A/N: This one-shot takes place several months after the film "Lars and the Real Girl". If it could happen with a girl...

Lars and the Real Cat

"You want me to do what?" Lars Lindstrom asked, not sure if what he heard was correct. He started to blink with both eyes rapidly, a nervous habit brought on by stress.

His sister-in-law Karin Linstrom very patiently repeated herself. "Gus and I are going to take little Thom to Des Moines to see my parents; they haven't seen him since he was born. We're going to be gone for a week, so I need someone to take care of Smashface. We'd like you to take care of him for us while we're gone. You won't have to do much, just feed him and change his water and cat box. Maybe take one of his toys and play with him once a day. You can do it Lars, I know you can; you've got two months to get ready before we leave."

Lars looked over at the Persian cat watching from the back of the couch. "Can't you use one of those cat hotels or something?"

"You know Carla only takes dogs at her pet spa. Even if there was a place nearby to take him, we know he'd be more comfortable at home anyway. You're more comfortable at home, right?"

"Yeah."

"See? So would Smashy."

"But taking care of a pet is a lot of responsibility. What if something goes wrong?" asked Lars as he started to imagine all the potential dangers.

"Don't worry; he practically takes care of himself. Food, water, cat box, toys. PLEASE, Lars."

Lars looked down, then up again. "Let me think about it."

"Okay, we can talk about it again next week. Thanks." Karin gave him a hug that was half returned. As she walked back to her house, she thought about how much Lars had changed recently. Six months ago he had been introverted, painfully shy, and almost uncommunicative to others while still remaining friendly; very much the opposite of her husband Gus, Lars' brother; he had no problem telling you what was on his mind.

But then something extraordinary had happened. Lars purchased a...well...doll over the internet. A full-sized doll. With life-like features, but not so life-like that it wasn't obvious to anyone that the doll wasn't real. But she was real to Lars, who created a whole backstory for her and carried on as if she spoke to him and was a real person. The town's family doctor and psychologist Dagmar Berman interviewed Lars and monitored the situation, explaining to Karin and Gus that it was Lars way of coping with his crippling shyness; she suggested that they go along with it because it was of Lars' need that he had constructed the personality and she wanted to use it as a means of finding out more about Lars' problems.

As the small Wisconsin townspeople embraced Lars' new "girlfriend", it brought him more out of his self-imposed shell and he found himself able to interact more with real people. At the same time, Dr. Berman noted that Lars projected his problems as those of his girlfriend Bianca, providing insight into his difficulties. As his ability to communicate and relate to others increased, so his dependence on the doll decreased until his mind constructed her rapid decline in health and eventual death. After the funeral for Bianca which was well attended by the people who cared greatly for Lars, he was even seen talking with a girl from work - an event unheard of previously.

Lars certainly had come a long way.

...

The following week Karin saw Lars outside his house and walked over to speak with him. With a glance Lars started to dart into the house, but Karin watched as he stopped himself from escaping inside as he would have done in the past. True, he still stood with his back turned, but he wasn't fleeing. There was a point while she was pregnant where she had to literally tackle him in the snowy driveway to ask him to come to dinner.

"Lars, I just wanted to talk to you a minute. Have you thought about taking care of Smashy?" she called out.

Lars turned around, looked off and then back again. "I did. I have a...friend...that has a cat, so I asked her about it." He stopped and didn't offer anything else.

"Well? What did she say?"

"Margo...my friend I mean...said that I should try to be friends with another cat first, just in case I'm allergic or something."

Lars hadn't shown any allergic reactions while being in the house, but Karin was at least relieved he didn't so 'no' flatly. "I think you'll be okay, but I suppose it's better to be sure. So are you going to make friends with...your friend's cat?"

"Maybe. We'll see."

"Good, I'm sure you and your friend's cat will become real buddies. Maybe they can come play with Smashy someday. Okay Lars, I've got to go rescue Gus from giving Thom a bath. Good luck!" Karin turned and walked back into the house to find out just how much water was lying around on the bathroom floor and left Lars to his new assignment.

...

During the following week Karin noticed several times that Lars had backed his small hatchback up to his garage entrance, and one time even thought that she had seen him carrying a mostly-enclosed crate into his small house. She had even gone so far as to casually spy through his curtains while he was at work one day; his spartan furnishings looked very much the same; single bed, two-seat table and refrigerator with only a low box of some sort sitting on the floor the only addition.

While grocery shopping the next day Karin ran into Dr. Berman, who greeted her warmly. The two exchanged small talk until she asked Karin how she liked Lars' new cat.

"New cat? Lars?"

"Yes. He even brought it in to show me. His name is O'Malley."

"I wondered; I saw something that might have been a pet carrier being hauled into his house. Is it real?"

"The pet carrier? Oh, it sure is; looks like a nice one."

Karin sighed. "No, you know I mean the cat. Is it a real cat?"

"Yes it is. I've petted it. It also happens to be a stuffed animal, but it's real alright" the doctor assured her.

Karin's face contorted as she went through a wash of emotion. "He's not regressing, is he? Lars isn't getting worse again?"

Dagmar patted Karin on the arm. "Don't worry; he and I have had some talks over it. Remember, when your Gus moved away from home the moment he had the chance it left Lars with only his father to care for him. We know his father wasn't really equipped for that, so Lars has had a somewhat isolated upbringing; that's been part of his problem dealing with people."

"Yeah, but about the cat? I mean, when Margo told him to make friends with a cat I thought...well...it would be the kind that, you know, breathes and stuff. I thought we got over that part after Bianca died."

"She didn't die, but I know what you meant. No, this is a positive step. Look, Lars is deathly afraid of taking care of anything that might die on him even though deep inside he wants to help people. A year ago I don't think he would even consider what he's done, but think about it: he's learned to set up and clean a cat box, he knows about feeding the cat and he's even researched some cat diseases. He's showing not only his physical care, but foresight and even nurturing. Taken to its logical conclusion, he could conceivably develop skills to become a good parent. Don't be shocked, I'm not saying he will; I'm just saying it's a possibility."

"Okay, that's good I guess." Karin lowered her voice to a whisper. "But does he think the cat is real?"

Dagmar leaned back with arms folded on each other to give her best stern doctor look. "At this point, does it really matter?"

...

Three days after that conversation, as Karin drove down the road she slowed. Walking along the sidewalk was Lars, taking in the warming weather while pushing an old baby carriage. He had stopped walking, and was talking to Cindy and Baxter Williams. It was at Cindy's party that Lars had introduced Bianca to the town. While Baxter held their dog's leash, Cindy was holding what must have been O'Malley while stroking it and talking animatedly to Lars. Karin smiled and then shook her head in amazement. One of the biggest arguments in her life had been trying to convince Lars that the town cared for him, and it looked like just maybe he was accepting it at last.

That evening Lars knocked on the back door. Karin opened it up to find Lars with his O'Malley in hand.

"Hi Karin. Is it okay if I come over and introduce my cat to Smashy?" he asked politely.

Karin was momentarily taken aback, but rebounded quickly. "Sure Lars! Come on in. Er, what's your...cat's name?"

"O'Malley."

"Your cat is Irish?" she asked as they made their way into the living room.

"No. It's from a movie."

"Okay, then hello O'Malley; I've got someone to introduce you to. Smashy! Kitty kitty kitty kitty" she called. The Persian sauntered into the room, thinking a food bowl might be in order. "Smashy, this is O'Malley; O'Malley, this is Smashy."

Lars put down O'Malley and Smashy came over to inspect the new arrival. He sniffed, gave one lick and jumped up on the back of the couch. Karin was quick to claim victory, immediately proclaiming "I think they're going to get along. Lars, why don't you put O'Malley over on that pillow and they can get to know each other better." Lars did as he was asked, putting O'Malley on top of the large pillow. Smashy, now interested that something had taken his favorite spot, jumped down from the top of the couch and hopped on the pillow before he rolled up beside O'Malley, who for obvious reasons didn't complain. Karin told Lars she would watch the two if he wanted to do anything for a bit.

"I did tell Margo I'd meet her at the pet store so she could show me some collars" Lars grinned. "I could do that."

"That's really nice of Margo; why don't you do that? We'll be fine here. Say 'hi' to Margo for me, she seems like a nice girl."

"Yeah, she is" Lars agreed. "Okay; I'll be back in one hour. Bye O'Malley!" he called, getting no response.

"See, he's so wrapped up with Smashy he won't even notice you're gone for a while. Have fun" she said, practically pushing him out the door. Karin closed the door before he had the chance to change his mind, and returned to the living room where she sat on the couch and looked over at the pillow containing two very different cats. The more she thought about it though, with Smashy now asleep they weren't that different after all. She yielded to temptation and reached over to touch O'Malley, and felt the realistic fur covering the plush animal. Her hand brushed against a ribbon; leaning over, she saw that it read "Pam's Pet-Pourri".

Almost exactly at the hour mark Lars returned and knocked on the door. Karin asked about the pet store, and found that he hadn't bought anything but he and Margo had spent some time talking and looking at different products.

"But I have to ask," she went on "I was looking at O'Malley and I see he has a ribbon on. Did you take him to Pam's?"

"Yeah" Lars admitted.

"Why? Cats usually take care of themselves pretty well."

"Well, you know how people walk dogs but they don't walk cats."

"No, they don't."

"I still wanted to take O'Malley out and get some fresh air, so I borrowed an old baby carriage from Mrs. Gruner at church and took him for a ride in that."

"Good idea, I don't think I would have thought of that."

"I didn't either; it was Mrs. Gruner's idea. So I was showing him to Cindy and Baxter, and while she was handing him back to me he fell down into the dirt. I grabbed him fast, but he was still dirty. So I took him home and tried to give him a bath in the sink."

"A lot of cats aren't easy to give a bath."

"Maybe, but O'Malley was okay and didn't fight me at all. So after the bath I put him near the heater to dry. But I put him too close and while he laid there some of his hairs got a little singed on the tips, so before he could catch fire I threw my drink on him and he kind of smelled like old milk after that even after I gave him a bath again. I remembered Cindy said they take their dog to Pam's, so I took O'Malley and they gave him a shampoo and trim and that's how he got the ribbon."

Karin marveled at what was possibly the longest period of time she had ever heard Lars speak - more in a few minutes than he usually spoke during an entire week. "So you learned a valuable lesson. You'd never put Smashy too close to a heater now. See Lars, you can do it! I TOLD you that you could."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have to worry about Smashy because he's a real cat. I mean, he'd move!"

The End

A/N: The movie wasn't particularly popular, but it got pretty good reviews and had some wry observations and subtle humor. Lars had come a long way by the end of the movie, but there was still plenty of room for growth. I was going to write the story from his point of view, but the more I thought about it I felt that it should be seen from his sister-in-law's viewpoint, since she was the first to really support and try to draw Lars out of his shell.