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"Happy birthday!", cheered the two girls and two boys of the household, for their motherly figure. The four went out of their way to obtain a cake, courtesy of Ron. Gina slept in late, so they had much time to prepare.

Gina put a palm to her forehead and shook her head lightly with a smile, standing in the doorway to her room. "I'm thirty-five....aahhhh, crap. I feel old already", she said, giving a good laugh. She looked up and examined the cheerful crew, and the cake Ron held in his hands. "Isn't it a little early for cake?", Gina wondered, giving a smirk.

"It's twelve-thirty, and not breakfast time, so I guess it's not", Julia joked.

"Then let them eat cake!....I don't even know where thats from....", Gina said aloud, adding to Julia's joke, and realizing she still didn't know where that quote came from.

The group got a chuckle and went to the diningroom table, which Craig had set up. Everyone took a seat and Julia and Ron started dishing out the cake he got.

"I'm having cake for breakfast, how's that for something. I can see a future birthday now....my breakfast will consist of five pills and fiber powder", Gina continued to joke, trying to wake herself up without her good friend coffee.

"We thought you would rather see one candle instead of thirty-five", Kimberly added for her mother's information, giving a quick point to the cake.

"Gee, how thoughtful. Could it have been because you didn't have thirty-five candles too?", Gina joked again with a smirk.

Kimberly made an awkward face. "Maybe", she said, cracking up.

"Thanks you guys", Gina thanked appreciatively for the effort they put into things. "And I know this cake is your doing Ron", she added, giving him a comical look.

"Hey, it's the least I could do", he said happily, passing her a large slice.

It was december seventeenth. Christmas was fast approaching, and the family was preparing for another cheerful one. Ron would be celebrating with them, being that his father still refused to allow him back. Ron's feelings were hurt by this, but he eventually stopped caring so much, and began focusing on his new family. Once he found out he was going to be a near permanent resident for the while, he got a job at McDon's part time. A few days a week after school and maybe a day out of his weekend, he'd go off to make cash, even though Gina refuses to take rent money. Ron was going to make a bang this Christmas to make up for it.

Gina had also been doing a little money earning. She had been putting in extra hours to make extra money for Christmas. She promised she would make up for what she did to Craig, and this was a good time to do it.

Christmas vacation had started a few days back, so Craig and Kimberly had just been loafing around, or hanging out with their friends. The issue with the rockers back at the high school had subsided as they planned, and Ron made himself the same rank as he was before. Even Craig's influence grew, while Frank and Amber sank into an abyss. Things might have been hectic for the two with jobs, but for the most part, all was well.

When everyone had their fill of the sugar crammed cake, business began as usual around the house. Ron went to get ready for work, and Craig went to listen to his stereo, leaving the three girls to loaf around the livingroom, either watching TV or working on their checkbook.

"What'cha working on?", Julia asked, standing beside her mother at the diningroom table.

"Just checking to see how much money I've saved", Gina answered, flipping through a few sheets.

"Speaking of savings, I need to talk to Ron", Julia reminded herself, setting off down the hallway to his room. She popped open his door and went inside while he was putting on his uniform.

"Welcome to McDon's, may I take your order?", he joked to her when she walked to him, sitting on the side of the bed putting on his red vest.

"So what have you been saving all your money for? You haven't spent much since you got that job", she asked, taking a seat next to him.

"It's a surprise", Ron said with a teasing smirk.

Julia gave him a funny look. "Ok, if you say so", she chuckled, giving him a kiss on the muzzle, already appreciating whatever it was he wanted to do. "Don't you have enough cash for whatever it is by now?", she then asked.

"I've only been working part time for a month, so I have a little more to go before I think I'll have a sufficient amount", he explained, wanting to put in a lot of extra time now that Christmas break has started so he could get something cool for everyone.

"Good luck with it then", Julia wished him, giving him a pat on his knee while he buttoned his vest and got his cap, before she went out. Ron chuckled to himself when she closed the door. He was going to ask for more time when he went in today, since his job didn't make all that much money, especially for a part timer looking to buy Christmas gifts for an entire family. It drove him nuts that Gina wouldn't accept rent, and he wanted to show how much that meant to him. Ron was still unsure of his own parents. According to his mother, his father remains completely unchanged, and the chances of him returning home are basicly non-existant. Being in such a squabble with those who gave you life, at such a time of year, made the situation a little more upsetting. Ron checked himself with a hand mirror Kimberly left in her desk drawer and set out to the livingroom to leave, grabbing his keys on the way out.

Craig lied in his bed listening to an old AC/DC CD, having nothing better to do. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking of innocent things, and if it might snow. Boredom has a significant effect on your thoughts, and Craig felt like being a little more active then he was now. He got off his bed and wandered out to call some people. When he left his room, Ron was giving his goodbye.

"I'll see you all later!", Ron said from the door, while the girls said goodbye.

"See ya' Ron!", Craig called from down the hallway, while he walked down it to get to the telephone. Ron had closed the front door by the time Craig made it to the livingroom, and Craig grabbed the phone off the kitchen counter and wandered back to his room, dialing the number while he walked

Ron whistled an incoherent song that didn't even exist while he drove. The skys were overcast with grey, wintery clouds, making it look like it could snow at any time. It was freezing out, and since dragons don't have fur, or any hair at all for that matter, he had to bundle up well to keep warm. He was still contemplating about what to buy the Trensetters, and needed to know soon, since he would be buying almost last minute so that he may have the budget he wants. Ron pulled into the parking lot of McDon's, and grabbed a parking space in back that the employees could use. He hopped out of the car and went in, making his way past the counter so he could clock in.

"Ron, I've been waiting for you!", his manager, Ed, a raccoon, said once he made it to the clock-in sheet.

"Yes?", Ron asked while he grabbed the pen attached to the wall next to the sheet.

"I wanted to tell you that you're fired", the raccoon said outright, making Ron stop dead.

He dropped the pen and turned, with a look of surprise and anger. "I'm fired?!", he said in an insulted way, making a few other employees turn their head slightly to evesdrop.

"We're letting a few go, and you part timers are always first to go, so yes, you're fired", Ed explained without sympathy, just like any other fastfood manager.

Ron grit his teeth, but kept himself calm and composed. "In that case, you're an incompetent idiot who couldn't manage this place properly, even if all your fat had brains of their own. And by the way, I would suggest cutting back on the Happy Beef Burgers there", he was able to say now that he was fired, making fun of Ed's lard ass the whole time.

"Well Ha-ha, you're not the first to say something like that. Just get out", he brushed off, making a gesture for the door.

Ron walked out of the kitchen without a word. On his way past one of the faulty microwaves, he gave a poke to the top hinge of the door, causing it to fall off the machine. Ed growled and started shouting obcenities, while Ron left the kitchen, completely ignoring him, and walked out the door. He was expressionless untill he got in the car and put the keys in the ignition. In a fit of pent up anger, he slammed his fist twice against the steering wheel, shouting, "Dammit!". Ron had gotten a paycheck the last time he was in, so the money he had now was all he had, and it wasn't as much as he would have liked. Finding a little amusment in what he said, and did to their faulty hinged microwave, he cooled his temper a bit and started the car for home.

Kimberly reclined on the couch in her pajamas, being that they were warm and cozy, staring at the TV. Any hype that was around during the trial was now gone, and she was particularly happy for this. Back to normal, with just her friends and family to worry about. Being lazy and all was great, but like Craig, she yearned for something more social.

"Hey Julia,", she said, turning to her sister beside her, "you think it'd be alright with mom if I went out for a while?".

"Don't see why not", Julia replied, noticing she wanted to get out of the house for a while.

Kimberly got off the couch and went down to her room, needing to change before she went to grab Sheila to do something. Grabbing a pair of dark blue jeans, and t-shirt, and her thick jacket, she got changed and ready to go. She put on her necklace, but left her bracelet, having sworn herself that she wouldn't take it when she went out with friends. Too risky, she thought. She left her room and went to the front door. "Ma', I'm going out for a while", she told her mother when she got to the front door, since the diningroom table was just to her right.

"Ok Kim. Keep warm", her mother said, looking up from her work with a smile. Kimberly left the house and closed the door quietly, being hit with a sudden chill. "Shit it's cold!", she exclaimed, crossing her arms tightly around her chest, feeling her muzzle getting numb, while she walked down their walkway and driveway.

"Alright, I'll be there in a little bit. See ya'", Craig said to Justin on the phone, wrapping up his calls. He clicked the button on the phone and sat up from his bed, grabbing his silver chain from his dresser to go out. A little group of friends were going to congrigate and it was thanks to Craig they weren't going to be bored as hell. They were going to meet at the park, which was a good ten minute walk for Craig. The park had a skateboard area, so it wasn't such a bad place to go. Craig grabbed a jacket on his way out and stopped at the diningroom table to let his mom know of his plans. "I'm headed out for the park with some friends, I'll probbably be back in a few hours", he explained, while getting his jacket on.

"Everyone's leaving me!", Gina laughed. "Just don't be out a long time", she asked of him caringly.

"You got it", Craig replied, placing the phone back on the hook before he left, out into the bitter cold.

Julia got off the couch and stretched with a yawn, wandering into the kitchen for a glass of water. "What's it like to be thirty-five? Like, having so many experiences, three kids, aging, all those things?", she asked curiously while she filled her glass, since they were the only two left in the house.

Gina lifted her hands from her papers and placed them together underneath her muzzle in thought. "It's just a big adventure. Full of comedy, drama, suspence. You know, I'm really not all that old yet. I guess having a daughter that will be eightteen in three months just makes you feel old", she explained with a small chuckle at the end.

The front door opened and a certain someone they weren't expecting home for quite some time made his way in. Ron closed the door and stood without a word for a moment or two, with the other two looking at him strangely, wondering what was wrong, and waiting for him to say something. "I'm taking a permanent vacation without pay...", Ron said solumnly, looking down a bit.

"What exactly do you mean by that?...", Julia said in a concerned and confused way, afraid of the answer, walking to the end of the kitchen to be near him.

"...I got fired", he sighed.

"Now what the hell for?", Gina inqueried, angry and upset this would happen to him, knowing he was a hard worker.

"They're getting rid of most of the part timers, so I'm unemployed", he answered.

Julia looked sympethetic and approached him, giving him a reassuring kiss on the side of his muzzle. "Go get that monkey suit off, you don't need them anymore", she said, trying to raise his spirits.

Ron chuckled lightly. "Alright. I'll be back in a few minutes", he told her, setting off down the hallway. Her words were reassuring, yes, but he still had the dilemma of lacking a bit of funds for Christmas, and every hour he was unemployed took money away from his plans. He have a deep, but quiet sigh, knowing there was nothing he could do. Once he went into his room, he got changed and placed the red McDon's uniform in the back of his closet and sat down. Taking a peek to his right to see if the door was closed, he moved a box out of the way and pulled out a small one of his own. Lifting the lid, he pulled out a handfull of cash, counting it on the carpet. "One hundred and nine dollars...", he mumbled to himself. It wasn't enough. Not for the kindness he had been given. When it all came down to it, taxes, car insurance, and gas money took most of the money he managed to make away. With that thought, he slapped an open hand to the carpet, suddenly realizing he still needs to pay this month's car insurance. "Dammit to fucking hell", he growled in an angry frustration. When that was paid, he wouldn't have anything left. His parents used to cover his insurance and gas, telling him he wouldn't have to work while he was in school. Thanks to his dad, he had a hard enough time juggling both. Ron was full of pent up rage, unable to stop sneering at anything he looked at, while he thought of all the meaningless work he had put in, and now had no money to get the Trensetters anything. Ron got up and went to his dresser in a huff, grabbing his insurance statement to check the ammount. It read, one hundred and seven. "Two measley fuckin' dollars, whoopy fucking do!", she shouted, throwing the statement across the room, going briskly back to his box and putting the cash into his pocket.

The door popped open and Julia rushed in, uncertain to what was wrong. "Ron, whats the matter?", she asked, while he closed his closet door with a slam.

Ron grabbed his car keys off his nightstand and turned to reply. "Everything. I'm going to my parent's house to show them what I think", he said with a growl.

Julia couldn't stand to see him so angry and upset. "Come on Ron, talk to me about it", she said softly, hoping to get a calming responce.

He stood still and eventually gave a hard sigh, taking a seat on the side of his bed, where Julia quickly joined him. "I have to go pay my car insurance. Since I have no job, it's coming from everything I've saved....there's nothing left..." , he explained sadly.

"You'll be ok, you can do the surprise some other time", she tried to reassure.

"It's not going to work that way...", he said, mumbling in his sadness. She couldn't know about it, and to every fiber of his will, he would do as he planned, and make this Christmas together special. "I'm going to my house now, then I'm stopping to pay my car insurance", he said, getting up off the bed, having made up his mind.

"Alright Ron. Just, you know, take it easy. I'm there for you", she replied, standing up herself and giving him a comforting hug. Ron gave her a smile and set off for his car.

"So Kim, you going anywhere for Christmas?", Sheila asked, while they walked. The two were going to meet Chris at the arcade and hang out for a while.

"Nah. We always stay at home. It's cozier that way", she replied, snuggling her paws into the pockets of her jacket to keep them from freezing.

Sheila noticed Kimberly make a shiver and snickered. "A little nippy?", she teased.

"For some of us", Kimberly smirked back, knowing Sheila wasn't all that cold under her clothes and fur.

Sheila upgraded her snicker to a small chuckle. "Don't worry, fur isn't all it's cracked up to be. Do you know how long it takes to dry after a shower?", she joked, looking over to her friend beside her.

"I would if I actually had any", Kimberly lightly chuckled back.

"Ladies!", called Chris from up the sidewalk, having come from a side street.

"Chris you lazy bastard! You should have been there already!" , Sheila shouted back with a smile.

"Hi Chris", Kimberly greeted once they had came together and continued off to their destination, which wasn't all that far away now. She knew Chris to be a nice guy, and he and Sheila hung out together a lot, making him a big part of the group. He was a light grey with darker patched fur wolf, and by the looks of things sometimes, he has something of a crush on Sheila. Kimberly never says anything, but she knows there is a connection of some sort between the two. The small group continued on their way for a short while, before a couple had stopped them.

"Hello, could you spare a minute?", a woman in her late twenties asked, with her male counterpart beside her, who looked about the same age. They were both German Shepherds, wearing fine clothing, and apparently not minding the cold all that much.

"I guess so", Sheila replied when the three came to a halt, while the two others approached from a side street's sidewalk.

"We're from the Church of Christ. During this time of our lord, we're doing a survey to see what people are doing on the lord's day", the dark furred woman explained.

"How about you start first", the slightly ligher furred male said, making a gesture towards Sheila, being that she was the only one that said anything to them as of yet, making her seem more open.

"Well, I'll be at home with my parents", she replied, finding this question to be strange.

"As will I", Kimberly added in.

"I presume I would be too, sort of", Chris also answered.

"Have you children been saved?", the female then asked, having put her foot in the door.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and made something of a face, unseen by the two. "Many times", she said, trying to act oblivious to the true meaning of her question.

The woman's facial expression changed a bit. "I mean, have you found Jesus Christ?", she was forced to say outright.

"Found him? I didn't know he was lost", Sheila chimed in, barely keeping herself from laughing, while Kimberly and Chris couldn't help themselves.

The female German Shepherd sneered slightly, with a barely audiable growl, keeping her temper in check. "Fine, what religion ARE you three?", she asked without her false cheeryness.

"None", Kimberly answered.

"Not a thing", Sheila then answered, with a smile.

"I'm Jewish", Chris answered last, crossing his arms to signify he wasn't happy with this church crap.

The two German Shepherds gasped. "You're all going to hell!", the man shouted.

"Those who reject Jesus from their life are dammed!", the female quickly followed, pulling a bible from her pocket, into her paws.

"Yeah yeah, whatever", Sheila shrugged off, while the other two just looked angrilly.

"Atheists! Why do you reject our lord?!", the man demanded to know.

"A book about seven headed beasts with crowns and stars that are two miles from earth, and fall was they please, turn me off", Kimberly stated as seriously as she could, being that this was pretty damn funny.

"Quit trying to force your beliefs onto people!", Sheila snapped.

"Just leave us be", Kimberly growled, as she started walking past, beckoning for the other two to follow suit.

"Devil's children!!", the woman shouted. Just then, she shoved Kimberly hard when she went to walk past, in a fit of anger.

Kimberly made a silent gasp, encountering something before she really could finish. Her back slammed up against a hook on someone's fancy lamp post, making all the air she quickly inhaled come out forcefully in a painful yelp. When she had winced foreward at the feeling of having her back gashed, the hook went through her shirt and jacket, having that she fell on it awkwardly. Her feet slipped on the slick grass when her body became stuck on the hook, and she fell foreward, hearing both her shirt and jacket tear, and they both fell to the ground beneath her. Kimberly jumped up and threw her arms around herself with a small yelp when she felt the ice cold air and realized the hook tore straight up through her clothes and had left her body. Sheila winced when she hit the hook and yelped, and quickly rushed to her when her clothes tore off, and Chris jumped infront of the two, baring his teeth.

"That was very un-Christian of you", Chris growled with spiteful anger, sneering hard enough for the world to see his wolf teeth, while Sheila fumbled with her jacket, so she could give it to Kimberly.

Then couple turned and walked briskly down the street, like nothing had happened. "Let's see where you children end up when judgement comes upon you", the female said sternly, never turning or changing pace.

"Kim, you're bleeding!", Sheila exclaimed when she saw her back.

"What e-else is-s new...", Kimberly said, shivering hard from the bitter cold. She was fighting to keep the tears from welling in her eyes, hurt from the cut and the embarassment.

Chris turned around from his sneering, being that the two bible beaters weren't coming back. "Kimberly, are you alright?", he asked the half naked and freezing dragon, who was doing her damnedest to keep herself concealed with her arms. Sheila had gotten her jacket off and draped it over Kimberly's back, since she was hunched over a bit from the cold.

"Don't worry a-a-aaa-bout me", she replied in a studdering mumble, feeling quite embarassed at having a male looking at her right now.

"Chris, could you turn around for a bit please?", Sheila asked of him, so Kimberly might have enough privacy to move her arms.

"Awww, come on", he chuckled with a teasing smirk.

"Do you want her to freeze?!", Sheila snapped, not wanting to delay any further.

"I was only trying to make a joke...", he said solumnly, turning around. "...Sorry", he appologized truthfully once he was looking the other way.

Sheila sighed and grabbed the jacket off Kimberly's back slowly, hoping she wouldn't resist, and looked over her gash, letting Kimberly hold the jacket to protect herself from any sudden wind chills. "The cut doesn't look all that bad, but it's dripping right about now", she said a little quieter, knowing she wasn't in the happiest of moods. Taking a piece of torn cloth from Kimberly's shirt that was still attached to the hook, she wiped the wound and helped her friend get the jacket on. Kimberly was shivering too much to get a few of the buttons, so Sheila had to get a few.

"Aren't you gonna be cold?", Kimberly asked out of concern, seeing her friend in a t-shirt.

"Not as cold as you", she replied sympetheticly. Sheila really cared about Kimberly's well being, after what she had done for her in the past. She was never harmed by her abusive father again, and she got support when she needed it the most.

"Thanks Sheila", Kimberly said with great appreciation, being clothed again once Sheila got the last button. Her teeth were chattering lightly, and she was still pretty damn cold, but liked the fact she at least had something on.

"Ok Chris", Sheila said to let him know it was ok to turn around. "Kim, what do you wanna do?", she then asked.

Kimberly rubbed her paws up and down her arms, tucking her tail in close to her leg to try and warm herself. "Let's keep going", she decided.

"Ok. Chris, lets keep the pace up so we can get her someplace warm", Sheila declared, picking up the ruined shirt and jacket for Kimberly.

"My damn jacket...", Kimberly growled when they started walking down the street at a nice pace. She rubbed her icy cold muzzle with the palm of her wrist, finding that she had been in this weather too long.

Sheila felt really bad. She knew what it was like to be found naked, even though Kimberly was only exactly half as bad. She was very quiet and looked like she felt excluded, looking down at the concrete, and making Sheila worry about what her best friend was thinking.

Within a few minutes of Craig arriving at the park's skateboard section, the other three that were asked to come had arrived. Craig stood, staring out over the waist high railing and watching two different people boarding when they greeted him from behind.

"Hey Craig", his friend Tom, a horse, greeted. He was accompenied by John, another dragon, and of course, Justin. Tom and John brought their boards, being that they had the ability to use them.

Craig turned around from his observing, glad that he wasn't by himself any longer. "I thought I would be last to show up here", he said.

"Craig, you're fuckin' nuts", Justin said while trying to warm himself a bit.

"Ahhh, it's just a little cold", he laughed, though be was freezing his ass off too.

"Cut the crap and let's get a damn bench already. I need to get into my "mental set" before I can board properly", John said outright, slipping into an amusingly intellectual state of mind.

Tom smacked John in the arm. "Yeah right you dumbass", he joked back.

Craig turned his head down the sidewalk to their usual bench. "What the hell is this?...", he murmered, loud enough for the three to hear, causing them to look the direction he was staring as well. "A dragon, sitting out in the freezing cold, at a skate park, reading a goddamn book?", he contemplated out loud, staring at the person idily sitting in their usual bench. "This guy must be a complete loser", Craig remarked, letting his ego swell with the influence that had been bestowed upon him. "Let's make fun of em' and get him out of our bench", he then snickered, finding something that might make him look good infront of his friends.

"I don't know, he looks almost like a rocker to me", Justin informed him, taking a close look at Craig's target.

"Even if he is, I don't know him. So, fuck it", Craig laughed, practicly drowning in his own pride, walking towards the dragon while the other three followed behind.

The dragon made an awkward face, looking up from his book when he noticed four people staring at him, standing just to his right. The book he was reading was "The Lord of the Rings", and he really didn't look at all like the complete nerd Craig was trying to make him out to be, even though he was wearing glasses. He didn't look all that much older then the four, if not the same age. Giving no word, he just glared at Craig as if to say, "What the hell do you want dumbass?".

"Alright loser, get your scrawny ass off that bench", Craig commanded with his glorified authority, trying to make his posture and stance look threatening.

The dragon stared at him for another moment, giving Craig a funny look. "Um, how about no?", he mocked.

Craig sneered at this, having it not been the reaction he wanted. "You're looking for an ass kicking! Who the hell do you think you are?!", he shouted, taking a forceful step foreward, increacing his violent demeanor.

"I'm Matt, who are you supposed to be?", the dragon, now known as Matt, continued to mock. He found Craig to be quite the dumbass for a rocker, or at least too full of himself.

Craig found his current actions to be not phasing the guy, so he decided to step up his hostility and make him leave. With a small, but deep growl, he grabbed a hold of Matt's shoulder, looking to scare him and yank him off the bench. Matt's additude quickly changed, from a happy, mocking expression, to a more forceful one, grabbing Craig's wrist and throwing it off of him.

"Step off", Matt told the egotistic Craig, standing up to display he wasn't going to play his game much longer.

Craig bared his sharp teeth in an angry sneer, clenching his two fists. Without any warning, he decided that he had enough of having his abilities challenged and threw a fast right hook to end this in one blow. Matt catches his fist in his hand and throws it, immidiately snaping his knee into a roundhouse that easily impacted Craig's chest hard. Craig was knocked back a step, feeling a numbing pain in his chest, while completely unsure of where that strength came from. He quickly made a hostile growl and lunged for Matt with a fake left, swaping out for a right uppercut. With a sweep on his feet and a graceful motion of his head, Matt dodged the shot. Craig followed up without thinking, launching a left hook that he hoped would be percieved as a fake. Matt grabbed his wrist, sending it past the side of his head, and did a fast grapple, sending Craig over his shoulder. Craig landed very ungracefully to the ground, with his muzzle barely missing the park bench. To the surprise of those who had been watching, Matt halted his assault in an act of honor. Craig stumbled to his feet in a firey rage of having himself humiliated by someone he had called a loser. Though Matt's abilities were great, Craig wasn't going to let it end this way. In a battle cry, Craig sweeped his feet to Matt's left and looked to slam him hard into the side of his muzzle. Matt grabbed Craig's wrist again with premeditated skill, spinning himself and Craig's arm to his side, holding his arm in a painful hold, just loose enough that he wouldn't break the arm. Craig howled in agony, gritting his teeth hard, refusing to submit.

"You're going to get hurt if you continue", Matt let him know, insisting that he stop. On Tom's beckoning, the three others charged, running directly toward's Matt's frontside. Matt slammed his knee into Craig's gut, to subdue him for the time being, and tossed him aside when the other three were within attacking range. Tom on his left, being the first one to get in range, was the first to attack, throwing a right hook. Matt leaned and the blow missed him, countering with a side kick that sent Tom flat on his back. Having promised that he would help in a fight, Justin launched a straight foreward punch, though he felt this fight was needless and wrong. Matt went from his side kick, straight into a back kick that hit Justin's chest with force, knocking the wind clear out of him before his punch had a chance to hit anything. Having witnessed his comrades fall so easily, John attacked wildly from Matt's middle. Matt acted quickly on his feet, sliding himself back, launching his body into a roundhouse, slamming him in the side of the head. John staggered, dazed from the mind scrambling blow, and Matt saw the best opening, doing a complicated jumping turning roundhouse that sent John clear off his feet, landing on the ground a few feet away. Taking a moment to observe, Matt looked over his fine work, and thanked himself for the long and annoying hours of Tae-kwon-do. While the four, coughed, wheezed, or twitched, Matt shook his head and found his work to be done.

"Well, I told you.....dumbass", Matt mumbled while shaking his head, walking off down the sidewalk with his book.

It took them a little bit, but the four started to come to their feet, growling at the pain. Craig made a sighing growl of his own when he sat up, resting his back against the front side of the bench he fought over. His belly felt bruised, but more importanty to him, his pride. Tom got to his feet and helped John up, who was clutching his head in ache. Once he was on his feet, the two shifted their angry looks to Craig.

"Smart move dick!", John snapped over his pain, angry as hell for the crap Craig put them through.

"Yeah, he was really a loser. Since when do we pick on other people?", Tom said sarcasticly, growling in anger at his second sentence.

Craig wanted to reply, but his teeth were grit to hard together. Matt had done quite a number on him.

"Fuck this man. I'm bleeding and I'm cold", John said in a pissed off way, wiping two lines of blood that was dripping down the side of his muzzle from his mouth, and setting off down the sidewalk with his board.

"I'm leaving too", Tom growled, pissed off at his friend's poor judgement, following behind John on his board.

Justin got up with a hand on his chest, giving Craig a dirty look. "When I said I'd help you in a fight, I was expecting the fight to be about more then your goddamn ego!", he shouted, pissed off too. Justin understood Craig's whole point to the fight, and he knew this was absolutely wrong. Craig acted like a rapper, and that was a crime to humanity. "Guys, wait up!", he called out to Tom and John, running off after them.

Craig had been sitting there recooperating, squeezing his eyelids at his friend's hurtful words. He knew they were right. Craig made a growl that grew in intensity till it was a shout, and slammed his fist against the ground.

Eventually Kimberly made it to the arcade with her two friends. Her condition had gotten worse, and Sheila really noticed her depression. "Chris, Kimberly and I need to have a girl to girl talk, could we meet up with you in a little bit?", Sheila asked of him.

"Certainly", Chris replied while wandering off. Kimberly looked at Sheila sort of sadly, and the two walked to a small bench that was secluded from most everyone else. Kimberly sat down without a word, only welcoming the warmth of the place, and Sheila took a seat beside her.

"There something you wanna talk about Kim?", Sheila asked with a low, quiet tone, trying to be as caring as she could.

Kimberly made a small, barely audiable sigh, while she stared down at the red carpeting. "Where was their god when I was stabbed? Where was he when I was kidnapped?...", she mumbled, looking and sounding very depressed.

Sheila didn't quite understand her friend's ramblings. "Don't let those two whack-jobs mess with your head!", she told her.

"What if I've been wrong, and these things happen to me because I'm a bad person", she mumbled back, with a teary voice. This made Sheila even more desperate.

"Religion isn't the answer to things, and you know that as well as me. You're letting your past haunt you...", Sheila replied quietly.

"Sheila, I've done so many wrong things with my life. I've lied, cheated, stolen, burned, and so many other things. How can I prove that I'm not being punished", Kimberly said with teary eyes, no longer mumbling. She placed her hands on her knees, making herself look so alone, even though she had almost everyone to help her. She was isolating herself, and it hurt to see her that way.

"Kim, what you did for me was the greatest thing anyone has done. You were never a bad person! Sure you made mistakes when you were younger, but you can't let what you have already done affect you so far into the future. You already know that religion is wrong, I know you well enough. This is something a little deeper. You're letting your past hurt you, and you shouldn't let it", Sheila tried to reassure her.

Kimberly made a small sniff and wiped her eyes before they dripped. "That was the most embarassing moment of my life..." , she said with a hint of irritation, seemingly changing the subject.

"I'm sorry for what happened. It's reasons like that, that I don't believe. People like that don't deserve anything", Sheila said a little sadly, feeling sympethetic for what happened.

Kimberly looked over her torn jacket, sad that it had been ruined, especially since she did not have another one. Without warning, she sneezed. "Oh great. I'm sick too", she said in a candid way.

Sheila sighed. "You know you're not being punished for the past. You just feel bad for what you did, thats all. By feeling bad for what you did, that means you're not a bad person. See?", she found to explain, doing it in an upbeat sort of way.

Thinking for a minute, Kimberly made a small smile. "Alright Sheila, I'll be fine. Thanks for the talk", she said. She did feel better, but not completely better. She did have her shirt torn off after all.

"Let's go chill for a while then", Sheila said in a happy way, glad to see she was feeling better, as the two got off the bench to rejoin Chris.

Ron parked his car in his parent's driveway slowly, so they wouldn't hear him pull up. He had not seen his mother since he was kicked out, and hadn't even heard from his father, so he was being careful. If they locked him out before he even got the the door, his words would not be said. Once he walked up the walkway, he took a silent deep breath and grasped the door knob, giving it a slow turn to see if it was locked. It wasn't. Since this was his parent's house and all, he didn't hesitate to open to door and let himself in. He walked inside, closing the door behind him, looking around his home and the warmth that resided in it. So many memories. His parents were nowhere to be found for a few moments, untill his mother appeared from her room, stopping short when she noticed who the person that came inside was. "Ma', we all need to talk", Ron said clearly, allowing the anger of his voice to be passed off as determination.

"Ron, you.....", his mother said, unaware of what to say. Like a bat out of hell, his father came from the doorway behind his mother, slamming his feet down beside her, baring his teeth at his son.

"You're not welcome here. Get out!", he demanded angrily, making it obvious how furious he was, throwing a forceful gesture towards the door.

"I won't! We're going to sit down and talk about things like rational dragons!", Ron replied to his command. He didn't want this hate to go on any further.

"You throw away everything we've given you and you think theres enough rationality left in you to talk about it?!", his father retorted to his words, changing the tone of his voice.

Ron looked down in his worry, finding the determination he had to be just an act. "Dad, I don't want us to be fighting", he said with a low tone. This was painful, and he never wanted to come back like this, but he knew he had to for the good of their family.

"You're just going to have to live with your actions", his father said, crossing his arms.

"Please, I just want to sit down and talk...", Ron said like a plea, hoping for his father to stop being such a stone.

"I have nothing to talk about", he said calmly, showing exactly how comfortable he was with his decisions.

"Honey, please. Hear Ron out. It's been so long since we've seen our boy...", his mother asked of his father, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. His father looked to her and pondered, giving her a look that was half stern and half unsure.

"Please...", Ron asked of his father one last time, looking sad and desperate.

"Hrmph", his dad mumbled. "Fine", he said in a way that tried to signify that his views wouldn't be changed so easily.

"...Thanks", his son said quietly, taking a seat on the livingroom couch. His mother took a seat beside her husband on the other couch to Ron's left, with the two looking to him, expecting him to start. "I don't want us to be this way, not during this time of year. Julia and I are a couple, and we're very happy. It doesn't matter that her family doesn't come from some fancy history of scientists or politicians....we love eachother, and I don't ever want to live without her. I ask of you, to accept your son and his girl the way they are, and not the way you wished they were", he said as heartful as he could muster.

"You're not doing whats best", his father told him.

"Whats best for me is what makes me happy dad. Being perfect isn't the point to life. I'm going to get a great job and be a proud daddy someday....isn't that what you wanted for me in the first place?", he continued in a somber way.

"If you have found your love, I can't change your mind. However, I still don't have to be completely happy with it. I'll accept you two, you made your point, but I think you two will have to prove to me over time that this is as loving and productive as you say", his father explained with a sigh, finally relenting his grudge.

Ron could barely hold the tears in his eyes. "Thank you dad, thank you!...", he said with a smile, clasping his hands together in his lap and looking down. This was everything he had hoped for.

"I knew you two would make up eventually", his mother chuckled, happy to be able to see her son again.

"There's something else I need to ask of you", Ron added, looking up from his lap, seemingly nervous about asking this. His parents looked to him to see what it was, with his dad looking a bit worried to what it might be. "Could you please keep paying off my car insurance till I'm out of school?", he managed to ask.

"Don't you have a job?", his mother said, surprised to why he would ask. His father didn't like it.

"I was fired. They were ditching part time workers, and I'm unemployed. Please, I don't ask this for my own well being. If I pay this month's insurance, I have no money left, and I want to buy gifts for the Trensetters, and you too", he explained.

"I'll write you a check for one hundred and twenty dollars", his mother said with a small smile, feeling happy to help him, since he really did need it.

His father sighed. "We'll bail you out for this Ron, and I guess I can pay for your car till you're out of high school. I do however, expect for you to pay me back with a little help around here and whatnot. You're responcible, so coming here for a bit wouldn't hurt", he answered, making Ron feel very relieved.

"This means a lot to me....", Ron said with a happy smile, glad to have a few things fixed.

Gina tapped her pen against her closed checkbook, contemplating on what to get her daughters, as well as her son and Ron. She wanted to get Craig something very special for christmas, but there was also the problem of being fair to everyone else. Christmas was only seven days away, and Gina was usually finishing her shopping about now, but deciding what to get them all was a toughie.

The door opened and a weak, tired, and dirty Craig wandered inside. Gina looked over her shoulder to find him this way, panting and obviously in some sort of pain. "I fucked up...", Craig quietly growled, upon seeing his mother's worryful gaze.

Gina leaped out of her chair, making it lean on two legs for a moment, barely keeping itself from falling over. She clasped his shoulders in a caring squeeze and looked over him real quick. "Craig, what happened to you?", she asked after finding him to be slightly injured.

"Got in a fight and lost. Nothing new", he growled again, but in a more depressed way.

His mother got him to take a seat at the diningroom table, placing a chair next to her own. She wet a rag and brought it over, wiping a gash on the side of his forehead from her own seat, even though Craig didn't appreciate the panicy mothering her was getting. Gina wasn't going to say anything while she washed the wound and his paws, waiting to see what he himself had to say.

"This was my own fault. I....picked on someone and tried to be a big shot", he painfully explained, looking down at the table while his mother wiped the palm of his left hand with the cloth.

She looked up from what she was doing to talk to him, giving him a disappointed look. "Why would you do that?", his mother asked.

"I let having influence go to my head. The guy I made fun of was a lot stronger then any of us, and my friends got hurt because of me", he explained quietly, being upset with himself.

"I think I understand", Gina sighed. "You were one of those people who others looked up to. Craig, I can't believe you'd do this...", she said, finding herself to be quite saddened.

"Trust me, my friends are giving me enough hell for it....I don't know if I even have friends now", he growled somberly and low, holding his head down till his nose touched the table.

"You're going to have to figure out how to get them to trust you again. Craig, you were careless and stupid to do what you did, but you already seem to accept that. I'm sorry to say it like that, but I don't have a kinder way to put it. You're a good guy, so fix things the way Craig would", his mother said lightly, but clearly. She upped her tone of voice with her last sentence, looking to put her good natured son at ease. He made a big mistake, but his mother had all the faith in him that he could fix it.

Craig sat up and shook his head a bit. "It's not that easy", he said in a sad way. He got up off the chair and went down to the bathroom to shower and go lie down. Gina felt pity for him, especially since there wasn't much anyone else could do for him. She sighed and took a seat on the couch to watch TV, since she was tired of being alone. TV makes for good conversation. It talks to you, and you don't have to talk back.

Sheila and Kimberly had spent much of the time out together, mostly because Sheila wanted to cheer her up. The two laughed and joked, while they watched Chris lose countless game after game. Within a few hours, the trio parted for the time being. Sheila didn't want to break off from Kimberly, but she wanted to be with Chris a little longer, so Kimberly ended up walking home most of the way alone. Her thoughts accompanied her, and they weren't the most welcome company, especially when they don't shut up. She walked with her paws wrapped inside her ruined clothes, since she had to carry them anyway, looking towards the concrete with a blank expression. Her focus was only visible inside her mind, and it was a list of all the things she remembered. Things she did that hurt someone else, or that disappointed herself and her mother. The list continued to grow, as she visualized all the un-nice things she had done in her life, and sneered at herself for managing to do so many evils and arrestable offenses within the short twelve years of her life. She couldn't understand why she was so bratty and selfish, never caring about other people, and as much as she tried to figure it out, she couldn't. Now that she knew of her mother's abusive childhood, she did understand how much she drove her mother to the brink, with the times she had used that ruler and all. Kimberly sighed, making a cloud of vapor in the cold air, before she sneezed again. Once she reached her home, she opened the door to her house, finding the livingroom to be empty, or though she thought. Her mother popped her head up from the couch she was lounging on. She stared at her strangely when she saw the jacket Kimberly was wearing wasn't her own, and the clothes in her hands looked torn.

"Kim, what happened to your clothes?!", she said with confusion, getting up from the couch to get to her daugher. Her girl didn't look like she was happy at all, and her eyes told her of a story of woe.

"Some bible beating lady didn't like that I wasn't Christian and she shoved me....into some fancy-ass lamp post", she said in a low tone, however being clear and showing that she was irritated by whatever happened. Her mother looked over her, finding nothing visibly wrong, other then her daugher's demeanor and ruined clothes. "I landed on a hook of some sort, and it gashed my back...before it ripped off my friggin' clothes...", she continued, putting her arms around herself at that embarassing rememberance. Her mother made a shocked face.

"You were....in this cold?!", Gina began to say in a motherly panic, quickly figuring out what had happened to her.

Kimberly sneezed in reply, adding a choking set of coughs. "And infront of everyone...", she mumbled, looking away embarassedly.

"Holy crap...", her mother mumbled under her breath. "Kimberly, let me see the cut", she asked, curiously concerned to how bad it might be.

Kimberly made a small whine, looking down slightly. "It's not like I'm wearing anything under this", she said rather quietly, blushing a tiny bit.

"Your brother is asleap, it's fine", Gina assured her, waving her into the kitchen while she flicked on the lights. Her daughter sighed, causing her to make a small cough. She followed her mother, and started unbuttoning the jacket. She took it off and her mother took it, so Kimberly arched her back a little over the counter so her mother could look at the wound, leaning on the counter with nervous embarasment. Being seen like this twice in one day wasn't the best of things. Gina took one look at her daughter's back and growled. "I want to beat the crap out of the bitch who did this", she said angrily, getting a bottle of alcohol from the cabinet beside her, as well as a bottle of cold medicine.

"How's it look", Kimberly mumbled, curious to what it looks like now.

"Well, it deffinately needs to be cleaned out. Your back has dried blood smeared on it, and I think you might have stained the inside of Sheila's jacket", she explained, wetting a cloth with the alcohol.

"Hope she doesn't care...", Kimberly said to herself, tapping a finger on the counter.

"I'm sure she won't", her mother laughed, placing the cloth against the gash to clean it out. Kimberly made a small painful growl, with the muscles in her hands tightening, as the alcohol stung while it did it's thing. "I'm sorry this happened to you. Craig didn't have a great time either. He got into a fight and sorta lost", Gina said, trying to keep Kimberly's mind occupied with something other then the alcohol.

"Is he ok?", Kimberly asked concernedly, growling unintentionally from the sting.

"I guess", she sighed back, deciding not to add exactly why he got into a fight. She tossed the cloth aside for now, having had Kimberly's cut and back cleaned, and placed the jacket on the counter next to Kimberly, politely trying to give her privacy. She put her jacket back on while her mother went over the cold medicine's directions with her back turned. Kimberly didn't bother to button the jacket, as it worked just fine being pulled closed. "Two teaspoons", her mother suddenly declared after reading the back of the bottle. She filled two teaspoons and fed her both, with Kimberly gagging a little after each, since it wasn't the best tasting. "Go get warm and comphy and relax for a while. I don't want you sick for Christmas", her mother said lovingly, sympethetic for what happened to her today.

"Alright", she replied, setting off for her room. Julia was lying on the bed when she walked in, reading a magazine and listening to her portable CD player. She took off her headphones upon her arrival.

"Hello Kim. What's with the jacket?", she greeted, asking about the forign jacket. "And why aren't you wearing anything under it?...", asked awkwardly, noticing a bit of green skin towards the lower middle of the jacket, since it wasn't buttoned.

"I'll tell the story as soon as I get my pajamas back on", she said with a sneeze, once she got to the closet.

Everyone had stayed inside for the rest of the day, having found this one to be a little depressing. Ron had paid off his car insurance and came home with a smile that overjoyed Julia. Now that she thinks I have no money, she won't even expect what I'm doing!, Ron chuckled excitedly in his head once he hid the money in his closet. Kimberly fell asleap once she got comfortable and got into her side of the bed, after she finished talking to her sister. Julia quietly left once she was sleeping, feeling very sad for the embarassment she went though. She was pretty upset, and Julia knew her mind wasn't as the greatest of ease. Craig woke up around six fourty after he rolled onto his stomach and put all that pressure on the deep bruise that went across his stomach. He wanted to damn that Matt guy for his suffering, but it wasn't in his ability to point the finger at the undeserving person. Gina made dinner late at seven so she wouldn't disturb the two sleepy dragons, but Julia ended up having to wake Kimberly anyway. She was starving, so she could have really cared less that she was woken up. Dinner was quiet, even though Ron, Julia, and Craig talked about the fight and what happened to Kimberly for a bit. Kimberly didn't say a word during this, being that she was too tired and embarassed about it to think of it any longer. Her other thoughts decided to plague her in the meantime. Craig didn't explain exactly why he was in a fight either, even though Ron had asked. He blew off the question and somewhat changed the subject. His mother looked at him a bit since she noticed this, but wasn't about to say something herself.

Kimberly and Julia were the first to go to bed. Julia had been bored a good part of the day, and Kimberly was just tired. Kimberly decided she had worn those PJs long enough, and swaped them out for the usual T-shirt and underwear, since she had two blankets anyway. The two didn't speak while they got into bed, and this made Julia a little concerned, so she looked to spark a short conversation before they went to sleep.

"Hey Kim, are you ok?", she asked in a loving sort of way. Kimberly was too quiet, and Julia took this as a big sign things were not right.

Kimberly didn't quickly reply, but did within a moment. "I hate mean people", she sighed on a serious note.

"I do too", Julia replyed with a smile in the darkness of their room.

"So you hate me too?", Kimberly said suddenly, speaking lightly.

Julia rolled over, surprised by this strange question. "Of course not! Never. Why would you think that?", she asked on a serious note herself.

Kimberly thought for a moment. "It's nothing Jul. I'll be ok. Thanks for worrying about me", she said a little more upbeat, not wanting to continue that conversation.

Julia didn't understand, and she knew she wouldn't no matter how hard she tried. Kimberly went through something horrible today, so maybe she was just upset, she thought. Kimberly and her had become much more close over the past month, and she tried her best to look out for her. She finally became the model sister she should have been long ago, and Kimberly appreciated having someone she could share her feelings and thoughts with. One night, Kimberly told her that she had finally grown up. Julia didn't know if she should take that as an insult or a compliment, so she just took it like a compliment and the two laughed and talked for hours. Julia saw how bright and kind her sister really was, once they found that bond. What Kimberly had said a moment ago really confused her, and she didn't know what it meant. They would usually talk about their day, gossip, and joke before they fell asleap, but she was just quiet. Even when she was angry or sad, she would actually talk more about her problems and in great detail. Never before had she closed the door to her mind to her, and Julia lied there in the darkness with her eyes open for a while, just trying to figure if she herself had done something wrong to make Kimberly angry. Her worries suddenly disappeared, when sleep liberated her mind.

Craig's liberation on the other hand wasn't so easy to come. He had a hard time sleeping, so he sat up on the side of his bed and moved the curtain of his window open with his hand, so that he may gaze into the moon's glow. Like the others, his mind was too plagued with uncertainty. It was far from his nature to do what he did today, and began to feel grateful to Matt for showing him a few things. Friends weren't tools, and Craig was far from ashamed to think of them as impressible objects. Justin was his best friend beside Ron, and he was sad to have hurt someone to important to him. There was a possiblilty that no one would want to be his friend after this, since winning back friendship is harder then gaining it in the first place. Justin helped him through a few tight spots when it came to friends and such, so now he was alone in fixing this. Craig wanted to say he's sorry to all his friends, and even Matt for the atrosity he caused and acted out. Picking on someone was wrong, and Tom's words stuck with him. Since when do we pick on other people? Craig wanted an answer to that question, but still didn't even understand why the question had to be asked in the first place. Craig returned his hand, allowing his curtain to flutter back to it's normal position, and lied back down in his bed, staring into the ceiling, wondering what Matt and his friends thought or said of him now.

Kimberly was baffled by the surroundings around her, for there were none. The ground was a cool gravel, appearing to look like marble. Even it's touch sent the notion of impurity through Kimberly's legs. She could not see far, because of the black shroud that enveloped the plain she stood upon. The sky looked of dark black clouds, but they were completely motionless, giving Kimberly the sense of death. Her concious mind made the full transition to the nightmare, and she was able to see it as one. Possibly from her own memories, a figure begun taking form from the shroud of black infront of her. The person tread lightly, making little sound against the marble-like gravel, though the gravel jumped and bounced wildly, like the soft steps were shaking the very foundation of this dark plain. Kimberly took a defensive posture, afraid of who the dark figure that was walking through the shroud might be. The sound of the gravel being stepped upon grew, along with Kimberly's tention. When the figure made it to the wide circle that was not enveloped in darkness, it's shape became defined and it's colors apparent. Kimberly was frightened by the person, just because she didn't understand. The person, born from darkness, came before her with a blank look that could swallow light. The person, was Kimberly. Kimberly stood before a mirror image of herself, dressed in unfamiliar clothing, that was darker and more clad then her own. Have she no shame?

"Who are you", Kimberly growled in an angry fright, demanding to know the identity of her oddly dressed copy, who showed enough skin to be a demon's harlot.

"I am you", she replied with an emotionless voice, staring blankly into Kimberly's face, with a faint look of childish innocence. Kimberly bared her teeth at the girl, feeling weight within her chest. The girl's persona was that of an afflicted one, though she was not. Her evil aura was her own. She raised her right paw up to muzzle height, and curiously examined the palm and back of her hand. "One hand can hurt so many", she said as emotionless and blank as before.

Kimberly made a quick but sharp growl at her dark and shameless replica. "Why are you saying this?", she grumbled in a frightened way.

The girl opened her hand and arched it upward, creating a small torch-like fire above it. The ball of fire flickered and burned wildly, almost like it was afraid. "I burn things", the blank childlike voice said, as she stared into the flames.

Kimberly clenched her fists and squeezed her eyelids, facing downward and away from this being. "Stop it...", she demanded with a quiet voice, still growling in fear.

"I do bad things because I enjoy it", the girl continued, lowering her hand and allowing the flame to flicker out of existance.

"Stop it!", Kimberly shouted, afraid of what she was saying.

"Can you not face yourself?", the dark girl asked in a child- like voice, firm and mocking.

"You can't be me! You're not real!", Kimberly shouted, getting angrier in her fright and panic. Telling herself again and again it's a dream, she growled and extended a hand as she did with Derek Ramos. "Leave me alone!!", she screamed in a panic, firing a wave of energy from her hand that destroyed Derek in her last nightmare. The girl stood as blank as she was before and extended her hands foreward a split second before the beam impacted. The force of the wave made a slam against her hands, blowing gravel all around. Within only a few seconds, the beam ceased, and the dark girl stood before Kimberly with her hands still outstretched. Some of her fingers were charred and broken, and blood poured from her hands to the ground. Kimberly gasped with a shock to her chest, making it feel even more heavy, as the fear hit hard.

The dark Kimberly raised the palms of her paws to a good visual level and she looked at them with a look of slight happiness, making a very small smile, as the blood poured down her arms and gushed to the gravel below. "Blood is like hate...", she said in the same emotionless voice she had been using. "You're full of it. It consumes you. Without it, you're nothing. I am you", she said, making Kimberly cringe in anger, as well as overwhelming fear.

"Shut up...", Kimberly growled in rage, practicly under her breath, feeling tears welling in her eyes.

"I am darkness, pain, and suffering. My name is Kimberly", she said, extending her arms to her sides. Her hands glowed and she brought her paws back infront of her to look upon them. Her fingers were repaired, and only a little blood remained. She closed her left fist and extended her index and middle finger together, slowly licking the blood off of them. Kimberly could barely watch, with a tear of panic rolling down the side of her cheek. The demonic girl placed the fingers in her mouth just as slowly, and sucked off any blood that may have remained.

Kimberly made a deep and low growl, that suddenly became a scream. "I don't want to hurt people!!", she shouted sharply, running towards the dragon. She started punching the girl in the muzzle and nose for a few moments, before she realized the dark girl wasn't even flinching.

The demonic girl begun laughing, making Kimberly step back slowly with a face of terror. "See? You like hurting people", she mocked.

"No!..", Kimberly shouted back with a teary and panicstricken voice, unable to be sure the evil Kimberly was wrong.

"I am stronger then you. It's no use. I am you", she said blankly, suddenly raising her right hand high when she finished. A rock pillar flew down from the sky and impacted Kimberly's torso with a pointed end, blasting itself through. Kimberly flew several feet before the pointy end that was sticking out her back dug itself into the gravel. Her body was hung on the rock, with only her feet and hands reaching the ground. She had screamed so loudly as she was blown off her feet by the force of the rock's end going through her body. As soon as she stopped, she felt blood gushing from her chest and stomach, as well as out her back. It was dull and numb, but Kimberly felt pain and a sudden moment of mortal terror, before she was cut off from that plain.

She awoke with a loud gasp, still feeling a numbing pain in her body and grasped her tummy to see if she was alright.

"Kim?...Kimberly, are you alright?", Julia began to mumble, but straigtened out when she had fully woken up. She rolled over and placed a hand on her upper arm to try and calm her a bit, since Kimberly was panting and panicing from her nightmare.

Kimberly found that she was alright, and calmed herself at the reassurance of her sister. She was breathing hard and panting, like she had fought for her life. Moving her arm, she wiped her wet eyes and coughed a few times, making a sigh at the end. "I'll be ok...", she whispered to Julia.

"What happened? Was it Derek again?", Julia asked in all concern, rubbing her hand into Kimberly's arm.

Kimberly trembled slightly as she calmed herself further. "No...it was someone worse", she replied quietly.

Julia was more worried about her sister now. "Worse them him?! Please Kim, tell me what's wrong", she exclaimed, nearly begging Kimberly to let some weight of her chest.

Kimberly took a few more deep breaths while she thought about it a bit. "Maybe tomorrow....I don't know, I just can't talk about it now....I don't feel good", she answered with fearful uncertainty.

Julia sighed and rolled back over. "Ok Kimberly. Just try and get a good night's sleep now", she said caringly, not wanting to push her when she didn't need it. Kimberly always hated being interrogated, and her sister was going to respect her wishes.

"G'night Jul...", Kimberly said exhaustedly, nuzzling her muzzle back into the pillow, while she pulled the covers back up to their correct height. Her mirror image's words stayed with her, and she fell back asleap while she thought about them over and over.

Ron woke up groggily with a yawn and a stretch in his bed, while finding his pillow had fallen to the floor in his sleep. After lying there for a minute, he returned the pillow and got dressed. He wanted to leave to do some of his Christmas shopping before anyone got up. He was pretty sure they would be awake by the time he got back, but hiding gifts should be easy. He also had to go to his parent's place afterwards, so maybe he could stash them there for a while. It was nine, so he quickly grabbed his keys off the dresser and got the money from his closet, then set out for Target. Ron still had no clue what to get anyone, but browsing around should give an idea.

Kimberly woke up as soon as Ron left, unable to sleep anymore. Yesterday's thoughts, and the night's trip to horror, flooded her mind with fright, worry, and sadness. She hated herself for what she's done, and did not know how to deal with the guilt any longer. Kimberly was scared to no end, wondering if that nasty replica of herself was actually a physical form of her evil side. I am you, she remembered loud and clear. I am stronger then you, came next. Kimberly wanted to hit something as hard as she could, but didn't want to wake her sister. The anger and guilt that had built up, she could no longer take. After she slipped out of bed, she got dressed and put on her shoes and Sheila's jacket. She left the house without telling a soul, and set off to find some sort of guidance.

Julia however, was woken up by the front door, and looked over her shoulder to find her sister not there. "Kim?...", she mumbled. Thinking nothing of it, she snuggled herself back into the pillow for another hour of sleep, figuring she was only watching TV.

Kimberly coughed a few times, and sniffled a bit from her cold, making irradic puffs of cool vapor in the air. The clouds were as dark and dreary as the day before, and it had gotten a few degrees colder. It was going to snow soon, and she could feel it in her painfully numb muzzle. She put her paws into Sheila's jacket's pockets, and pressed them against her body to stay warm. There was a slight breeze, and it made the air around her colder then ice. The weather was tolerable, even in her sickness, because her mind was too occupied with the storm within. It was a Sunday, and Kimberly saw people gathering at one of their local Catholic churches, seemingly happy to be getting out, even in the weather. She got an idea, and thought about it for a moment. Kimberly walked down the short roadway to the large church, glad to get out of the cold, since she had walked quite a ways by now. As expected the inside of the church was warm and welcoming, as she saw a few families that had arrived early, talking with eachother. Knowing a little bit about such things, Kimberly found a confession booth and quietly entered. Seeing a closed slide, covered by a screen, she bit her lip nervously and gave a gentle knock. The pannel slid open, and the voice of an aged man, who looked something like a badger through the screen, replied to her.

"What have you come to confess today?", asked the caring voice, that put a few of Kimberly's nerves to ease. She was not religious at the least, but maybe this was a good place to ask of her problems.

Kimberly cleared her throught, since her cold had gotten a little worse. "Um...hello sir", she greeted nervously, knowing not what to say.

The man chuckled. "My child, people usualy say, oh father forgive me and whatnot", he laughed playfully. "You don't seem familiar", he had said, curious to this person.

"I'm not really here to confess anything....I have something I thought you might be able to answer for me", she said.

"Oh? What can I do for you then", he asked with apparent happiness. The man was of gentle voice and a deep care, making this a lot easier for her.

Kimberly thought for a few moment before she began. "All throughout my life, I've done bad things and caused harm....I feel guilty for all the things I've done. I've stolen from my brother, sister, mother....set a fire in our house....lied, disobeyed....all sorts of things that scare me that I've done...", she tried to explain, speaking softly.

"God forgives everyone for their mistakes if you ask", he replied as softly as Kimberly had spoken, seeing she was upset by some things.

"Oh, no no father...I'm not here that...", she spoke with a nervous fear, afraid of speaking the things in her mind. "I don't know what to do with my guilt. I want to make things up to people, set things right, but....I'm afraid of the things I've done to hurt those I care about, because I don't understand a lot of things. No one points blame or distrust on me, even after what I've done to my family....and I can't live with myself any more. I want to....umm...repent, as you would say", she explained difficultly, trying to put the pain in her mind into words.

"That does sound like a difficult problem....", he spoke lightly, thinking about all of it. "I have seen many people and the things they've faced. The best thing to do is tell the people you feel guilty for harming that you're sorry, and be there for them. The past cannot be repaired, so there is very little you can do but go on. You seem like a kind girl, and maybe feeling bad about childhood memories is a part of growing up. As long as you never wanted to hurt intentionally, or decieve knowing you would greatly harm others, there's nothing wrong. Just do your best child! Though you cannot work on the past, the future is wide open", he said like a glorious speech, pulling from his memories and faith.

"Thanks a lot sir", Kimberly said appreciatively, getting off her seat.

"Glad to be of help", the man said with a happy note, closing his slide. Kimberly opened the door and closed it gently, setting off for home, thinking about what he had said. It made perfect sense, but something bothered her. As long as I never wanted to hurt or decieve....she didn't know if she was that clean. She had hurt people before in different ways, be it physical or mental, and she wasn't sure if she did some of it on purpose when she was younger. That gave her enough cause to say she did. And to add, she knew she did nothing but lie when she was eight, nine, and ten. Anything to cover up something she did, even if she had already been caught. She swore she would make it up to her family and those who had harmed, but the things the man suggested, she had already done. He was much help, but Kimberly was still unsure of exactly how "kind" she really was. Even though the past couldn't be changed, the guilt felt like it couldn't be changed either. Kimberly would do anything to set things right for the evils of her past, but she still pondered if it even was her past. Maybe it was her present, and growing into the future. Could it be, that she couldn't balance the evil out with good, no matter how hard she tried? The demon of her dream was frightening and horrid....and it's name was Kimberly. Kimberly sneered for a moment, showing the tips of her teeth, making a little feeling return in her cold muzzle. Damn being hairless, she suddenly thought, interrupting the less welcome thoughts. She then sneezed twice, wiping the end of her nose and giving a nasaly sniff. While she walked, she looked around longingly, wishing she was home and not alone. A sudden snowflake landed on her muzzle, and she crossed her eyes to look at it. She looked up and saw a mass of glittery snowflakes, slowly making their decent to earth. There wasn't many snowflakes now, but there would be more later. Kimberly upped her pace a little bit, tired of the bitter cold, and gave a shiver when she started. She eventually made it home, with her legs aching from the walk and the cold. When she walked up her driveway to her door, she could have sworn that her muzzle had frozen, damming her lack of hair once again. She popped open the front door to her house, exhausted and freezing, and could barely wait to take a hot shower. By the time she had closed the door, her mother had hurried to her from the kitchen and her brother had sat up on the end of the couch, looking over.

"Kimberly! You've had me worried sick!", her mother shouted, not knowing if she was angry or relieved.

"I didn't mean to startle anyone...", Kimberly replied in a low, quiet voice, looking into her mother's eyes.

"You're already sick, and you went out in this weather?! Without telling anyone where you were going or that you had even left?!", Gina shouted, not knowing what the hell was wrong with her daughter to do this. Kimberly lowered her head a bit, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry Kim, but you're grounded", she said lightly with a sigh.

Kimberly's head quickly popped back up with a look of unwelcome surprise. Craig piped up in sympathy for her, saying, "Aww, come on mom. It's almost Christmas!".

Gina shook her head softly. "If you left without telling me, I wouldn't let you go out either. It's only fair", she said solumnly. "You're grounded for a week", she told Kimberly.

"A week?!", she snapped, upset about it.

"Unless I decide to shorten it, you're not allowed out of the house. Behave yourself and I'll let you go on Christmas-eve day, alright?", Gina continued, trying to hide the sympathy she felt, even though her voice was too caring to hide all of it.

Kimberly made a soft, sad growl, along with an expression that she sure wasn't happy with it. "I'm getting in the shower...", she sighed with apparent irritation in her voice. She quickly turned and went down the hallway to the bathroom, upset with her mother's decision.

Gina sighed sadly. "I at least wanted her to take some more cold medicine...", she said towards Craig.

"I think she's pretty mad", Craig tried to figure.

"It's her own fault though. Rules are rules. She might be mad at me, but she'll get over it quick. I only care about her...", she replied, being a little somber.

For Ron, his shopping morning went well. The time was now eleven-ten, and he had found something for Craig and Julia. He had to think a bit on whether to get what he did for Julia, but he decided it would most likely make her happier then anything. Gina and Kimberly were a little harder, since he didn't know what Gina would need or what Kimberly would like. That required a little recon, as Ron joked to himself earlier. He pulled his car into his parent's driveway, ready to do whatever his dad wanted done. This wasn't the most pleasant way to get back on his good side, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Hello", he greeted simply, once he went inside. His mother was in the kitchen and his father was sitting on the couch with a newspaper. He left the two gifts in the car, since they could be easily concealed for him to bring in the house, and didn't have to keep them here. "Anything I can do for you today?", he asked, sort of wishing his father didn't have anything.

"Ummm...", he mumbled, trying to jump start his train of thought. "Change the lightbulb in the garage, I don't feel like getting out the ladder in this cold....", he said, lifting his newspaper back up.

"Lazy bastard...", Ron said under his breath, so no one would hear. "That it?", he decided to ask.

"Guess so", his father replied, making Ron a little happy. Ron went into the garage, and quickly began hating the cold. He rushed the job as fast as he could, getting the ladder from the front of the garage and a bulb from a cabinet in back. The tip of his tail was the first to go numb, and he screwed in the bulb while thinking about the light snow that had begun to fall shortly ago. Once the ladder was back in it's place, he went back into the house.

"Alright, I'm done", Ron declared, having a fresh lightbulb in place as asked.

"Good, good", his father mumbled from his newspaper.

"Would you like cup of hot chocolate hun? I started a kettle once the snow began to fall", his mother asked, getting a laugh.

Ron didn't want to stay really, but his mother asked too nicey. "Sure", he replied to her, begining his trek to his diningroom table. There was a knock at the door, that made him turn and stop suddenly. "I'll get that", Ron announced, knowing his father wasn't about to get up. When he opened the door, he made a surprised face at who it was.

"Hey Ron, I thought you'd be here", Julia said with a smile, finaly able to see him today.

Ron looked behind him nervously, wondering what his parent's reaction was. He had never told Julia the real reason his parents kicked him out. His father looked at him strangely, and Ron didn't understand what the look was supposed to mean, but his mother on the other hand, actually spoke.

"Hi Julia, come on in and have some hot chocolate with us!", his mother called from the kitchen, pulling down a third mug.

Ron felt a little relieved after getting her an invitation. "Come on in Jul", he said happily, beckoning her inside. She did, and the two went and had a seat at their diningroom table with his mother.

"You've been out all day, what have you been doing?", Julia asked, curious to how his day's been.

"I changed a lightbulb a few minutes ago, and the rest is a secret", he smirked.

"Secret?..", she said lightly. She knew he had been hiding something for a while now, with the money and all that, but it was always a secret. She thought he had no money now, so why is there still a secret? A notion of foul play went through her head, and she quickly tried to dismiss it.

"So, how's things with you?", Ron's mother asked Julia, once she sat down and passed out the mugs.

"Great. We're looking foreward to a cozy Christmas, especially with Ron joining the four of us", Julia replied with a little smile, trying to make things look good, since Ron had just been accepted back into his own family again.

Craig sat in the center of his bed, staring at the phone he held in his hand. He wanted to try talking to one of his friends, but he couldn't find the courage to do it. Knowing it was pointless to continue harping over it, he sighed and walked out of his room, placing the phone back on it's charger. Once he did that, the front door opened and Ron and Julia came in from the cold.

"I'm home!", Ron said happily, already tired from running around all morning.

"As am I", Julia said with a strange accent, trying to be funny.

Craig thought for a minute, and got an idea that didn't make him as nervous as a phone call. "Hey ma', could I take the car to the cafe? I'd only be a little bit", he asked over his shoulder, to his mother on the couch.

"Sure thing", she replied while channel surfing. Craig tossed on his shoes and jacket in his room, and went back to the livingroom to grab the keys.

"I'm going to try and talk to Justin, so hope I won't be out too short or too long", Craig said to his mother a little quieter then normal once he got the keys from the counter, and saw that no one else was around.

"I can do that", Gina chuckled. "Good luck", she then wished him, since she didn't like seeing her son in such a predicament.

"Thanks", he sort of chuckled back, heading out the door.

Ron had went back to his room with Julia, even though Ron had been a little worried, since he had put the two gifts in his pant pockets, and they were quite noticible if his shirt rode up. They talked of things, getting a few laughs, while Ron ditched his shoes. When she turned her head for a moment, Ron slipped the gifts out of his pockets and put them underneath the bed so they could be moved later. Once she turned her head back, she was met with a passionate kiss, as Ron leaned her onto the bed and moved his hand down her side, onto her thigh. Julia giggled and rubbed his back affectionately. The two continued intimately, before Julia suddenly pulled away and asked him to stop. Being respectful, though confused, he got off of her and planted his feet back on the carpet.

"What's wrong? Usually it's you who wants to rough-house", he said with concern, trying to be slightly humorous though his voice didn't say so.

Julia sat up on the side of the bed. "I dunno...I guess I just don't feel up to it right now", she said as an excuse.

Ron sighed in relief and smiled. "Oh alright, sorry about that then. I thought you would have appreciated that", he said happily, getting a chuckle from his last sentence. He cared about her a lot, so he was really respectful of her wishes.

Julia giggled again slightly. "Just not how", she said with a smile, getting up from the bed. "I'm going to my room for a bit, I'll see you in a few, ok honey?", she said affectionately, running a finger across Ron's muzzle as she walked by. Once she left, Ron pulled the two gifts from under the bed and placed them in his hiding spot in the closet. He thought about Julia's decline to a little foreplay, and he knew that wasn't usually like her. Though, if she felt ill or tired, Ron wasn't about to blame her.

Julia walked down to her room, feeling bad and strange for what she just did. Getting intimate with her mate was one of the things she loved most, but she just felt nervous, though she didn't want to be. She dismissed the idea of foul-play earlier, but the idea wouldn't leave her mind. Being untrusting of her mate made a sour taste in her mouth, after she knew of all the wonderful things he had done. The secrecy and awkward behavior he had been showing was giving her unwanted doubts. It wasn't like him to make a move like that, that was as intense as that was, and she found it strange he backed off so easily. He showed just as much love as always, maybe even more, so Julia figured maybe that was why she felt this way, trying to come up with indiscrepencies that may or may not exist. Julia quickly shook her head at her own thoughts and pushed open her ajar door, finding Kimberly in bed with her species book, without the happiest of looks. "Kim, you came home while I was out!", she said sort of happily, being that she was the one who alerted her mother to her disappearance. Kimberly made a sound of aknowledgement, turning the page she was on. "What happened? Where did you go?", she then asked curiously, removing her shoes and jacket.

"I got grounded for a week, that's what happened", Kimberly growled slightly with a sad sigh of self-pity.

"You know better Kim", Julia chuckled, remembering Kimberly's remarks about how she acted more mature then she did. "But why did you leave like that?", she asked with more curiosity.

"I have a lot on my mind, and I had to go ask someone about what I should do", she replied in a quieter tone.

Julia gave her a funny look. "You should have asked me Kim, I'm always there for you", she replied to her affectionately.

Kimberly slowly closed her book and took a deep breath, letting it out as a low sigh. "This wasn't something I could have", she said in a low voice. Since Kimberly's problem involved Julia and the rest of the family, she could speak of it. Maybe she was scared of what they would say, if she brought up all the things she had done in the past.

Julia watched her with worry and took a seat next to her on her own side of the bed. "Kim, you've been really closed for the past while now, and you actually got yourself into trouble after how long? Something is very wrong, and you need to talk to me Kim, please...", Julia practically begged.

Kimberly made a small noise again, apparently pondering. "Julia, I'm sorry for all the mean things I ever said or done to you. Right now, I....I'm ashamed of how much I've hurt everyone I care about", she said at almost a whisper, while Julia moved closer to comfort her.

"Of course I forgive you, I did a while back when you changed into someone so nice and loving", Julia said as caringly as she could, trying to understand why this was bothering her sister.

"The person who burned stuff all over the house, cussed at you, hit you, stole from you....her name was Kimberly. There is no difference...", she whispered, growing more upset with her guilt.

"Now that's where you're wrong", Julia said with a smile, giving her sister a poke on the muzzle. "Of course there's a difference! You're so nice and loving to everyone, and it's pretty much thanks to you I'm not such a bitch anymore!", she admitted with a laugh, putting her arms around Kimberly. "It sucks to see you so sad about things that happened long ago. Tell me Kimberly, would you do any of those things you just said now?", she said caringly, asking her a vital question.

Kimberly looked at her with wet eyes, thinking about what she said. "No...I wouldn't do that to you...", she whispered, giving a sudden sob and a tear. "You don't resent me at all? I've done the most horrible things, and you love me like I never did those things?...", she said with her teary voice.

"Of course Kim! Don't cry on me now. All of us are proud of you, and the only thing that you do that'll make us sad is when you're sad. Trust me Kim, you've changed a lot, and the simple fact you're sorry and upset by all of it just proves it!", Julia said as warm and loving as she could, actually feeling her own eyes get a little watery.

"But what about the rash things I do? I torched a boat and ruined a wedding, and that wasn't too long ago...", Kimberly added.

"You did what you thought was right, and no one disagrees with you. Sheila was being beaten like our own mom was at her age, and what you and mom did that evening changed Sheila's life! You did her entire life a wonderful service! As for Eliza, you stood up for your family and ruined the plans of something you saw wrong. Kimberly, are you scared that you're a mean person still?", she explained, getting a sudden notion.

Kimberly gave another sob, with her eyes irritated from the accumulation of tears in them, and gave a solumn nod.

Julia smiled and took the bed sheet, wiping her sister's eyes with it. "I think you should come talk to mom, she's worried about you too", she suggested, getting ready to get out of bed upon her sister's approval.

Kimberly gave a few soft coughs. "I wanna talk to her alone....well, if thats ok", she said a little less painfully as before.

"Sure. Mom's in the livingroom alone. Go on", her sister said with a welcoming smile, happy to see the genrally joyful girl feeling better.

Kimberly slipped out of bed and returned the smile. "Thanks Jul, you have no clue what this means to me", she said with a shaky lip, before he left the room. Once she got to the livingroom, she took a seat next to her mother, who looked over surprisedly that she was there. Gina thought Kimberly would still be pretty pissed about being grounded. "Ma', Julia and I have been talking, and I need to talk to you too", she begun.

"Go ahead Kim", her mother said with curious concern.

Kimberly, though difficultly, explained everything she and Julia had said. She knew of no other way to explain it directly, so she repeated their conversaion, word for word. "I'm really sorry for leaving the house this morning, I wasn't thinking. I went to some church, and went to a confession booth to ask what I should do.....I've been crushed by guilt, thinking of how much harm I've caused this family, and I couldn't figure out if it was even possible to make it up", she said, begining to cry halfway through.

Gina hugged her daughter tight, and Kimberly cried softly against her chest. "Oh Kim, I don't even think about those things anymore. You've been so bright and happy, I wouldn't have survived things without you. It was because of you I stood against my mother, and Julia was completely right....you've done so much good for the world, even if you haven't seen it. We owe things to you, not the other way around...", she explained to her, with the upmost motherly care.

"I love you....all of you", Kimberly sobbed happily, unable to bear the love she just shortly ago didn't think she deserved.

Gina let go of her, and looked into her eyes, seeing only purity, and the Kimberly she knew. "You're not grounded anymore. I guess that was just a lapse of judgement, could have happened to anyone", she said with a smile, giving a shrug that made Kimberly laugh.

"I'm giving Sheila back her jacket, then I'm coming back to spend my day with my family", she chuckled, giving her mother a parting kiss and leaving for her room to get the jacket. Gina leaned back into the couch, knowing she had a fine young lady for a daughter, who was actually growing up faster then her body could handle it so seemed. She was proud of Julia and Craig as well, since Julia was now a model adult and Craig learned how to fix his problems a little better. She chuckled in her mind, and gave herself a mental pat on the back for nearly eightteen years of sucessful parenting.

Craig threw his keys to his pocket while getting out of the car, closing the door. He was trying to act upbeat and carefree, though he knew he was shaking nervously while trying. He wandered inside as usual, finding the place to have a little fewer people then usual, since he didn't often come at this time of day. As he knew, Justin was, and he was sitting upon his stage playing his guitar, giving him a look when he walked in. Craig could feel Justin's eyes piering his soul, even whe he looked away, acting like he didn't know.

"Heya Craig. The usual?", James asked Craig when he noticed his arrival at the bar.

"Yeah", he replied sort of somberly, slipping two singles across the bar. While he went back to get his vanilla coke, Craig pulled his nerves together from his lust to fix this thing, and got off the stool, walking over to Justin. He stopped a little ways from his platform, returning a light appologetic look to his old friend's stare.

"Want something?", Justin asked with an obviously angry tone.

"Yeah man, lets talk about this", Craig said to the best of his ability, keeping his voice low and light as a feather.

"You know what they say, you can't always get what you want", Justin said in a carefree way, continuing his string plucking.

"Justin, don't do this to me....I'm sorry for being an ass, but I can't live knowing one of my bestest friends is pissed with me...", he said truthfully, hoping his friend would concider. Justin stopped his song and suddenly began playing some sad song to mock Craig, giving a smirk all the while. "Please?...", he said as a plea, giving his friend one last chance before he gave up.

Justin paused and placed his guitar beside him within a moment. "Alright", he relented, pointing towards the bathroom hallway so they'd be able to talk without evesdropping. Craig walked down there with Justin, feeling even more nervous, now that they were going to actually talk. "So I'm guessing you figured out you were an asshole?", Justin told him as soon as thet stopped, refering back to Matt and the park.

"Yes yes, I know how I acted", he replied somewhat embarassedly. "I was trying to be a big shot and it backfired", he admitted for the record.

"Uh-huh...and?", Justin beckoned him to continue.

"Well, I'm sorry for getting you and the others hurt for no reason....I want to put this behind me....", he went further with a sigh at the end.

"Can's always get what you want Craig, and this happens to be one of those times", Justin replied sternly, making Craig's body tense with sadness. "Didn't I say Matt looked like a rocker? Well guess what show-off! He is!", he growled spitefully. Craig's expression looked confused, like it didn't know if it was angry, sad, or pathetic. "A whole bunch of people here know him, and they don't exactly like you anymore once they found out", he kept going, speaking mockingly, that really did make Craig feel angry.

"Dammit...", he growled deeply and solumnly.

"No, damn you!", Justin retorted with emphisis, unintentionally baring some of his dragon teeth in his angry yelling. "You fucked up, and you'll have to live being a failed big man!", he shouted angrily, throwing a finger in Craig's face. It was highly unlike Justin to be angry or violent, but being hurt the way he was by the person he concidered to be his best friend really set him off. His words had thuroughly mocked Craig's terrible attempt to impress his friends, and even Justin was about to sit by and take that kind of mental abuse from someone he trusted.

"Justin, why are you being like this!? Things don't have to be this way!", he snapped in a worried panic.

"I can forgive you eventually, because you ARE sorry for what you did and all, but I'll warn you now, I'm probabbly going to be the only one Craig...", he said on a lighter note that was still heavy, shaking his head a bit. "But just not now, I'm too pissed", he said in a tired way, walking out of the hallway, leaving a crushed Craig behind.

"Bye Justin...", he told him in a distrought way, and he started to walk again. He grabbed his soda off the counter and guzzled it before he left. Craig got into the family car, getting the painful notion that his family was the only people he had left, that understood him any. From the top, down to the bottom within a day. That's life.....Craig couldn't be more sad about things. His friends meant a lot to him, and hanging out with people, having a good time was like his hobby. Switching between thoughts of sadness and anger, he left, knowing he was screwed and alone.

Kimberly froliced over to Sheila's house through the lightly falling now, caring less it was cold and she'd be walking home with only a T-shirt. Her mother didn't want her to be in the cold long with her illness, so she was just going to give her the jacket and go. She was so happy to know her family loved her more then ever, and the past was forgotten and meaningless. Even for a cold dragon that wasn't properly bundled up, she was loving the snow and every bit of it. With a skip and bound, she went across Sheila's frontyard. Kimberly never liked to deal with her dad, knowing what he did to her best friend. Before she made it to the front door, she heard Sheila's child-like giggle from the side of their house. Having fur, she was probabbly enjoying the snow that was slowly accumulating on the ice coated grass, and Kimberly went to join her for a moment before she left. Once she made it to the corner of the house, she stopped suddenly and without a sound. Infront of her, just before Sheila's window, were a certain fox and wolf, lying on their sides, staring into eachother's eyes while their hands met. Chris embraced Sheila, kissing her, and sliding his hand down her side to her thigh slowly, where he stroked across it with his fingers, down to her pelvis. Sheila replied once he begun, licking his muzzle and feeling his torso with her paws, examining the firm muscles and ribs. Kimberly after witnessing this act, wondered if Sheila's puberty came early, or her own was late, but for the most part she was really thinking about getting out of there, not wanting to stare. She knew there was a connection between Chris and Sheila, but not that much, and not that quickly. With a shocked and awkward face, she slowly slipped one foot back to back out before the two love canines looked downward and noticed her. The act of trying to back away triggered the two's senses and ears, and they perked their heads up real fast. A split second later, the two scrambled apart, with Chris saying, "Shit!", and Sheila just yelping embarassedly. Kimberly flnung her paws to her muzzle.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!", she appologized desperately, feeling put on the spot for catching the two in the act, while the two continued scrambling, getting to their feet.

"Sheila, I gotta go..", Chris said quietly and hurried, his voice flooded with nervousness and panic, even with his hushed volume. As quickly as he said those words, he ran off towards his own house, after recieving an embarassing shock like that.

Sheila outstretched her paw, yearning for him to not run, though not saying a word. She turned to Kimberly with a stern, unwelcoming look, walking up the house a little bit to get to Kimberly, who looked absolutely shocked.

"Sheila, I'm so sor-..", Kimberly began appologizing again out of her own panic, only to be slapped across the entire side of her muzzle with Sheila's full force. Her paw's slap made a hard crack across her bare muzzle skin, and Kimberly was so surprised by something she didn't see coming, she didn't even yelp. Slowly turning her head back to her friend with a saddly surprised face, with it's expression clearly asking why she did that to her friend, she placed her left paw on her muzzle, keeping quiet in shock.

"Dammit Kimberly!", Sheila shrieked, giving a piercing growl, while she stomped to her window. Her eyes began to sting from the cold, making the tears that were welling icey.

"Sheila, what are you doing? He's not forcing himself onto you is he?!", Kimberly said in concern, ignoring the fact she had just been slapped for a moment, stepping after Sheila.

Sheila stopped suddenly with her window open, ready for her to jump inside. "You ruin this, and now you go and judge us too?!", she cried, feeling the fur beneath her eyes getting moist. Sheila looked like she wanted to shout something else in her embarassed, angry panic, but she choked on her tears and began crying, quickly leaping into her window and closing it. Kimberly's heart felt so heavy with confusion and a new sense of guilt, getting into the right place at the wrong time. She didn't even get to give her friend her jacket back, and thank her. Kimberly failed to understand her actions, or what was going on between the fox and wolf. Fearful that she might make a sob herself, Kimberly started back for her own house, worrying of what to do with her best friend. She was going to give her some time, but the two would have to talk. Kimberly opened to door of her house, being enveloped by it's warmth upon her entry.

"You didn't give Sheila back her jacket?", her mother said from the couch, surprised she was still wearing it.

"Not yet", Kimberly replied, walking down the hallway to her room, hoping Julia would be there. Gina looked down the hallway at her hasty daughter, and made a confused look. Kimberly pushed open the door and closed it completely, with Julia giving her an eye like her mother did at her strange behavior. She got up onto the bed next to her sister, and quickly went into a more serious tone. "Julia, big problem", she said a little hastily.

"Um, go ahead Kim", Julia said a little strangely, showing how confused she was, although curious to her sister's panic.

"I caught Chris and Sheila making out, they paniced, Chris left quickly, and Sheila slapped me, started crying, and went inside her house", Kimberly rambled in a confused haste of her own, never before dealing with something like this before. Julia eyeballed her for a few moments, while her younger sister sat there with her own disgruntled look, idle.

"Kimberly, I think you need to see mom and have the 'girl talk'...", Julia said with her voice low, flooding with a sort of comical awkwardness.

"Not that Jul!", Kimberly snapped annoyed-like, being that was far from what she was confused about. "Why did they spaz? And why did Sheila hit me?", she clarified.

"Well, that's a sister question alright...", Julia muttered, stroking her muzzle in thought. "Aren't these two only twelve?", she thought she should ask, wondering why the two were so close already.

"Sheila is, but Chris is thirteen. Is he forcing her?!", she answered, jumping back into her confused panic.

"Well, what was she doing?", Julia then asked, trying to evaluate the situation.

"She was kissing him...and touching his chest.....I guess she wasn't", the young dragon tried to discribe, pretty much answering the question for herself. It was obvious, but she was just not comfortable with the thought of her friends doing that.

"Right. It sounds like they're in love", Julia told her, with her voice a little more comfortable as she understood what was going on.

"But...aren't they young for that?", Kimberly continued, still not grasping the shock of her best friend and Chris.

"Love is something you can find once you're interested in it, if you know what I mean. They are young sure, but I seriously doubt they do anything more then kiss or snuggle", Julia explained to her best sisterly extent, being positive she was correct in everything she said.

Kimberly looked down a bit with a little noise and a sigh. "But why did Chris panic, and Sheila slap me?", she got into, needing answers for their rash behavior.

Julia made a small smile, thinking of her sister's child-like curiosity. "Chris could have been embarassment, from the fact you saw them, to the fact that the relationship was meant to be kept secret. He could be afraid of his parents finding out and things, which is the most likely story. As for Sheila, she sounded really upset that you intruded, and it didn't matter to her mind that it was accidental. What you saw might have ruined something between them, like their little secret, not to mention you ruined that moment at least. Give them both time, they should calm", she explained proudly, finding a good use of her knowledge of pubescent relationships within her memory. Her freshmen year was a good time for that, as common knowledge floated around, just waiting to be spread and accumulated.

"Well....", Kimberly mumbled, drifting a bit into a wordless thought. "I guess it makes sense", she admitted, still thinking a little more.

Julia put an arm around her sister, resting her paw on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it", she chuckled with a smile. "You'll get used to things like this, and...well....I hope Sheila does too, so she doesn't slap anyone else!", be began with a light chuckle, ending with a laugh, that got Kimberly to smile and chuckle a bit, letting go of her worries for her friendship.

"Thanks again Jul", she said happily, giving her big sister a quick hug before hopping off the bed to remove Sheila's jacket and her shoes.

Gina turned her head around on the couch a while after, upon hearing the car, then her front door. In walked Craig as she guessed, getting up from her couch. "So Craig, everything's ok now?", she said upbeatly with a smile, walking around the couch to her son.

Craig sighed, stopping a ways behind the couch while his mother stopped infront of him. "Nope...", he said with a frown, disheartened by the things plaguing him.

Gina's smile ceased, and she studdered for a second before speaking. "Oh...I'm sorry. It'll get better", she said a little lightly, trying to add the motherly reassurance. She didn't expect that answer to the least, and felt bad for assuming too much. But her son as so determined and sad about what he did, she was almost positive he'd be able to set things straight, and fast too. Maybe Craig was right, she began thinking, remembering her son's words from yesterday; maybe it wasn't as easy as she thought. Kids today aren't any different from yesterday's, as they all go through the same crap and social turmoil in school as she did, so she began to understand a little clearer of what kind of trouble this was.

"I'll give him time to cool off...", Craig just mumbled sadly, giving a light sigh. With that, he set off for his room to get his shoes off, and most likely sulk.

Gina turned her head back to the couch with an inaudiable quick sigh, just adding to her sympethetic look. She walked back around the couch and lied down, coming to thinking again about what to get Craig for Christmas. She really needed to start her shopping, so she would have to come up with something soon. Not only did she want to make the caning incident up to him, she really had no idea what he would want. The older they get, the harder it is. Well, there was always the technique of asking a random question and seeing what kind of answer you get, but Gina would wait till her son was in a better mood for her inconspicuous information seeking.

With Ron and Julia having their things done for the day, and Kimberly and Craig having friendship issues, everyone was in the house for the rest of the day. After dinner that evening, they all sat together in the livingroom as a family, watching the Sunday night TV. Gina did a little work to get that to happen, since she wanted everyone to feel a little more comfortable and open. The tension from the others because of their problems was making her feel bad. She sat on the couch, with Ron and Julia beside her, and Kimberly and Craig found a spot on the carpet infront of the coffee table. Even though she had them together, she needed to spark a conversation of some sort. Craig had been quiet all day, only mumbling to damn himself, and Kimberly was just worried about her best friend from what Julia told her.

"I've been having trouble Christmas shopping this year", Gina said out of the blue, hoping to just get someone to say something. The truth was, she had no clues to even start her shopping, but they didn't need to know that much.

"Can't think of anything?", Julia asked with a teasing voice, lightening the atmosphere though she didn't know it.

"Come on, I'm easy....sorta...", Kimberly said when she rolled over onto her other side to face the couch, getting second thoughts about how easy she might be. It's not like I shop for myself afterall, she giggled in her head.

"Well actually, Craig's the hardest right now. I was thinking he needed something special to make up for a few things", Gina said a little incognito, looking for some sort of hint while admitting to why she was having the trouble. Everyone knew what she refered to. The memory of guilt and sympathy for the undeserving boy never left their minds, especially Craig's own. The mere mentioning of it brought a discomfort to their chests, along with anything else wedding related.

"You'll do fine. I don't think theres even anything I want, since I've been pondering about it for a while. Really, don't worry about it", Craig responded calmly and reassuringly, making a gulp before he began, feeling the tingle he got when he remembered. Not even a moment later, he made his way to his feet slowly, stretching along the way. "I'm going to listen to music and relax for a while", he let the group know, as he made a small yawn and set off for his room. Gina wasn't all too pleased at the sucess of her try, but appreciated that they at least spoke.

"Julia, Ron, what about you two?", Gina asked as Craig set off down the hall, wanting to clear the air of the room of it's horrible, choking silence, after she mentioned "it".

"New clothes is always nice", Julia suggested, trying to be simple. Ron just stroked his muzzle.

"You shouldn't get anything for me, I think you've done enough by even giving me a home", he said a little lower then normal, getting his truthful appreciation across. He really meant those words, and had always felt bad for intruding on their lives and taking Kimberly's room, which he came to know she liked a lot.

Gina made a small giggle, knowing that remark to be the usual, caring less about himself Ron. "I'll think of something", she said in a teasingly hintive way, letting him know he wasn't about to spend a Christmas without anything. What fun is that? Their show flicked back on from it's commercials and the little family settled back into being quiet a little longer, but Gina was only going to let the silence last untill the next commercial. She wasn't about to let everyone be unhappy this time of year, so she would try her damnedest whenever possible, though she was sorry Craig wasn't around anymore, since he was her biggest worry.

Craig felt himself sulky, maybe even a little more then he was just a few minutes ago. He stepped up to his stereo and flicked on the power, as the LED's and display flickered and flashed to life. After waiting three seconds for the stereo to "boot", sort of speak, he switched the input to CD and pressed play, lowering the volume to a soft melody before he sat down on the side of his bed to sigh. He flopped his back onto the bed, feeling weight from his heart and mind. Justin and the crew were pushed aside in his memory for the moment, while a memory he learned to repress kicked him square in the nuts. He was glad his mother remembered that late morning well, because he sure as hell did. He knew she wouldn't forget, and actually appreciated the warmth she was trying to bring, but Craig felt he deserved nothing...after hearing her own childhood. The day after they came back from the wedding, he found himself trying to sit on the couch, growling and wimpering at the merciless stings at the base of his legs, from the lower strikes upon them. No one was around, because he convinced his mom to let him stay home that Monday morning, while the other three went to school. Gina knew why he asked, and wasn't going to tell him no. Craig felt like taking off his pants and throwing them in a fit, damming the swollen red lines at the bottom of his tail and legs. He thought they'd calm down and heal quicker then this, but he found out it got worse before it got better. The bruising became more apparent, and the stings spread into aches, making anything he did absolute torture. He didn't realize how loud a few of his rumbling growls and pathetic whines were, and his mother appeared from her room, just sort of watching him sadly. It took him a moment to notice her standing there, and he bit his lip embarassedly, trying to stay quiet for a few moments. Gina sighed deeply, and slowly walked around the side of the couch and sat on the opposite side of the couch from her poor son. Her words tore through his already tortured heart, 'I'm sorry, it usually lasts for a week..'. Craig wimpered after that and sunk into the sofa, sulking over his pain. Gina thought it would be best, to fully explain to him her childhood...more then anyone had ever heard. Her poor son looked like he was choking, as she began to discribe the life as an abused child. The smallest infraction would earn her a spanking of some sort, no matter if she was sorry or didn't mean to. A list of implements a mile long, with paddles, big and small, thick and thin, canes of all types, belts, straps, flogging devices, a yard stick, and switches from numerous trees and types. Thin ones that stung like nothing else, that left her aching and raw, to thicker ones that left her bleeding and drowning in her own tears. She discribed the nights, tied to that pipe and left there, feeling like no one would ever come through that pitch blackness to save her. She would struggle with the rope around her right wrist untill it dug into her skin and trickled blood and sweat. There was little sleep, and no comfort, sitting upon open wounds, feeling the sticky blood drying beneath her tail. Upon that terrifying discription, Craig was forced to look away from his mother, for he had begun crying. Gina placed arm around him, wishing her past didn't hurt so much, as Craig cried not just softly. Letting her tortured son releace his saddness and sympathy, she choked down a few insecurities and continued. She remembered all the times she had been tied up and beaten, even with a detached broom handle. Lashes upon her paws made them swell and turn red, making the simple task of playing a hastle. There was never sympathy for her, and she knew it, the times she had been whipped bloody, beaten nearly unconcious, clinging onto life, only because the little girl didn't know how to let go. When she caned Craig, she left him the dignity of his underwear, which she never ever got, and struck him with less power and time then her mother did. She only did enough to make the sound her mother would have wanted; that blood curdling crack across bare flesh. If it was her, her mother would have drawn blood, whipping her as long as it took for her to lose the ability beg or cry, before she would have locked her in that room's closet, coming back only when she was sure the small girl had wet herself from being there scared for so long. Always alone in the dark, wondering if today was the day she would finally die. To this day, Gina is still covered with scars, all across her thighs and the bottomside of her tail, including other random marks across her body, from any other lash or horrible punishment she recieved, including an obvious one up the base of her tail she doesn't like thinking about. Craig couldn't have been more astonished, disgusted, crushed, or anything else negative. His own welts were reduced to wraps upon the wrist, comparing this one incident to the far beyond uncountable sets his mother was literally tortured with. Though his sobbing stopped in his shock, the tears flowed freely down his cheeks and muzzle, finding no words, as if he had forgotten his own language. His mother made a sob of her own and embraced her loving son tight, appologizing perfusedly for causing something she had long endured, knowing the blood stained rod's history. The two dragons dripped tears upon their legs and the couch, just holding eachother, trying to calm themselves in the silence, only hearing small sniffles, breathing, and the occational sob. When the two were done, Gina kissed Craig on the forehead, leaving for her bathroom, and returning with a bottle of lotion she said would help the pain. The cream helped him through the long week, but barely. His heart was full of sadness and anger, not even knowing how his mother survived. The only person he ever had the urge to kill was Derek Ramos after he slashed his sister, but that eventually subsided. The urge to inflict ultimate harm upon his grandmother didn't. He hated her so much for making his mother bleed and cry for so, so, many years. He told himself over and over, how he whip her bloody if he ever saw her again. He wasn't going to though, and accepted that she was at least going to die lonely. Not enough for the pain she caused, he did so think, but forced himself to accept it, for it was the best he was going to get. Craig always felt so much closer to his mother after that talk they had, and he thought of himself more as her little boy, putting the caning thing aside and making her as proud as she could be. He pleaded that he would stop smoking completely if she didn't lash him, and though he still was, he quit cigarettes anyway. People at the cafe were surprised and didn't believe it at first, but came to accept it when they never saw him light up again. He still though, couldn't bare to think of his wonderful, loving, and caring mother, being beaten and lashed bloody with switches, straps, and all those things he was afraid to even think about. He couldn't look at the belts that hung in his closet, or even a fallen tree branch the same way again, knowing of the pools of blood they can cause. He even strived for better grades and stopped skipping classes, just so she wouldn't get mad. Craig a few times wanted to stomp down to Kimberly's room and slap her across the muzzle harder then anything before, for being so damn disobedient and bratty when she was younger, to make their mother use that ruler she kept beside her desk next to the kitchen, and making her own memories return. He knew though, that would solve nothing, and hurting his sister wasn't something his more caring paws were about to do. A childhood void of love and bliss....how did she live? The simple thought of someone lashing something into a blood covered open wound was enough to make him feel sick, but this was his mother, and she knew it even worse then that. He knew she had been disappointed by what happened at the park, and he wasn't going to lie about it. It hurt doing that to her, even more then one of that boy's kicks to his chest. While he lied there, sprawled upon his bedsheets and blanket, he felt like a good cry would help, but no relieving tears would come.

Kimberly removed her pants and folded them nicely beside her closet, settling in for bed. Julia was staying up for a while longer, so she just quickly got comfortable and under the covers, snuggling into it's warmth. Her mother said she and her could go out in the morning to get her a new jacket. One that was more suited for a dragon. Kimberly never liked the somewhat thicker coats they made for dragons, with their large hoods and all, but she was tired of being cold and unable to have fun in the snow, that was still softly falling. She would occationally siff, cough, or sneeze, from her annoying cold. Whenever she lied down, her nose would clog and her sinuses would hurt. She wasn't the biggest fan of being sick, even if it got her out of school, so being ill on her holiday was even more irritating. She clicked the light off on Julia's side of the bed, rolling over a few times, and rolled back, assuming Julia could see alright if she left the door slightly ajar untill she changed. She hoped her sister was right about Sheila....she didn't know what she'd do if she lost her best friend. Sheila moved into the neighborhood when she was two, and the familes allowed the two to play together. She came from England, and still has a slight accent she picked up from her parents. The two girls bonded over the years, getting into trouble together, sharing secrets, and just having fun. They played when they were in diapers, and slowly grew up together through thick and thin. This was why she put herself on a limb to help her, burning that boat in retrobution, even when she knew her own rear end was going to get it, and hard. She accepted the sacrafice, and with her mother's help, it wasn't in vain. Sheila's friendship was something she didn't know how to live without, because it had always been there. The two girls would do their best to help the other, so Kimberly's thoughts on being slapped and screamed at made her uneasy. If everything that's been shared was pointless.....no, Kimberly wouldn't think it. She and Sheila would just have to talk it out, just like they always would. When Julia came in an hour later, her sister was calmly asleap on her side of the bed, and it was cute enough to make her smile and wish she was that young again. So innocent. She quickly got comfortable and got into bed, gently moving her sister's tail out of the way so she could lie down.

Upon his alarm clock, Ron was once again the first awake. He wanted to sleep, and sleep quite a bit more infact, but he had some shopping to do. It was only nine, and no one would be up for a little bit more, so he got dressed and left, making sure to grab his money beforehand. He knew Gina and Kimberly were going to Target, so he was going to avoid that store for today. He wanted to hit Walmart and Radioshack, looking to find something he hadn't yet looked at. He expected Kimberly to be easy enough, and Gina as well. With any left over cash, he might get Craig or maybe Kimberly something extra, since the thing he got Craig wasn't too expensive, and Kimberly was the youngest.

Shortly after ten, Kimberly slowly awoke to the gentle voice of her mother, and a light rubbing upon her back to wake her nicely. She made a small noise while her legs stretched, indicating she was awake, or almost. She opened her eyes and rolled over, finding a familiar muzzle above her own.

"Mornin' Kim. Let's start getting ready to go. You hungry for breakfast yet?", she whispered with a smile.

Kimberly yawned and sniffed, trying to clear her nose. "Nah, not yet", she replied, slipping out of the bed, with her mother moving out of her way a bit.

"I'll see you in a few minues then", she whispered happily, trying to be quiet enough to not disturb her other daughter. Kimberly replied with a silent smile in her grogginess, making it to her feet, while her mother returned to the livingroom. Kimberly stumbled across the hall, still trying to wake up, to use the bathroom before she did anything. By the time she returned to her room, she was mostly awake, and her sister still wasn't. Kimberly tiptoed around, grabbing a good pair of jeans from her closet and a very light blue t- shirt. She tossed her old shirt upon she and Julia's little clothing pile and put on the new one, then deciding to get the jeans on while standing by "hopping" into it. She didn't want to sit on the bed, with the fear of rocking it and waking Julia by accident. Being dressed, she put on Sheila's jacket, without caring to button it, and put on her bracelet and necklace, just to look nice. Kimberly left her room and closed the door till it was just a crack, leaving it slightly ajar, and went to the livingroom to find her mother finishing her coffee at the diningroom table.

"Nice timing", she said, taking the last sip of her morning beverage.

"So you're ready to go?", Kimberly asked, wondering if there was anything else her mother needed to do before they left.

"Yep. We can go", Gina replied upbeatly, taking her mug to the dishwasher and grabbing the keys off the kitchen counter. It wasn't very often at all that she and Kimberly got to go out together, and she welcomed the opportunity, especially after Kimberly's guilt issue. Gina could do some mother daughter bonding and whatnot, getting to talk together and discuss things like two young girls would. Gina got into her driver's seat, and Kimberly got in next to her, actually able to sit upfront. "Seat-belt", was all she had to say, to remind her to strap herself in. Kimberly made a yawn when they pulled out of the driveway, still feeling like it's early morning. "So Kim, I hear you caught Sheila and her friend yesterday", her mother brought up, wondering if the two could talk while she drove.

"Ah, Julia told you about that. Yeah, it was kinda nasty. Like damn, she's twelve like me!", Kimberly spoke upbeatly back, enjoying her mother's happy atmosphere. She liked the idea of spending time with her mother as much as Gina wanted to spend time with her.

Gina chuckled a bit. "Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls. Just look at it in a "cute" way", she replied a little humorously, finding the situation to be classic. "Are you mad at her for slapping you?", she then asked, acting like a gossiping little girl.

"I'm not sure", she replied a little lower, shaking her head. Sheila was her best friend, but she didn't know if Sheila still saw her the same way, so it was hard to tell. She didn't want to be mad at her friend, but she would be mad if she wasn't her friend. "Something I was thinking of asking you....", Kimberly mumbled, shifting her tail a bit.

Gina waited a few moments, but didn't exactly hear anything more. "Go ahead Kim, you can ask anything you want", she said very openly, letting her Kimberly know there were open ears and a mouth that could reply without discrimination.

"Well, it's about....is my, erm, puberty late, or Sheila's early?", Kimberly embarassedly asked, thouching a subject with a child's curiosity.

Gina made a tiny smile at the question, getting the tingly feeling that her girl was growing up. "Do I smell fish?", she said very comicly, knowing she was teasing her pretty bad.

"That's not funny!!", Kimberly shouted embarassedly in a whine, though still finding her mother's joke to be somewhat amusing.

Gina had quickly cracked up laughing, and had a hard time stopping it. "Well the fact you got that joke is a good sign that you know a few things. You're both doing fine, and are right on schedule. Dragon females take slightly longer then others to reach maturity, while males reach them quicker. You'll learn that in Health next semester, from what I remember from Julia", she then explained, not wanting to tease or embarass her daughter anymore, and hoped she at least got a mental laugh from it.

"Thanks for answering that for me", Kimberly said appreciatively, letting any kind of embarassment slip away. She could rely on her mother for anything, and it was a comphy thing to know.

"Hey, I have a question for you too", Gina said, making her daughter's attention turn completely to her. "Has Craig hinted anything he'd like for Christmas at all? This is hard!", she then asked, fearing not to ask Kimberly that question.

"Fraid not. He does like electronic things though", she said, however getting a suggestion.

"What kinds of things?", Gina thought she could clarify.

"Well, he's good with computers from what he's told me", Kimberly tried to remember.

Gina just sighed. "Damn, I can't afford that....", she grumbled. Their family was getting behind in technology, since they didn't have one of those devices. She knew they could really use it for school, but she didn't know anyone who had any intrest in them. "I'll get a computer with my tax return. Any other ideas Kim?", she came out and said, looking for another idea.

"Hrmmm...", Kimberly mumbled, putting a paw beneath her muzzle in thought. "I don't think I have anything more", she replied a little disappointedly. When Craig said he hadn't been needing anything, he pretty much meant it for all she knew, since she hadn't heard a damn thing.

"Oh well. To let you know also, there'll be a surprise on Wednesday. I found a lil' something out this morning, and I think you'll be very happy", Gina said out of the blue, making her daughter quite curious.

"A surprise?", she repeated, looking for just maybe a little hint, clue, or something.

"I'm not saying a thing", her mother laughed. "Don't worry about it, we have plenty of things to do today and tomorrow before that. Not to mention you have your work cut out for you with Sheila", she told her, trying to ease the curiosity.