One morning Swytch woke up to the sound of his PADD warning him that he had a personal message waiting. Thumbing through a few items on the PADD, Swytch triggered the message and read:

Dear Cub,

Your mother and I got permission today to come to your ARCS site for your birthday! Your mom has been baking up a storm so I hope you're hungry. We will be beaming in Friday afternoon and will be staying all weekend. Mom says hy's looking forward to seeing you in the halter hy bought you. Have you had a chance to wear it yet? What did your coworker think? Speaking of coworker, you never did write and tell us anything about him! We want to know all of the details! Curiosity killed the 'kat and I'm a VERY big 'kat! We know you're probably busy but write home soon. You know your mom, hy's worried as usual. Let us know you got this message OK and that there won't be a problem with our visit. We look forward to seeing you this weekend. Love you bunches!

Love,

Dad

Swytch winced a bit. Hy really should have written his folks before now, but hy'd been busy with the work around the site as well as with Max and it had completely slipped hys mind.

Crap, crap double crap... Hys folks were expecting to show up and to see their "daughter". Swytch strongly favored hys female side, but with everything that was going on with Max, hy didn't want to rock the boat. Hy checked hys chrono. It was Wednesday.

They would be here Friday afternoon so hy had a little time to figure out what hy was going to do. Best bet though, was to write back ASAP!

Dear Dad,

I'm sorry I haven't written sooner. You were right, work has kept me busy and once you get settled into a routine, sometimes you forget to do things outside that routine. Tell mom not to go overboard baking! As for my coworker, well he's a human. He is a bit of a mystery to me even after all this time. He's quite handsome but very socially awkward and introverted. I think that if he could have taken this job by himself he would have and enjoyed the solitude. Every day I learn something new about him and he opens up more to me. He has such a lonely soul that I have to try very hard not to reach out to him empathically and telepathically to show that I'm here. It is really hard to explain, you may understand better when you meet him though, he just has this feel about him that is hard to describe. He's a bit like an abused lost puppy really. You kind of want to take care of him and try to help him learn to care and trust again. Anyway, thanks for the warning that you guys are coming! It gives us time to clean up so I don't have to listen to a lecture from mom about cleanliness! I love you both very much and look forward to seeing you this weekend.

All my love,

Swytch

Swytch pressed send and set the PADD back on the nightstand. Hy laid back down for it was still quite early, not even Max was up yet, he was still sound asleep and content. Swytch stopped that train of thought for a minute and concentrated. Was hy getting too attached to this human? There was already something of an empathic bond forming, heck it's what skunktaurs do when they are around anyone for a long enough time. How else was hy able to know that Max was having peaceful dreams and not having nightmares for once? Swytch shivered remembering the one night he had caught the bleed over from one of Max's nightmares. Hy'd never felt terror and guilt like that before coming from anyone. Hy really wasn't sure what was keeping Max together if those kinds of feelings were haunting his sleep, but, it had only been that one time and since then...

Well they both had slept peacefully from then on. Perhaps their growing friendship was helping him? "I know it makes me happy," hy murmured softly to hymself.

Swytch smiled to hymself. Now about changing to female phase. Swytch was slightly worried that the change might throw Max for a loop and maybe even set back the progress they had made together but if hy were to be honest with hymself, hy'd felt a bit out of sorts not being in hys preferred form. "Well, there is only one way to find out I guess." Swytch sent a silent prayer to the stars that Max would still accept hym as hys new self and triggered the change.

Swytch sat on hys bed, hys eyes closed as hy let the change flow around hym as it drew from the nutrients stored in hys tail. Hard lines softened, internal organs rearranging slightly as parts were reabsorbed and tissue rearranged. The change didn't take long as everything settled into the correct formations and Swytch let out a sigh, now more feminine than masculine. Swytch stood up and shook hymself settling hys new configuration and reveling in the feel of being in hys preferred phase again. Hy took a quick shower to wash away the old hym and to bring forth the new hym. A kind of renewal ceremony hy had enjoyed after returning to hys preferred shape. The warm waters sloshing away the scents of before as hys new scents claimed their place. Hy spent several minutes after drying and brushing hys thick white fur and raven black head hair with a dreamy look on hys face. With the change also came new ways of thinking, new hormones and new feelings. Hy looked in the mirror as hy brushed hys hair and thought about Max. Perhaps he would like the new form? It would take a little time for him to get used to the change, but perhaps he would LIKE the new hym...

They did work so well together and there was a sense of comfort there when they were together. Hy'd have to be patient about it though. Max was a minefield at times and it took careful navigation and understanding on hys part. "Well, here's to hoping," hys much richer timbre of voice said.

Just then, hys PADD beeped again, and hy checked the message. One of the solar arrays was alerting to a failure in one of the main sun tracking motors. "Well, crap. Now I get to go play in the snow." Hy checked the outside temperature and shivered. "Well, my fur will keep me warm, but I think I'll be taking a coat with that temp. Plus I JUST got my fur the way I want it," hy grumbled. Hys stomach made an audible rumble. "Time to refuel!" Swytch made hys way to the kitchen and replicated a VERY large breakfast, hy had to replenish hys reserves that were normally stored in hys tail and it was going to take several large meals for that to happen. Hy ate until hy was replete and left a note on old fashioned paper on the kitchen table for Max letting him know hy would be outside working on the solar arrays today and that hy would see him that evening. Swytch grabbed one of the parkas shaped for taurs, put it on and headed through the double air lock into the snow of the morning.

Max woke a little blearily this morning after having the weirdest dream. He looked himself over making sure everything was where it was supposed to be and grunted. Why in the hell would he have a dream about turning into a female? "That's the last time I eat chili before bed I guess." Max went through his normal ablutions and after getting dressed made his way to the kitchen. Max saw the note on the counter and picked it up to read then sniffed the air for a minute. "Something smells different," he muttered as he read the note.

You can't really blame Max for not understanding, he is human after all. Max winced at the idea of having to go outside but Swytch was much better equipped for the cold with hys thick fur and with the way skunktaurs adapted to any environment, Max was sure hy'd be perfectly fine, plus hy had a communicator in case of emergencies. Max ordered breakfast from the replicator and carried it to the C&C as he logged in for the day and started to run scans of the encryptions that had been carried out over the night checking for any issues in the hardware and software while he ate his breakfast. Seeing as that there was nothing needing attention, Max pulled out his personal music player and keyed the C&C console to alert him through the device, and then he put his headphones on and keyed up a very old song from pre-war Earth and hit play.

Swytch was freezing hys tail off. Well not quite literally, hys body was already using the food from this morning to adapt to the ridiculous temperatures. Hys fur had grown a necessary second layer closer to hys skin as the color of the skin itself darkened towards a heat collecting black color. Hys paw pads had thickened and thick webbing had formed between the toes turning them into natural snow shoes as she worked outside. The added fur caused hys form to fill out more fully and added a plusher feminine look to it. Swytch worked on replacing the damaged motor on array number 11 quite content in hys work but hys mind was still skipping from thought to thought and always pinging back to Max then back off again to something else. Hys ear twitched.

Hy stopped for a moment and listened. Slowly, hy heard a guitar opening on a mournful song and hy cocked hys head to listen. The lead riff completed and then words filled hys mind:

"Mama told me when I was young

Come sit beside me, my only son

And listen closely to what I say

And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day"

"Oh, take your time, don't live too fast

Troubles will come and they will pass

You'll find a woman and you'll find love

And don't forget, son, there is someone up above"

"And be a simple kind of man

Oh, be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can"

"Forget your lust for the rich man's gold

All that you need is in your soul

And you can do this, oh baby, if you try

All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied"

"And be a simple kind of man

Oh, be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can"

Oh yes, I will

"Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself

Follow your heart and nothing else

And you can do this, oh baby, if you try

All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied"

"And be a simple kind of man

Oh, be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can"

Baby, be a simple, really simple man

Oh, be something you love and understand

Baby, be a simple, kind of simple man

(Simple Man by: Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Hy started to sway in time with the music as hy worked; the song, and something else, calming hys soul and worry. Music hy had never heard before accompanied hys work as hy replaced the broken motor and then started the maintenance on the remaining arrays quite content in work and music. Lunch came and went with both of them lost in their own minds and music.

Finally, Max had the computer reroute all issues to his PADD and headed to the living area to wait for Swytch to finish so they could eat their usual meal together. Max leaned into the comfort of the couch as he waited and drifted off into sleep. Darkness gave way to accusing eyes and blood.

Swytch trudged hys way through the snow and ice back to the air lock for hys usual dinner with Max when hy got a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. Hy felt uneasy for some reason and hastened hys approach. Hy stepped into the air lock shedding hys parka and gear in the locker then cycled the inner lock stepping inside knocking the remain snow off hys paws. Hy looked around quickly zeroing in on where Max was asleep on the couch. He was twitching in his sleep and hys sense of unease increased as hy got closer to him. Swytch put hys hand on Max's shoulder shaking him gently.

"Max? Max, wake up." Max jerked awake looking around startled, his brain still a bit sleep fogged and looked up at Swytch and instead saw a nightmare and screamed.

Max screamed and fell off the couch and rapidly backed away on the floor until his back hit the wall as he continued to scream, "NOOO! NO... NO... NO... NO... NOOO! GO AWAY! I'M SORRY, OH MY GOD, I'M SOOOO SORRY... NOOO ... PLEASE, STAY AWAY... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" His last scream tearing at his throat as something seemed to break and a flood of tears swept down his face and he curled into a tight ball rocking back and forth muttering to himself incoherently, his eyes staring at nothing whatsoever.

Swytch jumped backwards at the first scream that left Max's mouth and hys mind was suddenly battered by wave after wave of pure terror, panic, loathing, and guilt. Hy watched stunned as Max managed to make it to the wall never leaving the ground, and hys ears laid flat as Max's last desperate scream echoed through the building. Hy quickly threw up hys mental shields against the onslaught of Max's emotions as hy felt something crumble inside the broken human and then the flood of his emotions stopped. Swytch was left staggered against the couch trying to support hymself after the mental onslaught. 'What the HELL had just happened?' Hy had never felt emotions that intense before, The raw blistering waves of psychic pressure that had assaulted hym from Max was unlike anything hy'd ever experienced and then just as suddenly as it had started it had stopped leaving Max in the fetal position against the wall rocking and crying through unseeing eyes. Lowering hys mental shields hy sensed a lack of empathic pressure now and then realized hy couldn't sense anything from Max at all. The fragile link that had started to form between them while they slept was all but silent now and its lack of anything left hym feeling strangely empty inside, like something important was missing. Slowly hy walked towards Max wary of any response but Max didn't seem to be here anymore. In fact, there was no reaction and hy perked hys ears to hear what Max was muttering to himself. "No... no... no... no.... I'm sooo sorry... It's all my fault... Please forgive me... Please... please ... please... please forgive me..." and that chain would start all over again. Hy hunkered down in front of Max putting them more on eye level as hy stared into unseeing eyes glistening with tears. "Max? Max can you hear me? Max?" but there was no respond. He wasn't here anymore. He was only seeing what his mind was showing him now.

Max had been having his nightmare again. When Swytch shook his shoulder, he was so grateful that the nightmare had been banished and he found the comfortable weight of Swytch's presence behind him a balm until he looked up and saw the face of the female skunk morph he had murdered staring at him and he lost it. This couldn't be true, she was dead, wasn't she? Had she come back to take him to hell? To punish him for murdering her? He did the only thing his mind could come up with and screamed. All of his fear and loathing and guilt boiling up in that one long loud howl of denial. He didn't know how he got his back against the wall, but everything on the outside faded away as a crack formed in the walls that protected him from the flood waters in his mind that threatened to drown him and take the last vestiges of sanity from him. He tried desperately to fill the crack in the wall and then another one formed behind him and he rapidly tried to repair it as another one formed and another and another. This was it... There was no saving him now, not from himself and the incredible guilt and shame he carried in his heart. The walls were coming down and Max... Jayce... JC... would be gone forever buried in memories he would no longer be able to escape as he howled his grief in the vaults of his mind until his body finally gave up and the peaceful dark of oblivion claimed his soul for hell itself where he would justly be punished for the rest of eternity.

"Max... Max, please answer me. Max!" Swytch yelled, hy begged, hy bargained. "Don't leave me Max, please!" Tears filled hys eyes now. Hy had to admit to hymself that Max meant something to hym; what, hy didn't know exactly, but hy knew hy had to help him. So Swytch brought hys shields down, placed hys hands on either side of his head, and closed hys eyes.

The link wasn't completely gone between them, it was still there. Max had just somehow managed to block his flow to hym and he drew hym in, deeper and deeper into his mind until hys feet touched wood. Slowly Swytch opened hys eyes looking around. Hy was on a small boat on a black ocean that boiled all around hym, dark clouds above vented their madness on the waters in the form of lightning and it danced across the waves. Hys boat was completely still as the waves rolled and crashed around hym, then hys eyes were drawn to it, a rope that glowed in the dark. Gently hy took the rope in hys hand and held it closer. The rope was a simple twist of two smaller ropes, one sky blue and one greenish gold. The greenish gold one was flickering off and on like a busted light fixture about to give out. The rope stretched far into the distance. The greenish gold one reminded hym of Max's eyes, they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and before coming here, Max's eyes had looked dead and vacant. Hy shivered at that thought and took the rope firmly in hys hands and gave an experimental tug and the world blurred.

The bow of the small ship touched land, a small island. Hy stepped out and saw a small cottage through the mist which obscured everything else in swirls of darkness. Hy made hys way carefully to the cabin and quietly opened the door. Inside sat a small child with serious greenish gold eyes in an old school desk while an older man walked back and forth ranting. The old man spoke of sin and morphs and how they should be serving their human masters. He droned on and on about sin and when the young boy grew bored and looked away, the man would go into an incoherent rage and strike the child. Then he would continue with his diatribe.

"I never really had a chance, did I?" whispered a voice behind Swytch. Swytch jerked and spun around to see the vague ghostly form of Max behind hym. The ghost was a mix of the Max hy knew and another man, one plainer with dark short hair, a round face and a few more kilos on his frame. The ghost seemed to flicker back and forth in the same spot like it couldn't make up its mind who or what it really was. It walked over to the child and knelt beside him. He gently placed a hand on the child's hair as tears glistened in his eyes. "Parents should love their children, not train them to hate. Instead, they taught me to run away from anyone who showed any interest in me for fear of more pain. Eventually, I managed to escape to the stars." And with that Max and not Max were gone and the rope glowed on the shore by the boat again.