After June drew to a close the rest of summer seemed to fly by, a flurry of grilled food eaten under the sun and warm nights spent together. Levi stayed close to us for the remainder of the summer, happy to have people to spend time with and feel a bit more like a family than a day camp. Though the nightstaff were particularly underwhelmed by our involvement, they were willing to relent enough to humor us. I wasn't sure if it was organic or if Morissey had requested they do so, but I was satisfied enough with the results not to bother asking.

Come August I was informed that some of Levi's family had been reached and were very much willing to adopt him out, the boy excited to see his own family again. Seeing his little face light up from the news brought a smile to our faces, even if it meant a bit less pay for me. The staff took him to the town shops to sort out clothing and some small parting gifts to prepare for his departure, his relatives finally showing up to the house the last week of the month. With a bag packed full of nice things and some food sent along he was off to join his aunt and uncle in a satellite town around Huot. He was sure to hug the children, Daniel, and I before he left, a pleasure I hadn't been granted by previous pure charges and one I wouldn't soon forget.

It was a little lonelier without him, though he hadn't been here for very long. I was glad to have finally gotten to know one of our pure charges, especially after having been working my position for a few years now. He wasn't too far away, so maybe we'd see him again in the future.

I noticed that, upon his leave, the staff kept their distance from my family and I, though why that might be I couldn't be certain. Heather did still mingle with us during downtime, though the other staff watched in concern from their distance. We did what we could to pay them little mind, hoping maybe her example could show that we were still people and that we meant them no harm.

The month soon ended and we found ourselves in September, the cool autumn rains coming with it. Most days were wet and grey, the children sat at the table tending to a new round of schoolwork prepared by the nurse and I. As I worked we'd answer questions and help how we could.

The door opened one Friday morning, Morissey arriving for his usual. He turned to collapse his umbrella before coming inside, laying the wet instrument on the foot mat just by the door and wipe off his shoes.

"And good morning to you two," he said as he strolled across the floor over to my desk. "Where are your children?"

"They're still sleeping," I said as he walked closer. "This weather tends to make them quite tired, but they should be up soon."

Despite the grey weather he seemed to be in a fairly good mood, an unsure little smile upon his face as he drew near. Reaching into his coat he retrieved his wallet, pulling out a handful of bills for our weekly pay.

"I have already issued new surveys, but it may be some time before we hear back," he said, counting the money in his hands. "Autumn tends to be a little slow from the weather, what with the seasonal storms. I trust that things have been alright on your end?"

"We have been fine," I replied. "Weather happens; I don't mind waiting. Would you be willing to bring a little extra work for the weekend?"

"If you would like, yes, I can do that," he said, handing me our payment.

I counted out Daniel's pay and set it aside, then counted through my own sum. There was more than I expected.

"Ah, I think you--"

"You did well taking initiative with Levi's stay to keep him happy and comfortable when you were not required to, and I appreciate it," he chuckled. "I don't mind showing that appreciation in the few ways I know how, and..."

His gaze turned down and off to his side, ears dipping down slightly. He was hard to read, seemingly caught up in thought.

"Morissey?" I asked, my ears askew.

"...And I also appreciate the time we've spent together the past few months," he quietly said. "It's given me something to look forward to at the end of the week instead of spending my evenings alone...so, thank you."

"Oh, it's no problem," I said with a small smile. "I'm not...really doing those things for money, though--"

"Please, Reverend, I insist you keep it," he reassured, waving his hands. "I will see you later today with the extra work if you still wanted it, and...a walk if you'd like, weather permitting."

"I would like that," I responded, folding my hands atop my desk. "I'll see you then."

With a little nod he walked back toward the door, picking up his umbrella. Opening the door and extending the umbrella he was off to his next stop in town, the door closing securely behind him. As he left I thought I saw a staffmember's shadow in the corridor, but upon a better look nothing was there.

I tilted my head slightly, but turned back to my work, ready to deal with the morning. Not long after I began Kuri took his leave for his shift, our waving him off as he left. From there it was a pleasant morning, the sound of rain gently pelting on the large window and breaking the usual quietness of the day. As the morning crept on my pen had begun to dry up, though not too surprising as I'd been using it for several years. I stood up from my desk, pushing past the short door as Daniel looked over to me.

"I'm just going to get another pen from the bedroom, maybe see about waking the kids up for their breakfast," I said. "Shouldn't be long."

I took my old pen with me down the hallway and up the stairs, walking by the children's room on my way to mine. Setting it down on my desk I picked through the holder for a new one, figuring I'd refill the old one when I had time later. As I did so I thought I heard a few close, muffled footsteps in the hallway.

"Ah, you're both awake," I said aloud as I found a pen I liked. "I'll be right with you."

I returned to my door and opened it, but didn't see anyone in the hallway. A bit beyond that the door to their room was still closed, so maybe I'd misheard. I shrugged to myself and turned to close my door, beginning my walk back down the hall when movement in the staff room caught my eye.

I stopped and slowly turned my head toward the staff room, but before I could think to react I was slammed against the far wall of the hallway, my head shoved against the hard surface and my right arm twisted behind my back. My vision blurred from the impact, slowly reverting back to normal as I strained to see behind me.

That staffmember had finally snapped, his eyes a sickly red and sclerae a dull grey. That grey crease I had seen some months prior must have been the edge of his concealers.

"What...is the meaning of this?" I grunted through my daze.

"I've had just about enough of your shmoozing with Morissey, you sick little shit," he hissed, twisting my arm further behind my back. "Every day...Every fucking day I see this organization fall apart more and more from its principles and it's all because of you."

"...What?" I asked. "I haven't...done anything!"

"Don't bullshit me, race-traitor. You're just trying to get closer to him to get special treatment for that degenerate 'family' of yours-- your fuckbuddy and dilute bastard children. Little by little you undermine us, trying to weasel your way up our ranks as though we need some bottomfeeding secretary like you. You're disposable, with tens of others who could easily replace you, and yet you've found yourself on his lap like the precious little dog you are."

"It was...never my intention to do anything of the sort!"

His grip tightened around my wrist, his claws digging into the soft skin beneath my fur. I grit my teeth, trying to stifle any noise I might make.

"Don't lie to me, I know your type," he quietly said, pressing his front against my back. "I've been here years longer than you've even known of us. I'm the one who deserves the pay raises and special treatment, not you."

"...So...you're the one who...destroyed my work back in spring," I coughed, trying to breathe through the weight against my back.

"You're damn right that was me," he sadistically giggled. "Anything I could do to secure your expulsion, I attempted. Anything I could watch and learn from, I did so intently. Whatever I needed to do to get ahead, I did so without question, and yet..."

He dug his nails further into my scalp and face, breaking the skin in several places and drawing fine trickles of blood.

"...No matter what I tried..."

His claws slowly raked down from my scalp.

"...No matter how many times you were questioned..."

Burning lines of torn skin trailed from atop my head to just behind my eye.

"...It was always you who prevailed, who got ahead. But not anymore."

In a flash he finished his strike, raking four red lines down the side of my face. It took all I had not to scream or cry for help, knowing that doing so would put my children in danger. Kuri was gone for the morning and Daniel was still downstairs in the lobby, so I couldn't risk anything.

"Your father told me much about you, too," he whispered in my ear.

"My...father?" I wheezed. "H-How did--"

"I've been here a long time and watched all of you very closely," he chuckled. "As time went on I sought him out at his cell to...learn a little more about you."

My eyes widened as I strained to see behind me, his mouth opening wide and biting my ear. I squeaked, trying so hard to stay as quiet as possible as his other hand grabbed my wrist, releasing the first. His free hand wandered, rubbing the side of my thigh and slowly moving forward. My heart was pounding and I was unable to move as his hand crept around to my front. I tried to twist and close my legs to block the advance but his teeth sunk further into the thin skin of my ear. Unable to move much further I hadn't a choice but to relent as his right hand groped my groin.

"...It's just like the old man said," he snickered, releasing his jaws from my sore ear. "You really are a woman."

"...I am...a man," I objected through my discomfort, his hand still grabbing my crotch. "You've...found out...what you wanted. Please get...off of me."

"Oh, no, we've only just begun," he sneered as my tears stung the lacerations in my face, his right hand leaving my groin and reaching up for my belt buckle.

I felt a pressure growing against my rear, one I was more familiar with than I cared to remember. My teeth clenched and I tried my hardest to push him off of me or move to the side as his right hand pulled the tip of my belt through the loop.

From far to my right a door opened, something hitting the floor only seconds later with a thud. Quick footsteps ensued, growing ever closer.

"Get off of him!" came a familiar shriek. "Daniel, get up here!"

It stunned my assailant just enough to help me see who it was. Heather stood there, utterly terrified but with her little hands balled up into fists as thunderous footsteps could be heard on the floor below.

"Ah, the little race-traitor friend!" the man exclaimed. "Don't worry, your time will come very soon. Don't think I haven't been watching you, too."

"H-Heather, please," I stuttered, the assailant shoving his head against mine, pressing it back against the wall. "P-Please get...to the children. They're still in...their room. Don't worry about me."

She gasped and flew across the hall, flinging open their door and rushing inside. Those loud footsteps echoed up the staircase, skipping steps to reach the top that much sooner. Daniel quickly reached the second floor, turning to his right.

"SAM!" he cried, his eyes wide and ears raked back as the staffmember pulled the tongue of the buckle out of the punch hole of my belt.

"You're just in time," he mocked, letting go of the buckle. "You two and your little abominations have caused me enough suffering, so now I'll...return the favor."

Daniel's head lowered and he stepped closer, but the assailant was quick to draw a blade from his right pocket and point it at him, stopping the larger man in his tracks.

"Come any closer and your little girlfriend's time is done," the assailant laughed, pressing the blade against my neck as he unfastened the tail loop of my slacks.

"D-Daniel, please get...to the children," I sniffled, my slacks slowly descending down my legs a bit from the weight of the belt. "Don't...Don't worry...about me."

Daniel looked terrified and conflicted, his eyes darting between us and the opened bedroom. He took a step back, my pleading with my eyes as much as I could to get him to run to the children, to keep them safe. With his teeth clenched he finally turned and fled to their bedroom, the children's scared questioning calling forth my tears.

"Now, now," the man behind me whispered, "no more distractions..."

From behind me I heard the shuffling of cloth and his weapon was placed back where he found it.

"...and I'll make you feel like the woman you are."

He bit down onto the back of my neck, making me gasp in pain while he pulled down my undergarments and exposed my rear.

"And don't worry..." he whispered into my sore ear, releasing my scruff from his jaws. "...Once I'm done with you, they're next."

The moment he uttered those words and the discomforting pressure returned against the side of rear, all I could see was red. His teeth returned to my neck and his right hand wandered back to my groin when I felt my left hand digging into my left pocket. Grabbing Ulimi's knife I carefully opened it with the dull side against my leg, concealing the click as the blade was drawn.

"...Don't you ever...threaten my family," I wheezed, my arm springing around and stabbing the narrow blade into his torso several times in rapid succession.

With each puncture he gasped and coughed, taking him completely by surprise and unable to defend himself from my flurry of jabs. After about seven times I twisted the thin blade, causing him to howl in pain and finally give me enough of an opening to push against the wall and shove him off of me. I quickly grabbed my undergarments and pulled them back up, but kicked my pants off so they wouldn't get in my way. He tried to make a slow, sloppy escape down the hallway but I was already onto him in but a second, jumping on him and bringing him to the hard wood floor beneath us.

"Don't you ever threaten my friend..." I hissed, slashing against his arms as he tried to defend his face.

I grabbed one of his arms and moved it aside. Those sickly eyes widened in fear, not anticipating such a turn.

"...Don't you ever threaten my companion..."

I reeled back my own arm, knife toward the assailant-turned-prey.

"...And don't you ever..."

My grip tightened with my chest.

"...EVER THREATEN MY CHILDREN!" I finally screamed, shanking the downed assailant through the cheek and pulling the sharp blade forward toward his mouth.

He cried in pain and confusion, the tables having turned in a way he least expected as he bled like a stuck pig all over my floor. I quickly went through his pockets and relieved him of his knife, tossing it aside and rendering him helpless, unable to do much more than hold his open wounds in shock and cough the blood out of his mouth.

I finally pulled back, sitting on the floor in my indecency and wheezing, finally able to breathe again. Slowly I rose to my feet, as did he, his uniform dyed red. My grip around my knife tightened and he took a wobbly step back.

"Daniel," I coughed, "I-I'm free."

As though summoned by magic the door swung open, the furious nurse rushing forward with angular metal rings around his digits. One arm lunged out in front of him and grabbed the smaller man by the neck, his grip like a vice and bringing forth frantic coughs and flailing from my assailant. Daniel's eyes were full of a rage the likes of which I'd never seen as he pushed the man to the top of the stairs by his throat. Once at the stairs the nurse let go, reeling back his right arm and springing it forward, the angled metal rings around his knuckles impacting the man's snout with a sickening crunch and sending him flying in his descent. He landed at the base of the stairs, bloody and unmoving, the back of his head having slammed against the wall on the lower floor.

Daniel immediately turned toward me and left the scene, running over to where I stood and wrapping me up in his big arms. His ears were still raked back and his legs buckled, giving way beneath him and pulling us both down to our knees. He nestled his snout into the side of my neck, his big hand against the back of my head and gently combing through my sweaty hair as we swayed from side to side.

"...I was so scared," he sniffled against my neck. "I-I thought I'd...I thought I'd lost you."

I brought my arms up around him, finally able to digest what all had just happened. Though what took place was absolutely terrifying, at the very least I didn't find myself a victim a second time.

"I'm...so sorry I couldn't do more," he said. "...I couldn't protect you."

"You kept the children safe, Daniel...that is all I could have asked for," I quietly reassured him, rubbing his back with my small hand. "I owe you--"

"You owe me nothing," he whined, his hug tightening around me. "I-I'm supposed to take care of you, and I...I was powerless."

"Please don't talk like that," I said, petting through his hair. "I will...be alright."

He parted from me only enough to press the side of his snout against my cheek, his face drenched in tears. His eyes were sore, the whites reddened and tender. I ran my fingers through the long fur along his jaw as he continued to sniffle, his large frame holding me close and dear to his core. He proceeded to nuzzle atop my aching snout, going as far as planting a little kiss on my forehead.

"I'm s...sorry about that," he said once he realized what he did. "I was c-caught up in--"

I gently touched the side of my snout to his, holding it there for a few seconds.

"...Please don't apologize for caring," I whispered. "I'm s-sorry you had to...see any of that, or my...indecency."

"Samuel, all that matters to me right now is that everyone is safe," he whimpered. "You're precious to me. I don't...know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

Never in my life did I expect another person to care this much about me after Esmé, and though it pained me to see him this distraught it admittedly made me feel a little warm for the reasons behind it. I reached behind me to retrieve my slacks, standing up and quickly putting them on as the larger man provided me some cover. Once I was decent again we both went to the children's room, Riv and Sura both clung to Heather.

"A-Are you alright?" she asked as the children quickly stood up, hugging onto me.

"...I will be okay," I quietly said, hugging my two terrified children. "Thank you so much for being here. I don't...want to know what might have happened were you not."

She fidgeted with her hands for a moment and stepped forward, the children both moving enough to allow me to hug Heather just as well. Once I did she'd started to cry, this whole thing undoubtedly terrible and overwhelming for everyone involved.

"...Would you be alright watching Riv and Sura for a short while?" I asked Heather. "I should probably go out to the infirmary...and figure out what to do with the crumpled man at the bottom of the stairs."

"Absolutely, please take your time," she said, hugging a little tighter. "I'm so sorry any of this happened."

"Please, it isn't your fault," I assured. "I do ask that you stay up here until we return."

The three of them nodded as we left, closing their door behind us. Daniel took a detour to Kuri's room in search of a rope and brought his findings down the stairs. With the man's hands and feet bound Daniel dragged the mess to the lobby, placing a phonecall ordering for his pickup. The town authorities arrived within minutes.

"And what took place here?" one officer asked, looking between the fallen man and my wounds.

"...S-Sexual assault, attempted rape," I cringed, clawing at my sleeve. "I was pressed up against the wall and couldn't move. My head and face were torn by his nails."

"How did you manage to stab him?" he asked further.

"...He didn't know I was armed, or that I am left-handed," I answered. "He got as far as...pulling down my slacks and undergarments before I had an opening to fight back while he was behind me. I keep a switchblade on my person for protection."

"Is there anything else you feel we should know?" the other officer inquired.

"He is...a corrupted, and a violent one," I replied. "...If I may have some kind of note to excuse me from work, I would appreciate it."

The one wrote a note on an official form, handing it to me. After all of this I didn't think I'd be in any shape for work.

"...Thank you very much," I said, accepting the note and watching them haul the unconscious man away.

Once they left Daniel walked me out to the infirmary, his arm snug around my back to keep me close. We turned into the small building, stepped inside, and closed the large metal door.

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