"Honey." Jackie said.
"Yes dear?" Keith replied.
"Did you hear from the news hounds? One of Hannah's friends, the one that's getting married, turns out she was a boy on the other side, had a girl friend, whose now in the park, and is now a guy, and wants to challenge the groom for her."
"Ooooooh boy." Keith moaned, it almost made him glade that Cathy's life had been such a mess. No hidden flames to pop back up. "... That isn't going to be pleasant for anyone. So what is she doing about it?"
"She hasn't said weather the wedding is still on, off, or weather's it's delayed. Hannah told me she visibly paled when she was told Marth, that's his new name by the way, was in the park."
"S & M type?" Keith asked, while it was none of his business, he wouldn't mind helping out if things took THAT turn.
"No, that's just the thing, apparently Marth was a NICE girl on the other side. So it's not like Leticia is dumping a problem relationship for a better one."
"You know... I hate to say it... but it sounds like Leticia was two timing."
"Keith!"
"It's true... she knew she was already in a relationship, and bang."
"She didn't know she was going to get pregnant!"
"Who 'knows' they're going to get pregnant?"
"So you're saying it's -her- fault she's in this mess?"
Keith knew where this was going, and he really didn't want to go there. He didn't dare get Jackie upset when within her was such a precious cargo. "Jackie... I'm not calling her anything... but she had a choice from the start."
"From what we saw, we were both there for the show remember? She was just following her instincts."
"That's what worries me Jackie." Keith said, "Remember what I said when we first met? We're all one big beta-testing group. Jackie, I love you, and I'd never leave you, nor would I want to. But isn't it strange when you think about it? How marriage is suddenly so strangely meaningless to us? I honest thought of marrying you after we talked about keeping our current forms. But now, I can't see the point in it, even though I DO want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"We ARE panthers Keith, we were born humans, but we've both chosen to keep these shapes for our lives. I guess concepts that come from us being apes would wear off."
"From us being hunters rather than hunger/gathers...it scares me sometimes Jackie... I'm just glade they aren't doing these genetic modifications over the counter. Way too much room for abuse."
Jackie had to reluctantly agree. "So if things turn ugly, do we pretend we're the huskies and break it up?"
"I'm not sure... I know it would be awful for sometime like that to happen to a friend of a friend! And our presence would decidedly end any brawl fast but....I either feel like I don't care... or it would be simply wrong for me to interfere, like it's outside my context...Jackie, tell me please, am I a racist or something?" Had some evil part of being male finally caught up with him?
"This isn't racism..." Jackie said with realization. Her eyes went wide. "Because we're NOT just different hair or eye colors! We literally ARE different species with different HARDWIRED ways of seeing the world. We might as well be a collection of aliens who happened to be raised similar trying to find common ground."
"We've managed so far... still... we still have an advantage over animals in a zoo, we're sentient, and can say NO to our instincts."
"Can we Keith?... I think I'm starting to have the same worries as you....But still, if we DO love each other, I guess nothing else matters..." And as long as Jackie didn't attack someone on two legs seeing them as food, Jackie had at least that comfort to know she was still civilized.
+++++++
"Jenny..." Rob whispered.
"Yes Robbie?"
"If they try to turn Spike back into that creep who wanted to turn half us bucks into does weather we liked it or not... I'll help you protect him too." Robbie knew he might get ARRESTED for doing something this stupid. Then again, him and John had done a LOT of stupid things in their lives, what was one more?
"...Thank you Rob... just thank you." Jenny whispered.
Robbie considered bringing it up to Boss Man Jeremy himself. But Boss Man Jeremy had enough to deal with, with the new buck apparently having a history with Boss Lady Leticia.
+++++++
Maggie looked at the raccoon sitting under the tree, wearing a cross made from vines and an oddly grown piece of wood. It was one of the few pieces of 'clothing' ANYONE in the entire park had managed to make from scratch regardless of their amounts of trying.
Father Tyminski opened one eye when the shadow of fear passed over him, and shuddered when he saw the she bear hovering over him, making silent prayer for strength.
'Going around naked, and as one of these non-humans,' Maggie knew it was a good thing her family had stopping to church, bunch of hypocrites.
"You're the Priest whose going to get my cub hitched to that fake doe?"
"If you mean Mr. Jeremy to Miss Leticia, then yes, I believe I am." The father raccoon managed to say calmly. "And as to her being... 'fake' last time I checked she had two X chromosomes, which is still the standard for being female in this culture for the time being."
"How can you! Damn hypocrite!"
"MADAM!" Now Father Tyminski stood up at her, dared to look up at her. "I can promise I have done nothing that violates my oath as a pastor. I have also done best I can with what I am able." Father Tyminski was just glade he had a photographic memory, enabling him to quote from The Book without a hard copy.
Including the fox families and others, there were also some of the huskies who attended his services, what was the name of that one who kept asking interesting questions? Ah yes, Harry.
"They'll kick you out of the church for performing this marriage!"
"They haven't yet. The secret is that I don't parade around the marriage like it was badge for me to wear."
Maggie honestly looked ready to tear his arms off, and Father Tyminski was certain he was about to discuss his life story with Saint Peter when the mighty bear woman merely stomped off... knocking over a tree to let off some steam...
Father Tyminski fell back on the grass, silently praying thanks.