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I shrugged "I don't know Derik this could mean us getting married in the end if it doesn't go the way you want. I'd love to help you, but this is a really odd favor."
"I know it's out of the blue and it isn't your usual favor, but I have no one else I can ask and I did save you from that snake when we were little. I mean, you could have died. This request is much smaller than what I did for you." Derik started his sweet talk guilt trip.
I groaned trying to keep from giving in "I know, but in retrospect your request is way over the top for anyone to consider. Mine wasn't a request; you saved me of your own free will."
"I know, I know, it was silly to ask. I might as well just be miserable in a marriage to a person I may never love. What was I thinking trying to guilt my best friend, someone I saved because I cared about them?" Derik threw himself a pity party knowing my answer would change.
I sighed "Alright, alright, I'll help you, but it will only be for a little while and only as fiancés right?"
Derik smiled "Yeah of course."
I paced waiting for Ally and Trish threw a magazine at me "Calm down, she's been gone a half hour, how much can change?"
Ally walked in with her head down hurrying toward the counter. We all looked at her and she was quietly grumbling to herself.
"Ally, so how did it go?" I asked worriedly.
Ally glanced at me and then stared at her hand "I agreed; he duped me into it. All that no stuff was doing well until the pity party he threw himself in front of me."
Trish grabbed her hand "Dude, check out this rock! How did you get one so fast?"
"It's his grandma's, I can't believe I'm pretending to be engaged to him." She groaned "I have a bad feeling about this."
"I'll go with you next time so you can properly turn him down." I quickly decided as I stared at the white gold, three diamond engagement ring.
Ally shook her head "Austin, I'll do things on my own and if they turn out going the way I didn't want I'll come to you for help. He has too much on me right now."
Her dismayed look turned into one of delight as Dez walked in. He was holding something I noticed and was stroking its back. When I realized what it was I tried to stop Ally from saying Dez's trigger words, but was too late.
"Oh look at the sweet kitty cat." Ally smiled reaching out for it.
I suddenly stopped reaching for the kitten as I felt a nudge against my shoulder followed by a meow. I turned already knowing who it was. Austin smiled at me, pawing at me and nuzzling his head against me.
"Uh kitty cat, Austin." I pointed at the cat and he stopped staring blankly at the kitten.
Austin meowed and hissed at the little kitten and I stared at Dez searching for help.
"Kitty cat; Austin snap out of it." Dez tried and again Austin meowed licking his "paw".
I tried again "Kitty cat!"
Austin hadn't changed back instead he jumped on the counter. He nudged his head against mine and almost knocked me over. I groaned; this couldn't be happening.
Thanks to Dez I got an idea to pretend to be stuck in my hypnotism state Ally had told me about once before. I figured that maybe somehow I could end up helping her this way better or at least get to know what she's feeling and thinking.
"Until I can figure out what went wrong someone is going to have to keep him at their house. He needs to be somewhere that he's used to and its good his parents are traveling for a year." Dez sighed "Well he's all yours Ally, see you around."
Dez turned to walk away and Ally caught his arm "Why can't you or Trish take him?"
Trish snorted "Yeah right, he's never been to my house and Dez can barely take care of that little kitten there for his cousin. Heck, I bet he forgot to feed it, Austin would wither away to nothing if Dez had him."
Dez smiled holding the kitten up "That's what I forgot to do today, thanks Trish!"
He left with Trish following leaving Ally to watch me. I readied myself to jump and Ally turned backing up.
"Austin, don't even think about it." She realized what I was getting ready to do.
I jumped and was careful not to hurt her as we fell. Then I purred curling up against her on the floor. Ally sighed and sat up stroking my hair as I looked up at her.
"Why of all times did this have to happen? Why when I needed you most?" she hugged me and I had to fight the urge to hug back.
I meowed and showed my worried filled eyes. She ruffled my hair again and I moved toward her kissing her briefly before curling up against her and purring trying to keep form. Ally sat shocked at first and then began to stroke my hair again.
"You are so lucky that you're stuck in that form because if you knew what you just did, I don't think that we'd be sitting like this still and things would be so much more complicated because I love you Austin." She sighed and I nudged my head against hers knocking her back as she laughed.
I was excited to know she loved me, but this was all I could do for now. I wanted her to stay as relaxed and happy as she was now, but this was only the calm before storm Derik started heading in tearing things apart.
I couldn't help myself with the Auslly moments and I had been playing with how the Austin stuck in hypnotized cat form would work, but I think him pretending is going to put more life into the story!
