A/N: So, here we have a Chapter 3! The Muse has really been delivering, lately. Just a head's up that I am about to start a new full-time job, so it may delay the next chapter.

A warm thanks to my reviewers. I love feedback. Feedback is good.

Chapter Three

0o0

He had been caught off-guard. Of course, he had been. How could he have possibly anticipated such a turn of events?

Alonzo had been watching her again, distracted from the conversation he was having with Munkustrap and Rag. He thought that at some point, Munkus had noticed his preoccupation and stopped addressing him.

Tantomile had sat quietly at the edge of the clearing, keeping to herself as she had been doing. Her brother was beside her, looking as though he wanted to speak to her but had run out of things to say. She had gotten up and started towards the exit without a word. Obviously frustrated, Coricopat had turned to look the other way.

"What do you think, Lonz?" Rag hadn't forgotten he was part of the conversation. Alonzo tore his attention back to his friends, but he hadn't the slightest idea what he was being asked. He looked to Munkus for clarification, but before the tabby could offer any sort of illumination, his world shifted off-kilter.

Pregnant? He whirled about, blue eyes wide. Yes. The word was being applied to who he thought it was. She… Tantomile was…

She was embarrassed. It was plain to see that she wanted nothing more than to disappear. When had she become so easy for him to read? For anyone?

Munkustrap was giving him a hard look. Alonzo could feel his friend's gaze boring into him, but he didn't turn to look at the other tom. He didn't need to. The tabby would have already put the pieces together. Judging by the way he glanced back and forth between what was happening and the tom beside him, Rag had made the connection as well.

Alonzo tensed as Tantomile's brother confronted her. He found he didn't like how antagonistic the other tom was being. In fact, the way everyone was looking at her quickly began to bother him as well. Sure, many of them meant well, but couldn't they see how uncomfortable she was? Such a private cat – how humiliated she must feel to be in the spotlight in such a way!

"Alonz-" Munkustrap had begun, tone admonishing, but he didn't remain to hear the tabby out, just then. He was already in motion, moving quickly across clearing to interpose himself between the two siblings.

"I am," he answered the mystic's question firmly. He felt some satisfaction at the way Coricopat drew back in surprise, having expected neither his interference nor his answer. Alonzo shot a reproving frown at his fellow Jellicles, then turned Tantomile towards the exit and led her away from their curious gazes.

Once they had made their way out of the clearing and down the path a ways, Tantomile pulled away from him. The queen turned towards him, although she didn't quite meet his gaze.

"You did not have to do that," she told him softly.

"I am the father, aren't I?" Alonzo asked, already certain of the answer.

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then, of course, I did!" he said emphatically. "Were you even going to tell me?"

Tantomile opened her mouth to respond but said nothing. Her amber eyes rose to meet his for a brief moment before moving away again. He decided that he didn't like seeing her that way – so uncertain and insecure. Was this really the way that she was? How her brother was, even?

"Tantomile, you had to know that it would come out. Didn't you think I would figure it out once everyone knew about your condition?" the tom asked her.

"I don't expect anything from you," Tantomile answered quietly.

He felt a flicker of irritation. "Except rejection, you mean?"

"No, I-" she started to deny.

"No," Alonzo countered, "I think I'm starting to get an idea for why you and your brother are so content to keep to yourselves so much of the time. You're so used to being rejected, that you don't really stop to consider that we are different from your old tribe."

"So, you imagine that you know us, now?" Tantomile retorted.

"No! How could anyone possibly know you? The only one you allow remotely close to you is your brother!" the tom exclaimed.

The queen had no response to this. Really, how could she refute it? She had been speaking more to some of the others before that night she had found herself in Alonzo's embrace, but she could not really claim that she had opened up to any of them.

"Be my mate."

Tantomile's head shot up at the softly spoken words. She stared incredulously at the tom. What in Heaviside was he thinking? Had he really just..?

"Look, I know that it's sudden," Alonzo continued. "This whole situation is sudden and unplanned. Maybe, I am rushing things. I mean, I am… rushing things… but Tantomile, I've been that kit without a father. No matter the circumstances, I would never let my own go through the same thing. Not if I have any say in the matter.

"I know this isn't the usual way things go, but I want to be there. For our offspring, and for you," he said sincerely.

She found herself at a loss for words. He was certainly right about one thing: this was not the usual way such things occurred. It most certainly was not how she had envisioned it would. Like so many others, she'd imagined that love would come first. Love, then a mate, then kittens. It was jumbled up and out of order now, of course. She was already pregnant.

But did she really want to be mated to a tom she still hardly knew? That was the question. She still didn't know whether that would be a better alternative than being a single mother or not. There seemed to be a lot of things she didn't know, of late.

"May I think about it?" Tantomile answered slowly. "As you have said, it is sudden. I would like to consider your offer before answering."

Alonzo nodded. "Yes. Of course you can," he replied.

Tantomile nodded as well, turning to walk away before the tom addressed her again.

"Tantomile," he began, gaze earnest, "no matter how you choose to answer, I will still be here – the rest of the tribe, too. Your brother isn't the only who will support you. Not anymore. Just… remember that."

"Thank you, Alonzo, I'll… I'll remember," she said to him.

Alonzo sat back and watched her go, bewilderment washing over him once more as she departed from view. He was going to be a father. Him, a father! True, he had always wanted kittens of his own, but he had always thought – well, it didn't matter what he'd thought before. Things were different, now. Tantomile was pregnant with his offspring and he barely knew the queen.

Shaking his head, the tom turned to go back to the clearing only to start in surprise to find himself nose to nose with Munkustrap. The silver tabby fixed him with an implacable stare. "Alonzo," he said.

"Munkus," Alonzo returned. "Um... How long have you been there?"

"Since right after Tantomile walked away," Munkus replied. He arched a silver brow. "Care to explain yourself?"

"It's not what you think it is."

Munkustrap stared at him blankly. "Oh? And what is that?"

That was actually a good question, as Alonzo realized that he didn't precisely know what Munkustrap thought of the situation. The black and white tom sheepishly ducked his head.

"You slept with Tantomile," the tabby prompted with a sigh.

"Yes," Alonzo answered, elaborating only when Munkustrap continued to gaze at him expectantly. "She'd been crying. She was upset – you know how I get when queens are upset…"

"So you decided the best way to make her feel better was to sleep with her?"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Then, what was it? Because it sounds a lot like you took advantage of her!" Munkustrap exclaimed disapprovingly.

It occurred to Alonzo then that his friend was acting as Jellicle Protector against him, and that made him feel all the more chagrined. He diverted his gaze. "That was not my intention," he said quietly.

"I should certainly hope it was not your intention," the tabby growled, "especially given the fact that you'd been considering approaching somebody else! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, okay?" Alonzo snapped back. "Do you honestly think I don't already feel bad about it? Do you believe I don't realize what I've done?"

"Do you?" questioned the Protector. "Or is it only because she's pregnant that you realize you've done wrong?"

Alonzo hung his head, shoulders slouching. While he had felt somewhat bad before, it had been primarily because the queen had been behaving so uncharacteristically. He could not confidently say that he'd considered the full implications of what he had done that night. Tantomile had seemed so different then; she'd been lonely and lovely and receptive, and it would have been a disservice to both of them if he failed to admit that he had taken advantage of her vulnerability, even if that hadn't been his motive at the time.

Munkustrap let out another sigh, easing up a bit on his reproval. "What are going to do, Lonz?" he asked his friend.

"I'm going to be there," the bi-colored tom responded without hesitating. "I asked her to be my mate."

"Mating is not something to take lightly," cautioned the tabby.

"Munkus, you know me. Do you think I'm taking this lightly? I'm not. I know the implications. I know that it's meant to be for life. I know. And even once I've had more time to think about it, I know that it will still feel like the right thing to do. I want to do right by her," Alonzo said.

The other tom considered him for a long moment, weighing his words against what he knew of him, before giving a slow nod. "What did she say?"

"That she needed time to think about it."

Munkus gave another nod. "Don't pressure her."

"I won't," said Alonzo. Nonetheless, part of him couldn't help but hope her answer would be "yes."

0o0o0

Tantomile spent the rest of the day avoiding others as best she could. It wasn't that difficult, really. One of the greatest advantages to being a mystic, after all, was being able to sense when others were around. Sneaking up on her or her brother was nearly impossible for most, and Tanta certainly made good use of this advantage that day.

In fact, she did not encounter another cat until she finally wended her back to the den she shared with her brother. It wasn't vacant. Coricopat was there.

At first, it seemed that the tom wasn't going to address her. His displeasure about the situation was obvious. Not only could she readily observe it in his demeanor, but she could feel it bleeding through into her own mind – she had for hours. She had settled down onto her blanket when it seemed the tom's curiosity got the better of him.

"Was he telling the truth?" Cori asked. "Alonzo; is he the father?"

Tantomile turned to meet his matching gaze and gave a slight nod. "Yes. He is the father."

The tom frowned, brows drawing together. "Why did you sleep with him? It's not exactly something you're in the habit of doing."

"I don't know," she sighed.

"How can you not know?"

"I just don't!" Tanta exclaimed. "He was there, and he was comforting. And after what you had said…"

"So, you did it to prove me wrong?" Coricopat demanded. "Is that it?"

"No! Not everything must be dictated by logic! It just happened."

"Well, that is certainly evident," the tom scoffed quietly. An awkward silence settled between them, made all the more uncomfortable by the simple fact that they were not usually subject to such silences.

"He asked me to be his mate," Tantomile said after a moment.

"He what?!" exclaimed Coricopat. He gave her an incredulous stare. "What did you tell him?"

She sighed, looking up to meet his gaze. "I told him I needed to think about it."

The tom gaped. "You told him you'd think about it? Tantomile – what is there to think about?" he sputtered. "You're not seriously thinking about accepting his proposal, are you?!"

"And why shouldn't I?" Tanta demanded. "I don't want to parent a kit alone! Is that so wrong?"

"So, you get together because of a kitten. Then, what? You separate later on? Is that really what you want?" Cori questioned.

His sister gave a bitter laugh. "When did you become so pessimistic, brother?" she queried. "Why must everything end in your mind? Or is it that you truly believe no one will ever want me?"

Coricopat would not have been more stunned had she slapped him in the face. "No," he said. "No, it's not like that, at all. I didn't mean… I just… I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I appreciate that, Cori," Tantomile spoke softly, "I do. But what would be helpful to me now is if you could be at least a little supportive of the choices I am to make, even if you don't necessarily agree with them."

"Are you listening to yourself? How could you expect me to just-" he started to protest.

"Brother, please!"

It was not her words alone that cut him off. No; words alone had proven themselves ineffective in expressing what she trying to communicate. So, she had opened her mind to him again, easily reforming the connection they had fostered for so long.

Cori was in no way prepared for the emotions that flooded over him. There was hurt, laced with a hint of betrayal, but it was superseded by self-reproach and embarrassment and shame, shame, shame. Fear and uncertainty and panic and hysteria battled for domination like great titans, causing existence to shudder with each blow. Loneliness and alienation wound through like a biting winter chill, and he gasped, overwhelmed that any cat should feel so much so strongly all at once.

But the worst was the hope, so thin and acute that it cut like a knife, its wavering causing injury to confidence and self-worth alike. It was the hope that brought tears to the tom's eyes. That hope made him quiet his protests, his need to talk reason into the queen. Coricopat no longer hoped for the things his sister longed for – he'd given them up as an unattainable dream – but Tantomile did. While the tom could not understand this, at the very least, as her brother, he could try to understand her.

Crossing the space between them, Cori wrapped his arms around his twin as the queen buried her face against his shoulder. /What am I going to do with you?/ he sighed. /I'm sorry, Tanta./

/I'm sorry, too,/ she replied. /I never meant to push you away, I just-/

"Hush," Coricopat told his sister, his upset towards her well and truly dissipated. /I know, now./ And he did, in a way that most others never could.

He also knew that the queen was already decided on her answer to Alonzo.

0o0

To be continued...