Claire was waiting outside Mrs. Peacock's estate when Maybell and Wolfe returned from their romp outdoors. One end of the leash made out of bathrobe sashes was tied around Wolfe's waist, while Maybell held onto the other. She led Wolfe around like a good pet owner.

Maybell was also still snookered on cat spit. "You'll never guess what I found!" she said to Claire, as if Wolfe were an abandoned puppy.

Maybell waited breathlessly as Claire took her sweet time responding. It was like that with her, having cow genes in her DNA.

"You are a cluster fuck to my eyes," Claire said to Maybell while snapping her bubblegum.

Not knowing what Claire wanted didn't faze Maybell a bit. "This is my new friend Wolfe, and guess what she can do."

Wolfe was excited as well. "I can fly!"

"Come on, Claire!" Maybell cheered as she danced with Wolfe on her bathrobe sash leash. "You can fly her too!"

Before Maybell danced too far away, Claire grabbed her by an arm. She forced her to stand still.

Maybell slurred her words with love. "Ow, you big cow. Leggo."

Claire began marching Maybell back to Mrs. Peacock's estate. "You're getting dressed. We're leaving."

Maybell looked at her attire. She had on her cowboy boots and hat, and a kimono robe that hung open, as its sash was part of Wolfe's leash. Claire only grunted as Wolfe took the lead, entering a side door of the mansion and bringing them to Tan's quarters.

"Something's wrong," Wolfe said with concern. "Where is everybody?"

Now it was Wolfe's turn to wait, as Claire stared at her. "Where is everybody is right," Claire said. "What are you running here? A sex den?"

Wolfe's eyes darted about, filled with fear and confusion, while Maybell stripped and jumped in the whirlpool bath. "Bring'em on, bitch!" she said to no one in particular. "I'm ready for my thirds!" When there was no response, she added, "Fourths?"

Frightened by the absence of Tan, Wolfe retreated to her corner, while Claire shook her head and chewed gum. "Where's the booze?" Maybell asked next.

Leaning as far into the tub as her knocked knees would let her, Claire hauled Maybell out. "Come on in!" Maybell cheered, thinking Claire was going to join her, despite the fact that she was fully dressed. "Play with me in the bubbles."

Claire dragged Maybell to a loveseat and threw her wet butt in it. She popped back to her feet in an instant and tried using charm on Claire. She playfully tinkled the cowbell Claire wore around her neck, while pressing her cheek to one of Claire's gigantic breasts. After another moment of tinkling, Claire took a quick step back, almost sending Maybell face first to the floor.

"Get dressed," Claire said.

"Aw come on, you cow pie stain. Let me milk you first." Maybell fingered Claire's bell one more time. "Isn't it time for a milking?"

Claire gave Maybell a shove that sent her sprawling back onto the loveseat. "Shut up. Where are your clothes?" Claire asked, while walking around to look for them.

"Big fat squeezy tits," Maybell said, oblivious to the trouble she was in. She began playing with her own breasts. "Hey! I'm a cowgirl too! Look at me! I'm milking my boobs. Moo! Moo!"

While searching for Maybell's clothes, Claire rolled her eyes at Wolfe, who looked scared enough to die. "What is wrong with her?" Claire asked the little bat girl.

"She's on cat pheromones. She's been having sex with Tan's friends."

"For three days? That's all she's been doing?"

"She really is remarkable."

Maybell trailed after Claire, still kneading her breasts. "Huh," Maybell said. "Nothing's coming out. Let me squeeze your big'uns, Moo-Claire. I bet I get a gallon!"

Claire turned on her heels, fast for a girl with cow in her. She grabbed Maybell by the scruff of her neck and held her up on the tips of her toes.

"Where are your stupid clothes?"

"Fuck if I know. I've haven't seen'em in days."

Claire blew a giant bubble and let it pop it Maybell's face.

"Moo," Maybell said quietly, teasing with a sideways grin.

Claire let out a long sigh. Still holding Maybell by the scruff, she scooped up her cowboy hat, boots and satchel, and the sashless kimono with her free hand. She then marched Maybell out the door.

"Hey!" Maybell protested. "You can't take me outside. I'm naked here!"

Claire nodded at Wolfe, who hopped around, following them. "She's naked," Claire said about Wolfe.

"She got fur. And cargo shorts."

"Shut up," Claire said again, and nothing more.

"Where is everybody?" Wolfe quietly asked Claire, breaking the pregnant silence. "Where's Tan?"

"He got fired," Claire lowed.

Wolfe chirped while hyperventilating. "What?" she managed to squeak.

"Mrs. Peacock showed him the door after finding his den full of cats."

"Yeah!" Maybell cheered, being dragged along on her toes. "An' I've been fucking'em, too! Moo!"

"Maybell?" Claire began.

"Yeah?"

"When you're sober enough to feel it, I am gonna punch you."

"Aw, Moo-Claire. I'm sorry. You know I can't help it."

Now at the rear hatch to her jump-ship, Claire stopped dragging Maybell by the scruff. She dropped the gear she was carrying and put both hands around Maybell's neck, lifting her off her feet.

Stolen novel; please report.

"You can't help what?" Claire asked up to her face. "Being an idiot?"

"Ow. That kinda hurts."

Claire threw Maybell in the hold, along with her gear, and slammed the hatch shut. She walked around to the cockpit, with Wolfe hopping alongside.

"What's going on? What's going on?" Wolfe kept asking, terrified.

"I'm taking her home. She doesn't belong here."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"Home," Claire said, simply. Wolfe's bright yellow eyes darted about. "Are you part of Tan's clowder?" Claire asked upon the realization.

Wolfe voice was never squeakier. "Yeah. I guess."

Claire became understanding. "There's nothing I can do for you now." She pulled a clutch purse from between her breasts and dug out a business card, handing it to Wolfe. "Call me in a day, and I'll see what I can do."

As Wolfe stood and stared at the card, Claire climbed into her ship. She found Maybell in the co-pilot's seat, barefoot and wearing the sashless kimono.

"I can't help being a horny queen," Maybell said as a way of apologizing. She leered. "I mean, with all those hot sexy toms? Me-yow, Claire Cow! Me-yow!"

Claire threw Maybell back in the hold, locking the door to the cockpit. "I can't wait for you to sober up so I can punch you in the face."

As Claire took off over the treetops, she saw three groups of people making their way through the woods. They came from different directions, all heading towards the clearing where her jump-ship had been.

"What is that?" she asked.

"What is what?" Maybell asked back, unable to see anything from inside the hold.

"Who are all those people?"

Claire circled around, to watch the unfolding scene. One group she recognized as Tan Scarlett and his clowder. Another group was the jackal bounty hunters, now numbering almost a dozen. They were armed with rifles and pistols, but the third group was the most worrisome. Outfitted like a militia, they had heavy weapons and air bikes. All told, a hundred people converged on a single spot.

A spot where Wolfe still stood, clutching Claire's business card. Her bat strength ears picked up their approach before she could see anything. She ran towards Mrs. Peacock's estate, not knowing they were cutting her off. She tried flying to get away faster, stumbling and flopping about.

"She's not gonna make it," Claire remarked.

Maybell pressed her face to the door. "Who, Claire? Who? Wolfie? What's happening?"

"There's an army out there."

"You have to save her! They'll kill her!"

Claire lowed in disgust before snapping her gum as loud as she could. "And what is she? A troublemaker like you?"

Maybell explained drunkenly. "No! Wolfie's innocent. And… an' she's purty!"

Claire groaned.

"She's a bat," Maybell exclaimed.

"What? She's got bat DNA? That's dangerous."

"I know!"

"And those wings are illegal, too."

"That's why they won't mind killing her! You have to save her, Claire Cow!"

Through lows and groans and gum snaps, Claire bellowed at Maybell. "Pah! You're more trouble than you're worth! Is it seeping out from you through the door seal or something?"

"Please, Claire. Please. I'm begging. You can leave me locked in here all day, but you have to save poor Wolfe. She's done nothing wrong, and she needs you. I'm the one who took her outside, and showed her she can fly."

"She kinda sucks at it," Claire observed.

"She's just a wisp of a thing. If those bastards get a hold of her, they'll rip her to shreds. You gotta save her, Claire. You have to. You know it's the right thing to do."

The door to the hold swung open and Maybell, with her face pressed to the jamb, fell into Claire's strong arms. Still stoned on cat pheromones, she swooned, looking with love into Claire's big brown eyes.

"Moo, Claire Cow. Oh moo."

Claire dragged Maybell to the helm and strapped her in the co-pilot's seat. "You steer," Claire ordered. "I have things to do."

Maybell saluted. "Okay, Captain Cow!"

Claire heaved on a hatch lid between the two seats. A third seat appeared in a gun turret.

"What ya got there?" Maybell asked, intrigued.

"Don't call me a cow," Claire said instead of answering.

"Yes sir, Ma'am!"

Maybell positioned the jump-ship between Wolfe and the converging horde. Claire strapped herself in the gunner's seat while hitting buttons and flipping switches. The nosecone of her ship opened to reveal a sonic Gatling gun. As she cranked a lever between her legs with both hands, the gun's massive barrel protruded, and her seat sank into the turret.

"Now hold us steady," Claire said, taking aim.

"Ye-haw!" Maybell cheered. "Blast those dogs to bits!"

The ship shuddered as sonic slugs spewed. "I can't," Claire said as she cranked. "If I kill them I'll have to report it."

"Okay! Let'em have it anyway!"

The Gatling gun spat slugs so fast that trees were mowed down like grass. The horde chasing Wolfe scattered, while she, terrified all the more, flew faster. Maybell slapped at the buttons that opened the ship's rear hatch. She turned on the intercom, cranking the volume full blast.

"Get in!" Maybell screamed into the microphone, to be heard over Claire's big gun. "It's me, Wolfie! It's Maybell! Get in!"

A thud and a clunk and a grunt gave Maybell the cue she needed. She closed the hatch and put the ship in a barrel roll before rocketing into outer space. Claire fired for as long as she could, hiding their escape in a rain of tree branches. When Maybell righted the ship and the grav plates kicked in, Claire climbed out from the gun turret.

"You damn near broke my neck with that fool move you did," she grumped as she got in the pilot's seat and took over.

"Aw, come on," Maybell chided. "That was fun!"

Claire hid her grin behind a giant gum bubble. "Yeah," she admitted, still grinning after it popped. "That was fun."

Maybell hopped out of the co-pilot's seat and opened the door to the hold. She found Wolfe in a heap, with cargo spilled all around her.

"Are you okay in there?" Maybell asked her tiny friend.

"I think I broke something," Wolfe squeaked.

* * * * * * * * * * *

After a solid day of sleeping, and a shower and eight cups of coffee, Maybell finally came down from her cat spit buzz. She sat in the galley of Sara Jane's airship with Wolfe, who sported a cast on her arm. Wolfe chirped and talked a mile a minute, happy as a clam, while Maybell mostly grunted and stared at her coffee. When Sara Jane came to check on them, Maybell tried hiding behind her mug of coffee. Sara Jane slapped her own massive hindquarters, loud enough to draw their attention.

"Well, now, let me see," Sara Jane said, rubbing her outer thigh. "I traded a guy with a bounty on his head for a Genetic guilty of exuberance."

Wolfe held her wings in as tight as she could, trying to look very small. "We're not trading Heinie for Wolfie," Maybell said quietly. "We need to find him and get him out of trouble."

With a knowing smile, Sara Jane stared down Wolfe. "Oh. So… this one's not your new lover?"

Maybell spat in her coffee, while Wolfe squeaked with surprise. Together, they babbled.

"What?"

"No way!"

"Are you crazy?"

Sara Jane whinnied with mirth at her humor, and clomped over to the coffee pot. She poured a giant mug for herself and sat down at the table with the two. She began to put eight cubes of sugar in her coffee, stirring them one by one.

"Using bat DNA is illegal," she said as she plopped cubes and stirred.

"It wasn't against the law when I got spliced. I'm kind of the reason it is, though."

"That's because you grew wings, which is also against the law."

Wolfe squeaked and said nothing more, because Sara Jane hugeness frightened her. Maybell jumped to the defense.

"You can't report her to the magistrate. The butchers out here will hacksaw her to bits."

Sara Jane pursed her lips, then blew at the coffee in her mug before taking a sip. She set her eyes square on Maybell. "It's up to you to decide what to do. I'm feigning ignorance of the whole thing."

"Maybe we could, uh, strap them down," Maybell offered. "Make her clothes that hide them somehow."

Wolfe looked with sadness upon her wings, knowing only for a day that they worked.

"You also can't walk around topless," Sara Jane furthered. "Wear a shirt."

"She has fur," Maybell said.

"She's a girl. She needs a top. At least when she goes out in public."

"Public?" Wolfe squeaked, realizing it was something she hadn't done in ages.

Sara Jane laid an understanding hand on Wolfe's unbroken arm, nearly swallowing it up with her big mitt. "If you're gonna be part of this team, you need to make yourself useful. And not just aboard my ship."

"She gets to be part of the team?" Maybell asked with joy.

"I'm part of the team?" Wolfe asked as well, voicing concern.

Sara Jane got up to refresh her coffee, and to hide the grin on her face. Maybell approached and stood by her side.

"We're still gonna help Heinemann, right?" Maybell asked quietly. "We're gonna get his bounty rescinded. Right?"

"We're gonna help Heinemann," Sara Jane confirmed with love. "He's part of our team, too."

A slow and steady clop down the hallway let everyone know Claire was coming. She grabbed a mug and waited for her turn at the coffee pot.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked Maybell.

Maybell hung her head, embarrassed by the way she'd behaved with Claire the day before. "Yeah. And, um, I'm sorry. I made a fool of myself."

With a quick left jab, Claire gave Maybell a fat lip. "It's okay," Claire lowed as she poured coffee into her mug. "I forgive you."

Wolfe squeaked with shock and surprise, while Sara Jane whinnied and laughed, louder and louder and louder.