Adoption is for life.

Cheddar was my best friend. My absolute best friend. He was my only family, too. It had just been me and Cheddar against the world since the day I found him shivering and caked in mud in the alley behind my house. I cleaned him up and nursed him from a tiny handful of kitten to a massive orange tom half the size of me.

Cheddar was the biggest cat I ever saw. People used to remark on it all the time. 'He's the size of a dog'! They'd exclaim in delight. And then usually some other stupid joke, either about how much he ate or the size of what he left behind in the litter box.

Mostly I just rolled my eyes and smiled.

He saw me through the hardest times of my life. From high school to college, from that ****ty job in retail and both of my breakups. Every time I reached for Cheddar he was there, a bright, purring, constant presence in my life. Keeping me company. Supporting me. Soaking up my tears when the nights got too hard and too long. He was there for every one of my triumphs, too. Somehow, with him at my side, I managed to graduate not only high school, but college too- something I'd never really imagined I'd be able to do. He was there when I came home from my last shift at the store, and when we moved into our nice new apartment that overlooked the river.

And he was there the day Danny came back.

Danny was my step brother. Was my step brother. I thought I'd left him- and every other reminder about those dark days- behind me when I left my home town and never looked back.

I don't know how he found me. But I knew why.

Since the day his dad married my mom Danny had threatened- no, promised- that he was going kill me. I'd say I don't know why, but I do. Danny was unwell. Deeply, desperately unwell. There was something really wrong with Danny and everyone knew it. Had always known it. But Danny was a big boy too, and everyone- including his own father- was afraid of him.

They'd tried to get him diagnosed, once, but Danny put an end to that real fast.

I'd never done anything to Danny, but that didn't mean anything. Danny just like to hurt. Things, people, animals. It didn't matter. And the smaller, more helpless it was, the more Danny liked to hurt it. Which I guess made me the perfect target. He'd hated me especially.

But I'd figured- hoped and prayed, too- that once I got out of town he'd forget about me. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? It's stupid and cowardly to say, but I guess some part of my teenage mind hoped he'd find a new target. Sick and stupid. A horrible thing to wish on anyone. I'm not proud of it. I've grown up a lot since then.

So had Danny, I guess, just in a different way.

He was bigger than I remember him being.

He confronted me in the parking lot when I came home. The complex had security, but only inside the building. They've probably fixed that now, I imagine.

I think I must have known this day was coming, at least to some extent. Ever since the lawyers had started calling. I knew there had to be a reason, and every time I heard the words 'life insurance' and 'estate' in a message I had a pretty good feeling I knew what that reason was. But I didn't want any of it. I wanted no part of that life, not even the money. I'd worked HARD to get where I was, just me and Cheddar. I didn't want or need any reminders of the first sixteen years of my life.

And yet.

Looked like the reminders had found me. Live and in the flesh.

"Go away, Danny." I muttered, clutching the little cardboard box to my chest, wishing I hadn't left my pepper spray in the car. My eyes felt raw and gritty. I couldn't have been in my right mind, or maybe I was just so upset that I didn't care anymore- or maybe it had just been sixteen years and I wasn't a kid anymore. I guess it amounts to the same thing, because I just shouldered past him AND his stupid, leering greeting.

"Hey." That ****** him off. The smile melted right off of his face, "Don't walk away from me-" He tried to grab me by the shoulder, but I'd been taking self defense classes pretty much since I left home. I broke his hold and turned around.

"I said go away, Danny." I repeated, very slow and very clearly.

Seeing me not afraid anymore, I think that made him very angry. Very, very angry. Not just ****** but murderously mad. He turned red and started reaching for his pocket-

A gun, I thought, my blood turning to ice in my veins.

I should have known better. That wouldn't have been personal enough for Danny. Slow enough for Danny.

He pulled a knife instead, and lunged at me- he was big, but slow. I got out of the way, but the tip of the knife snagged the bottom of the box and must have pierced the bag inside. Powdery white ash came flying out. It exploded out, actually.

All over Danny's face.

We both howled. Him in rage, me in horror and grief.

He was rubbing at his face with both hands, staggering away from me, and for a brief instant I thought I saw a shape take form out of the cloud of ash- a cat. A big, beautiful, long-haired cat. Attacking Danny- hissing and spitting and going for the eyes.

The back of Danny's heel caught the curb. I watched him stagger and when he went down I heard the crack of his head against the pavement, and I knew in the bottom of my heart that Danny wasn't going to be a problem anymore. I gathered what I could of the ashes back into the box and called nine one one.

Cheddar waited with me, by my side, until they arrived.

Technically he's sitting on my mantle right now, but he doesn't like to stay there. He likes to go places with me. I know, because sometimes when I turn my head I catch a glimpse of a big, beautiful, orange tom out of the corner of my eye. And I smile, because I know.

They say adopting a pet is for life.

No one said it was their's.


Source.