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Title: Sugar

By: Judy

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Rating: G

Disclaimer: George L. owns the guys. Sugar is inspired by a friend’s cat, and yes, the cat is actually named Sugar.

Summary: This is as sugary as the title suggests. Inspired by the gorgeous photo of Ewan looking at the cat (thanks, Kayla!), Obi-Wan learns a little about cat...uh...ownership.

Archive: Jedihunks, Corellia, Sarah G.

“Okay, cat, it’s just you and me now.” Obi-Wan rested his head on his folded arms and regarded the black and white feline sitting across the table from him. The cat just blinked large yellow eyes at him. Impassive.

“You have to understand that you are merely a guest here. You are not staying.” Obi-Wan told the cat. He gave the cat a stern look.

For her part, the cat was wholly unconcerned by what the human interloper was saying and began licking a paw.

“...And I absolutely refuse to call you by that ridiculous name Qui-Gon gave you. Sugar.” Obi-Wan snorted. “To me, you are just Hey Cat.”

Sugar aka Hey Cat just blinked again and began licking her other paw.

Obi-Wan sighed and sat back. It wasn’t that he disliked cats, although he could think of a lot better animals to keep around the house if you had to keep a pet. But one, he was allergic and two, this one was just another in a long, long line of strays that his Master managed to acquire throughout the cosmos. Wherever they went, it seemed, Qui-Gon came back with some small animal. And usually Obi-Wan ended up having to take care of it because his Master’s duties interfered. “Besides, it’s character building. And a good lesson in responsibility,” Qui-Gon had told him several years before when the elder Jedi had picked up a Averian pomeri that had to be walked three times a night. His job, of course. Not one of the better pets. Fortunately, a home had quickly been found.

But this cat was proving stubborn. She’d only been with them for a couple of weeks--Qui-Gon had found her wandering, malnourished, near the Jedi Temple --but after some TLC had quickly recovered. Obi-Wan had been away on a padawan training exercise at the time and had only been back a few days.

He had known about her immediately upon his return when he began sneezing uncontrollably upon entering their quarters. “Master?”

“Welcome back, Obi-Wan. How did the exercise go?” Qui-Gon had smiled.

“Where’s the cat, Master?” He had sneezed again.

Naturally, Sugar had chosen that moment to come strolling out of *his* bedroom. She made a beeline right for him and before he could even set down his bag, began rubbing up against his legs purring.

“Meet Sugar.” Qui-Gon was trying hard to keep from laughing at the aghast look on his padawan’s face.

“Please, Master. You know I’m allergic. Now I’ll have to wash my sheets before I can go to bed.” Obi-Wan had stomped to his room in disgust. Sugar obligingly followed only to be stopped as the door slammed shut.

Obi-Wan shook his head as he remembered how she began to howl. “Meoworrr! Meowoorrrr!” Over and over. Then her paw came sweeping under the door. More cries. He’d finally jerked open the door only to see Qui-Gon lying on the couch laughing hysterically. “Aargh!” The cat had slept with him every night since. Wouldn’t go near Qui-Gon’s room. Of course not. Obi-Wan had had to go to the healers to get treatments for his allergy.

And they couldn’t get rid of her. They’d tried to give her away, but she’d always be back each morning waiting at their door, meowing for her breakfast. Qui-Gon didn’t seem to mind. He liked all these pathetic creatures. Sugar would cozy up in his lap in the evenings and he would just pet her absently almost going into a meditative state.

The cat would only try to climb on Obi-Wan’s lap when he was actually trying to get something done with his comp pad or work on some electronic something or other at the work station. She never bothered Qui-Gon that way. And all Qui-Gon would say when Obi-Wan complained was that Sugar liked Obi-Wan better, that’s why she was being perverse. “It’s a cat’s way, you know.” Qui-Gon had said enigmatically.

And now it was just Obi-Wan and Sugar for a week. Qui-Gon had been called away on some diplomatic mission with Master Windu. That left Obi-Wan to tend to the cat. Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about this, he really did.

Sugar, in the meantime, had finished her bath and had hopped down to the floor. Obi-Wan began ignoring her, hoping she’d go nap somewhere. He had a report to finish on his latest lessons.

Suddenly he heard a scratching noise. //What the..?// Obi-Wan looked around to find the source, then spied Sugar scratching away at the sofa. “NO!” he yelled only to receive a glare from the cat who kept on scratching. She had never done *this* before that he was aware. He stalked over to her and only then did she stop and scurry away.

Obi-Wan found her, scooped her up, and quickly shuttled her out the door. “Go explore or something!” he yelled. He went over to the couch and plopped down, then immediately sneezed. Cat hair everywhere. “Aw, man.”

After brushing off the couch and changing his clothes, he was able to sit down to watch a few holovids. The peace and quiet lasted until dinnertime when he heard loud meows outside the door. Fearing their neighbors would get pissed off, Obi-Wan let Sugar in. She trotted in and over to her feed bowl, then promptly began meowing even louder. Obi-Wan had forgotten to feed her. That taken care of, he assumed she would settle down.

And she did, briefly. Just long enough to conserve energy for the nighttime crazies. Qui-Gon had only laughed when she did this before. “Well, there she goes again!” he’d said.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Hey Cat! Why do you have to be in the other room. Right now?” He was smiling in spite of himself. “Crazy cat.”

After a romp or two between rooms, but never Qui-Gon’s, Sugar settled down on the sofa. Fortunately on the opposite end from Obi-Wan. But that only lasted until Obi-Wan picked up a comp pad with a novel he was reading on it. Then she came over to investigate.

“Will you go away?” Obi-Wan shoved at her. That only made her purr and more determined. She hopped up on the back of the sofa and walked behind him. Obi-Wan figured he could be just as stubborn and decided to ignore her. Then he felt something batting at him, on his right. There it was again, and again. He shrugged his shoulder and reached up to knock the paw away. “Go away.” he growled low. Sugar was batting at his braid. She did this every night. It was driving him crazy.

Finally, he’d had enough. Obi-Wan went to bed, keeping Sugar out. He ignored her cries until they stopped, although he’d yelled “SHUT UP!” a few hundred times. He just hoped she wouldn’t destroy anything overnight. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep but the strange noise penetrated his conciousness. He’d never heard anything like it before. Kind of like someone choking, but not. It was coming from the living room.

“Gaaaack. Gaaacck. Gaaaaacck.”

He got up and cautiously made his way into the living room. “Hey Cat? Kitty? Are you okay?” He didn’t sense anything amiss. Until...too late. “OH GODS! What the...? Ewww!!” He wasn’t sure what he’d stepped in, but it was slippery and disgusting. Using the Force to turn up the lights, he looked down at what he’d stepped in. Hair ball. Wet, slimy hair ball vomit. He sighed. Sugar was nowhere to be found. After cleaning his foot and the floor, he went looking for her. Sure enough, she was under his bed. He had to use the Force again to get her out.

“This is it, cat! You are outta here! I don’t care what Qui-Gon says. There are plenty of people to take care of you here. Just go, okay?” And with that, he planted the cat on the doorstep.

He went back to bed.

Obi-Wan didn’t start to worry about Sugar until the next night. She had not returned for dinner. He felt badly about his fit of temper. She was just an animal, doing what she naturally did. He slept poorly thinking he’d hear her cries, but nothing. The following day, he started asking around the Temple, but no one had seen her.

The rest of the week passed uneventfully for Obi-Wan, except there was no sign of Sugar anywhere in the Temple. He supposed she’d managed to get out and was back to roaming the streets of Coruscant. He’d meditated quite a bit about the whole matter the past week, and had finally admitted to himself that he did actually kind of like Sugar, even with her stupid name. And now because of him something horrible had probably happened to her. Qui-Gon would be back later tonight, he knew. He’d be disappointed in Obi-Wan’s behavior.

Obi-Wan sat down at the table and began to read the latest Coruscant news. He was restless. It was too quiet. He found himself missing a certain black-and-white ball of fur who had made his life hell.

“Meow?” He jerked around. Stared at the door. “Meow?” he called back. “Meow.” came the answer at the door. She was back! He lunged for the door controls and it pulled back. “Sugar!” There she sat, as nonchalant as ever. She sauntered past him without so much as a look and went straight to her feed bowl.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

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Qui-Gon got in late. He was tired. The mission had been boring in the extreme and on the way back, Mace had decided to play every Wookiee opera every made. Mace, a fan of the fine arts--who knew? It had given him a major headache.

He sought for his apprentice through his link. Obi-Wan was awake, in his room apparently waiting up for him. Qui-Gon went to Obi-Wan’s room, the door was open slightly. The sight that greeted him made him smile.

There on the bed was Obi-Wan lying on his stomach and resting on his left elbow, one hand holding the comp pad, the other stroking Sugar gently while she batted at his braid.

“Sugar, will you stop that!” Obi-Wan chided, chuckling.

Qui-Gon looked at the cat and nodded. *Good work, Sugar. I knew you’d come through.*

Sugar just blinked.

END