Sashi slid out of the cab and gave the driver his fare and tip, "Thanks again, Chen."

"Anytime, sugar," the driver smiled and waited until Sashi had reached the front door of his apartment building before driving away. He was a sweet person and Sashi knew his son had skipped out on his grandkids, so Chen and his wife were now raising a five-year-old and an eight-year-old while their daughter-in-law drank herself into a liver condition. This background contributed to why Sashi always called Chen when he needed a cab...and why Chen always got almost twice his fare in tips.

Climbing the stairs, Sashi let himself consider what had just happened at the Lords and Ladies. The electricity of the stranger's gaze, the passionate protection of his girls, the vibrant response of the audience. It had been a good night, all around, even in spite of Rochelle. He smiled and unlocked his apartment door, swinging it open.

As the door swung inside, Sashi maneuvered one foot to keep the cats from running out. Before he could complete the block, though, Mandy and Gecko had vaulted his leg and were half-way down the hall, both fluffed up into angry clouds of calico fur. "C'mon, guys, what's going on..." He turned to follow them, then realized that Dahini was not with them. "'Hini, baby? You okay?"

"She scratched me."

A feeling of ice ran down his spine and Sashi stared inside the darkened apartment. Now, he could make out the outline of a female figure stretched out on the couch, wrapped in a towel. "What did you do to my cat, Rochelle."

"Little bitch deserved it." Rochelle stood up and prowled towards the door until the light from the hallway lit her face and the sinister, vindictive smile that curled her lips. 

Horrified, Sashi rushed the door and shoved her aside, calling, "Dahini!?" Rochelle staggered against the door with an angry sound, but Sashi barely paid her any mind in his panic to find the four-year-old cat. There was blood on the kitchen floor. The window was open, the screen clawed out. "What the fuck, Rochelle!?"

"She scratched me," Rochelle repeated in disgust. "So I kicked her."

"You kicked my cat!?" Sashi whirled on his ex, enraged. "Get the fuck out, Rochelle. Why are you even here?"

"I've moved on," she said with a lofty smile as she walked past Sashi and into the kitchen to root around in the refrigerator. "To the couch."

"The fuck you have." Sashi reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, already heading for the door to collect the other two cats. "I'm calling the police."

Rochelle's hand closed over his wrist and he froze, twitching in a combination of rage and disgust. "You won't," she purred. "Not when they have to confirm your identity. Not when you'll have to explain why your drivers' license doesn't back up your lack of balls." Sashi's hands shivered and he closed his eyes, trying to draw away from her. "Just put the phone down, honey. It's just a cat. She'll come back when she's ready." 

Sashi pulled away sharply and shook Rochelle away, "No, she might be hurt. You could have really hurt her or she might have gotten hurt jumping out the window. I've got to find her. And I want you gone when I get back." He stormed out, just trying to put as much distance between himself and Rochelle as he could manage. In the hallway, both cats were huddled together with their tails wrapped around their feet. "Poor babies," Sashi whispered and unzipped his jacket to make room inside. Mandy was willing enough to snuggle against his body under the baseball jacket, but Gecko wasn't so keen. It took a little bit of arranging, but eventually he was able to walk with Gecko under one arm and Mandy snuggled against his chest. He headed down the stairs and out into the night, calling Dahini's name.

Charlie didn't waste much more time at the Lords and Ladies. Jenny was nice. All the girls were nice, but they could all see that he had China's stars in his eyes. Just like the waitress had, they told him to let it go, she barely existed outside of the club, but he couldn't stop thinking about her. After about an hour of talking and drinking, he paid his tab and headed out to the Mustang. Jenny had texted him the address of their motel and he paused for a minute to check a map online for the route. 

As he drove through the streets, every flash of the street lamps was another flickering light bouncing from China's glittering outfit, the sparks in her dark eyes when she was arguing with that other woman. Irritated, Charlie shook his head. He didn't have time to be distracted by a girl.

A pedestrian was booking it down the sidewalk and Charlie took note in case the figure decided to sprint out into traffic. The figure's black hair was short, but it was definitely China. He braked the car hard and stared, baffled, as she strode along the pavement, occasionally leaning into an alley or under a bush to yell something he couldn't make out through the glass. She looked burdened, too, as if she was carrying something. Charlie leaned over and rolled down the passenger side window to call, "You look like you could use a hand."

She jumped and fell back into a recognizable figher's stance that Charlie admired quietly as the dancer recovered her composure. China leaned down to peer into the car and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "It's you."

"It's me," he agreed. 

Something in China's baseball jacket squirmed wildly and she bit her lip, a ticklish expression crossing her face as a calico kitten forced its face up the neck of her jacket and peered out at Charlie. "This is Mandy," China said. "And the lump near my kidneys is Gecko. We're looking for their sister, Dahini."

"You look like you've got your hands full," Charlie nodded with a smile. "Do you want some help?"

He could tell she was reluctant to accept by the worried look in her eyes, but her tentative smile and nod lifted a weight out of his chest and Charlie smiled back at her. With a little negotiation, they managed to find a place for Charlie to park the car while the dancer unloaded the two squirming cats into the front seat. Charlie made a mental note to buy some allergy meds the next time he stopped for gas and maybe a vacuum at one of those outdoor car washes.

"I do appreciate this," she said, holding out a hand to him. "I'm Sashi."

"Charlie," he replied and shook her hand. Her grip was firm and more direct than he would have expected from a woman, but Charlie noted to himself that she had to be strong to go up and down that pole with such ease. "Let me text my sister so she doesn't wonder where to find my shallowly-buried body."

China—Sashi laughed, "Because I'm such a threat."

Once he'd texted Jenny, Charlie turned his phone off and stuffed it deep into a pocket before settling into stride beside Sashi. "So, is there a reason you and three cats are running around the streets at 2 AM?"

Sashi's smile faded almost immediately and Charlie regretted asking. "Yes."

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me."

"No, it's okay." The dancer took a deep breath and exhaled again, obviously uncomfortable and maybe even a little angry. "My ex is in my apartment. She threw Dahini out a window."

"What!?" Charlie stared. "Have you called the police?"

"No. There's no point."

Charlie raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What do you mean there's no point? They can make her leave, can't they?"

Sashi pushed her hands deeper into the pockets of her jeans and walked a little faster, seeming to forget about looking for the cat. She didn't say anything, so Charlie just stretched his legs to catch up with her in silence. After another block or so, Sashi turned suddenly and called, "Dahini?" A short-haired tortoiseshell cat slunk out of the bushes and wound her way around Sashi's ankles, head held low. "Oh, baby, it's okay." Sashi dropped to her knees and scooped the cat close, checking her small body all over for bruises, bumps, blood, or breaks. "Poor sweetie, it's okay. Daddy's here."

Charlie held very still, surprised. Sashi seemed to freeze, as if the word had slipped out unintentionally. Slowly, the dancer turned to face Charlie, eyes round and afraid. 

Swallowing carefully, Charlie said, "Daddy?"

Sashi held his gaze for a moment. He could still feel the sparks there, the fire of reaction between them. It had a different flavor now and Charlie waited, trying to keep his expression neutral. "I'm trans." Sashi spoke the words carefully and quietly. 

"You're a man." Charlie knelt down in front of Sashi, getting their faces on the same level. "Like... inside, you're a man."

"I'm a man with a vagina," Sashi said, tone quietly ironic. 

"And breasts," Charlie agreed. "Nice ones, too."

Sashi blushed. "Thanks. I think."

Charlie let out a slow sigh, then held out one hand, palm up, toward the cat who was arching her whiskers towards him. Sashi let Dahini down to the sidewalk again and they both watched the calico lean into Charlie's hand, finally starting to purr. "Doesn't change anything," Charlie said very softly. "Not for me." Sashi looked up in surprise and Charlie smiled. "You're still beautiful."

"Beautiful." Sashi laughed bitterly. "For a woman."

Charlie ran his fingers gently over Dahini's soft fur and the cat investigated his palm with her damp nose, whiskers tickling. "Am I allowed to call a man beautiful? Or do I need to find a different word?" The cat leaned in deep to his wrist and began sniffing up his sleeve. "Because I think you're attractive. Not just as a woman." He looked up and met Sashi's eyes again. "You're a very attractive person, Sashi."

Sashi stared at him, his expression confused, brows pulled down and eyes worried. "Don't mess with me, Charlie. This isn't fair."

Charlie sighed, "I mean it." He extended his hand toward Sashi's face gently. "Can I? Show you?"

Like a frightened animal, Sashi leaned backwards a little. His face was closed and nervous, but Charlie watched his expression, the quick flickering lights in his dark eyes, the way his lips pressed together and his jaw clenched. "O-okay?"

Charlie gently slid one hand along Sashi's cheek, brushing his thumb over the dancer's skin, following the cheekbone down to his jaw. Sashi closed his eyes and something in Charlie's chest pulled: he looked like someone who hadn't been touched gently in years. He knew that look. Finally, he gave Sashi a light pull until the dancer leaned in and Charlie could brush his lips against the other man's, a light kiss of awareness and fragility. "You're a beautiful man, Sashi."

Tears slowly trickled down Sashi's cheeks and Charlie smiled, brushing them away. "Thank you," Sashi whispered, his voice hoarse. 

Between them, Dahini kneaded her paws into Charlie's thigh, purring.

"What do you want to do about Rochelle?" Charlie offered Sashi a hand standing up and the dancer took it with grace. 

Sashi sighed and gave an expressive shrug, "I have no idea. Honestly, what she said about the police not taking me seriously if I called them about her is probably true. All my identification says I'm female. If I call them and they ask for my ID, they'll pigeon hole me as a lesbian having a tiff with her girlfriend instead of someone legitimately reporting a home invasion."

Charlie nodded thoughtfully and they began walking back toward the Impala and the remainder of Sashi's cats. Dahini was settled against Sashi's shoulder, purring loudly. "Well, I see two options," he said. "We can burst in their ourselves and I can shoot her--"

"What!?"

"Okay, I can threaten to shoot her," Charlie modified. "Or you and the girls can come back to the motel with me. We can call the police from there and say that you're staying with a friend because the door was open when you came home from work. They never have to know your gender."

Sashi looked at him incredulously for a moment. "Would you really shoot her?"

Charlie shrugged. "If it would help."

"I think I love you."

"Aw, you're going to make me blush." Charlie said it facetiously, but he could feel a little heat creeping up his neck. "What's a little murder between friends?"

Sashi chuckled. "You saved me from Rochelle in public, helped me hunt for my lost cat—who doesn't like anyone but seems to like you—and offer to kill my nightmare ex. You hit more than a few branches of the pretty tree on your way down from heaven." Dahini made an irritated sound, obviously tired of being carried, so Sashi shifted the cat from one arm to the other. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind spending the night in a motel. Did you pick a place that's animal friendly? Otherwise, I'll need you to help me remove Rochelle."

"We tend to go cheap," Charlie admitted. "I think they had a big 'no pets' sign."

As they reached the car, Sashi gathered all of his babies to him as he climbed into the passenger seat and Charlie tried not to let his nose twitch as he started the engine. Sashi directed him to the apartment building and closed the cats back in the car long enough to clear the apartment. They climbed the stairs together, Charlie with his pistol out and ready while Sashi lead the way, eyes wide and body tense. 

The door to his apartment still stood open, as it had when he'd run out in search of Dahini. Sashi slowly crept to the door and peeked inside. Despair dropped into his stomach like lead when he saw the inside of the living room: the couch was a shambles with the cushions pulled loose and slashed with a knife. The stuffing had been strewn around the room and Rochelle had broken both reading lamps and the television. "She's gone," he said to Charlie. "She wouldn't leave it like this if she was still here." 

Sashi walked into his demolished apartment with Charlie at his elbow. Together, they surveyed the damage and Charlie let out a low whistle. "She really is a bitch."

"This barely scratches the surface," Sashi sighed. They walked into the kitchen and Sashi let out a choked sounded: she had shattered all of his coffee mugs with obvious deliberation, one at a time. He knelt in the wreckage and picked up one of the larger pieces with the handle still attached, a brown-and-gold two-tone mug with a hole in the handle for a spoon. Once, it had said "TEA" but now, it only read "EA."

Charlie put a hand lightly on Sashi's shoulder. "Do you have a broom? I'll help."

"You don't have to."

"No," Charlie agreed, "but I want to."

Sashi gave him a broom and went to collect the stuffing from the couch into a few trash bags while Charlie swept the kitchen floor. He pulled out the vacuum cleaner and ran it over the floor in kitchen and dining room to make sure the shards of ceramic were pulled up as much as possible, then Sashi went back down to the Mustang to retrieve the girls. Once they were settled back in, Sashi smiled gently at Charlie. "I really appreciate all your help tonight. With everything."

Charlie stretched his back, then reached to catch Sashi's hand in his own. "It was my pleasure, Sashi." He looked down at their entwined fingers and smiled a little, almost looking shy. "Do you... think I could get your number? We could clean your apartment again sometime."

Sashi laughed and squeezed his hand, pulling him a little closer. "Y'know, I think I'd like that, Charlie. Maybe we could even catch a movie... on the busted TV."

"And cuddle on the cushion-less couch," Charlie added.

"We could get coffee in paper cups." They both grinned at the idea and Sashi nodded. "Yes, you can have my number. But only if I get yours, too."

"Done." Charlie fished his phone from the inner pocket while Sashi retrieved his own. They swapped numbers while Charlie studiously ignored the dozen texts from his sister. Finally, Charlie cleared his throat, looked toward the door, and wondered to himself how best to ask what he was thinking. "Do you..."

"Stay." Sashi leaned forward and put one hand on Charlie's broad chest. "Please."

Charlie smiled and put one hand over Sashi's on his chest. "Okay."

In the night, Charlie woke up to find that he had acquired a purring halo. Dahini was curled around his ears and her chin rested on his forehead. Sashi rolled over and snuggled up against Charlie's side and he smiled, closing his eyes again. He liked it here. Dahini purred louder.