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wiypt-writes · 4 years ago

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Riding High

Ch8: Adler vs Adler

Chapter Summary: The gloves are off in court as Frank faces off against his mother.

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words. Talk of suicide.

Chapter Pairings: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: Contains SPOILERS for the film!!!!! If you haven’t seen it please be aware of that before you read on. Also, those of you who do know this film well will see that I’ve changed the dates referenced in the court case, that’s because I brought the timeline of Gifted forward from 2015 (when it was filmed) to 2017 (when it was released). This was mainly to suit Fliss’ backstory of the Olympics. 2015 is too close to 2012 for me to make it work. Also Frank’s middle name is an absolute H/C too as I couldn’t find it anywhere so, sorry if this annoys any of you but, to quote @icanfeelastormbrewing- “my coffee, my fic, my rules…”

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding High Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 7

“And love, if your wings are broken, borrow mine so yours can open too…’cause I’m gonna stand by you”

The first bit of evidence the next morning was the findings of the Welfare Department’s investigation. It had thrown nothing out of the ordinary up. The house was clean enough, Mary was fed, but they did point out that their current living arrangements wouldn’t be suitable for much longer as Mary would need her own room as she grew older, something which Frank’s attorney accepted on behalf of Frank, stating to the court that Frank had already considered this. Which in fairness he had. The Welfare Department continued then, stating that Mary’s interview the previous day hadn’t thrown up anything of concern, even if there were some questionable TV viewing habits, namely Ultimate Fighting on a Saturday night, but they were satisfied that overall Mary was suffering no ill effects, mentally or physically from being with Frank.

This took them just under an hour, as they were factual reports. Both Attorney’s requested clarification on certain points but there were no questions or cross examinations to be done. As such they had concluded just after eleven am and there was then a small ten minute break to allow a quick consultation between clients and attorney’s before Evelyn was to take to the stand. As people moved around, passing papers and files to one another, Frank turned in his seat and just as he glanced round, someone left the courtroom and through the open door Fliss walked in, dressed in a smart pair of black jeans and a light blue strappy top. He flashed her a smile and she gave a small wave, settling onto a seat next to Roberta who gave her a hug. She’d missed the early session due to having to sort the horses out but she’d cleared her diary and brought in cover for the rest of the day so she could be there to lend him support.

And even though the morning had, all in all, been favourable to him, Frank felt his spirits raise even more at the sight of her there in his corner so to speak. Tearing his eyes away from her, Frankturned back to Greg who was watching him, eyebrow raised.

“Well that’s a mighty big smile Frank.”

“I just spotted some additional back up, that’s all.” Greg turned to see the woman who was now talking to Roberta and he grinned, spinning back to Frank “Let me guess, Fliss?”

Frank nodded “Yeah, I’ll introduce you later.”

Greg raised his eyebrow, smiling a little. “I look forward to it. Anyway, back to business. That opening report from the Welfare Department was good, well as good as it’s gonna get. But dude, Ultimate Fighting? Really?”

“It’s harmless fun.” Frank shrugged

Greg shook his head “Whatever. This next bit ain’t gonna be as easy.” “No shit.” Frank mumbled, looking at his mother as she said something to Highsmith, her attorney. “She’s going to rip me to pieces, and no doubt enjoy doing it too.” “Yep.” Greg nodded “But just keep doing what you’re doing. No outbursts, stay quiet, focussed and listen. If she says something that isn’t accurate, or you think of anything we can use, note it down and I’ll use it in my cross examination, okay?” Frank nodded as Judge Nicholls banged his gavel down and issued instructions for everyone to reconvene. He called Evelyn to the stand where she was sworn in and Highsmith stood up and began firing questions at her, a well-practiced dance, Frank could tell.

From the gallery Fliss watched intently. She’d been missed the first session but Roberta had hastily filled her in, telling her it had gone well. She shot Frank another encouraging smile, just as the judge called them back to order, and couldn’t help but notice how good he looked in his suit. A far cry from his dirty jeans and ratty work t-shirts. Which, if she was honest, she preferred…

Evelyn took to the stand and Fliss felt herself bristling as she proceeded to utterly character assassinate Frank, depicting him as nothing more than an irresponsible bum, floating around with no purpose to life, a man who didn’t care about Mary’s welfare, preferring to simply fly by the seat of his pants instead of giving her any decent roots or thoughts to her needs. At one point, they started to question his motivations towards taking Mary being more about punishing Evelyn that actually caring about the girl. To this Frank’s attorney objected and as the two lawyers began to argue, Fliss found her nails cutting into her palms as she clenched her fists. Roberta gently reached out and squeezed her arm and she turned to the woman next to her and gave her a tight smile.

“Frank’s attorney, Greg Cullen, he’s good…” Roberta whispered, “He’ll go at her when he gets his chance, you’ll see.”

The objection was overruled, the judge telling Cullen he would get his chance to challenge that statement in his cross examination, and Cullen sat down, leaning over to whisper something to Frank who nodded, his eyes not once leaving his mother. Cullen jotted something down as Evelyn continued.

By the time she finished it was almost one pm so they broke for lunch, Judge Nicholls instructing everyone to be back in an hour. Fliss and Roberta headed outside to wait for Frank who met them shortly after.

“Hey.” Fliss gave him a gentle hug. “How you holding up?”

“About as well as I can for someone whose own mother just tore them to shreds under oath.” Fliss’ eyes narrowed “I hope your guy is gonna give her as much of a shredding as she gave you.” “I’ll do my best.” A voice spoke from behind them. Fliss spun round to be greeted by Frank’s attorney.

“Fliss, this is Greg Cullen, Greg, Fliss Gallagher.” Frank introduced them to one another. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Greg smiled at her, shaking her hand. Fliss looked up at Frank and was surprised to find a faint flush of red on his cheeks.

“All good I hope?” she grimaced and Cullen nodded.

“Oh, very good indeed. I’ve been dying to meet the woman who’s made such an impression on him.” “Greg, piss off.” Frank groaned in a tired voice before he nodded over the road to the café “Shall we grab some lunch?”

They ate together, making small talk, before Greg requested Frank join him alone for fifteen minutes to go over their plan for the rest of the afternoon. Frank stood, and without even thinking about it gave Fliss a quick peck on the cheek. He winced as soon as he had, noticing that Cullen and Roberta were watching him and, knowing Fliss was going to get an absolute drilling from Roberta, he shot her an apologetic look as he walked away. She simply smiled through her blush and shook her head, turning to Roberta who nudged her arm.

“Okay, what was that?” Greg asked as they walked back over the road. “Are you two erm…”

“It’s complicated.” Frank shrugged after a little pause. “We both, well we both like each other but with everything that’s going on we’re just kind of waiting, I suppose. I’m focussing on getting through whatever it is that happens with Mary and then hopefully...what?” he trailed off as Greg was smirking at him.

“Frank Adler. Finally found a girl he likes that much he ain’t simply trying to get her into bed. Wait till I tell the guys.”

Frank rolled his eyes and pointed to the courtroom “How about you concentrate on what’s gonna go on in there instead of what is or isn’t going on in my bedroom?”

Greg gave out a chuckle and patted his friend on the shoulder as they made their way in and headed into the side room they had reserved.

****

“Mrs. Adler, in your earlier testimony here today, you painted a pretty dim picture of your own son don't you think?” Cullen asked, tapping his pen on his note pad. Frank remained stony faced, watching his mother.

“I'm under oath, I take no pleasure in it.” She said with a glance at Frank before she looked down, almost convincingly.

Frank just about managed to refrain from rolling his eyes.

“So, your son is a failure in life, your daughter took her life, you know, you're oh for two.”

Fliss winced and glanced at Roberta as Highsmith said “Objection” in an almost bored voice

“Withdrawn.” Cullen’s voice took on an amused edge but as Fliss watched as Evelyn simply eyed him, completely un-phased.

“If I go one for three, I'm in the Hall of Fame.” she shot back.

“You know baseball.” Cullen pushed his chair back. “Fenway Park.”

At that something flickered in Evelyn’s eye as she glanced at Frank. Fliss followed her gaze and watched, just able to see the side of Frank’s face. His eyes were locked onto her, his expression never faltering.

“You know, I'd like to go there sometime.” Cullen stood up, pushing his glasses up onto his head as Evelyn turned back to him “How often in a year did you take Diane to the baseball game?”

“Diane wasn't interested in sports.” Evelyn replied

“She never wanted to go to a game? Ever?”

“I don't recall her ever asking.”

Cullen moved forwards a step and Fliss saw Frank’s eyes flick to him as he continued to question his mother.

“Just out of curiosity, Fenway, that's a tough ticket. Where do you get yours?”

“My husband has season tickets.”

“And how long has he had them?” Cullen enquired

“Thirty years. But I've only been married to him for twenty.” Evelyn informed him.

“And Diane never went to one game?”

Evelyn didn’t reply, simply raised her eyebrows slightly as if she was failing to see the point. Fliss’ eyes once again flicked to Frank who still hadn’t moved an inch.

“What colour was the dress Diane wore to prom?” Cullen changed his line of questions.

“Diane didn't attend the prom, because she didn't attend the high school.” Evelyn replied calmly

“No prom.” Cullen mused before he asked suddenly.“What sports did she play?”

“As I told you earlier, she wasn't interested in sports.”

“She’s calm.” Roberta whispered to Fliss as Cullen continued to question Evelyn about Diane’s lack of interaction with other children her age.

“Too calm.” Fliss nodded. “But I can see what he’s doing, trying to paint a picture of how she isolated Diane to imply that she’d do the same to Mary. You’re right, he’s good.”

As they tuned back into the examination again, Cullen took a deep breath and glanced to his left

“Mrs. Adler,” he looked back at her, “who's Paul Riva?”

At that Evelyn glanced at Frank, her calm mask slipping ever so slightly but still Frank didn’t move. Fliss could see his expression now carried a faint, and every so sad, smile.

Evelyn gave a silent huff before she looked back at Cullen “He was a boy from the neighbourhood.”

Her tone was clipped and Fliss noticed the judge sit forward slightly at her shift in attitude, narrowing his eyes a little as he watched her curiously.

“Oh, come on. He was much more than just a boy from the neighbourhood. Paul was Diane's first love. Wasn't he?” Cullen asked.

Fliss and Roberta exchanged a glance.

“I wouldn't characterize it that way, no.” Evelyn shook her head.

“And how would Diane characterize it?”

“Diane was seventeen years old at the time. She didn't know anything about love.”

At that Fliss caught the first movement Frank had made since his mother had started talking. He took a deep breath and looked to his left before turning back, his shoulders moving slightly in frustration as he shook his head slightly, his eyes locking back onto his mother who was carefully avoiding his gaze.

“Mrs. Adler, in January 2000 didn't Diane and young Mr. Riva run away together?” Cullen looked at her.

“He coerced her.” Evelyn corrected with the air of someone picking her words carefully.

“And where did they go?”

“Vermont.”

“And you called the police, didn't you?” Cullen stated rather than asked.

“Yes.”

“Because he kidnapped her?”

“Yes”

“And where did the police find young Mr. Riva and Diane?” Cullen looked at Evelyn

“I told you, Vermont.” Evelyn looked at Cullen, her voice suddenly taking on an icy edge which made Fliss lean forward slightly.

“Stowe, Vermont. Wasn't it? A resort town.” Cullen looked round the court room as Evelyn shifted uncomfortably. “Stowe Mountain. He took her skiing. You see, kidnappers don't usually take their victims skiing.” Cullen paused from his explanation. When he spoke again his voice was calm, and slow, stressing the point perfectly “But this is what Paul did because he and Diane were in love.”

“No.” Evelyn refuted firmly

“And when they returned, you pressed kidnapping charges.” Cullen’s voice rose in volume and speed as he spoke. “You filed a lawsuit against his parents, until Paul stopped calling Diane. Didn't you?”

“Yes.”

“And Diane never heard of or saw Paul Riva again. Did she?” Cullen’s tone was harsh, accusatory as he stared at Evelyn.

“Poor girl.” Roberta mumbled besides her and Fliss shook her head, in utter shock at how a mother could be so damned cruel and out of touch with her own daughter. It made her feel a pang of sympathy for Mary’s mother despite never having known her. Fliss couldn’t imagine what she would do without either of her parents being as supportive as they were.

Evelyn must have answered as by the time Fliss turned her attention fully to what she was saying, as Cullen had asked another question.

“And how did she take it?”

“She was upset for a while. She lost focus.”

“She lost focus.” Cullen turned back to the desk and picked up a small file. “Mrs. Adler,” he turned back, file in hand, “in March of 2001 didn't Diane Adler attempt to take her own life?”

“This episode was minor. It was nothing.” Evelyn replied, her tone harsh.

“Nothing?” Fliss drew in a breath, shaking her head. For a moment she almost lost herself in another memory, of one rainy afternoon in Boston in October 2015, but she took a deep breath and focussed on where she was, as Cullen flashed the file at Evelyn.

“I have the hospital report in my hand.” he informed her

“It was nothing.” Evelyn said again, and now Fliss could see she was rattled. “Diane was not like regular people. She was extraordinary. And extraordinary people come with singular issues and needs.”

Fliss watched as Evelyn leant forward, her face creased in anger as she hissed “You have no idea of the capability she possessed. One in a billion. And you would say fine, let's throw that away, so the boy who cuts our yard can make a sexual conquest? Well maybe before you make that decision, you stand in my shoes. I had responsibilities, which went beyond the mother-daughter relationship.”

She took a deep breath and spoke again, her voice louder this time “The greatest discoveries, which have proved life on this planet have come from minds rarer than radium. Without them, we'd still be crawling in mud. And for your information, counsellor, a year after this incident with this boy Diane thanked me for my intervention. She realized she'd made a mistake and she thanked me. You see, Diane understood. She was accountable for the gift she'd been given. And she didn't shy from it.”

Every inch of Evelyn’s face was contorted with a mixture of pain and anger, and she radiated absolute fury across the courtroom as her rant built to its climax

“And I think, if she were here today, Mr. Attorney, she would refute your baseless insinuations, that she would give up her brilliant future and take her own life just because mummy didn't get her a little red wagon

There was a pause as she took a breath and sat back.

“No more questions.” Cullen said simply, turning back to his seat.

Fliss watched Frank who shifted, rubbing his chin with his left hand, his fingers curling round his jaw in an L shape as he stared at this mother, his face completely unreadable to anyone who didn’t know him, but to her she could see the pain in his eyes.

And from the look Evelyn gave him, it was obvious she’d seen it too.

***** When Mary returned home on the school bus that afternoon, Frank did his best to remain positive and keep his broodings to himself, and was thankful when Fliss suggested they head out for dinner with Roberta. The four of them went to the same restaurant he had met his mother at not long before where he ate, not really tasting his food, or listening as Fliss and Roberta chatted away. Instead his attention was completely on Mary who was stood with one of the waitresses at another table, pouring sand out of one of the bottles that was used to keep the tablecloths from blowing away. The thought that she could be without such simple pleasure of looking through sand for shells, and lost to a world of pressure and solitude like Diane had been, was breaking his heart.

He felt someone squeeze his hand at the same time Mary held up a shell and showed it to him. He took a deep breath and tried to rearrange his face into a smile as he turned to face Fliss.

“It’s going to be okay, Frank.” She looked at him and he swallowed, unable to form his words. Instead his fingers tightened around hers and she simply held his hand whilst they finished up their drinks.

Later that evening, once Mary was asleep inside the apartment, Frank and Fliss sat outside the kitchen door, shoulder to shoulder along the top step.

“You know, until I met you I thought sitting on a porch drinking beer was something only red necked hillbillies did.” Fliss teased him.

“Well, according to my mother that’s what I am.” he scoffed.

“And according to me your mother is a callous, cold hearted bitch.” Fliss spat, with such venom it made Frank look at her, his eyebrow raising a little. She took a deep breath, her voice softening “How can anyone dismiss a suicide attempt as nothing.”

Frank looked away, taking a pull from his beer. They sat in silence for a moment before Fliss broke it.

“You know back in 2015, about five months after I’d gotten married, I almost did it you know? Killed myself.”

Frank’s head turned to face her. She wasn’t looking at him, instead she remained focussed on a spot in the distance as she stared straight ahead. “My life was out of my control, and it was the only way I could think of getting some of that control back. So I took a shit load of buproprion and washed it down with half a litre of vodka.”

“Shit, Lissy I’m sorry, I had-” She waved his sympathy off and continued “After that I was offered all this help and support and-” she snorted bitterly, “I still went back to him. He convinced everyone, including me that the issue was the fact that I was still brooding over my career being cut so short, and then told me that having a kid would fix the issue. In reality there was no issue to fix. I wasn’t depressed as such, I was abused. And that was simply another way of him taking control.”

After a moment she turned to look at him, “I’m not saying your mother abused Diane, not as such but she isolated her for her own, selfish reasons, no matter how she tries to dress them up or convince herself that it was for Diane’s own good. That first suicide attempt your sister would have made a normal, loving parent sit up and pay attention to what was going on. I know it did mine, as Bill never trusted John’s explanation, not one word.” “I should have done more too.” Frank’s voice was choked as he looked down at his feet. “But I was so busy, wrapped up in my finals and…”

“Frank, Diane wasn’t your responsibility, you’re not her parent.”

“No but when Dad died, I promised I’d take care of her, always be there for her. I should have done more, and I should have known, when she turned up that day at mine with Mary…”

“Frankie.” Fliss cut him off, her hand taking his. “Take it from me, my mum and dad and brother went through all of this in their head. Did Diane give you any warnings at all because I know I didn’t? Look at the lies and the world of fantasy I let John build up round me and detract from what was going on. I told nobody I was gonna do it Frank. And I told no body why I did it either.”

Frank sniffed and wiped at his nose slightly with his free hand.

“So you can either carry on beating yourself up over something that isn’t your fault or you can concentrate on getting the best outcome here for Mary.”

He reached for his beer which was on the step below him between his legs and nodded. She was right, he knew she was, but there would always be that part of him that wondered if he could have done more, it he should have done more.

“Are you planning on coming tomorrow?” he asked, looking at Fliss.

“Yeah, Joanne is covering again.”

“I don’t want to put you out.” he said gently, but she shook her head.

“It’s sorted.” Fliss smiled. “She wants the week of Thanksgiving off so she’s racking up the favours.”

“Well, from a purely selfish standpoint I’m glad.” He flexed his fingers against hers, looking down at where they were entwined.

“I’m not missing your testimony, if only for the sole reason of discovering what your full name is.” she teased as he looked at her. Frank gave a huff of a laugh “Francis Preston Adler, nice to meet you.” He tipped his bottle in her direction. “Preston?” She snorted “Get out of town! There’s a place in England called Preston, it’s like thirty miles away from my home!”

Frank smiled, before he sighed.

“Last day tomorrow isn’t it?” Fliss looked at him as he stared straight ahead.

He let out a breath “Yeah, well last day of evidence. Then we have to wait for however long it takes the judge to read all the reports and make a ruling.”

“Well then, I suggest you get some sleep, or as much as you can.” Fliss kissed his cheek, and with that she released his hand and stood up. Frank followed her lead, rising to her feet. “Oh, and FYI I got an absolute interrogation off Roberta before when you did that to me. Felt like it was me in the dock, not Evelyn.” For the first time all evening Frank laughed.

******

The gloomy, rainy morning matched Frank’s mood perfectly.

He sat in the dock dressed in his suit, feeling as out of place as anyone could. Greg went through the questions he had coached Frank on, questions designed not to paint him as a saint but to simply be real and portray him as a normal person, doing the best he could for his niece in line with his sister’s wishes. Frank answered them honestly. Was he perfect? No. Had he done things correctly? No. Did he wish he had spotted Diane was struggling? Yes. Did he love Mary and want the best for her? With every breath he had.

The questions continued along those lines until they broke for lunch. And then came the cross examination, and Frank knew he was in for a beating.

“Mr. Adler where are you currently employed?” Highsmith asked sitting on the desk to the left of Evelyn.

“I repair boats.” Frank answered clearly

“Oh, really? At which marina?”

“I don't work at a marina. I freelance.”

“So, safe to say, no health insurance.”

“No.” Frank shook his head

“About a week before your sister took her life what were you doing for a living then?”

“I was a teacher.” Frank replied.

“You're being modest, aren't you?” Highsmith said, standing up and walking towards the dock “You were a professor at Boston University Isn't that right?

“Yes, well, assistant professor.”

“And what'd you teach?”

“Philosophy.”

“Truth and logic. That sort of thing.” Highsmith gestured with his hands and Frank simply smiled as the man continued. “Your attorney said that the primary reason that you took Mary is because it was what your sister would've wanted you to do. Is that a truth?”

“Yes.” Frank implored

“So Diane had visited Pinellas County before?”

“No.” Frank said with almost an air of amusement on his face as he looked at his mother for a second before he glanced down and joined his hands in front of him in his lap.

“She indicated she wanted her daughter uprooted and moved here?”

Frank shook his head, closing his eyes. “No”

“No.” Highsmith repeated “So you decided to bring Mary here, didn't you?”

Frank licked his lips and drew in a deep breath as he simply stared as his mother. He was pleased so see her shift in her seat

“Did Diane had a problem with your health plan at Boston University?” Highsmith pressed.

Frank wanted to laugh. The guy was doing exactly what Greg had warned him he would do, attack his lack of healthcare, insinuate he wasn’t able or fit to provide for Mary. When he spoke his voice was calm, and he fought to keep his face as amicable as possible.

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Do you think she would want her daughter to have access to healthcare?”

Dumbass question

“Of course.” Frank nodded.

“So what do you do, when little Mary gets sick? You repair a doctor's boat?”

Frank scoffed a laugh as Cullen objected.

“Sustained.” Judge Nicholls shot Highsmith a look and Frank stole a glance at Fliss. If the situation wasn’t so serious he would have laughed at the identical look she wore to Roberta, both glaring at Highsmith like they were plotting his very painful death.

The rain outside continued to drive down as did Highsmith’s questions, the air punctuated every so often by a low rumble of thunder from the outside storm echoing what Frank was feeling inside.

“Prior to Mrs. Adler giving her one. Did Mary have a computer?”

“She used mine.”

“Mr. Adler, does Diane's daughter have her own bedroom?”

“No.”

“Does she sleep in a bed that you bought in a second hand shop?”

“Yes.” Frank looked ahead, focussing on keeping calm as Highsmith walked towards the dock, gesturing now with his hands, his tone winding up

“So, the truth is, Mr. Adler, that you didn't come down here because your sister wanted it to and you certainly didn't come here because it was good for Mary.”

Frank swallowed slightly and shifted a little, avoiding looking at the man as he tapped his hand on the side of the dock.

“No, it was personal. Diane was a star. You weren't. Diane got the attention. You didn't.”

Frank scoffed silently, oh please, and turned to look in the opposite direction.

“..and over the years You got angry. And here comes Mary. What a great way to get even.”

At that he audibly sighed. He had known this was coming, that his mother’s attorney would try and paint him as petty and vindictive but it still hurt to hear it. Hurt that his own mother would have someone attack him in such a way. He’d defend Mary to the hilt if someone was doing this to her…

“You've uprooted that little girl and brought her here for one reason only. To do harm to your mother. You blamed her for your sister.”

“No, I don't.” Frank broke his silence.

“And Mary to you is just a pawn in all this.”

And that did it, Mary wasn’t a pawn. She was a little girl, a little girl who he was doing is best by.

“Diane wanted Mary, to be a kid” Frank’s voice betrayed his desperation and emotion, and he knew that, but now he was past caring, this was the truth, it was how he felt, and he was nothing if not honest. He locked eyes with his mother as he spoke, driving his words home “.She wanted her to have a life. She wanted her to have friends and to play…”

At that his mother looked away, her eyes glistening but Frank kept his on hers as she turned back to him, his final words were almost whispered

“…and to be happy.”

“You realize the consequences of boredom for a gifted child, Mr. Adler? They become resentful and sullen.”

“Mary's not an angry kid.” Frank’s voice was calm once more.

“Really? Did she not attack a child on the school bus?”

Shit.

“A twelve year old tripped a seven year old and she came to his defense.” Frank shrugged slightly

“Did she break the boy's nose?”

“Yes.”

“On October 16th last year, were you arrested for assault?”

“Oh, my God.” Frank groaned, and he looked down before he glanced back up, momentarily locking eyes with Fliss who he noticed had taken a deep breath. He looked back down, shaking his head

“You have to answer the question Mr. Adler.” Judge Nicholls reminded him

Frank swallowed and focussed on a spot on the varnished surface of the wood in front of him, just by the microphone. “A drunk idiot attacked me and I defended myself. What does that have to do…”

“Did you spend the night in jail?” Highsmith cut him off.

“Yeah.” Frank nodded.

“You are in way over your head here. You're depriving that girl…”

Frank stayed still, shaking his head and glaring at his mother, all the while Highsmith continued ranting on at him

“…you're gambling with her future and now you’re being presented with an opportunity to do right by her.”

“Does council have a question for my client?” Cullen asked loudly

“Take the high road, Mr. Adler before she's rapidly damaged.”

“Does council have a question for my client or not?” Cullen repeated, this time standing up.

“Yes, sir. I do have a question.” Highsmith said. “Tell us. Is your continued guardianship really in the best interest of this little girl?”

“You do your best, Frank. And that’s all any of us can do…” Fliss’s voice rattled in his head, and he took a deep breath. No he wasn’t perfect. Yes, Evelyn could provide for her better than he could but could she love Mary like he did. No, no she couldn’t

He stared at his mother, as he lifted his chin and spoke loudly and clearly.

“Yes.Yes, it is.”

“I have no further questions.” Highsmith spoke.

Frank scratched at his head and left the dock.

***** Following the summing up, they were all dismissed. Frank shook Greg’s hand who told him he would be in touch and Frank left the courtroom with Roberta, Fliss nowhere to be seen. He took a deep breath, realising she was probably going to run a mile after hearing about the assault. That wasn’t how he wanted her to find out. However, to his amazement and joy she was waiting for him by his truck. Roberta nodded to him and made an excuse to nip over the road to the store for a water leaving them to talk alone.

“Thought you’d gone?” he said gently.

“No, I had to take a call from Joanne about a lesson. Why would I leave without saying goodbye?” she frowned

“The assault”

Fliss sighed “Okay, I admit it was a shock to hear but…”

“At least let me explain.”

“There’s really no need. You said you were defending yourself and I believe you.”

“He was a drunk idiot.” Frank continued anyway. “I was actually out with a friend, Jacob and his fiancée, Lisa. Jake had gone to the bathroom and this guy bumped into us and sent Lisa flying into the table, knocking a load of glasses over. When I told him to be careful he took a swing at me only he missed and, well I didn’t.”

“You’re a regular knight in shining armour, Sailor.” Fliss smiled before she looked at him softly. “I know that was hard today. I was so angry and the things he was saying to you but it’s done now. Try not to think on it because you can’t change the outcome. Whatever it is, you did your best.”

“You know I remembered you saying that to me.” he smiled, “Right as he was telling me what a lousy life I give Mary.” “It’s not lousy.” Fliss shook her head. “She’s loved Frank. And she’s happy.”

He smiled again as she took a deep breath.

“Look, I have to go, I have a lesson in an hour now this rain has let up, but what are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Working.” he said, chuckling as she raised her eyebrow. “Yeah I know, second Friday night in a row but, well I’m behind thanks to this case and whilst Roberta has Mary I can get a good few hours in during the night and then get my head down for a few hours before she comes back.”

“How about I keep you company?” Fliss offered. “Only if that’s ok?”

Frank smiled “As long as you don’t distract me too much.” “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

**** The next evening, Frank and Fliss were in the workshop at the Marina, Frank explaining to Fliss the different components of the oil filter he was stripping down. She gave a loud, exaggerated yawn and he nudged her playfully. She grinned at him, and he didn’t miss the flash in her eyes as she looked him quickly up and down, taking in his dirty jeans, hands covered in oil and his long sleeved thin blue sweater which he knew fit him pretty well. Part of the reason he had worn it.

“Hey.” a familiar voice said, and they both looked up to see Cullen as he stood in the entrance.

“Hey.” Frank frowned “What’s…” “I got some news, and I wanted to give it to you in person.”

“I’ll er, give you a moment.” Fliss offered, and she went to leave but Frank caught her elbow gently.

“No, stay, please.”

She looked at him for a second and nodded as Frank turned his attention to Cullen.

“What is it Greg.”

“Highsmith called. They want to cut a deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

Cullen took a breath. “A foster family.”

“No way.” Frank dismissed the notion straight up and Greg continued to try and win him round, informing him that they could cherry pick and that it would be mutually approved and he’d already found a family in Tampa, which was what he had been working on all day.

“She’ll attend the Oaks, you and Evelyn will get visitation right, and then, when she’s twelve, you can go back into court and Mary can decide where, and with who, she wants to live.”

“You’re supposed to be on my team.” Frank cut his friend off, glaring at him “Why are you bringing me this deal?

“Other than I'm required to by law?” Greg looked back at him, and then suddenly Frank understood.

“You like this deal.” he stated and Greg nodded.

“I love this deal.”

“They think they're gonna lose.” Frank leaned on the work-desk in front of him, looking at Cullen.

“Yeah. They do.”

“You think we're gonna lose.”

“Yes.” Greg replied honestly. “I do, Frank.”

Frank looked down, swallowing before he turned to his friend who sighed.

“I gotta go put my kids to bed. I'll do whatever you want me to do. But, if we leave this up to the judge, Nicholls, he's old school, Frank. Does he like your mother? No. Does he like her income? Does he like her health plan? Does he like her home? You better believe it.”

Frank looked down again, shaking his head, unable to do anything else.

“I've been in his courtroom. A hundred times. And if it's a coin toss...Look at me.”

Frank turned to Greg, his arms still leaning on the top, muscles straining as he grasped at a wrench in front of him in frustration.

“If it's a coin toss, that old boy is going to side with the money.” Greg said gently “So, do me a favour, Frank. Just meet the family. See how it feels. It's all I ask.” With that he took a deep breath. “I gotta go, I’ll see you later. Goodnight Fliss.”

“Night.” she replied, watching him leave.

There was a pause before Frank picked up the wrench in his hand and threw it hard against the wall at the opposite side of the garage, before he stood up tall and turned to Fliss who was watching him, her face contorted in sympathy and sadness.

“I don’t know what to do.” He looked at her, and every single emotion he had been holding back cascaded over him in a wave as he felt utterly and hopelessly overwhelmed. He couldn’t stop the tears brimming in his eyes and he bowed his head, once more leaning on the desk. He felt a warm pair of hands gently on his arm, nudging him to turn slightly and he did so to look at Fliss as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a hug. He pressed his face into the crook of her shoulder, his tears falling onto her soft skin as she smoothed a hand through his hair, gently soothing him.

“Sorry.” he mumbled after a moment pulling back.

She placed her hands on his face, wiping his tears with her thumbs, her own filling her eyes. “Don’t ever apologise to me for being upset, Frankie.”

He let out a soft, watery laugh as he dropped his forehead to hers, his eyes closing as he took a deep breath, composing himself.

“You now no one’s called me Frankie since I was a little kid” he smiled.

“Well it suits you.” she pulled away slightly. “You good?” He nodded, moving back out of her arms. “Do you think I should go?” he asked “Meet this family?”

“Frank, I can’t answer that.” “What would you do?”

“I honestly don’t know.” she shook her head. “I suppose there’s no harm in meeting them. But you have to be sure this is what is right for Mary. I do know one thing though, whatever you decide to do, I’ll be there all the way. I told you, I was here for the road trip, no matter how bumpy it gets.”

He nodded, taking a deep breath. He gently took her hand and raised it to his mouth, brushing his lips across her knuckles. “Thankyou.”

**** Chapter 9

#riding high #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #frank adler x original female character #gifted #gifted fan fic

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rakanhowls · 7 years ago

Text

The Science of Werewolves by CalexTheNeko

Rakan is visiting his almost presciently nicknamed friend 'Yote in his labs. 'Yote is currently researching some mysterious, seemingly benign canine disease. Since they are in a hurry to go to lunch, Rakan tries to help with cleaning up the place. Unfortunately, he has a hairy little accident with the samples.

This funny little werewolf and werecoyote TF story was written by CalexTheNeko ( https://www.furaffinity.net/user/calextheneko/ ). The Art that served as inspiration for this story is a YCH piece with custom background by Scrappyvamp ( https://www.furaffinity.net/user/scrappyvamp/ ). Both pieces were commissioned by Rakan ( https://www.furaffinity.net/user/rakan/ ) and 'Yote ( https://forum.furbase.de/index.php?user/20122-yote/ ) was gratious enough to lend his character for this story. Unfortunately, I have to add that the described events are closer to reality than I care to admit :)

‘Yote was hard at work in the lab today. The local zoo had sent in DNA samples from some of the canines at the local zoo. It was the most bizarre thing. The animals were certainly suffering from some kind of disease or affliction, yet not a single one of them seemed to display any symptoms of illness. It wouldn’t have even been discovered were it not for completely unrelated blood work needed on one of the wolves. 'Yote’s lab had been tasked with trying to figure out what the disease was and if the animals were in any kind of danger. So far it seemed to be benign. While it was replicating inside the animals, from best he could tell it wasn’t actually harming them. He wasn’t even sure if it should even be classified as a disease.

“Hey! You still coming to lunch?” The door to the lab opened and a friend of 'Yote’s had entered. It was Rakan. Unlike 'Yote who had a lab coat on over his clothing, Rakan was dressed more plainly. With his plain jacket on he looked slightly out of place in the sterile lab.

“Oh!” 'Yote slowly placed down the vials of the serum he was working with as Rakan entered. He had invited his friend to see the lab today and promised to have lunch with him. He had gotten so caught up in his research though, that he had completely forgotten Rakan was somewhere in the lab. “We were going out for lunch weren’t we?” As if to emphasize his point 'Yote’s stomach began to growl.

“You’re really immersed into this work, huh?” Rakan asked. “We were supposed to head out 30 minutes ago.”

“Sorry!” 'Yote apologized. “It’s just… It really is quite fascinating. The disease I’m currently studying seems to be adapted in such a way that it can only survive inside canine life forms… It acts like some kind of virus, but most diseases have adverse effects on their host. However this one doesn’t seem to be hurting the afflicted canines at all. It’s not a symbiotic case either because as far as I can tell it doesn’t seem to give them any benefit. It just simply seems to coexist with them!” 'Yote’s eyes lit up as he discussed it. The riddle of this disease truly fascinated him and he was dying to learn more.

“Hold on!” Rakan held up a hand. “Maybe you can tell me about it over lunch. I am absolutely starved right now.”

“Right…” 'Yote looked a little sheepish. “I suppose we can get food first. Just help me get everything cleaned up and we can go.” 'Yote moved over to a bench and began to clean up his work station. “Could you please put the samples back in the cabinet?”

“Uh - those are the ones in the vials, right?” Rakan asked as he picked up one of the vials in each hand. He moved across the room to a cabinet to put them away as requested. With his hands full he couldn’t work the lever to open it though. Rakan carefully passed the vial from his left hand to his right so that he could unlock the cabinet. However it was jammed and took a bit of force to pull open. Unfortunately, as Rakan was tugging on the door, the glass vials began to slip out of his left hand.

“Oh shoot!” Rakan tried to grab at the vials with his free hand, but he wasn’t fast enough. Both glass vials fell to the floor and shattered with a loud crash.

“What was that!?” 'Yote came running over.

“Shoot, listen man: I’m sorry,” Rakan said. “It was an accident.”

“I see,” 'Yote looked down at the broken pieces of glass. He looked slightly annoyed but shrugged. “Well… The glass can be replaced and I had plenty of samples. It’s inconvenient, but it’s not as if you doomed humanity or anything. Just one last thing to clean up before we leave.” 'Yote bent down and began to pick up glass fragments.

“I made the mess - I will clean it up.” Rakan said as he bent down to work on it as well. As he did, some of the liquid that had been inside got on his fingertips. “Um - is this stuff dangerous?” He asked nervously.

“Not unless you’re a canine,” 'Yote responded. “And even then I don’t think it actually does anything.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Rakan sighed as he continued to clean up. He suddenly paused and stared at his hand. Something was off. His nails… They were longer, and sharper than they ever had been. As he was watching his hands, he could see how thick pads began to form on the palms of his hand. “Ummm - 'Yote, do you want to take a look at this?”

“Hmmm?” 'Yote looked up from the mess on the floor. “Oh… You appear to be having some kind of reaction. That’s rather fascinating and…” 'Yote looked down at his own hands, and saw that his nails too had formed into claws. He also had pads forming on his hands. “Now… That is interesting.”

“Interesting!?” Rakan shouted. White hair was rapidly growing on both of his hands now. Soon, it was as thick as an entire coat of fur. “That’s your reaction!?”

“Oh? Should I panic now?” 'Yote asked calmly. Meanwhile, his own hands had undergone a similar transformation. His hands were now covered by white fur with a brown tint over his palms. “That wouldn’t accomplish much now, would it?”

“No…” Rakan admitted. By now, the fur had spread up his arms. He pulled his sleeves up to get a closer look at it, and saw that higher up on his arms the fur was brown instead of white. “But I feel a little more of a reaction than ‘Interesting’ is warranted!” As Rakan spoke, he increasingly became aware that his clothes started to feel much tighter.

“But it is interesting!” 'Yote said. “Ohhh, what I would give to see what’s going on under a microscope right now! The disease was only found in canines originally… But clearly it’s having some kind of mutation effect on humans! I really wish I could have set up a controlled environment if I knew something like this was going to happen.”

“Scientific curiosity, that’s how you’re going to respond to this?” Rakan demanded. He could feel the fur growing in beneath the rest of his clothes. It was covering his chest and stomach, his legs and head. There probably wasn’t a single square inch of his body that wasn’t covered by fur now. His clothing was getting even tighter on him as the changes continued.

“Well, I am a scientist!” 'Yote responded in a lecturing tone. “And besides if this is happening, I’d much rather learn more about it than worry about it.” Like Rakan he was completely covered in fur by now. However, while Rakan’s clothes had grown tighter on him, 'Yote’s seemed to have loosened somewhat.

“I guess?” Rakan wasn’t sure how to respond. Sometimes he really felt like his friend’s curiosity got the better of him. He would have said more, but was suddenly overcome by an intense pain from his feet as they swelled within his shoes. It only lasted a moment before he felt relief as his shoes were torn apart. Looking down, he saw that his feet were now shaped like massive wolf paws and were covered in white fur like his hands.

He didn’t have much time to dwell on that though. The sound of ripping fabric seemed to be coming from all over his body. He was getting bigger! His clothes were no longer able to contain his body, and began to rip and tear apart. As his shirt gave way, it revealed his chest was covered in fluffy white fur while the fur on his back was brown and black. His body had undergone a lot more changes than just growing fur however. He was much taller and much more muscular. He wasn’t exactly out of shape before the change, but now it was like he had the physique of an Olympian athlete! Well, an Olympian athlete were they covered in fur.

His pants were the next thing to start to give way. He grabbed at them with his claws, trying to hold them together. However as a large fluffy tail erupted from his backside the fabric finally gave way. Rakan now stood completely naked, but being covered in thick fur he was anything but exposed.

“You’re really starting to look like a wolf!” 'Yote noted. He had undergone his own transformations. However, while Rakan had swelled in size, 'Yote had become more lithe. His height only sunk slightly, but it made his clothing more baggy. A few pieces had been destroyed during the transformation. He too had lost his shoes to his feet transforming into paws… And the shift of his legs to a more digitigrade stance and the sprouting of a gray bushy tail made it impossible for him to keep his pants on. “But… I feel quite small by comparison.”

“That’s because…” Rakan started to reply and flinched as there was a sharp pain from his face. His face pushed out into a large muzzle while his ears moved up to the top of his head forming into long triangular shapes. “Oof,” Rakan shook his head. The sudden change in his facial structure and the improvements to his ears left him slightly disoriented. He then looked down at his friend. He had been slightly taller than him previously, but now he was over a foot taller! Just like him, 'Yote now had a muzzle and animalistic ears. “I think it’s because you’re a different kind of canine.” Rakan continued.

The changes seemed to have stopped. Rakan had gained over a foot in height and several pounds of muscle. He looked like a big monstrous wolf, with brown fur over most of his body, white on his chest, stomach and paws, and black over parts of his back and his upper face. 'Yote on the other hand was much shorter. His body was covered in a combination of gray and brown fur. His ears looked bigger on his head by comparison, and his shirt and lab coat still hung loosely over his shoulders. He looked more like a coyote than a wolf.

“This is… absolutely fascinating!” 'Yote said. He slowly took off his coat and shirt so that he could try to get a better look at himself. “Oh, I do wish I had a mirror in here. I’ve never heard of something like this happening in my life.”

“I’d consider it more traumatic than fascinating…” Rakan muttered. He felt gigantic in this lab now. Everything felt like it was several sizes too small for him to use.

“Oh?” 'Yote looked up at the bigger wolf. “Are you currently under duress?”

“Um…” Rakan thought about it. He probably should have been. He probably should have been freaking out a lot more… Yet, this was not entirely unpleasant. He felt strong! Like he could do anything. It was a nice feeling actually… And if he was being completely honest, from what he could see he looked pretty good as a wolf man. Of course, since he just accused 'Yote of under reacting, he couldn’t’ admit that right away. Instead he looked around for something to complain about and narrowed his eyes as he saw the ripped remains of his clothing on the floor. “Well, I kind of liked that outfit!” he said defiantly.

“Oh - yes that…” 'Yote looked down. “I suppose the loss of clothes might be a problem if we’re going to go out for lunch. Hmmm, maybe it’s not a social faux pass since we’re covered in fur?”

“Wait! You still want to go out right now?” Rakan asked incredulously.

“Why not?” 'Yote demanded. “I mean, I do want to study this more, and figure out what happened… But we are already quite late. I can try to figure out what happened after we return from lunch.”

“You really are unbelievable…” Rakan said. “But how do you think people are going to react when, ...” Rakan was interrupted at this point as his own stomach began to rumble. With his now much larger size, his stomach itself sounded like a savage beast. “Okay, I’m starving! I’m willing to risk it to ease my hunger.”

“Excellent!” 'Yote said. “I don’t think you’re going to fit into a car right now though, so we’ll probably have to walk to the restaurant.”

“I see nothing that can go wrong with that plan,” Rakan rolled his eyes as the two headed for the door. He had to gently open it out of fear of ripping it off its hinges. This new level of strength was going to take some time to get used to.

“Do you think your coworkers are going to freak out when they see us like this?” Rakan asked.

“Rakan, this is a facility of science,” 'Yote chided his wolf friend. “We don’t freak out - we inquire. Besides, you don’t pursue a career in the field of science unless you secretly hope something unexpected like this is going to happen. I worry less about them freaking out, and more about them trying to steal my research notes.”

“Your colleagues are weird,” Rakan teased.

“Of course!” 'Yote responded happily. “Why do you think you fit in so well?”

A few minutes later in the fast food restaurant closeby, Rakan with 'Yote at his side, loomed over the counter and the cashier as he tried to order his food.

“Um yeah, I think…” Rakan mused. “I think, I want the Full Pound Burger,” Rakan’s stomach rumbled as he remembered how much bigger he was now. “Actually, better make that five.”

“Uhhhh,” The cashier stared at Rakan dumbfoundedly, unable to figure out how to respond.

“Come now!” 'Yote spoke up cheerfully. “There’s no reason to be scared! If we were savage beasts, we’d hardly be ordering hamburgers. Just take our order like any other customer.”

“Uhhhh,” The cashier looked like she was just seconds away from screaming and running out of the room.

“Look, its fine,” 'Yote said. “I’m a scientist. This is all… Very scientific, and controlled. So there’s no reason for you to worry about it… Just take the order.”

“Uhhhhhh,” the cashier finally managed to punch some buttons on her register and then replied. “That will be $35.28.”

“For fast food?” Rakan shook his head. “So much for a cheap month.” He reached back with his clawed hand to pat the backside of his leg only to remember that he currently wasn’t wearing pants and thus had no pockets. “Uhhhh, 'Yote, I don’t have any money on me. Did you remember to grab your wallet before heading out?”

“Oh dear…” 'Yote muttered. “I completely forgot. It’s always in my pocket so I didn’t really think about it.”

“Shoot, so we can’t pay for our food? We need to eat something, I’m starving.” As Rakan spoke his stomach released another savage growl.

“Um, I forgot to tell you...,” The cashier started to freak out. “Congratulations! You’re… our first werewolf customers!”

“Technically, I’m an anthropomorphic coyote,” 'Yote interjected.

“Oh well! That’s even more special! It means your meal today is free!” The cashier said in a hurry.

“Oh? Really?” Rakan asked. “That’s… actually really nice. Thank you.”

“Yup, all the burgers you want free of charge, so no need to eat anything or anyone else here!” The cashier responded with a nervous laugh.

“Okay…” Rakan looked down at her. “That’s kind of a weird thing to tell your customers, but I’ll take the free burgers.”

With a bag of burgers in hand the two proceeded to one of the tables. 'Yote happily hopped up into a chair while Rakan just crouched down on his knees next to the table.

“She seemed nice,” 'Yote said. “But we probably better make sure we don’t forget our wallets in the future. We might want to carry around some kind of bag.”

“She was frightened out of her mind,” Rakan replied.

“I imagine it will take some time for people to get used to how we look like now,” 'Yote declared. “In the meantime: Hey - free burgers!”

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Rakan responded as he pulled a burger from the bag and threw the entire thing into his open maw.

“Oh, as if you aren’t secretly excited about it,” 'Yote teased.

“Can’t prove anything,” Rakan huffed.

“Your tail is wagging,” 'Yote stuck his tongue out slightly.

“Okay, so maybe I kind of like it!” Rakan admitted. “It’s freaky but… It’s kind of thrilling. But… I’m still not sure that just not worrying about it and walking around in public is the best idea.”

“Maybe, but people will get used to it a lot faster if you’re in public than if you’re hidden,” 'Yote said. “Now eat your burgers and I’ll look more into this when we get back at the lab.”

After lunch the two returned to the lab. With full stomachs both of them were in higher spirits, especially now that they were starting to adapt to their bodies.

“Okay, spit in this please,” 'Yote said while passing a test tube to Rakan.

“Why?” Rakan demanded.

“You want me to figure out what happened, right?” 'Yote asked. “Well… I need DNA samples. So… You can either spit in this test tube, or I can get a syringe and draw some blood.”

“Spitting is fine,” Rakan growled and did as he was asked. 'Yote then took the test tube and produced a microscope and a number of other tools and chemicals from his cabinet. He took a drop of the spit and put it onto a slide to examine it with the microscope.

“Hmmmm,” 'Yote would mutter to himself every now and then as he was studying it.

“Well?” Rakan inquired.

“I have no idea,” 'Yote responded.

“But you’ve been looking at it forever!” Rakan shouted.

“Hey! This is a process!” 'Yote objected. “It’s not like I just sit here, look at something under a microscope for five minutes and then shout ‘Eureka! I’ve cured an illness!’ It takes a lot of time and study!”

“So how much time do you need?” Rakan demanded.

“Give me five more minutes,” 'Yote said as he spun around in his chair and returned to his work.

“I can’t tell if you’re serious or not,” Rakan replied.

Much more than five minutes later, 'Yote’s ears stood straight up as he seemed to come to some form of realization.

“Oh that is interesting!” he blurted out.

“What is it!?” Rakan asked.

“Well!” 'Yote said. “I’ve studied some of my own DNA as well… And it looks like we both have contracted the same disease that I was studying earlier! But… the disease was highly adapted for canine bodies. It shouldn’t have been able to survive in a human body… So somehow I think… Rather than trying to adapt itself to survive in a human body, the disease adapts the host body to suit it!”

“So… It basically turns people into werewolves,” Rakan said.

“Or coyotes!” 'Yote added. “Or really, I suppose any form of canine is possible. I would have to do more research. You know… There’s probably a market for this.”

“There’s a market for something that mutates people into werecreatures?” Rakan asked in disbelief.

“Well how much do you want to change back?” 'Yote asked.

“Point taken,” Rakan admitted.

“The interesting thing though...” 'Yote seemed unsure. “Well there’s a lot of bewildering things going on that are unlike anything that I’ve seen before… I took a skin sample from myself and… The basic cellular structure, well it seems to be continually changing between human and coyote. On top of that, the change seem to be affected by certain neurotransmitters.”

“What does that mean?” Rakan asked.

“It’s still too early to say for sure…” 'Yote said. “But… It might mean with a little research and a lot of time… It might be possible for someone to change back and forth at will.”

“Wait! Such a thing is possible!?” Rakan asked incredulously.

“Well, if you asked me earlier today, I would have said no.” 'Yote admitted. “But that would have been before we mutated in the first place. I think it might be possible, it’s just going to take a lot of time to figure out. But if we can, well, it would certainly make it easier to market if we could advertise that you could change back and forth at will.”

“That’s what you want to focus on?” Rakan demanded.

“Hey - it’s not greed!” 'Yote exclaimed in a wounded tone. “But running a lab like this is expensive. We’ve got bills to pay! A little more cash flow would really let us take our research to new levels! Plus, I imagine if it really works, we’ll need some money to construct an annex building with some kind of changing room. I imagine if you lose an outfit every time you wolf out, you’ll put yourself in debt just from refilling your closet.”

“I uhm... guess that make sense,” Rakan agreed.

“But there will be a lot of tests before we can figure out how to change back and forth; or even if it’s possible,” 'Yote continued. “Luckily, I think I have a pretty good test subject available. So, what do you say? Do you want to be my guinea pig and help me unlock the secrets to the science of werewolves?”

“Fine…” Rakan affirmed. “But if I’m going to be your guinea pig for this research, you can at least treat me to lunch each day.”

“Oh my, I saw how you eat now,” 'Yote teased. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll ruin myself paying for your lunch.”

“Hey science is all about taking risks, right?” Rakan asked.

“Absolutely not,” 'Yote responded. “But I see no reason to let that stop me. Now, let’s get to work.”

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