Title: "His Happy Life"
Author: Pirate Turner
Dedicated To: My beloved, wonderous, and always inspirational husband, Jack - I love you, my darling, and just like Thomas prefers his time with his family, I prefer mine with you and our babies always!
Rating: PG
Summary: Thomas celebrates the best birthday of his life thus far.
Warnings: Het, Established Pairing
Word Count: 1,565
Date Written: 17-21 January, 2012
Challenge: For a DiteysBlessings LJ comm's challenge; DiteysBlessings has now become the Aphrodite's Blessings Yuku forum
Disclaimer: Thomas, Duchess, their kittens, all other characters mentioned within, and the Aristocats are ﾩ & TM Disney, not the author, and are used without permission. Everything else is ﾩ & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

"Hey, Thomas, my main man!" Scat Cat had called to him earlier that very morning, his large, gray plume swishing in time to the jazz music his band was playing. "When are we meeting up tonight?"

Thomas had blinked at him in surprise. His ears had perked up. "Tonight?" he'd repeated.

"Yeah," Scat Cat had answered while prancing busily down the sidewalk. Neither he nor his musicians could be still as the music exploded through their instruments and out of their paws. "It is your birthday, isn't it, cool cat?"

"It is," Thomas had affirmed, his own orange fur and long tail beginning to move in time to the music, "but I promised Duchess and the kittens that I'd celebrate at home."

"That's cool, daddyo. We can come party there."

"I'm afraid not. Madame is going to be home, and I think our kind of partying . . . " He'd looked down at his paws and nervously drew a circle in the dirt beneath him. Even then, his tail had been unable to be still and had continued to swish in time to the jovial music.

Scat Cat had caught on quickly and finished Thomas' thought for him. "You think we'd scare the beejeezus outta the old dame, eh?" Scat Cat had grinned; his tail had swished.

Thomas' own furry lips had lifted back up into another smile. "Something like that," he'd admitted slyly.

"I dig, man," his friend had spoken his understanding, and Thomas had joined him in dancing in the street. "But are you sure that's what you want? We've already got ripe catnip, man, just waiting to be rolled in."

Thomas had smiled and nodded, his green eyes gleaming. "I am," he'd said and purred as he thought of Duchess. "I want to be home for my birthday." His tail had swished as he'd beamed happily. "I want to be with my family."

Scat Cat had turned and shook his booty. "I understand," he'd said and winked. "You're getting old," he'd teased him.

"Never!" Thomas had declared and shaken his furry bum right next to his. "I can still keep up with you and your gang!"

"Prove it," Scat Cat had challenged him, and Thomas had, dancing his way down the street and even taking a horn from one of the younger cats and blowing it with all his heart.

Thomas purrs now, stretching and kneading the soft rug he's laying on. The warm fire crackles right in front of him. Duchess and their little babies are piled all around him, purring happily. Duchess is curled tightly into his right side while Marie and Toulouse are cuddling together on his left. Little Marie's so tired and full of milk that she appears to have lost all her ladylike manners, though Thomas knows better. She may have fallen over onto her back and be sticking her tiny, white feet underneath his chin, but she'll always be a Princess. Unlike her brothers, Toulouse who's snoring loudly, and Berloiz, who's stretched out on top of Thomas' back, she'll always have delicate manners.

Thomas moves slightly and freezes as his new collar jingles. His emerald orbs stare down at the sparkling diamonds on the new collar Madame gave him. It isn't his style at all. It's much too feminine and delicate, but he's nonetheless proud of his gift. The collar means he's a member of their lovely and loving Aristocatic family, and there's nothing more in the world he'd rather be.

A smile graces Thomas' handsome, furry face. His tail swishes slowly. It wasn't that long ago that he'd have thought nothing about this scene would appeal to him, but he's loved every moment of his birthday party. He'd enjoyed cutting a rug with Scat Cat and his gang today, but he doesn't miss the catnip or frisky felines with which Scat would have normally adorned him on this day. He doesn't miss any of that jazz; all he wants is right here in this room with him. He purrs.

His deep, happy rumbling stirs his beloved Duchess awake. She yawns, her little, pink tongue lolling out of her furry, white mouth. Then she turns to look up at him out of her baby blue eyes which never cease to make his breath catch, his heartbeat quicken, and tail swish. "Have you had a happy birthday, my darrrling?" she purrs to him.

"Oh, yes!" Thomas answers, his purr growing huskier as she leans in and licks his orange cheek. His green eyes become dazzled in the light of her beauty. His purr deepens even more, and she kisses him.

Thomas' reaction is instant. His orange and white fur fluffs out. His tail jerks straight upward. His purr catches and then becomes deeper and huskier. "Duchess." Her name leaves his furry lips in a hot breath hovering between a purr and a growl.

She smiles. Her eyes twinkle. She's trying not to laugh, and he knows it. He used to hate being laughed at, but he doesn't mind it from her. He likes to amuse her, and he knows he can dazzle her just as wonderfully as she does him. He kisses her back and then licks her nose, his smile broadening at her blush.

"Thomas!" she cries, laughing and frisking her long, fluffy tail. "We'll wake the kittens!"

"We wouldn't want that," he rumbles, nuzzling her. Marie's little, white foot kicks right underneath his chin, and Thomas becomes aware of their babies' purrs for the first time that night. He can hear their little hearts beating, too, and feel their pulsations against his fur.

"No," Duchess mews quietly, "we wouldn't," and he's surprised to realize that she's right. He doesn't want to wake them. He doesn't want them to move away from him or this moment to ever end. He's truly no longer the wild, fun-and-adventure loving tomcat that he'd once been. He's changed as much as his life has, but every change, though no more so than falling for Duchess and her kittens and becoming a member of their Aristocatic family, has made his life so much better and more . . .

He hears his daughter's voice in his head. "Fabulous, Daddy!" Marie exclaims, puffing up her white chest. "Simply fabulous!"

"Yes, it is, darrrling," he purrs.

"What is?" Duchess inquires, blinking in confusion.

"My birthday. My party. My world. My life! My family! It's all fabulous!" he exclaims joyously, his emerald eyes glowing and twinkling with his happiness.

Duchess purrs and licks the soft tuft of fur inside of his orange ear. "You're fabulous," she breaths into his wriggling ear. Thomas' tail lashes out in his excitement and thumps the floor. "Careful," he warns as he feels their kittens begin to stir. "You'll wake them."

"Is that really such a bad thing?" Duchess queries softly.

He grins broadly at her, his green eyes shining. "You tell me," he counters.

She smiles and kisses him again. "You're purrfect!" she purrs to him. Her tail slides over his and then entwines around his. "Happy birthday, Thomas, my dearrrest darrrling! I love you!"

"And I love you, my sweet and beautiful lady, with all my heart and soul, all that I am, ever have been, and ever will be forever and always!"

She sighs happily and teases, her fluffy, white tail swishing, "Sweet talker." She snuggles happily into his side and sets to bathing his cheek.

Thomas purrs joyously as his heart speeds high above the clouds. He doesn't deny her soft accusation. He knows he's always been a sweet talker, but unlike his days as a tom rover, he only has sweet words now for his beloved Duchess and their darling babies and he's never meant the words any more than he means them when he croons to his beloved soul mate, Duchess.

He no longer has any interest in other cats or in partying. He prefers his nights, his birthdays, and every other event of every day and night spent right here with his beloved family. The world no longer holds anything for him except for the treasures that are right here in this room with him. There have been so many changes in his life and in his own being, but they've all been for the best and he'll not give anything at all to change any part of the journey that's brought him here to this glorious moment filled with love and happiness or trade even one second of his happy life with his beloved family for anything in the world.

"Happy birrrthday, Thomas, my dearrrest!" Duchess again purrs, her baby blue eyes drifting shut before the warm, crackling fire. "I love you!"

Their tails are still entwined; his gives hers a gentle, loving squeeze. "I love you, too, Duchess, my sweet!" His contented purr commingles perfectly with hers. His eyes, too, start drifting shut, but he's still beaming as contented slumber overtakes him. This has been the happiest birthday of his entire life, but he knows that as long as he lives and has all his most cherished treasures - his beloved Duchess, their adorable kittens, and all their love -, every year will be even better! He drifts off, dreaming of the golden, wonderful days yet to come, happily swishing his tail, relishing the feel of his loving family all cradled against him, and purring contentedly long into the night and his new year.

The End