Everybody Wants to be a Cat

15. The Bear Travels with The Lion

Before I could walk into the jetway the security guard put his arm out and wouldn't let me go through.

When Phil noticed I wasn't beside him, he looked back and saw that I was staring at the security guard. He quickly dropped the carry-ons and walked quickly back to the entryway.

"I'm sorry is there a problem?" He looked at the security guard as he looked back.

"We can't let him board this Plane."

"What? Why not? He has his passport, and ticket, and we have the papers that make me legally responsible for him, signed by his parents."

"You're responsible for him?"

"Until we get back in this airport a week and a half from now."

"Then you'll have to explain to him that we don't allow 'things' like him on our planes without the proper equipment."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you have his collar or lead with you?"

"What? He doesn't have one he's not a pet."

"Well he isn't a person either."

"I'm sorry but there's no rule stating that that goes are permitted on this plane."

"Did you read the signs posted everywhere? No pets allowed without a lead."

"He's not a pet!"

At this point Chris, Pj, and Louise had heard the argument too because they had come back and were standing behind Phil.

"Pets are not allowed on without a lead or collar."

"He's not a pet! He's just a teenager! It's not like he's going to hurt anyone!"

I stepped back a few steps from the guards arm since he was getting a bit more intense and his voice frightened me.

"Phil, it's okay I'll just call my mom to come get me."

Phil turned his gaze from the guard to me, "What? No, Dan you're coming with us."

"I can't. Haven't you been listening? Pets aren't allowed without leads." I dropped my ears and looked down, sniffling slightly as Phil stared at me shocked.

Louise pushed through the guard's arm and hugged me tightly. "It's okay Dan. You're not a pet. You're going to come with us."

I nodded slightly and hugged her back. Louise and I had become pretty close since I first told them why I really wear hats all the time.

"So you're going to stand there letting him get upset over not getting to come with us?!" Chris had begun arguing with the guard as well. They were all defending me and helping. No one had done that for me before.

"It's really not my problem if your pet gets upset. I have a greater responsibility. If that thing hurts anyone on that plane it's going to be my ass that gets chewed and your pet that'll be put down!"
Then everything stopped, we all stared at the guard. PJ and Chris had to put their arms in front of Phil or he would have actually gotten us into trouble.

"Did you seriously just say that to us?! How could you say something like that! Right in front of him too! That got outlawed several years ago! What you're talking about now is murder!"

"It's not murder. Violent pets get euthanized."

"He's not a pet! He's just a Neko! He is no different than you or me." Phil was getting really mad, I could see his face turning bright red and his breathing became heavier. "Dan would never hurt anyone! He's the nicest person I've ever met and he's much less dangerous than you!"

"We're not breaking any laws by letting him travel with us. You /will/ let him on this plane and you won't say anything about us breaking rules or putting the passengers in danger because we will be doing neither of those things."

The guard stared at us for a moment before sighing a bit too dramatically and letting his arm fall down to his side. Louise and I started walking back to the jetway as she glared at the guard.

When we got into the plane I let go of Louise and quickly wrapped my arms around Phil tightly and buried my face in his shoulder. He's slowly drug his hand up and down my back, holding me close.

"Let's go find our seats Bear."

I nodded and brought my head back up. "I-It's over there. D-4 and D-5,"

"I'll meet you over there okay? You just go get all comfy.."

I nodded and walked to our seats. I sat down at the window seat, this was a whole new experience for me and so far it wasn't going very well so I figured Phil wouldn't mind if I had the window seat. I could faintly hear Phil talking to Chris and PJ.

"Is Dan okay? After all of that?"
" I don't know, that was his first real experience with stuff like that." He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "I love him, but if I have to do that all the time I might lose it."
"Phil! You can't tell him that!"
"I know, and I don't plan to, but I'll learn how to deal with it if I really love him" He sighed again a bit quieter this time. "He was just starting to feel normal too. And he can't know what I said earlier."

But I already knew.