Chapter 3: One lifetime later

Clawdia sighed contently as she sat on the yellow lawn chair; feeling a serene breeze pass along the slivers of silver fur on her hot pink locks and blowing whiskers. The RV was parked on top of a hill. She was treated to a beautiful view of an endless field of emerald green grass as she sat back and smiled.

The cool refreshing blast of cold air gently nipping her whiskers, the warm rays of the sun dancing across her fur alongside the shadows of the shifting clouds, and most pleasant of all; the smell of barbecue sizzling on a grill being operated by the man she loved.

Graham turned from his grill work and saw her, smiling in return. He waved to her. She waved back. His nose twitched as the smell of fresh smoke thickly clogged his nostrils. He gasped in shock and saw his prized steaks were becoming blacker as the rising flames consumed them. Graham quickly tried to put them out; much to Clawdia's amusement.

She really was a lucky girl. She remembered how lucky she was every time she looked at that sparkling ring on her paw.

Her cheeks flashed a rosy blush at the thought of being his wife.

How strange this scenario was. Years ago, she remembered teasing and ripping on Coco for nursing such a large crush on Chase. She was so embarrassed you could fry an egg on her head…and she did!

Now here she was; experiencing the same stomach butterflies and feeling her face turn redder than a pepperoni pizza. Hard to believe how much she's grown and changed in the last 3 years since she first met Graham that one rainy night.

"Better hurry and get this letter finished before he comes back with lunch," she said softly. Her eyes fall down upon a slight bump along her stomach. Clawdia's smile widened. "Don't you agree, little one?" she asked sweetly.

A faint kick wiggled the stomach as if it were made of jelly. The cat girl felt her heart soar and leaned down to kiss the belly; her lips making the faintest of smacks. Clawdia returned her attention to the blank piece of paper before her. The only words she had managed to write were "Dear Chase."

"I wanted to write to him much sooner, but, I wasn't sure if being with Graham was something that was going to last. Usually all the good things that happen in my life go away as quickly as they come. Chase is the only other person I have in my life that I'd be proud to call friend. I know he'd be happy to hear my news, I just know it," she said optimistically.

Clawdia's furry digits reached for a pen; picked it up and at long last, began writing the letter she's waited all her life to write.

Dear Chase

Never thought you'd hear from me again, huh? Well to be honest, if you had told me years ago that I'd be writing to you like this after all those times I tried to stop you from defeating King Gorge and the Glutton 4, I'd thought your egg was totally cracked.

Yet here I am, writing back to an old enemy who I now view as one of my closest and dearest friends. Heh…funny how things turn out…isn't it?

I really hope Pie Tin, Oslo, your dad and everyone else is doing well and I especially hope you're taking good care of that adorable ninja cutie, Coco. I hope you realize how lucky you are to have her in your life. It's not every day you find someone who is willing to look past your faults, your flaws and love you so unconditionally…I learned that the hard way over these past 3 years.

Clawdia paused as she felt a kick emanating from her stomach. She giggled, clutched her belly and stroked it softly. After a few minutes of staring dreamily at her belly, the cat girl resumed writing.

That's right, you're number one fine feline actually fell in love! I even got married and knocked up, isn't that crazy?! Who'd thought that? Certainly not me!

His name is Graham and while we didn't meet under the best of circumstances, every moment with him since then has been a dream come true; though sometimes it is like a nightmare too *giggle*. He's stubborn, brash, mouthy and always keeps me on my toes; he kind of reminds me of you.

He pulled me out of a dark place at a dark time in my life…just like you did…and ever since then; everything fell apart and just got worse and worse. But then I met Graham and I realized something, I realized that for the first time in my life I don't have to be what everyone wants me to be.

I don't have to be the kiss ass lackey Cinnamonkey and Coleslaughter wanted me to be, I don't have to be the human shield Grill turned me into, and I definitely don't have to be the pariah everyone views me as; not anymore. I can be myself and seek the life I want to live without it benefitting anyone else. I don't have to be evil, I don't have to be good; I can just be me and more importantly, find out what it means to BE me and who I am as a person…err…cat girl.

That reminds me, I can't thank you enough Chase for letting me keep my magic and remain as I am rather than turn back to my original form. Being a pink haired cat girl is oddly enough the one thing King Gorge did that I'm grateful for.

Before you make a face (and I know you are), try to listen and understand before you judge me. I don't know who I was before the whiskers but to be totally honest, I don't want to know. I have this weird thought in the back of my mind that I'm some…boring…ordinary…bland cardboard cutout of a human being and that's not the life I want to live nor is that the person I want to be.

Despite all that's happened, despite all the battles, the evil empires, the dark magic and all that other stuff; I really do like myself the way I am. I feel like I'm the happiest and best version of myself at this moment and I'm too scared to lose all that just because I used to be another way. I can put up with the dirty looks and snide comments if it means I can be me, and also, be loved for being me.

Graham accepts me, he loves me; claws and all and he's never once held my criminal past against me. I thank my lucky stars that pervy weirdo dragged me to his hotel room when I was unconscious *laughs* it sounds insane I know, but it's true. I love him with all my heart and I am proud and honored to share a bed with him and carry his child into this world.

I can't help but laugh as I'm reading this back. I must sound like a giggly newborn kitten! This doesn't sound like me at all, not the Clawdia you tangled with back in the day. Don't worry, I promise there's a point to all this rambling.

Clawdia tapped her pen to her chin; contemplating before resuming.

The main reason I'm writing to you, the main reason I'm telling you all of this stuff is because…I really wanted to say thank you. Meeting you and your friends turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. If you hadn't beaten me time and time and time and…okay I better stop keeping track or I'm going to depress myself to death; anyway the POINT I am trying to make is that I wouldn't have been in a position to meet Graham if you guys hadn't saved the world from me and the Glutton empire.

You saved me from a path I thought was the right one for me. You allowed me to remain who I am and not give up everything that defines me just because I used to be a Glutton…no one has ever done anything like that for me…heh…until I met Graham that is. I never could have imagined things would turn out this way, but I'm forever grateful that they did. No matter what form I took on before or if I was human or a cat girl, I'm happy with the way I am now in the place that I am now and I hope the same can be said for you too, Chase.

So wherever you are, whatever doing and whatever new crazy Foodon dish your whipping up, know that I wish you the best and I hope to introduce you to my new family when we meet again, someday.

"Hun, food's ready! Scarf it while it's hot," Graham called out.

"Coming love," Clawdia happily replied.

THE END

Thank you all who've read to this point! I intended for this story to be longer but over time, my ideas for it changed, my passion and interest waned and I didn't know where else to go with the story. I know it seems rushed but in the end, I am happy with how this all came out. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I appreciate all that followed and favorited it. I got one more chapter to upload, but its not a continuation; its a bonus alternate take on the first chapter. Thanks for reading and bye for now!