4. "Toe" The Line (Hey, one-oh-four-point-six, his lovin' is the medicine that saved meeeeeee....)

5:57 PM.
Kim and William had spent the afternoon on the couch, watching Angel be entertaning as she further explored her new home. Kim had retrieved the small toys the pet shoppe had included in the "Welcome Home Kit," and they laughed as Angel over-reached her control, flipping past her target as a kitten will, not having full control of its muscles just yet. During her play, Angel found control of her young claws long enough to scale the couch and climb between Kim and William, chasing his hand about as he swirled it around on the cushion. She became so wound up that she leaped from the couch, landing open-legged with a "splat" on the floor, and not missing a beat as she sought out one of the toys.

William inspected the couch for any damage from Angel's claws. "You know," he said, "When we get her license, we should make an appointment at the vet to get her declawed...at least the front claws."

Kim winced painfully. "Eww...I'm not so sure that's a good idea. It can really hurt cats to go through that."

"Well, we have to find some alternative to her using the furniture for sharpening those talons of hers," William said.

Kim watched Angel race across the floor and into the kitchen - then heard a small "thump" as the kitten skidded into a leg of the table. "Yeah, there's got to be a safer alternative," she said. "Cats can sometimes get infections from that surgery. We don't want anything to happen to her furry little to-oh-OHH! Ahhh-How-owowowieeeeeee!" Kim shouted out, a pained look on her face. Angel had made a target of Kim's big toe, pouncing on it, clutching it between her paws and gnawing at it with her tiny fangs. She plopped onto her side, still holding Kim's toe, curling around her foot and kicking at it with her hind feet. Kim continued to whimper helplessly through gritted teeth - "Ahh-gah-hah-ooo-ahh" - as she reached down for the kitten, trying to pull her from her foot. "Leggoleggoleggooo-owww!"

Kim brought Angel face-to-face. "You mischievous little minx," she admonished, waving her finger at the kitten. Angel began to swipe at Kim's finger, thinking she was playing. Kim looked over at William, who was trying to keep from laughing. "When did you say we can get her to the vet?"

"The pet shoppe said that the forms for the license will come in the mail in a couple of days," said William. "Anytime after that."

Kim brought her foot up for William's inspection. There were a couple of tiny puncture marks marked by a tinge of blood. William leaned forward to look. "Nothing a little disinfectant and a bandage won't fix." He started to stand - then, "There's something I learned today...Cellers can bleed - at least in the Flesher environment."

Kim looked at him rather exaspirated. "William - Doi!" she giggled. "Just what do you think I've been doing with those little things I ask you to buy me every month - smoking them?" William smacked his forehead at this. Kim then pouted. "Now can I get some medical attention, pleeeeeease?"

"You sure can," said William, starting for the bathroom. "Keep your foot elevated...so you don't bleed out," he snickered as he continued down the hall.

"Hey!" exclaimed Kim. "I have an attack kitty here, and I won't hesitate to use it! Can you get my slippers from the bedroom too?"

As William gathered the things to address Kim's injuries, he could hear Kim still addressing Angel, along with noises as she tried to avoid the determined kitten. "Angel, now stop! My feet aren't your playtoys! Look, here's your little catnip mouse - beat up on that for a whi-OW! Cut it out! Eep So NOT!" There came a light stomping on the floor. "getawaygetawaygetaway!" She called to the bedroom. "William! Stop laughing and bring me a pair of long socks too!"

In the bedroom, William tried to stop laughing long enough to fish a pair of Kim's crew socks from the second drawer of the dresser. He then started for the living room with those and her black "ninja" slippers, some disinfectant lotion, and a small bandage.

Kim had moved to the tall chair by the breakfast nook, her legs drawn up. "I retreated," she said with a "save me" expression. William handed the slippers and socks to her and unscrewed the cap from the disinfectant. Kim held out her hurt foot while bringing up he other, slipping a sock over it, then sliding her sweatpants up and pulling the sock along her calf. William spread a couple dabs of disinfectant on her toe, then tore open the wrapper on the bandage and let the adhesive take to Kim's skin, smoothing his fingers around her toe to finish the dressing.

He then cradled Kim's heel in his hand, bringing her foot up and kissing the very tip of her toe. "I've done all I can," he said with a mock swipe of his brow. "Now it's all up to the medicine."

Kim gathered the other sock to the toe, and slid it slowly over the new bandage, then repeating she same sequence she she did with her other leg, letting the elastic of her sweatpant leg snap softly against her ankle. She then put on her slippers, running her finger around each heel to snug them into place. "I hope she's just curious, and doesn't make a habit of this," she said. "Hey - how come she's not attacking you?"

"Well," started William. "First of all, I still have my shoes on. No unprotected toes to tempt her with. Second, we have an understanding. We talked on the way home." William then chuckled softly, adding, "Thirdly...I told her you taste better."

"What? How could you tell her that?" she giggled. "You don't speak kitty cat."

William grinned wide. "Oh...don't I?" he said. He punctuated this by slowly letting his tongue slip between his lips.

"Yeah, but--" Kim started. Her eyes then widened and her mouth dropped open with a long slow gasp. William continued to grin and went into the kitchen as Kim blushed and turned to put her arms on the counter, her brow lowering. "Evil," she muttered. "Just evil."

"Not evil," chuckled William, reaching into the cupboard next to the stove. "In fact...I'm about to arm you against your new playful foe." He brought out a small plant sprayer, setting it next to the sink. He then got a marker and some tape from the drawer, scribbling something onto a length of tape and placing it on the side of the sprayer. He filled the bottle with water, twisted on the "trigger" cap, and brought it over for Kim.

Kim read the label William had made. "Tabby Taser??" she said, starting to giggle.

"Guaranteed to aid in Kitten Training 101," said William. "Try it out."

Kim hesitated for a moment, noting Angel across the room. She lowered her foot to the floor and waited. Sure enough, the temptation got to Angel, and she peered around the corner of the couch. She crouched when she spotted Kim's foot, setting her hind feet for traction. Suddenly she lunged forward in a dash toward the slipper. Kim leveled the bottle at the kitten, squeezing the trigger firmly. "NOT this time!" Kim burst out as the spray hit Angel square in the face. She jumped straight back, the same way she came, twisting in mid-air and landing on her back - then flipped to her feet and tore for the bedroom.

"Yes!" Kim laughed. "My poor toes are saved!"

William handed Kim a towel from the back of the chair. "Now you must be tough, but fair," he said.

Kim took the towel, agreeing and starting down the hallway to the bedroom, making kiss noises. "Angel...c'mere...I'm sorry, but you have to learn that my feet are so not a teething toy." She returned with the kitten in her arms, gently patting her face with the towel. Angel started to poke at the towel - then suddenly jumped a little, her paws around Kim's neck and licking her under the chin. Kim returned to the chair, snickering a little. "She's tickling me," she said, jerking slightly and giggling from the tiny rough tongue against her skin.

William went into the cupboard by the refrigerator and pulled out a can of chicken noodle soup, showing it to Kim. "Please and thank you," she chimed, and William got a saucepan from the lower cupboard by the stove, and placed it on a burner. He then put the soup can under the opener and poured the contents into the pan, adding a can of water. He turned on the burner, then turned to Kim, who was still in the chair, letting Angel rub against her face. "Quite the little motor she has," Kim said, feeling Angel purr against her cheek. Suddenly Kim coughed and spit at the air, holding the kitten away from her face. She pinched at the front of her lips, pulling off a hair and looking at it.

"Cat hair," said William. "Since she's a long-haired cat, we'll have to get used to that during the warmer months."

"Sheds bad?" asked Kim.

"Honey...we'll be bringing stuff home from the store and finding her hairs in it before we even open it. It's a cat thing. I don't know how they do that."

Kim giggled, then held Angel up, studying her eyes. "Long-haired, huh? What breed is she?"

"That, my dear, is a purebred Angora," William said. "Or at least, that's what her papers say."

Kim looked over the kitten's puffy coat, stroking her slowly. "She'll get puffier?"

William chuckled. "Ever see a marshmallow with eyes and a nose?" he asked. "Wait a year or so - you will. She's our new white pouf."

Kim laughed softly. "She'll probably need a lot of brushing."

"Yeah...but I think the pet shoppe included a brush in that box." William replied, turning to the stove to check the soup, stirring it slowly.

Kim reached down and placed the kitten on the floor, who went immediately into the kitchen for a little milk. "Wonder if I can find a website to find out more about the breed," she said. William leaned over the nook for a kiss. He then slid the plant sprayer to her. "Don't go unarmed," he smirked.

Kim slid from the chair, eyeing her path to the bedroom, clutching the sprayer in a two-handed grip. She stopped at the end of the couch, whipping to her left quickly, thrusting the sprayer at the floor in that direction. She did the same at the doorway to the kitchen. William stood in the doorway, and couldn't help snickering at his wife's new plight. Kim turned to him and wiggled her eyebrows. "I'm golden," she said, starting for the bedroom.

A white blur shot past William's feet, bounding down the hall toward Kim. William called out through laughter, "Angel Claw at six o'clock low!" This caused Kim to turn quickly with a "Yeek!" and continue toward the bedroom, walking backward with the sprayer trained on the kitten. She made the mistake of taking small quick steps as she moved, further teasing Angel into action. She sprang toward Kim as she dove onto the bed. Angel leaped and grabbed the bedspread about halfway up, clawing to get to the top. Kim had turned around and laid on her stomach, and met the kitten with a "Boo" and a puff of breath. Angel sprang backward, meeting the floor with a thump, and racing down the hallway into the living room.

William peeked around the corner. Kim had curled her feet in the air; she folded her hands in front of her and rested her head on them, sticking out the tip of her tongue in a playful manner, and wiggling her eyebrows again. Then she rolled off the bed to her feet, pulling the chair away from the desk. "Let me know if you find anything good," William called, and he went back to stir the soup again.

6:50 PM.
William turned off the stove and retrieved two bowls from the cupboard, ladling soup into each, and set them on the nook. He then sprinkled a pinch of paprika over each bowl. He called down the hallway as Angel brushed past his feet. "Kim...it's soup."

Kim came from the bedroom with a small stack of papers. "Impeccable timing, Mr. Hodge," she said as she sat again in the tall chair on the living room side of the nook. "I found a site with some good info, and printed it out." She placed the papers on the nook, and leaned slightly to take in a deep breath of the soup's essence. "Mmm, this smells yummy, William," she said, picking up her spoon.

William had taken one of the apples from the refrigerator and set it on the counter, pressing a slicer onto it and pushing until it reached the counter. The apple fell into eight wedges, the core still standing. He put the slices onto a small paper plate and the core into the trash, and sat to eat with his wife.

Kim immediately reached for one of the apple slices, biting into it and succumbing to the juicy richness. "MMmmm...I sooo needed this...fresh, crisp and coooold." She took another bite.

William began to eat his soup, turning the papers and reading them. "The Turkish Angora is a quick-witted, quick-moving, and sometimes quick-tempered cat. They are highly intelligent, and not above manipulating their owners to get what they want. An Angora can teach you to play fetch, or to turn on the faucet when she wants a drink."

"Intelligent and manipulative," echoed Kim. "Perhaps we should have named her Shego."

William chuckled and read on. "Turkish Angoras make wonderful pets. They are among the most intelligent of the cat breeds. They love their owners with a single minded devotion. They adore running and playing with wonderful grace and a great zest for living."

"And toeing," added Kim with a mock sulk.

"Well, here's some good news...'Their single, silky, medium length coats shed less than most other breeds and need only occasional grooming to look good'."

"Single?"

"A lot of long-haired cats and dogs have what's called an 'undercoat' - it's a layer of fur under what you see. It can make grooming kind of a chore. But apparently, Angoras don't have one."

"Cool," replied Kim. She picked up her spoon to start on her soup again. Angel had joined her, sitting at the base of her chair, looking up at her with her tail swishing back and forth. Kim looked down, offering her hand. Suddenly, she sprang nearly to Kim's leg. Kim moved her hand quickly under the kitten, and it clamored the rest of the way. Kim put her legs together, and Angel first looked at her with a "mew," then turned, smelling the soup. "Did you see that?" asked Kim. "She almost made it all the way up here by herself...so Spider-Man."

"Yeah," said William. "Says here they're graceful jumpers. She probably won't need a hand up when she's fully grown." Kim nodded, going back to her soup while stroking slowly over Angel's head. She responded by meeting Kim's hand as it came down, rubbing the top of her head against the heel of her hand.

"Oh, I haven't told you yet," Kim said, dipping her spoon again. "During my second nap, I...'heard' from Angelica again."

"Well, you were busy with the 'new arrival' and all," William said. "Did she say anything?"

"She said the same thing about how I've been feeling that you said about the test...that I'm worrying over nothing, and it will all go away soon enough."

"Well, she would know, if anyone does," smiled William.

"She also said she was very proud of me...with the job and all." Kim took another spoonful of soup. "Then she said something kind of strange...she said I was her 'favorite baseball player'...and that she never has to wait long for me to get another 'hit'."

William smirked a bit at this. "I wonder if she saw that grounder you took from Angel."

Kim looked down at the kitten, who had curled up in her lap, her head resting near her knees. "Awww...she's asleep." Just the very tip of Angel's bushy tail twitched ever so slightly.

7:08 PM.
They had finished their soup, and William took the bowls, putting them in the sink. Kim reached for another slice of apple, biting into it and savoring the taste. William came back to the nook and took a slice as well. "Feel like a little backgammon while dinner settles?" he asked.

"Sure," smiled Kim. "If you don't mind getting it from the bedroom. I'm still a little tied down here," she said, pointing to her lap.

"You bet," said William, placing the apple slice between his teeth and going to the bedroom, returning with the backgammon set. He opened it on the nook and they set about putting the pieces in place for a game. William put his dice into his cup. "Say...did you ever hear back from Wade about how you're feeling?" he asked.

"Ohmigosh," Kim blurted. I hadn't heard anything by the time I laid down for the second nap...and I haven't checked since you've been home. I should do that now." She leaned down, speaking softly. "Angel...want to sleep on the couch? I have to get up." She slipped her hands under the kitten, balancing her while she remained in her curled position, and reached across the back of the couch to set her down at one end, next to a small pillow. She then went to the doorway of the kitchen, her hand extended to take William's. William brought the plate with the last two apple slices, and they went to the bedroom. Kim sat at the desk and opened the mail program while William sat on the edge of the bed. A couple of messages appeared in Kim's inbox.

peep-peep-be-deep

William raised an eyebrow and looked at Kim, who burst into a giggle. "I found a sound file of the Kimmunicator on the Web," she said. "I set it up as the sound for new mail arriving." She gave an "Aren't I cute" smile and fluttered her eyes, her teeth showing.

"Works for me," chuckled William.

Kim turned back to the screen. There was a message from one of the people she emailed in reply to mail she got while they were on vactaion. The other was from Wade. "Here we are," she said, clicking on the message to open it, and she read for a moment. "Whoa!" she exclaimed. "Check this out...Wade says that he printed out the email I sent, and gave it to Misty...and the Cross Agents have been in a 'high-level meeting' ever since. He hasn't heard anything since this morning...but he'll let me know the minute he hears anything."

"Hmmm. Anything else?"

"Yeah...he says something about a Celler's physical makeup while in the Flesher environment." She scanned for a moment. "Other than the obvious differences in physical appearance...and our 'core temperature'...everything is more or less the same as Fleshers, when we're here."

"Well, we knew that about some parts of your anatomy," grinned William. Kim went into a deep blush at this, then smiled back at her husband. "Core temperature?" he asked.

"Yep. He says the normal temperature of a Celler is about six degrees higher than that of a Flesher."

William stood and went into the bathroom. "What are you doing?" asked Kim.

"I'm curious," he replied, coming back into the bedroom with a thermometer. He shook it a couple of times. "Open wide," he said. Kim complied, and closed her mouth after William slipped the thermometer under her tongue.

They waited for a moment. Angel padded into the room, yawning widely. Kim looked at her, then at William, smiling and winking. William patted the bed, and Angel readied herself, leaping and just catching the top of the bed with her front claws. William gave a little pat under her rear to help her the rest of the way, and she slowly explored the bedspread, sniffing. She ended up near Kim's pillow and sat, watching.

After a few minutes, William reached for the thermometer as Kim moved her face toward his hand, presenting it. He squinted and held the thermometer up, turning it slightly. "106," he said. "Not too bad - for a Celler, I guess...would be pretty severe for a Flesher, however." He shook the thermometer again, and slipped it back into its case, placing it on the desk - then stood, placing his palm against Kim's forehead. "Hmm," he said after a few seconds.

"Hm?"

"I guess I've gotten so used to your warmth, I wouldn't be able to tell if you had a fever or not, just from feeling you."

Kim reached for William's hand and lowered it over her mouth, softly kissing his palm. "Are you...sure about that, Mr. Hodge?" she said as a devilishly warm grin spread over her face. "If I remember right, you left the home fires at a low broil this morning." Her kisses moved to the inside of his wrist, the soft tip of her tongue caressng his skin.

"Ohhhhh boy," William nearly whispered. "I do remember an incident similar to that, now that you mention it." Kim reiterated her case by easing the tip of her tongue back along William's palm, and following one of his fingers to the tip. She held that hand in hers and stood, slowly teasing her tongue back and forth in a fluid motion over the fingertip, looking up at William, her eyes shimmering with building passion - then closing as William moved to press his lips to hers. She met his kiss, taking in a breath, her hand sliding up to his temple, the fingers losing themselves in his locks.

Kim lost that breath, escaping with a whimper against William's kiss. Their tongues met and slowly danced and weaved, playing like two sleepy kittens over a ball of yarn. William then trailed kisses along her jawline, tracing to her ear, and lightly exhaling over it. "Williammm - please," Kim's voice echoed in his ear, deep and quivering slightly as her fingers moved to the back of his head, curling against his scalp. She pressed further against her husband's body, and she could feel his breathing become fuller, quickening just a bit as she hinted him backward toward the bed.

William's knees touched the edge of the bed, and they sank to it as if correographed, William reclining to his back, Kim sliding with him, bringing up first one knee, then the other. Kim pulled back for a moment, undoing William's tie and sliding it from his collar as he undid the top button. Kim then returned to his embrace, continuing the kiss as she slipped two more buttons free--

-mew-

They both turned to look. Angel had awakened and walked to the couple, sliding against their upper arms. They looked back to each other, with Kim breaking the silence first. "I don't think the baby has to see this, do you?" she smirked slightly.

"Not to mention probably giving a play-by-play critique," added William.

Kim rose from the bed, taking Angel into her arms and placing her on the floor and patting her on the rear. Angel mewed her protest - then padded down the hall to the kitchen for some food, as Kim watched for a moment before slowly closing the bedroom door.

to be continued....