Ria was lost in thought during the drive home.  She couldn't stop thinking about the movie, Jareth especially.  By the time she pulled into her parking space, Ria was convinced that Jareth was indeed capable of love.  She got out of her car, locked it, and started walking towards her building, still thinking about the handsome Goblin King.

"Meow."

The sound brought her back to reality.  Ria looked down to see a fluffy, pale yellow tomcat with one blue eye and one green eye staring up at her pleadingly.  She couldn't help a smile.  "Hello, kitty.  Are you lost?"

The cat didn't wear a collar, so there was no tag to identify him or his owner.  He started rubbing against Ria's ankles, purring loudly.

Ria knew she should have been wary of a stray, but he seemed harmless. She picked him up and he rubbed his head against her shoulder.  Ria was hooked.  "Okay, kitty, you can stay with me."

An hour later, Ria was sitting on her couch, the cat in her lap, and trying to think of a good name for him.  "Let's see.  Romeo?  Rex?  Tom?" She couldn't help a grin.  "Old Yeller?"  If Ria didn't know any better, she would have sworn the cat was glaring at her.  She yawned widely.  "I think we can save this for tomorrow.  Maybe a name will come to me in my sleep."

Ria picked him up gently then set him down beside her.  "You behave yourself, and I'll go shopping for you tomorrow."

The cat had already eaten her last can of tuna.  Fortunately, since he was an outdoor cat, there was no need for a litterbox.  He simply jumped off the couch then stood by her sliding glass door and meowed to be let out.

Ria opened the door then watched him walk out of her ground-floor apartment, heading straight for the nearby bushes.  She went to her small bedroom and got ready for bed.  Fifteen minutes later, Ria opened the door again to let him in.  The cat went straight for the couch, jumped onto it, then curled up and fell asleep.  Ria went back to her room and went to sleep herself.

Her very interesting dream about her and Jareth was interrupted by the telephone ringing.  She slowly opened her eyes then grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"

"Ria, it's Donna."

Ria glanced at her alarm clock.  Seven o'clock in the morning on a Saturday.  In other words, too early for her.  "Donna, is there an emergency?"

"What?  No, I wanted to know what time you're going to the Humane Society."

**Humane Society?  Oh yeah, the kitten.**  Ria was never fully awake without her morning cup of tea.  "I found a stray cat last night, so I don't have to go."

"You picked up a stray?"

Ria smiled at her friend's concern.  "Yes, Mom.  Don't worry, I checked him for fleas and ticks.  He's fine."

"Have you named him yet?"

"Not yet.  I tried some names, but he didn't seem to like any of them. Can you think of any?"

"What does he look like?"

Ria smiled at the cat, who had just jumped onto her bed.  She gently stroked under his chin, and he started purring softly.  "He's yellow, fluffy, and he has mismatched eyes."

Donna's grin was evident in her voice.  "You know who he sounds like? Jareth."

**He does look a little like Jareth, I guess.  It must be the eyes.  I mean, he almost looks like he has human intelligence.**  "I guess I could call him Jay."

There was a delighted giggle.  "Perfect.  So, what are you going to do today?"

"I have to go shopping for him," Ria said.  "I guess it's off to the pet store."

"I'll go with you," Donna said.  "And we can stop at the music store.  I want to get Lauren a Bowie CD for her birthday."

"Good idea.  I'll pick you up in an hour."  **Maybe by then I'll be fully awake.**

"Sounds good."  They said good-bye and hung up.

When Ria left to pick up Donna, Jay got down from "his" spot on the couch then walked into Ria's room.  He jumped back onto the bed, sat down, and looked around the room.  The room was full of books, CDs, Ria's stereo, and her posters of unicorns, plus her daybed, dresser, and too-small closet.  Jay could see the books were mostly romance and fantasy.

**She needs someone,** he thought.  Jay smiled inwardly as he stared at his reflection in her full-length mirror.  **Jareth, my boy, you are just the someone for her.**