As the automatic blinds opened on queue from the preset timer, Alex stirred from his slumber. Knowing better than to open his eyes to the glare from the eastern exposure of the giant bedroom window, he grinned and stroked the fur of the tiger in his arms. Calvin preferred a relatively cool temperature setting on the thermostat, due to his permanent fur coat, but this never bothered Alex. He loved the excuse to cuddle close to his love, and was quite comfortable when they shared a bed, which was nearly every night. "Are you awake yet?" he asked the now purring tiger.

"Are you kidding? Who could sleep with all that sunlight? I don't know why I ever had that darn automatic blind installed in the first place." Calvin shifted upright slightly, then lied back down to face Alex. "Maybe you can figure out how to make that thing open an hour later on the weekends. I hate having to get up early on my day off. By the way, good morning." The tiger gave a lick with his rough tongue against Alex's rough unshaven face.

"Good morning yourself." Alex returned Calvin's sign of affection, kissing the tiger on his broad nose. "I'll see if I can find the owner's manual and figure it out. It shouldn't be too terribly difficult." Throwing off the gold satin sheet covering the couple, he sat up and yawned as he stretched his arms over his head. "I wish there were decent cartoons on Saturday mornings, like there used to be. Oh well, I guess I can make us some breakfast."

"Mmm… Food." The tiger nearly growled. "That sounds good." Calvin stood on the oversized bed, and shook his head to settle his fur. "How would you like to take a swim with me after breakfast? We've got that nice big pool out back, and hardly ever use it."

"Sure, that sounds great. I'll even brush out your fur afterwards." They each walked off to their individual bathrooms, Alex wrapping a robe around his self. Alex's bathroom was rather conventional, the usual furnishings and such. Calvin's was something completely different than a typical bathroom, however. Shortly after having moved to the California home, both agreed that a large litter box was not the way to go, for obvious reasons. The oversized toilet worked on pressure, rather than a gravity system, and was sunken to floor level. A chrome button on the floor next to it activated the flush. The entire room was lined with mirrors, and the ceiling had six shower nozzles, which made the entire room a shower, which drained into the floor level toilet. It was such a great way to get clean, Alex often shared a shower with Calvin, scrubbing him in places the tiger could not effectively clean himself. The room was also equipped with a drying area, where columns of hot dry air blew through vents to remove the vast amounts of water, which soaked his fur.

They met in the kitchen, and Alex began preparing their morning meal. After the dozen eggs and pound of sausage were consumed, the dishes were placed in the washer, and the skillet left in the sink to soak. "What's that saying about waiting an hour before going swimming after eating?" Alex asked. "Ah, the hell with that. I doubt it applies to tigers anyway. If I start to drown, you can save me." With a chuckle and a grin, Alex said, "Maybe you will have to give me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

Calvin let out a low growl. "If you sink, I may just let you drown. I'm not swimming to the bottom of the pool to haul your butt out. Maybe you better stick to the kiddy pool." The tiger gave Alex a grin, in a way that probably only Alex could understand.

"I'll be all right. Let's go for it." They walked through the glass sliding doors, into the back yard. The sun was now high enough to start warming the day, and the light danced among the vast variety of plants, now wet from the automatic sprinkler system. The kidney-shaped pool was not enormous, but far from small. Slipping out of his robe, Alex walked down the steps into the cool water.

The tiger did his usual leap, landing in the center of the pool with a splash that showered water over the high privacy fence. Feeling quite at home in the water, he began to lazily swim circles around the pool. Alex treaded water in the center, watching Calvin enjoy himself.

"Hey Calvin, can I catch a ride?"

"You always want to catch a ride when we swim. Well, okay. Try and grab hold, if you can catch me."

After a couple of close misses, Alex was able to grab the swimming tiger's tail. He laughed as he was towed behind Calvin, taking care to keep his body as flat as possible to avoid any undue tension on his partners tail. Soon Alex began inching his way along Calvin's tail, until he was halfway on the tiger's back. The wet fur felt wonderful against his skin, and he grabbed a handful with one hand to hold on, while he scratched him roughly with his other.

The couple played together in the pool for an hour or so, then rested on a large blanket under a banana tree. True to his word, Alex brushed Calvin's fur after toweling as much water from it as he could. The tiger purred deeply with his eyes closed. "That feels great, Alex. What would I do without you?"

"Well for one thing, you would do a lot more walking, since you can't drive. Then again, you may not. I don't know if California is ready for a talking tiger. Animal Control would probably try to pick you up or something."

"Am I worth the trouble?"

Alex smiled as he ruffled Calvin's furry head. "The plusses definitely outweigh any minuses, you big silly kitty." Leaning close, Alex wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed the tiger on the mouth. "I get to sleep with the ultimate plushy. That alone makes everything worth it. Besides, I have a much better job now, with better pay."

"Speaking of work, you know I will have to go to the studio soon. I can't just keep writing instructions and using the phone. I need to see for myself how the series is progressing." Calvin lowered his head and sighed. "You better come with me. Maybe if they see you walking next to me, they won't scream and run away."

"What? You think I'd just drop you off or something? Of course I will be right by your side. When were you thinking of going there?"

"Well, you know what they say; there's no time like the present. I think Saturday would be a good day to do this anyway. There won't be many people there, and you can operate the equipment. I'd like to see the footage they've shot since our little vacation."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Want to wait here while I get some clothes on?"

"You could just go as you are, but you might scare the crew even more than I do."

"Hey!"

*****

Now dressed, Alex opened the sliding door to the van for Calvin. Once underway, he noticed they were low on gas. This had become somewhat of a game for them. It was easy to just go to a place that sold gas where you could simply pay at the pump, but that wasn't any fun. With Calvin sitting in front, where the seat used to be, they pulled into a full-service station. It was always fun to watch the reactions of the attendant, and the young man that approached them did not disappoint.

"Good morning. Fill er uuuhh-OH SHIT!"

Alex and Calvin both laughed as the attendant jumped back, knocking over a display stand of oil cans. Alex gave Calvin a wink, then told the attendant, "It's okay. He's housebroken. Go ahead and fill it up with regular." Calvin snickered quietly, then let out a roar that would do any tiger proud. The gas station attendant was now visibly shaking, but went about his duties, mumbling something about "damn Hollywood weirdoes."

Alex had the necessary pass to get on the lot, and told the guard that Calvin was a trained animal for a movie. They parked in Calvin's reserved spot at studio 8, and walked inside the large building. Alex's eyes were not accustomed to the darkness of the interior, but Calvin had no such problem, and lead Alex in the direction of the editing room. No one seemed to be about, but there were cars in the parking lot. There were people there, just not in view. Scenery and sets were scattered about the studio, all dim in the low light.

Calvin made his way to the editing room door, and waited for Alex to open it. "Why don't you wait here for a minute, and let me see if anyone is in there. We don't want any accidents in here when your presence is discovered." Alex entered the room, and found it to be somewhat dim also. The sound of editing equipment in the back meant he was not alone, however. Walking to the back, he saw a familiar man hunched over a viewer, intent on his work. He had met this man a couple of times while delivering scripts to the studio for Calvin, and greeted him pleasurably. "Hiya, Charlie. Getting in some overtime?"

"Oh, hi there Alex. Making another delivery? There's really nobody here to accept it today. You know how the big-wigs are. They'd never come here on the weekend."

"Well, I wouldn't say that exactly. It just so happens that there's a very big-wig waiting outside. Wait here, and don't be surprised at who comes back with me."

"Alex, I've been working here long enough not to be surprised by anything."

Charlie got back to his job as Alex returned to the doorway of the editing room. Calvin and Alex walked up behind Charlie, and the tiger put a paw on the editor's shoulder. Without turning around, Charlie said, "Ha-ha, very funny." He swiveled on his work stool, and came face to face with Calvin. "Damn, Alex. You know better than to bring one of the animals in here."

"Who are you calling an animal?" said Calvin. "I just happen to be the creator of this series."

Charlie's mouth hung open for a moment, then he slipped sideways off of his stool, landing flat on his butt. When he was able to speak, he said, "Mister Reinhardt? Is that you?" Fumbling to his feet, Charlie made nervous motions as if dusting himself off, though the room was void of such contaminants.

"Yes Charlie, it's me, and call me Calvin. The tiger extended his right paw, and Charlie shook it as he would any person's hand.

"I guess I was wrong, Alex. I am surprised. So, what do I owe the honor of this visit? I haven't seen you around here in a long time, uh-- Calvin. I've been trying to put these scenes together as best I can, but I could really use your input."

Well, that's precisely why I'm here. I was going to have Alex run the equipment and mark for me, but since you're here… Let's get started, okay?"

While Calvin and Charlie worked together, Alex walked about the studio, occasionally finding another member of the cast or crew. He tried to explain what had happened to Calvin, but knew he was only half believed. Oh well, he thought to himself. They'll see for themselves soon enough. At least rumors will spread, and it won't be a total shook when Katrhis appears on the set during shooting.

Calvin was eventually satisfied with the editing, and they both said goodbye to Charlie. As they were walking out of the studio building, there was a loud crash, followed by, "OH SHIT! He wasn't kidding!" They kept walking without turning around, both laughing.

*****

During the ride home, they talked with one another lightheartedly. "Well, was it everything you'd hoped it would be? I mean, did you and Charlie get much accomplished? You definitely made your presence known as we were leaving."

"Charlie has a good handle on what I want from the series. I really didn't have to make very many changes. I guess that's what experience can do." Calvin looked at Alex with an odd expression. "You know, I don't really feel like going home just yet."

"Yeah, it's been a while since we did anything together in public. I wish we could go shopping or something. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Nothing comes to mind at the moment, except my empty stomach. Let's go to a drive-thru and pick up some burgers. Then we can drive up to Lookout Point and chow down." Calvin licked his lips, his eyes gleaming.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'm a little hungry myself. That was kind of a light breakfast for you, after all. How many burgers do you want anyway?"

They pulled into the drive-thru, and waited their turn to make their order. Rolling up to the speaker, Alex said, "I'd like twenty five burgers, one cheeseburger, 1 order of fries, a strawberry shake, and one diet cola." There was a long wait before a crackled voice replied, "Would you repeat that?" Alex repeated his order, and the speaker replied, "This had better not be a joke."

When they pulled up to the pick-up window, the cashier leaned forward and smiled. "I should have known it was you." She waved at the tiger and said, "How you doing Calvin? Is your master giving you a treat again?" Calvin remained silent, but showed his obvious displeasure at the assumed relationship.

"Yeah, he's been a very good kitty lately." Alex patted Calvin's head, smiling at the annoyed looking feline. "Next time I'm taking him out for fried chicken."

"You're going to kill that tiger with all that greasy food."

"What can I say? He's a tiger that knows what he likes." Calvin made a "hrmmff" noise, and shook his head.

With the bags of hamburgers in the van, they drove to the scenic spot overlooking Hollywood. They stayed close to the van in case a speedy departure was needed. Sitting on the thick covering of grass, Alex began unwrapping burgers, while Calvin ate them nearly as fast. "Slow down. You better save room for your shake. By the way, the french fries are mine."

"Don't you worry about me saving room. I could eat a lot more than what you have here. I just don't want my shake to melt before I get to it."

Alex settled down to his own cheeseburger and fries, occasionally sipping his soda. Calvin soon finished his burgers, and was sucking his shake through a straw, holding it between his front paws. "You know, one of these days I'm going to say something to that lady at the drive-thru. Now that the word about me has gotten out at the studio, it won't be long before everyone knows anyway. You know how Hollywood people love to gossip."

"Yeah, but aren't we Hollywood people?"

"You know what I mean."

"I know. I was just kidding. It does make me worry though. You are one of a kind, as far as I know. I think you are taking a chance by revealing what you've become. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you." Alex set down his drink, and kissed Calvin on top of his big furry head. "Too late to worry about your decision now, but I still do worry about you."

With a slurping sound from Calvin's now empty shake, the tiger stood on his feet and gave Alex a gentle head butt. "Don't worry, Alex. I'm a grown person, and I can take care of myself. We'll just have to be more careful when we're around strangers."

They picked up their trash, and stowed it in the van. When they were both sitting in the front of the van, Alex scratched Calvin behind his left ear. "Today was fun. I've been really apprehensive about you going to the studio, but it seems to have worked out pretty well so far. It looked like you got a lot of work done, and Charlie didn't have a heart attack."

Calvin chuckled. " I hope it goes as well Monday."

The remainder of the weekend went smooth and normal, as normal Alex and Calvin had grown to expect at least. They both did some work, Calvin writing as he usually did each day, and Alex trying to figure how to get the automatic blinds to open at a later time on the weekends. Several times, Calvin could hear frustrated curses coming from the bedroom as he typed away in his den, but merely shook his head and smiled, not wanting to let Alex know that he found the blinds problem funny. 'Why doesn't he just give up and call the people that installed them', he thought.

Alex eventually got the blinds to open an hour later than before, he hoped, and wondered if they would still open at the regular time on the weekdays. Giving up for the moment, he came into Calvin's den, and sat beside the tiger. The best arrangement they had come up with for Calvin to type was to place the computer on the floor. It was far from perfect, but there were few alternatives. He knew that Calvin hated writing when others were around, so he only planned on staying long enough to give him a hug and ask, "How goes it? Can I get you anything?"

Calvin stopped typing, and lowered his mighty head. "What I could really use right now is a neck rub. I've been working too long on this episode, and this computer isn't exactly ergonomic for tigers. I don't want to stop right now, but my neck muscles are really tense."

"Say no more, my talented kitty. Just stay right where you are." Mounting the large striped feline horse-style, Alex began to massage Calvin's neck as hard as he could without wearing himself out too quickly. Calvin loved it when Alex did this for him, and thought he would have to find a way to repay his kindness. Deep purrs emanated from him, and Alex found the sound contagious. Soon they were both purring, and Calvin's pain began to diminish. When Alex's arms and hands gave out, he kissed Calvin on top of his head "You get back to work now. I know how you get when you don't finish what you started."

The remainder of the weekend was uneventful. They lounged, played around as if wrestling, and played video games. Alex was proud of the controller he developed for Calvin. It was oversized, and had large buttons like a gamepad. It was not exactly easy for the tiger to use at first, but Calvin was becoming a master at adapting to new things. He had become so good at using his controller that Alex ended up loosing more games than he won. Calvin completed his latest script late Sunday evening, and they planned on both delivering it the following morning.

*****

Early Monday morning, they arrived at the studio gate. It became apparent the rumor about Calvin had spread. The guard at the gate tipped his hat as they drove up. "Good morning Mr. Convale. Uh, good morning Mr. Reinhardt," he said. Alex smiled as the guard raised the gate, and they drove onto the lot. No one was around when Alex parked the van. They walked into the noise and congestion of studio crew members and cast, to experience a sudden hush and stillness. Calvin and Alex both turned their heads to face each other, a look of consternation shared between them. Calvin growled softly, barely audible, and said, "What? Somebody say union break?" There were a couple of distant chuckles, then things started moving again. Calvin soon found the assistant director, going over a script with one of the star members of the cast, Jeanette Antione. She played Hali, which was an anthro-fox that was married to the star character of the series, Calvin. She smiled when she saw Calvin, which the extremely well-designed costume allowed her to express. She knelt to bring her face closer to his, and placed her costume paw upon his head.

"Calvin, is that really you? I've been so worried… I know your scripts have been coming in, but you always used to take such an active role on the set. Besides, I thought we were friends." Calvin had always had a special place in his heart for Hali, and when Jeanette was cast for the part, he took an immediate liking to her. She was about his height, at that time, and her hair was very close to the color of Hali's fur. They never got romantically involved, but became fairly close in a more-than-just-friends sort of way. "I must admit. I'm a little jealous of your fur. It looks even better than mine," She said teasingly.

"Yeah, I'm kind of partial to it myself, but mine doesn't come off. So, do you think you can handle the new me?"

She stood back and examined him, striking a thoughtful pose. Walking a circle around the tiger, she occasionally uttered a "hmmm…" Once she came full circle, she smiled, then laughed the way only Jeanette could laugh. Calvin began to laugh also, and Jeanette quickly encompassed his neck in a tight embrace. "You big, silly, gorgeous, tiger. It's still you. Of course I can handle the new you. Just don't stop writing Zeitgest, okay?"

"Thanks, Jeanette, that means a lot to me, and don't worry. I plan on writing for a long time yet. Let's just hope our ratings continue to be as high or higher as they have been. Oh, I nearly forgot. I have a friend I want you to meet." Calvin looks around the studio, and calls for Alex once he sees him nearly the opposite side of the cavernous building. The intensity and volume of his voice was surprisingly well understood above the ambient noise that filled the studio. "Alex! Come here for a minute will you?"

As Alex approached, it was impossible to miss the beautiful fox standing next to Calvin. He had met her before, casually. At an earlier date he had delivered a script to her, so he knew her name. Even though he also had a special liking for her character, Alex's favorite character had always been Calvin, the Calvin from the series that is. Once he was within the range in which normal conversation could be achieved, Calvin wasted no time in introductions. With a feeling of friendship and a twinge of envy, Alex accepted her paw and shook it. "Hello, Jeanette, it's been a while. You're looking very furry today."

"Is that a compliment or a criticism?"

"Oh, a compliment, by all means. I've always liked furry things, and now I live with the furriest person I've ever known." Alex looked down at Calvin and smiled.

"I didn't realize. You mean, you two are living together?"

"Yes, for a while now. We were staying at my place in Texas for a stretch, but Calvin had to come out here because of his work. He was kind enough to offer me a job, and here we are.

"It must have been a pretty decent job offer to get you to move across the country."

"Well, I do a lot of goforing, but the fringe benefits are great." Alex smiled down at Calvin, then had to regain his balance when Calvin bumped into him rather forcibly.

The tiger made a coughing sound, then spoke up. "It's been great seeing you again, Jeanette, but we really must be off. Do me proud with the show."

"I will, don't worry." As Calvin and Alex started to leave, she said, "You better invite me over to your house some day."

They both turned as they walked away. "Okay", said Calvin, Alex merely waving goodbye. The parking lot was wet when they exited the studio, evidence of a sudden, brief rain shower. They got to the van and entered it, both in a very good mood. "Jeanette sure looked good today," said Calvin.

"She sure did. That costume fit her in all the right places, and they did a great job making it look realistic."

Calvin looked Alex in the eye and growled softly. "You'd better not be getting ideas about my Hali." He started laughing, his shoulders moving up and down.

"Don't worry. You're the only furry for me."

*****

The guard raised the gate for them as they approached, and waved them through with a smile. Alex smiled and waved back as they passed him, but thought he noticed something strange about the way the guard looked at him. Thinking little of it, he shrugged it off and continued the drive home. Turning off of Sunset Boulevard, Alex drove along the winding road that led to their secluded home. It was well paved, but had very little straight sections. The twists and turns were mostly lined with large trees, which concealed the cliff beyond. It made for a pleasant drive, but a cautious one.

The sight of the approaching car in the rear view mirror caught Alex's attention because of the reckless way in which it was being driven. He tried to move over to allow the asshole to pass, but when the car came alongside, it veered directly into the front left of the van. The large sedan easily forced the van off the road, and Alex hit the brakes in an attempt to stop before ramming the tree that seemed to be growing larger by the second. The smashing sound of the collision seemed to drown out everything. Alex was knocked semi-senseless, and Calvin was little better. Blood flowed down one side of Alex's face, and obscured vision in one eye. He struggled to Calvin's side, then opened the sliding door from the inside. "Are you all right, Calvin?"

The tiger was on his side, and obviously dazed. He managed to get into a sitting position and moaned. "I don't know if the tree or my head cracked the windshield, or both. Who the hell was that jerk?"

The car in question slammed on its brakes after speeding back to the crash site in reverse. Two men dressed in khaki apparel approached with a pistol in one of their hands. "Oh shit, Calvin. We've got trouble."

The tiger became instantly alert; muscles tensed and ready to strike. As the first man came around the front of the van, Calvin leapt upon him, forcing him to the ground. Alex grabbed a tire iron from the back of the van, and rushed to help. His timing could have been better, but probably could have been worse, also. As he neared the front of the van, Alex saw the second man leveling the pistol at Calvin. Swinging the tire iron at the hand holding the pistol, he heard the muffled shot before his swing connected. Yet connect it did, and Alex was certain he had broken some bone. Knowing the man had gotten off a shot, Alex became enraged. He struck the man across his hip as he held his wrist, knocking him to the ground. The man wailed as he landed on his injured hand, then scrambled to get away. "Oh no you don't!" Alex yelled. He jumped on the man with a knee to his back, and knocked him flat on the ground, forcing the air from his lungs. Before the man could recover, Alex noticed a length of rope coiled and held to the man's belt by a clip. He took the rope from the man, and used it to tie his hands and feet.

The sound of Calvin growling made Alex's mind think of the other man, and the shot that was fired. "Alex, I could use your help over here if you're not too busy." The tiger was still on top of the first man, but there was a large dart with red plumage sticking in his hindquarter. "Better hurry, Alex. I'm not feeling too good."

Using the pocketknife he always carried, Alex cut some rope from the bound man. He pulled the dart from Calvin, and broke off the needle before placing it in his pants pocket. Tying the second unknown assailant was not difficult. Calvin kept a paw on his throat, claws extended, and the man's only movements were the shaking of his body from fear.

"Can you make it to the van, Calvin?"

"Yeah, I think so. See what you can find out from our friends here, but I think I might need a doctor soon. I'm feeling really bad."

After helping Calvin into the van, Alex returned to the man that fired the gun that drugged his mate. Holding the tire iron in his right hand, he laid it across the man's face. "If he dies, you die."

"He won't die. It was just a tranquilizer."

"You'd better be right. Now, why are you attacking us?"

Before the man could answer, or refuse to, the whoop of a police siren sounded behind them. Alex threw the tire iron past the trees, and stood waiting for the officer to exit his car. He kept his hands in plain sight as the officer approached, and waited for questions before saying anything.

Once the attacker near Alex saw the officer, he began screaming. "Thank God you're here, officer. This maniac tried to force us off the road, then attacked us with a tire iron. I want him arrested."

Alex remained calm, hoping this policeman was no idiot. The police community typically provided a great service to the people in this area, and tried hard to protect the citizens that lived in their precinct. "Sir, if you will examine our vehicles, I think it's apparent who ran into who. There's a pistol here with this man's fingerprints on it, and he shot a very expensive animal of mine with it.

The officer examined what Alex had suggested, and came to the obvious conclusion. "You must think I'm pretty stupid," he said to the man on the ground. "Let's see... Looks like aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and lying to the police. I take it you'll want to press charges." He said to Alex.

"Damn right, but I need to take my friend to the doctor right now."

"Your friend? I thought you were alone."

"Well, the animal I mentioned earlier I mean. He is my friend, after all."

"Is that van going to be able to be driven, and what about you? That's a pretty good cut you've got on your head."

"I managed to slow down quite a bit before I hit the tree. I think it'll be okay. Thanks for your help."

"That's what I'm paid for. I'll make sure your van runs before leaving." The officer placed handcuffs on the men before removing their bonds, then stuffed them in the back of his patrol car. After he closed the door on the second prisoner, the man said to the first, "The boss is gonna kill us."

Alex checked for any coolant leaking from the radiator. Finding none, he climbed in through the sliding door, shutting it behind him. "Calvin. Are you still with me?" The tiger grumbled something unintelligible. "Great. Just fucking great."

*****

Calvin already had a veterinarian in the city, and it did not take long to drive there. With the aid of three others, Calvin was carried inside, and laid on an examining table. Alex removed the dart from his pocket, and handed it to the doctor. "They said it was a tranquilizer, but I can't say for sure."

The doctor set the dart aside and checked Calvin'ss vitals. "I think he'll be fine. Let's just keep an eye on him for the time being. I don't want to give him anything without knowing exactly what he was given, or how much of a dosage."

Calvin began to stir, then softly uttered, "Alex? Are you there?"

The doctor nearly jumped out of his lab coat, but quickly found his voice. "Did that tiger just ask for you? By name?"

"Yeah, doctor, but let's not worry about that right now. Yes, Calvin, I'm here. You'll be fine."

Calvin opened his eyes, trying to focus. "How did I get here?"

"I drove you here. We're at Dr. Hudson's. You remember him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I remember things now, like those guys that drove us off the road. I'm glad you're all right."

"The feeling's mutual, but I think we might have a problem. I don't think they were working alone. I got the impression they were working for someone else, and there's another thing. I think there might be a connection with the studio."

Part 3 TigerBoss3

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