Pearl:
Pearl left the house, stopping to press her hand to the door. If she hadn't already made up her mind the night before last, she certainly would have made it up now. She loved her brother, she even loved Hector and his father.
But she didn't want to be a pet. It was a good life, happy, but it was somehow empty for her. It was too easy, too calm, too safe. She should have been thankful, so many cats would kill to have a life like she had. She remembered the cats that had been left behind when she and her brother had been adopted. There had been an older male, Christian. All he wanted was a good home. He'd had a hard life and wanted so much to spend at least a little bit in a safe, comfortable place. But no one had ever wanted him.

The past couple of days had been nice. She'd spent both nights with her owner. He'd commented on how extra affectionate she was but he hadn't seemed to mind. During the days, she spent time with Obi and Hector. Playing with cat-toys, chasing her brother around the house and rough-housing with him, watching movies with Hector.
It was a good way to go out.

Her hand slipped into a hidden pocket in her skirt, fingers closing around the note she'd written to Obi. Hector and his father were going to be so confused and worried about her and that was the thing she hated most about this. She wished she could tell them, too. But at least she could explain and apologize to her brother why she just couldn't stay.

Pearl had to draw her hand away before she crumpled the note and the other slipped away from the cool wood. Her steps were slow as she walked across the patio, down the stairs, and across the backyard path to the pond.
She sat down on the edge and looked down into the water.
"Hey you two," she said softly and dragged her fingers through the water. The two fish slowly floated from their grassy hiding places and stared up at her curiously. Really, one would think they would have learned not to trust her after what happened with the last fish. Still, she smiled with no malice intended towards them.
"I'll miss you, too. Stupid fish," she muttered under her breath, curling her tail over her lap.

Spike would find her sitting on the edge of the pond, her tail curled around her paws as she looked thoughtfully down into the water.

Spike:
It seemed almost a shame... He sat on a tree branch, staring down at her, tail and body entirely still. He didn't want to bother her when she looked so serene. But he had been waiting here all evening, in the excitement that maybe.. Just maybe.. She would choose to go with him.

Standing, he stretched out his legs, before leaping to the grass, with a resounding thud. Landing on the heavy boots on his feet. His knee was low to the earth, he was in a crouched position, not standing yet as he just wanted to take in the sight of the pretty little thing.

"You can take them with you." He teased, knowing there'd only be one way that could effectively happen.
"Good evening pet." He said, walking towards her and running a finger under her chin and rubbing there softly.

Pearl:
Pearl turned when a familiar voice rose behind her and she smiled, giving him a small roll of her eyes.
"Once was a curiosity," she replied and looked back down at the fish when she swished the tip of her tail just over the top of the water, sending ripples across the surface. "Besides, I won't miss them that much."

She purred when he stroked under her chin, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Good evening. I was hoping you'd come back," she said when they opened again to look up at him. As uch as she was capable of speaking to him without issue, she was suddenly brimming with nerves. She knew how he saw her, just as a human would. What would he think when she took off her collar? Was she really making the right decision wanting to go with him? It took a significant effort to not bite her lip in concern, an old habit she had whenever she was nervous.

Spike:
He grinned. "Curiousity? What about reliving old times?" He stood in place where he was, hand still caressing the bottom of her chin. She was soft, and he liked how she felt to his hand. "Good good. Having to compete with.. little goldfish would probably really make me question myself."

His face was still, unreadable, when she said that she was hoping he'd come back. He blinked, and then cocked his head.
"I told you I would, pet. I'm a liar, but I've suddenly come to find not as much as I'd thought." He removed his hands, crossing his arms and smirking.

"So, baby.. Did you make up your mind about a spot of adventure?"

Pearl:
Pearl shook her head slightly, not really enough to dislodge his hand, but enough to say that she was equal parts amused and exasperated by his attempts to convince her to eat one, or both, of the koi. She wasn't going to, and even if she wanted to it would have been a difficult task to say the least. Last time she'd been lucky and they'd been little more than babies. These two were now fully-grown and huge.

"Well, there was always the chance that you wouldn't." It wasn't like she knew him all that well. She was probably insane for doing this, running away with a male she'd just met. Obi would have locked her up in the pantry if he'd known what she was planning. But that in and of itself was inherently exciting. And even if this turned out to be the worst mistake of her life, dammit she needed to make a few mistakes.

"Yes, I'll come with you. You'll have to help me learn how to survive, but I'm a very quick student." Her answer had a bit of a purr to it. She had no idea why, but she liked his little pet-names. Even if he used them with everyone, she liked being referred to with endearments.

Spike:
He supposed she was right. There had been a chance, in her mind. But in his, there had been no chance he'd even take no for an answer. He'd have tried till he was blue in the face to get her to come with him if she had said no. He had every intention of caring for her, in his own way. He hadn't even seen her true form, so his feelings of attraction were the way she looked at him with those ever so blue eyes.

He smiled, unfolding his arms, and sat on the stone of the koi pond next to her. Facing her, one leg drawn up on the surface, the other dangling to the earth. But if she was going to come with him, he wanted to really see her. His fingers gently slid down her soft throat, stopping at the collar's edge.
"Won't need this where we're going, love." He said, voice soft. Eyes still on hers.

Pearl:
"I know," Pearl replied, touching her collar with her own paw. She would be glad to be rid of it, honestly. But... Find a way to get him to look away, can't do this with him watching, she thought, trying to figure out how to get him to stop paying such close attention to her.
Ah! She remembered something from the other day.

Clever little pirate that she was, Pearl tilted her head and picked a spot behind and to Spike's left to look at.
"Is that your cigarette case?" she asked nodding at the empty spot she was looking at. Hopefully he'd take the bait. Hopefully it would be an interesting revelation on two levels. It could show him how deceptively sweet she could be when she wanted something.

Spike:
Spike's head turned, when she asked if he had dropped his cigarettes. He liked his cigs too much to lose them, and when he had landed he supposed they could have fallen out. He didn't see anything, and his hand went to his jacket pocket. Slipping inside and his fingers landed on the familiar box.

Snorting, he furrowed his brow. Now just why would she have said she had seen them over there...? He turned his head, fulling expecting her to have taken off, changing her mind for whatever reason.

Pearl:
Pearl took a deep breath when he looked away, reached back, and unhooked her collar. She was sitting at the edge of the pond, her legs curled to one side of her, the opposite hand flat against the stone she sat on, her arm propping her up. She set the collar into her lap and glanced up at Spike, waiting for him to turn back around so she could see his reaction.

The scar at her throat was faint, far less prominent than Spike's was. It was mostly caused by wear when her collar would catch on things or Hector would grab it when he was younger and it would rub against her throat. Besides, it was hidden fairly well by the necklace she wore, the stone that was the color of her brother's eyes. She always hated how the collar and necklace didn't fit well together.

Spike:
"I don't know what it was you were thinking you saw, pet.. But it wasn't-" He was turning back to face her, pulling the cigarette box out of his duster's pocket to show her. He got fully turned where he sat, his eyes still on the box, before looking up his hand holding up the cigarettes.

Spike's face looked like a deer in headlights. The cigarettes falling from his hand into his lap. He couldn't believe his eyes. She was prettier than he'd ever even dreamed she could feasibly be. From her fire red hair, to the hauntingly sexy ruffled skirt and corset combo.
"Bleedin......" He started agian, still at a loss for words.

Apparently the cat had his tongue.

Pearl:
His wide eyes, gaping mouth, and general state of frozen caused a soft flush to spread over Pearl's cheeks. But... he looked astonished and not in a bad way.
She let out the breath she had been holding and allowed her smile to return, this one soft and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. The slight blush remained as she moved, sliding close enough so that she could reach out and place one finger under his chin, pushing up to help him close his mouth.

It was a nice pose she'd put herself into, this time not really thinking about it, just to help him close his mouth before he ended up swallowing a bug. Leaning forward like she was definitely showed off some of her assets.
"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment."

Spike:
He blinked, regaining his compsure a bit before smirking a little once her hand had helped close his jaw. Though his eyes had been on hers as she had started to lean forward, he found himself staring elsewhere . She really was a pretty little thing. He could think of some very, very interesting ways to spend time with her..

He grabbed her wrist, standing and pulling her up with him. He yanked her up, his free hand going to the small of her back; pressing her against him. His eyes stared down into hers, the gaze intense and passionate.
He released her wrist, placing his hand on her cheek, tilting her head to n** at her jaw and throat. Light, soft little bites. But bites none the less.
"It's not often I'm speechless." He smiled, his voice low as he spoke into her skin.

Pearl:
Pearl's breath caught when he suddenly moved, pulling her up. She had to look up to meet his gaze and she hated that. Her brothers had always been taller, bigger than her even when she was a kitten and it had always been an effort for her to stay just as tough as they were to make up for her small, dainty size.
But when Spike put his hand at her back, pulled her close and looked down at her, she didn't seem to hate being so small anymore.
Even less so when he tilted her head and started nuzzling and nipping at her.

She thought to argue, to push away. It probably wasn't the best behavior for her to let him do this. A proper lady wouldn't have. But to hell with that, she wasn't a proper lady. Her eyes fluttered shut and a little sigh left her.
"I... I didn't think you... could be. You... seem to like... the sound, the sound of your own voice." It was hard to tease him when he was doing that, but somehow she managed, her words slow and broken.

Spike:
He smiled against her skin, pulling back so he could look at her. He wagged an eyebrow at her. A deviant gaze taking in his eyes.

"What you did was like dangling one of those fish in front of a very hungry cat, pet.." His voice low, he released her. Hands falling back to his side, and he reached to grab the cigarettes that had fallen, stuffing them back into the pockets they had come from.

"Are you ready to go to the dark side?" He asked, a playful tone in his voice. He was going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of her, that much he knew was true..

Pearl:
Pearl couldn't stop a small murr of discontent hum in the back of her throat when he pulled away and stepped back. She had been enjoying that.
Her tail curled with pride at his comment. Well, at least now she knew just how attractive she was. A girl had to wonder, after all, when the only male company she had was her brother.

Spike asked if she was ready to leave and she opened her mouth to say yes. But her mind started working again. It was like a bucket of cold water.
"No," she said and looked away, back down to the ground. "Not yet."
She bent down and picked up her collar. The ribbon sewn to the outside of it was soft and she ran her thumb over it. The bell and tag jingled with the motion.

"I didn't tell my brother I was leaving." She wasn't sure why she felt she should explain it to Spike, but she did. She drew the note she'd written from her pocket and wrapped it around the collar, tucking it into the buckle as best she could so it wouldn't get blown away. "He wouldn't have let me if I had."

She moved away, towards the bushes in the back corner. It was where they liked to hide when they didn't want to play with Hector, or when the vacuum was out. Their secret place. She knew Obsidian would come looking for her there.
Pearl carefully set her collar on one of the branches in the small gap they normally squeezed through. Even if he didn't see it, moving into the bushes would make the bell jingle.

She was really doing this, she was leaving her life and family behind. As much as she wouldn't change her mind, that didn't mean it still didn't hurt a little. Pearl's arms crossed over her waist so that she could hug herself, one hand rubbing against the opposite arm.

Spike:
Spike watched her, a small frown on his features. He hadn't meant to bring her pain, but he did want her for himself. Leaving her, well it hadn't been an option. But he questioned whether or not he was doing the right thing.
Of course you aren't. He said to himself. You want her for yourself. He watched her bend to pick up the collar, her delicate hands grasping at the fabric that clearly meant quite a bit to her.
She tucked a piece of paper into the collar, and at her explaination, he assumed it was a note.. Left to the brother she hadn't said goodbye to.

Spike closed the distance between them, wrapping her in a bug, his arms holding her once more. Just to be the support that she needed at the moment. He could tell this was hard, and he figured it was probably quite the compliment that she would leave her family..her life.. To be with a cat she hardly knew. It made him realize just how much he was going to be taking care of her. Shew ould be happy with her decision, he'd show her.

"It's okay, love." He said, hand stroking her hair, tilting his head so that he buried his nose in it for a moment.
"I promise you'll be happy.." His voice soft, a voice meant just for her.

Pearl:
"I know," Pearl whispered leaning back against him. She closed her eyes and let one tear fall. Obi would be okay. He had John and Hector and he loved this life. He wanted to stay home, inside, safe and warm. He didn't feel the call to run like she did. She needed this, to get away and live.
But that didn't make it any easier. She'd never been away from him. She knew they'd had other siblings, a mother, but she couldn't remember them. All she remembered was Obi. He'd always been there with her, for her. When another cat tried to push her around, he'd stood up for her. He wasn't alone, of course, Hook was there, but that was beside the point. Being taken away from Hook had hurt. Leaving Obi broke her heart.

Her hands moved to touch the arms wrapped around her, holding her. She just stood there for a moment, breathing so that she wouldn't falter. And then she turned in his arms, looking up at him. His face was shadowed in the darkness and it almost felt like a prediction of her future.
She didn't need a white knight.
"I'll be okay." Her voice was quiet, but she managed to smile even if it was a little bittersweet. And then she leaned up on her toes and kissed his jaw, the easiest part of his face to reach. "No regrets."

Spike:
He just kept holding her, keeping still so that she could finish the grieving of home. She was leaving a lifestyle behind, that was true. But she was also leaving family, and he hadn't thought about that when he'd tried to convince her. But there was no way he'd even try being noble, or suggest she stay. He wanted her for himself, he had to have her.. It had been a long time since he had felt that feeling before. Drusilla had been like a frieght train and he was still working on the pieces.

She kissed his jaw, and his tail fluffed a bit and he purred. He could really get used to that.. He leaned his head down, kissing her lips ever so softly. He held out his hand, after releasing her, motioning with his head in a direction towards the fence.
"We should probably get going love. No regrets." He spoke softly, warmly.

Pearl:
Pearl liked it when he kissed her. Unlike his nips earlier, this was soft and comforting. She liked Spike. He seemed fun, amusing to talk to, clever, and damn but he made her flutter. But it was things like this, that he would hold her when she was hurting and kiss her so tenderly to try and ease the pain...That could make her fall in love with him. She would just have to let time figure that out.

She glanced up at the fence.
"I've never tried getting up there before..." she said, though whether it was more to herself or Spike was anyone's guess. There was a hole in the fence, she could go out through there, but she had the notion that being able to do this would test her. Show that she really could live a life without her humans.

Spike:
He motioned to the tree, the very one he'd used to watch her from above. Smiling, he looked at her.
"That will be a helpful tool for you I think, then," He winked at her, and strode to the tree. He jumped up, claws digging into the tree as his the vision of his cat self appeared. It took three good strides to get to the lowest branch. He used his claws to pull himself to it, and then righted himself. Standing, his tail flicked back and forth, blue orbs gazing down at her. He grinned, and narrowed his eyes.

"Think you can do it?"

Pearl:
Well, that made sense.
"The tree, I can manage," she replied, shifting herself to follow him. There wasn't much to do outside but sleep, so climbing had been a pastime that her owner had approved of, since he rarely ever had to help them down and it kept them from climbing things in the house.
When she reached the branch he was on, she couldn't resist rubbing her shoulder against his.

"I take it we jump from here?"

Spike:
He watched her with a gleam in his eyes as she cleared the tree, and landed on the branch he was standing on. She brushed past him, and he purred, his lids lowering just a little.

"You would be right, love." He said, whispering right beside her ear." He gave one good jump, catching the fence, balancing on all fours for a moment, tail straight up. Leaping once more, he landed to the grass, and turned. Eyes looking up at her expectantly.

"Your turn, pet."

Pearl:
Didn't seem... too difficult. Pearl watched him closely, noting everything he did. She could do this.
She rolled her shoulders back once and took the leap. She managed to make the fence, but just barely, one back paw slipping off into empty air. She fumbled, but was able to keep her hold, bringing the paw back in and jumping down to join him.

"Not sure I like fences all that much," she huffed as she straightened her hair and smoothed her dress. She'd done it. She'd left. Somehow the air seemed lighter on this side.

Spike:
"Time to go home. No fences there." He grinned, holding out his hand to her, and taking her hand. It wouldn't be a grand sight, but it would be hers.. He was pretty excited about it to be honest.

Though the idea that she had just left her home to be with him was intoxicating, and he felt the pride in her grow. He didn't know if he had expected her to be able to do it.. But she had done it..

"Nothing but you, and me." He purred, and began leading her down the pavement towards home. The sun was going to be up soon, and he wanted to be fast asleep by then.