Teazers Life.

…

Here's one for Shegorulz. I promised that I'd do up a companion piece for the story I did on Mungojerrie about Rumpleteaser's life until Jerrie joined the Jellicles. I also mention my first OC cats in this one and I've based them on my two little demons.

I swap a bit from Teasers POV to narratives. As the story developed it started to range out a little to a wider plotline.

Here you go I hope you all like it.

Note: I don't own the rights to cats. Those belong to TSE, RUG and ALW.

…

The first sensation I ever felt was a huge pressure, like I was being squeezed all over and then it was cold and empty. Next thing I knew was there was something long, rough and wet, but very comforting for some reason, running along my fur cleaning me off.

I was cuddled into something soft and furry and the tip of a little flexible thing was put in my mouth. I started to suck on it for some reason, hey there's something coming out that tastes pretty good. It filled my mouth with a liquid so I swallowed and continued sucking on it and drinking until I was full.

Something took me away from the warm and held me under my arms, I couldn't touch anything. Put me back. I was warm and it was nice. Whatever it was that was holding me, began turning me around and lifting things and poking other things. Then I was put back onto whatever the furry thing was and something started to stroke and pat me on the back. "Ooo I wish you wouldn't do that I'm not feeling that good in my belly when you do th… BURP! Oh now I feel a little better. I might just have a little nap.

…

Munkunstrap gazed down at the sweet little kitten in his mate Demeters' arms. The birth had gone flawlessly and they were the proud parents of a beautiful little queen kitten. He looked wonderingly at the golden and black queen on the bed "You've done a wonderful job Dem. She's nearly as beautiful as her mother. A perfect blend of your colouring and my patterns."

Demeter just drew Munk in closer for a kiss "Come down here, silly. Do you want to hold her? Don't worry you wont break her." With that Dem passed the newborn kitten to her new father. Munk nervously took daughter in his arms and drew her into his chest. "Hey there gorgeous." He raw a finger lightly under her chin causing a small smile on the sleeping kittens face, and then sat down beside his mate on the bed and drew her into an embrace with his other arm. "Could life get any more perfect?" he wondered.

"What do you think we should name her Dem?" he asked.

"I like the name Tease." Demeter replied tiredly.

"Tease?" queried Munk. "I like it but it doesn't seem quite right for some reason. Umm. Teaser? No that doesn't quite fit either." He cast his eyes about the den as he thought of a name for his daughter, taking in the serenity of the birthing den and the chaos of the bed. "How about, Rumpleteaser?" a name sprang to mind.

"Rumpleteaser? I like it and like you said it fits. Hello there my little Rumpleteaser. Welcome to the world" and with that Demeter snuggled into Munk's silver fur and drifted off to sleep to the deep purr coming off her mate. Munk just lay there with the two ladies in his life and thanked the everlasting cat for blessing them.

…

I was getting used to the sounds that surrounded me. There were a few people saying things that were always there, and others that came and went. The one that was there the most also had the most wonderful scent and really comfortable fur to cuddle into, it was really soft and cushiony. The other person that was there all the time would always be picking me up and holding me against them. They had really comfortable fur too but were a lot harder and more solid underneath, whoever it was also had a really nice smell, kinda musky, and I had the strangest feeling that I could always rely on the owners of these two scents.

I hadn't really been able to explore much I was pretty confined with the fact all I could see was black. My legs were getting stronger and I made a bit of a game up for myself. I'd get up and turn to face away from the warm fur and scamper off blindly. I'd only get a few steps before something would wrap around the back of my next and I'd be put back next to the nice smelling fur with a giggle. I'd normally just burrow into it then and listen to the purr and the heartbeat. I'd figured out that it was my mother due to that noise. After all I'd been listening to it for the last 9 weeks.

Then one day, after I woke up from a nap there was something new. It wasn't black anymore.

…

"Oh, Munk. Look!" Demeter cried. "Her eyes are opening."

Munkunstrap rushed over to his mate and got down to peer at his daughter curled up against Demters' stomach. "Hello there little lady. Welcome to the world. I'm your daddy."

…

There were these two figures around me. They were really big. The one that I was curled up with was black and gold and had a white chest and belly and was the owner of that wonderful scent that I'd come to associate with my mother. The other one had silver fur streaked with black and had that musky smell. What did he say. He's my daddy? I got to my feet and walked over to him to nuzzle into his fur, not realising that I was on a bed and he was on the floor. He caught me on the way down and swung me into a big hug. With that I knew I could always count on my daddy to protect me. He put me back down with mother and she drew me over and started to lick, so that's what that long wet thing was, my head and ears.

She said "Once we get you nice and clean we'll take you outside and introduce you to the junkyard." Daddy looked over at her and asked "Isn't it a little early? She's only just opened her eyes."

"I know" mummy said, "but I need to get outside and get some fresh air for a bit. That and I want to show her off." Then she let out the sweetest little giggle. "You know that Bombs wants to meet her and she needs all the happiness she can get after your brother."

My daddy got really still and quiet after that. I don't know why but he seemed angry. I cuddled into mummy and started to cry. "It's ok Teaser. Mummy and daddy are here. It's ok." Mummy wrapped me up in her arms. Daddy softened and put those big arms around us both. "Who's up for a visit outside?" he said.

…

"Do you want to carry her?" Demeter asked her mate, getting up from the bed she'd been confined to with the new kitten for the last week.

"Sure" replied Munk. "It's daddy/daughter time" and scooped up the little bundle of fur on the sheets.

Demeter just laughed at the antics of her mate. She'd been worried about how he would cope with being a father on top of all his other duties within the tribe. He revelled in it though, you could see it in every fibre of his being that being a father seemed to complete him.

The little family of three walked out of the den into the junkyard.

The yard was huge several city blocks in size. It wasn't a typical tip and there wasn't much garbage around, it was more of a place where old machines, cars and furniture ect was dumped. Over the years, stuff had piled up and in some places formed nearly mountainous heaps of junk. Other areas were kept meticulously clean of rubbish and were used as meeting places and places for recreation by the Jellicles. Many of the items that had been dumped there were converted to very comfortable dens by the resident cats and they humans were kept to the outskirts of the yard by the Jellicle magic. Nothing vindictive, just that if a human entered then their mind changed about what they were there for and the desire to explore or pass through was removed. The size of the yard didn't even register on the authorities such was the subtlety of the magic that was put in place so many years before.

The den bordered the central clearing of the yard and it was this clearing that most of the Jellicles used for sunbathing, it also doubled as the nursery for any kittens that were currently out.

The cats that were currently occupying the clearing all looked up with smiles to see the young family enter the area. Several of them coming over to greet the new addition. It was a blur for the young kitten with so many names and she was passed from cat to cat as all the queens wanted to have a cuddle. Then she spotted something that looked really interesting.

…

Over in the corner of this big open space was a little cat a bit bigger than me chasing a spot of light on the ground that was jumping around. It looked like so much fun. I wriggled around and my mummy put me down on the ground. I ran over to the other little cat and looked at her. "U won t' ply too?" he asked. I nodded my head and he looked at a big orange cat that was watching us. "Cn she ply too daddy?" The orange cat just nodded "of course Electra. Just don't be too rough like your sister." He sounded strange, not like the other cats, I later found out he was Scottish and they spoke differently there. We started chasing and pouncing on this little spot on the ground but it would always get away. It was great fun and I had a friend.

I looked back at mummy and daddy at one point and they were lying up on some of the piles around the open area. Mummy was talking to a big red cat with a white chest. She was one of the cats I'd been cuddled by and I think her name was Bombaria or something like that. Daddy gave mummy a lick and went off to talk to one of the other big cats.

I went back to my game and my new friend.

After a while we were both a little tired and curled up together for a nap. Daddy had come over to talk to Electra's daddy about something, when we heard a scream. Everyone looked over at the big red cat who looking like she had fallen off the pile of junk she'd been on with mummy. Hang on. Where is mummy? I couldn't see her anywhere. My daddy ran over to the red cat and then started running around crying out "Dem? Demeter?" over and over and over.

The orange cat picked up Electra and me and carried us into a den where he put us down next to another little girl cat who seemed to be bouncing even though she was asleep. He sat there stroking our fur and we went back to sleep.

…

Munk rushed over to Bombs. He reached her and was rudely shoved aside by a large Main Coon, "Bombs? Bombs are you ok?" cried Rum Tum Tugger, who coincidently was Munks half brother.

"Ugh. My head" said the queen groggily.

She blinked owlishly at the crowd of cats. "What happened? What am I doin… Dem? Demmy!" She started looking around with growing panic.

"Munk?" she called. Spotting the tom she spouted urgently, "It was Macavity. He grabbed her and pushed me off the junkpile when I started to fight. "You have to get her back."

Munkunstrap paled and ran up to the top of the junkpile scanning the nearby vicinity. "Dem. Demeter?" he called. But there was no reply and no movement anywhere he could see.

His mate and mother of his kitten was gone without a trace.

…

3 years later.

…

I'd gotten out again. Skimble and Jenny meant well but I didn't like being confined in the den with them and the other two girls in winter, it was just too tight and with Etcetera being hyperactive like she was, it was nuts. I headed over to my dads den to see if he was home, I didn't really think he would be. He was normally out at night roaming the city trying to find my mother. He'd been looking for 3 years. He nearly gave up before two cats new to the junkyard told us that she was still alive. Apparently Coriphant and Tantomile were psychic or something. So he doubled his efforts. I rarely saw him anymore. He was either out looking or in the den asleep. He'd even missed the last two Jellicle balls; something that the adults said was unheard of for a jellicle cat.

I was right. The den was empty and cold, but it was quiet and it smelled like him. Jenny and Skimble had taken over raising me after mum was taken by Macavity but they weren't my parents. I missed my mum, but I could barely remember her, I missed my dad more, it was like he didn't even see me anymore.

I had a rest in the quiet, before becoming restless. I thought I'd head over towards the gate and wait for dad. Maybe he'd look at me this time?

I made my way up a pile of trash near the gates and waited for him to come home while watching the sunrise. I'd been sitting up there for a while when I spotted some movement just inside the gates. It was an old cat. She was filthy, covered in mud and gunk. I went down to see if she needed any help, Jenny had been giving me first aid lessons, and as I got closer I saw that she had a small black and white kitten in her arms and another one lying at her feet, that I thought was white but it was hard to tell. Neither kitten had opened it eyes yet.

"Can I help you at all? I asked.

The cat replied "I, I need to see Jenny, or Jelly."

So she knew our nursing cats so she must have been here sometime in the past.

"I'll take you to Jenny. She's my mum" I said and picked up the little white kitten.

"Your mother?" the queen, yes it was a queen, looked at me a little strangely.

"Step mum actually." I said, bast this kitten was light, "come on."

I led the queen through the junkyard to where Jennie's medical den was. A few more cats were up and about now, Jenny was just exiting the birthing den where Jelly had given birth to 3 tom kittens just a couple of days ago.

"Jenny" I called, "this cat needs help."

Jenny looked over at us and seeing the state of the adult beside me rushed over a couple of other cats in tow. "Oh, you poor dear. Lets just take them off your hands and you can rest. Alonzo? Come here you mangy pollicle. Carry this queen into the den. Chop chop."

Alonzo, a black and white tom who I thought was a snob, tried to pick up the strange queen but she shied away from him and hid behind Jenny.

"I can walk. Don't touch me!" She nearly screamed, surprising everyone, including me.

Jenny looked at her sadly "Oh dear." Did she know something.

"Teaser" Jenny said to me, "can you help her into the den please?"

I handed the little kitten to Alonzo and got myself under this queen's arm, and we made our way to the den. As we walked across the clearing, I started to smell this cat's scent. It was very faint but I could just make it out over the smell of the blood and dirt that caked her fur. It was very familiar, kind of like an old dream but I couldn't place it. We were only a couple of paces from the door when she stopped and turned around.

A bedraggled figure had entered the clearing, my dad had returned home again, he was obviously unsuccessful and despondency hung off him like a cloak.

The queen I was supporting murmured something softly, she then said it a little louder. I could barely hear it but it was my dad's name. "Munkunstrap?"

Somehow he heard. I don't know how, as it wasn't that quiet a day and she didn't raise her voice at all, but he heard her question. His head came up and locked eyes on this queen. She ducked her head down and broke eye contact with him. My dad rushed over and reached out slowly raising her face to look at him again.

"Demeter?"

Demeter? I looked at this cat. Could this be my mother? I couldn't remember clearly. I'd only seen her for a single day and it was so long ago. Could it really be her?

My dad went to wrap her up, and she tore herself out of my grip and backed away hissing. He looked confused and sad. "Dem? It's Munk" he said quietly.

"I. I" she turned and hobbled up the entrance tunnel to the medical den.

I turned back to my dad. "Is that really her daddy?"

He looked down at me, and then suddenly grabbed me up and swung me around laughing. "It's her, it's really really her. She's home."

"But why did she run away from you" I asked as he put me down.

"I don't know but we'll find out. We just need to give her time I suppose. Do you want to go and see her?" he asked.

"I don't know." I was a little scared, my mother was back, but I didn't know her at all. She'd been taken from me when I was still a newborn, Jenny was the only mother I'd ever known. She'd raised me beside her own kittens, Electra and Etcetera. I'd always known Jelly wasn't my mum but she was the closest thing I'd ever had. I'd even started to pick up Skimbles accent in my speech. What if she didn't like me, what if I didn't like her? So many things were running through my mind that I was confused and scared.

It must have shown on my face because daddy bent down and picked me up. "Hey it's ok. She's your mum and she'll love you no matter what, OK?"

…

Munk and Teaser entered a scene of controlled bedlam in the medical den. Two new kittens and a scared queen didn't equate to a congenial atmosphere but Jenny was taking it all in her stride. She soon had a bath set up for the kittens and a larger one in another room for Demeter to clean herself off.

The two newcomers were summarily given kitten washing duty, something that Teaser found surprisingly entertaining, and something that brought back memories for Munk of when Teaser was born and performing the same tasks. While they did this, Jenny went in to assist the obviously injured Demeter to clean up and have a quiet chat.

"Demmy?" Jenny asked, "are you ok?"

"No I'm not. Not really." Dem cried. "What I went through, what I saw, I can't believe it's over."

"Is that my little girl out there?" she asked hopefully. "She's grown so big."

"It's been 3 years my dear" said Jenny.

"Only 3? It seemed like forever. It felt like it would never end" replied the dirty queen quietly.

"Look, get into the bath and we'll clean you up and you'll feel a little better" advised the nursing cat. "It won't take it all away but it'll help." Demeter wasn't the first cat that Jenny had seen that had suffered from prolonged abuse and had an idea of what her mind was going though.

"You just remember that you have us all here to help. Munk has been beside himself since the day you left. He's never stopped looking for you. He loves you." Jenny revealed.

Dem just put her face in her hands and cried. "I can't face him. Munk touched me outside and I saw 'Him.' I don't know if I can do it."

Jenny just sighed and put a comforting arm around the scared queen. "Shh. It's ok. I'll be there with you and he won't push, you know him better than that." Now lets get this gunk off.

Jenny was scrubbing away with gusto and suddenly stopped. "Oh"

Demeter tensed up again, knowing another result of her years as Macavities prisoner had just been revealed. "I'm at 2 weeks."

Jenny looked at the scared queen. "It's right on the cusp but we can terminate it if you want."

"No. No I can't. I've felt it moving. I can't do that now. I just don't know how I'm going to tell Munk. He'll throw me out and I can't take that." Dem had started to babble.

"Shhh, Shhh." Jenny wrapped her arm around the still wet but much cleaner queen. "Munk will never reject you for anything. You KNOW that, but you need to tell him. Him and Teaser."

"Now out you get and I'll dress those wounds and scratches, then we can go back out and have a nice talk."

…

The two queens went back out into the main medical den, a now clean Demeter wrapped up in several bandages where her injuries had been treated to find 2 toms and a queen kit feeding the two hungry newborns from bottles.

Teaser spoke first. "Skimble showed us where all the formula and bottles were Jenny. The kittens were hungry."

She looked at the bandaged queen timidly, "Are you my mummy?"

Demeter burst into tears and held her arms out. "Yes and I've missed you so much."

…

I jumped into my mummy's arms. I could smell her now, that scent brought back memories and feelings I thought I'd forgotten forever. Her fur was still soft and her heartbeat sounded the same but she was harder underneath, kind of like there was nothing but bones under her skin.

I looked up at dad, who was hanging back. He mustn't have wanted to be rejected again like outside. Mummy also looked, then looked at Jenny who nodded and took the little black and white kitten from dad. Then my mum did something I was later told was extremely brave and held out her paw to dad. He took hold of it and started to cry. My dad never cried and it started me off and that started everyone else off. At the end we were all sitting on the bed and Jenny was asking about the kittens.

…

"They aren't mine." Demeter explained, "When I was there I was befriended by another queen. She'd been catnapped last year from her home but surrendered quicker than I did, the poor thing was a housecat who'd only just discovered she had jellicle blood. She'd only just become a queen when she was taken and it wasn't pleasant. I gave her sympathy and a shoulder when I could and she did the same for me. These are her kittens. Her name was Jemma. She was a sweet little kit, black all over except for a white chest, she had a beautiful singing voice, and we used to sing to each other. She had a brother, Jet, who was pure black though I found that out only in the last few days. She was very quiet and timid, but it didn't matter. Macavity got tired of her and she was given to the henchcats. She didn't know which one was the father."

She went on. "Jemma had just given birth when there was a disturbance where we were being held. Someone had appeared outside our cell and was unlocking the door. He had a red collar on of all things and Jemma recognised him and said it was her brother. He'd found us and had come to release his sister. He wasn't expecting me or the kittens though and it slowed us down.

We'd just about made it out of the old building that we were imprisoned in when Mac found us. Jet told us to run and tried to slow him down. Jemma wouldn't leave though. She gave me the kittens and asked me to look after them. She told me their names and ran back to help her brother. I owe them both my life, but as I ran I saw Macavity kill them. All I can do now is to honour her last with and ensure these two are always cared for."

"What are their names, dear?" asked Jenny.

"The tom is Mistofollees and the white queen is Victoria." Dem replied.

"Do you intend on caring for them yourself? What do you want to do?" Skimble asked.

"I can't do it. I'm not even sure I can look after myself again yet. How can I do that to two newborns?" Dem asked bitterly.

"Well, luckily enough we have a solution for that. Jellylorum gave birth the other day and I'm sure she can fit two more in, she always said she wanted a big family." Jenny revealed. "How about I go ask her?"

"Please" called Dem, "They need someone."

…

Jenny returned a few minutes later with Asparagus, Jelly's mate, to collect the two sleeping kittens. It appeared the Jelly was more than happy to provide for two more in her den and Asparagus was wrapt to have a queen kit as Jelly had only had tom kits.

She also returned with news. Apparently the news had gotten around that Dem had returned and there was someone outside who wanted to see her if she was up to it.

Dem nodded her head yes and Jenny called back out the door. "You can come i.."

A red blur ran past and threw herself at Demeter. A whole new round of tears began as the two sisters reconciled.

…

Daddy pulled me out of the den leaving mum and aunt Bombi to talk. She still looked a bit of a mess. She didn't take mummy being stolen any better than dad did.

Daddy took me home and we started to clean up the den. We didn't know when Jenny would let mum come home but we wanted the den to be perfect for her. We dusted and cleaned and aired everything out. Daddy got rid of all the old food that he'd just left out, too tired to clean up even if he did eat and I went out and picked fresh flowers and borrowed so lights from the twins and Uncle Tugger, he's got some really strange stuff in his den and he blushed when I asked him about some of them, so the den would be nice and light and warm.

We'd just finished when Auntie Bombi came in, looking a lot better I must say, with mummy. They'd been talking and talking and mummy had decided that she wanted to come home. Daddy was really happy, he danced around and everything. Auntie Bombi decided to stay for a few days as well in case mummy needed her.

A couple of days later mummy told daddy something that got him upset. He wasn't upset with mummy but swore at his brother a bit, I didn't understand what Uncle Tugger had done, and touched her belly quite gently. He then wrapped mummy up in one of those big cuddles he's so good at and told me I was going to have a little brother or sister.

It wasn't all good. Mummy would wake up at night screaming sometimes or run away from daddy and hide in my room with me. She'd just cuddle me and shake. She said it was just a nightmare but I didn't understand how, seeing as it wasn't night and she wasn't asleep.

…

A while after mummy came back to us, she woke up in the middle of the night and asked me to go get daddy, and tell him "it's time." She was sleeping with me again; she did this sometimes after she was scared of daddy. I went and woke daddy up and told him what she said. He was funny. He ran around for a bit and then sat down and then got up and ran around some more. Mummy came out and laughed at him, before bending over in pain. When I started to cry she just told me it was time for me to get that little brother or sister.

Daddy took her over to the birthing den and sent me to get Jenny and Jelly. I woke Jenny up and told her what daddy said. She thanked me and then put me to bed with my friends because I was tired.

…

Jenny and Jelly were both worried. They'd long since banished Munk outside the den and he was pacing around outside being kept company by half the toms in the junkyard. When Demeter had given birth to Teaser she'd had a very easy delivery. This was anything but. From everything they could determine the kit was facing the wrong way and there was the possibility that it would kill both the mother and kitten.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Jelly asked the senior nurse.

"Not really. It's in the Everlasting Cats paws now" Jenny replied. "All we can do is wait and hope."

…

Munk was pacing around the entrance to the den.

"What is taking them so long?" he complained to no one in particular.

Asparagus and Skimble just patted him on the shoulder.

"It'll happen when it happens my boy" said the railway cat.

Condolences came from many of the other toms scattered around. Most were concerned about what they thought was a premature birth, not many knew that the kitten was Macavities and it was widely accepted that the kitten was Munkunstraps.

There was a horrible scream that came from inside the den and Munk dashed for the entrance. Asparagus and Skimble were ready for this however and caught him before he could get through the door.

"Ease up lad" Skimble grunted at the silver tabby. "You need to wait until they call you in."

Munkunstrap reared up nearly throwing the two cats off, gaining strength from his fear for his mate. Asparagus called over to the other toms for help and together they managed to restrain the enraged cat on the ground. They'd just gotten him more or less calm when Jelly came out of the den and laughed at the sight in front of her. It was like a big ball of multicoloured fur with a silver base and Munkunstraps face poking out the bottom.

She let the toms know that they could let him up and informed him that he could come in now. Munkunstrap dusted off his fur and glared at the cats he thought were his friends before following the nurse into the den. He rushed over to his mate who was lying on the bed pale and tired but alive. She had a small kitten curled up on her chest. It was a queen. She was tiny even for a kitten but perfectly formed. She matched her mothers markings nearly perfectly but where Demeter had gold highlights the kitten had a dark red.

Munk reached over to his mate, "you've done well, Demmy. She's perfect and she's ours. Never forget that."

Demeter just smiled and pulled him over for a quick nuzzle.

They both looked up as a small disturbance at the door. Skimble was standing there with a small calico coated kitten.

…

Skimble came and got me and took me over to the birthing den. When we got inside mummy was rubbing her head and face against dads and there was a small furry bundle on her chest. Daddy called me over and let me look at my new sibling.

"You have a little sister, Rumpleteaser." Mummy said.

I replied. "She looks like you mummy, but she doesn't look like me." I felt a little bit jealous to be honest. She was perfect.

"What's her name?" I asked.

My dad explained. "Well you know how there was a cat that helped you mummy get back to us?"

I nodded, I didn't really get what had happened but I remember her talking about someone called Jem.

I voiced my thoughts and Daddy said yes.

"Well we decided that because of what Jemma and Jet did for us, we'd name the kitten after her."

"Say hello to your little sister, Jemima."

…

Well that was a lot longer than I thought and it's only the first chapter. The next chapter will focus a lot more on Teasers growing up. In case you haven't noticed I'm using the same family groups and premise that I used in Aftermath.

It definitely didn't work out the way I started it but I'm happy enough.

The review button is right there, click it and let me know what you think. It's the first time I've tried a PoV piece and I don't know if it worked.

BTW Jet and Jemma are real cats and that is really their names and descriptions. I thought it fitted in quite nicely.