"This is going to be so amazing, I just love this music. It's some of my favourites."
"You should take Virgil instead, he'll love it," John didn't even glance up from the book he was reading.
Selene looked at the two tickets that had been gifted to her in lieu of payment for a reading she had done.
"Really? You sure? You wouldn't mind me taking him instead?"
John frowned, lifting his head to look at her. "Why would I mind? I love to see you happy, but this is more his thing than mine, besides he deserves a relaxing evening."
Selene couldn't resist taking his face in her hands and guiding him in for a kiss.
"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining, feel free to indulge whenever the mood takes you."
She kissed him again. "You are simply the most amazing man I've ever met."
"Thank you?"
He had absolutely no clue what he'd done to deserve such praise, she could tell. And that was part of why she loved him so much, the fact that he didn't realise that he was the most selfless, understanding and amazing man. If anything was important to John it was the security of knowledge, and when he knew something to be a fact then he never believed otherwise. He knew she loved him, he knew she only wanted him, and so jealousy and suspicion just wasn't on his radar.
He was such a refreshing change from the men she had previously dated or the ones her friends still did. He didn't mind if she went out with friends or his brothers, he never got jealous, he never accused her of anything and he didn't get shitty with her when she was affectionate. For years she'd had to school herself in social situations, learning to keep her hands to herself and not hug everyone that needed it, to not call everyone by a nickname and not just say exactly what she was thinking, just in case she upset a friend or partner. She was too friendly, too touchy, too affectionate, too honest. If her partner wasn't glaring at her for daring to hug someone that wasn't them, it was someone else thinking she was trying to muscle in on their territory. When really, she was just being herself.
"Have I told you lately, just how much I love you, Mr Tracy?"
"Not since breakfast, no."
"How remiss of me, I shall have to rectify that immediately."
He put down his book and turned to face her. "Then you have my full attention."
She couldn't help but smile loving his playfully serious ways. She slid onto his lap, winding her arms around his neck.
"I love you, more than anything."
He grinned, then booped her on the nose. "Good."
Her mouth dropped open in mock horror as he picked up his book again. "You're so evil to me!"
"Well, you are going out on a date with my brother."
"Hey, He-Man, you ready to roll?" She was wearing a slightly more sedate dress than the one she had worn to Penelope's ball. This was was more of a gothic 1950's grease style number, in dark purple with black lace here and there. Little black shoes with tiny silver bats on them completed the look.
She was suddenly grabbed from out of nowhere and swooped up into a bone crushing hug. She squeaked in shock and flailed uselessly for a few seconds but nothing could break a Virgil grip and she gave up, hugging him back.
"Thank you so much for this. It's one of my favourite composers and conductors, these tickets sold out months ago."
"Put her down, Virg, you'll break her and then you'll have to explain it to John."
Laughing, Virgil lowered her to the floor and released her, turning to face his youngest brother.
"There, she's down and still in one piece."
She straightened her skirt and took her first look at her date for the night.
"Damn boy, look at you, you scrub up well." She smoothed the lapels of his suit and tucked the tickets into his pocket, letting him do the man thing of being in charge for the night. "Who knew they made suits with shoulders that wide."
He grinned that delightfully Virgil smile of his, the one that was part embarrassed at the compliment, part pride at the fact he got one and that modesty he always had about him. She'd made it her mission to make sure that every one of them heard how awesome they were on a daily basis, because they deserved it.
"You two ready to go?"
"Sure, and thanks for the ride, Allie, it would look a bit suspicious to have 'Two parked outside."
"But think of the service you'd get."
"Little 'un has a good point there."
"We don't need that kind of attention," Virgil laughed. "Come on, we don't want to be late."
Alan piloted the little four seater aircraft like he did everything else, effortlessly and as if he were doing nothing more taxing than eating a slice of toast.
Alan dropped them off as close to the outskirts of London as he could and for fun and quickness they took the underground to Oxford Circus.
It was fun to watch just how oblivious Virgil was to all the admiring glances he was getting, both male and female. He just chatted happily to her about his latest project he'd been working on with Brains, relaxed in his seat, showing no sign that he was even hearing the side comments and muttered compliments. It was a refreshing change of pace from the people she usually went out with.
She wasn't one to ever really feel nervous walking the streets of her city, but she couldn't help but feel incredibly safe and protected with the largest Tracy walking beside her, her arm tucked into the crook of his elbow as they strolled from the station to the Palladium.
It was a little strange, though by no means unpleasant, to be out alone with Virgil. She adored him, as she did all the boys, but he was definitely the one she knew the least about. The younger boys she was very close with, spending numerous hours in binge watching sessions with them, attempting to play video games with Alan (she was crap and he always beat her) and making up silly song and dance routines with Gordon. Scott was her partner in crime, the one she could just hang out with, share a drink and enjoy the same taste in music with. For someone as energetic and sometimes highly strung as Scott he was surprisingly chill and laid back when he wanted to be and she found that he was the one she could relax completely with. Kayo was cool to hang with, but she wasn't around that much to really get to know and even then she wasn't much for small talk but if you wanted someone to sit in comfortable silence with, she was your girl.
But Virg was a bit of an enigma to her. He was always friendly, affectionate and cheerful with her, always willing to chat and to hang out, but there always seemed to be just a tiny bit of distance between them that she didn't feel with the others. It had taken her a while to figure out that it was probably because they very rarely, if ever, spent any time alone together, not ever having had the need to. Maybe John was more sensitive to things than he let on, because really this evening out was going to be great for them.
They handed their tickets to the doorman who scanned them and then submitted to pocket and bag checks before being allowed entrance. Selene hadn't actually been to the London Palladium before, although it was a very famous theater and quite old.
Her breath caught in her throat as they entered through the large doors and stepped into the lobby. Decorated in rich red carpets, cream walls and gold handrails and detailing, it was just as she'd always seen it on television with her Grandparents.
"You OK, Sel?"
"Huh? Yeah, fine, why?"
"You're gripping my arm really tight."
"Oh, sorry," she loosened her hold, trying to slide her hand away but he clamped his arm to his side, preventing her from pulling away.
"I don't mind, I wasn't complaining." He settled her hand back on his arm more securely, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Beautiful isn't it? I've always wanted to come here but never managed to until tonight."
"Same, it was somewhere that my grandparents loved and we always said we'd visit, unfortunately we never got the chance."
They showed their tickets to the smartly dressed usher and followed her to their seats, nicely placed six rows from the stage, to the left hand side of the middle block. They possessed one aisle seat and she let Virgil take it, if he was anything like Scott he'd want to know that he could leave easily if an emergency call came.
Virgil stumbled slightly as he took his seat, head tipped back to gaze with unblinking eyes at the ceiling of the concert hall.
"This is stunning," he whispered in awe, eyes darting this way and that, trying to take in everything at once.
The large stage was framed with gold columns that matched seamlessly with the elegant plasterwork of the ceiling, stretching down to encase the outside of the private boxes set into the walls and that of the circle seats. Heavy gold curtains draped artistically, blending with the gilt work of the sconces, the chandeliers and the gold leaf of the plaster. The seating was a sea of red velvet upholstery that stretched out behind them.
Up on stage the instruments of the orchestra were already arranged and she could tell he was cataloguing them with an experienced eye. Honestly he had surprised her more than any other Tracy bar John himself. Anyone looking at Virgil would likely assume that he was the dumb jock type, the heavily muscled, thick headed one that barely had two brain cells to rub together, but he was so far removed from that stereotype it was a blur in the distance.
Virgil was a mass of contradictions in the best possible way, quick witted and lively of tongue when he wanted to be, but with a serious side that you wouldn't believe unless you witnessed it first hand. He looked like all he'd enjoy would be action movies and watching sports, but then he'd settle his large frame in front of his piano and pour his heart and soul into playing the most beautiful music you would ever hear.
You'd look at his muscles and big hands and never believe that they were capable of doing anything that required any amount of precision or delicacy. Yet then you'd see the way his paintbrush danced across his canvas with soft strokes, or watch his pencil fly effortlessly across his sketch pad, and you'd know that you were completely and utterly wrong.
Selene and Virgil chatted quietly as the seats around them continued to fill, the noise in the massive room growing so loud they had to give up all attempts at conversation, lapsing into comfortable silence.
Selene could practically feel the excitement vibrating through her companion and she smiled to herself, it was great to see him so happy about something other than a new gadget for his 'bird or a new book from Kip Harris.
The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the audience, the silence almost eerie, the thrill of anticipation in the air.
The orchestra slowly began to file in, taking their seats section by section. Virgil recognised a few of them and whispered their names and credentials to her with the authority of a true fan. They all picked up their instruments and as one looked to the side of the stage.
The conductor, Marco Bianchi strode from the wings with a commanding air, full of confidence in himself and the musicians he was about to lead. He stood before the audience and the house lights flared to life as he took a bow to the cheering of the crowd. He turned to his orchestra and tapped his baton once in preparation, rising his arms. She heard Virgil's sharp intake of breath, felt him hold it as Bianchi's hands twitched and then began to move.
The first notes hit the air and she felt him shudder in pure joy, exhaling in a rush. She turned to watch him, the look on his face one she would never forget.
She recognised the tune, knew it almost as well as she knew her own name, invoking childhood memories that were so precious to her. She hummed along, following the ebb and flow of the melody.
She jumped when his hand clasped hers, but it was as if he wasn't even registering her presence, totally unaware of his surroundings, of anything but the magic playing out before them.
She squeezed his hand, moving slightly to let him link their fingers. He had the rough, strong hands of the engineer that he was, his thumb rubbing back and forth against her skin, but she didn't mind a bit.
She thought he'd drop her hand when he realised what he'd done, or at the very least when it came time to applaud, but he didn't. He was lost to everything but the notes in the air, his eyes taking in everything, the conductors graceful gestures and the movements of the musicians as they became one with the music they played. Virgil's body swayed with them, mimicking their actions as if he were part of it himself.
One epic song flowed into another, charting a history through some of Barry Gray's most loved compositions, the music conjuring up accompanying images in her head. The last notes hung in the air for a second of two, suspended in time before the audience roared their approval.
She turned to look at him, the first half having been amazing, she couldn't wait for the second. His eyes were misty with emotions she wasn't used to seeing from him and she had the urge to hug him.
It took him a moment to come back to the present, blinking to regain his focus. His eyes glanced down at their joined hands and he dropped hers like a hot potato.
"Can I just…undo that? Pretend it never happened?"
"Nope."
"Oh man, because that was really embarrassing."
"Yep," she grinned and he groaned pathetically. "Oh, I'm joking, it's fine. There's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Sorry, it's just…it got to me a little. I didn't realise I reached out like that."
"You really didn't have to explain yourself to me, not about this, or anything ever. It's emotional, I understand that perfectly."
His smile was hesitant at first, just a twitching of his lips at the corner of his mouth, but it bloomed full force when she wrapped her arms around his and lent her head against his shoulder.
"I don't usually get this drawn in, it's just, this music-" his wrist watch beeped and he frowned. She let go of his arm, sitting up to allow him to slide his jacket sleeve out of the way.
"What's wrong? Is that John?"
"No, it's Penelope," he touched the screen and a small holographic head and shoulders appeared.
"Ah, Virgil, it is you. I thought I recognised you."
"Recognised me?"
"Look up, eleven o'clock."
They both looked upwards towards the private boxes to the left side of the stage. The beautiful blonde agent waved from her lofty perch.
"Do come and join me, won't you? I've plenty of room and a wonderful view."
Virgil glanced at Selene, one eyebrow raised in question, this was their night and she had been the one to invite him, he didn't want to make any decisions for her. Selene shrugged and nodded, she didn't mind joining Penelope to keep her company.
"Sure, we'd love to."
"Excellent, I'll send Parker to escort you."
The hologram blinked off as she cut the connection.
"You don't mind do you?" Virgil pushed, needing to make sure Selene wasn't annoyed.
"Of course not, why would I mind?"
"Well, you were the one that said, and I quote 'Hey, Chonktastic Two, wanna come? We can have bonding time, it'll be our date night' I didn't want to ruin our night out together if you wanted it as just the two of us."
Awww, bless his chonky heart.
"We've already spent half the night together and we'll be travelling home together too, I'm sure we can spare Penny a little time and keep her company."
"OK," he nodded, "let's head up then."
"Thanks, Parker," Virgil took the fancy craft beer the older man offered him.
"It's so nice to see you two without an emergency being involved."
Selene and Virgil were settled in the front row of the box, which contained six seats, two rows of three. Selene lent over the balcony a little more, taking in the sight of so many people below them and the stage so close. Penny was right, the view was amazing.
Leaving Virgil and Penny to chat she took out her phone and snapped a picture of the view and one of the stage, knowing that Virgil wouldn't think to do it and that he'd enjoy the memories. Virgil, she had learnt, was one of the more sentimental of the brothers. He had a memory box filled with random objects and mementos, all of which reminded him of events and special occasions. That had been one of the reasons she had let him take the tickets, he'd want to keep them.
On a whim she moved closer to V and Penelope, leaning an elbow on his knee as she draped herself across his lap and turned the camera to face them.
"Smile," she demanded, laughing when they both dutifully paused their conversation to smile for the camera. "Thanks."
She went to move back to her seat when a meaty arm slung itself around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Virgil squashed his cheek against hers and she took the hint, lifting the phone to snap another selfie, loving the huge grin on his face. He was so adorable she couldn't resist smacking a kiss to his cheek when he let her go.
"Oh, it's starting," he yelped practically bouncing in his seat. He clapped loudly as Bianchi returned to his spot before his orchestra.
Once again he became instantly absorbed with the music, his laser like focus trained on everything. He leaned forward, his arms resting on the balcony in front of them, unaware of anything else around him. Selene and Penelope shared a little smile over his head, pleased to see him so happy.
The sound seemed so much richer from their new position, the notes crystal clear, seeming to carry on the air, hanging suspended for long seconds before floating away.
The concert was one of those things that seemed to last only a split second, over far too soon. She was a little surprised that they hadn't played the most famous piece, and rather disappointed. She could tell Virgil was too.
The audience was clapping madly and demanding an encore…then it happened.
The opening bars had both her and Virgil -along with almost all the audience- screaming in delight. Once again he grabbed her hand, tighter this time, holding on for dear life. She scrambled to grab her phone one handed, pointing it at the stage to record the epic moment.
They both hummed along with the soaring notes and rousing beat, the music summoning the accompanying images as if by magic.
The last note died away and the entire theater was on its feet as one, erupting into thunderous applause that shook the foundations. Virgil leapt up too, his grip on her hand dragging her with him. It was only when he tried to clap he realised and let go, though this time he wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her in for a one armed hug.
They waited with Penelope while Parker left to fetch FAB1, letting most of the audience file out, not wanting to get caught in the crush. They politely refused a ride, knowing that Alan would likely already be waiting for them and that it would be quicker by tube. She was a London native now and knew to never take a car if it could be helped.
They said their goodbyes, promising to join Penny for any more performances she needed company for and headed in the direction of the tube station.
They regretted their decision about three minutes into their walk when the heavens opened. London was a city that never slept, the streets always busy even late at night, so it was quite eerie to see them suddenly empty as people ran this way and that to escape the downpour, disappearing into buildings to take cover. The noise of the rain muffled everything else, the swish of car tyres on the road, their footsteps, even the sound of planes overhead. It was for that reason that it took so long for her ears to register the noise.
"What's that?" Selene stopped dead, refusing to go any further.
"What's what?" Virgil asked, his head bowed against the onslaught, raindrops dripping off the end of his nose and his usually perfectly coiffed hair plastered flat to his head.
"That noise, I heard something."
Virgil frowned, listening too. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, huddling deeper into her shawl although it was already soaked through. She knew he wanted to keep moving, but something told her to stop. They both listened and she heard it again, a tiny, high pitched sound.
"There it is again!"
"I didn't hear anything."
"I'm positive that I heard something."
"If you're sure…" he pulled up the sleeve of his soaked jacked and pressed a button on his watch. Two small rods shot out, just like the ones from Kayo's comm, a small holographic light glowing between them. "Scanning now." He moved his arm this way and that, not finding anything. "Nothing."
"Please try again, please."
He nodded and started another sweep, this time he lowered his arm. The comm beeped, and a faint life sign flicked on the screen for a second.
"There, you got something."
"Mmm…" he adjusted the scanner slightly and this time the symbol stayed lit. "Got it." He followed the signal, moving slowly until the beeping became a steady drone.
"Ah, damn."
They both looked at the grate that covered the hole in the ground. Selene crouched down, uncaring as to how wet she now was. The noise was louder now, a pathetic little squeaking coming from the drain.
"I can't see it, but it's definitely there."
"Let me try."
Virgil lowered himself to the ground, stretching full out on the wet pavement, probably ruining his expensive suit, but he seemed not to care at all. He craned his neck, trying to see into the dark hole. Shifting slightly he wedged his arm through a gap, using the light of his watch as a torch.
"I see it!"
"What is it?"
"It's a cat."
"Oh my gods, we have to help it. Virgil we can't leave it, we have to get it out. Please don't make me leave it."
He turned his head, looking at her in disbelief. "Of course we aren't leaving it, I'd never do that, let alone ask you to."
"Thank you," she sighed with relief.
"Hold on, kitty, we're coming."
He rose to his knees and got a good grip on the grate, tugging hard, but it wouldn't budge.
"No good. We're gonna have to try something else."
He fiddled with his shirt sleeve and handed her one of his cufflinks. She looked at it like it was about to explode. "Same deal as John's?"
"Yep. I'll hold this to stop it falling, you get cutting."
"Me? Fuck no, I'll hold, you cut."
"Sel, it's heavy, and not that I think you're a weak woman, but you won't be able to hold this."
"What if I fuck up and like, slice your hand off or something?"
The cat mewed again, louder this time, tearing at her heart.
"Don't aim for my hand then, come on, we don't have time to argue. You can do this, I trust you."
"What if I don't trust myself?" she muttered under her breath, but hunkered down next to him. Virgil adjusted his position, moving into a deadlift squat and gripped the metal bars firmly.
"OK, go. Do it."
She aimed at the ground beside the grate and squeezed the sides of the cufflink, yelping when the laser shot out. It took her a second to adjust her aim and get used to the way its line of light moved before she trusted herself enough to point it at the metal.
It was actually easier than she had thought it would be, she didn't bother trying to do fancy aim work, just shuffled her way around its perimeter, trusting that V would know what she was doing and adjust accordingly. Of course he did so with perfect timing, twisting his hands to keep his grip and repositioning when needed.
"Last bit," she warned.
"Yeah. I can feel it shifting."
"Be ready."
"I always am."
She let the laser run over the last corner and back to her starting point. She heard his grunt of effort as the metal dropped a few centimetres before he caught it, his wide shoulder muscles straining the material of his jacket as he heaved it aside and laid it carefully on the ground, not wanting to trap his fingers.
Selene tucked the cufflink in his jacket pocket and dropped to the ground, her head already in the hole they had made, trying to see the cat. Virgil shone his watch light down inside and she spotted the bedraggled thing huddled further down the drain, perched precariously on a ledge of some sort.
She stretched out a hand but was nowhere near close enough. She had no other choice.
"Hold on to me, I'm trusting you, muscles!"
"Don't worry, I got you."
His big frame lowered to straddle her legs, his hands firmly on her hips.
She shuffled forward, her shoulders clearing the hole but the cat was still out of reach.
"Lower me a bit further."
"Hang on."
His weight left her legs, but he kept hold of her waist. She only had a second to wonder what he was planning before she yelped in shock as he lifted her legs up into the air and lowered her into the hole. She tried not to panic, reminding herself that she trusted him not to let her go.
She was in darkness now, his body looming over her blocking out any light and she relied on touch. Praying for strength and a strong antibacterial gel she ran her hands down the slimey sides, not wanting to knock the cat off its perch. Relying on memory she closed her eyes and stretched out. Her fingers brushed wet fur.
"Please don't be a rat, please don't be a rat," she chanted as she felt around, locating what felt like the front paws of the animal. The poor thing was terrified, its body shaking beneath her fingers but it didn't pull away. With one last stretch she hooked her hand around the little body and lifted it off its ledge. As soon as it was clear she held it firmer, using both hands now.
"Got it, pull me up, pull me up!"
Instantly she was hauled upwards, her bottom half being lowered to the ground as her head cleared the hole, allowing her to get her feet under her and stand on her own.
"Awww, look at that baby," the big softy cooed, scooping the bundle of fluff out of her hands to cuddle it to his chest.
They were both soaked to the skin, wet clothes clinging to their shivering bodies but the sight of the small cat nestled in his arms made it all worth it.
"What took you so long?" Alan complained as the bedraggled pair finally appeared beside the little plane.
"Sorry, sorry," Selene gasped, both of them slightly out of breath from running across the airfield. "We couldn't get on the train so had to catch a cab, and with all the rain there was none around, so we started walking and finally caught one and here we are."
"Why couldn't you get on the train? And why are you both covered in mud?"
"We had to perform a daring rescue!"
"Seriously?" Alan goggled at them. "A rescue? What happened?"
Virgil climbed into the plane to get out of the rain and she followed. Once the door was closed Virgil slowly opened his jacket, revealing the cat that was snuggled cosily against his chest.
"Oh my god! Is that a cat?"
"Yep," Selene reached over to stroke the little purring ball of fluff. "It was stuck down a drain."
The cat uncurled itself when it heard her voice and rubbed its head against her hand. Now that it was a little warmer and dryer they could see that it was a silver tabby, a little underweight and scrawny and a tad older than they had first thought. It was muddy and needed a good brush, some food and lots of cuddles but it didn't appear to be injured in any way although Selene insisted on lifting it out of his arms and inspecting it carefully.
"It's a boy," she announced after getting an eye full of boy bulge. The cat didn't seem to be insulted by this inspection if his continued purring was any indication. "He looks like he's been a stray for a while, possibly all his life as we checked him for microchips but didn't find one. You know we're keeping him, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Virgil couldn't help but smile, reaching out to stroke the cat, who climbed over to settle back on his lap with a yawn. "I mean, we're obliged to post a notice online to alert anyone who might have lost him, but I doubt anyone will come forward."
"John's never going to let you two out alone again."
"Why, doesn't he like cats?" she couldn't imagine such a thing could be possible, but you never knew.
"He's not particularly fond of animals as pets," Alan informed her with a shrug. "He said that having four brothers was enough effort without adding a demanding animal to the mix."
Selene's eyes widened in horror. "So you guys never had pets?"
Both Virgil and Alan shook their heads.
"Well, you're all going to have to get used to it, because this little guy isn't going anywhere."
Alan laughed. "What are you going to name him then?"
She looked at the cat, curled up comfortably on Virgil. "Armstrong, even John can't argue with that name."
"Hey, Armstrong," Alan greeted, starting up the plane. "Let's go home and introduce you to everyone."
"What is that?"
"A cat."
John rolled his eyes. "I can see that, but why do you have it?
"Because we do, we adopted him, his name is Armstrong, look how gorgeous he is."
Selene held the straggly, damp, muddy thing up to his face and he took a step back out of claw range should the little beast decide to swipe.
"Gorgeous? Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," she cradled the furball protectively in her arms. "He just needs a wash and brush, some tasty food and a nap and he'll be fine."
She and Virgil, whom John was seriously thinking about disowning, vanished with the cat, leaving him staring after them.
"I'm never letting you two go out alone again," he called after them and left them to it, he'd need a strong drink to deal with this.
He stole one of Scott's fancy beers from the small fridge in his office and settled on the couch listening to the sounds of splashing and the offended yowling coming from the kitchen where the crazy pair were evidently trying to wash the cat in the sink. No way was he getting involved in that fiasco. He was staying well out of the way.
"Hold him, Virg!"
"I'm trying!"
"Ahhh, he's off! He's gone! Where is he?"
"Alan, catch him!"
"On it!"
John raised an eyebrow when something solid crashed into something that was apparently just as resilient.
"Ow!"
The first thing was evidently something alive.
"Shit, Gordon, are you OK, sweetie?"
"It's wet there. Why is the floor wet?"
"I got him!"
"Well done, Allie!"
"Is that a cat? Why is it wet? Is everything wet in here tonight?"
"We adopted him! Virg held me upside down in a drain!"
She was down a drain? John looked at the half empty bottle in his hand…he needed more beer.
"Who was down a drain?"
Oh, here came trouble. He downed the rest of the bottle and tucked it neatly under the couch so Scott wouldn't see. Beer? He'd seen no beer.
"I was, and Virgil didn't drop me once!"
"Is that a cat?"
"Yep, sure is, and I didn't drop her once."
"Well, that's good to know."
"Wanna hold him? Allie, gimme the baby."
"There was a time when I was the baby…"
"Yeah, then I was born and you became obsolete."
There was the sound of a short scuffle, a few muffled curses and then silence.
John settled back against the cushions, refusing to get involved, he wasn't stupid enough for that.
"What's going on in there?"
He jumped at the voice behind him. "Jesus! Do you have to do that?" He felt his chest to make sure his heart was still in place.
"No, but it's too much fun not to."
He glared at her retreating back.
"Why is Scott holding a wet cat?"
"I'm a pussy magnet."
"Eww, Scott!"
John shook his head at the sound of laughter erupting from the kitchen. He was doomed, they were never going to let that thing leave. He sighed, might as well get it over with.
He got to his feet and padded down the stairs to the kitchen, greeted by the sight of Virgil sitting as still as a statue on one of the kitchen chairs, the cat balanced on his shoulder, it's little claws hooked into his shirt for stability as Selene rubbed it dry with a towel. It's fur was still damp and standing up on end as if it had been electrocuted. It looked confused at all the chaos, shocked at what she was doing to it and like it wanted to run. He could relate.
The cat looked at him, its green eyes locking on him as he walked to the fridge. It definitely looked better now that it wasn't covered in mud and freezing cold.
Selene had whipped a comb out from somewhere on her person and was smoothing it through the cats fur. It looked like it was debating the wiseness of murder by suffocation.
"There, now you look so much better," Selene declared scooping up the cat with one hand and untangling its claws from his brother's shoulder with the other.
The cat mewed at him and John couldn't help but smile in a show of solidarity, it sounded so pitiful.
"John!"
"What?" Busted.
"You smiled!" Alan crowed, "you like the kitty!"
"I do not, don't be so childish. Maybe I just like seeing my fiancée happy."
"Bullshit," Gordon coughed into his hand.
"John, can you find something he can eat? We'll go shopping for essentials tomorrow," Virgil promised.
He glanced at his girl, who was holding the cat like a baby in her arms, cooing nonsense at it. The cat had apparently decided that resistance was futile and was lying placidly on its back, all four paws sticking up in the air. He snorted softly to himself as he rummaged in the fridge, the cat had learnt quicker than he had that Selene was a force of nature that would not be ignored. It was better to just go with the flow and let her have her own way.
He gathered a little left over roast chicken and chopped it up into bite size pieces. He reached for a couple of bowls, filling one with water and scooping the chicken into the other before placing them on the floor.
Selene lowered the cat to the ground and, after giving each bowl an investigatory sniff, it dived face first into the chicken, the sound of its greedy chomping filling the room.
"That thing is gonna shit in the house, isn't it?" Kayo was never one of mince words.
Selene looked panicked for a second, then raced into the pantry, clanked around noisily for a few moments then exited carrying a large roasting pan.
No one stopped her when she ran out the kitchen door and vanished down the side of the villa. They had all given up questioning what she did at any given moment.
Something soft bumped against his leg and John looked down to find the cat staring up at him.
"I think he likes you," Scott grinned. The cat meowed its agreement, demanding attention.
John stared down at the furry interloper. "Armstrong, was it?" he asked. The cat meowed an affirmative. He crouched down, offering a hand for the creature to sniff. "I'm John."
Gordon burst out laughing. "Did you just introduce yourself to a cat?"
"Did you not?"
"I did," Alan admitted.
Selene crashed back into the room, the baking tray now filled with sand she'd scooped up from the beach.
"This'll have to do, it'll count as a sandbox…" she stopped dead taking in the sight of her dude, on the floor, arm outstretched to the cat he supposedly didn't want anything to do with. She tried to hold in the resulting smile but it wasn't easy.
John scrambled to his feet, a guilty look on his face as he backed away, but Armstrong was having none of it. He stretched up, front paws on John's leg and meowed loudly, wanting attention.
"No, cat, there will be no demanding."
Selene snorted as she scooped up the cat. "Yeah, like that's gonna work."
The cat scrambled out of her arms and launched itself at John, landing on his shoulder where it proceeded to drape itself around the back of his neck like a scarf.
John sighed. "This thing is staying, isn't it?"
Kayo grinned as she left the kitchen.
"Oh yes," Scott stroked the purring cat as he left too.
John stood still, suffering in silence as Alan and Gordon fussed the cat that was kneading his flesh with its razor sharp claws.
"WHO DRANK ONE OF MY BEERS?"
"Time for bed!" John took off with the cat still on his shoulders.
"Don't get too comfortable with him," Virgil called after him, "that's half my cat."
Gordon grinned at Alan. "I've always wanted a pet that wasn't a scaly nightmare."
"Me too, this is gonna be great."
Selene woke to the sound of loud purring in her ear. She opened one eye, finding herself nose to nose with Armstrong, who was curled up on John's chest. John, for his part, was completely oblivious to this development and continued to sleep soundly.
Selene gave the kitty a quick head rub and then eased out of bed, not wanting to disturb John. He rarely slept enough and she never woke him unless she had to. With practiced efficiency she quietly gathered a change of clothes and slipped out of the room to use Kayo's bathroom to shower, knowing that the slightest noise would wake him.
Virgil was already waiting for her in the kitchen, for once looking alert and ready to roll.
"Damn, muscles, give me a moment to get some coffee down me."
"No time," he handed her a to-go cup and a toasted bagel. "Kitty needs breakfast soon and he can't keep having chicken, I was reading up on it last night."
She took the drink and saluted, accepting her orders. Who'd have thought Virgil would be the one to get all bossy with her? It was fun to see.
It didn't take them long to reach the large shopping mall on the mainland. They left the small two seater plane on the roof pad and headed for the pet store.
"Just essentials, right?" she confirmed, letting him push the shopping cart.
"Yep," he nodded.
They loaded up with a couple of crates of cat food tins, bags of crunches and two sacks of cat litter, along with a couple of litter trays and two cosy beds, but that was as far as their restraint lasted.
"He needs treats, right?" Selene tossed eight different packs into the cart.
"And he has to have toys, they need to stay stimulated or they can get bored."
"Just like Alan."
Virgil grabbed one of almost every toy available and piled them in on top of the food.
Virgil picked out a nice collar for him, and they added some flea shampoo and wormer to the pile, just in case.
"Does he need clothes?" Selene was instantly drawn to the cute little outfits that were probably meant for tiny dogs.
"I don't think so."
"But...but…"
"He has fur and we live on a tropical island," Virgil pointed out calmly.
"Fine, I see your point."
They wandered a little further when Selene stopped dead.
"Oh my gods! Look at that hat! He needs a top hat, he needs to be fancy!"
"No, he doesn't need to be-" she waved the hat under his nose pleadingly. "OK, but just the one hat, for special occasions."
She grinned and tossed the little hat on top of the growing pile.
Virgil looked at the cart in disbelief.
"I think we're gonna need another cart."
John floated out of blissful rest to the most disgusting smell. His nose wrinkled in horror and he turned his face away. What had Selene and Virgil been eating the night before? The smell followed and he braced himself to take one for the team and give her the morning kiss she always wanted.
He opened his eyes, forcing a smile of greeting…Armstrong immediately pounced, nuzzling his chin from his spot on his chest, little claws digging into his bare skin, rough tongue rasping at his nose.
"Urghhh, get off you beast!" he swiped gently at the cat who wouldn't take no for an answer. He gave in as gracefully as possible and did his duty, petting the cat gently. The cat's purring got louder and its nuzzling more intense. "You're going to be just as demanding as her, aren't you?" The cat declined to answer. "Right you, move your furry butt, I need coffee."
As if it understood every word he said the cat stood up, arching its back as it stretched then turned tail and took off out the door.
"Well, at least you listen better than Selene."
John found the cat curled up on his eldest brothers lap as Scott worked at their dad's desk. Armstrong looked perfectly content as Scott tickled his ears with one hand while scrolling on his tablet with the other.
"Urgh, not you too."
Scott glanced up. "Huh?"
"Wrapped around that things little paw."
Scott chuckled. "You have to admit, he's pretty cute."
"I admit nothing."
Scott sighed. "I know I say it a lot, but you need to loosen up a little. It'll be good for us to have a pet around the villa, they are supposed to reduce stress levels and we could all do with a little of that."
"Grab this box before I drop it!"
"Got it! Damn that's heavy, how did we buy so much stuff?"
"You insisted he needed a cat tree that was actually a tree…"
"OK so maybe that was a slight miscalculation on my part…"
Virgil stumbled in almost bent double under the weight of a ton of boxes, Selene bringing up the rear with her arms full of bags.
Scott's eyes widened at the sight. "What was I saying about stress?"
"You two are never going out alone again."