{It's tough working a retail industry related job, especially in this over hyped and over commercialized holiday season. While I'm trying to contribute as much as my work schedule permits, hopefully I'll be back to Moon Lake on a regular basis after Christmas; and our title is also the mysterious sign off comedian Jimmy Durante closed his shows with.—tmw.}
The sun had long since set upon another Wednesday.
Anyone who happened to look up now would see a night sky of sparkling stars overhead.
Some weres were too busy romping through the woodlands of Moon Lake or pursuing what appeared to be the furry community's favorite past time to notice.
Other weres kept a more mundane schedule and saved their extracurricular activities for the weekend.
Having helped clean up the kitchen at the Elders' Council, Tachibana no Akane arranged transportation for members of the support staff who needed it. Thus BRIAN WALKER and PATRICIA MONET found themselves sharing an Elders' paid for cab ride home.
The young couple held hands and leaned against each other. Even if they were in private, both were too tired to contemplate more physical expressions of their love right now.
"Well, here's my stop," said Brian, reluctantly, for his home was closer to the Elders' Council building than Patricia's.
"See you in the morning," Patricia said cheerfully, while giving her boyfriend a brief but passionate kiss.
"I'll be counting the seconds until then, dearest," said Brian, before reluctantly getting out of the cab.
As the taxi drove off, he stopped and collected the mail.
Bills, bills, and more bills, Brian silently complained, while sorting the envelopes.
He was just a sophomore in high school, but the proverbial Man of the House since his father left them all those years ago.
Once inside, Brian just tossed everything on the kitchen table, including his school books.
Then, he went to his room and hastily removed all his clothing before assuming his wereotter fursona.
Man, it feels good to finally be myself again, thought Brian, as he grabbed his cellphone and sent a text.
Then he laid in his bed and thought of his girlfriend. A smile crossed Brian's face as he started taking matters into his own paws. There was no time for any fun today, what with everything going on between school and the Elders' Council, but Brian promised himself he and Patricia would make up for lost time soon.
FRIEDA KNIGHT was already dressed for bed. Of course "being dressed" in this case meant just brushing her teeth before flopping on the mattress in all her furry werepanthress glory.
She had a good time with her girlfriend/wife Spencer Lawson, but both of them would admit that while feminine duets were nice, it was even better when their trio was complete with their mutual mate/husband Eric Anderson.
Thoughts of his proud werepantherhood plunging into one of their hungry cunts or ass while the others did their best to please everyone orally made an already well sated vagina long for more attention.
I know he's always willing, but medically he'll be ready and able again tomorrow, Frieda thought happily, as erotic but loving dreams would soon fill her sleep.
EMILY WALKER was on duty at The Local Diner, when she felt her cellphone silently buzz receipt of an incoming text.
Finding a moment to check the message, she saw her only child was home for the night and going to bed.
Emily worried about Brian. He takes so much upon himself, trying to help us out and get out of the debt my no good husband left us. Someday...
But that soliloquy was left unfinished as another table demanded the waitress' attention.
ERIC ANDERSON was beside himself.
Through the mutual link he shared with his ladies, he felt Frieda and Spencer's time together, and now both ladies were teasing themselves with thoughts of him and each other as they drifted off to sleep in their respective beds.
Eric lost track of how many times he had an orgasm this night, whether because of their special bond or his own efforts. Of course, the covert website he found out about at school that featured what most of the world considered to be fantasy creatures in erotic poses and situations that was actually were porn did help, but it wasn't the same as the real thing.
Tomorrow, Eric promised himself, trying to drift off to sleep in his regular human form, since he was still recovering from the broken nose he suffered earlier that day at school.
Eric's brother NATE ANDERSON had a slightly more serious problem.
Stuck in his human form too, Nate was still trying to recover from the inner ear damage suffered during the beating he received earlier that week from two goons in the employ of Jack Crawford, the husband of Nate's ex-girlfriend Kenya Adaeze.
With no relief, since he couldn't even be with his fiance Jean Talbot, Nate just threw himself into his homework.
It wasn't easy, for he wasn't the brain his younger brother was, but Nate finally managed to take care of it all.
After a long shower, with more cold water than hot, Nate crawled into bed, longing for the moment when he could not only embrace his inner werewolf once more, but Jean as well.
SHERIFF DOUGLAS COOPER was tired.
It had been a long day, dealing with the aftermath of the attack on the notorious mobster Fredrick Parker, whether officially on duty in public or privately as a consultant to the Elders' Council.
Now, Douglas was at the one place he wanted to be more than any other.
HOME!
Upon entering his cabin, he went to check on his young ward and hopefully soon to be adopted son Darrell.
Considering the hour and the fact that he had school in the morning, Darrell was already sound asleep, so Douglas just kissed him on the forehead and quietly left the makeshift bedroom he was using.
Definitely have to put some serious effort into expanding this place soon, Douglas realized, as he entered the master bedroom.
There, he saw the love of his life and future wife, Joan Morning Cloud, sleeping in their bed.
It looked like the weretigress had tried to stay up and wait for him, but eventually failed in the effort and fell asleep anyway, for the book she was reading had fallen upon the floor near her bedside, pages down and cover up.
Douglas picked it up and looked at the title: Motherhood: From Pregnancy To High School Graduation.
Douglas Cooper stared at the title in disbelief. Is she reading up on this to be better with Darrell or...
Even if Joan was awake, it was too late to discuss it now.
Promising himself he'd ask later, Douglas secured his gun in its safe, stripped and resumed his were-grizzly bear fursona, and then crawled into bed before snuggling up to his fiance.
Joan emitted a low and contented 'purr' like sound in her sleep as she subconsciously sensed his presence.
A smile crossed his were-grizzly muzzle as Douglas snuggled up next to her and joined Joan in pleasant slumber.
Current Elders' Council werepanther representative LANCE KNIGHT quietly entered the home he shared with his wife LILA CARPENTER KNIGHT.
With the love of his life being four months pregnant with their first cub, he tried to make it to the master bedroom without disturbing her, but fate had other ideas, as the flush of the toilet in the master bathroom heralded his arrival.
"Are you okay honey?" Lance asked, rushing into the bathroom to find Lila nude and hunched over the porcelain throne.
"I think something Amanda served for dinner at their place didn't agree with me," said Lila, getting up to wipe her mouth and brush her teeth, again.
"Anything I can get for you?" he asked, holding her close.
"Let me clean up before you kiss me, and then you can hold me all you want to for the rest of the night my love," replied Lila, smiling at him.
"Deal," said Lance, kissing the top of her forehead.
MARTIN AND MELISSA STOVALL were sound asleep when they heard the plaintive little cry in the night.
"Dawn's awake," said Melissa groggily, as the new mother started to get out of bed.
"Need any help honey?" asked her husband.
"Not unless..."
But Melissa didn't have to finish her statement as a second cry joined the first.
"She wakes up her brother," Melissa sighed.
"I'm right behind you honey," said Martin, as he got out of bed to follow his wife.
TACHIBANA NO AKANE was sound asleep when the landline phone by her bedside rang.
As she felt herself drifting between sleep and regaining consciousness, Akane seriously thought about ignoring it and let the sands of Morpheus overtake her once more, but the fact that it was her VERY private number that few people knew tipped the scales in waking up's favor as the older werevixen reached out a paw to answer it.
"Konnichiwa," said Akane groggily.
"I deeply apologize for disturbing you after such a long and stressful day, but it's important," began Daisuke Tachibana.
"What is the situation," Akane asked, sensing the tension in his voice.
"A wererat threatens to expose us all," replied Daisuke, which made Akane instantly sit up in bed and demand to hear all the details.
And in Seattle, another potential problem sits and fumes in his study as JACK CRAWFORD contemplates his future and the legal issues before him.
Meanwhile, his wife KENYA ADAEZE CRAWFORD has packed a bag and left their penthouse suite on the pretense that she is returning to her home in Moon Lake until everything in her husband's life is settled and he can concentrate upon the one thing that matters most to her right now: fucking her like crazy until she is pregnant with their first cub because Kenya is currently experiencing a serious heat cycle. The fact that Jack is currently forced to wear an ankle monitor and cannot assume his werepanther fursona certainly doesn't help matters, but no one has stopped to wonder why after days of constant trying, Kenya isn't already expecting?
Yet another good question would be why is she knocking on an apartment door just a few floors down from the Crawford suite???
TO BE CONTINUED...