A/N Don't worry, everyone. I have cleared this with BK and am updating everything at once today. My July has been nothing short of crazy busy and my work is running about like mad! I thought I had time, but once it came down to the wire, I started getting slammed! And for some reason, FF is counting extra words in this document when my word document said this is 2,000 words. Oh, well! Enough of my ranting. Please enjoy! I have loved writing both the first and second of these chapters. I hope you enjoy them!
Victoria's morning, as she had guessed the night before, had been incredibly difficult. Not only had she woken up to a cold and damp cavern of garbage without the love of her life resting beside her, but her wound was beginning to get infected. The scrape was a nasty red, it was tender and it ached something terrible. She had pushed herself from the floor, her body stiff from her infected side and her previous positioning during the night. She had dragged herself out of the little cave and had headed to her den. She now stood outside of it, her mouth agape and a look of absolute shock upon her face.
The doorway to her den had collapsed during the night's storm. She had no way of getting inside! Her home had suffered some serious damage and thank the Everlasting Cat that she hadn't been home during the night! She could have been trapped. Now, however, she needed a place to stay. Who could she stay with until her den was fixed? And who should she tell about her den?
She decided to tell Munkustrap what she had discovered and he asked Alonzo and Skimbleshanks to help assess the situation. They were willing to scope it out and came back, saying that her den would take a couple of weeks to fix. Her heart sunk into her stomach at the news! Two weeks?! Where could she possibly stay during that time? Most of her friends still lived with their parents and she couldn't trespass on their hospitality for two entire weeks!
She was awakened from these thoughts by Munkustrap placing a paw upon her shoulder.
"You should get that scrape checked out," he said, a look of great concern upon his silver and black face.
"I will, thank you," she replied dismally, shuffling away to the medical den.
"I'm glad you were safe during the night, though!" he called after her.
Victoria was almost in tears. Her den was wrecked and she was now in a state of homelessness. She entered Jelly's large den, which doubled as a clinic of sorts. The elder queen attended to her wound as best she could, but she was inundated with cats who had been injured during the storm by falling debris or other misfortunes. She gave the queen a salve and a bandage, instructing her with the correct way to apply it, but she couldn't do it herself. Jennyanydots, the Gumbie cat and other resident nurse was too busy with other cats to even greet the poor white queen.
She carried the small jar of salve and the bandage out, her side stinging and her eyes misted with tears. Her life seemed to be falling apart. She wondered how it could possibly get any better? She seemed to be sinking lower and lower as the days rolled by. Was this to be the worst week of her life?
Suddenly, paws wrapped about her from behind and she cried out, both in surprise and pain. Whoever had her had a firm grip around her wound and had caused her to drop her bandage and medicinal jar. She saw a black paw and a white paw unwrap from around her waist in a startled manner and she turned to come face to face with Mr. Mistoffelees. He had a look of utter worry and concern upon his features as he looked over her.
She hadn't seen him in so long, she just stared at him in surprise. She had no idea what to say to him. She had wanted him by her side so badly yesterday, but now that she hadn't been thinking of him, he was here before her. Her heart couldn't help but swell and quicken its pace. Mistoffelees was here.
His eyes diverted from her face to her side and he bit his lip. That giant scrape down her side was the obvious reason for her crying out and he had been so engulfed in concern, he hadn't even noticed it. He felt rather sheepish. He had heard about her doorway collapsing and had immediately dashed off to find her. He had been struck with the notion of her becoming trapped in that den or its buckling upon her during the night. He had come too close to loosing her physically, though he knew he had failed her and had lost her emotionally.
"I-I'm sorry, Victoria," he admitted with a blush, looking to the ground, "I didn't know you were hurt. I-I heard about what happened to your home..."
His voice trailed off as he was unsure of what else to say. He had been an idiot for several months, avoiding her because she had a strong draw upon him that frightened him. The thought of loosing her had pained him greatly and he thought he had during the Ball. She had been drawn away by many toms, he felt he couldn't ever hold her notice. Then he had gotten snagged by Electra and that only seemed to worsen things. They had stopped talking altogether. The gravity of what could have happened to her during the night had hit him so forcefully that he had to see her. He had to be assured of her safety.
"Yes, well, that's okay," she answered simply and politely, her heart beating ever faster, "Accidents happen,"
"You could have been seriously hurt," he exclaimed softly, looking into her eyes fully for the first time in ages.
A feeling such as a wave of electricity shot through them both as their eyes met. It had been forever it seemed since they had looked into the soul of one another. He felt that connection he always felt with her once more, but it had grown so much stronger through his time apart from her. He could see everything in her dark blue eyes. He could see how much pain she was in over the current state of affairs.
She searched his soft brown eyes, in turn, trying to read all of those emotions he kept hidden from most other cats. The deep and caring look that was held in them was overwhelming. Her desire to have him as her own forever was multiplied tenfold. It was a true shame that he couldn't see how much she loved him. He was entrancing.
Before he even knew what he was doing, he gently wrapped his arms about her in a tender embrace. He nuzzled his head against hers and held her to him as tightly as he could without hurting her. He had such powerful and soft emotions for her. He was so thankful that she was basically unharmed. He did wonder why she had a scrape, but he had more important things to ask her first.
"Victoria, I know you have no place to stay," he began quietly, keeping her within his arms, "And I came to offer you my den. It's not much, but you are welcome to live with me until your den is repaired. I thought you may want to stay with a bachelor instead of with your friends and their parents,"
She pulled back from his arms a little bit to look him in the face, her mouth slightly agape. After all of that time of silence, he was offering her a place to stay? Her eyes misted and she gave him a small, watery smile.
"I-I would like that," she replied quietly.
"I could put up a curtain, so you can have your own private living quarters and everything," he told her softly, giving her a sweet smile as he rubbed a paw up and down one of her shoulders.
"You've really thought this through, huh?" she asked him, deeply flattered and entirely grateful.
"I feel that I owe it to you after how I've treated you," he answered honestly, his disappointment in himself apparent on his features, "I have been the worst best friend in the history of all Jelliclekind and I'm really sorry, Victoria. Could you forgive me? I know I abandoned you when you needed me the most and I want to be here for you now. I understand if you can't, though. I was just hoping-"
"Of course I can forgive you," she replied and cut him off all at once, astonished that he was apologizing to her for his behaviour, "I just hope your queen friend will forgive you once I move in,"
"I have no queenfriend," he told her, his brows scrunching up in a slight bit of confusion, "Didn't you hear? She dumped me last night. She said I was too much of a goody-two-paws, or something ridiculous like that,"
"You are hardly one of those," she scoffed, giving him a playful cuff over the ear.
He couldn't help but laugh with her, a wide smile on his face at the thought of something so silly. He batted her ear gently and gave it a playful bite. He finally released her from his grip, much to her disappointment.
"Come on, Tori," he said, offering her his arm in the most gentletomly fashion, "Let's get you set up and let me doctor that wound of yours for you,"
Her heart was touched by his kindness and she willingly took his arm. In a way, she was getting that knight she wanted, but he was so much better than that. He was a chivalrous and gentletomly stage magician. She thought it better to see him as he was rather than see him as some fantasy hero. He could live up to those simple things, but knighthood could be a challenge, even for him. Still, he had saved her in a way. He saved her heartache, even though he had caused some of it to begin with.
He took excellent care of her once they arrived at his den. He kept to his word and put up a curtain over half of his den for her. He even moved his furniture around so she could have a place to sleep. He surprised her though, by giving her his bed instead of the couch. He had a very nice one, too. It wasn't a pillow or a pile of blankets, like most nests. It was a wooden dolls bed with a navy canopy that had silk pillows, a sheet and a comforter to match. It was luxurious and a dream to lay in. Everything about it was comfortable and she was amused that he spoiled himself so when it came to sleeping. She tried not to think about how it would be to wake in such a bed with him right beside her. She liked the idea, but tried to suppress it. They weren't mates, shame on her!
Once he was finished arranging everything he applied the salve to her side and she couldn't help but shiver against his gentle touch. She had excused it as a reaction from the cold of the salve, but it was an utter lie. He didn't question it, however, and wrapped the bandage around her torso rather skillfully. He had had his share of medical den duty, afteral.
With her fully taken care of he bid her goodnight in the kindest of manners and returned to his side of the newly split den. He knew now, more than ever, that he loved her. He would let it rest until a better time he decided as he lay upon his couch and quickly went to sleep.
Victoria smiled softly as she heard his breathing turn deep in the quiet den, knowing he was asleep. She decided to follow suite, tucking herself amidst the plush covers with a very contented sigh. How the tides had changed for her, she mused. She liked this new turn of events and drifted off into a contented sleep, a smile upon her face as she dreamed of the conjurer across the way who slept in the exact same state, dreaming of her.
Don't be afraid to tell me what you think! I don't mind going back and improving this once it's all said and done.