Melony's pov
~~~
CC and I were going to see an exhibit at the local civic-center claiming that they had a whit tiger cub that you could hold, or even feed. I was tentative at first, so many of these cubs had been torn from their mothers at birth and forced to sit in front of gawking crowds before goung back to a tiny cage with little to no time to go outside as tigers should. But I reluctantly agreed when CC looked so dissapointed.
~At the 'show'~
I wasn't impressed as CC and I waited behind another couple to see the cub. I could hear it mewling pitifuly before the keeper harshly quieted it.
"CC, Get on the phone with Tony about a tiger." I said quietly as the cub let loose a smal cry. Tony was my boss. The owner of a big-cat preserve up here in Maine. We handled cases like this alot.
"What?" He asked with wide eyes pulling his phone out.
"I'm trying to save this cubs life. Just go with it." I hissed as the couple bustled off talking between themselves excitedly. I stepped forward and plastered a smile on my face as the keeper pinned the squirming cub under his arm.
"Come to see the little cub?" He asked kindly as I took a seat in front of him.
"No I came to apreciate the loud crowd." I sighed. He chuckled as I heard CC barking something into the phone.
"May I hold her?" I asked sweetly. He nodded and held her out from under her front legs, A way that I knew, was restricting her breathing. I took her feeling her feeble heartbeat through her hot fur as he let go of her and I pulled her gently into my arms.
"I've only seen zookeepers hold cubs like that." He said in slight confusion.
"That's because we put the cubs health and saftey first." I said venomously as I felt the poor cubs temperature and heart rate.
"Excuse me?" The keeper asked, taken aback.
"Well, this cub is only... oh... a month old and she still needs the same amount of sleep as a human baby. Which I might add you have been denying her. And her conditions are obviously insanitary judging by the fact that she is running a high fever." I said stroking her fuzzy head as she burrowed into my arm.
"I am a professional who would treat an animal with much more care than you say." The keeper said indignantly as an unsettled murmur ran through the crowd. CC walked up looking trumphant.
"Arangements are settled." He said shooting the keeper a glare and resting a hand on my shoulder.
"How much will you take for the cub?" CC asked the keeper cooly as I murmured reassuringly to the cub.
"Two thousand at least." The keeper growled. CC nonchalantly ulled a checkbook out of his pocket.
"Do you have a pen?" He asked as people started to walk away. The keeper pulled a pen out of his pocket with a raised eyebrow. CC quickly wrote out the check and handed it to the now ex-keeper.
"We'll be leaving now, With our legaly obtained tiger cub." CC spat as I stood. The keeper watched dully as we marched out and back to the car. The cub ried all the way to the reserve and I did my best to comfort him. When we got there Tony had the examination room ready and he quickly set to work checking the cub over. He walked out of the room a few minutes later, the cub was asleep in his arms.
"You'll have to take her for a few days, She needs to be seperate from the other animals, we don't have any space fo her here, I need two weeks notice to send her to another reserve while she recovers and I normaly wouldn't do this, but it's my only choice at the moment." He said tiredly handing her to me.
"Bring her in every other day for medication, Keep her in a safe, clean environment, you know what to feed her, and remember, call me if anything new develops okay?" Tony said rubbing his forehead
"I was thinking that once she was well, our Nala may like her company, she did loose her cub after all." I sudgested as the cub shifted sleepily. Tony nodded before waving us out.
A few hours later the cub who we had dubbed Cali, was curled up contentedly asleep in the crook of CC's arm as he lay on the couch also asleep. I had to take a picture and send it to the rest of the band before reluctantly waking Cali and giving her some milk and food before settling her in CC's arms again so she could sleep.
~A week later~
Cali was better, her energy returned and her fever broke so she and CC became best buds. They ran around when they wanted to and when they got to tired to run around they fell asleep on the bed or the couch togeter. Although we needed to remember, Cali was still a wild animal and we would only have her for another week before we turned her over to the reserve where I worked. She would make a bright addition to the white tiger enclosure. Nala our newest tiger had a cub but it had died because of an infection, so giving her an adopted cub may help her depression.
~Two years later~
"Cali!" CC called as we latched the door of the enclosure behind us. A large white tiger bounded out of the small forest and ran to greet us, reaing on her hind legs and wrapping her front legs around CC's upper back as he hugged her right back and laughed.
"You're gettin' to big for this kiddo." He grunted as she resumed her usual 'all four feet on the ground' position walking around him excitedly.
"Yes I brought your popsicle." CC grinned kneeling and opening the bucket we had toted in. It contained a frozen treat of his design: A 'surf and turf' popsicle (Which was made in a large bucket) Containing blood from other animals we fed to the cats, some shrimp, steak, and chicken.
He up-ended the bucket on the ground and ran his hands through Cali's soft white fur as she pounced on it and began to lick it furiously.
"Too hot today are we?" I asked as I knealt beside CC and scratched one of Cali's ears making her close her eyes contentedly.
"I can't believe she fit in my hands only two years ago." CC sighed as we reluctantly left Cali to her breakfast.
"I miss having her in our house too." I agreed as he followed me and I headed to tend the other cats.
"Look at us!" CC snorted smiling and nudging my shoulder.
"What?" I asked with a smile.
"We're acting like senemental old parents." CC laughed as I retrieved the food for our lion.
"I suppose." I giggled as he kissed me on the forehead.
"In a way, we are." He pointed out. I rolled my eyes as he waved goodbye and headed off to the recording studio.
