A/N: And we have arrived at the Ball! While I tried to avoid rehashing more of it than necessary, there are still three chapters dedicated to that stretch of time. Hopefully I succeeded in portraying events in a way that is both unique and true to the flow of this story.
Chapter Twenty-One
0o0
Mistoffelees took in a deep breath of the crisp evening air, smiling happily. So far, the Jellicle Ball was going just as it should. He had stepped away from the clearing for a moment as Jennyanydots' number was performed. Granted, he'd made himself look like a bit of a dork at the beginning of it, but he figured he'd survive.
"Shouldn't you be at the Ball?" a familiar voice asked him.
"Shouldn't you be at the Ball?" Mistoffelees returned, looking up at his friend.
"I'll go back in a bit," Rum Tum Tugger answered with a mischievous grin. "I'm planning on making a bit of an entrance."
"Oh, no..."
"Aw, come on, Misto – everyone will like it."
"All the queens, you mean."
"You've got a point," Tugger admitted wryly.
"You're still singing your dad's song with Munkustrap, right?" Mistoffelees inquired.
"Wouldn't miss it," the older tom answered sincerely.
The magical cat sighed. "I wish I had a father figure like that," he said. It was the first time Tugger distinctly recalled Mistoffelees wishing for anything. "I mean, there's Bustopher, kind of, but he's always been more like an uncle."
"He thinks of you like a nephew," Tugger noted. "I think you sorta remind him of himself."
"Really?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Anyhow, you may want to get back to the Ball, now. The Rum Tum Tugger is about to grace everyone with his presence, after all."
"You're going to interrupt the end Jenny's song, aren't you?" Mistoffelees gave his friend a reproving frown. "You're lucky she's Jenny – anyone else would have your head."
Tugger laughed. "You've obviously never met Jenny before she was so composed."
0o0o0
The Ball was going great. It was the best he'd ever experienced, Tugger decided. He was pleased to find that everyone was appropriately shocked by his entrance. The queen-kits (and they were still kittens!) were thrilled. Even some of the older queens joined in on the number, including, Tugger was pleased to see, Tantomile.
The mystic had been making a good effort towards interacting more with the others in the tribe. She was doing quite well, actually, having befriended Cassandra and a few of the others. Even Coricopat had been less distant than in the past. In fact, both of them appeared to be enjoying themselves tonight.
Bombalurina made her way to his side. They still hadn't really talked at all, but Tugger felt she would have come to participate in their game, either way. After all, they had yet to determine which of them was the more accomplished flirt. And that's all that it was – regardless of what Munkustrap might think.
Remembering that awkward and mildly hurtful conversation with his best friend, Tugger dropped Bombalurina by means of refute. The red queen was clearly unhappy about his blatant rejection, especially when he knocked her aside with a swing of his hips. Tugger couldn't help but smile. She'd get him back for it, he had no doubt. And he couldn't wait to see how.
Everything was going perfectly. Tugger had never felt so happy. Then, suddenly, his contentment was shattered.
Pointing an accusing claw, Rum Tum Tugger gave an ugly sneer.
It was her.
0o0o0
Munkustrap saw the moment when his brother's carefree abandon came to an end. It was as though everything warm and friendly about the tom was slammed shut behind a door. He watched as the older cat stalked up to the cause of the disruption, glaring down at the intruder before leaving.
It was her. Grizabella the Glamor Cat. The exile. The one who had caused Tugger so much pain and insecurity. What was she doing here?
Mistoffelees had approached the strange queen, gazing at her curiously. Grizabella looked back at him. Her fur was now entirely matted and filthy, her face lined far more than her age could account for. It was apparent by looking at her that she was sick, but with what, Munkustrap couldn't tell.
Munkustrap pushed Mistoffelees gently aside, interposing himself between him and the outcast. He regarded her sternly, diverting his gaze when Jemima approached the stranger only to be ushered away by Skimbleshanks.
Bombalurina approached, eying the queen critically as she circled around her, finally turning from her with a look of disgust. Electra reached out towards the stranger, but Jennyanydots shooed her away, shaking her head reprovingly at the Glamor Cat.
Grizabella slowly made her way farther into the clearing, Munkustrap moving along with her, ready to intervene should she make any move towards the surrounding Jellicles. Pouncival, perhaps egged on by two of his brothers, inched up to the queen and scratched her before scampering off again.
Compassionately, Demeter reached out towards the old queen but shied away before making any contact. As the black and gold queen retreated to her sister's sheltering embrace, Grizabella turned towards Munkustrap, determined to be heard.
As the Glamor Cat spoke of what she'd now become, the tabby looked away. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear her out, knowing who she was and how she had abandoned her own kitten. Instead, he watched the reactions of the others while the exile sang.
0o0o0
Rum Tum Tugger listened to the happenings in the clearing. He hadn't strayed too far, knowing that Old Deuteronomy's song would be coming up soon.
Demeter's clear voice drifted through the Junkyard, telling the tale of the Glamor Cat. Bombalurina joined her in singing, followed by the rest of the tribe. For a moment, Tugger wondered how the two sisters knew of Grizabella, but then he recalled that they would have been held by Macavity at the time the older queen worked with him.
The melancholy refrain soon gave way to rollicking tune which could only belong to Bustopher Jones. Jennyanydots' delighted voice soon confirmed this, Bombalurina and Jellylorum singing with her. Tugger himself was rather underwhelmed with the pompous tom. Oh, he could be nice enough, but it just seemed that ever since he'd become the wealthiest cat around, he'd been rather full of himself.
Bustopher's song was cut abruptly short by a siren and screeching tires. Seconds later, Demeter cried out, "Macavity!"
The tom felt his fur stand on end. He was about to race back to the clearing to check on the others when an impish laugh permeated the area, followed by a sharp, "Shh!" Tugger sat back on his haunches, chuckling to himself. Leave it to Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to compete with him for the biggest disturbance.
0o0o0
Munkustrap looked around after he and Alonzo tossed out Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's loot. Where was Tugger? He was beginning to worry about the older tom. Tugger was supposed to sing their father's song with him but he hadn't come back after Grizabella's appearance.
It was hard to tell who responded first, as both Mistoffelees and the twins turned their attention towards the front of the Junkyard. The younger tom was the first to speak, however. "Old Deuteronomy?" he murmured reverently.
Munkustrap and the others turned towards the twins, who confirmed in unison, "I believe it is Old Deuteronomy." Without further prompting, Mistoffelees left to go greet the Jellicle Leader at the Junkyard entrance.
By the time his first solo began, the tabby had concluded that Tugger would not be returning and he would have to sing the song by himself. Before he could start the second verse, however, Tugger's melodious voice came from behind him. Turning, Munkustrap was pleasantly surprised to find the spotted tom standing close to the tire.
The tabby approached the older cat, climbing the tire steps to stand beside him. Tugger finished his solo with a nod to Munkustrap, who took up the melody of his second solo leading into the brothers' duet. Before they had finished, Tugger's face lit up and he pointed as Munkustrap turned to face the far entrance.
Everyone gathered behind the Jellicle Protector, except Tugger, who remained where he was, as Mistoffelees followed Old Deuteronomy into the clearing. The Jellicles all greeted the old tabby with enthusiasm, the kittens purring madly as they hugged him, along with some of the older cats. All others reached out to be acknowledged by their beloved leader, and one by one, they all were.
Turning towards the tire once more, Old Deuteronomy regarded the proud, leopard-spotted tom who stood there, grinning happily back at him. The little kitten he had taken in at the selfish request of his first and unrequited love had grown into a handsome, young tom with a good head on his shoulders, regardless of his often frivolous ways.
Deuteronomy also was no longer the cat he'd been back before 'old' had been tacked onto his name. His coat had become grizzled with gray, making his stripes harder to decipher, and he'd grown heavier since then. But despite all the things that had changed about him, the Jellicle Leader's gentle gold eyes remained the same, as did his mellow voice and sound logic.
With a bit of a flourish, Rum Tum Tugger gave his father a low bow – a sign of his heart-felt respect for the only father he had known and the only one he felt the need to acknowledge. Old Deuteronomy smiled warmly back at him. As he climbed up onto the tire, he looked around at the faces of all those dear to him.
It was good to be home.
0o0o0
Munkustrap's tale about the Great Rumpus Cat had been a great success. Everyone had a lot of fun dressing as pollicles for the story, even – Tugger firmly believed – Coricopat, who had seemed unusually relaxed during the event.
Apart from another false alarm on the part of Demeter, the main festivities had passed in a joyous blur. Everything was finally going right... then she returned. Again.
Tantomile and Coricopat had been the first to exhibit how unwelcome she was, hissing at her in their eerily synchronous way, but Tugger was a close second, bristling his mane at the old queen before once more striding from the clearing.
Jellylorum's and Jemima's voices rose up behind him moments later, echoing the words first uttered by Grizabella herself, the former in ridicule and the latter with no small amount of curiosity. Strangely, the disdain directed towards the Glamor Cat was not as satisfying to him as it had been in the past, and though it was not his intention, Tugger found himself slowing to a halt just within range of sounds from the clearing.
Old Deuteronomy must have allowed Grizabella to speak, for she was not immediately chased out. She had looked a lot worse than the last time Tugger had seen her. Sicklier, life's cares weighing heavier upon her. But why did she keep coming back here? What did she want, anyway?
Tugger couldn't help but listen as the queen who had once abandoned him sang a somber tune, a tune which spoke of past mistakes and regret. He did not want her words to affect him. He wouldn't let them. If she was sorry for anything she had done in the past, it should be for what she had done to him, her own off-spring.
The tom closed his eyes against the assault of conflicting emotions that rose within him. By the time he had beaten them back to their cell within his mind, Deuteronomy was singing of the moments of happiness.
Tugger lay down where he stood, resting his feet on his paws, no longer really listening to the goings-on of the Ball. It had been ruined for him. His own mother had seen to it.
0o0
To be continued...