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Julie Ann knew where she was and she didn't like it. She was back on the round table in Don's kitchen, with four terrible drunk men around her with their pants off. She couldn't move and watched as they shook their dicks at her, laughing. Their laughter echoed in her head as they pressed their giant bulbous penises on her. She kicked at them, but it did no good. She fought, but they just laughed and slapped their dicks in her face. Charlie stood between her legs with an evil grin, pointing his monstrous penis at her vagina, "Ready for some real lovin'? Let's make human babies, bitch!" She screamed and fought, but the massive shaft hit between her legs like a log.

She gasped for air as she woke up in her own bed. Something was moving and she realized she was clinging to her brother's head. She let go and he shouted, still struggling. He was still asleep, but his knee was between her legs and hit her again. She groaned at the painful impact and pushed his leg away, rolling him onto his back as he stressed, then gently stroked his chest until he calmed down.

She stared at him in the dark room in his blue plaid pajamas and wondered what he was dreaming about. She hoped it wasn't as bad as hers. She looked over her shoulder at her clock: 1:34am. Always too early or too late, she wondered why she couldn't just wake up on time. Belle wouldn't be on and Robbie should be asleep. So should Don, and he never responded to her message. She started to wish she hadn't sent it and had just waited to see him today.

Don walked in the front door of his house and the first thing he saw was four naked humans gathered around his kitchen table. He walked towards them and called to them, asking sternly why they were in his house. They turned to face him and as they moved, he saw Julie Ann strapped, spread and naked, to the round table. He rushed forwards to help her, but the men suddenly shot him and he fell to the ground.

Then he was back at his front door looking at four naked men gathered around his kitchen table and his own body laying on the floor. He knew they had Julie Ann and he rushed them, but they shot him again and he fell to the floor to die with them laughing over his body.

He walked in his front door again and saw the naked men around his kitchen table and his body on the floor and his body on the floor. He went in without a sound and got close enough to see them groping and molesting Julie Ann, spread naked and strapped to the round table. His anger overwhelmed him and he attacked the nearest man, taking him and his closest friend down before the other two shot him again and he died on the floor.

He stood in the front doorway of his house, watching four naked human men molesting the woman he loved on his own kitchen table. He walked quietly into the house and looked down at three rabbit bodies on the floor that all looked like himself. He could hear Julie Ann's cries for help and begging them to stop. The men laughed and muttered unintelligibly, using words like 'morph, freak, animal, throp' and worse. He fought his urge to charge in and save her and told himself it wasn't real.

Suddenly a scream broke through their cacophony and it wasn't Julie Ann. It was coming from the hall. He didn't want to leave Julie Ann like that, but it wasn't really her. He followed the cries of 'NO!' and 'STOP!' down the hall and found Belle in the bed in the first room. A large dark mass was on top of her and beating her with the large horse dildo as she struggled. He glanced back towards the kitchen, remembering what happened when he tried to interfere, but decided he had to try anyway. He could hear Molly barking from somewhere and it strengthened his resolve. He shouted as he stepped into the room and the shadowed figure turned to him with a malicious, blood-covered grin. He could tell it was female, but nothing more, as it charged him with an angry scream.

Don sat up in bed, gasping for breath. He could still hear shouting and screaming, and barking. His eyes cleared and he could see Molly standing in the doorway of his bedroom, barking and looking at him, then across the hall, then back at him. He jumped out of bed and rushed past her to the room Belle was sleeping in. The cat was screaming and struggling and it was pulling off her bandages. He hurried to her and grabbed her shoulders, trying to hold her still as he called her name.

Belle woke up wide-eyed and panting, but when she recognized Don over her, she began to cry, "It was horrible! I couldn't stop her! I couldn't do anything! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"You're alright. Its over. She's not here," he tried to comfort her and calm her, but she seemed inconsolable.

The cat sat up and clung to him, still crying, "I'm sorry. She killed her. She killed Julie Ann."

"What? What do you mean?"

She lay back down, still holding onto his neck, "It was Randy. She was so mad that Julie Ann had been there, and she knew that we kissed and fooled around. She said she was the only one allowed to let me orgasm, because I belonged to her. She beat me and raped me just like before, but then Julie Ann was there and she attacked her. I couldn't move. Randy beat her and cut her and killed her and tore her to pieces and I couldn't stop her. I couldn't stop her! She's dead and I couldn't stop her."

"It was just a nightmare. Julie Ann's fine. Calm down." He tried to remember what his mother did when he had a bad dream as a bun. He put his finger on her nose and she gave him a confused look as her breath stuttered, "This is your nose, your real nose." He leaned down and kissed it. He reached up and touched her ears, keeping his eyes on hers, "These are your ears, your real ears." He leaned down again and kissed between them. He took her paws from his neck and held them together in front of her as she watched, curious, "These are your paws, your real paws." He kissed them and smiled down at her. He thought about the rest of it and decided that it might aggravate her injuries, so he just stopped there.

Belle looked up at the big rabbit with a smile growing slowly on her lips, "What was that?"

"That," he sat down on the edge of the bed and put her paws on her belly, "was my mum's nightmare cure. Well, half of it."

She sighed and smiled at him, "Well, it worked. What's the other half?"

He smiled back and put a paw on her belly, "Your belly, with tickles. Then when you curl up to avoid the tickles, your feet, with more tickles. And when you pull your feet away from those, I grab your tail to make you jump and forget everything you were scared of. Then she would finish with a hug, a real hug and it made everything alright."

"Can I have the hug?" she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Of course." he leaned down to hug her warmly and whispered, "This is a hug, a real hug."

Belle purred softly and put her good paw on the back of his neck, then whispered, "And this is a kiss, a real kiss."

Don started to sit up and ask her what she said, but she held his neck and kissed his lips. He didn't want to overpower her because she was injured, so he let her kiss him as long as she liked, giving in a little to her strange mouth.

When she was satisfied, she let him sit up and licked her smiling lips, "Some improvement, but Julie Ann is still a better kisser."

He tried to put together how to let the cat down easy, "Belle, I..."

"I know. I'm not trying to break you two up. I just like kisses."

"And fooling around?" He recalled her saying she had fooled around with Julie Ann in the dream and wondered exactly what she meant by it.

"Well, of course, doesn't everybody?" She stroked his strong furred thigh beside her and looked at him hopefully.

Don felt uncomfortable as he thought about Belle lying beside him with a seductive grin, "Um ... no ... not with just anybody."

Belle gave his leg a half hug and a pitiful look, "I hope I'm more than just anybody."

"Belle, I'm marrying Julie Ann because I love her."

"I know, but you haven't yet and you're still male and part of you likes the idea," she slipped her paw under his exposed balls and rubbed her thumb over the tip of his penis that had slipped out.

Realizing he was still naked and in bed with her, he stood up suddenly, looking down at her lying naked in the bed with her bandages laying loose, "Belle, ... I should fix those bandages."

She smiled as she got a full view of the naked rabbit with his penis slipping out of hiding.

He noticed her looking and covered his growing erection as he hurried out of the room.

Julie Ann wanted to sleep. She needed to sleep, but she was afraid of her dreams. She lay in her bed beside her younger brother. Her hand had drifted down to rub his belly and he was sleeping soundly. His shirt had slid up, but she didn't care. She was just glad to be saving him from his nightmare. She stretched her other arm and found Albert. Brian was clinging to the plush dog with his face buried in the soft faux fur. She lifted her head to look and thought of how the toy from her father had always comforted her, then blushed as she remembered the other things it had helped with more recently.

She felt a little self-conscious about her brother's face pressed against the fur she had pleasured herself with. She wondered if her own pheromones might affect him. She looked down his body and the tent in his pajama pants was obvious. She yanked her hand away from his belly like it was suddenly hot and wondered what to do. First, she couldn't stay in bed with him like that, so she slid off the edge and carefully slipped her arm out from under him. Next, she needed to get Albert away from him. She leaned over and tried to gently pull the plush, but Brian clung tighter. She tried to pry his fingers open, but he had a good grip on the dog.

She fumed silently, then calmed herself. He was growing up and not even a virgin anymore. He could be dreaming about Gizelle and Albert had nothing to do with it. She just couldn't go back to her own bed with him like that. She didn't want to get on her computer and wake him up. She really needed to get some more sleep. She decided the best way to do that would be to use Brian's bed, so she quietly crept out of her room and across the hall.

She closed the door and wished she could lock it, then stared at her brother's bed in the darkness. She wondered if her nightmares were because she couldn't get comfortable in her clothes. She unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her legs, feeling a little nervous about sleeping naked in her brother's room. She wished she had grabbed her nightshirt as she was leaving, but she didn't want to risk waking Brian up by going back for it. She settled for what she had and unbuttoned her shirt, tossing it on the edge of the bed as she took off her bra.

She started to pick up her shirt, but decided it didn't matter and she would sleep better without it. She pulled back the covers and crawled in her brother's bed wearing just her panties. The sheets were stiff and cold, not like her soft flannels. No wonder he wanted to sleep with her so bad. She smirked to herself as she pushed aside the last of her worries that he might be sexually attracted to her by her scent; he was just cold and lonely. She found his plush dinosaur and hugged it. It smelled like him, but it made her happy, not horny, and she felt reassured that her dreams of her brother were over. She was ready to have a pleasant and peaceful dream of living happily ever after with her wonderful rabbit.

Don opened the top drawer of his dresser and pulled out a package of boxers that Doc Tanner had bought for him long ago. He opened the package and pulled them on backwards, pushing his tail out the opening. He hurried to the kitchen, trying to avoid looking at his feline guest. He hit his thigh on the corner of his new table and stopped to look at it. The white top and green legs didn't quite fit his décor like the old brown, round one and the corners were already proving to be a pain. He leaned on it as his previous thoughts prodded for attention as much as the new bruise on his thigh...

Belle slid her paws around his waist and up his belly. She rubbed her body against his, pressing against his tail as her paws explored his chest. She slipped around his body, touching as much of her as she could to as much of him. Her paws found his neck and she slid her cheek up his chest to nuzzle under his chin. She wrapped a slender leg around his muscular thigh and trailed kisses along his neck as her paws found his long ears. Her fingers danced along the edges teasingly and found every perfect spot as he fought to resist her advances. His body was screaming for action and it was all he could do to stand still while she exploited it. When she climbed high enough to lick and kiss the edge of his ear, he forced himself to stand up and she slid down his body.

Julie Ann was standing in front of him, watching as the cat slithered and snaked around the rabbit's body. He focused on his human love as the feline found his erection and began to lick it. She teased and tasted, fondling his balls, as he stared at Julie Ann. She rubbed her face against his shaft, then her ears and turned around to slide it down her back as she stood up and leaned against him. She rubbed her rump against his groin, then leaned over to let him in. Her tail rubbed and danced around his hard shaft as he stared at Julie Ann. She was beautiful in her green plaid shirt and jeans with her wavy red hair cascading over her shoulders.

Belle noticed her human friend and walked towards her, letting the length of her tail slide teasingly off the rabbit's rod. She stepped up and kissed the girl, stroking her paws along her smooth cheeks. She moved her kisses to one of those cheeks and to her smooth, round ear. She licked along the edge and gently nibbled the lobe, then kissed below it and down her neck as she unbuttoned that green plaid shirt. The cat's kisses followed the buttons between two full breasts, hopping over the middle of her bra, then down her belly to nuzzle her bellybutton and flick a feline tongue into it as the two stared at each other.

The gray rabbit stood tall, with his ears as erect as his penis and his eyes locked on Julie Ann's. Belle swayed her hips dangerously close to the tip of his shaft, then slid back up the redhead's body and pushed her shirt over her shoulders and down her arms. She squeezed those perfect breasts with her paws. Every part of Julie Ann was perfect. They were perfect because they were part of Julie Ann.

Belle slid around behind her friend and pressed those covered mounds together again, then pulled that bra away and let her paws explore them bare. She caressed the freckled skin of Julie Ann's chest and rubbed the pointing nipples, peeking over her shoulder to watch the rabbit watching. She slid her paws over the smooth belly and down her thighs, then back up between them to stick her thumbs under the waist of her jeans. She kissed the freckled shoulder as she unbuttoned those jeans with her tail flicking behind her to the left side and to the right side.

Don watched the cat push Julie Ann's jeans down her legs, squatting down and peering at him between them. She slid her paws up those long, smooth legs as she stood up and peeked over her shoulder again. She ducked under the redhead's arm and smiled at him from beside her breast as her paws slipped into the white, simple panties that were all she had left. She pushed her paws down, between the girl's thighs and continued down her legs, taking the panties with them.

Belle looked at the now naked human with her furry cheek pressed against her bare hip, and licked her feline lips, then gave Don a smile that turned into a grin. She picked her friend up and sat her on the edge of the white table, then spread the girl's legs to expose her bare slit to the rabbit. She seductively offered Julie Ann to him, presenting her body with grand gestures and fondles, nuzzles and kisses. Those paws pulled her bare legs up and spread her human vulva to expose the place he longed to be.

Julie Ann smiled and he needed no further invitation. He stepped up and kissed her lips as his firm penis easily found her waiting vagina and slipped inside. The sensation was euphoric and they wrapped their arms around each other as he found her again and again. The mechanics didn't matter, only the pleasure she shared with him in every stroke. Belle was gleeful and rubbed over both of them, fondling his balls and nuzzling their necks as they joined. She caught his tail between her legs just as he reached his climax and they all enjoyed the blissful vibrations of his release.

As his orgasm faded, so did the dream. Don opened his eyes and saw the white tabletop. He smiled and lifted his head, sliding his paws over the smooth surface as he remembered the dream. He liked this table. He sat up and looked at his lap, he had made a mess of his shorts. He couldn't walk around with that wet crotch, Belle would certainly smell it. He hoped she couldn't smell him from there. He looked around the kitchen, trying to remember why he had walked in there. He noticed his dry mouth and drank a glass of water before heading back to his bedroom.

Molly was waiting for him on the bed and wagged her tail as she watched him change into some dry shorts.

Don sighed, "Well girl, I should get some more sleep before we have to get our day started." He stepped around the bed and looked across the hall.

Belle smiled back at him.

He was tempted to close the door, but he had promised her that he would leave them open. He gave her a polite wave goodnight and crawled into bed, on the far side.

Molly crawled over, a little confused, and nuzzled his covered parts.

Don remembered their fun earlier and wondered how much Belle had seen, or heard. He beckoned the randy dog up to his chest and hugged her, then smiled as she settled down and they both tried for more sleep.

Julie Ann sat up in the grass and smiled at the beautiful day as the warm sun shone down on her naked body. She looked around and found Don leaning against a fence in just his fur, watching two horses grazing. She recognized the scene from the dreams she had had before and knew what was to come. She walked up to her lapin love as the yellow horse nibbled at the brown one's neck. She wrapped her hand around his fluffy tail and he turned around with a smile.

They embraced and kissed as the yellow horse sniffed at the brown's tail. Those rabbit paws caressed her bare skin and her fingers delighted in his fur. She wanted to feel everything about him, but most of all, she wanted him inside her. She wanted to feel his love flooding into her, warm and with purpose. He turned her around and she felt his erection press against the base of her spine as his paws caressed and squeezed her breasts. She was impatient and leaned over the fence, wanting that fantastic penis inside her.

She looked in front of her and saw the yellow horse rear up behind the brown, his long penis pointed at the mare's raised tail. She watched the massive shaft slide into its target with one smooth thrust, just as Don buried his own erection deep inside her. She moaned and watched the stallion drive his shaft into his mare in perfect sync with Don's deep thrusts. Everything exploded at once: the horse's gushing flood, Don's warm gift and her own gripping orgasm. As the dream faded, she looked beside her and saw Brian smiling as he watched, naked and stroking his impressive erection.

She opened her eyes, still feeling the residual waves of pleasure and remembering the image of her brother. For a moment, she thought she could still feel Don's penis inside her. She moved her hand between her legs and found something soft and furry. She pulled it and groaned with unexpected pleasure as she felt it slide out of her. She held it up and realized that it was Brian's plush dinosaur. She had pushed the tail inside herself and it was now soaked.

Half panicked, she sat up, wondering how she was going to explain it to her brother. She looked around the unfamiliar room and found the clock. Thankfully, it was near enough time to get up anyway, but that meant Brian might come looking for her. She looked at the plush in her hand and its matted tail, then realized that it was Friday. She could put it in the laundry, their mother would wash it and Brian would never notice it was gone. She smiled and gathered her clothes as she headed for the bathroom for a quick shower, dropping the plush in the hamper with her clothes.

Belle stared across the hall. All she could see from the bed was the desk with his computer and the bathroom door. She wished she could see through the wall. She had tried to sleep again, but Randy was still there. Her former lover was still trying to dominate her thoughts while she was awake, but she focused on anything else to keep her out. If she could see that sexy rabbit, it would be so much easier. Instead, she tried to remember his beautiful, naked, furry body sitting next to her and the sounds of his pleasure.

The big, gray rabbit leaned over her and kissed her lips. This time he wanted to and it was good. His strong paws caressed her body and she felt no pain, only the pleasure of his touch. She gasped aloud as he kissed her neck and his paw found its way between her legs. His fingers slipped inside and she began to purr. She had wanted for so long to be touched this way by another morph. He crawled onto the bed, between her legs and stroked his long, slender shaft for her, She begged him for it and he gave it to her, laying his warm body over hers as he slid it in. It felt just like the toy, but bigger, and it moved. That made all the difference and she purred louder with delight. He kissed up her neck to nuzzle her ear as he thrust into her.

The feeling was wonderful, better than any toy she had ever tried and she loved the moans of pleasure he made. He pushed himself up to look at her and it was Robbie. Her excitement grew and she smiled, purring loudly. She looked beside the bed and saw Don. He was humping his dog and moaning with Julie Ann watching from the door. Robbie started thrusting into her again and she forgot about her other friends. His penis fit perfectly, filling her just right. His kisses on her lips and his hands on her body gave her joy beyond words and her body agreed, rocking her with a wonderful orgasm. She felt Robbie cum deep inside her, right where she wanted it and she wrapped her arms around him as happiness filled her.

Don stared at the ceiling, he had slept, dreamless, and woken before his alarm again. He thought he had heard something from Belle, but she was quiet now. He rubbed Molly's ears and sat up, feeling a little disoriented until he remembered that he was on the other side of the bed. He got up and walked around, then across the hall to check on his guest. She was hugging her pillow to her chest with her knees up and spread. He could smell her arousal from the door and wondered what she was dreaming about. He hoped it wasn't the girl that had beaten her. He quietly crept up and gently pushed her knee down until she relaxed both her legs and lay flat again. As he turned to leave, he stopped and leaned back, then smiled as he realized she was purring softly.

He headed back to his room and waved to Molly as he stepped into the bathroom. The lab eagerly hopped up and joined him as he got in the shower. He turned on the water and knelt down to lather her fur, "I'm glad I'm not a people doctor. There's so much more to consider. I can fix you up and treat you well and everything's fine."

Molly licked her lips.

"Yes, and feed you." He ruffled her ears and kissed her nose. "But taking care of this morph, I realize there's so much psychology to it. I can't be too distant and just do the job, because it will affect how she feels and heals. But if I'm too friendly, she might get attached to me and ... Do you think she was dreaming about me?" he sighed. "I'll be glad when she can leave. Her father can do a lot for her while she recovers and she wouldn't feel that way about him. Maybe I should see what he thinks about that. I'm sure he would be happy to take her home. Yep, that's what I'll do." He stood up and began to lather his own fur, reassuring himself that it was the best thing to do.

Julie Ann washed away all of yesterday and let the morning's dream fill her thoughts. She was glad to have it to cling to instead of the horrors she had seen. She finished her shower and dried off, then wrapped her towel around herself and headed back to her room.

Brian was still asleep in her bed, still clinging to Albert, and still sporting his morning wood. She wondered if he deserved a day off from school to rest. She was tempted to take one herself, but that meant not seeing Don, and that wouldn't make her happy. She noticed he was moaning softly and wondered what was going on in his dream. Then she knew, as she saw his tent twitch and start to get wet. She started to get upset, but told herself its natural, he's asleep and she invited him. She would just let him wake up and send him off to take a shower. Before she could make another thought, her brother gave a heavy sigh and rolled over, with his freshly wet side down.

"BRIAN!" her reaction came without thinking.

The young boy was suddenly awake. He sprung to his hands and knees, then quickly stood on the bed and just as fast, realized he shouldn't be and jumped to the floor. He stood in front of his sister, holding her plush in front of his morning erection.

She snatched the abused dog away from her brother, then sighed, trying to keep herself calm, "I'm sorry I woke you like that, but you wet yourself, then rolled over and messed up my bed. And Albert." She held up the plush and looked at the wet spot on his back. He needed a wash anyway, but just the thought of her brother's semen on her intimate toy made her uncomfortable.

"I'm so sorry, Julann. I'll wash him." He reached for the dog.

She held the dog higher, "No. I'd rather mom do it, so nothing happens to him."

"Please don't tell her."

"I'm not going to tell her what happened."

"Oh thank you. She still has the plastic sheets and I hate sleeping on those."

"Its fine. Just go get yourself cleaned up."

"Thank you," he hugged her tight.

She felt his erection poke her thigh, still wet, "Brian! I just took a shower."

He jumped back, "I'm sorry."

She reflexively wiped her thigh with what was in her hand, then realized it was Albert and gave an exasperated groan, "Just go get those wet pants off and get in the shower." she swatted his butt as he hurried past, then looked at Albert and sighed.

She had hoped today would be a good day, but it was already starting out to be frustrating. At least it couldn't be worse than yesterday. She turned to put the dirty plush in her hamper and stopped as she saw something blue sticking up. She pulled out the forgotten dildo and dropped in the plush. She was glad she found it before her mom did, but now she needed someplace to hide it. She looked around her room, but nothing seemed appropriate.

Her mother still liked to put away her clothes for her, so her drawers wouldn't work. She also would put the sheets back on her bed, so she couldn't leave it under a pillow or the mattress. Her closet, the trash can, the bedside table, all places her mom might accidentally find it. She put it behind the hinge of her laptop on her desk for the time being. Not a perfect place, but she didn't have much choice for cleaning day. The screen woke up and she noticed a couple messages waiting for her, so she sat down.

WindonLem [Please don't blame yourself for what happened today. Those men were looking to hurt me and I'm sorry they decided to do it through you. I'm sorry for putting you in that position unprepared. They attacked you and nearly raped you and I wasn't very supportive. Instead, I expected you to just shrug it off and get to work and I'm sorry. If you want to take tomorrow off, you are welcome to. We both have things in hindsight that we should have done differently, but most of all, I'm sorry I sent you home without telling you I love you. I definitely still want to marry you and I definitely still want you here. Julie Ann, I love you.]

She smiled, feeling like her day just got a thousand times better.

BunnyJAN [Belle needed you more and I'm glad you were able to help her. You were amazing and I love you. I will be there in an hour. Nothing could keep me from you today and I'm glad we'll get to be together forever. I can't wait to say I do.]

Anthea Wolf [Hey. I'm just leaving work. Let me know if you need to talk about anything.]

BunnyJAN [Thank you. I'm feeling better after getting some sleep.]

Add another to the plus side, it felt good to have good friends, even if she was on the other side of the world.

Dit Da Dit [Do you think its too early to visit Belle?]

Dit Da Dit [jk. But really, do you want me to come by and pick you up? Let me know when you're up.]

It said he sent that just after 2am. She laughed to herself; he was really hooked on that cat. She was glad they finally figured out they were in love with each other.

BunnyJAN [I'm up now. Just need to put on some clothes.]

Dit Da Dit [Forget those. I'll be there in 5.]

BunnyJAN [But you live 20 mins away.]

BunnyJAN [Robbie?]

She wondered if he could actually get to her house that fast. She closed her computer and saw the blue toy behind it. She picked it up with a sigh, trying to think of another place to hide it.

The door opened and Brian stepped in holding his plush dinosaur, "Hey Julie Ann, do you know what happened to..."

"To what, Brian?" She quickly put the dildo behind her computer again, leaning over the desk and trying to look natural. She gave him an annoyed glare, then noticed that he was staring at her. She glanced down and realized that her towel had fallen. She wrapped an arm around her bare breasts and scrambled to pull up the towel with her other hand, "BRIAN!"

Brian smiled, "I should keep a camera with me for moments like this."

"Out, NOW!" She got up to shove him out the door, but he closed it first. She groaned her frustration and embarrassment and threw her towel against the wall as she leaned her back against the door. She remembered that Robbie was on his way and jumped to quickly get the sheets off her bed, put on her clothes for the day and grab her things. She picked up the dildo again and looked around in a last search for a hiding place. She gave up and put it in her pocket. It stuck out, so she pulled it out again, getting stressed. She remembered that she had gotten it into the house under her bra, so back it went. It wasn't comfortable, but it would work. She rushed out the door and downstairs.

"Ready for some breakfast?" her mom was stacking toast on a plate.

"No time. Robbie is picking me up."

"Is something wrong with your car?"

"No, just going together."

"Oh, did you two finally decide to hook up?"

"No, mom."

"What was all that screaming upstairs. Do I need to have a talk with Brian?"

"No, its fine. It was my fault. I just overreacted." She didn't want to have that talk with her mother. "I need to get going."

"Well, at least take this with you." Her mother handed her an egg and sausage sandwich she had thrown together and wrapped in a napkin while they were talking. She laughed in surprise and hugged her mom, then hurried out the door with her sandwich.

"I think we need to get you some new bras."

Julie Ann felt herself turning red as she closed the door, realizing that her mother must have felt the dildo. She started for her car, planning to stash her toy there.

"Hey, aren't you riding with me?"

She froze and saw Robbie standing by his car, "I, uh, just need to get something from my car first. How did you get here so fast?"

"I've been here for about an hour. Your mom gave me some turkey sausage. Now hurry up, this jet is leaving."

She tried to be discreet as she pulled the dildo from under her shirt and hid it under the driver seat, then locked her car and hurried to Robbie's car as he pulled it closer. He pulled out fast and zipped down the road as she scrambled to get her seat belt on.

Don dried Molly off, then himself, and walked out to get dressed. He noticed the open door and remembered his guest, so he stepped to the other side of the bed. Why was he so worried about her seeing him without clothes? It was pretty normal to see morphs without clothes when he was growing up and he enjoyed the relaxed feeling of having nothing on his fur. It was just the way she looked at him that made him uncomfortable, as if seeing him exposed was sending her a message that he didn't intend, and his body wasn't cooperating. He needed to get her out of his house before he did something he would regret more than a kiss.

He sat down at his computer and glanced across the hall, no eyes staring back at him. He sighed and wrote a message to her father, letting him know that she could go home. He sent it and stared at the screen wondering if Julie Ann would be coming or taking the day off. A message popped up from her and he smiled as he read it. She would be there in less than an hour. They had plenty to do to keep themselves busy. He got up and checked in on Belle, then closed her door. He didn't want Robbie waking her up. With all these guests, he decided to put together something for breakfast and be a good host. He went to the kitchen and opened the fridge, trying to figure out something from his usual stock that would work for a meal he didn't usually eat. Then his phone beeped and he pulled it out.

BunnyJAN [Robie is eeager to se bele. well bee theer sooon.]

He wondered why her spelling was so bad, but before he could reply, he heard a car turn quickly into his driveway and hurry up it, skidding to a stop. He rushed to the front door and opened it to see Julie Ann walking around the car and pointing to the driver,

"Stay!" She turned to Don and sighed, then hugged him as Robbie opened his door and stood up. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you more warning, but he drives like ... I don't know what."

The big rabbit held her comfortingly and looked at the man waiting, "Belle is still asleep. She had a rough night."

Julie Ann turned to Robbie, "See, I told you there was no reason to drive like that. You still have to wait for her to wake up."

He closed the door and walked up, "That's fine with me. I'll just sit and watch her sleep."

Don held up a paw, "I'd rather you didn't. Morphs and cats tend to be sensitive to their surroundings, even when they're asleep, and she's both. Hopefully you didn't disturb her already."

"Oh, I didn't think about ..."

"Why don't you come in quietly and we can have some breakfast."

"I have some," Julie Ann pulled her arm around and held up the sandwich, half squished. She looked at Robbie and he shrugged apologetically, then she laughed and looked at Don again, "Is Molly hungry?"

He chuckled and put a finger to his lips, then led them in to the kitchen. "I'm sorry there isn't much in the way of your traditional breakfast."

Robbie kept glancing at the hall as he sat down at the table, "Its okay, I already ate."

"I'm sure I can put something together for us," Julie Ann looked through the cabinets, grabbed a bowl and gave her sandwich to the grateful dog, then opened the fridge and smiled as she pieced together some ideas. She pulled out some mushrooms, green pepper, and carrots, then grabbed some potatoes and bread. She made some toast and wondered if Don ate vegetarian because he was a rabbit or if he'd mind her cooking some bacon or chicken once in a while. She washed and sliced up the veggies and found a pan to cook them in, bouncing around the little kitchen, happy to be cooking for two of her favorite people.

Don sat down at the other end of the table and watched the red-haired beauty move and bend and stretch and bounce. He remembered the dream he had just had when he was last in his kitchen and he imagined her cooking for him with no clothes.

Every movement aroused him, but when she was stroking a long, slender carrot under the water, he was enraptured. She turned around and held the carrot to her chest, nestled between her beautiful breasts. Her smoky green eyes held him as she stretched her tongue to lick the tip. With a suggestive gaze, she slid the orange root into her mouth, teasingly moving it back and forth as she stepped toward him. When she was close enough, she lifted her foot onto the table and trailed the tip of the carrot down her body until it found the waiting slit between her legs. He watched her probing inside herself and wanted to be that carrot. He was hungry, but it wasn't food that he wanted. He put his paws on her bare hips and leaned forward, taking the end of the carrot into his mouth as she stroked his ears. He moved his head, sliding the carrot in and out of her and listening to her pleasured moans. She started rocking her hips, bringing his lips closer and closer...

"She's really sexy when she moves, isn't she."

_The carrot broke._Don looked at the man sitting across the table from him. Robbie was smiling and glancing suggestively at Julie Ann. The statement upset him, but he wasn't sure if it was the crudeness of it or his own jealousy that was getting under his fur.

"What?" Julie Ann turned around at the sound of his voice to find them staring at each other, "Did I miss something?"

Don couldn't find anything to say, but Robbie was ready, "Oh, we were just admiring the view."

She threw a towel at him, "You had your chance."

"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy looking."

"Its hard to believe you had the whole school believing you prefer guys." She returned to her cooking.

"People believe what they want to believe. Can you imagine the drama if I was dating Belle back then?"

"How did you meet her, anyway?"

"Well, while I was tutoring, I had one kid that his mother had trouble picking him up sometimes. I drove him home one Saturday morning and stopped in Miller's grocery to grab a drink. I didn't know there was a morph there, I wasn't even paying attention to which register I picked. It was a short line and I was too busy doing something on my phone, I don't even remember what, now. I heard the lady in front of me start arguing, so I looked up. I wasn't sure what to think when I saw her. I had seen morphs before, sure, but they were my parents friends. It was different seeing her like that, in such a casual ... job. She wasn't a morph being treated special just because they were born different. She was a person, working like everybody else. And this lady was complaining that she was doing her job. The problem wasn't that she had made a mistake or anything was wrong with her purchases at all. She was yelling at this quiet, beautiful cat that she should kill herself because she was an abomination to God. Belle quietly listened, not even trying to argue. The manager came out, her father, but I didn't know that at the time, and tried to get the lady to move on, but got a whole new rant about how he was promoting the perversion of humanity by giving a morph a job."

"She said throp."

They all turned and saw Belle leaning against the wall at the end of the hall. Robbie jumped up to help her. She tried to push herself off the wall and show that she was fine, but winced and he tucked himself under her arm to help her to the chair he had been sitting in.

Don looked her over from across the table and saw no obvious issues with her bandages, "How are you feeling this morning?"

The cat groaned, "Like I fell down the stairs again." She looked up at each of them, then corrected herself, "No, it feels like everything anybody has ever done to me all came back at once. You were talking about Ms. Taylor."

"You know her name?" Julie Ann brought over two plates of food and set them on the table. Belle picked up pieces with her claws and started eating immediately. Julie Ann offered her a fork and she took it, continuing to eat without missing a beat.

Don reached across the table to get her attention, "Slow down, your ribs are already broken, I don't want to have to risk breaking them more if you start choking."

Belle paused to look at him and swallow, then smiled meekly and slowly put another piece of potato in her mouth.

Robbie chuckled and tried to take the focus off of her eating, "Yeah, she knows the names of all her customers. She's got an amazing brain in there" He rubbed behind her ears.

She started to purr, then stopped short and looked up at him with a mouthful, "Not while I'm eating."

He pulled his hand back, "Sorry."

The cat returned to the rest of her meal as Julie Ann brought over two more plates and offered one to Robbie, then left hers on the table while she went back to clean up, "Why are there so many different names for morphs?"

Don chuckled and pushed his plate across the table to the cat eying it hungrily, "Well, the official name is Anthropomorphic Animal Species. Its a bit of a mouthful. Some of the early press releases tried apma as an abbreviation, but it didn't take. There are a barrelfull of names that popped up in different languages and crossed over, but morph seems most popular."

"Where did throp come from and why is it so bad?" She wanted to keep conversation going

"Its just a bastardization from anthropomorph. While morph was being used the most, some people joked about an _thropo_morph as an undesirable morph. Eventually, it shortened to just throp."

"So, thropo means undesirable in some other language?"

"Not really. Anthropos means human in Greek. Throp is just used as a derogatory term."

Julie Ann put the pan away and returned to the table to find two empty plates and Belle working on a third, "Hey, where's mine?

Belle stopped mid-chew to smile innocently

Robbie handed his plate to her and she sighed. She took a bite, then looked at Don, "Did you even get any?"

"I tried some. Its good. I look forward to seeing what you can make when you're not settling for what I have."

"Oh, can you eat meat or are you an herbivore?"

Don laughed, "I _can_eat meat. I just didn't have much of it when I was growing up and never acquired the craving for it."

"How about fish? I have a really good recipe for trout."

"I'll try it. Worst it can do is kill me."

"I don't want to kill you!"

"Relax," the rabbit laughed, "I'll be fine, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it."

"That's not funny."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he put his paw on her hand.

She put the plate down and stepped over to hug him, "Its alright and I'm sorry for asking so many questions."

"No, I'm glad I finally get to use what I learned in those boring history classes. Now, we should get ready. We have a lot to do today."

He started to get up, but stopped and looked at the cat.

Belle froze when she noticed the silence and looked around at everyone staring at her, with her tongue on a plate. She finished the lick and carefully placed the plate on top of the other three in front of her, looking for something to break the silence, "Robbie didn't finish telling his story of how he saved me and became my hero."

"Well, it wasn't as dramatic as all that."

"Just tell it."

"Okay, so the lady was yelling at Belle, telling her to kill herself, and her dad comes out and gets an earful himself ..."

"And then my hero appeared," she turned and hugged his waist.

Robbie rubbed behind her ears and this time she purred freely. With a laugh, he continued, "It's bad enough being stuck behind someone that's taking forever at the register, but she was doing it for no reason. She wasn't just wasting my time, she was taking the time just to be cruel to somebody. I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. I said ..."

"Lady," Belle took over, "you haven't the first clue what God likes. Have you even read that Bible sticking out of your bag or is it just another fashion accessory? Ecclesiastes 3:19 will tell you humans are no better than animals; we have the same breath, the same death, everything else is just vanity. You don't have much to be vain about with that rotten attitude. Seems you missed out on all the love and compassion that Jesus tried to teach. You're as antagonistic as Saul, but he saw the light and learned to share love instead of hate. Maybe it's time for _your_epiphany, so you can see that this beautiful and gentle creature in front of you, who has been nothing but nice, doesn't deserve your hatred; doesn't deserve your venom. If you think you've been saved, think again, because the forgiveness Jesus paid for doesn't give you a free pass to act like the monstrous devil we're seeing here. What you do to anyone, you do to Him. So, take your crisp, clean bible home and actually read it. Maybe you can find your heart in there."

There was sudden silence as the cat's speech suddenly ended. Her ears turned back as she looked around at all the wide eyes staring at her in silence, then slowly slid back in her chair and hugged Robbie's hip, "I liked it."

Don chuckled and it broke the silence.

Robbie stroked Belle's head, "Apparently, so did everyone else in the store. They started to applaud and the lady was so flustered and embarrassed that she ran out without the cart full of groceries that she had already paid for. I was a bit embarrassed too, when I realized what an audience I had."

"Wow, you really gave it to her. You don't usually get aggressive like that," Julie Ann was practically hiding behind her rabbit.

"Yeah, she found my trigger. I just can't stand people that berate others just for existing. If they do something wrong, some people need a good shouting sometimes, but you can't insult somebody enough to change their species."

"I didn't know you were so religious."

"I'm not really. My parents are Universalists and taught me a lot of different religions, so I could choose what I believe. The Christian Bible is another book of information. It has a lot of good stuff, but there is also a lot of archaic and opinionated stuff to weed through."

"My mom would disagree with you, but I know you like information."

Don got up, "Alright. We need to get going. Mrs Gamble will be waiting for us. Are you two going to be okay alone?"

Belle and Robbie smiled at each other.

"No fooling around, she's still healing,"

Belle put her injured paw to her head in a mock salute.

Robbie smiled, "No, sir. I'll take excellent care of her."

"Good." he ushered Julie Ann out the door. They stopped by the barn and packed up the sonogram machine, then headed out. Neither of them said anything as their minds worried them with recent events and even more recent dreams. Finally alone together and the moment was haunted by their fears and reminding themselves that its time to act professionally.

Don pulled up to a small house with a barn behind it. It wasn't nearly as big a property as Doc Tanner's, but there were three horses in a corral. As they got out of the truck, a brown haired woman came out of the house and walked up to them.

With only a concerned look, she reached up and hugged the tall gray rabbit. He was a little surprised, until she whispered in his ear, "I was so worried about you."

He put his paws on her back and relaxed, whispering back, "I'm okay, its not the first time somebody tried to kill me."

She pulled back with a hand on his neck and gave him a stern look, then turned to Julie Ann and held out her arms, "You must be Julie Ann. You poor girl. What a horrible thing to go through. Are you okay with hugs?"

She looked at Don, then nodded to the lady, who immediately wrapped herself around her. She accepted the hug and it felt good. It was nice to feel that somebody cared. She hadn't told her mother what had happened. She was scared that she would use it as another reason to tell her that she shouldn't be with Don. She missed having her mother on her side, but the more Brandon retreated into his private world, the more her mother worried about him instead of her own children. She told herself not to cry, because she needed to be professional, and took a calming breath.

The woman leaned back and looked at her, "You're going to be okay. You're strong. Oh, I guess I should introduce myself." She stepped back and offered a hand, "I'm Annie Gamble, your friendly emergency operator."

Julie Ann shook her hand, "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. They probably wouldn't have come in if I had stayed where I was."

"Oh darling, don't blame yourself. Those men are just trouble. I know who it was and I know their wives. I already spoke with Samie and she didn't need another excuse to divorce Dan, but she's not waiting now. And Sharl, Charlie's wife, had already told her lawyer to file, after yesterday, but hadn't told him. Seems he didn't even go home before heading back to cause more trouble. She was going to move in with her mother until she got her own place, but since he's in jail, she can stay in her own home. Maxine was in denial about the whole thing, but when she heard that I heard the whole thing and its recorded, she said that Dakota's going to be spending a few nights in jail while she decides if he's worth it. The only one that is sticking by her man is Pauline, but I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her. She's young and pregnant, but I doubt she'll try to deny it. Look at me, I shouldn't even be talking to you about all this, but damn if I'll let them get away with something like this. They don't get to decide who has a right to live here and they certainly don't have the right to decide who you can have a baby with. And I'm just prattling on. Did you two get anything to eat this morning? I've got pancakes and some fresh strawberries."

"Yes, ma'am. Julie Ann made some delicious potatoes for everybody." Don tried to move the conversation along.

"I've told you not to call me ma'am. I'll break you of that habit one of these days."

"I wouldn't mind some strawberries, Miss Gamble." Julie Ann was interested in something normal for a change and she only got a bite of the meal she had made.

"Please, call me Annie. Come on inside and I'll make you a plate."

The rabbit hesitated, "Annie, I should take a look at Lord Chocolate's foot. We have a busy schedule today."

"Well, you know where he is and us girls'll go in the house for strawberries and chat."

Don headed for the barn while Annie took Julie Ann inside.

"So, you're a good cook, then?"

"I just threw some things together. He was being polite."

"No, he's not one to be polite about food. I once gave him some of my carrot slaw. He tasted it, handed the whole thing back and told me he couldn't eat it. I asked if he was allergic to something and he said no, it just tasted like carrot flavored mayonnaise, which that's pretty much the ingredients, with some lemon juice and raisins. He brought me some of his carrot spread later and its definitely different, I could see why he didn't like my recipe, but I trust his opinion on food, because I know he's honest." She gestured to a stool by a counter island in the middle of the kitchen and Julie Ann sat down while she gathered the strawberries and continued talking. "He's also honest about his work. He's been straightforward about everything with Angie's horse and when, um ..." she stood at the end of the counter holding the bowl of strawberries, then set them down. "When Dark Saber was ready to go, he was gentle, but didn't lie to me." she turned around and grabbed a couple small plates from a cabinet. "Do you want any pancakes?"

"No, thank you. The berries are fine."

Don walked into the barn and up to Lord Chocolate's stall. The door was open and a young girl was knelt by the horse's front leg. He remembered the last time he was alone with her in this barn and wondered if it would pick up where they left off...

When he finally got his Pennsylvania driver's license, Doc Tanner had let him come out alone. The Gambles already knew him and liked him. Their daughter, Angela, was shy, but friendly. While they were looking at her horse, her mother got a call and had to run up to the house, leaving them alone together. Don had continued his lecture about how proper care could keep his coat looking nice and Angie listened intently, not taking her eyes off of him. Lord Chocolate nuzzled her back and she looked annoyed at him, then noticed his large erection hanging free.

"Oh, he shouldn't do that."

"Its alright, he probably smells the mare in heat nearby." Don had tried to keep the mood relaxed.

She held the horse's head and stroked his nose gently, "Can you smell it?"

"Not in here, but I noticed it as we came in."

"You have a good nose," She stared at the rabbit's face and pushed the horse's head aside as she stepped forward, "Can you smell me?"

Don had been very tempted to give in to her obvious flirting, but she was a client and he needed to be extra careful. He discreetly took a fresh sniff to distinguish what was hers, "I can smell your shampoo: eucalyptus. You're wearing a perfume, something like cinnamon and roses. There's a lavender scent and under all that is your own, personal scent.

She had looked a little embarrassed, "Even with everything else, you can smell me?"

He didn't want to offend her, "Yes, but its not a bad smell."

"You like my smell?"

"Its you and you've always been nice to me, so, yes, I like your scent."

She had looked down, then stepped close to him and looked up at his face, "Does it make your ... penis ... hard?"

Don swallowed hard. The answer was definitely yes, but he couldn't encourage her. His body was screaming for action that he hadn't had in six years and never with a human. His mind was telling him he'd never get another chance, but still he resisted. Suddenly, the sound of rushing water had broken the tension as Lord Chocolate released his bladder. Angie had turned beet red and run out of the barn just as her mother came back. Fortunately, she had believed that her daughter was just embarrassed about her horse peeing in the barn in front of company.

Now, here they were again, alone in the barn with her horse, "'Lo, Angie."

She jumped up and turned around, falling back on the horse's shoulder for a moment, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure his ankle is okay."

"Its fine."

Don stepped into the stall and she slipped behind her horse's head, stroking his nose gently. Don waited by the door, wishing they could go back to just being friends.

Lord Chocolate nudged her and she looked to see his penis slipping out again, "Choco, no!"

"Its alright. It doesn't bother me."

She moved nervously around the stall, "I should go."

Don stepped away from the door and she hurried out of the stall and the barn.

Annie grabbed a strawberry from the bowl, ripped off the top, dropped the green on her plate and bit into the juicy fruit. She smiled, then pushed the bowl a little closer to her guest.

Julie Ann grabbed a few berries and put them on her plate, then bit into one and smiled, giving her host a gracious nod.

"So, who is everybody? I thought he lived alone."

She wasn't sure how much she should tell this stranger, even if she already knew Don, "He has a patient staying in a guest room."

"Oh yes, Miller's cat. Belle, was it? How is she doing?"

How much did this woman know? Was she testing her? "She's healing."

"Its a terrible thing. This world is just going insane. I tell you, if things keep going like this, we might have some morph riots right here in America, like they did down under. I can't understand why some people just can't mind their own business. Morphs have just as much right to live as most humans. That Charlie, I'm not so sure about. He's just a rotten apple. Y'know, he once broke another man's arm, just because he couldn't move his motorcycle out of the way fast enough." She ripped the top off of another berry and threw it at her plate, then bit into the fruit and relaxed. "Now Don, on the other hand, Windon ... You're not the jealous type, are you?"

"What?" Julie Ann stopped short of biting into her second berry as the conversation suddenly turned to her.

"You don't have to worry. I've got my own family here and I have no intention of jeopardizing it. But if Don wasn't a rabbit, he'd be exactly what a man should be. He's caring and strong and gentle and polite. He's clean and responsible and damn if he isn't hiding a sexy body under all that fur."

Julie Ann almost dropped her strawberry, but caught it and tried to fight her blush.

Annie grinned, "I know you're thinking it, too. With his rabbit legs and penis, he's probably a wild ride in the sack. Have you two ... ?" She popped a whole strawberry in her mouth and looked suggestively at her guest.

"What? No! I mean no, we haven't, um ..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm too nosy for my own good sometimes. You two take your time. It should be savored."

"I, uh ..." she wasn't sure if she should tell her that they had decided to get married. She wanted to tell the world, but this woman was awfully intense.

She tipped up the bowl towards Julie Ann, "Don't worry about it. Have another strawberry and we can talk about something else. So, when do you get your license?"

"My what?" She couldn't keep up with how fast the conversation was changing.

"To be a vet."

"Oh, I, uh ..." she stared at the red berry, wishing it had all the answers written on it.

Annie laughed, "You're still thinking about Don's body, aren't you? It's okay, I don't blame you. The ears kind of throw me, but sometimes I just want grab his tail and fluff ..."

"Mom! What's he doing here?" a brown haired girl that looked like a younger version of her mother was standing in the back door.

"Dr Lem is taking care of _your_horse. Now, behave yourself, we have guests."

"I have friends coming over soon. What if they see him?"

"Since when do you have a problem with morphs?"

"Its ... Just make him go away before they get here." She closed the door and stormed through the kitchen and up the stairs.

"I'm sorry. I'll be right back." Annie followed her daughter, leaving Julie Ann with the strawberries.

This had been a strange visit and she was ready for Don to say it was time to go. Annie was friendly and nice, but how much she knew about them, and how she talked about Don, made Julie Ann a little nervous. And now, it seemed her daughter was anti-morph. She wondered if it might be a good idea to stay in Australia after they get married, but those were the same reasons Don wanted to be in America. She was scared, but she didn't want to make him give up his dreams because she was scared.

"I'm sorry about that, I'm not sure what her problem is today. Well, I guess you like my cooking," Annie laughed.

Julie Ann looked at her plate and realized she had eaten almost a dozen strawberries, "I'm sorry, I ..."

"No, don't be. Its what they're for. Here, I'll pack you some to take with you. Maybe you and Don can enjoy them later." she gave a wink as she took the bowl to the other counter and opened a cabinet to get a container

Julie Ann fought her blush again, but failed.

The back door opened and Don came in, "Annie? Lord Chocolate is healing just fine. If he continues to favor the leg, just wrap all his ankles and let him learn that its okay. Sometimes they get scared to try it again after it hurts." He stopped and stared at Julie Ann, strawberry juice dripping slowly down her chin as she looked at him.

Annie offered the redhead a napkin to break the moment.

Julie Ann wiped her face and wished she had fur to hide her embarrassment.

Don forced himself to continue, "We can come back if you notice anything, but he should be just fine."

"You can come by anytime you like. We should have you over for dinner sometime, just so its not always business."

"We'd like that. Send me a message and we'll schedule it."

Annie handed Julie Ann a container filled with the strawberries, then hugged her and whispered, "Don't get too much juice in his fur or he could come out pink."

Julie Ann went wide-eyed and looked at Don, who gave her a curious smile until Annie turned to him.

She hugged the big rabbit and whispered in his ear, as well, "You two make a nice couple. You should quit being coy and just show her how rabbits do it."

"Annie!"

She stepped back with her hands raised, "I'm just sayin'"

"Well, its no secret, so I'll tell you. We're planning to get married."

"Well, congratulations!" She grabbed Julie Ann's hand, "What, no ring?"

"It was kind of spontaneous. There's still a lot to work out."

"That's no way to do it. Hold on," she left the room and hurried upstairs, leaving Don and Julie Ann to exchange confused looks. When she came back, she grabbed Don's paw and pushed something into it, "Its not much, but you should do it right."

"Annie, I can't take this."

"You can and you'll get down on your knee right now."

"Yes, ma'am."

She pointed her finger sternly at the rabbit's feet as he smirked and knelt in front of his love on the stool.

Julie Ann watched as Don held up his paw with a small diamond ring between his fingers.

"Julie Ann, will you marry me?"

She was stunned, not by the question she had already answered, but by the gift and the odd situation. She looked at the woman watching them and eagerly nodding, then finally pulled herself together enough to answer, "Of course."

Don slid the ring on the end of her finger, but it was too small. He stood up and kissed her lips, then looked to Annie to see if she was satisfied.

The woman scowled, "You call that a kiss?" She took Julie Ann's hand and looked at the ring, "They're usually small, but don't worry, you can get it re-sized. Now you're official and you can tell everybody the good news."

"I haven't even told my mother, yet." Julie Ann wondered how that conversation would go.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I haven't told my parents, either."

"Am I the first, then?"

"Not first, but close."

"Well, we definitely need to have dinner and work on some of your wedding plans."

"Oh, Belle is already working on that for us."

"You can bring her along and I'll share my experience. I did my own wedding and both my sisters and our mother's second. There is so much to pay attention to and if you don't know what you're doing you can make a real mess of it."

Don interjected, "We really should get going."

"Alright. I'll message you and we can work out the details." She hugged them both, then walked them to the door.

As Don turned the truck around and pulled out of the driveway, Julie Ann stared at the ring. It was such a small thing and it didn't change how she felt about Don, but it did seem to make it feel more real: a physical representation of their intention for everyone to see. She took it off her finger and held it in her hand as she watched her rabbit drive. She watched every twitch and movement until he noticed her looking and smiled.

"Does the ring mean that much to you?"

"I didn't think it would, but ... It was like a little ceremony that made us confess our love and the ring proves it." She unbuckled and slid across the seat to lay her head on his shoulder, holding the ring out to look at it again, "Its our first wedding present."

He smiled and moved his paw from the steering wheel to her thigh, "Too bad it doesn't fit."

She sat up, "Do you have any string?"

"Of course, but its behind the seat. You'll have to wait until we get there."

Julie Ann held onto her idea as tightly as she held the ring and slid back to her side to buckle up.

Robbie rubbed Belle's neck and smiled as the happy couple left, enjoying the sound of the cat's happy purrs, "I guess I should get you back to bed, so you can rest."

"Do I have to? I'm feeling pretty good right here," she grabbed his hips and pulled him closer, leaning down to nuzzle his crotch."

"Whoa," he shuffled to keep his balance, then smiled and rubbed her ears, "Frisky kitty. Doc said we need to wait for you to heal and I don't want to hurt you."

"But you're not injured. I can think of something safe to do," she unzipped his pants and started to search for her prize.

Robbie stepped back and grabbed her paws, "Hold on, now. You're rushing into things a little bit. Technically, we just started dating and haven't been out, yet. We should wait a bit before we start getting into anything like that."

Belle's ears drooped as he zipped his pants and she tried to understand his hesitation. She knew he loved her, his kisses were so passionate. She knew he wasn't afraid of sex, they had talked about it online even before he said he loved her. She wondered if there was something wrong with his penis that he was afraid to show her.

"Come on, let me take you to bed," he bent down and tucked his head under her arm, then lifted her out of the chair.

She winced at the pain in her ribs, then giggled and clung to him, "I love your contradiction." She nuzzled and kissed in front of his ear, then nibbled and toyed with the lobe.

Robbie carried the cat down the hall, slowly as he wrestled with his thoughts. He loved holding her close and didn't want to put her down when he got there. On the other hand, he might not let go when he put her down, as his body was screaming for him to give her what she wanted. He thought of all the things they could do without stressing her injuries, but tried to convince himself that they were all too risky. As much as he wanted to, couldn't they find a way?

"Robbie, wait."

He stopped and looked at her.

"Let's go in there, the bed is bigger."

He looked into the room at the big, yellow dog staring back at them from the king size bed, "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"They'll be gone all day and we can move to the little bed before they get back."

"But what about him?"

"Oh, that's Molly. She's nice. At least take me in so I can say hello."

Robbie gave in with a sigh and walked into the room.

Molly stood up on the bed and watched them come in. She knew the cat was hurt and her mate was taking care of her, but she didn't know why she was in his room now. The man laid the patient on the bed and she walked up to investigate.

Belle reached out to pet the dog's neck as she came close, "You're a good puppy, aren't you?"

The lab lay down beside the cat, resigned to sharing the bed.

"She sleeps with Don. Julie Ann would be jealous if she knew."

"I don't think so. He'd probably let her move in, if she asked. As much as her mother's husband bothers her, I'm surprised she's not here already."

"And you think she'd be okay with Molly?"

"She already knows about Molly. What's the big deal?"

"Do you sleep with your dog?" She looked at him, wondering if he really knew what she meant.

"No, he's an outside dog. He doesn't get to come inside."

"And he's a boy."

"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing," she sighed and turned back to Molly, deciding it was best not to explain. "Would you lay in the bed with me?"

Robbie looked at the large lab, "Do you think she'll let me?"

"She's a good dog. She let you put me here."

"Alright," he kicked off his shoes and crawled around the foot of the bed to lay down beside the dog and cautiously put his hand on her beck.

Molly looked at the man, then stretched her neck to stare at the headboard, it was getting crowded in her mate's bed and he wasn't there to tell her it was okay.

"See, she likes you."

"I don't know about liking me, but she seems to be tolerating me, for now."

"Oh, she's fine. Maybe if you take your clothes off, she'd be friendlier."

"Why would that make any difference?"

"Don doesn't sleep in his clothes."

"This is not my bed; I am not getting naked."

"Not even for me?"

"Sorry. I wouldn't want Don laying naked in my bed and I'm not going to do it to his. In fact, I'm revisiting the thought that this is a bad idea." He sat up and Molly looked at him.

"Aw, stay just a little longer. See, Molly doesn't want you to go."

Robbie considered the yellow dog, then lay back down. "Alright, but if she gets up, I take you back to the other room."

"Deal," Belle hugged Molly and rubbed her ears, then reached across the dog to touch his arm.

When Don stopped the truck, Julie Ann got out and pulled the back of the seat forward to get behind it. There were three boxes and some other tools, she opened one and found a roll of string. She cut off a long piece with some wire snips from the box and closed everything back up. She folded the string in half and looped it through the ring, so it would hang in the middle, then tied the ends together and hung it around her neck. A quick glance around and she saw Don walking with a woman around the house, so she hurried to catch up with them, the ring bouncing against her chest.

Don smiled as she came up, "Mrs. June, this is Julie Ann. She'll be observing until she gets her certificate, then she'll be assisting me."

"Oh, I heard about what happened yesterday. You're the girl that was attacked at his house?"

"Yes, ma'am," she wondered how many times she would have to listen to people bring it back up.

"It's a horrible, horrible thing. Do you know yet?"

"Know what?"

The older woman leaned closer and spoke softly, "Do you know if they got you pregnant."

"Oh, they didn't get that far. The police showed up just in time, before they could..."

"Oh, that's good. No woman should ever have to go through that."

"Dr rabbit! Dr rabbit!" A small boy came running around the house and hugged Don.

"Its Lem, dear, Dr Lem" the woman corrected.

"Dr Lem, you've got to come quick, Loppy's sick"

Don smiled back at Julie Ann as the boy led him by his paw to the back yard.

"That's my grandson, Stanley. It's his mother's weekend with the Reserve. I get to see him every month. Oh! That's an awfully nice ring to be hanging on a string."

Julie Ann smiled, glad to have someone notice, "Its our engagement ring."

"Oh? Who's the lucky man?"

For a moment, she wondered if it would be safe to tell this woman, but she wouldn't know unless she tried, "It's Don."

"Oh, so you're the lucky one. He's quite a catch. You're a brave girl. Don't let anyone tell you you can't have him."

"Do you think they will?"

"Oh, most won't have a problem with it, but it only takes one to make noise, as you know."

"Yeah..."

"Here, that string just doesn't do your ring the justice it deserves." She unclasped a chain from around her own neck and slid the pendant off, then took Julie Ann's hand and put the chain in it.

"I can't take this."

"Sure you can, consider it a wedding gift." She put her pendant in a pocket and took the chain back, then picked the ring off of the girl's chest and fed the chain through it.

Julie Ann quickly reached up and pulled the string over her head as the woman offered the ends of the chain to her. Then she reached behind her neck to clasp the chain as Mrs June pulled the string out of the ring.

She patted the ring on the girl's chest and smiled, "There, that looks so much nicer."

"Nana! Nana! Dr rabbit says Loppy's not sick. He says she's going to have lots of baby bunnies!"

"Oh, my."

"Come on!" He led them eagerly around to the hutch where Don was waiting.

"It looks like you've got a week or maybe a little more before they arrive. I'm sorry I couldn't get out here sooner."

"No, its fine. I think he enjoyed hearing it from you, anyway."

Stanley was eagerly telling Julie Ann about what the bunnies might look like and what he was going to name them.

"I guess I'll need to get a bigger hutch," Mrs June pondered her options.

Don's phone beeped and he pulled it out to look at it. He looked concerned as he typed a reply.

"Is everything alright, Doc?"

"Another patient we have to see today. After this week, I have ... We have a lot to catch up on."

She looked disappointed, "And I was going to invite you up for lunch."

"Thanks for the offer, but maybe another time, Mrs June." he hugged the old woman, then turned to the hutch, "Julie Ann, we need to go; an emergency with another patient."

She said good bye to Stanley and Mrs June and they headed back to the truck.

"Did she give you that chain?"

Julie Ann touched her chest and smiled, "Yes, she said my ring deserved something better than string."

Don laughed, "She's a very generous woman. I once accidentally mentioned that I had trouble sleeping and she gave me her pillow, insisted on it."

"She is a lovely woman. So, what's the emergency?"

"A pregnant sheep is having trouble. I haven't seen this one. Mr Kiel doesn't call unless he can't handle it himself."

It was a long drive to the other side of town and Julie Ann took the time to think about all the people that were happy to hear they were getting married. She kept slipping her finger in and out of the ring as she smiled and thought about a big, happy wedding.

It was beautiful with lots of flowers. Belle was there, with Robbie and Mr Miller, and Annie and Mrs June, with Stanley. Most of the room was filled with rabbit morphs, all happy to have her join their big family. There were a lot of people she didn't know, but she also saw her brother, with Gizelle, and her mother. She couldn't tell if her mother was smiling or not, but she was. Don looked amazing in a royal blue suit cut just to him

They finally drove down a long driveway and pulled up between two larger trucks. A tall, skinny man, with a big hat, came out of the house and walked over as they got out, "I'm not sure what else to do here. She won't let me near her anymore. She won't even lie down. She's just leaning against the fence over there. Maybe you can figure it out."

Don walked where he was directed without a word and Julie Ann followed. The ewe was huge, round, and looked like it was ready to pop. He walked up slowly and it bleated at him. He set his bag down and gently touched its side; the sheep complained and shuffled like it was trying to get away from his touch, but had nowhere to go. He checked the back end, but there was no dilation at all. He noticed that her anus was red and swollen and wondered what was really going on, "Alright, let's take a look at what's going on in there. Fortunately, we have the sonogram with us to check on a cow later."

"I'll get it," Julie Ann hurried back to the truck and grabbed the white case, then brought it back to her rabbit, glad to be useful.

Don opened the case and turned on the small computer inside, then plugged in the wand and slipped a cover on it while he waited for it to wake up and check itself. When he turned to the sheep, it scrambled against the fence again. "Mr Kiel, would hold her while I do this?"

"What about your eager assistant there?"

"She can't touch the animals until she's certified."

"Oh, I see." he stepped around and grabbed tufts of the ewe's woolen shoulders.

Don maneuvered the wand through the thick coat, watching the screen and looking for what should have been obvious. A gurgling followed by a hiss of escaping air made him pause in thought, wondering if the sheep fart might indicate a different situation. He moved the wand behind her hip and tried to get a good angle to check his suspicion. A bright blotch on the screen suggested he was right and he set the wand down as he turned off the machine, "Well, Mr Kiel, I think I can help with this delivery. Julie Ann, would you take the sonogram back to the truck and you might want to wait back there."

"I don't get to watch the lamb being born?"

"You'll be able to see just fine from there and this is going to get pretty messy." He dragged his bag closer and pulled out a pair of long gloves.

Julie Ann hurried to gather the machine and take it back to the truck, so she wouldn't miss anything.

"What's going on?" Mr Kiel stood up and looked down at the rabbit morph examining his sheep.

"She has an obstruction and I'm going to pull it out." He pulled a bottle and dropper from his bag and filled it.

"What kind of obstruction?"

"We'll find out in a moment. Open her mouth, please."

Mr Kiel held the ewe's lips open and watched Don squeeze the liquid into her mouth, "What's that?"

"A muscle relaxant. It should help."

They waited and watched as the sheep started to get shaky on her legs and her bleats became distorted and warbly. She finally plopped on the ground and released a burst of gas that smelled like freshly turned compost.

Mr Kiel stepped back and covered his nose, "Oh hell! What is that!"

"What's wrong?" Julie Ann started to come closer, but caught the smell as it drifted and moved behind one of the trucks as if she could hide from it, "Oh yuck!"

Don wrinkled his nose and pushed his fingers into the sheep's anus. He searched and pushed his paw further until he found what he was looking for. He managed to get his fingers around it and pulled. When it came out, it was followed by a gush of brown and green liquid and more of that wretched smell.

"What the hell is that?" Mr Kiel started for a closer look, then took two steps back as he regretted opening his mouth.

Don stood up and stepped away from the source of the odor before speaking. He held up a round, flat rock and looked at Mr Kiel, "It seems she swallowed a stone."

"And that did that to her?"

"When it hit her stomach, she would have started acting sluggish, maybe a little sick. Then, as it moved through her system, she would slowly get bloated and sore. I saw this with a goat last year that ate a billiard ball. It was already past his stomach when I got to him and it took about ten days to work its way through. Didn't cause much of a problem until it got stuck at the end. How long did you say she's been like this?"

"I, uh, I noticed her starting to get big a few months ago. I just thought she was pregnant. I didn't think anything was wrong until she wouldn't leave this spot. Damn. What could have happened to her?"

"Well, best case: the stone would have made it out and she would get better. But, she could have gone septic from her system being backed up, she could have starved because she couldn't eat any more, her intestine could have burst ..."

"Okay, I get it. It could've been bad. I'm glad you know what you're doing."

"That's why they call me a doctor," he held the stone out to the man, who took it, then remembered where it had just been and dropped it quickly as Don pulled off his gloves.

"Is she going to be alright now?" he looked at his sheep laying dazed, randomly making brown and green spurts of putrid art on the ground.

"It will take a little time for her intestines to clear and relax. You should probably give her another dose of this in a couple hours as it wears off to keep her calm." He handed him the bottle and dropper. "Would you mind if I wash up before we leave?"

"Oh, sure, no problem," He looked to the house, where a woman was standing on the porch and breathing through a towel. "Nancy! Show the doc where he can wash up!" He looked at his own hands and the stone on the ground, then his sheep drooling in the dirt and back up to the boy standing by his wife, "Oscar! Get over here!"

The boy looked to his mother, then ran across the driveway, quickly covering his nose with his hand.

"Keep an eye on Sweater while I go wash up."

"What happened to her?"

"Don't pick up that rock," he left the cryptic message and headed for the house with Don and Julie Ann.

The boy put the pieces together in his head, "Oh, ew!"

"The bathroom is right around here," Nancy gestured to a door in the hall.

"Thank you, ma'am," Don closed the door behind himself.

"You can come wash up in the kitchen."

"Oh, I didn't get any on me."

"At least wash your hands before you eat."

"Ma'am?"

"We're about to have lunch and you may as well join us since you're here."

"Oh. Thank you," Julie Ann washed her hands in the kitchen sink and noticed the bowls and plates of food on the counter, as if she were expecting them to stay, even before she offered, "Um, can I help you with anything?"

"No, its all ready. We'll be sitting down as soon as Gavin is ready. What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, um, water would be fine." She looked up as Mr Kiel came down the hallway with a young girl behind him and Don came out of the bathroom.

"Well, I see you set a couple extra places. Guess you're staying for lunch, doc."

"Oh, we don't have to."

"Nonsense. Have a seat." Mr Kiel pushed the rabbit into a chair. And pulled out the one at the end for himself.

Julie Ann picked the seat beside Don and Mrs Kiel started serving everyone as she brought the food to the table.

"So, what's this noise about trouble at your house that won't interfere with service?"

Don looked at Mr Keil and took a breath, "Some men decided to attack us because I'm not human. They were arrested Wednesday, but got out and came back with help yesterday. They hurt my dog and broke my window and assaulted both of us, but we're going to be alright and the police tell us the men won't be getting out again."

"You knew the men that attacked you?"

"Not personally. Doc Tanner recognized a couple when I described them."

Mr Kieil pointed a finger at his wife, "Wouldn't surprise me if it was those Cocker boys your nephew hangs out with."

She looked worried in thought for a moment, then excused herself and left the room.

"See that. Her sister's kid is messed up and hangs around with the Cockers. Graduated with the younger one, just barely. Charlie Cocker's twenty-six years old and spends his time leading his younger brother's friends into trouble. Flunked so many times he was still in school with them."

Don and Julie Ann looked at each other and decided without a word that it was best not to mention anything else.

The door opened and Oscar came in.

The young girl covered her nose, "Oscar, you stink!"

Mr Kiel turned to look at his son. "What did you do with Sweater?"

He looked proud of himself, "She stopped squirting for a bit, so I got her into the wheelbarrow and put her in the empty water trough."

"Oscar! They have to drink out of that!"

"They're using the other one and we can wash it out real good."

"You'll have to, now. Go get yourself cleaned up and have some lunch." He turned back around and shook his head as his son hurried to the bathroom, "She should be okay in there for now, right doc?"

"Uh, yeah, I suppose so, just make sure you clean her well, so she doesn't get sick."

"Right, of course. He can do that right in the trough."

"You might want to put something under her to keep her out of it before you give her the second dose."

"Good thinking. Do you want some more potato salad?"

"No, thank you. We should probably get going. We need to see Mr Hess' cow."

"Oh, can't be late for that or he'll send you a bill for his precious time. D'yknow he tried to bill me because I was an hour later than I said when I went to fix his barn door. Excuse me if a tree fell on the road and I had to take the long way around the mountain. Its hard enough getting him to pay when I'm not held up. Anyway, thanks for coming out." He got up and grabbed a book from a table by the door. He flipped it open and found a line, then wrote on it, closed the book and held it up, "Electronic payment is great, but never underestimate the value of keeping good paper records. Oh, damn kid left the door open again." he stepped out the door, forcing himself not to run. "Come on, Mittens. Get back inside the fence. You too, Scarf"

Don and Julie Ann got up and started to head out after him, but Mrs Kiel appeared beside them and spoke softly, "I'm really sorry about what happened to you. I just called my sister and she told me about what Dakota did. He's ... Oh God. ... He would be a good kid if he could get away from those other boys. Did ... did he actually rape you or was he just there?"

Julie Ann was still trying to get comfortable with everybody asking her about it, "He ... None of them actually did it. The police came just in time."

"Oh, that's good. I heard they shot Charlie Cocker. Is that true?"

"Yes. They used a taser, but he wouldn't go down. When he pointed his gun at them, they shot him."

"So, he's finally dead? Thank God. Maybe now poor Dakota can find something more productive to do with his life."

"Ma'am, I don't think he's dead, but the officer said he would probably be going to prison for a long time. Charlie was definitely in charge, then there was Dan..."

"That's his brother Daniel."

"And Dakota was ..." she swallowed as she tried to remember without remembering everything, but it wasn't working, "He was holding me... His penis was on my face..."

Don wrapped his arm around her comfortingly.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. I didn't know he did that. Maybe jail will be good for him and he can learn something from this. Are you going to be okay?"

Julie Ann hugged Don and sighed, "I'll be alright with the help of my friends. I'll just be glad when everyone else has heard it and they don't need to ask me if I'm okay anymore."

"Again, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up like that."

"What did his penis look like? Was it small and bent like his brain?"

"Leila!"

The young girl had snuck up beside them to listen and now sat down in her father's chair, "I'm just sayin'"

"She just said she doesn't want to talk about it."

"I bet it was all deformed because he's a mutant. Probably a late-bloom fuck-up morph. No offense."

"Leila! Watch your mouth and go to your room."

The girl jumped up in a huff, but Don held out his paw, "Leila, the body doesn't matter, its the person inside that's important. Most morphs are good people, but some humans choose to act like animals. Respect the people."

"There's no person inside his body. He just does what Charlie tells him, no matter who it hurts. He'd rape both of you all night if Charlie told him to."

"Leila! I told you that's enough. Do you want to talk about Sugar?"

"He FUCKED her and KILLED her because Charlie told him it'd be funny! He's a monster and I hope they all DIE in prison!" She stormed off down the hall and slammed her bedroom door.

"Leila! ... I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."

Don sighed, "Its alright. We'll just go now."

"I hope you don't hate us after all this."

Julie Ann smiled, "No, you didn't do anything and she's just mad. Thank you for lunch."

"You're welcome and you are welcome to come back anytime."

"Thank you," They headed to the door and waved to Mr Kiel as he pushed a gray sheep through a gate and closed it quick.

Don pulled out of the driveway and headed down the road. He glanced over and put his paw on her arm, "Are you really alright?"

She looked at him and smiled, "Its weird. I was okay when I just thought of them as mindless wild animals. I've had more trouble hearing that they have wives and families and are people. Now this girl tells me this one's really more like a mindless animal. I don't think I'm the only victim here."

"It sounds like that Dakota has done a lot of bad things before. He's not exactly innocent."

"But if he can't think for himself, then Charlie is abusing him, too."

"You shouldn't worry about that. They're in prison now. Somebody else can figure out which ones need to be punished."

"I know. I just don't want somebody getting worse than they deserve because of me."

"Its not because of you. Don't blame yourself. Charlie is the one that led them into this. You did nothing to be blamed for. This is all on him."

"I know." She took his paw and rubbed the back against her cheek. "Do you think someday all the Charlie's of the world will be gone and we can live in peace?"

Don sighed and opened his paw to hold her cheek, "There will always be somebody like Charlie with some bug up their butt. We just have to be strong and not let them tell us who we are."

She kissed his paw and he took it back to make a turn, then she slid closer and lay her head on his shoulder. After a while, he patted her thigh as he turned into a driveway. She sat up and slid back to her side; it was time to look professional again.

A short man in jeans, shirt and tie was standing by the house, watching them pull up. Don got out with his bag and walked up to the man.

"Did you take care of those burglars?"

"They didn't come to steal anything. They came to kill morphs."

"And that's illegal. Did the cops take care of them?"

"They had to shoot one, but they caught them all."

"Good. Now, about my cow. I know you said trust nature, but I think its been long enough." He started walking with Don.

Julie Ann followed them around the house, but stopped as she recognized the scene: the large grassy field beside the house and the short, wooden rail fence with the red barn behind it.

Don stopped at the fence and looked back when he noticed she wasn't with them, "I'll be right in," he left the frustrated man and walked back to Julie Ann, "Is everything okay?"

"Where are the horses?"

"Horses? We're here to see a cow, but he does have two horses," he looked around, then pointed past the barn, "There they are, up on the hill, by the tree."

She looked and beyond the barn was a taller fence that enclosed another large grassy field. There was one large oak inside the fence and two horses were standing by it, one brown and one yellow, "Don. Do you remember the dream I told you about?"

"Which? Oh, you mean on the fence, with everybody watching?" Don smiled as he considered the image, "I doubt Mr Hess would let us do that here."

"I know. It just seems so real."

He took her hand, "It is real. We're not in your dream."

"Can we be, just for a moment?"

He put his paws on her shoulders, "I would love to spend an eternity in your dream, but Mr Hess is waiting for us."

Julie Ann nodded, "I'm sorry."

He smiled and led her to the barn.

"Are we ready to get on with it?"

"I'm sorry. She's still a little shaken."

"But she's alright, now," he walked across the barn to a corner where a very pregnant cow was laying in some straw.

Don rubbed Julie Ann's back and followed the man to the cow. He could see her belly moving and smiled, at least this one really was pregnant. He knelt by her head and let her recognize him, then moved down and put his paws on her belly. He tried to watch and thought he noticed enough limbs for two calves. He stood up and turned to Mr Hess, "First of all, she's hot. You should give her a bath to help cool her down."

"Why don't you have your assistant do that?"

"She's not certified, yet."

"It's just a bath. How can she get that wrong?"

"I can't tell her to do it as part of this veterinary service, our insurance doesn't cover her. However, if you would like to ask her personally, then you would be responsible."

"Whatever. Girl, there are buckets and rags by the door and the spigot's outside. Don't hurt my cow." He turned back to the rabbit, "What else?"

Don sighed and nodded to Julie Ann and she headed for the door to get the buckets, then he turned and headed back to the truck with the little man following, "I believe there may be two calves in there, which would have skewed my estimate a little."

"How much is a little?"

"Only a week or two."

"So they're coming now? How could you have missed a whole cow?"

He didn't want to admit that he was distracted during his last visit, thinking about the naked redhead he was kissing that morning, "Because they weren't moving last time and they're hiding in a belly bigger than you."

"Hey! Don't get sass with me."

"You told me you want it straight, so I give it to you straight. I told you it would have been better if I came out to check on her a couple times, but you insisted that I didn't need to come back until you called. You called, so here we are."

"I called you a week ago."

"I was here Sunday. You called three days ago. Three days is hardly a week."

"I can't afford to have you coming out here every day."

"I don't need to come out every day. There is a suggested schedule for pregnancy checkups and its more than first hello and last goodbye."

"You expect me to pay you just to come out, look at my cow and say she's fine every couple weeks?"

"You're already paying for the pregnancy package. It includes four scheduled checkups, two unscheduled, the birth and a followup.

"You mean you're billing me for visits I didn't get?"

"Exactly!"

"I'm not paying it!"

"Then you can take it up with Doc Tanner and his lawyers"

"Where are you going?"

"To my truck. I brought my sonogram to see what is going on in your cow. I'm going to get it and use it to see if those two calves are ready to come out."

"And what is that going to cost me?"

Don opened the door of his truck and pulled the sonogram machine from behind the seat, "Nothing," he slammed the door and headed back to the barn, "Its a tool I use to better serve you."

"Good. I pay you too much as it is for you to be blowing me off and keeping me misinformed."

"Well, let's get you informed."

There was a scream from the barn and Don started running. He got to the middle of the barn and stopped. A smile grew on his face and despite his best efforts, he began to laugh.

Mr Hess ran past him before he stopped, "What the hell?" but then even he began to laugh.

Julie Ann was sitting at the rear of the cow, soaking wet, with a calf struggling in her lap.

Don put the sonogram machine down and tried to catch his breath.

"Could you stop laughing long enough to help me with this cow? The other one only got its nose out."

"Right. Right," Don hopped over and helped the calf off, into the straw, then turned to help the other one. With a little nudge, the second calf came right out, just like the first. "There. Two healthy calves."

The first was already stumbling around on its skinny legs and the second was trying to figure it out, as well.

"What happened to my cow, girl? You were just supposed to give her a bath."

Julie Ann was dumbfounded, she didn't know why he was upset, "I'm sorry. I started washing her neck and got to her shoulders, then I heard something and went to check. The calf was starting to come out. I called for help, but then it just shot out and knocked me into the straw."

Mr Hess started laughing again, "Relax girl. I'm not mad. In fact, I should give you his check. You got the job done."

"Let's not go too crazy, now," Don pointed a wet paw at the little man.

"You still owe me some free visits."

"You turned them down."

"I thought you were charging me for each one."

"No you didn't. You looked through everything in the package and asked me how much it would cost if you needed more visits."

"But they're part of the package."

Don sighed, "I'll give you a couple extra check ups. For the cows! We can schedule them later."

"Is that two or three?"

"Two. And you shouldn't be getting those."

"Fine. Fine. I'll take what I can get. So, how are they?" He nodded to the cows.

"They appear to be in perfect health. No obvious physical deformities or ailments; they're both walking, so nothing to indicate brain damage. You have two new cows, a boy and a girl. Would you like me to register them for you or do you want to do that yourself?"

"I'll do it. What's your name, girl?"

"Julie Ann."

"Well, Julie Ann, These cows need names. Since the girl came out in your lap, we'll give her yours."

"Well, um, I'm honored, I guess. Are you going to name the boy Don?"

"Absolutely not. He'll be Denver, 'cause that's where the guy's from that I'll be selling them to."

"Oh," she was feeling uncomfortable as he honored her while she was soaked in water and birth fluids. "Is there some place I can get cleaned up?"

"Sorry, don't have a shower out here, but if you want to strip down, I can spray you with the hose."

Julie Ann wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke, but he looked a little too eager to get her naked.

Don put his paws on her shoulders, "That's alright, I have plenty of towels in the truck. I'll just take her home. Is there anything else you need?"

"Well, you can tell me why Amber Shadow isn't getting pregnant. She's been out there with Golden Rod for a week, now."

"Is she in heat?"

"I don't know. She's a horse, he's a horse. They should know what to do."

"Not everything works on your schedule."

"Obviously!"

"Give them some time. When she's ready, it'll happen."

Well, the longer she's here, the more money I lose by feeding her. Is there something you can give her to_make_ her ready?"

"No." Don finalized his answer by walking Julie Ann past the small man.

"What about Carla? Why is she still laying down?"

"Remember that thing about patience?" he picked up his sonogram machine and continued to the other end of the barn.

Mr Hess walked over and kicked the cow's hoof, "Get up, you lazy heifer."

The cow suddenly rolled and stood up, knocking the little man into the wet straw.

"Doc! She's up! She's up!" he was pleased with himself for solving his own problem.

"Good," Don didn't hesitate as he continued out the door.

Julie Ann looked back and smiled as she saw Mr Hess rolling off his back to get up and brush the soggy hay from his clothes with disgust. The sun was warm outside the barn, but she still felt a shiver of cold as she waited for Don to get some towels out and lay them on the seat for her. She climbed in, trying to be careful not to mess up his truck too much.

Don shut the door behind her and got in the driver's side, "You can take a shower back at the house and I'll wash your clothes real quick before we have to go out again."

"I'm sorry, I think I got some on your door."

He laughed as he pulled out, "Its alright. This truck has seen worse messes. You should get used to getting messy."

Julie Ann rubbed her thighs, "The mess doesn't bother me as much as he did."

"Yeah, he's a special case, but Doc Tanner told me how to deal with him."

"You were kind of rough with him."

"I have to be. If you're nice, he'll keep trying to get more out of you. Doc Tanner told me to be stern and curt, deny him everything, give him what he needs, and leave unhappy. Anything else and he's not happy."

"That's so backwards."

"Yeah, but I told you, this job is as much treating the people as it is the patients. I would never treat Mr Kiel like that and definitely not sweet Mrs June. How you treat your patients and clients in front of each other affects how they will treat each other when you leave. They need to respect you before they will follow your recommendations."

"Your ... clients do respect you. Its like they treat you like family."

"Doc Tanner worked hard to convince them of that. He said 'We don't want to be just a service that comes to fix their broken toys. We need to be the friend that helps them take care of their family member.'"

"You really respect Doc Tanner."

"Absolutely. He is a great man and he loves to help people. I don't know where he gets his money, but this isn't it. The business is barely scraping by. If not for Doc covering most of the heavy expenses, there would be nothing left over for my food, gas, medicines... I still don't have the courage to ask, but I'm afraid of what will happen when he's gone."

"How old is he?"

"Well, he's only about in his seventies, I think, but doing all the books myself now, I can see how much he's putting in. I've been trying to shuffle things to get independent, but I'm scared that if I ask his clients for more money, they might leave."

"I don't think Annie would leave if you asked her for double."

Don laughed, "You might be right, but they couldn't afford to pay enough to cover everything I need. I worked it out that if I spread it out to everyone, it would be about fifty to seventy-five percent more and that's just too much to ask most of them. Some would go to a cheaper place and everything would fall apart."

"That's horrible. Well, you don't have to worry about paying me. I won't ask for anything."

He smiled and reached over to put a paw on her arm, "That's nice, but I hadn't factored anything in for you yet and we're still in trouble."

She took his paw and lifted it to her cheek then remembered where it had just been and slowly brought it down and rubbed it, "Are we going to be okay?"

"Oh don't worry. We'll figure something out. Even if we can't keep the property, we can make something work. And if all else fails, I have open job offers back home."

"I'd love to live with you in Australia."

"You might change your mind when we get down there. Its not all happy tails."

"Oh, I know. I'm just sick of how people treat us up here."

"I thought you got along well with most everyone today."

"Well, yes, but it's ... It only takes one to make noise."

"Trust me, there's plenty of noise down in Perrin. Whether they don't like morphs in general or rabbits in particular, there are people everywhere to make noise. We can make our home where we want and deal with the trouble as it comes, here or there."

"I just hope we can be happy together."

"Oh, there's no doubt there," he pulled the truck to a stop in front of his house and unbuckled his belt to slide across the seat and catch her lips in a kiss. She started to push him away in surprise, but melted in his arms and returned the kiss eagerly. He pulled back with a smile and watched the smile grow on her face, "Any doubts on your side?"

She shook her head and wanted to kiss him again, but he disappeared out the driver's side door.

"Alright, then let's get you cleaned up, we've got clients waiting."

Julie Ann sighed and got out of the truck to follow her rabbit into the house.