Pre "Crucible" and "Interference" – Vitius and the other roomate.

What's A Cat?

"What is it?"

Sarah started chuckling. "She's a cat!"

"What's a cat?"

The blonde haired human grinned from the small kitchen she was busy preparing food in.

Crassus had bought out her time for the whole month to her surprise following that first night which had subsequently turned into a week.

Mostly they spent it at his apartment with Sarah journeying to her own to tend to her cat and spend time with her.

Vitius had finally gotten curious enough about why she would leave everyday to actually make the journey with her.

He was currently sitting on the old homely couch in the front room with Tibbs staring at him from her preferred spot on the armrest.

"They're small predators," Sarah said with a chuckle. "Cats are pets from Earth."

"She's staring."

"They do that. I think she likes you. Just hold up your hand to her."

He did as Sarah bid and frowned as Tibbs sniffed it carefully.

The ginger tabby suddenly made a strange noise, stood up from her crouch and stepped towards Vitius with tail up and back arched before she started rubbing her head off his offered hand.

"What's it doing?"

"Just showing you that she likes you."

"Oh."

"Oh god. What have you done..." Sarah sighed as she stepped into their living room.

She'd moved in with Crassus full time, having sold her old family apartment for a tidy sum which she now had saved for a rainy day.

Her cat had moved in too and, to Vitius's surprising dismay, had been terrified at the change of scenery.

She'd hidden away among the bits and pieces in Sarah's closet, buried under all her clothes for the better part of two days.

Now her human owner came home to a very big surprise.

"You don't like it?" Vitius asked.

"No. No, I do. It's just... Vitius, it's taking up half the room!"

Pressed against the far wall were a number of tall tree-like pieces of furniture – obviously designed with cats in mind. They reached to the roof in size and used almost as much floor space. Intermingled was a number of shelves for Tibbs to jump from one to the other.

Tibbs herself had left her safe spot and now stared down at them coolly from the top where she stretched out happily. The final seal of approval.

"That's an exaggeration. See? She's more at home now. Worth it I think," Vitius muttered in reply before he sat down on the couch, flicking on the vid screen as he did so.

"Is Dad really going to get rid of all the kittens?"

From the moment they'd discovered that Tibbs was pregnant, Crassus had been adamant that the kittens had to go as soon as possible.

Nim of course was distraught at the thought even though his mother was less convinced of Crassus's resolve on the matter.

Sarah chuckled as she unlocked their front door to let them inside.

"Not a chance, Nim. She's the family cat. We'd all need to agree on it."

"But Mrs Tibbs is Dad's cat!" Nim chirped at Sarah.

"My ca- I mean, our cat, Nim. Tibbs is our cat."

Nim peered up at his mother. "But she's always with Dad."

"That doesn't mean any-"

Sarah trailed off as she stepped into the front room and found Vitius asleep in his lounger with the heavily pregnant Tibbs stretched out across his chest with his cowl supporting her unwieldy pregnant belly.

"See?" Nim said cheerfully. "Dad's cat!"

"Still the family cat, Nim," Sarah sighed.

When Tibbs finally started to have her babies, Vitius was a mess although he did his best not to show it.

He alternated between wanting to kill the neighbors unspayed cat that was the father to hurting the vet who'd installed the faulty contraception chip that had broken down resulting in the pregnancy.

Sarah, to distract him, made Vitius fetch fresh blankets and towels along with water and food as they kept watch over the labor.

Not that any intervention was needed as Tibbs quietly and efficiently had her little bundles of wet mewling fur-balls.

When it was over and Tibbs rested with the tiny kittens in their bed of soft towls, Vitius had sat beside her and gently petted the tabby's head as she purred contentedly.

"She... she did well... right?"

"Yep," Sarah answered with a grin. "For a first time mom she had no problems at all."

"Never doubted it," Vitius replied with pride. "Not for one moment."

Sarah scooted over to sit close to him, smiling as Vitius put his free arm over her shoulders.