Marla

Chapter 7

Music Box Dancer

S.M. Wolf

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Marla and Kayla are copyrighted by Kittiara and used with her permission. Master David Wolf, Valentia, Todd, Mike, Sensei Tenchi and this story are copyright 2007, 2010 by S.M. Wolf. This story may not be reproduced by any means in part or completely without prior written permission of the author. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Master David cautiously stuck his muzzle into the master bedroom.

"Is it safe to come in?" he inquired.

The bedroom looked like a tornado had hit. Dresses, gowns, and intimate female clothing were strewn throughout the room. Every piece of furniture and much of the floor were covered with feminine apparel.

"Probably not," Kayla called back cheerfully from inside the walk-in closet.

Master David just laughed, turned around, and shut the door behind him. Decades of experience had taught him not to meddle with femfurs selecting clothing to wear to a formal affair.

Marla and Kayla looked at each other and giggled together at their Master's reaction.

Marla reached down and picked up a pretty navy blue gown.

"What do you think of this for the color?" the wolfess asked Kayla as she held it up to her fur.

"Not bad," Kayla replied critically, "but it may be too dark. Maybe something in a medium blue..."

Kayla turned around and rummaged through the closet some more. She pulled out a couple of blue formal dresses and handed them to Marla to examine. After much discussion they decided upon a medium blue with a hint of grey to complement Marla's pelt.

"Now all we need is the style for the gown, and Valentia can knock out a dress for you in a few days," Kayla told Marla before diving back into the closet again.

"I don't understand why we are doing all of this, Kayla. After what the military has done over the past several months, I would never expect Master David to host a party for their commanding officers."

Marla's eyes narrowed as sudden thought crossed her mind.

"Unless he was planning to poison all of them!"

Kayla laughed and replied, "No, we would never poison someone in the penthouse, especially a government official or military officer.

"It is too easy to trace it back to us."

Marla cocked an eyebrow at her pack mate. Implicit in the statement was the probability that Master David and Kayla had poisoned furs in the past. Marla was still at the periphery of the work that they did, but she was listening and learning much from the tidbits that her alphas and others gave her. It showed just how far they were willing to go in their fight against the government and how much they were coming to trust Marla.

"So why do we want several military officers and assorted government officials here in two weeks?"

Kayla stuck her head out of a row of hanging dresses. She still wore a smile on her muzzle, but her eyes turned serious.

"The Praetorian Guard holds well over a thousand Wolf Enterprise employees as virtual hostages. If they report in sick the Guard sends someone to their homes or even doctor's office to 'escort' them to work. If anyfur attempts to quit, they are offered a one-way trip to a retraining center.

"In short, they have Master David by the balls and know it.

"Under those circumstances, establishing some friendly relations, while undesirable under normal circumstances, makes sense since it will allow Master David to wheedle some favors from the Guard commanders and their civilian counterparts."

Marla bristled at the thought of these furs holding a metaphorical sword over her Master and alpha.

"So, Master David will kowtow to these furs to make sure they do not hurt his employees?"

Kayla sighed and said, "Yes, he has been doing do for the past few months while exploring other options since it is the best option for protecting our furs that we have. The employees are part of our extended pack, and we need to be sure that they are well treated even if it hurts us a bit.

"There are also some other practical reasons for having this party. Master David is exploring several sales of assets. This will allow him to sound out potential buyers. We also get to see several of our friends. You know Valentia and Todd, but Kirk, Stephan and several others that you have not yet met will be there as well.

"I think you will like them," Kayla added before disappearing behind dresses again.

Marla smiled. The prospect of meeting new furs who were her alphas' friends was exciting and promised considerable fun even if most of the guests were not really desired at the party.

For now though Marla needed a dress.

Marla had seen a dress hanging in the closet that had caught her eye. It was at the very end and heavily covered, but she could just make out some of the rich red fabric underneath the clear plastic cover. Marla took it down and looked at it closer. It seemed to be a truly elegant dress.

"What about this one?" Marla asked Kayla.

Kayla poked her head out from between two dresses and glanced at the gown her friend was holding. She smiled and a dreamy look came into her eyes.

"No, not that one. That is a very special gown I wear only once a year when we go to the Orphans Charity Ball."

Marla started to put the gown back, but stopped. Kayla's body language and expression told her that there was a lot more to the story than the otteress was saying.

"What's so special about the Orphans Charity Ball and this gown?" Marla asked Kayla.

"Well, we go there and dance the night away. Last time we left as the sun was coming up. Valentia and Todd are there among others. We have a great time."

Marla knew there was something more that Kayla had not said yet.

"And?" Marla prodded her friend for more details.

Kayla ran a paw over her neck a bit nervously. She was not sure how Marla was going to take what else she had to say. Even if Marla had never said anything about it, all of them knew Kayla had a far better life than Marla after the Academy. The otteress was not sure hoiw Marla truly felt about it, and Kayla did not want to rub her friend and pack mate's nose it that fact. However, Marla was asking the otteress some very direct questions and deserved truthful answers.

"That is also the ball where Master David first told me he loved me."

Marla's mouth opened in astonishment.

"Really?!" Marla asked in wonder.

Kayla nodded her head yes.

"He and Valentia set it up. She made the gown out of red cloth on purpose. Master David arranged a private dance set after the other furs except for Valentia and Todd were gone. The last song was The Lady In Red. Master David sang the song along with the band's singer. At the very end he whispered into my ear, 'I love you.'"

"Oooooh! That is so sweet!"

Kayla giggled.

"Yes, and that was also when I decided giving myself to him was the right thing to do." Kayla practically squealed, "I am so happy I did, too!"

Marla laughed as she hung up the gown. Kayla was right. This particular dress would not be a good choice for the upcoming party. The memories it had for Kayla should never be mixed with what was to come.

Marla looked through several more gowns and dresses, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

"Kayla?"

"Yes, Marla?"

"Do you think Master David will take me to the Orphans Charity Ball this year?"

Kayla saw the far away look in Marla's eyes. She was not sure why the question meant so much to her friend, but it obviously did. The otteress pondered the question for a moment and then replied, "I expect him to. Some of the other male wolves escort several females from their pack. It would not be that unusual, and Master David really does not care that much about what other furs think anyway. He only wants to make us happy."

Marla turned her face away from her friend and asked in a soft voice, "Will there be much dancing?"

Kayla put down the dress she was holding and walked over to Marla. She slid her left arm around her waist.

"Yes, there always is. Why do you ask?"

Marla closed her eyes. Kayla was shocked to see tears dripping from Marla's eyes.

"It has been so long since I danced..." Marla managed to get out before she collapsed into a paroxysm of tears.

Kayla hugged her pack mate to her and waited for Marla to regain control of herself. She remained silent as she waited for the strange outburst from Marla to subside. After all that had happened to them she was surprised that such a simple thing as attending a charity ball would cause her pack mate and fellow slave to collapse like this.

It took several minutes, but by force of will Marla was finally able to control herself. She knew she owed her alpha female an explanation. Marla did not trust herself to look at the otteress. Instead she stared over her shoulder at the blank wall.

"When I was growing up I loved to dance. I took ballet. My parents were very supportive. They never complained about taking me to practices and recitals. They came to every performance. They gave up a lot of their own time and pleasure for me.

"It was great.

"Then when I was twelve they died in the accident. I went from alpha to omega overnight. I really did not care about that, but I was told that dance classes were too expensive and that I would have to stop dancing.

"The truth is the new alphas did not want me to enjoy myself.

"It was hard for me to just stop because so many of my memories of my parents were tied up in the happy times we spent together while I was dancing.

"Later, at the Academy, I was jealous of you and Trouble."

"Jealous?" Kayla asked in surprise.

"Jealous," Marla confirmed. "You both got into the dance classes, and I did not. I was crestfallen, but I could not show it. I knew it was not your fault, but I was angry with both of you for several days.

"I went to sleep for several nights reliving my youth. I was on stage again, the music was playing, the lights came up, and I looked out into the crowd and saw my parents. They would smile as one of the songs like Music Box Dancer would start to play, and I would dance. I know it was only a dream, but it still comforted me. I think- I thought that they approved of me even though I had been sold to the Academy and was now just a sex slave.

"It helped a lot," Marla concluded.

"I am sure your parents would not blame you for what happened, Marla," Kayla quietly reassured the wolfess. "None of it was your fault."

Kayla held her friend close to comfort her for several minutes before they returned to selecting a suitable gown for the upcoming party in the penthouse. They selected a dress from Kayla's large wardrobe that they thought would work well for Marla and sent the color and style to Valentia. Apparently they made a good choice since the dressmaker readily agreed to do the dress for them.

Over the next few days Marla found herself humming snippets of the songs to which she used to dance on stage, especially Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills. A smile would always appear on her muzzle as she relived happier days with her now dead parents. Losing alpha status was something that she could live with easily. Losing her parents still cut her to the bone whenever she thought of their loss. They had been the center of her life, and their sudden deaths had set her adrift. It was not until the Academy when she made new friends that she started to feel like she could love other furs again.

On Wednesday of the following week several packages were delivered to the penthouse by Todd. Marla had some fun teasing the young fox while Kayla put away their new clothes. Todd took her teasing good-naturedly, but he had a decided blush on his muzzle and cheeks by the time Kayla returned.

Thursday turned out to be a rainy day. Master David went to work early and stayed late working on the sales of several his subsidiaries. Kayla and Marla spent much of the day lazing around the penthouse watching the entertainment multimedia feeds, listening to music, conversing and reading.

Outside the sky darkened as evening became night, and Master David still had not returned to the penthouse.

Marla got up and stretched.

"I am going to take a quick bath before our Master returns."

Marla gave Kayla a wicked grin.

"Want to join me?" she asked coyly.

Kayla just laughed and shooed Marla upstairs to her bath.

Marla disappeared upstairs into her room. The smaller tub in her room was better suited for bathing a single fur. She still had the innate desire from her youth not to waste things like water even though her Master would not care if she took a dozen baths a day in the big whirlpool tub, especially if he was in it with her.

Marla lay back in the tub and relaxed. Lulled by the gentle jets and the warm water she slipped into a half dozing state.

Marla's ears perked up suddenly. She thought she had heard the click of her door closing.

"Kayla?" Marla called out. After a moment she tried, "Master David?"

Neither of her pack mates answered. Marla pulled her body out of the water as quietly as possible. She did not bother to dry her fur as she padded towards her bedroom. She paused only long enough to pick up her favorite laser pistol. She might have just dreamed the noise, but as a bodyguard she could not take a chance, not even in the relative security of the penthouse.

At the doorway to the bedroom she stopped dead.

On the bed were a white ballet dancer's costume and a pair of ballerina's shoes. It took her a few moments to see the ornate foil envelope beside the shoes.

Marla went back to the bathroom and quickly dried her hair fur and pelt. She certainly did not want to drip water on the items that had mysteriously appeared on her bed. When she was completely dry the wolfess walked backed to the bed and opened the elaborate envelope. She slid the thick embossed card out from within and read the engraved words.

**The Pleasure Of Your Company Is Requested

For The White Tie Opening Night Performance Of**

Music Box Dancer

**And assorted other works of Frank Mills

As performed by the Diva Marla Wolf**

Marla nearly dropped the card in pure shock.

Marla spent several seconds reading and rereading the words. She knew it had to be her pack mates' doing, but she was still dazed and uncertain how to proceed. It had been years since she had even tried to dance.

Marla closed her eyes and thought. Her pack mates were obviously expecting her to dance for them that night, but would she?

Could she?

The memories of her mother and father sitting in the front row watching her perform came unbidden to her mind's eye. Once again they were looking up at her and smiling their encouragement. Tonight, though, Master David and Kayla sat beside them. They clapped as hard as her parents as the music ended, and she took her bow.

Marla knew that regardless of whatever else happened tonight her pack mates would always support her and would never criticize her performance. She knew they wanted her to have a good time and enjoy herself at something they now knew was so special to her.

But could she still dance at all?

A few months ago when she was in the coffle the answer would have been a definite no. Her body had been abused and broken to the point that she could never hope to move with the fluid grace required of a ballerina.

Things had changed markedly since those dark days. Her body had been repaired by the nanobots, so she could move easily again. Training with Sensei Tenchi and her pack mates had restored her balance and precise control of her movements. Many hours of workouts had given her the strength, dexterity and control to dance again even if she did not have the practice dancing that she really needed for a performance such as this.

Tentatively Marla rose up onto her toes and tried a simple pirouette. The movement was surprisingly sure and steady for a fur who had not danced in over eleven years. The five feet positions were easy to attain. Quickly she ran through some of the arm movements and body bends. Her training both as a sex slave and a bodyguard was proving surprisingly helpful. She had the full range of movement she needed for dance, and she was confident she still had the stamina for a full performance.

Marla made her decision. It really was not that difficult or really in doubt once she assured herself that she was at least partially physically capable of doing it.

Marla went to the dresser table. She was surprised to find a gem encrusted tiara waiting for her. Marla brushed and combed her hair and pelt until they gleamed. She used mascara to lengthen and thicken her eyelashes so they would be more visible under the bright lights of the stage. She worked her long hair up into a tight hairdo so it would not get in the way while she danced. She used many hairpins and clasps to hold it in place throughout her performance.

Marla slid into the ballerina outfit. It fit her like a glove. She strongly suspected that Valentia and Todd were behind its manufacture. No doubt it was in the clothes delivered yesterday by Todd. It was probably why Kayla let Marla tease Todd. The sly otteress had let Marla's proclivities conveniently keep the wolfess busy downstairs while she hid the ballerina outfit upstairs.

The leather ballet shoes went on next. They felt like old friends returning to her life after a far too long absence.

Marla picked up the tiara and placed it in her hair. She carefully adjusted it until it was just the way she wanted it. Marla did a quick final check of herself in the mirror, and she was ready to go.

Now all she had to do was find the stage.

Her quest proved easy. When she opened the door Mike stood outside her door waiting for her. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white tie.

"Diva Marla, your fans await you," the young wolf said a bit stiffly as he offered her his right arm. Apparently he had been coached to be very formal this evening, but it was not coming to him as easily as it would for Master David or another older male.

Marla was susprised to find Mike here. Marla shook her head at the thoroughness of her pack mates' preparation. They truly wanted this night to be special for her.

Mike seemed to have trouble meeting her eyes. Instead he kept looking her up and down. Marla was not quite sure if he was looking over her outfit or her body revealed by the tight fitting fabric. Marla did not care either way. She liked the young wolf and was happy to give him some eye-candy. It also appealed to her exhibitionist nature which now was running rampant witht eh thought of what was to come this night.

"Thank you, Michael," Marla said with some formality of her own. She still smiled pleasantly at the young wolf as she slipped her left paw onto Mike's arm and allowed him to escort her downstairs to the living room. She caught just a hint of an answering smile from the handsome young wolf. He seemed to honestly like the feel of her paw resting lightly on his arm.

All of the lights were off except for several spotlights near the outside wall. They created a pool of light on the hardwood floor. Beyond she could see the tops of the clouds and the moons through the windows. They would give her an almost supernatural background to dance against.

Marla let go of Mike and strode out into the living room with far more bravado than true confidence. Inside she was quaking as she always did just before a performance. Outwardly she was calm and collected as she entered the spotlights after too many years absence.

Kayla and Master David sat upon a loveseat set at the edge of her stage area. Master David was wearing an elegant black tuxedo. As the invitation had required, he wore a white bowtie, black tails with black trouser, white pique wing collar shirt, white pique vest and tie, white gold and platinum jewelry and white gloves. In his right paw was a walking stick with a large diamond on the handle that glittered in the half light at the edge of her spotlights. Atop his head was a black top hat. He was every inch the elegant high society male fur dressed for a night at the opera or a high society function.

Kayla was wearing the red dress Marla had seen earlier that week. Apparently she had divined how much Marla liked it. In the depths of her cleavage was a red rose broach made of gems. A white corsage graced her white gloved wrist. White gold rings and earrings adorned her body.

Marla was warmed to her core to see her alpha female wear a dress with such personal significance just to see Marla dance. It spoke volumes about how much her pack mate loved her.

Both of Marla's pack mates were sitting at the edge of their seats patiently waiting for Marla to appear. She could see their wide open muzzle grins as she stepped into the light. She looked from one to the other and was greeted with open affection and support just as she had enjoyed from her parents.

Marla stepped to the center of the impromptu stage area. Marla took a deep breath to steady her and rose up on her toes. She lifted her arms to the starting position for the piece. She now looked like a classical ballet dancer adorning an ancient music box.

The room was filled with the opening piano notes of Music Box Dancer as Mike turned on the entertainment system and cued her music. Delicately Marla pirouetted in time with the piano. She made one complete revolution and paused. The piano was joined by more instruments, and the tempo and intensity of the song picked up. Marla turned out and began to dance in earnest. She moved from position to position with surprising ease. There was considerable rust in her movements and her timing was a bit off, but she danced with a carefree grace knowing that she could do no wrong in the eyes of her audience.

Each time the piano solo resumed Master David and Kayla would find Marla facing them. She would grin broadly at them before delicately pirouetting with the music as she mimicked the movement of a music box dancer.

The last notes of the piano echoed off the walls of the living room and died. Marla was breathing a bit faster, but she was in too good a shape to be winded by a few minutes exertion. Kayla and Master David clapped enthusiastically. The smiles on their muzzles and the love in their eyes were the greatest accolade they could give her, though.

Marla half expected the performance to be over with a single dance, so she was caught slightly unaware as the piano resumed playing. She recognized the tune as The Peter Piper Theme, another Frank Mills song. Apparently Kayla had correctly figured out that Marla enjoyed the composer and his works. She quickly flowed into the music and resumed her dancing.

The Poet and I was a slow piece that allowed her to show off her leg lifts. She managed to improvise some of the presentation tricks taught her at the Academy into the movements to add just a slightly more mature undercurrent to the dance not found in her grade school performances. Kayla obviously caught her tricks. She smiled up at the wolfess. Master David just smiled encouragement to her.

Beyond them Marla caught sight of Mike in the shadows illuminated by the LCD panels of the entertainment system watching her raptly. He was certainly enjoying her performance or at least watching her.

Happy Song had always been one of Marla's favorites. The crisp, well spaced piano notes allowed her to show off moving briskly from foot position to foot position.

Spanish Coffee let Marla showcase some of her more flowing moves as she twirled and turned across the entire stage. It was a more athletic performance than the other songs, and despite her training Marla was breathing a bit harder when she finished.

The final song of the night was Valse Classique, a slower song that still allowed Marla to strut her dance moves with precision and grace.

After the song Mike brought the lights up. Her very special performance was over. Marla was breathing hard from six dances without a break, and many of her muscles ached, but at the same time she felt an exhilaration that had been missing from her life for over a decade.

Wordlessly Kayla rose and came to Marla. She hugged her pack mate and friend intensely. She cried just a bit in happiness. Marla hugged Kayla back just as hard. It was the only way she could find to thank her friend and lover.

Master David joined the two femfurs. Kayla let go of Marla and stepped aside. Master David took Marla's right paw in his. He knelt and bowed deeply over her paw. He gave it a single light kiss. He stood and said, "That was a magnificent performance, Marla."

Marla beamed at his praise.

Mike turned off the entertainment system and headed for the elevator. Marla looked at him over her Master's shoulder. He was staring at her in fascination and a bit of awe. He clearly had enjoyed the wolfess' performance. Marla gave him a big smile. For perhaps the first time since she had met him, Mike grinned back at her without embarrassment and waved his approval before leaving for the night.

With the performance over there was nothing more to be done downstairs. Marla was escorted by her pack mates back to the master bedroom. They placed her in the tub and washed her body thoroughly. She reveled in their paws running over her body. They talked a bit about the night. Both of her pack mates pressed Marla to know when her next performance would be. She laughed them off, but secretly she started to plan another performance in her head. She would need to talk to Mike covertly about getting the music she wanted.

Much later that night Marla lay on the bed cuddled between her pack mates. At the very edge of unconsciousness she dreamed of her parents again. They waved to her and called out. Marla could not hear what they said, but she could read their lips easily.

"We love you!" each said to her.

Marla felt a quietness flow over her as she finally started to come to grips emotionally with her parents and her life since their deaths. She knew that they would still love her and approve of her even with the horrific turns her life had taken if they were alive. While only a dream, it comforted her immensely.

Marla fell asleep with pleasant memories of her childhood and her parents running through her mind for the first time in years.