On The Edge


By Jade F. Callan


(For Diana W., with much love, affection, gratitude, and respect.  As I
said, you are one in a million!)



	Harry Snow leaned back against a large oak tree in Megakat Park.  It
was one of his rare days off, but he wasn’t enjoying it much.  The
pressures on him had been weighing heavily the past couple of months,
and he had taken to wandering aimlessly when not on duty.  For some
time, nightmares about his former partner, shot by a sniper on the
docks, had been haunting his sleep, so he was unable to seek solace even
in his own subconscious.

	Closing his eyes, Harry felt the sadness in his heart engulf him.  When
he had gone over to Callie’s the other night for their weekly movie
night, she had asked him what was wrong, but he had been unable to tell
her.  He wasn’t quite sure he knew himself.  All he was sure of was that
he wanted the pain to stop.  With a sigh, he opened his eyes and pushed
off of the tree, walking in the direction of City Hall.  Harry knew
Callie would be off work in a little over an hour, and maybe he could
try again to talk to her.


**********************************************************



	“Be careful, T-Bone,” Razor yelped from the gunner’s seat, “You almost
rammed us into that cliff!”

	“Easy, bud,” T-Bone growled good-naturedly, “You know, you’ve been
jumpy lately.  It should be me that’s nervous, not you,” he banked the
jet into a lazy arc.

	“When’s Felina due again?” Razor asked, his eyes on his targeting scope
as a new set of targets popped up from the sand.

	“Next week, as close as we can figure,” came the response, “Since we’re
not positive when it happened, it’s all guess work,” he brought the jet
down close to the ground, and watched for incoming fire.

	Drawing a bead on the first target to pop up, razor reached for his
controls, “Got everything ready?”

	“As ready as possible.”

	“Does Feral know yet?” Razor punched the firing button, and two buzz
saw missiles dropped out of the bomb bay doors.

	“Not that I know of,” feeling the bombs drop, T-Bone steered the jet
upwards, watching the practice drones explode.

	“Is she ever gonna tell him?”

	“Eventually.  I think.”

	Razor finally looked up from his scope, satisfied the missiles had done
their work, “Want to try another pass?”

	“Sure, but I thought you had a date with Sami tonight.”

	“Not until late.  Besides, we still need to try out the new stuff.”

	T-Bone brought the jet around for another pass, “Does Sami have
anything to do with why you’ve been so jumpy lately?”

	“Um, yeah.....I mean no......I mean......just fly, will you!”

	T-Bone grinned as he dodged the missiles launched by the drones.  He
was usually pretty good about not teasing his friend about Sami too
much.  Sometimes, however, he just couldn’t resist.

	“Just for that, I think we might have to stay here longer,” Razor said,
waiting for T-Bone to fly around for another pass.

	“Then shoot straight, bud!”

	“I’m trying.  Believe me, I’m trying.”

	Somehow, T-Bone knew Razor wasn’t talking about the target practice.


**********************************************************



	Sami stepped off the elevator and walked quickly down the hall to
Felina’s apartment.  Technically, since she had finished her patrol, she
should have gone back to Enforcer Headquarters, but she couldn’t resist
checking on her friend.  Stopping in front of Felina’s door, Sami rapped
sharply.  After a minute, the bolt slid back and the door opened.

	“Sami?  What are you doing here?” Felina asked, surprise on her face.

	“Just thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing,” Sami replied,
stepping into the apartment.

	“Huge, that’s how I’m doing,” Felina smiled, closing the door, “I
thought you were on duty.”

	“Well, Commander Feral did order me to keep an eye on you.”

	“Three months ago,” Felina motioned her friend to have a seat on the
couch.

	“The order was never rescinded,” Sami pointed out as she sat down.

	“A technicality.  Do you want anything while I’m up?  Once I sit down,
it can take a while to get up again.”

	“I’m fine. For kat’s sake, don’t wait on me, Felina,” Sami scolded,
then watched as her friend sank into a recliner to the right of the
couch, “Is that chair new?”

	Felina nodded, “My uncle bought it for me last week, when he finally
forced me to go out on maternity leave.”

	“I’m surprised he didn’t have you dragged out kicking and screaming.”

	“It almost came to that, actually.  I hate just sitting around.”

	“How much longer until they are due?” Sami nodded towards Felina’s
bulging belly.

	“About one more week.”

	Sami raised an eyebrow, “I bet it’s sooner than that.”

	“I hope so.  These two are heavy!”

	“Is Chance excited?”

	Felina tilted her head in thought, a smile playing on her lips, “I
think he’s more excited than he realizes.  He calls about four times a
day, and he’s here when he can be.  In fact,” her eyes twinkled, “I
thought you might be him.”

	“Sorry to disappoint you.”

	“Don’t be silly.”

	Sami grinned, “As long as you don’t mind, I’d better turn my radio up. 
I don’t want to miss a call.”

	“That’s the way I trained you,” Felina responded, “Go ahead and put it
out on the coffee table if you want.  Just promise to tell me what’s
been going on while I’ve been out.”

	Sami turned her radio up and set it in the middle of the coffee table. 
In a few moments, the two she-kats were involved in an intense gossip
session, both forgetting about the time.  The radio crackled softly on
occasion in the background.


**********************************************************




	Callie finished touching up her makeup and tucked her compact back into
her purse.  Even though it was a little early, she had decided to call
it a day.  She had, after all, come in before 8am.  Besides, for a
change, there was nothing else that needed immediate attention.  Callie
got out of her chair and began to move towards the door when a knock
stopped her in her tracks.

	“Ms. Briggs?” a security guard called from the other side of the door,
“We have a situation here.”

	With a sigh, Callie continued to the door and opened it, “What is it?”

	“There’s a jumper on the roof, Ma’am.”

	“A jumper?” Callie’s eyes widened, “Are you sure?  It’s not just one of
the maintenance workers doing repairs up there, is it?”

	“No, Ma’am.  He’s standing on the edge, saying he’s gonna jump.  He
won’t tell us his name, but he looks kind of familiar.”

	“I better go check it out.  You call Commander Feral,” Callie
instructed as she moved past the guard.

	“Yes, Ma’am, right away.”



**********************************************************



	Snow looked out over the city.  His tears blurred his vision slightly,
but he didn’t brush them away.  He had cried so much in the past few
days, he knew they would just come back.  He directed his gaze downward,
and swallowed hard.  Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to jump.

	“Harry, no!!” Callie’s voice came from behind him.  He heard her high
heels clicking in his direction.

	“Stay back,” Harry warned her, glancing over his shoulder.

	“Harry......I knew something was wrong,” Callie stopped a few feet away
from him, “Please come inside.  We can talk about it.”

	“I can’t, Callie,” he told her softly, “I just want the hurt to end.”

	“I know, Harry, I know.  But this isn’t the answer.  Trust me.”

	Harry smiled sadly, and turned to look down at the street once more. 
This time, however, he found several Enforcer vehicles parked below, and
could even make out the imposing figure of Commander Feral.

	“Harry, please....” Callie started forward again, only to stop when
confronted with his angry eyes.

	“You called Commander Feral?” he demanded.

	“Only because I was worried.  Please, come inside with me, Harry.”

	“Leave me alone,” he snapped, turning away from her once again.

	“But....”

	“I said, leave me alone!!”

	Callie backed away, entering the stairwell and heading back to her
office.  Perhaps The SWAT Kats could help her with this.  If anything,
they could snatch Harry off the roof.



**********************************************************



	“Sami, did you hear that?” Felina interrupted her friend and drew her
attention to the radio, “There’s a jumper on top of City Hall.”

	“What?” Sami leaned forward and listened to the transmission.  It was
short, but did indeed say there was a jumper on the roof of City Hall. 
Commander Feral had already arrived at the scene.

	“Why does all the exciting stuff have to happen while I’m out on
leave?” Felina demanded.

	Sami smiled at her friend’s distress, “Tell you what, how about I go
take a look, and give you a full report?  Would that make you happy?”

	“No, but I suppose it’s all I got,” Felina replied, “Since you are on
duty, you might as well go down there.”

	The blonde nodded, and stood up.  She retrieved her radio, and clipped
it on her belt, “I’ll be back later.  You rest.”

	Felina rolled her eyes, “What did you think I was going to do, run a
marathon?”

	Sami laughed as she let herself out.  As soon as the door closed behind
her friend, Felina took her own radio out of the drawer in the side
table and flipped it on.  She didn’t want to miss this, even if she was
stuck in a recliner.


**********************************************************



	T-Bone looked back at his partner.  Both of them had been deeply
disturbed by Callie’s call.  Harry had been a good friend to both of
them all through basic training.  It disturbed them both to think of him
trying to take his own life.

	“What do you think, T-Bone?” Razor asked in a low voice.

	“I’m not sure we could do any good, to tell you the truth,” T-Bone
replied.

	“We could grab him off the roof.”

	“And if we miss?  I don’t think this is something for us to try and 
handle, Razor.”

	Razor nodded sadly, “You’re probably right, bud.  But I bet I know two
old friends of Harry’s who might make a difference.”

	“I bet I do too.”

	“Then let’s get back to the hanger,” Razor said, “And let Jake and
Chance try their paws at helping for a change.”

	“You got it.”



**********************************************************



	“Commander Feral,” Callie called as she exited City Hall, “I know who
the jumper is.”

	The big kat turned towards her, “Who is it, Ms. Briggs.”

	Callie reached him and looked up, unable to stop the tears from welling
up in her blue eyes, “It’s Harry Snow.”

	“Snow?” Feral’s eyes widened as he recalled the young Enforcer, “Did he
tell you why he’s doing this?”

	She shook her head, “He said he just wants the pain to stop.  I tried
to get him to come down, but he refused.  I also called The SWAT Kats,
but I don’t think they’re coming.”

	Feral turned his eyes upward, “Probably not.  This is not the type of
situation they can deal with.  Nothing to destroy.”

	“They could grab Harry off the roof,” she pointed out, annoyed slightly
at his derisive tone.

	“That wouldn’t solve anything.  Besides, they might miss,” Feral kept
his eyes on the top of the building.

	Callie sighed, “So, what are you going to do?”

	“I’m going to talk to him, Ms. Briggs.  Wish me luck.  And do him one
favor, if you please.  Go deal with the media, before they start
snooping around.  The last thing we need is Ann Gora getting up there.”

	Without another word, Callie and Feral parted company, him heading for
the front door of City Hall, she for the knot of reporters off to the
right of the building.


**********************************************************



	Harry felt the wind caress his face, and he tried to focus on the top
of the building across the street, but found himself unable to do so. 
Hugging his arms, he swallowed hard.  His head spun, and all he could
feel was the pain in his soul.

	Looking down, he saw many Enforcers watching him.  Even at this height,
Harry could pick out a few he knew.  In the fading light, the imposing
figure of Commander Feral was heading for the front door of City Hall. 
Please, thought Harry, don’t let the Commander come up
here.....Please.....



**********************************************************




	Sami came around the corner at a fast clip, calling for the civilians
to get out of her way.  She had been monitoring the radio, but there was
still no word on who the jumper was.  Finally, she pushed her way to the
front of the crowd, only to watch Commander Feral enter City Hall. 
Setting her jaw, Sami marched up to the front door to question the kat
guarding it.

	“Paul, what’s going on?” Sami greeted Lynx as she approached.

	“Lieutenant,” Lynx nodded to her, standing in her way, “Where do you
think you are going?”

	“Who’s up there, Paul?”

	“I’m under orders not to say.”

	“But I’m a fellow Enforcer.”

	Lynx shook his head, “I got my orders.”

	“What if I could help the kat up there?” Sami raised an eyebrow at him.

	He considered her words, then lowered his voice, “It’s true, Harry
could use all the friends he’s got right now.”

	Her eyes widened, and she too dropped her voice, “Harry Snow?”

	Lynx nodded, looking at her sadly, “I knew he was bummed about
something, but I never expected this.”

	“Me, neither,” Sami swallowed hard, “Did Commander Feral go up to talk
him down?”

	“Yeah.  Hope he can.”

	“Me too,” she said, stepping back, “Me, too.”



**********************************************************




	Commander Feral slowly opened the door to the roof of City Hall, and
stepped out.  He moved carefully, not wanting to startle the young
Enforcer poised to jump.  Walking sedately, he stopped about ten feet
away from Snow.  Before he could speak, the wind carried Snow’s soft
greeting to him.

	“......I’m sorry, Commander.....”

	Feral studied the kat standing on the edge of the roof.  Snow looked
completely defeated, his shoulders slumped, his arms wrapped around
himself.  Feral knew he had to tread carefully, “What’s wrong, Snow?”

	Harry shook his head, “It.....I didn’t know it would all hurt this
much.”

	“Being an Enforcer?”

	“No.......yes........I don’t know........”

	“Easy,” Feral tried to sooth him, “Just tell me what’s wrong.”

	Harry shook his head, “I want the hurt to stop.  It won’t stop.....” he
struggled to maintain control, and managed to only let two tears slide
down his cheeks.

	“This is not the way, Snow.  Come down and we’ll get you some help.”

	“I can’t.”

	“Sure you can.”

	“No......”

	Feral could see Snow was getting agitated, “Listen, just think about
something for me.  All the kittens who look up to The
Enforcers.......what kind of example would you be setting if you
jumped?”

	“No one would care.”

	“Look down there,” Feral said as he turned to go, “Does it look like
they don’t care?”

	The scene below blurred in front of his eyes as Harry could no longer
hold back his tears.


**********************************************************



	Sami stood at the edge of the Enforcer barrier, looking up at the
lonely figure of Harry Snow.  He looked so alone, she felt sadness well
up inside her at the thought of his hurting that much.  She closed her
eyes, and took a deep breath.

	“Easy, babe,” Jake’s soft voice came from behind her.

	She opened her eyes and whirled around to find Jake and Chance on the
other side of the barrier.  Quickly, she moved over to them, reaching
for Jake’s paws, “What are you two doing here?”

	“We came to see if we could help Harry,” Jake told her, grasping her
paws gently.

	“How did you know it was Harry up there?”

	“Ah.......must have heard it somewhere,” Chance put in quickly.

	Sami nodded, too upset to notice their urease, “You guys were in basic
training with Harry, right?”

	“Yeah,” Jake replied, “And we want to try and help him.  Think
Commander Feral would let us go up and try?”

	“Well,” Sami looked back at the front door of City Hall just in time to
see Feral emerge, “I can ask.  C’mon.”

	the three approached Commander Feral as he reached the bottom step, and
Sami saw the big kat was troubled.  With a hard swallow, she finally
spoke, “Commander?”

	Feral turned sad eyes on her, “Yes, Lieutenant?”

	“Any luck?”

	“No.”

	“Would you mind if we tried?” she gestured to Jake and Chance.

	Feral swept his eyes over the two mechanics, “How do you two fit into
this?”

	“We knew Snow in basic, Commander,” Jake replied.

	“How well?”

	“Pretty well.”

	Feral seemed to size both of them up, then slowly nodded, “But be
careful.  He’s in a highly agitated state.”

	“We’ll be careful, Commander,” Sami promised as she turned and led the
two tomkats towards City Hall.

	Feral watched them go, hoping they could at least buy some time.  He
brought out his radio, and switched it to his private frequency,
“Janine?”

	“Yes, Sir?” her voice came through the static.

	“I want you to get me a psychiatrist down here,” he spoke carefully,
“Her name is Adara Feral.”

	“Your ex-wife?” Janine blurted out before she could stop herself.

	“Yes, Janine.  And tell her to hurry.”

	“Yes, Sir.”


**********************************************************



	While still waiting for any indication as to the identity of the jumper
was, Felina found herself fidgeting with whatever she could lay her paws
on.  The radio was very quiet, especially considering there was an
emergency situation going on.  She was about to turn on the TV and see
what the local news had to say on the situation when the radio crackled
to life.  Although the transmission was short, she was able to glean
that the jumper was a fellow Enforcer.  Snapping the radio off, Felina
hauled herself out of the chair and grabbed her jacket.  Pregnant or
not, she had to at least try to help.


**********************************************************



	The door behind him opened once again, and Harry sighed.  He did not
have the will to even glance back and see who it was.  He stared down at
the pavement below, waiting for whomever it was to speak.

	“Harry?” Sami whispered.  Jake and Chance hung back, letting her go
first, “Oh, Harry.....”

	“Go away, Sami,” Harry answered softly, “Don’t let my blackness infect
you.  You are so sweet.....”

	“Harry, this isn’t the answer.  Please.  Come down.  Let’s talk.”

	“There is nothing more to say.  I have to stop the pain.  I can’t live
with it anymore.”

	“Just come down, Harry, and we will talk.”

	“No.”

	Sami saw his shoulders slump, and realized she was not reaching him. 
In anguish, she turned and looked at Jake, her eyes pleading with him to
help.  Jake reached out the drew her into his arms, then looked back at
Chance.  The big kat signalled his partner to just wait a moment, while
he thought about what to say.


**********************************************************



	“Commander?” Janine’s voice broke into Feral’s thoughts as she stood
looking up at Snow, “I, um, the psychiatrist is here.”

	Feral turned reluctantly, and he first nodded to Janine, then moved his
eyes to the she-kat standing next to her.

	“Hello, Ulysses.  It’s been a long time,” Adara Feral purred, smiling
ever so slightly.

	“Not long enough, Adara,” he observed.  She had, if possible, grown
even more beautiful since he had last seen her, “But now is not the time
to discuss that.”

	“I suppose not.  I understand you have a jumper on your paws.  Want to
fill me in?”

	Feral swallowed hard, “He’s one of the foot patrol kats.  His partner
was shot by a sniper right in front of him a few months ago.  And I know
he felt responsible for a recent hostage situation.  But I had no idea
it had gotten this far.”

	“I’m not surprised.  The Enforcers aren’t known for their compassion. 
Especially their Commander.”

	“Adara,” Feral’s voice dropped low, “Are you here to help, or to shred
me?”

	“To help, of course,” she answered lightly.

	“There are three friends of his up on the roof with him now.  Perhaps
they can bring him down.”

	“Then I’ll take a moment to read his file,” Adara held out her paw, and
Feral placed a folder in it.  She then moved off, walking in the
directions of the front door of City Hall.  Feral watched her go, his
face unreadable.

	“Um, Ulys.......Sir?  Are you all right?” Janine asked, biting her lip.

	“What?” Feral looked surprised to see her there, “I won’t be all right,
Janine, until we get Snow down.  And I’m sorry you had to see Adara and
I sink our claws into each other.”

	“I’m more concerned about you.  And Harry.”

	“We have to get him down, Janine.  We have to.  I lose enough Enforcers
to fighting crime.  I won’t lose one like this.  I can’t.”

	“You won’t.”

	Instead of answering her, Feral returned his eyes to the solitary
figure on the ledge above.



**********************************************************



	“Hey, Snowy,” Chance’s low voice carried through the semidarkness.  The
shadows were lengthening, but he knew The Enforcers would soon switch on
those damn floodlights they were so fond of.  And that wouldn’t do much
for Snow.

	“Hey, Chance,” Harry returned, “Fancy meeting you here.”

	“Yeah.  I brought Jake with me, too,” Chance moved a little closer to
harry, “We thought you could use a friend or two.”

	“We’re here for you, Snow,” Jake added, “Now, why don’t you tell us
what’s wrong?”

	Harry closed his eyes and shuddered, “I keep telling you, and you don’t
seem to get it.  I want the pain to stop.”

	“Pain is part of life, Snow,” Chance said gently, “And, sometimes, it
can get to be too much.  So share it with us, buddy.  That’s what
friends are for.”

	“I can’t.  I just can’t,” Harry felt himself grow cold inside, “You
don’t understand.”

	“Explain it to us, then,” Jake told him, the coldness in Harry’s voice
scaring him.

	“No.  Just let me die.”

	“No, Harry!  We can’t do that!” Sami cried out, running forward.  Jake
just managed to grab her around the waist, stopping her from rushing
Harry.

	“Why don’t you three step back, and let me handle this,” came a clipped
voice from behind them, “I’m a professional, after all.”

	Jake, Chance, and Sami turned to see a tall blonde she-kat
approaching.  She seemed to look at them down her nose somewhat.

	“And who, may I ask, are you?” Jake questioned, still maintaining his
grip on Sami.

	“Doctor Adara Feral.  I’m a psychiatrist.”

	“Just what we need.  A Feral,” Chance groaned.

	“An ex-Feral, actually.  Now, if you don’t mind,” Adara moved around
the trio, and stood near Harry, who was once again hugging himself
tightly, “Now, Harry, why don’t we talk, you and I?”

	“I have nothing to say.”

	“Come now, Harry, of course you do,” Adara said brightly, “Tell me
about your family.”

	“Leave me alone.”

	Jake released Sami, and tensed to rush forward.  He sensed that this
doctor was only serving to upset Harry more, and he wanted to be ready
to leap forward to stop Harry from going over the edge of the roof.

	“I can’t do that, Harry.  Commander Feral asked me to come up here
especially to talk to you.”

	“Why?”

	“Because he cares about you, Harry.  Like your family does.”

	“You know nothing about it,” Harry snapped, turning angry eyes on her,
“Nothing at all!  Leave me alone!  Let me die!”

	“Now, Harry.....” Adara began, but trailed off as Chance grabbed her by
the shoulders and Jake grasped her wrists.  Before she knew what
happened, the two had hustled her back into the stairwell, leaving Sami
alone with Harry.



**********************************************************



	Standing on the edge of the crowd, huddled in her Enforcer jacket,
Felina finally raised her eyes to the top of City Hall.  The street
lights made enough of a glare to reveal the lone kat poised to jump. 
She felt her heart lurch, and her kittens moved within her, as if in
reaction to the sight.  As soon as she could look away, Felina carefully
made her way over to the Enforcer barrier, and tried to get closer.

	“Sorry, no civilians beyond this point,” Officer Brown told her curtly.

	“I’d suggest you look again,” Felina replied, turning so the insignia
on her jacket was apparent.

	“You are on maternity leave, Lieutenant,” Brown pointed out.

	“I still outrank you,” Felina returned.

	“The Commander would have my tail if I let you across this line.”

	“Consider it an order from a superior officer, then,” Felina told him,
stepping around him and approaching the line of Enforcer vehicles parked
by the curb.  Brown thought about stopping her, but then fell back.  How
much trouble could a pregnant she-kat cause, anyway.


**********************************************************



	“Harry, just calm down,” Sami tried to sooth her friend.

	“Get out of here, Sami,” Harry’s cold voice answered her, “Leave me
alone.”

	“Promise me you won’t do anything crazy?”

	“I don’t know what crazy is anymore.”

	“Harry.......please.....”

	“Go away,” He turned his back to her once more.

	Sensing his distance, Sami withdrew, heading for the stairwell, the
taste of defeat bitter in her mouth.



**********************************************************



	Spying her uncle, Felina was just about to go over to him when a
commotion at the front door of City Hall caught her attention.  To her,
and everyone elses’, amazement, Jake and Chance came out of the door
practically carrying her uncle’s ex-wife, who was loudly voicing her
objections to such treatment.  As the two carried Adara over to Feral,
Felina saw a very shaken Sami also exit City Hall.

	“Take your paws off me!” Adara screeched as Jake and Chance set her
down in front of Feral.

	“What happened?” Feral demanded, too worried about his officer in
danger to care about Adara’s distress.

	“She agitated Harry, Commander,” Sami said quietly, coming up behind
Adara.

	“What?  Who was doing the agitating?” Adara put in, “I have half a mind
to just leave, and let you handle this yourself, Ulysses.”

	“I doubt it,” he answered her.

	“That’ll leave?”

	“That you have half a mind.”

	Having heard those two argue quite enough times in her life, and
realizing Sami was probably referring to harry Snow, Felina carefully
moved around the line of vehicles and approached Paul Lynx at the door
to City Hall.

	“Lieutenant Feral, what are you doing here?” Lynx asked, wide-eyed.

	“Trying to help.  Let me go up, Lynx.  It’s the least I can do after
what you and Harry did for me when I was in jail.”

	“How did you know it’s Snow up there?”

	“Sami said something about poor Harry.  And you just confirmed it,”
Felina smiled faintly at him, “Please, let me try to help, Paul.”

	Without another word, Lynx moved aside and let her pass.  Neither of
them noticed, however, that Sami had turned to see Felina enter City
Hall.



**********************************************************



	“Um, Commander,” Sami said to Feral as he watched Adara storm off,
“There’s something you should know.”

	“What is it, Higgins?” Feral looked at her impatiently.

	“Lieutenant Feral just went up to talk to Snow.”

	“Felina?  How the hell did she get into this?” Feral growled.  Then
slowly, his mood softened just a bit, “Actually, she may be the best one
for the job.”

	“I was thinking the same thing, Sir,” Sami told him, while Jake and
Chance silently added their own votes of confidence in Felina.



**********************************************************




	Felina stepped carefully out onto the roof of City Hall.  Darkness had
finally claimed the area, but she could see Harry against the bright
lights shining on the building from below.  Listening closely, she
detected a faint sobbing coming from him.

	“What now?” Harry asked, fighting his sobs.

	“It’s just me, Harry.  Felina Feral.”

	“Lieutenant Feral?” he turned slightly, glancing back at her, “But
you’re out on leave.”

	“Which is why you can call me Felina,” she moved a little closer to
him, but stopped far enough away so he wouldn’t feel threatened, “Now,
Harry, what’s wrong?”

	Smiling faintly, Harry answered with a question of his own, “Aren’t you
going to tell me to come down first?”

	“No.  You are fine where you are.  I just want to know why you feel the
need to stand there.”

	Harry stood still for several minutes, contemplating her words.  As he
pondered, Felina moved forward and to the side of him, leaning back
against the ledge.  She was still far enough away not to spook him, but
he could see her far easier now.

	“I.......don’t know, Lieutenant.  It’s just all so....empty.  So
black.  Watching my partner die, seeing those hostages when I could have
prevented it......It just hurts, you know?”

	“I know, Harry, I know.  And you can call me Felina.”

	“OK.  Felina.”

	“Harry, none of what happened was your fault.”

	“If I had been a better Enforcer......”

	Felina shook her head, “No, Harry.  What happened to your partner is in
a way my fault, but in no way yours.”

	“Your fault?”

	“Yes.  That sniper was trying to draw me out.  I was the main target.”

	Harry nodded, but did not move.  Felina knew she would have to try
harder to convince him not to jump.

	“Those hostages were taken because I didn’t catch that guy prowling
around outside the jewelry store the night before.”

	“You don’t know that, Harry,” Felina told him gently, “Besides, you
wouldn’t have been able to hold him long in jail just based on a
suspicion.”

	“It would have made a difference.”

	“It might have.  Or it might have only served to make him more violent
in his methods.  You don’t know what would have happened, Harry, and you
can’t destroy yourself based on speculation.”

	“I’m tired of the pain, Felina,” he whispered, “So very tired.  I want
it to stop.  Now,” his shoulders shook as silent sobs wracked his body.

	“I know, Harry.  I wish I could promise you it would,” Felina could
feel tears welling up in her own eyes, and blinked them away, “But you
can’t give up.  Think what would have happened if I had given up.”

	“You?” Harry managed to ask between sobs.

	“Yes, Harry.  I’ve had my share of pain and loneliness.  Sometimes more
than my share.  But, if I had given up, I never would have met Chance,
or known the joy of having my own kittens.”

	“Chance?”

	Too late, Felina realized what she had said, but knew she couldn’t take
it back now, “Chance Furlong.  He has made all the difference in the
world.  My sadness is now less, my worries shared, and my happiness more
than doubled.  And, Harry, I know such a kat is out there for you. 
Please don’t leave this life before you find her.  And, please, don’t
take my friend away from me.  I’d miss you so much.”

	Felina could hear the ragged sobs Harry could no longer control, and
she watched him silently, knowing the war raging within him.  She
waited, and, after a couple of minutes, saw Harry stretch out a paw
towards her.  Stepping forward and grasping it, she carefully helped him
down from the edge of the rood, and hugged him gently as he cried.



**********************************************************



	“Commander.....” Sami said softly, her gaze on the now empty ledge.

	“I see it, Higgins, I see it,” Feral answered quietly, relief flooding
his voice, “She got him down.”

	Jake placed his paws on Sami’s shoulders, and she turned around and
moved into his arms, almost falling over in relief.

	“Easy, babe,” Jake whispered in her ear, “It’s okay now.  Felina’s got
him.  He’s safe.”

	Chance leaned back against one of the nearby Enforcer vehicles, unable
to stand upright any longer.  It had scared him to be facing an enemy he
could not shoot or punch.

	Feral moved his gaze to the front door of City Hall and, in a few
minutes, was rewarded by the sight of Felina and Snow emerging.  His
niece was supporting the young enforcer, and Feral was concerned for
both of them.  Ordering everyone back, he made his way to the pair.

	“It’s OK, Uncle,” Felina told him, “Harry just needs a bit of rest. 
And someone to talk to.”

	“I know,” Feral nodded at her, “And his job will still be waiting for
him.  Now, let’s get him to the hospital,” he gestured towards a waiting
ambulance.

	“Harry,” Felina whispered in his ear, “I want you to go to the
hospital, OK?  For me?”

	Harry nodded, and meekly walked over and let himself be put inside the
emergency vehicle.  As it took off, Feral turned to his niece, his eyes
showing his immense gratitude.

	“It’s OK, Uncle,” Felina anticipated his words, “It was the least I
could do.”

	“That doesn’t stop me from thanking you, Felina.  Or from being damn
proud of you.”

	“Anytime, Uncle.  Are you going to go to the hospital?”

	“Yes, a little later.  Not just to check on Snow, but to protect him
from the media as well,” Feral replied, “He’s been through enough
today.  And you had better go straight home.”

	“I’ll have Sami take me,” Felina said, smiling, “Now, please, go see to
Harry.”

	Feral placed his paws on her shoulders, and gave them a gentle squeeze,
before turning and heading for his car.  After he had gone, Felina made
her way over to Chance, Jake, and Sami.

	“How’d you get him down, Felina?” Sami asked, stepping out of Jake’s
embrace to greet her friend.

	“I left the decision up to him,” Felina explained.

	“Um, Felina,” Chance moved closer to her, “Why are you so pale?”

	“Probably because I’ve been in labor for the past fifteen minutes,” she
answered him calmly.

	After about ten seconds, the full impact of her words hit the three
others simultaneously.

	“You’re kidding.....”

	“How long?”

	“Holy kats!”

	“Ah, do you three think we can go to the hospital now?” Felina smiled.

	In answer, Sami snatched a set of keys from the nearest patrol kat, and
the four of them piled in the nearest vehicle, Chance and Felina in the
back seat, Sami driving, and Jake riding shotgun.

	“Move, Sami!” Jake yelped, starting to sweat.

	“I am!  I am!” she informed him, firing up the engine and tearing out
of the area, almost taking the Enforcer barriers along with them.


**********************************************************



	Janine was just clearing off the top of her desk when Paul Lynx walked
in.  She gave him an inquiring look, wondering what the young Enforcer
wanted at this hour.

	“Is Commander Feral in?” Lynx asked.

	She could hear the anguish in the officer’s voice, “Yes, but, unless
this is an emergency, he’s asked not to be disturbed.”

	“I think this could be considered an emergency.”

	“What is it?”

	“Ah,” Lynx swallowed hard, “We’d all like to know how Harry Snow is
doing.....please.”

	Janine heard him sigh softly, and had just decided to consider this an
emergency, when a deep voice came from the office doorway.

	“He’s at the hospital, and the prognosis is good,” Feral informed them
both.

	Lynx looked over and saluted, “Thank you, Sir.  I.......we really
appreciate it.”

	“Don’t thank me,” Feral grumbled back, “Thank my niece.”

	Lynx turned on his heel and left, and Feral looked over at Janine.

	“Any new orders, Sir?” Janine asked.

	“No.  I’m going home.  And you should, too.  We’ve all had a .......”
Feral trailed off as the phone rang.

	Janine answered the phone, “Enforcer Headquarters, Commander Feral’s
office.”

	Feral leaned against the door frame, waiting to see if the call merited
his attention.

	“Yes.......I see.......when?..........any time now?..........yes, I’ll
tell him....... Thank you, Lieutenant Higgins,” she hung up the phone
and turned to Feral with a smile.

	“Good news?”

	“Your niece is in labor,” Janine told him, her smile widening.

	“What?  Now?  But she’s not due for another week!” Feral sputtered.

	“I think the kittens had their own ideas,” Janine laughed.

	“Let’s go, then,” Feral dug his car keys out of his pocket.

	“Who, me?”

	“Yes, you.  Don’t you think I want you with me for this?”

	Without another word, Janine got out her purse and rose to follow him
out the door.


**********************************************************



	Jake tossed aside the newspaper he had been unable to concentrate on
when Sami returned to the waiting area, “Is Feral on the way?”

	She nodded, and sat down next to him, “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

	“Hell of a way for him to find out about Chance.”

	“It might be the best way, actually,” Sami mused.

	“How so?”

	“Well, when he sees Chance, Felina, and the kittens together.....”

	“I see your point,” Jake conceded, “But I still think it’ll come as a
hell of a shock.”

	“Probably.”

	“How long does this take?  They’ve been in there forever.”

	Sami smiled, “Who knows?  It’s only been three hours, Jake.  But we can
go get some sleep if you want.  I’m sure Chance and Felina won’t mind.”

	“What if I have something to show you first?” Chance inquired from the
door of the waiting room.

	“You mean.......?” Jake rose to his feet at the sight of his partner.

	“Come and see,” Chance beckoned them both.

	Sami got up, and they followed Chance down the hall to Felina’s room. 
When the entered, they found her sitting up in bed, with a kitten tucked
in the crook of each arm.

	“Wow, that was fast,” Jake observed, coming around to the right side of
the bed and smiling at Felina.

	“A moment ago, he was wondering what was taking so long,” Sami giggled,
moving to the left side of the bed as Chance stood at the foot, “So,
let’s see the new arrivals.”

	Felina smiled, and tilted her arms so the kittens could be seen, “They
got here about a half an hour after we arrived,” she told them, “All the
time was taken up with paperwork.”

	“And who is this we are meeting?” Jake asked, smiling at the tiny
bundle in front of him.

	“That’s Theora Faria Feral Furlong,” Chance told his friend proudly,
“Ain’t she a beauty?”

	“Only because she looks like her mother,” Jake countered, smoothing
little Theora’s cheek with a finger.  Like her brother, she had Felina’s
tawny fur, but Jake could detect faint tiger stripes too.

	“And who is this fine fellow?” Sami wondered, looking down at the other
kitten.

	“That is Stephen Jake Feral Furlong,” Felina responded, “My beautiful
son.”

	“Stephen?”

	“What do you think the S stands for in Ulysses S. Feral?”

	“You mean, Chance let you name him after Commander Feral?” Jake was
incredulous.

	“Chance named him,” Felina replied calmly.

	“Now, that is amazing,” Feral’s low voice came from behind Chance. 
Everyone looked up at the big kat.

	“Only to you, Ulysses,” Janine said softly from his left.

	Chance swallowed hard, then turned to face Feral, “So, now you know. 
Going to ship me off to Alkat-Traz for daring to touch your niece?”

	Feral raised his eyebrows, “It I was going to do that, I would have
done so when I first found out.”

	“You mean, you knew?” Felina held her kittens close.

	“Since you were in jail, and I had your bracelet dusted for prints,”
Feral explained, “Standard procedure.  You should know that, Felina.”

	“But........why didn’t you say anything, Uncle?”

	“Because, for the first time in your life, Felina, you were truly
happy.  And it wasn’t my place to tell you, but for you to tell me.”

	“I’m sorry, Uncle.  I was.......”

	“Afraid of losing it all?” Feral finished for her.

	“Yes.”

	Sami gave Jake a meaningful look, and the two of them slipped out of
the room, and headed for the parking lot.

	“Felina, would you and your uncle like to talk in private?” Chance
offered, although his voice was wary.

	“No, Chance.  No more secrets.”

	“Besides, there is nothing more to discuss,” Feral added, “You make
your own decisions, Felina.  You are not a kitten anymore.”

	Finally, Felina smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, “I know, Uncle. 
Now, would you like to hold your namesake?”

	“Only if it is all right with his father.”

	“Anytime, Commander,” Chance said, emotion in his voice.

	As feral came around to scoop up little Stephen, he had one more
question for his niece, “When are you two going to get married?  Kittens
need two parents, you know.”



**********************************************************




	Jake lay quietly next to Sami, listening to her steady breathing.  By
the time they had gotten back to her apartment, she was so tired she
could hardly keep her eyes open.  Jake had offered to leave, but Sami
had wanted him to stay.  Seeing the lost look in her eyes, he knew she
needed him.

	Neither one had felt like eating, and so they had simply shed their
clothes and fallen into bed, Jake holding Sami for the few moments it
had taken her to drift off.  He couldn’t sleep, however.  The memory of
Harry Snow’s haunted eyes kept coming back to him.  He shuddered,
remembering the despair he had seen in those eyes.  He never wanted to
see that look again, on anyone.  Carefully, so not to disturb her, he
curled around Sami, holding her close against him.  He ached to keep her
safe and happy, and swore to do all in his power to make her so.



**********************************************************



	Felina lay on her side, listening to the soft breathing of her kittens
in the bassinet next to her bed.  She marvelled at the fact she was
still awake, but for some reason she wasn’t sleepy.  Chance, her uncle,
and Janine had left about an hour ago, all promising to come back in the
morning, bringing Tony and Phineas with them.  Felina smiled at the
thought of all of them in the same room.  She had just reached out a paw
to touch her kittens once again when there was a soft rap at the door.

	“Come in,” Felina called softly, mindful of her sleeping kittens.

	Slowly the door to her room opened, and Harry Snow came in, “Um, hi,
Lieutenant.”

	“Harry?” Felina’s eyes widened at the sight of him, and she noted her
was fully dressed, “What are you doing here?”

	“I.....I can leave, if you want.....”

	“No, that’s not what I meant.  I just thought you’d....uh, be staying
here for a while.”

	Harry shook his head, “No, I’m on an outpatient basis, as long as I
stay with someone.  My sister’s going to stay at my place for the next
week.”

	“I’m glad.  And I’m glad you came off that ledge, Harry.  Else you
would never have gotten to see Theora and Stephen,” she gestured to the
bassinet.

	Walking over, Harry peered at the kittens, “Oh, Lieutenant, they are
beautiful.”

	“You can hold them, if you would like.”

	“But......they’re sleeping.”

	“I’m sure they won’t mind, Harry.”

	After a slight hesitation, Harry leaned over and gently picked up
Theora’s tiny sleeping form.  Cradling her, careful to support her head,
he brought her up and rested her against his chest, looking down in
wonder.

	Felina watched him silently, hoping her tiny daughter could somehow
shine a little light into the dark corners of Harry’s troubled soul.

	“She’s so beautiful, Lieutenant,” he whispered, his eyes focused on
Theora.

	“I know.  Aren’t you glad you got to meet her?”

	Harry said nothing, simply held the kitten for a few minutes more, then
gently put her back in her bassinet.  He also took a moment to touch
Stephen, then turned to go.  At the door, however, he stopped, and
looked back once more.

	“Thank you, Felina.......so very much.”

	“Anytime, Harry.  Anytime.”

	Silently, he slipped from the room, and Felina wiped away the tears on
her cheek with the back of her paw.


The End