The next month was fairly quiet with no major excitement. This is not to say that I didn't have things to do during the month, for that wouldn't be true. There was plenty to do. Returning to the station after the trial did involve a fair amount of paper work, mostly to report on the events of the trial itself. While I sat down to work on the paperwork, I found that I wouldn't fully work on it alone. The main desk and dispatch officers for the day seemed interested in conversation.
"I saw on the news last night that you and Officer Howard helped secure the guilty verdict," the dispatch officer commented.
"We only told the court what happened, nothing more," I answered modestly.
"Still... it helped, right?" the dispatch officer asked with a wink.
"I suppose," I nodded, "what sparks the interest in the end of one of my cases?"
"You've had so much excitement since joining us," the desk officer answered with a very "sister" like look, "we don't tend to have too much excitement around here this time of year. Occasionally during the summer we have some incidents with some people setting up mobile Meth-Labs out in some of the open areas... but we usually do not get anything as big as what you and Officer Barnes have had to deal with so far. Ebenezer Smith and his son trying to frame you... and now Beauregard finally going nuts. It's a lot more then we've ever seen here before."
"How is Officer Barnes, by the way?" the dispatch officer wondered, "shouldn't he be home from the hospital by now?"
I decided to answer the desk officer's comment first.
"Some of the things that Officer Barnes and I have come across are probably related to the fact that before the Animatrix Fun House was taken down, no one had to deal with an "animal-person"," I replied, "so Molly and I... and the other victims of that freak show are essentially sailing into uncharted waters. Once people get used to us... things will quiet down."
"I see," the desk officer nodded, "hopefully they do. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Wayne..."
"Molly," I corrected.
"Molly... but you seem like a nice enough guy," the desk officer shrugged her shoulders.
"What about Officer Barnes?" the dispatch officer asked.
"He's back from the hospital, yes," I nodded, "sore from all the surgery, but doing relatively well."
"That's great news," the dispatch officer smiled, "Your dynamic duo will be back together in no time."
"Dynamic Duo?" I asked, "Isn't that Batman and Robin?"
"Well, yes," the dispatch officer shrugged, "but you and Officer Barnes have made a pretty solid team. We've all gotten used to seeing the two of you together."
"Glad to see we're so entertaining," I quipped as I kept working with the paperwork I had to do.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A few days later when I returned home to Bandhavgarh Cabin after a day's patrol on foot to find Molly seated on the couch with a large box in her lap. The days had gone fairly quietly with no major problems. As I entered my home, though, I was more captivated by the box in Molly's lap then the day's events at the moment.
"Hello, George," Molly spoke, "Have a good day?"
"It was fairly good," I commented, "no great excitement."
"Did you manage to see Officer Barnes?" Molly asked as I began to head for the stairs so I could change out of my uniform.
"Briefly," I called down to her once I made it to the bedroom and began changing my attire, "they've taken the staples out, so I'd guess that all the surgical marks are healing well."
"That's good," Molly answered back, "how long until he's fit to go back to work?"
"He doesn't expect to make it back until closer to the end of the month," I told her as I started to come down the stairs, now dressed in clothing that was far more comfortable against my fur then the uniform was, "getting the muscle strength back in his abdomen and such."
"Bring on the crunches!" Molly quipped slightly as I entered the living room.
Some would probably consider it odd for us to carry on a conversation while were were a few rooms apart and on different floors, but our hearing was sharp enough that we could hear what we were saying perfectly. It was something of a perk that Molly and I had figured out after my transformation.
"Very funny, Molly," I shook my head as I saw her smirk a little.
She almost giggled in response, but managed to control herself as calmly tapped the top of the box in her lap.
"Aren't you going to ask what is in the box?" Molly asked after a moment.
"I was," I nodded as I sat down beside her, "but I didn't want to come off as some oaf who'd let his curiosity get the better of him."
This time Molly shook her head at me.
"So... what's in the box?" I asked her after a moment, getting the idea that she had wanted me to ask the question.
"It was here when I got home from the school," Molly answered as she began to arrange the box to open it, "and it's from the shop where our clothes are made..."
"You don't suppose it's...?" I began to ask.
"Only one way to find out," Molly said with a smile as she raised one hand and extended the claw on her pointer finger.
She then set to work on cutting through the tape with that claw to open the box. Once the last piece of tape was cut, the box's flaps popped up and out, allowing Molly to get a look at what was inside the box. What she pulled out first looked like a letter.
"What does it say?" I wondered, curiosity at its height.
"It says: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, We thank you for your recent order. We've found it to be a challenging one, since we had to match your fur colors to silk and find a way to make the stripes on cloth resemble the stripes on your fur. As for the photographs you sent us as references, they were most interesting and quite original. We have never received naked photographs of anyone with directions to match the striping on their bodies... though I would guess your fur coats make the two of you rather unique... and you did cover up all of the "naughty-bits" fairly well, much to the disappointment of the younger members of our staff. Enclosed are the completed sets of shirts and shorts for the two of you. Each is wrapped in plastic and labeled "Molly" and "George" so that way you don't put on the wrong set. Thank you for choosing Stillman Tailors, and please feel free to order again," Molly read out the letter and then turned to me, "the rest is the receipt information."
She then handed me the letter. While I looked it over, she went to pull out what was to be our hunting clothes out of the box. As I looked the receipt section over, I made sure everything balanced out.
"I can't believe anyone would want to see us naked and to see everything," I commented.
"Some people are just weird, George," Molly answered, "and maybe it's curiosity. The girls there want to see what makes you as mighty as you are."
"Molly," I shook my head making her smile. She was having a good time joking with me.
In the meantime she had pulled out he plastic bag with the name "Molly" written on the outside in marker. Inside was the clothing that had been made special to match our stripe patterns. She then held out the shirt part of the ensemble. They appeared to have done a very good job. While Molly looked at the shirt, I lifted up the package from small coffee table in front of the couch and pulled out a pair of the shorts.
"I think they expected these ones to get more wear then what we use for our other clothes," I commented, "the shorts have a drawstring..."
I then held the shorts to Molly's waist.
"And they stretch fairly well," I commented, "I bet you could through some of the brier patches and spruce branches fairly well in these..."
"We still need to see if they match our stripes," Molly gave a playful smile as she handed me the shirt.
"Molly, what are you..." I began to ask as Molly undid the buttons on the dress she was wearing, letting it fall to the floor at her feet.
"I'm going to try on my new clothes," Molly answered as she took the shorts and put a leg through each leg hole and pulled them up, fitting her tail through the tail hole in the back. She then took the shirt and pulled it on. Once it was all on, she twirled in front of me, "so, George, how did they do? Did they get it right?"
I looked her over. She had tucked the shirt in, but it seemed as though the shirt was designed for that. And they had done a good job. On the spots on her arms and legs where her a stripe went up to the shorts or to the sleeves of the shirt, they were in line with the stripes on Molly's body, and so were the areas where her fur switched from reddish orange to white and back again. It wasn't exactly perfect, but it would do.
"You look good, Molly," I told her, "they got it right."
"Good," Molly smiled as she then fished out the bag with the name "George" on it, "now it's your turn."
I gulped a little as she came closer, as something told me she was having far too much fun with this.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A week later, while on another patrol, I came across another instance of R.A.M. falling apart now that their leader, Beauregard was gone. Nothing much had gone on and I was on the portion of my patrol where I could take a few minutes to visit Officer Barnes and let him know how things were going. But I never got to visit with my partner as a middle aged women met me on on the corner while walking her dog. The dog, a Corgi, scooted as far as it could to be away from me. I ignored it as the woman began the conversation.
"So," she said slowly, "everything that's been done to you... it hasn't made you a mindless animal?"
"That is correct," I answered, "Neither Molly nor I... neither are any of the victims of the Animatrix Fun House are mindless... we have instincts that aren't human, yes, but they do not control us."
I figured she was a former R.A.M. member out for some actual answers now that Beauregard's lies were no longer available.
"You control what you do?" she asked.
"Don't you?" I retorted.
"Touche," she replied, "I am Madeline Hershey. I don't suppose I could ask you a few questions?"
"So long as it's nothing too personal, I don't mind," I told her and continued on, "of course if I get a call, the conversation will have to end..."
"Of course," Madeline Hershey replied slowly, "Officer... so, may I ask... do you miss being human? Would you and your wife do that if given the chance?"
"I believe so," I nodded, "neither of us fit well in buildings built for humans. No vehicle is large enough for us to drive or ride in the normal way. My equipment had to be specially made so that I could use them... so if Leona does come up with a cure... I'm pretty sure my wife and I would take it."
She blinked awkwardly for a moment.
"Leona?"
"Leona Washburn, the scientist who helped create the retrovirus that transformed my wife," I explained, "and absorbed through certain fluids and transformed me on our wedding night. Leona was still working on the cure when the gang Beauregard hired attacked her lab..."
"She was working on a cure?"
"Yes," I nodded, "from what she told me, the serum when it was first developed was only to part of a specific program designed to ultimately create a serum with which one could graft specific traits onto the human genome in the hopes of doing something to cure cancer."
"Cure cancer?"
"Yes, certain sharks have an immune system that appears to be resistant to cancer," I told her, "her idea was to be able to grant the human immune system that capacity... however, her research was never that far along, and her partner, dissatisfied with the lack of profit being made from government grants, forced her into turning the serum on herself to try and make money."
"The guy forced her to use something before it was ready?" Madeline asked nervously.
"And as a result, the entire human DNA strand was merged with the complete animal DNA strand," I nodded.
"And now that that man is in jail, this Leona is seeking to cure it?" Madeline asked.
"She's trying, though she's also said that she isn't all that confident she can succeed," I sighed, "so... while I would like to be human again... it isn't all that likely... so my wife and I have worked to accept what we are and what we have become."
"I see..." she said slowly, "and what do you think about humanity?"
"I don't see anything wrong with it, really," I shrugged, "I'm somewhat disappointed in the fact that the first reaction Molly and I have received is that we are merely dumb animals or are met with hatred."
"I see... would you ever consider doing something to transform others?" Madeline asked, "put them in your "shoes" as it were?"
"No," I said firmly, "one thing is that it would be too difficult to do... the other is that what would that do? If they hate me already, turning them into a tiger-person wouldn't make them like me."
"And what about your children if you and your wife eventually have them?" Madeline asked.
"Whatever happens in the future will happen," I answered, "the city council has already passed a law that limits the legal sexual behavior that I, Molly, or our children can engage in with the intent of making it difficult... and would bring a hammer down on any one of us for promiscuous sexual behavior... but Molly and I do not have children at the moment she is the only person I want to be in bed with... and until we have cubs... that law is not a concern."
"And if and when you have cubs?" Madeline asked.
"Molly and I will make doubly sure they abide by the law," I answered.
"You would do that?" she asked, surprised.
"We still live in a human society," I answered, "I doubt humanity will change for two tiger people."
"You're a very interesting character," Madeline commented, "when one gets to know you."
"I guess I'll take that as a complement," I shrugged and continued my patrol.
At the next corner, she turned right while I continued straight on.
"Have a good day, Officer Wayne," Madeline said to me as we parted ways.
The whole conversation struck me as weird, but I guessed that with Beauregard gone, R.A.M. members were now actually trying to figure out what Molly and I were really like. It would have to be something that we endured for the time being.