HAT: ... don't judge me! The random pairing generator made me do it! Anyway, remember to review at the end.
WARNING: Implying/mention of rape & suicide.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot and any and all Ocs.
The streets of London are relatively quiet save for the usual bustle. A few blocks from the train station an orange tom with brown and dark orange stripes, a long brown tail, and glass-green eyes wearing a waistcoat strolls through the streets that are normally seen as dangerous like it were the safest park in the world. This cat is known around as many things: the Scottish Warrior, the Railway Cat, and his namesake, Skimbleshanks, better known as Skimble by those that are familiar with him.
As this tomcat passes by an alley he hears something close to a sob. He slows his pace and pricks his ears, trying to pick up the noise again. Then it comes again, a whimpering sob that breaks his heart. He backs up and peers into the alley with sharp eyes and then sees orange, cream, and black stripes, a calico pattern that reminds him of three cats he knows rather well. He moves forward and is hit with the smell of two familiar things, one welcome, the other most unwelcome, and a third one he can't place at the moment. Mungojerrie and blood. The young calico's unconscious and breathing uneasily. Without a second thought he picks up the unconscious tom and rushes back to the junkyard, not in sight of anyone and he ends up in his sister, the Gumbie Cat's den in no time.
"Oh dear! What happened?" Jennyanydots asks, rushing over in an orange blur.
Skimble shakes his head. "I don't know, but whatever it is, he's been hurt really badly..."
Jennyanydots cleans his wounds and starts wrapping his sounded tail when suddenly Mungojerrie curls in a tighter ball and whimpers. "Oh no..."
Skimbleshanks suddenly realizes what the third scent was and he feels pity overwhelm him. "Poor lad..."
"I think you should take him back to your den, the kits will be back and I don't know how he'll react to being woken up," Jenny tells her older brother.
"Alright, I'll be able to do that," he replies, gathering the scarred young tom in his arms and walking out of the den.
The orange tabby slips into his den unnoticed and he's quite grateful, though he knows his sister, Rumpelteazer, will look for him sooner or later. He places Mungojerrie in his bed and slips out into the kitchen area to make himself some tea and perhaps have a little bit of Scotch to sooth his nerves. He downed half of his first cup of tea when he hears moaning and the words are mainly, "stop," "please," "get off of me," "you don't have to do this," and other things long those lines that break Skimble's heart and makes him forget his tea and rush to the aid of the young calico who thrashes in the bed. He reaches out and touches the younger tom's shoulder to awaken him and suddenly a clawed paw lashes out and the marmalade tom is suddenly very grateful for his quick reflexes.
"Are you alright, lad?" Skimble asks, though he knows the answer. Tricolored arms are thrown over his shoulders and wind around his neck and said neck's being used to sob into. Skimble wraps his arms around the young, scared calico and whispers sweet nothings in his ears. When Mungojerrie stops crying they sit there in silence before Skimble breaks it. "How did this happen?"
Mungojerrie swallows and closes his dark brown eyes. "I-I was walking home from Victorian Grove, had to be sure the humans didn't come looking for us, and then suddenly I was dragged into the alley with a bunch of rough, bulky toms that I couldn't fight," he whispers with a shaky voice before he swallows and continues. "One of them said I was real cute and then they all-..."
"Shh, shh," the older tom hushes. "You don't have to finish..."
Mungojerrie nods and curls into Skimbleshanks, seeming to be seeking warmth and protection he had needed before. Guilt stabs the Railway Cat's heart as he wishes he could've gotten off a little earlier, walked a little faster, and been there to save this young tom from something he should've never had to go thought. As the Notorious Tom of the due sniffles Skimble squeezes him reassuringly and quietly sings a lullaby to him in hopes of bringing comfort. As the smaller cat grows more relaxed so does the larger one and soon the both of them are asleep.
-LINE-
Skimbleshanks has taken a few days off from the railway to take care of Mungojerrie, and stays within close proximity of him at all times. It's obvious to Mungojerrie that he wants to be on the train again, moving about the country and keeping order on the Night Mail, but continues to stay to support and take care of the thief. Soon the calico decides to confront the cat of the railway train in order to show that he will, eventually, be alright and out and about in the community... one day. The only ones that Mungojerrie's really interacted with the past few days is Skimble (mostly), Rumpelteazer, and Jennyanydots, everyone else is pretty much shut out.
"Skimble," Mungojerrie mutters during dinner.
Orange ears perk. "Yes?"
"I know you don't want to be stuck here... you like traveling, being on the train... you should get on the train and go."
Skimbleshanks leans forward and observes the young tom. "You're far more important to me than the train. You're my family and I won't abandon you for a job."
That warms the thief's heart and he smiles sadly. "I know, but I don't want you to miss out on something that you love doing just for me."
"How's about this... I bring you with me on the train. You can my my temporary assistant," Skimble offers.
The young tomcat contemplates this for a little while, long enough for Skimbleshanks to start to think that maybe he wouldn't take the offer, but eventually receives a nod. "Yes, I think that'd be nice. When do we head out?"
"Tomorrow night," replies the brown tailed tom before rubbing his temporary apprentice's ear. "Get some rest."
A nod and then Skimble's on the couch, falling asleep while the younger tom has the bed, but Skimble knows Jerrie will be against his side sooner or later anyway. It's only a matter of time before it happens like it always seems to.
-LINE-
The two toms make their way to the railway, Skimble's fur on his spine prickling because he feels that something bad will happen, but he doesn't know what. He sometimes wishes that he could see the future like their mystics, Coricopat and Tantomile, at times like these, but when he thinks of the heavy burden they carry he decides against it and chooses that it's better to have feelings so that way he's prepared for anything and everything and little can happen on his watch.
"Are we almost there?" the thief asks, most likely thinking of things he can nab by the impatience in his voice, which is both a good and a bad thing.
"Refrain from stealing if you can, please," Skimble says, knowing that stealing's better for the young thief because it's something that shows he's returning to normal and he knows that Jerrie can sense this in his voice and tone.
"I'll try," the Cockney accented voice mutters back as his dark brown eyes look around, a hint of green showing in the light when he looks certain ways.
Skimble smirks. "I'm sure you will."
Mungojerrie, at first, works diligently beside the Railway Cat, but gradually slips away, which is to be expected. Skimbleshanks would much like a catnap himself. Skimble's in the middle of putting a passenger's luggage in the luggage van when his stomach churns terribly and his fur prickles. Physically he is not at ease and this causes him to worry and look around with sharp glass-green eyes and he can see nothing wrong with the passengers... but one passenger is unaccounted for.
Mungojerrie! Skimble thinks, darting in the direction of the young tiger-striped cat, his own cart where Skimbleshanks usually rests, and then finds that Mungojerrie's got the window up and there's a note on the pillow. He's about to jump!
The orange tabby wastes no time running forward on silent feet and grabbing the young tom by the scruff and lifting, making the calico go limp and curl in a ball like any kit in it's mother's grasp. Skimble quickly closes the window and jumps away from it, plopping the young cat onto the bed and grabbing the note, reading it to see what he had in mind.
Dear Skimble,
Please know it's not your fault, you tried your best, but I couldn't handle it. Let Teazer know that I love her, I love all of you guys at the junkyard... goodbye. Know I'll be happier on the other side.
Mungojerrie
Uneccessary anger boils through Skimbleshanks as he crumbles up the note. "This was your answer?!" Mungojerrie doesn't raise his eyes to meet the fierce tom's gaze. "How could you even think of doing this to us? To the cats that care about you? Did you even think about how it would effect those you care about, how devastated your sister would be? That's never the answer no matter how depressed you are or sorry for yourself you are."
Tears are now flowing down the white and orange cheeks of the calico. "I couldn't see a way out of the darkness."
Skimble's features relax and he kneels before the tomcat. "Listen... I know it seems bleak after that night, but you can't give up. You must keep fighting because if you don't... others will give up fighting as well. Do you understand?"
The thief nods. "I think so."
"Promise me you'll never try that again," Skimble says only to receive a doubtful look so he takes the shoulders of the young tom and forces his brown eyes meet his glass-green ones and he swears there's a hint of green in them. "Promise me."
Then, at last, comes the slow nod. "Alright... I promise."
Before he knows it he's brought into a hug and he feels something in his chest, like there's a heaviness. "Thank you for promising me that."
Hesitant arms wrap around the larger tom. "Thank you..."
"What for?"
"For always being there for me... for taking in Teazer and me and loving us as if we were your own... you're the closest thing to a father I've ever had."
Skimble blinks at this new information and then smiles. "I'm proud to call you my son... even if you are a thief," he chuckles.
His son chuckles right along with him and Mungojerrie allows himself to be a kitten and curls against Skimble's side while Skimble gently scratches him behind the ear until they're both asleep.
HAT: That's a wrap. This is a family one-shot, but don't think I won't do this pairing. *smirks evilly* After all, I'm one of the most random authors you know and the most obsessed with Skimbleshanks.
Asparagus: Yes, we know... quite scary sometimes, too.
HAT: Well, since I'm getting tired, will you please say it?
Asparagus: Review, please.
HAT: *collapses onto Asparagus for a nap*
Asparagus: *adjusts her so she's on his back and grumbles* Why does she use everyone as a friggin' pillow?.. at least she didn't go into a black hole this time.
HAT: *falls backwards into a black hole*
Asparague: WHY?! EVERLASTING?! WHY?! *dives into the black hole to save the unconscious author*