Laska and Me - Chapter 4

I asked the woman at the front desk about where Laska was, my voice ragged from breathlessness due to running from the parking garage. I wobbled slightly from dizziness, but forced myself to stand strong. Eralia was besides me, breathing a bit heavily herself, but nowhere near the extent I was.

 

All the way here she’d kept telling me Laska would be fine, that she just knew it was something relatively minor. At first her words had been aggravating, and I’d told her that the only reason she wasn’t as worried was because she didn’t care about my daughter.

 

Imagine my surprise when pain shot through her eyes and face. “Of course I care,” she’d said in a low voice. “I may not be nearly as close as you two are, but I’ve known her for a while, and I do like her – hell, love her - even if she doesn’t realize it.”

 

I apologized, and she shook her head, saying not to worry about it. Standing before the receptionist as she looked up the information on where Laska was, Eralia gave my hand a squeeze with her paw, glancing at me. I squeezed back and gave her a weak smile in return; I was glad to have someone like her with me. “Ah, she’s still in the ER; she hasn’t be admitted.”

 

“Thank you… but which way to the ER?” I asked.

 

The receptionist smiled, and pointed down the hall to the right, towards the large red sign that had ‘Emergency Room’ written on it. Forcing myself to laugh a bit, I then sighed and thanked the receptionist again. She just flashed me a kindly smile and nodded her head.

 

The ER had another desk where I had to stop and inquire about Laska.

 

The man working the counter looked over at a wall that had a large whiteboard on it, names and other such minor details written into spots that I guessed were supposed to represent beds.

 

“Okay, the nurse will bring you back in a second,” the man at the counter said, then picked up a phone.

 

“Do you know what’s wrong with her…?” I asked, impatience getting the better of me.

 

He looked up at a chart on the wall again, then back at me as he cradled the phone on his ear. “We were just waiting for you to arrive to take her home. When you go back the nurse will have you sign some discharge paperwork.”

 

I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. The sense of relief I felt was hard to describe, but the twisted knot in my stomach had vanished, almost as if it was never there to begin with. I searched for Eralia’s paw this time, giving her a somewhat broken smile. It was then I noticed that she seemed to be far more relaxed than just a few moments ago.

 

The man at the desk spoke with someone I presumed to be a nurse for a brief moment, then he hung up and smiled at us. “She’ll be down in just a moment.”

 

Rather than taking a seat, we lingered around the doors that led into the back, waiting for our guide.

 

Finally, the doors sprung open, framing a lizardgirl in nurse attire. She beckoned us over, smiling as we approached.

 

“Laska is fine. If you’ll come with me, I’ll bring you to her,” she said, turning on a heel and walking inside.

 

“What happened?” I asked.

 

“Ah, she was brought in because she fell and hit her head. She was knocked out for a little bit – she has concussion, so we’ll give you some paperwork on how to care for her the next few days, okay? Oh, and her cousin is here with her as well.”

 

“A concussion? Isn’t that… wait, cousin?” She didn’t have any family members that I knew of, let alone a cousin.

 

The nurse gave me a sidelong look. “Yes… her cousin? A Clare?”

 

Eralia and I looked at each other, confusion on both of our faces.

 

“Yeah, sorry, I forgot…” I said, though the nurse was suspicious of my attitude. Considering the situation, I decided it’d be best to see what exactly was going on before I revealed this mystery person as a stranger. If they had lingered around, chances are their goals weren’t nefarious.

 

As we were led down a branching hallway, I heard Laska’s voice – and then that of another woman. Fortunately, perhaps due to this early hour, the ward was rather vacant. Other than the voices, the only sounds I could hear were the nurse’s claws clicking on the tiled floor.

 

In front of a bed, the nurse shifted aside a curtain, revealing the occupants.

 

And there was Laska, sitting on the bed in a long shirt and what appeared to be swim trunks cinched tight, along with a large bandage applied to the left side of her head. Seated in an adjacent chair was an older cheshire cat I’d never seen before.

 

Upon seeing me and Eralia, Laska froze stiff and went quiet, then quickly brought up a pillow to hide her face.

 

The other cheshire smiled nervously and gave a half-hearted wave. “Er, hello there,” she said.

 

“I’ll be back in a few minutes with the paperwork for you,” the nurse said as she turned away and walked back towards where we came from.

 

My heart skipped a beat, and I dashed to the bed and swept up Laska in a hug. Laska hesitated a moment, but squeezed me tightly in return. I heard Eralia approach from behind, but she kept a moderate distance.

 

“I’ve been worried nearly to death!” I said, shifting my hands to hold her shoulders, pushing her away slight so I could look into her eyes. “Why on earth did you do that?!”

 

She looked away awkwardly, and then I noticed her eyes starting to water. “I’m sorry…” she whispered, avoiding looking at me directly.

 

I had no idea what to feel or say, a horrible mixture of relief and anger mixing together like the first time she disappeared on me. Only this time it was even stronger – I wanted to slap her and hug her at the same time.

 

“You… foolish, idiotic… impulsive…stupid...lovable daughter of mine… why did you run away like that?!” The rush of emotions had me nearly in tears myself. I’d never imagined it was possible to be so scared of losing something before. Never even in my most terrifying nightmares.

 

Joy at knowing Laska was safe had ablated nearly all my anger at her, and I hugged her again. “Don’t you ever do that again! Don’t you know how much I love you, and how much you scared me?”

 

I swallowed heavily, struggling to maintain my composure. Apparently my outpouring had affected Laska as well. I could hear her crying, feel her tears soaking into my shirt – wouldn’t be the first time, I thought, almost appreciating such a familiar scene.

 

“I’m sorry daddy,” she whispered.

 

We held each other for a time, Laska sobbing into my chest, and I stroking her hair and ears. Finally, with a deep breath, I let her go and stood up, intent on addressing the other issue here. Glancing behind me I saw that Eralia looked away quickly, running a furry digit across her cheeks. Seems she got caught up in the moment as well.

 

Then I focused on the fourth person here.

 

The other cheshire went from looking happy, to uneasy when my eye caught hers. She coughed and stood up, smoothing out her clothing as she searched for what to say. Then she stuck out a paw. “Uh, hello, I’m Clare, and I uh, have kind of been looking after Laska for the night.”

 

I returned the gesture slowly, shaking her paw, and introduced myself and Eralia.

 

“So,” she began, “No doubt you’re curious about what happened… but would you rather hear it from her or me?”

 

Laska winced slightly as she was referenced, hiding behind a pillow again. She probably wanted to forget this all happened, and wanted to go home.

 

My suspicions evaporated quickly, leaving only curiosity in its wake.

 

“Well, Clare, why don’t you at least tell me your involvement in what’s happened here? I can get the details from Laska later.”

 

She nodded to herself, then sat back down on the chair, crossing one leg atop the other. I sat down on the bed next to Laska. Eralia joined in, sitting on the other side of Laska so that my daughter was between us.

 

“Ahem, right. So. As I said, my name is Clare, and I’m a truck driver by trade – though I’m in a team with two others. We were pulling into a field that was next to a road we travel for … reasons. Once we stopped and got out, one of the others I was with, a manticore, noticed someone behind a tree.”

 

While Clare was talking, I rested a hand on Laska’s head, stroking her ears. She leaned over onto me, and closed her eyes.

 

The older cheshire smiled, pausing her explanation briefly before continuing. “We decided to check it out, and when I got closer I noticed it was Laska here, naked as the day she was born.”

 

Though Laska’s eyes were still closed, I noticed a blush rising to her cheeks. Invisibility wasn’t without its drawbacks, I suppose.

 

“And, she was sound asleep, her arms and legs pulled in tight. Unfortunately she must’ve been a light sleeper as her eyes flew open when Savannah – ah, the manticore – stepped in front of her. Then she took off in a panic before any of us could say anything… only she wasn’t looking where she was going.”

 

Clare leaned back and sighed.

 

“She bolted like a rabbit from a hutch, and then ran straight off a vertical drop. It was only a few feet, but she smacked her head pretty good on a rock at the bottom.” Clare winced slightly, recalling the image of the scene.

 

“We tried to wake her up, but she was kind of out cold. Savannah called for an ambulance, then we decided we should probably cloth the poor girl. We got a shirt and some trunks from my…” she trailed off, “…boyfriend, and I slipped them onto her. Unfortunately the swim trunks were the only thing we had that’d fit on her tiny frame and not slide off.”

 

Laska poked and looked up at me. When I looked down at her, she then lifted my arm, and laid down on my lap and covered herself with my arm. I was a bit surprised; it’d been a long while since she’d been so affectionate. What exactly happened tonight?

 

“Then we sat around and waited for the medics to arrive, and while they were placing Laska onto a stretcher they asked who we were.” Clare scratched at her face, tipping her head slightly. “Aaaand I kind of said I was her cousin. I’m not really sure why, honestly.” Her eyes then focused on me. “I was a bit curious to find out how she got there, I guess, and since I was a cheshire too, I figured they’d buy it.”

 

“She’s nice…” Laska said quietly from my lap.

 

I shrugged at Clare. “Well, thank you very much for staying with her… by the way, how long ago was this?”

 

“I’ve been here a few hours now… though I think you’d be better off asking Laska why. Anyways~ I think I should get going. My ride has been out back for a while now.” She said as she got up and stretched.

 

“Thank you… is there anything we could do for you?” Eralia stood up as well to meet the cat.

 

Clare waved a paw up and down at the wrist, “Nyahaha~ Don’t worry about it. I enjoyed my time with her. You’ve got a special little girl there,” she said with a smile.

 

“Surely there something…” I said, before being interrupted. “I’m telling you it’s fine, really.”

 

Clare brushed through the curtain, waving one last time. “Take care, now.” And then she was gone, the sound of her paws on the tile growing quiet and distant.

 

 “Well, what now?” Eralia inquired, kicking a pawfoot at the ground.

 

“What do you mean? As much as I’d like to ask Laska what exactly happened… I think we should wait until tomorrow. I’m absolutely beat.” As I spoke I poked at Laska’s paw-pads. She stretched her paws wide at the touch, her little claws poking out before she retracted them again.

 

“Do I have to? Laska said.

 

“Yes, we do,” I replied firmly.

 

Eralia sighed, then sunk down onto the bed opposite Laska again. “We are going to have a lot to talk about, I think.”  

 

From her tone, no doubt she had something to say on what’d happened as well.

 

We sat in silence for a few minutes after he comment, all of us likely thinking about what transpired tonight.

 

Certainly, now that I had thought about it, the police would have gotten involved if Clare and her friends had not been there. Would social services have been contacted if the police found out she ran away? Looking over my shoulder at where Clare had walked off, I gave her another silent thanks for preventing a bad situation from possibly becoming even worse.

 

Finally the nurse re-appeared, bundles of papers in hand. A few minutes indeed.

 

“Sorry for the delay… oh, where did the other person go?”

 

“She was tired and went home on her own,” Eralia answered for me.

 

“Oh, I see. Well, here’s a few things for you to sign…”

 

--

 

Laska slept the whole way home, and continued to sleep when we arrived. I shook her a bit to wake her, but she simply mumbled and went slack again. Sighing, I scooped her out of the seat and carried her into the house.

 

Eralia was highly amused as she watched me bring her in, opening the door for me. “After you, daddy,” she said, saying ‘daddy’ with a sultry tone.

 

I rolled my eyes at her and entered, kicking off my shoes. She followed behind me, then stood at the door to Laska’s room while I tucked her in. I gave her a kiss on her forehead and whispered goodnight, then went back out into the hallway.

 

Eralia watched me the whole time, her eyes giving off a mischievous glint in the darkness. A little wry grin popped up on her face. She backed off somewhat as I closed the door to Laska’s room.

 

“What’s got you grinning so much?” I asked.

 

She then sauntered up to me, planting a quick kiss on my lips. “Oh, just thinking you look the part rather well.”

 

“The part of what?”

 

“Why, the part of the caring father every mother wishes their lover or husband was,” she said, placing a paw on her hips. “And the one every daughter dreams of.”

 

“Ah, I don’t know about that… if that was the case, then why did she… well, run off?”

 

At some point I guess I felt like I was beginning to get the ‘father’ thing nailed down, but then something would pop up that made me feel like I’d made some terrible mistake. Sort of like tonight. I thought that by convincing her to enter those AP classes, and that by having another woman around the house, it’d help her grow. Part of me wanted to lament my recent decisions, but there was also another facet, a quiet whisper in the back of my mind that told me I was correct - just that the correct path is also sometimes a rough, difficult path.

 

Eralia gave a deep sigh and smiled bitterly. “It’s because of me, you know.”

 

“What do you mean?” I said, concern knitting my brows. “She doesn’t hate or dislike you...probably.”

 

“But she isn’t particularly fond of me, either. Women are jealous creatures, you know – and yes, whether you like it or not, Laska will be a woman soon.”

 

“Jealous? Of what?”

 

Eralia shifted on a leg, crossing her arms across her chest. She looked down for a moment, then brought her head up. “You two were alone together for the longest time. Laska got used to that. When I showed up, she didn’t know how to handle the fact that you weren’t the only person in her life anymore.”

 

She spoke in a hushed tone; she wasn’t angry, or sad, but held an attitude that it was matter-of-fact. Something she knew would happen at some point.

 

“That’s nonsense. The love I have for Laska, and the love I hold for you, are very different things.”

 

“You and I may know that, but Laska doesn’t. She’s confusing one love for another. It’s… not uncommon with monstergirls, all things considered.” Eralia continued to speak in a level tone, but her tail was swishing back and forth slowly, nervously.

 

“So you’re saying Laska is confusing romance and love? And thinks you’re ‘stealing’ me from her?”

 

One of her ears twitched, then she sighed. “It’s probably more like lust for love, but yes – to both. One of the downsides to our… infamous passions. Anyways, let’s continue this tomorrow. I’d like Laska to hear what I have to say as well, and we can hear her out.”

 

“Yeah,” I said, yawning. “That’d probably be for the best. I’m still so… confused, about everything. I think I need time to settle down.”

 

Eralia smiled. “I think we all need a bit of rest,” she said, pulling me into a hug.

 

The two of us shuffled wearily into my room, into bed, and under the sheets. She snuggled up against me, holding me from behind in her paws. Her warmth was certainly comforting right now, and apparently she enjoyed too. It didn’t take long until she was out like a light, leaving me to my thoughts.

 

Today had been… a day. I was both looking forward to tomorrow, and regretting it. So many questions I wanted to ask, yet I didn’t want to hear any of the answers – and that was just from Laska. Eralia seemed like she had something she wanted to discuss that was related to what had happened, or maybe about the supposed confusion Laska had regarding me and her feelings.

 

As I thought about what she might be hiding, so to speak, I slowly came to the realization that she’d never made mention of any family. No parents or siblings, nor children. Perhaps I just never noticed since I didn’t have much of a family either, so the lack of discussion on that topic never stood out to me.

 

My thoughts on the subject began to wane as sleep took hold, and soon I drifted off as well, still in Eralia’s embrace.

 

--

 

Reading through the various pamphlets at the kitchen table on how to deal with post-concussion symptoms, my first thought was that I needed reading glasses. My second thought was that adhering to the list of things to avoid would make for an extremely boring day. No reading, watching TV, using a PC, or physical activity.

 

So someone was just supposed to sleep all day? It didn’t really specify how long that sort of rest was supposed to last. Rather, it emphasized that everyone reacts and heals differently, and that sleep or inactivity should continue for as long as the patient had symptoms. Some of which included difficulty remembering things, inability to focus or concentrate, dizziness, headaches… all kinds of vague stuff when you thought about it.

 

Eralia was rummaging around, in search of something to make for lunch. Her rumpled shirt-and-panties dress, along with her messy hair, gave her a rather disheveled appearance.

 

Unfortunately today was Friday, so I had to call in for both the girls this morning when the alarm went off, not more than an hour or two after I managed to fall asleep.

 

At least the coming weekend would give us time to unwind.

 

“Hey, where’s the bread?” she asked after opening and closing all the cabinet doors.

 

“I think we’re out.”

 

She sighed and walked over to the table I was at, scratching her bare ass and yawning wide. How lucky for me to have such a dignified woman to greet me when she gets up.

 

“So much for a sandwich. Isn’t much else here that doesn’t involve cooking,” she groaned, taking a seat next to me.

 

“Yeah, we should probably get to the grocery store tomorrow.”

 

“Mmm.” She looked over at what I was reading for a moment, then sprawled out on the table, her arms reaching across and her cheek flat on the surface. “I haven’t been up that late in forever, I just want to go crawl back into bed and sleep for another few hours…”

 

“Well, go shower or something. Maybe it’ll wake you up?”

 

“I guess… ya wanna come in with me?”

 

I put down the papers I was reading, looking over at her grinning visage. She often asked me to help wash her fur, saying she disliked trying to clean her ears and tail on her own. The true reason, I suspected, was that she knew I enjoyed rubbing her fluffy appendages. It was probably her way of trying to help me feel better.

 

“I think I can do that,” I said, putting down the materials I was reading and standing. Eralia’s grin spread.

 

Scrubbing and massaging her long, pointed ears, it turns out she was right. Though I’d never tell her, it was kind of like those studies that show having a pet can reduce blood pressure and such whenever you spend time petting them.

 

She shuddered and giggled in delight as I worked my hands up and down her ears, working the soap into a lather before washing it out. Standing behind her, her tail swished against me, though the water robbed all its fluffiness.

 

Her ears well-tended to, I moved onto her formerly-bushy tail to repeat the process.

 

 “So what do you need to do about Laska’s injuries?” Eralia asked.

 

“I don’t think a whole lot if she doesn’t complain of anything. Though if she has headaches or something I’m supposed to make sure she stays in bed and do… nothing. I guess the idea is that they’re not supposed to think much,” I said, rubbing the shampoo into her tail.

 

“Oh, I see. What about that cut on her head?”

 

“They gave me some gauze pads and medical tape to use. I’m supposed to change it when she wakes up today, and then whenever every few days or whenever she showers, I guess. She has a few stiches, but they should fall out on their own.”

 

“Poor girl… another scar huh?”

 

“Seems that way, though this one should be hidden by her hair… okay, turn around.” I finished her tail, now onto her paws.

 

Turning to face me, she flashed a happy little smirk, then presented her paws. Taking one of her hand-paws in mine, I worked the soap into her fur all the way down to her elbow, then focused on squishing and massaging her pads. Honestly, I felt a bit like a child enjoying squeezing and touching the soft pads. Her knowing look didn’t help alleviate that notion much, but at least she enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

“So if she’s not feeling well we’ll probably have to postpone our discussion, huh?” She said while I squeezed her paw.

 

“Probably… who knows how things might turn out,” I let out a deep sigh. “As much as I just want to put yesterday behind me, there’s a lot that came to the surface - I didn’t even know what she was going through.”

 

Eralia nodded sympathetically. “A girl is entitled to her secrets, but I know what you mean. I think she felt like she could shoulder and figure out her burdens on her own.”

 

Finished with one paw and arm, Eralia lifted up the other for me.

 

“I know, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about it. It’s like… if I was a better father, would I have noticed her problems?”

 

“You pay attention to her plenty, not to mention you spoil her rotten,” she said, letting slip a laugh then shook her head. “She hid her problems well. Even I figured it was just frustration over school. Who knew she thought I was a whore?”

 

I stopped what was I doing for a moment, then resumed, albeit slowly. “I know she didn’t mean that, but I find it hard to believe she thinks you’re stealing me away.”

 

“Well, we’ll talk about it, whenever she’s feeling up to it.”

 

I paused again, sandwiching her paw between my hands.

 

“You’re a good woman, you know that?”

 

Eralia giggled, bringing her other paw to her face. “A good woman for a good man, yes?”

 

It was certainly an enjoyable atmosphere, but, for a brief moment, I’d forgotten we weren’t the only people in the house, and that we had been in the bathroom for a quite some time.

 

The door suddenly flew open, startling both of us.

 

“I can’t hold it anymore!” Laska shouted, bursting into the bathroom. Unfortunately the door on the shower stall wasn’t fogged or patterned, allowing her to see the both of us in all our splendor. I turned away to face the wall sharply, but Eralia didn’t seem to care. Well, they were both women, I suppose.

 

“Sorry!” Laska said, running straight for the toilet.

 

The sounds of her relief managed to echo over the sound of the running shower, much to my dismay. Well, at least it let me know she wasn’t simply trying to spy on us to see what was going on.

 

When she was finished, I expected her to leave promptly; instead, she lingered briefly. Eralia turned off the water, and then opened the stall door while I was still facing the wall.

 

“Do you want him to wash you too?

 

“W-what do you mean? I’m just going to go now…” Laska squeaked out.

 

“Hold it right there!” Eralia said, surprising me with the tone. It was firm and commanding, yet wasn’t harsh. “Look, I’ll dry off quick and leave.”

 

Eralia exited the stall, and then I heard the linen closet open. “Turn around for a second,” she said, then tossed a small towel to me. I wrapped it around myself, then faced Eralia and Laska. The bronze-skinned woman was standing proud as she toweled off, hiding nothing. Laska was pretending to avoid looking, but her clumsy act was easy to see through. She’d glance to some part of Eralia’s, then at her own.

 

I hadn’t bathed Laska in many years. Did she really still want me to do that?

 

Finished drying herself, Eralia bent over and whispered something to Laska, throwing me a wink at the same time. Then she was gone, leaving me and Laska alone. Standing in place, she was swiveling her hips back and forth, tapping the ends of her paws together. Looked like I was going to have to be the one to break the ice.

 

“What’s up, Laska?”

 

She stopped rotating in place, her face turned away. “Could… you, ah… could you… wash me, too? Like you do with Eralia?” Her eyes glanced to me for a second, then back down.

 

“Aren’t… don’t you think you’re a bit old? You’re a teenage girl now…”

 

“Oh… I guess…” she mumbled, then began a slow walk towards the door.

 

“What did I say?” Eralia said, popping back in. She glared at me, then smiled at Laska.

 

 “Er, hang on, I guess I could, if you want to.” Though I was a bit embarrassed, I wasn’t feeling quite as awkward about it as I thought I would. Satisfied with my new answer, Eralia left for the second time.

 

Laska’s face instantly brightened. I knew she liked it when I scrubbed her years ago, so it was reasonable to assume that still held true. Perhaps my reluctance stemmed from my view on such ‘personal’ contact with a girl her age as being sexual, but I guess it didn’t have to be that way. I hugged her and scratched at her ears all the time anyways, so I supposed this wasn’t all that much different.

 

First things first, however. I glanced at the bandage on her head, then stepped out of the stall and sat on the toilet. “Come over here for a second, I need to look at that cut on the side of your head.”

 

Her bright expression instantly clouded, but she hesitantly came near. Looking at the bandaging up close, there was quite a bit of tape holding it on. A bit of her hair looked like it got underneath the tape as well. I grimaced a bit, knowing this wasn’t going to be fun for either of us.

 

“By the way, do you have any headaches or feel dizzy or anything?”

 

Laska shook her head. “Not really… but I feel kinda… I dunno, fuzzy?”

 

Thinking for a moment, I don’t recall ‘fuzzy’ being on the symptoms list. Maybe she couldn’t concentrate or something?

 

“Why?” She asked.

 

“Oh, from that fall you took, there are some symptoms I’m supposed to watch out for.”

 

 “…is it serious?” Laska said, pawing at the gauze on the side of her head.

 

I shrugged. “Don’t know, I think you’re fine… but if you can’t remember things or have difficulty concentrating, you’re supposed to rest.”

 

“I see… well, that means I get to avoid school, right?”

 

“You realize that the longer you miss school, the more you’re going to have to do when you get back, right?”

 

Laska shuffled her feet, then sighed. “…Right.”

 

“Anyways, come a bit closer.”

 

Once she was a bit closer, I peeled back one corner of the tape near her eye.

 

“Hey Laska, what’s that?” I said, pointing to the right.

 

“Huh?” Her head turned towards where I was indicating, then in one, swift motion, I ripped the bandage off.

 

Laska yelped loudly, then glared angrily at me. “What was that for?! That hurt like hell!”

 

“It would have been worse had I gone slowly,” I said, patting her head. I thought about telling her to watch her language, but why bother at this point?

 

Inspecting the wound, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Only a couple stiches, maybe an inch long. It was a bit behind her eye, almost directly underneath her ear. It was looking a little… juicy, but I guess that was to be expected since it was fresh.

 

“How’s it look?” Laska asked as I studied her face. Her bright, orange eyes moved to fixed on my face.

 

“I think my cute little girl is going to have another story etched on her head.” I said with a chuckle.

 

She frowned, letting out a little snort. “But I already have enough of those!”

 

Smiling and leaning away, I patted her head and ruffled her hair a bit. “Well, no one will ever accuse you of being a boring or uninteresting person, not to mention I think you look absolutely charming.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

Laska fidgeted for a moment, then let herself grin.

 

Well, time to get this over with, I thought as I stood up and pulled out a few towels. “I guess this will be like old times, huh? Anyways, uh, here you go, to cover yourself up with once you undress.” I held a towel out to her, then hopped into the stall, facing away. A moment later she entered as well, holding the cloth to cover her front half.

 

Fortunately the shower had a detachable head I could use so as to avoid spraying water directly on her wound, and I pulled a small stool from underneath the bench built into the back.

 

“Here you go,” I said. She sat down on it, and then I took a seat behind her.

 

Nothing was said as I wet her hair and ears, and worked the soap into a lather on them. I took longer than I would have normally, giving her ears a little extra attention. Despite all the damage done to them, they still had enough feeling left for her to enjoy the experience of having them scratched and massaged. Made me a little jealous of her and Eralia; I wished my own ears were sensitive enough to let me relax that much whenever they were touched or rubbed. She held her eyes closed as I scrubbed her ears and scalp, then moved onto her back, followed by arms and paws.

 

It kind of was like when she was younger. Only difference now is that she had a bit of modesty to protect.

 

She sat wordlessly, switching which paw held onto the towel as I finished with one arm, then I moved to her paw-feet. It was a little difficult to get at them from behind, but she seemed to enjoy it regardless, letting what tension that remained in her flow out.

 

Finally, I’d done all I could do. “Alright, you’re going to have to do the rest,” I said, standing up from the bench.

 

Laska’s eyes opened, and she seemed to be a bit annoyed .“But you do all of Eralia…”

 

“Well, that’s because we’re in a romantic relationship… and that’s what people do in a romance to show their affection…”

 

Her tail flicked side to side a few times before she spoke. “I guess…”

 

I’d expected her to be a little more resistant after all that’d happened, in all honesty. But, I wasn’t one to question her turn of mood, and quickly left the bathroom so she could finish up.

 

After getting dressed, I found Eralia in the kitchen, making lunch. She smiled and looked up at me when she heard me come in.

 

“Laska enjoy your bonding time?”

 

“Yeah, I think so. Heh, reminded me a lot of when she was a kitten. I bathed her until she was eight or nine.“

 

“That must be tough… you still want to treat her like your daughter, but she’s steadily becoming her own woman, huh?” Eralia said, speaking while looking down at whatever she was doing – looked like she was marinating some chicken.

 

How did fathers deal with this reality? I leaned back against the kitchen counter, and stared up at the ceiling. “Yeah… that’s probably the last time we’ll do that. Makes me kind of sad because I wonder if she’ll meet someone that knows just where she likes to be scratched.”

 

Looking down from the ceiling, I caught Eralia’s eyes, a familiar twinkle to them. “What now?” I groaned.

 

“Sounds like Laska isn’t the only one who’s jealous.”

 

I spit her with an incredulous stare, only to receive a wry little grin. “…What? No, no. It’s not like that at all.”

 

“I know, dear - you don’t have those intentions. Still doesn’t make you less jealous, however.”

 

“Is… that a bad thing?”

 

Eralia hummed, thinking while shifting her jaw slightly and tightening up a corner of her mouth. “Probably not. If anything I’d say it just means you’re protective of her, and want her to be happy. Sounds like normal fatherly stuff to me.”

 

“How am I supposed to deal with this, though? Like you said, I still think of her as my little girl… but ever since I gave her ‘the talk,’ she’s been rather… curious. I’m… I’ve stumbled in on her, ah, exploring herself, a few times.” I switched from leaning back against the counter to leaning forward, hiding my face by hanging my head down. “I make sure to knock first these days.”

 

Eralia said nothing, but gave me a little glance, then placed the chicken into some foil packets with vegetables. She tossed them into the oven, and came over to the counter, leaning on it opposite of me

 

“I don’t think I can tell you the answer to that, but I know what you /shouldn’t/ do.”

 

I lifted my head, only to find she was hanging hers as well.

 

“What’s that?” I asked

 

She brought her face back up as I did, meeting my gaze. The corners of her mouth bunched and loosened a few times, as if she was struggling to contain her emotions. “Never give in to anything she does if you wish for her to remain your wonderful little girl, and you her caring, doting father.”

 

Concern knit my brows as I searched her eyes with mine. She was… most likely speaking from experience. “Do you…would you like to tell me about it?”

 

Her eyes tightened, and she looked off to the side. “Not right now. I think Laska should hear it as well.”

 

There wasn’t a whole lot I could say, or even think to say. I moved to open my mouth a few times, but quashed whatever meager words I would’ve said.

 

“…Thanks for asking, though,” Eralia said, walking over to the side of the counter I was on. She wrapped her paws around my mid-section and buried her face in my back.

 

Slowly, the notion that I’d picked up another girl who needed a loving home began to take root in my mind. She’d always been care-free, and while affectionate, she’d never been especially… ‘close.’ This was the first I’d see her act like this.

 

I let her stay like that for a while, occasionally glancing at the clock on the wall. Where was Laska?

 

“I hate to spoil the mood, but I was expecting Laska to be done by now… would you mind?”

 

I felt her laugh into my back, and then she let go of me. Pivoting about, I found Eralia wearing her usual, jovial expression.

 

“Yeah, I can do that,” she said, heading towards the bathroom. “Maybe I could show her a few things, huh?”

 

These two were going to be the death of me.

 

--

 

After Laska was done, I re-bandaged her wound and sent her off to bed, telling her that she needed to rest until she no longer felt ‘fuzzy.’ I figured that it’d be for the best if she relaxed and rested a while longer.

 

When I asked Eralia what the holdup was, she wouldn’t tell me any specifics, only that yes, she was still in the bathroom. Probably the best thing for my sanity, all told.

 

The two of us ate lunch while Laska slept, and then for the most part we just lounged around the house, watching TV and whatnot. Eralia was unusually cuddly, leaning up against me most of the time, laying her head on my shoulder.

 

Eventually the afternoon turned to dusk, and Laska woke up again, ambling out into the living room.

 

“Hey…”

 

“Good evening sweetie. Are you feeling better?” I replied, looking over my shoulder at her.

 

“Mostly, I think,” she said, sitting down in a chair to the side of the couch Eralia and I were on.

 

“Feeling hungry?” Eralia asked.

 

“…A little, what’s to eat?”

 

“We didn’t know when you were going to get up, so we didn’t have anything planned,” Eralia answered. “Want to order out? I’ll buy.”

 

Laska perked up at the suggestion. “Can we order pizza?”

 

“Sure.”

 

I cringed. She always managed to get cheese all over her paws, and then complained about it for hours after. Well whatever, if it makes her feel better.

 

Eralia and Laska hopped up to place the order, and I trailed in behind them into the kitchen. Eralia had a phone book laid out, looking through the various places around here. She and Laska discussed where to order from, or rather, Laska said ‘no’ to various names until the name of her favorite place was said.

 

Standing behind Laska, looking at Eralia, I began to pantomime Laska’s actions and words. I’d seen this song and dance for years, and was able to act it out perfectly, down to lip-syncing her order. Eralia struggled not to laugh, and when Laska whipped around to see what was going on, I let my arms drop, acting nonchalant. She glared at me, knowing I had been doing something, but I don’t think she could quite figure out what exactly it was.

 

With the order placed, I decided to hold off on our discussion until we were done eating.

 

It was mostly small talk until the food arrived, followed by the inevitable cheese-in-paw-fur mess that came afterwards. Eralia didn’t have any problems, but then again she used silverware to eat rather than her paws.

 

“Why don’t you eat like she does? That way you don’t have to get cheese all over your paws.”

 

“Because you’re not supposed to eat it that way! It’s hand…paw-held food. You’re supposed to eat it that way.” Laska protested as I washed her paws in the sink. This was like cheeto fingers turned up to 11.

 

“Is that so? Even when it gets all in your fur?” I said.

 

“Especially when it gets all in my fur!” Laska actually seemed to puff up a little at her last remark. Was she proud of making a mess or something? Or was she just being obstinate?

 

Eralia remained quiet during the exchange, silently eating and watching us, letting her eyes do the laughing.

 

Dinner over, I almost wanted to just gloss over the events, especially since Laska seemed to have sorted herself out. But, I knew better – her attitude was probably a cover. Rather than sitting out in the living room, I decided on her room. I’d hoped that by talking things over some place she would feel safe and secure, she’d be a bit more honest. Though I also wondered of the possibility that she’d think we were invading her sanctum.

 

I asked her for permission to have a chat in her room with the three of us. She hesitated, but agreed.

 

All three of sat down on her bed, though Laska buried herself under the covers, peeking out at us from her warm confines.

 

“Well… why don’t you explain why you ran away?” I asked.

 

Laska pleaded with her eyes for me to let her go, but I insisted. Surprisingly, Eralia spoke up on her behalf.

 

“It’s not polite to pry into a maiden’s heart, you know. Laska will tell you when she feels ready… probably.” Eralia smiled and winked at Laska, earning a confused stare from me. Laska was more curious, her perked ears lifting the sheet covering her head.

 

Eralia kind of just swept away the whole reason I wanted to have a talk. What was she getting at?

 

“Though I would like to hear what happened that caused you to fall into the care of that other woman.”

 

Laska glanced at Eralia, then me.

 

“If you could at least tell us that much…” I said.

 

“I guess,” Laska responded, pulling the sheet away from her head and sitting up.

 

Kicking her legs up and down like a teenager sharing gossip, Eralia had maneuvered to the other side of the bed and laid down on her stomach.

 

“Well… after I left… I just sorta ran around… I thought about going to Zoe’s, but I knew they’d call you right away when I showed up without any clothes on. So I just kinda kept going…” She then sighed, and wrapped herself a bit more tightly in her blankets. “I stayed invisible most of the time, until I found myself in like a field or park or something… I dunno how long I wandered around, but I didn’t recognize the area at all.”

 

“So you just ran around invisible? Weren’t you worried about getting hit by traffic or people or something?” I asked, crossing my arms. My voice rose slightly, though it wasn’t my intention. Strange how fear and anxiety can lead to anger.

 

“I was fine… I stayed off the streets and teleported if I had to cross one…”

 

If she had the wherewithal to control herself and think things through like that, then why did she run of in the first place? Feeling my own frustration rise, I took a deep breath. Getting upset wasn’t going to help anything; if anything, it’d make her afraid to talk to me.

 

“So what happened in the park?” I already knew the answer from Clare, but hearing it from multiple sources couldn’t hurt.

 

“I got tired… and cold… so I sat down behind a tree and thought about… things, for a while. I guess I fell asleep… the next thing I remember were three people coming towards me. I didn’t know who they were, so I got scared and tried to run, but I guess I ran off a cliff or something.”

 

Thus far their stories matched, so that was good. Eralia was still kicking her legs up and down slowly, her face cupped in her paws. She wasn’t looking at us, but her ears would swivel and twitch every so often.

 

“And then what happened?”

 

Laska scooted over closer to me, looking up at me for a moment before continuing. “Well… the next thing I remember I was in an ambulance with some strange medics and a woman who called herself my cousin… I was kinda confused, so I didn’t say much. The woman, Clare, seemed to talk for me to the people that would ask questions. But, when they asked about my parents – you, I just told them I forgot the phone number.”

 

“How come?” I asked, hoping maybe she’d let slip details of how she felt.

 

A silence hung in the air, save for the gentle sounds of our breath and the swish of Eralia’s paws as they landed on the bed.

 

“It’s okay… you don’t have to tell me,” I said with resignation, and then laid back so that I was resting up against Eralia’s flanks. Her kicking stopped, replaced by a few swishes of her tail.

 

Laska’s head swiveled to face me, followed by her body. Her darting eyes and twitching tail revealed her inner conflict. I remained silent, trying not to pry too much per Eralia’s words – words I was beginning to see the wisdom in.

 

“I… was scared,” she finally said.

 

Before I could respond, Eralia beat me to the punch. “What were you scared of?”

 

Laska went quiet again, bringing up the edge of a pillow to her lips, lightly brushing it across them as she looked down. “That… you wouldn’t want me back.”

 

“What?” I said with a start, sitting back up in a flash. “What the he…” My voice began to surge in volume until Eralia poked me in the back. I let out a slow breath through my nose to calm down. “Why would you think that?”

 

“I don’t know… I was just… scared, that you loved her,” she looked towards Eralia as she spoke, then back down, “more than me… and then I ran away from you… who would love someone who did that?”

 

Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, but she kept herself from letting them loose.

 

“Sweetie… I… you know I love you very much, and, close your ears Eralia, I would always pick you first in my life if I had to make such a choice.”

 

Eralia sighed behind me. “Don’t worry dear, I’m not offended,” she said, poking my back again.

 

“Clare… asked the same thing… why I didn’t want to call you, and I told her that I was scared… she gave me this crazy look, and asked if you were the one who gave me these scars. I shouted ‘No,’ then said…” Laska trailed off, the watery look in her eyes intensifying. “I said no, that would never happen, because you loved me.”

 

She dabbed the moisture from her eyes, taking a breath. “After that we kind of talked for a while, about all kinds of things. How I felt about who I was… she told me about herself as well. I wound up telling her that you’re… that you chose me, as you said… I was expecting her to be surprised or something, but she always just nodded her head and listened to me. …I don’t know why I told her as much as I did.”

 

True, I thought, sometimes we can tell strangers things we wouldn’t tell those we love - our deepest secrets and desires. Maybe it’s because we figure we’ll never have to see them again, or that they’ll never ‘know’ us?

 

“What else did you two talk about?” Eralia asked, rolling over onto her side to face Laska.

 

Laska blushed a little. “About why I ran away… and…” She closed her eyes and dove under the protection the blankets afforded, though only her head and upper body were covered – her rear stuck up in the air. “Things like love,” she said, muffled by the blankets she was hiding under.

 

“It’s fine,” I said, patting between the area where the covers were pointed up from her ears.

 

“Just before you two showed up, she told me something that reminded me of you. She told me that I had to… stop hiding.”

 

Stop hiding, huh? That could be interpreted in quite a few ways. I wonder how Laska took it?

 

Eralia pulled herself up, sliding over beside Laska. “Hey Laska,” she began. “I think I have something to say that you might be interested in. Would you like to hear a little about me that not even your father knows?” Eralia looked up at me as she spoke – she was likely referring to what she had mentioned earlier.

 

Laska shuffled about, sitting back down and pulling the covers off herself. “About what?”

 

The anubis smiled. “Myself. Want to hear?”

 

“…Okay,” Laska replied, curiosity beginning to play across her face.

 

Eralia sat up and began to stretch, reaching over her head with her arms and tugging on her elbows in turn, then bent her body side to side. Her little routine completed, she let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment.

 

“Alright, but I’ve never told this to anyone else before. I’m only letting you two know because I love you both, and I think I ought to.”

 

“You love me too?” Laska blurt out, clearly surprised.

 

“Of course, you little cutie. Why wouldn’t I?” Eralia said, smiling broadly.

 

Laska opened her mouth to say something, but decided better of it and sat silent, waiting for her to continue.

 

“Now, I was a little girl once too, you know,” Eralia said, sitting so that her knees came up to her chest. Her arms wrapped around them, giving her the appearance of hugging herself. “And I did many stupid things that cannot ever be undone.”

 

I shifted to move closer to her, but she stopped me with a glance. Her speech was for Laska’s benefit, not mine, nor was she seeking comfort.

 

“You’ve probably noticed by now, but I’ve never really mentioned a family. That’s because, like you two, I don’t really have one. I won’t get into all the boring details, but my mother broke off from her own family due to… differences, and came here from far away. She met my father, and then sometime later I was born.”

 

Her tail began to thump lightly against the bed, and she brought her face in towards her knees. Laska picked up on her signals, and edged closer ever so slightly as she spoke.

 

“Life was pretty good for a while, but when I was 8 or so, my mother developed cancer. She fought on for a long time. Two years later she lost the fight, and passed on. Of course I was sad, but the entire time she had told me stories about who we were, and that we’d certainly meet again. So, I was comforted by her words, finding solace in knowing we wouldn’t always be apart.”

 

Eralia sighed, rocking her head back and forth. “Unfortunately she passed before I became aware of my sexuality…”

 

She trailed off, looking up at Laska.

 

“It was just my father and I, and I hit puberty not long after mother’s departure. I had always loved my father, and he cared dearly for me, though I think your relationship is far stronger than ours was.” She smiled at both of us.

 

I glanced at Laska; she was glued to Eralia’s words. She looked tense and nervous, waiting in anticipation for the story to finish; it must be striking a chord within her.

 

“Then, I began to… love him. Not as a daughter, but I… wanted him. I had learned of sex at school, and had an inkling of it before from talks with my mother. Sometime around 11 or 12, I began to ache, filled with a desire to experience physical intimacy. I took out my aggressions on some boys, and while the first time was thrilling, it wasn’t… satisfying. I didn’t care for them beyond their ability to fill me with their seed.”

 

Laska blushed at Eralia’s last words, but she still held a certain, unabashed intensity about her.

 

I knew where her story was going, and it made me somewhat uncomfortable. Was it because of the content, or that it was because Laska thought of me the same way?

 

“Part of me felt it was wrong, but I pressed on with it anyways. How could it be wrong if I felt so strongly? Of course, he rejected me flatly for quite a while, but I was always persistent, always trying to seduce him.” Eralia sighed again, hanging her head to the side. “I didn’t have someone to warn me,” she said, her eyes flicking towards Laska.

 

“Finally, one night after a year or so, he gave into my advances. It was… exhilarating. The combination of physical and emotional intimacy was so… what I had been searching for. Unfortunately it only stoked the flames of my burning desire, and we wound up doing it quite often, and for quite a while.”

 

Bringing her paws up to her face, Laska appeared to be attempting to hide the scarlet hue that spread across her cheeks and most of her face. I admit the knowledge that Eralia had engaged in incest was… a little bothering, but I had to wonder if it was so rare a thing when monstergirls had such an appetite.

 

“Unfortunately, when that line was crossed, something had changed that I didn’t immediately notice. Rather than me being his daughter, and he my father, we became lovers – nothing more. And, I was a lover that was completely dependent on him for everything. I think, after a time, he began to resent having to provide every little thing for me – he no longer thought of me as his daughter.”

 

Still clinging to her knees, Eralia began to rock back and forth slightly. The face she wore wasn’t one of sadness or regret, but something wistful, like she was imagining what might have been.

 

“We still engaged in sex often, though mostly to satiate our hunger. The passion from the first few times was long gone, however, and then when I reached the age of majority he gave me some money and booted me from his house. I haven’t heard from him since; it’s been almost 20 years.”

 

She sighed, closed her eyes, flopping sideways onto the bed. “And, to add to that… not only did I lose my only family I knew of…” Her eyes opened, looking for me. “About ten years ago, I was in a terrible motocross accident. I should have died, but I was too stubborn, and refused death’s hand. I still had things I wanted to do, people I wanted to meet, but as I eventually found, one of my dreams would never come true…”

 

She unwound herself, then sat back up, and motioned for both of us to come over. Laska was the closest, so she was the first snagged by one of her arms, squeezing her tight. When I scooted over, she did the same to me, holding us both at the same time, in each arm.

 

“In the aftermath, I discovered I could no longer have children. I thought my dream of having a family to call my own was over. I drifted in and out of relationships, but never found one that rekindled my spirit. Then, you two came along. Unattached men with a daughter they take care of full-time are kind of rare, so you caught my interest. I saw… a little of myself in Laska, I think, and decided to do what I could to make sure my mistake wouldn’t be repeated.”

 

She swallowed hard, her words finished. I was left speechless, and Laska appeared to be stunned into silence as well.

 

Her words sparked a surge of thoughts, most of all that I wouldn’t be able to have a child with her. Giving Laska a sister or brother had been something on my mind for quite some time, and I had actually been planning on asking Eralia about it soon. But, her words dashed those hopes.

 

The only thing I could do was hug her back, and I think, from the look on her face, she didn’t want me to say anything anyways. This was her story to tell, and she had probably already closed away her past life, opening herself up only when she saw it was necessary.

 

Eralia then gave Laska a peck on the cheek. “If you would allow me, Laska, I would like to call myself part of your family.”

 

Laska slumped in her grasp, absentmindedly twirling a lock of her hair on a furry digit. No doubt she felt like a villain now.

 

Waiting for her reply, I began to feel a bit dizzy; seemed to always happen around these tense, emotional moments. There was little doubt in my mind that Laska would refuse after hearing all she did, but it’s surprising how much anxiety that tiny sliver of doubt can cause.

 

“I… guess…” Laska finally muttered out. “But don’t expect me to call you mom!”

 

Eralia laughed, and then kissed Laska again, causing her to squirm about. “That’s fine. I wouldn’t expect it so soon, anyways.”

 

After a moment, Laska ceased her wriggling, and asked Eralia a very peculiar question.

 

“But… what do I do about… “Laska’s eyes flicked to me, then back to her newly-acquired family member. Eralia winked and pressed a paw to her lips. “We’ll talk about that once we’re alone,” she said, turning to look at me.

 

That must be the signal that I should leave.

 

“Have fun with your uh, girl talk,” I said, standing and stretching. I kind of expected Laska to ask me to stay, but she indicated with her eyes that I should go as well. Looks like I wasn’t the only one that was going to have to learn to share.

 

Well, at least now Laska has a mother figure to talk about things with. It’s a relief, but also kind of makes me feel like we won’t be as close anymore, or something. Heading towards the door, I think I understood what she was going through, at least in some small part.