The Inspector and The Cat: A Whitechapel Fairy Tale, Part 2
Title: The Inspector and the Cat: A Whitechapel Fairytale
Disclaimer: Not my characters. I just borrowed them.
Pairing: Chandler/Kent
Part 2:
Back at the office, Chandler set his guest down on the sofa and returned to his desk. He was in the midst of reviewing the shop’s inventory for potential leads before his sojourn into the incident room. He had barely completed a page when he heard the faint swoosh of weight being shifted off his sofa. He looked up to find Orion slinking towards his desk.
Keeping its body low, the cat crept forward until it reached the chair opposite his. Quietly and swiftly, it jumped onto the chair and was about to take another leap onto the desk when Chandler snapped, “Orion, no!”
The cat froze at the words, before turning to face Chandler with rounded, pleading eyes. Annoyance fading fast in face of his guest’s ‘sad-kitten’ expression, the DI sighed, “This is *my* workspace. You can’t just jump on without permission.”
Orion ducked its head, a gesture that Chandler took as an apology. He was about to resume reading, when a tentative meow drew his gaze back to his guest. The cat was now standing on the chair on its hind legs, paws resting on the edge of the desk, face set in an expectant expression, as if asking for permission to hop on.
Chandler knew Orion could understand him to some degree; but this level of comprehension was unexpected, and if he were honest, a little eerie. He supposed uncannily well mannered was better than feral; he didn’t even want to think about the havoc a wild animal Orion’s size and agility could cause to the more-or-less tidy incident room and his immaculate office. Frowning, he reiterated, “The answer is still no.”
Orion’s expectant expression morphed into one of disappointment, completed with downcast eyes and turned-back ears, which tugged at Chandler’s heart and urged his gentler emotions to overwrite his will. Resolve weakening, the DI asked plaintively, “Why do you want to get onto the desk anyway?”
In answer, the cat let out a hopeful meow and gingerly shifted such that it could rest its head on the desk. Chandler interpreted the behavior as a request for more petting; and since he knew better than most just how comforting a simple friendly gesture could be for one who was lost and alone in an unfamiliar environment, he couldn’t in his right conscience say no. Taking a deep breath to steel himself against whatever was to come, he patted an empty spot on the right side of his desk. “Alright, but be careful.”
Chandler swore the cat grinned before shifting back to make the final leap. The DI cringed, mentally prepared for the worst. To his relief, Orion landed gracefully near the edge, well clear of all the neatly arranged items on his desk. The feline proceeded to cautiously navigate around said objects without displacing them from their proper places, before coming to a stop at the spot he had indicated earlier. Impressed, the DI stroked Orion’s head and praised, “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?”
Orion purred in response, before turning around and settling down with its face away from Chandler. In this position, the DI could easily rest his hand on the feline's back and run his fingers through its thick fur while he read. Giving Orion a gentle pat, he chuckled, “Oh yes, you're definitely a smart cat.”
So it was, that the DI turned his attention back to perusing the antique shop’s inventory, as he absently stroked his fluffy companion’s head and back. The office was quiet, save for Orion’s blissful purring, and when the last page of the file was turned, Chandler’s loud sigh. The inventory was not as helpful as he’d hoped. None of the items could be considered a treasure worth killing for; not to mention, the list consisted of Victorian era furniture and decor, and the state of the crime scene suggested the object the killer was searching for was smaller and easy to hide.
The DI knew there wasn’t much more he could do tonight. Normally, this would not deter him from going through all the information again; but tonight, he wasn’t alone. Even if he didn’t feel an immediate need to eat or rest, his new furry friend would likely need both soon. It was too late to make a stop at the pet store; so for the night, Orion would have to settle for human food. As far as Chandler knew, cat liked fish; and take-away from his favorite Japanese restaurant should be amendable to both his and his guest’s needs. Giving his furry companion’s back one final pat, he stood and said, “Come on. Let’s go home.”
The cat slowly rose and stretched, before jumping down gracefully from the desk to land at Chandler’s feet. The DI watched with equal parts fascination and consternation as Orion purred and rubbed its head and side against his leg. He was slightly tempted to tell the cat to stop; but the suit would have to go to the dry cleaners anyway, from his carrying Orion around earlier, so there was no point in worrying about a bit more dirt and cat hair now. Instead, he concentrated on the positive aspect of his feelings, and found himself smiling gently at the obvious sign of affection. “You really do like me, don’t you?”
Orion gave an emphatic ‘NYOWL’ in response, prompting a chuckle from the DI. Although his furry companion had only wandered into his life a few hours ago, Chandler had a feeling he would really miss Orion when the cat was gone.
Disclaimer: Not my characters. I just borrowed them.
Pairing: Chandler/Kent
Part 2:
Back at the office, Chandler set his guest down on the sofa and returned to his desk. He was in the midst of reviewing the shop’s inventory for potential leads before his sojourn into the incident room. He had barely completed a page when he heard the faint swoosh of weight being shifted off his sofa. He looked up to find Orion slinking towards his desk.
Keeping its body low, the cat crept forward until it reached the chair opposite his. Quietly and swiftly, it jumped onto the chair and was about to take another leap onto the desk when Chandler snapped, “Orion, no!”
The cat froze at the words, before turning to face Chandler with rounded, pleading eyes. Annoyance fading fast in face of his guest’s ‘sad-kitten’ expression, the DI sighed, “This is *my* workspace. You can’t just jump on without permission.”
Orion ducked its head, a gesture that Chandler took as an apology. He was about to resume reading, when a tentative meow drew his gaze back to his guest. The cat was now standing on the chair on its hind legs, paws resting on the edge of the desk, face set in an expectant expression, as if asking for permission to hop on.
Chandler knew Orion could understand him to some degree; but this level of comprehension was unexpected, and if he were honest, a little eerie. He supposed uncannily well mannered was better than feral; he didn’t even want to think about the havoc a wild animal Orion’s size and agility could cause to the more-or-less tidy incident room and his immaculate office. Frowning, he reiterated, “The answer is still no.”
Orion’s expectant expression morphed into one of disappointment, completed with downcast eyes and turned-back ears, which tugged at Chandler’s heart and urged his gentler emotions to overwrite his will. Resolve weakening, the DI asked plaintively, “Why do you want to get onto the desk anyway?”
In answer, the cat let out a hopeful meow and gingerly shifted such that it could rest its head on the desk. Chandler interpreted the behavior as a request for more petting; and since he knew better than most just how comforting a simple friendly gesture could be for one who was lost and alone in an unfamiliar environment, he couldn’t in his right conscience say no. Taking a deep breath to steel himself against whatever was to come, he patted an empty spot on the right side of his desk. “Alright, but be careful.”
Chandler swore the cat grinned before shifting back to make the final leap. The DI cringed, mentally prepared for the worst. To his relief, Orion landed gracefully near the edge, well clear of all the neatly arranged items on his desk. The feline proceeded to cautiously navigate around said objects without displacing them from their proper places, before coming to a stop at the spot he had indicated earlier. Impressed, the DI stroked Orion’s head and praised, “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?”
Orion purred in response, before turning around and settling down with its face away from Chandler. In this position, the DI could easily rest his hand on the feline's back and run his fingers through its thick fur while he read. Giving Orion a gentle pat, he chuckled, “Oh yes, you're definitely a smart cat.”
So it was, that the DI turned his attention back to perusing the antique shop’s inventory, as he absently stroked his fluffy companion’s head and back. The office was quiet, save for Orion’s blissful purring, and when the last page of the file was turned, Chandler’s loud sigh. The inventory was not as helpful as he’d hoped. None of the items could be considered a treasure worth killing for; not to mention, the list consisted of Victorian era furniture and decor, and the state of the crime scene suggested the object the killer was searching for was smaller and easy to hide.
The DI knew there wasn’t much more he could do tonight. Normally, this would not deter him from going through all the information again; but tonight, he wasn’t alone. Even if he didn’t feel an immediate need to eat or rest, his new furry friend would likely need both soon. It was too late to make a stop at the pet store; so for the night, Orion would have to settle for human food. As far as Chandler knew, cat liked fish; and take-away from his favorite Japanese restaurant should be amendable to both his and his guest’s needs. Giving his furry companion’s back one final pat, he stood and said, “Come on. Let’s go home.”
The cat slowly rose and stretched, before jumping down gracefully from the desk to land at Chandler’s feet. The DI watched with equal parts fascination and consternation as Orion purred and rubbed its head and side against his leg. He was slightly tempted to tell the cat to stop; but the suit would have to go to the dry cleaners anyway, from his carrying Orion around earlier, so there was no point in worrying about a bit more dirt and cat hair now. Instead, he concentrated on the positive aspect of his feelings, and found himself smiling gently at the obvious sign of affection. “You really do like me, don’t you?”
Orion gave an emphatic ‘NYOWL’ in response, prompting a chuckle from the DI. Although his furry companion had only wandered into his life a few hours ago, Chandler had a feeling he would really miss Orion when the cat was gone.