FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The morning began with a perfect weather, clouds hiding most of the sun, the air still fresh, cool and crisp, yet a busy day no less for the hardworking furs of California. The highways and roads were already packed with cars. The streets were filled with commuters, trying to get to work or places to be.

At the California Police Department, a gray fox was just sending a text to his beloved wife as he stepped out of the elevator, navigating the busy corridors of the investigation department to his office when his partner, Fang, intercepted him at his door. "Yo Dan! What's so top secret that we can't talk about it on the phone," Fang complained. "Also, how's that little cub doing? Has he woken up yet?" He queried, leaning against the door frame with one paw tucked in his jacket, and the other holding a cup of his morning Joe.

"Morning Fang, don't pop a vein just yet, I was just about to find you to discuss that." Daniel joked as he unlocked his tiny office. "Come on in." He gestured to Fang as he removed his jacket and placed it along with his bag on his desk. After Fang closed the door behind him, Daniel turned to face a bulletin board on his wall full of cutouts and clippings, connected with strings and thumbtacks. "Let's see..." Daniel began, tapping his snout. "The cub had woken up last evening, as I've suspected. He was more than it meets the eye. Little Kevin has the intelligence of an adult... No..." Daniel paused to find the right word.

"Like a Baby Genius?" Fang joked, before Daniel raised an eyebrow at his peculiar comment.

"Not exactly, more like..." Daniel continued to ponder. "One who has lots of experience... From what I've observed, he has the same needs and behaviors as any other cub or kit, but..." Daniel commented as he pulled out his personal notepad. "After some interaction with the cub, he started to have a matured conversation and admitted to me that his name was Kevin, just like the one on the identity card we found among the belongings from the warehouse."

Fang responded with a confused look on his face. "How is that..."

"Possible? Yes..." Daniel interrupted as he turned to his bag. "I wondered that myself too. Initially, I thought the cub was probably the kid of the fur on the identity card," Daniel opened his bag and took out Kevin's belongings. "Then I slowly realized that he was no ordinary cub when he fully understood an adult reference I made," Daniel explained while he jotted on his notepad. "As to the mystery behind this special little fur, Kevin had confided with me a rather intriguing tale as to why he was found in that old warehouse, and possibly how he was... turned into a cub." Daniel took his seat behind his desk and began recounting Kevin's story.

"This better not be a joke..." Fang grumbled. He listened silently for nearly an hour as Daniel disclosed the tale, sipping his coffee and taking glances at the cluttered bulletin board at intervals. "That's... quite a tale to digest." Fang broke the silence as he turned away from the bulletin board to rest his eyes. "Could it be possible that all of our missing fur cases and Kevin's story are related?"

"I got the same hunch about it as well," Daniel nodded in agreement. "But there just isn't enough evidence to connect them together." He sighed as he slouched in his chair. "I'm guessing there is something at large behind all of this, yet we don't have much to go with..."

"If our guts are correct, we can infer that Kevin would have been one of the missing fur victims," Fang interjected. "And he was meant to suffer the same fate as the rest of all those missing furs, and somehow this toxin he was fed didn't work all that well on him and turned him younge... into a cub?" He gestured to the various profiles on the bulletin board.

"It's just as ridiculous as it sounds, so for now, we must keep this on a Need-To-Know basis and file our report as we found a lost and abandoned child from that night's disturbance." Daniel nodded as he concluded the meeting.

Fang stood up and left for the door, when he turned his head and asked, "I take it that you'll be handling our little witness?"

"Yeah," Daniel got up from his seat and escorted his partner out of his office. "I'm gonna inform child services about this. For now, my wife and I will care for him until permanent arrangements can be made." Fang glanced skeptically at him upon hearing that statement. "What?" Daniel questioned his partner's reaction.

"You sure you know how to look after a baby?" Fang teased.

"Yes, I do..." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"I wish you good luck with that then," Fang's sarcasm quickly turned into concern. "I would help you take care of him but..."

"But you already have a tyke of your own? I know, it's fine. Thanks for the well wish anyways." Daniel assured him with a smile and shutted the office door between them. "How hard can it be? After all, I was a dad once..." Daniel thought to himself, as he headed towards his office desk and picked up the phone to dial for child services. The sound of ringing could be heard through the receiver as Daniel waited for his call to connect. He took the moment to view a message sent from his wife to his handphone. "I shall better reply her after this call..." Daniel reminded himself, noticing the timestamp dated 'one hour ago'.

Just then, a thought flashed through his mind, when the phone finally connected through. "Hello, child services. How may I assist you?" A lady with a calm voice was heard over the phone.

"Oh... Sorry, wrong number..." Daniel apologized and hung his office phone up when he realized that perhaps he might be a bit too quick to call child services as of yet. Picking up his handphone, Daniel scrolled through his contact list, stopping at the name "Cooper Ridge", and selected the "Call" option. The phone rang for several seconds until it was eventually picked up. "Hello, Cooper?" Daniel spoke first.

"Daniel? Morning," A hasty male voice replied. "Is this urgent?... I'm kinda busy with a client now. Also, the court is about to start..." Cooper seemed to be talking to another fur in mumbles between the pauses.

"Nothing urgent, really. Rather, I'll need advice on something that is a bit... sensitive and crucial." Daniel stated as he looked out the glass window from his office. "It'll be better if we meet face-to-face." He suggested.

"Okay, I'll meet you up for lunch after this hearing, the usual place?" Cooper asked.

"Nah, come to my place this time." Daniel insisted.

"Okay then, your place. Court's starting now, I'll see ya later Daniel." Cooper hung up almost instantly.

"Well then, back to my report," Daniel thought to himself. "But first, gotta reply this text..." He sent a quick text to his wife, informing her of his arrangements for a lunch meeting with his best friend and that would be held at their home. After hitting the "Send" option, he stared blankly at his pin-up board, lost in thoughts for the moment before booting up his computer to resume his routine work.

---

The low monotonous hum and soft vibration of a well-tuned engine had just quiet down along the Sionach residence driveway, not that Kevin could tell the difference between all the residences anyways, as the little red panda was still snoozing away peacefully in his car seat. That all quickly changed when the sudden popping of opened car doors struck against his eardrums. His sense of peace was interrupted as he felt the buckles and straps that were snuggled against his body starting to loosen. Kevin began to stir and squirm, slowly prying his eyes open to see a familiar and comforting face. He weakly let out a smile behind his pacifier but the lingering fatigue in his mind filled him with one desire now: sleep.

The car seat he had chosen earlier that day was so soft and comforting, it's padded cushions was alluring him back to slumber, but was denied as Rose lifted him out of it. He let out a whine of protest, causing the pacifier in his maw to fall out, thankfully caught by the clip attached to his shirt earlier. All he wanted now was peace and quiet, unaware of his dire need for a diaper change.

"Okay, okay, I know you wanna sleep, but first, let's get you changed first before you get a diaper rash." Rose hushed Kevin as she gently laid him on her left shoulder, carrying him in one arm, and using her other paw to unlock the front door.

Rose gently rocked the little cub back and forth for the entire trip towards the nursery. His tiny arms were wrapped around her neck, his fluffy tail coiled itself around her supporting arm, and his whole body pressing against her chest; being held so closely made him felt safe, comfortable and warm. He must have drifted off to sleep again at some point, as the next thing he felt, was the chilly touch of a baby wipe on his bum; a rude shock to him as he found himself naked and lying over the cushioned pads of a changing table. Kevin whined and yelped, his struggling held by the strap around his belly as he begged to be left alone . His mind was barely awake, and now he was bombarded with all sorts of sensory and emotional overload from having his diaper changed.

If it wasn't for the comforting belly rub to squelch his distress, the little wah would have been crying a fit. "There there, just relax. Nothing to fuss about." Rose whispered in a soothing voice while still being quick and efficient with her clean-up, despite the constant movement of her charge. It did not take long before she taped on a new diaper over Kevin's freshly powdered bum.

Kevin's mind was a state of limbo. He only managed to catch a few of Rose's words about not being very cold, and a T-shirt was fitted over his tiny body. From his sleepy gaze, he looked down to see a large motif from a popular little kid show he was watching earlier, now on his shirt. It was one of the main characters, the police officer, smiling cheerfully at him. He immediately recognized this character and muttered his name, "Cheh...".

"Hmm? Rose lifted Kevin off the changing table and nuzzled his forehead before settling him down into his crib. "Chase is your favorite?" Rose asked as she latched the lockable side of the crib in place.

"Mmhmm..." Kevin yawned and nodded, rubbing his tired droopy eyes.

"Awww, looks like you're too sleepy and tired to have lunch. That's okay, you just wait here for me. I'll be right back." Rose stroked Kevin's cheek before leaving the nursery. A heavy weight was slowly felt upon his heart as Kevin watched the nursery door closing behind Rose. The sound of the door closing instantly snapped him out of his drowsiness. He let out a soft yet long "wah" to get Rose's attention. A moment passed, Kevin quickly realized that Rose must not have heard him since she did not return for him. He was not sure why he felt this way, all he wanted now was to see that orange adult fox again.

With a goal in mind, the gears in Kevin's mind begin to turn. Using the crib bars to help himself to a standing position for a better view of his surroundings, he noticed that the crib side rode along a pair of vertical rails. By making an educated guess, he reached out as much as he can to the corner posts, finding a clasp of sorts that keeps the crib side held up. He then tried to loosen the latch, in hopes of unlocking this side of the crib. However, his paws were not strong enough to handle the spring mechanism. Realizing he was just as trapped in his tiny body as much as being in the crib, the red panda began to pout.

"Stupid small paws..." Kevin grumbled as he looked at his paws before crossing them against his chest. He huffed his face in annoyance and was determined not to let such a minor setback hold him back from finding Rose. He looked around the crib and realized that there is perhaps another way to escape the crib. By stacking two pillows together, he tried to give himself an extra boost, but they only barely lifted him up due to how soft they were. "Hmm... Maybe some momentum would do the trick..." Kevin hypothesized as he backed himself to the far end of the crib. With the combination of a quick sprint and a short leap, he managed to bounce and grabbed onto the ledge of the crib, holding on to freedom.

Hanging about half a foot off the soft mattress, Kevin struggled to pull himself upwards using his stubby little arms. "Argh... This is tougher than I thought!" He eventually pulled himself over the ledge of the crib and used the supporting frame to climb his way down to the ground, landing on the soft carpet. "Haha! No crib can hold me!" Kevin proudly praised himself with a smug grin on his face.

Kevin then headed for the door and tried to reach for the door handle. Shortly, he began to realize that his tiny height was his newfound bane, for the handle was twice as high as the ledge of the crib he just faced. "Argh! Why is it so high?!" Kevin grumbled as he hopped vigorously on the spot to reach for the door handle, yet nowhere close to even touching it. He started looking around the nursery for something he could use as a booster, and spotted a massive toy chest that was tucked into the corner. "Maybe I can use that!" Kevin went over and tried to pull the toy chest. "Ugh... Too heavy..." He struggled as the box barely budged at all. Wondering in curiosity what was in the chest that was weighing it down, he opened it up to find an assortment of toys inside. Most of them were basic learning toys, including the Lego bricks that Rose told him about this morning.

(https://imgur.com/gallery/17ArP)

"Oooooh~ Legos!" His heart skipped in delight and beat in excitement. He grabbed several pawfuls of the blocks and dropped them outside the chest, digging deeper to see if there is anything else. He then spotted something resembling the grip of a pistol buried within the Lego blocks. He grabbed hold onto it and wrenched it free, revealing a dart gun labeled "Nerf" on the side. Despite being just a plastic toy, the gun felt so huge and heavy in Kevin's tiny paws, requiring him to use both his paws to hold it upright. He then began to examine the dart gun, finding it already loaded with darts. An irresistible urge to squeeze the trigger came over him as he squealed happily with each projectile fired off the gun, scattering the darts all over the nursery. Once all the darts were expended, he quickly lost interest in it and dropped it on the carpeted floor, going through the chest once more.

Removing a couple more pawful of Lego blocks, he made another new discovery: a blue Jedi Starfighter. Kevin's eyes once again lit up with excitement, as he retrieved it from the toy chest and examined the details of the ship. He then started to fantasize about a dogfight between the spaceship in his paw with an unknown enemy. "Pew pew pew! Bam Bam! Boooom..." He imitated some enemy laser fire as he zipped it around the nursery in his paw, scattering the Legos he previously threw out all over the carpet.

"Looks like someone was having fun while I was gone." A familiar voice caught Kevin's attention as he turned towards the door and saw Rose leaning against the now-opened nursery door. She stepped forward to lift the rambunctious tyke up from under his armpits and then cradled him with one arm, giving a playful boop to his nose.

"Huh? Where did you... I uhh... I-I was trying to find you... but I couldn't reach the door..." Kevin tried to explain himself, totally flustered and blushing.

"Shhh it's okay Kevin, I'm sorry that I took longer than a few minutes to come back. You merely got bored and began playing with the toys, I understand that," Rose reassured the little wah as she used her feet to carefully sweep the scattered Lego bricks aside, clearing a path towards the crib. "However, this is not okay." She pointed to the pillows being stacked inside the crib. "I don't want you climbing out of the crib like that, it is not safe." Rose chided the little wah firmly. "Please call me next time if you want to leave the crib, understand?"

"O-Okay..." Kevin nodded in shame, fidgeting with the Starfighter toy still in his hands.

"That's a good boy," Rose smiled and nuzzled the little cub's belly. Kevin squeaked and began to squirm about in her arms. He never knew that he was this ticklish, for his giggles quickly turned into loud laughter. During the struggle, his grip loosened and the Starfighter toy he was holding dropped into the crib. He managed to catch his breath after Rose ended the nuzzling with a kiss on his forehead, putting a smile on his face.

"I got a little something for you~" Rose then held up a bottle of creamy white liquid up to his maw. Kevin stared at the nipple of the bottle, and his smile quickly dropped to a small frown. Rose smiled at him as she pushed the bottle nipple past his lips and into his mouth. "Come on sweetie, drink up, it's good for you. Don't you want to become big and strong?"

Being coaxed into thinking he can become big and strong again, that was all the motivation needed to get Kevin to suckle on the nipple for a taste. After the first sip, Kevin began to suck on the nipple greedily, for the liquid tasted like sweetened milk, warm and creamy. He never knew that he was this hungry and thirsty, and this formula helped to fulfill both needs. It was not long before his tummy was filled, followed by his returning tired mind, putting him to sleep in Rose's arm.

Rose smiled as she admired this adorable scene: a toddler with a belly full of formula, drifting off to slumber in her arms. Upon seeing that the bottle nearly empty and the wah's gradual lack of interaction, she took it out from Kevin's maw and set it on top of the nearby dresser. She then gently laid the cub over her shoulder to pat and rub his back softly, causing him to let out a short, sharp burp, followed by the sound of shallow breathings of someone sleeping. She then carefully laid Kevin back in his crib when she heard a few soft taps on the nursery door behind her. She turned around to see her beloved husband peeking in the doorway, carrying something large, blue and furry behind his back. "Shhh... Kevin just fell asleep." She whispered to Daniel as she watched him strolled over to her side.

"I got a little surprise gift for him," Daniel whispered back and revealed the poorly concealed item behind his back. It was Kevin's favorite character from the video game they were playing last night, a Stitch plush toy.

"Aww~ That's very sweet of you," Rose caught a glance at the fuzzy blue plush before turning her head back towards the crib. "Where did you get it?"

"Happened to spot it on my way home, there's this garage sale just down the street," Daniel recounted quietly as he watched Rose carefully tugged the little cub's thumb from his maw, replacing it with a pacifier and clipping it to the collar of his shirt. "I thought he may like it, from the way he was always so keen on picking this one character for all the minigames we were playing yesterday." He then carefully slotted the plush into Kevin's arms and watched him immediately embraced his new cuddly companion subconsciously.

(https://www.sofurry.com/view/1384127)

"D'aww~ Just look at him..." Rose squeaked softly while suppressing her inner squealings. "He looks so precious..." She then leaned into Daniel's arms.

"Mmhmm..." Daniel agreed, taking the chance to nuzzle his wife for a moment. The couple embraced one another, watching over the slumbering little cub. They both enjoyed the moment until Daniel's stomach starting growling, interrupting the moment. "Oops, sorry," He smiled sheepishly as he whispered into Rose's ears. "So, what's for lunch?"

"Your favorite~ I'm just about to prepare it. Let's go," Rose replied as they began to leave the room. After making sure the baby monitor was on, they dimmed the lights and closed the door softly behind them.

---

"How did the checkup go? Is there anything from the blood test yet?" Daniel queried as the couple made their way into the kitchen downstairs.

"Well, on the way to the clinic, Kevin was standing in the front seat of the car. I had to stop and lecture him about how dangerous it was." Rose recalled as they entered the kitchen. "Then at the clinic, there was a bit of a fight and tantrum while we were waiting. Some kid took Kevin's creation from him while they were playing with Legos. Luckily the other kid's mom and I intervened before things got out of hand," Rose said while she put on her apron, preparing to cook.

"Huh... Guess social interaction and conflict resolution are not his things, huh?" Daniel chuckled as he envisioned the scene in his mind.

"You can say that," Rose sighed as she began to prepare the ingredients for her dish. "Then after the doctor's visit, I took him for some ice cream as he was very well-behaved for the most part during the physical examination and the taking of his blood sample," Rose recalled as she prepared the other ingredients.

"Aww, no fair! I worked my butt off and I don't get any ice cream?" Daniel teased as he faked a pouty face and crossed his arms.

"But you still get to eat my delicious spicy stir-fried noodles for lunch." Rose laughed at her husband's antics as she started up the stove fire and began to cook.

"Mmm... That smells wonderful!" Daniel praised, inhaling the cooking fumes deeply.

"It'll be ready in a few minutes..." Rose tossed the ingredients into the pan evenly, showing off her cooking skills. "And as for the blood test, the doctor said the result won't be ready until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Wow, that's pretty quick... If only the forensics department were that quick." Daniel joked.

"Come on now, they have lots of cases to handle too," Rose replied as she went to grab three separate plates for the noodles. "You can't expect yours to be a priority."

"I know I know, I'm just kidding..." Daniel was cut off by the chime of the doorbell. "That must be Cooper, I'll get the door." He then left the kitchen and went towards the front door. He opened it to the sight of a raccoon in a sleek black lawyer suit, "Hey Cooper!" Daniel pulled his best friend in for a quick hug. "How are things going?" He asked as he invited the raccoon into the house.

"Oh, things are going as well as they can be..." Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "How are things with you and Rose? You sounded really anxious over the phone." He asked, taking off his coat and hanging it on the coat hanger by the door.

"Yeah... About that, I need some advice on uhh..." Daniel struggled to find the right words. " About a... this kid I've found..."

"Don't you normally just hand them over to child services and they'll take care of it from there?" Cooper looked at Daniel for confirmation.

"He's actually not from this country." Rose interrupted, concerned about Daniel and his best friend standing a bit too long by the front door, left opened.

"Rose! It's been a while..." Cooper paused their conversation and gave her a brief hug. "Well, that's not really a problem if he's from another country," Cooper resumed his conversation with Daniel. "If he's a minor and he got lost in this country, the state can still handle it."

"Well... you see, this one's a little... different." Daniel stuttered as he led Cooper through the living room into the dining area, with Rose following closely behind.

"What do you mean?" Cooper asked as he helped himself to the nearest seat at the table. Upon sitting down, Cooper noticed a brightly colored high chair beside the dining table set up at the corner of the table, facing towards him. "Are you actually interested in adopting this one or something?" He questioned.

"It's a long story," Daniel cleared his throat as he sat himself down beside Cooper. "But this child's life is in danger. Whoever the suspects are, they assumed he was dead, but are still at large. Until they're caught, he's not safe and I won't entrust him to the system."

"So you're planning to keep him safe till you find these perpetrators? What about his parents?" Cooper queried, just as Rose served a hearty plate of spicy stir-fried noodles in front of him. "Wow! This smells really good, can't wait to dig into this!"

"That's what Rose and I are intended to do, as for his parents... he doesn't have any... not anymore." Daniel answered while Rose finished setting the plates of noodles and glasses of water. "I'm not sure how I should proceed though..."

"Hmm... that's really unfortunate." Cooper commented, spearing his fork into his noodles as he contemplated on his best friend's situation. "There can only one course of action that works the best for you," Cooper suggested as he stuffed some noodles into his maw. "Hey damn! This is really good food!" Cooper praised Rose's cooking.

"Hehe, thank you, Cooper, there are extras in the pan if you want seconds." Rose bashfully replied as she started to dig in as well. "You shouldn't talk with your mouth full though."

"Oh sorry, I'll keep that in mind." Cooper nodded, forking for another mouthful and swallowing it. "As to what I was about to say, Daniel, I'll recommend you to take up guardianship for this kid you wish to protect."

"Guardianship?" Daniel asked with interest.

"First things first, what is this kid's name?" Cooper enquired.

"The kid told me that his name is Kevin," Daniel replied.

"To ensure that Kevin can be placed under your protection and care, which is a legal guardianship, you're going to have to complete several things such as the paperwork, interviews, and house visits before you'll be even considered," Cooper explained. "Then again... Most social workers I've known are overworked, often lacking in resources and manpower who are willing to help foster care. Therefore, it's most likely that they'll be happy to approve your paperwork as long as you can meet the requirements."

"Don't these checks and approvals normally take months to process?" Daniel asked.

"That's correct, but I can pull some strings here and there, and it should be done within a week." Cooper smiled confidently, sipping his water.

"You can do that?!" Daniel was astonished. "Thanks, Cooper! That'll be most appreciated!"

"Heh, it's nothing really. You're just trying to protect this kid, I'm glad that I get to play a part in it." Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "So... Does this mean that you two are going to have a kid again? I suppose some congratulations shall be in order, eh?" Cooper winked his eye and picked up his glass of water, asking for a toast.

"Oh come on now, we'll just trying to help someone in need." Rose chided, dismissing his claims lightly.

"Oh? But your body language tells a different story milady," Cooper glanced at Rose with a smirk on his face. "While I was explaining all the legal procedures, I noticed that you were on the edge of your seat the whole while, as if you're excited about something."

"...Fine, you caught me," Rose smiled bashfully. "I admit that I'm quite happy you're helping us, and for giving me the opportunity to be like a mother again."

"Years of courtroom observations, Rose." Cooper laughed, tipping his 'hat'. "All the more to celebrate such a feat, now that the both of you are would-be parents again!

"Mmhmm... That's true in a way." Daniel joined in the laughter. "Fine, let's have a toast then, but there's no way we're going to toast over water!" Daniel rose from his seat to fetch a bottle of merlot and three wine glasses from the wine cabinet in the pantry.

"Dear... It's a little too early for that, and you're still needed at work." Rose reproached and sighed as Daniel set the wine glasses down on the dining table.

"Don't worry, it'll just be one glass and a little wine isn't going to be making me tipsy." Daniel reassured as he broke the seal and popped the cock off the bottle, pouring three equally small amounts of aromatic red liquid into each of the wine glasses.

"To new beginnings!" Cooper cheered, raising his glass towards the couple. Daniel and Rose bashfully nodded to each other and chorused after him. They all clinked their glasses in unison before downing the delicious wine in one go. "So where is this lucky kid who got saved by you, Daniel?" Cooper asked as he set down his glass. "You have yet to introduce him to me yet."

"Oh right, I totally forgot to introduce you to Kevin," Daniel said eagerly. "He's a pretty cool little guy once you..."

"Ahem!" Rose coughed in disagreement. "Kevin is tired and needs his nap, so no introductions until later or another time."

"Oh come on dear, we promise to be really quiet. And it's just a peek." Daniel pleaded.

"Geez, you two can be such kids sometimes, no different from Kevin at all." After thinking for a bit, Rose reluctantly agreed. "Fine, just a peek since I'm going to check on him anyway. But no noise." She raised a firm warning at the two.

"We'll be as silent as a mouse," Cooper promised, animating the 'zipper' on his maw.

(To Be Continued.)