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“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” “Alec? Alec, is that you? Listen, the poor darling is stuck. You need to send help fast. The water is rising as I speak.” **** One hour earlier Madzie stares out of the window and sighs. It’s been raining non stop all afternoon, torrents of rain where she could hardly see across the street and rain crashing against the window panes, making more noise than the traffic outside. She doesn’t usually mind rain but they had planned to go out to the park and try out the new climbing frame. This rain is so heavy that it scuppered those plans. Madzie is disappointed and unhappy. “We can go another day, Sweetpea,” Magnus says from the couch where he has a book of Madzie’s open and ready to read. “But I think I can see a bit of blue sky over there,” Madzie says hopefully, pointing over to her left. “Well, that sounds promising. How about you read a bit to me until the rain clears. Then we’ll see what we can do.” Madzie takes one more long look out of the window, then walks slowly over to Magnus. “I suppose,” she drawls. “But can I have a milkshake if we go out?” Magnus pats the couch next to him. “I think we can even brave the rain to do that,” he replies, smiling. Madzie smiles back, plopping down onto the couch and tucking her legs under her, leaning against Magnus’s side. “I’m still mad at the rain,” she says grumpily. Magnus stifles a chuckle, finding his Sweetpea so adorable. Half an hour later, after reading through the book, then playing several rounds of uno, the rain stops and a few patches of blue appear. Madzie rushes immediately over to the window, looking in all directions. “It’s over! Let’s go out, Magnus,” she shouts excitedly. “Fabulous! Let’s get our coats and rubber boots. There are going to be lots of puddles to play in out there.” They get dressed for the cooler outside, putting on a sweater as well. Madzie dances around the whole time, her energy hard to contain. Magnus smiles to himself, and tries to work out where they can walk to. The soda bar two blocks down is probably the easiest route. It will avoid the park too. Sadly the climbing frame is going to be too wet to use today. Magnus does not want any accidents on his watch. Once outside, he is glad of their warm coats. There is a strong, cold wind that is bending the trees slightly and making the clouds race across the sky. It’s refreshing though, and Madzie skips along in front, happy to be on the move, splashing through any puddles she comes across. They come to a junction and Madzie stops, waiting for Magnus to catch up. He sees her bend down, looking into one of the storm drains that edges the street. She turns her head, waving her hand at him and shouts, “Magnus, come quickly.” Magnus rushes forward, worrying that Madzie might tumble into the street, and curious about why she is calling him. When he reaches her, he hears a faint noise, and it seems to be coming from the storm drain. Madzie tugs on his trouser leg. “Magnus, look, look!” she cries, pointing with her other hand. He bends down, and sure enough, on a ledge behind the grate, he can see a furry creature with tiny paws, scrabbling on the side of the drain, as if trying to climb up. It’s hard to see what it is from their vantage point, but it looks dirty and unkempt. It pulls at Magnus’s heart, nevertheless. “We have to save it, Magnus,” Madzie says, almost in tears as she tries to reach through the grate. Magnus holds tight onto her, stopping her from tumbling over. “Stand aside for a sec, Madzie. I’ll try and get the grate off.” Madzie does as she’s told, but hovers at Magnus’s side as he tries to pull up the grate. “Quick, quick! There’s water!” Madzie shouts, clearly concerned about the poor animal. Magnus tugs at the grate again and again. He’s got some strength, he can carry Alec, but the grate is heavy and perhaps a bit rusted in place too. It doesn’t budge, however hard he tries. “It’s stuck. I can’t do it on my own.” He looks around but there isn’t anyone about in this chilly, windy weather. Madzie starts crying. “We have to save it, Magnus. Please!” Magnus looks down again at the animal, and can see the water rising slowly just below it. He pulls out his phone and dials a number. “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” “Alec? Alec, is that you? Listen, the poor darling is stuck. You need to send help fast. The water is rising as I speak.” Magnus talks rapidly, Madzie still crying as she crouches next to the drain. “Magnus. I need you to tell me who is stuck and where. Calmly, okay?” Alec replies, the sound of his keyboard faint in the background. “Is it Madzie? I can hear her crying.” Magnus takes a breath. “No, it’s not Madzie. She’s upset because there’s an animal stuck in the storm drain and the water’s rising. I can’t get the grate off on my own.” “Okay. I’ve got your coordinates from your phone. A team will be with you in less than a minute,” Alec says calmly. “Are you both okay?” “We are fine, Alexander. On our way to Sam’s Sodas, when we got somewhat sidetracked,” Magnus replies. “How did the little minx persuade you to do that?” Alec asks, smiling. “An abandoned visit to the new climbing frame and a need to lose some energy,” Magnus replies, looking down at Madzie. He taps her on the shoulder. “Alec says they will be here any moment now.” As he says the words, they hear the sirens, and then see the fire truck heading towards them. “I’ll update you when it’s all over. They’re here ,” Magnus says. “Love you.” “Love you too. And love to Madzie. See you at eight.” “Bye, darling!” “Bye, Magnus!” The team that arrives is very efficient. They crowbar the grate off in seconds, and then one of them reaches down and grabs the animal off the ledge. It miawls as it’s brought out, and although wet and dirty, it is clearly a kitten, a very cute, soggy kitten. It tries to lick the face of its saviour but they hold it away from them, saying it’s lucky to be alive and it’s not them it has to thank. Madzie is in raptures. She dances around the team, happily recounting the tale of how they found the kitten, and thanking everyone for helping her new friend. Magnus grimaces inwardly and tries to imagine that he’s going to be able to persuade Catarina to keep the kitten. ** Madzie agrees to exchange a milkshake for a visit to the vets. The vet isn’t able to find any record of the kitten, not an unusual occurrence. It is very thin and malnourished, shivering as the vet checks it over. The vet is pretty sure it must have got separated from its mother, who was likely a wild cat. Madzie starts crying straight away at the thought of the kitten losing its mom, and it takes several minutes to calm her down. Once the kitten has been dried off, given a thorough checkup (it’s a female), all the necessary preventative care and a microchip to identify her, Magnus carries her home. Madzie chats ten to the dozen at his side, telling the kitten about the wonderful life it’s going to have now. She suddenly stops, and Magnus only realises a few steps later. He turns around to find her standing with her hands on her hips, a frown on her face. “What’s up Sweetpea?” he asks, genuinely confused. “She doesn’t have any toys…or a bed…or food. She must be hungry. I’m hungry. Can we get her a milkshake too?” Magnus hides a smile. “You are quite right about the first things, though I think a milkshake might be too rich. But we need to give her a bath and change out of these dirty clothes first.” Madzie looks at him for a long moment, as if she is assessing whether he is telling her the truth. Magnus works hard on stopping a smile. “Okay,” she says, finally. “I can wait for the milkshake.” And she skips off ahead of him. *** It’s not that Magnus had forgotten Chairman Meow, it had just not really dawned on him that he is now, potentially, the owner of a kitten. A kitten that will grow to be a cat. And they already have a cat. They meet for the first time when Magnus, the kitten still in his arms, and Madzie enter the apartment. Chairman leaps off the couch and winds himself around their legs, making Madzie laugh and bend down to give him some attention. He’s purring under her caresses when she looks up at Magnus and sees the kitten. Magnus sees her eyes widen and the smile begin. “Magnus!” she cries. “Chairman has a new friend. He won’t be alone anymore!” Magnus grimaces inwardly. He’s always had the strong impression that Chairman likes being alone, or at least, likes being the main attention of the people he deigns to let into his life. He has no idea how he is going to react to an addition to the family. Oh, Lord! How did he get into this mess? Perhaps he can persuade Catarina afterall. Though the kitten is awfully cute. “How about we give them time to make friends? But first a bath for this one,” he says, indicating the sleeping kitten in his arms. “Can I hold her?” Madzie asks, standing up and reaching out her arms. “Until we put her in the water, then I think we might need to swap places. Cats and kittens don’t generally like water,” Magnus replies, handing her over. Madzie nods her agreement, taking the kitten, who opens its eyes and does a cute yawn. Madzie awws and starts talking to the cat in a low voice as she follows Magnus to the bathroom. Chairman trails after them, but goes into Magnus and Alec’s bedroom when he sees them entering the bathroom. Luckily, Magnus has experience with felines and the bath goes off without too much incident. They are both even wetter by the end, but the kitten is wrapped up in a fluffy towel and cradled in Madzie’s arms. “You know,” Magnus muses, watching them, “we really can’t keep calling her ‘the kitten’. Do you want to give her a name?” The smile Madzie gives him lights up the room. “Yes, please!” she replies excitedly. She spends the next few minutes looking at the kitten, who has its front legs sticking out of the towel, resting against Madzie’s arm. She strokes the kitten’s head, then runs a hand over its legs. “She’s so soft,” she says, her voice gentle and full of awe. The kitten miaows, blinking its eyes. Madzie smiles. “I’m gonna call her Paws,” she says, turning to look at Magnus. “Paws,” Magnus repeats, rolling the word on his tongue. He smiles. “I love it, Sweetpea!” *** It’s a bit after eight in the evening when Alec gets home, Madzie long gone. Magnus has a meal prepared for them, and they sit down to eat that before anything else. Once the meal is finished, and they have moved to the couch, Magnus cuddles up next to Alec, resting his head on his shoulder. “So,” Alec starts, his voice gentle, “you gonna tell me the end of the story?” Magnus sighs, nosing Alec’s neck, scenting him for the comfort it gives him. Alec kisses the top of his head, pulling one of Magnus’s hands into his lap. “You won’t get mad?” Magnus asks, softly. Alec grips his hand tighter, pulling him even closer with his other arm which is wrapped around Magnus’s shoulder. “Why would I get mad?” he asks. Magnus fiddles with his ear cuff. “We may have acquired a second cat,” he answers. “I did try to foist her off on Catarina, believe me. But that woman is a formidable adversary, and even with Madzie’s help it was a lost cause,” he continues, the words tumbling from his lips. “And Paws is the cutest kitten you’ll ever see. She’s white and fluffy, with these big blue eyes. She is quite frankly adorable, darling.” Alec smiles, pulling away slightly so that he can look at Magnus, and more importantly, so Magnus can see his face. “She sounds undeniably cute. Can I assume that Madzie named her?” Magnus laughs, nodding his head. “She also wants daily updates, with pictures.” Alec grins back. “I wouldn’t have expected any less.” They sit in silence for a minute, before Alec asks his next question. “So, where is the princess? And how did she get on with Chairman?” Magnus shuffles a bit, sliding his hand out of Alec’s and resting it on Alec’s chest. “You are never going to believe this!” he exclaims enthusiastically, tapping on Alec’s chest. “Madzie was playing with Paws on the floor here, when Chairman came in from a short nap. He immediately stopped and stared at them both for a long moment, his tail swishing from side to side. He started making this strange sound, like he was complaining or something. Madzie turned around, her attention moving from Paws to Chairman. “And in that moment, the little Paws teetered over towards Chairman. It was so comical. Chairman backed away a few steps, but the kitten carried on advancing until she reached him. Madzie was as surprised as I was, and just watched with her mouth open.” Alec is listening attentively, his eyes widening as the story progresses. “I was just about to get up and rush to Paws’ rescue, when Paws reached up and patted at Chairman’s tail, falling over onto her back in the process. Chairman immediately sniffed at her, rolling her over, and she leapt for his nose. He snorted, Alec, or sneezed, or some sound like that, Paws fell over again, and somehow that was the start of a friendship that I hope will never break.” Alec shakes his head, chuckling. “Where are they now?” he asks. “They are both lying asleep on our bed, cuddled up together. Once Madzie left, Paws was like Chairman’s shadow. She followed him into our bedroom and when he lept up onto our bed, she scrambled up, using the bedspread, and nestled down beside him. I think my heart melted, Alexander. It was so adorable.” “I’m so glad to hear that they get on,” Alec says, smiling. He looks at Magnus, his eyes full of love. “But I can think of someone even more adorable, and I really wanna kiss him right now.” “That can be arranged,” Magnus replies with a smirk. There really is nothing better than spending an evening in his fiancé’s arms.