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Joining The Family I know I've said it many times but I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter. ============================================================================================ Unknown Side "All of us are gathered now" said Chris. "Now it's time for business..." "Business?" Nicky asked. "Is that what you consider this?" Nicky looked at David. "Was he always this serious?" "You have no idea..." David chuckled. "Well you're one to talk, Nicky." Sean said as he got closer to her. "You were nothing but a workaholic." He wrapped his arm around Nicky's waist. "Do you really want to say that being this close me?" Nicky asked with a smirk on her face. She slowly moved her right hand closer to his chest, her fingers twitching. "You wouldn't..." Sean said cautiously. "Oh, wouldn't I?" Nicky said as her fingers were about to make contact. "Cut it out!" David, Nicky, and Sean immediately looked to Chris. "This is serious! ...I don't have much time left here..." Chris' breathing was heavy. His face was filled with a mixture of anger, panic, and sadness. David, Nicky, and Sean's eyes went wide. They all stood in silence for a long time. The sound of David's empty laughter broke the silence. "You mean... you're moving on?" Chris calmed down. "That's right." "How's that even possible?" Sean asked. "If you were moving on then you would have started to-" "Vanish..." Chris said as he looked up. A bright light suddenly surrounded all of Chris' body. When the light vanished parts of Chris were gone. "I was trying to hide it..." "But why..." David said. "Why are you passing on?" "Because... Kathy kept her promise." "But why only you!? We both died the same way and almost at the same time! Why are you the only one who's moving on?" "The only thing I can think of is because she made a separate promise to you" "What?" David was confused now. "She only promised me that she would find a human like Ryan. To her that was my dying wish. Since she kept that promise she feels I can move on... which means I now have to." Chris said with a frown. "You don't want to move on do you?" Nicky asked. "Of course not... I wish I could watch over her forever like this." A faint smile appeared on Chris' face. Looks like I'm going to have to watch from the sidelines now..." More and more of Chris' body started to slowly disappear. Only his head and upper torso remained. "But wait..." David said. "You clearly made a promise with Kathy, but she and I never did anything like that." Nicky and Sean looked at each other. "It's the same for us; we never promised anything with Ryan" said Sean. "I see..." Chris said. "They didn't make a promise with you; they made a promise to you." "You mean Ryan promised something to me and Sean after we died?" Nicky asked. "That's right, just as Kathy promised something to David after he died..." All that remained of Chris was his head. He looked over to David. "David, continue watch over Kathy." "I will, Chris." Chris smiled and closed his eyes as the rest of him slowly vanished. ============================================================================================ Kathy's Side Kathy's eyes opened. She was expecting to wake up with Ryan, but as her vision came back to her she realized she was back in her apartment again. "This is just like when Chris and David..." She turned around. "Chris!" she shouted with happiness as she approached him. "Where's David?" "I wanted to talk to you alone. This may be the last chance I get to speak with you." Kathy's happy expression turned into one of concern. "What are talking about?" Chris sighed. "I'm moving on Kathy." "Moving on? What are you talking about?" Kathy couldn't understand what was going on or what Chris meant. "I am no longer bound to your soul, Kathy. Therefore, I am no longer able to stay in this world with you." Kathy's eyes started tearing up. "But... you said that you would always watch over me! You can't leave!" Chris smiled. "I'll still always watch over you Kathy, I just won't be able to talk to you like this anymore." "But I want you to stay!" Kathy shouted. "Why are you moving on anyways?" "Because you allowed me to." "What!?" Kathy was taken aback. "I didn't want you to go away!" Chris was silent. "...Kathy, do know how someone becomes bounded to another's soul?" "I don't know! Sorrow, anger, fear? How?" "A promise..." Chris whispered. Kathy just stared at Chris. "A promise? What are you talking about?" "Remember the promise you made to me before I died? You promised me you would find a human like Ryan... and you did." Realization struck Kathy as she realized where this was going. "You mean... you're moving on because I kept that promise...?" "That's right... Your promise was the only thing keeping me bound to your soul." Kathy started crying. "But... that's not fair! Because I met Ryan I have to lose you? What about David... is he leaving too?" "No. You made a different promise to him. Do you remember what that promise is?" Chris was curious to find out what kept David bound to Kathy. "I don't remember..." Kathy said. Chris looked at Kathy. He was reading her emotions. In her sorrow he felt anger. "I see... Kathy... you want revenge don't you?" Kathy gasped and her eyes widened from realization. She looked away from Chris and clenched her paws. "That night I vowed that someday I would get revenge on Steven for what he did. Until now I never realized that I had only made that promise to David..." She turned her head towards Chris. "I'm making that promise to you now! I swear I'll get revenge on Steven!" Chris was in shock. He quickly walked up to Kathy and wrapped his arms around her. "It would seem... I'm still bound to your soul, but... I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that." "What are you talking about, Chris?" "When you wake up you won't remember anything that just happened." "But why?" Kathy looked at Chris. "Neither me nor David wants you to put your life at risk." Chris squeezed Kathy harder. "You have Ryan now; you have to forget the past." Kathy started to grow tired. "Will you stay?" "I'm staying, Kathy. You've made a promise. A promise I hope you never fulfill..." With that Chris pulled Kathy even closer. Everything around them turned black as Kathy slipped into unconsciousness. * * * Aurora, Colorado -8:30 a.m. Kathy slowly opened her eyes. She couldn't explain it but she felt both happiness and sorrow at the same time. The morning sunlight was shining through the window of Ryan's room. Kathy looked around; she could see everything, everything except Ryan. (Where's Ryan?) Her ears twitched as she heard running water. (Oh, he's in the shower...) A devilish grin smirk appeared on Kathy's face. (Maybe I should join him-) Kathy's thoughts were cut off as she heard the water stop running. (Aw c'mon! I really wanted to take a shower with Ryan! It could have turned out to be like one of those romance novels!) A minute later Ryan walked into his room with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Oh, good morning Kat-" Ryan was cut off as Kathy pounced on him, bringing him to the ground. "Kathy, what are you-" Kathy silenced Ryan with her muzzle. (I guess this makes up for the shower... at least a little bit.) Kathy continued making out with Ryan for a while. Ryan finally ended the kiss. "Wasn't expecting that, not that I'm complaining or anything" Ryan smiled. Kathy smiled back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, have anything planned today?" "I do, but it's a surprise." "Surprise, huh?" "Yep. We can leave after you take a shower." "Just what are you implying?" Kathy raised an eyebrow. "Nothing! I just thought you would love to take a shower." (Yeah, take a shower with you!) "Alright. Could you show me where the bathroom is?" (I don't have running water to guide me anymore.) "Sure." Ryan said as they both got off the floor. He led her to the furthest room down the hallway. "Here it is. There are towels in that cupboard over there. I'll start the water." Ryan opened the shower door and turned the knobs. Steam started to rise. "That should do it. If you need anyth-" Ryan was cut off as Kathy grabbed him by the arm. (There's something I've been wanting all morning!) Kathy started to drag Ryan into the shower with her. In the process Ryan's towel dropped to the ground. "But I already took a shower" Ryan said. "So?" Kathy smirked as she pulled Ryan in with her. Water was pouring down on the two of them as they just stared at each other. (Shit! I'm finally here but I don't know what to say or do!) "You know..." Ryan said. "You look really... sexy when you're all wet." Kathy saw Ryan blushing. (Sexy!? He thinks I'm sexy?) It was then that Kathy got a good look at Ryan. Ryan had an athletic build, but not like a body builder. Kathy continued downwards until. (Oh my god!) Kathy blushed as she stared at Ryan's crotch. It was the first time she had ever seen a naked human male. (I didn't think of this!) Kathy turned away from Ryan in embarrassment. (He must have noticed me staring at him. He's probably uncomfortable now. I should just-!) Kathy's thoughts were interrupted as she felt Ryan hug her from behind. He brought his head next to hers and whispered into her ear. "It's alright to be embarrassed. I was when I watched you last night." Kathy spun around in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. (I'm so lucky to have you.) The two just stayed in each other's embrace as the water continued to pour down on them. (This is much better than a romance novel.) ============================================================================================ Ryan's Side Aurora, Colorado -8:00 a.m.- *bzzt bzzt* Ryan opened eyes as he heard his cell phone vibrating. He noticed that Kathy was now lying on her side next to him. He slowly got up off the floor. He picked up his cell phone and looked at the caller ID. (Oh, it's Jade.) Ryan didn't want to wake Kathy up. He quietly left his room and went downstairs. Once he was sitting on the couch he answered the phone. "Hey, Jade. What's up?" "Hey, I'm just calling to update you on today's events." Ryan sighed. "It's nothing but work with you, isn't it?" "Well I have to be; you're too carefree. You're very dedicated to the HFA, but you're not as organized as you could be. That's why I'm serious most of the time." Ryan chuckled. "Well, I guess I made the right decision to make you second-in-command. Where would the HFA be without you?" "Still nothing more than a high school club" "True; I owe you a lot for helping me with that." "Don't worry about it, Ryan. Let's just discuss today's events, alright?" "Alright. Is the field still reserved?" Ryan asked. "Of course. They know we do this every Saturday. I really don't even have to ask anymore." Ryan chuckled. "That's true. What about supplies? Did you and the others manage to get everything?" "Yes. We also got some... help at the store." Ryan noticed the pause. "So who went and helped you?" Jade sighed. "Ken..." Ryan started laughing. "No way! Did you ask him or did he ask you?" "He asked me." Ryan sighed. "Was he up to his usual antics again?" "Of course. He's lucky that the worst he got smack across the head." Ryan chuckled. "He'll never learn..." "I don't know why a guy like Ken even joined the HFA. It says that he joined because of the women, but he could have flirted with every girl he laid eyes on without joining the HFA." "Well... what if I told you his real reason for joining wasn't because of the women?" "What do you mean?" "Well it was at the beginning of my junior year..." * * * -One year ago- Cherokee Trail High School (It was during the first HFA meeting of the year. The attendance had nearly doubled since I first became the leader when I was a freshman. Every Fur at the school, and many humans, were in the HFA. One of my goals was to get every Fur who went to the school to join the HFA. So naturally my first order of business was always...) "Do we have the list of every new Fur enrolled here?" Ryan asked. Name: Ryan Age: 17 "Yes, it's on the desk" "Thank you." Ryan picked up the sheet of paper and down the list. (There were 17 new Furs at the school. I remember seeing Ken's name on the list, but at that time it had no significance.) "Alright" Ryan announced. "I'm assigning groups of four to each person on this list. We'll all meet again next week to check the progress of the recruitment." (A week went by...) "I'm glad to see some new faces around here" Ryan said as he entered the room. "My name is Ryan and I am the leader of the HFA. I hope each one of you will enjoy your time here. We'll be meeting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from now on. (It looked like everyone on the list had joined. When I looked at the list on my desk, though, I saw all but one name crossed off: Ken Reynolds.) "What's the status on Ken Reynolds?" Ryan asked looking at the group who was put in charge on Ken. The group consisted of three Furs and one human; each of them was a girl. Ryan noticed that each one of their faces had a look of anger, embarrassment, or discomfort when he mentioned Ken. "Um..." the human girl spoke. "I think you may have to handle this one..." "What's the problem?" Ryan asked confused. "You'll find out when you meet him..." (I wasn't angry with the girls; I just wished they had told me the problem. There was no meeting the next day, so I decided to find Ken myself. It was during lunch that I finally found him... in a very bad situation.) "What the hell did you say!?" Name: Christian Age: 17 Species: Human (I recognized the voice. It was Christian. We were friends and teammates on the baseball team back in middle school, but our opposing views on Furs destroyed that friendship. I saw him standing with his girlfriend, Lauren, cornering a Fur I had never seen before. It was then I realized it must have been Ken.) Name: Ken Species: Fur â€" Fox Age: 16 Eye Color: Red Fur Color: Red, Black Height: 5'7" Weight: 131 pounds "I was just saying how hot your girlfriend looks" Ken said with a smile. He looked to Lauren. "Hey, if you ever get bored of this mindless ape I'd be happy to take his place. A pretty girl like you deserves better." Name: Lauren Species: Human Age: 16 Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Blonde Height: 5'6" Weight: 112 pounds Lauren ‘s face turned red. Christian grabbed Ken at the neck. "No one talks to me or my girlfriend like that! Especially a stupid Fur!" "Hey!" Lauren said with irritation. "At least he compliments me unlike a certain person I'm dating!" "Now's not the time to get into this, Lauren!" Christian shouted. "My offer still stands Lauren" Ken said with a wink despite the increasing painful grip on his neck. "That's it!" Christian drew his other hand back. "I'm going to-" Christian was interrupted as someone grabbed his fist from behind him. "Going to do what, Christian?" Ryan said having a firm hold on Christian's fist. "You weren't planning on injuring him were you?" Ryan glared at Christian. "Ha, it figures you would come to the rescue of a worthless Fur." Christian let go of Ken. "Still mad at me, Christian?" Ryan asked with a smirk. (Christian was furious at me for quitting baseball in order to run the HFA.) "Hell yeah I'm still furious. You were one of the best players and you gave it all up for these pieces of shit!?" Christian pointed to Ken. "In my eyes you're the one who's a piece of shit." Christian started tightening his fists. "Watch your mouth, Ryan! Don't make me throw you like a baseball across the hall!" "Please," Ryan chuckled. "You suck at throwing! The only reason we ever won any games with you is because you never got a hold of the ball. I'm surprised you haven't been kicked off the team yet. "That's it!" Christian charged at Ryan. Christian kept throwing punches at Ryan left and right, high and low, but none made contact. (Alongside with him being an incompetent idiot, he was so slow!) "Slow as ever..." Ryan said while dodging Christian's punches. "I'm surprised you ever made it to first base. It's probably why you were always chosen to bat last." "Shut up! Like I'm going to listen to a Fur lover! You're just like your bitch of a sister!" (My rage started to grow when he talked about Nicky that way.) "She and her boyfriend, if you can even call that freak her boyfriend, both deserved what they got! What do you think of-" (I silenced him with a punch to the face. I wasn't going to allow him to talk about Nicky and Sean that way.) "You fucking asshole!" Christian charged at Ryan. His fist aimed at Ryan's face. As if it were happening in slow motion Ryan grabbed Christian's arm. He pulled it with him and turned his shoulder to Christian. Christian's body was lifted off the ground as Ryan pushed up with his shoulder while pulling Christian's arm down. Ryan released Christian's arm as he went flying a few feet. (To this day I am thankful I had taken Karate when I was younger. I was surprised that I even remembered any moves. It later gave me the idea to start a Karate class for the HFA.) Christian landed on his back with a loud thump. He could barely move his body as he laid there. "Don't ever insult Nicky or Sean!" Ryan shouted at Christian. "Wow..." Ryan turned around to see Ken and Lauren staring wide-eyed at him. "That was so cool, Ryan!" Lauren said excitingly. Hey, um... Would it be possible for me to join the HFA?" "What the hell are you talking about, Lauren!?" Christian gasped. "I'm not letting my girl join that damn HFA: " "Well I guess you'll need to find a new girlfriend! I'm through with you! You don't like to spend time with me, you're always controlling me, and you don't show me any respect!" She looked to Ken. "At least he's kind enough to compliment me!" "Whatever... bitch..." Christian passed out. "I'm sorry for what he said to you Ryan. And I'm sorry for what he did to you um..." "Ken" Ken cleared his throat. "So can I join? I've always wanted to since I started school last year, but then I met him..." she glared at Christian. "Of course you can" Ryan said. "The next meeting is tomorrow after school." "Thanks! Oh, um... I'll go get someone to pick up Christian. I'll explain that you were doing everything out of self-defense." "Thanks Lauren" Ryan smiled. (I later found out that Christian had been expelled. The school had little patience for those who assault other students.) As Lauren was leaving Ken spoke up. "Wait, Lauren. You still interested?" Lauren blushed a bit, but looked away. "You seem like a very nice person, Ken, but... the truth is... you kind of scare me with those eyes. I'm sorry..." Lauren started walking away. Ken's ears flattened against his head as he let out a sigh. "Oh well, guess I'm going to have find the next lucky girl!" Ken said. (Ken seemed so disappointed at being rejected, but he perked right back up. It surprised me.) "So you're Ken, huh?" Ryan said. Ken seemed surprised. "Yeah, that's me." Ryan extended his hand. "My name's Ryan." Ken kept looking back and forth from Ryan's face and hand. "What's wrong?" Ryan asked. "You're not afraid?" "Afraid of what?" "My eyes! Everyone, including other Furs, are intimidated by me. My irises are completely red; it makes me look like a demon... You're the first person to approach me like this." "I don't think there's anything wrong with them. In fact, I think they're cool." "You think so...?" Ken blinked. "Yeah... but wait, why do you keep flirting with girls if you think of yourself as a demon?" "They may be intimidated by me, but I feel that life's too short to worry about those things! I flirt with every girl in hopes of... finding one who'll accept me. Until then, I just have to keep trying!" (He had an amazing spirit. I decided to give a suggestion that might have helped him out.) "Why not join the HFA? You may find that special girl." "The HFA?" Ken asked. "That's what those four girls were trying to get me to join last week. I put the moves on each of them, but they all walked away without saying another word." "Yeah... each one of them has a boyfriend." "That would explain why one looked like she was going to strangle me..." "So what do you think about joining?" "No thank you" Ken shook his head. "I hear it's a great place to be, but I don't want to make everyone uncomfortable by being there." "They won't mind" Ryan said. "I'm sorry, Ryan. You're the first person to see past my eyes, but I just don't have the confidence for that many people." *ding* *ding* *ding* The bell went off signaling that class would start in five minutes. "It was nice to meet you" Ken said as he walked off. (I didn't think it was fair for Ken to feel embarrassed about his eyes with others. Even if he wasn't going to join the HFA, I decided I would hang out with him so he'd feel accepted. I hanged out with him almost every day. I talked with him during lunch and went places with him after school.) * * * -One month later- (After a month of hanging out with Ken I realized how hectic being around him was. He literally meant he flirted with every girl! I had to constantly stop him from flirting with the girls who had their boyfriend with them. Taking Ken to the mall was hell...) "Hey beautiful, want to go o-" Ken was pulled away by Ryan. "What was that for, Ryan!? I was just about to ask her out on a date!" "Didn't you realize she had her boyfriend with her?" "Yeah, so? I don't care, she could have been the one for me!" "I've told you over and over again, Ken, look for single girls!" "Oh c'mon Ryan! How many single girls do you think there are in high school?" (He got me there, but I still didn't want him to flirt with girls who had their boyfriends around; I didn't want another Christian incident.) "I'm just looking out for you, Ken." Ryan's words seemed to have an effect on Ken. Ryan noticed the change in Ken's mood and changed the subject. "How about we go see a movie?" "Alright!" Ken said with his enthusiasm back. Ryan and Ken arrived at the Century 21 theatre in the mall. They both looked at what was showing. "So what do you want to see, Ken?" After looking through the list his ears perked up. "I want to see ‘My Best Friend's Girl'" (I seriously wasn't surprised by his decision.) Two and half hours later the two walked out of the theatre. The two were silent. Ryan broke the silence. "So can we both agree that was a bad movie?" "Yeah" Ken said. "I like how he got the girl at the end but... you know I'm surprised we didn't just leave during the film." "I know what you're saying." Ryan sighed. "Want to go anywhere else?" Ken thought for a moment. "No, I guess we could just head back now." "Oh, alright..." Ryan and Ken started walking to Ken's house. They were silent for ten minutes until Ken spoke up. "I saw a preview for a movie I want to see" "Which one?" Ryan asked. (I had a feeling which one he was talking about...) "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past!" (And I was right.) Ryan sighed and laughed. "What's so funny!?" Ken asked. "You're so silly. You kind of remind me of how Nicky and Sean were like together." "Nicky and Sean? I remember hearing those names before" Ken said. "Wasn't Nicky your sister?" "Yeah. Nicky was my older sister, and Sean... was my older brother." "Huh?" Ken said with a highly confused tone. "I thought Sean was your sister's boyfriend! And he was a Fur!" "That's right... we might not have been related by blood but we were brothers. He was always there for me along with Nicky. My parents were, and still are, never around, and after spending so much time with him I grew to think of him as my older brother." "Even though he was a Fur?" Ken asked. "I didn't care at all that he was a Fur. I know he felt the same about me." Ken was silent. "Do you have any brothers or sisters, Ken?" Ryan asked. "No... I'm an only child. My mother died shortly after I was born. And my dad... my dad doesn't want to have anything to do with me. He blames me for mom's death... he's the one who called me a devil. " Ken wiped the side of his eye. "You know, I've always been about the future... but that's the one thing in my past I can't forget." (That was when I found out Ken basically had no one in his entire life. I really felt bad for him.) "You know..." Ken said. "You're the first person who's spent this much time with me." Ken chuckled. "Even though I constantly annoy you with my flirting... you just...stay..." Ken expression turned into a sad one. "You're the only person who has ever really cared for me." Ken stopped walking. Ryan stopped in front of him. (That's when I saw his face... It was the first time I had ever seen Ken cry.) "Ryan..." Ken said. "Could we... could we be brothers?" Ken said with tears rolling down his face. (I was blown away by what he said. I had just realized how big of an impact I had on Ken. It made me realize that I was to Ken what Sean was to me. There was only thing I could do.) Ryan walked up to Ken and wrapped his arms around him. Ryan smiled. "I would love to be your brother, Ken." Ken wrapped his arms around Ryan and cried into his chest. (He cried for a minute into my chest.) "Thank you" Ken said as he took his face out of Ryan's chest. The two let go of each other. "Ryan..." Ken said. "Is it too late for me to join the HFA?" "Of course not, Ken. We're always welcoming people in." Ken perked up again. "And you said there are many girls...?" he smirked. "That's right" Ryan smiled. "Ha, am I going to have to anything to join?" "No, you'll just have to introduce yourself to everyone. Just tell everyone who you are, something interesting about yourself, and why you decided to join the HFA." "Why I decided to join?" Ken paused. "...Would it be alright if I told everyone I did for the girls; I mean that's one reason but not the main one. I just don't want everyone to know how I emotional I got just now. You don't mind do you?" "Of course not, Ken." Ryan smiled. (I was so glad that Ken finally got the confidence to join.) "So..." Ryan said. "Are you sure you don't want to go anywhere else?" Ken smiled. "Let's go to the park. I might just find that one lucky girl." "Are you sure? It's getting really late. There might not be anyone there besides us." Ken smiled as he turned around. He started walking "That's fine with me." Ryan smiled as he ran to catch up with Ken. * * * Present Day -8:20 a.m.- "And that's it." Ryan said. "Wow... I would never have guessed that about Ken." "Well don't go telling anyone else, and don't go teasing Ken about this either." "I understand... So will you be arriving at 9:30?" "Yeah and I'm bringing a guest." "A guest?" "Yeah, her name is Kathy. She's a German Shepherd Fur." "And she's coming with you?" "Yeah she spent the night with me." Jade was silent on the other side of the phone. "Ryan... what exactly do you mean by that?" "Oh stop thinking like that, Jade!" Ryan looked at the clock. "Look, I'm going to take a shower now. If I have time later today I'll tell you the full story, okay?" "Alright, Ryan. Just don't be late like you were last time!" "It was only five minutes!" "It's still late!" Jade chuckled. "Whatever, Jade. I'm hanging up now." Ryan ended the call. Ryan walked upstairs and started the shower in the bathroom. After about ten minutes Ryan turned off the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He looked at the time. "8:30, huh? I guess I'll wake Kathy up in fifteen minutes. Ryan walked into his room and saw Kathy was already awake. "Oh, good morning Kat-" Ryan was interrupted as Kathy pounced on him. Ryan was in a confused state. "Kathy, what are you-" he was silenced as Kathy brought her muzzle to his mouth. After a while of making out Ryan ended the kiss. "Wasn't expecting that, not that I'm complaining or anything" Ryan smiled. Kathy smiled back at Ryan as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, have anything planned today?" "I do, but it's a surprise" Ryan smirked. "Surprise, huh?" "Yep. We can leave after you take a shower." "Just what are you implying?" Kathy raised an eyebrow. (Shit! That didn't come out right!) Ryan thought. "Nothing! I just thought you would love to take a shower." Kathy paused for a moment. "Alright. Could you show me where the bathroom is?" "Sure" Ryan said as they both got off the floor. He led her to the furthest room down the hallway. "Here it is. There are towels in that cupboard over there. I'll start the water." Ryan opened the shower door and turned the knobs. Steam started to rise. "That should do it. If you need anyth-" Ryan was cut off as Kathy grabbed him by the arm. Kathy started dragging Ryan into the shower with her. Ryan's towel dropped to the ground. "But I already took a shower" Ryan said. "So?" Kathy smirked as she pulled Ryan in with her. The steaming water was pouring down on Ryan and Kathy as they both just stood there staring at each other. Ryan watched as the water matted down Kathy's fur to her body. (Wow... I can't believe I didn't notice it last night...) "You know..." Ryan said without thinking. "You look really... sexy when you're all wet." Ryan blushed furiously when he realized what he had just said. Ryan could see traces of blush on Kathy's cheeks but she didn't say anything. She wasn't even looking at his face. (What is she looking at...?) Ryan then realized where she was staring. No sooner had he figured it out Kathy turned away. (She must be going through what I did last night.) Ryan got closer to Kathy and wrapped his arms around her body. He brought his head close to hers and whispered into her ear. "It's alright to be embarrassed. I was when I watched you last night." Kathy spun around in his arms. She wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck and gave him a quick kiss. The two of them embraced as the water continued to pour down their bodies. * * * -9:25 a.m.- Utah Park "Here we are" Ryan said as he and Kathy arrived at Utah park. "This place has everything. There's an indoor swimming pool over there, four tennis courts, two basketball courts, a soccer field, and my personal favorite; a baseball field. And all of it is centered around that man-made lake." Ryan pointed. "Wow..." Kathy gazed at the sight. "And you said that the HFA reserves the whole park every Saturday?" "Actually we only reserve the baseball field. We don't have enough resources to reserve the whole park yet." "Wow" Kathy said with amazement. Ryan smiled. "C'mon. We're supposed to meet the others at baseball field." Ryan grabbed Kathy's paw as he led her to the baseball field." As they got closer to the field they noticed someone standing outside the entrance. Ryan chuckled as they came to a stop. "Good to see you, Jade." Name: Jade Age: 19 Species: Fur â€" Wolf Eye Color: Blue Fur Color: Black, White Height: 6'0" Weight: 190 pounds "You too, Ryan; I'm surprised you actually came on time." "Gee, thanks Jade" Ryan rolled his eyes. Jade looked to Kathy. "Ah, you must be Kathy." "That's right" "Ryan, I'll bring Kathy to her seat. Be ready to come out in fifteen minutes." "Alright, alright." Ryan started walking off. "I guess it's about time to start this" Ryan said with a smile. ============================================================================================ Kathy's Side "Ryan, I'll bring Kathy to her seat. Be ready to come out in fifteen minutes . "Alright, alright. I guess it's about time to start this" Ryan said as he walked off. "Follow me Kathy." Jade started walking to the entrance of the field. Kathy followed. The two entered the field. Kathy couldn't believe her eyes. She estimated there were enough seats for 4,000 people, and almost all of them were filled with humans and Furs of all kinds. "Is everyone here in the HFA?" "That's right." "I never would have guessed there were this many people..." Kathy said in awe. "Wouldn't have been possible without Ryan" Jade said as they finally reached their seats. "Ryan did all of this? But you seem to be the one who's always so organized." "True" Jade said. "I may be organized but I don't have Ryan's enthusiasm... Makes me think back to when I first met Ryan." "How long have you known Ryan for, Jade?" Kathy asked curiously. "We met in late January... so eight months ago." "Really? How did you two meet?" "Well it was when-" "Hey Jade!" a voice came from behind. "Oh! Who's this beautiful creature?" "Ken... do you want me to smack you in the head like I did at the store?" Jade said with irritation. Name: Ken Age: 17 "Geez... no need to get angry Jade. I'm just doing what I always do; flirting with the hot new girl." "Well I'm telling you not to flirt with Kathy." "Kathy, huh? Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." "Ken, I'm serious!" Jade was getting frustrated. "I'm serious too... seriously in love." Jade grabbed hold of Ken's shoulder and yanked him down. "What the hell, Jade!?" Ken yelled as his head was brought next to Jade's mouth. Jade whispered something into Ken's ear. (What is Jade saying?) Kathy thought, unable to hear anything. Ken's eyes widened when Jade was done. Jade let go of Ken. "I'm so sorry Kathy! I didn't know you and Ryan were a couple." "I told you not to say anything, Ken!" Jade shouted. Kathy just blushed. (How are they finding out? Are we even a couple? I love Ryan. I know he loves me back, right? What am I thinking; of course he does! Does that make us a couple then? I need to change the subject!) "So what were you saying about how you met Ryan, Jade?" Kathy asked. "You're telling a story about Ryan?" Ken asked. "I want to hear!" "Why?" Jade asked with a slight smile. "Because... I'm just curious! I'm interested in learning things about our leader." "Hmm... are you sure it's because Ryan is our leader and not your... ‘big brother'?" Jade's smile turned into a full smirk." "Wh-what!? Ryan and I aren't brothers! We-" "I know the story, Ken. Just sit down if you want hear my story." Ken's ears flattened slightly as he sat down. "As I was saying before, I met Ryan for the first time when he came to my high school after school was out..." * * * -Eight Months Ago- Grandview High School Name: Ryan Age: 17 "Excuse me" Ryan said as he entered the room. "Is this where the FPO meet?" (It was during a meeting of the Fur-Pride Organization that Ryan came in. Unlike the HFA, the FPO had no interest in dealing with humans. The FPO was all about bringing Furs who had been hurt or mistreated by humans. Let's just say Ryan wasn't a welcomed sight...) "What fuck do you want, human!?" a Tiger Fur said. "Come to start trouble? Maybe we all should punish you for what humans have done to us!" (Ryan didn't seem to be distressed at all.) "I'm looking for Jade Wolfe" said Ryan. "The fuck you say!? What makes you think we're going to let you see Jade? You should leave now while you still can." "I'm not leaving until I talk to Jade." The Tiger Fur stood up. "Guess you need to learn the hard way. You're stubborn just like all other humans!" The Fur charged at Ryan swinging a paw towards Ryan's face. (I had to admit I was impressed with Ryan; every other human who had walked in on the FPO usually ran at the first sight of conflict. What's more I was surprised by what he did next.) [What did he do?] (Shut up Ken! I'm getting to it!) The Fur's claws got closer and closer to Ryan's face. Instantly Ryan stepped out of the way and brought his elbow down on the back of the Fur's neck, sending him down. (Every Fur in the room, including myself, stared wide-eyed at what had just happened. I remember he whispered something...) "Boy am I glad I decided to introduce karate to the HFA" Ryan chuckled to himself. "You fucking laughing!?" another Fur said. Every Fur was preparing to charge at Ryan. "Enough!" a stern voice in back echoed. "But Jade!" Name: Jade Age: 18 "But nothing! Let me handle this" Jade walked closer to Ryan. He stopped right in front of him. Ryan smiled. "So you're Jade, huh?" Ryan held up his right hand. "Name's Ryan." Jade didn't return the gesture. "Why are you here?" "You get right down to business, huh?" said Ryan. "I'm sure you know of the HFA, right?" "I have heard of it; it's the main reason why so many Furs are transferring out of Grandview and into Cherokee Trail. The Fur population is dwindling here. The 27 of us are basically all that's left. Why? What relationship do you have with the HFA?" "I'm the leader of the HFA" Ryan said straight-out. (Everyone held great rage for the HFA and its leader. The atmosphere turned deadly in that room.) Jade chuckled. "Have you come here to gloat? Come to brag how Furs seem to prefer the HFA over the FPO?" "No... I've come to propose an alliance between the two." Jade eyes went wide. "Today's meeting is over" Jade told the others. "Why!?" a Fur yelled. "We just started!" "I said it's over! Everyone go home." The other Furs all reluctantly got their stuff and left one by one until only Ryan and Jade were left. Jade sighed. "Take a seat." Ryan and Jade sat across from each other. "Why the FPO?" "Excuse me?" Ryan asked. "Why did you come to the FPO?" "I already told you that-" "I know what you said, but why did you specifically come here? I know each school has a variation of the HFA. You could have easily gone to one of them instead." "True, but I'm more interested in you than the FPO." (I was confused by his reasoning. I didn't know why he was interested in me.) "Me? What do I have to do with anything?" "Do you remember Nicky Anderson?" (I hadn't heard that name in long time...) "I remember. We met two years ago when I formed the FPO. She too had proposed that we form an alliance. She convinced me and told me it could happen within a few months, but..." "She died before it could happen..." Ryan finished. (We were both silent for a while.) "I was saddened by her death" said Jade. "The FPO soon became populated by Furs who hated humans. It drove off those who didn't share their views. I soon found myself as a leader of a club that I despised." "Why didn't you leave?" "It was only because I was the leader that they didn't do anything stupid. I fear what would happen if I gave one of them control... not that it matters now; I'll be graduating in a few months so I'll have no choice." "Well then" Ryan smiled. "I guess you should act fast and have the FPO join the HFA." "It's not that simple, Ryan. Everyone in the FPO hates the HFA. If I announce we're merging with you then I'll lose all of them." "I don't think you'll lose all of them Jade; I wouldn't be surprised if all them decided to stay." "What are you talking about?" "Every Fur at this school is a member of the FPO, and somehow each one of them has something against humans. That can't be a coincidence. I believe most, if not all, of the Furs in the FPO joined just to feel accepted. If everyone left then there wouldn't be a place that accepts them; at least in their minds there isn't." Jade was silent. "Look, Jade" said Ryan. "I'm not going to force you into joining." Ryan stands up. "I want you to just think about it. I'll be back tomorrow; you can tell me your decision then." (Ryan left after that. I just sat there in that room, thinking of what to do. Eventually I decided to head home.) * * *

-Later that Evening- "I'm home" Jade said as he entered his home. "Whatever..." a voice came. (I never enjoyed coming home. Not when he was there.) [Who?] (Trace, my twin brother.) Name: Trace Age: 18 Species: Fur â€" Wolf Eye Color: Gray Fur Color: White Height: 5'11" Weight: 175 pounds (That's because I don't like to mention him, Ken! He annoys me just like you, but for different reasons...) "So... did you try to find a job today?" Jade asked. "No" Trace replied. Jade glared at Trace, who was lying on the couch. "Did you even go to school today?" "No." "Why the fuck not!?" "...No point." "No point!? Look I know it's been hard since mom and dad died, but that's no damn reason to just waste your life away!" (Mom and died had died two months earlier around Thanksgiving time. They were on their way home from the store when they were hit head on by a drunk driver. We both took it very hard, but I was able to get back up. Trace just felt like there wasn't any meaning to life. I was the one who had to get a part-time job just so we could stay in the apartment. I would have kicked him out if he wasn't my brother. At least that was the only reason until...) "If you're not going to go to school then you might as well find a job! I can't keep this up forever!" "If it's money you're worried about... don't worry about it" Trace said. He reached in his pocket and pulled something up and held it in view of Jade. "Here, take it." (In his hand was money. My eyes went wide. I took the money and counted how much there was... it was 500 dollars.) "I thought you said you didn't have a job..." Jade said. "...I don't..." with that Trace stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm going out. Don't wait up for me." Trace closed the door behind him. (I didn't know what was going on. I wanted to ask him how he obtained the money, but... I couldn't bring myself to. We really needed the money... it wasn't until later on that I found out what he was doing...) [So? What was he doing?] (None of your damn business Ken!) [Sorry, but what's the point of mentioning it if you're not going to share it?] (Just shut up!) Jade tossed the money of the table as he laid himself down on the couch. (My thoughts were brought back to Ryan's proposal. For hours I tried to pull my thoughts together and find a solution. I kept thinking about how Ryan said that the FPO consisted of Furs who had no hatred to humans whatsoever, but just wanted to be accepted) "Could they really not hate humans? Is it all just an act? Do they feel they need to act like that to fit in with the others?" (As I was thinking the door opened; Trace had come back. I decided to get his opinion...) "Trace..." "...What?" "Do you hate humans?" "...No." "Really? Even though it was a human who killed mom and dad?" "I don't give a shit about that! I hate the guy who killed mom and dad, not his species... If I did, I wouldn't be any better than the humans... I'm going to bed." Trace walked to his room. "Good night..." Jade said. He didn't get a response. (Trace might not do much, but that night he helped me reach my decision...) * * * -The Next Day- Grandview High School (At the FPO meeting I explained that I had to discuss something with them. Soon after Ryan walked in the same way he did the day before.) "Hope I'm not interrupting anything" Ryan said. "No, you've actually come at a good time, there's something I need to tell you and everyone else here." "I see" Ryan said. Ryan went and stood by Jade. "Everyone..." Jade started. "I have decided make the FPO a part of the HFA." (The room instantly went into an uproar) "You sold us out!?" "There's no way I'm working with humans!" "This is all that humans fault!" "Quiet!" Jade shouted. The room went silent. "If you don't like it so much then why don't you just leave! I'm not going to force you to stay." Everyone just stayed where they were. "How many of you actually hate humans? I want the truth!" They all remained still. "So you're telling me that all of you have been bragging about how much you hate humans, and now every single one of you don't!?" (I didn't know how Ryan knew, but he was right.) "I know it's hard for us Furs" Jade said. "I know it's hard for us to find a place where we can all feel accepted, but we shouldn't have to lie to ourselves or others in order to achieve it. We can be ourselves in the HFA." "But, Jade..." a Fur said. "We've all come to accept you as our leader, what's going to happen to you?" "Well-" "That's why I asked the FPO first" Ryan said as he interrupted Jade. "The HFA will soon be too big and widespread for me to handle by myself. That's why I've decided to make Jade my second-in-command. When I'm not around Jade will be in control of the HFA. When I am around, however, he'll still be in charge of those from Grandview and the area surrounding it." (Everyone seemed to relax after Ryan explained what would happen.) "You all will continue to meet here until Jade and I establish a place where everyone will gather. For now you can all go home for the day." All of the Furs just sat there smiling. "I thought you said Jade would always have command over us" one Fur said. Ryan smiled. "I did... Jade, if you would..." "Go home!" Jade yelled while smiling. All of the Furs started leaving the room. The last one was Squirrel Fur. The Fur walked up to Ryan. "You know... ever since your little... introduction yesterday, I haven't been able to stop thinking of you. I wouldn't mind taking orders from you, handsome." "Leave him alone, Ricky" Jade said. Name: Ricky Age: 16 Species: Fur â€" Squirrel Eye Color: Hazel Fur Color: Gold, Brown Height: 5'7" Weight: 123 pounds. Ricky giggled. "I'll be seeing you around, handsome." Ricky made his tail pass across Ryan's face. (From that day on Ricky has been flirting with Ryan whenever he had the chance.) [Ha, I guess Ryan attracts the ladies and the guys too.] When it was just Ryan and Jade they both took a seat. "Sorry about Ricky." "It's alright, I have my own fan club back at Cherokee Trail." [Big bro sure is pretty lucky... I mean Ryan is pretty lucky!] (It's don't care if you call him ‘big bro', Ken. Just stop interrupting me!) "So how did you know?" "Well they made it quite obvious. They're practically wearing ‘I Love Ryan' t-shirts." Jade stared at Ryan. "I'm talking about how you knew they wouldn't leave." "Oh that. Well you know how students have been transferring from here to Cherokee Trail, right?" "I do..." " Well, many of them had been part of the FPO. When I asked each of them why they left they all had the same answer. They were tired of acting like they hated humans. They told me there were many in the FPO that felt the same way." "I see... Well I'm glad you were right." The two just sat in silence. "So... where do we go from here?" asked Jade. "Well... now that Grandview high school has joined the HFA, the next thing to do will be to get the other major high schools in the area to join as well. Something both of us will do." Jade nodded his head. "I think this is the beginning of something that will change Denver forever." "Oh, I don't plan to stop with just Denver. I won't stop until the entire United States has come to accept Furs as equals. I made a promise..." (That was when I saw how much all of this meant to Ryan.) "I'll be with you the entire way" Jade smiled as he held out his paw. Ryan smiled back and shook his paw. The two started to leave. "By the way..." Ryan said. "You seem really serious, Jade. I hope you can handle Ken." "Ken?" "He's a relatively new member of the HFA. He can be... quite a handful." "Oh trust me, I have a brother who drives me crazy; I'm sure I can handle Ken." "Alright... why don't you tell me about your brother..." Ryan and Jade walked out the door as Jade starting telling Ryan about Trace. * * * -Present Day- "I later found out I was wrong about being able to handle you, Ken!" Jade glared at Ken. Ken just rolled his eyes. "Big bro doesn't seem to have a problem with me." Ken stuck his tongue at Jade. "And I'll never understand why that is!" "So what happened after the two of you teamed up?" Kathy asked. Jade's attention went back to Kathy. "Within a month all five major high schools in the area had joined the HFA: Cherokee Trail, Grandview, Gateway, Eaglecrest, and Overland. Each had their own club much like the HFA, but at a smaller scale. Ryan gave them each the same rights as he had given me, and established a chain of command. We've been expanding ever since then; going to every elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and university. That's why there are people of all ages here." "Does Trace ever come?" Ken asked. "No, he just stays home all day doing nothing and practically stays out for the entire night... only to come back with money..." (Jade mentioned something about knowing what Trace was doing...) "Jade, you told us you found out what Trace was doing. Will you tell us?" Jade remained silent as he looked at the ground. "...I guess I can tell you... You see, I found out that Trace is-" Jade was suddenly cut off as the rest of the crowd started cheering. Kathy, Jade, and Ken looked down at the field and saw Ryan walking to the pitcher's mound. Ryan held a microphone in his hand. As he stepped on the mound he brought it up to his mouth. "Who's excited to be here?" The cheers roared again. Ryan whistled. "That's a lot of excitement. For those of you who are new, Saturday is ‘Fun Day' for the HFA. You all work hard six days a week raising funds, throwing events, and gaining new members. Today is the day you all get to focus on yourselves and have fun!" The crowd cheered. "So here's today's schedule: After this speech is over at around 10:00 a.m. all of the food stalls will be set up on the field. It'll take about 30 minutes before everything is ready; until then all of you are free to stay seated or come down to the field. Once done you'll get to treat yourself to many different treats made by the HFA culture club. Speaking of which let's give a round of applause to every member of the culture club for preparing all of it." The crowd started to applaud. "And another round of applause for the two presidents of the culture club; Lauren and Ricky." Kathy saw two people stand up; one was a blonde human girl and the other was a golden-brown squirrel Fur. "Love ya, Hun!" Ricky shouted. The crowd started laughing. "Down boy!" Ryan said with a stern voice, but immediately started laughing afterwards. "Let me continue with today's schedule" Ryan said as he caught his breath. "Food will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Entertainment such as music and games will be available during this time as well. At 2:30 everyone must return to their seats while we clean up the field; this will take about 30 minutes. At about 3:00 p.m. we'll start what's become a tradition here every Saturday, and my favorite event, a baseball game!" The crowd cheered. "Remember; if you want a chance to play in the game, just submit your name. If it's called, you play! And when the game is over we'll set up the equipment to watch the movie. You were all given the chance to vote for which movie would show tonight; so instead of telling you which movie won right now, I'm just going to surprise you all later today." (A movie, huh? I haven't seen a movie since...) Kathy closed her eyes. (Thinking back on it now, what happened to Bruce was similar to what happened to me. His parents were taken away from him, and my brothers were taken away from me. His parents were killed leaving the opera; my brothers were killed walking home from the theatre.) Kathy's body shook. (It's disturbingly similar...) "Although he won't be coming until later on," Ryan announced. "Let's all give a hand to Eric Johnson for providing the projector and stereo system that allows all of us to watch movies here." The crowd clapped. Ryan looked at his cell phone. "Well, it's 9:55 a.m. So at this time I would like every member of the culture club to please come down to the field to begin setting up." Kathy looked around and saw around 100 people getting up. When all of them walked onto the field Ryan continued. "And with that, let HFA Fun Day begin!" The crowd roared. "So what do we now?" Kathy asked Jade and Ken. "I'm sure Ryan wants me to bring you to him. He might want you to meet some people." Jade said. "Alright" Kathy nodded. "Cool, I'll come with you!" Ken said excitedly. Jade sighed. "Fine... let's go." The three walked down the stairs to the field. Jade led Kathy and Ken into the dugout where Ryan was in a conversation with three other people. Ryan turned around. "Ah Jade, Kathy... Ken? I'm surprised Jade allowed you to follow him." "I knew how much he wanted to see his older brother" Jade smirked. Ken smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Ryan sighed and stared at Jade. "I told you not to tease him, Jade." "Sorry, Ryan. I couldn't resist this one." "Oh did you finally tell Jade about Ken, Ryan?" a voice behind Ryan said. "Yep." Ryan looked to Kathy. "Kathy I would like you to meet my inner circle" Ryan motioned Kathy to the group of three he was talking to earlier. Ryan started with the person on the left. "This is Olivia." Name: Olivia Age: 16 Species: Fur â€" Lion Eye Color: Blue Fur Color: Gold Height: 5'6" Weight: 107 pounds Special Note: Third-In-Command of HFA "Regina." Name: Regina Age: 19 Species: Human Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Brunette Height: 5'9" Weight: 129 pounds Special Note: Fourth-In-Command of HFA "Derek." Name: Derek Age: 18 Species: Fur â€" Bear Eye Color: Gold Fur Color: Brown Height: 6'1" Weight: 233 pounds Special Note: Fifth-In-Command of HFA Ryan looked to Jade. "And of course you've met Jade." Jade stood to the right of Olivia. "The five of us are the leaders of the HFA." "And we're all very excited to meet you, Kathy!" Olivia said coming closer to Kathy. "You got to tell us what happened with you and Ryan last night!" Kathy started blushing. (What happened with us last night? How did they even know I was with Ryan!?) Ryan glared at Jade. "You seem to be having a hard time keeping quiet today, Jade." Jade smiled "Because you've been giving me so much to work with today." "You know Jade, I like you better when you're all serious." Ryan sighed. "Look nothing happened last night, ok." Olivia smiled and slowly walked over to Ryan. "Nothing, huh? Not even a little... kissing?" Ryan and Kathy's faces went red. "I knew it!" Olivia said with excitement. "I'm surprised, Ryan" Regina commented. "You've been involved with the HFA for almost three years and not once have you ever had a girlfriend, human or Fur. I mean, it's not like there hasn't been girls who've practically thrown themselves at you!" "I wish the girls were interested in me like that" Ken chuckled. "But Ken" Derek said. "There is one-" Regina elbowed Derek in the side. She got close to Derek's right ear. "We promised her we wouldn't let Ken know!" "Sorry..." Derek whispered. "What were you saying, Derek?" Ken asked. "Oh... I was just saying there is one... disadvantage if that were to happen to you." "Really?" Ken raised his brow. "What would that be?" "Oh... um... well if every girl wanted to be with you then how would you know which is ‘the one' like you keep saying?" Ken looked up and was silent. "I guess I would have to date each of them one-by-one; it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make" Ken smirked. "Then they'd have a reason to slap you, one-by-one" Jade commented. "Jade, are you implying I don't have a chance with any girl?" Ken's ears flattened. "Implying? I'm saying it straight out." Ken looked away from Jade and the others. "I'm going to take a walk, Ryan; I'll talk to you later. Ken walked out of the dugout. (Poor Ken...) Olivia came close to Kathy. "Could you maybe go with him, Kathy?" "What!?" "Ask him to show you around. It might calm him down." "What about Ryan?" "Ryan, along with the rest of us, is going to be very busy for a while. Just go and have fun with Ken." "...Alright" Kathy gave in. (Although I'd rather have Ryan give me a tour.) Kathy rushed out of the dugout so she could catch up with Ken. A few seconds after she caught up with Ken. "You alright, Ken?" "I'm fine, Kathy. Jade always says things to me. Usually they're just about the things I do that annoy him, but... that was the first time he's ever said anything like that." "...Does he hate you?" "I don't know Kathy. To tell you the truth, I don't care if he likes me or not. I joined the HFA because of Ryan; he was the first person who actually treated me like I wasn't a freak or a nuisance." Ken stopped walking. "So did you need something?" "Actually, I was wondering if you could show me around." "Why didn't you have Ryan show you around?" (Trust me, I wish he was.) "Ryan and the others are busy, and since you're the only other person I've met here..." Ken's tail started wagging side-to-side. "Sure! It'll be fun! They're almost done setting up the stands; let's go!" ============================================================================================ Ryan's Side After Kathy left the dugout Ryan turned to Jade. "Jade, I'm glad you got Ken to leave," Ryan turned to Olivia. "And you too, Olivia, for convincing Kathy to follow Ken, but I wish you would have done it in a nicer way, Jade." "Sorry, Ryan, but I had to make sure Ken would leave. We can't let anyone else hear us now." "Then why weren't the two of you concerned with Kathy?" Derek asked. "I wanted Kathy to meet all of you. Afterwards I would have had someone show her around." "So how did you two meet?" Olivia asked with a smile. "Don't we have a more important issue to discuss?" Jade asked rhetorically. "Fine, let's put it to a vote!" Olivia said. "All those who are interested in hearing the story raise your hand." Three hands went up: Olivia's, Regina's, and Derek's. "Majority rules!" Olivia said. Jade sighed. "Now tell us the story, Ryan!" Olivia shouted excitedly. Ryan was taken aback. "Well last night after I got off work I saved her from three men who were going to rape and kill her." "Oh my god..." Regina said. "And then you took her to your place?" "Not exactly..." Ryan rubbed the back of his head. "Huh?" Olivia said with a confused expression. "Well at the time I got distracted by catching the bus." "Bus?" Derek asked. "You mean you found her downtown?" "Yeah." "Then how'd she get out here? In the city they don't allow Furs to ride the bus." "Maybe she sprouted wings and followed you, Ryan" Jade said jokingly. "You mean like the dream you had where you sprouted wings, Jade?" Ryan retorted. The others looked at Jade. Olivia smiled. "Sounds interesting; I guess we'll talk about that next time. But seriously, Ryan, how did Kathy follow you?" "She hitched a ride... on top of the bus I was riding..." Silence filled the air. Ryan saw the others each had wide eyes. "How romantic!" Olivia said. A girl meets her knight in shining armor and follows him home. It's like a fairy-tale... sort of..." "That's all I'm going to say" Ryan stated. "That's alright." Olivia smiled. "We already have a sense of what you two did last night." "Great" Jade said. "Now can we discuss the main issue?" All of their expressions turned serious. "Did you find out anymore about your brother, Jade?" Ryan asked. "Yes. You're all aware of how my brother has been obtaining so much money, right?" All of them nodded. "Narcotics..." Derek said. "Correct. Recently I found out that Trace isn't working alone; he, along with many others, is working under one man." "Who?" Ryan asked. "All I know is that his name is Steven." "Steven, huh?" Ryan muttered. "I haven't seen him, but I have heard stories. Apparently he prefers having Furs work for him rather than humans, but only because he makes more profit off of them. And when he sees that a Fur isn't meeting a certain quota, he finds a reason to kill them. It could be something as big as stealing money, or as insignificant as missing a meeting." "That's horrible!" Regina said. "It gets worse I'm afraid... Recently I found out that Steven has been building up his gang. He's planning something that can be compared to the Fur massacre so many years ago." "What!?" Olivia shouted. "I thought he preferred Furs to humans!" "He does when it comes to making a profit. Personally, however, he despises Furs." "He's soon going to kill every Fur associated with his gang... including Trace." The others were silent. "How long do we have?" Derek asked. Jade looked at the ground. "...He starts tomorrow at midnight..." The other four's eyes shot open. "We have no choice then..." Ryan said. "We'll strike tomorrow night." The five of them nodded. "We'll discuss more of this when Eric arrives later today" Ryan stated. The others nodded again. *boom boom boom* A few fireworks went off. "It appears everything is set up now" Ryan said. "Well, I guess it's time for us to get back to work." Ryan started to smile. "Let's enjoy today!" The others started to smile. Each one of them left the dugout one-by-one until only Ryan and Jade were left. "Thank you, Ryan" Jade said. "No problem, Jade. We're going to save your brother along with the rest of the Furs." Jade smiled. "So what are you going to do now?" "I'm just going to go check on the culture club and see how they're doing. Then if I see Kathy and Ken I'll hang out with them." Jade nodded as Ryan was walking out of the dugout. "Oh, Jade, could you submit Kathy's name for the baseball drawing, please." Jade smirked. "And by ‘submit' you mean..." "Make sure her name is called, of course" Ryan smiled as he walked out of the dugout. A few minutes later Ryan approached a collection of food stands. (I know the two of them are around here somewhere...) Suddenly a fuzzy golden-brown tail rubbed up against his face from behind. Without turning around Ryan said "Hello Ricky. Is Lauren with you as well?" "Nope. It's just you and me, hun." Name: Ricky Age: 17 "Ricky, there are people all around us." "But I can only focus on the one in front of me." Ryan turned around. "You need a boyfriend, Ricky." "Is that a proposal!?" Ricky asked with excitement. Ryan chuckled. "No, Ricky, you know I'm straight." "I enjoy a challenge!" "Oh would you leave Ryan alone, Ricky." The two turned towards the voice. "Stop ruining my fun, Lauren!" Name: Lauren Age: 17 "You're supposed to overseeing the others! Quit flirting with Ryan and get back to work!" "Fine, fine!" Ricky walked away pouting. "Women!" Ricky shouted. Lauren sighed and looked to Ryan. "You need something, Ryan?" "Just came to see how everything is going." "Really? You could have just asked Ricky about-" Lauren gazed past Ryan. Ryan turned around and saw Ken and Kathy walking around with an assortment of snacks. He saw the two of them were laughing. (Looks like Kathy's having a good time and Ken's cheered up, but I wonder what they're laughing about. Is it about me? Nah, what embarrassing things could Ken tell Kathy? .......) "Who's that with Ken?" Lauren asked. "That's Kathy. I brought her here. "I see... She and Ken seem to be having a good time..." "Jealous, Lauren?" Lauren's face went red. "What!? O-of course not! Why should I be jealous that Ken is with a girl who's not slapping him, huh?" Ryan smiled. "You don't have to hide it Lauren; Regina and Derek told me." Lauren's face turned redder. "I guess some people just can't keep secrets, huh?" (Tell me about it...) Ryan rolled his eyes thinking of Jade. "Why don't you tell him?" "I can't. Not after what I said to him last year..." "About his eyes scaring you?" "Yeah... I'm sure he hates me for that..." "Trust me, Lauren, if there's one thing I know about Ken it's that he doesn't hold grudges against anyone." Lauren faced Ryan. "So... I still might have a chance with him?" Ryan looked behind Lauren for a brief second and started to grin. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you. Could you say it again?" Lauren shouted "I said do you I think I still have a chance with -" "Hey." Lauren shrieked and turned around. "Ken!" (Why Ken? Why couldn't you have just waited a second longer!?) Ryan thought while shaking his head. Ken's ears drooped slightly. "Oh... sorry, Lauren; I didn't mean to scare you again..." Lauren's eyes went wide. "Oh no! You've got it wrong, Ken. I... I..." Lauren's face turned red. Ryan stepped in. "I was just giving Lauren some advice on expressing her feelings to someone she really likes." "Really?" Ken asked. "Who is he?" Lauren looked at Ryan with a scared look on her face. She shook her head slightly. Ryan knew what she was trying to say. "She didn't tell me who, but I was about to tell her that she should tell him tonight." Lauren's eyes went wide. "Tonight?" asked Ken. "You mean during the movie?" "That's right. I was telling her how to go about it. When she finds him sitting down she'll walk up to him and take a seat right next to him. " Ken, Kathy, and Lauren had a confused look on their faces. "Huh?" Ken blurted out. "How will sitting next to the guy show him how Lauren feels?" Lauren gasped from realization. Ryan smirked. "Because I'm sure the person she sits next to will understand the significance of it. Ken shook his head, not completely understanding the concept. "Well good luck, Lauren. Don't be intimidated by him." Lauren looked down at the ground. "I have to get back to work..." She walked away. (Lauren... what will you do? I've given you the best opportunity to show Ken how you feel.) Once Lauren was out of sight Kathy walked up to Ryan. "I practically haven't been able to spend any time with you today." Kathy wrapped her arms around Ryan's chest. She turned her head towards Ken. "Not that I didn't enjoy spending time with you, Ken." Ken chuckled. "I know; you just prefer big bro over me." Ryan and Kathy embraced each other. Ken sighed. "You two want me to leave?" Ryan chuckled. "No Ken; I thought all three of us could spend time with each other." Ken smiled. "Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?" Ryan looked checked the time on his cell phone. "Well... We have three hours until the stands will be taken down. What do you say we try every dish at every stand?" Kathy smiled. "Sounds good to me." Three walked off. "So which should we try first?" ============================================================================================ Kathy's Side -3:15 p.m.- All of the food stands had been taken down and the field was cleared of trash. Kathy was back sitting next to Ken. "So what was your favorite, Kathy?" Ken asked. "Strawberry crepes! Definitely the strawberry crepes!" Kathy said with glee. "What about you?" "Oh, I've always been a fan of their handmade pizzas. The crispy crust, the smooth sauce, the gooey cheese, all those fresh toppings..." Ken started drooling and his stomach growled. "Ken, we just got through eating! How can you still be hungry!?" "I really love pizza!" Ken emphasized. Kathy giggled. "Apparently... So the baseball game's next?" "Yep. Did you submit your name?" "Oh no, I forgot..." (Actually I don't think I could play baseball) Ken chuckled. "Don't worry; I'm sure Ryan had your name put in." (What!?) "Well... the chances of me playing are pretty slim." Ken started snickering. "Your odds of playing might be higher than you think Kathy." Kathy raised her brow. "Ken, what do you mean by that?" Ken smirked "You'll see... and it looks like it'll be very soon." Ken and Kathy saw Ryan on the field again. "Did everyone enjoy the food?" Ryan received cheers from the audience. "Excellent. The clean up took a little longer than expected, but now we're ready for the big game!" The audience cheered as Jade walked onto the field with an envelope. Jade handed Ryan the envelope and stood next to him. "Alright; in my hand I have the list of every person that will be playing today. Jade and I will alternate reading each name; if I call your name you'll be on my team, if Jade calls your name you'll be on his team. Let's begin!" Ryan opened the envelope and held it between him and Jade. They started reading off the names. (What if I am on the list? But they said it was all random, right?) Kathy noticed Ryan and Jade were calling people by their first and last name. (Wait! There's no way I could be called; Ryan doesn't know my last name, which I probably should tell him. The only recent person I told my last name to was Ken a couple hours ago. There's no way Ryan-" "Kathy Williams" Ryan announced into the microphone. Kathy sat there with her eyes wide. "H... how did he... how did he find out?" Realization hit her as she looked at Ken. "Ken! You told Ryan my last name!?" "Well... Actually he was going to ask you your last name earlier, but I told him you told me and so I told him that I would give him your name if he did something for me and he told me he would." "And that was?" Kathy asked. "Ken Reynolds" Jade said into the microphone. Kathy's jaw dropped. Ken chuckled. "Told you your odds of playing were high. Want to know a secret?" Kathy nodded her head slightly. "You see these baseball games act more like an induction ceremony." Kathy had a confused look on her face. "You see, Ryan and Jade have a list of every person who joined the HFA recently. It's usually about ten people every week on average so they make sure that the new ones always get a chance to play first. You could say it makes them feel welcomed even more if they're being cheered on." "But I'm not a member of the HFA, Ken." "True, but just like what happened with me; Ryan and Jade will sometimes automatically put someone on the list. Usually they do it when it's someone's birthday that day. Other than that and the new members; it's random for the remaining positions. It just sounds like to me that Ryan wanted you to play today." (But I've never played baseball before. I've never played any sport before! I'm probably going to humiliate myself...) Kathy's ears flattened against her head. "Now it's time for the 18 lucky winners to come on down!" Ryan announced. The crowd cheered as those who had their name called stood up and walked down to the field, including Kathy and Ken. All of them separated into two groups and entered opposite dugouts. In the dugout Kathy was in everyone was sitting down paying attention to Ryan. "Alright, we're going to determine which position each of you will be playing and the batting order." Ryan grabbed a two baseball caps and dropped pieces of paper in them. "You'll draw a piece of paper from each hat. One determines your position and the other determines when you'll bat." Ryan went down the line having each person draw a piece of paper from both hats. Kathy was the third person Ryan came to. She grabbed a piece of paper from each hat. (Please don't give me a low number...) Kathy slowly opened both pieces of paper revealing ‘Left Field' and ‘7'. Kathy sighed. (Well, at least now I'll be able to prolong my embarrassment...) Kathy's team was playing in the outfield first. She took her position in left field. "Wow; the field seems larger without it being crowded by people. Maybe if I'm lucky no balls will come my way." The game started. -Bottom of the 3rd Inning- Kathy couldn't stop shaking; it was her turn to go up to bat. No one had made it to first base successfully on either team. Apparently most of them tried bunting the ball, but weren't able to run fast enough. The closest the other team got was when Ken batted in the second inning. The ball was coming between left and center field; luckily for Kathy the center fielder caught it. "Up to bat, Kathy Williams" the announcer said. Kathy slowly walked up to the plate. She took her spot on the left side and just hung her arms for a bit. (Everyone's looking at me now. What if I'm the first person to get struck out? That'll be so embarrassing! Everyone will probably laugh at me; they'll probably boo; they'll probably hate me...) Kathy looked over to her team's dugout and saw Ryan smiling at her. The sight made Kathy blushed. (Screw what they think! Only one person's opinion matters to me... and I think he's already proud of me.) Kathy smiled as she raised her arms. Being at bat made her realize some things. "Other than Jade being the pitcher and Ken the catcher she noticed that Olivia, Regina, and Derek were the umpires at each base. Jade readied the pitch and threw the ball. Kathy swung. "Strike One!" The umpire behind her shouted. Kathy brushed it off and got into position again. Jade threw another ball. Kathy swung. "Strike Two!" (Alright Kathy, you can do this! It'll be just like one of those movies; the one where the hero has two strikes and makes a comeback scoring a homerun, winning the game for the team. Well... it won't win us the game but that's not the point!) Kathy got into position. Jade threw the ball and Kathy swung with all she had. "Strike Three!" Kathy's ears flattened. Her face was filled with disappointment as she started to walk away. "Where do you think you're going?" Ryan asked as he walked up to Kathy. "Back to the dugout; I got three strikes..." "But who said you were out?" Ryan smiled. "I didn't hear the umpire say you were out, right Eric?" "Correct" the umpire said as he took of his mask. Name: Eric Johnson Age: 37 Species: Human Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Black Height: 6'1" Weight: 194 lbs "Now get back over here, Kathy" Ken said with a smile. Kathy smiled and went back to the plate. (I don't exactly know what's going on, but I'm very happy for it.) The audience started cheering when Kathy got back into position. (Everyone's cheering me on now, huh? I guess the game itself doesn't matter; it's supporting the players. Is that what Ken was talking about?) Kathy snapped out of her thoughts as she saw Jade throwing the pitch. Kathy swung. *clink* The ball went flying straight towards left field. Kathy dropped the bat and started running. The audience started cheering. Kathy rounded first base and started towards second. The ball was thrown towards second base, but the baseman couldn't catch it and went straight towards first base. Kathy saw this as an opportunity to run to third base. The other players were scrambling to get to the ball as she reached third base. (Time for that homerun!) Kathy charged towards home. The crowd was going wild. She drew closer and closer towards home as one of the players got a hold of the ball. He threw it towards home plate. Without even thinking Kathy started to slide towards home. Kathy's foot touched home plate as Ken caught the ball and tagged her. "Safe!" Everyone cheered including the opposite team. Kathy was ecstatic. (I did it!) She saw Ryan standing a few feet away from her and she jumped up and embraced him. The two smiled. Ryan came close to Kathy's ear. "Welcome to the family, Kathy." Kathy looked like she was going to cry, but instead of doing that she grabbed the sides of Ryan's head and brought the two of them into a kiss." The two of them stayed like that despite many of the people going "Woo." ============================================================================================ Ryan's Side "Up to bat, Kathy Williams." Ryan smiled watching Kathy going up to bat. He noticed she seemed a little stiff. (She must be really nervous being it's her first time.) He saw Kathy look his way. Ryan continued to smile. (You'll do fine Kathy.) She then turned her head back. She swung. "Strike One!" Ryan continued to watch. Kathy swung again. "Strike Two!" Ryan kept on watching with a smile. Kathy swung. "Strike Three!" Ryan walked out of the dugout and up to Kathy as she started to leave the plate. "Where do you think you're going?" "Back to the dugout; I got three strikes..." Kathy said with disappointment. "But who said you were out? I didn't hear the umpire say you were out, right Eric?" Eric took off his umpire mask. "Correct." "Now get back over here, Kathy" Ken said smiling. Kathy went back with a smile on her face. The audience started cheering. Ryan went back to the dugout. He watched as Kathy got back into position. Seeing this brought back memories from that day he played with the HFA and the story Nicky and Sean told. Kathy swung. *clink* The audience was going wild. (Nicky... Sean...) Kathy rounded first base. (Is this how you two felt that day? Proud?) Kathy rounded second base. (I'm thankful for everything the two of you did for me.) Kathy rounded third base. (And... I think I finally understand why the two gave up your lives...) "Safe!" Ryan was snapped back to reality as the audience cheered. He rushed out of the dugout. He approached Kathy and was greeted with her embracing him. Ryan leaned in closer to Kathy's ear. "Welcome to the family, Kathy. (You're now officially part of the HFA.) Kathy took put her paws on both sides of Ryan's head and brought their faces closer together for a long kiss. (Kathy...) * * * -6:00 p.m.- The game was over. Ryan's team won 6-4. The sun was starting to set. Everyone was now waiting for the movie. Eric brought along everything high-tech: A digital projector, a blu-ray player, a large stereo system, and the movie itself. Ryan and Kathy were sitting together on the field watching Eric and the tech crew set up everything. "So what movie did you say we were watching?" Kathy asked. "The Dark Knight." "What's that about?" "It's the sequel to Batman Begins, but I'm not sure if you're seen that." Kathy got excited. "Oh yes I've seen it! I always hoped a sequel would be made! Is it good?" Good? It's awesome!" Ryan and Kathy looked behind them and saw Ken. He took a seat next to Ryan. "It's one of the most action-packed movies I've ever seen." Ryan chuckled. "I admit it's an excellent movie, but I feel it was overhyped because of Heath Ledger's death." "Overhyped or not; it's still awesome!" Ken said. "I'll take your word for it" Kathy said. A few minutes later the stadium lights dimmed and the digital projector turned on. "Um... hi." The three of them turned around and saw Lauren. Ryan had a huge smile on his face. "Ken, Kathy and I are going to take a short walk while the previews play. We'll be back in a few minutes." "Alright" Ken answered. Ryan and Kathy stood up and walked away. Instead of taking a walk, however, they just sat a couple yards behind Ken. Kathy was confused. "What are we doing?" "Watch." Ryan pointed towards Ken and Lauren. "Hey Lauren" Ken said looking forward. "Hi... Ken" "Did you find that guy you're interested in?" "...Yeah." "Did you do what Ryan told you?" Lauren took a seat next to Ken. "Yes." "Then why are you here with-" Ken's eyes went wide. He looked at Lauren's face; she was blushing. "You mean... I'm..." Lauren slowly nodded her head. Ken's ears flattened. "But I thought you were afraid of me." Lauren looked Ken in the eyes. "Ken I'm not afraid of you. I've never been afraid of you." Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. "Do you know how guilty I feel when you say that!? Every day I regret what I said to you when we met." Ken looked away. "Then why did you say it?" "The first time I ever saw a Fur was when I started high school two years ago." Ken was taken aback. "First time!? Where were you before high school?" "Homeschooled... And I live in a community that has no Furs; so you can imagine my amazement when I first saw a Fur. I wanted to know more about them. I found out about the HFA and was going to join, but... then I met Christian. He wouldn't allow me join. Our relationship went downhill for the rest of my freshman year. Then at the beginning of my sophomore year you came up to me and complimented on how I looked." Lauren smiled. "You were the first Fur that I had ever talked to me. And I thought you were very charming." Ken brought gaze back to Lauren. "However, Christian was close by and overheard what you were saying to me. That's when the whole conflict with him and Ryan broke out. I really enjoyed seeing Ryan beat Christian." Lauren chuckled. "I was finally free from him, so I immediately joined the HFA." "But you still haven't explained the eye comment" Ken said. "...When you asked if we wanted to be a couple I still didn't know anything about Furs. I wanted to turn you down politely, but I panicked; I couldn't think of an actual reason to say no to you... so I lied. Your eyes were something of interest to me, so I commented on them; something I've regretted since that day." Tears formed in the corner of Lauren's eyes. "You were the first Fur I ever talked to and I ruined it." Ken moved in and gave Lauren a hug. "I kept thinking that you hated me for what I said, but when you joined the HFA you acted like nothing happened when you saw me. I always wanted to tell you the truth about that day and how I felt, but I never had the confidence to until today." "Because of what Ryan said?" Ken asked. "Because of what Ryan did" Lauren said. "When Ryan and Kathy kissed during the game I realized that I wanted to experience what they have." Lauren pulled away from Ken slightly and wiped her eyes. She looked at Ken. "So I have to ask you something... does your offer still stand?" Ken smiled. "It always has." Ken and Lauren came close together until their lips met. For a brief second they stayed locked together. "That's so sweet" Kathy said with her head against Ryan's shoulder. Ryan just smiled. (I'm proud of you Ken; you finally found ‘the one.'" When the movie was about to start Ken shouted "Hey! If you two are done with your ‘walk' you can come back now." Ryan and Kathy were embarrassed they got caught. They got up and returned to Ken and Lauren. Ryan sat in between Kathy and Ken again. Ken brought his muzzle to Ryan's ear. "Thank you, big brother." Ryan smiled as the movie started. * * * -3 hours later- "See you later, Ryan" Lauren said as she and Ken walked off. Ryan stayed sitting with Kathy sleeping in his lap. Ryan waved them goodbye. Everyone was leaving now that the movie was over. Ryan looked down at Kathy. (I hope you had fun today, Kathy. You fell asleep half way through the movie; you must have been exhausted.) Ryan looked up to the sky. (I'm glad I met you Kathy. I never intended to ever find someone to care for, yet somehow I met you... and I'm sorry for that; I didn't want anyone to get too close to me because... I might not be around for much longer.) Ryan chuckled lightly. (I'm in the same position Nicky and Sean were in years ago...) "Ryan..." Ryan looked behind and saw Jade, Olivia, Regina, Derek, and Eric. "We explained everything to Eric" Jade said. He looked down at Kathy. "Should we leave?" "It's alright" Ryan said. "She's asleep." The five of them took a seat around Ryan. "What's your answer, Eric?" "I've decided to allow it. I'll have the equipment ready by tomorrow." Ryan looked at Jade. "Will your informant be here soon, Jade?" "He should be here any minute, now. He's probably waiting until it's just us. Once he arrives, we'll discuss the plan." Ryan sighed. "Then I guess we're officially going through with this." The five of them saw Ryan's expression as he looked at Kathy. "Ryan..." Regina said. "What about Ken and Kathy? What if..." "I don't have to worry about Ken now; he has Lauren. If something were to happen to me he'd be able to move on. Kathy..." "Hey!" Olivia said with a serious tone. "We need to stop thinking like this! Eric has been training us for months in case we'd ever encounter something like this. With his military experience we'll be fine! So stop thinking about what could go wrong!" Olivia smiled. "Instead we should be looking forward to what we'll do next Saturday." Everyone's faces softened. (I really hope you're right, Olivia.) Ryan looked down at Kathy. (Kathy... there's still so much I want to know about you, and for me to tell you... I hope this isn't our last night together.) ============================================================================================ Unknown Side "Shit! Shit!" David shouted. "Calm down, David!" Chris shouted. "Calm down!? Calm Down!? How can I be calm! Were you not listening to their conversation just now!? David pointed at Nicky and Sean. "You two need to stop him!" "We can't..." Nicky said. "Ryan's determination is too great for us to have any influence over it." "Well that's just great!" David threw his hands in the air. "I was all happy when Chris came back, but then he informs me that what's keeping us bound to Kathy is her promise to kill Steven! Now we find out that your idiot brother is planning an assault on him and his gang. Doesn't that asshole know what-" David was cut off with a punch to the face. "Don't you dare talk about Ryan like that!" Sean shouted at David. "Fuck you!" David shouted. "Do you have any idea how serious this is!? What if Kathy finds out about this plan? She'll want to join in; putting herself in danger!" "Ryan would never let Kathy go with him!" Sean said. "Kathy has a desire to kill Steven! She'll do whatever it takes regardless of anything Ryan says." "And..." Chris said. "It's not only that. Even if Kathy doesn't find out about this... what will happen if Ryan dies? Kathy's formed a close bond with him; he's basically the only person she has left now. I don't know what Kathy would do if Ryan died..." "Yeah!" David started again. "Chris and I care about what happens to Kathy. If something happens to Ryan it'll affect her greatly! But you two don't even seem to care if Ryan dies or-" David was silenced again, but by a slap to the face from Nicky. "Why you!" David was about to retaliate, but he looked at Nicky's face flowing with tears. "Do you think we wanted this!? Huh!? You think that we don't care about Ryan!? Sean and I love Ryan! We told him to always follow his heart no matter the consequences. Right now he's doing just that. And despite how much it hurts right now... we still support him." All of them were silent. "I guess..." Chris said. "We can't do anything but watch now..." "And it looks like their informant has arrived" Sean said. The four looked at the approaching figure. As the figure got closer David's eyes widened. "No... It can't be him!" ============================================================================================ What does David know? You'll find out in the next chapter Wow, it's been a long time since my last chapter This story is 53 pages long (Longer than my previous three combined. No I'm not going to continue the pattern!) I'm thinking of having another voting incentive. If I do I'll post it up a couple days after this chapter is posted. Again I would like to thank the following for their contribution to this chapter: Champ11 for Eric Johnson catsithx for Ken Reynolds Jaded Wolf for Jade Wolfe