Foreword
This was meant to be a short story, but I think we might be in it for the long haul! Sorry!
I also wasn't planning on making Munkustrap and Jazzie into too big a thing, but it seems they just can't get enough of each other! I mean, I was planning to have a bit more Demeter vs Munkustrap action, cos I know how much you love that couple and I'll admit, so do I. But somehow, Demeter seems to have turned into a bit of a bitch. Whoops! Not actually sure how that happened, but we'll run with it. See where it goes!
Be warned. This story is unashamedly gushy and very sweet. If it fails to warm the cockles of your heart, then you must obviously be an iceberg lettuce. May I suggest you go jump in a soda lake!
As with my last story, I have matched up songs with the text, kind of like a musical. It is my characters who connect with the lyrics, rather than me, which was really weird, because I found myself becoming emotional over songs that I wouldn't usually listen to.
I know that songfics aren't everyone's cup of tea (I'm guilty of skipping the songs bits too!) But sometimes, it is a case of: Christine Mcvie, Chrissie Hynde or Del Amitri said it better than I ever could!
Thank you to Kycklingk for your review. Your advice has been invaluable! The use of italics has literally TRANSFORMED my writing!
I am also dedicating this story to Krissy4, who gave me the inspiration for this tale.
Disclaimer.
I own the following characters: Doctor Jazzie, Hortenseya, Lucitana, Norstara, Hack, Keralon, Katon, The Felons, The Vandals, Wave Of The Tail, The Nymph Quartet, Bellatriss, Sonora, Iphigenia,Vaughan, Beni Spears and The Rafters, Morosoe, Elias, Lorian, Cosmica, Willowmist, Dellasole, Serran, Treloar and Tallus. Nothing more.
"At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah
At last the skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up clover the night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill I've never known, oh yeah
You smiled, you smiled oh and then the spell was cast
And here we are in Heaven
For you are mine at last."
(At last by Etta James)
This was how Doctor Jazzie felt as she stepped off the train and exited St Pancras International Station into the pouring rain, almost sick with happiness. The memories of the last few days still beamed across her mind like gold threads of light and she reeled them in, hoping to treasure them forever. While she was busy daydreaming, the Silver Bengcoon placed a protective arm around her, trying unsuccessfully to shield her from the downpour. "Aw, what a fitting end to our trip!" he said jokingly. "We'll have to run for it!"
Together, they ran along the busy streets in their feline forms, dodging prams and zig zagging between the legs of humans as they trudged blindly through the dank streets and coughed in the grimey air, holding firm onto their brollies lest a gust of wind snatched them right out of their hands. The couple laughed as they were soaked through, skipping from one shelter to the next and finally stopping to catch their breath under the awning of a market stall, situated just outside the British Library. Since the humans were all preoccupied with avoiding the rain, they felt safe to change into their humanoid forms, briefly. "I don't know why we're trying to hide from this!" he panted, shaking droplets of water from his whiskers. "We couldn't possibly get any wetter!"
He smiled and wiped a drip of water from her pink nose, then gently lifted her chin and softly kissed her. A kiss that she deepened as she curled her arms around him. "Sank you," she whispered to him. "Sose were, paws down, ze best sree days of my life!"
She shivered. Her short coat was not standing up well to the unusually chilly Summer weather, especially now that it was wet through. He was fairing a little better, the water sliding off his silky, lustrous coat; which was doing a blinding job of keeping out most of the cold weather. Thoroughly envious, Jazzie was only too grateful to burrow into it and hide from the moisture laden gale. "You're welcome!" he replied. "I rather enjoyed them too. Are you cold?"
"F-f-freezing!" she admitted.
"Here," he held her tighter. "How's that? Any better?"
"Mmmm, you're so warm!" She sighed, snuggling into him even more and briefly closing her eyes.
"So, you like Paris, no?" She asked after a while.
He chuckled, "Now I know why they call it the Romantic City. I think I love you more now, than before we went, if that's possible." He smiled and affectionately kissed the top of her head.
"My Mozzer seem to approve of you," she continued.
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He said in disbelief. "Well, I was on my best behaviour! I was so worried she wouldn't like me."
Jazzie smiled, recalling the secret conversation she had had with her mother. "Sacrebleu Jazzminora! Je n'en crois pas mes yeux!" She had exclaimed. "Il est magnifique! Quand les chatons naîtront-ils?" *1
"Mère! Je ne suis pas enceinte!" Jazzie had replied exasperatedly. *2
"Oh, she like you alright!" She said to Munkustrap with a slightly coy smile. "She tell me!"
"Oh, so that's what she was saying!" He surmised. "I picked up something about, if she were ten years younger or something?"
Remembering how stern Jazzie's mother had been, he said tentatively, "It is not easy to earn the approval of Madam Jargonaise though, is it?"
"She has exacting standards does my Mozzer!" Jazzie agreed wholeheartedly. "But I sink she was quite taken by your English charm!"
She sighed again, "How I wish we could have stayed for longer zan a few days, sough. Zere was so much more I wanted to show you!"
He shrugged, before suggesting, "Who says our trip has to end here? How about we stop off in the pub to dry off for a bit?"
"Race you!" She challenged.
At which he smirked and replied, "I'll give you a head start!"
The blue eyed Snowshoe melted back into her feline form and took off in the direction of Regent's Park with The Silver Bengcoon hot on her tail. When they arrived they found the Green to be largely deserted, save for the odd dog walker, so they changed back into their humanoid forms once again and Jazzie slipped her paw into his. She felt like the luckiest queen in the World, hanging onto the arm of this strong handsome male and skipping along in the rain to match his longer stride. Nothing bad would ever touch her again.
"Just a kiss just a kiss
I have lived just for this
I can't explain why I've become
Miss Chatelaine
Just a smile just a smile
Hold me captive just a while
I can't explain why I've become
Miss Chatelaine
Every time your eyes meet mine
Clouds of qualm
Burst into sunshine
Just a sigh just a sigh
Words my love just reply
I can't explain why I've become
Miss Chatelaine
Miss Chatelaine
Zing!
Just a smile just a smile
Hold me captive just a while
I can't explain why I've become
Miss Chatelaine
Every time your eyes meet mine
Clouds of qualm
Burst into sunshine
Just a kiss just a kiss
I have lived just for this
I can't explain why I've become
Miss Chatelaine
Miss Chatelaine
Miss Chatelaine
Miss Chatelaine
Miss Chatelaine."
(Miss Chatelaine by KD Lang)
By the time the two shadows raced towards the Wellington Arms, which was a nondescript red brick Georgian building situated in the district of Marylebone, the light had dimmed and the weather had worsened. The wind whistled down Orchardson Street, throwing rain against windows, walls and faces, while brilliant flashes of lightning were quickly followed by crashes of thunder. The two bedraggled cats shook themselves off and entered into the cosy atmosphere of the pub, rubbing water out of their eyes, and no sooner had they arrived then they were greeted by Asparagus; a grizzled old brown tabby. He handed them a towel each, chortling, "Evenin Munkustrap. Doctor. My my! What's with this ere weather, eh? I thought it was sposed ter be Summertime, not wintertime! Yous look like a couple of drowned rats, you does! How was your trip, by the by?"
"Exhausting!" Munkustrap panted.
He smiled at Jazzie and quickly added, "In a good way!"
They briskly rubbed themselves down, handed the towels back to Asparagus with nods of thanks and made their weary way to the bar.
No sooner had drinks and food been purchased, then the couple next made their way over to the roaring fire, looking forward to warming themselves in its glow as well as getting in a little more 'them time'. However, if it was a quiet night together they were expecting, they were in for bitter disappointment.
Their hearts collectively sank when they found the comfy leather sofa next to the fire already occupied by a large rosette spotted Bengcoon. His usually long charcoal fur, tapering to points of gold ochre, had been neatly clipped in a continental style that accentuated his muscles and revealed very faint black rosettes on his body, which only appeared when the light caught them at just the right angle. The gold ochre bespotted fur around his torso had been left long and flowing, like a lion's mane (Jazzie thought he looked a bit like a French poodle, but didn't say as much!) He was sitting next to a stunning russet Somali Queen, who was delicately perched upon the sofa with her legs folded underneath her as though she were a royal corgi sitting upon the Queen's throne. "Perhaps we should sit somewhere else-?" Munkustrap suggested, but was interrupted by a toothy smirk and a solid bear hug.
"Heeeey my man! How's it goin Bro?" Rum Tum Tugger greeted him warmly. "We sure missed having you and Frenchie around, didn't we Bomba?"
Bombalurina merely raised an eyebrow and gave a sultry smile as the maned tom hugged Jazzie, gave her a sneaky peck on the cheek and pulled her onto the sofa so that he could nestle between her and the fox red Somali, while Munkustrap had to be content with squeezing in on the end. Rum Tum Tugger then raised his glass of strong smelling clear liquid, bashing it against everyone else's glass of milk. "Cheers!" he said. "So what you guys been up to?"
At that moment, a plate of steaming hot roast chicken was placed upon the table front of them and Rum Tum Tugger immediately began tucking into a drumstick. "Well," began Jazzie, as she daintily picked out a chicken oyster and nibbled at it. "As you know, Munkustrap very kindly took me to Paris for three days. We stayed at my mozzer's house, visited le Louvre, walked along le Champs-Elysées, danced at L'Auteur de Midi...Even in ze rain, it was magical! So good to go back, especially after so long!"
"Alright for some!" Huffed Bombalurina. "When are you going to take me somewhere?"
She glared at Rum Tum Tugger, who shrugged. "Well babe, if you wanna go to Paris, I'm afraid you'll have to find yourself some other mug, and I'll just have to give away your ticket to the Jamboree Folk and Jazz party tonight!"
In his paw he held up a handful of tickets. "Say, I've got two spare if you guys wanna come?" He said.
Before Munkustrap could decline the offer, Jazzie answered for him, "We'd love to! Sank you, Tugger!"
Munkustrap rolled his eyes and sank down into the sofa, chewing moodily on a strip of chicken breast. "So much for a well earned rest!" he groaned inwardly.
Meanwhile, Rum Tum Tugger was still delving into the chicken as though he'd never eaten before. He held a drumstick out to the Somali Queen. "Aren't you having any?" he offered.
Bombalurina made a face. "Nah, I'm trying to give it up!" She replied crisply.
She shifted uneasily and held her fingertips to her mouth as though the thought of eating the greasy poultry had left her feeling slightly unwell. "Strange...you've hardly eaten anything for weeks!" observed Rum Tum Tugger with a suspicious frown, before shrugging again and taking a large bite out of the leg.
"Who are you, the food police or something?" she snapped. "I've just gone off chicken! Alright! Plus, I'm on a diet!"
She sighed and rubbed her slightly swollen abdomen, briefly catching the incredulous eyes of Munkustrap and Jazzie, who both bore looks that said, "You mean...you haven't told him yet?!"
"So anyway," Rum Tum Tugger was saying through a mouthful of chewed up chicken. "I was really lucky to get these tickets, and they didn't cost me a penny!"
Munkustrap frowned. "Seriously?" He asked. "Now surely there must a catch?"
Rum Tum Tugger shrugged again. "No no! No catch-" he said furtively.
"There's ALWAYS a catch!" Said Munkustrap, sounding skeptical. "So this guy gave you a bunch of sought after tickets and didn't expect payment? Yeah right! Come on, what have you roped me into this time? I am NOT dressing up in drag like you made me do for that Cabaret night!
"I'll tell you about that some other time!" he added, upon seeing Jazzie's shocked expression. "Maybe when Hell freezes over!" He thought.
"Yeah I've got pictures of that somewhere," Rum Tum Tugger said lazily.
Munkustrap looked at him sharply. "Remind me to get them off you so that I can burn them!" He remarked, but Rum Tum Tugger just laughed, revelling in his brother's potential embarrassment.
"Haha! Nah, I'm gonna project them to the whole tribe, see they think," he joked.
"You'd better not," Munkustrap threatened. "Or I'll shave off your mane while you sleep! No actually, I think a half mane would suit you better-!"
"Boys boys!" Interrupted a somewhat irritated Bombalurina. "Come on now! Don't start that again. You know what happened last time!"
"Yes," said Munkustrap matter of factly. "Rum Tum Tugger got his head mysteriously jammed in a piano if I remember rightly-"
"Munkustrap I'm warning you!" Bombalurina glared at him and chided. "One more word and it won't your head that I jam in a piano!"
"He started it...!" Munkustrap started to argue but then caught the dangerous look in her eye and thought wisely of it.
"Ok I'll shut up," he huffed, but secretly smirked.
"Ha! I won that round! Stick that brother! Must get that picture back off him at some point though..."
"Relax Bro, there's no catch!" Rum Tum Tugger continued to assure him. "We just have to perform a couple of sets, that's all!"
Munkustrap gave him another sharp look. "You're kidding?" He said. "You're getting the band back together? But Tugger, The Red Herrings is a rock band, or at least it was!"
"Nothing wrong with branching out a bit is there?" Reasoned Rum Tum Tugger. "We'll be supporting Beni Spears and The Rafters, along with The Shelbys, Wave of The Tail and The Nymph Quartet."
"Wait zat's my group!" exclaimed Jazzie.
"Spot on Frenchie!" Said Rum Tum Tugger, giving her an approving salute. "Tensey, Star and Luci will meet us here very soon."
"But, we haven't rehearsed or anything!" said Munkustrap, panicking.
"Got it all in paw, Bro, got it all in paw!" Rum Tum Tugger said assuringly and handed Munkustrap a fiddle, which was actually a cat sized viola made from bits of salvaged wood and other junk. Then he passed him his old guitar (an empty utility engine oil can with a fretboard and strings).
"Asparagus said we could use this space," He continued. "We've got three hours to practice, so best get on with it!"
Munkustrap shot him a filthy look. "I don't BELIEVE you…!" He growled.
"It's ok!" Rum Tum Tugger reassured him. "You'll only need the fiddle for the second and the final songs. You know, that one old Magic Fingers wrote? Yeah! He's on main fiddle, Alonzo's on drums, Sex Bomb here kindly said she'd do the double bass, while Demeter plays a mean tin whistle. And you're doing guitar and vocals. What's there to moan about?"
"And you…?" Asked Munkustrap, raising an eyebrow.
"I shall be playing THIS baby!" He held up his cherished bagpipes (which was actually an old rugby ball with some pipes shoved into it).
"Please tell me you're joking!" Munkustrap begged.
"You play ze fiddle?" Jazzie suddenly asked him.
He responded by see-sawing his paw from side to side and making a face. "Errr, sort of! I haven't played for yonks though!" he explained.
At that moment, a group of cats piled into the pub and there ensued a large amount of rejoicing and greetings as though they hadn't seen Munkustrap and Jazzie for three years, let alone three days! Lucitana, Norstara and Hortenseya all squealed and embraced Jazzie, while Jazzie smiled and admired Hortenseya's growing tummy. "Are you going to be alright to perform?" she asked, with a concerned expression on her face.
"Don't be silly," laughed Hortenseya. "I'm pregnant! Not sick!"
"I'll be fine!" she insisted when Jazzie still didn't look convinced.
"She'll be fine!" Mistoffelees interjected, giving Hortenseya a quick squeeze. "I'll be there to make sure there's plenty of water for the pregnant ladies."
Upon seeing Bombalurina, Jazzie and Munkustrap's murderous expressions, he quickly backtracked. "Er...I meant, pregnant lady! Silly me! Heh heh! Ahhh…" His voice died as the room fell silent.
"Heh heh!" He chuckled nervously and then turned his attention to Munkustrap.
"Er...Father? Why don't we...practice that duet? You look as though you've never seen a fiddle before!" He quickly suggested.
Slowly the conversations started back up again as the cats began to rehearse and the excitement began to build. However, Jazzie noticed that there was one cat who had not greeted them. Demeter had come in with her half brother Alonzo, but hadn't even bothered to make eye contact with either her. Instead, she settled herself down onto the sofa and quietly observed the proceedings with her cousin Bombalurina, who placed a protective arm around her. "She's still not talking to me either," Munkustrap muttered in her ear as he passed her.
However, every so often throughout their impromptu practice session, Jazzie would feel eyes burning into her back. But whenever she turned around, Demeter would quickly look the other way. Jazzie bristled, but before she could march over and ask the black calico what the Hell her problem was, Lucitana grabbed her arm. "What's that noise?" she asked her.
"Munkustrap trying to play the fiddle, apparently!" Norstara laughed.
Munkustrap frowned and paused in his fiddle playing, which was sounding less like a sweet curtain of vibrating strings and more like the squeaking hinges of a rusty iron gate. "I'm sure I'll get the hang of it!" He countered. "At least, I hope I do, otherwise I'm going to look like a complete fool! I have a feeling that may have been your intention, Brother? I wouldn't put it passed you!"
Rum Tum Tugger looked absolutely shocked! "Who moi?" He exclaimed. "How could you think such a thing? I would never try to embarrass my Bro!"
"Easily," said Munkustrap dryly. "And you don't exactly need to try!"
Two hours later, the clowder of cats made its way through the rain. Mistoffelees conjured black umbrellas for them all and lovingly held his over the head of Hortenseya to protect her from the water that was filtering down from the sky. Bombalurina meanwhile was about to hoist her double base within its carrier, when Munkustrap swiftly snatched it out of her paws and swapped it for his viola, fixing her with a quick disapproving stare. He then directed this same stare in his brother's direction. You'd have thought he would have offered to help? But no. He was blissfully swaggering along like he owned the soggy pavement, with his bagpipes perched against his shoulder like Dick Whittington, as the Party made its way towards Edgware Road underground Station.
*1 Damn it Jazzminora! I can't believe my eyes! He is magnificent! When will the kittens be born?
*2 Mother! I am not pregnant!