Chapter 2 and everything's still fine. I still find it strange that I'm best at writing late at night though. Surely that's the worst time to be writing if you want to use good grammar.

CrazyIndigoChild: You're right, maybe I made him seem a bit too young. I didn't intend for it to look like there's too much going on in his life but I can see why it might look that way. I think maybe because he's still a bit kittenish despite now being a tom he's trying to act like he thinks a grown-up ought to and is letting his mind run away with romantic thoughts. I guess he's acting like anyone does when they fall in love for the first time and gets way ahead of where they ought to be. I'm not sure so I guess that one's open to interpretation but moreover I should have made it more obvious in the text. Sorry 'bout that. Don't worry though, Misto is certainly not a kitten anymore so there's nothing dodgy going on that might make Tugger a paedophile. Thanks for picking up on what seems like an abundance of sex as well. I think I'll need to make it seem otherwise in this chapter because Misto is certainly not a slut in my mind! Lol.

Misto grows nervous as Tugger takes he and some of the others out.

WARNING: Bad language

Love Is No Fairytale

Chapter 2

Tugger's Friends

Tugger and Misto soon made their way back to the clearing they had come from to see who they could get to come out with them that night for some fun. Misto was rather quiet as they went and held on to Tugger's paw tightly as he thought nervously about what was to happen later on. He replayed the things Tugger had said about these other cats he knew and he was a little bit uneasy at the prospect of meeting them in the fur. If they were the types of cat that Tugger used to bring home from one of his nights out then in some ways he knew what to expect and didn't feel much draw towards the idea. Still, he did his best to look keen so his mate wouldn't think he was a scaredy-cat and he carried on walking as Tugger strode excitedly ahead. The bigger tom was talking about something but Misto had zoned out a short while ago since he had been deep in thought. Tugger soon caught on to the fact that Misto wasn't listening and would have asked him if something were that matter had they not just arrived in the clearing. He happily trotted off and out of sight leaving Misto alone with his thoughts as he stood in the moonlight that bathed the area. As he mulled things over different questions that made him more and more nervous started to circulate in his mind and he began to shuffle uncomfortably as they stuck around. What if those cats made Tugger even more Tuggerish than usual? Would he suddenly realise that mating to Misto was a terrible mistake? That was silly though, right? Tugger loved him, he wouldn't just run off. Even so, would he still wish he could be carefree and be like he was? And what if one of those cats or even all of them didn't like him? Would they turn on him and leave him somewhere in the middle of the city while making sure Tugger didn't know about it? Would Tugger let them do that even if he did know?

Misto bit his lip and stared off into nothingness as he continued to think. He was so lost in his worry that he didn't notice Jemima come over to him with a friendly smile on her face looking to shoot the breeze with her friend. The young queen puzzled when Misto didn't seem to notice her and she narrowed her eyebrows as she examined the tux before her.

"Misto? Hello?" she called gently

The black and white tom jolted himself out of his daze and shook his head when he noticed the queen suddenly standing in front of him.

"Jemima? How long have you been there?"

"I just got here. Are you alright?"

Misto rubbed his head fur and took a deep breath before replying, "Yeah, I'm fine. There's just something on my mind"

"Is it bad?"

"No, I don't think so, just…well, I'm not sure. Tugger wants to take some of us out on the town"

Jemima lit up instantly, "Really? Can I come?"

Misto smiled weakly, "I'm sure you may. In fact I'd like it if you were there to keep me calm"

"Calm? What do you mean calm? And why is Tugger taking us out a bad thing?"

Misto sighed, "It's just that he intends to introduce us to his other friends"

"Is that bad?"

"Well, they're the type he hung out with before he mated to me"

"You think they're no good?"

"Not necessarily. I just reckon they're…well, you know, a bad influence"

Jemima smirked, "A bad influence? You sound like Jenny"

Misto blushed. Maybe he was being silly, he couldn't quite tell. He trusted Jemima though so if she thought it was okay then it probably would be.

"Alright, maybe I'm over-thinking things" he said changing his tone, "You think it will be alright?"

"It sounds like fun. Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

"I dread to think when it's Tugger"

"Well, you'll be there to rein him in if he does get a bit out of control"

"Hmm. Alright, I guess we'll just take it as it goes"

"There you go. Now who else is coming?"

"I haven't a clue"


Tugger scampered around looking for the cats he had in mind to take out that night. He jumped up and down over the junk as he searched and one by one happened upon the Jellicles he was looking for.

"Hey, Alonzo! Wanna come out tonight?"

"Where are we going?" called back the black and white patched tom

"Out on the town. You game?"

"Sure"

'One down' thought Tugger as he carried on. It wasn't long before he found Plato, Victor, Victoria, Exotica, Skimble – making sure not to let Jenny know - and Cassandra and even though he had wondered about asking Munkustrap he decided it would probably be rude not to ask him to come too. He was even more pleased when his brother declined and decided to stick around to watch the junkyard. While he was there he asked Demeter if she'd like to go with them as well and she said she would if Bomba were going. On that note Tugger jumped over to her den and climbed straight in without announcing himself in the slightest. He found the queen grooming herself in quite a compromising position and she startled and tried to correct herself quickly when she saw Tugger barge in rudely. Her frantic movements gave her more trouble than they did help and within seconds she was sprawled out across the floor making Tugger laugh at the sight.

"It's very rude to barge in on a lady" she said as she pushed herself back up

"Good thing there's no lady here" responded Tugger cheekily.

"Oi! I'm more of a lady than you'll ever get"

"Don't need one, I'm perfectly happy with my tom, thank you"

"Mmm" hummed Bomba quietly. She found it strange that in some small way she still wished it was her that Tugger had fallen for. She was happy that he and Misto were together but all the same she sort of wished it could have been her. "What can I do for you?"

"A bunch of us are going out into the city. Do you want to come?"

"Is Deme going?"

"She said she would if you would"

"Alright. I'll be out in a bit"

"Cool" said Tugger as he turned to leave. As Bomba watched him go she took in how magnificent he looked and remembered how she used to wonder if they would ever get together properly. She and Demeter used to say it would be great if they would since then between them they would have both of the brothers. Still, it was as it was: Tugger was taken and it seemed he had never really wished for anything more than their fleeting rolls in the hay anyway. Although it rubbed at her she wanted him to know she was glad he'd found happiness and in a split-second decision she called out to him before he left.

"Tugger, wait!"

The tom stopped and turned looking annoyingly disinterested in whatever it was she had to say. Why was it he always had to treat her with such disdain and more importantly why did she love it so much?

"Hm?" was all Tugger said

Bomba thought for a minute as she hadn't quite decided what it was she wanted to say. After a moment of silence that was just a little too long to be comfortable she managed to speak,

"I just wanted to say…uh…I'm happy for you"

Tugger raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Err…You and Misto. It's nice to see you've found the right one"

"You already said you were happy for us"

"Did I?"

"I think so, I can't really remember"

"Oh. Well, I just want you to know I really mean it" she said timidly even though in her heart she knew that wasn't exactly how she felt.

"Okay, thanks"

"I suppose you and I were never really meant to be"

"Nope" replied Tugger with considerable ease making the queen feel no better. Still, she carried on,

"I don't think you could have found anybody better" Again, not the exact way she felt.

"I think you're right, Bomba, he is pretty great"

"Pretty great? Is anything wrong?" she asked curiously

"What? No, no, of course not. He's amazing. I love him and he makes me incredibly happy. Does it seem otherwise to you?"

"Oh no. I just thought because you said pretty great instead of just great"

"Well, he's just great I assure you"

"Well that's good. I've wondered maybe if he's still a little uncertain because he's quite young and such. Maybe he's still figuring himself out"

"I know he's still figuring out his magic but he seems to be pretty on the ball with everything else"

Bomba couldn't help herself from asking the next question as she was just to curious to see how she compared, "Is he, um…satisfactory…at, um…you know?"

Tugger raised an eyebrow so Bomba pushed a little further,

"I mean…in the bedroom?"

"Is that really any of your business?" asked Tugger a little indignantly

"Well, I don't think you and I have any secrets about that anymore, Tugs. We've certainly been around the block together a few times"

"Yeah, but…come on, it's different now. I'm with him and he does it differently to how you did it. Look, it feels weird to be discussing it with you"

"Doesn't he measure up?" Bomba knew she was digging herself a hole but she didn't feel as if she could stop herself.

"He does just fine" said Tugger more firmly

"Just fine. Right"

"Well, more than just fine. Do you really need to know?"

"No, no. I think you've given me a pretty good idea"

Tugger felt very conflicted. Strangely it felt weird to be discussing his and Misto's sex life with his ex-lover but at the same time he didn't want her to think that Misto wasn't up to the job.

"Look, Misto is really good at what he does and he's perfectly capable of keeping me satisfied. And remember it is me so I think you can judge for yourself just how capable he is"

"Uh huh. Little nymphomaniac is he?"

Tugger was getting annoyed now, "Everlasting, Bomba! No we're not having sex all the time or any more than a regular couple for that matter. Aside from that he's perfectly good at it. If anything he's helped me calm down from how crazy I used to be so I hope you can see how much more important our relationship is than just sex. By the same token I hope you can see just why my relationship with him is way more important than anything you and I ever had. Why the hell are you so interested anyway? Jealous?"

Bomba felt as if she was being cornered and realised maybe she'd probed a little too deeply. Why did she have to be so nosy when it came to Tugger? Feeling defeated she back-peddled quickly,

"No. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious as to whether he was good enough for you. I didn't mean to cause offence"

"Good enough for me? He's perfectly fine, in fact he's the best thing that's ever happened to me. He makes me happy and no one has ever done that before, not even you"

Bomba winced internally but put on a brave face, "I'm glad. Please don't get me wrong"

"So why is our private life so important to you?"

Bomba looked down, "I guess I just wish I could have the same thing. You know there's no one around here for me"

Tugger responded with cautious sympathy, "Well, even so I think I'd prefer to keep mine and Misto's affairs private, if you don't mind. I'm sure you'll find somebody somewhere."

"Maybe. I'm sorry for being so nosy"

"That's okay. Now, we're going out. Don't be too long or we'll leave you behind" he said as he turned again and left the den.

Bomba was left alone looking at the spot where he had been. She wondered why she was doing that because she knew she didn't love him. Or did she? Was she just desperate to have someone? Anyone for that matter? Was it because Tugger was the closest thing she'd ever had to a mate? Maybe. She did her best to put it all out of her mind for now; she and Demeter would have a lot to discuss later.


In the clearing the cats Tugger had invited out were gathering slowly and the kittens hung around curiously wondering what was about to happen. They pestered Victoria since she was closest to their age and the young white queen did her best to change the subject as they constantly battered her with questions. She happily got away from them when she noticed Misto and Jemima coming to join the group and in a second she was over with them.

"This all sounds kinda cool, huh? I've never really been out on the town before" said Victoria

"Me either" said Jemima happily, "It sounds really fun"

"I suppose…" said Misto quietly

"You suppose?" asked Victoria, "What's wrong with you?"

"Don't ask" Jemima told her, "He's just nervous because he thinks Tugger will go a bit wild"

"Well it is Tugger. Of course he'll be wild"

"You're not helping" said Misto, "I just don't want him to forget about me"

"He won't forget" said Victoria giving her brother a shove, "He'll probably want to show you off"

Misto smiled weakly at that. He certainly wouldn't mind being shown off as Tugger's mate and as he thought about it he loosened up a little bit. Before he had time to speak again Tugger came up behind and wrapped his arms around him while planting a quick kiss on his cheek. The tux just smiled back at him and lightly asked,

"Ready to go?"

"Sure. Is everyone here?"

"I think so. Lead the way, dear"

Tugger grimaced a little but then looked sarcastic, "Dear? What am I, your darling wife?"

"You're my mate, I can call you dear if I want"

"Only if I can call you Misty"

"Alright, fine. No dear"

"Good choice. Okay everyone, let's go!" called Tugger as he jumped ahead and beckoned everyone forward.

As the bunch of cats headed toward to junkyard entrance the kittens did their best to look inconspicuous and follow them. They had nearly made it out of the junkyard when they heard a shrill tone behind them.

"Where do you think you're all going?" came the voice. Everyone turned around to see a motherly old queen coming at them with a strong authority on her face. In the blink of an eye she gathered up the kittens and frog-marched them all back inside making the rest of the Jellicles smirk as she bent them to her will.

As they went to carry on they heard another voice call out to them,

"Wait for me!"

Bomba – having missed their exit by a few moments huffed irately as she jumped down from her den and ran after them. Why was Tugger treating her with such contempt even now? As she caught up to them she muttered a few things to Deme and the black and gold queen just rolled her eyes.

The group of Jellicles didn't waste time in getting to where they were going and adopted a quick pace with Tugger at the head of the pack leading the way.


As Misto walked along his mind drifted from the conversation he was supposed to be involved in with Victoria and Jemima at either side. Although he had been told everything would be fine he was still worried that something bad might happen, or if not bad then certainly something that would make Tugger go off the rails. Then again, was Tugger ever really on the rails? Sure, he'd calmed down a little bit since being mated but he was still as outrageous as ever. Misto wondered if there was really anything to worry about and did his best to tell himself there wasn't. Putting his thoughts aside he pulled away from his female escorts and hurried up to Tugger who was chatting loudly with Alonzo as he led them into the centre of London.

Taking his arm Misto smiled up at his mate and spoke, "Are we there yet?"

"Almost, babe. Happy to be out of the junkyard?"

"If you can show me a good time then I'm sure I will be"

Tugger smirked, "I reckon you'll enjoy it. Not far to go now"

Misto looked around at where he was and smiled when he remembered some of the sights he'd seen before when Tugger took him out on dates. As a group they moved along the same route Tugger had taken Misto on their first date and Misto smiled wider when he realised they were heading in the direction of Piccadilly circus and the fountain in its centre - the place he'd been absolutely mesmerized by not long ago. His happiness was cut short when Tugger quickly veered them down a much darker, unfamiliar street and the spaces between the buildings grew narrower making Misto feel somehow smaller. Electric lights shone around them but in colours that Misto had only ever seen as a product of his magic. Strange, thumping sounds that Misto assumed was loud human music echoed around them as they went further into this strange looking world and the small tom hung on to Tugger more tightly as he was lead further in. Tugger seemingly unfazed by the sights that made Misto nervous smiled as he reacquainted himself with a place he felt he'd been away from for far too long. He wondered why he hadn't thought of bringing Misto here sooner since he really loved being where everything was so carefree.

Rounding a few more corners Tugger quickened his pace when he saw the place he had wanted to bring the others and his mate to. The other Jellicles hurried along to keep up with him and Misto clung closer still as they approached a strange looking building bathed in blue light with humans gathered outside it.

"What is this place, Tugger?" he asked quietly

Tugger didn't respond as he was too excited to soon be letting loose. Without really looking where he was going he suddenly veered off down a slim alley next to the glowing, thumping building and trotted along to a small gap in the brickwork about halfway down. With a quick smile to Misto he jumped in and vanished into the darkness. Misto didn't really know what he was getting himself in for and stepped back as the other Jellicles passed him and followed Tugger. A moment later he was the only one left outside and looked around in the dark, seedy alley feeling very on edge. Not wanting to remain alone he cautiously stepped into the gap and took several paces in complete darkness before he noticed the light start to pick up again. The same thumping he had heard outside was louder in here and a few seconds later he found himself in a fairly large open space – at least to a cat - glowing faintly in the same blue light he had seen on the front of the building. Around him he could see a great number of cats he had never seen before and became uneasy when he couldn't see a single one of the Jellicles. He looked up at the ceiling and noticed the light filtering through cracks in the floorboards with the sound of loud human voices coupled with their music emanating through it. Putting these observations together he assumed he must have been in one of those places he had heard about that humans congregate in at night and along with the other cats he must have been in some kind of space beneath the floorboards.

As he brought his eyes back down he noticed that many of the unfamiliar cats were dancing but not in the way he had become accustomed to back in the junkyard. This kind of dancing involved a lot more contact and looked much less graceful. The cats rubbed against each other in strange ways and jumped around in what seemed to Misto like some kind of mating display. Clearly this was not a side of cat culture he had ever expected to be exposed to and he bit his lip as he started to feel very out of place.

A moment or two later - through the darkness - he noticed a few of the new cats looking at him with strange expressions on their faces. Misto tried to smile politely back and started to step forward hoping they wouldn't bother him. Carefully he made his way through the crowd and looked around for sign of any familiar face. He began to feel annoyed that Tugger had just left him to find his own way but that didn't seem to matter too much at that moment, he was just desperate to see someone he knew. Minutes went by and he started to whip his head from side to side looking desperately for anyone. Mercifully, across the crowd and up on top of what appeared to Misto as an overturned crate he saw Jemima and Victoria sitting together and laughing happily as they involved themselves in the ambiance. Without waiting he made a beeline for them and hopped on the crate glad to get away from the dancing cats around him.

"Hey, Misto! Where did you get to?" asked Jemima over the loud atmosphere

"I'm not sure. I came in and everyone seemed to have disappeared"

"Take a look, you can see everyone from up here" she said gesturing across the crowd below them. Misto looked out and saw she was right: if he looked carefully he could make out all of the cats he had come with. They were either dancing in the crowd or sitting off to the side just enjoying themselves. Misto would have felt more relaxed had the one cat he wanted to locate been visible.

"Where's Tugger?" he asked the pair.

"He's getting us something to drink" replied Victoria

"A drink?" asked Misto perking his ears up. He was quite thirsty after that walk and he felt a little more at ease to think that Tugger was doing something nice for him. Unfortunately for him he was about to be proven very wrong. "Where?"

"Over there" said Victoria as she pointed to a corner where a large bottle sat with cats gathered around it. Misto looked but he still didn't see his mate.

Tugger was making his way around the crowd already carrying a small shot-glass filled with clear liquid that at his size was actually quite big. With a sneaky smile on his face he climbed up to the trio on top of the crate and sat down with them. He placed the glass in the centre of their circle and brought Misto over with one arm to lean against him. He placed a quick kiss on top of his mate's head and then spoke to him,

"How do you like this place?"

Misto put on a pretend smile so as not to look like a killjoy, "It's nice. Very loud"

Tugger laughed and kissed him again, "I knew you'd like it"

Before Misto could respond he felt the crate vibrate with soft impact and he looked up to see four other cats around them looking down with sly smiles. Misto flattened his ears to his head as they seemed to examine them and wondered what was about to happen. Each of them had different marking but black made up a large part of all of their coats while being individualized with splashes of other colours and styles. Misto was wondering what to say before one of the new cats looked over at Tugger and spoke first,

"Well look what the cat dragged in"

"Sure been a while since you showed your sorry arse around here" said another

"Maybe I just got bored of hanging around with you losers" said Tugger with a smile as he got up. Misto puzzled as he watched his mate rub affectionately against each of these other cats and banter back and forth with them.

"How's it going, Tug?" asked the one with ginger blotches on him

"Not bad, thanks. How are things here?" replied the Maine Coon

"Better now you're back. Where've you been?"

"I've been a little preoccupied" he said with a smile and giving a quick glance to Misto

"Well, at least you're back now. So what do we have here?" said the queen with a large amount of grey on her as she looked around at Tugger's companions. To Misto she looked a little bit scary since she was quite thin and had eyes that were very piercing. She was rather pretty but still the tux had a feeling that he probably shouldn't trust her too readily. This was all the more driven home when he felt her eyes run over him and examine him very finely.

"These are a few of my friends I've brought out this evening. None of them have ever been to a place like this before so I thought it might be fun for them to see."

"I see" said the queen slyly, "Who's this lovely looking little thing?" she said as she got down close to Jemima and started fiddling with the fur on her head. The younger queen just sat still and tried to look comfortable as the other invaded her personal space.

"That's Jemima and over there is Victoria" said Tugger gesturing to the white queen.

"Well, it's nice to see such good-looking fresh meat around here" said another of the unfamiliar toms moving alongside Victoria and giving her the once over. A moment later he moved over quickly to Misto and locked eyes with him while giving him a menacing half-smile. The tux felt his heart beat faster and his fur prickled up a little bit as the cat scrutinized his face and stared him down.

"Very nice indeed" said the cat again as he started to move around Misto while the other cats moved over to join him in his examination. Misto just sat still and looked up to Tugger silently wishing he'd do something about them.

"And what's this?" asked the queen as she slowly circled Misto smiling. "This one certainly seems like he needs to unwind. How do you fancy it, tux? Wanna be shown a good time?"

Misto was begging Tugger with his eyes now; he really didn't know what to do and he needed Tugger to do something about the queen.

The bigger tom noticed how uncomfortable his mate looked and chuckled at the small tom's expression before bending down and pulling Misto into his arms.

"Well guys, you're not going to believe this but I'd like to introduce you to my mate, The Magical Mister Mistoffelees"

The cats all stopped dead as soon as Tugger said that and stared brutally down at Misto. Had The Rum Tum Tugger actually just said that this tiny little cat was his mate? Surely not.

"Your mate, Tug?" asked the queen

"That's right" replied Tugger nuzzling Misto.

The cats stayed in silence for a long time as they looked at the pair and tried to come to terms with the idea that Tugger might actually be telling the truth. Tugger didn't mate to cats, no one was ever good enough for him and that's why he was such a player. Could it be that their buddy was tied down?

Misto flinched when he felt the grey and black queen pull him out of Tugger's grasp and barely had time to come to terms with what was happening before she had started pulling him around. Within the seconds the other cats were doing the same thing and Misto suddenly felt extremely violated as they yanked and manipulated his body.

"Well, it's certainly got a pretty little face" said queen as she brought her paw up to his cheeks and squeezed them, "Pretty little eyes and pretty little lips too"

"And not a bad little body either despite being a bit small" said another of the toms that hadn't spoken yet but had been leering at Misto the entire time he had been around.

"I think I can see why you like it Tugger" said the queen

"Him" said Misto shaking them off and trying not to scowl at them for being so invasive.

"Oooh, it has a temper" said the queen feeling smug that she was rubbing the tux the wrong way both in the literal since and the metaphorical. "I guess you like a little fire in the ones you bed, huh Tug?"

Misto was getting quite annoyed now and decided to speak on his mate's behalf, "For your information I'm not just some cat Tugger dragged back to bed. We love each other"

That made the other cats snigger.

"Love each other? Come on, Tugger doesn't love anyone" said the tom with ginger patches.

"Yes he does" said the Maine Coon pulling Misto close again. "I've changed guys. Mistoffelees is my life now, I've been hooked"

Misto looked around at the cats who seemed quite taken aback at Tugger's admission. Perhaps it really was true that the biggest player in town was off the market. A long moment passed with the loudness around them being the only thing they heard before the queen spoke again,

"Well, fuck me! I guess pigs really do fly"

"Got that right" said one of the toms

Tugger just smiled at Misto and suddenly the tux didn't feel quite so nervous anymore. Tugger was actually displaying some solidarity and it filled him warmth that his mate was glad to say in front of his friends that he was happier with him.

"Sorry, guys. He's mine now" said Misto feeling braver now as he looked around at them. The other cats looked around at each other and shrugged lightly but not without sly smiles.

"Well then, I'm sure any mate of Tugger's can be a friend of ours" said the queen. Changing her tone she looked at the other two and included them in the next part of their conversation, "So, never been out on the town before, eh? Well, it's probably time to show you just how much fun you can have"

The queen lifted up the glass Tugger had brought over earlier and looked between each of the new cats she had before her. She settled on Misto and turned to him offering the drink held within.

"Give this a try, sweetheart. It'll blow your mind"

Misto took the glass from her and looked down at its contents wondering what she meant. To him it just looked like water, how was that meant to blow his mind? Since he was quite thirsty he shrugged off what she'd said and brought to glass to his lips. In one quick, uncaring motion he took a big gulp from it and immediately widened his eyes and tensed his body. He slammed the glass back down on top of the crate and spat out what he had sipped spraying it everywhere. Whatever it was it most certainly was not water and he sat there coughing and spluttering as he tried to breath over the vile taste that lingered. It was nothing like he had ever tasted before – it was incredibly strong but didn't have a particular flavour, it was just a very strong taste whatever it was and it assaulted his mouth, nose and even made his eyes sting a little.

"What the hell is that?" asked Misto as he started to regain his breath

The strange cats just laughed amongst themselves as they watched him react.

"Something that humans drink. Never tasted alcohol before, eh?" said the queen smirking

"No" responded Misto, "It's horrible!"

"Try again. It'll get better"

Misto looked around at Tugger who had a similar expression of amusement and just nodded at him to give it another go. Misto begrudgingly lifted the glass again and not wanting to disappoint anyone raised it to his lips. Once again he tasted the incredibly strong liquid and held it in his mouth as he summoned up the strength to swallow it. After a second or two he flicked his head back and forced the foul fluid down his throat. Instantly he screwed his eyes shut and stuck out his tongue in discontent. How could anybody find that enjoyable?

"Well done, kid. Don't worry, it'll get easier from here on" said the queen as she took the glass from him and held it out to Victoria. "Bottoms up, missy" she said as the white queen nervously took it from her.


Across the room Bomba and Demeter sat together chatting. Between them they had one of the drinks Tugger had brought to Misto, Jemima and Victoria and not being new to it Bomba wasn't holding back in sucking down the fluid as she related her feelings to her friend.

"I mean, why can't I just get over him, Deme? It's not like I really want to be with him anymore but something's telling me I kinda do"

"Have you told him about any of this?"

Bomba took another drink, "Of course not. I'm happy he and Misto are together but I just kinda wish it was me"

"But he treated you like dirt. Surely that's enough to get over him"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? I guess I just like the bad-boy type"

"That's always been your problem" said Deme smiling, "Remember Macavity?"

Bomba grimaced and buried her face in her arms on the table, "Don't! I really don't think we need to remember that"

Deme chuckled, "Even so, hun, I'm sure there's someone out there for you. You just haven't found him yet"

"Yeah, I guess. I just want him to come to me now, Deme! Why can't I have him?"

Demeter shrugged, "Maybe he's closer than you think. In the meantime you just need to forget about Tugger. He and Misto are happy and I'm sure you don't want to ruin that"

"You're right" moaned Bomba. Looking up and taking a deep breath she lifted the glass in front of her. "Here's to finding Mr. Right soon" she said before drinking down every last drop of the alcohol she held. Deme's eyes widened as she watched the red queen suck it down – Bomba certainly could drink! As the red queen brought the glass back down she screwed up her face and shook her head from side to side trying to make the taste disappear. Deme knew she'd have to keep an eye on Bomba that night, after all bad things tended to happen when Bomba got drunk.

So Bomba's drinking her troubles away, huh? Surely nothing bad can happen from that.

Thanks for reading, next chapter shouldn't be too long. As always I adore your reviews and I appreciate the comments and criticism.