MissHappen: Wow, thank you! I try.

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Chapter 3: Letting a Black Cat Cross Your Path

Spike took Cat to a small restaurant back on Mars because he said he hated the food on Saturn. She went with him without argument, like a dog that was promised a bone in the near future.

            "Are you gonna eat all that?" She asked him after they ordered. She figured about half the menu was on the way to their table. All Cat ordered was a salad and brandy.

            "Yeah."

            "And can you afford it?"

            "No."

            "Are you expecting me to pay?"

            "I wasn't expecting it, but if you're offering…" Cat rolled her eyes. He flashed her a grin. "It's so nice of you to treat a stranger to lunch."

            "I seem to be a bit too trusting lately."

            "Is that so?" he asked leaning back casually. He still had a smirk on his face. He must always get whatever he wants, Cat thought. Well, now it's my turn to get what I want.

            "You never answered my question," she pointed out. He raised an eyebrow. He flicked his lighter open and closed, lighting then extinguishing a flame.

            "You asked one?" Cat took a sip from her glass. He wasn't going to make this easy for her. She simply wanted an answer and she would be satisfied. He would be able to go back to his bounty hunting. After all, he was getting a free meal from her; he should at least cooperate.

            "I suppose it wasn't important enough for you to remember." Spike shrugged, then he leaned in closer to Cat. She could see his eyes clearly now. The mismatched colors made her slightly dizzy. She suddenly felt uncomfortable under his intense look. How can he go from sarcastic to serious that quickly?

            "Tell me about Julia," he said softly. Cat attempted to release herself from his gaze. She fidgeted and indicated to their waiter that she wanted another drink.

            "What do you want to know? You probably know more about her than I do."

            "I would really like to know where she is."

            "I told you she left my place a month ago without so much as a thank you. I would have to guess that she's on Callisto or thereabouts since that's pretty close to where my apartment is. Maybe Jupiter."

            "Where do you live?"

            "Leda."

            "She could still be there," Spike said hopefully.

            "I doubt it. Leda is pretty small. I would have seen her by now. Then again, she's very good at not being found when she wants to be." Cat watched the little glimmer of hope slowly dwindle away.

"How long have you known her?" Cat adjusted herself in her chair, attempting to distance herself as far as possible from his passionate, disconcerting stare. She didn't feel like answering questions about her former roommate at that moment, because most of her answers would probably be that she didn't know. Her friendship with Julia wasn't one a person would call normal. They went in and out of each other's lives without a word then would return, sometimes years later, and act as though no time had passed in between meetings. They rarely talked, though when they did, they usually reminisced about passed experiences, or caught up with what they'd missed in the other's life during the absence. When Julia came pounding on Cat's door one night, sobbing and scared, Cat knew it wouldn't be the usual visit. And when she spoke of a Martian man with two different colored eyes, Cat didn't know what to say. They never talked of the present. To them, the past was an escape from reality, a badly needed escape.

            "I think we've been friends since high school, maybe earlier." Spike lowered his voice.

            "Are you in the syndicate?"

            "No." Cat was a little surprised by the question.

            "Then where did you get all the money?"

            "Ever heard of hard work?" Spike grunted and shook his head. He ran his fingers through his green mane.

            "You're not one I would expect to be friends with Julia," Spike pointed out. This was a valid statement. Cat often wondered how she and Julia became friends. She wasn't one that accepted that sometimes things were how they were just because. There wasn't always an explanation but Cat always felt the need to seek one.

            "You're not one I would expect to be in love with Julia," she retorted. Spike sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His calm demeanor was faltering.

            "Did she tell you anything that might indicate where she might have gone or why?" He asked wearily. Cat glanced at him. He looked very ready to skip lunch and hop into his craft to any place he thought Julia would be. Cat felt sorry for him. For all she knew, Julia could have been dead. Julia wasn't too keen on staying in anyplace for too long, fearing that someone would find her. Cat knew this. She also knew that the Red Dragons would not rest until they found her and depending on what Julia did, they would not rest until she was fully punished.

            Cat opened her mouth, though just as she did their food arrived. Spike stared at Cat expectantly. When she didn't say anything, he started to eat. Cat realized that she was dealing with more than just an infatuation in the guise of love.

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A/N: Two more chapters left, so enjoy this while you can.

Plutonian