FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The neon lights of a nearby bar cut through the thick late-night fog, casting a dull glare over the small pile of cardboard and cloth in the alley below. Colourful though they were, it certainly made it much harder to sleep for the little german shepherd pup curled up inside. Groaning, she curled into a tighter ball and pulled the ball of greasy cloth serving as a pillow further over her head. Her name was Hope, although few knew it, and fewer still cared. Her mother had named her, perhaps as a reflection of her own misplaced optimism, some twenty years earlier in the same pile of trash. Hope's mother had disappeared six years earlier, to god-knows-where. Hope had cried for days, until she had no more tears left, then moved on. Furs disappeared all the time, and if she spent her time crying about it, there would be no more hours left in the day.

Sighing with the note of a growl rising in her throat, she threw the meagre coverings off herself, glaring at the hole in the box through which the neon glow cut through like a knife. It must already be past midnight, and the bar still had the thump of music. Sitting up, the young canine shook her head, running her fingers through her long hair. Her mother had always been proud of it, and so she had kept it. Sentimental garbage, but something to cling to. She blinked the bleariness out of her eyes and began to braid the locks, tying them in a long ponytail before stretching. Oh well, if she couldn't sleep, she might as well take advantage of the night to find some food. Stepping out into the cold fog, she wrinkled her nose as the smell of urine met her nose. Some drunk must have walked past and decided to use her front step as a toilet. Great. Shaking her head in frustration, Hope padded out of the alley, carefully using the skills her mother had taught her to stick to the shadows. The streets were still thronging with revelers and night-people - humans, mostly, and the occasional fur being jostled or dragged along by one or more party-goers. Hope shuddered, climbing up a fire escape and on to a nearby roof, hunkering down and shivering in the cold night air. The fog was even thicker here above the streets, and she could barely see the people below.

padding along the roof until she reached the opposite edge, she braced herself a moment and leapt, the gap only a few feet wide here. Landing on the roof opposite, she huffed and stretched out her lithe body, using the cover of foggy darkness to stand tall for a few moments. Her mother had been resourceful, so the young pup had never gone without food, and it showed in her figure. She was skinny, but not emaciated like many young furs, and stood a full five-foot-five-inches tall. The skills she'd learned over her formative years had given her a leg up over many of the other youngsters in this part of the city, and so she had continued to survive surprisingly well.

Sighing and finishing her stretching, she padded carefully along the roof until she reached the other side, climbing down off the ledge and to another fire escape. The sound of a police siren made her freeze, then relax as it sped off down the street, the lights barely visible. Shaking her head, she made it down to the ground with a grunt of effort, sliding along the alleyway until a second ladder met her questing hands. There was no light in this alley, but she had made this trip every night for a decade, and she could make it with her eyes closed.

Climbing up the ladder and on to a dark parapet, she crawled along it until a plank creaked under her hands, biting her lip, she inched her way along it until she felt solid concrete under her. Relaxing with a sigh, she shook her head, this fog was much thicker than usual...

A scream of pain made her ears perk, and she padded along the new roof until she was looking at the street below. The figures were indistinct, but the situation was obvious, about a dozen humans had dragged another fur into the alleyway, and judging by their screams they were having some fun. Hope shook her head, sighing. She had been caught a few times herself. Only a few physical scars remained, although the experiences had left her determined never to be caught again. The screaming voice below was unfamiliar, although her heart went out to whoever was being raped. Sometimes she wished she could be a superhero, defend young furs from those who would do them wrong, but such fantasies were for those who didn't live in boxes and eat from rubbish bins. Speaking of which...

Rising to her feet once again, the canine sped along the roof, slipping a little and steadying herself with a hand. Steadying herself with a hand, she reached the edge and stopped. There, in the distance, a cluster of foggy neon that was her goal. Just a quick jaunt across the road. There was no other option, no more roofs to leap across or ladders to scale, just a quick, painful drop and a sprint across an open road. The fog was her friend tonight, and if she was quick she'd just be a blur of movement before anybody noticed. Exhaling slowly, she waited until the sound of traffic eased off, and leapt. Wincing at the grinding of her ankle as she hit the pavement, she took off, pushing against someone in the fog and ignoring the angry yell. Lights shined brightly at her side as tyres screeched and a horn honked, but before anybody could see her she was in the bushes on the other side of the road, panting as somebody yelled behind her. Gritting her teeth and rubbing her ankle, she snuck through the bushes and into the shadows. There lay her prize, a glittering mass of lights in the darkness and haze. A steady stream of people flowed in and out of the fog, the sounds of an automatic door opening and closing cutting through the chatter of the crowd.

Sneaking through the hedgerow she was hiding behind, she ducked behind several parked cars, standing still as one pulled away and crawling under another. She was just a few metres away now. A group of tittering females walked up to the car she was under, their feet standing around it as doors opened and the belly of the machine sunk a little. Hope crawled as the roar of the engine set her teeth rattling, and she climbed out just in time to sprint to her goal, just in time to avoid the wheels of the moving car. Panting, the young canine braced herself against the wall at her back, the blissful darkness helping her to relax. She had run this route every other day, and still she breathed a sigh of relief with every successful journey.

Her small celebration was short-lived, however, as the creak of a door opening made her freeze. Light spilled into the alley as a human stepped out, carrying a black plastic bag. The sight of the young lady made Hope relax, and she stepped into the pool of light nonchalantly. "Hey, Emmy." She said with a certain modicum of false bravado, making the human jump. "Hope! D-don't scare me like that, you know I hate to come out here at night."

Hope shrugged as the human continued. "You're here so early! It's only midnight! You know it's not safe for you-" She said, petering off as the canine grinned. "Sorry, that idiot at the club left the neon on again, I couldn't sleep..." She said with a small laugh, making the human girl smile. Emmy had caught her rooting through the bins of this very building a year ago, and being young and rather naive, she had chosen to show sympathy to the canine. They were almost the same age, and had built something of a camaraderie in the following months.

"Anyway, I have a bag of expired meat that we aren't allowed to cook anymore. Seems like the boss is finally getting his arse kicked by the health inspectors..." Emmy continued, giggling a little, and tossing the bag to Hope, who caught it deftly and peeked inside. The crisp odour of frozen meat filled her nostrils and she buried her head in the bag. Easily five pounds of frozen, pre-made burger hamburger patties, enough to keep her going for a week or more! "Yes!" She exhaled, pumping her fist. "Oh man, Emmy, I owe you one!" She exclaimed, making the human gesture nervously. "Shush, Hope, you'll get caught!" The young lady hissed, looking around. "Just hurry up and go through the dumpster, there's some buns and stuff in there too, fill the bag and get out of here-" She raised her voice as an indistinct call filtered in from inside. "-It's fine, Mister Larsen, I'm just shooing off some Raccoons!"

Hope nodded, bumping a fist momentarily with the human and shrinking back as she rushed back inside, the closing door leaving her again in darkness. Breathing heavily and grinning, the german shepherd clutched at the freezing-cold bag happily, waiting a few moments to get her night eyes back before scrambling to the gigantic bin. Climbing inside, she sniffed around until she found the bag of rock-hard bread buns that her friend had been talking about Pulling it out, she grimaced, there was stickiness all over the bag, and other bits of trash stuck all over it. Shrugging, Hope shoved it into the bundle of cloth that she had fashioned into a sack, the trash bag of meat following it. Hefting the bag on to her shoulder, she braced herself and edged back out from behind the building, looking around before beginning her mad dash back the way she came.

Not ten minutes later she was back in her alley, home. The neon had been turned off since she had left, thank goodness. Pulling the blankets back over the box she called hers, she pushed the sack with her night's prizes into the corner. The hamburgers would be thawed by the morning, but thanks to her canine ancestry, the rotting meat would pose no threat to her health. Reaching in and pulling out the grimy bag of bread, she pulled out a bun and munched on it. Stale as rock, but enough to sate her appetite until the morning. Tossing the disgusting bag back into the corner, she curled up and fell asleep as another scream cut through the darkness some way away...

***

Groaning, Hope yawned widely and rubbed her eyes. A thin beam of sunlight cut through the hole in her box, shining directly into her eyes, and she growled in frustration. Sitting up, she stretched and yawned again, curling her tongue and sighing. The smell of meat filled the small space, and the puddle of condensation in one corner of her box told her that her earnings from the night before were ready to eat. She eagerly dived into the bag, pulling out a thick puck of grey-green meat, biting into it with a little moan of pleasure at the taste. Within seconds it was gone, and she washed it down with another stale bun. The bread bag was upended, its contents spilling across the floor, as she made another face and went to push the disgusting rubbish-crusted plastic out of her home.

Something made her pause though, a piece of paper stuck to the outside, a picture of a large canine furry emblazoned across it. Pulling the paper off, she looked at it curiously as she pushed the rest of the rubbish outside. She had never had much need for reading or writing, but her mother had tried to teach her the basics. Sighing in frustration at the mass of words beneath the picture, she smoothed out the large sheet and began to read, whispering under her breath.

"At. At-ten-tie-on... Attention. All Furs... G-gre-at, um... chance... to... mah-kee. Make a d... diff-er-ence. Too-day. F-free food. Whu... one... Po-Lice Pluh... uh... za." She stammered, then scoffed. As if. Free food? At the POLICE STATION? She might not be a good reader, but she wasn't dumb. Some kind of ruse, probably to round up all the furs smart enough to read. There was no chance. Hope sighed a little, reaching for another patty and munching on it, slower this time, letting the meaty flavour fill her maw. Sitting back and closing her eyes, and smiled just a little. The spell was broken seconds later, as a snuffling noise filled her ears, and she froze.

Someone was sniffing right outside her box. She sat stock-still, praying that who or whatever was outside would lose interest. Her silent pleas went unanswered, however, as a loud bark rang out and part of her box collapsed as something leapt on top of it. Letting out a whimper, she scrambled out as another loud bark echoed off the walls and a heavy body collided with her, bearing her to the ground. Hot breath washed over her face as the dog on top of her lowered his head and growled, a quiet, menacing sound that suggested instant-death should she even THINK about fighting back. A feral canine. He must have smelled the thawed out meat...

She whimpered, closing her eyes as a voice called out from the mouth of the alleyway. "Rex! Hold! Well well, what do we have here hmm? A little shepherd, eh?" The click of a gun being cocked behind her made her whimper again.

"Rex! Heel!" The voice called out again, and the heavy weight on her back instantly lifted, although she dared not move. This was it, six years of careful hiding, and it was her greed that was her undoing... But no bang came. Instead a hand grasped the scruff of her clothing and hauled her upright into a sitting position, pushing

her back against the wall of the alleyway. Daring to open her eyes, she stared into the stern gaze of a uniformed police officer. Hardly an improvement. Whimpering, she looked down at her knees as the officer continued to give her a long hard look. The feral german shepherd, looking very much like a four-legged version of Hope herself, growled quietly, an easy warning not to trifle with either.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, the officer relaxed a little. "My name is Sergeant Jameson, and I'm with the City Canine Unit. It is illegal to sleep in this alleyway, or any other alleyway. You're lucky that I'm not going to fine you and just ask you to move on, but I've still gotta bring you into process this citation." He said, not unkindly, although his tone did nothing to raise the Hope's spirit. She just whimpered in answer, clutching hard at the paper still in her hand, and stared at her knees. The officer paused in his task of writing out a citation as the paper crinkled, then chuckled. "You found one of those flyers, huh? Do you know what it says?" He asked. Hope nodded. "Y-yes sir, it says free food at the police station." She stammered, looking up at the officer standing over her, who nodded. "Yep, free food... were you thinking about going along?"

Hope shook her head, remaining silent. The officer tapped his pen on his chin, gazing down at her curiously. "Exactly what we're looking for..." He muttered quietly, then spoke up. "Tell you what kiddo, I'll make you a deal. You come down to the station with me to check out our offer, and I won't pull you up on this thing-" He said, waving the half-completed citation sheet. Hope swallowed, then nodded nervously. What did she have to lose? She was being dragged off to be shot in the head anyway... A gronf-gronf noise made her look around, and her heart sank as she watched the police dog eating through her hard-earned stash of food with gusto. The officer chuckled. "I guess you've got no food now either, so why don't you come with us, at least get some breakfast."

Hope nodded miserably, letting the tall human haul her to her feet and frogmarch her out of the alley, pushing her gently into the back of the waiting car and shutting the door with a click. She curled up on the seat as the car peeled away from the gutter, carrying her towards her fate. The whole while the officer talked, although she barely heard him. He sounded friendly enough, but he was human. There was only one human she trusted, and Emmy was hardly in a position to help her now.

There was a crowd outside the gigantic building that was Police Plaza. They were a mix of furs and humans, hardly an uncommon occurrence, but what made her stare in wonder was the fact they were all standing together, the furs proudly upright, some even arm-in-arm with humans. None of them were being beaten up, or raped. As the police cruiser pushed through, they swamped it, making the shepherd girl shrink back as many hands slapped the bodywork.

The officer growled, almost the same as the agitated dog sitting in the passenger seat beside him, and shook his head. "Protesters, nothing's gonna change you idiots, if you keep trying to tip over squad cars." He muttered as many faces peered in at the car's occupants, moving around too much for Hope to focus on. Neither was she able to read the rapidly moving signs being held up by many of the crowd.

Slowly, the car trundled through the throng of bodies, eventually making it to a large door which opened, several officers stepping out to keep the crowd away as the vehicle passed through it. Hope kept her head down as Sergeant Jameson pulled the car into a park, stepping out and opening the door. Timidly, the girl climbed out and was lead, a hand on her shoulder, into an elevator. She whimpered, she'd never been in one before, and the sudden whoosh as it moved smoothly upwards made her gasp. Seconds later it stopped, the doors dinging open and revealing a bustling lobby. Dozens of humans, and even a few furs - some in handcuffs - criss-crossed the marble floor, and the ringing of their feet hitting the stone made Hope's ears ache. She was pushed gently towards a massive desk in the centre of the lobby. The human female sitting behind it was the biggest human she had ever seen, even sitting she was as tall as Hope standing, and had a set of shoulders on her that would make most males envious. She turned and raised an eyebrow at the canine, who shrank back. "Well, Jameson, what's this one done?" She asked, her voice low and menacing, glaring daggers at the Sergeant, who gazed back nonchalantly. "This one is a volunteer for the program." Was his reply, making the female grunt and point them towards a door hidden behind her.

Hope whimpered. The Program. It sounded like something that would end her life rather prematurely, and the female's nasty grin as she was lead past her only raised her fear. Beyond the doors was a long corridor, officers walking along it in both directions, most ignoring her or shooting her the occasional dirty look as she was pushed along it, the Sergeant's hand never leaving her shoulder. Eventually though he stopped at a pair of double doors, white and cold-looking. Pushing one open, he shoved Hope gently inside, making her stumble, and pushed through after, letting it snap shut behind him. The interior of this new room made her pause. Instead of the cold clinical facade like the corridor outside, this had a rather homely interior, several couches scattered around the plushly-carpeted floor. A vending machine stood in one corner, and a pool table took up the centre of the room, as well as several smaller tables. A few officers sat around talking, and they turned to look at the new arrivals.

Someone else sat in a corner sofa, looking out of place and sucking on can of drink, a blonde human girl, about her age... "E-emmy?!" Hope stammered, staring at her erstwhile friend. The hand on her shoulder tightened a little as the human stood, walking towards her. "Hope, I j-just wanted to help you, so daddy got me to stick a tracking device in the bag of food I gave you last night." The girl stammered back, shrinking back at the sudden glare this revelation earned her. "You'll get food here, real food, not rubbish, and... well, it'll really work!" She paused, looking up at Jameson, who nodded. "Um, this is my dad, by the way."

Hope stared numbly at Emmy. She had been sold out by the only human who she ever considered trustworthy, and it hurt. She allowed herself to be guided to a couch, where she sat, sinking into a comfort she had never experienced before. Gasping a little despite herself, she looked down at the rich black leather and bounced a little, making Emmy giggle. Sergeant Jameson busied himself getting a bottle of water to hand to the morph as the other officers moved as one towards the door, leaving the german shepherd alone with her former friend and her police officer father.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the doors opened again and a bulky human male stepped through the doors, another feral german shepherd walking at his heel. This human was richly dressed in a fancy uniform, although the cut of the cloth did nothing to belie his massive belly. His hat had a ring of sweat around it despite the coolness of the air-conditioned room, and he stood to attention in front of the three, saluting. Sergeant Jameson saluted back as Hope stared at the newcomer, before letting her eyes slide to the massive canine sitting at his heel. It was the biggest feral dog she had ever seen, bearing the familiar black-and-tan colouration that she shared with it, and it stared straight ahead, as though if at attention.

Hope whimpered a little as Sergeant Jameson pulled her to her feet, making her stand in front of him, although she tried her best to make herself as small as possible. The fat man smiled down at her, making her shrink back further, and relaxed his attentive stance. "Sergeant, is this the girl?" He asked, his voice deep and rich. His stern gaze was shattered somewhat by the blonde human wrapping her arms around his belly. "Uncle Bryant!" Emmy cried, making Hope stare as the giant man patted her friend's head and chuckled. "That's Uncle Commissioner Bryant to you, you little insubordinate." He growled playfully, giving her a brief hug before pushing her away, suddenly all business again. "Is this the one?" he repeated. Sergeant Jameson nodded. "Yes Sir, she is the one who Em was telling you about."

Hope stared, utterly confused. What was this about, why were these humans speaking so kindly to her? Why were her instincts, usually twanging about staying as far away from humans as possible, telling her she was in no danger? Her confusion must have shown on her face, as the fat man beamed down at her. "Right, come with me into my office little one. There are things we must discuss. Sergeant, you may join us. You too, Emmy." He said, turning on his heel and striding out the door. His dog gave Hope a long, careful look before turning and trotting after his master. Emmy grasped Hope's hand hand pulled her after the man, back into the corridor until they reached another elevator, this one taking them further up. Hope gasped as the doors dinged open, this room was even more spectacular than the last one, wood and gilt filling the available space. A massive desk took pride of place in

the centre, and the fat man strode towards it, flopping down into a massive seat. The dog moved to stand beside the three at the front of the desk, all in a line with Hope standing miserably between Emmy and her father.

The fat man grunted, and placed his palms on the desk, staring at Hope amicably. "Well now, I suppose you're confused, and I don't doubt more than a bit terrified." He began, and Hope nodded. "Well, you needn't worry about me. I'm not going to hurt you, and neither shall any person in this building. I promise." He continued. "My name is Arthur Bryant, and I'm the City Police Commissioner. You may call me "Commissioner Bryant" or "Sir."

Hope whimpered, and got a nudge from Sergeant Jameson. "Stand up straight and answer the Commissioner, girl." He whispered, and Hope managed to stand up as straight as her fearful mind could manage, and nodded. "Y-yes sir. My name is Hope, Sir." Bryant smiled warmly, and continued speaking as the two standing beside Hope stood back, leaving her feeling terribly exposed as Bryant talked. "We asked you to join us here because you have exactly the qualities that we are looking for, according to young Emmy here you a smart and resourceful. You certainly are much fitter than most of the furs who answer the flyers. So we have a proposal for you-" He said, stopping as the german shepherd, who had stood silently throughout the proceedings finally let out a long, low growl, standing on his paws and trotting

around Hope, sniffing at her legs, then a little higher. What happened next made her gasp in surprise. The canine stood in front of her, turning to look at his master momentarily, and grinned. "She's certainly a lot better than some of the other dregs that have come in here looking for a free feed." He spoke, making Hope stare at him in shock. "Y-you can talk? B-but-" She began, before being interrupted. "Yeah, I can talk." Came the growled reply. "I can fetch sticks too, and roll over." The dog continued sarcastically, making the Commissioner tap the desk. "Be kind, Caesar." He scolded, making the dog shrug. "Sorry sir. Sorry kid." Ryder apologised, moving back to stand beside the female. Hope stared down at him, never had she heard a four-leg talking, and so eloquently no-less. He caught her gaze and grinned sardonically, winking at her and making her wince.

The Commissioner chuckled and waved languidly at the feral canine. "About fifteen years ago, we accepted a batch of puppies from a local animal shelter. They claimed that the four pups were anonymously donated to them. We took them in with the intentions of raising them to be police dogs. Imagine our surprise when all four began to show signs of intelligence beyond what their appearance would suggest. We suspect that Cesar and his three sisters were the result of-" He paused to cough in embarrassment. "-an... encounter between a feral animal and a furry. The others three were were unable to train to the correct temperament for police work, but Caesar here has proven an incredible asset to the force. Not to mention a loyal companion to myself." The Commissioner smiled down at the canine, who let his tongue flop out back at him. Hope stood, staring at them both. So this... talking dog was half-feral, half-furry? The thought was disgusting, but at the same time intriguing.

The commissioner continued. "Of course, since then we've scoured shelters across the country for dogs with the same level of intelligence, but of course it's difficult. Most breeds we find are unsuitable for police work, and often people will destroy them on-sight..." He sighed, standing and walking to the window, looking down at the throng of furs and humans protesting below. "We have been unkind to furs, and even more unkind to those like Caesar." He finished, lapsing into silence. Hope swallowed, staring at the man's back nervously. A warmth in her palm made her jump, and she looked down to find Caesar's head pressed into her hand. It was strangely comforting. The moment was broken by Bryant turning around again. "So about two years ago we began a program, we would take in furs off the streets, give them a home of sorts, and try to breed our own. The results have been mixed, so far. Most volunteers are the result of years of abuse, and the puppies have been mixed at best. A hundred pups so far, and only five have been trainable. It seems the intelligence is recessive, so even with Caesar's genes, very few are able to learn english, and fewer have their father's intelligence."

Hope blinked, turning to look down at the dog, who winked again and grinned lewdly. She pulled her hand away sharply, making a face. The feral canine laughed and padded around her. "And lemme just say, some of those volunteers were horrible, they'd never had a moment of kindness shown to them, just... resigned to their fates. It was enough to make me cry. Most of them quit after just a litter or two." He said, his face growing sad as the Commissioner returned to his desk. "That's where you come in, Miss Hope. We are hoping that you being a similar species to Caesar will help with the genetic mismatch, and of course from what we understand you are quite smart yourself. You will be greatly rewarded, three square meals a day, a place over your head, and eventually you will be given the same retirement benefits that all my employees receive. This is a win-win for all of us, and all you have to do is say yes."

Hope whimpered, backing away only to bump into Emmy behind her, who rested her hands on her shoulders, holding her gently. "Y-you want me to... to mate with a dog? To have his puppies? That's sick!" She said hotly, making the three males in the room laugh. "You're right, she's feisty" Exclaimed Caesar, grinning as the commissioner chuckled. Sergeant Jameson stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Hope, it's nothing as sordid as that. We aren't going to make you mate with Caesar. All we are going to do is collect some embryos from you, and create the puppies in a lab. You won't have to do anything but undergo a mildly uncomfortable procedure a few times, probably only once or twice a year. Then we will implant them back into your womb, and you will carry them to term. We've found that most of the litters take about normal human gestation time to grow."

Hope winced a little, putting a hand on her belly. Emmy's hands on her shoulders squeezed a little tighter, helping her relax. "T-that's it? I just need to give you my, uh, embry-thingies, then have the pups, and you'll let me stay here?" She asked incredulously. The commissioner nodded gravely, without an ounce of mirth. "That's right, Miss Hope. Have you been pregnant before?" He asked seriously. Hope shook her head. "N-no, Sir." The Commissioner nodded again. "That's a blessing, most furries your age aren't so lucky, you must have been quite resourceful, or perhaps simply lucky, to avoid such a situation." He sighed a little and shrugged sadly. "Anyway, the decision is entirely up to you. If you decide to walk out of here, we can't guarantee you protection, although of course we will do our best to help you, perhaps a small consulting fee..." He said quietly, almost to himself, then repeated his words. "The decision is entirely up to you."

Hope whimpered a little, looking down at Caesar, then turning around to look at Emmy, who gazed back with big sad eyes. "Please say yes, I don't want to see you sad anymore..."

Hope bit her lip, turning back around and nodding slightly, making the commissioner smile and the other two males laughs happily, the hands on her shoulders snaking around to hug her neck tightly, making her gag as Emmy cheered.

---

***

The days passed as a blur for the young female, a battery of exams and tests determining what kind of health and mental well being she was in. Everything from her blood to her reflexes were tested. More human faces than she had ever seen up close talking to her all day and night. She was poked and prodded with needles and medical equipment, and all the way through her best friend was by her side. Every day they grew closer as Hope prepared herself for the day she would be implanted. Caesar had grown close to her also, and she rather enjoyed his constant detached sarcasm. He seemed to have no respect for anyone, especially not those who were ostensibly his superiors. Although as the weeks dragged on he had started to show a crack in his facade, being more and more protective of the two young females. Not all the police officers were as kind, and she often had to dodge slings and barbs from humans who hadn't quite grasped the concept of a furry having rights.

Finally though, the day came, and Hope found herself on a hold metal table with doctors surrounding her. Bracing herself, she squeezed Emmy's hand, her other stroking Caesar's head as she smiled up to the Commissioner. Wincing as the needle was placed, then removed, she allowed herself to be impregnated by a cold, calculating procedure. Not that she minded, given the alternative... although of course after a few weeks it was becoming less and less of a horrifying concept...

---

***

"Come on sweetheart, push!"

Hope groaned, her belly heaving as she sweated, squeezing hard the hand of the blonde human standing beside her. Her long hair was matted and lay over her eyes, drenched in sweat as she strained and heaved. Her belly had grown significantly in the nine months since her implantation, and she had successfully brought to term a single tiny pup. Physical changes were hardly the only ones, and in the months since she had joined the Police Dog Breeding Program, she had grown infinitely more confident. Emmy had worked hard with her, teaching her to read and write, something she had grasped very quickly, and already she was training to take the Police exam, something Commissioner Bryant had assured her would be a definite possibility. The first furry officer in the country. But first things first...

Hope screamed in a mixture of pain and frustration, squeezing Emmy's hand as the pressure built, then suddenly subsided, the doctor before her holding a whimpering puppy, the spitting image of Caesar. "A female, she's beautiful!" Exclaimed the doctor, rubbing down the crying pup and wrapping her in a blanket before handing her to Hope, who gazed down at the tiny writhing creature and panted happily. "My little Future..."