Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
Thank you all who are still read this. It is still lot's of fun to write and watch the characters grow and change. Just wait until the kittens are born. Chance and Jake are going to find out what it really means to be a parent.
To my Co-Author, you called me incomparable. Well my wonderful Co-Author, you are an amazing teacher! Every little colorful edit makes my writing that much better.
For those who can't read French, the English translation is provided in parenthesis after each passage.
Candice and Susan's parents, Jean and Sasha were driving back from the farmer's market, their car loaded with fresh vegetables, shrimp, and fish for that night's dinner. Sasha was behind the wheel, while Jean sat beside her, their joined paws resting on the center console. Jean turned his head to the left to look at his wife and saw a very beautiful lioness with her long red hair that was slightly streaked with grey blowing in the breeze created by the open windows of the car. She had on a large pair of sunglasses covering her gorgeous eyes and a smile on her face a mile wide. His gaze fell onto her still shapely body and long legs. Time had been very kind to Sasha and he couldn't be happier. Jean asked, "Mes beauté, can you believe we have been married for over 35 years, have two gorgeous daughters, and are living lives that would make most jealous?"
Sasha replied, while making a left turn onto their street, "Time has certainly flown by, Jean. I still can't believe you are opening a third restaurant. What are Candice and Susan going to say when we tell them we are moving back to New Orleans in a few months? Not to mention my mother. She is not going to like that we are moving."
"Leona is more than welcome to join us. I like having her around, and I think she has grown to love me as a son," Jean said, and then kissed Sasha's paw.
"You are lucky that you are still alive after she caught us in bed together before we were married. My mother was going to take your head off, but you darted out of the window just a hair faster than she could move. The funniest part of that afternoon was watching you run across the rear yard, buck naked, with her chasing after you," Sasha said.
Jean laughed as he remembered running through the yard, darting through hedges, and ending up in the neighbor's yard. He eventually said, "Well, she didn't turn me into etoufee that afternoon, and the long talk we had with Lionel was even scarier. At least with Leona, I knew immediately that I was not in her good graces, but seeing your father just sitting there with a stoic expression on his face made me more nervous than being run down by a livid lioness."
Sasha pulled into their driveway, parked her car, turned to Jean and said, "They both started to warm up to you once we told them we were engaged. I thought my father was going to crush you when he gave you that hug."
"I don't think he was just hugging me out of happiness, Sasha. I think he wanted to crush me for defiling his daughter!" Jean said. He looked out of the windshield and noticed that Candice's car and Susan's bike were parked in the driveway. He then said, "Our daughters are here."
Sasha removed the keys from the ignition and put them in her purse. She then said, as she undid her seatbelt, "Good. Then they can both give us a hand getting these groceries into the house." She got out of the car and went to the trunk, opened it, then removed a large bag before heading towards the open garage.
Jean quickly followed her lead, but took two more bags from the trunk.
Tim dressed quickly once Candice had settled down for a nap in the wake of the pleasure he had just given her. He looked at her for a moment before kissing her forehead one last time and going down to the kitchen for a small glass of milk. As he closed the refrigerator door, he heard the door between the kitchen and the garage open. He turned towards the door, and saw an older lioness enter with what appeared to be a heavy bag in her paw. Tim put his glass down, went over to her, and asked, "May I help you?"
Sasha had not been expecting a strange tom to be in her kitchen, especially one that smelled like her daughter Candice. She scowled and asked, "Who are you, and why do you reek of my daughter?"
Tim instantly backed away when he saw the look on Sasha's face turn into one of a very overly protective mother. He gulped and replied, "I'm Tim, and I am dating Candice. She invited me out here to meet you and your husband."
Jean walked in carrying the two bags just in time to hear the conversation between his wife and Tim. He put the bags down, went to his wife, put his arm around her, and then said, "Easy, dear. Before you tear this tom into pieces, let's hear him out."
Tim heard Jean's Cajun-French accent and said, "Monsieur, votre femme est tout aussi belle que sa fille." (Sir, your wife is just as lovely as her daughter.)
Jean looked at Tim, then asked, "Vous pouvez parler Français ?" (You speak French?)
Tim now had a connection to Candice's father, and was going to use it to his advantage. He replied, "Oui, j'ai étudié le Français à l'école. Vous êtes de la Nouvelle Orléans ?" (Yes, I studied French in school. Are you from New Orleans?)
"Oui, je suis originaire de la Nouvelle Orléans. Quelles sont vos intentions avec ma fille ?" (Yes, I am originally from New Orleans. What are your intentions towards my daughter?) Jean asked in a very serious tone.
"Monsieur, je suis en amour avec Candice, et avec votre permission, je voudrais la Cour lui et finit par épouser," (Sir, I am in love with Candice, and with your permission, I would like to court and eventually marry her,) Tim answered without skipping a beat.
Jean smiled from ear to ear when he heard Tim's reply. He then asked, "Tim, Candice sent-il la même façon à votre sujet ?" (Tim, does Candice feel the same way about you?)
"Je pense qu'elle m'aime autant que je l'aime," (I think she loves me just as much as I love her,) Tim replied.
Sasha just stood there while Tim and Jean conversed in French, and had no idea what they were saying. She eventually went over to her husband, leaned close to him, and said, "Jean, dear, if you don't start speaking in English, you are going to be sleeping on the couch tonight. And the next night, and the one after that."
Jean kissed his wife and said, "That would be a fate worse than death. I love having a beautiful lioness purring next to me at night. Now as for what Tim and I were discussing, he is in love with Candice, and wants to court with the intention of marrying her."
Sasha turned to Tim and asked, "Is that true? Are you in love with Candice?"
"Yes, I love her." Tim said. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Leona. I confessed my love for your daughter to her, too. You should have seen Candice standing up to her earlier when Leona challenged her. Your daughter is as fierce of a lioness as Leona is."
Sasha couldn't believe her ears. One of her daughters had found a tom that was going to love her for the rest of her life! Sasha went over to Tim, put both of her paws on Tim's shoulders, and peered directly into his eyes. She then said, "Tim, if you ever hurt her in any way, shape, or form, I will make it my life's work to hunt you down and slowly tear you into so many pieces, no one will ever be able to put you back together again." She then extended her razor sharp claws just enough that they would prick the skin of Tim's shoulders beneath his fur.
Tim winced as Sasha's sharp claws dug into his shoulder and replied, "I have no intention of hurting her. I am madly in love with Candice, and want what Leona had with Lionel. I want to wake up to see her beautiful face every morning, and kiss her good night. I also want to have kittens with her and raise my own family."
Sasha retracted her claws when she realized that Tim really did love Candice instead of just wanting to bed her like all her other tom-friends had. She then pulled Tim into a hug and said, "Take care of her, Tim, for the rest of your lives. Candice has always been special to me, so please make her happy. And please, call me Sasha."
"That is what I plan on doing, Sasha. I plan on loving her for the rest of my life. I will make sure she always has everything she needs, especially my love for her," Tim replied.
"Then this calls for a celebration! I'm going to make a large batch of gumbo, rice and beans, and biscuits, and you are going to help me, Tim. When I am done teaching you how I cook, you will be able to make the best dishes in the world to feed your family," Jean said, but as he started walking across the kitchen, he stopped, turned to Tim, and asked, "You do know your way around a kitchen, oui?"
"Oui. Bien que pas aussi bien comme vous le faites, Jean," (Yes. Although not as well as you do, Jean,) Tim replied.
"Formidable ! Allez et le gros pot en retire le garde-manger et commencer à éplucher les crevettes ! Nous allons nous entendons très bien." (Great! Go and get the big pot from the pantry and start peeling the shrimp! We are going to get along very well.) Jean said. He then turned to Sasha and said, "Get the good stuff out of the cabinet, my love. Tonight we eat and drink like we were back in New Orleans!"
Susan finished taking her shower and dried off. With a towel wrapped tightly around her body, she left the bathroom and entered her bedroom. She went over to her suitcase, opened it, and withdrew a pair of very high-cut panties, followed by a tiny little black dress. She held the dress against her body, and saw that it barely covered her upper thighs. She said, "Tonight, Tim, you're mine. She then removed the towel and started to get dressed.
Leona decided to go and get changed after her swim. As she wandered past Candice's bedroom, she heard a series of peaceful purrs coming from the room. Leona slowly opened the door and looked in on her granddaughter. She saw her curled up in a ball, sleeping very soundly. Leona went over to Candice and kissed her like she did when Candice was a tiny cub. That caused Candice to waken from her slumber.
Candice opened her eyes and asked, "Grandma, where is Tim? I thought he would be the one waking me with a kiss. Not that I mind getting a kiss from you."
Leona stroked Candice's long hair with her left paw and said, "I miss having a cub around the house. Every time you and your sister came over, the house would be so full of life. Your Grandfather and I always loved having you two visit. Since he has been gone, and you both have grown up, I have been missing those days. Why did you have to move to the city, Candice? You could have commuted to your office instead, and I would be able to see my granddaughter every day instead of maybe once a month."
Candice got up and hugged her grandmother. She then said, "Oh Grandma, I miss those times, too. I especially loved when Grandpa chased me around the yard with a huge smile on his face, and when you taught me and Susan what it really meant to be a lioness. I wouldn't trade those memories for all the money in the world. The time I spent with you and Grandpa was precious to me, and still is. I also miss Grandpa and seeing his smile. I wish he was back with us, just so I could feel those strong arms around me again, holding me tight, and telling me that everything was going to be alright."
Leona returned Candice's embrace and said, "You now have Tim to hold you tight, and tell you that, Candice. He reminds me of your grandfather. I am sure you know by now, Tim and I had a long talk earlier?"
"Tim mentioned that you and he talked, Grandma," Candice replied.
"Candice, he reminds me so much of your grandfather that when I was with him, I almost felt like I was talking to my late husband again. Now, I am not going to tell you what we discussed. You will find out in time. What I will tell you is Tim is madly in love with you, and I trust him. That is why I gave him my permission to court you. He is a good tom, Candice. Tim is going to eventually make a great husband to you, as well as an excellent father to your kittens," Leona said.
Candice broke free from Leona, put both of her paws on Leona's shoulders, and said, "Whoa! Slow down, Grandma. We just started dating, and aren't anywhere close to discussing marriage yet, much less starting a family."
Leona got off of the bed and started to walk out of the bedroom. But just before she left, she said, "That is exactly what I said to my mother after she and I had the same conversation about Lionel. A few months later, I was picking out a wedding dress." Leona then left and closed the door behind her, leaving Candice alone with her thoughts.
Candice watched Leona leave her room, and after the door closed, she asked herself, "Tim wants to marry me?"
The group at the house were sitting at a picnic table down on the beach, watching intently as Felina tended the grill under the watchful eyes of Katerina.
Felina was nervous since it was her first time ever grilling anything. But with Katerina standing next to her, she felt a little less anxious. She followed Katerina's instructions to the letter as she flipped the salmon burgers over.
"Good job, Felina. See? I told you, you could do this. Now, while the burgers finish up, start cutting the onions and tomatoes into slices," Katerina said, while she made a salad.
Felina grabbed a knife, as well as three large red onions and a few tomatoes from the bag of groceries that Callie had managed to conjure up. She then walked to the left side of the grill, set up a cutting board, and got to work slicing up the produce.
Katerina occasionally looked over her shoulder at her protégé, just to make sure that Felina didn't accidentally cut her finger off. Seeing the smile on Felina's face, Katerina nodded to herself before focusing on her own salad, finishing it off and bringing it over to the table.
Sarah, Tina, and Mark sat on one end of the table, playing with the dragon. They were rolling a small stone that Tina had found on the beach back and forth to each other, while the dragon followed along behind the stone.
Chance sat at the other end of the table, with Callie sitting in his lap. Her right arm was around his shoulders as they both watched the dragon run after the rolling stone. That was when the phone in Callie's purse started to ring in her purse. She let go of Chance, stood up, and retrieved the device. She answered, "Hello?"
"Callie, this is Sally. Is Sarah behaving?" Sally asked.
"She is a very good little girl, Sally, and yes, she is behaving," Callie replied.
"Good. I hate to ask this, but my husband's company called and has asked him to come to a business dinner tonight, and I don't have anyone to watch Sarah. Would you mind keeping her for the night?" Sally asked.
"I don't think that will be a problem, Sally. I have plenty of room here for her to stay the night, but did she pack a change of clothing for tomorrow?" Callie asked.
"No, she didn't; or at least, I don't think she did. Can you find her something to wear, and I will pay you back, Callie?" Sally asked.
Callie thought about it for a second, and then remembered all the spare clothing Callista kept around from when Callie was just a kitten. Callie responded, "Don't worry about it, Sally. This is my sister's old house, and I am sure there is something here that will fit Sarah. Go, have a good time with your husband tonight, and don't worry about Sarah. She is in good paws."
"I know she is, Callie, and thank you," Sally said just before she hung up the phone.
Callie put the phone away, turned to Chance, and said, "We are going to have a houseguest tonight. Sarah is staying with us." She then turned her head slightly, so she could face both of the males present and said, "Consider this a little test to see how well you deal with a young kitten."
Mark smiled, and then said, "I'll be fine. Sarah already told me that she loves me. Well, she also said she loves Tina, so I guess there is no accounting for taste."
Tina heard what Mark said. She got up from the table, went over to an ice bucket, grabbed as much ice as her paws could handle, and then calmly walked back to Mark. She then pulled the waistband of his swimsuit away from the front of his body and dumped the ice down his shorts.
As soon as the ice touched a very sensitive organ, Mark jumped out of his seat, ran into the ocean, and removed his swimsuit to dump out the ice. He then yelled back to the shoreline, "Tina! I'll get you, my pretty! One day when you least expect it, I'll get even!"
Tina was laughing so hard that she fell to her knees in the warm sand and replied, "I'd like to see you try, Mark." She pointed to her ears and said, "Despite having all of this hardware in them, these ears can hear a pin drop from over a thousand feet away! There is no way you can sneak up on me!" She then continued laughing.
Sarah was also laughing at Mark's expense. She knew that deep down, Mark and Tina loved each other just like a brother and a sister, so of course they would torment each other. However, she went over to Katerina and asked, "Does Tina always act like a kitten? Isn't she supposed to be a grownup?"
Katerina wiped a tear of laughter from her eye, crouched down to Sarah, and answered, "No, she doesn't always act like that. Every once in a while, grownups like to have fun, too. Although sometimes I think those two have a little too much fun."
Felina managed to finish cooking the burgers without either burning herself or the food. She plated the last burger, brought the plate of food over to the table, and said, "Lunch is ready! Come and get it, if you dare."
"Come and sit by me, Sarah. I have something to tell you," Callie said.
Sarah left Katerina's side and went to Callie. She sat down in between Callie and Chance, then asked, "What do you have to tell me?"
"How would you like to have a sleep over tonight?" Callie asked.
"Yes I would! But where am I going to sleep? You have a full house with Katerina and Tina and Felina and her fiancé and you and Chance. There is no room left for me."
Felina sat down, grabbed a burger, and said, "Oh yes you do, Sarah. You are staying here with Callie. I'm going to take Katerina, Tina, Lisa, and Mr. Iceman over there to my place."
Mark yelled back to the shore, "That's not nice, Felina!"
"Neither is questioning the judgment of a kitten, Mark," Felina yelled back. She then took a bite of her burger, looked at it, and asked, "Did I really cook this? It's actually edible!"
Katerina took a bite of her burger, and a surprised, "Mmm," escaped her. Once she had finished chewing, she said, "I told you, you can cook, Felina. You just need more confidence in the kitchen, and I am going to make sure you get that kick in the tail you need." Then she took another bite.
While they all ate lunch, a couple of moving trucks arrived at Felina's new house. The movers got out of the truck, then started unloading the contents and bringing them into the house. After a few hours, the foreman went next door to find the new owner.
Persival and Isis sat on the beach watching the rest have fun. Isis turned to Persival and said, "Seeing Mark and Tina having fun with Sarah makes me want to have my own cubs even more. Care to make me a mother, Daddy?" She then got up and started to walk towards a far-off section of the beach where they could be alone.
Persival sniffed the air. He determined that Isis was in estrus, and obediently followed along behind her.
The foreman walked down the stairs from the backyard to the beach below. He then spotted the group that the contract described in detail. He went over to the table and asked, "Excuse me, would one of you be Felina Clawson?"
"I will be Felina Clawson. May I help you?" Felina asked.
"I'm supposed to give you this, as well as a tour of your new house," the foreman said, and handed her a key fob.
Felina looked at the strange device in her paw, then back to the foreman and asked, "What do you expect me to do with this? Open a car?"
"No, miss, that is how you open the door to your new house. Please follow me, and I will show you."
Felina turned to her friends and asked, "Does anyone want to tour my new house with me?"
"Sure, we will all go with you, Felina," Tina said. She turned to the foreman and asked, "Can you give us about a half an hour to clean up and change into some street clothing?"
"Certainly, I will be waiting for you out in front," the foreman replied, before he walked away.
Felina looked at the fob one more time and said, "I wonder what Jake had done to the house?"
They all quickly finished eating lunch, cleaned up, and afterwards, Callie worked her magic again to get them all back in their street clothes.
End of Chapter