Out of the Moon Lake Court House walked Jenny Harper-Jenkins, hand in hand with her new husband Harry.
On Jenny's right were her younger siblings Janice and John Harper.
The four of them all had big broad smiles on their faces.
To Harry's left walked Jenny's oldest brother James Junior, escorting their mother Elizabeth. He had somewhat of a smile on his face, while the matron of the Harper clan looked sad.
"I can't believe that we get to stay in such a great place," said Janice. She had been cautioned earlier not to say anything about Weres with their mother around, but was still looking forward to becoming a were-mermaid as soon as she was old enough to do so. After all, although they were currently in their human forms, Jenny and Harry were werefoxes, so why shouldn't she be what she wanted to be? Her fantasy dreams may have started out as just wishful thinking to at least mentally escape their abusive father, to swim away from him and all her troubles forever and live happily ever after someplace else, but now that there was actually a chance for them to come true...
"Me too," agreed John, although he was uncertain about whether or not to ever join were society, let alone a lot of other things. "But what about school, let alone our stuff back in Alabama?"
"While Moon Lake officially recognizes your new residence here, unfortunately you still can't start school until after all the paperwork has been filed and processed back there," began Jenny.
"But I'll be taking care of that and making sure you get all your things as soon as I can," promised James Junior. He was holding a legal sized document envelope with copies of the documentation for emancipation filed in Moon Lake, as well as instructions from Jenny's lawyer as to how to officially complete that task once he was back home.
"So when?" John asked.
"By this time next week, I hope," replied his older brother.
"After all we've been through, think of it as an extended vacation to rest and destress," suggested Jenny.
"Was I really such a bad mother?" wondered Elizabeth again, now that they were alone.
"As far as your own actions towards us?" asked James Junior in return. "Sometimes," he admitted. "In regards to being blind to what dad was doing to us all these years? Totally."
"I deserve that," conceded his mother. "But I am going to try my best to correct my mistakes. Part of that was agreeing to the emancipation, although I do wish there was another way."
"It's for the best mom," said Jenny, while putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Elizabeth felt a new found rush of confidence pouring into her* and said, "Yes. I know."
Then, as if a revelation came to her, Elizabeth looked at the others and said, "Oh no!"
"What?" asked Jenny and James Junior, practically simultaneously.
"I just remembered. Your father's will!"
"What about it?" James Junior asked, before Jenny could speak.
"Although I don't have much, he had me sign a similar one if I should pass before he did. But if your father dies before it can be changed, all his worldly possessions get bequeathed to the church; including the house, the car, and whatever's in the bank! Which is all solely in his name to begin with."
"Geez. Some provider. If he dies first, especially considering his current health problems**, that leaves you and whoever is with you at the time out in the cold," complained Jenny.
"What if you sell the house before he passes, like you plan to do when you get home?" wondered Harry.
"I honestly don't know," admitted Elizabeth.
"Great. As if I don't have enough on my plate as it is," protested James Junior.
"Hey, it isn't my fault," countered his mother.
"Look. This isn't helping anyone out here," realized Jenny. "Harry. Why don't you take the kids and my mother down the block to Moe's Pizza***. James and I will join you as soon as we can."
"Okay hon. Come on kids. Mrs. Harper," said Harry.
"Please. We are family now. Call me Elizabeth," said the older lady, as the group started to walk away.
When they were alone, Jenny pointed at a nearby sidewalk bench for her and James to occupy.
"Well, this certainly puts a new wrinkle in things," said her brother, realizing the increased work load ahead of him.
"That certainly is a stunt dad would pull," agreed Jenny. "Not including mom in the ownership of the house was bad enough, but this?"
"I certainly won't ever treat Celeste like this," promised James, referring to his intended back in Alabama.
"I know, and I have faith you will get through all of this too," said Jenny, while putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I will somehow," said James, feeling a new urge of resolve, "but I certainly ain't going to have fun in the process," he conceded.
"Well, if you need me..." began Jenny, as she removed her hand from his shoulder and sat back against the bench.
"You're going to have your hands full with Janice and John, let alone being a new bride and trying to continue college," James reminded her.
"True. But I'm just a phone call away if you need someone to talk to," she pointed out.
Then the oldest Harper siblings were silent for a bit before Jenny asked, "I never met her. What's Celeste like?"
"Wonderful," said James with a smile on his face. "Her cheeks make these cute dimples in her mocha skinned face whenever she smiles, which is often, and she's helped me through a lot of my emotional problems dealing with mom and dad."
"Is she studying to be some kind of therapist like Doctor Twist?"
"No. She's an Arts major. We met my Freshman year because we had one of the basics together. Celeste started out as just someone to talk to who has always been there for me, but it's grown in the years since. I never gave it a second thought but since she's African-American and we're Caucasian, I could never say a word to either of our parents about her. Especially dad."
"Yeah. He's the fly in everything."
"Well, somebody sure decided to swat him down a peg or two. I just wish that didn't risk taking all the rest of us down with him in the process."
"Like I said, don't worry. You'll get through it all in time and I'm just a phone call away for moral support," Jenny reminded him. Then a thought crossed her mind. "Say, once you've got mom and dad taken care of and have graduated college, why don't you and Celeste move here."
"To Moon Lake?" asked James.
"Sure! It's a nice, quiet little town. We're within an hour's drive of Seattle, depending upon the traffic, so you'd still have big city conveniences if needed, but I think you'd like it here. I know I do," said Jenny, thinking about her new life with Harry.
"What about this were business?" James asked.
"Well, since I'm already considered the Harper family were, you won't have to become one if you don't want to. Although you will have to sign a nondisclosure agreement. I did when I first moved here to attend college."
"Moon Lake seems like a nice enough town, so it's definitely something to consider," he finally said. "But also something I'd have to talk to Celeste about first."
"I know it will be tough to do, but please don't mention weres to her unless you two do decide to move here."
"That is a long way's off yet," he pointed out to her. "After all the problems with mom and dad are taken care of, along with everything else I've got to do within the next few weeks. Besides, John and Janice aren't the only ones who have been missing school since yesterday****, and my course load is a lot tougher than theirs."
"But you and Celeste will at least come out for a visit some time, won't you?" asked Jenny, while giving her brother her best "sad puppy dog" (or should that be werevixen?) expression.
"Sure," promised James Harper Junior. "Now come on sis," he said, rising from the bench. "I could use some of that pizza before we have to get back to the hospital and get dad ready for the flight back to Alabama."
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*At this point in our story, only Skulk leader Tachibana no Akane is aware that Jenny is a rare "healer vixen", capable of curing others of at least their emotional/mental problems. She cannot heal herself in any situation, and while her abilities have yet to be tested in regards to anything else medical, there must be actual physical contact between Jenny and her "patient" for them to work.
**James Harper Senior is currently resting in the Cardiac Unit of Moon Lake General Hospital after a recent heart attack, but still in need of a heart valve replacement operation, which his insurance company won't approve of until he returns to Alabama and can be examined by a doctor there for confirmation of the situation.
***Re-established in Moon Lake whenever it gets to that point in our companion Moon Lake, Charlestons thread, which is currently running behind the rest of our Moon Lake of Earth 1 stories.
****The Harper-Jenkins wedding was Halloween morning and it is Tuesday, November 3, 2015 to our cast at this moment in the story.—tmw.