Notes: Just a reminder, you are free to write your own continuations of these stories – just place a disclaimer stating that you have borrowed an idea from one of these stories and send me a link because I would like to read it.

More cat ones

From KMW1968:

What I had in mind when I gave you the prompt was a story in which Neal (or Bryce) actually did go undercover as a cat.

…but what about Diana, Jones and Hughes? Perhaps they don't know, but they could find out in the sequel when Neal goes undercover. (Didn't do this last part...)

He was the newbie, the newest member of Victor Bachman's crew, and that meant he got the boring jobs. It was his job to stand around inside the entrance, armed with a gun and watch who entered. If he let a cop or mark through, it meant the end of his career and possibly his life. He liked to believe that he would be able to get out of New York before Victor killed him. Maybe even before Victor realised he messed up. He had been the guy to catch the last undercover cop sent their way.

He jumped to attention as the door blew open. He held the gun ready to shoot inside his jacket as he walked over to the entrance.

No one was there. He decided that it must have been the wind when something brushed against his leg.

It was a black cat.

"Hello?" he questioned, bending down to give it a rub behind the ears. He hadn't missed the brilliant blue of the creature's eyes. "You're a pretty one. Better keep away from Stan though, he's allergic."

The mewed as if agreeing with him and then moved away. He watched it go, not really willing to stop it. Cats went where they wanted and were harmless creatures, as long as they stayed away from Stan.

"…also, Stan; a.k.a. 'Stan the man-breaker', is allergic to cats," Neal added to the end of Peter's report on Bachman's operations. Hughes was impressed but sceptical.

"First Barelli and now Bachman, that's impressive. However, you haven't told me how you acquired this information."

"I thought CIs didn't have to justify their information," Neal said, sore that whatever praise came his way was always overshadowed by questions.

"CIs don't, agents do," Hughes pointed out, looking at Peter.

"You really wouldn't believe me, sir," Peter responded, "can we leave it at 'a little cat told me'?"

Prompt: The team could be giving their report to Beckman, who wants a demonstration and explanation of Bryce's ability. She would be very surprised, but I think she would recognise that it is an ability which could come in very useful. One of the team (Casey maybe) could make a crack about how they have said before that Bryce has more lives than a cat. Chuck would be petting cat-Bryce and saying that he rather likes him this way. Sarah, once she gets over being miffed about Bryce not telling her about his ability, would also be happy about petting cat-Bryce. Perhaps she could joke that she likes him better as a cat.

"Well, he does have more lives than a cat," Casey smirked.

Bryce was standing in the centre of the floor, right before Beckman. And he was not happy. He didn't even crack a twitch of a smile at Casey's joke. Or even the fact that Casey was capable of telling a joke.

Beckman wasn't amused either.

"Should I be assigning psychological evaluations for you all?" she asked without a hint of cheer. They shuffled nervously, unconsciously responding to the threat. "The idea that Agent Larkin can turn into a cat is something which belongs in fantasy books, not the CIA. Grow up."

Bryce was about to breathe a sigh of relief as it looked like she wasn't going to look into it, when he caught a look at Chuck's face. Chuck had been against reporting this as it had little to do with the case and because he respected people's privacy. Sarah and Casey believed that the General had a right to know.

Bryce wished they would all just drop it already.

He didn't like talking about this. About what happened to him and his brother, who he most certainly will not be telling them about.

Neal liked to call the woman, 'the witch' and he just liked to forget.

"Okay, she thinks we're crazy," Chuck stage-whispered to Bryce.

"Emotional blackmail," Bryce grumbled back. But it was Chuck and he knew that Beckman now needed an explanation for how they escaped.

Bryce sighed and did a little twirl, compressing himself into his cat form. Everything grew bigger, louder, and different in a way which always made him feel wrong. Beckman took in his appearance and then signed off, saying she would get back to them.

Chuck reminded Beckman to keep this a secret and then noticed the way Bryce's body seemed to tense at their voices.

"Are you upset?" he questioned, reaching down and placing a hand on the cat's head. Unfortunately, Bryce startled and bolted, racing up the computers and coming to rest at the top of the screens. There he balanced, laying low with hackles raised and a scared shiver running through him.

"Uh, opps?" Chuck said as Sarah and Casey glared at him.

"Great. Now we have to get him down," Sarah complained as Casey grumbled a few insults towards 'Larkin'.

"Uh, here kitty?" Chuck tried, holding out his hands. Bryce shot him a distasteful look. "Please? Come on Bryce, the screens aren't made for sleeping!"

Bryce made a huffing noise which sounded like a laugh.

"Something we can agree on," Sarah said, moving forward with a chair. She climbed on it and held out her hands. Then she bent forward, trying to grab him.

At first, he moved out of reach. Then he seemed to reconsider and moved closer. Finally, he climbed over her arms and came down.

"'Bout time," Casey grumbled, "now change back."

Bryce stared at him for a moment with large blue eyes, tilted his head and mewed.

"That sounded like a 'no' to me," Chuck laughed, picking up the cat. Bryce wriggled for a bit but settled after a few moments when it became clear that Chuck wasn't going to let him run away again.

It took a little bit of nagging but Chuck finally managed to convince Sarah to pet the cat. At first she found it strange, especially since she knew the cat was Bryce but, she settled in quickly. The cat was soft and warm and soothing, vibrating as she rubbed her hand through his fur.

Beckman called back while she was rubbing Bryce between the ears.

"Agents," she greeted. Sarah's hand jolted away from the cat and Bryce flinched and jumped up on all fours in surprise.

"General," Casey greeted for the team.

"Still a cat, Larkin?" Beckman questioned. It wasn't a question but an order to change back.

The cat seemed to deflate before giving a twirl. Moments later, Bryce Larkin was sitting on the table with messy dark hair and ruffled clothes.

"General," he greeted with the flash of a smile.

"Liked him better as a cat," Casey grumbled, "talked less."

"I must admit, there is merit in this situation and I am interested in whether your... ability is connected to how you keep surviving situations where ordinary agents would be marked as 'deceased'."

The group shared a confused look. But she wasn't finished.

"Agent Larkin, I want you to stay with Team Bartowski for now."

"I thought the level of exposure I would receive staying in one place would put everyone in danger?" Bryce questioned. He was supposed to be 'dead' after all.

Beckman paused and he knew he wasn't going to like this.

"Bartowski is adopting a cat," with that said, she hung up and the screen went dark.

Bryce's face fell.

"We sell litter-boxes upstairs," Casey pointed out.

"Casey, no! He can change back for that. And, uh, for meals too," Chuck pointed out awkwardly while a smile twitched on Casey's lips.

Bryce glanced at Sarah, who hadn't said anything yet.

"I like this idea," she said bluntly.

"Really?" Chuck and Casey questioned; one in surprise and the other in amusement.

She nodded.

Bryce liked this idea a bit. It allowed him to be in Burbank and watch over Chuck and the Intersect as well as keeping him where anyone who wanted him dead couldn't find him. But, he would have to live as a cat most of the time, using the ability he had been cursed with.

That evening, Ellie cooed over the new pet Chuck brought home.