[Kittyms]

.:Rowena and Benji Oakshadow:.

She had received a note telling her to meet someone at a small town square. How ironic that it would be the exact same meeting place that she and Benji had arranged years before. Only, he never came. Ill-tempered, Rowena sat down on a bench next to the fountain, and scanned the faces passing by her. The note was probably from a prospective client, since it wasn't signed and it had been typed rather than handwritten, which many clients did to hide their identities. Not that she really cared who she worked for, so long as the pay was good, and the job was difficult.

The Lucain nearly started when a cloaked figure abruptly sat down next to her. Sliding her eyes over, she whispered discretely, "Are you the person who contacted me this morning by a typed note?" The strange didn't look at her, apparently concealing his face as many clients would.

"Yes... don't you remember me, Rowena?" She leaped to her feet, startled by the voice that, though deeper than she remembered, was so familiar, and was what she had longed to hear for so long that she was almost certain that she had hallucinated it.

"B-Benji?" Rowena said, one paw resting on her knife handle in case this was some sort of trick. But as soon as he turned his face toward her, she knew that it couldn't be. Those features, though more weathered and mature, were unmistakable.

"Yes," he said, his mouth open in a grin. "I've missed you so much, Rowena." Standing he stepped toward her, his arms out, but before he could embrace her, she slapped him hard in the face.

[Rowena: 1, Benji: 1]

[Kittyms]

"How could you?! I waited here for you all night, but you never came!!!" she screamed. "I thought you were dead!" Sobs shook Rowena's entire frame, and she collapsed onto the bench, her muzzle turned away from him. Several people had stopped and were looking at her with concern.

"Move along, nothing to see here," Benji said, waving them away. He walked over and gently laid one paw on her shoulder. "I wanted to go to you. I really did," he whispered softly in her ear."But the family I found wouldn't let me. They had me imprisoned in a cage at night. All night I tried to escape, but it was impenetrable. As soon as they let me out in the morning, I ran here as fast as I could, but you were gone. What was I supposed to do?"

"You should have kept searching until you found me!" she said, but with less force than before. The fur on her face was streaked with tears, so she rubbed it off, not wanting to make any more of a public scene than she had already made.

"I had to eat, but in order to eat I had to steal," Benji said. "So that took up most of my time. Still, I tried to look for you, but had no success, until a few weeks ago. Your owner, Kitty, caught me in the act of stealing a piece of bread from a bakery. I almost killed her to preserve her silence, but held off, since she seemed harmless. She told me that you lived with her, and that I could also move in and live there, too, although you were away at the war. And now you've returned to me." He smiled, stroking the fur on her shoulder.

[Benji: 2, Rowena: 2]

[Kittyms]

She didn't flinch from his touch, which he took to be a good sign. "I missed you so much," Rowena said, turning her head to look at him, to take in every inch of his beautiful red masked face in case he  disappeared again. "But so much has happened since then."

"I'm hungry," he declared suddenly. "Come, let's go get something to eat and then you can tell me all about your adventures and I'll tell you mine." Standing up, he extended one paw elegantly to help her to her feet. Ignoring it, she stood up by herself, holding her head high. "You haven't changed," Benji said. "Still as stubborn as ever, I see." He turned and walked into a seafood restaurant called The Injured Porpoise with Rowena right beside him.

"Table for two, please," he said. The waiter, a slim blond-haired girl, nodded and led them to a small table next to a window that looked out at the ocean. She handed them menus, then left them to decide on what they wanted while she attended to the other customers. Looking around, Rowena made sure that nobody was looking too strangely at them. She had learned to be cautious in her many years as a thief.

"What would you like to eat?" Benji asked pleasantly, interrupting her surveillance of their neighbors. Startled, she looked down at her menu. They served almost anything that you could find under the sea.

"Uhh... I guess I'd like to try the seafood platter," she said. "The description says that it has octopus, shellfish, salmon, flounder and crab legs. What are you getting?"

[Benji: 3, Rowena: 3]

[Kittyms]

Just then the waiter walked back over. "What can I get  you both?" she asked, beaming as she pulled out a notepad and pen. Her smile almost seemed to be plastered on her face, it was so fake.

"Two seafood platters, please," Benji said quickly. Looking over at Rowena, he grinned. "Great minds think alike." She rolled her eyes and snorted in response.

"What would you like to drink with that?" the waitress asked, still with that ridiculous grin. Listening to her voice, Rowena decided that she must have practiced a lot to make her voice sound so ridiculously optimistic and happy.

"Water, please," she said, then looked away, deciding that it would be best to avoid as much contact with this waitress as possible. After all, for all she knew, the waitress could be an informer to the police who was on the lookout for her.

"The same for me, thanks," Benji said, flashing the waitress with a dazzling smile. As soon as she had gone, he leaned across the table and said softly to Rowena, "I bet that lady took a class to get such a phony smile and voice." He chortled quietly to himself.

"Ha ha," she said sarcastically. "Actually I was thinking exactly the same thing." She gave him a quick smile, but it was gone so fast he could have sworn he imagined it.

"What have you been doing with yourself this entire time?" he asked, leaning back in his seat. "Surely you haven't spent all these years pining after me!" He examined her face closely, but she kept her expression neutral - she had put up an intangible wall hiding the soul behind. This wasn't the Rowena he remembered.

[Benji: 4, Rowena: 4]

[Kittyms]

.:Maxwell Oakshadow:.

"Oh, this and that, you know," Rowena said, averting her gaze. "I, too, took to stealing. But unlike you, it was not for my own survival. Stealing... it's the only thing I'm really good at, and the only thing that could take my mind from you. I relished hard jobs, the more challenging the better, because they distracted me from the reality that you were gone." She looked at him, a deep sadness in her gaze. "Actually, there's something I have to tell you." She opened her mouth to say more, but just then, the waitress came back.

"Here are your seafood platters with water to drink," she said, sliding two plates laden with various marine animals onto the table and then placing two glasses in front of them. "You need anything, just give me a call," she said, winking at Benji. He nodded in reply, and Rowena's expression darkened.

"What were you going to say?" Benji asked, looking over at Rowena. But the shadebane Lucain was ignoring him, shoving food into her mouth with ferocity. Sighing, he picked up a crab leg and snapped it in half then started eating the meat. It would be best just to wait until Rowena decided to speak.

Finally, after the female Lucain had stuffed her face for a few minutes, she stopped, and that same expression came back on her face. "Benji, I'm sorry," she said. "But..."

Just then, a stunning young black male Lucain strode over to the table. "Hey mother, what's going on? Kitty told me to come here. She said there was something important that I had to hear about. Who's this?" he asked, noticing Benji.

[Rowena: 5, Benji: 5, Maxwell: 1]

[Kittyms]

"You'd better have a seat," Rowena said, gesturing to an empty seat at another table. The black Lucain hesitated a moment, then pulled the chair over and sat down. "Benji, this is my son Maxwell. Max, this is Benji."

Horrified, Benji looked first from Rowena to her son, and then back again. There was a definite resemblance there, now that he thought about it. They had the same piercing green eyes. Of course, he should have expected this. That she would move on without him. "I see," he said. "Well, in that case, I suppose I should go." Weary with grief, he stood, hoping to escape without breaking down and weeping.

"No, no, you don't understand," Rowena said, her eyes pleading. "It was only a one time thing, you know? We aren't lifemates, or anything. You know the only person I would ever allow to be my lifemate is you.." Tears were starting to gather at the corners of her eyes again.

"Mother, is he hurting you?" Max growled. He stood up suddenly, and leaned toward Benji. "Sit down," he snarled. Startled, Benji fell back into his chair. Rowena's son also took his seat once more, but his eyes never left Benji.

"Rowena..." the blood red masked Lucain said. "Is it true? You would really have me as your lifemate?" He extended one red paw and touched her black one. She looked up, her sad green eyes seeming bottomless and he felt like he was losing himself in them.

"Yes," she said, her eyes sincere, and Benji found himself compelled to believe her. He leaned toward her across the table and... then found a gun pointed to his head.

"Yup that's him, all right," the policeman who was holding the gun said. He slipped a wad of dollars to the waitress, who hurried away without a backward glance. A growl started deep in Benji's throat, and he glared daggers at the cop. Looking around, he saw that Rowena and her son had already disappeared. He sighed and stood up, holding his paws in the air.

[Rowena: 6, Benji: 6, Maxwell: 2]

[Kittyms]

"All right you got me," Benji said, a resigned expression on his face.

"Darn straight, I do," the policeman said. "Now come on, I'm taking you into headquarters, murderer." He poked the Lucain in the back with the gun - and a second Lucain suddenly exploded out from under the table, and pinned him to the ground. The black Lucain's bright green eyes burned into the policeman's soul, and he found so frightened that he couldn't move.

"Benji, are you all right?" Rowena asked, gently touching her soulmate's hand. She grasped his paw and led him out of the restaurant. Together the two Lucain raced down the street, glancing over their shoulders to make sure that they weren't being followed.

"Just like old times, huh?" Benji said, grinning. She nodded, then looked back as Maxwell joined them. She gave him a questioning look, and he nodded.

"The policeman won't squeal now," Max growled, licking blood off of his claws. "We won't have to worry about him again." Rowena frowned, but didn't say anything. Much as she disapproved of her son's violent habits, she realized that he may have just saved their lives.

[Rowena: 7, Benji: 7, Maxwell: 3]

[Kittyms]

"All right you got me," Benji said, a resigned expression on his face.

"Darn straight, I do," the policeman said. "Now come on, I'm taking you into headquarters, murderer." He poked the Lucain in the back with the gun - and a second Lucain suddenly exploded out from under the table, and pinned him to the ground. The black Lucain's bright green eyes burned into the policeman's soul, and he found so frightened that he couldn't move.

"Benji, are you all right?" Rowena asked, gently touching her soulmate's hand. She grasped his paw and led him out of the restaurant. Together the two Lucain raced down the street, glancing over their shoulders to make sure that they weren't being followed.

"Just like old times, huh?" Benji said, grinning. She nodded, then looked back as Maxwell joined them. She gave him a questioning look, and he nodded.

"The policeman won't squeal now," Max growled, licking blood off of his claws. "We won't have to worry about him again." Rowena frowned, but didn't say anything. Much as she disapproved of her son's violent habits, she realized that he may have just saved their lives.

[Rowena: 7, Benji: 7, Maxwell: 3]

[Kittyms]

The three Lucain took shelter in an abandoned house. As a matter of fact, it was the exact same house where Benji and Rowena had spent so many years of their lives. "Sure brings back the memories," the female Lucain said, remembering the pain of all the beatings and lashings they had endured together.

"What happened to this place?" Benji asked, surveying the decimated room where they used to sleep. He regretted that he had not thought to return and destroy this place personally. It would have been so pleasurable to kill the men who had tormented them with his own paws.

"Kitty called the police on it, at my request," Rowena said. "So you see, I used to have a good standing with the law. But then, I turned back to my old thieving ways to keep my mind distracted." She turned to Benji, her brow furrowed. "By the way, there's a question I've been meaning to ask you. Exactly what did the policeman mean when he called you 'murderer'?"

"Oh yeah, I was just about to tell you," he said, looking away uncomfortably. "You know how you turned to stealing without me? Well, in order to make my own way in the world, I was forced to turn to the job of a bounty hunter. And as I got better and better at my job, some of the assignments began to fall more into the rank of.. well, an assassin. What was I supposed to do? Turn them down? They paid good money for me to kill one person, and believe me, it was not difficult work."

A shudder of revulsion ran down Rowena's spine, but she didn't say anything. Sensing that she disapproved, Benji also stayed silent, brooding over his past. "Maybe you're not so bad after all," Maxwell said quietly from a dark corner that he had found to sit in. "I'm liking you more and more, Benjamin, or whatever your name is."

[Rowena: 8, Benji: 8, Maxwell: 4]

[Kittyms]

For a moment more, there was an awkward silence. Then, without any warning, Rowena threw herself on Benji, wrapping her arms around his body and giving him a big hug. "I still love you, no matter what you've done. Now that we're together, we'll never be apart anymore." She looked over at her son, and beckoned him over with one paw.

Slowly and reluctantly the black Lucain embraced his mother. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but couldn't help showing a little disgust at being so close to Benji. After only a few seconds, he started to back away, but Rowena grabbed him, and hugged him tight, leaving her mate to stand in astounded confusion. "Rowena, darling, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing that she was crying.

[Rowena: 9, Benji: 9, Maxwell: 5--- level up]

[Kittyms]

"It's nothing," she said, wiping away her tears with one paw. "It's just... it's so nice to be together as a family." Letting go of her son, she pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose. Then, she wiped off her eyes. "I'm sorry," Rowena said, pulling herself together.

Benji smiled. "It's fine," he said. "I lov-" Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the abandoned house slammed open. Framed in the entrance way were several policemen holding the leashes to two slavering, fierce Sheilupes.

"There they are," one of the policemen shouted, pointing a finger at the three Lucain. "Go get 'em!" With a cry, they released their charges, who immediately sprang at Rowena, Benji and Max.

"Run!!!" Benji yelled, grabbing Rowena's paw and dragging her after him as he vaulted out of a window. Behind them, there were the sounds of growling, then a yelp and Max emerged after them, licking blood off of his jaws.

[Rowena: 10 -- level up, Benji: 10 -- level up, Maxwell: 6]

[Kittyms]

"Is there nowhere safe we can hide?" Benji yelled as he sprinted right behind Rowena through a dark alleyway. "You know this city better than I do. Most of my work was done in larger cities, like Lamenolai."

The swift she-Lucain seemed to consider for a moment. Then, having made her decision, she called over her shoulder, "Follow me. I'm going to lead you to a safe place." So saying, she dodged through a side street, vaulted over a metal trash can, and continued running.

The two male Lucains followed her without a question, expertly dodging the detritus and debris that covered the filthy alleys. At one point, Max nearly stepped on a Rattegan, and only avoided it by turning his step into a jump. Normally he would have killed the rodent on the spot, but since he was in a hurry, he ignored it and kept running.

[Rowena: 11, Benji: 11, Maxwell: 7]

[Kittyms]

"Here we are," Rowena called, pointing toward an abandoned building sitting right at the edge of the sea. Slums surrounded it, but the whole area appeared to be empty. Shoving one window open, the Lucain slipped inside. Max and Benji followed her, giving each other suspicious glares.

"Ugh, it smells like rotten fish in here," Benji said, covering his nose with his sleeve. "What is this place? Not to seem ungrateful or anything," he added hastily, seeing the looks Rowena and Max were giving him.

"This is an old fish shop. The smell of fish will mask our scent, so they will be unable to track us. And even if they do come in here looking for us, we can hide in the cellar," she said, opening a trapdoor in the floor. "The cellar of this building is basically a massive labyrinth. Only a few know the ways through it, and I guarantee you that the policemen aren't one of them."

"So you know the way through?" Benji asked, looking doubtfully down into the darkness. He looked up to see his mate shaking her head. "What, you don't?!"

"No, but I'm certain that we'd have a better chance down there than the policemen. I've been down there once or twice, but I never went very far, and I always had a way to mark my progress. Still, it's the safest place to be." She unrolled a wooden ladder and pushed one end of it down the hole. There was a slight clinking sound as it hit the ground.

[Rowena: 12, Benji: 12, Max: 8]

[Kittyms]

From outside there came the sound of Sheilupes barking and policemen shouting. "Hurry!" Rowena yelled, ushering both Benji and Max into the dark cellar. Then, she climbed down after them, carrying a flashlight in her teeth, and closing the trapdoor behind them. As soon as her feet were safely on the cold ground, her son tore the ladder to shreds with his claws. The pale beam of the flashlight only illuminated a few feet in front of them so they had to proceed very slowly.

"I can't smell a thing down here," Max complained, rubbing his nose. "Just fish. Are you sure you can find your way out, mother?"

For a moment, Rowena looked hesitant. Then she straightened her back, and said confidently, "Of course. After all, I'm only the best thief of all time, expert in navigating dark passageways." As she spoke, they came to a point where the tunnel split in two. After sniffing around each entrance, the Shadebane Lucain led them down the left one.

[Rowena: 13, Benji: 13, Max: 9]

[Kittyms]

"I think I can smell the outdoors this way," Rowena explained as she led the way through the tunnel, flashlight gripped tightly in her paws. "Plus, I just have this feeling that we're going the right way."

"How can you possibly smell the outdoors?" Max asked. "All I can smell is stinkin' fish!" He snarled and kicked at a discarded fish skeleton that was lying on the ground. Suddenly a trap door opened beneath him and he fell through, disappearing into the pitch blackness.

"Maax!!!!!!" his mother howled, leaning over the edge of the trapdoor. She looked over at the fish bones and saw that they had a trigger wire attached to the backbone. "No!" she wailed, flashing the flashlight down into the darkness. But it seemed that it was a very long way to the bottom for it's light couldn't  penetrate the blackness and though she listened, she couldn't hear Maxwell hit the bottom. "We've got to do something!" she cried, turning to Benji. He nodded solemnly and took off his coat.

"Stay here, Rowena. I will go get him." Without hesitation, Benji leaped down after Max. Rowena felt a surge of admiration for her mate's braveness, but then it was replaced by anger.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she yelled down the vertical drop, but there was no reply but the echoes of her voice.

[Rowena: 14, Benji: 14, Max: 10--level up]