Kitty too!

Elizabeth Knight

Chapter10

Zantha awoke at dawn the next morning. She changed into a clean day dress Videl had offered her before and tip toed out of the bedroom. She hoped Kyle was still at the springs. Everything was quiet in the hallway, but she could hear ChiChi and Goten in the kitchen. She quietly made her way down the stairs, but instead of sneaking out she thought it would look better if she told someone she was going.

"Well good morning. It's a surprise to see you up so early." ChiChi greeted as she came into the kitchen.

Goten smiled at her as he pulled out the chair next to his own. She thanked him and sat down. ChiChi set a plate of eggs and toast in front of her and Goten before she sat down herself.

"I was feeling a little restless and thought a walk around town would do me some good. I haven't really gotten to explore anything yet."

"I can't take you on a tour, but I can walk you as far as my post beside the prison. Unless you'd be willing to ask Trunks to take you." Goten offered.

"No, I think I could make do with you." Zantha assured him as she finnished off her breakfast. She walked with Goten until they came to the prison and he left. She continued towards the city, but once Goten's post was out of sight she slipped into the forest that surrounded Saiyan City and shifted into a tiger before she set off for the springs.

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Trunks slowly opened both eyes as eh reached up to itch his nose. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimps of an arrow feather before it vanished to the side. Glancing over he saw Brandy playing with the arrow. She smiled when she reached it over to tickle his nose again.

"That's enough munchkin. Where's Deirdre?"

"Kitty go bye-bye." Brandy told him, shrugging her small shoulders. Trunks grabbed his rove off the end of the couch and got up.

"Lets go ask ChiChi for some breakfast, shall we?" Brandy nodded enthusiastically and followed him out of the room, down the stairs, and into the kichen.

"Look who finally decided to join the land of the living. Everyone else has already eaten, but we did save you a plate. I'll heat it up for you." ChiChi told him.

"Thanks. Where did Deirdre disappear to this morning?" Trunks inquired quietly.

"She headed out with Goten this morning. She was going to walk him to his post and then to exploring the city."

"The city? I want to go exploring the city!" Brandy chimed in looking excited.

"I suppose we could take you shopping for a few dresses since you don't have any. Would you like that?" Trunks ask the child.

"Yes, yes, yes! Perdy new dresses!" she sang in delight. ChiChi smiled at them as she collected his empty plate.

"Did Deirdre say where in the city she wanted to go exploring?"

"No. Just exploring the city."

"Then I guess it's just you and me, Brandy." he said standing. Brandy noddedand reached out to grab his hand. Her hand felt strange and tiny within his own, but he didn't release it. They said good-bye to ChiChi and headed out the door.

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Zantha looked around causiously before casually strolling out of the trees and back towards the city. She frouned as she recalled this mornings conversation. White Fang had been there waiting on her. They had discussed the prison some more and he'd informed her that they had Keys in the prison and were working on a plan of escape for the prisoners. The needed an insider who was exspendable, that could get in without being noticed. He'd ask her to find the shortest rout accessableto the prison and draw up a small map of the layout. She was supposed to try to get it back to them this evening if she could. The also agreed to use the springs as a meeting place instead of Kyle coming into the city. There would be a contact there every night, she only need show up to pass the information.

No one seemed to notice her slipping into a small croud of shoppers. She hadn't gone too far when she saw Trunks and Brandy enter a small toy shop across the street. Why not, Zantha thought shrugging her shoulders and crossing the street. She glanced around at the shelves of stuffed animals and smiled wslightly as she watched Trunks digging through several tigers.

Approaching quietly, she ask, "So....do you like tigers or is this a first time thing?"

Trunks stopped digging and glanced over at her. "Not particularly. These all have green eyes. Not exactly what I'm looking for."

Zantha glanced at the basket full of tigers and picked one up, turning it this wayand that as she inspected it. "I guess they're not really such a good likeness to the real ones." She remarked before handing it to Trunks and walking over to Brandy. Trunks glanced down at the golden eyed tiger he held and frowned.

"Look!" Brandy told her, when she noticed Zantha heading her way. She held up the medium sized lioness for Zantha to see. "Isn't he beautiful?"

"She," Zantha corrected, "and yes she is."

"No. It's a boy. I've seen him before, so I know."

"Boy's have manes....like this." Zantha picked up a lion with a large dark mane surrounding it's face and showed it to Brandy.

"My kitty doesn't have a mane, and he's a boy. I know cuz he talked to me."

"When did he talk to you?"

"When he carried me from the fire, and he looked like this." Brandy said holding the lioness up in front of her face.

"He must have been a young lion then."

"He's lucky he's not a dead lion." Trunks snorted, coming up behind them. Brandy's eyes began to water, and Zantha gave Trunks an ugly look. "What? He deserves to be dead for what he helped do to Brandy's people."

"It was an accident. Kitty saved my life. He's a good kitty!" she told him feicely. Looking at the lioness and stroking it's head, she told the animal, "I love the kitty. He's my kitty!"

"Yes I suppose he will be. Take this one with you to the counter." he told her as he held out the tiger Zantha had handed him. He dug in his jacket pocket and handed her several coins. "If I didnt'know better I'd think she meant that."

"And what if she did?" Zantha ask, watching him scowl. "They say some can sense their mates the first time they meet."

"She's too young to know any better."

"And what about you?"

Trunks gave her a consideringly thoural look as she staired back at him. She hoped he wouldn't read too much into her comment, he was suspicious enough as it was. He stared at her a moment longer, then walked away without replying. Zantha let out the air she'd been unknowingly holding and followed him. They all left the store quietly and made their way back down the street.

They had just made it to the corner of the park when someone hoved his way past them and sent both girls tumbling to the ground. Brandy gasp as both stuffed animals flew out of her grasp, and she began to cry. Trunks gathered them up and handed them back to her with an appology, but she still kept crying. She held her palm up for Trunks' inspection. It had a few cuts and a rather nasty looking scrape across it.

"Don't worry. In a minute, it'll stop hurting." he told her.

Brandy sniffed. "Kiss." she demanded of him. When Trunks just sat there she started to cry again. Looking very uncomfortable, Trunks took her hand and kissed the palm. She instantly smiled and told him, "Kitty too." Trunks scowled and picked up the stuffed animals she'd laid down.

"No, no, no." she laughed at him. She turned and pointed to Zantha. "Kitty!" she claified. Zantha's eyes widened as Trunks looked to her. When he reached out for her, she shook her head and jumped to her feet. Brandy followed suit demanding, "Kiss! Kiss! Kitty fell too!"

"Well, Kitty?" Trunks smiled getting to his feet, "You heard her. You fell too, so that means you get a kiss too." Zantha shook her head again, but he kissed her anyway. Only their lips touched and only slightly. It was like a slight breeze brushing against her mouth. Zantha slowly opened her eyes when Trunks pulled away. He wore a self satisfied smirk and Brandy beamed up at him.