The Cat Came Back

"Robert," Kat feels the name ride on the breath that's knocked out of her.

"Katherine," a tall, green eyed man envelops her in his arms without a second thought. His dark brown hair is peppery around the spiky front, while chocolatey speckles stretch from his cheeks inward in two arching lines. His ears are smaller than Kat's but have darker speckles at the ends. His form is just as tall and lithe as hers.

"Wh–what...how..." Kat's words are disjointed as she pats the man's back in natural reaction. A moment later she leans into the embrace a little more, but is still stiff.

"Kat, who's this?"

Kat tears herself from the man's embrace and spins around to her friend dangerously fast. Air dies in her throat several times as her mouth bobs in an attempt to explain. "D–Doggie, um, this is, uh, this is Robert—"

"I'm Kat's husband," the man steps forward, offering his clawed hand. His smile is worn from his time as a survivor but still happy. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," is all Doggie can muster as he shakes the stranger's hand. It takes all his willpower not to break the smaller hand in his largely clawed paw. "You're...Kat's husband?—from Felis?"

"Yes, I escaped from the destruction of our planet to a Unox colony. I had no idea Katherine was alive until just a month ago, so I came as soon as I heard," the man looks at Kat with such adoration that bile builds in Doggie's muzzle.

"Robert, um," Kat begins, but her shaky hands betray her nerves. Her breath is even less stable and her eyes dart about.

Doggie notices her distress and clears his throat, "Robert, I welcome you to Earth, but this is SPD base, and there are procedures regarding guests of long term."

"Of course, you're right," Robert is insufferably cheery and bounces a bit on his heels.

"Come on, Robert, you should see our physician, Doctor Felix," Kat guides him with a stressed hand, sparing an alarmed look to Doggie over her shoulder.

"Oh, Kathy," Robert is too bright to notice Kat's absolute distaste at the name, "I can't believe it's been so long!"

"Hm," Kat muses quietly next to him, going through things a mile a minute in her head.

"I've missed you," Robert leans in for a kiss but Kat jogs a little ahead of him to the infirmary. She pokes her head in and murmurs something Robert can't hear.

"This way," Kat gestures vaguely, still not looking at Robert.

Now, the Felid man notices the odd behavior in his wife. She has been avoiding him, if he really thinks about it. Her eyes are different from how he remembers them...then again, he last saw them in person a good fifty years ago. "Kitty, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Robert, this is Felix, he'll go over things and explain to you how your registration here on base will go," Kat brushes some bangs out of her eyes in a fluster.

"Katherine," Robert tries to call out but she leaves before he can reach her. Instead, he faces a Felid–Leonis man with a small muzzle and scraggy brown hair. "You're a friend of Kat's?"

"I am," the man tilts his head mysteriously.

"What is going on here?" Robert holds his hands out, worried for his wife.

"That's for Kat to decide," Felix answers vaguely and guides Robert to a bed.

Kat herself dashes back to the Command Center in time to catch Doggie walking out. "Oh, thank—Doggie, please, wait."

"It's fine, Kat, you should be with your husband," Doggie manages in a slightly bitter voice, but still remaining fairly impartial.

"Doggie, listen to me," Kat pleads, having to trot a bit to keep pace with his long, angry strides.

"Kat, please, shouldn't you be with your mate?" the final word is spit from his mouth with absolute contempt, rejected from his tongue like poison.

"Doggie!" Kat grabs his arm and spins him around. She steps in close but resists pressing her lips to his, simply because this is a time for words. "Listen to me, you stubborn, old dog. I know that Robert turning up – being alive – is a surprise, but we can handle it."

"Kat, it's okay," Doggie tries to offer the woman – his loving friend and mate of six months – an out.

"Nothing about this is okay because my dead husband is returned and I can barely look at him because my love is solely devoted you," her breath goes into her final tone, pushing with the severity of the situation. Her hardened green eyes meet his sorrowful blue ones, begging him to understand her. Her feelings are torn not because she still loves her husband in a practical sense but because she loves him as Doggie loves (the deceased) Isinia. That is nothing compared to how she loves Doggie himself. "I love you."

"Kat," Doggie tries to protest, but neither can deny it, and her eyes make him want wholeheartedly to give her the entire galaxy in a gift box. She tilts her head and crashes her lips against his in blinding hot love and passion. This silences him effectively.

"I love you, stubborn, old dog. Robert doesn't change that. I wish things were different but they aren't. We will figure out how to handle Robert, but his appearance doesn't change the fact that you are my mate...and the love of my life."

Doggie looks at Kat with an intrigued and slightly tweaked expression. She gives him one, solid nod, and he softens. "I hope this isn't too stressful for you, Kat."

"I have missed Robert, but I haven't seen him in a good fifty years or so, and that kind of separation can't be dissolved. I'll find a way to work this out with him but I don't, rather, I won't have you torturing yourself over this. This is an issue between my, as far as I'm concerned, late–husband, and I. I'll come find you when or if I need your help, but until then, leave this to me." Kat is firm in her words and adamant in their meaning. Her eyes are steady again as she looks at her commanding officer. "Don't worry about me, Doggie, I'll be okay."

"Very well," Doggie nods, feeling relieved, not that she has to know that. "I'll leave this matter to you, I trust you to handle it, Kat."

"Thank you," she says sweetly.

"Let me ask you something, though," he smiles a bit now. "He is Robert, and you are Katherine, so, together, you are Bob and Kat—"

"Don't say it!" Kat groans, also finding the lightness of the moment. "We'd get it all the time. Oh, Bob, Kat, Manx?—ha, ha, ha, yes, it's very funny. Y'know, it's bad enough he calls me Kitty, oh, and Kathy?—argh!"

"You don't mind it when I call you Kitty," Doggie teases quietly.

"Well, you're different," Kat returns in an equally hushed tone. "Don't worry, Robert is an easy going guy, and is always very understanding. He won't make a fuss over this."

"What about when you tell him we're engaged?" asks Doggie.

"We can cross that bridge later," Kat shrugs and continues alongside her mate.