Imagine: The List
Fic posted by members of Vo's Imaginings YahooGroup
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Story Notes:
because so many people needed a pick me up due to family health issues i'll put this one up. it's mostly light and fluffy. i got stuck on it for three years so i just ended it where ti was. for Stephni and those who need it.

Started: Saturday, January 03, 2004 9:49:28 PM


Father Philip Callahan trudged to the dumpster,
doing his part of the clean-up from the school's
dance. He had been a chaperone so he had to help,
even though all he really wanted was his bed. Two
hours of listening to modern dance music - without
the techno thankfully - was more than enough stress
for him for a week. He hefted the large bag of
garbage and started to let it go, but stopped. He
dropped the bag, not caring that it had split open
and spilled some of nasty wet napkins, and looked
inside the metal can, smiling when he found what he
did.

He pulled out the little ball of fur, slowly stroking
down its back. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered. "I
won't hurt ya." The cat looked up at him, and
seemed to smile. "You stink," he noted with a grin.
He tucked the cat carefully into his jacket pocket
and heaved the trash into the dumpster. He carried
his precious burden into the old school, stopping in
the kitchen to wash his hands, and to grab a bowl of
water and some left-over liver dip for the little
darling. He was stopped on his way up to his room
by one of the older nuns, who peered down at the
cat with suspicion.

"Are you keeping it?" she asked him finally, staring
into his eyes.

"I'm gonna wait and see if anyone comes forward,"
he assured her. "If not, we'll see." He smiled.
"She's just a little thing."

"What's her name?"

"Angel?" The nun smirked at him. "Fine, I'm
probably gonna keep her," he admitted. He never
got anything past her, she reminded him of the nun
who had taught his primary school classes - without
the ruler most of the time. He looked down at the
ball of fur. "Heaven?" he suggested. The cat
purred up at him, apparently she liked that name.

"Be sure to get her fixed, Father Philip," the nun
said, walking away, heading for her room in the
girl's dormitory.

"Of course, Sister Mary Anne." He completed his
journey without any more interruptions, and the cat
promptly plopped itself down on his pillow as soon
as he let it go. "Oh, no," he told her, picking her
up. "If'n you're gonna sleep with me, you're not
gonna stink." He carried her into the little
bathroom attached to his room and stopped up the
sink. "Just don't scratch me too bad," he told her,
right before setting her into the water. Surprisingly,
she didn't claw him at all. Escaped twice, but didn't
take it out on his flesh. When the cat was clean, and
mostly dry, he brought it back into the room and sat
down, watching as she sniffed at the food and water.
She took a lick, then sat down to clean her paws.
Within a few minutes, she was back on top of his
pillow, purring at him to join her. He laughed and
picked up a book to study, letting her soothe the
day's stress from his head. "We'll intraduce ya
around tomorrow," he told her as he fell asleep.

The cat's eyes glowed for a moment, then she took a
lick of his hair, eventually ending up grooming it for
him. Her human would not be so messy in the
morning.

***

Father Philip looked over at the door as he heard
the most pitiful cry, leaving his history class to go
look out the window. There was Heaven, sitting
there staring up at him, almost accusing him of
abandoning her. He sighed and opened the door,
letting her come into the classroom. "You need
manners," he told her as he set her on the desk.
"Ignore her and read, Michael," he ordered one of
the boys.

A girl stared at the little kitten, who turned and
farted at her. She giggled, clamping a hand over her
mouth when the priest looked at her. "Sorry," she
said quietly. "She reminds me of my brother."

A boy raised his hand. "Do you know what breed
she is? She looks Siamese, only she doesn't have the
mask."

Philip shrugged. "I've not a clue. She was in the
dumpster." He patted his baby gently. "We get on
well enough. Now then, back to class. If'n ya want,
ya can stay after and come look at her." He opened
a drawer and plopped her down on top of the pads
of paper. "Stay there." He turned back to his class.
"Back to the revolutionary war please."

Michael stood up and opened back up his book,
starting to read again. "General Washington was a
great leader of the armies of the Confederation..."
He stopped when the cat howled. "She doesn't seem
to agree, Father Philip."

Philip frowned at his cat. "Quit it or go back
upstairs," he warned. He looked at the boy. "She
may not care for history, but you've got to know it
enough to pass the test. Read."

"General Washington...."

HOWL.

Michael cleared his throat. "Maybe if I move past
that. The armies of the United States weren't a
regular army like we'd think of them today. They
were volunteers, without any draft and without any
formal structure other than the Generals working
together. The army as we know today would have
helped the army during the war, but it would have
also made some of the Generals unable to attempt
various brave moves which set military history for
centuries to come." He sat back down.

"And what did you get from that?" Philip asked.

"That your cat's really loud?" a girl suggested with
a smile. "And that she doesn't like George
Washington." The cat peeked up over the desk and
glared at her. "Or maybe it was just the war."

"She's not part of the class," Philip reminded her.
"What else did ya learn?"

"That the freedom from bureaucracy gave the
Generals a lot of freedom, but a little bit of structure
would have helped over all?" Michael suggested.

Philip nodded. "That's about what I got too.
Though, we could argue that the more structure that
they had, the less the Generals would have been able
to win. It was the desire of the people to fight for
what was theirs that made the army fight harder.
They ignored a lot of hardships to fight for what
they felt was their right."

"So, just like the axiom, if you back something into
a corner, it's going to fight harder?" a young
redhead asked.

Philip nodded. "That's usually true of any fight.
Whether it's a minor scuffle in the play yard or a
major battle between two countries, the one that's
cornered and fighting for its right to exist will
always fight harder, and usually dirtier," he finished
with a smile. The bell rang. "Read the rest of that
chapter by tomorrow. Quiz in two days," he called
as his students wandered out, many of them
stopping to pet Heaven. "Go to class," he told the
few lingering students who were cooing at his cat.
"She's gotta go back upstairs." He grabbed his
creature and tucked her under his arm, heading out
to the dorms to put her back where she belonged.

"Father Philip," the Headmaster called, giving his
burden a long look. "What is that?"

"This is the little one I found the other night," he
nearly sighed. "I'm sure Sister Mary Anne has
already told ya. She snuck down."

The Headmaster looked down at her over the top
rim of his glasses. "I see. How did she get down to
your classroom?" His teacher shrugged. "I see."
He looked at the young priest. "Are you going to
put her back?"

Philip smiled. "She seems ta not like history that
much, kept interrupting one'a the students. I'll be
back in a moment."

"That's fine," the Headmaster agreed. "Please
remember to find her a good home." He walked
away, going to monitor the first lunch period.

Philip sighed as he walked up the stairs to the boys'
dorm. "I'm sure we'll work it out," he told her. He
didn't notice her glare back behind him, or the glow
that started in her eyes. If he had, he might have
been quite upset; it was obvious she wasn't a normal
cat. He put her onto his bed and walked out,
making sure his door was shut this time. She
wouldn't be getting out again.

***

Philip looked up when he heard the meow, shaking
his head. For the third day in a row, Heaven had
managed to get free of his room and come find him.
He wasn't even in his usual classroom, there was a
broken window so his class had been reassigned.
She had found them in the gym. He watched as
Heaven wandered in, stopping to rub up against him
with a purr. "You," he groaned. He picked her up
and put her on the desk. "Now then, why are we
concerned about how the colonies shaped up?" A
girl raised her hand. "Brittany?"

"Because their original reasons for existing shape
the state's structure today." She smiled and waved
at the cat. "Maybe Heaven has a real fondness for
history after all."

Philip shook his head. "She just wants ta nap with
me," he told her. "Likes to sleep on my head." He
pointed at one of the boys in the back. "Can ya
think of another reason?"

"Because she thinks you're her father?" he
suggested. One of Philip's eyebrows went up. "Um,
because the divisiveness between the different
colonies sometimes comes back in political battles
today?"

Philip nodded. "That might be part of it, though we
don't see as much mud-slinging between states as ya
do in the states." He smiled. "Good try though."

"Sir, Peter does have a point," Brittany pointed out.
"With some of the colonies set up as strictly for one
religion or another, you do see the majority of
people still holding true to that probably, which
would create some inter-state conflict. Especially
when you look at some of the more conservative
states."

Philip shrugged. "Ya'd have ta ask your political
science teacher about that. I teach history, not
modern politics." He smiled. "By all means though,
ask her today. I'm sure she'd like to debate that
issue."

"And hey, if you can spread it out, no test," Peter
pointed out with a smile. A few of the kids laughed.

Philip shook his head. "I doubt she'd forget," he
reminded them with a tolerant smile. Heaven
reached over and swatted him on the hand. "Oww.
I'm gonna clip those for ya tonight."

"Sir, you should probably do that every few weeks
anyway," a girl told him. "We have to clip our
dog's at least every month. I bet you'd have to do
hers about as often."

"Maybe. She's got a checkup today anyway, I'll
ask." He stroked the soft fur, then looked back at
his students. "Go ahead and pack up a few minutes
early." They all packed their things and waited on
the bell. As soon as it rang, they ran out, going to
their next classes, and Philip gathered up Heaven to
go put her back into his room. Of course, the
Headmaster met them in the halls. "Sir," he said,
trying to hide her. His cat was removed from his
hands, and the nun who had grabbed her from him
walked around him, petting her. "Sorry, she snuck
down again."

The sister looked over the cat. "Well, she *seems*
healthy enough," she pronounced, handing her
back. "When are you getting her fixed?"

"We're makin' arrangements today," Philip told
her. "After school but before soccer practice."

"Good." The Headmaster reached over to touch
her, but Heaven moved her head, sniffing his fingers
instead. "Ah, a cautious little one." He looked at
Philip. "I take it you're keeping her?"

"If it's all right."

"That would be fine," the nun said. She was in
charge of the dormitories so she probably had final
say. "What's her name?"

"Heaven. She didn't like Angel at all." He smiled
and pulled the cat up to hold her easier. "Will ya
behave today?" he asked her. "No more sneakin'
down."

The Headmaster snorted. "It's too late for that.
She's set the precedent for your relationship and she
believes that you're her charge. I doubt she's going
to leave you alone."

"I'll help you make a basket later," the nun told
him. She nodded and walked away, going to
separate a couple holding hands.

The Headmaster reached out again, and Heaven
barely let him touch her ears before pulling away.
"Quite a strong personality, that one has." He
smiled. "Just keep her out of the halls. The janitor
nearly swatted her earlier when she was sneaking
around. His eyesight is going you know." He
walked away, leaving him alone with his cat.

Philip looked down at his cat. "Are ya gonna come
ta practice too?" he asked with a touch of humor.
"Maybe pick up some poms and cheer the girls on
today?"

Heaven purred in his hands, snuggling into his chest
to rest comfortably.

Philip guessed he had his answer.

****

Philip looked the vet over, smiling because he had
some students that looked just about as old as her.
"I found her in the dumpster one night," he told
her. "Cleaned her up, fed her some liver."

The vet listened to the cat's heartbeat, then looked
up at him. "She seems really healthy. Do you want
us to do the whole workup? I do have to warn you
that a few of the tests are a little bit expensive."

"I've got some cash saved," he admitted. "For the
next time I'm moved and I have to ship my books."

She nodded. "That's great. We can do a blood test
today to see if she's got any bugs, and if you're
willing to leave her for a few hours, we can even get
a stool sample to check for worms." She made a
note on Heaven's chart. "I see you want her fixed?
That's great." She smiled at him. "Let me check
her abdomen and we'll see if we can work her in this
week." She gently pushed on the cat's abdomen,
then chuckled. "I think someone's beat you to it,"
she told him. "She's already fixed, I can feel a
surgical scar in the right spot," she explained at his
clueless look. She picked Heaven up and tucked her
under her arm. "Come back in a few hours and
we'll be able to tell you the results of the tests," she
said cheerfully.

He waved at his cat as she was carried away. "We'll
talk later," he called after her. "Behave." He sighed
and grabbed his leather jacket, leaving the clinic so
he could go coach soccer practice. His girls' team
was doing really well this year.

In the back room, the vet was sucking on her
injured finger, staring at the cat in the cage. "If you
were nicer, we'd give you treats," she told Heaven.
"He'll be back in a few hours." The cat started to
howl.

A vet tech looked at the cat. "If you'd take a shit,
you could go home faster," she told the cat. The cat
turned her tail towards her and farted. "Yup,
you're one of those." She patted the young woman
on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll do it just as
soon as she figures out her father can't collect her
until she does." The cat promptly walked over to
the litter box and squatted, producing a very smelly
load. "See, I told you cats understood humans
perfectly." She cackled as she walked away.

"This one probably talks too," the vet muttered as
she walked away.

Heaven watched her go. Some humans annoyed
her. She would have to do something about that
half of humanity some day.

***

Philip gathered his little darling to him as soon as
the vet put her down. "Were we good?" he asked
her.

"She was fine," the vet lied. She carefully kept the
bandaid-covered hand out of his sight. "She's free
of all pests, and we gave her some flea medicine just
in case." She handed over a small bag. "This was
generously donated by one of the local cat food
companies to make you want to buy their products
at an outrageous price." They both smiled. "I
prefer to give my cats a multi-flavor mix, just so
they don't get bored with the food. Any of the
generics are usually good enough, just read the
labels. Oh, and she doesn't like fish flavored treats.
She spit one back at our vet tech when we tried to
give her one." She checked the chart. "Other than
that, everything looks fine." She closed it. "Do you
have any questions?"

Philip nodded and pulled a sheet of paper out of his
pocket. "I wrote 'em durin' practice. How often do
I clip her claws?"

The vet took the paper and looked it over, then
grabbed a nearby pamphlet. "Here, for new cat
parents," she told him. "It should help a lot." She
pointed at the last question. "As for obedience
training? Good luck." She gave him one last smile
and handed back the paper, then went to take
something for the pain in her hands.

Philip stuffed the pamphlet into the bag and decided
to take his darling to one of the local pet specialty
stores. Maybe they'd help him some more.

***

Philip opened the gold envelope carefully. Another
reassignment. It always happened whenever he got
too comfortable. He sighed in relief when he saw the
new assignment. He was assigned back in San
Francisco to help the diocese there with a
bequeathal they'd just received. A small private
family library had just run out of heirs, and their
collection of journals dating back to the first
missionary missions to the New World had been
given to the Church. Not a bad assignment, and no
hormonal teenagers anywhere nearby. He smiled
and picked up the phone next to his desk, dialing the
number. "Father Edmunds please." He listened to
the tinny music while he waited. "Father Greg," he
said happily. "You sent for me?" He listened as the
other priest gushed over his new collection of
journals. "Tha's fine. I can be there in about a
week or so, if'n you can find me housing." He
looked over at the headbutt he received. "And my
cat." He laughed. "Yes, I know I'm supposed ta
not love anything above God, but she's special ta
me. Very calming. Even helps me teach." His smile
got brighter. "Sure. Just give me a note where. I'll
be there in about a week." He made a note on the
letter and hung up, going to tell the Headmaster.
Hopefully the man could find someone who would
coach the soccer teams until he got back.

Heaven looked at the paper and frowned. This
would not do. Those people wouldn't accept her like
her pet human did. She glared and considered her
options. Eventually, she nodded and laid her head
back down. It would be fixed. She had said so.




Philip picked up the phone as quickly as he could,
not wanting to interrupt the test he was giving.
"Hello?" He listened, then sighed. "Am I to stay
here then?" He shook his head. "Fine. You tell
'im." He hung up and noticed everyone was staring
at him. "What? My new assignment got changed a
bit. Go back to your tests." He sat down and
thought about his options. He really didn't want to
go back to the house. It'd only cause him more
stress. He looked at his cat, who was giving him an
innocent look for some reason. He picked her up
and looked at her, then at the paper she had been
laying on. He gave her an appraising look, then
shook his head. "Fix it," he whispered in her ear.
"No goin' back there, they won't like cats." He put
her back down on the paper, watching her carefully.


Heaven decided it was time for a bath. Her will
would be done.

***

Philip tapped on the door and walked in, smiling at
his friend. "Got it all fixed?" he asked hopefully.

"Actually, we've had to pony up for an flat for you
after all," Father Greg told him with a strong
British accent, frowning at him. "It's not much, but
it's got a bed, a desk, and they accept cats." He
noticed the moving lump in Philip's bag. "That's
her then?"

Philip pulled his cat out to show her off. "Heaven,
this is Father Greg. We went ta seminary together."
Heaven carefully looked him over, then sneezed.
Philip smiled. "That's better than some she's done
recently."

Father Greg snickered. "I'm sure it was in the best
of all possible taste." He stood up and handed
Philip an envelope. "That's where your flat is. The
keys are in there, and they're expecting you
sometime today." He sat down again. "Your friends
seem to think that they're very busy right now and
that you'd get sucked back into doing their work for
them if you went back." Philip sighed.
"Personally," he said, his voice dropping. "I think
that their present bout of *good work* is going to
harm them all. The little boy that they're trying to
help nearly killed the exorcist the Church sent to his
family." Philip groaned. "They did invite you out if
you wanted to go."

Philip nodded. "I'll call 'em later tonight." He
stuffed the envelope into his jacket pocket. "Is there
anything else I need ta know?"

"Just that the journals are all authenticated, they
came that way. They won't be unpacked until
tomorrow, that's when we officially get them." He
rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Other
than that, you're allowed free run of the library, as
usual. Just please keep your personal research away
from the normal people, Father Philip." He smiled.
"You seem to have scared a novitiate last time."

Philip nodded. "I remember. I'll bring the books
home with me this time." He put Heaven back into
his bag. "We'll be off then. Dinner later this
week?"

"Sure. Give me a ring. I'll bring something over."
He watched as his friend left. Then he shook his
head. He wasn't sure how Philip had gotten
involved with the occult, but he was thankful that
the man knew what he was doing and was on the
side of Good. He looked down at his desk and
signed a form laying there, allowing the Church to
pay for Philip's apartment. It would keep him out
of trouble, and keep his cat away from the allergic
people at the rooming house. A useful expense,
much less than the allergy treatments would be.

***

Philip put down the phone, smiling in relief. The
Legacy house had an exorcist standing by this time,
he didn't have to run and save anyone. He relaxed
on his cot, looking around the spacious loft the
landlady had given him. Maybe it was a good thing
that the other apartment had a lot of smoke damage.
This place actually had enough room for him to
stretch out in. And it had furniture, real furniture,
not second-hand pieces with sharp springs sticking
out of it. And she promised him that this one
wouldn't cost the Church any more than the other
would have, even though it was nicer. The landlady
had even split her phone line so he could get calls.
She was a sweet and kind old lady, who had sworn
at the other tenet when he had come in. Heaven had
already examined every single inch of the place and
had shown her approval of where he'd put the litter
box. Yes, this would be a nice break for them.

Someone knocked on the door and he went to
answer it, frowning at the priest standing on the
other side. He hadn't known he was going to be
sharing it. "Yes?" he asked.

"Father Philip Callaghan?" Philip nodded and the
man handed over a small trunk. "These have been
left specifically for you in the Bottom Library," the
priest said grimly. "I was told to come give them to
you and to ask your intentions."

Philip opened the trunk and his mouth fell open.
"Who sent these?" He looked up, but the man was
gone. Apparently he had his answer. He closed the
door and put the small trunk on the bar, looking
through the small books. All occult in origin, and
none he'd ever seen before. He picked back up the
phone and dialed the island. "Derek, did ya send
me some books? No, I've just been handed a small
fortune in ones I've never seen." He looked around.
"Sure, whenever you've got time. I'll be here
tomorrow in the mornin'." He smiled and hung up.
His friends would be there for him this time too.
Heaven rubbed up against his leg, purring at him.
"Are ya hungry?" he asked her, reaching over to
grab the small bag of food. He found her bowl and
poured some into it, putting it on the floor for her.

She nudged his leg, then delicately ate a bite. Yes,
her pet was very well trained. She would enjoy
staying with him.

***

Derek and Nick looked around the spacious, for city
standards, studio apartment, then back at the priest
sitting at the table reading. "This is nice," Nick
agreed, sitting across from him. A small furry head
peeked at him around the book. "Who're you?" he
asked, letting it sniff his fingers. "You're pretty."

"That's Heaven and she'll bite," Philip warned
absently, taking a drink of his water.

The cat moved around the book, coming over to
investigate these new possible pets. Nick smelled
bitter, like those exploding caps that the boys
sometimes set off. She walked away from him
swishing her tail in his face.

"Kitty butt, great," Nick said dryly. "I guess she
doesn't like the smell of gunpowder on my hands."

Derek let her sniff his hand and she growled, her
ears flattening against her head. "Calm down, I like
cats," he assured her. "I used to have one of my
own." He pulled out a chair and sat down as well.
"Are those the new books?"

"I left them in the trunk, they're in the kitchen,"
Philip said, putting down the journal he was
reading. "I wasn't going to touch them without
someone telling me something about them. The
priest who dropped them off said they were left for
me in the Bottom Library." Nick looked confused.
"The occult section of the local Diocese archives," he
explained. "It's in the basement of the old archive
building in the very back." He petted his cat when
she walked up to him, earning a few purrs of
contentment. "He walked up, knocked on the door,
handed them over, and then left again." His cat
licked his fingers so he graciously used them behind
her ears to help her clean there. "There ya go," he
told her. She walked back to Nick and sat in front
of him, staring at him.

"Want me to pet you too?" he asked, holding out his
hands again. She sniffed then laid down, staring at
him. "I promise, I'm not going to harm your father,
Heaven."

"She's a very interesting cat," Derek said gently.
"Is she normal?"

Philip looked at him. "There's no such thing as a
normal cat," he reminded him. Then he smiled. "If
I think she's a bit more supernatural than other
cats, then I'm also sure she's harmless. After all,
she's the one who seems to have gotten me back
here."

"Have you tried the holy water test?" Nick asked.

"No, and I'm not about to either," Philip said
firmly. "She's not demonic, she's a cat."

"There are those who would argue they're one in the
same," Nick pointed out with a grin to show he was
joking. The cat batted at his fingers, making him
wince. "You need to trim her nails."

"I did that before we traveled," Philip told him. He
looked at Derek. "She's a normal cat, Derek."

"I'm sure you think she is. Whatever she is could be
clouding your mind." He pulled out a small vial.
"We could easily check."

"Try it," Philip sighed, leaning back to watch him.

Derek uncorked the vial and poured a few drops
onto the cat, making her hiss and bat at his hands.

Nick stood up and grabbed Philip's glass of water,
doing the same with normal water, which earned
him deep claw marks in his hand. "Oww!" Derek
helped him to the sink so they could be cleaned off
quickly.

Philip reached over to scratch that special spot in
front of her tail. "They wanted to make sure you're
a cat and not a demon," he told her. "Relax.
Groom the water away." She licked his fingers then
started to groom herself, getting that nasty wet stuff
off her. Her pet might be able to give her a bath,
but she would not let another smelly human do it.
She glared at the two men when they came back,
hissing again. "I think we've proven that she reacts
to holy water better than to regular water, wouldn't
you?"

"Yeah, I think she's a normal cat," Nick agreed,
holding the towel over his hand. "You've got to clip
those claws, Philip."

"I did two days ago." He held out her foot, letting
him see the blunt points. "She wanted your skin
badly," he said with a smile. "Can't blame her.
She'll only accept me giving her a bath."

"I see," Derek said, staring at the cat. The cat
looked at him then turned her back to clean her
other side. He looked at Philip again. "Do you
think she's supernatural?"

"I think all cats are," Philip pointed out.

"I agree," Nick put in. "Now what? Those books?"

"We probably should," Derek agreed, standing up
to get them and bring them back. The chest
displaced the cat and she showed her displeasure
with that fact by taking a chunk out of his hand as
well.

"Hey!" Philip warned. She curled up in front of
him, letting him pet her. "Thank you. You don't
attack those two unless they provoke you." She
sniffed again but kept her head down.

Derek shook his head as he opened the chest, pulling
out the first layer of books. "These are diaries," he
said finally, having flipped through them. "People
who have been possessed and diaries of those who
have dealt with the occult one way or another." He
picked up the next book and flipped through it.
"This one is by someone who gave themselves up
cheaply. The one underneath it is by someone who
dealt with it as we have."

"A Precept?" Nick asked. Derek let him see the
name embossed on the cover. "Hey, I remember
learning about him," he said fondly.

"Precept of the Paris house when it nearly went to
hell in the 1870's," Derek agreed, tossing it back into
the chest. "These are very important books, Philip.
Do you have any idea who saved them out for you?"
Philip shook his head. "Then I would suggest you
look upon it as a learning experience. You can only
be helped in your own studies with them." He put
everything back and closed the chest, but didn't
close the latch. The cat hopped up on top of it and
stared at him. "That is not a normal cat."

"Yeah, don't cats usually sit on top of opened
books?" Nick asked, looking at Derek.

"Mine always did," Derek agreed.

Philip shook his head. "She only does that when
we're in bed together and she thinks it's time for me
to go to sleep," he said, giving his cat a fond look.
"She takes care of me."

"You need someone to," Nick agreed. Philip
swatted at him. "Hey, don't give her any ideas. I'll
have scars from this set. It's a good thing I don't
have a pet anymore."

Heaven walked over and looked at him, then
bumped her nose against his chest and sat down.
This one knew her pet well enough, she could
tolerate him until she had him trained better. She
didn't like taking in strays, but she would this time.

"Gee, thanks," Nick said, petting her gently, a long
stroke down her back. "You are rather pretty."

"I found her in a dumpster after a school dance,"
Philip told him. "She got famous for sneaking down
to sit in my history classes, especially those on the
Revolutionary War. Seemed to hate most of what
was in the books."

Derek laughed. "I'm sure it will be fine, Philip. She
seems darling." He kept the rest of his opinion to
himself. "I think the books should be safe enough
for you to go through and learn from. If nothing
else, they'll help you deal with the amount of
strangeness that happens in this city." He stood up.
"We'll let you get back to your studies." Nick didn't
stand up, he was still petting the cat, staring into her
eyes. "Nick?"

Nick started then stood up with a grin for his friend.
"Call me and we'll do supper, I'll even buy," he told
Philip as he followed Derek out the door.

Philip grabbed his cat, scooting her back across the
table. "C'mere, you. Suckin' up ta Nick now?"
She purred. "I guess you do like him after all,
huh?" He scratched her ears for her, earning a lot
of loving attention. He liked his cat.

***

Philip looked up, noticing his cat was swishing her
tail angrily as she walked toward the door. "What's
happened now?" he asked, heading that way
himself. He opened it and found Nick collapsed on
his doorstep. "Nick?" he called, bending down to
check him. "He's living. Heaven, get out of the
way." He drug Nick into his apartment, then
hoisted him onto the couch. It was the nearest soft
surface. He left to get some cloths and water, and
found his cat trying to lick one of the wounds closed.
"None of that yet," he told her, shooing her off
Nick's chest. "We'll do it this way for now and then
we'll do it the other way." He cleaned him as best
he could, bandaging the few open wounds he could
find, then picked up the phone to dial the house. No
answer. He hit redial, nesting the phone between his
ear and shoulder as he cut Nick's shirt off him.
"Come on," he muttered, listening to it ring.
Finally, the answering machine picked up. "It's
Philip, I have Nick and he's injured. I'll keep trying
back." He hung up and gave it five minutes. Again
with the machine. He started to pace, trying to
remember anyone else's cellphone numbers.

Heaven frowned then nudged Nick's pocket, making
his keys drop out of them.

"Of course," Philip said, going over to check him for
his phone. He'd have the most current numbers on
there. He found it, but it wasn't working. He could
access the phone book though and wrote down all
the numbers before trying Derek's. He got an
answer, a nurse at the hospital. "Hello, I just found
the person who the cellphone you're on's best friend
bloody and bleeding. How is Derek Rayne?" The
nurse said something about knowing it was him and
handed the phone to someone else. Alex. "Alex," he
sighed. "I've got Nick, he's bleeding and beaten.
Where do you want him?" He looked at the body.
"No, he's unconscious, but not badly off. Yeah, for
a bit. No, the cat's loving this, she's trying to wake
him up." He laughed nervously. "What
happened?" He frowned at the silence. "Better yet,
do you need me?" He sighed. "Fine, I'll stay here.
A what?" He searched Nick again, coming up with
the small coin. "Yeah, he's got it." He smiled and
hung up. "All right, Nick, now you'd better tell me
what's going on this time. Alex seemed like she's
become a clam." He checked on Nick, then went to
brew himself some tea and fill up his water filter
pitcher. Nick would need one and he needed the
other badly.

Heaven didn't like this, strays weren't supposed to
be sick this way. Had he been hit by a car? He
smelled like a nasty, dirty car. She started to howl
in misery. Her other pet hurried over and picked
her up, hugging and soothing her. She told him
about the car, but he apparently didn't understand
cat. Stupid humans, they were all illiterate. She
huffed in disgust, wiggling to get down. Then she
jumped back onto the stray's chest, watching him to
make sure he didn't slip away on them.

"Good, you watch him, I'm having some tea," Philip
told her. She would howl again if something
happened to Nick, he was sure of it. He sat down in
his chair, staring at Nick's body as he sipped his tea.
When he moaned, Heaven sat up and looked down
at him, looking like she was encouraging him to
open his eyes. "How are you feeling? Should I call
an ambulance?"

"I feel like shit, but I don't think I need a hospital,"
Nick groaned, turning his head and opening his
eyes. A cold nose made him look at his rider. "Hey,
Heaven," he said, scratching her gently. "I'm sorry
I worried you." She settled herself on his chest,
cleaning her paws. "Thanks." He looked at Philip
again, noticing what was in his hand. "Shit, give
that," he said, holding out a hand.

Philip tossed it over. "What is it?"

"It was being held by the church, but the person
holding it was a bit too pure. Only the corrupt can
use it. It burns you and it could release the thing
that this is the lock to."

Philip looked at him. "Then what am I? It didn't
burn me."

"No, it didn't," Nick said, looking at it. "I hope
Derek didn't switch them." He tried to move, but
the sharp claws dissuaded him. "Fine, I'm laying
here," he told her. "Philip, may I have some
water?"

"Of course. Want a straw too?" he asked with a
touch of humor as he walked into the kitchen to get
his friend some.

"I guess since she's not letting me up. Where is
Derek? Did you call him?"

"He's in the hospital and Alex knows you're here,"
Philip told him as he came back with the glass of
water. He handed it over. "May I? Since it didn't
burn me." Nick handed back the coin and he
looked it over, translating the words. "This isn't
what Derek thinks it is," Philip said, going to get
one of the journals he had been given. "One of the
former Precepts left in the Church's care." He
found the journal and brought it back, flipping to
find the right section. "Here it is," he said, handing
them both over. He took his cat so Nick could sit
up, with many moans of pain. "You sure you don't
want the hospital?"

"I'd rather not have that around a lot of people,"
Nick told him as he read. He finished his water,
putting down the glass, so Philip got him some more.
Nick put the journal down. "Then Derek was wrong
and we've got false information," Nick told him.
"Where's my cell?"

"Not getting a signal. I called using my phone to
Derek's cell, which Alex was given." He tossed over
the phone.

Nick hit the redial button, listening to the ringer.
"Alex," he sighed. "We've got the wrong
information. No, the journals Philip were given
have it in there. No, it didn't burn him." He
smiled. "That's good to know. No, I'm at Philip's
still. Sure, I'll stay here until the boss gets out of the
hospital. Yeah, I'm fine. Bit banged up. The car
was going slow when it hit me. Thanks." He hung
up.

"Car?"

"Car, going about twenty miles an hour," Nick
admitted with a grimace. "Came around a corner,
out of nowhere. Had a parking sticker for the
Diocese lot." He grimaced. "I think someone
doesn't like this coin being out of their grasp."

"Of course not, it makes them feel like they can't
control the beast," Philip said as he sat down, after
having removed his cat from his seat. "We've got to
deal with that thing."

"If we destroy it, then the spell holding the demon in
situ will be broken."

"If we don't, then we're putting a demonic entity
into the hands of the Legacy," Philip pointed out.
"Has anyone called London?"

"We don't like the guy who took up after Sloan went
to hell," Nick admitted with a faint smile. "He hates
Derek with a passion."

"Hmm, I wonder why. There's so few annoying
traits there to hate," Philip said dryly. Nick
laughed, grabbing his chest. "Sorry."

"It's okay, it's nice to laugh. Things have been a bit
stressful these last few months." He laid down again
and Heaven jumped up onto his free side. "Hello,
you. Are you adopting me?" She purred and
nudged him to get some loving. Loving a cat always
made one feel better, no matter what was wrong
with you. He gently stroked her, which suited her
just fine.

"If she does, I'm sure you'll break it to her gently
why you can't stay," Philip pointed out with a smile
for his cat. "He has a home to go to, he's just
running away." She sniffed and settled in more
firmly on his side.

"I don't think she likes that answer," Nick offered,
smiling. He grunted as he tried to move. "Sorry,
dear." He settled in again. "So, what is your idea?"

"Putting the token somewhere it can't be found,"
Philip told him. "Nor used."

"Philip, there are people all over this earth. There
aren't places like that anymore."

"There are," Philip said with a slight smile. "At
least for the next seventy years or so."

"Underwater?"

"It's not going to disintegrate."

"We don't know that," Nick told him. "We never
tried to put it into water, and especially not
saltwater or water that's had chemicals dumped into
it."

"We can waterproof it," Philip reminded him.
"One of those vacu-seal things like they use in the
kitchens. Then a large lead box and bury it under
some of the sand."

"Yeah, I guess we could," Nick agreed. "I'll suggest
that when Derek comes back." He started to pet the
kitten again. "This would have been so much easier
if you had been back. This, and the last three
cases."

"I'm a priest, Nick, I go where God calls."

Heaven looked at him and meowed.

"You're a Goddess, not a God," Philip said
tolerantly. "Besides, that means we'd have to live at
his home. With Derek and a few women." She
settled in again, grumbling. Women smelled nasty.
All that fake shit they wore annoyed her. Why
couldn't they be clean?

"I don't think she likes women," Nick said dryly.
Heaven nudged him to tell him he was right.

"Probably the perfumes they wear or something,"
Philip said as he shifted so he could cross his legs.
"Want some more water?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Nick agreed. "Filter
pitcher?"

"It was left for me," Philip said with a shrug as he
stood up, getting himself some more tea and Nick
some more water. When he came back, his cat was
resting with her eyes closed, though not asleep, on
Nick and he was looking like he was going to join
her in a nap. He set the water on the floor beside
Nick's head, then sat down to reread the section on
that coin. He had only skimmed the journal earlier.

***

Alex knocked on the door, scanning the hallway.
Philip and his cat opened the door and she gave one
a hug. "How are you? Where's Nick?"

"Sleeping," Philip told her. "Get Derek, there's
some information you don't have." She looked
stunned. "I've got the journal of a former Precept
and in it he even says why he put in false
information." She jogged down the stairs, going to
get Derek and help him back inside. Philip left the
door cracked while he went to make tea. "Heaven,"
he warned, not looking. He knew she had her nose
stuck out the door. She trotted in to help him, she
was fascinated by the loose tea he used. Liked to
play in it too if he left it open. He hadn't made that
mistake after the first time. The door closed and
Philip put on the water. "Journal's beside the chair.
Nick's resting," he called.

"Thank you," Derek called weakly, sitting down
with a sigh of relief. He ached. The journal had
three ribbons, obviously played with by little claws,
marking spots. He turned to the first one and read.

Philip poured some tea, setting out the bottle of milk
and the box of sugar packets on the table, then
brought the tea over. "Tea," he called.

"Thank you," Alex said, giving him a hug. "What
happened to Nick?"

"He said a car going about twenty. Came out of
nowhere. Belonged to the Church he thinks."

She grimaced but then jumped when the cat seemed
to appear in front of her. "What are you?"

"Derek asked that same question," Nick said dryly
from his resting spot. "She's a normal cat, I saw her
jump." He looked at Derek. "You look rough."

Derek looked over at him. "I could say the same. Do
you still have the coin?"

"Yes, and I found it and touched it and it didn't
burn, smoke, or hurt me," Philip told him.
"Verifying the information in that journal."

Derek grimaced, but flipped to the next ribbon,
reading it, his face falling. He went to the last one
and shook his head. "Was that in the trunk?"

"Second layer on the left," Philip told him as he
brought over a cup of tea. "There you are."

"Thank you." Derek sipped it, watching the cat as
it stalked back to Nick's side and hopped up on him.
"No broken ribs?"

"Thankfully not, she's been using him as a seat for
the last few hours," Philip told him, sitting on the
floor.

"Philip, want me to bring one of the dining room
chairs out?" Alex asked.

"No thanks, I could use the floor. Good for my back
and all that." He smiled at her. "It's still frozen."

"I see." Derek took the coin from Alex, who took it
from Nick, and looked it over. "It does seem to be
frozen. Have the words changed?"

"One letter but that's not the freeing sign," Philip
reminded him. Derek nodded. "Nick and I came up
with a plan."

"Really?" Alex asked. "What?"

"We want to use one of those vacuum suck machines
to waterproof it, put it in a lead box, and bury it
under the sea," Nick told her. "Philip came up with
it."

"You helped," Philip told him. "You figured out
where."

"Where?" Alex asked.

"At the Barbados dig we're doing of that wrecked
galleon."

"That would work," Derek agreed. "We wouldn't
be able to use lead though, it would pollute the
water. Silver might work."

"It'd make it look valuable," Alex pointed out.
"Steel?"

"Iron," Philip said before taking a sip of tea.
"Traditional, so anyone would recognize it. Inscribe
it in Aramaic or something similar as a warning."

"Easily done," Derek agreed, nodding. "I like that
idea. What about until we can get it down there?"
He looked at the coin again. "The pictures are
starting to move." He handed it to Philip when he
held out his hand, hissing when he saw it was
stopped. "The information we got was counter," he
admitted.

"He gave you half-truths," Philip pointed out. "It
must have been spinning with all that suppressed
lust at the Diocese." He tucked it into his pocket.
"It can stay here with me and the cat until you've
got the box ready."

"That's fine," Derek agreed, smiling at him. "I'm
sure your cat will be an excellent guardian of it."

Alex looked at the men. "Huh?"

"Derek thinks my cat is demonic or somehow
supernatural," Philip told her before finishing off
his tea. "Tried the holy water test and everything."

"Is that where you both got the scratches?" Nick
and Derek nodded. "Good! You deserve it. Cats
hate water."

"I know, but this one liked holy water better than
regular water," Nick told her. "That's why I got
deeper ones." He stroked her again. "I'm sorry
about that, we were trying to figure you out." She
gave him a steady look and he laughed. "I think she
just gave me a 'you stupid idiot' look, Derek."

"She's been known to give those to my students as
well," Philip agreed lightly. "The day after helping
me grade a test actually. Got the two brightest
students in there as well. Didn't like them at all.
Hates females."

Alex laughed. "I guess that's why I'm not getting
loved."

"Probably," Derek agreed. "Nick, did you want to
stay and guard him?" Nick shrugged. "Either is
fine with us."

"Then I'll stay. She seems to think that I needed to
run away from home."

Derek shook his head. "You have a very nice home,
Nick, you don't have to run away from it." He
looked at the cat. "Really, he does. We have all sorts
of space for him to roam." The cat sniffed and
cleaned her nose. "Fine, you adopt him as well. I'm
sure you'll give him up after a night of his chili." He
stood up with a moan and Alex helped him. "Philip,
seal that token. I'll have the box ready in two days."
He walked out, taking the journal with him.

Nick looked at him. "It okay if I sleep here?"

"Sure. I'll get you a sheet." Philip heaved himself
up, going to get things to make Nick comfortable.
"I'll sneak into the Diocese kitchen tomorrow to seal
that, we've got a machine in there." He came out
with a pillow, sheet, and blanket. "Here you are."

"Thanks, Philip. I'll wait in the car, they'll know
something's up if I go in."

"They probably already know if they hit you near
my place," Philip pointed out. He smiled and took
his cat. "Come along, it's time for us to be in bed as
well. I need you to purr me to sleep again." He
walked behind the changing screen and then went to
bed. His cat firmly nestled herself on his pillow,
purring in his ear. At least until the pet was asleep,
then she went to check on the other pet. He was
nearly asleep, so she hopped up to sit on his head
and purr at him as well. It seemed to help these
fragile pets. She'd have to remember that.

***

Philip strolled into the Diocese kitchen, nodding at
the nun making herself a sandwich. "Just up for a
bit," he assured her with a smile. "Bringing back
the first set of translations for the first few
journals."

"How are they coming, father?"

"Good," he assured her, making his own sandwich.
Then he casually pulled down the vacuum-sealer
machine and inserted the coin into a bag. He
slopped together his lunch while it worked, watching
it now and again. She craned her neck to see.
"Found it in a box of stuff and wanted it
appraised," he told her. "Ancient I think, if it's not
a copy."

"Oh. That's a wonderful discovery." She gave him
a warm smile. "Have fun with your new coin." She
left him alone, going to eat outside.

He smiled and nibbled on his lunch, cutting off the
bag once it was done and putting the machine away.
He wrapped everything up and headed back to the
car, where Nick was resting again. "We're done for
the day. Want some chips?" Nick took the bag with
a smile and started the small car. His was in the
shop and he hated this rental. "Home?"

"Sure, or a park," Nick agreed.

"Park, it's a pretty day and Heaven can handle
herself for a bit." Nick headed them that way.
"How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I've had some medicine," Nick
admitted, turning them toward the water.
"Riverfront area?"

"There's a beautiful park down there," Philip
agreed. "I missed it while I was gone." When they
got there, they took their lunches out to sit beneath a
tree, nibbling away as they watched the people go
by. By the time they were done, they had only
received two or three funny looks. A priest and a
normal guy in jeans eating lunch together under a
tree was apparently a little odd even for San
Francisco. They went back to Philip's place, where
the coin was put into the trunk with the books, and
the cat was fed because she was rather pissed at the
empty state of her food bowl. Philip settled in to
clean the litterbox while Nick read a magazine.

"They make self-cleaning ones," Nick pointed out.

"They're eighty bucks each and I can just as easily
do it by hand," Philip told him.

"I'm getting you one for Christmas," Nick said,
going back to his reading. A little furry body
wormed past the edge he was holding and settled
into his lap. "Hello, Heaven. Not helping the
daddy?"

"She'll use it in a moment." Philip tied the plastic
bag and took it down to the dumpster, waving at the
Church official sitting in the parking lot across the
street. He walked back upstairs. "The Bishop is
across the street."

Nick looked at him. "Us or a mistress?"

"Nick," Philip warned.

"What? It's even caught some news attention.
She's in her thirties, has a daughter, and everyone's
sure it's his." He turned the page, ruffling the cat's
fur. She huffed and got up, going to sit with the
other human. "Sorry."

"She wants to play and we're not obliging her,"
Philip told him, petting his cat gently. "Go play
with the jingly things the landlady gave you." The
cat hopped down, heading for the door. "Visitors."
He stood up to answer it, surprising the Bishop.
"Sorry, sir, but she's a wonderful alarm."

The Bishop looked down at the cat. "Hello. Who're
you?"

"That's Heaven," Philip said as he let the older man
in. "Nick, you probably know the Bishop?"

"Hello, Mr. Boyle. How are you today?"

"All right. We're waiting on word from a friend to
see if he's going to end up in the hospital or not," he
said in a bored tone of voice. "Heaven, bring me a
toy and we'll play." He slid to the floor so the other
man could have the seat. She scampered off,
bringing him a ball. She liked to chase the balls. He
rolled it past the Bishop's feet.

Philip shook his head. "Heaven adopted me at my
last post. Loved the children." He sat down. "I'd
offer you something, but I don't have much. I had
to eat out of the Diocese kitchen for lunch."

"That's fine," the Bishop said with a smile. "I had
forgotten that you used to work for the Luna
Foundation."

"I still do, I do some translation work now and then
when they need it," Philip told him.

"Derek's supposed to be getting tests run today,"
Nick told him.

"Which means he's probably at home in bed
whining about the injustice of being sick," Philip
agreed. He looked at the Bishop again. "Why were
you over this way, sir?"

"I came to check on how you were doing."

"I handed in my translations today for the first
few," Philip told him. "They were relatively easy,
I'm sure a few others could have done it."

"So did I," he said grimly, "but they thought
differently. They said it had to be you." He
shrugged and looked around the place. "This is
nice."

"I was originally supposed to have the room
downstairs but it had smoke damage. The landlady
is giving us this one for the same price," Philip
assured him. "Very efficient and all, authorized by
you if I remember right."

"More like my assistant, Marcus," the Bishop told
him. The cat came back. "Are you keeping her?"

"She keeps me company while I do my lonely work,"
Philip told him. "She likes books and we get on well
enough."

"I see." The Bishop looked at Nick again, then at
Philip. "Would you happen to know anything about
an accident in the area last night?"

Nick raised his hand. "That was me they were
trying to kill, the other reason I'm here. This way I
get watched much closer." The cat nudged his hand
so he rolled the ball again. "Mostly by her."

"Ah." The Bishop smiled at Philip. "Were you
aware that there was a theft in the library
recently?"

"No, I haven't been down there. Someone handed
me a few books, some older journals in my area of
expertise, but I haven't had to go into the actual
building itself," Philip told him. He handed over the
one he was reading. "This was one of them."

"Why isn't this one in the Special Collections
room?" the Bishop asked as he examined the book.

"Because the author was possessed and that's her
counseling journal," Philip told him. It was quickly
handed back and the Bishop wiped his hands on his
pants. "I made sure it was consecrated first, Your
Holiness, I'd never hand you a book like that
without it first."

"Thank you, Father Philip. You've always been
thoughtful that way. Odd, but thoughtful." He
stood up. "How long do you think it will take you?"

"Maybe another month to get through all them.
The journals are in a form of Latin, the dialect the
Church used for centuries. I'm doing about three a
week or so."

"That's fine. Thank you for your help." He glanced
at Nick again, who looked up and smiled. "Father, I
have to ask this, are you involved with him?"

Nick and Philip both burst out in laughter. "I'd no
more have him as mine than I would Derek Rayne,"
Philip assured him. "We only share a few interests.
We're friends, nothing more."

"Good. Thank you, my boy. Have fun with your
work." He left, heading down the stairs as quickly
as he could.

Philip went to get the coin and put it under the
mostly clean litter. "I'd like to see him search
through that," he said with a smile for Nick's
benefit.

"I'd like to see that too," Nick agreed.

Heaven did her part by dirtying the litter a little
more.

***

Derek knocked on Philip's door, smiling as it was
opened by Nick and the cat. "I see she still adores
you. Haven't made chili yet?"

"I made some last night and she ate some of the
meat," Nick told him as he let him in. "Philip, it's
Derek."

"That's fine," Philip called from the bathroom.
"Let him get the coin out."

Nick walked over to the litterbox and picked up the
scoop. "Here you go, bossman."

"Why do I get all the glamorous jobs?" Derek
joked, getting down to shift through the litter until
he found it. "Ah, there we are." He popped the
plastic pouch into the box and sealed it. "We're
having it soldered shut in an hour."

"Cool," Nick told him. "Does that mean we're
done?"

"Nearly." Derek looked over as the bathroom door
opened and fumes came out. "That's a strong
cleaner."

"The diocese cut housing funding," Nick said
bitterly. "The bishop showed up yesterday to talk to
him and announced the cut today."

"Philip, you know you always have a room at the
house."

"For him and the cat?" Nick asked.

"If he wants to bring her, he may," Derek conceded.

Philip smiled and stamped down all his objections
and worries. "I'll be out tonight. Thank ya."

"You're welcome. Simply keep the litterbox in your
room."

"I can do that," Philip agreed. He looked at his cat.
"Want to go to Nick's home, make sure it's a proper
place for your pets?" She rubbed against his legs,
purring at him. "Good girl." He smiled at Derek.
"Give me an hour and I'll be packed if you can
wait."

"That's fine. I have the Range Rover with me." He
sat down, holding the box tightly. The cat came
over to stare at him. "Yes, little one?" She meowed
but didn't move any closer. "You'll like the castle.
It's very large and you'll have room to roam.
Possibly even some mice to hunt," he told her. She
seemed satisfied by that answer because she hopped
into the chair and groomed herself. "I'm sure
Rachel will adore you," he told the cat.

Nick coughed. "Please, don't let them meet yet.
Take that meeting slowly," he pleaded. Derek
looked at him. "You know how she is about strange
things, Derek, and Heaven is nothing if not
strange."

"True," Derek agreed. "We'll have to slowly
integrate her into the house."

Philip walked over from his packing. "Do you think
Rachel will hurt her?"

"No," Derek said firmly. "She'd never hurt an
animal, but I can't see her tolerating strange
behavior either. You might want to have a talk with
your cat about leaving her alone for now."

"At least until Alex and I can give her stories about
Heaven," Nick put in.

Philip nodded. "That's fine. I'll try to make her
behave." He walked back and brought out his bag.
"Nearly done."

"You can leave the food," Nick suggested. Philip
looked at him. "Or donate it."

"Good point." Philip grabbed a small box of things
he definitely wanted and everything else went into
plastic bags so it could be donated to a shelter for
children. They always needed more stuff. He
washed the few dishes, then swept the floor while
they were waiting. When it was time to go, he
emptied the litter box and took out the trash, then
packed everything of his into the back, including his
cat, who went into the special carrier Nick had
gotten for her, a large cardboard box. "Think she'll
be all right?"

"She'll be fine," Nick agreed. "You'll be waiting out
here anyway."

"Good point." Philip climbed into the back and
tapped the box. "Behave, it'll only be for an hour or
so," he told her. She scratched pitifully. "Derek
won't let you run around in the car, Heaven, so
behave. I'll get you out when we stop for a bit."
She meowed and scratched again.

"As long as you hold her," Derek told him, turning
around to see the cat as she emerged. "If she gets
loose, back into the box she goes." The cat gave him
a pathetic look. "That doesn't work with me, I had a
Persian."

She settled down to knead her father's legs for him.
She would get that man later if her master allowed.

***

Philip set down the litterbox and filled it with the
clean litter he had bought her. "There you are," he
told her, watching as she scampered into it. She
hadn't used it in over three hours and she needed it.
Then he sat down, watching as she explored the
room. "As soon as you're comfortable, I'll bring you
downstairs with me," he assured her. "The house is
very large and I don't want you to get lost." She
sniffed at the closet, going inside there and coming
back out. He picked her up, looking into her eyes.
"You pick your hiding spots up here," he said
firmly. "No hiding in the rest of the castle." She
licked his nose so he let her down onto the bed.
"Explore, Heaven, I'm gonna be right here."

She explored the bed, kneading a pillow to make
sure it was firm enough, then hopped down and
went to look over the rest of the room. There were
some fun spots she could get into, but the room
suited her overall. It was more than clean enough
and she was happy enough with it. She padded into
the bathroom, examining it as well. She noticed the
other door and wandered through it, startling her
other pet. She sniffled around his things, letting him
laugh for now. He had a few interesting things as
well, plus more comfy napping spots that got sun.
She headed back to her main pet's room, liking this
idea a lot. Now she wouldn't have to search all over
for her pet. She scratched, without using her claws,
on the door, making her pet look over. She meowed
for him to open it.

"Fine, let's go see Nick's room then," Philip told her,
picking her up and walking to the next room over.
Nick opened the door and she meowed at him.

"She's already seen mine, we have a connecting
bathroom," Nick told him. "Come on, sweetie, let's
show you the library so you can find your daddy
whenever you want." Philip shook his head but
followed Nick down the stairs, taking her to the
library.

Heaven jumped down, heading to examine the soft
things under the windows. Then the tables were
looked over. Then the bookcases. Then she found
the stairs and the ladder for the higher shelves.

"Heaven, no," Philip warned as she tried to climb
the ladder. He rushed up to get her. "You're not
allowed on the top shelves. Derek won't let ya."

She struggled but he wouldn't put her up there. She
went limp, seeming to acquiesce. He put her down
onto the floor and she headed for the window seat
up there. It was amazing, she could see all sorts of
birds from up here! She heard footsteps and ran off,
going to play on the bottom level again.

"Kitty!" a childish voice said in joy. "Mom, look, a
cat!"

"It's my cat," Philip called, smiling at the young
girl. "Katherine, meet Heaven. Heaven, this is
Katherine. You behave with her."

The cat sniffed her hand then trotted off to nap in
the bright spot of sunlight on the table. This was
nice. She stayed there even when the adults came
in, she had claimed this spot, it was hers. One
human sneezed.

"Are you allergic?" Philip asked.

"No, summer cold," Rachel told him, smiling at him.
"Good to see you back, Philip. How long are you
here for this time?"

"At least a month, I'm translating the journals the
local Diocese got donated to them."

"Ah." She nodded, pointing at the cat. "Yours?"

"Heaven," he told her.

"She's very pretty. Is she fixed?"

"The vet she first saw said she had already been
fixed," Philip told her. "I figured she'd know." He
smiled at Kat. "You've got to be gentle with her.
She doesn't like sudden movements."

"But if you roll a bell-ball, she'll instantly be your
friend until she's bored," Nick quipped, taking his
usual seat. "So, bossman, how long before the box
reaches Barbados?"

"Six hours." He looked at the cat, who was in his
way. "Philip, please move her."

Philip grabbed Heaven and shifted her out of
Derek's way, putting her in front of him. She sighed
and got up, going back to the sunny spot and
flopped back down again. She glared at Derek,
daring him to try and move her. "Heaven," Philip
warned. "Keep it up and have to stay upstairs.
This is Derek's house."

"That's why I never had a cat, I never wanted to
have to play dom against one," Rachel told
everyone. Most everyone laughed.

Derek pulled out a squirt gun and hit her with a
short spray, making her hiss and jump up. "I said
move." She glared at him but didn't move. He hit
her on the nose and she scampered back to her pet's
side. "Thank you." He wiped off the table and put
the folder down in the sunny spot. She walked back
over and plopped down on it with a sigh.

Nick stood up and grabbed the cat, holding it this
time. "Don't do that, he's mean, he'll give you a real
bath," he told her, petting her gently.

She relaxed into his arms, letting him hold her for
now. The annoying human would get his later.
Since he thought he owned the house, let's see if he
liked her host's gifts.

Derek shook his head. "Try to keep her off the top
of the bookcases if possible as well, Philip."

"We've already had that discussion," Philip assured
him. "Someone left the ladders down."

Derek snorted. "I'm sure we'll figure out how to get
her down soon enough. The squirt gun is open to
any of you who need it." He tapped the folder.
"The next case was waiting on us when we came in.
It appears to be a possessed house."

"Like haunted?" Nick asked.

"More like in that movie Poltergeist," Alex told him.
"Things turn on and off, the lights blink, the house
shakes." She got comfortable. "I went out there
last night and looked at it, but there wasn't anything
I could find. The records search didn't indicate
anything unusual either. A new house in a formerly
treeed over lot. Built by the current owners, who
are both in psychiatric care, reputable firm doing
the contracting. Nothing reused in the construction
from somewhere else according to the contractor."

Rachel cleared her throat. "Have we proven it's not
a prank?"

"No electrical signals anywhere," Alex told her. "As
a matter of fact, the owners had the power turned
off because they were afraid it was something in the
wiring and the lights still go on and off."

"What about the lot?" Philip asked. "Anything on
it?"

"Not a thing," Alex told him. "The usual transfers
of deeds and those sorts of things, but nothing that
indicated anyone ever lived or died there."

"What about the owners?" Nick asked.

"They've got some background, that's why they
called us directly when the strange stuff continued,"
Alex admitted. "I used to work with the wife. The
husband wisely invested in Microsoft when it first
went public. Cashed out six months before the big
collapse. They're comfortable, carefully give to
charity, and pretty much keep to themselves. She
had a few enemies from the time she worked in
Social Services. Most of them check out as still
living and those that don't their cases aren't flagged
for violent letters or threats. She checked that and
gave me the list. I'm running it right now, but so far
I have nothing."

"What about children?" Rachel asked.

"None," Alex told her. "She had rheumatic fever as
a child and he didn't like them." She looked at
Derek again. "They don't play with the occult, they
don't even read their horoscopes."

"Hmm. Could we have someone targeting them as a
joke, or as practice?" Philip asked. "Some teenaged
user who just figured it out and they're not the best
givers of Halloween candy?"

"I've looked for neighbors, but there hasn't been
anyone living in the houses near there for years,"
Alex told him. "That's why they moved out to that
community."

"Why haven't people lived out there?" Nick asked.

"The community as a whole was built back in the
fifties, one of those 'we want to be rich next to
nature' sort of places," Alex explained. "The
community was full, but when the dot-coms crashed
a lot of the people lost their life savings so they sold
their expensive houses and moved into something
more modest."

"But because the money was slowly leaving the
Silicon Valley, and therefore the city, no one's
bought the houses up," Nick finished. Alex nodded.

"Is there anything in any of the other houses?"
Rachel asked. "Maybe a spirit decided to move over
because it was bored."

"I checked. There hasn't been a single registered
violent death in that community. Two heart attacks,
six strokes, and a died in the middle of the night, but
nothing else," Alex told her. "No prior reports of
anything."

"Then could it be someone out of their body?" Kat
asked. "I know that puts a big strain, but we've
seen it happen."

"Very goot point," Derek agreed, smiling at her.
"That is a plausible explanation, especially if they're
stuck out of their body."

"That might work," Alex admitted. "One of their
neighbors, on the other side of the community
commons, had a car crash and is in a coma. Fairly
standard accident, someone drunk ran into her.
Drunk person walked away and she didn't."

"Have there been any neighbors reported missing?"
Kat asked.

"One, but that was nearly ten years ago," Alex told
her. Derek looked interested. "She went missing on
a hiking trip in Big Sur. They found her body
during the spring rains, washed down from a place
that had an avalanche during that time." She
checked her notes. "Her family moved out of the
area after her death and moved to Connecticut to be
with the rest of their family. The woman who died
was a devout Muslim. Again, no children of her
own. She was a stepmother and had only been
married eleven months." She looked up. "If it's
her, then she's in the wrong house, on the wrong
street, and is bothering the wrong people."

"Why didn't our victims buy one of the empty
houses?" Nick asked.

"They said they didn't like them. A few needed
some maintenance work. Two needed new roofs. A
few weren't in styles they liked. It was cheaper to
build their own and the community board is
thinking about tearing down those houses."

"What about natives?" Philip asked. "Could this be
that?"

"As far as has been documented, there wasn't a
tribe who lived there. On the other side of the city,
but not directly in that area. It may have been a
hunting ground, but no one thinks any Natives ever
lived there."

"Then we're back to haunting the wrong house,
trapped out of their body, and a user who's using
them as a test case," Rachel sighed.

"Or an interdimensional portal," Nick offered.
"We've seen one of those, a mirror but it could be
that they're seeing a phase-shifted existence."

Rachel looked at him. "You can't prove that and we
can't fix that. Why even bring it up?"

"I don't know," Nick said, looking down at the cat
staring up at him. "Was that you?" She pretended
to go back to sleep. He let her go and she
immediately went to plop down in the sunny spot
again. This time it had moved so she was only half
on the folder. Nick, Philip, and Kat laughed at her
antics.

"Nick, cats aren't telepathic," Rachel reminded him.

"But we have seen it before and it is a possible
explanation," Derek agreed. "Kat, have you seen
anything?"

"Not a bit, Derek, sorry." She shrugged and looked
at Philip. "You think she'll talk to me?"

"I don't know, she doesn't seem to like girls as much
as she does boys," Philip told her.

"I think it's the perfume stuff," Nick told him.
"Girls wash with scented soaps, put on scented
deodorant, then put on perfume or scented powder.
She's got to be sensitive to the stench."

"Hey!" Alex protested.

"To her nose, you probably do smell," Philip agreed.
"Cats are have very sensitive noses."

"Then why can they clean their butts with their
tongues, and then lick their fur?" Rachel snorted.

"Because they know how they're supposed to smell
and they don't use toilet paper?" Nick suggested.

"Speak of, where is the litterbox?" Alex asked.

"My room," Philip assured her. "It'll be the only
one. She can run for it if she needs it."

"That's good. I'll tell Dominick to leave your
bedroom door open," Alex said, making herself a
note.

"Tell him I'll clean up any mess she makes," Philip
said easily, grinning at her. "She's very clean. Not
even a hairball yet."

"Give it time, you'll all be covered in cat fur soon
enough," Rachel said wisely as she stood up. "Want
me to go back to the house with Alex?"

"No, I'm going," Kat told her. Her mother stared
down at her. "If it is a spirit, maybe it'll talk to me.
They *do* like me, mom." She smiled at Alex.
"When are you going back?"

"Tomorrow after lunch. I'll swing by your school,
it's on the way." Alex looked at Rachel, who
nodded, but didn't look happy. "Thanks, Kat."
She looked at Derek. "That's as far as I've gotten."

"That's fine. Tell me if you need anything," he said
with a smile. She nodded and got up, taking Kat to
brief her and ask her suggestions on a new coat she
wanted. He moved the folder, which pissed off the
cat, but she only glared at him. Sleeping in the sun
was a pleasure she wasn't going to give up for
*him*.

***

Heaven looked around the empty room. Then up at
where her pet was still reading. She got up and
went to make sure he got proper rest. After all,
humans were pitiful creatures because they didn't
nap. She plopped down on his book, staring at him.
He smiled and petted her ears, which was nice, but
still! She swatted him when he tried to get the book
back, getting frowned at. She yawned and settled
down, still staring at him.

"What?" Philip asked. She flipped onto her side.
"Bedtime?" he asked, looking amused. She meowed
and he checked his watch. It was one in the
morning. "Fine, come on then." He got up and
marked his spot, taking her with him up to bed.
The night butler gave them a smile. "Is her food in
my room?"

"I put it in the kitchen since she's allowed to
wander. She's already found it. She spent most of
the evening watching the birds in the garden."
Philip smiled at that and continued on. That was an
adorable little one and she was determined to take
care of the wayward priest it seemed, something
they had all worried about. Philip would work
himself to sleep every night if they let him. She
would make sure he got proper rest and hopefully
ate more often.

Philip let them into his room, putting her down next
to the litter box, which he noticed she had used.
"Try covering it, Heaven?" he suggested, doing that
for her. Then he went to clean his hands and face,
stripping down to his t-shirt and boxers to sleep.
She curled up on top of his head again, making him
smile. It was a good thing she loved him. He
reached up to pet her, falling asleep that way.

Heaven stood guard. She could feel the bad thing
that was watching him, hissing lightly at it when it
came closer. Nick came out of the bathroom to look
at her. She meowed and walked over to the bad
spot, meowing again. Nick stared at her, then
around. "Something's after him, isn't it?" he asked
quietly. She meowed more frantically and he
grabbed her, putting her back on Philip's pillow
while he sat on the foot of the bed. Philip looked up
and glared at him. "She's worried something's in
here."

"Probably one of our mice."

"Maybe not."

"It's fine." He flipped onto his side and curled up
again. "I don't need a guard." She swatted him.
"Ow." He glared at his cat, who stared back.
"Fine. You two can sit up all night if'n you want.
I'm not." He closed his eyes and thumped his head
on the pillow, forcing himself back toward calm and
relaxed. Nick stroking his foot helped, his mother
used to do the same thing.

Nick and the cat shared a look and she got up to
pace in that spot again. He came over to see what
was bothering her. It wasn't a cold spot so no ghost.
It wasn't a really warm spot that would mean some
other entity. He found something under the dresser
and pulled it out, making her hiss and arch and fluff
up. "Huh." He looked at the locket then put it in
the bathroom. She calmed down. "Still there?"
She was still wandering the same spot. "Okay, let
me go lock this up and I'll be right back," he said
quietly, taking the locket away. He ran into the
butler downstairs. "Have you seen this before?"

"No, I hadn't. Where was it?"

"Philip's room, under his dresser. The cat sniffed it
out and went spastic." He brought it into the
control room, finding Derek up and scanning the
grounds. "Heaven's upset too and I found this
under Philip's dresser. It made her fluff and hiss."

Derek looked at the necklace, then put it into a
locking case. "We'll see what it is in the morning.
I've been feeling watched all night."

"She's pacing a spot in his room," Nick admitted.
"That was the only thing I found."

"So something's coming for him?" Derek suggested.

"Could be. If we piss the Dark Side off, he's got to
make them puke in frustration."

"That's fairly graphic," he complained but it was
probably true. He nodded. "We'll be on alert. Tell
me if he cat reacts worse to other things."

"Sure." He went back up there to check on them,
finding Heaven staring at the window. He looked
outside, only seeing some birds. "They're birds."
She hissed. "Okay, so maybe they're not." He
called down there. "Turn on the lights outside
Philip's room? She's hissing at the tree with all the
birds." A spotlight got turned on and he looked at
the shape outside. "We've got ravens, Derek," he
said grimly. He hung up and petted her. "It'll be
fine, Heaven. Nothing will happen to him." Philip
moaned. "Ravens, Philip."

He sat up and looked, then flopped backwards and
covered his head. "Kat here?"

"No, she's at home and they're staring in here.
Derek said he's been feeling watched all night." He
looked at his best friend then outside, going back to
petting the cat. The three ravens took off and he
smirked. "Now we know." He looked down, the cat
was relaxed again. "Come get me up if it happens
again," he ordered, putting her back onto the bed.
She curled up next to Philip's armpit and he went
back to his own room, leaving the connecting door
open. The lights were cut off and he smiled. They'd
be able to protect Philip again. With the help of a
semi-supernatural cat, it'd be even easier. Because
he was one of the original trouble magnets.

The End.
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