Night settled peacefully onto Moon Lake as the Andersons, and those they were close to, slept. There were plenty of things that worried many and plenty that others hoped for. For good and for bad, these active minds continued to run even as they slept.
++++++++++++++++++
In the Jenkins home, Jenny Harper slept quietly with her arms wrapped tightly around Harry. The two had spent the evening discussing things Harry could do to impress Jenny's parents while Harry gave her some ideas on what she could say to get her point across that she was her own person. Her eyes fluttered slightly as she slept...
JENNY HARPER'S DREAM:
"I really never thought I'd be here again," Jenny grumbled heavily as she stood in a rather quiet place in rural Alabama while Harry stood beside her and held up an umbrella. Her ears could only hear the sound of rain hitting the umbrella's fabric.
"I'm sure, sis," came a male's voice, and Jenny looked over to see her eldest brother, James Harper Jr. He stood under his own umbrella, but a part of him also looked rather tired. "I can't blame you for deciding to stay in Moon Lake... it actually wasn't too bad a place at the wedding... Shame mom and dad never saw what you saw."
Jenny felt Harry squeeze her hand as she looked forward to see two headstones, one read: James Harper Sr. and the other read: Elizabeth Janice Monroe-Harper. She could only sigh. The wedding had been a week ago, and the first ceremony had been beautiful, but the second had been a problem. Her parents had been hostile to Harry in their own "protective" sort of way, but in the end, they weren't the real problem as when Jenny flat refused to marry Dieter and let it slip that she and Harry had already married, Dieter drew a high caliber pistol and fired at point blank range. Jenny was only saved when her father pushed her out of the way and took the bullet, but the pistol's muzzle velocity was such that the round went through her father and caught her mother behind him as well. Dieter never got a chance for a second shot as a massive male werelion leaped from the pews, transformed in the air, shredding clothing as he grew in muscle mass and fur, and put a end to Dieter Wilhelm on the spot. It killed Jenny and Harry's honeymoon plans as they were soon dealing with putting their parents' affairs in order.
"A shame," Jenny agreed.
There was a silence that went between Jenny and James Jr.
"You could come up to Moon Lake and join us," Jenny said to her brother, "Moon Lake High has already accepted Janice as a transfer..."
"I could... but I wouldn't want to get in your way," James Jr. commented, "besides... John wants to graduate with his friends down here. Best I stayed down here to give him that."
Jenny sighed. James Jr. had been rather accepting of Jenny and all the changes that had happened with her. At times as they grew up, Jenny had thought that he had tried hard to be shield for the rest of the Harper children, draw their parents wrath away from his younger siblings. Aside from Janice, as she was Jenny's only sister, James Jr. was actually the closest to her among the Harper siblings. John, by contrast didn't take the changes in her human form well and had accused her doing this to make their parents turn to take their style of discipline out on him.
"You'll get him to understand...?" Jenny asked.
"I'm not sure I can," James Jr. sighed, "the whole were thing might be too much... and honestly, at times I think there might be a bit much of dad in him. I might be able to get him to put things aside and look forward... but that will take time."
Jenny could only nod.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Martha found herself tossing and turning as she slept as her worries for Eric tossed and turned in her mind.
MARTHA ANDERSON'S DREAM:
Martha blinked heavily. Presently the Andersons and Stovalls were enjoying a friendly dinner at the Anderson home and Martin and Melissa were pleasantly chatting away with Nate as he talked about how great he enjoyed being a werewolf. She occasionally glanced over to Eric and Julie who were talking about something, though strangely, she couldn't hear what they were saying. It puzzled Martha a little bit, as since her own transformation she'd found herself being able to hear things so much easier. She'd found that even a few higher frequencies that normal humans couldn't hear could now be picked up by her ears. She checked her scent for a moment, caught her werecat scent and then privately shrugged. She figured that Eric and Julie were just talking about school or something else that fourteen year olds talked about.
Martha returned to her own meal and was about to pass a platter of turkey to William when a sudden and excited squeal made her jump. Turkey went flying in all directions as Martha turned to see Julie standing with her hands over her mouth. At first, Martha was puzzled as to what caused this and then she saw Eric. Eric was actually kneeling in front of Julie and held up a small velvet covered box. He opened it and inside was a beautiful gold wedding ring with a diamond that glittered under the dinning room's lighting. Martha's eyes widened.
"No... it's too soon!" Martha whispered, "they're too young... I'm not ready..."
Then something crazy happened. Julie began to grow taller, not much taller, but still taller than she was. Her blond hair grew a little bit, but that wasn't the craziest part of it. Julie's facial features matured and altered. She still looked like Julie Stovall, but more like what Julie would likely look like as an adult. She gave a soft moan as the rest of her body began to mature along with her. Her bosom grew larger, stretching her clothing and actually popping a few buttons on her shirt as they swelled to match her mother's chest. At the same time, Julie's hips widened and stretched her jeans tightly around her hips, butt, and thighs. They weren't destroyed, but they went from a woman's relaxed fit to hip huggers as Julie matured from a fourteen year old girl into a twenty five year old woman in seconds.
"Of course I'll marry you!" Julie said with a smile and offered her hands to Eric.
Martha only watched in surprise as Eric took her hand and stood up. As he did so, his shoulders broadened out and he gained some obvious muscle tone, though more like a professional swimmer rather than a weight lifter. It still stretched out his own shirt a bit, and as he stood up, Martha could only watch as Eric also grew taller. He didn't stop growing until he was a few inches taller than the adult Julie. Martha also caught his scent, and it carried a weremer's distinctive fish-like scent.
"You've made me the happiest man on Earth," Eric said to Julie in a much deeper voice, sounding almost identical to his father.
Martha could only stare as her youngest son had also seemed to go through puberty in fast forward.
"Martha..." William said to her from behind.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Martha found herself being shook awake to find William laying next to her in bed.
"Will?" Martha asked.
"You were moaning in your sleep and rolling around," William spoke, "and it wasn't a GOOD moan."
"I dreamed Eric and Julie turned into adults at dinner," Martha spoke, "My baby boy..."
"Is growing up," William kissed her cheek, "and... so far... while some things may be coming fast, at least it's coming with one who he loves and who seems to love him in return."
"Yes," Martha nodded and rolled in the bed to embrace her husband, pressing her body against his. William hugged her back. She might not be fully ready for Eric to grow up, but on some level, she did feel proud that he was growing up
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ERIC ANDERSON AND JULIE STOVALL:
"You're going to spend the day in your bikini?" Eric asked as he and Julie sat together in the Stovall living room. Eric sat on a soft and comfortable chair, while Julie almost playfully sat on a nearby couch.
"Why not?" Julie asked back, "it's still been warm out... going swimming would be nice... and changing clothes would waste valuable time."
Eric found himself only drawn to her. His eyes flashed between brown and blue, but they began to stay blue for longer and longer periods of time. Her actions were rather flirtatious, like Julie was looking for something more than just hanging out with him. A real part of him was attracted to her for that, while at the same time he was puzzled by it.
"I suppose..." Eric said slowly, "but we're not in the pool right now. Wouldn't you want to wear something over it until we go swimming?"
"Am I bothering you?" Julie asked.
"No!" Eric said quickly, "No... it's just... you're so beautiful... with your brilliant blue eyes... glittering like sapphires, shining with the deep beauty of the sea..."
"You've had a LOT to say about my eyes since we started dating," Julie smiled, "surely there is more about me that you like?"
Eric gave a nervous smile and nodded. There was plenty about Julie that he liked physically, but he didn't want get into that. In a sense it reminded him of the mistakes his father had made. He didn't know as much about what had happened to strain his parents marriage in Minnesota as Nate did, but he did know enough. That his father, despite his love for his mother, had been easily lead astray to the point where he'd gotten a college coed pregnant. Now, while William Anderson was proven to have committed no crime, it did represent dishonesty to his wife and family, got him fired from the college, and when the coed came to term with the child, William would be paying child support to the coed and her family.
Eric knew that things were better between his parents and that his father had or was mending his ways, but that didn't mean he wanted to be lead into a similar sort of position. He wanted to show Julie he was a good man, the sort of man she'd find in some of the fantasy books that she said she liked. And he knew that Prince Charming never looked to the Princess he was to rescue and say, "Damn girl, you got a nice rack." However, Julie's present attire made that rather difficult. He loved her, and in a way, it was feeling like a need. He needed to love her. He NEEDED her.
"There is plenty about you to like," Eric said slowly, "all the things you've done for me that you didn't have to..."
"Of course I had to," Julie answered as she climbed off the sofa and moved toward him, "I saw you and new you were the only one for me. I had to because you seemed overwhelmed... and it hurt my heart to see you that way. I had to make you feel better. I LOVE YOU Eric Anderson."
"Thank you," Eric said weakly.
He then looked down for a moment.
"Is something wrong?" Julie asked.
"No," Eric said weakly.
"Did I were the wrong bikini?" Julie asked.
Eric didn't look up.
"My top came off."
"What?!" Eric blurted looking up to see Julie still had her bikini top on. He then blushed when he realized she'd caught him.
"It's okay to be attracted to me, Eric," Julie told him and climbed into his lap, "I love you."
"I know," Eric said slowly. "I love you, too."
"Then why are you so nervous?" Julie wondered.
"You're so beautiful... and I'm afraid that I might... that I might do something you don't want me to," Eric spoke, "or be something you don't want me to be."
"That's silly," Julie smiled at him, her eyes twinkling, "You'll always be what I want your to be... YOU."
The two of them began to kiss rather passionately, with Eric seated in the chair and Julie seated in his lap.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In their respective rooms, Eric and Julie smiled at the same time.