The next morning, Danny and Sally arrive outside their home, Hanna and Rob right behind them. Danny and Sally park in the garage, and Hanna and Rob park behind them.

"Who's is the bike?" Hanna asks, referring to the two‑wheeled vehicle parked behind Maria's trike.

"No idea: never seen it before," Danny answers.

"I swear, if anything has happened to Maria‑" Hanna begins.

"Hanna, enough," Rob instructs. "She saved the world once: she can take care of herself. Plus, you did promise to stop being so protective of her."

"I can't help it," Hanna reminds.

"I think I know who's bike it is," Sally realises. "It's Tai's."

"What‽" Hanna shrieks. "That's it: I'm going in there!"

As Hanna storms to the front door, Sally turns to Rob. "Are you gonna stop her?"

"How?" Rob asks in return.

Sally remains silent, unable to think of an answer.

A moment later, the trio hear Hanna begin to yell "How could you do that to‑", only to be interrupted by Tai's panicked scream and Maria yelling "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!", then the front door slamming shut so hard the walls reverberate with the force.

After a few moments' silence, Hanna returns to Rob, Danny, and Sally. "So… um… yeah… she's fine… and… um… I'm off to HQ now. See ya!"

"You're not getting away that easily," Rob replies with unusual authority. "What happened?"

"Don't wanna say," Hanna answers sheepishly.

"By the Ancients, you didn't," Sally sighs in exasperation as she realises what happened.

"Didn't what?" Danny asks.

"Um… I uh… I kinda woke them up, and… um… yeah," Hanna admits.

"Congratulations Hanna, you've finally managed to leave a worse first impression than the one you left me and Danny with," Rob replies sarcastically. "Well done. I hope you're proud of yourself."

"So, I'll be off to HQ now," Hanna decides.

"No," Rob commands. "You'll stay here and wait for them to be ready for you to apologise."

"Can't make me," Hanna retorts defiantly.

"Yes, we can," Sally insists, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Right boys?"

"Right," Rob and Danny chorus.

"Shit," Hanna relents.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Maria has almost calmed Tai down.

"I'm really sorry," Maria apologises for the fourth time. "I should have warned them or something."

"I‑it's not y‑your f‑fault," Tai stammers, trying hard to bring her emotions under control. "I j‑just wasn't e‑expecting her t‑to be s‑so…"

"Scary?" Maria suggests.

"T‑Terrifying," Tai corrects. "And you w‑were scary t‑too."

"I was defending you," Maria assures.

"I know," Tai acknowledges. "I n‑need to go l‑lie down."

"Come with me." Maria helps Tai to her feet, then guides the quivering leopard to her bedroom.

"Thanks," Tai whispers as she lays on the bed. "I'll be OK in about five minutes."

"When you're ready, you can borrow any of my clothes," Maria offers. "They should fit pretty well. Unless you want yours?"

"Actually… I kinda wanna see how you look in my outfit," Tai decides.

"Only if you don't mind."

"It's only fair if I'm borrowing your clothes, for you to borrow mine."

Maria hears a knock at the door, followed by Sally calling, "Are you girls decent?"

"You go," Tai insists. "I'll be out in a few minutes. Just… don't let the vixen in, please?"

"Believe me, she's not coming in until I say so," Maria assures.

On her way back to the den, Maria ducks into the spare room to put on Tai's white racerback tank top and blue leggings, then heads to the front door. "Where's Hanna?"

"Secure," Rob assures. "She's going nowhere without our permission."

Satisfied, Maria opens the door. "Hi!" she beams. "Guess who I spent the night with?"

"That certainly explains why you were so eager to get us out the house yesterday," Sally smiles back. "Can we come in?"

"Sure!" Maria agrees, standing back. "You do live here, after all. And Fluff‑tail can come in too, I guess. How long before he noticed the top‑swap?"

"Thanks, and too long," Rob replies as the trio enters the house. "Look, I'm sorry about Hanna‑"

"Pfft," Maria dismisses with good humour. "It's not your fault, you big silly! It's her fault she's such a bitch."

"That's my wife you're insulting," Rob replies sternly. "And yes, she can be a complete bitch," he agrees. "I take it Tai is resting?"

"Yeah," Maria confirms. "Hanna scared her quite badly."

"We heard her scream," Sally informs. "Then we heard you yell at Hanna."

"I think you scared her," Rob adds.

"Wait… I scared Hanna?" Maria asks, surprised.

"She was pretty shaken by something, that's for sure," Rob confirms.

"I'm being such a silly kitty!" Maria exclaims suddenly. "I forgot to offer you all drinks!"

"I'll get them" Danny volunteers.

As Danny heads into the kitchen, Tai pokes her head into the den. "H‑Hi," she greets timidly.

"Hanna's secure outside," Rob assures.

"Thank the Ancients!" Tai sighs with relief, entering the den proper, revealing she's wearing one of Maria's teal dresses. "So… You've probably all guessed I'm Tai Wong."

"I call her 'Rosy', and she calls me 'Tufty'," Maria grins.

"Glad to finally meet you," Rob greets Tai. "I'm Rob Skarlett, and Hanna's my wife."

"I'm Sally Flynn, and my boyfriend Danny Brock is in the kitchen making us drinks," Sally adds. "And since when did you start using Hanna's name?" she asks Rob.

"Since I realised it sounds better than 'Stiil'," Rob admits. "That, and I got fed up with correcting people."

Maria can't help but giggle. "What are we all standing around for? Sit, you big sillies!"

Rob and Sally take opposite ends of the sofa while Maria and Tai share the chair. As they sit, Danny returns with drinks. "Oh, hello Tai," he greets the leopard. "You OK? Would you like a drink?"

"You can share mine," Maria offers.

"In that case, I'm fine and catered for, thanks," Tai answers.

An hour later, with Tai now feeling like an integral part of the group, she and Maria head out to the garage with Rob and Danny.

"You locked her in the garage?" Maria asks.

"We did a bit more than that," Rob admits.

Maria and Tai watch as Danny opens the door to reveal Hanna on her ATV, her hands bound securely to the handlebars, her shins strapped to the frame, her mouth gagged with her own scarf, and a look of pure thunder directed at Rob. "Awaat daam!" she growls.

"Play nice, or we'll lock you in again," Rob instructs.

Hanna sighs in defeat. "Faan," she relents. "Ahll ee nyth."

Rob removes Hanna's scarf, allowing her to speak again.

"Are you going to untie me?" Hanna asks.

"Depends if you play ball," Rob replies.

"You are so going to pay for this," Hanna growls.

"Then I'll put the scarf back," Rob informs.

"No, I'll put it back," Maria decides, taking Hanna's scarf from Rob. "Unless you apologise to both me and Tai, and promise to make it up to both of us," she instructs Hanna.

Hanna turns to Maria, and instantly, her anger fades away. "Look, I really am truly sorry I barged in on you both. It's just‑"

"Ah! No excuses!" Maria interrupts. "Admit you can be a bitch, and that what you did this morning was totally unacceptable."

"But‑"

"Admit it!"

Hanna sighs in defeat. "OK."

"Say it."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes," Tai interjects. "You scared the shi‑ Excuse me." Tai pauses briefly. "You really scared me this morning, and why? All because you thought I hurt your best friend. And in a way, you were right. But it's not as simple as that. The fact is, we hurt each other. But you know what happened? We made up, got to know each other again, and now we're closer than ever. Maria talks of you so highly, yet when I finally meet you, you nearly give me a heart attack! What way is that to treat someone who makes Maria happier than she's ever been in her life? She's an amazing person: beautiful, playful, smart, funny, loving, kind, generous, and magnificently silly, and it's an honour to be with her. She's given me a second chance, even though I don't deserve it. There's no doubt in my mind she deserves only the best, and that's what I intend to give her! You're her best friend: be happy for her!"

"That's the… the most beautiful thing… anyone's ever said about me," Maria whispers to Tai, her eyes watering with tears of happiness, her cheeks glowing she's blushing so much. "And the oddest."

Tai turns to Maria. "You are the most delightfully silly kitty, and I love you."

"And I love you," Maria replies. "And we're both delightfully silly kitties."

"See how they look at each other," Rob instructs Hanna. "Recognise that look?"

Hanna observes Maria and Tai gazing lovingly at each other. "I… I recognise it," she admits quietly. "They… It's the way you look at me."

"And it's the way you look at me," Rob replies.

Maria turns to Hanna and dabs her eyes dry. "So, what have you got to say for yourself?"

"I am a total bitch who behaved in a truly ridiculous manner this morning, and I am truly, deeply sorry for scaring Tai and upsetting you both," Hanna apologises quietly. "I see now that not only did you… did you have this under con… control, but you… sorry, I'm a bit… Never let go of what you have. Treasure each other the way I treasure my husband."

"We will," Maria and Tai chorus.

"So, um… Can someone untie me now?" Hanna asks.

"It's up to them," Rob answers, referring to Maria and Tai.

"What do you think, Rosy?" Maria asks Tai.

"I'm not sure," Tai replies. "What do you think, Tufty?"

"I think she's a big scary icky meanie," Maria answers.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Tai agrees. "Hmm… Give it another hour or so?"

"What," Hanna remarks flatly.

"An hour sounds good," Maria agrees.

"You can't be serious," Hanna continues.

"Then an hour it is," Tai decides. "You want to close the door?"

"We'll do it together," Maria decides.

"Come on, really?" Hanna protests as Maria and Tai close the garage door. "Guys? Please? I apologised and everything! Don't leave me here another hour!"

But it's too late: the others have already returned to the den.

"I've really got to get my anger issues sorted out," Hanna thinks aloud.

Much to Hanna's great relief, Maria and Tai return a few minutes later to free her. That afternoon, the couple joins Hanna helping in the CQC training session, and then spend the evening with the Skarletts.

Eventually, the hour gets late, fatigue sets in, and everyone retires to bed. Maria and Tai take the spare room, and lie in bed cuddling, waiting to drift off to sleep.

"You have great friends," Tai whispers.

"I'm lucky to have them," Maria agrees. "But not as lucky as I am to have you."

"I'm the truly lucky one: I have you," Tai replies.

"I'm too tired to argue," Maria smiles in amusement.

"Hanna still scares me though."

"She scares me too sometimes. But I know she'll always be my friend."

"And I know she'll be my friend too. Just one question: why does she want to protect you so much?"

"She was the one who saved me from my horrible childhood and gave me a fresh start."

"I'm guessing her aggressive nature is an act to hide her true self and cloak her insecurities."

"Yep. But don't tell her I told you that."

"I won't."

Together, the two felines drift off into a comfortable, contented sleep, both purring softly in perfect synchrony.