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FE 23.

"I think I should stay with my Mate..." Owen started.

"I said go and join your guests...Owen. Host or not, your Mate has started something here that you are not involved in. You know who I am now, but I promise you this Owen; if one word is breathed to those out in the garden I will have your infertile balls hung above the mantel!" Jessica growled coldly.

Owen blanched, glancing at Geraldine who just shook her head, "We will talk later. Do as she says."

"You want me to call the police?" he asked.

"The police will do you no good; we have committed no crime...yet. You invited us; therefore we are not even guilty of trespass. Now scoot before I do something I regret later!"

"Jessica love..." Elizabeth said as the forlorn fox left as he was threatened again.

"Don't you bloody 'Jessica love' me. Only one person in this room has the right to call me that!" Jessica snapped turning to her mother. "What were you thinking of coming here? I wish we had never talked while you were at my hospital bedside!"

"I invited them..." Geraldine said quietly.

"Oh this just gets better! I thought you cared for me Gerry, I thought of you as a surrogate mother for Dracos' sake! I thought you were only guilty of not warning me before they stepped out of your private rooms... Now I find you bloody sent them an invite! Do you realize what this means... Do you? That bastard standing there next to my mother wants Ruth dead, but he hasn't the balls to do it himself so he's brought the shadow along with him to do his dirty work as usual!" her voice rising in volume all the time with her anger.

"Lancelot intends no such thing," Elizabeth protested.

"I don't believe you mother. Father...tell me to my face that you came here to apologize for your past actions involving my choice of Mate."

Lancelot remained silent, no emotions passing across his face as Elizabeth turned to stare at him, "Lancelot?" she queried hesitantly.

"And my point is proved...Come Ruth, we are leaving and this time you won't find us!" Jessica turned towards the door.

"What of The Runt's business guests?" Lancelot said quietly as her hand gripped the cast iron door knob, freezing her in her tracks. "You hadn't forgotten them had you?"

She turned to face the red dragon again as Ruth stepped up to her side, "What did you call him?" she said quietly.

"I believe I called him 'The Runt.' Is your hearing fading daughter? Private health care could treat that you know," Lancelot replied stepping towards her a sneer on his face.

"Retract that now," Jessica growled in warning, "And from what I hear, I am worth more than you at the moment to the banks."

"Why should I back away from the truth?" Lancelot persisted, shaking Elizabeth's hand off his shoulder.

"Ruth is a better dragon that you could ever hope to be! Now retract your previous statement!" Jessica warned.

"No!" Lance shouted at her, "And the sooner I Mate you to someone who is not a disgr..."

He never finished. Jessica pounced, half unfurling her wings she flew across the fifteen feet of the atrium and slammed into him all talons unsheathed before he could react. They crashed heavily into the marble sculpture, something snapping audibly as the formal suit he was wearing was shredded under her furious onslaught. "YOU BASTARD!! YOU MURDEROUS FUCKING BASTARD!!!!" she screamed as all twenty talons went for his chest and face.

Lancelot pleaded for Malaprop's help as he tried to protect his face and throat, legs flailing helplessly as her talons started to dig through his age weakened scales. Strong black hands gripped Jessica by the shoulders and lifted her clear of the thrashing red dragon; luck more than judgment avoiding a blow to her stomach from Lance's flailing legs and tail. Malaprop set her down, applying nerve blocks to her arms and shoved her towards Ruth who had rushed over to try and help as she screamed in her defiance, her father's blood dripping from her face and immobilized hands.

"Control her Ruth...I will not hurt her, but I must defend Lancelot," Malaprop said forcefully.

Ruth gathered her to his chest as the reaction hit her and her screams dissolved into sobs. Geraldine looked on in horror as Elizabeth knelt by her fallen Mate, a semi worried look on her face as the extent of his injuries became apparent. "Lady Knowles...do you have any first aid supplies in the house?" she asked calmly as she pulled Lancelot upright into a sitting position.

The doorbell rang then followed by some heavy knocking and she turned towards it just as Lawrence reappeared at its summons. The lemur took one look at the scene and ran in leaping bounds for the kitchen and the supplies he knew were needed. The doorbell sounded again and Geraldine walked zombie like towards it, opening it without looking to even see who she was letting into the bloody mess her entrance hall had become in a few short minutes.

Arnold and Nyara stepped in, rapidly closing the door behind them as they assessed what greeted them, "Shit, we got here just too late! Nyara, go and help Ruth with Jessica. If she has taken a blow to her stomach call an ambulance immediately," he instructed as he turned to the vixen, "Lady Knowles I presume?" he asked Geraldine, who just nodded in silence as the slender blue dragoness hurried over to where Ruth was rocking Jess in his arms.

Lawrence arrived at a run with the first aid kits in his hands.

"I am sorry for this Lady Geraldine; we were delayed at the train station with a lack of cabs. We were hoping to get here before Jessica and Ruth. I was not expecting my brother to be the one injured though. You are in shock I am afraid, I suggest you take a seat before you collapse." Arnold firmly guided her towards the guest seats at the side of the hall, placing a thick leather briefcase down next to her. Beckoning Lawrence over he took the medical kits from his hands, "Go and find your Master and tell him the situation has calmed. We heard the screams from the courtyard, so I am guessing that the guests have been unsettled."

Lawrence nodded, glancing again to reassure himself that his mistress and occasional lover was not the one injured and ran off again towards the rear gardens where the party was being held.

Arnold walked over to Elizabeth and Malaprop who were kneeling next to the moaning Lancelot, "What triggered this?" he asked Elizabeth firmly as he pulled some sterile gauze from one of the kits and carefully peeled the remains of the red dragon's suit from his upper torso.

"He did...he taunted her to breaking point," Beth said sniffing a little. "I don't think he thought she was capable of attacking him."

"I'LL BLOODY KILL HIM IF HE GETS CLOSE TO ME OR RUTH AGAIN!" Jessica screamed from where she was still being comforted by Ruth and Nyara.

"Jessica, I will come over to you later when I stop your wish being fulfilled here and now!" Arnold barked over his shoulder at her. "If you want to save your scales from jail, I have got to save his whether WE like it or not!"

"I'm pressing charges," Lancelot said weakly, spitting a broken tooth from his mouth.

"You press charges against her, and I will deliver our dossier about you straight to Scotland Yard! All deals will be off!" Arnold threatened the bleeding dragon. "Your wounds are superficial and surface deep, you won't die, but you will have a bigger collection of scars and missing scales than Alan's for the rest of your life, though for an ignoble reason. Malaprop and Elizabeth should be able to lick heal them for you over the next week or so."

"Not Malaprop, I will not have his tongue near me," Lance protested weakly, "Why can't I move my left wing?" he asked, sniveling.

Arnold sighed at the continued homophobia and moved around Lance's back and gently manipulated the joint where it joined his shoulder as Lance hissed in pain. "You've bust your left wing shoulder in multiple places... It is a good job you are too old to fly brother, as it will never open again properly." He looked over to Nyara's group, "Call an ambulance love, none emergency but tell them it is for a senior aged dragon with a badly smashed wing shoulder. Private medical care."

"Will do..." Nyara reached into her pouch and pulled out her mobile.

"I am guessing that our niece has avoided injury?" Arnold queried as she hung up.

"She has a talon missing, but nothing more. Ambulance will be here in thirty minutes," Nyara replied.

"Good, that gives us time to settle this once and for all. Malaprop, get Lance over to that chair by the desk and apply some bandages to his arms and chest. Lady Knowles...do you by chance have a practicing solicitor or lawyer amongst your guests at the party?" he queried the vixen, sitting down gently next to her and picking up his briefcase.

"Pardon?" Gerry asked shaking her head, still befuddled at how things had escalated out of her hands.

"Solicitors...or even lawyers. Anyone with a legal authority amongst your guests?" Arnold prompted her gently.

"Oh...Err...," she stuttered thinking, "Francine...she is Mated to Norman. He is retired from the bench..."

"He will do just fine...How do I get through to the gardens?" he asked her quietly.

"What? Oh...Just ring that bell," she gestured a pull cord on the wall, "It will sound the doorbell and Lawrence will come to its summoning. He will show you through or fetch Norman for you."

"Where is your Mate?"

"She threatened him most vilely and told him to leave the room...This is all my fault and I think I was going to be next before you arrived," she gestured at Jess before starting crying again as her emotions broke through her shock.

Arnold shook his head gently and reached over to tug in the cord before pulling Geraldine into a comforting hug, "Now now...Jessica wouldn't have hurt you. How is this mess your fault? You don't know the Giles family, do you?" he asked gently.

"N...no. Jessica took me into her confidence a couple of weeks ago about her maiden name. I...I thought it would be a nice surprise if I arranged for her to meet up with her parents again. I invited them. When you sent your intentions to me, I didn't know what to think...but I knew something wasn't right. It was too late by then though. Then the caterers rang me and told me their bill had already been paid in full by another bearing your surname. I wouldn't want to lose Jessica as a friend for anything..." she dissolved further into sobs as Lawrence appeared again.

He looked worriedly at Geraldine as Arnold spoke up, "Lawrence, I need you to fetch Norman...I don't know his surname actually, but he is the retired judge for me please. Present him with my card and he will come," he reached into his pouch and passed an embossed slip over to the lemur who nodded, "Also if the guests have settled enough, I would suggest that your mistress needs her Mate again." Lawrence flushed slightly, turning his head but not quick enough for Arnold to miss it, "Ahh, so that is how it is...I think it would be better though if it were Owen to come to her aid though for appearances sake." He tilted his head to one side to show understanding.

"Oh of course Sir...I will fetch them immediately," Lawrence replied and darted from the hallway again.

"Your intentions were nothing but honourable Lady Knowles, but you couldn't have known the history over the family rift fully. I am sure Jessica will see sense when she calms down." He patted the vixen on her shoulder and stood, carrying his briefcase with him over to where Jessica was still in the arms of Ruth.

"Forgive me Sir," Ruth said looking up as he approached, "But who exactly are you?"

"Nothing to forgive Ruth and you need never call me Sir. We are family after all. I am Arnold Giles. One of Jessica's uncles, and joint second oldest in the Giles family line. I am also the one nominally in charge of sorting out the mess my elder brother has made of the family's situation," Arnold said holding his hand out for Ruth to shake.

Ruth took it, "Ah...I never really got the chance to meet any of Jessica's relations," he said quietly.

"Well you will soon, I promise. Alan and Michael, two of my younger brothers want to talk to you about your real mother and father. Maurice, your father was a member of Alan's scout team in Ireland and a good friend, though I never met him and your mother I am afraid. Now I need to talk to Jessica for a moment before the ambulance arrives, though this concerns you too, so please listen in but don't interrupt for the moment."

Ruth nodded as Jessica's head rose from Ruth's chest, "What is it Uncle? I want nothing to do with the family ever again," she sniffed, "Him showing up has probably ruined mine now too!" she gestured towards Lancelot who was still being bandaged by Malaprop and Elizabeth.

"In what way has he ruined your family?" Arnold prompted gently.

"He caused me to disgrace myself and Ruth in front of Ruth's business guests...I essentially assaulted Felicity who is the Mate of Clyde Everidge who signed the contract with Ruth's employers... they have every right to pull out now, and that means Ruth will lose his job when the reason is given!" She started sobbing again.

"Mmm...I think if I have a word with them and explain exactly what the circumstances are they will understand. Do you have a good relationship with them normally?" He asked, looking up as an old wolf appeared leaning heavily on a silver inlaid, black Malacca cane with each step, followed closely by Lawrence and a greying dog fox who immediately rushed over to Geraldine's side.

Ruth flushed slightly in response to that question, dragging Arnold's eyes back up to his face as he then glanced at his niece, who was averting hers from his. "Ahh...I am guessing that the answer to that is yes then. I would not worry then Jessica, unless they are of poor character. Lancelot is enough of an excuse to make anyone act out of line when he is around, they will understand."

Arnold turned to the old wolf whose eyes were firmly drawn to the propped up and still bleeding Lance at the table, his brows raised slightly. "Thank you for coming at my summons Judge...?" Arnold started walking over to offer his hand.

"Wedgwood...Retired. Just call me Norman please. You are Arnold Giles...of the Giles' dragons?" he asked.

"I am Sir. I would beg a favour of you as legal witness to my older brother signing away control of the houses, estates and all the family assets as outlined in this documentation," he opened his briefcase.

"For purpose of accession?" the wolf asked taking the documents.

"No...to prevent further dissolution of the house. Lancelot has seriously abused his position as head of the family." Arnold replied.

"And his injuries are?" The wolf asked as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a reading monocle.

"Of a personal nature. The heir is estranged from him, and he pushed her a little too far when our mutual host arranged for them to meet again face to face after ten years. It was lucky that Lady Elizabeth, his Mate informed me of the upcoming situation, though I arrived just too late as you can see."

"Is he going to be pressing charges?" Norman asked.

"If he does, there are certain conditions in that declaration that will come into force over his business dealings. It is not my niece Jessica that needs to fear prison..."

The old wolf grunted, "This is highly irregular and borders on illegal blackmail."

"I ask only that you act as legal witness Sir. I ask you though; if you were in my situation and a single bad apple threatened to bring down the whole of the Wedgwood family in a case that the media would sensationalize, what would you do?"

"I would bend a few rules," he grunted. "Very well, I assume you have an awl for the drawing of hearts blood?"

"I do."

"And all parties are agreeable to this?" Norman asked gruffly.

"Lancelot has no choice, I am about to ask the other..." Arnold answered.

"If they are not informed, why now and not in a formal situation?" he sounded irritated.

"I would have preferred to do this in London, but circumstances have dictated themselves. Lancelot has sustained a broken wing shoulder and is unlikely to be out of hospital for at least a month or two. It may be too late by then," Arnold said contritely.

"Very well...I will go over the formalities with your brother then. Go and inform your niece as to what is being proposed." Norman grunted and limped over to the table before sitting heavily opposite Lancelot and placing the papers on the desk in front of him as Malaprop and Elizabeth moved to one side.

Arnold went back and squatted next to Ruth and Jessica, who were by now watching him carefully, having listened to what he had said to the old Judge. "I said I would have nothing to do with my old family anymore Uncle Arnold..." she started.

"Listen to me carefully Jess before you say anything more. Your health and that of your Mate's is an integral condition in that contract the Judge is going over with your father. As is your childrens'. When he places his heart's blood on the signature strip, all financial and legal control of the Giles remaining estates will be stripped from him and placed into your mother's, my siblings and I's control until such time as his heir is ready for the duty. Your brother is infertile, and so you are the preferred heir again Jessica, your father has been given no choice in the matter." Arnold explained.

"But I won't live under the same roof as him!" Jessica protested, "Ruth and I will not be safe, I just know it!"

"He would have to kill all his siblings including myself, and your mother before he could touch either of you, or he would rot in jail for the rest of his life."

"But I have a life up here with Ruth...We can't just pack everything up especially now with the eggs on the way."

"You don't need to. And personally I wouldn't anyway if I were you. Your father has created a huge mess that will take at least a few years to sort out. You need not take your position as head of the house until you are ready."

"And if I am never ready?" Jessica replied, "If I never feel safe until he sweating his soul away downstairs?"

"You could legally place yourself or your mother as dowager matriarch until your children come of age. Would you deny them the choice of your upbringing?" Arnold asked.

"We can afford private education now..." Jessica protested.

"You probably can...but there is so much more than money to being a Giles as you well know." Arnold stated

"I am a Ruatha now! Our children will be Ruathas!" Jessica protested, hugging Ruth tightly.

"We can discuss that at a later date...The 'Giles' name on the estate must live on, as you well know."

"There is nothing to discuss...What if I refuse outright?" Jessica asked firmly.

"Then mine and Nyara's second child or one of Gertrude's will be named as heir. I am worth far more than the main Giles line now, so my first son will inherit from me as is his right. If you choose that route though, there will be no going back. You have your children to think of, not just yourself now," he said seriously.

Jessica looked up at Ruth who just shrugged his shoulders, "I know the choice is ours love, but if we need never actually live with you father, would it be right to deny our children what I never had?"

"You would have had it Ruth if your parents had lived. If your Aunt is still alive, I will lead a legal attack on her for your rightful inheritance..." Arnold said with a growl.

"She died a few years ago Arnold. And I won't start a feud with her children, much as I never have contact with them anymore and no love is shared between us." Ruth replied, stopping him in his tracks.

"Well that is your choice...but you could be owed a lot you know..."

"I said NO Arnold. I have all I need with my current income and Jessica here," Ruth said firmly. He looked down at her and ran his hand softly across her horns, "I am happy for you and our children to be Ruatha nee Giles love. As far as I am concerned, the Ruatha name died with the parents I never knew."

"B...B...But..." Jessica stuttered.

"We can give the children their own choice when they reach their tenth birthdays on which name they wish to bear legally through higher education and life..." Ruth suggested.

"Are you saying I should accept?" Jessica asked interrupting his chain of thought.

"I am not saying anything love, I am just giving you my opinion," Ruth replied quietly.

Jessica shook her head for a few seconds as if to clear it before looking back up to Arnold and standing gently for the first time since her emotional collapse. "Come on then, I will place my heart's blood as the heir so as to save death duties through succession, though I will not inhabit the same house as my father, even if Ruth's job should relocate us to the Southeast as it may in the future. You and mother may do what you wish to try and save the name from disgrace," she said sighing and going to stand behind Norman.

Lancelot's eyes burned with both hatred and pain as they glared across the table at her and Arnold who had come up stand beside her. "You understand fully what you are going to put your name to now?" Norman asked.

"I understand," Lance growled through gritted teeth.

"You declare to me that you are of a sane and clear disposition when marking this contract?"

"As much as I can be..."

"And you do this freely without any undue pressures..."

"Ha!" Lance spat interrupting the wolf.

"Do you do this freely without any undue pressures upon yourself and those you hold dear?" Norman repeated, knowing that what he was about to do was technically in breach of the law.

"Yes!" Lance spat again reluctantly as Arnold's gaze bored into his brain from the front as Elizabeth's did the same from behind.

"Very well then," Norman stated turning to Arnold. "Do you have the awl?"

Arnold handed him the stainless steel spike from his pouch and Norman breathed on it, fogging it a little to prove its cleanliness, "Hand out Lancelot," he said firmly.

Lance did as bid, palm up for the wolf. Norman gently fed the steel into the vein at the base of Lance's central talon as he winced, drawing the deep crimson that would seal his future fate to the air. Three drops were allowed to drip onto the contract of exchange before the wolf dabbed them dry and let his hand lose again. "Jessica?" Norman prompted. Jessica lent across the wolf's shoulder and allowed her own heart's blood to be drawn for only the second time in her life, the drips mingling with her father's on the page before them.

"Both of you place yours marks please," Norman stated. They did as requested, signing below the patch, side by side. Norman placed his own mark under theirs, complete with his qualifications and home address. "Done and done. Arnold, you take the original and copy it please. Lancelot you are now bound by the conditions explained to you previously. Any breach of said conditions will leave you open to the consequences outlined in the document. Do you understand fully?"

"I do...and be damned with you all!" Lance declared spitefully.

Norman sighed and stood stiffly, "I had hoped that I would be done with this sort of thing when I stood down...however we have to stand together in the old family groups when required. I shall return now to my port out in the gardens. I bid you good afternoon." With that the old wolf limped off back towards the party and the other guests.

Arnold turned towards Lawrence where he was standing to one side, an eye cast on Owen who was seemingly pouring genuine affection on Geraldine, the other on the hall's activities. "Lawrence, could you please go and see if Mr. and Mrs. Ruatha's guests will join us?"

Lawrence nodded and followed in the old wolf's shadow out of the room as the doorbell sounded. Nyara who had been glancing at the antique wall clock nodded and went to open it without prompting, letting a couple of stallions dressed as paramedics in with a gurney, "Bang on time, he is over here," she commented as she led them over to the seated Lance.

The medics took one look at him and reached for their radio as the blood on Jessica's hands was obvious to, "I'll call for the police Brad," one said quickly to the other. He found his wrist immobilized by a strong black hand which stopped it from raising the device to his lips.

"He slipped and fell awkwardly against the marble statue. His daughter reached to grab for him, but only caught his shirt and scales with her talons," Malaprop said firmly.

The horse hesitated and stared at his colleague for back-up. The other medic knelt next to the chair and looked Lancelot in the eyes, "Sir...is that what happened?" he asked gently.

Lance hesitated, taking in the steely looks from all those that were staring at him. Arnold made a show of letting the papers just peek from the corner of his briefcase for a second. "It was medic...I am a little unsteady at times with my age," he said quietly.

"Are you sure?" the horse pressed.

"I am sure. Now please take me to hospital and give me some painkillers for this busted shoulder."

The two stallions shook their heads as Malaprop released the radio bearer's wrist from his iron grip. "Very well Sir...We will have you patched up and in good care before you can whistle for a cab."

"Private...take me to the Spire Regency," Lance said quietly as the horse nodded. "They will arrange a transfer for me back to London."

"Very well Sir." They carefully lifted him onto the gurney and wheeled him out of the door, Malaprop following with Elizabeth at his side.

Arnold placed a hand on Beth's shoulder as she passed and she smiled at him, "I will ring you later when he is settled. We can work out the business side of things on Tuesday when he settled as an inpatient in London," he said.

"Thank you Arnold, for everything." With that she left, climbing daintily into the ambulance, one of the stallions closing the door behind her before casting a glare at the dragons as they watched them leave the courtyard in a rattle of diesel smoke.

"Ahem," Lawrence cleared his throat as the ambulance disappeared from view. The assembled dragons turned back to the hall at the butler's discreet call. Standing next to the lemur were Clyde and Felicity, the latter holding a small handkerchief to the side of her muzzle.

"Oh no," Jessica exclaimed turning her head towards Ruth in shock at the sight, "I didn't think I had drawn blood."

Nyara bustled over quickly, pausing as the two roos shied away from her slightly, "Who are you?" Clyde asked the smaller dragoness hesitantly.

"Oh...So sorry, I am Nyara, aunt by marriage to Jessica. Would you like me to tend to your Mate's wound?" she asked, smiling.

"Your niece caused the wound..." Clyde said seriously.

"Inadvertently," Jessica protested tears in her eyes again, "I am so sorry Felicity, Clyde. That bastard who stepped out of the private rooms is my father."

"And that gives you reason to assault my Mate?" Clyde queried, his ears straight up and facing forward.

"I may be able to explain," Arnold said interrupting, "I am Arnold Giles, Jessica's uncle. If you would allow my Mate to attend yours, I assure you that her wound will be healed without any scars."

Clyde looked at Felicity who nodded her assent to Nyara who immediately moved in and gently began to cleanse the three talon punctures with her tongue as Felly sighed in relief, "Perhaps it should be Ruth that explains?" Clyde prompted.

"Ruth knows barely the minimal details of what has happened here today. Jessica should explain, but she in no fit emotional state," Arnold said with a sigh. "The red dragon who I gather surprised her with his appearance is one Lancelot Giles, who through misfortune happens to be my elder brother, and Jessica's father. The blue dragoness who has also now left is her mother, and the black one was Lancelot's bodyguard..."

"Erm..." Felicity interrupted, holding Nyara off for a minute, "Did you say Lancelot Giles?"

"I did," Arnold confirmed.

"The Lancelot Giles of Regent's manor in London?" Felicity pressed.

"Yes...you know of him?"

"Only through reputation...The girls I schooled with at Roedean talked of unpleasant experiences involving their parents and him..." Felicity replied turning towards Jessica, "You are his daughter?" she asked.

"I wish I wasn't," Jessica replied, "I have been estranged, disinherited and avoiding contact with him for over ten years."

"Why?" Felicity pressed.

"You know the system Fel, having mixed with it...I fell in love with and Mated with a dragon that didn't fit into his perceived social structure. From the minute he turned his back on me, Ruth's life was in danger," Jessica stated as she hugged Ruth to her chest.

"Oh surely not," Clyde said shaking his head as Geraldine gasped at the enormity of what she had done.

"I am afraid it was," Arnold said sighing, "Lancelot is a stain on my family's name. Her younger brother was declared his heir upon production of children; however he has recently been proved sterile. Lancelot put out an all point call to the extended family in order to locate Jessica, which was unsuccessful until she and Ruth showed up in London in the last couple of weeks. Had we, Lancelot's siblings not also been made aware of the situation, Jessica may even now be a widow."

"Oh shit..." was all Clyde could say as Felicity pushed Nyara completely to one side and walked over towards Jessica who was still sobbing into Ruth's shoulder.

"Jessica..." she said hesitantly placing a hand on the dragoness' shoulder.

Jessica turned to face the roo, dabbing at her eyes with a torn sleeve, "I am so sorry," she said again, "I was just so shocked, and I knew what it could mean. I just wanted you and Clyde out of here as fast as I could," she said sniffing.

"I think that under the circumstances you are forgiven," Felicity replied leaning in and kissing Jessica on her lips, "Let us call it a friend protecting a friend." She looked down at the bloodied hands and torn dress Jess was still sporting, "Are you injured as well?" she asked.

"Ripped a talon out...It's my father who is in hospital. I nearly killed him! I have never lost control like that before!" Jessica replied starting to sob again.

"There there," Felicity placed a hand gently on Jessica's belly, "You were not only acting to protect Ruth, you were acting as an expectant mother too. I know from schooling that these things alter hormones and tempers for those that bear their young internally. We marsupials are lucky in that respect, giving birth only three to five days after conception. I know what I am like when my blood is up, there would be a lot of ball-less males in Aus. if our hormones controlled our brains that well!" she grinned, getting a lip lift out of Jessica.

"I should not have lowered myself to his level," she protested, "Hormones are no excuse!"

"Oh I think that in a court of law they can pass as extenuating circumstances in a defense case." Arnold said coming up behind them, "I know that I avoided Ny when she was on..."

A large cushion smacked into the back of his head from one of the side chairs. "When I was on what?" the slender dragoness asked, her hands on her hips.

"When you were...on one of your training programs," Arnold continued rapidly with a grin.

"Hmmmph!" Nyara snorted as even Geraldine laughed in amusement from the side of the room.

"What do we do now?" Jessica asked seriously, changing the subject.

"Well you are in no state to rejoin the party," Nyara pointed out, "I seriously doubt that Lady Knowles has something in her wardrobe that will fit your frame either."

Geraldine shook her head, "I am afraid I don't carry a selection for all species like Jessica there does..." she placed a hand over her mouth as she realized what she'd said.

"Gerry?" Owen asked in puzzlement.

"Later dear...I will explain later...in private please..." the vixen said blushing heavily.

"Something I should know about?" Arnold asked.

"Something you would rather not know about I think," Ruth stated as Jessica coloured up as he defended her profession.

"It may be frowned upon now her position is known..." Geraldine suggested in concern.

"My position amongst your guests and amongst my other clients must not become known Geraldine. My business will not be affected by today's events, but it would be if you and the others started kowtowing to me. I swear Geraldine; you did me a great injury today by breaching my confidence and it will take a lot for me to consider you my close friend again. When you hear me call you Gerry again, that is the day you know you have regained some of it. Keep my secret from anyone else, and I will consider it a step in the right direction." Jessica said firmly.

"So you have a profession?" Arnold asked, "I thought you were just a housemate..."

"I have a profession that involves inviting a lot of other like-minded females to our house at least once a month for parties uncle. Though I do not earn as much as Ruth, I pay a good percentage of the mortgage. 'The families' would not approve of a scion doing what I do though," Jessica interrupted. "It would send my father to a well-deserved grave if you insisted upon us moving back to London, as I can assure you that I would not be giving it up!"

"I feel that I should not press further then..."

"I think that would be wise. My franchise here is transferable IF and when we have to move south. There may not be one available for purchase in London, and I would not put a fellow business-woman out of business. If there is, well the Manor is big enough to accommodate my needs, but not my father if you catch my drift."

"I think I do. Now changing the subject back to the original. What are you going to do now?" Arnold asked.

"I would fly home, change and come back, but I feel exhausted and all mood for company has been drained from me I am afraid...Would you excuse Ruth and I?" Jessica asked approaching Geraldine formally.

"I think that under the circumstances...yes," the vixen replied, "I was only trying to heal old wounds Jess..." she started.

"Jessica...please," Jessica replied contritely, "Wounds are sometimes open for a reason Geraldine, as I think you have found out today."

"Do you still have a meeting on Thursday?"

"I will not be cancelling, especially as I fly out to Singapore and Australia with Ruth on Sunday."

"May I attend?" she asked.

"You may...I like this no more than you do Geraldine, but you breached my trust. I have known you too long to throw your friendship away...but you must not expect things to be as they were for the moment."

"I understand..."

"Then we will take our leave now." Jessica turned back to the awaiting roos, "Felicity, Clyde, the choice is yours. Our leaving need not affect your afternoon...I am sure that you are welcome to stay here at the party, though I hope you understand if we put a rain check on what we were planning later."

Felicity glanced at Clyde who just nodded, "I think we will stay for the time being. Our cab is not booked until six after all. I am sure that we can accommodate you at our home in Australia...and in other tourist spots. We are lucky that Clyde's parents live local enough and dote on their grandkids!" Felicity joked, "Though I would suggest that maybe you should bring some...ah samples?"

Jessica laughed, "I assure you that an extra suitcase will be packed for... demonstration purposes. I just hope that your customs and border controls are not as bad as the TV shows portray them as."

"Just declare everything and though they may have a laugh at your expense, what you will be carrying is not illegal," Felicity assured her.

"I am not so sure about that..." she winked.

"Good...We will see you a week on Thursday then. Good luck with the Chinese contract Ruth, now go take care of your Mate." Clyde said, changing the subject before Arnold starting asking questions again. He shook hands with him and kissed Jessica on the cheek.

Neither escaped so easily from Felicity who managed to exchange tongues with both of them, slapping Ruth's ass as he turned to leave, "That's mine next time!" she stated, grinning and causing Ruth to turn pink again as everyone else stared at him.

"May we stay also?" Arnold asked Geraldine as Lawrence closed the door behind Ruth and Jessica.

"Of course...Appearances must be kept up and all that," the vixen responded straightening up, "Please, go and join the others in the garden, I must put my fur back in place and remove the tear runs from my eyes. Lawrence, once they are back out there, could you please try and clear the blood up off the tiles and statue. We don't want a murder scene to greet those that leave by our front door."

"I will do so immediately," he responded. The lemur turned back to Arnold, Nyara and the roos, "Would you please accompany me?" he asked. They nodded in response and followed him back out into the garden.

~~~~

Ruth gently closed their front door behind them as Jessica walked zombie like into the living room and collapsed on the new three piece suite in a heap, "Can I get you anything love?" he asked as he followed her.

"What? Oh no, I will be fine," she muttered quietly.

"You sure?" he queried.

She shook her head for a second, "What are we going to do Ruth?" she asked after a few minutes.

He sighed, settling down on the cushions and leaning her against him while running a hand gently across her shoulders, "I would say that we do nothing...at least for the time being."

"How can we do nothing? That bastard has reappeared and turned our lives upside down in a matter of seconds again. I nearly killed him! For Dracos' sake I nearly murdered my bloody father! I...I...," she started crying uncontrollably again.

Ruth let her be, just never letting his hand still as he kept providing a tactile proof of his love for her. Eventually she cried herself out, snuggling as deep as she could into his chest, "We should run...we should run and ensure he never finds us this time."

"We can't...Even if we sold up and I resigned, we couldn't survive for more than maybe eighteen months with our available funds when the eggs have hatched. You are now the legal heir to the Giles family estates again..."

"They can stuff the fucking estates up their own pompous arses!" Jessica growled, interrupting him.

"Could they? Have you anything against your Uncles and Aunt? " Ruth pressed.

"They could have stopped my father becoming what he did!" Jessica snapped.

"I am not so sure they could have Jess. You yourself have said in the past that he was a bad apple from the day you first became mature enough to be aware of it. They all had their own lives, their own Mates, and their own children. It was only when things really started to go wrong that they realized just what he had become. By that time it was too late."

"Didn't help me though did it?" she questioned bitterly.

"Was everything going wrong when you were at Oxford?" Ruth queried.

"Well no..."

"Were the estates healthy then?"

"Well...yes."

"Was there anything other than the mistreatment of your mother and his rampant bigotry to warn you that he was doing anything illegal at that time?" Ruth pressed.

"I...Err...Not that I can recall off hand," she answered truthfully.

"Then is he not just a victim of your grandparents? And of his own upbringing?"

Jessica paused for a few minutes, looking up at Ruth thoughtfully, "My Aunt and Uncles didn't turn out like he did..." she replied hesitantly.

"Were they being groomed as the heir to the estates?"

"No...but..."

"There is no denying that your father is bastard through and through. He is an example of everything that should have no place in modern society. Class, unfortunately, will always be class though, here in the UK. I was treated like a shit of the worst kind by most of my fellow students as I fought my way through Oxford to graduate as I did, my only real friend being Harold. All because I was doing it myself, and not with inherited money and no known family history or background. You gave me the time of day and saw me as another person and not just garbage...even if all you wanted at the time was a possible lay... It is just pure irony that it seems that I may just have blood bluer than yours and your father's now. But it means nothing to me, as I never knew about it."

"It is no excuse for what he has done..." Jessica protested, swiping him playfully for his jibe.

Ruth grinned ducking, "Of course it isn't...but even now if you have the money you will get away with anything that doesn't threaten the government. Hell, Parliament and the judiciary are full of people just like your father and you know it. A bribe here, a dodgy handshake there and poof... misdemeanors just vanish unless the press get a hold of them. Lancelot was brought up to believe that he could get away with anything, even the sponsored rape and kidnap of your mother when your grandparents set it up. Why you turned out differently I don't know, but I thank Dracos that you did," Ruth assured her seriously.

Jessica phased out again, "I heard him raping mother at night...I saw the bloodied sheets, the ruined mattresses, the scars on her stomach and breasts on the few occasions she and not our nanny bathed James and I. She never explained them to me as a child, brushing off my queries as if I were just a quarrelsome hatchling...but I knew...So did James...I knew, and I was determined that I would not become a victim like her." Jessica sat up a little straighter, tears welling from her spent ducts as she relived her memories, "Mother was always in the shadows when he was in the room. I asked my tutors about it when I was seven, maybe eight years old. They looked scared, but one of them got some nerves up from somewhere and showed me what life could be like with love; playing me clips of her with her Mate and children catching Frisbees in the park when my father was not in the manor and my nanny was elsewhere one day. I was determined then to be educated outside of the Manor's confines. I was determined not to become a clone of him despite his insistence upon educating me in the old ways of pomp, circumstance and fucking class!" She paused again for a few seconds, "The kitchen boy was a regretful distraction, but father realized then that I was not just going to follow in his path...I never heard from Pierre again...I tried to find him a couple of years after our fumble in the cellars, to apologize for using him like my father used my mother, as a means to an end; but he went missing after he was fired. I would guess now that father didn't just fire him, he couldn't risk the shame of having his daughter deflowered by a servant. I crossed that same line when I attacked him earlier...I became him for a moment, and it scares me Ruth."

"You were protecting what was yours...that is not crossing the line."

"If Malaprop hadn't stopped me I would be in jail now, not in your arms. What if I turn on you one day, what if..."

"It won't happen love," Ruth replied cutting off her doubts, "You love me and you will love our children. You don't love your father."

"I don't, do I?" she questioned herself.

"No...and you've had more than enough reason not to. Any sane person would attack someone who harboured the ill will towards them that your father did towards you and me." Ruth stated.

"Maybe..."

"Definitely. Now, we haven't eaten since breakfast as we never actually got to the buffet. What would you like me to rustle up for the mum to be?" Ruth asked, fetching a reluctant grin from her.

"Not got much in the fridge," Jess stated as her grin faded into a frown.

"We are limited in the choice of takeout as it's a Sunday," Ruth mused.

"Got some of last Thursday's meal left over in the freezer," she commented with an evil grin.

Ruth held his hands up in defeat, "Whoa...I'd rather starve thanks. If you have regained your muse, do you want me to call Clyde on his mobile...I have his number."

"No no...I really couldn't face them now. I still can't believe that I cut Felicity..."

"For which she has already forgiven you. Don't let it eat you up inside. Now what would you like, I could fly down for a chain burger if you want?" Ruth pressed.

"Make it a mega-double, large side order of nuggets, two cinnamon slices and a large strawberry shake. I need the calcium for the eggs," she grinned as Ruth's jaw dropped.

"Hungry then?" he asked returning the grin.

"Gotta feed four now, as you well know..."

"I will go and arrange that extension on the mortgage then..." He ducked as she chucked one of the cushions at him.

"Sod off!" she said chuckling.

"I will be back in twenty...when they have raided their freezers for you. Why don't you go upstairs and get washed up, I will take a look at that talon socket too when we have eaten."

Jessica held her damaged hand up to her eyes, "I am afraid there is bugger all we can do about it other than heal it. The roots gone."

"I could ring The Spire and ask if they have recovered it from wherever you left it?" he asked jokingly.

"If you don't go and get our bloody food, I will leave another one in your arse!" Jess growled back with a grin.

Ruth held his hands up in defeat, "I give in!" he backed away from her laughing and exited the front door still chuckling.

~~~~

Lancelot groaned deeply as his eyes flickered open. The meddling consultant at The Spire had taken one look at his shattered shoulder and prescribed what he thought were just heavy painkillers. Within seconds of the injection, his consciousness had fled him along with all reasoned thoughts until he had awoken, the operation to set and pin his joint having been carried out on the spot, rather than at his desired location. No doubt the smug little bastard of an otter was even now planning how to spend the bonus he would get from doing such a large private operation.

His back was on fire, the pain lancing through him as the private ambulance seemed to find every bump, ridge and pothole in the motorway's asphalt as it purred its way towards London and his home. He was lying prostrate, flat on his stomach on the heavily padded dolly stretcher with various cushioned straps holding him firmly in place with no room for movement. All the scratches and cuts Jessica had inflicted upon his belly, legs and face burned in their own lesser ways as the starched white cotton rubbed against the sterile bandages. One arm was splinted tightly with his folded wings against his side to avoid movement within the plaster cast that encased most of his upper torso and back.

Malaprop and Elizabeth sat strapped tightly into jump seats in front of him, both glancing at him as he emitted another deep groan of protestation as his pain increased with his level of consciousness. A click of a harness sounded from somewhere near his tail and a uniformed polecat appeared in his peripheral vision as the nurse approached his head.

"How are you feeling Sir?" she asked as she knelt next to him, eye to eye so he didn't have to raise his head to answer her...not that he would have met a menial eye to eye normally.

"I am hurting...the painkillers are wearing off."

The nurse glanced at the watch which was hanging from her breast pocket, "I am afraid I cannot administer any more drugs for at least another forty five minutes."

"I said I was hurting...give me those bloody painkillers now!" Lance growled, not cowing the petite female in any way.

The nurse shook her head, "I am sorry Sir. I cannot do that," she stated. "Where are you hurting the most so that I may be able to alter your muscles positions?"

"My back and shoulders of course you bloody idiot! That bloody fuckwit of a consultant has probably fixed bone B to bone D in his thoughts of increasing his pay-cheque. I will have to go through the whole thing again when I get to London and into the care of proper doctors..."

"Doctor Thales is one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the North Sir..." the polecat started.

"He needs an appointment with an Aural specialist then...I distinctly remember saying that I was only to be stabilized..."

"Sir, I was one of the staff that received you off the paramedics. All you were doing was calling for pain relief and mewling like a hatchling. I assure you that no better person could have put you back together better considering the circumstances. Now would you like me to manipulate your muscles...Sir?" She asked firmly, shutting him up.

Lance could see around her head and observed both Beth and Malaprop desperately trying not to show amusement at his treatment...he would deal with them later. "How the fuck can you manipulate me within this fucking cast!" he snapped.

"With this Sir," the nurse replied, reaching down to a side tray on the stretcher and pulling out a padded stick with nodules and ridges running down its length, "I can personally vouch for this tools ability to reach hard to please locations..." Elizabeth actually snorted at that, while Malaprop's lips just curled back into a grin.

Lance knew he was being teased by the nurse, but he also knew that he was helpless to stop it at present, "Do what you think you can then," he growled.

The polecat splashed a grin across her face and gently folded the sheets down until they rested in a roll across the base of his tail bone. Carefully she slipped the padded tool up under the cast and began feeling for tight bunches of muscles, rolling them gently as he grumbled in relief as the knots came undone.

"I'm not going to be able to close this wing properly again, am I?" he asked as she withdrew from his cast after a few minutes.

"With physiotherapy and daily calisthenics I see no reason why not. Your joints were not too calcified according to your records, but you will not be able to fly again..." she replied.

"I have not flown under my own power in sixteen years. Do they teach you anything at medical school about how a dragon ages?" Lance snapped.

"Your Mate still flies, and so does your manservant. With modern medicine an avian's wing shoulders can be kept quite mobile enough for limited flight until they reach their early seventies, sometimes even later," the polecat stated flatly.

"Hmmmph! They are both younger than me anyway. Can you give me some more pain relief yet?" he asked, "Please..."

She glanced at her watch again, "Less than fifteen minutes has passed since you awoke Sir...so no. Is there anything else I can do for you Sir?"

"I need to relieve myself..." Lance stated to her face.

The polecat nodded, "You will find that the stretcher you are on Sir has a vent in the appropriate place. Please just relax your bladder and the waste will be collected efficiently in the receptacle built into the gurney."

"What? You mean piss while I am lying on my belly," Lance queried.

"Well yes Sir, I cannot aid you to stand while the ambulance is in motion. It is against regulations."

"My vent is squashed closed in this position, I will wet myself internally."

"I can open your vent and guide you if you wish, or your Mate could provide that service..."

"I will not be toilet trained like a six month old hatchling!" Lance shouted.

"Of course, your manservant could also provide the service like your father would have don..."

"No!...For Dracos' sake No!" Lance protested squirming as Malaprop's grin grew even bigger as Elizabeth actually started chuckling at his predicament. He huffed deeply, "You do it then, and no bloody funny business!"

The nurse nodded, "I can assure you Sir that I am more than used to doing this with both male and females on a daily business with patients that are immobilized. She took two steps down to his waist and rolled the sheets back a little further to expose his well-rounded ass scales to the warm interior of the vehicle. Kneeling, she gently fed one of her slender, gloved hands under Lance's belly until she came to the tightly compressed scale seam directly under his tail. Walking her fingers up gently, she ran a fingertip around his ring as she passed until they descended into his penile cavity. Her hand closed around his shaft's base, palm just cupping his shrunken balls before she eased his flaccid tip out into the air and pointed it through the vent below him. "Relieve yourself when you are ready Sir," she stated.

Lance grunted. He'd almost spoken out when she had teased his taint in passing...tempted to shit on her for her impudence...But that would have just soiled his tail-scales and sheets and made the rest of the trip highly unpleasant for everyone. Nothing had stirred within him, even as his balls were cupped and his shaft were manipulated by this rather attractive female...If he was but ten years younger she would have been bent over this trolley for her actions. He shook his head. His sexual days were over unless those drugs in his cabinet at home worked... He relaxed his urethra, his shaft pulsing through her fingers as his bladder noisily splashed its acrid, drug contaminated contents into whatever was collecting it below him.

He trickled to a halt, the pressure relieved from at least one point, "Finished Sir?" the nurse asked.

"Yes," he grunted, "Though I need to relieve myself the other way too," he said as his belly grumbled deeply.

"Very well Sir," she shook his tip gently and ran a finger over his eye to clear any drips before slipping it back into his cavity without further comment, "I am afraid that your manservant will have to help me a little for that Sir, either that or the driver will have to pull over as I am not strong enough to lift your hips into position."

"No...I...Oh fuck it! Malaprop, do as she bloody guides... The sooner I am in a private room in a hospital the better," Lance ordered.

Elizabeth grinned again as Malaprop unbuckled himself and approached as the polecat pulled her hand out from underneath the grumbling dragon and stripped her gloves off, quickly replacing them with a clean pair. She pulled a plastic slipper like contraption from the under tray and released the straps holding Lance's hips tight to the bench.

"We need to lift his belly about three inches clear of the bed so I can slip this under his vent, and then tie it around his tail. Any waste will be guided by its shape into the same receptacle his liquid has just been dropped into. I will, of course, clean off the scales it contaminates as it slides past."

Malaprop nodded and without much effort lifted Lancelot as directed as the nurse placed the cool slipper under his tail and tied the band around his top ridge. She then pulled out a smaller shoe-horn shaped piece of plastic and fed it into his penile cavity as a guard and guide to prevent solid waste from being forced into it. "Let him down now please," she asked politely.

Malaprop did as bid and stepped back. "You may pass what you wish now Sir," the nurse instructed, "The bed slipper has a enough room for your waste to settle in before it is pushed by what follows into the vent below your penile cavity."

"You are going to watch?" Lance grumbled.

"I can hardly leave the room Sir. It is nothing I haven't seen before. Do you pass water as you defecate normally...I will have to hold you again if you do."

"Not now that I have emptied my bladder, I may dribble a bit, nothing more," Lance growled.

"I will clean you out then. You cannot be comfortable in that position, so may I suggest that you get it over with?" The polecat stated firmly as Elizabeth stifled another chuckle.

"Hmmmph!" he grumbled. Tensing his belly muscles he relaxed his ring the best he could. The tainted scales fluttered as gas escaped noisily, a grin forming on his battered red muzzle as Beth clamped her hands over hers. The nurse seemed immune from the stench while Malaprop just ignored it staidly. Straining a little more, his ring scales parted fully as his slimy waste oozed out in a semi rigid form and was cupped by the device that his ass cheeks were held by. A second stool followed in quick succession along with ever increasing amounts of gas and liquid that spattered the whole underside of his tail. The nurse gave in and turned to open a couple of vents in the vehicle's roof with a long pole. A third and fourth pushed the first two with slaps into the container half full of his piss. His cock was dribbling inside his cavity with the effort he was putting on his abdominals, until a fifth much smaller turd was blown out forcefully with the remaining gases in his intestines.

Dracos it was foul. Even he was struggling to restrain himself from retching from his own scents. There was no doubt that whatever they had pumped him full of had affected his wastes. Lance swallowed his bile repeatedly before opening his mouth, "I am done, you may clean me now."

The nurse nodded, pulling a long roll of commercial bog roll from a compartment situated near his fouled tail. Quickly she wrapped her gloved hand and pushed the waste that was still in the bed slipper down into the container in the stretcher. Dropping the soiled paper in behind it. A quick twist of two catches, and the bucket dropped down into her grasp, whereby she tightly sealed it with an airtight lid. A second fresh bucket was inserted to replace it before she got more paper and thoroughly cleaned any hint of the taint from his tail and ass scales, before running a single manicured finger half and inch deep around the inside of his ring to dry it as Lance hissed his displeasure at being penetrated even that much.

"Can you lift him again Sir?" the polecat directed at Malaprop.

"Of course," he replied and raised his master's waist up gently as if it were no lighter than a newborn puppy.

She quickly undid the Velcro strap and efficiently pulled the slipper out from under Lance before sealing that back in its airtight compartment too. The shoehorn device followed, dripping with urine from his penile cavity. Another handful of paper was pulled from the roll with no comment as she gently parted the dripping scales and cleaned up the mess inside, thoroughly drying his shaft's tip until no further moisture was evident, "Have you considered asking your GP about your circulation issues Sir?" she asked as finally re-affixed the straps across his buttocks again.

"What circulation issues?" Lance snapped as his belly grumbled in annoyance.

"I refer to the fact that I have been repeatedly handling you intimately and you have shown none of the usual reactions associated with my contact," the nurse replied flatly as Malaprop concealed a grin and walked back to strap himself into his jump seat again.

"None of your business miss..." Lance started.

"He has, and he has medication back at our house," Elizabeth said interrupting him. Lance glared at her venomously. "He has had the trouble for some time now but pride stopped him from doing something about it before."

"Beth!" Lance growled warningly.

"She is a medical professional and the question was a legitimate one." Elizabeth scolded.

"Just you wait until I get on my feet again!" Lancelot threatened.

"You'll what? Remember the situation you are now in Lancelot. I feel safe for the first time in over thirty years now your activities have been curtailed by the conditions that have been set," Beth replied with a neutral expression on her muzzle.

"I'll find a way..."

"Please do...I will just pack up and leave. I have had enough of you. This afternoon was the final straw. If Jess hadn't knocked you down a peg or two, I would have done so when you threatened to murder Ruth!" Beth snapped.

"Beth! We are in public!" Lance growled back.

"And we weren't at Endon hall? She and the driver are bound by their medical confidentiality oaths. No crime was committed today that can be prosecuted, so there is nothing to report anyway. Now shut up before I report to Arnold that you are already overstepping the line!"

"You can't tell me to shut up!" Lance shouted.

"I can and I have! The time has elapsed now nurse, I suggest that you dispense those painkillers so that we may have the rest of the journey in peace," Elizabeth stated forcefully.

The nurse checked her watch with a grin and tapped something into the controls of the syringe driver that was taped firmly to the plaster cast on Lance's back.

There was a whir as Lance turned his head to stop her, but before he could open his mouth to protest his eyes rolled in their sockets and he collapsed heavily back onto the raised headrest with a soft thump.

"I have given him a little extra," the nurse said with a grin.

"Thank Dracos for that...The air should be a little clearer in here from now on...in more than one way too!" Beth waved a hand on front of her nose dramatically as both Malaprop and the polecat chuckled.

"Was what you said true?" The nurse asked after a few minutes.

"About what?" Elizabeth asked formally.

"Well...about..."

"That he threatened to murder our Son in law and that he has circulation issues, thank Dracos?" Beth said flatly.

"Erm...yes."

"It is. His injuries came from him pushing our daughter just that little bit too far this morning. As for the other, well let's just say that up until a week ago we hadn't had intercourse for nearly ten years. That was a blessing, trust me," Elizabeth stated flatly.

"And the police are not involved?" The nurse asked as she checked Lancelot's vitals while she talked.

"No...And nor will they be. Today is the end of it I hope. That lump of red scales you are so carefully tending has had his ankles well and truly shackled now for the rest of his natural life. I would have wept if Jessica had killed him, though it would have been more for the fact that her life would have been destroyed, not his. I would appreciate it if we changed the subject though now." Elizabeth said firmly.

"Oh course Ma'am," the polecat replied contritely as she made a few notes both on the chart and on her palm pad before taking her place in the jump seat near the rear doors and strapping herself in again. "Is there anything else you would like to know?" she ventured after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"His shoulder...how bad is it really?" Beth asked.

"I have seen much worse honestly. It will ache in the cold, get stiff if he swims etc. etc. But as he gave up flying years ago, on a day to day basis there should be no discomfort or difference now the repair has been completed. He should be out of his body cast and home in about six weeks."

"That long?"

"I would not expect it to be earlier to be honest. At his age he will not heal as quickly," the nurse replied.

Beth glanced at Malaprop who lifted his lip slightly, "It will give us time to get everything sorted with the family and maybe some of the new staff recruited," he suggested.

"Do you want a holiday? You have taken no more than a day off or so since you came to work for him all those years ago. The hospital should be a secure enough location for him," Beth asked him.

"No...You will need my help, and I am sure that he would be extremely pissed off if I vanished while he was immobilized. I may take some off though when the new staff has settled in and he is home. I will admit I have had some standing offers for several years from my 'Acquaintances' of the evening, both here and in Europe."

Beth raised her eye ridge at that, but nodded, "Very well. I will consult with Arnold as soon as we have him settled. It is a shame that Jessica will not be at my side for the recruitment...after all, it is her that the staff will be serving under if she and Ruth can be persuaded to come back to London."

"She will come home Lady Elizabeth...If you saw the way Ruth handled the situation with his clients, he is going to go very far in the company he works for. Give it a couple of years and he will end up at Overland's offices in the docklands. They would be very, very stupid if they didn't come back to roost then," Malaprop assured her.

"I do hope so. Jessica can be as stubborn as her father, as well you know!"

Malaprop grinned at that, "I know...and I miss her too."

"Well may Dracos allow us her presence soon then, and that of my grandchildren," Beth offered in a quiet prayer.

"Amen to that," Malaprop said into the silence that enveloped the still motoring ambulance.

~~~~

Tuesday...

"You look distracted again today Ruth," Felix said quietly as he pulled him to one side at the office, "Everything okay?"

"Fine, fine..." Ruth said nodding his head.

"Accounts say that Clyde and Felicity used room service on Sunday night...I thought they were..."

"Felix, I am fine okay!" Ruth said forcefully, "Yes something happened on Sunday, but I really cannot discuss it with you. Okay?"

"It won't affect the contract?" the Abyssinian asked worriedly.

"No, the roos got caught in some crossfire, but everything is smoothed over. Our private party has just been postponed until we reach the antipodes. What did you mean by again anyway?"

"Then what has you so stressed out? The others are commenting on it here in the office," Felix pressed, "You have been snapping at everyone, both today and yesterday. Amy mentioned it when I phoned and asked her if she knew what was wrong."

"I said leave it Felix...please. All I can tell you is that Jessica's parents turned up at the garden party and there was a scuffle. Now drop it!" Ruth growled.

"Okay, okay...you weren't hurt were you?" Felix asked concerned.

"No...But her father was. Shit! Now look what you have forced me to reveal! Felix, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll..." Ruth threatened looking around in case he could be overheard.

"My lips are sealed friend...you have always trusted me before," Felix stated hurt.

"I know, I know. I will try and be a bit more cheerful friend. Jessica is eating herself up over it and it is rubbing off on me as we haven't had much sleep since Sunday."

"Oh?" Felix suggested with a raised eyebrow suggestively.

Ruth grinned, chuckling a little, "Not that way mate, though I wish it were. More guilty tears shed on my shoulder to be honest. I can't seem to sooth her properly, though she is eating like a hippo at the moment!"

"You will appreciate the raise then..."

"What raise?" Ruth interrupted.

"Well I received orders from London to increase your contracted salary, and back date it two weeks to take into account you being shunted off all over the world without notice. Without bonuses, you are on just under eighty thousand now as my deputy. Mine has been shunted up to just over the six figure mark as we are going to be swamped until I retire. Though I have a feeling that Jupiter's accountants might argue about my final salary pension at that rate. Charity and I will be happy with my eighty to be honest, so we won't make a fuss over it," Felix confirmed with a grin.

Ruth whistled, "That may cheer her up a little, though unless she lets the guilt go, she is going to get ever more miserable I fear."

"What did she do...honestly?" Felix asked quietly. Ruth glanced at him angrily, "If you want to get if off your shoulders..." the cat added, ears flattened and cowed.

Ruth sighed after a second, "Fuck it! Alright! Jessica nearly killed her father in front of several witnesses when he threatened my life openly."

"He threatened you openly...with people around?" Felix queried.

"In not as many words. If it weren't for Lance's bodyguard, Jessica would be rocking herself in a jail cell on a charge of murder. That's what's bugging her Felix. Not the injuries she gave her father, which are serious, but not life threatening...but the fact that she snapped to such an extent. She tells me that all she could see was a red mist, and that all she wanted at that moment was to rip the breath from his body. It worries her deeply that she will snap again one day, and that on that day, there will no one around to stop her," Ruth replied seriously.

"No charges are being pressed?"

"No...Lancelot's siblings have him by the balls now. He can't even breathe in the wrong direction or HE will be the one rotting in jail for his crimes from what I understand. Jessica is now full heir again too."

"I thought she wouldn't go back?"

"She won't...at least until he is dead. Though I have a feeling if I do end up at the docklands we will not have much choice with property at the price it is down there. Common sense would dictate it," Ruth replied quietly.

"You yourself are resigned over the situation then?" Felix queried gently.

"I talked her into it, to be honest Felix. I missed so much privilege when I was growing up that a family name would have granted me. Yes it made me the dragon I am today, but there were many times that I wish things had been a little easier. We should have the money spare to educate our children privately if they wish from the age of eleven, though not in the best schools as we are expecting three! They can go through the state system with additional help from a tutor at home well enough until then. They need to know how it is to be middle and working class too. Woes betide them if they ever try to use status on their classmates, they will not be sitting for a week and I can assure you of that. But the Giles name will open doors for them, there is no denying it." Ruth replied reluctantly.

"But they will be Ruathas." Felix stated.

"Nope...As part of the deal with her family, she must become a née Giles for the sake of the name. Our children will bear that name too, unless they choose to adopt mine. Ruatha means nothing to me Felix, as it means nothing to many. It seems that I am the last of a forgotten family. If my children wish to bear my name, then let it be their choice." Ruth shrugged.

"They would be silly not to...with you as a father to look up to." Felix stated, patting Ruth between the wings. "Come on; let us face the tyranny of the office staff again with a smile on your face eh? We have taken options on the development park at Knowsley for the new site too. Architects are coming up with the designs now, including the rail loading station that you suggested. If, of course, the pricks at Network Rail give us permission!"

Ruth grinned from the news, "I will do my best Felix...I will do my best."

~~~~

The phone on the hall table started to ring noisily. Malaprop turned from his polishing and walked over, picking up, "Regent's Manor, Giles' residence."

"Malaprop...It's Arnold. Is Beth home?" he asked.

"She is...shall I fetch her for you?"

"No no...I will be over with Nyara in thirty. Any news on Grumpy?" Arnold joked.

"The Master is settled in the hospital and annoying everyone that gets within hearing range. Though he appears to be comfortable," Malaprop replied with a grin on his muzzle.

"Creating trouble then." Arnold replied chuckling.

"He tried to get them to operate on him again as he was convinced that the northern consultant had put him back together wrong...they refused of course. Now I think everyone is just trying to ignore all but his most basic demands."

"He is a Fucking Idiot. Nyara and I will slip in during visiting time tomorrow after we have talked a few things over with Beth this afternoon. See you in a bit." The phone clicked and went to the monotone that indicated he had hung up. Malaprop replaced the cradle and went to find Elizabeth to inform her of the news.

Owen looked up as he passed, "You want me to change what I am doing?" he asked with a grin having caught some of what had been exchanged.

"Good thought, go and see if you can defrost a few of those pre-made cupcakes I bought. They taste like cardboard, but at least we can serve an afternoon tea of sorts. Get Heather to lay the table in the study." Malaprop replied, grinning as Owen chuckled and stood up from polishing the stairs and headed for the kitchen.

Malaprop knocked on the solar door. "Come," sounded after a second or two. He stepped in and walked over to where Elizabeth was sat reading a copy of The Lady by the Windows.

"Arnold and Lady Nyara will be over in around twenty five minutes Lady," Malaprop addressed her formally.

"Oh sod off with the 'Lady.' The grouch is not around, and until he is I am just Elizabeth to you, okay?" Beth replied, placing the magazine on the table beside her. "I was expecting them today. We got anything in?"

"Owen is defrosting cupcakes..."

Elizabeth frowned and picked at her teeth before grinning, "Their fault for only giving us short notice I suppose! You going to sit in with me on it?" she asked.

"It is not my place to do so..." Malaprop started.

"It is as far as I am concerned. You are the one that has been holding the house together downstairs and know exactly how much things are costing on a day to day basis. That was actually something that I was going to ask you. Do you want me to recruit a housekeeper?" Elizabeth asked, interrupting him picking up the notepad that she had been using when browsing the classifieds.

"That is your decision..."

"No, it is not. You have been chef, butler, manservant, bodyguard and housekeeper for getting on five years. You were recruited as a bodyguard/butler. Lance has no need of a bodyguard now, though he will not think that. So what I am really asking is, do you want to reduce your duties, and if so by how much?" Beth said smiling as Malaprop was put on a back foot for once in his life.

"I would prefer to retain control of the downstairs budget...but I would not lament my position in the kitchen going to someone else. As butler, I could maybe retain control of the staff. A chef would be nice, but I think a housekeeper is not required. Owen or Heather could easily be in charge of any new cleaners/maids." The black dragon replied after a few minutes. "I feel that despite our differences of opinion over my sexuality, Master Lancelot will not want to replace me with another manservant."

Elizabeth grinned, "A chef it is then, plus two new under stair staff. Gardener?" she queried.

"Current contractors cost us around £8000 a year and they just about keep it from becoming a jungle out there..." Malaprop stated. "I maintain and ensure the kitchen garden thrives."

"We could hook someone with a good qualification for around £15,000 and one of the old below stairs flats. I will talk to Arnold about it. Now, are there any repairs that you know are needed, or things other than a modern computer that you need?" Beth asked.

"Guttering on the South side of the Manor is knackered and needs re-leading. I patched it last year when we had that leak, but I don't think it will last this winter out. The lodge needs repainting on the park side for appearances sake. One of the burners on the stove keeps sputtering so I don't use it. Apart from that everything else is fairly sound that I know of." Malaprop replied as Elizabeth took notes.

"You need nothing?" she asked.

"My own private phone would be nice..." Malaprop replied quietly, turning his head away a little to avoid his embarrassment.

"You don't have one already?" Elizabeth asked confused, "What do you do with your wages?"

Malaprop averted his eyes, "I have been working for you and Master Lance for room and board only the last two years, since things got really bad. I felt it was more important to pay Owen and Heather. Master Lancelot knows about it."

Elizabeth shook her head, "Do Owen and Heather?" she asked after a few seconds.

"I hope they do not. I know that they are still being paid as I see Master Lance's accounts...There has been no spare money." Malaprop replied turning back to face her.

"Well that must also be revealed to Arnold. You will be paid in full your back wages before anything else," she stated, "You should have come to me, you know I have access to limited private funds of my own."

"I had no need to Elizabeth. In the thirty plus years I have been in your employment, I have hardly had anything to spend money on. My personal account has more in it than both yours and Master Lancelot's...and that are even with the money I pass on regularly."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow in speculation, "I thought you were estranged from your family?" she queried.

"I am Elizabeth, but that doesn't stop me from donating to Mexican gay rights movements. My country is very very backward in that respect. No one should be forced to take the decisions I did before I came here. The battle is being won slowly and the funds I have sent help a little." Malaprop replied seriously, "It is obviously something I have kept very private up till now."

"The cause is obviously close to your heart and is quite honourable. You are a cold professional when you need to be Malaprop, and very aloof, but I am glad to see more of this altruistic side of you. I will honour your privacy and not mention this to anyone. You are to sit in on this meeting, I insist. You will have your phone on the accounts, I promise you that." Elizabeth said as the gate buzzer sounded. "You had better let them in; I will await them here in the solar. There is no point on a day like today being stifled in that fusty old study.

Malaprop grinned, "I will be honoured then," he said as he turned and walked out the door.

Elizabeth followed him with her eyes for a minute before shaking her head, "You learn something new about someone every day," she muttered as she stood and plumped up the cushions on the other cane chairs in the room, opening a couple of vents in the roof windows as she passed then. The magazines were stacked neatly, as was her embroidery project before footsteps sounded again and Malaprop showed Arnold and Nyara in.

"You may go now Malaprop," Arnold said as Nyara hugged Elizabeth in greeting.

"He is sitting in on my insistence Arnold, he knows far more about the state of things than I do. Lancelot hid things from me for years...like the fact that Malaprop there has been working for us for gratis the last couple of them!" Elizabeth stated firmly as she sat down in the chair.

"True?" Arnold asked, turning to Malaprop who just nodded.

"You may question Lancelot's motives and statements Arnold, but if you wish to question mine, I suggest that there is no point in you being here." Elizabeth stated forcefully.

"My apologies...Malaprop may of course sit in if you require it." Arnold said backpedaling a little, especially as he was wilting under the look he was receiving from Nyara.

"Forgiven...now sit please. I believe that Owen is going to be bringing us some afternoon tea up soon."

Arnold sighed, settling himself in the chair opposite. "When is Lance expected home?" he asked politely.

"A month at the minimum. It will give us chance to sort things out." Beth reached for the piece of paper that she had taken notes on and passed it across to Arnold, "This is what we came up with before you arrived."

Arnold scanned it over quickly, nodding in places before he handed it to Nyara, "Seems perfectly reasonable Beth, I would say that I would be inviting candidates to interviews straight away. The monies have been paid into the Estate's accounts this morning, and Lancelot has been removed from them as a signatory, his cheque books and cards revoked. New plastic should be on its way, but you know the way these things work, it could take a week or two."

"I notice no housekeeper is mentioned," Nyara said, placing the paper back on the table.

"No...Malaprop wishes to retain control of the household affairs in his position as butler. It is not like we are going to be running a fully staffed house," Beth replied politely.

"Irregular," Arnold said glancing at Malaprop.

"Not when you consider that I have been running the place completely for half a decade or more. I may have been used for other less savory services by Master Lancelot, but I have balanced a very limited budget quite successfully. To hand that budget over to a stranger, no matter how experienced would not be a good idea as it would create rumours amongst the new staff as I assume you would not want the old ledgers destroyed. I have been required on occasion to purchase things from the household budget that would be frowned upon." Malaprop stated flatly and without emotion, "It is not like I am going to order an arsenal..." he grinned.

Nyara laughed out loud as Beth covered her mouth.

"Touche." Arnold replied dryly. "Very well, if that is what you and Elizabeth want, and Jessica has no issues over it, if and when she comes home, I won't stand in your way."

"Good, that's settled then," Beth said.

"I trust that you will not use your loyalty towards Lancelot to siphon off funds directly to him." Arnold stated flatly, staring at Malaprop.

Elizabeth and Nyara shifted uncomfortably at the thinly veiled accusation, both knowing full well that if Malaprop chose to take it badly, Arnold would be a great deal of trouble.

"I have as much, if not more to lose if the agreement between Lancelot and you goes awry, as you well know. I will not only not pass on any funds...I will ensure that he does not find a way of getting hold of them by himself. I will query every penny that passes through the accounts, on that you must trust me. If you will not extend that trust, then I may as well resign now." Malaprop replied, not breaking his gaze from Arnold's eyes.

Arnold broke first and dropped his gaze, which allowed the two females to let their breaths out again, "Very well...I will be examining the books every month myself too. It is not that I don't trust you Malaprop, it is just that I am not used to dealing with personages like you. I murder and destroy people with accountants and lawyers, not my own claws. You make me uneasy and I think you know that."

"I think that I would make myself uneasy if I were to meet myself on a street corner," Malaprop conceded, his lip lifting slightly in one of his rare shows of humour.

Arnold snorted, "We are not on a street corner now..."

"No, but we are discussing the mutual survival of your family...the situation is similar as you well know. I will assure you of this Arnold, once my loyalty is placed, it stays. I will still be protecting Master Lancelot's interests by retaining control of the household. Even if he does not hold onto the guiding reins anymore so to speak, I will not let the Giles estate run into the wall because he fell asleep at the wheel. Jessica will accept my position as she trusts me completely." Malaprop stated, sitting back in his chair with a creak.

"May I ask why you assume that Jessica will trust you? She knows you are a killer after all." Nyara interjected.

Malaprop looked uncomfortable for the first time, "The kitchen boy at the Chateaux was not the first person she approached when she wished to explore her burgeoning sexuality," he said finally.

"What? You?" Elizabeth said shocked, sitting forward. "You didn't...?"

"No...But she found out when she pinned me on the mats for the first time that I was gay. The kitchen boy incident occurred after I turned her down. Oh and if it sets your mind at rest, he is working for an ex-Mexican army contact and old friend of mine in Texas. I was instructed by Lancelot to silence him over the matter, but I would never kill a child outside of a combat situation...Jessica doesn't know, and his family was silenced with money after I explained what I had been sent to do. I placed him on the plane myself."

"You have killed children?" Elizabeth asked shocked, ignoring the rest of the statement for the moment.

"I think that you had best ask Alan over that Elizabeth," Arnold stated, answering for him.

"It is a legitimate question Master Arnold...and the answer is yes. Around ten that I know of during my army days. In the third world countries like Mexico, when you look through the sights on your rifle, you often find a child soldier looking back at you through theirs. It is then a case of who pulls the trigger first. The guilt is something that every serving soldier has to learn to live with. Of course others are killed when the mortars you fire or the grenades you throw land and explode. Alan I assume was deployed elsewhere than Northern Ireland?" Malaprop asked looking at Arnold.

"Yes, and he also lives with that same guilt," Arnold replied sadly, "It is not something that he will ever talk about though."

"We never do..." Malaprop replied solemnly as the others sat in silence. "Anyway...Jessica trusted me enough back then for me to be her first, so I assume that as I have done nothing to the contrary, she will trust me again to look after her interests."

"We can but hope so. You would accept it though if she wanted to change your role if and when she comes back?" Arnold queried.

"Yes...I will comply with whatever my employer at the time wishes. As I always have in the past."

"Then we will just have to see what happens then," Nyara stated and stood up.

Arnold glanced up at her, "Is that a hint?" he asked.

"A large one. There is nothing else that can be done here today and if we stay any longer I have a feeling that other ghosts from the past may resurface that we don't want to disturb," Nyara stated firmly.

"Very well then...Are there any other questions from your side Elizabeth?" Arnold asked with a grin.

"No no, I will get the agreed on staff recruited. Do I have clearance to have the repairs done and the repainting?" Beth asked.

"The funds in the accounts are yours and Malaprop's to do with as needed. I am not living here after all. I will, as mentioned, question any large amounts that vanish," Arnold replied.

"Then we will sort out the maintenance and supply situation as frugally as possible," Malaprop agreed as he showed Nyara and Arnold out of the solar, Beth following them down to the hallway.

"Update us if anything develops regarding the idiot in the hospital. We are going to see him anyway and try and brief him as to what is going on. Not having him here underfoot is actually rather useful in a way, it eases the transition." Arnold said with a grin as Malaprop deactivated the alarm.

Elizabeth and Malaprop chuckled at that, "Agreed," Elizabeth replied.

"Then we will bid you good afternoon." With that Arnold and Nyara walked out the front door.

Elizabeth waited until Malaprop had closed up and reactivated the alarm before she spoke again, "Was everything you said upstairs true?" she queried the black shadow as he turned back towards her waiting presence.

"Yes Elizabeth," Malaprop replied.

"I had no idea..." she started.

"Most civilians don't. Each time I pulled that trigger on a child haunts me still, and will follow me to my grave."

"You had counselling?" Elizabeth asked.

"Ha!" Malaprop scoffed bitterly, "Over here maybe. Alan probably received some. In Mexico, some of us placed the same rifle barrel to their own heads after a few strong drinks. There was no counselling offered to us...you lived with it, or suicide."

"Well if you ever need to talk...you know where to find me." With that Elizabeth turned and walked slowly back up the stairs.

Malaprop followed her with his eyes, "I am afraid Lady, that the only people I can talk about those experiences are either dead or propped up on the bar at Alan's pub," he muttered and turned towards the kitchen so he could start the evening meal.

~~~~

Ruth landed heavily on the graveled driveway of the oh so familiar house that he and Jessica had brought back from a barely habitable state into the one it was now. He would be sorry to move, but the flight from Warrington (soon to be Knowsley) was just too long to do morning and evening. A car would be a requirement soon too...hatchlings cannot fly out with them for at least a few years. He was going to have to have a word with Amy again in the morning...she should not have alerted Felix to his distracted mood in the office on Monday. The smell of cooking meat and peppers drifted out onto the front through the open window, the memories of last week tickling at his thoughts as he smiled...At least it would not be take out again!

Slipping his key in the lock silently, he turned it and stepped in, leaving the door ajar as the early autumnal day's warmth mingled with the spice scented air that permeated the house. A light humming tickled his ear drums, slightly out of tune from the Art Garfunkel that was whispering from the speakers in the dining room. 'She must be feeling a little better...' he thought with another grin as he placed his ever weightier briefcase down at the foot of the staircase.

The music stopped for a second as something electronic shuffled before the unmistakable noise of 'Dragonforce' ripped through the peace and quiet of the house and whatever was being used for cooking in the kitchen suddenly got turned into an impromptu drum kit, the metallic clangs and clatters of spoons being smacked against the pots and pans forming a discordant racket that was considerably less musical than the odd bum note warbled from his Mate's throat. Ruth laughed silently to himself as a saucepan lid became a cymbal, jumped from its hook and clattered onto the floor followed by a stream ever increasingly imaginative invective from Jessica's throat as it escaped her by rolling across the clay tiles. 'I wonder what has brought her out of it?' he thought as he walked towards the kitchen door.

Jessica was waltzing around the floor; a wooden spoon in each hand as she played the drum solo's on everything that they came in contact with, her eyes closed. She was wearing her usual cooking attire, an apron with nothing on underneath. Every sudden twirl lifting it and not leaving anything to his imagination. He bent and retrieved the errant pan lid which had come to a rest near the door frame.

The rocking track finished and morphed into some eighties Belgian electronica from The Confetti's. He shook his head as her eyes opened again and caught him chinking away internally from where he was leaning against the frame, "We have got to stop putting that bundle on random love!" he said after a few seconds mirth.

"Why? It's fun not knowing what is going to pop up next. Hard day?" Jessica asked as she smiled, seeming somewhat her own self again as she walked over and drew him into an intimate hug, locking his lips with hers before he could reply.

"Oh the usual...Head office have approved and backdated my raise though...with the balance from selling this place we may be able to think seven figures on the new house if we budget carefully," he replied when his mouth was free of her tongue again.

"Really...that good eh?" she asked, stepping back a little to look for any jesting in his body language.

"Yup..."

"Frodsham it is then! Drop off the bluff and glide all the way to the new office on a clear day. Unless of course you are to getting too old and unfit to climb back up in altitude when you are on the way back!" she joked.

He took a playful swipe at her, "What's brought you back to me then?" he asked, gesturing at the kitchen and her attire, "I was missing you, you know?"

"I know, I know...It is still eating at me though. Mother rang and said father was settled in the hospital and making an absolute arsehole of himself as usual. I pity those poor staff. Uncle Arnold has fulfilled his promise and the siblings have paid off the debts and topped up the estate's funds healthily. She is like a pig in the proverbial trough as she is routing though 'The Lady' in a hunt for a few extra bodies to fill the Manor again. Lance is going to walk out of his bed into a staffed home that he hasn't had for nearly a decade. Bit of luck it will give him a heart attack!" Jessica replied, a bitter smile on her face. "But that is not what has got me cooking and cleaning again love...did you forget what today is?"

Panic spread through Ruth's mind for a second as he checked off their Mating date, hatch-dates, and everything else he could think of. Nothing jumped out and hit him square between the inside of his eyes though, "Errrrmmmm..." he said after a minute.

Jessica laughed, the peel of exuberance ripping from her as she rubbed her head on the underside of his chin before turning to the stove and it's bubbling residents, "Today love is the day it is safe to ride you again. You are going to be so sore and spent in the morning that you will be calling for a cab to take you into town. I have missed you to love, more than you could possibly imagine! No drugs tonight darling, I promise. But as soon as we have polished up what I serve you, you are going to take me here on the kitchen work surface to the beat of whatever music spills from the speakers in there!"

Ruth grinned, relief washing over him, "Shouldn't we take it a little easy?" he queried.

"Nope...one orgasm in a week for me is just not enough! Tonight you will give me the whole of the lost weeks' worth. I average three to five a day as you well know, but I think I will settle for ten though, rather than push for the thirty I have missed! Easy enough for you?" she teased as she scooped the plates from the oven to lay on the surface next to the stove and started ladling the pilaf rice and curried stew out onto them.

Ruth went red, "I...I..." he started, wondering if there was actually going to be anything left of his parts after the evening ahead!

"Oh don't worry...You will empty your balls in me normally, then a second time...maybe switch to your tongue and tail for a bit. Then it will upstairs and onto my bench. I will ride you for the next few with my harness...then to the shower...and maybe bed around midnight for a snuggle to sleep. I think four or five from you is still possible despite your age?" She lifted a lip in humour as his jaw dropped lower and lower as the night's program revealed itself. She scooped up the plates that were piled high now and shepherded him into the dining room as music morphed into David Bowie singing Laughing Gnome.

"I will be talking like that bloody gnome in the morning!" he exclaimed as he sat down and his plate was placed in front of him, sparking off another bout of laughter from her.

"Oh I think with all the honey you will be cleaning from my loins tonight, a squeaky voice will not be a problem..." she said after a minute, pouring a large wine for each of them from a bottle in the ice bucket by the table.

He grinned and tucked into the rice and accoutrements...knowing that he would certainly need the energy!

~~~~

Amy looked up from her desk as Ruth limped in, a large take out coffee in one hand, scratches showing on his visible scales and sleep deprived shadows under his eyes. She opened her mouth...

"Don't you say a word if you value your job...not one word!" Ruth threatened squeakily as he reached for his office door and fell heavily through it with a curse. The portal closed with a thump after his trailing tail...

She grinned, chortling to herself until her computer lit up with an incoming email,

'Do not disturb me for three hours short of a life or contract threatening situation. I want coffee and a hot roll at twelve and you in my office at twelve thirty with an explanation over the grilling I got from Felix yesterday.

Yours Ruth.'

"Oh crap..." she muttered and turned back to making the biggest possible headway she could into the paperwork and enquiries that were piling up in her in tray.

~~~~

Thursday...

Jessica grinned, happily humming to herself as the sound of tyres on gravel penetrated the glass from the turning circle out front as she laid out the freshly baked butterfly cakes, and tops cut open suggestively to resemble various female's genitalia while leaking semi liquid jam from where she had stuffed them. Bowls of penis shaped cookies and biscuits already decorated the side tables in the lounge while shot glasses moulded from ice in the shapes of sensual naked male bodies awaited filling in the cooler chamber in the open cocktail cabinet at the side. Presentation was everything when it came to the sales of her particular merchandise. If her 'guests' were to ever leave the house not sexually fulfilled and their purses a little lighter...well then she would have failed. The fact that she enjoyed her job was just a bonus!

A quick glance out of window confirmed it was the first of her expected guests being disgorged from a taxi, so she quickly shed her outer garments until she was only dressed in the sheerest of Basques, with a small lacy bra to match. It had been a challenge to refit the ruined lounge in time, but all was ready again now. Clothes tucked away in the kitchen, she opened the front door as the elegantly dressed ermine reached for the bell, "Good afternoon Sascha, welcome to my party," she greeted.

The ermine giggled, "Good to see you again Jessica. You got anything new to show us today?" she asked, her designer handbag swinging suggestively.

"Oh I have a few things to keep you interested!" Jessica laughed, taking the light summer coat of her shoulders. "The dressing room is prepared as usual." She continued. Sascha grinned, and trotted up the stairs eagerly to change as another cab pulled into the driveway.

This one disgorged Geraldine with another much younger vixen she didn't recognize. A small flicker of a frown passed across Jessica's face before her smile was fixed in place again and she stepped back out into the afternoon's light as the cab's tailgate pulled back out onto the road.

"Afternoon Jessica, I have taken the liberty to bring along Audrey from my sewing circle. She caught me daydreaming the other day and asked where my thoughts were wandering and she was interested enough to come along. She knows what is likely to be happening once she steps past your threshold." Geraldine said as she stepped in and shucked her coat, hanging it herself with Sascha's on the rack next to the door.

"I welcome you Audrey...is there any species in particular that interest you?" Jessica asked the blushing young vixen who was averting her eyes from Jessica's minimal scale coverings.

"I...I...erm..." Audrey stuttered.

"Her Mate has some of the same issues Owen has. I think canine derivatives would be better, like I started off with," Geraldine said, placing her hands on Audrey's shoulders in order to remove her coat.

"Ah...very well. I am sure that I can accommodate," Jessica said with a genuine grin this time, "Would you like to show her to the changing room, Sascha is already up there."

"Ch...Changing room?" Audrey asked hesitantly.

"Well I did warn you that we could hardly socialize in this group dressed like this love. You did wear something suitable against your fur didn't you?" Geraldine asked.

"Well yes...but only my parents and my Mate have seen me undressed..." Audrey replied nervously.

"Trust us...it is nothing we haven't seen before love. You need only go as far as you wish with the other guests. Some prefer the private room to try their new purchases out," Jessica replied with a grin, glancing over the two vixens' shoulders as another two cabs pulled in in quick succession.

Geraldine followed her gaze and tugged at Audrey's hand, "Come...I am getting too old to balance on one leg and I want to claim the bed before that lot pile in!" she joked, towing Audrey up the stairs. The shy vixen's jaw dropped as Sascha began her descent, dressed in black leather crotch-less panties and a halter with her nipples showing pink against her coiffured white fur, "Jessica did say that only some of her guests preferred privacy..." she whispered as they passed the ermine on the stairs, getting a giggle out of Sascha.

Jules stepped out of the first cab, Jenna and Andrea out of the following one much to Jess' delight. She had received emails from them asking the time and date of the next meeting, but she had hardly expected the three of them to actually turn up. "Welcome, welcome...I am so glad to see you!" she said as Jules stepped into the porch.

"Carrie couldn't make it this time," Jules said, hugging Jessica, "I don't think Fred would have been welcomed on his own!!"

Jessica laughed, "Well at least you did...Fred could only have come if Ruth were home anyway as these parties are an all-female affair."

"Those two persuaded me, though it didn't take much!" the vixen pointed over her shoulder at the two mongrel bitches that were paying their cab. "Do I change upstairs?"

"Yup...In the room you found the spare shirt in. There are others already in there though..."

"No worries, the changing rooms at the station are gender specific, but communal. I assume the cameras are only in the test bathroom?" Jules asked, a grin on her muzzle.

"Of course officer!" Jessica replied saluting. The vixen chuckled and trotted up the stairs eagerly.

"We see that Jules beat us to it then," Jenna commented as she and Andrea were greeted by Jessica.

"You look much better love," Andrea commented, hugging Jessica. Her eyes drifted down and caught the edge of the scar that was not quite covered by the lingerie Jessica was wearing, "Oh no, you didn't lose the eggs did you?" she asked, running a finger across the wound.

"Close...very close. There was more pottery inside me that came loose when Ruth and I were...ahem 'swimming' with dolphins. I was in intensive care for a couple of days, but the eggs survived thank Dracos. It was touch and go that I would come through too I think." Jessica replied with a frown.

"Shit...We couldn't see anything else with the probe," Jenna commented.

"They were in my womb with the eggs. The pod-medic spotted them with a sonar scan so I was going to have them removed, but during the activities that followed at least one came loose and caused an internal bleed. You couldn't have known. I used my enforced celibacy to educate Ruth with one of the new products anyway, and the tape is today's entertainment!"

The two paramedics laughed, "We are looking forward to it. Where do we get changed?" Andrea said as another cab crunched its way around the turning circle.

"Top of the stairs and listen for the laughter, the room may be a bit crowded at the moment though." Jessica instructed.

"I am sure we will be able to squeeze in!" Jenna replied as they headed up to join the others. Geraldine and Audrey slipped out of the changing room as they crested the flight, Audrey flushing as another couple of strangers saw her in nothing but lace and fur!

"You look great darling!" Jessica called, admiring the view she got of the new vixen's damp panties from below as she started her descent with her matriarchal guide.

"See I told you!" Geraldine commented, hugging Audrey close, "If I can do it when I am almost old enough to be your grandmother, you have nothing to be afraid of!" She was wearing crotchless pants herself with no bra at all; breasts that were the envy of many younger than her swayed free without sagging as they descended. "Sascha in the lounge?" she asked as she passed.

"Yes, help yourselves to the snacks and drinks as usual," Jessica replied, turning towards the identical mouse twins who were now walking from the newest cab to the door, "Good afternoon Margery and Minerva," she greeted the bubbly couple.

"Afternoon Jessica...You got that double ended stallion in stock yet?" They asked in unison as they stepped in, Jessica leaning down so they could both plant a kiss on her cheeks.

"Oh I think I found one for you!" Jessica replied.

"Great...neither of us has found someone capable of satisfying us both together again, so we will have to buy another silicone friend! Same discount if we demonstrate it for you?" Marge asked cheekily.

"Oh I think that could be arranged!" Jessica replied laughing. Jules was coming down the stairs then wearing nothing but her fur. "Bloody hell Jules...you will have me arrested if someone finds you naked!"

Jules burst out laughing, pulling a hand out from behind her back, "Who said I was naked?" she asked, showing the pair of pink fur covered handcuffs on one of her wrists. "Fred is on dispatch at the station anyway, so any calls to this address will be ignored, trust me. Having an officer at the party does have its advantages. Someone will have the honour of finding the key for these later I think!"

The mouse twins looked at each other and licked their lips, "We volunteer!" they chorused before galloping up the stairs as Jules and Jessica collapsed laughing against each other.

"This is not a lesbian orgy Jules...you know that would be illegal!" Jessica said after a minute, admiring the glorious breasts the vixen was now displaying unconfined. She was also scented heavily as if in heat; "Are you in..." she started.

"Estrus? Yes," Jules interrupted in reply, "This will prevent me from pulling a stranger from a club as I hate bloody rubbers. As for an orgy, it is not illegal if everyone consents... I should know. Are they sisters?" she queried as the mice disappeared into the changing room.

"Erm...yes," Jessica replied hesitantly.

"Well that as you well know is. Let me have my fun, and I will ignore anything that they will be doing together. I would have preferred a live male to be here like Fred, but I swing both ways when it comes to relieving my frustrations." The vixen said, ducking past Jessica to join the others in the lounge.

Jessica grinned, picking her phone up off the hall table to check her emails for a second...she was only expecting one more regular today. Being the end of the summer, most of her clients were still holidaying. A V8 Mustang cabriolet pulled onto the drive then and parked up to one side. The raccoon driving it unwrapped the protective scarf from around her head and folded it into the glove box, placing the oversized designer sunglasses she wore on top of it before closing it tight. She stepped out rapidly, blip sounding as she activated the alarm and walked rapidly across the gravel to the house.

"Sorry Jessica love. Bloody Patrick was fucking around working from home for some bloody reason today. Stupid fucking bastard wanted me to run around after him...Lazy tosser! I escaped saying that I was going for a fur appointment, but I am still late. Not held you up have I?" The potty mouthed American said, hugging Jessica to her as the dragoness suppressed a huge grin.

"Not at all Tracy, there are a few new faces today so some are still changing upstairs!" Jessica reassured her.

"Corking! I had better go and strip down then for the new blood then! Any saucy buggers?" the raccoon asked over her shoulder, starting up the stairs.

"A police vixen that is in heat, and the twins are here to. There is a shy newbie though."

"Fuck me! Has that grizzly I ordered come in?" Tracy asked as she moved to one side to allow Jenna and Andrea to pass on the stairs holding out her paw to the two near naked bitches, "Tracy, though everyone calls me Trace. You two are well toned for mixers, I will look forward to sharing the couch with you!"

"Jenna..."

"Andrea..."

"Nice names...I will be down when I can get out of this fucking designer crap!" She bustled into the changing room without waiting for Jessica's reply. "Ahh...Minnie, Marge..." could be heard as the door swung shut behind her.

"American?" Jenna queried with a raised eyebrow.

"How did you ever guess? Married a wolf footballer who is retired and now a pundit. Ultimate Wag if you catch my drift but their Mateship seems strong."

"Something tells me that she is difficult to get along with...I mean mixers!" Andrea said shaking her head.

"Tell her to fuck off if it bothers you, she is not racist, but she is blunt and won't mind. She calls Ruth a bleached runt in front of me, but I know she wants me to lend him to her for a play! It is just her way I am afraid. She is a rather good customer though... and gives great head if you will allow it!" Jessica replied, running her hand down the smoothly furred abs on Andrea's bare stomach, talons just stopping above her lace covered sex.

"Ah ah...Jenna and I are here for the cocks only Ms. Ruatha!" Andrea said, moving Jess' hand from her belly. "Won't stop us having fun though...something tells me that you won't be needing the bathroom suite today."

Jessica chuckled, "I will nip upstairs and bring down the entertainment then. Go and grab a cocktail. You want canids or something more adventurous?"

"I got laid by a cougar once..." Jenna mused.

"Cougar it is then for you!"

"Erm...you haven't got anything that is similar to your Mate's, have you?" Andrea asked.

"Oh that I can definitely supply! I took some casts of him a few years ago, and though he doesn't know it, he is a bestseller nationwide!" Jessica joked, and trotted up the stairs as the mouse twins came down.

Nipping into her bedroom she collected the edited DVD of the footage that she had recorded in the testing suite between her and Ruth, and also grabbed her own harness assembly that had already been fitted out with her favourite toys. With a bit of luck, the film and a personal demonstration should seal the deal on a few more sales of them today! The changing room door closed with a click and Trace's footpads trotted down the stairs, so Jess slipped out to the stockroom.

Opening a few of the storage chests she selected a large version of Ruth's toy from standard stock along with one of the demonstration cougars. The latter she quickly rubbed over with a sterile alcohol free wipe, it having not been used for ages. She didn't have any felines in her particular client base and they were never really requested for some reason...must be the spines. A couple of the newer model canine shafts were broken out for the vixens if they wanted to play, and grinning she pulled out a large version of a marmot cock she had ordered after playing with Stefan...Sascha would possibly be interested in that as she had a thing for rodents! The order box was next revealing the wrapped double for the mice...it was almost longer than they were tall!! And Tracy's very unusual bear cock.

Jessica shook her head as she hefted that particular shaft. It was long and thin and of no real substance. She had never taken a bear herself, but if this was all they packed between their legs she was not sorry. Most stags packed more from her experience, only they tended to be longer! The customer was always right though.

Bundling everything together she headed down to the stairs and into the front room that was now filled with the sounds of laughter and the musk of several aroused females. Trust the mice to be already at it! Marge and Minerva were sitting spread legged on the new coffee table, dipping the icy male shaped glasses in and out of their snatches as whatever evil cocktail they had mixed for themselves had the personal ingredients of sexual honey added! The others were all egging them on, that is with the exception of Audrey who was just sitting there, jaw dropping as first one and then the other exploded into a vocal orgasm.

Jessica chuckled and quickly drew the curtains, she had successfully managed to avoid complications with the Oaks next door so far, that was until that poker had shattered the window, and she had no intention of bringing their wrath down on her at any point in the future. "Ladies, ladies! Are we ready for the demonstration film I have for you then?"

"YES!" Everyone but Audrey shouted as they fought each other for space on the chairs and suite. The mice just jumped on the chair with Jules who didn't complain as they kissed her on the cheeks!

"Well ladies, our friend Henrietta ordered one of these off me a few months ago well before she went on holiday. Though I have not had her report on it yet, my Mate's secretary, a rabbit took one for a test drive with a marmot we met on holiday in Weston." She grinned and pulled out the marmot cock from behind her back and handed it to Sascha..."Something to keep you occupied I think!" she teased as the ermine began looking it over with interest.

"Mmm, it is rather similar to Brian's, but I like it!" she joked as she began to rub it over her nether lips to lube it up.

"What did Hennie want with one of those?" Tracy asked as her hands were firmly removed for the third time from Jenna and Andrea's knees, "It is way too small for her!"

"Oh it wasn't that! I just thought a rather unusual rodent cock would interest Sash, that's all. No, what I am about to show you all is the strap on harness assembly that only appeared in the catalogues recently. Now, yes can use these between two females quite easily..." she paused as the mouse twins kissed each other in glee, right under Jules' nose, "In both the film's case and in Henrietta's, the intention was to harness train your Mates! What follows is what happened when Ruth was educated by me as I was unable to have penetrative intercourse for a week due to injury." She slipped the disc into the player and hit play as the others focused on the screen where the image of a bound Ruth appeared naked on the bench they had all used on many occasions before.

Jessica chuckled, stepping into her harness as the film played, the scents in the room having made her more than wet enough for the toys of her choice to slip into their respective orifices. Crimping the belts tight, she reached over the back of the sofa which housed the two paramedics and Tracy, handing out the bear, cougar and Ruth shaped cocks to their prospective new owners, as they salivated at the sights on the screen. She screwed a large dog fox onto her front attachment as Sascha was busily masturbating herself with the marmot cock while the mice both had fingers dipping into Jules' nether lips which were running with the vixen's arousal.

Jessica slowly walked over to where Audrey was trying not to watch the film in fascination, but failing miserably. Her panties were really damp with her arousal, so she knelt and presented her with the selection of canines quietly. "You can always take one upstairs into the bathroom suite at the end of the hall if you want privacy...I am sure that Geraldine has explained the terms though of the 'Try before you buy' policy if you choose not to purchase."

Audrey nodded, eyes not leaving the screen as she quickly picked up a medium sized Dane cock from the ones presented. She paused for a few seconds before standing and slipping her panties down to drop on the floor as Geraldine grinned behind her. Jessica quickly scooped them up and inhaled their fragrance deeply, before dipping her snout between the shy vixen's legs and taking a long lick across her tight nether lips before she could protest.

"You are very tasty love!" she commented cheekily before standing again as Audrey turned bright red just as Jessica rode Ruth to a peak on the screen in front of them!

Glancing over at Jules again, Jess grinned, noting that no toys were required for the time being, the mouse twins were now suckling on her huge orbs as her breathing deepened. "Geraldine, do you fancy doing a practical demo with me when the film is finished?" she asked quietly, gesturing to the shaft that protruded from her crotch.

Geraldine laughed, still watching what was going on, on the screen. The film had obviously been cut, but they were now in the shower cleaning up... "I would love to, but I think from her scent that Jules over there is more in need of a cock than me!"

Jules' eyes opened at her words, and she looked lasciviously at Jessica's crotch, "I will be happy to accept the challeng.....!" She was cut off as the mouse twins bit down hard on her nipples as they both pinched her clit with their fingers. An orgasm ripped through the young police officer and she squirted a profuse amount of fluid across the room to land on the cupcakes still sitting on the table.

"You never need a cock love!" Minerva commented.

"Not if you do it right!" Marge added, laughing as everyone else dissolved into mirth.

"I however do prefer them!" Jules commented as her breathing steadied, "So how do we go about this then?" she asked Jessica as she slid the mice off her soaking knees, kissing them both on their ears in gratitude.

"How would you like to go about it?" Jessica asked with a grin, quickly handing the enormous horse dildo to the mouse twins who took it with delight, working it over quickly to lube it up with their juices.

Jules glanced at Tracy who was playing with the bear cock, but not seeming to get much joy out of it, a plan forming in her heat addled mind before turning back to Jessica. "Sit in the chair I have just vacated, tail under you though, between your legs. You think you can be kinky Ms. Ruatha...I am very, very kinky when I am in the mood. I was hesitant about separating you and your Mate not because I didn't want to, but because I was left as horny as hell for the rest of the bloody day after that! I picked a teenage wolf up off the street on the way home after that shift and shagged him senseless all night! Then showed him my warrant card the following morning and told him not to call as it was a one off. I hate doing that, as one day it will come back to haunt me. Your job is my perfect job!" She paused as she gestured to the drop jawed dragoness to take a seat as instructed, "You Ms. Ruatha are going to be ridden by me, but I will be facing forward with your strap on up my arse. Tracy, if you don't mind a squirter, could you do the honours up front?" she asked the raccoon who just grinned and placed the bear dildo on one side.

"I would be delighted to...this bloody bear is not as good when not attached to someone who knew how to use it! The mixers here won't let me have fun with them!" Trace said jumping up... "You want head, or one of the toys?" she asked.

"If you don't stop fucking calling us that I am going to knock your fucking head off!" Jenna said standing angrily alongside Andrea for a minute.

"Hey hey girls...I was not insulting you. What do you want to be called? Bitches?" Tracy asked holding her hands up.

"How about by our names?" Andrea suggested, a growl forming in her throat.

"Hokay, okay...Andrea and Jenna...I'm sorry. You are of no breed, and we Americans tend not to use names just breeds in intimate situations like this. You will forgive me please?" Tracy asked as the rest of the room watched in silence.

Jessica was prepared to step in as the biggest amongst them if a fight started...she knew just how acerbic Tracy could be at times.

Jenna and Andrea looked at each other, something unseen passing between them, "This time only...next time I am going to shove this down your bloody throat okay?" Jenna stated, gesturing with her cougar cock.

"I might enjoy that," Tracy replied with a grin, which started the two paramedics laughing. "You enjoying that model of Ruth's cock Andrea? I have been trying to get our host here to let me try out the real thing since I bought one a couple of years ago!"

"He is hitting the spot rather nicely." Andrea replied, sitting back down again and thrusting her toy back into herself as Jessica let out a sigh of relief. Jenna moaned as she buried the cougar into her again before resuming her seat again too.

"Good, good...he is good up the fucking ass as well I assure you!" Tracy stated turning back to Jules, "Now, you want head or a toy young vixen?" she queried rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"Head...and you will be Jessica's toy!" Jules replied an evil grin on her face. "Jessica you will be taking me up the ass as stated before, but you will be taking Tracy here with your tail! I know how skilled you dragons are at manipulating them from porn, and I am sure you will oblige. The toy mistress doesn't mind being the toy for once?" she teased with a query as a grin broke out on both Jessica's and Tracy's muzzles.

"I don't," Jessica replied as she settled into her assigned position with glee.

"You have my ass then Jess..." Tracy said with a grin, looking over at Sascha, "You fancy a bit of coon pussy, sexy? I can ride her backwards too, her tail is long enough!" she stated gesturing to the ermine that was still toying heavily with her marmot cock.

"Don't mind if I do!" Sascha replied, breathing heavily in her arousal, "Who is going to take me though?"

"Me!" Minerva squeaked, "You know I like your pussy's taste!"

"And I will be ramming Minnie and myself with this!" Marge said, brandishing the dripping double dildo with glee.

All eyes turned to Audrey and Geraldine, the younger fox going bright red under her fur, "I...I..." she stuttered, letting her hand drop from the stub of the Dane dildo that was all that was protruding from her sopping sex.

Geraldine laughed, "I am too old to get on my knees for you Marge. I could do with some relief though..."

"Lie on your back on the coffee table, we will form a chain! Do you want head, or for me to toy with you?" Marge asked.

"Toy...as you thrust you will pull off your sister!" Geraldine replied with a grin.

"Erm...I...I...OH FUCK IT! I need more with you lot fucking like a bunch of whores in a strip show!" Audrey shouted out, snapping a hand over her muzzle in shock at her own words.

Everyone laughed at that. "Pull the chair over love, I will eat you out if you want," Geraldine suggested with a grin.

"Oh I couldn't...you are my friend!" Audrey replied, turning her head away in embarrassment.

"You can, and though I am not as good as Tracy there, my muzzle is fairly skilled as Jess will tell you."

Audrey looked hesitant for a minute before standing and shuffling the chair over and pulling the dildo clear of her sex. She looked at it for a second, the silicone beaded with her honey and grinned before squatting, "In for a penny!" she said and sat on it, the thick ten inches slipping into her ass, groaning until with a pop, the knot tied her, "Take me then you randy old coot!" she declared and spread her legs!

"You sure?" Jessica queried as she settled into her assigned position.

"Yes...just let's just do it before I regret it and change my mind!" Audrey said as the others chuckled.

"Jenna and I will just watch the show I am afraid. We are as straight as dyes, though all the honey scent is giving us a huge sexual high!" Andrea said as Jules flicked her huge, luxurious tail to one side as she stood on Jessica's knees.

"I never push anyone into..." Jessica started, the words blurring into a moan as without warning Jules squatted gently, easing the huge fox shaft into her puckered ring, the pressure on the harness grinding the harness cocks already in the dragoness into her holes even deeper, the leather and silicone rubbing her in just the right places!

The two mongrels chuckled as Jessica's honey ran out of her around the toys as she orgasmed for the first time, just adding to the heady air in the room, "We gotta try one of those though if that is all it takes to make you cum!"

Jules grinned as she tied with the beast now inside her bowels, "Fuck, that fills the spot just right!" she exclaimed and reached down to run her fingers over her sopping heat before rubbing the dripping digits over Tracy's salivating muzzle.

The raccoon licked them off eagerly, "Mmm flavoursome...I have never eaten a bloody menstruating pussy out before..." she cooed, as she turned her back on the vixen and positioned herself over the tip of Jessica's tail, "No more than a foot in length love please...I don't want to gape if he wants to play tonight!" she commented to Jess as she lowered herself onto it, squirming slightly as the first three ridges snicked through her eager ring. She leant backwards, resting her thick black stripe of black fur on the underside of her scaly ride and buried her muzzle deep in the eager vixen's snatch.

Sascha got on her hands and knees, and began eagerly lapping at the coon's dripping lips, dipping her long and slender, snowy furred snout deep into them every time Jessica pulled her tail in and out of the bulging ring below her. She drew a deep breath as Minnie's whiskers tickled her lower entrance for a second before the mouse's teeth latched firmly onto her clit as her velvety tongue started delving for the elixir the marmot cock had drawn from her depths.

Marge carefully slipped half the length of the double stallion into her sister's snatch as her whiskers quivered against the polecat's lips as she began her glorious oral tease. They had begun servicing each other when alone from the age of puberty, and had not stopped since! Leaving the almost horizontal shaft sticking out from under Minnie's tail she knelt facing away from her and slowly guided the exposed silicone into herself as her breathing deepened. As their mouse pussies kissed lips, they twined their tails together in sisterly ecstasy, the horsy flares forming suction against their cervix rings within them.

Geraldine sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of Marge, handing her one of the large canine cocks she had been playing with. "As hard as you like love, this baby won't do me any damage," she said as she lay back. The mouse grinned and took the dildo's suction cup in her mouth, gripping it hard with her teeth.

Audrey pulled the chair right up to the opposite edge of the table and slouched down into it to avoid putting anymore undue pressure on the shaft embedded in her bowels. She placed her legs on either side of Geraldine's head and shoulders and slid down further until the saucy old vixen's wet snout tip came into contact with her aching crotch.

Gerry puckered up and kissed the sopping lips as they were shoved upon her, running her eager tongue over her sewing circle friend's most private parts, "You taste as sweet as Jessica love!" she exclaimed as Audrey moaned from her expert ministrations.

"Just how many femmes have you sampled then?" Audrey asked cheekily, "You are the first I have allowed access to me."

"Oh a few...if you come to these sales parties you will find that all those of us who are open minded exchange personal favours now and then. This orgy chain though is the first one I have ever been in." Gerry stated, and caused Audrey to yip as she took the vixen's clit between her teeth.

"Usually love, my customers go for the more private testing bathroom. You just happened to have picked a meet where the shyer ones are not here!!!!" Jessica joked as Jules twisted upon her again, her words becoming an exclamation as another orgasm was ripped from her.

"I suggest maybe that we all get this moving..." Jules said with a grin, "Wouldn't want any dislocated necks from the positions some of you are in!" Everyone chuckled as the horny vixen began to rock on Jessica more vigorously.

Minnie and Marge started a synchronized forward and backwards movement, their sisterly pussy lips kissing every time the whole of the gigantic horse cock vanished within them. Tracy was lapping eagerly at the bloody fluids that Jules was leaking all over her tongue as she rolled it all around the young police officer's clit.

Geraldine suckled hard on Audrey as Marge slipped the toy she was holding in her teeth into her aging vixenhood. Her lips curled in pleasure as the skilled mouse twisted the silicone within her, ensuring that with every back and forth movement all her right spots were contacted for maximum pleasuring. Though she was old enough to be the mother of every other femme in the room, she still got a thrill from being played with by others outside of her Mate and lover. In another life Audrey or Jules could have been her ideal daughters if fate had not dealt Owen such a cruel twist.

Minnie was working her own brand of Muridae magic on her Mustelid partner. Sascha was moaning with increasing volume as she tried to concentrate on satisfying the foul mouthed coon who was lapping up Jules' menstrual blood like a starving carnivore. The soft velveteen folds of Minnie's tiny tongue deep within her loins were driving her over the edge faster than she could bring her own oral partner to the brink. The mouse's whiskers and twitching nose tip were tickling her clitoral hood each time she pulled out to drive herself into her impaled sister with a wet kissing of pussy lips. She broke first...her teeth nipping at the soft down covered flesh of Trace's labial lips as she hissed through her teeth as her orgasm ripped from her body and almost drowned Minnie with its copious fluids.

"You always cum too fast!" Geraldine exclaimed as Jessica and Trace laughed at the embarrassed ermine.

"The bloody mice are too good!" Sascha exclaimed as she sought out her target in acerbic raccoon's intimate area and latched her sharp pointed teeth around it with a gentle tugging motion.

Minnie and Marge both giggled naughtily as Tracy hissed and her legs began thrashing as her body went into an orgasmic overdrive, "Nightly practice between us love!" Marge exclaimed.

The coon's teeth latched onto and pulled hard upon Jules' blood stained clit as Jessica increased the ferocity of her orgasm into a dual affair by evilly twisting her tail in her ass. She clamped down her colonic walls upon the scaly intrusion as the horny vixen who had triggered this whole affair squirted her heat infused sexual juices out into her mouth and soaked her head fur flat with force of the femjaculation.

As Jules climaxed, Marge stepped up her attentions upon Geraldine and lifting one hand she slipped a couple of digits naughtily into the old vixen's rosebud causing her to freeze in her attentions on Audrey.

"For fuck's sake Geraldine...I am so fucking close! Don't stop!" Audrey yelled as she wrapped her legs around Geraldine's head and tucked her snout deeper into her body.

"MMMMMMFFFF!" Geraldine exclaimed as her nose was plunged deeply into Audrey's snatch. The shock of Marge's fingers in her ass passed quickly, and she delved deeply into the young vixen's passage as her own clamped down upon the silicone within her, and the invading mouse's fingers.

Jenna and Andrea were watching all this with jaws hanging loose as they worked themselves into an orgasmic frenzy of their own with the toys that had been provided by Jessica. Audrey opened her mouth and howled her ecstasy out into the front room as she reached climax eventually, the two mongrels joining her in a chorus that would rival any wolf pack in full song as they both flicked themselves over the edge, their bodies clamping down on the silicone within at the display of blatant lesbianism going on in front of them.

As the howls died away the two mice released their partners and turned to kiss themselves, locking lips as they allowed their own orgasms to take them in a true act of sisterly bliss.

~~~~

Jessica spun the tumbler on the safe in the study. It had been more than just a mutually satisfying sales party, her takings had come in at just under £1000 pounds by the time the stock room had been raided. Of course she only got thirty percent of that, minus expenses as profit...but well she knew everyone would be back for more again!

Going back into the lounge, she drew the curtains and opened the windows to let some of sexual fug out before turning back to the incredible mess the orgy had left behind. The chairs were shunted back to where they belonged, along with the table and cushions. Damp patches and puddles from Jules' bloodied femjaculations demanded attention, as did the sticky residues from the melted shot glasses on the side tables and cocktail cabinet. Ruined and half eaten butterfly cakes were quickly shovelled into the waste bin, the others boxed for a later treat. She wondered briefly if Ruth would notice the taste of menstruating vixen in the sponge! It took a further two hours of heavy cleaning to sort the rest out, and the scents were definitely going to hang around in the fabrics despite her best effort. She should have known to move everything upstairs to testing suite when the fun had begun, you can't rinse down sofas!

Jessica slipped her cooking apron on and started rustling up something more substantial than leftover cakes for the evening meal, humming to herself happily while losing track of time until the thump of front door penetrated her thoughts.

"Everything alright love?" Ruth called as he stepped into the lounge to close the windows. The boiler flue had been spewing fumes, and yet all the heat was being leached out into the crisp evening.

"Yes fine...why?" Jess called back and joined him as he turned from the bay he had finished securing.

"Heating's on and the windows were open..." Ruth paused, his nose twitching as the air became heavy with sexual scents again in the lounge, a smile forming on his lips. "I gather the sales meeting went well?" he asked rhetorically, his nose already supplying the answer.

"Ah ha," Jess replied, leaning in to kiss him deeply, "About £250 in the clear, and I forgot to close the windows. Not a lot turned up this time, though it made for some serious fun down here."

"Tired then?" Ruth asked as his hands rested on her hips.

"Who me?" Her hands traced down his shirt front until they came to rest on his tightly straining trousers. "I am never too tired for you."

Ruth chuckled, "Here or the bedroom?" he asked as his trousers dropped to floor, her talons having undone his buttons.

"Kitchen," she breathed, turning as he pulled the strings on her apron, it joining the spent trousers, "The meal will burn otherwise."

"As you wish..." he ducked as she grabbed and threw a cushion at him in passing for his reminder of the obsequious Maître Dee that had so annoyed her.

"Say that again and I will cancel the treat that I have lined up for you before we fly to Australia," she pouted as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Oh and what is that?"

"Andrea loved you so much in silicone, she has begged to have you in the flesh. I have agreed to a protected meeting tomorrow night."

"Who? And for that matter what?" Ruth queried puzzled.

"One of the paramedics from our incident...and that cast I took of your cock many years back is a nationwide bestseller. I get £10 for everyone that sells. Pays the bills so to speak!" Jessica joked.

"Ahh...I see. What is her mate like then?" Ruth pressed.

"Oh it will be a solo encounter, so you get the two us alone in bed. I know that I said we would only swing as a couple, but rules are meant to be bent a little...as long as you are up to satisfying both of us.

Ruth grinned, "I shall have to practice hard then!" he exclaimed, pouncing on her from behind and pinning her to the worktop next to the stove as he swept her tail out of the way, Jessica squealing as he found his mark...

The Oak's next door shook their heads as more howls of excessive pleasure disturbed their customer's evenings!