Chapter 2

They entered the warehouse, hands clasped tightly with each other. Claudia sat at the computer with her back to them, fingers rabidly moving across the keyboard so focused on her task she didn't hear them approach.

"Hey, Claudia," Myka interrupted the genius mind at work. The same one that jumped up so far it nearly didn't make the chair on return.

"Whoa, are you interviewing for Mrs. F's job, cause you so just Mrs. Frederic'd me!" She exclaimed, hand-held to her chest from the shock.

"No, you were just really intensely focused." Myka smiled at the stunned young women wide-eyed and still trying to catch her breath from their unexpected entrance.

"Hey, HG how ya doing?" Concern written all over her face. She'd been watching HG closely the past few weeks closely, but from a distance. No one knew how she was going to react after losing yet something else from her life. She had been quiet, but with Myka by her side the two seemed to be getting back to life and normality despite the occasional weak moments.

"I'm fine Claudia, thank you. Just sorting a few things out, much to Artie's displeasure this morning I understand." Helena couldn't help but smile. She did so love to get under his skin. It had now turned into a game they played.

"Yeah, well that's Artie. He's never going to change. Ready to start that research, huh? Boring!"

"We thought we'd take a walk through the warehouse first, maybe take Trailer with us. It's lunch time if you want to go. We'll hold down the fort."

"Are you sure? Both Steve and Pete have each walked around once. Trailer didn't seem too impressed. I'm really hungry, but if the alarms go off again..."

"We brought some of Steve's earplugs just in case, and you will be the first one we call," Myka assured her holding up the earplugs as reassurance.

"Awesome! Catch ya later. I heard there are chocolate chip cookies and I want to grab a few before Pete cleans the plate. Want me to grab you some?"

"No, thanks, we're all set."

"Okay. Bye." Claudia nearly skipped down the umbilicus looking forward to dessert. As much as she had grown over the years, it was good to see the child still in her.

…

"Okay, Trailer, let's go for a little jaunt," Myka called the dog.

He reluctantly got up; apparently feeling the last trip was enough exercise for the day. As soon as they got to the floor of the warehouse, though, his ears perked up and his head shot up sharply. He stopped in his tracks and focused down one aisle near them.

"That's where we start then," Helena commented, sure of her plan. "He's up to the task; he just had the wrong bait. Go on Trailer, show us the way," she encouraged the dog.

Trailer walked purposefully down the chosen path; head half down, eyes staring intently in front of him. He stopped and raised his front paw, nose pointing straight ahead.

"There! Did you see it Myka?" pointing with her index finger. "Straight in front of us and to the left. It's quick, but very distinct"

"I'm not sure, Helena, a kind of dark flash?"

"Exactly. Just like a shadow. Let's keep going. Come on Trailer, you are a doing a brilliant job." She ruffled the dog's head. The excitement in Helena's voice was apparent and infectious. It was the most Myka had heard in weeks.

They kept walking for another five minutes and Trailer slowed his pace, stalking like a well-trained bird dog. "Myka, he has something," she indicated the dog's behavior.

Myka looked towards the area Trailer was indicating, but not yet stopping. "Helena, I see it!" she whispered as quietly as her excitement would allow her to. "Now it's gone… come on this way. Let's go Trailer."

The women started trotting down the aisles with Trailer in the lead, catching glimpses here and there as they worked their way around the warehouse. Sometimes it was longer in shape and darker, often seeming to take on a form, but always moving from one spot to another.

Myka started to laugh suddenly at the ridiculousness in their pursuit. Stopping to catch her breath and to get her sudden fit of laughter under control she looked at Helena, and asked "Why do I feel like we are playing cat and mouse?"

Trailer stopped dead in his tracks. Following his line of sight, Helena's face sobered abruptly as she said quietly to Myka, "Because we are. Look Myka," pointing at a spot on a shelf.

Myka looked to where Helena was pointing. There on the shelf sat a silver mackerel cat with green eyes. He was looking at them with curiosity tilting his head, evaluating them with a wisdom neither of them had seen before in another animal. With grace and ease of a well-practiced acrobat, he jumped down to the floor and sashayed up to them with confidence as if this was where he had always belonged.

They stood silently with their mouths open and eyes wide, both afraid to say a word or make any sudden movements. He examined them closely, sizing them up. First brushing up against Trailer's head, he continued to first walk up to Mika and walk around her. Having made his preliminary examination, he did the same to Helena then proceeded to sit facing them again. He looked up at them expectantly, green eyes bright and a smirk on his face. Trailer sat down next to him and looked up at the two women, cocking his head; ears perked and gave the slightest whine.

"Myka," Helena spoke softly, amazed at the sight before her. "I think we found our answer. I'm not sure I understand it, and science cannot answer how or why, but our shadows are no longer shadows. He's been playing with us all this time, the little stinker. He's been trying to get our attention, but wasn't ready to show himself. He was testing us all this time." She turned to Myka, smirking at the audacity of this cat and appreciating his endeavors as well.

"Now what do we do?" Myka asked, scrunching her face and tilting her head at the smaller woman.

"I think it's up to him. We need to wait." Helena had not been this sure of something for quite some time, but she knew it in her heart as well as she knew her love for Myka and the trust she and in her. So, they stood and waited, letting themselves be examined and circled, sniffed and rubbed against. Sitting in front of the two one more time he searched from one face to another one last time, and jumped up into the air landing in Helena's arms.

"I think he's chosen," Myka croaked out turning to see the sight in front of her. The cat was nudging Helena's face and purring loader than any cat she had heard before. Quiet tears ran down Helena's face, unheeded. Myka wrapped an arm around the small waist and pulled her close. The cat proceeded to crawl over to Myka's shoulders, still purring and settled in ready to go. Play time was over. He had a purpose and they had finally found him.

"He's ready now. Let's head back." Helena simply stated with a smile.

…

Claudia had returned by the time the game had ended and was wondering what was taking the two women so long. She turned around in her chair when they walked into the office and literally fell off her chair. Seeming not to notice she was now on the floor the on her back side, stared at the purring bunch of fur on Myka's shoulder. "Uh, Myka," she started tentatively, "you have something on your shoulders. Is that what I think it is? He's beautiful! Is it a he or a she?"

"We haven't gotten that intimate yet…"

"It's a male." Helena said simply. At Myka's questioning look she continued, "I don't know how I know. I just do. Just like I knew the shadows were important and intended for me and then you. No one else saw them." Myka just smiled back trusting as strongly that Helena was right, as Helena knew herself to be right in what she believed. For whatever reason, Helena just knew and always had that the shadows she saw were about her.

Myka couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Yeah, what she says."

Claudia was frustrated now. Her face contorted in bewilderment and she babbled on, "I don't understand? What's going on? I go to lunch and come back to find a cat on your shoulders. What shadows? I'm so confused!" The cat decided then to jump back into Helena's arms. Unlike Dickens's surprise attacks, she could anticipate this cat's jumps.

"Maybe we should gather, but I dare say we have a new family member and you will find that there will be no more alarms going off. Shall we?" Helena offered, petting the cat in her arms.

Everyone poured into the office as soon as they heard the news. Multiple exclamations resounded in the room, "We have a cat?", "Where'd he come from?", "Are we going to keep him?", "What are we going to name him?", "Oh, come on Artie, he has to stay?", "Please?"

"Quiet everyone!" Artie had spoken and silence followed. "How do we have a cat? Can we start with that first?"

Helena began to explain how she'd been seeing the shadows no one else had, and after great thought in the garden this morning, that there was a connection to the alarms. Continuing to explain the game of cat and mouse that she and Myka had played resulting in the discovery of the cat and how he ended up now in her arms.

"You want me to believe that you had a hunch? You never told me about seeing shadows? Didn't you think it was pertinent?"

"Honestly, Artie," Helena complained indignantly, "would you really have taken me seriously? I wasn't sure myself until Myka told me about Pete's vibes. I just knew."

Artie just growled. "You just knew."

"Actually, Artie, it's not completely implausible," Steve came to Helena's defense. "Stranger things have been known to happen, especially here, and there are many reports of people having very similar experiences. And after all, this is the warehouse. And Trailer did help…"

"Fine. But, we keep monitoring the alarms for now. And as to whether he stays or not is entirely the final decision of Mrs. Frederic, but I don't see it will be an issue. What are you going to name him?" He finally smiled at Helena, who was now cuddling a sleeping cat in her lap, stroking his silky fur.

"We can name him Verne?" Pete suggested laughing.

"I am going to pretend I did not hear you utter that name, Mr. Lattimer." Helena glared at him and then Myka, as she also had begun to laugh at the suggestion. "I don't really know. Considering how he came into existence I think he'll eventually let us know on his own." She smiled at the ball of fur. "We should go make an appointment with the vet, Myka. Maybe our new friend will come up with a name for us by then."

"Alright everyone, we have work to do." Artie barked. "We can all play pass the kitty later tonight." Looking at Helena and Myka, he gently said with another rare smile, "I think you two have someone to settle in back home. Have a good afternoon."

Later after dinner, as the new family member inspected and played with his new students, Helena tapped Steve on his shoulder. "HG, what's up? He's really sweet."

"May I speak with you a moment privately?"

"Of course. Outside on the swing good for you?"

"That would be fine."

So, what's up?" Steve started after they settled into the swing. Helena pushed the swing into motion slightly with her feet. She loved this swing.

" I wanted to ask you, if you don't mind, what your thoughts are on 'reincarnation' or rather 'rebirth' as I believe it is often referred to now."

"Ah….that's a biggie. Wondering about Dickens and the circumstances of the new guy, huh? That was quick." Helena was perplexed. In response to the expression on her face he continued, "I wondered when you'd come to me about that. I was expecting it."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. It passed my mind to. I think everyone has their own interpretation. Whether or not it really happens on a spiritual plane is all up to interpretation. It's not that the essence is the same, but may retain some facets of the former existence. Regardless, he isn't Dickens and I'm pretty sure you know that, but could he have a part of Dickens? No, one really knows. It's possible. We are all energy. He certainly seems to be connected with you. Only you could see him in his shadow form. I think that is pretty significant. Myka, too. None of the rest of us perceived them. I think it's something you have to explore on you own. We can certainly talk about it more when ever you want, but now just enjoy him for who he is. And remember he is not Dickens, but instead a unique individual of his own. From what I see so far, he's going to be a handful." He laughed. "He's obviously a very special cat. Did he pick a name yet?"

Helena laughed."Yes, he has, 'Harry'," turning her nose up slightly at the cat's choice of names.

"Harry?" Steve continued laughing, more at HG's facial expression than the actual name.

"It's the best we could come up with. He sat on Myka's collection of Harry Potter books and wouldn't get off. When we suggested 'Harry' he got off and got in my lap." They sat in silence, and HG finally admitted, "It's been an interesting afternoon. He seems to have a taste for fresh grilled salmon."

"So that explains dinner." Steve laughed. "But brussel sprouts?" A pained expression replaced the laugh.

"That was Myka. Persoanlly, I find them to be foul, nasty, little, cabbages." The pained expression on HG"s face, all scrunched up was priceless.

The both broke out into laughter again. Laughter was good.

"Thank you, Steve. I'm sure I will seek your counsel again soon. I've never had such a strong and illogical, but certain feeling before. I just knew."

"Come on Helena," Steve stood up and grabbed her hand, "You have a new protector to acquaint yourself with. I think it's time for you to go to bed." Steve suggested, knowing she, Myka and Harry needed more time alone.

Later that night…

Myka and Helena and spent the rest of the evening in bed reading with Harry settled between them. They turned the lights off and snuggled up to each other, discussing their day as they started to fall asleep.

"Myka," Helena suddenly said surprised, "My feet are warm again."

Myka smiled as she buried her face into crook of Helena's neck. "Good. He knows they get cold."