Summary: This is the story of Solstice, daughter of Macavity, and her struggle to overcome her parentage with the help of the Jellicles. OC who will be romantically paired with an established character.
Disclaimer: I do not own Cats or any of the characters save the ones I create for the purpose of this story. I gain nothing from the writing of this; it is simply for my own pleasure and the pleasure of those who read it.
A/N: This is not my first fanfic, but this is the first on I have written in several years and as such I may be a bit rusty. I do plan to update as frequently as possible, but should I go silent for a lengthy period of time, rest assured I have not abandoned my fic; life has just gotten in the way and caused my muse to go silent. Once life returns to normal my muse will become inspired again and I will return to my fic. I tend to get long-winded, so if you're looking for a fic with short chapters, you do NOT want to read this.
I would also like to thank my honey, my fiancé, for his help with the title of this fic. I was stumped and he came up with the perfect title. Thank you baby.
Solstice, that was the name her mother gave her simply because she was born on the Winter Solstice. It wasn't a very becoming name in her opinion but it was hers. It was really the only thing she could call hers.
Her mother was just one of many queens her father had taken an interest in for a time. She was an attractive feline with orange and gold stripes and had enjoyed being the favorite while it lasted. It wasn't until he'd moved on to another queen that Kestra realized she was pregnant. She thought briefly about ridding herself of the kitten growing inside her. After all, -he- wasn't very fond of kittens unless he could gain something from them and she hoped to garner his attention again. Then she realized she couldn't do it. She just wasn't cold-hearted enough to terminate the life growing inside her.
So, instead, Kestra continued the pregnancy and silently prayed to the Everlasting Cat that her kitten, or kittens, would resemble her and not the father. When her condition became noticeable to others she went into hiding, not wanting word to get back to him for fear of his reaction.
When the fateful day arrived and her yellow gaze first beheld her daughter, she gasped. The kitten bore remarkable resemblance to her father. Kestra's heart fell for she knew her daughter was going to have a very hard life. Solstice didn't know it yet, but her father was none other than the Hidden Paw, the Napoleon of Crime, Macavity himself.
It didn't take long for Solstice to realize she was viewed as different by cats of all ages. Other kittens were kept away from her with no explanation at all. Toms who were still kittens but were older than her would tease and torment her for her coloring. Before she left kittenhood she firmly believed she was by far the ugliest kitten to ever live. Why else would so many, even adults, shun her?
It wasn't until the time of her first mating had come and gone and she was curled up sobbing because it had been the most horrible event of her young life that she was told the truth. Her mother, who had never really taken much interest in her life, finally told her who her father was.
Learning that the tom who fathered her was none other than Macavity put many things into perspective. She now understood why no kittens were allowed to play with her. She now understood why so many cats shunned her. She now understood the ugly words that were whispered in her ear when the older tom forced himself on her during her first heat.
Most cats would consider learning of their parentage a blessing but for Solstice is was a heavy burden. The only real similarity between her and the tom who fathered her was their coloring. She was nothing like that vile creature but no one bothered to give her the benefit of the doubt. They looked at her and saw a female version of Macavity. Sure she had her mischievous moments, just like any other cat, but she was a gentle soul.
Solstice tried to understand why her mother kept the truth from her, but the years of pain made that difficult. Try as she might, she just couldn't get past the hurt the omission had caused. Unable to fully forgive her mother for keeping such a secret from her for so long, she decided that it was time for her to be out on her own. She began wandering the streets of the city after that. She had no home, no humans to take care of her; she didn't even have a collar. All she had was her name.
Three months after finding out that Macavity was her father, Solstice found herself running for her life. Several menacing toms were hard on her trail and gaining ground fast. She had no idea that they worked for Macavity and had figured out she had to be his kit and planned to take her to him. Spotting the junkyard up ahead, she darted inside and quickly found a place to hide. It was the middle of the afternoon and no one else was around at the moment so she had no idea she'd entered Jellicle territory; she was just trying to save her own fur.
When the toms chasing her didn't follow her into the junkyard she was puzzled. She thought that they were trying to trick so she stayed hidden for several hours. It wasn't until both her hunger and thirst started to become unbearable that she decided to come out of hiding.
Night had fallen and Tumblebrutus was at the junkyard to keep an eye on his younger brother, Pouncival. Pouncival was really still just a kitten and he often drove Jennyanydots and Jellylorum quite crazy with his antics. They were the matrons of the junkyard, since they were the oldest of the queens, and tried to keep the kittens out of trouble.
A sound off to his left attracted his attention and he turned towards it. What he saw made the fur on the back of his neck stand up. It was Macavity, or so he thought. He growled and charged the other cat, knocking 'him' to the ground.
Solstice was backing out of her hiding spot when she heard a threatening growl. She thought it was her earlier pursuers and froze, fear making her heart race. "Eeep!" she screeched when something slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.
Tumblebrutus blinked. Tom cats did not say 'Eeep' that was something a female would say. It was definitely not something Macavity would say. He looked down at the cat beneath him and stared. He hadn't tackled Macavity; it was just a young queen who looked like Macavity. Granted there were two distinct differences between the young queen and Macavity besides the obvious difference of gender. First, her eyes were yellow not black the way Macavity's were. Second, she was well groomed.
He backed off her slowly so she could get up. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," he said, watching her warily. Just because she was a queen didn't mean she was harmless.
"I get that a lot," she muttered, brushing herself off. She smoothed her fur down before really looking at him. He was an attractive tom, mostly black and white with patches of brown here and there.
Alonzo and Munkustrap were discussing the latest Macavity scare when they heard the echo of a low, threatening growl and both toms tensed. "That sounds like Tumblebrutus," Alonzo said.
"Sounds like trouble," Munkustrap added and both toms took off in the direction it came from.
They both saw the cat in front of Tumblebrutus and assumed the same thing he had; Macavity was in the junkyard. "Tumble, look out," Munkustrap shouted, charging past him.
'Not again,' Solstice thought as the larger tom charged her. She tucked a bit so she would roll when he hit her in hopes of lessening any injuries. The impact never came though.
Seconds before he slammed into the cat, Munkustrap stopped. He realized the cat in front of him wasn't Macavity; it wasn't even a tom, but a young queen.
"Well, isn't this interesting?" Tugger had seen the other two take off and had followed in case he was needed. The three new arrivals watched her just as warily as Tumble did.
"Look, I'm sorry; I'm obviously interrupting something or... something. I just ducked in here to hide from some toms who were chasing me earlier. I'll... be going now." There was a mixture of nervousness and sorrow in her voice.
"Wait. You said you were hiding from some toms, who were they?" Tumblebrutus asked.
"I don't know. I just know they weren't very nice. When they didn't follow me in here I thought they were just trying to trick me so I stayed hidden."
"They probably didn't follow you because they know the junkyard belongs to us Jellicles. Can you describe them?" Munkustrap asked.
It was the silver and black tabby who'd almost tackled her. The others seemed to look to him and she realized he was the one in charge. "Jellicles?" then she thought about the toms. "They were all black, kind of rough looking. You know who they are, don't you?" she asked, seeing the look in his eyes.
"Jellicles is the name of our tribe, it's who we are." He nodded slightly. "Macavity's henchcats."
"The question is, Kitten, why didn't you know who they were? After all, you are his daughter, aren't you?" Tugger asked, looking her over. He was the Jellicles version of a playboy. He liked to flirt with the females and knew how to appreciate beauty when he saw it.
Solstice sighed. "Until three months ago I didn't even know who my father was. I have never met Macavity, nor do I wish to. My mother fell out of favor before she knew she was pregnant and didn't tell me until recently." She saw the skeptical looks on their faces and though she sort of understood it, even expected it, it still bothered her. "I didn't mean to trespass. The next time I need to hide I'll... find someplace else." Her ears drooped and she turned to leave. She would always pay for her mother's indiscretions. When she felt a paw on her shoulder she stopped and glanced back.
"You look like you could use something to eat and a warm place to sleep. I'm Munkustrap, King of the Jellicles. I'm the Protector and Guardian of the tribe. This is Alonzo; he's my right hand cat. That's Tugger and the tom who found you is Tumblebrutus." Each tom inclined his head at her in turn.
"It's been a little while since I've had a warm place to curl up," she admitted quietly. "I'm Solstice."
"Solstice? That's different," Tugger said.
She shrugged. "I was born on the Winter Solstice, so that's what my mother chose to call me."
Alonzo moved away from her and motioned Munkustrap to follow. "Are you sure about this Munkustrap? How do we know she's not lying to us?" he asked quietly.
"We don't, but look at her Alonzo. She's young, she's scared, and it's obvious she's been on the streets for a while. Besides, everyone deserves a chance."
"Demeter's not going to be happy. That little queen will be a constant reminder of Macavity and what he did to her."
"Let me worry about Demeter, Alonzo."
"Whatever you say," Alonzo said, walking back towards the center of the junkyard.
Solstice knew they were discussing her and it was obvious the black and white tom, Alonzo, didn't think letting her stay was a good idea.
"Don't worry about Alonzo, he's not a very trusting sort," Tumblebrutus said quietly. He could tell she was nervous. Once you got past the fact she looked like Macavity she seemed rather sweet and she was really very pretty.
"I'll try not to," she murmured as she followed them deeper into the junkyard.
"So you really had no idea he was your father? Didn't anyone ever say something to you to make you wonder?"
"Not really. Well, not until recently anyway. Other cats just shunned me, or in the case of some of the older toms when I was a kitten, tormented me because of the way I looked." She laughed bitterly. "I just assumed it was because I was the ugliest cat to ever live."
Tumblebrutus blinked at her. "Ugly? How in Heaviside could you think that?"
"You try living your life being shunned from the time you were born, tormented all the time and... well, just treated that way and try thinking otherwise." She didn't want to think about the ugly things the tom who'd forced himself on her during her first heat had said, much less talk about them. Not to a tom anyway.
"I don't think you're ugly at all. In fact, I think you're very pretty."
"What's this about someone thinking they're ugly? Trust me babe, I know beauty and you've definitely got it," Tugger said suggestively.
Tumblebrutus tensed. Although Tugger and Rina were mates he liked to flirt with all the queens. He always had to be the center of attention.
Solstice tilted her head at him. "Um, thanks, I guess." She wasn't entirely comfortable with the older tom.
Tugger chuckled and sauntered off when they reached the center of the junkyard. He was looking forward to the fireworks that were bound to happen when Demeter saw the little queen.
Upon the return of Munkustrap and the other toms, the Jellciles who'd gathered at the junkyard came out of hiding. Jenny and Jelly were there of course, along with the kittens Jemima, Electra, and Etcetera. Cassandra had come with Alonzo and had stayed behind with the little ones. Rina was there as well and made her way over to her mate.
Solstice felt uncomfortable with so many cats staring at her, some with curiosity, and some with thinly veiled hostility. She should have been used to the hostility really but she wanted so desperately to finally belong somewhere.
"Everyone, this is Solstice. She's going to be staying here for a little while."
"No way. Absolutely not. You cannot seriously be thinking about letting -that- cat stay here Munku."
Solstice shrank back from the venom in that voice. She wasn't sure what had put it there, but it was obvious that it had something to do with Macavity and the fact she looked so much like him.
"Deme, calm down."
"Don't. Don't you dare tell me to calm down Munkustrap. She's -his- daughter, can't you see that? How can you bring her here, after everything he's done? How can you put all of us in such jeopardy?"
As Demeter spoke her voice rose in pitch and Solstice realized the black and gold queen was terrified. "I'm nothing like him," she whispered. "I'm nothing like him," she repeated, voice a little louder. "It's okay, I... won't stay where I'm not wanted or... where it's going to upset someone so much." She was embarrassed by the mixture of sorrow and hurt in her own voice. She turned to go back the way she'd come and tried to not let it show how much the other queen's reaction to her had hurt.
Demeter heard the hurt in the young queen's voice and winced. It was her words, her hatred, that put that pain there. "Wait. Just wait." She took a breath and approached her slowly. "If Munkustrap trusts you enough to bring you here then... so do I. You're welcome to stay."
Munkustrap went to his mate and wrapped his arms around her. He, more than anyone else, knew how hard that was for Demeter.
"Thank you," Solstice said softly, tears shining in her eyes.
"Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep," Tumblebrutus said, gently gripping her elbow to guide her away from the others.
"He did something terrible to her, didn't he?" she asked. "It explains her reaction to me. I've never met him, but I've heard enough about him to know he's very cruel." How her mother could have wanted to be with him in the first place was beyond her.
"Yeah, he did, but it's not my place to talk about it." He showed her to the nursery where the kittens slept sometimes. "I hope you don't mind being with the kittens, at least for now."
She shook her head. "It's warm and dry, that's all that counts."
"I'm sure we can get you something else in a day or two. There is all kinds of stuff in the junkyard that can be used." He could tell she was nervous and was trying to set her at ease.
"Thank you." She smiled faintly at him. She wasn't used to such kindness, it was a little daunting.
Jemima, who was really the sweetest of the kittens, though all three of the princesses were fast approaching the end of kittenhood, approached with something in her paws. "I thought you might be hungry," she said quietly, and offered the mouse she'd caught for her.
"Th-thank you. I am, actually." Solstice took the mouse gratefully and ate carefully.
"This is Jemima," Tumblebrutus said, giving the young feline a hug. "You don't mind Solstice bunking with you and the other princesses do you?"
Jemima shook her head. "No, of course not." She firmly believed that everyone deserved a chance. Besides, it was obvious, at least to her, that even though Solstice looked like Macavity, she was nothing like the fiend.
"I didn't think you would." He turned his attention back to the little ginger queen. "Just a little warning, Etcetera is liable to talk your ears off and by the time the night's over you'll know all the gossip there is to know about us Jellicles. Electra might seem a little stand-offish but that's her way so don't take offense to it."
"I'll try not to," she replied. "I don't understand though. Why are you being so nice to me?"
"What do you mean?" Jemima asked before Tumble could.
"Just what I said. Why are you being so nice to me? No one's... ever been nice to me. I mean, I'm used to cats acting the way Demeter did, that's the way everyone always is, but this... I just don't understand why."
"Everyone deserves a chance Solstice." There was such simple honesty in Tumblebrutus' voice. "Well, you girls have fun," he added before leaving. He'd decided to take it upon himself to make her a den of her own.
Solstice watched him go with a slight smile on her face. He really was a very handsome tom.
As soon as Tumble was gone Etcetera and Electra were there. All three princesses ushered Solstice into the nursery and the four of them settled down on cushions to talk. Etcetera commented on the way Tumble had acted towards the newest Jellicle.
"I think he's sweet on you. I don't think I've ever seen Tumble pay so much attention to a queen before."
"Maybe that's because you're too stuck on Tugger to pay attention to any other toms," Electra countered.
"No, I agree with Etty. I've never seen Tumble pay so much attention to a queen either. He was so attentive and gentle. Maybe Etty's right, maybe he is sweet on Solstice," Jemima said thoughtfully.
Solstice was trying to not blush. She really hoped they wouldn't ask her what she thought of the tom. "Tugger, he's the flirty one, right?"
That question set off a heated discussion about the tom who was mated with Bombalurina but enjoyed flirting with every eligible queen, and a few not so eligible ones.
"Tugger is by far the handsomest tom alive," Etcetera said with a dreamy sigh. "Come on you guys, you have to agree with me on that."
"I'll agree that he's handsome," Electra said, "but I don't know about him being the handsomest tom alive. Admetus is pretty handsome too."
"I wasn't all that impressed with him," Solstice said quietly. Three pairs of eyes turned to her and she squirmed a bit. "I just think he was trying too hard. Sure, he looks good, but you can't go on looks alone. After all, everyone gets old. What's he gonna do when he's old and not so good-looking anymore?"
"She's serious... I can't believe she's serious. He's the Rum Tum Tugger. He's... well, he's just -him-. How on earth can you not like him?" Etcetera seemed dumbfounded by that.
"I'm just not interested in someone who is so cocky, that's all."
"What are you interested in?" Jemima asked.
"I don't know. I guess someone who is more honest and down to earth."
"You sound like Jemima," Electra said with mock annoyance.
"Take that as a compliment," Etcetera giggled. Then she asked what she knew they all wanted to know. "Are you really Macavity's daughter?"
Solstice winced at the question. "Yeah, but I've never met him before. I didn't even know until... a few months ago. It seems my mother was his favorite for a while before he moved on to another queen. She found out afterward that she was pregnant. She never talked about my father and I never asked."
"Didn't you think something was odd though? I mean, you said yourself that you're used to other cats being mean to you. Didn't you ever wonder why?" Jemima asked curiously.
"Not really. I just figured there was something wrong with me, or that I was the ugliest cat to ever live."
"What happened? Why did you mother finally tell you?" Electra was watching the slightly older female with a mixture of curiosity and respect. To have gone through so much while growing up and not be screwed up from it was an amazing feat to her young mind.
"Because of... something that happened a few months ago," she whispered. Her eyes filled with tears at the memory and she blinked rapidly.
Jemima scooted closer to her and nuzzled her in a comforting way. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Etcetera started to argue but one look at Solstice stopped her. "Yeah, Jemi's right, you don't have to talk about it if you don't wanna."
Solstice shook her head. "No, it's okay. Maybe... it'll help." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before beginning her tale.
"My mother has never really been affectionate with me; she never really took an interest in my life. Once I was able to fend for myself for food, I was pretty much left to myself. I... came into my first heat three months ago. She'd never talked to me about it, not once. I didn't even understand what it was I was feeling. I was out wandering around, like always, when this big tom stopped me. He said he could smell me, and that he wasn't the only one who could, but he wasn't going to let any other tom get a chance at such a fine little piece. He... forced himself on me. He told me my 'daddy' should have kept me closer to home, said he was surprised 'dear old dad' wasn't taking me himself. He called me... the fiend's little whore. I didn't even know what he was talking about. I hurt everywhere by the time he was done. My mother found me curled up in a ball crying in our den. That's when she told me who my father was. All the years of being shunned, all the years of being bullied and tormented... I just... I couldn't forgive her. I wanted to... I still want to, but I can't. It just hurts too much. So... I left."
All three princesses looked at her and the horror they felt over what happened to her was evident on their faces. Before she knew what was happening all three of them were hugging her and nuzzling her, trying to ease the pain she'd suffered.
Solstice cried as they comforted her. That was something not even her mother had done. Eventually she cried herself to sleep with the three young Jellicles curled close, comforting her even as they too drifted off to sleep.