Chapter 29
The carriage ride to Delbert's home was picturesque as Kitty looked around, seeing the sights, as it were. The landscape here on the planet Montressor was beautiful. All right...so maybe it wasn't Earth or even Felinesia, but despite its ruggedness, it was still quite breathtaking.
Just when Amelia began to drowse comfortably beside Kitty, the Doctor brought the carriage to a stop. "Ah, here we are," Delbert proclaimed to the ladies. "Home sweet home..."
Kitty's eyes widened at seeing Delbert´s home for the first time...and that was even though she already had an idea of what to expect. Amelia gaped in amazement at the size of the Doppler mansion, a bit wide-eyed for her part.
"Well," Delbert said as he dismounted, patting the slug-like bullyadous, who had the rather exotic name of Delilah. "Shall we go and meet the others then?"
Amelia was to just about to ask just who these 'others' were when she remembered Kitty showing her and Arrow the part of her 'movie' where the pirates had burned down the Benbow Inn. Delbert gallantly offered her his hand to assist her out of the carriage. She smiled and laid her slender hand in Delbert´s before stepping down. "Yes, Doctor, let us meet the others," she told him. Amelia stood patiently by while Delbert offered to help Kitty down, but she refused politely and leapt down on her own.
Delbert led them inside the mansion, and into the large foyer. "Hello! Sarah? Jim? We're home!" Delbert called.
Sarah Hawkins appeared moments later, along with her son Jim in tow.
Delbert was nervous, yet excited. "Um, Sarah...this is Captain Amelia. Oh...and her Second Officer and sister, Kitty Petro," Delbert said, indicating Amelia with a wave of his hand, and oh yes, a goofy smile. He then shook his head, and rapidly introduced Kitty as well to Sarah and Jim.
"A pleasure to meet you both," Sarah said politely, smiling and shaking of their hands in turn. "My Jim has told me a lot about the both of you. Thank you, Captain...Ms. Petro, for getting Jim home."
"Our pleasure, Mrs. Hawkins, really," Amelia said graciously, but grimaced a bit as she leaned forward to shake hands with Sarah. "As to your Mr. Hawkins here, well, he was---how shall I put this?---instrumental in getting all of us home in one piece."
Sarah noticed Amelia grimace of pain. "Oh, you poor thing! Jim told me you were injured by those wretched pirates...and, stop shushing me, Delbert Doppler. You really didn't expect Jim to keep those sort of things from his own mother now, did you?" Sarah said, glaring crossly at Delbert when he tried to move off the subject.
Both Amelia and Kitty looked over at Jim, who seemed to be trying to shrink into the shadows. Sarah saw their expressions and interceded on her son's behalf. "Now, don´t be cross with him," Sarah said. "I wanted to know." Sarah then turned toward Kitty. "Ah, so you're Captain Amelia's sister, are you?"
"Yep, that's me, Mrs. Hawkins," Kitty quipped, the rascal still. "And, it´s nice to meet you too."
"Don't mind her, Mrs. Hawkins," Amelia interrupted, giving Kitty a look. "Her sense of humor takes, well, some getting used to..."
"Please...the both of you! Just call me Sarah," Sarah pleaded, but smiled.
"Well," Delbert began, moving over beside Amelia's left side. "I suppose we should get a bit of a move on, hmm? Let me show you your rooms."
As the three filed past the living room, Amelia nearly fainted from shock. The doctor's living room was rather untidy...especially in the area around the bookshelves that lined the walls. Books littered the ground, the end tables, the coffee tables, etc.
"Whatever's the matter?" Delbert asked, clearly concerned.
"Don't mind her, Doctor," Kitty replied, giving Amelia a glare. "You see, our Amelia here is what you might call a bit of a perfectionist. She's never been able to tolerate messiness."
"Oh dear," Delbert said, wringing his hands. Evidently, he understood all too well just how his living room must appear.
"Not to worry, Doctor," Amelia said, after taking a deep breath. "I´ll survive quite nicely, thank you." She eyed Kitty with a glare of her own.
"Thank heavens for that. Now, shall we continue then?" Delbert asked. They both nodded, and followed him up the long semi-circular staircase. The house was absolutely huge...and in need of at least a good spring cleaning, Kitty observed after a bout of choking on the dust.
"Ah, here we are at last," Delbert proclaimed with a smile. This section of the house seemed to be in fairly good order, and recently cleaned. Kitty figured Sarah Hawkins must of had something to do with that. The Doctor opened the door to the first room, and bade the ladies to enter. Once inside, both Amelia and Kitty whistled in suprise. The room---like many in the Doppler mansion---was huge, with a midnight blue ceiling with tasteful renditions of all sorts of stellar phenomena, such as yellow-white stars, blue-white quasars, brightly colored nebula...there was even a comet to be found. "Now, Captain," Delbert proclaimed, rather proudly. "This will be your room...er, at least for the duration of your stay here, that is."
"Hmm," Amelia mused, a small smile on her lips. "I think I shall be most comfortable here, Doctor. Thank you." She then put her space bag down, and looked about her new abode.
Delbert grinned in pleasure. He looked over to Kitty, his expression a bit vacant though thoughful. Without even looking back to Amelia, he added a bit absent-mindedly. "Now, my room is right across the hall for yours, should you need any assistance with anything."
Kitty couldn't let such an opportunity to pass by without some sort of comment. "Like having the Doctor tuck you in at night, hmm?" Kitty whispered her suggestion in Amelia's ear, grinning.
Amelia said nothing, but gave Kitty an irritated glare. Kitty grinned, as she didn't fail to notice Amelia's rather fetching blush.
Apparently, Delbert missed this too, which was just as well. "Well then, now to your room, Kitty," Delbert said, leading both of them back out into the hallway. He led them both down the hall to the very next room. "Ah, here we are! You'll notice that it´s right here next to the Captain's." Delbert opened the door with a small bow, and ushered them in.
Kitty, her eyes wide in anticipation, headed inside and once she saw her room, she gasped softly in surprise. The room was nearly as large as Amelia' had been, but the walls here consisted of one very large mural of some unknown jungle inhabited by various and most exotic creatures. Some of these creatures Kitty had never seen before, but then again, some she recognized instantly. Especially the ones that she had been introduced to in Amelia's lessons for her. She spotted a panthyger (half- panther, half-tiger) on one wall, lying in wait behind some tall grass. On another side of her room, she spotted a snolo (which was essentially a blue lion, sporting an icy-blue mane). She decided then to venture a look up, and on the ceiling the sky was skillfully represented. And, in that sky, she quickly discerned a cloud which reminded her of a Pegasus.
"So...do you find it to your liking?" Delbert asked, just a bit tentatively. After all, Kitty had yet to utter a single word.
"Like it?" Kitty answered, gazing all around. She turned to Delbert and shook her head. "Nope. Sorry." Delbert's face fell, and his droopy ears drooped more in his disappointment.
"Hang on, Doc," Kitty was quick to add. "I don't like it...I love it!"
Delbert's hang-dog (sorry!) expression turned bright with obvious relief. "Well, that's wonderful! I did---I confess---hope you would enjoy this. I know that I am rather fond of it myself, Kitty..."
"So do I, Doc," Kitty said with a grin. "So do I..."
Delbert grinned like a proud father. "Well, you see, this room was commonly used as a guest room," Delbert explained. "It all started with one of the guests who stayed here overnight. He turned out to be a rather talented young man, and it was he who composed the initial sketches of the mural on the wall...that wall in fact." Delbert pointed to the wall with the panthyger on it. "Since then, other guests have added to the mural...incorporating creatures from their home worlds, or even from their own mythology, I suppose..."
Kitty was still taking it all in eagerly. "So, Doctor...may I add to the mural too then?" Kitty asked.
"But of course you may, Kitty," Delbert allowed.
"Thanks!" Kitty replied, her imagination already working overtime. "I'll start right now, if it's all the same to you both..." As Delbert and Amelia both watched to their wonder, Kitty moved over to a currently vacant part of the jungle, and nodded to herself. She then snapped her fingers, and a collection of drawing and painting supplies appeared, seemingly from nowhere. "Now, shoo...the both of you! I´ll let you know when I´m finished," Kitty declared.
Delbert smiled indulgently. Amelia had been right, he mused to himself. Kitty might be a rogue, but she was a rather endearing one. "Yes, Ma'am," Delbert answered. "Shall we, Captain?" he then added, hooking his arm out to her.
Amelia was initially caught off guard. As a Captain, she was unused to gentlemen offering her their arms. So, she found herself staring at the Doctor a moment or two. But, then---as a young woman---Amelia found herself charmed by the Doctor's gallantry, and looped her arm inside the Doctor's and laid her hand upon his forearm. "Yes, I think so, Doctor. Kitty can be a rather determined young woman when she sets her mind on something." And, with that, the two of them---arm in arm---strolled out of the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.
"Sheesh, I thought they'd never leave," Kitty jokingly groused, before she started painting two tigers, her absolute favorite animal from Earth. She also drew them to more than a little resemble Delbert and Amelia. The tigeress that sported Amelia's features rested her proud chin upon the shoulder of the lying tiger who so resembled Delbert, who similarly rested his chin upon the Amelia-tiger's shoulder. Kitty crafter her work so that the two tigers' tails were laid tip to tip, arching about to form the shape of a heart. One last touch to her masterpiece, Kitty drew in then painted a glorious sunset behind the couple, the reddish pink light forming yet another heart, done up in colors that only a sunset can produce.
Kitty reviewed her work, and nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm, not too shabby, this," she remarked to herself when she had finished. With another sharp snap of her fingers, the floor---as well as herself---was clean of paint. She opened a window to allow whatever paint fumes there might be to escape, and moved to just before the door.
She then changed her mind, grinned, then teleported herself down to the living room, where Delbert and Sarah where busy cleaning. Kitty spotted Amelia sitting in a large stuffed chair, drowsing peacefully.
"Hey there, Doc," Kitty said by way of greeting, grinning impishly from just behind the good Doctor.
Delbert nearly jumped out of his skin. "Kitty! What in heavens?" Delbert yelped, putting a hand over his hammering you and Mrs. Hawkins use some help?" Kitty asked.
Delbert smiled, thankfully. "Why yes, that woud be quite nice, Kitty. Thank you," Delbert said.
"No problem, Doctor," Kitty replied, then simply snapped her fingers, instantly transforming the messy living room---why, the entire mansion, in fact---from messy to immaculate. "You´re welcome. Don't mention it, really," Kitty said humbly, her expression noble. "Oh, hey! Nearly forgot to tell you all. I finished my painting...if you're interested in seeing it, of course..."
"Goodness, yes! Though, I am a bit surprised you've finished already, Kitty. Shall we proceed then... and see what you've come up with?" Delbert ventured.
Kitty looked over to the still drowsing Amelia. "Coming, Amelia?" Kitty asked, as Delbert and Sarah turned to wait for her.
Amelia snapped awake, then nodded. "Of course, dear. Do lead on," Amelia said and getting up from her comfy chair.
When they all climbed the stairs to Kitty´s room, Kitty stood dramatically by her door, then opened it with a flourish, and bade them all to enter.
Amelia's eyes widened in surprise at Kitty's work. "Great Horton's Nebula!" she proclaimed. "I say, Kitty...this is some of your best work yet, I daresay."
Delbert then spotted the newest addition to the room's mural. "Astounding, Kitty! Those tigers of yours are magnificent. Say...what is it about that fellow that seems so familiar?" he observed, moving closer to take a closer look, as did a rather unsettled looking Amelia, who cast a look Kitty's way.
Sarah had to smile, as she caught on. She moved closer to Kitty, leaning over to whisper, "So...you've seen it too, hmm?" she asked.
Kitty grinned, and shrugged. "Well...I have been around them the entire voyage, you know...and afterward, of course," Kitty admitted, winking roguishly to Sarah.
Delbert looked to the tigers, then couldn't help himself and cast a glance to Amelia. Amelia had arched an eyebrow when she realized one of the tigers looked very much like herself. The other eyebrow joined its mate a moment later when she saw the heart the tigers' tails made...as well as the subtle heart shaped sunset that loomed behind the two reposing felines. Amelia could not bring herself to return Delbert's inquiring look at first. But, eventually, as if drawn there magically, she did... and promptly blushed like a teen-ager.
"Like it, Amelia?" Kitty asked, before she laughed softly aloud.
Amelia knew she should be furious with Kitty, and yet... somehow she found herself not. "Rather nice work, actually, Kitty dear. Where ever did you get the inspiration for these two delightful additions to the mural?" Amelia asked with a very subtle grin of her own. She then flicked her glance over to Delbert, who had just put two and two together, then gasped and blushed himself.
"Oh my," Delbert said aloud, putting his hand over his mouth.
Amelia couldn't help herself and giggled softly, which was soon joined by Sarah's own giggle. Kitty now wiped her eyes from her tightly controlled laughter, and nearly laughed out loud when she spotted Delbert's rather goofy grin.
Sarah decided to take pity on them all. "All right everyone. It's time for lunch. Let's go!" she commanded, turning first Kitty, then Delbert and Amelia around and ushering out the door toward her kitchen...