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Taker was feeling cabin fever. He had been waiting for his autograph signing schedule, and sort of felt he couldn't wait to go back on the road. Well, tonight, he felt like going out. Lily watched him, as he got ready. His sent smelled strong, with the mix of soap and after shave. "Meow.. prrr." Lily said, rubbing her body on Taker's black jeans. Taker smiled down to her, and bent down to pet her. As he rose back to a stance, Lily got up on her hind paws, to saver the human's last stroke. "I'm going out for a while." he said to the female cat. He, then, picked up his jacket, and headed downstairs. Lily followed close behind him.
Taker tapped on the large window, and waved to his dogs, turned out the lights, and headed out the door. Once he opened the driver side door, of his car, he remembered that he almost forgot something. He charged back in the house, and as the screen door slowly closed, Lily pranced out the door. She noticed the car door was open, and jumped inside. Just when Taker locked the front door, Lily bounced herself in the back seat. Taker climbed in the front, with a huff, buckled his seat belt, and drove off.
Taker found himself at his favorite watering hole, and plaid pool most of the night. He made small talk with some of his friends, and met the most interesting biker chick. Her name was Honey, and she was loud, flirty, vivacious, and a great pool player. She even won several rounds with the Dead Man. But, as time goes, it was soon closing time. Taker asked Honey, if she would like to go out for coffee and a quiet place to talk. Honey agreed, and both headed to Taker's car.
Taker opened the passenger door, for the woman, and proceeded to go to his side. He got in and started the car. Lily, woke from her long cat nap, and peeked her head up to see where she was. She smelled the sent of smoke, and female sent, which was not there before. "So you said you got dogs. How many?" Honey asked, smiling at the man. Four; Jake, Lucifer, Katie, and Sue. I'm hoping they breed soon, I have some people who want puppies." Taker replied. "Cool, but isn't that hard to, uh... do with your line of work?" Honey smiled, with an up lifting voice. Taker chuckled, as he turned the corner, "Yeah, but there's a vet family who live near me. They watch my place, while I'm out of town. "Any other pets? Kids?" Honey asked. "Yes, both. I have a cat, and my kids live with their mom." Taker answered. "Does the cat live with mom?" Honey asked, with hope in her voice. "No, she lives with me. I'm fostering her, for now. But hope I get to keep her, she's the coolest feline I?ve ever came across." Taker told her, as he pulled the car into the coffee shop parking lot.
Honey grew quiet, as Taker turned off the car. Lily, listened in the back seat, could sense the female's stress. "Something wrong? Oh, are you allegoric to cats? I know some people are." Taker asked, with great concern. "Um.. no, I'm not allegoric, I just hate the little beasts." Lily's ears folded back, as she heard the tone of the female's voice. "Why?" Taker asked, looking at the woman with a cocked eyebrow. "Well, you can't take them for a walk, because they're too stubborn. With that, you have to give them a litter box, which stinks. They're finicky eaters, mean spirited, lazy, and they shed everywhere." Honey explained to him. Lily squints her eyes, in a glare, and growled low in her throat. "Oh, and blacks one are the most evil. They have this weird perception of sense. It's like they know what you're thinking, and can mentally manipulate their owners." Honey added. Suddenly, from the back seat, Lily's growling became loud venomous moaning and singing. "What the hell is that?" Honey asked, looking over her shoulder. From the night lamp, outside, Lily's eyes reflected the brightest yellow, Honey had ever seen on an animal. "AHHHHHHH!..." she screamed, as she faught to open the door. Taker sat behind the wheel, not sure what to do, as the woman fell out the door, and ran away from the coffee shop parking lot.
Lily jumped to the front passenger seat, and looked at her master. She licked back her whiskers and waited for Taker's reaction. Taker cocked his head at her, "How did you get in here?" "Meow.. 'you let the doors open." Lily looked at him, tapping her tail, 'I had to keep you out of trouble.' she thought. Taker let out a sigh, and leaned over to close the door. He then headed home, laughing at what just happened.
Lily strolled down the hall, as she soaked in the suns rays from each window she passed. Taker had been packing and talking on the phone all day. She knew he was going somewhere, she could not. She jumped on his open suit case, while her master had his back turned. Taker was on the phone, talking to Lacie about his trip. "Yeah, I think the girls are going into heat. I separated them this morning. Katie and Lusi, are in a pin and Jake and Sue are in the other." Taker told her, turning around. He saw Lily, laying on his clothes. "Sorry, but you can't go with me, Lily." He picked her up and set her down in the floor. "You heard anything on Lily's missing owner?" Taker asked Lacie. He sighed, in relief, of some good news. "You think I can keep her, if no one claims her?" he asked, shutting the suit case. "Oh, I just love her. So far, she's been a good judgment in character," Taker laughed, "it's a long story." Lily cocked her head at her master, "Meow." "Yes, little on, I'm talking about you." Taker smiled at her and quickly finished his conversation.
Lily's master had been gone for days. She moped around the house, and occasionally watching the dogs do their mating. She laughed to herself, only way a cat can, as she watched them. They seemed so beastly doing it. 'Human's are something to watch.' she thought, 'Humans make mating an art form.' When Lacie came by, to check on the house, and the dogs, Lily hid under the table. Once she got use to her temp. mistress, it was time for the older female to leave.
It was late, and Taker just climbed into his hotel bed. He tried to sleep, but worried about Lily. He hoped she didn't get loose, or try and hurt Lacie, or the owner showed up and Lacie went ahead and took her. He knew it was silly, but he sat up and picked up the phone. He dialed his number and waited for his answering machine to kick on.
Lily, feeling depressed at this point, laid on the back of the couch. She hadn't eaten in a couple of days, and felt the her master left her for good. That is, until the phone rang. Lily opened her eyes, when she heard his voice, telling the caller to leave a message. Then her ears perked up when the caller began to talk. "Um, Lily, it's me. If you're there little one, I just want you to know that I'll be coming home soon." At the moment Lily heard her master's voice, she jumped on the counter and licked the speaker, as she purred. "Well, I be going now, night puss." Taker said, then hung up. Lily slept by the answering machine for the rest of that night.
The next day, Lacie came in and did her usual checking around. She first noticed Lily laying on the kitchen counter. "You get down." Lacie smiled, picking up the black puss and setting her on the floor. "I don't think, Taker would like you climbing everywhere." She added, then made her rounds around the house and outside. She checked on the dogs, fed them and cleaned their pins. Lily watched the older female, as she went from chore to chore, until she heard the door open. She looked to find her master, suit case in hand, coming into the house. She quickly runs up to him, purring and meowing at him, hoping he would touch her. "Well, I missed you too, Lily." Taker smiled, picking up the black puss, and carrying her to the couch.
Taker sat, as the happy Lily purred and rolled in his lap. He pet the feline, as he dozed, until her heard Lacie come in from the back yard. "Hello, didn't hear you drive up." She said, sitting in a chair, next to him. "Yeah, the cab stopped at the street. How's everyone?" Taker asked. "Well, I think the females are pregnant, but I'd like to take them in to the clinic for tests." Lacie replied, then added. "OH, and Lily's owner called yesterday." "Oh?" Taker frowned, looking at the happy cat in his lap. "Her name is Jonara Fayth. She told me she just moved into a place and she couldn't keep Lilith." Lacie explained. "Lilith?" Taker questioned the name, as he looked down at the now dozing Lily. "That's Lily's name. Jonara described her to a tea." "Lacie, Lily is all back, what's there to describe?" Taker asked. "Well, sweety, I wrote down what the young woman said, and checked Lily over, yesterday afternoon. Lilith had small green and orange specks in her yellow eyes, and she's slightly bald where she was fixed." Lacie told him. "Does she want her back?" Taker asked. "She can't, her land lord won't allow it. She does want to see Lilith one more time and to meet her new keeper." Lacie told him. Taker nodded his head, "Okay, when?" "Tomorrow, if you want, you can meet her at the clinic." Lacie said. "Okay." Taker mumbled, as he scratched Lily's jaw line.
The next afternoon, Taker took Lily to see her mistress. Lily, not quite sure why he brought her back to the noisy and smelly place, clung to his sweat shirt. "It's okay, Lily, you're going to see your other owner." Taker whispered in the black puss' ear. Lacie, and a young woman came out of a small building and came toward the man and the cat. Taker looked over the woman, as she walked up to him. She had very long, thick, curly hair, which blew all over in the fall wind. It was the deepest of black, with a tinge of red wine color in it. She was of short height with a beautiful full build, and wore a long black trench coat. She buried her hands deep into her pockets, as Lacie walked her up to him. To Taker, she was quite breathtaking, as she was almost cat-like herself. "Taker, this is Jonara Fayth. Jonara, this is Taker, the one who's been fostering Lilith for you." Lacie introduced them, "I'll let you two get to know each other. I have some animals to see."
Lacie took her leave, as Taker and Jonara smiled at each other. Lily looked at the female, and smelled a familiar sent of jasmine and lilac. 'Mistress?' Lily thought, as her eyes widened. "Meow!" she called, as she struggled to get out of her master's arms. "Did you miss me, Lilith?" Jonara asked, taking her from the huge man in front of her. Lily purred loud and strong, as she licked her mistress' nose, and cuddled in her arms. "She missed you, a lot." Taker told her, putting his hands in his pockets. "Was she good for you?" Jonara asked him. "Yes, but my love life kind of fell apart since she came to me." he laughed. "Oh?" the dark haired woman questioned. "Yeah, she doesn't seem to like women much." Taker told her. "No, not Lilith. She hates men. I'm surprised you took her in. Or she let you take her in." Jonara argued, "I never had much luck with dates, if they came to my house. She'd find a way to scare the men away." "Yeah, well, she kinda did a few of my dates, these passed weeks." he smiled.
"Why did you just dump her in the middle of nowhere?" Taker asked. "I didn't. I put her, her papers, and a note in her cat box. I heard of Lacie's Place and brought her here. She was closed, and I saw the drop off building. I took her in and made sure she was safe. But Lilith has a mind of her own. Lacie told me today, that her husband found the cat box this morning. Somehow Lilith clawed and chewed her way out of the cardboard." Jonara explained to him. Taker accepted the young woman's explanation, as he looked in her deep brown eyes. "So do you want her back? Can you sneak her in your home?" Taker asked. "No, I just moved the week I gave her up. The land lord lives downstairs from me, so I can't bring her in." Jonara told him, almost in tears. Taker thought for a moment, "Well, if I keep her, would you like to visit her? I live a mile down the road. I go out of town a lot, and have Lacie come and check on things for me. I might be worth your while. I pay her $300 to do it. She's busy with her clinic, sometimes, and I'm sure it would be a great relief to her." "I wish I could but, I just got a job, and it's down town. I work almost every day. This place is too far for me to travel." Jonara said, holding her cat close. "Okay then, I'll pay $500 week." Taker smiled at her. Jonara looked up into his warm green eyes, and nuzzled Lilith's head. "That's enough for me to quit my job." she laughs. "Well? Maybe that's what I want." he grins. "Why?" Jonara smiles up at him. "Lily likes you, and she seems to like me." Taker analyzed, "So, maybe we could give this a shot?"
Jonara looked at the red headed man in front of her. "Okay, if Lilith likes you, I guess you're safe to get to know."
END
Last chapter written Nov. 11, 1999