06 Dinner with the Family
Enchantment of the Seas July 10, 2013 7:30 pm My Fair Lady Dinning Room Lilliana walked up to the hostess podium . She was dressed in a black sleeveless, form fitting dress, the skirt stopped just above her knees. the outfit was completed by a pair of heels adding three inches to her already six foot height. Following her closely was Cecily, the kangaroo mouse, wearing a new black floral lace dress with a white base underneath. The ensemble left her upper bust and arms exposed through the lace. Clutched to the small mouses chest was her ever present denim backpack. Lilliana waited to be noticed by the hostess while Cecily looked across the dining room for the moose herm from earlier. Spotting the moose and her family, she jumped nearly the full height of the tall liger waving to get Daisy's attention. Lilliana smiled seeing the little mouse's excitement beaming through her normally shy demeanor. As the hostess approached the duo Lilliana waved her off saying, "I believe we have found the party we are looking for." They walked briskly over to the table occupied by the moose and panda families. Movement at the edge of her vision caught Daisy's attention as she spoke with her family, turning she saw the pretty kangaroo mouse she met earlier jumping up and waving at her. Returning the wave she noticed Cecily seemed to be with a tall trim Liger woman. A moment later she realized it was the same woman that had been playing air hockey with her new friend earlier in the day, Cecily's adopted mother Lilly. The moose girl motioned or Cecily to join them seeing the Liger speak to the hostess before the pair turned and headed towards the table. As the pair drew nearer Daisy could see the dress that Cecily wore It was a beautiful black lace, a white under base keeping her modesty intact. the sheer lace showing her arms and upper bust in a tasteful way. The girl was gorgeous dressed like this, 'this is the girl hiding within the mouse', Daisy thought to herself as they drew closer. When they arrived Daisy stood up introducing them to her family and the Bells. "Mom, Dad, everybody, this is my new friend Cecily and her
mother Lilly...", her voice trailed off realizing she neglected to get Cecily's last name. Not missing a beat, Lilly tossed her paw forward to the moose patriarch with her introduction, "Lilliana Fargo. Please to meet you, though I can't say I have heard much." She said making eye contact with a wide grin. "Pleased to meet you Miss Fargo, and I have to admit I've heard little of you either," Arnold said looking to his daughter. "Cecily and I met this morning, when I was out..." she paused momentarily trying to decide how to word her statement without setting Ralph into a tirade again, "walking around on the decks, we met at the arcade." Remembering that she hadn't finished the introductions she continued. "This is the older of my brothers Ralph and his girlfriend Zoe," the young moose boy and his panda girlfriend gave a slight wave and a thin smile in response. "Next to them are Zoe's parents Amanda and Daniel Bell," the older panda couple nodding to the tall liger in acknowledgment as the girl finished the introductions, "and then my mom, Raquel and my dad Arnold Daniels." "Please join us ladies, Daisy said she had invited someone she had met on the ship and her mother to join us tonight for her birthday," Raquel said, looking at the mouse girl with a motherly kindness in her eyes. Arnold made a small gesture to Daisy and the girl went to kneel beside him. Leaning over slightly he whispered into her ear, "is this the girl you were telling me about?" She nodded slightly in reply. "Well if she's as troubled as you think she is I have to congratulate you, it seems your chat with her may have helped her a little, she doesn't seem quite as skittish as what you described when you first met her, just be gentle with her and take it slow, she is a lovely girl and I see in her eyes a spark of hope. Tend it carefully," he said as she rose and returned to her seat. Smiling weakly, Cecily took a seat next to Daisy as she picked up a menu to slightly isolate herself from the large group of adults. She Glanced over at Daisy with a slightly stronger smile before looking over the menu. Lilly took the next vacant seat and started in with her usual speech," OK, before I offend someone, I have to
warn you that I lack any sense of tact, too many years of service if you know what I mean." She said looking over at the obvious military pair and winking. "So... unless my math is wrong, were missing one. Might I ask where the.. um... younger brother is?" Looking to each other Arnold nodded to Daniel slightly, "he's under... house arrest for being an idiot," the military man said sure that he had not satisfied the woman's question fully. Lilly glared at the panda, " OK, O5 or above... and it seems to be a cross family issue... " Looking over at the other male she continued, "I'll leave it there, just happy something is being done. It's not my place anyway." She picked up the menu and looked it over. "Oh, My God... No wonder I have not eaten here. Where are the burgers?" She looked over at Cecily and said, "I know you skimped at lunch, so a real meal for dinner." Cecily's hand began to swing up before she stopped and looked over at Lilly, "Yes, ma'am." As the group looked over the menu a waiter came to the table positioning himself to be facing the group as best he could before speaking, "good evening , my name is Harold and I will be your head waiter this evening, If you are ready I will take your dinner orders before your drinks are served." "Why don't you start with our guests this evening Harold, Miss Fargo?', Arnold said pleasantly. "Please call me Lilly." She said visibly swallowing an after comment. "I'll have the Top Sirloin medium well. and Squeaky will take this chicken and herb thing." She leaned over to Cecily and whispered, "I'll trade out half your chicken for my veggies" then folded her menu and placed it on the table. "I'll have the Top Sirloin as well, and a house salad please," Daisy said, folding her menu and lightly fanning herself with it. The meals were ordered by each person at the table in succession s Harold scribbled them onto his pad in rapid order. Their drinks ordered as well, he left the table leaving the group to their own devices again. "So military huh?", Daniel asked quizzically, "What branch and unit if you can tell us." "Army. The unit was disbanded after our last mission." She said as her face turned down with the memories."But that was six years ago. Those of us left are still in contact and are making some big reunion plans here in the near future." Lilly looked the pandas over for a moment. "I am going to go with Officer in the Air Force... never did like the chair force much... and I am lost on you." she said looking at Amanda , "Army or Marines?" "Marines, Lieutenant Colonel Recon and Logistics Lilly, and the fly boy is a chopper pilot, Black-hawks," the panda woman said locking eyes with the tough liger, "don't know how he ever hooked me either. Or why I put up with his ass for that matter," she added chuckling . Lilly folded her fingers and propped her elbows on the table content with the stare down, "I'm not sure how long the civvies will put up with the grunts talking." She said tilting her head to the moose couple. "We've learned to live with it ever since our oldest son started dating their daughter," Arnold said watching the two strong willed women attempt to break the other. "I've grown a bit fond of hearing their stories actually, though Raquel thinks I'm crazy." Barely above a whisper, Cecily chimed in, "Lilly has a story, but she don't tell it much." then squeaked quietly and fidgeted with her tail. Looking over at the mouse, "OK, Sisy, which one did you want to hear? The building blowing up or the week long wait for the shot." Leaning back she continued, "I hate them all." "Don't we all," Daniel chimed in, "seems no matter how badly we want to forget them they won't go away." A look of sadness came over the airman, his own memories of a time not so long ago haunting him still. The sudden quiet around the table drew Arnold's attention like a magnet, looking to Daniel he said, "Daniel, you and I have talked about many things in the last month, I know better than anyone here except your wife what bothers you. You have to let it go, it wasn't your fault on that mission and beating yourself up over it is only going to hurt you more. Put the blame where it belongs and let it go," the large moose said, worry in his eyes for the panda..Only half listening until the end of the moose's speech, Lilly turned to him with a burning glare in her eyes, "Where do you put the blame when you lose more than half your team and it's your job to keep the path open?" She said managing not to yell. "she blinked and looked across the table before saying, "Sorry for the outburst. That wasn't even directed at me was it?" "No it wasn't, but your reaction is very telling Lilly. But to answer your question, you put the blame with the very people that it belongs to, if that is you then on you, if it was bad Intel then the idiots that used that Intel. Before you ask, no I never saw field combat, my job was trying to put the ones like you and Daniel that survived hell back together. I stopped doing that before I fell into the pit myself. I may not know your full story, but I know enough to tell you it's not always as black and white as that. Sometimes there is no one to blame, sometimes everyone is to blame. It may not always seem like much, but both of you survived and came home, those that made it back with you are grateful for that. They may not show it well or at all but they are, and to not see that is the worst betrayal of all. My father was Army, infantry, killed in a mud hole in some god forsaken land that we had no business being in. But I never blamed the military for his death, not once. He did what he felt he had to do and I was, and am proud of him and every person that puts on the uniform and fights for what most people take for granted." Arnold sat back in his chair, he hadn't realized that as he said his piece he leaned forward nearly shoving the table before him.
As the awkward silence returned to the table Cecily spoke softly, "Alex said it wasn't your fault. You did everything right. They all made it to the checkpoint and were ambushed there with a roadside bomb. She said you technically got everyone out of the hot box..." She trailed off not looking up at the table. Lilly sat back in her chair relaxing once more, "And Squeaky wins for keeping calm." She smiled lightly, "OK, whose turn is it to ruin the mood now?" She looked over at the moose herm, "So, your birth day. Happy... um... "She trailed off not knowing the girls age. "Seventeenth Lilly, I'm seventeen as of today," Daisy said as the mood around the table began to lighten a little. "Meeting Cecily this morning was a nice start to it too. She's a really special girl, and she seems to have found a very special woman. You are either nuts or brave as hell, but either way taking her in and giving her a home and your love is the best thing you could have ever done for her. Next to bringing her on this cruise so she and I could meet and become friends that is," the moose girl said tossing her hair back over her shoulder and laughing. "My friends go with crazy." Lilly said with a smile, "But I am not sure who got the better end of the deal. Sure she's out of the system and in the capable hands of a crazy liger, but I have no real plans for anything after this cruise. I get the cutest mouse I could have, someone to keep me company and the little rodent that tasered some common sense into my battle buddy." The smile that rolled across her face cast a completely different mood on the liger. Nearly choking on his drink Daniel sputtered, "She did what?', before bursting out laughing hysterically. Leaning in to the table Lilly said, "Now there is a story worth telling. We had just gotten to Portland to get the adoption expedited when my buddy Susan told us we would have to stay at Hank's. He was my spotter, a sniper's worthless without a good one. Well, he was not in a good place after exiting, if you know what I mean. I had some stuff to do a town over and dropped her off to stay with him for the day. Apparently he said
something that creeped her out and she tased him in the package." She finished with a snicker. Cecily shyly responded, "He was drunk and being creepy. If he didn't stand up it would have hit him in the chest." The table burst into raucous laughter for several long moments, Daisy being the first to catch her breath looked Cecily in the eyes and said, "you go girl, don't take no crap off any body. Oh my God I can just imagine the look on his face when that happened." "Remind me to never creep you out Cecily if we ever meet again," Daniel said, finally able to breath. Even Ralph and Zoe were laughing at the story, the first real sign that they were actually alive since the group had sat down. "Wow, now there's something I didn't think I'd see any time soon" Amanda said as she turned to look at her daughter and her boyfriend. "It's good to hear you two laugh again". Grinning slightly Zoe looked across the table at the mouse girl, "wouldn't happen to have that taser still would you?" She sat still fidgeting with her tail, "They wouldn't let it on the ship. They have a no weapons policy... So Lilly just duck taped twenty dollars in quarters into a small baton." "See," Amanda said, "military training at it's best. IF you think you don't have a weapon then you don't. Almost anything can be a weapon with a little ingenuity...and duct tape," finishing her statement the people gathered around the table started giggling again. As the waiter approached Arnold stiffened slightly unsure of what his intent was seeing no trays in his paws. "Sorry folks, just came to let you know your diners will be out shortly. It seems some fool messed with the computer system for food orders. They were all in Latin and it confused the kitchen staff. We have it straightened out and they're almost caught up on the orders now. It should only be a few more minutes. We're sorry for any inconvenience. After he finished speaking to them he continued from table to table in his area relaying the message. Lilly leaned back in her chair and tossed her paws up, "I didn't do it. I was in the cafe all day. Besides, the ships systems are hard wired and isolated from the WiFi." Her eyes darted across the table monetarily. After another round of laughter at Lilly's jest, Raquel looked to her daughter a moment, before she spoke, her face reflecting that she had come to a decision about something. "Daisy, since it's your birthday, your father and I will take Paul off your paws for the night so you can go have some fun. We'll keep him tomorrow also since you've been watching him since..." her voice trailed off, pausing momentarily before continuing, "since he showed us all what an idiot he can be," the moose matron said, a flash of fire in her eyes that she made no attempt to hide. "And on that vague innuendo, I need to hit the head before I ruin this dress. My eyeballs are floating from all the coffee" Lilly said as she stood up to excuse herself from the table. Several moments after Lilly left the table Daisy looked at Cecily and said, "why don't we walk around a little, I think the parents need to talk about something and I don't think it involves us." Daisy rose from her chair waiting for the mouse girl to walk around the table. As they walked around the dining room Daisy tried to stay fairly close so she could see, from their animated faces and occasional gestures, when the discussion had ended. Cecily's curiosity of the adult's conversation overwhelmed her as she strained
to listen, over the noise of the dining room, for hints of surprise or secret gifts and plans for her new friend Daisy. What she overheard was far different than she expected.,Daniel:"I know Arnold, I looked it up myself as you plainly saw. I know that if I go after Paul, Zoe could get into trouble too, and Ralph, and all of us once shit starts hitting the fan." Arnold: Yes, but my main concern is that if they get a hold of Paul he'll start running his mouth about Ralph and Zoe to try to get his own ass out of a bind like he's done for years. Paul has been a thorn in his brothers side nearly all his life. That boy does things to other people impersonating Ralph and the wrong brother pays the price. Ralph and Zoe having sex at their age isn't tolerated by bahamian law, they are both committing rape according to that crap, no matter that we all know and allow it. Amanda: Arnold we're all in agreement that we can't involve the authorities because of the possible backlash against two innocent cubs. And we're not going to go behind your back and jeopardize them, especially now that she may be pregnant by Ralph, hell we can deal with that and work it out. But this thing with Paul... the boy has to pay Arnold, he can't be let get away with it. Raquel: I'm that boys mother, and I can not allow him to get away with it Amanda, he has to pay for his crime and I agree completely. I have looked the other way when it was little things but Paul anal raping his brothers girlfriend will never be allowed to pass. If need be I will beat that boy to death myself and take the consequences of my actions. But Arnold says there is another way. Paul's problem is rooted in his own ability to get away with doing what he wants and putting the blame on Ralph, he has to learn that there are consequences for his actions and he's the one that will pay that price. IF everyone can just keep it together until we get to Hawaii Arnold will arrange for Paul to be put somewhere to get the help he needs. Daisy and Cecily made several passes around the room while the adults talked, seeing that it appeared to finally be over, her parents and the Bells finally settling down she turned to her new friend, "well looks like they're done, we
better get back before the food arrives," Daisy said, trying to be more cheerful than she felt at the moment. As the two girls returned to the table Cecily seemed more withdrawn than before they had left, as if lost in thought. Cecily's mind raced with what she had overheard and the memories it dredged up from her own past. She sat and rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a hardbound book filled with blank pages, and flipped it open to a page with the printout of the sneak photo of Daisy paper clipped to the corner and began to sketch, apparently oblivious to the moose girl beside her. Lilly returned to the table moments later and saw the mouse buried in her sketchbook, "Everything OK, Sisy?" she asked concerned about the mood change. She looked up from her work and weakly replied, "It's fine." then returned to the sketch. Lilly looked around the table at the now melancholy expressions and said, "I know I am no party animal, but things need to be more festive if we're going to call this a birthday dinner." She snapped her fingers to get the attention of a waiter and shouted, "Whats a girl gotta do to get a wine list around here." Once a waiter had been flagged down, a bottle of wine ordered and served, the mood at the table began to grow more lively. Their meals arrived by the time a second bottle had been drained and they ate and chatted as if the night had went smoothly from the start. As the Bells and Lilly continued to swap tales, Arnold chiming in from time to time, The younger couple excused themselves to return to their room. Not long after Daisy looked over at Cecily and said, "well all in all it seems like things went well. Whaddaya say we take a walk and let this bunch wind down?" Cecily looked up at the moose girl, "Yea, I could use some fresh air." "Good," Daisy replied, "because I think my butts going to sleep sitting here." Looking to the adults Daisy spoke up, "Mom, dad, Lilly, is it alright if Cecily and I take a walk, the war stories are great and all, but my backside is going numb." "Fine by us," her mother replied. "Gear check, Squeaky." Lilly said as the mouse dumped the contents of her backpack on the table. "Cell phone, quarters, camera, books, pencils. extra cell battery." She watched as each item was placed back in the bag. "OK, you're good to." She said with a smile. "Got her trained right I see," Amanda said as she watched the liger go through a normal military gear inspection with the mouse girl, "now if that would just work as well with their bedrooms." Excusing themselves from the table Daisy and Cecily kissed their parents on the cheek, Daisy thanking hers for a lovely birthday dinner before they parted. Exiting the main entry of the dining room the two girls went to the elevator, pressing the button for deck nine. Moments later the doors opened and they walked out on to the pool deck, mostly deserted at this hour, giving the two girls a chance to talk while they stretched their legs. "Sorry for the dramatic interruption Cecily, there's a lot going on between my family and the Bells right now with Ralph and Zoe," Daisy said apologetically. Cecily grabbed a hold of Daisy's paw a little apprehensively, "Drama it part of life. I wish you could meet the rest of our... um... family. It's full of drama." She said with a weak smile her mind still churning. "Right now so is ours, and I don't know if I can deal with it much longer," the moose girl said staring at the deck for a few moments. "You remember earlier I
said that sometimes my brothers could push me to the point that I wanted to slap them silly?", she asked looking the mouse girl in the eyes. "Well this is one of those times, tonight I get a reprieve from him, but I have to babysit my brother Paul because he...,"she paused, knowing she couldn't tell a solitary soul of her brothers deed. "He did something no boy should ever do, and to the very person he should have stayed away from. Because of him and his bullshit, my whole family could end up in a shit ton of trouble. I almost feel helpless over this crap Cecily. I can't talk to anybody about it, I can't do anything about it, and believe me I want to choke his ass to death or throw him overboard. But if I do that then it can still come own on the wrong people." Daisy stared out past the railing, across the expanse of blackness beyond to the horizon for several long moments. Her expression changed suddenly, as if her mind had been made about something, "ya know what? If I can't do anything about it now then fuck it, it's in dad's paws anyway and all I'm doing is driving myself crazy. The little prick will get what's coming to him one way or the other so fuck it. It's my birthday and he's even managed to fuck that up, but kiss my ass if I'm gonna let it get to me."So Cecily, what now? walk, sit, eat cake and get fat or something else, hell if I care. I'm 17 today damn it and I want to party or something," the moose herm said. Breaking out in a fit of giggles she looked over the mouse girl sheepishly. "By the way, didn't get the chance to say it at dinner, but you look amazing in that dress girl. You better keep those quarters handy to beat off the boys looking like that, maybe even a crazy moose herm like me." Her current train of thought derailed by the moose's comments, Cecily looked up at her, "I.. i didn't have anything fancy enough for the main dining room, so Lilly got it for me... I... I'm glad you like it." looking back at the floor as she blushed, "So... um... how about cake and ice cream... that's what I would want for my birthday." She looked back up and pulled down on the moose herm's arm. "and.. um.. maybe... " She trailed off. Taking a hint from the way Cecily pulled on her arm Daisy bent down closer to the shy mouse girls face as she spoke, "cake and ice cream sounds wonderful sweet little mousey, and maybe....?" Blushing bright pink through her short fur, Cecily took a deep breath and gave a quick peck on the moose's cheek before looking down embarrassed. "You've been nicer to me than anyone our age has ever been.. and... it scares me." she looked back up into the moose's eyes, "But not like other things scare me. It's... it's a good scared." She said with a weak smile. "So... um... cake?" Smiling sweetly at the shy mouse girl, her face still close to her own Daisy said,"and you're a lot different than most of the kids our age back home Cecily, and in a way that scares me too, but it's a good kind of scared." Taking the mouse girls face in her paw tenderly she kissed her softly on the cheek. "So tell me little mouse, where do we find the best cake on this ship," she said as she stood up, taking the girls paw in hers gently. "The Windjammer... I think. That's where we've been eating lunch and get cake everyday." the small mouse said as she started to pull the moose to the cafe entrance. "To the windjammer it is, look out cake here we come," she said as she followed the mouse girl to the cafe, the girls paw warm and comforting in her own. As they entered Cecily paid for two full all you can eat buffet meals and dragged the moose to the dessert table. "Anything and as much as we want until they close up." She said with a smile. "You said eat cake and get fat. Wanna try for it?" "Let's do it, count me in, after all we are two hot girls out to have a good time until they toss us out or we hurl," Daisy said filling her plate with all the cake it could hold. Cecily giggled at the comment and added, "Happy birthday Daisy," with a smile, filling her own plate.The two girls sat at a table near the windows, chatting and telling stories as they stuffed themselves with sweets. Cecily had laughed more tonight than Daisy had seen. The girls smile was like sunlight, brightening the entire room each time it
broke out. A return trip to the desert bar presented her an opportunity and Daisy considered her options carefully. As they sat back down at their table, placing their plates to the side, the moose girl made her decision. "So, about that portrait sitting you wanted to do," Daisy said blushing brightly, "I know you can't just set that up on a moments notice, not with the way Lilly is. I understand that and all, it's not a problem." Daisy paused, taking a few breaths to steady herself, she hadn't been this nervous around anyone in a very long time. "I'll see what I can do about getting Paul out of the room with mom and dad and text you when I know for sure when we can have the stateroom all to ourselves. With everything going on it may take a day or two to find out, hmmm, I should be able to let you know by Friday at the latest, I doubt I can get rid of him before then, maybe but I won't count on it. So probably Friday or Saturday as far as getting the room, but I'll let you know by Friday for sure, will that give you enough time to clear it with Lilly?" Swallowing a mouth full of cake and ice cream, Cecily replied, "That should be more than enough time. She's pretty easy going as long as I have my backpack loaded right." She looked over at the moose girl. "She may seem over protective, but she's really not. She's... um... she just worries about me and stuff. It's all kinda new to me. I like it this way." she scooped up more cake onto her fork, "But yea, Friday should give me time to get the O.K." She finished with a smile. Daisy watched her as she chewed the mouthful of sugary treats, biting her lip lightly as her heart pounded in her ears. She had never been with someone so cute and shy as this little kangaroo mouse, it really did scare her to think that someone so small could have such a big affect on her. As Cecily looked up again she acted before she could lose her nerve. Placing her paw on the mouse girls cheek she leaned in, kissing the girl softly on the lips. A short, gentle, chaste kiss that sent fireworks rocketing skyward in her mind. She felt the mouse tense momentarily before relaxing and melting into the gentle kiss........