McCloud Family Morning
A McCloud Family One Shot
By
General Whitefur
A beam of sunlight shone through the windows of the bedroom. The bedroom was large, and dominated by a bed occupied by a fox and vixen. They lay asleep in each other's arms, peaceful expressions on their muzzles.
The fox stirred and his eyes opened, he looked at the clock by the bed, an antique that still used old roman numerals rather than regular numbers, ten in the morning. Returning his gaze to the vixen who's head was resting on his chest he smiled a bit, she was beautiful, with a cerulean blue coat covering her everywhere except her muzzle and belly where the fur was an ice blue. Her hair, even while she was asleep, looked elegant and well kempt and was a slightly darker almost purple color compared to the rest of her fur. The look on her face was one of peaceful contentment, the result of a night of lovemaking with her mate, after which the two had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Well, it was time to wake up, regardless of how adorable his mate looked right now. The fox began to nibble at one of her ears, the blue vixen made a slight murrrrr and then opened her eyes. She looked up at him and said "Morning Fox my dear."
Fox smiled "Good morning Krystal my love. Sleep well?"
Krystal smiled back "Like a kit. You?"
"Same."
Krystal snuggled against him, and Fox held her tightly as he breathed in her scent, the vixen musk still had its sharper accent from the previous nights activities, oh how he loved that smell, and boy did it bring back memories. Krystal giggled softly and moved one of her paws a bit further down his chest, mussing the fur, before stopping just above his sheath. Looking at him she said "Still thinking about it aren't you?"
Fox smiled "How could I not? You were truly amazing my sweet little vixen."
Krystal smiled "So were you Fox. It hasn't been that good since...well since the last time we did it." Krystal giggled a little.
Fox grinned and kissed her on the nose, "And that wasn't all that long ago."
"Hmmm. No, it wasn't was it?" Krystal said, her paw finally making contact with her mate's sheath.
Fox took her paw away from him and said "No no Krystal. Remember we have to go pick up Marcus this morning."
"Ahhh, but I feel frisky this morning Fox. And he's only next door."
Fox laughed "Krystal, you always feel frisky. Come on, you know if we aren't on time to get him he'll come over here himself, and since Fara and Whitefur have our spare key he'll let himself in at an inopportune moment. And we wouldn't want that now would we?"
Krystal sighed in defeat "Fine, be that way."
Fox laughed again and gave her tail a playful yank, eliciting a surprised yip! "Come on. Let's get dressed and pick up Marcus and then I'll make us all pancakes."
Krystal brightened at that "Pancakes, eh? Fine."
Fox threw off the covers, hopped out of bed and stretched as he bent his head back and let out a yawn. Fox knew Krystal was drinking him in, his orange and white coat, his muscular frame, and no doubt she was also looking at another part of his anatomy. When he looked back at her she was smiling, smiling back he said "Peeping vixen."
Krystal wagged her tail "How is a vixen supposed to resist you?"
Fox wagged his own tail "No idea. You certainly can't."
Krystal got up and headed for the bathroom, she tickled his sheath along the way earning her paw a swat. "Oh honey, I don't even try."
Fox followed her in, eyeing the sway of her hips and tail. Krystal headed for a cabinet where the two kept a little collection of scents, while Fox proceeded to brush his teeth. "What scent do you prefer this morning Foxy my dear?"
Fox paused in his brushing for a moment before responding "I don't know. Something spicy."
Krystal smiled and Fox went back to his brushing, though he observed her pick out a little tub of cinnamon scented powder for him, and lavender for her before she proceeded to dust it onto herself. He finished brushing, rinsed his muzzle, and then grabbed the scented powder. Taking a brush he swirled it around, Krystal looked at him, a twinkle in her eyes "Would you like me to scent you this morning?"
"Any excuse to touch me, huh?" He responded, "No thanks, I can do it myself."
Krystal mock pouted and answered "Spoil sport."
Fox rolled his eyes and quickly brushed the powder lightly around his neck and under his arms before putting a little extra at the base of his tail, the strongest area for scent in canids, while Krystal brushed her teeth.
When they were both done and smelling of cinnamon and lavender, though their natural scent was still recognizable as masking it completely was considered rude, they both went to their dressers and picked out an outfit for the day. Fox picked out a simple button down and jeans, while Krystal chose a blue sundress with a white flower pattern. "All right," Said Fox, "Shall we go get our furry little terror?"
Krystal smiled "Sure. Though," She walked over to him and gave him a brief sniff, "We're both going to need a real shower at some point today."
Fox shrugged "At some point. But I don't think Whitefur or Fara will mind, they know why we sent him over there to spend the night with James anyways."
Krystal nodded and the two left their bedroom, made their way downstairs, and then out the door. Fox took Krystal's paw in his as they walked out through the little path in their front lawn which was, since he and Krystal had finished it a month ago, a garden as beautiful as any on Corneria.
Fox smiled a bit as they walked the short distance to Whitefur and Fara's house next door. He had always wondered what it would be like to live a quiet, domestic, married life. He had never really been able to imagine it when he was still leading Star Fox, it had always seemed like something unattainable, something he wasn't really supposed to have. Fox could never really see the hero of Lylat dying within him. Then as he and Krystal had grown closer, falling in love as they fought together against relentless enemies, putting their lives in danger day after day, Fox had realized that being the hero of Lylat wasn't something he needed, or wanted, anymore, because he was Krystal's hero, and that was all he needed. The hero of Lylat within him hadn't really died though, it had simply retired, no longer necessary. So he had proposed to Krystal, they had married, had one final adventure on their Sauria honeymoon from which Krystal had returned pregnant with Marcus, bought a house in the same neighborhood as Whitefur and Fara, and settled into a nice quiet life with Fox teaching at the Academy, and Krystal staying home and mothering Marcus. Fox hadn't looked back once with regret.
Fox felt Krystal's tail swish against his and noticed she was looking up at him, a smile on her lips, "Happy?"
Fox smiled "Yes indeed."
They stopped in front of the door to Whitefur and Fara's house and Krystal rang the doorbell. A moment later the door swung open and both Fox and Krystal found a seven year old blue and orange furred fox kit doing his best to cling to both of them. The kit, Marcus, looked up at them and said "Momma! Dada!"
Fox and Krystal both laughed and Fox hoisted Marcus up, "Hey little fella. Miss us?"
Marcus nodded emphatically but then said "Well, not too much. Auntie Fara and uncle Bonny and James kept me busy."
Fox set Marcus down "I'm sure they did. Oh, hey Whitefur, didn't see you there." Fox said, noticing Boniface Whitefur standing in the doorway.
Whitefur, an arctic fox about Fox's height but with a slightly thicker build and snow white fur smiled "Morning you two. I assume you had fun last night?"
Krystal nodded "We most certainly did."
Marcus looked up at them, "What did you and daddy do?"
Fox patted Marcus on the head "Mommy and daddy things."
Marcus adopted a curious expression, his ears perked forward "What does that mean?"
Whitefur chuckled "Yes Fox? What does that mean?"
Fox shook his head "It means you'll have to wait a good five or six more years for me to actually tell you Marcus."
Marcus's ears reverted back to their normal position and his tail drooped "I don't like waiting to know things."
Krystal laughed "That's my little kit, so curious."
Fox looked at Whitefur "You going to invite us in?"
Whitefur nodded and stepped aside "Sure, why not?"
Fox, Krystal, and Marcus walked inside the house and Whitefur closed the door behind them. "Where's Fara?" Asked Krystal.
Marcus grabbed her paw and said "This way! I can show you where auntie Fara is!"
"All right, show me to her Marcus." The little fox needed no further prompting before tearing off down the hall towards the kitchen, Krystal keeping up as best she could.
Fox looked at Whitefur "Was he that hyper the whole time?"
Whitefur shrugged "Well he managed to calm down from whirling blur to careening asteroid by dinner. But don't worry, James is just as bad. Of course they were both out like lights by about nine o'clock."
Fox laughed "Good, I'm glad he wasn't too much trouble."
The two of them made their way to the kitchen. Walking in they found Fara and Krystal conversing and Marcus and James bouncing up and down trying to get their respective mother's attention. Fox smiled at James, he was such a contradiction in species, white furred like his father, but with big ears like his mother. He being eight he was a year older than Marcus, but this had proved no impediment to the two becoming fast and eager friends and playmates. Fox walked over to Krystal and said "I think our little whirling blur wants something dear."
Krystal looked at Marcus "Yes dear?"
"Can we go outside and play?"
Krystal smiled "Sure, I want to talk to Fara for awhile anyways. Go ahead."
Fara looked at down at James "Go ahead you too. Just come in when I call you for breakfast, I don't want you collapsing from lack of strength."
James nodded and then he and Marcus took off outside at what seemed to be several times the speed of light. Fox smiled at Fara and said "If you want I could make some pancakes over here."
"Good idea." Whitefur interjected before Fara could say anything, "Knowing these two you're going to be here awhile."
Fara looked at her husband and responded "Oh hush, go do man-things."
Whitefur laughed "You mean like blow things up?"
Fara shook her head "Whatever it is when you do when you mean are together."
Whitefur and Fox looked at each other and Fox said "The implications in that are so disturbing I don't want to think about them. Where's the pancake mix?"
Whitefur opened a cabinet in the kitchen and then tossed Fox a box of pancake mix "I got you man don't worry."
Fox smiled "Good, fetch me all the other things I need."
Krystal smiled as she said "And here I was always told that a vixen's place was in the kitchen, quite the opposite it would seem."
Fox patted her behind and responded "I have better places to keep you."
Fara shook her head "Males."
"Never heard you complain my love." Whitefur answered.
Fox began mixing the pancakes. Fara looked at both him and Krystal and said "You know as long as the fuzzy terrors are out of ear shot I was wondering something."
"What might that be Fara?" Asked Fox.
"Well," continued Fara, "Seeing as we watched Marcus all night so that you two could make love all night, we were wondering if you could do the same?"
Fox looked at Krystal who said "Sounds good. James is always a joy to have over. Do you want us to take him after breakfast?"
Fara looked at Whitefur who answered "Fine with me. More time with you."
Fara grinned "I can't wait my dear."
Fox began pouring the pancakes into the pan. For the next few minutes Fox focused on making sure the food would be as close to his usual standard as possible, he usually did his from scratch, but mix was, he would admit, easier. Whitefur, Fara, and Krystal talked aimlessly, just enjoying each other's company. "Pancakes are ready."
Krystal nodded and closed her eyes briefly, a moment later Marcus came barreling through the open sliding glass door to the backyard with James who was looking utterly confused at his playmate's sense of urgency. Fara smiled "Wish I could do that."
Everyone quickly got plates and Fox placed pancakes on each before getting milk for Marcus and James. When everyone had what they wanted they went to sit in the dining room that adjoined the kitchen. Fox took a bite of his pancake and shrugged "Not the best I've ever made. I put it down to the mix."
Whitefur rolled his eyes "Oh sure Fox blame it on our shopping habits."
Fox laughed "Well it certainly isn't my fault."
"So cocky."
Krystal laughed then "It's Fox. If he isn't being cocky he isn't breathing." She glanced at Marcus who had his muzzle vertical in his glass of milk, "Marcus, stop lapping your milk and drink it like a civilized canid."
Marcus folded his ears back and took his muzzle from his glass licking the milk from his nose, "Yes momma."
Krystal reached a paw over and flicked his ears back up, "It was nothing I never did when I was your age Marcus."
Marcus appeared less embarrassed but no less admonished. James looked over at his mother and asked "Can I have a straw momma?"
"What do you need a straw for dear?" Responded Fara.
"I wanna blow milk bubbles."
Fara looked at him sternly, "No."
"But momma!"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Just this once?"
"James," Whitefur quickly interceded "Your mother said no, and when she says no even I have to stop. Now eat your food or you won't go and stay the night with Marcus."
James looked curious cupping his ears forward "I'm staying with Marcus? Why?"
Fox looked gleeful, "Yes Boniface, why?"
Whitefur ignored him and said to James "Because I have to do top secret classified briefings with your mother to insure the continuation of our species."
Fara gagged on a piece of pancake, when she had recovered she looked at her husband "You want another one?"
Whitefur sighed and murmured to Fara "Don't worry, just play along."
Realization dawned on Fara and she said to James "What your father said. So when you're done with your pancakes go pack a few things you'll need."
James finished his pancakes in record time as did Marcus, when they had finished they both bolted for the upstairs. Fox smiled "Top secret classified briefings to insure the continuation of our species? Creative."
Whitefur wagged his tail "I was actually rather proud of that one. I have the feeling they'll be done within the next thirty seconds though."
Fox and Krystal nodded, they finished their plates and then stood up, Whitefur and Fara walked them to the door where they found Marcus and James waiting and literally bouncing with energy wearing backpacks. Fox looked at James "Do you have a go bag or something James?"
James nodded "Yep. So can we go?"
"When your mom and dad have said goodbye."
Whitefur and Fara both gave him a kiss to which he responded with an "Eww mommy." And "Eww daddy."
Whitefur then opened the door and said "Out." Looking at Fox and Krystal he winked and said "Thanks."
Fox and Krystal smiled and followed Marcus and James who were already half way to their house. The door closed behind them and Fox took Krystal's paw in his and said "I get the feeling we'll have our paws full for the rest of the day."
Krystal kissed him on the nose and responded "Would you rather be fighting for Lylat dear?"
Fox shook his head "No." Then he swept her off her feet and into his arms causing her to giggle, "I have you, that's all I need."
"Good. Carry me home?"
Fox nodded and carried her over, setting her down at the doorstep he looked down at Marcus and James "All right little fuzzies, who's ready for some fun?"
