Sorry for the bad ending
Her feet swung high above the floor from her kiti, kiti cha on the counter. He stood right beside her, mixing things in a bowl. The smell of kuki, vidakuzi floated everywhere. She giggled when he put a dollop of frosting on her nose and he laughed when she tried to lick it off. He handed her a napkin, still laughing a little. She smiled and wiped it off as he pulled the now finished kuki, vidakuzi from the oven.
“They smell yummy!”
“They have to cool before wewe can eat any.”
She pouted at him, her cat ears pinning back.
“How long?”
Scott smiled at her patiently.
“At least 15 minutes.”
She whimpered and tugged on the flour-stained apron that matched his white hair.
“I can't wait that long!!!”
He chuckled and leaned closer, causing her pout to disappear. He kissed her softly then pulled away. She smiled and rubbed her head against his. His smile faltered slightly when her eyes became slightly distant and sad.He put his forehead on hers, looking at her.
“Cat, what's wrong?”
“I'm just a little distracted today.”
She had seemed so when she had first come over, but he thought it was because it was her first siku off in a while. Now he wasn't sure.
“Is Terror gone again?”
“No.”
“Zeth picking on you?”
“Nu-uh.”
“Anybody hurt?”
“Nope.”
“Then what's wrong?”
She looked like she wanted to tell him but before she could, the others came back in from the beach, pwani and she pulled away. He frowned at her but moved to frost the now finished kuki, vidakuzi and put them in her box before they disappeared. He handed her the box and she smiled at him.
“Thanks. I have to go. I'll see wewe later?”
He nodded and watched he jump off the counter and walk out the zeta. He turned around to start cleaning the mess but found Fang staring at him.
“What?”
“You wanna follow her?”
“So?”
“So do it.”
“I don't need your advice.”
Fang shrugged.
“Maybe not. But she may need you.”
He walked out of his room and saw her closing the door behind her.
“Back already?”
“Yeah. Everyone was at the beach, pwani so we didn't have to make zaidi than one batch.”
Terror nodded his head and looked at her.
“You didn't tell him.”
“I was gonna...”
He sighed softly and touched her head.
“It's best not to keep secrets.”
“I know. I'll tell him tomorrow.”
“Okay. I'll see wewe later, kitten.”
She nodded her head and left, heading out back. He waited for a dakika before opening the door. Scott blinked at him, hand raised to knock.
“How did you..?”
“You're scared she might be in trouble of some sort. She's out back, in the green house.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
He headed around the house and into the warm shelter. The plants were in full bloom, matunda grown ripe and ready and flowers opened to display all their colors. He didn't see Cat anywhere so he headed to the back corner. As he got closer, he could hear her talking softly to herself.
“...and Zeth still teases me, but he's nicer about it. Todd says all the spirits are getting ready for something. He wouldn't tell me what. And Terror needs your help. Blade's gone again and I know he hurts. He hasn't been leaving as often, which scares me. If Blade was taken, he should be out more, looking for her.”
She stopped and Scott realized she wasn't talking to herself, but to the memorials she had built to her parents and her brother. He almost turned around, but then remembered when she had stayed with him after he had “talked” with his own departed sibling. He stepped off the path and saw her. She sat in front of the monuments, the box of kuki, vidakuzi open but not one touched. She looked up at him and he saw the tears on her face. Scott rushed over and sat with her. He wiped her tears away and kissed her head, pulling her into him.
“How'd wewe find me?”
Her voice was soft, the softest it had ever been.
“Terror told me wewe were out here.”
She nodded silently and sat there without saying a thing. After a while she spoke.
“Today's the eighth anniversary of when they died.”
“Oh Cat. I'm so sorry.”
He held her closer and sat with her quietly, placing soft kisses in her hair. She played with the ring on her finger, but never took it off.
“When I was little, I helped my mom do the cooking. She was great in the kitchen. And whenever I was upset au down, she would make me a treat.”
“Cookies,” Scott guessed and she nodded.
“That's why I upendo them so much. They remind me of her.”
She turned in his arms and cried and he held her the whole time.
Her feet swung high above the floor from her kiti, kiti cha on the counter. He stood right beside her, mixing things in a bowl. The smell of kuki, vidakuzi floated everywhere. She giggled when he put a dollop of frosting on her nose and he laughed when she tried to lick it off. He handed her a napkin, still laughing a little. She smiled and wiped it off as he pulled the now finished kuki, vidakuzi from the oven.
“They smell yummy!”
“They have to cool before wewe can eat any.”
She pouted at him, her cat ears pinning back.
“How long?”
Scott smiled at her patiently.
“At least 15 minutes.”
She whimpered and tugged on the flour-stained apron that matched his white hair.
“I can't wait that long!!!”
He chuckled and leaned closer, causing her pout to disappear. He kissed her softly then pulled away. She smiled and rubbed her head against his. His smile faltered slightly when her eyes became slightly distant and sad.He put his forehead on hers, looking at her.
“Cat, what's wrong?”
“I'm just a little distracted today.”
She had seemed so when she had first come over, but he thought it was because it was her first siku off in a while. Now he wasn't sure.
“Is Terror gone again?”
“No.”
“Zeth picking on you?”
“Nu-uh.”
“Anybody hurt?”
“Nope.”
“Then what's wrong?”
She looked like she wanted to tell him but before she could, the others came back in from the beach, pwani and she pulled away. He frowned at her but moved to frost the now finished kuki, vidakuzi and put them in her box before they disappeared. He handed her the box and she smiled at him.
“Thanks. I have to go. I'll see wewe later?”
He nodded and watched he jump off the counter and walk out the zeta. He turned around to start cleaning the mess but found Fang staring at him.
“What?”
“You wanna follow her?”
“So?”
“So do it.”
“I don't need your advice.”
Fang shrugged.
“Maybe not. But she may need you.”
He walked out of his room and saw her closing the door behind her.
“Back already?”
“Yeah. Everyone was at the beach, pwani so we didn't have to make zaidi than one batch.”
Terror nodded his head and looked at her.
“You didn't tell him.”
“I was gonna...”
He sighed softly and touched her head.
“It's best not to keep secrets.”
“I know. I'll tell him tomorrow.”
“Okay. I'll see wewe later, kitten.”
She nodded her head and left, heading out back. He waited for a dakika before opening the door. Scott blinked at him, hand raised to knock.
“How did you..?”
“You're scared she might be in trouble of some sort. She's out back, in the green house.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
He headed around the house and into the warm shelter. The plants were in full bloom, matunda grown ripe and ready and flowers opened to display all their colors. He didn't see Cat anywhere so he headed to the back corner. As he got closer, he could hear her talking softly to herself.
“...and Zeth still teases me, but he's nicer about it. Todd says all the spirits are getting ready for something. He wouldn't tell me what. And Terror needs your help. Blade's gone again and I know he hurts. He hasn't been leaving as often, which scares me. If Blade was taken, he should be out more, looking for her.”
She stopped and Scott realized she wasn't talking to herself, but to the memorials she had built to her parents and her brother. He almost turned around, but then remembered when she had stayed with him after he had “talked” with his own departed sibling. He stepped off the path and saw her. She sat in front of the monuments, the box of kuki, vidakuzi open but not one touched. She looked up at him and he saw the tears on her face. Scott rushed over and sat with her. He wiped her tears away and kissed her head, pulling her into him.
“How'd wewe find me?”
Her voice was soft, the softest it had ever been.
“Terror told me wewe were out here.”
She nodded silently and sat there without saying a thing. After a while she spoke.
“Today's the eighth anniversary of when they died.”
“Oh Cat. I'm so sorry.”
He held her closer and sat with her quietly, placing soft kisses in her hair. She played with the ring on her finger, but never took it off.
“When I was little, I helped my mom do the cooking. She was great in the kitchen. And whenever I was upset au down, she would make me a treat.”
“Cookies,” Scott guessed and she nodded.
“That's why I upendo them so much. They remind me of her.”
She turned in his arms and cried and he held her the whole time.