Riches to Rags

[Amazee Dayzee]

Yeah I can only imagine why the sheep wouldn't like him afterwards once he tried a devil egg that time. Tht is a visual I am never getting out of my head now so thanks.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 12: Thanksgiving Over

Edward huffed as Scout hugged him. “Hnnng… okay, that’s enough, let go of me.”
Scout grinned and planted a big, wet, slobbery lick right across Edward’s face. “It was nice gettin’ t’ know ya. Ah’ll see ya at Christmas, Eddie.”
“Edward…” He grumbled, putting his ears back and wiping the dog slobber off his face.
Cheddar laughed. “Aww, he likes you.”
Edward glanced at him sidelong and bared his claws threateningly, and Cheddar laughed and skipped away.
Scout and his people started climbing into the truck, with Scout taking the backseat and the people taking the front. He watched it roll away, then huffed. “Good riddance.”
Edward grumbled and turned back toward the barn, wandering around. Now that the holiday was over, he wasn’t sure what to do.
After a few hours, he heard a car door close, and then the barn door opened. Hannah came in with a shopping bag, grinning. “I come with black friday gifts!” She grinned and held up the bag, shaking it. Cheddar came down from the hayloft and ran up to her for a hug, and she grinned, stroking the back of his head.
She dug in the bag. “Let’s see here… I have some extra blankets and a hot water bottle for Autumn, see that she gets them, dearie…” She handed Cheddar the items, then dug in the bag again. “For Cheddar, let’s see, I have some washcloths, petsafe pain medicine, and a bucket.” She handed him the little wood and metal bucket, with the other items inside. “Those will come in handy soon, I hear.” She winked, then watched him scurry back up the ladder.
After he was up, she turned to Edward. “For you, I have this.” She pulled out a mug that looked like it was whatever was cheap, a box of tea, and an electric kettle. “You’ll have to share the kettle with the others, though. Autumn will need hot water for her hot water bottle, and Cheddar will need some for his bucket.”
He purred softly and pressed his nose to the box of tea, inhaling deeply. “Thank you.” He looked up at her, switching his tail.
She laughed. “You know, when they said you came from a rich family, I thought you’d be harder to please. Turns out, you’re happy with just a little tea.” She ruffled his head and grinned. “If you need your teacup washed, just bring it to the kitchen door. I’ll wash it for you and bring it back. Oh, and we have a mouse proof box coming for your tea, and some sugar packets. That way the mice don’t get into it.”
He purred harder. “Thank you! Thank you!” He hugged into her leg, nuzzling her. For a moment, he considered trying out calling her “mom,” but decided not to. He wasn’t ready for that.
He took his new stuff over and set it up on top of a box by the only power outlet, then took the kettle back to the faucet and filled it up. He placed it back on its base and watched it boil, purring as he poured a mug of hot water and added a teabag.
As Edward sipped his tea, it occurred to him that it was an odd assortment of items that had been brought for Autumn and Cheddar. Why would Cheddar need washcloths and a bucket? He understood the extra blankets; it had been getting chilly at night. Even the hot water bottle made sense. But why the other stuff?
He shook his head and resolved to ask if he got a chance.

At Sam’s signal, Edward pulled the lever on the pasteurizing machine and watched it spill gallons of milk on the ground with dismay. What a waste.
Sam stuck his arm inside the exposed pipe with a great big spoon-shaped scrap of metal and scraped around until a big blob of congealed cream slid out with a wretched smell and sickly sucking noise. Sam kicked the empty pail underneath the pipe just on time to catch it, then took off his hat and waved the smell away. “Whew. That’s been buildin’ up for a WHILE.” He slid the pipe back into place and nodded at Edward to push the lever back the other way. The gasket tightened and locked the pipe securely in place, keeping it there.
Sam put a lid on the pail and waved his hat around to dispel the odor. “Thanks for helpin’ out, Edward. I didn’t realize you knew how this machine worked.”
Edward shrugged. “Slim showed me once.” He pinched his nose, glaring at the pail of smelly rancid milk product.
Sam chuckled. “Don’t worry, we have a way to get rid of stuff like this. We’ll have to run some hot water through the machine to clean it and waste any product in there, but it’ll probably run better and taste better now.” He switched the milking machine to the backup tank, then rubbed Edward’s ears. “You did good, kid. If you hadn’t noticed the pressure gauge was high, it would have been an expensive fix.”
Edward purred a little at the praise, then followed Sam out of the cow barn. “I’ve been… well.. A little bored, since harvest ended, and then Thanksgiving… so I’ve been reading the machine manuals you have on the shelf in there.”
Sam paused. “You know how to read?”
Edward hesitated. “Uh… yeah? Should I not?”
Sam shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter to me. I just didn’t realize. I know Cheddar and Autumn can’t. I’ve had to read them some packaging instructions before.”
Edward thought about that for a moment. “They can’t read? I didn’t realize…” He wondered if that would explain some strange looks he’d gotten a few times, when he’d called items by what was written on them. He figured it probably did.
Sam ruffled his ears. “Heh. No wonder you’re so bored, if you learned how to read. I’ll see if I can find you something to do around the place, if mousing isn’t holding your full attention anymore.”
Edward nodded quietly. “Yeah, I’ve gotten pretty good at that… Cheddar’s been catching Autumn’s for her, though.”
Sam laughed. “Of course he has, what do you expect?” He walked away.
Edward tilted his head and watched him leave. What did he mean by THAT? He shook his head, confused, and headed back to the barn.
His teacup was in the house getting washed, so he instead huddled in the straw, wrapped in his blanket, as night started to fall and the air grew chilly.
Sometime in the night, a gentle “piff, piff, piff” sound woke him. It was quiet, so quiet he wasn’t sure he had heard it at all. He got up and quietly went to the door, pressing his ear to it. There was the sound, a steady “piff piff piff,” like something hitting the ground gently and immediately melting.
He opened the door a crack and peeked out, then purred gently, stepping out and closing the door behind him. He watched for a while as big, fluffy snowflakes fell and melted on the ground, trying desperately to gather, but not quite being able to form more than a passing, thin layer. A chilly December breeze blew the falling flakes sideways for a moment, and Edward shivered, turning to go back inside.
Cheddar poked his head down when Edward came back in. “What’s going on?”
“It’s snowing. I went out to watch.” Edward spoke softly. Autumn had been extra cranky lately, and he didn’t want to face her wrath from waking her. Come to think of it, he hadn’t actually seen her since Thanksgiving, when she’d waddled her round belly over to the house just long enough to eat some turkey and mashed potatoes, then waddled back to the barn. She stayed up in the hayloft all the time now, though she occasionally stuck her head out and shouted at him to be quiet.
Cheddar purred gently. “I like snow. I hope some of it sticks.”
Edward nodded. “I hope so, too. I’m gonna be helping put up Christmas decorations tomorrow, and snow will help me visualize what it’ll look like when the cold really starts hitting.”
Cheddar smiled at him. “Okay. Just don’t let in too much cold air. Autumn’s chilly, and I don’t want her getting sick in her condition.”
He nodded. He wasn’t sure what “her condition” was, but he found it easier to just agree than deal with another cryptic phrase from Cheddar that he didn’t understand.

[Amazee Dayzee]

So it seems like Hannah and probably Sam know they are going to become grandparents at some point in the future. I am waiting for the penny to drop with Edward because he can't be THAT dumb can he?

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

He's one of those smart idiots that's smart at some things but oblivious to social cues.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I can see how that will work but I also want to see his reaction to finding out his brother and sister have been going at it behind his back. At least we don't have to hear about Scout's egg farts anymore.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 13: December Delivery

It was silent. Dead silent. Gentle light drifted under the barn door and between the slats, slowly shifting colors; every once in a while, a snowflake would catch the light and be illuminated in brilliant green, red, blue, or yellow.
The snow was blowing around, small flakes drifting down quietly and settling on top of the inch or so of powder already sitting on the ground. In the distance, a cow mooed every now and then as dreams of summer sweetgrass filled their heads.
Edward pulled his blanket tighter and rolled over, mumbling sleepily as he heard the electric kettle warming up. It wasn’t odd to hear it this time of night; Autumn liked her hot water bottle kept warm.
As he drifted back to sleep, he heard hushed talking from the hayloft. Probably just Cheddar talking to Autumn quietly as he warmed up her hot water bottle for her.
Dreams of dancing lights and floating snowflakes filled Edward’s head. He sipped tea while surfing a snowflake the size of a tractor, watching Cheddar and Autumn glide around nearby as Cheddar held Autumn’s hand and told her to push. In Edward’s dream, this apparently meant that Autumn climbed off the snowflake and swam through the air, pushing the snowflake ahead of her with gentle grunts of effort. Cheddar assured her she was doing great as they drifted away.
Edward shrugged and sipped his tea, watching a diamond-encrusted collar float past on its own, much smaller snowflake. Sleighbells jingled as Santa Claws flew past, wishing them all a merry Christmas, and then Cheddar grabbed Edward’s shoulder and shook him from behind gently. “Eddie. EDDIE. Wake up.” Cheddar implored him gently.
Edward turned to look at him. “I am awake, though.”
“Wake up, Eddie. I wanna show you something.”
The snowflakes and gently blinking lights vanished, and Edward sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. “Mmmph… Cheddar? Wazza matter? ‘S not mornin’ yet…”
Cheddar grinned at him and brushed the straw off his fur. “Wake up. I gotta show you something.”
Edward yawned, stretching and glancing around. It was hard to tell from inside the barn, but it felt like around four or five in the morning. “Hnng… it’s so EARLY… can’t it wait until morning?”
“No, you’re gonna want to see this right away.” Cheddar grabbed him by the hand and pulled him upright.
Edward wobbled, suddenly and unexpectedly on his paws. “All right, all right, I’m up, I’m up…” He mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “What do you need to show me?”
Cheddar grinned and waved for him to follow, then turned to start climbing the ladder to the hayloft. Edward put his ears back. “Autumn yelled at me last time I tried to go up there…”
“She’s inviting you now. Come on, it’s okay.” He started climbing, his tail held high and proud. Edward yawned one last time, then followed him up.
Cheddar was waiting at the top of the ladder and helped pull him up, grinning ear to ear and purring hard. He quickly led him through a maze of straw bales, holding him by the wrist, then paused at a seemingly random spot. “Gotta be quiet now, okay? I think she’s asleep.” He put a finger to his muzzle, then started quietly padding into a little room made by moving the straw bales out to form “walls” two bales high, making it as tall as Edward was. Edward wondered if he’d made this himself, or if it had already been like this, but he didn’t wonder for long before something else drew his attention.
There were four of them; two were orange, like Cheddar, and one was white and black, with a cute little tuxedo pattern; the last was calico, like Autumn. They were cuddled up in Autumn’s arm, resting on her chest as she slept, a blanket covering her up to her suddenly much smaller belly.
“Kittens?!” Edward whispered sharply, putting his ears back. “That’s what you’ve been trying to tell me this whole time?! That Autumn was having kittens?!”
Cheddar grinned and waved him in, sitting on the floor next to Autumn and patting the spot next to him. Edward tiptoed in and sat next to him. He had to admit that here, surrounded on all sides by baled straw, it was warmer than it was downstairs. He guessed the straw insulated the area and kept it warmer, which was probably why Autumn had chosen to stay up here.
Cheddar grinned and gently scooped one of the kittens out of Autumn’s arms, hushing her gently and assuring her that it was him when she mumbled drowsily, and cradled it in his arms for a moment before passing it over to Edward.
Edward stammered for a moment as Cheddar adjusted his arms to hold the kitten properly, then grinned at him. “I want you to meet my kids. This is Marmalade.”
Edward looked down at the kitten in his arms. She was mostly orange, but her belly had some white spots, and there was a big white spot on her nose. The spots were long and meandering, looking like little ribbons of white through her mottled orange fuzz. Her nose was pink. She stretched out and yawned in his arms. “She’s so cute… you’re the daddy?”
Cheddar grinned proudly, then reached over and grabbed the calico, pulling her in and cradling her. “This little cutie is Mittens. She’s daddy’s little girl.” He leaned in and pressed his nose to the kitten’s, purring proudly. He passed her over to Edward, adjusting his arm so he could hold both kittens at once, then scooped up the tuxedo kitten.
“And this distinguished gentleman is Benedict. Isn’t he just so handsome with his little tuxedo?” Cheddar purred lovingly, nuzzling the kitten happily as he cradled him, pressing his forehead into the tiny forehead of the sleeping kitten.
Edward watched him, purring a little himself. The love he could see in Cheddar’s eyes was touching; Edward wished he’d had that from his own parents. He couldn’t even remember his own parents.
After a few moments, he noticed that Cheddar hadn’t introduced the fourth kitten, the other ginger. He was just like his sister, except the ribbons that went through his fur were black, little black ribbons breaking up his orange coat. “And that one? What’s his name?”
Autumn’s eyes opened a little, and she looked at Edward for a few moments. She looked tired, very tired. Edward supposed she would be, after birthing four kittens. After a moment, she closed her eyes again and pulled the kitten a bit closer. “... we were hoping you would tell us…” She mumbled. Her voice was dry and crackly.
Edward felt a warmth growing in his chest. “You… you want ME to name him? But… you don’t even like me…”
Cheddar nudged him. “Where did you get that idea from? Because she’s mean to you? Nah, she likes you well enough. She’s only stern with people she likes. It’s when she starts acting sweet that you should be scared.”
Edward looked down at the little kitten as he yawned and nuzzled into his mother’s chest. His seemingly random black stripes reminded Edward of some cheese that Mrs. Norrington had been fond of. It had been imported, striped through with mold, and very smelly. Edward smiled softly at the memory. He’d tried some once and almost immediately thrown up from the taste.
“I know. Stilton. It’s a kind of cheese. In honor of his father.”
Cheddar purred softly.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Lets just hope that they don't find out what kind of cheese Stilton really is. Though that is the sort of name I would definitely see Edward using if he never met Cheddar and Autumn and had a child he was going to name after a cheese. XD

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 14: Christmas Day

Edward wrapped himself in his blanket like a sarape, then scooped up Stilton and held him close to his chest, wrapping the blanket around the nine-day-old kitten. He looked up at Cheddar, who was holding Benedict and Mittens, then at Autumn, who was holding Marmalade. They were all wrapped in their blankets, protecting the kittens with their extra thin fur from the cold. “Everybody ready?”
Cheddar looked at Autumn, who nodded tiredly, then looked back to Edward. “We’re ready.”
Edward pulled open the barn door and let the other two cats exit first before exiting after them and pulling the door closed, lovingly cradling his godson under the blanket. That done, he turned and slowly waded through shin-deep snow, following the quickly-fading footprints of the other two into the almost-blinding blizzard.
In these conditions, the three minute walk from the barn to the house started to stretch out into six or seven, and Edward was starting to get worried that they’d gone off course before the porch came into view. With very few trees on the farm, there was no windbreak to stop the cold winter wind from blowing the snow around, creating ground blizzards as it blew around the powder, and pushing the snow into huge drifts.
Edward stumbled up the slick porch steps just on time to see Cheddar knock on the door. It opened almost immediately, and Hannah waved them inside. “Come in, come in, don’t leave those little darlings out in the cold!”
The three cats with their four kittens stumbled into the warm house and shrugged off their half-frozen blankets. Edward used his free hand to brush the rapidly-melting snowflakes out of his head fur. Hannah started walking. “This way, you can settle down by the fireplace in the living room and warm up.”
Edward followed her and purred softly. The fireplace was lit and crackling warmly; they’d placed an extra plastic gate around it so the kittens couldn’t get closer than was safe. He waited for Autumn to settle down, then gently passed Stilton to her. The kitten mewled pitifully and felt around, his eyes still closed, until he found his momma’s scent.
Once he was sure Cheddar and Autumn were settled, he purred and made his way to the kitchen, where he helped prepare some tea for the proud parents. Hannah smiled at him as she helped him carry the two warm mugs back to the living room, then went to sit at the kitchen table with his own mug.
Hannah sat across from him, smiling. “So… how’s being an uncle? You liking it so far?”
Edward shrugged quietly. “It’s great. The kittens are so cute.” His ears perked suddenly. “There’s a truck just stopped outside.”
Sam stood up. “That’ll be mom and dad. I’ll be right back.” He left the room, headed down the hall toward the front door. A few moments later, the doorbell rang, and then there was loud chattering as Martha entered the house.
“Sammy! It’s so good to see you again! Sorry I couldn’t make it last week, we were just so busy at work!”
“It’s fine, mom, you’re not missing much. They’re still only nine days old. You wanna see ‘em? They’re in the living room with the happy couple.” There was a pause. “Hello, Scout. Hello, dad.”
Edward’s ears perked, then went back with a scowl. He’d forgotten that Scout would be here today. He left his mug of tea on the table and rushed down the hall, intercepting Scout before he could enter the living room and blocking his access.
Scout grinned. “Ah knew you’d be excited t’ see me. But ah wanna see th’ kittens.” He moved to go around Edward, and Edward stepped sideways to stay in his path, putting his ears back and crossing his arms over his chest, unsheathing his claws and giving a low warning growl.
Scout chuffed at him, tilting his head. “What’s th’ matter? Ah just wanna see th’ kittens.” He tried to step around Edward again, and Edward again moved with him to block the path. This time, Scout seemed to get the clue. “Ah see. Y’ don’t wanna let me see ‘em. Bein’ a bit protective.”
Edward glared at him angrily, keeping between the dog and the living room. “Not you. You stay away.”
Sam reached down and ruffled Edward’s ears. “Hey, be nice. He’s not gonna hurt ‘em. Let him through.”
Edward hissed, and Sam bopped him on the nose with a finger. “You wanna go back outside and spend Christmas alone in the barn?”
Edward put his ears back and gave a grumbling little yowl, then turned and went into the living room, sitting close to Cheddar and scowling at Scout. The border collie trotted in happily and stood a respectful distance away, eyeing Edward’s exposed claws for a moment before taking a look at the kittens.
“They’re adorable. An’ how’s th’ proud mama doin’?” He turned to Autumn.
Autumn gave a weak little smile. “Tired, but healthy. The vet came by a couple days ago to give me and the kittens a checkup.”
Scout smiled, his tail wagging. “That’s good! Ah’m glad ya haven’t got any problems after this. Four of ‘em, huh? Not jus’ three?”
Cheddar patted the rug in front of him. “Sit down and we’ll let you hold one, if you like.”
Edward pulled a sour face, but didn’t argue. After all, Cheddar was the father, and if he thought it was a good idea to trust his kitten to a DOG, then he wouldn’t argue. His attention was pulled away when elderly hands scooped him up and pulled him over to a chair. He was sat down on Martha’s lap, and she stroked his fur.
He purred a little, looking up at her, then turning his attention to Scout, who was now holding Benedict. His ears went back, and he unsheathed his claws protectively, mentally daring Scout to pull anything.
Martha spoke soothingly. “Don’t worry about Scout, dear. He used to help birth lambs, back in Wyoming. He’s very gentle, I promise.”
Edward turned toward her and looked up at her. She gave him a kind smile. “I know, you’re nervous about the kittens, but Scout’s been handling newborns most of his life. He knows what he’s doing.”
He put his ears back and climbed out of her lap. She smiled. He could see her husband behind her, placing packages wrapped in brightly colored paper under the tree. He lingered for a few moments, then wandered back to the kitchen.
Hannah smiled at him and pushed his tea toward him when he sat down. “I thought you’d be back. Worried about the kittens?”
Edward nodded. “I didn’t want THAT DOG near them. But Cheddar doesn’t seem concerned. He let him hold Benedict.”
She nodded. “It’s nice that you’re so protective of them, even though they aren’t your kittens. I heard you’ve also been helping with them as much as you can.”
He nodded. “I… I’ve been helping take care of them so Cheddar and Autumn can sleep. I can’t… feed them, but I can do other stuff to help.”
She leaned over and kissed his head. “And I’m sure they appreciate it.”

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 15: Winter’s cold

Edward took the bottle out of his teacup and tested the milk against his wrist. It wasn’t too hot. Perfect. He squeezed the air out of the bag, then gently raised the bottle to Stilton’s mouth. The kitten opened wide and latched on, suckling on the bottle and staring up at Edward with those big green eyes of his. His hands kneaded the air gently as he drank his milk, looking up at the world with a quiet kitten’s purr.
Cheddar settled in next to Edward and watched. “Mm. Thanks for helping out. Autumn’s been so tired lately, it’s nice to let her rest.”
He looked up and smiled. “I’m happy to. These kittens are too cute not to.” He purred softly.
After a moment, he shivered as a breeze found its way through cracks in the barn wall. “Mmph… Little cold out here, though. You sure the kittens will be fine?”
Cheddar chuckled. “Their fur is starting to grow in, so they’ll be fine. But it’s nice that you’re worried.” He frowned and looked at the bottle they’d been keeping milk in. “Uh-oh… was that the last of it?” He picked up the bottle and shook it gently, watching the last few dribbles swirl around the bottom of the bottle.
Edward nodded, putting his ears back. “It was… I can go get more, once I’m finished feeding Stilton.” He looked back down at the kitten. He was taking a break from his milk, licking his muzzle and purring. After a moment, he latched back on and resumed suckling. The bag was about half empty now.
Cheddar gave a tired smile and slumped back down. “Thanks… the girls are hungry, and I don’t want to have to wake Autumn just to feed them.”
“You look exhausted, too. When was the last time you got some rest?” Edward tilted his head.
“I don’t know… two… maybe three days?” He rubbed his eyes. “It’s fine, Autumn needs it more.”
Edward nodded quietly. “Maybe once she’s done resting, she and I can take a shift and you can get some rest.”
“I’d like that…” He yawned, reaching to take Stilton. “Here, I’ll take him, you go get some more milk.”
Edward gently passed over the hungry kitten, making sure Cheddar had a hold before letting go. He stood up and picked up the bottle, rinsing it out with the hot water from his teacup and dumping it out on the dirt floor before grabbing his scarf off the wall. It had been a Christmas gift from Martha; they’d each gotten color coded scarves. “I should be back soon.” He assured Cheddar, then went out into the cold.
It wasn’t actively snowing right now, but it was cold and windy; his scarf blew around in the cold and loose bits of snow blew around his paws as he started making his way to the cow barn. He shivered and drew his arms close around himself, clutching the bottle tightly.
It was a long walk in the dark and the cold; he put his ears back quietly as he trudged, the snow crunching under his paws with every step. He passed the house and stared at it. The windows were dark; everybody in there was asleep, and he found himself momentarily jealous before moving on.
It took nearly ten minutes to get to the cow barn. The ice and snow kept slowing Edward down, and the cold kept him from moving too fast anyway, so by the time he entered the heated barn, he felt like he had icicles hanging off his tail. He closed the door behind him and looked around. A few cows looked at him, then went back to sleeping. He wasn’t that odd a sight anymore, having been making these runs several times a day for the past two weeks.
He crossed to the machinery side of the barn and approached the pasteurizing machine, placing the mouth of the bottle against a tap that was supposed to be for sampling the product and dispensing milk until it was full. With the cap now in place, he nodded and exited the cow barn again, beginning to make the long walk back to the other barn.
Another ten minutes passed as he trudged through the snow, shivering and shuddering, the bottle of milk clutched against his chest like precious treasure. He would have sworn it got colder every time he made the walk. He wished Cheddar knew how to get the milk, so he could make a run himself once in a while. A moment after he thought that, he scolded himself for doing so. That was an awful thing to think. He was happy to get the milk for his brother, and for his nieces and nephews.
As he let himself back into the barn, Cheddar and Autumn looked up from where they were nestled in the straw pile. “Mmph… I got the milk…” He held up the bottle. Autumn smiled. “Thank you… but I’m up now. I can feed them. Why don’t you take a break?”
He shivered a little. “It’s Cheddar’s turn for a break…”
Cheddar smiled. “I can wait a bit longer. Get yourself warmed up, you look half frozen.”
Edward nodded and set the milk on the crate they used for a table, lying down in the straw and pulling his blanket around himself.

A hand touched Edward’s head, and voices sounded around him, sounding distorted and odd. “I think he’s got a fever. He’s so hot…”
“Should we go get Sam?”
“Yeah, I think we’d better. It must have been all those runs out to the cow barn for us, it must have made him sick.”
Edward pried his eyes open. They didn’t want to do so; he had to force them. He looked up at Cheddar and Autumn. They swam in his vision, and he sat up. “No, no, I’m okay, I’m fine…” He mumbled. His head felt like it was going to explode, and his nose felt stuffed full. “I can help…”
Cheddar pushed him back to a lying position. “No, you’re not fine. Stay there. I’m going to go get Sam.”
Edward’s ears went back as he watched Cheddar head for the door. He pulled his arm weakly out of the blanket and reached for him, then shivered violently and pulled it back in. Why was it so cold in here?
“Hnng… So cold… the kittens are going to freeze…” He mumbled, turning to Autumn. How did she look fine?
She knelt and put her hand to his head again. “It’s not that cold in here. You’ve got a fever.”
He shivered and pulled the blanket tighter. “Don’t want to… be in the way… You have kittens to take care of.”
“Shut up, idiot. You’re sick, we can take care of you too.” She huffed and shuffled up to the hayloft. A moment later, she came down with one of Cheddar’s washcloths, poured water on it from the electric kettle, and folded it to press it to his head. The water was cold. He put his ears back. “Cold…”
“I know, I know.” She patted his hand. “You’ll be fine. Sam will get the vet, just hang in there.”
Edward must have fallen back to sleep then, because the next thing he remembered, the vet was standing over him with a thermometer, looking at it. “Yeah, it’s a fever. I think he’s just caught a bad cold. I can prescribe a fever reducer, but he’ll really just need to rest, get fluids.”
Edward sat up, sniffling. His nose felt like someone had stuffed it full of mud. “Nuuh… ‘m okay, jus’... cold.”
“No, you’re sick, and you need to rest.” The vet spoke sternly. “Two weeks, bed rest. Medicine. I insist.” He turned. “Now… since I’m already here, let’s see those kittens, and check up on them.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am sure that Edward will be happy to get a break from the chores but not happy being unable to look after the kittens. Seems like he decided he would make a cool uncle to them and they don't get sick.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

He was a bit TOO cool.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 16: Thaw

The sounds of dripping water woke Edward. His ears twitched, and he sat up, coughing a little. After nearly three weeks of a cold had progressed into a month of pneumonia, he was exhausted from coughing and sore from two lungfuls of phlegm keeping him up. He’d still tried to help with the kittens as much as he could, but being bedridden made it difficult.
The kittens were starting to crawl already, at the age of nearly three months old, and it wasn’t uncommon to find one curled up with him as one was now. He sat up and looked down to find out which one. Benedict looked up at him and babbled happily, reaching up for him.
He coughed again and scooped up the kitten, looking around. Cheddar and Autumn were nowhere in sight, so he stood up, drawing his blanket around his shoulders like a cape and walking to the door, pulling it open to look outside. Grass poked through the crusty snow here and there; water dripped from the corners of the barn roof in steady streams of thick drops. The air was warm, warmer than it had been for a while. He purred gently, then coughed as the purring shook some phlegm loose in his throat.
“Bababababa.” Said Benedict matter-of-factly.
Edward nodded and stepped outside. “You said it, kiddo. Where’s your mommy and daddy at? And your brother and sisters?”
“Here.” A voice sounded from around the corner. Cheddar’s head poked around the corner. “Should you be outside?”
Edward waved his free hand dismissively before grabbing his blanket cape again. “I feel much better, I’m okay.”
Autumn stomped around the corner and swatted his head, followed by the other three kittens crawling behind her. “Get your tail back in there. Going out before you’re better is why the infection keeps coming back.” She pulled the door back open and pushed Edward through it. “Go. Get in there. Get.”
Edward grunted and obediently went back inside, putting his ears back. “Hey, stop it…”
Cheddar followed them in with a shrug. “Well… you know how she is, overprotective of her babies, all five of them.”
“Six.” Autumn snapped, glaring at Cheddar. “You’re one of my babies too. Just a lot more competent of one.”
Edward put his ears back. “I’m fine, I sw-” He interrupted himself with a coughing fit, then put his ears back.
“Sure you are.” She reached out and took Benedict from him. “Back to bed, Mr. pneumonia.”
He groaned softly. “I don’t WANNA! I’ve been in bed for a month! I wanna walk around.”
She gave him her by-now-practiced “mom” look, and Edward put his ears back, slinking back to the straw pile and small hoard of blankets that he’d acquired. She smiled. “That’s better. And stay there.”
Cheddar patted him on the back. “You ARE sounding a lot better. You’ll be up and about in no time at all.”
He grumbled and let one of the kittens climb into his lap. “I wanna be up and about NOW.”
Cheddar plopped down next to him. “I know, I know, you’ve been having a hard time the whole time. But sick is sick, and you need to stay put until you’re better.” He reached down and hefted Marmalade into his lap. Edward looked down and watched Stilton sit up in his own lap.
After a moment, he sighed. “I was trying to help you guys with your kittens, but I just ended up being in the way.” He paused to have a quick coughing fit, feeling stuff moving around in his lungs unpleasantly.
“You were still a big help. Sure, we had to make sure you got your medicine, but you were able to feed the kittens for us, hold onto them while we took breaks… Honestly, I’m not sure we could have handled all four without you.” He nudged him gently. “And they seem to really like you. Especially Stilton. For some reason, you’re the only one that can get him to calm down when he’s colicky.”
Edward gave a weak smile, hefting Stilton to his chest and patting him on the back. “Mm. Thanks, that does make me feel a bit better.” He heard a burping noise and felt the telltale wet sensation of something running down his back, and grimaced. “Although… I can’t wait until they grow up a little bit more.”
Cheddar laughed and passed him a washcloth.

“Deep breath for me, please, Edward.” The vet spoke softly, a stethoscope pressed to Edward’s back. Edward took a deep, mercifully phlegm-free breath, then let it out on command. The stethoscope moved to the other side, and he repeated the process.
The vet pulled the stethoscope off and nodded, satisfied. “I want you to continue on the antibiotics for another week, but I don’t see any reason why you should be confined to bed any longer. Your lungs sound clear, you haven’t coughed once since I’ve been here, and you aren’t showing any signs of further illness.”
Edward purred softly, and the vet raised a finger. “Just make sure not to overdo it. Don’t spend too long out in the cold. Ten minutes at a stretch, maximum, with at LEAST half an hour between, until you’ve finished with the antibiotics. It’s warmer out now, but it’s still cold enough for the infection to propagate in your lungs if you’re taking in too much cold air.”
Edward nodded. “Yes, sir.” He looked up at the man, then smiled when Benedict climbed up onto the crate he was sitting on.
The vet grinned and shook Benedict’s tiny hand. “Why, hello, little man. Are you ready for your checkup?”
“A babbababababa.” Benedict babbled back to him.
“My my, talkative today, aren’t we?” The vet put his stethoscope back on and pressed the end to Benedict’s chest, listening. Benedict tugged on the tube with a giggle.
Edward grinned and held Benedict still while the vet checked his ears. “As healthy as always, and getting so BIG.” The vet tickled Benedict playfully. “Now… where are your sisters and brother, young man?”
“A babbabbaaaaAAAA!” Benedict squealed.
“Indeed!” The vet agreed.
“I think they’re waiting outside.” Edward pointed toward the open barn door. The vet hadn’t closed it on his way in, which seemed odd to Edward given that he had been sick and wasn’t supposed to be breathing cold air.
“Ah!” He said, then walked over. “Ah, there you are!” He said to someone just outside. “Go ahead and bring the rest of them in. I’ll get them checked up to be sure they’re healthy before I leave so I don’t have to come back next week.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

I love the bond that Edward seems to be building with his nieces and nephews here though I still find it strange that his brother and sister had the kittens together. Even if they are only siblings via adoption I can only imagine the strange looks Edward would get if he says the kittens are the children of his brother and sister.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

The way I see it, it's not considered unusual in that universe for pet-siblings to date. Even ignoring Peanut and Grape as an outlier situation, pet-siblings dating is canon in housepets lore. We saw a pair of Bigglesworths on a date, and it's implied though not explicitly stated that Fiddler and Keys are pet-siblings, and we've seen them on dates multiple times.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I honestly didn't think of those other examples because they were blink-and-you-miss-it but now that you bring them up, that does make a lot of sense. Though I always thought Fiddler and Keys had different owners since their bio on the former site said THEIR owners wanted musical cats though I realize that means their owners could be married.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 17: Slim Returns

Edward leaned back in the corner of the cow barn, listening to the cows, the hum of the machinery, and the gentle sound of the windchimes up at the house as they clanged and jangled away in the wind. He purred gently and lifted the book he’d been reading, a manual on how to operate the tractor plow attachment, turning the page.
He loved the kittens like they were his own, but sometimes he needed a break from the constant presence of tiny hands grabbing his fur, tiny voices babbling at him, tiny mouths chewing on his ears as their teeth started coming in. So, during those times, he came here, to the cow barn, and read equipment manuals.
It was the third time he’d read this particular manual; there wasn’t really all that much equipment on the farm that had manuals to go with it, so his choice was limited; and, with most of the snow gone, he figured this was the piece of equipment most likely to be used next, so he should know how it works.
Someone came into the barn. He didn’t even glance up; people came and went all the time and rarely bothered him. He assumed it was Sam coming to do his twice daily check of the equipment, food troughs, and other details that needed checking.
He could hear whoever it was wandering, tinkering with various gauges, which seemed to corroborate his assumption, and speaking softly to the cows in a voice so low he couldn’t even tell for sure if it was Sam. After a moment, the gate to the equipment side of the barn opened, and the person walked around there for a few moments before pausing and coming right toward him.
Edward still didn’t look up; it wasn’t uncommon to need to reference a manual either, which was why they were kept in the cow barn in the first place. But when the boots stopped in front of him and Edward glanced at them, he found they weren’t Sam’s boots. He looked up slowly.
“Slim!” He jumped up excitedly, purring and nuzzling into him. “I missed you! You didn’t even say goodbye when you left.”
He reached down and scratched Edward behind the ears. “I know, they called and told me you were a little upset. I would have visited, but I’ve been very busy.”
Edward nodded. “I understand. They told me you were a teacher during the year.”
“Well.. that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Substitute teacher. I fill in when other teachers are sick or can’t make it in. Sam’s always been a little bit weak on the details… although I have been in one classroom most of the year.” He glanced at what Edward had been reading. “Tiller operation manual, huh? Not exactly exciting reading.”
Edward shrugged, nuzzling into Slim’s leg some more with a purr. “I like to make myself useful.”
“You usefulled yourself into a bad case of pneumonia, is what I heard.” He sat down against the wall and stroked Edwards’ head. “Why are you always trying to learn about stuff? It’s not exactly a normal thing for a barn cat to do.”
“Well… it’s kind of a long story…” Edward hesitated.
“Lay it on me. I have time.” Slim grinned. “Just got in, no work for me today.”
Edward hesitated, wondering where to begin. “Well… when my dad… I mean… Mr. Norrington… got arrested, all the servants we had at the mansion left, because there was no money for them, they weren’t getting paid, and they didn’t want to work for free.”
“Seems reasonable.”
Edward nodded. “Yeah… I was left all by myself that day. Mrs. Norrington was trying to sell off some expensive things to pay off the debt that Mr. Norrington left, so I had to find my own food for the first time in my life.”
Slim watched him quietly for a moment, paying attention and moving his hand to Edward’s shoulders. His fingers felt good moving through Edward’s fur.
“I went in the kitchen to find some food. It took me ten minutes to figure out how to work the microwave, and then I almost blew it up by leaving a spoon in there. And that’s when I found out… I didn’t know how to do ANYTHING. I didn’t know how anything in the house worked. The servants did EVERYTHING for me. And so I decided, when I moved here, that I would know how EVERYTHING worked, so I could be helpful, instead of helpless.”
He paused. “I guess… it wasn’t that long of a story. It felt longer, in my head.”
Slim scratched him behind the ears, eliciting a long, loud purr. “Hmm. You felt like you were just in the way, once you had to actually do something for yourself, huh?”
Edward nodded. “Yeah… it was very… humbling. I was only there for a day after the servants left, but still, it was long enough for me to realize exactly how much they used to do for me. And I never said thank you to them, not even once.”
He put his ears back weakly. “I regret never saying thank you. If I’d have known how much they did for me… no, I think I knew, and I was too spoiled to care. I should have said thank you. And now I’ll never get the chance.”
Slim grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to look him in the eye. “You know, it’s too late to say it to them. It’s too late to be useful there.”
Edward put his ears back. This wasn’t helping him feel better.
“But you’ve made yourself more than useful here. From what I hear, you got pneumonia because you kept walking all the way across the yard, from barn to barn, to get milk for those kittens over there. And even when you were sick, you would feed them, hold them, do whatever you could so their parents didn’t have to go without sleep. And that’s an incredible thing. Not everybody’s lucky enough to have someone willing to make themselves sick to try and be helpful.” He poked Edward’s nose playfully. “But next time, maybe know your limits? You’re no help to anyone if you’re too tired or sick to help, or worse.”
Edward kept his ears back and squirmed shyly. “So I got a little over excited. Have you SEEN the kittens? They’re adorable.”
“As evidenced by you hiding from them in the cow barn.”
“I needed a break!” He grinned and looked up at Slim. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Oh, I’m not BACK, back.”
“You’re not?” He looked him over. “But you’re here… are you just visiting?”
“Oh, no, no, I’ll be here for the whole week.” He reached over and picked up the manual Edward had been reading, closing the pages.
“Here for the week?” He tilted his head.
“It’s spring break. So I’ll be here to help with the spring chores.”
Edward’s ears perked. “Spring chores?” He looked at the manual, and Slim laughed.
“Yeah, we’ll be using the plow attachment. It’s time to get everything out of winter storage and plant the fields for the summer.”
Edward purred eagerly. “Does that mean there’s gonna be something to DO around here again?”
Slim grinned and poked his nose, standing up. “Sure thing, kiddo. It’s gonna be planting season, and then there’ll be lots of chores. I hear we’re gonna be having a barn raising once summer comes.”
“A barn raising? What do we need three barns for?”
“Well… that old storage barn has seen better days. Plus, with seven cats, it’s gonna get pretty cramped in there, so Sam thinks maybe it’s time to build a bigger one. Maybe closer to the cow barn, so we don’t have to ferry ‘equipment’ so far.”
Edward snickered. “It’s me. I’m equipment.”
“You sure are, bucko.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

Glad Slim is back and going to be doing chores again as he is the closest thing to a strong cowboy this story has. Still I do want to see him get knocked in a mud puddle or something near the cows due to being a sociopath who likes that sort of comedy.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 18: Spring Planting

Edward yawned, blinking up at the ceiling for a few moments before he reached up and felt on his chest for what was weighing him down. He lifted Mittens off of his chest and cradled her in his arms. She babbled up at him happily, and he grinned, rubbing noses with her before putting her back on the ground. “Go find mommy. Uncle Eddie has to get up.”
Mittens babbled excitedly and crawled away to the back of the barn, where Autumn had set up a new nest so the kittens couldn’t fall down the ladder from the hayloft. A few moments later, Cheddar yawned and stumbled toward the front of the barn, rubbing his eyes. “Mornin’... we’re still missing one. Benedict?”
Edward grinned and dug the tuxedo cat out of the straw by his side. “He’s right here, don’t worry. He’s been into burying himself lately.”
Cheddar laughed. “I noticed. What’s that about?” He reached out to collect the wayward kitten, then grinned. “You enjoy helping out with the planting, okay? We’ll be out to help out once we’ve got the kittens secured.”
Edward purred and nuzzled into Benedict before letting himself out of the barn. He took a deep breath of the cool, but not cold, morning air, squinting to the east. If he looked close enough, he could see a faint line of pink just barely visible on the undersides of the lowest clouds to the horizon. He grinned excitedly and turned to see Sam just coming out of the house.
Sam blinked at him. “You’re up early. We haven’t even set up the equipment yet.”
“Sorry. I was too excited to sleep. Can I help?” He followed Sam toward the cow barn.
“Mm. Suppose so. We’re not getting started on the tilling for another hour, but I guess you can help me do the regular morning chores before we get started.”
Edward purred softly and followed Sam around, holding clipboards, reading dials, and doing whatever else needed doing for the next hour, until Sam motioned toward the folding table that had reappeared in front of the storage barn. “Hannah’s laying out breakfast for you guys now. Go on and eat, and then we’ll get started.” He grinned. “I’ll let you ride in the tractor for a while, if you want. Not much planting to be done until the tractor’s about half done with the first field anyway.”
Edward nodded and rushed over. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until Sam had mentioned food. Slim was standing by the barn, holding up Stilton and cooing at him. Stilton purred down at him and babbled back happily, grabbing his nose and hair and kicking his paws. Slim looked down at Edward when he approached and grinned. “There he is!” He turned Stilton to see Edward, and Stilton squealed happily.
Edward grinned and took the kitten from him, perching him on his hip. “Hey there, buddy. Wanna come with Uncle Eddie to get some food?” He purred gently as Stilton began happily gumming on his ear.
Autumn snickered, looking up from helping herself to some sausage. “He’s slobbering all over you.”
“I know.” He grabbed a plate and held it in his hand, moving Stilton to sit on the crook of his elbow with his hip acting as extra support. He used his other hand to load it up, then went over to the side of the barn and sat next to Cheddar, sitting Stilton in his lap to eat. “Mm. How’s kitten wrangling going so far?”
Cheddar smirked and pointed aside at Marmalade and Mittens wrestling each other in a little playpen made of loose planks and haybales. “This seems to be working fairly well.” Cheddar grinned and scooped up Benedict, plopping him inside the playpen. “I don’t think they can get out, but we’re watching them anyway. You want me to take Stilton?”
Edward shook his head. “He’s fine in my lap for now.”
Autumn came over and sat on Cheddar’s other side. “They’re opening up the barn to get the tractor out now. Keep an extra close eye on them.”
The cats ate while Sam and Slim pulled the tractor out of the barn and hooked up the big multi-row plowing rig, and then Sam grinned and called to Edward. “Hey, Eddie! You wanna ride in the tractor?”
Edward perked up and passed Stilton over to Cheddar. “Do I ever!” He called out excitedly, running over and jumping up into the cabin. Sam laughed and seated him in his lap. “Okay, here we go!” He started driving the tractor through the gate into the former wheat field, going straight to the end of one row.
Edward bounced excitedly, purring in overdrive, watching the field go past. As he rode, Sam explained how the machine worked. “It breaks up the roots and remaining stalks from last year’s crop and basically turns it to mulch. Then, when we plant the grass, it breaks down and acts as both grit and fertilizer to keep the dirt fertile and in place. On the other side, we do the same thing with the sweetgrass, and plant new crops there.”
“Slim said you do it that way so the cows fertilize the soil!” Edward mewled, recalling their conversation the previous autumn.
“You have a good memory. Yes, that’s part of the reason. Another part, is that grass is much easier on the soil than wheat, so we swap back and forth to let the soil rest. You take care of your dirt, your dirt will take care of you. It needs time to rebuild the nitrogen and nutrients that the wheat takes out of it. Ideally, we’d have three fields and rotate through them, but we can’t make the fields any smaller without hurting our ability to stay in business.”
Edward thought about it. “You said it’s fifty acres. So about twenty of wheat, twenty of sweetgrass, and ten for buildings and working in the yard?”
“More like twenty-three of wheat, twenty-three of sweetgrass, and four of buildings and yard, but yeah. We mainly provide to small local artisan bakeries. People will pay more for their products if they’re locally grown.” He smiled at Edward, then stopped the tractor. “Just a second, gotta engage the plow.”
He climbed out and moved to the tractor attachment, fidgeting with it until the spiked wheels lowered down into the dirt as he cranked a handle. Edward could see it getting harder to crank as the wheels lowered until he was satisfied that they were deep enough. Sam climbed back into the tractor with him and grinned. “You wanna drive?”
Edward’s eyes widened. “Really?!”
Sam grinned and took Edward’s hands, placing them on the wheel. “Don’t tell the others. Just keep it straight, I’ll deal with the accelerator and all the levers. Ready?”
Edward nodded eagerly, and Sam grinned. The tractor started moving, and Edward purred eagerly, holding the steering wheel firmly straight, adjusting it slightly to one side or the other as the tractor drifted.
The day went by fast; Edward only got to “drive” the tractor for an hour or so before he had to get out to go help start the planting, pushing a machine that looked very similar to a lawn mower around as it sprayed grass seed everywhere. They had to do multiple runs across the field because wild deer would sometimes eat some of the seed once it started to sprout, and they wanted to be sure enough remained for the cows.
They got half the new grass field done on that first day, and Edward purred despite his sore muscles as he settled down in the straw pile in the barn, surrounded by all four kittens. He smiled up at the ceiling. He felt like he could happily spend the rest of his life here. He liked it here.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 19: Aberforth

Edward held Benedict under his armpits and faced him toward Autumn. After a few moments, he let go, hovering his hands just an inch or so away from the kitten, so he could grab him again if he started to topple.
Benedict wobbled unsteadily, his eyes locked on Autumn, and he babbled a little, pointing at her and turning his head to look at Edward. “Mamamamama.”
Edward smiled. “That’s right, that’s mama. Go get her.”
Benedict purred and turned to face front again, wobbling on his paws before lifting one off the ground and immediately falling on his tail. He leaned forward and started crawling through the grass at Autumn, purring excitedly. “Mamamamamaaaaa! He squealed, climbing into Autumn’s waiting arms.
Autumn kissed him and babbled back to him, purring and giggling. To Edward, she snickered. “Maybe it’s a bit too early for that. They are only four months old.”
Edward shrugged and reached over to scoop up Stilton, looking over at Cheddar. Cheddar was busy being climbed on a few feet away. He grinned. “Besides, why rush it? They’re adorable just the way they are, and I want them to stay that way a while before they grow up.”
Autumn grinned, hefting Benedict back to his paws and holding his hands to help him stay standing. “Besides, let’s get them standing on their own before we expect them to walk.”
“Speaking of walking… Sam’s coming this way.” Cheddar sat up, looking behind Edward. “He’s got someone with him. A posh-looking guy. Don’t recognize him.”
Edward shrugged. “It’s probably someone coming to try and purchase some wheat. Or another land developer trying to buy the place.” He scooped up Stilton and tickled him, eliciting a squealing giggle from the kitten.
A few moments later, he heard footsteps approaching, then stop right before they reached him. He frowned. That was odd; why had they stopped?
“Master Edward.” A voice sounded. Edward’s ears perked. He knew that voice. He’d never expected to hear that voice again. He stood up slowly and turned around, looking up at the man who had come with Sam.
“Aberforth!” He squealed happily, stepping forward and wrapping his free arm affectionately around his neatly pressed pants. The butler looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.
“Have we forgotten propriety, Master Edward? You have been here for quite some time…”
Edward stepped back, momentarily confused. “Oh… my apologies, I’d forgotten.” He turned and passed Stilton to Cheddar.
When he turned back, Aberforth was examining the kittens. He turned to Edward with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing. “They… aren’t mine, Aberforth.”
“Indeed, sir. Master Gregory Norrington requests you return to Norrington manor at once, and has authorized me to promise any amount in payment for the inconvenience to…” He eyed Sam up distastefully, “... Master Edwards.”
Edward blinked. “I thought he was in jail.”
“Indeed, he was, sir. However, Master Norrington employs a most skilled lawyer, and was able to procure his release with naught but a fine. Now, he’s home, and has requested his beloved cat be returned to him.”
Sam knelt and put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “I told him it was up to you. You’re welcome to stay here if you like. More than welcome. You’re a hard worker and a pleasure to have around. But I understand if you’d rather go back to your cushy life in the big, fancy house.”
Edward looked around at Sam, Cheddar, Autumn; he looked at the farm, with its crops just starting to grow; he looked at the kittens: Mittens, the calico; Benedict, the tuxy; Marmalade, the ginger with ribbons of white running through her fur; and Stilton, the ginger with black ribbons. He stammered, uncertain, then looked up at Aberforth. “I… uh… can I have a day to think it over? Come back tomorrow, I’ll make a decision by then.”
Aberforth gave his customary low bow. “Certainly, Master Edward.” He turned briskly on his heel and marched off with all the stiffness of his station.
Sam patted Edward on the shoulder and stood up. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
Edward watched Sam walk away, then put his ears back and turned toward Autumn and Cheddar. They were staring at him, looking hurt. He frowned. “What?”
“You’re… you’re thinking of leaving us.” Cheddar said, setting Marmalade down. “I thought… well.. We were supposed to be family.”
Autumn huffed. “Of COURSE we’re not his family. We’re just some random cats he’s been living with until his rich family comes back for him. He said so from the beginning, didn’t he?”
Edward stammered. “I-I…”
“Shut up!” She yowled at him angrily. Edward could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes, but he was never sure. “Just GO. I know you want to. Run, you can probably still catch him.”
He shook his head. “I- I haven’t decided…”

Sleep didn’t come easy that night. Cheddar kept looking at him like he was abandoning him; Autumn acted like he’d betrayed her. She pulled a crate across the opening to her nest that night, so the kittens couldn’t crawl over to see him. He could hear them fussing about it now and then, slapping the crate with their little hands until Autumn calmed them down with a quiet murmur.
He lay awake in the straw, staring at the ceiling. He wanted to go back, live the pampered life again. His memory of it was slightly skewed. He remembered the delicious food, the shiny things. He couldn’t remember if he’d been happy. How often had he purred then? How often had he laughed?
Eventually, he noticed the light sneaking in between the cracks between the wooden slats of the barn. It gradually grew brighter and brighter, even as his heart dropped into his stomach. The night was over already, and he was no closer to making a decision. He sighed and crawled out of bed, deciding to walk around the farm for a while.
He watched the sun rise as he meandered. There was the house, where he’d celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, New year’s. Where he would be celebrating Easter soon, if he stayed. There was the silo, and the thresher, where he’d placed wheat after harvesting it. He remembered how he’d thought Autumn was just putting on weight at the time. There was the framework for the new barn, laid out and partially built. If he left, he’d miss the raising of the new barn, when they would pull it all together and have the barn appear as if from nowhere. There was the cowbarn. He remembered running to the cowbarn several times a night until he’d gotten sick, filling the bottle with milk for the kittens.
The kittens. If he left, he wouldn’t get to watch them grow up. They would grow up, and they’d turn into wonderful young cats, but he’d miss it. He put his ears back and looped around back to the barn. Then he walked back to the house again, sitting on the porch and watching Sam and Slim get started on their morning chores. He put his ears back.
He’d made a decision, but he wasn’t sure it was the right one.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I feel like its pretty obvious what decision Edward is going to choose honestly at the end of the day. I mean if he did go back it would completely destroy all of his character development and make him look like a massive creep. Even if he goes now, there is no way he won't be coming back.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Maybe, maybe not. He never got pushed in the mud as pennance for being a spoiled brat like you wanted.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Meh I am used to not getting what I want in life and accept that it is just one disappointment after another. Besides at this point Edward doesn't need the penance because he more than made up for acting like a stuck-up lump with everything that he has been through.

I have now moved on and I want a scene of the muscular Slim getting dirty by either falling in mud or going into the cow pasture before it has been cleaned out. Not like that will happen.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Bonus page today because there will be no upload next Wednesday due to Christmas.

-------

Chapter 20: Norrington Manor

“Allow me to get the door, Sir. It’s below your status to be seen opening doors for yourself.” Aberforth stepped double-time to get ahead of Edward and opened the door for him.
Edward gave a weak smile and padded through it. “Thank you, Aberforth.”
“It is my pleasure, Sir.” He closed the door behind Edward. “May I interest Master Edward in his rose water bath? Sir is… rather fragrant.”
Edward paused and looked around the massive fourier. It was just as he remembered it; white marble everywhere, every surface shining as if it had been polished, an impressive display of art and sculpture strategically placed to draw the eye without being gaudy. “I think… that would be nice.” He looked up at Aberforth and smiled. “Thank you, Aberforth. I remember the way.”
As Edward started walking toward his old room, he noticed Aberforth following him briskly. “Why are you following me?” He didn’t stop.
Aberfoth coughed politely. “I am Sir’s private butler. My job is to tend to all of Sir’s needs.” He reminded him. Edward thought back. He was right, Aberforth had always been seconds away whenever he’d called before. He’d never really noticed.
“Oh… right… of course.” He paused at his old bedroom door and reached up for the doorknob.
“Please, sir, allow me.” Aberforth stepped forward and opened the door for him.
Edward turned to thank him again, then noticed the dirty pawprints following in his wake. “Oh no! I got dirt all over the nice clean floors! I’m sorry…”
“It’s no problem, Sir. That’s what the maids are here for.”
Edward noticed a maid coming around the corner, scrubbing furiously at the dirty pawprints with a mop. He put his ears back. She didn’t seem upset or flustered, but he still felt bad about making her do that. He turned and entered his old room.
His old stuff, or at least copies of it, had all been replaced; his house collar, his day collar, his extra plush pillow… it looked strange and foreign now. He entered, treading lightly so as to leave as little dirt on the floor as possible, and went to his suite’s bathroom. He looked at the tub for a moment, then frowned. “I think… I’d better shower, before I bathe. Get off some of the dirt before I soak, so I don’t get the water all muddy and leave a ring on the tub.”
“Very well, sir.” Aberforth stepped forward and started the shower for him.
Edward flinched. “Aberforth, I know it’s your job to see to my needs, but… this is a private bathroom. Nobody’s here to see. I’d rather just… operate the taps on my own. Maybe you can… I don’t know… go to the kitchens and see if they have anything ready for me to eat? No, some tea. I would love some tea, Aberforth. Please.”
Aberforth bowed. “As you wish, sir.” He turned and was gone.
Edward sighed and stepped into the shower, purring a little as the warm water washed over him, coming off brown as built-up dirt washed out of his fur. He scrubbed a little, and once the water ran clear, he turned off the shower and walked across to the ornate bathtub. He started filling it, and looked over at the third tap. He’d never noticed it before. He turned it on and smiled as the rose scent filled the air. He turned it off again. “Essential oils on tap. No wonder it smelled weaker last time I bathed here. I really didn’t know how anything worked; I had to run my own bath for the first time.”
Once the water was sufficiently deep, he climbed into the tub and lowered himself down into the water with a gentle purr. It felt good to soak in the hot water after months of only getting cold showers, and even that only every couple of weeks.
Before too long, Aberforth returned. “Tea has been laid on in your lounge, sir.”
Edward purred and stood up, pulling the plug to drain his bath and reaching for the towel. “Excellent. Thank you, Aberforth.”
Aberforth seemed a bit uncomfortable. “Sir is… exceptionally grateful today.”
Edward looked up at him. “Is… is that a problem?”
“I am unaccustomed to being acknowledged, sir.” He bowed. “I apologize for my unease.”
He put his ears back and finished scrubbing himself dry with the towel. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…”
He sent the towel down the laundry chute, watching it fall. He wondered where the laundry room was; he’d never actually seen it. After a moment, he went back out to his room and put on his house collar. It felt strange around his neck after so many months of not wearing a collar at all. After that, he went to the next room, his private lounge. It had been restored to almost identical to what it had been before he’d left. A tray of tea and cookies, crumpets, and triangular cucumber sandwiches had been laid out for him. He took a seat next to it and reached for the teapot.
Aberforth cleared his throat. “Sir.. allow me. It’s not proper for a gentleman to pour his own tea.” Aberforth held the teacup by its saucer and poured the tea, preparing it just as Edward liked: A splash of cream and two sugars; then, he handed the teacup by its saucer to Edward.
Edward gave a weak smile and accepted it from him. “Thank… er… thanks.” He sipped the tea. It was more bitter than he remembered, the expensive cream not really any different than the farm-fresh cream he was used to, and the tea itself not really any better than the bagged tea he’d been drinking. In fact, he liked the bagged tea more, he decided.
Nonetheless, he drank; he had a crumpet and a cookie to be polite, not wanting whoever had put together this tray of goodies for him to feel like he didn’t appreciate it. Once he’d finished his tea and the pot was empty, he took a sheet from his notepad of personalized stationery and wrote “Thank you” on it, tucking the edge of it under the teapot. Aberforth gave him a strange look, but obliged to return the tray and dishes to the kitchen via the dumbwaiter.
Afterward, Edward looked around. He wasn’t sure what to do now. Aberforth cleared his throat. “If Sir is ready, his father Master Norrington wishes to see him in his private chambers, at Sir’s convenience, of course.”
“My… father. Of course.” Edward put his ears back. If there was one thing he remembered, it was that being summoned to Mr. Norrington’s office was never a good thing. It usually meant he had done something wrong.
He walked down the long hall to the other wing of the house, staring around at all the artworks. Some of the more expensive ones were still missing, or had been replaced with reproductions - not prints, but handmade reproductions- and some of the sculptures had been replaced with new ones. He knocked on the door and heard Mr. Norrington’s voice sound. “Enter.”
He opened the door and closed it behind him, wringing his hands as he slowly approached the desk. Mr. Norrington was sitting with his back to the door, messing with something. After a moment, he turned, looked around, frowned, then stood up to look over the top of the huge desk. His face turned from sour, to a grin. Edward thought it didn’t look altogether kind.
“Edward! My boy! Welcome home! Sorry about that little mix-up with the pound and that FILTHY farm. Your mother and I are much aggrieved.” He reached out to shake Edward’s hand. “It’s good to have you home again.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

Starting the clock to see how long it takes for Edward to go back to the farm because I know that this isn't going to be permanent. I can already tell Edward is kicking himself for his decision.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Nahh, it's just a little adjusting because he's not used to it anymore.

[Amazee Dayzee]

You say that now but you could be trying to throw everybody off the scent. I'm going to keep an eye out to see what happens but it wouldn't be that fulfilling if it ended here.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 21: Resuming Routine

Edward’s dreams kept getting interrupted by the sensation of falling. He grumbled as he pounded his fist on the pillow, trying to squash it down to be firmer. He felt like he was floating on a cloud. Eventually, he pushed the pillow aside and curled up under the blanket, directly on the floor. After that, his sleep was much better. He dreamed of the barn and of the kittens, and when he woke up, his cheeks were damp. Had he been crying in his sleep?
He crawled out of bed, nearly tripping on the discarded pillow, and opened the blinds by hand before he remembered that they were motorized. After a few moments of looking out over the lawn, he turned and went into the bathroom to freshen up. He skipped the soak in the rose water bath and just splashed water from his sink onto his face.
He left his chambers and looked around, sighing as he started the long walk to breakfast. Stair after stair passed him by as he walked, pausing to admire some of the new paintings and rest. His legs were tired from the seemingly endless staircases by the time he reached the bottom, and he headed for the kitchen.
Aberforth intercepted him before he could enter. “Sir has no need to enter the kitchens himself like a common servant. Sir can just report to the dining room, and I will fetch his breakfast for him.”
Edward put his ears back. That HAD been the routine, he could remember. He sighed and nodded, turning and going the other way, all the way around to the dining room. For the first time, he noticed a distinct divide; the building materials themselves stayed the same, but all the fine decorations stopped abruptly when it came to the part of the building where mainly servants would go. There was a short hallway where the decorations continued, and then nothing. The floors weren’t even as highly polished in the servants area. He frowned and went to the dining room.
The thick cream and smoked salmon he was served, his previous favorite, held no joy for him. The cream was far too rich, and the salmon, while good, was just not right for his palette. He wished there were biscuits and gravy, sausage and eggs, like they’d had on the farm during those rare occasions when they were served breakfast. He picked at it with his fork until, with a sigh, he got up from the table and wandered off.
He looked through the fence at the outside world and noticed, for the first time, that the closest thing to the house, besides other fancy houses with their fancy yards and fancy fences to keep the fancy in and the peasants out, was a grocery store. He’d never been inside a grocery store; he wondered what kind of fascinating goods they sold there.
At midmorning, Aberforth approached him. “Does Sir desire his midmorning snack? I can have the kitchen whip it up for you and have it ready by the time Sir arrives back at the dining room, or perhaps on the veranda this fine day.”
Edward shook his head. “No, thank you, Aberforth. I’m not in the mood today. Perhaps tomorrow.”
“Very good, sir. Perhaps your grooming, then?”
Edward hesitated, then nodded. “... Yes. I could stand for some grooming. Okay.” He started back toward the house. He could almost feel Aberforth’s relief.
He sat on a stool with his back to Aberforth and his front to a mirror as Aberforth started gently combing out the knots and mats he’d not even realized he’d acquired over his months at the farm. They hadn’t been uncomfortable, so he hadn’t noticed them. Once his fur was glossy and smooth, and Aberforth had rubbed in some oil to make it glossier, he put the heavy gold and diamond collar on.
Edward grunted and tried to act like it was comfortable. He looked in the mirror as it sparkled at him lifelessly. Had he really used to wear this all the time? Why had he never noticed how heavy it was? He put his ears back and stared at his reflection. A stranger stared back.
“Mr. and Mrs. Norrington await you in the dining hall, sir.”
Edward jumped when Aberforth reappeared behind him, and he looked up at him. “Oh… um… thank you. I’ll find my way there, no need to follow.”
But Aberforth did follow him. He insisted on opening all the doors for him, and entered the dining hall ahead of him to announce him, pulling out his seat and offering a hand to help him into it. He climbed up and looked across the table at Mr. and Mrs. Norrington. Mr. Norrington seemed genuinely pleased to see him- not over the moon, but pleased. In Mrs. Norrington’s eyes, he saw hatred- actual hatred. Thinking back, it had always been there, though she had never acted on it. It would have been improper to show it, he supposed.
He wondered if she had always hated him, or if he had somehow earned that. Maybe it was that she hated all cats.
A chef from the kitchen set a plate in front of him: Wagyu beef, cooked medium, sliced, and laid out ornately on a bed of wild rice, with a house-made sauce laid out on the side. A champagne flute full of fizzy liquid- sparkling water- with a sprig of mint as garnish. Not quite as fancy as he remembered it- perhaps the Norringtons hadn’t fully financially recovered from the jail incident.
They ate in absolute silence. Once the plates had been cleared, Mr. Norrington cleared his throat. “Edward. How are you settling back in?”
Edward looked up at him, then put his ears back. “Fine, sir. Thank you.”
And that was their entire conversation. They went separate ways. Edward looked around the house, wandering aimlessly. He knew, he just KNEW, that life here didn’t used to be this BORING. What had he used to DO here? When Aberforth approached him and declared that afternoon tea had been laid on in his lounge, he was glad for the distraction, just out of pure boredom.
The tea was bitter again, and the tea cakes were just cakes. They didn’t taste any different than any other cake he could get anywhere. In fact, they were kind of dry. He wondered if that was on purpose, so that they would inspire the drinking of even more tea.
While he was in his chambers, he snuck off the heavy gold collar, setting it on its pedestal, and put his house collar back on. That was much better.
Once Aberforth had cleared away his tea things, again with a note on it thanking the kitchen, Edward resumed his wandering. He found a maid dusting and paused to watch her a bit as she brushed a feather duster pointlessly over some perfectly clean sculpture or other. Once she’d gone down the hall, she would start over again, making a full circuit of the house in an hour.
He wandered off and found the gardener tinkering with the ride-on mower. Apparently, it had developed a fault and wouldn’t start. Edward stepped closer and looked over his shoulder. “There’s a hole in the fuel line. There’s too much air getting into the combustion chamber.” He walked across the sizable shed and found a replacement- almost everything had replacements on hand- and helped the gardener install the new line, getting filthy in the process.
Once the mower started, he grinned and clapped his hands together to get off some of the grease, turning around to find Aberforth standing disapprovingly in the door. “Sir. It is below your station to… help the help. And you’ve gotten yourself filthy. Come now, we’ll get you cleaned up.”
Edward protested gently as Aberforth ushered him in through the back door and through servant hallways with no decoration, gray and dreary, until they arrived at his room and he was dizzy. How had they even gotten there? He hadn’t recognized any of those hallways.
He was forcibly placed in the shower and scrubbed until all the grease was out of his fur, then placed in the bath of rose-scented water.
“Honestly, sir, if your parents knew what I caught you doing, it would be my job on the line.” Aberforth spoke softly.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am wondering now if this is a "what could have been" scenario that he is experiencing and none of it is real. He just thinks about how everything will happen if he does back with the Norringtons. Right now I can see that he already is regretting it if its reality.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

You'll find out next week~~~

[Amazee Dayzee]

I thought that there wasn't gonna be an upload to the next chapter for next week because it was Christmas and you were gonna take a break from it. Or did you decide to still upload just not on Christmas or after Christmas?

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

I will be skipping Christmas Eve and Christmas, which means each of my stories will be missing one upload each.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 22: Mr. Norrington

Edward sighed and stared up at the sky. He was laying on a lawn chair, because Aberforth wouldn’t let him lie in the grass. He was bored out of his mind. He couldn’t think of anything to do that wasn’t “below his station,” in Aberforth’s words.
He thought back. How had he dealt with the boredom before?
Ordering around the servants and being a brat, he realized.
“Hey, Aberforth…” He looked up as the butler appeared at his side. “I want you to speak candidly, am I… how do I put this… was I a brat before? Am I easier to work with now?”
Aberforth looked at him quietly for a moment, then looked around to be sure they were alone. “Frankly, sir… you were unpleasant, spoiled, demanding, and generally unkind before. You probably don’t remember, but I once watched you pour out your tea on the floor right in front of a maid just to watch her clean it up.”
Edward’s face fell. Now that Aberforth mentioned it, he did remember that incident. His stomach turned; he felt terrible.
Aberforth continued. “When I came to get you from that farm, I wasn’t sure the private detective had found the same cat. The farmer said you were kind, helpful, and hard-working, and I wasn’t sure it was actually you until I saw you with those kittens. In fact, until I said your name, I still wasn’t sure it was you.”
Edward put his ears back. “Was I that bad?”
Aberforth nodded. “You weren’t the worst I’ve worked for, but you weren’t a very good person. The you that you are now? I would enjoy being friends with, in my spare time.”
Edward was quiet for a few moments. He thought about it; how his old favorites didn’t bring him joy. How much he missed the farm, and Sam and Cheddar and Autumn, and the kittens. It had only been a week, but already he was tired of the wealthy life. He wanted to work, to do something with his hands, to make a difference. He couldn’t do any of that here.
“I… Don’t belong here anymore, do I?”
Aberforth was quiet for a few moments. “No, sir. No, you do not.”
He looked at the ground, then stood up. “Do you think… if I went back, and begged… they would take me back?”
Aberforth stared at Edward quietly for a few moments. “I think they would be delighted to have you, sir.”
Edward nodded, looking around. “Then it’s decided. I would like to go back. But first…” He inhaled sharply. “I need to tell Mr. Norrington.”
“I do not envy you this task, sir. I shall prepare the vehicle.”

Edward knocked on the door to Mr. Norrington’s office.
“Enter.”
He closed the door behind him and waited while Mr. Norrington spoke on the phone.
“No, no, it’s fine. You can just sign the new yacht over to me, and it’ll count as a charitable donation, and since it was a bonus from work, I won’t have to pay taxes on it either. Yeah, it’s underhanded, but I’m not going to pay TAXES, that’s for the POORS to do.”
He twisted in his chair. “I gotta go, my cat’s here to see me. Yeah, my cat. Call me if there’s any further developments.” He hung up and leaned across his desk. “Edward! It’s always WONDERFUL to see you! What can I help you with?”
Edward hesitated. The phone call he’d just heard had sounded barely legal.
He shook his head. It wasn’t his problem anymore. “I want to… um… go back to the farm.”
Mr. Norrington leaned back and frowned. “What, like, for a visit? It’s highly unusual, but I suppose-”
“No, I mean… I want to move back there.”
Mr. Norrington’s face went through a range of emotions: Confusion, heartbreak, anger, then rage. Hot rage, the kind Edward had never seen on his face before.
“You want to WHAT?! You ungrateful little brat, you want to leave all this and go live in the DIRT? Is that what you want?! To be a filthy, unwashed PEASANT? Eating mice in a barn like some NOBODY? When you could be Sir Edward Norrington, the wealthiest cat in the country?!”
Edward put his ears back and took a step back. “I just… I’m not happy here.”
“Not happy? NOT HAPPY?! DO YOU EVEN REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU COST ME? Thousands of dollars a day, just to keep you fed!” He sneered down at him. “And you have the NERVE to say you’re NOT HAPPY?!”
Edward gulped nervously. “I… I had a job there. I made a difference. Here, I’m just… a trophy.”
Mr. Norrington looked like he was about to shout again, but then he got eerily calm. He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, glaring down at Edward. “A trophy, are you? Not happy here? Very well, you may leave. You may NEVER return, however, if you do choose to leave. And you may take nothing. Not your collar, not your bed, not so much as a ball of yarn. Am I understood? And that includes my cars and my servants. You may leave, but you leave alone, on foot.”
He turned in his chair and waved a hand dismissively.
“In that case, sir, I’m afraid I must tender my resignation.” A voice spoke from the doorway.
Mr. Norrington spun back around abruptly. “Excuse me?”
Aberforth stepped into the room, removing his bow tie and setting it on Mr. Norrington’s desk. His gloves came off, and his cufflinks as he spoke. “Master Edward has become one of the most pleasant people I have ever had the honor to work with. If you insist on exiling him and attempting to humiliate him because he does not wish to live with you, then I’m afraid I must leave with him.”
“I have stood by and watched you break the law, trample common folk like myself underfoot, and laugh while doing so. I can bear it no longer. I am delighted to inform you that I will be seeking employment elsewhere. May you be justly rewarded for all that you do, sir.” He slapped his accessories down on the desk, then turned, grabbed Edward’s hand, and marched out of the room.
Edward followed him as fast as he could, and then looked up at him. “You… didn’t have to do that.”
“Respectfully, sir… yes, I did.” Aberforth nodded. “I can’t bear the thought of working for that awful man another day.”
They marched to the garage, and Aberforth pulled the tarp off a less-than-nice vehicle. “Come. We shall use my private vehicle to vacate the premises.”
Edward paused, taking off his house collar and hanging it on the doorknob. “Okay. Let’s go.” He climbed in the backseat of the car, buckling up.
Ten minutes later, Aberforth looked at Edward in the rearview mirror. “Sir, It’s been a pleasure being your butler this last week.”
Edward smiled weakly. “Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I mean that.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

I am really good at figuring out where the story will go even if it is so obvious that even a blind man can see it. But at least it didn't take Edward too long to realize he did screw up and now wants to go back to his true home.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

He's a good kitty, even if he did have a bit of a rocky start. He didn't know any better, he was just a spoiled little cat with no idea what the outside world was like. I'm glad you got invested enough to worry about him, though. It means a lot that you were able to do that. It means my storytelling is good.

[Amazee Dayzee]

As soon as he grew out of being a pompous idiot and started caring more for others and working on the farm which he grew to enjoy because it gave him something to do is when I stopped resenting him because he grew up and hopefully will continue to be happy on the farm.

Still waiting on Slim to end up getting covered in filth though like one does on a farm.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Well, this is the final chapter of this one. I enjoyed watching Edward grow as a person with you, and maybe some day he'll be right for another story. Thanks for reading!

------

Chapter 23: Back to the Farm

Edward watched as the car rolled onto the dirt road, and he put his ears back nervously. “Do… you think they’ll take me back?”
Aberforth looked at him in the rearview mirror. “I think they’ll be delighted.”
He nodded quietly. “I… hope so.”
As they pulled up to the farmyard, Edward saw that they were laying out the walls to the new barn, preparing for the barn raising. The foundation had been laid. Sam turned when Aberforth pulled his car up, then yelled something across the yard to Slim and started walking toward it.
Aberforth got out and spoke to Sam for a few moments, and they both turned to watch Edward climb out of the car with his ears back. He wrung his hands together nervously and slowly approached Sam. Sam knelt to get closer to his face and smiled at him.
Edward gulped and spoke. “I’m… sorry I left. Could… um… would it be all right if I came back?”
Sam smiled and patted his shoulder. “Welcome home. You’re always welcome here.”
Edward looked like he was going to cry for a moment, and he wasn’t sure himself if he was. He threw his arms wide and hugged Sam, purring quietly as he buried his face in the man’s filthy clothes. “I missed you, Dad…” It was his first time trying the word out for Sam. It felt nice, like it fit him perfectly.
“We missed you too, Edward.” He hugged him back, stroking his fur.
“Eddie… I… you can call me Eddie. I don’t mind so much, after all.” He wiped a tear from his eye, and smiled up at Sam.
Sam smiled back down at him, then grinned. “You’d better go say hi to the others. They’re over there, with the kittens. They’re mad at you.” He gestured over toward the old barn.
He groaned. “I know, and I deserve it.” He turned and shook hands with Aberforth. “Thank you… for everything. I hope you get a better job than the one you lost for me.”
Aberforth smiled and shook his hand. “Go, be with your new family.”
Edward nodded and smiled, running off. The kittens saw him before Cheddar and Autumn, and they started mewling excitedly. Marmalade squeezed out of a space between two crates and started crawling toward him, babbling happily.
Cheddar ran after her and scooped her up, standing up to find himself face-to-face with Edward. Edward put his ears back and gave a shy wave. “Er… hi.”
Cheddar narrowed his eyes and put his free hand on his hip. He said nothing.
Edward tilted his head down and looked up at him nervously. “I know, I know, I’m awful for having left you.”
Cheddar raised an eyebrow and tapped a foot.
Edward stammered. “And I’m sorry, I was selfish, and I shouldn’t have.”
“And?”
“And I’m an idiot.”
“And?”
“And… I don’t know what else you’re looking for.” Edward shuffled his paws shyly on the floor.
“Nah, I just wanted to see how far you would go.” Cheddar snickered and passed the squirming Marmalade to him. “Welcome back. Good luck with Autumn.”
Edward sucked air through his teeth. “Oof… gonna need it.” He started toward the makeshift playpen where the kittens were contained.
Autumn scowled at him. “Oh, look who came back, mister fancy-pants rich kitty who just LEFT US the second something better showed up.”
“I know, I know… I was a jerk.” He put his ears back. “Could you ever forgive me?” He set Marmalade in the playpen, climbing in with the kittens and sitting on a crate next to Autumn.
She stared at him, then punched him in the arm. “We had to take care of all four kittens BY OURSELVES! JERK! Don’t you DARE ever leave us again!”
“Owww, that hurts!” He whined, rubbing his arm and putting his ears back. “I’m sorry… I thought I was happier there, but it turns out I was just a lot meaner and more self-centered.”
She snorted. “I could have told you that. You remember your first night at the shelter? When you were acting like the world owed you everything?”
He snickered. “As I recall, you came into my kennel just to bite me and tell me to shut up.”
She smirked. “And you deserved it, too.” She watched the kittens playing for a few moments, wrestling with each other, pulling themselves up on the crates to stand and peek out. “But you know, I think losing everything was just what you needed. You turned out all right.”
He purred a little. “Thanks.” He paused. “For what it’s worth, you’re a lot nicer than I thought you were at first. You’re just more of a tough love kind of cat.”
She shrugged. “I was a stray. It comes with the territory. You either learn fast, or you die.”
Stilton turned around from where he had himself propped up on a crate and reached across the playpen for Edward, babbling happily. Edward grinned and waved at him, then looked up at Autumn. “I’m gonna head over and help with the barn raising. The other farmers are starting to arrive, and I don’t think they’re ready yet.”
Autumn nodded and smiled at him. “You go build us a new place to live. That drafty old barn is awful.”
Edward was about to stand up, when he felt a tiny hand on his knee. He looked down and blinked. Stilton was standing, now supporting himself on Edward’s leg. “Wait, how did he get across so fast? I didn’t feel him climbing… did he just…?”
“Yup.” Cheddar snickered. “And you missed it. His first steps.”
Stilton purred and put his hands up to Edward. “Edd edd edd edd.” He babbled happily with a squeal.
Edward picked him up and set him on his lap, purring. “That’s me, I’m uncle Eddie.” He rubbed noses with the kitten.
Autumn grinned. “Awwww… that’s so CUTE! His first word, and it was your name. I’m a little jealous.”
Cheddar nudged her. “That’s okay, the other three still love you.”
Edward looked around at his family, purring. His brother, his sister, his two nieces and two nephews including his godson. Up at the new barn, his father and his uncle. And, walking this way from the house with a plateful of snacks, his mother. He raised an arm and waved happily at Hannah, and she waved back. He smiled. Now THIS was the richest he’d ever been, and he was the happiest he’d been in his life. And that made everything he’d gone through to get here worth it.

THE END

[Welsh Halfwit]

You've mastered the awkward hero. It's often a challenge to keep disparate characters separate from each other but you manage to make all the characters their own, not just minor variations of each other.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Thank you. I appreciate my hard work being appreciated.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Thank you. I appreciate my hard work being appreciated.

Always do. Just don't always admit it(!)

[Amazee Dayzee]

It was really amazing watching Edward change from stuck-up and conceited to a hard-working and down-to-earth animal in the span of this story! I really did enjoy it and I know we will see Edward and the farm again at some point! Great work GingaDensetsuAleu!