by Seven

Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment
Company.  All rights reserved.
 
 

Author's Note:  Takes place in S2. Thanks to Kannon for the thoughts on King Arthur!
 
 

**********
 
 

Liam snuggled into his sofa, completely absorbed into the world of King Arthur and the knights of the
Round Table. Perhaps, of all the characters, he liked Merlin the best.   Merlin the oddity, Merlin the
seer, Merlin the enigma.   And the sun-filled world of knights and damsels was far, far away from the
backroom of a bar, in the pouring rain.

Outside, there was a brilliant flash of lightning and a thunderous boom. Liam snuggled deeper into his
blanket and continued reading.

There was a faint crashing noise, outside. Liam stood up, then groped for the baseball bat Augur had
left him in case of intruders. Raising the bat above his head, he opened the back door. No one there.
Something slipped past his ankle, something wet and slick. Liam whirled, to find a tiny black kitten,
sodden and shivering, sitting on his sofa.

"Hold it," he said, putting down the bat. The kitten stared at him with wide, green eyes. Liam paused,
then shut the door. "Okay," he said solemnly. "You can stay. For right now."

He hurriedly towelled the cat dry with his blanket, then picked it up and carried it into the Flat Planet,
deserted after its closing time. The kitten was relaxed, if shivering. Liam realized with rising anger
that the tiny animal was abandoned, if it was allowing him to handle it at all.

He popped open the fridge and groaned. No milk. After hunting around, he found a glass of orange
juice, poured it into a saucer one-handed, then set it and the kitten down on the floor. The tiny
creature was light in his hand, with its small ribs poking painfully at his fingers. It began slurping the
juice madly, hungrily. Liam left the small kitten in the bar and walked wearily back to his couch. The cat
was fine, he thought wearily.

In the morning, he would take it to the shelter and see if someone would adopt it... it was a cute little
thing... it'd be fine... someone would adopt a sweet little thing like that...

****

A few hours later, Liam woke out to find a small black ball of fur curled up against his chest. Its small
stomach was slightly swollen with the orange juice, and it emitted a continuous rumbling purr, like a
tiny engine.

Liam sighed and stroked the cat. Well, no need to go to the shelter. Clearly the cat had adopted him.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, Liam smiled and petted his new friend and roommate. "Welcome
to my home, kitty," he murmured sleepily. As a reponse, the cat stretched, yawned, and snuggled
against his elbow.