"Hello, Mister Lang. Your usual?"

Mitch shook his head, breathing heavily, as he walked around the convenience store. "SU Store" was printed on the windows in stick cellophane, the SU being short for the student's union that raised money through the store.

Mitch was in his running shorts. The student behind the register had a heavily bookmarked textbook and a book by Walt Whitman next to the register, which Mitch nodded at appreciatively. "How's the book coming, Reese?"

"It's... dense."

"That's Whitman for you. You have my opmail, in case you have questions?"

"Yeah, I got it. I'll be okay, it just needs to be read and reread and reread... Gatorade?"

"Yeah."

"You usually grab a Coke."

"Well, I'm trying to cut out bad habits."

"I didn't know you ran, either. Hey Susanne." Reese nodded at the student that entered. "I run a little too. I'd have thought I'd have seen you on campus."

"I fell out of it a few years back. I'm trying to get back into it."

"Hmmm. Well, good for you, Mister Lang. That'll be a dollar twenty-five."

Mitch waved a card in front of a small plastic device needs to the register. It beeped, and Mitch nodded. "Thanks, Reese. Got to go."

"Take care, prof." Reese turned to Susanne, who'd walked up to the register with a copy of Adbusters. "That'll be six dollars."

"Was that Professor Lang? I had him last year."

"Yeah, I'm taking his literature juniors class."

"It's not that hard, long as you study. Hey, has he mentioned his wife at all?"

"I don't... think so, no. He got a sub in for the last couple of weeks. Someone mentioned a trip to Canada. Why, did you hear something?"

"His wife is like, Stephen Hawking. Not, like, actually Stephen Hawking, but you know, paralyzed. They said she was in the fire."

"Jesus." Reese looked out the window. "He seems okay..."

"Yeah, I don't think she died or anything but no one's seen her since. She might be, you know... burnt."

"Oh, man. And then all of a sudden he's out running? Trying to look good and get in shape?" Reese shook his head. "I thought he was a nice guy. What an asshole."



Roxanne stared at herself in the mirror as she pulled the robe on. Her tails flicked contritely as she did up the front. "Okay. Let's try this again."

Describing it to Mitch, Nicole, and her mother, she'd say that if she concentrated she could feel a very slight charge running through her body. Like static electricity. She was practicing what she called push-pull - right now she was trying to push the charge into something else, so that it would synchronize with whatever process she used to turn invisible and intangible. She'd mastered her wedding ring. She was trying to go beyond that.

She concentrated on the robe, trying to push the charge in. She felt a tingle in her forehead that pulsed out through her skin and past her fur, into the robe. Steady. Don't rush it. Steady... okay. Take it slow... and... now.

She willed herself intangible, and groaned as the robe cascaded to the floor. "Dammit," she muttered as she re-solidified. "Okay, enough for today."

She crossed to the closet and pulled it open, digging around in her half. All of her clothes had been altered - if she was simply reshaping something, the change would last indefinitely, so she'd spent an afternoon with Nicole altering proportions and putting in tailholes. So she pulled out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and pulled them on, then nodded at herself in the mirror. "Okay. Now we pull."

Pulling - or dorming, as other people called it - was the opposite of pushing in some ways. Pulling was taking that charge that was distributed throughout your body and pulling it back into your node, shutting it all down. She'd wanted to master it most of all, even if it meant losing walking and talking - she could always get surgery, especially if she took the Project's offer.

She sat on the bed, breathing in and out slowly. Okay. Pull. Pull. Slowly. C'mon.

She opened her eyes, staring at herself in the mirror, and continued. Pull. C'mon. Pull it all back in. It's all just an overlay. The old body's right there. C'mon, I can do this. I can do this, I can do this, I can -

The door opened, and Roxanne looked away from her reflection. She sniffed the air. Oh, he's back! ... he smells bad. Ugh.

She stood, and greeted him at the door, trying to hide her discomfort at the smell of his sweat. "Hi, Mitch. How was your run?"

"Great. Felt great. But God, the gates are rusty. I'm really out of practice."

"Just keep at it, it'll all work out."

"Easy for you to say, miss two-bowls-of-popcorn..."

"I have a heightened metabolism."

"Yeah. Yeah, you do." Mitch nodded. Roxanne swallowed thickly, feeling for the words unsaid. "How was your, what did you call it, your push-and-pull?"

"Pushing's coming along... I can attune my ring consistently now."

"So when you go out for your midnight fly abouts people will know you're a married naked fox-girl, and no one's gonna hit on you?" He smiled.

Roxanne frowned. "No one's going to hit on me, no."

Mitch felt his blood run cold, as he met her stare. She turned, walking towards the computer. "The hot water's back."

"I didn't mean - "

"You smell awful. I - " She sagged, her tails drooping. "Just - "

"I'll be out in a bit, then." Without a further word, he entered the bathroom.

Roxanne sat down in her tail-friendly computer chair, and choked out a sob.



"Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm." Diana Richardson nodded at she wrote on a piece of paper. "Doctor Fritz can see you at 8:00, yes. Yes. So I'll put you down for a one-hour appointment, then? Thank you so much, Laurence. You have a good day now."

She hung up the phone, and looked at the clock. 3:30. One half hour and she could go home. Behind her, a conversation was being held between two people, one with a rubber sheet in his mouth. The first thing you learnt at dental school was how to understand people with their mouth pried open, apparently.

She organized patient charts and put through paperwork to refill the stocks. Then her cellphone buzzed, and she pulled it out, looking at the caller ID before turning it on. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom..."

"Roxanne! This is a surprise. I'm afraid you've caught me at work, dear..."

"I know. I'm sorry." Roxanne's voice sounded strained.

"Roxanne?" Diana frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know what to do about Mitch, Mom. I don't know how to fix it."

"Mitch? Why, what's he done?"

"He - I was practicing my push-and-pull..."

"Your what? Is this a yoga thing?"

"No, no, it's a - a nova thing. I remarked that I could turn intangible with my wedding ring on and he said something about how no one would want to hit on me..."

"He did? Oh, Roxanne..."

"I, I know what he meant, he was making a joke, but... God, he can be so stupid..."

"He's a man, dear. They're all like that."

"I just - I'm worried. I think our marriage is really in trouble."

"Trouble? Why ever for?"

"I don't know. It's all up in the air. All tumbling around. I love him, I really do, but everything's changed. Suddenly I don't need him to help me as much and I don't want to push him away but I like being on my own sometimes and, and I'm trying to change back so HARD, Mom! I want to change back to normal so that things can be the way they were...!"

"But you hated being in that wheelchair."

"I might not have to go back to it. And either way, I can get surgery, and then maybe he'll... maybe we'll..."

"No, Roxanne. It's not going to go back to the way it was. You need to deal with things as they are right now. If the two of your are having problems then you need to talk to him, not to me. Don't tell me this is the first fight you two have had."

"It's not a fight, Mom, it's just... every little thing."

"It's because of how you look, isn't it."

"I - " There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Roxanne, be straight with me. Has he said anything?"

"He hasn't, no, but..."

"You need to talk to him. If you can't... pull, or dorm, or whatever, then he's just going to have to get used to you like this. But nothing's going to happen unless you get it out in the open. If you keep it inside then it just festers and becomes something else, something with nothing to do with what started it and something he won't understand when it finally does come out. I love hearing you talk. If he loves you a tenth as much as I do, he loves hearing it too. Give him what he loves."

"I... hmm." Roxanne was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. You're right."

"I'm your mother. Of course I'm right. Now, I need to get to work. Call me tonight if things are still bad."

"I will."

"Good bye, Roxanne. Love you." Diana hung up, and set the phone down. After a long moment, she dug through her purse, pulling out her wallet and flipping it open.

She stared at a picture of herself, next to a heavy set man with a full beard and a wide smile. She ran her fingers over it.

"She's so much like you, Richard," she said softly. "I wish you could see her."



Roxanne sat on the bed, flicking her tails. She breathed in and out, feeling upset. Inside the bathroom, she could smell the aroma of bath gels and shampoos, mixing and mingling with Mitch's personal scent, washing away the dirt.

No matter what, I'm not going to blame him. I know how attraction works.

She tried pulling, again, unsuccessfully. She slumped a little. Nova makes this look so easy. I'm not going to let myself be outpaced by a seventeen-year-old, am I? God, I think I already have been. I could tell just from talking to her, she was brighter than me. Maybe not brighter about biology, but...

She sorted through the pamphlets on the bedside endtable, most of them emblazoned with Project Utopia's corporate logo. It's not like anyone cares about me being a biologist any more either. All people care about is what I can 'do.' I hate that thought. That all that I worked for doesn't matter compared to what happened to me in a moment of time that couldn't possibly be shorter.

Hmmm. I'm not just talking about being a biologist, am I.

She stared at the door, and heard the glugging sound of the tub being drained. I know how attraction works. If what he saw in me isn't there any more, then... then we'll just deal with it... but dammit, I don't want to 'deal with it.'

Tough it out, then, Roxanne. You have to do something. Mom was right. I let all this stuff just fit inside and I run through made-up conversations in my head and talk to myself and I should really stop...

She did. She tried, unsuccessfully, to dorm one last time. That out of the way, she waited for Mitch to open the bathroom door.

He did. He blinked at seeing her. "Oh. Hi."

"I'm sorry, Mitch."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I got upset. I knew what you meant but I'm just feeling really raw and sensitive and... I shouldn't have gotten upset."

"I was about to say, 'sorry I didn't think before opening my mouth.'"

"Well... you still can." She managed a smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't think before opening my mouth. I meant that no on would hit on you because of the ring, not because of how you look."

"Do you think anyone would, though?"

"Sorry?"

"Hit on me. Do you think anyone would want to, or..." She rubbed her eyes.

"Oh. Ohhh." Mitch nodded, and sat next to her. "That's what this is about."

"Yeah."

"Well... do you mind if I'm honest?"

"I don't mind." Here it comes.

"I admit. When I first saw you after your eruption and I realized it was you, all I felt was relief. I didn't think 'hey, a naked fox girl, just who I always wanted.' I - your body did... I don't want to say 'intimidate,' but... it's taken some getting used to."

"No kidding."

"And maybe I haven't been as sensitive as I should be. And I'm sorry. I'm going to try to do better."

"Thanks."

"I meant what I said that first night, you know. You're still my wife, and I love you, and this doesn't change a thing to me. If anything it's a net positive."

"Well, it sort of does change things, Mitch, is the problem..."

"Like what? The powers thing? I read about 'node envy,' and I can assure you it's not that."

"It's not that."

"Then what? Walking and talking? I love that. I love talking to you, even if I'm really bad at it. I wish you could come out in public with me, but I know you're still a bit shy..."

"It's not that."

"What is it, then?"

"It's, you know..." She coughed. "Consumation."

"Of - oh. Ohhhh." Mitch looked nervous. "I see."

I'm not going to be upset. Dammit, I'm not going to be upset. "I - I know I look nothing like I did before and I understand if I don't do it for you, and I know that we got through three years of marriage without it, I just - I didn't want to know before but now I do. If you don't, you know, just let me... know..." She stared at his face. "Why're you smiling?"

"You thought I wasn't interested in you?"

"Yeah... I mean, you know, I look like a dog, and..."

She trailed off as Mitch touched the side of her face, running a thumb across her fur. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"Uh..."

"Call that a yes. Roxanne - I thought you wouldn't be interested in me."

"I - what? Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I've put on thirty-five pounds since we've married and you're online talking to novas who look perfect. That's why I started running again. I'm trying to cut out sugar too. I know I'll never scarf two bowls of popcorn and still have a perfect figure but I can try..."

"You thought I wasn't - but - " She thumped him on the chest. "You thought it was about you! You're such a... a..."

"Ow! Geez. Yeah, I admit it, I felt... outclassed. Like all of a sudden you were way out of my league."

"You schmuck."

"Yep."

"You really think I have a perfect figure?"

"Yeah. But you never seemed interested in me, so I figured..."

"Well, I am."

"So am I."

"Really?"

Mitch cupped her face with both hands. He reached forward, and pecked her on the lips gingerly. "Really." He kissed her again. "Honest to God."

"I... I don't know what to..." She sniffed, blinking away tears.

"Kiss me back," he said gently.

And she did.



Ten Minutes Later

"Hmmm."

Roxanne rested her head on Mitch's shoulder, pulling at the bedsheets a bit. Mitch looked at her. "Hmmm?"

"Is it... usually like that?"

"Well... ideally, no, but - I never asked. Did you ever - before the accident, were you active?"

"I was fourteen."

"Eh... still..."

"No, never. That was my... I mean, I liked it, I guess, it just felt a little..."

"They say your first time can be a little awkward." Mitch reached over and checked the time.

"Did I do something wrong? I mean - "

"You did great. You were fine." He ran his fingers through the fur on her back. "We can try again a bit later."

"I was just so relieved that you felt this way about me... maybe I rushed it."

"Maybe I rushed you."

"Maybe we shouldn't rush." Mmmm. That feels good, having fingers run through my fur. Is that natural? I don't know. "Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think you're overweight."

"Yeah? Well, thanks." I like running my fingers through her fur. Is there something wrong with me? "I still want to lose some flab, though."

"Well, if you want some help keeping honest..."

"You keep me honest very well." He kissed her forehead.

"Also I don't think you stink when you sweat."

"I do stink."

"Well, what you have right now..." She inhaled. "That's good. ... ohh. Yeah."

"Roxy?"

"That smells real good. Do you want to, you know... uh, try again?"

"Now? Uh... yeah, that sounds... yeah. Sure. But how 'bout we take our time?"

"Yeah. Slow and steady." Roxanne closed her eyes. "Wins the race."



Two Hours Later

"Jesus."

"Oh wow."

"God, I love you."

"Come here, sexy."



"Hey, is that your literature prof?"

Reese squinted, looking out on the football field from the front steps of the English faculty. "Yeah, there he goes."

Susanne shrugged. "You know, maybe he's not cheating on his wife. Maybe he just decided to get in shape on his own?"

Reese shook his head. "Naw. Never happens that way once you get married. ... is he talking to himself?"

"I think he's got one of those wireless phone things."

"Huh. Or maybe he's crazy. Still, long as he doesn't flunk my ass he can talk to himself all he wants."

Out on the field, Mitch stopped, stooped, gasping for breath. Out of nowhere came a voice. "What is it?"

He waved towards the source of the voice. "Hit the wall," he gasped.

"I don't see a - "

"When you run out of... excuse me." He dug a water bottle out of his hip pouch. He took a swig. "Ahhh. When you run out of steam and just want to stop they say you hit the wall. You just don't want to keep going."

"How do you get past the wall?"

"You just have to want what's on the other side more than you want to stop."

"Hmmm." The voice dropped low. "Well, if you keep going for two more laps..." Then all there was, was whispering.

Mitch's eyes shot open. "Oh, look at that," he said, running in place. "Got my second wind! Two more laps it is."

"That's my man." He couldn't see her, but Mitch knew Roxanne was grinning as he took off.

"So - hff - so, you going to take the job?"

"Yeah. I think I will. It's a very cutting edge field and they liked my resume'. And being a nova will help... though not in the obvious way. Just that the subjects will talk to me more readily, I think."

"Doctor Roxanne Richardson of the Project Utopia Environmental Sciences Divison. That's my woman." Mitch took an invisible hand in his own, and squeezed. "You know, you don't have to turn invisible. I'm not ashamed of you."

"Aww. Thanks. But too late now, I'm naked."

"Like I said, you don't have to turn invisible - ow!" He laughed as he flinched back from an invisible punch to the shoulder.

Reese watched from afar, as Mitch rocked to the side in mid-step, and shook his head. "Man, if getting hitched does that to you, I'm never tying the knot."