"OH Sugarpie, honeybunch! You know that I loooove you!!" Chance Furlong wailed along to the radio, his tail happily dashing from side to side as he rocked his hips to the music, using a screw-driver for a microphone.  "I can't help myseeelf! I love *you* and nobody else...WHUOOHHH!!!"

"Chance, if you keep that up, every window and mirror is gonna be having a crack in it by noon!" Jake laughed as he came over to the large gold-furred tabby, rubbing his paws in a cloth.

Chance sent him a maniacal grin.  "That's just too bad Jake, its not all of us who has been born with a talent. You're the sureshot; I´m the great pilot *and* golden voice!! Hah!!"

"I'm the pilot *and* golden voice," Jake mimicked in a yapping tone. "Don´t see why I should care about that! I can for one thing cook better than you! AND, I can take a whole horror-marathon! Not like you, ya big scaredy-kat!"

Chance's grin vanished and was replaced by a scowl. "Who are you calling a scaredy-kat, ya cartoon-mocker!!?? I'll bet you can't take a whole Scaredy-Kat marathon without wanting to change the channel!"

"Oh yeah!?" Jake responded, puffing his chest up.

"Yeah!" puffing up his chest even larger, Chance glared at Jake.

"Oh *Yeah*!!??"

"*YEAH*!!"

"Deal! Next time there's a horror-marathon on, YOU watch the WHOLE thing.  Crying in fear and begging for mommy allowed!" Jake grinned.

"And next time there's a Scaredy-Kat marathon, YOU watch the WHOLE thing, without complaining! Begging for Litterbin allowed!! Loser cleans the Turbokat *alone*."

"*And* fixes everything on garbage day alone when Burke and Murray have delivered!!" Jake retorted. "We got a deal?"

"You got it!!"

They shook hands to seal the deal and glared each other stubbornly in the eyes.

"Uhm...hello? Anyone here?" a female voice called.

The two kats forgot their earlier argument and went outside to see who was calling. A black-haired she-kat with her hair tied up in a ponytail stood with a bicycle and a baby-kitten with a finger in his mouth who peered sleepily out from under a cap at the two kats appearing from the garage. Jake gave a polite smile while Chance lifted his cap in greeting.

"What can we do for you ma'am? Any problems?"

The she-kat smiled back in response (though Jake noticed it didn´t seem to reach to her emerald-green eyes) and motioned to the front-tire on her bicycle.  "Well, I got a flat tire, and I was wondering...do you handle bicycles?"

Jake and Chance looked at each other and nodded.

"Yeah sure!" Chance said with his usual grin. "We'll handle it in no time."

"*sigh* I am glad to know that....I have a long way to go before I get home and well, I need to get David's diaper changed..."

"No need to worry, ma'am." Jake smiled. "We will gladly let you handle this inside the garage."

Chance nodded in agreement.  "Yeah. Don't worry ma'am I can fix your tire while Jake helps ya with your kit. He's better with them than I am," he chuckled.

The she-kat shook her head.  "Oh no, I couldn't...I don't want to waste your time..."

"You aren't!" Jake said, waving with a paw. "It's not as if we have anything better to do. Besides, I think your kit wouldn't mind if you took a break..."  He motioned to the kitten who was getting a frowning expression, looking rather uncomfortable about something....

The she-kat sighed and smiled a little (an expression that yet again did not reach her eyes, the two mechanics noted).

"Well, since I don't have anything important going on...might as well accept your offer. Thank you very much, Mr...."

"Clawson. Jake Clawson," Jake smiled and pointed at Chance with his thumb. "And, that's my partner and friend, Chance Furlong."

"Well, might as well introduce myself since you already have..." the she-kat said, picking up the baby from his seat on the bike.

"My name is Kathy Purvis, and this is my son, David."

---------------------------------------------------

He woke up to the feeling of dirty water seeping into his mouth as the water was raising in the sewers. He sat straight up, coughing and wheezing, gagging the filthy waters out of his sore throat. He blinked tiredly and winced, feeling soreness all over his body. What had happened? Then he remembered.....

He had been walking in the sewers on the hunt for something to eat, lost in his thoughts about revenge over the SWAT KATS, Zyme, Manx....then they attacked.

A wild hissing and chittering was heard as pinkish demon-like creatures struck out of the dark, hissing and chittering wildly as they slashed at him with their claws, some of them clinging to Viper's chest, arms and legs, biting with their sharp teeth, causing Viper to roar out in pain.

More kept on coming, and, in the end, they had him forced down to the floor, the reptilian kat struggling to get free. A dark chuckle sounded out of the dark.

"You might as well give up struggling, Doctor Viper. My creeplings are in greater number than you, so it is useless to fight."

Viper snarled, writhing even more.

"Who are you? Ssshow yourssself!!"

Heavy steps were heard as an enormous figure stepped out of the dark, clad in a grey robe, a heavy black cloak hiding the facial features except for a pair of devilishly orange-glowing eyes, glinting with a inner dangerous intelligence that made something in Viper shrivel in...disgust? Fear?

Viper's own eyes glowed an angry yellowish color as he glared at the figure in front of him.  "Who are you!?" he asked again, struggling in the creeplings' grip.

The orange eyes narrowed in response.

"I am Dark Kat."  The mentioning alone of the name made something in Viper freeze. Who had not heard of this criminal mastermind, who almost a year ago had almost succeeded in bombing Enforcer HQ?  If not for the enforcers that had stopped him in time, whereupon Dark Kat after his retreat had mysteriously disappeared.

"Ssso...." Viper started slowly, narrowing his eyes. "You are Dark Kat. People think of you assss dead...." Though he could not see the purple kat's face, he could not help it but think that Dark Kat was quite obviously smirking. The orange eyes gained a more powerful glow as the smirk turned into an enormous evil grin, which made the critters he had called creeplings chitter slightly.

"As you can see, my dear doctor, I am quite alive. I have my plans for the city. Plans in which YOU do not fit!" A large purple fist lunged out and grabbed Viper by his throat, lifting him up in the air. The reptilian kat hissed and writhed, gagging for breath as a fist with two enormous rings lunged out and whammed with what seemed like the speed of a train into his chest, knocking all air out of his lungs. More punches followed after that, then kicks as Dark Kat dropped Viper on the ground, the creeplings adding theirs with their bites and scratches from their claws, screeching and chittering with glee. The last thing Viper remembered was these words before Dark Kat grabbed him and slammed him headfirst into a wall....

"Do not cross my path, Viper. Those who do not work with me are considered a threat. And, I make sure all threats are exterminated!!"

Viper sucked in a breath as he felt how his healing-process was slowly taking care of two cracked ribs.  His claws digging into the ground he sat on, lhe eaned against the sewer wall. His eyes glowed angrily in the dark.

"Well *Dark Kat*," the reptilian kat snarled out in the dark. "I may be considered a threat...but I, too, exterminate all posssssible threatssssssss....."

 -------------------------------------------------------------

David gurgled as Kathy softly cooed at him, kicking with his small legs as she changed his diaper. Jake had taken the dirty diaper and cleaned the kitten's behind, then thrown the whole thing out in the trash-bin outside of the garage.

"He's a cute kit, ma'am," the brown tabby said with a chuckle as David caught his finger.

Kathy only smiled a little.  "Thank you....he means everything to me..." she sighed, softly stroking the kitten's belly with a paw, the kitten gurgling happily, his tiny tail dashing in amusement.

"I can imagine....heh wouldn't mind if I got a kit myself one day...not now, but...some day,"

Jake chuckled. Kathy smiled sadly, and something glittered on her cheek. Then she wiped it away, but Jake knew a tear when he saw one.

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Purvis? Did I say something...?"

She shook her head. "No...no..." she wiped the tears away. "Only.....that is one of the first things my husband told me...when we first met...."  Her eyes got a distant look, her lips forming a tiny smile at the memories coming to her....

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

"Crud crud crud....." Kathy muttered as she struggled to keep a solid grip on her umbrella, the rough November-wind threatening to yank it out of her hands. She was close to the café...just a little closer...

"Ahr CRUD!!" The fabric of the umbrella was torn to shreds and escaped on its way down the road. Kathy scowled and cursed angrily as she ran the rest of the way. As she was about to go in, a figure clad in a red raincoat bonked into her.

*OOMPH*

The figure yelped as Kathy hit it, sending it into the wall, while Kathy fell and landed in a enormous puddle created by the rainwater. She squealed as the cold water soaked her tail, butt, and thighs in a matter of seconds.

The stress from the whole day she had been going through, added with the ruined and lost umbrella, and now this made everything collapse, and she burst into tears.

"Uh...miss? Are you alright?" a tenor-light voice asked, a paw grabbing hers and helping her to stand.  "Sorry I ran into you like that...I.. didn't hurt you, did I?"

Kathy registered that they had gotten inside the café and the figure was handing her a paper-napkin taken from the desk. She sniffled and nodded her thanks taking the napkin, rubbing her eyes with it.

"N.. no...you.. didn't hurt me..." she whispered hoarsely, looking down at her soaked feet. The other one, she noticed, was wearing a pair of worn Nike shoes.

"*Phew* I´m glad to know that...." the person said with obvious relief. "I always feel bad about hurting others by accident...."

Kathy pulled down her hood and pulled the hairband out to re-tie her pony-tail.

"Well....I've just had a very bad day...." she sighed, shaking hair out of her eyes before fixing her ponytail. She looked up at the other person who had pulled his hood down as well....

Obsidian-black eyes met emerald green as the two kats looked at each other. Everything around them, sounds, smells, sights... seemed to vanish as the two stood there. Kathy felt an odd burning in her cheeks and looked down. The tomkat blinked, nervously stroking a hand over a thick black mane of hair.

"*A-hem*...uhm...thanks for helping me up..." Kathy muttered, shyly looking at her hands.

"Uhm...you're welcome..." the tomkat responded.

The two looked at each other again, studying one another. Kathy marked the tomkat's features in her memory. A few inches taller than her, tan-yellow fur, black eyes... a not too long muzzle, accompanied by a not too large chin. His long black hair went in a mane from a widows-peak on his forehead and between his ears down to the back of his neck, slightly clinging to his neck due to that it was wet.

*...And he's got a cute nose..* she thought to herself and covered her mouth with a paw to hide a smile at that.

"Can I.... Can I get you something? Glass of milk, cup of coffee...." the tomkat said, rubbing his neck.

"Actually, I don't just talk with strangers...." she responded, smiling a little.

The tomkat half-grinned nervously, then reached a paw towards her.

"Well, how about we introduce then? My name is Elrod Purvis."

She chuckled and took his paw, shaking it.  "And, my name is Kathy M. Peterson."

"There! Now we're not strangers anymore. So..." Elrod Purvis said with a nervous chuckle.

"So, what about that cup of coffee?" Kathy responded with a grin.

---------------------------------------------

"Heh, I don't mind kits. They can be cute in their own noisy way. Comes with growing up with an older sister and two younger twin-brothers," Kathy said as the two were now sitting, each with a cup of coffee and a piece of pie on a plate next to the cup. E

lrod smiled a little and took a sip of his cup.  "Wouldn't really know myself. Only tried babysitting a cousin once in a while. I´m a lone-child, so....but it's not that I don't want kits myself. Maybe I'm gonna settle down sometime....get married, get a house with garage and maybe two kits or more!"

Kathy laughed, and Elrod joined in quickly. They sat there talking until the rainstorm outside settled down to a quiet dripping and dropping here and there.

Kathy looked out the window and sighed.  "Looks like the rain is stopping. Well, I better be heading home now; it's getting late... It was nice talking to you, Elrod..."

Elrod nodded and smiled to her.  "Same to you, Kathy...Uhm...will I...see you again?"

She smiled. "Perhaps...maybe here? I always go here to get my lunch."

"Sounds good. Lunch here tomorrow?" he asked.

She looked thoughtful for a few. Then gave a nod in approval.  "Tomorrow. Here."

"Lunch?"

"Lunch." She smiled to him and waved. He waved back, then she headed off.

As she headed home, she felt a strange sensation in her chest. As if something was growing in there. She smiled. She was looking forward to seeing that kat again...

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

Jake chuckled as the she-kat ended the story. "So, that's basically how you met your husband?"

Kathy nodded. "We lived at the same campus, so we could see more of each other... We stayed together even after we had both graduated. And well...." she looked down at David, who was resting in her lap as they sat on the couch, his eyes closed and his thumb in his mouth. "...he proposed to me. We got married and a year and nine months later, David was born....."  She sighed and held her kitten close, her ears drooping slightly. She looked up when Chance came in, rubbing his paws in a cloth.

"There ya go ma'am. All done. I took care of the chain as well, it needed oil."

She stood up and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Furlong. How much will it cost?"

"Well, normally we don't take care of bikes but....hrmm...shall we say five for the tire and five for the oil, Jake?"

Jake looked thoughtful. "Yeah, that's a fair price."

Kathy frowned hesitantly. "I don't know...I don't have much money with me right now."

The larger tomkat shrugged. "Well it doesn't have to be paid in money."

"Yeah, if you got some old scrap, like...parts from a car, a old bike...something around that..."

Kathy thought for a minute. "Well I do have a old radio that really isn't useable anymore. But, it is at home, so..."

"It's just fine," Chance said. "We'll come and get it, say...maybe tomorrow?"

"It's a deal."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had taken time, but it seemed for him that, with the death of his former self, Elrod Purvis, time itself had died. Who had said that time did not exist yet we let yourself be controlled by it? Einstein? No matter. Time sure did not exist for Doctor Viper anymore.

It was dark in the enormous hollow tree, mostly in the corners though. In glasses Viper had found whole on a dumpster laying at the outskirts of MegaKat City, he had imprisoned fireflies, four in each glass. As they flickered around inside, their dim light cast a faint glow through the various rooms he had created in the tree. How he had done it? In some odd way, he had found out he had the power to control plants, either with words or his thoughts.

He was now resting in a sort of chair made from various vines and plants, looking over what he had created. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. This was created by him, and just him. No foolish colleagues had created this along with him. No Manx had funded this. This was his place. His realm.

His home?

Viper's eyes narrowed into tiny slits, glowing faintly in the dark as he searched.....searched for what? "What isss thisss feeling I keep having inside?" he mumbled to himself, stroking his chin in deep thought, his long, elastic tail lazily swaying behind him as he looked around. "I have created all thisss...I have the power to control plantsss and my own mutant forcessss.....but why do I not feel thrilled then?"

The answer was deep in his mind. And, he knew it. But, every time he tried searching, an odd sort of pain went through his heart, and would not stop until he had gotten his mind elsewhere. But, he always managed to catch a glimpse of something. Or someone....

(Black hair...black like a raven's wing....)

It was driving him crazy, the fact that he did not know what it was he was trying to, but could not, remember.

(Green eyes...green like emeralds....twinkling like precious gems in light whenever...)

He rested his head in his hands, his eyes absently looking over the many various plants and corners and wooden walls.

(...she laughed. A beautiful sparkling laughter, whenever he told her something funny. Or whenever they...)

"Ssssssssssss."

(...made love. The past three years he had been working with Zyme had been stressful. They would both lay together in bed, and she would softly hum a tune... their song.... while gently caressing his head, his neck, his ears and his shoulders..)

He clenched his head. The pain was returning as the various memories seemed to be flooding his mind.

(..in return he would softly hold her, nuzzling her ever so gently, his hands cradling her face and his lips softly brushing over hers before she would embrace him, kissing him deeply... A kiss he always...)

His breath hissed in and out through his partly opened mouth, his forked tongue flickering in and out between his lips.

(...gladly returned. As they separated, they would look deep into each others' eyes. He smiled. "I love you...my sweet rose..."  She smiled back. "And, I love you, my lupus...")

The long tail dashed back and forth, threatening to smack its owner hard if he were ever to lose control of it.

("Always?" he would ask, teasingly smirking at her before kissing the finger on her hand which bore the ring he had given her when he proposed....)

His hissing grew louder, his eyes now squinched shut, a pair of tears succeeding in escaping, rolling down his cheeks.

(She would laugh in response, hugging close to him. "Always, my lupus....always...)

He extended his claws and clenched his head, his claws drawing blood.

(...and forever."  He grinned and kissed her once more, both of them purring softly...)

The now green blood trickled down his cheeks, and the pain seemed to vanish along with the pain he brought on himself.

("Always...)

Gasping, he briefly recalled a desperate measure from the sewers. Reaching an arm out, he removed the sleeve and bit hard into it.

(...and forever..")

The pain brought him to his senses at last. He ripped a chunk of meat off and let out an ear-piercing roar of pain. His mind foggy and his body exhausted, his breath wheezing in and out of his lungs as if he had been out for a long run, he leaned back in the chair, his wounded arm limply dangling down at his side and towards the floor, the green blood running slowly down his fingers, giving the ground an odd green-brown color. Tired, he closed his eyes and his head dropped to one side as he gave in to what would be a long, dreamless sleep....

("Always and forever...")

-------------------------------------------------------

Jake calmly lifted a hand and knocked on the door three times before standing and waiting, his tail patiently twitching lightly as he merrily whistled a tune. The day had started off nicely and, at the moment, Chance was at the garage getting ready for the first part of their bet, probably looking around at BlockBuster Video on-line for some of the really good horror flicks that Jake had written on a note for him to remember. ("And, don't you dare try and rent a ScaredyKat-tape then hide it in a box for a horror-flick, Chance!" he had stated warningly, "else it will be a automatic game over!" "Yeaah yeahh," the golden tabby had grumbled in response)

The door was opened, interrupting Jake's thoughts. Mrs. Purvis was dressed in a more relaxed outfit than yesterday, a red sweater and a pair of loose jeans with the kitten, David, resting on her arm. The kitten stared at Jake with huge green eyes while keeping his mouth occupied with the ear of a plush-dog.

"Good day, Mrs. Purvis. Came for that radio we talked about yesterday," Jake said with a smile.

The she-kat blinked then seemed to realise. "Oh! Of course! Do come inside Mr. Clawson!" She motioned with her free hand and stepped away from the door. As Jake came inside, she looked pleadingly at him. "Could you please hold David? Then I'll get the radio."

"I don't see why not." Jake smiled, taking the kitten carefully, holding him close to his chest. The kitten kept himself occupied with the plush-dog's ear, staring at Jake as Kathy went off up some stairs leading to upstairs. While he waited, Jake looked around in the entrance-hall. Various photos and a few small paintings were placed around, giving the place a comfy, family-like atmosphere. A color-photo caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes. As he looked closer, keeping David close to him, he blinked a few times.

"No...it can't be...."

"There, found it!" Kathy's voice sounded as she came down the stairs with a radio in her paws, then stopped on the halfway, seeing the look on Jake's face.

Jake looked up at her, then on the photo. "Tell me if I am wrong....but...is this a wedding-photo of you and...Elrod Purvis? Who is now known as Doctor Viper!?"

She only stood there, looking down at the radio in her paws. There was deep silence between the two kats until David dropped his plush-dog and began to whimper.

Jake bent down and picked it up and gave it to the kitten who happily began to chew on the plush-dog's ear, hugging the treasured plush-toy tight.

"Yes...it's true....." the she-kat finally whispered, before proceeding down to the bottom of the stairs.

Jake frowned, his tail thoughtfully twitching back and forth.  "Care to talk about it?"

"I....."

"I swear, I have...nothing against it if you...you know..."

"Still love him?"

He blinked.  "Uhm...yeah..."

She sighed.

"It's better talking about it than...keeping it locked inside I guess..." She motioned to him to follow with her into the living room.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It was late evening when Jake returned to the garage, his mind swirling with thoughts as he headed into the garage. His ear twitched as he heard laughter from the living room, but didn't think it over until he noted three videoboxes on the table. Oh right, the bet...Chance had probably decided to wait until Jake returned. But, there was a surprise waiting when Jake stepped into the living room.

Chance was laughing at a horror movie!?

The gold-furred tabby was wailing in laughter as a werewolf was about to throw himself at a young teenage couple.

"That's it! Suppertime! Whooo!!"

Jake just plain blinked.  "Uhh...Chance?!"

Chance looked up, grinning. "Oh hi Jake! Ya' know, this thing with the horror movies wasn't such a bad idea! This is just...well great!"  Then he paused at Jake's expression. "What's wrong, Jake? You look like someone stole your katnip."

Jake sighed and just plopped down on the couch. "Remember Mrs. Purvis who we made that deal with that she'd pay with that radio of hers instead of money?"

Chance nodded. 

"Well...I found out something...."

The TV canalized the werewolf's howl as the young teen-couple became the victim of the beast's claws....

-------------------------------------------------------------------

David was peacefully sleeping in his mother's arms as she carefully rocked them both back and forth in the rocking chair. She herself felt dozy, but she couldn't decide if it was from tears, comfort, or relief. Or maybe all three. She closed her eyes, remembering the conversation with the mechanic Jake Clawson. She had told him how she had been told her husband was dead, and how she later the next morning discovered the truth. At one point, she had been unable to take it and had broken down in tears. Then Jake comforted her, telling her how everything was going to be fine... everything would be alright.... She recalled how she had pushed him away, telling him to stop that... It hurt her too much....

"Hurt you...how?" Jake asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"E...Elrod...." she managed to whimper in response.

"Oh....I see...." Jake said softly. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you further....perhaps I should just leave now..."

She took a deep breath and calmed down. "No..  it's alright.... I'm... I'm alright now..."  She sighed, looking down on her hands.

Jake gently put a paw on her shoulder, and she looked up at him.  "Hey...if you ever need someone to talk to....just call me, OK?"

She had smiled in response, smiled through her tears. A friend was what she needed most of all right now. But, not as much as she needed her husband.

A faint chirping was heard from outside, and she opened her eyes, feeling the sun warm her eyelids through a crack in the curtains. She yawned as she sat up in the rocking chair, holding the still sleeping David close as she walked over to the curtains. With one hand, she reached out and pulled the curtain aside and allowed the sunlight to stream in.

The view was breathtaking. The house itself was on top of a sort of hill in one of the more quiet areas of the city. The sun's golden globe was to be seen in hiding behind one of the larger towers (Mayor's office?) as it was slowly creeping upwards to bless the katizens of MegaKat City with a new bright day.

Kathy sighed. For her, the times ahead of her seemed more dark than bright.

THE END (for now)

A/N: And, so ends the first of many stories in a new series. So, whatya think of it? Good? Bad? Mail me or review (on FF.net)

THANKS TO:
Sagey and AkaneKitty for a few of their tips and inspiration.

Stephen King's "The Shining" which has inspired me in more than one way.

And finally! Mucho thanks to Strike, Annu-chan, Klawzie, Kooshmeister, BlackRazor, Kris, Sagey (again) and Matt in helping me with thinking up Dark Kat and Viper's first meeting and reasons why! THANKS A BUNCH YOU GUYS!!