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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hope you all enjoy this part of the story. I think this might be the sappiest chapter so far. (Well Valentine's Day IS right around the corner.) I hope I wrote it well. I appreciate all the Faves, Comments, and Ratings you give me. For those of you lucky enough to have someone for Valentine's Day, I hope it's a very special one. Enjoy :D - AK

It was something I had to do. Professor Palmron was right. This was the only thing that would make me feel any better. Of course, depending on what Lisa was going to tell me, I might not be feeling better anytime soon. Michelle smiled at me and nodded. She gave me a small kiss on the cheek as she left. Lisa pulled a chair out of the kitchen table for me. I sat down. Lisa put her paw on my shoulder in an attempt to be comforting.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

I sighed. I hadn't thought about how to ask this question. Quickly I ran through a bunch of possible ways to ask the question. Each one sounded more awkward than the last. Eventually I just decided to be as gentle as possible and allow the words to form themselves.

"You've been with my family since before I was born, right?"

"Yes. Well, it was a few months before you were born, but still."

"Did...did my mom or dad ever...hurt you?"

A grimace of pain crossed my face. I was terrified at what Lisa would say. I was expecting at the very least that she was beat several times, but how severe were the beatings? Were they severe or mild? I hung my head as such thoughts ran through my head. How could a beating be anything BUT severe? Maybe Professor Williams was right. Maybe I was just as bad as my parents.

I felt Lisa's arms grab me and pull me in close to her.

"You don't need to worry about that." Lisa said as she held me in an embrace.

I returned the hug.

"Yes I do." I said. "I need to know."

After Lisa released me I told her what had happened in my class. How Professor Williams nearly stared a hole straight through me, Riley's attempt to stick up for me, and Professor Palmron's advice about asking her.

"I know what happened to Michelle when I came back from college." I added after finishing my recap of the day. "And it horrifies me to think about. And the way Dad snapped when the break in occurred. I was so afraid he'd hit her again. I can't imagine what they've done to you. I just hope..."

"Shh." Lisa said putting her finger to my lips. "You need to relax. Truthfully, yes. I was beaten a few times and yes it hurt like hell and I cursed your parents for doing it and I cried when I saw what happened to my daughter. But you need to understand something that it took me a long time to figure out. There is a difference between a bad act and a bad person. And your parents, both of them, are not bad people. True, I hate being a slave and I pray every day that will live to see the day I can be free. But I don't begrudge you or your parents for what society has imposed."

"But how can you be so forgiving, even after all of this?"

"I think of everything that I have, because I do have a lot. For instance, I have a beautiful, healthy daughter who has found love. And if it wasn't for me being in slavery, she might not have found it. I think of how good I have it compared to others in my situation. I don't have any scars to show since I've been here, and that's not something every Anthro in slavery can say."

As Lisa talks, I can see tears forming in her eyes. Despite this, her voice remained steady and comforting. It was the voice that I remembered from falling down as a kid or after waking up from a bad dream.

"I'm sorry I'm bringing all of this up." I said. "It's just what that professor said. It really hurt. The idea that I'd date Michelle to try and control her..."

"...Is completely ridiculous." Michelle said from behind me to my surprise.

"How long have you been listening?" Lisa asked wiping a tear from her eye.

"Since the start of course. Look, Andy," Michelle said, not missing a beat, "I don't care what some quack with a degree says, I know you love me. And you should know that I love you with all my heart. And no matter what your parents may have done to me, it doesn't change that. You're more than my boyfriend you're my best friend and my soul mate. And no matter what anyone says our relationship might be or should be or could be; I know what it really is. Mom, turn away for a second."

Surprisingly, Lisa did and Michelle gave me a deep kiss and wrapped her arms around me. I returned the gesture. It felt good to get that nonsense of my chest and have Michelle so close to mine now. I didn't want this moment to end. But a small cough from Lisa forced us to come apart. For a moment, I thought Lisa might be mad at us for our public display, but instead she gave a small chuckle.

"Go upstairs and do homework." Lisa said. "You'll want to finish in time for dinner. We're having guests."

"Guests?" I asked.

The look on Michelle's face gave it away almost before I posed the question. It was the most blatant look of disgust I'd ever seen.

"Mr. Harding and his family." Michelle said. "I can't believe I'm going to have to serve that bit..."

"Michelle, mouth." Lisa said, despite the look on her face betraying her agreement. "Think it will kill you to play the proud, Pet-owning son?"

"I think I'll be ok." I said.

"If you pass out from all the hot air, I could always give you mouth to mouth." Michelle said playfully.

I laughed. The idea of me faking passing out and having Michelle perform "CPR" was almost too good to pass up...almost. I gave Lisa a hug and thanked her again and gave Michelle a small peck on the cheek before I went upstairs. I went through my homework pretty quickly. I found Professor Palmron's work actually somewhat enjoyable. I didn't think I'd be one to enjoy reading poetry, but for some reason it was growing on me. I forced myself to read the Anthro-Human relations assignment. It was mostly about how badly Anthros who were considered "pets" were treated. I guess part of me still felt a little sore because I knew it was true, and maybe I didn't want to admit that I was a part of it. Michelle and Lisa's kind words earlier were the only things that let me finish the assignment.

Once I put my books away, I went downstairs to the kitchen. Michelle and Lisa were hard at work preparing a roast for dinner. Michelle smiled at me as she cut up some potatoes. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Not a very smart thing to do when someone is using a knife, Andy." She said.

"Sorry." I said. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Not unless you want to cut these for me." She said jokingly.

I smiled and took the knife from her and grabbed a potato. I carefully began to cut the potatoes up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Michelle look horrified as I started to cut. Contrary to her belief, I could use a knife.

"No, no." she said when she was done worrying I'd somehow kill myself. "You're leaving them too big. Here, let me show you."

Michelle grabbed my hand and helped me cut the potatoes into smaller slices. I half expected to hear Lisa's voice tell the two of us not to mess around, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. It was a pretty mundane activity in retrospect, but it seemed special to me. For some reason I just wanted to be close to her now. I think she picked up on it, because as I carefully guided the knife, she put her head on my shoulder. After a cut, I turned to see Lisa looking at the two of us. I gave her a slight apologetic glance. She just smiled and went back to cooking.

Michelle and I put the cut up potatoes in a large glass bowl. She grabbed a couple bottles of various seasonings and put them in front of me.

"Ok," she said, "now seasoning is the toughest part. If you put just a bit too much of one thing, it ruins the taste, so do exactly what I say."

"Sure." I responded.

Much to my chagrin, Michelle's guidelines were rather unspecific, such as a pinch of that, a dash of this, and like terms. I was lucky I proceeded so slowly, otherwise I'm pretty sure I would have added too much of something.

After we were done, Michelle handed me a wooden spoon.

"It's easier if you mix." She said. "You don't have as much hair has I do."

She smiled and showed me her arm as she ran a finger up it to illustrate its furry quality. I laughed and took the spoon and started to mix. As I did, I heard voices in the living room. I recognized them as that of my dad and Mr. Harding. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, only that they were coming this way.

Michelle and Lisa heard it, too. Lisa began checking everything closer and Michelle looked antsy.

"Here," she said with her hand out, "give me the spoon."

I just smiled and kept mixing.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "If you want to look busy, go help you mother with something. I got this."

"But if your father sees that you're helping us..."

"Don't worry. "I repeated. "I got it under control."

Michelle shot me a nervous glance, but did go to help her mother. I moved behind the door so that I wouldn't be seen. Not that I really cared if I was. The door opened, and almost hit me. My dad and Mr. Harding walked in.

"How is dinner coming?" my dad asked, seeming not to notice me.

"It's coming along well, sir." Lisa said. "It should be ready soon."

My dad nodded in approval.

"You know, Robert," Mr. Harding said, also not noticing me. "I think I was wrong about these two. They both seem like loyal pets. You're lucky to have them."

"Yes. They are incredibly helpful."

"Thank you, sir." Michelle said in response.

"Oh Michelle," my dad said. "Did Andrew come home from school yet?"

Michelle hesitated for a moment, probably wondering if she should point my dad in my direction.

"I'm right here." I said before Michelle had the chance to open her mouth.

Mr. Harding looked at me with a shocked expression.

"Now why would you be helping your pets, Andrew?" Mr. Harding said. "Did they ask you to help them?"

Mr. Harding's tone was highly suggestive at the last point.

"No." I said. "I just finished all my homework and wanted to do something, so I figured I'd lend Michelle and Lisa a hand."

"What school are you going to now?" Mr. Harding asked.

"Smithstown. I transferred there."

Mr. Harding scoffed.

"Smithstown? You're going to that two-bit excuse for a college? Did you know they actually have a fur teaching a course?"

"Yeah. Professor Palmron. I'm in his class actually."

I was now determined to rip Mr. Harding to shreds in the politest way possible.

"What?!" He said exasperated.

"Yeah." I said causally. "He's really good; engages the students well, too. He really helps me understand the material. I think he could end up being my favorite professor."

Mr. Harding turned to my dad in a state of complete bewilderment. When he did, I shot a wink to Michelle. She had to bury her face in order to keep from laughing.

"So you like Smithstown?" My dad asked.

I nodded.

"It's good. I mean I still need to get a little used to it, but I like it."

"Good." My dad said.

"Robert, please have him transfer." Mr. Harding said. "I'll arrange a spot for him in one of the top schools in the area, no questions asked. It would be such a shame to see a mind such as Andy's wasted in a fur's class."

Because as we all know, only bigots can teach.

"Stephen, my son is happy where he is and that's all that matters to me."

"Very well." Mr. Harding said.

From the kitchen I heard the living room door open again.

"That must be the girls." Dad said. "Come say hello to our guests, Andrew."

"Sure, let me just finish mixing these."

My dad nodded. He and Mr. Harding went out of the kitchen and I resumed mixing. I was pretty sure that everything was already well mixed, but I didn't want to go outside.

"This just in," I said so no one outside could hear me, "Congressman Harding proposes new law that outlaws anthros teaching due to allergy concerns to students. Afraid students might become allergic to bull and he'd be out of the job."

Michelle stifled a laugh, but snorted out. Even Lisa had a large smile. She shook her head.

"You do realize that law is coming thanks to what you said?" Lisa said.

"Safe bet. But if it does, I'll go on the news protesting it. Maybe join with Joshua Black and really give Harding something to scoff at."

After a few more minutes of mixing, I decided it was probably time to go outside and say hello to everyone. I gave Lisa a hug and Michelle a small kiss and I went outside. Not surprisingly, Marie, her mother, and my mom had joined Mr. Harding and my dad. When I came out, the girls, mostly Marie, were fishing up telling some story about a shopping experience.

"Andy!" Marie said loudly. "It's so nice to see you again."

Marie got up and gave me a large hug, much to my surprise.

"Nice to see you too, Marie." I said thankful Michelle wasn't here to see what was going on.

The thought of Michelle giving Marie that angry looking stare of hers made me smile. It was a lot easier than the fake smile I was going to apply. I gave Mrs. Harding a small hug and took a seat next to my dad. Marie told some long winded story about how her teacher's thought she was perfect or something, but I wasn't paying attention. My thoughts went to the kitchen, partly because I would have much rather been with Michelle, and partly because my stomach was growling.

Within a few minutes, dinner was served and we all went to the dining room. Lisa and Michelle stood by ready to serve us whatever we desired. Normally, when it was just me and my parents eating, we would take care of ourselves, but when we had company, Lisa and Michelle were expected to serve. As everyone ravenously dug in, I gave Michelle and Lisa an apologetic look. I felt bad eating in front of them, especially when they had nothing.

Lisa gave me a very discreet wave of her paw and soon I began eating at a more normal pace. Everything was fantastic as per usual. Thanks to Michelle's guidance the potatoes I worked on were as good as ever. Lisa and Michelle worked diligently to serve everyone around the table. Mr. Harding and Marie were particularly demanding. It seemed like they needed something the second Michelle and Lisa were helping someone else. I cleaned up my plate and pushed it forward.

When everyone was finished, desert was served in the living room. Thankfully, Dad thought it was a good idea to buy from the bakery instead of having Lisa and Michelle make something. Overall, it was very good. Mr. Harding told what he thought was a funny story about an anthro who called his office asking for a little money for the shelter that housed homeless anthros. He of course was refused and my distaste for Mr. Harding grew.

Before long the night was over. Everyone said their goodbyes. Mr. Harding was the last to leave. He shook my dad's hand warmly.

"Robert, always a pleasure. Oh and in regards to my little offer, I'll need your answer by Friday night."

My dad didn't say a word, but simply nodded. Mr. Harding smiled coldly and walked out of the house. At first, in my stupidity, I thought the offer was about he was talking about was my potential transfer. One look at my dad's face however told me different. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. Whatever Harding was talking about, it was much bigger than a changing of schools.

I lied down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Whatever it was that was going on was going to reach a critical stage Friday night. I was pretty sure Harding needed my dad for some reason, but I couldn't figure it out. It was like the more I thought about it, the less I understood it. A knock on the door broke my thoughts. Michelle entered without me saying a word. She lied next to me and put her head on chest.

"Thanks for the help today." She said.

"Thanks for letting me help."

"What's wrong? You seem upset. Don't tell me that class still has you down."

I shook my head. I told Michelle what Mr. Harding had told my dad as he left. Michelle let out a sigh.

"So I guess this is it then." She said. "We'll find out what's going on?"

"Maybe. I don't think we will right away, but we'll know."

Michelle and I lied next to each other without saying a word. In fact, I didn't want anything to be said either. I just wanted for a little why to just enjoy being with her. Everything that had happened to day made me realize how much I needed to be with Michelle. I mean, I wanted to be around her, too, but I think I realized that day that it was so much more than that. I couldn't explain it, nor did I really care.

"You're very quiet tonight." Michelle said after a while.

"I know. I guess I'm just...thinking."

"About what?"

"You."

She smiled and moved up the bed to give me a tender kiss on the cheek.

"I think about you a lot, too. I thought that you being able to come home every day would help me do what I had to during the day. Because when you were gone, I worried about when I'd see you and...and if you had found some girl you liked. I wanted you to be happy, but I wanted you to be mine."

I smiled and held Michelle close to me.

"So did it help you get things done?"

"No. I would always glance at the clock hoping it was closer to you coming home."

I laughed. It was nice to be missed, even if I wasn't far away. Michelle buried herself closer to me and fell asleep. I watched her sleep for a little with a smile. She seemed so peaceful. I wondered if she was as worried as I was about everything that was going on. It still scared me to think about whatever it was that Harding was planning and why it involved my dad. But for some reason, all of those worries went away when I had Michelle close to me. I carefully wrapped her in my arms and closed my eyes.

When I woke up in the morning, Michelle wasn't there. I wished that the day would come soon when she didn't have to leave during the night. I got myself ready for school and went down to the garage to get my car. As I walked up to the car, I noticed something was sitting on the windshield. At first I thought it was a ticket of some kind, but I quickly realized that one doesn't usually get a ticket for parking in your own garage. When I got closer, I saw it was a note that looked like it was scribbled rather quickly. The message startled me and intrigued me at the same time.

COME TO THE PARK @ 8 IF YOU WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. BOTH OF YOU!