Sammy and Ilna, you're the candle in the window. Thanks for absolutely everything. I'm liking the new venture and hopefully you're right about it paying off, because you're so encouraging and supportive you make me smile every day.
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This one is for every dog out there. Everyone's dogs are the best dogs in the world, right? Steve and Catherine are 100% positive Cammie is.
Safe and Sound
Cammie walked ahead in the driving rain, stopping occasionally to look back at Catherine.
"I'm right behind you, Pretty Girl, hurry up, so we can get inside." Catherine tightened the hood of her service windbreaker under her chin. She was pretty much soaked anyway, but it kept the rain out of her eyes. "Good job!" she said as Cammie returned to her side after doing her business. "C'mon, Sweetie ..." she started but was cut off by Steve's voice. He'd apparently gotten home.
"Catherine!? Where are you and Cammie?"
"We're out by the far corner!" She called over the sounds of wind and rain. "She's done, we're coming in!"
Just as she took a step behind the dog, Cammie stopped short, peering intently under the foliage that lined their property. "Cammie, come."
Cammie looked between the plant cover and Catherine, clearly torn. She never disobeyed a command, but a whine escaped her as she glanced at the plants and moved slowly towards Catherine.
"What?" She could see the dog's reluctance to follow and moved towards the foliage herself. "Show me, Sweetie."
Cammie dove into the brush and popped out seconds later holding something in her mouth.
"Catherine!" Steve called again, his voice closer. She knew, because they were taking longer than he expected, he was coming out to make sure everything was okay.
"We're coming, she found something!" Catherine practically yelled. The wind had picked up; blowing away from the house and her voice wouldn't carry well. She knelt to see what the dog was holding. When she did, she held out both hands and Cammie gently placed something into them.
"Oh, Cammie, look at my good girl. Good job, Baby. C'mon, let's get inside." She stood and took off at a trot for the house with the dog happily running alongside.
Steve was coming towards them, and Catherine said, "Inside," so he fell in step with her. Turning to him just inside the door, she pulled a dark, wet shape from her jacket.
"What's ... ah." He looked at her in surprise.
Cammie shook to dry herself and proudly approached her humans as Catherine praised her and told Steve, "I'd have walked right by. Cammie saved it."
Holding a tiny creature up as she moved to the bathroom for a towel, Catherine smiled when the little mouth opened and a loud 'meow!' escaped.
"You rescued a cat?" Steve looked proudly at their dog who was regarding the kitten Catherine was drying gently while sitting on the edge of the tub. "That's my girl."
"She did." They exchanged a smile. "Poor little thing might have drowned if it wasn't for Cammie."
"Let's get ... " Catherine turned it over gently to check and smiled. "Her something to eat and drink."
"She may be dehydrated," Steve noted, going into mission mode and making Catherine's smile broaden.
"We have that roast chicken and some baked fish," she suggested as she placed the kitten on a fluffy, dry towel on the counter. "And grab some milk."
Steve gathered the items from the refrigerator and as he returned, Catherine was ending a call. "Dr. Betty said the chicken or fish is fine until tomorrow when we get some kitten food. Just take off the outside parts so she doesn't get any seasoning. And dilute the milk, half water. Adult cats don't do well with cow's milk, but it's okay for kittens. Besides we need to encourage her to drink."
"Gotta stay hydrated, right, Cammie?" Steve smirked at the dog, who was watching intently, paws up on a kitchen chair.
"Here, Sweetie, you deserve a reward." Catherine peeled off a piece of chicken and fed it to Cammie. "Go ahead ... aw, look at her ... it's okay, we're going to feed your little friend, too." Cammie had hesitated to look between both humans and the kitten as if telling them to feed the tiny creature first.
When she took her reward at Catherine's urging, Steve's face split in a huge grin. "Coulda been K-9." He repeated his oft-said statement. "Smartest dog on Oahu."
Catherine kissed the furry nose. "Absolutely. Cammie, you're a hero."
The microwave ding indicated fifteen seconds and after touching the chopped food to test the temperature, Catherine placed the glass dessert plate in front of their furry guest. After standing in the dish, the kitten quickly gobbled every morsel, lapped the milk and water mixture and circled into a position to wash her face.
"She needs a litter box." Catherine observed. "Can you grab some sand from outside? I know it's wet but it'll be okay for tonight. I'll get a shoebox and cut it down.'
"Got it." Steve was already halfway to the door.
Later that evening, they had the kitten all settled in a large box with a fresh towel, a makeshift litter pan and a bowl of water. She was dozing contentedly in the spare bedroom.
"Cath?" Steve came out of the shower, a towel low on his hips, and moved into the bedroom. "We're not keeping the kitten ..." Seeing her face he raised an eyebrow. "We're not ... are we?"
She grinned and crossed the room to kiss him. "You big softie. No. We're not. Cammie is plenty." At her name Cammie lifted her head and both Steve and Catherine chuckled.
"But we are totally finding her a great home." Catherine's look said she'd be carefully screening potential forever homes just as her cell buzzed on the bedside table.
She moved to grab it, saying, "Hey, Grace, you got the photo. Isn't she adorable?"
Later still, Catherine woke and slipped out of bed to check the kitten, who was sleeping peacefully.
Returning to bed, she leaned into Steve and kissed his cheek."You awake?"
He didn't move and she pressed closer, running a hand from his chest to his abs and back to trace his eyelids with a gentle finger. "The kitten is safe and sound, Mister Softie, I know you're faking. You never could pull off pretending to sleep."
His eyes popped open as his arms reached out to snatch her against him. "Hmpf. So you've said." His lip rose in a half grin, his mouth a hair's breadth from hers.
"Totally true. You always look like a toddler pretending to sleep, like you don't wanna close your eyes too tight. Joan was more convincing when Mary said, 'let's make believe we're asleep and fool everyone.' " She nipped at his lips and pulled back with a smile.
He rolled his eyes and shrugged. " ... I have other, more useful skills."
"That you do. And besides, you look almost as cute as Joan, I shoulda taken your picture..."
"You got up to check the cat. Who's the bigger softie?" He breathed and ran his hands along her back, under her tank top.
"Yeah, well..." She grinned. "If I say it's a draw, can I get a demonstration of those other skills?"
He pulled her close with a grin. "Since you called it a draw ..."
The next day, Steve and Catherine took the kitten to the vet, where they were told she checked out just fine. On their way home, Catherine received a text from Grace and directed Steve to stop by Danny's.
"Let me guess, Gracie wants to keep the kitten?" Steve glanced at the tiny bundle in Catherine's lap.
"Grace wants to help every stray. Remember the bat?"
Steve grinned. "True. She's something isn't she? Danny isn't much better." He acknowledged his partner's soft spot for kids and animals.
"Grace wants to help us find a home for her." Catherine ran a finger over the soft fur.
"With the two of you on a mission, the kitten will have a family in no time."
When Steve pulled up to Danny's house, Grace was waiting outside, bouncing in place. Her friend Linda was on the front porch with her Grandma Josie and Danny. Josie was holding their dog Sarge's leash.
"Auntie Cath! Uncle Steve! Linda and Grandma Josie might adopt the kitten!" She practically squealed as they exited the truck.
Catherine held the kitten as Grace quickly hugged Steve and came around for a closer look.
The adults exchanged hellos and Linda excitingly asked, "Can I hold her?"
"Of course." Catherine passed the kitten gently to her, and it snuggled into her embrace.
"Josie, you're okay with this?" she confirmed.
"I love animals, I'm fine. As soon as Linda told me I agreed, but we need to make sure it's okay with Sarge, here." She patted the dog's shoulder. "He's great with the neighbor's cats, so it should be okay."
"Linda, let Sarge see the kitten, Hon," Danny instructed.
The dog sniffed at the bundle in his human's arms and when the kitten batted his nose playfully he tilted his head and licked her gently.
"Looks like he's good with it." Steve grinned and gave Grace a one armed hug.
"Yes!" Grace hugged her friend and smiled. "What are you gonna name her?"
Linda looked at Catherine and Steve. "Grace said Cammie saved her."
"She did. We were out for a walk and Cammie spotted her under the bushes. It's because of Cammie she's safe and sound."
"Awww," the teens echoed and Linda kissed the kitten's head. "Tell Cammie she can come see her anytime she wants." She smiled happily. "And I've got the perfect name."
"What are you gonna call her?" Catherine asked while she gently petted the sleepy kitten.
"C.K.," Linda said matter of factly, and the adults exchanged confused looks.
They all burst into laughter at her very logical explanation. "Cammie's Kitten!"
End. Thanks for reading.
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