Balloon Moon Rising     By Phalan 

	Tasha ran the brush through her long tail, straightening out the 
knots and tangles she'd picked up during her day.  While the velvet, red 
fur felt soothing against her paw, every stroke made her flinch slightly.  
The wound on her pinkie finger was still fresh and painful, now a dull 
throb which intensified when she moved the brush.  Still, she refused to 
allow her normally fluffy tail to dry without smoothing it out, or it'd 
turn into a tangled mess.  She could deal with the pain to avoid the 
aggravation later.
	A few more strokes, and she let the tail fall down behind her in a 
crimson wave, beginning to work on her head and ears.  Gazing into the 
mirror, she smiled softly at herself, a vulpine grin.  Earlier today it 
would have been nearly impossible to recognize her under the make-up and 
huge false nose.  Now, one hot shower later, her timid beauty had returned 
in full.  The bright violet eyes glittering in the candle light, looking 
down her long, sharp muzzle.  So much time was spent beneath the visage 
she'd created for work, she rarely got to see this side of herself.  It was 
a sweet one, maybe a bit too Earthy for everyone's liking, but it drew 
enough attention to give her some self-confidence.
	It had won Phalan's heart hadn't it, even after seeing her clownish 
persona.  He'd been in the crowd she was working at the Market, watching 
her with eyes of creamy jade and laughing musically at her insane antics.  
Tasha began to perform for him, juggling and dancing with all her heart, 
drinking in the joy he seemed to gain from watching.  
It was enough just to see the roguish smile upon his vulpine features.
	When he approached her after the show and asked her to dinner, she'd 
nearly fainted with shock.  Still in her obscenely fat, purple nose and 
neon make-up and fur dye, she'd barely been able to manage timidly squeak, 
'Yes.  I'd love to.'  That had been almost a year ago, and he was still at 
her side.
	Setting the brush aside on the dresser, her paw went up to the onyx 
choker about her slender throat.    It had been a gift from Phalan, in 
celebration of their one year anniversary.  The actual one year would be in 
two days, but he wanted her to have something to remind her of him while he 
was away on assignment.  How could she hope to forget him?  
She'd cried a minor torrent of tears in joy when he placed the jewelry 
about her neck at the airport, kissing her lips before slipping away to 
catch his flight.
	As her fingertips slipped over the smooth surface, a deep tingle ran 
through her, so warm and intense it made her toes curl in pleasure.  He 
just seemed to have that effect on her.
	It will be an incredible anniversary, she thought.  Phalan would 
absolutely love seeing her new dress, made of burgundy crushed velvet and 
dark lace.  The black leather corset, one of his little fetishes, would 
just make it all the more desirable.  Well, for as long as she was wearing 
it; a very short time if she had anything to say about it.
	A low moan filtered over her lips as the little daydream of him 
peeling her out of the skintight dress formed in her mind, but it was short 
lived.  Another jolt of pain flashed down her paw, making her flinch.
	`Damnit!' she cursed, looking at her finger again.
	Carefully removing the bandage, she examined the wound for the third 
time tonight.  A bright red welt throbbed there, two tiny holes, like 
needlemarks, at its center.  Turning her paw over, she could see its 
identical twin on the other side.  Without a doubt, it looked exactly like 
a bitemark.  Minuscule, but a bitemark nonetheless. And although the pain 
was quite annoying and real, it shouldn't have been there.  In fact, there 
had been no way she should have got it at all.
	Rewrapping it, Tasha considered the moment she'd acquired the tiny 
wound in better detail, running it over in her mind.  It was three days 
ago, a bright and glorious day.  One perfect for working.  She'd been out, 
decked up in her craziest clown outfit, playing the fool for a group of 
wide-eyed pups.  Her act had come to the balloon making stage, a favorite 
for the local kids.  Paws twisting and turning in wide gestures, she had 
formed a purple lion, fat and funny looking.  As she handed it over to the 
Calico colored kitten in front of her, a sharp paw lanced up her paw.  
	She yelped, scaring everyone slightly.  After making quick 
apologizes, especially to the kitten now clutching the chubby lion, she 
continued on with the show.  By the time everyone had walked off, her 
finger was throbbing like it'd been run over...twice.
	It made little, if no, sense.  It was like the balloon had bitten or 
cut her somehow, which was, of course, ridiculous in the extreme.  
Balloons were soft inanimate objects, no matter how much they happened to 
look like an animal.
	Maybe it was just a rash or something?  The balloons had been 
packaged strangely after all, hidden in the back of Maeve's antique shop.  
Maeve was always getting bizarre items, especially for her costume and 
magic section.  Whatever the fine powder coating them had been must not be 
reacting t her well, aggravating a previous cut she'd never noticed.  At 
least this is what her rational mind told her.  She made a mental note to 
rinse the rest of the batch off before using them in the next show.
	Exhaustion crept over her, the bed looking like an oasis in her 
mirror.  
Tasha wished Phalan was resting there, curled up in the boyish manner he 
had when he was tired.  Her muscles ached, so she wanted nothing more than 
to curl up into the warmth of his fur and fall asleep listening to his 
heart.  She sighed inwardly, blowing out the candle.  Cold and empty as the 
bed might be, it was calling to her.  
	She slipped through the small room, guided by the ethereal moonlight 
filtering through her large window.  Removing the choker and setting upon 
the nightstand, she slide under the covers, pulling her quilt up against 
her naked form.  Her attention was drawn to the window, the moonlight 
calling to her.  It touched her somehow, on a level she could barely 
understand in her exhaustion.  As the full moon began to creep into the 
sky, Tasha let it take her off into slumber, her eyes closing and letting 
the darkness in.

     ******************************************************************

	Tasha was in the throes of a wondrous dream about her and Phalan at 
the cottage they escaped to on the weekends to make love, when she was 
rudely pulled awake by something.  Blinking her tired eyes, she slowly sat 
up.  Her skin itched all over, so curiously she ran her paw through her 
fur.
	Or she would have, if there had been any there in the first place.
	All her fingers caressed was latex, warm and surprisingly soft.  She 
pressed against it, the supple flesh moving beneath her paw, tingling 
sensation running over her belly.  The bizarre touch and feel of her skin 
made she draw her hand back like she'd just put her paw on a hot stove.
	What the hell was going on?
	Fighting her fear, she ran her paw over her belly again, testing it.  
Incredible soft, her skin had felt totally furless and smooth.  As her 
fingers explored the curvature of her belly and breasts, she found the 
changes were quite uniform, no sign of her gorgeous mane remaining behind.  
The moonlight filtered over her new body, actually glowing on her skin as 
if it were slightly reflective and shiny.  
	She cast the quilt aside, shivering nervously as the chilly air 
touched her.  Closing her eyes, she reached over to turn on the night stand 
light.  Biting her lip to wake herself up, she opened her eyes once more, 
gazing down at herself.  She prayed the strange dream would be cast away by 
the addition of light.  It wasn't.
	Her skin remained the same, totally unaffected by the light.  It was 
a brilliant red, spotted with dark streaks, much like her fur had been.  
But it was quite smooth and shiny, like she'd been dipped in latex.  
Nervously, she touched it, fascinated and revolted at the same time. It was 
so soft, pulling behind her finger as she moved her paw, making a tiny 
squeaking noise.  The sensation of her skin stretching was incredibly 
sensual and tantalizing.  She might even have enjoyed it if she hadn't been 
scared out of her mind.
	It was as if every part of her had become like that of a balloon.
	Balloon, she inwardly screamed.
	The thought hit her hard, awakening her fully from the shock induced 
stupor she was slipping into.  The bite on her finger.  Was this some form 
of allergic reaction to the balloon she'd handled?  That would be strange 
in of itself.  It /might/ explain the pain in her finger, but to have 
completely transformed her was impossible.  Since there was no sign of fur 
in her bed, it hadn't fallen out.  It'd has just cease to be.  
What kind of allergic reaction did that?
	Her roaming paw had now slipped down between her legs.  She whimpered 
as her probing fingers confirmed that the fur upon her skin and thighs had 
disappeared as well.  A fingertip made a squeaking noise as it brushed over 
her labia, the now rubbery lips her sex vibrating.  The fingertip brushed 
deeply against her again, almost thrusting into Tasha despite her wishes. 
The sensation made her gasp in pleasant shock.  The vibration was deep, 
going down through her thighs and up into her belly coyly.  It felt 
incredibly sensual, but looking down at her paw made any thoughts of 
pleasure drain away.
	Her paw was now expanding, swelling up right before her very eyes.  
Each finger began to inflate as she watched, becoming fat and round.  
The changes were not confined to her paws either, but her feet as well.  
The stretching continued, bloating her paws and feet up to cartoonish 
proportions. It was silly and terrifying all at the same time.  Flexing her 
paw, the huge digits squeaked just like balloons would being rubbed against 
each other.  Another ripple of sensation trickled down her arm, but her 
terror was so absolute now she didn't really notice it at all.
	The change was far from over.  Each limb now began to stretch and 
stain, following the same manner as her fingers.  Desperate, she tried to 
get out of the bed, thinking maybe something-anything- in the bathroom 
might help her condition.  It was not to be.  The expansion was far too 
quick and unrelenting, making her limbs too large and ungainly.  
Her thighs were as round as tree trunks, moving them was next to 
impossible.  Tasha fell back to the bed with a loud squeak, her limbs 
starting to point out from her, bloated and almost useless.  As they 
continued to swell, her inner thighs rubbed against one another, squeaking 
and groaning.  She let out a hysterical giggle and moan, the feeling 
undoubtedly pleasurable, but the sight of her inflated limbs was tragically 
comical.
	Her giggles fit didn't stop until she felt the tingling enter her 
nose and ears.   The end of her muzzle began to expand, slowly blocking her 
vision.  She's worn a fake nose triple the size of her real one, but the 
real one was now trying to imitate it in kind.  Fat and round as a 
baseball, it wasn't that funny now.  The fact her once lovely ears now 
stood out from her head like towering triangles of latex didn't help her 
sense of humor either.
	The only comfort Tasha gained was there was no pain.  Indeed, the 
entire experience was rather euphoric and pleasing.  As he body expanded, 
she became more aware of her surroundings.  The feel of the silk sheets 
beneath her inflating tail and round rump was orgasmic.  The feel of her 
limbs brushing each other in squeaky pleasure was beyond words.  But one 
thought stood out before all others.  She was turning into an inflatable 
doll, and there was nothing she could do about it.
	By now she could see over her huge nose, her head having caught up 
proportionately.  Her belly and breasts had begun to fill out obscenely.  
Since her head was now flush with the head board, her muzzle was pushed 
down  between her breasts, the huge mounds growing around her chubby nose.  
Tears were running down her cheeks, warming her throat and chest.  
It wasn't long before she could see nothing but flesh, nose pinned between 
the titanic tits.
	It took about thirty minutes for the changes to cease, Tasha now 
proportionately round and incredibly fat.  A bloated, living balloon, 
wobbling on the bed totally helpless.  And though it'd taken thirty minutes 
for the transformation to be completed, it had only taken twenty of those 
minutes before she had fainted dead away.  The comfort of unconsciousness 
was far more appealing to the bizarre metamorphosis she was undergoing.

    *******************************************************************

	`I'm a fucking freak!,' Tasha exclaimed, tears of embarrassment 
staining her fur.
	Maeve scratched her pointed ear, brushing the grayish fur upon her 
brow back.  She considered the woman before her through dark spheres of 
glass, the kindness and worry evident in her storm blue eyes even through 
the shady spectacles.
	`Yer definitely sure it twas just nah a bad dream, luv?' she said, 
her Irish accent as thick as tank armor. 
	Tasha shook her head repeatedly, looking up at her friend 
desperately.  
The tea cup she held tightly quivered in her shaking paws, threatening to 
spill over.  Nothing Maeve had done thus far had been able to really 
silence the shakes, but at least Tasha was coherent now.
	`No!  But I wish it was.  God, if it only was a dream.  I woke up 
just as the sun was coming out and I was still... bloated.
	`I had enough sense to grab a camera when the change reversed itself.  
Phalan and I have one in the nightstand for...,' she paused, blushing.
	`Anyway, I took these.'
	She reached into her purse and offered Maeve three thin Polaroids.  
She wasn't as deformed or round as she had been, but the pictures perfectly 
captured pieces of the transformation.  The swollen breasts, the massive 
belly and thighs, her comical ears and clownish nose.
	Maeve closely examined the photos over and over, then set them down 
beside her.  Her paw came to rest atop Tasha's, squeezing it tenderly.  
The wolf's gentle manner and touch was infectious and calming. After 
another squeeze, Tasha's shaking subsided considerably.
	`Well, it appears te me ye were nah mistaken, my poppet.  Now te 
determine just what has befallen ye,' she said.
	`I'm a freak.  A hideous freak,' Tasha choked, tears brimming up 
again.
	`Nah ye aren't,' Maeve returned. `Nah by any stretch of de 
imagination.  
Ye are just... different'
	The woman groaned weakly, gazing down at the floor in self-loathing.  
Maeve caressed her paw once more, then stood up, brushing off her long 
tail.  It twitched a bit as she turned to step away, a sure sign she was 
lost in thought.  Silently, she began making her way through the shadowy 
aisles of the antique shop, her lupine grace a marvel to observe.
	`Ye said something aboot an allergic reaction to the balloons I sold 
ye, aye?' she called from the stacks of books and junk.
	`That's right,' Tasha called back to here, 'It was like I had been 
bitten by one of them.'
	 A soft grunt of acknowledgment floated up from the shadows, then 
silence fell.  Tasha began to grow uneasy.  Maeve's shop always had that 
affect on her.  Some found the dark rows of bizarre trinkets and dusty 
tomes endearing, but she found it all downright creepy.  She only shopped 
here rarely, to help her friend out.  With her nerves as frayed as they 
were, the last place she needed to be was inside the gloomy interior of an 
unsettling antique shop.  But she needed answers, and her friend was 
proficient at providing them typically.
	`AH!' Maeve exclaimed, `Here it is.'  Her footfalls grew closer, 
heavy with purpose.
	Tasha set the cup down on the counter, stepping to close the distance 
as her friend approached with a rather ratty looking ledger.
	`Here's /what/, Maeve?'
	`A possible answer te yer little problem, lass,' she said, pointing 
to a page with her sharp claw.
	The words were written recently, contrasting against the aged look of 
the tome.  They appeared to be purchase entries, scripted in Maeve's 
archaic scrawl.
	`Tis me private stock, this is,' she explained. `The curious little 
tidbits and knickknacks I pick up over de years.  That box of balloons ye 
bought from me is right here, part of de old Auberon collection I claimed.'
	`Auberon?  Isn't that some pagan figure or something?'
	`Lord of the Fey in some stories, aye.  But in this cases he was just 
a loony old bugger.  A stage magician aboot a decade back.  He never really 
became famous, what with Cooperfield and all dem fancypants Las Vegas  
wankers stealing the limelight.  Died doing acts in second rate clubs, if I 
reckon right.  I picked up his stuff when his old lady sold dem off te pat 
fer his debts.'
	Tasha regarded her friend for a moment, her nose and whiskers 
twitching impatiently.  The woman just gave her that sly grin which meant 
trouble, eyes sparkling like dark jewels behind her glasses.  It almost 
made her shiver.
	`What, lass?' Maeve inquired. `Ye know I have strange connections te 
get me stuff.  Me clientele is a tad particular aboot de quality of me 
magical merchandise.  They like it te be genuine.  Like Auberon's lot.  
If it was from me special stock, I cin see why it had such a drastic effect 
upon ye.'
	This time Tasha couldn't help but giggle softly.
	`Magic?  You're telling me these balloons are somehow magical?  Come 
on, Maeve.  Grow up will you? That's crazy.'
	`Oh, and inflating to the size of a blimp is relatively sane, then?'
	The condescending look from her friend was enough to make Tasha bite 
her lip and sit back down on her plush chair.  She remained quiet as Maeve 
began to talk, listening intently.
	`It was rumored that some of Auberon's acts were quite realistic.  
Impossibly so in some cases.  Shrinking assistants, mutating rabbits, and 
balloon animals dat seemed te move on their own.  Now if we are assuming 
that he could do real magic, small as it may have been, then maybe some of 
it drifted inte his props.  If he could bless his balloon creations with 
life, then maybe they were just dormant.'
	`Dormant?  Even assuming he was that skilled, I'm certainly not.   
I'm just a street performer.  I can't do magic.  I don't even believe in 
it!'
	Maeve offered one of her patented, knowing smiles, sharp canine teeth 
flashing.
	`Ye blew inte that balloon te inflate if fer the small kitten, didn't 
ye?'
	`Of course I did.  It's how you make balloon animals.'
	`Then maybe ye provided it with a `breath of life'.
	Maeve held up a paw to stop her as Tasha was about to say something 
skeptical.
	`The very act of reforming it into an animal gave it a semblance of 
life.  When ye, the creator, blew life inte it, the latent magicks within 
allowed it te become real.  Or at least that's my best guess in this case.  
Magick is such a fickle thing.'
	`Then why would it bite me?  Why did it curse me this way?  And why 
would it all happen when the moon is out?'
	`I think it was just thanking ye, lass'
	`Thanking me?! ` Tasha snorted in contempt.  `Rather funny way for 
showing its gratitude, don't you think?'
	`Well, ye were nah harmed when ye changed.  Indeed, ye told me it was 
rather pleasurable, remember?'
	Tasha nodded faintly, a timid blush rising beneath her fur.
	`Well, I think it was sharing a piece of its magicks with ye.  The 
result being ye have become like it in some regards.  A living balloon.
	`As for the connection te the Moon, well, the full moon is when some 
of the most powerful magicks are cast.  Especially transformation rituals 
and the like.  It's likely ye have been blessed with a rather unique, and 
amusing, form of lycanthropy.'
	`It's turned me into a complete freak is what it's done.'
	Maeve bent down and kissed the woman's brow faintly.  With a deep 
sigh, she sat down beside her friend, slipping a lean arm about Tasha's 
waist.
	`Luv, ye are nah a freak.  Ye are just blessed with a peculiar piece 
of magick.'
	`Blessed?  You keep saying that.  This isn't a blessing.  It's a 
fucking curse!'
	`I'll prove it te ye, alright?  This is something te enjoy, nah fear.  
It's something te be honored by.'
	Tasha whimpered loudly, curling into her friend's side, tears 
threatening to return in abundance.
	`How can I be honored by turning into a fat freak, Maeve?  When 
Phalan sees me like that, he'll just leave me.  Either that or rent tickets 
to see `Tasha the Vulpine Balloon Chick'.'
	`Nah he won't.  And stop calling yerself a freak.  I'll prove te ye 
ye are still beautiful, even when ye are like that.  I'll sit up with ye 
tonight and show ye different.'
	 With blurry eyes, Tasha gazed up at her friend nervously, her thanks 
and gratitude unspoken but obvious.
	`Ye are welcome, luv.  And trust me, Phalan is nah going te leave ye.  
I'll see te that.'

   **********************************************************************

	The change wasn't so difficult the next time, Tasha accepting it a 
bit more easily with Maeve standing nearby.  It repeated the same progress 
as the first time for the most part, her fur receding into body not long 
after the moonlight caressed her naked flesh.  Maeve just stood there, eyes 
wide and enthralled as her friend expanded and transformed before her.
	Tasha cried as she inflated, the strange latex skin stretching and 
swelling while she became larger and rounder every moment.  Maeve had to 
let go of Tasha's hand when her friend's fingers became as wide around as 
her own wrist.  She quickly took hold of a chubby digit, wrapping her furry 
fingers about it and squeezing confidently.  Tasha seemed calmed by her 
presence and closeness, but when her stomach and breasts began to swell to 
epic proportions, so did her embarrassment and humiliation.  
Uselessly, she tried to hide her face in a pillow, though there wasn't much 
point to it.  Her muzzle was wider than any of the pillows on the bed to 
begin with.
	Half an hour later, Maeve shifted on her feet, looking upon her best 
friend with marvel and awe at the woman she'd become.  By this time, Tasha 
had expanded as wide as the bed itself, covering it in crimson colored 
latex skin.  Her belly stood almost as high as Maeve was tall.  
It took most of the balloon woman's concentration not to roll off the bed 
and onto the floor, her rump ungainly and spherical.
	Maeve quickly steadied herself, running a paw over her lips and 
whiskers.  A low chuckle trickled out of her, causing Tasha to look up into 
her eyes, tears beginning to fall again.
	`I told you how hideous I've become!  I'm a fucking freak,' she 
whimpered.
	Maeve blinked her eyes in shock, coming out of her stupor.  
Immediately, she began shaking her head, frowning sadly.  A velvet paw 
slide upon Tasha's belly, stroking it tenderly in circling caress.  
Every so often a squeak would come up from the woman's belly.  The 
sensation of her friend's touch was exquisite and calming.
	`Nah, me Angel.  Ye are so wondrously beautiful.  I'm sorry I 
laughed.  
I do that when I'm filled with so much joy. I'm just blown away by it all.  
Indeed, I'm quite envious of ye.'
	`Envious?!  I can barely move my arms and legs, and my tits and ass 
have their own area code, Maeve.  Why would you be envious of that?!'
	The paw pushed deeper into Tasha's skin, leaving long grooves in the 
soft flesh as they passed.  The latex skin quickly returned to its normal 
shape behind Maeve's fingers, a long drawn out squeak vibrated through 
Tasha's entire round body.  Before she could stop it, the inflated fox 
gasped with pleasure, the whole sensation was maddeningly sensual.
	As Maeve's fingers explored the expanded curves of her friend, 
memories floated back to Tasha of a faithful night a few years back.  
They'd both been rather tipsy, trying celebrating being single.  The night 
had not been one she would ever regret, but it had never been repeated.  
Gentle kisses, furtive and shy at first had turned into sweet love-making.  
All those sensations, lips, fingers and tongue exploring new territories 
were wondrous, but seemed almost insubstantial beside the intensity of 
these caresses now.
	`Now de ye understand, lass?' Maeve asked, leaning down to whisper in 
her ear.
	`There is so much more of ye to please and touch.  Every caress will 
send ripples through this lovely skin of yers.  It is as if ye are surface 
tension made flesh.  Everything will be more intense, more gratifying, 
because ye'll feel it everywhere within ye.
	`Besides.  It'll only be three nights of de month at most ye are like 
this.'
	Maeve's thumb had reach the erect tower of Tasha's  nipple, and had 
begun to stroke it gingerly.  With the sensations it, and other touches, 
sent flooding through her, it was hard not to agree with the woman's words.  
Very hard.
	`But what about Phalan,' Tasha panted, a shuddering moan escaping her 
lips.
	Maeve's other paw had drifted lower down her belly, sliding over the 
flesh of her huge thigh.  It was not difficult to realize it's intent or 
destination.
	`What aboot him, lass?'
	Tasha could barely speak now, trying to find her voice through 
crumbling self-control.  One of Maeve's furred paws passed over her sex, 
parting the moist lips with a teasing fingertip.  The pleasure was 
frightfully intense, her labia vibrating as Maeve tickled it.  
Desperately, she tried to swat the woman's fingers away with her cartoonish 
paw.  She missed, of course, the motion nearly sending her rolling off the 
bed and along the floor like a big beachball.  It took them a moment to get 
her rolled onto her back again, sitting her up, back to the headboard.  It 
took even longer to stop giggling to the point of tears.
	`I told you, hun,' Tasha finally said, rubbing her huge belly to 
soothe it. `Phalan is the one for me.  If he says it is all right for the 
three of us to fool around, then by all means seduce me and use me like a 
rubber toy.  But without him, nothing is going to happen.  I love him too 
much.  So, can you please watch where though luscious fingers of yours 
travel?'
	Maeve nodded, offering a sly, but apologetic grin.  She undressed, 
throwing her clothes over a nearby chair, and carefully climbed into bed 
with her friend.  With dexterous grace and gentility, she slithered up and 
onto Tasha's body.  Her weight made her literally sink into the latex 
belly, warm skin encompassing her like an inflatable cushion.  As she 
shifted and slithered upon Tasha to get comfortable, the feel of Maeve's 
fur and breasts drove Tasha to near madness, every motion sending waves of 
sensation through her body.  Even when she came to rest, the skin was so 
sensitive, it vibrated with the feel of Maeve's heartbeat, each pulse 
sensual.
	`Oh, I know, Angel.  I like that boy alot.  He's good fer ye,' Maeve 
whispered, looking up at her between Tasha's breasts.  "I just wanted ye te 
know ye are still sexy and desirable. And dat it isn't all bad.'
	Tasha nodded as best she could, smiling, relief etched upon her 
features.  But worry still ruined the total illusion of her contentment.
	`It still doesn't solve my problem with Phalan, though.  He gets home 
tomorrow, and its our anniversary.  It also happens to be the last night of 
the full moon. I think he'll notice when I do my impression of an 
inflatable doll.'
	Maeve kissed her lightly on the nipple, nipping it playfully.  She 
grinned innocently when Tasha gave her a look.
	`De yea love him, lass?' she asked.
	`What sort of question is that?'
	`De ye love Phalan?'
	`With all my heart, Maeve.  You know that.'
	`And does he love ye?  I mean truly love?  Te de point where nothing 
cin come between ye?  That everything is shared and fought fer?'
	That took a moment for Tasha to consider.  She thought back to all 
the conversations she shared with her lover and friend, all the time they 
spent in each other's company.  They were friends first, always honest and 
up front.  They fought now and again, but always made up soon after.  
Nothing was allowed to come between them.  They were soulmates, of that she 
was sure.  He would understand and accept anything.  He had thus far, no 
matter the darkness of her secrets.  All she had to do was remember the 
look in his eyes to know one thing.  He loved her without question.
	`Yes,' she admitted.  "He loves me as much as I him.'
	Resting a paw upon Tasha's right breast for support, Maeve 
straightened up on her belly to look her friend in the eye better.  There 
was a loud squeak as she moved, sending a burst of pleasure right down to 
Tasha's toes.  It didn't help that Maeve's tail keep rubbing in between her 
legs `accidentally'.
	`Then this is what I would do, me dear,' she said, that sly grin 
returning.
	By the time she finished explaining her plan, Tasha was giggling so 
hard Maeve was bouncing upon her like she were a trampoline.
	After stealing a deep, gentle kiss from Tasha's lips, Maeve curled up 
on the woman's chest, sinking into the comforting warmth of her skin.  
Resting her brow against a breast, she lightly chuckled.
	`Just remember when this time next month rolls around,' Maeve added, 
`You two had better not forget to invite me over.'

	******************************************************************

	Phalan straightened the bag on his lean shoulder, keeping his fluffy, 
white tail close to his body to avoid getting it caught in someone's 
luggage as the crowd pressed around him.  It had been a long flight, one of 
those flights people wanted to just file away as a bad memory.  The 
convention hadn't been much of a thrill either, so all he wanted to do now 
was to go home and curl up with the woman he loved.  But thus far he had 
yet to spot Tasha in the crowd.  
	Glancing about, he began making his way out of the crushing mass of 
fellow passengers.  Finally, getting away from the luggage area, he found 
some breathing room.  He never liked crowds that much, especially snarly 
ones.  With fewer heads to look over, it was easier to scan the faces of 
those waiting around.  His heart skipped excited when he caught the 
silhouette of his vulpine lover currently searching the faces of people 
milling about.  Their eyes meet, violet touching bright jade.  
She lit up like a minor sun, and bounded over to him.
	She slammed into him so hard, he nearly fell over, her legs wrapping 
about his waist as she leapt into his arms.  They laughed and kissed, 
Phalan tasting the sweet lips he had missed so much over the past week.  
Before he could resist, Tasha nipped at his neck, pulling fur and skin with 
needlesharp teeth.  The sensation was fantastic, Phalan         having always 
loved being bitten like that.  But he was shocked that she'd be so forward 
in a public place, being private about her affections in crowds despite her 
people-oriented profession.  He was so delighted, he didn't even mind when 
her teeth lightly broke the skin, marking him with one hell of a hickey.  
He groaned deeply as she sucked and bit down harder, sighing when she 
slipped out of his arms.
	Tasha straightened his fur on his neck, grinning brightly.  The smile 
on her face was warm and joyfilled, but a hint of unusual naughtiness 
twinkled in her eyes; as if she'd done something secretive he hadn't 
noticed.
	`Good to see you,' she said.
	`So, I guessed,' he chuckles, grinning.  `I've missed you.'
	`Were the flight and trip okay?'
	`The flight was crowded and smelly.  Nothing like sitting beside a 
rainsoaked yak to put you off your food.  The convention was dull, but I 
did meet a few new contacts.  I even got an anthology deal out of it, so it 
wasn't all bad.
	`But it was missing you.  I wish you could have come.  All I've been 
thinking about was getting back to you.'
	Tasha blushed softly, linking their paws together tenderly.  She 
nuzzled against his shoulder as they made their way out to the parking lot.
	`I've missed you too,' she whispered, `I can't wait until tonight.  
Happy anniversary.'
	Phalan was lightly rubbing the itch on his neck from her hickey.  He 
smiled brightly down at her, kissing the end of her nose.
	`Oh?  Did you have something big planned for us tonight?'
	Tasha looked over at the hickey on his neck, making sure it was 
turning the same color as the bite on her finger. It was, the redness quite 
familiar in shade.
	She smiled strangely, running her finger over the tiny bite.  It made 
him moan faintly, blushing.
	`Big?  Hrm, I guess you could say that.'