Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
Mark and Lisa's family is growing, faster than they thought. Despite that, they will be the type of parents, every kitten would want. Just wait and see.
Oh, for those who have recently Followed and or Favorited this not so little fic, I would normally be thanking you individually here and now. But since my email server has decided to die, I no longer have those messages. So a Big Thank You to all that are reading this and please leave a review.
On with the show!
Mark pulled into the driveway of their home. Lisa was in the Passenger's seat and Raphael and Katherine secured in their Car Seats in the back. Both parents turned around in their seats to see, Raphael playing with his sister, keeping her entertained and smiling. "He really loves his sister," Lisa stated, smiling widely at her children.
"He does, just like I do," Mark said. As he unbuckled himself, he said, "Let's get them inside. Your parents are waiting for their grand-kittens."
The two parents opened the rear doors of the small sedan and removed the kitten's from their seats.
Lisa now held Raphael in her arms, while Mark cradled Katherine in the crook of his right arm, while he went to the trunk to get Lisa's bag.
As he rounded to the back of the car, the front door to the house opened, revealing Fred and Ulysses. They both exited the house, quickly making their way to the car. Then Ulysses said, "You have your paws full with Very Delicate Cargo, Mark. Fred and I will get the bag. And don't go and tell me you can do both!"
"I can do both, very well, Commander," Mark said, flexing his muscles.
"Are you going to disobey an order from your Commander, Lieutenant?" Ulysses asked.
"I don't recall there being an order given, Commander," Mark stated.
"Will you two cut it out!" Lisa said. "Dear, I know you are very strong and can handle a lot. But you are holding your very young daughter in those arms of yours. Let Ulysses and my father help."
Fred had already removed Lisa's bag from the trunk and was closing it. "Mark, I may not be built like you and Ulysses are. However, I can handle a simple bag."
"Alright. You can carry your daughter's bag," Mark said, then shifted Katherine to his paws, brought her to his face, and kissed her. "I can't believe I made something so beautiful."
"She's half mine, Mark," Lisa stated.
Mark walked over to his wife, said, "That's quite obvious, Lisa. She looks just like her mother," and kissed Lisa.
"Too bad my parents are staying with us," Lisa said. "My lower body might me out of service, but I still crave to have my husband's gentle touch."
"I really didn't need to hear that," Ulysses said.
Mark and Lisa entered the house first and saw Callista must have been quite busy. All around the Living Room, were several bags containing Kitten Clothes, a Changing Table, a new crib, and all sorts of toys aimed for a Newborn. "Callista, we appreciate the gesture, but this is too much!" Lisa stated.
From the couch, she responded, "This is nothing, compared to what I gave my knights when they had families of their own." She rose to her feet and went over to Lisa. "You have saved my life, Lisa. If this were the Dark Ages, you would have been Knighted, and served me, right alongside Amelia."
"Callista, I may not know you, that well," Adrienne said. "But what is all this talk about Knighthood and being in the Dark Ages?"
Callista turned to face Adrienne, then answered, "That answer is very simple. I once was the Queen of these lands, many years ago."
"That's impossible!" Adrienne stated. "There is no way you were a queen, except maybe a Beauty Queen."
"Mother, I also didn't believe her, when she told me the exact same thing," Lisa said. "Callista has never lied to me, or anyone else. She once was the Queen of Megalith, and now, my dearest friend."
"I'm sorry, but I can't believe this tale. If she was the queen, she would have to be 400 years old!" Adrienne said.
"Adrienne, I'm flattered that you think I'm so young," Callista said. "I'm actually, over 500 years old. I age at a much slower rate than normal cats." She turned to Mark, and asked, "Mark, can you bring me the book I gave you, when you moved in?"
"Of course," he responded and turned to Ulysses. "Mind holding Katherine, Commander?"
Ulysses smiled from ear to ear, and said, "It will be my pleasure, Mark." He reached out with his large paw to him and waited for him to pass the kitten over.
"You be a good girl for your uncle, Kathy," Mark said as he handed his daughter over to Ulysses.
Ulysses took the kitten from him and gently brought her into his chest. He looked down at the tiny form in his large arms, and said, "I missed my chance with holding my own kittens. This feels so good, holding this little form that needs you for everything." He shed a tear from his right eye, as he looked down at the sleeping Katherine.
"Please excuse me, I'll be right back," Mark said and went upstairs to get the book, Callista requested.
Callista went over to her husband, wiped the tear away from his eye, then said, "I'm sort of jealous, dear. You managed to get to hold her, before I did. However, you're a natural at this."
"Thank you, dear," he said. "All the practice I had, holding and cradling my brother's kittens paid off."
Mark returned with the book in his left paw and said, "Here it is, Callista."
She went over to him and took the book. "Thank you. You may want to stand behind your mother-in-law so she doesn't end up on the floor, when she sees what I'm going to show her."
"I promise, I won't need to be caught," Adrienne said.
Callista opened the book to a page she knew contained a photo of her back when she was the queen with Esmeralda and Amelia by her side. She ran the fingers of her left paw over the faces of her dear friends. "This is me, with two of my best friends. It was painted about 375 years ago," she said.
Adrienne came over to where Callista was standing and peered at the book. On the page, was a picture of Callista, wearing one of her pink gowns with purple accents, Amelia was standing to her left, wearing her armor, and Esmeralda standing behind them. She looked up to Callista, then back to the page again, as disbelief took over. "That's you?" She nervously asked.
"Yes, that's me, and my two best friends Amelia and Esmeralda. Amelia was my Sergeant at Arms, who I loved like a sister, and Esmeralda was my faithful companion, who happened to be a dragon," Callista stated, with a smile.
"What you are saying, can't be possible!" Adrienne said. "This all sounds like stuff from stories meant for little kittens, spinning tales of Magic and Sorcery!"
"All those tales, were based on reality," Callista said. She closed the book and placed in on one of the end tables before turned to Adrienne, and saying, "Magic is a very large part of this family, Adrienne. Both your daughter and her husband know, very well who, and what I am. At first, Lisa was very afraid of me. However, she and I are now, very close. If things were different, I could see her as my granddaughter."
Lisa heard this and passed Raphael to her father. She went over to Callista, then asked, "Do you really mean that, Callista?"
Callista turned to her, and answered, "Of course! Callie couldn't dream up a better sister. Well, except for Felina. You three might as well be sisters, by blood."
Lisa hugged Callista, resting her head on Callista's left shoulder, and shedding a tear. "We may have had a rough start, Callista. But now, I can't see my life without you in it. I'm not sure if I could have lived up to your standards as a knight, but I love being your friend."
Callista hugged her back, and said, "I love you too, Lisa."
There was a knock on the back door, then Mark said, "I'll get it." He walked through the kitchen to the door and saw Sally, Larry, and Sarah on the other side. He opened the door, and said, "Come on in. Lisa's in the Living Room with her parents."
The three entered the house and as Mark went to close the back door, he heard a loud chuff. He looked up to see a very large Inferno staring back down at him. "Hi, Inferno," he said, followed by, "Um, Sarah. Why is he here?"
Sarah returned to the door, looked up, and said, "Inferno, down."
Inferno lowered his upper body so his face could be on the same level as Sarah's, then let out another chuff.
Sarah patted the left side of his face, and said, "He doesn't like to be alone, Mark. Isn't that right, Inferno?"
Inferno let out a sound which could be considered, a very deep purr at his mistress' touch.
Mark looked down at Sarah, and said, "Sarah, we all love Inferno. But Lisa's parents are here. Her father is finally getting used to being around Katerina and Tina, and now Kayla and Jessica. I really don't think, they are ready to know, a dragon is living across the street from their daughter."
Sarah stopped patting Inferno and turned her head to face him, then asked, "But why? Inferno is one of the kindest souls I know."
Mark slowly fell onto his right knee, reached out, and picked up Sarah. As he rose, Inferno narrowed his eyes at Mark, then let out a low growl of disapproval.
"Princess, why is he growling at me?" Mark asked.
Sarah wrapped her right arm around Mark's neck, turned her head to the left to face Inferno, and said, "Inferno, is very protective of me and my family. But he should know, you won't hurt hurt me." She reached out with her right paw, gently brushing it against Inferno's nose, and said, "Mark, is a friend, and my knight. I don't have a reason to fear him, in any way."
Inferno lifted his upper body, just enough to be able to look directly in Mark's eyes. Golden eyes peered into dark brown ones, telling Mark, nothing had better happen to Sarah, or he will answer to him.
Mark had been in precarious situations before, but to be on the wrong end of a threatening gaze, of a living, breathing, dragon, was something that scared him, even more than telling Lisa's parents she was pregnant. "I promise, she's completely safe here," he said.
Inferno's eyes opened widely once again, brought his face within inches of Mark's, then after a few seconds, he licked Mark, soaking his face in Dragon Spittle. Then backed away into the yard, and laying down.
"Yuck! Now I need a shower!" Mark said, while attempting to wipe away some of the Dragon Spit from his face. "How am I going to explain this to Lisa, and her parents?"
"Don't know," Sarah said. "You could tell them, the truth?"
He kissed Sarah on the cheek, then said, "Oh, I can see how that will go. I'll tell them I was kissed by a dragon, and Lisa's parents will just say, that's nice, dear."
Lisa and Callista eventually managed to get Adrienne to partially believe their story. "I'm still having a hard time, believing any of this," Adrienne said.
"Believe what you may, mom," Lisa said. "However, Callista was the queen, no matter what you say."
"It still sounds preposterous, Lisa," Adrienne stated.
"What will it take for you to believe what we are saying?" Callista asked.
"I don't know. There once was a myth, the queen had a companion, that was a black winged puma. You have any pictures of it?" Adrienne asked.
"Oh, I can do, much better than a picture!" Callista said. She tweaked her nose, then sat back on her haunches, and waited.
Ulysses was still holding Katherine in his arms when he went over to his wife, then whispered into her left ear, "What did you do?"
"Giving her, what she wanted," Callista answered. "Times five."
"You don't mean.." Ulysses said, then heard a knocking at the front door. "This is going to turn into a very interesting day."
Sarah went over to the door. She reached up with her left paw and turned the knob, opening the door to see Chance, with Callie pushing a stroller with the three girls. Her face lit up, then yelled in excitement, "Callie!" She ran the very short distance to Callie, embracing her tightly.
"I missed you too," Callie said, embracing her back. "Would you like to meet our daughters?"
"Oh yes!" Sarah answered.
Callie let her go, then walked with Sarah to the front of the stroller. "From the front to the back, they are, Mary, Callista, and Kate."
Sarah looked at the tiny kittens, mostly focusing on the light striping of their fur. "They are so beautiful, Callie. How do you tell them apart?"
Chance stood next to his wife, and answered, "Its not easy, Sarah. I still have a hard time figuring out, which daughter I'm holding. But if you look, real carefully, you can see, Callista has a tiny birthmark on her left cheek, and Mary's striping is slightly lighter than Kate's."
Sarah peered back into the stroller, carefully examining the very slight differences in the striping on the girls' faces. However, she still couldn't tell the difference between Kate and Mary. But she did see the tiny birthmark on Callista's cheek. "Are they all sorceresses, like you and Callista, Callie?"
"Per my grandmother, they all have the Family Gift, Sarah. We shouldn't use the term Sorceress around those who are not our closest friends," Callie answered.
"Oh," Sarah responded. Then said, "Lisa's parents are here! I'm sure they are going to want to see your kittens!"
Callie and Chance entered the house, with the stroller. But as soon as Sarah turned to enter, she felt a gust of wind behind her. She turned around and saw Persival with his three cubs standing behind her. "Persival!" Sarah shouted as she ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck.
Persival lowered his head to rest on Sarah's left shoulder and wrapped his wings around her, he said, "Mistress, Artemis and Osiris yearn to play with you again."
"As long as Callie and Chance don't mind me coming over, I'll gladly play with them, Persival. But what about Tobias? Doesn't he want to play with his brother and sister?"Sarah asked.
"Tobias is quite attached to his mother at the moment," Persival replied.
Since Isis didn't have wings, like the rest of her family, she had to carefully dart across the street, without being spotted. She stopped to the right of her mate, in time to hear him state, their son wanted to be with her more than roughhouse with his siblings. "Persival dear, there is nothing wrong with him being more, refined than Osiris and Artemis. He will still be a great protector to one of the kittens."
Persival removed his wings from Sarah, turned his head to the right to face his mate, then said, "That he will be, but with the grace of his mother, my love."
Isis affectionately rubbed her head against Persival's, and said, "Well said, my love." She lifted her head away from Persival, turning it to look over her left shoulder to her cubs, and said, "Come inside, little ones. We don't want to be spotted."
All three cubs trotted past their parents and entered the house. Osiris sat on his hind legs with his little wings folded tightly to his body, to the left of the stroller, right next to Mary. He was followed by Artemis, who sat on her hind legs, to the right of Callista. But once she was situated, she let out a mew. Tobias didn't want to be further apart from his charge, than possible. He had grown quite close to Kate, in the short time they have been together. Unlike his siblings, who were content to sit outside the stroller, he opened his wings at the last minute and flew into the stroller, landing to the left of Kate, and curling up into a ball next to her.
Chance kissed Callie, then said, "Lucky for us, Lisa's parents haven't seen the cubs yet. But Persival and Isis are much larger, they will surely be spotted, as soon as they enter."
"We'll cross that bridge, sooner than later, Chance," Callie said. "Eventually, they will been seen by them. Might as well get it over with now, in a more private setting, than out in public."
Persival bowed to Isis, and said, "After you, my eternal love."
Isis blushed ever so slightly, then kissed him on the cheek, and said, "I hope our cubs, speak as formally as you do, I find it, very sexy, Persival." She then slinked into the house.
Persival's stood Ramrod straight with his wings fully extended. He watched his mate, walk into the house, and said, "I find you, alluring and sexy as well, my dear, Isis." He followed right behind her, closing the door with his tail.
There was a blood curling scream originating from Adrienne, then her asking, pointing to Persival, "What is Bast's creation is that?"
Sarah wrapped her arms around Persival's neck, and answered, "He's one of my dearest friends, Mrs. Ericsson."
"How can you befriend, that, thing?!" Adrienne asked.
Isis growled, and said, "My mate is NOT a thing! Persival is the best thing to happen in my life! If it weren't for him, I would still be in a zoo, being a living cub incubator! I love him with all my heart and soul!"
"They can talk!?" Adrienne asked, on a yell.
Callista went to stand between Isis and Persival and placed her arms around their necks. "Of course! The Winged Puma was my familiar and guardian, Persival and the lovely jaguar to my right is his mate, Isis. They and their cubs watch over my granddaughter and her family," Callista said.
"You mean, they're more of them?" Adrienne nervously asked.
Isis turned her head to face the stroller, and said, "Children, please show yourselves to Lisa's mother."
Osiris and Artemis was the first to obey their mother's request. They let out a mew and trotted over to their parents, then sat in front of them.
"Osiris is the one who looks like his father and Artemis looks more like I do. Tobias, our other son, must be taking a nap next to his charge," Isis stated. She turned her body to the right and walked back to the stroller.
While Isis attempted to wake her son, Fred handed Raphael back to Mark and joined his wife in front of Persival, Osiris, and Artemis. She asked, as she stared at the little cubs, "They are kind of cute. What are their names again?"
Persival, bent forward, kissed Artemis, followed by Osiris, then answered, "My daughter is named, Artemis. My son is named, Osiris, milady." He righted himself, looking directly at Adrienne, and said, "I'm Persival, protector of the Furlong family. My mate, is Isis. My other son is named Tobias. He's quite attached to his charge, Mistress Kate couldn't ask for a better protector, and familiar."
"Familiar? Aren't familiars teachers and guides of witches?" Fred asked.
"Close, the term witch is meant to be one who practices the Art of Dark Magic. They too have Familiars, which align with their beliefs. Our mistresses practice Light Magic and use their abilities for the betterment of others. Our job is to guide them in the use of their abilities towards that betterment," Persival stated.
"Wait a minute! You're telling me, those three kittens are Witches?" Adrienne asked.
"Not Witches, Sorceresses. Just like myself and their mother," Callista answered.
Isis managed to wake Tobias from his slumber. He opened his eyes, then let out a growl of disapproval at his mother for being wakened.
"Don't you growl at me, Tobias! Get your tail out of there and join your brother and sister!" Isis ordered.
Tobias growled again, then unfurled his wings, and with a few rapid flaps, he left the stroller. He flew the short distance to his siblings, then landed to the right of Artemis.
Adrienne's eyes went as wide as they could as she witnessed Tobias' flight. She turned towards the kitchen, as she said, "I need some air."
She entered the kitchen and proceeded towards the Back Door. She twisted the doorknob with her right paw, opening the door, and unknowingly, awakening a sleeping Inferno.
Inferno cracked open his left eye, when he heard the backdoor open. And when his eye focused on a she-cat he didn't know, he lifted his body from the ground and went over to the porch to investigate.
Adrienne made sure the door was closed, then slowly turned around to face the back yard. But instead of trees and grass, she was met by a pair of golden eyes and a large red snout.
Sarah was playing with the three cubs, while Fred came to grips with what he witnessed. "If my daughter, befriended you, there is no way you have an evil bone in your body, Callista."
"Never have, and never will, Fred," Callista said. "Our families share a bond, which is as strong as steel."
"That's good to hear, Callista, and thank you for befriending our daughter," Fred said.
They all heard Adrienne's Blood Curling scream from the kitchen. They all tuned towards it, then Sally asked, "Sarah, did you send Inferno back home?"
"No, mommy. He went into the yard and fell asleep," Sarah answered.
"Who or what is Inferno?" Fred asked.
"He's my friend, Mr. Ericsson," Sarah answered.
"Oh, then why isn't he inside with the rest of us?" Fred asked.
"He won't fit into the house, cause he's a dragon," Sarah answered.
"A what!?" Fred asked, right before he fainted.
End of Chapter