Happy Fourth of July to my American readers! It's a little late, but I got caught up with a little boy intent on blatantly refusing to listen and then holiday stuff. But here it is. I hope y'all enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Covert Affairs is the property of NBC Universal, USA Network, etc. I just make the characters do what I want.

~~~HERE KITTY~~~

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Annie basked in the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. There was something about the sun in Tel Aviv that just felt different, more alive. And the smell, full of spices and perfume and the sea. There really was nothing like it anywhere.

Closing her eyes to take in the full effect, Annie began to focus on the accompanying sounds. She could hear children playing in the distance, two men bartering, a car horn . . . and something she could not quite identify.

There it was again. Soft and high-pitched, almost like a small child but not.

Louder now.

Annie smiled and opened her eyes. She recognized that sound now—a cat.

Tel Aviv had a burgeoning feral cat population, something Eyal had mentioned when she commented on the large number of street cats in the area one day. The cats spent their entire lives on the street, and due to them never being fixed reproduced rather rapidly. The government was urging spaying, but there were only so many cats that could be taken care of in a single day.

Annie had at first found the sheer number of feral felines in the area strange and slightly unsettling—their eyes gave the impression of ever-watching, a fact that exacerbated her paranoia. However, after being in Tel Aviv for some time she had grown accustomed to the furry presences and welcomed the little creatures whenever one should draw close to her.

"Meow"

Looking to her right, Annie saw a kitten she had yet to meet. It was still young, perhaps a few months, but walked as though it owned the very ground.

"Hello there, aren't you pretty." And the cat was: a beautiful calico, complete with fluffy tail and piercing eyes.

Unafraid of the human before her, the kitten waltzed right up and began rubbing against Annie, her little body vibrating as she purred. Annie softly petted the feline, amazed at the sheer silkiness of the kitten's fur despite its life on the streets. Someone must have bathed the kitten recently.

"Well aren't you a sweetheart. We don't have any milk, but I think we have something you might like," said Annie, picking up the kitten and climbing to her feet.

Heading into the house and toward the kitchen, Annie could not help but think about her life as compared to the kitten's in her arms. Both lacked a real home, instead living on the streets and whatever shelter they could find. They also both relied on the kindness of others to aid in their survival, a life that unless circumstances changed would be over all too soon.

"Oh, kitty, such complicated lives we lead," sighed Annie as she tore apart some cold cuts and fed each little piece to the little Calico, "Of course, some might say we actually lead simple lives, but the life of a stray is never easy, is it?"

The kitten simply meowed in response before going back to her food.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, etc.! No Eyal this chapter, but don't worry-he'll be back :)

I'd love to hear what you guys think or even what you might want to see in the future.

¡Besos!