The evening at the Jenkins home was reasonably quiet, and the new member of the family, by marriage, Jenny Harper-Jenkins, was reasonably glad about it. The reported discussions on weres revealing their existence, even if Moon Lake or other possible sanctuaries like it weren't, was something that had everyone on edge and Jenny had noticed it at Moon Lake College and could see the potential for distractions coming from it. People fighting over something were going to be bound to make mistakes, and as she thought on that, she looked to the dinner table where her younger siblings were taking their seats for dinner and got a heavy reminder of how much she really couldn't afford those sorts of distractions now as things had changed greatly since she first came to Moon Lake to attend college.
She'd initially come to Moon Lake as college student and after earning an academic scholarship and with every ultimate intent on using her time in college to get away from an abusive and overbearing father, combined with a mother that seemed to go along with everything her father wanted. It was something that saw her older brother pushed into a position where he ultimately was trying to reform their father, albeit in a failing effort. Jenny had then used coming to Moon Lake College as a way to get out of Alabama and an opportunity to not have to go back, especially to avoid being forced to marry someone she loathed. There were some odd things on the first days at Moon Lake College, but people were friendly and approachable, and that counted for a lot. The best of them was a young man named Harry Jenkins, and the two of them began dating fairly quickly.
"You okay, dear?" came Harry's voice from behind Jenny making her turn to him.
Jenny turned and smiled to him. He was handsome and after becoming a werefox was well built and it made a big part of Jenny's mind eager to see him smile. Though as her bonded mate, he would also do anything to make Jenny smile, and she knew it as it all related to the big events that then followed their starting to date.
"For the moment..." Jenny said slowly, "I'm alright. Things are quiet enough right now that got through dinner without any interruptions and provide some comfort for John and Janice... as I'm sure this thing with the reveal will be weighing on them too... both with possible concerns for me or for friends they've made already. John even had the chance to talk with Ginger... and he may worry about her with all of this as well."
Harry nodded to his wife and looked over to the younger Harpers, John and Janice, who he and Jenny, along with his own parents, were now looking after. It started after a rogue werevixen on the run from the cops came across Harry and Jenny while camping in one of the campsites set up on the north shore of the lake that Moon Lake got its name from. The werefox scratched Jenny in the hopes that Jenny's initial transformation would distract law enforcement that was tracking the rogue. That lead to Jenny becoming a werefox, with her fursona based on the Fennec Fox. Harry was surprised to learn that Jenny, even before her transformation was fully completed, was bonding to him, but with his own heart being big, he was more than willing to join her. That lead to him becoming a werefox, with his own fursona based on the Grey Fox. Bonded together, the two of them agreed to marry and began to make plans once the rogue was caught and Jenny's transformation completed.
That though created its own headaches in that it also brought Jenny's parents back into the equation, as her father, James Harper Senior, wanted to marry Jenny to his employer, a man that was of comparable age to Jenny and had many of the breaks the Harpers didn't have. But the man, Dieter Wilhelm, was hardly good and then presented two problems. One was a tyrannical father who had abused his children, and Jenny had told him of some prophecy dreams that she'd had that made it sound like her younger brother, John, might be at least bisexual and was wrestling with hiding that from James Harper Senior. The other was an employer of questionable moral character, proven when hired assassins were sent to Moon Lake to kill him and one very nearly killed his older brother, Huck. Huck survived and found love with an old high school friend, Betty. The later marriage between Huck and Betty a few days ago provided about the only "good" thing that came out of the attempt on Huck's life.
But Harry and Jenny's wedding came first and came with its own troubles as Wilhelm brought enough arms with him to fight a small war and James Harper Senior proved even more resistant to even letting Jenny go. Wilhelm was handled quickly, but Jenny's father had a heart attack and had to go to Moon Lake's hospital for treatment. It made for an interesting wedding as Harry was then able to meet Jenny's siblings, who proved to be far better than their parents in Harry's view, including her older brother James Harper Junior. Jenny's mother ultimately accepted things, but from Harry's perspective that might have been more her husband's condition and from James Junior actually pushing for a stand against James Senior. It led to an agreement that would let the Jenkins look after the younger siblings, John and Janice, while James Junior got his father out of Moon Lake. One thing that Harry could take as a positive was that James Junior gave Harry the sort of blessing that one would typically accept from a happy family.
"We can only let them share what they wish," Harry reminded her, "and Janice has voiced more interest were society... and particularly the aquatic weres."
"I'd imagine more to play "the Little Mermaid," given that there are weremers," Jenny answered with a chuckle, but one that quickly faded, "but it'll be John I still worry over. He's safe from my father now... and I'm sure your parents will be more than happy to help... but... I want him to be happy and not be afraid of his choices and accepting who he is."
And that was a concern, as some dreams she'd had gave her that warning, and had been partially why Jenny figured to essentially adopt John and Janice. It was where she realized she couldn't just run away from her father and leave her younger siblings to suffer his wrath. James Junior had shielded her and the others as much as possible growing up, but that hadn't stopped all of her father's machinations and once James Junior went off to a community college in Alabama, Jenny also knew that he wouldn't be able to protect John and Janice any longer than she could if they stayed with their father. James Senior's heart attack allowed for it, though Jenny also knew that while she would be happy to never see or hear from her father again, she didn't want to see him dead, either.
And that represented another wrinkle in addition to looking after John and Janice. For James Junior had periodically contacted her to update her on things, and things with her father's health had not really improved. His temperament had not improved, and when her mother tried to talk about something that would help her, James Senior had had another heart attack and they were now having to do what Doctor Tachibana had wanted to do in Moon Lake before the older Harpers could leave. Which then made things worse for her mother, for while James Junior had managed to find a way to put himself on a path to some measure of stability, and Jenny had found Harry, their mother, Elizabeth Harper didn't have that. If James Senior died, she would have nothing, and Jenny and James Junior might end up having to take on more, just to give Elizabeth Harper some "security."
And Jenny knew all of this as she looked to John and Janice. It was just another case where Moon Lake's issues regarding the reveal battled Harper family drama. She knew that John was better off in Moon Lake, and had seemed to make a friend with Ginger O'Toole, and she was glad for that, but if something went terribly wrong in Alabama... the shadow of James Harper Senior might still hit those trying to get out from under it, even John and Janice. And that wouldn't make things any better regarding present worries Moon Lake's weres had over the potential reveal. Jenny could only hope that the family and friends she'd made, be it the family she married into, the offers of help from William Anderson and his wife, and others could be understanding open.
Those thoughts were interrupted by her phone buzzing, which drew some attention from the others present. Jenny moved to the counter and picked up her phone. She intended to force the call to go to voice mail and then check the message after dinner, however, when she got to the phone, she could see the number and saw that it was James Junior and likely calling with an update.
"It's James... likely with an update," Jenny said to her in-laws and ushered Harry toward the table with one hand while moving to pick up the phone with her other hand. She hit the one touch button on the screen with her thumb and then answered, grateful that a phone with a good signal service was one of the very few good things that her father had historically done for her, "Jim?"
"Hey, Jen," came James Harper Junior's voice through the phone, "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything big... but we have had some things going on here."
"How is he?" Jenny asked.
"He made it through surgery, and that was a good thing," James Junior answered, "or at least the hospital got him into surgery, essentially doing what Doctor Tachibana wanted to do in Moon Lake. But a nurse told us it would take them time to do it and he wouldn't be in any shape for visitors until tomorrow. So... I've taken mom home, and have sent emails and calls to my college to see about either something I could do make up work or access lectures online, as I think I may be needed..."
"Needed?" Jenny asked, her voice puzzled.
"She's still on edge over the fact that if dad doesn't make, she's out everything including many of the possessions she's thought were hers," James Junior answered, "and some of the other visits we've had down here at the hospital haven't helped with that. Gregory Hancock showed up in the waiting room."
Jenny nodded and sighed at that. The Glorious Light Church was a Baptist church in her old hometown in Alabama, though one that had taken a lot of things from not just the Baptist Church in general but from many of the newer Evangelical Churches that took way too many things way too literally. It was another thing that Jenny had hated about life in Alabama, and something that her father liked, and her mother had seemed to peacefully tolerate.
"And that brought out something where mom might be thinking more for herself than she has in the past," James Junior continued, "said she hated him and that he was always nosy. And in the way he spoke when he visited, it was like he was just trying to figure out things that were going on because mom and dad had missed church this past Sunday. Yet, he'd still tracked us down to the hospital and that he had deliberately come. So, I'd think that mom might have had negative opinions of him but had said nothing because of... well... you know."
"It wouldn't surprise me if Hancock knows about dad's will and was essentially looking to see if there was something he could collect on," Jenny commented, "how he knew of the heart attack..."
"That was probably just the rumor system in town," James Junior commented, "but I'd agree with you on the collection part... though, if that was the case, the doctors seem reasonably confident he'll make it through surgery and that could well make things easier for mom in the future."
"Assuming dad agrees to some sort of change in his will or something else... something that wouldn't lead to abuse," Jenny commented, "in a way, I'm glad for the update that indicate that dad will recover... for as bad as he's been, I don't want him dead. I don't want him hurt..."
"You were too good a person to want that sort of thing, Jen," James Junior replied, "and if dad had ever seen more of the truth rather than just what he wanted to see... he might have realized how far in the wrong direction he was going. And now we're having to fix and cover for things that he started... and a part of me fears that dad may never understand that."
"Thanks, Jim," Jenny answered, "for the update..."
"It's no problem," James Junior replied, "I'll try to keep you posted. For now... things are going about as well as can be. We'll probably know more tomorrow... though from the way some things are going the hospital may be keeping dad in for a few days to recover. Once we're sure he's settled in... I might do my best to help mom get started on some kind of job search... she said there was a quilt or sewing store that she might be able to handle working at... or something like it. Hopefully that all works..."
"Right now, I'd be more concerned about the poor hospital staff looking after dad," Jenny told him, half chuckling.
"Mom signed the permission slips for treatment," James Junior answered, "he's going to HAVE to cooperate."
There was a pause for a moment while Jenny looked over to where the others were. She hoped that this update would ultimately lead to a perception for the future that would ease James Harper Senior's shadow lift from John and Janice.
"I'm sure... though, I would ask on the progress you've made with John and Janice's transfer papers?" Jenny asked, "so they can come into Moon Lake's schools?"
"Oh man... I'd only just gotten started with some of that when dad had had this latest heart attack," James Junior admitted, "I can drop mom off at the hospital tomorrow and finish all that up. It'll take a good portion of the day, so I won't have any updates on that until later... but with dad not immediately on death's door now, I can manage that."
"Thanks, Jim," Jenny replied.
"You're welcome," James Junior replied, "stay safe."