Chapter 9: The Last Days and The Beginning

As Oliver stepped out of the bathroom, he looked around the house. He saw many tabbies having a good time and chatting with each other. The atmosphere was quite noisy compared to the previous days, with loud music playing, food being served from the kitchen, and many individuals enjoying themselves outside.

He saw his aunts, uncles, and Freya's brothers. Lion Ned, or Nate, his legal name, appeared drunk as he tried to match the pace of the twins. The two joked they were brothers since they shared the same name, and Tabby Ned urged Lion Ned to keep up with him. For once, Nate seemed relaxed and merry as he grinned and kept pace with his similarly named family member. Ted, who was loud, wasn't far behind, and the group continued to drink, laugh, and have a good time.

Hope observed her husband while chatting with Jamie and Andy. Hope was the third eldest among them, with Jamie being the fourth of the litter of five. She was a broad girl with curvy hips and an enormous chest, just a few inches shorter than Chance. Hope had sandy fur and dirty blond hair that hung to one side in a ponytail. Oliver couldn't remember who it was, but someone had joked that Hope could be Chance's female version. It couldn't be more fitting, as she had a temper that flared up if someone provoked her, although she seemed to be more willing to let things slide before they got out of hand.

"I swear, sometimes I feel I fell in love with a teenager," Hope said. Her eyes narrowed, though she exhaled and let it go. "I'm going to string them up by tail if I have to deal with throw-up later."

Jamie grinned, stroking her husband's tree trunk arms that rubbed her enormous belly. Andy was holding her close, with his arms wrapped around her and his head resting on her. She had amber fur like her mother, with some blonde hair on her neck and head, and despite her protruding belly, she was the skinniest out of all her siblings. Her gentle eyes, soft-spoken voice, and patient personality made Oliver feel welcome the first time he spoke to her. "Oh, come on, Hope. It's the holiday. The poor fellow didn't have the luxury to let loose with all those textbooks he had to read through school."

Andy hummed in agreement. "Plus, you should be used to it. Speaking of which, how's Mick and the bar?"

"Same as always. I told that stubborn tom to come," Hope said, turning to look around. She frowned, letting a hint of disappointment escape her before she exhaled. As she looked down, the corner of her lips rose, and she crouched. "Hey there, little tom. Are you having fun?"

Oliver looked around and saw that all the kats seemed to have a great time. Some neighbors had brought their children, and Jonathan had already gathered them to play games outside. The first time Oliver played with a group of kids his age. However, it felt strange when they would ask him something and he couldn't respond. Then they stopped talking to him, probably unsure what to do with someone who couldn't talk back to them. Eventually, he faded into the background while Jonathan took charge and became the center of attention for the kids.

Returning to Hope, he shrugged his shoulder. He paused, putting a hand up and air writing 'C' and 'J.'

"Hmm. Oh, you looking for your folks?" Hope said.

Oliver nodded, seeing Hope stand up and look around.

"I swear I saw them earlier. Maybe they-"

A loud crash startled Oliver. He turned to see Nate and Ned sprawled on the ground, laughing. They had accidentally broken a coffee table. Hope hissed in disapproval and moved to scold the two kats, with the other two following behind her, chuckling at the scene before them while assisting the two toms and calming Hope. Oliver gave them some space and walked away, taking one last glance before exploring the rest of the large house to find Chance or Jake.

Keeping to himself, Oliver did not want to get anyone's attention as he moved around. Too many strangers were everywhere, though he recognized some that Chance had introduced. Still, there were too many. The Furlong family is vast, and they keep contact with distant relatives. However, there were some that he wanted to avoid.

"Just tomorrow morning, and we'll be back home," a voice said—a very familiar voice.

Oliver's fur stood up as he froze, looking at his side. Richard and Anna, Jonathan's parents, were standing in the hallway. He remembered them arriving late at night when most guests had already arrived. Earlier that day, Jonathan had broken off to talk to them and pointed in Oliver's direction. Before they could look at him, Oliver moved away, going outside and avoiding them. He pretended he didn't hear when his cousin asked why he left, though Jonathan seemed to understand.

Looking closer at Richard, Oliver can easily spot him among his siblings as he is the only one with white fur, which he inherited from Freya's father. In addition, he wears glasses and a suit that conceals his broad body. Despite having the same chubby face as Chance, he always appears severe and crosses his arms, making him look ready to talk down to someone.

Oliver shifted his gaze towards the other kat nearby. Anna wore a stunning white outfit that perfectly complemented her cream-colored fur and blue eyes. She had a bushy tail, an hourglass figure, and a petite yet sharp face. Despite her friendly exterior, Oliver had already experienced her sharp tongue firsthand and knew better than to let his guard down around her.

"And again. Why do we have to stay another day here?" Anna said. She ignored the few stares from passing kats, giving them a stern glare when they stared too long. With a defeated exhale, she rubbed her eyes. "We could enjoy the holidays somewhere warm. But nooooo. We have to freeze our tails in your mother's...house."

Richard snorted, leaning against the wall. "Want to wrangle our kid?"

"Yeah, no. I don't want Jonathan to get upset with me," Anna said. She tapped her toes and cocked an eyebrow. "Remind me again, how did he get here?"

Richard shrugged his shoulders. "I had a meeting downtown, and we were close to my mother's house. Our kid wanted to see her, and we did... then it got out of my paws the next second," he said. Quickly looking away, he coughed and pulled his glasses to clean them. "I know you wanted to spend these last days somewhere else, but Jonathan loves it here. Let's enjoy these few days before work picks up for both of us."

"Don't remind me. Another long season."

"Prosecutor Judy is on the case," Richard said. He smiled and drew Anna closer, allowing her to rest on his chest as he gazed down at her. "They should make you the lead instead of that bimbo Victoria."

Anna let out a small smile, relaxing and cupping Richard's cheek. "I know, right? Hmm. Hopefully, this role will get me enough attention to land a movie role."

"You'll get it," Richard said. He closed in and kissed her nose.

Anna giggled. "And you'll become the youngest partner in the firm."

Richard smiled, nodding his head. Before he went for a kiss, his eyes shifted towards Oliver, blinking for a moment until they returned to his serious look. "You need something?"

Oliver felt a powerful urge to run, but he couldn't. Both the kats in front of him were staring at him. He nervously tapped his fingers and looked around, hoping they would stop staring. But when he turned back to them, he saw they were still waiting for him. The memory of what had happened in the food court flooded back, and he worried they might say something mean.

"Whose kid is that?" Anna whispered.

"Not sure. Probably a neighbor's kid," Richard added.

A wave of confusion hit Oliver as he replayed their words. It seemed like these kats didn't recognize him. However, he looked different from the last time they met, now wearing actual clothes and cleaner fur. Jonathan was the only kat who treated him kindly, while everyone else ignored him. But that was not entirely true - Chance and Jake had saved him that day and had offered him so much, even though they had very little. They had already started calling him their kid with no signs of hesitancy. Perhaps he should start thinking of them as his fathers. The idea of having two fathers initially sounded weird, but he was getting used to it. The next time he met them, he should call them that.

Deciding to move it, Oliver nodded at them and kept going, ignoring their small chatter as he left. He kept going down the hall, making it to the kitchen where he could see Freya and some other she-kats talking and chatting. He could see Pops chatting it up with other kats from the nearby chairs. The older generation seemed to reminisce about things or talk about their children, laughing at each embarrassing story. At first, he thought about asking Freya or Pops if they had seen his dads, though he didn't want to interrupt them. Heading towards the backdoor, he felt the cold winter wave hitting his fur, making him zip his sweater.

There were more kats out here, and he could see two recognizable figures in the center, getting greeted and thanked by passing kats. Callie kept a smile and talked to each kat around her while Felina appeared ready to bounce anyone that would dare to do anything stupid. They set up tables, temporary tents, and a fireplace with lights above in the backyard, creating a mini-festival atmosphere.

Oliver frowned, not seeing his folks around, and wondered where they went. Before he could turn around and head back inside, he heard a sound nearby, making him look to see Feral in a dark corner of the balcony. The brown tom sat on the wooden outdoor chair, drinking something as he stared toward the center. For the few days he's been near the tom, it seemed like most of the Furlongs weren't ecstatic about him being here. Feral went nowhere alone, nearly always with Luna. He seemed scary at first, but that lessened over the days.

Oliver approached Feral and noticed that the tom appeared to be distant and unemotional, staring ahead with sharp yellow eyes that were usually on the lookout for danger. Oliver wondered if this was how he looked before Chance and Jake had picked him up, as Feral seemed lost and unsure of where to go. Feral had only received tiny hisses and glares from the other Furlongs, which made Oliver question if Feral had offended them, though it didn't seem fair. When he reached out and touched Feral's big hand, the brown tom tensed up and prepared himself.

Feral looked ready, though his shoulders relaxed when their eyes met. His ears folded down, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't hear you coming. You alright?"

Oliver shivered, though he nodded, stepping back and keeping his eyes down. He waited a bit before carefully looking up, air-drawing his father's letters.

"You looking for those two?" Feral said.

Oliver nodded.

Feral glanced around, rubbing his chin. "They were here moments ago. Not sure where they went afterward. They'll probably be back later," he stopped, pointing a claw towards the center. "How about you go play with your cousin in the meantime?"

Oliver looked to see Jonathan running around with a couple of kids. It seemed they were playing hide-n-seek as they dashed around, going underneath or behind things as another kitten covered his eyes in the center. He thought about it for a moment, though he felt his eyes giving up on him, making him realize he had no energy to play. Returning to Feral, he shook his head.

"I see," Feral said. His golden eyes drifted around before landing in the space near him. "Want to take a seat and wait for them here?"

As Oliver looked around the balcony, his gaze fell on Feral, wondering if he should sit down. On one hand, Tram had warned him that Feral would arrest him, given his past activities. After considering his options, he took the risk and moved in to sit down. The soft cushions on the seat and back felt comfortable. Although he felt a slight urge to yawn, he resisted, waiting patiently for his folks to arrive.

"Tired?"

Oliver shook his head.

Feral snorted, shaking his head. "Don't be stubborn. If you're tired, then sleep."

No, I don't want to, Oliver thought. He shook his head again, though he felt his energy draining as he kept sitting down. He hissed and rubbed his eyes, angry at himself for not staying up.

"How about this?" Feral said, pointing a finger up. "Rest up, and I'll wake you when your folks arrive. How about it?"

That surprised Oliver. Glancing up at those golden eyes, he still didn't understand why everyone had a problem with him. At first, the brown tom had a terrifying presence, but he seemed pretty nice. Feeling another chilly breeze, he shifted closer to Feral and took refuge with him. He nodded, keeping his eyes open as long as possible, hoping to see either Chance or Jake. He felt Feral's paw rest at the side of his head, pushing him closer and offering as much heat as possible. Then he felt his eyes closing and felt himself drifting to sleep.

Sometimes, he would dream about the oddest thing. He couldn't speak or move much in them but stayed in one place as someone moved him around. His vision was blurry, though he could make out the few figures in his dream. It was always the same. A she-kat would keep her attention on the window with milky sheets covering her as she huddled close and sat on the bed. A male kat said something, though she wouldn't say anything back as the sounds of machines beeped around her. Then, the male kat would let out a beaten exhale, lifting Oliver close to his warm chest before heading out. The roaring sound of a motorcycle followed the silence until some time passed, and he was somewhere else. He would sometimes let out a small broken whimper, and the male would hiss or tend to him, seeming more tired with each call. Then, at one point, the male didn't respond to him, and another voice came, sounding annoyed as he lifted him.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" the voice said, sounding like Tram.

"I don't care. Just put the kitten in a home. Anywhere else is better than here," the first male said. It sounded familiar, but Oliver couldn't place it.

"When I said I owed you one. This isn't what I meant. Why can't you drop him off?"

"Because I can't. Every time I go, I just come back here with him."

"So, you don't care where I put him?"

"No. Just get him away from here."

"And you won't regret it and come bother me later?"

Silence came from the first male, letting out a hiss and shifting around.

"Alright. Then consider it done. What a waste of 'I owe you,'" Tram said.

Oliver couldn't understand why, though he felt pain as Tram carried him away, maybe because he wanted to stay with the strange male. The first whiff came from the she-kat from before and then from the male. Something told him they were close to him, but he couldn't understand why that was.

He felt cold.

Suddenly, he felt warmth again.

Opening his eyes, Oliver felt gentle hands picking him. He whimpered, rubbing his eyes as he rested his head on someone's shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he could see cinnamon fur curly cheeks that brushed his own cheeks.

"Aw, kiddo is tired," Chance said. He used his finger to brush Oliver's hair and got closer, grinning at him. "Had fun today?"

Oliver nodded, getting a better hold on Jake and nuzzling his dad's neck. He still felt tired, though he felt much warmer than before. Chance smiled at him before shifting back and glancing ahead. The tabby's grin lowered, though he kept a neutral look.

"Thanks for watching our kid," Chance said.

"No need," Feral said, moving around Jake and heading towards the door. He stopped, glancing back at them. "Happy New Year. I wish you all a good year."

"Happy New Year to you too, Feral," Jake said.

With that, Feral nodded, heading inside and leaving them. After a small discussion, they, too, went inside. The party was still going strong, though less tense than before. There were minor pauses as Oliver's fathers talked with the guests, mostly a quick chat or the guest awing at Oliver. Soon, they were heading upstairs, making it to their room, and closing the door behind them.

"Another year down. New one to start," Chance said. He led them to the bed, dropping his butt on it and leaning back. "So many things have changed since last year."

Jake chuckled, taking a seat nearby. "You mean yesterday?"

Chance groaned, leaning his head back. "Don't start, kitten. You know what I meant," he said. He threw his hands up and settled his back on the bed. "Let's see how this year goes."

A hum escaped Jake as he glanced at the window. One of his hands stroked Oliver's cheeks as he shifted his attention to Chance. "Things should slow down soon."

"Which means the worst part is coming. Cleaning," Chance muttered. He snorted and lifted himself back to his feet. "Tuck our kid in. I got this."

Oliver let out a mew, getting their attention, and Chance stopped at the door. He waved at Chance to return and pointed at the nearby paper and pen.

"Oh, need something?" Chance said.

Making a fist, Oliver bobbed it back and forth to say yes. Chance appeared curious, grabbing the items and giving them to him.

Slowly writing things down, he wrote his first question.

"How do... you say Happy New Year?" Jake said. He chuckled, placing Oliver next to him. Cupping his chin, he tilted his head and stayed silent before snapping his fingers. "I think I remember it being like this."

Closing his fingers on both hands, Jake waved towards him before bending his thumb on one hand and swiping up toward the other. He finished it by closing both hands into a fist, putting one on top before spinning it around the other and returning to the same position. "So the first is 'happy'... then 'new'... and finally 'year.' Want to try it?"

'Wait,' Oliver signed. He then wrote his next question.

Chance leaned forward, tilting his head to read the document before him. He scrunched up his face as he scanned it, looking confused until he began rereading it, silently mouthing the words. Suddenly, he blinked, and a smile spread across his face as he turned to look at Oliver.

"How do you say dad or pa?" Jake whispered. He smiled warmly and looked away, snorting and wiping his eye. After a moment, he returned to Oliver, opening his hand and tapping his thumb towards his forehead. "Um... you do this. You can mouth which version you want to say, as this could mean dad, daddy, pop, or father."

With a nod, Oliver repeated everything he learned. He signed everything slowly and looked at each of them, ensuring they both equally got this. 'Happy New Year'. He looked at Chance, mouthing 'Pa' and then 'Dad' to Jake.

Both toms smiled, looking so proud and ready to cry. Chance grunted, pinching his eyes and looking away. Jake made a raspy muffle as he covered his mouth with one paw. Without another word, they closed in and embraced Oliver.

"Happy New Year, son," both said in their own way.

Oliver felt something hit him. Something that made him want to cry out of joy. He held them close, enjoying the heat that was radiating from them. The warmth of having two kats who cherished and cared for him was unlike the years when he only knew harsh words or coldness.

Despite knowing things could get ugly, Deacon couldn't accept it sometimes. The harsh reminder that getting close to someone could end with their death. His old ride buddy didn't deserve it, knowing the tom was in the straight-narrow and trying to better his life the legit way. They only hit him because someone must have seen them together earlier this month. It could be a snitch from his biker gang or table head figuring out what he's been doing, caving into those dirty enforcers with whatever they have on him. Either way, he's alone and can't trust anyone.

"Babe, you good?" a sweet voice called.

Scratch that.

Changing his view from the ceiling, he drifted to Torie. She wore a black bib overall with her favorite white sci-fi shirt underneath. Her hair looked rather wet still as she threw the towel aside.

"Hmm. Just thinking," Deacon said.

A snort escaped Torie, putting her hands in her pocket and approaching him. Once close, she got on top of him and held his shoulders. "I thought I'm the one who thinks here."

"Ouch. Don't believe in me?" Deacon asked, sliding his paws down and holding to the sides of her hip. Despite the cruddy lights, he could see her figure perfectly. Her long jet-black hair curled nicely, and her pink nose looked cute. She was more open than before when he found her at the bar. The time when she used to cover that significant burn mark that stretched from her forehead to her left eye. "Beautiful."

Torie beamed, getting close to kiss him and then bopping their noses together. "We'll survive this," she said, shifting to his side and taking refuge underneath his arm. "If only I had been more careful. Crud, I got sloppy at the end, and it alerted them. So much for riding into the sunset."

"We can still leave."

"It's going to be complicated with that ABP on us. That second in command sure moves quickly. Granted, all those dirty toms and mollies are sweating bullets. If only they knew, the only copy is somewhere in this city," Torie said, huddling closer. She glanced up at him. "Speaking of which, we ain't going anywhere without your kid."

"The list is useless to us now," Deacon said. He flinched when he felt Torie stabbed the side of him with her claw. "Ouch. What was that for?"

Torie pointed the claw to his face. "Please stop acting and be honest with me. Even if we left, you would risk returning to find your kitten. All those nights ago, you told me your many mistakes and how you wished to undo them. Well, you can't undo most of them, but here's your chance to fix one of them. We... and yes... 'we' will look for your kid."

"Stubborn she-kat," Deacon whispered. He pulled Torie close and glanced around. The temporary apartment could be their home for some time, but they knew they would eventually have to move. They were living a transient life, moving from one shabby apartment to the next until they could leave. Although he wished Torie would start a new life somewhere else after the bust, he couldn't do without her technical expertise to find information online. It pained him to think of her getting hurt, but seeing his son again had reignited something inside him. If only Tram had put Oliver in a proper home. "Maybe he's in a better place. What if someone picked him up and cared for him?"

"Even if he is, those enforcers have tagged him and are looking for him. Good thing I put cameras outside, or we would have been six feet under that night."

Deacon nodded, remembering how he waited for Oliver to return. However, the kid never came back, and only a surprise raid came to them. After escaping from a secret back door, he rode them away to another safe spot, where they waited to discover what had happened. At first, he thought Oliver got killed, but Torie discovered the enforcers were looking for the three of them. That elevated his heavy heart as he thought he would tune into the news and hear about some dead kid.

"Torie," Deacon whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Chance slid out of the vehicle, standing up and rubbing his dirty paws with his rag. Shooting a look at his partner, he asked the cinnamon tom to take the blow this time.

"You're such a wuss, buddy," Jake said. He put his hands on his hips. "Fine. But I get to decide on the pizza place."

"Deal," Chance said. He glanced at the waiting room where their number one customer awaited them. The old silver she-kat had terrible luck with her car, ending up stuck in nowhere. She would berate them to no end and make empty threats to call the Megakat Auto Club. She always had that furry brown coat, which he joked was her husband's fur that she killed. "I swear she breaks her car to just yell at someone."

"Who knows?" Jake shrugged his shoulder. He snorted and looked. "Maybe supercharging her car so many times finally did her car in."

"Oh, come on. It can't be that. Can't it?" Chance looked at the blue car in question.

After saying goodbye, they left Freya's house, heading home only to run into Madam Snowshoe on the dirt road. Once he saw the car, Chance thought about going a different way to avoid her. Jake scolded him, telling him they needed to help her even if she could a bit much. Relenting, he stopped, and they helped her out, seeing that something was wrong with her engine again. However, it wasn't a car battery this time, so they needed to take it to the garage and inspect it better, which is how they ended up here.

Flicking his ears up, Chance took a moment to listen. He frowned. "Strange. I usually can hear her angry mumbles at this point."

"You know. I was about to say the same thing." Jake looked towards the waiting room before heading over there.

Chance followed him. On the waiting room couch, Madam Snowshoe sat down, keeping her attention on their kid, who was drawing on his new art book. Oliver stopped, showing his art to the old lady.

"Aw, ain't this such a treat," she said. She shifted her oval glasses and looked at it more closely. "A mighty fine dragon. You should probably draw some fire."

Oliver nodded, returning to splash some red on it. He lay on the floor on his stomach, his little feet kicking back and forth behind him.

Madam Snowshoe smiled, glancing up, and it slowly disappeared. Coughing, she waited for them with a blank look.

"Uh. So, it isn't looking too good. We checked under the hood first and found that you need new spark plugs. However, we noticed a puddle underneath and investigated. There's a leak in the car. However, we aren't sure yet where it's coming from and need to drain your oil to find it," Jake said, offering an apologetic look.

"Hmm. Dang thing was working fine yesterday," Madam Snowshoe said. She exhaled, crossing her arms and staring at the ground. "How long?"

"Probably a couple of hours, maybe more if there's more damage. We should have it done and ready by tomorrow morning. Do you need us to call a cab or-"

"Unnecessary. Already called someone to pick me up." Madama Snowshoe said, glancing around them. "They'll be here soon. Hmm. Looks like you have another poor soul with issues."

Chance looked. Indeed, another car was coming in. The silver medium car wasn't familiar to him, as they knew their regular cars. It parked near the entrance with the engine turning off and a suited she-kat coming out. She wore a dark set with a white dress shirt underneath. Her fur was dusty, and her tail was bushy. Her golden green eyes looked around the area with an unimpressed look. She pulled out a brown leather work bag before taking a pen and a small notepad from inside, jotting something before stopping and staring inside. Their eyes met, making her flip her notepad close and move in.

His fur frazzled, taking a quick look at Jake, who shared the same concerned look. They nodded, exiting the waiting room and going to the new kat.

"Hi there. Welcome to Jake's and Chance's garage. I'm Chance," he said. He put a paw up. "Having trouble with your car?"

The she-kat shook his hand. She pulled back and looked them over. "No. My name's Cassandra Pawding, and I'm with Kitten Service. Your intent to adopt a stray landed on my desk. I'm here to introduce myself and give you the rundown on what to expect."

Chance felt his stomach tighten, hiding it with a grin. "Oh, that's so soon. Didn't expect someone to come in till later."

"Is it a problem that I'm here?" Cassandra asked. She cocked an eyebrow and waited.

"Aw, no," Jake blurted. His face looked calm, yet his tail remained down and unmoving. Clearing his throat, he removed his hat and rubbed his hair back. "We're happy to have you here. Do you need some water or milk?"

Cassandra didn't respond, watching them as if waiting for something, maybe a mistake or something. "Water will be fine. Can you introduce me to Oliver?"

"Sure," Jake said.

As they entered the waiting room area, Madame Snowshoe looked up to greet them with a nod. Her eyes squinted before giving an understanding look. She whistled at Oliver, whose ears perked to look at her. With a simple head gesture, she got Oliver to look back to see the incoming kats.

"Hey, kiddo. This is Miss Pawding. She would like to meet you," Chance said. He waved at his kid to come close. "Don't be shy."

Oliver glanced at Cassandra, then at both of them before nodding. He timidly made his way towards the she-kat, stopping a foot away.

Cassandra smiled, pushing her hair back and kneeling at eye level with Oliver. "It's nice to meet you, Oliver," she said. She glanced around and returned to Oliver. "Ah. I see you are drawing. Wow! It looks great!"

The corner of Oliver's lips curled up, looking away and nodding. He tapped his chin with one paw and moved it forward. 'Thank you.'

Chance was about to tell Cassandra that Oliver couldn't speak, but he soon saw the she-kat copy the same gesture back to Oliver.

"You can say 'you're welcome' the same way you say 'thank you.' Did you know that?" Cassandra asked.

Oliver blinked, tilting his head. He glanced up for a moment before returning to her, nodding. With a single finger, he pointed at Jake and smiled. However, he put his finger down and looked unsure. He scratched his head and tapped his toes, appearing to want to say something but not knowing how to sign it. A broken hiss escaped him as he looked desperately at Jake.

"Hmm. Not sure how to say something?" Jake said.

Oliver nodded.

Jake chuckled, sitting down. "Alright. What do we do when we don't know?"

Oliver looked puzzled for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. Turning around, he approached the nearby wooden stand, picked up the pen and paper, and returned to Jake. He sat on Jake's lap, scribbling something down before waving it.

"Oh! I see. To sign 'teacher,' you must combine teach and person. Like this," Jake said. He made a 'o' with both hands, putting them near his head at each side and then moving them downward to flat hands. "Again. From 'teach' then 'person'... this combines it to become 'teacher."

'Okay,' Oliver signed. He looked at Cassandra, pointing at Jake again. 'Teacher.'

"Ah. I see," Cassandra said. She glanced up. "So, you've been teaching him?"

"I try my best. However, it's a lot of information," Jake said. He scratched between Oliver's ears and kept him close. "I'm no expert, but I can pick things up."

"Impressive."

"Thank you."

Chance snorted, moving closer to his family and squatting down. "Jake's a one-of-a-kind tom. I'm barely scratching the surface, and he's already so many steps ahead of me."

"Too bad I can't cook, which is where this handsome fella steps in," Jake said, winking. He looked back at Cassandra with a sober look. "Uh. We can have our meeting upstairs." Glancing to Madama Snowshoe. "Sorry about this. We'll start on your car as soon as we can."

Madama Snowshoe waved her hand. "Don't you worry about it," she said. "How about this? Why don't I watch over your kitten while you three go upstairs?"

"Really? Are you sure?" Chance said.

"I'm sure. I'm still waiting for my ride, so I'm free."

Chance looked at his mate, who seemed pleasantly surprised, and nodded. "Alright. Oliver, be nice to Madama Snowshoe while we go. Is that understood?"

'Okay.' Oliver stood up, heading towards the couch.

With that, all three headed upstairs, making their way up the old wooden stairs that creaked with every step. As Chance followed close with his mate, leading Cassandra upstairs, he noticed her inspecting her surroundings with the same look. It hurt him to wonder if she was deducting points or thinking about how they could house a kitten in such a dump. Upon reaching the second floor, she followed Jake to the kitchen and sat. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in its details. Jake went to the cupboard and grabbed a glass, pouring water from the sink before giving it to her. He sat near Chance, with them taking the opposite side of the table. Chance could feel his mate's paws grasping him underneath the table, and he squeezed it, comforting his mate as they waited for Cassandra to start.

Cassandra eyed the drink before sipping it. Putting down, she made one last sweep and looked at them with eyes that were full of suspicion. "How much do you know about adopting a stray?"

"Somewhat familiar," Jake whispered. He coughed and scratched his neck. "It's a process, unlike the normal adoption route. A way for kittens to stay at a potential home with two kats that intend to take them in as their own."

"Yes. That's the general gist of it. However, I would like to consider it a trial run." Cassandra cupped her hands together, putting one leg over the other and leaning back in the chair. "I come and check on all of you. Some will be announced, and others will not be. It will be intrusive, and it'll bother you. Get used to it. I may or may not ask very personal questions to get an understanding of all three of you. Not only that, I'll ask others about you," she said. She stopped and looked towards where they came from. "Interviews, checklist, and other things to verify you two are fit to be parents. All of which leads to a final decision... my decision... if Oliver stays with you or not."

Chance squinted his eyes, not liking how she was coming at them. However, he felt his mate's hand stroking him to calm down. Exhaling, he stayed silent and nodded.

"The first step in this process is verification that he is a stray. What gave you the impression that Oliver needed a home and didn't have a home to go to?" Cassandra said. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands together as she gazed at them. "Please don't hide any details and offer as much as possible."

They described how they encountered Oliver at the mall, from catching him stealing Chance's wallet to feeding and bringing him home. Explaining the marks on Oliver's back was the most challenging part. Jake had difficulty expressing it, so Chance stepped in. The signs of abuse on the poor kitten included deep claw marks and indications of being whipped, with a mix of older and newer patterns. They haven't determined who harmed Oliver because he avoids discussing the past.

"I see... that's horrible to hear," Cassandra said, ears folding. Taking a moment, she let out a shaky exhale. "Alright. That clears up potential problems down the line. He's a stray in desperate need of a home. Moving to another topic. Are you two marrying soon?"

Chance looked at Jake, then back to Cassandra, nodding. "Yes."

"Good. Please do it soon. Within a month," Cassandra said.

Jake looked at Chance with a surprised expression. "That's a little too soon."

"Unfortunately, we prefer established partners when taking in strays. More a peace of mind that you two are serious about becoming parents. If you don't do it soon, I must cancel this process immediately," Cassandra warned.

Chance hissed, feeling as though they were being held at gunpoint. "Jeez. Might as well go to city hall and just get papers signed."

"That would be under your discretion on how you plan to do it," Cassandra informed.

Jake put a hand on Chance's shoulder and squeezed it. He moved close and whispered, "Easy there, tiger." He pulled back and stared at Cassandra. "We'll do it soon. Anything else you need from us?"

"Yes. It regards Oliver's school and medical. How is that going?"

"We have a doctor's appointment soon. The school was closed, but we're heading to get the enrollment going this week." Jake tapped the table, rubbing his mouth as he looked down. "Busy week."

"You can say that again," Chance mused. He felt the list growing each second. "Anything else you need from us, or do you want us to jump off a bridge to prove we are in this?"

"Chance," Jake hissed.

Cassandra snorted, shaking her head and standing up. She stopped at the door and glanced back at them. "Unnecessary. However, that's all I have to say about this."

"We'll walk you out," Jake said.

It felt quick yet long at the same time. Chance noticed they had been talking for close to an hour. While exchanging glances with Jake, he could sense that the tom was already considering the what-ifs if the Swat Kats were required when this she-kat visited. They could only hope she didn't decide to come at the worst time.

They returned to the garage, with Cassandra saying a quick goodbye to Oliver before heading outside. Chance and Jake followed her out, watching her open the door and reach inside. She gave Chance her contact info and asked for the best phone number to contact them. Jake handed her their business card.

Entering her car, Cassandra started the engine and rolled down the window. "I'll be touch." She reversed, turning the car around and leaving their sight within moments.

"Well," Chance let out after a few moments. He crossed his arms and let out a growl. "That was something."

"She seems nice," Jake said.

"Sure, she is. Did you see how she looked at our home?"

"Yeah. However, maybe we'll turn that look around once we remodel the place." Jake got close and rested his head against Chance's arm. He whispered, "I hate doing this, but we should tag her car the next time she comes."

"Makes sense. Next time, I'll distract her while you place it."

"Sounds like a plan."

Chance looked to the skies and asked his father to watch over them. He really wanted this to work. Whether it be the omegas, Cassandra, or whoever came their way, they would deal with it. Resting his head on his mate's, he nuzzled his worries away.

"We got this," Chance whispered.