"A doctor Chen?" Rachel said slowly.
"Yes, Suyin Chen," Charlene answered, "Moon Lake's small size doesn't lead to there being a major need for therapists. Mrs. Twist said that there are only two main offices that handle therapy and mental health related issues here. One is run by her wife, Frances Twist, and the other is run by Doctor Suyin Chen."
"Is there a difference?" Rachel wondered, feeling rather curious and noting that Michelle and Jasmine also looked curious.
"Well, Mrs. Twist didn't go into too much detail between them," Charlene said slowly, "but I'd think the key difference would be on what they're familiar with. And that's where some of the complex things that relate to Moon Lake come into play. Predatory weres enjoy hunting, and supposedly anyone running some of the farms or ranches along the town's outskirts raise Whitetail or Mule Deer to provide the predatory weres with animals to hunt."
"There must be some insane level of paperwork to do that," Michelle commented.
"Mrs. Twist didn't say anything on what went into that," Charlene shrugged, "anyway, the only thing that apparently is something that all weres like, regardless of whether or not their were form is based on a wolf or a cow is sex. All weres like that..."
Rachel only twiddled her thumbs at that. She had felt the increase in her libido after becoming a werecat, but she'd also noticed that she wasn't lost to it. She was in control, and her feelings of weakness at having been raped by Leslie and everything else that related to finding out she could now turn into an anthropomorphic black cat had kept her nervous and concerned over issues that didn't have her thinking about sex.
"But even with that, rape really isn't an issue that Moon Lake has had all that much," Charlene continued, "because the weres have control over themselves, and also get it drilled into them to be extra careful with normal humans, a lot of that drive isn't there. And most of the normal humans that have, over the town's history, that have been the victims of Statute 1A, forced transformation into a were, were bitten or clawed... NOT raped."
"I'd imagine that the female weres would also be more than capable of resisting the attempt, especially if it was a normal human male trying to rape them," Michelle commented, "I mean... even those at the high school that are students, they look pretty strong."
"Yes," Charlene nodded, "and because of this, while many know what rape is... they don't always have direct experience with it. And while Mrs. Twist says her wife is a good therapist, most of her wife's cases have come from other pressures. Family squabbles, such as disagreements between parents... or issues where parents have become weres and the children don't fully understand some of the changes in behavior that relate to what has happened after becoming weres, or even how children have understood other sorts of relationships. And at times were related issues... such as when a transformation may not be completed quickly..."
"Completed?" Jasmine wondered.
"Becoming a were is not so simple as one is bitten or clawed and then they become a were without problem," Rachel spoke, "that sort of thing only STARTS the transformation into a were. It would appear that completing the transformation does require some measure of contact AFTER things start. Which is what the bouncer and the werecats that rescued me determined. That Leslie slipped me the mickey and I was out of it... it let Leslie start my transformation. And from there, I began transforming and we had sex to fill that need, but once that need was over, my transformation was complete, and things moved forward from there."
"And that's when the rescue party arrived?" Jasmine asked.
Rachel only nodded and then looked back to her mother, "but Frances Twist has never dealt with anyone who was raped to become a were?"
"She may have had a case or two, but not enough to specialize in it," Charlene answered, "and while Doctor Chen has not dealt with many rape cases from within Moon Lake, she did have a practice in Seattle and thus had to help more rape cases there. They were obviously more normal humans, but that experience would give her better insight in dealing with the rare cases in which a were was raped... or as in Rachel's case, a human who was turned into a were by being raped."
"Has she actually dealt with cases like this?" Rachel asked hesitantly.
To a degree, she had no real problem with therapy. It was something that in most cases would be required, but up until now had been something that the Covaks hadn't had the option to do because of the fact that the cause of this need had left Rachel a were, and outside of Moon Lake, weres appeared to lead very hidden lives and she could remember on a lot of the details surrounding that, and in part had been what got them to move to Moon Lake. And that left Rachel's mind drifting back to it as she thought over what her mother had offered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Covaks home in Florida wasn't much and to a degree, a lot of the joy that had been there for eighteen years had gone away in the wake of Rachel being raped. Rachel was glad that her mother and sisters hadn't abandoned her for being a lesbian, though they'd figured that out long before now, and she was even more grateful that they didn't reject her for becoming a werecat as a result of what Leslie did. But it didn't remove the feelings of betrayal and helplessness that Rachel felt at what happened, and to a great degree, there really wasn't much she could do to fix that, particularly as those that knew the full truth were limited.
Leslie had seemed unapologetic even through the trial, saying all she wanted was to be happy with Rachel. The fact that she took Rachel's choices away never seemed to cross Leslie's mind. And as Rachel sat quietly at the dining table and looking over both some of the cards of sympathy that she'd gotten and her high school yearbook, a part of Rachel even wondered that if Leslie had been more patient and eventually explained herself... said she was a werecat and wanted Rachel as her mate, would she have actually accepted Leslie's offer? Rachel had no answer to that question, and because Leslie had taken so many of Rachel's choices from her... her feelings to her former girlfriend were decidedly different from where they were a few weeks before.
The cards were polite, but many of them were fairly generic and weren't much more than "we're sorry you got hurt" in their sort of messaging. A couple even had an angel or an image of Jesus wrapping his arms around a woman to show comfort, and while the message in these cards was honestly supportive, they also reflected the sort of religious minded influence that had led to her father going off the rails at Rachel being raped at a lesbian club that he'd stormed out. That was something that Rachel really didn't want there. She was thankful for the sentiment but given the political minds in most of Florida seemed to equate "Christianity" with "hating gays," she really didn't want that kind of image. It left her still feeling rather weak and perhaps even broken.
"At least your friends had kind things for you," Charlene said to Rachel from the sink where she'd been doing some dishes, "that not everyone was as bad as Leslie."
"Yeah," Rachel nodded, "and I'm glad that you, Michelle, and Jasmine didn't reject me for what I've become..."
"But things are still rough?" Charlene asked.
"Yes," Rachel admitted, "I mean... there are times when I feel like I'm only half of who I was or should be... Does that mean I'm wanting to be what Leslie turned me into? That I should embrace that? But then what does that say about me? After all... I put myself in that position where I'd be left weak. And I'd want to talk to more than just you and my sisters..."
"But most others wouldn't believe you or wouldn't support you if they knew you were a werecat now," Charlene sighed, "I just... I wish there was something more I could do. And you know that Michelle and Jasmine will feel the same..."
Rachel nodded at this, though before either of them could say anything more, the doorbell range. Michelle and Jasmine were presently out with some other summer related event and trying to enjoy some time that got them away from some of the mess that had related to their parents' divorce and probably from being unable to fully comfort Rachel. Rachel got up to answer the door, curious as to who it could be, and hoped it wasn't one of the lawyers. She heard her mother following along behind her and then came to the door. As she opened it, Rachel found herself looking to a face she didn't expect to see there. It was the bouncer from the Cat's Eye Club. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt, which Rachel felt had to be sweltering in the Florida heat.
"Oh... sir," Charlene spoke as she caught up, noting Rachel's lack of response, "is there something you need?"
"Just to see if there was a way I could help, though, I'd need to come in..." the bouncer spoke, "for privacy's sake."
"Help us with what?" Charlene asked.
"Mom, this is the bouncer from the Cat's Eye Club," Rachel spoke, thinking that Charlene should have recognized him as he was still there when they and the police arrived after everything happened, "he was the one that rescued me from Leslie."
"Ma'am," the bouncer said to Charlene with a small bow as Rachel stepped back.
"I'd like to thank you for rescuing my daughter," Charlene said to him as he stepped into the house and Rachel shut the door.
"You said that the night everything happened... after your husband blew up at your eldest daughter for something beyond her control," the bouncer answered.
"Sorry... things have been hectic here," Charlene said slowly and ushered them back into the living room, "and he isn't my husband anymore. He filed for divorce after finding out that Rachel was... a lesbian."
"I see," the bouncer said slowly, "I... um... did your..."
The bouncer seemed uneasy on this, and Rachel figured he was trying to get to the revelation that Rachel was now a werecat. But the bouncer was a werewolf and even in his human form was trying to play it safe and avoid an unnecessary shock. It made things awkward as Charlene ushered him into an easy chair in the living room and then sat down on the couch and looked to him. The chairs were comfortable, but Rachel got the sense that the bouncer wasn't visiting for comfort for him.
"My mom and sisters know I'm a werecat now," Rachel said to him and then looked to her mother, "the bouncer is a werewolf, but is in control, and that's how he was able to drive Leslie off of me."
"Oh..." Charlene said slowly, "and you can help Rachel?"
"Directly?" the bouncer said slowly, "no, I'm afraid I can't. As a werewolf, I can't turn your daughter from werecat to normal human. And I'm not trained in therapy, and neither are the werecats that frequent the club. None of us support the actions that Leslie Wilcox did... but beyond that, we aren't that familiar with what your daughter may need. At least with regard to things like therapy and adjustment. I mean there are spaces here where I can hunt and all that... and that's sorta how I got my scar, wrestling with a Wild Boar while in werewolf form, but out here... there is a lot that we can't do."
Rachel looked her mother who was looking down, and that seemed to hurt her more. However, the bouncer did continue.
"However, there could be a place where you could be more open on things and get that help," the bouncer said slowly.
"Where?!" Charlene asked while looking up and nearly jumping out of her seat.
"It's a town about an hour northwest of Seattle in Washington state called Moon Lake," the bouncer spoke, "I grew up there."
"Moon Lake... and they can help Rachel?" Charlene asked, Rachel looking over to see a flash of hope in her mother's eyes.
"In ways that I and the others from the Cat's Eye Club cannot," the bouncer said slowly, "the town was set up as a sort of colony city for weres way back, and most everyone there is a were of some kind... though about of a fourth of the town are normal humans, from what I remember... it's been awhile since I was there, but because they've grown up in Moon Lake, or had family that became weres after moving there, they better understand that we aren't the monsters from Medieval folklore. Can weres go bad... like Ms. Wilcox did... but when that happens, it's for the same reason as why most normal humans turn to crime. Being a were is not the cause of criminal behavior."
"So people there better understand the truth about weres," Charlene said slowly.
"In ways the outside world doesn't... even with people knowing about weres, many of those that do still come in with a lot of misinformation about weres," the bouncer spoke, "that isn't there in Moon Lake and in theory... you can find proper therapy there and those that could help your daughter with what Ms. Wilcox did to her."
"Thank you," Charlene said with a weak smile and looking optimistic and even Rachel had some interest.
"We try to avoid things like what happened at the Cat's Eye Club," the bouncer said slowly, "as sometimes one of the girls does turn a partner there... but we've tried to make sure that that partner already knows about weres and is a willing participant in what happens. What happened with your daughter was a first... at least so long as I've been providing security there. And... I... I feel a bit responsible. Like I should have done more make sure that what happened to your daughter didn't happen."
"It's okay," Charlene told him, "if this Moon Lake can be a place where Rachel can get therapy and be honest about and with herself... that is wonderful."
"This wouldn't be the same place as Moon Lake College, would it?" Rachel wondered, her mind processing some things and the college she'd agreed to attend.
"Yes, there is a college there," the bouncer said, "not bad for a relatively small private run college. Did you already apply?"
"To attend, yeah," Rachel admitted, "some of their photos look like it was well placed to commune with nature. I didn't think it would be a were sanctuary when I applied... though... now..."
"Now it may help you," Charlene said to Rachel while squeezing her hand.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And it had been from there that the Covaks began to get in touch with Moon Lake and set up the move to the college town in Washington state. They'd moved in and while Michelle may have been frustrated with Moon Lake not having a sports team, the report on this Doctor Chen might be something that could help Rachel adjust to things, namely the weakness and feelings of betrayal at Leslie for what had happened. It was something that Charlene had wanted, largely in her role as a mother. There were some things that made Rachel a bit nervous, as there were some of the thoughts that she might have to accept and embrace being a werecat, even if she couldn't deny that she was one now, but the feelings of weakness remained stronger.
"Has she actually dealt with cases like this?" Rachel asked hesitantly as she finished going over the conversation that led to the decision to move to Moon Lake.
"With the exact circumstances... I can't say," Charlene said slowly, "for again, Mrs. Twist has generally said that issues like rape haven't been that much of an issue in Moon Lake. If there have been cases, Doctor Chen hasn't been able to speak of them to Mrs. Twist, at least so far as specifics go. She did handle some cases that related to people being raped while working in Seattle. That could then help her help you, Rachel. Let you get all your feelings of betray off your chest and not feel as weak anymore."
"I suppose that couldn't hurt," Rachel said slowly, "did you get card... or at least a phone number?"
Charlene gave a hopeful smile, "I did. I know you have earlier classes tomorrow, but you should have more time in the afternoon off. We can schedule an appointment then. And I'd think over what Cynthia suggested... meeting the other werecat prides. They may be able to help you too."