Hello! I'm Paris, and I just came up with this as a little spur of the moment thing. We'll see how it turns out! It's a Cay/Syd story.

Disclaimer: sadly, I can claim nothing except the plot. I'd have a bit more money if I owned Cat Royal.

O u t O f M y L e a g u e

No, no, no! I thought frantically. This is not how it's supposed to happen! I opened my mouth to scream, to stop him, but no sound came out. The handsome blonde giant in front of me kept walking, not sparing me a backwards glance. I attempted to run after him, but to no avail. My legs, or any other limbs, I discovered, would not move.

Cat dung! In my terror, insults flew about my head, unable to escape my lips. I will not lose him again! I won't! Be damned by the wrong end of a cow, I won't! I felt as if I was frozen in time, quickly losing hold on my last bit of sanity. His last words echoed in my head as he faded into the darkness.

"You don't care. I'm nothink to you. G'bye, Cat Royal, and 'ave a nice life with the 'igh an' mighty people, you 'ear?"

My lips finally let loose my scream from their hold. "SYD!!!!Syd, no, no, come back! Syd! SYD!"

That's when I woke up. Tears were streaming down my face, and it felt like my thin blanket was suffocating me. I was curled into a ball, trembling with grief. Just a dream, Cat, it was just a silly 'ole dream, I tried to comfort myself. But no. I knew better. It was the fear that I felt every waking day now. Syd may think that I was worth waiting for, but I can read him as well as any play now. I saw the sorrow when he looked at me, and that everlasting patience. I don't know which hurt me more. He didn't understand. I knew where my heart lay. But I was afraid, so scared. I knew that eventually he'd move on, tired of waiting. Even his solid wall of patience would eventually crumble.

He didn't see it in my eyes. I was in love with Syd Fletcher. But I was not worthy of him.

"Cat?" came a soft voice from the shadows. I barely lifted my head, still unable to stop my tears. "Come on, Kitten, I know you're awake." Syd stepped out of the shadows, his giant six-foot-something frame silhouetted against the moonlit sky. The ship rocked gently in the breeze. I'd chosen to sleep on the deck of the Renegade, preferring the cool, open air to the stuffy cabin.

Besides, it wasn't right for me to sleep in the cabin and the boys sleep on the deck, seeing as they worked hard all day, not letting me do a thing, and would have to lose the comfort of the softer pallets and hammocks. Frank was loathe to let me, as was Syd, but I convinced Pedro, who in turn helped convince them. Within two days time I'd be holding my little goddaughter in my arms again, and be in the company of two of my best friends.

Syd looked at me, gentleness reflecting in his big green-blue eyes. His longish messy blond hair fell into them. He knelt down beside me, then gathered me in his strong arms. I struggled feebly, but he situated us comfortably in a sitting position against the wall of the ship, paying no notice to my attempts. I relished in the feel of his comforting arms around me, not failing to notice how perfectly I fit.

"Come now, Kitten, wat's all this?"

He lifted a thumb to my face and wiped away my tears. I turned my face, unable to look at him, too ashamed for him to see my face. I hate crying. "Nothing,'"I lied in a whisper. He sighed in exasperation.

"Cat, I may not be no scientist or nothink, but even I know that when you wake up in the middle 'a the night, screamin' my name an' cryin', somethink ain't right," his soft voice held the tiniest amount of hurt, no doubt at seeing me crying and not knowing the problem. Yes, I did indeed love him.

"Oh, Syd," I sighed, or hiccuped, rather, through my tears. "Look a' me, Cat," he ordered. I slowly turned my head back to face him, but refused to look him in the eye. "Wat's wrong wit' you these days? You should be excited, wat with goin' to see Li'l Cat an' all, but you're walkin' 'round all depressed. This ain't like you, Cat."

I took a deep breath, partly because of what I was about to say, and partly because his close proximity was slightly scrambling my brain.

"Syd, I..." I trailed off, looking at him uncertainly. He waited for me to go on. "I'm a street urchin. I have no home, nothing to my name, and no family to speak of. I'm not even a respectable lady. I've relied on my friends all of my life, and here you all are growing up and moving on all around me. Frank's off at college most of the time, Pedro's a famed musician now, and your boxing career is soaring! And it seems all I'm capable of doing is sitting around in a house that's not mine and feeling sorry for myself! I'm almost 16, Syd, I should be making something of my life!"

He started to interrupt. He looked slightly angry at my harsh self-accusations. "Now Cat, 'at's not true. You-"

"No, Syd, listen!" I interrupted my interrupter. "What I'm getting at is that...." Here it was.... "Is that I don't deserve you, Syd!"

Confusion passed over his handsome face like a cloud. "Wat....?Deserve me, Cat? Of course you deserve me, Cat, I'm your best friend!"

This really was all too much. I looked sharply up and met his eyes. "No, Syd! Not as a friend! Syd, don't you get it?!"

He looked hurt. "Cat, I know I'm slow an' all, but-"

"Syd, I love you!" There. I'd said it.

Confusion passed across his face again. But it was immediately followed by such raw joy--no, scratch that, reader--ecstasy, that my heart lightened. His handsome mouth stretched into a grin. He stood up, dragging me along with him. He searched my face with brilliant, beautiful eyes.

"You mean it, Kitten? Truly?"

"Yes, Syd, truly." And so it was. I loved the giant in front of me. I loved his enormous muscular frame, his beautiful eyes, his gorgeous face. I loved his street slang, and his patience. I loved him.

He cupped his large hands around my little face. "You 'ave no idea 'ow long I bin waitin' to 'ear that." And with that, he bent down to my level and kissed me. Not a peck, like the last time. A real kiss. I regretted ever comparing Billy Sheperd's kissing to Syd's. Of course, that was before I got so caught up that I forgot to think.

And there we have it! Just a short little piece of work, not much. I may or may not do a second chapter. Lemme know watcha think! :)

--¤Paris