Notorious Duo Turns Triple
Part XII
By Mistacor
Munkustrap's eyes were wide with confusion as he, along with the rest of the tribe, stared confusedly at the two ruffed cats.
Father? Daughter? The Rum Tum Tugger? A father?? It didn't make any realistic, logical sense...
The Jellicle leader shook his head annoyedly, clearing his thoughts, before speaking levelly. " Tugger, I must insist you explain this..."
" Why? " the Maine Coon male asked blankly in indifference, never averting his gaze from the much smaller, young queen. " Isn't the explanation right in front of your face? "
Bombalurina was just as shocked, if not more, than Munkustrap as she stepped forward. " Tug...? That's your daughter? "
" A Rum Tum female? " Pouncival asked, kinda liking the idea.
" Your kitten? " Victoria asked, dumbstruck.
The Maine Coon calico kit looked put-out and rather irritated at all the talk around her. " Must they gawk like this? It's no big deal..."
Etcetera bounded forward, fearless, in front of her. " Of course, it's a big deal! If you're Tuggy's kitten, then that means there's a mate and if there's a mate then that means he's taken and if he's taken then that leaves no room for me and without me, I'm gonna -"
Jellylorum hissed sternly at her daughter, silencing the kit sharply.
" Despite Etcetera's ramblings," Munkustrap brought out to his stepbrother, "she is right. Who is the mate, brother? And why haven't you brought her here along with the little kit? "
" Kits," Tugger mumbled under his breath in correction, averting his gaze.
" There were more? " Admetus asked, raising an eyebrow from his perch on the great tyre.
Rum Tum Teazer lowered her eyes, seeming to remember something awful.
The Maine Coon nodded slowly, refusing to look up. " Two kittens. Rum Tum Teazer and Tiger. Their mother's name was Tiraani. She worked for Macavity when he was still unsealed."
Rum Tum Teazer's head shot up in alarm and skepticism. " Macavity's gone? Ya mean, really? "
" Shh," her father silenced.
" You mated with a queen who worked for Macavity?? " Munkustrap demanded, detest shining in his stern blue eyes.
" I didn't know that at the time! " Tugger glared defensively. " Not until she tried to kill my daughters. And succeeded in slaughtering Tiger..." he trailed off.
" Oh, Tugger... " Bombalurina went forward, softened at that moment. She knew the pain in losing a loved one, knew it well... " I'm so sor-"
Munkustrap placed an arm out in front of her, cutting her off as he stared intensely at the tom, keeping his voice low, " I speak for the whole of the tribe when I tell you it is a sad loss to lose another Jellicle - especially, a kitten - but we must know if you have unwittingly led this Tiraani here. "
" No. I haven't."
" How can you -? "
" That's all you need know, Munku," Tugger cut him off in agitation "Just trust my words and don't question me on this one."
Munkustrap stared at him. His brother, all of a sudden, seemed weary and tired, not the same Tugger he had known all his life up until the arrival of... It then hit him. It must be his daughter.
No wonder, he thought. The poor kit hasn't seen her father in months, maybe longer...
Nodding, he spoke clearly, " Very well. I will not delve deeper into this unsuitable matter for such a special occasion but, Tugger, you will explain all of this to me privately in my tunnel later. Understand? "
The Maine Coon tom nodded, still not lifting his head to face him eye to eye.
" In this case, I welcome Rum Tum Teazer to the Jellicle Tribe and grant her permission to join in the revelry," he smiled, slowly regaining his cheer, and nudging the kitten forward gently.
Ears flicking up, Mistacor grinned happily and slid in front of the ruffed kit playfully, sniffing in curiosity. Mungojerrie followed suit and nudged his mate with his rump, sending her a good human foot away.
" Oof! " Mista exclaimed with a wide-eyed pout.
Rum Tum Teazer laughed at their antics, forgetting her father briefly. " You two be funny cats."
" Ya 'ear tha', luv? " Mungo grinned lopsidedly to Mista who trotted back up beside him. " We're funny! "
" Thanks! " the silver calico smiled brightly to the tom.
" No, no," he laughed and motioned to Rum Tum Teaser. " 'er."
" Oh..." Mista giggled and then turned to Teaser. " Thanks to you, the'! "
" No. I should really be thankin' ya," the new queen said seriously. "I dunno wot ya said ta that tabby tom but whate'er it woz, it saved me bacon."
" Oh, Munkustrap... " Mista scoffed good-naturedly. " 'e's me Da... sorta... 'e means we' bu' 'e comes off as somewha' of a cu'mudgeo'. 'e's jus' stressed."
" In a goo' sorta way," Mungojerrie added in mirthfully as he batted at his mate's ears, watching them sproing back up with each turn. " 'ey, Cora! Ya've go' a nice se' o' ears! "
Mista blushed slightly and then giggled, tackling him down. " Why thanks, Jer. Ya've go' nice ears, too." And then she rolled off of him and into Rum Tum Teazer, wrestling with the new female impishly, both laughing and trying to make a pin.
" Daughter," called the Rum Tum Tugger.
Disentangling, both queens looked up in alarm.
" 'iya, Tug! " Mungojerrie smiled in his friendly way. " Wanna 'ave a 'bout of wrestlin' wit' us? "
Tugger cracked a smile. " Not right now, Jerrie. Gotta have a word with my daughter for a minute. She'll be back in time for Skimble."
Both young females exchanged looks before Mistacor was the first to smile and nuzzle her new friend forward.
" Ye'll be fine," she whispered as father and daughter walked off.
~
The Rum Tum Tugger and his daughter Rum Tum Teazer entered the large, grimy cardboard box together in silence. The uneasiness of it remained undisturbed as the sounds of celebration lay far beyond them and their minds groped for something - anything - to say.
After a moment of hesitation, the tom was the first to speak, his voice soft.
" Teaser, I'm very disappointed in you..."
" 'Cause I followed ya? " the queen asked in the same hushed voice. " Wot woz I s'posed ta do? "
" You were supposed to stay in that human house I left you in, that's what."
" And just forget about ya? Ya didn't e'en say good-bye. Ya just left me! "
Tugger turned to face his daughter sharply but then fell back, seeing the hurt and anger in her eyes. He tried to approach this tenderly. "Tease, I had no choice. I had to leave you there. Your mother is after you, not me. She knows that where I am, you aren't far behind. I couldn't put you in danger. I had to keep her off the scent. But now..." He clenched his teeth, trying to fight the wave of irritation and fear that crept through his fur like a disease. " Now..."
Teaser hissed softly. " Now that I came here, I put myself in danger, right? Went against everything you tried to avoid? "
Her father stared at her with blank, dark eyes.
" Well, I don't bloody care! Father, I want ta be wit' you! It's my safety I'm riskin' and I want ta be wit' ya! " Tears threatened her with unbearable emotion and she bit her lip in hopes they would obey her will.
She had missed him! For months, she had stayed in that horrible human house where they coddled her and tried determinedly to make her forget. Toy mice. Catnip. Tender stroking by way of gentle human fingers. A warm place near the fire to sleep and doze to her heart's content. It was a kittenish dream she and her sister Tiger had experienced only in their musings on the run from zooming cars and shelter from the rain. It had never been a reality for either of them... until now...
Now... Even that hurt her in the gut. How could she experience this heaven without Tiger, the same kit who had dreamed it with her millions of times while she was still alive?
And all the while, her mother Tiraani had betrayed them and had been working with Macavity...
She wished she could regain her kittenhood outlook on things again. She wished things could be easy again. She wished she could be so innocent like the others her age here in the Junkyard were. But she knew. She knew what was out there in the world. She knew what Macavity was and what he could do. It was a sad, premature reality to her.
And there her father stood, staring at her with all his love and fierce protection. She knew he meant well but that didn't completely make what he had done right. It didn't make what had changed her in his absence right at all. All those days and nights spent looking out the glass window, waiting for him and praying with all her heart that he was still alive.
" Tease, I want you to be with me, too, but -"
" Then, let me be," she cut him off, wiping her tears away with the back of a furious paw. " Let me be wit' ya. Ya said so yerself ou' there: Macavity is sealed away. And thank th' Cat fer tha'! " She sighed in momentary relief. " So I'm safe, righ'? "
" Sort of," the tom nodded after a second of thought. " Your mother is still alive, as far as I know." He somewhat reluctantly gave in. " But you're right... With Macavity gone, the chances of Tiraani being able to do anything against you are slim..."
" Then... Can I stay? " his young daughter looked up at him with eyes radiating hope in the purest sense of the word.
Tugger smiled down at her in amusement and pride after a second, rolling his eyes at her with a laugh. " Yes, you can stay. Now, breathe, for Bast's sake! "
Giggling, Tease stuck her tongue out at him, receiving a playful bat at her ears.
" Get over here, you! " the Maine Coon tom grinned and hugged his daughter close to him.
Rum Tum Teazer returned the hug tightly, smiling happily. " I love ya, father," she whispered in his ear, for once feeling totally safe in this strange place of laughter and joy.
" I love you back, my sweet bottle of porter," Tugger whispered back mischievously.
Teaser smiled and swatted his side with her tail. It was his affectionate Cockney term that he used only to annoy the life out of her, even though she secretly loved it when he called her it.
" My Tease.... My Tease is home...." Tugger sighed, holding her close, still trying to will his shocked self to believe it.
And unseen, for no one's eyes and no one's knowledge but his own, he silently cried in love of his daughter and prayer to the moon overhead that nothing would ever separate them again.... nothing....