Yuriko Harris was feeling great, she was riding in the back of her parent's car with Ben sitting next to her. Her graduation was held earlier that day and she thought she was headed home to relax. Her brother, Tom, had been there earlier to congratulate her as well, but he strangely said he had to leave a litter earlier than she thought. She assumed it had to do with a S.P.E.A.R. assignment or his new girlfriend, which the family had yet to meet.
"So....uh.....this is going to be a little bit awkward of me to ask you this, but I'm going to have to ask you to put on this blindfold." Ben said holding a blindfold out for Yuriko.
"Okay.....I don't see why I have to." Yuriko said taking the blindfold and tieing it around her eyes so she couldn't see anything.
"It's a surprise honey, that's the point of wearing a blindfold." Kumiko said with a cheerful smile that Yuriko obviously couldn't see.
"Well....it can be for a good surprise or a bad surprise like when someone's line to a wall and...." Cole began to say before getting smacked on the side of his arm by his wife.
"Cole!" Kumiko hissed at her husband.
"Okay.....I'm guessing we're not going directly home if I have this on." Yuriko guessed as they drove on.
"Yuki, please don't try guessing what we're doing, you'll ruin your own surprise." Ben said to her as she nodded and sat quietly for the rest of the drive.
The family drove on for a little while before their car eventually came to a stop and Yuriko heard her parents getting out of the car first before Ben helped her step out of the car and helped guide her.
"Okay, are you sure I can't take it off now? I don't have the faintest idea of where we are, but I get the feeling it's something special for me." Yuriko guessed as Ben helped walk her a little more ways until he stopped her. She thought for a second she could hear voices before they stopped.
"Alright, now before I take off your blindfold have your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, okay?" Ben asked as Yuriko nodded.
"Okay, and.....open!" Ben said as Yuriko opened her eyes and was met with quite a sight.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY GRADUATION YURIKO!" Yuriko's close and extended family all said at the same time as Yuriko saw her parents there, as well as her aunts, uncles, cousins, and some relatives she hadn't seen in a long time. She also saw that they had gone to her Aunt Mika and Aunt Claudia's house for a large backyard family barbecue.
"Oh my god, Ben....did you do all this for me?" Yuriko asked with a smile.
"Heh, I wish I could say I did. But no, that honor goes to your brother." Ben admitted as Tom Harris now walked over with a beautiful woman wearing glasses.
"Oh....Tom.....you really didn't have to, but thanks so much for all of this." Yuriko said giving her older brother a hug.
"You're welcome Yuki." Tom said giving his little sister a big hug.
"Ahem, uh....hi there." The woman with glasses said.
"Right, Dad, you've already met Alexa. Mom, Yuriko, Ben, I'd like you to meet my um.... girlfriend, Alexa Ross." Tom said introducing Alexa as she nodded at the rest of Tom's family and Kumiko and Yuriko shook her hands.
"Now you say you met at work?" Kumiko asked Alexa as Alexa blushed moving her hair back behind her ears.
"Oh! Yeah, we're uh.....we're actually partners.....like partners at S.P.E.A.R.. My best friend....sort of, kind of set us up." Alexa said feeling a little embarrassed about the whole situation.
Alexa was waiting for the other shoe to drop, worried that Tom's parents might have something to say about the whole situation, but was surprised to see them smile.
"Ah, don't worry about it. A lot of people here have a bit of a unique history of how they met." Cole said.
"So you're not upset Mr. Harris?" Alexa asked.
"Course not, see those two over there?" Cole asked pointing to his brother Derrick and his wife, Morgan. "That's my brother Derrick, and his wife, Morgan. Those two actually dated when they were in high school, broke it off, then found each other later in life and have been together ever since." Cole explained. "Ended up having three kids."
"Those ladies over there? Mika and Claudia? Well, Mika's mother isn't around anymore, but the long short of it is, her folks didn't initially approve of her and Claudia, but they came around eventually and have had four wonderful kids from their marriage. Same thing with Mika's brother, Shiro. He married a nice girl named Jennifer and have two kids who are just as great." Cole explained.
"The point my husband is trying to make is: the Harris family and extended family has become really unique over the years." Kumiko now said motioning towards everyone in the backyard. "Go around and meet everyone, they'll all like you, I'm sure. And just so you know, you're not the only one here who's a little....unique shall we say." Kumiko said with a wink.
"Case in point." A male voice now said as Tom and Alexa turned to see Mia and Zack now coming over to them.
"Mia, Zack! I wasn't sure you two would make it, what with your kids." Yuriko said giving the two of them a large hug as they hugged back.
"Alexa, this is Mia and Zack, they've basically been Tom and I's godparents since we were little kids." Yuriko said introducing the two to Alexa who looked closely at Zack.
"Wait a minute....are you a werewolf?" Alexa asked quietly.
"Shh....don't tell anyone, you don't know who's watching." Zack jokingly shushed.
"Oh, sorry." Alexa said.
"Ignore him, he's just teasing you. I'm a witch, in case you were curious." Mia said.
"Zack helped train me in getting ready to deal with the supernatural," Tom explained to Alexa. "They don't teach you a lot of that stuff before you get into the police academy." Tom said with a smile.
"They certainly don't my young wolf cub apprentice." Zack said with a wink as Alexa giggled at Zack's nickname for Tom who rubbed his neck a little in embarrassment.
"So where's Rexie?" Yuriko asked.
"Oh, he's around here somewhere. I believe he's keeping a couple of young kits in order." Zack answered as the group now saw a couple of young twins looking like they were getting into a little mischief.
"Zack, go grab Rexie real quick," Mia asked. "We definitely need to get a photo with Yuki."
Zack now sped off as Mia squeezed Yuriko in a tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "We all are."
Yuriko blushed, a large smile growing on her face as her eyes grew damp with tears. Zack and Mia had watched out for her for as long as she could remember. Hearing this from someone she looked up to, made her heart swell with pride.
"Found him," Zack called.
Yuriko looked watching as Rexie now trotted over with Akira and Ayami close by. The kitsune and angel of maternity all smiles as they approached.
"Congratulations," Ayami smiled.
Akira now approached, the usually stoic six tail kitsune sporting a warm smile. "You have made us so proud Yuriko Harris," he said with a bow. As Yuriko looked to thank him, Akira pulled the college grad into a warm embrace. "Congratulations."
"Let me take a picture," Ben called.
Mia, Zack, Akira, and Ayami now gathered around Yuriko. The group sporting smiles as Yuriko held up her diploma. Not wanting to be left out, Rexie now perched on Yuriko's shoulder as Ben snapped a picture he was sure would find itself on Yuriko's mantle at some point.
"HEY! YUKI! Over here cuz!" Haley shouted to her cousin jumping up and down from her spot at the table. Yuriko now excused herself, thanking everyone as she led Ben towards her cousins.
"That's Haley, she's the most.....spirited in her side of the family." Yuriko said to Ben and Alexa as the four of them now headed over to where Yuriko saw some familiar cousins before her and ones she didn't think she'd ever get a chance to see.
"So this is...." Yuriko began before Haley immediately got up and shook both Ben and Alexa's hands excitedly.
"Hi I'm Haley, Haley Harris. This is the other side of the Harris family. My tough loving tiger mom Claudia, my gentle and kindhearted fox momma, Mika. My older sister Kari, the 'by the books one'. My twin brother, Aaron, his girlfriend Nyx. Don't tell anyone you don't know, she's a dhamphir. My favorite and only little brother, Mason, and our dog, Fenrir." Haley said almost in one breath.
"Greetings to you both." Fenrir said.
"Did he just....?" Alexa began to ask.
"Talk? Yep, magic Norse talking dog. Long short version is, he's a great member of the family." Haley replied scratching Fenrir behind his ears.
"Haley, did you forget to introduce anyone else?" Mika asked her daughter crossing her arms and nodding over to some other members of the family that Haley had missed.
"Oh.....right. Sorry mom, I just got a little carried away." Haley said taking a drink of water as Mika just sighed and got up.
"Mika Harris, like my daughter said. The other relatives Haley didn't get to are my....extended fox family, you might say. That's my brother Fukushu and his children, Raiden and Stella. Their mother Abolith is.....around here somewhere. She prefers to keep her guard up at all times. Huh, has anyone seen Sachiko or the boys?" Mika asked in confusion as another voice suddenly came up to them.
"Here they are. Kenji and Sota, these little rascals are just too curious out here. I caught them trying to dig a hole the backyard." Rexie said as he put the twins down in front of them.
"Kenji, Sota, your first time out in the mortal realm and you try and dig in Mika's backyard? What do you have to say to her?" Ayami said crossing her arms.
"We're sorry Aunt Mika." Kenji and Sota both said apologizing.
Claudia now looked down at their hands to see they were clean.
"Did they dig with their hands?" Claudia asked.
"No, I caught them digging with a couple of small shovels." Rexie answered.
"Oh no, not my good garden shovels!" Mika said as she went to check on her garden tools and see where the twins had been.
"You certainly have a big family." Alexa noted to Yuriko and Tom.
"Yeah, but it's funny, I don't see...." Yuriko began to say before another voice shouted her name.
"Yuki! There's my favorite college girl!" Naomi said giving her niece a big hug.
"Aunt Naomi, Aunt Diane, you both made it!" Yuriko exclaimed happily.
"Yeah, we wouldn't miss this for the world. Sorry we're late but I was finishing a deadline for my latest comic." Naomi apologized.
"That's okay," Yuriko smiled. "You remember Ben right?"
"Good to see you Ben," Naomi smiled. "How's med school?"
"So far so good," Ben said with a smile.
"Nice," Naomi replied. "So when are you popping the question?"
"Naomi," Diane groaned, seeing Yuriko and Ben blush.
"What?" Naomi asked. "It's not like we haven't all thought about it. After all they've been together for what? Two years?"
"Have you met Tom's new girlfriend Alexa?" Yuriko said quickly, trying to avert attention from her. Naomi and Diane now turned, noting the flummoxed expression on Alexa's face.
"Girlfriend?" they asked.
"Um yeah," Alexa stammered, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "We...uh...met at work."
"Police?" Diane asked.
"No S.P.E.A.R," Alexa answered.
Naomi and Diane rubbed their chins thoughtfully before embracing the young woman in a tight hug. "Great to meet you Alexa."
"Tom! Yuki!" A male voice called out and everyone turned to see Garrett Harris coming over with Lynne walking beside him.
"Oh boy, I hope this doesn't get too awkward." Diane whispered to Naomi who nudged her wife on the side.
"Hey Yuki, congratulations on graduating." Garrett congratulated to his cousin.
"Thanks Garrett," Yuriko said nodding to her cousin. "Hey Lynne, how have you been lately?" Yuriko asked her friend.
"Good, good. Garrett and I have been kind of taking it easy lately. We did get a nice letter and pictures from the McKenna family, baby Tim's doing great it seems." Lynne said with a small smile.
"So Tom, who's your friend?" Garrett asked now looking over at Tom and Alexa.
"Garrett, Lynne, this is Alexa, my girlfriend and also partner at S.P.E.A.R.. Alexa this is my cousin Garrett and Lynne, she's also my ex-girlfriend, please don't get mad at each other or anything like that." Tom introduced the two as Lynne and Alexa shook hands, but then groaned at Tom's comment.
"Tom, honestly, that's so cliché. I'm honestly glad you found someone." Lynne said.
"You are? Okay, that's good to know." Tom said breathing a sigh of relief.
"Of course, and I came here to congratulate Yuriko too." Lynne said giving Yuriko a little hug.
"Thanks Lynne, I'm really glad you and Garrett were able to make it." Yuriko thanked.
"Say Alexa, want a little advice? Anytime Tom is like.....way deep in thought he'll usually scratch his beard a lot." Lynne said to Alexa.
"I don't do that, do I?" Tom asked Garrett and Yuriko who both looked at each other then at Tom.
"Yeah, pretty much." Garrett agreed.
"Yeah, you do do that a lot." Yuriko added as Alexa and Lynne laughed at each other.
"Alright, I think Alexa and I are going to go find mom and dad again and talk with them." Tom said as he walked away from the others.
"Sorry about that. I hope it wasn't awkward." Tom apologized.
"No, honestly, it's great seeing what a wonderful family you have. I can't wait to be part of it." Alexa said giving Tom a kiss on the cheek as they went to go find Cole and Kumiko again.