By Mistacor
Part IV
Mungojerrie watched with relief as Skimbleshanks and Jemima finally left.
He couldn't make out every word of their conversation together but, from what he had heard, they were concerned about Mista just as he was but not truly as much for he was going to do the forbidden where the others were too afraid ofthe consequences. He looked up at the bright moon, waiting for a cloud to settle down over it impatiently.
" Ow! " came softly from behind him and then a giggle.
Mungo rolled his eyes dramatically and turned his head back to give her a reproving look. He put a finger to his lips. " Shhh! "
Teazer grinned helplessly as she had fallen on her rear, carrying her loot bag that was now quite unnaturally packed to busting. " Wha' d'ya wan' me ta do, Jer'? I feel li'e Sain' Nich'las 'ere." She bit back her laughter. " Why does it 'ave to be so 'eavy? "
" So tha' th' ot'ers fin' reason ta stop ya. Ya're th' staller, sis."
She nodded. " Ah.... So wha' do I do ta stall? "
" I dun'a. Ju' ma' 'em go on a wil' goose hun', brea' some stuff. Anythin'."
The calico female brightened. " Ca' I run o'er Tugger? "
Jerrie thought the prospect over. " Naw.... Unle' ya 'urt somethin' vital, 'e won' ca'."
Teazer blinked and, after a split second, burst out laughing.
" Shhhhh! "
She hushed herself, a silly grin on her face.
Jerrie looked up at the moon. The cloud was almost in place. Just a few more seconds to go. " Ya rea'y ta go, Teazer? "
" Yep. Ya bet, Jerrie," the answer came from closer behind him.
The world was plunged back into shadow and Mungojerrie wasted no time. He bolted out of hiding and sped silently across the yard. For the briefest of moments, he slinked cautiously against and around fragmented furniture and pipes. The old Ford wasn't far now....
The sound of a dog howling from down the street outside made him startle to raise his head up, alert as ever, and sniff expertly at the air, before continuing.
That dog was never let out of the house anyway, he thought absently as a memory of the Pollicle attack on Mistacor replayed in his mind, filling him near brimming with a dull rage.
The tom scampered to the old Ford's rusty bumper. With every inch of feline grace, he scanned the area with edgy, fluid motions of his head, looking this way and that. He found his eyes wandering to the watery miracle high above.
Only another couple of seconds, he noted and snuck around to at last come face-to-face with the hole his love had made as a sanctuary. To his relief, he didn't see anyone around and found himself gazing quickly at the opening in the garbage piles. He wouldn't call in like Pouncival had; voice sometimes carried a lot worse than sound (a thief's first wisdom).
Aw'righ, le's go fer th' dire' approach," he thought and speedily slid in.
The calico's lean, muscular form fir perfectly and snugly in the hole and he found he could crawl in it easily enough. Yet, his surprise broadened when he felt garbage give way to metal, his semi-out claws making a soft audible sound against it. The pipe - was that what it was? - was also taller in width, giving his head some room to manuever.
He could feel the slight puffs of cool air on his face and the gentle, metallic hum of silence. Then, all of a sudden, the cool puffs of air became breaths, warm and soft yet jagged with freezing cold. He felt one gainst his face. Then another.
" Mista? " he asked softly, eyes widening in hope as he stared forward blindly. He could faintly detect the bits of white in her fur.
" Mungo? " a soft, gentle voice whispered back in the same hope and the same Cockney accent.
Jerrie could suddenly feel the cold air he sniffed melt away like snow in Spring, leaving his beloved's sweet, cinnamon scent. And then, he felt her warmth as she silently moved forward to nuzzle him and rest her head against his neck, breathing lightly in his soft fur. He found himself nestling closer to her and licking her back lovingly. The silence and shadow stayed suspended there, keeping the moment preserved with enchantment.
" O' than' th' E'erlastin' Cat..." he breathed softly in a sigh of relief.
Mista closed her eyes in relief and happiness, her throat letting out a contented purr, a smile lilting her lips.
Mungo joined in and matched hers as he licked her forehead with his warm tongue.
" I luv ya, Mista," he then confessed softly for her ears only though he had confessed to himself the same thing not so long ago in his own heart.
She raised her head slowly and licked his cheek. " I luv ya too, Jer'. I al'ays 'ave," she whispered with the happiest of smiles, her purr struggling joyfully to overpower his.
~
Rumpleteazer was crouched low in her hiding place as her alert eyes kept watch on everything that was going on in the Junkyard. No movement or sound was undetected before her.
She saw those who made the yard their home, having no other place to call such, begin to stir. And, at last and not without a grimace, she saw Munkustrap come into view. She saw him watch the others and then look to the dawning sky where the sun would shortly undergo rebirth. With that new knowledge, she saw she was losing her nocturnal camouflage and decided upon the second phase of her plan.
Lugging her oversized burden with her, Teazer crept into the open area, making a special note to make herself extra suspicious-looking.
" Rumpleteazer! "
Bingo! she delighted inwardly and turned to see Munkustrap stop his serious discussion with Tantomile to exchange a glance with Alonzo from on top of the old car.
Alonzo, a large black and white tom, shrugged with a grin to his leader, succumbing to the young calico queen's charm. " She's been extra busy?" he tried.
" Theft rate must be up."
Teazer pretended to look surprised. " Oh, goo' mornin' ta ya, guys," she smiled nervously.
" Morning," Alonzo smiled back in amusement, eyeing her bag. "What'cha carrying? "
" Who? Me? " came the innocent reply. " Ju' me loot."
Alonzo grinned.
" We know it's loot but what have you stolen away this time? " Munkustrap asked.
" Well, I...."
" Show us, Teazer, " Alonzo said good-naturedly as other cats began to gather around.
Rumple saw their expressions. Some had shocked looks on their faces while others, mostly the elder cats, were growing suspicious of her bag of tricks.
" Hey, Teazer, where's Mungo? " Pouncival called down from his rocking chair.
Tumblebrutus, who sat on a garbage pile beside the chair, looked to his friend curiously. " Yeah. Where is Mungojerrie? "
Pounce just shrugged.
Plato shook his head briefly to get the sleep out of him. " Considering the fact those two are always together, probably not far," he deducted with a yawn as his friend Admetus sat down beside him on the giant tire.
Unknowingly to Plato, Pouncival snuck up behind him on the ledge.
Admetus' ear flicked and he didn't have to turn to see who it was or what was going to happen next. All he did was make a tight grin as if trying stoicily to hold back quiet laughter. " Heads up," he murmured.
" Huh? " Plato was about to turn when Pounce leapt down on top of him, both toppling down onto the ground with the younger tom, naturally, on top.
Admetus and the others laughed as Plato struggled to get free.
" Ha ha! " Pounce laughed victoriously. " Gotcha! "
The older male, trying to keep his dignity and irritated around the edges, got up and licked back his shoulder fur. " Very funny. Thank you so much for waking me up," he said sarcastically between licks.
" Any time! " Pouncival grinned, hyper as ever.
There was a brief silence before Plato smiled mischievously and jumped on top of his friend, tackling him.
The two began wrestling playfully, rolling about all over the place and the others watching in the prospect of entertainment and the remembrance of youth.
Etcetera looked to Electra as they ran after the two rolling balls of fur. "He's finally mated with Victoria and he still acts like a little kitten."
Rumpleteazer grinned as the spotlight wasn't on her for a while and, instead, on the two rambunctious, wrestling toms. And, of course, she knew ahead of time that Munkustrap and the other elder Jellicles would follow them just to make sure they didn't hurt each other accidentally. She rolled her eyes briefly with a small scoff. " Adults," she said softly.
Getting back to business, she scanned the yard for her preferred distraction. Not there. Not there. Not there. She frowned. Whe' was 'e when ya wanted 'im? she swore to herself and then grinned. Of course, when didn't she want him? Another frown. Of course... when didn't any of the females want him?
" A'ha! " she exclaimed happily when she saw the Rum Tum Tugger strutting into the yard and all the young female kittens swarming around him like moths to flame. " Now, the'...." She ran up onto the vacant old tire.
Alonzo, who hadn't forgotten about the female half of the Notorious Duo, turned away from the kitten wrestling match and the Rum Tum Tugger, to look at her. " Now, Rumpleteazer -"
He was broken off by her highest pitched meow which made him flinch. Teazer grinned and continued her ruckus proudly, the pitch of her voice going way higher than Etcetera's had ever gone before.
" No fair! " Etcetera whined over the din. " Her caterwauling can't be better than mine! "
Jemima looked at her friend, realizing what she was talking about.
" Yeah! " Electra joined in. " How are we supposed to beat that??! "