Luck of Nines

7

      It was sometime later, the sun beginning to set again when he tugged the blanket from the branch it had been hanging from and settled it in the basket, next the kittens were picked up and deposited inside again, the top slid closed as their sleepy cries began to call for him not to leave.

     "You can open your eyes now, I'm bringing you to somewhere safer."  Even with him at their side, there was no guarantee that they would stay warm through the night. He needed to venture into the city again. He started off at a quick pace, but continued to gather speed before he was racing through the trees, holding the basket as steady as he could. He dashed across a road, past a barn, and then a house. He was slowly re-entering human territory.

The houses were far from each other still, and far different from the ones he'd seen back in Surrey, tall and crooked in ways he was not certain should even be standing, but he could see few closer together in the distance, so he set his eyes on those a trotted forward despite the deep aching feeling that shot through his paws, cut from the rocks in the river, and one leg, damaged in the fight with every step. His side ached and stung as he moved, irritating the deep scratches even more.

      Still he pushed himself onward.  Even if they were alive for now, it was doubtful the kittens would survive long on their own which prevented him from hunting, and it was even more so if the sixth kitten's wounds would remain uninfected and without complications for long either.  He needed to get them safely into human care and soon, the only question was how he could do so without gaining attention.

      Even that was a task for later though, right now he needed to find a veterinarian's to drop them off at.  The how he would do that could come after the where. The town was small, not more than six or so buildings clumped somewhat together, but that made his task easier.  It was early morning where he reached it, seeing one house having a truck parked in the driveway with the tell tale signs of a veterinarian's car, complete with the company name and logo on the sign. Approaching the door, seeing no cameras, he set the basket down and flung himself against the door.

      Bam!

      By his side the kittens cried out in shock, asking what had happened.

      He did not wait, but instead turned and ran down the street, it was only then though that he saw them. A mother and daughter pair who stood somewhat down the street, previously out of his sight due to a tree. The mother was distracted, her dark hair pulled back and a sunhat flopping over her face as she bent down to inspect some plants by the roadside. The daughter was not, watching him with pale blue eyes and an absent smile on her face. She waved before turning to say something to her mother. He did not wait for the older woman to look over too.

      Not sure what else to do, at first he just retraced his steps, eventually though he ended up following a winding road that quickly grew into one he recognized, he was back to where he had first met Goldilocks, even if he was on the other side of what was something of an uncrossable barrier. There wasn't a lot in this area, but trucks frequented this road often, going at speeds far past what they likely should be to make up for lost time and due to the isolation of the area.

     Still, he trotted along its side, not too close to be dangerous, but never straying far either.  Slowly houses began appearing on the horizon until he found himself near the edge of suburbia again. It was almost a little too much like Surrey, and he found his skin twinging uncomfortably and his insides twisting themselves up at the memory.

      He did not turn around and leave though.

      From what Goldilocks and the rogue pack had taught him, he was not a dog, not the usual canine at least, because he knew, just like his cat form, he was still young and growing, and yet he still towered over all of the others. The kittens he found could easily fit two of themselves atop one of his paws, they had managed all five once, although it had been something of a dog pile. The sixth kitten never took part, simply stayed resting by his side, the one eye that it could close shut, and the other watching him. He was never sure what exactly it felt during those times. 

       Either way, if he was seen here, it would cause a bit of a stir. Animal control or the police or some other emergency service would be called in and he'd be taken to the pound- if he was lucky. If not, they might just try to kill him.  So he traveled at night, slinking through the shadows and occasionally leaping through backyards in order to avoid detection. Simply wandering, aimlessly, through the community.

      He was not seen, he had learned to be much more careful after he had missed seeing the mother daughter pair when dropping off the kittens, listening with all his senses on full alert. At times he swore they sharpened more than physically possible, others he was shocked as humans, who he expected would catch sight of him as they unexpectedly crossed his path, walked right past him, their eyes sliding past where he stood frozen, green eyes glinting back at them.

       The how this happened, he did not know, all that mattered was he had not yet attracted attention. Food had begun to grow scarce, here it was even scarcer, but he could make do with the items humans left out. The trash, he remembered from his more human days, it was not his first time scavenging through to see what bits and pieces were left behind. Here, like in Surrey, the waste was at times extravagant and he fed contentedly even as he stayed on the safe side of what dogs could eat despite having to pass up some larger and sometimes more tempting looking morsels.

        It was to his surprise though when he smelled a familiar scent in this place of all places.  Goldilocks.

       Curious, he let himself follow the scent, finding his way along a winding path of the sidewalk and to one of the many houses, it was still early, and a handful of the house's lights were on, he couldn't help but wonder though, and snuck around to the backyard where the scent was stronger to get a better look. It was a little awkward climbing over the fence, but he settled down, curled in a thick bush, to watch this house.

       Surprisingly he did not have to wait long as the back door swung open. He could tell immediately, from the way the dog stiffened, the moment that Goldilocks caught his scent as well.

      "Oh come on you," the human a large- not as much so as Vernon- male grumbled without heat, "First you need to go out and then you don't, come on Goldi, I'm not getting up in the middle of the night when you feel like it again this time ."  The dog was softly pushed out and the door shut.

        "What are you doing here?"  Goldilocks asked, Chipper wasn't sure whether the dog was grouchy, sullen, or angry from the question, but whatever it was, it was a long shot from happy to see him.

         "I smelled you here." It felt weird actually speaking to Goldilocks, and he slowly stood up from the bushes, "I was curious."

        A moment passed, "Well... leave. You can't be here. This is my pack. They can't see you."

       Now it was his turn to be speechless, "That's... all you have to say?" He had not been the kindest, he knew that, but... it still hurt.

       "Yes, leave." The finality was clear as a bell, even as Goldilocks looked away turning back to the door, "I do not need you here. You have no place here. This place is mine."  

     It was not a threat, the dog knew any threats he would make were meaningless to Chipper, but Goldilocks did not fear him either, nor did he seem mad. Unsure what else to do, he left.  Goldilocks was right about one thing, this was not where he belonged.

It bugged him though, as he left over the fence and left the human's residence as quickly as he could, he wasn't sure what he felt, but it was like there was a heavy hole just sitting in his chest that wasn't there before.

He wasn't sure what he had expected going there either. Or why he had even bothered. It's not...

He just didn't know. And he was fine with that. But the hole in his chest just kept sitting there, weighing him down and drawing his thoughts back to those short few moments.

He thought of the way he left the kittens too. All alone and without any explanation. Had he been wrong? What if... he didn't want to dwell on this anymore. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Why couldn't he just be left alone. Whining, he buried his head in his paws and waited for morning in the small out of the way corner between a dumpster and a house.