Kitty stared silent at the translucent figure.
She rubbed her eyes once, almost expecting the woman to vanish.
"Please do not fear me."
Kitty shook her head, taking a step back from the woman as her figure became more solid.
"You said son... That would make you Spikes's mom, wouldn't it?"
"That is correct. You've been an excellent friend to Carissa, and I must thank you for that as well." The woman smiled kindly her amethyst eyes shining brightly.
"I don't understand." Kitty muttered under her breath.
"How are you here?"
The woman tilted her head to the side, identical to Spikes when she was confused.
"She looks so much like you."
"Yes, I've seen. My name is Demonia Rovain." She responded, bowing her head slightly.
"You've seen? So you've been watching over her?" Kitty asked, a small smile spreading across her lips.
"Yes. As has my son since his passing."
Kitty's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed.
"Does that please you to hear?" She asked softly, taking a step closer to Kitty.
"N-not necessarily. It just surprised me a bit." She kept her eyes off of Demonia as she continued to step closer.
"You didn't answer my question. How are you here?"
"In my lifetime I was a powerful demon, the afterlife has not been much different for me. Thus I am able to give myself a slightly tangible form for brief periods of time." Demonia explained. She smiled at Kitty as if to reassure her.
Kitty frowned as she stared at Demonia.
"So why are you here?"
Demonia shook her head and smiled.
"I'm here to give you a gift. You've been so kind to my children, and I would like to repay your kindness."
"And what gift is that?" Kitty asked as she took a step back from Demonia.
"The ability to resurrect a life. It is something I can only give once, and can only be used once. Do you understand?"
"Resurrect... Bring someone back from the dead?" Kitty's face contorted with mistrust for the woman before her.
"Like a zombie?"
Demonia smiled at Kitty's skepticism, her confidence with entrusting the cat with this gift growing.
"Not like a zombie, Dear. It harnesses the soul and takes some of your life force to reconstruct the body and life is restored to the individual of your choosing."
Kitty's eyes darted to Takado's grave briefly before she met Demonia's gaze once again.
"Why are you giving this to me?" Kitty took another step back.
"Is it because you want me to bring Takado back?"
"I never said it was my intent for my son to live once more. Nor did I say he was unhappy in his afterlife." Demonia responded. Her voice was low, each word picked carefully.
"You are the one within your heart that wishes to give him life."
"What if that's not what I want?" Kitty shouted at her, fists clenched at her sides.
"What if I take this gift and run to Starlight Shores to bring my father back?"
"I don't. However that is your choice Katherine." Demonia leaned closer smiling as she whispered.
"That is the point of a gift. You get to choose what to do with it."
"I don't understand why... Why me?"
"As I said. You have been kind to both my children and I wish to repay you for that kindness." Demonia rest her hand lightly against Kitty's arm.
"However, I must warn you. This gift is for you alone and I must request that you make this decision on your own."
Kitty nodded hesitantly, unsure of how she truly felt with the enormous responsibility she was being gifted.
Demonia leaned over and lightly kissed Kitty's forehead before vanishing.
Kitty gingerly touched her forehead, flinch at the momentary heat the radiated from it before cooling to the rest of her skin.
...
"I don't understand, why are you going alone?" Spikes paced anxiously on the other side of the cat's bed.
"I'm not going alone Spikes. David is coming with me." Kitty smiled eagerly at Spikes as she continued to pack away clothes.
"He's going to go see his family. How do you know you'll be safe?"
"I don't but... I have someone I have to go see." Kitty zipped her bag closed and stood to face Spikes.
"And I need to see him alone."
"Why though? What if David's parents try something?" Spikes rushed to Kitty's side taking her hand in her own.
"At least let me come with you."
"Spikes I promise you I'll be perfectly safe. I'm going to visit my dad's best friend." There was some truth laced into her words.
She did plan on stopping by to visit the man she called uncle.
He wasn't the reason why she was going though.
"You had better keep in touch, alright?" Spikes sighed, finally relenting.
"It's only a four hour train ride away." Kitty grinned, pulling Spikes into a brief hug.
"I promise I'll text you."
The ride to the train station was a long one and silent one.
Spikes still wanted to convince Kitty to stay.
And Kitty would insist that she needed to go.
Spikes frowned at David as he stepped around the corner, smiling and friendly as always.
Nothing about the situation felt right.
Kitty and David soon boarded the train and Spikes stayed put and waved to Kitty in the window until the train had pulled her out of sight.
"Do you buy any of what she's saying Damon?"
Damon barked and shook his head.
Spikes sighed as her took a seat next to her.
"Ya me neither."
Damon barked again, nudging Spikes's leg.
Spikes rolled her eyes and glared down at the dog.
"I don't really have much of a choice other than to trust her now do I?"
Damon barked happily, his tail wagging furiously behind him.
"Alright let's go get some food boy. We'll figure out what she's up to when she gets home."
...
The train ride and adjacent cab drive after were both silent and awkward as Kitty and David made their way to the hotel.
Kitty quickly checked into her suite and began unpacking, David tailing close behind her.
"Are you gonna at least tell me the real reason you're here?" David asked as she rummaged through her suitcase.
"No, David. I appreciate your help with this, but I have to do it alone."
"Why do you have to do it alone though?" David sighed impatiently, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.
"Because this is an important decision I have to make for myself." Kitty said before entering the bathroom, cutting David off from asking anymore questions.
"I just hope you're not doing something stupid."
"Have we met? I'm always doing stupid things." Kitty giggled as she emerged from the bathroom fully dressed to go.
"Anyways let's go."
David nodded. He stood and followed her out of the room and out of the hotel.
They climbed into another cab and stayed silent throughout the ride.
Kitty's heart raced as the taxi grew closer to David's home, where he would be getting dropped off.
It grew harder to breath and the small cab felt as if it were shrinking around her.
She bent over, resting her head against her knees in a futile attempt to center yourself.
"I'll see you later Kitty." David stroked her hair before stepping out of the cab.
She didn't look up. She quickly gave the driver directions for the next stop and waited until the cab stopped again before she lifted her head.
Kitty quietly paid the driver and stepped out of the cab.
She stood at the entrance of Starlight Shores local Cemetery.
Kitty shivered and forced herself to step into the cemetery. She had only ever seen his grave from pictures sent to her but she still found it easily.
The final resting place of her father, Curtis Caine.
"Hi Daddy..." Kitty whispered softly. She stepped onto the small platform, filled with fresh flowers.
Kitty chuckled lightly at the thought of people still sending him flowers even two years after his death.
"I've really missed you." Kitty's voice shook.
She sat down in front of her father's headstone, running her fingers across the petals of a nearby flower.
"I'm living in Bridgeport now, I live under Uncle Nick's last name so that they aren't likely to find me." Kitty sighed heavily. She reached out, gingerly laying her fingers against the stone in which his name was carved.
"I made a friend Daddy. Her name is Carissa, but I call her Spikes. She's fun and sweet, but she's kind of crazy. I think you'd like her a lot."
Kitty glanced up at the sky, smiling as a star shot across the sky.
"You always taught me to be kind and generous to those who had less than me, but I don't know if I can this time." Kitty stared at her hands, thinking of the gift Demonia had claimed to give her.
"I miss you so much Daddy. Every single day that passes only makes me miss you more. I wish you'd never died and I have the power to do something about it."
Kitty wiped away the tears from her eyes.
"I'm not just a helpless little girl anymore." Kitty bit down on her lip, her fists curled around the hem of her dress.
"Spikes still is though deep under that rough exterior."
Kitty nodded, wiping away the tears from her eyes once more.
"I love you Daddy, so much. I miss you more than I can bear." Kitty inhaled deeply.
"But I'm not going to bring you back."
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