A/N: Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes and lovely reviews! It really made my day. Normal chapter update on Friday (3 updates this week; aren't you lucky?)

Catsafari. =^^=

ooOoo

Chapter 7: Gift

Baron paced up and down the kitchen, watched – rather bored in the cream cat's case – by Muta and Toto.

"What's taking her so long? Shouldn't she be back by now?"

Muta picked up a newspaper from the side and flicked it open. "Relax, Baron. She's probably been asked to do some other chores or something. You should sit down before you wear a hole in the tiles. It's most un-catlike," he added after a moment.

"What would be the cat thing to do then?" Toto asked, with a hint of interest and a heap of scorn. "Not show you're bothered until it's too late? Sounds like the kind of thing you'd do."

"Please, not now you two."

Both animals quietened down, exchanging looks. Usually Baron wasn't disturbed by their arguments, but of recent he'd been showing an increasing reluctance to let them bicker at all.

The slender form of a young cat in maid uniform entered the kitchen, breaking up any other attempts for an argument between the two. Baron sighed in relief. "What's the news, Sophia? Has Louise done anything?"

The maid nodded fervently. "I didn't hear all of it, but Louise has convinced her father that Haru would make a good wife for him–"

"WHAT?"

"And he's planning on kidnapping her," Sophia finished with a quiver.

Baron returned to his furious pacing. "Even... even for Louise that's... madness," he rambled. "If Haru comes here she'll..." He gestured to himself to show what the brunette would turn into. "And Louise's father... he's got to be old enough to be Haru's father..."

"So what are you going to do?" Toto asked, swooping onto the tawny cat's shoulder.

"Simple," growled Baron as he grabbed his coat and hat, summoning a blue portal at the same time. "I'm going to ensure they can't touch her."

ooOoo

Haru dropped herself into her seat, her face red from the school run. A moment later the bell went.

Hiromi turned round to face her friend. "Wow, you're actually on time for once."

Haru grinned weakly, still trying to get her breath back. "Only just. There are a few, rare occasions when I actually do get here before the bell."

"Yeah, and of those I can count on one hand."

Haru gave her friend a playful shove. "Thanks."

Hiromi was not to be discouraged though. "So when are you going to be meeting him again?"

Haru made a face. "Meeting who again?"

"That guy, of course! What was his name again? Barry?"

Haru snorted. "Baron." She couldn't imagine him being a Barry.

Hiromi poked her friend in the shoulder. "Yeah, him. So are you?"

Haru swiped Hiromi away. "If I do, it shall be none of your business," she said grinning.

"But are you?"

"I don't know."

"You have to."

"Hiromi!"

"What? Tomorrow's Saturday, so you could meet him up then. He'll probably be free then."

"Can't you let me deal with my own affairs?"

"No."

Haru sighed and opened her bag, taking her books out for the lesson. Suddenly there was a chink as something unfamiliar to her fell to the floor.

"What?" Haru muttered to herself. She picked at the silver chain, bringing the necklace into view. It was pretty and delicate, with a small black feather attached as the main adornment. She frowned as the silky feel of the chain flowed from one finger to another. Inside her bag was a note.

~Haru

Sorry we didn't get more time to talk, but I hope you'll accept this trinket – keep it on, for it'll keep you safe. Please just trust me on this.

~Baron.

"Oh, who's that from?" demanded Hiromi, seeing the jewellery.

"It's from Baron... I think," muttered Haru, quickly putting the note back in her bag. The note had an almost pleading edge to it that she wouldn't have expected from him. Why was it so important that it couldn't wait until they next met? What kind of danger would it protect her from?

"Really? Put it on, put it on, put it on!"

"Okay, Hiromi, give me a moment." Haru clipped the silver chain around her neck. "How does it look?"

"It's gorgeous!" gushed the lighter brunette. She went starry-eyed staring at the trinket. "I wish Tsuge would get me something nice once in a while."

"He got you that matching earring and necklace set for Christmas," Haru reminded her.

"I know, but that was for a special occasion. This guy of yours got you a necklace just to show he likes you." She peered at the necklace. "Is that a real feather, you think?"

Haru fingered the black accessory. "It might be." She looked out of the window, her mind elsewhere. However on the windowsill outside was the shape of an orange cat. But what hit Haru was the intensity of its glittering green eyes. They looked just like...

"Baron," she whispered to herself.

"What?" Hiromi asked.

Haru blinked and shook her head. "Nothing."

The other girl laughed. "It sounds like you have Baron on the brain."

"Hm, maybe."

The teacher at that point entered the classroom, looking slightly flustered at being late and commanded quiet from the pupils, beginning the lesson almost immediately. Hiromi sighed and turned around to face the front, having to give up on teasing Haru about Baron.

Haru, meanwhile, snuck another glance at the cat. It was still there, and this time it was accompanied by another feline – a large, tubby cream cat.

Which seemed to be staring at her. Haru made a face at it, trying to signal for it to back off. The larger cat made a face back, but carried on staring. It was like it was trying to size her up, work out what kind of person she was. Which was slightly disconcerting, to say the least.

She narrowed her gaze and focused her attention on the other cat. If the tawny cat was human, with the same shade of hair and coloured eyes... it could be Baron. She could see the resemblance.

The cat, on seeing her looking, seemed to smile.

Hesitantly Haru raised a hand and waved at it.

The cat raised a paw back.

And waved.

Haru jumped and gave a small shout of surprise, not expecting that response and the chair beneath her chose that moment to topple precariously to one side. The result was that half a second later she was sitting on the floor instead of her seat.

"Haru Yoshioka," sighed her teacher tiredly, "what is it this time?"

"The cat- the cat- it..." she gibbered incoherently, waving at the window.

On the other side of the glass Muta grabbed Baron's arm. "That's our cue to leave," he ordered and dragged him off the sill.

Back in the classroom Haru was still gesturing to the window. The teacher gave a long-suffering sigh again. "Haru, there is no cat there," he pointed out.

The brunette glanced up at the window and reddened considerably. She clambered back up to her seat.

"Once you've quite finished causing a commotion, maybe I can get on with the lesson?"

"Yes sir," she mumbled.

"Thank you. As I was saying..."

Haru drifted off again, staring where the cats had been. She really had seen them; they had been there. Then again, maybe Hiromi had been right. Maybe she did have Baron on the brain. All his talk about being half-cat instead of human was getting to her.

'He hadn't been kidding about not being human,' she thought to herself idly.

That complicated matters just a bit.

ooOoo

Once they were a decent distance from the school, Muta allowed them both to stop.

"Let's never do that again," he puffed.

"Do you think she's alright?" Baron worried. "It looks like she took quite a fall–"

"Chicky'll be fine," brushed off the other cat. "Stop fretting already."

A black crow drifted down and rested on a nearby branch. "How did it go? Did she like the necklace?"

"Yes, by the fuss her and her friend were making over it."

"I was asking Baron, actually," Toto said tightly.

"Well, she's wearing it, so the protection spell should hold up," answered Baron, smiling.

"I still think you should've installed a communication spell in it," grumbled Muta. "It would save us all a lot of time."

"I've told you before; I didn't have the time."

"How do you know it'll even work?"

"I'm hoping it does. The main strength of the charm rests in Toto's feather, which already contains magic anyway, with him being my familiar. And the theory is sound. It's just a rather delicate spell."

"What happens if she takes the necklace off, Baron?" Toto asked.

"That's the delicate part of the spell. I couldn't do it any other way in such a short time – if she takes it off the spell will no longer protect her."

"Well that stinks," commented Muta.

Baron raised an eyebrow. "Quite," he said after a moment. He jumped off the wall and in the same movement turned to human.

"Um, Baron, what are you doing?"

Baron righted his hat to the correct angle. A smile came to him with the reassuring action. "I'm sure Haru wants answers, especially after that note and necklace, and I intent to give her them."

Muta landed beside him, but was still average cat-size. He opened his mouth – possibly to complain – but Baron spoke first.

"Oh, and if you're going to ask if I'm 'out of my tiny furry mind' don't bother," he said smoothly, a hint of amusement present in his voice. Muta visibly deflated. "When she's free, I'll talk to her." He paused. "When would her next break be?"

Muta snorted. "She's only just begun lessons. If I were you, I'd go back to the Refuge and come back when school's finished."

"He's right," added Toto. "If you're gone for too long then Louise will begin to suspect something's up."

"Alright, the two of you have a point."

"Can we come?"

"Most certainly not."

"We'll come anyway, even if you don't give us permission."

"No you won't."

"Yes we will."

Baron growled and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Can you at least give us the pretence of privacy though?"

ooOoo

"Haru! Haru!"

"What?" Haru turned around at her name to see her friend prodding her arm. She waved Hiromi off before she could gain bruises from the treatment.

"He's here!" the lighter brunette squealed. "Here! At this school!"

Haru laughed. "Whoa, hold your horses – who's here?"

"Your guy – Baron!"

Haru's mind unintentionally snapped to attention at the name. "He is? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I heard Makoto talking about some guy standing by the school gates and look!" Hiromi dragged her friend over to the window, pointing enthusiastically. "Look! Look!"

Sure enough, there was the form of Baron standing by the gates. "What is he doing here?" Haru mumbled to herself. "Why didn't he just meet me as we normally do?"

"How does he know where you go to school?" asked Hiromi, on a completely different train of thought. She frowned for a moment to add effect, and then added, "Maybe he's secretly stalking you!"

Haru chuckled lightly and bated Hiromi away. "I don't think so."

"Why not? I think it could be rather cool to have a stalker."

"Only you, Hiromi, would think that."

"We've only got a few minutes till the end of school. You should definitely go and see him."

"I can't, remember I'm on cleanup duty today."

Hiromi scoffed and waved it away. "Like I'm going to let such a little thing stop you. I'll take your turn – I owe you anyway."

Haru peered out of the window again. He did seem to be waiting for someone. "Okay," she sighed in defeat, "but if he's really waiting for someone else and I make a right fool out of myself, I will never forgive you."

Hiromi laughed. "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Yeah, well it's not you who's about to take the risk."