Tina and Katerina arrived at Sally's shop in the early afternoon, as per Sally's request, so Tina could get fitted for the outfits she was going to wear in the fashion show. As soon as they opened the door to the dress shop, Sarah ran to them, screaming in delight, "Tina! Katerina! You came!"

Katerina hugged the young kitten, then lifted her up in her arms before she kissed Sarah's cheek and said, "Of course we would show up. Your mother is counting on Tina to look stunning for her."

Sarah turned her head to face Tina and said, "I think you look great as you are, Tina."

Tina embraced them both, then she said, "I'm glad you think so, Sarah, but when you get older, you are going to put me out of a job."

"Why would you say that, Tina?" Sarah asked.

Tina replied as she ruffled Sarah's hair, "Because you are as cute as a button."

Sarah loved being with her adoptive family. Although for some reason, she felt closer to Tina and Katerina than the rest of SWAT, except for Mark. He was the big brother she never had. She loved the way they always played with her, and it felt so good to be held by both Tina and Katerina that she closed her eyes and let out her very first purr.

Tina stopped ruffling Sarah's hair and pulled back just a bit before she asked, "Sarah, did you just purr?"

Sarah hadn't realized what she had done, but when she thought back, she remembered some kind of sound coming from her mouth. She turned to Katerina and asked, "Is that what I did?"

"Da, I believe you did," Katerina replied. She then asked Sarah, "How did it feel?"

"It felt really good, Katerina. It warmed up my throat, like drinking hot chocolate," Sarah replied after thinking for a moment. Then she asked, "Why did I do that?"

"A cat purrs when he or she feels comfortable and safe around the one they are with," Tina answered. "There also has to be a feeling of deep love for those around them. Does that make sense, Sarah?"

"I think so, Tina. I love all of my friends, but I feel different when I am with just you two," Sarah answered.

"Oh? How so?" Tina asked.

"When I am with you two, it's like being with my big sisters instead of just close friends, and I like that feeling a lot," Sarah replied.

Tina closed the distance between herself, Sarah, and Katerina so she could embrace them both. She purred, letting Sarah know how she felt about her. Tina then said, "We feel the same about you, Sarah. We love you as a sister, and not just a friend." She lifted her head to face her fiancée and asked, "Right, Kat?"

"Da, Tina," Katerina replied. "If I had a sister, I would want her to be exactly like you."

Sarah tried her best to hug them both, but her short arms wouldn't allow her to do so. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Katerina's neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then Sarah kissed Tina's cheek before she said, "I love you both."

"We love you, too," Katerina said.

Tina let them go and looked around the shop, then asked, "Sarah, where is your mother?"

Sally came out of the back room with a much larger Inferno resting on her shoulders. "I thought I heard someone out here. Tina, are you ready for your modeling debut?" Sally asked as her left paw stroked Inferno's left cheek.

Tina and Katerina's eyes didn't leave Inferno. The last time they saw him, he had been no bigger than a fully grown chameleon. Now, he was twice that size, and he looked very intimidating, instead of cute.

Tina slowly walked towards Sally and asked, "Is that Inferno?"

Sally turned her head towards Inferno, kissed his right cheek, then answered, "Yes, it's him. Of course, he's grown quite a bit since you last saw him. He and Sarah are the best of friends, and he fits perfectly into our family. He watches over all of us, and makes sure we are safe in our home. It took my husband some time to get used to him, though, especially when he met Inferno for the first time. He went into Sarah's room to kiss her good night after he got home late from work, and Inferno thought he was a threat. I wish I could have seen his face when Inferno growled and let out a warning shot of flame. My husband fell backwards onto his butt before he ran out of her bedroom screaming."

"That must have been funny, Sally, but how did you explain to him that your daughter's new companion is a real, live fire-breathing dragon?" Tina asked.

"It wasn't easy, Tina," Sally replied as she petted Inferno's head. "At first he thought he had been hallucinating, and imagined the whole thing. When he returned to Sarah's room with me in tow, Inferno left Sarah's bedside and flew onto my shoulder. I introduced them to each other, and after a few minutes of posturing, they warmed up to each other. My husband went outside for a cigarette, but could not find a lighter or a match. Inferno happened to follow him out, and noticed my husband looking for something. My husband eventually found an old lighter and tried to light his cigarette, but the lighter wouldn't produce a flame. Inferno figured out what my husband was trying to do and flew over to him. Then Inferno breathed a flame that was just the right size, and waited for my husband to light the cigarette. When next I saw them, they were both in the backyard, puffing smoke rings from their mouths."

"Yuck, I tried smoking when I was a teenager, and I hated it!" Katerina said. "Doesn't your husband want to quit smoking for Sarah's sake?"

"Yes, he has been trying to quit ever since Sarah was born. However, it's not an easy habit to kick. He has cut back to about six cigarettes a day instead of the pack he used to smoke," Sally replied. "Enough about my husband. Tina, I need you in the dressing room for your final fitting before we leave in an hour for the fashion show."

"Alright, Sally," Tina said. She turned to Katerina and asked, "Are you going to be ok with Sarah and Inferno for about a half an hour?"

Katerina kissed Sarah's cheek again before putting Sarah on her shoulders. She then answered, "Of course! Sarah, Inferno, and I are going to head out back where Inferno can fly around if he wants to without being seen, and I'm sure our little sister knows of a few games we can play while we are waiting."

Sarah looked over to Katerina and asked, "You promised you would teach me how to talk like you. Can we start today?"

"Certainly!" Katerina replied. "Why don't we head outside where we can get some fresh air while your mother gets Tina fitted?"

Sarah kissed Katerina's cheek, then said, "Sure! Inferno, come!"

Inferno heard his adoptive mother call him, and lifted his head in the direction of her voice. He let out a screech, extended his wings, and left Sally's shoulder with a mighty flap of his wings. He flew across the room and hovered in front of Sarah and Katerina.

Katerina couldn't help but notice how large his claws had grown, not to mention his ten-foot wingspan. But what awed her the most was the way he could simply hover in place with no trouble at all despite his rapid growth. She let out a whistle, then said, "Amazing, I never would have imagined seeing something like Inferno in real life. You are one of the luckiest girls know, Sarah. Not only do you have a companion that is going to remain by your side forever, you also get to do things as a junior member of SWAT that your friends could only dream of."

"I'm just being myself, Katerina," Sarah said. "My friends may give me experiences that none of the friends my age will ever get to do, and I have a real live dragon living with me, but I am nothing special. I'm just a little girl who wants to be friends with everyone."

"And that is what makes you special, Sarah," Katerina said. "Come on, the outside is waiting, and I can't wait to hear you speak in my native tongue." After she finished speaking, Katerina went outside through the rear door of the shop carrying Sarah in her left arm with Inferno flying right behind.

"Sarah really has opened up since she met all of you. I don't think I could ever repay any of you for what you have done for her," Sally said.

"You don't have to do anything, Sally," Tina said. "Sarah is wonderful to be around, and she learns faster than I ever thought possible. She might even be able to challenge Jake in an engineering competition when she gets older. Now, where is that first outfit you need me to try on? I can't wait to see what you came up with."

Sally smiled as she took Tina's paw, led her towards the rear of the store, and said, "I have several outfits for you to wear tonight, and I guarantee, you are going to love every single one of them."

While Sally was getting Tina fitted, Katerina and Sarah sat on an old picnic table behind her shop, while Inferno found a spot on a high branch to perch on in the warm sunlight.

The half hour passed quickly as Katerina taught Sarah her language. As Katerina expected, Sarah was a very fast learner, having picked up some basic words in Katerina's native tongue, and was now able to say them without a trace of an accent, as if Sarah had grown up in Eastern Europe. Katerina proudly said, "Very good, Sarah! I expected you to be a quick study, but I didn't expect you to be able to copy the subtle nuances of my native language so fast. I'm very proud of you."

"Bol'shoe spasibo (Thank you very much)," Sarah said. "I really like speaking like you do, Katerina. The next time we see each other, can you teach me more?"

"Konechno! (Certainly!)" Katerina exclaimed. She then hugged Sarah tightly before she said, "I would love to teach you more, Sarah." Katerina closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against Sarah's before she let a deep purr leave her throat.

Sarah closed her eyes and returned Katerina's purr with one of her own.

Sally came out of the shop carrying two garment bags held high in her paws. She then saw her daughter in a tight embrace with Katerina. After she opened the door to her mini-van and put the first two garment bags in the back, she turned back around to face her daughter and her friend, and said, "We need to get to the convention center soon. Sarah, please bring Inferno inside. Your father will pick him up on the way home."

Sarah pulled back from Katerina, slid off of the edge of the table, and looked up in the trees for Inferno. After a few minutes, she spotted the spade of his tail, hanging from a very high branch in a tree. She yelled, "Inferno!"

Inferno's tail moved ever so slightly before it stilled again.

"I think he is asleep."

Sally looked at the tree that Sarah was focused on. She brought her paws up to her mouth, slipped both index fingers in, and then let out a very loud whistle before she yelled, "Inferno! If you are not down here in the next thirty seconds, I am going to put you in the basement pantry for the rest of the day!"

Inferno heard Sally's declaration and opened a single eye. He looked down at her before he screeched and fell back asleep.

"That didn't go as well as I hoped," Sally said. "Does anyone have an idea on how to get a stubborn dragon out of a tree?"

Tina came out of the back door of the shop, carrying two more garment bags in her paws, when she heard Sally's question. She placed the bags in the van right next to the ones Sally had put in earlier, then asked, "Where is the little guy?"

Sally pointed to the tree Inferno had decided to perch in, then said, "Good luck getting him to move. Once he is settled in for a nap, it would take a small bomb to get that dragon to move an inch."

Tina walked over to the tree, removed her sneakers and socks, then used her claws to climb the tree. After about two minutes, she had climbed far enough up the tree that she was close to the branch Inferno rested on. Tina pulled herself up the last few feet, and her eyes came to rest on the sleeping dragon. She took a few seconds to feel the warmth of the sun bathing them before she gave Inferno a not-so gentle shove off of the branch.

Inferno woke up as soon as he felt he was falling. He opened his wings and glided back towards the ground and his waiting adoptive parents.

Sally looked down at the dragon with a stern look on her face and her paws planted firmly on her hips. She then spat, "Bad Inferno! We had to leave for a fashion show two minutes ago, and you decided to go and sunbathe in a tree! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Inferno did not like being yelled at, especially by Sally. He hung his head low, walked over to her, and when he was close enough, he opened his wings, and with a mighty flap, lifted himself in the air to look directly at her face. Inferno apologized the only way he knew how. He licked her left cheek, then flew into the shop.

Sally wiped her cheek with her right paw while Tina climbed down the tree. When Tina was about ten feet from the ground, she pushed herself away from the trunk and fell to the ground, landing with her legs spread wide and using her knees to absorb the shock of the fall.

Katerina watched intently as her fiancée jumped from the tree and landed gracefully. She ran over to Tina and pulled her into a tight embrace before she said, "That was amazing, love." She then leaned in close so she could whisper into Tina's ear. "I especially loved the way those tight shorts you are wearing showed off your backside. If Sally and Sarah weren't here, I would rip them right off you before making you purr."

Tina slitted her eyes as her mind imagined what Katerina had in mind. She then replied, "After we get back to Felina's tonight, you can make me purr as often as you want, as long as I get to make you purr, too."

Katerina let her right paw slip down to Tina's backside and gave it a firm squeeze before she said, "I can't wait," and gave her ear a sensuous lick.

Sally was about to head back into the shop to get the last two garment bags when she noticed exactly where Tina and Katerina's paws were. She said, "Tina, Katerina, I need you both in the shop for a minute. Sarah, please get in the van and buckle yourself in. We will be out in a minute," before she entered the rear of the shop and waited.

Tina and Katerina walked Sarah to the van, and made sure she was securely fastened in her seat before they went inside the shop.

"Tina, Katerina, I know you two are madly in love with each other, and I couldn't be happier for both of you," Sally said. "But you both were behaving inappropriately in front of my daughter. I know you both didn't mean to. However, Sarah is too young to witness what two adults do when they are alone. Please refrain doing things like that in front of her."

"We apologize, Sally," Tina said." She then grasped Katerina's paw tightly in hers before she said, "I guess we got caught up in the moment, and we will make sure that it never happens in front of Sarah again."

Sally smiled, then said, "Good, I would hate to have to explain to Sarah why she can't see her sisters. Now let's head out, ladies. We have some time to make up so Tina can make her debut on the catwalk at four."

They all got in the van and Katerina volunteered to drive. She slid behind the wheel, buckled herself in tightly, started the van, but before she put the van in gear, she said, "I hope everyone is buckled in nice and tight."

"Why do we need to be that tightly.." Sally started to say when Katerina slammed the van into gear and took off.

Katerina drove Sally's van through the city just as aggressively as Chance, if not even more so. As they pulled up to a yellow light, Katerina smirked before slamming her foot down on the accelerator. They managed to cross the intersection with a fraction of a second to spare before the light changed. However, her driving skills paid off, and they shaved six minutes off of their time. She found a parking spot right across the street from the convention center that appeared to be just a hair longer than the van was. Katerina looked over both of her shoulders, making sure she could safely pull off the maneuver she was about to attempt. She turned the steering wheel hard to the left and engaged the parking brake. This made the van turn rapidly to the left with its rear tires screeching and smoking. The van was shaking as Katerina made it drift into the parking space and suddenly stopped. Katerina put the van in park and shut it off before she said, "We are here." She turned her head to look at everyone in the back before she asked, "Is everyone alright?"

Sarah's eyes were wide, and her tiny claws were buried in her car seat. However, she had a blast. Sarah answered, "That was awesome! When I am older, can you teach me to drive like that?"

Sally and Tina turned their heads to face Sarah and responded, "NO!" Then Sally whipped her head around to face Katerina and asked, "Where did you learn to drive like that?! We are in a minivan, not a stunt car! Were you trying to kill us?!"

"Niet," Katerina replied. "I was not trying to hurt anyone. I was taught to drive back in my home country where, if you did not drive like that, you would be run off the road. Don't we need to get inside?"

"You're right, Kat," Tina said as she unbuckled herself. She went to open the side door of the van, and as she pushed the door open, it fell off and hit the ground. This was followed by all four tires blowing, and white smoke starting to billow out of the engine compartment.

Everyone got out of the van quickly with the garment bags held tightly in their paws. Sally looked back at the mess that once was her van, then to her watch, before she said, "I'll deal with this later. Right now, Tina, you and I have date with a dressing room."

They all ran across the street and into the convention center. Sally led Tina towards the backstage area while Katerina and Sarah found seats in the audience.

Sally shoved Tina into one of the dressing rooms and quickly looked at the labels on the garment bags to find the one labeled "Active Wear". She found it at the bottom of the stack and threw it into the dressing room. She then said, as she hung the rest of the bags up on a rolling clothes rack, "Put on the bright orange sports bra and matching skort. There is also a white tank top with black striping in the bag to complete the outfit, and be quick about it! We only have ten minutes!"

Tina removed all of her clothes as fast as she possibly could. She grabbed the sports bra and skort and put them on. She then found the tank top Sally mentioned and slipped it over her head. She looked at herself in the mirror and quickly realized that all of the hardware in her ears wouldn't be appropriate for a teenager to wear. So she removed most of the piercings she normally wore and put them in one of the garment bags. Tina ran her claws through her hair a few times before leaving the dressing room and accidentally bumping into another model. She said as she stumbled backwards, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bump into you."

The model looked Tina over, then flipped her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder so it fell down her back. She huffed, then said, "You don't belong here, newbie. Go back to the alley you came from."

Tina was about to say something in retort, but before she was able to, Sally yelled at her from the stage entrance, "Tina! Get over here! You are about to go on!"

Tina huffed and then walked over to where Sally was standing.

Sally glanced over Tina and said, "Don't get nervous out there, Tina. There are going to be a lot of photographers surrounding the stage, taking pictures of everything. Ignore them and set your sights on a spot ahead of you, and above all, shake those hips as you walk. Now get out there!"

Tina set her right foot on the stage and waited for the Stage Manager to give her a cue to start.

The music changed to something reminiscent of a stereotypical pop song that she was not familiar with at all. However, she listened to the beat of the simulated kick drum and let that drive her movements. After the music started to repeat, the Stage Manager gave her a nod. Tina started to strut down the catwalk. She found Katerina sitting in the audience and focused on her alone.

Katerina heard the music change. She turned her head to the stage and saw her fiancée wearing a very short skort and a tank top. Mostly, she noticed the laser-like focus of Tina's eyes on her. Katerina watched as the skort moved, showing off more of Tina's legs as she walked across the stage.

Tina made it to the edge of the stage, twirled, then posed for the photographers before she spun and walked back to where she came from.

Katerina got a good view of Tina's tail and swaying hips as she walked off stage. She gulped as her fiancée's sensuous movements got a rise out of her, heat flooding her body as her pulse pounded in her ears.

Tina stepped off of the stage and ran to Sally. As they embraced, Tina said, "That felt weird."

"I knew that was going to occur, Tina, but you are doing great! Did you notice all of the pictures being taken of you? are going to be very popular as a model, Tina. Now, go and get changed into the next outfit I have laid out for you."

Tina went back into the dressing room and removed her clothing. She looked at the clothes Sally laid out for her and said, "No way! I don't do prom dresses!" Although she knew Sally was counting on her to do her best, and Sally trusted her. Tina lifted the dress to her body, turned to the mirror, and said, "Hmm. It's not that bad. At least I won't look like a taffeta marshmallow out there." She stepped into the dress, pulled it up onto her body, and slipped the strap over her right shoulder. Tina then found the pair of high heeled shoes Sally must have set out for her and put them on her feet before she left the dressing room.

Sally was busy preparing Tina's next ensemble when she heard Tina's heels clicking across the tile floor. She turned to face Tina and said, "You look gorgeous! However, you are missing something. Stay here for a minute," before she started searching through the garment bags for something.

Tina tapped her right foot while she waited for Sally to find whatever she was looking for.

"Found it!" Sally exclaimed. She put the bag down and walked back towards Tina, holding a tiara in her paws. She fastened the tiara to Tina's hair as she said, "A prom queen needs a tiara. Now you look perfect! Go and get ready to go on."

Tina made her way towards the stage and waited for her cue.

Katerina's heart was still beating rapidly after seeing Tina in such a revealing outfit. While she waited for Tina to return to the stage, she called the salvage yard and spoke to Chance. She told him about the mishap with Sally's van, and asked if they could not only pick the van up and fix it, but also if they possibly had something Sally could use while her van was being worked on.

Chance told her it wouldn't be a problem, and that he and Jake would be able to tow the van away and leave a suitable loaner in its place.

Katerina put her phone away, and then asked Sarah, "What did you think of Tina?"

"She looked incredible, Katerina," Sarah replied before she asked, "Did you see the way she was looking at you?

"Da, it was like she was staring straight into my heart, Sarah," Katerina said. "She actually gave me goosebumps!"

Sarah giggled before she saw Tina's calf at the edge of the stage. She then said, "She is about to go on again."

Katerina focused on the stage again just as Tina took the stage. Her eyes almost fell out of their sockets as she watched Tina slink across the stage in a single strap, aquamarine, prom dress. The skirt had an angle cut that showed off more of Tina's right leg than the left. The mid-section was very form-fitting and showed off every single curve of Tina's shapely body.

Tina reached the end of the stage and posed, spreading her legs and jutting her hip to the left before turning on the ball of her left foot and walking back towards the backstage area.

The photographers were actually fighting to get the best shot of Tina in that dress. The exotic markings on her fur drew their eyes to her legs and partially exposed back. Plus the tiara she wore brought their eyes to the black tips of her ears. They actually loved her and were wondering where such a model had been hiding.

About half an hour passed before Chance and Jake pulled up to what was once Sally's van.

Jake took one look at the van and said, "What the heck happened? The tires are blown, the sliding door is sitting on the sidewalk, and," he sniffed around the engine compartment before he continued with, "the engine has at least one blown head gasket!"

Chance was already hooking the van up to the tow truck as he said, "Katerina said she was driving a little aggressively when the van started having mechanical problems."

"A little aggressively!?" Jake yelled. "This was a family minivan, not a race car! Where did she learn how to drive? Chance's Driving School? Because this looks like something you would do, buddy."

"And Felina totaled how many cars in her career as an Enforcer?" Chance asked as he worked the levers on the tow truck to lift the van onto it.

"Don't bring my future wife into this," Jake said. "But since you did, how many times did you enhance Callie's car?"

Chance finished securing the van to the truck as he replied, "She is the Deputy Mayor and needs to get where she has to go as fast as possible."

"Chance, she brought the car in for a simple oil change and nothing more, but you decided that it needed a tune-up. You grabbed parts for her car that were designed for an F1 motor and installed them," Jake said.

"And nothing happened," Chance said as he wiped his paws on a shop towel.

"Nothing happened!?" Jake asked. "Callie called back a few hours later after you went out for milk. She was complaining that she couldn't keep her car under control or make it go less than 60 miles per hour! She returned to the shop, obviously pissed, and while I worked to fix what you did, you came back to the garage and started hitting on her instead of helping."

Chance closed the door of the truck, then said, "I can't help it if I was attracted to her, especially in that tight skirt she was wearing."

"Her and any other she-cat who would dare to wear 'that skirt' in your presence," Jake said. "Get this back to the garage so we can figure out what your ex-girlfriend did to it, while I try to park one of my vans in its place."

Tina left the stage for the last time that afternoon wearing a low-cut evening gown meant for a twenty to thirty-year-old she-cat, rather than a teenager. The dress showed off a lot more of Tina's chest than she would have liked, was completely backless, and had two long slits that ran up both sides of the skirt. She went over to Sally, then said, "As fun as it was to model for you, I don't think I am cut out to do this as a profession. I think I will stick with the Enforcers."

"That's a shame, Tina, because I expect to be getting a lot more orders based on this show alone. You looked gorgeous out there, and as I mentioned earlier this afternoon, the camera loves you," Sally said.

"I guess I can model for you again, if you need me to," Tina said. "Can I change out of this? As good as I look in this dress; in this dress, it shows more fur than I'm really comfortable with." As she turned, she caught sight of herself in the mirror and noticed that the dress barely had enough material to cover the sides of her chest. She brought her paws up to cover herself more as she blushed.

Sally giggled, then said, "Go ahead and get changed, Tina. I'm sure Katerina and Sarah are waiting for us."

Tina turned and left Sally to pack up the other dresses she had brought to the show. As Tina walked back towards the dressing room, she ran into the model that had called her 'Newbie' earlier. The model asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" before grasping Tina's right paw and dragging her to an out-of-the-way corner.

"Alright, what did you want …" Tina started to say, but was interrupted by the the other model's lips sealing against her own.

Tina pushed her away, then asked, "What's your deal? First you call me a newbie and tell me to leave, but then out of the blue, you kiss me?"

The model straightened out her dirty blonde hair, then answered, "I'm sorry I said those things. As soon as I saw you, I knew you were going to steal the spotlight from me and everyone else today. I watched as you hit the stage, and I started to feel differently towards you. I have been openly gay for years, but I have never felt so strongly about any other she-cat before. I.. I just wanted to let you know how I felt about you. My name is Jessica; will you go out with me?"

Tina leaned forward and kissed Jessica on the cheek before she pulled back and said, "I am happy that you are comfortable with who you are, Jessica, but I am engaged to marry the she-cat of my dreams."

Jessica's face fell, then she said as she kicked the floor with her left foot, "Of course you are. How stupid of me to think that someone as hot as you wouldn't already be spoken for."

Tina distanced herself from Jessica before she said, "You will find someone, Jessica. It may take some time, but you will find the girl who will make your heart both beat faster and long to be by her side."

"I am truly sorry for the way I acted earlier," Jessica said before she asked. "Do you think we could be friends?"

"I don't see why not," Tina answered. "Let me get changed, and then I will introduce you to my friends and fiancée, alright, Jessica?"

"Sure, I'll go and get changed, too, then meet you out front in about ten minutes," Jessica said before she headed off to her own dressing room.

Tina returned to her dressing room, changed out of the dress she was wearing, and into a pair of form-fitting jeans as well as a black tank top. She opened up the garment bag and withdrew her earrings before she returned them to their proper places in her ears. Tina put the dress she was wearing into the garment bag and zipped it up before she left the dressing room.

Katerina and Sarah walked backstage to find Sally finishing packing up the rest of the clothes she had brought to the convention center.

"Mommy!" Sarah cried as she left Katerina's side and ran to her mother.

Sally stopped what she was doing, knelt down, and opened her arms to prepare for her daughter's arrival.

Sarah ran into her mother's open arms and wrapped her arms around her neck. She then snuggled into her and asked, "Did you see Tina on the stage? She looked gorgeous!"

Sally loved having her daughter in her arms. It reminded her of when Sarah was a tiny, newborn kitten and depended on her for everything, especially the warmth and comfort of her mother's loving embrace. Sally knew her daughter was growing up, and now had friends who obviously loved her. Sally secretly wished her daughter would never grow up and forever be an innocent kitten who craved her affection. Sally kissed Sarah on the cheek and then answered, "Yes, I did, Sarah. She performed her job very well, and if the reaction from the photographers is any indication, I am going to be swamped with orders." While holding her daughter tight, she turned her head towards Katerina and asked, "Did Sarah give you any problems?"

"Sarah? Give me a problem? I think not," Katerina answered. "She was delightful as always."

"Good," Sally said before she kissed Sarah's cheek again, and then asked, "Can you help bring these bags out to what is left of my van while Tina is changing?"

"Sure, Sally, and about your van; I called Chance and Jake. While we were watching Tina model your designs, they came and picked it up," Katerina said.

Sally let go of Sarah and said, "I guess a thank you is in order. Then again, it was your driving that wrecked my van in the first place."

"Er, sorry about that, Sally, but you did say you wanted to make up some of the time we lost," Katerina said. "I only did my best to help you get here on time."

Sally started to chuckle, her face scrunching up from the effort of keeping most her laughter inside. However, the dam broke moments later, and she burst out laughing.

Sarah lifted her head to face her mother and asked, "Mommy, why are you laughing so hard?"

Sally wiped away a tear with her right paw before she answered, "That van was on its last legs anyhow, and I needed to replace it. Katerina just gave me the final push I needed to do just that." She kissed Sarah between her ears, then said, "Let's go outside and wait for Tina. Then we will figure out how to get back home."

Tina waited outside of the dressing rooms for Jessica. She then heard the sound of a pair of high heels clicking on the tiled floor of the convention center. She turned to see Jessica coming towards her wearing a very short pink skirt and a white t-shirt that stopped just below her ribs. Jessica's feet were adorned with a pair of pink high-heeled boots that rose to her ankles. As Jessica closed the distance between them, she said, "I like how you are dressed, Tina. The outfit is a cross between punk and preppy."

"Thanks, Jessica. My friends and fiancée are waiting outside, or at least, I think they are," Tina said as she extended her paw to Jessica, then said, "Come on. They are going to like you."

Katerina, Sally, and Sarah crossed the street and walked over to where Katerina had parked Sally's van. As they approached, Sally asked as she saw a brand new van parked where hers used to be, "Now how are we supposed to get home?"

"I guess Chance and Jake towed your van back to the shop and someone parked this in its place," Katerina said before she felt her phone start to vibrate. She pulled her phone put of the pocket of her jeans and read the message on the screen:

'Katerina, we have Sally's van, and it's going to take weeks to fix. I left one of my company vans in its place. Sally can use it while we fix hers. Jake.'

Katerina put her phone away, then said, "This is one of Jake's vans. He said you can use it while he fixes yours, Sally."

Sally tried to open the side door of the van, but found it locked. She turned her head back to Katerina and asked, "It's locked. How are we supposed to open it?"

Katerina's phone vibrated again. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and read a four-digit code that was on the screen. She walked around to the driver side door and noticed a keypad installed on the door sill. She entered the code into the pad and the doors unlocked. "There, open now. The doors are controlled by a four-digit code," Katerina said.

Sally slid the side door open, and put the garment bags in the van as she said, "That makes sense, knowing Jake." She slid the door closed, then asked, "Where is Tina?"

Tina and Jessica left the convention center holding each other's paws tightly. They crossed the street and found Katerina , Sally, and Sarah by a strange van. Tina asked, "Where is your van, Sally?"

Sally turned and ran to Tina. Sally pulled her into a tight embrace, forcing her to let go of Jessica's paw, then said, "I know I said this when we were inside, but you did great out there, Tina! Thank you for helping me today!"

Tina returned Sally's embrace, then answered, "You are welcome, Sally. However, I think I will stick with law enforcement as my career choice." She let go of Sally, grasped Jessica's paw in hers, and brought her over. She then said, "But I have a suitable replacement. Sally, meet Jessica."

Jessica extended her paw as she said, "Hi Sally. I'm pleased to meet you, and who is this lovely girl you are holding?"

"This is my daughter," Sally replied. She turned to Sarah, then said, "Sarah is my reason for living, Jessica. Sarah, this is Jessica."

"Hi Jessica! You're pretty," Sarah said.

"Thank you, Sarah, but you're going to run me stiff competition when you grow up," Jessica said.

As Sarah, Sally, and Jessica introduced themselves, Katerina wrapped herself around Tina, then said, "You looked great out there, Tina. You need to dress up more often, especially for me."

Tina brought her right paw up and caressed Katerina's cheek before she said, "Then I will have to dress up more often, my love. Just for you." Tina then quickly kissed Katerina before she said, "Come and meet Jessica, Kat." Tina led Katerina over to the others, then said, "Jessica, meet my fiancée, Katerina."

Jessica gave Katerina a good look over, then said, "I figured Tina would have a fiancée who is as stunning as she is. I envy you, Katerina. You get to love Tina for the rest of your life."

Katerina hugged Tina tighter as she said, "Yes, I do, and she loves me as much as I love her."

"Can I buy both dinner in celebration of Tina's debut on the catwalk?" Jessica asked.

"As much as I would like to take you up on that, we both have, Jessica, we both have classes tomorrow morning, and our instructor is a real drill sergeant!" Tina answered.

"Oh, well then, some other time," Jessica said before she decided to be bold and kiss Tina right in front of Katerina. She pulled back from the kiss, then said, "Sorry, I just could not help myself. Her lips taste too good not to kiss. I'll see you two soon. 'Bye!" Jessica waved as she walked down the block.

Katerina didn't know whether to be furious at Jessica, or grab Tina and carry her back to Felina's and have her wicked way with her, proving once again why she was Tina's fiancée, not Jessica. The latter won, so she snaked her left arm around Tina's waist, only to pull her close and off the ground, draping Tina over her hip and securing Tina firmly against her side. She then turned to Sally and Sarah before she said, "Tina and I are heading home. She and I need to have a long talk about her new friend."

Tina said so long to Sally and Sarah from under Katerina's arm, and then asked, "Are you planning on carrying me all the way back to Felina's?"

"Yes, and when we get there, I am going to show you exactly who those luscious lips of yours belong to!" Katerina said.

Since the convention center was not that far from Felina's building, Katerina was very easily able to walk the distance, carrying Tina like a sack of flour. She put Tina down once they reached the front door of Felina's building, then passionately kissed her for a minute before saying, "When we get upstairs, I am going to carry you to the bedroom and rip those clothes right off your luscious beautiful body. Then I am going to reduce you to a pile of very satisfied she-cat."

After Katerina finished speaking, Tina kissed her back, then said as seductively as she possibly could, "You can try, Kat. But of the two of us, you are the sensitive one. You'll have to work that much harder to make me quiver."

Katerina lifted her right eyebrow, then asked, "Is that supposed to be a challenge?"

"The only way for you to know is to take me upstairs and find out, Katerina," Tina said as she kissed her again.

They separated long enough to head into the building with their paws tightly intertwined.

As soon as they had entered the elevator and pushed the button for their floor, they kissed each other passionately, letting their paws drift over each other's body as the doors closed.

End of Chapter