William's last class for the day went quietly, and since it, like all the others was simply following the sort of "sub-plan" that had been followed in the morning while he'd been at the hearing. It meant that he didn't need to stay after that class ended, as the next day would pick up with the next planned lesson that was already prepared. So, as the students filed out, William began packing his briefcase with the folder of study materials for Martha and moved to follow them. He flicked off the lights and walked out into the hall to find the Dean waiting for him.
"Hello, sir," William spoke, "Is there something you need? I was just getting ready to go home."
"No... nothing that I need," the Dean answered, "and I'm pretty much ready to go home myself. The paperwork to expel Yvette Smith and letting Jennifer Harper's roommate know about her new status took up most of my day..."
"How did that go?" William asked curiously, mostly concerned on if the Dean had any news on Jenny's health. The last he had seen of her was Jenny passing out in the courthouse.
"Surprisingly well," the Dean spoke, "I did have to change in front of her to demonstrate that were-beasts are real... the biggest trouble I had was trying to get her off of me..."
"She made a pass at you?" William asked, fearful of a Yvette Smith scenario repeating.
"No... more that she thought I was cute and wanted to feel my fur," the Dean actually laughed, "apparently that girl is something of a furry..."
William nodded, he'd never known any, but he knew of the fandom of anthropomorphic animals, or furries. He imagined they'd be very much like Nate and his werewolf fandom and would actually love Moon Lake and its were-beast population. He figured they might help whenever were-beasts were exposed to the world, but he also knew that they could also present a problem. Akane had told him that werefoxes did go hunting from time to time, mostly for small game like rabbits, and William probably figured it'd also extend to ground nesting birds like quail, though he wasn't good enough with ecology to know for sure what would be available for werefoxes to hunt around Moon Lake, and that both werefoxes and werecats tended to be good mousers when they had to deal with rodents. As such he figured that more powerful were-beasts, werewolves, like Ben and his son, or weretigers like the Dean would hunt large game like deer, elk, or moose, whichever deer species was available to them. If too many people became were-beasts out of a fandom, their long lifespans, high sex drive, and potential predatory instincts could lead to a massive overpopulation that would strip the land of animals needed to feed them.
"Well, that'll at least be fortunate for Jenny," William commented as the two began to make their way out of the building, "Have you heard any update on her?"
"Afraid not," the Dean sighed, "I do hope she'll be okay."
Neither of them knew that Jenny was physically fine and planning her wedding with her fiancee and her roommate at that very moment as they made their way out. William prepared to turn and walk toward his home, when a strong hand caught his shoulder.
"You want a ride?" the Dean offered.
"Aren't I out of your way?" William asked.
"Geographically, yes... but it's the least I can do," the Dean answered, "I should have had more in place to protect you from something like this... let you have a choice in whether you become a were... and what were you become."
"It's okay and it worked out in the end," William answered, "it's actually healed some issues that were within my marriage..."
"The issue in Minnesota? The affair you had with a student?" the Dean asked, in a lower voice, not threatening but not really favorable either.
"Yeah... that was a dumb mistake..." William spoke as he looked down, "I... I probably had a were's libido even as a normal, and I too easily let my penis lead me into trouble and... it strained my marriage in addition to getting me fired. But... as a werefox... it's not that my libido is lower... in fact it might even be a bit higher than it was... but... it's made my bond to Martha more obvious... stronger... and reminded me of how stupid I was in the first place..."
"Yes... your actions there were dumb," the Dean nodded, "and a shame when compared to how well you had done as a professor. When I talked with the Dean at the University of Minnesota, he commented that you were an excellent professor with what you knew and the interest you raised out of students... but you had embarrassed the university, broke standard school policy with regard to codes of behavior, and brought the threat of criminal charges that they couldn't afford."
William nodded, as that was all old news to him as they walked along toward the Dean's car.
"But... I've always believed in second chances," the Dean answered, "and in Moon Lake's case... with our were-beast population, we're all quite aware of the problems a high libido can pose. And once you had gotten used to Moon Lake, I did have things prepared for group therapy between you and your wife and singular therapy for you with the college's councilor to help you get control over yourself."
"Well... my bond is to Martha... and I'll do anything in my power to show that my love is for her and that I'm sorry," William said slowly, "If you still want to do that... I'll go along with it."
"Your bond as a werefox would cancel out the need for that," the Dean answered, "Not to mention that Yvette's actions embarrassed our college in its own way..."
William didn't respond as they climbed into the car and were soon riding along the streets of Moon Lake. It didn't take too long and soon the Dean was pulling up in front of the Anderson home. William climbed out of the car, said a polite thank you and walked up the sidewalk to his front door. He figured Martha would be home by now and would be able to update her on how things went for him and give her her study material. As he opened the front door, though, he found that Martha had a guest at the moment.
"Peer pressure can be a funny thing. While no one I know of would do such a thing, I don't want Eric to think that he has to become a were to be accepted or fit in. The citizens of Moon Lake don't believe or behave like that. In the end, everyone will want Eric to eventually do what's right for him, regardless of what that might be," William heard Melissa Stovall say to his wife.
"Neither William nor I would pressure him to join us," came Martha's voice in reply, "If he doesn't want to be a were, we'll fight for Eric's right to be a normal... That was actually our chief concern in the whole Yvette Smith mess... that she would go after him."
William walked carefully into the living room to find the two seated in the living room sipping tea. He could pick up the scent of the tea, which did smell good, though he generally preferred coffee.
"And from what we saw at dinner... I wouldn't think that your daughter would hurt him," William spoke up to announce his presence, "she seemed to sweet to push Eric into anything he wouldn't want."
Martha smiled to him, and Melissa turned and nodded to him.
"Sorry to interrupt," William said to her, "but I did overhear what you said as I came in... and wanted to make it clear that Eric's safety and freedom of choice is chief among Martha's and my goals for him."
"And that'll make you good parents," Melissa spoke before pausing to finish her tea, "but my point with the pear pressure could be more the fact that your youngest son is now the lone normal in a family of weres. He may know what you are and know that you love him and will fight for him if need be... but his situation could create the situation where he could feel left out because he isn't a were..."
William glanced to Martha who had a concerned look on her face for the moment, likely thinking over what Melissa had just said.
"We can always tell him that our love is unconditional for him," William spoke, "whether he stays normal or becomes a were... Shoot... we'd bend over backward to do things for him."
Martha nodded in agreement, "And if he does decide to become a were... we'll support whatever decision he makes. If he decides to join Julie... we'd find a way to put in a pool for him."
Melissa smiled at the parental devotion to their son, and thought to herself, "and Julie would like that very much..."