Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
New chapter Time! No lengthy synopsis. I'm going to let the chapter tell its story.
Thank you Silver Sentinel for being the Beta this chapter!
On with the show!
Jasmine tightly grasped Marissa's right paw in her left, as they approached the door to her parent's house. She was very nervous about introducing Marissa to them, since she neglected to tell them she was dating a cat of the same sex.
Marissa felt Jasmine's body shake. She looked at the she-cat she had fallen for and said, "Hey, look at me."
Jasmine sheepishly lifted her head to Marissa, waiting to hear what was on her mind.
Marissa quickly kissed her, and said, "You've got nothing to worry about. I'll be here, right by your side."
"I know you will. And that's one of the reasons I love you," Jasmine said, and kissed her back.
When they separated, they continued walking up the path to the door.
Jasmine removed a key from her shorts, inserted it into the lock, and gave it a twist to the right. With a loud click, the ornate door opened, revealing a large light grey hallway.
Phyllis happened to hear the front door open. She left her kitchen, letting the swinging door close behind her, to see her daughter, holding the paw of another she-cat. "Jasmine! It's always good to see you. Who's your friend?" Phyllis asked.
Jasmine decided to rip the bandage off, rather than letting her stomach suffer any longer. She gave Marissa's paw a firm squeeze, and answered, "Mother, this is Marissa. My partner on the Enforcers, and maybe someday, my life."
Phyllis looked over the curly brunette, holding her daughter's paw, then back to her daughter, and asked, "I thought you were getting serious with Sean? Does he know you are now gay?"
"Not gay, mom. I'm Bi. And yes,Sean knows, I'm dating Marissa," Jasmine answered.
"Well, this is certainly, something your father should be hearing," Phyllis said.
Just before Phyllis turned to call her husband, Jasmine grabbed her left arm with her right paw. Phyllis turned back to face her daughter, and was about to ask her, 'What was wrong?' When Jasmine said, "Please, let me tell dad, ok mom?"
"Alright, you can tell your father," Phyllis said, before she turned back to the stairs, and beckoned, "Howard! Come down, Jasmine decided to pay us a visit!"
Howard had just finished depositing their pay from the job Anne Gora contracted them to do, when he heard is wife calling to him. "Be right down!" He answered, closing the laptop he used to access their offshore accounts. He stood up from the brown leather chair in his office and headed downstairs to see his daughter.
Both Jasmine and Marissa heard the soft soled shoes hitting the wooden stairs and turned to the staircase to see Howard, dressed in a light gray sweater and a pair of tan pants descending the stairs. Jasmine let go of Marissa's paw, and ran to her father, saying, "Dad!"
Howard opened his arms to welcome his daughter into his embrace, which she returned. Soon father and daughter were hugging each other. Then Howard kissed Jasmine between the ears, and said, "I miss having you here, Jas."
"I miss seeing you and mom too, dad," Jasmine said. She quickly kissed her father's left cheek, and said, "Dad, I want you to meet, someone who is very important to me." She turned her head to the right so she could look over her right shoulder, and motioned for Marissa to join them.
As Marissa came over to the pair, Jasmine said, "Dad, this is Marissa Smith." She took a cleansing breath, and continued, "She's living with me in the city."
Howard looked up to the taller brunette, and said, "Nice to know, Jasmine has a larger Room Mate living with her. The city isn't as safe as it once was."
"Dad, she's not only my Room Mate, but my partner and girlfriend. I'm in love with her," Jasmine stated.
Howard released his daughter, as it sunk in what she told him.
Jasmine backed up a few steps, taking Marissa's right paw in her left again, hoping she didn't disappoint her father.
"I think I need to sit down," Howard said. "The Sun Room facing the yard would be a good place to have this conversation."
Phyllis was beside her husband, taking his paws into hers, and walked with him towards the Sun Room. She kissed him, and said, "She's a grown she-cat, Howard. If Marissa makes her happy, then I'm happy."
"I want her to be happy too, Phyllis," Howard said. He grasped her paws tighter in his own, and said, "She is our daughter, Phyllis. I'm not sure if I'm ready to see her dating another female, no matter how attractive they maybe."
Phyllis stopped in her tracks, and bluntly asked her husband, "You're not biased against couples of the same gender, are you, Howard?"
Both Jasmine and Marissa heard Phyllis' question and stopped a few feet behind them, waiting for Howard's reply.
"Phyllis, you know how straight laced my parents were, and how I was brought up. If they were still around, they would object to their relationship, quite loudly," Howard said.
Tears started forming in Jasmine's eyes, as she thought her father didn't approve of her being with Marissa.
Marissa brought Jasmine into a tight embrace, and said, "Mr. Harper! You don't even know me, or how much I care for Jasmine! If you are going to have any objections, to me dating her, then you aren't as open minded as she thinks you are!"
"Calm down, young lady," Howard said. "I said, my parents were straight laced, not me. I don't have any issues with relationships of the same gender. My hang up is, she's my daughter. As her father, I want what's best for her, at all times."
"What makes you think, I'm not what's best for your daughter, Mr. Harper?" Marissa asked as her tail's fur bristled.
Phyllis squeezed his paws with hers, as she said out of concern for possibly alienating their daughter, "Howard?"
Howard kissed his wife and said, "You have nothing to be concerned over, my love." He turned his head to face his daughter and Marissa, and asked, "Miss Smith, do you love her as well?"
"You didn't even need to ask that, Mr. Harper," she answered and brought Jasmine's face around to her, and kissed her, right in front of her parents. Marissa pulled back, resting her forehead on Jasmine's, and said, "I do love her. In time, I think I want to marry her."
A tear left Jasmine's right eye as she looked up at Marissa, and asked, "You want to marry me?"
Marissa wiped the stray tear away with her left index finger, and answered, "I want what my brother has with Stacy. As I stated to your father, I believe I want those things, with you, Jasmine. In time, of course."
More tears fell from Jasmine's eyes, as what Marissa said sunk in. She threw her arms around Marissa's neck, and said, "When the time is right, and you ask me properly, I'll say yes, Marissa. I love you!" She then sealed her lips to Marissa's again.
Phyllis kissed her husband, and said, "We have to start saving up for a wedding, Howard."
"No, we don't, Phyllis. We will have enough money in the bank, from the next few jobs, to give them a wedding fit for royalty," Howard said, before he kissed Phyllis.
Marissa withdrew from the kiss with Jasmine, turned to Howard and Phyllis, and asked, "Hope you will find me worthy of Jasmine, Mr. and Mrs. Harper. Oh, she never told me what you two do for a living."
Her parents looked at each other for a second, trying to figure out how to answer her question. Since they didn't want to reveal they were Cat Burglars for Hire. Then Phyllis answered with a simple, "Um."
A few days later, Jasmine was sitting in a Diner booth. She was wearing a short denim skirt and a flannel shirt with a loose belt around her waist. She was waiting for Sean to arrive, in order to break up with him. After Marissa more or less asked her to marry her, and she more or less accepted, right in front of her parents, she knew she had to break up with Sean.
Sean arrived at the Diner a few minutes later. He opened the door to the Diner, and scanned the Diner for Jasmine. He found her off in a corner booth, looking at beautiful as ever. He went over to her, and before he sat down across from her, he leaned in to give her a kiss.
Jasmine saw Sean approaching, looking very handsome. Wearing a very well fitted red polo shirt, and a pair of dark blue jeans. Butterflies started fluttering in her stomach, as she thought how the conversation was going to go. But when he leaned in for a kiss, she turned her head at the last second, where his kiss landed on her cheek.
"That's not a good sign. You usually welcome my kisses. What's going on Jas?" He asked.
"I think you had better be sitting down, for what I'm about to tell you, Sean," she said, nervousness was clearly written in her voice.
He sat down across from her, and said, "Now I know something bad is about to happen."
"Sean, we did make a good couple, and if things were different, I might have ended up as your wife," she said.
"Did make a good couple?" He asked. "Why do I get the feeling, you are about to break things off with me?"
"Cause, I am. I took Marissa to meet my parents yesterday. After revealing to them, I was dating her. She sort of, proposed to me. And I said yes." Jasmine said.
Sean felt his stomach drop to his feet. He gulped, then asked, "I thought we had something special, Jasmine? I'm so in love with you, I was almost ready to propose to you, do the whole marriage thing, with as many kittens you wanted. Do you love her, more than you love me?"
"Sean, what Marissa and I feel for each other, goes way deeper than love. She and I share a very strong connection, I can tell what she's thinking, without her having to say a word and she can do the same. Don't think that I don't love you, Sean, cause I do. And because I do love you, I can't string you along, while my heart and soul belongs to her. It wouldn't be fair to you. I don't want to see you hurt, I care for you too much to do that," Jasmine said.
Sean rose from his seat, and said, "You don't want see me hurt!? Well, congratulations, Jasmine! You have succeeded in tearing my heart to shreds! I hope you're happy! Goodbye, Jasmine!" He turned and left the Diner, with his tail hung low, slamming the door closed behind him.
Jasmine shuddered, when she heard and felt the door slam behind Sean. She slumped forward, crying her eyes out, over losing Sean in her life.
Sean was now over at Charlie's, with three empty shot glasses in front of him and a small glass of strong vodka sitting on the bar slightly to the right of the empty glasses. He would look up from the bar, to glance at the TV mounted above the rear wall of the bar, playing some college basketball game, before focusing on the bar top again.
Sharon came over to Sean, and said, "Sean, I think you've had enough. Let me call Mark to come and get you."
"Sharon, I think of you as a sister. But, the girl I was in love with, threw me out like old food. The only thing I want to do, is get drunk enough, so I can forget her face. Get me another three shots, or I'll find another bar, that will," Sean said.
Sharon went behind the bar and made Sean his shots. After she lined them up in front of him, she grabbed her purse and disappeared into the kitchen. Where she pulled her phone out of her purse and called Mark.
Since Lisa was out with Callie and Felina, Mark was left at home with Raphael and Katherine. He had both of his kids, set up in their High-Chairs, feeding them a late lunch, when the House Phone started to ring. He glanced at his kids to make sure they were eating their lunch, without making too much of a mess. Instead of seeing their food all over their faces, he saw them eating happily, and neatly. Or as neatly as a pair of infants could. Satisfied, he walked over to where an old Wall Phone was mounted on the wall, picked up the receiver, and answered, "Hello."
"Mark! You need to come to Charlie's, as fast as you can," Sharon pleaded.
"Why? What's wrong, Sharon?" Mark asked.
"Sean in here, getting plastered. Apparently he got dumped today, and he's not taking it well," Sharon answered.
Mark looked over at his kids, who were still eating, then said, "Lisa is out and I have my family. I need to see if someone can watch them, before I can head over," Mark said.
"Please hurry. You know, Sean doesn't make a good drunk," Sharon said.
"Don't I know it! Let me make a few calls to see who can watch them. Or I'll get someone over there to get him. I'll call you right back, Sharon." He hung up the phone, then called Tina. He raised the receiver back to his ear in time to hear Katerina's voice saying, "You reached the Belikov-Cassidy Residence. No one is available to take your call. Please leave a message." He placed the receiver back in its cradle, then called Tina on her cell.
Tina, Katerina, and Gwendlyn had left their house, heading to the city for a day of shopping. Even though Tina hated shopping, Katerina and Gwen somehow talked her into going, by promising; she might be able to find a new riding suit.
Tina still didn't enjoy shopping, like her fiancée and her daughter did. But as long as they were having a good time, she would enjoy herself. The happy family has entered a store, aimed at the Racing crowd, where Gwendlyn wandered over to one of the racks of smaller riding suits designed for she-cats, and started pursuing the choices available. She wanted to find a suit similar in design to the one her mother wore when she was Sniper. She thought her mothers looked great in their SWAT Persona. But when they gave her, her own Code Name, and they took her up in the Turbo Kat 2, they became the coolest parents on the planet. She managed to find a light blue leather riding suit, which she thought her mother would look awesome in. She pulled it from the rack, turned to her mothers, and said, "Mommy, this will look real good on you."
Katerina took one look at the size of the suit, and said, "Gwen, no way is that going to fit me, I'm much too big." She then shot Gwen a wink from her left eye, letting Gwen know she was teasing her.
Gwendlyn chuckled, then said, "Its not for you, mommy. Its for her."
Tina came forward and took the suit from her daughter. She then let the fingers of her right paw touch the cool leather. "I'm going to find somewhere to try this on. I'll be right back." She left them, heading towards the rear of the store, intentionally swaying her hips and tail, encased in the dark blue leggings she wore.
Katerina was instantly entranced by Tina's movements. She almost swore, she couldn't love her any more than she did at that moment. However, the spell was broken when Gwendlyn said, "Mommy, you're drooling."
Tina closed the curtains to the Dressing Room and hung up the suit. She as about to remove her clothing, when her phone started ringing on her left front pocket. She pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. She saw it was Mark. She answered the phone and lifted it to her left ear, and said, "Hey, Mark. How are the kittens?"
"They are little angels, Tina. As you can see for yourself, when you come over to watch them," Mark answered.
"Mark, I'm out with my family, I can't come over to be with Raphael and Katherine," Tina said.
"I'd never ask you to interrupt your day with Katerina and Gwendlyn, Tina. Unless I had a very good reason to," Mark said.
Tina rested her weight on her right hip, and said, "I'm waiting, Mark."
"Jasmine broke up with my brother today. And apparently, he's not taking it too well. He currently well on his way to being so drunk, he might as well be made of whatever he is drinking. Sharon called me, asking to get him out of the bar, before he does something stupid," Mark explained.
"You know I would do anything for you, Mark. But Gwendlyn has been begging me and Katerina for some Family time, since we all have been so dang busy with getting ready for whatever David throws our way, being Enforcers, and a Mechanic and driver/chef for the Society. Katerina and I hardly see our own daughter. She spends more time with Inna and Esfir, than she spends with her parents. I'm sorry, Mark. But I can't help you today," Tina said, with a heavy heart.
Mark sighed, then said, "I understand, Tina. It is very short notice. Go and have fun with Gwendlyn and give her a kiss from her uncle for me."
"I will and give Raphael and Katherine a kiss from me and Kat. We love you, brother," Tina said.
"Love you too, sis. Talk soon," Mark said, then placed the receiver back. "Chance and Jake have their paws full with their own kittens, Jasmine and Marissa are out at Jasmine's parents, Felicia is teaching classes all day, and who knows what Kayla is up to," Mark said. He wracked his brain to think of who might be able to keep an eye on his kids, while he got Sean out of the bar, and hopefully sober up. He thought about calling Callista or Ulysses, but she's got her shop to run, and he's probably dealing with that Officer who made a blatant pass at Dr. Sinian. Not being able to come up with another option, he called Gregg. Mark knew him well enough from the Academy. And trusted him to get his brother out of the bar.
Gregg was dressed in a pair of black jeans, a white polo shirt, and a pair of black loafers. He stopped by the hallway mirror and gave himself a quick look over. "I look good! I might bring, or go home with a tom tonight." Just as he was about to leave his apartment, his phone started to vibrate in his right front pocket. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the phone, and raising it to his ear. "Please tell me, Mark. You've decided to give up your heterosexual life, and are going to be my wife?" he always teased Mark, since Mark was the type most gay toms flocked to.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Gregg. I'm hopelessly in love with Lisa." Mark answered.
"My loss, but you can't fault me for trying. I'm about to head out, what's up?" Gregg asked.
"You remember my brother Sean?" Mark asked.
"Slightly smaller version of you. But without the long, luscious hair," Gregg said.
"That would be him. I'm sort of in a jam. His girlfriend broke up with him today. He's over at Charlie's, getting completely plastered. I'm with my kittens, or I'd get him out of there myself. Can you do me a favor, and get him home?" Mark asked.
"If it was anyone else, I'd say no. But since I get to go home with a handsome tom, I'll do it," Gregg said.
"Thanks, I owe you," Mark said.
"In that case, if you happen to see that Certified Hunk, Adonis. Tell him, I missed him last night and his lips taste divinely. See you at work in a couple of days," Gregg said and disconnected the call.
About a half hour later. Gregg opened the door to Charlie's Bar and entered. As soon as the door closed behind him, his eyes scanned the bar to find Mark's brother. He saw one lone tom, with his head on the bar and a small stack of shot glasses in front of him.
Sharon noticed Gregg enter the bar. She grabbed a menu, came over to him, and said, "Welcome to Charlie's Can I show you to a table or would you like to sit at the bar?"
"Unfortunately I'm not here for dinner. A friend of mine asked me to retrieve his brother, before he pickles himself," Gregg said.
Sharon put the menu back in a holder by the door, and said, "He's right over there." She then pointed Sean out to Gregg.
"Thank you. I'll make sure he gets somewhere, nice and safe," Gregg said. Then started walking towards Sean. He sat down in the seat to Sean's right, gave him a light tap on his right shoulder with his left paw, and said, "Time to go home."
Sean slowly lifted his head to face Gregg, and said, "I'm not going anywhere. Sharon, another round."
"I'm pretty sure, you've had enough. Come on, your brother is worried about you," Gregg said as he rose so he could lift Sean from his seat and help him out of the bar.
Sean's eyes focused on Sharon, who was now behind the bar, and asked, "You called Mark? I treat you like a sister, and you call my brother, the one time I get shitfaced?"
"Sean, I'm worried about you, and so is Mark. I know why you're here, but drinking the way you are, isn't healthy," Sharon said.
"Sean, that is no way to talk to a lady. Apologize to her, and let's go," Gregg said.
"I don't know who you are, but how I talk to Sharon, in my business," Sean said. He turned his head back to Sharon, and said, "I need those drinks, Sharon!"
"You're not going to get them from me, Sean. Its time for you to go home, or wherever you are going," Sharon said.
"You still didn't apologize to her, for your foul language. Sean. I've met your parents, when Mark and I graduated from the academy, and I know, your mother would take you over her knee, hearing you speak to her like that," Gregg said.
Sean rose from his seat and got in Gregg's face. Then spat, "You have no idea, what my mother would do! Get me those shots, Sharon! My buzz is dissipating, the longer I look at this asshole!"
"Sean. You've had enough! I know you're hurting, I've been there when Kevin broke up with me. But you're not acting like the tom, I love as a brother. You need to go home and sober up," Sharon pleaded.
Sean's head whipped around to face Sharon, and with venom dripping from his lips, he said, "I know when I've had enough! So, screw you, Shar.." he never got to finish as Gregg knocked him out with a single punch to the face. He fell to the floor like a ton of bricks.
"Sorry, Sharon," Gregg said. "My mother would kick my tail, if I let him continue speaking to you like that."
"Thank you," Sharon said. "Sean's really a good guy. When his brother broke up with me, Sean took it real hard. He beat the crap out of his brother." She bent down behind the bar, and put together a bag of ice and a bar towel. As she handed them to Gregg, she said, "He needs to find someone, who will love him. Please take care of him."
Gregg picked Sean up from the floor, holding him under his right arm. He took the ice pack and towel from Sharon, and said, "He does seem like a good guy. Any idea where he lives?"
"Not a clue," Sharon answered.
"Guess, he's going to have to sober up on my couch. Good thing, I don't live too far from here. He's kind of heavy," Gregg said. "I'll call you tomorrow, and let you know how he's doing." He then left the bar, carrying Sean under his arm.
A few minutes later, Gregg arrived back at his apartment, with the still unconscious Sean. He opened the door and entered, closing the door behind him. He slowly deposited Sean on the couch, on his left side, and covered him up with a throw. He took a good look at the tom on his couch, and noticed how handsome Sean actually was. He bent forward, placing a gentle kiss on Sean's forehead, then retired to a chair across from Sean, to keep an eye on him.
End of Chapter