Stephanie was in heaven.
Leia and her pack of thugs laid broken at her feet, Leia begging for mercy, acknowledging the superiority of the bluebells.
"Oh, please spare me, Cookie commander Stephanie, I should've known me and the saps I hired couldn't possibly beat you and the great bluebells," Leia said through her sobs.
Stephanie laughed. "It's too late to-."
Stephanie felt a jab at her shoulder. "It's too late to beg gremlin,"
Leia's cries grew. "Please cookie Commander, I was a fool."
"I'm going to enjoy punishing for your treason." Stephanie chuckled. She felt another jab.
"Who keeps poking me?" She demanded. Then she felt another jab and another.
Stephanie groaned as she woke up. Katie stood in the cover of darkness shaking and crying.
A faint smell of pee assaulted Stephanie's nose
It was, unfortunately, a sight she wasn't unfamiliar with. Stephanie offered her little cousin, a smile.
"You had another bad dream, Katie?" Stephanie asked.
"Meow, yes, meow," Katie said softly
Stephanie got her small cousin changed into cleaner pajamas and disposed of the stained sheets in the washer to be cleaned up in the morning.
Then she allowed Katie to get in bed with her.
"I-I'm sorry for waking you-"
Stephanie shushed her, "It's alright. What was your dream about?"
"Meow I was alone like when my mommy left. I tried finding you, but no one was around."
Katie began crying again.
Katie's mother had abandoned her, and for that, Stephanie would always hate the junkie.
In Stephanie's eyes, there was no excuse. The family was supposed to protect each other.
Stephanie's family barely made ends meet, yet her parents didn't hesitate to take Katie in.
Because that's what good people do.
Stephanie enveloped her younger cousin into a hug.
"It's ok. You're ok," Stephanie cooed. "I'm not going anywhere, and I'll crush anything that'd try taking you away from me because I love you."
Katie purred against her big cousin's chest. "Meow, I love you too, meow."
"Do you want me to hear your favorite story?"
Katie nodded.
Stephanie got out "Cat heaven" and began telling it. In cat heaven, there was yarn to play with for days, it was always sunny, and cats always had their families with them.
Pretty soon soft snores from the pre-schooler echoed in Stephanie's room.
Stephanie kissed her small cousin's head.
She closed her eyes, and hoped she could resume the awesome dream she was having.