"Maybe, I should have known better…" she paused lifting her wedding picture. Touching her ex-husband's smiling face she swore. "I can't believe he did that to me…he left me with nothing…" She turned pacing the ragged carpet. "He didn't die, oh no, not him. He's like a damn cat, 9 goddamn lives…" plopping down in the armchair next to the dingy window, the chair expelled a breath of fluff and bit her with a spring. "…Damn chair." she muttered shifting to ease her pain. "Now if only he'd be as easy to solve." She laughed sourly.

Gazing around the ill-lit apartment she marked the landscapes. "There over in the kitchen is the Great Wall of China." She said as a tour guide would. Pointing to the laundry in the corner, "on your left, you can see the appliance-washable mountains." Her cat poked his head out of a pair of briefs that somehow had gotten into her laundry basket at the laundry mat. "And there you can see the Sphinx of the loom." The cat jumped out of the laundry; briefs still firmly attached to his head, dashed over and hopped up on her lap. She smiled removing them and kissing his head. "You're such a silly cat Bruce." Bruce pushed up into her stroking hand she began smiling.

"Bruce, you're the best investment I've ever made." Responding, Bruce purred in agreement. "You're all I have left, you know that?" Bruce looked up at her, blinked and proceeded to rub his face against her. "I'll take that as a yes" she gave a weak laugh.

The longer she pet Bruce, the less stressed she was. Bruce cause sense it, her strokes became softer and less desperate for approval. Stopping she started saying, "I really hate—…"

"Meow." Bruce interrupted as if to remind her.

"I love you Bruce." She smiled wider scratching behinds his ears and moving down his back.

"Meow." he rolled over so she could get his tummy.

"You think that whore he's with now has given— Oww! Bruce! Stop that! I'd have gotten you de-clawed if I had the money!"

"Meow?" Bruce rolled onto his back and gave the irresistible kitten face.

"Damn you Bruce! Damn your cute-ness!" smothering him with kisses she smiled. She began to feel better about her predicament.

Drip…Drip…Drip…

"I turned the faucets off…" quizzical, she approached the kitchen, not a trickle from the Great Wall. Walked passed the Mountains into the closet. "Of course, the place I put all my shit." She groaned looking up at the bathroom ceiling. "They need better accommodations for the poor." She muttered angrily. "I give a leak, and I get a leak…Stupid Karma." She threw a bucket underneath the drip. Flashing off the lights she turned and left.

Bruce in pursuit as they wandered down the hall to her bedroom. "Get on up here Bruce!" she patted the bed as she pulled the covers back and slipped underneath. Bruce obediently jumped in with her, snuggling up against her. Curled up next to each other, they fell asleep as a train's whistle blew.

"Cut it out Bruce…" she pushed him away from her face. He returned to cleaning her face. "Bruce… I can take a shower…"

"Meow." He said still licking her.

"Ok, ok Bruce. I'll go now. Gosh!" laughing she threw the covers over Bruce. He found his way out of the Labyrinth; like always.

Her bare body meandered to her bathroom in search of a hot shower. She found the bucket had over flown in the night, Bruce walked over to it and began to drink. "Well at least it benefits you Bruce." She smiled sweetly. Turning she walked to the phone mounted on the wall. Punched in some numbers and waited. "Hello, this is the tenant in room 4b. I have a leak in my bathroom. Where is it located? The Ceiling... I noticed it last night, placing a bucket underneath it. Yup, uh huh, ok. Are you the Super? What? He's not in right now? He lives here! How can he not be here? He'll get the message and work on it as soon as possible? When will that be? After I drown!" She slammed the phone down on the receiver. "Bastard."

Returning to the bathroom she turned on the shower. Placing her hand into the stream, she grumbled. Wincing under the stream she entered the shower closing the curtain behind her. To keep her mind off the discomfort, she started singing,

"What a beautiful wedding! What a beautiful wedding!" says a bridesmaid to a waiter.
"And yes, but what a shame, what a shame, the poor groom's bride is a whore."

Bruce wandered out of the bathroom, down the hall to his litter box in the hall closet. After drinking so much water he had to pee. Finally relieved he wandered to the piles of laundry in the living room and proceeded to roll around. Grabbing garments and playing with them, tossing them in all directions. Submerged himself within the pile he waited for her to finish her shower.

Wrapping herself and hair in towels she walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. "Bruce, are you ready for your breakfast?" He resisted the urge to leave his hiding spot until she passed. Sure enough, she did pass and he jumped out of the laundry at her. "You silly cat…" she laughed smiling at him. "Come on, let's get your breakfast." He walked hurriedly next to her licking his whiskers. Walking into the kitchen she opened the fridge, both peered inside at the contents.

"Do you want Tuna?" she asked.

Bruce gave no response.

"Ok, How about chicken?"

Again, Bruce gave no Response.

"Fine, Pterodactyl it is!"

"Meow!" Bruce got into the fridge and pawed a can of Turkey cat food.

"Bruce you're no fun!" she grabbed the Turkey cat food and him pulling them out of the fridge. "Didn't wanna be a cat pop, did ya?" she said kissing his nose.

"Meow" he replied pawing the can some more.

"Yes I know you're hungry, so'm I." Opening a drawer she pulled a can opener out and a semi clean plate from the Great Wall. Plopped the food on the plate setting it on the counter along with Bruce. "There ya go buddy." She stroked his back as he ate.

Opening the fridge again, she pulled out some milk. Poured some in a bowl and got some cheerios from the cupboard above. Bruce finished the Turkey and began eyeing the bowel of milk sitting on the other side of his dish.

Grabbing a spoon she looked over at Bruce. He looked pleading at her. "Meow?" she replaced the spoon and grabbed a fork, filling her bowel with Honey Nut Cheerios. Eating her cereal with a fork she turned leaning her back against the counter and just munched away. When the cereal was gone, she took two long sips of the milk and then placed it next to Bruce who began lapping it up happily. "Meow."

She scratched him behind the ears and went to the living room. The towel slid off of her onto the floor. She bent over grabbing a pair of undies and a bra. Slipping the underwear on and clasping the bra she retrieved some gray sweatpants and a gray zip up sweatshirt. "Ok Bruce, I'm going to see what the hell's going on upstairs with that damn leak." As she made her way to the door Bruce jumped off the counter and chased after her. He stopped looking up at her as she unlocked the door and opened it, as she was shutting it she blew him a kiss.

Bruce wandered to the chair in the living room, hopped up and surveyed his kingdom. He curled up waiting for her to return. After a few moments he fell asleep. He was awakened by the sound of sirens. Jumping up on the back of the chair he looked down to the street below. Several police cars were scattered around; officers were directing traffic away from the building. An ambulance was parked and someone was draped in a white sheet. "Meow…" He placed his paw up against the glass window.

The lock clicked on the door. Bruce turned around and there she was opening the door, he ran over to her. "Meow." She smiled softly squatting down to pick him up. Cradled in her arms she began to cry, Bruce snuggled closer to her. Nuzzled his head against her neck. She continued crying as she walked to her chair. She dropped down on it, spring jabbing her butt. Her body began to shudder with her tears; the pain didn't even phase her. Bruce licked her salty cheek. "Meow?"

"Mrs. Witticur died Bruce. The woman in 5b, she died while drawing a bath for her little terrier…" she sobbed some more then uttered, "that's why we had a leak in our ceiling…"

"Meow." Bruce said lovingly, nuzzled her cheek again and again. Slowly she began to calm down and the tears stopped.

"Thank you Bruce, you always know how to make me stop crying." She smiled softly looking into his eyes. "Though you've had a lot of practice, huh?"

"Meow." Bruce licked her nose. She laughed a little. Then she gave a heavy sigh. She released her tight grip on Bruce and he nuzzled her cheek once again before getting off her lap, he knew what time it was.

"I guess it's time I get ready for work, huh?" she said sadly. "But, this pays the bills, doesn't it?" Bruce looked up at her from his place by her feet.

"Meow." He replied half-heartedly.

She got up and went to her room and shut the door. Bruce waited at the end of the hallway for her to get ready. A few minutes later she appeared in a mini-skirt, low cut tank top, fishnet stockings and high heel shoes. Bruce looked up at her as if she was another person.

"Meow…" he said as he turned to wait at the door.

She entered the bathroom to put on her war paint. This was her job; she took her assignments like a solider. As she walked passed the closet she grabbed a skimpy jean jacket and put it on. Bruce watched her as she turned the corner, a whole different woman.

"Meow…" he looked down to the floor.

"I'll be home later babe, you know that. I always come home." She said kneeling on the floor in front of him. She picked him up and hugged him, "I love you Bruce." She whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Meow." He replied rubbing his cheek against hers to dry up the tear.

"Tonight I have to work 4th and Kingston," she said reminding her self. Putting Bruce down on the floor he looked up at her as she stood again, she went to the door and opened it, he watched helplessly, as she turned and smiled for him.

"Meow…" he uttered as the door shut.