I pulled the car into my tiny shared driveway, turning my lights off as soon as I put it in park. It wasn't as late as I normally got home from work, but most people in my neighborhood were already asleep.

"Should I put Sally somewhere...?" It suddenly hit me how crazy this was. What if Sally and Princess didn't get along? It's only for a little while, I reminded myself. Just until I found Princess a home.

"Yeah, maybe put her in your bedroom until we get Princess Buttercup set up? She's going to be nervous enough as it is."

"Okay, one moment. I'll be right back."

Sally wasn't waiting for me at the door like she normally did when I came home from work, but as soon as she heard me rattling the door, she launched into the most ferocious round of barks. "Shh, Sally, it's me, calm down." I was completely okay with her barking like crazy when she didn't know who was on the other side of the door. She was a good guard dog, though if any potential robbers saw her and not just heard her, they'd probably just bust in anyway. But her bark was pretty ferocious. 

She calmed down as she sniffed my hands, more excited than usual, and I realized she must smell the cat on me.

"Just a moment, girl, you'll meet Princess soon."

Sally followed me eagerly into the bedroom, but I caught a glimpse of the saddest, most disbelieving eyes as I shut her in, and I felt like an ass. Normally I played with her as soon as I got home, but I had Princess and Marcus waiting on me. "I'll make it up to you, girl," I promised, and hurried back outside.

Marcus was standing with the car door open, Sally's box sitting on the seat behind him. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yep. You grab Princess and I'll grab the supplies?"

As we set everything on my living room floor, I asked Marcus, "So what now? Do we just let Princess run around and familiarize herself with everything?"

"Pretty much. She can wander around while we decide the best spot for her bowls and her litter box."

The moment Marcus pulled back the first flap on her box, Princess popped her head up, squeezing it through the small open hole.

"Just a minute, sweetie pie," Marcus cooed. "You're home."

"Temporarily," I protested, but Marcus ignored me.

He opened the box fully and we watched her for a minute as she popped her head curiously above to look at her surroundings, and then jumped with one smooth, graceful leap, and then sat and began cleaning her paw.

"So... litter box?"

Marcus nodded. "Litter box."

Sally was still whining softly at my door, but as much as I wanted to let her out, I didn't want to introduce the two animals until I was completely focused on supervising them. Princess wandered up to the door at one point, sniffing along its bottom edge, and Sally's whines grew more plaintive.

It didn't take us much time at all to set the litter box up in the spare bedroom, in the undamaged part, and wash Princess's bowls and fill them in the kitchen.

"You want to help me introduce the two furries?" I asked Marcus. I imagined it would be easier to have someone to help in case I needed to separate them. I didn't know how I was going to handle them if it turned out they didn't get along. This was Sally's house, and I wasn't going to leave her locked up in the bedroom. Maybe I could put Princess in the spare... but I was just borrowing trouble I didn't have yet. 

"Absolutely." Marcus picked up Princess. "Bring out the hound!"

"She thinks she’s a big dog, and she’s a little bit... enthusiastic," I warned.

"I like big things," Marcus said, and I rolled my eyes before realizing an uncharacteristic blush had bloomed in his cheeks. Had that been an unintentional innuendo?

I pushed the bedroom door open a sliver, and Sally was on it, shoving her little black nose against it, snuffling eagerly.

"Gentle," I urged her, and opened the door wider, snagging her collar as she tried to push past me. I held tight as her paws scrambled on the floor, dodging this way and that, her tail whap whapping against my legs and her nose tailing Princess's path. Then she looked up and saw Marcus and Princess and dragged me close to them, but when we got within a couple feet, she suddenly pressed her top half low to the floor, as if bowing. She tilted her head a little so she could still see them, and then her back half fell to the floor with a whump, her tail still wagging madly.

"Well... that's unexpected," I said.

Marcus knelt on the floor, Princess sitting loosely in his arms. Sally's tail smacked harder against the floor, and she quivered with excitement. Princess looked down on my mutt imperiously, and with a deliberately slow arch, leaned out of his hold to inspect this insanely floppy creature before her. Sally made a move as if she was going to jump up, and I readied myself to catch her, but she was good, and let Princess come up and sniff her without any startling moves. When Princess sniffed her nose, Sally couldn't resist darting her tongue out for a good hello lick. Princess backed away, but seem to mind too much, and then the cat walked away into the kitchen.

Sally's eyes darted between me and Princess, as if asking permission to follow. "Go on," I said. "But stay nice."

She leaped to her feet, but followed Princess at a good distance, though the cat ignored her now, her curiosity apparently satisfied. As I watched the two, something unlocked in my shoulders. I hadn't realized how stressed I was about introducing them to each other.

I turned to grin at Marcus, and was nearly frozen by the look of longing on his face. It was so raw, and open. But he must have felt my eyes on him, because in a moment it was gone, and he returned my smile. "Looks like things are going to be just fine." He yawned, and tried to cover it up. "Sorry! It's been a long day. I guess I should be heading home."

"There's no buses running this late," I protested.

He waved my worry away. "I'll just call a car, it's okay."

"I can drive you home," I continued. 

"Killian, you can't leave Princess alone so soon. She needs you."

My mind scrambled. Why was I protesting so much? "A taxi would be really expensive," I said, my mouth moving before my brain. "Why don't you just crash here?"