A/N: Hey! No, the last chapter was not the end! Thanks for your concern! Lol. I still have a few ideas a-brewin' in this head of mine, expect more chapters soon! Remember, ya'll, your reviews keep me writing! Keep them coming!
On to chapter 29!
:Five months later:
Fayte sighed as she opened the door to her apartment. She stepped over the pile of mail on the floor that her landlord had shoved carelessly through the mail slot. She was too tired to become depressed about Warren not trying to contact her in any way since she left, so she just left the pile on the floor, knowing that there wouldn't be a letter from him among the bills and advertisements.
Yawning, she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and set her keys on the small table by the door. She ran her fingers through her slightly damp locks; teaching children ages five to ten hip hop and ballroom was a very tiring job. She groaned when she remembered that she was teaching an adult class in the morning.
She sighed again and looked at the clock on the kitchen counter, '9:19pm' it flashed. She moaned as she worked out the ache in her shoulder.
"May as well look at the mail.." she said, tiredly. She stooped down to pick up the pile. "Hmm.. Bill.. Bill.. McDonald's coupon.. Bill... Free coffee. That's a keeper.." she sighed and continued looking through the pile. She gasped and dropped the stack save for one envelope. It was from Warren.
'Hey Fayte. I know you are probably wondering why I'm suddenly writing to you after so long. I have just been trying to process everything that's happened. Linda told me about what happened at the warehouse. I cant believe that I actually let them control me like that. I feel awful every time I think about how I hurt you that day. I know that the scar on my back was well deserved for hurting you. I don't blame you for it in any way.
'I just wanted you to know that I wasn't afraid of the danger being with you would bring. Royal Pain and your father are gone, Fayte. There is no danger to any of us now. I cant remember the last time I've smiled or laughed, but I know it was when you were still here. Everyone is worried that I'm turning back into the old Warren Peace. Anyway, I hope you write back soon.
I love you so much,
Warren.'
Fayte felt tears come to her eyes when she read it. She sighed and put it back in the envelope, then set it on the table with the rest of the mail. She'd deal with it tomorrow. Either way, she knew that she couldn't go back to LA. She had her old job back that payed well and she had all of her old friends back in her life. She was happy here, it was where she belonged.
She had just walked into her room to change for bed when she had a sudden sneezing fit. She sighed after she was through and looked over to the balcony/fire escape. Sure enough, the small gray cat perched on the rail, scratching at the glass of the window that was opened a bare crack. Fayte couldn't help but laugh at the small frustrated meow it gave as it tried to stick its paw under the window.
"Alright, Maggie, I'm coming." Fayte smiled, then grimaced as another sneezing fit took over. She sighed in irritation. She loved cats but she was so allergic it wasn't even funny. She lifted the window to let the cat in out of the snow, then sprinted for the bathroom where her allergy-suppressant was. After gulping down four pills with water, she reemerged into the bedroom. She tried her hardest not to inhale as she set about getting the small dish and catfood from the pantry.
She had taken a liking to the small stray that came to her window every night via fire escape. She had named it Maggie after the gray kitten she'd had as a child before she became allergic. It had the same temperament as her old cat. Shy and skittish at first, then warmed up to you and was a total lap-cat.
Fayte smiled as the pills kicked in, she could breath much better now, and dared to sit next to the cat and stroke its bunny-soft charcoal fur. Its bright black eyes looked up at her before it got onto its hind legs, putting its small paws on Fayte's face on either side of her nose and licked the tip of it.
Fayte laughed and scratched beneath the cat's neck, causing it to purr loudly and roll onto its side. Its body was lean and long, but its build was still slightly smaller then other cats.
Fayte looked at the clock again. It was just past 9:30.
"Alright, Mag, time for bed." she said as she pulled down an extra pillow and some fleece blankets, arranging them in a sort-of nest on the floor by her bed. "G'night, puss." she smiled and clapped hands, turning off the lights.
:The next morning:
Fayte groaned as the harsh sunlight reflected off the snow on her fire escape, through the crack in the drapes on her window, and had the perfect slanted angle that crossed over both of her eyes. She rolled over to try to get away from it and fell off the bed; landing with an 'oof' and an outraged mewl and hiss from beneath her. Maggie huffed and jumped onto the bookshelf, glaring down at Fayte, its semi-squashed tail flicking behind it.
Fayte groaned again as she sat up, her hand to her forehead. "Sorry Mag." she sighed. "Come on, lets go to the kitchen and have some breakfast." She ignored her stuffy nose and got the catfood and dish down from the pantry once more.
A moment later, Mag slunk from the room and cautiously padded up to the dish. "Hey, come on, I said I was sorry!" Fayte said softly as she bent down to pet the offended cat. She was just about to stroke the soft fur when another sneeze caught her, effectively frightening Mag back into the bedroom. "Goddamnit.." Fayte grumbled and set about making her own breakfast.
A half an hour later, she made peace with Mag. She let it back outside and locked up the windows. She was nine stories up, but she was still cautious, especially with the fire escape leading right to her bedroom.
Fayte walked over to the bathroom, showered, and dressed in her black dance pants with the word 'DANCE' in white letters across the butt and a black, longsleeved turtleneck to hide the scars and burns. She walked over to her vanity and put on a bit of mascara, lipgloss, and some concealer to hide the burn on her left cheek and the bruise on the right, then pulled her hair up into a messy bun. She sighed and pulled on her jazz sneakers.
She grabbed her gym bag, walking past the end table and to her front door. She paused and looked at the opened envelope on the top of the pile of mail.
"Sorry, Warren, I'm going to be late for work." she said sadly and walked out the door, locking it behind her.
