Worlds Apart Pt. 02

The baby extended a hand, wanting to touch the cat, but Jamie held her back so that Smoke could reach up to sniff her. Slowly, Smoke rose to her feet, drawing closer. Her tail was standing erect in the same way that it did when she was anticipating being pet. Jamie took Hazel's wrist, guiding her hand along the cat's arched back, a smile spreading across her face as she felt the texture of the fur.

"Gently," Jamie repeated, letting her continue. She was clumsy, but remarkably considerate, stroking the cat on her own. She babbled quietly as though trying to talk to the animal, Smoke pushing her head into Hazel's chest as she nuzzled. All of Jamie's anxieties evaporated as he watched them interact. She knew that this creature was alive intuitively, that it was more fragile than she was. Smoke, too, was taking to her new roommates faster than anyone had anticipated.

Jamie could hear the scratching of claws on plastic, and he glanced over to see the occasional pair of round ears appear over the top of the playpen as the rest of the kittens struggled to get a look at what was going on. It was nice to be able to keep them separated from Smoke to give her some breathing room.

***

Toza came waddling over to Liz, rubbing the tears from his eyes as he filled the apartment with his wailing. She set down her phone and lifted him up, rocking him in her arms, reaching down to rub his head.

"What's up, big guy?"

He pointed to Smoke, whose fur was puffed up, the cat loosing a low growl.

"Did she scare you? You have to be more gentle with her, kiddo, or she'll get mad. Come on..."

She brought him back over to the angry feline, Smoke soon calming as Liz gave her a quick pet. She set the baby down, nudging him closer, Toza glancing up at her for reassurance.

"Be gentle, and don't pull her tail, or she'll scratch you."

Fortunately, the kittens weren't very susceptible to scratches owing to their thick fur and their Borealan heritage, but Smoke had grown confident over the last few days, and she wasn't above frightening the more curious kittens into submission with a well-timed hiss or a spit. This was exactly what Jamie had hoped for. It was a great way to teach the kittens to be considerate of other creatures, to respect their boundaries.

Slowly, Toza reached out, the cat watching his hand warily. As he ran it along her back, all was forgiven, Smoke drawing closer to butt her head against his cheek. His tears were quickly forgotten, and he began to laugh. Jamie picked up one of the cat toys from the carpet and brought it over, crouching to hand it to the baby. It was a ribbon on a stick, Toza gripping it in his hand, Jamie guiding him as he showed him how to use it.

Smoke immediately rolled onto her back, batting furiously at the ribbon, Toza finding the situation incredibly amusing.

***

"Baba," Hazel insisted, Jamie glancing down at her from his seat on the couch. She was tugging at the leg of his jeans, her favorite picture book in hand.

"You want me to read to you?" he asked, pausing the vidcast that he was watching with a gesture.

"Dada," she replied, giving him another tug. It didn't appear that she wanted to climb up onto the couch.

"Want me to follow you?" he asked, wondering what she was up to. He stood, and she reached up towards him, waiting there with her hand outstretched. When he took it, she closed her little fist around his finger, guiding him across the apartment. She led him into the bedroom, where Smoke was sleeping on the sheets, curled up into a ball. As they approached, she lifted her head, giving them a greeting in the form of a curt meow.

Hazel realized that she couldn't climb while holding both Jamie's finger and a picture book, so she dropped the book on the carpet, then began to scale the obstacle. The sound of fabric tearing beneath her claws prompted Jamie to give her a helping hand, and he passed her the book once she was up on the mattress, the girl dragging it over to where Smoke was sitting.

She loosed another string of baby words as she flopped down beside her pet, dragging the book in front of the indifferent cat. When she saw that Jamie was just watching, she reached out to grab the sleeve of his shirt, pulling him closer.

"Baba!"

"Oh, I get it," Jamie chuckled. "You want me to read to Smoke, huh? Does Smoke want to hear a story?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning over to flip the book open, Hazel cuddling up to the cat as he began to read.

***

"Bren!" Jamie exclaimed, the kitten laughing riotously as he tossed a piece of meat onto the floor from his high chair. Smoke was waiting in the wings, ready for the first sign of a spill, racing out from beneath the table to snatch it up. Bren clapped his hands as though it was the most impressive thing he had ever seen. "Smoke has her own food," Jamie reminded him, wagging a finger at the smiling baby.

Mealtimes were a lot more difficult when Liz was at work. The five babies were a real handful, and they seemed intent on getting their food everywhere except inside their mouths. Feeding the cat table scraps was now Bren's favorite game, and it made things even more of a pain in the ass.

At least they weren't picky eaters. The Borealan diet was not terribly varied, and he didn't have to struggle to get them to eat their fruit and vegetables. It was primarily meat and gourds, with a little cereal on the side. The babies went crazy for mashed-up pumpkin, and any kind of dairy product could be used as a treat or an incentive to behave. Their favorite right now were small triangles of cream cheese that had taken on the role of the now depleted Jarilan honey. Even Bren would sit down and keep still if he thought he might get a cheese wedge out of it.

Liz and Jamie had agreed early on that a positive reinforcement parenting style was the way to go. Rather than punish the child, misbehavior was simply ignored, while those who behaved were showered with attention and treats. There was nothing quite as miserable as a kitten who saw their siblings rewarded while they got nothing, and they tended to get the picture rather quickly.

Jamie gave Bren another piece of boiled chicken, watching the baby tear into it with his little teeth.

***

"Oh, who's that?" Jamie asked as he heard the door to the apartment slide open. Hazel slid off his lap, climbing her way up onto the headrest of the couch. From around the apartment, more kittens came waddling into view, distracted from their mischief by the familiar sound.

"Mama!" Hazel exclaimed as Liz stepped through the door. She was soon swamped by five stampeding kittens, laughing at them as they jostled for her attention. She took off her jacket and hung it on the rack, crouching to stroke their heads as they babbled at her.

Stepping over them carefully, she made her way over to the couch, leaning over the headrest to give Jamie a quick kiss.

"They been behaving?" she asked.

"No more than usual," he replied. "How was work?"

"The usual, just mountains of paperwork," she said as she made her way over to the fridge. Ken tried to climb her leg, so she picked him up as she cracked open a drink, taking a draw from the can while he brandished his mostly-eaten spoon handle.

Daz came walking up to her, lifting a crumpled piece of paper so that she could see it. It was covered in colorful crayon scribbles.

"Oh, very nice," Liz said, pretending to be impressed. "Looks like another masterpiece for the art gallery."

She turned and stuck it to the fridge with a magnet, where it joined half a dozen of Daz's prior artistic exploits. At eighteen months old, the kittens had expanded their vocabulary considerably, and they were much more capable. They could draw, drink from sippy cups on their own, and they shared their toys during play.

Ken became restless, Liz letting him leap down from her arms, the kitten landing on the carpet with a thud. Even a drop of a good five or six feet wasn't enough to faze him. He raced off towards his toys, settling in to play with his blocks.

"Did you make that call?" Liz asked, leaning against the kitchen counter as Daz held a one-sided conversation with her.

"They said we can go down on the weekend," Jamie replied. "They've never had aliens at the playgroup before, obviously, but they seemed receptive to the idea. I assured them that we'd be there to keep an eye on them."

"They'll be meeting human kids for the first time," Liz said, taking another sip from her can. "I wonder how they'll react?"

"I guess we'll find out."

CHAPTER 14: COOPERATION

Jamie and Liz stepped into the lobby of the building, the kittens safely nestled in their carriers. They had taken a taxi down to one of the local community centers, civic buildings where people could attend events or classes. The woman who was manning the front desk looked up from her holographic display, then did a double-take when she saw an eight-foot Borealan laden with kittens standing over her.

"We're here for the playgroup," Jamie explained, the woman tearing her eyes away from the towering alien.

"Oh," she replied, trying to compose herself. "Go down that corridor," she said as she leaned out of her booth to point down the hall. "Second door on your right."

"Thanks," Jamie said, Liz trailing behind him as he set off.

"I hope I don't scare the kids," Liz muttered.

"They won't be scared of you," he replied, trying to reassure her. "They'll probably think you're a giant stuffed animal or something."

"What about the other parents?" she continued, her ears lying flat against her blonde hair. "I feel like I'm intruding, like I shouldn't be here. Maybe you should have come down on your own. What if they don't want me around their kids?"

It had been a while since Jamie had seen Liz fret like this. After her return from Borealis, her confidence had seemed unshakable, and she never paid any mind to what strangers thought of her. But now, she seemed mortified by the idea that the other parents would disapprove of her, that their children would be frightened. As a mother, perhaps she understood their perspective all too well.

"They're going to stare at you, because everyone does," Jamie began. "But, once they settle down, you just have to show them that you're good with the kids. You're a great mom, so do mom things, and the other parents will get the picture."

"I have knives for fingers, Jamie," Liz grumbled as she flexed her claws. "I'm also heavy enough to turn a toddler into a meat pancake if I take a wrong step."

"You got this," he added, giving her a pat on the thigh.

They arrived at the door, Jamie stepping through into a large room. It was the same kind of space one might hire out for a wedding or a conference, lit by fluorescent strips on the ceiling. The floor was covered over with soft carpeting, and the walls had been painted with colorful letters and numbers, giving it the look of a classroom. The carpet was strewn with all kinds of large foam shapes that ranged from simple squares and triangles to crude animals. There was a ball pit, a jungle gym, and little playhouses. Some of the walls were stacked with shelves full of picture books, and there were hampers full of toys and games. In the center of the ceiling was a holographic projector, which created a giant, shimmering mobile of colorful stars and planets that rotated in the air.

The space was already full of squealing children. They ran back and forth as they chased each other, climbing on the foam furniture, wading around in the ball pit. Their ages ranged from maybe one-year-old to three or four. Any older, and they would be able to attend preschool, and thus would have no need for playdates.

Off in one corner of the room was a collection of tables and chairs where the adults could sit, along with a couple of vending machines for snacks and coffee.

There were half a dozen other parents in attendance, all of them stopping their conversations dead as Liz ducked through the door. Most of the children stopped their play, glancing up at the strange sight, some looking to their parents for reassurance. One of the toddlers closer to the tables waddled over to his mother, climbing into her arms, glancing back warily at the newcomers.

It wasn't the best start for Liz, but there was still time to make a good first impression. One of the women rose to greet them as they approached, Jamie recognizing her voice. This was the organizer who he had spoken to over the phone.

"Welcome," she said. "So glad you could make it."

As Liz neared the tables, the attitude of the other parents abruptly changed. They went from suspicious to curious the moment they saw the kittens, their expressions softening almost in unison.

"Guys, this is Liz and Jamie," the organizer began as she introduced the pair. "They'll be joining us for playgroup today. Liz is a Borealan," she announced, as if that wasn't obvious enough already.

"Hi," Jamie said, Liz giving them a nervous wave. "These are our kids. This is Hazel, Toza, Daz, Ken, and Bren," he said as he pointed to each kitten in turn. He was glad to see that weaponizing their cuteness had worked once again. The women especially were melting at the sight of them as they struggled in their harnesses.

"Mama, down!" Daz insisted, a chorus of enamored coos coming from the tables.

"They look just like little cats!" one of the mothers said.

"Is it...safe for them to play with the other children?" another of the parents wondered, Jamie eyeing Liz as her tail drooped.

"They're very well-behaved," Jamie assured them. To demonstrate, he lifted Hazel out of her pouch, setting her down on the carpet. She glanced up at the strangers, unsure of herself, turning to take refuge behind Jamie's leg. "Go on," he added, giving her an encouraging nudge.

"Hi there!" one of the parents said, the woman sliding out of her chair and crouching down nearby. She extended her hands in invitation, but the kitten wouldn't budge.

"Oh, try this," Jamie said as he fished in his pocket. The kittens all turned their heads in his direction as they heard the distinct crinkling sound of a cream cheese wrapper. He stepped closer to hand it to the woman, who looked at it in confusion. Hazel wanted cheese more than she was afraid of the stranger, waddling over to her, her furry little hand outstretched expectantly.

"What do we say, Hazel?" Jamie asked. She glanced back at Jamie, thinking for a moment.

"Eees," she stated.

"I don't know if that was supposed to be please or cheese," Jamie mused. "Close enough."

The woman unwrapped the treat, handing it to Hazel, who immediately ate it.

"See? Perfectly civilized," Jamie said as the kitten made her way back to him.

***

The prospect of having afternoon tea with an alien soon outgrew the apprehension of the other parents, Liz beginning to relax more as they peppered her with questions about her species and her travels across the Galaxy. Like Jamie prior to his trip to Jarilo, most of them had never even left the city, never mind traveled to another planet. As she regaled them with tales of her visit to Borealis, the kittens slowly drew closer to the other kids.

So far, they had remained near their parents, unsure of this new environment. The human children were equally unsure of the newcomers, many of them forming a rough crescent nearby, keeping their distance as they stared. Jamie thought it unlikely that they were afraid. The kittens looked like teddy bears for all intents and purposes, any child should find them appealing. It was more about curiosity, a natural wariness of the unknown.

Toza was the first to make his move. He noticed that one of the strange, furless creatures was playing with a toy truck, and if there was one thing that Toza enjoyed, it was trucks. The kitten waddled out from under the table, leaving his brothers and sisters behind. As he neared, the little boy looked up, Toza coming to a stop nearby. He was a little blonde kid, maybe three years old, wearing a pair of denim suspenders. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Toza lowered himself to the carpet clumsily, reaching slowly for one of the toys. Jamie watched with bated breath, hoping that the kitten wouldn't be discouraged if his playmate decided not to share, but the little boy made no move to stop him.

Toza lifted one of the trucks, glancing between it and the boy, observing how he played. The kittens were very social creatures, they always seemed attuned to what those around them were doing, and they had learned to share rather quickly. Jamie wasn't sure if it was their collectivist instincts, or if he and Liz had merely raised them well, but it gave him confidence that they could play well with the other kids.

"You can have this truck," the boy said, rolling another of the toys in Toza's direction. "This one is mine, but you can have this one. It's red," he added. "Red like a firetruck."

Toza couldn't yet communicate as well as the older boy, but he understood the gesture, reaching out to pick up the toy. Jamie gave Liz a nudge, nodding in their direction.

"Look," he whispered. "Toza is making a new friend."

Perhaps encouraged by their brother, the other kittens gradually emerged from beneath the table, making their own tentative attempts to interact with the other children. Before long, their apprehension had given way to curiosity, eventually resulting in play. Bren was burning off his surplus of energy by scaling the jungle gym with remarkable finesse, much to the acclaim of the children who were watching him. Daz had located the art table and was busy scribbling with a couple of other kids, telling them a meandering story as she sifted through the pile of crayons. Ken seemed a little unsure of himself, but was soon attracted to the ball pit. He poised at its edge, watching the other children wade through the colorful, plastic spheres, his half-chewed spoon handle in hand. Upon mustering the courage, he slid in, his hesitation quickly forgotten as he joined the fun.

Only Hazel was the holdout. She had always been shy, and the prospect of being separated from her parents with so many strangers around had her staying close to Jamie's chair. She was going to need some encouragement, and he wasn't sure that a cheese wedge would be enough to convince her this time.

He lifted her off the carpet, the kitten leaning against his chest, eliciting another round of coos from the other parents.

"Hazel is shy," he explained. "She's a little scared of the other kids. Do any of you have any quiet or shy children you think might want to play with her?"

"Our son, Sammy, is usually quite reserved," one of the mothers replied. "That's him over there," she added, pointing across the room. Jamie turned in his chair, seeing a little boy with dark hair sitting on his own beside one of the bookshelves, his legs crossed. He looked to be about four years old. As he watched, the boy pulled out another picture book, setting it down in his lap as he began to leaf through it.

Perfect.

"Let's introduce them," Jamie suggested, the woman nodding her head as she rose from her chair to follow him. Hazel clung to him possessively, Liz giving him an appreciative smile from her place at the table beside him.

"Sammy," the woman said, crouching beside the boy. He glanced up from his book, his eyes soon turning to Hazel, who peered back at him curiously from the safety of Jamie's arms. "This is Hazel. It's her first time coming to playgroup, and she's a little nervous. Do you think you could look after her for us?"

The little boy nodded quietly, watching as Jamie pried the kitten off his jacket, setting her down on the floor. She immediately retreated to the safety of his leg, chewing on one of her claws nervously as she eyed her newly-assigned playmate with her usual measure of suspicion.