The Cat's Fang

"I don't see why I have to get a cat," Fang groaned at Vanille for the sixtieth time that day. The last thing Fang had wanted to do on her only day off was trawl the cages of a rescue centre looking for a cat. And yet here she was being dragged around the cages by the redhead when she should have been at home doing as little as possible.

"Because I think having a pet will be good for you. I know you've been feeling a bit abandoned since I started seeing Hope , and I think that a pet will make you feel less lonely when I'm not around."

Vanille was a great believer in the therapeutic benefits for pets and had been trying to convince Fang to get a pet for years. Mainly because she hoped that it would transfer some of the brunette's very sweet and loving, though bordering on possessive, affection from the redhead and onto the pet of choice. 'Affection' that had been becoming a little tiresome since Vanille had gotten a boyfriend. But she chose to omit that line of reasoning.

"Fine but why a cat?" Of all the possible pets Fang had always considered herself to be more of a dog person. Arms crossed, she bent down to look into another cage. Inside, the tabby cat sitting with its legs straight out in front of him looked up from cleaning his inside leg. Shivering in disgust Fang moved on.

"Because if you didn't have that stupid job with its stupid compulsory overtime you could have a dog." Vanille paused outside the next cage. "How about this one?" She pointed at the black long-haired cat.

Fang looked inside. "Too prissy," Fang appraised, making a face at the cute and adorable kitten. "That stupid job, as you call it, pays the bills," Fang reminded her.

"But you hate it," Vanille countered, prodding Fang on the chest bone. "I keep telling you that you should just quit that crappy job and find something you love. I'm sure we could manage if we cut back on a few luxuries and moved somewhere cheaper, and sold the car. And maybe eat less and ..."

Fang rolled her eyes and smiled as Vanille worried about her. It wasn't the redhead's fault she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. In contrast to Fang, Vanille had always known she wanted to be a vet ever since they were children. While Fang was out hunting every animal that walked the earth, Vanille was nursing every injured one she found back to health. And Fang wasn't surprised in the slightest to return to the Orphanage from a long hunt and find a new patient hidden under their bunk bed.

Fang had thought that moving to the big city would give her some direction, or at least some sense of adventure. But instead she had found that the big city was just as uninspiring as the little village Vanille and herself had grown up in. So instead of waiting for inspiration she took the first city job that she was offered, and yes it may be dull but it was easy and the pay was amazing. Enough for them to pay Vanille's fees at Veterinary school and afford the rent on a cosy little house just outside the city.

All in all Fang had a very comfortable life. Perhaps, as Vanille was always quick to comment, a little too comfortable. She always complained that it was as if Fang was waiting for something to happen, and her adventure wouldn't just land in her lap.

"...It makes me feel so guilty that you hate your job," Vanille finished sadly looking away.

"Hey." Fang said softly, putting her arm over the shorter woman's shoulders. She never wanted Vanille to feel that way. "You remember what we agreed when we came to the city. I help you with your dream and then you can help me with mine, when I work out what that is," she added with a smile and pulled Vanille closer. Vanille s responding smile was still too faint for her liking. Fang sighed in defeat. "Until then you can help me find a cat," Vanille grinned brightly up at her big sister, "to make me feel better about my crappy job and that you're deserting me for your boytoy," Fang teased ruffling the redhead's hair.

Vanille squeaked and forgot she was feeling sorry for the irritating brunette as she ruined her new hairdo. "Fang!" she blushed, pushing the chuckling brunette away from her. "He's not that young."

"He's not that old either," she countered, earning her another push. Fang grinned, sometimes Vanille was just too easy to irritate. "Come-on let's find me a cat so we can get on with our lives."

But finding a cat for the picky brunette was proving to be quite the struggle. Every cat they came across the brunette found fault with. The cat hiding in it's bed – too timid. The kittens wrestling with each other – too playful. The grey cat rubbing against its cage and purring – too needy. They grey cat lying down and staring out at them– too dull.

Two hours and fifty cats later Vanille had lost hope they would ever find a cat Fang would approve of. And Fang was left to wander the cages alone while Vanille played with a kitten.

Too greedy, too hairy, too hairless. What the hell is that...is it even a cat? Too twitchy, too sleepy... Fang stopped. Two of the biggest blue eyes I've ever seen.

Captivated by the large blue orbs, Fang paused at the cage and crouched down to get a better look at the cat inside. Unlike the other cats in the centre who had either come towards her, run and hid or looked indifferent to the brunette's presence, this cat was sitting perfectly still in the middle of her cage just staring straight at her.

She was strange and beautiful. She looked more like those small African wild cats than any domestic breed Fang had ever seen. Her short-haired coat was a light ginger –almost blonde, patterned with dark grey spots and stripes apart from the white underside of her chin. She was a big cat, but her head was small compared to her body making her ears look oversized and bigger than they were. But the most unusual thing about the cat was its collar. It was the most ornate cat collar Fang had seen, consisting of blue and pink stone beads on several rings. And on top of that was a silver necklace holding a rectangle plate engraved with a strange symbol.

Who puts a cat in a collar like that?

Looking back up at the cat's face Fang realised that she had been under scrutiny too as cerulean eyes flicked over Fang's features. And when their eyes locked an understanding passed between them. What that was Fang couldn't say, but it was like they suddenly recognised something in one another and their choice had already been made.

"Hey Vanille," Fang called to the redhead on the other end of the room. Vanille head snapped up from the adorable kitchen she'd been scratching through the cage. "How about this one?"

Vanille crossed the room and the blonde cat's glare switched to the redhead as she looked into the cage. "That cat?" She asked sceptically, pointing at the only cat in the cage.

"Yeah." Fang frowned at Vanille's frown. She couldn't understand why Vanille was looking so dubiously at the intriguing feline. "What's wrong with her? You wanted me to choose a cat, so I've chosen." She said defensively.

"Nothing, nothing," Vanille said holding her hands up in submission. She was right, she had let the brunette choose a cat but trust Fang to choose the angriest looking cat in the rescue centre. In her experience as a student vet it was always the quiet ones with shifty eyes that you had to watch out for. But she had to admit, cute and cuddly wouldn't really suit Fang's personality. "OK I'll get Hope," Vanille chirped happily, pulling out her phone.

Fang rolled her eyes at Vanille dopey expression as she talked to her boyfriend. Another reason why Vanille had dragged her here. As if Vanille wasn't seeing him enough she had to bring Fang to the rescue centre where Hope was a manager. That was how they met, when Vanille had volunteered here in the veterinary clinic. Fang actually liked Hope a lot, he was sweet, kind and made Vanille incredibly happy. But she was the big sister and Vanille's entire family so it was her job to give Hope the impression that her friendly demeanour towards him only lasted as long as he made Vanille happy.

"Hope!" Vanille squealed like a fangirl when he entered the rehoming room a few minutes later. Used to Vanille's affectionate welcomes he managed to catch the small, giggling woman as she launched towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Hope smiled happily at the brunette over Vanille's shoulder "Hi Fang." Fang returned the greeting with a smile."I hear you're interested in one of our cats," he said, grunting slightly as Vanille's hold tightened around him.

Vanille released Hope with a quick peck on the lips and, holding his hand, led him over the cage. Interested by Hope's arrival the cat inside the cage was looking a little more animated, moving her head as she looked between the three people talking outside.

"Oh Lightning," Hope smiled, sounding pleased by Fang's choice of cat. "She was brought in about a week ago by one of our animal control officers. Let me get her for you." Hope unlocked the cage, picked her up, and brought her to the two women. Glowering at them with dark, narrow eyes and flat ears , Lightning looked even less happy about being handled than she did about being in the cage.

Fang wisely decided that petting the cat without her permission would probably be a bad idea. "Lightning?" Fang asked, folding her arms just in case she was tempted to stroke her soft looking fur.

"Because of the lightning-shaped scar on her left hip." He turned the cat to show them the ragged scar. "And you should see how fast she can run."

"Well she's an Egyptian Mau right?" Hope nodded. "Fastest domestic cat in the world," Vanille explained to Fang. "Is it recent?" Vanille asked leaning forward to examine the scar.

Hope shook his head. "There's no evidence of recent abuse. As far as we can gather from her behaviour , she's definitely come from a home as she recognises certain words and she is unafraid of humans." He scratched the top of the sulking cat's head and smiled indulgently. "She's very clever and a bit of an escape artist. We kept finding her in this corridor almost every morning until we put a padlock on her cage. I'm sure the only reason we didn't lose her entirely was because this door is locked every night," Hope pointed at the door leading into the room they were standing in.

"What's with the collar," Fang asked pointing to the beaded collar around the cat's slim neck.

"She was wearing it when she was picked up. We thought that she must have a devoted owner somewhere to have a bespoke collar like that, but it's been over a week and no one has come to claim her," Hope shrugged. "But the collar is not the weirdest thing about her." Adjusting his hold on the cat so she was under one of his arms, he parted some of the cat's chest hair below her collar with his free hand.

Fang and Vanille leant over to peer at a dark line revealed on her pink skin."What is it?"

"It's a tattoo."

"What!" Vanille snapped her eyes darkening. If there was one thing that sparked the small woman's fury it was animal cruelty. "Who the hell would tattoo a cat?" It was difficult to see with all the hair in the way but Hope was right the dark lines were too smooth and continuous to be natural.

"I don't know. It must have happened a long time ago because all her fur has regrown."

Scars, tattoos, Fang ran her hand through her hair and stood upright. Sometimes she really couldn't understand how people could be so cruel. "She's really been through the wringer hasn't she. Poor lil' bugger," she said sighing sadly. She put her arm over Vanille's shoulder as the young woman's bottom lip began to wobble dangerously. Unfortunately for the two war orphans, it was another reminder of how callous people can be. Perhaps that's what she had recognised in the cat, another survivor.

Hope silently responded with a nod and Fang remembered that he'd probably looked after thousands of rescued pets who had suffered more than Lightning.

"Here," he said kindly and passed Lightning to Fang before she had a chance to feel nervous about handling a cat for the first time. He repositioned her hands to show her how Lightning liked to be held. "I think Lightning would be a great pet for you Fang," Hope assured her, stroking Lightning's back as Fang held her. "She's independent, confident, she's not overly affectionate and she's happy to be left alone for long hours while you're at work. She can be a bit grumpy, and it takes a while for her to warm up to you but when she does she is a really great cat. I'd take her home myself, but I don't think she'd get along with my tomcat Snowy."

Fang could feel Lightning's little heart beat against her and it was surprising how warm and comforting it felt to hold her. And when the stubborn cat began to purr happily she knew that Lightning felt so too.

Fang looked up at Vanille, they shared a smile and Vanille gave her the nod of approval. It was appreciated but Fang would have taken Lightning home either way.

The first time she had seen Lightning, the choice was already made.

xxXOXxx

The enormity of what Fang had just done hit her a few hours later.

Everything had happened so fast. She had picked Lightning, there had been paperwork, buying of pet food, a pet carrier, cat litter, toys, and various accessories. And then they were in the car with Lightning in a pet carrier, and Fang was feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness that she was bringing her cat home for the first time.

The return home had not gone exactly as planned. Vanille warned that Lightning might feel a little overwhelmed by the new environment so they had set up a safe room in Fang's bedroom where Lightning could hide and get used to her new home. But Lightning had other ideas, as soon as they opened the pet carrier in the bedroom Lightning had made a break for it sprinting through the partially open door. And the two women had spent an hour chasing after the speedy cat trying to save the items on their window sills as the cat looked for a way to escape.

Lightning was certainly unpredictable, a living being with its own personality and notions Fang realised. And then it hit Fang as sure as a punch on the nose, for the first time in her life Fang was responsible for a living creature. Sure she had always looked after Vanille but nowadays the redhead practically looked after herself. But Lightning would always rely on Fang for almost everything for the rest of her life. Such responsibility was a little daunting and she was the one left feeling slightly overwhelmed.

The second thing that occurred to her, which Vanille had already figured out, was that Lightning could really stare.

Ever since she had given up trying to escape almost an hour ago she'd been sat in front of the sofa starring at the two women. It was becoming a little unnerving. All attempts to pet or initiate play had been rejected by the pet. So now Vanille and Fang were on the couch trying to watch TV, while pretending that they didn't know she was staring even though her glare was so heated they could almost feel it.

The psychological warfare was proving to be too much for the huntress. Without looking at the vet beside her she asked, "do cats always stare this much?"

"Not usually. Just don't look at her directly otherwise she'll see it as a sign of mistrust. She'll get bored eventually." Vanille said out of the corner of her mouth. And then wondered why they were talking about a cat so covertly.

"It's been an hour."

Vanille looked at her watch. "Holy potatoes," she exclaimed with a groan. "it's already dinnertime."

Dinnertime! Lightning's ears pricked and her head snapped up at the mention of food. Well that changes everything. She finally blinked. "Mrehhh," she told the astonished women. Standing up with a tail in a perfect curve she trotted towards the place where food was held. The two women sat still, a little stunned at being liberated by Lightning's powerful glare and her sudden change in behaviour. Lightning padded back into the Living room and frowned at the two humans still sitting on the sofa. She needed them to release the yummy morsels. "Mreeeehhh," she told them again, and this time she made sure they were following her to the place with the food.

Lightning looked up at the redhead expectantly as she dished out the cat food they had bought. Being excited by the prospect of food was something the brunette could understand, but the cat's sudden transformation from cantankerous to ecstatic was almost extraordinary and, Fang had to admit, utterly adorable. Vanille placed the small plate in front of the excited stray. The cat span once on the spot, elegantly dipped down on to sniff the food and immediately jerked her head back in disgust.

"Don't look at me like that," Vanille told the stubborn cat when it glared up at her and licked the offensive smell from her own nostrils. "You need to eat something."

Fang was finding Lightning's obstinate behaviour pretty funny, especially when she began pushing her food bowl around with her paw, but Vanille was not amused. "Quite the connoisseur huh?" Fang joked earning her a double scowl from the redhead and cat. She really couldn't blame Lightning, the wet food smelt like a mixture of beef and salty armpit. Fang decided that she had better things to do than endure the Lightning-Vanille cat food standoff any longer. She made up a small bowl of leftover chicken from the fridge for the furry fiend and grinned triumphantly at Vanille as Lightning immediately tucked in.

Fang licked her finger, a gesture of victory, "huntress one, student vet zero," she smirked.

"Well done," Vanille smiled sarcastically. "You've been manipulated by a cat." Fang's smile dropped. Vanille laughed at the indoctrinated huntress. Lightning was going to wrap the poor inexperienced pet owner round her little paw.

Lightning finished her meal and licked her lips in satisfaction, savouring every morsel of the tasty bird. Pleased and content she appeared to regard the brunette in a much more favourable light. With her tail upright she padded over to where Fang was leaning on the counter and surprised the brunette by briefly rubbing her head and body against her on her way out of the kitchen.

Intrigued and slightly shocked by Lightning's friendly behaviour Fang followed the cat out of the kitchen with Vanille (highly amused) close behind her. The cat began to patrol the house, exploring every room and rubbing her head on everything within reach.

They followed Lightning into Fang's bedroom. "What the hell is she doing?" Fang asked the vet as the cat began brushing her cheek and body against a pair of Fang's jeans she'd left hanging on the back of her chair.

"She's putting her pheromones on everything she thinks is hers."

"Oh right." Fang chuckled impressed by the cat's domineering attitude. Lightning leapt up onto Fang's bed claiming it as hers as she settling down on the blanket to sleep. Imperious little squirt, thinks it owns the couch, the dressers, my bed, my jeans, me... "Me!" Fang suddenly realised. "She thinks she owns me!" Did I look like a pushover to a cat! Someone a cat felt it could possess!

Vanille giggled at Fang's open mouth and pale complexion. "Yeah she's a cat," Vanille shrugged. "She owns you…in an affectionate cat way," she added when Fang's mouth was still hanging open. "Don't worry," she patted Fang on the shoulder, "it means you own her too...sort of."

"Well what does that mean?" Fang questioned trailing behind Vanille as she left the room and made her way down the stairs to the front door.

"It means that you have a cat, congratulations." Vanille grinned at the new cat owner and the turned to put on her shoes.

"But I thought I already had a cat..."Fang frowned suspiciously as the redhead put on her coat. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm staying over at Hope's tonight."

"But-but you can't leave me alone with her. I don't know the first thing about keeping a cat!"

Vanille turned back to her sister. "That's what books," she waved at the living room shelves full of her books on animals, "and the internet are for. I can't be your cat whisperer forever ya know."

Knitting her brow Fang worried her bottom lip with her teeth, but Vanille knew exactly how to distract the huntress' anxieties. "You know the Egyptians used Mau's for hunting."

Fang released her lip and arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yep, look it up," Vanille suggested, slamming the front door behind her.

xxXOXxx

In the middle of the night Lightning awoke in the unfamiliar room. Tipping her head back, her nose reminded her where she was. Fang's scent was strong in this room but looking around her she could see that she was alone in the brunette's bedroom. She jumped down from the bed, walked to the closed door and gave it an experimental scratch. It was shut. She looked up at the window, that was shut too.

She had no other choice.

She waited for a few minutes at the door until she was sure no one was moving around the house. Closing her eyes, she slowly stretched her body forwards on her front paws. A bright, pink light began to emanate from her chest, curling and wrapping around her body like a fine smoke. Where it touched fur fell, limbs grew, ears and her tail shrank and long pink hair began to grow from the top of her head. She reached the top of her stretch, pushing up onto her hind legs and then in a sudden burst of shifting movement the cat stepped out of the smoke as a human.

Lightning dusted the rest of the fur from her skin, and put her hands above her head stretching her human body, clicking her bones into place and flexing her fingers and toes. Idly she rubbed at the glowing scarab tattoo below her collar and it dulled back to black.

She opened the door and moved down through the dark house. It was more difficult without the night vision of the cat but with practised care, and her recon from earlier that day, she was able to remember the layout of the house and walk down the stairs and through the living room without alerting the sleeping huntress stretched across the couch one arm behind her head and the other across a book lying open on her lap.

Lightning had to stop for a moment to watch her sleep.

She was beautiful, for a human. Long dark hair, pointy chin, soft skin, full pink lips and the kindest green eyes (currently hidden behind her eyelids) Lightning had ever seen. And such warmth, she added remembering what it had felt like when Fang had held her at the cat prison, how she couldn't stop herself from leaning against her. She wasn't just referring to the woman's charisma either it was literal. Fang's body radiated a comforting heat that Lightning had been denying herself all day and she had to fight the cat's urge to lay down of the sofa and curl up beside her.

Wanting to stay was a novel concept. There was a period a very long time ago she recalled, when she had called somewhere home, but the memories from that time were mixed with pain and she didn't want to remember them. The reality was that staying was dangerous notion. That was why she had tried to escape as soon as she had got here. She couldn't afford to become attached until she had finished. Even if she had felt comfortable enough to 'own' everything in this house they were still out there. She'd already lost a week in that prison and she had to find them all before she could rest.

So why was she still standing there watching the brunette sleep?

There was something fascinating about her, some importance Lightning couldn't quite put her finger/ claw on. Curious Lightning picked up the book Fang had been reading. 'The behaviour of cats' Lightning read the title and smiled. Well if Fang is learning to adjust to the cat perhaps I can learn to stay...at least for a little while, Lightning mused placing the book on the side table. Every soldier needs a base, and for once it might as well be somewhere warm and comfortable. And with tasty food, the cat agreed licking its lips.

She unlocked the front door and stepped out onto the porch her tattoo already beginning to glow as she quietly closed the door behind her.

Maybe this time I'll come back.