The call from the mayor and the report that Yvette had infected another innocent human had rapidly deflated a lot of the joy that celebrated Nate's becoming a werewolf. Martha finished serving cake and they did enjoy it, but there was some nervous silence as the call and Samantha's departure raised a lot of those fears all over again. As they finished the cake, though, some of the shock and surprise did recover a bit. Particularly as Martha smiled to herself at Eric coming out of his shell. He had always been shy and reserved, especially since the bullying incident in the fifth grade, and she had honestly feared that he wouldn't adapt well to even human society let alone the were-beast society that his family had joined.
"Thanks for all this, mom," Nate said to her as he finished his slice of cake, "You guys really outdid yourselves..."
"You deserve it," Martha answered him, "You've put up with all mine and your father's drama. You eagerly volunteered for this... and in a way... that opened my eyes and your father's eyes to all of this..."
"And this was all to say thank you," William smiled to his son as he began assisting Martha in cleaning up after the party. "And I meant what I said in my toast."
"Thanks, dad," Nate gave a small smile, and glanced to see Eric leading Frances by the hand into the family room.
"Now... do you have all your homework done?" Martha asked him, "There is school tomorrow."
"Mostly," Nate admitted, "I'll admit that I kinda got caught up in becoming a were and everything else that was going on..."
"I understand," Martha answered, "but it'll be best to get your homework done. And no transforming and going off until you have your homework done..."
"And no staying out late on school nights," William answered, "we want you to enjoy being a werewolf..."
"But I need to remain responsible," Nate finished and watched both his parents nod.
"I can help him," Ben spoke, "at least until Eric and my mom are done talking."
William and Martha then quietly watched the two werewolves leave the room and could soon hear their footfalls on the stairs. They each gave a weak smile and resumed cleaning up after the party. It was quiet for a few moments as Martha took some of the leftover slices of pizza and began putting them on a clean plastic plate so they could be stored in the refrigerator. William moved around to collect the plates from the party. The two of them looked to each other briefly and in a way smiled. Even with Yvette's actions, the base happiness that the two felt wasn't hurt that bad. They had come for a new life and a new start, and in a way they got it. Their marriage was rapidly healing thanks to William's bond to Martha as a werefox, and Martha felt at ease with her sexuality as a werecat with both William and the Twists remaining close to her. It was a new start and a new world, and in a way that neither f them could have ever predicted, and as they cleaned up, neither wanted the new start they had to change or be lost.
"That was a nice toast you gave," Martha said to him.
"And I meant every word," William answered with a chuckle, "It's strange... we always thought it a bit odd that Nate was so into those werewolf movies... and now... now we are hoping he enjoys being a werewolf as much as WE enjoy being weres."
Martha nodded with a chuckle in return, "It's all a whole new world with a hopefully bright future."
William nodded, "all we need no if you know who to go back to jail."
Martha also agreed to that. Yvette Smith was the only real obstacle left to their complete reconciliation of their marriage. Her obsession William made her a threat to Eric's choices and left Martha also privately concerned that she'd end up having to fight the werevixen. Martha was certain she could fight Yvette off if it came to that, but her worries were primarily for her younger son when it came to Yvette.
"Hopefully they'll catch her," Martha nodded.
"I still can't understand what is going on in her head," William sighed, "What is she going to accomplish by infecting some normal woman?"
"I bet that was only to get the police off her tail," Martha answered, "to give her a better shot at trying to get you, me, or Eric."
"Let her try," William gave a growl, his eyes looking deadly serious, "my bond is with YOU. It is YOU that I love and she comes here making threats... she WILL pay."
The two of them had gone into the kitchen. William set the dirty dishes by the sink, and Martha could soon hear the water running while she placed the leftover pizza in the refrigerator.
"Let's just remember to leave her punishment to the law, Will," Martha answered, "Things are healing so well right now between you and me... Don't throw it all away because your anger at Yvette."
She heard William sigh and she turned to see him look down for a moment.
"You're right of course," William sighed, "and in a strange way... I'm thankful she turned me into a werefox. It's my bond to you that's done so much for us..."
"And set us for a good future," Martha nodded, "though there will still be some things to iron out..."
"Your bisexuality?" William asked, "You know that isn't an issue. And you know I'm fine with you enjoying "quality" time with the Twists as well as with me."
Martha nodded quietly. To a great extent, this seemed to be a sign of William's bond to her along with a few other things she noticed. In many ways William had always been willing to give up things for her, and it was something that she fell in love with him initially for, but at times, there had been issues where he had needed time to think things over before he agreed or Martha had had to talk him into it. Especially when it had came to the idea of her returning to work. Yet from time to time since William's transformation when these issues had come up, he almost immediately offered encouragement or ideas on how they could make it work. Then, when she smiled at the suggestion or the idea, he gave a relieved and happy smile in response. It was as if the thing he wanted the most was to see her smile and be happy. The fox in him wanted nothing more than his cat to be happy, which in its own way made Martha happy as well. And the idea William had shared with her when they were cooking their breakfast for a special night for her with the Twists was interesting, and would involve a lot of licking and tasty treats, not all of which were necessarily "sexual." Though, for the moment, Martha figured she'd save that suggestion for later.
"I know," Martha answered as she came to hug him from behind, "and you have no idea how happy it is for me to hear that you don't mind that I'm bisexual... some of my fears that you wouldn't be okay with it was part of why I repressed it for so long."
"And now there is no need to repress it," William smiled over his shoulder, "Frances and Samantha have been good to you. I trust you with them... as I'm pretty sure they'll treat you like the queen you are."
"You do know that a cat that's had kittens is called a queen?" Martha teased.
"Well... you DID give birth to Nate and Eric," William answered, "and you ARE a werecat now. So..."
Martha only laughed.
"I suppose the only thing that we really have to discuss is how balance out your desires," William commented, "as... you will need Frances and Samantha from time to time... unless you've set up a surgery appointment to make me a vixen..."
"Oh no... YOU will forever be MY dog-fox," Martha smiled using the scientific term for a male fox, "but you are right... I will need Frances and Samantha from time to time. I'm not going over there simply because I'm horny... but that doesn't mean I'm going to be celibate either."
William nodded and squeezed a plastic bottle of dish-washing detergent into sink to let it mix with the running water.
"Nor do I expect you to be," William answered, "being a were... being more comfortable with yourself... it's a new world for you... just as my bond is a new start for me. And as I said, I trust Samantha and Frances to make you happy and treat you as you deserve."
Martha began handing William the dirty dishes and a rag with which he could scrub them and then place them in the sink.
"So... how will we work out the plan to share me with the Twists...?" Martha commented slowly, "that sounded weirder than I thought it would..."
"It sounds weird because we're having a casual conversation about having a very open marriage to give you everything you desire to be happy when most people would demand we divorce each other for simply entertaining the thought," William answered, "but they don't understand our relationship, and many of them won't understand our condition as weres now."
"I suppose you're right," Martha shrugged, "and?"
"Well... outside of a massive group sex orgy... the only way it'd work would be an arrangement in which we alternate," William answered, "one night... you and I can date, explore, have hot were sex and then the next night, you can do the same with the Twists. Nate can protect Eric on the nights we are together and I can protect Eric on the nights you're with the Twists... beyond that, we may have to talk with Frances and Samantha to keep things in order... as we don't want to step on any of their private lives."
"They love me, too," Martha told him, "just as I love you and them."
"Still wouldn't hurt to have their opinion on that, " William replied.
While William continued to work with the dishes, Martha returned to retrieve what was left of the cake and the last bits of garbage.
"And remember Will, you'll need to talk with the Dean tomorrow to arrange for dates more me to take Washington's teaching exams so I can update my certification," Martha said to him, "I'll be going down to the central office tomorrow to see if they'll have anyone retiring after this school year and if they'll have spots for a substitute teacher."
"I will," William answered, "I'll even go through the boxes we didn't unpack to get the paperwork you may need with regards to substitute teaching until a full time spot opens up. Do you want the car tomorrow?"
"It couldn't hurt," Martha managed, "I could drop Nate and Eric off and then go about my errands... you're okay walking?"
"I should be," William answered, "greater energy and stamina now... I can feel that."
Martha nodded. That was one of the benefits she had noticed as well. Cats weren't renowned for being great long distance runners and she didn't feel like she had gained enhanced stamina, which were probably things that William as a werefox and Nate as a werewolf both gained as a bonus of their new were-beast abilities, but Martha did feel like she had gained many of the things cats were well known for. She felt more graceful and with a much improved sense of balance, even though Martha had never been uncoordinated before becoming a werecat. In a strange way, she also felt more confident in herself as a werecat. All of these were extra perks that made her enjoy what she had become as they had all helped with regard to hos she handled situations and the healing that had gone on since the family had come to Moon Lake.
And of course, the things between William and Martha weren't the only things healing. Martha had noticed it when Eric asked his questions about love that morning. He was coming out of his shell, and that made her happy. Eric didn't need to become a were, and Martha and William would love him even if he didn't change. But the fact that Eric was making friends and even found someone that he might consider dating made her happy. She honestly hoped that Julie would help her son open up and allow him to be able to fully trust others again and to be confident in himself. And in that, even with all of Yvette's antics, things did look good for the Anderson family as they moved forward.