Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
Announcement! Another chapter of Two Plus Two has been posted by my Co-Author MisaRae! Go and read it!
Welcome aboard whitt265. Sit back and enjoy your flight.
Jake, Felina, Lisa, and Mark joined the rest of their family back at Callie's for breakfast. All the males were wearing jeans and simple t-shirts that showed off their upper bodies, while all the females were wearing either leggings or shorts and t-shirts.
Callie and Sarah were standing by the sink, making a large pot of coffee for the adults while Tina, Chance, and Katerina set the table.
As soon as Felina entered the kitchen, she went over to Callie and gave her a large hug as she said, "I'm going to love living next to you, my sister." She let go of Callie and crouched down to Sarah, ruffled her hair, then hugged her, too. Not quite ready to let Sarah go, Felina asked, "I hope you didn't give them any trouble last night?"
"I was a good girl, Felina. I promise!" Sarah said as she returned Felina's embrace.
"That is what I figured. So what does such a good girl want for breakfast?" Felina asked as she let go of Sarah and stood up.
Sarah thought about it for a second, and then her eyes lit up like the sun. She answered, "Pancakes! I want pancakes!"
"I think that can be arranged," Felina replied as she tapped her left index finger against her cheek and rested her weight on one hip. She turned to Katerina and said, "Right, teach? We can make pancakes for all of us."
Katerina had just finished setting her section of the table when she heard Felina. She lifted and turned her head to her anxious student, smiled, and said, "Da. If there is one thing I love making, it is pancakes, especially for my new family." She went over to Felina, grabbed her around the waist, and said, "Felina, you are going to learn how to make some of the lightest, fluffiest pancakes you have ever eaten! Come on, we have batter to make." Katerina led Felina over to the cabinets to grab the ingredients they were going to need.
Mark took two mugs from the cabinet over to the sink, poured two cups of coffee for him and Lisa, and returned to her side. However, when he got back to her, he found that his seat had been taken by Sarah. Lisa and Sarah were discussing various dance moves, and how Sarah wanted to become a ballerina when she got older. Mark stood there watching Lisa interact with Sarah, and all he could do was smile as he imagined Lisa was talking to their daughter instead of Sarah. He asked as he put the two mugs down on a side table, "Hey princess, are you trying to replace me in my wife's heart?"
Sarah heard Mark's question and leaped out of her seat. She ran to him as fast as she could and jumped into the air, hoping he would catch her.
Mark quickly reacted when he saw Sarah jump towards him, dropping to his knees and opening his arms to catch her. He caught her and brought her to his body so he could hug her. He murmured into her hair, "Good morning, my princess," then turned his head and kissed her cheek.
Sarah wrapped her arms around Mark's neck and said, "Good morning, my prince."
Mark absolutely loved having Sarah in his arms. He thought while he hugged her tighter, 'So this is what it feels like to be a father and hold your kitten in your arms. I love this feeling, a lot! I can't wait to have my own kittens so I can hold them and shower them with love.'
Lisa watched as her husband hugged Sarah, and she smiled as a small tear left her eye, knowing that she had made the right choice in choosing him to be her husband and father to their kittens.
Tina had finished setting her section of the table. She then turned her head, noticed Mark hugging Sarah, and she ran to them both, embracing them in her own arms as she said, "I want some of this, too, big brother! Quit hogging all of our little sister's love."
Mark removed his left arm from Sarah and pulled Tina into the hug, so he was now hugging both Tina and Sarah. He then said, "This little kitten has more than enough love for all of us, sister, so don't get jealous."
As much as Sarah loved having both Mark and Tina hugging her, it was a bit too much for her at the moment. She said, "I can't breathe." She looked over to Mark and asked, "Stop squishing me, please Mark?"
Mark's face sank when he realized that he was hurting Sarah. He instantly let her go and stroked her cheek with the backs of his right fingers and said, "I'm sorry, princess. I guess I don't know my own strength at times. You ok?"
"I'm fine, Mark," Sarah replied.
Mark's smile returned to his face. Then he grabbed the kitten around the waist, hoisted her into the air, and put her on his shoulders. "I think my sisters and I need to go for a short walk while breakfast is cooking. There is a small shop a couple of blocks from here that I'm sure my little sisters will love. Care to go for a walk with us, Tina?"
Tina saw the delighted look on Mark's face, and couldn't help but smile, too. She replied, "Sure, let me tell my better half where we are going. Just give me a minute." She went into the kitchen and found Katerina and Felina standing over a large steel bowl, mixing the ingredients to the proper consistency. Tina snuck up behind Katerina, wrapped her arms around her waist, and pulled herself into Katerina's back. She then purred and said, "I'm going out with Mark and Sarah. We will be back in a few minutes."
"Go on and have fun, Tina. I'll keep breakfast nice and warm for you until you get back," Katerina said, keeping the majority of her focus on Felina's mixing technique.
Tina let go of Katerina and went back to Mark and Sarah. She lifted his left elbow from his body and slipped her right arm through it. She then said, "Much better. Now we can go." Tina turned her head to Lisa and asked, "Do you mind if I steal him for a bit?"
"Not at all, Tina. Just make sure he comes back in time for breakfast," Lisa answered.
Tina turned her head back to face Mark and said, "Now that your wife has given her permission, let's go, big brother."
They all left the house, with Tina and Mark walking side by side, arm in arm, while Sarah rode on Mark's shoulders. Anyone on the street would assume they were just a happy family out for a morning stroll instead of a group of close friends. They soon arrived at the store that Mark had mentioned and he opened the door for Tina to enter ahead of him.
Tina walked into the store, then Mark ducked so Sarah wouldn't hit her head as they entered. Mark closed the door behind him, picked Sarah off of his shoulders, and put her down.
Sarah looked around and noticed she was standing in a general store that sold everything from bread to toys for kittens of all ages. She could barely contain her excitement, practically vibrating in place with the desire to find that one special toy that would make officially make this the best weekend she'd ever had, but she also knew she had to hold back.
Mark and Tina noticed the excitement on Sarah's face and he crouched down to Sarah's level. He then said, "Go on."
Sarah took off towards the toys and never looked back.
"You are going to spoil her, you know," Tina said.
Mark stood back up, put his arm around her, and said, "She has been such a good girl, so why not let her get a little something as a reward?"
The shopkeeper came out from the back room and saw Mark with his arm around Tina. He went to the register and said, "Hi, I haven't seen you two before. Welcome to my little corner of the world. Did you just move in?"
Tina turned her head towards the shopkeeper and said, "No, we are visiting a friend's house up the street. I'm Tina, and this is Mark." She extended her paw to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper took her paw and gave it a firm shake. He admired the lovely sight before him, from her head to her toes and said, "If you don't mind an old tom saying so, I can see why he fell in love with you, Tina. You are definitely unique and downright beautiful. He is certainly lucky to have you as his wife."
Mark let out a bout of laughter when he heard the shopkeeper call Tina his wife. He then said, "I'm sorry, sir, she is not my wife. True, Tina is very unique and good looking, but she is only a very good friend to me and nothing more. My wife is back at the house with my other friends, making breakfast for all of us."
"My apologies, then. The way you two are holding onto one another, I assumed you were married, especially with that cute kitten you came in with riding on your shoulders," the shopkeeper said.
"Sarah is a very good friend to us, sir. Although, all of our friends love her just like she is one of their own," Tina said.
"That is so nice, seeing you young folk out and having fun with the younger generation. But be warned, miss; this is an old town and some of the residents are set in the old ways. There are a few who don't take kindly to those that are different," the shopkeeper said.
"Thank you, but don't worry. I have very thick skin," Tina said.
"Good," the shopkeeper said. "You both seem so nice. I would hate to have someone leave a black mark on this town by being narrow-minded."
Just then, Sarah came rushing back from the toy section, holding, from what Tina and Mark could see, a doll with a long blonde braid. She exclaimed, "You both have to see this! They made dolls to look like SWAT!"
Mark turned and crouched down to Sarah's level. He then asked, "What are you talking about, Sarah?"
"Come with me and see," Sarah said as she grabbed Tina's paw and dragged her towards the back of the store.
Mark followed right behind them, and when they stopped, Sarah pointed to a shelf that held dolls made to look like the SWAT Kats. "See, there is one for T-Bone, another for Razor, and then there are two more for Empress and Caliber! Also, there are three more for Adonis, Sniper, and Havoc!"
Mark and Tina looked over at the shelf Sarah was pointing to and their jaws dropped open. Apparently some toy company thought it would be a good idea to bring the SWAT Kats out of the shadows of vigilantism and into the land of heroes. Mark picked up the doll that was supposed to be him and examined it carefully. Whoever designed the dolls had paid very close attention to detail because the doll was an exact replica of Adonis. The doll was positioned with his legs spread shoulder width apart, his arms crossed over his expansive chest, and a smirk on his face. As Mark held the doll in his paw, he asked Tina, "Do I really look like this in uniform?"
Tina was just as surprised to find herself already considered enough of a part of SWAT to be included in a toy line based on them. She held her tiny likeness in her paw and noticed the pose she was in. The doll's left leg was slightly bent at the knee, accentuating the doll's very feminine hips that her paws were firmly planted on. She took a quick look at the doll he was holding, and then replied to Mark, "Yes, you do, big brother. Now, have I ever stood in this position since you have known me?"
Mark turned his head to look at the doll Tina held, and then at the one Sarah was holding. He replied, "No, Tina, I have never seen you stand like that. I have seen Callie standing that way on numerous occasions, though. However, overall these dolls are very good likenesses of you girls, right down to the painted claws. We had better buy one of each to show the rest of the group. I have a feeling that Jake and Chance are not going to be happy about this."
They took one of each type of doll and headed for the register.
As they put the dolls down on the counter, the shopkeeper said, "We just got those in. The company that makes them is giving a percentage of the profits to various charities from what I have been told by the sales guy."
Mark pulled out his wallet, paid for the dolls, and said thank you to the shopkeeper. Then they all left the shop.
As they made their way back to the house, they ended up walking past a couple who looked at Tina and didn't seem too happy to see her. The she-cat tried to say to her husband so Tina couldn't hear her, "Can you believe such a nice, upstanding tom would be seen with that 'thing', and they had a kitten together? Poor girl. I hope she takes after her father instead of her so-called mother."
Tina heard every single word. Her formerly cheerful expression melted, then reformed into one of anger and disappointment at the nerve of that she-cat.
Mark also heard the she-cat's unkind remark directed towards Tina, and his once merry smile became a frown. He leaned down to her and said, "Let it go, Tina. She is not worth it."
The she-cat's husband nodded. "I agree, dear. I hope they didn't move here. I can see our property values dropping right now," the tom said.
Mark clenched his fist in anger at the couple's arrogance. However, he followed his own advice and let the tom's remark slide.
"That poor kitten. Imagine the shame and ridicule that will plague her thanks to having a mother who is an abomination to society," the she-cat said.
That was the straw that broke Mark's resolve. As far as he was concerned, anyone could insult him as much as they wanted. However, when it came to his friends and family, that was a completely different story altogether, and he was not going to stand for it. He said to Tina, "Take Sarah back to the house. I don't want her to see what I am about to do." He then gave Tina the bag he was carrying, turned, and went to go and confront the couple.
Tina was not about to let Mark confront the couple by himself. She turned to Sarah, put the bags down, and said, "Stay here and cover your ears. You don't need to hear this."
"Tina, why did those cats say bad things about you?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know, Sarah, but Mark needs me to help keep him under control. Please stay here and keep those ears covered, alright?" Tina said.
"Ok, Tina," Sarah replied.
Mark had already gotten to the couple, grabbed the tom by the shoulder, spun him around, and said, "I think you owe Tina an apology."
"Please remove your paw from me, and what do I owe her an apology for?" the tom asked.
"One, for thinking that she would be anything but an excellent mother, and two, for calling her an abomination to society would be a start," Mark replied, trying to keep his cool.
"My wife and I are entitled to our opinions," the tom said, and then asked, "Can I ask you something?"
"Why not? Go ahead and ask, you pompous ass," Mark replied.
"Since you seem to be a nice, upstanding young tom and have a body that most normal she-cats would kill to make theirs, why did you decide to marry 'that' instead of a she-cat of pedigree?" the tom asked while he pointed at Tina.
Tina arrived at Mark's side just in time to hear him shout, "My wife is one of the most loving, caring, honorable, and beautiful she-cats I have ever met! So what if she is a cross of an ocelot and a lynx? I fell in love with her at first sight, and I am not afraid to show my love for her!" He grabbed Tina around the waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her.
Tina's eyes went wide for a second when Mark's lips touched hers. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes, and fell under the spell of his kiss.
The other couple's mouths were agape as Mark kissed Tina with no intention of stopping. After watching them kiss for a minute, they both huffed and walked away.
Mark opened his right eye and watched them leave. He pulled away from Tina and said, "They're gone. I'm sorry I kissed you like that. I wanted to teach them a lesson that love trumps all, no matter the race or pedigree of the couple. I hope you didn't mind?"
Tina just stood there, unable to respond to his question, blushing beneath her fur. Even though she was completely in love with Katerina, Mark's kiss had been so intense that it made her tremble.
Sarah ran over to them and noticed that Tina was not acting like her normal self. She went over to her, put a gentle paw on her thigh, and asked, "Tina, are you ok?"
Tina awoke out of her trance as Sarah's paw touched her. She picked Sarah up in her arms and replied, "I'm alright. I have never felt anything like that before." She turned to Mark and said, "Now I understand why Lisa married you, big brother. That kiss was pure.. wow! Do you always kiss her like that? Cause if you do, she is one very lucky she-cat!"
"Yes, I do kiss her like that all the time, Tina, and she kisses me back just as passionately," Mark answered. "Come on, ladies. We have breakfast waiting." He then grabbed the bags from Sarah, interlaced his fingers with Tina's, and walked back to the house with two of his best friends.
Callista woke in her bed, alone. She stretched her arms over her head, then removed the covers from her body. She noticed she was still dressed with the exception of her shoes. She got out of bed and left her room to see if Ulysses had decided to stay the night, or headed back to his place. As she entered the living room, the sound of deep, reverberating snorting greeted her. Fighting back her urge to giggle, she crossed the room to find Ulysses soundly asleep. Callista watched her future husband for a few minutes, noting the way he'd maneuvered his large frame into such a small space, and decided that the love of her life deserved to enjoy a much more comfortable sleeping spot. She waved her paw over his body and transported him into her bed. She then returned back to her bedroom, shed her dress and stockings, leaving her in her bodysuit, and she slid into bed, right beside him. Callista cuddled up to him, nice and tight, and proceeded to fall asleep.
After a few hours passed, Ulysses started to stir. He felt the soft bedding and unfamiliar warmth of someone sleeping next to him. He carefully rolled over and faced Callista, who was blissfully asleep with a small smile on her face. He lifted his right paw and moved a few of her hairs away from her face. Her hair felt soft as it slipped through his fingers. He questioned why he had let her go all those years ago instead of asking her to marry him before he went to serve in the military. Ulysses leaned his head forward and kissed her on the forehead.
Callista's eyes fluttered open when she felt his lips brush against her forehead. She rolled Ulysses over onto his back, straddled his waist, and leaned forward, rubbing her chest against his. As her long hair came forward, cascading around his head, she said, "That is not the way I like to be woken in the morning by my husband." Callista closed the space between her face and his, and kissed him. She pulled back from their kiss and laid her head on his chest. "That is the proper way to wake me, Ulysses," Callista said as she slipped her left paw under his shirt to play with the fur on his chest.
Ulysses wrapped his left arm around her and said, "Now I know, and I will not repeat that error, my love." He let her continue her ministrations for a minute before he rolled them over so she was on her back and he was on top of her. Ulysses gazed into her eyes of green and kissed her.
Callista put her paws on his back and ran her claws down his undershirt with just enough pressure so he could feel them, but not damage the shirt. She then slipped one of her paws under the back of his shirt so she could feel every ounce of muscle in his back.
Ulysses' paws were not still, either. They seemed to have a mind of their own as he let the pads of his fingers graze the fine fur of her thighs.
Callista parted her legs so he could rest in between them comfortably. That was when she felt something pressing against her. She said, "I see someone else is awake. Does he want to come out and play?"
While she spoke, Ulysses had started to remove her bodysuit. He slipped the material down her torso, nipping at some of her more sensitive areas as they became exposed.
Callista groaned, then waved her left paw over both of their bodies, making what was left of their clothing disappear. She ordered, "I want you Ulysses! I want you now!"
"As you wish, my queen," Ulysses replied and kissed her.
At the front door of Callista's building, a lone tom wearing a dark trenchcoat withdrew two notes from the inside pocket. He quickly scanned the area to make sure that no one was watching. He lifted his right pant leg, then pulled out a large dagger with a curvy blade and a jewel-encrusted ivory handle. He then held the notes to the doorframe and secured them to the frame with the knife. He stepped back from the door, checked his work, and said, "My queen, you don't deserve what David has planned. You have always treated my family with the deepest respect for centuries, and I am eternally grateful. However, he has threatened my wife and children, so for now I must do as he orders. Know there are several others in our organization who share my opinion about our leader, and we will do what we can to prevent any harm coming to you or your family. Please be safe." He then lifted the collar of his coat and left.
End of Chapter