Chapter 11: Resolutions
"Tugger, will you please put me down now?" Asteria asked.
"In a minute," Tugger was moving rapidly and Asteria could feel her body bouncing and shaking as he moved. Finally he set her down in front of a small cozy den made of the bed of a truck. A moth-eaten queen sized quilt padded it and a small pile of bones lay in the corner.
"Not exactly the cleanest den," Asteria crinkled up her nose.
"I know, but it's home." Tugger hopped into the center of the quilt and beckoned to Asteria. She paused for a moment before hopping up to join him.
"I was originally going to talk to you about last night," he began, pacing over to the back of the truck, "But first I want to talk to you about what happened with Plato."
"I wasn't my fault-" Asteria started, but Tugger cut her off.
"I don't care whose fault it was," Tugger sighed, pulling a rat out from under the blankets, "Fault is a truly kittenish word. All I want to know is why you thought you had to fight him?"
Asteria looked down at her paws, blushing.
"Here," he nudged the rat in front of her, "have some."
Asteria took a small bite and chewed slowly, contemplating what to say.
She settled on, "here you have some."
Tugger smiled and tore a chunk of the rats' hindquarters off. Asteria noticed he had a small bruise on his cheek. For a while, it was completely quiet, except for the gnawing of meat and bone.
Finally, Asteria wiped a trickle of blood from her chin and said, "Plato was mocking you and Mistofelees. I just wanted him to shut up."
Tugger's eyes widened.
"You were standing up for your old man?" he asked.
Asteria shrugged and smiled.
"You and Mistofelees," she told him, "Plato kept saying you two were in a relationship."
Tugger burst out laughing.
"Me and Mistofelees?" he chortled, "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!"
Asteria began laughing too. Tugger was infectious!
When the laughter died down, Tugger put a paw on Asteria's paw.
"Misto and I are just good friends," he smiled, "I've got a soft spot for that little magician."
"Plato was teasing him because he has a soft spot for someone else" Asteria reported.
"Really?" Tugger scratched his head, "Well if it is who I think it is, there is going to be trouble."
"Who?" Asteria asked.
"Vicky," Tugger admitted, "Misto has always had a soft spot for Vicky and she for him. But she was betrothed to Plato and can have no say in the matter. If Mistofelees truly loves Victoria, he'll have to fight with her at the next Jellicle Ball."
Asteria said nothing. She looked up into the sky and saw the sunbeams streaming out from behind the clouds.
"Look Tugger," she pointed, "The entrance to the Heavyside layer."
Tugger smiled at his daughter. "I'm glad Lillypaw taught you the ways of the Jellicle tribe."
Asteria's lip trembled at the thought of her mother. Tugger nuzzled her head.
"Don't cry," he murmured, "She still loves you and . . ." Tugger sniffed a little himself, "And so do I."
Suddenly Tugger shook his head and straitened up.
"Oh Heavyside, I almost forgot!" He stood up and walked over to the door of the truck. He pulled it open and the beautiful queen, Bombalurina hopped onto the flat bed. Asteria opened her mouth, but Bombalurina spoke first.
"Asteria, I want to apologize to you," she blushed, "Tugger explained everything to me after I had clamed down. I am truly sorry for doing that to you." She pointed at the scratch across Asteria's face. "Let me clean it up for you."
"No thank you," Asteria shook her head, "I already cleaned up."
"Really?" Bombalurina squinted at the cut, "Well, you did a very good job. But to make it up to you, I want you to have this." She held out a catnip mouse in her paw and Asteria pounced on it. Flopping onto her back, she licked it and clawed at it, the scent driving her wild. She had never encountered catnip before and it was beyond (almost) anything she had experienced.
"I got her wound up, you put her to bed," Bomba smirked, "Bye Tugs!" And she sprinted away.
"You traitor!" Tugger shouted after her, before swiping the mouse out of Asteria's grip.
"Don't play with this everyday," he told her, stowing it in the front of the truck, "It'll do funny things to you."
Asteria shook her head, then smirked.
"Oh, so that's what happened to you," she quipped.
"Oh you little tease!" Tugger laughed, tickling her side. Asteria laughed as her father tickled her, remembering how her mother would do the same thing. She looked up at Tugger and smiled.
"Thank you . . ." she took a deep breath, "For letting me into your life, daddy."
Tugger blinked back tears and pulled her into a deep hug. The two showered each other with nuzzles, purrs, licks and happy words. Up on top of a refrigerator, an orange, black and white calico tom watched the father and daughter frolic happily together for the first time.
"She's gonna be alrigh'" he thought.
