Chapter One.
…
A quick review for all those that come in late.
This follows on from the end of my first fan fic, "Can I Keep It" and just to refresh your memories please read below.
Thanks go out to the following people who contributed an OC that I've used in this chapter.
M
iBounce
MsCloverJellicle
Licorice Mitski and OperaGhost
To everyone else that sent me one. I am still hoping to bring them out as the story develops.
…
What has gone before?
Jemima is a small kitten and is witness to the death of a large white pollicle and bonds with one of its pups that is born in the pollicles death throes.
Her father Munkunstrap makes her give it up.
Alonzo rescues the puppy and has Jem and Jelly help him in secret, Jem names the puppy; Toby.
A month later the secret is discovered and the pup is placed in a pound. Jem is permitted to visit. One day while she is visiting the pound, Toby is adopted. Jem is devastated.
We fast forward to nearly a year after the ball.
Many pairs in the yard have mated and are expecting kittens.
Macavity attacks the yard with a huge group of dogs.
Jem is trapped and a small band of majestic pollicles come to the yards defence.
It turns out that the new pollicles include Toby, renamed Tadita by the pollicles.
The pack of dogs is driven off and Toby dies.
The pollicles explain that they are akin to the Jellicle cats and have been there a while and can transform to a similar shape to Jellicles.
Jemima is granted a vision of Toby in the heavyside layer and is consoled by the fact that he is happy.
The pollicles hunt down and destroy Macavity finally freeing the junkyard from his threat.
Fast forward another year or so.
Jem is now mated with Misto and gives birth to a white and grey tom that is born with his eyes open. The kitten is the splitting image of her pollicle friend and she names him Toby.
Since that day life has flourished within the junkyard. The Huskies have continued to visit and have helped the Jellicles regain their history and develop their magic.
Several of the cats have made the journey to the Heavyside and are waiting to be reborn, including, Jellylorum, Asparagus, Skimbleshanks and Plato who went at the last ball.
The only other death to the most common of the cats was that of Bustopher Jones who was taken suddenly by a heart attack.
…
Cats list and appearance.
Toby – 17 – White cat with grey patches, lean build, very loyal and dependable. Son of Jemima and Mistofollees.
Twitch – 18 – A white, grey and black calico, big hairy goofball, hyperactive airhead. Son of Etcetera and Adementus.
Jet – 16 – Black cat with green eyes, very large kit. Very defensive of his sister. Son of Jem and Misto (2nd litter).
Gemma – 16 – Black cat with a pure white blaze on her chest, quite small (think Jemima's size in the movie.) Daughter of Jem and Misto (2nd litter).
Nix – 16 – Silver grey with black on her ears and the tip of her tail, very aloof and seen as pretty hostile by other cats, very loving once you get to know her. Adopted daughter of Cori and Tanto.
Kamira – 19 – Ginger cat with green eyes, very shy. Daughter of Macavity, left by her mother with Jenny as a newborn kitten.
Westerly – 19 – Brown patchwork tom. Son of Victoria and Plato.
Lizbet – 19 – White with brown ears and tail. Daughter of Victoria and Plato.
Christo – 19 – Brown and black mottled tom. Blind. Son of Victoria and Plato.
Chamolie – 15 – Red and black queen, the image of her mother. Daughter of Electra and Pouncival (2nd litter, no kittens survived in the first.)
Jacaranda – 16 – Orange calico queen, very outspoken and nuts, daughter of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser.
Dominica – 17 – Red and black streaked Mane Coon, is the hottest thing on two or four legs and knows it, however she has already worked out who will be her mate and refuses to flirt with anyone. Daughter of Bombs and Tugger.
Then we have the adults we all know and love.
Teaser and Mungo – 37 and 38.
Jem and Misto – 34 and 38
Victoria and Plato (in heavyside) – 37
Etcetera and Admentus – 37 and 44
Electra and Pouncival – 37 and 36
Tumblebrutus – 37
Cori and Tanto – 44
Alonzo and Cass – 53
Tugger and Bombs – 56
Munk and Dem – 55 and 54
Jenny and Gus – 75
Jelly and Skimble (both in heavyside) – would have been 80.
Bustopher (deceased) – would have been 77 and is the only one that didn't get chosen to ascend.
Asparagus (in heavyside) – would have been 94.
Old D – not sure but nearly 100 and still is going strong.
…
Time had passed and Toby had just passed his 17th birthday. The tribe had celebrated in its usual fashion, much to the youth's embarrassment, with a huge party. He'd developed into a striking cat, lean and well proportioned with muscle. The grey markings on his white kitten coat had deepened and stretched over his crown and haunches and had drawn admiring glances from many a visiting queen.
After the greetings and congratulations from his parents Jemima and Mistofollees and his grandparents, Munk and Demeter and waving in embarrassment to the rest of the adults in the tribe Toby made his way over to where his friends were gathered with the rewards from a sortie to the overburdened tables.
Dominica called over to him. "Here I got you some mice and a nice squirrel Toby, come and eat." She patted the ground beside her.
Toby just grinned shyly at the not so subtle hint and sat beside the slightly older queen, thanking her for the food, with a kiss on the cheek. Dom simply looked down at her hands and blushed fiercely, very unusual for the queen.
The big boofhead Twitch jumped across the little circle and bowled his friend over. "So how's it feel to be legal buddy?" he boomed.
"Messy," laughed Toby amused at his best friends' antics as he picked mouse and squirrel out of his fur. He put a hand out to his side and pulled Dom back to a sitting position from where she was knocked over by a stray leg. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine" she replied quietly. "No thanks to buggerlugs over here."
The entire circle of friends laughed at the big tom kits behaviour and went back to discussing the grey toms' future.
…
Misto and Jem were sitting over on the large tyre with Victoria and Munkunstrap, funnily enough they were also discussing the future of the newly adult cat. After the ascension of Plato in the last Jellicle ball, Victoria had taken over watching the kittens full time, so she wouldn't think too much on her much loved mate. She found that filling her life with the laughter and love of the tribes kittens helped with the loneliness and grief of not having her mate around.
"He's one of the most responsible kittens we've had in decades Munk. The way he looks out for the other kittens is incredible." Victoria was saying. "Jenny was saying just the other day that he's even better at it than even you were."
"I keep getting reports like this from everyone, but how do I know that they aren't just telling me what I want to hear." Munk asked.
Jem broke in, "Just look at him dad." The cats all looked over as Jet swiped at Twitch for pouncing on Gemma's tail and Toby quietly calmed the two toms down with minimal fuss. "It's instinctual for him. You still know what I think about the circumstances around his birth and what I believe happened."
"What, that he's Tadita reborn?" said Munk sceptically. "I know that they look kind of similar but it's unheard of to have a Jellicle reborn from another species."
A deep voice came from the darkness behind them, "not as unheard of as you might think."
The cats on the tyre all leapt to their feet as three large shadows formed just beyond the light of the clearing. The silhouettes resolved into three large grey pollicle dogs, who began to ripple and shrink as they approached the open area.
"Damn it Jericho!" Munk exclaimed. "I really wish you wouldn't do that to me."
The newly transformed husky just laughed and extended a paw in friendship, "But you jump so well."
"Hmmf. You'll give me a heart attack one of these days. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit? I can't believe that you'd travel a couple of thousand miles just to say hi." Munk asked.
"Hardly a couple of thousand. I'm over here on a training camp and we thought we'd take the weekend off and come down to say hello."
The black and grey pollicle quietly broke in, "Sorry to disturb you boys but do you know where Demmy is? I have something to tell her."
"We'll take you Niagra. The boys are just going to talk shop anyway, but before we go can you introduce us to your friend?" Jemmy offered.
"Oh. My apologies, this is my sister Skye." Niagra drew the shy white female into the group and introduced the cats.
"I love your fur, Skye" complimented Vicky, the younger pollicle just bowed her head shyly.
"Well, lets go and find Dem for you and we can catch up on all the gossip" said Jemima and pulled the two huskies off the tyre and into the crowd of cats.
Greetings and introductions were held as the girls made their way through the crowd and on the tyre the guys turned back to their conversation.
"Like I was saying we were up in Scotland on a training camp and while our human had to go back home to the states for something we decided to get away for a visit. It'll probably be the last time we're able to leave for a while." Jericho paused expectantly.
"Ok then. I'll bite. Why aren't you going to leave for a while?" asked Misto, already suspecting the answer.
"Well they don't let expectant mothers leave the dens, not since Tadita's mother was dognapped, and there's no way known that I'm going to leave my mate during her first litter." Jericho puffed up like a bantam rooster.
"That's great news mate" said Munkunstrap. They heard a delighted squeal from the direction of Bombarulina's den and laughed. "I think Dem just got the news."
Misto looked over towards where the sound came from. "And by the looks of it the news is getting around. I can see Etcy bouncing from over here. EC but I hope the queens don't start getting clucky again."
Jeri clapped his little black friend on the shoulder, "What? You don't want to become a dad again?"
"Not particularly. We've nearly gotten rid of the kittens now. It's going to be really nice for it to be just Jem and myself again. Just don't tell her that" revealed Misto with a cocky little grin.
All three had a good chuckle and Munk remembered what Jericho had said before joining the cats. "You said something about species being reborn into others?"
"Well we've got no proof, but you know how Namid was killed shortly after we returned to the range all those years ago." The cats nodded. "Well Namihira during a communion with the great pack leader, said that she was told that Namid had left the hunt and returned. We canvassed the other tribes and there weren't any births during that time anywhere but here.
"How long ago was this?" asked Misto.
"17 years and 5 months. The same thing happened when Toby was born, which is why we believe that he is Tadita returned to his first family" replied Jericho.
"17 years, 5 months" mused the tuxedo cat looking over at the gathered kits, then burst into laughter.
Munk and Jericho looked at him, bemused.
"Namid was going to be Tadita's mate isn't that correct?" asked Misto.
"Yes. They were deeply in love." Jeri responded.
"Well have a look over at the kits and see if you can figure out which queen we have was born 17 years and 5 months ago." The tuxedo cat sat there giggling to himself as he watched the other two on the tyre doing as he advised.
It came to Munk first. "Oh EC. You're kidding, surely."
"Nope. It all fits" laughed the magician.
"What fits?" asked Jeri.
Munk had a wide grin on his face now. "It means that my grandson is going to have a very interesting love life. You see where Toby is sitting in the circle? Now look at who's beside him hanging on his every word."
"The red and black queen?"
"Yes. That's Bomb and Tuggers daughter. She took after them both in a big way. I'd say Toby is going to get quite the education over the years." Misto revealed.
"But doesn't that make her his aunt or something?" asked Jeri of Munkunstrap. "Isn't Bomb you're sister in law and Tugger your brother?"
"Not quite. Tugger was adopted by Old D and Bombs is Dem's half sister. For Jellicles that is enough degree of separation for a pairing not to be too weird, it's not like the ruckus that was caused when Cori and Tanto admitted they were mates" explained the silver tabby.
"You guys are weird, you know that don't you?"
Munk just laughed. "We wouldn't have it any other way."
The three got down off the tyre and mixed with the crowd.
…
"Happy Birthday to YOU!" sang the assembled cats and pollicles.
Toby, no longer grey but scarlet, tried to hide shrink into a little ball.
"Oh God I wish this was over" he thought to himself.
His father came over, "Chin up son. You only become an adult once. Enjoy it. I think I see someone over there that wants to congratulate you too." Misto pointed over towards a certain red and black queen in a corner.
"I. um. What?" Toby stammered.
Misto just laughed and pushed him over towards Dom. "Get out of here, you."
Toby went with the push and approached his friend.
"Um. Dad said that he thought you had something for me?"
"I. I do but I don't want to give it to you in front of everyone." Dominica replied hesitantly and pulled the unresisting Tom around a corner and out of the line of sight of the main party.
"You see. I've, um, wanted to give this to you for a while now but I've been too embarrassed and if I don't give it to you now I might never get the chance and I want the chance oh god I can't do this I can I want to but I don't want you to think I'm something I'm not oh Bast I'm babbling…"
Toby laid a paw on her lips. "Shh. It's ok, just tell me."
"Umm. Ok then. Here goes." Dom was petrified at how her next actions would be taken. "Close your eyes." She moved in very close and put her paws on either side of his head pulling it down. "Now open them" she whispered softly "I love you."
She pulled his lips to hers and proceeded to give him the kiss of a lifetime. Toby who'd stiffened at her last comment "she loves me? Why? Oh EC this is nice" relaxed into the kiss and began to kiss the red queen back wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her into him. The world dimmed for the two lovers, they only had awareness of each other, their lips, their fur, their scent. The world slowly faded back into focus and the two cats became aware of a round of cheers, applause and wolf whistles from the younger toms. In their passion they'd stepped back out of the shadows and into the full view of the Junkyard. Gemma had been the first one to notice the two and had nudged her friends Lizbet and Jacaranda directing their attention to the pair. More and more cats turned to look as the news spread through the crowd and the silence changed to titters and laughter then cheers.
"And what it the Everlasting Cats name are you doing with my Daughter? Came a loud angry yell from the front of the crowd.
Toby looked at the tall spotted mane coon who'd fluffed out his fur and appeared twice his normal size.
"I, um, I" stammered Toby, grasping Doms hands even tighter as he looked up at Rum Tum Tugger. He looked past the angry tom to see her mother with a huge welcoming smile on her face and tears in her eyes giving him a slight nod. "I love her."
A collective "awwww" came from the crowd.
"Way to go, Bro" yelled Twitch, who was quickly shushed by Kamira.
"You love her, huh?" Tugger paced closer to the intimidated pair. "Are you sure of that?"
"Yes, I am. I always have been." Toby replied staring into the glaring face of the tom in front of him.
Tugger abruptly straightened up and plastered a sloppy grin on his face, "about bloody time you realised it too. Make sure you look after her." He then turned and made his way back to his mate, grabbing her on the bum as they walked through the crowd.
The two lovers looked around in astonishment at the parents and then again at each other. "I think we've been found out."
Toby then took his new queenfriend by the arm and took her into the crowd for another round of congratulations.
…
A couple of days later the two cats had found, with the help of Jemima and Demmy, a den close by and had settled in amongst a plethora of unwanted advice and help. The older queens finally left the lovers alone in their new den. An heavy silence grew between the two cats, this was the first time they'd been alone since the party and they weren't exactly sure how to begin.
The silence grew longer and longer. Toby looked at Dom and Dom looked at Toby, neither able to take their eyes off the other until a small chuckle escaped Tobies throat quickly growing to a full grown laugh, which set Dom off in turn. The two cats collapsed on the floor unable to hold their balance as the laughter verged on the border of hysterical. Every time they began to calm down they'd look at each other and the giggles would begin again. They finally ended up sitting against the wall together, Dom resting in Tobies arms.
"You know that I really do love you Dom?" said Toby. "It just took me a while to realise it."
"I know. I've had a crush on you for years. I always thought we were made for each other and I had to let you know as soon as I could. I just didn't expect it to be quite so public" giggled Dom.
"Oh Bast. Don't start us off again, Dom, please. Let's go see what's happening outside. We can finish up in here later." Toby dragged Dom to her feet and led her out of the Den.
"Well that didn't take long, need some pointers on stamina there Toby?" echoed across the clearing.
Toby looked up to see his irresponsible friend Twitch sitting with Jet and Gemma sitting on an old washing machine. The two cats jumped up with the others and Toby simply went over and pushed his friend off the edge. "Shaddup you!"
Twitch simply lay where he landed laughing his head off.
"What's been happening guys?" he asked Jet and Gemma.
"Not much, granddad has a couple of weird visitors in his den that appeared earlier this morning." Gemma said.
"He asked for you to join him when you came out." Jet added.
"Oh? Ok then. Coming Dom?" Toby jumped down off the old machine and the two made their way over to the Jellicle Protectors den. As they approached they could make out a muffled conversation within.
Dom knocked on the doorway. "Munkunstrap, you wanted to see us?"
Demeter opened the door and ushered the two cats inside.
"Well, I only asked for Toby but it's good that you are here as well" said the old silver tabby.
Toby and Dom looked at the strange figures inside the den. There was an aged Pollicle in humanoid form and two others that were also the size of the Jellicles, but unfamiliar in their forms. One was a slim, haughty, long nosed creature with a soft brown downy coat and strange claws on its feet. The other was a slick skinned and rather chunky individual with greyish skin and a wide mouth.
Munkunstrap motioned everyone to take a seat.
Toby and Dominica looked at the pollicle and couldn't shake the feeling that they knew this woman. She steepled her paws in front of her and looked back at the pair. "It makes my heart glad that you two have found one another again."
Toby looked at Dom. "What?" he whispered. Dom just shrugged.
Munk carried on. "This gentleman is Kwaksel and is the leader of the dolphins from the area around the south pacific" he indicated the gray skinned person, who bowed his head in greeting. Munk gestured towards the downy coated woman, "this is Diamuldi from Australia who is the leader of the Eagles." Diamuldi nodded her head. He then indicated the pollicle that drew feelings of familiarity to the two younger cats. "This is the leader of the pollicles from North America, Nahimana who says that she knew you both in another life."
"Another life? What does that mean?" interrupted Dom.
"Exactly that" came the soft tones of Nahimana. "I knew you both, before you were both reborn as Jellicles, and you were members of my tribe. I knew you both then as Tadita a promising guide in my clan and Namid my only daughter."
…
Well there you go. Hit the review button if you want to see more.
Not dead sure when I'll get the next one up as it's going to be some completely new area's that this will take us into.
I'd like to thank everyone who put in an OC for me to use. I will be bringing more out as the story develops.