The Tower: Happily Ever After

Familiars

"What do you mean they're family?" Sam asked, sitting up properly. He looked at the two little creatures that were watching us from the edge of the clearing. They looked like tiny foxes, one in black and one in blue and white, both with three fluffy tails each. Threads were connecting me to them the way I had threads connecting me to all my family members. They were wagging their tails excitedly but hadn't made a move to approach us. "Don't you need a connection to them to have the threads?"

I shook my head. "I mean, the babies were all born with them. Even Thour and Nova who I was having trouble bonding with had the threads bright as day. Same with the grandkids. But yeah, normally the bond grows. I figured it was about love. But I guess not?"

I held out my hand and made a little clicking sound. The little animals bounced on the spot and dropped down, rolling over to expose their bellies.

"This is weird, Elly," Sam said. "I don't trust it."

"It's my power, Sam," I said, tapping the ground. The little foxes flipped back over and took two large leaps towards us, before crouching again and wiggling on the spot. "I can feel them. They're excited and they want us to touch them, but they're not used to people so they're a little scared too."

Sam huffed but he sat still and the little animals moved closer still, crawling towards us in little bursts until they were at our knees. They rolled onto their backs and wiggled on the spot, chittering excitedly. I put my hand palm side up on the ground and the little black fox wiggled into my palm. I rubbed my thumb over its head and then when I saw it wasn't going to bite me, I began patting its belly and the noises it made became more like a purr.

The blue fox pounced on the black one and moved under my hand as I was still patting the black one, and then as I was patting them they kept wriggling around and wrestling each other.

"See," I said. "They're friendly. They're supposed to come home with us."

"You can't just take wild animals home," Sam argued. "Elly, you're a biologist, you should know that better than me."

"I don't think this is normal circumstances, Sam," I said, picking up the little blue fox. "I'm joined with them."

"El," Sam said.

I turned and looked at him. "Sam, maybe you're right, but maybe I am. We can take them back and ask Thor and Loki, and if they say it's okay we'll keep them with us. And if not, we can bring them back."

Sam sighed. "Fine, El. But if they bite you and they end up being venomous, then don't say I didn't warn you."

"It's all on me," I agreed.

Sam stood up and stretched. "Alright, how are we getting them home?"

I pressed my earrings and the suit bled out, encasing me. "Synergy, can you make me a little pack so I can safely carry those two little guys in?"

"Certainly," Synergy replied and a little bubble on the chest part of the suit. It had a clear window and slits for air. Sam lifted each one in and it closed up around them. They chittered nervously.

"Ready?" I asked.

"As I'll ever be," Sam agreed, as his light wings spread out behind him.

We took off together, heading back towards the palace via a slightly more direct route.

We landed on the balcony and when the suit retracted I carried the little animals inside with me.

Thor, Natasha, Tony, and Bruce were missing, but Loki, Marya, Billy, and Teddy, and their kids were all there. Loki was going through a book with Billy while Wanda and Bucky were walking around with the babies who had started to whine a little.