(c) 2001 Acheron. Do not distribute. If you think someone would like to see it, send them here.

The airport was packed. People of all shapes and sizes were coming and going every which way, and it was hard to find breathing room, much less move around.

Somehow, Andrea and Jessica managed, making their way toward Gate 7.

"So, have you met this guy before?"

"Not in person, Jessica." Andrea shifted her duffel bag and smoothed the tawny fur with an unconscious pat. "But we've been talking online since, oh, last October."

"How will you know who he is?"

"He said he's a wild dog, not well built, rather bland. He said to look for big ears." Andrea frowned. "He's too hard on himself, I'm sure. Anyway, he has my picture, he'll probably know me."

"Let's hope." Jessica scanned the throng emerging from the boarding gate. "There are a lot of people here."

"Andrea Fitzgerald?"

The voice caught them by surprise. It was a male voice, resonant, sexy. It spoke with a hint of uncertainty and a good deal of hope. She turned, and discovered that the voice had a body to match. Medium-tall, slender and with a hint of healthy musculature, the male canid's body was covered first in a sleek coat of fur, calico-like in black, gold, and white, and second in black jeans and T-shirt. A black leather jacket was draped over his arm, and a briefcase, also black, hanging from his other hand. Very neatly groomed and smartly dressed, he looked like a particularly sombre businessman on casual day. Well, not sombre; his eyes, an interesting ruddy brown, sparkled with life. Tall, dark, handsome, and utterly professional. He also didn't fit the description Andrea was looking for. Drat. "Yes, sir? How..." Jessica poked her. "Excuse me," Andrea said to the man, who nodded and gave her a patient smile.

Jessica bent to hiss into her ear, "That's a wild dog. What other wild dogs with big ears were you expecting to meet?"

Click.

"It's not my fault this guy can't describe himself," she whispered back, then straightened. "As I was saying," though not really, "how did you get off that plane so damn quick? You are Alex, aren't you?"

"Alexander Graham Gould, humbly at your service," the colourful canid said with a mock bow. "It's good to finally meet you, Andrea. As for getting off the plane, I don't have my luggage yet, except for my carry-on." Slowly, one of his big hands made its way up from his side. Andrea reached forward to grasp it, half-fearing the paragon of maleness before her would dissolve into the blah image his words had made in her mind. It didn't, though, thank God. There was even something special in the way he clasped her hand: gentle, careful, even hesitant, but somehow inexorable at the same time, as though his strong fingers could never be pried off of her.

The touch ended ages too soon. "It's good to be here," Alex said as his hand fell. "And who might you be, miss?" His face turned to Jessica, but his eyes lingered on Andrea's own for a moment longer.

"Jessica Troy," the panther purred, cocking her head. "What makes you think I'm a Miss?"

"If I were your husband, I wouldn't let you out of my sight."

Andrea stifled a laugh. It was rare indeed that she ever saw Jessica at a loss for words. After a few confused blinks, all she could say was, "Good catch, girl."

That didn't escape Alex, who ducked his head with a shy grin, the insides of his ears reddening slightly through the amber fur. "Come on…"

"She's right, you know," said Andrea, swatting him on the arm. "I never thought I'd be so lucky. Now where's your luggage?"

"That way. You said you'd have a van here…"

"That's the nice thing about having a local friend." Andrea waved in her companion's general direction. "Let's get going. The dorm isn't far, but places like this get on my nerves after a while."

At first Alex tried to grab everything, but he relented and let Andrea carry his duffel, briefcase, and easel, leaving him to lug his backpack and large suitcase. The latter he tethered to his wrist and let roll behind him, but it was still awkward getting it all to the parking lot. Eventually, though, all of it was in Jessica's van, behind Andrea's own belongings.

Jessica offered to drive, a strange dryness in her voice, and neither of the other two protested. It was her van, after all. The panther seemed a little confused when Andrea sat herself in the front passenger seat and Alex got in the back. However, she didn't say anything, so neither did they.

Getting to the campus took about ten minutes. Getting on campus took rather longer. It was packed with people, and every one of them took forever at the booth. Jessica just flashed her parking permit and moved by with a small sigh of relief. Short-lived, as the little roads on campus were in total chaos.

Finally, they pulled into the little parking lot across from Helton Hall. Jessica seemed more than a little distracted, but deftly slid the van into a space that seemed much too small to contain it.

"Okay," said Jessica, unlocking the doors. "You two get your keys and cards over in the courtyard, and meet me back here to unload. Right?" Without waiting for an answer she barrelled out of the van and ran to embrace a short leopard who was just dismounting from his motorcycle.

"Someone's happy," Andrea observed to Alex. "And just today, she told me she didn't have a boyfriend."

Alex was watching the pair with a peculiar look on his face. He shook it off after a few seconds, saying, "Where did she tell us to go again?"

"Courtyard. Between all the buildings, I guess. Where everybody else is going."

Alex hefted his briefcase. "Got your papers?"

"Yep."

"She left her keys in, better not lock up."

Jessica took her hand away from the button that would do just that. "Attentive, aren't you?"

"I'm an artist. I have to be."

Yes, he had mentioned that a couple times. He'd said he sometimes did portraits or other commissions for a little spending money. "Got any samples?"

Alex thumped his briefcase, and glanced at the crowd between them and the tables. It looked to be a ten-minute wait at least. "While we're standing here, I might as well…" Supporting the briefcase on his left arm, he spun the tumblers and flipped the catches with his free hand. The first thing he pulled out was his residence form, which he tucked into the fingers of his left hand. After some rooting around, he produced a larger square of paper and shut the briefcase. "Here. I hope it's not too disappointing."

Andrea's breath stuck in her throat. The paper in her hands held a pencil drawing of her, sort of. It showed her wearing the same business attire she'd worn in the picture she sent to him, and filling it out beautifully. The way he'd drawn it accented her femininity, showcased it, but the steel he'd put in her eyes, the muscle that was hinted at through the dark sleeves, suggested strength, on several levels, that she couldn't possibly possess… could she?

"Alex… I'm flattered! This isn't what I see when I look into the mirror, or what my co-workers see, I can tell you that much… it's… flattering," she concluded lamely.

Alex ducked his head, ears flushing again. "You really like it?"

"Of course I do!"

A breath. "It's yours. Keep it, to remind you what I see when I look at you."

Andrea felt a smile stealing across her face as she held the paper. Unbelievable, that this superb, too-humble man could be so devoted to her… and yet it really seemed to be happening. If she could just give his confidence a boost, he'd be perfect.

Grinning to herself, she began plotting.

"Twelve fourteen," Alex said to Andrea, twirling his keychain. "I'm going to hate fire alarms, I know that for sure."

"Amen. I'm up there too. Shall we grab our things?"

That sounded like an excellent idea. They made their way against the flow of people, salmon in a living river.

Jessica was still talking to the motorcycle-riding leopard, who threw back his head and laughed at something she said. They made a very nice pair, the black and the gold. Alex wouldn't mind having either one pose for him. The two together, if they'd be willing, would be fantastic.

Andrea cleared her throat.

The man's levity vanished like a pricked bubble, replaced by predatory focus and scrutiny. His emerald gaze was razor-sharp and raked over the two of them from head to tail.

"Hi, guys," Jessica said, turning. "All set?"

"Yes," they chorused, and exchanged glances. Alex couldn't help a grin. They were already thinking in sync; that was a good thing, wasn't it?

"Drew," Jessica went on, "this is Andrea Fitzgerald – I believe I've mentioned her…"

"At length," the leopard murmured.

"…and this is her friend Alex. Andrea, Alex, this is my twin brother Andrew." She gave the leopard's shoulders a squeeze, tenderness glimmering in her eyes. "He just got back from exchange in France today, and moved in."

Twins?

Well, okay. Colouring aside, there was a good deal of resemblance… and it certainly explained their very evident attachment. And now that he thought about it, the difference between a leopard and a panther was just a gene or three.

"Been waiting a while, have you?"

"Sure have, Andy."

Drew, who had been looking Alex up and down and causing the dog no small amount of anxiety, suddenly smiled. "Would you two like a hand moving in?"

Neither Andrea nor Alex had brought all that much. With the four of them all carrying stuff, it was comfortably done in one trip. They squeezed into one of the four elevators and waited.

"Twelve oh two is to the left," Drew said to Andrea on the way up. "Just a little way. Fourteen… oh… that must be down by the end, to the right. Then the bigger numbers come back up the other way, with twenty-five right opposite one. Anything higher is in the other wing."

The elevator glided to a stop, and the doors slid open. Females went one way, males the other. As they padded along the thin carpet, Drew pointed out the kitchenette, common lounge, several bathrooms – "They're not meant for several people, so they're not split between the sexes; just lock the door." – his own room, and the room belonging to their floor co-ordinator.

That was 1213, the last room on that side of the hallway.

"I guess this one's yours," said Drew, indicating a door across the hall and yet further down. "Yep. Twelve fourteen. The square key is for your room; the triangle is for your mailbox."

"Where's the mailbox?"

"The little building on the south side of the courtyard, along with the cafeteria, clinic, help desk, and some other administrative stuff. Haven't been there myself. No, it's a bit strange, turn it the other way."

"Thanks." Alex finally got the door unlocked, retrieved his briefcase, and pushed the door open.

Drew oohed, a mock-seductive note in his voice. "A single. And a big one at that."

Alex looked around the small space. "This is big? I thought it was cosy."

"It's as big as my double. I think most singles are a bit smaller."

Actually, it wasn't as though Alex needed anything more. The bed looked a little on the small size, but not much so. The desk was fine, and even included a computer console; that would be more than enough until the ship arrived with the rest of Alex's belongings in a day or two. He could move the desk and the bed so he had room by the window for his easel. Other than that… what did he need, really? "I'm just used to wide-open spaces, I guess."

"What sort of place are you from?"

"A little town of about four hundred people, in the middle of the Saskatchewan prairies."

The leopard blinked, his tail giving a twitch. "Open spaces, all right Well, at least the campus is more open than the city."

"I guess so." Alex set his things down. "I can unpack later. I might as well be social now."

"That's a good idea," Drew mused as Alex shut the door. "Lock it," he warned.

Alex was already fitting the key in. "One nice thing about a deadbolt: You can't lock your keys inside."

"Especially not since you don't have a roommate to leave after you do and lock up," Drew observed, wandering toward his own 309. "Speaking of which, I wonder if mine's here yet…" He tried the door, then pulled out his keys.

"He might have locked it for a reason," Alex pointed out.

Drew cocked an eyebrow, looking at him. Alex felt his ears burning; they must have been bright red. But he held his gaze. At length Drew smiled and nodded, and rattled the door against the frame. A few seconds later he gave up and turned the key.

"Huh. He's been here, but he's not here now. Be right back." The leopard darted into the room, emerging seconds later without his jacket and with a pair of sunglasses. "Shall we go be social?"

Alex agreed and headed for the elevator.

A short wander brought them to a wooded park, adjacent to the dorm buildings. A large number of people were milling about in a clearing, enjoying the 30° heat, which Drew said was quite a bit hotter than normal. They parted ways and mingled. Or rather, Drew mingled; Alex's heart just wasn't in it. He hadn't been around this many people in almost ten years, and then not for long.

So Alex found himself out of the crowd, but not wanting to be wholly alone, made his way to a boulder where a medium-sized pure white wolf-morph was watching the throng. The wolf wore white shorts, and a sash of leather that looked like it had been stolen from a medieval baldric. That was all. Not that he – at least Alex thought it was a he – needed anything else; his pelt, gleaming almost painfully bright in the sun, was thicker than any Alex had seen, and masked his body enough to satisfy anyone's sense of modesty. Perhaps more than enough.

At breast level on his strange sash was a set of three knives. They were tied in place and looked more ceremonial than practical.

They exchanged greetings. The wolf's voice, a shy tenor, dispelled Alex's lingering doubts as to his gender, and he hopped up onto the rock as well.

"Not a crowd person?" he inquired.

"No… I've pretty much always been alone."

He said it very matter-of-fact, but there was something in his tone… that solitude might or might not have been by choice. "Do you mind me coming up like this?"

"No!" the wolf exclaimed. "Not at all."

Not by choice, then. Alex was starting to be glad that he'd done this. He extended a hand. "Alex Gould."

"Erik Stephansson. That's Erik with a K." The wolf's clasp was hesitant, unpractised, and uncertain. His touch was warm and very, very soft. After a moment, he looked down at their hands, puzzled.

It was a reaction Alex was used to. "I haven't lost a finger, I was only born with four," he said, spreading his free hand to demonstrate. "It's a species quirk."

"Oh." Erik swallowed, sagging against the rock. "Didn't mean to be rude."

"Not at all…" Alex abruptly realised that the wolf's speech was slurred and his eyes were out of focus. He seemed barely conscious. "Are you all right? You don't look comfortable."

"Hot," Erik sighed, closing his eyes and going limp.

"May I?" Alex put a hand over the wolf's forehead. Erik cracked his eyes open enough to see that, nodded, and closed them again. Alex worked his fingers through the fur. Definitely on the warm side, but he didn't seem that warm…

Of course, the fur there wasn't particularly thick. Alex tried the much thicker fur of the belly.

The flesh felt like it was on fire. Under the insulating fur, Alex's hand wasn't just warm, it was hot, painfully so. He bit off a curse. "Lie down," he urged.

Erik was only too willing to comply. Unsteadily, and with Alex's help, he sank to the grass and sprawled out.

"Alex?"

It was Jessica, and she sounded concerned. Alex turned. She and Andrea were looking down at the two canids.

Alex stood. "He's badly overheating. I think I should get him to some cold water, fast. Ah…" He bent down to Erik and spoke his name. The wolf's eyes snapped open and tried to focus. At least he was still conscious. "You need to cool off. I think a cold shower is the best way to do that. Okay?"

"Okay…"

Alex swallowed. What he had to say next could be taken very much the wrong way. "You can't manage that alone in your state. You'll need help, the whole way. Can you trust me to do that?"

"Sure."

Said so simply, with such conviction, the word melted Alex's heart. He turned back to the girls. "The dorm first, and a shower, for him. Then, once he's cooled off, I'll get him to the clinic to see if it did any lasting harm."

"I'll call the hospital," Jessica said, searching in her pockets.

Alex shook his head. "I think I can manage, without having to wait for an ambulance."

"But..."

"They've got bigger things to worry about," Alex pointed out. "And I can get a head start on them, because they'd have to get here first. I'll make sure he gets to a doctor after, don't worry."

"Good of you," Andrea purred, and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

Alex blinked. Part of his mind had put everything else on hold and started cheering; the rest was screaming at it to shut up and focus. "Thanks," he managed, and started to bend down. "I'll see you around, I'm sure, Andrea."

"Me, too," Jessica replied, "since I'm in the same wing. Good luck, you two." She clouted Alex on the shoulder before loping after Andrea to somewhere else.

Alex blinked, then returned to the task at hand, crouching down and sliding his arms under Erik's knees and shoulders. He braced himself to lift and almost fell over backwards. The wolf had almost no weight to him – forty kilos at most. The fur was deceptive…

Keeping him conscious would probably be a good idea. As he walked, Alex said, "So where are you living? On campus?"

"Helton," Erik muttered.

Well, that was convenient; not so much worry about getting him to the right home. "So am I. Whereabouts in Helton?"

"Twelve-oh-nine."

Ah-ha! Drew's roommate. "How about that. I'm just down the hall from you, in twelve-fourteen. I'll take you up there to cool off."

Silence.

"Hang in there," said Alex, working his way to the lobby and ignoring the stares of passers-by. Let them think what they would; Alex knew better.

The lobby was empty. Alex punched the call button and breathed a sigh of relief when an elevator opened right away. The trip up seemed to take an hour, and the frail body in his arms was getting no cooler.

Alex forced his arms to carry their burden a little longer, down the hall to the last bathroom, where he bolted the door. Erik sprawled on the floor tiles, his chest rising and falling far too slowly.

To hell with what this looks like. There's no one else to see anyway.

"Erik?"

Silence.

"Erik!"

"…Uh?"

"Hang on. I'll be right back!"

He bolted to his room, tore open his suitcase, and ran back with a towel. Erik was still awake but hadn't moved. Alex slipped out of his clothes in record time and bent down to the wolf. "I'm just going to get these off so they don't get wet."

"Thanks…"

Erik stayed completely limp as Alex undid his belt and removed the leather sash. After a moment's final hesitation, he tugged off the wolf's shorts. Erik roused himself enough to stand, unsteadily, leaning heavily on Alex, but enough to make getting him into the shower much easier.

Alex cranked the faucet to full cold and turned it on.

His fur offered some protection, but even though he tried to stay out of the way, the spray still stung his flesh like shards of ice. Erik's thicker fur would offer much more protection, but he was the one who needed the cold.

Alex dug his fingers into the white fur, working the water in as much as he could. Erik let out a long sigh, his neck stretched out as he lapped at the cold stream. "That feels so good…"

Glad it works for one of us, Alex thought. He was starting to shiver already. Nevertheless, he kept at it, kneading the wolf's body to work the water in and keep the blood flowing.

His shaking was becoming almost violent when the water suddenly got a good deal warmer.

"Don't torture yourself," Erik said. He still sounded woozy but was much improved. With his fur slicked down Alex could plainly see that he was thin as a needle. A little bit of wiry muscle, partly obscured by a layer of fat which was probably healthy in his home environment. With his wide, trusting eyes, the overall effect was one of youth and innocence.

After a few moments under the warm spray, Erik slipped past the curtain, leaving Alex to warm up a bit longer.

When he'd at last rinsed out the frigid water and got out, Erik had dried off his guard fur and was no longer dripping, but the moisture that was wicking up to the surface suggested that the undercoat was still quite wet. He'd decided that was enough and dressed again. Wordlessly, he handed Alex the now-damp towel.

Wet, Erik's fur was still thicker than Alex's was when dry. And with those silver guard hairs, bouncing his body heat right back to the black skin and probably drawing in a fair amount of new heat, it was no wonder he'd heated up like that. He was most definitely a cold-weather creature. It even showed in the size of his hands and feet, the tufts of fur between his fingers and toes, his tufted ears. Not from around here, that was for sure.

Alex chaffed at his own fur until it fluffed out from static and the skin underneath was sore and tingling. Erik made no move to leave, but nevertheless gave Alex privacy by the simple expedient of not looking his way.

Alex pulled on his pants and tugged the belt into place. "Better?"

"Much." Erik stood, still a bit shaky but managing under his own power. "I can't thank you enough. By the time I knew what was going on, I'd never have made it here on my own. I thought I'd stay still, rest, see if I'd cool down… it didn't work. But beyond all that…" His arms slid around Alex's waist, making the dog tense momentarily in surprise. His eyes on Alex's face were gold-rimmed wells of ink. "Nobody has ever shown me that sort of kindness." He buried his snout in the fur of Alex's shoulder.

Alex was nonplussed. He'd held his little brothers like this in the past, and indeed he automatically pulled Erik closer and patted his shoulders. But there was something here that definitely hadn't been back then. There was that warmth that he felt, deep down inside, when he was doing good for someone, really being effective. But the sudden thrill of energy that ran through his limbs, the excited hammering of his heart… those were unfamiliar. Not at all unpleasant; just… unexpected.

Now was that dampness against his shoulder a gentle kiss, or a cold wet nose? Probably a cold wet nose. But either way, the contact felt… good. Right. The wolf's trust in him, the almost brotherly affection, and the very personal way in which he expressed it, made everything along the way seem worthwhile. That warmth was spreading even to the chilly places deep inside his being. He wished they could stay that way for hours.

On some unspoken mutual impulse, they both broke off from the embrace, gripped each other's arms for a moment, then finally let go. "I could get to like your way of doing things," Alex sighed. People these days were much too afraid of a simple hug, and it could be such a wonderful thing…

"I haven't felt this nice in years. Thanks."

"Anytime," Alex said, and meant it.

The door rattled. "You guys all right in there?"

"I think that's your roommate," Alex muttered under his breath, and called out, "Sure thing!"

"Just checking. My sister said it's been a while."

Alex pulled on his shirt. "Shall we?"

It was, indeed, Drew Troy who was out there. He had started to leave, but turned back as the door opened. "Alex," he greeted, nodding once to him, then once, silently, to Erik.

"Hello, Drew," Alex said, and Erik, "Hi."

"I think Andrea was looking for you, Alex. It didn't seem important, but I thought I should let you know."

"Thanks."

"No problem." The leopard gave him a nod and loped on up the hall, evidently in something of a hurry to do something.

"That was your roommate, I believe. You said you're in 1209, right?" At Erik's nod, Alex said, "So is Drew Troy."

"Good to know," Erik said. He took a breath. "I think I'll sleep this off in here, until it's a bit cooler out. Thanks again."

Karl had been just like that. He always took the simple solution; not necessarily the easiest, but the simplest, always applying Ockham's Razor.

Karl wasn't around anymore.

"You," Alex snapped, "have an appointment in the clinic. You may feel better now, but there's no telling what the long term effects of that sort of system shock might be." I let it slide once too often in the past, I'm not doing it again…

Erik swallowed. "Okay. But I have to put these somewhere, then. Doctors tend to ask questions.." He tapped the knives on his sash.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "I think the reason most other people wouldn't is because they either don't know what they are and would think it rude to ask, or DO know and are worried as to how you might answer."

Erik chuckled a little. "That's silly."

"Knives are illegal in many public places," Alex pointed out. "Here it's not so, as long as they're not concealed, but still, someone tends to be labeled a bad-ass if they carry just one – much less three!"

They matched strides up the hall. "Good for them my mother's not here. She's got a full set of ten."

"Ten?"

"Sure," said Erik, drawing his keys from the pouch at his hip. "One for each finger."

Alex gulped. "You can't possibly use a knife with one finger."

"No, no," the wolf chuckled, and tried the door. It swung open freely. "Oh. Hello… ah, Drew, was it?"

Drew was in the process of lifting a book from his shelf. He seemed amused to see the wolf again so soon. "Andrew Troy, Drew for short. I never caught your name, but are you my roommate Erik?"

Erik blinked, and managed to say, "Yeah," as he removed the knife sheaths and unlocked a small wooden box.

"Welcome home, the leopard drawled. As Erik was heading for the door, he added, "I'll see you later."

"Sure thing. I look forward to it." Erik gently pulled the door to.

After a few moments, Alex pointed out, "You're still shaky."

Erik nodded. "So I guess you had the right idea." He leaned on the elevator call button. "Alex…"

Uh-oh. Touchy-feely stuff. "Go ahead."

Golden eyes, wide and wondering, fixed on his own. "Why? Why all this concern for someone you don't know?"

"Have you never been exposed to kindness for its own sake?" Good God, what a miserable fate that would be…

"I tried to be kind," Erik whispered. "Everyone else just laughed at me."

…That was worse. It must have been agony…

"Things are different here, friend, if only because there are more people. Here, you can find a kindred spirit." Alex essayed a smile. "Maybe you have."

"I hope so," Erik murmured, burying his muzzle in Alex's shoulder.

The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and a dark figure strode out. A panther, male, wearing the most sober of black business attire, his eyes shielded by dark glasses. A strange smile stole across his face as he glanced at the canine pair, revealing clean, sharp teeth. Whatever emotion had prompted that smile was not apparent, but as the panther walked on, Alex became uncomfortably aware of his position. Once again, he and Erik were in a very close embrace. Once again, he was reluctant to break it.

"Elevator's here," he observed, lamely.

"Yeah." Erik untangled himself in an instant, as though nothing had happened. And, really, what had?

Once the elevator started moving, Erik leaned against the wall, his attention obviously elsewhere, head down. Well, that made it easier for Alex to do a bit of thinking. It wouldn't surprise him if that panther had thought he and Erik were lovers; people weren't normally so… tactile with their emotions as Erik seemed to be, and so let only the strongest of affection show at all through the surface. It was just ironic that this take place with Alex, who after all already had a girlfriend…

Personally, Alex liked Erik's way better. True, there were more people around here, but there was less soul. Different it was… but different didn't always mean better.

Their respective ruminations were interrupted by the door opening in front of them.

The clinic wasn't hard to find; in fact it was one of the best-marked places Alex had seen. The nurse on duty gave him a tirade for not bringing Erik there first, but then obliged him and took the wolf to see the doctor. Alex elected to sit in the waiting room and think.

So why, indeed, hadn't he brought Erik right here? It would probably have been faster, and they'd know better than him how to treat Erik. So… why?

He'd wanted to help Erik himself. Why? As Erik had asked, why help a total stranger?

Maybe that heart-thumping feeling had something to do with it…

Okay, the wolf was very attractive. Confusingly enough, this wolf Alex had never before met – this male wolf, no less! – had caught his eye more than the girlfriend he'd been talking to for a year. If Erik had actually been trying to seduce him, Alex probably wouldn't have been able to stop himself until it was far too late.

But it wasn't until seeing his fur slicked down – feeling him close – that Alex had felt that attraction. There had to be something more. Maybe it wasn't the rush that had brought him to do it. Maybe it was, instead, that warm feeling. The feeling he got when he actually did something worthwhile, actually took direct action to better another's life.

You want to be a hero, boy?

Psychologist he wasn't… Still, he knew, or at least suspected, that it was there. He could guard against it, keep it from interfering with his better judgment, now that he knew it was there.

"Oh, hi, Alex."

The voice at his shoulder almost scared him out of his skin. Remember also, he thought, that Arctic creatures, by and large, have very soft footfalls. "Hi, Erik. All checked out?"

Erik made a balancing gesture with one hand. "The doctor says I should be fine, but I might catch something, so she gave me some medication to boost my immune system. She also told me to thank you for saving her some time."

"Yes," said a new voice, approaching on a pair of flat-soled dress shoes. The body on top was human, female, in her thirties, wearing a plain business suit and a stethoscope. "No harm done by the fairly sudden cold, and things have been a little busy around here. So thank you, young man." And with those words the doctor vanished into a side room where, presumably, another patient awaited her.

Alex gazed after her, his hackles rising. In his mind's eye, the stethoscope vanished and the face shifted very slightly… the effect of a few years' time, maybe. Dressed in a nearly-identical suit, the human he saw carried -

"Alex!" Someone shook his shoulders.

The memory lost focus, blurring into Erik's concerned face. A few stray cobwebs drifted through Alex's mind and were gone. What was I just thinking?

"Are you all right? You seemed to… be somewhere else for a little bit."

"Good way of putting it…" Alex concentrated for a few moments, then shook his head. "I thought I remembered something. Gone now, though. How about some food?"

"Yeah. Let's grab some before the crowds hit." Erik gave the larger dog's arm a squeeze, and the two started out of the clinic.

His first day at school was certainly proving to be a strange one. And he wouldn't change a moment of it – not even for a billion creds.

Life was good.