Disclaimer: Great Heavyside I hate these things. Okay. This part of the story has been practically MEOWING to get on the page. If any poems are used in here, they belong to me. Faline and Matisha (or any characters you don't recognize) belong to me. Any other characters belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Really Useful Theater Company (Group?) (Brief note: 7*'s means one of the characters memories. When we switch from memory to present time, you'll see this: @-->----)
Munkustrap walked into the junkyard extremely slowly. Faline was almost draped over him, limping along with his help. The kittens followed behind them guiltily, as if it was their fault Faline had gotten hurt.
Jellyorum spotted them first and waved a paw in their direction. When she realized a member of the party was hurt, she trotted over to them.
"What happened?" Jelly asked, reaching them.
"Faline and the kittens were going to talk to Gus," Munkustrap explained.
"Macavity was waiting for them."
"Oh!" Jelly looked annoyed. "Just wait until I get my paws on him-----"
"Jellyorum," Faline protested, "this isn't your fight."
"What makes it your fight all of a sudden?" Munkustrap demanded, looking at Faline.
"It's me he wants, not you," Faline retorted. She swung her paw down from Munkustrap's back. "Thank you very much for your assistance, Munkustrap, but I think I know the way from here." With that, she stalked off.
"Sheesh!" the Rum Tum Tugger commented from a junk pile. "They should call HER the Queen of Ice!"
"What would YOU know?" Munkustrap shouted at him. "Look, she's had a rough time, all right?"
"Oh, and I haven't?" the Tugger demanded. With that, he disappeared.
"What's HIS problem, anyway?" Munkustrap wondered.
Jemima turned her head to glance down the way Faline had turned. Munkustrap hurried in the opposite direction. He just remembered something he had to tell Old Deuteronomy.
It was about Faline.
"Hi, Faline!" a voice shouted.
Surprised, Faline tumbled off the throne and landed on the ground. At the foot of the throne was Victoria. The white kitten gazed at Faline.
"Oops," Victoria said, looking sheepish. "I scared you, didn't I?"
"Something like that, yeah," Faline told Victoria, smoothing her fur. "If you're coming from Pouncival's, tell him I absolutely REFUSE to play 'Chase and Pin' with him again."
"There's nothing to do," Victoria complained.
"Go play with Pouncival. OR you could find the Rum Tum Tugger. I'm sure HE would keep you busy for an hour or so," Faline suggested, a tired look creeping onto her face.
"Pounce is off somewhere with Tumblebrutus The Rum Tum Tugger is being swooned over by the other cats. Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap wanted me to find you."
Faline looked stunned. "What do THEY want me for?"
"I don't know," Victoria confessed. "What did you do?"
"Who knows?" Faline demanded. "Maybe they're giving me a citation for playing 'Chase and Pin' one time too many."
Suddenly, Coricopat's head jerked up in unison with the rising of Tantomile's head. "Old Deuteronomy," the twins said as one.
"Here? NOW?!" Faline asked. Her tone was shocked. "Oh no!"
"Faline, what's the matter?" Victoria wondered.
"I can't talk to them right now!" Faline practically shouted.
"Can't talk to us about what?" Munkustrap asked, entering the junkyard with Old Deuteronomy.
Old Deuteronomy looked at Victoria, Coricopat, and Tantomile. "Tell the other cats to leave this area of the junkyard."
The three cats looked startled, but nodded and left.
"I can't talk to you about my past. I refuse to," Faline said stubbornly.
"How did you know THAT'S what we wanted to talk to you about?" Munkustrap wondered. "You're right, by the way."
"It was----I mean----" Faline tried to say. She couldn't let them know about what Macavity had done to her. "I don't know."
"Munkustrap, find Mistoffelees," Old Deuteronomy commanded. A little startled at the command, Munkustrap bowed and left.
When Munkustrap was safely out of sight, Old Deuteronomy moved forward to Faline. She shrank away from him.
"You were never there for me when I needed you!" Faline snapped at him. "I'm finally re-excepted into the tribe after what happened, and you're STILL treating me like dirt."
Old Deuteronomy looked shocked. He took a breath before saying: "You must understand------"
"Understand?" Faline demanded. "I understand this!" Faline gestured to a paw that had gotten slashed at during her last Macavity encounter. "I understand years of denial. I understand hatred-----YOUR hatred. That's all I NEED to understand!"
"Faline, my daughter------" Old Deuteronomy tried again.
"Don't get all sentimental on me," Faline cut in, her voice harsh and mocking at the same time. "I should have-------"
"I found him, Old Deuteronomy," Munkustrap called. He trotted over with Mistoffelees.
"You sent for me?" Mistoffelees asked.
Old Deuteronomy nodded.
"Hey!" a new female voice shouted. "Wait up, you two!"
"Matisha," Mistoffelees groaned. "She insisted on following us."
"That's all right. We'll need her here anyway," Old D commented.
A Siamese cat raced over the car and jumped, landing by Munkustrap.
"Mistoffelees, when Munkustrap and I entered the junkyard, Faline instantly started saying she refused to talk to us about her past. That was exactly what we wanted to speak with her about," Old Deuteronomy explained.
Faline tried to hide a shocked expression.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Mistoffelees told the leader of the Jellicles. "What do you want ME to do?"
"Well, we'd settle for how she knew what we wanted to talk to her about," Munkustrap interjected. "We know Coricopat and Tantomile didn't tell her."
Mistoffelees looked at Faline as if to say "You never mentioned any special abilities to me."
Mistoffelees put a paw on top of Faline's slashed (and healed) paw. His eyes closed, as they so often did when he was thinking about something.
Suddenly, images flew through Faline's head. It took her a moment to realize that Misto was probing her mind.
"Get out of my head," Faline ordered Mistoffelees, enforcing the order with her mind.
Misto stumbled back a few paces. Munkustrap, the protective cat that he was, hurried to Misto to steady him.
"I wasn't able to get very much, before she blocked me out," Misto stated. He looked like he was about to fall over.
"Sit, Misto," Matisha ordered, helping Munkustrap. Together, they forced Mistoffelees to sit.
"Great Heavyside!" Misto complained, giving Faline an odd look. "You didn't have to do it THAT hard!"
"If I pushed gently, you wouldn't have responded!" Faline retorted.
"It was Macavity. He tampered with her mind somehow," Misto explained, trying to form the images he has seen into words for him to explain. "I wasn't very clear on that part."
"But how?" Munkustrap wondered. "Macavity never came close enough to Faline for him to do ANYTHING to her mind."
"That's where you're wrong, Munkustrap," Matisha said. "Macavity WAS close enough to her on several occasions. I would know."
"Maybe I should start," Old Deuteronomy cut in.
"What IS this?" Misto demanded. "One of those human Round Robins where everyone contributes a little to the story?"
"Actually," Matisha said, grinning, "it may turn out to be just that. Only you two boys will have to listen."
The five cats sat in a circle.
Old Deuteronomy cleared his throat. "Whatever is mentioned in this circle must STAY between us. Is that understood?" Old D asked. The group nodded. "In that case, I'll begin.
"I suppose I should start by saying Faline is, indeed, my daughter. A month after she was born, Macavity arrived. He demanded that we, my wife and I, turn Faline over to him. We refused. Macavity killed my wife in the struggle over possession of Faline." Old Deuteronomy looked almost regretful.
"I'll take over, father," Faline cut in. "That is, if you want me to." Old D nodded. Faline sorted through her memories before continuing the story. "Macavity knocked my father and me out, I guess. I don't really know what happened. All I really remember is waking up in some kind of cell……"
"Faline," a voice cut in. "Stop. There's nothing you can do."
"Daddy!" I raced over to him. "That bad cat got you, too!"
"Yes, that grandson of mine got me," Daddy confessed.
("Try to show some more respect," Munkustrap insisted. "He may be your father, but he's still the Jellicle leader!" Faline rolled her eyes. "Who is telling this part of the story, anyway? You or me?" Faline demanded.)
"Do you think he's gonna hurt us?" I asked. I remember being frightened then.
"No," my father said. "I managed to overhear some of his plans. He's going to releasing me. You he wants to keep."
"Me? Why?"
"Who knows?" He looked at me. "Don't give in to him, Faline."
"Why would I? He's an amateur," I bragged.
("At this point," Faline explained, "I had stopped thinking of Old Deuteronomy as Daddy. Macavity has this idea that the Jellicles are evil." The other Jellicles looked at each other. "I'll bet," Munkustrap commented.)
I recognized the Tugger right away. Matisha I didn't even know at that point. Bombi and Demeter took me some time to remember.
"You were told to find Old Deuteronomy. These can't ALL be him." I glared at them. "Well? Where is he?"
"You see, miss," one of the cats spoke up, "the boss DID say to come back with prisoners------"
"HE MEANT WITH OLD DEUTERONOMY!" I tackled the cat that had spoken. One of the other cats held onto Matisha.
"We're sorry, ma'am," the cat apologized.
"Apologies get nowhere with me. Do you understand?"
The cat nodded. I walked over to the Tugger.
"I know you," I said. He was just a kitten at the time, and he STILL had the queens pouring over him. "You're used to having females falling at your paws, right?"
Tugger struggled against the cat that held him, but said nothing.
"Guess what? Here you fall at MY feet!" To prove my point, I swung my back legs around. My claws raked at his eyes. I missed purposely.
Tugger shouted in surprise and fell to the cement floor of the warehouse. I grinned in pleasure.
"Leave him alone!" Matisha shouted.
"SILENCE!" I shouted. Everything was silent. Not even a mouse squeaked. "You'll get your chance soon, you inconsiderate fool."
I proceeded over to Bombi and Demeter.
Demeter hissed and swiped at me. I ducked, but I wasn't fast enough. (Faline paused and gestured the area to the right of nose. There were claw marks, just faintly showing.) Mentally cursing at myself for being so slow, I glared at Demeter.
"You know," I said, my words practically oozing out of my mouth,"Macavity really hates it when previously catnapped cats are catnapped again."
"Not my problem," Demeter told me.
Bombi glanced at Matisha. "Don't hurt Matisha," Bombi ordered.
I slunk over to Matisha.
"Traitor," Matisha threw at me. "You were a Jellicle once. You betrayed your tribe!"
I was young at the time I captured, so I didn't remember a word of what Matisha had told me. Macavity had always told me that he had found me and took me in.
"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "I never was with your blasted tribe."
"Old Deuteronomy------"
I had had enough. Feeling rage building up, I lunged at Matisha, clawed at her. ("She got me pretty good, too," Matisha admitted. "She knocked me out.")
"Lock them up," I said, pushing off Matisha. "Same cell. The Jellicles are stupid. They can't plan anything big."
The cats led their prisoners away.
"You did well," Macavity's voice slunk through the darkness like a knife slicing bread. I knew he wasn't there.
//Then why do I feel awful?//
"Whose turn is it?" Faline asked.
"Mine," Matisha said. "After Faline knocked me out, I remember seeing the other cats in a cell with me….."
The Tugger was next to me, trying to wake me up.
"Wake up, Matisha," Tugger begged.
"I'm up!" I protested. "Thanks for your concern, big boy." I rolled onto my paws and glanced at our surroundings. "Cramped, isn't it?" I asked sarcastically.
"Bombi, Demeter, you two know Macavity better then we do," Tugger put in. "Do you know Faline? What's she like?"
"Well," Bombalurina commented, "Macavity has only catnapped us once before. Faline wasn't around then. From what I've heard, she just as fierce as Macavity."
"Twice as bad," Demeter put in. "I've heard Faline is worse than a tornado when you get her angry."
"And I thought Macavity was mean!" Tugger added.
("Mean?" Faline demanded. "Playboy said MEAN?" Matisha nodded. "I always said the moron had no way with words," Faline chuckled. "Faline," Old Deuteronomy scolded. "You may not like him, but he's still a Jellicle." Matisha looked exasperated. "Can I continue?")
"I've heard," I cut in, "that Faline was once a Jellicle like us."
"Who told you that?" the others wanted to know.
"Old Deuteronomy did," I responded. "Faline was a kitten when she just disappeared."
"You're making it up," Tugger accused.
"Am not," I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him.
"Well, we can't get out of here by arguing," Demeter put in, trying to be cheerful.
"What makes you think you're leaving?" Faline's voice demanded.
We all turned to find Faline standing in the doorway.
"Don't get all excited," Faline hissed. "I'm just giving you food. I can't do anything about your fate, only Macavity can. Don't expect him to rule in your favor, though. He wasn't in a good mood when I went to talk to him about how those bozos messed up."
"Was that before you told him or after you told him?" I wondered.
"What difference does it make?" Faline wanted to know. "All I know is I have to get somewhere. Enjoy your visit while you can, Jellicle freaks." She tossed the meat at us and left.
"Yeesh!" Tugger commented as the door slammed shut. "I guess that rules out the welcoming committee."
"Yes," Faline snapped. "I did, and if I had to do it over again, I would!"
"Faline," Matisha cut in quietly. "Your turn again."
"Okay," Faline snarled. She thought again, trying to put the images to words.
Suddenly, a searing slash of pain cut through Faline's mind. With a yelp of surprise, horror, and pain, Faline fell from her sitting position.
The other cats crowded around Faline.
"Back up!" Munkustrap commanded. "Give her air!"
"Munkustrap----" Faline said softly. Her green eyes glanced at the future Jellicle leader.
"I'm here, Faline," Munkustrap told her. He crouched beside her.
"He's coming," Faline warned. "I can't stop him! No one can!"
"Who is?" Munkustrap wondered.
"Macavity," came the soft reply. There was silence as Faline fully collapsed on the junkyard floor.
"There is absolutely nothing I can do with you shouting at me ever two minutes," Mistoffelees retorted. "Besides, how can you expect me to do anything if you don't give me enough time!"
"Munkustrap, there is nothing you can do," Matisha told the tom.
"I know that," Munkustrap replied, eyes glinting in fury. "If Macavity has done ANYTHING to her-------"
"Why would you be worried about her?" the Tugger's voice demanded.
The cats looked up to spot the Rum Tum Tugger on top of the car.
"I thought I gave clear orders that no other cats were allowed in this area," Old Deuteronomy told the Tugger.
"I know," Tugger drawled. He slid off the car. "You forget I also had a part in her past. I could help."
"The heck you could," Misto threw at him.
"No!" Matisha protested. "He could. Let him tell some more of the story."
"I heard when you left off," Tugger said as Matisha cuddled against him. "Let's see where I can pick up."
"Tell them what happened when you-know-who sent for you," Matisha insisted. "You never told US!"
Tugger grinned and began.
