Children of Steel (36 page)

"Raj, Dave, how are you two doing?" asked
Karen after finally breaking away from Gabe.

We all said hello and exchanged hugs and
kisses. After that Dave led us to a booth in the back section and
we all sat down together. I found I was having a hard time keeping
my hands off of Kathy, and she was pressing up against me pretty
tightly as well.

After about an hour of small talk and some
beer, it was obvious that everybody else was having the same
problems. We had to remind Gabe that this wasn't Lyceum, and that
if he started doing it at the table somebody would probably call
the police. So we all decided to head back to Karen and Terry's
early.

When we got there, Karen dragged Gabe into
her room, and Terry did the same with Dave. Kathy and I didn't
bother to even get the blankets from the closet, just grabbed each
other and fell on the couch. After a couple of hours I did go and
get the blankets and pillows, but we didn't go to sleep till much
later.

The next morning we awoke fairly late and
after a quick shower I found myself lying on the couch getting a
massage, with my tail wrapped around her as she straddled my butt.
I remembered that after our first night together we had ended up
the same way, and remarked on that to her.

"Well it must have worked last time, because
you came back right?" Kathy said giggling.

"Can't argue with success I guess. So what
did you think of Sunil and Cassandra." I asked curious, and purred
a little as she worked up around my neck.

"I was surprised that Sunil was so much like
you, I thought that crèche mates weren't related?"

"Actually they usually use the same basic
template a couple of times with only minor changes, before they
make any major ones. Two of my brothers, Sunil and Randell both
look a lot like me."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Cassandra was really
nice, we got along pretty well, but she made it clear that you were
her personal property and this was just a loan." She laughed at
that.

"That didn't bother you?" I asked
surprised.

"No, why should it?" she bent over then and
nipped me on the ear. "I already knew that you planned to, uh what
is it? Lifemate?"

"Yes," I replied.

"... with her when you could," she continued,
"and I think you know that I don't plan to marry a Leopard. She
just wanted to make sure about the last I guess. What surprised me
the most was that she didn't mind about us. A lot of human girls
would have, but then I got the impression she had quite a few
boyfriends herself."

"Saving one's self for marriage is definitely
not a Leopard tradition!" I laughed, and then rolled over and
showed her so myself.

Afterwards we went into the kitchen and
joined Dave and Terry, who were already there. I got Kathy a cup of
coffee and grabbed one for myself. I sat down by the window and
Kathy sat on my lap wearing a robe she had brought with her, it was
green silk and set off her eyes rather nicely. It also showed her
other charms as well, I must admit.

I felt quite content sitting there and
drinking my coffee, as Kathy scratched behind one of my ears. I
looked at Dave and Terry who were both relaxing in the chair across
the table, they both appeared content as well, sitting in the late
morning sunlight.

"Sleep well?" Inquired Terry with a satiated
smile.

"Quite well thank you," I replied nuzzling
Kathy's ear as she giggled. "Think we'll see Gabe or Karen again
today?"

"I don't know," said Dave smiling himself,
"I'm really beginning to have my suspicions about those two."

"Well, you guy's have been gone along time,"
said Terry.

"And we didn't know who was coming back
either," added Kathy. "There were a lot of rumors floating around
here a while back about were you went."

"Yeah, and what happened there too," finished
Terry.

"I don't know, I think there's a little more
to it than that," replied Dave. "I have a strange feeling that Gabe
and Karen are starting to get serious. After all he did go meet her
folks last time we were here." He looked at the girls and me after
he said that.

"Do you really think so?" I asked surprised,
and to be honest a little shocked too.

"Hey, I work with the guy! I think I know him
pretty well, and I think so. What do you think Terry?"

"Weellll, to be honest Karen stopped dating
humans about three years ago, claimed her step-brothers had spoiled
her," she looked at the rest of us a little embarrassed. "I think
Karen was pretty wild growing up. Anyway, she always looks forward
to Gabe's arrivals and when we heard the rumors, she was pretty
worried."

"Just what were the rumors?" I asked. I was
interested on just how much of what happened had spread around. I
knew that the ship's crew would do their best to tell everybody in
town.

"That you went straight to combat from here
and that it was with an anti-animen group. Rumor was that a lot of
people on both sides were killed too."

"I thought I noticed some scars under your
fur on your back this morning," Kathy said quietly. "Were you hurt
bad?"

"I'm alright now," I said giving her a little
squeeze, "but I did have one really bad day."

"Bad hell!" Came Gabe's voice from the
doorway. We all turned and saw him and Karen standing there
smiling. "He damn near got killed, and not just once, but
twice."

"Well I said it was a bad day! Anyway I'm not
sure that the first one really counts, after all I wasn't hurt that
bad."

"Why don't you just tell us what happened and
let me be the judge of that?" Asked Kathy with a look of
concern.

"Sure," I started, while Gabe and Karen
grabbed some coffee and sat down themselves. "The first time that
day, I got shot down. The shuttle I was bringing in took a near
miss from a radar guided missile and was pretty badly damaged.
There was no way I could bail out, so I had to make a crash landing
in a field. Anyway I was pretty lucky and didn't get hurt too
badly, mostly just sprains and bruises."

"And what was the second time?" Kathy wanted
to know.

"The second time was at the parley for terms
with their command staff. They decided that they weren't going to
accept our terms, which would probably have meant their hanging
anyway, and started shooting." I smiled as I remembered that part,
"I shot their leader right between the eyes! And got the second in
command as well, but I got pretty well shot up myself."

"He almost bled to death before they could
get him out of there," supplied Gabe. "But he saved the Captain's
life, and that made a big impression."

"With the Captain at least," I laughed.
"Can't say I'd like to do that again though. Three days in a coma
is not my idea of a good time."

"You were in a coma how long?" asked Kathy
surprised.

"Three days. But then they did have to do a
little work, so it may be they kept me under a little longer than I
would have been."

"I don't think I want to know what 'a little
work' is!"

"Well to be honest with you, it was worth it
just to kill that bastard!" Kathy, Karen and Terry all flinched at
the anger in my voice.

"Was it really that bad?" asked Karen.

"Worse," answered Dave, "and Raj lost a
brother there too."

The girls were all shocked at that, so Dave
and Gabe told them the whole story. I filled in a few parts, like
my escapade at the hospital with Dr. Crenshaw, and I told them that
I heard since that my sister was making a full recovery.

When they had heard the complete story, they
were all quiet for a while. I guess the idea of all out combat was
a little new to them, I know at the time it was pretty new to me
too. I decided to change the subject; it was getting a little too
heavy emotionally in here anyway.

"I see you still have the ring I got you," I
said to Kathy as she poured me some more coffee.

She smiled shyly, "I've gotten quite a few
comments on it too. It seems everybody’s guessed just who gave it
to me."

"What about your father?" I asked concerned,
after all I didn't want to get her into trouble.

She snickered, "He started trying to make
trouble for me a few months ago, so I tracked down my mother and
got my guardianship transferred to her, something I learned about
at school. She was more than glad to help, being totally fed up
with my dad. Then I had her help me get declared an emancipated
minor, not too hard as I was almost legal age at the time
anyway."

"So he can't cause you anymore trouble
then?"

"Nope, and he tried too." she blushed, quite
prettily too I might add. "You see, I sent him your picture and
told him just how I got the ring in a fit of anger."

I laughed at that, I could just imagine this
faceless man who I had never met, going ballistic over the whole
thing. "How much did you tell him?" I asked still laughing.

"Oh, quite a bit," she replied smiling, "and
then I made up a whole bunch more too! Like that you were making me
work as a whore in the city, and I was pregnant with your child!"
she started laughing then herself.

I was laughing pretty hard too, and so was
everybody else at that point. If he believed that last part, he was
really pretty stupid.

"What's with the whore part?" I asked after
we had slowed down a bit, "I didn't even think there were any on
this planet."

"Oh, my dad believes that there are all
right. He also believes that all animen are pimps at heart, and
that you all lust after human women at every chance!"

That started us all laughing again; the idea
of anybody paying for what was freely available was pretty funny.
As for the second part, while some human women were pretty
attractive, it seemed that most of the lusting ran in the other
direction. It's funny some of the things that people are willing to
believe about others. I had to wonder though if I was guilty of the
same things myself?

We decided to get dressed then, and head down
to the corner Cafe for breakfast. Actually it was more like lunch
now, I though as I looked at the time. I helped Kathy pick up the
blankets and pillows, and then waited while she dressed, I just had
a pair of shorts, so dressing was a matter of seconds for me.

Down at the cafe, we grabbed a table by the
window and ordered as soon as the waitress came along. I realized
how hungry I was and ordered a huge breakfast; both Dave and Gabe
did the same. Even the girls had healthy appetites; I guess it had
been an active night for all of us.

We watched the people on the street walk by
as we waited for our food to come. It was interesting to watch how
they behaved as they passed out front on the side walk. The girls
started trying to predict what each of the passerby’s did for a
living based on the way they were dressed. It was getting close to
the lunch rush, being a workday for most people, and it was
interesting to watch the people all dressed up for a day of
business.

"You're not going to be late for classes, are
you?" I asked Kathy.

"I've already missed the one class I have
today, so don't worry about it Raj, I'll make it up later."

"What about you two?" I asked Karen and
Terry.

"Hey, we're senior's now!" said Terry with a
grin, "We don't have classes on Fridays anymore. Actually we're
graduating in two months, so things are getting easy about
now."

"Really," said Gabe, "I hadn't realized you
were that close."

"Didn't you two talk
at all
last
night?" asked Dave sarcastically.

"Oh we talked," said Gabe smiling as Karen
blushed, "but not in English."

We all laughed at that one and Karen blushed
even deeper, even Gabe looked a little embarrassed after a couple
of seconds. I think Dave was right, there was something going on
between them. It made me feel kind of sorry for the two of them
though, after all, not only were they of different races, but Gabe
had a pretty substantial obligation to the company yet and wouldn't
be free of that for a long time. Our food came shortly after that,
and everybody was quiet as we ate.

After we had finished breakfast, everybody
walked outside and we wandered around town for an hour or two with
no particular goal in mind.

"I hate to say this," I said, "but after
being on ship so long with the same people all the time, it's good
not to see most of their faces for awhile!"

"I'll second that!" Declared Dave laughing,
"Now if I can just get away from you two, I'll have it made!"

"So what do you all feel like doing?" asked
Terry, pointedly ignoring Dave's quip.

"I kind of agree with Raj," said Gabe. "I
really don't feel like setting foot on company ground for a couple
of days at least. Other than that, I guess it's up to you
ladies."

"Well then, how about going to my folks'
place?" asked Karen smiling, "Raj and Kathy haven't been there yet,
and I think the rest of you enjoyed it last time. So how about it?"
she looked around at the rest of us for our reactions.

I turned to Kathy, "How about it? You want to
go check it out?"

"Sure, why not?" she turned back to Karen,
"Sounds okay to us."

"Us too," said Dave and Terry.

"Fine, let's head back to the apartment and
grab some things first. Then we'll grab a Heli-Taxi or
something."

"I need to run by my dorm and grab a few
things," said Kathy. "So we'll meet you there." She grabbed my arm,
and we all agreed to meet back at the apartment in an hour.

"Aren't you afraid people will find out your
little secret?" I teased as we headed for the school's campus.

"Not since I don't have to worry about my dad
anymore," she admitted. "Anyway, I found out it's not such a big
thing with most people. As for the others," she smiled, "screw 'em
if they can't take a joke."