A/N: A quick update, this time, with a big thanks to those who have read Chapter One and cookies for my reviewers!

I want to take a moment to give more details about the twins' past that I probably won't expound upon in this tale. I borrow it from what I utilized for them in a previous fic. In this story (and most of mine), Coricopat and Tantomile originally come from 'a northern Jellicle tribe,' where the cats were less accepting of those who were different. The twins were the only children to their father, who was also the leader of that tribe. Although Cori ought to have been next in line for leadership, their father passed him over for one of their peers without any sort of warning. That was when they moved to our favorite tribe, as they had no place in their old one. Unfortunately, they're both somewhat trapped with that 'outcast' mentality, Coricopat especially, since he took their father's absolute rejection the hardest.

Enough of me. Have a Chapter Two!

Chapter Two

0o0

"Alonzo?"

The black and white tom dragged his gaze back to the cats beside him, blue eyes blinking. He'd been distracted again. In fact, he had been prone to such distraction ever since he'd woken several days before, alone, Tantomile's lingering scent the only proof that she had truly been there.

"I'm sorry, what?" Alonzo inquired, shooting another glance across the clearing. Tantomile was still focusing intently on the ground in front of her, her brother speaking to her – audibly, no less – seemingly without response.

"Are you all right?" Cassandra asked. "You've been a bit…"

"Odd," contributed Asparagus, who was better known as Rag to differentiate him from his grandfather.

"I'm fine," said Alonzo. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The Abyssinian frowned, casting a look over her shoulder. Alonzo was a little too relieved that her gaze seemed to go to something other than the dark-colored tabby who kept drawing his attention. "You just seem unusually distractible, lately. Is there something on your mind that you need to talk about?"

He gave a reassuring smile. "No, Cass. Just a bit tired, maybe. I've had extra watches, lately." The queen didn't seem wholly convinced, but she pursued the topic no further.

It must have been pretty bad if others were noticing his distraction, despite his best efforts to hide it. He couldn't help it, though. That night had been unique; special, even. But then, she had fled. She had fled before he was even awake and had barely uttered even a greeting to him since. It would have been far less distracting if the queen in question had gone back to how she had always been before, but she hadn't.

"You know what else is odd?" Rag was saying as Alonzo realized his gaze had started to wander again. "The twins. Don't you think the twins have been odd, lately?"

"I was thinking that, too!" Cassandra said, looking over her shoulder again, this time directly at the identical siblings. "Tantomile has been more outgoing, but she's suddenly started keeping to herself, again."

Rag nodded in agreement. "And I've never seen Coricopat talk so much. Not even to her."

"Right? They usually use telepathy, I think, but it's almost like she's ignoring him," Cass noted. "Do you think they're fighting?"

Alonzo felt their gazes turn back to him as they both noticed his lack of participation. The bi-colored's eyes were settled upon one of the cats in question. "Maybe they are," he offered quietly.

On the other side of clearing, Tantomile sat with her tail curled around her feet. She had been gazing about until she noticed Alonzo's eyes on her. She had kept her own eyes fixed on the ground ever since.

She still didn't know what to say to him. Now, even less than when she had woken at his side. The queen knew, of course, that what had happened between them had simply been a spur of the moment sort of thing. Although considered far more of a gentletom, Alonzo could charm a queen every bit as well as the Rum Tum Tugger. Everyone knew this. She had known this – she'd just forgotten, and now…

Well, now, things were even more complicated than they had started out.

"Are you still upset at me?" Coricopat asked her, his tone rather distressed. He was seated beside her, although their posture was not the same for once. Actually, they had not mirrored or mimicked one another since their argument.

"Where have you been?" He had greeted her when she had returned that morning. She had meticulously groomed herself after leaving Alonzo's den – twice, mindful of removing his scent from her, of preventing the questions that would undoubtedly follow had she returned home smelling of another cat. Her brother had obviously been greatly concerned during her absence, but he did not suspect. He was simply worried.

Tantomile had not told him, of course. She had simply stated that she had been out, and left it at that. That was when the apologies had begun – a parade of genuine, heartfelt, distressed apologies that her brother delivered to her every day.

"I said I was sorry," he was repeating himself again, quiet and earnest. /Tantomile!/ "Tanta! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I know that doesn't make up for me saying it, at all, but you know I didn't mean it! It's just… Sometimes, I can't get rid of father's voice in my head. All the things he used to say to us…

"You were right. Okay? And I'll try to do just as you said. Can't you forgive me, now, sister?" Cori pleaded.

His distress was wearing at her. It hurt her heart almost as much as his cruel remark had. "I've already forgiven you, Cori," Tantomile said, looking up into her brother's matching eyes. "You can stop apologizing. I know you didn't really mean it."

"Then, why won't you let me in, again?" the tom asked perplexedly. "I miss you, Tanta. I feel alienated from you, this way!"

The queen sighed quietly. "Don't you think we spend too much time inside our heads, sometimes, Cori? Maybe this will be better for us. I think, perhaps, we have grown too dependent on sharing thoughts in such a way."

"But… that is what we have always done, Tantomile. We've always had that connection, but now, you don't want it anymore?" Cori spoke incredulously, not understanding at all. "Are you… Are you trying to keep something from me?"

"I just want to be alone to my thoughts, Cori!" she snapped at him. Of course, she was keeping something from him. That was the sole reason she had not reestablished her connection with her brother. Even if he didn't immediately discover where she had gone that night, there was no hiding the complication that had arisen from it.

And Tanta wasn't ready for that to come out, just yet.

For a moment, Coricopat looked a bit stung, but then responded, "Fine! But you know for a fact that I have never snooped around your head without permission." With that, the mystic tom rose to all four feet and padded away.

Tantomile looked back at the ground, tail curled more securely around her. "I know you haven't, Cori," she murmured softly. Feeling a set of eyes on her, once more, the queen looked up without thinking. It was Alonzo, again. She quickly looked away.

Bast, what was she going to do?

0o0o0

"I thought you were interested in Cassandra," Munkustrap remarked. Alonzo had shot him a confused look. The comment had come out of nowhere, after all. The two toms had been patrolling the Junkyard boundary, an easy silence settled between them as there usually was at this hour. Until Munkus had spoken up, that is.

"What?" he said, not entirely certain just what his friend was getting at.

"You're my best friend, Lonz. Did you really think I wouldn't notice when your attention suddenly strayed elsewhere?" the tabby asked rhetorically. "Tantomile, though…"

"What about it?" Alonzo responded, a faint defensive edge to his tone that his friend didn't fail to notice. Perhaps, he ought to have tried denying it instead, but his friend knew him too well for that.

"Nothing. It's just…" Munkustrap slowed to a stop and turned to face him.

"It's just what, Munkus?"

"Are you sure your interest in her isn't just because she seems mysterious? You hardly ever noticed her, before."

"I doubt anyone has, really," Alonzo mumbled so softly that Munkus missed most of it. His actual response was spoken more clearly. "I don't think she's that mysterious." He turned to continue their patrol.

Munkustrap fell in step beside him. "What is she, then?" he asked, still a bit skeptical. After all, Cassandra had been the first queen his friend had become even moderately serious about and it had taken years for him to reach that point.

"Withdrawn," Alonzo answered thoughtfully. "She's withdrawn and… uncertain." The Jellicle Protector sent him an inquiring look, but he didn't expound on his answer. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely certain himself.

0o0o0

Others were beginning to look at her. At least, that is what it felt like. Tantomile knew that, logically, the number of looks she garnered now were not much greater than what she had gotten before. It was funny how a bit of paranoia could make one feel differently about such things.

Most, she did realize, were merely cognizant of the rift that had formed between her and her brother. They'd always been a united front before, spending most of their time together. It made the other cats curious to see that this had changed. There were a few, however, that were beginning to sense that there was something else, something about her in particular that had changed, and as each day passed, Tantomile felt more and more apprehensive about her secret coming out – and it would. She had no doubt about that.

"Tantomile, dear."

She just wished it hadn't been quite so public.

Tantomile looked up at the owner of the paw that had reached out to touch her arm as she left the clearing. Jennyanydots peered back at her, and the mystic did not need to be able to read the Gumbie cat's mind to know her thoughts. They were written plainly on her motherly features.

"Yes, Jenny?" she replied, her stomach twisting into knots as she vainly hoped that she was wrong. She knew that she wasn't, of course. The only cat more likely to have noticed and recognize her condition first was Coricopat, and he was too preoccupied with believing she was still upset with him.

The older queen stepped a bit closer, her concern almost palpable. Her tone was soft as she continued, pitched so that only Tantomile was supposed to hear her. "I apologize if this seems a bit… intrusive," Jenny began delicately, "but… my dear, do you realize that you're pregnant?"

There it was – the newest and greatest complication in her life. Tantomile diverted her gaze, opening her mouth to respond, but hers was not the next voice to speak.

"Pregnant?" Jellylorum had exclaimed. The calico had been making her way over to talk to Jenny when she overheard her friend's words. She'd been too loud. The clearing had grown hushed and others were turning to look in their direction.

Tantomile found that she had to swallow before she could answer, but even then, her voice sounded hoarse when she spoke. "I did realize, yes."

She had answered quietly, but it didn't matter. Everyone was listening – even the kittens had grown still. Tanta knew she couldn't blame Jennyanydots and Jellylorum for this. The elder queens were merely concerned and surprised. She'd have been surprised, herself, were she in their fur. Nonetheless, part of her did blame them. After all, if they had been more discrete in exercising their concern, she would not currently be in such an awkward position.

"Pregnant..? Tantomile?" A murmur had started to pass among those present, and Tantomile began to wish that she was a conjuror rather than a mystic so that she could disappear from the situation entirely. She could feel their gazes – Coricopat's in particular. She knew it was her brother because she could sense the surge of bewilderment and tangled emotions bleeding through into her consciousness even though her own mind was still shut to him.

A shamed flush coloring her face, Tanta backed away from the two motherly cats. She turned to retreat from the clearing and the looks she was receiving from the others, but she didn't get very far.

"Pregnant?" The word came from Cori, this time, as he moved in to confront her. "You… I-I thought you were still angry with me! I thought you were closing me out to – to punish me, o-or distance yourself from me because you were still hurt!"

"Cori, I-"

"Is that where you went that night? You, Tantomile?" he demanded.

"Please, Coricopat. You're my brother. You of all-" Tantomile began, but he cut her off, once more.

"That's precisely why you ought to have confided in me!" Coricopat exclaimed.

It hurt him, Tanta realized as she gazed back at him. Not only was her brother wounded that she no longer opened her mind to him, but he was also hurt that she had not confided in him. She supposed he was somewhat justified in feeling that way. After all, she did think that were their positions somehow reversed, she'd have felt hurt, as well.

"Who's the father?" her twin finally voiced the question that was no doubt going through everyone's minds.

Tantomile opened her mouth, but any response died on her lips. Did she tell the truth, or make up a story? Or perhaps, she should simply refrain from answering? Unable to continue holding his gaze, she looked away, belatedly noticing that others had started to crowd in. Demeter was one of them, a paw outstretched, looking as though she sincerely wanted to offer some sort of comfort or support but was uncertain whether it would be welcome. She wasn't certain herself.

"Tantomile!" Coricopat said sharply. Bast, was she missing when their confrontations were truly private.

She started to speak again, still not sure what to say, but she didn't have to. Somebody else answered for her, cutting between her and her upset sibling.

"I am." A paw took her by one arm, turning her towards the nearest exit as an arm came to encircle her shoulders, shielding her in part from the others. Tantomile looked up at her rescuer, although she already knew who it was.

"Alonzo…"

0o0

To be continued...

A/N: *fidgets nervously* Well..?