A/N: I'm gonna thank QueenEmber for inspiring me to write this story...go read her story, she's an awesome writer! Yeah, I've had this in my head for a while now, and I finally got it down on paper. Um...so, this is set like....before the Musical, and goes on during the musical and then after. So..yeah...hope you like it guys!
Oh, and to avoid confusion, here are the family tree things for the characters in this chapter.
Munkustrap + Bombaluria = Jemima
Demeter + ???? = Victoria & Quaxo (Mistoffelees) Vic and Quaxo's dad will be revealed in later chapters
Jennyanydots + OC = Etcetera
That's all you really need to know for now. If I've missed anyone important, make sure you mention it.
Disclaimer: If I owned the Cats, I'd make more movies/musicals!
"Munkustrap...your daughter has arrived," Jellylorum said with a happy smile, standing in the doorway of the den.
Munkustrap's ears perked up, turning his head to look at Jelly. He stood up, his mouth parted slightly. His heart pounded in his throat as he stepped inside the den. Bombalurina lay in the den on her side, beaming up at her mate.
The kitten was almost like what Munkustrap thought she would look like. A perfect mix between Munk and Bombe lay helplessly between her mother's paws. Jenny, Jelly and the seven kittens stood in the doorway, the kittens wanting to go further but being stopped by their elders. Munkustrap ventured further, looking down at the kitten, his smile a mile wide. Pride rose in his chest, overwhelming him as the small kitten shuddered and moved around.
"H-her name?" Munkustrap had never been known to stutter, and he was quite surprised by it himself, but Bombalurina ignored it.
"Jemima..." Bombalurina said softly, looking back down at the kitten.
"Jemima..." Munkustrap whispered, laying beside Bombalurina and Jemima.
"What's your name, kid?" Plato was four years older than Jemima.
Just yesterday, Jemima was allowed out of the den on her own for the first time. She had stayed close to the den, keeping her eyes on Bombalurina's whereabouts. Now, she was wandering around a bit further, until she ran into the other kittens.
"Jem...mima..." the young kitten stumbled through her name, her eyes trained on the ground.
Plato and Admetus started laughing, making Jemima slink backwards.
"Guys! Stop it! That's not funny!" a young pure white kitten stepped in front of the boys, pushing them away. "It's okay Jemima. We're sisters, and I'll look after you,"
"Sis...ters?" Jemima asked, looking up at her rescuer.
"Well...almost...I'm more like your cousin. But we can pretend we're sisters. See, your mommy has a sister called Demeter. And Demeter is my mother. That makes her your auntie. You also have another cousin," Victoria explained slowly, letting Jemima follow easily. She called over Quaxo. "This is Quaxo. He's my older brother, and your cousin. But you can pretend he's your brother too,"
Jemima nodded, and glanced back to the den. Bombalurina and Demeter were lounging in the sun, talking to each other. Jemima smiled and nuzzled Victoria and Quaxo.
"Hey Jemima. Can I tell you a secret?" Quaxo asked softly, and Jemima nodded. "Well...I'm magic..."
Jemima's eyes grew even wider than they already were.
"Can I show you?" he asked and she nodded, her mouth open in awe.
He sat and waved her paws mysteriously, and a black collar with spikes appeared around Jemima's neck.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "T-thank...you..Quaxo..."
"No problem...I have another secret. I have a different name. When I'm doing my magic, everyone calls me Mr. Mistoffelees,"
Jemima smiled and pranced towards her mother.
"Hey Jem. Daddy's gone to scout the area in case any of our friends are around," Bombalurina informed the young kitten.
"Friends?"
"Yeah. We are expecting Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer for starters,"
"Who...are they?" Jemima asked
"Two street cats...they are very mischievous, and they've come to catch up before the Jelicle ball." Bombalurina explained, and Jemima frowned
"W-what's a b-ball?" the young kitten asked, settling herself between Bombalurina's paws.
"It's when all the cats who reside in this alley come together. We'll get to see Old Deuteronomy. He's a very old cat, but he is very wise. He is also your grandfather, because he is your father's dad. You'll see all the cats dance, and Victoria will prove to us that she is worthy of being an adults in our society."
"W-why her?"
"Because she is almost old enough to be an adult. She's a little older than you are," Bombalurina explained patiently, smiling at Demeter.
Jemima turned her head towards her auntie, studying her. She was skittish, always scanning the alley for intruders.
"Vic-Victoria says that we're cousins...and you're her mommy," Jemima said softly, and Demeter looked at the kitten.
"That's right," Demeter said softly, her eyes darting from her surroundings and then back to Jemima.
"But...who is Victoria and Quaxo's daddy?" Jemima asked, her innocent eyes gleaming up at Demeter.
Demeter stiffened and the fur on the back of her neck bristled. Bombalurina noticed her sister's discomfort and quickly interrupted.
"Victoria's father died, quite a long time ago. It's best not to talk about it," she said and Jemima's cheeks flushed
"I am sorry..." Jemima said awkwardly, but Demeter had relaxed, and she waved Jemima off.
"It's okay...you go on and play with the other kittens," Demeter reassured her, and she smiled, scampering off towards Victoria.
"Her speech is a bit...well...she's not speaking very well, is she?" Bombalurina asked her sister softly, watching as Jemima joined in to a game of tag.
"Actually, she's speaking a lot better than Victoria was at that age. She's only four weeks Bombe, don't worry about it,"
"Did you hear that Grizabella will be coming to the Jellicle Ball this year?" Bombalurina changed the subject,
"The poor girl..." Demeter commented, licking her front leg
"I do feel sorry for her...but after what she did to us. I just hate being around her, but that's no excuse for the other toms to disregard her like that. We all feel some remorse for what happened, and what we did to her that drove her away, but until the other toms realise that it was somewhat their fault too, they won't accept her," Bombalurina said softly, and Demeter sighed
"She needs to come to terms with us too. She needs to get out there, and stop coming across so distant. She feels inferior because the toms won't let anyone make to move to talk to her...I think you should talk to Munk about it..." Demeter told her, looking at the red queen.
"Should we tell the kittens? Bella hasn't been around since Vic was born...I mean, Quaxo must know her, even if the memory is faint, but I doubt Vic will remember, and Vic is the oldest, so the other kittens might've not even heard about her," Bombalurina said softly and Demeter shrugged.
"That's another thing you'll have to discuss with Munk,"
"He...feels sorry for her. I know that, but he still feels like she will betray us again..." Bombalurina murmured, and looked at the kittens.
Counting quickly to herself, she froze when she only counted five.
"There are three kittens missing..." she said quietly, trying not to get too panicked until she was sure. She counted again, and then scanning the alley for any other kittens.
Demeter stood up and looked around, her eyes growing wide.
"Jem ,Vic and Etcetera are gone!" Demeter reported, and Bombalurina felt her heart leap into her throat.
With one bound, she leaped to the highest point in the alley, while Demeter ran towards the kittens.
"Where's Jemima, Victoria and Etcetera?" she hissed, careful not to wake the napping cats.
"Jem and Etcetera said they were going exploring, out that way...not sure about Vic though," Quaxo said, turning towards the entrance of the alley.
Demeter's eyes widened, and she raced up to where Bombalurina was.
"Quaxo says they went exploring, out of the alley," Demeter reported, and Bombalurina felt the lump in her throat grow to the size of a boulder.
"Okay...no need to wake the older cats. Just, we'll go out there with Quaxo and maybe Alonzo, and we'll find Munk out there," Bombalurina thought quickly, even though her heart was racing and she felt sick.
"I'll get Quaxo and Alonzo, you go and find the kittens. We'll meet up with you," Demeter said and Bombalurina nodded, leaping off the pillar of junk onto the ground.
The remaining kittens watched her with interest as she sprinted towards the alley entrance, into a backstreet of New York. Thankfully, the alley opened into a back road, where cars rarely went past, so Bombalurina didn't feel as worried that they'd be hit. There was a park on the other side of the road, but before she set off, she scanned the surroundings for any danger.
"Bombe! Wait up!" she heard Demeter call, and she turned around to the alley again.
Demeter, Alonzo and Quaxo were all running towards her, looking nervous and anxious.
"Where's Munk?" Demeter asked when they had caught up
"I'm right here...what's going on?" Munkustrap asked, Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer in tow.
"Jem, Vic and Etcetera have wandered off; did you see them come out?" Bombalurina asked, her voice rising as she started panicking.
"No, I was at the train station with Mungo and Teazer. Has anyone seen them at all? How long ago did you see them last?" Munk asked, his eyebrows knitted in concern.
"I don't know. The kittens were playing tag, and I was talking to Demeter, and then I looked back and the three of them were gone. It was like three minutes!" Bombalurina bit her lip to keep herself from crying.
"We'll find her, don't worry. Trust me, we'll find her," Munkustrap reassured her, nuzzling her
"But Munk, she's so little, she's still learning to walk properly, and she only was allowed out of the den without us yesterday!"
"Pull yourself together. We won't be able to find her if you have a breakdown. Remember, she's with Victoria and Etcetera. This could be another test for Victoria, and to tell the truth, I trust Victoria with Jemima than any of the other kittens. She'll be fine, trust me," Munkustrap heaved a sigh, before looking around. "Okay...Mungo, Teazer, would you help us look?"
The two thieves nodded, and waited for instructions.
"Okay, Mungo and Teazer, you go north into the park, Deme, Quaxo and Alonzo, you guys check east, towards the oth-" Munkustrap was cut off by the sound of a pack of dogs barking.
The seven of them all turned to the sound, their eyes wide. Sure enough, the sound of three kittens screaming followed it, and Bombalurina cried out, rushing towards the noise. The six others followed her, afraid of what they may find when they reached them.
Munkustrap matched Bombalurina's strides easily and passed her, while Mungo and Teazer took shortcuts through the alleys. Across the park, Munkustrap saw only two kittens running, with a pack of four angry dogs chasing them. He quickened his speed, exerting all his energy, until he was about a kilometre away from the dogs. He prayed the rest of the cats were behind him, before taking a deep breath.
"Up the tree kittens!" he shouted at them, and they got the message, changing their course for the tree.
He leapt in front of the pack of dogs, fear tight in his chest, and the rest of the cats leapt beside him, even Bombalurina. They hissed and spat at the dogs, until they came to a halt, growling and snapping at the cats.
"Leave our kittens alone," Munkustrap hissed, swiping out at one of the dogs.
The dogs growled and started advancing on the cats, and the cats stepped back for each step the dogs took.
"What now?" Bombalurina asked, casting a look back at the tree.
"Where are the kittens?" Munkustrap asked, eyeing the dogs
"Halfway up the tree," she reported
"And Jem?" he asked
"Victoria is carrying her. Vic's struggling, but she's doing well," Bombalurina said, looking back once more.
The dogs were still advancing, but Munkustrap couldn't think.
"Attack!" he suddenly screamed, throwing the dogs' off-guard.
They paused for a split-second, which was all Munkustrap needed. The cats lunged forward, claws extended, and attacked the four dogs. Munkustrap took the Alpha on his own, ripping his claws though the flesh of his muzzle. The dogs, quite unprepared for the surprised attack, whined and whimpered in pain, shaking their heads wildly to throw the cats off. One succeeded, throwing Quaxo and Demeter into the gutter. It turned and fled, still whimpering. One by one, the dogs fled, until just the Alpha was left. Munkustrap jumped away from the dog, joining the rest of the cats on the pavement. The dog was a mess, with blood running down its face from long gashes. Munkustrap had suffered somewhat, but not as bad.
"Leave," Munkustrap hissed, and the dog growled at them, before turning and leaving.
Heaving deep breaths, the cats turned towards the tree that the kittens were hiding in. With Jemima in her mouth, Victoria gracefully jumped down, branch to branch until she walked across a branch that bent just enough so she could get to the ground. Etcetera, not being so graceful, fell down a few branches before jumping heavily onto the ground. Demeter, Bombalurina and Munkustrap ran to the kittens, embracing them tightly. Jem had been crying, Victoria had a slight scratch on her left front leg, and Etcetera had a scratch on her back right leg. Other than being scared to death, and the small injuries, the kittens were fine.
"Let's go home...I want to have a word with you three when we get back..." Munkustrap said sternly, and the three kittens sheepishly shrunk behind the queens.
They walked back towards the alley, Bombalurina and Demeter in the front, talking. Jemima, Victoria and Quaxo walked behind them, their heads bowed. Etcetera and Alonzo were behind them, quietly talking, with Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer behind her. Munkustrap look up the rear, thinking hard.
Taking over the role of Old Deuteronomy, if only for a short time, was hard. He didn't know how to be a fair leader, and he certainly didn't know how to punish the three girls. They entered the alley as the sun started to set, and the air grew thinner, making it cold.
"You three...meet me in the middle of the alley when the sun disappears. " Munkustrap said to the three kittens, and they nodded, slowly walking towards the other kittens.
"Dude, what'dya do?" Admetus asked, but Victoria said nothing, and she collapsed onto a cushion, a sour expression on her face.
Jemima followed Victoria, but spaced out a bit, hiding in a small barrel. Etcetera sighed and distanced herself from the rest of the kittens, lying on an old couch.
"What's wrong little one?" Tugger watched her from his perch from above, and when she looked up, he made his descent, leaping from rung to rung, until he was on the couch with her.
Her face lit up when she saw him. He knew all the queens and the female kittens loved him, and he knew that almost all the toms and all the male kittens wanted to be like him. When he was younger, he could've chosen any queen he wanted. Even Bombalurina loved him back then, and he could've had her too. The only reason he didn't, is because his brother wanted her. He politely refused her, and she moved on. Now Etcetera was something else. She wasn't that younger than him, and he had a liking for her.
"Oh...I think I got Jem and Vic into trouble..." she said softly, inching closer to the sexy tom.
"Now how would you, do that?" he asked, running a paw under her chin
"I told Jemima, the new little kitten, that something awesome was outside the alley, so she followed me out. Then Vic told us to come back inside, but I didn't want to, and then these dogs rounded the corner and scared us so Vic picked up Jem and we started running, and they saw us, so we started running faster. We didn't know we'd get chased..." Etcetera was sobbing now, and Tugger allowed her to cuddle into him.
"What was so good that was outside the alley?"
"Nothing. I just wanted Jem to come out with me, because I didn't want to go out on my own,"
"And you know that you're not allowed to go outside the alley, right,"
"I know...I...just wanted to do it," Etcetera mumbled, and lay against Tugger's warm chest, keeping her head down.
He looked down at her and smiled. He did like her, even if she was just a kitten.
(Meanwhile)
Munkustrap watched as the three kittens guilty found places to wait, and sighed. Other cats came to greet Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, and asking why they had all the other cats had come from outside the alley. Munkustrap, Bombalurina, Demeter and Jennyanydots gathered in Munkustrap's den, trying to decide what to do with the kittens.
"It's not like we can pull them out of the Jellicle Ball," Jenny said softly, and Munkustrap shot her a sharp look.
"Old Deuteronomy would have my hide. And besides, Victoria's approval is supposed to be shown to us. It'd just be mean," Munkustrap explained, and Jenny laughed.
"My, Munkustrap, you have so much to learn," she said and Munkustrap looked at her, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"How do you mean?" he asked
"Well, have you ever heard the saying – you have to be cruel to be kind?" she asked and Munkustrap sighed.
"I know Jenny, but all these kittens, they're all my kittens. It doesn't matter who they are, or what they've done, they're all mine. I love them all like I love Jem, and I know I'm going to have trouble punishing her,"
Jenny smiled and watched the kittens.
"I must talk to Etcetera about flirting with Tugger..." Jenny said softly.
"I think we should talk to all the kittens, about flirting with Tugger," Demeter said and they all laughed.
"But seriously...what should we do about the trouble-makers. We can't have them wandering out of the alley whenever they want," Munkustrap said
"I think you should make them watched at all times, and if a cat needs to leave the alley for any reason, one of them has to go with that cat, at least until the Jellicle ball arrives." Bombalurina said, and Demeter nodded
"And the cat that takes them out, has to teach them about being safe outside the alley, no matter how many times they've heard it," Demeter laughed, and Munkustrap nodded.
"Sounds good, although, I believe that Jem might actually like coming out with me," he grinned, and the others laughed.
"Look, the sun has nearly set. Let's go," Demeter said, and the four of them started the descent into the alley.
Once they were in the centre, Victoria stood up and walked towards the cats, her head down. Jem joined them, looking guiltily at her parents. After prying herself from Tugger, Etcetera joined them, looking even more guilty than Jemima. The rest of the cats had gathered around, watching the scene.
"Jemima, Victoria and Etcetera..." Munkustrap started, unsure of what to say. "What you did today was wrong. You all know that you are not supposed to leave the alley, but you still did. Do...do you have anything to say?"
Etcetera looked up at Munkustrap.
"If you'll excuse me...it wasn't exactly Victoria or Jemima's fault. See...I wanted to see if Jemima would come outside with me, and then Victoria came and told us off for being outside. But then the dogs came and scared us, so Vic saved Jemima, and we started running. It...it was really my fault,"
Munkustrap looked down on the kitten with pride.
"Thank you, Etcetera...for telling the truth, and dobbing yourself in. That takes courage...all of you can go. This is your warning...if you do it again, you can expect a punishment, no matter how truthful you are. That goes for all of you kittens," Munkustrap said, then pulled Jemima towards him, nuzzling her.
Bombalurina turned to her mate with a raised eyebrow.
"You're a big softie, love," she said and he laughed
Jenny shook her head, and then left with Etcetera in tow.
"Munk?" Bombalurina said softly when she was sure that Jemima was asleep.
He rolled over from his position facing the wall and looked up at her.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think we should tell the kittens about Grizabella?"
Munkustrap frowned, standing up.
"Why would we?" he asked
"Well, they've never seen her...they won't know how to react," Bombalurina said softly.
"It will be good for them...they'll get to judge her the way they see her, not the way we see her," Munkustrap said with a smile, and looked up at Bombalurina. "I know that you and Demeter have issues with her, and I know that you have issues with the way our group treats her,"
"And you?" she asked
"I'm still deciding," he said, and stood at the entrance to their den.
It looked over the alley, inside a large cardboard box situated underneath junk to keep it dry. The cats that had home in the area, namely Tugger, Exotica, Cassandra, Bustopher Jones, Jenny and Etcetera, were leaving the alley, returning to their homes for the night. Munk watched as Demeter herded Quaxo and Victoria into their den, and as Jelly helped her father, Gus, into their home on the ground.
The Jellicle Ball was only three weeks away, and Munk turned back into the den, ready to settle down with his mate. Unbeknownst to the cats, an eerie figure prowled high above them on an apartment roof, ready to rain terror upon the group when they least expected it.
A/N: Soo....did anyone like it? It's just a starter...if anyone liked it and want me to continue, I will...