Eddies

Chapter 28: Once, twice, thrice...

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Eddies 28

Bill woke to a cooling breeze stirring across his skin, and he opened his eyes to squint hesitantly into the early evening sky, where a few stars had already made their presence known.  Sitting up groggily, he looked around for Shadow, but the big pokemon was nowhere to be seen.  He was about to call out to her, when the radio he'd left in the RV squawked out, causing him to curse as he jumped up to answer the transmission.

On the other end was Cameron, and he wasn't happy.

 "We've been trying to reach you for the last hour, officer!  What happened?" his superior demanded, and Bill had to sheepishly admit that he'd crashed in the warm afternoon sun.  Expecting a chewing out, he was therefore surprised when his boss just sighed, and said "Well, so be it.  You've been working hard enough all week, so I can't blame you for a bit of escapism.  But its dusk and you're clearly not close.  Getting lost out here wouldn't be hard, especially at night, and we have enough on our plate without needing to arrange search parties for you.  Paul says there is some gear in the RV trunk you can use overnight.  You might as well stay put, and we will expect you back in the morning.  If anything changes, let us know."

Bill agreed readily enough, letting out a sigh of relief that he wasn't completely in the shit.  But with the end of the radio exchange, his thoughts turned to Shadow, and her whereabouts.  He leaned up to stretch the kinks in his muscles still remaining after his nap, and turned towards the lagoon just to encounter a set of huge, glowing red eyes before him.

An involuntary shriek left him before he clapped a hand over his mouth, and glared back at the big cat in front of him, where she sat on her haunches laughing at his reaction.  When he finally managed to recover his composure, he scowled at her, angry at her teasing, before turning back to the RV to search for the gear.  When Shadow nudged his still-naked side with a cold nose and he spun on her to see an apologetic look on her face, he groaned and caved in, anger soon forgotten.

"I was worried where you were" he said shortly, and she turned her eyes back to his, a curious look in her face.  Sighing, he dropped to a knee before the luxray, reaching up to stroke her head and admitted quietly "I don't want anything bad to happen to you, kitten."

Shadow froze, watching him intently.  Without doubt, he meant it.  He was worried for her, and he cared for her.

Suddenly, getting back to her original trainer didn't seem as much a priority as it once had.

The RV trunk revealed a large tarp and some ropes, which Bill managed to drape over an obliging branch overhead.  Another, smaller piece of canvas served as a floor.  Thanking his lucky stars it wasn't mosquito season, Bill crossed his arms and surveyed the shelter, as a silent luxray paced up beside him.  Turning to her, he said "It's better than nothing.  What do you think?"

Shadow looked up from where she was actually staring, suddenly guilty at being caught out.  A small part of her mind worried she'd been seen examining his naked form so closely, but he seemed oblivious to her stare; more interested in her opinion of his structure.  She nodded, which seemed to satisfy him, as he bent down to crawl underneath the canopy.  Again, her eyes drew downward until, with a start, she looked away, feeling a flush encroach beneath her fur.

What was she thinking?

Arceus!  Who cared?

She knew what she wanted...

Inside, Bill lay back on the coarse canvas, shuffling his shoulders to mould the sand beneath to fit his back.  It wasn't likely to be a comfortable night, he thought glumly, as he watched Shadow slink beneath the makeshift doorway to join him in the dark interior.  But even in the dim light, he could see she was troubled, and as she lay down next to him, back pressed against his side, he ran a hand down the dense fur of her flank and across her abdomen, stroking her stomach softly, and said "Oh, come on!  I'm not really mad at you.  Cheer up!"

She stirred for a moment, before rising to her haunches over him, her large outline visible against the tent wall in the remaining dim daylight, although her eyes glowed dimly above him.  He reached up to stroke her chest, marvelling at her soft, clinging fur, only to look up at her in surprise as a soft hiss escaped her lips. She moved then, resting first one foreleg, then the other, on either side of his head, and staring down at him inscrutably.

For a moment, he knew exactly how a mouse would have felt within the entrapping paws of the pokemon's smaller cousin, and he returned her wide eyed regard with his own, unsure and uncertain beneath her.

When she failed to move he made to rise, but was restrained as she moved her paw to rest on his chest, joined by the other as she shifted her weight onto him, causing him to let out an "oomph" as the air was pressed from his lungs.  He made to protest, but there wasn't much he could say as she began kneading his goose bumped skin with warm paws, all words escaping his mind at the pleasure of her touch.

A brief thought intruded, screaming "What the hell are you doing?" before his mind closed down under her firm touch.  It was incredibly relaxing; her coarse pads pressed deeply into his muscles, releasing tension he didn't even know he was experiencing.  He was putty in her paws, releasing himself to her ministrations, when those large paws again moved besides his head, and he saw her lean forward.  Thinking she was ready to rise, he made to get up again, but didn't even have a chance to gasp as her muzzle nuzzled his stomach, hot breath causing his skin to tense up and his mind to shut down.

"Oh Gods!" he whispered, as her lips pressed closer, before he gasped as her long, rough and incredibly hot tongue dragged itself across his naked flesh from navel to bare neck, scraping his skin with indescribable pleasure.

Opening his eyes to see her face so close to his own, ruby and gold eyes entreating even as she continued to lick his neck with short, soft passes.  Whether his eyes betrayed him, or the hands caressing her chest took matters unto themselves, she drew back a pace, watching him intently, before her eyes shut and she firmly pressed her muzzle to his lips, slipping that hot, rough tongue into his mouth to caress his own. 

Eyes widening in shock, he pushed against her shoulders with clenched fists, but she refused to budge, instead melting against him even more firmly as his protesting hands involuntarily relaxed, sliding instead to wrap around her shoulders to caress her shoulder fur gently and draw her tighter against him.

When she finally giving him a chance to breath, he gasped as her eyes locked on his.  Not daring to move as she lifted her rear to straddle his waist, she dropped her full weight onto his body, draping herself over him as her warm crotch pressed against his own. She stared at him in defiance, as if daring him to object, but he simply stroked her cheek, drawing her down to plant another soft kiss on her muzzle as she returned to caressing and bathing his face and neck with her tongue.  He barely blinked even as he nuzzled her neck, arousal eliminating what little reluctance he maintained, as he pressed firmly against her.  She felt him slide besides her opening, missing the mark as he thrust against her.  Growling deeply as she moved her hips forward, she lined him up by touch; his tip leaving trails of slickness against her lips and fur.  Without warning, she pressed back hard, spearing his shaft into her body as he entered her to the hilt with a gasp they both shared.

Joined as one, the night passed slowly and passionately, each trying to outdo the other in demonstrating their mutual love, and neither succeeding as the other continued to surprise them.

After long hours, as he rested against her now-sleeping form, arms still wrapped around his erstwhile lover's warm, furred body, Bill had only a moment's reflection on the crazy idiosyncrasies of the universe before sleep claimed him also, and he fell into a deep slumber against her.

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Chris crept forward towards the now dimly audible voices ahead, cautiously parting the greenery around him as he made his slow way towards Raikou and his "friends".  It didn't help that Skyy was pressed nervously against his back, the lucario's quivering increasing the closer they approached the group.

When the furred shoulder jostled Chris yet again, nearly sending him sprawling over an exposed root, he turned on the lucario and hissed "You're going to make me fall!!  If I land on my face in front of Raikou and his buddies, how is that going to make us look?"

Before Skyy had a chance to reply, a deep voice rumbled from behind them "You'd look like lunch, human!", as a huge paw shoved the pair forward through the last of the trees into the clearing ahead. 

The branches parted abruptly, sending them sprawling into the long grass before some ancient buildings.  Glancing around wildly even as he fell, Chris realised the weathered stone was older than old; the remains of the courtyard and tower showing long years of neglect.  Much of the structure had collapsed in on itself, leaving loose, random blocks of granite scattered amongst the shrubs and bushes littering the overgrown grass.

Landing in a pile of limbs, the pair quickly disentangled themselves to look up into the wry gaze of Raikou, paw partially covering his face in embarrassment.  Beside him stood the lithe, elegant form of a large blue pokemon, staring down its long muzzle at the pair.  At a rustle from behind, Skyy spun frantically to see a shape even larger than Raikou push through the trees they'd erupted from, to loom larger than life over them.  The huge brown furred face, crowned with triple spur of golden bone and ruby ears, glared down at the pair, as a booming voice erupted from beneath its white moustache to say "Look what the Raikou dragged in!"

Raikou stared at the huge pokemon dryly, and said "That is not funny, Entei!"

Entei's booming laughter rocked the clearing, as he reached out a paw to the pair, helping them rise as they got to their feet shakily. 

Chris had thought Raikou big, but this new pokemon, Entei, was massive!  Standing, the top of Chris's head barely reached the creature’s furred chin, and Skyy pressed against him, wide eyed and shaking, as the huge face leaned forward and boomed "I'm sorry, little ones.  When I heard you making all that noise out there, I thought I might have caught myself some lunch.  Turns out, Raikou already had plans for you."

Turning to his fellow legendary, Entei nudged Raikou on the shoulder, and said in a voice mockingly quiet "You're right...Nice tempura batter, and they'd taste mighty fine, brother!"

"You're such a child, Entei!" piped up a high voice, and Chris turned in surprise to see the lithe blue pokemon had approached, and was staring down at them with a frown.  "Perhaps if we give them a chance, they can provide a reasonable explanation as to why they felt it necessary to gate crash our conversation so rudely!"  Almost as an afterthought, the pokemon brought a paw to his lip in thought, and said "...and if they can't, perhaps then you can eat them!"

At this, Raikou rumbled "No one is eating anyone!  We have discussed this already!  Chris and Skyy... meet Entei and Suicine, my brother pokemon, making up the so-called legendary trio."

Entei dropped to his haunches and leaned forward.  Chris shrank back at the level of heat emanating from him, as Entei's face stared into his own, and the huge pokemon said "Aaah, our erstwhile Raikou rescuers, in the flesh no doubt!  I am guessing we have you to thank for the long awaited release of our brother, here.  So evilly trapped in the ball of doom that still hangs in crushing shame around his neck..."

Jostling Raikou with a heavy shoulder, he smirked as Raikou gave him a dark look while mumbling something incoherent under his breath.  Entei dropped his head for a moment, bowing to the startled pair, and said with a broad grin "We thank you, and are eternally grateful from the bottom of our farts..."

"Enough!" said Suicine with a snap, glaring at Entei with cool disgust.  "Get your head out of the gutter for just once, Entei!  Arceus sake, this is serious!  You demean our plight with your foul humour!"

Turning his head so that the blue legendary could not see his face, Entei gave Chris and Skyy a broad grin, rolling his eyes in mocking humour, before turning a bland look back to Suicine and apologising insincerely.  While clearly suspicious of his capitulation, the blue pokemon seemed to accept it on face value readily enough, and sniffed in reply.

At that point, Chris decided he might come to like the huge pokemon quite a bit.

Raikou coughed, drawing their attention as he stepped forward and said "I am surprised you found us.  I would have thought it difficult."

When Chris explained the workings of the pokedex, showing the legendary the mapping software they'd used to track him, he almost laughed at finding himself stuck in the middle of nowhere, with three huge furry heads solemnly regarding the device on his wrist, while Skyy stood to the side, a wry grin on his face.

Entei rumbled "This isn't good, 'eh.  Not sure I like the idea of having someone able to track us down so easily."

Suicine raised his head primly.  "Not 'us", brother.  Just "him"" he said, jerking his nose towards Raikou, who scowled darkly.

"If you can think of a way to release me from the ball safely, in a way there is no risk of coming down with a bad case of dead, feel obliged to contribute your vast, withheld wisdom, Suicine!" growled the legendary, before turning to Entei and continuing "That goes double for you, smart arse.  I need your wise cracks like a hole in my head, and having been in enough grief lately with the humans, that's already been a distinct possibility!"

Entei continued to grin, but declined further comment. Chris shot Skyy a look, and caught the almost imperceptible shrug of the lucario's shoulders.  Clearly, he had no idea how to handle the new pair, either.

Clearing his throat softly, he drew their eyes back to him and said "So, sorry for the interruption, but given how much Skyy and I have been involved with this situation, don't you think we deserve being kept informed of everything that's going on, here?"  Turning to Raikou, who unusually avoided his look, he entreated "Aren't we friends, big guy?  Are all these secrets really necessary?"

Raikou turned away for a moment, eyes downcast as he took several deep breaths, before moving forward to rest his head against Chris's chest.  Surprised, the human gave his big ears a scratch, not missing the loaded looks being exchanged between Suicine and Entei, who regarded their brother's behaviour somewhat dubiously.  Even Chris with his limited human hearing heard the blue pokemon whisper to Entei in his high voice "He's gone all soft in the head since being captured!  Look at him!"

Raikou dropped his head further, emitting a deep growl Chris could feel through his chest, before he pulling his head away from Chris, marching to Suicine and hissed "Piss off!" in an extremely uncharacteristic outburst.  At the affronted look from Suicine, the anger turned to wry amusement, and Raikou snorted, shaking his head as he moved back to Chris and Skyy and said "There's a reason we tend to keep an amicable distance from each other most of the time, being brothers notwithstanding."  Tilting his head towards the pair of legendaries, he whispered to Chris loudly enough for the pair of pokemon to hear "They're bloody annoying!"

Suicine raised his nose in the air, ignoring the implied slight, before moving to preen his front paws, while Entei continued to simply grin broadly at them.

With a sigh, Raikou pointed to a nearby patch of grass beneath a large, weathered rock wall, dropping to his haunches as Skyy and Chris took a seat beside him.  The other two ranged themselves further afield, pretending indifference, but clearly paying close attention to the discussion.

"Well, it began like this...."

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As Barklay called a late lunch, J.B leaned back in his chair at the conference table, back cracking as he stretched some of the worse kinks from his spine.  His muscles ached from simply sitting there, and he cursed inwardly the inevitability of age.

The meeting had been surprisingly productive.  While he initially considered that his input may be a moot point, it turned out his knowledge of criminal and business activity back home was essential.  These Rangers here, while great people, were naive to the real workings of syndicated organised crime as he had come to encounter and expect it.  While it reflected the relative decency of the people on this world as a whole, if the Rangers had a hope of defeating a company as entrenched as Sinnotech, they needed to start thinking on a global scale; something they had little experience with.  He'd decided by mid morning that it was experience he was more than willing to share with them.

Still, they were a long way off a solution.  J.B had the feeling that even the Ranger's were feeling a little overwhelmed with the fight they'd taken on, although none of them would ever admit anything of the sort.  It brought his mind sharply back to the early conversation he'd had with Scott, at their initial encounter, on the risks to his own world posed by this one.

Snorting in wry amusement, J.B realised all his fears were unjustified.  The truth was, if anything, this world should be more concerned about his owns reaction.

J.B made the decision, there and then, that this place deserved protection; whether from the governments of his world, Sinnotech, or anyone else who wanted to use them for their own advantage.  It was a goal worthy of his time, and perhaps a legacy to Tim in offering his experience to the Rangers.

Involved in his musings, he hadn't realised the rest of the group had already risen.  It wasn't until a large paw landed heavily on his shoulder that he turned in surprise to regard Storm's furred face, as the pokemon Ranger leaned down to grin at him.

"Lunch time" he growled, reaching out a paw to help the human rise.  "I'm needing food.  Wanna join me?"

J.B nodded, looking around for Scott, but Storm shook his head and said "He won't be coming.  Damn workaholic, when he gets in this mood.  Me, I value dinner over deliberations anytime."

J.B followed the pokemon through the room, weaving past chairs as they made their way to the lift.  With the cafeteria on the top floor of the building, the elevator doors soon opened onto a vista of wide glass windows, distant mountains visible through a slight smoke haze.

"Impressive" said J.B, and it was.  Certainly beat the smog filled view through the tiny windows of his office back home. 

Joining the queue at the counter, J.B nearly fell as something small, hairy and green shot between his legs to rocket across the room, joining a distant trainer who waved at him in apology.

"Shit!" he cursed, as his fruit juice slopped onto the tray.  A steadying hand from the typhlosion prevented him falling, but he regarded his juice soaked sandwich dryly.

Seeing so many pokemon out in a food area was a surprise, given the hygiene paranoia back home surrounding animals in eating areas.  Still, the whole pokemon thing had him stumped.  Then the hypocrisy had him smiling wryly, shaking his head as he sat down opposite a towering blue and cream monster, amicably sharing a meal with the creature.

Storm must have seen the movement, as through a mouth full of salad, he said " Buck for your thoughts."

J.B eyed him and, human or not, decided he was as close to a friend as he'd made since coming here.

Suddenly, he felt he needed a friend pretty badly.

Pushing his half eaten meal away, he leaned back, sipping on his juice and said "I just don't get it; this pokemon thing."

Eyebrow raised, Storm stopped stuffing his face to regard the human in surprise.  "Whadda ya mean "The pokemon thing"?  What about it?"

J.B waved a hand around, gesturing at the controlled chaos around them.  "I mean, what's the deal?  What's this obsession with owning and training pokemon?"

Storm shrugged.  "It's always been this way.  We didn't start it.  But we live with it."

J.B eyed him intently.  "But they don't need to be here.  They could be off in the wild, living their lives, not pandering to the needs of the human's here.  Why do they stay?  Is it those pokeball things...?"

Storm let out a growl, and shook his head, leaning forward across the table "No!  It's not the balls...not entirely."

"So, why not leave?"

Storm cursed, sitting back sharply.  "Because we choose not to!"

"You choose not to?"

Storm nodded again, watching him intently.  " We share this planet with you humans.  If we don't accept our lives are intertwined, then where would that leave it?  A constant battle between us for simple existence? You human's may think you're tough, but if push came to shove, if the pokemon decided it was a "you or us" scenario, purely on numbers there'd be no "you" left!  But that's a path few of us have ever chosen.  We stay because we choose to stay.  For the friendship.  For love.  For our work.  Heck, sometimes just for something to do. Some of us love to battle.  Others hate it.  But understand, it is OUR choice to remain!  While the ball binds us to the trainer, they do not completely hold us against our will.  Let's face it; most of us, even the least of us, could wipe the floor with your scrawny human arses without breaking a sweat, and you could never guard yourselves 100% of the time against us.  Do you think, if we REALLY didn't want to be here, we couldn't make your lives completely miserable, forcing you to the point of either releasing us, or getting rid of us?  No, we stay with you humans because we hope that by merging our lives with yours, it will prevent any direct conflict, and one day perhaps may lead to equality... "

J.B wasn't convinced.  "Yet, here you are.  You're a professional Ranger.  Highly trained and educated, unlike most of those out there." he said, nodding at the pokemon nearby.  "You talk and think just as we do.  Yet, you're still tied to Scott's pokeball, just like all those other pokemon, for all intents a captive.  Why do you, of all people, tolerate that?"

Storm sat back, looking him up and down curiously.  "You really don't get it, do you?" he whispered in his gruff voice.  When J.B went to reply, Storm shook his head, over riding his response.  "Do you think I stay because of the ball?" he said quietly, watching the human intently.  Leaning across the table, he said "I stay for only one reason.  Because I love Scott!  I love him from the bottom of my heart.  Whether you get that through your dense head or not, I don't give a flying fuck.  But, that's the fact.  If I wanted to leave, ball or not, I could be out of here so fast you wouldn't see me leave".

Voice low, his eyes burned as a trace of smoke leaking from his muzzle.  He whispered "And if anyone tried to stop me, they'd be dead before their smouldering carcass hit the ground."

J.B stared at him, unafraid.  "Yeah, but don't tell me everyone treats you as equals.  I've seen you tense up when some idiot slights you, without even being aware of it.  Or when they defer to Scott, because he's a human and you're not.  Don't deny it.  They take you for granted."

"And you humans don't do the same with your “animals”, back on your world?"

J.B shrugged.  "They're not sentient.  You are, obviously."

Storm watched the officer intently, slowly relaxing as he deliberated the other's reply.

"No, I see now you really don't get it at all." he sighed, standing abruptly and reaching out a hand to help the surprised human to his feet.  "I think you need a different perspective on this..."

As the typhlosion marched through the diner, scattering smaller pokemon and human's in his wake, J.B followed cautiously, admittedly curious as to the other's intentions.  They took the lift down past the ground floor reception to the sub basement, doors opening onto a well lit clinical environment reminiscent of any small town hospital floor.  Storm continued through the hallways, reaching a set of doors at the end, and bursting into a brightly lit office.  The Ranger on duty started at his approach, before beaming up at the typhlosion and standing to slap his paws in greeting.

Turning to the policeman, Storm said "Karl, this is J.B.  Our distant "out of town" temporary Ranger."

"Yeah, I've heard of him." said the short, blond haired human, examining him intently.  "Out of town being the operative word."

J.B shrugged, and shook his offered hand.  But even as Karl went to speak to him further, he was interrupted by Storm, who tapped his shoulder and said "So, what you got new for us?"

Karl spun, giving him a glance before returning to his desk computer.  "In a hurry, are we?  Well then..."

Flicking down the menus, he drew a finger down the screen, reading off options displayed there.

"Got a squirtle some kid left for dead in Tarren Town.  Umm, that ratticade from Bromelia; the one in the fighting ring.  Nasty one, that one..."

"What is this place?" interrupted J.B curiously as the human paused, eyeing the pictures of pokemon lining the walls.  Many showed injuries, some mild and some severe, as well as mug shots of various human's who looked less than happy to have been photographed.

Intent on the screen, Storm said "Pokemon rehab.  This is where rescued or abandoned pokemon generally end up, following a Ranger's raid or intervention.  Those that can’t be homed elsewhere, anyway."

J.B stood surprised, returning to the pictures reluctantly.  Most weren't exactly happy snaps, and he could appreciate the need for the Ranger's to have a department handling such matters.

Storm mumbled "Need something simple, even an idiot could....  Hey, this is interesting....  What about this one?"

Karl looked at him in surprise.  "The zorua?  The one whose mother was slaughtered by those bastards during that pokemon breeding farm raid?  We know hardly anything about that dark type!”  Eyeing the typhlosion dumbfounded, he stuttered “You're not serious?"

Storm nodded slowly, watching his fellow Ranger with a smirk on his muzzle, clandestinely turning to scrutinize the otherworldly officer as he muttered "Is she dangerous?"

Karl hesitated a moment, before continuing.  "Err, not exactly.  At least, we don't think so.  As I said, we know sweet F.A about her kind.  But she's a bit of a mess, and doesn't like human's much, poor kid.  Not surprising, after all she's seen and been through.  But regardless, she'd be a real handful..."

Storm slapped the Ranger on the back and nodded, long fangs showing past his smile.  "A distraction like that could be all some people need..."

Karl sighed, and said morosely "Hell, it's your funeral!” moving his mouse to the select button on the menu, and shoving a blank pokeball from a large open box into the receptacle on the side of the machine.  Turning back to J.B, who was still intently looking at the wall pictures, he called out "Got your card?"

J.B turned to him in surprise, and said "What?"

Impatient, Ranger Karl said "I.D Card!  They gave you one upstairs, surely?"

"An Interim Card?  Yeah, I have that somewhere." J.B said, reaching into a pocket and pulling it out, only to have it snatched from his fingers by the seated Ranger.  Karl slid it through a card reader on the desk, pressing several more keys until a bright red flash lit the room.

With a sigh, Karl leaned back to return the ID card to the bemused officer, and handed the newly imprinted pokeball to Storm with a dubious look.  Eyeing it, the typhlosion rolled it carefully in one hand, before handing it to the surprised J.B, who took it gingerly between his fingers.

"There's only one way you're going to understand us, human" the typhlosion growled, staring at him with sombre eyes.  "You need to truly live with us."

Looking down at the ball in his hands, J.B's fingers curled around it involuntarily as he raised his wide eyes and whispered "Oh no!  You didn't...?"

He nearly fell, almost dropping the ball as the pokemon gave him a heavy clout across his back, sending him staggering.  "Hey, you might even enjoy it!  Just take good care of her, Trainer, and good luck..."

Storm turned to thank Karl for his help, before patting J.B on the shoulder.  The officer was still staring at the ball in shock.

Watching him curiously, the smirk dropped from the typhlosion's muzzle as he said quietly "I think you're going to need it, human..." 

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Author's note:

I promised you an interesting one, so I hope I delivered.

Bloody long one, too.  Near half again as long as most other chapters.

But all the fun and games to come!  How awkward!

We got Bill waking up with a sexy fuzzball, and a guilt trip from hell.

Chris and Skyy learning the secret of secrets from the legendary trio, while still managing to avoid being eaten for lunch.

And now J.B placed in an impossible position; one he could never have conceived himself entertaining.

Hmm, why have I the horrible impression I've just hoisted my own petard, and blown this story’s length out to kingdom come?

Oh well.  At over 120,000 words total, it's already average mainstream novel length.  Let's make a real saga of it ;)