Ren's nose twitched as he took a strained inhale.  Despite his overall health having improved over the last few days, his nose still remained congested.

“Don't know why you didn't just stay home today as well" Tom said with an amused chuckle and a slight shake of his head.  “You could have gotten three days of extra rest."

“I know…" Ren said with another sniffle as he walked alongside Tom towards their school.  “I was just tired of being stuck at home alone all day." 

Tom smirked.  “Yeah, that would get boring, wouldn't it?"  Tom smirked.  “Can't imagine school being a better alternative, though."  Tom picked up the pace slightly to reach the school door first.  He pulled and held it open for Ren.

Ren smiled.  “Thank you."  As Ren walked past Tom he was met with the sight of familiar hallways he hadn't seen in weeks.  He glanced back to see Tom approaching from behind.  “At least school is a bit better now that I'm back, right?"

“Huh?" Tom raised a brow.  “Oh… to tell you the truth I'd forgotten you hadn't been here."  Tom shrugged his shoulders.

“I see…" Ren's tail went limp and his ears flattened against his head in disappointment.  When he suddenly felt something wrap around his back, and being pulled to the side, Ren let out an involuntary yip.

“Relax, Ren" Tom said as he pulled Ren towards him so they were shoulder to shoulder.  “I was just kidding.  Classes are going to be so much better now that you're back."

Ren's tail wagged slightly.  He couldn't help but shake his head in frustration, though, as he weakly pulled himself away from Tom.  “We're going to be late for class, you jerk…"

“Oh come on Ren…" Tom said as he released his grip on his brother.  “I really am happy to have you back.  Don't be mad at me, please…"  Tom said as he tried giving the best puppy-dog face he could.

Ren chuckled with amusement as he watched his brother contort his face.  “You're so bad at that" Ren said with a giggle.

“Well sorry it doesn't come natural for me" Tom said sarcastically.  “I mean look at you; you don't even have to try."

Ren continued to shake his head in amusement.  He placed his paw over his brow.  “Oh brother…"  He said with a sniffle.

“Yes?" Tom responded with a smirk.

“Ok, please, stop" Ren said as he started walking away.  “We're really going to be late for class at this rate, Tom."

“Alright, alright" Tom smiled as he followed behind Ren.  “You do realize, though, that you could have avoided all of this frustration if you had stayed home, right?"

Ren smiled and shrugged his shoulders.  “Yes, but it's worth it."  Ren sniffled again.

“Well, just be sure to take it easy when you get home today" Tom said as he walked up alongside Ren.  “I'll be heading over to Irena's house after school." 

Ren's pace slowed slightly.  “Again?  Are the two of you working on a project, or something?"

Tom thought to himself for a moment.  “Not really…" Tom said as he made sure Ren didn't know what they were doing.  “Irena is really fun to be around.  Plus, she's been helping me with my studies while you've been resting."

“Oh…" Ren said as his ears perked up.  “Well, now that I'm not sick anymore…" he sniffled.

“Of course you aren't" Tom said with amusement as he found himself moving ahead of his brother.

“You know what I mean, Tom" Ren said with another sniffle.  “But, anyways, I'm free to help you with your schoolwork again."

“That's very generous of you" Tom looked over his shoulder and smiled at Ren.  “But I think I'm going to stick with Irena, for now."  Tom looked forward with a smile.  “I've been learning many new things from her."

Tom's words started to sound muffled to Ren as his ears flattened against his head.  He didn't understand why, despite seeing Tom so happy, he was starting to feel disappointed.  No.  It wasn't just disappointment Ren was feeling.  He felt a twinge in his chest. What was this feeling?  Guilt? Envy? Apathy?  As he focused on the feeling he began to feel his heart beating in his chest.  It felt off.

“Ren?"

Ren's eyes shot open.  He looked forward and saw Tom looking at him with a worried expression.  He looked around at the many Hunds who were passing around the two of them as they stood in the middle of the hallway.  Ren began to wonder, when did he stop walking?

“Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Tom asked with a serious tone.  “You stopped dead in your tracks and had this blank stare in your eyes."

Ren shook his head.  “I'm fine…" Ren said.

“Are you positive?"  Tom asked.  “I can take you to the nurse's office if you-"

“I said I'm fine, Tom!" Ren shouted.  This elicited a few momentary glances of surprise from the passing Hunds in the hallway.  Tom, however, gazed into Ren's irritated eyes.  He'd never seen Ren with that look before.

Ren's ears twitched when the warning bell echoed.  A sense of embarrassment washed over Ren as he became aware of what he had just done.  His ears went limp.  “You're going to be late for class…" Ren said as he turned around and started walking away.

“Ren, where are you going?" Tom asked.

“Nurse's office, like you said."

“Then let me come with you" Tom said as he started following.

“I've got it, Tom…" Ren said with a sigh as he continued walking forward.  Ren looked over his shoulder.  “I'll see you when you get home, alright?" Ren gave Tom a weak smile before facing forward again.

The bell rang again shortly before Ren reached the nurse's office.  He let out another sniffle as he reached for the knob.  “Guess I should have stayed home after all…"

--------------------------------------------------

Sera's phone buzzed briefly on her desk, catching her gaze momentarily before they went back to the email on her monitor.  It contained a list of every red collar in the country.  It was just shy of nine hundred names.  Sera wondered which of them would want to move to Luzuna.  When she reached the end of the list she reached for her phone and unlocked it.  She noticed she had received a text from Tom saying that he was heading to Irena's house after school.

Sera noted to herself that this was the fourth day in a row Tom had said he was going over to Irena's house.  Sera had heard a few things about Irena from Tom, but never did he mention anything about her parents.  The only thing she gathered from Tom was that their last name was Chienna.  Whenever she had picked Tom up from their house she asked if Irena's parents were around, but was always told they had just gone to work.

Sera decided it was time to find out whose house Tom was spending his time at.  She pulled up the public records of Lazuna.  She typed in the last name and saw only two names populate.  Sera's level of clearance didn't allow her access to information of minors.  Not that it really made a difference; the only information she could pull up on anyone is their names, occupations, and how long they've been residents of Lazuna.  The fields under occupation caught Sera's eyes.

“Surgeon and anesthesiologist…" Sera wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried about this information.  “They have the skills… but would they even need the money…?" Sera mumbled to herself.  The only way she'd be able to settle this is to meet them in person.  In the meantime, she submitted a request to obtain access to more information about the Chienna family.   

Sera knew the only place someone of their occupations would work is at the hospital.  It would only take a quick call to find and get ahold of them.  As Sera reached for her cellphone it began to ring.  She looked at the ID.  She couldn't help but smile.  She tapped the accept button.  “Hello dear, how are you?"

“I'm fine.  I'm just leaving the office for a moment to pick up Ren from school."

“Is he alright?"

“Well the nurse said Ren's experiencing headaches and mild irritability.  Seems like he's still a little sick."

“Well, make sure he gets to bed when you take him home."

“Will do.  Talk to you later, dear.  Love you."

“Love you, too."  Sera said before ending the call.  She then pulled up the city directory on her computer.  “Let's see… fire stations… hospice… hospital!"  She dialed the number next to the entry and waited as she held it to her ear.

After a few a seconds of ringing a feminine voice said, “Luzuna Municipal Hospital, how may I help you?"

“Yes, would it be possible to speak with Doctor Chienna?"

“Doctor Chienna?" The voice repeated as it trailed off.  A few seconds later it came back.  “We have two doctors here by that name.  Is there a specific one you wish to talk to?"

“No, either one is fine."

“Please hold while I transfer you."

Sera's ears were once again met with monotonous dial tone.  As the call reached its seventh ring Sera considered hanging up to try again with the other Chienna.

“Hello, this is Doctor Chienna."

Sera noted that she had been transferred to Mrs. Chienna.  “Good morning, Doctor Chienna.  My name is Sera Renoir.  How are you doing today?"

“I'm doing well, Ms. Renoir.  What can I help you with today?  Do you have an upcoming surgery?"

“Oh no!" Sera chuckled.  “This call isn't medical related.  I just wanted to thank you and your husband for looking after my son while he's been at your house."

“Excuse me?"

“Yes.  My son, Tom, has been spending time with your daughter for the past few days.  I just wanted to thank you for letting him stay over at your house."

“Ms. Renoir, I have no idea what you're talking about right now."  Sera's ears straightened with surprise.  “Irena hasn't mentioned anything about your son coming over.  When has this been happening?"  Urgency was mixing in with her voice.

“According to Tom, he walks to your home after school with Irena.  He then calls me around five or so to be picked up."

“My husband and I are generally still working at that time!"

“Wait…" Sera closed her eyes.  “Are you telling me that neither of you have ever been present when my son was there?"

“No!"  Sera let out a mental groan.  “Irena has never been one to bring someone over so we never assumed she would.  At the very least, we thought she'd ask if she ever did.  She's never been secretive with us…"

“Well…" Sera's groan was more audible this time around.  “They are at that age, right?"

“Wait… you don't think they're being secretive because…"

Sera's ear twitched as Mrs. Chienna paused.  She gave it three seconds.  “…because what?"

“You know… what if Irena and Tom are…  for lack of a better phrase, playing doctor?"

Sera suddenly burst out with laughter as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on top of her desk.  She kept the phone to her ear as she continued laugh.

“Ms. Renoir, this is no laughing matter!  Neither I, nor my husband want Irena to be involved with any boys right now!"

“I'm sorry…" Sera chuckled as she took a deep breath to calm herself.  “It's been a while since I've heard something so silly."  Sera took another deep breath then exhaled slowly.  “But, anyways, I don't think you have to worry about that.  If I know my son as well as I think I do, he isn't interested in something like..." Sera snickered.  “Playing doctor."

“Well, whatever it is they're doing; I don't approve of it.  They wouldn't need to be so secretive about the whole thing if they weren't trying to hide something."

“Perhaps" Sera said as she straightened herself in her chair.  “I'm sure we'll both get answers eventually."

“Oh I hope so.  My husband is stricter about Irena bringing boys over.  If he found out about this he'd head straight home and break that up."

“For now… I'd say let's not inform your husband just yet." Sera said as she looked at the time.  She had a meeting in fifteen minutes and needed to wrap this up soon.  “And as for the children… what do you say we make them sweat a little?"

Mrs. Chienna let out a chuckle.  “What did you have in mind?"

--------------------------------------------------

Todd briefly glanced over to the passenger seat.  He watched as Ren just sat there, silent.  His eyes were barely open as he stared downwards.  He'd been like that since being picked up from school.  “Well…" Todd said with a clearing of his throat.  This only managed to produce a brief sideways glance from Ren.  “What's one more day off, right?" Todd said with a grin as he tried to cheer Ren up.

“I guess…" Ren said with a sigh as he closed his eyes.

Todd's ears flattened against his head as he let out an internal sigh.  He remembered how Ren seemed fine earlier that morning, but now he just seemed drained and apathetic to everything.   Todd hoped that Ren was just tired, and would get better after some rest.  The two of them remained silent for the rest of the ride home.

Todd walked Ren up to his bedroom.  “Alright…" Todd said he watched Ren sit down on his bed.  “Is there anything you need before I leave?" Ren only replied with a slow shake of his head. Todd glanced out the door and then back to Ren.  “Hey…" Todd shrugged his shoulders.  “It's almost the weekend.  I'm sure Tom will be looking forward to it now that you're not confined to bed."

“I doubt it…" Ren said with a sigh as he lay back on the bed.  “He probably has better things to do…"

Todd's ears shot straight up.  His body tensed.  “What happened?"

“Nothing, dad."  Ren rolled onto his side, facing the wall.

Todd crossed his arms.  “Nothing, huh?  I don't think so."  Todd started to approach.  “I know it wasn't nothing that caused you to be sent home early."  Todd sat on the edge of Ren's bed.  He placed his paw on Ren's shoulder.  Todd gently squeezed.  “And I know it wasn't nothing that's causing you to act so distant right now."  He watched Ren take a deep breath.  “What happened today, Ren?" 

Neither spoke.  Seconds turned into awkward minutes.  Todd hung his head as he placed both of his paws on his knees.  He tapped them a few times before closing his eyes.  “Look… I know I can't compare to Tom, or even your mother in terms of approachability; I'm aware of that.  I'm not asking to be your first choice to vent your concerns towards, Ren, but I wish that you could at least see me as an option; that you can trust me."  More time passed with nothing but silence.  Todd sighed as he stood up from the bed.  “I should get back to work" Todd said before slowly walking away.

Ren let out a deep exhale.  He looked over his shoulder, watching as his father was almost out of the room.  He turned his head back, facing the wall again.  He closed his eyes.  “Dad…"

Todd stopped, but didn't turn around.  “Yes?"

“Have you ever felt… useless?"

Todd turned around, his ears pinned against his head.  “Quite a few times, actually."  Todd chuckled pathetically as he approached Ren.  “More often than I'd like to…"  Todd sat down.  “Why do you ask?"

“I just…" Ren whimpered.  “I don't know what I'm good for anymore."

Todd's ears shot up.  “Why are you thinking that?"

“Because Tom doesn't need my help anymore."

“Tom?" Todd said as realization hit him.  Whatever caused this shift in Ren's mood was a result of something happening between him and Tom.  “What happened with Tom?"

“I just wanted to feel useful to him…" Ren whimpered as his body tensed.  “He's always doing so much for me; sometimes at the expense of his own well-being.  The only thing I could ever offer in return was helping him with his schoolwork.  It was the only thing that made me feel like I was repaying Tom back in some way."  Ren wiped his eyes with his arm.  “But now he doesn't need me for that anymore.  I'm useless."

Todd's heart ached as he listened to Ren.  “Come here…"  Todd said softly as he placed his paw underneath Ren's shoulder and slowly lifted him up into a sitting position.  Todd rested his paws on Ren's shoulders.  “You're not useless, Ren.  Neither your mother nor I believe that you are.  Do you believe Tom thinks you're worthless?"

“I…" Ren sniffled.  “I don't know…"

“Well… let me ask you this…  Would you think any less of Tom if he didn't do all those things for you?"  Ren shook his head slowly.  “Right?" Todd smiled softly.  “And why is that?"

“He's my brother…"

“Exactly.  Now would you think Tom feels any different?" 

Ren turned around to face his father.  It was now apparent by the dampness around Ren's eyes that this had been very serious for him.  “No…" Ren said with a sniffle.  He then wiped his eyes with his arm.

“Come here…" Todd said as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ren.  Ren's arms remained at his side as Todd slowly pat Ren's back.  “I'd say the most useful thing you can do for Tom is be a good brother for him.  Neither of you should feel like you owe the other something.  Just…"  Todd let out a soft sigh.  “Just be there for him when he needs it.  Alright?"

“Okay…" Ren said with another sniffle as he slowly raised his arms to give his father a hug.

“Nothing to worry about, alright?" Todd said with a relieved smile as he reached up and ruffled Ren's head.  A thought occurred to Todd as he glanced at the clock.  “Did Tom tell you whether he's going over to that girl's house again?"

“Yeah…" Ren let out a disappointed sigh.

“I see..."  Todd said as he pulled himself away from the hug.  He and Ren met eye-to-eye.  “Don't let it discourage you, alright?" he watched as Ren's ears twitched.  “I didn't mean that as an order."  Todd said with a groan.  “I just think to Tom it's a new and exciting feeling having a friend."  Todd watched as Ren's gaze went down.  Todd's ears straightened.  “Not that I was implying that he doesn't consider you a friend as well."  Todd cursed to himself.  He was starting to ruin the moment.  “I mean… you remember what it felt like when you made your first friend at school, right?" 

Ren's ears flattened against his head.  “No…"

Todd's own ears went limp as he watched Ren's reaction.  “Oh…"  Todd sighed as he closed his eyes.  “Ren… I didn't mean to-"

“It's fine dad" Ren said with a weak chuckle.  “It doesn't really bother me that much.  I'm fine just having one friend."  A weak smile formed on his face.

Todd smiled with his son, but couldn't help but feel his chest tighten.  He wanted Ren to have someone, whether a group or just an individual to go to whenever Tom isn't around.  Todd wasn't sure how long it would take; he hoped it would happen sooner than later.  For now, however, Todd wanted to help his son feel better.  “What do you say we go downstairs and watch a few movies together?"

Ren's ears twitched slightly at the idea.  His face remained neutral.  “Don't you have work?"

“Don't you worry about that" Todd said with a smile as he stood up from Ren's bed.  “If you want… you can go pick out some movies."

Ren remained seated there for a moment, debating it.  The more he thought, however, the more his tail wagged side to side.  Todd chuckled with amusement as he got an answer before Ren even said anything.  “I'll be down in a few minutes" Todd said as Ren got off his bed and walked towards the door. 

Todd reached for his phone.  When he saw the screen his ears popped up in surprise.  He hadn't realized he had gotten a message from Sera.  He opened it.

            Dear, I'll be getting home a little late tonight.  I'll be picking up Luna, so don't worry about having to do so.  Love you ^-^

Todd smiled as he sent a reply acknowledging her message and returning the affection.  Once he saw the message had sent he called his office.  He explained that his son was more sick than he had expected and needed to be close by incase he needed to get him help.  Todd had chuckled internally when he asked himself, “Aren't I supposed to be lying right now?"  He didn't get much protest from his boss.  He'd lose half a vacation day, but that hardly mattered to him at this point.  He smiled when the call ended.

--------------------------------------------------

Irena came running down the stairs carrying two books.  “I couldn't find a book that had them side by side…" Irena said as she set the books on the dining room table and flipped through both sets of pages.  “These two should suffice, though."  Once Irena had found the pages she had marked, Tom examined them.  Both were anatomy books; one for Humans the other for Hunds.  The pages Tom was examining showing various parts in the throat.

“These are what our vocal chords look like?" Tom asked as he continued to stare at the various diagrams.  He placed two of his fingers on his throat and echoed a hymn.  He could feel the varying vibrations.  He found it interesting that those folds were responsible for all of it.

“Yep" Irena said as she took a seat next to Tom.  “As air passes through, they vibrate at different frequencies depending on the thickness and tension of the folds."

“Cool" Tom said as he gazed back and forth between the two sets of vocal chords.  “So… whatever gives Hunds that special voice should be located here, right?"

“The folds itself are what make the difference."

Tom stared in confusion.  “They both look the same."

“On the surface, yes, but if you were to examine them a bit closer…"  Irena flipped the page on the Hund book to reveal more diagrams.  “See these folds in the cords?"  Irena traced her claw along the lines that travelled along the entire length of the chords.  Tom nodded his head.  “Humans don't have these little folds; their cords are practically smooth."

“Alright…" Tom said as he looked at Irena, expectantly.  “So what does that mean for Hunds?"

“When the vocals cords of a human vibrate off of one another, the voice that is emitted travels on a single frequency.  For Hunds, though, these in the cords cause two iterations of the speaker's voice to travel on two frequencies at once."

Tom stared wide-eyed at Irena.  He shook his head slightly.  “I'm not going to lie… I didn't understand a single thing from that, Irena."

“Ah…" Irena chuckled as she reviewed her words in her mind.  “Let me put it this way…  Let's say your vocal chords represent an instrument, any instrument.  Now… you can play that instrument at various volumes and pitches.  The voice of a human is like the playing of one instrument.  For Hunds, though, imagine another instrument, different from the first, playing along with it.  That's what a Hund's voice is; two instruments playing simultaneously."

“Oh wow" Tom said as some new thoughts popped into his mind.  “So what differentiates, say, a blue collar's voice from a white collar's voice?"

“White collars have more prominent folds in their vocal cords.  This allows that second frequency to have more force to it."

“So the more prominent the folds, the more powerful their second voice is" Tom said as he rubbed his neck.

“Pretty much" Irena smiled, knowing Tom was understanding her now.

“But what I don't get is why does that make a difference?"

“That's where the second part comes into play…"  Irena said as she reached over and flipped through the pages of the books.  Eventually she found a second set of bookmarked pages."

“The inner ear…" Tom read off.  Much like the vocal cord sections prior, both seemed practically identical to one another.  “Alright… so what specifically separates our hearing here?"

“It's this part right here."  Irena tapped the page.

“That weird-looking seashell thing?"

“Yes, the weird-looking seashell thing… also known as the cochlea."

“Can we just refer to it as the seashell?" Tom asked.

Irena laughed as she shook her head in disbelief.  “Alright…"  Irena took a deep breath.  “Inside this seashell are numerous hair cells."

“Why would a seashell need hair?" Tom asked with a smirk.

“Oh would you stop, Tom!" Irena said, trying her best to resist giving Tom the satisfaction of laughing at his bad joke.  “Don't make me start using very technical words for this."

“Oh, what's the worst you could throw at me?  That coch… something wasn't that bad."

Irena crossed her arms.  “Mechanotransduction."

Tom's eyes widened.  “I'll behave…"

“Good boy" Irena smirked as she returned her focus to the pages in front of them.  “As I was saying, there are thousands of hair cells located here that react to vibrations in the air and send signals to the auditory cortex of the brain, which then interprets it as sound."

“So…" Tom said.  “These hair cells are what allows us to hear."

“For the purpose of what I'm going to tell you, yes."  Irena said as she looked directly at Tom instead of the book.  “These hairs vary slightly in length and are interconnected with one another.  They react differently depending on the frequency of the vibration."

“Irena" Tom said he held up his right hand.  “All of the technicalities of how our ears work is really interesting, but I just want to know how my ears are different from your ears."  Tom watched as Irena's ears twitched slightly.  “Internally different, I mean."

“I was getting to that part, you know?" Irena smiled.  “The main difference between our ears is how many of these hairs we have in them.  Hunds have a far greater number of these hairs that allows us to hear far more than a human ever could."

“Like multiple instruments" Tom said with a smile.

“That's right." Irena said with a smile back.

“So, again, how does it differ from a blue collar to a white collar?" Tom asked.

“Blue collars have more hair cells which allows them to more easily pick up on the second voice."  Irena replied.

“So that just means Ren's sensitivity is greater than blue or white collars because he has more hairs in ears…?" Tom said as he closed his eyes.  “That doesn't explain why he or any other Hund follow orders against their will."

“Because those extra hairs aren't wired to the same part of the brain that interprets sound.  Instead of the auditory cortex, these hairs transmit to the primary motor cortex and the Broca area of a Hund brain.  Those parts control movement and speech, respectively."

“So they literally lose control over their own body…" Tom groaned.  “Let me think…"  Tom closed his eyes, trying to remember everything Irena told him.  “So… I don't know…" Tom shrugged his arms in frustration.  “Is there any way to reduce Ren's sensitivity?  Could, perhaps, those hairs be removed, or…?"

Irena shook her head.  “Even attempting that could make him go deaf, Tom.  It's the same if you wanted to reduce the strength of a Hund's voice; they could become mute."

“Well, dammit…" Tom sighed as he stood up from his seat.  “I guess that's out of the question."  Tom groaned.  “If only there was some way you could block out those commands out… I mean…"  Tom looked at Irena with concern. “If you were told to… do something horrible to yourself… would you have to do it?"

Irena's ears straightened quickly.  “Oh no!" Irena shook her head.  “Our instinct for self-preservation would take precedence and ignore those orders."

“How?" Tom asked.

“How?" Irena echoed.

“Yes, how?" Tom repeated.  “How would your brain ignore the command in that situation?"

“Um… well… I believe the brain releases a chemical that temporarily prevents the body from acting involuntarily."

Tom smiled.  “Is there a way to have your brain constantly produce this chemical? Like, trick it into producing it at any time?"

Irena shrugged her shoulders.  “To be honest, Tom, I don't think something like that is possible."

“No, it's possible" Tom said with a smirk.  “I've seen it happen with Ren."  Tom watched as Irena's eyes blinked with surprise and a bit of curiosity.  Tom closed his eyes. “I didn't think much of it at the time… was probably too preoccupied by the pain I was feeling."  Tom chuckled as he recalled his fight with Emrik years ago.  “My mind was a bit hazy at the time; probably from some of those punches to the head…"

“Oh goodness" Irena said as her eyes focused in on the scars on Tom's cheek.  “Is that how you got those?"  Irena asked as she pointed to her own cheek.

“These?" Tom said as he traced a finger down one of the scars.  “No.  I got these before the fight.  Same Hund though" Tom said with a roll of his eyes.  “Anyways.  During the fight in which I was getting my ass handed to me, Ren jumped in between us and tried to stop the fight."  Tom closed his eyes.  “I remember Emrik ordering Ren to get out of the way."  Tom smiled.  “But he didn't."  Tom opened his eyes and looked at Irena.  “I know he has it in him, Irena.  I just need to figure out how to bring it out of him."

Irena remained silent for a few seconds as she noticed a sense of desperation coming from Tom.  The way he was speaking, the way he was staring at her made her realize something.  This wasn't just some hobby or interest of his; he was dead set on finding an answer.  “I'll help you any way I can, Tom."

Tom smiled.  “Thank you."  Tom let out a sigh.  “Shall we get back to your lesson?"

“If you're still up to…" Irena's words trailed when a ringtone echoed in the room.  “…it."

Tom reached for his cell phone on the other side of the table.  He looked at the name and accepted.  “Hey mom."

“Hello.  Just wanted to let you know that I should be picking you up in about five minutes."

Tom glanced at the time on his phone.  “Didn't realize it was that time already..."  Tom glanced at Irena who seemed surprised herself how late it was.  “Want me to wait outside for you?"

“That would be great, dear.  I'll see you soon.  Love you."

“Love you too, mom."  Tom ended the call and turned to Irena.  “Well, thank you for all the information today, Irena."  Tom let out a slight groan as he rubbed the side of his head.  “My mind is still trying to process all that info, but I'll remember the important seashell."

“Good to know" Irena said sarcastically as she slowly shook her head.  A soft laugh echoed from her throat.  “If I find anything else noteworthy in these books I'll let you know."

“Thanks" Tom said as he started packing all of his stuff.  When he finished, he gazed at the two books on the table.  “If you want, I could take one of those books so you wouldn't have to do as much work."

Irena shook her head.  “Don't worry about it, Tom.  Having both at the same time allows me to do comparisons."

“Yeah, that does sound helpful" Tom said as he continued to gaze at the books.  “Though I could take both of them and do comparisons myself."

“I don't think that's a good idea, Tom."

“Why?  Don't think I'm smart enough to do it?" Tom asked with a smirk.

“I was actually going to say that I didn't want to risk my parents realizing the books were missing, and that I'd have to tell them about you."

Tom nodded his head.  “That sounds like a very fair point."

“But since you brought up your level of intelligence…" Irena gave her own smirk.

“Oh, would you look at the time…" Tom said with a weak chuckle as he turned around.  “I'm sure my mom will be dropping by any moment now."  Tom said as he started heading towards the door.

“Alright" Irena chuckled.  “Same time Monday?"

“Yep" Tom said as he reached for the door handle.  He turned to face Irena as he turned the knob and starting pulling.  “Enjoy your weekend."  He watched as the smile on Irena's face fade, her eyes widened and her tail went limp.

“What the hell is this!?" a shout echoed.  A shiver went down Tom's spine as he turned around.  He stared at the Hund towering above him.  He could recognize him from various pictures in the house.

“Hello…" Tom said weakly.  “Mr. Chienna, I presume?"

“You presume correctly, kid.  Now who are you and what are you doing in my house!?"

“Dad…" Irena said with a whimper.

The Hund turned his attention to Irena.  “Did you bring him?"  He watched as Irena slowly nodded her head.  She couldn't look him in the eyes.  “You brought someone into my house, without permission!?  What the hell were you thinking, Irena!?"  Irena let out another whimper.

“Don't be mad at her.  I'm the one who insisted she keep it a secret."

The Hund gave Tom a deathly glare.  Tom's eyes narrowed.  “First of all…"  The Hund started growling.  “Don't you dare tell me what to do in my own home, kid.  Second, what the hell makes either of you think you have the right to go behind my back!?  What have you been doing with her?"  The Hund approached Tom, who stepped back in response.  “What have you been doing with her!?"

“We weren't doing anything!"  Irena shouted.

“I'm asking the Human!" he shouted as he continued to pursue a backpedaling Tom.  “What were you two doing!?"

“We were just studying!" Tom said, fright in his voice as he found himself being backed against the wall.

“Studying!?" The Hund stopped as Tom's backpack smashed into the wall behind him.  “Don't you dare try to pull that excuse on me.  I've seen enough human television shows to know that 'studying' has a different meaning!"

“What are you talking about!?" Tom shouted with a mixture of confusion and fear as the Hund started approaching him again.

“Stop it!" Irena shouted as she grabbed hold of her father's right arm.  Tears of fright were rushing down her face.  The Hund stopped and gazed.  “I'm sorry I didn't tell you.  Just please don't do anything to him…"

The Hund took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.  “I wasn't planning to."  He turned his head, facing the door.  “Was that good enough for you two?" he shouted.

“Yes, dear, that was more than enough.  We both think you did excellent."  Tom and Irena's eyes went wide when two more Hunds appeared at the front door. 

“Mom?" Tom said in confusion.

Both of them gave their respective child a look of disappointment.  Meanwhile, Irena's father let out a groan as he grasped the front of his head.  “Well, if any of you need me, I'm going to go lie down now" he said as he gave Irena a pat on her back as he passed by and headed upstairs.

“What was…" Tom said with a stutter as his heart rate tried to lower itself.  He watched as both his and Irena's mother had a look of amusement on their faces as they approached.

“I have to say, your husband is a good actor" Sera said as she approached Tom and Irena.  “Are you sure he's never yelled like that before?"

“Oh never!" Irena's mother responded with a laugh.  “He's very reserved.  He can raise his voice, but never yells like that.  I was surprised myself!"

Sera chuckled as the two stopped in front of their children.  “Seems like even your daughter was surprised."  Sera examined Irena a bit closer.  “I think she may be broken."

“Oh don't worry.  I'm a doctor; I'll fix her right up."  She stepped forward and placed her paw on Irena's shoulder.  Irena flinched as if she had been brought out of a daze.  “Then we'll sit down later and continue this discussion calmly." 

“It was great meeting the two of you" Sera said.  “What do you say about a get-together for our families?"

“That sounds wonderful" Irena's mother said.  “Why not tomorrow?"

“So soon?" Sera asked with surprise.  “I'll talk with my husband about it.  I'll be sure to let you know tonight."

“Wonderful.  We'll be looking forward to meeting the rest of your family."

Sera gave her a small nod of agreement.  “Let's go, Tom.  Luna will need to be picked up soon."  Sera turned around and started walking towards the door.  Tom just stood there in disbelief, unsure as to how to process what just happened.  He eventually managed to get his feet moving and follow his mother.  As he passed through the front door he turned around and gave Irena a small wave goodbye.  Irena slightly raised her paw and gave her own weak wave.

When Tom and Sera were buckled up.  Tom faced away from his mother.  “So…" Tom let out a sigh.  “Does this mean I can't go to her house anymore?"

“Your father and I will talk discuss it with Mr. and Mrs. Chienna.  I wouldn't worry about it, though."  Sera let out a small laugh.  “I think both of them liked you, actually."

Tom stared incredibly at his mother as she started the car.  “You can be scary sometimes, you know that?"

“I know" Sera gave Tom a softer smile.  “But I do it because I love you."

Tom chuckled.  He wondered what his mother would do to someone she hated.  He dared not get on her bad side.  Apparently she was much more creative with punishment than his father was.  “Love you, too, mom."

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Later that night Ren was sitting on his bed with a book in his paw.  He wasn't reading it, however; he'd been on the same page for over twelve minutes.  His mind was elsewhere.  He glanced to his side where he saw Tom trying to complete all his homework that night.  Tom hadn't asked Ren for any help, and Ren was too ashamed to ask Tom if he actually needed any help.  Ren hadn't talked much to Tom all day.  All he could think about was the way he acted that morning.

“So…" Ren said weakly.  “Did you have fun at Irena's today?"

“Uh…" Tom chuckled.  “It started out good, but it kind of got… weird at the end."  Tom couldn't think of a better word to describe it.

“Oh…" Ren said as he went back to staring blankly at the pages of the book.

“What about you?"  Tom asked as he continued to write down another answer on a paper.  “Feeling better?"

“I think so…" Ren said, though he wasn't sure if he actually was.  “Maybe I just need some more rest."

“Sounds good.  You didn't seem like yourself earlier."

Ren closed his eyes, his body felt heavy with guilt.  “About that…" Ren let out a low whimper.  He tried to bring himself to apologize.  He brought the book close to his muzzle.  “I'm sorry for yelling at you."  His words sounded muffled as they bounced off the pages of the book.  There was only silence.  Ren figured his apology hadn't made it to Tom's ears.  He again looked to his side to see Tom reaching into his backpack.  He seemed to be too preoccupied to pay mind to his botched apology.  Ren let out a sigh as he leaned against the headboard.  He closed his eyes.

“Hey Ren" Tom said over his shoulder.

“Yeah?" Ren said, his eyes still closed.

“Dunt urri but it."

Ren's ears perked when he heard those weird words.  He opened his eyes and gazed over at Tom, who was now holding a book of his own in front of his face.  Tom lowered the book away from his face, revealing an amused smirk.  “Besides, I've experienced worse yelling before."

“Still…" Ren sighed.  “I didn't mean it."

“It's alright" Tom said as he stood up from his seat.  “Though, to be honest, I kind of liked the more serious you.  It was rather edgy."

“What?" Ren stared in confusion.

“Oh yeah" Tom nodded his head.  “I think we could use a little more edgy Ren."

“Please no…" Ren sighed.

“C'mon Ren.  Yell at me!  I've been getting so used it."

“Stop…" Ren groaned.

“What did the villain say from that one sci-fi movie?"  Tom looked up towards the ceiling as he recalled an all-human movie he and his family had watched a few months back.  “Give into your anger!"

“Never, you jerk!" Ren shouted with a mixture a playfulness and annoyance.

“Good… good…" Tom nodded approvingly.  “Shall I call you Lord Edgy now?"

“NO!"

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It's been a while, hasn't it?

Sorry for the long wait