Mari & Ilna-you're the best.

McRollers-thanks for reading.

Luna(1/1)

"Pleeeeeeeeease, Daddy!" Angie begged, fingers steepled under her chin. "Me and DJ will take care of her. We'll feed her and make sure her litter box is clean."

Steve was barely through the door of the Rollins' condo to pick the kids up after work when the barrage started.

"But we already have a cat," he said. "What would Pumpkin think about the arrangement?"

"She'd like it," Angie said confidently.

"I think she'd be ok with it because it isn't forever," DJ said. "We'd just be fostering the cat for a few weeks."

"Ms. Gwen said that sometimes around Halloween people adopt black cats but then when the holiday is over they 'bandon them or don't take care of them." Angie looked at Steve with an expression he felt powerless against. "That would be very sad, Daddy."

Steve felt his resolve weakening. He swallowed hard. "What did Mommy say?"

"We called her right before you got here. She said it was ok with her if it's ok with you," DJ said hopefully.

Steve huffed. "Remind me to thank her for that."

"I'm really sorry about this," Elizabeth smiled apologetically as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "We stopped by the shelter after school to drop off some donations we collected at Tutor Time and the kids got talking to Ms. Gwen. She explained to them that just to be safe the shelter doesn't allow adoption of black cats during October."

"Can't they just put a 'not available' sign around their necks or something?" Steve asked, searching for any possible way out of his current situation.

DJ took a few seconds to consider that option. "It isn't safe for cats to have anything other than a collar around their necks. They might get it caught on something and choke."

"Like why you and Mommy say Pumpkin can't wear a necklace," Angie reminded him.

"What about Cammie?" Steve asked. "What if she doesn't like the foster cat?"

"Daddy!" Angie was appalled on behalf of her four-legged bestie. "Cammie loves cats. She would never be mean to a kitty."

Steve took a deep breath.

"You understand what fostering means, right?"

DJ nodded his head immediately.

Angie was a little more non-committal.

"It means that when November comes the cat goes back to the shelter so he or she …"

"Luna is a girl," Angie reported. "There are four black cats at the shelter. Ms. Gewn has already found foster homes for three of them. The only one left is Luna."

"Ok," Steve smiled. "But if Luna came to stay with us she'd have to go back to the shelter in November. We wouldn't be keeping her forever. Do you think you'd be able to take her back?"

Angie tilted her head exactly the way Catherine does when she's considering something. "Probably."

Steve barked a laugh. "This isn't a probably kind of thing. Luna would have to go back in November so she could find a forever home."

"What if we're her forever home?" Angie asked guilelessly.

Steve dropped his chin to his chest.

"We've talked about this," he told his daughter. "We don't need another pet."

"We talked about it on the way home and Angie understands," DJ said, always quick to step in on his little sister's side. "We both just want to make sure Luna stays safe."

Steve put his hand under Angie's chin and raised her eyes to meet his. "Is that right? Will you be ok with Luna going back to the shelter in a few weeks?"

Angie nodded her head. "Yes."

When it looked as though her father was ready to relent she smiled happily.

"Probably."

"I didn't realize you'd be bringing her home tonight," Catherine said as she and Steve sat on the couch watching Angie and DJ conduct a getting to know you session between Luna, Pumpkin, and Cammie.

"I didn't either." Steve chuckled. "The kids were excited to stop by the shelter and tell Ms. Gwen they were going to foster Luna and the next thing I knew the cat was in a carrier and I was putting her in the truck."

Catherine smiled as Cammie went into a play bow in front of the large, fluffy newcomer.

Luna was three years old and had been abandoned by her previous owner when they moved back to the mainland. When she was found on the street she was severely malnourished and dehydrated, covered in fleas, with an injury to her rear leg where she had apparently been attacked by another animal. She'd been at the shelter three months and had made a remarkable recovery. She was all set to find a new home as soon as Halloween passed.

"To be honest, I figured you'd say no and that would be that," Catherine said.

Steve snorted a laugh. "So you wanted me to be the bad guy?"

"If you want to call it that."

He cocked an eyebrow. "So you were counting on me being able to say no to the pleading eyes of both our children and, might I just add, your mother as well?"

Catherine grinned. "Ok, when you put it that way I see the flaw in my plan."

The entire family was gathered in DJ's room, sitting on his bed for storytime. Both Pumpkin and Luna were curled up on the bottom of the bed while Cammie sat on the floor close by. The young boy yawned as Steve finished reading the final story of the night.

"Looks like someone is ready for a good night's sleep," Catherine said. "You've got baseball practice early tomorrow."

They all said their goodnights and after hugs and kisses Steve, Catherine, and Angie stood up to leave. Cammie and Luna followed while Pumpkin maintained her regular sleeping spot at the foot of DJ's bed. Just before Catherine turned off the light DJ said, "Thanks for letting Luna come here to stay until after Halloween. Angie and I will take care of her. I promise."

"I know you will, buddy." Steve smiled. "We'll see you in the morning."

"What if Luna gets scared during the night?" Angie asked as Steve tucked her into bed.

"I think she'll be ok," Catherine replied as the cat sat patiently in the doorway while Cammie said goodnight to her littlest pack member. "She has Pumpkin's old bed and blanket."

"I think they're best friends now," Angie said. "I can tell they love each other."

"For the next few weeks," Steve reminded her. "Then Luna goes back to the shelter."

"Probably," Angie nodded.

Steve shot Catherine a look. "Not probably," he said. "Definitely."

"Night, Mommy. Night, Daddy," Angie said without acknowledging Steve's comment. "Sweet dreams. See you in the morning."

As they made their way down the hall to their room Steve said, "That cat is not staying here forever. She's going back."

Catherine opened the door to their room and turned on the light. Cammie immediately headed to her bed and a few seconds after she laid down Luna crawled in and curled up beside her. Cammie chuffed as she wrapped her big paw protectively around the black cat.

Catherine looked at Steve with a smile he couldn't resist. "Probably."

THE END

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