The blended family gathered around the table for dinner.
Henry, Lisa, Huck (aka Henry Junior), and Harry Jenkins.
Jenny Harper-Jenkins, who had married Harry.
John and Janice Harper, who were now living under the Jenkins roof as part of their emancipation; and Betty Timid, who would soon become Mrs. Huck Jenkins.
Like any family, they had their trials and tribulations, but had weathered every storm and were still together and as strong as ever. Even stronger now with the new bride, bride to be, and children.
Of course the fact that four of them were weres of Moon Lake, with Betty to join that unique group during her upcoming honeymoon with Huck was another matter, along with Jenny's demented suitor almost having Huck killed when his assassin thought he was murdering Harry, but what's life without a little drama? ☺
Anyway...
"How far have you gotten into The Roman Hat Mystery?" Henry Senior asked John Harper.
"I'm up to Ellery Queen's Challenge To The Reader, but I'm stopping to think things over before I finish reading the novel and find out who the murderer is," answered John.
"Well, it's been ages since I've read the book, but if you'd like to talk it over after dinner..." offered Henry.
Since finding himself somewhat responsible for two teenagers again, he had been looking for opportunities to bond with the younger Harpers. He may not be a blood relative, nor had any hope of ever being called anything endearing like "Uncle" or "Grandpa", but Henry did want to be the kid's friend and help them adjust to their new life in Moon Lake.
"Sure," said John, before he resumed eating.
Over dinner, everyone talked about their respective days.
Huck about what little work he was able to do, Harry and Jenny about their school day and how things went so far with the rest of the Harpers, who by now should be safe and sound back in Alabama, courtesy of the Skulk handling their travel arrangements.
"So, when's the wedding?" Lisa asked Betty.
"Just as soon as we can appear before a Justice of the Peace and tie the knot," answered the future Mrs. Jenkins, as she reached over and held Huck's hand in hers. "We were hoping for this weekend, but neither of us have had a chance to go down to the Town Hall and apply for the license yet, so it'll probably be next weekend."
"You don't want a formal wedding like Jenny had?" wondered Janice, while looking at her sister and Harry.
"No," said Huck. "We've denied what the two of us were feeling for too long as it is, so the sooner we're married, the sooner we can enter this new chapter of our lives," he added, before kissing Betty on the cheek, which earned a few "AAWWS" from the other ladies at the table as Betty blushed.
The rest of the dinner conversation was pretty routine, so by the time dessert was finished, everyone was ready to go on to their individual activities.
Betty and the other ladies helped Lisa clear the table, before Jenny said she and Harry had homework to tackle.
But the smile on the new Mrs. Jenkins face told the adults that there would be more than school assignments addressed before the newlyweds retired for the night.
Huck and his father talked further about his recovery and trying to catch up with outstanding business.
Being retired, Henry and Lisa were pretty much "home bodies" now but, especially with Huck recovering from his near fatal injury after being shot, Henry still liked to keep apprised and active whenever possible in the family home repair/construction business.
"If you want me to, I can tackle the job at the Twist house. It seems simple enough," offered Henry Senior.
"If you want. After all, you have a fine assistant to help," replied Huck, indicating John.
"Sure," said John. Construction, let alone home repair, wasn't really a subject that held his interests, but besides wanting to help out wherever he could, John knew it wouldn't hurt to develop some skills in case he ever had to tackle such matters on his own.
When Betty's share of the housework was done, it was time for her and Huck to leave.
They said their good nights to everyone and then left.
John and Henry started discussing the mystery of the blackmailer's death*, when Lisa Jenkins called out, "Henry. Tomorrow's trash day."
"Okay honey," said Henry, as he started to get up.
"I can do it," offered John. "Just tell me what and where."
The cans were on the side of the house. One dark green plastic container for trash, and a blue one for recyclables.
Both were almost as tall as John Harper, but at least they were on wheels and had a handle for easier mobility.
"Just grab the flashlight off the back porch and wheel them to the other side of the driveway curb opposite the mailbox with the handles facing our property. The garbage collectors drive an automated truck and will do the rest tomorrow," explained Henry, who planned to take the opportunity to thumb through the Queen novel to refresh his memory while John was gone.
John Harper had no problem with the recycling container, since it was the lighter of the two.
He found the trash bin much heavier, especially with more people contributing to the household garbage now, but figured he could manage the task in time.
Just as he started to move the bin, he heard a noise.
John turned and the beam from the flashlight struck a pair of haunting green eyes.
"HEY! Are you trying to blind me?" shouted a familiar voice.
John lowered the flashlight a bit and saw his friend and neighbor Ginger O'Toole, but she was totally different now.
Knowing that someone was a weretigress, yet actually SEEING that weretigress, ESPECIALLY for the first time, were two totally different things!
Still walking on two legs since weres are anthropomorphic, the teenager was taller and much furrier, with the traditional tiger pattern of stripes across her body. Yet John could tell that her fur also had a hint of red from Ginger's naturally red hair when she wasn't as he saw her now.
There was the standard white "underbelly" too, but something was different, before John realized that her bust was noticeably larger than before.
The facts that what curves the teenager had were now much more pronounced, there was a long tail swishing from above her rump, and that everything was NOT covered by any clothing wasn't lost on him either.
John Harper couldn't help but stare at the sight before him.
Until now, the only weres he had seen in their animal forms were Jenny, Harry, and Huck.
Yet they were family, so beyond the initial fascination with the fact that a human being could transform into an animal, did it really matter how they did or didn't cover their furry bodies?
Ginger realized that her friend was dumbfounded at the sight before him, so remained silent as she turned this way and that like a model, to give him a better view of her fursona.
She noticed the growing bulge in his pants, and a part of her really wanted to take care of that; but Ginger also knew that John was still confused and undecided about what his sexual identity, let alone what his sexual preferences were or should be.
Besides, if I start, I won't be able to finish until we're both totally satisfied, and John might not be ready to purr or whatever the were he decides to be does yet, she realized.
Finally, Ginger broke the silence between them.
"I planned to show you my fursona in time, but I didn't mean to startle you," she said, still appreciating the natural reaction John was displaying to her presence.
"You're beautiful," he said in a very low voice, unaware that she could still hear every word.
Then John managed to clear his head and said in a more normal tone, "So that's a weretigress."
"Fur and all," replied Ginger, as a smile crossed her muzzle. "Of course, even for a were, I'm still a teenager who has some growing to do yet."
"How..." began John, not sure how to ask what he wanted to know.
"At least another foot taller, and the rest will follow naturally," she answered, not going into more intimate details like bust size or other measurements.
"We're about the same height normally, but you're several inches taller than me now," he noticed. "Where does the extra height, let alone mass come from?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," admitted Ginger. "Were science figured all of that out ages ago, but all I care about is just enjoying who I am," she added, before shaking her hips and swishing her tail.
Then, wanting to change the subject, she asked, "What are you doing out here?"
"Mister Jenkins needed help with the trash, so I volunteered to take the cans out. You?"
"Weres can be furry, or whatever, in public after dark except in certain areas of town. I was enjoying an evening stroll and noticed the cans were still on the side of the house when I passed by earlier. Thought I'd be neighborly and help out on my return when I noticed one can already out, so I came back here to say hi."
Then Ginger paused before saying, "Hi," as another smile crossed her muzzle.
"Hi," John replied, unable to stop smiling too. "Bet you were expecting Henry though, right?"
"Sometimes him. Sometimes Huck or Harry, depending upon who's home," she explained. "It is great to see you again though."
That made John Harper smile again. "You too," he said, happily.
"I wish I had more to say, but since we had such a long but very pleasant discussion this afternoon**, I'm all out of things to talk about right now," she added, going out of her way to make a pouting expression.
"That's a shame," agreed John, genuinely disappointed that Ginger might not stay as long as he thought (hoped?) she would.
"But I can drag that can to the curb for you, if you'd like."
John looked at the can, and then at the furry Ginger, and said, "Why don't we do it together?"
Ginger smiled at that before each teenager took one half of the rear handle and towed the container to the curb before positioning it next to the other one.
Then Ginger turned to John and said, "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier. Since you seem to be such a bright kid like me, do you play chess?"
"I've heard of the game, but dad was only interested in checkers, since it's a good traditional American game," he said, doing his best impersonation of the tough, overbearing and seriously strict man that raised him. "So I have no experience with it at all."
"My grandfather taught me, but unfortunately the two of us are the only ones in our family interested in it. Want me to teach you?"
"Sure, but don't you have any kind of a curfew or—"
"I didn't mean tonight silly," said Ginger, before winking at him. "But you're right though. I'm afraid I do have to go now, but don't worry. You will see me after school tomorrow. We can start your chess lessons then. And remember, whether or not you ever decide to obtain a fursona of your own, I have been and shall always be your friend," she added, before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
Despite the shortness of the interaction, the feeling of Ginger's tigress fur on his bare skin sent shudders of sheer pleasure throughout John's body.
Then Ginger turned to leave, but John said, "Wait. Please," in a meek voice.
Not knowing what he wanted, Ginger stopped and John kissed her on her furry cheek.
The opposite application wasn't as terrific, but not bad either as John pulled away from her.
"I may still be ignorant of what Star Trek** is, but I do appreciate your friendship and will be the best friend I can to you too," he promised.
Ginger just smiled and said "Thank you," before she waved and started walking away toward her house, because the last thing she wanted him to see was her crying tears of joy.
John stood there next to the trash cans until he could no longer even see a hint of Ginger's tail with the flashlight.
Then he took a step and realized something was wrong.
How am I going to get back in the house unnoticed? John wondered, as his hands moved to cover his crotch.
What John didn't want anyone to know was that while he was talking to Ginger at the curb, he had an (involuntary?) orgasm and now the front of his pants were stained and his underwear was all squishy!
He had felt uncomfortable, but in an oddly good way, seeing Ginger's fursona and staring at her for so long, but it was her kiss on the cheek that triggered the eruption.
But despite his immediate "problem", thankfully John Harper was blissfully unaware (at the moment) that both Henry Jenkins AND his sister Janice were peering through the living room window looking at him!
Henry, concerned that he had been gone for so long, had initially looked outside to see if he could spot John.
Janice, reentering the living room with Lisa Jenkins after everything had been accomplished in the kitchen, had gone to the window uninvited to see what was going on outside.
Although the contents of the actual conversation remained unknown, both of them had seen the cheek kiss exchange and John grabbing the front of his pants after Ginger left.
Henry simply smiled knowingly and went back to sit down in the living room with the novel they were discussing before John offered to take out the trash.
Unaware of the problem with her brother's pants, Janice had a big grin on her face over he and Ginger exchanging kisses as John came in through the back door of the Jenkins house and raced upstairs to change clothes, hoping no one knew what had happened.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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*And I'm not going to spoil the novel for those who haven't read Ellery Queen's first mystery adventure.
**In our previous Andersons episode: "Caring Conversation".—tmw.