The air was crisp and dry as the pair made their way along the trail. It was that time of year when everything was lush and green in the fertile valley of Nepal. The first day had past, and they still had one more day to get to Katmandu. With light packs and minimal supplies, Calvin and Alex made good time in their journey. The fact that it was a downhill walk certainly didn't hurt either.

Wanting some well-deserved time off from Calvin's production of Zeitgeist, they had decided to take a vacation abroad. After much coaxing, Alex had talked Calvin into a short backpacking excursion in the southern Himalayas-- a feat he still found amazing. Talking one's boss into doing something he didn't really seem to want to do was quite unexpected. The relative low altitude of Nepal made it a good choice, compared to some of the other regions. A helicopter had dropped them off about thirty miles north of the capital city, which gave ample time and distance for them to get away from everything.

"How you doing, Calvin? You about ready to stop for a lunch break?"

"I am if you are. Let's stop at the next good looking spot we come to."

"Sounds good to me."

Within an hour, they came across a plateau overlooking the Baghmati River. The view was exquisite, and it was an easy choice to make this their lunch stop. Alex had the lunch provisions in his pack, and began to prepare a light meal as Calvin walked over to look at the scenery below.

No fire was needed for the meal, so Alex was opening packages when he first saw the tiger approaching Calvin. He barely had time to shout a warning before Calvin turned to see the orange blur. The tiger was on him, and Alex was running towards them. Alex grabbed a large rock as he ran towards the tiger, which was clawing at Calvin. He hurled the rock with all the energy he could; hoping it would hit the target. The rock clunked against the tiger's skull, and diverted the animal's attention. Stopping his attack, the tiger turned to see Alex running towards it, yelling as he approached. The tiger must have thought it too much trouble to persist in his attack, and left as quickly as it had come.

The scene did not look reassuring as Alex neared. Calvin was bleeding from several deep slashes, and was going into shock. The injuries did not seem deep enough to have injured any internal organs, but blood was being loss from the wounds, and without help, Calvin would most likely die.

"Calvin! Calvin… Can you hear me?"

"Uhh… Wha-- what happened?"

"You were attacked by a tiger. You're pretty messed up, but I'm gonna get you to some help."

Even as Alex said this, doubts began to enter his mind. Shaking them off, he began to act with speed and efficiency. Running back to his pack, Alex grabbed some clothing to use as bandages. He cut two flannel shirts into makeshift pressure bandages, and cut a pair of jeans into strips to hold the bandages in place. Calvin moaned in pain, but was nearly unconscious by now. With the camp ax, Alex cut down two saplings, and removed the upper halves and branches. Their tent was used to complete the stretcher, which he gently rolled Calvin onto.

Dragging the stretcher down the trail towards Katmandu seemed the only alternative. Alex set out at a pace he hoped he could maintain, but the trail was not a smooth one. He navigated around the larger of the rocks, trying not to jostle his injured friend. After two hours of this, the trail began to flatten, and became smoother. Alex tried to increase his pace, but the exertion was taking its toll. He stopped for a breather, and to check Calvin's condition. Calvin did not look good. Blood had soaked the bandages, and his breathing was raspy. Alex's doubts returned, but he returned to the job of getting his best friend to help with all the energy he could muster.

As he neared exhaustion, Alex saw a man approaching from up the trail. He was wearing robes, and had a shaved head, as one would expect from a Buddhist monk. Alex collapsed after setting the stretcher down, and called out.

"Help. Help me, please. My friend is injured."

The robed man came over to look at Calvin, and shook his head as he saw the degree of the injuries.

"Tiger", he said simply, not as a question.

"Yes. He is hurt badly. Can you help me get him to the city?"

"No. He will not live that long. I will lead. You follow."

Will no other banter, the monk picked up the front half of the stretcher. Alex picked up the rear, and they continued along the trail. When they came to a fork in the trail, the monk took the higher one, not the one leading to the city. Having no option but to follow, Alex said nothing, and continued carrying the stretcher behind the man he hoped would save Calvin's life.

The monastery was a surprisingly short distance from the trail, but Alex was sure he would have missed it. They carried Calvin into the main structure and set him on a large mat. The monk was quickly joined by several others, and he sent them scurrying in a language Alex did not understand. Some returned with containers and cloth. The monk that brought them there started to remove Calvin's blood-soaked bandages and clothing.

"Your friend is not too good. I do not know if I can save him, but I will try. I am known as Pawhartha, sir."

"My name is Alex, and this is Calvin. Please do everything you can to save him. He means everything to me."

Pawhartha looked at Alex with question in his eyes, but nodded as he returned to treating Calvin. They both stayed with Calvin for the next few hours, but his condition kept worsening. Pawhartha sighed, then stood, making a gesture for Alex to follow. They walked to another room, and at Pawhartha's request, sat down to share some tea.

"I believe there is only on thing that can save your friend's live, but it comes at a price. Because this was done by a tiger, the tiger owes your friend a debt. There is a ceremony that may make use of this debt, and give your friend the energy the tiger has taken."

"Whatever it is, if it can save him, please do it."

"Do not be so quick to speak. You do not understand the meaning of this yet."

Pawhartha stood and walked over to a curtain hanging on the wall. Pulling it back revealed a large woven carpet with the image of a tiger on it. It was obviously not a typical tiger. It was dressed in long golden robes, and was surrounded by monks, bowing to it.

"This was made 600 years ago. It is a representation of the high monk, Pou-Lyn, who encountered a similar situation as your friend. The ceremony I spoke of saved his life, but this was the result. We have not done this ceremony since."

Taken aback by this bizarre explanation, Alex was speechless for several moments as he thought about what to say. In essence, however, there was no choice to make.

"If it will save his life, please do it."

"As you wish. We must act now, while there is still life within him."

More monks were summoned, and instructed what to bring. The ceremony itself did not seem overly complicated or long. Pawhartha recited what Alex thought to be incantations. From ornate boxes, several items were removed and passed over Calvin's body. A tiger claw, a tuft of orange hair, a long tooth from a tiger, and some odd looking sticks with intricate carvings were moved over his body from head to toe. After this, Calvin was covered in a plain silk cloth, with only his head exposed.

"That is it. The ceremony is complete. Now we can do nothing but wait. I do not know if the ceremony has worked, or what will happen. Naturally, I have never seen this done before."

"Thank you for trying. I'll stay with him and keep watch."

"As you wish. I must sleep now. Whatever you see, do not remove the silk cloth."

Alex stood as Pawhartha bowed, returning his bow. Sitting alone with Calvin, Alex kept watching, hoping for some sign that Calvin was improving. It was like watching the hands of a watch. If he kept watching Calvin, he could see nothing happening. When he would rest his eyes, or turn away for several minutes, he could then see subtle changes. The shape of his head seemed to be changing, the nose flattening and becoming broader. His mouth changed also, becoming larger and toothier. Within an hour, a covering of light fur was evident on his face, and his normal hair was all but gone. It was clear that his body was changing also, but Alex remembered Pawhartha's words, and resisted the temptation to look beneath the cloth. Even though under the silk cloth, Alex could tell that Calvin's body was becoming longer. The changes began to happen faster, and Calvin writhed in obvious pain, though thankfully was still unconscious. The marvel and concern were the only things keeping Alex awake at this point. The physical and emotional drain of the day, and most of the night, were finally taking their toll. Calvin's transformation seemed to have completed. He appeared to be totally feline, with all of the attributes of the tiger that nearly ended his life.

Alex placed a hand on the tiger's head, and jumped back as a shock like static electricity jumped through him. "I guess you aren't ready yet." Leaning close, but being careful not to touch, Alex was able to tell that Calvin's breathing sounded much better than before. Somewhat satisfied that his friend would live through this strange experience, Alex lied down on a nearby mat, and was asleep in seconds.

*****

Shortly after sunrise, he woke to find Pawhartha kneeling by Calvin, coaxing him to drink some type of liquid. Crawling over, he asked, "How is he?"

"He will live. He is weak now, but will gain strength quickly."

As if on queue, Calvin opened his eyes. His head turned to face Alex, but looked as if he were straining to focus.

"Calvin. Can you hear me? It's Alex. You are going to be all right."

The tiger's mouth moved, but only indistinguishable, guttural sounds emerged.

Alex nearly cried at hearing anything from the one he loved. Turning to Pawhartha, he asked, "Will he be able to speak? He doesn't really sound human or tiger right now."

"I cannot say for certain. It is believed that Pou-Lyn was able to speak as humans do, but that was long ago. We will see in time."

It did not tale long before Calvin gained strength. He managed to roll into a sitting position, for a tiger. His head was up, and he seemed to be taking in his surroundings. With difficulty, he managed to say, "SsAlex…?"

Hearing this, Alex was immediately at his side, throwing his arms around the huge neck of his now feline friend. "You know me. You can speak. Oh Calvin… I thought I'd lost you for a while there." Tears of joy ran down Alex's face, to be soaked into Calvin's fur.

Calvin was still a bit shaky, and obviously confused. He held a paw before his face, and started at the sight. "Rrrhat?" He tried to stand, but did so as he had always done, and fell back to the mat. Fear began to overcome him, and he struggled with his new body.

Alex and Pawhartha both tried to hold Calvin down to prevent him from injuring himself. Alex talked to the near frantic tiger, trying to soothe him. Eventually, Calvin calmed, but probably more from weakness than anything else. He lied there breathing rapidly, his tongue hanging from his mouth.

"Calvin, you need to calm down and listen to me; a lot has happened. You were hurt real bad, and there was only one way to save your life. You are different now, but you are alive and safe."

Alex held Calvin as best he could, trying to provide comfort, while Pawhartha brought a mirror.

"Now remember, you are not the same as you were before. It's not a bad thing, but the change is kinda drastic."

Pawhartha held the mirror before Calvin's face as Alex continued to hold him around the neck. The recognition was instantaneous. Calvin did not react at first, then slowly began to move his head about, making sure the reflected image was his own.

"Let me up. Pleassse."

Alex was amazed to hear the words, and released his hold, then stepped back. Calvin now understood much, and rose up on all fours. Still looking into the mirror held by the calm Pawhartha, he moved awkwardly in a tight circle.

"I am a tigerrr… I know I wanted to be an anthro-tiger, but…"

Alex was amazed to hear words coming from this tiger that was his friend, and the rapid improvement in articulation was even more amazing. Calvin's movements were becoming more sure with every second, and quickly become graceful.

Calvin began to feel confident in his movements, and began to widen the circle of his walk. "Someone tell me what this all means. What exactly happened?"

Alex spent the next thirty minutes trying to explain, while he kept apologizing for getting Calvin into this mess to begin with. They were both unsure of their feelings at the time. Alex was happy that Calvin was alive, but blamed himself for having talked him into the trip in the first place. Calvin had little recollection of events after the initial strike by the tiger that nearly killed him, but was experiencing things he could never have imagined. He was unsure whether this was a blessing or a curse, or some mismatch of both.

Throughout the day, Calvin became more familiar with his new body. He was very pleased to discover his new capabilities, and pushed them to the limit. As the sun began to sink below the surrounding mountains, Calvin returned to the monastery. He moved with the subtle grace and beauty of a large cat with a lifetime of experience.

Alex smiled as he watched his friend come near. "Glad to see you made it back okay. Did you have fun?"

"It was incredible. I have no words to explain how this feels. It's just…" Calvin lowered his great head and sighed. "As great as this feels, I don't know how I can return home. I don't know what I'm going to do, Alex."

Alex bent slightly to hug his friend. "You could always come live with me. That way nobody would be expecting to see the old Calvin. It might be a little awkward, but I think we can make it work." Alex chuckled and said, "Besides, I've always wanted to live with you." If a tiger could grin, Alex thought Calvin would be doing so now.

The large tiger made a sound resembling a purr, then said, "Thanks, Alex. I not only appreciate the offer, but I think I'll take you up on it. I'm going to need someone to take care of business details that I won't, for obvious reasons, be able to do." Calvin gave a lick to Alex's face, then pulled back quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that."

Alex laughed and hugged Calvin tight. "That's more than all right. Feel free to lick me any time."

That night they shared a mat. Alex slept better than he could remember, as he cuddled next to the large furry tiger.

*****

By the next morning, the pair were ready to resume their journey to Katmandu. After saying their thanks and good byes to the monks that had saved Calvin's life, they set off along the trail. They felt good in general, yet there was this nagging apprehension of what was to come. Just getting Calvin back to the good ol' USA was going to be a challenge at best. Surely the local government would not look favorably on an American trying to transport what they would think, was one of their native creatures, to the states.

Short of any ingenious plan, they decided to use the direct approach. They walked into customs together, and bypassed the line of people waiting to take care of their menial goods to be transported to various countries. Calvin raised up, and slapped his paws on the counter, then said, "I seem to have lost my passport."

The shocked customs agent was utterly speechless, so Alex took this moment of indecision to make his move. "I need to fly my friend here to America. I will need to accompany him as well." The customs agent regained his speech, but kept his eyes locked on the tiger before him as he spoke to Alex.

"That cannot be done. Native animals are not allowed to be brought out of the country."

Alex let out a heavy sigh. "Then there is no problem. This is not a native animal. He arrived here with me three days ago, and now we are ready to return home."

Calvin gave what resembled a large smile, his long sharp teeth well displayed. "Do you have any talking species of tiger in your country."

The agent thought for several moments, unsure how to proceed. "No, I believe we do not."

"Well then, I am obviously not from your country. It should be easy enough for you to arrange transport for me in a cargo plane."

The agent simply nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. He turned to Alex and said, "I will approve the transportation, but you must provide a cage for the flight. All animals must be shipped in cages."

Alex looked questioningly at Calvin and shrugged. The big cat shook his head, but agreed. After filling out the needed paperwork and paying for the journey, they set about finding a suitable cage. A large cage was found at a shipping company not far away, and the arrangements were made for delivery.

Alex hugged Calvin tight before the tiger walked into the cage and curled up against one side. "I'm sorry about this, but it's not like we have much of a choice. I'll be with you the whole way. I've got some food and water for us in my backpack, so we'll be all right.

"It's okay, Alex. Just promise me one thing. No more camping trips, okay?"

They both laughed, and Alex agreed. The cage was loaded onto the cargo plane, and Alex joined his friend in the cargo bay. It being a cargo flight, there were several stops to drop off and take on cargo in various countries. During their airborne time, Alex would unlock the cage and sit with Calvin. There was little room for the tiger to move about the cargo area, so this was the next best thing to letting Calvin out of his confinement. For a while, they slept together. The air was cold at the higher altitudes, and Alex was glad to have such a warm furry friend to cuddle with.

It took more than a day and a night to finally arrive at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. Calvin's cage was placed in the cargo pick up area, while Alex left to find an appropriate vehicle to drive them to his house in Galveston. It had been agreed to go there, as Calvin did not want anyone to know about him yet. Even though Alex was working for Calvin, and lived in California when he did, the work only lasted about half the year. Alex liked keeping his house in Galveston as a place to get away from the pressures of production time.

Alex returned to the airport in the full size van he purchased, and drove to the cargo pick up area. Calvin was not a happy kitty, but remained silent as his cage was loaded into the van. Once out of view of the airport, Alex stopped the van and let Calvin out of the cage.

"Thanks. I am so glad to get out of that tiny cubicle. My joints hurt, and my new fur coat is a mess."

"Yeah, I bet it was pretty rough. We'll be home in about an hour; you'll have a lot more room to move around then. If you like, I can try to rub some of the stiffness from your body"

Calvin placed his head between the front seats and purred. "I think I'd like that. I've never been to your house in Galveston. What's it like?"

"Nothing special, just a cozy one bedroom place with a dining room and a game room. I have a large garage, but not a lot of yard. I think we can make it comfortable for you without much difficulty."

Alex pulled into the driveway, and was instantly approached by his house cats. As he stepped from the van, he was assaulted by angry meows from the cats who felt neglected for the time he had been away. After a little scritching, all was forgiven, and the three cats rubbed against him, expecting food. When Alex opened the side door of the van, Calvin stepped out to meet the three house cats. The twin black cats, Yakko and Wakko ran off immediately at the sight of the enormous cat. The Maine Coon, Fatilda, slowly approached Calvin and sniffed him. As was usual with Fatilda, she lied on her back, expecting attention.

Calvin chuckled softly as he watched Fatilda. "Nice cat. Does she always act like that?"

"Yeah, she's kinda strange, but she's really sweet. The other two will come around eventually, after they realize you are part of the family, so to speak. Come on inside, and I'll show you the place."

Alex unlocked the back door, and Fatilda ran through the opening before Alex could get the door fully opened. Walking through the kitchen, Alex showed Calvin the dining room. "I was thinking about taking out the table, and letting you have this room. It should be big enough for you. I know everyone needs to have a place they can be alone, so I'll put in doors. Speaking of doors, I don't suppose you will be able to handle doorknobs very easily. I'll replace them with levers. Then you can come and go as you please. I figure you'll want to go outside from time to time to take care of your, uh, bathroom needs."

"That sounds okay. I don't think your toilet is very tiger friendly."

They both laughed, then continued looking around. Alex opened the door to his bedroom, and they walked inside. "This is my nice big bed. Feel free to share it with me any time. I like sleeping with my plushy tiger, but I'd prefer the real thing. Just don't jump into bed. We might go through the floor."

"It does sound better than the floor. I hope I don't roll over and squash you."

Alex grinned and patted Calvin's head. "I'll take my chances. Just try to keep your claws retracted. How about that massage I promised you?"

Calvin carefully climbed onto the bed and lied down. Alex straddled him, and began to rub his neck muscles. Moving to his shoulders and legs, Alex tried to use enough force to do some good-- not an easy feat, considering whom he was working on. As he worked along Calvin's back, the tiger made sounds of contentment. It was not long before Calvin was asleep. Alex decided to take this time to stock up on some groceries, knowing he would have a very hungry tiger on his hands when he woke up.

The living room was the largest room, and had two sofas. Calvin was lying on the larger of the two when Alex returned from the store, watching television. "Where did you run off to?"

"Just a little grocery shopping. I think I cleaned out the meat department. Did you enjoy your little cat nap?"

"Ha-ha, very funny. I'm glad you got some food though. I'm starving. I checked out your freezer while you were gone, but didn't feel like eating frozen meat. I managed to get a roast in the oven to thaw, but it's going to take a while. Good thing you have a push button oven. It made turning it on really easy."

"Good. You can do all the cooking. Just kidding. I don't think you could handle a spatula very well. Speaking of cooking, do you want your meat cooked?"

"Hmm… I haven't really thought about it. Why don't we experiment and find out?"

Alex put the groceries away, then cut a rump roast into large chunks. Setting the meat on a serving tray, he brought them to the hungry tiger. Calvin sniffed at the meat, then gulped the seven pounds down in less than a minute.

"Thanks, Alex. I really needed that. I think raw meat will be just fine."

"Good. I'm glad you liked it. I'll do some research on the nutritional needs of a tiger, and see what kinds of food you might like. It's going to cost a fortune if I keep buying these expensive cuts of meat."

Calvin licked his paw, and moved it over his face. "What, aren't I worth it? Just kidding. I don't think I could tell the difference between prime rib and chuck. Just don't buy any horsemeat. I like horses."

"I promise, no horse meat. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to see if I can salvage your roast in the oven."

Alex cooked dinner, and shared the roast with Calvin. After cleaning up and storing the leftover vegetables (there was no leftover meat), Alex returned to the living room. They sat together on the large sofa watching television, Alex scratching Calvin behind the ears. When the hour became late, thoughts of going to sleep entered Alex's mind.

"I think I'm about ready for bed. It has been a long day, and one hell of a vacation. Would you like to join me?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I am pretty tired myself, and I'd much rather sleep with you than sleep alone."

Alex let Fatilda outside, and then they went into the bedroom. As Calvin climbed onto the bed, Alex stripped his clothes, and put on his spotted shorts before lying next to the big cat. He put his arm around Calvin's large furry neck, and sighed.

"Calvin, I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"Everything. If I hadn't talked you into going on that stupid backpacking trip, none of this would have happened. I feel like it's all my fault."

Calvin moved to face Alex. "Don't be silly. If we never did anything because of the chance that something might go wrong, we'd never do anything. You aren't the one who attacked me. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead now. I don't blame you for anything." Calvin licked Alex's face; his huge tongue nearly covering half of his face.

"Thanks, Calvin. That means a lot to me." Alex kissed Calvin's nose and smiled. Before long, they were both asleep in each other's arms.

*****

They slept late the next morning, but woke feeling wonderful. Alex showered while Calvin stretched and licked his lips, being thirsty from the night's sleep. As Alex was toweling off, Calvin walked over and sat by the bathroom door.

"I've come across another problem. I don't have a way of getting water for myself." Alex looked at the toilet. "Don't even think about it. I am not a dog."

Alex burst into laughter. "I was only joking. Let me get some clothes on, and I'll fix you right up."

After dressing, Alex filled a large pot with water, and placed it on the kitchen floor. While Calvin drank his fill, Alex made a light breakfast of fruit and a muffin. Calvin wasn't hungry, but was ready to use the back yard. Alex stuck his head out the back door and looked around, checking to see if anyone was about. Calvin trotted towards the back yard, and easily jumped the brick wall Alexarating the yard from the driveway. Alex left the door open, and began eating his breakfast. Calvin returned soon, and pushed the door closed with a paw.

"That's better. Why don't we do something today? I really want to go somewhere and run. I have been confined inside one thing or another for two days now. I don't think tigers handle that well."

"I know just the thing. Let me finish my breakfast, and I'll get ready. I can't keep up with you, but there is something we can do together."

Alex finished eating, then gathered some stuff together and put it in a bag. They got into the van, and drove off towards the beach.

"Galveston has a seawall, with a wide sidewalk. It runs along the beach for lots of miles."

"Okay, I guess that will do for me, but what are you going to do?"

Alex smiled and said, "Trust me." They got to the seawall and parked the van. He walked around and opened the side door, then sat there with Calvin looking over his shoulder. Opening the bag he brought, Alex removed a pair of roller blades.

Calvin chuckled. "I got the idea. You want a tow job. This might be fun."

Alex made a makeshift harness from some rope, and fastened it around Calvin's shoulders. After making a loop on the other end of the rope, he put on his roller blades and protective gear. The odd looking couple took off, Calvin running at a decent pace with Alex in tow behind. They overtook people so fast, most didn't even notice them until being past in a blur. The people moving in their direction moved out of the way in panic.

"This is great, Calvin. How are you holding up?"

"I'm just getting started. Let me know if I go too fast."

The first mile went by fast, and without incident, if you don't count the screaming tourist running away in terror. However, the whoop of a siren soon sounded behind them, and Calvin stopped his run. Alex slid sideways to a stop, and saw the blue and white police car pulling to the curb.

The officer stayed in his car, and rolled down the passenger side window. Speaking loud, he called Alex over to the car. "You! Come here. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Alex casually walked up to the open window and said, "Walking my friend. Or rather, he is towing me. Something wrong with that?"

"You can't have a dangerous animal in public!"

Hearing the conversation, Calvin nuzzled Alex aside, and stuck his face in the open window. "Who are you calling a dangerous animal?"

The officer's mouth dropped open, and then he dropped the transmission into gear. Without a word, he took off with tires squealing.

Calvin looked at Alex and chuckled. "How rude. He didn't even say good bye."

"I think we'd better head back to the van now. It was fun while it lasted, but I don't want to take the chance of somebody shooting you." Alex laughs and shakes his head. "That was pretty funny though."

*****

When they returned to the house, Calvin had worked up an appetite. Alex cut up another roast, and set it on a tray. Calvin made short work of the meal, then made his way into the living room to lounge on the sofa. Alex washed the tray, then joined his friend in the living room.

"That was definitely interesting. I wonder if that cop is going to report it. His supervisor would probably laugh him out of his office, then make him take a drug test."

Calvin gave something resembling a grin. "Yeah, you're probably right. I don't think we have anything to worry about, but maybe we'd better find a more secluded place to play roller-tow next time." The tiger gave a yawn, opening his mouth incredibly wide. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a little nap."

"Sure, go right ahead. I'm just going to check my email. There's probably a few hundred waiting for me."

Alex went to the bedroom to read his email, so as not to disturb the sleeping tiger. Somewhere after about the seventieth email, the doorbell rang. Alex jumped from his chair, and hurried to the door. Looking through the peephole, he was relieved to see his brother Chris standing there. He opened the door, and greeted him. "Say, dude. Long time no see."

"Yeah, it's been a while. How was the trip?"

"It was interesting. Come in. I brought a friend home I want you to meet."

Chris came inside, and walked towards the living room. " So, who did you-- OH SHIT!" Chris jumped back so hard; he bounced off a wall.

Alex began laughing, as Chris looked back and forth between his brother and the tiger sitting on the sofa, now wide awake from the commotion. "It's okay, he's a friend. Chris, meet Calvin."

Chris walked cautiously towards the huge cat. Holding out a hand, he moved to pet Calvin. "Nice kitty… Nice kitty…"

Calvin cocked his head and eyed Chris. "Please, I am not a kitty. I am a tiger."

You could have knocked Chris over with a touch as he froze in place. After a moment, he found his voice and straightened. Looking to Alex he said, "You've got to be shitting me. Tell me I didn't just hear that tiger talk."

Alex smiled and nodded. Calvin made a sound similar to clearing his throat, but was much deeper. "Hey, my name is Calvin. I would appreciate being called that."

Reality finally came to Chris, and he approached Calvin again. "I'm sorry. You are kind of startling though. Glad to meet you, Calvin."

"Good to meet you, Chris." Calvin held out a paw, and Chris shook it with a smile.

Feeling a bit calmer now, Chris sat on the sofa next to Alex. After having the condensed version of what happened to Calvin, Chris said, "I came by to see if you wanted to go fishing. The parents are in Colorado, and the boat is in the water."

Alex looked to Calvin and asked, "What do you think? Might be fun."

"You know tigers love water. Sure, let's go."

*****

They picked up some bait on the way to Alex's parents' house, and Calvin decided to wait in the van. When they arrived at the two-story house on the bay, they went straight to the boat. Motoring away from the dock, Calvin stood in the bow area, the salt air blowing through his fur. As Chris anchored near an oyster reef, Alex began setting up the fishing poles and baiting the hooks. Calvin watched with interest, but got excited when the first fish was caught. As Alex was reeling it in, Calvin moved from side to side of the boat, causing it to rock in the extreme.

Alex laughed at his excitement. "Whoa there, big fellow. Don't tip us over." He hauled the fish into the boat and removed the hook. Holding it up for all to see, he grinned and placed it in the catch tank. After baiting his hook, he cast out from the stern of the boat. Alex and Chris sat together at the back of the boat, watching their corks, waiting for a fish to strike. Both looked at each other when they heard a strange crunching sound, then turn around to see Calvin happily munching on Alex's recent catch.

"What? You've never heard of sushi? I was hungry."

Chris made a sour face and said, "Oh dude… That's gross."

Alex just laughed for a while. "Eat all the fish I catch if you want. It's cheaper than buying you meat. Besides, I'm not much of a fish eater anyway."

After a few hours, and several more fish being eaten by Calvin, they returned to the house. Chris said he had things to do, and had to leave. Alex and Calvin went inside his parents' house, and drank some cold water.

"Your parents have a nice place. The air conditioning feels good after all that time in the sun. Think we can stay here a little while and cool off?"

"Sure, we can do that. Even better though-- they have really big Jacuzzi. Wanna take a bath?"

"That sounds great. My fur is all salty. Just don't use hot water."

Alex started to fill the Jacuzzi while Calvin lied on the floor watching. The size of the Jacuzzi was ample for both Alex and Calvin to share, but took a while to fill. Alex removed his clothes, and sat with Calvin on the floor while waiting. He stroked the tiger's body, feeling his soft fur. Finally the Jacuzzi was filled enough, and they eased into the mix of cool water and bubbles.

Calvin sighed contentedly, and submerged all but his head. "This feels wonderful. Good suggestion, Alex. I could stay in here for hours."

"I don't know about hours, but it does feel good. Come here you big wet kitty."

Calvin and Alex moved together to one end of the Jacuzzi. Alex wrapped his arms around Calvin's large furry neck, and pressed his body against the tiger. "You feel really good. I've never had a furry bath with bubbles before."

"Yeah, it's much better than a furry bath without the bubbles."

They both laughed; then Alex kissed Calvin on his nose. The tiger purred softly, and licked Alex with his large rough tongue. They lied together in the Jacuzzi for the next half-hour, just enjoying being together. Neither spoke for a long time until Alex said, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I really love your new body. Not that there was anything wrong with your old one. You know how sexy I always thought you were."

"Thanks. I must admit, I like it, too, in a way. I don't know how I'm going to continue with Zeitgeist though. How can I go to work like this?"

"I don't know. I think you might be able to give a better insight now. More of a feline view, I mean."

"You might be right, Alex. One thing's for sure. I'm going to need your help a lot more in the future. I hope that's okay."

"Okay? You silly tiger. I can think of nothing better than spending more time with you. I'll do everything I can to help you." Alex kissed Calvin and smiled. "How about we get out of this tub. I think I'm getting waterlogged.

It took three towels to remove most of the water from Calvin's fur, but Alex enjoyed toweling his furry friend. After the toweling, he used a stiff bristle brush and a hair dryer to finish the job. Calvin squinted his eyes, loving the attention. The results of the bath, brushing, and blow dry were a very soft and clean feeling coat of fur. Leaving the mess of fur at the bottom of the Jacuzzi for later, they went into the living room, and lied together on the thick carpeting.

Alex lied on top of Calvin, his body feeling the warm softness of fur. "It's been a long time since we were this close."

"I know, it's been a while. I didn't really know if you wanted to be this close with me, the way I am now I mean. Do you still find me attractive?"

"Let me show you." Alex coaxed Calvin into a tight embrace, then sought the feline's mouth. Finding the tiger receptive, Alex used his tongue to taunt and tease the feline, wanting to do more.

"This is kinda fun."

Calvin's words made Alex feel confident and eager. He would have smiled if his mouth weren't already engaged with some heavy licking around the feline's now erect cock. He reached around and grabbed two handfuls of fur on either side of Calvin's flank, and made cat-like purrs as he accepted the great creature's member into his mouth. It did not take long before Calvin gushed his creamy goodness into Alex's mouth as he roared. Over and over the tiger came, and Alex took it all in, swallowing as it flowed into him.

Licking his lips, Alex sat on the floor near Calvin's tail. "You are one sweet kitty. I hope you liked that as much as I did."

"I liked it plenty. Thanks." Calvin looked at Alex, sitting on the floor with a hard-on. "You look like you really did like it. Part of you is giving a standing ovation, so I guess you want more. I don't know how comfortable you'd be with my mouth, but…" Calvin rolled over, lifting his tail high.

Alex eagerly got to his knees. He approached Calvin slowly, relishing the experience and hungry for what was to come. Finding Calvin's opening, he eased himself into the tiger. Calvin let out a small growl, but soon relaxed and began enjoying the experience. Alex moved himself in and out of the feline's tight opening, moaning in pleasure. Calvin's tail moved about lazily in the air in front of Alex's face. He giggled and tried to grab it in his mouth as he continued his thrusts of passion. Working up to climax, Alex's body quivered as he came, shooting his load into his lover. He pulled out of Calvin as he fell on top of him, wrapping his arms around the tiger's neck and kissing him. "That was great, Calvin. I really do love your new body. And I love you, too."

*****

The following weeks were fun, but Calvin missed his place in California. After talking about the move, Alex decided to move in with him on a full-time basis. They drove to Calvin's house in southern California in the van so he wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of a cage again. Alex kept his house in Galveston, but arranged for a lot of his possessions to be shipped to Calvin's place. Even though the house was larger than Alex's, and had three bedrooms, they continued to share a bed. Calvin had become proficient at typing on a keyboard with two claws, so scripts continued to be written. Alex ran errands for the tiger when necessary, and helped in any way he could think of. Eventually, the time came when Calvin was needed on the set. He decided to make an appearance at the studio, but that's another story.

Part 2 TigerBoss2

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