2. Kitty
They've just recovered an artifact that had control over a little girl's pet cat. They watch as the girl, happily reunited with her no-longer-evil cat, hugs it and strokes its fur.
"You know, when I was a little girl I always wanted a cat," Myka says.
Pete turns to her, surprised. "A cat?" he repeats. "Really?"
"Yeah, I wanted a little fluffy black cat ever since I can remember," she continues. "But my parents said a cat in a bookstore would only cause trouble, so I never got one."
"I wouldn't have pegged you as a cat person."
"Well, I like all animals, really. I mean, I like Trai, and Pe—Ferret," she catches herself quickly. Pete thinks her ferret's name is Ferret and she's going to keep it that way. "I just always wanted a cat."
XXX
Three months later, it's Myka's birthday. She isn't expecting any presents (in fact, she told everybody not to make a big deal about her birthday), but she should have known Pete wouldn't listen. So when he shows up in her room first thing in the morning—after waking her up at midnight already to wish her happy birthday—with a box as big as a microwave oven, with several holes in the sides, she isn't all that surprised.
He holds the box out to her. "Happy birthday, Mykes. I mean, I know I already said that earlier, but—here." She reaches out to take the box, and he adds, "Oh, be careful with it." She gives him a quizzical look and he seems to change his mind and gently sets the box on the bed. "Okay, now open it." He appears extremely excited, Myka notices.
She lifts the top flaps of the box to see the face of a tiny black kitten peering out at her, squinting and mewling at her because of the sudden light. She gasps and a smile spreads across her face. "Oh my gosh! Pete, I can't believe this!" She reaches in and scoops the kitten up. Around the cat's neck is a collar with a heart-shaped tag reading Happy Birthday, Myka. –Pete.
Cradling the kitten to her chest with one arm, she uses the other to give Pete a hug. "I can't believe you remembered."
"I knew how much it would mean to you," he responds, and she lets him go and beams at him. "So, what are you gonna name her?"
She scratches the cat between the ears and it starts purring. "Shadow," Myka decides. She shrugs. "I don't know, she just seems like a Shadow."
Pete reaches out and strokes the Shadow's head with one finger. "She is cute, isn't she." It's a statement, not a question. Shadow wriggles from Myka's arms and climbs up her shoulder, perching there like a bird. Laughing, Myka lifts her off and hugs her partner another time.
"Thanks, Pete."
Yeah, I just…I don't know. The random word generator gave me 'cat.' And I saw one of my cats, Mocha, sleeping on my bed. And this came together. (And if you haven't figured it out by my username, I love black cats. I have one, named Shadow (surprise, surprise). As for those superstitions about black cats—Shadow is afraid of her own shadow, and I'm not kidding. She's just about the sweetest thing on earth too.)