Jennyanydots hummed to herself as she finished rearranging the junk in the 'Yard, making sure to keep a large clearing in the middle. She couldn't help but grin as she thought of the time. 'In just a few minutes,' she realized, 'Skimbleshanks will be home from that horrible trip. A whole week...I'm so glad it's over!' A little thrill ran up her spine at the prospect of seeing her mate again. She made sure no one was looking, then danced a little, adding a kick to the end in her joy. She finished her jig to soft laughter. "Jellylorum!" she spluttered, slightly embarrassed at being caught acting like a kitten.
The golden queen chuckled gently. "Dance, Jenny. You deserve it - putting up with my brother while he's away on those long trips of his..." The Gumbie Cat grinned.
"But he's back today!" she crowed in happiness. "And he should be at the Junkyard at any moment..." She involuntarily glanced to the entrance. Jellylorum followed her friend's gaze and laughed again.
"Anxious, are we?" she teased. In truth, she wouldn't mind seeing her big brother again at all.
Jennyanydots flushed with pleasure. "Somewhat," she admitted with a grin. She sent an anxious look to the sun, marking the time. "He should be here by now..."
Jellylorum couldn't help but laugh again. "He'll be here, dearie! Has he ever let you down before?"
"Nope!" Jenny grinned happily. "And I pray he never will." But again she glanced to the sun. Beginning to wring her paws, she moaned, "He really should be here by now...I'm going to go get him. I'll meet him at the station!"
"Dearie!" Jellylorum called out anxiously, but sighed as the other queen moved quickly out of hearing range. "Drat that queen!" she muttered to herself, but couldn't help but grin wistfully. What would it be like to love and be loved like that?
Jennyanydots hurried to the station. The station master's youngest daughter recognized her immediately and rushed over. "Daddy!" she cried out, scooping Jenny up in her arms under protest. "Look! It's Skimble's girl-friend!"
Jennyanydots blushed to be recognized as such. "Dearie," she asked calmly, "PLEASE let me down." She stared around the station, looking for Skimbleshanks in vain. 'He's not here!' she thought in desperation.
"Tasha!" the human girl's mother scolded, hurrying over. "Put that dirty thing down!" Jenny bristled.
"She's not dirty!" Tasha protested. "She's Skimble's wife!"
"Tasha!" the mother said warningly, and with another whine the human girl set Jenny down, who quickly scampered away.
"He's not here!" she called out after the fleeing cat. "He already got off!!"
"Tasha!" her mother scolded her again, grabbing her by the arm and hurrying her away. "Stop talking to animals like they understand you!"
"But mama!" Jenny could hear the young girl protest again, and then she was out of the station. She stopped, breathing heavily. Tasha had said that Skimble got off already. But he wasn't at the Junkyard...she fought down the sick sensation rising in her stomach. He was alright...he had to be...
She ran down the path from the station to the junkyard, calling her beloved's name every few feet. "Skimbleshanks? Skimbleshanks? Where are you, darling?" As she sprinted down the dirt path past the forest, a familiar smell drifted past her nose, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. "Catnip!" she murmured, then groaned. Her mate was one who could never resist a good 'nipping, and when there was catnip about, that's where he'd be.
She entered the forest cautiously, sniffing the air every few feet so find the patch of 'nip that she smelled. Letting her nose lead her, after a very few minutes she discovered the largest patch of catnip she had ever seen in one place! Resisting the urge to try a few leaves, she quickly searched the area for Skimbles. "Lover!" she called softly, then groaned. Sure enough, the orange tom was sprawled in the stuff, clearly as drunk as can be. "Skimbleshanks!" she wailed, rushing to his side.
The Railway Cat grinned up at her drunkenly. "'ello, Jenneh!" he slurred. "Care t' 'ave a bit o' nip wi' me?"
Jenny put her paws on her hips indignantly. "I most certainly do not," she intoned, somehow managing to ignore the delicious smells wafting up from the catnip. "And *you*, my dear, are coming home with me." She bent down to give the tom a paw up. "Come on now - no nonsense!"
Skimbleshanks reached up to grasp her paw tightly, but instead of making his way to his feet, he pulled her down in the 'nip with him. "C'mon now, Jenneh," he slurred again, grinning. "Let's naught be leavin' so soon."
"Skimbleshanks!" Jennyanydots cried out in distress, finding it harder to disregard the intoxicating herb. Picking up her mate's arm, she wrapped it around her shoulders, trying to figure out the best way to lead him home. Staggering under his weight, somehow she managed to stand. "Come on now, darling. No more silliness."
"Silliness?" Skimble repeated, then laughed hysterically. He succeeded in staying on his feet while Jenny guided him out of the forest, but once out onto the path, the orange tom began swaying. It was all the Gumbie could do to keep him from collapsing right there on the road. And then - he began to sing. "My bonnie lies o'er th' ocean, me bonnie lies o'er th' sea..."
Jennyanydots groaned again. "Darling, hush," she tried to quiet the 'nipped up tom. But Skimble would have none of it and sang even louder. Finishing the one song, he began on another - but not before he leaned over and stole a kiss from his mate. She could taste the 'nip on his breath, and began to feel a little dizzy from the scent. "We have to get away from this stuff!" she muttered to herself.
Slowly the two stumbled their way down the road, Skimbleshanks singing at the top of his lungs and Jenny putting up with his drunken songs and kisses. She began to feel a headache building. "Oh, Dear Bastet," she murmured. The Gumbie looked slightly angry with her mate, feeling embarrassed for him. "Thank the Everlasting Cat no one's around..."
"C'mon, lover," Skimbleshanks wheedled, twisting around to glance back at the forest. "Go an' 'ave some 'nip wi' me."
"Skimble..." Jenny said slowly, dragging the syllables out. She wanted to protest, but with every sweet kiss she could taste the 'nip and was growing more and more tempted. And her headache was spreading..."Darling," she muttered, reaching up to rub her left ear viciously. "Can't we just go home?"
"Home?" the orange tom echoed, as if the thought never occurred to him. "Why canno' we jus' stay 'ere wi' th' 'nip?"
"Because!" Jennyanydots cried, growing fed up. "We have to get home! Jelly's probably worried sick and - and - and - " Without meaning to, she burst into tears. She had been so looking forward for her mate's return, and then to find him like this -
Suddenly she made up her mind. "Alright," she said. "Let's go back to the 'nip." Skimbleshanks let out a whoop! of pleasure.
"A'ight!" he cheered. She had to help him no longer. With a rush of energy, he and she dashed for the patch.
She leaped directly into the center, giving in to the temptation and nibbling on a few of the leaves. The rush overwhelmed her for the first few moments, as it always did. Closing her eyes, she almost didn't notice her mate eating eagerly beside her. Once she did, however, she grabbed him by the shoulder and said between giggles, "I love you - ya know that?"
"Aye, tha' I did," Skimbleshanks slurred, then both Cats burst into laughter, sharing a deep kiss. After a little more 'nip, and a few more kisses, both were out cold, curled up in the catnip, purring loudly.
Jennyanydots woke with a start, her head pounding. The moon was shining brightly overhead, its silvery rays sneaking thru the tree branches and hitting her dilated pupils, causing her to wince in pain. She sat up slowly, extremely dizzy. Looking around slowly, she smiled as she saw her mate still sleeping. Gathering her wits about her, she glanced up and noted the time. "Eleven thirty," she whispered to herself. "Jelly will be wondering."
Stumbling to her feet, she gently shook her tom by the shoulders. "Wake up, lover. We - ah - overslept." Skimbleshanks mumbled an intelligible response and rolled over. Again the Gumbie tried to wake him. "Darling, wake up. We have to go back home."
"Dun' wanna," the orange tom responded in a slur, keeping his eyes tightly shut. Jenny sighed in frustration, her headache ever increasing.
"I don't care whether you want to or not, you're coming with me NOW!" she commanded, and with seemingly supernatural strength pulled Skimbleshanks to his feet. Glaring at him, she ordered, "Stand." He stood, wavering as the 'nip still flowed thru his system. She turned him so he faced the edge of the forest. "Walk."
He walked.
Jenny smiled in satisfaction, and followed him out of the woods and back to the Junkyard.
{This story interrupted for a few, brief commercials.}
*a door opens, and a girl walks out. She's around 5'7, with mousy brown hair and hazel eyes. Clearing her throat, she begins to speak.*
"Hello, I'm Christina, from Warren County Junior High School. I'm part of 'Show Choir', a choir which sings and dances to various songs. I'm here to ask you if " *she holds out a box full of various candies* " you want to buy a candy bar. " *she looks hopeful* "They're really very good, and only a dollar each! Each cent is put towards sending us - our show choir, that is - to Pittsburgh to sing." *she demonstrates, suddenly joined by several others {Camera Cut!}, all female except one red-haired boy* *they all start singing "Danny Boy" in harmony: sopranos, second sopranos, altos, and second altos. Christina sings alto, in case you care.*
All: O Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are calling...from glen to glen, and down the mountain side..."
*the one boy, who happens to be named "Daniel", looks confused and begins to tell his own version of "Danny Boy"*
Daniel: Yo, Danny Boy! The pipes are like, callin' ya dude! They're comin' from across mountains and glens and stuff! An', roses are fallin' and stuff! Like, cool!
*The Show Choir groans*
All: DANIEL!!
Daniel:*looks confused* What???
{Thank you for watching this commercial. Now back to your story.}
Narrator: As you will recall, Jenny and Skimble had finally managed to -
Authoress: Whoah! When did we get a narrator? *looks around* Did I authorize that?
Narrator:*stifles a groan* You don't need to authorize it. You're only the author.
Authoress: Oh. *returns to her place in the audience*
Narrator: Now, as I was saying before I was so RUDELY INTERUPPTED *stares pointedly at the Author, who holds up her hands in a kind of, hey-i-said-i-was-sorry gesture.*, Jenny finally managed to knock some sense into that tom of hers, and dragged him back to the Junkyard.
Jellylorum paced back and forth frantically, wringing her paws with every step. "Oh," she moaned, "They should be back…where are they…Jenny!" she shrieked, finally spotting her hung-over friend and the likewise tom. She rushed to their side, and draped Jenny's and Skimble's arms over her shoulder, supporting them both as best she could. "What in Heaviside?" she gasped under their weight.
"Catnip," the Gumbie sighed softly. "We…were detained…rather…I found him in a patch of…" She trailed off, giggling softly as the memories of the night before slowly drifted back to her.
"Catnip," Jellylorum finished, exasperated. She shrugged out from under their arms, leaving the two to collapse in a heap on the ground. "You two worried me for hours!! Do you have any IDEA how late I was up, worrying over you??" she shrieked. Jenny and Skimbles looked slightly guilty, but Jelly was just getting warmed up. "I pictured you dead, or worse! Lying bloodied in a ditch somewhere, killed by Macavity and his crew! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!?" screamed she.
Cats began to gather, watching in interest.
Jellylorum screeched, "Never do that again, do you hear me?? HEAR ME??"
"We hear you," Jenny muttered. "And so does every Cat within a hundred miles from here…"
Jellylorum just stared at her friend, unable to believe her sassy words. A mixture of tears and laughter floods her face, until she collapsed, sobbing with laughter. Jenny and Skimbleshanks exchanged Looks, then burst out into laughter themselves.
The Cats began backing away, startled.
"I'm so sorry!" both queens exclaimed at the same time, then hugged each other tightly, laughing all the while tears streamed down their faces. Skimbleshanks backed away, his head throbbing as he blinked in the bright sunlight.
"Ne'er gonna undehstan' queens s'long a' Ah liv'," he muttered, retreating into the dark shadows. Munkustrap, Tugger, and Alonzo all looked after him and nodded seriously, knowing exactly what he meant.
Jellylorum and Jennyanydots were both speaking so fast that no one but themselves could understand a word. "I'm so sorry," Jenny was saying. "Skimbleshanks wasn't at the station, so I went looking for him in the woods, and lo and behold, he's smack in the middle of a the largest catnip patch I've ever seen in my life!"
"After you didn't come back for awhile," Jelly was saying at the same time, "I got worried. I almost went out looking for you but decided that you were a grown-up queen and that you'd probably be okay. I was just about to alert Munkustrap that you were missing when you showed up."
The two looked at each other and burst out laughing again. "'Nip?" Jenny offered, extending her paw to her friend.
"Sure," Jelly laughed, and leaped to her feet. Jennyanydots followed suit, and the friends sped out of the junkyard as fast as their paws could take them. Skimbleshanks peered out from a dark corner of the 'yard and shook his head.
"Ne'er gonna undehstan' queens s'long a' Ah liv'..."
