"My first trial?"

"Yes. Now get away from that ferret before it bites you, Spock." Spock retracted his hand and dropped it to his side. The two men continued to walk through the tiny pet shop until they reached the back wall.

Spock looked around, assessing the musty environment. He looked around distrustfully as he listened to the wall of caged cats' needy meows. "I assume that my first trial will be to take a 'pet' into my custody."

"You really need to stop ruining my fun." Pike frowned. He would have to make the next four challenges more discomforting for the Vulcan. It seemed pet ownership was too easy a challenge.

Spock raised his eyebrow. "This is fun for you?"

A frizzled young girl, with a cute tonkinese kitten mewling in her arms, came up to Pike. She was a little intimidated by the black clad Vulcan, somewhat sulking in the corner. "Can you I help you sir?" she asked as Pike leaned in and gently rubbed the kitten's chin. It purred, closing its bright blue eyes in pleasure. "Awwww, she likes you!" The girl exclaimed.

Pike turned to look at Spock, childish glee on his face. "What do you think Spock."

"I think it is a cat."

The kitten meowed angrily as she made eye contact with Spock. "Hush Slarty, hush." The girl tried to calm the kitty but she refused to calm down. It hissed at Spock. The Vulcan stared on uninterestedly. "I'm sorry, she's never like this." The girl said apologetically.

A scheming look came upon Pike's face. "He'll take it!" Pike exclaimed.

"What?" Asked both Spock and the girl.

"You'll take it, won't you Spock?" Pike was beaming, "For the sake of the grant, right?"

The girl pulled a treat out of her apron. The kitten calmed down as it chewed the fishy treat. Then the girl pet her until Slarty was purring happily again. "Slarty's a girl, not an it. And I'm not sure if she likes him very much," the girl gestured to Spock, she found Spock a little off putting her self, "uh, no offence sir." But business was business so she tried to be nice.

The feeling was mutual. "She, obviously dislikes me, Pike. It would be irrational to adopt this 'pet' and force it to endure my company." Spock was willing to go through these ridiculous trials, for the grant money, but not if it meant getting mauled in his sleep by an angry kitten. He also found the cat's name ridiculous.

"May I hold her?" Pike asked. The girl was hesitant to hand over the kitty, she liked the nice old guy, she found his graying hair charming, and she didn't want the cat to claw his face off. She fed the kitten a few more treats before gingerly handing her over. "And what did you say her name was again?" Pike asked as he held the purring kitty up to his face.

The store door opened, letting in a cold gust of snowy air. "Her name's Slartibartfast!" The girl called out as she ran to help the next customer who was ringing the customer help bell insistently.

The two men stood there, silently in the back of the musty pet shop, as Startibartfast meowed happily as she was pet lovingly. Slarty continued to purr, but she made sure to keep her eyes open just a slit, so that the pointy eared, man couldn't hurt her. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Pike cringed as Slarty's claws un-retracted into his arm.

"Here," Pike held out Slarty to Spock. The kitty, realizing the 'nice' man's treachery, began flailing angrily. Her tiny claws came out fully, as she hissed and spit like a banshee. "Dear god!" Pike tried to hold on but when Slarty drew blood, his hands released, dropping the angry Slarty on to Spock's chest.

Spock reacted quickly. He wrapped his arms tightly around Slarty before she could fall to the ground, nearly crushing the poor kitten against his chest. "Calm down Slartibartfast." Spock said icily. Slartibartfast quieted down instantly.

As Pike sucked on his fresh new cuts, the girl came running to them. She grabbed Pike's hand and began to wipe at the bloody cut with a damp cloth. "Oh, I'm sorry-" She then saw Slarty in Spock's arms. By now Slarty was quiet and still, not because she was being crushed, but because she found Spock's high body temperature almost as delightful a fluffy pillow left out in the sun, maybe even more so. She was purring quite audibly. "She likes you?" The girl asked in surprise.

"Where are the cat-supplies located?" asked Spock.

Pike smiled gleefully.

oo0oo

Author's Note

Please tell me someone got the references…

Anyway, I have two tonkinese cats myself, and they are absolutely awesome. The boy cat even fetches plastic spoons, that is when he isn't feeling high and mighty.