One-Shot Dump

Disclaimer: Property of SyFy I guess and some dude last named Malozzi. Joe?

Short little bit of fluff

When it twined itself between his legs, he hesitated to kick it away. Another man might have done so and not thought of it. Four doesn't remember that man. The animal is black all over with clever gold eyes. People say that black cats are bad luck, an old superstition from ages ago that somehow still persisted. Four has never heard that saying and would doubt the intelligence of anyone who truly believed it.

It's more likely he'd give the cat bad luck. He should let it alone. It didn't look starved or terribly dirty. It might belong to someone. He crouched down, and it peched itself on his leg in a graceful bound. It mewed, tilting its head curiously.

Footsteps shuffled toward him.

"Four? What are you - it's a cat!" Five squealed, bright and loud.

Not sparing her a look, Four traced his fingers down its spine, feeling silken fur and fragile bone. Four had quickly realized that people often read more into his silence than there was. Five floundered to ease some imagined offense, rambling and embarrassed.

"Oh, not that you don't know that. I mean, you might not because, well, that but I just remembered but, I've never seen one so I, um...just."

"Do you have what you need?"

"Yes."

With abrupt grace, Four stood and began the trek back to the ship, the cat in his arms. Five fell into step with him after a few paces, satchel full of 'bits and bolts' clanking noisily. He would have preferred upgrades to the ship's weapons system, but that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. When Two had ordered him to accompany Five, he hadn't argued because the last time any of them had been unsupervised off the ship, they all nearly died and lost all of the money.

Idiots.

None of the repairs had been made at the last stop. If the supplies Five had picked up would keep the ship from exploding them into stardust, he'd have to be content with that. Of course, they might run up against another enemy ship and get blown up that way.

"So what are you gonna name her?"

Four shrugged and slanted a bland look her way.

"Dinner."

He quickly reached out to steady the girl as she tripped over her own feet. Two would be violently displeased if the little techie came back with so much as a broken fingernail. He dragged her upright, still walking until she got her feet back under her.

"You don't mean it."

"It's meat."

"You wouldn't eat a cat." She sounded incredulous at the idea. He wondered if it was because it was a domesticated animal or because of what she remembered of the prince-of him.

"Seriously, you're not. Right?"

She sent a worried look at the cat that had found a comfortable place in the crook of his arm. Her genuine worry for an insignificant stray was just another testament to how completely out of place she was among their band of thieves and murderers. But then, with all of their collective memories in her head and little clue who she was, she didn't really belong anywhere else either.

"I won't eat the cat."

He waited for the relief to settle, let her relax before adding,

"Today."

"Four!"

He allowed himself a snort of amusement. She was young and undisciplined, and entirely too easy to rile. It was one of her many weaknesses. The others had taken a protective role for her, being the youngest and most vulnerable of their number. Holding all of their memories, she just might be the most dangerous also. Ill-fitting as she was, she was theirs - mascot, tech expert, sister, and brat. So far, she was an asset and an ally.

When they return, Two took one look at the cat and frowned. Four dropped it into Five's arms and walked away, saying, "It's hers."

"Yes! Oh, yes, you are, aren't you? Huh, who's a sweet kitty-kitty? Ow, ow, no scratching."

What should we name the cat, you guys?