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_Author's Note: It's finally here! The conclusion you've all (well some of you) have been waiting for. I hope you enjoy the end of Human Enough!- AK. _

I watched the clock strike twelve. Friday was here at last. I had been dreading this day since I had started dating Michelle. In retrospect, it hadn't been a very long time, had it? I suppose knowing Michelle for my entire life made our actual relationship seem longer. I turned on my back and stared at the ceiling. What was I going to say? My brain told me the smartest thing to do would be to just tell my dad what was going on.

"Dad," I practiced saying, "Michelle and I are dating."

I shook my head quickly. It sounded too formal; too soulless.

"Dad," I tried again, "I'm in love with Michelle and there's nothing you can do to change it."

No, no too angry. I sighed. This was a lot harder than I thought. I shook my head. It was useless. I turned back on my side and closed my eyes. I would figure it out in the morning.

I woke up to a warm fuzzy feeling on my shoulder. When my eyes opened, I saw the time on the clock and realized that I had overslept. I had wanted to wake up a bit earlier than normal to catch my dad before he left for work, but I easily missed him. I must have forgotten to set my alarm.

"Good morning." I heard Michelle's voice say. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really." I said as I sat up. "I was up all night thinking about how to tell my dad about us."

"You're worried too, huh?"

"Terrified. I don't know what he's going to say or do. I mean, I know what I'm going to do, no matter what he says."

"And that would be?"

I pulled Michelle close to me and kissed her on the cheek.

"Whatever he says; good, bad, or indifferent, I'm staying with you. There's nothing he can do change that."

Michelle put her head on my shoulder and I threw my arms around her. Despite my wishes, I couldn't stay with Michelle for long; I had class. The rest of the world kept turning just as mine was heading for what might be a complete stop. I got dressed rather quickly and ate breakfast quicker. Before I knew it, I was behind the wheel of my car and on my way to classes.

I was in the habit of leaving my house pretty early in order to beat any potential traffic so it was no surprise that I got to school well ahead of class. I figured I'd kill some time in the cafeteria; besides, another cup of coffee wasn't going to kill me. I got my drink and sat at one of the tables and sipped my coffee. All the while I ran through ways I could tell my dad about Michelle and me.

"You're here early." Said a familiar voice from behind me.

"Hey Riley." I said.

Riley took the chair across from me. He greeted me with a smile which soon turned into a frown.

"You look awful. What's up?"

"I'm going to have to tell my dad about me and Michelle."

"Have to? Why?"

I told Riley everything Mr. Cunningham had told me. He seemed more shocked than I was when I told him.

"So your dad sells them Michelle, Sam funds, Black, fighting Black gets Harding Power?"

"Yeah. Meanwhile Michelle and my lives get ruined, Mr. Cunningham is in constant fear, and countless of innocent anthros wanting to make a difference get scammed."

"Politics as usual."

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber." Said a recognizable voice from behind me.

I turned around to see Professor Palmron standing behind me with a smile on his face.

"Plato." I said.

The Professor nodded.

"Indeed. I heard Mr. Taylor's comments and I couldn't resist. If I may offer some advice, Andrew, I would say that often what we think of as the end of the world really is nothing more than an acorn falling, if you will."

"I hope your right." I said.

Something in my tone must have caused the Professor to take notice of what I had said.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to a chair.

I nodded. But the moment I did, I remembered I wasn't alone. I looked over to Riley.

"If it's alright with you." I added.

Riley nodded as well and Palmron took a seat in between us. He looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Let me guess," he said quietly, "talk of selling 'Michelle' implies that she is owned by your family. And, the fact that this would be the end of the world for you leads me to believe that your relationship with her is much closer than that of an owner and his pet."

I didn't say anything, but I was pretty sure my expression gave me away.

"I'm not worried about delivering the message," I said, "just what the end result will be."

"Well the good news is that you're afraid of the right thing. Many would be afraid of the message. The bad news is that I cannot give you advice on the more important end. Especially with the list of enemies you have acquired. But I do wish you luck tonight."

"Thanks. Something tells me I'll need it."

Professor Palmron got up from his seat.

"I must be going. I have an appointment with Professor Williams. I wish she was here to hear this though. Would help her to know that even someone whose family owns Anthros can change and have a heart."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"You didn't hear this from me, but her mother is Diane Williams, also known as Justice Williams to her peers, the same Justice Williams who wrote the opinion declaring anthros to be non-humans. Explains a lot. Well, good-bye Riley, and good luck Andrew. No worries if you aren't prepared for class on Monday."

Professor Palmron smiled as he left the cafeteria. I was still stuck by what he had just told me about Professor Williams. I guess we were both the same in a weird way. I only came back to my senses when Riley extended his hand.

"No matter what happens," he said, "if you need anything, I can provide let me know. You're a good guy Andy. I wish I'd known you sooner."

"Likewise." I said as took his hand. "At least as friends, rather than...well you know."

"Marie? That was a mistake. I'm..."

"Don't worry about it. You apologized back then."

"Well hopefully everything works out for you."

The Professor and Riley's well-wishes allowed me to go through the day without going insane. Before I knew it, class was over and I was on my way home. I still didn't have the best idea of what to say, but I got the general gist of it. I was going to tell my dad the truth and I wasn't going to sugar coat it. If he was going to sell Michelle, we'd run. I'd feign obedience to what he said.

I went in through the kitchen door. Lisa and Michelle were sitting at the kitchen table each with a sullen look on their faces.

"What happened?" I asked.

"No hello?" Michelle said.

"Hello. What happened?"

"Your father isn't coming home. He's going leave and go directly to wherever it is that he and the others are having their meeting. And he will not tell anyone where specifically he is going. I told my mom about our plan, by the way."

"What do you think?" I asked Lisa.

"I think it's a very dangerous plan you have." She said. "Not to mention the fact that if your father reacts badly, the two of you will run away and..."

Lisa took a moment to compose herself and brushed away a tear from her eye.

"...and I'll never see my baby again." She said as tears fell down her face. "...but if that's what it takes for my daughter's happiness, then so be it."

Michelle put her arm around her mother, pulled her in close and gave her a kiss on the cheek. After taking a few moments to help calm Lisa down, she turned to me.

"Now the problem is we have no idea where your dad is going. All we know is that he's leaving directly from work. And by the time we got there, even if we left now, we'd miss him."

"So we need to figure out where everyone is meeting. This should be..."

I shook my head as I thought about the whole thing.

"Almost impossible."

"Maybe not." Lisa said. "I can think of two people who might know."

"Who?" I asked.

"You won't like this, but I think you should ask either Mrs. Harding or Marie."

"No, no, NO!" Michelle said. "Absolutely not, there's no way we can go to them. They'd laugh in our faces."

"Mrs. Harding might." I said. "Marie has a stake in this too."

"What are you talking about?"

"For better or worse, she's in love with Sam. And if Sam gets you, she doesn't."

"Do you honestly think that Marie will betray her father just for Sam?"

"It's likely. If I know anything about Marie, it's that she will do whatever it takes to get what she wants."

"You'd both have to leave now if you were going to make it to her house in time." Lisa said. "Your father gets out of work in twenty minutes. That gives you just enough time to get to the house and pray that you're closer than your father is."

"Then let's go." Michelle said.

I nodded. Michelle was ready to run out the kitchen door and to my car, but I didn't move. Instead I went to Lisa and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." I said. "Thank you for everything you've ever done for me; and that's a long list."

Lisa kissed me on the cheek and held me by the shoulders.

"No matter what happens, make sure my daughter is happy." She said.

"I will."

The moment Lisa let go of me, Michelle ran back from the door into her arms. Michelle put her head on her mother's shoulder and choked back some tears.

"We'll...we'll be back soon." She said. "But...but don't wait up for me. I'll try not to wake you when I get home."

Michelle began to cry and was soon joined by Lisa. I closed my eyes tight to keep from doing the same. After all, this could be the last time that either of us saw Lisa. And who knows what would happen if my father reacted negatively to Michelle and I running. While I waited for Michelle, I said I silent prayer that everything would turn out alright. I didn't know how much I believed the words I was saying, but it was the only way I could think to calm myself down. When they separated, Michelle and I ran quickly to the car. We both got in and I began the drive to Harding's house.

Michelle was silent for a long time as I went as fast as legally feasible. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I said. "For all of this. If you want to turn back, there's still..."

"No." she said, with a shaky voice, but with conviction too. "I want to do this. It's just...hard to think that I may never see my mom again."

Michelle rested her head on my arm and I gave her a small kiss on the forehead. We were both lucky that I was a very good driver. Hearing Michelle's words brought to mind the fact that I didn't have the same feelings for my family. I was ready to leave them in a heartbeat if I needed to. I think that part of it was my love for Michelle, no doubt about it. But perhaps another part was a realization that my father, if he said yes to Harding, was also saying no to my happiness. I think that might have hurt most of all; realizing that my father might choose a man he hated and money over me. I concentrated more on driving, just to keep that crushing thought away.

Before long we were up to the gates of the Harding's mansion. I pushed the little buzzer at the large gate.

"May I help you?" Said Marie's voice via intercom.

"Hello Marie." I said. "It's Andy. I was wondering if I could have a quick word."

"Of course. Hold on, I'll have my pets open the gate for you."

While Michelle and I waited for the gates to open, I grabbed her hand and took a big breath.

"Don't make her angry." I said. "We need her now."

Michelle didn't say anything in response. The gates swung open and I drove up to the front of the house. An anthro that looked like a golden retriever was there, ready to park the car. I hurried out and Michelle followed me.

"Leave it here." I said to the retriever. "We won't be long."

"As you wish." He said, slightly confused.

The lioness that I had seen with Marie at the supermarket opened the door of the house and beckoned us inside. Marie was standing in the middle of the long hall.

"Great to see you Andy." She said as she came forward and gave me a hug. "You brought your pet. Does she need training in something perhaps?"

"No." I said. "Is there anywhere we can talk privately?"

"My room will do. Do you remember the way? I will have one of my pets take yours somewhere to wait."

"Actually Marie, what I have to ask involves her, too,"

Marie gave me a quizzical look, but shrugged her shoulders.

"Very well. As long as she doesn't get fur on my bed."

Michelle and I followed Marie upstairs and into her bedroom. The last time I had been in here, a drunken Marie had tried to attack my face. I was hoping that this time things would go more smoothly.

"So, how can I help you Andy?" Marie said.

Well here goes nothing.

"I need to know where your dad is." I said.

"He will be out for the evening. Honestly Andy, if that's all you wanted to know you should have just called."

"I need to know where he will be."

"He will be meeting with your father. You should call your dad and ask..."

"He wouldn't tell us, and we really need to know."

"No need to be rude Andrew."

"I'm sorry but time is running out."

"Running out for what?"

I was about to answer, but the look on Marie's face told me any avoiding wouldn't matter.

"You know." Michelle said.

Marie nodded as a sinister smile crossed her lips.

"I knew you were in love with Andy the moment I saw you." She said. "But I never imagined that Andy would ever reciprocate the feelings. Especially after me. Tell me, fur, how did it feel to watch me kiss Andy? Did you cry at night? Did you wish you were me?"

"Do you wish you were me when you hear that Sam Cunningham is willing to spend every dollar of his father's fortune just to get me?" Michelle replied. "The truth is, Marie, for a time I hated you more than anything else in the world. You had the man I loved and you didn't deserve him. But as time went on I realized that you just needed the attention. After all, your mother and father have their heads so far up their asses that they can't even give you the time of day. To your father, you're just an accessory; a way to score political clout with the voters. So no, I don't wish I was you. I feel sorry for you."

Marie's face turned red. She hung her head and glared at Marie. I stepped in between Michelle and Marie. I had a feeling that if I didn't Marie was going to tear Michelle apart. To my surprise, Marie's shoulders fell and her head hung lower. This wasn't an aggressive stance, it was a defeated one. Michelle had a hit and it was a good one.

"Do you know what it's like to know both of your parents care more about themselves than you?" She said, her voice trembling. "It's heart wrenching. They drag me around, parade me about, not because of anything I did, but because it satisfies their own egos. I swore..."

Marie paused for a moment. I could see tears beginning to stream down her face.

"I swore that no matter what, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't use anyone I cared about. And funny enough, that's exactly what I've done. I did it to you, Andy, I did it to Riley, I did it to everyone. Despite my best efforts I became exactly what I hated. I hate my parents more than either of you do. And if I told them that, they wouldn't care. And I think...I think that's why I love Sam. I think he's the same way as I am. He is tired of being used. That's why I love him."

"You do realize," I said as gently as possible, "that Sam is playing you, right.'

Marie nodded.

"Of course. I'm not stupid. But I think...I think he could change. I think I can help him change. I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've done; to both of you. I just wish there was a way to take it back."

"There is." Michelle said after a pause. "Tell us where your father and Andy's are meeting. Help us."

"They're meeting in an old warehouse my dad owns. It's on Arthur Drive."

"I pass that warehouse every morning when I go to school." I said. "It's not far from here."

"Then you both need to go, now." Marie said as she went to grab something on her dresser.

She handed me a key.

"This is the key to the padlock on the gates. My father gave me one just in case he lost his. He figured I'd be able to keep it safe."

"Thanks Marie. C'mon." I said to Michelle, as I turned towards the door.

"Wait." Michelle said.

Michelle walked up to Marie and threw her arms around her in a comforting hug.

"Listen to me." I heard Michelle whisper. "This is the first step of becoming the person you always wanted to be. Stay strong and good luck."

"T-thank you, Michelle."

I was shocked. It was the first time I had heard Marie refer to Michelle by name; as an equal. Maybe Michelle was right. Maybe there was hope for her yet. There wasn't time to stop and think about it though. Michelle and I ran out of Marie's room and house. We were on the road to the warehouse in no time.

I went as fast as I could. There was no time to waste. In retrospect I think I was beyond lucky that a cop didn't pull me over or that I didn't cause an accident. At the time, I didn't care much. My only thought was getting to that warehouse as fast as I possibly could. I parked outside the gate of the warehouse. It was one of those wire gates that you commonly see. My father's car was already inside the gate. Great. Michelle and I rushed out of the car. I fumbled with the padlock for longer than I care to admit, but I got it unlocked and Michelle and I walked in the warehouse.

There was an eerie glow coming from the cheap lights installed in the main floor if the warehouse. In some ways I always found not enough light more terrifying than complete darkness. I could see five people in the center of the room; my father, Mr. Harding, Sam, Joshua Black and a fox anthro I recognized but couldn't put my finger on. Michelle and I arrived in time. I was ready to walk up and tell everything, but Michelle held an arm in front of me and put a finger to her lips.

"Let's make this quick, shall we?" said Mr. Harding. "You know what we want. Our offer stands at one million dollars for your pet."

"If I didn't accept then, what makes you think I will accept now?" my father said.

"I have information that will have you begging to get rid of the girl. However knowing that, you should expect a very steep price drop. I suggest you take our deal now."

I think I had an idea of what "information" Harding had.

"Still, no need for these gentlemen to be here, is there?" my Dad asked.

"Actually it is." Said Black. "We are all in business together you see and we all have an interest in how this turns out."

"I know. But May I ask how does this man," my dad said pointing to the fox anthro, "Have anything to do with this?"

"I created the panic that caused everything." The fox said. "After all, the idea of an anthro being forced to have a chip inside its head could scare anyone. Of course it was all an act, but I'm sure you know that. Just act like I was receiving a strong electric shock. If I remember it had you and your son fooled."

Now I remembered him. It was the fox that was taken away on the news; the one I had defended at Harding's dinner. I didn't know whether to feel stupid or angry at being duped.

"You understand now how everything fits together, right?" Harding said. "It's really perfect actually. Joshua Black take Sam...we'll Mr. Cunningham's money and causes enough noise to scare everyone. I take a hard line stance against anthros and gain political power. Black and his um...friend here get a very healthy pay day, as do you, if you agree quickly. And Sam, well he'll get a lovely companion."

"And supposes Michelle doesn't agree to your advances, Sam?" My dad asked. "What then?"

"I have ways of being...persuasive." Sam said with an evil tone. "After all, I think a wolf can overpower a rabbit easily."

In the dim light I saw Michelle shudder at Sam's words. I grabbed her hand. I didn't forget the promise I made to Lisa and her, and I took that promise seriously.

"Now, c'mon." Sam said. "Accept the deal. Let me pick up my new pet and let's go."

"What will it be, Robert?" Harding asked. "Do we have a deal?"

Harding extended his hand. My dad brought his hand to his chin as he mulled the offer over. It was now or never. I pulled Michelle close and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Here goes nothing." I said to her.

Michelle and I made noise as we moved from our hiding place out into the light. Sam looked like he was going to charge for a moment, but Mr. Harding held him back. When I came into view Mr. Harding lowered his arm.

"Andrew. And Michelle." He said with a mocking tone. "How did you get in here?"

"Your daughter gave me the key." I said as I walked up to my dad.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with slight anger.

"Stopping you." I said. "You can't sell Michelle."

Mr. Harding laughed.

"I wouldn't listen to him, Robert. After all, he is somewhat biased. And as I have repeatedly made clear, the time to accept the two million is running out."

"Please." Michelle said. "Don't sell me to him."

"Quiet!" Sam yelled. "You will be mine before the night is over. One way or the other."

"Dad, you cannot sell her." I said.

"And why not?" Black said with a playful chop to the fox anthro. "After all, she is his property."

"You can't sell her," I said, "because...because I love her. I love her in every sense of the word. I want to be with her for the rest of my life, I want to have a family with her one day. And to be honest, I don't care if you disown me or hate me or whatever. I love her and she loves me. And I know what you've done to her. I know you beat her because she called me Andy instead of master. And I swear to God, I won't let you do it again. I won't let anyone hurt her or take her from me."

"I told him first." Michelle said to my father. "The day Andy came home from college. I confessed that I loved him. I loved him since I was a little girl. I want nothing more in the world than to be with him. Please."

"How touching." Harding said. "Indeed, your son and your pet are dating, Robert. And now that you know, I'm afraid our price went down. Twenty thousand for the girl and, of course, a guarantee of our silence, which, I believe, is more than generous given the circumstances. I did warn you after all about..."

"Enough." My father said. "I will deal with your offer in a moment, Stephen. But first I need a word with my son."

My father sounded angry. His face was contorted into a grimace. I didn't like where this was going. Something told me that Michelle and I were going to have to get out of this fast if we wanted to run. Yet, I found myself unable to move. I grabbed Michelle around her waist and felt her hand in mine.

"Andrew, I am angry, disappointed, and hurt." He said.

I closed my eyes and grabbed Michelle's hand. The moment my father was done speaking, I was going to run for it. I would drive to an ATM and withdraw whatever cash I had and Michelle and I would run to wherever we could get.

"I am angry," my father said, "that so many people take me for a fool. I am disappointed in myself for what I have done, and I am hurt that you felt you could not come to me sooner."

I opened my eyes in shock. What was going on?

"I've known about you and Michelle for a while now. I was waiting for you to come and tell me. I thought you might at Christmas when you bought her that necklace, but you didn't. You never have to be afraid to tell me your feelings, especially with something as important as this. As for your deal, Stephen, the only thing I want is my son's happiness. And as you can see, he is very happy."

Mr. Harding looked livid.

"I'll ruin you. I'll ruin both of you." He said. "The entire world will know about this. You forget, Robert, I have friends in very high places who..."

"Who will love to hear the tape recordings of our phone conversations, I'm sure." My dad said. You always tended to be a bit too wordy in them. I'm sure I can find someone who would love to hear about how you were behind Black's financing. For that matter, I'm sure they'd love to hear that Joshua Black is no more than a skilled con-man. I wonder if you have been keeping up with your taxes. I'm sure the IRS would love to see your books."

"Let's not get too hasty there." Said Black. "I mean, I know when it's time to cut my losses, so to speak. I won't say a word. I mean, I'm not stupid."

"You spineless coward!" Harding said. "I'll see you rot in a cell if it's the last thing I do!"

"Harding, it's over." Black answered. "We had a good run. I got money, your career is still safe, and love conquers all."

"Forgetting about me?" Sam snarled. "I pumped you full of cash. Now I want what's been promised to me."

"You heard my dad." I said. "Michelle isn't for sale. You lose, Sam. It's over."

"Like Hell it is."

Sam charged quickly at Michelle and swiped at her with his claw. But as I said before, I made a promise to keep her safe. I pushed her out of the way. I felt Sam's claw hit my stomach. It was mostly a scratch, but it hurt like hell. I screamed out in pain as I fell to the ground. From my back I saw Sam try to go after Michelle again. But before he could make it, Joshua Black, with seeming little effort, picked Sam up and threw him like a ragdoll.

"That's enough." He said. "I may be a conman, I may be a thief, but this is unacceptable!"

"I thought you were for the violence." My dad said.

"It's an act." He said. "Go tend to your son. I'll take care of things here."

My dad and Michelle helped me to my feet. I was able to walk on my own. I tossed the key Marie had given me to Mr. Harding as we left the warehouse.

"Are you sure you're alright?" My dad said. "We could take you to the hospital."

"I'm fine." I said.

Michelle kissed me as we walked slowly.

"You were so brave. I love you."

"I love you, too." I said.

I glanced over at my dad. He was smiling.

"So when did you know?" I asked him.

"A few days after the brick was thrown through the window. I was on the phone with a client and needed a pen. I didn't have any in my office and I remembered that you kept a pen in one of your backpack compartments in high school. I figured you still did, so I went to borrow it. That's when I found the napkin that Michelle wrote on. I figured that if you wanted to protect her, you could have just destroyed it so it must have some meaning to you. It was a shock at first, but when I thought about how happy you looked when you were around her, it seemed only natural. I will say that from this moment on, Michelle and Lisa are free. I'll make sure we get the necessary documents as soon as possible, and of course, you and your mother will be welcome to stay with us as long as you need to."

I threw my arm weakly around Michelle's shoulder as tears began welling up in her eyes. She threw her arms around my father.

"Thank you!" she said. "I...I can't wait to tell Mom."

"I would also like to add I'm sorry. " My dad said. "For anytime I've ever hit you or yelled. It's...it was terrible of me. And I hope someday to make it up to you."

"You have. You've let me be with the man of my dreams."

"It's funny; I always wanted to give you to Andy on his wedding day. I just didn't think it would be as his bride. Just wait until we tell your mother, Andy."

I smiled. It was going to be a very interesting day tomorrow, but I couldn't wait. It felt as if life for me and Michelle had just begun.

FOUR YEARS LATER...

I sat on the sofa listening to my dad and Riley's father talking about whatever game was on the TV. They were laughing like old friends. Riley himself was there, too. Thankfully, The Arena Football Team that had signed him allowed him to go home for the holidays. He had been signed almost right out of college. There was even talk he might go to the NFL. In the kitchen, the girls worked on preparing the meal. Mom was getting to be a good cook despite having never done it in her life; then again, learning from Lisa was a large benefit.

Riley wasn't the only one to do well after college. Professor Palmron got a job working for the government. I think he was the new president's right hand on anthro policy. I was glad to see him get the job. I read he hired Professor Williams to help him push the president's anthro assimilation plan. There already were bills outlawing "pet ownership" in congress. Everyone here prayed they would get passed.

I didn't talk to Marie much after everything happened. I heard she had gotten pregnant with Sam's child. When it was born, it was an anthro. Her parents disowned her and Sam fled but Mr. Cunningham took her in. I remember my dad saying something about wanting to do right by his grandson. Mr. Cunningham also rewrote his will making sure that if he died, his grandson would get his fortune.

Joshua Black and that fox anthro who I learned was his boyfriend were last seen in the Bahamas somewhere. They were probably scamming tourists or living on the money they had conned. There were still warrants out for their arrest.

Speaking of arrests, Sam was in jail on the west coast for a series of assaults and armed robberies. Last time I heard he was doing 12 years in jail. Something told me it wouldn't be his last stint.

Mr. Harding's political career was over after the scandal of him disowning his daughter went down. In addition, it was revealed that he had been having an affair with one of his secretaries. Don't worry, it was a human secretary. God knows I wouldn't be able to contain myself if it had been with an anthro. Now with his wife leaving him and bill to outlaw anthro ownership about to pass, despite his best efforts, he was going to end up as he should be: alone.

Lisa was still living with my parents, but she was now in my old room. She worked for my parents and a few others as a maid. She had told us she was saving up to rent a small place for herself and was studying for the GED. I didn't want to tell Michelle, but I was pretty sure she was seeing someone, too.

Michelle and I were able to rent a small apartment not too far away from home thanks to my dad giving me money for graduating with honors. After school, I got a job working for his company and was doing really well for myself. I was pretty sure I would be getting a promotion soon. Michelle got a job at a diner and had passed her GED. She was looking to apply for loans to go to college and be a teacher for anthros. I told her after she got her degree; we would get married to celebrate. She loved the idea.

"Everyone, Dinner is severed." Michelle said.

We didn't have much space in our apartment so we had to serve food buffet style from the kitchen, but no one seemed to mind. Everyone was in high spirits, including me. I occasionally looked back on how far Michelle and I had come. I wouldn't trade a second of what happened. It kept us close together. Much like it was back then, I couldn't imagine life without her. She was still the most beautiful girl I knew.

Michelle sat next to me as everyone began eating. I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Everything is fantastic." I whispered to her.

"Thank you." She said. "Andy, come closer, I need to tell you something.

I leaned so I could hear what she had to say. The moment she said it, I felt my heart skip a beat and my jaw drop. I looked into Michelle eyes and she smiled at me. My shocked expression turned into a grin.

"Andrew, is everything alright?" My dad said. "You look like you've been shot."

I grabbed Michelle's hand.

"Hey, Dad," I said, with some tremor in my voice.

"Yes? What's going on?"

"You're..." I took a deep breath. "You're gonna be a grandfather."

My dad's reaction as well as everyone else's became a look of surprise and joy. They gave Michelle and I round of applause. Lisa gave us both big kisses. As everyone congratulated us, I wondered what Michelle and my child would be like. Would it be a boy? Would it be a girl? Would it be an anthro? Another kiss from Michelle brought me back to reality. The truth was it didn't matter if it was a boy or a girl. It didn't matter if it was an anthro; all that mattered was that it was my child. And no matter what my child would be human enough for me.

_Endnote: The first part of this story was written for a literary magazine in college. I intended it to be a one-shot. In fact the only reason I even posted it on this site was because a friend of mine posted a story of hers on a different site. (Hers is very good in my opinion). I figured if she could do it, I should be able to and so I posted it. I was surprised that some people wanted me to do more with it, so I did. I was honored to see how many of you enjoied the story. I truly thank everyone who has read from the bottom of my heart.Soon, I will have a teaser up for a new project I will be working on. I hope you enjoy that one as well. You are all amazing and I hope you all stay tuned. Thank you for making this such a success for me, I hope you enjoied the trip as much as I have. - AK. _