Chapter Ten: A Friendship Renewed

Pouncival noticed Victoria and Etcetera standing in front of Jemima's door looking exasperated and perplexed. "What's going on? Where's Jemima?" he interrupted when he went up to them. It was the following afternoon and the two of them were supposed to be talking with Jemima, pursuing their 'rescue mission' to bring her back to her old self again.

"She won't let us in." Victoria replied, standing next to Etcetera who was equally perturbed by their current predicament. Etcetera had her arms crossed in front of her chest and she seemed more upset than Victoria. Victoria simply remained calm, but wore a contemplative expression on her snowy-white face.

Etcetera tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. "I just don't understand it. She was talking and smiling with us just yesterday. I thought we were getting somewhere, making progress. She seemed like she was well on her journey toward recovery. We must have done something wrong Vic, but what?"

"Aw, Et. Don't take it so personally. We didn't do anything wrong. Jemima's just not very willing. She needs some kind of boost to get her going."

"Giving her more time to cope with everything she's going through might help, too." Pouncival suggested, unintentionally drawing the attentive faces of Victoria and Etcetera to look at him, and he suddenly had the urge to backpedal. "Um, well, I don't know. You two know her better than I do." He added nervously. "What else is there to do?"

Victoria pondered everything for a moment and found herself composing a brilliant plan, possibly the missing variable to their distressing equation. "Wait a minute now guys, perhaps we're missing something here." Pouncival and Etcetera looked at Victoria expectantly, with curiosity evident in their inquisitive expressions.

Victoria continued, "We've given her plenty of time, offered our company, informed her of everyone's concern for her well-being, but if you notice, she hasn't been getting what she needs exactly."

"You lost me, Vic." Etcetera wined.

"There's something specific she's after, even if she hasn't realized it yet herself; a particular tom she needs guidance from." Her gaze then fell upon Pouncival, a cheeky grin beginning to tug at the corners of her mouth. Etcetera was quick to understand and let out a comprehending, "Oooohhhhhhh.", which earned her a wink from Victoria.

Pouncival's eyes darted from one feline to the second, completely dumbfounded until he finally put the puzzle pieces together successfully.

"Are you NUTS?" Pouncival hollered.

"I beg your pardon?" Victoria inquired habitually.

"You know, she does have a point. You might just be precisely what the doctor ordered." Etcetera exclaimed cheerfully.

Although Pouncival knew what they wanted from him, he couldn't deny the reluctance building within.

"So, will you do it?" Victoria questioned. Pouncival rubbed his neck in consideration. Victoria figured since it was for Jemima's cause, he wouldn't dream of declining. How could he resist?

This was his chance, and for all he knew, it could be the last one he ever gets.

Oh boy, now what? I know I have to go through with-wait, why am I thinking about this pessimistically? This is what I've been waiting for. This is my moment. But what if I get rejected, for the second time? I don't know if I could endure that again…

Oh, stop being so selfish! This is for Jemima! This is your opportunity to show her that you are the tom she craves, the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Like Jenny always chimes, "When opportunity knocks, open the door and give him a mouse."…

"I'll do it."

*~*~*

"Now, remember what we told you. Just be calm and casual. Don't forget your charming smile and prove to her that she cannot live without you being there all the time. Show her what she's missing by keeping herself cooped up in that den. Most importantly Pounce," Victoria took on a more sincere tone for the final bit, "be yourself." She smiled before Etcetera took charge shouting, "Now go get her!"

Etcetera gave him a solid shove to send him in the right direction.

Pouncival straightened himself up while he walked, thinking along the way…

Here it goes. This is it. Just do what Victoria and Etcetera told you and you'll be fine. You can do this, Pounce. Find your confidence and seize the day…

Pouncival took a deep breath and knocked on the door three times.

I hope she likes the flowers…

He knocked an additional three times.

Come on, come on, come on. Open the door!

As he raised his paw to knock another round of three, he thought…

You know, if I'm going to be myself, why should I follow a plan that I didn't create? Sorry girls, but it's time for this cat to fly solo.

The anxiety within him melted naturally and he took control. He kept the wise advice of Victoria and Etcetera in his mind, but other than that, he was strictly Pouncival; 100%. Even the flowers had originally been his notion.

"Jemima, it's me, Pounce. Open up?" his voice sounded forced, so he tried again, speaking more firmly and more like himself. "Please, Jem. I'm worried about you, everyone is. Come on, what's the harm in just talking to me? I don't bite."

He didn't notice her, but Jemima was watching him from her window. She skillfully spied on him, undiscovered and out of sight.

"Jemima, don't do this. All I want to do is talk. I can't help you if you don't engage in simple conversation."

Silence.

"Ok, well, I just want you to know that I'll be here if you need me. I guess I'll just leave now." he decided glumly.

Jemima watched as he placed the bouquet of wildflowers on the ground and begin to walk off.

She felt a strange pulling in her chest that she never felt before and suddenly was rushing for the door. She swung it open and called out to him, "Wait! Don't go!"

Pouncival stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. He greeted with a friendly, "Hey there." He studied her appearance. Besides the ruby-red eyes, grey pallor, slightly thinner frame, and tousled fur, she looked like Jemima. He swore to himself that by the time he was through with her, she would look like nothing ever went wrong to begin with.

"Hi." Jemima returned quietly.

"Shall we walk?"

"I don't see why not." She shrugged.

Before they got very far, Jemima came to an abrupt halt and blurted, "Listen Pounce, I never should have treated you like that. I never should have yelled. I guess I just want you to know that…well…I'm glad to have a friend like you."

Pouncival's heart soared at those words.

"It's nothing. And hey, you're not so terrible to have as a friend either." The mood and the moment were serene and buoyant. There was no underlying tension between them now, just friendship and good company, like how it used to be when they were truly kittens.

"I've missed you." Pouncival's confession drew a lingering silence to fall upon them. So much for no tension…

"Listen," Pouncival began carefully, "you need to know something. The only reason why I tried to tell you about what was going on was because I didn't want to see you hurt. I would never want to see you hurt, Jem."

Jemima just looked at the ground and held her gaze there for a while. The breeze that came through the trees carried Jemima's scent trailing under Pouncival's nose like a tease. He could feel the temptation to just hold her close to him trickle down his spine.

"I'm sorry." Jemima said randomly.

"What are you sorry for?" Pouncival returned incredulously.

"For the arguing and the fighting." Her tone changed, "Can we form a promise right here, right now?"

"What's the promise?"

"A promise never to let those kinds of silly things come between us ever again?"

Pouncival smiled from whisker to whisker. "I like that promise. I like that promise more than you know, Jemima."

Jemima smiled as they walked together, shoving each other playfully as they went, just like when they were kittens. They laughed and joked the whole time, reminiscing and taking pleasure in having someone special by their side.

The both of them were becoming more familiar to the growing affection swelling within them towards one another. But how much longer would it be before they both acknowledged and unleashed it?

A/N: Ok, how am I doing, folks? You would be surprised at how much the feedback helps me! Thank you for reading. I hope to have the next installment up soon! ;)