The Door

Here is a special peek into an alternate universe! One where everyone's gender is swapped! It was a lot of fun and kinda a trip to go back and rewrite previous parts of the story. I hope you all like it!

And, I hope you all like the picture WastedTimeEE drew of Marigold (the female version of Marcus) in a family photo with her mom and dad, Zelda (Zach's female alternate version) and Varun (Vanna's male form)! It came out just so gosh dang cute and sweet! You can find it here on my SoFurry page in the link below! You can also find it on Wasted's pages over there and on FurAffinity!

Found (Genderswapped Shenanigans)

By

ShadowBunnyDragon

"What's the matter, Puppy Love?" Don asked, the diminutive ram reaching up to take the large gray she-wolf's paw in his hooves. Vera looked down at her mate with a smile before letting out a sigh, her ears and tail drooping a bit.

"Sweet sawgrass, Honey Ram," she said, rubbing her temple with her free paw. "That last place... did ya see the way that guy was looking at us? Ya'd think we were drooling, snarling monsters the way he acted!"

"I know, Vera," Don said with a note of sadness in his voice, "that is to be expected. B-between us being a pred/prey couple... and my criminal history... adopting for us was never going to be easy." The ram looked down at his hooves, only to be swept up into a (near) bone crushing hug by his much larger mate.

"Honey Ram, ya've more than made up fer that. Yer a hero! Anyone who holds yer past against ya like this, ta this degree, is just bein' more stubborn than Ma can be." Don let out a surprised OOF, but recovered and started to rub his mate's arms with his hooves. "We're two mammals lookin' to give some pups a lovin' and stable home, and gettin' passed over like that... it just ain't right."

"I know, Puppy," Don said as he was set back down. He adjusted his tie and lime green sweater vest. Rather than a full suit and tie, Don had decided to dress more upscale casual, so as to leave a good impression. Vera was wearing a light blue sundress. Normally a bit more tomboyish, she too had decided that their chances would be helped by dressing up a bit. "I suppose we have no choice but to just keep pressing forward. If it's any consolation, this place seemed much more promising than the previous one when I booked our appointment. And that was after they had completed a full background check on us." Looking up at his mate, Don's heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile that grew on Vera's muzzle. He was reminded daily of just how much he loved this she-wolf. It had been five years since their tithe and the subsequent caprid ceremony, but they still acted like newlyweds.

"I really hope that there's a little pup and lamb in there that we can open our home to," Vera said, standing up straighter and smoothing out her dress.

"I'm sure we will!" Holding his hoof in her much larger paw, Vera and Don walked up the well-maintained sidewalk path, Vera spotting the sign on the manicured front lawn.

"Warm Hearts, Warm Hearth's Children's Center," she read aloud. The red brick building, not being too far from Little Rodentia, was itself a bit on the small side. From the children's drawings taped to the windows to how well-kept the property was, it gave off more of a cozy feeling, as opposed to the more austere feeling the last facility gave off. It was a very welcome contrast to the couple as they entered the front doorway.

"Welcome," said a male kangaroo with a kind smile as he entered the reception area, wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans. Out from a nearby doorway came the excited squeals and happy laughter of children. "How can I help you?"

"W-we're the Hunter-Bellwethers. I believe that we spoke on the phone?" Don said, adjusting his glasses.

"Ah yes," the kangaroo said, heading on over to his desk and motioning for the couple to sit down in the chairs opposite it. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter-Bellwether. I'm Adam Hopper, by the way, director here at Warm Hearts, Warm Hearths. You two are early, by the way."

"We're just that eager ta adopt," Vera said, still holding Don's hoof in her paw. She could feel him give her a reassuring squeeze.

"I like that," Adam said, "and if you two are here, then that means that you have been approved to adopt."

The wolf and ram could hardly believe their ears. They shared a look, both with excited grins on their faces, before looking back to Adam.

"That's wonderful news," Don said. Vera was silent, but her tail thumping her chair spoke volumes to her joy. It was then that Don spotted a small wire picture frame on the desk, containing a picture of the kangaroo before them and a tiger, both wearing white tuxedos, the latter nuzzling the former. Don had to stop himself from cooing at how precious the moment captured was, but Adam seemed to have noticed. There was a certain sparkle in his eye as he continued.

"My mate and I know how hard it can be for pred/prey couples to adopt. But I want to assure you both that you have nothing to worry about moving forward."

"Uhm," Don said, shifting a bit in his seat, "a-are you sure? I mean... y-you must know about my... past."

"Mr. Hunter-Bellwether," Adam said, taking note of how the she-wolf leaned down to hug her smaller mate, "everyone makes mistakes in their past. What is important is that you have not only been able to move past it, but even gone on to become a hero to the entire city, at great risk to yourself no less. I promise you, there is no problem here." Don and Vera both felt assured by that. "Now, moving on, you said on the phone that you would prefer children older than infants or toddlers?"

"Y-yes," Don said, feeling suddenly nervous again.

"We know that most couples tend ta adopt the really little ones more than the older pups," Vera explained, "so we were hopin' ta make a difference fer some pups more in the six ta nine age-range."

"Understandable, and you really will." Adam smiled again, quickly getting back to business. "Now, you also expressed a desire to adopt a wolf and a sheep? May I ask why that is?"

"W-well, we felt that it would probably help us to connect with them and better guide them through certain things and instincts in life. L-like the headbutting phase," Don said with a blush. He received a kiss to his forehead from Vera.

"And o'course, the howling urges," the she-wolf said simply. "But we'll still happily adopt outside our species, so it's not a dealbreaker."

"Absolutely! We just want to be parents!" Don chimed in.

Adam chuckled at that. "That's good to hear," he said, pulling out a file from his desk and opening it. He grabbed a photo and passed it to the couple. "As it just so happens, we have a trio that fits what you're looking for almost perfectly." The ram and she-wolf looked down at the photo to see three young mammals, smiling and hugging in a pose for the camera. One was a black wolf pup, wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, with bright yellow eyes. Then there was a little black-wooled ewe, in a yellow sundress. And sandwiched in between the two was... a largely furless mammal. He, as Don presumed the child was a boy, was wearing a similar shirt and shorts to the wolf pup. He had a shaggy patch of chestnut brown fur atop his head, but based on the rest of his face and arms and legs, he looked like he was otherwise devoid of any fur.

"This cute little trio think of each other as siblings, and have refused to be separated. The oldest, the little wolf boy, is Alex. He's eight. Tiffany, a sweetheart, is the ewe, and she's seven. And there in the middle is little Leon. He's six."

"Oh my... well, we only discussed having two lambs... but I don't think that three would be a problem, Puppy?" Don looked up at his mate, who was looking between him and the picture. Her tail was still wagging.

"True... three is a bigger commitment than two already was... but I ain't gunna go separatin' siblings from one another, even ones not related by blood. Though, I gotta ask, what species is little Leon? Don't get me wrong, he seems just as adorable as his brother and sister. I just never saw one of... whatever he is before," Vera said.

Adam began to rub the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. "Well, that's the thing. We don't know. We even had a sample of his DNA tested, but all we got back was an Unknown. And he doesn't match any kind of species on any registry we've been able to find. So... he's still an unknown species. And all we have to go on is that he was picked up from the streets at around age three or four."

"Oh," Don said, looking down at the picture again. "The poor little guy. He must've been so scared!"

Vera frowned at the thought of a child that young being all alone without anyone to take care of them, and let out a small whine. "Not knowin' what his species is might make it a bit harder ta relate ta him or some of the things his species goes through as they get older... but whatever he is. He and his brother and sister are more than welcome ta join our little pack... if'n they want. Right, Ramchop?"

Don looked up at his mate and, hopping up in his seat, he reached up to kiss his she-wolf on her nose.

"Of course, Puppy," Don said, handing back the photo to Adam, who kept in a snicker at how cute the couple across from him was together.

"Well, in that case, how about we introduce you two to them, and move on from there?" With an enthusiastic assent from the couple, Adam got up and led them through a short hallway into a room with some couches in it. Vera and Don took a seat on a maroon leather couch across from a navy blue one and waited while the kangaroo exited to go and get the children. Adam returned shortly afterwards, herding three young mammals into the room. Right away, Don and Vera noticed how Alex, who was wearing a red shirt with black shorts, was placing himself in front of the other two protectively, looking over at the two strange mammals with determined yellow eyes. Tiffany, who was wearing a blue dress similar to Vera's with a matching bow on her head floof, and Leon, who was in a green shirt and blue shorts, were both looking over his shoulder, soft hazel and curious deep blue respectively. Leon, despite being the youngest, seemed to be taller than his brother and sister, and was hugging a green stuffed dragon to his chest. Nervously, the three walked to the other couch and took a seat on it, huddling close together. Don and Vera both had to hold back a coo at the cuteness.

"Alex, Tiffany, Leon, this is Mr. and Mrs. Hunter-Bellwether; what do we say when we meet new people?" Adam asked in a gentle voice.

"H-hi," Tiffany spoke first. This was chorused by Leon and Alex.

"Hi there, pups!" Vera said, excited. Her tail was making a thumping sound against the couch where she sat, and that made Leon and Tiffany giggle. Alex turned to look at his siblings, before looking back at the strange couple before them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you three," Don said, beaming at the little lambs. After the initial introductions, the conversation continued, albeit a bit awkwardly at first. Don and Vera learned that Alex loved soccer, Tiffany enjoyed writing, and Leon liked to draw and explore.

"Are you going to adopt us?" Tiffany asked, putting a hoof around Leon and pulling him into a side hug. "'Cause Leon's our baby brother, and where we go, he comes with." The little ewe was polite, but very firm in her statement. Adam looked shocked and a little worriedly at Don and Vera, who both seemed to be holding back chuckles at the brave little lamb.

"Well, if y'all three don't mind the idea of us becommin' yer parents, we really would like ta adopt all three of ya," Vera said. At that, the pups seemed to relax a bit.

"You three do deserve to know that... because we're a predator and prey couple, we sometimes receive harassment for it. And... well, we just wanted to make sure you knew that, before deciding if you would like to come home with us." Don suddenly realized just how nervous he felt at that moment. Vera took his hoof in her paw and gave it another reassuring squeeze. The children huddled together on the couch, whispering to each other. Vera's ears twitched as she heard Leon's voice lightly drift over as he said "I think they're nice." Seeming to have reached a consensus, the three broke apart the huddle and, with Alex acting as the spokemammal for their group, he cleared his throat.

"... So long as me, my brother, and my sister can all stay together... then yes," Alex said, starting off sounding confident and strong, but his voice breaking a little at the end there, his little tail tucking itself as his ears started to droop a bit. Vera felt an urge to go over and give the pup a hug, but restrained herself. Instead, she and Don excitedly grinned and spoke with the children for almost another half an hour. When it was time for them to go, Adam led the children away, returning to see the couple out, and assure them that from that point onward, the adoption process was going to be much quicker. In a few more days, the couple would be able to take their children home with them. Walking back out and towards the minivan they had gotten, the she-wolf stopped and swept her mate up into another hug, which he was of course happy to return.

"This is really happening, Honey Ram," Vera said "it's like a dream!"

"I know, Puppy," Don said, suddenly finding himself sitting on Vera's shoulder. He let out an involuntary laugh-bleat. "We're about to become parents! Oh! There is so much we need to do now!"

"I know, darlin'! We gotta start clearin' out a third room, and triple check that the house is safe fer pups. And then we should probably hit up a toy store or two, and we'll need ta get a third bed for Leon, and then--" Vera was cut off by Don grabbing her head and turning it towards him. His lips met hers, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him. Breaking apart, she felt a bit calmer, although her tail felt like it might just go ahead and break off from how hard it was wagging.

"Y'know, Honey Ram," Vera said as they continued to their car, now a husky tone to her voice, "when we get home, just because we're adoptin', that doesn't mean we can't try the old fashioned way to have yet another pup runnin' around with the three we're already gettin'." As the two buckled up, with Vera in the driver's seat, she leaned over and began to nuzzle the now-blushing Don, who had to remove his fogged-up glasses.

"I do believe that you make a very valid point, Puppy Love," he said, turning to look up at his mate with love and adoration in his eyes, that were mirrored in the bright green ones looking back at him. The two shared another kiss just as Vera turned the key in the ignition.

* * *

"Thankfully she was brought in when she was. The injury to the leg was beginning to show signs of infection," Doctor Catson said, adjusting her glasses as she looked up at Doreen. The lynx was consulting a chart, a slight frown on her muzzle. "If she had been out there much longer, she'd be potentially looking at a major infection. Which, when considering how malnourished she is, and her living conditions..." she trailed off, not needing to spell it out to the law she-wolf.

"Accordin' to my daughter and her mate, the two did some poking around the areas they believed she was livin'. Apparently she's been living off of foragin' and creek water, and some kinda canned foods. Sleepin' outside, I'm surprised she didn't get pneumonia, considerin' how wet and cold it's been lately."

"It's a miracle she was found when she was... but there's something else." Doctor Catson's small frown was now much more pronounced. This made Doreen pause.

"What is it, Layla?"

"Based... on her behavior, as well as some physical scarring, I believe that she had been subjected to physical abuse," the lynx said, her ears drooping.

Doreen grimaced but nodded, having had a similar thought based on how terrified the girl had been. Not to mention how she jumped from even the slightest noise or whenever someone spoke.

"Ya mentioned scarring?"

Layla nodded, shuffling her documents a bit, holding out a couple of photos to the white she-wolf. Doreen looked them over.

"There's scarring on the backs of her paws, but those pale in comparison to the ones on her back."

Doreen saw for herself in the picture, the small series of faded pink lines going down the backs of the child's paws. It was when she looked at the photo of her back that caused Doreen to wince, and even let out a whine. The child's back was a crisscross network of much larger, more fervent-looking scars that were much more pronounced, and nearly covered the entirety of her back. Doreen handed the photos back, a sick feeling in her gut.

"Know what coulda done something like that?" Doreen asked, a few ideas of her own in the back of her mind.

"Well, a knife or even a claw is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. However, it is in my opinion that the injuries to her back were caused by a whip."

Doreen winced again, the idea of those having been scars from a whip having been a theory that she was hoping had not been the case. After confirming that Child Services had been contacted, Doreen started to head towards the room that the mystery mammal was in, an idea beginning to take root in her mind. She quietly opened the door, entering with a practiced warm smile on her muzzle, taking slow and deliberate steps so as not to spook her.

"Now, Pup," Doreen said as she settled into the chair by the hospital bed. She looked at the older mystery mammal, who sat there in a hospital gown, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked upon the older law she-wolf with blue eyes filled with worry and fear. Doreen tok some solace in the fact that the girl was no longer shivering. "How about we start with somethin' simple, like yer name?"

"M-my name?" the young girl asked, scooting a little bit away on the bed, looking confused.

"Yep. Mine's Doreen." She gave what she hoped was a comforting smile.

"U-uh..." The girl looked away as she started to speak, now trying to make her voice sound deeper. "M-Marcus."

Doreen sighed and shook her head, internally muttering something about Pups not being good at lying. "Sorry, Pup, but yer gunna have ta do better than that."

Flinching a little, the furless mammal looked to be mulling it over. "Uh... I m-meant to say... my name's Eli?" Doreen just looked at her with an unamused, half-lidded stare. "B-Barry," she squeaked out, the falsetto now gone. After a moment of silence, she hanged her head, realizing the jig was up, and looked Doreen in the eyes. "M-my name is a-actually... Marigold."

Doreen's tail started to wag as her frown broke into a happy smile. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"... I g-guess not," Marigold said, gulping audibly.

"Now, mind tellin' me why you tried ta claim y'all were a boy?"

"... B-because p-people always said b-bad things happen to girls when they go into the 'system'," Marigold said.

"I promise that nothin's gunna happen ta ya so long as I'm around, Miss Marigold. Ya can count on that," Doreen said with a wag of her tail. "Now, how old are ya?"

"... 18."

Doreen sighed and just silently sat there, staring at the girl. Marigold fidgeted and squirmed before sighing.

"I j-just turned 12," she said, now a look of pleading in her eyes. "P-please don't p-put me in the system! I can take care of myself!"

"Oh, can ya now?" Doreen asked, pointedly looking to the bandage wrapped around the girl's calf. "'Cause according ta the doctor, that little injury there was close ta becomin' infected. And also, from the tests they ran, yer pretty underweight. How long were you out in the woods?"

"Uh... m-maybe a month?"

"And ya were by yerself that whole time?"

Marigold just nodded silently at that, a couple silent tears streaming down her pale cheeks. The sight hurt the she-wolf's heart. Looking at the vulnerable, frightened young girl sitting there, Doreen couldn't help thinking about her own girls. The idea of any one of them, being left alone at such a young age, to fend for themselves in the wilderness, made Doreen want to howl in anger and sorrow.

"Where are yer parents?" Doreen asked. Seeing how the girl began to hyperventilate at that question, once she calmed back down, the she-wolf decided to hold off on questioning further in that area for the time being. Noticing how the girl kept nodding off, Doreen smiled.

"Ya know, yer not the first of yer species I've encountered," Doreen said, taking note of the look of worry in the girl's eyes.

"I-I'm not?"

"Nope. My daughter and her mate actually adopted a group of pups not too long ago, and the youngest, my little grandson Leon, is one of yer species. And he's just the sweetest little guy. But the thing of it is... he doesn't know what yer species is called, and no one we've been askin' seems to have encountered anyone like y'all before either. So I was wonderin' iffin' you could tell me what yer species' name is?"

"... H-human," Marigold said in a faint voice, looking very confused.

"Uman? Mind spellin' that fer me?" Marigold did, after stifling a yawn.

"Okay, you've answered enough questions so far, missy. Right now it looks ta me like you could use some shuteye," Doreen said. While her mate Addy was the more emotional and nurturing of their tithing, she still had mothering skills she had developed after raising seven pups. The older she-wolf gently took the blanket and pulled it up over Marigold. The furless young mammal seemed surprised at first, before letting out a big yawn and laying down.

"Uhm... th-thank you, sheriff," Marigold said in a sleepy voice.

"Yer welcome, Marigold. Now, we'll be nearby if ya need us. I promise, ya ain't gunna be alone anymore," Doreen said softly as she exited the room. Walking out into the waiting area, she had to hold back a snort. She saw Yuki sitting with her arms crossed, looking annoyed, with a large quartz crystal sitting on her head. Right next to her was Undine, who was slowly waving another, smaller crystal, looking like an amethyst, around Yuki's head.

"This will align your chakras and help alleviate some of that stress I am sensing coming off you, Yuke." Doreen held back a chuckle at the sight of her daughters, the two younger black she-wolves oblivious to their mother's amusement. It was while looking around that Doreen spotted just the russet-and gray-colored she-wolf she was looking for, currently talking on her phone.

"Zelda," Doreen said, getting her attention. Zelda saw that her mother was motioning for her to follow, so she made quick work of hanging up and entering an empty room right behind Doreen. With the door closed, the white wolf looked upon her daughter with a smile on her muzzle.

"So what's happenin' with the girl, Ma?" Zelda asked.

"Well, that's what I wanted ta talk to ya about, Hun," Doreen started, a sly smile on her muzzle. "See, as ya can tell, she's had a bit of a rough go o' thangs, and is now all alone. And I personally hate the idea of her just goin' ta some foster home where she will be the only known member of her species. And, what's more, Vera and Don haven't been able to uncover any information about Leon's species, so it wouldn't really be a benefit fer anyone fer the poor gal ta just be shipped off to who knows where and surrounded by strangers. At least here we've been able to build a rapport..."

At that, Zelda's ears perked up and her tail started to wag. "So you and Pa are gunna take her in!"

Doreen chuckled at that. "Well, I'm sure Addy would be more than happy ta. But, we're makin' some... alterations at the ranch."

"So Don and Vera then?"

"I'd be willin' ta bet good money that they'd be willin' ta as well, but with the new pups 'n all, they don't really got that much space..."

"But, then, who else? Yuki and Adamo have barely enough time fer themselves over in Seaotter, and... wait a sec, Ma. Hold the phone!"

"What? You and Varun have that big 'ol house all ta yerselves, plus I know that Addy would just love to have another grandpup nearby ta dote on and spoil."

"Yeah, but," Zelda said, now looking thoughtful.

"Plus she's gunna need some stability with a good, permanent home. And you and Varun said ya were both talkin' 'bout adoptin'."

"... I'll have ta talk with Varun about this first," Zelda said, sounding like her mind was elsewhere, her tail starting to wag. Doreen bit down on a smirk, knowing that her daughter had already been sold on the idea.

"Absolutely! You go on and think what I said over and talk to yer mate." Doreen watched Zelda head out the door to look for the large tiger, and waited until she was out of earshot before pulling out her phone. Tapping on it, she dialed up a number. The other end rang a few times before it was picked up.

"Hey, Xena, I'm so sorry, Sweetheart, I know ya and Melly are enjoyin' some much needed R and R, but Zelda and Varun really need yer help right now. See, they decided ta become foster parents. Yes, that's right, the pup we found in the woods."

Elsewhere in the hospital, Zelda had found her mate sitting with the other Hunter boys (as they like to call themselves), with Tarin having been sitting on his head. Seeing his mate wanting a word alone, he had plucked the black-furred fox tod off his head, and instead deposited the small canid onto the head of a certain hyena.

"Hey! My head ain't no jungle-gym!" Adamo barked out in his Barx accent. Varun chuckled as he walked off so he and Zelda could speak. Of all the things he had been expecting, what came out of his she-wolf's mouth was not one of them.

"You want us to become foster parents to that poor girl?" he asked, scratching his chin.

"I know it's sudden, but we need ta act now! She needs stability and Ma and Pa can't provide it 'cause... well, Ma didn't elaborate as ta why she and Pa can't do it, but the point still stands!"

"Hmm," Varun looked to be deep in thought as Zelda continued.

"Plus, Don and Vera need all the help they can get in understanding all they can about Leon's species. And on top of that we've both agreed that we want to adopt. Granted, we thought about getting a feline or a canid child, but I think we could provide an excellent home for her and--"

"I agree," Varun said, his deep and soft voice cutting off the she-wolf mid-explanation.

"... Huh?" Zelda was stunned.

Varun chuffed happily and smiled at his mate, his tail swishing as he wrapped his powerful arms around her waist, making her blush as he nuzzled the top of her head.

"I'll admit I'm a little nervous about becoming a father, even a foster father. But... I like the idea of opening our home to the poor girl. And with Mama and Papa Hunter being nearby, it's not like we would be truly on our own."

Zelda's tail became a blur of joy, fighting back the urge to howl in pure excitement. She had been warned twice before if she did so in the hospital again that she would be given a fine. "I know we're probably gunna have ta take it slow... but I'm just so excited at the idea! Us, having a daughter!" The two shared a long and passionate kiss.

* * *

Morning sunlight cascaded through the bedroom window, bathing everything it touched in a warm golden glow. This included the cuddled up forms of Vera and Don, the former of which was practically encircling the latter with her body. Slowly, the two began to stir. Don's eyes fluttered open as he buried his face in his mate's neck ruff, while Vera affectionately nuzzled his head floof.

"Mornin', Floofy," Vera said with a smile, her tail thumping the bed.

"Good morning, Puppy," Don replied with a yawn and a smile.

Vera looked her mate over as she stretched a little. "Ya had the dream again, didn't'cha?"

The ram winced and nodded. "Y-yes, but instead of it just being Diana and my m-mother, there were also what I think my subconscious decided were what adult humans looked like for my dream. Only instead of looking more like Marigold or just a taller Leon, they had long gangly arms with many different joints, and could unhinge their jaws. And they kept trying to take Leon away with them." Don shuddered at the memory of the dream, feeling comfort from Vera gently pulling him closer.

"Hey, now, that's never gunna happen, Darlin'," Vera said, looking Don in the eye. "Leon, just like his brother and sister, is our pup, and no one is gunna take any of them from us."

"I know, Puppy Love... but a part of me just can't stop worrying."

"That's just you being a good dad." Vera smiled and kissed her ram on his nose, making him blush and let out a happy bleat. Don snickered and reached up into Vera's ruff, easily finding the spot he was looking for and scratching it. Vera's right leg immediately started to twitch as her tongue lolled out and she rolled over, unable to stop herself. Don stopped when he heard some giggling coming from their bedroom door. Vera's ears twitching at the sound, the two turned to look and saw their children poking their heads through, only to suddenly dart back out having been caught.

"Am I correct to believe that some little lambs decided to peek in on Mommy and Daddy this morning?" Don called out with a smile on his muzzle. There were some giggles outside the door, before the children apparently composed themselves, and opened it properly. In they came, with Alex in the lead carrying a tray with food on it, followed close behind by Tiffany, who was cuddling her new wolf plush named Mrs. Sniffy, and Leon, who was carrying a relaxing Sir Callibrie in his arms, the little lizard looking about and letting out a content chirp. The children were still all in their pj's, Alex in his soccer-themed pajamas, Tiffany in her yellow nightgown, and Leon wearing his much-too-large for him black Samurai Snakes t-shirt over gray pajama bottoms.

"Happy birthday, Daddy!" the little human boy called out in excitement.

"Uh... w-we thought you might like breakfast in bed?" Alex said, looking away and trying to sound casual, but his perked up ears and slowly wagging tail were a dead giveaway for his anticipation. Don let out a coo at the cuteness before him as Vera chuckled and the two disentangled to allow the children to approach.

"Well now, that sounds so thoughtful," the ram said, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table and putting them on. Alex carefully, but quickly walked over to set the tray down in front of Don. "Now, what do we have here? Oh! Why, is that a fruit salad I spy?" Seeing Alex blush beneath his dark fur while looking away was a dead giveaway to Don. "Do I have you to thank for this thoughtful and tasty-looking salad, Alex?"

"Uh... w-well... yeah," Alex smiled as Don took a few bits of the cubed honeydew and mango, popping a strawberry in his mouth as well.

"It's delicious, thank you, Alex," Don said, leaning over and pulling his oldest son into a hug. The young wolf let out a surprised yip, but was quick to return the hug, now blushing more.

"And what's this little treat here?" Vera asked, pointing to two pieces of toast that appeared to have some kind of black frosting spread over them, with a white face drawn on, and plenty of black and white and purple sprinkles.

"I made Pirate Toast!" Leon said proudly, setting a squirming Sir Callibrie down on the bed, who darted over to Dawn and up his arm, coming to rest on his head floof, curling up to relax once again.

"Pirate Toast? Now that sounds adventurous," Don said, picking up a slice. "Did you design them to look like little pirate flags?" He smiled when Leon proudly nodded. "You are such a little artist! They look just like the real thing... only toastier!" That got a giggle from the lambs.

"I used the vanilla cake frosting I found in the cupboard, and didja know that if you mix the red, green, and blue food colorings together in it, it turns black?"

"I certainly didn't," Vera said, scooping Leon and Tiffany into her arms and setting them on her lap, her tail thumping. "What else is in it?"

"Well, I also added some sprinkles I found," Leon said as Don took a big bite of his toast, "and some red glitter!" Don froze at that, immediately feeling the tiny pieces of decorative plastic in his mouth. Vera looked to be holding back a snicker while Don continued to chew his bite, giving it a swallow while Leon looked on with joy in his eyes.

"Ah, so you did. Well... that is truly delicious, buddy, thank you." Don was quick to grab the glass of cloudy dark liquid and take a sip. It had a sweet, citrusy taste to it. "Oh my, this is lovely. What is this juice?"

"I made you Outer Space Juice, Daddy!" Tiffany squeaked.

"Now what's all in Outer Space Juice, sweetie-pie?" Vera asked, looking down at the ewe in her lap. Tiffany gazed back up at her mother with a bright smile.

"It's cranberry juice with the powdered orange drink for Astronauts mixed in! Though I wanted to pour some Deep Space Cocoa Spheres in, Alex said not to." Tiffany was very matter-of-factly about her response, letting out a giggle when Vera gave both her and her little brother a loving squeeze.

"We can make some more juice and fruit salads and pirate toast for everybody," Leon chimed in, prompting Vera to stand up, setting the two of her younger pups on her shoulders.

"Why don't I come down and help y'all with that, honey?"

"'Kay, Mommy!" Leon reached over and wrapped his little arms around her neck. The she-wolf's tail started to wag while she looked at her mate and gave him a wink. Don looked relieved as, with Leon watching, he hesitantly took another bite of the pirate toast. With the younger lambs now out of the room and down the stairs, Don sighed with relief and let out a chuckle. He then looked over to Alex, who was shuffling uncomfortably on his paws.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Don asked.

"Uh... I guess while I was busy keeping the cereal out of the juice, I musta missed Leon getting the glitter... sorry," Alex said, only to find himself being hugged again.

"There's nothing to apologize for, son," Don said with a warm and gentle smile. "That was a lovely breakfast."

Down in the kitchen, Leon was in the middle of making up some more batches of pirate toast, with Vera 'making sure thangs ran smoothly'. When Leon wasn't looking, she grabbed the jar of glitter and dumped it down the sink drain.

"Aw, shucks, honey," Vera said, feigning disappointment. "It looks like we're all out of glitter."

"Awww! But pirate toast needs glitter!" Leon looked contemplative. "I guess I'll just have to borrow some of Tiffany's glitter glue in a little bit."

Vera left Leon at the counter and took the little ewe who had been mixing some more glasses of juice together aside, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Alright, darlin', I'll give ya five bucks if ya can hide the glitter glue in yer room from Leon."

"Why, Mommy?" Tiffany whispered back.

"Uh... th-there's a glitter shortage and we need ta preserve as much as we can?"

"I'm on it!" Tiffany said, quickly running off.

"Where'd Tiffany go?" Leon asked, looking up at Vera with wide blue eyes.

"Er... she went ta go see if she can get ya that glitter glue ya mentioned. But she thinks it might be lost."

"Oh no!" Leon whined in disappointment. Vera was quick to wrap a loving arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, sugar-pie! Pirate toast can still be great even iffin' we're outta glitter of any kind." She kissed the top of his headfur, making her little boy giggle.

"Okay, Mommy!" And with that, Leon dove right back into it, using some of the frosting he had separated and not added any food coloring to it to draw the skull and crossbones on the toast.

* * *

The sun had just dipped below the horizon, the twilight slowly giving way to the growing dark. Varun sat leaning up against a tree, looking at the first twinkling stars beginning to show, letting out a contented sigh. The large tiger's ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps. His tail swished as he smiled at his mate sidling up next to him. Varun slipped an arm around Zelda's waist as she leaned into his powerful frame.

"Yer just so sweet with Marigold!" Zelda said, her tail a happy blur. "She looked like she was havin' a lot of fun playin' catch!" She thought back to how nervous their foster pup had been when they'd first brought her home, always walking on eggshells around the two of them. It had broken her heart how often the girl would flinch whenever someone spoke to her.

"It did seem to help her come out of her shell a bit," Varun chuckled. "I'm actually thinking about teaching her how to play baseball. We've got a bat in addition to the gloves."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Zelda felt like she could howl. "I just love havin' a little girl ta dote on and do Mother-Daughter thangs with!"

Varun chuckled. He had found Zelda's adoration of Marigold adorable, especially since the girl didn't seem to have had any positive female role models, at least based on how much she went out of her way to try and please Zelda. He had found that the girl had seemed especially nervous around him at first, though Varun had taken the initiative to help break the ice by playing some games with her. She had seemed very confused about how the Z-Box One worked as well as video games as a whole, but starting with a simple game of catch, he had found the young girl had started to open up.

"I never took you for much of a girly-girl," Varun teased, kissing Zelda's nose. She rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive paw.

"Oh hush. I'm just as feminine as the next gal. It's just that li'l Marigold desperately needs some TLC and somethin' we could both bond over."

"Like dress shopping?" Varun chuckled, taking note of the light green sundress his mate was wearing, and how it was a similar shade of green as their uniform shirts. Zelda just rolled her eyes.

"We were out in town today and I saw her lookin' in the display windows. 'Course I took her inside so we could find somethin' she'd like... the fact that she and I got matchin' dresses, the exception bein' hers needed to be tailored a bit so that it didn't have a tail hole in the back, was just a happy coincidence." Zelda blushed a little, though her tail continued to wag. Varun let out a happy chuff, and held her tighter.

"Of course, my love," he said, looking around. "Where is Marigold, anyway?"

"Oh, she said she was feelin' a little worn from the day, what with goin' out with me, and then that cute little pie caper Leon went and solved," Zelda said with a slight giggle. "I still can't believe that Tarin tried to frame that cute li'l lizard of Leon's... or how well he figured it all out."

"Mama Doreen certainly seemed excited by his detective work."

"Don't let Vera hear ya say that," Zelda giggled, "she's so worried that Ma will try and push policin' on him that she's tryin' ta clamp down on anythang of the sort around her pups."

Varun looked off in the distance, stiffening suddenly. "Zelda, you said that Marigold was going to rest, correct?"

"Yeah, why darlin'?" Zelda asked, confused.

"Because I just saw her climbing out of her bedroom window with that little case in her arms, running off into the forest," Varun said simply.

"What?!" Zelda jerked around and, sure enough, she could just make out a figure running away from their house and deeper into the trees. Without a work, she grabbed her mate's paw, and started to drag him through the trees after them. "Somethin's gotta be wrong! And what if she hurts herself again like when we first found her?!"

"My love, please try and calm down, I'm sure that everything's fine," Varun said in an attempt to reassure his mate, but with a pit of worry forming in his own gut regardless. They stopped not too far from their house, near the edge of a small clearing with a stump near the center. Varun and Zelda were hiding behind a tree as Marigold was looking around, a worried expression on her face. She was still wearing the same green sundress from earlier, it taking on an ethereal glow in the fading twilight as the light of the full moon was beginning to shine. All around, fireflies were starting to take flight.

"We gotta be quiet, or else she'll hear us," Zelda said from where she was crouched.

"So whatcha think she's up to?" Tarin asked, poking his head up from a bush to Zelda's left.

"I'm not really sure yet, we just saw her runnin' off and... Tarin? What're ya doin' here?" Zelda asked, looking down at the black-furred fox tod who was smiling casually back up at her.

"I saw you both running off into the woods and decided ta see what was happening. I figured that it might be something fun."

Zelda rolled her eyes while Varun had to choke down a chuckle at the antics of his unofficial brother, as all the 'Hunter Boys' liked to think of themselves.

"Tarin, ya ain't s'posed ta be here, now git!" Zelda hissed.

"Who ain't s'posed ta be here?" Tyra asked. The arctic she-wolf scooped up her mate and set him on her shoulders.

"T-Tyra?!"

"What? I saw my cute little ball of fluff run off inta the woods, naturally I'd follow him," Tyra said as Tarin rested his head on hers.

"Sounds ta me like youse was thinkin' of maybe gettin' up ta somethin' naughty out here in da woods, away from where anybody could see or hear yas," Adamo said, stepping from behind a tree, the male hyena grinning with a toothpick in his mouth.

"Adamo?!" Zelda clapped a paw to her forehead. Removing it, she saw Yuki standing there, trying to look bored.

"We were makin' out when ya two started yappin' about Zelda bein' a girly-girl and then heard ya decide ta chase after Marigold," the black she-wolf growled as Adamo squeezed her side.

"Yeah, and we wanted ta make sure dat youse wasn't gunna go and invade that goil's proivacy," Adamo said, looking pointedly at Zelda, whol was wringing her paws.

"I thought that she might be tryin' ta run away or somethin'... I just wanted ta make sure she was safe! That's my puppy after all!" Zelda blushed, clearly flustered. Adamo pulled her into a hug to comfort her.

"She was probably drawn to this spot thanks to all the positive energies that emanate from it," Undine's voice could be heard up above. Looking up, everyone saw her sitting on a tree branch with Melvin laying in her lap.

"It is a pretty peaceful spot," the male honey badger said, looking up at the stars through the canopy. He was holding a bowl of popcorn in his claws.

"What, did a memo go out or somethin'?!" Zelda asked, exasperated.

"Now now, sweetie," Adrian said, inexplicably standing next to a very surprised Adamo and Yuki, with an embarrassed-looking Doreen standing next to her. "As it just so happens, this here spot is a favorite fer yer Ma and me fer our little picnics."

"Well, they start out as picnics," Doreen said, wrapping her arms around Adrian's waist, making the older gray wolf wag his tail and chuckle.

"Ma! We didn't need ta hear 'bout that!" Vera said from right next to Zelda, making the auburn she-wolf whip around. She saw Don perched on his mate's shoulders.

"Okay, is everyone we know here in the woods tonight?!" Zelda demanded. Right then, as if on cue, Gareth tumbled to the ground nearby, Winnie in his arms, Xena and Melanie tangled up in the gangly giraffe's legs.

"Oi! You two! What's the big idea about scamperin' in between me legs?!"

"It wasn't our fault that you didn't look where you were walking," Xena pointed out, adjusting her glasses. Standing up and brushing herself off, she reached down and scooped Melanie up into her arms, the two kissing. "Are you alright, Butterball?"

"I'm just fine, Fluffytail," Melanie said, putting her arms around her mate's neck, all the while Winnie was helping her own mate to his shakey hooves.

"No need to fret over me, love," Gareth said, leaning his head and neck down to smile at the she-wolf he was lucky to have found.

"Hey, that just seemed like a nasty fall, that's all," Winnie said, her tail swishing.

"Can y'all just keep it down! I'm amazed that Marigold hasn't heard all y'all!" Zelda quietly snapped. Everyone grew silent at that, and looked out into the clearing. Marigold was kneeling next to the stump, where she had set her case down on it and opened it. From inside, she pulled out a photograph.

"Hey, Ryan," they could hear the girl's soft voice float over on the gentle breeze. "I just... I remembered that today is... was... your birthday... and I just wanted to let you know that I'm keeping my promise." Her voice hitched a little, but she composed herself. "I'm still moving forward, b-big brother... I m-miss you so much." She wiped a tear from her cheek, before she stood up and pulled out a well-cared for violin from inside the case. She tested the strings to make sure they were in tune before taking a stance.

"Happy birthday, Ryan," she said, raising the bow to the strings. Then, she began to play. As the tune began to ring out gently in the clearing, sounding like a bouncy and fun folk tune, Marigold began to sway and twirl, spinning on her feet. As the music picked up the pace, but the tone became something more melancholic, Zelda realized that not only was Marigold skilled at playing her fiddle, but she also had some training in ballet. With each new song, the girl would dance and pirouette, leap and spin-turn, and perform other moves that Zelda didn't know the names of. She and the rest of the family watched, entranced and silent, at this little concert that the newest addition to their family was putting on, for her brother who, most of them guessed based on what they had overheard, was no longer alive. The full weight of what this moment must represent to her foster daughter suddenly hit Zelda, just as Marigold seemed to be slowing down in both the dancing and her playing.

"S-sweet sawgrass," Zelda said as Marigold seemed to be finishing on a long, mournful note. "W-we all can't let her know we saw this!"

"Truly a great invasion of her privacy," Xena mused, only to suddenly be pushed by Zelda.

"Enough musin', we gotta move, now," she barked as quietly as she could. Everyone started to head back the way they had all come, when there was a sudden loud CLICK. Turning, they all saw that Marigold had returned everything to her case and snapped the latch shut. She got up and proceeded to walk back to the house... which was in the same direction everyone in the family sans Vera and Don's pups were in at that moment. Scrambling, the Hunters and their mates ran through the trees and underbrush, avoiding the scant trail like the plague. Everyone darted around to the other side of Zelda and Varun's house. Varun stealthily peeked out from around the corner, watching as Marigold was looking all around, before trying to stealthily climb back in through her bedroom window. A few very loud thumps later, and she was back inside, none the wiser. Varun released the breath he had no idea he had been holding, all the while Zelda was making everyone swear that they wouldn't say a thing to Marigold about this.

"B-but," Undine whined, holding up her camera, "it was so in line with the natural energies of the clearing! Folks would be so energized and helped by seeing the video I took of it!

And here it is! The peek into the genderswapped AU of Found! I might do another in the future, but holy crap did this one take a bit of time! I hope everyone is having a great summer!