GS Note: The whole rat issue was totally Jack's idea! I blame it all on him ^_^ (cure for Writer's Block that guy is) and it worked perfectly. I think he has a thing against Relena ^_^
Oh, and the pill thing…yea I got it off of Homeward Bound! :p
As (even though I have forgotten for a while) always, I want to thank the people who review my stories! Number one, Jack who harasses me all the time, without him, this part wouldn't be out!
Chapter 1 reviewers: Shinigami (Always good to hear from you ^_^), Duo/Folken/TK (Parts tend to just come out in what ever size, I stop when it feels right. However, I try to aim for AT LEAST 1500 words. This one is over 3000 ^_^), tenshiamanda, Lady Date (lol, no one likes Relena do they?), Lev (I am only fifteen and highly lemony scenes make me blush ^=^** However, I do have an explaination for the lack of 1+2 scenes below. Plus that sappy scene in chapter 2. All for you guys ^_^ Also, if anyone IS interested in doing a thing with them –heaven be praised if so, I KNOW I'm not that popular!- then they can send it to me to put up), IM and WriterofDigimon.
Sadly no reviews for chapter 2 (besides the usual e-mails) but I willing to blame that on the holidays ^_^
I have an update list for those of you who really are interested in the story or other stories of mine. The address is: www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/gsupdates
All are welcome to join!
Gato
Chapter 3
A rat, no wait tons of rats, all slime covered from sewers, tracking mud along the vent with their ugly, greasy coats streaking walls. Old fruit on their sticky whiskers and the most god-awful, disgusting…smell!
Heero could feel the hairball pushing up in his throat. He shuddered. Only a few minutes later there lay his breakfast with a slightly crushed blue pill. He spat disgusted and shook his head. Noin always forced the tranquilizer down his throat and made him swallow. When she left to get his carrier, he got rid of it. She was never the wiser and Heero was never drowsy. As long as she didn't use the dart gun, he was safe.
He snorted and pulled his head out of the potted plant. He jumped on the back of the couch then down on the cushions. He lay back on the ugly off-orange fabric. She came back in holding the beige cat carrier. Heero allowed himself to be pushed in and turned around quickly so he could see.
"I hate this part," Heero muttered to himself. He crouched low to the ground and planted his paws as the carrier bounced with every single step She took. Stairs were worse. It seemed like an eternity that he spent in the bouncing, jiggling carrier before he was handed off to Zechs and put on top of another cage. He could hear Mariemaia screaming below him.
"I swear I'll behave! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseletmego!"
"Hm, looks like someone else doesn't want to leave," Zechs snorted as he set the two carriers on the curb. Hilde brought up two more as She followed with bags.
"Mariemaia hates travelling," She put the suitcases down. Heero couldn't see past the human's knees until She crouched down to the cage below him. He shrunk back as She cooed softly to the tiny cat.
"It's all right Marie, we're just going on a little trip, calm down, good kitty. We'll be home before you know it." The cat just whimpered. She straightened up. "We'll just have to wait for the tranquilizers to kick in. They'll knock her out for twenty-four hours. Plenty of time for them to settle in at the show. Anyway, I think Wufei likes her, Mariemaia will probably calm down if we put them next to each other."
Heero heard a slight thump as Wufei whacked her head against her carrier beside him. Heero snorted away laughter as he felt pity for the Siamese.
"Why don't I grab the Otto while Zechs loads the van?" Hilde's voice was getting farther away. "And someone needs to grab the cases with all the cats' things. I left them in the food room."
"I'll get that," Noin started to walk away and into the open house when she stopped and called over her shoulder. "Load Otto's carrier now, Zechs. You know how panicky he gets when he has to travel, it'll be easier if we don't have to lift his box with him in it, in."
"Yes, yes," Zechs sighed. "I'll take care of it." She and Hilde closed the door loudly behind them as Zechs began to grumble.
"Women," he hefted Heero's carrier first and put it on the floor in the back of the van. It had no back seats so he gave it a shoved to roll it to the back. Heero almost lost his lunch again as he glared at the blonde man. Paying no heed to the murderous look he was receiving, Zechs lifted the yowling Mariemaia's cage and pushed it in the back too. Heero retreated to the farthest part of his cage and laid down.
Wufei and Quatre's carrier were lifted on too but this time Zechs climbed in after and settled them on top of Heero's and Mariemaia's. There was a thump as Quatre's cage hit his own and a scrabble of claws as the longhaired cat regained his footing. Wufei hissed as she was jolted and took a swipe at Zechs from the plastic door. He dodged the claws and secured the two cages with a long nylon strap.
The van wobbled as he slid out and jumped back onto the pavement. A few minutes later, Heero's scant view of the outside world was obstructed by an embroidered floral pattern. He snorted as the smoggy air was blocked and his cage started to smell faintly of mothballs. He stuck his nose on the pitch-black cage to the side ventilation holes. Wide terrified eyes stared back at him.
"Heero!" the small voice was so tiny and pathetic. Heero sighed. "Where are we going? What's happening?"
"Mariemaia, I know this isn't the first show you have ever gone to," Heero growled. "Just calm down."
There was a soft whimper but the small, frightened voice fell silent. There was a tense silence as Heero shifted from one side to another trying to get comfortable. He could practically feel hurt radiating from Mariemaia's cage. He hated this, why did cats always trust him? He was never good at talking to them! Wufei and Quatre were still silent. They were, no doubt, a bit anger with Heero.
They should fix it if they feel that strongly, Heero growled slightly. Mariemaia likes them better any way.
"Just get some sleep," Quatre's soothing voice eventually broke the stale air. "We should find out where we're going in a moment, Marie."
"Okay," the reply was so soft and broken Heero felt a stab of guilt and sighed.
"Quatre is right, Mariemaia," Heero finally abandoned the solid plastic floor and poked his nose near the side air holes. "Just don't worry about it."
There wasn't a chance for a reply as the front of the car was opened. Heero heard a knock on the roof of the cage above him.
"All ready to go guys?" Her voice strong and cheerful was directed at them. "We're going to be off in a minute, Zechs has to load that dog of his. Get comfortable, it's going to be another three hours or so until we get on the plane. Lord know how much longer we need to get to the States!"
"Lu," Heero almost jumped as the grunt from behind the van sounded through the open driver door. "I could use some help here!"
"Cripes," there was a sigh as the direction of Her voice changed. "You don't even have the trunk open! Why are you taking that dog, he obviously doesn't want to go!"
"Tell you what," Zechs's voice sounded through the door as She climbed out and went to close it. "You leave Marie behind, Otto can stay."
"Men," was the last uttered thing She said before slamming the door shut.
There was a lot of shouting, soothing, bumps and bruises from all parties before the German Shepherd was finally lifted and wrestled into the carrier on the other side of the luggage. Zechs slammed the truck door down again to his mournful howls.
"See, see!" Mariemaia was pacing panicked in her cage, babbling. Heero spotted her tail flick in front of his eyes, it was triple its regular size. "We do have to worry! Otto is scared and he's a dog. A dog! They aren't supposed to be scared! I have a bad, bad, bad feeling!"
Leaving the hysterical cat to Wufei and Quatre, Heero crawled to the farthest corner in his tiny carrier and covered his ears with his paws in a vain attempt to get some rest before the plane ride. It was an uneventful ride to the airport and after some confusion, the cats and dog were transferred to Customs where they were boarded on the under compartment of the plane. Mariemaia and Otto had long ago fell to the effects of the tranquilizers and Quatre slept under his own power.
There were no more animals on the plane with them and Heero fully expected a quiet ride. He settled down for his own nap when Wufei spoke up quietly from her own cage. It sounded so far away from his own.
"This is going to be strange." Wufei's voice was wishful and Heero sighed. He lifted his head and looked out of the bars into the pitch black underbelly of the plane. He barely picked up the sound of Wufei's claws scratching at the bars restlessly and caught her glinting eyes. The landing brake light was flashing from a small window near them and it briefly gave Heero a glimpse of her tan coloured coat.
"What's going to be strange about it?" Heero was tired but he decided he owed Wufei at least the respect to listen to her.
"I'm going back home of course," the sad tone knocked Heero completely off his guard.
***
The change in Relena's diet was beginning to tell on her health. While she strove to keep her raggy coat in the best condition on the streets, it had never been glossier. The ache in her face that had never completely gone away was slowly fading everyday. Lean muscles she had gained in street fights and hunting began to disappear as a thin layer of fat surrounded her belly. A renewed sense of strength gave her a feeling of power and she constantly smirked.
No longer was she surviving simply for revenge. She found that she kinda liked the indoor life.
Still, Relena was not stupid enough to try and approach the human girl that came into the food room. The stinging faces and words of people when they saw her disfigurement was enough for Relena to know she wasn't welcome to live alongside humans.
It didn't hit her, however, about how much she had changed until the day Heero left. She had decided to start scouting out the rest of the house in search of the cat who had destroyed her chance for a life beyond the streets.
For a while, she stuck to the safely of the ventilation system, sneaking through the dusty tubes for hours on end. She was gathering information about the house and its residents from her time spent in wait outside of the females wing and stalking the girl named Hilde. Not far into her searches, she stumbled upon an unlikely being.
She was turning down an unfamiliar vent in the hopes of finding a male cat she could leech information off of, when she caught a very welcome scent. Without a second thought, Relena upped her pace, her entire being changing from sneak to hunt.
She smelt the lingering traces of food and the filthy grit. She heard the small heart pound blood swiftly through the small body. It wasn't long before she could see the naked tail lumber slowly down another tin shaft.
Her own senses were heightened, adrenaline pumping through her body as hot excitement raced through her. She could practically taste the fresh meat of the rat in her mouth now. Taking deliberate steps, she peered her one blue eye around the corner.
There, all by himself, was a ragged grey rat. He looked old, his ear in tatters and his tail bent from being broken several times. He was fat and his tired coat shone in the dim light. He was stopped in the dead end of the vents with a scrap of pizza crust held tightly in his mouth. His whiskers twitched hungrily as he nibbled delicately at the edges of the bread. Relena couldn't contain the low growl of triumph.
The rat froze.
He turned slowly; his heart beat filling the tiny corridor as it sped up. He dropped his pizza crust in unadulterated horror as his beady eyes came in contact with the pretty blue one of his mortal enemy.
Before he could twitch, Relena was on him.
He struggled as she pinned him down with her two paws, her teeth resting against his beating neck as he squirmed and scrabbled along the ground to get away. Relena unsheathed her claws and hooked them into his fur with his pained squeal.
He was a large rat and his struggles were starting to throw Relena off balance. She went to finish the kill, when something stopped her.
She had dove for his neck in the intent to strange him to death, suffocating him to death on his own blood. She had through about just breaking his neck but with her belly already full, she had felt the need for mayhem not food. But what had made her stop, what had frozen the killer instinct pounding through out her entire soul, was the eyeless socket starting at her from a massive scar tissue.
In her shock, the rat wormed his way out of her clutches and dove wildly for the empty corridor. Relena didn't even chase him, as she stayed crouched over the stale crust, pondering in her shock.
That rat had been like her. He had been maimed, destroyed and humiliated.
Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.
Instead of easing the pain in her heart, Relena gained a new fire in her eye as she looked behind her shoulder with a deadly smile.
***
Dou's good mood lasted for all of five minutes after Heero left. They weren't an overly affectionate couple. Years of isolated had basically ruined any chance of Heero's social behaviour and, despite Solo's words, Duo still felt a loyalty to her old friend. These feelings were enough to, not destroy the chance for a relationship, but seriously hinder the sort of affection that most cats expected of such a romantic tale.
So, naturally, the words of comfort and caresses were a surprise.
Still, the high it had left her with dissipated into disappointment then anger to that human female. Her frustrations weren't alone as her babies began to cry for attention. She soothed one with her tongue; he had been traumatized by having his father drop out of the sky on top of him so she took the extra time to smooth the frazzled nerves of the baby.
Soon, with their bellies full and sound asleep, Duo carefully extracted herself from them to silently jump out of the box and trot over to the unlocked door. Hooking her claws underneath, she easily opened the white door and slipped into the room. She headed immediately towards the water bowls, the cool water soothing her throat.
It wasn't long before the door to the main room opened and Dorothy pushed her way through. She stopped midway when she spotted Duo.
"Oh, hello," the white cat continued into the room. She moved slowly, her belly just beginning to show signed of kittens to come. With a certain amount of effort, she sat down beside Duo and closed her eyes for a brief second. "How are the kittens doing?"
"Just great," Duo smiled but studied the old cat intently. Her eyes seemed duller and her coat coarser then when Duo had first met her. The sharp blue eyes weren't alert and her once proud tail was settled nicely on the ground. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," the voice held a sigh in it as Dorothy smiled tiredly. "Though I think this may just be my last litter of kittens. I don't think I'll last another."
"About time," Duo struggled to bring a smile to her old friend. The greyish fur framing her eyes were scaring the young Havana Brown slightly. "I mean, what is this litter, your fifth in three years?"
"Sixth," Dorothy replied wearily. "I must be getting on almost eleven now."
Duo could only nod in sympathy. She would never have to worry about the problems Dorothy had. Once, the Persian had sat down with Duo and told her that for seven years, she had shown in top circuits. Dorothy had held Best Cat in Show Award in the British Persian Association for three years. She had been giving Best Cat in Show, Best White Persian in Show and Best Queen in show at the international annual Top Cat Show held in Spain. Her children were all ready out winning championships. In the past two years, the Best Kitten in Show had gone to Dorothy's babies in the annual Persian Lovers Show. She was registered in over twenty Persian clubs and associations and was once the Best Cat in the World.
Dorothy's breeding rights were highly sought after so she was bred at every chance. Duo was hardly a pedigree cat. So far, she was only used as a breeding queen for Heero and Heero alone. Even now, She probably wouldn't want Duo to have another litter until the current one had grown up enough to show.
Now though, after looking at the tired old cat, Duo was certain Dorothy would have traded all those titles and fame for a few years to kick back with a nice family and live out the rest of her years in peace. As it was, the overbreeding of the cat was telling.
"Why don't you just stop?" Duo sighed and looked at Dorothy with reproach. "She can't make you mate."
"This will be my last one," Dorothy paused to take a long drink. "But I know what will happen once my usefulness is over." Duo was slightly taken back by the sorrow creeping into the queen's voice. "I'll be taken away and never come back."
This was a possibility Duo hadn't known about. Fear raced through her veins as she looked in horror. Duo could barely think. "Taken away? Taken where? Why?" I never agreed yo that!
Duo's frantic questions stopped as Dorothy interrupted her. "Last year, one of my best friends was a year older then me. She had one last litter and could barely walk after that. One day, She came in and took her away. I haven't seen her since. It's been happening for years. Cats who don't do well in shows or have troubles with litters or just get too old are taken away. No one knows what happens to them."
"But she can't—" Duo stopped. She could barely talk as she still struggled to process the information. "She wouldn't just— She would kill them…would she?"
"I don't think so," Dorothy shook her head. "But I'd be sleeping a lot better if I knew what had happened to Silvia."
Dorothy quickly switched topics to a lighter matter and after a while, Duo and her parted. The horrific information was still being mulled over as Duo jumped back in with her kittens and nuzzled them. Was she better off to just leave before it reached that point? Maybe she should just go back and live with Solo. Maybe Heero would even come with her.
Panic gripped her as she struggled to make escape plans. A tiny mew broke her frenzied thoughts. Duo looked down and saw a small brown kitten struggling to crawl away. He was lost as soon as he left the warmth of his siblings and was calling for her.
Duo hurriedly calmed it by grooming his head and started to gently nuzzle him with her nose back to the others. She couldn't leave now, not without saying goodbye to Heero or waiting for her kittens to grow up.
No, things would have to wait.