Danny did his best to stem the flow of tears. Aby softly wiped them out of his fur. The young boy sniffled a bit, grateful for the gentle caress. He realized Aby was still preparing to gobble him up, but she was such an extraordinarily kind predator that she wouldn't deliver the fatal blow while he was weeping. After the past two days of heaven, Danny didn't want to disappoint her. He composed himself quickly, "S-sorry about that. I'm ready when you are... Thank you for everything, Aby."

The feline mechanic was squirming internally. The big doe eyes of her tiny friend and entree-to-be were locked onto her face, silently pleading for a swift, painless end. He was just so damn cute and innocent! And that wasn't her only dilemma; how could she devour him alive and kicking after such a tragic, heartfelt speech? Aby knew she'd broken the cardinal rule for maintaining a healthy predator/prey relationship. Never talk to your dinner, you might find out you enjoy their company. Ironically, Lindesfarne had just recently told her the story of how she'd met the closest of her girlfriends, a moth named Tammy. She had made the rudimentary mistake of striking up a conversation with her meal-to-be her first night as an insectivore. Of course, Aby was no wet behind the ears predator. She'd been downing tiny, cute, fuzzy little mouse kids ever since giving up milk for solid foods. She also didn't mind having a good talk with her food before feasting. If she had a worthwhile conversation it could easily brighten up an otherwise ho-hum day. If her meal was rude, well, it just made eating them all the sweeter. Yet, despite these things, she couldn't bring herself to cram the little guy on her plate into her salivating maw. In the few days she'd known him he'd managed to light and stoke a fire within her. Normally when she interacted with a mouse, it ended up filling a void in her growling tummy ... or a void in her vacant bowels or lonely vagina. Danny, however, had managed to fill a void in her heart.

Aby was tired of being lonely. She was tired of waking up in a relatively empty house where the only other residents were her sustenance and sex toys. Sure, having a bucking male half way up her backside was a pleasurable way to end the day, but Aby needed something more. She needed someone she could converse with; someone she could talk to about the events of her day without worrying about them slipping out a nearby window or wiggling out of her labia. She wanted someone who'd listen to her hopes, worries, and dreams. Someone who'd snuggle with her on cold winter nights, and affectionately scratch her behind the ears whenever she had a bad day. Someone who'd surprise her in the morning with a catnip laced cup of coffee, and who'd delight her at night by barraging her with a nearly endless stream of kisses, only pausing to whisper tantalizing sweet nothings into her sensitive ears. For the past couple of months she'd tried to bury her feelings, sacrificing her desires so that her auto shop would flourish. Yet after spending time with Danny she couldn't deny them any longer. Living an isolated lifestyle, with only her neighbor to confide in, just wasn't feasible for the long term. She'd always assumed that the person she'd been yearning for was a moderately successful, handsome, feline suitor. Perhaps she'd been wrong though. After the last few days with Danny a lover didn't seem all that necessary.... At least, not a traditional one. She wasn't planning on cleaning out her mouse drawer. All her orifices still needed a good internal tickling every now and then, housemate or no.

"... You can get off the plate, Danny." Aby said at last.

"You... want me to crawl into you mouth?" Danny asked, brow furrowed, "Ummm... Okay!" If that would make Aby's meal more enjoyable he was more than willing to accommodate.

"No, that isn't what I meant. Here." She gripped him under his arms, lifting him off of her plate and onto her lap. She gave his scalp a brisk rubbing, messing up his hair. Danny looked up at Aby curiously, "I... don't understand. Aren't you going to..." His voice trailed off.

Aby leaned inward and affectionately rubbed her cheek against his forehead, "No." She answered his unfinished query, "I'm not. You don't have to worry anymore, Danny."

"I wasn't worried." Danny pulled away. He looked up into Aby's eyes; She was shocked to find them filled with worry rather than relief, "Does this... does this mean I have to go back to Mouse Burger?" He spoke the words calmly but she could sense his trepidation.

"No little one, like I said you don't have to worry anymore. You're never going to be sad again because...... because you're going to be living with me from now on."

Aby's words inspired another round of tears, "D- don't kid me, please." As the idea started to sink in more his body started twitching; his emotions were getting the best of him.

"I'm not. This is your home now."

Danny wasted no time burying his head into the bottom half of her cleavage. His cries of relief and gratitude, as well as his messy tears, were absorbed by feline's thick denim overalls. He wrapped his arms around the bigger cat as best he could. Aby noted his little arms were shaking uncontrollably. She squeezed him a little, than began rubbing his back sympathetically. Danny was able to regain control of his limbs but he continued sobbing heavily for a few minutes longer. When he finally pulled away his nose was runny and his eyes were red, "T-th-thank y-you, Aby." He sniffled, "Thank you... so much." She gently pressed his face back into her chest, giving him another comforting hug.

"You're quite welcome."

Aby realized the scope of the commitment she'd just made. Sure, the laws governing Domain granted predators the right to abduct and eat children. They even gave them the right right to molest their prey before dining, though that sort of practice was taboo and highly frowned upon. The one right it didn't bestow upon predators was the right to engage in longterm captivity. Prey species are far more abundant in Domain than their meat eating counterparts, and the anti-predator lobbyists had made some headway in whittling away at carnivore privileges. So Aby couldn't legally hold Danny without providing him with certain things. If she failed to do so Aby could be fined for slavery and Danny confiscated, either taken back to his parents or sold as individually shrink wrapped pieces of meat at a local supermarket.

Aby didn't need to legally adopt him but he was now her ward. She'd need to provide him with food, shelter, and other necessities. She'd also have to enroll him in the local junior high, or a nearby private school. Caring for him would be expensive and time consuming but Aby didn't have any regrets. She finally had someone she could share her home with; that alone was well worth the added responsibility of raising a young man.

"... Do you need a tissue, little one?"

"No, I'm good." Danny replied.

"Alright, then we'd better get going." Aby stood up, still cradling the boy in her arms.

"Huh? Going where?"

"To the mall. I think you using cabbage to cover up is cute, but we really should get you some decent clothes... We could also look at some wallpaper and beds; I've got a few vacant rooms just dying for a makeover."

"My own room?" Danny recited slowly in a voice filled with reverence. It was if he'd never fathomed such an idea, "Wow!... Are you sure? I mean, you're doing so much for me already and I don't need a lot of space. I used to share a room with seventeen of my brothers and sisters. That is, I did before mom sold me. It was even more cramped in the Mouse Burger containment cells... er.. I mean supply bins." He corrected.

Aby cringed at hearing about the deplorable living conditions her ward had been forced to endure. She really had to write an angry letter to Mouse Burger management. Not only was the quality of their food not as advertised, the way they treated their supplies was nothing short of shameful.

"So I don't need a room." Danny continued, oblivious to Aby's thoughts, "I'd be good just sleeping on the floor. Or in a nice closet."

"Well that's not going to happen. Worst case scenario you're sleeping with me." Aby told him.

She carried the boy out to her car and set him down, "Okay, hop in, I just need to page my employees that I'm going to be a little late today."

"Alright, Aby!" Smiling, the little mouse got into the passenger seat, nearly dropping his cabbage leaf in the process. Today was the first day of his new life.

..............................

Later that day, elsewhere in Domain...