Who: Alyssa Hamilton & Christian Grey What: An unexpected (feline) surprise When: 3/30 Where: Christian's apartment to start with, then vet's office Rating: PG Status: Complete
Things seemed to be back toward a more calm trajectory in Orange County, but Christian knew that the calm was never for very long. He’d gotten used to keeping a weather eye out, and he’d started contemplating getting a home security system. It just made him feel better, even if he know it might not do much.
For now, he was trying to focus on the normal. He was taking the rubbish out to bin, preparing for the day ahead. But as he turned to go, he heard a loud mew! from behind him.
Christian blinked, dropping the bag in the bin. “Hullo?” He looked in the bin - nothing - and then around. “Are you there?” Or was he hearing things?
He finally found it - under the dumpster itself, a tiny cream-coloured kitten with an orange tail. “Oh, bloody Nora. Come here, little one.” It looked tiny - even smaller than he thought kittens ought to look - and had some oddly short legs.
It took about ten minutes, but eventually he had it out, and he scooped it up in one smooth motion. “Ow, fuck!” It tried to run, but he kept a hold of it; its legs seemed too small. He carried it inside and then called the most efficient person he knew: Alyssa. “Hello? Is that you?”
Reading on the sofa at home, Alyssa was curled up and comfortable in a makeshift nest made of blankets. But when her mobile played the special ring she used for Christian (just a standard replica of a phone’s ring, none of the musical ringtones she used for everyone else), she still got out and answered. That was how fond she was of him; she’d forsake comfort for his benefit.
“Hello?”
“Alyssa. Sorry. Do you know where any veterinarian might be around here?” She’d been here longer than him, and if worse came to worse she could maybe pop out with her teleportation and go look. “I found an animal by the rubbish bin at my building, and it looks like it needs some help.”
“There’s one by where I get my nails done, on the rare occasion that I do.” She couldn’t help but gasp when she heard about an animal in Christian’s possession. She loved animals, having never been able to have one as a child. She’d even tried to sneak a frog into boarding school, but she’d been quickly found out.
Still on the line, she teleported over to Christian’s, the mobile still pressed to her ear. “What sort of animal?”
“A little cat. It’s tiny, and its legs are ... stumpy.” Christian turned around, hearing a noise, and jumped so hard he almost dropped the cat and the towel. “Bloody Nora, woman!”
Blue eyes went wide and Alyssa put her phone into her purse. She made a face, feeling badly for having startled Christian. But the bundle was small indeed, and she walked over in curiosity. “May I see it?”
Once he’d recovered from the fright, Christian nodded. “It was fighting me at first - not sure if it’s a boy or girl - but now I think it understands I’m not trying to hurt it. Look at its legs.” He opened the bundle a little bit so Alyssa could see.
Upon seeing the tiny legs, she couldn’t help but coo. “It’s a munchkin! They’re bred to look that way.”
“What’s a munchkin?” Christian raised his eyebrows. He’d never seen anything like it. “Either way, though, look how thin it is.”
“Think a cat Corgi,” Alyssa smiled. “But it’s true, I can see its wee tiny ribs. Let’s get it to a vet, then we can ask them how to take care of it. Her. Him. we can ask that too.” She gently rubbed the cat’s head, smiling to herself. “It likes you.”
“D’you think? But yes, that’s why I wanted a veterinarian.” Christian looked down at the tiny thing. “I think it’s purring.” Was that that whirring noise? He’d never been around cats.
“That is, yeah. But it cats purr when they’re happy or very nervous. It can be to comfort themselves.” She kissed the top of the cat’s head, nuzzling it lightly with her nose. “We’ll get you sorted, you little darling.”
“Well, I hope it isn’t scared to death.” Christian looked down at it. “Would you google it or something, if you don’t know of one? I don’t want to let this one go anywhere.” His flat was emphatically not kitten-proof.
“I know of one,” she assured him. “Come on.” She splashed the door of his study with holy water, waiting for the door to glow. “Shall we?”
“Yeah. I hope that the little one here doesn’t panic.” Or get sick, or something. Christian tried not to think about cat vomit on his suit.
“I hope they won’t,” she beamed. Opening the door, she held tightly to Christian’s hand as they stepped through. They appeared to the side of a vet, dogs visible through the window. “They board animals as well,” she explained.
Christian had gotten used to Alyssa’s powers by now, though he did look to make sure the cat was all right. It was yowling when his hearing kicked back in, and he couldn’t help but be amused. “I think you’ve upset him or her,” he teased, following Alyssa inside.
He explained to the receptionist what had happened and was told they could at least give the kitten a once-over. He said thank you, going to sit down.
“A car ride would’ve upset it more,” she murmured. “Besides, I think it’s less me and more dogs being about.” She reached out to scritch the animal’s head, gently rubbing in circles. It soothed people she knew, so why not animals?
“Fair, I suppose.” Christian watched her try to calm the kitten. “It’s rather sweet,” he had to admit. It seemed to be responding to her touches, which was a relief. At least it wasn’t traumatized or something like that.
Eventually, they were called and shown back into one of the examining rooms. Christian kept the little cat in his arms instead of putting her on the table, just in case. The veterinarian appeared after a few minutes more and immediately said, “Oh, you have a munchkin! Hello.” His questions were immediately directed toward Alyssa, though he did nod a hello to Christian.
The vet looked like he had come from a daytime drama, the sort where he’d flirt with all of the nurses and have steamy makeout sessions on top of an examination table. Alyssa went a little pink and bit her lower lip. “Christian found her by a rubbish bin, and we wanted to make sure it was all right. It looks awfully thin.”
“Well, if you can put it down here, we’ll take a look.”
Christian set the towel down and watched the kitten mewl its way out, sniffing around, hunching low to the ground. The vet began to take a look. “Well,” he said after a few minutes, “it is a girl. And she holds herself in a way that suggests she might have worms.”
“Oh, hell.” Christian grimaced. He didn’t feel right giving a sick cat to a shelter. They might ignore it or mistreat it.
“That can be treated with medication, can’t it?” Alyssa lowered her face to coo soothingly to the cat who replied by biffing its entire body against her. It made Alyssa laugh, grinning happily up at Christian.
“Yes, it can.” The vet smiled winningly at Alyssa, and Christian set his teeth. “It’s just oral medication, but not many cats like taking pills.” He petted the little cat. “She’s obviously malnourished, but not much will fix that except a good diet over time. What I would suggest is give her meals at set times and try to put the pills in there. It works most of the time, especially with kittens; they’re just hungry and don’t look at what they’re eating.”
“Is there going to be a problem if I keep this little lady in one or two rooms?” Christian asked. “My flat isn’t kitten-proof.”
“Two rooms should be okay for a kitten. But if you’re going to keep her, you need to eventually give her the run of the place.” The vet smiled at Christian in a way he could only characterize as smarmy.
“We’ll work on it,” Alyssa smiled. She beamed at Christian once more before ducking her head as the vet gave her a charming smile of his own. “So, pills, and feeding her regularly. Does she need special food? Can you recommend anything?” She was already planning on sneaking the little one into her house if Christian wouldn’t take her. “When should we get her fixed? Can we do her first shots now?”
“Wet food for kittens, as they still need a bit more nourishment than older cats. Eventually you could transition to kibble, but not for a little while.” The veterinarian was talking exclusively to Alyssa again, and Christian felt his jaw getting visibly tighter. “I would say we can make an appointment for her shots and getting fixed - we’re running behind today, but we could do it later this week.”
“That’d be fine,” Christian said, maybe a trifle loudly, ostentatiously.
Well, that was loud. Alyssa knew the vet was being a bit of a tosser, but she didn’t know how badly. “That’d be lovely.” She wrapped the kitten back up into the towel, turning to Christian and handing her back over. “She seems to trust you best, luv.”
“That’s fine.” Christian took the cat back. “Alyssa, look.” The little one had snuggled back into the towel, burrowing against him.
“Alyssa’s a lovely name.” The veterinarian smiled at her. “You can speak to the receptionist, sir, to make an appointment?”
Beaming, Alyssa looked at how the cat snuggled against Christian. “We’ll have to think of a name for her. She turned to the vet and nodded. “Thanks so much for helping us out. We appreciate it.” She held out her hand to shake.
The veterinarian smiled, shaking her hand and nodding to Christian. He slipped a bit of paper into Alyssa’s hand with the handshake, and left the room. Christian sighed. “Maybe we can get a cardboard carrier or something.” He didn’t want to keep carrying the little one, lest he drop her.
“That’s a good idea,” Alyssa agreed. She blinked and unfolded the paper, chuckling when she saw the phone number. Rolling her eyes, she put it into her purse and then turned to Christian. “I’m sure they sell carriers.”
Christian saw her open the paper, not surprised when he saw it was a phone number. But then she put it in her handbag. Why didn’t she bin it? She put that twat’s number in her handbag?
He shook his head, trying to focus. “Let’s get the little lady a carrier.” That was the second time he’d called the cat that, and before he could think, he blurted, “Maybe that’s her name. Lady.”
Alyssa beamed, tiptoeing up to kiss him lightly. “That’s perfect. I love it. Are you thinking of keeping her? If not, I’m going to sneak her into my place. I can’t stand the idea of her living with anyone but us.”
“Maybe until she’s well. I don’t know otherwise; I’m barely home.” Christian shook his head. “And what about your mum?” If Nancy Hamilton threw this kitten out in the cold (comparatively speaking), he would be more than annoyed.
“Mum’s not been home for a while. I turned eighteen, she doesn’t have to watch me anymore, so she doesn’t. And if she does come home, you could take care of her on those days. But honestly, I can come to your flat and watch her. If you don’t mind. Otherwise, she can stay in my room.” Alyssa gave Christian her best puppy eyes.
“I’m not going to throw her out on the street.” Christian shook his head. “I just don’t know if it’s fair to leave her alone all day. If you wanted to come by you could, I suppose.”
Grinning, Alyssa kissed him again. “Come on, let’s go get her a carrier. Christian? Thanks for phoning me.”
“You usually know just what to do.” Christian shrugged. It was the truth. She was very deliberate in her actions. Why hadn’t she binned that fucking number?