A/N: there are a couple conditions for this story 1- you have to be a Tugger fan and 2- you have to believe that he can actually fall in love with someone other than Bombalurina. I am personally proud of this story because it is loosely based on my own love life. Which brings me to my dedication.

I dedicate this story to Zak, for without him, the real Isabel would have never fallen in love... I'll love you forever, babe. No matter what life throws at us.

The night of the Jellicle Ball was always a joyful event. At the moment where our story begins, the flirtatious Rum Tum Tugger was being introduced…

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"The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat!" sang out the voices of the Jellicle cats; mainly the females, "For he will do as he do do." The girls stared at the Tugger expectantly.

"And there's no doing anything about it!" Tugger winked in the direction of the kittens, who fainted at his acknowledgement. Tugger smiled in approval of their reaction.

He looked for more females to flirt with when he caught sight of one of his brothers, Munkustrap, with his mate, Demeter. They were sitting close, their daughter, Jemima, was staring intently at the Tugger with the other kittens right under them.

Feelings unknown to Tugger overwhelmed him. Sadness, longing, and self-pity. He himself never had a true mate. It seemed all the cats in the tribe had someone but him. He felt someone brush against his side and looked to see Bombalurina. She had a seductive grin on her face. Tugger pushed his feelings away and danced with Bombalurina.

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While the Tugger struggled with his emotions, another cat was looking for something as well…

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"Get out of here, you filthy cat!" an angry restaurant owner yelled.

A black and gold colored she-cat ran out of the way before the man threw a bucket of dirty water on her.

"Fine!" She meowed back, not caring that the man couldn't understand her, "I didn't want any lobster anyway! I was checking to see if it was fresh!"

The man shook his head and slammed the door shut.

"Jeez, you'd think the guy'd never heard of 'taste testing'." The black cat fumed as she walked into an alley next to the neighborhood junkyard. She sat down and started to clean the gold striped fur on her back. She heard a noise coming from the junkyard, but ignored it and stared to clean the gold-brown tip of her black tail. Soon, she swore she heard cats talking. She jumped up on a car in the yard and peered over the top. She saw tons of cats surrounding one large black tom with gold-brown spots and stripes like herself. The real difference between them was that this cat had an impressive lion-like mane.

"Who are you?" A voice behind her asked.

She jumped and whirled around to see a black cat with a white face and chest standing before her.

"Who are you?" she spat back; this cat deserved it for scaring her.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I frightened you. I'm Mr. Mistoffelees. And I ask once more, who are you?"

"I'm…" she walked backwards and slid off the car into the clearing of cats.

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The Rum Tum Tugger was showing off for the kittens when a cat, the same colors as himself, fell at his feet. The kittens scattered and hid behind their parents. All the cats were on their feet, ready to drive out the intruder.

The Tugger just looked down at the cat. He didn't move until the cat at his feet started to get up. He quickly helped her and was instantly amazed by her ice blue eyes.

"Thanks." She said, brushing off her coat, not even looking at the lion-maned cat who was staring at her, his amber eyes filled with emotion. After a moment of silence, Munkustrap stepped forward and looked suspiciously at the newcomer.

"Who are you and why are you here?" he asked forcibly.

"Well, someone here likes to get to the point." The black she-cat said with sarcasm. Tugger smiled at her. She was beautiful and could be sarcastic with one of the most respected cats in the tribe. This was his kind of girl.

"Well, do you have an answer because if not, we have a ball to get back to," Munkustrap said, annoyed with the strangers attitude.

"Fine, fine keep your fur on," she flicked her tail over Munkustrap's nose, who batted it away and looked at her expectantly. "I'm Isabelandra, but I prefer Isabel if you don't mind. And I'm a stray who needs a place to stay before animal patrol carts me off to the pound." Tugger lit up at er dilemma. "Hey Munk, she can stay here right?"

Munkustrap looked sternly at his younger brother. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked.

"Sure," Tugger said to Munkustrap, then turned to Isabel, "Excuse us for a second." He said as he winked and gave her one of his winning smiles. All Isabel did was dip her head and stepped back. This annoyed Tugger. Why didn't she blush of faint like everyone else?

Tugger walked over to where Munkustrap was waiting for him. He had an angry look on his face. "What?" Tugger asked.

"Why did you offer to let her stay here?" he asked, the angry look not letting up.

"She has nowhere else to go, Munk, what are we gonna do, just throw her out on the street?" Tugger said, holing his ground.

"That's exactly what I intend to do!" Munkustrap exclaimed, a little too loudly. Cats looked over at them but he motioned for them to ignore Tugger and himself.

"I know her kind, and it's not a good kind. She's sarcastic, rude, and can't be trusted." He said in a quieter voice.

"You mean like me," Tugger backed away a few steps and stared at his brother. How could he say that!

Munkustrap was shocked by Tugger's sudden outburst, "No Tugger, not like you. She's nothing like you. Your better then that." He assured.

Tugger was officially insulted. Him and Isabel were the same, right down to their coat colors. He could tell by the look in her eyes and from the way she walked and talked. Did Munkustrap not notice this or just refused to? Why wasn't he giving Isabel a chance?

"Munk, what are you talking about! Her and I are exactly alike. She can be trusted more then anyone! Look at her," Tugger looked over at Isabel. Some cats were greeting her politely and asking questions of their own, while she kept the kittens entertained by moving her tail like a mouse. Once Victoria caught it, Isabel rolled over and laughed. In Tugger's ears, her laugh sounded like a chorus of angels singing.

Munkustrap saw a strange look in his brother's eyes. Love? "Hey, Tugger, are you in love with her?" he asked more carefully, not knowing if his temper would go off again.

Tugger quickly looked at his brother. "Me? In love? Never gonna happen," he said and turned to look at the ground.

Munkustrap saw Tugger's slight look of hurt and his heart softened. He never knew that his flirtatious younger brother would develop a soft spot for a particular cat. (Even if she was a little too sarcastic for his taste.) It showed the famous Rum Tum Tugger in a different light. "She can stay," he said softly.

"What?" Tugger perked up immediately.

"You heard," Munkustrap smiled at his brothers reaction.

Tugger was smiling ear to ear and Munkustrap remembered his duty as Guardian and he spoke sternly, "She can stay in the junkyard, but if I catch one whiff of trouble, she's out of here."

Tugger ignored his brother and ran to Isabel to tell her the news.

"After careful consideration, I've decided to let you stay here." Tugger announced to Isabel. Munkustrap rolled his eyes and walked away before his brother started his string of pick-up lines.

"That was generous of you. Are you Munkustrap? I heard he was the one in charge here," Isabel made Tugger blush in embarrassment.

"No, Munkustrap's not in charge," Tugger said, hoping to get the subject off him for once, "Old Deuteronomy is." Tugger gestured to the large leader sitting atop the large tire.

"Well, if you're not Munkustrap, then who are you?" Isabel asked.

"Me? I'm his younger brother, The Rum Tum Tugger," Tugger said with pride.

"Well, The Rum Tum Tugger, do you have a nickname or does everyone here just call you The Rum Tum Tugger." Isabel asked jokingly.

Tugger blushed again. How is it that such a simple question from a complete stranger make his heart skip a beat.

"Umm… people just call me Tugger," he said a little embarrassed.

"I see," Isabel dipped her head, "Well, thank you for allowing me to stay here. I'll go find a place to sleep if you don't mind." She turned and started to walk away.

"No!" Tugger called after her.

Isabel stopped in her tracks and turned to face the Tugger. "What?" she said, obviously annoyed.

"Umm… we were just about to make the Jellicle Choice. You should stay." Tugger tried to convince the stubborn she-cat.

Isabel looked like she was considering it, but then said back, "I'm tired. I almost got hit by two cars, mauled by a man with a cleaver, and dodged a bucket of dirty water today. So now I'm making the Jellicle choice of which pile of trash to sleep in." She turned and walked away and this time, Tugger didn't stop her. She jumped gracefully into an old blue convertible and settled herself under the dashboard.

Tugger felt ashamed that while Isabel was forced to sleep in a broken-down car in a filthy junkyard, he had a nice warm bed next to a heater back at home.

As Munkustrap called Tugger over to congratulate Grizabella on being chosen, all Tugger could think about was Isabel. Was she warm? Hungry? Thirsty? Lonely? Would she feel better if someone stayed in the junkyard as she slept? All these questions went through his head as the Jellicle cats ushered Grizabella up to the Heavyside Layer.

Once the ceremony was over, Tugger's younger brother, Mr. Mistoffelees, ran up to him.

"Hello, brother," he said, "Are you ready to go home?"

Tugger looked from Mistoffelees, to the car where Isabel slept, and back again.

"You go on, Misto," he decided, "I'm gonna stay here tonight."

Mistoffelees bowed his head, "As you wish." He said before running off in the direction of their home.

As Tugger was looking for a suitable sleeping place, he past Munkustrap, Demeter, and Jemima. Munkustrap gave Tugger a look and Tugger rolled his eyes.

"Remember what I said," Munkustrap warned before he walked off with his family to their own home.

"What does he know," Tugger mumbled to himself l the cats left the junkyard, "she'll get to know me and fall in love with me like all the other females."

He found himself a rusty red Mustang right across from Isabel's sleeping place and curled up to sleep.