“ Elizabt’, ‘Enry. ‘Ere kitties, breakfast is ready.” Mungojerrie awoke then, and nuged his love Rumpleteazer to wake her. She woke up with a meow, to let Jerrie now that she was having a good dream.
“ I’m sorry love, but our breakfast is ready,” he said standing up and stretching out his muscles. Teazer yawned, then rubbed her head on Jerrie’s stomach. She seemed more tired than usual these past couple of days. On her way to the kitchen, she stopped in front of a mirror to check herself out. The fur on the top of her head was messed up, and she quickly fixed it, other than that she looked fine. Except for the excess weight she had put on.
“ You coming, Teaz?” Jerrie asked from the next room.
“ No, I think I’ll skip breakfast this morning,” she called back. Jerrie didn’t like the sound of her voice, and walked back to her.
“ What’s the matter love?” “ I’m starting to gain weight, Jer,” she said looking in the mirror again.
“ Aww, you still look beautiful to me,” Mungojerrie said, then licked her ears.
“ Thanks, but I’m serious. I want to loose this weight.”
“ Okay. Why don’t you go lie back down, and I’ll see you after I eat.”
Rumpleteazer nodded, and walked back to the bed she shared with Jerrie. She curled herself into a tight ball, and was soon asleep again.
Patchabie was being pet by her male master, while lying in his lap. When he scratched her head she closed her eyes, and began to purr loudly.
“ Honey, don’t you have to be at work by 8:00?” her master lady asked her male master.
“ Yeah. What time is it?”
“ 7:36,” the master lady said as she walked over and picked Patchabie up.
“ Oh, shoot! Thanks Rita,” male master said as he jumped out of his chair, and disappeared into their bedroom.
“ And you Spotty, have to go out, because I also have to go to work,” master lady said as she walked to the front door, opened it, and placed Patch outside. After the door was shut, Patchabie headed to the Junk Yard. While she was on her way, she came upon Pouncival, who was also on his way to the Junk Yard.
“ Hey Pounce,” she said as she walked up behind him. Startled, the kitten turned around.
“ Oh, hey Patch. On your way to the Junk Yard?” Yep, and you?”
“ Yes.”
“ Well, it looks like we’re walking in together aren’t we?” Patch said. He gave her a small smile.
“ Ooh, get out of here you nasty old cat!” Surprised at the all of a sudden shout, the two cats turned around to see Tugger give a ‘Thuwp’ at a closed door, and walk off. Patch laughed.
“ Serves him right.”
“ Why don’t you like him?” Pouncival asked looking to the black bodied lion like cat approaching them.
“ He thinks he’s hot stuff, and he isn’t.”
“ Ok,” Pounce said just as the Tugger came up beside him.
“ ‘Ok’ to what?” Tugger asked.
“ Nothing,” Patch replied smiling slightly.
“ Um, hmm,” Rum Tum Tugger said frowning, but knew not to ask again.
“ So, what was your master lady yelling at you about this time?” Pouncival asked in his usual kittenish voice.
“ Ah, I jumped up into her lap again while she was sewing, only this time, I took her project out of her hands and tore it apart.”
“ You know, you’re probably going to end up a stray Jellicle like Alonzo and Tumblebrutus if you keep that up,” Patch sneered. Tugger was about to glare at her, then realized that she was probably right. Although being the cat he was, he gave her a good swat on her head.
“ Ow! Hey what was that for?” Patch hissed at him.
“ For being right,” Tugger scoffed. Pouncival kept on walking until he heard Tugger howl in pain. “
What happened?” Pouncival asked turning around to face the two. He noticed Tugger’s nose was bleeding. Patch had scratched up his nose.
“ And that, was for being a macho jerk!” Patch spat, then walked away from Rum Tum Tugger who was wiping at his nose. Pouncival, shied away from Patch as she passed, she noticed it and said,
“ Don’t worry, you’re nothing like him.” Pouncival broke into a smile and joined her to walk to the Junk Yard, leaving Tugger to tend to his still bleeding nose.
Mistoffelees greeted the two Jellicles as they entered the Junk Yard.
“ Hey Misto, guess what?! Patch scratched up Tuggs’ nose!” Pouncival cried out smiling to the female calico who stood next to him.
“ She did what?” Misto asked as he looked to Patch in surprise.
“ He hit me in my head after I warned him that he might end up a stray, if he kept making his master lady mad at him,” she said, a frown on her face.
“ So I gave his nose a new look.” Mistoffelees smiled when she said that.
“ You really don’t like him, do you?”
“ No, I don’t,” Patch replied with smirk on her face. By that time Pouncival was spreading the news around the Yard. Patchabie sighed,
“ Kittens. Where we ever like that Misto?”
“ I’m sure we were,” he said then licked the side of her face.
“ Don’t be licking my lady!” Quaxo said jokingly, as he came out from his dryer. Patchabie smiled at her tom, “ Hi sweetie.”
“ Hi Quax, did you her what your feline did to Tugger?” Misto asked after Quaxo had jumped out of his spot.
“ Yes I did, and I’m proud of her for sticking up for herself. Patchabie rubbed against her tom’s chest after he said that. Misto smiled at Quaxo, glad that he finally had a female who liked him.
“ I’ll see you two later,” Misto said, then left them.
“ I’m so very proud of you,” Quaxo said once more, then Patch jumped into the dryer.
“ You going to join me?” Quaxo didn’t say anything, he just jumped into the dryer to join her.
Back at Victoria Grove Jerrie and Teazer were in the process of destroying the family room, when Teazer’s stomach growled loudly.
“ You know, you really should eat something,” Jerrie said after he’d knoked over a lamp, which broke as soon as it hit the floor.
“ I know, but I’m not ‘ungry,” she said, then began to sharpen her claws on the back of a chair. He was worried about her, he knew that she hadn’t eaten hardly anything for the past two weeks, and now her not eating this morning really scared him.
“ Teaz, I’m worried about you. You really need to eat something,” Jerrie said walking over to where she sat in the chair, whose back was now shredded from her claws.
“ I will later, come on, let’s go to the Junk Yard.” She batted his head playfully, then ran out of the room. Jerrie sighed heavily, then followed after her. When they reached the cat door, they heard a scream from the family room.
“ Those ‘orrible cats!” Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer giggled, then raced out of the door.
Alonzo was sulking again, when Jemima came up to him. “ Hey, you really do need to forget about Cass, she’s gone, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Alonzo looked up to her, pain in his eyes.
How did she know what it was like to loose your lover? Or for that matter, even family. She still lived with hers. Alonzo wanted to cry; something he hadn’t done since he was firstborn. He placed his paws over his muzzle, and Jemima walked over to him,
“ I’m so sorry, I didn’t know she meant that much to you. I mean, I just thought she was just like all of the other female cats you’ve been with. I didn’t know you loved her.” She began to lick his ears, and he calmed down a little. He looked up to the little calico kitten and smiled at her.
“ No, Jem, I still do love her.” She smiled back to him, she knew what love was. Mr. Mistoffelees was the love of her life, although no one knew it but her. Although she needed to tell someone, and Alonzo was perfect.
“ You know, I’m also in love with someone.” Alonzo looked up to her in surprise.
“ Really, who? Oh, I know, Tugger,” Alonzo said smiling real big, and she knew he was joking.
“ No, your best friend,” Jemima said looking to Alonzo, whose reaction to that was priceless.
“ Misto? You’re in love with Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, my best friend?!” “ Yeah,” she said in a dreamy sigh.
“ Does anyone know about this?”
“ No, just you and me.”
“ You know I just might be able to help you out with this,” Alonzo said, and
Jemima moved closer to him. “ How?” Then Alonzo told her, he’d keep dropping little comments about her here and there. She didn’t know what to say, so she just rubbed her head against his.
“ Okay, okay. Now get out of here,” Alonzo said patting her on her rear to get her moving. She left, with a big, big smile on her face.
When the pranksters entered the Junk Yard, Rumpleteazer saw Jennyanydots not far from the entrance. She told Mungojerrie that she was going to visit with her, then left. When she got to the old chair on which Jenny was lying, she jumped up to join her. “ Hi Teazer,” Jenny said, then she said, after she had seen how thin Teazer was in her face,
“ Goodness child, what happe
ned to you? Why is your face so thin?” “ Oh, I ‘aven’t been eating that much lately, I’m trying to loose all of this weight, I gained.” Jenny looked to Teazer’s stomach, and her eyes grew wide.
“ Teazer, honey how long have you not been eating much?”
“ About two months ago, when I first noticed I put on a little weight. I’ve only been eating about once a week since then. Why?” Jenny’s heart sank, then she said, barely above a whisper,
“ I don’t want to scare you baby, but your pregnant, and your kittens are probably going to die now, because you haven’t been eating right.”
Teazer’s heart stopped. What had she done? When her heart began to beat again, it beat in her chest so hard, she thought it was going to come out. “ I’m p-p- pregnant? Oh, my gosh! What have I done Jenny? What have I done,” Teazer said then left to find Jerrie, tears streaming down her cheeks. She found Mungojerrie talking with Bustopher Jones, who just stopped in to say hi to everyone. She walked over to the two, and stopped next to her love.
“ Bustopher, do you mind, I need to talk to Jerrie alone.” Bustopher nodded, then took his twenty five pound self to find someone else to say hi to.
“ Teaz, what’s wrong?” Jerrie asked when he noticed she was crying.
“ I’ve done something terrible. It was an accident, I didn’t know,” she broke off.
“ What is it?” Jerrie asked confused. “ Jer, Jenny told me that I was pregnant, and that I’m probably going to lose the litter, because I ‘aven’t been eating. I just thought I was gaining weight. I’m so sorry,” she couldn’t say anymore she was too upset, but when she saw her loving Jerrie start to cry also, it was too much for her and she ran out of the Junk Yard.
“ Teazer, wait!” Jerrie called out to her, but she didn’t listen. She just ran all the way back to Victoria Grove.
“ What’s wrong with her?” Asparagus asked coming up behind Jerrie.
“ Asparagus, where’s Munkustrap?” Mungojerrie asked avoiding Asparagus’s question.
“ I believe he’s talking with the twins in their chamber, why is something wrong?”
“ Yes, and that’s why I need to talk to him.” Jerrie then left Asparagus without even thanking him, but Asparagus didn’t care. He just watched Munogjerrie walk with his head down and his tail between his legs, to the twins chamber.
“ So, has our young Soot, adjusted to her new home yet?” Munkustrap asked Coricopat.
“ She’s still working on it,” he replied looking over to where his sister was letting Sootaput sleep on her side. She smiled at the two toms.
Mungojerrie walked in a few moments later. Tears still running down his face.
“ What’s wrong Mungojerrie?” Coricopat asked.
“ I have s-s-s- some bad n-n- news,” he stuttered, for he was still shaken up.
“ Go, on,” Munkustrap replied gently.
“ Well, Rumpleteazer’s pregnant, but sh-sh- she thought th-th-th- that she was just gaining weight, so she has only been eating once a week, for the past t-t-t- two months.” Tantomile gasped loudly, which woke up Soot.
“ She’s going to lose the, the--,” Jerrie couldn’t finish.
“ She’s going to lose the litter,” Tantomile said sadly.
“ What! Who is?” Sootaput asked wide-eyed.
“ I’ll tell you later,” Tantomile said to the black and white kitten who now had a sad/scared look on her face. Coricopat walked over to Jerrie, to comfort him.
“ Where’s Teazer now?” Munkustrap asked.
“ ‘Ome. She left the Junk Yard after she told me,” Mungo said wiping at his muzzle to dry it. Coricopat rubbed his shoulder with Jerrie’s. No one said anything. Every cat closed their eyes (including Soot), to give a moment of silence for the unborn kittens. After they had opened them again, Jerrie said that he was going to go home, and talk to Teazer. Muunkstrap nodded, and Jerrie left. Once he was gone, the three cats and kitten let out heavy sighs. This situation was going to weigh heavy upon every Jellicle’s heart for a while.
“ Teaz, love where are you?” Jerrie called out when he entered the room they shared, and saw that she wasn’t there. He heard a slight mew come from under a chair that was in the center of the small room. Mungojerrie walked over to the chair and peeked his head under it. There was, scared and shaking like a leaf.
“ Come on out, it’s okay,” Jerrie mewed just as softly as she had. Gradually she inched her way from under the chair. “ What were you under there for?”
“ I thought you were mad at me,” Rumpleteazer said, her eyes red from crying.
“ Mad at you? Never, you are my life. You are the reason for me to live,” he said nuzzling her. She nuzzled him back.
“ What are we going to do?” she said looking her lover in the eyes.
“ We’ll have to let nature take her course,” Jerrie replied. Rumple nodded, and looked away.
“ ‘Ey, no matter what ‘appens, I’ll always love you,” Jerrie reassured her.
“ And, I’ll always love you.” The room became silent as they went to there bed, and tried to get in a cat nap. Although, nature said that Teazer was ready. She groaned in pain as soon as they had lied down.
“ What is it?” Jerrrie asked wide-eyed.
“ It’s time,” she moaned. “ Go get our masters, ‘urry!” Mungo wasted no time, and raced out the door. When he returned, their masters were trying to figure out what he was meowing about. When they saw Rumpleteazer, they knew.
“ Goodnees, our little Lizzy, is ‘aving kittens,” replied her lady master.
“ Just what we need, more of the terrors we already own,” their male master said bitterly. Then his frown turned into awe, as the first kitten appeared. The female master noticed it was unusually small, and bent down to get a better look. Teazer nudged it, but it didn’t move. It was dead.
“ Oh, my gosh, the poor little thing isn’t alive,” the master lady said sadly. The next three kittens came, and they were only alive a few moments, before they died. The last one finally came. After he was out, he moved around a little bit, just like a healthy newborn kitten would. “ Well, I do believe this little one might make it,” the master lady said proudly. Mungojerrie looked to Rumpleteazer who was now grooming their healthy newborn son.
“ Let’s leave the proud parents alone,” male master said to his wife. She agreed, picked up the dead kittens and left the room. When they were gone, Mungojerrie walked over to Teazer, and nuzzled her head. He then looked proudly at his son.
“ What are we going to name ‘im?”
“ ‘Ow about, Cimmanon?”
“ Sounds good to me,” Jerrie said smiling. Cimmanon, let out a small mew, and found his way to his mom’s teats to get his milk. Both parents began to laugh with delight, and relief.
Two months later, Cimmanon was old enough to be called a Jellicle. Sootaput was glad that she wasn’t the youngest any more, Rumpleteazer, Mungojerrie and the rest of the Jellicles were glad that he had survived. So, it turns out there wasn’t heartbreak in Victoria Grove this time.
The End
