Best Friends and Calico Cats

Shakespeare's Lemonade

Rating: T

Genre: Friendship/Humor

Summary: Susan thought David needed more stability in his life, a home, a pet, something. This, however, was not what she had in mind.

A/N: I have struck again. I really should be working on my other stories, but David and Susan keep talking to me.

She wasn't mad. No, she had given up being mad at David Creegan a long time ago. It didn't do any good. Susan Branca was not mad. Except she was a little. Here she had been trying to be helpful, and he went and took it all the wrong way. She might have known though. She was more mad at herself.

The pounding might well have been in her head rather than under her fist on the thick wooden door. He answered quickly, which was surprising, but of course he had that silly smile on his face.

"Hi," he said, sounding like a hyper five-year-old on a playground.

Susan jabbed her finger at him. "When I told you to find an apartment as opposed to that godforsaken motel, I didn't mean you should move in down the hall!" She stomped inside as she spoke.

"I like it here," David said with a shrug. "It's nice, and they allow pets."

Susan stared at him. "What?"

"You know, in case I ever decide I want one."

"Do you?"

"No, but I might. I'm unpredictable like that. Would you like some tea?"

"Why the hell are you offering me tea?"

"Because I saw it at the store when I was buying groceries, and it looked good. I suppose one could drink tea alone. Maybe better that way."

Susan gestured widely. "What I don't understand is how you can't seem to get it through your head that I'm annoyed at you."

David picked up his mug of tea and stared over the rim at Susan. "I try to avoid letting things through my head. And I know you're annoyed, I just can't tell why. I was still working on that."

Susan sighed. "Why would you move in down the hall from me? I see you every day."

"Oh! You think I wanted to live here because you do? Well, maybe a little, but not because of you. Because it's familiar. It's not as if I would be coming over and bothering you all the time. I mean, no more than I would anyway, which isn't very much, because my first impulse when I feel like bothering someone at an inconvenient time is to go for a run. It keeps all that energy at bay for a while."

"Do you feel like bothering people a lot?"

"No."

"But you run a lot."

"That's because there are lots of other things that need to be kept at bay."

"Oh. Then I won't see you any more than normal?"

"I don't know. Maybe in the hall. The elevator. Statistically—"

"Okay. Just so you don't think we're best friends now or anything."

"Well, I did, but not like that."

"Like what?"

"Like being in each others' space 24/7. I don't think I would like that. I don't think you would either."

"Right."

"But we're not best friends?"

"No. I mean—no."

"Okay. Is that all?"

Susan nodded. "Yeah. That's all." She left David's new apartment feeling like she had just said something terribly wrong. That was silly. David was never offended, was he? Susan couldn't be sure, but she hoped he didn't take what she said the wrong way. He usually didn't.

Susan shook her head as she opened her own door and went inside. She had been angry at him two minutes ago, and now she was feeling sorry for him. She really needed to stop that.

The next day, they were off on a case again, nothing out of the ordinary if anything about their job could be considered ordinary. David had been kind of quiet. Nothing too strange, but Susan couldn't help thinking it had something to do with what she said yesterday.

They were walking down the sidewalk back to her car after looking at a crime scene. They passed a pet store, and David peered in the window at a litter of calico kittens sleeping on top of one another.

"Aw," he said in a soft voice.

"Hey, Creegan?" Susan drew his attention away from the kittens. His intense blue eyes started at her, waiting for what she had to say. "I hope you're not—I mean, I hope you understand what I said yesterday."

"What? That you don't like me living down the hall or that we're not best friends. Doesn't matter. I understand both."

"Are you sure?"

"Is this what you've been stressed about all day?"

"I have not been—I don't want you to think I don't like you or care about you or anything."

"Why would I think that?"

"Well... I don't know."

"I'm still not sure which of your issues we're talking about here, but if it's about the living situation—"

"It's not."

"Oh, okay then. In that case, you have a few friends, at least, and why should it matter to me that I'm not your favorite? I mean, I'd like to be, but that's just pointless vanity or egotism or whatever."

"It's not that. I mean, I don't have that many friends, and you probably are my favorite, I just didn't think about it that way."

He smiled. "Good. For me, I mean. You're my favorite too."

Somehow, Susan couldn't help smiling back. Maybe it was the ridiculousness of it all, or maybe it just felt good to matter to someone that much.

Later that day, Susan felt like she was invading David's privacy, but she really needed some information without his knowledge. She remembered what he had said about never reading a colleague's file, but it was for a good cause. And technically, she had read it already, she just needed to check something. He wouldn't mind. He always said she could ask him anything. She was just bypassing that step was all.

It still felt slimy, but it was only this once, and if he ever found out why, he was sure to appreciate the reason.

Susan needed to know when David's birthday was. For a very particular reason that even she didn't fully understand, but she thought he would.

As if it were some kind of sign from above, it turned out that David's birthday was two weeks away. Susan had her plan all ready. She hoped he wouldn't notice her sneakiness now that they lived three doors away from each other. It would ruin the surprise. Susan had never been very good at surprises, but she had a feeling David might like it. He told her she needed to follow her instincts more, so she could just blame him if it didn't work out.

But it would work. It would be great, and Susan would get rid of that nagging feeling she had hurt David's feelings somehow. He said it was fine, but she didn't want fine. She wanted good.

So, when two weeks had passed, Susan put her plan into action. She knew David was home because they rode the elevator together after work. He had been right about them living in the same building. It wasn't a big deal. But right now, it was just more convenient for her. She made her way down the hallway and knocked on David's door. She wasn't taking no for an answer, though she doubted he would refuse.

It took a moment for him to answer. "I thought you were tired of seeing me all the time?" he said with a smirk.

"I didn't say that. When did I say that?"

"You didn't. Come in."

"Actually, I'd like you to come over to my place. I have something for you."

"Why?"

"Don't you know?"

"Yes, but I'd like you to explain why you, my favorite but not best friend decided to get something for my birthday."

"Because this was all my idea." Susan gestured around them. "And it's your birthday, and we should celebrate."

"Why 'we'?"

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"

"Yes please."

Susan tilted her head back and sighed. Then she straightened up and looked David in they eye. "You are my best friend, and as such, it is my responsibility to make sure you have a good birthday."

"That's why you brought me coffee with cream and no sugar this morning?"

"Yes. So, come on. Dinner's getting cold."

"You cooked?" David asked, closing his door and following Susan down the hallway.

"I can cook. It's just no fun alone." Susan opened her door and gestured for David to go inside. The table was all set, and a warm smell filled the apartment. It masked the other smell that David noticed anyway.

"Is there a cat in here?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "Okay, you can have your present first." Susan moved into the living room, and David followed. On the floor, there was a small animal carrier with a red bow on top.

David laughed and crouched down to open the kennel. He reached in and pulled out a calico kitten that looked an awful lot like the ones he had seen two weeks before. "Hello gorgeous," he said, rubbing the cat's ears with his free hand. Then he looked up at Susan who was standing across the small room. "Why a cat?"

"What? You don't know already?"

David shook his head.

"Well, that's something new. Every time you see a cat, you say 'hello gorgeous.' I thought about a puppy, but I know they take a lot more work, and with our weird hours, a cat might be better. Plus, I think you like them more."

"I don't talk to cats because I like them."

"Oh. Sorry. I thought—"

"I do like them. That's not why I talk to them, though."

"Why then?"

"I don't know. It's like I have to. Like something happened before with a cat, and it always sticks in my mind."

"Something before you were shot?"

"Yes. You still didn't really answer my question."

"Like I said, this was all my idea. I told you to find a place to live, get a pet, and settle down. And then I freaked out when you tried. I'm sorry about that. This is just... my way of saying welcome home, I guess. And happy birthday."

David smiled and stood up straight, holding the kitten to his chest. "Thanks, Susan. It's been a great birthday."

Susan smiled back. "You're welcome. So what are you going to call her?"

"I don't know. I'll have to spend some time with her first."

"All right, but no playing with your present at the table."

"Aw, Mom, please."

Susan laughed. "Fine, she can sit on the chair next to you, but that's it."

The kitten ended up sitting next to David's plate and getting far too many scraps. Susan made a mental note to sanitize the table after he left. Cute or not, it was an animal, and Susan wasn't quite as fond of them as David seemed to be.

They spent the rest of the evening eating and talking. David gave Susan a comprehensive history on domesticated cats. He said he did a report on them in sixth grade. Susan had made cake, which was probably mediocre, but David said he loved it. Susan wondered how long it had been since someone did something like this for him. Did he have birthdays during those three years after being shot? She hoped so, but if not, she would be sure it never happened again. As long as she was around, David would have a friend to spend his birthday with. Or two, if the nameless kitten counted.

It was late when Susan finally helped David move all the cat's accessories over to his apartment. She couldn't be sure if he had really enjoyed himself because to him that might mean something entirely different than other people. But then he stood in the doorway as she was leaving, holding his new kitten in one hand because it was still small enough to fit. And Susan had a thought. She knew he wouldn't mind, and she wondered why he had never thought of it before. She leaned forward and hugged him.

"Happy birthday, David," she said, and she felt cat whiskers on her cheek, and one arm behind her back.

"Thank you," he said softly. "It was the best one I've ever had."

Susan looked him in the eye and saw that he meant it. She was sorry that it was true, but somehow proud that she had made it happen. She'd never been good with these things.

"Goodnight," she said, smiling. "Take care of her." She scratched the cat's ears and turned to head back home. Susan realized that she was glad David was her best friend, and maybe the furball wasn't so bad either.