Sure Signs

See? I told you I'd be back. This is a one-shot Blik/Katilda romance, a mushy one at that, so if you don't like that pairing (or mush) I suggest you read something else. I was writing this for Valentine's Day, but I finished early and see no reason to hold it back for weeks. You guys miss me, don't you? ...eh, pardon my ego. I have not acquired ownership of Catscratch since finishing From Kittens To Cats. It still belongs to Doug Tennapel and Nickelodeon.

This story is rated PG-13 for language and slight sexual themes. There's also some violence, but the scene's so short that I don't really think it matters. More of a PG than anything. Still... in fact, if this was any tamer, it'd be PG. I'm just being safe with the PG-13 thing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snow was falling from the sky, covering the ground in a thick blanket. It had been for hours now, and was only just starting to slow enough for the outside world to be visible from the female cat's window. Katilda had been watching the storm since it started, curious to see the first snow ever since she had moved there a few months before. The country was vastly different from the city where she now lived; would the snow be the same? She smiled vaguely at memories of snowfall in her old town. Very few people had lived out in that middle of nowhere, and as a result the snow remained more or less untouched. The sight of the white flakes on the ground with nary a footprint was truly breathtaking to her eyes. The yellow cat looked sideways out her window to try and see her neighbors' expansive front yard. Apparently, none of them had realized what had happened, and if they did, they didn't particularly care to go outside in it. The untouched lawn held the same beauty that snows out in the country held...

After gazing for a few more minutes, she remembered another wonderful thing about snow. Walking down the country road, hearing and feeling the crunch of the flakes under her boots... it was a nice way to clear her mind and relax, if only for a little while. Would it be the same walking on a pavement? Her decision made, she went to the closet to grab her hat, gloves, boots, and jacket. Properly suited for the cold, she stepped outside, giving a slight shiver as the snowflakes hit her exposed face and settled in her fur. She walked down the pathway from her front steps to the sidewalk, savoring the feel of the snow under her booted feet. As she went past her neighbors' mansion, she couldn't help but notice the footprints in the snow down their own walkway. Apparently, one of them had the same idea that she did. For a small moment, Katilda wondered if she would run into whoever it was. She set out, purposely going in the same direction as the footprints in the snow. The sides of her lips raised in a slight smile at the thought of running into Gordon, Waffle, or Mr. Blik. She found messing with those three the high point of her day, and Waffle and Gordon at least seemed to take it rather well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Her walk wasn't going as well as she had hoped. Out in the country, there were many wooded lanes to take, making her feel truly isolated from the world, just as she liked it on her walks. True, there was a forest near her current home, but the object of her stroll was to get a tour of her new surroundings and see what the city was like. Instead of the pristine white snow she was used to, the white lumps that had been shoveled against buildings had turned brown with dirt. At first she had tried walking through it, trying to get that enjoyment, but gave up after unearthing one too many empty packets that once contained junk food. How could people care so little for their town that they would throw their garbage on the ground for unsuspecting walkers to stomp on? Katilda mulled this over in her mind, not even noticing another cat in her path until she crashed into him.

“I'm so sorry...” Katilda stammered, feeling around for her hat. Placing it back on her head, she looked up at the cat she had tripped over. Oddly enough, he was standing on all four legs, instead of just the two that Katilda used. His fur was white, with orange patches here and there. His tail and paws were completely white. To Katilda's surprise, he didn't look upset or even fazed that he had been crashed into. Instead, a wide grin plastered his face. “Why hello there, little lady...” he purred. “What's a cutie like you doing out here in the cold?”

Katilda stood and began brushing snow off of her coat from when she fell. She wasn't sure why, but this cat was giving her the creeps. “Walking,” she responded tersely, and attempted to walk around him. Instead, he leaped in Katilda's path, still wearing an ill-intentioned smile.

“The name's Brutus,” he said, tail swishing. “And what's yours, cutie?”

“Katilda,” she responded, “and if you'll excuse me, I'll be going.” She once again attempted to get away, but Brutus blocked her.

“Why go for a walk out in this cold?” he asked. “Come on, babe, I could keep ya warm...”

“Get away from me!” she snapped, attempting to push Brutus out of the way. This was a mistake.

“No one messes with me and lives to tell about it,” Brutus growled, grabbing Katilda by the shoulders. He pinned her up against a nearby building, an evil glint in his eye that was absent before. Katilda attempted to squirm out of his grip, but to no avail. She unsheathed her claws...

...but with her gloves on, it was no use. Guessing at what she was trying to do, Brutus pinned Katilda's arms to her sides to prevent her from removing the gloves. He then continued to speak.

“No one else is fool enough to be out here in THIS weather. I could do whatever I wanted to you and there's no one who would notice... maybe there's a few humans in their cars, but why would they care to intervene in an everyday cat fight?”

Katilda opened her mouth to scream, but before she could make a sound Brutus's over sized paw was covering her mouth. He straightened himself to his back paws, wrapped his other arm around her, and began to drag her off the block to somewhere he'd have more privacy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He marched down the block, humming a merry tune. Despite the snowflakes falling from the sky and settling themselves into his black fur, he did not feel the least bit cold, nor did he see any need to bundle up. The cat was way too lost in his own little world to care about the weather, though if you asked him, his rationalization would have been that he was just too perfect to be affected by something as trivial as a bit of cold...

...at least, he believed he was perfect. And woe befall anyone who dared to tell Mr. Blik otherwise.

Anyone who saw him on his walk would have guessed that he was slightly mentally unhinged, and they would not have been too far off the mark. His humming had turned into a scat, and he was practically dancing down the street, completely oblivious to everything and everyone. Blik couldn't help but feel that that day was going to be an interesting one. Yes, something was going to happen... he didn't quite know what, but the feeling in his gut said that it wasn't an average day, not by a long shot. But what could happen...?

He was snapped out of this thought and his universe by the sound of a short female scream, followed by the sounds of a struggle. Claws were scraping along the concrete, and someone was struggling to make a noise but was being stopped somehow. Blik couldn't shake the feeling that the scream was familiar... out of curiosity, he turned toward the sound to see just what was going on.

He froze completely when he saw that it was his neighbor, Katilda, being possibly kidnapped by someone, possibly an alley cat, twice her size. Whatever was going on, it was obvious that something was wrong. Blik's mind began to race in panic. Who was that other cat? What was he planning to do with Katilda, and why? What was going on? Not completely aware of what he was doing, Blik ran just ahead of the enormous alley cat, hoping to cut him off. Part of him questioned just why he was prepared to risk his life for Katilda, of all people, but his instincts had complete control.

“STOP!” he yelled when he reached his destination. Blik straightened himself up to full height in an attempt to make himself seem bigger and more menacing, but nothing could hide the fact that Brutus on four legs was still taller than Blik on two. Brutus did indeed stop moving, but it was more in surprise than an actual desire to obey Blik's command.

“And who are you, half-pint?” Brutus asked. “What do YOU want?”

“My name is Blik,” he responded, trying his hardest to remember his brother's mannerisms whenever he got into a fight, “and I want to you let go of her. IMMEDIATELY.”

Brutus laughed. “What, is she your girlfriend or something?”

Blik gazed in silence for a few seconds, his confidence quickly dying. “Well... no... but still. Drop her. Now!”

“No... no, I don't think I will,” Brutus responded. “Move it, shrimp.” He tried to continue on his way, but Blik backed up at the same pace. He may had been frightened almost to death, but he wasn't about to let Katilda be possibly beaten or even... raped? Anger bubbled inside of him as he considered this final possibility. He had no idea what Brutus had planned, but there was no way Blik would let him violate her...

“So that's your game,” Brutus finally responded. “You're not going to leave anytime soon, are you? Well, I'll just have to put you out of the picture, then.” He chucked Katilda aside into a pile of snow and went down on all fours, claws unsheathed and teeth bared. “Do you accept my challenge, meat?”

“Y... yes,” Blik stammered, not allowing himself to leave, as much as he wanted to. By the time he had exposed his claws, however, Brutus had pounced and grabbed Blik by the throat. After a few quick punches to his mouth, Brutus whirled around, slammed him against the wall, and pressed him against it, his paws squeezing Blik's neck.

“No one challenges Brutus to a fight and lives to tell about it!” Brutus snarled, an insane, wild look in his eyes. He had clearly gone mad. Katilda groaned from her position in the snow and pushed herself to four feet. She looked over at Brutus and Blik and gasped in horror.

“Give up yet?” Brutus asked, happily choking away at Blik.

“No,” Blik responded, his voice strained. He grabbed Brutus's arms and pulled, but it did nothing to lessen his grip. Blik tried digging his claws into his opponent, but he didn't seem to notice. His eyesight was begin to blur, but Blik wouldn't give up, as hopeless as he knew it was. He continued clawing at Brutus, but the lack of air was starting to affect him terribly. He opened and closed them a few times, trying as hard as he could to keep himself conscious, but it was of no use. With a final failed gasp, he was out cold. Katilda gasped in terror as Brutus dropped him onto the hard, stone ground. He advanced on her, but Katilda quickly made her way around him and knelt down at her friend's side. “Blik!” she cried out in a panic.

“You know him?” Brutus asked incredulously. Katilda did not respond. She began shaking him in a panic. “Blik... wake up... BLIK!”

Brutus came up behind her. “I got rid of him. Tough luck, girl. Now, where were we...?”

“Get the heck away from me,” Katilda snarled. She removed her gloves and unsheathed her claws to prove that she was capable of holding her own if Brutus tried to attack, and that the only reason she hadn't fought earlier was that she was effectively unarmed. “For the last time, I am not interested. And if you think you could take me just because I'm a girl, then you'd be sadly mistaken.”

Brutus began to reconsider choosing Katilda as a victim, but rather than show his fear, he merely rolled his eyes. “You know what? I don't even care anymore. Just never mind. You're really not all that special looking anyway. Why did I even CARE?” He strolled off, muttering under his breath something that sounded like “stupid bitch...”

Katilda paid this slight no attention, instead turning back to Blik. “Blik?” she asked again, giving him a last swift shake. He did not respond. She grabbed his wrist in her paw and gave it a slight squeeze. She sighed in relief as she felt a normal pulse.

“He's still alive...” she said to herself, her panic quickly subsiding. She ran her other paw around his neck to check for wounds. There were slight scratches, one of them bleeding, but nothing seemed life threatening. Blik's mouth quickly caught her eye; a trickle of blood had begun dripping down his lip, but the flow had seemed to stop. Katilda licked her paw and wiped off all of the blood that she could. For a fleeting moment, she wondered why she had used her paw to clean it off instead of using her tongue directly. That very thought made her feel very warm all of a sudden. Blik was very special to her, she knew this... but she also knew that he probably wouldn't have appreciated her cleaning him off that way. Pushing the thought from her mind, she picked him up and slung him over her shoulder, grateful that he was so small and light, and carried him towards his house. She couldn't help but think that this was kind of familiar...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Two eggs,” Gordon read from the recipe in front of him.

“Two eggs!” Waffle repeated, handing over what Gordon had called for. Gordon cracked them into the giant pot in front of him and then continued reading. “Scoop of sugar.”

“Scoop of sugar!” Waffle dipped a spoon into a giant sack of sugar, pulled out a heaping scoop, and handed it to Gordon, who only managed to get half of the mound into the pot. “Slice of ham.”

“Slice of ham!” Waffle handed over the slice, pulled himself up on the counter, and peered into the pot. “Whatcha making, anyway?”

“I'm not sure yet,” Gordon responded, stirring the foul looking concoction he had made. “I simply wrote down all of the foods I enjoy and decided that if they're all good by themselves, imagine mixing them together!”

“I think it looks kind of gross, actually,” Waffle said, gazing at the yellowish-brown goop. He sniffed at it and pulled back, cringing. Gordon didn't seem to notice. Waffle lost all interest in Gordon's soup when the sound of the doorbell rang through the house.

“Could you get that, laddie?” Gordon asked, stirring his meal. “I need to keep an eye on this.”

“Why don't we just get Hovis to answer it?” Waffle asked.

“You know I don't like getting Hovis to do things we're perfectly capable of handling ourselves, especially when he's probably busy with something at the moment.”

The bell rang again, this time longer. “What if it's a salesman?” Waffle asked. “I can never get them to leave and Blik yelled at me last time when I bought something. That's the only way I can ever make them go.”

Again, the sound of ringing flooded the house. Whoever was at the door was pounding away at the bell now, obviously desperate for someone to answer. “If it's a salesman he's certainly persistent,” Gordon commented. “Please, Waffle? I'm kind of busy now.”

Waffle gave up on his protests and ran to the door. The doorbell never stopped going in the time it took him to answer it. When he opened the door, Katilda stepped in without a word, panting heavily.

“What happened?” Waffle asked in a panic, noticing that Katilda was clutching his unconscious brother. “Is Blik OK?” He prodded Blik a few times, but he didn't move.

“Long... story...” Katilda answered, still trying to catch her breath. “I... I don't quite understand myself...” She straightened herself for a few seconds, but slumped forward again due to both her exhaustion from running and Blik's weight.

“Waffle?” Gordon called from the kitchen. “What are they selling this time? What's taking so long?”

“It's not a salesman!” Waffle called out to Gordon, his voice slightly hinted with worry. “It's Katilda... she has Blik! Something's wrong!”

Gordon showed up in the living room almost immediately. “Something's wrong?” he repeated. “Waffle, what- great gopher”, he exclaimed at the sight of his passed out brother. “What in the world happened, Katilda?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I have no idea?” she asked, buckling under Blik's weight. “I watched it happen, and yet...” She shook her head. “That's not important now. What is important is that we should probably get him up to bed or something. I really don't know how much longer I can hold him. I was fine getting him here, but I'm starting to lose feeling in my legs.”

“I've got it.” Gordon took Blik from Katilda and staggered back due to his being out of shape. Once he regained his footing, Gordon started to go upstairs. Katilda and Waffle followed behind.

“Are you sure you should come?” Gordon asked. “Blik probably won't be all that delighted if he wakes up and sees you in his room.”

“I know, but I don't really care. What happened to him involves me, and I want to ask him for the whole story. He's going to explain things whether he likes it or not.”

Gordon shrugged and continued up the steps, the other two cats in tow. He knew that trying to convince Katilda otherwise would be futile; she could be as stubborn as Blik. They entered Blik's room and Gordon placed him on the bed. He had plans on staying with his brother until he awoke, but these were broken when a foul scent wafted from the kitchen to the bedroom.

“Gordon?” Waffle asked, after taking one quick sniff and then swiftly placing his paws over his nose. “I think your stew's burning...”

Gordon squealed and ran from the room in hopes of rescuing his dinner, if not the entire kitchen. Waffle followed to see if he could be of any use. Shaking her head and chuckling, Katilda pulled a chair next to the bed and sat next to Blik to see if he would regain consciousness any time soon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Nnngh...” Blik groaned as he slowly awoke, though he kept his eyes shut. He didn't feel as if he had been asleep very long, and he wasn't quite ready to start the day just yet. His whole body ached; what had happened? Everything was such a blur...

A dream. The events from before suddenly came to his mind, and he decided that it had all been a dream. This didn't explain why he was in such pain, but surely there was no other explanation for him actually challenging a street cat to a fight; and over Katilda, no less! It was simply impossible.

“What a weird dream,” he thought to himself. “Maybe I should stop drinking root beer right before bed...” He couldn't remember actually doing that, of course, but anything to excuse dreaming of Katilda. There was simply no way he would do that on his own! He lied there for a few minutes, attempting to go back to sleep, but it simply would not happen. Giving up, he opened his eyes, ready to start a new day...

...and found himself looking directly into Katilda's eyes.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Katilda greeted, although Blik didn't notice. He was too busy screaming and jerking back in shock. He toppled off the bed, hit the floor with a thud, and cried out in pain. Despite the pity she felt for him, Katilda found it impossible to suppress a couple of giggles. She walked around the bed and helped Blik to his feet. He wobbled, fell again, and continued his pained sobs.

“What's going on?!” he shouted from the floor. “What are you doing in my room? And why do I feel like I've been run over by a truck?”

“You tell me,” Katilda asked, crouching next to him. “From what I can figure out, I was being attacked and you tried fighting my attacker for my safety... you failed miserably, by the way, but I appreciate the effort. I dragged you home after he knocked you out. What I'm wondering is why you, the biggest coward in Bakersfield, actually started a fight with someone for endangering a person you supposedly hate.”

“That wasn't a dream?” Blik asked. “I seriously-?”

Katilda nodded before he could finish his sentence. She lifted him to his feet again and helped him back onto the bed. “You should probably rest after what happened. Do you think anything's broken?”

“No, it just hurts,” Blik replied, missing the concern in Katilda's voice.

“I checked and I didn't see any wounds that were too bad... I think your pride was more injured than the rest of you, right?” Katilda smirked after finishing this sentence. After receiving the expected glare from Blik, she continued. “So tell me, Blik. Why did you actually START a fight with a street cat more than twice your size?”

“Well... I, uh...” Blik stammered. “I just didn't like the fact that he was going to hurt someone, that's all. I was simply in a good mood. I would have done it for anyone.”

Katilda scoffed. “Don't give me that. Gordon's the honorable fighter, not you. I've known you long enough to know that you don't fight unless you have something to gain, and even then...” She leaned in closer to Blik. “Are you sure that's what happened?”

“Positive,” Blik said with a nod. “Stop looking so deeply into this. You simply got lucky. Don't expect me to be your knight in shining armor if you're ever about to be raped or something again.”

“You thought he was trying to RAPE me?” Katilda said in shock, and was once again forced to keep down a laugh. “My, you're good with the scenarios, aren't you? And here I thought he was just going to beat my face in because I wouldn't go out with him or something.”

“Well, whatever was going on, don't expect me to come running next time,” Blik said again. “Am I perfectly clear?”

“Yeah, Blik, sure,” Katilda said. “Well, you should probably get some rest, so I'll let you do that.” She went for the door, taking one final look at Blik before leaving.

“You like her.”

“What was that?” Blik asked the air. He could have sworn he had heard someone.

“You like her,” the voice came again. Blik realized that this voice was in his mind somehow.

“And what gives you that idea?” he asked, paying no attention to the fact that he was talking to himself.

“She's right, you know. You're the biggest coward in Bakersfield, and you risked your life because you were worried about her safety. What do you think that means, Blik?”

“That I'm a good person?” he guessed. He could have sworn that his inner voice had begun to laugh hysterically at him.

“Your average good person doesn't just go vigilante every time he sees someone in danger. You must have had a motive. An actual desire to keep her alive, maybe? A sure sign of care for someone is putting their health and happiness ahead of their own...”

“It was a one time thing and it won't happen again,” Blik insisted.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Blik. Speaking of which, Katilda's right about another thing; you do need rest. But one word of advice before I let you go...”

“And what would that be?” Blik asked, closing his eyes.

“They say that putting another ahead of yourself is a sure sign of care... and that talking to yourself is a sure sign of insanity.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I brought you some soup, laddie.” The next thing Blik awoke to was Gordon holding a bowl. “I figured you might be hungry.”

Blik took the bowl and sniffed at its contents. “This isn't one of your... experiments, is it?” Blik asked warily.

Gordon shook his head. “No, lad, I know how much you dislike my cooking... it's just chicken noodle from the can. I didn't do anything to it, I promise.”

Blik took a small spoonful, and once he had satisfactorily convinced himself that Gordon didn't place any goat organs in it, began eating it in more normal sized bites. Gordon took a seat in the chair that Katilda had pulled out earlier. Blik inwardly groaned; this was a sign that Gordon didn't intend to leave him in peace any time soon.

“So...” Gordon began with a chuckle, “just what happened to you? Katilda told me, but I simply won't believe it until I hear it from your own mouth.”

Blik sighed, resigned to his fate, and told the story in as few words as he could manage. “Katilda was in danger, I panicked, I fought her attacker, I lost, happy now?”

Gordon shook his head. “No, I'm not, considering you never explained just WHY you panicked. Katilda had a theory, and I agree with it...”

“I HATE THAT GIRL!” Blik snapped, knowing what Gordon was talking about. “I didn't do it out of love or like or anything! Geez, why can't I try being a good person without having people suspect something?”

“Because-” Gordon started.

“I know, don't tell me, because I'm a coward and this isn't in my nature and blah. How many times do I have say that this was a fluke and that it won't happen again?!”

Gordon stared in confusion. “Lad, Katilda was the only person you've talked to since what happened, so you can't have said it too much... are you feeling OK?”

“I... I guess not,” Blik said, unwilling to admit that he had a conversation with himself earlier. He handed the empty bowl to Gordon and slid under the sheets. “I'm going back to sleep,” he muttered.

“All right, then,” Gordon said. “But I suggest thinking over just what happened. You may be in denial over some things.”

Blik resisted the urge to scream.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He wasn't sure how long he slept that time. It may had been minutes, hours, or even days, but whatever the length, when he awoke again Katilda was in his room. Blik wasn't all that surprised, but he wasn't pleased with her presence, either. Why couldn't people just leave him alone for five minutes?

“Hey,” she said, a small smile on her face. Unlike usual, Katilda wasn't overly hyper or in a mood to tease. Blik could see that for once, she actually wanted to have a conversation that did not result in taunting or sarcasm.

“Hello,” he responded. His tone was cold and disinterested.

“So... how are you feeling?” Katilda asked, willing to be friendly although Blik was obviously not going to return the favor.

“Getting better,” he said, stretching slightly. Blik was pleased to discover that this wasn't nearly as painful as it had been.

“Glad to hear it,” Katilda said. They both sat in silence. Katilda watched Blik as he looked desperately for something to focus on that was not her. He lost all chance of this when Katilda spoke again. “So... about today...”

“I think all that could be said has been already,” Blik said. “Discussion closed.”

“No it isn't,” Katilda said. “We haven't actually tried to figure this out without my teasing... and for that I apologize. Please, Blik, tell me honestly; just why did you start that fight?”

“I don't know, OK?!” Blik snapped. “I have no idea why, but it's over now! It doesn't matter anymore! JUST DROP IT!”

Katilda remained unfazed. “It's just that... well, I know that when we first met you were VERY fond of me. And after what you did today... I thought that maybe you still were.” She smiled hopefully, eagerly awaiting Blik's response.

“Well, I'm not!” Blik snarled, his anger escalating by the second. “I'm not 'fond' of you, all right?! I don't even LIKE you! You're irritating, you always get in the way, and like now, you think that everyone must simply ADORE you!”

“I... never said...” Katilda stammered, but Blik was done with listening.

“Why don't you just leave, Katilda?!” he yelled. “Get out of my room! Get out of my house! GET OUT OF MY LIFE! LEAVE ME ALONE FOR ONCE!” He wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting from Katilda; maybe a smile and a cheeky “tell me how you REALLY feel”, maybe her screaming back, maybe even her breaking down in tears. He didn't expect her to just sit there, staring wide eyed in shock. It was rather unnerving.

“If... that's what you want me to do...” She got up from the chair and slowly walked across the room. She kept her eyes on Blik, wondering if he'd crack and apologize, but the stony glare remained on his face.

Katilda sighed. “I'll leave now,” she said, and she was then gone.

“Now what'd you go and do that for?”

“Because I wanted her to leave,” Blik told himself, but it wasn't convincing at all.

“No you didn't. Look, Blik, haven't you realized by now? Maybe the fact that you're talking to yourself means that you're completely nuts, but the fact remains that I'm you, I know how you feel about every little thing that's going on right now, and I know that you're head over heels when it comes to Katilda but you're being too much of a prideful dunce to admit it to anyone. You won't even tell yourself. What is your problem?”

“Well... it's just... she's better than me,” Blik sighed.

“A usual comment people make to their loved ones. That's the POINT of love, I would think.”

“But how can anyone be better than me? I'm Mr. Blik!”

“And that's where the whole 'prideful dunce' thing comes into play.”

“WOULD YOU SHUT UP?” Blik snapped right as Gordon walked into the room.

“I did not say anything,” Gordon said, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

“I wasn't talking to you,” Blik said, once again settling down. “Sorry.”

“Then who WERE you talking to?”

“...nobody,” Blik admitted.

Gordon stared, still perplexed, and then shook his head. “Never mind that. I came up to ask you something. Just why did Katilda walk out of the house on the verge of crying? Did you do something, Mr. Blik?”

Blik began to squirm in regret. “Yeah, I... I got kind of mad that she kept asking me about the fight and I sort of... blew up at her,” he said. “I told her to get out of my life...”

“You WHAT?! Blik, what is your problem? Are you aware that she's ready to follow your instructions to the letter and leave?”

“...she is?” Blik responded, struck completely dumb by this news.

Gordon nodded. “She said 'goodbye forever' to Waffle and me and then left before we could ask why. I had a feeling you were behind this!” He jumped onto the bed, grabbed Blik's shoulders, and began shaking him. “You are going to go over there and you are going to apologize! NOW!”

“And why should I?” Blik asked.

Gordon groaned. “Could you stop being stubborn for once in your life? Katilda's a good friend of mine, a good friend of Waffle's, and most importantly, even if you won't swallow your pride and admit it, she's a good friend of yours!” he snarled. “And she's talked to me about certain things before... she likes you, Blik, she really does. And whether you intend to grow up and face the fact or not, you make it quite obvious that you're attracted to her!”

“And what would you know?” Blik asked, still ready to merely sit there and not do a thing, even if a small part of his mind was second guessing this decision.

“Blik. Look at me. I've been in love for a long time now. You think I don't know how someone in love acts?” Gordon said. “I've seen you watching her, you seem quite pleased when she comes over until you come up with some stupid, petty reason to get angry and avoid her. And you know what? All this time that I've deeply cared for someone, I never once got a clue on whether she cares or not. And now I see you, my brother, in love with someone who's willing to return the feelings, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO A SINGLE THING ABOUT IT?!” Gordon had begun shaking Blik again in frustration.

“All right, all right, I'll talk to her, just let go of me!” Blik commanded. Gordon dropped him back down onto the bed, and as soon as he could move himself again, Blik shot like a bullet out of the room. Gordon could tell how panicked he was, and deep down he wondered the same thing that Blik probably did; what if they were too late and Katilda had already left?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blik shivered as he stepped out of the house into the night.. The snow had started again, heavier than before, and between the blizzard and the darkness, his vision was severely impaired. He squinted, attempting to see something, anything, and called, “KATILDA!” He ran through the snow on the walkway of the house, completely ignoring the bitter chill. There simply was no time to go back inside and grab something to put on. As far as he knew, it was already too late.

“KATILDA!” he called out again, sprinting down the pavement to her house. He looked up her walkway and smiled slightly when he saw her sitting on her front step, a suitcase in her lap. At least she hadn't left yet... the was still time...

“Katilda, wait!” he yelled, running up to her. He stopped in front of her for a moment to catch his breath, but wasted as little time as possible. “Please... please don't go, Katilda...”

“It's OK, Blik. There's no need to apologize. If you want me to go, I'll go.”

“But where are you going to go?”

“I'll be fine. I didn't know I'd be coming to Bakersfield until I got here... and I left my old town because I managed to bother everyone else there, too. That's how it's been ever since I started living alone. I go somewhere, I screw something up, I leave, I settle in the next town. I'm still hoping I'll find a place where I can stay, but obviously it's not here.”

“You can't leave in this blizzard!” Blik shouted. “You can barely see across the street!”

“And since when do you really care?” Katilda asked in the same tone she'd use to ask for the time. She didn't sound bitter, angry, or depressed; just set to the fact that apparently, Blik cared very little whether she lived or died. “You made it pretty clear that you don't want me around anymore, so why does it really matter to you?”

“What if I said that I didn't mean a thing that I told you earlier?” Blik asked, worried that Katilda would seriously have no second thoughts about wandering out to die in the snow.

“Blik, I told you, I understand completely that you want me to leave. I'll be fine. It's no use hanging around where I'm clearly not wanted. You don't have to apologize or make it up to me or anything.”

“But I didn't mean it!” Blik yelled over the howl of the wind, almost angry at Katilda for not listening. “It's just that you... you impress me, all right? You're a better person than I'll ever be, and it's... it's intimidating! Haven't you known me long enough that in a case like this, I'd be too much of a... a prideful dunce to admit that I LOVE YOU?” Blik put everything he had into this last phrase.

“You're just trying to make me feel better, Blik. I see right through it. This really isn't necessary, though. I've made up my mind and I'm leaving. Goodbye.” She began to walk away, but Blik grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. Katilda dropped her suitcase in shock.

“You don't believe me? I'll show you I'm serious...” Blik said.

“What are you-” Katilda started, but was cut off when Blik pressed his lips against hers.

Blik wrapped his arms around Katilda and pulled her close. He wasn't sure how she was going to take this kiss, and wanted it to last as long as possible, both because he was enjoying it so much and because if it was going to earn him a slap, he wanted to hold that off for a little while. He was pleasantly surprised when Katilda hugged him back and returned the kiss. Inside, Blik laughed at how cliché all this seemed, but he didn't really care. Suddenly, it didn't seem so cold out anymore...

“I knew it'd turn out like this.” Gordon had followed Blik outside and was watching from his front step. “So you finally did it, Mr. Blik...”

Waffle poked his head out, wondering what was going on. “Gordon, why are you standing out here in the snow? What-”

Gordon shushed him and pointed at the two shapes, one black and one yellow, embracing each other in the distance.

“Is that Blik and Katilda?” Waffle asked.

Gordon nodded. “We should give them some privacy... let's go inside.”

“Aren't they going to get sick out there?” Waffle asked as he went inside the house.

“To be honest, I don't even think they notice it's snowing at the moment. I imagine a bomb could go off and they wouldn't care... they're long gone.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katilda leaned against a tree in the front yard of the Cramdilly mansion. The snow had stopped in the night, and the next afternoon she made the decision to visit Blik, although at the moment she was slightly distracted. She guessed that the brothers really didn't care about the snow; they hadn't even shoveled the pathway, and instead trudged through the snow to go outside and come back in. The lawn was covered with the untouched white powder. This was what Katilda remembered about snow in her old hometown. No footprints, no dirt, just a white expanse that stretched out farther than she could see.

She was knocked out of this trance when a snowball hit her in the side of the head.

Katilda turned and saw Blik laughing, his glove covered with snow. “I got you!” he called, pointing and laughing. Grinning evilly, Katilda bent down, scooped up her own snowball, and pitched it. Blik ducked. “You missed again!” he laughed.

“Oh really?” Katilda said, picking up another snowball. “This one won't miss!” She ran towards Blik, who screamed and fled. The overjoyed laughter of the two cats filled the air. Katilda dropped the snowball and jumped at Blik, pinning him to the ground.

“I got you that time,” she purred.

Blik turned his head and smiled up at her. “I suppose you did...”

“You two lovebirds having fun?” Katilda and Blik turned their heads towards where the voice came from. Gordon was standing on the front step, leaning against the doorway. “I put some water on for tea and was wondering if Blik wanted any, since it's so cold... I didn't know you were here, Katilda. Am I interrupting anything?”

“No, it's fine,” Blik said, pushing Katilda off of him. He stood and helped Katilda up out of the snow. “We were just having a snowball fight, that's all.”

“Do either of you want tea?” Gordon asked. “I'd imagine you need something warm, especially after last night.”

“You saw that?” Blik asked. The smirk on Gordon's face answered that question.

Katilda shrugged. “Well, something about it was bound to get out anyway. It's obvious that you ran out into a blizzard without a jacket or anything, at the very least. I'll have some tea, Gordon... promise you didn't add any special touches to it?”

“Oh, don't you start,” Gordon said. “I'm just using regular tea bags. You two can add your own things and I'll add mine.”

“As long as there's no sheep blood or anything, I'll take some,” Katilda said. “You coming in, Blik?”

Blik nodded, and the two of them walked into the house.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fire was lit, and all four cats were sitting around it. Gordon was in a lounge chair with a book, Waffle had passed out on one of the couches, and on another Blik and Katilda sat, talking. Four empty mugs that once contained tea were sitting in various places of the room. After a short break in conversation, Katilda yawned slightly and looked up at the clock.

“It's almost eleven...” she said, slightly surprised. “Have I seriously been here this long?”

Blik chuckled. “Time flies when you're enjoying yourself... and I know I was.”

Katilda smiled. “Yeah, so was I... you're great to talk to when you're not yelling at me.” She prodded Blik slightly in the shoulder and then rose to her feet. “I should probably let you guys get to bed, though.”

Blik frowned. “You know... you don't have to leave. Not if you don't want to. You can stay over, if you don't mind. I know I don't.” His voice shook, slightly nervous.

Katilda grinned at this offer. “Very well... if I HAVE to...” She sat back on the couch and yawned again. “I'm so tired right now... I could probably fall asleep right here...” She took off her headband, removed her ribbons, and placed them on the end table. With a final stretch, she cuddled up to Blik, rested her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep. Blik unconsciously lifted his paw and began to stroke her hair.

Gordon looked up from his book and noticed what was going on. He closed the book and put it down, and then went over to Waffle.

“Wake up, lad,” he said quietly, softly nudging him awake.

“Morning already...?” Waffle groaned, still half asleep.

“No, but it's late and you should probably go up to bed. I know I am.”

“But I was asleep on the couch. I'm fine here, I swear...”

Gordon shook his head. “I don't recommend that. It looks like Blik and Katilda are staying down here... we should give them some peace.”

Waffle nodded, practically rolled off the couch, and slid his feet to the staircase, still half asleep. “Why do we have to keep leaving them alone?” he asked, his fatigue obvious in his voice.

“Because being with someone you love is best when it feels like they're the only other in the world,” Gordon said. “That's how I feel about it, anyway. Blik seems to think that as well, considering that as soon as Katilda shows up he ignores us. Perhaps you'll understand one day, lad...” With that, Gordon reached the top of the stairs, felt around for the light switch, and turned off the downstairs lights.

Blik and Katilda couldn't have cared less.