Си Паради - Dancing With Shadows

Grinning, knowing she couldn’t hear him, Sherman stepped into the hallway and looked at the bathroom door.

Megan turned off the shower and pulled the curtain simultaneously letting out a blood-curdling scream when she realized someone was standing there.

Tony jumped, startled when her partner screamed, and quickly moved forward wrapping her arms around her.

"What’s wrong? It’s only me. I knocked on the door first so you would hear me." Tony said, trying to comfort her shaken partner.

She'd been surprised to see Megan's car in the garage and figured something must be wrong since she had come home instead of going to

Ashley's house like they'd agreed on.

Megan felt her thundering heart begin to slow. "Sorry. I’ve been a little jumpy tonight. I didn’t hear you knock and you’re really early," Megan said, clinging tightly to her partner, so relieved that her words came in a rush.

Tony continued to hold her partner, waiting for her breathing to return to normal. Megan, much calmer, looked up into the concerned blue eyes gazing at her. Smiling ruefully, and releasing her partner, she said, "Oh look. I’ve gotten you all wet."

Tony picked up the towel and handed it to Megan. "Here you go. I’ll go make us something to drink. Want some tea?"

Megan took the towel, still relieved to see her, and smiled.. "That would be great."

But Tony’s keen hearing had picked up a background noise when Megan screamed. That, combined with the fact that her partner was jumpy put Tony in a very dangerous mode. She knew the kittens could have made the noise she heard, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

Putting her finger up to her lips signaling for quiet, she waited for Megan to towel off and put her sleeping shirt on. Tony pointed toward the kitchen and waited until her partner walked down the hall and disappeared into the doorway.

Tony had set her gun down on the toilet tank when she entered the bathroom. For some reason she had wanted to keep it near. The thought crossed her mind that it was a good thing she had. Picking up the gun and flipping the safety off, she began walking very slowly and quietly down the hall, hairpin reflexes ready to react at the slightest provocation.

Sherman cursed silently. He had been surprised to hear the apartment door open knowing Tony wasn’t due home yet, and had moved back into the bedroom. Just when he was backing into the closet, a piercing scream had penetrated the air. Startled, he bumped his head on the doorframe.

He stood in the closet with his gun in his hand, listening for any sound that might indicate he’d been heard. Sherman still preferred the element of surprise, and would rather wait until Tony had settled in. The chances of her having her gun near then would be slim. He had already looked around the apartment and hadn’t seen any weapons. This led him to believe that she probably only had the weapons she carried on her person.

Megan walked into the kitchen, her heart pounding painfully. Tony thought he was in the apartment. The idea that someone could be in the apartment… or was in the apartment gave her the creeps. The thought that maybe someone had been watching her, caused a chill to course through her.

Her sudden chill turned to fear for her partner. Please be careful. The metamorphosis her partner had gone through was still imprinted on her mind, and she still found it amazing that the aura surrounding her partner changed instantaneously the moment she sensed danger. But that didn't diminish the fear she felt for her. If this guy was in the apartment, he had the advantage. Tony would have no idea where he was and what if she didn't see him until it was too late?

Standing just inside the kitchen, Megan strained her ears listening for anything that would let her know what was happening. She didn't want to get in Tony's way, but she had to see what was going on. She would be ready if Tony needed her help. Poking her head around the doorway, she took a quick look down the hallway.

Tony kept her back at the wall walking sideways to present the smallest possible target. She knew he was in the apartment. Her body was screaming warnings. Once she had gotten over the shock of Megan screaming and the odd sound had registered in her mind, her body had reacted instinctively and all her fine tuned senses kicked into gear.

Arriving at the bedroom doorway, she took a quick look inside before pulling her head back, not wanting to give her assailant a target.

Quickly kneeling, her weight supported on one knee, she trained her eyes on the space under the bed.

Thankful for the light cast by the lamp, she could make out no unnatural shadows. Standing, she took a step through the doorway her back against the open door.

Velcro was following her favorite mom. This was a new game. Her mom was acting very funny. Slinking down the hall she stopped near

Tony’s feet, and crouched down, her tail twitching.

Quickly boring of the game, Velcro ran down the hallway and into the other bedroom. Braver now that her mom was home, she walked over to the closet door and batted it with her paw.

Sherman silently cursed again. That damn kitten was back again. His view was limited through the louvers and he couldn’t see the entire room but he could see the kitten sitting in front of the door trying to get her paw through one of the louvers.

It was extremely quiet in the apartment, but that didn’t mean anything. Both women could be in the front part of the apartment.

Periodically peering around the doorway and watching Tony's progress down the hall, Megan suddenly realized she had left her ‘watch’ in the bathroom. Knowing instinctively that they might need it if that guy really was in the apartment, she looked down the hallway to see where

Tony was. Megan saw her partner look into their bedroom. Taking a deep breath, and moving very quietly, she started down the hallway to the bathroom.

Tony caught movement in her peripheral vision and saw Megan walking down the hall toward the bathroom. Her heart began beating faster and she thought, No, No. What are you doing? Get back in the kitchen. It's not safe. Waving her back, she saw Megan hold up a finger in a

‘just a minute’ signal. Go back, Tony pleaded silently. Keeping her eyes peeled for any movement from the bedroom, Tony stayed where she, was and breathed a silent sigh of relief, when she saw Megan hold up the watch and retreat back to the kitchen.

Now that her partner was out of immediate danger, Tony quirked a small grin. That was a good idea. It wouldn’t hurt to have help if they needed it. The thought surprised her. Nice to know her world had grown to include people she could count on.

Stealthily walking further into the bedroom, she looked at the closet. It was the most logical place of concealment. Tony moved next to the closet door and pressed her body against the wall.

In a sudden quick movement, she flung the door open before plastering herself back against the wall, her gun trained on the entrance. There was no movement, and she instinctively knew no one was hiding in there.

Moving away from the wall to the front of the closet, her body was poised to jump out of the way at any indication of danger. She looked in the closet. It was empty.

Sherman began slowly turning the doorknob. The kitten quit trying to put a paw through the louvers, and looked up at the moving handle.

When the door began to slowly open, the kitten bolted out the room and into the hallway running past Tony and into the kitchen.

Tony noticed the kitten’s flight, and stopped outside the other bedroom door. Totally focused she listened for any sound coming from the room.

Megan paced back and forth in the kitchen. It seemed like Tony had been back there forever when, in fact, it had only been a couple of minutes. She almost jumped when Velcro came sliding across the floor, coming to a stop near Huggy.