[[one.big.family-

[lostheart]

The calico she-cat sat unmoving on top of the hill. Her hazel eyes gazed out at the grazing cattle. She was as still as a stone, anyone could have walked right past and never noticed. A large wet drop of rain landed plop right on top of her nose. She flickered her whisker, refusing to let a bit of water affect her. Another one fell from the sky onto her pelt. She flinched and looked up at the sky. The clouds were dark and rain was starting to fall rapidly from them. Audrey shivered, now it was time to go inside. She hurried down into the den just as a flash of lightning flew across the sky and a clap of thunder fallowed right after it. When she got inside her home she shook the water droplets off of her pelt.

"Hey watch it! I don't want to get wet like you! Your going to mess up my pelt" snapped Sparkles quickly licking of any sign of wetness before returning to grooming herself.

"Believe me Sparkle now matter how wet you get, your pelt could never get any worse," commented Audrey sarcasticly before setting herself down in her bed of hay.

Dewey sat in the darkest part of the den. A flicker of amusement lit up in his face as Sparkles scoffed, quite unhappy at Audrey's remark. He watched her as her fur bristled out before her ruff pink tongue brushed it back down. He glanced over at timid Hazel who sat, almost hidden, in a pile of grass and hay that she slept in. Sunday was over near Audrey's bed, busily eating a small finch he had caught earlier.

"Oh Audrey dear I wish you would not tease cats so, it gives you a air of unpleasantness," Sunday said softly as she looked up from her meal and over at her sister.

"As you well know Sunday I would rather be unpleasant then be verbally abused," Audrey nodded gently to her sister.

"Very well then but please don't be so harsh all the time," begged the pretty black and white she-cat innocently

"Oh Sunday no matter what I say you will always think of something nicer that I could of said instead," teased Audrey sweetly

Sunday laughed and went back to her food.

Hazel sat contently in her bed, hidden from the world. She listened silently to her family as they went on with their normal conversations. She smiled as she listened to Audrey and Sparkles squabble.

As she finished with her pelt, Sparkles walked over to Hazel with a plump mouse in her teeth. She laid it outside of the pile of of bedding and took a bite. Grinning she watched as Hazel reached her head out of her tent like bed and took a bite of the mouse. She looked up to see a figure standing in the doorway. Her eyes lit up, eager to see who the visitor was.

[~*Speckles*~]

A black and white she-cat, who had one eye that was very crossed, had been trotting nearby when the rain started. She was a roamer and today was no exception, but like most cats she disliked being caught in the rain. Looking around she saw a hole in the ground and quickly made her way towards it. She stopped as she scented others cats in it, and hesitated. She didn't like to intrude on others, mainly because she didn't like to be around other cats, but she liked the rain less. She continued closer to the hole and then looked into the opening when she got there. 'Hello?' she called cautiously into the darkness. She backed up the slightest bit and braced herself, expecting an angry cat to come shooting out of the hole and attack her or something. She shook her pelt, and was very glad that she had a thick fluffy coat. She was very often not grateful for it, it was annoying to clean and was very hot in the summer. She was glad for it then though, for her skin was still dry despite the pounding rain. The only part that her skin had gotten wet on was her face and paws. She shivered, more from anticipation than cold, and waited for someone to appear at the tunnels entrance. She knew that she was going to be a sight, her fluffy fur was probably looking pretty bad by now, and her crossed eye never did help.

[lostheart]

Sparkle remained silent as she looked at the cat. All hopes of it being a handsome tom to flirt with dropped. She wasn't going to be the one to answer to the cat first. She was sure of that.

Hazel drew back under the shelter of her bedding. Her green eyes were wide with fear. What if this cat had come to eat them or kill them all? What if she took on Dewey and Audrey and then Sparkles and Sunday? Then she would come after her and....Hazel didn't want to think what could happen. She shut her eyes and crawled completely out of sight, hoping it would all be over soon like a bad dream.

Dewey rose up protectively and marched over toward the entrance. "Hello, I'm Dewey," He said politely, "Might I inquire as to who you might be?" He stood there quite stiffly forgetting to invite the cat in from the rain.

Audrey, of course, noticed Dewey carefully consideration of the cat. She also noticed that he was to busy thinking about who the cat might be instead of politely asking them in. Perhaps this was a good thing though for after all the cat could be evil.

Sunday could never let a cat stay out in the rain. She couldn't possibly think of even one reason of how this poor wet cat could be dangerous. "Please come in!" she called cheerily to the she-cat. As far as she was concerned, tis cat was their guest.

[~*Speckles*~]

The she-cat blinked at Dewey. 'My name is Loca, I didn't know that you lived here.' she paused for a moment and then twitched her ear as Sunday invited her in. She wasn't sure if she wanted to trust her, she never trusted anyone but she was getting tired of the rain so she decided to take her up on her offer. She glanced at Dewey and then slipped into the den, after shaking most of the water off outside. Inside she glanced around, clearly impressed about the tidiness of the den. She pasted a smile on her face and looked at the cat that had called her in. 'Thank you, rain can sure be annoying sometimes.' She shifted on her paws uncomfortably as she glanced around at the four cats cautiously.

[lostheart]

Dewey gave the loner an awkard stare before returning to his corner. He knew Sunday or Audrey would give her a warm welcome so he saw no reason why he should.

"Please take a seat and make yourself at home," Sunday extended a paw. She had been so board lately and was very much happy to play host to the loner, "Would you like something to eat?"

Hazel was still hidden in her nest of hay, hoping that the loner would not notice her. Oh when would she leave? Why did Sunday have to be so polight?

Sparkles sat bathing her fur as useual. She glanced over at Loca and gave her a graisious smile. Who knew? perhaps Loca knew some other toms.

"Hello Loca, I'm Audrey," said the oldest tortishell loner. Audrey knew she couldn't count on Dewey or Hazel to make this cat welcome and Sparkles would only talk if she saw something in it for her. Sunday would be to busy making sure that the visitor was happy to indulge in conversation.

[~*Speckles*~]

Loca smiled as she allowed herself to sit down. 'Um, good to meet you. I promise I won't stay long, as soon as the rain stops I'll be out of your home.' Glancing at Sunday she shook her head and replied, 'No thank you. I had something to eat not too long ago, and I don't like to eat food that other cats provide.' She frowned a little, more to herself than anyone else, she was feeling uncomfortable, as she usually did when she was around more than one cat. She shifted her weight from one haunch to the other and glanced at the cats again. She tasted the air, and then looked quizzically around again. She was sure that she could sense another cat in here somewhere, the fact that she didn't know where made her a little less at ease than she might have been.

[lostheart]

Hazel gazed out nervously at the vistor. The only part of herself visible was her glowing green eyes.

Dewey also stared at Loca. He wasn't quite trustful of the she-cat yet.

Sparkle also looked at at the stranger. She wasn't going to start an imedeant conversation but she would gladly continue one.

"Oh please stay as long as you like we don't often get visitors," Sunday smiled pleasently at Loca.

Audrey looked at the loner for a moment before noyicing that the rest of her family was doing the same. She knew that Loca must be a bit uncomfortable as she knew she would be. So instead Audrey continued to eat her dinner not paying Loca any attention out of polightness

[~*Speckles*~]

Loca shifted uneasily under all of the eyes but smiled at Sunday's words. 'Thank you. So... you live here? All of you together? Or did more than myself get caught in the rain?' She tried to keep her smile up, and then glanced around as she caught sight of Hazel out of the corner of her eye. She dipped her head in aknowledgement to her but said nothing, not being able to think of anything right off. She curled her tail around her front paws and licked at her chest fur for a moment before looking back up at Sunday. She tried to just keep her attention on her so that she would get nervous again from all of the cats looking at her.

[lostheart]

"Oh no you see, we are all siblings," nodded Sunday politely. Her ever present smile beamed brightly at the mention of her family. "Pardon me for asking but do you have any family of your own?" the pretty she-cat hoped that she wouldn't offend Loca by asking about her personal life

As Loca noticed her, Hazel quickly shut her eyes and curled up into a small, tight, furry ball. One could see the ball of hay wiggle a little bit but then remain perfectly still as Hazel did not intend to move again

[~*Speckles*~]

Loca glanced around at the cats. All siblings and all living together? The thought amazed her, mostly that they were all family. As she heard Sunday's question she shook her head. 'No, no family. At least none that I know of. My mom disappeared when I was pretty young and as for my dad, I never knew or saw him. I was an only kit.' She looked around at the family somewhat enviously, she would have loved to have someone that she knew she could trust, family. But she knew it could never happen, she knew it and even if she did have family for all her luck they would probably turn on her or use her trust against her somehow.

[lostheart]

"Thats a pity, sounds kinda unlucky to. You must be very unhappy living alone," Sparkles said truthfully though it was quite rude of her to say

"Sparkles!" hissed Audrey under her breath looking quite embarrassed with one paw over her face.

Sunday gave her little sister a stern look telling her silently that she would dell with her and her manners later. Then the loner turned her attention back to Loca with a look of apology

[~*Speckles*~]

Loca chuckled and looked at Sparkles with a smile. 'Actually I enjoy being alone and I couldn't care less about not knowing any of my family.' She spoke this with the smiled still on her face, and only part of it was true. She did enjoy being alone, but as for not caring in the least about not knowing who her family was... well it depended a lot on her mood at the time to say if that was true. Sometimes she did care, and very much, and at other times she didn't and was glad that she didn't know. At this moment she wasn't too sure of herself and really couldn't say that she was telling the whole truth. She shook her head. 'You sure say what you think don't you? That could be your downfall, as it was mine.' She jumped as she heard her thoughts come out of her mouth in words.

[lostheart]

Sparkles cared nothing for her possible downfall. Any hint of advice anyone ever gave her always went in one ear and out the other. What she cared about was the big juicy bit of gossip that had slipped out of Loca's mouth. "What was your downfall?" she asked frankly

[~*Speckles*~]

Loca flicked her tail, slight annoyance showing in her eyes. This cat was certainly very talkative and questionative(is that a word? xD). But she didn't really mind talking about it today. 'I spoke to freely of how I felt about a cat, I told that I trusted and they used it against me. They almost killed me but they died instead.' she flexed her claws and admired them before looking back up at Sparkles, as if expecting another question.

[lostheart]

"Ohh I see," Sparkles nodded, "That sounds quite interesting. Please do tell us the story!" She waved her tail back and forth eager for a story. This was a rare time indeed, when Sparkle was actually willing to listen.

Audrey to was very eager to hear some tale of the sort. It wasn't always when they were told a knew story since the had already heard most of Dewey's. She wasn't going to ask Loca to tell a story if she didn't want to but she would be very pleased to hear one.

She murdered a cat? Why Loca was a killer! Oh dear now she would kill them all and then eat them! Such ridiculous thoughts as these went through poor Hazel's little mind as she covered her ears with her paws.

Sunday didn't think that the story Loca might tell sounded very interesting. The black and white she-cat never had any pleasure in adventurous, bloody tales of fights and wars like Sparkles and Audrey did. She preferred storys of love and heros! Fighting was never to her taste.

Dewey listened intently to Loca. His green eyes glowed brightly in the darkness of his corner. Her story sounded like a good one to him though he thought not of the way his sister's might fell. It wasn't that he was selfish, Dewey just never thought about things like these for he was not yet used to looking after four she-cats though he had done it for so long