Jacob Stone was looking forward to a relaxing evening. Classes didn't resume for another two weeks, he'd finished his latest essay ahead of schedule and he had absolutely nothing on his plate. He'd just finished dinner (his favorite homemade pizza) and was settled in on his sofa with a beer and a Chopped marathon off his DVR.

"Good luck with that basket," he mumbled as Ted Allen announced the ingredients for the entree round, just as he heard a knock on his door.

He looked confused, he wasn't expecting anyone, he thought about ignoring it, but the knocking continued. So sighing, he paused the show, put down his beer and shuffled to the door in his socks. He looked through the peephole and was even more confused. His co-worker, Cassandra Cillian, was standing outside.

"Cassie?" he asked as he opened the door. "What's up?"

That's when he noticed that the redhead was holding a large totebag and a wicker basket. He swore that he heard a sound, like a mewing coming from inside the basket.

"What is that?" Jacob asked, "why is it making noises?"

"Can I come in?" Cassandra asked, nodding toward the inside.

"Yeah, right, sure."

He ushered her in, but as soon as the door closed behind him, his hands were on his hips. "Cassandra?"

She smiled at him and he knew he was in trouble. It was the smile that always got her what she wanted. He knew the smile, knew it, but fell for it anyway. He couldn't help himself and he was quite sure that absolutely no one was immune to Cassandra's charms when she used that wiling look.

"Just stop, okay? What's going on?"

Cassandra put the basket on the floor, the noises from within growing louder. "It's a kitten!" she exclaimed opening the top and letting a small gray tabby out.

"Yes, I see that it is in fact a kitten," Jacob pinched the bridge of his nose. "The question is, why is it here?"

"Well, I found it today when I came back from registering for classes. Only, my building doesn't allow pets. But yours does!"

Jacob sighed. "Yes, yes it does. But my apartment does not."

Cassandra looked confused.

He sighed again and patiently said, "you can't just suddenly have a pet, Cass. You have to go and put down a deposit and sign an agreement to have a pet. Which I have not done, obviously, because I don't have a pet. So I cannot keep it, I could get in trouble just having it here."

"Oh," Cassandra looked crestfallen as the kitten snuggled on her lap on the floor. "It was all alone, Jacob. Poor little thing. What am I going to do? It's too late to call around to an animal rescue, I don't want to take it to the pound."

Damnit. The woman looked like she was going to cry. And Jacob was as helpless against female tears as he was against that particular smile.

"Alright, fine," he said. "The kitten can stay here tonight. But only tonight, I am not in the market for a pet. "

She beamed up at him. "Thank you so much!"

"I don't have anything for a cat though," Jacob added.

"That's okay," Cassandra nodded toward the tote and indicated the sleeping animal. "I went into a pet store and got some food and a travel litter box kit. And a couple of toys and a blanket."

Jacob got the stuff out of the bag and noticed clothes inside. "Uh, Cass?"

"Well," she said sheepishly and blushed. "I was going to ask if I could stay too. I knew I was asking a lot for you to take him in. So I didn't want to have him bothering you."

That actually was very thoughtful of her. "Alright, I don't have a spare room but I can get you a pillow and blanket for the couch."

"That's fine. Thank you Jacob, for everything."

"You're welcome, Cass."

--

The kitten was still a bit shy and clingy to Cassandra, so she settled herself on the couch with the cat on her lap.

"Hope it doesn't have fleas," Jacob muttered, noting that Cassandra had taken his favorite spot. He rolled his eyes and moved his beer to the other end of the table and sat down.

"Oh," Cassandra's eyes were wide. "He doesn't seem to be itching. So that's a good sign right?"

Jacob shrugged. "Yeah, I'd guess. Don't know, never had a cat. My grandparents had some in their barn and they had a dog. But Pop wouldn't let us have anything . . . ." He bit his lip remembering a bad scene when he'd wanted a dog. He shook his head and reached for the remote. His father was dead and what was past was past. Maybe he'd get himself a dog after he was done with school, when he had more time for one.

"My parents wouldn't let me have a pet either," Cassandra said sadly. "And I do love cats. I've wanted one for a long time but I always end up either in pet free buildings or with roommates who didn't want them."

Jacob chuckled. "I've seen you wearing stuff with cats on them, I guess I assumed you had one."

"Nope, but maybe someday. Huh Fred?" She picked up the cat and kissed it on the forehead.

Jacob rolled his eyes again, god knows where that thing had been. But then it struck him, "Fred?"

"He looks like a Fred."

"Sure," Jacob just hit play on his remote.

By the time the second episode was on, Fred was much less scared of his new surroundings and was carefully exploring the living room, Cassandra hot on his heels.

"I'm not gonna get this watched, am I?" he said finally as they dashed in front of him during judging.

"Sorry," Cassandra said sheepishly, though he didn't think she was all that sincere. She'd seemed bored by the show when she had been paying attention.

Jacob sighed and found a hockey game to put on. The teams weren't ones he really followed, so Cassandra and the kitten's interruptions wouldn't bug him too much.

"I'm sorry," Cassandra said, this time with sincerity in her voice. Fred was running after a ball she tossed across the living room.

"For what?" he asked, looking up from the book he'd opted to read instead.

"I have a feeling we interrupted your evening. You didn't have to let us stay, but you seem a bit put out."

He nodded and put the book down. "I'm sorry if I've been grumpy. It's just that I was looking forward to a night just to myself, you know? School isn't that difficult, but it's been more work than I expected, especially as I'm getting near the end. Plus I have been writing for years and I do freelance art consulting. Then there's you know the bookstore. But it's okay, Cass, really. I do like you and . . . ." He outright laughed as Fred fell over his feet chasing the ball. "He is really cute."

"He is," she smiled. "I feel bad about the situation. I know you can't keep him."

"Not now, I'm sorry. I was thinking about a dog someday, but not until school's done. And even then I've been debating grad school."

"And we both work the morning shift, do you think Jenkins will have a fit if I bring him in with us?"

Stone laughed, "it's Jenkins."

"Yeah," she sighed. "Well if Flynn is actually in, maybe he can run interference. I'll call a rescue group first thing."

--

It was the middle of the night and Stone woke up thirsty. He carefully opened his bedroom door, not knowing where the cat was. Cassandra was asleep on the couch, the kitten curled up on her chest. The kitten wasn't sleeping though and watched Jacob with interest as he padded into the kitchen. Sure enough, moments later the feline was rubbing around Jacob's legs.

"You hungry?" he asked, pouring a bit from the bag Cassandra bought into the paper bowl that they'd been using as a cat dish.

Fred ate a little but then was back to rubbing against him, purring. Jacob chuckled and picked him up. "You just need a friend, huh? I know the feeling."

The couch taken, Jacob sat on his old beat up recliner in the corner of the living room with the cat. Which is where Cassandra found him the next morning, fast asleep, their new little friend still curled up on his lap.

She was laughing as they came into work that morning, Fred in tow.

"Are you sure you're not interested in keeping him?"

"Honestly, Cass, I would, but you know I'm not home that often. He'd get so lonely. I think older cats don't mind, but he seems to want attention right now. " He rubbed his neck, "I can't believe I fell asleep there. My neck is gonna kill me all day."

Cindy grinned at them as they entered together, Ezekiel wasn't quite there yet. "Morning you two, walk together today?"

"Um, no, I sorta stayed . . . ." then Cassandra blushed realizing how it might sound to their co-worker.

"Cassie . . . ." Jacob warned her and then laughed. "Ain't no way to explain without havin' her take it the wrong way. Unless you show her Fred."

"Fred?" Cindy asked, then squealed with delight when Cassandra opened the basket. "A kitten!"

"Cassandra found him, but her building doesn't allow pets. Mine does so they stayed the night last night. But I'm not home enough to keep him. So we brought him in here while she calls around looking for a shelter."

Cindy cooed. "I have two which is my building's max or I'd take him." she said sadly.

"A kitten!" came a delighted voice and Flynn suddenly bounced down the flight of stairs to pick him up. "How delightful! Did you get another one, Cindy?"

"No, Cassandra found him."

"Yeah," Cassandra said sadly. "But my building doesn't allow pets."

"And I'd take him but he's a real people cat and I'm hardly home," Jacob said, surprising himself with how sad he was about it. "And Cindy can't take another one."

"Well that's a shame," Flynn said, laughing as the kitten pawed at his pocket watch. "Oh, you are adorable. Hmm, I have an idea."

"What?" Cassandra asked.

"Well if you and Stone promise to take most of the responsibility for him, you can keep him here. Bookstores need cats! And we haven't had one since Mr. Tinker passed."

"Oh, I loved Mr. Tinker," Ezekiel said walking in. "Really cool fellow. He was Jenkins' cat you know."

"Really?" Cassandra giggled.

Just at that moment, Jenkins came in and just like that, he and Fred became fast friends.

Fred became a fixture in the bookstore, spoiled by staff (especially Cassandra and Stone) and customers alike. At night he slept in a bed in Jenkins office and during the day he had full range of the bookstore. He led a long and healthy life in the store and over the years, new cats joined him, all living a cat's life in the bookstore.