by Chris Hechtl
“Mamma!” a tiny voice said excitedly. He turned in time to see an urchin feline face in the window. It disappeared then there was scratching and mews at the door. A domestic cat chuffed softly as she opened it in time for four small furry bodies to spill out onto the patio.
They mewed in excitement, purring as they rushed Shanti. One split off to hit Rah, stropped her leg as she reached down for a pet, and then went back to Shanti. “Mamma!” the kitten cried as Shanti scooped them up.
“They are growing every day,” Rah said. “Getting bigger and bigger,” she said. She turned with a small smile and ear flick as Lisami and her cubs came bounding up behind them.
Jethro sniffed, still staring. “Figured it out yet, Romeo?” Rah asked wryly.
He realized what he was looking at, Shanti's kittens. His kittens he thought as he noted two were black like he was. From the cries and smells, two were female, and two were male. He was stunned by the new family. By his family.
“I'm a father? A dad?” he asked.
“Ah, he figured it out!” Rah said devilishly, clapping her hands before she snagged a nephew to cuddle with.
“You didn't tell me?” he demanded, turning to Shanti with a hurt and shocked look. She shrugged it off. Bast curiously checked each of the kits out with his sensors.
“They're beautiful,” he murmured. He peered at one, but she saw him and burrowed shyly into her mother's arms. Shanti's ears went back, and she bared her teeth slightly at him in a show of protection.
Jethro hunkered down and looked at a brave leopard. He peeked out from behind his mother's leg and then flicked his ears at Jethro.
“Hi. You look a lot like your uncle. Like you're cousins over there,” Jethro said softly, pointing to the older cubs.
“He's a bit different. But cute,” one cub said with a sniff. “I can't wait until he's old enough to really play with,” he said. His mother chuffed in amusement.
“Big,” the kitten said in a tiny voice.
“Yes you are going to be big,” Jethro said. “As big as me one day.”
“That's your sire. Your dad,” the cub said, ruffling the kitten's fur. The kitten mewed, then pawed at his cousin.
Jethro shook his head in wonder.
<(>~^~<(>
An hour later he sat there on the patio, sipping a beer Lisami had handed him. “It's … hard to believe. I mean I know …,” he sighed. “Damn it. And I wasn't here for this either. Frack.”
“Quit it.”
“What?”
“What you're doing. Blaming yourself. You didn't know. And if you had known, so? It's done. Over with,” Lisami said as Shanti came to the screen door. She caught her listening in but didn't say anything.
“Still, I … I could have set something up. Better benefits. Something!” Jethro said angrily.
“Stop. You didn't know. She's okay. She's got benefits from being a Mountie. And we tapped into your benefits despite her stupid pride,” Lisami said, pitching that to her eavesdropping sister. “I figured it out when I looked into it for … for Sabu. For our cubs.”
“I'm sorry about Sabu,” Jethro said instantly.
“He was a good cat. A good father, even though we were apart most of the time. Which is why I know what I'm talking about,” she said again, louder this time. “With his death benefits and your benefits, our cubs won't grow up in poverty. They will grow up with a first class education, access to implants, and the best health care we can arrange,” she stated.
“Definitely,” Jethro vowed.
“I knew you were sensible,” Lisami said. “Which is why I like you. If Shanti hadn't caught you and I wasn't still missing Sabu so badly, I'd take you on,” she joked.
“There are others. My cousin Letanga …”
“It's a little early to be fixing me up. Thanks though,” Lisami chuffed as the screen door opened. “Ah, finally decided to come out?” she asked as Jethro half rose from his perch.
“Sit,” Shanti said softly. “Let's not fight.”
“Definitely not,” Lisami said. “It's too nice a night to fight. I want to remember Sabu's memory in peace for one night. As a family,” she said, looking from Shanti to Jethro and then back again. Jethro nodded, but his eyes were on Shanti.
“For their sakes,” Shanti said softly. “I don't know if I'll ever be able to … be able to forgive you. Or forget.”
“I know,” Jethro said softly.
“You can sleep on the couch or out here; I don't care,” Shanti said. She turned and left.
<(>~^~<(>
Jethro had a week of leave before he had to report to the spaceport. He stayed with Shanti and the kittens. He'd had experience dealing with kittens and cubs under the matriarch's watchful eye, and his time with Lil Red and Lil White had been a good refresher. Still it was a learning experience for all around.
The kittens were wary of him at first. He didn't growl at them; he kept it gentle and didn't punish them. They didn't know; they were babies after all. Lisami told him in an aside that the kittens’ eyes had just opened the week before, and they were still working on their coordination. But they were very advanced for their ages.
“I was advanced,” Jethro said. “But not quite this far I think. Whoops, wowa there young feller,” he said, catching a kitten as he tried to climb a curtain to get the shiny bauble dangling above. The kitten started to freeze and tuck up but Jethro raised him and clutched him to his chest, purring softly. Slowly the kitten started to relax. When he saw the bauble near eye level his eyes sparkled and he reached out for it. He batted at it, then sniffed it eagerly.
Jethro chuffed. His son looked up at him and then rubbed his chin. Jethro chuffed again, softer and more amused. He didn't see his wife watching from behind him. Her hackles had been raised, but they slowly dropped as a fond feeling swept through her.
On the second day, Jethro had a bit of homework to do. He got the kitten's birth certificates and made certain he was on them as sire. He didn't care about the assassins; for the moment he would do things right. He had Bast fill out the necessary paperwork and then transmit it through the ansible. With it on the move, he was confident Shanti and the kittens would be cared for as his dependents.
“Why did you need the birth certificates?” Shanti asked when she got off shift. She was taking half shifts and came home as often as possible. She was tired though, doing double duty as a parent of four as well as a demanding dangerous job took a lot out of her.
“I wanted to set up the benefits,” Jethro said simply as he played with the kittens. They liked to roll and attack his tail. He had found he liked to use it to run down their spines feather light, then get them to roll, then do it all over again until they got testy or wore out.
They argued about the idea briefly, keeping their tones mild for the benefit of the kittens. Jethro explained the benefits to her over and over. She eventually threw up her hands as Lisami came out and gave her a pointed look. “Do what you want, you always do,” she growled and stormed off.
He didn't sleep with her. He didn't ask or imply, and she didn't invite him. He slept on the couch. After the first night, a couple of the kittens joined him. When she got up to check on the kittens, she belted on a robe and went out to the living room but paused when she saw one of them on his sleeping form. Alarm made him stop for a moment then she went over to them. Her robe started to open so she tightened the sash belt as she got a closer look.
She saw them sleeping on top of him and softened. When she saw a tyke use his tail as a blanket, she couldn't help but crack an amused smile. She saw Jethro's eye crack open, look at her, then lazily look at a kitten. He flicked his ears, then settled down once more. His eyes closed and he purred softly, lulling the kittens into a deeper sleep.
The assembled kittens let out a soft sigh of contentment and curled up into balls of fuzz with their father. She went over and stroked the kittens ever so gently, drinking the scene in. Some of her lingering resentment and anger burned off for the moment. Sh
e realized he was a good father or at least had the potential to be one.
<(>~^~<(>
The next morning after a rather fast but funny breakfast for her, the drowsy kits, and some quality time with a breast pump, she left early and went to the capital. She found Moira in her office, sipping her tea.
“I want to know. All of it,” Shanti said, coming in. She set her weapon down on the desk and then sat down across from the wolf expectantly.
“All right,” Moira murmured, gently setting the cup down. Major White Wolf talked to Shanti and told her what had happened in a gentle voice. She judged the leopard was finally ready to listen, to understand, to possibly accept. Before she'd gone through the motions, not really seeing or understanding. It took time, time she was willing to take, some things were more important than meetings she thought.
When she still looked like she didn't believe, she pulled up Private Misani's implant recordings of the entire tragic incident. She then went on to show clips of how her brother had bravely saved others. “Stupid and brave all rolled into one,” Shanti said dashing tears.
“Yes, the essence of a Marine. We think, know that life can be short. For some, all too brutally short unfortunately,” the wolf sighed. “You're brother's death is on my ledger, I was the one who allowed him to go. And I'd do it again even knowing how it turned out. He deserved his chance to shine. He wanted it. It was his decision. No regrets,” she told the Neocat, eying her squarely. The snow leopard nodded slowly. “So take what pleasures you can. Live in the moment. Tomorrow may be too late.”
“I'll think about it.”
She watched the sun set. Jethro brought her a cup of tea. The cubs played, teasing each other before sitting with them. One wiggled between them to feel close, nuzzling both parents. She accepted her brother's loss and that he wasn't at fault. Put her hands in his.
<(>~^~<(>
Lisami came back from her job as a teacher to the sprawling house. Jethro and the nanny were talking; with two adults in the household, it had been a far sight easier to look after the kittens and get the chores done. She poured herself a cup of coffee and came over to them. “Kits and cubs asleep?”
“Yeah. Well, your duo are doing their homework,” Jethro said, pointing to the dining room. Lisami peeked inside, ruffled each of their fur, and then went back to the adults.
“They are good cubs,” Jethro said.
“Yeah, when they aren't being little monsters,” Lisami agreed with an ear flick. “When they aren't being little monsters they are either asleep or being sneaky.”
“I heard that!” a voice called out from the dining room. Their mother snickered over her cup.
“I thought they'd put up more of a fight about coming here. They'd just gotten into school and were making friends in Carlson. But they were okay. Besides, they are as gooey as I am about the kittens. And, well, no offense Jethro, but Shanti needed all the help she can get.”
“Speaking of which, I need to toddle off too. I've got class in a half hour,” the college nanny said, packing up her tablet and gear. “They've been good. He wore the kittens out. They almost missed their last feeding, they just conked out.”
“What did you do?” Lisami asked, looking at Jethro.
He smiled ever so slightly and flicked his ears. When she cocked her head and crossed her arms, he realized she wasn't going to let it go. Besides, Ellen was snickering beside him. He finally gave in and fished out the small gray cylinder and held it up. It was on a key chain.
“What is that?” Lisami asked. He handed it over to her. She looked it over and noted there was an LED on one end and a button on the shaft. She pushed the button and then her brow knit.
“Don't look at it,” Ellen cautioned as she tipped it to look at it. “Look there.” She pointed in the direction of the beam.
There was a red dot on the wall. Lisami moved and the dot moved with her. “So?”
“It's a laser. Kittens are fascinated by it. I'm surprised you haven't gotten into it, you being a teacher,” Jethro said. “It's like a bug. And kittens, especially young ones love it. I did when I was young.”
“Oh?”
“Watch,” Jethro said. He pointed her to the cubs working at the table. She pointed it at one tablet, then traced the dot. The cub froze, ears alert, tail flicking. Then she moved it away, and the eyes tracked it. She moved it across the table and both cubs locked onto it. Finally one got wise though and turned to glare at his mother. “Mom! Knock it off! I'm trying to study here!”
That got the adults laughing. Ellen made her goodbyes and took off.
“I got the kittens going with that thing. They can't resist it. They chased it all over the place. Wore themselves out,” Jethro said.
“Ah. Good toy then,” Lisami said, handing it over.
“Definitely when it comes time to wear them out for a nap,” Jethro said. He yawned. “And me, laughing,” he said shaking his head. Bast flicked her ears on his HUD.
“I so wish we could have had more kittens,” Lisami said wistfully. “You know, Sabu and I agreed on another litter once this lot were off. But …”
Jethro watched her sad expression as she looked away. After a moment he cleared his throat. She turned to him. “There is a way. I don't know if the counselor … if you even saw one. But well, part of the death benefits is access to your partner's DNA if they agreed to it. So you can have another litter by Sabu if you wish.”
“I …,” Lisami blinked, eyes misted. She dashed a tear. “Thank you, Jethro. I didn't know that,” she said softly. Jethro flicked his ears in acknowledgment.
<(>~^~<(>
Later that evening Jethro helped Lisami and the cubs make dinner. Rah had been held over by a case, and Shanti came in later than usual. She was sore and rolled her shoulders. “Rough day?”
“Rough yes. Bar fight. Cleaned Dingo O'Malley's on Fifth Street out. A lot of Marine recruits blowing off steam,” she said, eying Jethro.
Jethro winced. “There was no safe place to do it on Protodon. Anywhere a Marine group clustered could invite a bomb or sniper,” he said.
“I so didn't need to know that,” Shanti said darkly, shaking her head.
“Me neither.”
“Sorry.”
“So, this DNA you were talking about earlier … if I'm interested, how do they do it?” Lisami asked.
“DNA?” Shanti asked. “Something I missed?”
“He was telling me about how … I don't know if you're ready for this,” Lisami said.
Shanti crossed her arms. “Spill.”
“Nice interrogation technique,” Jethro murmured in appreciation.
“Be glad she's not using it on you,” Lisami replied dryly. “She's learning it from me.”
“No, I learned it on the job. I've just gotten better at it after becoming an aunt and a mother. And you are trying to distract me.”
“And I see it's not working either,” Lisami chuffed in amusement. She looked at Jethro then shrugged. “Best to take it head on then.” She turned to Shanti. “I told Jethro Sabu and I wanted more kittens. Jethro told me that as part of his benefits Sabu's DNA is on file. And I can apply to be inseminated with it if I wish. And I'm going to do it. I just don't know how.”
“Yeah, I mean, the sample must be small …,” Shanti mused.
Jethro was glad she was taking the idea in stride. “It's on file. Digitized. So they can make a copy of it at any time. They can then insert that into the eggs. She can have as many kittens as she wishes.”
“Oh,” Shanti blinked.
“The DNA will be clean of any defects, at least from him,” he said. He winced when he realized he'd implied an insult.
Lisami flicked her ears but just slapped his shoulder when he opened his mouth to apologize. “I know what you mean.”
“Thanks. Sorry.”
“Sure you are.”
“So … you …,” Shanti turned to Jethro.
“Yes. But you don't have to worry about it.”
/> “Why?”
“My implants took care of checking for disease or defects. I'm clean. And when you and I …,” Lisami coughed into her hand. “Um, did it,” Jethro said lamely as Shanti's eyes narrowed. “My implants apparently made certain each of the fetuses were um, perfect,” he said.
“You knew?”
“No, I found out later,” Jethro said wryly. Bast flicked her ears on his HUD. “Part of it. Some I guessed. And no, I had no clue about …,” he waved a hand paw and then pointed the tip of his tail to the nursery.
“They are out, aren't they?” Shanti asked.
“Yeah. Your hubby wore them out,” Lisami said.
“Oh.” Shanti eyed her husband. He flicked his ears at her. She just shook her head. “Are you okay with naming the kitten after Sabu?” she asked Jethro suddenly.
He blinked and then nodded. “I was going to ask you ….”
“She asked me. I said it was okay,” Lisami replied as she stirred the pot of sauce.
“Ah.”
“Have either of the panthers cloaked?” Jethro asked.
“Cloaked?” Lisami asked, turning to him in surprise.
Jethro nodded slowly. “Looked like they were fading out. And like they had no smell.”
“No …”
“They didn't go transparent?” Jethro asked. “Disappeared?”
“Are you being silly?” Lisami accused him.
Jethro looked over to make certain that the cubs were entertained in front of the wall screen with their game and then looked at the two adults. “I can cloak. It is … actually, I'm not sure if it is classified or not.”
Bast nodded.
“Okay, it is. But since the kittens may do it, you need to know.”
“Um …”
Jethro got up, spread his hands, and activated his cloak. He instantly faded out, all but his clothes.
“Mother of mercy …” Lisami said, dropping the lid. The clatter alerted the cubs that something was going on. Jethro immediately cut the cloak before they could see his floating clothes.
“Wow,” Shanti said.
“Yeah. So, watch out for when the kittens do it. All of them.”