Denoument

The nurse was a pretty vixen, and she dropped her clipboard in shock as Walter helped Maggie through the door. "Holy... here, let me help you! What on earth happened?"

"Some pilgrims play rough," said Walter levelly, helping Maggie onto an examining table.

"Who did this?", asked the vixen, going over Maggie carefully. "Somebody's hit her in the mouth, and that ear's lacerated and the tip is missing, and yes, we have bite marks and I'd better check for internal bleeding, is that okay honey? Can you tell me what happened?"

Maggie had regained some of her usual style. "Too much fucking fun!" The vixen blinked, and the little Siamese corrected herself. "I mean... okay, do you want the short list or the long list?"

"Tell me everything that has to do with an injury," replied the nurse soothingly. "If you need to talk, I'm here to listen."

Maggie earflicked, and mewed in pain as it was the torn ear. "Okay- it was group sex- well, in a way it was, that's what I thought it was- the one that tore my ear is also the same one that bit my arm. It was claws that hurt my thigh, but wuf type so they weren't that sharp. I remember one of them doing anal was just too big..." She seemed prepared to shamelessly recount absolutely everything that had to do with an injury, but then stopped abruptly as she saw Edie and Walter beginning to depart, at an awkward distance from each other, and looking uncomfortable. "Stop, wait! Make them stop!"

They did, and Edie asked, "What is it?"

Maggie looked at Walter, and at Edie, earnestly. "I'm sorry... I mean, I had no idea that you knew him, and, well, I know what you two have been going through. It seems like this might have made things a lot harder for you... me, I'll heal up, and in the line of work I originally wanted you run that kind of risk, and anyway I think I'll look pretty good with one ragged ear, huh? All streety and stuff. But I don't want to live that way really."

"No," said Edie carefully. "I don't, either. Not now."

Maggie continued determinedly, in spite of the protestations of the vixen nurse. "But I wouldn't want to think that I made things harder for you! Ow, my mouth. Leave me alone, you, I'm talking to my friends!"

The vixen came right back at her with, "Well, finish it up quick, you crazy moggy, so I can make you better! Or I'll sedate you!" She put her hands on her hips, tsking in gentle mockery.

Maggie smirked. "I'm in trouble! Ow. Okay, okay- but listen, Edie, Walter, promise you won't be mean to each other! Or something. Oh, I don't know! You're too complicated! Just be good, okay? Promise you'll be good."

Walter nodded, and shortly after, so did Edie.

"Well then." said Maggie. "See you later, I'm going to let this nice vixen fix me up."

"Good!" said the nurse, and resumed fussing over Maggie, as Edie and Walter slipped out into the corridor, and the long walk home.

They walked for a while, until Edie broke the silence with "Sorry."

"Sorry for what?" replied Walter, brooding.

"Oh, it's like that, is it? All right."

"Wait. What?" said Walter, brusquely. "I'm not in the mood for complicated."

Edie sighed. "I'm sorry I wrecked your image of me, and go ahead and write me off. We needn't talk about it any more..."

"It was pretty dumb anyway," said Walter. "But why should I write you off?"

Edie bristled in shame. "Because I'm a horrible little slut? Not a good kid sister?"

Walter took a moment to reply. "I think I'm beginning to understand..."

"You'd better, because my cover is blown, Walter. It's true, all of it. I was with that pack, when I was younger."

"Made an impression, too, didn't you? You really are something kinda special. You dealt with that all yourself..."

"I was saving your life!" snapped Edie. "I'm sorry I had to treat you that way, but they'd have killed you! I couldn't let that happen. I destroyed my reputation but it was to save your life! If you had taken even one swing at even one of them..."

"Slow down, Edie. I think I understood what was happening. Didn't I do as you told me? And it was the hardest thing anyone's ever asked me to do." said Walter.

"It wasn't fair to you!"

Walter harrumphed. "Of course not. Seems like there was a reason for it, though. And did I, or did I not, come through with flying colors? Edie?"

The little silver cat nodded slowly, still padding along. "As a matter of fact, you did."

"Thank you," replied Walter. A little while later, he added, "So did you."

"Flying the colors of a raving slut? Why thank you, good of you to notice..."

Walter whirled and firmly pressed Edie up against the wall. "Stop!"

"What?" gasped Edie, frightened. "Don't hurt me!" To top it all off, Walter's sudden fierceness hit her below the belt, and her legs suddenly went wobbly with desire. Edie began to cry, all her barriers falling away.

The hulking wolf looked her over, his hands on her shoulders trembling from some strong emotion. Presently, he let her go, but grabbed her hand and resumed his walk, saying with great seriousness, "Walk with me, and listen."

Edie did so, though her legs were still unsteady. There wasn't much else she could do.

"I think I understand almost everything now, it all makes sense for the first time. Just listen to what I have to say... first, you came there with me to have a picnic. Understand? You were coming on a picnic, and you weren't going to do anything else, either. I knew that, and I was happy just to be with you. Am I going too fast?" asked Walter.

Edie shook her head, and he continued.

"Secondly, there was a cat there who was getting gangbanged by a group of wolves, and knowing her, she started it on purpose- I think I've heard her talking about that, actually, how she was getting in touch with some rough crowd. Well, she did that, and got it every which way, and she was so covered in spoo and spit and dirt that I had to wrap a tarp around her to not get filthy when taking her home. And Edie? That cat was not you, doing that. It was Maggie. And I bet the appeal's worn off, too," added Walter, brusquely.

Edie nodded. "It does." she said, weakly.

"That's what drew me to Maggie in the first place, you know. The sheer wildness of her! The trouble was, she just kept on doing it. I didn't mind it that much. I didn't even mind that I had to share her, because that was always a given, and where she comes from, that's no big deal. But she wanted to teach me to be that way as well, and there are some people I just don't want to bump uglies with, you hear what I'm saying?"

Edie sniffled. "Uh-huh."

"This... Chuck, was it? What drew you to him, and why are you not there anymore?" Walter kept walking, and didn't press for an immediate answer.

Eventually, Edie said, "The wildness of him. The whole scene. I have very strong heats, and at the time it seemed like a good idea to just run with it. It was so primal. There were times when he half killed me with my own libido. It was like nobody else in the world got to get off the way I did. It was like I was special."

"But you are." said Walter softly.

"Where I come from, they take you to the hospital and spay you for being like that," said Edie. "I couldn't let that happen, so I led a double life. Finally, it got to be too much. Chuck drove me one night so hard that I could have died. As soon as I could walk again, I snuck out and I left. And I left the scene, and I left the planet, and my whole culture, and I came here- because it was over, I couldn't live that life anymore. I'd never even said goodbye. It wasn't the sort of thing where you said goodbye when it was over..."

"And you left all that."

"No, I didn't!" cried Edie. "When I got here I was still wanting to hook up with bad people, but there weren't any! Rick is a talker, and everyone is so open, and there was nowhere to hide so I couldn't! I've been so frustrated..."

Walter's steady stride hesitated. "But..."

"But what? It's true!"

Walter stopped. "But you didn't want me? You wanted people like this Chuck?"

"Like hell I didn't," said Edie. "Slutty little cat desperately wanted you, but you're good, it doesn't fit the program. You don't hide, you're upfront, all that. I've been sick with want for you, but it doesn't matter."

"Then... You could have had Chuck, there, for the asking. He asked you what, three times, to come and be treated like a slut? Edie, why didn't you go, and leave me to take care of Maggie? I would've done that for you. I lo.."

He stopped, abruptly, choking off the word, falling silent, and Edie floated helplessly through the silence, with everything that she knew adrift and no use anymore. There wasn't an answer, and she saw Walter's eyes fill with yearning and his need for an answer, and finally Edie had to say, in a little voice, "I don't know."

"Yeah," said Walter, "I know the feeling."

This was unexpected enough to jolt Edie out of her self-absorbed haze a bit, and she found herself asking, "Why do you know the feeling?" And, amazed, she saw Walter go bashful and uncomfortable in turn.

"Used to think I had a type," he mumbled. "Used to understand that pretty well. On the one hand, all naughty, and on the other hand little and cute, maybe innocent, I don't know. That's never worked out that well for me, you know. Why is it that all of a sudden when I see you being so capable, dealing with that Chuck guy and being in control of the situation, something clicks? I'm supposed to like you better if you're innocent or faking it, that's the type."

Edie blinked, wiping a tear, her programmer brain coming to the fore. "You have a type, but it doesn't work? You can't pursue it anymore?"

"Nope."

"Me either." said Edie, and silence fell again, but this time it was a very busy, thoughts-whirling silence, and Edie broke it first, purring, "But... that's too easy!"

"You think?" said Walter. "Wanna bet?"

"But... it doesn't feel right!" said Edie.

"Compared to what?" replied Walter, promptly. Slowly, a grin began to sneak onto his face.

"But... that would be crazy!" said Edie, beginning to feel so giddy that she feared she'd leave the ground.

"Compared to what?" grinned Walter. Suddenly he let out a yelp of delight, and grabbed her, and they were hugging each other, whirling around and laughing and crying and shaking as the emotions cut loose.

Finally, Walter put her down, beaming, and Edie looked up at him, glowing. She noticed her tail was hard left, and straightened it with an air of feline fastidiousness, and looked up at him again, with great curiosity.

"But... you love me even though I DON'T set off the old chemistry?"

Walter replied with a soft, deep, lusty growl that nearly toppled her where she stood, yet she held her ground. "Silly! I mean, I can still think. Can you still think, too?"

He nodded, smugly. "Absolutely. And, good for us!"

"So," purred Edie, "what now?"

Walter took her hand. "Well, let me hazard a guess. You will continue to be not helpless or innocent at all, and that will turn out to suit me just fine. I will continue to be civilized and understanding, and amazingly enough, that will turn out to suit you just fine too. And, in conclusion..."

Edie smirked, amazed at the sense of freedom- everything was strange and utterly unfamiliar, and yet she'd never felt so grounded. "In conclusion?"

Walter put the final touch on all the unexpectedness, by petting her for an answer- he, who had never touched her in any suggestive way, ran an affectionate touch down her front, down her chest, down her belly... Edie gasped and sagged against him as the touch teasingly stopped just a hairsbreadth short.

"In conclusion," said Walter, "let's get you home." His eyes twinkled at her reaction.

"That," managed Edie, "will do nicely."

They set off, and Walter inquired solicitously, "Can you walk?", his tail wagging like mad.

"Hell, I'd drag you." replied Edie, breathlessly.