A/N: Sheppard Studios is now three strong! Why? Because it gives Shep a valid excuse to to work on his projects for a long time while we cover him in terms of content. I don't see how this benefits us, but we're okay with it. At least I am...

Anyway, oh my gosh, hi guys! I'm the new girl here! Name's Callie, and yes, the newest member of the steadily growing Sheppard Studios. Now we can be officially called a "studio" now, right? Well, maybe not. But you get the gist; we added another member to churn out even more stuff! Yay!

I'll be taking over Far From Home for the foreseeable future until either Shep takes it from me or until it's complete... whenever that will be. I like the senseless non-tense stuff like this (sorry Shep, Veria is way too tense for my liking), so expect this to be updated more than Shep tried to do with it.

I'm very open to suggestions as well, so please, don't hesitate to send me a message. I want to meet you guys myself, and I love talking to people too. Regardless, I hope you guys like this chapter, and I hope to here from you soon. See ya!

*note - not the best author. You can and will find mistakes. I'm only human. ;)

Saturday, September 6th

That same rain that had lulled him to sleep the night prior gained enough intensity to eventually wake the vulpine up from his restful slumber. The winds whipped heavy droplets of rain into the window overlooking Fox's couch almost savagely, echoing the loud splatters throughout the entire apartment. Yawning, Fox stretched his arms out above his head, pawing at the headrest behind him as his eyes slowly focused to the natural light of the room.

Even with the rain relentlessly pelting the apartment walls and windows, there was enough light seeping through the gray, gloomy clouds and through the window to illuminate just about every area of the living room and kitchen the window could oversee. Everything inside was tinted a dull gray due to the intensity of the clouds, and the only other light illuminating the room was coming from the screen of the TV.

Fox's eyes focused enough to see that the program on the TV was a weather broadcast, highlighting the area in and around their state. From what he could decipher, there was a nasty storm system gradually rising up from the bottom of the screen, covering the entire viewing area in the multicolored precipitation indicators. He couldn't read the screen, but just looking at the indicators made him feel a slight anxiety brewing in his mind.

Right when he was going to reach out of his blanket and grab the transmitter sitting on the table, he soon realized that the device was not where he left it. Puzzled, his eyes wandered around his viewing area to see if it had somehow moved overnight, but he still couldn't locate it. He didn't panic, as he knew it was in the apartment somewhere, but just not knowing exactly where it wound up was concerning to him.

His concern immediately vanished when he glanced up and saw Alexis sitting on the couch by his feet, poking around it with an intrigued stare. She looked absolutely mesmerized by the device as her thin, feminine fingers gracefully moved around the holographic interface. Her eyes and fingers danced around with each other in a seemingly mindless demonstration of coordination, something that gave Fox slight chills. His eyes became locked on her, just as mesmerized at watching her fiddle with the device as she was at playing with it.

When Fox's interest in her movements died down enough, he soon felt his face start to warm up at the apparel she was wearing. Loose sweatpants, thick socks, and a very cute looking athletic top that let her toned, soft stomach bask in the gray light seeping through the window greeted Fox's eyes warmly as if it were his long lost friend. Luckily, his tail was suppressed by the blanket covering his body, otherwise it would have started flying in all directions at her sight.

She must not have seen him wake up, so to make a more graceful entrance of his consciousness he stretched again, letting a grunt-filled sigh out of his nose as he extended both his arms and legs. Alexis as a result was inadvertently pushed down the couch by Fox's hind paws, while the vulpine in question smirked all the while. She was temporarily caught off-guard, but once she regained her bearings and saw the smirking fox she giggled and set the transmitter on the table.

"Good morning Fox," she practically sang, patting the tod's hind leg. "Sleep well?"

Fox didn't understand a word of what was said to him, probably because she must've deactivated his translator. He cocked his head and ears at her to signal to her that he wasn't comprehending.

"I said did you sleep well?" she repeated.

Fox pointed at his transmitter and then his ear, and only then did she get the message. She grabbed the wristwatch-like device and handed it over to Fox, who immediately poked a few options and activated the translator.

"Sorry, what was that?" Fox smirked.

"For the third time now," she giggled, curling her legs up on the couch. "Did you sleep well?"

The vulpine nodded and pushed his body inward, pulling himself up into a sitting position with the base of his tail pressed against the armrest. "I did," he said with a grin. "Much better than he quarters back on my mothership. Those beds were hard as rocks. Not to mention the food always tasted awful."

Alexis gently nodded her head and scooted in closer to him. "Speaking of food, you want me to make you some breakfast?"

Fox's eyebrows rose. "Oh, do we have time for that?"

"Classes for today got cancelled because of this storm," Alexis explained. "We've got all day to do whatever we want."

The vulpine's expression lightened up considerably. "If that's the case, then sure. Thanks."

"No problem Foxie," she smiled, nudging his hind paw underneath the blanket as she stood up. Fox stayed underneath the warm sanctuary of his improvised bed and watched Alexis' swaying hips work away from the couch and around the bar-like countertop that separated the kitchen and living room. She immediately grabbed a few cooking ingredients from the cupboards lining the space above the countertops while Fox tightened the blanket around his frame.

"So, what's this storm all about?" Fox asked, glancing at the rain-masked windows.

"Oh, it's what we call a nor'easter," Alexis explained. "In simple terms, it's when a storm system forms due to hurricane-like activity in the tropics down south and pushes a similar system upwards into the eastern coastal cities. Usually they happen later in the year, but I guess this one didn't want to wait."

"Are these storms bad?" Fox questioned curiously.

"Depends on the system," she replied, grabbing a bowl from underneath the counter. "This one doesn't look as bad as other systems that have hit here, but at the same time they're unpredictable. Right now it's supposed to rain really bad for the next couple days, and as far as I know classes during this storm are cancelled because they don't want people outside in this mess."

The vulpine shifted on the couch. "So, where's Marcus?"

"He's a heavy sleeper," she giggled. "Nothing'll wake him up if he doesn't want it to."

Fox grunted in approval and went to remove the blanket from his legs and torso, but stopped mid-fling when he saw his pants draped across the top of the couch. He forgot he had taken them off before falling asleep last night. Even though he had let them into his own apartment with nothing but his undergarments days prior, something about doing the same in someone else's house seemed indecent.

He blushed slightly and tightened the blanket even further, managing to pick himself off the couch while keeping his legs covered by the blanket. His hind claws dug into the soft carpet as soon as he fully stood up, and after sighing at the soft feeling on his feet he heard the female in the kitchen giggle.

"Fox?" she fought through laughter. "You're, uh… forgetting something."

She pointed at the pair of jeans draped over the couch. Blushing more than before, he lowered his ears and glanced at his pants shamefully. As a result, the human on the other side of the counter almost melted at his adorableness.

"Oh, Fox, it's okay," she smiled. "I won't judge. In fact, I think you look really cute."

That seemed to be all the incentive the vulpine needed. He removed the blanket from around his shoulders and tossed it back on the couch. All the while, Alexis stared at him with a sort of longing that she didn't even know she had. He just looked so damn cute showing off every inch of his fuzzy, soft body. Not to mention that furry body pillow otherwise known as his bushy tail faintly wagging and dragging against the carpet just screamed to be cuddled with.

Hey, if they kissed the night before, surely she could ask him for a bit more? No, nothing like that you sicko. Just something to get them closer and to grow their already blossoming friendship. And with the storm raging on outside, she had plenty of time to do so. Why not?

Fox grinned and slowly approached the countertop. "So, uh, with this storm… I think I'm stuck here."

"I know," she grinned back, winking for good measure. "All day, just you, me, and Marcus if he ever decides to wake up."

Fox eyebrows shot up. "Oh, uh, is-is that okay? I mean, I-I don't want to be a burden if I—"

"Fox, it's okay," Alexis giggled, reaching over the counted to give him a gentle, playful smack on his shoulder. "I don't want you going out in that mess of a storm if you don't have to."

Fox's tail started flicking in nervousness. "So, you-you're saying I can stay?"

"Goodness yes," Alexis almost laughed aloud, skipping around the corner to brush up against the vulpine. "I don't mean to sound needy or anything, but I really want you to stay. Not only are you safer here, but we can enjoy each other's company while we're here. I've got plenty of things we can do to waste time, until this storm clears up… which they're saying won't happen for a few days. So…?"

Fox finally found the courage to smile and wrap his tail around her leg. "I like the sound of that. I guess I could stay and find out what you guys do for fun."

Alexis squealed and planted a long, drawn out kiss on the side of the tod's muzzle, making him blush furiously again. He looked over and saw her blushing as well as she pushed her think framed glasses farther up her nose, gently clutching her wrist behind her back as was her habit.

Fox was debating on kissing her back. He wanted to, and guaranteed she would like it just as much, but at the same time his natural nervousness bit him hard as soon as he looked into her eyes. Oh, how he wanted to abandon his comfort zone and return the affectionate gesture, but nothing of his mind or body would allow him to even move the slightest bit to get to him. He was stuck.

Alexis smiled and slowly leaned towards him, but the moment was abruptly interrupted when Fox's transmitter started buzzing and vibrating on the coffee table like a jackhammer. Fox politely excused himself and walked over to pick it up to potentially silence the awfully loud reverberations, but then he saw the caller ID. Not wasting any time, he accepted the call and awkwardly held the wristwatch up to his ear.

"Hello, this is Fox McCloud," he answered, checking to see if his translator was active—which it was to his relief.

"Good morning Mister McCloud," a vaguely familiar female voice replied, piquing Fox's interest. "How has your first week of university life gone for you?"

Fox lifted an eyebrow. "Things have been… fine…? Uh, I'm sorry, who is this?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, where are my manners?" the unknown caller giggled. "My name is Major Hari Felix. I've been appointed to serve as the acting officer of Lylatian relations, otherwise known as the unofficial Lylatian ambassador."

"Ah, I thought you sounded familiar," Fox grinned. "You were the one that helped me establish residence here."

"Indeed I was," Hari replied happily. "That was just the first step. From here on out I've been appointed to serve as a diplomatic ambassador of sorts for our eventual relations with Lylat. However, I will require your assistance."

"Ambassador?" Fox echoed questioningly. "Oh, no, no, no, this won't be necessary Major Felix, I don't need—"

"This is just for diplomatic relations, Mister McCloud," Hari interrupted stoically, contrasting her usual kind and warm demeanor. "As you are already aware of, we are attempting to establish a stable contact with your home system. I'm sure you are aware that this is the first instance of your kind in our system, and we wish to get a better grasp in order to improve our understanding. It's only natural we do this."

"Yes, I'm scheduled to travel down to the capital during my winter break," answered Fox, scratching the underside of his muzzle. "But, I honestly don't think we should do it so soon. I mean, I'm just starting to get used to the life here."

"I understand that Mister McCloud," Hari said with understanding. "However, I do not have the authority to call this off. The President himself wishes to speak with you directly, and immediately. This is his only opening for almost an entire year."

"Then I can wait a year," Fox deadpanned. "If this is for setting up relations I don't want any part of it right now. I don't want to establish contact so soon; I just got here."

"Oh, well, you see Mister McClo—"

"Fox," the vulpine interrupted, starting to get a little impatient. "It's Fox."

"Fox," the Major said with a disapproving inflection. "This simply will not do. We do not feel comfortable housing you here for an indeterminate amount of time without a firm connection to where you came from in the first place. We do not wish to invoke unnecessary conflict housing you without their knowledge or consent of you doing so."

"What are you talking about?" Fox almost snapped.

"What I'm saying is that this meeting during your winter break will have to be moved closer, as in… we wish to speak with you in person immediately," Hari stated. "We have already contacted your university and they agreed to suspend classes for you this week so that we can have you travel here. After then, once we get a firm connection with Lylat, you may return to your classes."

Fox's blood started to boil at the sureness of her tone. "With all due respect Major Felix, I can't accept these terms. I came here to get away from Lylat, and now that you're trying to establish a connection, my cover will be blown."

"I'm sorry Fox, but we really don't want to house someone of your kind without a proper connection to you origin," she answered. "We took you in because we would not turn someone like you down. Now that we have your records and history, we really do not feel comfortable with you "hiding" on our world."

"I'm not a criminal, Major," Fox argued. "I'm a war hero that got tired of the publicity. Can't I just stay here without contacting my home?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Hari said disappointedly. "With your history and publicity, this could invoke some unnecessary conflict if they were to find out you've been hiding here this whole time."

"I can assure you that won't happen," Fox said calmly and surely, sitting on the couch with his legs crossed.

"We are not taking any chances, Fox," she said sternly. "We need your full compliance here."

The vulpine started to get flustered. "I can't give myself away yet. Please, I need you to postpone this meeting."

"I'm sorry Fox, this is what we need to do," Hari said softly. "We will have someone pick you up at your doorstep in a day or two—weather permitting. I've been informed to tell you that if you refuse to attend, we have the right to revoke your housing and request you find another place to stay, or go back home. Like I said, we can't have you staying here without a proper connection. We don't feel comfortable enough to do so."

Fox let out a long sigh through his nose and let his ears lie flat. "Okay… but these communications will be on my terms."

"Explain."

Fox grunted and shifted on the couch. "My exact location is not to be disclosed. I wish to keep my privacy here."

Hari grunted back softly. "Hmm, I don't know…"

"And I need to be the one who speaks with whoever you call," the vulpine added. "I think they will take my presence better, no offence."

"None taken," Hari replied. "We'll see what we can do. I'm truly sorry if this is troubling for you, but it's what we must do. We're trying to be safe."

"I understand," Fox affirmed, nodding his head gently. "I just don't want the wrong people showing up if my location is given away. Please tell your superiors that my privacy is pivotal in these communications. There will be people sent after me if my name or location is given away, and they will stop at nothing to find me."

"Your secret is safe with me Fox," the Major said happily. "Thank you for your understanding. I will talk to our Director of Operations and see if we can conform to your demands. It shouldn't be a problem, but if it is we will let you know."

"Thank you Major," Fox smiled.

"Is there anything else I can help you with while I have you on the line?" Hari asked.

Fox glanced over at Alexis, who was almost done preparing breakfast in the kitchen, then quietly picked himself up and slipped into the hallway without her noticing. Lowering his voice just a little, Fox said, "Yes, uh… are there any nice restaurants here? Like, for… uh… a date or something?"

Major Felix giggled silently. "Lucky for you, my son goes to your university. He knows the ins and outs of the place, plus he's eager to meet you. I can send him details and maybe arrange a little meeting. How's that sound?"

"Great," Fox grinned. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Hari responded. "Remember, call me if you need anything. Take care Fox."

"You too," he said right as the call ended. Afterwards, he popped out of the hallway and peered into the kitchen where the female was putting the finishing touches on a very appetizing meal.

Alexis looked up and smiled. "Hungry?"

Fox couldn't help but smile back as his tail flicked wildly. "Well I am now," he stated with a hint of sarcasm.

She giggled and patted the table. "Come on. I want to know more about your home world. What's it like?"

The vulpine shrugged his shoulder and sat down at the table.

"Since we've got time, might as well. Let's start with the basic stuff…"