Bringing Buster home
Posted on 06/16/2023 @ 9:57pm by Sergeant Audie Fitch & Civilian Annie Parker & Civilian Annabelle Parker
3,252 words; about a 16 minute read
Mission:
Mission 23:Pages...
Location: Parker Residence
Timeline: Current time
ON
There was a message waiting for Audie when she arrived back to her bunk area. It was from Annie the little girl who had a tortoise shell cat named Mindy. The message read.
Dear Audie, I was wondering if you'd like to come get Buster, he's been with us and I think he misses you, Annie
Audie had barely had time to settle back in her quarters when she go the message. Of course, collecting Buster was her priority, so now that she was cleaned up and changed into civvies, she headed to Miss Annie's quarters, ringing the bell. If Buster missed her, she surely did miss that silly old cat! At least she'd had the comfort of knowing he'd been well cared for.
It didn't take long for the door to open and Annabelle stood there with a smile, "Hi Audie c'mon in, the three musketeers are in Annie's room. " Annabelle giving a chuckle, motioning for Audie to follow and led the way to Annie's room.
"Ah, well, there was D'Artagnan, so they need a fourth, right?" Audie grinned, following Annabelle, then pausing in the doorway.
There from the open door way was Annie telling a story to Mindy and Buster. "And then the little bear said to the daddy bear we need to find the three little kittens!"
"Meow!" Audie took a step into the room, Buster glanced her way, but kept his butt planted, and quickly turned his attention back to the story!
Mindy looked back at Audie, meowed in return towards her, then went back to listening.
Annie continued, "Daddy bear said, the kittens are missing? I guess we need to put on our detective hats and follow our noses to find where they are at" Annie trying to do a deep voice as she spoke as Daddy Bear.
She changed to her squeaky voice for the little bear. "Okay I'll get the detective hats daddy, and then we will find the three little kittens. Annie's eyes rose up and saw Audie, then she said in her normal voice. "And we'll continue the story later on."
Mindy meowed as if in protest of the ending of the story.
"Well, Audie is here and we don't want to have her standing there too long." Annie spoke to Mindy as if she knew what her cat had said.
"Hi Audie!" Annie leaping up and going over to give her friend a hug.
"Hi, Annie!" Audie hugged the girl back, not realizing until then the toll that the last mission had taken on her. It was good to be home! "Looks like you've taken good care of Buster. He might not want to come home!"
Annie looked at Buster and then at Mindy. "Oh I think he missed you something fierce, he's been wandering around trying to hitch a ride to go find you. I've even seen him having a long conversation with Mindy, then they ended up going somewhere." Annie shaking her head up and down wisely towards Audie.
Annabelle bit her lip from busting out in laughter. "You want to stay for dinner?" looking at Audie. "We're having pizza if you don't mind."
"I'm glad to hear he was pining for me!" Audie laughed. "I hope he wasn't corrupting Mindy!" Going to the chairs, she scooped Buster up, scratching his ears as he started to loudly purr and 'make biscuits'!
"I'd love to stay for pizza! And, I have a present for you."
Annie's eyes grew round as saucers. "You do? What's the present!" the little girl getting all excited about the aspect of a present from Audie.
Annabelle went to get the dishes out on the table for the pizza. And set the pizza down, it having already been cut. The scent of it wafting into the air.
"Oh, that smells good!" Audie smiled as she pulled a loop of cord from her pocket, holding it up, attracting the attention of both cats. "Tah dah! I know it doesn't look like much, I'll show you after we eat. Have you ever played 'Cat's Cradle'?"
"No I've not heard of that before. Can you teach me? Do you really make a cradle for a cat?" Annie's eyes were wide with interest.
Mindy's attention was upon that string that Audie was holding. It looked like it would be fun to play with.
"Cat's Cradle is a game," Audie explained, jiggling the string to entice the cats. "It takes two to play, but I'm afraid it doesn't really make a cradle the cats can sleep in, although I suppose they can sleep on it." She chuckled, then shook her head. "I'm starving! Let's have our pizza first, and I can tell you how it works, about games you can play by yourself."
She knew that once they started, it would likely be a while before they quit...there were almost infinite games, some pretty basic, but others were complex and took a long time to master, not that she expected to try to teach every one tonight.
"Okay, lets eat pizza!" Annie exclaimed, and ran to the table.
Annabelle chuckled, "What do you want to drink with the pizza?" she asked Audie.
Annie spoke up, "i want rootbeer!" she said.
Mindy came trotting up then went to her food dish and meowed. Next to it was one for Buster.
"Oh I think someone wants her meaty treat." Annie said.
Mindy sat down on her haunches and meowed politely.
"I'll have iced tea, please," Audie requested, but Buster wasn't so polite or subtle. He went over to Annabelle and started meowing loudly and rubbing on her legs. "Buster!" Audie laughed. "Was he like that the whole time?"
"He most certainly was buttering me up, considerably. He knew how to turn on the charm. Oh and both he and Mindy were decidedly tag teaming me and Annie. Those two are something else." Annabelle giving a laugh.
Annie went to get the meaty treat out for the two cats, "Yup they are fun to watch." giving a giggle.
"Meoooow?" Mindy responded, then looked at Buster.
"Meeeeoooowwww! Prruh!" Buster had to outdo Mindy with his chirping!
Audie laughed. "He's going to be demanding when he gets home!" Then she sighed. "It'll be nice to have him on the bed at night again, I miss that." There was something comforting and reassuring to have that bit of weight by her side when she was sleeping!
Annabelle set out a pitcher of ice tea for herself and Audie and had some apple juice for Annie. she watched as the two cats went to chow down. "Okay Annie come and eat."
Annabelle taking a seat, and Annie to her right.
Annie said to Audie, "it was really fun having Buster come and stay, but he definitely missed you. And am glad you are home. I missed you too!"
"It made it easier being away to know that Buster was in good hands." Audie smiled and glanced at Annabelle. "I heard there was some excitement here, I'm glad everyone is all right." She took a sip of tea, then a bite of pizza. "Man, that's good!"
"We have a pizza joint here that makes real food, using real ingredients. As for the excitement. Well Annie, Buster and Mindy, plus me went to the planet below. The Wyvern was utilized by someone named David Scarlet, they took part in that battle with the Breen. If you look out there, you can still see leftover parts." Annabelle waved vaguely towards the outside of the station. "He's an interesting man. Heck, he would be able to tell you more about what happened. If you would like that is."
Annie ended up having a piece of pizza in her mouth and muffled by the bite she mumbled, "he flew Wyvern!"
"Oh, that would be great, I'd love to hear about all that." Audie munched her pizza. "I'm just glad they were able to protect you...and that we didn't know what was going on here, we would have been so worried!"
After she finished her pizza, she glanced at Annie. "So, are you ready to learn about that string?"
Annie stuffed the last piece of pizza into her mouth and nodded, while Annabelle gasped out.
"Annie you be careful there, I don't want you to choke!"
Annie having swallowed her bite, looked at her mom. "Well that wouldn't happen Audie would save me." giving a nod and looked at Audie. "I know you would do such."
"Well, I would save you, yes, but then I'd have to yell at you for being silly!" Audie wagged her finger at the girl, frowning, but then chuckled...it was hard to stay mad for so long!
Annabelle closed her eyes for a moment pinching the bridge of her nose. "I am sorry, Audie."
"You're forgiven." Audie grinned and took out the string. "So, hold your hands out and I'll show you how to start."
Annie the little blonde girl eagerly did as Audie suggested. "So do you save a lot of lives, Audie? I am sure you have done so." having moved her chair to sit beside Audie.
Mindy walked over to watch, being rather curious then rubbed herself along Audie's leg, her tail wrapping around slightly.
Audie grinned as Mindy tried buttering her up, and Buster joined the effort. "C'mon, now, you two," she chided, pulling another string from her pocket, "these aren't for you!"
She laughed, hanging a string around Annie's hands, except for her thumb, then instructed, "Now, hold your hands apart like this." She demonstrated, using the other string. "Follow what I do." Slowly moving her hands, she played out the pattern to make the first stage of Cat's Cradle.
Annie watched with her bright blue eyes the movements that Audie was doing, rather enrapt with the patterns Audie was making and copied them. She giggled definitely having fun.
"Mama, look!" she exclaimed, showing Annabelle what she'd done so far.
"Very good, Annie very good." Annabelle then looked at Audie mouthing thank you to her.
Audie grinned back to Annabelle and gave her a slight nod, then turned her attention back to the little girl. "Perfect! Now, do that again, all by yourself."
Letting her own string fall to her lap, Audie watched until Annie had the figure right again, then requested, "Now, hold it firm, I'm going to take it from you."
Reaching in, she took the figure from the top, then pulled those strings under and back up, removing the string from Annie's fingers and forming another pattern. "There you go!"
"Oooh that is so awesome!" Annie squealed out. "You can actually have two people do this game too?"
Annabelle was a bit impressed with the skill that Audie was showing with the cats cradle. "That is impressive Audie. I never learned that game." giving a wry smile.
"Mama you need to learn too!" Annie exclaimed.
"Of course I can teach your mom," Audie confirmed, "but we're not done yet! Once we finish the patters, I can show you both how to play the game."
Audie held the pattern to Annie. "Okay, now, use your thumbs and little fingers inside the X's," she instructed, "then pull those strings up, then over and under." She watched closely so that she could intervene if she had to. "I can show you a couple of easy patterns you can make on your own, too."
Annie struggled for a moment or two actually getting her fingers all tied up. She huffed out a breath of air "Okay... try again..."
Annabelle watched while Audie patiently taught her daughter the cats cradle. "I definitely want to learn those."
Mindy decided to get up on the counter in order to get a better perception of what the humans were doing.
"There, you got it!" Audie grinned, then commented, "one more..." This was a little more complicated, involving picking up strings with her pinkies, then going under and through the rest, but it came out as the beginning shape. "There we are! Do you want to try one more time, then you and your mom can do it?"
The game was a good way to learn some coordination, and something mom and daughter could do together. And Audie would show Annabelle a few simple games she could do alone.
Annie nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes please! Just one more." being very eager, this was a lot of fun. She glanced over to where Mindy was and then giggled. "Mindy's fallen asleep, guess that is a good thing so she can't come run away with the cat's cradle."
Mindy on hearing her name, she only opened one eye, then closed it again.
"All right." Audie picked up her own string again so that Annie could follow along with her. "This will surprise your friends!" She made the first figure for Cat's Cradle, then had Annabelle help her, and Presto! Magic!
Annie giggled, "that was awesome! Lets do that again!" this time she tried it. She had to do it a second time as she had accidentally tied up her own hand. "Whoops, Okay Mama, let me trap you!" Annie this time getting it right.
She then gave Audie a big hug, "This is fun, I am going to show my friends." Annie giving a bit of a hop. "C'mon Mindy lets go practice!" scooping up Mindy from her perch and heading back to her room, Minday giving a protesting meow at being unceremoniously taken away from her comfortable spot.
"Oh..."Annie paused and walked over to Buster. "Goodnight Buster, I'll see you later." giving him a pet with the hand that still held the string.
Mindy meowed at Buster, as if to say goodbye, her tail swishing back and forth.
"Practice those and I'll show you more next time!" Audie told Annie, giving the girl a hug, then she nodded to Annabelle. "Thank you so much for keeping an eye on Buster, it was good not to have to worry about him." It was stressful enough to be on a mission, but to have to worry about her cat would have been distracting, as much as she might try to ignore that.
"You are welcome, and Buster was fun to take care of. Made Mindy happy that is for certain. And the same for Annie." Annabelle responded. "And thank you for showing Annie how to do the Cat's Cradle game. She is going to have a lot of fun with that." a bright smile on the blonde's face. She gave Audie an embrace. "I am glad you are Annie's friend as well as mine."
Audie returned the hug, then stepped back and shrugged. "I'm glad we're friends, too...family." She hoped that wasn't too far, but this was as close to family as she had, and she liked the way they made her feel.
"Have her practice, I have more to teach her!"
"I most definitely will have her practice and Audie, you are family. You are the sister I never had." One more embrace for Audie. "I'll see you around sis." Annabelle giving a bit of a smile. "I like the sound of that."
"Yeah, me, too!" Audie grinned brightly. "The next time they have a talent competition, Annie can do string games and we can sing 'Sisters'!" Annabelle might not know the old song, but Audie was sure she would love it!
Annabelle's eyes widened and she looked at Audie. "You, you like the classics?" then she broke into a little piece of a song.
"Sisters, sisters
There were never such devoted sisters"
She paused and looked at Audie. "Were you meaning something like that?" Annabelle giving a grin.
"Yes! That's the song!" Audie grinned brightly. They certainly were sisters! "And yes, I love the classics, a window to our ancestors, how they lived and thought. We should do a movie night. Has Annie seen Sleeping Beauty? Or Thomasina?"
Annabelle shook her head, "No not yet, and yes I agree, we should have a movie night, I love that idea! Popcorn, the works. I don't remember when the last time I had done something like that. Most definitely we need to make a plan to do so."
Annie came back out of her room, rubbing her eyes, dressed in her purple pajamas which had two kitties on it, one was a tortoise shell cat which looked like Mindy and the other looked like Buster. "Mama, can you and Audie come tuck me in?"
Annabelle looked at Audie, "What do you think?" giving a smile.
"Sure, we can do that." It was like having a little sister...well, and a sister sister...family, and she liked that feeling.
"And sing me a lullabye?" Annie then added.
"Sing?" Rolling her eyes, Audie laughed and glanced at Annabelle. "More likely to keep you awake!"
Well, she did know a couple lullabies, very old ones...
"How about 'Stay Awake'?" She then looked at Annie and Mindy. "No singing until the covers are pulled up!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL81kdF-k5w
it was a toss up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl3qPu4Rkas
"Stay awake?" Annie had spoken up as she pulled up the covers to her chin. "Mama didn't you sing that to me before?"
Annabelle gave a nod towards her daughter. "Yes I did."
Annie grinned. "Okay I want that, and maybe another one too?" looking pleadingly towards Audie.
Mindy all cuddled up against Annie, took a look at Audie and gave out a soft meow.
"We'll see." Smiling, Audie reached to scratch Mindy's ears, then pull up Annie's covers as she started to sing softly. She might not have gotten all the words right, and she was by no means professional, but at least she'd put the cat to sleep...in fact, both cats, as Buster had hopped up on the bed and curled up next to Mindy!
Annie's eyes drifted downwards though she fought hard to keep them open, to no avail. Soon there was the soft sound of her breathing, indicating she was sound asleep.
Annabelle smiled seeing and hearing the results of Audie singing to Annie. She nudged Audie gently with her shoulder giving her a gesture with her head as to leaving the room. She also whispered, "Looks like Buster is ready to go home. But he looks so comfortable as well."
Gently, Audie scooped Buster into her arms, and the cat barely flinched, hanging limply in her arms. Once they were away from the room, she whispered, "I'd just let him stay another night, but I miss having him with me. He'll survive! Thanks again for watching him, it really helped knowing he was being cared for."
"You are quite welcome, and I do understand the need for the furbaby to being around. You get some sleep and enjoy your time with Buster. And definitely we'll need to get together once again." Annabelle walking Audie to the door, reaching out to pet Buster before he was carried off by Audie. "Good night Buster. Then to Audie one more embrace. "See you later Sis."
"Good night, and thanks again!" Audie waved as she headed down the corridor, snuggling Buster. "Never thought to find out if you were in that other place," she chuckled. "All the better, I probably would have tried to bring him back!"
Annabelle and Annie Parker
Mindy Parker.
Played by Cara Letsul
Sgt. Audie Fitch
Kingsmen
Cat Servant
Buster, the One-Eyed Wonder!
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