Hey there, readers! This chapter was challenging, because every time I started working on it, someone or something would come along and interrupt me. Every. Single. Time. But hey, here it is! I certainly hope that you enjoy it!

Sunlight drifted through the window with the warm glow of morning, revealing the forms of Dawn and Vernon, snuggled up together in their large circular bed.

 

"Mornin', Honey Lamb," the large wolf rumbled, knowing his mate was already awake.

 

"Good morning, Puppy," Dawn said with a yawn, giving her mate a tired smile, just before she found herself being pulled into a loving embrace.

 

"You had the dream again, didn't ya?" Vernon asked. "The one where yer father and Doug try to pupnap Lily." Dawn sighed and nodded.

 

"Sorta, only this time there was what I think were adult hoomans, or at least what my mind assumes adults of their species looks like. And they were going to take her back," Dawn said with a frown. She felt Vernon resting his chin on her head floof.

 

"Y'know that that ain't ever gunna happen, right, Darlin'?"

 

"Maybe... but that does little to stop me from worrying. And not just about Lily. Trevor and Alice too!"

 

"... I know what ya mean, Floofs," Vernon said, his chin resting on his mate's head. "Accordin' to my Ma, worryin' about yer pups is part of the job of bein' a parent."

 

Dawn nodded at that. "Still though..." she said, before she noticed that the door to their room was starting to open. She could hear some faint giggles, and smiled, her worries fled back to the dark corner of the ewe's mind, as her curiosity, and joy, about her children's antics took firm hold.

 

"I think we have us some visitors," she said, loud enough to be heard, Vernon also looked on in curiosity, his tail already starting to thump the bed, as the door opened fully revealing Alice walking in, carrying a tray with food on it, her younger brother and sister trailing close behind her. All three were still in their pj's, with Lily carrying Princess Callibrie in her arms.

 

"H-happy birthday," Alice said, her tail wagging behind her. It took Dawn just a second to remember that it was indeed her birthday, and her heart melted at the sight of her lambs bringing her breakfast in bed.. She sat up straighter as Alice set up the tray across her lap.

 

"Oh my goodness, this is such a wonderful surprise! And what do we have here? Is this a fruit salad?" Dawn asked, noticing her oldest looking away and shuffling her feet.

 

"Am I correct in my assumption that you made me the salad, Allie?" she asked. The black wolf pup nodded, shuffling her feet some more. Dawn leaned over and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, sweetie, it looks so good!" Dawn emphasized this by taking a few bites. She then looked at the glass of juice next to it, as well as the plate of what appeared to be toast... with pink frosting and heart-shaped sprinkles.

 

"And what else do we have here?"

 

"I made you some space juice, Mommy!" Trevor proudly declared, the little black lamb puffing out his chest as he said so. Dawn cooed and thanked him, taking a sip and was rewarded with a sweet, yet odd flavor.

 

"What makes this space juice, honey?" she asked.

 

"It's half grape juice, and half tang, like what astronauts drink in space!" he said, excitedly. Vernon chuckled and reached over to ruffle his head floof.

 

"I wanted to put 'meteor puffs' in the space juice, but Alice said 'cereal can't go in juice!'" Trevor said with a slight huff.

 

"Well, yer sister's right. Still, I bet it turned out nice and spacey," Vernon offered.

 

"And I made you some princess toast, Mommy!" Lily said with a bounce. The lizard in her arms let out a chirp as if to emphasize this.

 

"Oh? Princess toast? Well, it looks so good, what's in it, sweetie?" Dawn asked, reaching for a slice and picking it up in her hooves.

 

"Well, it's toast, with butter, some pink frosting, some sprinkles," Lily explained as Dawn took a big bite and started chewing, only to stop, her eyes going wide, "and lots of glitter!"

 

Dawn chewed it a couple more times before managing to swallow, scratchy plastic and all, "S-so you did..." she said, setting the toast down on the plate and looking into the excited and expectant eyes of her youngest daughter.

 

"I-it's delicious, sweetie, and thank you, thank you all so very much," Dawn said, leaning over to plant a kiss on Lily and Trevor's foreheads, before pulling all three into a hug. Dawn could hear Vernon's snickering and rolled her eyes.

 

"I can make you some more, Mommy! I can make some for everyone to have!" Lily offered, petting Princess Callibrie.

 

"Eh, maybe you'd like some help there, sweetpea?" Vernon asked, sitting up and climbing out of bed. Lily's eyes lit up even more.

 

"Yaaaaaay!" Lily said, heading for the door. Vernon headed out to follow her, turning to give Dawn a wink, with Trevor following behind. Alice stood there, feeling a little awkward.

 

"I tried to catch everything... but the glitter I must have missed, s-sorry," Alice said, surprised to find the gentle hoof resting on her shoulder. She looked up into Dawn's smiling face.

 

"You are a good daughter," Dawn says simply, prompting a sudden hug from Alice. Dawn was surprised, but quick to reciprocate, excited at the headway made in connecting to the anxious pup. Down in the kitchen, Vernon was "supervising" the next batches of princess toast. When Lily wasn't looking, he had dumped the rest of the glitter down the kitchen sink.

 

"Aw, shoot, sugar plum, we're all out," he said, smiling at his youngest apologetically.

 

"Awwww..." Lily said, before looking excited once again. "Oh! I think I saw some glitter glue in Trevor's room!" she said as she was stirring the canister of pink frosting. Vernon quickly motioned for Trevor to come to him and, while Lily was preoccupied with the frosting, he leaned down to whisper.

 

"Son, I will give you five bucks right now if you make sure that glitter glue disappears..."

 

"Why, Daddy?" He asks, making sure to be as quiet as his father.

 

"Just trust me, and teeth to tails don't tell Lily. Just say you were out of it, er' no fiver."

 

Trevor salutes, before running off.

 

"Where'd Trevor go?" Lily asked as she noticed him running out of the kitchen.

 

"Oh, eh, he's off to look fer that glitter glue," Vernon said, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"Yay! I hope he finds it! I don't wanna ruin the princess toast fer you and Mommy!" Lily said. Vernon let out one of his rumbling chuckles and gently picked up Lily in his arms for a hug.

 

"Well, if'n we can't find anymore, I'm sure that it'll turn out just fine, sugar plum," he said, kissing her head before setting her down. He noticed Princess Callibrie at her bowl, enjoying her freshly opened wet food out of the corner of his eye. He took note of how much bigger she had already gotten.

 

It's about time that we scheduled that lizard fer a an appointment with a vet, he mentally filed this thought away for later, his smile becoming a bit more relaxed when he saw Trevor coming back, giving him a very obvious wink that, thankfully, Lily didn't see since her back was to him. Vernon ruffled his head floof, and the two helped Lily in making more of her princess toast.

 

 

In the Northern Meadowlands...

 

 

"Alright, now, remember that y'all shouldn't go puttin' pressure on that leg of yers fer a little while, just to be safe." Zachary said to Marcus as he walked next to the human boy, who was on a pair of crutches, heading towards his and Vanna's cruiser. Vanna had pulled the car around to the front after they had signed Marcus out, slightly dazed. After getting some forms to fill out and handing them off to Zach's brother Xavier, they had officially become Marcus' foster parents.

 

Just like that, and we have a kitten, Vanna thought, feeling equal parts excitement and worry.

 

Okay Vanna, she mentally said to herself as she saw Zach and Marcus approaching the car, just relax, and be conscious of how you act around him. Even if he's scared initially, you can show him that you're not that scary. Vanna looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror and frowned, once again feeling self conscious of the imposing tigress staring back at her. Just then, the back door opens.

 

"Now, no need to rush." She heard her mate say to the boy as he took the crutches from him. "Nice and slow, there ya go!" Zach was gentle and chipper as he carried the crutches to the trunk to load them in, having already loaded up the few possessions Marcus had to his name. There was the odd, deep blue coat he had been wearing when he was found, with the copper buttons. It had a white faux fur lining, especially around the neck, several breast and hip pockets, and thick cuffs. It had the air to it of some form of military jacket, but so far not any that anyone whose seen it so far could recognize. Although it was Malcolm who had pointed out that the loop on the left hip was meant for a sword scabbard. Most likely something ceremonial. Audrey had happily, with Marcus' permission... along with the promise that she would bring it right back when done, washed it and sewn up the tears. While still a few sizes too large for him, Marcus seemed very attached to it.

 

He had given them directions to his latest campsite, where they found a light tan briefcase, with a few spare changes of clothes, and a silver pocket watch. Vanna looked at the kitten in the rearview mirror. He was a mystery. No one knew where he had come from, and so far, he has said nothing about it either. However, mystery or not, what Vanna saw as she watched him look around in curiosity at all the mammals walking or milling about, was a scared child, feeling all alone and not far from being overwhelmed.

 

"Don't worry, honey," Vanna says, turning to face him as she says it, "we're actually pretty nervous about this arrangement as well."

 

"R-really?" Marcus asks in surprise, as he looks down, afraid of making eye contact.

 

"Really. But, we'll all learn how to go from here, together. Okay?"'

 

"... O-okay, Mrs. Hunter."

 

"Please, just call us Zach and Vanna," she said, her and Zach having already discussed and decided on not pressuring the boy into calling them Mom and Dad. They wanted that to come naturally, when Marcus feels more comfortable.

 

"U-uh... y-yes... Vanna..." the boy said, looking unsure. It was at that moment that Zach finished getting the crutches sorted and closed the trunk, jogging back to the passenger side door.

 

"Alrighty, all set!" the wolf said, getting his wagging tail under control before settling himself in his seat and putting on his seatbelt. Marcus sat there, staring at the floorboard as the car started... but didn't move. It took a few moments before he dared to look up, and saw the smiling face of Zach staring back at him.

 

"Seatbelt, buddy," he said... noting the look of confusion on the boy's face. He then pulled out his own and let it snap back into place for playful emphasis. Marcus looked around the seat before finding his and buckling it.

 

"Atta boy!" Zach said as they started to pull out, Vanna smirking at her playful mate in the rearview mirror as she focused more on driving. Most of the trip was in silence, with Zach and Vanna both sneaking glances at Marcus and how he stared at all the sights they passed in the more urban part of the district, before they soon found themselves in the more rural areas.Large fields of green, forests in the distance, farms and farm houses dotting the landscape. They even passed the Woodson's ostrich ranch, with old-mam Billy trotting the newest bird to their flock. The older beaver waved at the cruiser, smiling, as Marcus stared on, perplexed.

 

"Ever see an ostrich before?" Zach asked, startling Marcus out of his apparent daze.

 

"U-uh... I've read about them... but, wh-where are their horns?" he asked. At first, Zach thought he was kidding... but looked and saw the look of serious confusion on Marcus' face. He shared a look with Vanna before addressing Marcus.

 

"Uhm... I'm not sure what book y'all were readin', but I think that it may have been a little outdated... or somethin'..."

 

Marcus nodded but said nothing, and the rest of the car ride was in an awkward silence. It didn't take much longer for them to pull into the driveway of their house. Zach practically leapt out, his excitement having returned. Vanna popped the trunk for him as he grabbed the crutches and the briefcase. She got out, opening Marcus' door for him.

 

"Here we are," she said, motioning to the two-storey ranch-style house.

 

"Home sweet home!" Zach chimed in, passing Marcus his crutches.

 

"I-it looks very nice, uhm, s-sir..." the human boy said.

 

"Please, Marcus, call me Zach," he said in a gentle reminder. When Marcus spotted Zach carrying his luggage, he offered to carry it himself, but that idea was quickly dismissed, what with him being on crutches.

 

"Now, we can go over a full tour of the house later. Fer now, we got a surprise fer ya," Zach said, his tail starting to speed up. The grey wolf with the auburn splashes seemed even more excited as he led the boy upstairs and down the hall and opened a door. "Ta-daah!"

 

Marcus hobbled along, making sure to keep the weight off his injured leg, not wanting to pop the stitches. he came to the opened door and looked in. Inside was a bed, a desk with a computer on it, some bookshelves with a few books on them, a dresser, and a bedside table.

 

"I know that it's a bit sparse at the moment, but we weren't sure what you'd like. So when yer feelin' better, we can go shopping fer some things together! Now, how about y'all take it easy," Zach offered, "and let me and Vanna know if there's anything ya need, okay, buddy?"

 

"U-uh, y-yes s-s... uh... Zach..." at Marcus saying his name, Zach put a paw on his shoulder, noticing how Marcus flinched, but not commenting on it.

 

"I'm serious, anything at all, just let us know..." and gave his shoulder a squeeze. Vanna looked on from the doorway as Zach set the luggage onto the bed, before heading for the door. The mates made their way downstairs, about to discuss how best to help Marcus feel more comfortable, when they heard some shuffling, and a loud thunk.

 

"What was that?!" Zack asked, immediately worried.

 

"Probably him just setting his luggage down," Vanna offered, just before there was another one.

 

"What if he fell?!" Zach said, starting to head for the stairs.

 

"Goofball, let's try to stay calm," Vanna said, also feeling concerned by the sounds coming from Marcus' room. After the third audible THUNK, Zach decided to check in on Marcus.

 

"Hey, Marcus, is everything okay?" Zach asked as he opened the door, poking his head in.

 

Marcus, who had been scooting the desk over, stood up straight, his arms at his sides. He was holding a rag in his hand, his other arm holding onto a crutch.

 

"Just fine, s-sir! Just moving the desk over a little to clean behind it. I'll have this room finished soon enough and be ready for the next one!" Marcus said, looking worried. Zach stood there for a few moments, completely bewildered.

 

"Son, I don't think yer understandin' how this works. This is yer room. And all we expected you to do was get some rest."

 

Now Marcus was the one to be bewildered, and stood there, not sure of what to say.

 

"... Oh... sorry, sir."

 

Zach let out a little sigh, but gave Marcus a warm smile as he entered the room properly. "I ain't gonna pressure you in to callin' me Pa er' nothin'... but please stop callin' me sir..."

 

"U-uh, y-yes s-I mean... uh... y-yes... Z-Zach." Zach gave Marcus another smile, and then pushed the desk back to where it had been. He waited until Marcus took a seat on his bed before he gave him another smile.

 

"Are ya hungry? If so, we can get started on makin' lunch," Zach offered. Marcus sat there, looking lost, before he tensed up and nodded.

 

"Alrighty. How 'bout some burgers? I swear I can make 'em as good as Bugburga!" As Zach then had to explain what Bugburga was to a very confused Marcus, Vanna stood just outside the door, out of sight, smiling. She was still very nervous about the prospect of being parents, but her excitement was also growing...

 

 

Back in Savannah Central...

 

 

"Well, that was a purdy nice surprise our pups gave ya this mornin' fer yer birthday," Vernon said as he stood next to Dawn at the kitchen sink, Dawn on her trusty step-ladder. They had collected the dishes to wash while the children went about playing.

 

"I know! It was just so cute and sweet!" Dawn gushed, reflecting on her first, and only bite of the princess toast to include the glitter. Alice had taken the rest of it and discreetly gotten rid of it, the pair agreeing to pretend Dawn had eaten all of it when Lily and Vern and Trevor returned. After Lily had apologized for running out of anymore glitter to use on the toast, Dawn assured her youngest daughter that it was all right, and made a show of eating the newest batch of princess toast.

 

"Y'know, since Lily loves just about all things princess-related," Dawn said, "that maybe I've got an idea for her upcoming birthday party."

 

"Oh?" Vernon asked, "Remember, Darlin', that if we do somethin' special fer one pup's birthday, we gotta do somethin' equally special fer all of their birthdays." Vernon chuckled.

 

"Absolutely, Puppy! I was just thinking that now I know what theme we could use for Lily's party is all. Just like we'll figure out what theme would make Trevor happy for his, and what theme would make Alice happy for hers."

 

"Alright, Floofs," Vernon said, smiling, before hearing some giggling and turning his head in the direction of the living room. He and Dawn both turned in time to see Princess Callibrie sitting on top of the ZooBaa as it moved about vacuuming. The children were following as the lizard chirped and hissed contentedly, seemingly enjoying the ride.

 

"Princess Callibrie is riding in style!" Alice said with a giggle, the black wolf pup's tail was wagging.

 

"She sure is, sweetheart," Vernon said in his rumbling voice. Alice blushed under her fur, but Vernon and dawn could both see the smile at the corner of her muzzle.