On the Long Road
Episode one: How it began
By Yumeko (Formally Ruby The Vampire Catgirl)
Wow returning to an old fandom I haven’t written for in a while. Yes, A SWAT Kat’s fanfic. Anyway This is a response to Puss’ Ship building challenge on the SWAT Kats fanfiction archive site. Though Jake and Chance are in this story, the Primary focus is on Feral and Callie with secondary on Jake and an original.
A couple more notes: There are references to the Baptist religion in the story so I apologize to anyone in advance who may take offense to this. And the song lyrics are from “the Rose” by Bette Midler.
The day just like the day before was extremely balmy. “Hey Chance, mind if we call it a day?” Jake croaked. Heavy beads of sweat formed on the small tom’s forehead occasionally rolling into his eyes stinging them.
“Yeah. I don’t think we’re going to get Any calls today.” The large tom responded. Just as he moved to close the garage for the day, a small beat up VW Beetle towing a small U-Haul trailer pulled in. “So much for closing early,” Chance murmured softly. “And I had a date.”
“Don’t you mean T-Bone had a date?” Jake teased.
“Whatever.”
The she kat who stepped from the vehicle was far from a stunning beauty standing at a mere four feet and eleven inches and looked to weigh at least one hundred eighty pounds. “Please say you guys are still open,” she asked almost pleading, her voice reflecting a distinct accent.
“Sorry miss, we were closing for the day…”Chance began instantly earning an almost pleading expression from the she kat.
Jake took in her sweat matted fur and road worn appearance and took pity on her. “What can we help you with?” he asked earning a smile from her.
“Thank you,” she sighed exhausted before explaining the problems with her car.
<><>
“What a day for the air conditioner
to go out,” Callie groused softly as she fanned herself vainly with a file
folder. The mayor as usual had skipped
out for a couple of rounds of golf with Mr. Young and his associates in
Emerald eyes fell on the computer
and a sigh escaped her lips when she saw that it was just reaching
“Sally, I’m gone for the day,” she told her secretary, whom she was required to have for some unknown reason.
“What should I say if anyone calls for you?” she asked.
“Tell them I am tied up with work.”
“What if they call for the Mayor?”
Her mouth opened to respond but
luckily she caught herself before she said something awful. “Just tell the truth…He’s in
Sally smiled at her employer. “Thank you, I think I will, but not just yet.”
Callie genuinely returned the smile. “Okay but don’t stay here too long. Go get your kittens and go to the beach or something.”
The she kat laughed and waived her hand. *Will do. Take care.”
At the elevator, a deep nagging feeling touched on the back of Callie’s mind suggesting she take the stairs. When the elevator arrived, she really regretted ignoring the feeling when she saw one of her least favorite kats onboard.
“I should have taken the stairs” she softly murmured as she boarded the elevator. “Good afternoon Commander,” she softly hissed through clenched teeth.
Sensing her animosity, Feral regarded the Deputy Mayor with a cursory glance and nod but said nothing to her.
The silence between the two on the elevator was rather tense as the car descended towards the main lobby level of the City Hall building. Callie hazarded a look at the rather disgruntled Commander then sighed mildly annoyed. Normally the rather large kat did not scare the smaller she kat but considering they were in a closed space, it made her a little nervous.
Both parties were suddenly shaken from their thoughts when a sudden jolt went through the elevator causing it to stop. “Crud, “ Feral murmured and pressed buttons at random on the control pad. “We’re stuck.”
Callie sighed again and reached past the commander to get the emergency service phone. Tapping on the cradle, mild panic began to take over the deputy mayor when she realized that there was no dial tone for the service phone nor did the call button get a response.
“I don’t suppose you brought your radio with you.” Callie asked.
“Of course I…” Feral began to respond while patting his pockets not finding his radio or his cell phone. “…Didn’t”
Now unnerved, Callie began to dig frantically through her purse in search of her cell phone. Anxiety in full control now, she knelt to the floor of the elevator and dumped the contents of her purse. “It has to be here!” she panicked
Genuinely concerned for the blonde, Commander Feral knelt down to her level. “Miss Briggs?”
Callie continued to fumble through her scattered possessions headless of Feral trying to get her attention.
“Miss Briggs! Miss Briggs!! CALLICO!” he called loudly taking her shoulders in a firm grip shaking her gently. “Calm down…it’s going to be okay.”
Callie looked directly at the commander hyperventilating
<><>
“Hey miss, you car is ready,” Chance called into the waiting room of the garage. “Miss?” Cautiously he approached the couch and found the she kat passed out from a combination of heat and fatigue. Her dark purple t-shirt appeared darker in different areas from sweat.
“Chance, did you tell her that her car is ready?” Jake called from the garage area.
“Yeah, but I don’t think she doing well.”
Jake entered the waiting room and saw the she kat passed out. He touched her forehead and recoiled. “She’s burning up. She must not be accustomed to this heat.”
Already knowing what Jake was going to say, Chance went upstairs and grabbed a washcloth and soaked it in cold water then brought it back handing it to Jake.
“Ohhhh, what happened?” she groaned softly regaining consciousness a few minuets after being found. “Where am I?”
She ran her fingers through her short sweat frizzed curly hair occasionally getting them tangled in the kinky reddish brown tresses.
“Glad to see you’re awake,” Jake spoke up announcing his presence. He sat down next to the unknown she kat and handed her a bottle of water. “The name’s Jake Clawson and that’s my buddy Chance Furlong.”
The pudgy she kat guzzled half the bottle of water in one gulp. “The name is Laura Longfur and thanks. What do I owe you for the repairs?”
Chance handed her a bill for the repairs done to her car and balked visibly then sighed dejected. She stuffed the bill in her pocket then dug through her beat up knapsack retrieving a small wad of bills. “Guess I’d better find a job sooner than I thought.” She laughed to herself rising up to her feet.
“Did you just move here?” Jake asked and Laura nodded
“Well I have to get going now,” she replied ignoring his question.
Before either Jake or Chance could ask another question Laura had hopped in the car with her bag and had taken off. Chance looked at the wad of bills and saw that they were only a bunch of ten dollar bills, barely enough to cover the repairs. Along with the handful of tens there was a small slip of paper. “Crud, she just ripped us off!” Chance scowled and handed the money to Jake.
Jake looked at the money counting out only eighty dollars then read the note. “Damnit. She was a drifter.”
“Thanks for your help, I’ll pay you the rest as soon as I can, promise.”
<><>
/… Some say love, it is a river
that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed…/
Two Hours Later…
“So have you always been claustrophobic?” Feral asked the now calmed deputy mayor who nodded slowly.
“Since I was fifteen years old,” she confessed. “I won’t trouble you with the details though.”
The commander had long since ditched his overcoat and began to loosen his tie and the collar of his shirt as the heat and humidity began to really affect him. “I’m listening.”
Glad she opted to wear a different, lighter weight suit than what she normally wore, Callie sat on the elevator floor wearing a sleeveless lavender silk blouse, which was darker in some areas from sweat and clung to her torso. “It was summertime just like this. I went to the coast with my family. My cousins and I were playing a game outside when I went to hide in the small shed and was locked in. No one found me for what seemed like days when in fact it was several hours.”
“…If it makes you feel better…Before I joined the Enforcers in my younger days I was afraid of heights.”
Callie laughed softly imagining the large burly tom kat next to her afraid of heights. “I find that a little hard to believe Commander,”
“It’s true,” Feral smiled inwardly seeing that their conversation was taking her mind off of her claustrophobia. “I am the youngest of three brothers and when I was a kid my brothers always teased me because I was actually the runt of the litter. One summer day we were outside playing and they threw the ball up a tree. After they bullied me, I climbed up a ladder into the tree to get the ball but they moved the ladder and I fell twenty feet to the ground.”
Callie listened amazed but also mildly pitying the commander’s kittenhood accident. “And I thought I had it bad being an only child.”
With a sudden jolt, the elevator came back to life and slowly continued it’s decent to the main level. Finally free of the closed confines, Callie took a deep refreshing breath glad to be in open space again.
Feral rested a massive palm on the center of her back causing a jolt of an unknown sensation to shoot through Callie’s spine. “Thank you.” Her voice held a hint of newfound uncertainty. “Um, this may seem a little out of place, but would you care to join me for dinner? My treat of course for keeping me from going insane in the elevator.”
Surprised at the invitation from the petite blonde, Feral nodded accepting her offer. “Is Percy’s okay?” he asked having a fondness for their steak burgers.
Callie smiled, “Percy’s is fine, but two things, go home and shower and don’t wear your uniform. Keep it casual.”
“Agreed.”
Before she could catch herself, Callie stood on her toes and gave the commander a light kiss on the cheek. “See you at eight-thirty,” she waived to the stunned commander before she left.
<><><>
/… Some say love is it a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love is it a flower,
And you, it’s only seed…/
For the past month and a half the two would meet at Percy’s for dinner and drinks. Callie sat at what had become their regular table, a booth off to the side of the Irish styled restaurant pub. “He’s late,” she murmured softly to herself as she lazily stirred her straw through her drink.
“Hope you weren’t waiting long, Callie,” the familiar baritone voice spoke from behind her.
A small smile touched Callie’s lips, “No Command…I mean Ulysses,” Callie corrected herself still not used to being on a first name basis with him. “I was starting to wonder if you were actually going to show up tonight.” She took in his appearance and fought hard to hide her blush. This evening, the Commander was dressed in a white polo shirt with a small enforcers emblem on the front, a pair of black slacks and simple black shoes.
“Callie, I have a serious question to ask you,”
A little concerned, Callie raised an eyebrow and looked directly at the commander. “Oh?”
“I know you know the SWAT Kats, I know you are the one always contacting them. Tell me, who are they.”
The smile quickly disappeared from Callie’s face. “That was more of a demand than a question,” she retorted.
Feral sat down at the table and looked directly at the she-kat who had become a friend to him wondering if their brief friendship was about to come to an end. He watched as Callie reached into her purse and sat down the new and improved triangle shaped communicator on the table.
“Yes, I admit I know them and I call them…but who they really are I don’t know.”
“But if you did…”
“I still wouldn’t tell you
Ulysses. I know you and your sense of
justice. You would rush off and arrest
them and send them off to
“So you would side with vigilantes despite the millions in property damage?” He snapped slightly drawing attention to them.
“I side when the kats of the city for whom they bust their asses to protect from super megolomaniacal villains who terrorize the city.”
“I see,” he replied with a deadly calm tone.
“Ulysses…despite your ego and your personal vendetta against the SWAT Kats, I have come to like you…maybe even care a little bit for you over the past month and a half…”
The Commander baked slightly at the blonde’s confession regretting in his mind his statement. “I sense a but coming,” he cut in.
“…But I can not be with someone who would ask me to jeopardize the city.” Callie rose from the barstool, grabbed her purse and communicator and left the bar. “Good bye Commander.”
/…It’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It’s the dream afraid of waking
that never takes a chance…/
“Damnit Callie, wait a minuet!” Feral caught up to the small she kat amazed at how fast the petite blonde could move. He grasped her upper arm halting her retreat.
“I don’t want our friendship to end Ulysses. Since that day on the elevator, I’ve found my opinion of you changing and it really made me uneasy but I kept going. However… after tonight, I am beginning to wonder if it was a mistake.”
Feral held firm to Callie’s arm and slowly pulled her backwards towards himself. “Callie, understand that I do care for you and feel more than just a friendship. Not since Liz have I felt at ease with another she kat outside of work. I…think I am starting to fall in love with you.”
<><>
Things had been really slow the past few weeks. Chance counted chalked it up to the extreme heat wave that recently broke returning the temperature to a more moderate state.
The two mechanics were on a call to pick up a disabled car in the upper class shopping district. Jake wiped his forearm over his brow then replaced his cap on his head. He looked around and saw a familiar pudgy figure walk past them.
Chance cleared his throat rather loudly to get her attention indicating to his partner that he noticed and recognized her as well. “Hey Lady…where’s the rest of our money?”
Laura balked and slowly turned to face the two wondering who it was. “Oh hi,” she nervously waived. “Furlong, right?”
“Don’t play innocent lady, just pay the rest of your bill or we’ll have to call the Enforcers on you.”
“Ohh NO NO NO…There’s no need to get the law involved,” She sighed exasperated and dug through her purse and sadly counted out most of her recently cashed paycheck. “Listen, I only have three hundred dollars and I need to pay my rent can I…”
“No way lady!” Chance mildly snapped having lost his patience with Laura already. “Pay up now or else tomorrow we will come and tow your car and hold it till you do pay.”
Laura began to plead with Chance begging him to show a little mercy when an older she kat exited the boutique they currently stood in front of. “Is there a problem Laura?” the older she kat asked with a strong French accent.
“Miss Longfur here owes my partner and I some money for repairs made to her car when she first arrived in town,” Jake calmly spoke. “She did make a partial payment but we have been waiting almost two months for the rest.”
“I see. How much is her bill?” the older she kat asked while reaching into her pocket pulling out a thick wad of cash
“Madame Purrier, put your money away, I can’t let you do that. I’d let them take my car and make payments to get it back. You have already done so much for me.”
Madame Purrier looked towards Chance, “How much does Laura owe?” she asked again.
“Two hundred fifty-five dollars.”
The older woman counted out the cash and handed it to Chance then headed back inside the boutique
Jake raised an eyebrow then shrugged. “Wow. Wish I had someone to help me like that.”
“Look, I would have paid you guys back as soon as I had all the money. I almost had it saved up.” Laura headed inside the boutique, what sense of self worth she had managed to rebuild now gone.
<><>
/…It’s the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give.
and the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live…/
Callie looked at Feral shocked at the statement that had come from his mouth. She stared at him for what seemed like hours creating a tense silence between the two.
Fearing she had rejected him, Feral let go of her arm and turned to leave. He halted in his tracks when he felt her soft touch on the back of his forearm.
“We both have our jobs to do, but we shouldn’t let them determine what we feel for each other,” Callie spoke softly. “I believe I am starting to fall in love with you too.”
Without a second thought to his actions, Feral turned to face Callie and pulled her into a firm embrace and for the first time ever kissed her on the lips.
Timidly, Callie wrapped her arms around Feral’s neck holding on to him and deepened their kiss.
<><>
Considering that Callie’s place was closer, the two retreated to her modest apartment. In the living room there was the typical living room set. Couch, love seat, chairs, tables and a nice entertainment center with a digital cable receiver, DVD player and thirty five inch television.
“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Callie spoke to Ulysses after she closed and secured the door.
The commander silently nodded and proceeded further into the apartment taking in the surroundings before he sat down on the sofa. He watched as Callie disappeared through a door on the right side of a short corridor. While she was in the other room, Feral picked up the remote and scanned through a couple of channels settling on the news.
Callie returned a few minuets later in different apparel. When she met up with the commander earlier in the evening, she was dressed in a casual pink blouse and a pair of denim capris. She was now dressed in a light blue cotton tank top and a pair of deep pink shorts.
Though they recently confessed how they felt, the two were still a little uneasy about exploring their feelings. Callie sat on the opposite end of the sofa and watched the news in silence.
/…when the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong…/
Aware of the tension slowly beginning to build again, Feral gently grasped Callie’s wrist and pulled her closer until she was sitting right next to him.
On reflex, Callie leaned closer and rested her head against the commander’s broad chest. “Ulysses…who’s Liz?” she asked softly instantly regretting it when she felt his body grow tense.
“My ex wife,” he simply replied. “Things didn’t work out considering it was an arranged marriage.”
Understanding, Callie lightly slid her fingers along his chest positive it was soothing his tension when she felt his body relax again.
<><>
He didn’t know why, but Jake found himself outside of the boutique watching Laura as she left for the day. Curious about the mysterious goings of the she kat, Jake followed her up to a church.
He looked around at the humble interior and could tell from the lighting that though the church was still open it was after hours. A small beam of light and voices from a partially open door gave Jake final indication that someone was there seeking advice from the pastor of the church.
“…Sometimes I think it would have been better if I stayed back in Chikatgo and I wouldn’t have gotten myself into the trouble I have.” Laura spoke with a dejected tone.
“But you don’t have to worry about the bill on your car anymore, or having a roof over your head, or food to eat…” an aged tom kat spoke.
“I know Pastor Clawdale, and I thank God for letting me meet Madame, but…
“But when she paid off those two mechanics for you it hurt your pride. Am I correct?”
Laura nodded her head slowly, “Yes sir.”
The pastor chuckled lightly and smiled at her. “Oh Laura, even in the deepest of adversity a kat must humble oneself and accept the help. If you had given the mechanics half your check, you wouldn’t have been able to take care of food or lights for the month, am I correct?”
“You’re right Pastor. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Jake quickly exited the church as quietly as he entered and sat on the steps feeling just a little guilty for having eavesdropped on her conversation.
“Mr. Clawson?” Laura asked surprised seeing the shorter of the two mechanics. “Please don’t tell me you and your partner decided to tow my car anyway.”
“Oh it’s nothing like that. I just came to talk.”
Apprehensive, Laura approached the short tom who was still taller than her. “I was about to go grab a light dinner, care to join me?”
“Sure.”
<><>
His chin rested on her head lightly and his strong arms encircled her slender waist. Her arms draped around his midsection.
“Ulysses.”
“Hmm?”
“…I love you” she whispered softly.
Ulysses pressed a light kiss to her forehead and stroked her back lightly.
Well aware that the kat who’s arms she was in is a kat of few words, she took that as his way of reciprocating her feelings. Callie closed her eyes and began to doze lightly against his chest lulled by the sound of his breathing.
True, Ulysses had been alone since his ex wife walked out on him and his job had become his primary security. Unfortunately this had given him the appearance of a kat with no feelings and he eventually did become that kat.
But now…now things were different. In his heart he felt the beginnings of a new purpose besides protecting the city and catching the SWAT Kats. “I don’t know how you did it, but you have managed to ease your way into my heart, Callico.” Ulysses thought to himself as he continued to lightly stroke her back.
/…Just remember, in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows,
lies the seed that with the sun’s love,
In the springtime becomes the rose.
The Rose by Bette Midler…/
End.
<><><>
More notes…Wow, this is better than all of the other fics I have ever written for this particular fandom. I really hope you liked it and if you want more, Please feel free to send me an e-mail. My addy is Summer_Darkrose@yahoo.com Or…click that lil button that says review (for Fanfiction.net readers.)