Vince's words, then grumbles, "Vince, you're gonna love this. Seems you got targeted 'cause you're a hybrid, and 'cause you spotted those furs this morning."

Vince blinks, "Bloody hell," he growls, then looks at Jo-Ann, "Jo-Ann, you realize what that last might mean?"

The Ocelot walking with them grumbles, "It means there might be a leak in the system."

Jo-Ann nods, "And we don't know who it could be, if there is one. They could have noticed your interest in them this morning, Vince, and decided to deal with you because of that."

Sighing, Vince nods, then he enters the Captain's room, seating himself as he awaits more news of the break-in.

Jo-Ann seats herself next to Vince, "Once you're done at your place, do you have some place you feel safe staying?"

Vince shakes his head no, "Not really, Jo-Ann. I do know I'm gonna be packing as much as I can, letting the forensic furs deal with the evidence." He then sighs, "I hope they didn't damage my guitar, would be hard to replace that, especially since the original manufacturer got bought out."

Jo-Ann nods, then smiles, "Well, if you feel you can trust my motives, I am willing to share my condo, Vince."

Wylde chuckles, "You'd be a fool to turn that down, Vince."

Blinking in surprise, Vince nods, "I believe I'll take you up on that, Jo-Ann." He then stands up when the Captain comes in.

Captain Reginald Blackfeather, a massive Cougar of Native American descent, waves everyone back down to their seats, "Vince, I'm gonna be blunt here. Your place got trashed quite well, it appears there were at least five furs, all wolves." He then accesses the other notes he's received, "Seems this group calls themselves 'The Children of the Pure Moon', and they feel you're a threat to their operations, which seems to run in that neighborhood."

When the captain says the name Vince growls, Jo-Ann looks ready to kill something, and Wylde looks tired. Vince is the first to speak up, "Bloody Purists again? Haven't they gotten the message that their type of behavior isn't what society wants or needs?"

Jo-Ann grimaces, "Doubt it, sounds like this batch is Lupine or Canine centered, though." She then turns to the Captain, "Wasn't this one of the groups that Annette found?"

Captain Blackfeather rumbles, "Sounds like an offshoot of something she found, yes. I'll send a message that we've found a group of suspected Purists, with the name, and see if it sparks any interest."

Vince nods, "Thanks, Captain. Any word on what got trashed?"

The Captain looks at the list he's gotten, "Well, let's see." He taps the list and then rumbles, "They destroyed everything edible in your kitchen, for starters," moving his claw to the next item, "You're going to have to get new bedsheets, but they seemed to only have concentrated on what was on the bed already," he then looks at the next item, "And all of your sheet music is destroyed, though it appears your guitar was left alone."

Vince nods, sighing at the list, "Fair enough, and all relatively easy to replace, just annoying." He then thinks of something, "Captain, how'd they know that it was my apartment? The landlord of that place is pretty determined to protect his tenants' privacy, not even our mail drop boxes have our names on them."

Wylde blinks at this, "You think they might have watched you leave your apartment?"

Shaking his head no, Vince rumbles, "It's a possibility, but I have gotten a pretty good sense for being watched. I didn't see any of the folks who caught my attention until I had already started leaving the parking area."

Jo-Ann nods, "So, best have the patrol start looking to see whether or not someone was bullied into revealing the info."

Reginald nods, "They're already interviewing the neighbors, to see if any of them got a glimpse at the perps." He then turns to Vince, "Is there anything you absolutely need from your apartment? And do you have some place that you can stay until the investigation's over?"

Thinking, Vince taps his muzzle, "Other than my guitar, all I need are my clothes. As for a place to stay, Detective Procyon has offered a spot in her condo, and I am taking her up on her offer."

Reginald nods, looking at Jo-Ann for confirmation of this, "Sounds good to me. I'll have the patrol pack up your stuff, so you won't have to go home. We're going to be setting up a stake-out there, to see if we can catch any further attempts at intimidation." He looks at Vince, "One of the furs we're selecting looks a lot like you, at least from a distance, he's currently getting a dye job so he can do the best job possible."

Vince nods, "Thank you, Captain. I can offer the use of my vehicle, if you think it'd add a level of believability to the cover."

Thinking, the large Cougar morph looks at the information already at hand, "Might be best, Sergeant, we want them to think nothing's amiss for as long as possible."

Vince fishes out his spare set of keys, "Here's my spare set, Captain."

Reginald takes the proffered keys, "We'll provide you with something out of the motor pool for personal use while we have yours, Vince. I do appreciate that you're willing to make this sacrifice, and will compensate you for the use of your vehicle."

Jo-Ann smiles, "Let's see if you ever move back to that apartment of yours, my handsome friend. And I wonder how you'll react to the twins. I think they'll like you," "Shall I take him down to the motor pool, Captain?"

The cougar nods, "I'll call down and let them know you're coming," then he winks, "And I'll let them know to steer you away from the clunkers we use for stakeouts."

Shaking his head Vince chuckles, "Having driven a few, sir, I do appreciate that." He then gets up and gestures for Jo-Ann to show him the way, "After you, Detective."

Jo-Ann stands up and smiles, nodding to the Captain as she leads Vince out of his room, "Good thinking, letting them use your Jeep, Sergeant, not many furs would think of that, or be comfortable with doing it, for that matter."

Following close behind, Vince shrugs, "Made sense to me, plus if it does get totaled, it's replaceable, won't be easy, but it's just a car." He is doing his best to keep his mind on what's happened rather than the attractive raccoon femme he's following, "And by getting something from the motor pool, I'm not putting you out by making myself dependent upon you to get me around."

Jo-Ann giggles, "Who knows, I might like having a big strong male dependent upon me for his needs," "I appreciate that, Vince, I really do." She then leads him out to the fenced in motor pool, a good portion of the vehicles stored within unmarked police cars, though there were a few cars that had been seized and were awaiting their turn at being auctioned off.

The Civet Sergeant looks up from his paperwork as he hears the two approaching, smiling as he sees the attraction between the two of them, he calls out, "Detective Procyon, what brings you down to my humble abode?"

Smiling at the Civet, Jo-Ann says back, having moved within easy conversation distance, "Sergeant Paguma, I'm bringing Sergeant Panthris here to acquire a loaner vehicle. I'm sure the Captain's called down by now and informed you of what's happened?"

Blake Paguma nods, "He certainly did, Detective." He then looks at Vince, sizing him up, "I do have a few vehicles that the Sergeant here will fit into easily, though one's a bit flashy, if you don't mind me saying so."

Vince smiles, "As long as it is reliable, I don't care much. My Jeep's getting on in years, yet if you treat it right, it'll survive most anything you throw at it."

Blake nods, "Come this way and I'll show you what's to be had." He leads the other two furs into the covered portion of the motor pool, several cars residing there, "Now most of what we've got are Crown Vics, of course, with full interceptor package."

Vince nods, "Yah, I can fit in 'em, but most times they're a bit cramped."

Grinning, Jo-Ann follows them, taking advantage of being able to watch Vince without him being aware of it, "Most car manufacturers don't build for big furs, at least in the sedan line."

Turning back to look at Jo-Ann, Vince grimaces, "And don't even bother if there's a Sun Roof or Power Seats, they take away much needed head room."

Blake nods, "Well, that leaves our seized stock. Most of what we've got is made for tiny furs, it seems. There's a few here that even I can't squeeze into." He then leads them to the last bay, "And here's our flashy number."

Vince turns the corner and gasps at what he sees, "A 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe? How in hell did that get to the states?"

Jo-Ann blinks, "What's so special about that thing?"

Blake and Vince look at each other, then Vince says, "You ever see the movie 'Mad Max,' Jo-Ann?"

Jo-Ann thinks, then looks at the car, "Damn, this thing's a near replica of the car from the movie. All it's missing is that evil looking blower."

Blake nods, "This thing was seized from a bunch of Purists back a while, now. We own the title to it and everything, just never got around to auctioning it off."

Vince pads to the door and then slips into the driver's seat. His surprise at the comfort and space is evident to the other two furs, "I think I'll be safe with this one, Sergeant Blake. In fact, you may just end up losing her to me if I can manage the cost."

Blake laughs, "You know you're the only fur to think she's worth having? As for the cost, all you'd have to pay would be a grand, which is the storage fees we've accrued keeping her here. Everything else is taken care of, except changing the title and getting your own plates for her."

Jo-Ann shakes her head at the nonsense over a car, but realizes that it makes Vince happy, and it shows her another facet of his personality.

With a raised eyebrow Vince gets back out of the vehicle, "Well, I think I'll wait a little bit before jumping into ownership. Though she does qualify as a Classic, I'd want her as my daily driver, and I know I'd go over the 3k miles per year allowed for registered classics." He then looks at Blake, "I will, however, take her off your paws until the investigation at my apartment's over. Do we have plates I can use, for now?"

Blake nods, "Come this way and we'll fill out the necessary paperwork that's needed to get Black Beauty into your care."

Vince blinks at the name, "She's been named already?"

Nodding, Blake says, "There's a plaque in the trunk, with name, vin number, numbers of all the parts, and every step that was taken to import it into the states. The furs that had it were mainly using it as a show car, but she wasn't a Trailer Queen."

Jo-Ann looks lost, "Trailer Queen?"

Chuckling, Vince responds, "A classic car that's trailered everywhere its taken, keeps the mileage ultra low, and keeps wear and tear to the car to a minimum." He then looks back at the vehicle, "Some furs go to extremes when dealing with choice classics like this one. Such as making sure any repair parts have matching numbers," and before Jo-Ann can ask about that, "Means that the parts have to be from the same year and model as what's being repaired, can get quite pricey if you have an ultra rare vehicle."

Jo-Ann nods, though her eyes seem to be glazing over at this minutiae, "If you say so, Vince. It's over my head, at least."

Blake draws Vince's attention back to the paperwork, getting all the details lined up, including a copy of Vince's Driver's License and Insurance, "There we go, Sergeant Panthris, all yours." The Civet then pulls out a set of plates that start with 'SG', "these should do you until you decide whether or not you want to purchase her."

Vince nods, then goes about affixing the plates in their brackets, "Anything else I should know?"

Blake shakes his head, "Only something you should already be aware of; damn thing's a gas hog at the best of times."

Shaking his head in resignation, Vince turns to Jo-Ann, "Care to lead the way to my temporary home, Detective?"

Jo-Ann laughs, "I'll pull my car up so once you've gotten your way out of here, I'll be ready to play 'Follow my Leader'."

Vince nods, then gets into the classic car and fires her up as Jo-Ann leaves to get her car. The noise of the engine makes Vince purr, since it sounds like a very happy large cat, "Black Beauty indeed, I can see this car as being a very happy black panthress." He then carefully extracts the car from where it was held, the rumble attracting a bit of attention as he nears the exit from the motor pool, several of the younger officers shaking their heads as they admire the car as it exits into the courtyard, despite the dust that lingers on it from its time in the motor pool. He then sees Jo-Ann in her car, waving at him, "All right, let's go 'home', shall we?" He waves back, indicating that he's ready to be led and pulls in behind Jo-Ann's car waiting to exit the precinct parking lot.

Jo-Ann smiles as she sees Vince pull behind her, "I'll take the shortest route, makes sense and we can play another time." She waits for the light leading out of the precinct to turn green, then eases her way out, making it easy for Vince to follow her, keeping to the 'slow' lane of traffic where appropriate, taking Vince the easiest way to her Condo complex, a quick phone call, using hands-free, alerts the security team at the condos of the fact Vince will be staying with her for a bit, and what his car looks like, so they don't get antsy.

Pulling into the parking spot next to Jo-Ann, Vince looks at the complex that Jo-Ann calls home, "Wow, impressive place here. I wonder how she got it, as I know a policefur's budget is kinda tight." He turns off the car and locks it up, pocketing the keys as he does so, "Lead on, Jo-Ann."

Smiling fit to crack her muzzle, Jo-Ann swishes her tail as she leads the way to her condo, unit 10-42, and unlocks the door, "Welcome to my humble abode, Vince." She perks her ears, listening for any sign that Gwen had dropped her kids off, and is pleased to hear light chatter from their room.

Vince, entering the condo and shutting the door behind him, perks his ears at the chatter he hears, then remembers something Clyve told him, "Why don't you call your kits out so we can get introductions over?"

Jo-Ann laughs, "I see Spots told you I had children, right?" She then raises her voice, "Richard, Kelso, I'm home, and I've got a friend I'd like you to meet!"

Hearing giggling rustles, Vince puts on his best 'I'm a gentle fur' expression and awaits the incoming kits with a feeling of curiosity, "It doesn't matter to me that she's already got kits," he then blinks at that thought, muttering to himself, "Now why did I think that?"

Richard exits the room he shares with his twin sister first, clad in a robe that he knows his mom wants him to wear when there's company. He stops as he spots Vince, then, judging as only a child can, does a credible running pounce of the larger fur, stating, "Hi there, Mister!" when Vince manages to catch him, Kelso following at a slightly more sedate pace.

Jo-Ann giggles at the display, "That's Richard Kassir Charles Procyon you have in your hands, and his sister is Kelso Gwenwyfar Procyon." She beams at her children, "Kids, this is Vince Panthris, a colleague of mine. He's going to be staying with us for a little while."

Richard giggles as he's held, "Hewwo Vince! You mus be a good fur for mommie to bwing you home."

Kelso nods, shyly, though the care she senses from the big fur is quickly putting her at ease, "Hi there, mister Panthris," she says quietly.

Vince smiles, his voice gentle, "Hello little ones. I hope I'm a good fur, I wouldn't want anything to hurt you two children, or your mother here."

Jo-Ann smiles, "Okay you two ragamuffins, back to your homework, dinner will be ready soon enough." She playfully shoos the twins back to their room, the kits giggling madly as they go back to the reading they were doing.

Smiling, Vince stretches back upright, several of his joints popping as he does so, "You've got cute kits, Jo-Ann, and I can see they're well loved." As he stretches to relieve any last kinks that may have snuck in, he thinks to himself, his muzzle fluffing just slightly, "If what I feel comes true, I look forward to hearing them call me 'daddy' … I can't shake the vision of myself and Jo-Ann walking down an aisle together, and wedding bands being exchanged. I definitely wouldn't mind if that became a reality." He then looks around, "Mind if I help with dinner?"

Shaking her head no, "I never turn down help cooking, especially when it's volunteered the way you just did." She notes the slight fluff of his muzzle and sets the question aside for the moment, "I wonder what he's thinking." She then leads the way to the kitchen, "And this way I can tease you about knowing how to cook."

Vince laughs at this, "Learned from my mom, she always said; 'If you want to meet a nice femme, you have to know how to do more than eat, sleep, and fix things'." He says this last while shaking his index finger at an imaginary fur.

Laughing loudly now, Jo-Ann smiles, "Sounds like an amazing femme." She then gets out a skillet, "I was planning on stir-fry tonight, does that suit you?"

Vince smiles, "Yes, she is an amazing femme. I'm pretty sure you'd like her." He then tilts his head at the question, "Suits me down to the toes, as the saying goes. What do you need me to do?"

Jo-Ann leads Vince through the prep phases of the stir-fry, setting Vince the task of chopping up the peppers, onions, and other veggies that she plans on adding to the thick London Broil she'd already prepared. She sets about slicing the steak as thin as she can get it, setting it aside until she's ready to cook, she then looks at Vince, "Do you mind spicy food, Vince?"

Perking his ears as he concentrates on slicing the large orange pepper, Vince responds, "No, Jo-Ann, I tolerate spicy food pretty well." He then thinks of something, "Jo-Ann? I think the Captain should know that the furs who trashed my place might be in some discomfort now, if they broke one of the bottles I had stashed away."

The raccoon femme looks at Vince as she selects her spices, "And why's that?"

Vince chuckles, "I had a large jar of pickled Habanero chili peppers that I used to clear my sinuses."

Jo-Ann's eyes widen for a moment, then she laughs, "Would serve 'em right if they did get any on 'em."

Vince nods, then pulls out his cell and phones the Captain, "Captain? This is Sergeant Panthris. I just remembered something that was in my pantry that might aide us in capturing the perpetrators," he pauses and then smiles, "Well, sir, I had a jar of pickled Habanero peppers, and I know that unless a fur has a tolerance for hot food, they'll be in dire trouble if they got any of that on themselves," he listens for a moment, Jo-Ann able to hear the Captain's laughter clearly, "Just thought I'd pass that on, Sir, hope you have a good night." He then closes the phone and looks at Jo-Ann, "Seems we may have hit pay dirt all ready, there was a report of a fur being taken to a local clinic complaining of severe pain in his eyes, and claiming his muzzle felt it was full of lava, when he wasn't attempting to douse it with water."

Shaking her head, Jo-Ann grins, "Don't furs know that it takes milk to douse those flames by now?" She then returns to the stove top, warming up the skillet and pouring in a quarter cup of beef stock, then gathering the rest of the ingredients, sets about preparing dinner, the two cubs coming back out of their room to set the table and watch Vince and their mother interact.

Sensing the twins before he sees them, Vince smiles and says, "What does everyone want to drink?"

Richard pipes up, "Strawberry milk."

Kelso nods, "Me to, please?"

Vince nods, and gets out the twins' beverages, opting for a glass of regular milk for himself, he looks to Jo-Ann and says, "And your order, my lady?"

Jo-Ann blinks at the address, then blushes slightly and murmurs, "Milk's fine, thanks Vince."

Seeing the blush Vince is momentarily surprised, then reviewing what he said, his muzzle fluffs in embarrassment, "My pleasure, Jo-Ann." He then seats himself after making sure the twins are properly seated, though when Jo-Ann is finished cooking and is plating the dinner, he does get up and help her with that portion.

Richard and Kelso giggle together, and in a lightning fast conversation that only twins can have, come to the conclusion that mommie likes this fur and that he likes mommie. They both turn their efforts into determining if they like this big fur, as only children seem to be able to do.

Vince seats Jo-Ann before taking his own seat, "Good company and a good meal can make for a great day."

Jo-Ann smiles at this, then looks at the twins, "and what did you two learn in school today?"

Richard thinks, "We're working on our sums, mom. Writing them out so we understand how they work."

Kelso nods, "I was doing some extra reading that the teacher thought I might enjoy, before Auntie Gwen came to get us."

Vince listens in, smiling at the twins as he witnesses them interact with their mother. He is a bit surprised at how well spoken they are, for their age, but then smiles to himself, realizing that he might be translating unconsciously from his experiences watching his younger siblings. He does turn to Kelso and asks, politely, "And what did the teacher choose for you to read?"

Smiling broadly at Vince's question, Jo-Ann waits for her daughter's answer, subtly reassuring Kelso that it's okay to answer the question.

Kelso smiles, "Miz Swenson got me a copy of 'The Enormous Egg' by Oliver Buttersworth."

Vince's eyebrows raise to meet with his hairline at the name of the book. He's read it himself, but he knows it's usually reserved for second graders, because some of the words within aren't easy to grasp, figuring out the definitions through context isn't the easiest thing, at any age. He does smile at Kelso, "Do you like what you've read so far?"

Nodding, happily, the young raccoon femme smiles, "It's a great story, lets me use my 'magination."

Richard nods, "Kelso's been readin' it aloud to me. 'T'sa funny story, but I like hearin' 'bout it."

Beaming, Jo-Ann giggles, "Glad to hear it, you two." She then turns to Vince, "These two are quite amazing, aren't they?"

Nodding, Vince smiles, "A tribute to their mother, whose intelligence they definitely inherited."

Jo-Ann's muzzle fluffs furiously at this, causing both Richard and Kelso to giggle before hiding their expressions by starting on their meals, Kelso glancing at Richard and nodding imperceptibly, the young femme thinking, "He'd be a good daddy to us, I think." Richard's thoughts following a similar tack.

Vince turns his attention to his meal as well, allowing Jo-Ann the opportunity to compose herself, he does miss the change in attitude from the kits, though, as he's thinking on his words, and wondering just how this femme has crept into his heart so quickly and easily, "I can honestly say that I love you, Jo-Ann, and I hope for the opportunity to say what I'm thinking aloud. I hope you feel the same way about me, my sweet femme."

Jo-Ann's thoughts, however, are a bit more chaotic, though she does find herself thinking of Vince's attitude and looks, finding both to be quite attractive, and the hints of his intelligence merely add icing to the very appetizing package.

All too shortly everyone's done with their dinner, the twins taking their plates to the sink to be rinsed, then Kelso saying, "Mom, can we take our dessert to our rooms?"

Jo-Ann thinks for a moment, "Sure, hon, why don't you both pick out a flavor of Blue Bunny ice cream you like, just don't leave the package in your rooms."

Richard nods, then goes to the freezer and extracts a 'single serve' package of Raspberry Cheesecake ice cream, selecting a similar sized Bunny Tracks for himself, "Here you go, sis."

Kelso giggles and takes what her brother got out, "Thanks." She then turns to her mom, "Good night, mom."

Vince turns to the twins, "Have a good night you two, and have good dreams, it's been nice to meet you."

Smiling proudly, Jo-Ann says, "And I'm sure they enjoyed meeting you too, Vince."

The twins nod emphatically and then scamper off to their room.

Vince then looks at Jo-Ann, "Very adorable kits you have there, Jo-Ann." He then looks around the condo, "Now, where am I putting my things while I disrupt your normal activities?"

Jo-Ann blinks, then laughs, "I've a pull-out couch in the 'Living Room,' sadly the twins took up my spare room for when I had guests stay over."

Just then the doorbell rings, and when the door is opened it reveals Officer Paguma, smiling, "Captain thought I'd be best to deliver Vince's stuff." He then hands Jo-Ann the case containing Vince's clothes while the hybrid collects the case containing his guitar.

Vince speaks up, "Most likely, and thanks for this, Blake. I guess I'll learn more tomorrow, once I get back to the precinct," to which the Civet simply nods.

Jo-Ann also thanks the Civet and smiles, "Have a safe trip home, Blake, and say hi to your spouse for me, won't you?"

Blake nods, "I'll tell Sylvia you said hi, you two have a good night and I'll be seeing you around the precinct." He then turns to Vince, "Oh, the Captain wants you to park inside the motor pool until the investigation is over."

Vince blinks, "Okay. Not a problem. I guess he figures it'll be harder to arrange accidents in there."

Laughing, Blake smiles, "Plus with the enclosed entrance, it's harder to know when you're inside."

Jo-Ann nods, "Good night, Blake, be safe."

The Civet officer nods and waves as he leaves, smiling to himself, "Those two are so suited for each other, how do they not see it?"

Closing the door, Vince smiles at Jo-Ann, "It's been a long day, and I'm feeling the effects of everything that's happened. Do you mind if I hit my borrowed bed?"

Shaking her head no, Jo-Ann smiles, then leads Vince over to the couch. With Vince's help she removes all the cushions and folds out the bed. She then plugs in something and a compressor kicks in, inflating the air mattress that had been kept on the bed, "Something the last fur that stayed on the couch suggested I have." She then gets out the pillows, kept in the side table next to the couch.

Vince smiles, "Much appreciated, trust me." He then place a couple of the cushions behind the mattress before reaching for the pillows, "I can tuck myself in, you can go do what you need to."

Jo-Ann simply smiles, "And what if I want to watch you get into bed?" she says teasingly.

The hybrid smiles, then greatly daring, reaches out and strokes Jo-Ann's muzzle, "Then I'd say you're a tease, but I wouldn't stop you, if that's what you wanted."

At Vince's touch Jo-Ann shivers and blushes, then smiles, "I'll leave you to your preparations, then." She then points, "Bathroom's over there," and then goes over to the linen cabinet and extracts two large towels, placing them in the bathroom, "And now you're ready for the morning as well."

Vince nods, then bows politely, if teasingly, "Thank you, my lady. And now I bid you good night," he then rummages through the case of clothes brought to him and extracts a pair of shorts. He then enters the bathroom and brushes his teeth, stepping back out clad only in his shorts, smiling as he sees Jo-Ann studying him, "Just makes me more comfortable, right now."

Jo-Ann smiles as she sees Vince leave the bathroom clad in a tiny pair of shorts, "I was right, he does keep himself quite fit." She then smiles at being caught looking, "I can understand. Perhaps another time we can discuss the normal attire of the household." She then winks, "You may be surprised by what you learn."

Vince simply shakes his head and gets under the covers, "Good night, Jo-Ann, sleep well, my friend."

Jo-Ann nods and then smiles, "Same to you, Vince. May your dreams be sweet." She then enters her bedroom and gets ready for bed, smiling as the light clicks off in the living room before she closes her door. She then slips under her covers, her clothing for the next day set up on top of the dresser next to the bed, "I wonder what his dreams will be like?"

Vince, out in the living room, is resting lightly, trying to get used to the different sounds and scents of Jo-Ann's condo, his ears picking up the twins resting quietly, and hears Jo-Ann slip into her bed, his thoughts centered around the attractive raccoon femme, "This night's going to make for interesting dreams … Hope nothing unexpected happens."

# # #

Midnight

Jo-Ann slips from her bedroom, making her way to the bathroom by memory, clad solely in her fur, her mind only on the fact she forgot to empty her bladder.

Sensing the movement, Vince turns slowly, as if asleep. His night vision, which is quite a bit better than most furs would suspect, picking out the sight of Jo-Ann in her travels. He tries his best not to let on he's watching, but when he sees Jo-Ann returning he gasps at her beauty and figure. his exclamation drawing a startled gasp from the raccoon femme. He purrs, "Sorry to startle you, Jo-Ann. I just couldn't help myself when I saw you."

Jo-Ann gives a startled chirr then giggles, "You can see that well in the dark? Must come in handy at times."

Sitting up on the air mattress and smiling, Vince replies, "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't enjoying what I see right now."

Jo-Ann softly chirrs, then makes her way to sit next to Vince, drawing a startled purr from the male, "Can I be blunt, Vince?"

Smiling large enough to be heard, Vince jokes, "I'd rather you be Jo-Ann, but speak your mind, please."

Shaking her head at the silliness that's evident, Jo-Ann chirrs, "From the first moment I met you, I've wanted to get to know you better. You've also featured in my dreams a couple of times."

Blushing now, Vince looks at his paws, then places the closer one on Jo-Ann's tail, carefully, "Thank you for letting me know I was not alone in having this feeling." He then gently strokes the femme's tail, "But I've stopped myself several times from asking you, because I was afraid."

Jo-Ann chirrs deeper at the stroking, "Afraid of what, Vince?"

Vince purrs, "Afraid it would be too soon. Afraid you were already spoken for. Afraid that my interest wasn't returned . . ."

Smiling, Jo-Ann turns to Vince, then silences his words with her muzzle, expressing her feelings and hopes non-verbally, the electricity she feels upon this contact making her certain she's done the right thing.

With a startled purr Vince returns the kiss, returning the feelings he's sensing being expressed toward him, and letting Jo-Ann know that he is equally interested, feeling a similar 'spark' of recognition within himself.

Continuing the kiss until she's breathless, Jo-Ann reluctantly ends the moment, murmuring, "Why don't we continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable …," getting up and taking Vince's paws in her own, drawing him to her bedroom, letting him know he's welcome to join her therein.

Vince lets Jo-Ann lead him, his last act being to close the door behind him so that they can be private, he purrs, "Comfortable is good." He then lets the wonderfully attractive femme guide him to her bed, watching in appreciation as Jo-Ann lies provocatively on the bed.

Jo-Ann smiles up at Vince and pats the bed beside her, invitingly, "Why don't you sit here, Vince."

The hybrid purrs as he settles himself next to Jo-Ann, his hand gently stroking her hip as he does so, "You're so beautiful, Jo-Ann, I'm honored that you feel that you can trust me with yourself."

Smiling, Jo-Ann chirrs, both at the stroking and at Vince's words, "The feeling I got when I first saw you, plus how respectful you've been to me and everyone I've seen you interact with have gone a long way to alleviate my apprehensions." She then sits up, snuggling against Vince, her bosom pressing against his back, "I'm glad I got the chance to tell you just how much you affect me, my love."

Vince looks back at Jo-Ann, momentarily startled, then kisses her on her muzzle, "I do love you, Jo-Ann, I don't know how you've crept so far into my heart, but you have." He then lays on the bed next to her and starts caressing her back and shoulders, his touches gentle and caring, letting the femme know just how much he cares for her, "So beautiful," he murmurs before teasingly licking the raccoon femme's cleavage.

Jo-Ann gives a startled chirr at the kiss, her eyes widening at Vince's words, her senses telling her how deeply he means it. She closes her eyes as he caresses her back and is startled when she gets a vision of herself, dressed in a wedding gown, coming down the aisle to the hybrid who is laying next to her, her twins standing on either side of the podium grinning fit to split their muzzles, and her father walking her down the aisle. Then, as fast as it came, the vision vanishes when she feels the hybrid's tongue teasingly licking her cleavage fur. She opens her eyes and chirrs, "My handsome fellow, what are your intentions toward me?"

Vince looks into the raccoon femme's eyes, "To love you as you deserve to be, to honor you as fully as I can, and I hope to share as much of my life with you as I'm allowed." He then caresses from her muzzle to her bosom, "And your intentions, my lovely lady?"

Jo-Ann giggles as she caresses Vince's cheek, "To learn what sort of lover you are, to honor you as fully as I can, and as for sharing my life … well, I think you're starting off on the right paw." She then chirrs as she draws the large hybrid against her, her hands touching his and showing him just what excites her.

Purring deeply, Vince allows his hands to be led, learning what he's taught and teasingly adding techniques that he's learned, letting the vivacious femme that's with him learn just what excites him as well, the conversation continuing in a nonverbal fashion of shared passions, each fur taking the time to learn about the other, their joy at finding each other expressed in a quite physical fashion ...

~ ~ ~ End Chapter 2 ^_^