“Yeah I get that a lot the black marks started appearing shortly before I turned ten. As for my mom I get that a lot she looks younger than her oldest child, but I have no clue how or why she does it. As for my size I’m a runt so of course I was small the steroids didn’t get any major results tell around the time I hit puberty and I quite literally doubled in size. after that I was marked as clear for any major health risk and was very slowly taken off the steroids.” I said snapping the locket shut again then tucked it back in to my shirt.

“Any ways we need to get going I’ll wait outside as you get ready.” I suggested this because the tiny apartment was only a single room leaving us with little to no privacy.

“Ok I’ll need a few minutes, but I’ll be as quick as possible.” She said before running off to get dressed as I left and called Z.

“Urg what is it fluff you do realize its 9 am and I’m mostly nocturnal.” She complained groggily.

“Sam was mugged.” I said and then quickly pulled phone away from my ear.

“WHAT GRRRRRRRRRRRR WHERE AND WHEN AND WHOS THE BASTERD WE GOING TO BEAT THE FUCKING CRAP OUT OF!!!!!” Now she was growling and that meant she was pissed good.

I know wolfs and they view family and in certain situation friends as a pack and I am a proud member of hers and in her eyes. Sam was ether a member of my pack or she viewed her as my mate do to that embarrassment of a morning. Also, to attack even a distant member of the pack was like declaring war and a very bad idea. Though in this situation it was a very powerful tool but one I didn’t like to use. like this but desperate times and all that.

“She’s ok as for who we don’t know Sam got away from him and that’s all we know at the moment. She managed to get away with nothing more than a scratch on her arm. Sam has already given his description to the Z.P.D. and there looking into it. Also, as for when it happened yesterday and that’s not the biggest problem at the moment.” I said weighting for the growls to slowly die down.

And once it had she said. “And what could be worse then your girl getting mugged.”

‘Yep she definitely thought we were sleeping together.’ I thought and blushed

“She’s about a day and a half judging by the notice away from being on the street. She pulled the last of her money out of the bank to make a partial payment on a shit pit some ass hole claims is an apartment and the mugger took the money along with her bag wallet and I.D. . Now I’m more than willing to pay hell I have a lot more then I need we both know that, but I need to get her out of here Z its bad its really really bad hear.” I said concern evident in my voice I then sighed and continued. “Look I don’t like asking you this, but do you have a spare apartment I’ll cover the first month and.”

“Stop yes first three months minimum then will talk payment and 6C I’ll leave the key in your mail box and next time don’t hesitate.” She said sounding like she was more than mad that I had tried to convince her instead of just asking as the line cut off.

“Wow that worked a lot better than I expected ha it’s good to have a friend like her.” I said as Sam came out of what was soon to be her old apartment.

“Well good news you got a new apartment price yet to be arranged but knowing Z it will be fair at least you can move in as soon as today” I said as Sam gave me a shocked look complete with a dropped jaw this got a little laugh out of me.

That seemed to snap Sam out of it and say. “Bu bu but how you I was only gone 6 minutes how did you manage that.”

“Z and pack mentality” I said casually earning me a confused look from her I then sighed and said “wolfs have a thing called pack mentality. a pack is made of friends and family who they consider them self close to. I’m proud to say I’m a member of her pack that’s a big deal to them and is never to be taken lightly it’s an honor and is to be treated as such. Any ways the moment I told her your situation and she knows if I was desperate enough to ask for her help that you were in deep and I mean in a really bad way. she jumped at the opportunity to help me help you and honestly she was a little upset that I was so hesitant to ask.”

And again, I found myself lifted off the ground an into a hug. “Thank you you and her and the others your all too kind I don’t deserve such kindness but thank you thank you so much.” She said braking down into tears after a few minutes she finally calmed down enough to speak. “I’m I’m sorry I just.”

“It’s ok I understand.” I said as she sat me back down and wiped away her remaining tears as I patted her on the back. “Are you going to be ok.” I asked her as she tried to regain her composure. “Yeah I think I’ll be ok.” She said with a sad smile. “Ok that’s good now we need to get going we have a busy day ahead of us” I said before leading her out of the building.

“Me Fred and Thomas will come by after work to help you pack the main problem will be my rabbit size car you might barely fit but your stuff wont I’ll rent a trailer it shouldn’t take more than two or three trips. If you want the furniture though I should warn you the apartment comes with a medium size class couch and bed.” I said but Sam didn’t respond instead she just followed me.

“Are you ok you seam distant.” I asked clearly concerned trying to bring her back from whatever dark part of her mind she had just been in

That seemed to have snapped her out of it and bring her mind back to the topic at hand as she said. “I’m sorry what.”

I sighed. “ok I was telling you I was going to help you move but you where zoned out with a dark look and clearly missed what I said so what’s wrong.”

she gave me a sad little smile that didn’t come close to hiding the sad and dark emotions in her eyes and said. “I’m just trying to get this all straight in my head and there’s a lot more in there then I’d like and most of it dark but thanks to you it’s not all dark well not anymore at least.”

That statement strangely made me a little week in the knees my heart feel heavy. And made me feel sadden and a little angry or pissed or both there was to many damn emotions and feelings running through me right then. All I really wanted to do was lead her somewhere safe far away from that darkness and sadness and just hold her. But I couldn’t I know how this world works you couldn’t just smash or run away from the problems of the world. I know I’ve tried and failed at both and I know you can’t just fix it ether there’s just too much of it broken to be fixed or some is to vast or to badly damaged to fix quickly or easily and some pieces are just too far beyond repair and can’t and or will ever be fixed or fixable. The best strategy I’ve found it’s better to chip away at the problem bit by bit tell you make it easier for them to go and fix the problem them self’s and that seems to fix a lot more and a lot faster then anything I could do on my own and I’ll do the same with Sam. I just hope that whatever she has that was broken could be fixed.

I hugged her this time and said. “I just hope it helps I can do a lot, but I can’t fix everything.”

I sighed and let her go as she gave me a confused and concerned look before we continued our walk in silence. tell we reached our destination and are greeted by Fred and Thomas.

“Hay there you two are I was wondering when you were going to get hear I was even about to call your cell to see if you wanted one of us to walk Sam hear today but you beat me to it.” Thomas said pulling the guts out of the brake room toaster.

“Yeah she was on my way in and why are you gutting my toaster again?” I asked through a sigh rubbing the breach of my muzzle trying not to let it become anything more than irritation.

“It’s busted I found a frozen waffle way too big for it jammed in it the Mechanism was locked up and a few of the parts where bent I’m trying to fix it but ether I’ll need a few new parts or a new toaster.” he said picking up the broken parts and showing them to me.

“Ok fine why don’t you check the store room the last two toasters you tore apart are in there along with all the other things you have broken or build.” I sighed referring to the growing scrap yard we called a store room.

I mean we have a medium size class car rear axle back there and who knows what else was back there or where half it came from. One day it was mostly empty then the next random junk started to appear and more of it kept appearing and we kept finding uses for some of it or its parts and would slowly start to eat away at tell boom there was more. Than some would just vanish, or something would get lost and just would appear in there and I have no clue how or who’s doing it.

“Ok I’ll take a look at what we got.” He said getting up.

“Before that I need you and Fred in my office um Sam mind clocking us both in and weighting down hear.” I asked and hoped I hadn’t barked it out like I do when I took command.

“Oh um ok.” She said walking off as I headed up and tried hard to and failed not to watch the sway in her hips and tail as I felt my own tail twitch.

I shook my head trying to clear it before I continued on up and set down at my desk and then shakily chugged the bottle of suppressants and thought. ‘what the hell was that!’

All the way up the stairs images of Sam naked and one of Thomas though he was clothed had flooded my head leaving me dizzy and desperate. I covered my muzzle with my paw and closed my eyes then leaned my head back hoping the suppressants would kick in soon. And hopefully last me long enough to get to a pharmacy and something a lot more powerful.

“Hay oh sis it reeks in hear what’s gotten into you.” Thomas said covering his nose with his paw making my now constant blush darken.

“It’s not my fault I’m in heat and the suppressant I brewed up this morning just fizzled out I’ve already taken a second just give me a minute to let it kick in and to collect myself.” I said before getting up and opening my filing cabinet and pulled out a can of sent mask and sprayed the office and myself heavily.

“There how’s that.” I said feeling it start to ebb away slightly.

“A little better but I can still smell you though its mostly gone.” He said his nose twitching as he sniffed. As I started to regain my composure as I said.

“Well let’s hope that suppressant will take care of the rest of the smell now more importantly on my way in I went to get Sam and learned that she was about to be kicked out onto the street.” “What!!!?” Fred and Thomas interrupted me in their weird unison they seemed to have.

It’s not just them speaking at the same time but their identical reaction and motions. Hell, I’d say they thought the same thoughts but who knows maybe they can. But mom and dad always just said it was a twin thing I’ve heard it called twin empathy, but I think it’s just there to much alike.

“Yeah well I’ve already fixed it all it took one three minute call to Z and it was all fixed and went better than I had hoped.” I said with a smile

“That’s good now.” “What do you need of us.” Thomas said and had Fred pick up and finish his sentence both with a mischievous smile.

“Stop that you know that creeps me out now after work today you Sam and I are going to pack up her tiny shit hole apartment. And you’re hopefully going to keep her busy long enough, so I can get her out of her lease without getting her involved in that mess. Also, it shouldn’t take long or much she hasn’t got a lot and you can’t fit a lot in a space that small two or three trips at most. We get that done and it will get a huge weight off my shoulders and a much larger one off hers. So please well you help me out hear.” I said and weighting for a moment to see what they’d say.

Thomas mischievous smirk grew, and he said. “Fine will help if you add it to our overtime and answer one question.”

I sighed and said giving him a look that said you’re on thin ice. “Fine and depends on the question.”

“Is this just one of your charity cases or something more” He said smirking at me.

“Um first one I think I mean she just needed help” I said sounding a little confused and thought to myself. ‘And now he’s smiling why is he smiling?’

“Well ok then so a cat huh.” He said in his weird way he used when he got when he played cards. or when he seemed to know something the rest of us didn’t figure out tell later.

“What the heck does that mean.” I said very confused and more than a little defensive.

“Oh, its nothing you will figure it out soon enough.” He said walking off as Fred gave me a confused shrug and followed him.

I sighed and got my car keys off my desk where Thomas had left them like I ask him to and went down to find Sam. I found her sipping pot brewed coffee in the brake room.

“Oh, hi so how did it go.” Sam said with a polite and strange mix of sad and slightly hopeful smile that seemed to put a vice around my heart. I couldn’t tell why though I had way to much mixing around in me at the moment.

“Yeah I just enlisted them to help me move you into your new place.” I said with a smile and trying to and slightly failing juniper to keep my focus.

“Oh, I um thank you.” She said her smile leaning a little closer to happy now.

“Your welcome now here comes the hard part I’ve got errands to run so you won’t have any work to do. So you have two options surf the web um my computer as I still haven’t finished yours or you can come with me I’ll leave it up to you.” I said heading to the door before remembering something I had forgotten and turned back towards my office.

“Um I’ll go with you but um where are you going.” She said following me.

“I forgot something in my office.” I said heading back up and grabbing the jar spider. I then doubled back down to my car.

“Why are you bringing that.” Sam asked as she squeezed into my car she could fit comfortably if just barely.

“It’s one of the errands we have to run today.” I said starting the car and driving off. We soon arrived at the salon where I had Fred make me an appointment the day before.

“Why are we hear.” Sam asked looking around at the surrounding building.

“I need a full body trim my clothes don’t fit right anymore I ether need a trim or a larger wardrobe.” I said with a sigh as we walked in.

“Is it really that bad” she said giving me a odd look as we walked in

“Worse than you think you will see soon enough.” I said before heading to the counter

I then asked the female otter behind the counter. “um I’m Lilly I’m hear for my appointment and um if you could see if you can squeeze my friend hear in and let her have whatever she wants you can put it on my bill.”

“Weight Lilly you can’t.” she said before I interrupted her.

“Look this is something nice I’d like to do for you but if you want we can run a tab so you can pay me back later but let’s discuss that later for now enjoy it and relax.” I said shooting down any protest from her.

As the female otter at the counter said. “We are ready for you both now please follow me.”