C. Paradee - Deep Cover

She turned her attention to a picture on the wall. It was a still-life painting of a single pink rose, elegant in its simplicity and a sharp contrast to the magical creatures displayed in the bookcase. Kris glanced quickly at the papers spread over the table, discerning that Shelby was taking an online course on investigative techniques. She smiled, impressed. You don't intend to be caught short, do you?

Very demanding, high-pitched mewing interrupted her thoughts. She looked down at the little ragamuffin and grinned. "Come on. Your food is in the kitchen." Kris quickly opened a small can of food and dumped it into the dish Shelby had left on the floor. Watching the kitten bolt it down, her thoughts turned back in time.

Her mother had come home from work carrying a covered basket. She set it on the floor and said, "Happy birthday, Natasha."

She frowned and looked up at her mother. Even at the tender age of five she knew they were very poor and to receive a gift was incomprehensible to the young child.

"Go ahead and look," her mother encouraged.

Not needing a second invitation, she had opened the lid of the basket and her eyes widened in surprise as she lifted out a tiny white kitten. She had asked her mother for a kitten many times, but her mother had steadfastly refused, saying they could not afford to feed a cat. Gently holding the kitten close, she rubbed her cheek softly against its fur, smiling delightedly. "Thank you, Mama. I love it." She carefully set the kitten back in the basket and threw herself into her mother's embrace, her thin arms dwarfed by her mother's stature. She promised her mother, "I'll share my food with it."

Her mother had kissed her head. "Igor said that if you help him around the store each day after school, he will pay you with food for the kitten."

"I will, Mama. I'll help him every day!"

She had, too, until her life spun irrevocably out of control . . .

Kris consciously cut the recollection off. It had been years since she had allowed that memory to surface, and she was angry that it had slipped past her defenses now. What's wrong with me, anyway? It's gotta be this damn case. Shaking her head, she resolutely ignored the inner voice that suggested, More likely your new partner. She's getting to you.

The operative stalked to the balcony door, threw aside the drapes, unlocked it and stepped outside. Dawn had barely begun to lighten the sky and she stayed in the shadows while carefully scanning the parking lot for anything that appeared unusual. Kris relied heavily on a finely honed sixth sense that alerted her to danger and when her visual scan revealed nothing, her instincts corroborated that finding.

Shelby was a problem, and Kris knew she needed to regain control of her emotions to avoid any more lapses. Damn woman isn't making it any easier, either. Discovering the relationship between operatives' locations and the assassinations had required a very organized, intelligent approach. Then she worked relentlessly, even skipping lunch to prove herself. Why? What does she care what I think? And she has to go and insist on cooking for both of us and even tries to give me her bed. Why couldn't I have gotten some dull, boring analyst?

Shelby woke to the smell of brewing coffee and glanced at her alarm clock noting it was only 5:30. Much more interested in spending time with the enigmatic operative than staying in bed, she decided to forgo the extra hour of sleep and got up, donning her robe.

She was greeted by a gray fur-ball sitting contentedly next to an empty dish, thoroughly cleaning her face with a paw. "You are too cute!" Shelby bent down and stroked the kitten a couple of times, before standing up and letting the kitten resume her bath.

Kris must have gone back to bed. Quietly walking into the living room, she saw an empty couch and slightly separated drapes. Shelby moved so that she could see through the small opening and gazed at the tall operative standing on the small balcony in just her long white nightshirt. A steady breeze was blowing wisps of hair across her face, but Shelby could see a far away, troubled expression on the other woman's countenance. She wondered what demons haunted Kris, yet knew any attempt to find out would be rebuffed, so she returned to the kitchen with an alternative approach in mind.

Kris had been lost in her thoughts and whirled around when she felt a presence behind her. Her resolve to distance herself began to fade when she saw Shelby standing there in a pink cotton robe with locks of hair lying every which way, smiling warmly and holding out a cup of coffee.

"It was ready. Thought you might like a cup."

"Thanks." Kris raised an eyebrow. "Where's yours?"

"I left it inside. I didn't know if you wanted any company."

Kris smiled. "I'll join you inside."

Shelby couldn't keep her smile from widening and turned away, a little embarrassed that she was so pleased Kris was going to join her. You'd think drinking coffee together was a big deal.

The operative watched the analyst walk back inside before slowly following her. It's only for coffee.

Quickly gathering her papers and stacking them in a pile in a corner of the table, Shelby closed the laptop and set it on the floor next to the bookcase. She glanced up to find Kris watching her. "Thought I should make a little room."

Shelby waited for Kris to sit down and then joined her, searching for a neutral subject to talk about that wouldn't be too intrusive, but would allow her to learn more about her companion. She decided their jobs should be a safe topic. "Have you worked for the Company long?"

Kris looked intently at Shelby's open, friendly face and decided to answer. "Ever since I graduated from college." She almost chuckled at the expression on Shelby's face that clearly asked, 'and?' "Eight years. How 'bout you?"

"Not even a year yet. It wasn't my first job out of college. I kind of stumbled into it when I answered an ad in the paper." Shelby knew they sometimes sent representatives to the various universities, and asked, "Did they recruit you from college?"

"No. An aunt and uncle raised me. My uncle wanted me to follow in his footsteps and go to West Point. We compromised on the Company." That part was mostly true, except those two cold strangers had not been relatives. Kris had joined the CIA with a much different agenda than the one her "relatives" had planned for her, and she had successfully implemented it until her recent recall from the field had allowed the shadows of her past to once again materialize.

Shelby gazed at the contemplative expression on Kris' face, wishing she knew what the other woman was thinking about. Her thoughts were interrupted when the kitten jumped into her lap. "Oh no. Not at the table." She gently set the kitten on the floor, and chuckled when it walked away, insulted at the rebuff.

"What did you name the kitten?"

"I haven't. I didn't want to name her because I'm not keeping her. I don't want her to be lonely when I go to work so I'm going to try and find her a home where someone is home during the day."

"I don't think you're going to find her a better home than the one she has right now."

Shelby blushed at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks. I just don't want her to be lonely."

"She's not. Look at her."

Shelby watched the kitten chase one of the small balls she had bought for her across the room.

"She probably sleeps all day when you're gone. I read once that cats sleep twenty hours a day. Anyway, you didn't put an ad in the paper yet, did you?"

Busted! Shelby had justified that by being too busy working on the new case, but she had found time to make a vet appointment for Saturday. "No."