I Must Be Dreaming

by Jason Finigan

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This story may contain scenes which involve sexual situations between young males. If this type of material is offensive to you, or it is not legal for you to be reading this type of material, please do not read any further. This story is copyright © 2007 by Jason Finigan, all rights reserved. Please do not copy this story for distribution or post on any online server without the author's permission. Please send all your comments to: jasonfinigan@yahoo.com.

From the last chapter:

"This is the best Christmas a guy could ever wish for," Ben said.

My dad let Ben go, and looked him right in his tear stained eyes. "Everyone deserves a family, and no one should ever spend Christmas alone. Well, Jenny, would you like to give your new brother a hug?" She didn't waste any time, and ran over to Ben, wrapping her long arms around him, and giving him a taste of the hug I received from her when she first burst into the room.

"She doesn't let people breath much does she?" Ben asked.

"Nope. But she definitely lets you know that she likes you," I said, smiling over at him.

"That I can tell," he said with difficulty.

"Okay, honey. Let Ben go so he can breath," my mom said, chuckling slightly.

"So what's going to happen now?" I asked.

"Well, for the next couple days, you have to stay here in the hospital," my dad said. "Your mom and I will need to go into town and pick up some things from the store. You didn't buy enough food for five people. And if I know your mom, she's going to want to do some decorating. And when you get out of the hospital, all of us will spend Christmas together, including Ben."

"Well, I'd love to join you all for Christmas. I was thinking I'd be spending it alone this year," Ben said.

"Just one question," I said. "Ben, what about your wolves?"

"They'll know where I am," he said.

"Will they try to get into the cottage?" I asked.

"It's possible," Ben said, looking over at the rest of his new family, and seeing the worried looks on their faces; except for my sister that is.

Chapter 5

Two days later:

Two days. Two days I had to lay about in that hospital with nothing to do. Oh sure the doctors and nurses were very nice to me, and of course Ben stayed with me the whole time, not to mention the regular visits from my family, but there's only so much laying around a guy can do before he goes nuts! At the very least they could make sure the mattresses were somewhat comfortable, or provide me with an air cushion or something. I swear I'm going to need to see a chiropractor after my leg finishes healing.

And don't even get me started on the hospital food. About the only thing that tasted like food was the pudding, and the juice. Everything else was like eating those cheap microwave dinners from the no name store. I'm sure the cardboard packages they came in are more nutritious than what they feed us in the hospital.

When they finally let me out, I practically jumped into the wheel chair the hospital provided to wheel me out to the car. Okay, so I wasn't able to jump very far considering the bulky cast I was wearing on my right leg, but still, I made a good go of it to be sure.

Getting in and out of the car was certainly an experience I do not want to go through ever again. No matter how careful I was, my leg kept bumping into something which generally had the effect of causing sharp pains to run up and down the entire length of my leg. I could see Ben's face, each time that happened, wince as if he was feeling the pain with me.

It wasn't soon enough before we were in the cottage and I was able to plant my butt on the couch, with both my legs resting on the plush cushions. Oh now that was heaven. Finally a soft surface to lay upon, and no side rails or anything to kick by accident. The only thing I had to be careful of was that my leg didn't accidentally slip off the couch and onto the hardwood floor. Now that would be painful!

My sister was being a brat. And I mean that in the kindest way of course. Ever since we had returned to the cottage, she's been like a hyperactive bunny, hopping around the house commenting about how cute Ben and I looked together, which was usually followed by one of her long giggles. Well, it's not my fault that my new boyfriend wanted to snuggle with me on the couch. Honestly, I don't even think he paid any attention to my sister's antics.

We had finished dinner a short time ago, after which Ben and I had gone to my room – or rather, our room, for some alone time. Only the soft light from the table lamp beside the bed lit up the room, creating a very relaxing atmosphere. After everything that's happened recently, I think we deserved to be able to spend some time together like this, especially since Ben was attempting to massage my tonsils with his tongue, which was driving me absolutely crazy.

It was only the fact that the both of us needed to come up for air that forced us to separate. But still I kept my hands on him, looking into his angelic face. A guy could get lost in those eyes of his, filled as they were with so much love. Laying in bed like this, with him next to me, it was almost like a dream and yet I knew no dream could be this perfect.

"I love you," I whispered to him, breaking the silence.

"I love you too, Chris," he whispered back, letting himself cuddle me closer, resting his head on my chest.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," he said.

"I know. Me too. But I doubt my parent's would let us."

He chuckled at this. "Somehow I think you're right."

"So what you say we go join them in the living room?"

"Mmmm, in a bit," I said, holding him even tighter against me.

The room was silent again as we lay there, enjoying the feel of the two of us cuddling close together like this. The whole world seemed to fade away until it was just the two of us alone in the room. Nothing else mattered but the love we shared. It was a wonderful feeling, filling my whole being with a warmth I'd not felt in my entire life.

"Your parents are amazing," Ben said softly, this time the one to break the silence.

"I never quite realized just how amazing they were until that day in the hospital," I told him.

"The way they accepted you, and us being together. I wish my own parents had been like that," he said.

"I know you do, babe. But we can't change how people feel after believing things for so long. It takes time."

"You think they would be able to change?" he asked cautiously.

"That would be up to them, babe," I told him. I know it's not what he wanted to hear, but really, no one could give him that answer except for his own family. "There's still your sister, don't forget."

"Yeah. My sister."

"Hey, if she didn't love you, she wouldn't have left the way she did. She'd have stayed living with your parents and you'd have lost her as well."

"You're right, of course," Ben said, sitting up slightly and looking up at my face.

"Of course, I am the great, powerful wizard of Oz," I laughed, trying as best I could to mimic the voice of that character in the classic movie.

"Oh that is so not fair!" he complained.

"I know!" I agreed, laughing out loud.

"Just you wait, smartass," he said, grinning at me mischievously.

"Promises, promise, babe!" I laughed again, poking him in the ribs.

"Hey! No tickling!" Ben laughed, squirming about the bed in a half-hearted attempt to evade my fingers. After a few more minutes of goofing around like that, we finally settled down. God it was good to do that. I know I'm nineteen years old, but with the way I felt about Ben, I felt so much like a kid again. Had anyone watched us they'd have probably thought we were acting silly, but I wouldn't have cared. I was in love, and this just felt so right.

Deciding he had endured enough punishment from me for the time being, I stopped tickling him and let him catch his breath. For a few minutes at least, we lay there staring at one another, my hand resting on his. Even though I didn't want to, I knew we should probably get up to go see my parents. "Help me up, babe?" I asked him.

"Sure," he agreed, giving me another quick kiss before getting up off the bed and walking over to where I had placed the crutches given to me by the hospital. While he was doing that, I sat up, and carefully swung my legs over the edge of the bed, being extra careful that the foot on my injured leg didn't hit the floor.

Crutches. Whoever designed these things definitely wasn't concerned about comfort at all. It's probably the one thing about having a broken leg that I dread most of all. There isn't any amount of padding they can add to make it semi-comfortable to walk around with them. It's almost enough to make one want to just forget about them and lay around all day. Then again, it's not exactly fair to have to rely on my family and Ben to help me get around. I'm going to be in this cast for the next six weeks at least, so I might as well get used to them.

Ben gently helped me stand up, putting most of my weight on my uninjured leg, then handed me the crutches. Settling them as comfortably as I could under my arms, I let them take my weight.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"After you, my love," I replied, smiling once more at him.

Together the two of us left the room, and headed for the living room where my parents were sitting on the couch, talking amongst themselves quietly while sipping on something hot in the mugs they held in their hands.

Back at the hospital, my dad had said that my mom would probably go all out with the Christmas decorations. He wasn't joking. I think my mom had brought with her every single decoration we had stored at the house, and bought a few new ones to boot! The Christmas tree was one of the artificial trees, standing almost as high as the ceiling which was about nine feet high. The star at the top of the tree just barely cleared the ceiling making me wonder just how the heck she had manged to get it up there. The red lights on the tree accentuating the many decorations spread out all over it. Everything you could possibly imagine was on the tree, including my star trek ornaments as well as the paper ones made when I was in kindergarten. The windows were all lined with lighted garland, and on each one was one of those large lighted window silhouettes. Some were in the shape of Santa's face, candy canes, Christmas trees, bells, and even a wreath. She had brought out the Christmas dinnerware, as evidenced by the mugs they were using. On the coffee table she had an arrangement of Christmas candle holders and red candles.

Besides the decorations, my dad had the fireplace going, which was a good thing considering how cold it was outside with all the wind and snow still blowing. That was amazing; how the storm still hadn't let up even after two days. I was beginning to wonder if anyone would be able to get anywhere at all.

"Hi, Mom, Dad," I said, making my way towards the love seat next to the couch they were sitting on.

"Hi, Chris. I see you two decided to rejoin us," my dad said teasingly, causing both Ben and me to blush slightly.

"Bill, behave!" my mom admonished my dad, though she too had a wry grin on her face.

"You getting used to those crutches?" my dad asked, just as I had sat down onto the love seat, putting the crutches on the ground by my feet.

"If I never see them again, it'll be too soon," I groaned.

My dad laughed knowingly. "Well, I'm sure you'll get used to them eventually."

"Maybe, and maybe my arms will fall off," I complained.

"Oh, behave," Ben said, playfully punching my arm.

"Assaulting the crippled now, are you?" I teased.

"Nah, just having some fun with my boyfriend."

"Ah, new love," my mom said.

"Don't you worry, Son," my dad said, rolling his eyes at my mom. "I could tell you stories about the way your mother was when we first got together."

"Don't you dare, Bill!" my mom said. "Not unless you want to be sleeping on the couch tonight."

"I guess it'll have to wait for another time," my dad said, chuckling lightly.

"You know, I can't get over how much your family cares for one another," Ben said.

"Ben, remember what we said, you're a part of this family now too," my mom told him.

"I remember. It's not easy to get used to, not after how it was with my family. Part of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Hate to tell you this, Ben. It already has. The moment you and Chris became a couple was the moment you gained a new family," my dad informed him.

"Yeah, and you don't know how happy that makes me feel. I meant what I said at the hospital. This really has become the best Christmas ever for me."

"I couldn't agree with you more, babe," I said, pulling him closer to me and letting him rest his head on my shoulder.

"Dad, I hope you don't mind, but I suggested to Ben that he should give his sister a call. I mean, it's not right that Ben gets to spend Christmas with us while his sister can't."

"Of course it's okay, Chris. And you're certainly right. Christmas is about family, and she deserves to spend it with one. I take it she and your parents don't get along either," my mom said.

"No. Since my parents kicked me out for being gay, she decided she couldn't live with them, and she moved out to live with a friend of hers. She's only seventeen and not even finished high school yet," Ben replied.

"Well, that settles it for sure, then. You go right ahead, Ben, and give that sister of yours a call. I just hope she'll be able to make it up here with the storm and all.

"Don't worry, Mom. If you were all able to make it up here with the car packed as much as it had to have been, I'm sure she'll have no trouble," I said.

"Besides, the roads aren't all that bad out there since the plows have been very busy keeping the roads cleared and salted."

"She hasn't really been fond of the wilderness though," Ben commented.

"Maybe not, but I'm sure she'd rather spend Christmas with family, no matter where that family might be," I told him.

"Yeah, you're right about that. Last time I spoke to her she was practically begging me to spend Christmas with her. I just didn't know how I could, considering the responsibilities I have up here."

"Well, go on, ask her. I'm sure she'll agree to come up here," I told him, practically pushing him up off the couch.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," he giggled.

"Aw, you're cute when you giggle like that," I said.

"And you're always cute,"he answered back, making me blush again. He leaned down to give me a quick kiss on my lips before heading into the kitchen where the phone was.

"I wish I had come out to you sooner," I told my parents.

"And we're glad you didn't," my mom told me.

"Why?" I asked, confused by her answer.

"Because you might not have met that wonderful man in the kitchen," she replied.

"Ah, I guess I didn't think about that," I admitted.

"Son, I've always believed that things happen for a reason. It's clear that you were meant to meet Ben when you did. I just wish you didn't have to get hurt to meet him."

"You and me both, Dad. My leg really itches!" I complained.

"That just means it's healing, dear," my mother told me.

At that moment, Ben came back into the living room, once more sitting beside me.

"Well?" I asked in anticipation.

"She's definitely on her way," Ben said. "My ears are still ringing from her yelling to her friend."

"Oh no, another Jenny," I laughed.

"Definitely," Ben agreed. "She said that she would get things ready soon. School's out for her, so she's going to do some packing and will be up here sometime this evening."

"This evening? She's coming up tonight? It's just after six o'clock!" I said incredulously, looking up at the clock above the fireplace.

"Yeah, I tried to tell her to wait until the morning due to the storm, but she was so excited to have a chance to have a real family Christmas that she's all for it."

"Ah, so you told her all about us did you?" I asked him.

"Not really. I told her that I had met someone and that his family was inviting me to spend Christmas with them, and wanted her to join them as well."

"Sneaky. Planning on surprising her are you?" I laughed.

"Yep. A good one I hope," he said.

"I think it will be. But I guess I'll need to get the spare room ready," my mom said.

"Why do you have to get the spare room ready, Mom?" my sister asked, walking into the living room.

"Because, sweetheart, Ben's sister is coming up tonight," my mom told her.

"Oh. But, Mom, she doesn't need to use the spare room. She could share my bed. It's certainly large enough."

"That's kind of you to offer, Sis, but Ben's sister is almost an adult, and she'd probably appreciate a bed of her own."

"Oh please!" my sister said, exasperated, rolling her eyes at me as if whatever I was telling her was silly. "I'm not exactly a child myself you know, and besides I'm sure she'd appreciate spending time with a girl around her age."

"Well, we'll see what she says when she gets here," my mom said, putting an end to the conversation. "Jenny, I need you to help me get the room ready, just in case she would like to have her own room."

"Okay," Jenny agreed reluctantly, and followed my mom out of the room.

Just then we heard the unmistakable sound of a wolf howl outside, and from the sounds of it, the wolf was very close by.

"Oh my God!" my dad said, suddenly sitting up in the couch.

"Damn, Ben?" Looking over at Ben I could see his face suddenly go white.

"They're here," Ben whispered.

"You said they would find you."

"Yeah. I need to be sure though," Ben said, getting up from the couch.

"Be careful?" I told him.

"I will," he assured me, leaning down to give me a kiss before heading to the front door to put on his boots and jacket.

"Where's Ben going?" my dad asked me.

"Remember those two wolves we were telling you about?"

"Yes."

"Well, they might have found us," I told him.

"I was hoping that wouldn't be the case," my dad said.

"Well, he did raise them, so naturally they'd be able to pick up his scent."

"What were they like?"

"Actually, they were really friendly. When I was at Ben's place, they pretty much stood watch over me while I slept. I thought it was pretty neat." I told him. "Really, Dad. They're beautiful. Pure white, with huge blue eyes. Almost like Ben's actually."

"Ben's? I thought Ben's eyes were grey," my dad pointed out.

"Well at first I thought his eyes were blue, but he told me they change colour sometimes."

"Ah, well that would explain it."

"Um...Dad?" Ben asked uncertainly, walking back into the living room, still wearing his winter jacket.

"Go ahead, Ben, you can call me Dad," my father assured him.

"Do you think you could join me downstairs for a minute?"

"I guess so, why? Does it have something to do with those wolves of yours?"

"Yes," Ben answered simply.

"Is there anything I need to bring with me?" my dad asked.

"Just your boots and Jacket, Dad," Ben told him.

"Alright, Ben. I'll meet you down stairs in a minute."

"Dad," I said, getting his attention once Ben had left the room to head back downstairs where the back door was.

"Yes, Chris?"

"Don't be afraid," I told him.

"Afraid?"

"Yes. They can sense it, and it makes them nervous. Just do what Ben asks you to do."

"I'm still not certain that I want these wolves around here," my dad said honestly.

"I know, Dad. But they really are alright if you give them a chance."

"The only reason I'm doing this is because I trust the both of you," he told me.

"Thank you, Dad," I said. Satisfied that my dad would in fact keep an open mind about the wolves.

After my dad had left, all I could do was lie there on the love seat and wait. There was no telling how long they would be, and I guessed that it would all depend on how my dad reacted to the wolves... if they were the same wolves. But then, if they weren't, Ben wouldn't have asked my father to go with him.

It seemed to take forever and I was beginning to worry. That was until I saw Ben and my dad walk into the living room, both still wearing their jackets. They weren't alone however, and I soon found myself underneath two very white wolves who were licking my face all over which was making me laugh, partly from how much it tickled, but also for the absurdity of the whole situation. I mean, who ever heard of someone getting a tongue bath from wolves inside his own home?

"It seems they missed you, babe," I heard Ben laugh.

"You think?" I managed to say while giggling.

Eventually they tired of licking my face and settled down in front of the love seat, sitting on their hind legs and looking up at Ben and my dad.

"So what do you think, Dad?" Ben asked.

"Honestly, it's going to take some time to get used to," my dad replied.

"I think that goes for everyone," Ben said. "The wolves know me best, so they'll react based on how I act around you all."

"Babe, don't you think Mom and Jenny should see the wolves too?" I asked him.

"Yeah," Ben agreed.

"You two stay there, I'll go get your Mom and sister," my dad said, walking out of the room, and heading towards the spare room where my mom and Jenny were probably still getting the room ready for Ben's sister.

"How did the wolves take to Dad?" I asked Ben.

"Considering how adults treated them in the past, surprisingly well. They were very cautious at first. Dad was scared out of his mind when Akela approached him, but relaxed when all Akela did was lick his hand and rub his head against his hand. Dad even scratched behind Akela's ears which I think automatically made them best buddies," Ben finished laughing.

"No doubt about it," I agreed.

"Mia was a little more reserved, though."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but it worked out okay, and she also let him scratch behind her ears. I think it'll take a bit longer for her to accept Dad, but I know she'll be fine."

"Well, if you say so. You think she'd have any trouble with Jenny or Mom?" I asked him seriously.

"No. Actually I think she'd accept them more readily than Dad because they're both female."

"I can see how that would make a difference. You know Jenny is going to go absolutely nuts when she learns the wolves are here."

"Considering how she reacted when she heard about the wolves in the hospital, I believe you," Ben chuckled.

The first indication that my dad was returning to the living room with my mom and Jenny was when the wolves both turned their heads towards the entry way. My father walked into the living room first, followed closely behind by my mother who was trying to prevent Jenny from rushing forward. She may be fifteen years old, but at the moment she reminded me more of a kid about to see a puppy for the first time. Well in this case, there were two puppies; two very large and furry puppies.

"Dad, you can take a seat, but I need Mom and Jenny to stand right over there by the fireplace," Ben told him. While dad went and sat down on the couch, my mom cautiously made her way towards the fireplace, very watchful of the wolves who were looking back at her. Jenny was barely restraining herself, and I could tell what she wanted to do right then was gather up the two wolves into her arms can cuddle with them.

We watched as Akela slowly stood up and cautiously walked towards Jenny. I have to admit, I was practically holding onto the arm of the love seat with a death grip, a part of me afraid of what might happen if Akela wouldn't accept her. I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until I exhaled once I saw Akela begin to lick Jenny's outstretched hand. Ben had obviously made sure my dad told mom and Jenny what to do when the wolves approached them.

With Akela's acceptance, Mia moved towards Jenny as well, sniffing her hand, and then licking it. The combination of the wolves rubbing up against her, and licking her hand made her giggle out loud, a reminder that she's just as ticklish as I am, if not more so. It was so ticklish for her I guess that she ended up stumbling backwards, and landing on her butt, whereupon the wolves immediately set about the task of licking her face which only served to increase Jenny's laughter.

Despite the trepidation my mom was feeling at the moment, even she couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. I'm sure at first she wanted to pick Jenny up to protect her from what she knew were still wild wolves, but I was glad that she managed to restrain herself and let the wolves give Jenny the same kind of tongue bath they had given me.

After a few more minutes of licking my sister's face, the wolves let her sit back up. Had I a camera, I would have taken a picture of her right then. She looked so happy sitting between these two white wolves. It was an awesome sight and one I'll never forget.

Mia was the first one to approach my mother, and only took a few seconds before she was licking her hand and waiting to get scratched behind her ears, which my mom reluctantly did. Pretty soon she had both wolves sitting in front of her, their heads held in such a way that she could properly scratch both their ears. I saw my mom visibly relax after that, and she even smiled.

"I guess that's that," my dad said from the couch.

"Pretty much, Dad," Ben said. "But until the wolves are completely used to everyone, and everyone's comfortable with the wolves here, it'd be a good thing to make sure no one makes sudden movements to startle them. And also loud voices wouldn't be advisable yet."

"Sounds sensible to me, Ben," my mom said.

"Can I pet the wolves again?" Jenny asked.

"I guess it'll be okay, dear," my mom told her, looking over at Ben who nodded his head in agreement.

"Just make sure they can see your hands, and don't rush towards them, Jenny," Ben told her.

"Okay, Ben." Jenny then approached the wolves who had settled back down in front of the love seat. Both of them watched as Jenny approached then, then got down on her hands and knees. Once she was right next to them, she slowly reached out with her hands towards them, and began to scratch behind their ears again. I swear, whether it's a wolf or a dog, you scratch them behind their ears and it's like you've made a friend for life. Akela and Mia were certainly no exception to that.

"I hope your sister is going to be alright driving up here," I told Ben, returning to the subject of his sister.

"Despite all they say about female drivers, my sister really is one of the best drivers around. I'd even say better than me. Then again, I don't really like cars. They're more of an unfortunate necessity as far as I'm concerned. If Burlington actually had public transit that went by my work, I'd probably not need to use a car much at all."

"By the way, Ben. What's your sister's name? I don't think you told me," I asked him.

"Oops, sorry. I guess with everything else that's been going on, I didn't think of mentioning her name. It's Nicole."

"Come to think of it, there has been a question on my mind since we've met you, Ben," my dad said.

"Oh?" Ben questioned.

"You say you work in Burlington, but you spend most of your time now up here. How's that?"

"Ah, well actually that's pretty simple. You see I work for Cogeco in their technical support department. Specifically, I help people resolve issues with their Internet service. I'm on vacation right now, so don't have to work, but when I do, I can work from either the office, or from home. All I need is a high speed Internet connection that I can use to connect me to the servers at work. I just need to punch in and out through some software so that I get paid."

"That's cool," I said. "Working from home. It certainly would solve a lot of issues with transportation."

"True, but there are times when I do have to go into the office; staff meetings and training sessions for example."

"And you drive all the way from up here to Burlington just for those meetings?" my mom asked.

"Well, not really. They schedule the meetings well in advance, so what I usually do in that case is move back to Burlington during that week. That's why I still have the apartment in Burlington," Ben told us.

"Makes sense to me," I said. "I wouldn't mind getting a job like that."

"In your case it might be a smart thing to consider. Who knows when a tree might fall on you?" Ben laughed.

"Oh ha ha!" I said sarcastically, playfully slapping him upside the head, which caused my parents to laugh out loud as well. Jenny was too busy with the wolves to notice, which I was definitely grateful for. I certainly didn't need her teasing me about that as well.

"Ben has a point, Chris," my dad said, recovering from his bout of laughter.

"I can well imagine I'm going to be putting up with falling tree jokes for a while," I grumbled.

"Yep!" Ben laughed. "But we love ya anyways, babe." Ben then leaned over and gave me a very passionate kiss.

"That's so not fair, love. I can't stay mad at you for long when you do something like that," I said breathlessly when the kiss was over.

"Mad? At me? I'm an angel," Ben said, attempting to present to me his most innocent look.

"Not going to work," I laughed. "Especially not after what we did after dinner," I whispered in his ear, causing him to blush something fierce. Oh God, he looked so cute when he blushes!

* * *

Three hours later:

Ben and my family were still sitting in the living room, enjoying a very relaxed conversation. Jenny was still on the floor, petting the wolves, who were laying protectively by my feet in front of the love seat.

I don't think there are any words to describe how content I felt at that moment. It was probably the most at peace I had ever been in a long time. It was a few days before Christmas, and here I was sitting down with my family, and my new boyfriend, relaxing after a very pleasant evening. Especially for Ben and me. Even the excitement of the wolves joining us only served to add to the peace I felt. Everyone should get to experience this. Life is too short to not be able to find happiness in life, and it was really sad to know that there were still so many people who either didn't know how to, or couldn't.

Only once did Ben have to leave the love seat where we were sitting, and that was to let the wolves out. The cottage didn't have the same type of door that Ben had which allowed the wolves to come and go as they pleased. It was actually one of the things that my dad and Ben were discussing, and I could almost hear my dad thinking and planning as the conversation about the wolves carried on. I thought the wolves would have stayed outside, but I was proven wrong when they simply needed to go out to take care of some personal business, and then come back inside to lay back down where they had been before. That was actually a shock to me until Ben explained that a wolf would never foul it's own den.

The storm outside it seemed was starting to taper off. While the wind was still blowing steadily outside, the volume of snow falling had remarkably decreased. You could actually look out the window and see the forest beyond the cottage, whereas before all you could see was the thick curtain of snow falling. I was glad for that, as I knew it would definitely make driving a whole lot safer.

I looked up at the clock, noting the time of nine-fifteen. His sister should be here soon if everything went okay, and she didn't get lost. Ben was practically jumping at every sound outside, as if he was hoping it was his sister. There was no mistaking the love he had for her, but also I could see that gleam of mischievousness in his eye that told me he was really looking forward to springing his surprise on her.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw something; the telltale signs of lights moving slowly near the house. Ben didn't miss it either, jumping up off the love seat and quickly making his way towards the front door. Stuck as I was with my broken leg, I could only lay there and shake my head with a smile on my face. He was like a little kid, so full of excitement. It was definitely contagious as I felt my heart rate increase and my body begin to shake slightly from the anticipation.

Straining my ears as best I could, I heard the front door open and close followed by a few minutes of silence. Then the door opened again, and closed, but now sounds of people talking could be heard as well.

It wasn't long before Ben returned to the living room followed by a young woman who could have been the exact duplicate of Ben, had she be born a guy. She was almost as tall as Ben, and had the same straight brown hair which she had grown fairly long, falling just past her shoulders. She featured a slim but obviously fit figure and was to my eyes a very beautiful young woman. I could tell right off the bat that a lot of straight guys must be falling head over heals in love with her.

"Sis, I'd like you to meet our new family," Ben said, introducing her to us. "This is Bill McCabe, and his wife Elaine, or as they've told me to call them, Mom and Dad. Mom, Dad, this is Nicole, my sister."

"It's very nice to meet you Nicole. You have a very sweet and wonderful brother," my mom said, getting up from the couch and walking towards Nicole.

"Thanks Mrs. McCabe," Nicole said, surprise evident in her face.

"Please, dear. You're Ben's brother, and a part of the family. Call me Elaine, or if you want; Mom."

"Mom..." Nicole said hopefully.

"Yes, dear," my mother answered, and soon found herself holding onto a crying seventeen year old girl.

"It's very nice to see you Nicole. I hope the drive up here wasn't too bad," my dad said, standing beside my mom.

"No, it wasn't too bad... Dad," she said, letting go of my mom, and giving my dad a hug as well. Tears were still falling from her eyes, but I could see that she had a huge smile on her face now.

"And this little one here is their daughter, Jenny. She's fifteen," Ben told her.

"Hi, Jenny," Nicole said, letting go of my dad.

"Hi, Nicole. Are you my new sister?"

"It certainly looks like it," Nicole said, smiling at the younger girl in front of her. Now it was Nicole's turn to get a hug as my sister wrapped her arms around Nicole and held her close.

"Um, Ben, you do realize there are wolves in here?" Nicole said, noticing at last the two white wolves who were staring at her intently.

"I know, Sis. They're Akela and Mia. The wolves I told you about last month," Ben told her. "You'll like them." With that, both Akela and Mia stood up and walked over to Nicole, who was still being hugged by Jenny.

"They're really neat, Nicole," Jenny said, letting go of Nicole at last. She reached over and started to scratch behind the ears of both Akela and Mia who definitely didn't mind at all.

"Just hold out your hands to them, Sis," Ben said. "Let them get used to you."

"O... Okay," Nicole said nervously.

Like with my sister earlier, Akela approached Nicole first, sniffing her hand and licking it, which told me that she'd been accepted. Not that I was surprised; with her being Ben's blood sister after all. Mia also did the same, and just as I expected, Nicole soon found herself knocked to the ground with two wolves busily licking her face making her giggle hysterically. I guess she was as ticklish as my sister and I were. Akela and Mia eventually let Nicole sit up, walking back over to the love seat in front of me and laying down.

Ben helped her back onto her feat while she tried to wipe off some of the wetness caused by the two wolves' tongues.

"Bro, they're as nutty as you are," she laughed.

Ben pointedly ignored her comment, but smiled at her all the same. "Sis, I'd like you to meet someone very special to me. And the reason we have a new family. I'd like you to meet my new boyfriend, Chris."

Editor's Notes:

Well, it looks like the wolves and the family are going to be happy together. I must admit that I was pretty sure that there wouldn't be a problem. As always, this was another fine, dare I say delightful chapter. I will be waiting for the next one any time now. I want to know what happens.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher