Damn Cat

A/N: Happy Birthday, Tootsie2121! We hope you have a fantastic day.

As ever, we do not own Twilight - it owns us.

ooOoo

Stray

“Meow! Meow! Meow!”

Pulling my pillow from underneath my head, I press it over my ears, trying to drown out the incessant meowing coming from right outside my window.

It's the same fucking stray that's been hanging around for the past few weeks. Nothing seems to get rid of him.

Much to Bella's delight, of course. She leaves food out, encouraging it to stick around even while I try to scare it off every chance I get.

I am not a cat person.

Give me a dog any day. Dogs can be taught tricks. Dogs listen. Dogs obey.

Cats... own.


Grumble

“We’re gonna have to take that damn cat to the pound,” I mutter as I wander into the kitchen – much earlier than I wanted to.

Bella whirls around from the stove with a wooden spoon in her hand. “What?”

When I get to her, I try to pull her close for a kiss, but she pushes away from me with a frown. “What did you say?”

Raising an eyebrow, I kiss the top of her head and go to flop down in a chair before answering. “That cat. Damn thing’s been screeching out there for an hour.”

Her eyes narrow.


Argue

“Maybe if you let him in, he'd stop,” she argues, turning around stiffly to stir whatever she's cooking.

“Not bloody likely,” I mutter under my breath.

Or at least, I think I do, but Bella hears anyway and is on me in a flash, smacking my arm with her spoon. “Jacob Michael Black! Have you seen the weather lately?”

“Ow! Careful, Bells.”

I rub my arm, glowering at her. “Cat's got fur. They're outside creatures, Bella. They endure.”

“Like hell!”

And on and on it goes for almost half an hour, not stopping til the smoke alarm goes off.


Cranky

Bella waves the towel at the alarm while I stand on a chair to pull out the battery. When it’s quiet again, she shoots a look at me and goes to the stove, peering inside the pot.

“Damn it!” she yells, throwing her spoon down. She sighs and turns abruptly, stalking down the hall. “Sauce is ruined. Figure out lunch yourself.”

I wince as I hear the office door close.

“It’s just a fucking cat,” I mutter – really under my breath, this time.

Kicking the table with the heel of my foot, I try to figure out what to do.


Food

I'm definitely not the chef in the family, but I figure I'd better try to get back in Bella's good graces, even if I can't understand her damn fascination with that stupid cat.

So I scour the fridge and the pantry and grin when I find everything I need for Indian tacos, something my dad taught me to make. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but Bella loves them and asks me to make them every once in a while.

It takes time to get everything ready, and it's well past lunch when I knock on her door.


Truce

When she calls, “Come in,” I push open the door and peek in.

“I come bearing food,” I say as I step in, holding the tray in front of me like a white flag. “Is it safe?”

She snorts and sighs, rolling her eyes. She pushes her hair out of her face and looks up at me from her seat on the floor, surrounded by stacks of pictures. “Yeah… it’s fine.”

I give her a smile that she half-returns as I put the tray on my desk. “What are you up to?”

“Oh… nothing, really. Just organizing… scrapbooking, you know?”


Understand

She moves to her desk as I put her plate down in front of her. I watch her eat for a moment, frowning at the near-mechanical way in which she moves – a sure sign that something's on her mind.

With a sigh, I begin to eat as well, but the food doesn't taste as good as it normally would.

Once we're both finished, I stack everything back on the tray and hand her a wet-wipe and a cloth to clean her fingers with.

She smiles faintly in thanks.

“So whose pictures are those?” I ask, hoping to grasp her mood.



Sad

“Mine,” she answers.

Trying not to sigh, I move to kneel on the floor. “Can I look?”

When I glance at her, she nods, pulling her foot up into her chair and wrapping her arms around her knee. I bite the inside of my cheek in an attempt to be patient and not just make her tell me what’s going on.

Picking up one pile, I chuckle at pictures of a very young, very adorable Bella playing with a kitten. When I switch to the next pile, I find her older – and playing with a German shepherd.

“Felix?” I ask.


Miss

She nods, then looks away.

I sigh, sifting through more pictures of rabbits, dogs, cats, rats – all pets Bella had while growing up.

The only one I've actually seen myself is Felix, who still lives with her father.

Bella's sigh makes me look at her. She runs her fingers through her hair, still turned away from me. "I just... I miss having animals around, Jake. Miss having the kind of love a pet gives, you know? It's just not the same..."

She trails off, resting her forehead on her knee.

I watch her, trying to understand.  I've never had pets.


Dawn

Sometimes, I’m slow – I can admit it. Well, to myself anyway. Apparently that’s the case here, as I suddenly realize what’s been going on.

Fuck. Way to go, Jake.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I flip through the pictures again, not really seeing any of them as I try to figure out how the hell to fix this. It’s not every day that I semi-threaten my wife’s pseudo-pet.

When I glance at Bella again, she’s tuned out, staring into space.

Damn sure not going to get anywhere sitting around here…

Standing up, I kiss the top of her head.


Plan

That cat knows to steer clear of me. I've proven too many times that I’m dangerous to its health, so I do the first thing I think of.

I go to Embry's.

He’s not only one of my best friends. He's also a vet, so I hope that he can help me. When I explain my problem, he just gives me a hard time about it at first – not that I expect any different.

After a few shots at my ego, however, he calls in the troops. Soon Seth, Leah, Sam, Emily, and Quil are all in his living room.


Catch

“We’re doing what?” Leah asks in disbelief. “You’re out of your mind.”

“Shut up, Leah,” Seth says automatically. “How’re we gonna do this?” he asks, turning to Embry.

We head out into the snow to make the short walk back to my apartment. Leah complains the whole way, but we ignore her as we listen to Embry’s plan. He goes on and on until Quil rolls his eyes.

“Dude,” he interrupts. “It’s one cat. There are… what? Seven of us? All we have to do is surround the stupid thing.” He snorts.

Embry just laughs and shakes his head. “Sure.”


Mutter

By the time we get to my place, Bella isn’t there, though she left a note that says she's gone grocery shopping.

“That gives us about an hour and a half, guys,” I say to them.

They nod and head to their places in the garden, surrounding the area where we know the cat hangs out. Embry's brought food, treats, toys – the works – in hopes of luring it.

Forty-five minutes later, we're freezing, frustrated, and begging. Nothing works. The cat just glares at us from its hiding place – just out of reach.

“Fucking figures Simba's too chicken,” Leah grouches quietly.


Streak

As soon as the words leave her mouth, the stupid cat comes flying out of its hiding spot. Seth lunges to catch it, but it darts away, throwing a hiss at Seth’s outstretched hands.

It slows down and… prances over to where Leah is standing before calmly sitting at her feet. “What the hell?” Leah mutters, frowning before she crouches and reaches out her hand tentatively. “Mangy little furball… your name’s Simba?”

The cat presses its head against her hand before turning and biting her finger. She curses and stands up, but the cat just rubs against her leg, purring.


Treat

Embry approaches cautiously, and before long, Simba's in a carrier. The grin on Embry's face tells me the name's going to stick – he'd warned me earlier about cats and names.

When I thank my friends for helping, Leah smirks and says, “Yeah, I’ll send along my medical bills.”

I follow Embry to his office, where he examines Simba and gives him shots, all the while explaining the ins and outs of cat-care to me.

He helps me pick out a collar, food, and all the other necessities before sending me home, Simba in tow.

Bella's car is in the driveway.


Surprise

The cat’s been howling nonstop, so when I stop just outside our door, I lift the carrier up to eye level.

He growls.

“Hey, look,” I whisper, trying not to let Bella hear. “I know I was a jerk, alright? I’m sorry. Can we forget about all that?”

He hisses.

I sigh.

Running my fingers through my hair, I lower the carrier again and open the door. I hear Bella in the kitchen, and I put the carrier down and take off my coat and hat before calling, “Hey, babe? Could you come here a sec?”

“Unbelievable,” she mutters quietly.


Reaction

Shoving my hands into my back pockets, I wait for her. Miraculously, Simba goes quiet.

As soon as Bella rounds the corner, her grumbling ceases, her eyes widen as she takes in the cat carrier, and her mouth works futilely.

When she looks up at me with questioning eyes, I take a deep breath and say, “Bells, I'm sorry... I didn't understand – hell, not sure I do now, but... I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I – we – caught Simba for you.

I nod at the carrier.

Bella blinks, tilting her head as if trying to figure something out.  


Insistent

“Simba?” she says finally, a slight frown on her face. At the sound of his name, the cat lets out a horrible yowl.

I start to kneel beside the cage, but Bella’s faster. She reaches for the latch, talking in a soft voice the whole time. “What are you doing here, pretty boy?” she coos. “Did that mean old Jake catch you?”

I clench my jaw as I straighten up.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Before I can get too pissed off that she still seems to be mad, she glances up at me with a beaming smile.


Amends

She straightens, clutching the cat to her chest and petting him. Her eyes flicker between Simba and me for a few moments before settling on me. She grins.

“Simba, huh?” she asks.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I smirk. “Yeah. Blame Leah for that one.”

Her eyes widen in surprise. “Leah helped?”

I nod.

Simba begins to purr – loudly. Bella laughs. When she looks at me again, I can tell how happy she is.

She cups my cheek. “Thanks, Jake. This... means so much. I can't quite believe... I know how you feel about cats, and I... Just... Thanks.”


Adjust

“I love you, Bells,” I say simply. “I know I’m an ass sometimes, but… I do.”

Her eyes soften when she smiles at me. “I know, Jake. And I love you, too.”

As my smile grows, I wrap my arms around her and pull her close, only to feel Simba claw at my chest. “Damn it!” I mutter, stepping back.

Bella shifts him to the side and looks at me worriedly. “Sorry… guess it’ll take a little time.”

“It’s alright. We’ve got time.”

She kisses me gently, and I know I’m right – we’ve got all the time in the world.