Chapter 4: Catnip and Trust Part 3
"So...anyway to make a long story short, the gazelle stomped out the fire and we got he heck outta there." Larry finished the story he was telling Mrs. Faufi.
"That's fascinating, but I asked you if you had any more children." Mrs. Faufi said dully.
"Right..." Larry trailed off. "Kate do you want to handle this one?" The lion asked his wife.
"Awesome..." Kate said dragging her hand in front of her face back and forth.
"I have a brother named Hunter." Sierra cut in. "And of course you know about our resident human." The two looked to the tree limb where Harry smiled down nervously. Keeping an eye on the two high lions the whole time.
"Mom, dad, why don't you go get us something to drink?" Sierra suggested, pushing them into the other room. "Eheheh, their not morning people." She supplied.
"I think we're doing really well." Larry said to Kate as she brought a pitcher of lemonade out of the kitchen into the mini-hallway.
"Yeah." Kate agreed. "But I don't know how much longer I can be cool."
"But we have to hold it together for Sierraaaaa..." He started patting his belly like a drumb. "Oh my god Kate you gotta try this."
Kate put the side of her face to Larry's belly and "Ahhed" With the vibrations.
"I-I love history." Sierra said to Mrs. Faufi as she looked around the living room. "My term paper, was about the role of lions in early Christianity."
There was a loud crash.
"And science. I like science."
"Er, excuse me for a second Mrs. Faufi." Harry said from the tree limb as to not interrupt Sierra's interview. Harry jumped down and went into the mini-hallway.
"What the heck is going on? Then he saw the sausages and gasped. "Holy crap." He picked up the ring of sausages. "Are these Nipped sausages?" Then it made sense. The weirdness, the strange story telling for the first hour. "Oh my god. After all the lectures and the judgements how could you guys be such hypocrites?"
Kate simply said "Drugs are bad." And then she and Larry had stupid grins on their faces.
"I can't deal with this right now." Harry groaned and threw the sausages down on the floor. "I promised Sierra I'd help her with the interview. Okay? Just stay in here and don't blow this for her." He went back into the living room.
"Are your parents alright?" Mrs. Faufi asked the young human as he sat down to his lioness sister.
"Uh...yeah." Harry said nervously. "Their great. Their so great that they want challenge us and have us finish this interview by ourselves." He put a little emphasis on ourselves to let Sierra know they wouldn't be interrupted by them.
"That's them." Sierra caught on waving it off. "Always encouraging my independence." She went on. "Promoting curiousity, challenging me intellectually."
"Wheee!" Kate's voice came from the front yard. The three looked out the window and saw Larry rolling Kate around as if she where in a tire.
"Your like this giant doughnut!" Larry laughed.
"Push me faster! I wanna go back in time!" Kate said eagerly.
"Well I think I've seen enough." Mrs. Faufi said as she left the window. "Thank you for a very interesting visit." She said semi-sarcastically.
"Larry go long!" Kate's voice came from the right of the walkway up to the house and Larry collided into Mrs. Faufi from the side as the football his wife had thrown landed on the walkway.
Sierra and Harry shook their heads in dismay.
The next morning Kate and Larry where lying on the couch with a blanket around them. They where down from their high and not feeling good.
"Ugh, we've ruined our daughter's life." Kate said as Sierra put two coffee cups down on the table in front of the couch.
"Thank's honey." Larry said appreciatively.
"Sierra, Harry we are so, so sorry." Kate said in an apologetic tone to their daughter and human son.
Harry scoffed from the tree limb reading a John Grisham book. "Whatever."
"To be fair." Kate said to Harry. "We did find Catnip in your room."
Harry slammed his book shut angrily after putting a bookmark in the book. "For the LAST time. That wasn't my Nip!"
"Mhm." Kate mumbled skeptically as the door opened and Sarmoti walked in.
"Ahh, what a night." Sarmoiti said as he stretched. "Martha the lion...not much of a looker." He said. "But, heh, worth it for the breakfast." He walked over to a cabinet. "Hey." He said. "Where's my vase?" He asked using the tone for the expensive, irreplacable form of the word.
"Your vase?" Larry asked in dismay. Realizing they where wrong about the Nip after all.
"Yeah, the green one with the butterflies painted on it." Sarmoti nodded.
"And Catnip stashed in the bottom?" Kate finished.
"Yeah that's the one. I'm gonna need that back." The elderly lion said in between their heads. "Eh, not the vase so much." He whispered.
"The Cantip was yours?" Harry asked in an upset tone. "I got blamed for that!"
"Tough break kid." Sarmoti said to his adopted grandson. "Don't do drugs. Stay in school."
"That's it?" Kate asked in disbelieving shock. "Dad we just blew Sierra's chances to get into the Honors Program." She got up and made the blanket slide off of the two lions. "I mean, what kind of example are you setting?"
"Him?" Harry asked in disbelief. He could handle Sarmoti using a little catnip, he was old and worked hard all his life. "What about you?" He asked his adopted mother angrily. "I told you all along that it wasn't my Nip and you didn't believe me." He crossed his arms angrily.
Kate sighed. "Your right. None of this would have happened if we'd just trusted you." She hugged the boy in apology. She felt him relax from his defensive position.
"Yeah." Larry sighed in agreement. "Just because we where a little wild as kids doesn't mean your gonna be." He said calmly. "From now on Sierra, Harry, we trust you completely."
"Excellent." Sierra said eagerly. "Cause my boyfriend's taking me camping this weekend. " She told them the complete truth. "Don't worry, we'll each have our own sleeping bags. Plus he's bringing his little brother and I'm bringing Harry so nothing's gonna happen." She insisted with a paw wave.
"That's great sweetheart." Kate said as she guided her to the kitchen leaving Larry gaping and Harry sitting on a loveseat looking on after them.
"Daughters." Sarmoti laughed at Larry. "I feel for ya." He looked around. "Seriously, where'd you put my Nip?"
The next afternoon Mrs. Faufi returned for the follow up.
"Anyways Sierra, your grades are splended and I've always been impressed with you." She continued, "But to be honest, I was inclined to reject you due to the other day's reprehensible display." The two lionesses looked to Kate and Larry on the other couch.
"By the way, sweet D on that pass." Larry said to the lioness eagerly. Kate elbowed him in the side making him grunt.
"After some reflection, I've decided to reconsider and decided to accept you after all." Mrs. Faufi told the teenager.
"WOAH! YEAH!" Larry jumped up eagerly. "You! Have really made our day!" He ran over to hug the lioness in grattitude but she nervously got up and backed away. "No, no I-"
"I wish you all the best." Martha said nervously as she backed to the door.
"Thanks Martha." Sarmoti said taking her paws in his. "Your a peach. This morning's eggs." He kissed two of his paw pads at his lips.
Martha giggled. "My pleasure." After Sarmoti opened the door she paused as they started to make out with his back to his family. His tail perked up and started wagging lightly. He had Happy Tail.
"I think I speak for everyone when I say "Ick." Harry noticed everyone's grim expression.
Their lips smacked and they broke apart when Sarmoti closed the door and put his back to the wall next to the door. "Happiness, is being a grandparent." He smiled.
End of Catnip and Trust
To Be Continued...
That was longer than I thought it would be. cool!
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Dean the Cuddly Fox
