AN: I'm pretty excited about the alliteration in this chapter. Also, the first chapter was somewhat of a prologue, as at this point the story flashes back and picks up a month earlier.

Summary: Mr. Mistoffelees' personal history is relatively eventful, though short. Prepare for card tricks! Also, is anyone else curious as to why the Rum Tum Tugger sings the conjurer's song?

Disclaimer: I own the original soundtrack, the VHS, and an arrangement for piano and vocal solo of "Memory." I make no profit off of any of them, nor do I make profit off of this story.

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One Month Previous

Tugger gazed idly across the brick street at a large three-story house with unattractive maroon trim. A little black kitten was having trouble scaling the tall front steps, and though Munkustrap would have scolded him for it, Tugger was too comfortable on his stoop to offer any help. The kitten finally reached the top, craned its neck to take in the front door, and turned around again to look down the steps. It had the unmistakable air of being lost. It mewed pitifully.

Tugger raised his head and looked up and down the sidewalk, hoping a random Jellicle might appear to assist the black kitten in its plight. Of course no one will, not when I'm this comfortable in the sun.

It did take quite a lot of effort to get the Tugger off the stoop, and when he did, he made no hurry to cross the street. Maybe it was careless of him. Traffic could wait. Another bad habit Munkustrap would find shame in.

The kitten had clumsily found his way to the next step down, and was mewing again.

"Hold your horses, for crying out loud."

The kitten froze. He would have disappeared into the shadow of the tall step if it weren't for his enormous eyes and the white patches on his chest and paws. Tugger took a seat on the sidewalk below his counterpart, who gave no sign he might move.

"Do you want some help?" Tugger asked after a short silence. He could just make out a nod.

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Well, wasn't this interesting company. The Rum Tum Tugger in all his shaggy caramel glory was sitting regally beside a tiny tuxedo tomcat, whose eyes were still the size of teacups.

"So, you said you don't know where you are?" Tugger wasn't looking at the kitten, but his voice was unusually gentle.

"No."

"Where's your mother?"

"I don't know," the kitten replied. He paused, and stared up at Tugger, who by finally returning the stare seemed to give the kitten permission to begin a frantic speech.

"We were somewhere in an alley and it was dark and she said 'Look at that box, doesn't it look comfy' and I said yes and got in it because she told me to and she said not to go anywhere because she would be right back. But she wasn't right back, she was gone a long time!"

The sun had just risen, meaning it had been dark not long ago. Because what was in fact a very short while could feel like "a long time" to a kitten, Tugger was skeptical, but on the other hand, the tuxedo had just recited the script for a mother abandoning her kitten, so he gave him the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, I haven't seen any queens around for the past hour I've been here.

He sighed. "What's your name, kid?"

There was a pause, and he said in a slightly shaky voice, "Mr. Mistoffelees."

"Mistoffelees?" Tugger answered to see if he'd pronounce the name correctly.

"Mr. Mistoffelees," the kitten corrected him.

Tugger held back a laugh. "Well, I am the Rum Tum Tugger, and I'm pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, the Rum Tum Tugger."

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"No, I swear, I sat there with him for, like, three hours, and nobody who could be his mother came." Tugger was recounting his experience to Munkustrap and Alonzo. The three of them were lounging on a dresser with a broken mirror.

Munkustrap looked doubtful. "What if he'd just wandered too far off, and she couldn't find him either?"

"No, seriously, I took him up and down the street and into all the alleys I could think of in that neighborhood. All I saw was a rat outside a pub, not even a single cat down the whole six blocks."

"Well--where is he now?" Alonzo asked, glancing around as though Tugger might have hidden the kitten under an old shoebox.

"He--he wanted to go back to his box," Tugger's voice was unsure. "I guess--I mean, he thought his mom might still come back. I think."

Alonzo and Munkustrap stared. Tugger appreciated the thick fur that covered up his reddening face.

Munkustrap looked sad. "How long ago was that?"

"Only about half an hour. I--I just thought I'd tell you. I mean, I guess I wanted to...to ask you..."

"You can bring him back here if he wants." It was lucky Munkustrap was good at reading minds.

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Tugger approached Mr. Mistoffelees' box, which he had shown him less than an hour ago, and dropped a bit of a steak outside the opening. The kitten appeared, and smiled shyly.

"Go ahead, eat."

His order was not disobeyed. The steak was gone before Tugger could think of anything else to say, and when the black cat looked up at him, finished, he just added, "There's more on the house's front step."

It was the house with the maroon trim again. Tugger's half-eaten steak lay on the bottom step, and it was soon devoured by Mistoffelees as well.

"So, Mr. Mistoffelees," Tugger began. "I was wondering if you'd--if you'd like to come stay with me and my friends for awhile, and ... wait for your mother there. We have lots of food and...and toys." He wondered what might interest Mistoffelees, anyway.

There was a pause. "Is my mommy coming back?"

"I--"

"Look, a KITTY!"

Tugger was abruptly interrupted by a shrill voice that came from somewhere high above the cats. They both froze and Tugger looked up wildly. It was a small human.

"Mommy, Daddy, a kitty!! Can I keep it?!"

"Oh, shi--sheep--" Tugger caught himself before darting off the stoop in mild panic. He stopped more than twenty feet away to look back, and saw Mistoffelees' eyes looking at him from between the little girl's hands. He looked ridiculously terrified, but seemed unable to move in the clutches of the child.

Then the child turned and saw Tugger, and was again overcome with excitement, and then the parents looked at him, too, so he left hurriedly.

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AN: It's getting there, it's getting there.