It was a hot summer afternoon, and the Railway Cat was asleep as usual. Next to him was his love and partner Jennyanydots. Both orange tabbies were lying in some shade provided by a large pile of junk behind them, when Sootaput came up to the pair. She stopped in front of them, and watched as they breathed in unison. Then, just as she was about to wake them, Pouncival, well, ‘pounced’ on her. He pinned her down, and placed a paw on her chest to keep her down, and placed the other over her mouth. She glared at him, and squirmed to get free, but the older kitten was too big for her.
“ Let them sleep. Ol’ Skimble has a long run tonight. Besides, he doesn’t get to spend much time with Jen,” Pouncival said in a whisper. Soot’s glare softened, but she was still mad at the white kitten with brown and grey stripes, that was holding her down. He lifted his paw from her mouth, then lifted his paw off her chest. Once she was free, she immediately stood up and pounced on him, now pinning him to the dirt. After she had her paws firmly set on his shoulders, she began to lick his white face with its greyish brown patch over his left eye, and part of his nose. She may have still been angry with him, but she still thought he was cute. Plus she also knew that he liked her too.
“ Hey, cut it out,” Pounce giggled, which woke Skimble and Jenny. The Railway cat yawned, nuzzled Jenny, and then sat up. He turned to the kittens, who had rudely woken him,
“ Why don’t you two go somewhere else to play.” The kittens stopped and gave the medium sized orange and brown tom solemn looks.
“ We didn’t mean to wake you. I already stopped Sooty from waking you. We’re sorry,” Pounce said getting up from off his back. Jenny smiled at them,
“ It’s okay, come here,” the kittens looked at each other, then walked over to the adults. Sootaput sat down between Skimbleshanks’ front paws, while Pouncival, lied next to Jenny. They smiled at the kittens, and asked them, if they would like to join them for another catnap. The kittens nodded, and Sootaput moved from in between Skimble’s paws, to be in between him and Pounce. Skimble lied down also. Soon they were all sleeping. Kittens in the middle, adult cats on the outside.
“ Can I come in?” she asked startling the older cats. Quaxo looked to Jemima’s upside down face, and said that it was fine. Then her face disappeared as she jumped off the dryer to the ground, then into it. She nearly landed on top of Patch.
“ What do you want kiddo?” Patch asked as Quaxo resumed grooming her neck.
“ I need to talk to you about Misto and me. How do I know when I’m ready to become a teenage cat?”
“ Why is he pressuring you?” Quaxo asked, ready to hurt any cat that pressured one of the female kittens.
“ No, not at all, it’s just that I don’t know if I’m ready or not,” she said as Patch placed a paw on one of hers.
“ You’re still pretty young, you aren’t even as old as Victoria was, so I’ve heard,” Patch said as she leaned her head against Quax’s shoulder, her paw still on Jemima’s.
“ You’ll know when the time is right. Just between us, you know Patch and I have been together for a couple of months now, right,” Jemima nodded. “ Well, we’re still fresh, so there is no rush,” Quaxo said, then licked the back of one of her ears, which made it flick.
“ You’re kidding?” Jemima asked dumbfounded, “ You’re still pure.” Both cats began to giggle,
“ No, we’re not, he just said that to make a point,” Patch grinned, Quaxo was still chuckling. “ He was just trying to say, that if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.”
Quaxo stopped laughing, and said, “ You kittens are so easy to lead on,” Patch stifled a laugh, as Jemima gasped, and then batted his head playfully. As she was bringing her paw down, he grabbed it gently in her mouth.
“ Hey!” Jemima cried. Patch tried not to laugh, when Jemima shook her front leg, which shook his head, as she tried to dislodge her paw. He finally let go.
“ Thank you,” Jemima said, giving her head a little nod when she did. Quax just giggled, which made Patch start to laugh. Jemima just shook her head and was about to leave when Quaxo stopped her. He had stopped laughing, and was now very serious,
“ Remember what we said, and tell me if he ever tries to pressure you, ‘cause I’ll take care of him if he does.” Jemima smiled at them and left. When she was gone, Quax asked why Patch had told her that they weren’t pure.
“ Because after what we are about to do, we won’t be anymore,” she said devilishly, and her eyes seemed to glow. Quaxo gave her a big smile, and nuzzled her.
“ Hi guys,” Misto said as he went to stand next to Exotica.
“ Hey Misto,” Exotica said, giving him a friendly smile.
“ Hello Mistoffelees,” Munkustrap said formally.
“ Exotica, do mind if I speak with Munkustrap alone?” Exotica shook her head, and left. Waving her long black tail, as she went.
“ What can I do for you Misto?” Munkustrap asked after Misto had sat down.
He curled his tail around his front legs then said, “ I need to talk to you about Jemi, and me.”
“ I see, go on.”
“ Well, I don’t know if I’m ready to become an adult cat yet,” Misto said, and Munkustrap stared at Misto, his mouth slightly agape.
“ You mean, you have never been with a female before?”
“ Nope, the only kittens I’ve produced have been out of a hat. I never found the right feline before, and now that I have, I’m getting uneasy,” Misto said and the white tip of his tail moved a little.
“ Have you told Jemima this yet, I mean about you not being sure,” Munkustrap asked watching Misto’s right ear flick. Misto quickly scratched it, and answered Munkustrap,
“ No, I haven’t. I guess I should though, huh?” Munku nodded. “ Well, I better go find her, thanks Munku.” Munkustrap smiled at the young tom, and watched him leave. He decided he’d go find his loving Demeter, and visit with her.
“ No, sorry,” she replied.
“ I saw her just before I came here,” the light goldish brown and black mixed breed said. “She asked me if I had seen you.”
“ Did she say where she was headed?” Misto asked looking around for his partner.
“ Yeah, I think she said she was going to go look near her sister’s hideout, where ever that is.”
“ Thanks Plato,” Misto said then left for the old cabinet, hidden well within the junk. He found her there, talking with Electra and Tumble. The white and brown tom noticed Misto and said,
“ Here he is now.” Jemima turned around to the direction in which Tumble was looking, and sure enough, Misto was there, walking towards the group. Jemima let out a happy mew and ran to her tom. Misto stopped when he saw Jem start to run. She tried to stop when she got closer, but couldn’t and she crashed into the black and white cat, which sent him to the ground, and put her on top of him. They got up to find Tumble and Electra laughing at them. Jemima gave her sister a look of embarrassment before turning to Misto.
“ Hi sweetie,” she said and began to nuzzle on the white part of Misto’s chest.
“ Jemima we need to talk,” Misto said looking to Tumble and Electra who gave him a nod.
“ I know, I was looking for you to tell you the same thing.” Misto smiled and licked the bridge of her nose, which made her giggle. They said good-bye to Tumble and Electra, and were off to Misto’s hiding place. An old abandoned house, not far from the Junk Yard. When they reached the house, Misto crawled through a hole under a fence that led into the backyard. Jemima followed shortly after. After she was through Misto walked to the back door, and jumped through a hole, where a window was supposed to be. Once again Jemima followed the black and white tom. When she was in the house, she followed him to a large mattress, strewn with pieces of cloth, and lace. He let Jemima pick her spot on the mattress then joined her. She lied down, and he lied next to her. She then rested her small red, black and white head on his shoulder.
After a moment of silence, and a pleased sigh from Jem, Misto said, “ Jemi, I don’t want to sound like I’m pressuring you, because I’m not, but are you ready yet. Because I am.” Jem looked into Misto’s white face, then she locked her greenish-blue eyes with his black and smiled when she said.
“ Yes, I am. You are the only one for me, I don't want anyone else.” She began to lick his only black paw he had, and he began to purr. He closed his eyes, and laid his head on the bottom part of her neck. She stopped grooming his paw, and said,
“ I’m ready whenever you are.” Misto kept his head on her neck, a little while longer, then got up and walked behind her.
Alonzo was restlessly walking through the Junk Yard, when he came upon Jemima. She was resting on an old blanket she had bunched up, and looked up when she heard him approaching.
“ I never got a chance to thank you for helping me out with Misto,” she said standing up to rub against him. Alonzo’s eyes widened a little when he noticed her belly.
“ Dang, you sure didn’t waste anytime did you?” She smiled at him, then yawned. Carrying a litter sure does make a girl tired. “ How far along are you?”
“ About two weeks.”
“ Well, I’m very proud of you,” he said then suddenly looked sad, Jemima noticed it and quietly mewed,
“ Hey, you’ll find someone again, and you’ll be just as happy as you were with Cassandra.” He gave her small smile, nuzzled her, then left so she could continue resting.
“ ‘Ow much longer will it be?” Cimmanon’s kitten voice was heard.
“ We’re not sure,” Demeter replied. Victoria, rubbed against the soon to be grandfather, Skimbleshanks, who looked like he was going to start crying.
“ Are you okay?” Victoria asked him softly. He smiled at her, tears shining in his glass green eyes, and nodded. “ Then why are there tears in your eyes?”
“ Because I’m happy my dear,” he replied wiping at his eyes. She just rubbed against him again. Then Tantomile came from the tunnel, and told Misto he could go in now. Misto didn’t waste a second, he was running into that tunnel as fast as he could, without having to use his powers.
“ How many did she have?” Munku asked Tantomile who sat next to Coricopat.
“ Four,” she replied with a smile.
“ Did ya hear that Skimble?” Sootaput asked coming up behind him, he turned around to face the female look alike of Mistoffelees, “ You have four grandkids.” Skimble smiled, as silent tears streamed down his face. ootaput looked to Victoria in confusion.
“ He’s just happy,” Victoria told the kitten.
Once in the chamber, Misto saw his proud lover, and their four beautiful kittens eating. Jemima gave him a tired smile, and said,
“ There are three boys, and one female.”
“ How do you want to name them?”
“ I’ll take two boys, and you can have the girl and a boy,” Jemima said, then gave her partner a lick on his white cheek. Misto looked around for Jelly and Jenny, and didn’t see them.
“ Where’s your mom, and Jell?”
“ They left already,” Jemima replied softly. Strange, he didn’t see them come out with Tantomile, he shrugged, and decided that they must have. The kittens finished eating and started moving about. They decided to get the naming over with. When Misto saw his son that looked almost exactly like him, he decided he’d name him, and his daughter. Jemima went first. She decided to name their son that was mostly white with black ears, tail and paws, Jasperjem, and their other son that was grey, with brown, black and red spots on his back Lylladon. Misto named his son that looked like him,except he only had two white paws (front) Kiabell. When he saw his daughter tears flooded his eyes, she looked exactly like his mother. She was a dark brown, with a white chest, all four paws were white, and white ringlets on her tail.
“ Are you okay Misto?” Jemima asked nuzzling his shoulder. He nodded and said,
“ I’m going to name her Joqui,” he said quietly, as a single tear escaped both his eyes.
“ That’s a beautiful name,” Jemima said, then began to groom her. Misto began to groom Jasperjem; the other two were asleep already in a tight ball next to each other. Other Jellicles slowly started to come into the chamber to look at the new arrivals. Everyone was happy. Even the Rumpus Cat came in for a short visit.
