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Cats and Bats
CHAPTER EIGHT

Author: Rei and Chris
Rating: R for now, violence, language. Knowing us, it'll probably be NC-17 later.
Feedback: Please leave feedback on the Cats and Bats thread on the Kitten Board.
Disclaimer: We don't own Batman, Catwoman, or Buffy characters. Blah blah.


Tara finished off her part of the first floor, the roster was split into portions, of course, because a single floor in this place would be an all day job for one lonesome cleaner.

This day was going to be a busy one for Tara, of course, she had finished off here now, but she also had to clean in a school and as well as that, she needed somewhere else to live before dark, because an angry vampire is not a threat to be looked at lightly. It looked like Catwoman was going to take a break for now. But still, she needed to wait for her boss, who had told her that she’d have a list that would make that particular job a little easier.

She headed towards the door that lead out to the staff carpark just as the redhead in question came in, apparently deep in thought. For one, those darn tricky automatic doors nearly closed on her, believe me, that is never a nice experience. Just before she was very likely to go ‘eep’ and probably make a crunching sound in her arms, a hand pressed the touchpad that operated the doors. Willow looked up into the blue eyes of someone she had very much been hoping to see, “uh, hey Tara, I uh, thanks for the door, I got that list for you. You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

Tara smiled, “no, I was just going to wait in the carpark, actually, it’s a nice day.” Tara reached out and took two sheets of paper from Willow’s hand, the page was practically alive with colour, different coloured inks and different shades of highlighter, all of this with scribbles to the sides of the separate places for rent on the list.

Willow saw Tara looking at her colour coded notes and held back the urge to babble, she pointed to the back of the second page, “there’s a key on the back, some places are cheaper but only have the basics, beds, shower, kitchen stuff, et cetera, you supply everything else, some have extras and are priced at probably what you can afford. I know the people who run these places so you shouldn’t have that...rodent problem, I think you said?

Tara nodded, “y-yes, r-rodent problem, all with the rats, not nice.” At this, Warren walked in through the doors but hung back for a moment to see what was going on.

“I can imagine not. Anyway, I have a meeting in about half an hour, but I was wondering, if you wanted that is, there’s a party on tomorrow night, I was wondering if you’d like to go, as in, with me. No pressure, it’s not like this list is dependant on you saying yes or anything and obviously, I’m your boss, or at least Rosie’s boss and she’s yours, could be weird so I would totally understand if...”

Tara gave a half smile and that stopped Willow in her babbling tracks, “As a d-date?” Willow nodded her head and Tara blushed slightly, then nodded her head, “I w-would l-like to, y-yes, are you sure it’ll be alright? People are used t-to...”

“People are used to seeing me with whoever I choose to be with, this shall be no different, and I can get Faith in too, if you want, I assume that she’s still staying with you? Yeah? Good, you could both probably use a break from moving in.”

Tara started to blush a little more and ducked her head, hiding her face with her hair, Willow brushed a strand back behind her ear gently, Tara smiled for a moment, “Y-yeah, that would be nice, I-I have to g-get to the l-library, w-work to do there, c-cleaning and a-all.”

Willow nodded, stroked the strand of hair she had moved a little earlier and moved on. Tara herself began to walk towards the door but found that it was blocked by someone who was obviously not quite happy with what he had listened to, “uh, hi M-Mr M-Meers.”

Warren remained where he was for a moment before sneering, “quite the relationship you’re getting with Ms. Rosenberg, eh, skiv?” Tara blushed hotly as he leant in a bit closer, “so, you really a dyke or is it her money you’re after?”

“I-I’m n-not sure wh...”

“A little advice, skiv, if you go out with her, tomorrow night, say, it could...complicate your job.”

“I-I’m n-not sure y-you...”

That was when Tara felt a firm hand on her shoulder and Warren found himself looking into the steely grey eyes of Rosie, the dark skinned and at times tempered head cleaner, “it could complicate her job, could it Mr. Meers?”

“Ah, Ms. Lopez, Tara and I here were just...”

“I know what you were just doing, Mr. Meers, believe me. Just last week I had Lucy and Shazmin hand in their resignations, and I saw you just having little chats with them too, now listen to me, young man, I decide who gets a job on my team, and if you don’t like who I have on my staff, you can take it up with my immediate boss, Ms. Rosenberg, you understand me? Because I’m fed up of losing hard workers to your bullying.” Warren looked a little cowed under this onslaught as would any man who came into contact with Rosie when she was vexed. “I am glad we had this little chat, Mr. Meers, oh, one other thing, if I see you kick over another bucket, you can clean it up yourself, meeting or no!”

Warren, deciding that discretion was the better part of valour muttered something about important meetings and having to dash. Rosie kept her hand on Tara’s shoulder and walked with her out into the carpark, Tara with her head down and shaking slightly as she was sat on a wall, “th-th-th...”

Rosie lifted Tara’s chin with a couple of fingers, frowning as she felt the wet traces of tears, “don’t mention it, he thinks he’s a law unto himself, that man. Now, I think we can call in at Gotham Library and tell them that you’re not feeling well, eh? I think that that’s best, I’m sure they won’t mind this once, I know Natasha, old school friend. I sent the girls, the ones he took a disliking to, there the other day, so I’m sure they can manage this once.”

“S-s-so...sorry for...”

“What for, dearie? Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, I wouldn’t like to see you leave now, would I? You’re a hard worker, and that boy needs taking down several pegs, being frank.”

Tara smiled as Rosie brushed her cheek with the back of her hand once more and the two walked back into the building. What neither of them saw was the cold stare from the upper window.


Willow thought hard over her lunch, when she had asked Tara out, she had done it almost out of impulse, her heart telling her that this was perhaps the girl she might settle down with. Her head took her in a different direction, though, or wanted to. She had smelt the same perfume on two people last night, and she had seen two very similar pairs of blue eyes belonging to those two people. Sighing, she finished off her sandwich, she would talk to Giles when she got back to the manor.


Continue to Cats and Bats Chapter Nine


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