Taking over a story Written by Hiddenstranger u/704835/hidden-stranger

Original can be found here s/5378507/1/In-the-reflection-of-the-glass

I did ask for permission but the original story was done in 2009 and the last time the author shows active is 2012 so I'm going to give it a go as the author did offer anyone to pick up what they started. The first two chapters are the previous authors. If I make changes I will mark with an * chapter 3 will be the beginning of my work. I hope the original author comes back and enjoys as well as all my other readers.

Chapter 1 - Original

In the recent days that passed, she'd noticed him.

She'd gone through her daily routine of helping her mother and father, keeping her eccentric brother Fievel out of the mischief he'd always find himself running into, even in the middle of nowhere. The town of Green River had actually grown, with its founding of free water, new
businesses flourished and families grew, spreading and connecting the private town with others across the state.

Some strays had wandered in, claiming their innocence, or even their showing their declawed paws to the town officials Tiger and Whily Burp. Having heard all the stories of
the newly elected security in Green River, no one felt a need to cause any scene by trying anything with the mice that ran the city. They were willing to mind their own business and stay far enough away, all they wanted was shelter.* Plus with the growing population food from the bottom of the food chain to the top was much more plentiful than it had been.

She'd seen him, though, she was dead sure of it. While heading back to her newly fashioned family home, looking at her face in the mirror, a reflection shown not only her own face, but that of one she remembered all too well.

He'd tried to hide it, throwing his attention to everything else around him, but she saw how he'd snuck a glance at her turned back, his eyes zoning in on the one he'd met before. His monocle intensifying his left eye as he left his gaze on her before turning and heading off.

She'd thought he'd been chased off weeks ago, why would he come back, surely he knew he couldn't do anything now? No one would ever listen to him again after attempting to make the entire town into a giant sandwich for he and his feline friends would they? Why did he keep stopping to take a look her way? Over time she had convinced herself...with the help of several others that he hadn't cared about her, no matter the fact he had tried to save her from the trap, and had nearly flattened himself doing it. All he had wanted was the power of her voice to bring more glory to his empire.

That was much easier to believe then that he had actually cared about her in any other way. Still sometimes she wondered watching Fieval and Tiger playing their silly games and going off to be together as friends that she wondered if he might have...in time...become her friend. Certainly he had brought out the Diva in her. She had met noone else who seemed interested in her singing and that made her sad. Even the saloon had replaced her with singing dancing cats who were beautiful like Mrs. Kitty and their acrobats with their skirts flying up to reveal beautiful garters eclipsed one small mouse with her dreams of being on stage. She wouldn't work for the new owner though because she found the songs they sung to be...well kind of vulgar. They made her blush and even if her momma hadn't forbidden her to get involved in such antics she wouldn't have been able to utter a single line without embarrassment sending her off the stage.

It was these thoughts that helped her make a decision. While she knew she needed to stay home and tend to the family, she also needed these questions about Waul answered.* Telling her mother she would be out for a walk, she headed off in the direction the red caped one had gone in. She hoped that she could get away with observing him from a distance to try to figure out exactly what he was up to.

An hour outside of the city, she'd followed his tracks, they weren't easy to copy, half a cat paw print, a flat rectangle in the middle from his foot cuff links. She was entering a darker area on the deserted lonely road with the roofs of a dead town in the distance when she heard footsteps behind her.

She stopped and turned expecting to see the feline who'd brought her family here in this desert in the first place, but found herself facing an unfamiliar grey cat foot that led up to a menacing looking feline face. It said nothing but licked its lips and grabbed the Mousekewitz daughter before she could move. She was so frightened she wasn't even able to scream.

*God how could she have been so stupid. She hadn't gotten so used to the cats in her town she had forgotten that not all cats had changed their instinct to eat mice. She squeezed her eyes shut and cringed.

Pulling her up to it's eye level, the cat hissed and opened its mouth to plunge her inside its jowls, but it stopped suddenly. Tanya opened her eyes to see the cat's mouth still ajar, his paw holding her stopped in its tracks. She was staring down his nasty red throat which was seemed to be spasming as the the feline gulped in dismay.

She was then suddenly blinded by the gleam of the evening sun off the side of a large blade resting against the throat of her captor. A British voice sounded from behind him.;

"I believe its in your best interests if you see to put her down my good fellow."

The cat did as it was told, laying the mouse back onto the cooling sand. She looked up to watch the red clad feline crack the grey furred one on the back of the head with the spine of the knife he held.

Tayna ran out of the way as the unconscious body fell her way. After it landed, she looked
up to see the very cat she'd met previously. He looked at her and then slid his knife back into it's sheath his knife on the right side of his vest. Backing up she began to feel very dizzy the utter shock and fear of almost meeting her death catching up to her until she was unable to stand or see straight anymore. Giving into fainting, she dropped onto the sand, leaving herself victim to the most manipulative and vicious of felines.

A few hours later, Tonya awoke to find herself in a house.* It couldn't have belonged to anyone in Green River. This was one of those big fancy ranch houses. She appeared to be in a study that had a small baby grand piano, a music stand with a few instrument cases next to it and the walls and ceiling had a beautiful murals of flowers and cherubs. All the furniture was big and very Victorian. Tanya blushed knowing her mother would have been properly horrified at Tanya sitting on one the fancy chairs of one of their ' betters ' as she referred to them covered in dust.

She looked around noting the gorgeous carpet, the fireplace, several book shelves filled with all kinds of books from opera to philosophy.

Looking to her left, she noticed who she assumed to be the owner of the house himself, Cat R Waul. The malicious genius cat, who conned several hundred mice into almost becoming he and his friend's dinner. At the moment he was busy entertaining himself with a nap.

She looked at him, for such an upright and dignified cat, he slept quite funny. She found her hands coming up to cover her mouth so she didn't laugh out loud. She had a feeling this was not a pose he would ever want someone to catch him in. His back was against the cushioned chair, his head tilted back, mouth agape, allowing a small snore to escape his fanged mouth. His monocle lay on his right leg, both arms resting in his lap underneath the cape that covered him like a blanket.

Tayna looked for an exit, a door, a window, a crack in the wall perhaps? Nothing the house was new enough or at least maintained well enough that it didn't have any easy looking access to the outside.

Then she turned back to the sleeping kitty.

He hadn't eaten her, he'd brought her to his home...but why?

The aggravating curiosity she held within her forced her to not leave just yet, before getting some information. If he'd been able to keep from eating her when she was helpless, he might not have that on his mind at all. Climbing up his chair and up the cat's vest and onto his shoulder, she took in a deep breath before speaking.

"Cat? Cat R Waul?" Her answer was a loud snore, for as proper as this feline portrayed himself, his sleeping manners were another issue entirely.

She sighed and pulled lightly on a whisker that drooped by her. Wrinkling his nose slightly and shaking his head as he awoke, the cat stretched open his eyelids and yawned fairly loudly, exposing all his sharp and menacing teeth that hid behind his dashing muzzle. Tanya slid down his cape onto his lap, standing atop his left leg. She managed to catch herself digging her paws into his fur to keep from simply sliding to the floor. Cat reached down and picked his monocle and placed it in his left eye.

"Cat R Waul." She said as she stared up at him. His outfit seemed to have remained the same, although he had a few holes in his cape, and a small slash in his vest on his right side. She found herself thinking how easily that could be fixed than mentally shook herself. She was here to learn information not become his maid. He smiled down at her softly.

"Well it shows you haven't forgotten me either my diva." He said calmly, letting his British heritage rein through in his voice. Tanya looked around her eyes narrowing slightly as she stood before the cat.

"Why am I here? You're supposed to be gone for good!" She said, suddenly getting a bit mad. How could he even have the audacity to show his whiskers anywhere near Green River again? He blew out a soft bit of air through his nose as his eyes focused in on her, she stood waiting for a reply.

"Well my young dear, I may not be exactly welcome in your newly found homestead all the longer, but there's no reason I shouldn't pop in every now and again to see if everything is working out for you all. Ya'all...yaw'llll however it's said."

She looked right back into his face, her eyes narrowed.

"Thats a lie Waul! What do you want? What did you save me for anyway?" He then looked back at her and then smirked,

"Oh because you had everything under control it looked like, stuck in the claws of despair, quite literally I might add. If anyone is going to eat you my dear it should be me since your family caused me no end to trouble."

"You're not answering my question, why do you keep coming back into town? Don't think I don't see you, watching me, you keep trying to be invisible but I always see you." She said. He looked at her with a slight amusement on his face for a minute, a silence fell between them.

Tanya blushed not used to such direct attention. She forced herself to watch the reflections of the fire dance on the fur of Waul's face, shining through the glass in his eye. Suddenly he spoke.

"To answer your question Dear Mousekewitz, I couldn't help but...check up on you and see that you were still alright." He said, ending the sentence in a slightly embarrassed tone. He hadn't really wanted her to know this, he'd known she would have to find out eventually anyway
though. She looked back at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Check up on me? Last time I checked, you were about to eat my whole family if it hadn't been for my brother and Tiger. I can't say I really believe you were just there with good intentions." She walked off his leg and hopped up on the armrest of the chair, he shifted himself to face her.

"Dear Tanya, what do you want, for me to apologize? To say I didn't mean to cause harm to any of you mice? I believe I've lied to you enough as of now so if thats what you wished to hear, then you are in for a rude awakening." She raised and eyebrow as she glared at the fancy dressed
cat continue.

"I was in your town earlier because you are something special to me. Your voice particularly, I came by earlier to see if I would be able to catch you when you were singing again. However I never seem to have any luck." He said, raising both paws together and drumming his fingers slowly.

Tayna wasn't really sure what to respond with, so he wanted nothing but her voice in his ears? The feline spoke with an honest tone and sincere look on his face, better than the one's used to guide the mice to his town of proposed execution. He propped his left foot up on his right knee and spoke again.

" To answer the swarm of doubts filling your mind, if my intentions had been anything short of what I'm telling you now, do you honestly think you would be standing here dear Tanya?" He extended out a paw for her to walk onto, he stood for a moment and then guided her onto the leathery pads of his paw, watching the sheathed claws in each of the four furry digits on his hand. He pulled her closer to his face very slowly. She huffed out a sigh of air, as she turned away from the cat.

"You've done alot to me...for me also, I never had an audience to be in front of, you gave that to me. But what could you have expected to happen if you'd gotten everything you wanted? My family would be dead, I'd be all alone, do you really think I'd forgive you for that?"

He stared into her face, thoughts flying into his head.

'Yea, exactly what would have been your next course of action you great buffoon? You wouldn't of really been able to just tell her sorry for devouring your loved ones but I was hungry and I saved you at least? Ugh bloody idiot!'

He flinched slightly as his own mind cursed him. returning his attention to the Mousekewitz daughter, he sighed.

"I suppose its pretty obvious I hadn't exactly realized the collateral damage that was going to entail. In the end true, I would have felt...guilty if you must for what would of happened?" He stated to the mouse in his paw, pondering what her reaction would be.

She took his glanced around. " I haven't been singing...you've been wasting your time." She absently petted his pointer finger . He ran the other gently down her back as she stared at his padded digit. Suddenly a question raised in her mind, how was he eating? There was no news about town of missing neighbors and he looked to be in fine shape, where was he getting food from? Turning around, she looked up into his eyes as she asked him.

" Its been a while since you've been in town, how've you been getting by without mice?"

"Hmm, a very good question my dear, I have actually found these wretched humans to create rather satisfying fish meals, the one tolerable thing they do right. I play my part well enough for them and I'm fed, when I can't do that I engage in a meal of well...hoppity nature when they've
strayed to close to my home. Chula is a rather good cook if I do say so myself." He said.

Tanya thought for a minute," So the humans have you as a pet?"

For a moment she saw him sneer and glare darkly at the idea, or rather the fact of him being owned by those he despised so. Finally letting his patience take control he answered in a slight growl.

"Yes...I am a pet!" He sighed disgusted " Its nothing more disgusting and utterly repulsive than to be considered a play thing for a pink shiny, annoying human." He spat out, wanting that part of their chat to be done with.

Both of them turned and watched the fire as it gently continued to burn slowly in flickering silence.

"Waul...what am I doing here? You haven't told me yet." The mouse asked, wanting to get back home soon and back to her family. Cat R Waul studied the flames for a sec, should he tell her? Would she refuse?

"I brought you here Mouskewitz, to offer you a deal, I told you before, I wanted to hear your voice in its magic, singing so heres what I want. If you are willing once every few weeks to come to my homestead and preform for me, I am willing to bring supplies to you and your family,
but noone else, I don't wish to have carry out favors to an entire town since I wanted them on my plate anyway. Do you accept my dear?"

Tanya thought for a moment, her father was in constant need of new bits of wood and string for his violins, her mother, needed cloth for sewing, the baby of the family Kasha needed toys. Would he keep his word about this though? Why should she trust him to be around her family now when he almost murdered them a few weeks ago.

There was only one way to find out, and besides if things in deep, Tiger and the sheriff would help save the day as always. She looked back at Cat R Waul and then stepped over to his muzzle and gave a soft kiss. Cat suddenly looked back at her in surprise, while feeling a purr crawling up his throat. Why had she done that?

...Did I just kiss him? What is wrong with me? I just kissed Cat R Waul...I've lost my mind. Tonya blushed and stared at her hands. Suddenly a whole bunch of questions filled her mind. Questions she had never thought to ask before. Why did he love her singing when most of the other cats had merely liked it? Had he ever heard a real opera? Where was he from exactly and had he ever seen ballet? Had he seen a real live theater? All things Tonya as poor as her family was had never been able to see and she had noone to talk to about such things,

The feline himself as at a loss for words himself momentarily, he reached up and felt his cheek for a sec, staring off into the house, unsure of what to do. He sat her down on the armrest where she was more or less eye level to him. He pulled slightly at his shirt to loosen his neck up a bit, untying the string and opening up his collar and then retying it. Taking off his hat he looked at the mouse for a second before taking her tiny paw and kissing her hand the best he could. Her lack of size wasn't exactly helpful when your a cat giving a kiss to a mouse, it wasn't a very common problem that he knew of, but oh well, nothing was ever easy.

Tanya had now become somewhat intoxicated by his gentlemanly manners making her suddenly feel a lady again. She cautiously gave in to curiosity and ran a paw up and down his furry cheek, drawing her dainty fingers along his whiskers He responded with a loud purr as he took a claw out and softly ran it over her head and down the back of her neck. She smiled up into his warm green eyes suddenly realizing that not many felines she had seen had such emerald colored eyes.

" I could visit every now and again, if you keep your end of the bargain." She said as she began scratching the underside of his chin, sending out a deep purr from inside the capped feline.

"Oh I think you can count on that my dear." He said, giving her another peck on the hand. Looking out the window he noticed it was beginning to get very dark outside.

"Ah, sorry to cut our evening short my diva, but I think its time we got you home safe." He said with a smile. Cupping her in his paws and setting his top hat upon his head, he led them out of his house and into town. About an hour later, they arrived in front of the Mousehewitz
homestead. Mother Mousehewtiz immediately opened the door and ran out as she saw her daughter in the felines paws.

"Tanya! My baby! Put her down right this instant!" She yelled at the cat who complied, allowing the girl to run to her mother and calm her down. Looking to the mother, he spoke.

"I'll trust your daughter to fill you in on the details of our arrangement we've set up, in the mean time, I am going to need a list of what you're out of if you don't mind." He said, pulling a pen and paper from inside his vest.

Momma Mousehewitz was confused, Tanya began filling her in on what they'd agreed upon, she knew he could get what they needed, and it seemed it was worth a try. The mother nodded in understanding before looking back up at the cat and started listing off what they would need for the coming weeks. He scratched everything down and tucked the note pad and pen back into his vest.

"Alright, well most of this shouldn't be too difficult to acquire, as for now I'll bid you all goodnight and I will be seeing you my dear in a few." He said to Tanya, tipping his hat to her before turning away and walking off before he was spotted.

Tanya watched him disappear into the night and then went inside with her mother to get into bed. Everyone was talking excitedly about this development.

As the family drifted off into sleep, Tanya stared off into the moonlit sky outside their window, she would meet with Waul again, and to be honest, she couldn't wait. She had meant what she had said. She hadn't sung in a long time even when the urge filled her with a burning light. The need to sing and having no audience after she had tasted the life of a diva had left her floundering. Maybe this was what she needed to find her voice again.