Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
MisaRae, this is dedicated to you. I know I have said this before, but I could not do this without you. Thank you.
"Now, if you wiggle your fingers just so, you will fire a bolo at your opponent, or if you squeeze your fist real tight, a razor-sharp throwing star will fire. Think you can remember all of that, Pirouette?" Razor asked. At Pirouette's slight nod, he handed her his Glovetrix.
Pirouette slipped the glovetrix onto her right paw and wiggled her fingers a little. She then pointed the glovetrix at the door to her room, aimed, and was only supposed to mock-fire the weapon, but instead, she accidentally fired a throwing star at the door.
Felicia was standing outside Pirouette's door, getting ready to check in on her. She had Pirouette's chart in her right paw and her left grasped the knob of the door leading to Pirouette's room. Felicia twisted the knob and opened the door. Immediately, her senses were on high alert as she heard the sound of something whistling through the air towards her at a high rate of speed. However, she used what by remembered what her sensei had taught her and listened for the telltale sound of metal slicing through the air. At the last possible second, Felicia lifted her left paw and caught the star between her middle and index finger a fraction of a second before it struck her in the face. She inspected the star between her fingers and asked, "Nice shiroken. Now why was it flying at my head?"
Razor's mouth dropped open as he watched a very beautiful nurse with long, platinum-blonde hair and dark tan fur nonchalantly catch the throwing star between her fingers without batting an eye. He asked. "I guess you are Felicia? Nice catch, by the way."
Felicia walked further into the room, and said as she handed the shiroken back to Razor, "I think this belongs to you, and thank you. You have no idea how long it took me to master that particular skill. By the way, that shiroken has a defect."
"Defect!? Nothing I have ever designed or built has a defect in it! What makes you think it's defective?" Razor asked Felicia in surprise.
Felicia didn't even flinch at the way Razor addressed her. She simply replied, "The design itself is very good. The star is lightweight, and slices through the air very well. However, the metal you used is full of tiny fissures, which makes it very brittle. The high carbon content holds the edge very well, but that high of a carbon mix in the steel is its downfall. If I were to make this, I would have used a much harder steel and have sintered the carbon onto the edge. That would have given you everything you wanted in a much stronger package."
"Nancy mentioned you were a tenth degree black-belt at her dojo, but she didn't mention that you were a weapons designer, too. I'm very impressed," Pirouette said.
Felicia turned her head to Pirouette and said, "I don't design weaponry at all. My grandfather is a sword smith, and my father works with him. They are both very old school in the way they work. They spend days, if not weeks, bending and molding metal in these really old wood- and coal-fired furnaces. I really admire what they can accomplish, and if I wasn't a girl, I would be working right alongside them."
"And what goes being a girl have to do with anything?" Pirouette asked, as she put her good paw on her hip.
"Nothing, as far as I am concerned, Pirouette. When I was younger, I sweated right alongside my grandfather, sintering and smelting different types of steel together to make these amazing swords. I loved working with him, and seeing exactly how he shaped the metal. He used hammers and pliers instead of machines to form and bend the white-hot metal into the exact shape he wanted. He loves his work, and told me that if you really love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.
"I wanted to take up the family business so much, but my mother would not hear of it. She and my father had several heated arguments over the subject that resulted in him sleeping on the couch or at his father's place. Mom and Dad eventually compromised. I went to college and achieved my nursing degree, but I was also able to take karate classes. I excelled in both ventures. I graduated college with a 4.0 average, and I am a tenth degree black In fact, I am soon to be the first female sensei in the dojo. My father and grandfather could not be prouder of me. Whenever Dr. Feldman decides he can live without me for a day or two, I am at my grandfather's shop, working on my own formulations for some of the strongest and lightest blades out there," Felicia replied. She then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Felicia, would you mind taking this shiroken back to your shop and maybe see if you can improve this with your incredible skills?" Razor asked, as he handed Felicia the shiroken.
Felicia flipped the star in between her fingers and gave it a very close inspection. She then flicked her wrist, and threw the shiroken at the cabinets on the far wall. It imbedded itself into the cheap wood with a dull thud. Felicia went over to the cabinet, retrieved the shiroken, and said, "I am very impressed, Razor, and I don't see why not. This little thing will fly farther and be able to hold its edge better once I am done with it. In fact, it's too bad that I don't have the time or money to mass produce it. We could make millions selling these."
"Sorry, Felicia. Those are for SWAT use only. I can't have something like this falling into the wrong paws," Razor said.
"I understand entirely. I wouldn't want to have this, or any of your devices, end up in the wrong paws either, Razor. I was thinking of selling them to the Enforcers and other law enforcement agencies. With the proper training, these could be used as an ideal alternative to firearms, but can be just as deadly to those on the wrong side of the law," Felicia retorted. She then turned her attention back to Pirouette and asked, "Would you like to stay here, or blow this popsicle stand?"
"I've had more than enough of this hospital. Hopefully, the next time I'm in here won't be until I give birth to my kittens," Pirouette answered.
"Dr. Feldman's daughter is the best OB in the city. I am sure that she will be more than happy to oversee your pregnancy," Felicia said as she walked to Pirouette's bedside. She removed the bandage from Pirouette's shoulder and examined the incision. Felicia saw it was healing very nicely and said, "I wish I could remove the sutures right now, but I can't. The skin is still healing and the sutures are the only thing holding the incision closed. However, as long as I see a decent amount of movement in that shoulder; even with the sutures still in place without you experiencing too much discomfort, I'm sure I can convince the good doctor to spring you today. Then you can go home to that very handsome hunk of a fiancé of yours."
Pirouette's face lit up brighter than a lightbulb. She said, "Ready when you are."
"Alright then. We are going to have to wait for Dr. Feldman to arrive in order for him to assess your progress," Felicia said as she re-dressed the incision with some fresh gauze and tape.
Dr. Feldman entered the room just as Felicia finished dressing Pirouette's incision and asked, "So, how is my beautiful patient doing today?"
"I'll be much better once these stupid stitches are out." Pirouette replied.
Dr. Feldman smiled as he made his way over to Felicia's side. He then said, "I'm sorry. I had to make a larger incision than I normally would in order to check for damage to the surrounding tissue. I could have used either stitches or staples to close up the incision, but staples leave nasty scars. I couldn't do that to such a lovely she-cat," Dr. Feldman answered.
Felicia turned her head to Dr. Feldman, and said, "You know Mary does not like when you flirt with the patients."
"Dear Felicia, I am not flirting with her. I am simply trying to make her more feel comfortable. Besides, if I did flirt with her, her fiancé would probably beat me to a pulp."
"Very well, doctor. It's your funeral if she catches you," Felicia said as turned her head back in order to carefully inspected her work. Satisfied that the recovering incision was covered properly, she then said, "All done. The doctor will see how much movement you have in that shoulder, and if he likes what he sees, you can go home. Right, doctor?"
"Definitely, I'm quite sure Adonis wants you back in his strong arms again, and I have a good feeling, that he is going to wait on you hand and foot until you are completely healed. Now, let's see how much PT you are going to need, if any at all. Raise that right arm over your head, please. Lift it as high as you can without any pain," Dr. Feldman requested.
Pirouette did as Dr. Feldman instructed and lifted her arm until her forearm was just above her shoulder, when she winced in pain and had to lower it back down to its resting position.
"Very good, now hold your arm straight out to the side and try to hold it there for thirty seconds," he said.
Pirouette raised her arm again and extended it straight out, just as Dr. Feldman had requested. She held it in that position for about 10 seconds, and then had to let it fall to her side. Pirouette said, "That was harder than I thought it would be."
"I didn't expect you to be able to hold your arm up for that long. You did very well. That shoulder will heal rather quickly, as long as you exercise it and stretch every day," Dr. Feldman said.
"Does that mean I can go home?" Pirouette asked.
"I don't see why not. I'll write up the discharge orders as soon as my rounds are finished," Dr. Feldman said.
Pirouette bolted out of her bed and gave him a hug with only her good arm. She said, "Thank you for all that you have done for me."
Dr. Feldman returned her hug, then noticed that her hospital gown was not closed in the back. He said, "I think Razor is seeing a side of you that Caliber would object to. You might want to sit back down or close your gown."
Pirouette was now beyond embarrassed, and quickly let go of Dr. Feldman, reached behind herself with the arm that could freely move, and closed her gown. She then turned to Razor and nervously asked, "How much did you see?"
Razor had already covered his eyes with his paw, and had turned his head towards the wall as soon as she got out of bed. He replied, "Just your legs, Pirouette. As soon as you started getting out of bed, I turned away."
"Thank you for being so gallant, Razor," Pirouette replied as she walked over to him, and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Razor felt Pirouette's kiss, and as soon as she pulled away, he lightly rubbed his cheek and smiled as he blushed.
"I never imagined a tom like you would turn completely red from just a kiss on the cheek, Razor. Do you always get that flustered when a pretty she-cat kisses you?" Felicia asked.
Razor turned to Felicia and said, "No, I don't normally get flustered when I receive a kiss from a beautiful she-cat. However, it's not that often I get a kiss from a she-cat as beautiful as Pirouette."
"Thank you, Razor. I'll make sure that little comment remains between us, though. I would hate to have Adonis or Caliber take what you said the wrong way. Your fiancée may not be the jealous type, but she is very possessive of you," Pirouette said.
"She is as possessive of me as I am of her. I am so very lucky to have her in my life. I have never had the best luck with relationships in the past, but now that Caliber and I are engaged, my life is almost complete," Razor said.
"You said almost. What is going to complete your life, Razor? If you don't mind me asking?" Dr. Feldman inquired.
"Being there for the birth of our kitten. I always wanted to be a father, and in a few short months, I will be the father of a little boy or girl. Having and raising my own family will make my life complete, doctor," Razor answered.
"Your fiancée is pregnant?" Felicia asked.
"Yes, she is. Despite what everyone seems to think, Caliber is going to be an excellent mother, even with her wild streak. Our kitten is going to have a loving and supportive home, and he or she can come to either one of us for anything," Razor replied.
"Maybe my daughter should start thinking about setting up her own practice, between Empress, Caliber, and eventually you, Pirouette. Daniela is going to have her paws full just making sure that the kittens of SWAT are going to be healthy and strong," Dr. Feldman said.
"Doctor, even though Adonis and I are going to be married in three months, that doesn't mean we are going to start having kittens right away. I want to enjoy some alone time with my husband before starting a family," Pirouette retorted.
"That may be so, Pirouette, but the universe has its own plans for you and your soon-to-be husband. I wouldn't be surprised if you come back from your honeymoon as a plus one. He loves you to no end, Pirouette, and he is not shy about showing his love for you in front of anyone. That only proves he is going to love his family even more. I believe Adonis is going to be a great father to his kittens. Now, if you will excuse me and Felicia, we are going to get you sprung from this place and back home," Dr. Feldman said, and then he turned to Razor and said, "I'm sure you can get her home safely, and call her fiancé to tell him that she needs him with her."
"It will be my pleasure to escort her home and see to her every need until her fiancé arrives, doc," Razor replied.
"I expect nothing less from you, Razor. Come on, Felicia. We have paperwork to do," Dr. Feldman said, and then left the room.
Felicia watched him leave, and then said, "I'll be back in about an hour to get you dressed and down into the lobby, Pirouette. Oh, and Razor? Please turn on the safety for the glovetrix. Most cats aren't as on their toes as I am." She tucked the shiroken into her coat pocket and left.
Since Callie's car could not hold everyone, Sally had been gracious enough to lend them her minivan. Felina decided to drive, and Chance sat beside her in the passenger seat. Callie and Sarah sat in the next row, followed by Tina and Katerina in the back, their bodies leaning against each other and their paws intertwined.
Felina arrived in front of Callista's shop and parked the van. She turned off the engine and got out. Once she had closed her door, she went over to the passenger's side, opened Chance's door, and helped him out of the van.
Callie already had the sliding door open, and let Sarah and the newly engaged couple out. She then slid the door closed, took Sarah's paw, and asked, "Ready to go shopping for those rings, ladies? Knowing my grandmother, she is going to have the perfect pair for you two."
"Definitely. I want the world to know that Tina is officially mine for the rest of her life," Katerina said, as she snaked her arm around Tina's waist and pulled her in for a kiss.
Tina returned the kiss, and then said, "Yes, I want the whole world to see how much two she-cats can love each other, and show my beautiful fiancée off to everyone."
Callie led them to the front door and tried to turn the knob, but found that the door was locked. She asked, "I wonder where my grandmother is? When I stayed here after Chance was injured, Callista had this shop open promptly at 9am. This is not like her at all."
"She is probably curled up with my uncle on the couch or something, Callie. I wish my uncle had married Callista instead of Adara. He would have been so much happier when I was growing up, instead of scowling whenever Adara opened her mouth," Felina said.
Almost as if the mention of her name had summoned her, Callista appeared in her apartment above the shop. She noticed the time, and quickly ran downstairs to open up the shop for the day. She flipped on the lights as she walked through the door into the shop, and saw Callie and her friends, waiting by the front door. Callista made her way to the door and opened it before saying, "I hope you were not waiting too long, Callie. I was at the hospital with Lisa earlier and lost track of time." Then she noticed Sarah holding Tina's right paw and said, "Hi Sarah. Welcome to my little corner of the world. Come on in. There has to be something in here for such a cute girl like you."
Sarah broke free from Tina and ran past Callie to Callista. She then hugged her and said, "Your sister is so nice, and guess what? My newest friends are getting married!"
Callista returned Sarah's embrace, then lifted her head to look at Tina and Katerina, and asked, "I assume she means the two of you?"
"Yes, Callista. Tina asked me to marry her, and I said yes! We are now engaged, and I could not be happier!" Katerina exclaimed.
Callista had already known that they were destined to marry, but she did not want to act any less surprised and spoil their excitement, so she put on a big smile and said, "You two are going to make a great married couple. I am very happy for you. Do have your engagement rings yet?"
"That is why we are here, Callista. Callie said you would have the perfect pair of rings for us," Tina replied.
"I hope so, Tina. Come inside and take a look around. In fact, I have even more trays locked up in the back with more expensive rings, just in case. Let me get them for you two," Callista said, then turned to Sarah and asked, "Care to help me, Sarah?"
"Sure, Callista," Sarah replied.
Everyone entered the store, and Chance kicked the door closed behind him. Tina, Katerina, Felina, and Callie immediately went to one of the display cases and started looking at the rings. Chance, on the other hand, found an old picture album off in a corner of the store, and started looking at the photos inside. As he flipped through the pages, he saw several pictures of Callista in her royal gowns, looking as gorgeous as ever. Some of them had her with another she-cat that looked very much like his physical therapist. Others had her sitting on her throne, while still more had her interacting with a dragon. The caption read, 'Queen Callista with her faithful companion Esmeralda.'
Callista and Sarah entered the back room of the shop and went to a large wall safe. Callista turned her head towards Sarah, smiled, and said, "Watch this, Sarah." She then pointed her finger at the lock on the safe, and let a tiny spark leave her finger, which unfastened the lock. She opened the safe and removed a tray of rings. She handed it to Sarah and asked, "Do you think you can carry these out front for me?"
"Of course I can. I am a big girl, and can do anything," Sarah replied, and took the tray from her.
"Yes, you are, and as cute as a button. Go on, I will meet you out front in a minute," Callista said.
Sarah went back through the door that she and Callista had originally entered from, went over to her friends, and put the tray of rings on the display case. She then said, "These are for you. I hope you like one of these."
Both Tina and Katerina looked over the tray of rings, and after a looking at a few different pairs, they both saw a pair of rings, each with a small, princess cut diamond mounted in the center. The stones reflected the light in such a way that they seemed to magically call out to them.
Katerina and Tina turned to face each other, smiled, and then turned back to the tray. Tina removed one of the rings and brought it closer to her face in order to get a real good look at it. Tina turned her head toward Katerina, dropped down on one knee, and said, "I didn't do this right the first time, so let's try again. Katerina Belikov, will you be my wife?" Tina slipped the ring onto Katerina's finger.
Even though Tina had already proposed to her earlier, and she had accepted, seeing the engagement ring on her finger made the whole thing feel truly real. She was going to marry the she-cat she loved, and they would live their lives together. Katerina's eyes glistened with tears of happiness as she replied, "Tina, nothing would make me happier than to be your wife."
Tina stood up and placed her arms around Katerina's neck, then kissed her lips as tears of joy streamed down her own cheeks. Tina then said, "Now it's your turn."
Katerina reached over to the tray with her right paw and removed the other ring. She then repeated Tina's movements, dropping to one knee. "Tina Cassidy. You have made me the happiest she-cat in the city, if not the world. Every second I am with you, I feel like I can take on anything. I love you, and never want to be apart from you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Katerina asked, and slipped the ring onto Tina's finger.
This was the moment Tina had been waiting for her entire life. Right there in front of her was Katerina, down on one knee, asking for her paw in marriage. She had always dreamed of sharing her life with a beautiful she-cat who loved her enough to marry her. Now that dream was about to become reality. Tina let her tears flow freely from her eyes as she pounced on Katerina, knocking her to the floor. Tina straddled Katerina's waist and purred her answer, "I would love to be your wife." She then kissed her.
Callista came out of the back room carrying another tray of rings, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of Tina and Katerina on the floor, engaged in a very heated liplock. All she could think so say was, "Oh my."
End of Chapter