As the sun began to rise over the pine trees that bordered Moon Lake, early alarms began to ring across the town.
In the Anderson household, Eric had set his for a tad early so he could take his shower in peace. As the hot water splashed across his soapy body, he thought back to last night. He loved Julie Stovall. There was now absolutely no question in his mind about that. Yet to have any kind of a serious long term relationship, let alone marriage and children, would require him becoming a were. When and what kind of were however, remained uncertain.
The rational part of him knew it should be a were-mer like his girlfriend. Yet, given all the peer pressure/abuse for being a nerd he suffered in his young life until moving to Moon Lake, coupled with recent events involving the rogue were-vixen Yvette Smith, a part of him couldn't help wondering if becoming a stronger were might be for the best. But if he did that, would he and Julie still have a future together?
Eric never noticed just how long he actually took in the shower. Usually he was done and out within five minutes. This morning it was closer to fifteen, for he was completely enjoying his time in the water. The only reason Eric stopped when he did was because Nate started knocking on the bathroom door, needing to get in to answer nature's call.
As Eric hurriedly dried himself off, he decided that for better or worse, he needed to skip walking Julie home today and take a stroll down to City Hall. There, he could ask for an audience with the mayor and hopefully have a boy to man talk about what it was like being a were-merman, how things were when Mister Stovall courted Julie's mother, and what, if anything, Eric should do in regards to the possibility of a long term relationship between himself and the mayor's daughter.
Even after coming back into the bathroom later to check his appearance before going down to breakfast, Eric never noticed that his eyes now momentarily took on a slightly bluish tint whenever he thought of Julie.
As he finished getting ready to go down for breakfast, Nate Anderson stopped to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was definitely a tad taller and more muscular since becoming a werewolf. He remembered the erotic feeling of Alex running his fingers through Nate's new patch of chest hair, something else he didn't have before wolfing, and recalled how wonderful Alex's felt as well.
For some reason, as Nate combed his hair and double checked his appearance, he wondered how it would work out if their relationship went all the way. Would he become Nate Ramsey, or would his future husband be Alex Anderson?
William Anderson heard his boys coming downstairs for breakfast as he hurriedly rushed out the plates of eggs and sausage he got up early to prepare. As he set the plates down in the middle of the dinning room table, he stared at his two sons. Maybe someday we'll have another child. Perhaps even the daughter Martha's always wanted. But for now, life's good and we're happy, he realized, as William sat down with his family to eat.
MEANWHILE...
"When can we do this again?" asked Samantha Twist, as she watched her wife Frances and their werecat friend/sister/lover Martha Anderson dress for the day while she finished doing the same.
"Not tonight, unfortunately," said Martha, with a tinge of regret in her voice. "We have Nate's boyfriend coming over for dinner."
"And they say no one expects the Spanish Inquisition," said Frances.
The other two ladies, since all were in their human forms, looked at her. "Perhaps Martha's been a stronger positive influence than we realize," commented Samantha. "You just made a joke!"
"And a Monty Python reference at that," added Martha.
"Is he some were-reptile I haven't met?" asked Frances. A question that was answered by a hail of pillows being thrown at her. "I'm kidding," she said, lovingly throwing a couple of them back at her sister werecats. "I have caught an episode here and there on television."
"Anyway, I'll be home studying all day for my teacher's recertification. If either of you can come over and don't mind helping me in the kitchen with dinner, maybe we can have some afternoon delight," Martha suggested with a smile on her face, before she went into the master bathroom with her purse to take her daily werecat birth control pill.
Both Twists said they would have to see how their day went, but if not now, there would be plenty of times when at least one, if not both of them, would be more than happy and willing to take Martha up on her offer.
Martha purred in contentment before kissing both of her lovers goodbye. With that, she rushed home to join her family for breakfast.
"So what do you think?" Melissa Stovall asked her husband, while they were getting dressed for the day in their bedroom.
Upon returning home last night, their daughter Julie had told them everything that happened on her date with Eric Anderson after they noticed the gravy stain on her top.
"The more I think about it, the more I begin to realize our daughter might be right. She and Eric are us in reverse. But at 14?" asked Martin Stovall, as he struggled to tie his tie in front of the dresser mirror.
"Even outside of Moon Lake, stranger things have happened," pointed out his wife, as she walked over to help her husband.
"Well, I have it on good authority from Frances Twist that Eric's fears are genuine. There really is a chance that if he does become a were, it might not be an aquatic one."
"And then what happens?" she asked.
Thoughts of Romeo and Juliet briefly popped into his head, although that sad ending resulted from different circumstances. "I honestly don't know. I honestly considered having a chat with either or both of them, but we can't take an active role, or else we'd be as guilty of violating Statue 1-A as Yvette Smith."
His wife then asked, "So where does that leave us?" to which Martin Stovall had no answer.
IN THEIR DORM ROOM...
Karen Yuletide tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. After consoling her roommate Jenny Harper, she went back to bed and dreamed of fulfilling her fur fetish by becoming a were herself.
However...
No. Werefox wasn't for me. The tail is totally unmanageable.
Why did I ever decide to become a werecheetah? The spots are all wrong!
I look ugly as a werewolf!
Who would ever want to date a wereskunk!
Why this one? Were pigs don't even have fur! realized Karen, as she woke up screaming.
"Are you all right?" asked Jenny, as she came over and sat next to her friend and future maid of honor on the edge of Karen's twin bed.
"Bad dream," was all Karen would say, as she shook her head trying to clear it.
"There's a lot of that going on right now," said Jenny with a smile, as she put her arms around Karen to console her. Part of the deed was out of pure friendship, while another was to return the favor of Karen seeing Jenny through her bad dream overnight. "What was it? The loneliness thing again?"
Karen only said, "Partially," because she had never publicly admitted her fur fetish to anyone.
"Don't worry. When you find the right someone, everything will be as it should," replied Jenny, still holding her friend.
Karen felt an odd warmth of comfort spread over her, before Jenny got up and went back to her own bed to try to lay down for a while longer.
Karen looked at the digital clock on her dresser and saw it was only a little after six in the morning. Realizing there was still time between Harry Jenkins not coming by for Jenny until eight, and the fact that Karen's first class of today wasn't until ten, she laid back down and fell asleep with a smile on face in a peaceful slumber.
MEANWHILE...
Reports were being prepared for delivery to the office of Doctor Frances Twist and the Moon Lake Police Department that would have an impact on the course of today's events.