Chapter 7: The Turbulence of Family

AN: The most current chapter of SOAK. Again, the previous version of this story has been replaced and updated. I hope you guys enjoy this new direction! - 2024 and beyond

Oliver took one step forward, yet he felt lifted by the scruff and redirected to face the lawn. He mewed his displeasure and pouted, though Pops would just chuckle and point.

"Oliver, go play with your cousins," Pops says. He glanced at the door and rubbed his head. "Let's just say your folks and the rest are talking."

"Grandpa, is it bad?" Jonathan says, leaping onto the porch. With a frown, he let out a sigh. "I wanted to stay here all week, especially if Oliver is here. But Mom and Dad said no. Sooooo… I came by myself."

Pops shook his head. "You could have put yourself in danger. Wait," he says, squinting his eyes. "With what money did you get here?"

Jonathan looked away and whistled. "I found some on the floor."

"Sonny, do not lie, especially to your grandpa," Pops says firmly.

"Okay. Okay," Jonathan says, folding his ears. "I grabbed some money from my mom's purse."

Pops touched his head, eyes looking around before he exhaled. "Alright. That will clear up a question later for your grandma. For now, just play and take Oliver with you."

Oliver wanted to stick by Chance and Jake, though he couldn't protest as Jonathan yelled his excitement and pulled him away. Soon, he went around the house toward a shed. Jonathan let go and entered the hut, grabbing a shovel and handing it to him.

"Think we can convince those two to help build a fort," Jonathan says, pointing at Luna's kids near the willow tree.

Oliver shook his head when he saw Conner. The tiger kid lay on the tree above with hands behind his head, looking like he didn't want to be disturbed. Cale seemed preoccupied with a book as he sat at the tree's base.

"Come on," Jonathan says, leading Oliver forward. "Maybe they will if you ask them."

Oliver gave Jonathan a look to see if he was crazy. His cousin ignored him, grinning and pushing them towards them. Soon, they were near Cale, who stopped reading to look at them.

"Need something," Cale says, tilting his head.

"Oliver is wondering if you want to help us build a snow fort," Jonathan says, patting Oliver's back.

Sometimes, Oliver wished he could talk as he could have easily said that was a lie. Yet, he could only let out a hiss and slap Jonathan's back.

"Ah, I'm good. Kind of busy," Cale says, lifting his book.

Jonathan huffed and crossed his arms. "Come on, Cale. Play with us. Play with me for once."

"Sorry, I'm good," Cale says. He gave a shy smile and rubbed his neck. "Not exactly something I wanna do."

"Come on," Jonathan whined. "Stop acting like an adult and play with us."

Cale exhaled, though he kept his calm expression. He seemed ready to say something until Conner spoke up.

"My brother said no. Do you understand what no means?" Conner snaps with a hiss. He shuffled from position and glared. "Prince, bother someone else and take that mute with you."

"Stop calling me that," Jonathan says, his smile dropping. "It's annoying."

"Then Crybaby it is," Conner says.

"I hate that too. Can you please just call me by my name?" Jonathan says.

"Nope. Pick one, or I'll pick it for you," Conner says. He put a leg on top of the other and leaned in with a paw on his chin. "Crybaby or Prince."

Oliver wondered what Conner's problem was with Jonathan. Before he could tug Jonathan so they could go, he froze when he saw the kid's face. He could never have imagined seeing the bouncy kit so defeated as he stared at the floor and looked close to crying.

"Aw, look, Cale! He's about to cry," Conner says, slapping his knee.

Cale frowned and looked up. "Conner, Grandma already told you to stop picking—"

Cale never had the chance to finish. Oliver was unsure why, though he made a snowball and threw it hard at Conner's face. However, he felt his gut drop when he noticed a fresh cut on Conner's cheek.

Conner let out a yell, grabbing his cheek and pulling out to see some blood. He froze, looking at his hand to Oliver and back at his hand.

"You're dead!" Conner yells.

Chance rubbed his face, listening to the ring as he waited for someone to pick it up. There was hope that his brother would pick up, not Anna, as Chance would lose his patience quicker with that molly. They had a small chat about Jonathan. Despite wanting Jonathan to remain, they acknowledged the decision was not theirs. Freya was initially determined to speak with Richard, but Chance and his sister changed her mind. Richard might say something and hurt Freya.

It hurt to check on his mother, but Chance could only hide it with his grin as he leaned back to see her. Jake and Luna kept Freya busy with small talk, stealing glances at him while she nervously rubbed her hands, demonstrating her desire to be with Chance. He stood alone in the hallway as the rest of the family waited in the dining room for whatever his brother decided. He would try to be polite but firm to get his hard-headed brother to allow Jonathan to stay.

"Furlington home, this is Richard," his brother says.

Chance smiled and nodded at his mother. He repeated in his head so many times what he would say, but it failed. "Still fucking hate the name, you prick," he says in a low tone.

Richard growled throughout the other line. There was a small chat, with Richard excusing himself. "Charming as ever, you stupid pea brain. There better be a reason for this call, or I'm hanging up," he says in a low voice.

"Missing something," Chance says, lifting his hand and smiling at his mother. Outside, he was smiling, but inside, he was holding back his anger. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for Furlong to be on the phone. Oh well.

Richard exhaled. "I'm not in a mood for games."

"And you call yourself the smart one. Give you a hint. Four-eyes. Where's your kit right now?"

"Why would… wait," Richard says. There was a slight tap and some shuffling.

Chance wanted to laugh but kept it inside and pretended he was still talking to Richard. He could just imagine his pain in the tail brother going to Jonathan's room and freaking out. The smug face disappeared and only utter shock. He wished he could see it.

Some heavy footsteps followed and with a clang. "Where the hell is my kit?" Richard snarls, sounding like a Furlong. "Is this some kind of sick prank or…"

"Woah. Cool your jets. He's here in Ma's place," Chance says, tapping his foot on the ground. "How the heck do you not notice your kit is gone? Or better yet, how does your wife not know? She's the definition of hovering."

Richard says nothing, mumbling something to himself.

"Wait," Chance says, feeling something is up. "She's not there, is she?"

Richard exhaled.

Chance grinned, feeling pleased with himself. "Tell ya what, little brother. How about I watch your kit for the week?"

"One, you were born only a few seconds before me. Two, are you nuts? Anna will…"

"Either make up some excuse, or I'll tell her myself how you lost your kit," Chance warned. Richard was sometimes immovable, but if Anna's kid was involved, she could bend that rock. "And trust me. I would do it. Even if she tries to bite my head off."

"You piece of… ugh," Richard says. Some small taps escaped on the other line. A slight growl and then a tiny sigh. "You win."

Chance felt a bit off hearing that last part. Maybe he's pushing it too far. Richard is still his little brother. He shifted a bit and frowned, scratching his neck. "Hey, uh, so… how… how have you been?"

"That's none of your concern?" Richard snaps, bouncing back to his usual attitude.

Chance gritted his teeth, counting for a moment. "You know what? Forget it. Listen, bring your tail and your wife at least one day this week. Maybe the last day."

"We're busy. So, I don't think…"

"Come on, Rich. Don't be like that. Make time for Mom," Chance says.

Richard exhaled, taking a moment to respond.

Chance wondered why it was so hard for his brother to swallow whatever pride he had and come home. His brother stood out for the rest of the Furlong, having more brains than most. Chance felt a pang of jealousy when he saw how his father and mother put Richard on a pedestal—awards, recognition, and on track to being the first Furlong to go to a university. Yet, Chance felt happy to have a brother like that, plus he had someone who helped with homework. They used to be so close that kats would call them twins, though they looked nothing like each other and preferred different things. Yet, with their differences set aside, they helped each other with what they lacked. Now, it's a distant memory that sometimes feels unreal.

Chance gripped the phone. Maybe he lost three kats on that terrible day.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do, but no promises," Richard says with a huff.

Chance snorted, shaking his head. They said nothing momentarily as they could hear each other's breath. Chance licked his lips. "Okay. Uh… say, Rich, remember when we broke Ma's favorite mug?"

Rich snorted. "That was your fault. You wanted so badly to wrestle with me."

"Oh, come on, you were having fun. We were freaking out so badly and counting down the minutes when Ma would be back from work. Then…" Chance stopped, feeling sad when remembering that fun memory.

"Dad came home first. I remember him laughing and trying to calm us down. Then, he tried to fix the mug only to fail spectacularly."

Chance grinned. "Then he tried to see if we could hope for an earthquake to hit."

"Then came burying the evidence."

"There was no time as mom came home."

"And then Dad just threw it on the ground," both say. Both stifled a laugh.

"Mom was so pissed, but Dad grabbed us, and we booked it out of there," Chance says, wishing his father could still be here. His father could make anyone smile. "Too bad we still got grounded."

"Dad… was a great tom," Richard says, slowing down with each word. A snarl escaped, and something got hit. "Then some trash comes and takes that away. A freaking plague that has no rights and needs to be taken off the streets. If Mom and Dad just let that scum rot, then…"

"Rich, they helped him because it was the right thing to do. It was just… something we couldn't expect to happen. He's still our…" Chance stopped, feeling his mouth getting shut. It was too hard to finish or say that word.

"Uh-huh. You don't believe it yourself. Don't tell me how to feel. He's only lucky that they considered him a kit when it happened. And Mom had the nerve to forgive him? After what he did?" Richard spat, letting out a hiss.

"Richard, don't…"

"I'll come. But only for my son, and that's it. Goodbye," Ricard says, hanging up before Chance could say anything.

Chance felt so deflated. He accomplished his goal, though it was more of a bittersweet victory. Putting the phone on the hook, he sighed and leaned against the furniture. Looking at the wall with his family pictures, he couldn't help but look at the motto above. 'Stand together when faced with adversity.'

"Sorry, Dad. Hope that's the only bump today," Chance muses.

"Hey! Break it off!" Pops yells from outside.

"Of course," Chance hisses, hurrying down the hallway and outside. He glanced around, seeing Pops trying his best to stop Conner, who was chasing Oliver with rage. The other boys tried to help, but Conner would blow past them.

"The hell is going on?" Freya says, appearing behind him with the rest.

Then Conner tackled Oliver on the ground. Both stumbled until Conner got on top of him, unsheathing his claws and ready to strike Oliver.

"Conner!" Luna boomed out.

Conner flinched, stopping his movements and glancing up.

Everyone gasped, seeing the cut and blood on Conner's face. Oliver was sobbing and a mess as he attempted to wiggle away from Conner's hold.

Jake wished he could hug and grip his kid close, though he knew Oliver messed up. Pops was trying to soothe Freya's wrath as she paced back and forth. Luna and Chance seemed pissed at each other, and both kids for different reasons though they held their tongues. Oliver and Conner sat on the couch, though they kept their distance.

Freya stopped, standing in the middle of the room and glaring at both kits. "Alright. Conner. The number of times I have to repeat myself, you still don't listen. You nearly scratched someone younger than you. Worst of all, it's your cousin!"

"But he…" Conner tried to say while holding his bandage cheek.

"Sip it!" Freya snaps.

Conner looked furious, though he kept his mouth shut.

Freya glared at him before she then drifted to Oliver. "You could have seriously hurt your cousin. Why did you throw a rock at him?"

Oliver whimpered, lowering his head and covering his face.

"Grandma, he didn't know. He made a snowball and didn't know it had a rock," Jonathan says, taking a step forward.

Freya looked at Jonathan. "And why did he throw it?"

"Oh Ah," Jonathan stopped, glancing at Conner. The tiger kit hissed and looked to the floor, folding his ears. Jonathan frowned, looking around before looking back at Freya. "I wanted Conner to join us, so I told Oliver to throw a snowball at him. I should have checked. None of this would have happened."

Freya squinted her eyes. Her fur ruffled though she shook her head and stepped close between Oliver and Conner. "Alright. Here's how things will go this week. You two will be best friends from this point on. Whatever happened is in the past," she says, pointing at Conner. "No fighting or else." Then turned to Oliver. "No fighting or else. Is that understood?"

Oliver sniffed, wiping his eyes and nodding. Conner made a face though nodded.

"And you," Freya says, pointing at Jonathan. "Don't think I forgot about you. As of now, you'll both stay in your rooms until dinner time. Conner, go show Oliver and Jonathan their room."

"Do I have to?" Conner says though he shrunk when Freya and Luna glared at him. "Fine. Come on, let's go."

The boys followed Conner out of the living room to the hallway. They went up the stairs, and everyone could hear their little footsteps as they continued climbing.

Freya exhaled, rubbing her face. Pops closed in and patted her shoulder, whispering something.

Jake felt the pressure easing off, though he couldn't help but see Chance's stern look. He stepped close to whisper, "Not exactly a great start for the first day. Right?"

Chance sighed, rubbing his neck. "No. Let's just hope those two don't start again," he muses. He glanced to the side. "So… Apart from our kids nearly fighting. How's it going?"

With an exhale, Luna stopped, looking toward her brother. "Oh, you know. Fighting paperwork, scheduling appointments, and two boys. How about you?"

Chance smirked. "Oh, you know—the usual. Saving the day, one car at a time, and avoiding tetanus," he says. He wrapped his big arm around Jake and pulled him close. "And keeping this handsome fella happy."

Jake felt his cheeks turn red as he coughed and looked away. "And what do you mean by keeping me happy, exactly?"

Chance's look turned mischievous, and he winked. "Oh, you know."

"Chance," Jake says, groaning and playfully hitting Chance with his elbow.

"It's so cute when he gets nervous," Luna says, covering her mouth and giggling. She glanced over at her mother before returning to Chance. She appeared hesitant as she rubbed the side of her arm. "Hey, Chance. Mind meeting me outside tonight? I have something to tell you and Mom."

Chance got serious, letting go of Jake and quickly closing into Luna. "Something wrong? Please don't tell me it's him again."

Luna's eyes widened, and she shook her head. She glanced at her mom, who was still busy with Pops. Her eyes softened, returning to Chance and motioning for him to quiet down. "No, it's not… it's not that. You know you would be the first to know if that happened."

Chance nodded, easing up and relaxing his shoulder. "Alright. That's a relief. Hmm," he says, scratching his chin. He grinned and winked. "Is it about that tom you've been seeing?"

With a bashful look, Luna looked away and smiled. "Damn, guess mama knows."

"Aw, congrats, Luna," Jake says, feeling happy for her. He blinked and cupped his chin, looking at Luna over. "I'm guessing you mated with that, tom?"

Chance chuckled and shook his head. "Aw, buddy, isn't that too soon," he stopped when getting a look from Luna. "Oh. So, you have known him for longer than a year. Do your kids know you've been seeing someone?"

Luna nodded. "They don't know who it is, but I've been telling them about it when it got serious," she says. She stopped and giggled. "My mate is shitting bricks about it though he seems open about meeting my kids. I'm still working out how to do a first day, maybe a day in the park or something, to keep us busy and prevent dead conversations. Ah, I want them to like each other."

"You got this," Jake says, raising two thumbs. "Start it out as friends hanging out and let it naturally flow. Don't rush it. I bet they'll warm up to him with time."

"Thanks, Jake," Luna says, beaming a confident smile. She turned to Chance. "I'll see you tonight. Can you let mom know?"

"Of course," Chance says.

"Alright. Let me go check on my boys," Luna says, heading towards the stairs. She stopped and glanced back. "Sorry about my boy."

Chance waved his paw. "It's alright, sis. Sorry about my boy."

"It's alright. Also, congrats to both of you. I know you two will be good fathers to Oliver," Luna says, continuing forward. Up the stairs she went and left.

"Oh right," Chance says, snapping his finger and moving towards the main door. "Almost forgot to bring the rest of the stuff inside. Let's go before someone swipes it."

Jake followed Chance out the door, walking behind his mate. He followed the tabby to the tow truck, where they unraveled the ropes holding the gifts. They said very little as they went back and forth. However, something had been bothering Jake as he kept glancing at Chance.

During their last go, Jake finally brought it up. "Say, Chance, when you were referring to the first him. Who were you talking about?"

Chance froze as he grabbed the last wrapped box. He glanced at Jake, then up, before letting out a tremendous exhale. He placed the box back down and leaned against the truck. His carefree looked injured as he stared at the back of the tow truck. With a single shake, he glanced up. "Not something I wanna talk about, if I'm honest. Maybe another time. For now, let's just enjoy the week."

Jake nodded, though now he had a clear idea that it was very personal. He could still remember his mate getting upset when the revelation of his inability to swim came to light. Chance was a forward tom, but not in his struggles or lingering past wounds. Jake remembered his mate struggling to talk about what happened to his father. He knew Richard and Chance saw their own father's death. Who caused it and why? It was still a mystery for Jake.

"Alright. But just know, I'll be there to listen whenever you need me," Jake says, grabbing his box and heading around the tow truck.

"Thanks, kitten," Chance says, grabbing his box and walking beside Jake.

"However, we should probably tell your ma about our, you know what, tonight," Jake adds, looking at his mate earnestly. "We can't beat around the bush. Better tell her now than on the last day of the year."

Chance grimaced, folding his ears. "Should we tell her before or after Luna's thing?"

"Let's tell her before. Better give her the heavy news followed by something more light and joyful."

"She's going to kill me."

"Aw. Cheer up. At least we'll both get our tails whipped by Freya."

Chance groaned, opening the door and heading inside.

As they went inside, they went to the living room and dropped the gifts near the rest. Pops and Freya were chatting among themselves as they watched some shows on the television. Freya would tell them she would start making dinner at five. They nodded, and Chance promised to help his mother as they headed upstairs.

Knowing the history of the house still amazed him. The Furlongs established themselves in Megakat City during the Great Fur Migration. The place went through many cycles of being made, destroyed, and remade. When they began building apartments, Chance's great-grandfather refused to accept the city's money to move elsewhere. Thus, the stubborn Furlongs kept their land and are now surrounded by buildings nearby. It made Jake chuckle as he glanced around.

New and old furniture clashed inside, with some history lingering around. Upstairs housed the rooms that used to belong to Chance's great uncles, then him and his siblings, and now only Freya, Pops, and Luna's family. The remaining rooms were now guest rooms.

Jake saw Jonathan standing near a door, looking at a door with an unsure look. Jonathan turned to look at them and folded his ears.

Jake felt his heart jump in fear. "Is something wrong?"

"Oliver kicked me out," Jonathan says, looking lost. "He's crying."

Jake didn't wait, going around Jonathan and entering the room. There, Oliver sat against the bed with his head on his knees. The little sobs and mews escaped as he kept himself in a ball.

"Oliver?" Jake says, getting close. Behind him, he could hear Chance whispering at Jonathan before entering and closing the door. "Little one, are you okay?"

Oliver shook and refused to look up.

Jake frowned, looking at Chance, who had a worried expression. Chance patted Jake's shoulder before leading them close to their kid. Taking one side near Oliver, they sat on the floor while monitoring Oliver.

They sat there a bit. Oliver kept his head down and ignored Jake's and Chance's soft call. Jake wanted to know what was wrong and fix it but gave his kid time. Time passed as they waited, with Chance throwing him looks and appearing eager to know. Jake would show Chance not to push it and to wait.

Oliver finally moved away from his legs and glanced at them. He sniffed, rubbing his eyes with both hands before looking at the floor.

"Kiddo. You wanna tell us what's wrong?" Chance said. He reached in and gently brushed Oliver's cheek.

Oliver let out a raspy sound. He closed his fist with the upper finger on top before moving close to his chest and moving it clockwise. 'Sorry.'

"Oh. You're sorry about what happened?" Jake says.

Oliver nodded and waved his hand in a circular motion.

"And something else?"

Oliver nodded again.

Chance patted Oliver's head. "About what?"

A mew escaped Oliver, and he glanced at them. He opened his mouth but closed it before looking at his hands. He seemed so lost as he stared at them. With a hiss, he threw his hands in frustration and covered his face.

Jake had a feeling about what Oliver needed. He reached behind himself towards the small backpack and pulled out the contents he was looking for. "Here, Oliver. Why don't you write it out?"

Oliver let go of his face, staring at the notebook and pen. He sniffed and nodded, taking them and slowly writing out his message. As he wrote, his hand shook, and tears fell again on the paper. He froze, refusing to continue.

Jake stroked Oliver's neck, taking a gander on the messy and wet notes.

'Don't leave me. I'll be good. Don't leave…'

A million pieces broke inside Jake's heart as he gasped. He quickly picked up Oliver and brought his son close. "Oliver, don't think like that! We will never leave you. Do you understand that? Aw, jeez, kid. Never think like that."

Chance's eyes widen, hurrying close and hugging them. "You are now part of us. Kat's alive. Where did that come from? It was just an accident."

Oliver mewed, clinging onto them and shaking, muffling his sobs on Jake's chest. Jake brushed his kid's head, letting Oliver cry it out for a minute before pulling him back to face him. His hand drifted to his son's cheek as he brushed a tear away. "Listen. When you followed us home, you became our kid and responsibility. That means we are in this together during the good and bad times. You messed up today, and what you did was wrong. However, it does not mean that Chance or I will just drop everything because of what occurred."

"Yeah, kiddo. You ain't getting rid of us that easily," Chance jokes, grabbing Oliver's head and messing with it. Letting go, Chance drifted his back against the bed. He groaned and rubbed his neck. "Hopefully, you won't repeat what happened. However, just know that if we yell or reprimand you in the future, it isn't based on bad intentions but just us wanting you to be a better kat. Do you understand that?"

Oliver blinked, appearing confused, though he nodded his head.

"You'll understand one day," Chance says. He snorted, glancing at the door. "Also, don't worry about grandma. She might be pissed, but she still loves you despite chewing your ass out," he says. He stood up, showing Oliver to follow him with his head. "Come on, kiddo. Grab your pen and notepad. You are going to apologize to your cousin."

Oliver frowned, looking as if he was wondering if Chance was kidding.

"No butts. Write your apology, and come on," Chance says, giving a stern look. Oliver let out a hiss and looked away. "Don't make it worse, or I'll add more to Ma's punishment."

Oliver's ears flatten, glancing towards Jake and mewing.

While amused by his kid's antics, Jake maintained a severe look. He shook his head and pointed at his mate. "Go on, little one."

Oliver exhaled, grabbing the notepad and pen. He drifted to Chance while keeping his focus on the floor.

"Come on, move your tail," Chance says, nudging Oliver to move it. He glanced at Jake. "I got this covered. How about you set up?"

Jake smirked, knowing what Chance meant by that. He waved his hand at them, and they left, closing the door and leaving him in the room. Waiting for a minute, he moved towards their bags on the floor. He grabbed the one big backpack and headed to the window. Before jumping out, he connected his mini-little transceiver with a red bulb to the plug nearby and sat near the stand. As he landed on the snow outside, he moved out of the Furlong property and over the fence towards the small back alley. Once there, he went around a trash container, moving it a bit to the side. He ducked and used his claws to open the small line on the wall. Once he grasped it well, he pulled the fake square concrete wall and put the backpack inside before closing it again and returning the container to its original position.

"If only telling Freya would be as easy as this," Jake muses, heading back to the house. They were now prepared in case an omega broke the streak this year. They secured and prepared their suits in case things happened. The small red alarm in their room would notify them when the city needed the Swat Kats.

As he returned to the house, he checked his corners and windows before jumping to the second floor. Carefully landing on the tiles, he made sure not to make any noise as he made his way to the window. With the last step, he jumped through the window and rolled to land on his feet.

"Jake Clawson lands. The crowd goes wild," he whispers, throwing his fist up. He made some low cheers and silently clapped. "Which is why he is the coolest."

After finishing his talk with the HR personnel hours ago, Feral experienced a slight relief in pressure. They asked Feral some personal questions, but they concluded he was not at fault as he never gave special favors to Luna, and her transfer to his office occurred before they were a thing. The kat voiced some concern about the relationship, mainly about Luna's co-workers, who may express their problems or act differently towards his mate. Of course, some of his enforcers may look at him differently since he's screwing the youngest sister of the former disgraced pilot and the daughter of the beloved ex-trainer in the academy.

"Not much can be done on that front," Feral grumbled. He sighed, exiting his vehicle and walking towards the door. Glancing momentarily at the lovely beach view, he rang the doorbell and fixed his uniform. "Now, to deal with the headache."

The door opened, and Markus appeared with a big grin, only for his eyes to widen and gasp. "Uly? What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too, brother," Feral scoffs, looking up. This felt weird. When did he last show up unannounced at his brother's house? He rubbed his face and looked at his brother. "I'm only here for a few. I need to tell you, Shelia, and Felina something, and I'll head back to HQ."

Markus grinned, closing in and hugging Feral. He lifted Feral off his feet. "Aw, screw work! Come on, we'll have dinner ready soon, and you can join us with Felina's mate."

"The mayor's here?" Feral let out, grunting as he felt his brother tighten his hold. He hissed. "Let me down before I take you down."

"Ha, try it!"

Feral growled, buckling forward. Markus fought him and kept holding him tighter. With one big buck, Feral shifted his weight towards Markus, leading them to crash against the door and stumble inside. Feral attempted to move away, but Markus tackled him back to the ground. He growled, quickly turning and trying to get his brother off him. Their enormous bodies tumbled around, hitting and pushing furniture as they attempted to win dominance. Feral grabbed Markus's scruff and lower body, throwing him against the wall. His brother hissed, stumbling to his knees and trying to recover. Feral wouldn't let that happen, getting behind his brother and putting Markus in a rear naked chokehold. Markus attempted to get Feral off, though it only sent them crashing back to the cold floor. With finesse and speed, Feral wrapped his legs around his brother, completely subduing his brother.

"You're done," Feral says while panting.

"No. I'm not," Markus replies, desperately buckling but not moving an inch. He hissed, trying a couple of times before relaxing. "Okay, I'm done."

"Now say I'm a big baby," Feral adds, grinning.

"No way!"

"Then I'm not letting go."

"Come on, brother. I already gave up."

"Say it."

Markus pouted, looking hurt as he appeared to think about it. He muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Feral said.

"I'm… I'm a big baby," Markus let out slowly before groaning.

"Ulysses, mind letting go of my big baby," a soft voice says nearby.

Feral tilted his head back. The upside view of Shelia, Felina, and Callie greeted him. They had an amused look on them as they held their wine glasses. He felt a wave of embarrassment hit him as he had his subordinate and the mayor seeing him act like a kitten. His arms let go of his brother, and he pushed Markus away. He quickly fixed himself, coughing and pretending nothing happened.

"Good to see you, Shelia. Felina. Mayor," Feral says.

Shelia shook her head, looking around and her eyes narrowing. "Pleasure to have you. Dinner will be ready soon. However, I would appreciate it if you kittens cleaned up here," she says in a low tone. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before glaring at Markus. "Mark."

Markus gave a sheepish smile, putting his hands up. "Aw, come on, sweetie-pie. Just two toms having a friendly tussle."

"Mark."

Markus's ears folded down, rubbing his neck. "Alright. I'll go get the broom and dustpan."

It was rather humiliating for Feral. He ignored them and fixed the furniture back to their place, but he could still feel Felina's and Callie's grins. If there were a gun to wipe the memory off of them, he wouldn't think twice.

As his brother returned, they kept cleaning up and saying nothing. The girls slowly retreated to the dining room, talking about different things. Markus looked up, taking a glance around the corner and grinning. He returned to Feral, helping him clean up the last mess before looking up.

"Stuck up, asshole," Markus says with a smile.

"Little shit," Feral says, letting out a smile.

Both toms chuckled, exiting outside and heading to the nearby trashcans. As they tossed the garbage, they patted their paws and looked around. Markus patted Feral to follow him, heading towards the backyard's patio. Sitting on a chair near the covered pool, Markus uncovered a box underneath the chair, pulling out two big cigars and handing one to Feral. He lit his and Feral's piece before relaxing and puffing a considerable smoke.

"I thought Shelia wanted you to stop," Feral says, inhaling deeply before pulling the cigar back and puffing out a cloud. He loved to smoke, though he would only do it a few times or when he needed to relax. He loved to drink, but it would be the same as cigars. The job required him to be in tip-top shape.

Markus made a so-so wave. "I promise her to cut back on smoking. I've been pretty good about it, only doing so during celebrations or months apart. It's pretty hard, as I love doing it. However, I love my wife more," he says, flicking the cigar slightly to let the ash fall to the snowy floor.

"So, why are we back here?"

With a sheepish grin, Markus rubbed his neck. "I smoked yesterday. Shelia would be pissed to see me smoke another cigar today." Before Feral could speak, Markus held out a paw and shifted closer, putting one leg over the other. "However, how could I not? My brother finally found someone!"

Feral felt shock at first, though slowly relaxed and nodded with a smile. His brother knew him too well and was one of the few kats he could not be Commander Feral. Maybe they were still those kittens back then when they only had each other and against the rest of the world. His brother's antics and carefree attitude annoyed Feral, but he loved his brother.

"She's the one," Feral says slowly, feeling warm just thinking about Luna.

"What's her name?" Markus says, getting ready for another puff.

"Luna Furlong."

Markus made an odd sound before coughing and hitting his chest. When he finally caught his breath, he stared at Feral with suspicious eyes. Then, his eyes widened before he became speechless as he looked around. He simultaneously looked amazed and confused as he processed the information. He raised a finger and put it back down as he rubbed his neck.

They remained silent for a bit until Markus spoke up.

"And you love her?" Markus says, getting a nod from Feral. He smiled and shrugged his shoulder. "Well, okay then."

Feral laughed. At least someone would not bite his tail. "I appreciate it."

"Stay for the night. Let your subordinates handle the city for a day, at least."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," Markus says in a dry tone. The smile wavered, replaced with a more severe face. "I'm okay with it, though Felina and Shelia want you here. They say nothing, but I know how they feel. Stop thinking about work and think about your family. Fuck. Unlike other kats, our family circle is small, don't you think?"

Feral felt his throat tighten, looking down and knowing what Markus meant by that. "Have you visited mom?"

"Yeah, I have," Markus says, looking up at the sky. He sighed, taking in the smoke and blowing an enormous cloud. "And for some reason, Dad is still alive and kicking. Have any of the Ferals bother you as of late?"

Feral snorted, shaking his head. "Nope. They are too scared to do so, especially with my position. You?"

"Sons of bitches, call me at home and work. Dad has them wrapped around his fingers despite everything," Markus says with a growl. He put his elbow on his leg and rested his chin on his hand. "I respect what you and Felina do. I do. But sometimes, I wish you guys picked another profession."

"Enforcers aren't like dad. You know that, right?" Feral said, reaching in and placing a paw on his brother's shoulder.

Markus patted his brother's hand. "I know. It's just… it didn't help Dad's colleagues stay quiet when seeing things."

Feral nodded. The lingering hits and demeaning words still hit. Sometimes, he thought he was the problem and accepted his father's words as truth when he was a kitten. However, time slowly unravels the truth, and it sucked. His brother snapped out of it first. Maybe that's why Markus found and picked his profession without caring what Dad thought. Feral loved his job, though sometimes he doubted if these feelings were his and not someone living someone's dream.

"You're right. Plus," Feral says, patting his brother's face. "I'm going to need some advice on how to deal with kittens."

Markus's serious face softened, slowly returning to his usual bright self. He grinned and had a smug look. "Oh! Well, step into my office, my inexperienced brother."

"Oh, shut up," Feral says. He chuckled before rubbing his head and sighing. "I'm screwed, aren't I."

"Hmm, maybe. Maybe try smiling when you meet Freya's grandchildren."

Feral groaned.