"We have to come up with something!" Manx said, at his wits end. They'd been discussing how they were going to brief the ball attendees on Feral's odd situation but every idea had some problem with it. Now, a couple of hours later, they still sat before the Mayor's desk in tired and irritable silence.
Callie sighed, lifted her glasses so she could rub her nose then shifted them in place once more. She glanced over at Feral and Chance who were sitting very close together. The tabby's paw was holding Feral's and his thumb was making soothing circles over their joint paws.
Feral's eyes were closed, his head resting in his left palm, with the elbow sitting on the chair arm. It was an oddly domestic scene that should have seemed out of place but somehow wasn't, proving how right they were as a couple. She still found it unbelievable that Chance and Feral were mated.
And if she was having trouble getting used to it, just explaining it and having them be together at the ball was going to cause such an uproar of offended dignities, she and the Mayor would be spending all night soothing ruffled fur and outraged sensibilities. The city elites would be buzzing about it for months.
"Look, our original idea of simply releasing this information to the press in a formal press conference seems to be our only choice in delivering such controversial news in a safer and more controlled environment than the open familiarity of the ball itself." She said flatly, tired of the endless discussion that was getting no where.
Feral had opened his eyes and was listening to her. "I have to agree. At least the fervor will have had time to die down somewhat before the function itself. Then when we show up at the ball, we should be able to field the comments we'll still get but at least it won't be as disruptive as dropping it on them that night."
Mayor Manx stared at both of them and thought about it. He closed his eyes a moment and rubbed them. When he opened them again, he sighed and nodded. "Alriiight! There doesn't appear to be any other solution so let's get this thing done immediately."
"I'll get right on it Mayor! How about tomorrow at ten?" She asked, looking at Feral and Chance.
Feral grimaced and Chance definitely didn't look happy but both nodded their reluctant agreement.
"Excellent! Well be off with you. I have my own work to do." Manx said pompously.
Glancing at each other with rolling eyes at that comment, the three stood up and left the Mayor's office. They paused in Callie's office before leaving.
"Chance, though you look really nice, I'm afraid appearances are going to be very important tomorrow. Do you have a business suit?" Callie asked.
The tabby scowled. "On my salary and with my job...yeah...right!"He said sarcastically. "Why would I ever need such a thing?"
"Unfortunately, love, for this occasion you'll need one and a tux for the ball." Feral said to his irate mate then turned back to Callie. "Don't worry Ms. Briggs I'll take care of it. We'll see you tomorrow."
She sighed in relief and waved them off. The pair quickly made for the elevators. They lucked out in getting an empty car.
On their way down, Chance let out his frustration. "Crud! Uly, do I have to wear a suit? I mean that's like a skunk putting on fancy airs."
"Chance, you're not a hick from the country. I know you can look very debonair when you are so inclined or are showing off so this is not that big a deal. The clothes aren't what you're really upset about anyway." Feral said knowingly.
"You're right...I can't believe we're actually going to do this. The ridicule that will be heaped on us will be significant and those oh so uppity society types won't hesitate to find ways to humiliate us with just a few well chosen words. It makes me sick just thinking about it." Chance growled.
They'd reached their floor but Feral hit the door close button and held it while he studied his mate. "I know and I agree with you. Unfortunately, we have no other choice."
Chance's shoulders slumped. "I know...but it still sucks."
Feral grinned ruefully. "That it does." He released the door control and it snapped open. "I walked here." He told his mate.
"I came by tow truck. Want to come back to the garage and tell Jake what we've done?"
"No...but I will anyway." Feral sighed in resignation.
Chance snorted in commiseration and led the way to where he'd parked the tow truck.
Back at the garage, Jake heard the tow truck arrive and stepped out the door. He was surprised to see Feral had come along. He waited as the two climbed out and walked up to him.
"By the look on your faces, things didn't go too well." Jake said shrewdly.
"Well, sorta. Come on, let's get some milk and we'll tell you about it." Chance said gloomily, leading the way back into the garage waiting area. He went to the fridge and grabbed some milk and handed them out. Then took a seat on the ratty couch. Feral sat beside him, stretched his legs out and sighed.
Jake stood and watched them both as he drank his milk. Feral told Jake what had transpired and what they intended to do the next morning.
The cinnamon tom grimaced and finished his milk without a word. Tossing the can in the trash, he rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the pair.
"Well, this is where it's going to be hell around here for awhile." He simply said.
His pronouncement would prove to be the greatest understatement of the year.
Later that evening, he and Ulysses went clothes shopping. Chance grimaced and tried to focus on the task at paw but it was hard when both he and his mate kept getting strange looks and whispers that traveled all around the exclusive male clothing store. He tried to ignore it as he was fitted with a very nice dark brown suit paired with a pale green shirt and a tie that Feral was taken with that had black and emerald green striping.
Next was the fitting for the tux. That went a little faster though the measuring business made him uncomfortable. But he endured it, if only to prolong that look on his mate's face. Uly was practically drooling over how he looked in the tux. He had to admit he did look incredible.
'God's! Chance looks so hot in that.' Feral moaned mentally. 'Those society fems and toms are going to drool over my mate.' He grinned to himself proudly.
When he dropped Chance back off at the yard, he remembered something and went in to speak with Jake.
"Wow! Nice suit, buddy." Jake said admiring the new clothes Chance held up for his review.
"Yeah. Been a long time since I had anything so nice." Chance admitted.
"He was a knockout in the tux too!" Feral rumbled, smiling. "By the way, Jake. Ms. Briggs said she was having trouble thinking of a good date for the ball...think you might be interested?"
Jake's mouth gaped open at the suggestion. He snapped it shut and shook his head. "Why would she want a grease monkey as her date." He said sourly. "She only sees me as Razor."
"Sounds as if you're jealous of your alter ego." Feral observed. "However, I think you're selling yourself short. You really should think about it."
Jake just shrugged his shoulders and blushed.
Chance had been surprised when Uly had suggested Jake hook up with Callie but the more he thought about it the more he realized his mate was right. But knowing his shy friend, he couldn't push Jake into doing it. It would have to be his decision though he wouldn't mind having his friend there for support on what would be a very trying night.
Next morning...press room at city hall...
Chance felt like he was being ate alive by vultures. The press was pounding on them with increasingly personal questions and he could easily feel Ulysses barely held restraint on his famous temper. Some of the questions were nasty and vindictive, which made holding his own temper nearly impossible. One very obnoxious reporter was barely lucky neither of them decided to knock his fool head off.
Even Ann Gora was a bit too personal and a little vicious with her questions. "Commander Feral, let me get this straight...you and former Flight Lieutenant Chance Furlong have been able to put your 'significant' differences behind you and are willing to be together despite the fact your mate is still working at the Megakat Salvage Yard. Plus the fact that you are requiring him and his partner, former Flight Lieutenant Jake Clawson, to continue paying their debt for damaging the enforcer flightline that got them kicked off the force in the first place. I find it hard to believe that Furlong and Clawson are okay with this?" Her tone dripped disbelief and sarcasm.
"You are single, correct Ann?" Feral asked, not answering her. Ann startled and looked confused by the question but she answered, if only to find out what he was getting at.
"Yes."
"Then beyond knowing what the textbooks say, you have no idea what it feels like to be bonded." He said with certainty. "Bonding is something you must experience to understand. Since it is very rare, you may never be so blessed. Finding the other half of your soul completes you in ways you can't begin to imagine. The minds link during the first mating, binding the two souls together that only death can destroy." Feral said passionately.
"How does that feel, Commander?" Callie suddenly asked, very curious about this.
"It's really hard to explain but I could come close by saying you are never alone. There is this warmth in your mind that is always there, comforting you, keeping you company...always. It's just..." Feral sighed and spread his paws.
"It really is hard to describe. I can only say, I feel complete, like something had been missing but I never knew it until we bonded and I just felt whole." Chance said quietly.
There was silence for a long moment. Faces held disbelief, awe, envy, blank confusion, and understanding from those extreme few in the crowd that were bonded as well.
"But, if you were mates all along how is it you're only just bonding?" Came a question laced with confusion from the crowd.
"Stubbornness!" Feral said flatly. Chuckles filled the air at that flat statement.
"He's not kidding." Chance snorted, smiling. "We are a pair of very stubborn toms. I wasn't aware of our being mates at first. Usually, the mating instinct is triggered by the heat cycle of the female. But because, Uly is an hermaphrodite and only comes into heat twice a year, he managed to not be around me during those times. He was very sneaky, because he knew as far back as when I was a trainee that we were soul mates. But you already know why he couldn't take me then. And, of course, when I was put out of the enforcers, I hated his guts. It was only chance that brought us together when he was just coming into heat. That's all it took for me to realize we were mates. But even then we resisted the pull. Like I said stubborn."
A sprinkling of laughter burst out at that bit of candor. Others were still not very accepting and found the whole business of 'soul mates' hard to swallow. They knew it existed because scientists had proven it but still it was hard for skeptics to believe.
Ann was still absorbing the unique experience of witnessing Commander Feral being passionate about something so nebulous. He was normally skeptical of things he couldn't pin down and see. It was a clear indication of just how much his bonding had affected him.
She realized she would have to rethink her approach on this subject and some research was definitely indicated. On a personal note, she had to admit Furlong looked really hot dressed in that suit. He looked every inch the hot shot pilot he'd once been in the enforcers. Despite his lower station in life, he still possessed a commanding air about him and it shone clearly on camera.
The rest of the press conference was still a chore to be endured but finally after two hours, it was over and they slipped away by chopper. Feral piloted it and dropped his mate off at the salvage yard after a lingering kiss to relief the stress of the past few hours.
When they pulled away finally, Feral caressed his mate's cheek. "I'll see you after work. We need some together time after that raking over the coals we endured." He said gently. "And by the way, you wowed the fems there. They were practically falling all over themselves even while they were trying to make you look bad."
"Heh heh! Yeah, I noticed. But all that testosterone show was all for you, love." Chance purred, nuzzling Uly one last time before pulling back and allowing his mate to take off.
As predicted, the uproar was loud and vicious. Feral endured glares, looks of shock, disappointment, and disillusionment from his troops. Only a tiny few showed pleasure at his happiness and others, like Steele, snickered and were pleased that he'd done something so bad his reputation was taking a beating.
Through it all he pretended nothing was changed, barked orders, gave punishment when required, and did his work as if nothing had changed. Inside, though, it hurt to be seen in such a poor light. What he didn't know was Felina and Sgt Fallon were quietly circulating the reasons for the mating, playing up the fact bonding was very rare and that their Commander had been blessed with a soulmate even if that person was someone who had been disgraced. Felina was passionate in her defense when she said, a Kat didn't pick their life mate...fate decided it and that's why it was so precious in the first place.
It took a while but finally their perseverance paid off as his troops gradually began to be more accepting of their Commander's bonding and began forcing the unhappy ones to shut up and accept it too or at least appear to accept it. By the time of the ball, most of his troops were once more behind him. The ones that weren't just did their duty and said no more about it not wanting to endure anymore pressure from their fellow enforcers..
As for Chance, being at the salvage yard, he didn't have to come in contact with anyone that objected to his being mated to the Chief Enforcer. So he was spared the backlash. He spent a lot of his time soothing his mate's hurt feelings and anguish at his treatment at the paws of his own enforcers. Chance railed at Jake at how unfair it was and his partner simply nodded quietly and let his partner blow off steam.
There was only one pair of idiots that thought this new situation was perfect for more of their harassment of their favorite junk yard Kats.
Riding in with another load of salvage they smirked as they rolled to a stop at the garage entrance. Though it would give their evil hearts great pleasure to dump their load in front of the garage, they didn't forget Feral's warning nor the attack by the big tabby. Wisely, they stayed in their truck and heckled Chance from the safety of their cab the whole time they were there. The tabby ignored them but Murray just had to get a little too personal.
As they pulled up to the area where the load was to be deposited, Burke halted the truck and Murray leaned his head out and said nastily. "So, do you two take turns being the wife?"
Chance stopped in his tracks and was at the truck door in a blur of motion. Murray never knew what hit him but in the next moment he was flying across the cab and into Burke's lap, out cold.
Burke licked his lips in fear as Furlong came stalking back to his side of the truck. He'd never seen the tabby move. Furlong may not be a pilot any longer but his reflexes were still fast.
"I suggest you teach your 'friend' to learn to keep his big mouth shut." Chance snarled warningly.
Burke just nodded nervously, as he pulled the lever and released his load. As soon as it was done, he was driving out of the yard as fast as he dared, Murray still unconscious in his lap.
Getting through the rest of the month was a strain but by the time the night of the ball arrived, most of the upset had passed and become old news.
Callie sighed and was glad the worst of the nastiness had faded around Feral and Chance. One problem out of the way. Now if only she could solve her other difficulty...namely getting a date for the ball. At this point in time, she had no one she was seeing and of those she'd been with, there was none she was willing to allow as her date for the ball.
As the time marched closer, she began to get a bit panicky. Driving home one night, her car began to make funny noises. 'Damn, I really didn't need this now.' She moaned in frustration. The next day, after she'd cleared her morning's work, she drove to her favorite garage.
"Hi Callie." Chance grinned at her as she got out of her car.
"Hi Chance. My car is making a lot of noise and I thought I'd better bring it in."
"Sure, we'll take a look at it and try to get it back to you today."
"Chance, how are you and Feral holding up now?" She asked as she followed the tabby into the office.
"Oh, I'm doing fine. No one bothers me out here but Uly...well...all I can say is it's gotten a lot better. He was pretty hurt and stressed by his enforcers attitude toward him in the beginning after the news conference but they're coming around at last." He said, shrugging.
Jake came out from the back of the garage when he heard her voice. "Hi, Callie." He said shyly.
"Hello, Jake." .
"Do you need a lift back to city hall."
"Yes, thanks. The Mayor is out with the limo." Pleased he got up the nerve to ask her.
"Let me go get it and we'll be off." Jake told her, grabbing the keys off the desk and heading out back where the tow truck was parked.
"Let me have your keys, Callie." Chance said, holding back the smile at his friend's eagerness to be with the pretty she-kat alone. He hoped Jake would ask Callie about the ball.
"Sure, here you go." She said, handing over her keys. The tow truck roared up in front.
Jake hopped out and helped Callie into the passenger side. She waved at Chance and the pair was soon on their way.
The two talked about his partner's relationship with Feral and how Jake was handling it and how the ball had precipitated them being forced into the open. This presented Jake with the perfect opening he needed to ask about whether Callie had a date or not.
"Callie, speaking of the ball, have you been able to find a date for it?" He asked innocently.
Callie blinked in surprise. 'How had he known about that...oh wait...of course...Feral would have mentioned it so naturally, Jake would heard about hers and the Mayor's problem.
"No, unfortunately I haven't and I'm getting worried since I'm running out of time." She answered honestly. She had a funny feeling in her stomach that she knew what Jake was going to ask and she was surprised to feel hope that he would.
"Well...uh...I...that is...uhm..." Jake hemmed nervously.
"Yes?"
"Uh...well...I would be happy to take you if you wouldn't mind going with a mechanic?" Jake finally got out and groaned mentally at how lame he sounded.
Callie's heart leaped. She studied the tom more closely than she'd ever bothered to before. Though slimmer and shorter than Chance, Jake was no light weight. He was powerfully built as she could clearly tell by the muscles stretching his shirt. He was a handsome Kat, very smart, and gentle. But underneath that shy exterior she sensed a backbone of steel. He could handle himself if he needed to or he wouldn't have been a weapon's officer.
Smiling in relief that her problem was solved, she didn't hesitate to answer, "I would love to have you as my escort. I couldn't ask for a more handsome companion and you are not just a mechanic."
Jake blushed hotly and smiled at her, pleased and surprised she had accepted so readily. She seemed really happy about it too. That warmed him inside a lot.
They had reached city hall and as they said farewell, Callie asked, "I'd like to see you a few times before the ball if you're willing?" Batting her eyes at him as he helped her from the cab of the truck.
"Uh, sure. I'll give you a call and we'll set a date. Okay?" Jake asked, feeling giddy.
"Sounds perfect. Until later, bye Jake." She said warmly then turned to walk up the city hall steps.
Jake stood there watching her until she disappeared inside then climbed back into the truck and returned to the salvage yard.
Chance could tell something good had happen by the sappy look on his friend's face when he returned to the yard and threw the truck keys on the desk. He eyed Jake questioningly.
His partner grinned broadly and proclaimed, "She said yes! We're going to the ball together. We're also going on a date as soon as we decide when." He added.
"That's wonderful Jake, I'm happy for you." Chance said, clapping his friend on the back.
Chance was pleased and as time went on he could tell Jake and Callie were enjoying each others company. By the time of the ball, they'd been on four dates. With Uly's help, the tabby had taken Jake to the same place he'd gotten his tux and got to see it on his friend. He looked just as debonair as Chance did in his. They were going to be the hottest males there.
When the night of the ball finally arrived, Jake was very nervous when Callie showed up at the yard in the limo she'd commissioned for the night. He climbed in beside her and handed her the orchid corsage he'd gotten her. Smiling in pleasure she let him pin it on her. Grinning shyly, he sat back and enjoyed the ride to the ball.
Meanwhile at their hidden home, Chance got dressed in his new finery while Feral put on his dress uniform.
"You look magnificent, my love!" Feral growled hotly looking his mate over, making sure everything was perfect. He gave Chance a passionate kiss.
"Hmm. If my clothes turn you on that way, I should get me a complete new wardrobe." Chance teased. "And I must say, you looked fantastic yourself." He admired his mate's dress uniform and the way Uly filled it out so nicely. "We are going to knock them dead tonight."
"Every head is going to be looking at you, my handsome tabby. I will be the envy of the ball." Feral purred.
"Flatterer! We'd better skedaddle if we're to get there on time." Chance said warmly as he lead the way out of their home and to the garage where Feral's hummer was parked.
"Wouldn't want that." Feral sighed as he climbed into the driver's seat.
Chance used the controller in the hummer to set the security system on their home then fiddled with the radio and found a great music station to listen to on the long drive into the city.