Ok, so I've had a pretty hectic weekend. My dance/theatre group finally got our semester show (sorry, its just for our department, and for a grade. No outside audience ) and we showed up to the auditions Saturday. Keep this in mind: we had no idea what the show was going to be, and we would be cast according to our performance in the audition. Our director does this so we don't lean towards any one particular character. Anyway, the list went up and I just about fainted. We are doing Cats.

While looking at the list, I found my name… not by Bombalurina, like I'd thought when I saw the show (I put myself in this part because of my voracious curves and amazing seductive singing abilities.)… I found my name by Rumpelteazer. Ya wanna know why? I asked the director, and she said it was because of my personality, and I wouldn't have to work on it at all. Never mind that I can't cartwheel to save my life. Never mind the fact that I get dizzy to the point of nausea when I spin even just a little bit… I probably sound pessimistic about this, but I'm ECSTATIC!!!

Sorry about my happy splurge, but I just thought I'd explain why I'll be updating less often than normal over the next few months. (!) Enjoy this next chapter!

Pouncival curled up in the sun on his favorite chair, pondering his run-in with Bombalurina. She'd told him not to fight his emotions, and to listen to his instincts. Old Deuteronomy had said the same thing… Pounce was beginning to wonder if they were right. One of the questions Jemima had asked was running through his mind. How had Tantomile pinned him? He sighed. The only way he would know is if he went to ask her personally, but that was one confrontation he wanted to avoid.

Don't fight your emotions.

Pouncival groaned. Why did Bombalurina have to sound so much like Tumblebrutus? He leapt down from his chair to find Tantomile.

=^..^=

Tantomile was drifting to sleep in the sun. A soft breeze moved her whiskers, and she shivered slightly; the coming winter would be long and cold. The vision of the tom's homecoming flashed across her mind, and she smiled. It would be soon.

"How did you do it?"

Tantomile jumped, her heart going about a mile a minute, and jerked herself to a sitting position when she saw Pouncival. He was staring at her, with no trace of the previous day's embarrassment in his face.

"Do what?" she asked innocently.

"You pinned me." Pouncival said flatly. "I want to know how."

Tantomile shrugged. "I caught you by surprise, I guess."

Pouncival frowned. That wasn't the answer he'd been looking for. Tantomile studied his face.

"We aren't as mystical as everyone thinks," she said. Pouncival looked up sharply, skepticism dancing across his face. "We just know how to read expressions and body language better than others." She kept the visions to herself; that was one secret she and Coricopat had agreed to keep to themselves.

Pouncival was silent for a moment, frowning at his paws. It seemed to Tantomile that he was wrestling with something in his mind. She cocked her head, waiting for him to speak.

He sighed. "Would you like to walk with me?"

Tantomile blinked. "Sure," she said. She was curious about what he wanted to say… she had a hunch it would include her 'dropping in' on him and the others the day before. She followed him in silence out of the junkyard.

=^..^=

Rumpelteazer darted along a city street, a small bag of loot slung over her shoulder. Thieving wasn't the same without Mungojerrie, but it was still fun. She rolled under a wooden fence, and felt herself relax in the enclosed course. She strolled idly across the overgrown grass and worn green of the unused miniature golf course. She and Mungojerrie had long used it to stash any loot they didn't want to carry to the junkyard.

Tossing her bag onto the roof of a miniature house, Rumpelteazer leapt up and rested her back against her loot and stared at the stars.

She'd almost fallen asleep when a movement on the ground below caught her eye. Being as silent as she could, she moved to the edge of the small roof, peering down on whatever was below. Her jaw dropped.

There was Tantomile—no big deal, Teazer'd known she and Cori visited the old golf course—but with her was Pouncival. The two of them were moving slowly and almost with no purpose. Rumpelteazer watched in disbelief as they curled up together… right in her only safe path down (the small house was over a pond on three sides).

=^..^=

Somehow, Rumpelteazer had made it back to the junkyard by dawn, and called Victoria, Etcetera, Jemima, and Electra to a meeting.

"You'll nevah believe wha' I saw las' nigh'." Rumpelteazer said to the other queens.

Jemima yawned. "Well, we'll probably never guess, either, so why don't you just tell us?" The others nodded blearily.

Rumpelteazer crossed her arms and pouted for a moment, then sighed. "I was ou' thievin', an' wen' t' a place Jerrie an' I usually wen' to—"

"The golf course," Electra put in. She perked up a little bit.

Rumpelteazer frowned. "Yeah. Anyway, I saw th' weirdes' thing evah." She paused for a dramatic effect. "Pounce and Tanti were there, an' from wha' I saw, they ain't jus' friends anymore."

A high-pitched squeal came from all four queens, making Teazer flinch. She hadn't expected that reaction from them.

=^..^=

As Tantomile curled up in her den, she smiled to herself. She had to admit, she never thought of herself as the 'romantical' type. Her heart thumped hard as she thought of her night with Pouncival. Yes, she liked him. A lot. Was it love? They would have to wait and see.

Sorry it's kind of short, but I felt like that was a good place to stop for now! Also, I just noticed how much of Rumpelteazer there is in here… huh. I'm not trying to put myself into the story, I promise. I just thought she'd be the one to be wandering around at night for no really good reason!