Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Author's Note(s): Here's another chapter. LoL How does everyone like how I organized these two fanfics of mine? Meaning this one and the Venom one. I think they look better on the AO3 site... I'm able to post up pictures on that one! XD And I did!
So if you wanna check it out, the link is on my profile. M'kay? ENJOY!
Don't forget to review! Otherwise I could just get bored and work on something else and no one will ever get to know what happens. Kuwahahahahahahaha! I'm just kidding!... OR AM I?! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN!
"A Black Cat and a White Coat"
"My Responsibility"
With Breakfast over, and Tabitha having been informed that Gwen's day today was free, the scalpel happy Scientist told Gwen that she would come by in an hour, so the blonde should be ready by then for them to proceed with the experiment.
Gwen passed that time feeling incredibly anxious while busying herself with trying to study; which failed and just caused her to feel even more frustrated that she couldn't concentrate.
A sharp knock on her window startled her. She hurried over to see that Tabitha was out on her balcony with an eager grin that screamed manic and only served to make her quiver; but in a way she found oddly pleasant. Gwen wondered for a brief moment how that could be, but was distracted by the impatiently raised eyebrow of Tabitha; who waited expectantly for her to open the window.
When she did, Tabitha motioned for her to come outside.
"If you're ready, let's head over to my place to get started." She effortlessly hopped over the railing to her own fire escape as Gwen watched a bit in awe; wondering how someone so frail looking could be so agile!
Seeing the other's expression Tabitha raised an inquisitive brow, but held out her slender hand and politely helped her over the railing.
Once inside of Dr. Tenshi's apartment, Gwen was glad to see that the muffin mess had been cleaned up, but it still had a faint scent of sweet burntness in the air. Despite being a Scientist, Tabitha didn't like messy things.
She noticed Tabitha walk over to a door in the corner and wondered what the other was doing with that same black key from last night? The shorter female slid it into the keyway on the door, and as Gwen stepped closer to get a better view, she had to cover her mouth to stifle a small gasp when she saw the grey smiley face turn purple!
Tabitha turned the key and then opened the door; walking in as she slid the key up inside the sleeve of her lab coat, or at least that's where Gwen thought she'd put it. In reality Tabitha had actually melded it back under the flesh of her arm; since it was harder to lose track of it when it was almost always on or rather in her person. The other times are when she uses it and gets bored enough to open it up and fiddle with the device; that she specially crafted a few years ago.
Gwen hesitantly followed her into the room she hadn't even known was in here. It didn't make sense considering the obvious layout of the apartment, but Gwen was beginning to realize that Dr. Tenshi was capable of a lot more than she'd previously assumed was possible of anyone!
She gasped again as she gazed around; staring in astonishment at what had to be, the most astounding laboratory the blonde had ever seen! It made the one at her college look like something from her old elementary school classroom!
It was nice and clean like the rest of the apartment, which was again a bit surprising since she usually heard Scientists of such intellect could be untidy and such. And it was also painted a nice bright shade of white; the various glass and metallic items blended well she thought.
There were all sorts of devices and equipment, work tables, and cabinets; some of which had transparent fronts that allowed her to see they were filled with an assortment of chemicals and instruments. And there were quite a few other fascinating things that made her feel like she'd wandered into some sort of Scientists wet dream!
"Are you okay, Gwen?" Inquired the doctor; who at some point had placed a stethoscope where her heart was located and appeared to be listening with a small frown.
"Your heart is beating rapidly, your face is flushed and you appear unable to speak…" Tabitha wondered why this human acted ever so peculiarly. Judging from all those blood samples she had tested, she deduced the other to be perfectly healthy.
Gwen blushed profusely at the sudden closeness and quickly stumbled back up against the door when Tabitha reached up to touch her forehead to check her temperature. But as soon as she did, she wished she hadn't; for she caught the tiniest glint of hurt flash across the doctor's face, before said woman fixed her with an impassive expression that made her feel even worse.
Gwen looked apologetically at her as she took a few tentative steps forward.
"I'm sorry… You just startled me was all. I don't want you to think I don't like you or anything like that." The blonde said earnestly. Tabitha regarded her for a moment; as if debating on whether or not to accept the apology.
Tabitha exhaled a little sigh; as if exasperated by the strain of such social interactions, but managed a tiny smile as she turned away to walk over to what appeared to be an operating table with restraints on it.
"Very well. Let's get started." Gwen smiled at her apology being accepted and all but skipped over to the table.
Tabitha handed her a black folded up piece of clothing made from a sleek yet strange material. Gwen frowned as she looked to the other questioningly.
"Get changed into this over behind that curtain and we can begin. I can't do it in the clothes you're in now." She told the taller female, who gave a nod and small blush before doing as she was told; stepping behind the curtain to change.
When Gwen came back over to the table, she was standing rather awkwardly, rubbing one arm as she stared at the floor; that had suddenly become oh so very interesting.
Her face was beet red with embarrassment at having to wear what Tabitha had handed to her! It was, in fact a black catsuit, which was so tight it felt like a second skin! It even covered over her feet and hands, and it had an elegant V neck style, since it zipped up the front.
There was soft white fur around the collar, along with thin strips down her forearms and from her calves to her wondered why the heck she had to wear such a thing! She felt extremely self-conscious in front of the doctor; who was currently busy getting things set up.
She didn't think Tabitha was the type of person to like things like this, but then again there was so much that she didn't know or understand about the woman yet. But what bothered her even more than the outfit; which was dumbfounding in itself, was what the other thought about how she looked wearing it!
When Tabitha turned around she paused with a quirked eyebrow at the unexpected behavior of the woman in the black skin tight suit. She couldn't fathom why the other looked so uncomfortable, and wondered if she'd been struck with nervousness about the procedure; not seeming to think anything ill, perverse, or untoward about her choice of attire for the other whatsoever.
In fact, when she had designed it she had thought only of the felines whom had inspired her serum! That being; slim, graceful, sleek, and lithe, among other good qualities that she thought cats had. Plus the material was specially designed for the utmost maneuverability during fighting and for stealth to help keep the wearer safe.
Though, she did have a little help from Rose in terms of helping her with the design. Tabitha began to wonder if Rose's incessant smirking throughout the whole consultation had anything to do with Gwen's current behavior…?
"Are you having second thoughts?" Gwen jumped and turned to stare in surprise at her.
"Second t-thoughts? A-about what?" She tried to force herself to sound calm, but she was jumpier than… well… a cat in a room full of rocking chairs! Tabitha raised her eyebrow again.
"The procedure… What else?" The blonde blinked, turned redder and went back to staring back at the floor.
"Ms. Stacy, I'm not very good with these… social interactions, nor with reading people or things of that sort. So, if something is wrong you need to tell me because otherwise, I won't know." Tabitha facepalmed; wondering how much longer she'd be able to keep this calm around the other.
If it hadn't been for the simple facts of Gwen being a prime candidate, and that the girl shared similar interests, and was more intelligent than she let on, the bespectacled young boffin was pretty sure she'd have dissected her by now and not have batted an eyelash about it.
But, in the instant Tabitha thought about dissecting Gwen, she got that unwelcome squirmy feeling in the pit of her stomach she'd had last night, and decided that she probably wouldn't do that to the gentle yet bothersome blonde…
'At least for now…' She told herself in an attempt to maintain her sense of normalcy.
Gwen's blushing lessened a bit as she bowed her head slightly in an apologetic way. It seemed she couldn't stop with these random bouts of embarrassed conduct that ironically, only embarrassed her further!
"Its just that… Well… This outfit…" She shuffled back and forth from one foot to the other.
"What about it?" The shorter female asked; straight faced as ever.
"Don't you think its… a bit tight?" She emphasized this by plucking lightly at the furry collar. But to her amazement Tabitha blinked, tilted her head slightly to the side and raised an eyebrow.
"But it is supposed to be form fitting. Is it hurting you?" Her tone held a faint amount of concern; for she really didn't want to intentionally cause any discomfort or pain to the other… at least not unless she had a real reason to.
"O-oh no! It's not hurting me!" Gwen quickly said as she held up her hands in front of her.
"Then I don't see the problem." Tabitha replied flatly; turning briefly to grab the goggles she'd worn earlier; that were now clean, and sliding them atop her head since she wasn't yet ready to cover her eyes with them yet. The blonde stared at the other rather dumbfounded.
'How can she not see what's wrong with this outfit?! It's like I may as well stand here naked! Does she really not understand?'
For a moment she regarded the other, and decided that Dr. Tenshi probably didn't get why it was so disconcerting… She'd even told Gwen that she wasn't very good at these sorts of things.
"You see, it's just that this suit is tight in a rather… revealing sort of way. Don't you think? I mean, why does it have to be so snug and look the way it does?" Gwen decided that maybe if she tried again, the other would get it.
"It's designed for optimum maneuverability, comfort, and durability for most situations. And as for its specific design…" Tabitha stated coolly, pausing to really examine how Gwen looked in the suit.
The girl was flushing crimson and shifting uncomfortably again at the intensity yet total lack of perverseness of the examining gaze; still wondering what the other thought of how she looked.. It didn't seem like the other looked disapproving, but she was pretty hard to read.
"A friend of mine helped with that. And since it fit my specifications, I decided to make it this way." She added as she kept on observing the other.
Gwen's jaw dropped.
"YOU MADE THIS?!"
"Yes. I rather thought that was obvious." Tabitha deadpanned.
"Wow! Is there anything you can't do?" She asked in astonishment.
At this, Tabitha looked thoughtful, and then her gaze returned to Gwen.
"Create a stable baking power." And what with the straight and seriously stoic way she said it, Gwen couldn't help but to burst out laughing.
When her mirth subsided after a minute or so; clutching her stomach, she saw that Tabitha regarded her with a small smile; seeming to be glad that her experiment candidate was no longer acting all awkward.
"Feel better?" Gwen gave a nod and smiled.
"Good. Now, please lie down on the table so that we can get this underway. There'll be more work to do once we are done." And with that said, the blonde gave a nod and finally laid down.
She wondered why it looked like such a thick metal table, but when she felt Tabitha begin to secure the restraints; she found warm, tingly sensations wherever the fingertips of the other touched her.
Even though her body was covered by that suit, she could still feel the light digits skillfully fixing the bonds to keep her in place, as they occasionally ghosted over her in the process.
As she looked up, the blonde felt rather in awe at how focused the other was when she was in her Scientist mode; which is what Gwen decided to refer to it as.
Gwen couldn't help but to feel rather honored and lucky to be privy to such an opportunity as this, but she didn't want to say anything to distract the other while she was in the zone.
Tabitha was currently busy plucking at a syringe filled with some sort of liquid; making sure there were no bubbles. Then, after a quick alcohol swab on the blonde's neck, she inserted the needle and injected whatever it was that was inside of it.
"Well that wasn't so bad." Gwen commented as her spirits rose; thinking that Dr. Tenshi had been putting her on earlier.
"Oh, that was just the anesthetic." Gwen's eyes widened as Tabitha continued to speak casually.
"Unfortunately, I can only use a mild one, due to problems that would arise if I used anything stronger. Plus this one fits the chemical composition that I required." She informed as she turned around for a moment, before resuming her previous position of facing the other.
But now she held what looked like an injection gun; and in the gun, ready to be injected into her was a long, glass vile that had what appeared to be a fluid that was a silvery white in color!
Feeling a bit bad at seeing the apprehension on Gwen's fair face, she tried to give the other what she hoped was a small yet reassuring smile, before placing a hand over the blonde's eyes as she pressed the cool surgical steel of the instrument at the base of the other's neck and pulled the trigger!
Gwen gave a gasp that was a mixture of pain and surprise. Her body began to feel very weird. It started out very cold; like freezing water was spreading from the injection point and throughout the rest of her body; and it was so cold that it went from uncomfortable to steadily more and more painful!
Gwen wanted to shiver, but for some reason her body would not; it was almost as if it didn't register the sensation. The blonde had been warned this would be painful, and even though she tried not to scream or cry, she couldn't help her breathing becoming ragged with the sheer effort it took to stay calm and quiet!
For about a minute, Tabitha's eyes flicked back and forth between her patient and her wrist watch. The physician could tell the patient was in agony, but it would only get worse from here on out. She frowned at the sound of the other emitting a quiet little whimper. But there was no turning back now…
And so, she reached under the table and pressed a button. The reasons for the table being so thick were answered as layers from underneath of it began to unfold and begin to interconnect (A/N: Your thinking of the Transformers movie right now aren't you? XD) with one another to form a metal cocoon-like dome over Gwen's bound body; starting from her feet and steadily moving upward!
Feeling a bit startled once the other's hand retracted from where it had been covering her eyes moments ago, Gwen stared up at Tabitha as she saw a rather maniac looking grin on her face that caused her to temporarily forget about the pain and to finally quiver; but it was certainly not from the cold coursing through her delicate form!
The mad Scientist began bustling zealously about; attaching metal nods around the sides of the table that connected to a machine on the wall, and then pressing various buttons on it that activated the device.
The machine made a humming sound as the tesla coils; that seemed to be put on top of it for decoration, began to have volts sparking and buzzing up and down and randomly all around them.
"Ha! They said I was crazy!" Tabitha suddenly exclaimed in an "IN YOUR FACE" sort of way as she pulled down a lever on the machine.
"They called me mad!" She yanked down another one; that grin seemed to become more psychotic by the second, and Gwen couldn't do anything except watch her in an awestricken state, as the metal cocoon like contraption continued to enclose itself around her body!
"They even called me insane!" The umber haired woman pulled the last switch as the electricity sparked and shot around the room dangerously; the lights flickering and becoming dim in an eerie way!
And then, oh so suddenly Tabitha was towering over Gwen, as the girl stared helplessly up at her; finding the whole thing to be very strange and a bit spooky. But she was more startled that it didn't frighten her, and instead it gave her that bizarre tingly feeling she'd experienced when the umber haired woman was putting the restraints on her. And what's more… She was starting to enjoy it…!
Gwen found herself frozen in place when she saw how far down the maniacal Scientist was leaning and gave another little gasp; their faces barely an inch apart and their eyes staring right into one another, as Tabitha declared in a low, devilishly giddy whisper that was only for Gwen to hear.
"And oh were they right!" Before the umber haired woman just as abruptly leaned back up; removing her glasses in quick succession before she pulled her goggles down, just as the rest of Gwen's body was swallowed up by the surgical steel table and her vision faded into the darkness! (A/N: Lmfao! Poor Gwen, Tabitha is unconsciously enticing/sexy and has no idea how it is effecting Gwen!… Yet.)
With one last switch to pull, the process began! Energy was now flowing from the machine and surging through the metal cocoon-like device; and so many other awesomely technical things happened! (A/N: I'd say what… But I'm not a Scientist XP)
Sparks flew and flashed, a few bulbs blew and lights flickered enough to cause epileptic seizures! Gwen's muffled shrieking and screams could be heard after about a minute or so, but she couldn't turn the machine off just yet. She'd warned the other about how painful it'd be, and it was her choice to undergo this endeavor.
Still, Tabitha did find that she felt bad about the other being in pain. The suffering of others was normally something that didn't bother her.
'Weird…' She thought, before checking her wrist watch again; thank goodness it had a button on the side to make it illuminate, as her lab had no windows!
The dome began to glow brightly and almost seemed like it was about to explode! At this point Tabitha hastily began to flip the large switches back into their previous positions and slowly shut the machine off. The loud noises, flickering, and sparking ceased and all seemed to go back to the way it had been…
The bizarre boffin pulled off her goggles, put her glasses back on, and pressed the button under the table again; allowing the metal cocoon to retract and fold back to look like it had previously.
Thick white fog-like steam whooshed out when that happened and Tabitha pulled her white coat over her nose so as not to breath any in; waving her hand so as to clear her line of sight to see what had become of her fair little patient.
What she saw when the steam cleared, made her eyes widen. There lay Gwen and yet… Not Gwen… She seemed to have fallen unconscious during the process; something which both made her worry and feel relieved about.
The shorter woman made quick work of undoing the restraints and carrying her over to what resembled a hospital bed, and hooking her up to the proper machines with which to monitor her vitals.
Tabitha gave her as best of an examination as one can give someone who is unconscious; to make sure that she was still in a stable condition, then she sat down and waited in a wheelie chair beside the other's bed. The boffin stared pensively at her sleeping form, and got up at various intervals to examine her condition more closely via a stethoscope and other routine methods.
Gwen awoke after a few hours of sleep. She yawned and stretched before blinking and realizing that she was not in her room, and also that she felt rather odd… But, in a good way… despite being somewhat sore…
She glanced around and her eyes fell on Tabitha, who was leaning forward against the back of the chair she was straddling; her chin resting in the palm of her hand, as her gaze intently focused on the blonde to an extent it made her blush from feeling so self-conscious.
The taller female was used to being gawked at by perverted jerks like Eddie, however when Tabitha stared at her… it wasn't with depraved and disgusting intent. Instead it was with a kind of child-like fascination and something else she couldn't quite discern. But, she knew it was something she most certainly did not mind. It was like those piercingly dark orbs were examining her very soul!
"How are you feeling, fair patient?" The question was aloof, but held a touch of concern that Gwen was able to detect. She blushed at being referred to as "fair" again; wondering briefly why that was.
"I… don't really know… I mean, I feel really great, but at the same time, not quite myself." Gwen answered slowly, as she cautiously moved into a sitting position.
"That is a very… apt answer, considering you don't quite look like yourself either." Tabitha flashed her a small, amused smirk as she saw the puzzled expression on the blonde's face.
"Come with me. I'll show you."
The doctor proceeded to get up off of her chair and unhook the other, before she strode over to the door that led back to the living room; pausing and waiting for Gwen to follow. She easily got out of bed, finding that she felt rather energetic as she approached the other, and exited the room when the door was held open for her.
Tabitha led the other to her bedroom where there was a full length mirror. When Gwen saw her reflection, she gasped and reached up to cover her mouth. Then she blinked and slowly reached up to touch her face; making sure the person staring back at her from the mirror was really her!
Now that Gwen was standing up and out of the bed, Tabitha could examine her better. It appeared that the patient had grown a few inches taller. And her body looked more defined in regards to the lean yet shapelier physique she now possessed; which helped her to better fill out her catsuit. Instead of her shoulder length blonde hair, it had become a long and wildly lovely mane of silvery white! And her eyes practically glowed of aquamarine.
It all contrasted well with her complexion and seemed to suit Gwen rather well. At least in Tabitha's opinion, and when it came to physical appearance; although she had good taste, she wasn't normally one who paid any attention to it.
'I'm only noticing because I have to take note of every change that has occurred due to the serum, that's all…' The bemused boffin told herself.
Her dark eyes ran over the curves and overall lovely appearance of Gwen's transformed body, and felt a strange fluttery feeling where her heart was. She frowned; not knowing what was causing it.
'It's for Science and Science only! So, I shouldn't be feeling anything except triumph at my success and that sort of thing… Yeah, that's probably what this is…!' The stubborn female thought; hating how the other kept causing her to feel unlike herself so much in such a short period of knowing her.
It wasn't like these new feelings were unpleasant… But that was what irked her the most! She was not supposed to be susceptible to such nonsense; especially when she didn't understand why! Gwen meanwhile, had been poking at her own face and touching her silvery white hair to see if it was real or just some sort of bizarre dream.
'I can't believe this! It's really me! I look so… so cool and… hot!' Gwen stared at herself and then blushed; wondering what Tabitha thought of her again, and then quickly wondering why she cared.
Sure, the other had saved her, shown her all kinds of kindness and treated her like a person, and on top of all of that, she'd given her a cool new body with enhanced abilities! It was a heck of a lot more than she had ever expected to receive from the other.
Not because she didn't think she had the ability to be so nice, but because it just didn't seem like something she would want to do. Dr. Tenshi didn't exactly scream people person in her mind. So, the questions that really needed answering were; why did she do all of this for her? Why had she saved her? What was her game? Did she want something from Gwen or what?
So, feeling a bit more confident for some reason, she turned to the other; who seemed to be very pensive about something and staring off at a wall.
"I don't mean to sound rude or anything… I am really grateful for all you have done for me… But, why did you save me? Why did you go out of your way to help me and do all of this? I don't understand it…" Her questions tumbled out before she could help it, and at the sound of the other's voice, Tabitha snapped out of her brooding internal conflict.
She blinked and then considered the questions.
"If you must know… I've thought you were a prime candidate for my serum since I met you." Gwen continued to look at her expectantly, so she continued.
"Like I've said before… You have a desire to better yourself and I'm simply providing the means. I am curious to see what both you and my serum are capable of, that's all." Tabitha had said in her monotonous manner, then she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she averted her umber eyes.
"And as for saving you… Well… You may not have realized this since it was so dark and raining horridly, but we weren't far from where we are now. And I was on my way home when I heard your shriek, but…" She paused and gave a small, embarrassed little cough as she continued not to look at the other.
"The real reason I came to save you is… I actually thought you were a cat getting tortured or something…"
Silence fell between them as Gwen stared dumbfounded at her, while Tabitha rubbed the back of her head again, but managed to look right back at the blonde; trying to maintain her deadpanned expression and finding it rather difficult.
"You… Thought I was a cat…? Why would you think I was a cat?" Gwen just couldn't seem to grasp why anyone would think she had been a cat!
"From the distance I was when I heard it, and the pitch and overall way I heard it… your scream just sounded like a cat to me." Tabitha gave a shrug; not seeming to really know the reason either.
"So… If you had known it wasn't a cat… Would you have just left me to those jerks?" The way Gwen asked this, even someone as empathically dense as Tabitha could sense the sadness and hurt that she tried to bite back and hide behind, what Gwen had hoped was aloof curiosity.
The doctor found herself frowning at this.
"I think that… if it were anyone else except you or a cat… I wouldn't have cared…" Dr. Tenshi answered slowly and thoughtfully; seeming a bit surprised by her own words. And indeed Gwen found herself blushing faintly as a happy, fluttery feeling settled in her stomach.
"R-really?" Gwen asked hopefully; almost fearful that she'd heard wrong.
But Tabitha's resolve did not waver.
"Yes… Really." The little boffin couldn't help but return the genial smile on the silvery haired maiden's face, as she almost looked tempted to try and hug her. But to her relief, the taller woman didn't; kindly respecting her personal space.
Tabitha then cleared her throat, and in an effort to try and regain her usual cold, maniac composure; so as not to let the other think that damned cuteness of hers was getting to her, she quickly added with a rather stubborn frown.
"Besides! If you ended up getting killed or something, then I'd still be looking for someone to test my serum on…" Gwen blinked and wondered how she could say something so harsh after having said such a nice thing?
Was it something she had done or did Tabitha really only see her as an experiment?
'Why does she have to be so random? I think I understand her one minute and the next she has me confused!' Gwen thought; her smile faltering some as she turned to look back at the mirror thoughtfully.
"Oh! That's right! I almost forgot!" Tabitha abruptly exclaimed; having remembered something and rushing out of the room, only to leave the poor girl standing there to look at the doorway.
A moment later, Tabitha returned with a small box in her hand. She thrust it forward to Gwen, who merely blinked bemusedly at the object shoved into her face oh so alarmingly.
"Here. Take it." Tabitha keenly yet gently nudged Gwen's nose with the box until the woman reached up and accepted it. She turned it over in her black gloved hands; eying it curiously. It was a small box wrapped with purple paper and had a small green bow on the top.
"What is it…?" She asked cautiously.
"Open it and find out!" Tabitha smirked; which only served to make Gwen raise an eyebrow, but she remained silent and obliged by opening it.
"Well?" Tabitha asked a bit impatiently.
"I don't know what to say…" Gwen blinked and just stared at the contents of the box.
"Thank you is usually socially acceptable, so I'm told." She said in a matter of fact sort of way.
"But… It's a collar…" Gwen looked at Tabitha in a puzzled way. Tabitha stared back unfazed.
"So? Isn't it nice?"
"It's a collar…" The other repeated slowly.
"Why would you give me a collar?" Seeing as this sort of thing didn't happen to her every day, Gwen felt she needed to ask.
Tabitha sighed, as if it was all so obvious and she didn't understand why her reasons had to constantly be questioned as such.
"I was told by my associate Rose, or Dr. Aconitum as you know her… That when celebrating an event and to commemorate it, one should give a gift since it is the customary thing to do. So, to celebrate that you lived through the experiment, I made you a present."
"Oh…" Gwen felt rather touched by the other's effort to be so considerate. But, even so…
"But why a collar?"
Again Tabitha sighed and shook her head; she was starting to wonder if Gwen was a dumb blonde after all…
"You're wearing a catsuit that has built in features; such as retractable claws and a grapnel, there's fur on specific areas such as around the neckline of your outfit, and the serum that is currently enhancing you was inspired by felines. Why not a collar?"
Gwen couldn't seem to argue with that logic.
"Besides…" Tabitha added as she stepped forward and plucked the collar from the box, and moved in even closer to fasten it securely around the other's neck.
"I don't need you getting lost and into any more trouble…"
Gwen couldn't believe it! It… couldn't be that Dr. Tenshi actually cared about her? But, she had in a way said that she had moments ago didn't she? Suddenly the other's words played in her mind. "I think that… If it were anyone else except you or a cat… I wouldn't have cared…"
Is that why she tried to suddenly behave all aloof and cold? To try and cover it up?Gwen blushed scarlet at the sudden closeness and contact; feeling the soft, warm fingertips of the other brush oh so lightly against her skin this time! In the instant that followed, it left them both in a stunned silence, for when she felt the other's touch, Gwen involuntarily parted her lips and gave a soft, little purr!
Both women froze at the sound, but Tabitha was the one who recovered first. And instead of becoming angry or disgusted or something to that affect; which is what pained Gwen to think would happen… Tabitha merely observed her with an intent gaze; her umber eyes glittering with curiosity and amusement.
Then a rather smug smirk spread across her face.
"Now that's interesting…" Gwen's face became, if possible, even redder.
"W-what is?"
"You purred… I wonder… What happens if I do this?" That look of a Scientist on a mission was evident on her face as she reached up and ever so softly stroked the other girl's silvery hair, before her "patient" could so much as blink!
And again, Gwen found herself emitting a little purr; although this one came more easily, and she had to fight the urge to lean into the other's touch! This made Tabitha's maniacal smirk widen at her little discovery.
"Fascinating! What else can you do?" The boffin lifted her hand, about to do something else, when Gwen quickly grasped her wrist with one of her gloved hands.
"S-stop that! I'm not just some experiment you can play with! I'm a human being!" Gwen was still blushing madly, but she couldn't help but frown. The woman didn't like the idea of being treated like a plaything.
Tabitha merely blinked and looked at her restrained wrist and then to Gwen's face; quite taken aback.
"I know that." She frowned; feeling rather insulted herself. Did Gwen really think her so cruel? Sure, she treated people she hated like nothing more than things to experiment on and dissect, but she didn't hate this person.
She only hated and hurt those who hated, hurt or wanted to hurt her, or who were just generally bad or upset her in some way; like those idiots at the hospital who avoided her simply because she wasn't what they considered normal.
But this person appeared to look passed that and was genuinely kind to her. Tabitha could count on one hand the people she knew who ever treated her like a person… and not the monster Tabitha believed herself to be.
The dark haired physician had originally been pleasant to her because she was a patient, and then because she wanted to gain her trust and experiment on her, though she abandoned that notion once Rose had pointed out to her how wrong that was…
But now… She wasn't being nice to her now just because the other was a part of her serum research, but because it felt right and she wanted to; as much as it irked her that she had come to care about someone just the tiniest bit and… (she cringed inwardly at this next thought) experience such bothersome emotions; among other things Tabitha had been doing since she met the other…
"I meant no offense… I merely wanted to see to what extent the serum has made you catlike." Tabitha spoke sincerely and Gwen found she couldn't stay upset with her. The other didn't appear is if she'd meant any harm. Gwen cleared her throat and took a step back; trying to rid herself of the odd, yet pleasantly suffocating effect their closeness was having on her.
"Could you maybe ask first?" To this Tabitha frowned cutely; though unconscious of it being cute, Gwen could see it quite plainly.
"Hmm… I suppose I could… But what if I can only illicit reactions when I surprise you?" She tried to reason.
"I'm willing to take that chance." Gwen replied teasingly, as Tabitha gave her a scowl and pulled her wrist from the other's loose grasp. She stuffed her hands in her lab coat pockets.
"That's no fun. How am I ever going to learn about the serums side-effects if you won't cooperate?"
Gwen blinked. She hadn't expected the other to sound so… childish! It was… well, another thing she found cute about her. She wondered what would happen if she played a little more?
"You could always try a ball of yarn." Gwen teased lightheartedly. At first Tabitha gave that little scowl again, and then even more so when the taller woman began giggling!
'Blonde fur ball…!'
But, suddenly an idea clicked in her mind. She decided to put it away for later use as she regained composure. When Gwen silenced her giggles, the silvery haired lass reached up to adjust the black leather choker with silvery round studs all the way around it. It was at that moment that Gwen remembered what they had been talking about earlier.
"Exactly how will this collar keep me from getting into trouble or lost?"
Tabitha raised an eyebrow for a moment and then gave a knowing little smirk.
"It has a GPS Tracking device in it!" She said matter of factly; as if proud she'd thought of it.
"In case of an emergency and you need my help, I can find you and protect you." Again Gwen was swept away by the Scientist's words.
"Why would you want to do that?"
"I saved you, brought you home, and gave you superhuman enhancements. You are my responsibility according to what I've learned. So, I must look after you and protect you." (A/N: Lmfao yes, Tabitha IS treating Gwen like a kitten she rescued off the street. Think about it though… Gwen kinda IS like that. XD) Tabitha spoke and looked rather calm and serious as she stated this. For to her, that was what you were supposed to do.
What kind of doctor would she be if she abandoned someone who was not only apart of her serum experiment, but also a patient? No, she had to keep an eye on her in case anything happened. Plus, she did tell the other she would help her improve herself. That being the case, they really needed to get back to that…
"Now that we have all that out of the way, I need to explain some things to you." Tabitha told her and Gwen merely nodded. They went back to her lab and she had Gwen sit down on the hospital styled bed she'd woken up in. Once the black suited woman was situated and paying attention, Tabitha began to explain what needed explaining.
"As you know, your body has been enhanced and changed. You should know that you can change back to the previous and original form that your body was in. Basically, you will be able to switch back and forth between the two forms. But you will need a little practice in figuring out how to do that. I will instruct you on how to do so."
Gwen gave a nod; truth be told, she hadn't even thought about changing back; but now that it was mentioned, it was probably a good thing that she would be able to. Especially since her parents or the people at her school would probably freak out if she showed up looking like this.
"Okay… So how do I change back?"
"Hmm, well I would surmise that you simply concentrate. It seems to be done by sheer force of will to transform back and forth. At least that has been my findings with the rats I tested it on." She informed, her brow furrowing slightly in thought. Gwen blinked and raised a curious brow.
"Well? Hurry up and give it a try." Tabitha said impatiently; wanting to see if Gwen would be able to or not.
Gwen closed her eyes to help her concentrate and thought only of changing back into her regular form. She felt a slight shocking sensation; like someone gave her a little zap of static electricity!
And when she opened her eyes and gasped quietly, her gaze fell upon the other standing in front of her; still with that fascinated stare oh so intensely transfixed on her again.
She felt her face warm a little as that funny tingling sensation came back.
"What is it?" Gwen asked curiously; wondering why anyone, especially someone like Dr. Tenshi would be so focused on her. And more importantly; why such attention gave her these funny feelings?
"Look for yourself." Was all she said as she handed her a smooth silvery metal tray that reflected like a hand mirror; those calculating yet unreadable eyes of hers moving over Gwen's body, making her feel very self-conscious again.
But she held up the tray to her face and to her great surprise, she had in fact changed back into her normal self! The blonde couldn't help the victorious grin that graced her face. And Dr. Tenshi also seemed to find it an accomplishment.
"Good job." Tabitha's reflection suddenly appeared in the mirror just over her shoulder and she gave a surprised gasp, but beamed happily at the genius doctor; who had at some point moved to stand behind her.
"Thanks!" She didn't know why, but that little bit of praise from the other made her feel elated and somewhat proud. After all, it had only been speculation, but she managed to pull it off on her first try!
So, for the rest of that day Tabitha put Gwen through a series of tests and she said this sort of thing would become a routine thing. And then the Mad Scientist explained things; like how to work the features of her suit.
For example: how it changed to fit either form, and about what Gwen should expect in terms of how Tabitha would teach her how to become stronger. The blonde was pretty excited about some things and a little nervous about others. But all in all, Gwen knew she needed this, and was definitely keen about learning how to defend herself!
Tabitha had even given her a mask to wear when in her silvery haired form; telling her that it was better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. But of course, the boffin had a feeling that at some point, the other would want to go out and test her new abilities.
And although the other might end up being a handful or just plain troublesome, Tabitha knew it was her responsibility to keep her safe and teach her to the best of her own abilities.
The manic mutant found the other to be rather well behaved thus far… she just hoped that despite all of this over exposure to social interaction that she wouldn't end up pulling a scalpel on Gwen… It'd be such a shame for all of her time and effort to have been for naught; especially, when things were becoming more and more fascinating!
To be continued! Please Review! LoL
Oooooo! LOL Tabitha's all smexy when she's being insane! XD At least Gwen thinks so! I can't wait to do more fun stuff with these two!