Danyealles' Stuffed Cat

(No Sex) 

They were snuggled up in bed, getting ready to go to sleep when she sat bolt upright and looked down at him, brow furrowed and a worried look on her face,  "When you were packing up my stuff did you find a very old stuffed cat?  It's kind of beat up and looks like a leopard.  It should have been in my bedroom."

He rolled over onto his side, propping his head on his hand and looked at her, "Yes, I assumed it was one of your chew toys.  It's downstairs in the box with the rest of them."

Her eyes grew wider as he spoke then she yelled, "ARGH!  It isn't a chew toy!"  She hopped off the bed and tore off down stairs as fast as she could.

Sitting up, he stared after her, scratching his head.

She returned a few minutes later with the ratty, beat up, smelly cat clutched tightly to her chest.  Crawling back in bed, she snuggled up close to him once again.

He wrinkled his nose when he got a whiff of it.  It smelled old and musty like a wet animal.  He reached out to take it from her, "Toy, that stinky moth-eaten thing is not sleeping in this bed!"

She clutched it tighter to her chest, wrapping both her arms tightly around it, then looked at him, "I've slept with Claude for 300 years."

He ran his fingers softly through her hair, "But toy, you have me to sleep with now.  You can cuddle and snuggle up to me just like you can that cat."  He reached out to take it again.

She sat up, yanked the cat out of his reached and backed away from him, "You don't understand!  Even when I sleep with someone, I still have Claude with me.  He's special."
 

He held out his hand to her, "Give me the cat toy.  I'll put it on the table by the bed.  Be reasonable, that thing stinks!"

She shook her head vigorously, "No.  Claude means a lot to me.  More than almost anything else, I own.  And You'd stink too if you haven't had a bath in almost 300 years!  I can't wash him he'll fall apart.  Please try to understand!"

Sighing deeply, he reached out to touch the ratty stuffed animals' fur.  One touch told him why it stunk so badly, it was made of real fur.  He could feel it was stuffed with sawdust not the soft fill they now used, confirming it was indeed very old.  Leaning back, he looked at her, OK toy, I'm willing to listen to the reason that thing means so much to you.  If it's compelling enough then I'll let it stay in my bed."

She leaned back against the headboard and curled herself around the cat.  Looking at him, she sighed, "Claude was given to me by Arkady after I kept him from being killed.  I was disemboweled and had my neck broken during the fight.  While I was recovering, he brought it to me as a thank you gift.  Since then Claude has traveled all over the world with me.  Wherever I go, he goes with.  I've never been without him.  I know he's stinky and nasty looking but he's been the one constant thing in my life for 300 years.  I've lost many things but never Claude.  Do you understand now?"

Sighing deeply, he shook his head.  He still didn't understand why she would be so attached to the beat up piece of old fur but what he did get was the vehemence in her voice and it conveyed it was something she felt deeply about.  He thought n for a minute, stroking his chin.  It was obvious that if he told her it wasn't allowed in bed she would put up a fight.  He didn't feel a stuffed cat was worth getting into a fight over.  He sighed again, "OK toy, it can stay.  However, keep it out of my face.  Also, see if you can find a way to get it cleaned up."

She snuggled back up to him, smiling.  Kissing him softly, she clutched the cat tightly to her chest, "Thank you."

He held her close and kissed the top of her head, "You're most welcome toy.  Now, let's get some sleep shall we?"

After a week of the cat stinking up his bed, he had enough.  Both of them had called everywhere they could think of to get it cleaned but no one would touch it because of its age.  He had bought some spray stuff that he zapped it with.  It helped but didn't kill the smell entirely.  Finally, one of his assistants found the name of a fur restorer.  He called and explained the problem.  The owner said to bring it in and he would see what he could do with it.

The next morning while she was in the shower he grabbed the cat and, holding it away from him with two fingers, put it in a bag, wrinkling his nose at the smell of the thing.  On the way to work, he stopped by the fur restorer.

The old man behind the counter looked it over carefully then looked back to Darious.  "If I fix it, it will drastically reduce its value.  As it is, it's worth a great deal of money."

Darious shook his head, "I don't care about that.  It's my girlfriends.  She still sleeps with it and it means a great deal to her.  Can you fix it and clean it up so it doesn't stink?"

The old man nodded, "Oh yes, without much of a problem.  Dyed raccoon fur is why it stinks.  I can patch it, clean it, restuff then re-dye, that should eliminate the smell.  However, it'll cost about $200.00."

Darious nodded, "Fine.  I'll give you $500.00 if you can have it done by noon."

The old man looked at him, a grin breaking his wrinkled face, "I'll have it done by noon sir!"

Darious chuckled and paid him, "I'll send one of my assistants by to pick it up."

Soon after he got to the office, Dani called, panicked, unable to find the cat.  He got her calmed down then hung up.  At noon, he sent his assistant to pick it up along with a couple new stuffed cats for her.

At 1:00PM she called again, almost hysterical, "I can't find him ANYWHERE!"

"Calm down Dani, he'll turn up somewhere."

"But Darious, he's gone!"  She almost sobbed.

"When I get home I'll help you look for him.  Why don't you come here and spend some time with me.  That will take your mind off it."

She, reluctantly, agreed then hung up.

Before she got there, his assistant returned with Claude in a box, tied up nicely with a bow, and three other new cats.  Darious put them in his desk.

Forty-five minutes later Dani came in.  She sat down in his lap, obviously upset, tears in her eyes.

He held her to him and stroked her hair, "I got something for you."  He handed her the box.

She took it then slowly opened it.  A look of pure joy washed over her face as she pulled out the fully restored cat.  "Claude!"  She clutched it tightly to her chest then hugged Darious tightly and kissed him.  "Thank you!  Thank you, thank you Mookie!"

He hugged her tightly, "You've most welcome Dani."  He looked over to his two chuckling assistants.  "That nickname leaves this office you don't have a job!"

The both grinned bigger and nodded.

Dani broke off the hug then bopped him on the head with the cat.  "Don't EVER do that to me again!  I was having panic attacks!"

He chuckled deeply, "I did it as a surprise for you, I didn't think you'd miss him during the day."  He pulled out the other cats, "I also got these for you"

She cuddled them close and kissed him softly, "Thanks Mookie."

He held her, "You're most welcome toy."