Cobb and Kat stood at Mistress Alexa's door at six-twenty-eight in the morning. In Cobb's hand was a silver platter carrying a plate of eggs, hash browns, bacon, and toast, with coffee and orange juice. He also wore a watch on that wrist, facing him as he carried the platter. According to Cobb, punctuality was key with the Mistress. So punctual, in fact, that they stood outside her door for three minutes because it wasn't time to knock yet.

Kat watched him as he stared at his watch, a sense of unease growing in her gut. She fidgeted, smoothed out her uniform, fought the urge to gnaw her nails. Soon, she would see her Mistress again, face to face for the first time since last night in the garden. She thumbed the ring on her middle finger. The thought of seeing her Mistress again made her shudder.

She shook her head clear and stiffened, back straight, shoulders back, just like Cobb had instructed her to.

He looked at her, nodded, and then to his watch. "You will knock three times. If that is not answered, you will wait for five minutes, and then knock twice. If that remains unanswered, then you will return downstairs. That Madam will take her meal in the dining room, in that case."

Kat blinked. The sleepless night had left her exhausted. She felt like she should've been taking notes. Cobb, unaware of how lost she was, continued, "Always knock at six-thirty sharp. No sooner, no later. And with that... we have five seconds."

"W-What?"

"Four."

Oh god. She had to knock. Shakily, she did her best to stiffen up, face the door, and ready her fist. This was it. The day was starting.

"Three."

What was in store? Would she fuck up again? Thoughts raced through her mind as her fist hovered by the door.

"Two."

Here she went.

"And... knock."

Timidly, quietly, she knocked on the door three times. She swallowed. There it was, she'd done it. They waited for a moment, listening, but no response came. Cobb shook his head, but a smile appeared on his lips.

"You may want to actually knock next time. What you did was the equivalent of a whisper, Kat."

A blush rose to her cheeks, despite herself. She cleared her throat and looked away.

Cobb laughed softly. "Today, we'll be training you on etiquette, seeing as you seem to have... limited experience in it. I don't know how lenient your last owner was, but around here, clumsiness is rarely tolerated by the Madam. She can be quite strict."

Strict. The word sent a cold shake through her. Mistress Alexa had gone easy on her yesterday, she thought. She fought back tears, but sniffled anyway, her lip starting to quiver.

Cobb eyed her over, and sighed, looking back down at his watch without saying a word. For what seemed like an hour, they stood there in silence, waiting. With each minute that passed by, Kat felt her nerves growing restless.

"Alright. Get ready to knock again. Remember, two knocks. And louder."

Kat gulped and nodded, closing her fist and putting it to the door once more. Cobb, watching the time, started counting down again.

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"And... knock."

She knocked, twice this time, and with slightly more force. Mistress Alexa was sure to have heard that one, even if it was still quite quiet. There was a moment of silence, and then, from within, Mistress Alexa said, "You may enter."

Cobb nodded to Kat, who carefully took the cold door handle and pushed the door open slowly, as if it were fragile enough to break. She poked her head through, peering into the dimly lit room. Mistress Alexa laid on her bed, reading next to a lamp on her bedside table. She looked up from her book, to Kat, and smiled a kind smile.

"Come in sweetheart."

Kat pushed the door open a little more, when Cobb placed his hand on the door above her and pushed it open all the way. Once it was open, they both entered, Cobb taking the breakfast platter to her nightstand, and Kat walking over to her Mistress's side, kneeling and averting her eyes. Idly, Mistress Alexa reached down and patted her head.

"Breakfast this morning, Madam. Hot and ready."

She nodded with a smile and said, "Thanks Cobb. Can always count on my juice boy."

"I am always eager to serve someone so sour as yourself, Madam," he retorted.

She glared at him. He glared back. Kat watched them, sensing tension in the air. Her stomach started to turn and she felt a bead of sweat drip down her side. But then, a moment later, they both burst into laughter, leaving Kat kneeling there, eyes wide with confusion, eyebrows furrowed.

"Perhaps Kat should be training you and not the other way around," Mistress Alexa said, chuckling and looking at Kat with a wink. But then, a little more sober, she added, "Speaking of which, what will you train her on today?"

Cobb bowed and said, "Etiquette, Madam. We will be gardening today, to teach attention to fine detail."

Kat, in the meantime, knelt there with confusion written on her face. Did... Did Cobb just say that? They both laughed about it. She ran her hands down her uniform's skirt. That would've gotten her a severe beating, she was sure of it. Perhaps it was just their relationship. He was a butler, after all, not a slave. It would be different for her, she knew it.

"Kat," Mistress Alexa said, gently pinching her earlobe to break her from her haze. She blinked, then gave a small bow.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Be good today."

Kat nodded slowly. "Yes, Mistress."

"Very good. Alright then, you two may go. Thank you, as always."

Cobb bowed. "Anytime, Madam."

With that, he put a hand on Kat's shoulder - she nearly jumped out of her uniform from it - and gently helped her stand, leading her out of the room, and closing the door behind him with a quiet click. He looked down at her, nodding contentedly, and with a small hum, said, "Well, that went off without a hitch."

Kat eyed him carefully.

He sighed, his smile falling. "Feel free to throw in a joke here or there if you ever have one. The Madam appreciates good humor."

Ah, so he would see her get herself into trouble, she thought. Well, she wouldn't fall for it. Absolutely not. And it seemed Cobb wasn't all smiles, if he intended for her to get beaten. Likely for his amusement. Or... did he? Was it true? Could she crack a joke here? Her head started to spin.

"Calm down," Cobb said, gently putting his gloved hand on her shoulder. "You're breathing rather rapidly."

Kat took a shaky breath in. Her breathing had become quick and shallow and she hadn't noticed it, and her swimming head was probably because she was making herself lightheaded. Cob squeezed her shoulder, and said, "Breathe, Kat. In, then out, slowly."

Kat did as she was told, taking in a deep breath, and exhaling slowly. Then, another one, and Cobb did it with her. The argument in her head started to subside, and her thoughts began to clear. She looked at him with a sideways glance, and he simply smiled when their eyes met. She quickly looked away.

"I... I'm sorry, Sir," she said, turning away.

Cobb looked down at her, then let go of her shoulder and softly laughed. "Go," he said, "Change out of your uniform into something breezy. It's supposed to be hot today, and I'd rather not see you faint in the heat."

Gardening was a lot. More than she'd expected. The warm midday sun hung overhead, staring down at her as she worked, and even in her light blue blouse and blue shorts, she was sweating bullets. As for Cobb, he had changed into a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt, and he was down in the dirt pulling weeds with her. The whole garden was overgrown with them, and ivy. Where there should've been lush flowers and vegetable plants, there were milkweed and crabgrass. Kat didn't like that. Gardens were supposed to be flourishing things, full of color and wonder, not weeds.

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Cobb, dear God, he demanded perfection. Trim this correctly, no, not like that, like this, do it again, and again. Pluck at the roots, he said, no, at the roots Kat, like this, do it again, and again. This is how you use a shovel, this is how you do this, do that, again, and again. She mocked him in her mind, sour.

She wanted another bath.

On the whole, though, she found that she was beginning to almost like Cobb. The man had a genuine smile and, despite being a horrible perfectionist, was actually quite patient with her. Plus, and this was big, she thought. He never laid a hand on her. And she'd made enough mistakes to warrant a beating by now.

But it didn't come.

Instead, gentle words of encouragement and small scolds came. He helped her choose which leaves to trim, how to put exactly the right amount of plant feed into a pot, just how much water this plant or that plant needed, and how to trim hedges to be perfectly flat. It was clear that he knew much, and was eager to teach it. He hummed while he went from plant to plant.

Every time she looked at him, she found herself feeling that uneasy feeling again. And whenever he looked at her, she flinched. But after a while, things within her subsided. He never glared at her, never yelled. He never laid a hand on her. He only checked on how she was doing and helped her when she needed it.

And she definitely needed it. Her mind was slow today, like tar, and her body felt sluggish. She couldn't keep a grasp on her attention, losing focus with ease. Whenever Cobb would try to explain something, he'd have to repeat himself two or three times for her to get it. The sleepless night was weighing on her. Her eyes burned.

"You seem tired."

Kat wearily glanced at him, and blinked. "I... didn't get much sleep last night."

"And why not? Sleep is the cornerstone of a successful day, Kat."

She hesitated, looking away. Would she talk to him? She wasn't sure. Internally she weighed the pros and cons, conflicted. "I... just have a lot on my mind."

Cobb raised an eyebrow, and gave her a look, but simply nodded and said, "Well, we have chamomile tea in the home, feel free to help yourself to some if you would ever like it."

After that, he left it alone.

When lunch came around, he finished clipping a small tree in the garden and set down his tools and said, "And with that, I think we're done for the day."

Kat felt a bead of sweat creep down her forehead. She wiped it with a rag Cobb had given her, and took a deep breath. "We are?"

He nodded to her. "Yes, we are. You look like you're about to pass out."

She felt a wave of relief wash over her, and a desperation to escape the heat.

"Go on, get cleaned, I'll put the tools away," he continued, "Go take a nap. I'll tell Madam Kilovich, and we'll see you for dinner."

A nap. To her it sounded like water might to a desert wanderer. She processed the sentiment in her weary mind. Was he giving her permission to sleep during the day? Her old Master had never permitted that, it was anathema to rest during the day. Was he setting her up? Was she just getting paranoid at this point? She wasn't sure, all she knew now is that she was exhausted. Just the thought of sleep was enough to nearly knock her out.

In the end, she gave in. "Yes Sir," she said, standing, trying to balance, and starting for the back door.

Cobb cleared his throat. "Kat," he said from behind her, "That's Cobb, to you."

She paused, turned around, and eyed him suspiciously, but decided, listening to her better judgment, to not say anything, and simply turned around again and headed into the house.

That evening, she was roused from a deep sleep by a knock at her door. It was Cobb. He told her that Mistress Alexa had called for her in her study, and that she was to come in uniform. She slipped out of bed and gathered her uniform together, heart hammering. Had she done something wrong? Would her Mistress spank her again if she had? Or... wait, it was dinner time. She took a deep, shaky breath, just like Cobb would've told her to do, and she felt her heart calm.

In uniform, she joined Cobb, and together they made their way down the hallway, taking a left, and heading down to a large oaken door that had a head emanating from within. Cobb stopped here, and stopped Kat here, and knocked three times. No response came. Then, after five minutes to the second, he knocked twice. Still nothing. Kat could feel her stomach start to knot. Something felt wrong here, but she wasn't sure what it was. Something was out of place.

Eventually, the heavy door creaked open, revealing Mistress Alexa's smiling face. Her hazel eyes fell upon them, then the door opened further, showing that she wore a set of pink pajamas that looked as soft as they were warm. Kat was almost tempted to reach out and find out, but she held herself stiff and stifled the odd urge.

"Come in," her Mistress said. They shuffled in and the door closed behind them. The study was a small room, comparatively, but the walls were all embedded bookshelves, there was a desk in the corner, and a recliner by the roaring fireplace. A window rose between the shelves, a dent in the massive library, looking out to the dark night below, with the red curtains drawn back.

Mistress Alexa sat in the recliner, and motioned for Cobb to stand beside her, pointing Kat over to the fireplace, and commanding her to kneel before it. She had to admit, the warmth was welcome.

"How was she today?" her Mistress inquired.

Cobb, standing between her and Kat, looked over his shoulder at her for a moment, then turned back and said, "Rough, at the start. There was plenty to correct."

Ket felt her heart stutter. She kept her head down but couldn't help the blush rising in her cheeks.

"But," he continued, "She did quite well as the day went on. She's quite obedient and quick to learn."

Mistress Alexa rubbed her chin, seeming to think, inspecting Kat, before smiling and saying, "Good. Very good. Thank you Cobb. That is all I needed from you."

Cobb bowed. "Then I shall see myself out."

"Please shut the door behind you," she said.

Cobb nodded, made his way to the door, and quietly slipped out of the room.

Leaving Kat alone with her Mistress.

She swallowed dryly, hardly daring to take a deep breath, much less move. She listened intently, listening to the rustling of the chair as her Mistress rose from it, the sound of footsteps behind her. They paused. She was right next to Kat, who didn't dare look up.

Suddenly, she felt slender fingers thread through her dark hair, making her flinch. Her flesh crawled and curdled into gooseflesh, and a shiver rocked her body. She wanted to curl up, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to curl up and be pet, or just curl up and vanish.

"I trust Cobb," Mistress Alexa began, twirling Kat's hair between her forefinger and thumb. "And if he says you did well, then you did well. I'm proud of you."

Kat paused, her breath caught in her throat. Proud? Nobody had been proud of her since she'd fallen into slavery. That funny feeling was back, in her gut. That funny, unnamable feeling. She frowned, but Mistress Alexa didn't seem to notice.

"Tomorrow, I will train you personally," she said. Kat could feel her face pale. "I want you to know how to perform basic paperwork tasks such as filing and compiling. Oftentimes, I am too busy to refile my documents, and Cobb ends up doing it for me. I want you to take care of that from now on."

"Yes Mistress," Kat said, not looking up. Mistress Alexa's gentle hand continued to glide through her hair, and Kat, despite herself, shivered with delight.

"Very good," she said. She patted Kat on the head a few more times, before turning, and heading back to her chair, where she sat with a contented sigh. "Crawl here."

Kat turned and, carefully, one hand before the other, began to crawl across the carpeted floor to her Mistress's feet.

"Look at me."

She looked up, cautious to avoid her Mistress's eyes.

"I said, look at me."

Kat's heart jumped, but she locked eyes with her Mistress. Under her gaze, though it was gentle, and compassionate, Kat felt herself start to wilt. She felt so small. So, so small.

Alexa's lips curled into a smile.

"Good. Crawl up here."

"W-What?"

Kat covered her mouth and gasped at her outburst. Internally, she screamed. Her Mistress raised an eyebrow, but didn't look angry. To the contrary, her smile grew wider, and her eyes, softer.

"Don't make me repeat myself," she said, and though it was worded as a threat, Kat could swear she heard playfulness in her Mistress's voice.

Obeying the command, Kat, shaking, slowly put her hand on the armchair's cushy arm, pushing herself up slowly, keeping her eyes locked with her Mistress, feeling like an ant climbing a giant. Just as slowly as she had the first time, she put her other arm on the chair, and crawled her way up, until Mistress Alexa gently grabbed her and made her sit on her lap.

Kat shook, but Mistress Alexa simply wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled Kat's head into her bosom. Kat could hear her heartbeat.

Tha thump.

Tha thump.

Tha thump.

The rhythmic beating could've put her back to sleep.

The peace was disturbed soon, however, with the sound of crinkling. Kat tried to look up, but Mistress Alexa firmly kept her head down. She didn't put up a fight, simply going back to listening to the peaceful thumping of her Mistress's heart as her Mistress fidgeted with something in her free hand.

"Here, eat this," she said, finally allowing Kat to look up. In her hand was a small square of chocolate, its deep brown hues hitting Kat's eyes like gold. Was this a test? She didn't move, she wouldn't dare. She'd not been given chocolate in years, and it'd been so long that she'd forgotten what it tasted like at this point. Somewhere deep in her brain she must've known, but she couldn't remember. Not anymore.

She didn't move.

Mistress Alexa watched her, and their eyes met for a moment, and Kat could swear she saw something in them. Curiosity, maybe. Pity.

"Very well then," she said. "I shall feed you myself."

Kat felt a blush in her cheeks. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could even utter a word, Mistress Alexa had plopped the chocolate piece onto her tongue. Her thumb rested gently on Kat's lip for a moment, and they shared a look, before the command came.

"Eat."

Kat closed her mouth slowly and, delicately, began to chew the chocolate. All at once the flavor hit her. It was like seeing an old friend she'd forgotten about, reconnecting, rekindling a flame. The sweetness of the chocolate, its smooth richness, it washed over her tongue in waves. It was good. Damn it was good. She couldn't help but let out a tiny, satisfied hum, as a small smile crept on her face.

Mistress Alexa looked down at her, a pleased grin on her face. "I think that's the first time I've seen you smile here. Thought you'd like that."

There it was. That strange, strange feeling, except it was powerful this time, hitting her as though she was standing in the waves of the ocean. It washed over her, filling her insides, and making her squirm. She still couldn't name it. It felt wrong to feel. It made her uncomfortable. Whatever it was, she wished it would stop.

Try as she might, she didn't see any trickery here. As she licked the chocolate from her lips, she found herself bathing in the feeling, the weird emotion she couldn't name. Something about the way her Mistress held her, something about the chocolate, the look in her eyes, something was making her feel this way. Something about the Mistress.

None of it really made sense.

She swallowed, and, oddly, rested her head back on her Mistress's chest to listen to her heartbeat again. It was a bit of an awkward position, but it was... soothing.

Yes, it was soothing.

So soothing, in fact, that she started to drift once more. Mistress Alexa's soft, gentle touch on her head, the way she cradled her, the beating of her heart, it was enough to put Kat to sleep.

So, she rested her eyes, and drifted off.