Fic: Keeping the Kittens, MasterPages, Green
Title: Keeping the Kittens
Rating: Green Cortina (a few strong words)
Word count: 905
Notes: At the request of my friend K I wrote a sequel to my first Kitten story. We've come up with plot bunnies for several more, too.
Summary: Gene's in. But how will they convince the rest of the department?
“Are you actually allowed to have cats in your flat?” Gene asked, pretending not to be happy about the kitten that kept wriggling in his grasp.
“Well… probably not, but cats are quiet and I’m tidy. No one would know.”
Gene shook his head. “You haven’t got a place for them.” He adopted a longsuffering expression. “I can probably manage to keep ‘em alive a couple of days… ‘til you find ‘em someone else.”
“Would your Missus put up with that?”
“Oh, er… I’d keep ‘em in the back. She’d never see ‘em there.”
“You know, it’s so clear how your marriage has lasted so long… you’re always open and honest…”
“Shut it.”
Sam shook his head. “Look, my home’s not ideal either, but what else are we gonna do?”
“We do the only logical thing.”
***
Sam was up to his collarbone in paperwork when Phyllis stamped into the office and up to his desk. “All right, boss, whose got the kitties in Lost and Found?”
Sam didn’t look at her right away. He deliberately gathered some papers and patted them into a neat stack. “Those would be part of lost property, Phyllis.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Until someone comes to claim them, we’ve got to hold them.”
“Well, can we hold them in a cage? Anytime someone goes in there, there’s a yowl and a scream like bloody murder and something broken often as not.”
“People will get used to them.”
Phyllis glared at him from the corners of her eyes. “I’m not putting up with it, boss.”
Sam opened his mouth to tell her that Gene was onboard with the idea, but she was already walking away.
He thought little more about it until the superintendent came by near the end of the day.
“DI Tyler,” the super greeted him.
“Superintendent,” Sam said, wondering what on earth’s this about?
“I understand you’ve been keeping some kittens about the office.”
“Oh, that… Well, you see, sir… the kittens were found and, er… turned in to us as you might say… and DCI Hunt had me put them in lost property until someone comes to claim them.”
“Hunt had you put them in Lost and Found?”
“That’s right, sir.”
He huffed. “Well, then, I suppose I should take it up with him.”
Sam nodded and pretended to go back to work, but the moment the super had disappeared into Gene’s office, he crept over near the door to hear what was said.
“The fact is,” Gene was saying, “once an item is entered in lost property, we’re not to remove it until it’s claimed or sold for the benevolent fund. And there’s not to be a sale for months. So, in the meantime, we’re waiting to see if the owners show up and making sure they don’t starve to death.”
“They’re taking up space.”
“With all respect, so are the bicycle wheels, piggy banks and other odds and ends in that room, but we don’t throw them out, do we?”
“They take up valuable police time.”
“Oh, no… see, we manage ‘em on our own time-look in on ‘em at lunch and after hours. No time wasted.”
“I want them gone, Hunt.”
There was a long pause, and Sam thought maybe he should make his retreat. He held his breath.
Gene spoke at last. “Just as soon as the rightful owner comes to collect ‘em, they will be.”
“You know very well that no one will show up to claim them.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect, sir, but I don’t believe we have procedure for getting rid of lost property that isn’t claimed, other than selling it after the holding period is over.”
“You’re really going to be obstinate about this?”
“It’s a little thing; I don’t see the harm.”
“You may not now. But you will, chief inspector.”
Sam hurried back to his desk, making it just before the super came out of the office. He didn’t have time to take his seat, so he made a show of getting his things together until the danger was over.
Annie caught his eye and gave him a questioning look.
“I think we won this round,” Sam told her.
Annie grinned. “Nice work. I’ve never heard of a police cat before.”
“They won’t let ‘em stay,” Ray predicted, shaking his head.
Chris seemed enthusiastic. “We’ll see you down at the Arms later, boss?”
“Yeah, in a bit,” Sam answered. “Gotta feed the kittens.” He went to his locker to get out the bag of cat food he’d concealed there. He met Gene on the way out.
“I think I just annoyed the superintendant quite a lot,” Gene informed him.
“I think you did, yeah.”
“If the shit hits the fan, you bloody well better be in the boat with me.”
“You’re mixing your metaphors again, Guv.”
Gene shoved him against the wall of the corridor.
Sam managed not to drop the cat food and recovered his step. “I’ll be along soon,” he said. “Your turn to feed them tomorrow.”
Gene continued down the hall past Lost and Found.
“Did you hear me?” Sam called.
Gene waved a hand without turning around. “Yeah, yeah, I heard you.”
Sam entered Lost and Found and smiled as the kittens ran up to him, mewing. He went to their corner and scooped servings of food into their bowls. “Here you go, Dirty Harry. There you are, Dorothy.”
Rating: Green Cortina (a few strong words)
Word count: 905
Notes: At the request of my friend K I wrote a sequel to my first Kitten story. We've come up with plot bunnies for several more, too.
Summary: Gene's in. But how will they convince the rest of the department?
“Are you actually allowed to have cats in your flat?” Gene asked, pretending not to be happy about the kitten that kept wriggling in his grasp.
“Well… probably not, but cats are quiet and I’m tidy. No one would know.”
Gene shook his head. “You haven’t got a place for them.” He adopted a longsuffering expression. “I can probably manage to keep ‘em alive a couple of days… ‘til you find ‘em someone else.”
“Would your Missus put up with that?”
“Oh, er… I’d keep ‘em in the back. She’d never see ‘em there.”
“You know, it’s so clear how your marriage has lasted so long… you’re always open and honest…”
“Shut it.”
Sam shook his head. “Look, my home’s not ideal either, but what else are we gonna do?”
“We do the only logical thing.”
***
Sam was up to his collarbone in paperwork when Phyllis stamped into the office and up to his desk. “All right, boss, whose got the kitties in Lost and Found?”
Sam didn’t look at her right away. He deliberately gathered some papers and patted them into a neat stack. “Those would be part of lost property, Phyllis.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Until someone comes to claim them, we’ve got to hold them.”
“Well, can we hold them in a cage? Anytime someone goes in there, there’s a yowl and a scream like bloody murder and something broken often as not.”
“People will get used to them.”
Phyllis glared at him from the corners of her eyes. “I’m not putting up with it, boss.”
Sam opened his mouth to tell her that Gene was onboard with the idea, but she was already walking away.
He thought little more about it until the superintendent came by near the end of the day.
“DI Tyler,” the super greeted him.
“Superintendent,” Sam said, wondering what on earth’s this about?
“I understand you’ve been keeping some kittens about the office.”
“Oh, that… Well, you see, sir… the kittens were found and, er… turned in to us as you might say… and DCI Hunt had me put them in lost property until someone comes to claim them.”
“Hunt had you put them in Lost and Found?”
“That’s right, sir.”
He huffed. “Well, then, I suppose I should take it up with him.”
Sam nodded and pretended to go back to work, but the moment the super had disappeared into Gene’s office, he crept over near the door to hear what was said.
“The fact is,” Gene was saying, “once an item is entered in lost property, we’re not to remove it until it’s claimed or sold for the benevolent fund. And there’s not to be a sale for months. So, in the meantime, we’re waiting to see if the owners show up and making sure they don’t starve to death.”
“They’re taking up space.”
“With all respect, so are the bicycle wheels, piggy banks and other odds and ends in that room, but we don’t throw them out, do we?”
“They take up valuable police time.”
“Oh, no… see, we manage ‘em on our own time-look in on ‘em at lunch and after hours. No time wasted.”
“I want them gone, Hunt.”
There was a long pause, and Sam thought maybe he should make his retreat. He held his breath.
Gene spoke at last. “Just as soon as the rightful owner comes to collect ‘em, they will be.”
“You know very well that no one will show up to claim them.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect, sir, but I don’t believe we have procedure for getting rid of lost property that isn’t claimed, other than selling it after the holding period is over.”
“You’re really going to be obstinate about this?”
“It’s a little thing; I don’t see the harm.”
“You may not now. But you will, chief inspector.”
Sam hurried back to his desk, making it just before the super came out of the office. He didn’t have time to take his seat, so he made a show of getting his things together until the danger was over.
Annie caught his eye and gave him a questioning look.
“I think we won this round,” Sam told her.
Annie grinned. “Nice work. I’ve never heard of a police cat before.”
“They won’t let ‘em stay,” Ray predicted, shaking his head.
Chris seemed enthusiastic. “We’ll see you down at the Arms later, boss?”
“Yeah, in a bit,” Sam answered. “Gotta feed the kittens.” He went to his locker to get out the bag of cat food he’d concealed there. He met Gene on the way out.
“I think I just annoyed the superintendant quite a lot,” Gene informed him.
“I think you did, yeah.”
“If the shit hits the fan, you bloody well better be in the boat with me.”
“You’re mixing your metaphors again, Guv.”
Gene shoved him against the wall of the corridor.
Sam managed not to drop the cat food and recovered his step. “I’ll be along soon,” he said. “Your turn to feed them tomorrow.”
Gene continued down the hall past Lost and Found.
“Did you hear me?” Sam called.
Gene waved a hand without turning around. “Yeah, yeah, I heard you.”
Sam entered Lost and Found and smiled as the kittens ran up to him, mewing. He went to their corner and scooped servings of food into their bowls. “Here you go, Dirty Harry. There you are, Dorothy.”