The Christmas Cat
Chapter 4-
by Vickietori
A/N: Aloha peeps! I'm home from school sick today and I feel MISERABLE!!!! I kept waking up in the middle of the night hacking away! And now I get to go to the stupid poopy doctor to get my lungs checked for my asthma... oh joyous *sarcasm* Anyhoozerhankeydoodle, this turned out to be quite funny more then angsty like my usual writings, but I think it turned out well ^_^ Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Why do I even bother?? May I ask again what is the point of these things?? Don't make me argue with you Disney!!!! ^_^
Another quick not to CrystalHorse72: Notice the name is Terri... not Tabbi. I was thinking about using that name, but then I remembered that it was used already... *shrugs* I kinda liked this name anyway ^_^ Thanks for your concern though!
~*~
What am I going to do?? Scott asked his wife Carol walking in circles around his desk at the North Pole. As an inexperienced Santa, he needed all the help he could get.
said Carol getting to her feet. I don't think this girl is harmful to the North Pole. I don't think she would tell anyone else about us up here. Scott sighed and nodded in agreement. Besides, she said she believed in you... didn't she?? Carol smiled slyly.
said Scott contentedly. She did say that. He smiled shyly. But that's not the point! She's not supposed to be up here and she's proving to me and the rest of the elves that our radar system is nothing compared to our old one! He grunted unhappily and sat in his chair.
Scott, you are Santa! The one who bring joy and happiness to all of us! You should believe that things like this have a good ending... and who knows! Maybe it does...
He gripped his wife's hand in his and smiled. Thank you Carol.
~*~
Have you any experience with making toys?? asked Curtis. He stood in front of Terri trying to make her useful for something. She thought to herself for a moment.
Well in preschool I made a little doll out of lolly pop sticks! She grinned trying to make it seem like she had a little experience when really she had none. Curtis glared at her with his check board in his hands.
he said scratching out toy making on his list. What about cooking?? Do you cook at all??
Cooking?? Oh yeah! I cook all the time for my little brothers. I even... Bernard!!!! She called over to Bernard who was walking towards the two, going completely off of subject. She ran over to him joyously and hopped right in front of him.
Hiya Terri! he greeted in his usual cheerfulness with a little wave. Curtis, what are you doing?? He looked down at Curtis with his hands on his hips.
I'm just asking her what... he was cut off by Terri.
He was just asking me questions to find out how I might be of some help up here! She smiled and patted Curtis on the head. She was much taller then him, therefor she thought of him as an adorable little boy. she said. Behind his glasses Curtis looked very very pissed off. Bernard was quite amused by all of this.
he managed to say in between his giggles. So what are you going to be doing up here?? he asked trying to keep his giggles to a minimum. Terri frowned a bit and held a finger to her chin.
That's a good question, she finally said. Curtis, what am I doing??
Well, I don't quite know yet because I was right in the middle of asking these questions when Bernard came and YOU TOTALLY GOT OFF OF THE SUBJECT!!!! With his nostrils flaring and his teeth gritting, he made all of the workers in the North Pole fix their eyes on him and gasp all at once. The only other sounds were Terri and Bernard's little giggles.
Oh your just so cute! said Terri leaning down and pinching Curtis's cheek. Bernard couldn't contain himself.
Oh yes... he giggled some more. Your just sooo adorable... He cut off himself because his giggles kept growing and growing.
You people disgust me, grunted Curtis marching away. Terri's eyes widened as Curtis marched away, keeping her dumbfounded still leaning down to Curtis's size. Bernard on the other hand was turning pink in the face trying to hold in his giggles. The elves all exchanged glances to each other and returned to their business.
Was it something I said?? asked Terri innocently while returning to her normal height. Bernard's face turned normal again and he took in a few breaths to control himself.
No, he's just not used to the attention. Here, I'll help you find out what you can do up here. Bernard began to walk away with Terri following behind him.
Ya know, I am quite handy in the kitchen...
~*~
Maybe you'd like to share some feelings with me, Charlie?? asked Neil at his psychiatrist work. Charlie was having some more issues, and Neil was trying to help... but as always, he wasn't.
answered Charlie stubbornly. Sorry Neil, but I just want to talk to my dad about it... not you.
And why is that?? asked Neil leaning forward in his chair.
Oh god! I don't know! Maybe it's one of those father son things! I DON'T KNOW!!! He got up from his chair and stormed out of the room. His mother was standing in the doorway. Apparently, she was listening the whole time. Hi mom, he murmured as he passed by her.
she called after him. He didn't listen. He stormed up to his room and slammed the door behind him. Neil got up from his chair and stood beside his wife.
Well that went well, he said. Laura looked at him and glared.
~*~
In her room, Terri was working on one of her little crafts. She took out some scissors and some durable stringy substance and began to measure it around her wrist. She unraveled some more of the stringy stuff and cut it from a big ball of it. She then took out a safety pin and pinned it to her pant leg. She attached the loop of the string to the pin and then began to work. After a moment or two, there was a knock at her door.
Oh... coming! she called. she said as she accidentally poked herself with the safety pin. She immediately put her poor finger in her mouth and sucked on it tenderly. She got up from her beanbag chair and walked to open the door. She took her finger out of her mouth to look at her bleeding finger and then stubbed her big toe on a wooden table. she cried again, only louder.
From the other side of the doors, Bernard with Tomaso on his shoulder was waiting for Terri to open up. He heard the noises on the other side and frowned with each crash. He knocked some more.
Terri?? Are you all right in there??
meowed Tomaso innocently.
I'm fine! came her muffled voice. Inside though, she was whimpering about her toe and hopping around in circles. She lost her balance and fell face first onto the ground.
Are you sure?? asked Bernard knocking on the door some more. The door opened and Terri's hair was now messed up, her finger was in her mouth, and her shoeless feet revealed a swelling up toe.
See, I told you I was fine! she mumbled with her finger still in her mouth. Despite all of her wounds, she smiled happily. Oh wow! she exclaimed forgetting all about her bleeding finger. You have a cat!
Yeah... his name's Tomaso. I found him a week ago by some trash cans in the town. Terri was now scratching Tomaso on the head, moving back behind his ears. Tomaso was purring loudly like a motor. He was moving his head wherever Terri's long fingernails were. Heh... I think he likes ya!
Can I hold him??
Bernard said picking Tomaso off of his shoulder and handing him gently to Terri. Terri held him over the side of her arm, scratching his head tenderly. After a moment, Tomaso shook his head a squirmed until Terri let him out of her arms. He walked away to explore her room.
He's a precious kitty, she commented watching him dig his nose under her pile of bean bag chairs.
Yup. Any ways, we're still trying to find work for you here. Right now we're leaning towards you working in the kitchen...
What other work is there?? interrupted Terri.
Umm... obviously, there's toy making, paper sorting, making the naughty and nice lists...
Sounds boring... Ouch! She felt something banging on her leg. She looked down to find Tomaso playing with her string tied to her safety pin. My hemp! Oops, I totally forgot... She leaned down to try to untie the bracelet-in-progress from her leg.
What's that?? asked Bernard pointing to the hemp.
Oh this?? This is my hemp string... see, I make bracelets and other jewelry with this. She rolled up her sleeves and revealed four bracelets tied around her left arm. She untied one of them and handed it to Bernard.
You make these?? asked Bernard particularly fascinated by the simple yet creative bracelet.
Yup! I don't think I've bought one in my life... I've made most of my jewelry...
That's it! interrupted Bernard with a snap. We don't make these in the North Pole... You could teach the other elves how to make these and we could use these as stocking stuffers.
I could do that?? Ooh! Now that's something fun! She clapped her hands and smiled quite happy with herself, and Tomaso meowed with delight.
~*~
Later that night, Bernard sat in his room with a blazing fire keeping him warm from the chilly night. He held in his hand a hemp bracelet that Terri had made for him. Braided in it was a pattern of red and green glass beads as a symbol of Christmas. He smiled and stroked the present with his thumb. He heard a little meow from behind him and felt two paws resting on his shoulder. He looked over and was face to face with Tomaso. He scratched Tomaso under his chin and noticed something around his neck. As a collar, he now had a hemp collar with the same color-coded beads as his.
Hey, you got one too?? He picked up the tabby cat and put him in his lap, stroking his back until it's purring was louder then the cracklling of the fireplace. I knew we would find work for her here... that is... until she goes home... if Santa lets her go home. His thoughts were interrupted by a crash from outside his room somewhere. He immediatley jumped up and ran out the door with Tomaso trailing behind him. Apparently Scott had heard the noise too. He was opening the door of his room as Bernard did.
You heard it too?? asked Scott.
Yeah. It sounded like it came from over there. He pointed to a dark long hallway and both he, Scott, and Tomaso ran down the hall. When no other sound could be heard, they stopped. They listened for a seccond.
whispered Scott.
Look at Tomaso, replied Bernard pointing to the cat. Already, it's snesative ears had picked up more sound and he was running ahead of the two elves. Tomaso went out of sight as he turned the corner, but when he was seen again, he was at Terri's room scratching the door with his paw waiting to get inside.
Scott banged on the door. he called. The door opened and Terri's face was as pale as a ghost, and her eyes were fear strucken. Terri, what happened?? She didn't answer immediatley, but looked at Scott and then Bernard taking in deep breaths trying to calm herself.
she finally managed to whisper between breaths. Evil things... coming... She then collapsed in Bernard's arms.
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Don't hurt me!! I had to make a cliffhanger sometime! Okay, new rule... 5 more reviews until next chapter... you have been warned!! Dun dun dun ^_~