Kittul trudged through the apartment exhausted, the kitchen trash half full of empty tuna cans. Other than that, the place was clean. The strong smell of coffee filled the rooms, with the faintest scent of tuna underlying it. The vacuum cleaner had a new bag, and a fresh loaf of bread sat on the counter, courtesy of Zed's couch change and a local all-night grocery store.

Allie slept through the vacuum, but when Kittul went to check on she found the tuna can empty and the litter box scuffed up. The little kitten had burrowed into the old scrap of fabric, purring loud enough to be heard from outside the room. Still painfully thin, but at least her ribs had receded. Kittul opened two more cans of tuna and set them nearby.

She still shuddered when she thought about the litter. Even worse, the little kitten took it in stride. Kittul didn't want to think about how bad her life had been that an old towel, a box of clay pebbles, and some cans of tuna felt like paradise to the little girl. Karin had been abused, manipulated, and exploited, but she still had some sense of self, some scraps of dignity.

As if her morose thoughts had leaked into Allie's dreams, the kitten cried out in her sleep. Kittul knelt at her side in an instant. She lifted the mewling kitten into her arms, shifting to Neko when the little one clawed weakly at her. She made soft, wordless noises until the kitten fell back to sleep, and then tucked her back into the towel. Once sure Allie would stay asleep, she wandered back to Zed's bedroom.

After she cleaned the bedroom Karin tried the computer. It took her nearly half an hour to realize it was completely standalone. Zed's machine didn't even have access to the internet. If the Cat's Paw designers did their period research, there wouldn't be a proper Wider World to access. Without any kind of electronic contact with the rest of the world, she felt a little claustrophobic.

Kittul's thoughts wandered to Karin. Time was always hard to judge in Cat's Paw. Her friend… started with a 'v'. For a moment Karin panicked, thinking she'd dreamed her whole existence as a genetic engineer, as a reluctant adult film star, as a human woman in a high-tech world. Grasping at memory, she reached for the software she'd secreted in her head. The data lurked there, hard edged and real. This was all a game, no matter how real it seemed. Nothing in here mattered, nothing in here made a difference in the real world.

Karin froze, the ghost of her thumb halfway to disconnecting. She thought about the frightened kitten in the other room, depending on her for food, shelter, and a lifeline back to humanity. She pondered the goofy mathematician that filled his cabinets with tuna for a stray but forgot to buy food for himself. They might not be real, but she'd made real connections to them. She hadn't done that with real human beings since…

Since Kent.

She wasn't sure if it was healthy or not, but she felt herself opening up for the first time in ages. It might not be to real people, but she knew she didn't think about that when she did it. If she shut that down now, she might lose all the progress she'd made. She might never come this close to caring about another human being again.

The ghost of Karin's thumb drifted away from the switch. She'd disconnect next time Kittul needed a nap. For right now, touching the data in her head reminded her that she'd given herself a mission. To finish it, she'd need to get her ass in gear and collect what she needed.

She glanced at the pile of clean laundry on the bed. Pride of place was given over to her stolen skirt and shirt. They were in good shape, despite being stored in a collection bin with fast food garbage for who knew how long. They weren't what she would have chosen, but the convenience store clerk hadn't looked twice at her clothes.

She thought about that for a second. He really should have mentioned her lack of shoes. He’d been watching her. She grinned to herself as she realized that he'd been so distracted by her that he didn't even notice her clothes. The grin wasn't so much for him looking at her, but because for the first time in longer than she cared to remember, someone looking at her hadn't immediately sent shivers crawling up her back.

She didn’t know for sure how long Zed would be out. He'd never left for this long before. If he hadn’t returned by the time she returned from her scouting mission, she'd have to go looking for him. As she thought about that, she wandered into the kitchen, popped the tops on half a dozen cans of tuna, downed one herself, and carried the rest to the bathroom, setting them next to the sleeping kitten.

As gently as she could, she ruffled the little kitten's ears. Allie woke, yawning hugely. She blinked, and for a moment Kittul saw fear in her eyes. The moment her gaze met Kittul's, the kitten quieted. She leaned into Kittul's paw, purring like a petite chainsaw. Kittul indulged her for a while, luxuriating in the feeling of being needed, of being wanted for nothing more than companionship.

After a bit, when Allie's purrs settled into a quiet rumble, she scooped the kitten into her arms and carried her to the bedroom.

"Allie? I need you to be a girl now. Can you do that for me, Allie?"

The kitten looked up at her, sudden fear in her eyes. Her purring stopped, and she shrank into herself, hiding her face in her paws.

"Allie, this is really important. We need to talk."

The kitten mewed piteously, and then leapt onto the bed. A moment later, Allie crouched next to the pile of laundry, her gaze turned to the clean clothes, her wavy dishwater blonde hair hanging to cover her face completely. It took a moment for Kittul to realize what she was doing. When she did, she had to hold herself completely still to keep from exploding.

After she counted to ten, she spoke in as soothing a voice as possible. "Allie, I need you to try on the clothes I got for you. They didn't fit so well before you had food, I want to be sure you've got something to wear."

Mention of clothing had the desired effect. Allie’s eyes went wide when her gaze met Kittul's. "Clothes?"

"Yes, Allie. Clothes. You remember those things people wear?" She tried to take the sting out of her words with a smile, but the little girl winced anyway. Kittul hid her frustration by walking over to the laundry pile and pulling out the shorts, the skirt, and both shirts. She dangled them in front of Allie, making them dance back and forth until the girl batted them out of her face.

"Ok, girl. Try these on."

Frowning, Allie did just that. The smaller shirt fit, although it was a little snug. The bigger shirt hung almost like a nightshirt on her. Kittul looked at that one, wincing at the tattered picture of a unicorn with the tagline 'virginity corrected, free of charge' before pulling it on. The booty shorts wouldn't fit over Allie's hips, but the skirt did, barely. When the girl was dressed, Allie frowned at her. She was covered, but the tight, revealing outfit screamed 'tramp' louder than words.

"Damn. You'll need something better than that." Suiting deeds to words, Kittul dug into the pile, pulling out the oldest, rattiest sweatpants and a relatively unscathed tee shirt. She held them out to Allie until the girl took them. She then pointedly turned around before saying "Change into those."

A few seconds later fabric rustled. Quicker than she thought possible, Allie touched her on the shoulder. "I'm done."

Kittul looked the girl up and down. She looked like she was wearing her big brother's old clothes, but that was better than looking like a juvenile skank. She nodded her satisfaction. "That will do. Turn around."

Allie's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she did as Kittul said. While the girl watched the screen saver on Zed's computer, Kittul shifted to human, grabbed up the skirt and pulled it on. While she didn't want Allie running around looking like a tramp, the first part of her plan for infiltrating the Agency practically required Kittul to do so. The skirt slid over her hips, a near perfect fit.

Several things fell into place at once, and the first few tickles of fury washed through her.

"Allie?"

The girl didn't turn around. "Yes?"

"How old are you?"

"I… I don't really know."

The girl's voice hinted that she didn't want to be questioned, but Kittul was what she was, and curiosity was a big part of that. "Were you born in that clutter?"

"No. My parents threw me out when I… when I started to change."

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"How old were you then?"

Allie's head cocked to the side, and her voice drifted into a dreamy singsong, like she was remembering something that drew her in completely. "I was eight. I got scratched trying to pet a stray cat. He was so pretty, but when I tried to snuggle him, he scratched my face and bit my neck. I woke up in my bed. My parents were so happy at first. Then I grew claws, and I had to go away."

Kittul stepped up behind the girl, resting one hand lightly on her shoulder. Allie didn't lean into her, but she didn't run away either. "How did the tom find you?"

"He was the pretty cat. He was waiting for me. He needed a new queen. His old one starved, and he ate what was left, and he needed a new one. He told me I was beautiful."

"How many winters ago was that, Allie?"

"A few. I lost track. I think I nearly starved once. One of the others, a real cat, tried to bring me food, but Big Tom killed him. I ate some of what was left of him. I didn't mean to, but I was so hungry."

Kittul forced fury from her voice but clung to her rage like a talisman. Nothing else could hold her horror at bay. Her voice came out a strained whisper. "Allie. Did you ever have kittens?"

"Once. They were so precious, so tiny. Big Tom said they weren't… said they weren't his. He… He…" Allie broke down. Kittul pulled her around into her arms and held her while she sobbed. Inside, Kittul's last guilt over the tom's death burned away with the fury over Allie’s abuse. She'd planned on leaving as soon as she got Allie human and dressed, but now she realized she'd be staying at least a little while longer.

***

Sue was hungrier than she was horny. So was I. She sniffed at each of the sides, her eyes half closed, her mouth set in a delicate little moue. Once she'd taken the measure of each of them, she set them in a row and picked up the one on the end. I had a mouthful of chicken, but I waved a set of plastic utensils at her.

"Sporks? We don't need no stinking sporks." With that, she popped the top on the container of red beans and rice. She tipped it back, bending the Styrofoam a little so she could lick it straight out of the carton. Before I finished chewing my first bite, she bent the container further, so one side formed a funnel. As I swallowed, she tipped the container back and chugged it like cheap beer. I stared, completely at a loss for words. I heard her tongue scrape the inside of the container, and then she slammed it down on the dash upside down. Nothing remained to spill out.

"Hey, did you bring any sides for you?"

Her grin got me, I could barely speak for laughing. "How do you do that?"

She’d already moved on to the next container, a quart of buttered corn. "I'm really hungry, and I have a very nimble tongue and no gag reflex. But you knew all that already."

With that, she tipped the corn back, just as she had the beans and rice. I realized I was staring. I also realized my chicken was getting cold. I started in on it, grateful that I'd developed a tolerance for spicy food. I'd expected to eat mashed potatoes and corn. I'd also expected leftovers. The potatoes disappeared while I finished my chicken. The applesauce went next, while I chewed on a potato wedge.

She slammed the applesauce container on the dash next to the others and looked pointedly at the quart container of wedges in my hand. Her eyes half open, the intensity of her gaze remained undiminished. "You gonna eat those or just play with them?"

I couldn't help it. I laughed, barely keeping the food in my mouth as I did so. I handed over the wedges.

"Are you going to have any of the chicken?"

"Why don't you believe me? I mean, I'm not religious about it, and I suppose I get enough gravy and lard in my fast food that it wouldn't make me puke or get sick or anything, but I don’t eat meat. The only time meat crosses these lips… well, you were paying attention during the blow jobs, right?"

I thought about how much food I'd just seen her put away, and my comments about a lack of calories seemed stupid. I broke off a piece of breading. "Really? I can't tempt you at all?"

Sue shrugged and grabbed the morsel out of my hand. She popped it into her mouth, crunched it a bit, and stopped to savor it. She swallowed, a slight frown marring her pretty face. "Eh. Not bad, but it doesn't do a lot for me. Give me black bean curry any day. Make it with those hot little red Thai peppers if you really want to see me get funky."

I stared at her, my mouth dropping open. "Sue, we just had sex all night in the cab of your brother's truck. Are you telling me you didn't really get funky?"

She froze, a wedge halfway to her mouth. "Are you complaining?"

"Well, no."

"Are you still awake?"

"Um, let me check. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am."

"Okay, then." She grinned again, and I felt my face go cold with barely concealed trepidation. I like sex as much as any other red-blooded male, but the thought that she hadn't really made an effort last night was, frankly, intimidating.

Sue broke into giggles. "Oh, you should see your face. You're precious. Look, Zed, I'm not normal. We both know that. I grew up on the street, and I've had to do things to survive. I could get morose about that, or I can laugh about it. I choose to laugh."

"I'm… oh, man, it's hard to admit this, but I'm not sure I can keep up with you."

At that she turned thoughtful. "Well now. That might be a problem. Tell you what. Let's see where this goes. You tell me if you're feeling put upon, and I'll tell you if I'm feeling neglected." She stopped, looking at the half container of potato wedges with a considering look.

I thought about her compromise for a while. She was right; no point in borrowing that kind of trouble. If she was right about her former employers, we’d have plenty from that quarter anyhow.

"That sounds like it will work for now."

A stray thought tickled my brain. "Oh, hell. I can walk to class if I have to, but I really would like to get my car fixed eventually. Can you pick it up today?"

"We'll go over there after breakfast. I'll… Al can fix the tires, maybe the glass. I'll spring for the repairs for now. I can get the club manager to pony up the cash, but you need your car sooner than that." She still stared at the potato wedges, and she took one out to sniff at it. Her nose wrinkled up.

"Something wrong with the potatoes?"

She looked up at me, her eyes wide. After she met my eyes for a few moments, she looked down and away, suddenly sheepish. "I, uh… Zed, do you like girls with big tits?"

Totally unprepared for the question, I rallied well, I thought. "You've got very nice breasts, Sue."

Her gaze snapped back to mine; her brows furrowed. "That's not what I asked. You do, don't you. Shit. The damn things get in the way, and I've got to be more careful about buttoning things."

With that, she leaned over and reached under her seat. When she sat back up, she held a two-quart bottle of corn syrup. She popped the top, and I heard the distinctive crack of a brand-new seal opening.

"You know how to make five pounds of fat attractive?"

"No?"

"Put a nipple on it. Bottom's up!"

Sue threw her head back and chugged down the entire bottle of syrup. I stared while she did it, unable to believe my eyes. When she'd downed the contents, she sucked until the bottle collapsed, trying to get the bits of liquid sugar clinging to the sides. She tossed the empty bottle into a trash box behind my seat, then squirmed around until she lay with her head in my lap. She looked up at me, her eyes wide and unfocussed.

"I'm gonna take a little nap now. You mind?"

"I've got no place to be. I might not be awake, though."

"No worries. G'night."

Her eyes slid closed the moment she stopped talking. Within seconds she snored gently. I hadn't meant to, but I lied to her when I said I would go to sleep. At first, I stared at her face, fascinated with how she looked in natural light. The reflected sunlight softened the harsh angles and planes of her cheeks. Lying there, peacefully asleep, it struck me again how beautiful she was. Her lips full and soft, her cheeks rounded with just a hint of blush.

I'm not sure how long I watched her, quietly admiring her beauty, but at some point my brain finally overruled my heart and hormones. My breath caught when I really looked at her. Right before my eyes her face had changed from the severe, harsh lines I'd woken up looking at to the soft, beautiful face I remembered from the stage the night before. She was a Shifter.

My brain stubbornly refused to relinquish control to my panicking adrenal glands. Sure, Sue was a Shifter, but I'd just eaten a meal with her. Obviously ravenous, she'd made no move toward me or my fried chicken. Either she really was vegetarian, or she had better self-control than any Shifter I'd ever seen or heard of. I searched my memory for any clues to which one it might be, but after thinking a while something else became clear. I didn't care. A beautiful woman wanted me. She wanted me enough to defy terrorists and fight her very nature.

She wanted me enough to win against both, it seemed.

I had to apologize to Al. The pent-up desire I'd been denying for him had sublimated itself to a desire for his sister, and I couldn’t do anything about it. In all honesty, I wouldn’t do anything about it if I could.

All the thoughts rushing through my head had me keyed up, but I remained punch drunk from lack of sleep. My hand brushed over her, reveling in the feel of her muscles shifting under her skin as she slept. It reached her breast, full and heavy yet somehow still perkier than any breast of that size had a right to be. I froze, shocked at the way it filled my hand to overflowing. It shifted gently as her chest rose and fell with the deep breath of sleep.

I was exhausted. My world narrowed to the firm, heavy breast shifting against my palm, the nipple growing stiff so slowly I never became consciously aware of the change. When Sue growled, I was so tired I didn't even tense. Then again, it wasn't a Shifter growl. I had none of the feral menace of a monster about to feed or fight.

It had no threat, but another hunger still filled it. I felt myself respond, growing stiff under her head. She spoke without opening her eyes.

"When I make them big that fast, they ache like a bitch. If you're feeling me up while they're still sore, you better be ready to follow through."

I didn't really think about it. I ghosted my hand across her breast, my touch light but insistent. Sue arched her back, pressing her nipple against my palm. Her eyes snapped open; deep, and full of endless aching need, but still the soulful living eyes of a human, not the soulless dead orbs of a Shifter about to feed. The last of my fear evaporated in the heat of my answering need.

Sue spoke again with her eyes closed. "You're not moving your hand."

"You seem to like it there."

"I'm not complaining. I'm just sayin'. You're ready, I can feel it. You up for it?" A faint hint of apprehension joined the need in Sue's eyes when she opened them. She felt me hesitating but couldn't tell why. I hurried to explain myself.

"I thought you said they hurt."

A wry smile twisted her lips, but it couldn't hide the relief in her eyes. "I told you, Zed. Life hurts. I don't get a choice on that, so I'm damn sure going to go after anything I can that makes the pain worthwhile."

I'm not stupid. I knew what she was hinting at, but I had to hear it in plain English. "Sex makes it worthwhile?"

Her eyes slid closed again as she twisted and shifted her shoulders. Her left breast slipped out of my hand, only to be replaced by the right one.

"No, Zed. You make it worthwhile. The sex is just a hella good painkiller."

"I've heard foreplay makes it even better."

She twisted her head, her lips gently tugging at my shirt and pants.

"Yeah. We'll have to try that sometime. Right now, how about we try some during play?"