It Must Be You

Chapter 2:

Standard disclaimers apply.

Note: A Sabrina/Salem pairing though Harvey and Sab are quite cute too!

-X-

Blonde hair flying, Sabrina went inside the Spellman's former house, chest heaving and her heart speeding uncontrollably. She stopped by the stairs and leaned against the railing, trying to catch her ragged breathing, one hand over her drumming heart and the other clutching her handbag.

Hilda came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of nachos and dip and stopped, smiling as she spotted her nice. "You're here already. Hn. That's weird. You're never early. Anyway, Salem's in the kitchen snacking up on tuna for the very last time – or so he says – and Zelda's playing with her lab top." He childish aunt gave an excited giggle. "Gotta go prepare the party poppers!" She practically ran into the living room, leaving Sabrina staring at her aunt's back in amusement.

"Some things never chance," Sabrina said with a smile, then started, eyes going wide. "WHAT? What do you mean I'm early? My watch said I was late!"

Inside the kitchen, Salem heard Sabrina's outraged shriek and gave a catty grin, burying his face in the plate of tuna and devouring its contents.

Sabrina entered the kitchen angrily, kicking the door shut and cursing her watch, of all things. She spotted Salem and sat down on the chair beside him and grabbed at his fur, painfully stroking his back. "Can you believe it?" she asked furiously, hitting the poor cat rather than stroking his head, "I had to end my date with Harvey early because I thought it was time for your morphism and then I realize that my watch is half an hour early!"

She gave a little huff, thumping Salem's head, burying his face deeper into the plate of tuna. Salem gave an irritated mewl. "Sabrina, are you trying to drown me in a plate of tuna or petting my soft, silky fur?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Sabrina muttered but pulled her hand away.

Sabrina snorted and dug in, lapping the tuna on his bowl. Sabrina sat on by, watching the black cat with a faraway look in her eyes. Feeling someone staring at his back, Salem lifted his head and cocked his head sideways, glancing at Sabrina.

"Do I have tuna on my fur, or something?" the cat asked sarcastically, feeling a tingle on his body.

Sabrina blinked and gave a small smile. "So. You're turning from Salem the Cat into Salem Saberhagen again, huh? You must be excited, Salem."

"Well, truthfully, not really. I rather enjoyed my time as a cat, being pampered and cared for without having to lift a paw to help…though the no-magic policy had stung…"

The blonde young woman gaped at her cat, who then burst out into feline giggles at the flabbergasted look on Sabrina's face.

"You're so gullible, Sabrina. Of course I want to turn back into human, do I look that stupid?" Salem scoffed, rolling his green eyes at her and lifted a paw and licked at it, smoothing back the fine black hairs on his furry face. "I've been waiting for this moment for hundreds of years!"

Sabrina shook her head, annoyed, but a small smile played her at glossy lips. "Yeah, whatever, I so wasn't fooled by your lame acting, Salem." She gave a nostalgic sigh and scratched behind Salem's ears, making the cat arch and purr in contentment.

"One things for sure, I'm going to miss this kind of scratching," Salem murmured, closing his eyes and angling his head sideways to give the blonde more access.

"Well, I guess I'm going to miss Salem the Cat too. Obsessive and demanding as he was, the cat was pretty comfy to hug," Sabrina admitted with a wistful tone in her voice.

Salem remained silent. Most of him had always longed to be human again, to have his powers back and move in the world like a normal warlock again. But there was a smidgen fraction that had also liked his cat side, and all the free food he used to get, just by purring and rubbing against the person's legs imploringly. And it was also surprising how well the puppy-dog look worked on a cat.

But in a few hours, he'd be in his human form again, and it would be glorious.

-X-

The house wasn't packed. Actually, it was just the Spellman's closest friends, the ones who had liked Salem, like Harvey, and Valerie – who had moved back into West Bridge – and Aunt Vesta. They weren't exactly what you'd call a party, but Salem kind of preferred it that way, so that he could surprise his old friends and foes when he returns as young and as powerful as ever.

The morphism was to happen in a few more minutes and Salem was supposed to be alone. He was going to do it in one of the houses extra rooms, the ones they'd never actually used because the Spellman's rarely had sleepovers.

Zelda and Hilda had agreed for Salem to live in the Victorian-like house for as long as he liked. It would obviously be an ordeal to get used to human life again. Salem had to eat using his hands – and not paws! – and to walk and other human activities. It would be an advantage for Salem to reacquaint himself to being human in a familiar environment.

And considering that Salem had lived in the Spellman's house for hundreds of years, then it was definitely a familiar environment.

Everyone waited at the foot of the stairs, while the black feline was on top of the wooden railing.

"Well, wish me luck," Salem said to the group, hoping to sound optimistic.

He gave a wag of his tail before agilely climbing up the banister and turning into a corner. There was the soft closing of the doors and everyone below let out a breath.

Valeria, who had been told by Harvey in accident about Sabrina's true heritage and actually took it far better than anyone expected, said, "Gee, Salem looked incredibly nervous when he should be happy to return to normal! He looked so pusillanimous that I should be taking lessons from him!"

"You're already a successful writer, Val, so you shouldn't have self-value issues, like before," Harvey pointed out to the pretty dark-haired woman, who had matured nicely into a brilliant writer but still had the touch of self-belittling that was her way.

Sabrina, though, had to agree, biting her lower lip nervously. "Salem did look…hesitant. I wonder why."

She turned to her aunts, hoping they could shed a light on that particularly curious fact.

Aunt Zelda, looking as young as she used to, thanks to a magic potion she herself discovered, placed a reassuring arm around Sabrina's hunched shoulders.

"Dear, you see, morphism isn't as easy. It's actually quite painful as it happens…the bones contract, the body stretches…that's why morphism is done individually because the person doesn't want to show any pain…"

Hilda nodded vigorously; her blonde curls bouncing around her face. "Yeah. Salem knows how much pain there'll be and he couldn't quite hide it…even if Salem does wear three masks."

Sabrina looked up at the second floor, apprehension filling her eyes. "I hope Salem will be okay."

At that, Harvey took Sabrina's hand and gave it a strong squeeze. "Don't worry, Sab, I'm sure that that ball of fur will be all right. He could practically backtalk his way out of the devil's hands."

Sabrina wasn't quite eased, though. It was weird, the gnawing worry at her gut. For Salem, no less. No other cat – or person wanted that much kind of affection, well, blatantly anyway.

-X-

With a last, final grunt, Salem sucked in a deep, agonized breath, every fiber in his body screaming in protest as he slowly, slowly pushed himself up.

Salem opened his blurry eyes, and his vision wasn't as crystal clear as his feline eyes. He was staring at the carpeted floor, and then his weary gaze traveled to the slender, long-fingered hands lying flat on the floor, with their short and clean nails.

No fur.

It finally hit Salem as he stared, stupefied, at his black-fur free hands. Then his gaze traveled to his long, muscular arms and he pulled himself up, wincing as his body twisted in pain. Every part of him was sore because of the morphism but it was worth every torturous second. It had actually lasted shorter than Salem expected: just about to forty-five minutes.

Salem shakily rose to his feet, amazed at the wobbliness of his legs, and the strange feeling of weight on his body. He erratically walked towards the full-length mirror, eyes closed and somewhat afraid to open his eyes.

And when he did, their green depths widened in even more astonishment. There he was, Salem Saberhagen, in all his former human glory.

His body, quite tall and muscularly slim, was naked, since his feline form had been unclothed as well. His arms had their sinewy brawniness, shoulders wide and chest broad, his stomach flat and slightly concaved, with tight abs. Salem's legs were long and sturdy and Salem was delighted to see his wavy mop of full black hair on top of his head and his entire body devoid of any feline fur.

Yes, no more hairballs! He former cat ecstatically thought, a slow, wide grin spreading on his chiseled features. Goodness, he'd forgotten just how handsome he was! All the girls better beware…Salem Saberhagen was back!

He spotted the clothes on the bed, neatly laid out by Zelda earlier. Salem approached the bed and picked the shirt up, bringing it to his chest. His fingers were hard and took a lot of effort to curl them; he had been to used to having no opposable thumb and just paws with really sharp claws. The shirt was perfectly fit for his lean form and the pants were comfortably snug. It was a secret thrill to put on the clothes; things he hadn't worn in centuries.

When Salem was completely clothed, he lifted his arms and stretched, mewling wonderfully as his sore muscles contracted, swinging left to right, loosening tense muscles. He began to fidget, trying to get used to having fingers and legs and elbows and a trunk and what not.

A few minutes later, there was a soft, inquiring knock on the door.

It took Salem some time to answer the door, even having a few difficulties with the doorknob, fingers awkwardly curling against the knob.

Sabrina was standing in the hallway, an anxious look on her pretty face. She had her back turned to him so she didn't see his face yet.

"Yeah?" Salem asked, sounding casually as if he was still a cat, not the drop-dead gorgeous, six feet two inches tall warlock by the doorway.

Sabrina turned around, a bright look on her face when she suddenly took a hasty step back, the most stupefied look on her face.

"What is it, Sabrina?" Salem asked, a little worriedly. Did he have something on his face…?

Sabrina took a deep swallow and stared in amazement at the tall, incredibly handsome young man, who couldn't have looked a few years older than her that had been her former feline.

"S-Salem…is that you!"