The last few days had been the funniest period of Danny’s life that he could remember. He had laughed and enjoyed himself more living in Aby’s cave then he had for all the years he had been alone. Somehow, living in the predator’s house, eating with her and even sleeping in the same bed with her had put so much joy into Danny’s life that he couldn’t help but grin, even while he sat on an oversized plate right in front of his hungry caregiver.

“Now, your sure all the bruises have healed and your not sore anymore? You know I can’t eat you if you got bumps and bruises on you.” Danny shook his head as Aby scrutinized him carefully. He was all healed up and ready to be eaten by Aby, without even a hint of fear or regret. Sure, he really didn’t want to be eaten by Aby, but she had said that after he got better she was going to eat him. He could have lied and told her he was still hurt, but that would have been untruthful. He was perfectly fine now, he actually felt better then he had in years. Living with Aby without the fear of suddenly being eaten or molested had been great for his spirits. He hadn’t dwelled on his inevitable fate, but rather enjoyed his time with Aby, coming to care for her more and more as time went on.

He had started off feeling incredibly nervous around Aby, but after getting to know her, Danny had discovered a laid back, sisterly feline. Aby acted so nonchalant around him, it melted away all the pent up apprehension Danny harbored about being around her. He had started out being to afraid to stand a few feet from her without trembling, but by the end of their first night together, he could touch her without feeling nervous at all. Being able to stay near Aby had really helped, especially when they slept together. He had spent both nights with Aby, tightly clenched to her chest as she rolled around in her bed, hugging him tightly against her body. It would have been only slightly embarrassing if she hadn’t been in only a tiny pair of underwear. Danny had spent both nights with his nose buried in Aby’s breasts, watching her blissful face as she twisted and turned in her sleep. Several times during the night, she had moaned in her sleeping, bucking her body against Danny’s tiny form, but other then that nothing inappropriate had happened between them. She hadn’t forced him to touch her anywhere he didn’t want to touch her, make him degrade himself or take advantage of him in any shape or form. It confused Danny a little because this was the first time in a long time that any adult hadn’t abused him. However, he took it in stride. He didn’t bother trying to understand why Aby was so different then any of the other adults he knew. Instead, he enjoyed the comfortable environment and Aby’s company, preparing himself for today. He was going to be eaten, but that was okay because it was sweet, nice Aby that would be the one eating him.

“Is there a problem, ma’am? Am I not properly washed enough for you? Should I go get the seasoning? It’s on the top of the fridge right?” Dandy eagerly said as Aby looked down at him reluctantly. He was sitting naked on her plate, a piece of cabbage being used to cover his crotch. He had personally taken the cabbage out of the crisper to cover himself up because he knew Aby didn’t like seeing him strut around in the nude. Aby had been so good to him, he only wanted to make sure he rewarded her properly by being the best meal he could be. It was the least he could do.

“You really are one strange mouse,” Aby shook her head in amusement and astonishment at the over eagerness Danny was showing. The mouse blinked and stared up at Aby with big confused eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re acting like you want to be eaten by me, which is something a meal doesn’t do. Sure, I’ve eaten a few perves that wanted to be eaten so they could hump my tongue, but this is different. It’s just… unusual to see my food so happy to be eaten,” Aby said gently.

While Danny had been having the time of his life, Aby had been having some fun herself. Other then Kell, she didn’t get many guests and often spent her time alone. Being alone wasn’t so bad for cats, who loved their solitude, but coming home to an empty cave everyday got tiring for even the reclusive of felines.

Something happened yesterday that deeply affected Aby. She came home late, covered in oil and grease, and feeling like the road kill she’d been pulling from a customers car grill all afternoon. She had wanted to crawl into bed and sleep until next Easter, but waiting for her at the door was Danny with a happy smile and a cup of her favorite tea, camellia catnip. They had sat down together at the dining room table and talked, about weather, life, hobbies and everything else they could think of. Sitting there, talking to one another had felt so right to Aby, like her and Danny were mother and son. She had wanted to put him on her lap that night, rock him back and forth and tell him all the fairy tales her mother told her. She had never felt that motherly affection before, but it had felt good.

“Don’t be silly, I don’t want to be eaten,” Danny giggled and smiled up at Aby. His gaze made Aby tremble, he was just so cute she didn’t know whether to baby him or broil him. Looking down at Danny, Aby listened carefully to what Danny said next because his words would change everything for Aby.

“My life has been hard, there was no one to care for me and no one to teach me how to survive. I suffered, a lot, before realizing how the world works. Mice live and die without knowing anything but fear and regret. I hated my life because I saw others being happy but could never understand the feeling. I didn’t know what happiness felt like, until I met you. I’ve been so happy these last few days I don’t think I could be more glad to be alive. I got to play board games, get tucked in, eat a warm meal and talk to someone without being called a bad name. These days have been the happiest of my life and I don’t want them to end, but I know they will. Everything good has to end eventually. You’ll sooner or later get bored of me and start treating me like all the other adults. I don’t want to see you like the mean, scary adults, I want to only know the kindly adult that treated me with more love then anyone else. So, I’d like you to eat me now, when I’m happy and with someone I love. Please, let me die with this warm, happy feeling before the sadness comes back.”

Aby stared with her mouth hanging open. Danny had tears building in his eyes as he looked back, praying Aby wouldn’t change to a mean adult now that he was crying. He only wanted to know the Aby that had cared for him, not an Aby that was like everyone else. Her paw reached out for Danny and the mouse trembled in fear. Here came the blow and the cruel words. He’d be told to stop his blubbering and that he was worthless. Then he’d be eaten by Aby, without any love or affection. His last memories of her would be as not the caring cat that healed him, but the adult that had gobbled him down without a second thought. He held onto the image of Aby’s playful grinning face as her paw made contact with his face.

“You poor, sweet little mouse.”

Danny never felt a blow. Aby tenderly ran the back of her paw against his cheek, cooing softly down at him with tears in her own eyes. She had never imagined that Danny would have grown up never knowing love. She had thought that at one time he had to have been somewhere happy. She had been wrong. Danny never knew happiness until he met her and because of that, she had become a savior to him. Her concern for him had reached some dark, sad part of his soul that had all but died, giving him his first chance at real happiness. He’d been grasping at that joy like a life preserver in storm, afraid to let go and be washed away again into the murky darkness. But he still was afraid of losing his hold on happiness and wanted to die while still holding onto it. That was the saddest thing Aby had ever heard.

So, what does she do now for someone so afraid of being sad that they would rather die then go back? What was she going to do with Danny?