Can I keep it?

Well this is the first time I've attempted to write any type of Fan Fiction but the idea crept up on me and wouldn't let go. So here it is. Oh and for the first story I've decided to go with tradition.

The kittens were settling in for sleep after another day of practicing for the big celebration that was coming up. Jemima, Etcetera and Pouncival were curled up in a ball on their bed trying to get comfortable when 'thud', Jem found herself sitting on the floor with a shocked look on her face which quickly started to turn to tears.

Demeter poked her head around the corner of the kits bedroom, drawn to the unexpected sound to find her youngest daughter silently crying her eyes out and trying to futilely shift her brother enough to get back into bed.

"OH Jemima" her mother called quietly "what's happened?"

Jem turned at the sound of her mother's voice and rushed over upset, "Ponce pushed me out of the bed again and won't move."

"Jemima! What have I told you about calling your brother names?"

"Not to do it, but he won't move and I'm tired."

"Oh is that right," Demeter glared over the head of the young kitten at her son who cringed into the pillows. "Would you like to sleep with me tonight while your dad is on the night watch then?"

"Please, please, please can I" the tears drying up as she started to bounce excitedly, she loved to snuggle into her mother's fur and fall asleep to her heartbeat.

"Of course you can my angel. And tomorrow we can revisit the sleeping arrangements in here."

And with that Demeter took Jem by the hand and led her down to the bedroom she shared with her mate. Pouncival sighed and stretched himself out along the bed beside the snoring Etcetera who slept through the entire episode.

...

Three or four hours later, Jemima was once again rudely woken from a sound sleep as her mother thrashed in her sleep moaning quietly.

"Hmmmf," she thought to herself, "two beds in one night."

"Well I'm not going to get any sleep here" looking over at the sweat soaked sheets twisted by her mother's nightmare. "Maybe daddy will let me cuddle up with him on the watch?"

She crept out of her mother's room and out the door to the den into the cool night air. The small kitten began to walk around the clearing to the watch posts to try to find her father.

"Hey there little lady" came a voice from above. "What are you doing out here at this time of night."

"Hi, uncle 'Lonzo. I'm looking for my daddy, I can't sleep."

The black and white tabbed tom jumped out of watch post he was manning to talk to the kit.

"He's over at the gates tonight, but you really should be in bed, not out here."

"I can't sleep at home; I got kicked out of two beds already there tonight. I just want to curl up with my daddy" replied Jem.

"Well…" mused Alonzo "I suppose it could be ok. Hang on one second and I'll take you over there, I don't feel right about you walking around here at night by yourself."

Alonzo took the kitten by the paw and they made their way through the dark junkyard to the gates.

"Wow the junkyard sure looks different at night Uncle 'Lonzo" said the little kitten excitedly.

"What do you mean, Munchkin? You've seen the yard at night before"

"Yes, but not when there's no moon. It's so dark out here."

"Oh so it's Jem's big adventure then?" teased the Tom.

...

"It's cold, uncle" whispered the kitten.

"Not far now, and you can curl up with your father. He can keep you warm and you can keep him awake. On a quiet night like this it's very easy to drift off and we wouldn't want that." Joked Alonzo.

"And there it is now. Your dad is up on top of that pile over there." Alonzo pointed out a fairly high pile of trash just inside the gates of the yard.

"Hey do you want to have some fun with your old dad?" asked the tom.

"How?" came the reply.

"Just do what I do and we'll give him a surprise."

...

Two shadows, one large and one small, crept up the worn pathway to the top of the pile pausing slightly just below the lip.

The larger shadow silently peered over the edge of the flattened area and the top of the watch post, before quickly ducking back down again. The two shapes came together and quietly formed a plan of attack.

They slowly detached themselves from the darked area of the pathway and crept to within feet of the dozing cat on guard. The larger of the two quietly picked up its smaller companion and with a silent count of three launched the figure at sleepy guard.

"OI! Munks!" yelled Alonzo as Jemima landed on her father's stomach with a giggle.

"HOLY SHI…" cried a black and silver striped tabby, cutting off curse as he realised who he was holding in his arms.

"JEMIMA. What are you doing out here?" spluttered the confused Tomcat. "You should be home in bed."

"I couldn't sleep and Pounce kicked me out of bed and mummy let me sleep with her but she was having a bad dream and I couldn't sleep so I wanted to come and see you and cuddle up with you here" came the kittens response.

"Umm. I don't know darling, I'd love for you to stay here with me but I have a job to do and if something happens you might get hurt." Cuddling her to his chest.

"But I wanted to stay here with you" pouted the young queen.

"You can't. I'm sorry, but you just can't." Munkunstrap looked up over at his brother who was still rolling around on the floor laughing, "and you I'll deal with later. Until then, take Jem back to the den."

"It was worth it. You jumped 'this' high and I'm never going to let you live it down, I finally got you." Chortled the black and white Tom wiping tears from his eyes. "It's taken me years, but I finally got yo…"

Munkustrap held up a hand, suddenly alert to something the other tom hadn't noticed.

"What is it?" asked Alonzo abruptly sobering.

"I thought I heard something" was the response.

Both adults began peering around near the gates of the yard, straining their eyes and ears to what had drawn the attention of the protector.

"I can't hear anything now, wait, there it is again."

A few minutes passed and then even Jemima began to hear it. A slow laboured dragging sound and the click of claws on the sidewalk.

Then came a strange sound like a collapsing tyre and silence.

Munk and Alonzo shared a glance and then looked down at the curious kitten between them.

"I've got to check this out" stated Munk to his brother.

"Not alone you're not, you have no idea what could be out there" came the reply "and Demeter and Cassandra would never forgive me if something happened."

Munk looked down at his daughter, who was still trying to look over to the gates of the yard.

He looked back up at the gates and then back down to the kitten and sighed "Jemima. Jemima! Look at me darling!"

"I need you to stay right here ok? Your uncle and I have to go and check this out. Please stay here and I'll be back as soon as I can." He looked up at the other tom "come on lets go, quickly."

The two cats ran down the pathway and over to the gates.

Peering around cautiously, they quickly made out a massive shape just outside the junkyard.

Approaching it slowly the coppery metallic tang of blood began to scent the air. As they got closer it dawned on the protector what it was. Hackles rising they began to circle the mass.

A pollicle had been hit by one of the humans cars. Alonzo quickly ran back along the back trail for a short distance before coming back to report.

"I've found some metal and plastic and a large pool of blood a block back that way" he said pointing over his shoulder, "The thing must have been lying there for hours."

"Is it alive?" was the question of the moment.

Munk approached what was at some point a fairly large pollicle. Keeping a very close eye on the head and those teeth that the thing had, he crept a little closer and then stood up and relaxed. He'd gotten close enough to see the eyes of the animal glazed in death.

"Don't worry, its dead" he passed to Alonzo, "We'll leave it out here and the humans can clean it up when they find it."

The two cats turned and began to walk back into the junkyard.

A sudden noise had to whirl back to see a small tortoiseshell kitten come around the back of the dead dog holding something in her arms.

"Daddy! It's hurt! Can I keep it?" asked Jemima.

Munkunstrap was speechless as he looked at the tiny white newborn pollicle pup in his daughters arms.

...

Well there you go. My first attempt at a story. I kept it pretty simple for the time being with only a couple of characters to start with. I'll add some more as the situation develops. Reviews would be really good as I honestly don't know how the story reads.

Oh and just in case you didn't realise. Jem is about 10, Pounce and Electra are slightly older at about 13 and the adults are late 20's, early 30's.