A/N: I figured I might as well stop posting chapters every now and then because after I edit and post them, things get in the way and it takes too long for me to remember to post another. Enough is enough. So here's a few chapters all at once that have been edited and revamped. Hopefully you'll find them enjoyable! There will be more to come within the day (there will be, honest, I've written it on the bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker so I don't forget or let anything else get in the way).
Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, and to those who left reviews for the previous chapter/s!
~ Oh and, EmilyDoreen especially, thanks so much for the review, and I will definitely take you up on the offering of British slang advice! Even if I don't need it for characters, I'd be happy to know some new terms anyway! Besides, you're British, and I love British accents (accents of all kinds really). Does this make me creepy? Probably, but I'm ranting now, and delaying you from reading the story if you're reading this at all, so I'll stop now. Nevertheless, enjoy the story, and thanks again for the review! ~
Also, I've read the chapters so far from start to finish that have been posted and I'd like to apologize for my handful of grammatical errors. There's also an error regarding the color of Jemima's eyes, at one point they're said to be green, and at another they're said to be brown. I must have gotten confused at some point while changing up the old version, but just know that they were intended to be green like Demeter's.
Sophie sat beside the stove, alone as usual. She'd groomed herself twice over, she'd learned the entire layout of the Junkyard, she'd tested herself four times on the names of the Jellicles in the tribe, she'd walked around so much that her paws were aching, and it hadn't even reached noon yet. Her mind wandered with nothing else to do, and she began to think about Demeter and the dream she'd had.
The faces she saw, the emotions she felt, the bizarre inability to escape… it was unnerving. She'd tried not to think about it, but now with nothing else to do she couldn't keep her mind pent up behind the mental fences she'd assembled.
She didn't see how any of it connected. First, there was Demeter, her expression one of happiness and elation, then there was a tom with red fur and soothing yellow eyes who she didn't recognize at all, the distorted face of a monster, and the contradictory feelings that simultaneously filled her heart – joy, fear, love – it lead to no gain, brought her no closer to understanding the dream's meaning.
Sophie was beyond confused, and all the thinking suddenly made her sleepy. The Junkyard was decently quiet, and the weather was just right for an outdoor mid-day catnap, so the young queen curled herself into a ball and drifted off to sleep.
Inside Munkustrap's den, Demeter and the silver tabby were sleeping peacefully. Sure, it was mid-day now, but it didn't matter. Munkustrap had gone out earlier in the morning without Demeter's knowing to put Alonzo in charge for the day.
Demeter needed him, she was finally letting him into her heart and he wasn't going to let the splendor of how the events had turned be spoiled. When he had returned to his den, he slid back under the covers and drifted back to sleep beside his lovely mate.
It was a couple of hours after Munkustrap had returned, that Demeter was beginning to cross the border from a state of sleep to a state of consciousness. She was beginning to realize that the bed beneath her was different somehow from the one in her room, that the air had a strangely pleasant smell to it, and that there was a source of warmth from beside her that wasn't usually there. Finally she opened her eyes, and realized that instead of waking up in her room, she'd woken up in Munkustrap's den.
As she began to pry herself out of Munkustrap's arms, his eyes opened as well. "Hello there, sleepy cat." He greeted.
"Good morning." Demeter yawned and sat up.
"Dear, I'm afraid that greeting is void considering the time of day. You've slept well through morning." Munkustrap smiled.
"I have?" Demeter was suddenly alarmed. "Oh, Munkus. You should have woken me. I've kept you from your morning duties? This is terrible. I'm so sorry!"
Munkustrap held up his paw to silence the worry quickly rushing over his newly-agreed-to-be mate. "Relax Demeter, relax. There aren't any duties for me today. I'm all yours."
"What? How can that be?"
"I spoke with Alonzo earlier, he's taking over for the day. I've got you all to myself Demeter, at last. I'm not going to let this feel like any other day, this is too special an occasion. You're too special."
"That's very sweet." Demeter kissed Munkustrap chastely, but the contented look on her face didn't last long.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Jemima. I don't know what to do about her."
"How about we discuss it over something to eat? I stopped by Jenny's to let her know where you'd been all night, and she wouldn't let me leave without taking food. There's quite a lot of it in the kitchen."
"I'm amazed you were able to carry it all. If I know my mother, you probably dragged some behind you with your tail."
Munkustrap laughed. "Almost, but I managed."
The two headed for the kitchen and rummaged through the freshly cooked/baked items for something delicious, grabbing plates and tableware as they went along.
Munkustrap had twice as much food as Demeter, and began inhaling every crumb. Demeter noticed, giggling, "I guess it's a good thing I cook like my mother does, at least I know you'll never starve."
With a mouth full of food, Munkustrap replied, "Now I may have to reconsider us being mates. If you cook like this, I'll be too fat to be second in command in no time."
Demeter laughed, taking a few bites of food from her own plate. She didn't eat much, which did not go unnoticed by Munkustrap. He watched as she began to play with the food before her, pushing it around, until finally she propped her chin up with her palm, resting her elbow on the table, retiring the eating utensil to its position beside the plate, and staring blankly out the window.
"Dem, how about you eat a little more?"
"Hmm? Oh, I would, but I'm not hungry now. Besides, my mind's on other things. Would you like to finish it?" she tilted the plate so he could see what was left.
"No, thank you."
Demeter returned to her absent-minded task of staring into the distance.
"Dem?"
"What is it?" Demeter didn't turn to face him.
"What's wrong?"
Demeter took in a deep breath, now facing Munkustrap with an uneasy look. "What do you think?"
"Demeter, I know I said we'd discuss Jemima over food, but you were supposed to actually eat something. Look at your plate, it's just about full still."
"How can I eat? I'm too worried about what to do."
"Do you have a course of action yet? A strategy?"
"No, that's just it, I have no idea what to do…"
"Well, I know." he said with ease. Munkustrap had finished eating, his mouth full of the last bite he'd taken.
"Clue me in?"
Munkustrap nodded, swallowing. "You have to talk to her." He reached for his glass and took a swig, swishing the liquid around in his mouth before swallowing and returning the glass to the table.
"You say it like it's the easiest thing in the world to do." Demeter scoffed slightly, letting her eyes wander to the side.
"It is, if you let it be."
"How Munkustrap? How do I approach her? She's my daughter but doesn't know it, had a father who's now dead, doesn't know who she is or how to trust anybody… don't you think this complicates things?"
"What I think it does is show only how much she needs you in her life. All you have to do is take the chance to fill the gap that separates you and her from a life of living together as mother and daughter."
"She could reject me. She could run out of here and I'll never see her again."
"True, but just think of how much better it'll be if you do nothing at all."
"It won't."
"That's exactly my point, Demi. That's exactly my point."
Munkustrap stood from the table, and took his dishes to the sink. Demeter rested her elbows on the table and placed her paws on her face, hiding behind them as if they could hide her from the world. She knew what she had to do, she just had to be able to do it somehow, before it was too late, before Jemima was gone forever.
A pair of paws landed on her shoulders, squeezing and rubbing in all the right ways. She removed her face from her paws and looked up to see Munkustrap, who smiled genuinely and kissed her on the cheek, leaning into her ear to whisper, "You can do this, honey. Don't let her slip away."
"Munkus?"
"Mm?" he continued to massage the knots from her muscles.
"Thank you." Demeter rose from her chair and wrapped her paws around Munkustrap's neck.
"For what, dear?" Munkustrap rested his silver paws comfortably on Demeter's waist.
"For being you." She lovingly kissed him on the lips.