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Complicated Love

http://www.sofurry.com/page/300746/user

Not sure how to link ^ this is my previous story (if its working)

Quick review: there's a huge ass tiger on my back

Okay, quick note. This story was inspired by my other story, Feline wars. I made it because I had lost that one at the time. I liked the way the story started out, but I don't have a good plan for it's future. I really only knew how I wanted the beginning to go. So if my story had a few conflicts in it, such as a person being introduced twice or someone suddenly acting differently, I'm sorry.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 2: Recapping the past

'Well, I didn't manage to slip by her. I must have been mad to even try. She IS a tiger after all. I bet she's been watching me since I got off the bus.' I thought.

This huge tiger that's got me pinned to the ground is called... well that's the thing, I really haven't named her yet. I just can't find the right name. I'm deliberation between Karma, Jade or Maria, but I'm open to other ideas (seriously, I need a name for her, so if you have any ideas, I'm glad to hear them, or if you want to vote for another option, that's cool too). At the moment I alternate between the three, trying to find the right one. She responds to all of them, which I think is pretty cool, but I'm hoping to stop soon; It may give her a complex.

More importantly though...

"Grrrrrrrr" She was growling her deep, throaty growl as she put her paws on my shoulders and feet, clearly intent on keeping me still.

"Hey Karma, whats up?" I said, trying to calm her down.

'YOU LEFT, BEFORE I GOT BACK! AGAIN!'

I'm betting y'all are wondering whats going on? Well, it would probably be best to start at the beginning.

You remember when the PM said that I had asked for something illegal 2 years ago? What I asked for was to keep my baby tiger.

You see, 3 years ago, I really wanted a pet cat. I asked my parents, but they said no. They explained that we couldn't afford a cat, since my mom doesn't bring in much money. She's a yoga teacher, but they aren't paid very well, or at leased, she wasn't paid well. I was sad, but I managed to get over it.

Then, 6 months later, IT happened.

I had decided to go for a walk in the forest. It was almost winter, and a thick blanket of leaves covered the ground. The forest is visible from our backyard, because it's very large. It also has wild animals in it. Normally, when I go into the forest, I follow the trail. More out of fear that I might get lost then of fear of the animals, but for whatever reason, that day, I felt like going deeper.

I moved off the path into the underbrush, marking my progress by tying multicoloured ribbons to the trees along my path. After a few minutes of walking I realized that I only had one ribbon left, so I couldn't go much further.

I started to turn around, disappointed. I had been hoping to find something exiting, something I could come back and play with, or a big tree with low hanging branches that would be fun to climb, unlike all the pine tree's and the leafy trees whose branches started 10 feet of the ground.

As I was turning around, I saw some really pretty flowers on the ground. Upon closer inspection, I realized that they were trilliums. Now, its illegal to disturb trilliums in any way in Ontario, or so I was told, so I couldn't bring them home to show my mother, but I still decided to get a closer look. They had large white petals and a yellow centre, and when I sniffed them, they had an odd aroma, sort of like salt with a touch of honey.

I got back up, thinking about how I should bring my family here to show them, when I heard a very odd sound. I was sorta like crying, but it sounded off. More like rapidly repeated sniffles. It was coming from somewhere in front of me, deeper into the forest. Now, I knew I had to go look. I wasn't about to leave some poor lost kid behind. Still, I had to make sure I didn't get lost as well.

I walked as far as I could in the direction of the sound without losing sight of my other ribbon, and when I finally did lose it, I tied the last one to the tree next to me and continued walking, trying my best to continue in a straight line. I stopped as soon as the ribbon was almost out of view because I knew it was about to become dangerous to continue. But then I heard it again, the cry. It sounded much closer, almost like the crier had wandered in this direction. I called out "Hello, can you hear me?". I was answered with another wail.

I was walking towards the sound when suddenly I triped over a rather large tree root. I managed to stay upright, barely, but I stumbled around a little. When I finally managed to plant my feet, I realized that I didn't remember which way was out. Cursing my bad luck, I waited for the wail to sound again, hoping to use it to orient myself.

I didn't have to wait long. As soon as I heard it again, I realized that I was almost next to it. Quickly, I parted the bushes in front of my face and I what I saw startled and confused me.

It was a small cat, or maybe a very large kitten. Now, cats are normal animals to find in the forest, but this one looked like it had just been born days, maybe hours, ago; its eyes were closed, it was terribly thin, and it was crying out in a very pathetic way.

I figured that maybe it was meant to be, that I should find a pet after I asked my mother and she said no. Still, I couldn't just bring this kitten home and tell my parents that I found it in the forest. After all, they would probably just send it to the pet store. No, I would have to find a way to keep it hidden. All this is assuming I can manage to convince it not run away.

I started forward slowly. There was no reaction on its part, beside the continued wailing. I knelt down beside it and gently reached out to touch it. When it felt my touch, it crawled over towards me, blindly seeking someone to take care of it.

I realized then that it must be very hungry. I knew young kittens had to drink milk from their mother's breast, but obviously that wasn't going to be possible. I though about giving it regular milk, but I doubted that it would be as good, or even possible. Then I remembered that our neighbour's dog had recently had a puppy. It had given birth to three, but the other two had died. I'd read once in a newspaper about a dog "adopting" another animal, and I hoped it might be possible.

I turned and tried my best to walk in the direction I had come from, and to my surprise, I found that the ribbon was right where I had expected it. I must not have been as badly thrown off as I thought. I quickly made my way out of the forest and ran over to my neighbours' house.

Now came the tricky parts: I had to convince them to let the kitten drink from the mommy dog's milk, I had to convince them to NOT inform my parents about the kitten, and I had to make sure the dog would accept the kitten. Lucky for me, our neighbours are a nice old-ish couple who's children just moved out a few years ago, and they loved animals.

"Hm, hello Maverick, wha'cha got there?" Asked Mrs Hogule (pronounced HOG-U-ELLE). She was one of the fittest looking old people you would ever see. Aged 57 years old, she was once a pro boxer and had now just become a grandmother. Her hair, which was once a brilliant shade of golden yellow, was fading to grey. She was 5'10 and weighed in at 180 pounds, most of it muscle.

"Looks like a little cat from here!" That was her husband, Mr Hogule. He wasn't as strong as his wife, but he used to be a member of the army, and he kept fit. He had been a sniper, and was well know for his great eyesight. At 59, he was half an inch shorter then his wife and almost bald, weighing in at 155 pounds. He had shouted down from the roof of their house where he was fixing a few broken shingles.

"That it is" I said, adopting their somewhat odd way of speaking. "I found her in the forest without no mother around to take of her, so I was 'oping she could drink from your dog's milk."

"Well, I see no problems, what of you dearest?" Said Mrs Hogule.

"No qualms here sweetums" He responded without taking his eye's off his work. "Do make sure Nina won't bite it's head off first. Wouldn't want that poor little one o' yours to get hurt."

Mrs Hogule brought me around back to see their border collie called Nina. She was a little small for a border collie, but twice as protective as any of them. As we approached, she raised her head and looked at us. When she recognized her owner, went back to tending to her little pup.

"Now be slow and gentle there, Maverick. Don't wanna startle her now." Mrs Hogule walked with me and started petting her dog while I put the little kitten up near Nina's head. She sniffed at it, but made no attempt to bite any heads off, so I put the kitten in near her nipples. The kitten, which had been silent up until now, cried out a little at the smell of dog, then again at the sent of Nina's milk. When I let her go, she stumbled forward, blindly trying to find her way to the milk. As she got close, I turned worriedly too see Nina's reaction. She had lifted her head again, but made no move to intervene as the kitten began to suckle.

"Look's like she's okay with the little one. Is it a boy kitten or a girl kitten?" asked Mrs Hogule.

I looked down quickly and said "It's a girl. Mrs Hogule, I told you I found this kitten in the forest right? Well, I was hoping that she could stay here for a while, just until she can live off meat. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is deary. When are you going to tell your parents that you found a kitten? They have to start buying all the necessities like a litter box and a sleeping basket."

This was going to be a tough sale. "Um, well you see Mrs Hogule, my parents don't really like the idea of an animal around the house. They don't think we can afford it. But I don't want to give her away. Do you think we could keep her a secret for now?"

She smiled at me "We can keep it a secret forever if you want. I don't mind having another animal around the house. And if one day your parents decide that you have the funds for a cat, you can take her home. But you have to promise to visit her at lease once a day, unless you can't possibly make it."

"Of course. Thank you Mrs Hogule."

I stayed with them for another half hour as Mrs Hogule showed me how to take care of the newborn. After that I had to go home before my parents started to worry about me. I got up stiffly and said goodbye to the Hogules. I quickly ran over to my house and saw my mother waiting in the door frame.

"Where have you been Maverick?" She asked as I got closer.

"I was with the Hogules." I said, and then, seeing an opportunity. "Did you know they just got a new kitten? It was so cute."

She smiled at me. "And I suppose you're gonna be spending a lot more time there now?"

I saw no reason in denying that, it was the perfect excuse. "Ya, it'll be like having my own cat, sort of. She said it was fine if I came over whenever I want."

"Well, if you're going to help them raise..." she paused.

"Her"

"Her, you better help with unpleasant parts as well." she said, giving me that motherly look you get when you did something slightly wrong.

"I know mom, I know that raising a cat is more then just fun and games."

Her look softened "Okay then, so long as you understand. Now go wash your hands, lunch will be ready soon."

Every day from then on, I played with the kitten for a few hours after school, and during the weekends I was there most of the day. We grew very close very fast, but it had more of a sibling rivalry feeling then actual friends. You know how it is right? You're both fun and playful, but at the same time you always wanna beet the other person at whatever you're doing.

The days past quickly, and snow began to fall. After 4 weeks I realized quickly enough that the kitten wasn't a normal kitten. It was growing too fast and was already bigger then a full grown cat! The Hogules were still blind to her rapid growth, but they wouldn't remain so for long. She could also eat meat now.

One day, while I was over visiting, I realized that she was a very strange colour for a cat. Orange with black stripes. I hadn't realized this before, but now that I did, and considering her growth, I though 'Oh my GOD! She's a tiger!'... Then I realized how crazy that sounded. Who finds a tiger out in a forest so close to a city in Canada? Tigers don't live in or near Canada, and they prefer large high grassed fields to forests. Still, it was the most logical explanation. That or maybe somehow the dog's milk was affecting her growth, but I seriously doubted it.

"So you're a tiger eh?" I asked for no particular reason. "Well, this is gonna make keeping you next to impossible, but somehow I'll find a way. I will have to get you away from the Hogules as soon as possible though."

'Why don't I go live in the forest?'

"Wait what? Who said that?" I asked, looking around wildly. The voice had been that of an older child, and it had sounded most peculiar, like it had skipped my ears and went strait to my brain.

'I said it.' I looked down to see my tiger kitten looking up at me and waving her tail. 'Just on the border, that way you can still bring me food, but no one will know I'm there.'

"Um, you said that?" I said, looking at her.

'Yep!' She said, giving a slight tilt of her head and a big smile.

".........Um, how?"

'Well, it's complicated, but think of me trying to say something too you with my mind instead of with my voice, and you get the general idea.'

'Does it work both way's?' I though back, amazed at what was happening, but also overjoyed at the though that I would be able to communicate with my kitten.

'Yep! Well, you sound a bit weird, like a person who hasn't spoken for a long time, but I can hear you!'

"Wow" I said aloud. Then I realized just how mind boggling it was. Millions of questions exploded into my head, so I asked one.

"How come you sound so old? And you don't think like a 4 week old. You sound like your around 9 or 10 years old."

'Ah, well you see, I was born by a very special breed of tiger. Or more precisely, a very special bloodline. All of my ancestors have had the ability to pass down all their knowledge to their children at the moment of birth. Of course, it's not all revealed instantly. The most important things, such as thoughtspeak, are learned at a very young age, as well as hunting, the history of our lineage and a few other important details. The rest comes as it's needed. As such, those of our bloodline are born with their minds much more developed then any other species on the planet.'

"Um, okay. So, if your race is so smart, how come you were lost in the forest when I came to find you?" I asked

'Oh' Her mood seemed to drop like a stone. 'Well, you see, because of our specialness, we're very disliked by a lot of others. So, one day, all of those races that dislike us came to our territory and slaughtered my whole family. I hadn't been born back then, but my mother had been very close, and tradition amongst our race states that births must be done away from the rest of the family. I'm not sure why. Anyway, my mother had been just about to leave when the massacre began. She ran because she feared for my life, and took refuge in the forest where you found me. But something went wrong during my birth. My mother managed to stay alive long enough to transfer her knowledge and feed me once before she died. You found me about 6 hours later. Now, as far as I know, I'm the only remaining member of my race.'

"Wow" I said again. "I'm so sorry."

'Why? It's not your fault.' She thought. She had perked up again.

'Hm, I suppose she doesn't really grasp the seriousness of the situation. She might have the knowledge of generations, but she's still just a kitten.' I thought, keeping it to myself.

"So, you are a tiger then?"

'Yep!'

"So I've still gotta hide ya."

'Yep!'

"And you're okay with hiding in the forest?"

'Just as long as you still visit me everyday, and bring food. I might know how to hunt, but I've never tried it.'

"Hm, well that works out well, now all I need to do is find an excuse for taking you from the Hogules."

I was beginning to regret telling my parents about the kitten, since that would only make this situation harder.

"Oh, that reminds me, you need a name. Did your mother give you one, or do you have one in mind, or can I give you one?"

'Well, my mother definitely didn't give me one, and I didn't really think about it, but you start shooting of ideas, I'll tell you if they feel right.'

"Hm, what do you think of Jade?"

'...It sounds good, but it doesn't sound right.'

"Okay, how about Stella?"

'Oh no, definitely not.'

"Okay, um, what do you think of Fern?"

'Hm, not bad, but not as good as Jade.'

So this went on for the better part of a half hour. By then we had narrowed it down to Karma, Jade or Maria.

"I guess we'll just stick with these for now."

With that finished, Jade and I began thinking of a plan to get her to the forest. We had one where I would tell the Hogules that I was able to afford her, but that one was too risky; What happened if they congradulated my mother? It ended up as a last resort plan. Next we though that maybe she could just run away, but that would upset the Hogules, and it would force me to act like I was upset too, which could also backfire. Still it was better then plan1. A few other plans came and went, but eventually we decided that her running away was really the only shot we had. Anything else would be too suspicious.

"So, how are we gonna make this work? If you just run away, and then I start walking into the forest everyday, they'll think somethings up."

'Maybe you can make um think that you're looking for me? That would be the perfect cover!'

"But what happens when they offer to help me search for you? What if we find you. Or maybe after a while they'll realize that we wont find you and tell me to stop searching."

'Well, we can deal with that when we get there. For now we should focus on getting me away before they figure out what I really am, don't 'cha think?'

So it was decided. Tomorrow was Saturday, the perfect day for her to run away since we could search for her all day, and while we were searching, I could sneak some food from the house for her. I also had a signal to tell her if I was alone, accompanied, or I though I might be followed. If I was alone, I would call out to her lightly every few seconds. If I was accompanied, I would talk with the person next to me or make clicking sounds with my tongue. If I though it was being followed, or some other situation where she shouldn't come out, I would walk silently.

"Hey Maria?" I said as I begun to leave.

'Hm?'

"Be careful tomorrow."

She smiled and waved her tail again before going back to Mrs Hogule for some food.

After dinner, steak and mash potatoes, I finished the homework that I was supposed to do over the weekend, since I probably wouldn't have another chance to do it. After that I tried to watch a little TV, but my mind kept straying back to tomorrow. I kept thinking of all of the possible flaws that could happen: Karma might not manage to get away; I might let slip that I wasn't sad, or that I knew something; Karma might get attacked by something, or maybe she would die of hunger if I couldn't shake off my parents in time to feed her; it might rain, and then she might get sick, or my parents would force me to stay inside... These and many more possibilities cycled through my mind, until I realized that they were all trivial worries. I was scared for nothing, because my parents couldn't keep me away from her forever. And she wouldn't starve to death, not if she could learn how to hunt. As for her being attacked, I doubt there's much in the forest that could scare a tiger, even a very young one. She has fur to keep her warm, and claws to keep her safe. The only thing I was really worried about was if I would manage to play my part properly.

After a few more minutes I couldn't stand watching TV, so I went up stairs and began getting ready for bed. It was only 8:00 PM, but I had a book to help me fall asleep: Harry Potter. I was re-reading it for the fifth time, and I was at the third book, which is also probably my favourite, or close to it. After two full hours of reading, during which I had finished the third book and started the fourth, I finally managed to sleep.

I woke early, at 3:30 AM. A plan had come to me in my sleep. I would prepare as much as possible before it was time to start the search. I moved downstairs, quickly but silently, and grabbed my backpack. I planed to fill it with food for Karma, and then store it somewhere safe in the forest, so I could bring it to her later. They had to be small things though, so my parents didn't notice their absence. I took some cheese, crackers, ham and peperoni. I was pretty sure that she wouldn't be able to eat most of this, since it wasn't meant for tigers, but it's all I could think of that wouldn't be missed.

After I had assembled everything, I went to the edge of the forest and stored the bag in a tangle of brambles. I then tired my best to hide everything I had done that morning, so I replaced the rest of the food to make it look like we'd never had what I took, and I covered my tracks to the forest as best I could.

Then another though entered my mind. It was almost winter. How would a little kitten like her survive a harsh Canadian winter? Especially since she was supposed to be in a warmer climate.

'Jade?' I thoughtspoke.

No answer.

'JADE!' I tried a little harder

'Hm, what Maverick?' She sounded really sleepy, and her thoughtspeech wasn't very loud, presumably because of the distance between us.

'How are you supposed to survive a Canadian winter in a forest with only me to help you?'

'I've got fur...'

'It's not meant for the Canadian climate. You'll freeze!'

'Don't worry about it, I'll figure it out.'

'THAT'S NOT REASSURING'

Even in my head I could see her smile. 'Maverick, you worry too much. I'll be fine, and if I am going to die of cold, I'll just yell for you to come save me.'

'What if I can't save you? What if I'm at school? And more importantly, there's no way you'll manage to get enough food for yourself during winter, and I can't keep bringing stuff to you forever, my parents will notice eventually.'

'...'

'We've gotta call it off. There's no way this can work.'

'But then the Hogules will find out I'm not normal, and I'll be sent away or killed!'

We were faced with a terrible dilemma now. We could either risk the winter and hope she survived, or risk the Hogules noticing, which they would for sure, and then we would be separated one way or another.

'We need help.' I thoughtspoke finally.

'But from who? Who can help us?'

'... I'm going to have to tell my parents the truth, and hope that they decide to help me.'

'But if they wouldn't even let you have a cat, why would they let you have a tiger?'

'Because I wont take no for an answer. I'll think to ya later. For now, don't run away yet, but be ready, just encase.'

I could feel the growing apprehension in her mind as she thought. 'Okay...' Then suddenly she had an idea. 'Maverick, what if I lived in the forest during the day, when its warmer and there's more food, then at night I come here without your parents noticing and sneak into your room? That way you don't have to worry about me freezing to death.'

'But I'll still have to worry about the food.'

'Well, we don't know how well I can hunt yet, so let's try it for a few days, and if it works and I can hunt by day then we wont have to tell your parents!'

'What about your tracks in the snow?'

'I'll just cover them with my tail.'

I thought it over. 'Fine, we can try it, but if you can't hunt well, I'm telling my parents about you.'

It was now 4:00 AM, so I decided to return to bed, to preserve the illusion that I was sleeping. At 8:00 I woke up and descended the stairs to see both my parents already up.

'You're up early.' I thoughtspoke to them, then realizing they couldn't hear me, and shouldn't hear me, I said "You're up early."

"Yes, we heard someone moving around last night. It looks like you were hungry eh?"

I looked down "Ya, I made some peperoni, ham and cheese crackers." Clearly I wasn't gonna be able to steal anything for Maria. "I hope that's okay?"

"It's fine sweety, but do try to eat before bedtime, not during the night. It's bad for you." Said my mother as she came over to hug me good morning.

"I know mom."

"Do you still want breakfast?" Asked my dad.

"Yes please."

So we all sat down as my father prepared breakfast for us. My brother was always the first up, and as such he always made his own breakfast (not like it's hard, since it's cereal). Right now he was probably either doing homework or watching TV, since we aren't allowed to play video games till 9:00. It's supposed to discourage us from getting up early, but that hasn't worked for my brother.

Once we had finished, it was 8:30, so I went to do some chores like cleaning my room. It was perfect because there would be no one around to see me focus on trying to speak with Jade.

'Jade?' I thought.

'Yes?' She replied. It was very faint, but no longer sleepy, so I figured that distance was probably going to be a big problem in the future if we were ever separated.

'When do you plan on running?'

'I've already left.' She said, confused. 'I left over an hour ago.'

Her thoughts were getting fainter and fainter. 'Can you stop running for a little? It's hard to think to you.' I thought, thinking a little louder or harder or whatever then normal.

'Sure. So, what's up?'

'I'm just wondering how long before the Hogules get here, and I wanted to make sure you're gone and okay.'

I could feel her smile again. 'I'm fine. Can you send me a thought when you guys start the search? Just so I know.'

'Sure'

I felt better knowing she was safe and on the run, and that little mood boost came at the perfect time...

*Ring Ring*

"Hello? Ah, Mrs Hogule, awfully early to be calling people isn't it? Hmm, yes I was aware that you had a cat, Maverick told me about a month ago. That's why he's been visiting you everyday no? Yes, yes he's right upstairs. Maverick, have you seen the Hogule's cat recently?" My mother had answered the phone, and now she was calling to me.

"Last time I saw her was yesterday evening." I shouted back. "Why?"

"The Hogules cant find her. No, he say's he hasn't seen her since last night. Hm, well I'm sure she'll turn up. Would you like me to send Maverick over to help search? Certainly, he'll be over in a few minutes. Call again if you need some more help, I'm sure my husband or I would be able to join you. Goodbye." As she hung up, she said. "Maverick? You need to go over and help look for the cat. I told you that you had to help with the less pleasant parts? Well, this is one of them."

"Okay mom" I yelled back. 'Jade, the search is on, get ready.'

'Alright, have fun looking, I'll always be one step ahead of you.'

As I jogged over to the Hogule's house and rung the doorbell, I couldn't help feeling confident about the plan. After all, this was the easy part; the search. The hard part would come later, when I had to keep her presence a secret.

"Ah, Maverick, there you are." Mrs Hogule came around the side of the house.

"Hello Mrs Hogule, you can't find the kitten?"

"No, we've been looking for a while now, but she hasn't been seen since yesterday. I'm sorry Maverick, but I think she might have run away."

Now I had to play my part; I had to seem sad. I tried to make my face look both sad and understanding at the same time. "It's not your fault. I found her in the forest, so maybe she decided to return to the forest. Maybe I accidentally took her from her family and they came back to get her. Nothing we can do about that." I had thought about what I was gonna say, and that was what I came up with. I thought it sounded rehearsed, lame and suspicious, but it was the best I had though of.

Mrs Hogule looked at me with sad eyes. "I know you loved that little kitten, I'm so sorry Maverick, I don't know how she got away."

"It's okay Mrs Hogule, life doesn't end just because you lost a cat. Eventually I'll find a job, and then I can pay to raise my own cat."

She smiled at me, but her eyes were still sad. "You always did have a way to bring the good side out of every situation, Maverick. I don't think we're going to find her, even if we do search the forest, but we can try if you want."

I thought about what would be best. "No, I don't see a point to it. If she doesn't want to be found, there's no way we'll find her in the forest. If she does want to be found, she'll come back to us."

"You know, it's funny. I don't see any paw prints leading off to the forest." Said Mr Hogule. He was on the roof again, looking from his vantage points for any signs of Jade. "In fact, I don't see any cat paw prints at all."

"You don't think someone came in and stole her, do you?" Asked Mrs Hogule. She seemed frightened at the idea.

"No dear, there are no other prints asides our own and Maverick's, unless someone stepped into our prints to avoid making their own."

"Maybe she escaped by stepping in our prints to?" I suggested.

"As unlikely as that is, you might be right. But I've never heard of an animal smart enough to do something like that. Still, we can think of explanations after we get inside. It's cold out here." He swung down from the roof and landed on the ground next to us. "Just give me a minute to put the ladder away, and I'll join you inside. Dearest, if you could brew some hot chocolate? It always makes me feel better when I get out of the cold." He then grabbed the ladder and took it to the garage while Mrs Hogule led me inside.

'Jade, looks like there might not be a search after all. Still, keep your guard up. Can't think now, give me a little while.' I thoughtshouted.

I heard a very small 'k' in my head. She was clearly at the limit of her range.

Once we got inside, Mrs Hogule made me sit down at the table in the kitchen while she put some water in a kettle and started boiling it. By the time the hot chocolate was ready, Mr Hogule was sitting in the chair to my left and Mrs Hogule sat across from me.

"Are you gonna be okay Maverick? I'm really sorry for the kit... your kitten. If there's anything we can do to help, just ask." Mr Hogule was trying his best to comfort me, and it made me feel bad that I was deceiving not only the Hogules, but my own parents as well. Still, it was this or lose Jade, and that wasn't an option.

"I'll be okay." I told him. "It'll be like I never found her in the first place." My face was still in the sad expression, but it was no longer difficult to maintain it, since I was actually sad and guilty about the deceit. I drank some of my hot chocolate to avoid having to add anything more. It tasted surprisingly good, but also felt heavy as I swallowed it. 'Loaded with guilt.' I thought.

The Hogules continued to try and comfort me; They even offered to buy a new cat to replace Jade, but of course I turned them down, saying that it wouldn't feel the same. After an hour I thanked them for the month I had gotten to spend with Jade. "After all," I said "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to keep her more then a day." They walked me back over to my house where they said sorry one last time and then they returned home.

"So" My mother asked as I walked int he door. "Did you find her?"

"No. The Hogules think she may have run away."

"Oh, I'm sorry Maverick. Are they going to get another one?"

"No, and I don't really want them to either."

I still had my grieving face on, but I had toned it down a bit since my mother didn't know I had saved Jade from the forest. She could clearly tell I was upset, and I think she was upset because I was upset, which only made the guilt worse.

"I'm gonna go see if Chet is online, see ya later mom." I said. I really didn't want to talk to her, since she would have the best chance of seeing through my charade. I knew Chet would be online soon, and maybe I could convince my mother that I was drowning my sadness in gaming.

I called him over Skype. " Hey Chet, you wanna play some Mafia?" We weren't into League yet, that would come in another year and a half.

"Sure. Are you okay Maverick? You sound, well, very sad." I told him about losing Karma. "Oh. Um, I'm sorry to hear that. So, what say we drown your sadness in some hardcore mode Mafia?"

"...Ya, that would be great."

For the next two hours we played Mafia. We managed to win about 3/4 of the games we played, which was pretty amazing, and for a while I managed to get my mind off my guilt. However, Chet had to leave at 12:00, and I had to have lunch. I made myself some melted cheese crackers, and then I realized that in my guilt I had completely forgotten to tell Karma that the hunt was off. I quickly finished lunch and then I stepped into the bathroom.

'Karma?' I thoughtspoke, hoping she was closer now then before.

'Maverick? What happened? Was there a search? How come you couldn't contact me?' She sounded hysteric, and also much, much closer.

'No, the search was cancelled. They didn't think we stood a chance of finding you in the forest. I had to make it look like I was sad, so I went to play video games. I should probably have contacted you, I'm sorry. But why are you so close? Even if there isn't a search, I don't want you to risk coming close before dark.'

'Don't worry, I'm not too close, and I'm well hidden. So, you managed to convince them that I ran away. Now comes the hard part.'

I nodded, then I realized she couldn't see me. 'Ya, we've gotta keep you a secret. Did you manage to hunt?'

'Ya, hunting was much easier then I thought it would be. All I have to do is imitate what my ancestors past down to me. We even had a point in time where we lived in Canada, so I should be able to manage with this huge forest here.'

'Good. Well, there goes our biggest fear. Now, how cold does it feel?'

'Honestly? It's not that bad yet, although it's still daytime. If I had to, I could probably survive a night out in the cold, so long as I find a sort of shelter. But I would rather sleep with you.' Her last thought had a weird sort of feel to it, something I didn't recognize at all.

I smiled, even though she still couldn't see it. 'What, scared of the dark?'

'Something like that...' I felt that same weird thing again, like how a person can change their voice when their surprised, confused, angry... but I couldn't identify it. It was difficult enough to tell when she was happy or sad, but this was like an emotion I hadn't even heard yet.

'Well, for now go a little deeper into the forest and keep hunting; Make sure you're amazing at it, and start making a stockpile if you can, like squirrels. I'll contact you again later tonight.'

'Tigers don't eat carrion!'

'Well, you might have too. Just bury it in the snow so it stays fresh, plus it will be good practice.'

'...Alright Macky.' Now I could feel the smile on her face again.

'Macky?' I thought to myself. 'Sound pretty good.'

The day passed quickly after that. After I finished speaking with Karma, I tried to think of the most logical way for me to get her inside. I could hardly just open the backdoor if my parents were watching TV, and my front door is visible from the living room, where the TV is...

No, I would have to be more creative then that. Over the course of the next hour, I pretended to play computer games while I was trying my best to think of how to get Karma inside. Plans came and go, all crazy, dangerous, stupid, combinations of the three... In the end I had a handful of potential plans.

1: I would hang something out my window and Karma could use her claws to climb it.

Pros: Nearly undetectable.

Cons: Dangerous, parents might notice the destroyed object that I used to get her up, might need to buy new objects to throw out the window, might not be possible if Karma wasn't strong enough/claws weren't solid enough...

2: I would slip my backpack outside and she would hide in it while I bring her upstairs.

Pros: Not dangerous, requires no destruction of materials

Cons: Much more detectable, wont work soon since she grows heavier and bigger...

3: When my parents aren't watching, I open the door and she runs upstairs as fast as she can.

Pros: Not dangerous, can still work as she gains size and weight.

Cons: Very risky, potential of detection due to the sound made, might not get an opportunity to sneak her in.

4: Have her enter the basement through the window to the basement and sleep down there.

Pros: Nearly undetectable unless parents have to laundry that night, not dangerous.

Cons: Window is small so she cant use for long, she cant sleep with me, the basement is the coldest room in the house, she has to crawl under the deck which is full of spider webs and other undesirable things...

At this point I was really running out of ideas. I quickly relayed all my plans to Karma, and asked her to try and think of some as well. If push came to shove, we would try the backpack first, since it's the best shot we have for the moment, even if my parents would probably ask why I had left my backpack outside.

Another hour passed, and I hadn't managed anything new.

'Karma? Have you got anything?'

'Um, ya, I have a really simple idea that I cant believe you didn't think of. I'll just jump up to your window.'

'......... Can you jump that high?'

'What, 3.5 meters? It'll be close. Fully grown, my race is supposedly able to jump about 5 meters, but as young as I am, 3.5 should be just within my range. Still, be ready to catch me would you?'

'But this wont work forever. My window wont be big enough for a fully grown tiger to jump into. Maybe you could fit through if you could walk up to it, but not in the middle of a jump.'

'Well, it's a temporary solution that should work through winter. By next winter, we can find a new idea. So, as for the hunting, I have enough food stockpiled to last me a few days if I need it. I'm gonna get more familiar with the forest until it's night.'

'Practice jumping. Try and find a tree branch that's high enough, and start practising. I don't want you to miss the window and break your leg or something.'

'Sure thing, I'll see you tonight Macky.' It was there again, that weird emotion. I sorta wanted to ask her about it, but at the same time I felt something hold me back.

I decided to let it go and I called Chet again. He should have been back by now, and he was.

"Whats up Maverick?"

"Hey Chet, are you up for some WC3 Vampirism?"

"Sure!"

Until dinner time, we played as much Vampirism as we could. I was still trying to keep up my illusion of depression, but it was getting harder, since I had less and less reason to worry about Karma. Even my guilt was starting to vanish, and as it vanished my mood lifted, and as my mood lifted, so did that of my parents, and so on. After dinner, I went back to play some more with Chet. Eventually my mom came downstairs and asked me if I had any homework. I told her that I had already finished it, and she seemed surprised but pleased.

Finally, it was bedtime.

"Goodnight, Chet"

"Goodnight, Maverick"

As I went upstairs to my bedroom, I gave both my parents hugs. They pretended that everything was normal as they wished me a goodnight. I tried to hurry as much with out seeming in a rush, but it was difficult. I didn't want them to discover my anticipation, and at the same time I couldn't look like I was excited. The guilt resurfaced a little, and it was enough for me to suppress my excitement.

I managed to get upstairs without my parents suspecting anything. However, I had to go through my usual bedtime routine before I could think with Maria. I changed into my pyjamas and brushed my teeth, hurrying my way through as much as possible. Finally it was time.

'Maria? Are you ready?'

'Maverick? Is it time already? Wow, that was fast.'

'How did the jumping go, can you make it?'

'Of course I can!' Something sounded off; She was too... confident. I thought she might be lying to me, but now wasn't the time to challenge her about it.

'How long till you get here?'

'About 5 minutes, maybe a bit more. So, what have you been up to?' That weird emotion was back, and this time I was determined to confront her about it.

'I've been playing with Chet. Now tell me, what's that strange feel to your thoughts? You've been using it randomly for a few days now, and I want to know what emotion it represents.'

'Oh, that.' It was there again, even more then before. 'I can't tell you what it is, sorry Macky.' She giggled at the end, and it sounded really weird hearing it inside my head.

'What? Why not?'

'Because it's a secret. So, have your parents caught on yet?'

'Don't change the subject. A secret with who?'

'No one, just a personal secret. Sorry Macky, but you wont get to know the answer until I decide I want you to know it, so don't bother pressing for details. Now then, I'm still waiting for an answer.'

I realized that it was pointless to continue; If she didn't want me to know what she was hiding, then I wouldn't know.

'No, they haven't caught on. So, you have a stockpile of food and you can jump up to my window. You should be set for winter then, right?'

'Yep! Okay, I'm almost there. Make sure no one will see or hear me. I might still make a little noise. Oh, and just encase, be ready to catch me, k?'

'Sure thing.' I looked up and down the hall next to my room, but I couldn't see anyone except my brother, who was already asleep. 'No one else is upstairs. Odds are my parents are both watching TV, so don't pass by the sliding door and you should be fine. Oh, and don't forget to erase your tracks. I'll open the window.'

As I opened it, I saw her on the ground. She was pretty noticeable because she was orange on a white background. I also saw how she wiped the snow behind her with her tail. The tracks disappeared completely.

'I'm ready when you are Macky.'

'Just a sec, I need to take off the screen... Okay, I'm ready.' I moved to the second window to watch her jump, that way I could see if she needed help without getting in her way.

She was looking up at the window and gauging the distance. She started pacing a bit and she looked... I suppose nervous would be the best description: her fur was flat on her body and her tail was flicking around in an agitated manner.

'You DID manage to make a jump this high, right?'

'Almost...'

'What do you mean, almost?'

But it was too late, she was bunching up her muscles, and next thing I know, she's got her front paws on the windowsill and her hind paws are dangling down in mid air.

'PULL ME IN!' She thoughtshouted as she started slipping backwards, her eyes wild with fear. I jumped forwards and grabbed her shoulder region. Since she was still so small, it wasn't very difficult to pull her in, but as I did, I saw her grimace in pain. I quickly put her down on my bed.

"I thought you said you could make the jump!" I said in the loudest whisper I could manage. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you when I pulled you in?"

'I'm fine.' But she clearly wasn't fine. She was limping as she moved across the bed, and when she finally reached the pillows, she flopped down hard on her right side, holding her left paw gingerly off the mattress. 'Hm, maybe not that fine.' I could feel the pain in her thoughts.

'Whats wrong with it?' I had switched back to thoughtspeak to avoid my parents hearing me.

'It's probably just a sprain. Hopefully it'll be better by tomorrow.'

I assumed she was trying to downplay it, but if she could still move it then it wasn't a break or fracture.

'What if it's not better by tomorrow?'

'Well, I made a stockpile of prey for a reason right? Just put me in your bag and drop me off on your way to the bus on Monday. I can still walk, somewhat.'

'What if you cross a bear or-'

'YOU need to stop worrying. I haven't even scented any large wild animals in that forest, but I'll stay near the fringes just to make you happy, so calm down.'

I realized with a start just how overprotective I was being. She had the knowledge of generations, and she was a tiger. She could fend for herself, even slightly injured.

'I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose you.'

Her gaze softened considerably. 'I know Macky. I'll be careful. So, where do I sleep? This is what all our preparations have been for, after all.' Once again, that strange tone of thoughts was back.

'Um, where ever you want I suppose, just make sure there's room for me.' As I said that, I sat down on the bed. She moved slightly so I could lie down. As I covered myself with the sheets and covers, she moved in close, so her body was up against my chest and her head was just under my chin. Her chest was facing away from me. It was a really odd picture to see, a tiger laying on its side, cuddling with a human, but I didn't care how weird it looked, cause right then I realized that she was my tiger, and my whole world seemed to brighten a little bit.

I reached my arm over her and wrapped it around her chest. She started purring, which surprised me, since I didn't think tigers could purr, but I found that I liked the sound.

'Thanks Macky, for rescuing me from the forest.' That came up unexpectedly. 'If it wasn't for you, I would probably be dead.'

'Thank you,' I responded, 'For coming into my life. I'm hoping we'll have some good times after we get the whole you're illegal thing outta the way.'

I could tell she was smiling, even though I couldn't see her face.

'Goodnight Macky.' She said.

'Goodnight Karma.' I responded.

I fell asleep much faster then I had anticipated, considering how exited I was at finally being able to sleep with Karma. However, my rest was broken by a very particular dream. I was through the forest near our house with what appeared to be a teenage girl following me. The expression on her face was one of pure terror. As I turned back to watch where I was going, I ran right into a very large man. He was holding a gun and he was reaching towards us. Right before he would have grabbed us, I woke up. It took me a second to remember that Karma was right next to me, and I almost woke her up too.

She was so beautiful when she slept, her chest rising and falling gently. I lay back down and put my arm around her again, comforted by her warmth and her scent, and I quickly returned to sleep.

As I woke up the next morning, I felt a really drowsy mind ask 'Macky, are you up yet?'

Almost as drowsily, and with my eyes still firmly shut, I answered 'Yes Karma, did you sleep well?'

'Wonderfully.' She turned over and started licking my face. Her tongue was like sandpaper, yet it felt good as she rasped it over my unwaking face. 'Common Macky, wake up, you want to know how my leg feels don't you?' She stopped licking my face, and I opened my eyes

That had got my attention, but I was still a little fuzzy. 'Can't you tell me how it feels while you lick my face? It felt good.' I frowned a little, and she smiled as she reached forward to give me one last lick.

'Well, it's feeling better, but I want to get up and walk around, and I can't do that if you're gonna keep me pinned to the bed.' She thought.

As she though it to me, I realized that my arm was still around her waist-chest area.

'Oh, sorry bout that.' But instead of letting her go, I decided to pull her closer to me.

'Hey!' She though.

I smiled to her and nuzzled her forehead. Then I moved my second hand and started stroking her head and scratching her around the neck. At first she had pushed back a little, more playfully then out of any desire to escape, but she quickly gave up and started purring again.

'I can tell you like it when I do that' I thought, giving her a friendly smile.

She tilted her head up and gave me a lick on my chin. 'And you like it when I do this.' She replied as she started to lick my face again.

I started giggling and kept petting her. A couple moments later I push her away gently and started to get up.

'Awww, I was enjoying that.' She pouted as I started to get up.

'Well, you were the one who wanted to walk around.' I responded.

She flicked me with her tail and started to stand up.

'Hm, not bad. It's still a little uncomfortable, but not painful anymore.' She turned her head and gave me a knowing look. 'I told ya you worry for nothing.'

I smiled at her. 'So you did.'

Then I reached over and gave her a little push to make her fall on her side.

'OUCH' Her face screw up with pain as she fell on her injured side.

'OH, SORRY.' I jumped up and dropped to my knees beside her. 'Did I hurt you again? Oh, I was just trying to be playful. Are you okay? I'm so sor-' I stopped as I noticed her maniacal grin. 'YOU JERK! I thought you were hurt!' I got off the floor and sat down on the bed again.

'Well, if you can be playful, why can't I?' She hopped back onto her paws and flicked me with her tail again. 'Still, I must have scared you pretty bad, didn't I?' She was teasing me.

'Yes you did.' I thought, trying my best to put a hard edge on my thoughts.

'Aw, I'm sorry, will you forgive me?' She gave me the cutest, saddest expression she could manage, and her thoughts had taken a on a more repenting feel. I have to admit, it was pretty good.

While I hesitated, she climbed into my lap. 'Please?' She asked.

'Alright, fine.' I smiled despite myself. I had wanted to hold the grudge a little bit longer, but she was too cute for me to manage it.

I expected her to curl up and start purring, but instead she placed her paws on my chest and reached up to start licking my face again. 'Thanks Macky.'

'Alright, let's see you walk already.' I said after a few moments. 'I want to make sure you're back to normal, or close.'

'Fine.' She thought as she hopped off my lap. She proceeded to take a few steps around my small bedroom.

'So, how does it feel?'

'Well, it doesn't hurt. But it doesn't feel 100% back to normal either. Still, I can live with it like this for a few days.'

'Good. So, um, now what? You're feeling better, and we don't have to worry about survival anymore.'

'Let's PLAY!' At that she jumped at me, hitting me square on my chest and knocking me back down onto my bed. I felt my breath rush out as she landed on top of me.

"HEY!" I reached to grab her but she dodged out of my hands and started jumping around the room, always just one step ahead of me.

This is how our life continued throughout the winter. During the day I would go to school while she would hunt. At night she would jump up through my window and sleep with me. We played together whenever we could, but the opportunities weren't present very often. By the end of winter she had grown, a lot. She was now the size of a larger dog, with the appetite to accompany it. It was becoming difficult for her to manage the jump, and every time she came through the window I was scared she would get stuck. Also, when we slept together, she took up most of the room on the bed, and I knew that soon enough she would have to remain in the forest at night. With winter ending, the cold wouldn't bother her.

Then IT happened.

One night, someone had forgotten to turn off the barbeque after dinner. Late at night, when we were all sleeping, it caught fire, which spread to the house. No one was aware of it until it had completely covered the back door and most of the living room. Then the smoke detector went off.

By the time I realized what had happened, the whole staircase, along with the hall outside my room, were on fire. I would find out later that my brother had managed to get to my parents room before the fire reached him, and all three had escaped by jumping out the window. Meanwhile, Karma was awake beside me, confused and scared.

'What's happening Macky?'

'It's a fire. Quick, we have to get out of the house!' I almost made the mistake of opening my door before feeling it. If I had, I would have been burned alive. Instead, I realized that it was too dangerous.

'Quick, to the window! We'll jump down and run around the house.' However, as I looked out the window, I realized that it would be difficult. The barbeque was almost right underneath my window, and the whole side of of the house, along with the deck, was on fire.

'We'll never make it through that.' Karma had reached up beside me and was surveying the ground below us.

'Jump sideways and try and land off the deck.' The deck ended about 3 feet past my window, but to jump from my window strait to the ground was a fall of almost 5 meters. I knew Karma could make it, but I doubted that I could without breaking something.

I opened the window and removed the screen, which did nothing to alleviate the heat or smoke, which was no starting to make breathing difficult.

'GO!' I shouted at her. She jumped down and landed on the lawn, just as had hoped. However, I was hesitating. I had always had a fear of heights, and of pain.

'Macky, what are you waiting for? Hurry and jump! If you break something, I'll drag you to safety.'

I took the deepest breath I could manage without suffocating and climbed onto the windowsill.

'Oh good god, here goes everything.' I jumped down and found myself landing on Karma's back. She had decided to catch me.

'Are you okay?' I asked.

'Fine, you?' She sounded fine to me, which comforted me a lot.

'Just dandy, asides the burning house and all. Common, lets get outta here.' I got off her and we ran around the house to find my parents and brother staring at the house with tears in their eyes.

My mother was the first to notice us. As soon as she saw me a look of great relief came over her, which quickly changed into surprise and fear as she saw Karma.

"Maverick, you're safe." Was the first thing she said. I suppose I should have been comforted by the fact that she didn't start with WHAT IS THAT THING BESIDE YOU?

She ran over and gave me a big hug, clearly happy that I had remembered the escape plan.

"So, um, who's you're friend?" My father had come up behind my mother and was looking at Karma.

"Um, ya, mom, dad, this is Karma. She's a tiger..." They both turned their gazed on me. "You know the Hogule's cat? I rescued it from the forest about 5 months ago. They said they would take care of her for me until I could afford her. But then, the day before she ran away, I found out she was a tiger. We orchestrated her escape, and she's been living in the forest ever since." I left out that she slept with me at night. Somehow I felt that it wouldn't help my case.

My parents were both silent, the fire forgotten in light of this new discovery. Or so I thought.

"We can talk about this later. For now, she should hide somewhere. People will be gathering here shortly, and she'll be seen."

I felt a rush of gratitude toward my father. He wasn't going to send her away... yet.

'You'll be okay alone for a little?' I asked her.

'Yes. Send thoughts to me when it's time to return. I'll be in the forest.' Before she left she pressed her head into my side, trying to comfort me. 'We'll get through this together.' She turned without another word and dashed off towards the forest.

"Where is she going?" My mother had turned to watch Karma leave.

"Probably deep into the forest. How long till the firemen get here?"

No sooner had I spoken that we heard sirens wailing in the distance.

The fire was put out, but there was almost nothing worth salvaging from the wreckage. The Hogules sheltered us for the night, and the next day we moved into a hotel temporarily. We had our house rebuilt from the money we received from our insurance company, but it took more then 2 weeks for it to be ready. The stay at the hotel had been enjoyable, and when we got home it looked a lot like our old house. During the whole 2 weeks, I hadn't been able to see Karma, and we hadn't spoken much either. As soon as we had moved back into our newly built house, I called to Karma and told her it was safe to come back. However, at this point, she was too large to fit through my window mid-jump, and I didn't want my parents to know she slept with me. I would go out back to play with her during the day, but she had to sleep in the forest, which made both of us sad.

'Just give them some time to get used to the idea that I have you, they'll come around, and when they do, I'll find a way to get you up here at night again.'

A week after we had returned home, my parents finally decided to follow up on their promise.

"Maverick, we need to speak with you." My father gathered my mother and I in the living room while my brother was in the basement gaming.

'Jade, I think we're about to talk. Keep close so I can relay any important information.'

'Sure thing.' She had a nervous feel to her thoughts.

'It'll be okay, I hope.'

Right before we were to begin speaking, the doorbell rung.

"That'll be him. He's early..." My father got up to go answer the door.

"Wait, what? What does he mean?" I turned my gaze on my mother, but she wouldn't look at me.

"Oh, hello Mr. Charles. What are you doing here? I thought they were sending a representative.....I see, well, come right in, we're already assembled."

My father came back with Mr. Charles Haunting, the Prime Minister of Canada, following him.

"You reported me to the government?!?" I stared at my mother with huge eyes full of hurt and anger.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but something like this... We just didn't know how to handle it."

"You could have done nothing. What's wrong with having her around? She's not dangerous. She saved me from the fire. Without her I would have had to fall 5 meters and land on my feet. I would have broken something." I turned my eyes on Charles. "You can't take her away. She wont come out of the forest if it's not safe."

So far Mr. Charles has remained silent, watching my rant and waiting for the right moment to speak. "Maverick, is it? You seem very fond of this tiger, but how do you know she would keep to the forest? How do YOU know that she can tell if it's safe or not?" He was staring at me, his eyes full of curiosity, not anger.

I shied away from telling them the truth at first, about how I could speak with her. However, I realized that not only was hiding information from him a good way to lose his favour, but that it could be beneficial to me if I revealed that I had some sort of handle on her.

"I know because I can speak with her." I said simply.

"Oh can you now? Well, this is most interesting, assuming it's true. So, let's just get one thing strait: What you want is to be able to keep this tiger, correct?" I nodded. "Well, the only thing that's stopping you from doing so is the fact that she's dangerous. Should you prove that to be false..." He stopped and gave me a meaningful look.

My mind was whirling. "So, so you mean I can keep her if I can prove she's tame?"

"Well, of course I can't make any promises. And should someone see her and report her to the police or animal control, I may not be able to intervene. But, if you can prove she's tame and keep her a secret, I suppose I could look the other way, for now. Oh, but you didn't hear it from me, eh?" He winked.

I noticed my dad smiling. "You knew he would say yes? I Thought you didn't even know he was coming?" I was very happy, which was slowing my train of thoughts.

"I'm one of the Prime ministers best employee's, Maverick, so I tried to call in a favour. When I explained the situation to him, he thought it could be a good opportunity to do some research."

"You're father told me about this situation, and I believe we can use this opportunity to learn more about tigers behavioural patterns and such. So, if you're willing to help us with a little study, I think this situation could be very advantageous to both of us. Of course, we will just be observing her." He winked again and said. "Can't disturb her natural habitat or any of that."

I was pretty sure I would have collapsed at this point if I hadn't been sitting. 'JADE, I'm speaking to the Prime minister, and he say's you can stay, just so long as you remain tame and hidden!'

'Hey, who said I want to be tame? What if I want to be a wild, bloodcurdling monster?' I could feel the clear relief and teasing tone of her thoughts. 'So, what now?'

'I suppose he'll want to see you.' During our quick conversation, my mother had asked a question that I had missed, but I got the gist of it from the answer.

"Well, assuming you do agree with this, the team of scientist that Maverick will be reporting his notes to are willing to pay you for the information, as well as some money to insure that the tiger is well fed and protected." He winked again, and I took that too mean that the money was more meant to help us out then to help us feed Jade, who could keep herself well stocked up.

"Of course, all this is assuming you can prove she's not dangerous. Can you call her?"

My parents both nodded to me, but I had an idea.

"How about we go see her instead? Then you can make sure she has a good natural habitat." It was my turn to wink, and for a second he seemed pleased that I had managed to make a sly comment.

"Sounds good. Let's go." He rose and began walking towards the front door.

"Um, sir, it's faster from the back." I moved to the back door and gestured towards the forest.

"Ah, I see. I suppose that would make dissimulating her presence easier." He turned and walked towards the back door.

'Jade, we're coming to see you. DON'T DO ANYTHING that could screw this up!'

'Would I do that?' She asked, seeming genuinely hurt.

'No, but I don't want to take any chances.'

'Just hurry up and get over here so we can play together forever.'

As I led my family and the PM over towards the forest, I thought I saw Jade flitting around the edge, just out of sight unless you knew where to look. As I got closer she retreated a bit.

'What, you're not shy are you?'

I got answered by a low growl as she hopped out from behind me and landed on my back, forcing me to the ground.

"How did you manage to get behind me?" I asked as my mother let out a slight squeak of surprise and my father flinched a little. Only Mr Charles kept his poker face.

'Silly, I could steal your shirt and you wouldn't notice.' She was giggling in my head

'Alright, I get it. Let me up, you great lump.'

She got off me and I got up, a smile on my face despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Mr. Charles, this is my tiger, Jade." I said.

"Hold on." My father broke in unexpectedly. "I thought you said her name was Karma?"

"She has 3 names. Maria is the last one. We haven't decided on one yet." I smiled wider. "Say hi Jade."

She turned to me and gave me a patient look. 'I can't speak English, or had you forgotten?'

'Hm? Then how are you speaking to me?'

'When you saved me, I brought you into my mental conference. Anything you say is automatically translated for me, and vise-versa. It's also what allows us to communicate mentally. As such, I can't speak to him, unless I speak through you.'

'Can't you add him to the conference?'

'I could, but that would be like you giving a kiss to a complete stranger. You get the idea? In our clan before the massacre, all tigers were linked with each other by a sort of universal conference. However, tigers who wanted more privacy could set up smaller conferences between friends or mates. This is the same thing.'

"Ya. Okay, so she can't speak DIRECTLY to you, but I can relay the gist of the conversation between the two of you."

(For the sake of sanity, I will automatically translate the next part and not type it in twice, but know that I attempt to repeat the whole thing word for word between the two.)

"I see." He said. "Well then, tell her I'm pleased too meet her."

'Is he now, well, tell him that the feeling is mutual, assuming he's not here to take me away.'

He smiled. "You have nothing to fear from me. Just know that we're transforming this into a little science project. Maverick is going to take notes on a few things, just so we have a valid excuse for letting him have you, encase something happens to reveal your presence. Ah yes, I forgot to mention it," He said, turning to me "but don't take that observation thing too seriously. It really is just an excuse, unless you notice something really interesting."

'Hm, tell him I'm fine with that. But ask him if there will ever be a time when I wont have to hide my presence.'

"Hm, probably not in the immediate future, but maybe one day. Perhaps we can expand the experiment, maybe test how tigers would fit in as regular pets. But it wont happen for at leased a few years. So, you are aware of the circumstances? You can stay with him, but you must be tame, hidden and cooperative. If there's nothing else, I'd like a few words alone with Maverick, and then I'll take my leave."

My parents both nodded and returned to the house, while Jade remained seated where she was.

"She can't understand you unless I translate, so we'll be fine." I said as he looked at her with confusion.

"Alright then. Now, this information, about the tiger, is to remain completely confidential. It means you can tell NO ONE about this. Not the Hogule's, not your friends, not your family, no one. Your parent have agreed to remain silent, as has your brother. However, there's something more. If she should somehow compromise the security of our country or any of its inhabitants, I will be forced to, as the expression goes, put her down. You understand what I mean?"

"...Yes sir. If she become a danger, she will be eliminated. I understand." Karma turned to look at me with wide eyes. "Don't worry sweety, I'll keep you in line."

"So, now you are aware of the whole situation. I'll be expecting your first report in two weeks." He had returned to a business-like attitude. "Goodbye, Mr. Mailhot." He held out his hand for me to shake. I took it firmly. When he had finished with me, he held his hand out to Jade. "Goodbye, Mrs. Jade." She glanced up at me, and when I nodded, she lifted a paw and awkwardly shook hid hand, after which he turned and returned to the house.

As I watched him go, Jade walked in front of me. I was so focused on Mr. Charles that I didn't notice her till she stood up on her hind paws and pushed me to the ground.

"HEY, wh-" I was cut off as she rasped her tongue over my mouth and face.

'So we can play together "officially" now, right? Common, I don't have to hide from your family anymore, so I can sleep with you again.' She kept licking my face, which I still enjoyed, but right then I had to something.

'Alright, I get it. But before we play, there's something I have to do, so get off.'

She did as she was told, but I saw her frown sadly, as if she had been enjoying it too.

'Common.' Without waiting for her answer, I started towards the house. After a second of confusion she followed me. As I entered the house, I saw both my parents sitting on the couch speaking of what had just happened. I ran over and gave my father a hug.

"Thanks dad."

He just smiled and hugged me back.

That night, when it was time for bed, I brought Karma in with me from the back yard. We walked upstairs in silence as she entered my room with me. As she had been doing for the past few months, she turned her back while I changed into my pyjamas, and we climbed into bed together. Since she was now bigger then I was, I lay down and she curled around me as best she could, sharing her warmth with me.

'Goodnight Macky.'

'Goodnight Jade.'

Hope you enjoyed the second chapter. I know it took me WAYYYY to long to get it out, but I'm having problems focusing on this story. As always comments are appreciated, but try to keep them constructive.