AN: Shorter chapters then the main story of Distilled Dreams to help fill in the AU around the OCs that will be reoccurring. Much like some side quests while they add to the main story they are not necessary to the main plot so feel free to skip them if you wish. I hope you enjoy.

Distilled Dreams: Side Stories

The Black Sheep of the Family

Chapter Six

Rosette woke slowly on her thankfully comfortable sofa. Carefully stretching so she didn't wake up the mammal cuddled up to her still letting out soft bleats in her sleep. It had been a long night after Rosette and Dawn had made a quick stop at the store on the way home for a disproportionately large amount of ice cream for the two ewes. It was enough that the store clerk had asked if they where headed to a birthday party with dozens of ice cream starved kits as he rang them up. Rosette had lived up to her promise from the night before and had lent her ear to hearing Dawn speak of growing up unloved by her father. She had lent her shoulder to cry on when Dawn spoke of going though school where most of the student body had ignored her at best or ridiculed her for her size that wouldn't be enough to be an appetizer to any 'chomper' that got her alone while they shoved her around at worst.

"Time to wake up Dawn," Rosette said gently while shacking her shoulder. A louder bleat and a tighter snuggle was the only reply she got from Dawn. Rosette let out a sigh and settled back down closing her eyes. She could give Dawn a few more minutes of sleep before trying again.

"I don't know..." Dawn said stepping out of the dressing booth. She spun side to side at the waist and the hem of the strapless yellow sun dress twirled around her legs. When it settled back down it rested slightly above her knee. "You don't think its too...revealing Auntie Rose?" Dawn had tried to go back to using Ms. Blackwoole over breakfast but had been sternly reminded that for the weekend it would be Auntie Rose.

Rosette chuckled and gestured down at herself. Gone was her normal business suit and in it's place where a pair of faded denim shorts that showed her sheared smooth legs to upper thigh and a short sleeve button down shirt that seemed to be missing the top few buttons but showed off the small patch of wool Rosette left on her chest rather well. "I am not sure if I am the best mammal to ask that question to but you look beautiful in that dress Dawn."

"You wear it well cariño," the elderly alpaca boutique owner said to Dawn with a wide smile while bringing over a few more outfits for Dawn to try on that Rosette had picked out earlier. "You shouldn't be afraid to pavonearse...hmmm...strut as you say. Like your tìa here dose." The owner gave Dawn a quick up and down look. "Un momento cariño. I have though of something else that would look lovely with that dress." The alpaca turned and disappeared into the back room.

"I cannot wear this to work," Dawn muttered starting to pick at the wool on her wrists.

"This dress isn't for work Dawn," Rosette said with a sly smile, "Its for going out on the town and enjoying yourself."

"Ah here it is!" The alpaca said returning with a semi-sheer cardigan in the same shade of the dress. "You worry about showing off too much no? With this everything is covered but nothing is truly hidden." The owner swiftly managed to slip the cardigan onto Dawn and took a step back to admire the outfit she had just put together.

"Oh," she whispered just loud enough for the others to hear. Dawn looked at herself in the mirror. She almost couldn't recognize herself. She thought she looked pretty for the first time she could recall. She spun from side to side in front of the mirror. "I like it with the cardigan."

"You look beautiful Dawn," Rosette said with a smile standing and resting her hoof on her shoulder. Looking over at the alpaca she nodded and pulled out a card from her pocket. "We'll take it. Is it alright if she wears it out?"

"Of course!" The shop owner happily clapped her hoofs together before taking the card over to the register. "Would you like a bag for the clothes you came in with?"

"Ah it feels good to sit down!" Rosette sighed sliding into the diner's booth after tucking a few bags away on the seat next to her. They had stopped at several more stores to help round out Dawn's wardrobe and a wool stylist for a quick trim and brushing before stopping at Honey's Place for a late lunch. It wasn't particularly busy so far after the normal lunch hour with less the half of the seats filled and a near even mix of small and medium predator and prey.

"I have never been here before Auntie..." Dawn said looking around the diner. Her eyes flicked between a red wolf drinking coffee at the counter while reading a newspaper and the small sow black bear in the corner taking up an entire corner booth and working her way though a large grilled salmon. The nervous tick was back and she was trying to pick at the freshly trimmed wool around her wrists again. "Do...do they have good food here?" She asked trying to look away from the predators in the room.

"I like to think so but then again I am bias," an older honey badger in an apron said with a smile as she slid a pair of water glasses in front of the two ewe's. "It is good to see you back Rose."

"Meg!" Rosette shouted with a grin standing to give the honey badger a quick hug. "I cannot remember last time I saw you taking orders and slinging plates to the tables."

Meg returned the hug and patted Rosette on the back before letting go with a chuckle. "It keep me in shape and lets Morgan have a chance to cook without me looking over her shoulder. I'll let her know you are here when I drop off your order so she can come out and say hi. Now who has you brought around to my little hole in the wall today?" she asked looking over to Dawn.

"Where are my manners," Rosette said sliding back into her seat, "Meg Honey this is Dawn Bellweather my secretary over at the firm until she goes off to collage. I found her still working hard last night when I was leaving late so now she is my surrogate niece for the weekend and having a long overdue ewe's day out on the town."

"A pleasure to meet you," Dawn said swallowing hard and failed to suppress her body trembling when Meg's blunted claws brushed her skin as Meg's paw shook her hoof. It felt...odd.

Meg cocked her brows when she noticed the slight tremble. Slowly she leaned forward and spoke softly carefully keeping her lips over her teeth, "The claws?" Dawn nodded and looked down picking at the wool on her wrists again. "I am sorry dear. I can send over Sam if you would prefer him to take your order and wait your table," Meg said nodding her head over to the young billy goat flirting with a nanny goat as he topped off her coffee cup.

Dawn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly she was able to get the trembling to stop my the time she had too take another breath. "Thank you for offering but I'll be alright," Dawn said opening her eyes and trying her best to smile. "I need to get use to being around more predators. I am sorry if I offended you Ms. Honey. I didn't grow up around many predators." Dawn grimaced. She sounded to formal even to herself and worried she would come off as insincere.

Waking her paw Meg dismissed the apology, "No need to apologize dear just took me by surprise since you are with Rose here. She has probably had more claws run though her wool then me though my fur even counting all the times I take a shower."

Rosette choked on the sip of water she had taken and started to cough as a red blush crept into her ears. "Hey! I am not that bad Meg!" Rosette whisper shouted when she stopped coughing.

Meg slid a couple of menus onto the table, "Right...I'll let Gary know he missed you coming in today. He will be so disappointed that he traded shifts with Sam now. His tail never seems to quit wagging after he sees you. I'll be back in a few to take your order," Meg chuckled evilly at having gotten Rosette to blush as she walked away.

"I am sorry Dawn. Morgan and I where roommates in collage. Meg was always dropping by bringing us care packages when finals where bad. She became something like a second mom or a close Aunt to me." Rosette says once Meg is gone. "She has enjoyed teasing me about my choice in partners ever since she caught me and Morgan...ahem...'experimenting' back in collage."

"Oh," Dawn said shyly hiding behind her menu to hide her blush at Rosette's blunt explanation. She wasn't even trying to deny the type of company she normally kept. "Ummm...then are you and Morgan...?"

"Just friends," Rosette said with a sigh not bothering to pick up her menu already knowing what she was going to order. "As it turns out even with claws and teeth I prefer males over females."

Dawn peaked her eyes over the menu. "How did she feel about that?" Dawn asked emboldened by her first true chance for ewe talk,

Rosette shrugged. "She was a little disappointed since she had a little crush on me but was understanding about it when we talked about it after. Don't get me wrong I had fun and gave as good as I got according to Morgan but my heart just wasn't in it." Rosette meet Dawn's eyes with a knowing smirk. "Why so curious Dawn? You look more embarrassed asking than I do telling."

Dawn ducked back behind her menu letting out an embarrassed bleat. Rosette waited patiently sipping her water for Dawn to peek out from behind the menu again. "What does it feel like?" Dawn whispered almost too low for Rosette to hear.

"Which part Dawn? The claws or being with another female?" Rosette whispered back with a patient smile.

"The...The claws," Dawn clarified putting the menu down.

"For me when I find some-mammal who knows what he is doing or is willing to listen if he hadn't been with a prey mammal before...it feels...hmmm...it's a bit hard to describe," Rosette said honestly. "It's trilling and makes me feel more alive then I ever did with a ram but that's just me. I know a few mammals who tried crossing the pred/prey line but ended up like me trying females. It just wasn't for them."

Dawn plucked at the wool of her wrist once before picking up her glass of water to give her hoofs something to do other then pluck out her wool. "Would you...I mean can you tell me...ummm...can we talk about this more when we are back at your place?"

"Of course Dawn," Rosette said as she saw Meg returning having noticed both of the menus where down.

"So have you decided on what looks good?" Meg asked with her order pad already out.

"The barbecued grazer burger for me," Rosette said with a smile.

"I don't know why I ever ask," Meg said with an exaggerated sigh underlining what she had already written. "Sweet potato fries?" Rosette nodded eagerly. "And for you dear?" Meg asked turning to Dawn.

"Umm...I'll try the same," Dawn said with a shy smile. "If I don't like at least I will know and there will be more for Auntie Rose here."

Meg lowered her order pad and looked squarely at Rosette with a wide grin. "Bringing another ewe over to your tastes I see."

"What can I say," Rosette said raising her glass of water as if in a toast, "I think I have excellent tastes."