Hello everyone! It's finally new chapter time!

An impromptu meeting with Megakat City's new ADA makes Felina Xiao Ling's lunch date.

Author's note: Wow! It's been awhile hasn't it? Thanks for being patient with me regarding this story. I was stuck on how to handle an interaction between a certain pair of characters. Plus, I was enjoying writing the Blind Date.

Please kick me when updates don't happen for a long time. I'm serious.

After reading this chapter, what is everyone's opinion of Xiao Ling?

The plot really picks up after this chapter, so hopefully updates won't take as long as before.

As always, I enjoy reviews and critiques.

Thanks for reading!

AkaneKitty

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The Great Escape:

It's Just Lunch

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Office of Assistant District Attorney Naomi Ling

"Thank you so much for helping out with these depositions Lieutenant. I know it's your day off."

"No problem." Felina said, taking the time stretch in her chair. "Things happen."

Earlier in the day Felina was looking forward to her day off, planning to finally being able to hit the gym and maybe reconnect with Callie over lunch. The brick wall she and Major York ran into regarding the Siamese robbery victims was still giving her a headache and she needed a break to recharge.

But a rather frantic phone call from the new ADA changed everything. Being the Master C3 officer meant she had to be available to the District Attorney's office as well and often provided them with information along with York's department. She couldn't really brush Naomi off, or risk relations between the Enforcers and the DA souring.

So now she sat in a plush office chair opposite of Naomi, who had a notepad in paw and wrote furiously. Felina noted the younger sister of junior assistant Xiao Ling looked quite different from their first meeting at a previous formal affair. Then she was soft, quiet, and delicate. Now she was bold, determined, and demanded attention.

The ADA wore a sharp black and fitted suit with her hair pulled into twist, a striking opposite to what she wore to the dinner a few months ago. Felina herself was not wearing her uniform, but a dark grey sleeves suit dress she kept on paw for such situations. Dress uniforms weren't required when giving depositions, but one still needed to respect the court.

"The defense went for a speedy trial in this case, and being new I didn't have time to prepare." Apparently finished Naomi let out a breath, flipping her notepad closed. "Now I'll be able to file these at the courthouse with time to spare..." She stood and began to walk when she suddenly sagged, losing her grip on her notepad and barely able to reach out and grasp the edge of her desk. Felina immediately got up and walked over to her, throwing Naomi's arm over her shoulders for support.

"This is so embarrassing!" Naomi spat out.

As she helped Naomi walk around her desk Felina felt the attorney vibrate with anger, and suddenly she felt she was a teenager again. She felt those vibrations of anger from her mother as she helped her get in and out of bed, as advanced feline leukemia was gradually robbing her of her strength.

Snapping back into reality Felina helped Naomi sit down in her desk chair. Naomi gave her a rueful smile.

"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Felina gently smiled. "Try eating more fatty fish. The oils should help your immune system."

Naomi widened her eyes. "You knew?"

"I've been in a similar position before."

"Ah. I'm in remission for feline leukemia, but I drink a tincture made from Siamese medicine for it every day." Naomi made a face. "It tastes like shit."

Felina chuckled. Naomi's office phone began to ring, and she hastily picked it up.

"ADA Ling...Oh, hello Xiao." Naomi smiled, listening for a moment. "I'm in the middle of preparing depositions...No I am not working myself too hard!"

Felina chuckled to herself. It seemed like this was an old argument between siblings.

"I don't think I'll be able to make our lunch date. I have too much work right now...Wait a minute." Naomi covered the ear piece of the phone with her paw and looked over to Felina. "Do you mind having lunch with Xiao in my place?"

"Me?"

"Consider it thanks for coming in and helping me." Naomi smiled. "It's at the Paper Lantern. They have great dumplings."

"Well..." Felina had a feeling she was being set up but the mention of dumplings and the fact she hadn't eating anything besides dry toast this morning made her waver and her stomach rumble. "...Why not. I'm starving."

"Great!" Naomi brought the phone up to her face. "Great news, brother: I got Lieutenant Felina Feral to go in my place."

Naomi listened for a moment, and then launched into what Felina perceived to be scathing Siamese. What Felina would give to understand Siamese.

"Xiao is sending his limo over for you." Naomi said, suddenly the angelic version of herself again. "Have fun!"

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An half an hour and a comfy limo ride later Felina found herself sitting in the Paper Lantern, an exclusive Siamese food restaurant in the heart of Siamesetown. She placed in a reserved section of the restaurant, screened off from everyone else, but she still took the time to sit facing the rice paper lined door out of force of habit.

The Paper Lantern was composed of individual rooms outfitted with tables to maintain the privacy of their guests. Felina's own room had a great view of their koi pond courtyard. Different, but unique.

Picking up her menu from the table she flipped through it until she found what she wanted to order: Shrimp dumplings. Felina wanted to kick herself. She let hunger and desire for some dumpling overrule the obvious fact she was being set up by Naomi. But a small part of her did want to know a little more about Xiao Ling.

Besides, it was just lunch.

The door slid open and Xiao stepped through, wearing an impeccably tailored and obviously expensive black three piece suit. Felina noted with interest how the maître d and the various servers and waiters tripped over themselves to bow and clear a path for him. Xiao responded demurely to them, not being egotistical or snooty as she'd seen with other toms in power. And like when she first met him, power rolled off the tom. It was all very intriguing and very sexy. And it stirred something within herself that she had to squelch down. When he finally noticed Felina, his blues eyes lit up for a brief moment before returning to a reserved state.

"Lieutenant Feral, I thank you for joining me for lunch." Walking over to the table Xiao reached over, grasped Felina's paw in his, and kissed it before taking his seat. "Though I'm sure my dear sister goaded you into it."

"Felina, please." Felina smiled at him. "It didn't take much goading. Naomi convinced me with visions of dumplings."

"I see. Which would you like?"

"Shrimp."

Xiao glanced back at a lone waiter still in the room and said something in Siamese. The waiter immediately started bowing and left in a hurry. Felina titled her head.

"You know, Xiao..."

"Hmm?"

"Are you just a junior associate to Mr. Young?"

Xiao turned his gaze toward Felina, with a hint of amusement behind it. "What makes you say that?"

"I've been around a lot of powerful toms and I've never seen those types of reactions like from the waiters before."

"Ah." Xiao looked a bit mischievous. "Well, to be honest, I'm not just a junior associate. I am the owner of Ling Investments, and I deal with a lot of businesses. Here in Megakat City, I'm opening a hotel and a club, with more opportunities to come."

"Really?"

"As for Siamese reactions to me, it could come from my lineage." Xiao continued. "My ancestor was Empress Ling, the first of the ancient royal family to unite a fractured Mao City under one rule. It carries a lot of weight."

"Aww. And here I thought you were in organized crime." Felina ran her claw along the edge of her teacup. "I'm almost disappointed."

Flicking an ear Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly. "Would it mean I'm placed in your handcuffs?"

Felina smirked. "Have you been naughty?"

"I can be," Xiao's voice was very smooth, "if you want me to."

The air in the small room suddenly electrified, and was broken only when a waiter entered the room with a tea pot. Felina immediately busied herself with placing her napkin on her lap. Stop it Felina, she admonished herself. You're already messing around with Gunny. And Xiao is the type of tom you don't usually go for, remember?

Feeling a bit guilty Felina spied a glance at Xiao, who was pouring tea into her teacup. But why am I so attracted to him?

"So, umm..." Clearing his throat, Xiao poured tea into his own cup, "How was my sister? I try to warn her not to overwork herself but she has a good stubborn streak."

Felina noted Xiao was trying to dispel the awkward and slightly embarrassing tension in the room and pounced on it. "She's fine. She did mention she was going to try and add fatty fish to her diet though."

Xiao flicked his ear again. "Naomi wants to do so much, but her body won't let her. Of course, I try to keep her from doing too much, hence our constant arguments."

Felina smiled. "Sounds like something a caring brother would say."

"You think so?"

"Mmm, hmm."

Xiao focused his attention on his teacup. "Ai wu ji wu."

"Pardon?"

"Oh! Sorry. It's an old Siamese saying." Xiao looked slightly embarrassed. "It means 'Love cannot be partial."

As they paused their conversation to sip their tea, Felina mulled over Xiao's words. Old Siamese saying, hmm? I wonder how it relates within the Siamese culture...

Felina was suddenly struck with a bolt of inspiration. That's it! Maybe the Enforcers were approaching these robberies the wrong way? In Ailuros, the coastal city-state she and her Uncle were from, the katizens treated pirates differently than they would in Megakat City. Maybe it was the same thing?

Xiao looked at Felina over his teacup. "Something on your mind?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking about a problem the Enforcers have been having." Placing her teacup down on the table, she leaned forward a bit. "And I think you might be able to help. Unofficially that is."

"I'm always happy to help an officer of the law."

Felina grinned. "Here in Siamesetown, there have been some robberies among the mom and pop stores. It's baffling, since there are other valuable and lucrative targets nearby, but those are left untouched."

Xiao, placing his own teacup on the table, straightened in his seat. "Mom and pop stores, you say?"

"Yes. These stores don't have a lot of money, so why target them? And to further complicate things, the owners are refusing to cooperate with the Enforcers. With no complaints or cooperation from the victims, the cases stall."

Xiao's face darkened for a fleeting moment. "Yǐ yá huán yá..." Noticing Felina was waiting for a translation he nodded at her. "Um...The old ways of the Siamese. Remember when I said Mao City was fractured before my ancestor united it?"

"Mmm,hmm."

"During that time, there was always the constant threat of violence from other fractured pieces of Mao City. Katizens would pay others to defend them from these threats."

Felina tilted her head. "...Like protection money?"

"More or less." Xiao shrugged. "To tie everything back together, maybe the owners of these stores are paying protection money to someone. If so, they expect their money to be used to protect them."

Felina mulled this over. "I see..."

"Protection money usually goes to organized crime, so you may have this element here in Megakat City due to the large amount of Siamese immigrants. If criminals know about this it makes the owners easy targets, as they know the shop owners won't involve the law. I believe the Corsairs still have this problem."

Feeling a heavy burden leave her shoulders Felina's eyes lit up. "Xiao, I could kiss you!" But as soon she said it she blushed, slightly embarrassed. Xiao chuckled.

"As much as I would like it, I'll settle for lunch." Xiao said as a waiter entered the room with a platter of dumplings. "Maybe even another lunch date if you don't mind."

As Xiao platted their dumplings Felina found she couldn't say no to the tom who possibly broke open a very frustrating case. Picking up her chopsticks, she snared a dumpling.

Besides, it was just lunch.