"Okay, okay here we go." Roxxie grunted as she hopped up into the booth. Her big belly was starting to weigh down the once lithe skunkette. Her shorts and blouse putting said belly proudly on display. She sighed and relaxed in her seat as she looked over at her companion. Kristy was smiling trying not to laugh, while Orchid sat on the table fussing with a crease in her jean skirt. "Don't say anything."
"Muzzle sealed." Kristy said, as she made a zipping motion across her lips.
"Good." Roxxie said as their waiter gave her a menu. "So how was the honeymoon?" She smirked knowingly.
"Oh, it was a wonderful time. I couldn't have asked for better." Said Kristy, who had just gotten back from said honeymoon. The tropical cruise had helped her summer coat come in brighter than ever. Her gray shirt dress was more fitting for work than lunch and shopping with her friend but it was cute and comfortable.
"Surprised you weren't too tied up in your room." Roxxie commented, looking over the edge of her menu.
Kristy mewed, her ears standing up. "No, no. We were tied up with more than that." The bobcat looked away then down at Orchid to see if she was paying attention. The child was more interested in her warped reflection in her mother's spoon than anything. "Though the first day I did have to take drastic measures to get Sam off the deck chair."
"Sea sick or tired?"
Kristy looked at Roxxie and clicked her tongue. "Tired." The bobcat leaned back as the waiter gave them their drinks and the mini fruit salad for Orchid.
After thanking the waitress Roxxie almost too eagerly asked. "So what drastic measures did you take?"
Kristy blinked looking at her oldest friend, her ears turning a shade darker. "Well we were at the adult pool for medium mammals." Kristy said as she helped tuck a half napkin in Orchid shirt to protect the pixel penguin on the front.
"So optional?" Roxxie asked, picking up her phone.
"Yep." The cat's ears turning a little redder
Roxxie licked her lips asking. "And he was okay with that."
"I wasn't taking full advantage. I had a bikini and a skirt on." Kristy couldn't look at either Roxxie or Orchid as she said. "Till I decided to tease Sam by winning a wet fur contest."
"Oh dear." Roxxie said, texting on her phone.
Looking down Kristy saw Orchid trying to fit a half a cherry in her mouth. "Orchid. Smaller bites, you're going to choke." Kristy scolded as she used her claws to snag a couple different cuts of fruit. Orchid's squeak of dismay was distorted by her mouthful.
"What was that?" Kristy asked both curious and to further scold the child. Orchid moved around her fruit bowl to cut off easy access.
"Well, you are stealing her fruit." Roxxie said, setting her phone down. "Which you never really ate fruit before."
After finishing off the kiwi slice Kristy mewed. "Oh Sam normally has some for breakfast so it's grown on me."
Roxxie accepted that and turned her attention to the waitress with her order while Kristy checked her phone. She had gotten a text from Kno.
"Kitkat what did you do"
"Nothing. Why"
Kno then shared a screenshot of Roxxie explaining in detail what they were doing that night.
"We did it last night, a guy needs a reload time."
Kristy giggled as she texted back.
"Sorry but I'm on Roxxie's side here. Take it bitch."
Kno just replied with a crying coyote emji he had drawn himself a while back.
Lunch was good, two friends chatting about the week-long cruise or how Roxxie liked watching Orchid and Stefano, Orchid revealing Roxxie was not a fan of having to wake up early to take Stafano to school when he had morning classes. The skunkette gave the chinchilla a light glare who didn't even notice. Kristy giggled. "You know you'll be up even earlier for your own kit. Especially when she starts school."
"Hey skunks and coyotes are nocturnal. She's going to night school." Roxxie giggled with her nose up. Her smug act vanished as she struggled to climb out of the booth.
"If they offer that by then." Kristy said, scooping up a drowsy Orchid. As always the child was all too happy to allow it to happen. It was the norm for her anyway.
"If they don't, they'll have to deal with me."
"I got your back girl." Kristy commented as the pair headed out to the cars.
"Me too Aunt Roxxie." Orchid giggled with droopy eyes.
Both adults laughed and smiled at the child. Roxxie leaned close to say. "With you, little one, they don't stand a chance." Orchid beamed cutely till a yawn stole the smile for a moment.
One cat nap in her carseat later Orchid was being carried into the biggest store in Foxford. The Fox County Mall had everything the residents could need, from mundane domestics, imported items of all kinds to jobs for the students.
While Roxxie and Kristy were never the type of girls, who enjoyed shopping for shopping sake, they would have fun doing it especially if they found some cute clothes or chotskies but lately they both loved deals on stuff for the house. Like the paw jacuzzi Roxxie found in one store, or the set of glass resealable storage tubs Kristy was looking at in another.
The wonders of storage devices were less than interesting to Orchid then their time in the device store. Least there she could play with the display devices. Even if one of the messengers scared her to high heavens. However now all the Chinchilla could do is look around from her perch on her mother's shoulder, but even that was only slightly more amusing than counting ceiling tiles. For a moment Orchid thought about what it would be like to be as big as Kristy, but then she noticed the outdoors section with canoes and tents for sale. At first she tried to quietly read the signs, "Khan-ooh…can-oye… Kuh-noo."
"What was that sweetie?" Kristy asked, looking at her daughter.
Feeling a little self-conscious Orchid pointed at the section saying. "Uh Sam, likes that stuff, and uh." she clicked her teeth thinking. "He lost something." She looked down. "I don't know what it was."
"Oh." Kristy giggled, stepping around the table of electric cheese graters and heading into the outdoors section. "Sam had to throw out his tent."
"Tent." Orchid repeated. "T…E…N…T." She smiled.
"Yep." Kristy said with a smile as she looked up at the rack of canoes. "But these are canoes." She touched one saying. "Daddy likes these too."
Orchid examined the devices asking. "It a boat?" The bobcat hummed in the affirmative. A shiver ran through the chinchilla. "Boats are scary, dangerous for chinchillas."
"Yes, they are." Kristy replied. She had done some research on her daughter's species and made sure she knew about the things a chinchilla mother should tell her. Like how she should avoid getting wet, and dry off as quickly as she could if she did.
Past the canoes were some tents and even some sleeping bags all set out to try. The feline scanned them with curious eyes. She knelt and opened one of the fleece lined sleeping bags. Some of the sleeping bags were tubes of fabric for a single mammal, then there were some like the one Kristy was interested in, a large square shape big enough for a couple of mammals to sleep in. It makes for good snuggling when mammals sleep curled up. On all fours with Orchid on her shoulder Kristy slipped into the sleeping bag. The chinchilla blinked a little intimidated by the dark, she could smell many mammals that had tested out this thing. She squeaked when Kristy flopped on her side and curled up with Orchid in the nape of her neck like a kitten. The bobcat purred as laid in the warm enclosed space.
Kristy loved the soft cozy cave, however, Orchid didn't care for it. Her dense fur meant she was already getting hot. She stepped back from her mother and turned to sneeze before saying. "Momma, it's hot in here."
A shiver ran through Kirsty and her purrs stopped for a moment, her glowing eyes locked on her daughter as they welled up with moisture. Her lips trembled as tears started to flow down her cheeks. Her voice shuttered for a moment. Orchid could see Kristy shake as she cried for a moment, the kit thought she did something wrong before she was pulled into a nice hug. The bobcat purred and the chinchilla copied the happy sound even as the cat wept with joy.
Roxxie's ears twitched as she looked around for Kristy, she could pick up the quiet weeping as she searched. Before she called out her friend's name she found her next to some sleeping bag holding her daughter, tears streaming down her face and a wide smile on her muzzle. "What happened?"
Kristy's voice barely came as she said. "She called me momma." She purred and nuzzled Orchids head.
The chin looked at the gasping skunk and asked. "I did good, right?" Orchid was confused to no end.
Roxxie now on the verge of crying like Kristy nodded. "Yes sweetie, you did very good."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"So we're going to set all the subnets in their own vlans so they can't cross assign IPs or allow more users on than we want. That'll give us better visibility of what's being used at each location." Sam explained as Firn nodded along and made notes.
"So what I need you to do is just assign IPs to vlans and prepare a spreadsheet with what goes with what. Then we'll start pushing it out to different locations."
Firn nodded, making more notes in a short hand that combined both his native, current language, numbers and even a few tiny doodles. Kristy once commented about how it might as well be hieroglyphics after getting a headache trying to read it. "Do I got a deadline or is this a take my time, make it perfect type project?"
"We need to start implementing it by the end of the week so send me the list of everything tomorrow."
"I'll have something for you before I head home tonight." Firn said, planning out his work for the rest of the day.
As the southern gray fox turned around and headed to his work station a voice called out. "Sam you back here?" It was Kristy, her voice, though a little hoarse, contained a happy chime.
"Yeah, I'm here." Sam said, as a smile immediately grew across his face, his heart beating faster. His tail, which had just been idly swaying back and forth, whipped around happily.
Kristy mewed as she leaned around a shelf. She smiled bright and her eyes shimmered with tears. Her dress swished as she scampered over to Sam and jumped into a hug. She nuzzled her husband happily her paws holding him tight for a moment before her knees grew weak and he had to catch her.
Caught off guard, he struggled to catch her before she fell to the floor. "Whoa! Are you okay?" He asked, trying to set her down gently.
A shiver ran through the bobcat as she got her paws under her. "Yeah Yeah, I'm fine." Kristy giggled standing again, Sam stayed close arms ready to catch her again. "Guess I cried too much." She smiled so wide it was almost blinding.
Before Sam could ask why Kristy pulled him into a kiss. Her claws almost cut through the fox's shirt. "Baby, baby you won't believe it. It's the most wonderful thing ever." She giggled again looking into his eyes.
His head tilted to the side curiously. "What is it?" He asked, still concerned by her strange behavior.
She moved her paws to his. "Orchid called me momma." She trembled lightly, ears up, her tail was stiff, her excitement building yet again.
"Oh!" He said, ears going up and tail starting to wag again. "That's wonderful." He said while squeezing her paws.
She squeezes his back and giggles. "Yes yes." Kirsty purred on the verge of dancing. "I think tonight we should celebrate, don't you?"
Sam couldn't disagree. Neither would Stefano he was hungry today, after adding a couple music classes to his schedule he had been tired and hungry when he got home most nights. Orchid never complained about food as long as there was something sweet to eat after some crunchy veggies.
The night was nice for the little mixed family. Enjoying each other's company was always fun. Especially when Stefano was nearly knocked out when Orchid declared Kristy her momma. Even Sam felt himself tearing up at the sight. Orchid didn't get why it was a big deal Kristy called herself that all the time, but she would never turn down sweets or hugs.
The next morning Kristy awoke shortly before her alarm, meaning the sun wasn't up yet. She sat up and meowed weakly, taking a deep breath and rubbing her belly. She felt sick, almost like she was hung over but without being dizzy. Breathing the cold air helped settle her stomach a little.
She groaned quietly to not wake Sam as she slipped out of bed. Her paws made no noise as she made her way to the master bath. Her robe slipped from her paw as she plucked it from the bedpost. She rolled her eyes and ignored it.
Without turning on the light in the bathroom Kristy got herself a drink and some nausea pills. After taking them the bobcat looked at herself and whispered. "I better not be getting sick."
Returning to bed Kristy noticed the time. She growled under her breath whispering. "You couldn't have let me sleep for ten more minutes." Bending over to pick up her robe the bobcat felt her stomach jump. She stood straight with a sound she couldn't quite describe. It was somewhere between a meow, a choke and gulp. Regardless, she didn't like it.
Breathing the cool air the bobcat settled her stomach shook her head and mewed. "Guess I'm staying up." She groaned and threw her robe over her loose band shirt not bothering with anything that at the panties she wore to bed.
The bobcat's little tail sagged under the plush fabric as she headed to the kitchen. Since she was up so early the bobcat decided to cook something special. So Kristy grabbed some chops and baked cinnamon rolls.
She wasn't feeling well and scratch made anything that had always been beyond her.
As the alarm near Sam started to go off the smell of cinnamon started to drift through the house. While the pleasant smell was rouseing the other mammals it was turning Kristy's stomach. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea."
Waking, Sam sat up on the bed and stretched. The smell of breakfast brought him to the kitchen where he found Kristy leaning on her paws against the counter. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and his muzzle next to hers.
"Good morning."
"Mornin." Kirsty chimed weakly. She turned around to push Sam back and warn him that she was feeling sick. However she froze with her voice trapped in her throat letting her husband peck her on the lips. Instead of kissing him back the bobcat pushed past him groaning as she scampered along falling to all fours before she made it to the bathroom hacking up what little she had in her stomach.
Caught off guard, Sam could only stand there for a moment trying to process what just happened. The sound of Kristy spilling her guts in the bathroom had him walking back to check on her. He found her still hunched over and obviously trying to recover. He knelt down and placed a paw on her back.
"My breath wasn't that bad was it?" He tried in a light tone.
The bobcat slowly shook her head as she sat and rubbed her muzzle. "No no, I woke up sick to my stomach. I hope I didn't catch something." She looked at him pitifully.
"I hope not. Can I get you anything?" He asked as he rubbed her ear.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the soothing attention. "Maybe just help me up to the couch." A low weak purr rumbled from her throat.
He held her paw and helped her to stand and walk to the living room. Letting her lie down once they made it to the couch. "Think you can eat something?"
She hummed before covering her nose. "Maybe some toast…do we have any oatmeal?" Stefano peeked his head around the hallway corner, ears up, eyes worried but not wanting to interrupt anything.
"I can check." He offered.
"Please and thank you." Kristy said, making a kiss sound as she laid down. "Think I should check my temperature?"
"Anything I can help with?" Stefano asked, his tail bushed out double its normal size.
Sam looked up, just now noticing Stefano there. "Yeah, will you get the thermometer out of the medicine cabinet please?" He turned back to his stricken wife. "I'll start getting your toast ready."
"Oh, yeah. Be right back." Stefano replied as he turned back to the hall. He quickly walked toward the bathroom, passing Orchid as she walked along on the walkway Sam had installed around the house keeping her from being under foot and put her at counter level.
The chinchilla looked up and squeaked cutely. "Hi." She blinked seeing her worried big brother ignore her. She squeaked again after he grabbed something from the medicine cabinet and passed her again without so much as looking at her.
The fox just hurried along. Stefano knelt to offer the thermometer to Kristy. The bobcat thanked him as Orchid bounced from the armrest of the couch to the floor where the child charged head first into the fox's soft leg bouncing off with a squeak. She might be shy with anyone who she didn't know, but she was safe with her family, and normally polite.
Orchid shook her head before standing up and looking at Stefano. She chirped as the fox looked at her. "Oh, sorry little one." He picked Orchid up saying. "Momma's sick, I didn't mean to ignore you."
"Momma's sick?" She said processing what she heard. Her eyes widened and she chittered looking at Kristy. "No no." She gasped seeing the state the cat was in.
Kristy smiled with the thermometer in her mouth. She reached over and rubbed the chinchilla's cheek. Orchid squeaked again and jumped off of her brother's arm and ran up her mother's. "Stefano get-" Orchid was cut off by Kristy picking her up and moving her away from her face so the thermometer could be accurate. The child continued, "Momma needs help, you have to make her better."
The young fox smiled as his adopted sister snuggled close to Kristy. "Don't worry. We're all going to make sure she's better in no time."
"Good." Orchid said purring as Kristy held back a laugh. The cat rubbed her daughter's back as the thermometer beeped.
"What's it say?" Stefano asked while Kristy checked the device.
"Normal for me." The bobcat replied as Orchid worked her way into the nape of the cat's neck.
Sam walked back in carrying a plate with toast. "Maybe you should stay home today. Rest till whatever this is passes." He suggested as he set the plate down.
Kristy mews and nodded. "I feel good now but who knows if it will come back." Orchid chirped about staying home to snuggle and feel better. "You're still doing your school work." The kit squeaked sadly. Looking at Stefano Kristy pouted. "Sorry I couldn't give you a driving lesson."
"No worries. Your health is more important than me learning to drive." Kristy could see some relief on his muzzle. Sam just smirked.
"Well, I should start getting ready for work. You stay here and rest." He reached over and scratched behind her ears.
Kristy purred, turning her head to let her husband get to the good spot behind her ear. "Okay." She said, picking up a slice of toast. "You think maybe you could drive with Stefano?"
"Yeah, we could do it after I get off work."
"Sounds good too me." Stefano replied still relieved, like many mammals driving was as frightening as it was alluring. More so where he was from where it was less of a right of passage and more of a privilege.
Kristy crunched on her toast as she mulled over a thought. "Well we were going to do it on his drive to school. So maybe if it's alright with you. You could let him drive a little?"
"Yeah we could do that. Maybe go to a big parking lot so you have room to practice." Sam added. Stefano gulped and nodded.
Stefano stood and trotted off to get his things while Sam said little goodbyes to his girls. Each getting a kiss on forehead making both purr, even if a forehead kiss for Orchid included half her face. The gray fox smiled and looked up as Stefano came back only to mumble something and return to his room. On his next trip he made it halfway across the room before turning back.
Sam waited by the door while Kristy and Orchid watched Stefano make the trip back to his room a full three times, comically munching on some toast as they turned their heads to follow the red fox.
Finally Stefano met his new father figure at the door. The young fox zipped up his backpack, while keeping his guitar case on his back. Sam looked up at the tod and asked. "Got everything?"
"I think so."
The two vulpines trotted down the steps to the car port. Stefano's eyes widened as Sam unlocked the truck. The young fox didn't expect to drive the big silver vehicle, the thought of something so big being under his control was terrifying. His tail tucked itself close to his legs as he stowed his backpack and guitar in the back. Sam could see the nerves on Stefano's face but didn't say anything. A seventeen year old kit who never drove before would probably be nervous no matter what.
Hence why Stefano wouldn't be driving Sam's precious Shelly.
It was a relatively short drive to the Pawmart, even open at all hours the store would have plenty of space in its side parking lot. Sam parked in the open area and said. "So, you ready?"
"I guess. Just didn't expect to drive something so…" Stefano looked around at the truck. "Big."
"Well that's why we're here. Plenty of room to practice. Even in this thing." Sam said giveing the wheel a pat.
"Oh." Stefano said as he stepped out while Sam slid over.
In an attempt to stall, Stefano asked, "Is this the biggest thing you've ever driven?"
"No." He answered. "Now just press the brake and put it in drive."
Stefano took a breath as he tested the pedals with a toe, confirming what he knew the red fox lightly stepped on the break. Sam could see how it looked like Stefano acted like he might break something. The light clunk of the shifter frightened him like he thought he did something wrong. It quickly dawned on him that all was well. "So uh, take my paw off the break and press the gas?"
"For now just take your paw off the break and let it coast. We'll start slow and work our way up."
"O-okay." Stefano pulled his paw off the pedal, his tail trembling in the space for it. However as the truck started to roll forward the grit of the pavement crunching under the tires. After a few moments Stefano felt a little better. He looked around and as instructed got a feel for turning. After making a few circles, figure eights and driving between the lanes Sam had Stephano bring the truck to a stop.
"Not bad. Still nervous?"
With a paw on the break Stefano looked around like he thought he had to do something else. Satisfied he said. "Yeah, it's easier than I thought, but it's a lot of responsibility. Is that the right thing…I mean?"
"Yeah, that's right. It gets easier the more you practice. Do you think you can drive to school?"
Stefano took a comical gulp then nodded. "Ye-ah, little scary but I think I can." He looked at Sam waiting for the go ahead.
Sam looked out the windshield and gestured forward. "Let's go then."
"Okay." Stefano replied tentatively pressing on the gas as he pulled away. He laughed lightly as he glanced over at Sam. "Were you as nervous as me when you first drove?"
"Probably more so." He said with a grin. "My dad had me driving on the road right away. Almost crashed twice before he finally had me stop and trade places."
Stefano's eyes darted around, like many mammals the disconnect between having to track so much around him and only having his eyes to do it was nerve racking. In a moment of calm as traffic rolled past the young red fox asked. "So, you were an even worse driver than me?" He chuckled. "Hard to believe."
"Not what I said." He smirked.
"Oh…hehe uh." Stefano stuttered, made nervous by another car ducking in front of the truck. "I didn't mean to insult."
Sam chuffs. "Don't worry about it." He leaned back and got comfortable and waited for the ride to be over.
From there on the drive was basically uneventful. Other than the normal events that anyone who has been driving for a couple years barely noticed, so of course Stefano did and they constantly kept the red fox on edge.
Soon enough the store fronts and the hospital past and the ornate wrought iron and brick fence around the college grounds. Stefano seemed more confident now, seemingly familiar with the environment. With his ears up and eyes wide still on high alert, but he didn't seem to twitch as much as he guided the large vehicle toward the library where Kristy normally dropped him off. Sighing as he parked, Stefano leaned back in the seat. "It's over…hehe." He looked at Sam. "How'd I do?"
"You did great." Sam smiled at him. "Next thing you know you'll be driving all on your own."
"Thanks." Stefano chuckled as he rubbed that back of his head. "Let's hope that day isn't too close." He retrieved his stuff, his knees shaking a little as his nerves subsided.
That day at the office was just as busy and just as active as any other day. Yet, it felt empty to Sam. Not having Orchid or Kristy there made him realize just how much he'd been missing in his life before them. It had him anxious to get home to his girls. Firn noticed it as he had taken up his old post at Kristy's desk, Sam couldn't even enjoy the humorous sight of the young male at the obviously feminine desk.
The relief was evident on Sam's muzzles as he walked in his home. The smell of chicken and rice soup bubbling in the kitchen, fresh sage and bay leaves cleared the fox's nose, his mouth watered and stomach rumbled. Orchid sat on the coffee table doing the last of her school work, her cartoons paused on the TV till she was done. The chinchilla looked up, her whiskers wiggled as she replied to his greeting. As Kristy did the same from the kitchen Orchid asked, "can you help me with a problem?" She turned the little laptop towards Sam.
Sam smiled, his tail gently wagging as he knelt to help. Feeling at home with her and Kristy by his side. Who joined them with dinner, bowls of chicken and rice soup for Sam and herself. While the adults enjoyed the Ar'hap family cure all, Orchid got her favorite Dino oatmeal. Once Orchid's work was done the little family settled in to enjoy a movie together with Stefano when he got home.
The next morning all seemed well. Kristy was smiling as he got breakfast ready for everyone. She was dressed for work too. Her fur brushed, skirt smooth and blouse pristine. She turned to Sam as he entered asking. "Are you sure you're feeling better?"
"Yes, just a little queasy." The bobcat replied, rubbing her belly. "But I'm pretty sure I'm over whatever it was." Her voice trailing off as she started to feel light headed, but it should pass soon.
"If you're sure." Sam replied, turning to look at what she was cooking. "If you-" out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Kristy falter. As he looked the bobcat started to fall back, her eyes unfocused and half closed. Sam moved faster than he ever did in his life darting around his wife and catching her before she completely collapsed.
Kristy blinked as she looked at Sam who worriedly said. "You're going to the doctor." Fear filled his heart as he stood. Kristy didn't argue as Sam held her up. He looked at Stefano. "Watch your sister." He ordered. Orchid was on the table shaking from what just happened, watching as Sam walked Kristy out.
Stefano forced a smile as he pet Orchid on the back. "Don't worry, little sis. Momma will be fine."
Orchid merely nodded as she continued to stare at the closed door.
(Big thanks to all my wonderful friends for allowing us to use their Zoosana's in our story. They helped so much with making this story fell more real. Also check out the great Sapperjoe85 stuff he's my partner on this.)