Summary: So. The others found out Kaz has a Cat. Now how should they deal with the small animal?
Include it to the family of course!

Notes: It's kinda written from Dirtypaws POV...I thought it would be cute

Since the others found out about the cat, which Jesper insisted should be named Dirtypaws (A/N cat's only been named now 'cuz I didn't know I would make a Part 2), they spent more and more time in Kaz's part of the Slat.

Not that Kaz could complain. They had literally begged him to help him take care of the little beast.

Dirtypaws was a smart cat, but she (yes, a girl) was also a very curious one. Even though she seemed to understand that her owner didn't want her to go to far of from his room, she still kept disappearing from his Quarters. Only to show up hours later.

This happened like twice a week. After all, she got the best treatment there is from Kaz's friends.

Nina and Matthias always brought her some snacks ("No Nina! She is a cat, you can't give her Waffles!").
Inej took her out into a small part of the Barrel sometimes. ("She can't stay here ALL the time!" ).
Jesper would bring her to Wylan's Mansion once in a while. ("I bet she wouldn't mind spending time with me and Wylan! Maybe we could even gain a spy out of her?")
And Wylan, who was at the Slat more often than his home, would sit at her side all evening and scratch her. ("It's no problem, I like spending time with her, honest!")

Even though none of the six could tell what or who she liked the most, Dirtypaws will always love her owner more than anything.

Every night he would sit in his chair and read some random book, Dirtypaws was always on his lap, purring loudly. Sometimes Kaz would even read small parts of the book out loud and she would rub her head against his chest and yawn.

They even had a nightly ritual. Well, she had a nightly ritual.

Kaz allowed her to sleep on his bed at his feet. She didn't mind, but Kaz would always find himself with a cat on his chest in the morning.

Why is that? A little after midnight Kaz has a phase where he is deep asleep, when that's the case Dirtypaws would wake up, walk over his chest and give him a lick on the cheek, than curled up an top of him and fall asleep again.

Kaz never told her to stop, so she supposed he didn't mind.

But Dirtypaws found one thing concerning about her new owner.
He is hurting too much.

No one, besides her and maybe Inej, seemed to notice. Which was quiet sad for her. The five were his friends after all. No.

After what Kaz told her, it hurt her even more...

.

Kaz was sitting on his desk, Dirtypaws curled up on his lap. He was stroking her, absent minded. He didn't look quiet right to her.
He was quiet this morning. Well more quiet.

Before she could start wondering why this might be, her ears twitched, footsteps.

Normally Kaz would pull her out of his lap and tell her to hide, which she always did, but she didn't have to. It was the second Friday of the month after all.

Why is that important? Because every month's second Friday Jesper would pick her up and go to this big fancy house over the weekend.

So when she heard said boy knock, the cat sprang out of Kaz's lap and seated her self in front of the door.

When Jesper came in, she began meowing and was immediately picked up and cuddled to the sharpshooter's chest.

"Hey DP! Excited to stay at your Uncle Wylan's for a while?", he laughed.

Dirtypaws purred in agreement.

When she first got to meet her owner's friends, this guy started ranting on how he was an uncle now. Nina started squealing with joy after hearing this and declared proudly that she was an aunt now.

And Dirtypaws couldn't be happier. Even though she wasn't familiar with the humans' terms for their family members she understood that having an Aunt and three uncles is something to be proud of.

Kaz and Inej were stamped as her adoptive parents. Which made her pretty happy as well.

When Dirtypaws looked at her owner she caught him staring at her with a small, fond smile on his lips. Jesper scratched her behind her ear which made her purr a little louder and the boy chuckle.

He looked at Kaz. "See you Monday morning then!"

Kaz gave him a nod and went back to staring at the papers in front of him.
Dirtypaws meowed one last time before she was carried out of the room.

Dirtypaws had a great time at her 'Uncle's'. She had her own little room and could roam through the whole Mansion and even the gardens!

She was outside most of the time and really only came in when her 'Uncle' Jesper called her for a snack or when he and Wylan would go to bed, so she would be inside.

The only time she spend almost a whole day inside was when her 'Aunt' was there to bring her a snack and play with her for a while.

Nina smiled at Dirtypaws when the cat began running towards her.
"Hey, DP! Excited to see you favorite Aunt?"

Wylan rolled his eyes and grinned. "You are her only Aunt Nina!"

Yes. Dirtypaws had a great weekend. But she was more than happy when she was brought back to Kaz!

She missed him every time she was away.

When Jesper carried her to his office she was already ready to pounce out of his arms and into her 'Dad's' lap. And she did so.

She purred loudly when she sat on her owner's lap again, rubbing her head against his head happily.

She could hear Jesper chuckle.
"Looks like DP missed her Cat Dad", he teased the other teen.

Dirtypaws could practically feel Kaz rolling his eyes.
"Yes. But I am sure that 'DP' was having a good time with her 'Uncles', too."

Dirtypaws stopped purring and perked up at the sound of his raspy voice. It was...off, to say at least.

Looking at his face a lot was off about her owner. His eyes looked a little red on the sides, he seemed to be breathing with his mouth and his face looked even paler than usual.

After a few minutes of Jesper telling Kaz about how she spent her time, Dirtyhands dismissed him.

Dirtypaws was leaning against his chest and waited for him to start stroking or reading to her. But Kaz was just sitting there, staring at the spot Jesper was just mere seconds ago.

Concerned she studied his face and meowed, making the teen look at her.

He smiled at her. A small, forced, sad smile.

She meowed again, this time louder and put her front paws on his chest so she was almost eye to eye with him.
She stared into his red rimmed eyes, that seemed to fill with water.

After a small staring contest Kaz broke. First his tears began to fall, than he let out a strangled sob and than he began to shake and buried his face in his ungloved hands.

Dirtypaws snuggled against his chest and purred loudly in an attempt to calm him.

After a while Kaz stopped shaking and pulled the cat up to his face.

Dirtypaws locked his cheek to make the tears go away, which earned her a quiet, wet chuckle.
He wiped his tears. "You know DP", she blinked in surprise, he never called her by her nickname. "You are the only one to - *sob* - to ever notice that I - that I am not - not - *sob* - feeling quiet a-alright."

He flashed her a watery smile. And hugged her softly to his chest. "It's not their fault. I - I know I shou-should tell them...at least that's - that is what my bro-brother would want, I suppose."

She leaned her head against his chest and purred in confusion. Brother?

Seeming to read her mind, Kaz chuckled.
"I will tell you about your Uncle another time, alright? Right now, I think you have enough family. And our family only has the most...interesting people to keep you occupied anyway."

At this she perked up. He only used the terms of Aunt and Uncle for teasing, never serious. And then he said our. Not only her family but theirs.

She purred happily at this.

Kaz chuckled again. "Alright. What about a story now? I have two you would probably like."

Dirtypaws meowed. Already excited.

Notes:

I thought DP was a cute nickname...

And I was thinking about writing a whole story of Dirtypaws and her adventures with her family.