I have updated! (pats herself on the back) You know the saying: Rome wasn't built in a day. (And it wasn't built in a week either!)

-Quidam


"I win!" Pouncival waved his arms in triumph. Mistoffelees struggled as he tried to get out from under Tumblebrutus who had Pouncival sitting on top of him. "I am the supreme ruler!"

"Hey Mr. Supreme, why do you get your supremely big butt offa us?" Tumblebrutus finally managed to push his friend off of him. "Sorry about that Misto."

"It's okay," The tuxedoed tom brush himself off. "Where did I--" He spotted the roses. "Oh, there they are. Cassandra is probably awake by now."

"Yeah! Lets go see if--" Pouncival began but he was interrupted by a loud cry.

"Tumble! Tumblebrutus!" Tumblebrutus' eyes got wide. He darted to and fro, hoping to find a place to hide. "Tumble! Tumblebrutus!" Electra rounded the corner, spotting him then and there. "Finally! I've been looking for you all day! " She said, getting closer.

"No! Get away from me!" He demanded, hiding behind Pouncival.

"But-"

"NO! I hate you! Stop following me and leave me alone! C'mon Misto!" He grabbed his magical companion by the paw. "Lets go find Jemima. You coming Pounce?" He asked, stomping away angrily.

Pouncival watched Tumble and Mistoffelees until they disappeared. He then turned his head towards Electra. Her round eyes filled up with crystal tears. Before he knew it, she began to wail at the top of her lungs. His fur stood on end. He had never seen her in such a distraught state. He knew she could be annoying but that was no reason to yell at her.

"Electra----" He began but he stopped when he noticed something on the ground. It was one of the flowers. "Whoops, Mistoffelees must have dropped this." He bent down to pick it up. As he did, some nectar came out onto his paw. "Uh oh, better get this off of me." He rubbed it against his eyes, the nectar wiping away. "There that's---"

"Why does he hate me so much?" Electra hiccupped, wiping away her tears. "I try so hard to get him to like me and all he does is push me away?" She gulped, tears still flowing from her eyes. "I just can't take it anymore!" Electra ran back from where she came, her cries echoing.

"Electra?" Pouncival whispered. His heart felt like it was set a blaze as she fled. "Wait------Electra wait!" He called after her. "Oh please, come back! Oh, please my beloved Electra, come back!"


"Aw, come on Mungo!" Rumpelteazer bubbled with excitement. "Can't I look yet?"

"Not yet!" Mungo sung into his friend's ear, his paws over her eyes. "Just keep on walking. We're almost there." He smiled as he led her towards her big surprise. "Now don't peek!" He said as he went to grab her present. He looked back, seeing her peeking through her paws. "No peeking!" She covered them up again, giggling. "Okay, now open them!" He smiled as he held out the mahogany music box that he had stolen from some wealthy patron.

"Oh Mungo!" She gasped, taking it from him. "It's---" She opened it, hearing 'Ava Maria' play. She gasped as she took out a small pearl ring. "Beautiful!"

"I knew you'd like it!" He said with a smile.

"This is so sweet! Why'd you do this for me? It's not my birthday for at least another five months!" She slipped the ring around her paw.

"Well, it's nothing really," Mungojerrie looked at his feet. "I mean---well----it's something I guess."

He looked up to see Rumpelteazer smiling at him. He felt himself blush. His stomach was all tied up in knots with butterflies flying around. Mungo took a couple breathes. He had been waiting to do this for weeks and he wasn't going to back down now. Everything was perfect; the moment, the atmosphere and Rumpelteazer. But Rumpel had always been perfect and nothing would ever change that.

"Mungo, why are you doing this? Why are you being so sweet to me?"

"Well----" He continued to bore a hole through the ground. "I-----I-----"

Tumblebrutus collided with tiger colored tom, Mistoffelees crashing into both of them. The three collapsed on one another, Mungojerrie at the bottom. His female friend snorted as she giggled uncontrollably. The poor tom suddenly wanted to crawl under a rock in fear of dying of embarrassment. Sensing the humiliation, Mistoffelees got up and helped both of his friends up.

"Sorry," Mistoffelees smiled as he and Tumblebrutus helped their fallen friend. "We weren't looking at where we were going."

"What are you two doing?" Mungojerrie asked.

"Running from Electra," Tumblebrutus answered, turning his head back. He was shaking all over, quavering in fear. "I hope she doesn't catch us."

"Ah, girl problems?" Mungojerrie gave a smile, his embarrassment disappearing.

"Yes! I don't understand why she keeps on following me! I wish she'd leave me alone!" He whined.

Rumpelteazer's giggles soon subsided. She took a small breath and then realized something on the ground. Laying at her feet was a white rose. Her curiosity perked, she picked it up. Rumpel had never seen a white rose before; it was incredibly beautiful. She lifted it up. A small trickle of nectar landed on her face. She tried to wipe it away.

"Huh?" Mistoffelees noticed Rumpel fooling around with the rose. "Oh, I must have dropped one. He took the flower from her, nodding his head in thanks.

"Hey, Pounce stopped following us," Tumblebrutus noticed his friend's absence. "Come on, we better go find him."

Tumblebrutus sprinted ahead. Mistoffelees bid Mungojerrie good bye before following after the patched tom. After they left, Mungo was ready to return to busy. Rumpelteazer, however, was lost in her thoughts about a certain magical tom cat.

It had hit like a ton of bricks. Mistoffelees was the most stunning thing she had ever laid eyes upon. She didn't understand why she hadn't realized it until then. That certain something about him had always been there. Where he had gazed into her eyes not just moments ago, she got lost in his hypnotic gaze. Her body felt warm. Her heart began to race at immense speed. Oh, why had he left? She had missed her chance to tell him her true feelings!

"Well, now that's settled, I better best be getting to the point," Mungojerrie took a deep breath, completely ignoring Rumpelteazer staring off into the distance. "There is a reason I gave you that music box and that ring. We've known each other for a long time but I feel like we're more than friends. We're partners, the notorious duo. You and me are like Bonnie and Clyde but closer. Rumpelteazer, I l----"

"Mistoffelees!" She cried suddenly.

Mungojerrie looked up at her, his face filled with a sudden shock. She dropped the music box, discarding the ring on her finger as well. She ran in the direction of where Tumblebrutus and Mistoffelees had fled, leaving Mungo alone, broken hearted and confused. He gawked at where she once been, dropping to his knees. He stared at the music box on it's side, opened and playing 'Ava Maria' with the small ring right beside it.

"But------but------" He stammered. "I-----she---Mistoffelees----"

Mungojerrie felt his whole body tighten as he thought about his once close friend. Rumpelteazer had randomly screamed his name just as Mungo was ready to finally come clean about his feelings. He felt like his whole body had been set ablaze, his heart torn out of his chest and tore to bits.

"I don't know what kind of magic you're pulling Mistoffelees," He growled. "But I swear I'll find out!"


Mistoffelees panted as the two of them stopped at where they had last spotted Pouncival. The two of them searched around but saw no sign of him.

"That's so weird," Tumble scratched his head. "Where did he go?"

Mistoffelees merely shrugged. He looked around the yard again until something caught his eye. Something was hiding in a pile of old shirts across from them. He hissed quietly at his friend, motioning towards the pile of shirts. Tumblebrutus nodded, smiling. The two of them made their way over to the discarded clothing pile.

"Okay Pouncival, nice try but we really should----" Mistoffelees was cut off by a blur of red and black that plowed into him. "Whoa!"

"You found me Mistoffelees!" Rumpelteazer giggled, her arms around his neck.

"Well this was unexpected," Mistoffelees managed a small laugh. He tried to get up with Rumpelteazer upon him, he had some difficulties. "Um, Rumpel?"

"Yes?"

"Could you get off of me please?"

"Oh! Sorry about that!" She said, still smiling. She slipped off him, allowing him to get up. As he stood, she slipped her paw into his. "Is that better?"

"Um----yeah. It is," He looked down at their paws. He glanced a baffled look at Tumblebrutus who merely shrugged. He looked back her, her smile as wide as ever. He smiled back as he tried to leave, letting go of her paw. As he did, Rumpelteazer noticed and grabbed his other paw.

"Where we are going?" Rumpelteazer placed her chin on his shoulder.

"Rumpel, why aren't you with Jerrie?" Tumblebrutus bluntly asked.

"Jerrie? Jerrie who?"

"Mungojerrie. You're best friend? You know, the pop to your corn? The salt to your pepper?" Mistoffelees gave his friend a confused look. "What?"

"Oh him!" Rumpelteazer suddenly became uninterested. "We're just friends. Nothing more. He's nothing compare to Misto. I mean Mistoffelees is just so strong and brave! Not to mention he's super intelligent!" She batted her eyelashes, sighing longingly. Mistoffelees stared her in horror while Tumblebrutus stared in shock.

"Okay Rumpel, that's very funny but we need to be going," Mistoffelees prayed to the Everlasting Cat this was all a joke. "C'mon Tumble."

"Where we are going?" Rumpelteazer asked again. "Some place romantic?"

Mistoffelees moaned, hergrip getting tighter with every step he took. He looked at confused companion, begging with his eyes for salvation.

"Um, Rumpel, are you sick or something?"

"Yes I am sick!" She then rubbed his face against Misto's. "Love sick!"

Just then, Mungojerrie appeared behind the small group. His face fell but his anger grew. With it mounting with every step he took, he advanced towards the unsuspecting tom and his new found admirer. Tumblebrutus was first to spot him.

"Mungo! Thank goodness you're here!" He wiped his brow. "Maybe you can talk some sense into Rumpel. She's lost it!"

"First, I'd like to know what Mistoffelees did to bewitch my soon to be mate!" The once cheerful Mungojerrie now wore a scowl.

"Wait, what?" Mistoffelees was taken aback for the second time that day. "Me? I didn't do anything!"

"Oh that's a load!" Mungojerrie laughed. It was cruel and short. It didn't suit him. "One moment she was all 'Oh, you're so sweet Mungo!' and then you steal her away from me!"

"Mungo, honestly, I don't know what's going on!" Mistoffelees said. "She just came out of nowhere and plowed into me! Now, she won't let go of me!"

"Of course not! It's only natural you want to be with the one you love!" Rumpelteazer laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm never letting you go my love dove!"

"Love dove!" Mungojerrie was outraged.

"Oh boy." Tumblebrutus could see where this was going. He knew it was going to end well. Mungo was usually kindhearted and calm but right now, he looked like Macavity when he lost his favorite squeak toy. His eyes were squinted, rage building up within them. His fur had started to stand up on his back.

"Mungo, look, we can work this out!" Mistoffelees said, backing away with Rumpelteazer snuggling into his back. "I honestly don't have any idea what's going on! I'm sure this is just a big joke! I----"

Mungojerrie had enough with words. He hissed angrily, pouncing Mistoffelees. The poor small tom fell backwards, nearly knocking over Rumpel but she moved out of the way quickly. Mungo was now on top of Mistoffelees, his paws around the tuxedo's small, thin neck.

"Mungo, what are you doing!" Tumblebrutus ran over, trying to pull him off.

"Let go of me! Leggo!" Mungojerrie demanded fiercely.

He threw Tumble back, attacking Mistoffelees once more. Rumpelteazer stood back, small screams escaping her throat. Tumblebrutus brushed himself off. He stared at Mungo then back at Rumpel. Her eyes were filled with worry as Mungojerrie continued to beat the daylights out of the younger tom. Quickly, Tumblebrutus darted in the direction of Heaviside Layer tire.


Tyoka Bina: I didn't know that this story was a grate. Heh, you learn something new everyday!

jybadib: Monkeys are holy?

Puddycat: Glad to know I'm supply your fix of freaky.

Phantom's Bride: Man, you are very demanding you know that?

nodikus: Yeah, I think it's funny too. I've acutally fallen out of my seat from reading this and I'm the one writing it!

Bombalurinasara: It was either Skimble and Cassie or Skimble with Bomba. Take your pick.