Gentleman Callers

By Jagger and
his Typist Jennifer

    Jennifer frowned at her laptop.  The words would not flow.  She glanced around the study.  CC and Kelly were both hard at work on their computers.  A soft giggle drew her gaze to a large armchair at the far end of the room.  Nikki, Kelly’s six year old, was snuggled up happily there with Jagger.  She was reading  him a book.  She stroked his head gently as she read to him.
    Jennifer smiled.  Nikki was an adorable child.  She had thick brown hair and hazel eyes.  Cat’s eyes, Jagger called them.

    “Amazing, isn’t it?”  Kelly whispered.  “I didn’t know she could sit still that long.”
    CC glanced up.  “I want to know what he did to her.  She usually keeps Jeanne and him hopping.”
    Kelly grinned.  “That’s my baby.  Looks of an angel, energy to make the devil himself beg for mercy.”
    The three friends laughed softly.  Jennifer narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the pair in the armchair.  Jagger was keeping something from her.  Something about Nikki.  At that moment, Jagger’s ears tensed and he looked toward the door.

    Jeanne burst through the door, almost completely hidden by mylar balloons.  “You’ll never guess who’s here!”
    Nikki leaped up, causing Jagger to slide to the floor.  “Balloons!!”  she hollered, dancing around Jeanne.
    The women stood up. “Oh, well,” Jennifer sighed.  “It was nice while it lasted.”
    “Yes, balloons.” Jeanne’s voice agreed from within the colourful mass.  “And there’s more where these came from.”
    “More?”  CC questioned.  “What on earth?”
    Another human mass of balloons entered the study, followed by the three swordsmen.
    “We hope you don’t mind,”  the oldest one said.  “We never properly said ‘Thank you’.”
    “We never mind when handsome men bring us balloons.”  Kelly grinned at them.
    “Well, Nikki’s happy.”  Jennifer chuckled.  Nikki was leaping up and down in front of Jeanne.  The older girl was desperately trying to separate a couple of them to hand to her. Jennifer stepped forward to help her.
    “Hey!”  The male voice came from within the second mass of balloons.  “Somebody give me a hand here.”
    The three women and Jeanne turned to stare at the mass.  CC walked toward it, a silly smile on her face.
    Jennifer glanced back at Kelly.  “I didn’t here what I thought I did, did I?”
    “Well,” Kelly said, slowly.  “Clan Denial has always said it didn’t really happen.”

    CC grabbed a handful of ribbons.  “I’ll help you.”  She pulled away the balloons to reveal a handsome man with an engaging smile and curly, red hair.  The colour drained from CC’s face as his eyes met hers and he grinned.
    “Thanks.  I thought I was never going to get out of those.  The sight that greeted me was worth it though.”
    CC blushed fiercely.  Jagger walked between the humans and jumped up on the table.
    “CC, really.”  he said for her alone.  “A pretty face and you turn to mush.”
    Jagger cleared his throat and all the humans, including Nikki, turned to look at him.
    The oldest one turned and took a plate from the blonde one.  He stepped forward and placed it in front of Jagger.
    “We brought you something to.  Smoked salmon.”
    Jagger inhaled.  “Thank you.  That was very kind of you.”

    The redhead pulled his eyes from CC’s.  “Cool.  I tried to imagine what that would be like.  So, like, are you older than the old guy there?”  He gestured to the oldest swordsman.
    Jennifer winced.  Jagger was so easily insulted.  She risked a glance, but the feline looked amused.
    His chuckle rumbled through everyone’s mind.  “Yes, I am quite a bit older than ‘the old guy’.”
    Kelly took a bunch of balloons from Jeanne.  “Maybe we could tie these to the chairs and stuff.”  As she walked past CC, she nudged her with her elbow.
    “What?  Oh, yes.  Tie them to the chairs.  That could work.”  She backed slowly away from the redhead.
    “How about I follow you with these and you can tie them where you want.”  he suggested.
    “Oh, that would be wonderful.”

    Grinning, Jennifer handed Nikki a small bunch of balloons.  “Twitterpatted.”  she muttered, shaking her head.  “Definitely twitterpatted.”
    “Twitterpatted?” the tall one frowned, then slowly smiled. “Bambi.  Yes, definitely twitterpatted.”  They both started to laugh.
    As the others began tying balloons around the study, the oldest swordsman slouched into a chair beside Jagger.  The fur person draped himself at the edge of the table facing the human.
    “I thank you again.  And the girls are thrilled.  This does not mean I am going to give you free run of the Castle.”  Jagger narrowed his eyes in the direction of CC and the red head when he heard her laughter.  “Or its’ occupants.”
    The old one followed his gaze.  “He is young but he has a soft spot for women.”  He looked toward Jeanne.  “And children.  He won’t hurt her.”
    Jagger sighed.  “I’m a little protective.  CC has been through enough.  A handsome  young man might do her some good.”
    The old one gestured toward Nikki, who was dancing around with her balloons.  “The little one.  I’m getting a feeling from her, but not quite right.  She is pre-Immortal, isn’t she?”
    Jagger watched Nikki for a moment before answering.  “Yes, but not your kind.”  Gold eyes met brown.  “My kind.”
    The brown eyes widened.  “How can that be?  Are you all human first?”
    “No, we aren’t.”  Jagger stretched out a paw and examined his claws.  “All felines have ‘nine lives’ as you humans call it.  Some of us are destined to be Immortal, as well.  We travel through our ‘lives’ waiting for an appropriate death to activate it.  Death by accident or violence, not sickness or age.  We learn about ourselves and the world around us.”
    “Some of us choose to have quests.  I have mine, this is Nikki’s.  Others have done it before.  It is not easy.”  Jagger began to wash his paw.
    “So she’s a foundling?”
    “Goodness, no.  She is Kelly’s daughter in every way.  It is the just that her soul and spirit are feline.”  The old one looked uneasy.  Jagger chuckled.  “You humans are so literal.  Kelly gave birth to a HUMAN child.  Created with her husband just as her older children were.  Nikki has no memory of her time as a feline.  She will live life never suspecting anything.  When she passes from this life she will use what she has learned to helps us better understand humans.”
    “I think I can handle this.  Just came as a bit of a shock.”  He smiled at the active child.  “Aren’t you worried that someone may end her human life early?  Some of us aren’t that scrupulous.”
    “Yes, I know.  It won’t be a problem, though.  Only the very old among you can sense her.  Your young friends haven’t noticed a thing.”
    The old one laughed.  “Only you would call them young.”
    Nikki stopped in mid-bounce when she noticed the old one and Jagger watching her.  She raced over to them and climbed up into the old one’s lap.  She kissed him enthusiastically.
    “You brought the balloons.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.”  She all but sang.
    “You’re welcome, you’re welcome, you’re welcome.”  he answered.
    She reached out to stroke Jagger’s ears.  “Jagger is my friend.  Will you be my friend too?”
    The old man, smiled at her.  “I would be honoured, Lady Nikki.”
    She laughed, delighted.  “Mommy!” she bellowed.
    Kelly glanced over her shoulder at her youngest child.  “Yes, Nikki?”
    Nikki hugged the Immortal tightly, balloons dancing wildly  around them.  “I have a new friend!”  She hollered beside his ear.

The End.
 


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