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Chapter 24 "Rough Day, Rougher Night"

As time went on and the season progressed into a chill, New England Autumn, a sense of normalcy began to fill Max's life. Her daily routine, busy with school work and regular work, was quickly becoming a second nature to the woman, and as she found a balance between it all, the stress was becoming much easier to bear. However, she found she was still susceptible to the flaws and failures she had dealt with in high school.

"Dammit." She sighed, leaving her required algebra class with sagging shoulders. "I thought I had done better than this?"

"Hey, why the long face?" Cole asked as he passed by her, noticing the skunk's dismay. "You didn't fail that test, did you?"

"No, but I thought I had done better than a seventy-seven." She said with a sigh. "I studied really hard for this test. I just suck at math."

"Seventy-seven? Is that all?" Cole laughed, lightly patting her on the back. "By the look on your face I thought you had gotten a zero. Seventy-seven is a great score, more than passing by this school's standards."

"Really?" A glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes then. "Are you just saying that to cheer me up? What did you get?"

"Me?" Cole hesitated for a moment, blushing awkwardly. "I got an eighty-five. But, you know, this isn't about comparing our grades to others. It's about learning, passing, and getting our degrees."

"Right." Max rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide a smirk. He was clearly trying to cheer her up now, and she couldn't fault the stallion for his efforts.

"Anyway, maybe what you need is a night out, to help relax and stuff." Cole continued, trying to regain his initial momentum. "Some of us are going out to hit some clubs tonight, make the most of a Friday night, you know? You wanna come with us?"

"That does sound like fun." Max had to admit. It had been a while since she had just gone clubbing for the fun of it. "But, I can't. I have to work tonight. I always work on weekend nights, actually. Maybe next time?"

"Yeah." Cole agreed, though he did seem a bit defeated. "Maybe we can work something out when you're not working." He hesitated again, glancing about nervously. "Do you maybe want to go get some lunch before next class?"

"I'm already meeting someone, actually." She had to shoot him down again. "A friend of mine is going to help me with this math stuff, so I can hopefully do better on the next test. Sorry." She really did feel bad about it too, especially with how defeated the young man looked then.

"Well, maybe next time then." He conceded. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you later Max." Hoping to avoid further embarrassment, Cole left with a wave. Max returned the wave, wishing she did have the free time for the things he had offered. But the reality was that her life was busy, and she'd just have to deal with those sacrifices in order to get what she really wanted.

Max really was meeting with someone to help with her math work, Aiden specifically. With only so much time between classes, the skunk had quickly made her way to his office, hoping he might at least be able to help explain the questions she had gotten wrong on this test. The fox was, thankfully, in his office, but Max discovered he was not alone, and was quite surprised to find Jacob sitting opposite him, the two of them seeming to be having a nice lunch together. "Sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"Not really." Jacob said, catching her double meaning and giving her a smirk for it. "We were just trying to come up with some ideas for Marcus' bachelor party."

"Yeah, though it's not going well. Apparently, for an artist and a writer, we're not very creative." Aiden added, bringing a laugh out of both men. "So, what brings you all the way down here?"

"Well, I was hoping you could help me with my math work." She admitted, pulling some books out of her bag as she stepped over to his desk. "We just got a test back today, and while the professor explained the answers, there are some of these I still don't get." She hesitantly handed over the test, feeling very much like she had in high school many times.

"Seventy-seven; not bad." Aiden surprised her with a bit of praise. "That's really good for the start of the year, especially after being out of school for so long." He pulled a chair over next to his own and invited her to take a seat. "I have time to help you with a few of these at least. We'll just go through them one by one, and see what we can accomplish."

She settled in next to him and soon Aiden was doing his best to explain the mathematical equations to her. "See, I get most of this stuff, though letters in math is stupid anyway, but when they throw in all these fractions, I just have no idea what to do."

"Fractions can be tricky, you just have to remember not to be intimidated by them. In order to get rid of a fraction, you have to multiply it by its inverse, that's basically the fraction with the numbers reversed. This will make the fraction a one. Then you have to multiply that same inverse onto the other side of the equation, to keep it equal."

As this went on, Jacob quietly watched from the side. It was interesting to him to see them together like that; sitting so close together, so comfortable with each other. Probably a side effect from living together for a good half a year. It was almost like they were family, and a part of Jacob wanted to memorize the scene, so he could draw it later.

But when Aiden casually draped his arm around Max's shoulders, sliding closer to her to better point out the finer points of dividing fractions and solving for x, Jacob couldn't help but feel a bit irked. It was admittedly difficult seeing Aiden being that close and comfortable with another person, making intimate gestures without a second thought, or being able to invade another person's personal space so easily. It bothered him all the more when he realized that this was likely how he had made Cheryl feel through most of the summer. The guilt only made that jealousy worse, though he did well to hide it.

They made it through Max's test rather quickly, the young skunk surprised to find that she had actually been pretty close to getting some of those wrong answers correct, had she not panicked during the test. Still, even she felt like there was improvement, and the fact that no one was calling her a failure was certainly helping her self esteem.

"Thanks Aiden." Max gave the fox a tight hug as they finished up. "This means a lot to me, and I actually think I learned something, too."

"Well, as a teacher, I'm glad I was able to teach." He laughed, returning the hug. "Just remember, if you need any help, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, either on the couch or in front of your computer." She teased, packing up her things. "Alright, I have to get to my dance class. I'll see you tonight. Thanks again, Aiden. Bye Jacob." Max left rather briskly, not wanting to be late to one of the few classes she actually enjoyed.

"You two are pretty close." Jacob commented after she was gone. "I suppose it's not surprising, but I didn't know you got along with her that well."

Aiden just shrugged as he took his seat once more. "We're sharing an apartment. If we didn't get along, one of us would have moved out months ago. I just... feel for her I guess. I care about her, and I want her to do well. She reminds me of Jessica sometimes."

"So, you think of Max like a sister?" Jacob couldn't help but sound a little hopeful there.

"Yeah, I guess that's a good way to put it." Aiden nodded, taking just a moment to think that idea over. "Max feels like another little sister to me, or more, like I'm a brother to her. I don't know if that sounds weird or not, but I don't see any harm in it."

"I think it's just fine." The coon replied with some relief. "Now, what the hell are we going to do for Marcus' bachelor party?"

While Max had been saddled with both a math and history class, she didn't mind as much given the other classes she got to take; voice work, acting, and dance. Any other, mandatory classes seemed like minor inconveniences when compared to these courses, all of which not only felt meaningful to her degree, and her overall goal, but were actually fun, something the skunk never thought she'd feel about a class.

Her dance class had so far proved to be the most interesting, especially since it was the only class she had with a small stage. For the first few weeks, her professor has spent each class discussing various types of dances and routines, as well as entertaining them with stories of his own career, which was impressive to say the least. The middle aged lynx certainly knew how to make the class fun, and like many of the other students Max had quickly grown to respect the man, despite the fact that no one in the class had even attempted to dance yet.

That was about to change with this class. "Alright people, time for a change of plans today." Andrew, as the professor insisted they call him, announced as the class began. "We've been doing a lot of talking to prepare you emotionally for what's to come, as well as to root out some of those who thought they could just take an easy class, but now we get down to business. This is a dance class after all, right? So, how about we get down to some real dancing?"

"First, I'd like to get an idea of what your experience is, as a whole." He continued, looking over the room. "So, how about we go about the room, properly introduce ourselves and explain what our personal dance experience is. Don't worry if you don't have much or any at all. This is the introductory class after all; I'm not expecting you to all be able to win Dancing with the Stars."

They all had a laugh, then one by one the other students gave their names and explained what dancing experience they had. Most had simply taken a few years of ballet classes, which Andrew seemed to expect, while a few others had participated in their high school's musicals. A small number admitted to taking private dancing classes on the side, in a wide variety of forms. Max was impressed, and perhaps a bit jealous, but all she could feel was embarrassment when they got to her turn.

"Hi, my name is Max, or Maxi." She started nervously, unusually uncomfortable. Normally she didn't mind being the center of attention, but these basic introductions always seemed so awkward. "I took some ballet classes when I was a kid, but that was years ago so I doubt that will matter now. Also..." She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to reveal the truth in class. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her profession, of course, but that didn't stop others from trying to make her feel that way. "No. Be honest. No more lies."

She took a deep breath, holding her head as she continued. "Also, I am currently employed as an exotic dancer. I work, and dance, regularly, five nights a week at a high end club in the city."

There was some murmuring among the other students, the usual response she had come to expect. But Andrew was the one who seemed most intrigued. "An exotic dancer? Really? That's wonderful."

"It is?"

"Yes, of course." The lynx smiled warmly, giving her a nod. "It's rare that I have a student with real world experience under their belt. You're probably the only one in this room, besides myself, who knows the pressure of having to perform professionally. You may be more prepared for this class, and this curriculum, than you realise."

"But she's just a stripper." Someone had the gall to point out, sounding more insulted than anyone else.

"So you say." Andrew retorted. "But just think about what she does on an almost daily basis. Sure, the first thing you might think is that she just takes her clothes off for money, but you are missing the fundamental work behind it. Anyone can remove their clothing, but an exotic dancer must also do just that: dance. Max, how much practice and exercise do you do each week?"

"Oh, I don't even know." She admitted. "I usually do a workout every day, to keep my muscles loose. Plus the stretching exercises before the club opens. I once saw a dancer hyperextend her calf muscle while working, she wasn't able to work again for a week, and could barely walk. Everyone I work with practices for an hour or so on their days off, myself included."

"That sounds like a lot of work for someone who 'just strips'." Andrew said with a smirk. "And I'm glad you brought up hyperextension, as it's one of the biggest banes of any dancer's career. You know this, and so you exercise and practice regularly to keep your body in top condition. Something any dancer in any career must do."

"It is pretty exhausting, now that I think about it." Max admitted, running through her old schedule in her head. "Especially given how late I work."

"Where do you work?" That same student asked, eyeing her over."

"You don't have to answer that, Max." Andrew cut in. She was surprised by that at first, but then figured he was just trying to protect her from potentially dangerous students.

"It's alright, I don't mind." She shrugged, still holding on to her confidence. "I'm a dancer at Stardock 69, a table dancer, specifically. I've been working there for over a year now."

"Stardock 69?" Another student exclaimed. "Damn, that place is impossible to get in to. The line always goes around the block, and the cover charge is really high."

"All the more impressive." Andrew said with a nod. "You know what it takes to work for a high end crowd that expects high end results. That's a lot of pressure. Pressure you'll all learn about if you want to work in dance or theater of any kind. When people pay money to see you perform, they expect to get what they paid for. You'll all have to be in top form for every performance if you want to get ahead. Some of you may want to judge Max for being an exotic dancer, but her real life experience puts her ahead of you all. You should be asking her for advice on what it's really like to dance for a living."

"I'm not really all that special." Max tried to say, not wanting that much attention. "Just, try your hardest and do your best, I guess. And it helps to know what the audience wants I suppose."

"Good advice. Now let's all try our hardest as we work through a few simple steps to start with. We'll start with some stretches that are good for the legs and back and go from there. You should do these before every performance, to prevent injury."

Andrew then went on to show the class a few stretching exercises, Max taking note of them to use not only for class, but work as well. Now her secret was out though, and she couldn't help but notice some of the other students glancing her way every now and then. Were they judging her, or just jealous of the professor's praise? Either option was bad, but so be it. Max was here to learn, not make friends. Though, she had to admit, making some new friends wouldn't be so bad, if she could manage it.

---

The end of classes for the day hardly meant the end of work for Max. In fact, it meant she only had a few hours to get home and work on whatever homework she could while eating dinner before she was off for a full night of work. By this point, it wasn't anything she wasn't used to, and today was simply going to be a few hours of light, relaxing studying. In fact, she may have found it quite peaceful, if Jessica hadn't been around.

Aiden's sister had been spending an increasing amount of time in their apartment, doing her own homework, joining in meals, and even spending the night on the couch. None of this really would have bothered Max, if it weren't for her own jealousy. She knew it was wrong, but every time she saw Aiden dote on his little sister, she felt a knot form in her own stomach. It always made her think of Danny, and what could have been. She knew it wasn't fair to harbor these feelings, certainly not towards the young girl, but she couldn't help it. And sometimes Jessica seemed to go out of her way to remind her of this.

Today was one of those days.

Aiden had stepped out to take care of a quick errand, leaving the two women alone with each other and their homework. Max simply wanted to study and get as much work done as she could to salvage some free time for the weekend. Jessica, on the other hand, wanted to talk about Aiden, and didn't even seem to be hiding the fact that she was bragging.

"So, after all that, Aiden took me out for ice cream just to cheer me up." Jessica said as she concluded her story for an audience that didn't want to hear it. "He really is the best. He always knows how to cheer me up and help me out when needed."

"Yeah, he's a great guy." Max agreed with clear disinterest. It was the same kind of story she had heard the young vixen tell before, especially when Aiden wasn't around. Even under normal circumstances it would have been annoying, but for whatever reason it seemed like Jessica was purposefully rubbing Max's face in it to piss her off. And it was working.

Either Jessica didn't notice, or should did but didn't care, for her gushing continued. "I really am lucky to have Aiden as my Nii-san. I suppose having him as a boyfriend might be fun, but really, family comes first, and no one could ever come between the bond held between two siblings."

That line hurt, deeper than Jessica could know. But Max sucked it up, doing her best to keep calm and appear disinterested, if slightly annoyed. "Jessica, honey, I'm sorry but I'm trying to study here. Maybe you could tell me about your infatuation later, okay?" She wasn't able to hide the irritation in her voice, and she didn't care. She just wanted the girl to shut up.

"Well, sorry." Jessica replied with full on sarcasm. "Maybe I am going on a bit, but that's only because of how strong my bond is with Aiden." A curious smile spread on Jessica's lips. She found it interesting that she was making the skunk irritated. After all, if Max and Aiden really were just friends, why would she care? Perhaps she was hiding deeper feelings for Aiden, and that was something Jessica needed to know. It was time to test the waters. "The familial bond is the strongest in the world, especially between brothers and sisters. Next to nothing can tear siblings apart."

"Stop." Max said firmly, a clear warning matched only by the stare she was shooting across the table. How dare this little brat assume such a thing. Max knew better than any of this bond, and how easily, and painfully, it could be severed. She could tell stories, but that was too personal. Too painful. Instead she let her glare do the talking, staring the younger girl down, no longer hiding behind a forced smile.

Jessica was noticeably taken aback by the sudden stare. She had struck a nerve, and a pretty serious looking one at that. But why? Most people just told her to shut up cause they found her annoying. But this was something else, and she had to know where it stemmed from. "What's the matter? Jealous?"

They both knew she had hit the nail on the head with that simple question. Max was ready to go off on the girl, tell her off for pushing it, when Aiden returned. His arrival silenced them both, giving Max the chance to think before she acted. "I need some peace and quiet." She finally grumbled, grabbing her books and storming her way upstairs. Jessica watched this with great interest, but it left Aiden feeling rather confused.

"Jessica, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything." Jessica replied, acting rather shocked at the accusation. "We were just talking, and then she suddenly got all upset and left."

Aiden's look showed he clearly didn't believe it, giving the younger a disapproving glance as he sat at the table. "Jessica, what did you say to her?"

"Nothing." She insisted, shrinking in her seat like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I was just telling her a story about the two of us from a couple years ago, and then she got all upset. I don't get what her deal is."

"Jessica..." Aiden sighed, already rubbing his eyes. He had a feeling what Max's deal was, but only because he knew how Jessica got when talking about him. But, it wasn't his place to explain that to her. It was Max's past, and her story, and only she could reveal those secrets to others. She had confided in him, and he wouldn't break that trust.

Still, he had to deal with this before his sister found herself banned from his home. "Listen Jess, I know how you get when you tell those stories. You act like you're showing off. I get that you're proud and all that, but sometimes it bothers people when you show off like that. You don't know how they might feel about it, and you might end up hurting someone on accident."

"Yes, Nii-san." Jessica said, head bowed apologetically. "I hadn't thought of that. I'll try to be more careful next time." She did feel somewhat bad about it too. She hadn't intended to cause Max any grief, certainly. But she had to know if Max was harboring any feelings for her Nii-san. She already had to keep an eye on Jacob, but having a rival that was already living with him was more of a challenge than Jessica wanted. She's just have to try and be more tactful in the future.

---

The dim lights. The pulsing beat of the music. The smirks on her client's faces. The rolls of cash that passed over her table. All these things were enough to help Max forget about school work, personal issues, and her own jealousy. Here, on the table, she was a performer, and only her audience mattered. Here she had no cares for the troubles of Maxine Douglas, fears and doubts forgotten over the music and her dance. Here, she was Domino.

The young skunk was having a fantastic evening, too. Friday nights were always one of the best nights, with many business men, and some women, getting a start on their weekends. Even now she had a trio of young men, with plenty of cash, watching respectfully as she hugged her breasts and rocked her hips in time with the music. They were from out of town, they had told her, and today had been their last day for some work related training. They'd all be on planes heading home in the morning, and wanted to let loose before going back to their lives. Domino was more than happy to oblige.

She was lost in her dance at this point, these clients preferring a show over conversation with her, as she spun on the table, using her signature tail sweep to really get their attention. That hint of mint always did the trick, mysterious and alluring. Her hips swayed as she showed off her backside, rear end barely concealed in a deep red thong. While the men watching her tail sway, her own eyes took a moment to glance around the club.

The place was packed, not unexpected for Friday, and everyone was busy. Diamond had the biggest crowd, of course, her gravity defying moves on the pole impressing everyone, Max included. Since their talk, Max had been paying more attention to the wolf's routine, and had found an even higher level of respect for the woman. It wasn't just the way she moved, but the level of control she had over her own body was astounding. Even then, Domino watched in quiet awe as Diamond inverted herself on that pole, keeping her body aloft with her arms only as she did a full split with her legs. The amount of upper body strength and concentration for something like that showed the skunk just how experienced and practiced her rival really was.

Domino was about to spin back around, never wanting her clients to go without a view of her front for long, when she caught a glimpse at some of Diamond's audience. It was hard to tell with the dim lighting, but a familiar face stood out in the crowd; a young stallion who looked equal parts entertained and embarrassed.

She tried to ignore it. After all, what were the chances? But as the tempo of the music increased, and her dance along with it, Max kept making subtle glances towards the stage. Sure enough, it looked like Cole was there, watching Diamond work her magic while his friends threw their money onto the stage. "What's he doing here?" She had to wonder, while doing her best to not show her concern. "When he said he was going clubbing, I thought he meant dancing, not strip clubs."

Luckily, Cole's attention was fully on Diamond, with his back mostly towards Max. The odds of him seeing her were slim, and then of recognizing her in the low lights even lower. All she had to do was keep to herself and avoid making a scene, and she could likely avoid an awkward situation entirely.

"Well damn, look at the time." One of her clients muttered, bringing her concentration back to them. "Sorry doll, but if we want to make our flight in the morning, we gotta head out and get some sleep." He held out one last hundred dollar bill for her while his companions grumbled and collected their coats. "Thanks for the show. I'll be thinking about you on the long flight home."

""I hope so." Domino replied with a soft coo, taking the cash and throwing him a wink. "Glad I could make your last night here so memorable. Enjoy your flights, boys."

She waved them off, then gathered her clothes to cover herself back up once more, bussing the last of the glasses as usual. She made her way to the back of the bar to hand over the glasses and cash, eager for a quick break and chance to freshen up before her next clients.

"Yet another good take." The head bartender commented as she counted up the cash. "You're on a roll tonight."

"It's just busy." Max replied, trying to keep a bit of humility. "You know as well as I do how the weekends are." She was going to make her way to the back room then, but with one step collided with a wall of unsuspecting muscle.

"Oh! Sorry I... Max?"

"Shit." Max looked up to confirm the source of the voice, Cole standing beside her with a confused expression on his face. His embarrassment only seemed to grow when he realized that she was wearing little more than a sexy bra and panties. Well, so much for avoiding an awkward conversation. "Hi Cole."

"What are you doing here?" He asked, though he seemed to realise the obvious answer immediately after asking, looking her over, then looking around once again. "Wait, is this where you work?"

"You caught me." Max replied with a shrug. "Yes, I'm a dancer here. I actually dance at the table over there." She gave Cole a smile, finding his confused embarrassment somewhat amusing. For a big guy, he sure could be cute. "Listen, I'm sure you've got questions, but I'm on the clock. I'll tell you all about it on Monday, over lunch, okay?"

"Um. Oh, yeah! Right. Sorry." Cole nodded, stepping aside and out of her way. He was still at a loss for words, it seemed, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, though Max noticed he was trying to be respectful about it. Again, she thought it was cute.

"There you are." Another, much drunker sounding voice cut in. Max assumed it was someone looking for Cole, until the fellow stepped in to block her path. "I was hoping to find you here, Miss Professional Dancer."

It was the man from her dance class, the one that had tried to chastise her for being a stripper. He had apparently tracked her down, and had a few drinks along the way. Her own fault for telling the class where she worked, but so be it. She wouldn't be ashamed.

"Yep, you found me." She replied, forcing a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for my next dance."

She tried to step past him, but the inebriated mouse continued to block her path, a lewd grin on his face. "C'mon, don't be like that. Professor made it sound like you had all kinds of skills cause you dance for money. Maybe we could practice together, huh? A bit of private dancing, out back maybe?"

"I don't do private dances." Max replied, no longer bothering to smile. "If you want to see me dance, you can go back outside and get in line, and wait your turn. There are plenty of others, with plenty of cash, who are already waiting to sit at my table. Until then, I have to go."

She tried to brush past him again, but the rodent was being insistent. "Aww, c'mon... don't be like that. I'm one of your classmates. As a more experienced student, it's your responsibility to show me what I'm in for, right?"

"Domino, your tables ready. Hurry up! You know you can't keep customers waiting."

Great, so much for freshening up. Bumping into Cole wasn't so bad, but this guy just used up all her spare time. The stallion was still standing by, too, looking like he wanted to intercede but wasn't quite sure how. "Look, I've got to get back to work. You want a dance, you'll just have to get in line."

Max turned to get the drink order, mentally readying Domino for another show, when the drunken mouse grabbed her arm, pulling her back rather forcefully. "Those guys can wait, eh? How about you give me a nice, personal dance out in my car?"

"Let go of me!" Max tried to pull back, but his grip was too strong. The bartenders were already calling security, she knew. But that did little to keep away her fear, or her memories.

Cole was faster than the bouncers, grabbing the drunk and throwing him aside before stepping between him and Max. "She said no, asshole. Now why don't you go crawl back under the rock you came out of?"

The mouse was quick on his feet, looking ready for a fight. But that eagerness was dashed when three of the bouncers arrived; tall men with thick muscles and angry glares, keeping both the rodent and Cole locked in place with their stares. "There a problem here?" One, a tank of a bear, asked Max.

"That one grabbed at me." She pointed to the inebriated man. "He's drunk and tried to solicit me, despite my refusal."

That was all they needed to hear. The poor mouse suddenly found himself hoisted into the air, and being led to the nearest exit by a pair of the bouncers. He shouted insults at them the whole way, but Max knew it would only make things worse for him. Grabbing a dancer just once was enough to get banned for life.

"What about this one?" The bear asked, nodding his head towards a rather intimidating looking Cole.

"He's fine, Duke." Max said with a sigh. "This one's a friend, and he tried to help." She smiled at the stallion, giving him a gentle nudge. "Thanks Cole."

"It was nothing, really." The young stallion replied, chuckling nervously as the bouncer returned to his post. "I mean, I don't know who that guy was, but no one should treat a woman like that."

"Still, I'm glad you were here to fend him off." She insisted, giving him another nudge.

"Domino, your table." The bartender reminded her. "Unless you need a moment after that."

"No, I'm fine." Max nodded, taking the drink tray. "I've gotta go, Cole. I'll talk to you on Monday. Have a good night."

"Y-you too." Cole offered with a small wave. By the time Max got to her table the stallion had returned to his seat, once again watching Diamond work her magic with his friends. Domino did her best to focus on her own clients, of course, but every now and then she happened to glance that way, and more than once she caught Cole watching her instead of the wolf. And every time she caught him, he'd blush and quickly look away. She couldn't help but find it incredibly cute.

---

While Max was at work, Jessica was doing her best to get back on her brother's good side. She wasn't sure why Aiden was so upset, especially since Max had seemed in a better mood when she eventually came out of her room and left for work. She had even apologised. As far as Jessica was concerned, it was time to move past that annoyance, and take advantage of the time alone with her Nii-san. If he would ever get off his game with Jacob.

The two had been playing an Xbox game for hours, using the in game chat to discuss their plans for Marcus' bachelor party. While the young girl knew it was probably important, at least to her brother, she couldn't have cared less, and she wasn't about to interrupt. So Jessica found herself sitting on the couch next to her brother, reading a book for one of her classes while she waited, half listening in case the two men said anything remotely interesting.

It wasn't until rather late that they finally called it quits, narrowing down their party plans to a night at Dave and Busters, a bar crawl, or something involving alcohol and strippers. Exciting stuff, for them she supposed. She was just glad when they finally said their goodnights and Aiden switched over to a single player game. Now she didn't have to worry about disrupting him.

"So, is it just you and Jacob planning this party?" She asked innocently, shifting over to half lean against her brother. "It seems like a lot of work."

"Nah, it's actually kind of fun." Aiden replied, his focus already too invested in his game to notice her change in position. "It's an honor, really. I get to be the best man at his wedding, front row center for the most important day of his life. And I get to plan the biggest party to celebrate the last days of him being a bachelor. Those are some pretty important moments for a man."

"And you're going to celebrate it with strippers and beer." Jessica said with a teasing chuckle. "Seems kind of cliche, really."

"That's just one idea." Aiden countered. "Besides, Marcus would love it."

"What about his bride to be?"

Aiden shrugged, his game seemingly more important at the moment. "I'll ask Terra if she's okay with it first. If she says no strippers, then we'll do something else. I don't think she'd mind though."

"What about Jacob?" She continued to press the topic. "And you for that matter? I know he doesn't like girls, but do you?"

"Of course I still like women." He replied, as if the question was ridiculous. "Just because I'm experimenting with men a bit doesn't mean I suddenly don't find women attractive. And Jacob doesn't care about there being female strippers if it's Marcus' party. He's not so self centered."

"I suppose you're right." Jessica said with a bit of a grin. Good, he did still like girls. With a giggle she leaned against him a bit more, getting comfortable. "So, are you really dating Jacob, or are you still just experimenting?"

"We're just friends." He assured her, barely paying her any attention over the action of his game. Killing alien monsters was more important to him at the moment. "We are experimenting, but we're not dating or anything. Not yet anyway."

She raised an eyebrow at that one, doing her best to hide her concern. "So, you might end up dating him someday? Full commitment? Marriage?"

"Anything's possible." Was all he would say, flinching as he got into a rather difficult fight.

"Yeah, you're right. Anything is possible." The idea filled her with both dread and hope, an odd combination that stayed with her through the rest of the night, until sleep found her curled up on the couch, Aiden slumbering in his room.

It was a sleep that would have persisted through the night, were she not suddenly awakened around three in the morning by the arrival of a certain, emotionally exhausted skunk.

The sound of the door being unlocked was enough to rouse her from sleep, and the lights suddenly coming on only made it worse. Jessica flinched and tried to hide from the light, but it only lasted a moment. Max flipped them right off again with a quiet grumbling when she saw the young girl on the couch, then proceeded to find her way to the bathroom in the dark.

Jessica, half awake still, almost felt bad. Perhaps it wasn't fair to make the woman walk around her own home in the dark like that, but it was only for a few minutes anyway, right? She decided to pretend to be asleep, at least until the real thing returned, listening as Max finished up in the bathroom, then make her way up to her own room.

She was expecting to hear another door close, followed by the sweet sounds of silence, but instead she heard hesitant footsteps, and a faint knocking.

"Aiden?" Max's voice was a faint whisper, but Jessica heard it clear enough. Quietly she leaned up to watch the skunk stand at Aiden's door, calling out in quiet whispers. She stood there for a moment, then started back for her own room. Halfway there, she stopped, shook her head, then turned around and snuck into Aiden's room, closing the door behind her.

Jessica couldn't believe it. Max had just snuck into Aiden's room while he was sleeping. How dare she? The young girl was awake now, and filled with anger and jealousy. Quiet as she could, the fox snuck her own way up the stairs and to Aiden's door. If she caught this skunk in the act of seducing her sleeping brother, there would be hell to pay.

She opened the door just enough to peer inside, half expecting to find that skunk straddling her poor, defenseless brother. Instead, she saw Max curled up on the near edge of the bed, her back to Aiden and her eyes shut tight. She had even curled her own tail around and was hugging it like a body pillow. Aiden was sleeping next to her, on his back and fast asleep. They weren't even touching each other. They were just sleeping.

"Weird." She whispered to herself, slowly closing the door and making her way back down to the couch. In a way, she was relieved. Max wasn't defiling her Nii-san with her feminine ways. But a part of her was still jealous. Aiden wouldn't let her sleep with him anymore, saying it wasn't something brothers and sisters should do, and that Jessica wasn't a kid anymore. Yet he let Max do it without the slightest argument. Did they do it often? And why tonight? Jessica had slept over many times recently, yet this is the first time she'd caught that skunk slipping into her Nii-san's bed.

She certainly didn't like it, and as Jessica was curling back up on the couch, alone, she was already devising a plan to either prevent it from happening again, or at least get her own chance to sleep in that bed. There was nothing wrong with just sleeping after all.