"I'm sorry, Ms. Kaylee," Gillie said politely, "but I really need to get back to work."
"You're sure?" Kaylee asked, "the cubs would enjoy having you stay for lunch."
"I'm sure," Gillie nodded, "I came to check on my officers and make sure that the cubs were okay after everything. Glendale may not have the crime rate of bigger cities, but that's no excuse for me to just disappear for the day."
Kaylee gave a sighing nod.
"It was nice of you to visit," Kaylee spoke after a few moments, "Will you need anyone to escort you out?"
"No, I'll be fine," Gillie replied, "thanks for offering."
Gillie then slowly left, leaving those in the yard watching the copper lioness leave. Once the door shut, Kaylee turned to Tano and her sisters who were standing nearby.
"I tried," Kaylee told them.
"It is okay," Tano replied slowly, "Chief Gillie has always been dedicated to her work. It wasn't likely that she would seek to become a mother."
"I do think she'd make a fine one though," Kaylee shrugged, "it is good to see you looking better."
++++++++++
Calais, France
The overland journey was long and relatively slow. Of course, with automobiles and the high speed trains not being invented yet, the journey could not be a fast one. As they rode north, Marie learned a lot about Katherine's family and their past. Katherine enjoyed catching up on what had gone on while she had been in the Vatican's care.
Joshua and Bradly remained curious toward Vatican, and the gargoyle routinely ended up being used as a jungle gym by the two kittens when they stopped for the night. But he was highly tolerant of their games. They could do him no harm, and to a certain extent, it even reminded him of when Marie was younger.
Draco spent most of his time talking with Rachael and Dillon. He was amazed by the number of contacts that the two Felmans had. Part of it came from his knowledge of how humans had treated him for his kind's past actions, and part of it came from what he knew of how Felman society functioned in comparison to human society, but it was clear that it would help them get to the new world quickly.
"It never ceases to amaze me how much you two get around," Draco commented.
"So you keep repeating," Rachael chuckled, "but it's what is going to help you get to the New World."
Draco nodded as he followed the pregnant Felman and her husband toward the docks at Calais. They eventually came to what was clearly an English ship, largely disembarking passengers and what few supplies where on it.
"Captain Wesley, Captain Wesley!" Dillon called to man who was supervising the disembarking of passengers, "what is all this?"
"Mr. Cat," the man, Captain Wesley responded with a smirk, "what brings you here?"
"My surname is not "Cat" and you know it," Dillon answered.
"Just a little fun," Captain Wesley commented, "what can I do for you?"
"We have some friends that could use transport to the New World," Dillon told him.
"Quebec and New France?"
"No, New England," Draco said calmly.
"You're kidding," Captain Wesley spoke, noticing the bandaged missionary.
"No," Draco answered, "I have my mission to try and bring the people there back to the Church."
"Talk about a suicide mission," Captain Wesley chuckled pointedly, "Listen Father, most of the people disembarking are Catholics fleeing England... and I likely won't be returning for my own safety."
"I had thought that James II was friendly toward the church," Draco commented.
"He is, but the majority of his people are not," Captain Wesley answered, "Mary and William of Orange recently landed at the head of an army at the request of Parliament. I do not know if James has run yet or if he will, but I guarantee you that it will not be safe to be Catholic in English lands... especially since the Protestants in New England are of the same ilk that killed Charles I."
"All I need is transport there," Draco pleaded, "You do not need to disembark any of your people."
Dillon and Rachael both held him back.
"This is unsettling news, Captain," Rachael told him, "all the more reason for you to transport Father Draco and his compatriots. Surely this William of Orange doesn't know of your sympathies. Only that you fly the English flag. You are one of the best ship captains to come in to port here. You can get Father Draco and his compatriots there easily."
Captain Wesley then looked to Rachael and Dillon rather closely.
"Mr. and Mrs. Cat, why do you support such a fool's errand?" Captain Wesley asked.
"My sister, Katherine, has been assigned to Father Draco's mission," Rachael answered, "it would be in our family's best interest that you, the finest Captain in the English fleet transport them. If necessary, we are willing to pay you upfront for your services."
At the mention of being paid, Captain Wesley seemed far more willing.
"And how many passengers are with you, Father Draco?" Captain Wesley asked.
"Myself, two nuns, and a gargoyle for protection," Draco answered.
"A gargoyle? He'll have to stay on the top deck," Captain Wesley commented, "and hopefully he doesn't erode away after being exposed to the salt water of the North Atlantic."
"Hopefully," Draco answered, "how much will we owe you?"
"Let us finish unloading those fleeing the present crisis before we discuss exact prices," Captain Wesley answered.
+++++++++
Gillie felt herself relax as she returned to the van, which was apparently standard issue for the Pride because of their greater size then humans and even the Lupmen. The gate automatically opened as she drove the van toward it, and Gillie was soon driving back toward the station.
"Why would she say I could be a good mother?" Gillie wondered thinking back to Kaylee's comments, "both of us are supposed to be male, not female, and she's supposed to be a teenager, not an adult in her late twenties or early thirties. She's not supposed to know what a good mother is..."
Of course, Gillie was still comparing the old reality to the new one. She knew that Kyle Perkins never existed in the new reality. "She" had always been Kaylee in the new reality, and was the mother of four... but being unable to forget the original reality the way the Pack and the Pride had still weighed on her.
Gillie still remembered herself as male. The last thing she wanted was to experience what sex was like from a female's point of view... no matter how distracting the "packages" that the leoman males had were.
"I'm supposed to be male... shoot, most of the Pack and all of the Pride are supposed to be male," Gillie sighed silently to herself, "I hate these reality shifts. I'm not a mother... and I likely wouldn't have been a good father in the old reality. The only girlfriend I had left me because I was always working... but "Kaylee" says I would make a good mother..."
Another thought then came to Gillie's mind...
"What if the Gillie in this new reality does want to be a mother in some way?" Gillie wondered, "if the hypnosis works and I see everything as a dream, how I think of things will surely change... what if "Gillie" wants to be a mother? I don't, but I don't know how much of that is my past speaking or not... but I can't go around asking people because they'd think I'm nuts..."
"... I hate these reality shifts."