GS Note: This is for Jack who unfortunately died waiting for it ^_~ I hope you can read it ~~~~~~~FrOm BeYoNd ThE gRaVe~~~~~~

Get a reading people! Any suggestions would be great! Anything you want to see at all! I am stuck for ideas right now and if I don't get help I might just ramble with this story until I leave ^_^ You don't want that, trust me!

Gato

Chapter 7

Day 1 continued

New York, United States of America

Before Heero could even think of responding to the black tom, the owner of the cat picked him up and followed a judge to a different section. She stroked Heero's head calmly.

"No worries Heero," She muttered absently. "The cat may be nice but that owner is a ditz. I bet they're losing points right now."

Heero ignored Her as his mind raced. What could a fresh tom want with one of his cats? The black cat was relocated only a few spots down. It was too far to hear over the noise but Heero kept an eye on him. The judges were starting and coming down one end of the table. Heero had to turn away from the cat as the first judge reached his section.

On to Day 2

London, England

Hilde found Dorothy early in the morning. Her first cry of alarm was enough to wake up the rest of the cats. Duo snuck out of her room to see Hilde sweep the injured cat up and out of the room. The wing door was left open.

Several of the younger queens that had followed Hilde into the front room started eagerly towards it. Duo bounded quickly and cut them off.

"Hold on," Duo glared at the mass. "You can't leave yet. I don't want Hilde to get suspicious."

"Why not?" one of the leading females asked. "There are toms out there!"

"Yes," Duo agreed with prickles of panic making her fur stand on end as the front line of cats advanced a few steps. "But you see, if you go out and meet those toms, get pregnant or whatnot, then it'll be hell for everyone!"

The cat that had spoken shrugged and tried to dart passed Duo. The Havana Brown struck out quickly and pushed the cat over.

That appeared to be a signal as the rest of the cats charged at the door. Duo wished briefly for some help as she was knocked over. She struggled back up, cursing the young idiots when she realised that they were suddenly stock-still.

Framed in the hall near the door was Walker.

Duo felt herself shrink back a little. She didn't even reach the shaggy dog's knee. He stood watching them.

"I hope you were planning on leaving," the Newfoundlander growled with a very toothy grin. "I'm feeling a bit hungry."

The lead cats scrambled backwards into their fellow cats in their haste back into the safety of the room. Duo watched in disbelief as they all hurried out of the room and back to where the couches were without making a sound. She turned where she stood in the doorway and looked up (and up) at the black dog.

"Thanks," she whispered under her breath before darting behind the door and slamming it shut with her paws.

Walker found himself with nose to door. He snorted and continued down the hall. Without Otto patrolling the house someone had to make sure that the stupid cats didn't get themselves in trouble.

Meanwhile, Relena watched wide-eyed as the massive dog lumbered down the hall. It was no wonder that rat wasn't back yet! He had probably been eaten by such a monster.

She growled as the light from the vent cast sinister shadows over her puffy face. There was still that white cat in the sick room. She might not be able to get at Duo but she remembered the old Persian's face in the alley.

The cream cat turned with a little difficulty in the small shaft. Such rich food was starting to round her out.

New York, USA

It was just one class that Heero was subjected too. The three judges checked his eyes, ears and one pulled painfully at his mouth to see his gums. She had jumped to explain to the judge about Heero volitile nature when the woman shoved her manicured nail at Heero's jaw. He managed to not rip her face a new hole.

He did however curse at the woman once her back was turned.

She put him back in this cage with a fresh bowl of water. Heero grimaced at the acidic aftertaste of the nail polish in his mouth as he tried to wash it away. Apparently Zechs had taken Quatre to another class because the Persian was delicately returned to his cage a couple minutes after Heero was.

Zechs was sneezing uncontrollably. She was opening the plastic lid of the container with the cat food and couldn't stop laughing.

"And but is so fundy?" Zechs said around the dozen tissues over his nose. She just laughed harder and her hands shook when she tried to open the can.

Zechs finally left for some fresh air. She was still giggling slightly as she fed them. She made sure to pack up Her things before walking up to Heero's cage.

"See you tomorrow big guy," She wasn't dumb enough to stick Her hands in his cage. He didn't let it show but he was slightly disappointed. He had been hoping for a little bloodshed. "We're going to Cleveland, Ohio tomorrow. I hope you all have a good sleep," she straightened up and addressed all the cats. "Wufei and Marie have classes then. I want you to behave for the movers. Any word of hissing and such and I'm sending you all home!"

Heero snorted. She never meant that. She picked up her bag but left the other containers there. It was only lunchtime but it looked like the classes were wrapping up.

Marie seemed to have finally settled down. She turned to Heero with eye full of new fear.

"What did she mean when she said we were going to Oheyo?"

"Ohio," Wufei snorted on the other side of Heero. "I heard it from some of the attendants when you were gone. Apparently this is a travelling show. Across America in seven days or something stupid like that. Ohio is our next stop."

Heero nodded and ambled over to his bed. He settled in comfortably before remembering about that black cat.

Most of the humans were gone by now and their group was in a pretty isolated corner. The sounds were dying down.

"Hey," Heero looked over to the cage next to him where Wufei was still eating. "Do you know a black cat?"

Wufei looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "I live in a house surrounded by cats Yuy, what do you think?"

"Hn," Heero grunted. "But I meant a specific one. He was about my size, pitch black with yellow eyes."

"Most black cats look like that," annoyance was evident in Wufei's voice.

"He said he was an old friend of yours," Heero snapped. The tone Wufei was taking was starting to irritate him. "He had an American accent."

Wufei's cage went silent. Heero snorted in annoyance and settled to sleep it off. Then Wufei spoke, "Was his name, um, Jet?"

"I don't know," Heero grumbled and refused to open his eyes. There was silence again.

"Are you sure?"

Heero sighed and looked up at her again. He glared but she just looked steadfast back at him.

"Yes, I'm sure, why?"

"I have to see for myself," Wufei didn't even acknowledge Heero anymore as she muttered to herself and went to the front of her cage. She stuck a paw out the bars near the lock and started to scratch at it.

"What are you doing?" Heero grumbled. He didn't want to get up now that his mood was shattered but Wufei kept on fiddling.

"I have to see for myself," she repeated to him this time. Heero snorted again, the locks were cat-proof and there was no way she could get it open.

He settled back for his nap when he heard a distinct click and squeak as a cage door opened. His head snapped around as Wufei gathered herself to jump out of her now open door.

He jumped to his paws and trotted over to his own door.

"What the hell, how did you get out?" Heero gaped slightly and Wufei paused to smirk at him.

"The latch on your door has a handle that you pull. Stick you paw out and hook the end. Then just pull and push at the same time."

Heero stuck out his claws and pawed at the entrance. He realised what Wufei had explained and soon his door was open too.

"Hey!" Quatre hissed out to them. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find someone," Wufei replied before taking the long fall to the group. She landed with a small thump and stopped to wait for Heero.

"Take care of Marie," Heero ordered as he balanced on the edge of the cage and looked for a good spot to land. "We'll be back soon."

He jumped and the two cats raced off on the slick tiled floors ignoring Quatre's yells behind them.

"Do you know where his cage is?" Wufei couldn't help but smile a bit as she stretched her muscles for the first time since London.

"No," Heero loped along behind her. "But he has to be close, he said he knew where our cages were."

"If we do find him," Wufei spared a glance over her shoulder to look at him, "let me talk."

Heero scowled as they turned down the aisle of counter tops. Cats started to notice them and call out but Heero dismissed them. He dropped slightly behind Wufei so he could watch for humans behind them when Wufei stopped suddenly. Heero hadn't been watching and ran right into her.

He sent them sprawling across the floor and into a table leg. Wufei recovered first and resorted to swiping Heero across the ear.

"Watch where you're going, bonehead," she snapped.

Heero growled but before he could say anything the reason Wufei stopped called out again.

"Is that really you Wufei?" the voice was small and definitely not the tom Heero had run into before.

"Yes," Wufei replied though she couldn't see the cage. "Do you know if Jet is here?"

"He's down this corridor and to the left. You can't miss his cage, his owner has it so decorated I don't know how he can sleep!"

"Thanks," Wufei yelled behind her again as she shot off. Heero scrambled after her, his paws sliding on the ground.

"When are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Heero panted as he did the most exercise he had done since the fight with Dekim.

"Later," Wufei wasn't even breathing hard and her pace picked up a little. Heero didn't waste his breath cursing out loud as he fell behind a bit more. He was several strides behind her when she slowed down and stopped. Heero only over shot her slightly but this time remained on his paws.

"Is that it?" Wufei asked and Heero followed her gaze to the table. They couldn't see much from their angle besides a hideous barrage of colours.

"I don't know," Heero replied. "But that other cat did say we couldn't miss it."

Wufei settled back on her hind legs before giving a powerful thrust and landed easily beside the cage. Heero moved down a few strides and followed her up.

"Ha, little 'fei," the voice drawled from the depth of the cage. Heero didn't even have to see the cat to know it was the same tom. "It was you!"

Wufei stalked right up to the cage and started to sniff around, as if to reassure herself that it was really the cat she had been looking for.

The black tom eagerly approached the small opening in the wire cage and thrust his nose out in greeting. Before he could react, Wufei smacked his inquisitive nose smartly.

"Jet, you jackass," Wufei sounded so angry Heero felt his fur stand on end. "I swear, if you ever leave me alone again I'm going to-"

"Jeez, haven't lost that right hook have you?" the voice sounded muffled. The cat cage and bigger then average and took up the whole table unlike Heero's which had to fit all four cats. It was draped in a rosy pink cloth and erratically decorated with blinking Christmas lights. A huge sign was propped up by the cage with the cat's name in large writing. Heero wrinkled his nose.

After the Lady had died, She had tried to decorate his cage at shows. That was before Heero started to destroy it. At least everything She had tried hadn't been so outrageously tacky.

Wufei snorted softly in good humour but then returned her to nose to the wire and touched his.

"I hate to rain on his reunion," Heero grumbled. "But how the hell do you know Wufei?"

"New boyfriend?" the dim shadow on the tom's face didn't hide the sparkling humour in his yellow eyes. "He seemed very protective of you earlier."

Wufei bristled slightly and Heero growled. "I don't bow to any tom, you know that."

"Yea, I know," the voice turned from mocking to soft. "What are you doing here though. The last I saw you those white suits were stuffing you into a cage."

"It's a cat show," Wufei snorted softly again. "Why else am I here?"

"So you were picked up? Where do you live now?"

"London."

"In Canada?"

"The original London," Wufei sighed in annoyance. "Heero is there too, plus the other cats that are with us."

"They're treating you good?"

"Yea," Wufei chuckled. "Too good in fact. I don't think I could take down a kitten right now."

Heero growled at being ignored again. "Wufei, we have to go. People are going to be coming soon."

Wufei glanced over her shoulder and frowned at his irritation. She turned back to Jet. "I have to get back to my cage."

Suddenly the cat moved closer to the cage and his eyes showed a little bit of panic. "Come back as soon as you can. All right? There's a problem here."

"What?" Wufei's relaxed posture changed and her short hair started to rise. "What are you talking about?"

There was a bang as one of the humans dropped a box and started cursing not far from them. Heero's ears went flat on his head and his eyes started to dart around. "Wufei, now!"

"See me again," Jet's voice dropped. "And I'll tell you, I promise!"

"Wufei!" Heero voice was low and urgent. "We have to leave!"

Wufei's eyes darted between Heero and Jet before frowning and nodded. "All right. I'll see you soon,' she swore to the cat in the cage. Jet nodded.

"Wufei!" Heero could hear footsteps and voices approaching this aisle. The Siamese cat leapt off and table with a small thump and Heero followed her.

It took them about ten very tense minutes to sneak around the aisles and under tables until they reached their own cages. Quatre sighed with relief as they jumped into their cages. Heero hooked the wire of the door in one paw and drew it closed. He let out the breath he had been holding as it clicked shut.

Wufei did the same and tried to will her racing heartbeat to slow.

Heero walked over to the two wire walls separating them. He spoke low enough for only Wufei to hear. "You are going too tell me what is going on."

Wufei glared back at him. He outweighed her in pounds and muscle so her heartbeat betrayed her and sped up. She didn't show her fear though and lifted her head definitely. "Later, Yuy," she spat. "I'm feeling a bit tired."

Heero threw himself at the cage wall with a growl but Wufei ignored him and curled up in her cat bed. The Havana paced along the wire without taking his eyes off of her. Marie shrunk back into her cage and even Quatre didn't say anything.

"Fine," he growled finally. "Later."

GS Note: See, that was fun ^_^ I'm going to push the deadline on this story and motor it so it's done by the 24th. Only 6 more chapters. The epilogue may some out AFTER the deadline but who cares, huh? It'll be mostly done…