New Problems: Chapter Nine
Disclaimer: None. Of. It. Is. Mine. Happy? Good.
Shout-outs:
epalladino: Thank you for another very nice review! I'm glad you thought Liz was in-character. And I'm so sorry I didn't update quickly...again!
boogalaga: Thank you! Actually, I was surprised how many people like the ficlet... it was certainly a bit of a surprise to me, at least.
lioness78: Sorry, no Cat and Hb fluff this time around, but definitely next chapter. Oh yes... I have plans.
Umbra the Dark: Unfortunately for me, my quick updates seem to have ended... Oh well. I'll manage somehow, maybe... Thank you for your review!
theshadowcat: Thank you! Reviewers like you make me happy...
SawCyn-WroteSin: You're one of my favorite reviewers! You always leave me such a nice long one... and you thought my ficlet was funny? Great! Thank you very much for your review, as always!
Mattb3671: Thank YOU! .:grins:. Steady reviewers are always nice. And I'm writing now! My next Songs chapter is due very soon... It's almost done, and very long, to make up for lateness!
Lali: Speaking of lateness... are you still planning on reviewing? It would be nice... You certainly abuse my sanity (via poking) enough that you could spare a review for an old friend... couldn't you? Please?
A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! I got overwhelmed with illness and work... again. Sigh. Actually, I cut this chapter a bit short (hence a very awkward transition) because of that. I'm so sorry! Again...
A/N 2: At this point, HB has nooo idea Cat now looks a bit 'different' all the time, instead of only when she's angry. That's the basis for this chapter… Andthe next oneinvolves fluff! No, Fluff! With a capital! Ipromise!(End A/N, start fic.)
The next morning was a drizzly gray, the sky pressing down on top of the land, so close overhead that Cat kept on wanting to duck. Even though it was misting she was up early, out in her garden. It was starting to grow into something more than bare earth and twigs, due to her powers, but the shrubs were still small and the spaces between the plants hadn't filled in. There were still large empty areas, just starting to mist over with the fragile, feathery green sprouts of weeds. Cat sighed and bent to her knees, pulling them out of the ground. (1)
Later that day, about one in the afternoon:
Cat got to her feet with a heavy sigh. She had been gardening all day, missing lunch. She was splashed with mud from when the rain had picked up and soaking wet, with smudges in green and brown from plant matter and dirt over-laying her natural deeper-green and lighter-brown coloring. Her hair, pulled back in a doubled-over ponytail, was wet and bedraggled, loose strands plastered to her skin from the rain. The skin on her face felt too-tight and salty, from the tears she had shed while she was gardening. She had no doubt she was a sight for sore eyes (2), and probably nearly as miserable looking as she felt.
She trudged into the BPRD, then headed towards her room, head bowed and paying very little attention to where she was going. She was stopped by a voice suddenly saying, "What the hell happened to you?"
"Angry leprechauns with green food dye," replied Cat glumly, walking past Hellboy and into her room. The tree snapped shut behind her.
Hellboy turned around and walked away, knowing that he couldn't get through Cat's sort-of door without destroying it completely, and she certainly wasn't going to open it.
He entered Professor Broom's office. "Ah, hello. I've been meaning to talk to you, actually." Began his adoptive father. "Cat may be a bit… moody for a while. You know her physical reactions to strong negative emotions? It's taken a… permanent change. She looks like that all the time now, as far as we can tell. While she's in puberty she may be a bit… unstable. No, that's not the word; she's not dangerous, or liable to go insane. Cat's powers are developing and stabling."
"Right. Did you know she was in her garden all morning? I don't think she even ate."
Professor Broom frowned. "No, I didn't know. Thank you for telling me. This is... unsettling. I knew she'd take it hard, but that's extreme. I'll have Liz go talk to her, I think. They seem to get along well."
Hellboy turned abruptly and left the room, tail twitching slightly. Professor Broom watched him go, a slight smile on his face.
Cat sat glumly on her bed, hair damp from her shower. At least she was warm and damp now, as opposed to cold and wet. Her back hurt too, probably from hunching over too long. That was just what she needed, a strained back on top of everything else… life really hated her, didn't it?
Her stomach growled softly, insisting she get something to eat now before something drastic happened. Muttering slightly under her breath she walked out of her room, brushing her door affectionately, though her actions were slightly bittersweet, as she left. (3)
Cat walked to the kitchen, knowing that it was too late in the day for lunch to be available. She would have to cook it herself… I wonder what they have to work with… she thought, a slight smile coming into her eyes.
Liz walked in about a half hour later.
"What on earth is that smell?" she demanded.
"Spaghetti, cooked right," replied Cat. "Want some?"
"Yes! How do you make it smell that good?"
"Family secret."
"Damn."
"Use lots of garlic. And thyme, sage, oregano, basil and fresh rosemary. And onions."
"I thought it was secret?"
"Yeah. I guess… I guess you count as family now. I'm still not going to tell you my other secret."
"What other secret?"
"Nobody finds out my cookie recipes."
"You're a strange one, Cat."
"Yeah… I guess I am," said the younger girl with a sigh. "Oh well. There's pie after the pasta."
"Why all the cooking?" asked Liz, looking up from her spaghetti. (4)
"Comfort thing. Don't ask me to explain it. I guess pasta and apple pie are just comfort foods for me."
"We all have our quirks. My comfort food is tapioca pudding, so there we are…" (5) said Liz as Cat served them both pie.
Cat took a bite, sighing happily. "I love apple pie. Always have."
Liz looked at her portion after her first bite, slightly surprised. "This tastes weird… not bad weird, just different."
"I'm allergic to cinnamon. I use nutmeg instead. And two secret ingredients."
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Definitely no."
(1) This is one of the worst garden chores. They're so small and so dense on the ground that it takes forever and gets you nowhere. Irritating as hell.
(2) I've never understood this one… I don't think it's actually supposed to make sense. .:laughs:.
(3) Her door is still a tree, remember? She doesn't have any inordinate affection for doors, just trees. You would too, if you could talk with them… I'm pretty sure. I don't know you, the hypothetical reader, though, so I can't say for sure!
(4) Actually, it's sphagettini, but she doesn't know that.
(5) My, there certainly is a lot of these today! Just for the record, I have no idea if Liz's comfort food is ever touched on in anything with any reality to it, so I'm making something up. Anyone who knows if she actually has a real one, please tell me in a review… Just review in general, actually. It's the nice thing to do!
A/N: Reviews make me happy. Happy people are fun to be around... and more likely to write nice fluffy scenes. So please review!
