Work Text:
As much as I would like to deny it, it was nicer this way. It was for me but most importantly to lil Petey, the kitten deserved to have a nice life surrounded with nice people. They did for the most part, there was Chief, Sarah, Flippy and most importantly dogman.
That dogman would find any way to make lil Petey happy, even modify his own house for him to build a lab on. But even so, he was still a hero. Danger is a promise to a hero as big as a dogman and even more to something he loves dearly, that something being lil Petey. And a danger to me in a way, i could not stand the injustices put upon the dog. Sentence to infinity in prison due to “Turpitude” what a sick joke, they would do anything to bring that dog down. I would do anything for him really, even go back to being evil again and overwork myself till I pass out. I mean he lets me stay in his house for free, and takes great care of lil Petey. I don’t deserve it really, after what I did to him.
I just HAD to make it more awkward than it needed to be of course, saying what I really felt even though I knew how it was going to end. Maybe it was a cry to get out of there as fast as I could, maybe I just could not stand it anymore having that false hope. It really is self-ish of me, now we were back into shared custody after my lab was re-built. I Know that dogman will still care for lil Petey regardless of where he was, I just had to move on myself and find someone who was willing to care for me.
That’s when I met Oliver, he was a normal cat tabby like me but brown, had long fur and glasses. I met him when we moved back in, he was nice and told us he owned the business on the other side of the street. He helped us with the move after he saw me struggling to pull the beds in, he is really nice actually, I really appreciate him with all the help he’s given us. He would always be on the lookout lil Petey and would help us with maintenance. We cared for each other, when he had a nasty cough I would make him soup, some tea and natural remedies my mom taught me, they really did the trick. When money was tight after the move in, he would buy us lunch and told us not to worry about it. It was his way to show that he cared, I didn't want it to make it seem that we did it just to get something out of it. “It was really nothing” and “ don’t worry about it” for someone who looks scary. He is very nice, he looked like someone I would find in cat jail, he looks tough and is someone of few words but he is very kind. Lil Petey seems to like him too, he would get him some toys and would send him some pizza whenever he wanted. He even taught him how to catch a football, he was very good at throwing them since he would throw them at dogman and he would bring them right back. Catching them was another story…
“This stinks! I can’t catch this dumb ball” lil Petey exclaims and kicks the football away from him. Oliver brought the ball back and inched down to look at lil Petey. “ Well now we know you are good at kicking too!” He tried to humor him with no success “ Listen kid, you aren’t gonna catch the ball on the first try! You got to practice.” Lil Petey was about to have a temper tantrum, how could he save an entire city but not catch a stupid ball? “You weren’t so good at throwing a ball at the first try didn’t you?” It seemed to make sense to him, he remembered how the football would swirl out of control in the air, it was only the 100th time it soared in the air with ease.“You got this kid! Don’t worry you just have to keep going! I’ll be there to teach you!”
It was only a week later they both came running to the lab with the news “ Papa! Papa! I catched it! I catched it!” lil Petey cheered “ Yup! This lil guy is going places! I’ll see ya in the big leagues on TV!” Oliver ruffled Lil Petey's head as he giggled.
That is what I wanted lil Petey to have, to have a nice childhood. How I would have killed for my dad to show me the compassion and patience Oliver showed to lil Petey. Although there are some issues, Dogman doesn’t seem too pleased with Oliver picking up lil Petey on mondays and that lil Petey had football practice with him on the weekends as well. How he doesn’t go on adventures with them anymore, and how rarely they ever become the “Supa Buddies” and fight crime. When Oliver found out about it he was raging like i never believed he could. “How can you allow him to go out there! He could have gotten himself killed!” I have never seen him like that before, but he had a point. Why did I ever allow him to go out there, he could have gotten hurt. He is a kid for gosh sake the only thing he should be worrying about is his grades, not saving a whole city.
Even if the dogman cannot understand it, “I’m sorry dogman but…it’s really for the best.” dogman was sitting on the couch next to me, whining to show his deception and sadness. “I want lil Petey to have a nice childhood, the one i never had. I want him to be a normal kid, go to school and make friends! I want him to be a normal kid dogman "I looked at him, and I have never seen him so desperate and solemn ever in my life. Not even after Knight’s accident, I guess he was losing someone he cared about over again “ And that is something you can’t give him…” This was really selfish of me, he has helped me and lil Petey out so much, even if those feelings i shared with him are now mutual. I have found someone who really is best for lil Petey and for me too. I can’t do this to him “We can still have the shared custody! I’ll talk with Oliver and arrange it better so that you can still play with him. We could arrange something and you can come with us!” i could tell that it wasn’t working “listen i know change is hard, but this is for lil Petey remember? That’s why you are doing this right? You told me yourself” It was a bad jab I know, but I had to do it. The guy broke my heart after all.
ALthough he still visits sometimes and has dinner with us any other day of the week, and brings flowers. We still agreed what was better, for lil Petey of course. I could care less for what was better for me, I didn't think I deserved any of that to be honest. Although Oliver really has been a great support, I really feel like I don't deserve everything that he has done. Even Dogman, I don't deserve his forgiveness and much less his compassion. But I have learned to feel so loved and to accept that love, and now I cannot comprehend how I managed to be alone all this time.
Now I have moved on and I'm in a better place. If you were to ask me if I would be in a kitchen making dinner for my husband and kid I would say that you were crazy. But now it is all I have ever dreamed of and a feeling that I would change for nothing in the world. To provide the love and future I could not have to something that is way bigger than me, to someone i love dearly more than i love myself.
I guess saving the world everyday is just as exciting as leaning to catch a ball