Notorious Duo Turns Triple
By Mistacor
Part XIII
Having been sent off by her father to join the others, Rum Tum Teazer made her way back to the junkyard with more bounce in her step.
When she reached the old Ford's bumper, she stopped suddenly in her tracks. There was an old, dewy-eyed Jellicle sitting on a rusted paint can, his hands shaking terribly like a leaf in a chilling, cold winter wind. It made her heart melt to see him there surrounded by all the Jellicles. What were they doing?
A gold, white and tan queen then suddenly stood up from beside this old tom and sang sweetly about Shakespeare and something called East Lynne.
Twitching her small black velvet nose in idle contemplation of this, she silently jumped onto the car hood and crept 'round to where she spotted the two nice cats she had met earlier: Mistacor and Mungojerrie.
Freezing as she reached the back of the great tire, she looked down and met the unhappy, pouting gaze of Etcetera. Her ears flattened apologetically but the opposing young kit's gaze refused to let up. Finally, a striped white and grey crawled over from the car on the ground and butted Cety's side with his head.
Her mind taken off of Teaser, Etcetera turned her attention slowly to the tom beside her, being difficult at first due to some past squabble but then smiling playfully, succumbing to her friend's charm.
Teaser sighed in grateful relief but then tensed in her fur as she caught full sight of her 'rescuer's' face. As if frozen, she stared... He was handsome, whoever he was...
" 'ey, Tease! " whispered Mistacor who sat on the top of the oven with Mungojerrie who boredly pawed at his mate's tail.
Shaking herself out of her reverie, the Maine Coon kit smiled and climbed over to sit beside the silver calico.
" 'iya, Teaser," Mungo greeted her with a friendly smile and a wave of his tail.
" Hi, Mungo," Teaser greeted back with a giggle.
Alonzo blinked at the threesome blankly, half-snoozing from Gus' song but still on the guard for any unruly kittens.
Mista tried to look inconspicuous and whispered, " 'ow'd th' talk wit' Tugger go? "
" Good," Tease whispered back excitedly. " And guess wot? 'e's lettin' me stay 'ere! "
" Tha's grea'! We ca' al'ays use anot'er ca' in th' yard," Mista smiled but then stopped abruptly in unease, seeing the other queen staring at her. " W-wha' is i'? "
Eyes going wide at the question, Tease smiled sheepishly. " Oh, sorry..." She grinned. " Bu' I jus' can't believe 'ow much ye're glowin'! "
Blushing, Mistacor laughed and looked over her shoulder to see Mungo dozing, her tail hugged tightly in his paws. She smiled warmly at him; he always looked so cute when he slept, like a small kitten. " Does i' re'lly show? "
The other queen nodded truthfully. " Oh, yeh. When ya guys gettin' ma'ed?"
" We jus' di' tonigh'," came the abashed confession.
" Congrat'lations."
" Thanks."
Rum Tum Teaser lowered her voice even more, ducking her head to ear level. " 'ey, Mista? Do ya 'appen ta know who that tom down there is? "
" Hmm...? Which one? "
" That one next ta Etcetera."
Gus' song over, Jellylorum tenderly lead him away, the other Jellicles stirring.
" Oh..." Mista smiled, straining her neck to see the tom her friend meant. "Tha's Pouncival."
" Skimbleshanks is here! "
" Uncle Skimble! "
Mungojerrie started awake, releasing his mate's tail in the process and standing up with a yawn. "Skimble 'ere, luv? "
" Yep! " Mista grinned as she nuzzled his cheek gently and stretched her limbs. She looked over to Tease. " We'll race ya! "
And with that, she and Mungojerrie sped down to where the others gathered around the sleeping Skimbleshanks, uncle to all the cats.
" There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty-nine when the night mail's ready to depart, saying, 'Skimble? Where is Skimble?! Has he gone to hunt the thimble? We must find him or the train can't start! ' "
The marmalade-colored tom woke up in startlement from his perch on a record player high on one of the many piles of junk surrounding the area and quickly jumped up. Shaking his fur and making sure his vest was in place neatly, he scurried down among the other Jellicles with a loving smile every once in a while to a kit or two.
Smiling with an air of importance and checking the time on his pocket watch, he sang, " All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters -" He pointed to Mistacor, Jemima, Rumpleteazer and Victoria who each widened their eyes in surprise at being chosen and tried to play the part. " -would be searchin' high and low, saying, 'Skimble, where is Skimble? For, unless he's very nimble, then the night mail just can't go.' "
Shooed into a perfect line by a methodical Jennyanydots, the chosen "stationmaster's daughters" stood in nervous poise, their hands on top of each other before them.
Skimbleshanks suddenly ran over and paced around them, keeping a speculative eye on each of them as he circled.
Teaser took an inquisitive sniff at the analytical tom before Mista pulled her urgently in line with the others.
Trying to copy the pose, she watched from the corner of her eye as Skimble paced behind her. All of a sudden, she felt him nudge her back straight, correcting her, and then coming around to lift her chin up. She heard Mistacor beside her giggle but be quickly hushed by a mocking scowl from the orange cat.
Studyng her for a moment sternly, Teaser was amazed to see him suddenly smile and put a reassuring paw on her shoulder before moving on and getting ready to tell a little story about life on a train.
All the young queens and toms settled themselves down around the railway cat but, since neither Rum Tum Teazer or Mistacor knew the words, they jumped up on either side of Munkustrap.
" Hello, uncle," Tease smiled shyly.
" 'ello, Da," Mista smiled and lightly butted her head against the tom's shoulder.
" Hi, you two," Munku greeted both cheerfully.
Rumpleteazer immediately ran from behind them, stopping to see how far along the song was. Not even noticing the three, she strained her neck to look down at the others gathered below with a cute frown. " Oh, I'm la'e fer me line!"
" And a crank to shut the window should you sneeze- "
" A-choo! " Teazer interrupted with a laugh, receiving a sharp stare from Skimbleshanks. Shrugging, she gave a lopsided grin to her friends before sliding over between them. " So wha's up, ya guys? "
Munkustrap shook his head with a fond smile. " Rumpleteazer, I don't believe you've had the honour of being properly introduced to Rum Tum Tugger's daughter."
Rumple blinked. " Tugger 'as a daugh'er? Ou' Tugger? "
The Jellicle leader nodded in amusement. " That's right." He motioned to Teaser. " Rum Tum Teazer."
Teaser stood still as suddenly the violet-coloured eyes of Rumpleteazer looked at her squarely with a cute grin.
" 'ey! She looks a bi' li'e me! " exclaimed the calico brightly before sniffing the other's nose in friendliness. " Goo' ta 'ave ya 'ere, Teaser."
" They can leave all that to the railway cat, the cat of the railway train! "
Munkustrap grinned as he leapt down off the tire. " Come on, you two! We'll need some extra help building the train."
Mista and Tease both exchanged looks. " Train? "
" Yup," Teazer nodded as they climbed down. " Now the', I'm get'in' th' old umbre'a so you two go ge' th' spokes o'er the'," she smiled and ran off into the hustle and bustle of cats.
Smiling hugely, both queens did as they were told and got the spokes in place. They saw Plato and a few other toms run to their places with some other pieces and soon they were all set. Skimbleshanks climbed up onto the trunk of the old ford and sang cheerfully.
" In the watches of the night, I was always fresh and bright. Every now and then, I'd have a cup of tea - with, perhaps, a drop of scotch while I was keeping on the watch, only stopping here and there to catch a flea."
Teaser's curious, intrigued gaze was immediately drawn to Pouncival who tooted the train horn gleefully up front of the formation, receiving a laugh from Electra and Etcetera who sat around him.
Then, suddenly, breaking her ruminations, the train fell apart and all the Jellicles rolled away to the sides of the yard in a fit of laughter.
Shrugging carelessly, Skimble sighed with a light smile to Munkustrap.
" And... he... "
Everyone scrambled to their feet and hurried excitedly to put their part of the train away, Jennyanydots and Jellylorum supervising and helping the kits with some of the bigger pieces.
" ...gives you a wave of his long brown tail which says he'll see you again! "
The railway cat tom smiled brightly as he danced a jig, Jemima and Victoria each a safe distance away from his heels as they watched in fullblown kittenish wonder.
Mungo initiated a brief, playful wrestle with his mate before standing up with a suave grin. " Le' th' pro show ya 'ow i's done." Nimble as ever, he leapt away from her and into the line of Jellicles with their paws held in back of them.
" You will meet without fail on the midnight mail, the cat of the railway train! "
With Munkustrap's signal, the line of young Jellicles skipped and ducked forward and around quickly. Fascinated. Mistacor's nose twitched in curiousity as she chased after her mate's feet...
What she wasn't expecting was when the calico tom slid down into her...
With a mischievous yowl, he tackled her down with a pin, both beaming joyously at each other with the same thoughts of love in their eyes as he hugged her close, determined never to lose her again.
" The cat of the railway train!! "
The song over, all of the cats quietly took their repose, the younger, more rambunctious ones predictably breaking out into playfights amongst themselves.
Jerrie grinned down at his mate with a raised eyebrow. " 'ungry? We ca' go back ta ou' tunne' an' catch ou'selves some mice..." He nuzzled her gently.
Smiling up at him, Mista bat tentatively at one of his whiskers, wrinkling her nose sweetly.
" Mista! Mungo! " Rum Tum Teazer ran over to them.
Startled, both cleared their throats at the same time, flushing in embarassment.
Teaser looked at them oddly, one ear up and one ear down. " Oh... This is a ba' time, isn't i'...? "
Laughing nervously, Mista and Mungo both clambered to their feet.
" No, no... I's fi'e," Mista denied.
Jer lovingly nuzzled her neck, tongue lolling out of his mouth in a grin. "I'll see ya in a fe'."
Mista licked his cheek, blushing even more. " I'll be the'." She watched in fondness as he jaunted off to their tunnel.
Tease watched with her, musedly. " Ye're very lucky ta 'ave 'im..."
Her friend nodded seriously. " Dun' I know i'..." She then turned her full attention to Teaser with a playful grin. " So... wha' was i' tha' ya we' so ex'ited abou'? "
Teaser, wasting no more time, pointed to the tire, all business. " Look the'."
Mista looked over to where she pointed and saw none other than Pouncival eating a mouse he had killed not seconds before. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. " I's Pounce. So? "
" Well... I jus'...thought..."
The silver calico smiled somewhat cheekily, understanding. " Ahh... You li'e 'im don' ya? "
It was Teaser's turn to flush in embarassment. " Nooo..." she contradicted shakily, averting her gaze.
The other queen pryed further. " The'... wha' woul' ya li'e me ta do abou' Pounce? "
There was a pause as Teaser tried to word around the truth but finally gave up with a loud, dramatic sigh. " Alrigh'! " Then, added with a mumble, " Yes. I like 'im."
With a nod of small satisfaction, she turned serious. " We'... I'll 'elp ya. I' won' be much troub'e."
The Maine Coon kit hugged her friend gratefully. " Thanks, Mista! I owe ya big time, if ya pull thi' off." She sighed with relief.
" Jus' le've i' ta me..."
And with that, Mistacor left Tease to confront the youn mackeral tom.
" 'eya, Pounce," she greeted with a warm smile.
Pouncival looked up from his meal to meet her smile with one of equal warmth. " Hi, Mista. What's up? "
" Nothin' much... Ca' I 'ave a sea'? "
The tom grinned in amusement. " You know ya don't need an invite to do that. You never see anything keeping me from barging in."
With a laugh, Mista sat down beside him, casting an unseen reassuring glance to Teaser not far off. " We', tha's one of yer bes' featu'es..."
" You want some mouse? " Pounce asked suddenly, looking at her from clear, green eyes.
The young queen shook her head politely in decline. " No than's. I'm no' tha' 'ungry righ' now. Besi'es, I 'ave ta go mee' up wit' Jer."
" Oh," was her only reply.
" Bu'," she spoke quickly. " I wa' wond'rin' i' ya coul' do me a fava'...? "
" Yeah, sure. Of course."
Mista looked to Rum Tum Teazer and Pouncival followed her gaze.
The tom licked his lips thoughtfully, eyes wide in a mixture of nervousness. " The Rum Tum female? "
She smiled. " Yeh. I promi'ed ta show 'er aroun' th' Junkyar' bu' now re'lly isn't th' bes' time... I wa' 'opin' i' ma'be you'd be willin' ta do i'? "
" Hmm..." After a milisecond, the tom grinned. " Why not? "
" Ya mean i'? " she asked hopefully.
He laughed. " Yep! I think I can handle the job. And it might even end up being fun."
Mista laughed as she nudged his side lightly with her nose. " We' the'... Don' keep th' queen waitin'," she joked.
" Phe! " the bright-eyed tom rolled his eyes in jest as he hopped up and headed for the Maine Coon kitten.
Mista's ears twitched forward as she listened to the exchange of words, her tail switching back and forth in anticipation.
" Hi! "
" Hi! "
" I'm Pounce."
" I'm Tease."
" Uhm.. Want me to show you around? "
" Sure! "
" Cool! Come on! I know the best pouncing spots! "
" Okay! "
" Just follow me! "
Smiling to herself, the late night air holding their secrets, Mistacor crept off to find her mate.