(A/N: Boy, I haven't written for Cats in forever. Another noodler of my head. Enjoy!)
Summary: My vision of how Grizabella and Deuteronomy met.
Disclaimer: "Cats" is owned by TSE and ALW, not ME.
Tonight Will Be a Memory
A Deuteronomy/Grizabella Fanfic
by Jill Diamond
The applause resounding inside the playhouse was biblical. Roses flew to the stage like moths to a flame. The cheers from the feline section were exceptionally impressive. Even from high above the balcony, they could see every secret smile that was exchanged between the actors as they took their curtain calls. Deuteronomy whistled loudly between his teeth and clapped his paws together until they were sore. He had been around longer than most, and even he had never seen such majesty. Down on the stage, Gus lifted his eye patch and gave a final bow and flick of the tail before he disappeared with his costars into the wings.
At the expense of the scrawny stage hand boys, the rich red velveteen curtains began to close, and that was Deuteronomy's cue, as it were. He picked himself up and maneuvered the congested minefield of theater-goers, still hopelessly trying to coax out the players for an encore. He carefully climbed into the open air vent, each footstep echoing enormously and the reverb bouncing back into his ears. Where the vent spat out was purposely hidden behind two potted palm trees in the lobby of the theater. The wise tom nonchalantly made his way out of the hiding spot and onto the streets, making sure he would not be stepped on by the frenzy of emotionally moved patrons.
Out the theater doors and into the cold night air, he scampered as fast as his fat legs could carry him round to the back entrance. There, a heavy duty cat flap was being guarded by two fully black toms much bigger than he. They stood with their chests puffed out and their limbs like stone. Their faces unwavering, not even their whiskers twitching, as if the brisk November night was a lovely summer's eve. He felt their bright green eyes boring into him like four laser beams slicing through the night fog.
"Evening, men. I'm, ah, here to see Gus."
The black statuettes only blinked. The boxy, disapproving look on their faces didn't falter the slightest, even with the fifteen degree wind chill.
"He might have mentioned me? Deuteronomy?"
The twins exchanged glances through the corners of their eyes, and then stepped away from the cat flap as one entity. Deuteronomy could already here the gay music playing on the old vintage radio inside.
"Thank you, men. Have a good night," he nodded as he stepped through the flap, the weight nearly catching on his tail.
All the furniture in Gus' dressing room had been pushed aside so to form a makeshift dance floor. The sweet sound of Old Blue Eyes filled the air and several cats were already swinging to the music. Gus was leaning against his vanity with two of his costars at his side, chest heaving from having to rush to make his own after party. Deuteronomy smiled to himself as he made his way through the crowd.
"I thought you said it would just be a few friends," he called out over the radio.
Gus was clearly thankful to put his heated discussion with Gilbert on pause, and gave his friend a pat on the back.
"Deut, I'm glad you could make it! Now, I hate to be one to pry for reviews, but...how was it?"
"Oh, it was sensational! Your best role yet."
The Theatre Cat pulled the larger tom over to the vanity, and held his paw out at the dainty white Persian that his arm had been around.
"Deut, the Lady in person. I'd like you to meet Griddlebone."
The queen tried to stifle a shy giggle as Deuteronomy gave a bow.
"Why, of course it is! How could I forget such a voice?"
"Oh, thank you! You're very kind." Griddlebone was violently blushing under her white fur, and she tried to direct the conversation elsewhere, but Gus kept talking.
"Would you believe this is her first time on stage?"
"I would say you were bluffing!" Deuteronomy chuckled.
"Oh, you're too kind, really. But...in all honesty, it comes easily when you have such a great mentor as Gus."
"Oh, honestly, dear, now you're making me bashful." Gus leaned in and chastely pecked her behind the ear. "But, anyway, don't feel like you have to talk to me all night. You're welcome to dance, and there's some cream laid out over there."
Deuteronomy followed the direction of Gus' gesture, and subconsciously licked his chops. He could never resist a dish of cream.
"Well, then! If you'll excuse me...it was great to meet you, Griddle."
"You, too."
With that, Deuteronomy squeezed himself through the furry crowd of dancing partners, trying to do so without being whacked upside the head or stepped upon his tail.. The cream, and also a few bowls of salmon paste were presented on a cleaned props table, even though a fake axe still sat on the corner.
The older tom hovered himself over one of the dishes and happily lapped up the luscious cream. He licked carefully, making sure not one drop spilled over onto his chin. He rumbled a purr, but was positive he would not be heard over the Sinatra.
He looked away from his treat, and saw a queen lingering at the other end of the props table. She was beautiful, but not in the usual way. Her entity was beautiful, but singular parts of her appeared simply melancholy. She clearly hadn't been properly groomed in weeks. Her fur was ratty and her claws were long. The pattern on her face manipulated the eye to make her appear mournful. Her hips were wide, yet her legs were thin and frail. She focused intently on her feet, not saying a word yet radiating so much. Deuteronomy found himself being drawn in.
"Hello."
The queen's eyes looked up, startled. Her paw flew immediately to her heart. After a long, silent glance up and down his person, she responded.
"Hello."
Deuteronomy drew a centimeter closer to her; no closer than she wanted.
"Nice after party, isn't it?"
"...Yes."
"So how do you know Gus?"
"...I'm with the company."
"Oh, are you an actress?" Another centimeter drew. He saw her flinch, but she tried to hide it.
"Not exactly...though I want to be. I'm-I'm a chorus queen." She glanced away as if the conversation was over, but Deuteronomy kept talking.
"Are you in anything right now?"
She looked up at him, with almost a shining in her eyes.
"...Not...as of right now."
"Oh, that's a shame."
The two centimeters that had been progressed disappeared as the queen stepped back, almost fearfully.
"Why is that a shame?"
"Ma'am, if I'm making you uncomfortable-" He started to step back towards Gus and the vanity.
"No!" Both cats were stupefied when the queen spoke up. She didn't know why, but her paw was extended to him.
"I-I mean, um...you can stay if you want." Her arm drew back awkwardly, and she tried to look away. "Y-you're not making me uncomfortable, I'm just..." She didn't finish the sentence, and it didn't look like she was going to any time soon.
Deuteronomy just slowly recovered the closeness he had achieved between them, plus interest. He dove in for another lap of cream to break the awkwardness floating in the air around them.
"I don't think I know your name." The tom looked on at her meaningfully, trying to give some signal that his intentions were pure, even though she failed to look back.
"...Grizabella. It's Grizabella." Slowly she looked up at his face, and Deuteronomy was graced with her only properly beautiful feature – two shining blue eyes with lashes long and dark. The tom couldn't help but smile.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Grizabella." He bowed enough to be polite, and then he slowly slipped his paw under hers. "And you can call me Deuteronomy."
He thought his eyes were failing him when he saw her giggle to herself.
"Deuteronomy...it sounds like a fairytale hero."
He chuckled in return.
"Yes, well, my parents were always a bit cheesy."
Carefully aware of her long claws, Grizabella closed onto his paw just a little firmer.
"Hey, Deut!"
The tom's head snapped up at the Theatre Cat waving frantically at him.
"There's someone you've gotta meet that just walked in!"
Deuteronomy lightly sighed as he turned to his companion.
"I'll be right back." The warmth between their paws was reluctantly lost as he started to pad away.
"Alright..." Grizabella seemed the most surprised when her voice came out once again like the whisper of a mouse.
XXX
By the time the Sinatra had wound down, Deuteronomy had met every single one of Gus' friends, costars, and generally everyone within his circle (which was growing larger by the minute). The salmon paste and cream had been continuously pecked through all night, and now the portions left in the bowls weren't even enough to tide over a house fly. The already pint-sized dressing room was not nearly as neat now as Gus usually kept it. But the Theatre Cat was still walking on air. He had barely danced all night; he was still leaning against the vanity with Griddlebone at his side, chatting about everything and nothing.
"Well," the older tom started, rising from his seat, "I would declare Growltiger's Last Stand a success."
Gus was pulled from the chocolate brown eyes he was lost in, and stood upright to shake his old friend's paw.
"Well, let's just hope the critics think so."
"Oh, please, Gus, if they give this one bad review, I'll chew my own ear off."
Both toms chuckled as Gus promised he wouldn't hold Deuteronomy to that. He tipped his head to Griddlebone once more, saying that it was delightful to meet her, and then pulled himself through the cat flap.
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were long gone. The night air was stiff and cold, immediately wanting his nose to fall off.
He stopped, and perked himself. A sad, small sound struck his ear with the strength of a feather, but he knew it was there; knew it was real. His tail flicked as he turned around, to see a small, frail, grayish figure sobbing next to a dumpster.
"Grizabella?"
The queen looked up at the sound of her name, and her bright blue eyes struck Deuteronomy straight through the heart, the way they shone in the silvery light of the moon with what could only be described quite bluntly as tears. She gave a great sniff, as if to throw a huge blanket over all her faults, and shook to stand upright.
"I was just, um..." Another sentence she left hanging in the air. She twiddled a tuft of curly fur that hung under her ear in her paw. Her feet suddenly became very interesting.
Deuteronomy closed the space between them, thankful that she didn't flinch away this time. He spoke tactfully.
"...Do you have a place to stay tonight?"
"Of course, I do!" she retorted to his eyes, as if it were some obscenely personal question.
"Then why aren't you there already, warm and safe in bed?"
A long, silent epic between their eyes was broken when she spoke up in the softest voice, "I'm scared."
Deuteronomy said nothing. His expression barely changed. No sigh of mild agitation, even. He simply gave his paw to her, and she tentatively took it. Her shivering paw melted in the calm warmth of his.
"Lead the way."
Their eyes met for a minute-long eternity before Grizabella awkwardly cleared her throat and told him to head south down the street. As the two emerged from the back lot and the moonlight was able to fully glaze them in its brilliance, the tom slowly removed his paw from her grip and slipped it over her shoulder in an attempt to keep her warm against the November night.
Grizabella didn't intend to speak out, it just sort of happened.
"I...didn't intent to cry, I just...something overtook me."
"Sometimes we just need to cry; sometimes we don't need an intent or reason."
The thing about the tom was that he always spoke in some magical tone that always hooked you in to tell him everything. He was so sure of everything he said. He never hesitated; never stuttered. Even if he was scolding you, he never raised his voice. And he spoke directly from his heart, like you were the only person that mattered in the world.
"I've just always been alone in my life, that's all. After my parents...and...there was this tom." Grizabella's throat kept catching her voice. "I...I thought he loved me. Everlasting, that was a mistake. ...I thought I'd put him behind me, but...I'm always afraid."
The tom hated to pry, but he had to know exactly the state she was in. She was one mystery he had no hope of solving.
"...When you say it was a mistake-"
Grizabella turned her legs in towards each other.
"Let's just say we had different ideas of love," she interjected in a frail, yet bitter voice.
Deuteronomy didn't ask her anything for the rest of the night, and there was only one more time that she spoke up to him.
"How can you be so generous to someone you've only just met?"
"No tom should turn away a crying queen," he answered matter-of-factly.
(A/N: I don't wanna put The End 'cause I'm not really sure it is the end. But I figured it was long enough and I really wanted to post it because I'm really proud of it. But, still, I hope you enjoyed!)