Tale of Two Cheetahs Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Wild at Heart or some of this story. This is an adopted story, it belongs to GlassDragonflyOfDeath. The idea of the two of the protagonists did not come from me; however some of these ideas are my own.

So this story is dedicated to GlassDragonflyOfDeath, everything in Italics is not my own although may be modified slightly, words here and there.

! #$%^&* Set mid-season 7:

Cassidy's POV:

It was hot, as it always is. Why do I have to live in Africa? My plan for today was to eat, then sleep on someone's bed, to begin with probably Liv's it was my favourite. Then I was going to eat some more and then move to Rosie's bed. Then she would probably kick me off so I move to Danny's Bed. After that I would be time for dinner. After that I would settle down on Dup's bed. It was old and lumpy and I did not like it, but it was my last resort because I could never even get into Charlotte's room.

As I lay on the ground thinking about what my day had install for me I head foot-steps behind me, well more or less. It sounded like the clinking of stones together. I turned around to see Peeters the Vulture standing there. I got up and walked away from him, and started to make my way towards Liv's room. But Peeter's was following me. 'Go away Peeters,' I growled at the vulture that was walking behind me.

'Why?' He came from around behind me so that we were face to face. 'You ok Cassidy?' He asked me.

'I'm just hot…and tired so leave me alone Peeters,' I grinned at him, bearing my teeth, making them visible. 'I have claws.'

'Oh I'm so scared, I better start running.' He said the sarcasm evident in his raspy voice.

'Yeah you should be because I am so quick that I can catch you when you are flying, not that you can.' I said, prowling towards the stupid vulture that was starting to back away from me.

'Says the cheetah that only has three legs!' his face was contorted trying not to laugh.

'You wanna bet?' I asked him.

Peeters only smiled, 'Ok then. I'll race you to the tree over there.' he stretched out his wing and pointed to a tree that I sometimes sleep under if I get kicked off all the beds. 'If you can catch me before I get there then you win.'

I took some time to look at the tree, planning my best option for the plan of attack. It seemed if I concentrated, it might actually be possible. But I was not going to let Peeters know that.

'Fine, you're on,' I agreed 'but as long as you fly low.'

Peeters nodded then said, 'Ok, you ready?'

'Three,' I pushed my back leg into the dirt and lay my front legs in front of me, as if I were about to pounce.

'Two,' Peeters lowered his head and lifted his wings, getting ready for flight.

'One,' we both said at the same time, then we both screamed 'GO!'

I lifted my feet from the ground and ran, reaching my top speed within seconds. For now, I would concentrate on running instead of the vulture that was flying just ahead of me. Every time I lifted my three paws of the ground, I could feel my lungs getting drier and heavier. My breathing was becoming louder and raspier. Slowly I began to lose my breath, and I knew I would have to make a move on, before I got to tired and before my back leg started to hurt anymore.

I moved my head down and never took my eyes off Peeters. I started to run, slowly starting to edge closer to him, so much so that I did not realise that we had passed the tree, until something hit me in the face. Or more specifically, I hit Peeters.

I stopped and shock my head then looked at Peeters. He looked hurt. 'What did you do that for? Why didn't you stop?' Peeters asked me.

I looked behind me. He was right. We were as far away from the tree as we had been back at Leopard's Den. I must've been concentrating on running so much that I really hadn't notice the tree even go by me. Peeters looked hurt so I lifted him onto my back and I managed to hobble my way back to Leopards Den.

I managed to get back to the animal hospital. I managed to get Peeters down there before I collapsed in a heap on the ground with Peeters by my side.

Shortly after I collapsed the on the floor Danny walked in and sighed. He said something to me but I wasn't paying attention, I just wanted to sleep.

It wasn't until I notice Danny crouching beside me that I decided that I should get up and move. If I didn't I would probably have Danny and Rosie checking me out, and that would mean I am in trouble, because they would find out I had been running one way or another.

I stood up and walked out of the hospital, using all of my effort to not look like I was in immense pain but was to no avail. Danny saw me and said 'Cassidy hold up boy, you're not going anywhere.' As he said this I knew I was heading straight for the cages, again. It seemed like I spent a lot of time in there after that little charade of visiting my brother. But I didn't see what the problem was. Apart from the fact that my brother attacked Rosie I did nothing wrong, I stayed with her after all. I made sure she was ok didn't I? And how did they repay me? I was stuck in a cage, constantly being checked over.

Once I went into the cage I saw a nice fluffy looking bit of hay in the corner. I walked over and curled up in a small ball and went to sleep.

! #$%^&* later that Night:

It rained for the first time in ten months that night, and I made the most of it. I know I', a cat and all that, but it's not every day in Africa that it rains and I get to experience the muddy African soil on my feet. All the other people were either in their rooms, or like Nomsa and Charlotte who were in the kitchen. I had to make sure I avoided them if was going to be able to get out, they would give me some excuse as to why I was not allowed go outside. So I went out and around the back way. But then I encountered Rosie.

She tried to persuade me to go back inside back inside, back into the living room. She tried food and a really fluffy blanket (and she knew what she was doing, that blanket looked really comfy), but I had to remember my master plan. Then there was Peeters. He was on the table under the veranda. He was starting to be treated less like a friendly, but wild animals and more like a household pet. His wing was bandaged from this morning; obviously, I had hurt him more than I thought.

It was great when I finally got outside again, it was really heavy rain. At first the thunder scared me little bit but then I got used to it and it stared to be fun. There were lots of animals out, obviously I was not the only one enjoying the rain. The once brown read dust dirt was now a sticky runny mud. Water was flowing everywhere and then the lightning hit. It really did scare me and that was when it knew it was time for me to go back inside and pout at the door enough until someone cleaned the mud off my feet and I figured it would be Olivia, she liked having me on her bed at night.

When Olivia finally opened the door, I put on my cutest Cheetah face I could muster and she crumbled at my cutest face. She rinsed my feet and then I walked into her room and curled up at the end of her bed again for the second time that day and went to sleep for the night.

When the rain stopped it was still wet outside. I went outside to play and skidded around when I saw it. It was yellow in colour and had black spots all over it. I walked back and realised it was a cheetah. It was lying down and I thought nothing of it, after all it was probably my brother, but when I got over to the cheetah I was surprised to find it was a girl cheetah. I nudged her with my paw and I think I frightened her when she woke up.

She looked at me for a while and then then looked up into my eyes and made eye contact asking, 'What's your name?'

'Cassidy.' I responded.

She smiled, 'My name is Jana.'

I froze. Surely she could not be the Jana, the one that was shot when Leopards Den was taken from the Trevanion's, the one that Olivia cried about sometime, the Jana that was supposed to be dead.

'Wait…you're…Jana? The Jana?' still in shock from that surprise.

'Yes but that who I am does not matter at the moment.'

'Well of course it matters you are supposed to be dead, you were shot in the head, how could you survive that.' I said, confused and excited that I was about to meet the great and famous cheetah of Leopards Den.

'That does not matter at the moment, there is something that I need to talk to you about and for a moment I need you to listen.' She said. I nodded my head and smiled, she was one pretty cheetah, her spots speckled in the sunlight after rain, her coat glistened like gold. She was beautiful. I nodded and she spoke.

'You know the girl Olivia, her mother died and I looked after her, I was a connection to her mother and now I am not there anymore.' She began. Then she stopped to make sure I understood.

When I nodded she continued. 'I know you have never met Olivia's mum but she misses her. And I know you have not met Alice either but have you heard of her?'

'Yeah, Danny's wife. Everyone misses her. I hear her name all the time.' I said, not sure of where this conversation was headed. 'I hear her name all the time.' I said, not sure of where this conversation was headed.

'Yes, that's right. She was a really lovely person, I loved her. At the beginning Alice and Olivia did not get on very well, but just before they all left Africa they were really close. And now that Alice is not here it is like she is losing another mum. So it is your job to make sure that she is ok.'

I looked up at Jana as the impact of her words sunk in. She wanted me to make sure that Liv stayed ok, that she was still happy. 'I promise I will Jana.' I said.

She smiled and walked over to me. She rubbed her head on mine, essentially a cheetah hug and I responded until she drew away. 'Goodbye Cassidy, I will come again, and don't forget what I said.' As she said it she walked off into the distance, as mist came and surrounded her until I could no longer see her.

! #$%^&*

The next morning when I woke up the full impact of what had happened hit me. I had had a dream about Jana and Olivia. I did not quite know why but I knew one thing. I was going to do what Jana said and make sure that Olivia was always ok, she would always be protected and I would always be by her side.

And there it is. I liked this because it was a bit different, and thought it was different to write in the perspective of a Cheetah. I am not sure if it needs more, like something from Cassidy in the special? What do you think?

Musicgirl97 =)