The rest of the walk home was fairly quiet. Molly and I soon made it back into a more residential area, where we again had to endure the barking of dogs who felt they had to defend their yards from two giant cats, one over five hundred fifty pounds and one one just under four hundred pounds. Neither of us liked being barked at, but there wasn't much that we could really do about it... and it also wasn't like the dogs stood a chance if they got out and attacked. We ignored them and continued on our way.
"This grease is going to be murder to get out," Molly complained as we walked along, looking own at the grease in her fur from when Mack shook her hand.
I looked at my own paw-like hands and sighed. The grease would be tough to get out, but we'd manage. I was sure of that.
"Getting it out won't be too much of a problem," I spoke positively, "I'm sure the soaps that people use to grease off of their skin will work on our fur. It'll probably be an irritant, but I don't think we'll suffer lasting injury from it."
Molly nodded and sighed, "And I suppose the fact that it was from a person who actually treated us like we hadn't transformed makes it alright."
"Mack was always a good guy," I commented.
"So was Sarah, though," Molly said weakly.
"Some people just turn out to be jerks, I guess," I commented, and nuzzled her cheek with my muzzle, "and you must know that I'll always be there to defend you... not that you need it now, of course..."
Molly nuzzled me back, "I will defend you too."
I smiled calmly at the simplicity of the response and we continued on our way. We made our way home to find Molly's Uncle Frank sweeping the garage to my parents' home. We noticed that he was swinging the broom fairly hard, and I was concerned he might accidentally break it.
"You okay, Uncle Frank?" Molly asked as we approached.
He looked up and sighed.
"Physically, I'm fine," Frank Rhoer answered in a gruff sounding voice, very close to like he was growling, "Otherwise, I have to say I've never seen such appalling behavior..."
"You confronted Molly's parents?" I asked.
Frank Rhoer nodded.
"You didn't get in a fight, did you, Uncle?" Molly then asked.
"Not a physical one," Frank Rhoer replied, "I told my brother what I thought of his behavior. I told him what he did was unacceptable to any family. I told him that they had their chance to redeem themselves and apologize to you..."
I then watched as Frank Rhoer then gripped the broom he was holding tighter.
"And all I got was a lecture on how I let the family down by journeying around when I was younger," Frank Rhoer finished, "like I did it to deliberately torture them... like I had no right to live other then where they wanted. The refused to even admit that you were their daughter..."
"I don't WANT to be their daughter anymore," Molly growled back, frustrated with the report, not with her Uncle, "and I haven't since George and I moved to Columbia Falls. George, you, and George's parents are all the family I need. Those two... they can eat shit for all I care."
Frank Rhoer was silent for a moment and then spoke, "thank you for including me with your family then... what about Meredeth and Nessie?"
"Them too," Molly nodded, her tone much less aggressive, "you haven't rejected me, and despite Beauregard's shenanigans, you've be respectful of George and I and our... "condition" as it were."
Frank Rhoer only nodded.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We had returned home for a fairly late lunch, but my Mother was more then happy to oblige. It had seemed like she and my father had really stocked up on meat in anticipation of our arrival. Not that Molly and I were complaining. While my Mother went about cooking, Molly and I set about getting the grease out of our fur. It was difficult and the grease did not come out easily, but we did manage without shaving our fur below the grease.
"So, how did your "adventure" go?" Polly Wayne asked, "hopefully better then your Uncle's family reunion."
"It did," Molly nodded, "I got all my vaccinations..." she then lifted the purse she had with her, "... and I got the list of the vaccination names and their instructions. That way I can see the vet in Columbia Falls rather then driving all the way out here for a doctor's appointment."
"I see," Polly Wayne said slowly.
"Seeing you is a good thing, Mom," Molly said quickly, "it's just with the cost of gas and everything... George and I can't afford to have Uncle Frank drive across several states very often."
"I know," Polly nodded, "it is the way of things I suppose. We endure high gas prices. And we don't expect you to come here all that often either. It's a long way... and you have such a nice cabin there in Montana. A pristine place for you and George to start a family."
"Mom!" Molly protested.
"Oh, I'm not pushing," Polly Wayne replied, "and I remember what you've said about your heat cycle. I was just commenting on the beauty you two have there... the natural beauty I mean. The mountains, the pine scent... and you're right next to Glacier National Park. You'd have plenty of opportunities for adventure. Sometimes it seems like a magical place."
"Are you glad you didn't fight tooth and nail to keep us here, Mom?" I teased.
"Quiet you," Polly Wayne answered, "Or your father won't take you on this little gathering for Officer Jackson that he's been planning."
"Gathering?" Molly wondered.
"I believe the actual term would be a "bachelor party"... though I'm not supposed to know," Polly gave a slight smirk, "Celebrate Jackson's last nights as a single man."
"Or as a man at all," I quipped.
"What?" Polly Wayne wondered.
"George and I also visited Leona while we were out," Molly explained, "she and the Gen-U-Tech crew are working on some new applications for her retrovirus... presently to work to alter genders rather then species."
"Oh that," Polly Wayne seemed to shrug it off, "Yes, I know. Jackson has already discussed it with your father. It was certainly a surprise, but given what we've learned about what Leona is going through... I suppose this wasn't an unlikely outcome."
"Well... they managed to make a breakthrough in that department while we were there," I told her, "if all goes "well" it could be ready by the rehearsal or the wedding."
Polly Wayne nodded, "hopefully this helps Leona out then. She's been under a lot of stress between male instincts in a female body and all the people that have sent in applications to become animal people."
Molly and I nodded.
"We saw some news reports of several actors and actresses talking about wanting doses of the serum," Molly commented, "Do you and dad know if any of that came to pass?"
"Not without going through Gen-U-Tech's records," Polly Wayne answered, "or so your father tells me."
"Which means that unless one of them commits a crime or someone manages to steal some of the serum, it's under a sort of "doctor/patient" confidentiality. Though I'm not sure how it would really work... the Animatrix Serum doesn't require a doctor's prescription."
Molly nodded, "It's a legal recreational drug... though obviously only good for one dose."
Polly Wayne nodded, "we're certainly in a changing world."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The day went by fairly quietly. With our planned business done for the moment, Molly and I contented ourselves to the newspaper and watched some television. Both of us tried to offer my Mother with some of the housework she was doing to keep herself busy, but that failed spectacularly with my mother telling us that we were on vacation. It was in the evening that things seemed to get more "exciting". At six PM a large SUV appeared on the driveway, and out of the backseat area came Leona, looking a little relaxed and flanked by a younger woman, though she still looked older then Molly and I. We guessed this was Leona's sister. The woman rang the doorbell.
"Well... this is a surprise," Molly said when she opened the door, "I had expected you would be busy..."
"And for the work day, I was," Leona answered...
"But tonights the night for a little fun," the human woman smirked, "a little dinner, a little wine, and you can bad mouth men as much as you want."
"Wouldn't that be inappropriate at a wedding?" Molly wondered, "or what is likely a bachelorette party?"
"There should be no nudity," Leona spoke, "It is Sally's idea, but I trust her to stick to my wishes."
"Scout's honor," Sally raised a hand trying to look innocent.
"I see," Molly said slowly, "anyway, I have no complaints about George. He has been wonderful."
"Then maybe you can share what he does with us," Sally commented, though her tone had a very sour grapes vibe to it, "give Leona pointers on what she's supposed to do..."
Evidently, Leona had told her sister on what she and Jackson had planned to do.
"The best I can say is that every marriage is different," Molly said slowly, "and George and I had less to adapt to then your sister will... most likely."
"Yeah... you two were probably already tigers by then," Sally quipped.
"Actually, I transformed on my wedding night," I spoke up from where I was seated, "the adaption to being a tiger was after our wedding."
I glanced over see Sally smirk at Molly.
"You'll have to tell us about that," Sally smirked.
"I..." Molly began.
"Go on and have a good time," I told her, "just don't get stuck as the designated driver... you'd have to push everyone's car home."
Molly only shook her head at my bad attempt at humor. She then departed with Leona and her sister, likely to meet up with the rest of Leona's bridesmaids. About five minutes after they left, my father returned home in his own vehicle with Jackson in the passenger seat.
"Be sure to keep your father in line, George," Polly told me as she came in from a different room.