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"This is your fault you know."
"Me?" Aeryn demanded. "In what way is this my fault?!"
"You were the last one with it," D'Argo said. "And you know how it's taken to following you around."
"What's the matter now?" Rygel asked as the arguing pair entered the Center Chamber where he and Zhaan were eating lunch.
"The C.A.T. got out," D'Argo answered. "The PeaceKeeper was supposed to be watching it."
"Who made *me* the caretaker of that animal?"
"Well *someone* has to care for it," Rygel snorted. "It certainly can't take care of itself!"
"Then why don't you get off your fat eema and do it?" Aeryn growled.
"Look, this isn't helping," Zhaan broke in. "Pilot?"
"I heard. I am scanning the area. I'll let you know as soon as I find it."
"In the meantime," Zhaan suggested, "we should be sure he actually got out and isn't just lost somewhere on board."
"Wouldn't we hear it calling?" Aeryn asked.
"Let's find out." D'Argo gestured for her to follow, leaving little room for argument. "We'll look for it."
"That C.A.T. better not be in my quarters," she grumbled, heading for the door.
"Would you please stop calling him that?" Zhaan implored. "He's an intelligent being with a name-"
D'Argo and Aeryn gave vague answers as they left. They were all tired of that argument.
Zhaan turned to Rygel. "What about you?"
"I will be staying here. It'll return when it's hungry anyway."
Zhaan took his foodcube from his hand, a dangerous move liable to cost a person their fingers, and held it out of his reach.
"*He*, Rygel," she said. "It's a he." Then she dropped the cube in his drink and left.
Rygel stared at the cube that showed no sign of dissolving, shrugged, and downed the glass.
~*~
A quarter arn later, the shipmates reunited.
"There's no sign of it -him- on this whole frelling ship," D'Argo sighed.
"Why would he leave?" Zhaan wondered aloud. "Where could he go?"
"He's proven adaptable this far," Aeryn reminded her. "He'll figure something out. Maybe find another vessel. Just be a ship's C.A.T."
"If he survives that long." D'Argo had not caught on to the comforting aspect of this conversation. "This isn't his natural habitat."
Pilot's voice interrupted them. "Zhaan! I found him! He's coming back!"
"See?" Rygel said around chewed food cube. "It's instinct. They always find a way back."
The others ignored him and dashed to the Docking Bay.
~*~
Crichton landed the Farscape 1 and hopped out to find his new companions waiting for him.
"Hey, guys! I wasn't gone *that* long. Did you miss me already?"
"Where have you been?!" D'Argo demanded.
Crichton blinked. "I just took a spin around the area. Figured while we were out of StarBurst for a while, I might see the sights."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Zhaan asked, more gently. "We were worried."
"I told Rygel, though I don't know if he heard me over his teeth clacking together."
"Again," Aeryn asked, "why didn't you tell *us*?"
"Sorry. I just wanted to get out for a while. But I'm back, I'm fine, and the good captain Crais is nowhere in sight. Now, if it's not a problem, I'm going to my room to catch some z's 'cause I am wiped!"
As Crichton passed them, D'Argo muttered to Aeryn. "The C.A.T. is back."
"D'Argo, would you quit calling me that? It's *Human*, not Crazy Alien Thing. I took the trouble to learn your species names; you can learn mine."
When Crichton left, D'Argo asked, "When did he figure out what that stood for?"
"I don't know," Aeryn answered, "but we may have underestimated him."
