Tom’s Parallel World – 9

Dear reader, if you haven’t already caught up with Tom by now, you will need to read previous chapters or some of the references may not add up for this chapter.

Nothing beats a comment or a PM, if you have a constructive criticism, or just leave a +ve vote.

This is a work of erotic adventure fiction, containing furry, anthropomorphic animals with human intelligence having sex with our human hero. If this isn’t for you, please read my other stories.

All characters, furry or otherwise, are over eighteen.

Nellymcboatface.

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After leaving Clair, dumfounded in bed at midnight, Tom ran along the cliff path towards Mermaid’s Cove. With it being so late he didn’t have to worry about Captain Brown or his wife seeing him. Although, it would have been hard to convince them, that he wasn’t going against the top dog’s wishes and leaving the confines of the village.

Even after all his walking, as he tried to run, his boots felt like lead, then something clicked inside and energy ran through him. Whether it was cat or dog nanobots in his blood stream taking over, he didn’t care, but he sped up. Sometimes he dropped from his two legs onto all fours with his hands, scampering along the ground, which seemed more natural and definitely quicker.

Soon he reached the area above the cove and he easily jumped over the fallen tree to walk down the path to the cove below. The cove was empty, but Tom continued down the steps, cut into the cliff to reach the beach. His cat’s eye vision cut in, to give him a perfect view of the area. In the moonlight, he could have read a book, but he couldn’t see any sign of Pisces, the mermaid princess.

He looked out seaward through the narrow inlet and noticed ripples on the water, funnelling towards the beach. He walked down to meet the peak of the ripples as Pisces, raised her head above the water with an urgent look on her face.

“Where’ve you been Tom? I’ve been waiting?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have a wristwatch, let alone a moon watch.”

“Strip off, quickly…”

“What? No chatting, no foreplay, just straight into sex?”

“No, shush. Something is happening further along the coast. You need to strip off to swim with me, so we can see what is happening.”

Tom untied his bootlaces and removed his clothes, as he asked, “Like what?”

“I was sitting here waiting, then heard motors, like a fishing boat, but they wouldn’t be out this late.”

“I can’t hear anything?”

“Under the water, silly. You need to be quiet, as our voices will carry over the water, once we are out beyond the rocks of the inlet.”

Tom stepped out of his boxers and threw them and his T-shirt further up the beach to reach his boots, as he was already stepping into the water. Initially, he resisted entering the cold water. Pisces eyed him up and down. Pleased at what she saw, not just between his legs, but also the gold chain necklace, still around his neck with the shell whistle her father had awarded him.

Pisces beckoned him to join her, looking as lovely as the first time they met. Her long black hair trailed down over her shoulders, barely hiding her ample naked breasts. Her blue rubbery skin matched the moonlit water as she slipped further out, now frustrated, still beckoning him to go deeper.

Once thigh-deep, Tom held his breath and took the plunge. The initial coldness wasn’t so bad and he followed Pisces out. At first, his breaststroke could barely keep her in sight, but he remembered how she swam, butterfly stroke style with her arms trailing behind her and kicking with her tail. He mimicked her tail movements with his two legs, finding more power than individual kicks.

His cat’s eye night vision worked as well below water as above, so he could follow Pisces, as she continued to swim underwater. Tom’s continual breathing hampered him, but the further they swam, the easier it became. He could reduce the number of breaths he needed and yet he could swim faster.

Mermaid’s cove was well behind them as Pisces swam in close to a large rock holding onto the seaweed clinging to the rock. Tom swam in close enough for them to touch, her blue rubbery skin sending ripples of excitement through him. Pisces pointed to a dark area beyond the rocks.

Tom’s eyes adjusted, and he could see a flat rubber dingy moving along the cliff. The dingy carried three dark shadowy figures. The dingy disappeared between two rocks and Pisces kicked off the rock to follow it. Tom caught up with her at another rock, but this time he could rest his knees on the bottom.

Looking over the rock, he recognised the beach with the ruined, overgrown fisherdogs house that he and Becky had been at earlier that day, or was it now yesterday?. On the beach was the unmistakable feline, white-furred form of Balthazar, the village bureaucrat.

Two of the figures jumped out of the dingy to pull it up onto the beach and then the third got out. The third dark figure was large and stocky, wearing a hooded gown, similar to a monk, but the other two pulled their hoods off to search around, looking for any witnesses. Pisces gasped in obvious recognition of the two bare-headed animals looking like large weasels.

The monk walked up the beach to Balthazar, leaving the two weasels at the dingy. Balthazar and the monk met and talked for a period. Balthazar then showed the monk the list Tom had given him earlier that evening. The monk pulled his hood off to read the list, exposing his head, with two white stripes.

Pisces grabbed Tom, holding him tightly as this was obviously the badger Brock, the pirate. He read the list, laughed, and then read it again. He shook his head and laughed, loud enough for Tom and Pisces to hear him clearly.

“This list of equipment shows that they know nothing. Give them what they want, as they will learn nothing. I have someone coming who will put a stop to this,” said Brock, his voice full of menace and guttural.

He handed Balthazar the list back, and they continued to speak at length, in low voices, which Tom couldn’t hear clearly. Afterwards, Brock pulled his hood up and returned to the dingy, sitting in it as the two weasels pushed it out, keeping their boss dry but whilst getting their feet wet.

Balthazar disappeared into the undergrowth, not following the coastal path but going straight inland. The dingy and its occupants turned and headed out. Rather than swimming out, Pisces pushed Tom’s head beneath the water and they both watched the dingy pass them by from underneath the surface.

When Tom and Pisces raised their noses above the water, Tom didn’t need to gasp in a breath of air, despite being underwater for multiple Mississippi counts. They watched the dingy move along the coast, but rather than heading directly out to sea, it headed for a low, long rectangular unnatural looking rock.

“I don’t recognise that rock,” Pisces whispered to Tom, in a barely audible voice.

The three figures stepped off the dingy onto the rock. Brock disappeared into the rock as if he were going down a ladder. The two weasels pulled the dingy onto the rock, working their way around the deflating dingy as they flattened and folded it up, rolling it into a cavity in the rock.

The pair lifted a hinged cover over the dingy cavity. Then, like closing a holiday suitcase, the one stood on the door, as the other pulled heavy catches to secure it. The two weasels sank down the stairway into the rock. The dark rectangular rock moved away and then submerged.

“It’s a submarine!” Tom stated the obvious. “That can’t be cheap, so there is big money behind this and Balthazar must be taking some of it.”

Pisces pulled him back underwater, so they could both hear an electric hum and faint swish of the propellers. Hearing it recede into the distance, they both returned to the surface.

“That’s the sound I heard earlier whilst waiting for you,” Pisces explained once they resurfaced. “The two weasels are Brock’s henchmen. They’re the ones who tied me into the crab pot and left me to die.”

Tom then explained what he and Becky had discovered that afternoon. Making this the second time in two days, Balthazar must have met the group on the beach in this way. Although the perfume smell was not present tonight. They would have to keep an eye out for the person, Brock warned he was sending ‘To put a stop to it’…

Pisces asked about the contents of the box they had recovered from Tor Rock. Tom explained his concerns about the Institute for Genetic Control and possible moles feeding Brock genetic material and nanobots. He explained his plan, with Lucy, Peter and the cottage, also about Peter’s possession of the required testing equipment.

Pisces was excited about the implications with her mind racing with the information. Tom then added the icing on the cake. Lucy’s false equipment list that Tom had given to Balthazar, who they had just witnessed, showing it to Brock for critical inspection.

“At the moment, Pisces, you and I are the only people who know all the pieces of the puzzle. Becky, Lucy, Peter, and even Captain Brown only know portions of the puzzle, which will help keep them safe. You need to keep your father appraised, so if anything were to happen to either of us, he will also know.”

“I’m glad you know you can trust me.”

“After saving you and us witnessing that clandestine meeting tonight. I think I can trust you more than anyone else at the moment.”

Pisces grinned at Tom.

“Come on, now you’re in the water we can enjoy a good swim.”

She dived underwater and swam off. Tom could easily follow her with his cat’s eyes doing their job and now he found he could easily keep up with her. Maybe these nano-bots had improved his lung and muscle efficiency, he thought. He had comfortably adjusted to swimming using both legs together, feeling it more efficient. He found it odd that with this different exercise, his legs itched rather than ached.

Pisces enjoyed leading him a merry dance, twisting every which way to lose him, as Tom chased her. Before he knew it, Pisces was sitting above the very crab pot they’d incarcerated her in. This time, rather than gasping for air, Tom could relax and join her with air in his lungs to spare.

Tom struggled to sit alongside Pisces. As he tried to bring his one leg round, he found his legs constrained together. He turned to look and overbalanced, falling into the crab pot, hearing Pisces laugh. Tom’s legs were now a single tail. Not a shining fishtail covered in scales like Pisces, but a single opaque mucous membrane.

At the end of his tail, it also conjoined his feet with a crude single fin. He struggled with this new concept as Pisces chuckled at his discovery.

“I think those nano-bots of mine are now inside you and doing their job. Don’t panic, freshwater will dissolve your tail, just as it did mine that afternoon in Mermaid Cove.”

Tom tried to talk back, but all he could do was reduce the air in his lungs as he blew bubbles. Pisces, realising his dilemma, pointed up to the surface and headed upwards. Tom overcame his imbalance and joined her in a race to the air above. As they broke the surface, they both laughed, Tom in shock and Pisces enjoying his discomfort.

“You never warned me?” Tom exclaimed.

“I didn’t know. I’m not a geneticist, but when we first swam out, I realised when I saw the mucus forming. You’re quite an excellent swimmer and your breathing is far better.”

Pisces looked thoughtful, with her hand brushing Tom’s hair away from his ears.

“Hmm, no gills… Yet. Maybe if you stay long enough, you’ll make a handsome merman.”

Tom found tread watering with a tail, not as easy as with two legs, but soon got the knack. Then a fear passed through his mind.

“Er, what about… You know?” He said, nodding down to his crotch below the water.

Pisces smiled and sank below the waves, as Tom felt her hands slide down his torso and the one move around his crotch. Her fingers found his growing member and stroked it through the membrane, teasing it larger. His manhood was now pressing from inside the membrane for release. She gripped his shaft through the sheath. With a sharp twist of her fingernails, created a slit for him to slip out of.

Her other hand reached around, stroking Tom’s cheeks, her fingers teasing down his cheek crevice. Her finger pressed on the membrane, pulling his cheeks in, suddenly breaking through to find his rear entrance, causing Tom to shudder.

Tom felt the warmth of Pisces’ mouth engulf his shaft. She licked and suck on it. Her finger now entered his rear, not deeply, but far enough to excite him further. Pisces’s manipulations distracted Tom, who forgot to continue treading water, and he dropped below the waves. Rather than coughing or spluttering, Tom felt quite at ease and pulled Pisces up for them to kiss.

“How hungry do you feel, Tom?” Pisces asked.

Now Tom realised he was famished. He hadn’t eaten since early the previous evening and it must be early morning. Rather than nodding, he instinctively spoke and once more, an eruption of exhaled bubbles exited his mouth. They both lifted themselves above sea level, Pisces laughing again.

“How come you can speak below water and I can’t?” Tom asked, frustrated.

“Because you’re still breathing air. Once underwater, I use my gills so I don’t use my vocal cords to speak. If I used my underwater voice above water, all you would hear is screeching. Once your nano-bots sort out gills, then maybe you can learn.”

“I suppose that is something for another day, but yes, I am starving.”

Tom wasn’t sure if he wanted the nanobots to change him that much. At least his tail will `wash’ off in freshwater. He found the idea of being a changeling mermaid exciting and offering him new discoveries in the future.

“Come on, we’ll go to a deeper kelp forest for some snacks.”

Pisces led the way, swimming off along the coast, with Tom following close behind. She led him further out to sea, with the pair enjoying swimming together. Tom tried emulating her swimming techniques and found his forming tail and fin were helping, enabling him to keep with her twists and turns.

They remained just beneath the waves as they swam. The moon filtering down through the waves flickered and twinkled off Pisces, exaggerating her body form as she flowed through the ocean. Tom grew more and more excited as he admired her body, rather than focusing on technique.

Pisces turned to enjoy Tom’s eyes on her. She coiled around to meet him in an embrace, bringing him up to the surface.

“I love the way you watch me… Your eyes excite me, knowing you want me.”

Pisces smiled and winked at him, then looked down at where Tom’s stomach was hidden beneath the surface, as it gurgled and groaned, confirming its emptiness.

“I think I need to eat first, hearing that is hardly erotic.”

Pisces giggled and dived back beneath the waves, with Tom hot on her tail fin. After a brief swim close to the surface, she dived deeper into darker depths. Tom felt the soft velvet kelp before he noticed it around them. Flashes of Pisces ahead of him guided him deeper to the sandy bottom.

Pisces flicked her body as she snatched behind a kelp strand, to produce a reddish flatfish that was slightly larger than her small hand that held it. She reached her spare hand up to a decorative shell in her hair and withdrew a small sharp knife that deftly dispatched the fish.

She pointed at the fish and held up four fingers, then returned to her search. Tom remained within sight of her as he also searched. Despite seeing a few, he just couldn’t catch them as they sped off, guessing his intentions.

Feeling a slap on his backside, or at least where it was, inside his tail, he turned. Pisces hovered behind him, holding four fish in triumph. She pointed for him to follow her and they followed a rocky base, then up a rock cliff, to the surface.

They swam around until, with a flick of her tail, Pisces landed to sit on a convenient rock shelf. It took Tom three tries to just land on the same edge and pull himself back, to sit alongside her as she laughed at his lack of agility.

Looking around, rather than being on a cliff, they were on a tiny, rocky island, surrounded by the sea, with no land in sight. Using her hair shell’s knife, she filleted a fish and handed Tom slices.

“We must have swum miles out to sea.”

“No, not far, the cliffs around mermaid cove are just on the horizon there.”

Pisces pointed due north, with Tom noticing a very slight brightening to the east. Pisces then pointed to the left.

“Dogwatch cove is just there, maybe too far for you to swim on an empty stomach.”

Now knowing where to look, Tom could just make out the dark cliffs against the night sky on the horizon. Tom’s stomach growled, as if on cue, causing them both to laugh. It surprised Tom at how nice the raw fish tasted, as Pisces shared her catch with him.

“I think you need to share what we have discovered tonight with Edgar.”

“I don’t know Pisces… I don’t seem to be in his good books.”

“Ignore your feelings, Tom. It’s for the good of everyone. Edgar has always had the Village and Mer people’s wellbeing at heart. Becky would have already told him you suspect Balthazar’s meeting with Brock and now we have witnessed it. He needs to know, so he can decide on what to do”

“Okay, maybe I should… I don’t remember seeing this island when out on the boat with Edgar before.”

“It’s only an island at low tide and barely a rock at high tide, it’s easily missed. We’ve storms coming in the next few days and the rock will barely be visible.”

“Will that affect the herring? The fisherdogs are relying on them.”

“Oh yes. We’ve already warned Edgar. The herring will stay deep and may even not run at all. They usually like to run along the Gulf Stream that circles Britain, but not in storms.”

“Ah, we have the same in our world, the Gulf Stream, that is. I don’t know about the herring though. Is that why the sea feels warmer tonight?”

“Yes, out here, we are in a deeper body of water, so it holds the temperature better than inshore. Your body’s nanobots must also help, because any naked human out here would be shivering by now.”

Tom had forgotten he was technically naked out here, sitting on cold, wet rocks. He kicked his tail in the water, enjoying the benefits of this world’s high-tech nanobots. Never in a million years would he have ever thought he would one day be sitting, sharing a midnight snack, with a mermaid, with his own tail in the water.

Once she finished her last bite of fish, Pisces slipped into the water, sweeping water across the rocks, allowing the fish remains to wash away. She hovered just a few meters away, waiting for Tom to join her.

“Come on Tom, I want those hungry eyes of yours to satisfy me now.”

She flipped and dived under the water, her tail flicking high in the air to splash Tom. He shouted in protest and half fell, half jumped, to follow her. She had a lead on him and, whilst he soon caught up; he was sure she had slowed up to give him a chance.

He loved chasing her silvery, blue body that flicked and twisted through the water as she made the most of her three-dimensional world. Unlike playing with girls in the playground, that could only twist left or right, Pisces could dive or rise, whilst also twisting left or right.

Maybe Pisces planned it, but Tom quickly worked out a pattern to her manoeuvres. Like a chasing fighter plane, he anticipated her next flick downwards and was already there waiting for her, catching her tail in his arms.

Her powerful tail kicked and flicked, trying to release herself, but in the end, she twisted back round to wrestle him into an embrace. As their tongues sought superiority, Tom brought them both to the surface, giggling and laughing whilst holding her in a tight grip.

Pisces breasts pressed against his chest and she squeezed his tail clad buttocks, thrusting her hips into his bulge hidden inside the pocket in his tail that was now fighting to escape. Tom moved his hold to her hips. Now she was no longer fighting to escape.

Pisces leaned her head back to flick her wet hair behind her, giving Tom a perfect, unhindered view of her breasts. He lifted her higher out of the water to kiss and suck her one breast, causing her to chuckle in pleasure. Her hands pushed onto Tom’s shoulders as he switched to her second breast for her to squeal and run her hands through his hair.

Tom lowered her to kiss her on the mouth again and suck on her lips. Pisces hand reached down and with a flick of her wrist, pulled his shaft out of its pocket. She dropped beneath the dark surface for Tom to feel the warmth of her mouth envelope him, sucking and licking him.

Her mouth left him, but her hand clasped his shaft, her head emerging with her grinning and kissing him. He felt her guide him closer to her and guide his shaft into her. Her fingers worked him through a fish scale flap, then in a swift flick, she rose a few inches up to drop and she engulfed him inside her warm body.

“You’ll need to keep thrusting. This isn’t like on the beach. We need to swim together, but you need to be the guide.”

She hadn’t convinced Tom, as he remembering their last disappointment on the beach with her tail. He gave a little flick and felt him drive deeper into Pisces. This was better than previous. Taking a breath, they ducked beneath the waves and the pair glided along, with Tom giving pulsing thrusts into Pisces as she grinned back at him.

Pisces only needed minor adjustments to their body’s trim, to cause them to twist and turn whilst they remained engaged. Tom found this far more satisfying than before. More erotic than just grinding hips on a stationary bed. Their two bodies, locked together working in submerged harmony.

Pisces gripped Tom and bobbed up and down on his shaft as he kept steering them through a three-dimensional dance, both upping the tempo of their lovemaking. This was more subtle and erotic than his previous sexual experience and in one bubbled gasp, Tom remembered he still needed to breathe.

Bursting to the surface, Tom sucked in a deep breath as he laughed in ecstasy, with Pisces shaking her head, flicking her hair as she squealed in joy.

“Holy cow, Pisces, this is so sexy… erotic beyond measure… Our bodies are one… I love it.”

“No talk, take a deep breath,” Pisces commanded, on the edge of her orgasm.

No soon as Tom had closed his mouth at the end of his deepest breath, she pulled him back underwater to continue their submerged ballet. Once more, it only took minor adjustments to their body shape to enable them to propel their bodies whilst still thrusting into each other.

With the both of them holding each other’s waists, Tom leaned back to watch Pisces’s breasts flow in the water, almost floating in the fluid as their bodies jerked together. Pisces’s eyes remained transfixed on Tom as they thrust their hips together.

The pair continued their sexual ballet. Tom had to adjust his usual technique, with them both effectively having their legs bound inside their tails. Feeling Pisces tightly wrapped around his shaft, his excitement grew. It felt strange for Tom, as he missed being between a pair of thighs and having legs wrapped around him.

Pisces’s body tensed up as her orgasm fell upon her. She gave quick flicks of her tail as she arched her back whilst she screeched like a dolphin in the water. Tom had to keep thrusting with his tail and compensate with his body to keep them engaged.

Pisces orgasm acted like a trigger of release for Tom. With her body tightening its grip on his shaft, he exploded inside her, filling her with his warmth. The pair gripped each other in a tight, thrusting embrace, floating in the ocean.

Tom sucked in a mouthful of water before he realised they were both still submerged. He released his hold on Pisces to shoot to the surface spluttering and coughing, breathing in lung fulls of air. Pisces surfaced with grace, a short distance away, smiling and laughing at his discomfort.

With his lungs cleared, Tom swam over to Pisces to hug and kiss her, now more used to keeping their tails side on to each other, so they can swish independently. Seeing the cliffs of Mermaid Cove now closer, he also realised that the sky in the east was getting lighter.

“Wow, Pisces, that was… Lovely and different. But I need to return to get some sleep and help Kitty. They are due more visitors today and I’ll never have time to lose this tail and sleep.”

“Maybe we’ll try something else next time… Don’t worry, I can find something that will help you with avoiding sleep. Come on, we’ll get back to Mermaid’s Cove.”

Tom swam with Pisces, the moon no longer dancing its rays off her as the sky brightened. As they passed over Pisces cage, that remained sat at depth. Pisces dove, searching the rocky crevices, picking at various seaweed patches before they swam on.

As they reached the shallows, Tom made his way to the freshwater stream running down the beach, seeing his boots and clothes still scattered, haphazard but dry. Tom flipped and flopped up into the colder stream as Pisces laughed at his antics.

Sitting in the pool they had made for Pisces the last time they were on the beach. Pisces remained clear of the freshwater, sitting at the water’s edge, watching him splash water over himself. Despite the two chatting as Tom washed water over himself, he got frustrated as it seemed to take a long time for his legs to release from his tail.

“It’s okay. You just have to be patient.”

“I don’t want to let Kitty down, and now I feel the need to pass on our information to Edgar… Er, I mean Top Dog Captain Brown, sooner rather than later.”

Tom didn’t know why, but, like when he saved Pisces, he had felt a strong sense of duty towards the top dog, whether doing as he commanded or to pass their discovery. Were these nanobots passing on a pack mentality to him?

Looking out to the narrow inlet, he saw a familiar pair of seals bobbing up and down.

“Hey, there’s Flip and Flop.”

Pisces followed his eyes to see the seals, then asked, “Flip & Flop?”

“Well, I don’t know their names, so I made some up, but they were the ones who were here the first time.”

“Yes, they’re the same ones. Dad has made them my unofficial security and to be with me at all times.”

“Have they been with us all night?”

The two seals nodded and squealed in what seemed like laughter.

“Er, yes.”

Tom looked at them, blushing, jokingly asked, “So how was my performance?”

The one produced a fin out of the water and wobbled it in a `so, so’ motion. The pair then laughed again and ducked under the water.

Pisces laughed, “Ignore them, you did absolutely fine.”

“So, will they report back to your dad?”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be okay. He would be more insulted if you didn’t. Having the local super sex toy snub his daughter, whilst Sarah, Kitty, Becky and possibly the kittens are acceptable.”

“Whaaat? You know about them all?”

“Well, Sarah was obvious, as was Kitty. Becky was seen leaving the pub that one late night, then our watchers heard Becky howling yesterday after they saw you with her. We all know the kittens’ reputation, so they are a given, as we’ve never seen them visit Kitty’s so often, late at night.”

Tom blushed, to have Pisces reassure him, “Don’t worry, you humans can be so prudish when it comes to sex.”

It relieved Tom to feel the chill of the stream leak across his legs. Looking down, he saw his tail had dulled to a translucent grey, and it now felt slack around his legs. He kicked harder and pulled at his disintegrating tail fin.

“There you go, it’s almost there, and you’ll be free soon.”

Tom wriggled more, like kicking a sleeping bag off, and he felt his body slide inside the tail. With some final kicks, and tugs at the now lose outer skin, the tail broke into rags, freeing his legs. Now able to stand, Tom wiped his legs, flicking off the last remnants of his tail from him.

“Ha-ha, I’m not sure whether or not I prefer you with a tail.”

Tom felt the early morning chill on his wet body and tiptoed across the pebbles to his discarded clothes. Pulling on his boxers and T-shirt to warm up, he picked up his shorts and boots to sit near Pisces. He now felt fatigue creep over him as he pulled on his shorts, socks, and boots.

“The night has caught up with you?” Pisces asked, looking weary herself.

“Yes, I don’t know how I’m going to manage today. I don’t want to let Kitty down, now they’re busy.”

“That’s okay, when you feel tired, suck on one of these.”

Pisces pointed at the six seaweed pods she had collected earlier and laid out on a rock to dry.

“Shark eggs?” Tom asked, being the name they had given them when he was younger.

“No, just seaweed pods. Suck on one at a time, don’t bite on them or chew. Only take one at a time, as they are stronger than your caffeine and will last longer. Don’t take too many, or you won’t be able to sleep for a week.”

Pisces scooped up the seaweed pods and handed them to Tom, who put them in his pocket. He looked at the sky again, guessing it could be four or five o’clock.

“It’s four-thirty. Edgar will be having breakfast soon. Catch him now as Margaret may also give you breakfast and you’ll be able to warm up.”

Even with his T-shirt on, Tom could feel the early morning chill, with the offshore breeze and with his clothes a little damp he needed warming up. He felt a little guilty, having sex and then running off. Pisces saw the look on his face.

“Don’t feel guilty Tom, you go. Mermaids don’t work that way, well, not until they want a pod of their own. You go, we’ll meet again, don’t worry.”

Tom stepped over to Pisces, squat down to hug and kiss her goodbye. She shuffled backwards on her tail into deeper water as Tom walked to the steps cut into the cliff. The higher Tom climbed up the steps, the wearier he felt, so he popped one of the seaweed pods into his mouth. Initially, it tasted salty and quite foul. The more he sucked and rolled it around with his tongue, sweetness filled his mouth.

At the top of the cliff, Tom turned to look back. Pisces watched him as she bobbed in the water, flanked by Flip and Flop. She waved, and all three dived, with a swish of their tails, as they disappeared beneath the dark waves. He walked up to join the path and headed to Captain Brown’s house.

With the sun still beneath the horizon, the houses in the village were still in the shade. Lights were on in some of the cottage windows, and the beach was unusually empty of any fisherdogs.

Tom stood at Captain Brown’s front door with his hand on the door knocker, pausing in apprehension as he gathered his nerves. Before he could chicken out, he rapped on the door twice. After a while, as he was about to knock again, he heard voices and the door opened. Margaret, the top dog’s spaniel like, canine wife, stood there, surprised to see him.

“Er… Hi… Morning, I need to see Captain Brown.”

“Tom? What on earth are you doing here? Come in.”

Margaret led Tom through the house to the kitchen at the rear, where they joined the captain, sitting at a table with a mug of tea. Captain Brown, the alsatian like canine, looked every bit the village’s top dog, even over breakfast.

“Tom, do you want a mug of tea? Have you had any breakfast?”

“Oh please, I’m famished. Thanks.”

Margaret went to the teapot, and Captain Brown indicated for Tom to sit opposite him.

“So what brings you here this early in the morning?”

“Ah… Well… Did Becky tell you what we discovered at the beach yesterday?”

Captain Brown nodded, but didn’t offer his opinion. Tom wasn’t sure now about coming clean with what they witnessed earlier.

“Just after midnight, I saw Balthazar meet with Brock at that beach. Not only did the talk, but he also handed Brock the list of equipment I’d given him earlier that evening.”

“Are you sure it was Balthazar?”

“Yes. His white fur and scent are unmistakable, as is Brock. I could clearly see them both with Brock’s two henchmen. Well, two weasels.”

“How did you know it was your list?”

“I heard him hand it over, declaring it to Brock. Don’t say you don’t believe me?”

“Well, it is farfetched. Initially, you only have his scent to go on, when we know he doesn’t enjoy going anywhere near any water and now conveniently only you have seen him, with Brock.”

“No. I have a witness. We both saw them. If we go there now, you’ll be able to pick up their scent as well, just as Becky could.”

Captain Brown’s doubt changed now.

“Who? Becky?”

“No. A second witness, one you will believe. Princess Pisces.”

Margaret returned to the table, banging down a mug of tea in front of Tom. She glared at the captain, who in turn glared at Tom.

“We agreed you are supposed to be courting Becky.” The Captain hissed, keeping his voice down.

“And that is what you’re mad about?” Not the fact that your village bureaucrat is a mole, selling the village down the river, selling information to a dangerous pirate.”

Margaret cut in, “Forget him. What about Becky? You agreed?”

“Oh, Becky is okay, we’ve had sex several times, even yesterday afternoon…”

The two parents shocked Tom, as they both acted relieved and pleased that their daughter was now an experienced bitch.

Tom leaned across the table to hiss back at the Captain.

“And I’ve talked to Thomas. He wants Becky and I’m trying to ensure they partner up. For the good of the village.”

Captain Brown leaned back in his chair, looking triumphantly at Margaret. The two parents looked as if they had won the lottery. Captain Brown laughed a barking laugh.

“Great. That is great news… Come on, Tom, have some breakfast.”

Tom reeled in shock, flopping back incredulously.

“And that is what you take from all this?”

Margaret busied herself at the cooker, pulling a plate out and spooning the contents onto the plate. She returned to the table and placed it in front of Tom. Tom looked down at his breakfast, looking similar to a beef burger in thick gravy.

Tom heard paws padding into the kitchen behind him, turning he saw a sleepy Becky, yawning. The spaniel like canine smiled back at him, now looking more mature than the awkward puppy he met days ago.

“Hi, Tom, what’s all this shouting about?”

“Becky, you told your dad about what we discovered yesterday?”

Becky looked surprised and turned to her father, looking for guidance.

“I’ve told her to forget it and not to speak about it. As you should too Tom, in fact, I command you, as the village’s top dog, you are not to speak of this to anyone. I will talk with Triton and Pisces. This is not to go further than this room. FOR THE GOOD OF THE VILLAGE.”

The ferocity of his speech shocked Tom, and Becky hung her head in shame. Margaret danced back to the teapot and poured Becky a cup of tea, placing it at an empty spot. Becky sat down, then Margaret. Tom sulked like a naughty boy, his cheeks burning red.

“Now Tom, Edgar, less of this nonsense, drink up and eat your breakfasts.” She continued as if nothing had happened.

Tom’s apatite had now left him. His throat was dry, and he wanted to scream in protest, but the top dog had spoken. He got up to leave.

Captain Brown reasserted himself, “Tom, there are things going on that you don’t know about, nor do they concern you. You cannot speak of this.”

Tom turned and walked out with Margaret fussing behind him, but he couldn’t hear what she said as his ears burned with anger. He opened the front door and was about to slam it shut when he heard Margaret behind him say, “Thanks Tom, it will be okay, Trust Edgar, please.”

He stamped down the path, head down, stamping his boots in anger. Feeling his bones aching, he popped another salty seaweed pod into his mouth. It relieved Tom to be the only one wandering the village that early, as he reached Kitty’s pub and headed for the kitchen.

It surprised older canine cook, Brenda to find Tom sitting in her kitchen drinking a cup of tea when she arrived. The feline couple, Kitty and Sarah were even more surprised, as Clair had answered when they knocked on Tom’s bedroom door, saying he had left her alone in bed at midnight, to see a man about a dog.

Tom had long finished his second Seaweed pod long ago and despite still sulking, he felt wonderful. Although awake and feeling a little lightheaded, he just didn’t want to chat politely with anyone yet. Kitty and Sarah wondered if Clair had done something, as this wasn’t the Tom they knew.

Becky walked through the door, surprising the three women, as she was useless in the mornings and wasn’t due until that evening. Then, looking at Tom, they added two and two together but came up with ten. Brenda put some bacon on to make bacon rolls, knowing that they would cheer Tom up.

Becky saw their judgemental eyes but couldn’t care what they thought, “Tom, you okay?”

Tom turned slowly to her, knowing he couldn’t admit to anything.

“Yeah, I suppose.”

Becky walked up behind him, placing her paws on his shoulders, and massaged them. Three pairs of eyes watched Becky, then Tom, trying to join the dots and read what remained unspoken. Brenda loaded the first roll with bacon and added Tom’s favourite sauce.

Becky looked at the three pairs of eyes, lowered her head down and kissed Tom on the cheek, “Tom it’s okay, I don’t mind… We aren’t as hung up as you humans. I don’t mind you spending the night with Pisces. She is a princess after all, so how could I compete?”

The three women all gasped, “Aha,” as the dots connected.

Tom’s emotional bubble burst, he stood up to snatch the roll out of Brenda’s hand and went to storm out of the kitchen, but turned to vent his anger, but couldn’t, not with these four, three of whom he had carnal knowledge of… Stumped, he had to say something.

“Argh, mammals…” He shouted and threw his hands up in the air in frustration, turning his back to them to exit.

“But I love you all…”

He bit into his roll and stormed out to sit in the bar on his own. The four mammals burst out laughing at their super sex toy, throwing his toys out of his pram.

As he finished his roll, Becky came out with his and her mugs of tea, to sit with him, whispering, “it’s okay, we love you too.” She passed him his mug. He laughed and sipped the lukewarm tea. When they finished, Becky hugged him, “I’ll give you a hand with the breakfasts today.”

The pair returned to the kitchen, where Brenda was preparing for guests’ breakfasts, and as Tom passed her, she turned to give him a motherly hug. Then Kitty and Sarah joined her to hug and kiss him on the cheek.

“It’s not fair. I can’t be angry with you lot.”

“You humans are the odd ones… You shower with Clair, swim with a mermaid princess and yet we are the ones you are angry with? You’re a strange lot.” Kitty taunted him as they laughed.

Tom looked at Becky, knowing he couldn’t explain the real reason for his anger. “I’m sorry… I’ve not had any sleep, so I’m just a little grumpy.”

The three felines laughed, whilst Becky smiled back at him. Although his anger wasn’t against them, he felt better for their support, even if they didn’t know why he needed it. He decided to keep his discovery secret for Captain Brown. Tom gathered up cutlery and napkins and returned to the bar area.

Whilst setting out the breakfast tables, he looked through the windows to see Thomas, the fisherdog and boat captain, walk through the gate, into the pub to find him in the lounge.

“Hi Tom, have you heard they’ve forecast storms and they’ve cancelled the herring run. So we won’t be able to put your plan into action to trick Becky into listening to me.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

Tom guessed Becky could appear at any moment, so he turned to face Thomas, who kept his back to the main bar and hallway to the kitchen, whilst maintaining eye contact with Tom.

“Captain Brown will remain here in the village, so it won’t be so easy.”

“No, I’m thinking up something else.”

Tom was, but it was how he could keep Thomas talking. On cue, in his peripheral vision, Becky appeared, having heard Thomas’s voice. Seeing Thomas, talking to Tom, with his back to her, some sixth sense encouraged her to remain in the hallway.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just tell Becky the truth? Captain Brown must approve or he wouldn’t let you both be friends when younger.”

Becky stood half hid behind the entrance hall wall, realising that she may hear something of value.

“I guess so, but it’s whether Becky will forgive me. She has an awful temper and has been jealous of the attention I’ve had from all the other girls in the village.”

“But if you were to tell her, what you told me? That they don’t interest you and Becky is the only one you’ve ever had eyes for.”

Tom was trying hard not to look directly at Becky, as he maintained eye contact with Thomas, whilst keeping her in his peripheral vision. He could see her grinning and looking pleased, then motioned for Tom to encourage Thomas to say more.

“She wouldn’t listen to me. She’s had short thrift with me in the past.”

“Do you think it could be more about her losing the top dog title if she married because she’s a bitch?”

“Oh! Tom, I couldn’t give a stuff about being the top dog. If I could, I would happily let her be top dog, bitch or not. I’m happy being the captain of my boat. To have her as my bitch would make me far happier, better than being top dog and better than marrying any other bitch in the village.”

Behind Thomas, Becky’s ears twitched, and her eyes beamed at Tom. She slowly padded her way from her hiding place to behind Thomas. Before he could say anything more, Becky wrapped her forelegs around him, so tightly that he couldn’t wriggle free once the shock wore off, recognising her scent.

“Say more nice things about me, Thomas.”

Becky giggled, whilst pecking a kiss on his cheek.

“You tricked me, Tom?”

“Yes, I didn’t really have a Plan B, so this was the best I could come with at short notice.”

Craning his neck around Thomas addressed Becky, “You’re not normally up this early? Were you in on this?”

“No, Dad woke me early this morning, so I came down to help. Tom seems to have many talents.”

Becky relaxed her hold on Thomas, but rather than pulling away, he rotated around to hold her for them to kiss. Tom left them alone and returned to the kitchen to gather more condiments to place on tables, but waited until he heard the front door close before returning to finish setting the tables.

Becky sat there waiting for him, “Hmm, so what was plan A?”

“Ahh, you don’t want to know.”

“Well, it seems plan ‘B’ has worked, so it wouldn’t hurt to give Plan A away?”

Tom laid condiments out on each table, unable to look Becky in the eye.

“Well, it involved tying you down to your family mating tree.”

“Haha, you do have talents, and then have Thomas find me? Mmm, I like the idea, it’s romantic.”

Tom tutted.

“You mammals. I don’t know… What are you like?”

“You still have a lot to learn.”

Becky and Tom continued preparing then tidying up, as guests filtered down for breakfasts. The two busied themselves serving, and once guests returned to their rooms, they cleared the tables. As guests left, Tom, Becky and Sarah moved up to change bedding and towels for the rush of new guests due that afternoon.

By eleven o’clock, they were all ready for a break and went to sit in the lounge. Tom popped in to the kitchen to collect coffees and cake, as Brenda started lunch.

“I don’t understand, you youngsters,” Brenda told Tom.

“Sorry?”

“Well, Becky was the biggest sour puss when she started working here, for her to change mid-evening, and then to be completely different the following day. Today, she found out, you dumped her to swim with a princess and yet she’s singing and humming songs.”

Tom laughed, not wanting to let any cats out of the bag.

“Don’t worry Brenda; it will all make sense soon.”

Tom wondered what the other girls in the village would do to Thomas when Becky makes it known they were now an item. Possibly less than what Becky will do if Thomas was to back down. Well, at least Captain Brown may have something to thank Tom for when he finds out.

The five of them all sat over a coffee and chatted. They had all noticed that Becky was happier and more light-hearted than in recent months. Whenever Becky looked the other way, any of the four not in her vision would raise eyebrows, questioning the others about the change in her. All shocked whilst also enjoying the change in her temperament.

Kitty explained that over the next few days, they would be full, with more guests expected to arrive over lunch, keeping them busy. As a result, she suggested them having an hour off before the rush.

With the caffeine boost, Tom pondered. An hour in bed would be nice if he could sleep, but he wanted to talk with Lucy to hear if they had any news. Becky elected to return home for an hour. Brenda had to prepare the lunches, whilst Sarah and Kitty had paperwork to do.

Tom, under the pretence of going for a walk, headed along the coast, then cut up to cross the headland. Looking around, he checked no one was watching, and then he cut up along the back of the clifftop cottages. Counting the doors, he reached his spy liar.

He knocked quietly on the back door, so he wouldn’t surprise Lucy. Stepping through the doorway, he found the lights on with equipment now spaced around the room, with notepaper strewn over tables.

There were no bubbling glass phials or smoking glass flasks, nor sparking electrical apparatus to impress Tom. He surveyed the room, wondering if they could have a few flashing lights, if only to satisfy him.

It was eerie being on his own, not knowing if he dare touch anything. There was nothing to show if Peter or Lucy were there. He wandered around, wondering if he could take advantage of being able to shower with no one around to catch him naked for a change.

Before he climbed the stair, he heard a thump coming from above, then a groan. He halted in his tracks, as his mind ran riot with possibilities. He could smell Lucy and Peter’s scent, but no one else, not even the weasels they saw last night. Not knowing the limits of his new smelling sense, he couldn’t discount he was missing something.

He stepped up the stairs, trying to avoid any creaking treads so he could maintain the advantage of surprise. Halfway up, he heard the padding of paws, creaking of floorboards and muffled groans.

He tried to detect which room the assailants were in and how much retribution he could play on them for harming Lucy. The moaning was more definite now. Were they punching her? He stepped further up into the hallway above.

The bathroom door was open, as was the front bedroom door, leaving the rear bedroom door, muffling the sounds omitted. Tom’s hackles were up and he was ready to fight, not flight. He poised at the door, ready to explode into the room and defend Lucy, to the death if required.

He heard a muffled scream, and a growl, then a rhythmic cry. Like any gangster film, Tom’s mind gave him a picture of thugs working over Lucy, gagged and tied to a chair. Taking a deep breath, Tom burst into the room, giving the loudest war cry he could give, hoping to shock Lucy’s assailants.

The shock, however, was all Tom’s, as he took in the scene. His scream had the required effect, in pausing the two animals in the room. Frozen in lovemaking, Lucy and Peter turned in shock to look at Tom, standing mid pounce, reflecting on the pair.

Peter, no longer the geeky looking canine, was mounting Lucy from behind and in mid-thrust. The white feline kitten, Lucy led face down into a pillow, with her rear in the air, her tail curved up out of the way. Sweat dampened the pair’s fur and judging from the fresh bedding, this was not their first time or a spontaneous act.

“Tom?” Peter broke the silence, remaining inside Lucy, who looked annoyed, panting on the edge of her orgasm.

Tom, changed from ‘pouncing lion’ to ‘embarrassed human’, standing still, bringing his palms up, to hide their predicament from his eyes. “Sorry… Sorry, I thought Lucy was being attacked.”

Tom backed out of the bedroom, onto the landing, out of the two lovers’ sight with them hearing him continue to apologise.

“Tom?” Lucy’s voice came from the bedroom.

Tom heard the bed creak and the two whisper between themselves, neither knowing what to do. Tom didn’t know the social convention, except he was in the wrong.

“I’m sorry… So sorry… I’ll go back to Kitty’s, it’s okay… You two carry on… Sorry.”

“No, Tom… It’s okay.” Lucy spoke out, to whisper again to Pete something Tom couldn’t hear.

“No… It’s okay, I’ll go.”

Tom made his way downstairs, thinking this was almost as bad as catching your parents having sex.

Back downstairs, Tom was going to leave but heard paws pad down the stairs, with Lucy arriving behind him saying, “Don’t go, Tom, it’s okay, honestly.”

He turned to see her, looking as embarrassed as he felt, with her fur sweaty and ruffled. Tom tried not to look at her obviously swollen breasts and her nipples peeking through the thin dampened fur. Lucy pointed at a chair for Tom to sit down at, as she turned her back and tried to fluff her breast fur up.

“I’m really sorry, Lucy, I thought you were being attacked.”

“You need to check your paranoia, Tom, it’s not healthy.”

“No, you see last night I…”

Tom stopped talking as he can’t say anything after Captain Brown had commanded him to remain silent, plus it may actually put them in real danger…

“What happened last night, Tom?”

Lucy also sat down, but was now concerned for Tom.

“I can’t say, Lucy. You’ll have to trust me on this, but we can’t trust anyone.”

“Now, you’re talking in riddles.”

Two pairs of paws padded down the stairs and Peter emerged, trying to look calm, but it wasn’t working. Thankfully, he had calmed down enough, so there was nothing intimate flagging out of his fur between his rear legs.

“Hi, Tom… Er… I have two infrared cameras for you.”

He went to the table and picked up two tiny devices.

“There’s a problem now. I can’t be the one to set them.”

Tom could, but maybe, being seen to return to the beach may upset Captain Brown further. Worse still, he couldn’t explain to Lucy and Peter why.

“That’s okay. Lucy and I can do it. Just tell us where.”

Tom explained the layout of the beach, where he could set the cameras and where they were to be pointing. He outlined that he hoped they could catch any boats landing or people meeting on the beach. Above all, they couldn’t tell anyone, whether about the cameras, the location or if they find anything.

Both nodded in agreement, quite pleased to be included in some more clandestine activity. Then Lucy remembered the task at hand, the main reason why Tom would have visited.

“We’ve been testing, but so far there is nothing untoward about the nanobots. They all are performing as they should. We can’t find anything in their programming that is telling them to do something they shouldn’t be.”

Lucy looked as disappointed as Tom felt.

“That can’t be. Why would anyone go through all that trouble and risk for nothing? There must be something in the nanobots, for them to risk Pisces life to buy them time to recover the material.”

Tom scratched his head, hoping for inspiration. He tried to recap all the sci-fi films and plots he had seen over the years, hoping one of them may hold the answer.

“Peter, can you recollect any sci-fi films or books that cover this kind of scenario?”

“You’re joking?”

Tom closed his weary eyes to think, hoping an answer may come to him, but only found his body shutting down, desperate to sleep. His hand reached into his pocket, pulling out another seaweed pod to suck. The salty exterior just didn’t want to release the sweeter interior, even after he sucked harder, with no change.

Frustrated, he bit into the pod and chewed on it, beginning to get some sweetness in his mouth. Before he could think any further on the problem, his body shut down, his eyelids closed and his legs buckled, as he blacked out.

“Tom… Tom… Tom,” Lucy’s soft voice slowly penetrated his blanked out mind. “Tom, please, open your eyes.”

Tom’s body was numb all over, his limbs felt like lead and his eyelids wouldn’t respond. He heard a groan echo around his mind, then a slap across his face.

“Not so hard, Peter. You’ll knock him out.”

“It’s supposed to be hard, I’m trying to bring him to his senses.”

Light pierced Tom’s eyes as he opened his eyelids to see Lucy bent over him. Feeling returned to his limbs for him to realise he was spread eagle on the floor. He smiled at Lucy, but his mind couldn’t engage through the fog confusing him…

“Hi, Luce… Luceeee… Hi Lucy, what ha… happened?”

“You just collapsed out of the chair, onto the floor. You’ve been out for five, maybe ten minutes. We were about to call for help.”

“No… No, what were we doing?”

“Talking, we just told you we had found nothing out.”

Suddenly, the events of the last twelve-hours span through Tom’s mind on fast forward. He remembered every detail. Clair, swimming with Pisces, seeing Balthazar, Brock, Flip and Flop (he laughed at the names he had given them, to receive a quizzical look from Lucy).

His discussion with Captain Brown that morning, burned into his memories, Becky, breakfast, Thomas, then finding Lucy and Peter in the bedroom…

“You were both… You know?… In the bedroom you were…”

He pointed at Lucy, who nodded, blushing. He then remembered their conversation. The nanobots were performing as expected, but why would Brock attempt to kill Pisces?

His mind then ran through all the sci-fi films and book plots, again in fast forward mode. His eyes glazed over as he ran through episodes of Star Wars, Star Trek and multiple books, Anime films, Dune, Alien and even old black and white cowboy films.

“He’s going again Peter, fetch some water.”

Then he got the answer, somewhere between Independence Day and an old 1960s black and white film. Tom leapt to his feet and walked up and down the room like an expectant father. His arm’s gesticulating, trying to get Lucy and Peter to understand.

“Bingo. I have it… It’s not what the nanobots change, add or turn on… it’s what they turn off, or disrupt… it may be like a virus, turning off something… I can’t remember the book or film, it’s all swirling around in my head… It’s the aliens. They’re going to destroy the earth, but they have a force field…”

Lucy tried her best to decipher Tom’s sped up gibberish, but he wouldn’t stand still, parading up and down the room, talking at a hundred miles per hour.

“Whaaat? What aliens, you’re the alien here, remember?”

Tom continued to pace up and down, which was now annoying Lucy. Peter stood there with a glass of water in his hand, ready for Tom to drink, but he wouldn’t stop in one place long enough to hand it to him.

“No, not me… Well yes me… But not… I remember a book… or a film… we send in a virus…No… Not that one… we kill them all, the Daleks… No, cybermen… Maybe it’s like the Borg; they ignore us until we’re a threat… No, not the Borg, they’d assimilate us… We send in a bomb, the biggest we can find… No… Not a bomb…”

Tom stopped as he passed Peter and swamped the glass of water down, gave him back the glass, gasped and continued, “That’s it… they were going to kill us, kill us all… But we had no defence… They cheated with force fields… So we sent a virus… A virus that put them to sleep… No one dies, like the Ood, no one dies.”

Lucy and Peter were exchanging worried looks. They had never experienced anyone so wired before. Tom was striding up and down the lounge, wearing the carpet out with his speed. As he turned at the end of the lounge, he stopped and pointed to Lucy.

“That’s it, that’s the answer. Lucy, do your tests look for something the nanobots don’t do? Something they don’t change or change, they just turn off.”

Lucy and Peter looked at each other, thinking it over. After a pause, Lucy said, “That’s sort of the same thing. If they switch something off, they’re making a change?”

“Something subtle… Say, if you were a warring nation, you would protect your weapons but not the command to put you to sleep… That’s what we did; the virus put them to sleep… What if the nanobots switch something innocent off, something untoward that wouldn’t ring alarm bells, something normal testing wouldn’t pick up?”

Peter nodded.

“I think I understand. No, we were checking for abnormal behaviour, nothing devious or life-threatening. Lucy, we’ll need to be more invasive.”

Lucy nodded, and the pair began looking through notes. Tom rushed over to Peter, grabbed the empty glass, and went to the kitchen to drink several more cups to quench his thirst. When he reappeared, the two were deep in thought.

“Lucy, I’m sorry, I caught you two… Peter, it’s great mate… I’m made up for you both, happy… You’re a great couple.”

Tom was pleased, as he liked them both. Then more images ran through his mind, one cropped up.

“Bite, Pisces said not to chew or bite and I did… that’s why I’m spaced out… I’m as high as a kite… how long was I out? I need to get back to Kitty, as they need me.”

Peter stood in his way.

“You’re not going anywhere in your state. What are you on about? Bite what?”

Tom’s hand shot to his pocket, pulling out some of the seaweed pods, showing them to the pair. The pair looked at each other and nodded, knowing Tom’s problem.

Lucy confirmed, “You are lucky to only be as high as a kite… These are powerful when bitten into. You should only suck on them. It’s a wonder you came around, let alone talking so fast and wearing the carpet out. Where did you get them from?”

“Pisces, we’ve been out all night. She’s sexy… We swam miles and had great sex in the sea, but not with Flip or Flop.”

He looked at them proud of his declaration, but whilst Peter chuckled, Lucy frowned. The pair were not sure of much of the gibberish Tom had spoken of.

“Keep him here, Peter. I think we may have something back home that will calm him down.”

Lucy ran out of the cottage, leaving Peter wondering how he could stop Tom if he really wanted to leave.

“Peter… My man… You… And Lucy… I bet you never thought? Eh?… No, nor did I, but you did… Well done, she’s lovely.”

Tom looked around the room, checking to see if anyone else was with them. Seeing the room empty, he leaned into Peter and whispered, “Don’t tell anyone… She’s my favourite kitten.”

Tom winked at an incredulous Peter, who wasn’t sure whether he should take that as a compliment or be jealous.

Checking the room once more.

“I’ve another secret… Secrets many… That’s me… But this one is great news… Shhhhh…”

Then Tom sang, “Becky and Thomas sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g, First Comes Love, then comes marriage.”

Tom held his fingers to his lips.

“We know who’s the captain, but who will be the Top dog?”

Peter reeled at the news. Every one of their generation thought the couple would never repair the rift between them. Tom saw the surprise on his face and beckoned him closer.

“I tricked Thomas, getting him to admit his love whilst Becky was eavesdropping.”

Tom sniggered as he squinted, trying to focus on Peter, but his face drained ashen white and his head wobbled as his legs buckled beneath him. Peter caught him as he collapsed, lowering him to the floor. He led him down, and raised his legs to keep the blood in his head. Whilst the colour returned to his face, his eyes remained closed. Although, not unconscious anymore, as he began to snore.

~~~

Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed my story.

If found anywhere other than with this note attached, then they’ve posted this story without my permission, Nellymcboatface.

To be continued. ~~~~~~~