"I swear to God, if you tell me if got hit by a car or a demon ate it, I-"
"I promise, nothing horrible happened. I was living in New York. I'd actually settled into an apartment, Had a radio with great reception, and there was steady work at the docks every night, so I was earning money honestly. I got into a pattern – go to work about ten a t night, finish up around four, stop at the butcher, maybe check the garbage at a bookseller. Home by dawn. One morning as I was coming in, there was a cat in front of my door."
What did it look like?"
"Grey calico. It was a tomcat, but very well behaved."
"Did you name it?"
"I'm getting to that. Naturally, I told the cat to go away. I went inside and went about my day, but the whole time I heard this cat, scratching at the door. Drove me crazy. He was gone when I left for work that night, but he was back the next morning. Again, I told him to go away, and again, he scratched at my door all day. This went on for two weeks, until one morning, I got home and there was the cat, and a note nailed to the door. It said, 'Let your damn cat in.'"
She smiled. "So he became your cat by default."
"He did. And because he was so annoying and insistant, I named him William." He waited a moment until he saw her green eyes lighted as she made the connection. "True to his name, he took over. He chose a bowl that I didn't even know was in the sink and stood over it mewing constantly until I started bringing milk with me each morning. Then he claimed my favorite chair as his and wouldn't budge. He chewed on my shoes and pushed the curtain open in the middle of the day. But he was also very sweet when he wanted to be."
"What happened?"
"Nothing, really. One day he left me. A few days later, he was standing outside someone else's door a few blocks over, scratching at their door. I was actually grateful for the time I had with him. For a few months, I had something to occupy me, someone to share my isolation."
She thought about that for a while. "Do you think animals have souls?" She mused.
"I don't know. As a child, I was taught that they didn't."
"You were born in Ireland, right?"
"That's right."
"Do you ever miss it?"
"No. I decided long ago that if I hadn't met Darla, I probably would have come to America anyway."
"Really?"
"There was money to be made, and I wanted to show my father I could do better than he."
"Your father. That's a strange concept." She looked at him thoughtfully, trying to picture him as a human kid. "Do you ever see parts of your father in yourself, or Connor?"
"Sometimes I think I see a resemblance to my sister in him. It's been a long time, though."
She sat back on her heels. "I should go. I probably should sleep some."
"Probably."
She rose and turned toward the door.
"Caitlin?"
"Yes?"
"You don't have to do this. If you want, I'll refuse, so no one will think you back out."
She closed her eyes, tempted. But... "Do you think Angelus knows something?"
"If you're right, if I didn't die, then yes, I do. It bothers me that he can keep a secret from me in my own head. What else don't I know?"
"If I get a chance, I'll ask."
"I promise, nothing horrible happened. I was living in New York. I'd actually settled into an apartment, Had a radio with great reception, and there was steady work at the docks every night, so I was earning money honestly. I got into a pattern – go to work about ten a t night, finish up around four, stop at the butcher, maybe check the garbage at a bookseller. Home by dawn. One morning as I was coming in, there was a cat in front of my door."
What did it look like?"
"Grey calico. It was a tomcat, but very well behaved."
"Did you name it?"
"I'm getting to that. Naturally, I told the cat to go away. I went inside and went about my day, but the whole time I heard this cat, scratching at the door. Drove me crazy. He was gone when I left for work that night, but he was back the next morning. Again, I told him to go away, and again, he scratched at my door all day. This went on for two weeks, until one morning, I got home and there was the cat, and a note nailed to the door. It said, 'Let your damn cat in.'"
She smiled. "So he became your cat by default."
"He did. And because he was so annoying and insistant, I named him William." He waited a moment until he saw her green eyes lighted as she made the connection. "True to his name, he took over. He chose a bowl that I didn't even know was in the sink and stood over it mewing constantly until I started bringing milk with me each morning. Then he claimed my favorite chair as his and wouldn't budge. He chewed on my shoes and pushed the curtain open in the middle of the day. But he was also very sweet when he wanted to be."
"What happened?"
"Nothing, really. One day he left me. A few days later, he was standing outside someone else's door a few blocks over, scratching at their door. I was actually grateful for the time I had with him. For a few months, I had something to occupy me, someone to share my isolation."
She thought about that for a while. "Do you think animals have souls?" She mused.
"I don't know. As a child, I was taught that they didn't."
"You were born in Ireland, right?"
"That's right."
"Do you ever miss it?"
"No. I decided long ago that if I hadn't met Darla, I probably would have come to America anyway."
"Really?"
"There was money to be made, and I wanted to show my father I could do better than he."
"Your father. That's a strange concept." She looked at him thoughtfully, trying to picture him as a human kid. "Do you ever see parts of your father in yourself, or Connor?"
"Sometimes I think I see a resemblance to my sister in him. It's been a long time, though."
She sat back on her heels. "I should go. I probably should sleep some."
"Probably."
She rose and turned toward the door.
"Caitlin?"
"Yes?"
"You don't have to do this. If you want, I'll refuse, so no one will think you back out."
She closed her eyes, tempted. But... "Do you think Angelus knows something?"
"If you're right, if I didn't die, then yes, I do. It bothers me that he can keep a secret from me in my own head. What else don't I know?"
"If I get a chance, I'll ask."