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Jason and Speedy

Chapter One

Jason stopped pushing the reel type lawn mower and looked over the perfect, flat expanse of new mown grass. Breathing in the fresh cut smell, he took pride in a job well done. It was alot of work to maintain the quarter mile strip, but what else was a Cheetah to do? He could never hit top speed in the surrounding woods, and the grass felt so much better on bare paws. He could really dig into the natural turf and get moving quickly too. The gravel road went up and down constantly, and the rocks hurt his feet. This grass track was his piece of open savanna to run in, as his ancestors had run so long ago. Picking up the mower, Jason carried it back up to the house. As he neared it, he heard the chirp of his phone. He dropped the mower and ran to get it before the caller could hang up.

"Hello?", Jason said as he picked up the remote phone in the doorway.

A young voice on the other end yelled, "I got him, Dad! Hey Uncle Jason, guess what? Dad says I can spend a couple weeks with you next month. Neat huh? Okay, see ya. Here's Dad."

When his twin brother got on the phone, Jason said, "James? What the hell was all that about? Are you guys coming up for a visit?"

"Sorry, Jace. The boy overheard Samantha and I planning a trip, sort of a second honeymoon. When we were talking about what to do with Speedy, I mentioned you as a possibility, and he took off and called before I could stop him. Anyway, since he has you on the phone, how about it? Can you take him while we're gone?" James asked.

Stepping outside, Jason brushed the grass clippings out of his fur as he said, "What's a teenager going to do out here for two weeks? I mean, I love the kid, but I don't know if I can handle two weeks. I've lived alone so long, the constant need to keep an eye on him would be a little difficult."

James shot back "Nonsense! He's grown up a lot since you last saw him. He's almost 14 years old, and can look out for himself pretty much. Besides, it would do him good to get out of the city for awhile. A couple weeks in the woods, having you to show him the way to run through the forest, get his speed and wind up to par is just what he needs. I still remember what fun we had at that age. Come on Jace, be a pal. Sam and I have a chance to visit the homeland! You know what that means to us. It wouldn't be the same if we had to watch out for Speedy all the time."

Thinking he might well regret it, Jason said, "Okay, okay, I'll take him James. But you owe me big time for this. Tell me when to pick him up, drop him on the bus before you leave, and I'll take care of him. If we were still kids, you know what I'd demand in return for this little favor, but since we aren't, just have Sam bake up a batch of those special brownies. Pack 'em tight, send them up with Speedy, and tell him to keep his nose and paws off of them!"

Jason winced as his brother yelled his delight at Jason's agreement to take charge of his son, "Yippee! Luv you, bro! Sam says thanks, and she'll be sure and get the brownies made when we've got our plans finalized."

Jason added, "Make sure he brings his c.d.'s along. The radio station selection is poor, and I doubt he'll find my tastes coinciding with his. Talk to you later James." After hanging up, Jason set down the phone and went back out to put the mower away. That done, he walked over to the outdoor shower where he washed the grass stains and bugs from his fur.

He stepped out after rinsing off and began to sluice the water out of his fur when it occurred to him that he was going to have to wear clothes again, while his nephew was there, darn it. That was another advantage to living out in the country side, privacy. Out here, it didn't matter if he went nude or not but that would have to stop while Speedy was here. With a rueful sigh, Jason set off on his nightly jog. Around the small lake, a hundred yards off the hilltop his house sat on. A couple laps and he felt ready for a sprint on the grass strip. Jason ran from one end to the other, increasing the speed each time until he had to stop and rest for awhile. 'I've built up my endurance over the years', he thought. 'With Speedy coming up, I'd better work on my starts, turns and speed. James said his son needs the workout, but I think my brother could better use it. I can outrun him without strain and he would push himself too hard. As usual ne would get exhausted before he would admit defeat.', Jason grinned as he thought about it.

Then, just like old times, Jason would claim his prize while James was helpless to stop him! Remembering the past also reminded Jason how much he missed his twin. They could often tell what the other was thinking, even miles apart but that had changed when James found Samantha in college. James didn't begrudge his brother finding a mate and settling down but the hole it had left in Jason could never be filled in again.

'Maybe that's why I've become a loner.', Jason mused as he got up and trotted back up to the house. 'Better get the spare room cleaned up, lay in a supply of food Speedy would like, and oh yeah, get 'those' books and tapes hidden away before Speedy got here too!'

In all too short a time, three weeks went by, and it was time to pick up Speedy at the bus station in town. Jason put his jeans and leather jacket on, then his boots.He walked out to the shed where he kept his motorcycle. Slipping on his fingerless leather gloves, then his helmet, Jason jumped onto his bike. Jason kicked the engine over and let the bike warm up before he took off for town.

Tail streaming out behind him, Jason ran the hills and curves of the gravel road out to the paved highway where he could open the bike up. Doing 80 mph and better, Jason reveled in the wind whipping by, faster then he could run. He loved the feeling of speed, the road racing by under his wheels, trees whipping by in a blur. At that speed, he was in town in only ten minutes, and he had to slow down or the sheriff would ticket him again. As he had often thought before, Jason felt allowances should be made for the faster types. 'After all, we have the reflexes for it, and we would be safer then the slower types.', he mused.

Pulling up to the bus station, Jason saw Speedy sitting on a bench, his duffle bag beside him, waiting. After putting the kickstand down, he reached up and removed his helmet, scratching the fur on his ears. Damn helmet crushed them down so they got hot and itchy in there. Next thing he knew, he was hit by a yellow flash as his nephew ran up and hugged him. Patting his nephew on the back, Jason said, "Whuff! James was right! You have grown alot since I last saw you. Step back and let me get a good look at you Speedy."

Bright eyed, Speedy stepped back and said, "Hi, Uncle Jason! I didn't recognize you at first, with that black helmet on. Is that your bike? Cool! I thought you would pick me up in a truck or something, but this is alot neater!"

'Oh gods! A chatterbox', Jason thought. 'That's just great.' Standing up, Jason looked down at the young Cheetah. The boy was just beginning to stretch out and gain the long legs and slender body his heritage granted him. He still had a little bit of a round belly, but he had lost all his juvenile ruff already. Pointing at the duffle bag on the bench, Jason said, "Is that all you've got to bring along?"

Speedy jumped over to grab it up and came back saying, "Yep. This is it."

Taking it from his nephew, Jason tied it to the back of the bike and jumped on. Nodding to Speedy, he said, "Unless you'd rather run alongside, all the way home, you'd better get on." Speedy gave a quick leap, and he landed astride the bike, right behind Jason. Turning to look at him, Jason said, "Nice jump. Now, here you go. Put this on and cinch it tight.", as he handed back his helmet.

Speedy grew excited saying, "You're gonna let me wear your helmet? Cool!" He put it on and tightened it up, then said in a muffled voice, "How do I look?"

Jason smiled at the question, remembering his own first bike ride, and said, "It makes you look mysterious and fast. Hold onto me and don't let go. When we get out of town, I'll lean forward. You can watch over my shoulders, and I'll get her moving a little for you. Hang on!", and letting out the clutch, the two Cheetahs took off on the way home.

Once out of town, Jason leaned forward and opened the throttle. In no time, he had the bike up to 95 mph, and Speedy was holding onto him tightly. During a couple curves, Speedy dug his claws into Jason's jacket but when Jason slowed to turn up the gravel road, he could hear Speedy yelling for sheer joy about the little run they had just made. Due to the gravel, Jason had to go much slower but it still seemed pretty fast to Speedy. Pulling finally into the yard, Jason coasted to the shed and parked the bike. Turning it off, he put the kickstand down and dismounted.

Speedy pulled the helmet off and shouted, "Wooo-hoooo! That was a blast Uncle Jason. Think you can teach me to drive your motorcycle?"

Jason had no intention of doing any such thing. Not with his bike and not with his nephew anyway. Thinking quick, Jason motioned Speedy off of the bike, then shutting off the gas, he laid the bike gently down on the ground. Stepping back, he opened his jacket and said, "Tell you what. If you can stand the bike back up on it's wheels, I'll teach you how to drive it." All excited Speedy stepped up and took ahold of the bike, then lifted. He strained at it, and Jason saw the bike shift but it was clear Speedy had no chance of lifting it all the way up. To give him credit, Speedy strained at it but finally gave up.

Panting, he turned and said, "It weighs a ton! How do you get it back up?" Stepping forward, Jason bent down and took hold of his bike. "You do it like this.", he said and suiting action to words, Jason lifted the bike up. Putting the kickstand out, he turned to take the duffle bag off. Turning back, he handed the bag to Speedy, who stood with mouth open in amazement. "What's the matter? If I dumped the bike and couldn't pick it up again, I'd look pretty stupid standing there waiting for help. That's why I had you try.", Jason said.

Speedy said in an awestruck voice, "Wow! I don't think dad could pick it up as easily as you did."

Not wanting to cut his twin down before his twin's son, Jason just said, "Oh, I think he would manage. Anyway, why don't we get your stuff inside?" Jason led Speedy inside and showed him his room, the shower, and finally his den. Telling Speedy, "It's a little early for dinner yet so you can have a swim first." Jason went into his room to put on a pair of swim trunks he had bought for Speedy's visit. Grabbing a pair of towels, he waited till Speedy came out in his trunks and led him out of the house, down towards the lake.

Speedy ran ahead of Jason and stopped half way down the path, staring to the right. As Jason came up to Speedy, he put his hand on the young male's shoulder and said, "What's the matter? Surely you've seen a running green before?"

Speedy looked up almost worshipfully at his uncle saying, "Well sure, in the parks back home but they are always torn up, nothing like this! Wanna race down and back, uncle?"

"Well, I'm a little stiff today, but I guess I could manage to hobble on down there with you. Want a head start?" Jason said as he went into an old Cheetah act.

Speedy laughed and said, "Maybe I should give you the head start, Uncle? I'm not called Speedy for nothing!"

Jason laughed as Speedy stuck out his chest and strutted with pride before him. Walking to the edge of the strip, Jason stood relaxed and said, "Get ready, then you can say when to start."

Speedy got down on all fours, like a racer. Looking up, Speedy asked, "Aren't you going to get set, Uncle?"

Jason smiled easily and said, "I thought this was just a friendly race. I'll start standing up but by all means, you go ahead and set up."

Speedy shrugged and said, "Ok, it's your funeral. Ready? ...Set?...Go!"

Jason watched Speedy crouch his front end down, bringing his rear up with tail held back out for balance, then his rear dropped as his legs flexed, and he took off! From a casual stance of left foot crossed over the right, arms crossed and facing to the right of the starting line, Jason laid his black rimmed ears back and took off. Dropping down slightly on his right leg, his right foot pivoted on it's toes to face the starting line. As his left leg moved forward, Jason dug his right foot's claws into the turf and he shot off after his nephew. Seeing he was going to catch up too quickly, Jason slowed down but still pulled even half way down the strip. Continuing the same pace, he unobtrusively kept an eye on Speedy, seeing the youngster push himself harder to keep up. Jason saw Speedy's burst of energy run out and he left Speedy behind.

At the end of the race strip, Jason pulled up to a walk and panted lightly as he watched Speedy pull up alongside. The young Cheetah was panting much harder then Jason thought he should be. Concerned, he asked, "Are you alright nephew?"

Speedy asked, "Why-pant-aren't you, pant, out of breath?"

Jason grinned and said, "Because I wasn't running hard. Just because I am as old as your dad, it doesn't make me old. For another thing, here! Look at your legs, then look at mine. Besides having twice the muscle mass, my legs are longer. Each one of my strides is longer than one of yours. With all those advantages, I'd be embarrassed if I didn't beat you. Don't worry about it Speedy, at the rate you are growing, it won't be long before you are as tall as me."

Jason saw Speedy really looking him over, then down at himself. Unsure, Speedy said, "I want to look like you, Uncle Jason. Dad doesn't have muscles as big as yours, or as flat a tummy. Could you show me how, Uncle? Ple-e-ease?"

A feeling of pride grew in Jason, and a different type of fondness for his nephew as well. Jason smiled down at Speedy and said,"I can show you what to do and work out with you while you are here but you won't get muscles that fast. You will have to keep it up at home for years, to get big. Sure you want to work that hard?"

Speedy nibbled on his lower lip before he asked, "Can I feel your arm muscle?"

Jason said, "Sure."

Speedy reached out with both hands and grasped Jason's bicep, saying, "Ok, make a muscle." Jason obliged, flexing his bicep and enjoying the look of admiration Speedy gave him. Speedy squeezed it and felt around it a moment, then shifted over to prod Jason's chest muscles. Speedy said softly, "Oh, wow!" as he laid his hands flat and rubbed them over Jason's chest.

Jason began to feel a little uncomfortable, so he stepped back a pace and said, "Ahem, it's, ah, a little bit harder, for us Cheetah to put on chest muscles than it is arm muscles. That's just the way we are built but it can be done. So tell me, do you want muscles, or do you want to be fast? My upper body mass slows me down some, just from weight and inertia. To be the fastest, you need to be really lean! Well?" Jason could see the two desires struggle with each other, in his nephew.

Looking at him, then down the grass strip, Speedy looked back and said, "I want to be fast! Faster even than you, Uncle Jason!" Jason grinned down at Speedy and said, "If you want it bad enough and work at it, you can probably be faster than me before your 19th birthday. We can start tomorrow but I'm ready to head back for that swim now."

Speedy grinned happily back at his uncle, then said, "Can we run back? This time, I want to see how fast you can go uncle!"

Feeling pretty good, Jason said, "Let me stretch a minute first, then I'll make an effort to go fast. It won't be my fastest, 'cause I'm not limber enough today and besides, going flat out can injure you quickly. Remember to save your top speed for the times you really need it."

Running through a few stretching exercises, Jason limbered up, then stepped over to the starting line. Getting down in a racing crouch, rear high and tail out, he said, "You start us.". Then Jason turned his head to focus down strip.

Speedy got set, counted out ready, set, go, and Jason lept out of his crouch to sprint down the grassy strip. Feeling good about his run, he pulled up at the end and turned to see where Speedy was. Still moving, Speedy was passing the half-way point. 'That is about right', he decided and he waited till Speedy got up to him before leading the way down to the lake.

Speedy panted out, "You, pant, can really, pant, move, Uncle Jason! Pant, pant."

Nodding acceptance, Jason said, "I do alright." Nearing the water, Speedy took off running and gave a yellas he jumped into the lake. Typically full of energy like most teens, Speedy splashed around and swam underwater. Jason had waded out to waist deep when Speedy surfaced nearby and began splashing him.

Jason joined in, splashing back and creeping nearer, until with a triumphant "Aha!", he pounced and grabbed his nephew. He then wrestled with Speedy, ducking his head underwater and letting Speedy dunk him occasionally.

A few minutes of this was enough for Jason. He tossed Speedy a yard away, ducked underwater and swam as far as one breath would let him. Surfacing slowly, letting his head emerge from the water to breathe quietly through his nostrils, Jason turned to see Speedy looking down worriedly and yelling, "Uncle Jason! Uncle Jason! Where are you?"

Giving his head a shake to get rid of the water from his ears, Jason rose higher in the water and called, "Speedy! I'm over here!" Speedy's head shot up to stare towards the sound and Jason saw how big his pupils were before Speedy began swimming towards him quickly. Recognizing the signs of fright, Jason swam towards Speedy, who grasped Jason tightly when they reached each other. Patting Speedy's back to soothe him, Jason said "It's alright, I'm here. Take it easy Speedy."

Releasing the tight hold he had on his uncle, Speedy pulled back and said, "You scared me! When I came up and couldn't see you, I waited for you to come up but you didn't and didn't, and didn't for so long! I thought you were drowning and I couldn't find you!"

Jason told him, "If you train like you said you wanted to, you will be able to hold your breath a long time too. Running will build your lung capacity and you will use oxygen more efficiently. That's why I could stay down so long. I'm sorry it scared you. I'm going up for some sun now. You can keep swimming if you want."

Speedy let go of Jason and floated while Jason waded out.

Walking up to a lounge chair on the shore, he sat down. Laying back, he kept an eye on his nephew while the sun warmed him up and helped dry his fur.

From the water he heard Speedy call, "Uncle Jason? Do you really own this whole lake?"

Jason explained that he and James owned the lake and property jointly but the house was his. They had inherited it from their parents and later, Jason had bought James half of the house from him. They had grown up there from cubhood and while he had stayed, James had left to build a life with Samantha, Speedy's mother.

Speedy then asked, "Does anyone else come up here to use the lake?"

"Not often. I have friends who come out sometimes but they usually call first.", Jason told him.

A sly grin crossed Speedy's face and he said, "So if no one is around to see, why do we have to wear swim trunks? I would rather swim without them!" A motion in the water was followed by a wet pair of swim trunks sailing through the air to smack Jason in the chest. Speedy gave a crow of delight at his aim, then he turned and dove under the water.

Jason was startled at Speedy's actions. Getting wet again had been a shock. Jason was not sure of what he should do. On the one hand, he didn't wear clothes around here, unless he had company or something to do that he wanted to protect his fur from. On the other hand, it was Samantha who had turned James alot more conservative. 'Uptight was more like it.', Jason thought. James and he had skinny dipped in the lake, right up until he met Samantha. Afterwards, he had always worn trunks.

'Aw, hell with it', Jason decided, 'Speedy is old enough to decide for himself if he wanted to swim nude or not.'

About the time he reached this decision, he heard Speedy call out, "Come on in and throw the Frisbee with me, Uncle Jason!"

Jason yelled back, "Ok! Be right there.", and stood up. He reached for his waistband and pulled the new swim trunks down and off. Walking down to the water, he saw Speedy staring at him and grinning widely. Jason picked up the Frisbee and threw it for Speedy to catch, then ran into the water and dove in to cool off. Standing back up, he turned to see Speedy still grinning at him. As they tossed the toy back and forth, Jason said, "You look like the Cheshire Cat! What are you grinning at?"

Speedy laughed and said, "You! I wondered if you would be an old fart about skinny dipping or not, like dad is!"

Feeling the need to defend his twin, Jason said, "I'll have you know your father and I used to swim nude all the time, when we were younger. Getting married and having you, made him be more conservative than when he was single. Responsibility does that to you."

Speedy seemed to consider it and said, "Yeah. . . I guess I didn't think about that."

Jason smiled and said, "Your father used to get us into the most trouble. He was the wild one of us both. Half the time he would do something and pretend to be me, so I would get in trouble instead of him. Thats' one of the reasons I started working out, so people could tell us apart easier. The running comes from both needing to escape and for chasing James down so I could beat him up. I also took up running 'cause it feels good! It's part of our heritage Speedy. It's in our blood. When I'm running, I'm so focused in on my body and controlling it. It's almost like hunting!"

Speedy seemed interested in hearing about what his dad had been like so Jason was content to continue their talk. He mused, 'Kids never seem to think their parents had been young once and gone through or done most of the stuff they did.' Jason waded out of the water and began wiping water out of his fur, before he went back to the lounger to dry off. He watched Speedy swim awhile longer before calling, "Speedy! You might want to start drying off before dinner."

Speedy called back,"Ok uncle Jason!", then began swimming in. When he hit shallower water, he stopped and looked down, then over to see his trunks hanging on a branch, alongside Jason's, drying out.

Jason lay back, eyes slitted to look as tho he was resting, while he secretly watched to see what Speedy would do. Speedy bobbed around a little bit, then looked to reassure himself no one else was around to see him. Making up his mind, Speedy stood up and waded in to shore.

'Good for him', Jason thought. Jason continued to watch as Speedy wrung out his fur, then came over and picked up a towel to continue drying himself. After wringing out the towel and hanging it up, Speedy grabbed a lounger. Setting it next to Jason, it was facing the adult rather than the sun.

After a moment, Speedy said, "Uncle Jason? Could I ask you something?"

Jason turned his head towards his nephew and nodded as he responded,"Uhm hmm."

Speedy said, "How come you and dad are so different? I..I mean, uhm, like dad never runs with me or wrestles anymore and I can hardly ever get him to talk with me about, uhm, you know . . . stuff! You are alot more fun and we have talked more already than dad and I did all last week! I mean, like, it's like, you are one of the guys, yo know? It's like, I could tell you anything and you wouldn't get mad or tell me to take off."

Giving a sigh, Jason decided to talk to Speedy, Cheetah to Cheetah. Jason opened his eyes and looked at Speedy as he said, "You're opening a can of worms with those questions, but I'll try and explain. You are my nephew, not my son. I'm responsible for you while you are here because I love you and because my brother, your father, trusts me to watch out for you. Because I haven't been around to watch you grow day by day, like your father has, that I can see you for the young adult you are becoming. Your father knows all the problems and things you've done since you were a tiny cub just born, so his view of you includes all your baby and cubling years, which makes him see you as a child still. Most importantly you are His child, so the urge to protect you is even stronger! Don't doubt he loves you though. If you were hurt or killed, he would be devastated. As to why he doesn't wrestle anymore? Tell me when he stopped?"

Speedy said, "Oh, I don't know exactly....around the time I turned 12, I think."

'Uh huh', Jason thought to himself and said, "Well, I have an idea why but I am not ready to say right now. Tell you what tho, I willll make a deal with you. I promise not to lie to you, if you do the same for me. You can ask whatever you want and I'll either tell you, or I'll tell you why I won't answer. Either way, I won't lie and I won't tell your father or anyone else. You are pretty grown up and so I think you deserve some answers your dad might think you are not old enough for. Deal?"

Speedy grinned and said, "Deal, Uncle Jason! Thanks! Where do babies come from?"

Jason sputtered and sat up, shouting,"What? Do you mean to tell me your father hasn't even had that talk with you yet? I'll claw his ears ragged!"

Seeing Speedy begin to laugh at him, Jason figured he'd been set up for that one, which Speedy confirmed by saying, "Yeah, he told me about babies and stuff last year. I was just seeing how you would react to it."

Jason gave him a falsely stern look and said, "Ha, ha, very funny." Laying the lounge chair out flat, Jason turned and lay down on his front to let his back finish drying. After getting comfortable, Jason asked, "Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

Speedy looked down shyly and said,"Well...not a dating type of girl friend but sure, I know some girls."

Jason said, "That's nice. Who's your best friend?"

Speedy said, "That would be Thad Longfellow. He's a Mink!"

Jason had been peeking at Speedy, trying to look like he was resting. He had noticed how Speedy had kept on looking at him laying nude there, and seen how Speedy kept shifting around as though uncomfortable. Deliberately, Jason gave a long stretch, letting his tail curl up over his back before relaxing again. Speedy's eyes got big and he licked his muzzle, then shifted in the chair again. Suddenly, Speedy stood up and turned away saying,"I uh, gotta go to the bathroom!", then he took off up the hill.

The glimpse of pink he has seen between Speedy's legs confirmed what he had begun to suspect. 'The boy is attracted to me. With a Mink for a best friend, he had probably been learning about sex and sex play already.', Jason thought. Wondering what he was going to do about it, took up a few minutes. Deciding to let Speedy bring it up, or not, Jason stood and wrapped his towel over his shoulders, picked up the wet one and their trunks, then walked up to the house.

Speedy was still in the bathroom with the door shut, so Jason popped a frozen pizza in the oven. He then hung up the towels and trunks so they could finish drying. Passing the bathroom door, he listened for a second and heard the noises he had expected. Muffled movement and quiet panting could be heard from within. Jason grinned and continued on to his bedroom. He put a loose pair of gym shorts on and went back out to get a beer. He went in to the den and turned on some music, then checked his computer for e-mail. Hearing Speedy leave the bathroom, he called out, "Pizza in ten minutes. Grab a pop if you want." He returned to reading his mail.

Speedy came in shortly with a soda in hand and said, "Hey! You've got a computer! Can it go online?"

Jason nodded and said, "Yep! Unlimited access. I'll show you how to get on later, if you want?"

Speedy said, "Cool! Dad won't go online with ours. I heard him and mom talking about it once, and mom kept saying, 'No! I don't want Speedy to get to 'those' kinds of things!", mimicking her higher voice.

Jason's mouth twitched in a suppressed smile before he said, "Yes, well... My only rules for you about it are, don't give anyone your full name, telephone number, or address, or mine for that matter, and don't make plans to meet anyone you talk to online, no matter what they seem like. Can you give me your word?"

Awed by the gates being opened to him, Speedy said, "Sure! I promise! I've read about people using the online to meet kids and stuff. I won't fall for that."

Pleased by Speedy's answer, Jason said, "Good! I am glad you are smart enough to figure out why I placed those restrictions on you. It makes me feel better about trusting you to keep your promise. Let me shut her down and we can go eat." Doing so, Jason turned to see Speedy standing behind him, eyes shining at Jason's praise and trust. Jason didn't tell Speedy that he would be able to track what websites he visited, or that the computer was set to automatically copy whatever was entered or displayed. That way he could see what Speedy did with his freedom.

They ate and Jason encouraged Speedy to talk about his school and his friends as they did. When the pizza had been consumed, Jason cleaned up and said, "I'm going out for a jog. You can watch TV, there's games on the computer or you can read if you want."

Looking hurt, Speedy said, "Can't I go with you? You said you would teach me how to get in shape!"

Jason said "Sure you can come with me. I just thought you might be tired after the trip and swimming. Put some shorts on and we'll go."

Speedy brightened up immediately and dashed off to his room to change. Jason grabbed a water bottle, put it in a fanny pac and strapped it to his waist, looking up as Speedy came back into the kitchen. Speedy had changed from jeans to a tight pair of gym shorts and was ready to go. They walked out and Jason pointed to the trail he used to run around the lake on. Telling Speedy to always bear left at any split offs and it would bring him right back here, they took off. Setting an easy pace, Jason led, and Speedy moved up beside him.

They jogged in silence and Speedy kept looking around, trying to see everything. About half way around, Speedy was slowing down and begining to pant heavily, so Jason pulled up by a fallen tree they could sit on. Silently he offered Speedy the water bottle, who took it and began to gulp it down. Pushing the bottle down, Jason said, "Sip it, don't gulp! If you gulp down cold water when you are hot, you'll get sick, or even stomach cramps."

Solemnly, Speedy said, "Yes sir.", and did as he was told. Jason let him drink half the bottle that way before taking it back and having a sip himself, then putting the bottle away. As Jason turned to ask if Speedy was ready to go, he suddenly caught a scent he hadn't expected to smell.

The look on his face caught Speedy's attention, who began to ask, "Unc-?"

Jason cut him off by putting his left hand over his muzzle and whispering, "Quiet! Sniff and whisper to me what you smell!"

Puzzled, Speedy did as he was told, licking his nose to wet it and sniffing delicately for a minute. Looking back at Jason he whispered, "I'm not sure. It's...something kinda...hot and sour, with a little sharp bit underneath. Is that it?"

Jason grinned and nodded whispering, "That's it! Be very quiet, follow me and I'll show you something special."

Leading the way, they snuck back into the woods and Jason led Speedy up a hill. Crouching down they crawled up, where they could peek over the top. Below, a pasture opened up in the forest. It was dusk, and so a little hard to see. Jason watched for Speedy to see what was out there, wanting to see his reaction. Speedy searched, then his mouth dropped open. He gasped in surprise and went rigid. Jason grinned, satisfied he had managed to surprise his nephew. He let Speedy watch, and turned to look himself.

In the meadow below, they saw three Does and their fawns, grazing and playing. Soon, the wind shifted and after a couple minutes, first one, then the second and third Doe's heads came up. They sniffed and called their fawns, then all of them took off downwind. Sitting up, Jason turned to see Speedy staring after the fleeing Deer.

Speedy looked up awestruckand said,"Uncle Jason! Those were Deer! I thought all the Deer were up north on that reservation. What are they doing here?"

Jason said, "Most of them are but occasionally a Buck sneaks out with a few Does and they try to hide out in the wilds. If caught, they get shipped back . . . if they get caught by the government, that is." He grinned, baring his teeth so Speedy would be sure and understand.

Speedy's eyes got big and he said, "You mean? . . . Wow-w-w!"

Giving Speedy a knowing smile, Jason stood and began walking back to the trail. Speedy jumped up and ran after him, bubbling over with questions.

Jason let Speedy talk on till he ran down, then pointing to the west he said, "We can talk about the Deer later. A storm is coming in and we need to get home before it hits. Ready? Let's go." Jason set off at a jog and Speedy followed, letting his uncle lead the way in the growing dark. When they got back, Speedy got a glass of water for himself and a beer for his uncle, bringing them out to the front porch, where Jason was sitting.

He sat down and jumped at a flash of lightning, tail bushing out. Jason smiled and said, "Don't tell me you are still afraid of lightning and thunder?"

Speedy looked ashamed as he said quietly, "Yes."

Jason chuckled, then said, "Don't worry, it looks like the storm will pass south of us. I'm sorry you don't like lightning and thunder. I love them. The power and majesty of a storm is beautiful to me. I often sit out here and watch it but that's me, not you. Now I'll tell you something. Being afraid is not shameful. Fear serves a purpose. Lots of beings are afraid of lightning and thunder. I was when I was little and so was your father. It's only when you let fear stop you from doing what you have to do, that it's bad. You can't be brave, unless you are scared too. Now if you can keep a secret, I'll tell you what scares your father."

Speedy's face lit up as he said, "You mean dad is scared of something? What? I won't tell."

Jason said, "When we were cubs, he used to have nightmares. It was always the same one. He would be in a flat open grassland at night, with a full moon shining down and from the distance would come a long howl. Far off, a pack of Wolves would lope towards him. They were all black furred, with red tongues and glowing red eyes. Your father would run and run but always they would draw relentlessly closer. Growing exhausted, he would stumbled on until he could feel their hot breath on his neck. He would always wake up at that point and crawl into bed with me to feel safe. He learned to hide his fear as he got older but I could always smell when he had that dream again.

*chuckle* I got him good one Halloween night. I spent weeks making a black Wolf costume. I even rigged up a set of red lights for the eyes. He was walking up the road to go to a party that night and I was waiting, hiding in the trees. As he came up beside where I was hiding, I turned on the lights and growled at him. He froze up, stiff with fright, his tail sticking out straight and floofed out as big as I had ever seen it! Ha, ha, ha. He was so scared he actually peed himself! I think he would have fainted but I started laughing so hard, I fell down. *chuckle* Was he ever mad! It cost me a swollen eye, a split lip and some bruises as well as a few whiskers. See this notch on my ear? That is the lasting memento of how angry he was but all in all, it was worth it."

Speedy took it all in and laughed a little at how his father had gotten so scared but he asked,"He did that to you? Did you and dad ever have any other fights?"

Jason nodded and told his nephew,"Yes, we had quite a number of fights, growing up. It isn't easy being twins. At times we were each other's best friend but at other times we would hate each other and fight until we drew blood. You know that scar on his right hand? I gave that to him and he needed a few stitches to close it. I rode with him to the doctor's office and stood by him while they were put in. If you look under the fur on my left shoulder you will see four round scars, two on either side of a four inch surgical scar line. Back when we were a little older than you are now, out in the pasture where we saw the Deer tonight, your father and I had a big fight. I won't tell you what the fight was about, that's personal between your father and myself. The fighting got worse until James bit me in the shoulder and I heard a snap. He broke my collar bone like a stick! He said I screamed and passed out. Somehow, he carried me all the way back to the house and called dad to come and get us. James didn't leave my side, except for when they operated and put a steel pin in the bone to hold it together." Jason smiled to himself, remembering how close he and James had been. Looking over at Speedy, he gave a wink, then finished his beer.

Speedy was open mouthed in astonishment over the story. Standing up, he came around to his uncle's left side and asked,"Can I see it?"

Jason nodded and leaned his head to the right side so Speedy could see better. Speedy used his fingers to part the golden, spotted fur and beheld the scars. Running a finger pad lightly along it, he touched the scar his father had caused to be put on his uncle in anger. Speedy was subdued, thinking about what his father had done and how angry he must have been, to do that to his own twin!

Jason gave his nephew a light swat on the rear and said,"Time to turn in, Speedster. You can take a shower if you want, then you need to get some sleep."

Speedy nodded and said,"Alright, uncle Jason." A rumble of thunder from afar made him add,"I think I will skip the shower. Don't want to be in there when a storm is coming."

Jason suppressed a smile and agreed that that was probably a wise decision. They went inside to their rooms, where Jason turned off the light and removed his clothes before crawling into bed. He heard Speedy moving around for a while, the light showing underneath the bedroom door to indicate Speedy was still up but it did not disturb him and he fell asleep quickly.

Sometime later he was awakened by a voice, calling his name. Barely conscious, he made out the words, "lightening . . scared . . sleep with you?" Jason mumbled," Yeah, ok, c'mon." Shifting over to make room, he felt the covers lift, then the mattress depress as a body slid into bed with him. He was about to fall back to sleep when he saw a bright flash, heard a loud crash of thunder and felt the body beside him jerk in fright, then tremble. Rolling over, Jason reached out and pulled the young Cheetah closed to him. Confused by being mostly asleep, he hugged the trembling form and murmured,"Its' ok James. I am here and you are safe.". He fell back to sleep and comforted, Speedy stopped trembling. The younger male soon fell into slumber, safe and warm in his uncle's arms.

This is the first chapter of a longer story and the yiffiness will begin in the next chapter. Many things will happen and twists will pop up. If you like this so far, let me know! Till the next chapter then, that is titled, 'Who's that sleeping in my bed?'