Victoria was all alone today in the junkyard, though she did not mind as much as the other kits her age might. More mature and less excitable, she entertained herself by practicing her ballet stances as she walked on her toes. She was without a doubt one of the most beautiful kits, if not Queens, and certainly the most graceful and one of the most pleasant. She kicked her legs up in such lovely positions as she pranced in no particular direction and barely noticed as Tumblebrutus almost knocked into her. She stopped abruptly to glare at the Tom rushing by before realizing that he seemed to have a vendetta on his mind. The white Queen rushed after him.

"Tumblebrutus! Oh, Tumbles, please tell me what's the matter!"

He looked back at her before he stopped and glared her down.

"It's none of your business!"

Victoria's ears twitched, but she was too concerned to back down. She laid her hand delicately on his brown shoulder and smiled at him.

"Please, Tumblebrutus, let me help..."

He bit his lip. "...You can help by telling me where Plato is."

He scoffed as he said Tom's name.

"But...why?"

Tumblebrutus shook his head, but he couldn't resist the worried look the Queen gave him for too long.

"Ugh...Tori, he...well, my friend..." He fumbled to find a good way to tell her select information, but figured all he could do was tell her everything. With a sigh, he continued. "Skimbleshanks. He confessed his feelings to Plato and Plato broke his heart, okay? I have to find Plato."

"Oh, that's so sad...but what will you do when you find Plato? It's not really any of your business..."

"You just don't understand!" Tumblebrutus exploded with fury once more and he quickly dashed away.

Victoria stood silently for a moment and considered the situation; she had always known that Tumblebrutus had been in kitten love with Skimbleshanks, but she would have never guessed that Skimbleshanks actually had feelings for Plato. Her Plato.

Suddenly guilt hit her in her chest, though she knew that she had not done anything to hurt Skimbleshanks, but it hurt her to know that she was somehow connected to the pain of a Tom she had always looked up to. She decided quickly to meet up with the Tom, and it was easy enough to follow Tumblebrutus' scent back to the clearing where Skimbleshanks still sat sadly. The small white Queen approached cautiously and when he did not respond to her presence she rubbed her cheek on his shoulder and purred lovingly.

"Skimbles, don't be sad," she cooed at him softly, wrapping her arms around the Tom's torso. "We all love you and want you to be happy. It's not your fault."

Long minutes passed before he opened his mouth with a sigh.

"Tumble told ya, did 'e? Ay, I'm heartbroken, lass, but don' worry about this ol' cat."

Victoria couldn't help but giggle into his mane. "...Oh, Skimbleshanks! You're only halfway through life. That's not old. You're so silly!"

The Tom couldn't resist the kind, soft laughter of the Queen nor the way she purred against his neck nor the smell of honeysuckles that she always seemed to radiate. He pulled the small female into his lap and buried his face in her soft, white chest, taking in her scent in an attempt to forget about Plato, but something about her smelled of him and made the Tom long for partnership.

Victoria let the Tom cuddle to her, though she couldn't help but feel as if she were betraying Plato in some way; Skimbleshanks was much older than her, true, but he was handsome and kind, perhaps more kind than Munkustrap, and without a doubt more full of joy and loving in nature.

She pushed these thoughts out of her mind, clutching onto Skimbleshanks' mane, wishing instead that he were Plato.

"Skimbles, you should get yourself a good Queen. Maybe Jennyanydots, she fancies you I hear."

Skimbleshanks laughed, lifting his head from her chest to look into her eyes.

"No, love, no! Nice lady as she is, she's jus' too old for me."

Victoria laughed. "...That's a little ironic considering how much older you are than Plato."

The two laughed together for what seemed like hours and finally Skimbleshanks dragged Victoria down to lay with him. He purred into her chest, still intoxicated by her scent, unaware of how awkward it was for the Queen kit. But being as this was Skimbleshanks and not a Tom such as Asparagus or Tugger, she felt as if it were more okay than it should be and clung to him, which seemed to make him feel better. She licked his forehead affectionately.

"...Tumblebrutus was very angry when I saw him earlier."

Skimbleshanks sighed. "...Ay, but he didn't tell me why. Jus' ran off after I told 'em what happened. Kinda got me worried."

"You mean...you never figured it out...?" Victoria had assumed such, but actually hearing it was odd. After all, Tumblebrutus was easy to figure out and he had a bad habit of staring longingly after Skimbleshanks any time he was near. "Tumblebrutus...you could say he's in love with you. That's why he's so mad at Plato."

The railway cat's eyes were wide as he released the Queen from his grasp. How could he have been so ignorant?

"Oh...Damn, I screwed up! I'm such a wanker, I am...I told him all about my feelin's for Plato! No wonder..."

Victoria had never seen the Tom look more pathetic than he did now. She didn't like to see him so depressed and submerged in self loathing being as he would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially not someone he cared for as much as Tumblebrutus.

The Queen sat up before rubbing her face in Skimbleshanks' stomach. He watched her and smelled her longingly as she laid across his chest purring like a kitten would. She'd have let him cuddle her until the afternoon was over, he knew that, but he didn't want to cause anyone else any more trouble.

"You should get back to Mistoffelees."

She looked at him with her head cocked to the side as if he were speaking an alien language. He, too, became confused.

"...You...you are with Mistoffelees...aren't you...?"

She shook her head slowly.

"No, I'm...with Plato."

The day seemed as if it couldn't have gotten any better for Skimbleshanks; one of his favorite kits was heartbroken because of him, his own heart had been broken, and the Queen he was cuddling to feel better was with the Tom he wished to be mated to.

"...Either way...you don't need to be here like this with an older Tom like me." He sat up and nudged her away. His body chilled with the absence of warmth and he realized for the first time that the sun was hidden by gray clouds; a storm must have snuck up on London. "Go back to Plato, love, and don't worry about me."

"But Skimbles-"

He placed a ginger finger over her mouth before she could protest.

"No, no, no. Go with him. I have to find Tumblebrutus."

"Then come back with me! I'm sure they're together by now..."

The Queen remembered the fury in Tumblebrutus' eyes and she gasped, realizing that the smaller Tom may have made a move to fight Plato. She grabbed Skimbleshanks' paw and helped him hastily to his feet. The two rushed off together in the direction that Tumblebrutus had been headed and found themselves in the center of the junkyard, the primary center of the Jellicle community. Many of the cats were sprawled under shelters that would keep them dry after the rain started and others were huddled on top of the large truck tire talking and grooming each other. It wasn't hard to spot Plato laying alone on top of an upturned box. The sight of him made both Victoria and Skimbleshanks' hearts flutter, though it wasn't soon before Skimbleshanks spotted Tumblebrutus surrounded by kits as he moped, his left eye closed and bruised. Before Victoria could rush to him, Skimbleshanks had beat her. He shooed the kits away and grabbed Tumblebrutus' paw before he could make an escape. The commotion had caught the eye of many, including Plato, who glared at the Toms from his perch. Disdainfully, Tumblebrutus allowed Skimbleshanks to drag him off to a private area to talk. Feeling that she would only make things worse if she followed, Victoria went to Plato, jumping up beside him. He went to rub against her but saw the disappointment in her eyes.

"...How could you hurt him?"

"What...? Skimbles? He was the one-"

"No, no, no...Tumblebrutus. I saw his eye. He was only concerned for Skimbleshanks." Her voice was low as to not attract unnecessary attention. "You know how much he loves him."

"Yeah, well maybe he should tell him so. If Skimbleshanks can confess to me I'm sure Tumblebrutus can confess to Skimbleshanks."

"But he only told you because he thought you were single! Skimbles is an older cat and Tumbles...Tumbles is even younger than you are, he wouldn't ever tell him for fear of rejection!"

Plato shook his head. "That's the point in a confession, isn't it? There was a chance you wouldn't accept me when I first confessed to you, but I still did it. What's the difference?"

"The difference is age! And...and not only that, but I'm just like any other kit Queen, the only difference is your color preference...but Skimbles...Skimbles is a handsome, older Tom with goals. You can't compare us!"

For once, Plato's eyebrows came together in anger. He stared the Queen down with a hiss.

"No! Don't talk about yourself like that! You're more magnificent than any of the others, that's why I fell in love with you! You're smart, beautiful, kind...everything I see in you Tumblebrutus sees in Skimbleshanks, and don't you forget it!"

He backed down and sighed. Many of the other Jellicles were watching by now, some ready to jump in; they had always assumed Plato to be aggressive towards Victoria, even though that was a lie to try and justify them being together often while they assumed she was with Mistoffelees. Plato ignored the eyes on them and kissed her for the first time in public. She practically melted into his arms; his kisses were like a dream come true. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the gasps and protests of the other Jellicles.

Sitting aside near Tugger, Mistoffelees smiled. He was excited that the two had finally come out with their relationship and even more excited for Victoria being as she was tired of denying romantic affiliation with Mistoffelees. Tugger looked at him with raised eyebrows. The tuxedo kit could only smile more and blush rapidly. He held back giggling like a Queen and instead scratched his head as an excuse to not look Tugger any longer. Something about Tugger staring at him made the kit nervous.

Victoria and Plato finally broke apart. She nuzzled him fondly and, catching on, Tugger held up a fist in solute to his fellow Tom, nodding his head approvingly. He had never thought Mistoffelees had been man enough for a beautiful Queen like Victoria, nothing against Mistoffelees.

The female kits, Electra, Jemima and Etcetera included, all squealed and rushed the newly pronounced couple. As Plato tried to escape, they only clung tighter to him, mewing and purring furiously, happy for Victoria and forgetting all of their hostility towards Plato.