Following the advice given, Kane is directed to another law firm recommended by Alessandro. The young LaPerm quickly bonds with a few members of the law firm, striking up a close friendship while also remaining mutual partners for the time being.

No Substitute

Upon venturing out of the law firm with Alessandro, Kane shuffles in step with the snow leopard while heading outside. While venturing outside, Kane wonders, "So what's the name of this law firm you're bringing me to?"

Alessandro answers, "It's known as the 'Sweeney Law Group'. I can drop you off there."

The moment Alessandro draws his car key, Kane mentions, "I wonder if lawyers have high-class lives. Is it true or is it just a rumor? You would think attorneys would be all rich and mighty just by profession and income alone."

Alessandro just shakes his head in denial, catching his own car key in his left hand while wrapping his right arm around Kane. The young LaPerm catches sight of the logo again and his eyes turn into dinner plates, "Whoa whoa whoa, a Ferrari?? A freaking FERRARI?! Since when did you get good taste??! I remember seeing that logo from a few games that Kin and I played!"

"My dad helped me purchase it. In fact, my dad and I are the only ones in our family that drive Ferrari vehicles; he has an Enzo Ferrari, I drive an F12 Berlinetta." Alessandro explains. Then in an act of playful jest, he pauses with Kane, holding and jiggling the key above the eager LaPerm in enticement to tease him. At the same time, he invites Kane, "Would you like to test drive my car?"

"YES!!! Do I ever!!!" Kane's eyes sparkled upon being given the chance to test drive Alessandro's F12 Berlinetta. He couldn't be happier nor could Alessandro be any more impressed with Kane's enthusiasm.

After a bit more walking with his arm around Kane's shoulders, Alessandro directs his attention to the red berlinetta in the parking lot, "This is it, right here."

Before them is a shiny bright red Ferrari F12 Berlinetta sitting in the space before them. Kane is practically drooling at the sight of the car. The LaPerm immediately darts towards the driver side while clicking noises are heard from Alessandro using his car key to unlock his ride. Once Alessandro reaches the passenger side, he tosses the keys to Kane, giving him a light warning, "Just don't scratch it."

With a snatching motion, Kane grabs the keys and immediately hops into the driver seat, eager to test drive this beautiful machine.

~~~~~

After listening to the 6.3L V12 and letting it idle temporarily, Alessandro explained the controls to the excited LaPerm, but Kane's excitement overruled his judgment. From the younger LaPerm and his resulting excitement, Kane performs a burnout, mistakenly thinking he is actually driving. But through the intense interior vibrations and the screaming rear tires, Alessandro exclaims, "You're gonna cook the oil and the clutch! Drop the clutch so you can actually drive!!!"

The poor snow leopard clings to his seat whereas Kane stops the burnout, finally dropping the clutch and leaving the parking lot for a short test drive. While the smoke clears, Alessandro begins to carefully explain the features of his right, such as the paddle shifters on the steering wheel and the 7-speed transmission among other things. Though it started out as a slow test drive, Kane suddenly hits the accelerator upon coming across a local road.

"Kane!! Slow down!! Unlike my father's Enzo Ferrari, my F12 doesn't have indicator lights on the steering wheel!" The snow leopard screeched in a warning reminder.

"Bet I can drift this thing!" Kane attempts a brief drifting maneuver with the F12, only to bounce off a wall upon entering an alleyway. The LaPerm can only squeak out an apology upon tapping the wall, not even concerned about his test drive anymore.

"I did say 'don't scratch it'. Man, this is gonna cost a lot…" Alessandro was annoyed and complaining, not that it mattered to Kane, who shakes his head in derision. He reasons, "I thought lawyers were paid big time so as not to worry about things like this."

"Kane, you don't understand what it's like to be a lawyer, do you?" The male LaPerm silently shakes his head in denial, leading Alessandro to explain, "It may seem all fun and games, but it's actually more taxing and complicated than you think. I'll explain on the way to the other law firm; this time, I'm driving."

~~~~~

To Alessandro's surprise, the minor damage that Kane did when tapping the wall only resulted in chipped paint and a couple of scratches on the area. The snow leopard didn't really have that much reason to be angry with Kane to begin with, other than the brief harrowing test drive and burnout he performed. Though Kane apologized, Alessandro still accepted it and nuzzled his head as a sign of forgiveness. Now all that's left is the trip to the law firm with the snow leopard explaining to the younger LaPerm how hard it is in the legal profession.

Kane's viewpoint certainly changed after that, but it didn't squash his excitement. He's still eager to learn more about the profession. Upon hearing Alessandro out, Kane wondered, "Obviously, it sounds like a lot of serious work. No emotion or anything. You guys have your work cut out for you. But how is it possible for a lawyer such as yourself to be rich? Case in point - the car you're driving."

"Meh, some lawyers are corrupt while others are genuine. They're not immune to greed and power like another common department." Alessandro explained briefly, dropping a subtle hint in his testimony.

"How could I ever forget about the police? Touché. But cases with cops are more common now regarding abuse of power and police brutality. Since when do you ever hear of a lawyer abusing their power?" Kane argued in return.

"You'd be amazed." The snow leopard lawyer sighed. "You have too many rich freaks out here that are more concerned over a win record than finding the truth. That just about goes for anything and anyone."

Kane blinks and falls back in his seat, scrunching his face up in worry. "If that's the case, then what are these guys like?"

"They're humble, and they're a friendly bunch once you get to know them. One of them is special, and I think you'll like him very much." Alessandro explained in return.

Kane arches an eyebrow in question. "Is that so? If that's the case, then I can't really wait to meet them."

The two giggle simultaneously with each other alongside Alessandro declaring, "These guys are some of the best attorneys out there. You can't go wrong in choosing them to assist you!"

~~~~~

The rest of the ride to the place didn't take long since the law group has their own parking lot and living quarters. After being dropped off by Alessandro, the two wave goodbye to each other with Kane seeing the snow leopard off. Afterwards, Kane proceeds to head into the front entrance of the law firm, where he begins to check out the interior.

The interior is a small office with the walls in a marble finish. The floorboards are birch, with a couple of rugs and throw mats placed evenly along the floor. But what catches Kane's attention the most is a bell on the front desk. Seeing this makes the young feline wonder, "Why would a law firm need a bell? That's preposterous!"

Soft music is also playing in the background amid the relaxing atmosphere, but after a short period of waiting, the gray LaPerm taps the bell to request some service, contemplating, "Guess I'll ring it anyway, see if anyone will answer…"

"Be right with you in a moment!" A feminine voice catches Kane's attention further, prompting him to peek into an adjacent doorway which houses a hallway of sorts. This started to make him feel a little anxious about being here, but he didn't have to wait for long.

Coming to meet Kane is a female Norwegian Forest Cat, her green eyes locking on Kane instantly. Giving him a genuine smile of endearment, the female cat brushes her yellow suit while acknowledging him, "Hello sir! Welcome to the Sweeney Law Group! Is there anything we can help you with?"

Kane's ears twitch from just hearing how young this female cat sounded. He turns rosy in the face, his tail softly lashing behind him. But as fast as this occurs, the young LaPerm coughs and explains, "I'm here to file a lawsuit against my father. I have some incriminating evidence that I hope will have him locked away for a while." His blushing returns, this time across the middle of his face, "Um, what is your name, by the way? We haven't really introduced ourselves."

The cheerful cat proudly introduces herself, "I'm Roseanne McCarthy! I'm one of the attorneys working here. And you are?"

"Kane Filla. There's nothing really special about me other than me being a florist so… yeah. That's it. You seem rather young to be a lawyer. How old are you?"

"I'm 23, actually. Going to be 24 soon." Roseanne answered him.

"I'm 28. You're pretty young to be a lawyer, though. Is there anyone else with you?" Kane implied upon notice.

"I can bring him out here, but you can follow me if you want me to take you to him. Your call, Kane!" Roseanne offers Kane the opportunity to wait and she can bring out an assistant, or he can follow her. The choice is left up to the gray LaPerm himself. Being the social cat he is, Kane opts for the latter where he chooses, "Lead the way, Roseanne. If this second attorney can prove himself to be helpful, then I would like to meet him."

"Right this way, Kane! Follow me." Roseanne leaves the room with Kane right on her heels, and the two cats soon become in sync, walking side by side. Using this brief opportunity, Kane attempts to converse with Roseanne to learn more about her and this particular law group.

"Hey Roseanne? I was referred here because the advocate that I asked to represent me said you guys would have a better shot at representing me in court. He did speak highly of you guys if he actually worked with you before. Is there anyone here in particular that's a good match?" The male LaPerm wondered.

"That's who we're going to see, if he's still there!" Roseanne explained, "Tobi is one of the best attorneys we have! And he's special in a way. Well, to me he's special." Kane observes Roseanne rubbing her shoulder in a melancholic sort of way, so he presses, "What's so special about him anyway? Are you two lovers?"

At first, Roseanne jumps in surprise, clutching her cheeks. Then she rubs her head in flattery, her cheeks turning pink while meowing, "Mew! We're not lovers, we're actually siblings. Well, half-siblings to be exact."

"Half-siblings? How old is Tobi? And what makes him so special?" Kane presses further. But before Roseanne can answer, they come across a black / white Maine Coon holding a manilla folder.

"Okay, I got the details and– oh hey, Roseanne! Who's this with you?" It was none other than Tobi Blackburn himself. There was something about the Maine Coon that Roseanne held in high regard; at least, that's what Kane thought about. Truth be told, he didn't see anything wrong with the black / white fluffball. But while trailing his eyes over the black / white suit, the gray LaPerm notices a quartet of colored BIC brand pens in his left hand along with the manilla folder in his right.

While Kane appears visually perplexed, Roseanne takes the opportunity to introduce the two tomcats to each other. Gesturing between them, Roseanne introduces the two between each other, "Kane, this is Tobi, my half-brother and an aspiring attorney. He's pretty helpful around the office, as well as a courageous lawyer. Tobi, this is Kane, one of our new clients. He's looking for some assistance with our help."

Still clutching the items in his hands, Tobi stares directly at Kane, and then at Roseanne, and then back at the LaPerm in question, wondering, "What exactly does Kane need our help with? Some kind of criminal lawsuit?"

"Close enough." Kane adjusts his own glasses while turning serious. He reveals, "I am filing a lawsuit against my father on the grounds of damages, abuse, neglect, and trauma."

Concerned, Tobi slips his multi-colored pens into his right pants pocket, his expression turning worried. But this changes into a serious frown when Tobi observes, "So this is gonna be a civil trial on the grounds of domestic abuse, then. I… I know how you feel about this, Kane." The Maine Coon hands over the folder to the Norwegian Forest Cat and hugs Kane in sympathetic compassion, "I am with you, 100%!"

Observing Kane's astonished expression at the sudden embrace, Roseanne notices a glimmer of hope that glistened in Kane's eyes. When the male LaPerm relaxes, he wraps his own arms around Tobi to return the gesture. Observing the two Roseanne gently coughs to get their attention whilst requesting, "Kane, do you have any evidence to support your civil lawsuit? It matters as much as your testimony if you're gonna be present for the upcoming trial."

Kane retrieves a flip phone from his pocket and shows it to the two half-siblings. The LaPerm tomcat then relates, "The only evidence I have is an incriminating voice message left behind that will prove my father's guilt. It was left by his friend who tortured me."

The two weary felines stare at Kane right as he plays the message. It records:

"Behnam, I know you're not at home right now but man, I had a fun time with that little squirter you call a son! You should have seen the look on his face when I was through with him! The little goon must be hidden somewhere crying his eyes out! Anyways, see you soon if you're gonna be available later!"

Now the attorneys are incensed from hearing the message coming from the phone that Kane had swiped. Using this as leverage, he should be able to prove the matter to the court in trial and have his father arrested.

Her green eyes blank in fury, the enraged Norwegian Forest Cat begins to rant, "Grr, why that no good, conniving, evil punk! I'll rip him apart if I have to!"

Tobi is slowly shaking his head, his arms folded while he stares at the floor, sullen. When he raises his head up, his blue eyes happen to fall on the flip phone that Kane is still holding. Before Kane can even secure the phone back into his pocket, the Maine Coon tomcat assumes, "That cell phone - is it a Nokia by any chance?"

"It's a Nokia, though my old man has switched to a newer phone. He probably forgot about this one. He's probably transferred his stuff to his new phone but I'm surprised he forgot about this one." Kane mused in contemplation.

Tobi purses his lips, and then cracks a grin, hiding a subtle smirk. He implies, "Whether the cell phone is old or new, a subpoena can be obtained regardless of what phones are used. We're not in deep trouble - yet."

"Let's just hope my old man still has his marbles. You know how he gets when something doesn't go his way." Kane mused in complaint.

"Has he always been like that?" The expression on Kane's face upon Tobi asking this question causes the Maine Coon to reconsider his line of questioning, especially with such a sensitive matter at hand.

"Mr. Blackburn, sir, with all due respect, I would rather not explore my past again as I am trying to forget everything that happened to me while growing up." Kane scowled. The two attorneys are left contemplating on what to do when Roseanne speaks up, having lit herself up in euphoria.

"Hey, I just thought of something! Since you're gonna be our star witness, or one of our decisive witnesses for the pending trial, why not share your story on domestic violence?" Roseanne punches her open palm, grinning at the male LaPerm before her.

Kane hesitates, sweating mildly while staring at the euphoric Norwegian Forest Cat. Even Tobi is hesitant about the suggestion offered, gazing at the vigorous female. As further encouragement, Roseanne reveals, "Life stories on domestic abuse are really important. The more life stories out there, the more light is shed on difficult situations such as this one. Tobi shared his own life story recently."

'Yeah, thanks a lot for throwing me under the bus, sis.' Tobi casts a weary glare at the Norwegian Forest Cat, immediately sweating profusely. Not like he needed his secrets spilled out on the whim. Still, the idea of a life story being made public is still a hot topic, only there will be a new one. Even so, Kane was still hesitant to agree to the demand.

In further assurance, Roseanne gently squeezes Kane's shoulder, the offer still entertained in her mind. While awaiting Kane's final decision, she leaves the matter up to him. "Kane, when you're ready to talk, go ahead and tell us. It is entirely up to you and whatever decision you make, we'll respect that. You have our full support in this!"

Hearing her soft encouragement, Tobi finally admits in agreement, "Yeah. When you're ready Kane, you let us know; even if it takes you a year, let us know. I can sympathize with you 100% because it took me at least 7 years to finally muster up the courage to step forward with my life story. Trust me, you'll feel better if you do."

Hearing the Maine Coon out, along with his own side of the story, Kane offers a melancholic smile. He marches up to Tobi and squeezes him in a hard embrace, resting his head on his shoulder. The gray LaPerm then rubs his head on Tobi's while whispering a soft, "Thank you…" in return.

Watching the exchange, an enlightened Roseanne shuffles in between the two while hugging the two tomcats to join in while announcing, "Group hug!" And maybe, just maybe, Kane will finally have a shot in making known his own life story to the public eye.

~~~~~

Kane Filla belongs to Sunnahal from ToyHouse; Alessandro Eriksson, Roseanne McCarthy, and Tobi Blackburn belong to me!