InsaneJournal

There's all kinds of redheaded women that I ain't suppose to kiss
Who: Austin, Saundra, and Grace (NPC)
Where: Community Park
When: Noontime

Saundra had decided to take a later shift than she was accustomed to, switching her hours with one of the other doctors in the clinic. She wasn't used to working until 9pm at night, and it wasn't even like she was getting all these patients coming in, but it did mean she had to deal with paperwork. The very thought made Saundra groan, but hey, someone had to do it. At least it meant that she had the morning and part of the afternoon to herself. She settled on taking a run around town and it wasn't until she reached the other side by the park that she realized she was exhausted.

"Need to stop pushing myself..." She mumbled lowly while taking a long swig of her Gatorade. It was overcast outside, but still hot as hell, and there was no way she could run all the way back to her house. Oh no, screw that noise. She needed to lie down and rest for a bit, though her running outfit was completely soaked in sweat. Yuck! It then occurred to Saundra that she could easily turn into a big kitty, climb up one of the trees, and rest until she was feeling better. Besides, not too many people were at the park, so who was to notice a huge ass tiger lounging about in a tree, right?

Stepping behind one of the larger trees, Saundra stripped from all of her clothing and then immediately turned into a tiger, climbing her way up the tree quickly. The shade and gentle breeze was quite relaxing, and after giving off a massive kitty yawn, she nestled into the branches and closed her eyes for a much needed cat nap.

Grace was in a mood. She was very upset when Austin broke the news that Darcy wouldn't be coming around anymore. She'd liked Darcy. It also completely reinforced everything that Austin thought about bringing home a woman... it was way too dangerous. He couldn't let Grace get attached and then they leave. As much as he craved the constant companionship of a woman, it wasn't the best thing for his daughter. She'd been pouty and sad all morning and Austin was just about at his wits end.

Finally he figured that getting out of the house and letting her play with him in his dog form might cheer her up. Grace was excited to go because it was one of her favorite things to do, however today it was more of a subdued happiness. She kept quiet all the way to the park, not even wanting to hold Austin's hand so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. Once they walked a bit deeper into the park, Austin pulled Grace off the path and into the bushes. He ducked behind a tree and slipped out of his clothes and shifted into his dog form. He bounded out from behind the tree and barked at his daughter, playfully headbutting her.

Grace grinned and patted him on the head. "You're so cute like this," she giggled. "I'll race you!" she squealed before her legs took off running and she dashed back onto the path and started running. He barked at her before running after her, nneeding to keep up wtih her to ensure her safety.

A little ways down the path, Grace stopped dead in her tracks, causing Austin to literally knock her down as he tried to stop. Her little face was turned up and she was pointing into a tree. "Daddy, look! It's a tiger!" When Austin looked up and saw the tiger, his first instinct was to shift and run Grace out of there. But it seemed the tiger was sleeping so he didn't rush Grace away, even though he kept an extremely close eye on his daughter, prepared to shift back and fight should it come to that.

"I can see her tongue!" Grace giggled as she pointed more enthusiastically than before. Austin ha to put his nose against her back on several occasions to help her keep her balance. Again, Austin looked to the tiger, thinking despite himself, that she was pretty cute for a tiger.

Saundra was in a pretty deep sleep until she heard a voice come into range. Flicking her ears about, she slowly opened her tired eyes to scan the area. It was then that she spotted a young girl with a husky dog. The little one seemed to be quite amused by the fact she had found a- Oh SHIT. Tigers weren't really something someone was suppose to find on a walk through the park, especially one that was indigenous to a small section in Asia. Though while Saundra was scared that she could be potentially found out as a were, she quickly became concerned about the fact that the little girl was out on her own in the woods.

Then she looked on over to the dog and realized something was a smidge off. Sniffing the air a few times, she thought she caught the scent of another were. Was it the dog? Or maybe it was the squirrel flipping its shit above her when it spotted a tiger lounging by its home. Who knew. Either way, Saundra stretched out along the branches before readjusting herself to eye the dog and kid, tilting her head to the side with curiosity.

Grace stood fascinated as the tiger stretched and tilted her head. She giggled and reached up as if she could reach high enough to pet the pretty tiger. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Her excitement was palatable and her pure innocence made it so that she didn't wonder how a tiger would show up in the middle of a park in bumfuck Michigan.

Austin stood between Grace and the tiger and bumped his nose into Grace's chest, hoping to lead her away from what he perceived as a threat. Grace wasn't budging however. She just twisted her fingers in his fur and held on. "Change back, daddy! I wanna pet the tiger!" Her bottom lip came out in a pout, even though her eyes shined with wonder at the large cat sitting in the tree.

Barking sharply, Austin grabbed Grace's shirt in his mouth and tugged her away and back to the tree where his clothes were. Grace struggled the whole way, not wanting to go at all but Austin forced her. He couldn't leave her behind with the tiger, no matter how bad she wanted to be left there. Quickly shifting back and redressing, Austin appeared in his human form again. "Okay Gracie, it's time to go."

"NO!" She spun on her heel and took off running in the tiger's direction. Austin caught up with her easily and swung her up in his arms. He turned her so she was facing him and his angry eyes. "Don't EVER run away from me like that. EVER, Grace."

Her lip poked out in a pout but she nodded and muttered her apology. He reluctantly put her down and they went back the way they came, away from the tiger. From the scent, Austin figured it was a were, but not knowing if it was bitten or born he couldn't take that chance with Grace.

Grace, however had other ideas. She once again took off running and actually made it back to the tiger before Austin caught her. She was smart in weaving her way in and out of bushes and under limbs he was too tall for. But she stopped at the base of the tree, her little face upturned staring at the tiger. "Pretty kitty!"

Well, that was quite the interesting sight. Saundra wasn't used to kids wanting to pet her in her tiger form, though at the same time she didn't typically go strutting her stuff to others. When the dog and child left, she remained in the tree for a bit longer, still too tired to do anything. Part of her screamed to jump down, shift, and dress up, but the cat instincts were winning and lounging in the tree seemed much nicer. Though the minute she closed her eyes, she heard the child run on back along with... her father? But where did the dog- Well damn, that must have been him.

Saundra looked down to eye the two of them, particular the father. She could totally understand why he was freaking the hell out - I mean, shit, I would, too... - but Saundra didn't mean any harm. With that in mind, she sprung forth from her perch and landed down by the little girl, swishing her tail back and forth as she saw the father running back. She wasn't going to fight him, and instead she stood there rather mellowed out, her eyes twitching back and forth between the girl and her bundle of clothes lying by the tree.

Grace let out a small squeak as the tiger jumped from her spot in the tree. She backed up and tripped over Austin's foot, landing on her little bottom. She looked up at the tiger, big tears in her eyes and a quivering bottom lip and in the most pitiful of voices she said tearfully, "Owie."

Austin knelt down at her side immediately. "You're okay, baby. You're okay." He swiped his fingers under her eyes to catch her tears and kissed her forehead. "It's okay. She's not going to hurt you," he said, speaking of the tiger. At lease he hoped not. If she thought of it, he'd shift and there would be an epic fight.

Of course I'm not going to hurt her! Poor kiddo, I would never do that. She tilted her head to the side while eying the two of them. All Saundra wanted was a nap, not a fight. The only reason she would have fought was if either of them provoked her, but seeing that wasn't the case, Saundra was quite the docile kitty. Taking a few more steps towards them, she looked up to eye the father, then looked on back to the child, let out a few calm chirps. It was her only way to let them know she meant no harm. Either that or turn into her human form. Yeah, she was going to stick with the first option.

Grace giggled when the big kitty talked to them. "Can I pet her?" she asked Austin, her eyes big and pleading, completely over the small owie she had. She scrambled to her feet and took a hesitant step toward the tiger, before looking back at her dad for approval.

Austin sighed and nodded his head, walking along beside her as she approached the tiger. Grace held out a small hand and petted the tiger gently between the eyes. She jerked her hand back, grinning broadly at Austin. "She's so soft!" Her hand went back and scratched the big kitty's head, her fingers lingering over the tiger's big ears.

Now this was a first. No one had really petted her while she was a tiger, and Saundra had to admit it was pretty good. Purring for the girl, she softly nuzzled into the small child while swishing her tail about happily. The attention she was receiving was approved and didn't mind if the child kept going. Oooo, right there! Feels like a wicked good head massage! Saundra turned her head to give the girl better access to her head, completely basking in the attention.

Grace giggled delightedly when the big kitty started purring. "She's purring, Daddy! It's so loud!" Her face was alight with excitement, clearly enjoying this encounter with the tiger. She continued scratching behind the tiger's ears since she apparently loved it. "You gotta pet her too, Daddy!"

Austin grinned at her excitement, then sighed when she insisted on him petting the tiger. He knew his daughter well enough that she wouldn't leave it alone unless he did. He also knew that the tiger was a were and he sincerely hoped that whoever it was didn't mind him petting her. He tentatively reached out and stroked his long fingers over her head and down her neck, surprised at the softness of her fur. He could feel her strong muscles beneath the skin and it reinforced what he already knew: she could be a very dangerous kitty.

Saundra didn't mind the child petting her, but the second the father joined in she couldn't help but be taken aback slightly. She didn't pull back, but merely twitched her ears about at the second hand joining in. Actually, now that he was petting her, it was quite.... nice, to say the least. Saundra found herself purring louder, nuzzling into his hand as her eyes stared on up at him. The man was quite handsome, albeit quite unconventional, though was still appealing to the eyes. Part of her was happy she was a tiger, seeing she could get away with such stroking far more easily.

It seemed as if the tiger liked their petting. Austin watched the tiger as much as he did Grace and couldn't help grin at their happiness. Grace caught him looking at her and cocked her head ot the side. "Daddy, does the tiger have a name?"

Austin chuckled. He knew that twenty questions was about to start and just shook his head. "I'm sure the tiger has a name." His fingers continued scratching and digging into the tiger's fur. "You know how I change into a dog sometimes? I'm pretty sure the tiger can change into a people. So yeah, the tiger has a name."

Grace's lips formed an O as she looked back and forth between Austin and the big kitty. "How do you know that?" Austin ruffled her hair with his other hand before pointing at the pile of clothes near where they were. "See those clothes? And she also smells different." Grace knew all about his enhanced sense of smell. When she was smaller she used to try to lie to him when she messed up her panties or pullups. He could always tell though, thanks to his were abilities.

Ok, that was one way to unveil her cover. At least the other were knew what was going on. From the smell alone, the child didn't seem to be a were, though her reaction was also enough to indicate that she wasn't one. Which was fine, though it did feel a bit odd that the other were was petting her while knowing what exactly she was. Oh well, still feels nice. Saundra nuzzled some more into his hand, even flicking her tongue out to lick at his palm slightly. Couldn't help herself whatsoever, seeing that the kitty in her was taking over for a moment. But hey, better to get away with it now, right?

"But that's her human name. What about a kitty name?" Grace's little eyebrows were furrowed together trying to sort it out in her head.

Austin just chuckled some more and winked at the tiger, not feeling weird in the least that he was you know, winking at a tiger and all. "I'm still Daddy when I'm a dog, right? So she's still whatever her name is when she's a tiger." Austin started slightly when he felt the tiger's tongue against his palm, the rough tongue oddly making him shiver a bit.

"Then you need a doggie name," Grace decided, her little head bobbing up and down. "What about Snowflake? Or Snowball?"

"I don't really need a doggie name, silly. Just call me Daddy." Austin really didn't want a silly fluffy name... what a great way to impress the lovely tiger. Not that he wanted to impress her really. For all he knew, she could be a sixty year old woman or something.

A kitty name and a human name? If tigers could giggle, then Saundra would have been all over that. This little girl was absolutely adorable. Poor father having to deal with it, but he was doing a really good job and she respected that. Not often did she find dads completely committed to their children. Usually it was the moms who were there for the kids more so than the dad. Was a nice change of pace. Saundra was tempted to go behind the tree and shift back into her human form so she could actually converse with the two of them, but she still wasn't sure if that was a smart move. Sure, he was another were and all, but could she trust him? At the same time, Saundra knew the longer she stayed as a cat the more likely it became for someone to spot her and flip their shit.

For the meantime, Saundra rolled on over onto her back to try and gain some more brownie points with the two of them. She figured if she acted adorable in front of the girl and gained her approval, then maybe the father would warm up a bit and not like, run off screaming about how there was a tiger in the woods or something. Then again, she was starting to get used to the head scratches.

Grace stamped her foot, a frown on her face. "You have to have a doggie name, Daddy! I like Snowball. That's your doggie name. Snowball!" She looked quite pleased with herself and then squealed delightedly when the tiger rolled over on her back. Grace wasted no time in getting closer and sinking to the ground beside her belly and scratching the tiger's belly. "Look Daddy!" she giggled, thoroughly enjoying this.

Austin had to chuckle when the tiger rolled over. He moved closer, if only to be nearer to his daughter in case of danger, but also so he could scratch the tiger's belly too. It still felt weird stroking her stomach when he knew that she was a human. Hopefully she wouldn't think he was like molesting her or something...that could be awkward.

And in all honesty, Saundra probably didn't entirely mind being molested by a handsome guy such as himself.... but she was a freaking cat, so it didn't work that way. Petting a tiger seemed far more innocent than petting a human female. And the tummy rubs were quite appreciated, not to mention felt amazing. It was on par with the head scratching, which were rather euphoric. Now Saundra knew why cats loved getting head scratches all the time. Once the stroking was done, she rolled on over to her side and looked on over to her clothing by the tree, then back to the two of them. Gah... I really should change. Can't be a cute kitty forever.

Austin saw the tiger glance over at her clothes and then back at them. Figuring she might want to change back, he pulled Grace away. "I think she wants to shift, Gracie. Let's give her some privacy."

But Grace stood her ground, her lip poked out in a pout again. "No more kitty?" She pulled herself out of Austin's grasp and walked right up to the tiger, petting her head again. She bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to the tiger's head. "Bye kitty," she said, her voice sad. Turning, she scrambled back to Austin who pulled them away and back to the main trails so the tiger could have some privacy.

Oh geez, she even got a kiss out of the deal! Now if only a tiger could blush, because she would have been all over that. Though once the two were gone and out of sight, Saundra slipped behind the tree to turn back into a human and quickly tossed her running outfit back on. With that done, she ran down the trail to try and meet up with the two. At the very least she wanted to apologize for scaring them or... something. What the hell else was she suppose to do after being founded out? "Hey! Wait up!" Saundra called out, slowing down once she caught up. "Sorry about that back there... or... something. Didn't mean to look like a threat. Was just relaxing after a run."

Austin turned when he heard a woman calling after them. He very nearly choked on his tongue as a beautiful woman came running up to them. Damn she was beautiful. He couldn't stop the blush that started staining his cheeks when he thought about petting the tiger who actually turned out to be this gorgeous woman.

"No worries," Austin said, waving his hand dismissively. "I apologize for disturbing your nap. I hope we didn't annoy you with all the petting. Grace just loves kitties and couldn't help herself.

Grace looked up at the woman, her little arms wrapped around Austin's waist as she hid behind him, ever so shy around new people. "You were the bit kitty?" she asked, her voice a little more than a whisper.

Ah, so the kiddo's name was Grace. Quite adorable. Looking down to her, Saundra bent down to be on level with the little girl and nodded her head. "Yup, that was me! Thanks for the petting, you did a wicked good job." That said, Saundra stood back up straight, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. Part of her wanted to mention she enjoyed being petted by the father as well, but uh... yeah, kid was in the area. Had to keep it PG. "It's fine, really. I seriously ran from the opposite side of town and lost track of how far I had gone. Needed a break wicked bad." Pausing for a moment, she titled her head to the side then extended an arm. "I'm Saundra, by the way. Unless you want to call me by my kitty name, Schnookums."

Grace was fascinated by the woman's hair, it was so pretty! "Your hair is almost the same color as your fur," she told her, her eyes finally warming up to the stranger. She stepped out from behind Austin, although still holding onto him for dear life. Her eyes lit up when she heard that the lady has a kitty name, Schnookums. "See Daddy! She has a kitty name!" She gave her dad an I told you so! look.

Austin snorted and then laughed, his whole face crinkling up with the sincerity of his laugh. Although he was laughing, Austin was still blushing, more so over the fact that the beautiful woman, Saundra apparently, knew that hsi dog name was Snowball. No self-respecting mlae went by the name of Snowball. But it was for his daughter and when it came to Grace, Austin would do almost anything to make her happy, including going by the name Snowball.

Watching the father blush a bit made Saundra blush a bit in return. Awww, was he being all shy because he was petting her to some extent? Well now, wasn't that just precious. After chuckling at Grace's words, Saundra couldn't help but add onto the amusement. "What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" Bad joke was bad, but she had to say it. Maybe it would ease the tension. Besides, Saundra had no intentions of biting.

"Not yet she doesn't," Austin said, his eyes having gone from playful to smoldering sexy in two point seven seconds. He was but a man and she was but a very beautiful woman and he couldn't help his reaction. Her comment eased some tension, but created other types of tension that Austin would rather not be experiencing around his daughter.

"I'm Austin by the way. And you are to forget the whole Snowball thing and I'll forget the whole Schnookums thing. Deal?" He hoped like hell that Snowball wasn't the only thing that she took from their little encounter today.

Another giggle erupted from Saundra, finding herself becoming a bit coy when his stare shifted so suddenly. She wasn't used to young men giving her a look like that, and now she was thinking about, just how young was Austin? Oh well, didn't matter now. "I think that can be arranged," Saundra agreed on the whole forgetting pet names thing. "Hopefully uh... bumping into a large cat can be, too? I mean, not me entirely, but just... sorry, I'm not used to people knowing about me like that." It was obvious that Saundra was nervous about the whole ordeal and didn't know how to handle it. Maybe Austin had a better understanding.

Austin reached out and patted her arm as she babbled uncomfortably. "No worries," he assured with a genuine smile. "Your secret is safe with me. Not many people know about me either."

Grace tugged at his shirt and crooked her finger so he would kneel down. He winked at Saundra before kneeling down. She cupped her hands around his ear and whispered, "She's really the big kitty? Can she come play with us sometime? I liked the tiger!" Grace stepped back, one little hand patting Austin's head as her eyes shown with hopefulness and excitement. She sure had her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Austin looked up at Saundra, knowing that with her advanced were hearing she heard what Grace whispered. "Sorry to put you on the spot..." he was blushing slightly under his tattoos. "No pressure, I promise. But if you want to, I wouldn't mind it and Grace would love it."

A play date with some hot guy's daughter? Well that was a first, but Saundra wasn't one to say no to it. "Oh, no pressure at all! I actually wouldn't mind. Need to get out of the house more often, in fact! Not to mention get away from work every once and a while. Speaking of which..." Saundra slipped out her cellphone from her back pocket to check the time. "I have to be in the office in several hours. No biggy, just saying but uh..." Glancing at the cellphone then back to Austin, she smiled kindly and handed the phone to him. "Mind if I get your number so we can arrange a playdate with Grace here?"

Austin grabbed the cell phone and entered his number. He fished out his phone and gave them both to her. "Mind if I have yours as well?" He could hardly believe his luck in getting this beautiful woman's number and a promise to have a playdate with he and his daughter. "What kind of work do you do?"

Grace grinned at Saundra, "Thank you! I am excited to see you as a big kitty again!" She snuggled into Austin, laying her head on his shoulder and yawning.

"Uh oh, seems I have a sleepy girl here." Austin stood up, picking her up and propping her on his hip so she could keep her head on his shoulder. "Seems the excitement of seeing a real tiger up close was too much for her," he chuckled.

"Sure thing," Saundra nodded in reply, quickly inputting her number for Austin, putting a little =3 face next to her name. Just in case he forgot why he bumped into her. With that done, she traded phones with Austin, then looked on down to Grace and couldn't help but chuckle. "Awww! Sleepy girl! Looks like someone needs a nap time. Maybe we can play again soon, ok?" Maybe play with daddy dearest as well. Bringing her attention back up to Austin, she gave him a gentle smile and shook red locks of hair out of her face. "Should I let you go so you can get sleephead here to a bed?"

Grace nodded sleepily against Austin's shoulder and shut her eyes. Austin brushed a hand down her hair, cuddling her to his side. "If you wouldn't mind walking with me to my truck, I can lay her down on the seat and we can continue talking ... unless you have to go as well?" It didn't go unnoticed by him that she hadn't answered his question about what she did for work. Maybe she just didn't hear him or she just didn't feel comfortable divulging that information.

"Oh, not at all! I don't mind. Don't have to be in the clinic until later." She paused and realized that she was so caught up in exchanging numbers that she forgot about Austin's question about her job. Way to go, Saundra. Get too caught up with some cute guy to even realize what else he's saying. Just as bad as those boy-crazed teenagers. Laughing gently at herself, Saundra resisted the urge to smack a hand against her face in embarrassment and decided to just stick with answer the question. "I'm a doctor over at the pediatric clinic in town. Guess if Grace ever gets sick, you can always stop on by and I can check her out." Probably check the daddy out too, but that was besides that point.

Wow, a doctor. And a pediatrician at that. This was definitely his lucky day. Austin started walking along side her and turned his head to grin at her, "Perfect... I actually haven't found Gracie a pediatrician here. You sure you don't mind seeing her sometime?" And really, Austin wouldn't mind the excuse to see her again... He was so glad in that moment that she wasn't telepathic. He'd be so embarrassed for her to hear his fanboyness. "So, Saundra... this may seem forward, but are you married?" Austin figured he might as well get that question on out there.

"Grace can come on by whenever she wants for a physical, I don't mind. Might be a bit tight this week, but I'm sure I can work you in somehow." And then there was the question about her being married and Saundra couldn't help but blush. Looking away for a second, she let out a nervous laugh before looking back to Austin. "Widow, actually. My husband died in a car crash about eight years or so ago...? I can't really remember. Try not to remember, really. I have a daughter, though. Fifteen. She's all I got." She didn't mean to be the debbie downer of the pair, but she had to be honest. No use getting around that.

"Wow thanks. If you have a card, I can call your office to make an appointment?" He couldn't believe his luck that he'd literally come across a pediatrician. It was on his list of things to do but he hadn't gotten there yet. Now it would save him the trouble, which thrilled him and eliminated a lot of stress, which led to his anxiety problems.

With his free hand, Austin reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I'm also widowed, sort of... My girlfriend and I never married, but she died while giving birth to Gracie here. We were together for five years or so." His fingers tangled slightly in her hair as he brushed it behind her shoulder. It was so soft and silky. "What's your daughter's name?"

Wasn't that a coincidence. Saundra rarely bumped into people who also lost their significant other in an accident of some sort. "Oh god, I'm so sorry..." She gave Austin an empathetic look, knowing exactly what it was like to lose some they loved. "At least you have Grace, right? I still have my daughter, Piper. I don't know what I'd do without her. She's 15 right now. Will be 16 come August." Holy crap, I need to go shopping for her! "And sadly I don't have a business card on my but uh... hmmm, do you have a pen or something? I can jot it down. Oh, or I can put it in your cellphone." Saundra whacked herself playfully upside the head. "I swear, I think the humidity is getting to me these days! Just wicked bad."

"It's okay," Austin answered. "It's a hell of a thing to have in common, huh?" He hated that she'd had to go through what he did when his girlfriend died. Only her loss had been greater because it sounded like they'd been together longer. "And wow, a 15 year old, huh? I bet she can be a handful," Austin chuckled. He was actually a little surprised because while he knew Saundra was older, he hadn't guessed she was that much older. Not that it bothered him in the least, he was not at all discriminating when it came to age. Besides, she was so beautiful. Austin reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, handing it over to her. "Thanks for this... I really can't tell you how awesome it is that we ran into each other. It is a huge stress reliever, this."

Piper being a handful was an understatement. Girl had a mind of her own, obviously, and Saundra found it challenging to keep up with her from time to time, but she made sure she did her damn best. Now if only the girl stopped doing stupid things like sneaking boys into the house and... what were they doing again? With the ghost stuff? It was beyond her, but it just made the redhead facepalm. "Just wait until Grace hits her teens, then we can talk about handfuls," Saundra shook her head with an innocent smile, then took his cell phone again to plug in the clinic's number. "And no worries, it's not a problem. If the receptionist gives you a hard time at all, just tell her that I was the one who recommended you to come in to see me. That should shut'em up!" That said, she saved the number and handed the phone back to Austin.

Austin took the phone back, his fingers brushing against hers. He pocketed the phone once again before giving Saundra a horrified look, "I don't want to think about Grace hitting her teens. She's going to be a good girl and not grow up." His lips automatically found his daughter's forehead and he kissed her as if that could keep her from growing up. The mere thought of her growing into a teenager caused such a tightening in Austin's chest that he struggled to breathe for a minute. He stopped in his tracks and tried to breathe but not hyperventilate. His inhaler was in the truck, dammit. His anxiety stemmed from the fact that she was going to grow up, not that she would be a hellatious teenager because he could so handle that. He just didn't want her growing up. But right now, Austin was fighting to breathe around the lump in his chest and worked hard to hide it from Saundra, not wanting to display such a weakness to her from the very beginning. Even Darcy hadn't really seen him have a panic attack. Nor had his girlfriend. He'd hidden them well from everyone he loved, except his brother.

Though Saundra did catch onto something not being right. Being a doctor, a mom, and a were probably lent a hand into that. Twitching her head to eye Austin, she gave him a high concerned look. "Hey, Austin, you ok?" Was he having trouble breathing? Was he allergic to something? Oh god, she wasn't the best with adult patients, but she did have some basic training back in college.... which was forever ago. But it was better than nothing and Saundra felt the need to help out.

Unable to speak yet, Austin just nodded and held up a finger, asking her to wait. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. Eventually his chest opened back up and he was breathing much deeper and easier now. He swallowed hard and brought his embarrassed eyes up to Saundra. "Sorry about that," he said, his voice still a little thin and raspy. "I'm fine now." Austin grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, hoping to reassure her that he was, indeed, fine now.

Saundra perked up a brow, not entirely sure if she believed Austin a hundred percent. Health was relatively serious as hell in Saundra's book and she didn't like messing around with it. "You sure?" Even with him squeezing her hand, she wasn't sure what to think. "Do you want a swig of my Gatorade or anything? I promise I don't have cooties." Her own words made her smile a bit, hoping that her generosity would be at least something to perk Austin on up. Last thing she needed was for him to pass out.... though that would be a good excuse to have to give him mouth-to-mouth.

Austin did grin at that and nodded, "That's be great, if you don't mind." Taking a drink from her Gatorade, it helped the scratchy feeling in his throat. "Thanks." He handed the bottle back to her and grinned, grabbing her hand again as they resumed walking. Before he knew it they were at his truck. Reluctantly letting go of her hand, Austin unlocked the truck and gently laid Grace inside. He started the truck and turned on the AC so she wouldn't get hot. Closing the door, he leaned against it, crossing one foot over the other. "So Saundra," but he didn't get any further because a breeze blew some hair across her face and he had to lean forward to brush the strands out of her face.

Thankfully the Gatorade was of some help. That's what she aimed to do in life, after all - making people better. Even if it was offering a simple drink, it was something and she was glad she could offer that. "So?" Saundra arched a brow, trying her best to not giggle and blush when Austin swept hair out of her face, but completely failed. Real smooth, girl... "So are you new to this area or something? You had mentioned needing a pediatrician for Grace, and I can only imagine that's because you're new." And, you know, the gossip whore in her needed to know any and all details. Nothing wrong with at.

"Yes, I'm new to the area... I'm a piercer and my old shop closed down. Before he closed it, the owner and my best friend, got me a job at a shop here. So here, I am." Austin couldn't help himself and his hand rose back up to stroke at the soft skin of her cheek. "Have you always lived here?"

Saundra's smile just widened some more as Austin caressed her face. She hadn't been around someone who was so open, at least when it came to being physical. Most guys she bumped into normally didn't touch her like that, which was also fine, but he was doing all sorts of things to her senses that made the were tingle with delight. "I've been here for half my life, though it feels like I've always lived here. Was born and raised in Boston, actually. Hell, I'm sure the accent is a dead giveaway! Can't be denying my roots at all, you know? I came out here for med school and just kind of stuck to out here. It's a nice little town... I hope you're enjoying it! Actually, I didn't even know there was a piercing... place... thing... whatever you want to call it, it the area. Completely new to me!"

Whew the girl could talk. Austin wondered if it was because he was making her nervous by touching her. He didn't stop though, his hand traveling from her face, down her arm and grabbed her hand. He took it in his two hands and played with her fingers, tickling her palm and wrist. "Ah yes, I do notice an accent now that you mention it." Chuckling, he nodded, "Mmhmm, called Dog Ink. Come on by if you ever need anything pierced or I can hook you up with a great tattoo artist." One hand let go of Saundra's and drifted up to his collarbone, feeling the semi-fresh ink there. He refused to regret getting the tattoo, but he was so bummed at how things ended with Darcy.

Part of her talking to much was just her Boston roots and the other part was indeed her being nervous. Poor kitty couldn't help it. "Oh geez, I don't know if I could ever get a tattoo or piercing! I mean, my ears are done, but that's it." Though she had to give it to Austin that he looked pretty damn hot covered in tattoos. "I think the health nut in me gets freaked out over piercings and that stuff. I'd be cleaning everything every ten minutes." And she probably would. Her eyes drifted slightly to eye the tattoo work on his collarbone, wondering what it was. "How many tattoos do you have?"

"Oh man, way more than I can count. I lost count a few years ago, seriously. But each other them represents who I am or where I was at a particular moment in time." Austin noticed her studying is new ink and unbuttoned a couple of buttons on his shirt, his eyes never leaving hers for one second. He pulled open the collar of his shirt to show her the words This Time Imperfect. "This is my latest. One of my favorite songs.... but more so because of where I'm at right now." He gave her a small smile before grabbing her hand again.

Saundra took several steps closer to examine the art. No lies, it was truly beautiful, but the health nut in her couldn't help but worry about the cleanliness of the process or even what would happen over the ages. "Don't you ever get worried about what they'll look like when you're all old and wrinkly?" Well, there was the concerned mother coming out of her. She could only imagine what the beautiful art looked like on a prune. Wouldn't be beautiful anymore, that was for sure.

Austin liked her closeness, could feel her breath ghosting over his bare chest. Chuckling at her obvious concern, he brushed a hand over her hair. "They probably won't look the best. But at least when I'm old and gray, instead of looking at a photo album or something, I have it on my skin. I got my first tattoo when I was pretty young so they really are a depiction of major events I've been through in my life." He pulled up his shirt, baring his side and a series of tear drops that cascaded down his side. "Those were when my girlfriend died." Pointing to Grace's name scrawled across his heart, "Obviously for Grace." He shrugged, letting his shirt fall back down. "I just like them, I like carrying the memories with me and having them be represented in a physical form."

Well that was one way to put it. "I never really thought about it like that," Saundra replied, her face full of thought as she looked over the tattoos again. "I'd just get worried that something would go wrong, like a skin allergy or-" She shook her head, sighing, knowing that she was starting to get preachy about health. It wasn't like Austin was unhealthy or something. He looked extremely good, not to mention was a great runner, so that had to count for something. Saundra just happened to like her skin to be flawless, that was all. "Sorry, doctor and mom in me just gets nervous about tattoos. Guess I'm old fashioned.... or just old." She rolled her eyes and averted her gaze, trying to laugh it off as a way to ease the tension.

"Hey, hey," he soothed, cupping her cheek to force her to look at him. "You're not old. And tattoos are a personal preference... It works for me and it's totally fine if its not for you. And don't you worry, we have are very careful and sanitary. We have laws and standards we have to uphold in order to continue to carry a business license for tattooing or piercing." Austin touched the end of her nose fondly before dropping his hand. He was quite the touchy feely guy and he really hoped she didn't mind.

Like hell she didn't mind! This was absolutely fabulous. Austin was making her feel all sorts tingly, and not to mention young. Well, to some extent. Saundra was in her forties, not like she would tell him, but she did appreciate that he thought she wasn't old. She was feel like she had to compete with the younglings to try and even get a look in her direction these days, and Saundra was not going through plastic surgery to look younger. First off, there was nothing good about that, and second off, she had to save all that money for Piper's college expenses. That was far more important than what Saundra looked like. "Well, I'm happy to hear you guys are all sorts safe about it. I can only imagine you keep things in wicked good shape, after all! I know I'm all sorts OCD about keeping things sterile in the office, so I know how it goes. Well, I mean, not a tattoo artists, but figured we both deal with bodies and... being clean... and.... yeah, I was going somewhere with that and now it's gone."

Austin chuckled gently at her. "You're cute, you know that?" And she was! The cute babbling was cute, afterall. Not to mention she was freakin' hot. "And your hair, I've never seen hair this color.. it's so beautiful." He was momentarily distracted by running his fingers through the soft silky locks. Compliments always seemed to work as a subject changer...but it was more than that for Austin, these compliments were genuine and he hoped she could tell that. If he'd known she was thinking plastic surgery, he would have agreed with her decision, besides, in his opinion she didn't need it at all. She was stunning as she was. And as for looking older? Austin didn't think she did and even if she did, he found that it only added character to someone's face and body - a sign that they had lived life and lived to tell the tale.

Cute? Did she hear that right? Saundra gave him an odd look, parting her lips to say something in reply to that, but then Austin was running his fingers through her hair and she couldn't help but blush a bit. People always asked what she used to dye her hair and Saundra would just drop her jaw and give them a shocked look before scoffing. What hair dye? Seriously?! She was an Irish-Catholic brought up in Boston, that shit was as natural as it came! And Saundra prided in the fact that her hair was thinning out or going grey.... yet. Then she would dye it.

"Why thank you. It's natural, just an fyi. Guess it matches my fur...?" It definitely did. At least when she was bitten she took on quite the appropriate cat form, both in looks and in personality. Nothing fit her better than a tiger. Though Bart was right the other night when he called her a fox. Had she been bitten by a dog, then perhaps she would be that instead. Like, if Austin bit her.... GAH! Stop thinking of hat crap! Out out out!

Austin would happily bite her - just not in hopes of turning her...but in a sexy sexy way. "I never would have thought it was dyed...it's too pretty of a shade." And it was. Red dyed hair never looked natural in his opinion.

Grace popped her head over the open window. "Daddy?" she asked. She reached her arms out and Austin pulled her through the window and against his chest as her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Hey Graciebug. You okay?" He hugged her to him and looked over at Saundra with an apologetic smile.

"Gotta go to the bathroom," she whispered into his ear. That was his sign to get home ASAP so she could go to the bathroom. She didn't like going in public restrooms so he had to race home so she could go there.

"Okay baby, we're leaving." Austin opened the door to his truck and put her in her car seat. Once she was secured, he closed the door and grabbed Saundra's hand to pull her around to the back of the truck so Grace couldn't see them. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I enjoyed meeting you, Saundra. I'll see you again soon?" Austin hoped so - he was very intrigued by her and more than a little attracted to her.

That was a sure way to get the kitty all sorts flustered. Turning away shyly, Saundra felt her cheek heat up when Austin pressed his lips against her skin. Watching him take off, Saundra nodded in his direction followed by a friendly wave. "Of course! You have two ways of getting a hold of me, so you better!" That said, she watch the two drive on off, leaving the redhead on her. Still smiling, Saundra spun on her heels and began jogging down the street to head on back home. Maybe being caught in her animal form wasn't such a bad thing after all.