Shifting Times

Leal jumped at his yell and she yawned.

"I better get home too. Chevy, you dare get in a fight again and I'll have Ranger down your throat." She said climbing on Bear's back. He was big enough that he could carry her sense she was so small. "See you in the morning, you too Tanner, if your still around." She burried her face in Bear's fur and he took off at a run towards home.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chevy got up and walked over to Tanner offering his hand. He took it and Chevy helped him up.

"You look beat up." Chevy smiled.

"You should see the other guy." Tanner smiled back. "Truce?"

"For now." Chevy said sticking his hand out. They shook hands and then Chevy popped his back.

Layton stopped and rested in a tree, shifting into a lion and shooting through the forest. All of a sudden a large net was thrown over her, yanking her into the dirt. Layton growled lowly while five large guys stepped out of the surrounding forest, smirks on their faces. One went to grab the net, only to have Layton spin around with a roar and snap at his hand. "Looks like we caught ourselves a fighter boys." The one that Layton had snapped at began to laugh harshly, the younger men joining in with him. Had Layton not been so angry she might've shifted, but rage had succumbed throughout her body as the men dragged her away.

~~

"Hey, how about we head back to Layton's. I'm sure she's watching a movie and making brownies and ice cream at home," Tanner smirked happily, cockiness coming in with it as well.

"How do you know?" Chevy chuckled deeply.

"It's my favorite and Layton loves me..." Tanner smiled widely, "in a brotherly way that is." Chevy smirked and shook his head. "Well, come on!" Tanner was already in Layton's truck, cranking it up. "Man... we should've taken this bad boy mudding." Tanner smiled, running his hand across the dashboard as Chevy climbed in.

"You went mudding? Where?" Chevy slammed the door and locked his seatbelt on.

"Bout five miles away from the Navajo reservation. In that other res that borders this one." Tanner began to drive towards Layton's apartment.

"Head that way."

"What why?!"

"Just do it!"

Chevy had this uneasy feeling about something.

"Was anyone around when you went to the res?" He asked.

"Not that I saw. I mean it felt like someone was watching, why?" Tanner asked.

"Trust me, that's the last place you want to take a girl." Chevy replied.

"But I brought her back out." Tanner replied.

"Do you know if they followed?" Chevy asked. "Cause likely hood they did is really high."

Mirry, go find Layton. Tell me if she isn't home. Mirry took off and he watched the woods.

She isn't here! She isn't even headed this way. Mirry called. He growled.

"What?" Tanner asked.

"She's not home, she's not headed home. Stop the jeep." He jumped out and shifted to a cheetah again. We gotta go hunting. He said to Tanner before taking off into the woods.

Tanner sighed and shifted as well, taking off after Chevy.

~

Layton snapped at the man again as he dumped her in a cage roughly, an evil glint in his eye. Layton snarled as he and the four other men taunted her, saying what they'd do to her once she shifted into her human form. Layton ran at the metal bars, slamming head first against them over and over again. "It won't work Layton." Layton spun around, now facing Leal and her huge dog, who were both locked up in another cage. "Bear tried it already."

Yeah but there has to be a way out! Leal just shook her head sadly.

Layton snarled angrily, her ears back and lunged at the cage again, knocking the young man that stood at the closed door back onto his butt. She smirked the best she could and sat down proudly, furry chest poked out. The man ran around the side of the vehicle they were in right as it yanked forewards, slamming Layton against the cage sides forcefully.

Leal leaned against Bear clinging to his fur.

I can't believe they got me AGIAN She whimpered in his ead.

This time, I'm with you. They won't do anything. Bear said pulling her close.

I hope so.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chevy ran fast. He caught scent of Layton and he surged forward faster. He saw where a truck had been parked and he ran after a snarl ripping from his throat.

Leal's with them too. He growled in Tanner's head. I'm gonna kill them this time!

Layton snarled angrily as the truck sped faster and faster, slamming through the pud pits and speeding through the forest. It finally yanked to a stop, which sent Layton flying into the back of the cage. She struggled to her feet, weakened by a throbbing head and a beaten up body from all the turns they'd taking. You okay Leal?

"I've been better," Leal winced painfully, sitting up. Layton nodded once, all pain ignored when she saw the five guys walk around the back of the truck. She snarled and lunged at the front of the cage, only to have the group laugh at her. The large man from before snatched up her and the cage while another pulled Leal out of the cage she was in but forced Bear back inside it. The man that held Leal smirked and pulled her into the house they were headed for, putting a gag in her mouth and tying her arms and legs together. The man that held Layton threw her on the ground, grabbing some type of collars. He quickly hooked one around Layton and Leal's neck, making Layton shift back into her human form, which only wore a silk bra and a pair of silk underwear. The men around laughed rudely and tyed Layton up the same way as Leal, throwing both girls on the couch.

Anger boiled inside of Leal. She wasn't going to let this happen to her again. She wasn't going to let them hurt Layton. She dug her fingernails into the couch trying to focus.

"Dont' try anything, Leal those collars won't let you." One sneered walkking over and running his hand down her side. She hissed and her body exploded into a huge bear the collar breaking. She slammed her paw into his face shoving him back.

"S-s-she can s-s-shift!" Another stuttered. She growled and ran towards them. They took off and she shifted back to human. She undid the collar on Layton's neck then scavange the house for clothes pulling them on.

"You can shift?" Layton said.

"Minor detail I'd like to keep a seceret." She said looking at Layton. "If anyone asks, your the one that did that, please?" Bear came in, they had obviously let him otu fo the cage. He ran over and nudged her leg.


*~*~*~*

Chevy heard a bear roar and he ran after towards the sound.

Layton nodded, eyes wide, and shifted into a large bear, knocking one of the men back with her paw. She backed out of the house, growling deeply at the three other men that stood around her. She swung at one, missing and slamming her paw into the television screen, which shattered into her pads. She roared in pain and swung at the man again, sending him across the room. The two others finally ran forward, both bearing an old dagger. One gripped onto Layton's back, stabbing her in the back leg, while the other was easily shaken off. The one of her back dug the dagger in deeper, making Layton growl lower in pain. She took his leg in her mouth and threw him on the ground, where he shifted into a bear, much bigger that herself. With one swipe he sent her across the room, crashing into a fragile china cabinet that was filled with old china.

~~

Tanner ran as fast as his spotted legs could carry him, and shifted into a mountain lion at the sight of the large bear that had backed Leal and Bear up against a truck. He lunged at the bear, latching into its back and digging all his bodily weapons into the bear.

Chevy shifted to a bear, he was bigger then the guy that was going for Layton. He ran at the bear shoving him away and standing in front of Layton growling low in his throat.

Bout time! Leal yelled in his head.

Sorry. He slashed his paw into the other bear's side and it growled in pain. Chevy kept at it until it could barely move. He motioned towards the door shifting to a chetah.

Let's go. He said in Layton's head.


Leal clung to Bear as he ran after the other too Tanner soon running after her and running right next to her and Bear. She clung tight to his fur as the wind wiped her cut face from where she had been hit by the bear.

Layton painfully shifted into a cheetah and took off after the group, falling behind ever so slightly, her body aching. She kicked herself and picked up pace, neck and neck with Chevy. Even though every fragment of her body hurt she continued to run, wincing everytime her front and back leg pounded the ground.

Once they got home Layton let Leal take a shower first, giving her a pair of shorts and a tank top, then taking a shower for herself and pulling on a pair of wool pjs and a black tank top. She dried her hair and set it up in a messy bun, letting wavy strands fall around her face. She walked back out and sat on the loveseat, propping her aching leg up on the coffee table.

When Leal walked out of the shower and laid on the couch her head was throbbing. She curled up and closed her eyes.

"You ok?" Chevy asked.

"I'll live." She sighed. Tanner walked over with a blanket and laid it over her. She pulled it tighter around her and sighed. She heard Layton walk in and lay on the love seat. She heard Chevy move around, probably fixing up her leg.


Chevy wrapped up Layton's leg and then covered her with a blanket. BEar walked in and laid next to where Leal was. Her hand fell so it was resting on his fur.

Layton yawned, soon drifting off to sleep with Naji underneath her and Chevy sitting next to her. While sleeping she unconsiously rested her head in Chevy's lap, arms wrapped around him loosely.

Tanner sat down on the couch next to a sleeping Leal, resting his hand protectively on her leg, rolling his tumb in a loving circle without realizing it.

Chevy stroked Layton's head as she slept. He watched how peaceful she was.


*ugh*

Leal fell into a deeper sleep feeling Layton close tohim.

**Haha**

"Layton, hun. Come on stop runnin'. It's goin' to be great babe. I promise." A light haired male wavered towards a sixteen year old Layton, his eyes bloodshot. The young Layton just shook her head and backed up father against a wall, holding a bleeding mark on her arm. "Dammit woman!" The man gripped Layton by the hair and flung her across the hotel room, ripping the satin green dress she wore right down the middle. The boy grabbed the small crown off her head and laughed aloud. "Can't believe you're prom queen and still a virgin. It's plain stupid. Who do you know in the eleventh grade that's still a virgin, huh?!" Layton just shook her head weakly.

"Nobody..." Layton spoke in a meek whisper.

"Nobody right? So you're out of the loop, and you don't like that do you?" Another head shake. The man stepped closer. "I'll put you back in that loop." The man, Tyler, bent down and licked the side of Layton's face with a wide smile, running his disgusting mouth from her cheekbone to where the dress began. He grabbed Layton's hair again and threw her onto the bed, ripping her dress apart as she screamed for him to stop.

"Stop it!" Layton screamed, sitting up and breathing hard. She'd woken anyone that might've been asleep as she ran to the bathroom and grabbed a washrag, rubbing her skin where the Tyler had licked, raw.

"Layton... did yo-" Tanner walked into the bathroom, only to be stopped in mid-sentence.

"He licked me Tanner! All over! He stole my virginity Tanner! Tanner he's still out there!" Layton sobbed into her knees and wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back in forth.

Chevy slowly walked behind Tanner. Now not the right time? He asked Tanner.

Try and comfort her, never does to much good. Tanner sighed stepping out of the way. Chevy walked over to Layton and pulled her against his chest letting her cry, just sitting there stroking her hair. He didn't know what to say so he didnt say anything at all.


Leal looked up and then slowly followed the others to teh bathroom.

"You need rest." Tanner said picking her up and carrying her back towards the living room.

"But Layton...." She staarted.

"Chevy will take care fo her." He replied laying her down and sitting next to her "Sleep."