bprd_agent_red | (no subject)

"That one totally had nothing to do with me," Red says, and a 'for once' could probably be added to the end.

Looking at the cat, he smiles and nods.

"Yeah, Farrah. You can probably already tell she likes lots of attention."

"She's a sweetheart," Liz says with a faint smile.

"I like her," X says, after a thoughtful few moments of silence.

Then she looks anxious.

Or at least as anxious as X is capable of looking.

"If that is okay?"

Red looks at the cat, glances at Liz, then looks at Laura.

This is hard, because he really does care about the cats, but it's Liz's idea, and he's convinced Laura will take good care of Farrah.

Pulling in a slow breath, he reaches out his flesh hand to stroke the tortoiseshell cat.

"Yeah, it's okay."

He ruffles the cat's fur, and smiles.

X's shoulders relax fractionally.

And then, greatly daring --

She smiles back.

(It is not a very big smile, but she tries.)

"Thank you."

They make a pretty adorable picture right now.

Not that Liz would say so to either of them.

(If only her camera wasn't across the room.)

Steve, meanwhile, is perched on Laura's shoulder. He has been watching these proceedings with a regal eye, but now, apparently feeling that he is not receiving enough attention, he balances on three paws and bats at Laura's hair with the fourth.

Liz's fond, quietly proud (of both Red and Laura) smile fades to a more reasonable level.

"You and Steve are buddies, huh?"

X looks startled again, though whether at Liz's comment or Steve McQueen's hair-batting is unclear.

She does free one hand from Farrah in order to scratch behind Steve's ears, though.

She is thorough like that.

Then --

"Yes."

It is only a little hesitant.

"He likes me."

And vice versa.

Liz got that.

She shoots Red the slightest of slight apologetic looks, and then she says, "Maybe Farrah could do with a friend. If you wanted." She folds her arms comfortably.

Wry: "Your apartment building would probably be a safer escape hatch than the Bureau." Every time Steve gets out, Liz is less and less sure that they're going to get him back before something stomps on or eats him.

(The look that she tossed to Red was only slightly apologetic because, well -- out of all of the cats, Steve is the one who is the most Liz's.

He'd probably be happier, she thinks, with Laura; definitely safer.)

Seeing Laura with the cat gives Red a warm fuzzy kind of feeling that he'd never admit to having, but likes quite a bit. He returns Laura's smile, though his is stronger, classic Red.

The smile loses something, though, when Liz offers up Steve McQueen. He turns to Liz, and the look she's giving him makes him swallow any protest. Steve is her cat, if Liz is willing to let him go, Red won't argue.

Farrah would be happier with a friend, and Steve has had more and more close calls here at the Bureau.

Nodding, Red starts to stand.

"Let me get you some things for them."

X goes wide-eyed, looking at Liz.

The movement of her hand, where it's scratching at Steve McQueen's neck, is even more gentle than it was a second ago. More careful.

Her nostrils flare very briefly as she scents the air.

But it really does not take her that long to come up with an answer.

"If you do not mind. And if it would be safer. For Steve."

Beat.

"I will be very careful."

That is a promise, a very earnest promise.

She will enlist her neighbors' help, too. It will be like a task force.

Then she shifts her gaze to Red, though she does not yet move to get up.

Give her a second.

"I have a litterbox. From before. And a food and water dispenser."

Rose got them for her for Christmas -- in case X is called out of town unexpectedly. (It has happened before.)

"But more will be useful. Thank you."

Edited 2010-03-07 01:01 (UTC)

I will be very careful, Laura says, painfully earnest, and Liz shoots her a tiny, warm smile. It says: I know you will.

"You sound very prepared," is all she says.

Red rummages around the room. He's got a box already with a few things (some food the cats like and treats), but now he's looking for personal affects.

He finds an old battered mouse that's a favorite of Steve's, a brush for Farrah, a couple little balls with bells on the inside and other assorted small stuffed toys.

"Hey, Liz, you seen the cat pole thing?" he asks as he roots around through junk. "The one with the feather?"

He moves his hand up and down, miming the action of the stick and string that is endlessly entertaining for both cats.

"It is important," X says in response to Liz.

Her gaze flicks toward Hellboy, watching his movements for a few seconds, observing what he's putting into the box -- as best she can, anyway.

And a moment after he asks that question -- hesitantly --

"The feather is blue?"

The girl's got good eyes. It's one of her superpowers.

Finding things in Red's clutter is definitely a superpower.

He's about to lift up one of the TVs, because something could maybe hide under there, when X's words stop him.

"Yeah, where's it?"

He looks around himself first, then to Laura for direction.

X's gaze flicks left, to a pile of newspapers that seem to be hiding the shape of a few candy bars.

"There."

She'd point, but one of the cats has already seen the feather and started batting at it.

Enthusiastically.

Edited 2010-03-07 20:13 (UTC)

Liz leans over and scoops up the offender. "Not yours, buddy," she tells a slightly disgruntled Bubbles.

Red heads over, giving a smile to Liz and Bubbles, then quickly puts the toy in the box before any of the others see it.

"Alright, I guess that does it," he says as he moves towards Laura with the box. "unless you want a cat tree, they like to climb and I can-- "

He jerks a thumb over his shoulder at one of the many carpeted tiered perches in offering.

X dislodges Farrah and Steve very carefully, then stands up in order to take the box.

Then she hesitates. Again.

"I -- "

It is entirely probable that she's going over the layout of her apartment, determining whether space for a cat tree exists, and if so, where.

And after a moment --

"That would be good. If it is not too big."

Someone here is a pushover.

(Maybe more than one someone.)

Red shakes his head in response.

"Not at all, I can move it for ya." And any furniture that might be in it's way.

He looks over the available trees and picks one that isn't too big, keeping in mind Liz said Laura has an apartment.

A cat or three has to be removed before he can pick it up.

"Okay," X says, after studying the cat tree Hellboy just picked up.

And, with the box at her arms and the cats at her feet --

"Thank you."

"Before you guys go tramping through the halls with all that stuff--" Liz says, setting Bubbles down, and she crosses the room and opens the closet door.

And, what do you know, the general hum of conversation and clinking glasses comes through; Milliways sits in the doorway.

She shoots the door a look. "Now it works."

X shoots a quick glance at the door she came in through.

"It will be more discreet," she says, after a moment.

"And safer."

And it will give Steve fewer opportunities to make a run for it.

Well, to make a run for it to anywhere other than Milliways.

X is already moving to follow him, stopping only to scoop up Farrah and deposit her in the box.

At least she moves fast, too?

Edited 2010-03-08 04:06 (UTC)

Glad that the closet door is cooperating, Red hefts the cat tree and head that way.

"Yeah, Milliways has seen way crazier sights than this, I'm sure."

Liz shakes her head faintly with a tiny wave as they go.

That was a very un-dramatic goodbye. She'll count that as a win.

She perches on the arm of the chair to wait. Bubbles hops up on the seat and she scratches under his chin. "It'll be a little less crowded in here now," she tells him, and he mraows.

Red comes back in a bit later, dusting his hands off and closing the door.

He picks up the nearest cat, and settles it in the crook of his arm to pet.

"They're all in Laura's apartment."