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Chapter 59

Ari P.O.V

I was out in my back garden, preparing the flower beds to plant flowers in when I heard it. The sound of branches breaking in the bushes reached my ears, and I looked round for the sound. The bushes the sound was coming from rustled, and a startled mewing came from them.

I stood up and walked over to the bushes, and knelt down once more. I parted the branches to see a small grey kitten.

"Well, you look like you could use some help." I said. I pulled the branches away from the kitten, untangling its thick fur to release it. I pulled the kitten free from the bushes and held it close to my chest. Its fur was matted, and it was very thin and small. It was most probably the runt of the litter and had been abandoned. I stroked its fur to reassure, and then checked to see if it was male or female.

"Well, girl, you need a home, don't you?" I asked her.

"Kitten, what is it?" Victor asked, coming out of the house. I turned to face him, and he looked down at the small animal in my arms. "Kitten, you found a kitten?" he asked, his eyebrow raised, and a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes I have, and I think I'm going to keep her." I announced.

Victor chuckled, and walked the rest of the way towards me. He looked at the kitten and scratched her between the ears. She purred, and her eyes closed. "I've seen that reaction before somewhere." He said, smiling.

"I know you have. You find it very funny when you try it out on me." I said. "Now, I'd best take her inside and ask ma. She'll have a fit otherwise."

"I bet." He laughed. "But you'll have to wait. She just left to pick something up from town, apparently."

"Then I have enough time to give her a bath then. She's filthy." I said brushing past him, and heading towards the house. When I was in the kitchen, I removed the bowl from the sink, and put the plug in the drain. I ran the tap to fill up the sink. When it was done, I put the kitten down on the side counter and rolled up my sleeves. Victor came up behind me, and wrapped his arms round my waist as I picked the kitten up again.

"Kitten, are you alright?" He asked.

"Vic, my answer is the exact same as it was this morning. I'm fine." I assured as I lowered the kitten into the warm water. She mewed a little, but didn't protest too much.

"Arianwen, you don't normally go round, picking up stray kittens and declaring that you're going to keep them."

"But she's so cute." I said.

Victor sighed. "Kitten, this isn't about the kitten being cute, is it?"

"No, it's not." I admitted. "It's just, I want something to look after. I want something to be dependent on me."

"Like a child."

"Exactly. And this kitten is the closest I'll ever get to a child right now."

"You're not fine kitten. But this cat can help, so I'm alright with her. I'm sure Eloise will be too."

"Hopefully." I said, as I started scrubbing the cat and getting her fur clean. I was done in fifteen minutes, and then I towel dried her. There was a lot of mewing in protest from the kitten the whole time, which I just ignored in favour of getting the cat clean. When she was clean I noticed that she was grey with black stripes. I smiled as I went about getting a bowl and a plate out. I filled the small bowl up with water, and placed some chicken on the plate. I set them on the floor, and placed the cat next to them. I would have given her milk, but then I remembered that cats were actually lactose intolerant. So she had water instead.

The kitten attacked the chicken as if she was starving, which I guessed she must have been. When mam came back, she looked shock at the sight of the kitten that was curled up on my lap, where she had been for two hours now. She was looking far better than she had been when I'd found her. I was leaning against Victors chest.

"Where did the cat come from?" Mam asked.

"I found her. Can I keep her? Please? I'll look after her." I begged.

Mam smiled. "Alright. But you're paying for whatever she needs, alright?"

"Ok!" I said happily. "Now, I think I'll call you Lena." I said to the purring kitten, as I ran my hands through her fur. I smiled as her purring grew louder, and she started licking my top and kneading my legs with her claws.

A/N: Please review!