Chapter 3: Into the Rabbit Hole
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
It was late by the time Jack and Daniel returned home. Dragging his feet a little up the front porch steps, Jack unlocked the door and opened it, listening for abnormal sounds. After a few seconds, there was a soft plop, a mew, and the tinkling of a tiny bell. It was a familiar sound, reassuring in its subtlety. Jack toed off his sneakers at the door and looked over his shoulder.
"Ches! Alice! We're back." He clicked his tongue a few times, and the jingling grew faster and louder as it approached. The source appeared in the square of blue moonlight. It was a tiny tabby kitten wearing a white belled collar. This was Alice, Daniel's darling. She hadn't grown an inch since Daniel moved in with Jack, but she was a damn good mouser. Ches – Jack's cantankerous tiger – wouldn't stoop to chasing mice.
"Hi there, Alice," Jack greeted her and ruffled her oversized ears. "Where's your baby-sitter? Ches!"
The silver tabby sauntered into view and looked at Jack disdainfully as if to ask why he had disturbed her.
"Sorry, Ches," Jack said. "We have something to discuss with you ladies." Though normally a pragmatic man, he believed that talking to cats made them smarter. He couldn't be sure if it worked on Alice, though; she still acted surprised when she ran into a window screen.
He took Daniel's hand and squeezed, kissed his cheek, and closed the door behind them. The deadbolt clicked into place, and Alice gave a mew of contentment. She wound herself around Daniel's ankles, purring loudly. Jack looked at his lover. "How do you think we should tell them about the baby?"
Ches sniffed disdainfully and carefully rubbed against Daniel's leg, purring like no tomorrow. She glared at Jack from behind Daniel's leg where Daniel would not see.
"I think they already know, Jack. They do say that animals are able to sense things we can't. A lot of animal owners say that their pets know when they have something wrong with them or are expecting." He looked down at the cats. "And the girls have been sticking close to me, Ches far more than usual."
Ches' purring grew louder at the statement.
Jack looked down at the animal and scowled. He had a real love-hate relationship with Ches. He adored her, she hated him. Most of the time. He looked at Daniel and nodded. "And since they're not avoiding you like cheap cat food, I take it they're… happy for us?" he prompted. "If they're not gentle, though, we're having them declawed."
Ches hissed at that before taking several strides back and taking a running leap to land lightly on Daniel's shoulders. She rubbed her cheek against Daniel's and looked at Jack smugly as if to say 'see? I'm way more gentle than you are'.
Daniel laughed as Ches began to nuzzle and lick at his temples, purring louder than ever. He scratched her head and she leaned into the touch. "I think they are."
Jack stepped back automatically, knowing that if the mood struck her, Ches would claw his face to ribbons. She may have been his cat, but she didn't act like it. Instead, he picked up little Alice and smiled as she purred loudly, kneading his hand with her little paws and scratching lightly with needle claws. Alice knew no stranger.
"Good, but I think we should consider dulling their claws at least."
If looks could kill, Jack would have long been dust from Ches' glare. She turned around carefully on Daniel's shoulder and presented Jack with her rump.
"I don't think Ches is for that idea in any way. And I'm not sure I am either. We'll just keep that as an option for if they do scratch." Daniel offered.
Ches peered around his head at Alice. "Alice," she meowed, knowing that neither human would get the words but might get the sentiment, "not one claw is to be laid on Danny or the kit when it gets here. Got me? I don't want to lose my claws."
Alice opened one big blue eye and gave Ches a look of mixed ecstasy and understanding. Then she squeezed them shut again and was lost to the world.
Jack scratched her ears and then set her down on the floor, where she lay in a blissful stupor. He shook his head; that crazy kitten. He rubbed his eyes, pushed his shoes into the corner of the foyer. It was late, and he was tired after the events of the day. As he walked up to the bedroom, he paused to look at the office across from the master bedroom. It was a combination of his stuff and Daniel's, archaeology mixing with Jack's guns and fishing sundries. There was also a connecting door to what used to be Charlie's room, which had been locked since Daniel and Alice moved in. It was the only room in the house that could be the new baby's nursery.
Jack swallowed at the idea of opening Charlie's old room and replacing his son's possessions with that of a different child.
Daniel had followed Jack but a moment behind and saw the expression on Jack's face. He wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and rested his chin on Jack's shoulder.
There were no words spoken, and Daniel hoped Jack could hear the words and feelings Daniel couldn't articulate.
Ches sat at the top of the stairs, tip of her tail flicking back and forth. Not only would she have to look after both danger-friendly Daniel and Alice, but her own human would need a little extra attention and care. With a nod, Ches decided that the first step would be a thorough and lengthy temple bathing. But that would have to wait until he was deeply asleep. It wouldn't do for her human to get the idea that she actually liked him after all. She had an image to uphold.
Jack let himself deflate a little and put a hand on top of Daniel's arms. He knew he was being stupid; it was more-or-less his default position. If only he could make himself realize that what was important wasn't Charlie; it was Daniel. He turned a few degrees to kiss his lover's temple before stepping back.
"While you're resting tomorrow, I need to start going through Charlie's room. See what we can use for the new baby and what we can get rid of. And you are resting tomorrow," he added pointedly. "At least while you're puking up your guts. Eva Chance said she'd explain to Hammond tomorrow why we're taking a few days off."
"Do you want me to help you? I mean, I don't even have to touch anything, I could just sit in there with a book in case you need anything." Daniel offered.
Ches snorted softly. From the vibes she was seeing around Daniel, she could tell he wouldn't be having a good time come morning. And Jack would probably need to do the upcoming task alone, needing to return to Daniel's arms at the end of the day. She knew what it was like to lose one's kit and sometimes you just had to work through the pain alone.
"If you want to. I think it's just his clothes and some furniture…" Jack trailed and shook his head a little. "I'll be fine. It's time I cleaned it out anyway. It's been eighteen years. Everything's probably covered in dust."
Alice climbed on top of Ches' head and cocked her head at the couple. She didn't understand why their humans were so sad. Now, she wasn't old enough to have had kittens, but she knew it was supposed to be a happily occasion. So why were they so upset? For answer, she looked down at Ches and made a garbled noise in question, setting her chin on the top of her baby-sitter's head.
Ches let her. "My human lost his kit and never really dealt with the pain. With the new kit on the way, he's got to clean out the room the first kit slept and played in. It's hard to lose a kit, especially when you blame yourself for the loss. Danny is offering his support, but he won't get much farther than the bathroom come morning," she replied in quiet mews.
Daniel looked over at the two cats. It wasn't the first time that Alice had perched herself on Ches' head, but it was very strange that Ches never knocked her off.
"Jack, I want to be there with you through everything. As long as you want me there, I will be there. Besides, a little dust is not going stop me from helping you."
Jack knew he was beat. He nodded and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "It's late. We need to get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll start cleaning out. Maybe there's stuff we can put in a garage sale."
Alice flicked one of her large ears and cocked her head more, meowing quietly. Jack looked at the two felines and shook his head. Cats.
Daniel let Jack lead him to their room and changed into the blue pajamas Jack handed him. Of course the pajamas were put on with the now natural eye roll since Jack had a habit of making Daniel wear lots of blue.
He settled down on his side of the bed after brushing his teeth, petting the two cats as they settled in for the night. He did spare Ches an odd look as she settled between his and Jack's pillows instead of at the foot of the bed as usual.
Jack pulled on his sweatpants and t-shirt and crawled into bed, pushing the kitten from his pillow. Alice squeaked, crawled up the body of her fellow furball, and turned her rough tongue on Ches' ears. Jack shook his head at them and kissed his partner tenderly. "Sleep well, Daniel. The bathroom door's still open if you get sick."
Daniel rolled his eyes again. "Thank you, Jack. That is such a romantic gesture. Goodnight Jack."
Ches shot Jack a baleful look before flicking her ear that Alice wasn't cleaning and loafing herself further between the pillows.
Jack chuckled and closed his eyes after securely wrapping his arms around Daniel. He missed the very amused look on Alice's face.
Ches waited until Jack and Daniel were both deeply asleep before carefully wriggling out from between the pillows, taking up a perch on Jack's pillow, and beginning to clean Jack's temples. With the age old prescription, everything should work out for the next day well enough that there would be no bloodshed and a minimal number of tears.
A/N: Cat: Okay, seems like no one is reviewing, which is rather depressing. Reviews mean we are more likely to work on it...and I'm more likely to take my ass south to Kit's house so we can work on it. Sooooo, in other words: PLEASE REVIEW! We live off reviews...and tea, but our little stomachs are growling for the former. Feed us please! *big watery cat's eyes*
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