Chapter 33

When Alex saw the Doppler mansion, he whistled in wonder.

"Delbert's an astrophysicist, you see," Kitty said by way of explanation. She reached the door, opened it, and led him inside. As they made their way along to the living room, Kitty asked Alex to stay out of sight until she whistled for him. She then headed into the living room, and Alex, from his vantage point, could clearly hear the Captain's distinctive voice.

"Well, Kitty... are you finished with that invitation of yours?" Amelia asked, the barest hint of a smile on her lips, as she sat beside her Delbert.

"Yeah, you could say that... but, I think I've done better," Kitty said mysteriously.

"Better, you say? And, just how could you manage that particular feat, dear?" Amelia asked.

Alex heard Kitty's whistle then, and he made his way to lean cleverly against the frame of the door, so that everybody could see him. He spotted the Captain at once, seated beside a distinguished looking canid gentleman. She looked as he remembered her. Even that little smirk she always wore when she saw Kitty and him in the same room, he noticed. "Good morning, Captain," he greeted her, bowing his head respectfully.

"Ah, Alexander, how good to see you again," Amelia greeted him in return, getting to her feet and coming over to shake his hand. "It has been a rather long time, don´t you agree?"

"Of course, Captain. It´s good to see you again," Alex smiled as he saw the striking engagement ring on her finger. "I see congratulations are in order then, Captain?" he said, smirking.

"Thank you, young man. That's very nice of you to say," Delbert replied, smiling as he came up behind Amelia, putting his arms around her waist. Amelia smiled a genuine smile, then leaned over to kiss his cheek affectionately.

"Hmm, then you'd be Doctor Doppler, I trust?" Alex asked. Delbert nodded, pleased to be recognized. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure is all min, Mr. Dalley," Delbert said. "A friend of Kitty's is a friend of mine. Besides which, Amelia have told us all a great deal about you. All of it good, I assure you..."

"Which means none of it's true, of course," Kitty teased, but sent a scowl at Amelia. Alex and the Doctor both chuckled appreciatively.

"Of course, dear. Whatever you say," Amelia said.

Alex laughed good-naturedly. "So, she still hasn't given up at playing matchmaker, hmm?" he asked.

"Nope, Alex... some things never change," Kitty replied. "Now, come on and I´ll show you to your room."

"Oh, Kitty? The room next to yours is free for him to use," Amelia suggested.

Kitty grit her teeth, scowling. "Amelia, if you don´t can the clever remarks, I swear I am going to stuff you inside a cupboard!" Kitty warned her voice full of menace.

"Testy, testy. Understood," Amelia told her.

Sarah frowned, not understanding the cryptic commentary. "Lock you inside a cupboard?" Sarah asked.

"Look Sarah, Amelia has acute claustrophobia," Kitty said. "Just lock her inside any room smaller than six square meters, and she'll start hyperventilating and sweating in just moments." And with that remark, Kitty turned on her heel and led Alex up to his room.

Jim turned to Amelia, his eyes still a bit wide. "I can't believe it. You actually do have a weakness. Who'd of thought it?"

Amelia glared daggers at him for that.

"Okay, okay... don´t get all bent out of shape," Jim said and decided to leave, feeling uncomfortable under Amelia's emerald glare.

"Be nice, dear," Delbert advised her, before kissing his wife in affectionately.

"Very well... but only because you asked," Amelia replied, then turned and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

"Great... there goes my dinner," a voice stated from the door. Kitty had returned from apparantly showing Alex around in the house.

"Kitty, you are tweny-eight years old... if you cannot get used to engaged or married people kissing each other, then you´ll never find love anywhere," Sarah told her.

"Hey, that works for me... because if I have my way, I´m going to be a virgin until the day I die," Kitty proclaimed, which shocked nearly everyone... well, with the possible exception of Amelia, who had heard this all before.

"But, Kitty, your boyfriend would surely want to become a father someday, wouldn't he?" Sarah said, shocked.

"Well, as to that, here´s some news for you, Sarah. I´m never going to have a boyfriend, i´m never going to get married, I´m never having sex, and most importantly, i´m not having any children...period. End of story."

Sarah's eyes went wide with shock.

"Delbert, perhaps you could show Alex here to your observatory?" Amelia asked politely.

Delbert caught Amelia's look, and nodded, following her lead. "Of course! How thoughtless of me. Come along, Alex my boy... this you've got to see!" Delbert put a hand on Alex's shoulder and led the boy away, chatting all the while.

Amelia and Sarah turned toward Kitty. "Do sit down, Kitty," Amelia said, after locking the door to the living room.

"Sorry, I´d rather stand, thanks," Kitty said petulantly. Then she snapped her fingers, and a glass of cool water appeared, which she promptly gave to Sarah, who seemed as if she were going to faint any moment.

Amelia looked at Kitty in apparent exasperation. "Now, dear..." she began, but Kitty cut her off just as quickly.

"All right, before you start in on me, let's get a few things straight, okay? Here's what I find wrong with having a boyfriend. First off, all that kissing is revolting, and the very thought of having sex is absolutely disgusting," Kitty informed the two ladies rather bluntly.

Sarah looked over Kitty, her expression a bit put out with Kitty. "I see. So you don´t ever want to have a man that loves you for who you are; a man who will comfort you when your down, and who will let you know your always there for him...all because you don´t like kissing?" she asked, shaking her head in dismay.

Kitty was in a foul mood suddenly. "That all sounds great, true. But, I got two words that will counter your argument, Sarah," Kitty growled, turning on her. "Leland Hawkins."

Sarah gasped, and tears appeared in her eyes, her face going deathly pale. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Sarah got to her feet. In a shaky voice, she politely told the two felinids, "If you'll both excuse me a moment..." and rushed from the room, closing the door behind herself.

Amelia now turned to Kitty, her green eyes blazing. "Now that was most uncalled for, Kitty!" she hissed.

Kitty was unmoved... though, deep inside she was a bit sorry for making Sarah so upset. But, she stuck to her guns. "See?" Kitty said. "What did I tell you? I don´t want to risk anything like that happening...ever."

"Come now, Kitty," Amelia attempted to reason. "Not all men are like Sarah's husband. Most of them are rather good people, really. For example, you do know that Alex isn't like that, don't you?" Amelia said.

That was exactly the wrong thing to say to Kitty that moment. "I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH ALEXANDER DALLEY!" Kitty screeched at the top of her lungs, her face red with her fury. This was the first time she had really lost her cool.

"I see," Amelia said calmly in the brunt of Kitty's stormy reply. "And what your future plans... do you ever intend on marrying?"

"Amelia, you apparently haven't been listening to me. As I won´t have any boyfriends, just who in the hell do you think I´m going to get married to?" Kitty shot back a bit visciously.

"I stand corrected then," Amelia replied a bit stiffly, but stood her ground. "And what about your physical urges then? Hmm? Plan on carrying out your plans of not ever having sex then as well?"

"Damn straight! Look... In fact, er... never mind," Kitty said. "Sure, it nice to appreciate a guy from the waist up, but... lower than that, I think not," she said, shivering from the thought. "Besides, I don´t want any children... so that won't be a problem for me. And, before you even start, even with all the preventive pills and all that, there's nothing that's one hundred percent certain. So, the only way I would even think of having sex is if I had myself sterilized."

"But, Kitty... you don´t intend to do that, do you?" Amelia asked, truly stunned by the turn this conversation had taken.

"No can do, Sis. Way too expensive for me," Kitty informed her.

"I see. So, you are telling me that if it had been inexpensive, you would of had this done then?" Amelia countered, trying to figure out what was going on.

Kitty nodded emphatically. "You catch on quick, Amelia," Kitty said.

"So, then you shall never have children then, I take it? Doesn't that bother you... even a little bit?" Amelia asked gently, trying to elicit some maternal reaction from her dear sister.

Kitty snorted derisively. "No thanks. Children... all they are are small little screaming machines that will wake you up all night. And, if that weren't bad enough, you having to continually change stinking diapers all day, even into the wee hours of the dawn. And I won't even begin to tell you my feelings on breast feeding," Kitty remarked.

Amelia blinked several times during Kitty's dialogue, somewhat stunned at her friend's vehemence.

"Then, keep in mind that even before all that, you have to carry that thing inside your womb for three quarters of a year, and then when the time comes, essentially push it out, which has just got to feel feeling like your delivering an apartment building, complete with verandas? No, thank you... I´d rather not."

It was then that Sarah returned, looking better, but her cheeks were still a bit flushed. "So, have you made any headway with her, Amelia?" she asked.

"No, she has not, Sarah," Kitty informed her, crossing her arms before her chest. Amelia---with Kitty's razor sharp commentary---quickly filled her in.

"Kitty, please listen to me," Sarah pleaded, trying to get this girl to come to her senses. "I'll admit raising Jim was hard the first few months. But please think on this... here is a life, a brand new life that you helped to create. That baby will always be your child, a part of you. You have no idea how powerful and fulfilling that feeling was to me."

Kitty was still unconvinced. "I never will either," Kitty said stubbornly. "Sorry, Sarah, but that's only a part of it though, isn't it? If my memory serves me right, your 'bundle of joy' later on nearly had got himself a one way ticket to juvernile hall. I bet that was fun, huh?"

Sarha sighed. "What can I say, Kitty? No one is perfect," she reasoned.

"Exactly my point, you two!" Kitty said then triumphantly. "If that's the case, then kindly stop trying to tell me how to live my life!" Kitty said, then got to her feet, her held held high, and turned to walk out the door.

"Hmm, I'm of the opinion that didn't work nearly as well as we had hoped, Sarah," Amelia remarked to her friend. She then cleared her throat, and called out in her best quarterdeck voice. "Kitty Petro, halt! I want you here, front and center, immediately!"

Kitty's shoulders sagged, but she did turn back around and sullenly moved before Amelia, who stood scowling at her.

"It is your life---as you've so eloquently informed us both---but, that certainly does not give you the right to be rude and nasty to Sarah. She has shown you nothing but kindness since we've come here, and this is how you intend to repay her? I daresay the least you can do is to apologize for your hurtful remarks," Amelia demanded, driving each point home. Kitty winced, realizing that perhaps she had been a bit too forceful in trying to get her points across.

Kitty turned to Sarah, who was trying to look brave, but her blue eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears. Kitty hung her head, then sighed and turned around to face the music. "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, Sarah," Kitty told her, and meant every word of it. "But... you've got to realize that I don´t want a life as a wife or a mother. I´d much rather remain free, knowing that I can go where I want to without anybody being worried to death about me, and not having any responsibilities. Besides, I don't think I'd like---if they died---missing my husband or children. Sorry, Sarah... but that´s just not for me."

Sarah looked up into Kitty's equally blue eyes. "I understand that, Kitty. And, I do forgive you, dear... you were just angry," Sarah replied, kind as always. Even as Amelia nodded, and opened the door to let Kitty go, Sarah decided that what Amelia had told her had been true. Kitty was far too stubborn for her own good in things such as these. Sarah then smiled as Amelia sat down beside her, taking her hand, trying to help her into a better mood.