Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
No, Iris didn't break out of the hospital. However, she is learning to be her own she-cat, which is not going to sit well with her mother.
After much argument with her grandfather, Cheryl gave both Iris and Roy a Temporary Discharge from the hospital to get ready and attend their senior prom.
Cheryl was wheeling Iris out of the hospital in a wheelchair while Felicia wheeled Roy out of the hospital with another.
Roy craned his head to Felicia, and asked, "Nurse Harison, why do I need to be in a Wheelchair when my legs are perfectly fine?"
"Sorry, Roy," she replied. "Hospital procedure. Nothing I can do about it."
Iris turned her head to the right to face Roy, and said, "At least you can walk. Me, I am going to be hobbling all over the Dance Floor with this lousy leg!"
Cheryl parked Iris' wheelchair so she could crouch in front of her, and say, "Iris. You are going to be gorgeous for the prom and you get to have that," she pointed to Roy with her left index finger, "hunky tom waiting on you paw and foot. I'm jealous of you since I didn't get to attend my senior prom."
"Why didn't you go?" Iris asked.
Cheryl stood back up, then answered, "Let's just say, my mother and father caught me and my tom-friend at the time, in a rather compromising manner."
Roy's face turned beat red when he heard Cheryl's answer, but Iris wasn't satisfied, she wanted to know more. "How compromising, was it?" She asked with a smirk.
Cheryl rested her weight on her right hip, and asked, "Do you really want to know?"
"Friends do not withhold information for each other, especially when its very spicy," Iris answered.
Cheryl leaned forward to Iris' left ear, and whispered something into it, which caused Iris' eyes to bulge out of their sockets. Cheryl righted herself, then said, "Roy is even more of a juicy specimen than my ex was. You two can have all the fun you two want but always keep it rated PG. I don't want to have to explain to Dr. Earnheardt why you are walking funny."
Mrs. Warrens and Mrs. Murphy arrived almost at the same time. Each one got out of their cars and eyed the other up.
Mrs. Warrens wore a simple pair of loose jeans and a long-sleeved T-Shirt while Mrs. Murphy was dressed as if she was attending a Social Gathering with her in a tan dress and matching heels.
Mrs. Murphy beaconed, "Iris! We need to go in order to make your Hair Appointment!"
Iris rolled her eyes, then said, "Coming, mother!" She got up out of her wheelchair and limped her way over to Roy where she kissed him, then said, "I'll be calling you later today, after I finish with my errands. Love you." And limped her way over to mother.
"Love you too!" Roy said.
Cheryl helped Iris into Mrs. Murphy's car and closed the door. She then leaned into the open window, and said, "Felina has called in a favor with one of her friends who owns a Dress Shop. Head over to Sally's and ask for Sally or Jessica. Either one will help you with finding the perfect dress to make Roy's eyes will be on you alone."
"I'll be sure to call Felina later; to thank her, Cheryl and I really appreciate the temporary discharge so we can attend the prom," Iris said.
Cheryl righted herself, and said, "What are friends for, Iris? Do me a favor, and make yourself so gorgeous, all the boys' heads are going to turn as you walk in."
Mrs. Murphy got into the car and drove off, leaving Roy and his mother.
Mrs. Warrens approached her son, and said, "You remind me of how your father used to look at me when we first started dating, Roy. How much does she mean to you?"
"She means everything to me, mom. I am going to hate being apart from her, even if its only a couple of days," Roy answered.
Roy's mother hugged him, and said, "That's pretty much the same thing your father said to mine, when he asked your father what I meant to him. Do I have to start saving up for your wedding?"
Roy hugged her back, and answered, "I don't think so. We are both not ready to even think of getting married."
"Glad to hear you have your head on straight, Roy," Mrs. Warrens said. She stood back up, then said, "We must get you a tuxedo and make sure you have a corsage that perfectly matches Iris' dress. Let's start shopping!"
An hour later, Mrs. Murphy pulled her car up in front of Sally's Dress shop. She looked out of the Passenger's Window of the car at the simple door with two large windows on either side, and said, "Are you sure you want to get your dress here?"
"Positive! Felina called in a favor. She would never steer me wrong," iris answered.
Mrs. Murphy got out of the car and closed her door before helping Iris out of the car. She assisted her daughter to the front of the store and opened the door, letting Iris enter before she did.
The Old Bell which used to signal when the front door was opened was long gone. It had been replaced with a Motion Sensor and quite a few cameras to record everything that went on, in case someone was stupid enough to break in, especially with the Protected by Claw-Tek sticker on the front left window.
Jessica was in the back finishing a simple modification for a client. She had on a light blue pair of leggings, and a red shirt. Her feet were encased in pair of sneakers. On her left ring finger was a simple Engagement Ring, Kayla placed on her finger. Kayla wore a matching ring on her finger as well. She heard a tone emanate from the Security Monitor over on the far wall, letting her know someone entered the shop. She looked up from her work to see a Teenaged she-cat and presumably her mother's image on the monitor. She put the pair of pants back on the table and went to greet them.
Iris was perusing through one of the racks of dresses, trying to find something that would hide her prosthetic leg, but still made her look beautiful, while her mother scowled at the feel of the material used to make the dresses.
"May I help you two find something?" Jessica asked after she emerged from the back.
"Yes. Mrs. Clawson sent me here to get my Prom Dress," Iris answered.
Jessica's face lit up as she said, "Ah, Miss Murphy. I have been expecting you! Sally will be back in a few minutes then we can go over colors and fabric choices! Mrs. Clawson said to make you look like a Goddess and that is exactly what we are going to do! But first, I need to measure you. Come with me to the back and we can get started!" She turned to Mrs. Murphy and said, "I'm going to need about forty- five minutes to measure her. If you want, you can leave and come back, unless you see something you like?"
"Hardly, I wouldn't be caught, wearing such cheap clothing. I'll come back in about an hour," Mrs. Murphy said and left.
Jessica sighed, then said, "Let's get you measured before Sally gets here. Then once she is here, the real fun can start."
Thirty minutes later, Iris was standing on a small stage with her arms stretched out from her sides. While Jessica took detailed measurements of her body. As she measured her bust, Jessica asked, "Do you have a favorite color?"
"I've always been a fan of how Sky Blue looks on me," Iris answered.
Jessica made a note on the sheet of paper she was writing on. She put the pencil down and said, "All done." She helped Iris down from the stage but kept her paw closed around hers. "What type of gown are you looking for?"
"I'm not sure. My mother is very conservative about the way I dress," iris answered.
"I'm not asking your mother, I'm asking you," Jessica said.
Iris looked at the floor for a second, then lifted her head back to Jessica, and said, "I've always listened to what my mother told me. She dictated what I wore, what I ate, almost every decision I had to make."
"Well, that ends now! You are your own cat! You are not your mother! So, here's what we are going to do. I'm going to take you out front and let you try on several gowns of different styles, until you find one you like. Ignore the color and concentrate on how the dress feels and falls on you. Are you ready to be you, Iris?" Jessica asked.
Iris reached out and pulled Jessica into a hug, then said, "I'm ready. Show me, the real me."
Jessica hugged her back, and said, "You got it, friend! One Real Iris coming up!"
Jessica had pulled out several gowns from the racks and had them stacked up on a table to Iris' right. Iris looked at the stack, and asked, "You want me to try everyone of these on, before my mother returns?"
"Not all of them, Iris," Jessica replied. "Some of these aren't going to appeal to you at all. However, one of these is going to scream, 'This is me!' And that is going to be the dress that is going to make your tomfriend think you are a queen!"
As Iris was going through the large pile Jessica placed on the table, Sally entered the shop with Pat right behind her. Sally took one look at the pile of gowns, and asked, "What in MegaKat is going on in here?"
"Sally. We're trying to find the perfect gown, for Iris," Jessica answered.
"By creating a small disaster, in my shop?" Sally asked.
"Its the only way for her to know what she really wants and likes. She needs to set free of her mother's grasp and make a decision on her own," Jessica answered.
"In that case, we have some work to do," Sally said. She turned to Pat, then Jessica, and said, "Ladies, we have a mission to make Iris even more gorgeous than she already is."
A few minutes later, Sally was busy sketching out a design for Iris' gown, while both Pat and Jessica were showing various swatches of fabric to Iris.
Iris looked over to the design Sally was sketching out. Sally had drawn a completely strapless dress that had a low back, tapered at the waist, then fell almost straight down to the wearer's thighs. It also had two slits in the skirt on the sides that were about two inches in length. "Sally. I really appreciate what you are doing. However, I want this ugly piece of hardware concealed," Iris said, pointing to her left leg.
Sally put her pencil down, faced Iris, and asked, "Iris, if I make this gown floor length, you won't be able to move in it."
Pat took one look at the design, and asked, "How daring are you willing to be, Iris?"
"I really don't know, Pat. What are you thinking?" Iris answered.
"Keeping the left side of the dress almost floor length to hide your prosthetic and raise the right hem to a few inches below your hip. You have the legs, well one of them anyway and the hips to pull the outfit off. Roy will be tripping over his own two feet when he sees you in that dress," Pat said.
Iris looked over to the far corner of the shop and saw the Aquamarine gown Tina had modeled for Sally. She went over to it, ran the claws of her right paw through the material, and asked, "Sally, if you can make a dress, just like this one, with my left leg covered instead of the right, but in sky-blue. I think I would look beautiful. Don't you agree?"
All three she-cats came over to look at the gown Iris was standing in front of. Both Jessica and Sally examined both the gown and Iris' body. Then Sally said, "It could work, Iris. However, this gown is for a she-cat that doesn't have your bust. Unless you feel comfortable showing off your chest, I would not recommend this gown."
"Wait a minute, Sally," Pat interrupted. "Let her try it on, before we jump to any conclusions. I personally think, Iris will look hotter than the sun in it." She then winked at Iris.
Sally removed the gown from the mannequin and brought it over to Iris. "Go try it on and ignore the color and the slit being on the wrong side. I want to see exactly how much of your chest is going to be exposed."
Iris took the gown from Sally and with Jessica's assistance, limped her way towards the Dressing Room.
Sally faced Pat, and asked, "This is a High School Prom, not a Charity Ball! That gown is not appropriate! Its going to show way too much of her chest to be deemed acceptable by the Chaperones."
"It will be, once you and Jessica are done with the modifications, Sally," Pat said. "I don't want her to be showing too much fur either and be forced to cover up. However, she needs to be able to make her own choices, and if that gown makes her feel like herself, then that is the gown she is going to be wearing to knock Roy on his tail!"
Jessica helped Iris into the gown and determined her bra had to go. "Iris, your bra is showing, it has got to be removed for the gown to be as sensual as it was designed," Jessica said.
Iris lowered the top of the gown to her waist, removed her bra, and set the top back on her chest and secured the strap across her right shoulder. She turned to face Jessica, and asked, "Well, what do you think?"
Jessica looked over Iris in the dress with a keen eye, examining every little flaw she found. She completely ignored the color and the fabric but was laser focused on the hem, waist, and bust of the gown. "Not bad," she said. "I'm leaning towards the modifications Pat had suggested and using the scraps of material to cover more of your chest, and maybe a bit more of your back. Ultimately, its your decision with how much of your body you want to be exposed. I do know, if I was Roy, I'd be tongue tied, once I saw you. But that's my opinion, let's see what Sally and Pat think."
Iris walked past a full-length mirror and had to stop to look at herself. She faced the mirror, gazing at the reflection. She smiled as she realized, she really liked herself in the gown. She even did not mind the gown showing off as much of her as it did. She left the mirror with a large smile on her face.
Both Pat and Sally heard Iris and Jessica approaching. They both turned in the direction of the footfalls and Sally's eyes shot completely open, while Pat smiled back at Iris and let her tail leisurely sway.
Iris stopped in front of them, and asked, "What do you two think?" She spun on the ball of her right foot, and said, "I like it, a lot."
Sally approached Iris with her eyes roaming her body. She stopped in front of her, and said, "Iris, I'm happy that you like the gown. I spent days designing and making it. However, its cut way too short at the chest to be appropriate to be wearing at a High School function. We are going to have to find something else for you to wear."
Iris stomped her right foot, and said, "No! I've finally started breaking free from my mother's grasp! I want to wear this gown, with the modifications Pat recommended and that's final!"
"Iris, I'm glad you are being confident with your choice, but think of what the chaperones are going to say when you walk in. They are going to demand you cover up. Is that what you want? To be forced to wear an ugly shawl or something and be embarrassed I front of your friends, and Roy?" Sally asked.
"No, I simply want to enjoy my Prom and not have everyone focus on this piece of hardware, my father's Insurance Company considered acceptable. I just want to be a normal girl again instead of a freak!" Iris stated.
Sally embraced her, and said, "You're not a freak, Iris! You are an exceptionally beautiful girl." She relaxed Iris from her embrace, walked back a few feet, turned around to face Iris, and let her mind start working. As she tapped her right index finger against her right cheek, she said, "I'm going to be working for a few nights in order to get your gown ready, but it will be worth it, to see you look exquisite for your prom." She turned to Jessica, and asked, "You have all of her measurements captured, Jess?"
"Right down to a 64th of an inch, Sally," Jessica responded.
Sally faced Pat, and asked, "While Jessica and I start sketching, can you assist Iris with picking out the fabric she wants?"
"Oh, it will be my pleasure," Pat answered, then said, "She's going to look better than the queen did, and her tom-friend is going to be her loyal servant, all night long, that is if he can speak, once he sees her in the gown you two make."
"Ladies, we have a mission to complete," Sally said. "Operation Prom Queen Iris is now starting! Let's get to work!"
Sally and Jessica quickly and skillfully sketched out the gown that will make Iris look spectacular, while Pat and Iris were over in the far corner of the shop touching and removing bolts of fabric.
Iris found a bolt of fabric towards the bottom of a stack of bolts in the color she wanted. She ran her index and middle finger down the bolt, feeling the silkiness and the softness of the fabric through the pads of her fingers, and exclaimed, "This is the fabric I want!"
Pat was removing a bolt of fabric from a stack in front of her when she heard Iris. She placed the bolt back on the stack and came over to where Iris was standing. She felt the fabric Iris wanted, and said, "This does feel wonderful, Iris." She removed the bolt from the stack with a little difficulty and set it on a table behind her. Then, she unraveled a small section of the fabric, and gave it a firm tug, only to see it reforming its original shape. She turned her head to the far right, facing the two she-cats sketching the design of Iris' dress, and asked, "Sally, Jessica. Can you make the gown out of this material?"
Both Sally and Jessica placed their pencils down and rose from their seats to come over to Pat's side. Sally took one look at the fabric, and said, "That was special ordered for a Masquerade gown I was supposed to make. The client pulled out at the last minute. However, I still was paid for my time and materials. So, this bolt is not going to cost a thing." She looked at the material again, then felt it, and said, "I'm glad I didn't have to make the gown, this material was going to be a bear to work with, since it frays so easily. The stitching is going to take twice as long as it should to prevent the fraying of the ends. Im not sure if I can pull it off in time." She turned to Jessica, and asked, "What do you think, since you are going to be doing the majority of the work?"
Jessica picked up the edge of the fabric in question and gave the edge a light tug to watch it fray. "I agree with Sally, this is going to take a considerable amount of time to get the stitching right, at least with the machines we have." She focused on Sally, and said, "Sally, your Sewing Machines are good but antiquated. I have been researching a few new machines which can make finer stitches than the ones we have. The new machines will cut the time to make Iris' gown in half and give the same quality."
"Jessica, I don't have the money to spend on new sewing machines right now. We are going to have to do it the long way," Sally said.
"Sally, even if we do it the long way, there is not any guarantee the material will not fray over time. We need to use fine stitching, not coarse stitching to prevent the fraying from occurring or even starting. Even if we sewed by paw, which I'm not saying we should, there is no way we can get the stitches fine enough. Face it, we need that new machine," Jessica rebutted.
Felina entered the shop, wearing her fatigues from the academy. After she closed the door, she approached the group, saying, "Figured I'd find you here."
Iris limped her way over to her benefactor and gave her a hug. "Sally and Jessica are amazing, Felina. You we're right with having me come here for my gown," Iris said.
Felina hugged her back, and said, "I'd never steer you wrong. Let's see what you have picked out."
Iris let go of Felina and limped back towards the table Sally and Jessica were working on the sketch for her gown. She picked up the large sheet of Pattern Paper from the table and brought it back over to the rest. "I love what they came up with and can barely wait to see how it looks on me," she said as she handed the drawing over to Felina.
Felina took the drawing from Iris and gave it a cursory look, knowing anything Sally and Jessica designed would look amazing. She put the drawing down on the table with the bolt of fabric, then asked, "You are going to have every boy there, drooling over you in that gown, Iris. What fabric and color did you pick out?"
"That's the problem," Jessica stated. "The fabric she wants is not easy to work with. With the wrong stitching, the material with fray."
"So why is the stitching an issue?" Felina asked. "You two are the the best there is!"
"Thanks for the confidence boost, Felina," Sally said. "However, Jessica is right. We were just discussing her research on a pair of new sewing machines to do the stitching in half the time, and how I can't afford them right now."
Felina didn't even bat an eye as she reached into her pants pocket, withdrawing her wallet, and removing her Black Card. As it was slapped down on the table, she said, "Get those machines! What Iris wants is what Iris gets! I will not have her gown disintegrate while she is wearing it! Although, I believe Roy would really like that to happen." She turned and winked at Iris.
Iris pulled Felina into an embrace and shed tears of happiness into Felina's left shoulder. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you are doing for me," Iris said between the sobs.
Felina returned her embrace, and said, "You don't have to thank me, Iris. I'd do anything for my friends, including spending my husband's money."
"Jake won't mind?" Iris asked.
"Not at all. He won't even know I bought the machines. The statements all go to his secretary, who signs them for payment without question," Felina said.
Sally was already on the phone with the supplier, placing the order for the two new sewing machines. She held the phone away from her right ear, faced Felina, and said, "They want to talk to the Card Holder for Authorization."
Felina let go of Iris and went over to Sally. She took the phone from her, brought it up to her left ear, and asked, "This is Mrs. Clawson. What can I do for you?"
Since everyone else could only hear Felina's side of the conversation, they all stood and watched her expressionless face.
"Yes, I gave her permission to use my card," Felina said into the phone, followed by her tapping the claw of her right index finger against her cheek, showing she was getting agitated at the cat on the other end of the line. Then her face developed a very ugly scowl, which Pat had only seen once before.
Pat walked deftly walked over to Iris, said, "You are too young to hear what is going to be said," and covered her ears with her paws.
"I'm his wife! He gave me this card to use for whatever I needed, without any limitations! What gives you the gall to tell me what I can purchase!?" She barked into the phone.
"Here is what is going to occur! Those machines will be delivered to my friend's shop, by tomorrow, as requested! Or I'm going to head over to your office, and personally pull your tail out of your mouth! Do I make myself clear!?"
Another few seconds passed, then Felina said, "Glad we understand each other!" And slammed the phone down. Her face returned to normal as she said to the group, "Sally, the machines will be here tomorrow morning, by 8:30. Sorry you all had to hear me acting worse than a Drill Sergeant, but I will not stand to let some Paper Pusher ruin Iris' prom!"
End of Chapter