Rise of the Cat Women Ch. 02

"Who me? Just your local Brooklyn cabby," The cat woman said with a thick Brooklyn accent.

"Where's John?" Candy asked confused. She had been following the wrong trail all along.

"Right behind you..."

Candy turned slowly and saw John standing there looking at her. But that wasn't the shocker. Next to him was Honey smiling at him. "What the!" She started when John pounced and hissed at her.

"Not a thought damn it!"

Candy looked into his wild eyes and nodded. "Okay." John crawled off and offered a hand to help her up. He hugged Candy tightly and then after a second started sobbing. Candy sobbed in return. After a few minutes they got it under control and she was able to look at him and say "How?"

The cat woman sitting down next to the fire said, "It was my idea actually. I seen dis Honey sneaking around and followed her."

John said softly, "I just learned she was alive myself a few minutes ago."

Candy looked around and then sat down, "So you followed her..." She looked up at Honey who was smiling and nodding.

"Dat's what I said...Anyways I hear the talk this mug," she gestured towards John and continued. "...was having with the Goddess and I figures the cat woman in front of me was his mate. So I goes up to her and ask if she need a cabby."

Honey moved over and sat down next to Candy. "I knew the Goddess was not going to come clean no matter how much John tried to force her into it. I had to figure something out to help." She smiled at the other cat woman. "Then Julio came along and it all fell into place." She held out her hand to John who joined them and leaned her head against his shoulder, "So I called for help and shut up. And Julio fired his rifle."

John looked at her in amazement, "Do you know how close I was to shooting her?"

Laughing Honey said, "I know you better than you know yourself. You would not shoot anyone for killing me. You would do it up close and personal with your hands."

John looked at Candy and rolled his eyes. "I glad I didn't kill you Candy."

Before Candy could reply Honey giggled, "John not kill Candy, John loves Candy and Beth too much to hurt."

"Honey, can I tell Beth? She is rushing this way to join us now." Candy lowered her eyes and added, "We meant what I told you about not staying with her anymore John."

"I tell her," Honey replied. A moment later she giggled. She looked at Julio and giggled again. "Beth is coming with someone else, another friend." She looked at Julio and winked.

"Hows come I get worried when she giggles and winks at me?" Julio asked.

"Knowing Honey, I wouldn't worry my friend," John replied. He looked at her still giggling and added, "Too much..." He looked at Candy and then said, "Dare I ask what is funny?"

Candy looked at Honey who looked at her also and giggled before returning her gaze to John. "I don't know... Does she giggle like that all the time?"

"Okay Honey girl, I'll bite... What is so funny?"

Honey sobered up and said, "A little cat is bringing honey, a candy bar, and a fair for a cabby." She barely got the sentence out and started giggling again.

It was Candy who got it first and started laughing also. John looked at Julio and said, "Ever feel like the joke is on you and you don't get it?"

Julio looked at the pair laughing and nodded, "Yes..."

"Will you let us in on the joke dear one?" John said to Honey. In reply she howled with laughter. He turned to Candy who was wiping tears away as she laughed and said softly, "Candy?"

Candy bit the side of her tongue and managed to say, "Work it out..."

"A little cat is bringing honey..." John said as he thought it out. The longer he thought the more the pair giggled and laughed. "A kitten is bringing honey. A kitten... Kitten? Oh my god." He looked at Julio, "Kitten is coming and has a supply of honey."

Julio nodded, "I's heard of Kitten, she's one smart cookie."

"Okay, next is a candy bar. Kitten is bringing a candy bar." John looked at Julio, "Make anything out of it?"

Julio shook her head, "Not a clues but I think I got the last one. Kitten is going to have an affair with a cabby..." She looked pleased, "Kitten is coming to see me."

John nodded and then looked at Candy. "So the last one is about you..." He looked at Honey and said, "I give up."

Honey smiled and reached between his legs, "Honey has her own candy bar right here."

John blushed as he finally got it.

It was just after dawn when Kitten and Beth showed up. Both rushed and hugged Honey first. The interesting thing was that Beth then went to Candy and cling to her crying and Kitten went over to Julio. Without speaking she led him into the woods. By the time John turned back, Beth and Candy had also walked off. He looked at Honey and took her hand. "Are you sure you are willing to live in exile?"

"Where John goes his Honey girl follows." She pouted and added, "Honey sorry she lost bear rug though. Forgive me?"

John pulled her close and nuzzled her face, "Always love. Anyways I was thinking you might want a white one instead." He pulled her down to the ground and they slowly made love. He was dozing with Honey cuddled up against him when he heard her.

"John...Please answer..."

He thought back to Kitty aka the Goddess, "Public only, you know that..."

He heard or rather felt a mental sigh, "John my life is in a shambles. The clans are falling apart, sister against sister over this. Honey's body was never recovered and the sister who shot her has gone into hiding. Even my family is shattered. Candy and Beth both fell off the face of the earth and Kitten, my Kitten, told me to fuck off before she left."

Honey opened her eyes and looked at John with hurt in her eyes. Like him she could feel the pain of the broken woman.

John sighed, "None of this would have happened if you had just said you wanted out. If you had told the clans, you needed to step down and it was time for new blood, younger blood to take over they would have agreed." He paused, "Tell her...would you have agreed to her stepping down for a daughter of the clans? One who was the purest of all?"

John was overwhelmed by the reply. A resounding yes sounded through the clans. "So you see Sandy, all you had to do was say you were tired and needed to step aside."

A heartfelt sob rippled back as she cried brokenly. "I... I know that now...But it is too late..."

Looking at the others who had also come when the talk started John said mentally, "Is it?"

"No..." Kitten replied. She was followed shortly by Beth and Candy both adding their voice.

John looked at Julio who said, "What the hells, we can always start over."

He looked at Honey and said softly, "Your choice Honey girl." Honey looked at him a long moment and then up at the others before nodding once.

"We will take the job with conditions," Honey said mentally.

"You're alive?" Kitty asked shocked.

"Yes, it takes more than that to kill Honey girl," Honey replied somberly. "Conditions to the clans are as follows: One," she paused again. "We, John and myself will govern. We have four primary advisers; Candy, Beth, Kitten, and Julio." She looked up at them and smiled. "However we will listen to anyone who has an idea."

"Two," John thought. "We will not keep to one location. Our kind was made to wander, not sit in houses." He looked up at the others, "I'm fresh out of ideas. Sing out if you have them."

"Three," Kitten added. "I am Kitten, I started our kind. Everyone will be allowed to mate and have daughters regardless of their status." She looked at Julio and smiled.

"Four," Candy said. "I am Candy, ex SEAL. Stop all contact with humans. If taken we will free you, otherwise leave them alone."

"Five," Beth said inspired. "I am Beth, ex-cop and keeper of the law. No one will be harmed unless proven guilty by the clans. All the clans."

Julio looked at the others and said, "I's just a cabby, the fuck I know..." She suddenly smiled "Six... I's Julio cabby by trade... Greet new sisters with open arms. Who nos you might get lucky..." She looked up at Kitten and winked.

Honey giggled mentally and then added, "Those are our conditions."

Kitty said, "I don't know about the clans but I agree."

It took almost a month for word to get back but in the end everyone agreed. Not just the clan leaders but all down to the children. Everyone realized that they needed to pull together and that the conditions and rules were not that bad at all.

While they were waiting for the clans to decide Honey said to John, "We need to heal her..."

John looked at her a long time not answering. Finally, he nodded, he looked at the others and said, "Honey and I need to do this."

Julio shrugged, "Fine with me. I's never met a fallen god."

Candy nodded and looked at Beth who nodded also.

"Kitten?"

Kitten moved to Julio and held her hand tightly. "I don't know if I can face her..."

Honey stood and went over to Kitten. They stood facing each other a long time not speaking. Finally, it was Honey who dropped her eyes, "Ok sister." She hugged Kitten hard and then said, "I would like to meet with her alone first." She didn't look at John as she added, "Mother and I need to clear the air."

"Mother?"

Candy looked from Kitten to Honey and back again. "Oh my god..." she said dumb founded.

Like Candy, Beth looked from one to the other and gasped, "That's where she went..."

Instead of replying Honey thought to Kitty, "Mother... May I come to you?"

"Do I have a choice," came the weary reply.

"Yes mother you do. You know that as well as I that we all have choices."

"Very well, you know where I will be."

Turning to John she said, "I need to go to her. Please follow but give me space." Before he could reply she hurried south.

"Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on," John said facing the others.

"Kitty, err Sandy, had four daughters." Kitten said not looking at John. The first two, twins given to her by Bunny were premature and died at birth. The third she also had by Bunny but... she is no longer with us." She looked at him and said, "Snipers got her on an attack on the compound."

Candy added, "It had to be a stray shot John, so much lead was flying that day..."

Looking towards where Honey had disappeared Kitten said softly, "Kitty wanted to have a child by the each of us. I was next in line. Had I not impregnated her Honey would never have been born. As it was once Kitty had her she disappeared for a week to..." she looked at John, "Bond with her daughter the natural way."

Candy spoke up, "Instead she returned alone and forbid us to ever talk about her daughter. You should have told us Kitten."

Kitten turned and screamed at him, "I didn't know not until we thought she was dead. Only then did Kitty tell me she had our daughter killed."

"Oh god," John said. He grabbed his rifle, pack, and sprinted to the south.

Honey reached the fence in no time; crossing it was also easy and she walked calmly to the Goddess's camp.

As she walked into the firelight, a form stood up before her and said angrily, "Haven't you done enough already?"

"Matter of fact, no I have not." Honey said looking calmly at the other woman. "Now if you will excuse me Bunny, I will speak to my mother alone." She took a few steps past the stunned woman and said without looking back, "I need to heal mother, not hurt her more."

John was only a few minutes behind Honey. But as she requested he hung back so she and her mother could talk. Instead he dropped down out of the trees and in front of a cat woman who was pacing back and forth a little way from them.

"You," the cat woman said and attacked him.

He caught first her left arm at the wrist and then her right stopping her. "Hello Bunny... Miss me?" John asked.

Bunny struggled to free herself as she snarled at John, "Damn you, damn you to hell."

Shaking her John said, "Stop."

It was as if she were trying to move stone for all the good it did. Looking into his eyes, Bunny's retort died unspoken. As a human he had something special. But now, as a cat, John was a force of nature. She could smell and sense his maleness and something more. She stopped struggling and looked down finally admitting defeat. What he did next shocked her.

Seeing Bunny go slack John pulled her into a hug and stroked her back. "It's over now, time to move on." Honey was right, they needed to heal this shattered family. After a moment she hugged him back and sobbed into his chest. He held and cooed to her as the woman cried. When she finally stopped he said softly, "Take me to the others."

If someone had told her a day ago that she would meekly follow anyone other than the Goddess's orders she would have laughed. Now though, looking into John's eyes she nodded meekly. "This way..." she said softly. As she started she was stopped short by his hand in hers.

"Together..."

She looked down at her hand in his and then up to him and nodded. As they walked hand and hand back to the house she wondered why she felt so submissive towards him. Him... That's the key, John was a male and she was female. A traitorous thought popped up, would he mate with her if she asked? Bunny was really confused now. A few minutes ago she wanted to kill him, and now her body wanted his child.

Stopping about ten feet from the back door, John crouched down and waited. He knew that they knew he was out there and he could have ordered them to come out. But no, they needed to come on their own. He looked at Bunny who was looking at him and then the house and said, "Just relax Bunny, they will come on their own."

As she sat down near him she could feel the panic inside the house and wanted to reassure them. But no, she could and would not. John had not told her too. Instead she sat and waited.

They came out one by one; first Sandra holding a .30-.30 and then the twins and finally Tina with the children and another rifle. John sat unmoving and said simply, "You don't need those against me."

Sandra looked at the rifle in her hands as if she were seeing it for the first time. She looked back at the strange dark colored cat and said softly, "Perhaps not, but I would feel better with it."

"Suit yourself," John replied. "The desire to protect children runs deep in every species." He looked at the four adults and then down to the eight children. Returning his gaze to the one who spoke he said softly, "You must be Sandra. Ex-military?"

Sandra was also confused. She could feel Bunny's peace and yet this was the cat that ruined their family. In addition, John sat calmly while facing two shooters. Finally, she nodded, "Yes, World War Two."

"Normandy?"

Again she nodded.

"My father was there. He said it was like living through hell."

Suddenly Sandra felt a wave of kinship with John. As military, he understood the horrors of war and his father had been there also. "It was bad alright," she said as she moved forward and sat down, the rifle across her lap.

Looking up at the other cat who had a rifle John said softly, "I am sorry about your house."

Tina leaned her rifle against the house before moving forward and sitting down. "It is only a house." She smiled and added, "It needed AC anyways." She looked back at the twins and said, "Come and sit down dears."

As they herded the children forward John looked at them curiously. Even though all cat women looked alike, he could tell these two were related. "Sisters?" He asked finally.

"Twins," Cindy replied.

A moment later Mindy added, "I'm Mindy and that's Cindy."

All except one of the children sat down, the remaining one wobbled up to John and looked at him and then the sniper rifle he had shouldered. "Human?" she asked.

"Was human, now cat," John replied somberly.

The cat child looked at Bunny and asked, "John?"

Bunny nodded, "John."

"Hurt Goddess," the child said to John angrily.

"No, heal Goddess. Not hurt Goddess."

"Heal?"

Bunny held out her arms as she said softly, "Yes little one, heal Goddess."

The child seemed to consider the matter settled, went to her, and sat on her lap.

John looked on as Bunny stroked the child's head and said, "If only everything was that easy." Turning to the others he said, "There are things you need to know and understand."

Sandra held up her hand to stop John. "We already know it all John. We heard the exchange between you and the Goddess."

"True but there is more." John waited a moment before adding. "It was never my attention for anyone to get hurt. The point was to make Sandy... the Goddess, to admit she wanted to step down." He paused, "Have you ever heard of a sniper missing that many times?"

Sandra smiled despite herself, "No, he would have never made it through sniper school in the first place."

John looked down at his furry hands and said, "I did not know Honey was alive until nearly two am this morning." He looked up and said softly to Sandra, "How would you feel if someone shot and killed Tina?"

Sandra looked at Tina a long time before replying, "I would kill them, no matter who it was."

"I had her in my sights, an easy hundred yard shot and yet I did not pull the trigger yesterday. Instead I chose to punish the Goddess for taking away my Honey girl." John smiled slightly, "It was a good thing I waited."

He paused and looked around at them. "Ever wonder why she went to pieces' yesterday when she thought Honey was dead?" He looked at Bunny and added, "You yourself knew she wanted to die Bunny. What better way to go out in a blaze of glory?"

Bunny looked down, a tear rolling down her cheek but did not speak. John looked back at Sandra, "How would you react if you realized you had inadvertently ordered your only daughter's death?"

Sandra's eyes got big, "Oh my god..."

The child on Bunny's lap said, "Honey is daughter?"

"Yes, daughter by Kitten." John replied.

"No wonder Kitten went off on the Goddess," Tina said softly. "I'm surprised she didn't kill her."

"To be honest, Kitten did not know until she and the Goddess had their blow out. I think she planned to join me to make Sandy's life a hell." John looked at Sandra, "Kind of like her own personal Normandy." Turning back to the child he said, "Honey did not know until we decided to come back and try to put Humpty Dumpty back together again." He looked up at Bunny who was now looking at him, "I didn't find out until after she had left to come here." He thought about telling them about the plan was all the ones who had left, but it was better that he takes the fall alone.

"Okay," the child answered. She looked up at Bunny and asked, "Why John different color and smell?"

Bunny relieved to see the direction of the talk change replied, "Because John is a brother not as sister." She thought to herself, scratch that...master not brother.

The child got up and walked over to John. She looked into his eyes as she asked, "Will John give me a daughter when I am old enough?"

John was stunned, before he could form a reply he heard Bunny say, "You have to wait in line little one."

He looked at her and found her mind was open to him. Bunny wanted him, wanted to have his child. Now that he knew her thoughts he was able to smell the need in her body. To his surprise the others even the children had the same scent. He looked down at the child, "You will have to ask Honey about that. She is my mate."

The child smiled up at him, "Good, Honey is sister. She will agree."

He realized that fluffing it off onto Honey as a way to say no might have been a bad idea. "Okay little one, if Honey agrees I will do my best for you." No doubt the child will find someone herself, fall in love and forget all about him.

"Want to bet," Honey's voice giggled in his mind. "Honey is going to rent John out and become rich." She paused and added, "If you are ready, we are ready."