{{Our title is also a song from the "Piano Man" episode of Quantum Leap, composed and sung by Scott Bakula.}}
The werepanther awoke with a start.
Something was wrong!
Taking a quick look around in the dark using all his keener were senses, Lance Knight realized what it was.
Lila Carpenter wasn't in the bedroom they were now sharing.
Getting up, he padded on silent paws and found his weretigress sitting on the couch in the living room in the dark. Being feline weres, neither of them needed to turn on a light to see by.
"Are you still working? It's almost 3 in the morning," he said, moving behind her.
"No. I finished the budget reports a good hour ago," admitted Lila, still sitting there and staring off into nothingness.
"Then is everything all right?" asked Lance with great concern in his voice as he put his paws on her furry shoulders.
"Just thinking," was her only reply.
"About what?" he asked, after leaping over the couch to land lightly next to her.
"Past, present, future. Me, you, us."
"Oh. Multiple choice. I always hated those tests in school."
That brought a brief smile to the weretigress' muzzle as Lance put his arms around her. "Want to talk about it?"
"I have mixed feelings about doing so, but you should know everything you're getting into having a relationship with me," she confessed, while leaning against him.
"Considering some of the shit I've had to deal with between being a Knight in general and my older brother specifically, I can handle whatever you have to say," Lance told Lila, as he held her closer.
"Back when I was going to Moon Lake College to earn my business degree, I met a man named Zachery Smith," said Lila.
Lance remained silent, so Lila continued. "At the time, he was a normal from Montana, here to study computer programming because he couldn't afford to go to one of the more prestigious technical schools. Anyway, we hit it off and started dating. He thought it was neat that I was a weretigress and, if our relationship progressed that far, was willing to become a weretiger to be with me."
"I take it this Zach eventually did gain a fursona?" wondered Lance, asking the question gently.
"In time. First I wanted to make sure about him and us. I was in love, or thought I was. Whatever I was feeling toward Zach wasn't anything akin to my feelings toward you dear," she promised.
"I'm not worried. You're here now, and that's all that matters to me," said Lance, deciding not to bother recounting the few acquaintances he had over the years before meeting her.
"So, after I was sure I thought I was sure about him and us, I went through the proper channels, getting approval from my weretiger peers. We even had a formal induction ceremony before I took Zach off into the woods and... you know."
"I get the idea. Then what happened?"
"Zach changed, and I don't mean just growing fur, a tail, etc. His whole demeanor changed until he thought that by being a MALE weretiger, he was lord and master over all he surveyed, including me," said Lila, as a tear started to escape her eye.
"I'm assuming the relationship didn't end well," guessed Lance.
"World War 2 concluded more peacefully than my relationship with him. Of course in time I realized what was happening and broke it off, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Kept hounding me at school, bad mouthing me to my friends. I think he even might have cost me a summer internship with Tachibana Enterprises."
"Oh? How?" asked Lance.
"I trusted Zach to mail the application form for me, because I was running late to class that day, but even though he said he did mail it, I never heard from them. Anyway, everything came to a head one night when Zach came over to the house about this time, three in the morning, demanding to see me. I was still living where I grew up to cut down expenses, so figured it was better to go outside and see what he wanted instead of him waking up the whole neighborhood, let alone the rest of Moon Lake."
Lance wanted to say something about Zach being quite a loudmouth, but remained silent as his girlfriend continued talking. "Zach was already angry when he got there, and went nuclear fast. We started getting into a MAJOR argument that woke my brother and his new wife, who hadn't even delivered their first child yet."
Lance recalled seeing an older child with the twins running around the Carpenter house earlier that evening as Lila said, "The moment Rick stepped outside to see what was going on, Zach accused me of cheating on him and attacked my brother. The two got into a fight and..."
That was when Lila broke down and buried her head into the weretiger's furry chest, crying uncontrollably.
Lance just held her close tenderly until she ran out of tears.
"Both the police and the courts ruled it self defense, so Rick never faced any charges," Lila finally added, once she found her voice again. "For better or worse, to protect Moon Lake's secrets and the existence of weres, the authorities covered it up by saying Zach jumped off a building either drunk and/or high, thinking he could fly. His parents must of bought that story, because other than wanting to know why I didn't protect their son from himself, I've never heard from them again."
"And I thought I had a rough life, dealing with my brother and his bull," said Lance, not realizing how much hell his new girlfriend had been through in her life before they met. "If you're afraid history might repeat itself somehow, don't be. I'm obviously not like Zach, let alone my brother. I'm going to be tested Wednesday night for bi-polar disorder. While I seriously doubt I have it, I fully intend to stay on your family's good side," replied Lance, while kissing the top of her head.
The weretigress just stared at him, hopeful, so Lance said the one sentence he knew she needed to hear more than anything else right now. "I love you Lila Carpenter, with all my heart."
"I know honey," said Lila, " and I love you more than mere words can say I do. I honestly don't know what I did to deserve you. I may have somehow managed to go on with life after Zach, because I was emotionally devastated for quite awhile between his death, my brother's brush with the law and everything else that arose during that time, but I never truly realized just how lonely I was until we met. You're such a good man. I hope I'm always worthy of your love."
"You are honey. You are," replied Lance, holding her close.
And huddled together on the living room couch, holding each other, is where the morning found Lance Knight and Lila Carpenter when the six o'clock alarm rang in the master bedroom to start the first day of their new life together.