A/N: I have returned! I apologize for having been so long in getting you something new, but college classes have begun and I have been getting a good start on my non-Star Fox but still furry related stories. Have no fears though, I intend to stick around awhile yet. I have another one shot I might post, and I'm toying with an idea for my next multi-chap. But now, without further ado, on to the story!

A Family of Foxes

By General Whitefur

Some people found routine boring. Krystal found it reassuring. Very little could be more reassuring of her good lot in life than the feeling, every morning, of Fox McCloud's teeth gently nibbling on her ear. Gently, but insistently, telling her that he wanted her to wake up, and doing it with every ounce of affection he could muster. As she woke she wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him closer, while pressing her rear against him just a bit, informing him of her wakeful status, and letting him know how much she appreciated his affection. "Morning lover."

"Morning your blueness." Fox replied, his breath hot on her neck. "Sleep well?"

"Wonderful. I dreamed Marcus had moved away and left the house to us, all by our lonesome." Krystal turned to get a look at her husband of the past ten years. His fur appeared disheveled, and his musk, combined with hers, still hung heavy in the air after last night's activities. Even after a decade together Krystal found that her desire for Fox remained as strong as the day she met him, perhaps stronger. His touch, now familiar, promised her the satisfaction of every one of her most lustful needs, and she knew nothing in the world that could hope to compare.

Fox smirked, rubbing a hand across the bare fur of her arm, she never wore a stitch when she slept. "Eight more years to go hon. At least."

Krystal kissed him on the nose. "An eternity and yet not long enough. I'll miss him when he leaves, you know that right?" Krystal swung her tail over her leg from under the sheets, tickling Fox's thigh.

Fox caught her tail in his own, twining the two of them together. "I know, but just wait till he's a teenager. Do we have plans for today?"

Krystal squeezed closer to Fox, pressing the fur of her chest against his, the room felt cold. "Not that I'm aware of. Saturday is our lazy day as it is."

Fox nodded, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her back. "Cold?"

"Little bit." Krystal admitted. She didn't quite feel like shivering. Not quite. "It gets cold early on Corneria."

"Around Corneria City yeah." Fox said. "Do you plan on getting out of bed?"

Krystal snorted. "You'd just love it if I said no, wouldn't you?"

"I won't lie, that would be a nice way to spend a Saturday." Fox pulled back a little to look her in the eyes, giving her his best begging face.

She swatted him on the shoulder in response, and, despite her better judgment, threw the covers off of both of them. Fox, wearing only a pair of silk boxer shorts, yelped as the cold air hit him. Krystal, nude, felt even worse, and immediately regretted the impulsive decision. Especially when she heard a voice go, "Mom? Dad?"
Krystal saw Fox's eyes widen at the sound of their son, Marcus, entering the room. He threw himself over the blue vixen, covering her body as best he could. "Come back later Marcus." He said.

Looking up at Fox as if he were insane Krystal waited for the door to click shut, or rather slam as the ten year old vulpine made a very hasty retreat. Shoving him off of her Krystal said, "Smothering me was not necessary."

"Just saving my son." Fox answered, a sheepish smile on his muzzle.

Krystal rolled her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretching her arms and back. "You could have just told him not to come in, you didn't have to jump on me like I was a grenade about to go off."

"Sorry honey." Fox said, putting his hands on her shoulders and kissing her neck. "Can I make it up to you somehow?"
Krystal cocked her head and thought about it for a moment. "Yes, you could actually."

"Just tell me what you want and it's yours." Fox said, hands traveling a little lower down her back.

Brushing his hands away Krystal sighed. "Not what I want Fox."

"Oh." He actually sounded a bit disappointed.

Standing up she turned to face him, hands on her hips. "Are you going to be serious or...Fox, my eyes are in my head."

Fox blushed and redirected his gaze."Sorry."

Krystal bit her tongue to prevent a smile. Ten years of marriage, one child, and thirty-two years old, but she still had it. "You know how this is my weekend to do the cleaning? Dishes, vacuuming, the whole lot?" Fox nodded, he seemed to know where this was going. "Well, in order to make up for treating me like a live grenade just now, you are going to give me the weekend off. And do whatever else I tell you."

"I have to be at your mercy all weekend?" Fox asked, the tip of his tail beginning to twitch.

"Yes." Krystal bent down to whisper in his ear, "You will be my slave."

Fox just chuckled and pulled her into a kiss, rubbing her back just above her tail to make her moan. When she pulled away he said, "Sounds good to me. What am I supposed to do first...mistress?"

Krystal smiled a bit and crossed her arms, resting a finger against her chin. "Hmmm, mistress, I rather like that. You can begin by fetching me some breakfast in bed, just some coffee and a scone, oh and a banana."

Fox got up from the bed and strode to where their bathrobes lay discarded on the floor of the bedroom. "Should I pick up around here too?" He inquired, pulling on his robe after handing hers over.

"No." Krystal shook her head, fixing the blanket on the bed and climbing back in, clad in her fluffy bathrobe. "I like it when our little fox den looks nice and lived in."

"You used to get frustrated about the mess in my quarters on the Great Fox back in the day." Fox thought to mention.

Shrugging Krystal reached for her book, a romance titled The Love of Two Vixens, answering, "Back then I didn't understand your perspective on messiness as well as I do now. Of course, I understand a lot of things better about you these days." She tapped her temple with her middle finger, referring to the mental link the two of them now shared after their bonding night. The night of their honeymoon Krystal remembered telling a rather nervous Fox about the Cerinian marriage custom of linking two minds. Though anxious at first, the opportunity to understand Krystal inside and out, be able to share and feel thoughts and emotions with her, even share her dreams, proved tempting enough that he let her initiate the link. The night ended up being something of an emotional rollercoaster as the two of them experienced all the loves, hopes, and aspirations of their partner's lives, as well as the pain and anguish both felt over the loss of their parents, friends, even worlds. The night ended with them falling asleep, arms wrapped around each other, tails twined, as Krystal showed Fox her world through a linked dream, sharing with him something she never thought she would ever share with anyone again, a Cerinian sunrise.

"True. If only all couples could read each other's minds." Fox mused as he headed for the door.

Smiling softly as she opened her book she said, "Given time any couple can learn to, at least in their own ways. You just have to know someone well enough."

Fox wagged his tail as he opened the door and went downstairs. Krystal started reading out of her book, her smile growing wider when she discovered she had left off just before a love scene. As the words described the two vixens in the book, set in a time period where their love remained forbidden, surrendering once more to the passion of their affection Krystal couldn't help but think back to a time when she was younger, and when a certain pink feline had woken those feelings in her. The memories of the nights she had spent with Katt remained as vivid as all of her memories did, a trait she owed to her Cerinian heritage. She remembered not just the images and the smells, but the emotions as well, and they never failed to make her smile, they were such happy, carefree memories.

Leaning her head back against the bed's headboard Krystal let out a contented sigh. She would have to see Katt when she and Falco returned with Aaron from their vacation in the southern hemisphere. Falco insisted on spending the first month of Corneria City's early winter in the tropics. Katt certainly didn't mind, with the money the two of them had they could afford to stay in the most luxurious resorts and spas, and Katt often regaled everyone with stories of exquisite massages, white sandy beaches, warm ocean water, and beds so soft it felt as if you were floating on a cloud. And martinis, oh Katt loved to talk about the martinis she got when they went on vacation, the stories alone were enough to make Krystal a bit jealous.

"Mom?"

Krystal opened her eyes slowly and smiled at Marcus, the ten year old fox kit sat on the bed, legs curled up to his chin, hands resting near his feet, tail wagging lazily. He remained dressed in his pajamas, which for Marcus consisted of little more than a pair of underwear. Much like his father he refused to go to bed without clothes on, though he also refused to go to bed with whatever he considered to be too much clothing. "Hello my little orange blueberry." She said, referring to his mix of pelt colors, blue like her on his face, shoulders, back, and thighs, and orange like his father's on his forearms, hands, and below the knee, everywhere else his fur sported a soft white color, a cross between her ice blue and Fox's creamy white. Krystal thought she could see a bit more of his father coming out in the white areas of late however, and his face, with its longer muzzle, certainly looked more McCloud than Zonoc, her family line.

"Hi mom." He replied, snuggling up to her. "What are you reading?"

Krystal put an arm around him and folded her book closed to show him the cover. "Just one of my little romance paperbacks. This one is about two vixens who fall in love when they're not supposed to."

"Why not?" Marcus asked, looking up at her, his ears and eyes curious.

Krystal chuckled. "Don't ask me, that's not something I've ever understood about Lylat's history. But we can talk about that some other time."

"Am I still not allowed to read it?" Marcus's gaze settled on the cover, the orange pelted vixens embracing each other in a manner that bordered between risqué and indecent.

Placing a finger on the little gold A in the corner Krystal replied, "Any of my books with a big A on the cover you can't read. Yet. Once you're a bit older I'll let you."

"All right. It sounds boring anyway." Marcus said, snuggling into her shoulder, nose twitching. "It stinks in here."

Krystal snorted and ruffled the white streak of fur between his ears. "I'll have father spray some air freshener when he comes back, how's that sound?"

"Good. Mom?" Marcus looked up at her again.

"Yes dear?" Krystal set the book back on her nightstand.

"Can we go somewhere today?"

"Where do you want to go?" Krystal held up the covers and let the kit, who now seemed to grow taller by the day, if not thicker, slip under the covers with her.

"The Aerospace museum in the city. Please?" Marcus gave her a begging face that, unlike Fox's, she just couldn't resist.

Bumping her nose against his she said, "Sure, why not?"

Marcus's tail began to beat against the mattress in excitement just as Fox walked in the door, a tray in his hands containing a steaming mug of coffee, the scent filling Krystal's nostrils even at a distance, a scone, and one yellow banana. Walking over to her he set the tray down in her lap and, with a flourishing bow, said, "Mistress's breakfast, made to order. Is there anything else?"

Krystal scrutinized the breakfast tray, making certain that everything appeared to her satisfaction. "Yes, this will do nicely. Oh, you can spray the room. I think there's some neutra-scent in the bathroom under the sink."

Bowing again Fox stepped into the adjoining bathroom, located the spray can, and proceeded to send a rather liberal portion of the contents spewing through the air, handily eliminating the stale scent of musk and arousal. "Room destinkified. What other tasks would milady have me complete?"

"Dad, why are you acting so weird?" Marcus asked, head cocked to the side.

Krystal laughed. "He's just being a servant for mother this weekend."

"Because he jumped on you like a living grenade a few minutes ago?" Marcus inquired, looking up at his mother.

"Yes." Krystal responded.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Fox asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed, one leg crossed over the other. "Were you eavesdropping again?"

Marcus shook his head emphatically. "No, I just...y'know, the brain thing."

"He means his empathic senses." Krystal elaborated. "Though I'm sure you heard something dear."

"Ok, maybe I listened a little bit. But I have fox ears, I can't help hearing everything." The blue and orange fox kit looked a bit embarrassed, his tendency to listen in on just about everyone's conversations whenever he got the chance often got him into trouble, both at home and at school. Krystal couldn't blame him for being a listener, even if he could be intrusive, his empathic senses bombarded him with a constant innate sense of what people were feeling, but at his age they weren't developed enough to tell him why the people around him felt the way they did. Couple that with the natural curiousness and slyness of a fox and it could only lead to a bad habit of eavesdropping.

Krystal hugged him closer to her. "Oh don't worry, mommy and daddy don't mind. No secrets remember?"

Fox nodded. "Right. No secrets in this family. Now, I'm going to go get myself some breakfast, do you want anything Marcus?"

"Chocolate frosted sugar bombs!" Marcus exclaimed the name of his favorite cereal.

Getting up Fox replied, "In that case I'll bring you up eight bran muffins and six different fruits to balance out the healthy to unhealthy ratio of that breakfast." Marcus pouted and Fox relented. "Just kidding. Sugar bombs it is."

Smiling as Fox left Krystal bit into her scone and hummed in delight. Nothing better than a scone for breakfast, especially when it was delivered to her in bed by her handsome husband. People could say what they liked about mercenary life being more exciting, but Krystal honestly couldn't find any reason not to be quite happy with the life she had now with Fox. Both of them worked at the Defense Academy as instructors, him piloting and her in advanced hand to hand combat, they had the weekends and the holidays and, even better the summers to spend with Marcus and their friends, and they never had to worry about where the next paycheck would be coming from or whether they would actually live to collect it. Yes, daily life may not be as exciting as flying combat missions but Krystal knew she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

The Corneria City Aerospace Museum was the largest and most impressive aerospace museum in all of Lylat. It chronicled the history of powered flight from the first airplanes to the most modern starships, and there was an even an exhibit dedicated to the Great Fox. Krystal smiled at the memory of how honored Fox had been when he received the news along with an invitation to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.

Breathing a small sigh of relief as they entered the heated interior of the building, the winter weather definitely seemed to be setting in, Krystal immediately found herself being pulled by the hand towards the very first exhibit, a to-scale model of the Cornerian Moon Lander. "Hold on Marcus, we have hours yet." Her chastisement did little to dull the fox kit's enthusiasm, or moderate his pace. "At the very least don't try to climb in like you did the last time."

Marcus stopped at the railing around the exhibit and proceeded to stare up through the open door at the interior of the small pod-like vessel. Krystal and Fox soon caught up and both of them smiled at the sight of their son's fervently wagging tail. Following the kit's gaze Krystal looked up into the vessel. It was primitive, no touch screen controls, and according to Fox no voice interface or positron based computers, but, despite that, she knew that her son and his father found it infinitely fascinating. To her it just appeared dreadfully claustrophobic, even compared to the cockpit of an Arwing. "It seems a bit small."

"Size isn't everything." Fox replied, leaning over the railing to take a look at the engine nozzle.

Krystal stood next to him and scrutinized the engine nozzle as well. "I suppose it really is how you use it. Not that you need to worry dear."

Fox blushed a bit at the his wife's implication, but smiled at the same time. "It really is amazing isn't it?"

"What? That they didn't blow up sitting on top of all that chemical fuel? Fuel cells are much safer." Krystal said, trying to grasp why the Cornerians ever thought this kind of a vessel safe enough to send actual people up inside it. Her own people had waited to develop their technology almost to the point of interstellar travel before even considering a launch. Why, this thing didn't even have artificial gravity or independent life support, the pilots had to wear suits and oxygen tanks.

"One way of looking at it." Fox said. "You don't seem impressed by it."

Krystal shrugged. "I think it a bit foolhardy to try and reach your own moon on what is essentially a tin can with fire blowing out of it."

Fox chuckled. "Patience is not a strong suit of Cornerians, especially back then." Walking over and tapping Marcus on the shoulder Fox said, "Come on Marcus, lots more to see."

The next few hours were spent meandering through the various pre-warp exhibits which contained a massive collection of atmospheric vehicles, many of them designed for combat Krystal noted, as well as a smattering of commercial vehicles. They stopped at one that Krystal always found interesting, an early helicopter. Compared to helicopters of the modern era this one was barebones to say the least. The cockpit, little more than a glass bubble, contained only enough room for a pilot and one passenger, as well as a series of control mechanisms that Krystal found delightfully simplistic compared to most modern craft. "Fox? Doesn't Katt fly one of these antiques?"

Fox looked over from where he stood showing Marcus an early stealth bomber and called back, "Whenever she gets a chance. She keeps it at the airfield with the Catspaw. Why?"

Krystal shrugged and circled the helicopter, tail swaying behind her as she looked up at the main propellor. "I think I shall have to take some lessons from her."

That got Fox's attention. Walking over to her he quirked an eyebrow. "So the Moon Lander isn't good enough for you but a three hundred year old helicopter design is?"

"I don't know." Krystal replied, not taking her eyes off the craft. "There's something about it that I like. It's just so...simple."

"Well I'm sure Katt would love to teach you. She, Slippy, and Fara spent enough time and money building the damn thing, it would be nice if someone other than Katt could actually take it out for a spin every now and..."

"YIP!"

Both Fox and Krystal's heads snapped over to where Marcus had been standing only to find that he had managed to clamber over the guardrail and into the exhibit, though his landing must not have been as soft as he hoped. "Oh no." Krystal shook her head and ran over to the stealth bomber with Fox. "Marcus you come back here this instant!"

"Want me to go in after him?" Fox asked, sighing at the sight of Marcus resolutely climbing up the stand towards the cockpit of the black, arrow shaped plane.

"Oh no, he's mine." Krystal said, suppressing a growl of frustration. Every time they took him here he tried something like this. The first time they brought him to the museum he had attempted to hijack an Arwing, then the Moon Lander, and now a stealth bomber. The little tike really seemed determined to fly something, anything.

Climbing over the railing Krystal took a few long strides and scooped her child up in her arms. Ears back, tail automatically tucking between his legs, and a very submissive smile on his face Marcus said, "Momma?"

"Oh Marcus." Krystal turned around and climbed back over the railing as quickly as possible before setting down the rambunctious vulpine. "Why must you always do this?"

"Because I want to fly."

Fox chuckled and got down on one knee to reach his son's eye level. "Well, first rule of flying is that you have to have some fuel in the engine. These things aren't going anywhere Marcus."

"And you aren't coming here anymore if you don't stop doing this every time." Krystal added in sternly. "One of these days you're going to get us banned by the museum, and that won't be any fun for any of us."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Marcus answered, staring at the ground beneath his feet.

"That's what you said the last time." Krystal replied, hands on hips.

"But he means it for real this time." Fox said, patting Marcus on the head. "Right?"

"Right." Marcus decided to risk looking up at his mother.

Krystal sighed and relented. "Oh all right. What say we go to the Great Fox exhibit and then we head home? Mother wants to be lazy and put her feet up at some point in the near future."

"Ok!" Marcus wagged his tail, turning and heading off in the direction of the exhibit.

Krystal and Fox followed him from a bit of a distance, still making sure not to let him out of their sight. Fox took her hand as they walked. "Come on, you aren't that angry with him are you?"

"What does the link tell you?"

"That you love him despite his mischievousness." Fox answered.

Krystal wagged her tail. "Very good Fox. It's true, if he weren't always getting into trouble I would be worried. He's a vulpine, he should be causing all sorts of chaos."

Fox smiled ruefully. "Just wait until he's a teenager, then it'll be his mouth we'll have to worry about."

"Well if he's anything like me he'll melt the ears off a sailor." Krystal wagged her tail, remembering the look her mother and father gave her the first time she rattled off a rather impressive string of obscenities during a training session with her staff.

"Were you really that bad?"

Krystal snorted. "Horrible. My mouth was legendary in the village." Noticing the amused look Fox was giving Krystal rolled her eyes. "Leave it to you to take it that way. But seriously, I could outswear my mother, and that's saying something."

"No doubt." Fox replied.

The Great Fox was one of the more elaborate constructions in the museum. Above the entrance a placard proudly announced it as The Great Fox. Flagship of Star Fox. May She Rest in Peace. A bit sentimental Krystal thought, but in a good way. The ship had been her home for almost a year, and it had been Fox's last memory of his father. If any ship deserved to be remembered and romanticized it was the Great Fox. Flanking the corridor that led inside were two large models of the dreadnought class starship, the first its original configuration with extended engine pods, and the second the refitted version which Star Fox had taken into battle against Oikonny before sacrificing her to defeat the Aparoids. She and Fox paused to look at each one before Krystal squeezed his hand and said, "Care for a walk down memory lane?"

"Sounds good to me." Fox answered. The two of them walked inside and caught up with Marcus.

The moment they entered the interior of the exhibit it became clear to Krystal just how much loving attention had been lavished on the displays and reconstructed interiors. Model Arwings rested inside of glass cases all along the main hall. They spanned the original designs of the Lylat Wars all the way to the final version of the Mark One used during the Aparoid Invasion, and all were perfect in virtually every detail. The interior reconstructions were her favorites however. The majority were life sized dioramas, not meant to be walked through, but just standing and looking at the rec room, the galley, and the observation deck with a holographic starfield projected on the windows, brought back a flood of memories for the blue vixen. She remembered playing her first videogame against Slippy in the rec room, and being soundly trounced. She remembered watching as Fox made her the first pancakes she had ever eaten on the stove in the galley. And, of course, she remembered the many evenings she spent with Fox talking and watching the stars and planets from the observation deck, along with the kiss they shared there before the mission against Oikonny, just as hesitant, nervous, and blushing as their first one.

"It really is lovely." Krystal said softly as she and Fox accompanied Marcus to the bridge. She noticed that some of the people, and especially the children, walking through the corridors were glancing at them with wide eyes. Normally people didn't seem to notice her and Fox or any of the other members of Star Fox all that much anymore, they weren't saving the galaxy so they were rarely on the newscasts anymore. But it was something else entirely to see the two of them walking through their former home, or at least a very well made copy of it. At least they had the courtesy not to snap pictures.

"They put a lot of love and care into making this. Of course Fara and Slippy would have killed them if they didn't." Fox remarked.

Krystal laughed. "It really was quite a birthday gift for you though. Albeit slightly belated."

"True."

Stepping onto the bridge, empty though it was, brought on another flood of memories. Krystal remembered how the deckplates would shift and rattle ever so slightly when she ship picked up speed. The ambient noise of the various readouts, always filling the bridge with a soft sort of beep-boop-breep sound.

"Dad, can I try the captain's chair?" Marcus asked excitedly from where he stood next to the center seat.

"Go ahead." Fox said, a smile on his muzzle as the kit clambered up into it and promptly began poking at the faux controls on the arms. "Shame he'll never get to sit in the real thing."

Running her fingers along the chair she used to sit in Krystal said, "Who knows? They may recommission her someday."

Fox's tail wagged at that. "What would that make her? The Great Fox III?"

Krystal's own tail wagged at the thought. "Mmhmm. Third in a brave, beautiful line. Even if the second was just a beat up old carrier."

"She had the right name though." Fox replied, standing next to Marcus and resting a hand on the top of the chair. "My dad always said, treat her like a lady, and she'll never fail to bring you home."

Krystal sat down in her old seat and looked at the panel in front of her. It read as all systems nominal, and, in the corner of the screen her name appeared in blue. "Aww, that was thoughtful of them. It says my name where I used to sit."

"You never noticed that before?" Fox asked, walking over to her.

"Nope."

"I guess even as an exhibit in a museum she can still surprise us." Fox said as he looked around the bridge.

Krystal followed his gaze until both of them were looking at Marcus, sitting eagerly in the command chair, tapping away at the armrest controls, and mumbling to himself every now and then. And, suddenly, Krystal got the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Marcus would be sitting in a chair just like that one day. That made her feel happy. She and Fox may have been done saving the universe, but that didn't mean it wouldn't occasionally still need saving, and the thought that Marcus might just decide to carry on the family business, dangerous though it might be, made her feel remarkably reassured about her own choices in life. And who knows? Maybe the next generation will have it better than we did. After all, they certainly deserve it.

Krystal caught Fox glancing at his watch and asked, "Late?"

"Getting there." He answered. "Think we should head home?"

Still looking at Marcus Krystal replied, "No, give him a little more time."

"I thought you wanted to put your feet up?" Fox said, looking down at her curiously. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." Krystal looked up at him. "Just that I'm glad we made the choices we did, because I think it really did turn out alright."

Fox took her hand and smiled down at her. "Yeah, I think it did too. Love you."

Krystal's tail swayed and she smiled back at him. "Love you too."