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Two days later I stood beside Vivian and Amanda while Jack stood beside Helen as we solemnly watched as Mel was laid to rest. Simon's family had laid claim to his body and prevented Helen and I from attending their private funeral, but for me and Amanda that wasn't as important as laying Melinda Hamilton to a proper, honourable rest with others like her who had paid the ultimate price to defend those who couldn't defend themselves. During the proceedings I'd proudly worn the ring that I'd first given my mate six years ago and if anybody asked I'd explain to them what it meant and represented to me.

Four days later Jack, Vivian and I walked into the clinic where I'd been given my second chance and met the doctor again. When he smiled at me I'd smiled back and walked over to him, "Thank you sir, for giving me a second chance."

"I'm glad to have helped kitten, and now I am ready to help the other two cubs in your family." He replied before getting down to work.

Five years later I am much more comfortable with who and what I've become and there are times I still think about those tumultuous days right after I was turned into what I am now. I can still recall when Helen and her little sister Amanda had woken up in their new bodies later on that day, though I think Amanda handled it a little better than her big sister did. Then again Amanda was now younger than I appeared to be while Helen was a couple years older. While Helen was subject to the same sort of deal that I'd gotten, Amanda had decided that she didn't want to be older than her big sister and almost demanded that she be given a second chance as well, though when she asked I could see how much pain was buried deep inside of her spirit and I'd advocated it for her so that she could finally get the healing that she needed so that she didn't travel down a path that was all to familiar to Helen and I.

The three of us cubs had settled down into our positions in our rather strange family with Jack and Vivian as our parents. After a few months with us three cubs going to daycare Vivian had left her practice and taken up writing books in her field of expertise from home. It was less stressful for her, and it allowed the three of us to stop attending daycare.

Amanda and I had also gotten a benefit from it since when we went down for our afternoon nap it allowed our momma to nurse us to sleep. Of course, neither of us needed it the way a baby-cub would, but then again momma loved doing it for us and it helped us strengthen our family bonds. I knew that sometimes even Helen would join us.

I was beyond nervous the day of my psychological evaluation and I paced the room like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, though the waiting room of the place where it had been carried out didn't have any rocking chairs.

"Calm down Daren, you did fine." Momma said with a smile, though I could tell that she was also nervous about the outcome. I remembered how vigorously the prosecutor had fought against the removal of the restrictions on my ability to use networked computers and I could only imagine how much he was trying to keep me from moving forwards. Though to be honest I wasn't yet sure that I was ready to move on... I'd come to treasure the comfortable, easy living that came with being a cub with two siblings who I'd learned to love deeply.

"I don't know momma, I mean a removal of my restrictions would be nice but at the same time... I like who I am now. I never had a family like this before and if I grew up now at the normal rate..."

"You're afraid you'd lose it all?" She asked while hugging me in her arms after catching me and pulling me into her lap and placing Stripes into my arms, knowing that me having my plushy in my arms would help me relax.

I didn't speak but nodded my head, "Momma I know I should be happy if they remove more restrictions, but I don't want to age faster than Helen or Amanda."

Vivian smiled softly and hugged more firmly, "Kitten, I think that's why they will remove any remaining restrictions, you care for others now and aren't the same man that your father took in five and a half years ago. You're a different person who genuinely cares for your family."

At that moment the door opened and dad came into the room with a smile on his face. "Daren, you're free from all restrictions, your file has been closed and your new adopted name has a clean record."

"Thanks daddy," I replied, "Can I please maintain the original schedule? I think I want to stay a cub a bit longer."

"By all means kitten, neither your momma or I want to force you to mature before you're ready to baby." He answered before coming over to give me, mom, Helen, and Amanda a hug. "Now let's all go to the clinic to get that tracker remove before we go home as a family, the way things should be."

That's what we did and finally I could say that I was free from my past, both the good and the bad and I had so much to look forwards to now. With the removal of the tracker the last remnants of my human life were removed and I was now a tiger and would remain one till the day that I died some time in the very distant future.