FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A slight rustle. Paws sliding ... over sheets. Over fur. Over her.

A huff, and a turn. Pink fur meshing with honey-tan. Wings stretching, and paws tracing the filmy webs ... of those things. Drawing sighs. Drawing eyes ... to close.

Heavy breathing ... through the nose, and ears ...

" ... did ... did you hear that?" she asked, sitting up.

Field blinked. Nose sniff-sniffing. Uncontrollably so. Lying on his back, with his head halfway on a pillow ... " ... um ... no," he went. Swallowing. "Adelaide, she's sleeping. We both feel it," he said. They had a mental link with their daughter ...

"Yeah." A pause. A blink. "Yeah," she whispered, a smile melting back on her muzzle ... and she slid back down. So that she was half-sprawled atop of him, her breasts on his chest, and her muzzle ... above his. Peering down with the pink of her eyes. The glorious, sun-rich pink of her eyes.

His (own) eyes darted a bit, and ... his whiskers twitched.

"Field ... "

His eyes went back to hers.

"I'm so glad we're ... alive, and ... together, and ... it's so easy to get overwhelmed, I know, but ... " She trailed. And put her nose on his cheek. "But, now, when time seems so slow, and when we're anchored in bed, and ... playing tag in each other's heads ... doesn't it feel like a dream? Am I dreaming this?"

"I don't know ... if it's a dream, it's a good dream."

"Mm ... you're rubbing off on me, mousey."

"Mm?" His paws went round her back.

She arched. "Mm-hmm ... I'm ... becoming a blabber-bat. Like how you're a blabber-mouse. I should be kissing you and ... I've got you bare, in the fur, beneath me, and I'm talking. Why," she breathed, "am I talking, Field ... " Her lips brushed his ear. His sensitive, swiveling ear. Dishy ear. "Why ... "

"I don't ... I don't know," he huffed. Squeaking ...

"Shut me up. Find a way," she said, "to work my stupid muzzle shut ... "

"Your muzzle's not stupid," he whispered.

A smile. "Then why's it talking ... instead of kissing? Why's it whispering ... instead of whimpering?"

"Cause you're teasing me," said the mouse.

"Teasing? I'm teasing ... "

"Mm ... I don't know. We're both being silly."

"Nothing wrong with silly ... " ... and, finally, a kiss. To the lips. Wet and warm and ... brief. And breaking. And eyelids hooded. "Nothing at all ... "

"Mm ... " Field breathed in, chest rising. And she felt the warmth of him, the twitching anxiety of him. All of him.

She leaned down, head tilting, and kissed again. Softer, sweeter ... longer.

And his paws roamed further down her back. To her rump, and to her short, rudder-like tail. Her rump raising a bit as ... he toyed with her ...

"Huh ... mm ... " Kiss broken. Saliva stringing. Sheets rustling, and ... the pillow that had been under Field's head having somehow ... worked its way to the edge of the mattress, where it seemed liable to fall to the floor. Field's tail already trailing over the edge, like a rope ...

The mouse squirmed.

She kept him pinned. Showed him ... who was in charge.

He relaxed a bit, breathing, breathing ...

Her fangs grazed his neck, but she didn't bite ... couldn't bite yet, anyway ... hadn't numbed his neck. Hadn't ... but the motion of those sharp teeth parting his neck-fur ... the memory of that. The promise of it. The echo of that ...

... gave him chills. And he sucked in air. With a huffy squeak ...

"Oh ... " Her soft, warm belly was against his, sliding, bumping ... slightly grinding. As her hips pressed to his. Pressed down. As she play-humped him ... as if she were the male. Her mind fishing out, tantalizing him ... trying to get him to play along ...

The mouse, flushing furiously (and ears burning ... to their rounded tops) ... parted his legs, hugging her down ... as she ground her hips against and down. Against and down ... against his own. Making his mouse-hood more and more ... erect.

"Mm ... " A breath. A deeper breath ... panting onto one of his cheeks. And then his lips. And then another kiss. Longer, and her tongue worming inside his mouth. To his teeth. To the insides of his cheeks. Licking about, tangling, worming ... the wetness of it. The warmth ... and the intimacy of such contact. She was stealing his breath.

And his eyes had to close. There was nothing else for it. They had to close ... and he, breathing erratically through the nose, clutched at her back-fur.

"Huh ... heh ... " A giggle, and she stopped her grinding. Lying atop of him. Nestled between his legs. "Mm ... you're blushing," she said, paw on his cheek. And moving it to his forehead. And to his sensitive ears (drawing a whimper as she touched him there) ... " ... it's cute. Oh, it's so cute," she breathed ... " ... but I don't know why you do it."

"I don't know ... "

"Mm ... "

"I was ... scrutinized my entire life. By everyone. Until you ... "

She wordlessly listened. Angular ears swept-back, hearing his breathing ... and hearing his heart ... faintly, hearing his heart. Her ears were that good ...

"It's instinctual. Blushing ... just ... self-conscious," he said. "You know that by now."

"I do," she agreed. "I'm just saying ... it looks cute on you."

"We're doing it again ... you're," he repeated, "doing it again."

"Mm ... yeah ... "

"Talking. No talking!" the mouse chided wispily.

"Is that an order, commander?" she asked. A giggle ... and her paws on his sides. "Mm ... you gonna pull rank on me ... "

"I don't know ... you're pretty good at insubordination."

A giggle-chitter ... " ... mm ... " A giggle! "Mm ... I am, at that," she breathed. "When given good reason ... and, darling, you're ... reason aplenty ... " Another, another kiss ... deeper, deeper. Held.

Field seemed to melt ...

And she broke it, huffing. "Oh ... oh," she went, swallowing, licking her own lips (getting the wetness of her muzzle and of his ... the combined taste of it). "I remember when we first met," she whispered.

The mouse blushed ... hugging her from beneath. Tail starting to snake.

"You couldn't figure out how to ... use the computer on the bridge. I had to help you, and ... later, in the mess hall, we had a meal ... mm ... remember?"

"I remember ... "

"I just ... we were so young. We still are, but ... you know what I mean. Just ... look at us now," she whispered, raising up a bit. Meeting his eyes. "Sometimes, it scares me. Sometimes, I ... I don't know." She swallowed.

He raised a paw beneath her breasts ... cupped one, rubbing the thumb of his paw ... through her fur. Around her curves.

"But, then, I ... see how far we've come," she whispered. "How ... you know, our love is ... so comfortable. And, to me, it still sparks. This still sparks," she said.

He smiled ...

"I love you just as much as I did then ... and I ... think I love you more."

The mouse opened his muzzle, and shut it, and opened it again ... " ... I ... I was so shy, and I'm still," he confessed, "shy. I was so unsure, and I'm still ... so unsure. But you're a constant. Those things are constants ... but so are you, and you're much more powerful than any of my demons, and ... " He trailed, eyes darting ... and he sighed, looking back to her (again). "I don't mean to sound lame."

"You don't," she whispered, cupping his cheek in her paw. Tilting his head (slightly) ... so that their gaze was more direct. "You never do ... "

"Then why do I feel so ... raw?" he asked. "Why do I feel like ... so awkward?"

"Because you've convinced yourself that you do," was her response.

"No, I ... I just ... "

"You've grown, Field. I've seen it ... and I feel it," she said, moving her paw to his chest, over his heart. Sitting, now, atop of him ... at a straddle. Her legs parted. Shins on the sheets. Straddling his hips and putting her paws on his chest. Leaning down a bit ... breathing. "I just ... you know, I think about ... we've known each other ... a year. A year. And all that's happened. We've a child. We've ... no home," she whispered, voice so hushed, so soothing ... in this dark. In the dark of the bedroom. "I feel I've known you for a lifetime. And yet ... you know, I feel young and old at the same time."

"I know the feeling ... "

"I just ... right now, time is slower. It always is ... when we're whispering," she said. "When we're in the dark. It's always slower."

Field closed his eyes.

"But, darling ... there's no need to blush with me. One of these days, you're gonna stop doing that ... "

"One of these days," he whispered. "When they find a cure for ... being mousey." A small smile.

A giggle. She showed her teeth ... when she smiled.

Which made him grin.

"Well, if that's the case ... let's hope there's no cure," she said, "for mousey-ness." She caressed his chest.

"Even if I blush ... even if I twitch ... "

"I didn't say I didn't like your blushing ... I told you it was cute, didn't I? I just ... I don't know ... I don't even know what I'm getting at," she confessed. "I don't know what I'm trying to say."

"Then show me ... "

She looked at him. "Alright," she whispered, closing her eyes ... mind brushing his, but ... not entirely. It wasn't a complete connection unless ...

"Show me," he pleaded.

"Show you," she asked, swallowing, rubbing up and down his chest ... with her paws. "Show you ... what," she asked.

"How to not be afraid."

"Oh, darling ... " She sighed ... " ... I'm afraid, too, you know? Of a lot of things. I just ... I hide it better."

"You're lucky, that way."

"No, I'm just ... a bat. And that's to say ... no better than a mouse. No better than anyone else. I'm a fur. Like you ... and ... we all have our vices. We all have our talents," she said. "And I know you have yours, and I've seen them ... flower. I want them to flower further. I want us," she said, "to flower ... forever. And never stop. Never be picked. But ... wild, in the wind, bobbing in the buoyant breeze."

"Wild flowers?" he whispered. "Our love ... like ... "

"Wild flowers," she confirmed. And she reached a paw behind her ... to the mouse's ... mouse-hood. His sheath-less pink member. "Now, um ... what did you want me to ... teach you ... " She squeezed ...

"Mm ... " A swallow. "How to fly ... how to ... get rid of my fear of flying ... "

"You're on a spaceship, darling. We're in the stars. You're making love to a bat ... do NOT," she whispered with a knowing smile, "tell me you're afraid of flying. You've too much flight in your life ... for that." She directed the tip of his mouse-hood ... directed it, and raised up ... crouching over him. Holding that position. Huffing. "No, you're ... what you're afraid of," she told him, "is landing. You don't wanna land ... you don't want it to end." She swallowed. "And it won't," she promised.

"Are you sure ... "

"I'm sure," she promised. "It'll go into heaven ... we'll live on. We'll never," she said, "lose each other. Alright?"

A shy nod ...

" ... 'kay," she said, smiling ... and lowering. Removing her paw from his cock ... once it had slipped between her folds, into her warm, wet tunnel. Removing her paw and letting her weight sink fully on him. And putting her paws back to his chest. Leaning, at a slant, on top of him ... " ... mm ... "

"Huh ... "

"Feel ... good ... "

"Yeah ... "

"Oh ... " She allowed her slick, heated interior ... her muscle ... to coax him to a painfully erect state. Allowed his mouse-hood to marinate inside her ... before rising a tiny bit. And falling. Before rising ... and falling. Keeping her paws on his chest, and rising ... falling. Eyes closed as shed did so. Listening with her ears. Sniffing with her nose.

The mouse huffed, huffed ... eyes darting about ... in their mousey way. To the window. To their icy-blues of the planet ... the whites and blues. The Arctic freeze. The crystalline beauty (and detachment) of the world they'd been orbiting all these weeks. And the stars in the surrounding space. All those little balls of light ... one of them was ... home. A home they could never return to. And one of them ... maybe ... was a future home. A place they could find. And settle. And ... and ...

"Uh ... uhn," she went. Softly, softly. Her moans so soft, so delicate. So civil. For the moment, anyway ... as she rose and fell.

Field helpless. Pinned. Submitting ...

She rose, fell, rose ... held it ... fell. Huffing. The stiff, glistening skin of the mouse's cock ... disappearing into the depths of her pink pussy. Swallowed up. In such warmth. In such natural warmth. Where it needed to be ... and then reappearing as she rose, and then ... swallowed back up. As she fell ...

The motion, for the mouse, so sensitive ... and he had no control ...

For her, the way his penis slid in and out of her, parting flesh, touching the muscle inside ... the little sparks of pleasure. The little instinctual drive ... keep going, keep going ...

The mouse's mind sent out ... a thought-question ... wanting to know if she was going to bite him ...

A huffing shake of her head, with eyes closed ... " ... n-not now ... l-later," she said. "We've ... we've both got more than one orgasm in us ... don't we?" she asked, swallowing. "For the evening?"

A nod on his part. The motion of the nodding ... making a rustle-rustle sound ... of his fur against the fabric of the sheets.

"Well ... we'll save the bite," she promised, "for last. Let's ... just ... oh," she breathed, words failing her. Rising, falling. And her fingers pressed on the mouse's chest, on his nipples. Little mousey nipples ... hard. And she pressed them.

He squeaked ...

"B-buck," she instructed ... " ... b-buck up ... "

"Mm ... mm ... "

"Come on," she whispered, urging him ... urging him on.

He did so ... bucking upward ... as she fell. Countering her falling motion. Slick squelching sounds ... coming from the spot of their physical union.

She stayed ... with him at a hilt. And rose ... and ... fell ...

... and he bucked at her falling.

"Huh ... uh!" She craned her neck. Fingering herself. One paw straining for the mouse's ears ... while the other toyed with her clitoris. While she rubbed herself. While she sat, again, with him at a hilt in her. "Oh," she huffed. "Mm ... " She succeeded in gripping one of his ears. The perimeter of an ear. And she ran her fingers right along the very edges of a dishy ear ...

Field shivered, starting to squirm ...

... as she ran her finger ALL the way around the edge of his ear ... as she leaned forward, sucking in a warm breath ...

... as the mouse, shaking, steeled himself ...

... for the resulting warm breath that was blown, softly, softly, RIGHT into his ear canal.

The mouse lost it ...

And Adelaide chittered ... in surprise, feeling a spurt, spurt, spurt ... " ... oh ... oh ... wow," she huffed, returning to fingering her clitoris. "You ... you came," she said.

"Mm! Oh, oh ... mm ... mm-hmm ... "

A giggle! And a gasp ... " ... ohh ... ooh," she exhaled, as she caught up to him (and reached orgasm; pussy walls quivering ... oh, the searing spasms, and the ... stray drips of liquid ... so wet). "Oh ... " The pleasure momentarily blinded her, seemingly. Left her mind in a haze. After a minute, she regained her focus, looking down at him ...

Her mate, fur matted with sweat (looking a darker brown than normal) ... eyes half-open, whiskers drooped (from the heat, and the pleasure) ...

"You look ... content."

"Y-yeah ... " He felt the stray spasms of his cock ... and her own stray spasms ... as they both recovered. As they both ... glowed.

"You came," she said, "when I blew in your ear. I mean ... wow ... I can't believe I've ... I've never ... "

" ... tried that before ... yes, you have."

"Not to such effect!" She smiled, giggling a bit ...

"I don't know," he admitted. Flushing. "Just ... you blew the right breath."

"I'll say ... " Though she'd been hoping to continue the rising ... pleasure ... for a few minutes longer than that ... she wasn't complaining. The surprise of his orgasm, and the discovery of ... how she'd done it, and ... trying to play catch-up with him ... all rather fun. Exploring each other's bodies, and ... even after a year. How many times had they done this? How many times had they been in bed? How many times ... had they made love?

And yet it never got old ... never got boring ...

Oh, it was NEVER bad ...

Oh, it was ... always ...

" ... good. That was good," she said, sighing. "But ... we are not," she stressed, "finished yet."

"No?" A slight smile.

A giggle ... at his expression. "Oh, no, darling ... oh, no. No ... so, wrap your crazy arms round me ... and hold on," she whispered.

"So ... so," he panted, as she started to shift her position ... pulling off him in the process ... (to give his mouse-hood a few minutes to recharge) ... "so," Field stammered. "You are ... this is," he said, "insubordination."

"You gotta problem with that ... commander?" she asked, eyes sparking.

"No, ma'am."

A giggle! "Mm ... " She showed her fangs. Licking them with her teeth. She chittered. "Mm ... good," she declared.

Field beamed, and opened his muzzle to ...

BLARE!

A blink ... on the bat's part. "What ... "

BLARE!

"Red alert," Field whispered. "That's ... "

"Damn," Adelaide sighed, rolling off the mouse ... and slipping off the bed. Getting dressed.

Field did the same. "The baby," he realized, eyes boggling with fear. "What ... who'll stay with the baby ... "

Adelaide bit her lip. "Um ... it's a red alert. Senior officers to the bridge ... on alert. Always. I ... "

"The baby," Field said again, voice quivering.

"Um ... you stay with her?" Adelaide half-said/half-asked. "If Wren asks, I'll just ... tell him. Couldn't be helped ... "

A nod.

Adelaide breathed, fully dressed (though still smelling of sweat and seed and ... sex ... and mouse). Truth be told, she ... wanted to say with the baby, too, but ... she knew how Field was in command situations. In a crisis. He didn't hold up ... very well ... if something was wrong, she would rather him be in their quarters, with Akira ... than on the bridge. She had to protect the both of them ... keep them out of harm's way.

"Darling," Field stammered.

"Hey ... it's fine," she whispered, swallowing, forehead pressing to his. Giving him some confidence. Some strength. "Sit tight, okay? Keep an open comm ... with the bridge ... listen to what's going on, if you need to. But ... "

"Alright, alright ... " The mouse was panicked ... from such pleasure ... to such fear. In a mere minute.

Adelaide hurried for the door ... keeping her mind with Field's. Staying with him ... even when not in the room.

"Time?" Wren asked.

"Another minute," said Chester, from helm. His paws danced over the controls and consoles. The buttons making little beeps and churrs ... " ... I can't take us faster than impulse in a planetary system. It's ... we could try an in-system warp jump, but ... we'd be moving so fast in such tight confines ... we'd overshoot our mark, and ... end up running into a planet or something. Or a moon, or ... "

"Just get us there, ensign ... do your best," Wren said, from his chair (which he wasn't sitting in; but, then, did he ever sit in it ... or was it just for decoration ... the squirrel didn't like to sit in that chair; even though it was his).

The doors swished ... at the back of the bridge. Adelaide emerging.

Wren turned. "You're the last one here."

"Yeah," she said, smoothing her uniform.

"Field?"

"With Akira." Her eyes pleaded with the squirrel ... for understanding.

Wren nodded softly ... " ... it's okay. Just ... get to your station. We've got a problem."

"Don't we always?" Adelaide asked.

"A snow rabbit ship," Wren announced (for the benefit of anyone on the bridge who hadn't heard already), "has run into a subspace mine ... on the edge of the system. On the perimeter of snow rabbit space."

"The DMZ," piped in Rella, from tactical. Her bushy tail twitching like a flag behind her. With nervous energy. "The neutral zone between snow rabbit and Arctic fox space ... by treaty, neither species is allowed to cross into that buffer. Doing so ... would be an act of war."

"But the snow rabbit ship ... "

" ... was on patrol. They run patrols. So do the Arctic foxes. They scan each other from their respective sides. They keep watch. But a snow rabbit ship ... hit a mine. A cloaked mine. Initial reports are ... that it's of Arctic fox origin."

Adelaide blinked. "What? But ... why? How?"

"Beats me," the squirrel said, sighing, pacing back and forth. "Luminous is quicker than ... any ship the snow rabbits have. So, we were asked to rush to the scene."

"We're within visual range," announced Ketchy, from the comm station. She looked up at the screen.

Wren squinted. Shook his head. "I don't ... see anything. Magnify ... "

A clicking whir, and ... she did so.

And there it was.

The snow rabbit ship. White, streamlined, with a stronger-looking back ... and weaker-looking front. A gash in its side, with flashing lights, with ... debris. The ship flashing its lights, and ... a bit listless.

"They're venting air ... venting plasma ... they're draining dry," Rella said, eyes darting over her readings. "Sir, we have to ... " Beep-beep ... be-beep ... " ... wait ... I'm reading another damaged ship ... "

"Another mine victim?" Wren's whiskers twitched, and his nose sniffed.

"What if we run into a mine, too?" Chester asked. Starting to worry. Heart starting to pound. "What if ... "

"Chester," said Adelaide. Eying him. "It'll be okay ... alright?" she whispered. The bat had a special love for all mice. Had a special talent for being able to decipher and soothe them, and ... she had helped Chester during his nervous breakdown. She tried to help him here ...

The mouse twitched and ... nodded. Breathing. And nodding again. Heart pounding.

Rella, ignoring the side conversation, announced, "An Arctic fox ship ... on the other side of the DMZ. They're ... they've been hit. By a mine."

"What are the odds of that ... "

"Wren, this is insane ... I've got snow rabbit ships coming from ... the direction we came from. I've got fox ships on the others side of the border. I think they're going to cross," she said, an urgency in her voice.

"Why would they do this?" Adelaide asked. "I ... this can't be right."

"Figure this out, Rella," Wren said quietly. "Quickly."

"I'm ... I'm trying," she said.

"Well, I know you can ... I've confidence in you," the squirrel told his mate. "Adelaide, help her. Get Assumpta up here ... confer with Juneau down in engineering ... and where's Pyro? Adelaide, tell him to prepare a rescue operation ... you'll be needed on the bridge. He'll have to lead it."

The bat nodded, striding over to tactical.

And Wren turned his gaze back at the viewer. At the snow rabbit ship, which ... had it been alive, it would be bleeding. Bleeding ... and its blood was drawing furs from all sides ...

"You're carrying a phase rifle," Pyro noted.

"You've seen me carry one before. I've seen you," she replied, "carry one before."

They were in a corridor on F-deck ... making their way to the shuttle-bay. Where they would, with Denali, compose a three-fur rescue team ... to quickly head over to the snow rabbit ship, dock, drag any survivors back to the shuttle-pod, and ... get back to Luminous. They could only take three furs ... cause they needed the space for injured snow rabbits. Sensors indicated about ... a dozen survivors. Some of them ... they were faint. Seventy-two snow rabbits had been aboard that ship ...

"True," the wolf admitted. "I just ... I don't know." He came from a dark universe. He didn't want ... to see this one turn into ... that one. Didn't wish the darkness to follow him. Didn't wish it to consume his mate. Dotna was a security officer, and ... that was a risky job. What if she got hurt, or ... had to kill a fur ... what if it got tricky ... could he offer her the support she needed? Was he qualified to do that? He had killed ... and she had, too. But killing a Arctic fox, say ... would not be the same thing as killing a wasp. And ... but that's not what scared him most. What scared him most was ...

"What's wrong?" she asked, stopping.

Pyro almost ran into her. Almost tripped over her. Gave a yip.

"What's wrong," she whispered, putting her paws on his shoulders ... " ... darling ... come on. Tell me. I know you ... don't like to talk about ... some things, but ... come on, please ... "

"We should keep moving."

"No."

"Dotna, there's ... we have to be in the shuttle-bay. Now," said Pyro, raising his voice.

"No!" She said it with more force than intended. And winced ... at her own sound, and ... breathed, and said. "No ... not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," Pyro whispered, lowering his head.

She put her paw under his chin. Raised it. "Look at me ... tell me," she said, emerald eyes meeting his red, red ones. Those eyes that saw so much more than the rest of them ... could ever see.

"I don't wanna lose you," was his whisper. "Why ... why don't you join the Ops team ... with me? Or ... or ... " He trailed. "I see you carrying that phase rifle, and I ... know that it's meant for use. And chances are ... if you're using it against something ... that something," he said, "is using a phase rifle against you, too. I want to be there to defend you ... I don't ... want you to have to fight, and ... have to live with the pain ... that I've felt. You've helped me to heal, and to ... deal with my past. And ... you mean so much to me. In this short time, I've ... shared your bed, your body, your ... your love. You've given, and ... " The wolf's voice trailed, and ... he seemed to be at a loss for words. Seemed to be flustered. "Dotna, I ... I don't want to lose you!" he stressed.

"You won't," she promised.

"We both know ... you can't promise that."

She smiled weakly. "I know, but ... I can try. We can try," she said, "to stay alive. We've done a pretty good already. We've made it this far. The both of us ... from very different directions, under very different circumstances ... we've both endured our respective histories, and ... here we are. Standing in this corridor. So in love ... that we can't get our foot-paws to move us ... " She put her nose to his nose. Sniffy-twitching ... against his nose. His nose was wet. It didn't twitch, but it was wet ... and cool. And hers ... it twitches, and she tilted her head ... and gave him a soft, sensual kiss. And held it. For seconds. Kiss ... oh, to kiss ... and to pull back. And to smile and to say, "It'll be okay ... "

It broke the wolf's heart. He swallowed. A lump in his throat. But he wasn't one to cry, so ... he kept it to a lump.

"It'll be okay," Dotna repeated. "God willing. We have to believe that ... otherwise, we set ourselves up," she said, "for failure. Hope ... keeps us alive. And ... we ... we gotta keep moving," she said, moving again.

He jogged after her ... heart hammering.

"You, uh ... " Rella tapped a control, her voice lowered. "You, uh, didn't have time to shower, I take it?"

Adelaide quietly scanned the sensor read-outs. Looking at the interior deck plans of the snow rabbit ship. "No," she whispered. Her eyes met the squirrel's.

Rella cracked a secretive smile. "Mm ... every-fur on the bridge can smell that, you know."

Adelaide showed her teeth, but kept a straight face. "They enjoy it ... we're hopeless furs. Middle of a crisis, and all anyone wants right now is to ... mm ... " She clamped her mouth on the f-word lurking behind her lips. Too casual to use ... during a red alert.

"Did you?" Rella asked.

The bat raised her brow. "Hmm?"

"You said we all enjoy your scent ... but did you enjoy it? The ... act, I mean, of ... how you got the scent in the ... " A trail.

A slow, teasing grin on Adelaide's part.

A giggle on Rella's.

"Girls," said Wren ... from several feet away.

Rella looked up. Blinked. "Yes?"

"Are we concentrating?"

"Yes," was her reply. As if she were a student ... having been caught talking during a test. Problem was ... it was nearing midnight. Furs, instinctually, had very strong yiff drives. And nearly all furs, by default, hit the peak of their daily cycle ... at this time. Adelaide wasn't the ONLY fur on the bridge (or on the ship) that had been doing what she'd been doing ... when the alarm had gone off. Oh, she wasn't the only one ...

But, furs as they may be, they still ... had to concentrate.

Still had a situation to deal with.

Wren eyed the two, and ... turned back, pacing, pacing ... and repeatedly looking to the viewer.

Azure was alone in the hydroponics bay.

This was his post.

He should be ... in bed. In their quarters, but ... Assumpta had been called to engineering, and he'd been too afraid ... right now, too afraid ... to be alone. And ... if he couldn't be with Assumpta, he might as well be here. Among the flowers and the plants, and ... if he couldn't be soothed by his mate's feline paws, and her purrs ... well, this would suffice. As a temporary measure.

The squirrel sighed and sat in one of the tiny, grassy clearings ... and closed his eyes. The red alert lights were blinking on and off ... near the entrance. The sound, though, had since been turned off (cause, after a while, it hurt everyone's furry ears ... and many furs had very sensitive hearing). The alarm klaxons were designed for predator ships. Predators liked loud and gruff and ... challenging. No one had bothered to design a distinct alert sound for this ship ... for prey. Prey scared easily. Predators didn't freak out when they heard that alarm go off ... suddenly.

Prey did.

Azure had. Had almost started crying ... he hadn't grown up ... with stuff like this. He hadn't been in danger. Ever. Not before joining this ship, and not before becoming a part of this crew. His whole childhood ... safe. Sheltered. Many of his fellow crew-furs ... Adelaide, for instance ... bats had been hunted to near-extinction. Mice ... were terrorized illegally by the predators. Squirrels ... took to the forests. Built cities in the forests, and ... Azure had lived a very sheltered life. He'd been well-off ...

He'd never known danger before this mission.

But, then, he'd never known love, either.

He'd never known a lot of things.

And ... as he sat among the flowers, he kept his eyes closed ... and he thought of Assumpta. How she'd humbled him. How she'd ... how he'd been teaching her, maybe unconsciously, how to feel. How they'd been so good for each other ... how they were an odd couple. How they'd been set-up to fail ...

... and how they hadn't failed yet. And how they ... he would never let them fail.

Oh, he needed her ...

He sat and quivered among the flowers. Remembering ... feeding her lemon velvet cake, and dancing, and ... he prayed that ... he dreamed, rather, that ... he could bring her to a field of flowers. But all the flowers would wilt at her ... icy grace. At her ... glare. At her ... steely strength.

How did they end up together?

What had she seen in him?

What was going on ... would she be okay ... what ...

The squirrel twitched. He was not the same fur he'd been ... when this ship had been launched. He was so much better. But, as they all did, he had a ways to go ...

Growth never stopped.

The flowers were evidence of that.

Assumpta entered the bridge. Tail swaying slightly behind her. Her snowy-white and ... grey-striped fur ... contrasting with all the shades of brown around her (and the pink of Adelaide). The snow leopard went for tactical. And placed a computer pad before Rella and Adelaide.

"What's this?" the bat asked, squinting.

"Evidence."

"Of?" Adelaide looked up.

"The mine that the snow rabbit ship hit ... was not of Arctic fox origin."

"Then ... who put it there?" Rella asked, sitting up straighter.

"Predators do not use mines ... if a predator wishes to attack, they attack. A mine would be ... to pull one's punch. I believe the phrase goes."

"Are you sure?" Wren asked, coming to join them. Pointed ears swiveling. Having been listening ...

"It was an educated guess," said Assumpta. "I simply didn't think the foxes ... would resort to planting invisible mines."

"Foxes aren't like other predators. They're of the ice."

"As am I," Assumpta reminded. And nodded at the pad. "Further scans of the mine's residue ... show it to be ... " She paused. " ... of wasp origin."

Quiet.

"It is my belief that ... the wasps planted cloaked mines on both sides. Ships from both sides, while on patrol, would be hit. The mines were designed to emit signals of ... each's enemy. However, the signals are easy to determine as false ... if one analyzes them further."

"Why would they do this?" Rella whispered. Looking from Adelaide to Assumpta ... to Wren. "The wasps, I mean?"

"They are obviously hoping," Assumpta said, lowering her voice (and not knowing why, exactly, but ... it seemed she should do so). "They are hoping ... to pit the snow rabbits against the Arctic foxes in all-out war. And, when both sides have sufficiently weakened each other, the wasps can swarm in ... and easily assimilate both sides."

"Maximum gain ... minimum loss," Wren whispered, "for them. And ... the two sides in this cold war are so bitter that ... they'll jump at any chance to fight the other. Even ignoring false evidence."

"The wasps' mines were never going to fail. Even if their origins had been blatant."

"What do we do?" Rella asked.

"We tell them," was Adelaide's response. "We tell the snow rabbits. Tell them this is a trap. A set-up. We have to tell them. They're our allies."

"They will not believe you," Assumpta said cooly.

"We have to TRY," Adelaide stressed. "What's the alternative? This whole sector going up in flames?"

"The snow rabbits have already told us, point blank, that we are not doing enough FOR them ... that, to repay the hospitality they have shown us, we need to do MORE for them. Am I correct?" Assumpta asked, looking to Rella.

"How do you know about that?" She had only discussed her conversation with Annika ... with a paw-ful of furs. It had only happened a day or so ago.

Assumpta didn't answer. "War is brewing. The snow rabbits will expect us to fight. On their side. If we try to remain neutral, we will be conscripted. If we resist ... they will turn on us."

"They're prey. We're prey. They can't turn on us," Chester said, from the front of the bridge.

The snow leopard looked to the mouse. "Prey have their moral faults ... just as predators do. They are capable of deception."

Chester frowned and twitched. Not arguing the point.

"But, sir," injected Ketchy, talking to Wren. "There are still snow rabbit life signs on that ship ... if we don't send over our pod ... "

"We've no time. We must leave," said Assumpta.

Wren opened his muzzle to speak ... but ... beep-be-beep ...

Rella tapped her console. "Ships. Snow rabbit ships. They've caught up to us."

"Already?" Wren spun round ... walking to the viewer. And behind the helm. He stood behind Chester. "Hail them."

A whistle sound (indicating a hailing attempt). And Ketchy, at comm, shook her head. Tail flagging in consternation. The squirrel looked ... brighter, sleeker. Looked better ... since she'd been mated to Denali. Used to, she would be over at comm, all forlorn and ... sagging in her chair, her voice so tiny ... now, she was ... a presence ... on the bridge. She spoke up. There was a confidence in her voice ... and, right now, she shook her head, saying, "They're ignoring us."

"Keep hailing."

"Wren, the foxes are crossing the zone ... they're coming toward us ... "

Adelaide's eyes widened. Her heart hammered. And she folded her winged arms across her chest, trying to ... feel Akira. Feel Field. They were a few decks below, but ... she needed to feel them. To know they were okay.

"We've got a snow rabbit fleet on one side of us ... and the foxes on the other," Rella whispered. She shook. "We ... we gotta get out of here."

"Agreed," whispered Wren. "Cancel the shuttle-pod trip ... tell Dotna, Pyro, and ... Denali ... to ... "

"A snow rabbit ship is responding to our hail," Ketchy announced.

Wren hesitated. Nodded. "Put it on ... "

A snow rabbit's white visage flashed onto the viewer. It was Flint ... they'd had dealing with him before. Assumpta and Juneau had negotiated with him ... for supplies.

"Luminous," said Flint. "We are grateful that you ... rushed to our ship's aid. You were first on the scene. You are to be commended."

"We were responding to a distress call."

"Yes. Distress," said Flint, in neutral tone. "If you wish to call it that ... we wish to call it," he said, "an act of war. You are in the middle of our firing lane. We do not wish to fire on you, but we will. Come over to our side ... "

"This is not our war."

"It is ALL ... our wars," Flint whispered. "Predators and prey ... have been fighting since the dawn of time. It is inevitable. It is in our NATURE," he stressed. "They ... kill. Shed blood. For sport. You know what they can do. You've been exiled from your OWN home-world ... by predators. You all have ghosts from your past ... put there," he said, "by predators. And, now, we are on the verge of ... being assaulted by the Arctic foxes, and after all the supplies and ... generosity we've given you ... you would deny our request for help?"

"You have plenty of ships," Wren whispered.

"None like Luminous."

"No. None like Luminous. And you're not having her. This is OUR ship ... we are under our OWN jurisdiction."

"Not in our space." Flint paused. Swallowed. His emotional thaw was ... cracking (a bit) ... his blood pressure rising. Pyro, just having entered the bridge, could see as much ... as he filtered over to tactical (where a lot of his new friends were bunched). Flint met Assumpta's eyes. Breathing, breathing. "We made great use," he said ... " ... of those stem bolts."

Assumpta tilted her head. "That is good to hear."

Flint ground his teeth. Swallowed. "You join us. You help us ... or we will take your ship. And we will use it FOR you."

"Try it," Wren whispered dangerously.

"Do not force our paw," Flint said.

"And don't tug our tail one more time, because ... I assure you ... we'll bite."

"That is your mistake," said Flint. And the channel ... cut.

"Sir, they're powering weapons. ALL of them," Rella said, voice shaking ... referring to the snow rabbit ships. "All of them are powering weapons."

Ketchy swallowed.

Chester shook, and Wren ... put his paws on the mouse's shoulders. Shushing him ...

Beep ... be-beep!

"The foxes!" said Rella. "They've used the snow rabbit's ... hesitation ... oh, my gosh ... we were the perfect diversion," she realized. "The fox's used the diversion we created ... to ... they're here!"

Denali had reached the shuttle-bay ... only to be told that the mission was off. Pyro had gone to the bridge, and Dotna had gone to the armory, and ... so, he'd filtered back to sickbay. Was almost there ...

... when the deck tilted beneath him. When the groan and scream of twisting metal met his ears. When sparks flew, and when ... flaring coolant leaks spat in his face. Vapor clouds ... coming from severed pipes. The otter coughing, rolling, keeping his nose to the floor ... breathing, breathing, crawling ...

... explosion!

The jolt of which threw the otter to the floor. Little shards of things, and dirty residue ... raining to his fur. And fire ... there was fire, for there was smoke ...

... coming from sickbay. All coming from sickbay.

The otter, eyes stinging, heart pounding, crawled forward ... no one had been in there. No one had been in there ...

... except Kody.

"Hull breach on C-deck! Our hull plating ... no effect!" shouted Rella. The bridge was dim, and the red lights were flashing, and ...

... shake!

Pyro fell to the floor. Yipped ... in a daze. Blinking, seeing a paw extended ...

... and he grabbed it. Was pulled up ...

... by Adelaide. Who gave him a brief, breathless nod.

Pyro nodded back.

"We're venting atmosphere!"

"Well, put up force-fields ... emergency repair teams ... C-deck ... "

"I can't tell which side is firing on us!"

"Just get us out of here!" Wren demanded, stumbling back to the conn. "Chester," he panted. "I don't care ... what direction, or what speed ... just GO!"

The mouse needed no bidding. Mice knew how to scurry, and he scurried Luminous' tail ... out of the fray. Into the clear.

"They're pursuing us!" Rella announced, sounding ... alarmed. Frayed. In disbelief.

"Who?"

"The snow rabbits ... my word ... and the foxes are following them."

"Maximum warp!" Wren demanded, going back to his chair. He was going to sit down ... for this one.

"Hold on, everyone," Chester whispered ... and sucked in a deep lung-ful of air, and ...

... wham!

"Uh ... "

" ... eek ... "

"Chitter ... "

"Bark!"

Furry sounds of surprised, even pained ... exclamation ... as everyone fell to the floor. Inertial dampeners slightly damaged in the blast to C-deck.

"Why ... why don't they have seatbelts on these things," Pyro asked. No one answering. He got up, and helped Adelaide up ...

Assumpta brushed her fur and her attire, looking meticulous (more so than any of them).

"They ... are we ... away?" Wren asked, going to Rella ... putting his paws all over her. Making sure she was okay.

"I gotta go ... I gotta go," said Adelaide. Field. Akira. She had to go ... no one stopped her ... as she slipped into the lift.

"Um ... we're away," said Chester, looking at the viewer. "We're back in open space," he whispered.

"We're leaking plasma ... like blood," Pyro realized. "If any predator ship spots us ... "

"We'll just have to chance it," Wren said. "For the moment ... "

A comm chirrup. "Denali to bridge ... "

"Yes?"

"We ... uh ... sickbay's pretty fried. It'll take a few weeks to repair. Um ... " His voice kept stopping. "Um ... there was, um ... "

"Oh, my word," Ketchy breathed, guessing it first.

"Kody," realized Wren, feeling a chill.

"He's dead," Denali said ... voice quavering. "I ... I ... there's nothing I can do. He was dead when I got there," the otter said.

Wren swallowed.

Rella squeezed his paw ... mouthing, "You okay?"

Wren nodded. Eyes watering. "Yeah," he mouthed back. "Yeah ... "

"Lieutenant Denali," Assumpta said, stepping into the conversation (seeing that the captain was too flustered to continue it). "Being that you are the secondary medic, I suggest you set up a temporary sickbay in the mess hall ... and treat any other injuries to the crew."

"Um ... okay ... I need some help, though ... I ... "

"I'll go." Ketchy raised a paw.

Assumpta nodded at her. "Proceed."

The squirrel scurried for the lift.

"I must go to engineering. I can help Juneau compose ways of throwing any possible predators off our tail ... until we can find a safe planet to repair at." The snow leopard moved away.

Rella nodded her thanks to Assumpta ... who nodded back.

Wren took a breath. "Um ... okay ... " He rubbed his eyes. Sniffled ... " ... mm ... alright. Everyone ... we got some things to figure out." A pause. "We need a home. A permanent home. We're gonna have to find one ... a planet ... one that no one's claimed. But, first, we need to ... find a safe place to sit and repair and ... fix things ... " He trailed. "Looks like we're back to being nomads." He looked around. "But we won't endeavor to stay that way." He flopped into his chair. Sighing. "We've been in twilight's perimeter for too long ... it's time to head directly into the light. We're not sitting still ... we're not giving up. We're going to find our own home ... and we're going to get our rest. Things WILL," he stressed, "work. Things will be okay." He looked around. "God will bless this crew ... just ... we just have to have faith. And ... we can't ... " He closed his eyes. Swallowed. "We can't give up now. We have to keep going." He opened his eyes. "Chester, steer us ... toward some clear star. Maybe we'll find something there."

"Aye, sir," the mouse said ... in his squeaky voice.

Wren stared blankly at the viewer. Where was this going? What would ... what was next? He was afraid to blink. Lest it catch him unaware.

"I should've been there."

"There was nothing you could've done," Adelaide whispered, paw on the mouse's side. It was a few hours later. Early, early morning ... neither had been able to sleep. They had clung to each other for hours. Dozing. Whispering to each other ... easing each other's fears. "Anyway, Akira's more important ... than you being on the bridge."

"Yeah ... "

"She's okay," Adelaide whispered. "You're okay. And so am I."

"But it could've ... "

"But it didn't. But it is," she stressed, "okay. Alright?"

A quiet nod.

The baby sleeping in her crib ... near the foot of the bed. And the bat and mouse ... snugged against each other ... half-covered by the blue sheets. In the dimness. Whispering ... of their love. Of their dreams. Of ... each other. Of ...

... the future. And their hopes.

And their wonders.

And, again, the "I love you's" ... whispered, worded, wonderfully ... kissed ... into each other's lips.

All to the tune of twilight.

And even ... into sleep. In their shared dreams.