Chapter 35

The next morning, perhaps because of Alex's observation of her behavior, Kitty acted a good deal nicer to Amelia.

Amelia, for her part, decided to lay off her matchmaker role. Kitty knew this was due to her threat, as well as Amelia's scare in the closet. Kitty watched each time she and Alex did something potentially "couple-ish", to see Amelia open her mouth to put in a word, only to stop short, casting an uneasy glance toward the nearest closet door. She would then shudder slightly, and shut her mouth completely.

The day started out nice and calm. Kitty got up from her chair at precisely noon unexpectantly, drawing a curious glance from Alex. She grinned at him, and mysteriously said that she had something important she simply had to do, and with that, disappeared out the door. Alex shook his head briefly, then shrugged and grinned. That was just the way Kitty was, he mused, and headed toward the kitchen to get himself some lunch.

Once outside, and away from the mansion, Kitty made her way quickly down to a, for the most part, deserted section of Montressor proper. "This will be perfect," she mumbled to herself. She then snapped her fingers sharply, and prayed to God that what she wanted to do would happen.

Seemingly right before her very eyes, a spark of bright yellow light appeared. It shimmered and grew steadily before the wondering Kitty. Then, to her absolute delight, the amorphous light began to take on a shape... a roughly humanoid shape of a very large figure. The figure stopped growing and began to coalesce into just what Kitty had hoped for, in her heart of hearts.

"It worked!" Kitty squealed happily, clasping her hands together in glee. She looked at the tall man standing there... a Cragorian of nearly giant proportions. "Good old Sylvester Arrow," Kitty murmured, wanting to throw up her hands and dance. He was back... Kitty and Amelia's friend, and the nearest thing Kitty had ever had to a father.

Arrow blinked, not quite understanding where he was until he felt something thump soundly into his chest, a pair of slender arms going about his waist.

"Arrow?" Kitty whispered. "Down here..."

Arrow didn't look down, as he was looking in wonder at his hand, where the last flicker of the bright yellow light winked out, disappearing. He smiled, then looked down to the slight woman doing her best to turn him into some gigantic teddy bear. "Hello there, Kitty," he rumbled happily, hugging her back... though very gently.

She looked up into his face, lines of happy tears streaming down her face.

"Kitty?" Arrow rumbled anew. "Why do you cry, dear?"

Kitty decided to leave that explanation for later on. "Because it´s so great to see you again, you big lug!" Kitty declared, wiping at her eyes.

"I am extraordinarily glad to see you again," Arrow told her.

"Ditto, Arrey," Kitty said, hugging him again.

"You have the most unusual way of saying things, Kitty," Arrow observed, which only made Kitty laugh.

The two old friends talked for a while. Kitty tried to explain why she had had to let him die, tears of sadness flooding her big blue eyes. Arrow, being the generous spirit he was, forgave her without hesitation, and soothed the distraught young woman's guilt. Once she composed herself once more, she explained to him just what had happened after he 'left' (she couldn't bring herself to say 'die' any more), and the shocking news that Amelia was now engaged to be married...and to none other than Delbert Doppler, PhD.

"So, since I just had to give Amy something special for her wedding day, I thought to myself, what would she want... more than anything? Well, that decided it right there! If I had the power to do it... I decided you would be my wedding gift," Kitty explained.

Arrow smiled, then chuckled merrily. "I daresay that the Captain will be sufficiently surprised, Kitty," he foretold, which caused Kitty to laugh and hug the big man again. "Now, now. Shouldn't we be off to see her then?" he said.

Kitty smiled and nodded happily, taking Arrow by the hand, and leading him back to the stately Doppler mansion.

"My goodness! I had no idea," Arrow proclaimed, whistled softly, just as Alex had done, at the size of the mansion. "Well, it appears that the Captain´s not in any immediate financial danger," he said cleverly, and Kitty had to laugh.

"No," she agreed. "If you think this is grand... ask her to see her engagement ring, Arrow. That sucker has a diamond that's bigger than the ring itself!"

Kitty led the way, taking Arrow by the hand, and they walked within. She heard Amelia's clear voice right away, and grinning mischieviously, she led Arrow over to stand just outside of Amelia's vision, leaving him with instructions that he was not to come before she called for him. He nodded and Kitty calmed herself, then walked sedately into the living room.

"Hey, Amy!" she called out loudly, and Amelia looked up from the conversation she was having with Sarah.

"Yes, Kitty?" she said, then added. "And, please don't call me 'Amy'... you know how I despise that."

Kitty grinned. "Right. Now... do you think it would be all right... if I, say, gave you your wedding gift, let's say, just a bit early?"

Amelia thought a moment, then smiled indulgently. "Of course you may, dear," Amelia said smiling at her.

"Good!" Kitty said and smiled, very mysteriously indeed. Amelia frowned at that look.

Kitty then whistled sharply just once, and Arrow walked into the living room, like Amelia's seeing him was an everyday sort of thing. He had to stifle a laugh as Delbert, Jim and Amelia all looked at him as if he were a ghost. "Ah, Good morning Captain," he greeted her cordially. "Am I not correct in hearing that congratulations are in order?"

Amelia shot out of her chair in a flash, dashing over to Arrow to throw herself into his arms, hugging him around his chest just as Kitty had done. "Oh Arrow! Is it really you?" She asked, afraid to hope.

"Yes, Amelia... it's really me," Arrow assured her, bending down to gently kiss her upon her brow.

Amelia began to weep happy tears, her tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Arrow, I´ve missed you!" she managed to whisper after a while.

"I know. As I have missed you too, my Captain," Arrow said, hugging Amelia back.

After a while, Amelia released her hold on Arrow, and she looked up wonderingly into his face.

Arrow ran the back of one thick finger against her smooth cheek. "My, my... I have gone for but a few months time, and already you´re developing into a glorious lady, my friend," Arrow told her.

Amelia could only smile and blush at his observation. Arrow smiled and continued. "Engaged to be married, and to a doctor, no less! And soon be a wife, as well! Will wonders never cease, I ask you?"

"Shut up, Arrow," Amelia countered, grinning. "You're making me blush."

Arrow chuckled, then added, "Who knows? Perhaps, one day, you´ll make me an uncle..."

Amelia smiled at that, then cast a loving glance Delbert's way. "Well, Arrow, old man... I can´t promise you anything, but I´ll see what I can do," she said.

Kitty, who by now had sat down next to Alex, laughed at that. Arrow heard her happy laughter, and looked over toward where she and Alex sat, and smiled. "So, Kitty, I see you've brought back one more of your old friends, hmm?"

"Oh, shut up, Arrow," Kitty said, blushing deep red.

Now it was Alex's turn to laugh, though he did so quickly, so as to not embarrass Kitty any longer. Arrow smiled, then held out his hand to him. "A pleasure to see you again, Alexander," Arrow said.

"Same here, Mr. Arrow," Alex said. "After what Kitty told me, I´m lucky to be able to meet you at all."

"Well," Arrow said with a smile towards Kitty. "Well, I've always said thank heaven Kitty fell in with us."

Amelia, Alex, Arrow and Kitty all laughed in rememberance, while Delbert, Jim and Sarah just looked strangely at them all. "Excuse me," Delbert ventured. "But why do I feel as if I'm missing something here?"