Chapter 5: The Holidays with the Clawson

AN: All chapters before this were replaced with the new version. Hope you guys enjoy this new direction of the story. Check me out at AO3 if you prefer that website.

Oliver could only gawk at the massive mansion before him. The windows glowed brightly as shadowy figures moved around. He'd seen something like this in some comedy movie, though nobody was crashing out from the top window.

With impressive marble and stone texture and three floors, the mansion screamed richness and high class. Expertly cut hedges were around to add more greenery, with a giant hedge maze on the right. The icy breeze hit harder as they were on the city's outskirts, with the following home close by looking like a dot in the distance. A couple of nice-looking cars were parked in the large round driveway, with a frozen fountain in the middle.

"Oliver, don't touch what's not yours," Chance said. "Come here."

Oliver stopped his attempt to touch the diamond figure on the car's grill. It sparkled nicely. He shoved his paws in his pocket and looked away.

"You're mute, not deaf. Get your grouchy tail over here," Chance repeated in a heavier tone.

Oliver grimaced, turning around and walking towards the tabby.

Chance seemed annoyed as he played with his tie, growling and grunting to loosen it. The tabby wore a dark blue suit set with a white shirt underneath, a black belt, a leather jacket, and wide leather shoes.

It's not like Oliver meant to be in a bad mood. The drive and the stuffy clothes they put on him got him there. The new she-kats in his life snatched him up this morning, and he'd had to suffer in boredom... formal attire shopping most of the day. Let's say the girls were having too much fun dressing him up. After what seemed like forever and many pictures, they finally settled on this—formal suspenders with black slacks, a white shirt, and a black bow tie. He only fought them on by bringing his dinosaur wool sweater. He felt stupid.

"Look... you and me, this is not our shtick. But let's try to go with it. For Jake. Okay?" Chance said, licking his paw and pulling his hair back. He finished, leaning back against the hood of the tow truck before glancing towards the passenger seat. "Plus, let's just say it's harder for Jake to be here."

Jake seemed so out of it, staring ahead with a blank expression. He'd been in there for ten minutes already.

Oliver felt something wet, seeing Chance using his saliva to comb his hair. The big tabby ran his hand through Oliver's hair. A mew escaped Oliver, trying to swat Chance's paw.

"Hey, don't fight me on this. Gotta make you look good," Chance said. He finished and picked up Oliver before kissing him on the forehead. "Handsome little devil."

Oliver sighed, scooting to Chance's neck and wrapping his hands around. It felt nice being held and feeling Chance's hot breath above. The tabby was the better hugger out of the two. Jake was the most gentle. However, he giggled as he imagined them making it to a competition. These past few days, he'd witnessed them making everything a game. The scoreboard on the kitchen fridge with their initials showed they were tied. He wondered what they were competing for.

Oliver ponder about it a bit more before giving up. He glanced at the two kats and could only replay their previous three days. They have been faithful to their word, keeping him warm and fed while playing with him as much as possible as they finished up some cars. It still felt too good to be true. Sometimes, he feared waking up in the streets alone or in Tram's closet. He shivered every time he slept.

Putting himself closer, Oliver hugged Chance and nuzzled the giant. Chance nuzzled back and brushed Oliver's back.

"Everything okay, kiddo?" Chance whispered.

Oliver nodded, pulling back and looking at the tabby.

"Let's see," Chance said, using one paw to hold Oliver and the other to make some signals. He frowned and rubbed his head. "Is it both hands to say 'how are you'?"

Oliver took a moment to think about it before he nodded his head.

Chance sighed, returning the paw to hold Oliver. "Sorry. I'm not exactly the fastest learner around. Your little noggin is already understanding some signs."

Oliver pointed at Jake.

"Nah. Jake is a special case. Can read something one day and be an expert the next day," Chance said with a chuckle. He stopped and smirked. "Though I'm not sure why cooking is his only weakness."

Oliver shivered, remembering Jake attempting to make something for him. It made him wonder if that 'food' represented everything wrong with the world.

There was a click and then a slam with Jake approaching them. The cinnamon tom wore a dark red set with a black shirt, red tie, wool sweater, dark shoes, and belt. He had a grim expression as he kept looking at the mansion. Jake sighed and glanced at them, smiling and putting his hands on his waist.

"What are you two talking about?" Jake said.

Chance smirked and looked away. "Nothing, kitten. Right, Oliver?"

Oliver nodded, making a fist with both hands and poking the outer finger out, smacking them together. He was sure this meant right. If not, he had to re-look at that book and repeat it several times.

Jake smiled, putting a finger close to his mouth before pointing at them. 'Sure'

"You good? We can always just skip this until you are ready," Chance said, getting close to nuzzle Jake.

"I'm fine. Just... been a while since I've been here."

"Need another minute?"

Jake shook his head.

"Alright, let's head inside before Oliver gets a cold," Chance said, guiding them to the door. He smirked and pulled them all together. "We can always go with plan F?"

Jake snorted. "You got some smoke grenades on you?"

"We can probably make some," Chance said.

Oliver patted Chance's cheek. 'What?'

"Uh..." Chance said.

"He said, 'What?' Don't worry, little one. We're just joking," Jake explained. He stopped them before the door, holding the handle. "I think. Jeez, let's just do this."

As they entered, Oliver glanced around at the main entrance hall and the stairs that split in two directions. The area had a large chandelier, a red rug, art, and other neat-looking things. However, his heart dropped at seeing how many kats were around. Most had fur of similar color to Jake's, with their partners varying in the spectrum and breed type. Chatter was low while the hired small orchestra played some tunes, and servers walked around with trays filled with drinks or small food portions.

"C'mon, Oliver, ease up the claws," Chance whispered, patting Oliver's back. He closed in and let out a purr. "Just breathe. I'm going to let you down. Don't freak out. Try to stay calm. Can you do that for me?"

Oliver wished he could never let go. Yet he drew back his claws and nodded his head. Chance pulled him back to the point he was holding him out. The big grin on the tabby made Oliver feel slightly confident, letting out his grin.

"That's my kit," Chance said, lowering Oliver to the ground. He put a finger on his chin. "Hmm... how about this? Anytime you feel nervous or scared, come close and squeeze my paw hard until you feel confident to let go. Okay?"

'Okay,' Oliver signaled, tapping his fingers and looking around.

Oliver never felt scared of other kats as he always encountered them while on runs for Tram. Then again, something felt different when over three kats were around. He couldn't place this feeling when there were more strangers. The sensation that he was suffocated under some outside pressure. The mall incident still lingered in his mind as all eyes were on him. He shook his head and tried to be strong, plus Chance and Jake were nearby.

"Let's take this off," Chance said, lifting Oliver's sweater.

Oliver mewed, trying to reach for it.

"No buts, this goes off when inside. Plus, you probably don't want to stand out. Do you?" Chance asked, placing their jacket and sweater in the coat storage area.

Oliver sighed, feeling utterly stupid wearing this outfit but relenting as he had to agree with Chance. He watched Chance tap Jake, who jerked and nodded, putting his cover away.

Oliver stayed close while they moved together, observing strange behavior from some kats. Each time they passed, these kats did a double take and then whispered to each other. Fortunately, their attention wasn't on him, but he sensed their eyes focused on Jake. Chance and Jake didn't bat an eye and chatted about the garage. Chance wondered what happened to Burke and Murray as they didn't show up for their last dump for the year. Jake mentioned Felina had told him they had been involved in an accident a couple of days ago. They snickered, glad to have a temporary break from their pain in the tail.

Jake briefly surveyed his surroundings. "Where are they? Or better yet, where is she? She's the one that..."

"Hey, if it isn't my little brother," a somewhat husky feminine voice called out.

Oliver could tell Jake's kin surrounded him. However, the approaching she-kat had more resemblance to Jake. If he recalled Chance and Jake's conversation late one night, her name was Jessica.

Jessica Clawson had the same curls and fur color as Jake, except for her mixed short hair that was dirty blond. She was taller than him and had an hourglass figure. She wore a black dress and black high heels.

"Glad you could make it," Jessica said, hugging Jake.

Jake wore an annoyed expression and didn't extend his hands. "Are mom and dad around?"

"They're around somewhere. Crud, I was just with them," Jessica said, pulling back and smiling. She rubbed his shoulders and glanced to the side. "So I finally get to meet my brother's mate. Wow, you sure look tough. Almost pegged you as security."

With a smirk, Chance reached out his paw and shook Jessica's hand. "Technically, I am his security, and he's mine. Jake might be small, but he sure knows how to knock down kats, especially bigger kats," he said, letting go before reaching for Jake's shoulder. "How do you think we met?"

"Now this is something I wanna hear," Jessica said, giggling and putting a hand on her hip. She looked prepared to continue until her gaze fell downward. "Uh, who's that?"

Oliver felt his heart leap when she looked at him. Seeking protection, he took cover behind Chance's leg, his hand stretching towards the tabby. Upon noticing him, Chance promptly lowered himself, positioning his hand at a reachable distance.

Jake's stern expression melted away as he broke into a warm smile. He went to Oliver's other side and squatted down. "This is Oliver. A kitten that Chance and I found all alone a while back. Let's just say... you better get ready to become an auntie."

Jessica blinked, appearing taken aback. "Huh?"

Chance monitored Oliver as they followed Jake and Jessica. The two siblings would have a small talk with each other, though it seems the sister was the only one trying here. Now, he knew his mate wasn't the most extroverted kat around, preferring to work on schematics and technology for hours rather than go to events with lots of kats. However, Jake got better with him around as he got better with him. Chance could only remember how bad his partner was initially—a skinny recruit with something biting his tail. Then again, all recruits had something they were dealing with.

Shaking his head, Chance took in his surroundings. He'd suspected Jake's last name tied him to the Clawson empire, though he'd never crossed the line to confirm since Jake would get upset if he tried to ask. The only thing he knew until a couple of months back was that Jake had problems with his family, and that's it. How bad? Chance was sure he'd find out soon.

Chance was still sorting through the information his mate had given him about his sister. Jake didn't mention her until a couple of months ago. Or, better yet, Jessica made the first move to reveal something of Jake's family.

Chance remembered the phone call, witnessing Jake's usual attitude suddenly switch to pure anger. He had never seen his mate raise his voice at someone or slam the phone. Asking what was wrong fell on deaf ears, and Jake blew him off. This frustrated Chance as he wanted to know what was biting Jake's tail. What disheartens him about Jake is when he closes himself off and deals with his problems alone. They're partners and should rely on each other! It was horrible when they almost got into trouble while dealing with the Pastmaster that day. They found themselves in another era once again.

Their situation deteriorated to where they fought while trying to orient themselves, resulting in cuts and bruises. Jake, or should he say Razor, finally told Chance, T-Bone, what was wrong when he broke down. T-Bone comforted Razor, stripping them down back to Chance and Jake. They made love that day in the Turbo Kat, getting all the frustration out as Jake begged him to take care of him. Chance reminded Jake that he would always be there for him through thick and thin. The afterglow was so radical as they lay naked in the bomb bay with only their G-suits covering them. As they cuddled, Chance proposed to Jake, who enthusiastically accepted and agreed to marry Chance.

Such as things went with them, another vortex opened up, and they flew back to the present to stop the Pastmaster. In the garage, Jake found the courage to call his sister.

I'm glad he's trying, but maybe we should have waited another year, Chance thought.

"Hmm, where are they?" Jessica mused, looking around. They were in the area where they had a banquet row of food. "I feel we're going in circles."

As Chance shrugged his shoulder, his eyes wandered to the side, his mouth watering at seeing the impressive food display. They saturated the air in the room with the inviting scent of freshly baked bread, sizzling roasted chicken, and an array of other delicious aromas. Someone elegantly displayed each food item on a silver tray, creating a stunning visual as they spanned from one side of the room to the other. They had diligent servers on standby, prepared to swap or refill anything.

A slight pat on Chance's leg made him look down. Oliver raised a paw and pretended to eat something in his hand before pointing at the buffet line.

"I hear ya. Though hold on a tick," Chance said, squatting and flashing a smile. "We got to meet your grandparents, and then we'll eat."

"Hey, you three, eat. I'll look around and bring them here," Jessica said, winking at Oliver and heading off.

Lifting Oliver, Chance grinned, ensuring he had a better field of vision. But before he could say anything, he noticed Jake's distant look. He furrowed his brow, released a soft exhale, and moved closer.

"Jake, it's going to be fine. We'll meet them, chat, test the waters, and see how things go," Chance said.

Jake rubbed his neck. "I already have an idea of what they might say."

"Do you want to let me know? Better I know now than be angry later," Chance joked, hoping it wasn't as bad as Jake made it sound. Sometimes, he wished Jake didn't bottle things up. "Kind of leading me blind in this one, buddy. We're mates. Plus, I'd rather not make a scene with you know who watching."

Jake glanced at Oliver, who was too busy staring at the chocolate fountain with amazement. A sad smile crossed his face as he nodded. "Unlike my relatives around us, my mother isn't the type to hate or comment about others. I wouldn't have a problem with her if not for one reason. The actual Clawson to worry about is my father. Let's just say he's a very strict tom. It's his way or the highway. I've had the latter experience when I joined the Enforcers instead of attending a university."

"That bad, huh?" Chance said, shifting Oliver's in his arms. "Speaking of which, why didn't you go to a university? I wasn't the brightest or richest tom for that option. You could have gotten a degree and joined a good-paying job like Puma-Dyne."

Jake smirked and waved a hand. "One, you know I love the thrill of danger. Two, a full-time desk job would bore me. And finally, Puma-Dyne would not have been an option since my family is blacklisted from getting a job there."

Groaning, Chance set Oliver down. "One thing clears up, and then another mystery box shows up. Are ya going to tell me why your family is blacklisted?"

"Well... let's just say my grandfather," Jake trailed off and stopped.

"Your grandfather what?" Chance said, waving his hand. Jake ignored him and kept looking ahead. "Uh, Jake, how about you return to me? What's got you..."

"Jacob, is that you?" a voice said.

Chance glanced back, seeing an older she-kat with a timid expression. She had a bushy tail and sunset beige fur. The white floral v-neck with flowers fit her nicely, as well as the plain blue kimono. She was short, maybe a foot smaller than Jake, with big hips and short hair. Chance could picture her teaching preschool. This should be Lindsey Clawson, Jake's mom.

Lindsey drifted closer, reaching for a hug until Jake backed up. She winced, putting her hands close and retreating. Her head bowed down, and she looked hurt as she tapped her fingers together.

"It's good to see you," Lindsey whispered. With a wan smile, she lifted her head. "You've grown a bit and are fit as a fiddle."

"Uh-huh. So, where's dad?" Jake hissed, looking away. "I'm surprised you aren't sticking to him like a shadow."

Lindsey's ears flattened, and she bowed her head.

Chance stared at his mate in shock. Jake never acted this way and would be a complete gentlekat with others. Even that cranky old lady they towed a couple of times had gotten Jake's patience. It felt so wrong to see this, and he wondered why Jake was acting like such an asshole to his mother. However, before he could say anything, he noticed Oliver staring at Jake and his mom. He winced and got close to his mate.

"Jake, cool it," Chance whispered with a slight tug. Jake gave him a dark look. "Oliver is watching you."

Jake's intensity blew off, blinking and glancing at his side. He gasped and looked away with such shame.

Sighing, Chance pondered if things could deteriorate. He was sure he would be the one making a scene today, not Jake.

"I'm sorry. You are?" Lindsey's meek voice cut in.

Chance could see Jake refusing to look at her. He wished things got better as he turned to face Lindsey with the best smile he could muster. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Chance Furlong. Gotta say, Mrs. Clawson, you guys sure know how to throw a nice party."

"Why, thank you," Lindsey said with a gentle smile. She blinked, squinting at Chance and Jake before shifting her attention nearby and appearing confused. "Are you two fine toms by yourself? I noticed the bonding bracelets. But are your mates around somewhere?"

It keeps getting better, Chance thought. He wished Jake or his sister told their mother about them. The poor lady probably thinks her son shacked up with a molly based on the small crack of joy on her face as she looks around. How does he go about this? Jake was out of it and seemed too distant to answer.

"Mrs. Clawson, my mate is here," Chance said, smacking Jake's back hard. Jake made a sound and glared at him.

Lindsey was still looking around until the smack. Her ears perked up, and she returned to them. Her expression suggested that she thought Chance was joking until it finally clicked. Glancing at both of them, her face transformed into shock.

"Jacob, is this true?" Lindsey asked, putting her hands close to her face.

Jake grumbled something, ready to speak until...

A crash occurred, followed by a growl, a mew, and something wet hitting the floor.

"Blasted hell! Whose kid is this?" a rough voice shouted.

Chance noticed that Oliver was not by his side. Something in his gut told him he knew exactly where his little troublemaker was.

Jake wished he could be somewhere else. Since coming here, he'd felt things were too good to be true. Jake had battled not to be pessimistic and think there might be some hope. Yet, as he stood in the middle of his parents' enormous room with his mother, father, and sister, things seemed less likely.

Despite the ongoing party downstairs, Jake confidently believed that most guests found what was happening upstairs intriguing, as evidenced by their stares when all six of them went up. At first, they could hear Markus Clawson, Jake's father, mumbling as he squished upstairs to the shower with his chocolate-covered shoes. After a brief conversation downstairs, he said little but told them to go upstairs. Chance waited outside in the hallway with their kid.

This was for the best, as Jake didn't want Oliver to see this.

Markus had put on another suit when he finished taking a shower. His cinnamon fur was like Jake's, with curled sides and a bushy throat. The tom was slightly wider than Jake, with a stern face that always seemed severe. Markus still looked terrifying even when covered in chocolate moments ago.

"So," Markus drawled, crossing his arms and looking at his family. "Where should I start? Should I start with you, Jessica? Inviting your brother or not telling me you've been talking to him. Or should I start with you, Jacob?"

Jake growled. "It's Jake to you. Trust me, I wouldn't have come if you didn't want to see me."

"Oh, please. You were hoping to get something from me. Always do it when you get into trouble," Markus said, getting close and staring down Jake.

"It's not the same as before. Again, I only came here because I thought you had a change of heart. Seems like that's never going to happen," Jake said.

Jessica frowned, glancing at both her father and Jake. "Come on, you two. Hasn't it been long enough? Jeez, Dad, even Jake has a kit now."

Markus scoffed, glancing towards the door. He lingered there for a moment before sighing and looking at the floor. "So it seems."

Jessica nodded, glancing at her side to Lindsey, who seemed the most worried out of all of them. She closed in and touched her mother's shoulder, getting a slight jump from her mother before Lindsey smiled and nodded.

Markus rubbed his mouth and let out a rumble. "Still can't overlook that Jacob bonded with a tom."

"And there he goes," Jake whispered.

Markus glared at him, opening his mouth until Lindsey beat him.

"What's his name?" Lindsey said.

Jake gave a small smile. "His name is Oliver, mom. He's six years old, though Chance and I are unsure when he was born."

Markus scoffed, crossing his arms. "What did the foster home not give you the forms, or did you screw that up?"

Jake glared at Markus, ready to let him have it, until Jessica spoke up.

"Why is that?" Jessica said.

Jake exhaled. "Oliver is a stray we found abandoned in the city. Not precisely a foster kitten but a kitten in desperate need of a home. Chance and I planned to have a kitten at one point, though we never knew when it would be a good time. Then Oliver came into our lives recently, and we took the first step toward becoming parents."

"Wow. It's almost like one of those stories we hear from Adam's foundation. Plus, it's just around the corner with the holiday week. What a joyous thing to do," Lindsey said, putting her hands together and smiling.

"I know, right?" Jessica said, looking at her mom with the same expression. "I gotta say, I didn't expect to..."

"What nonsense," Markus cut in, shaking his head. "I thought you two already officially adopted the kid. Stray laws allow toms and mollies to help and home an abandoned kitten they can later adopt. However, that's your first problem. You two are toms that picked up a kid. Second, don't you think the social workers will balk at the current state of your affairs? Jacob, you live in a salvage yard, a disgraced ex-enforcer, and currently have a bill that will take your nine lives to pay. Have you always been this idiotic?"

Jake felt every word hit him like a bullet. Yet, not because of a lack of confidence in adopting Oliver, but because they brought back memories of his father rejecting him in childhood. He gripped his fist. "I've already talked to someone more qualified about the situation. Thank you very much."

Markus made a face and scoffed. He opened his mouth, but Jake wouldn't let his father run his mouth.

"The salvage yard is just a workplace. The social workers are more concerned about the living situation. We aren't rich, but we're doing better than we were in our first year. Do you honestly think that the social worker will give a rat's ass about my background when I was in the force? They filed it under military discipline. Of course, you wouldn't know that because, to you, it's all the same as if I did something criminal. Technically, I'm still an enforcer, you fucking prick."

Pure silence followed, with Jessica's and Lindsey's wide eyes staring at Jake before slowly drifting to Markus.

A roar erupted.

"You don't speak to me like that! I'm your father and demand respect, especially in my house. Jake, I swear I'll..." Markus stopped, taking a few steps and rubbing his head. He returned to Jake and threw his hands up. "Why couldn't you just do as you were told? By the gods! You could have an easier life, a better life. You threw it all away just to spite me."

Jake felt a bit unease, though he remained firm on his look. "Spite you? Dad, that wasn't on my mind when I joined the enforcers," he said, feeling his heart tighten. He took a breath and clenched his fist tighter. "It was something I needed to do. Shit, I... I really ended up liking it. For once, Dad, can you see I was happy?"

Markus shook his head and looked away. "Happy? Let me get this straight. You had a comfortable life prepared for you, only to throw it aside because you wanted to be happy. Jacob, stop being a kit and wake up. Life isn't about happiness or some stupid belief you can change the world with a badge and gun. Wake up to reality."

Jake felt a burning rage festering inside him. "It wasn't just a dream. Chance and I did a lot of good things in the force. We put many bad kats away and made the city safer."

Markus reacted with a look of disbelief before dismissing Jake's statement with a wave. "If only that were the truth. At first, it was just basic criminals running amok, but now omegas are causing trouble. Nothing has changed except it getting worse," he grumbled. He exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "God, what a mess. How things could have been different? If only you..."

Jake had enough. "Work under you? Take over the company when you retire? Be fucking miserable like you and repeat the cycle with my kits because I didn't get to do what I wanted?"

"You ungrateful brat, watch your tone."

"And what? Take me out of the will? Excommunicate me? You already did that! What else are you going to do? You know what... I don't regret a fucking thing. If I could go back, I would do it all again. Do you know why? Because I'm happy."

Markus scoffed, getting close and poking Jake's chest. "And what good did it bring you to be happy? Tell me. You have only a mountain scrap that isn't yours and a tail swiper with you because that is all he has. You sure showed me," he said in a low tone. "Every year, I have to hear someone in the family bring that up—a Clawson living in a dump. My blood is living in the dump. You spit in our ancestors' grave. Those kats brought the Clawsons out of poverty, only for you to return the name to that place. Have you no shame?"

Jake felt furious and sad as he shook. He gritted his teeth. "Have you no shame? You abandoned Grandad when he needed you. At least I didn't kill my father!"

Markus's eyes went wide before they hardened, and he let out a threatening roar. He attempted to swing at Jake, though Jake ducked it and used the momentum to slam his father to the floor. The girls gasped and covered their mouths as Jake got on top and pinned his father with a hold.

The door leading in burst open. Chance came in and scanned the area. He blinked as he finally landed on Jake and Markus.

Jake winced, though he kept a firm hold on his father. He turned back to Markus. But he noticed his father seemed dazed as the older tom groaned.

"Dad! You okay? Jake, get off him," Jessica said, getting close and hitting Jake's back.

"Jacob, you're hurting him," Lindsey added, closing in and checking on her husband.

"But he..." Jake said as they pushed him away. He could easily hold himself in place but didn't feel his strength. "But he..."

Jake felt something crash within him. He backed up, watching the girls tend to Markus. It hurt to see this as they kept checking on Markus and ignoring him. He felt so cold. No matter what happened or if his father swung first, they would always side with the older tom. It hurt as it reminded him of that day he joined the Enforcers. It was him or his father. He didn't want them to choose and wished they could find a way for all of them to stick together. They didn't dare fight Markus or for him to reconsider, standing by Markus's side and urging Jake to rethink his decision.

The rest was history.

It was hard to breathe. Jake ignored everything and headed out. It felt like he was floating as he exited the room, down the stairs, and out the door. Where was he going? For once in his lifetime, he couldn't think straight as he pulled on the passenger door of the tow truck. It didn't budge as he kept trying and feeling the pressure squeezing the life out of him as he crumbled to the floor.

Suddenly, he felt someone picking him up and guiding him inside the tow truck. He couldn't hear what was being said as his head was spinning. Something small and warm held onto him, making it easier to see the tow truck was on and heading out. He pulled the small thing close and drifted to sleep, wanting to rest as soon as possible.

The next thing Jake felt and heard was a deep purr behind him. He blinked, feeling enormous arms pulling him back and holding on. There was another purr, smaller than the first one but just as comforting as it snuggled deeper on his neck.

It was rather dark, though he could figure out where he was thanks to Chance's poster of Scaredy Kat. He purred, licking Oliver's head and rubbing Chance's arm.

"I'm good, you two. I'm good," Jake repeated, though that was far from the truth. He was unwilling to leave this place and wanted to keep these two toms nearby. He didn't want to be alone again.

"Okay, but let's head to the living room. I'll whip us something to eat, and we'll stick together watching some shows until we sleep," Chance said, shifting back and helping Jake up.

Jake nodded, picking up Oliver. The poor little fellow seemed frightened and worried as he held on. He embraced his new son and kept him close as Chance guided them to the living room. Chance threw a big blanket over them as they settled down and cupped Jake's chin. With a reaffirming kiss, Chance let go and headed to the kitchen.

Jake watched him go, lingering until he reached for the remote. He turned it on to one of those memorable holiday movies. Oliver rested on his lap, lazily keeping a paw on Jake's chin and stroking it as he watched the movie.

After a while, Chance returned with some homemade burgers and bags of chips. Oliver followed Chance's instructions and hopped off, eating his food on the coffee table and occasionally glancing back at Jake.

"I'm sorry," Jake whispered to his mate, who settled near him.

"Hmm? Oh. It's fine," Chance whispered back, biting into his burger.

"Is it?"

Chance paused his second bite and settled down on the plate on the coffee table. He sighed, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Give me a clear picture. I'm still lost and out of my depth here."

After a moment of biting his lip and looking away, Jake nodded. "My father always had his way about everything. I never disobeyed or challenged him, thinking it was normal for a father to act like that. That was the norm until my grandpa showed up and changed that for me. He was the first tom who told me to think for myself and do what I want," he paused. He felt a sense of joy when remembering his odd grandpa. "Still though... I never dared to challenge my dad during that time. However, you can thank my grandpa for all our gadgets. He's the one who showed and mentored me in the world of invention. Grandpa taught me to help the less fortunate and always to strive to help kat kind become the best it could ever be."

"Sounds like an amazing tom," Chance added, smiling.

Jake chuckled and nodded. He frowned as he prepared himself for the next part. "He was. Jacob Henry Clawson. However... let's say the Clawson family kicked him out of the family after the incident with Puma-Dyne. Puma-Dyne and Grandad's relationship was always rocky and bound to get him fired. He refused to make weapons for them and preferred to make other beneficial technology for our civilization. But that's not why he got fired. Oh no. He stumbled upon and revealed that some high-ranking officials were experimenting with live subjects. The Enforcers came and shut it down. They swapped CEOs and swept it under the rug."

Jake felt tense, hating talking about this. "My grandfather was a hero in my eyes. However, he got blacklisted and abandoned by the whole family as they were more annoyed that their kids lost their jobs or could never apply at Puma-Dyne. That was the second to last time I saw him when he walked out the door. The last was his funeral. He died after getting mugged in the streets by some thug."

Chance frowned, nodding his head. "That's terrible."

"Sometimes…" Jake paused and took a large breath. "Sometimes, I think I could have helped him. If I had said something, maybe he wouldn't have been kicked out of the house, and he could still be alive. I did nothing! I just stayed silent like a coward."

Chance shook his head. "How old were you when it happened?"

"I was thirteen, but that doesn't…"

"Jake, you were only a kid. You couldn't have known or predicted how things would turn out."

Jake didn't believe that, though he stayed silent and looked down. He could swear he could see his grandfather's casket as they lowered it, and him crying for his grandfather to wake up. He shook his head. "I couldn't stay still after that. I felt like I needed to do something."

"Which is why you joined the Enforcers?" Chance asked, getting a nod from Jake.

"Instead of respecting my decision, my dad warned me he would cut me off if I did that. My mother and sister didn't back me up, staying by his side and trying to convince me I was making a mistake. From then on, I was alone and had no support from my family," Jake said, letting out a shaky breath. Despite everything, he missed them and wished they could be a family again. However, he refused to follow someone else's plan and do what he thought was right. "I... I... was so alone."

Chance pulled Jake close, nuzzling his head and purring. "Kitten... Jake, you are not alone. Not anymore. Do you understand that?"

Jake shook, digging deeper into his mate. He whimpered and nodded.

Then, a slight tap touched his knee. He blinked and pulled back slightly to see Oliver looking at them. Oliver raised his paws.

"Aw, come here," Chance said, picking up Oliver and placing him between them. He grinned. "See? We ain't alone no more. You got me and Oliver now."

Jake let out a weak chuckle and embraced his new family. For a cruddy night, this was the best part of it. "Of course. How about we finish our food and see a couple of movies?"

Both toms agreed with Jake. All three of them stayed close together as they watched some holiday movies. Oliver would tap them during certain scenes and point at the TV. Chance would laugh, pulling them closer and keeping them warm as they rested on his stocky body. Jake would stay silent and enjoy this, kissing his mate and hugging his son close.

Jake felt warm.