A/N: Third fluffy chapter in a row? Get ready for some drama, readers. I can't let you have too much fluff. I tried to make this one more serious, it's about time some stress came along. The thing I found most interesting in the reviews for chapter 27 was that most of you were surprised 'Jerrie was still a virgin. Why, I wonder? I'd also like to hear your opinions on a sex scene between 'Jerrie and 'Teazer. I've never done one before, and I'm not sure if I should make the rating higher or not if I did include one. Let me know!
The sun rose on another mild, overcast day to find Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie still fast asleep. The latter had draped one of the thinner blankets that made up the nest over him and the calico queen to keep warm during the slightly chilly night.
'Jerrie gradually roused from his peaceful slumber to discover a significant weight on his upper body. It wasn't uncomfortable, even with his broken ribs, but it was certainly different. His head was already lolled to the side, and his green eyes fluttered open now that his mind was somewhat awake. What he found was nothing unusual. 'Teazer's paw was lying limp beside his head, and he guessed the weight belonged to her arm. As he shifted his head to follow her arm, the tiger-striped tom gave a tiny start of surprise, but quickly relaxed. 'Teazer had her arm lying over his shoulder, and the rest of her body was settled comfortably on top of him. 'Jerrie also couldn't help but notice she was straddling him, like she had done only once before.
"'Ow did tha' 'appen?"He thought to himself. 'Jerrie wasn't complaining, though. A loving smile came to the calico tom's lips as he observed 'Teazer sleeping serenely. It was only at this point that he took into account the position he found himself in. His left arm was still wound around 'Teazer's torso like it had been last night, with his paw resting on the small of her back. His right paw was lying where he didn't expect it: on the back of 'Teazer's thigh with his fingers splayed out. 'Jerrie figured out the answer to his question was that he had probably rolled over during the night and 'Teazer had made herself comfortable in the new position.
'Jerrie continued watching the calico queen for a few more minutes, not able to take his eyes off of her. He didn't want to disturb her and keep the blissful moment going as long as possible. 'Teazer stirred and clenched the paw that was over 'Jerrie's shoulder as she did so. Her fingers brushed along his neck accidentally, causing 'Jerrie to quiver involuntarily. This was enough to wake her up.
The calico queen noticed her head rising and falling as she came out of her deep sleep, but she knew she wasn't the one moving it. She was lying on something warm and firm, but it definitely wasn't a blanket on the ground. This was moving a little and 'Teazer could feel a heartbeat against her ear that wasn't her own. She finally opened her eyes with a yawn to find her mate-to-be looking right back at her with a small smile. It gradually occurred to 'Teazer that she was in a much more intimate position than she remembered from the previous night, and when the realization dawned on her, a blush flushed her white cheeks pink and her heartbeat quickened.
"'Jerrie...? Was this ya doin'?"'Teazer asked timidly, glancing over her shoulder to get the full view of her predicament. Her eyes widened with the kind of horror you get when you wake up next to someone you don't know and can't remember what happened the night before. She hoped to high Heaviside it wasn't what she thought had happened.
'Jerrie smirked wryly as he removed the arm he had wound around 'Teazer and put it behind his head to prop it up. "Oi don' know, princess. Ya ah' tha one loiyin' on top. Ya tell moi."He commented as he lightly ran his fingers up and down the calico queen's thigh where it was resting, reminding her of the current situation. Her blush increased dramatically and she drew a sharp intake of breath, shivering with pleasure.
The calico queen suddenly felt herself being turned over so her position was reversed. Before she had time to protest, 'Jerrie was trailing kisses down her neck and settling himself on top of her. His paw continued groping her thigh, and the other caressed her cheek. 'Teazer knew she should have relaxed and shared in the bliss her partner was feeling, but instead she did something even she didn't expect: she screamed.
'Teazer's betrothed cringed at the high-pitched sound right by his ear, and then immediately got off of her with a haste a tom with broken bones shouldn't be able to muster. He gazed at her with wide eyes full of worry and concern, as well as with confusion. Weren't queens supposed to like mating? 'Jerrie didn't move from his spot as he watched the calico queen scuttle backwards and huddle up against the wall at the opposite end of the den. 'Jerrie almost couldn't bear to see that much fear in her soft brown eyes. He couldn't help but feel he had seen her in this state somewhere before...
"Did Oi 'urt ya? Whot's wrong?"The tiger-striped tom asked in a soothing voice, so he would not to startle the frightened queen anymore than she already was. When all he got was a whimper and increased trembling, he decided it was best not to make another sound until 'Teazer calmed down. 'Jerrie set his jaw and waited silently, something he was very skilled at.
Eventually, the calico queen ceased shaking and peeked out from behind her elbow with a curious expression, wondering why she could only hear herself. 'Jerrie hadn't moved a muscle and she had forgotten for a minute that he was even there. His question still echoed in her mind, and 'Teazer could only manage to choke out, "S-S-Sammy..."
That was all Mungojerrie needed to hear. He felt like someone had just punched him in the chest, and his throbbing side provided a suitable likeness to the feeling. The calico tom felt like a complete idiot. He should have known that 'Teazer's past experiences with sex-crazed toms would have a significant impact on their intimacy. 'Jerrie winced and took a minute to overcome his own regret and mentally throw a few insults at himself before reaching a paw out to the queen by the wall. "Need a 'ug?"He offered sincerely.
'Teazer nodded, but didn't make any effort to move. 'Jerrie took the initiative and slowly crawled over to her, partially to prevent any more pain to himself, and also to make sure his betrothed knew he wasn't going to cause her any harm. Once he was close enough, the tiger-striped tom sat back on his haunches and let 'Teazer nestle herself comfortably against him so he could wrap his arms securely around her. 'Jerrie didn't stroke her back, nuzzle her, or kiss her. The the only movement he made was resting his chin on the back of 'Teazer's shoulder. The pair of calicos simply stayed like this for what felt like an eternity, until 'Teazer broke the embrace and smiled at her engaged tomfriend.
"Thank ya. Oi feel a lot bettah now."She murmured and pecked 'Jerrie on his cheek to emphasize her words. 'Teazer frowned when the regret didn't leave the calico tom's eyes. "Whot is it?"She asked, now being the one with the questions.
'Jerrie didn't reply for a moment, he merely sighed and his shoulders sagged. The seconds passed and he said, "Oi'm sorreh. Oi should 'ave taken inta account ya past o'deals befo' troiyin' ta mate with ya."
"Don' worreh 'bout it, 'Jer. Oi'll le' ya know when Oi'm readeh. Fo' now, we 'ave breakfast ta catch an' a ceremoney ta plan."The calico queen brushed the whole thing off, looking at the bright side. It wouldn't do any good sulking about what her trauma didn't allow her to do yet. She grabbed 'Jerrie's paw and gently pulled him out into daylight. It wasn't the best weather ever, but 'Teazer was determined to enjoy her first day of being engaged. The two found Victoria and Cassandra sitting on the Great Tire, and judging by the way the white queen hung her head, it was easy to see her mood matched the weather: dreary.
The pair caught a couple of mice on their way to the tire. When 'Jerrie and 'Teazer reached it, the two queens looked up. Victoria tried to smile like her Abyssinian friend, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Whot's tha mattah, Vicky?"'Teazer inquired as she and 'Jerrie sat down beside her.
The snow queen let out a small sigh before answering, "It's my dad. He's still really down about yesterday. I just feel so bad for him; he loves Demeter! I can see it in his eyes when he talks about her and how she makes him smile. Oh, how can we get them back together? It breaks my heart to see my father so sad!"She proclaimed with true sorrow in her voice. Cassandra placed a consoling paw on her shoulder and Victoria nuzzled it gratefully.
"We can't fo'ce 'em. Awll we can do is wait 'till Dem comes 'round. In tha meantoime, we can onleh comfo't poor Munk. It's not loike she's breakin' up with 'im. Demetah jus' needs toime ta wrap 'er 'ead 'round this whole relationship an' figure out tha' she's got tha best damn tom fo' 'er livin' roight next door. 'Till tha' toime comes, we can't do much."'Jerrie advised confidently. All three queens shot surprised looks at him, to which he only cocked his head in confusion.
Cassandra was the first to speak. "How in Heaviside do you know so much about relationships? That's impressive, coming from a tom."She explained with a smile.
At this the calico tom slung an arm around his betrothed's shoulders and ruffled her headfur, "Oi learned from tha best." 'Teazer blushed, removed his arm as gingerly as she could, and still made it look like she was shoving it off.
The four cats chatted about various subjects including matehood from Cass, the latest gossip in the Junkyard, and plans for the dances and songs in the Jellicle Ball. Everyone began to get hungry around noon, so the foursome broke off into pairs to find lunch and 'Jerrie and 'Teazer went to Jenny's den to inquire about the ceremony. While they were walking along the path that led to the den of 'Teazer's parents, the two calicos heard distinct angry voices coming from inside Bombalurina's den. One was Demeter's and the other was Bomba's, naturally. They eavesdropped, as was their custom, and it wasn't hard to determine what the subject was about.
'Jerrie and 'Teazer had entered discreetly into the scene at around the end of the argument. This is what had happened before the two calicos started listening.
Demeter woke up in her bed, feeling no less stressed out than she had been the previous night. She still could not believe Munkustrap had kissed her. It wasn't that she was angry with him, it just brought upon repercussions of her imprisonment with Munk's horrible brother. Macavity's kisses were much rougher and horrible than Munk's had been, but it put her in a dark place anyway. The black and gold queen hated herself for leaving the silver tabby like that, but she knew of no other way to escape from her terrible memories. Dem got up and stretched, placing a paw on her swollen abdomen. She smiled as she felt the growing kitten inside of her kick, as if wanting to tell her, "Go back to him."
"Let's see what Aunt Bomba will say, okay sweetie?"Dem said softly, as if Jemima could hear her. The unborn kitten appeared to settle down.
The black and gold queen stepped into the adjoining main room, and discovered said "aunt" was waiting expectantly at the table. Demeter hadn't talked to her last night because Bomba rarely spent the night at home, preferring to spend it at Tugger's instead. Dem eyed her sister suspiciously as she sat down in a chair across from her.
The scarlet queen was not happy, and it resonated in her voice. "I heard from Cassandra who heard from Alonzo who witnessed what you did yesterday evening. Care to explain yourself?"The scarlet queen raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.
Dem knew her sister would find out some way or other. There was no use denying her. She bit her lip as she replied in a feeble tone, "He...Munk kissed me...and I guess I got scared and ran."
Bombalurina let out a singular, accusing laugh. "You ran! From Munkustrap, the kindest cat, and brother to the most handsome tom in the junkyard? I think you've finally lost it, Dem! You've found a tom who is hopelessly in love with you, and you rejected and ruined what was probably the poor thing's first kiss! No offense to Munk of course, but you know how he is with queens. He never had one until you came back. How do you think he feels right now?"She spat vehemently. If there was one thing Bomba would not stand to see, it was someone she cared about being rejected by the cat they love for no good reason. She was determined to make her sister see the error of her ways. The red queen was done being patient with Dem's tom issues. This was the last straw for her.
Demeter could also be contentious, too. She straightened up in her chair and glared daggers at the queen across from her. "Bomba, don't fool yourself. Munk only likes me because he pities me."She remarked coldly. Dem still didn't have very high self-esteem, even after all the compliments Munkustrap had given her. She hadn't taken them to heart yet, but that didn't mean she wasn't glad to hear them.
At this the scarlet queen hissed loudly and slammed her fist on the table, making her sister do a double-take. "How long will it take to get it through your thick skull that Munkustrap. Loves. You? If it helps, I'll tell you what happened when you got kidnapped: Munk was absolutely devastated. He was the most depressed tom I had ever seen in my entire life. He even considered going in after you, but the rest of the tribe had to stop him because they didn't want him to get killed. Dem, Munk was basically reduced to nothing when you got kidnapped!"Bomba's voice was almost pleading when she finished.
"...Really? My disappearance affected him that much?"The black and gold queen whispered, astonished at the silver tabby's reaction.
Bomba put a paw up to silence her sister, "I'm not finished," she went on, "Now when you came back, he welcomed you with open arms. He voluntarily spends time with you because he wants to be with you, not because he pities you! Munk went to the trouble of preparing a gift for your kitten, he made food for you, the tom even kissed you for Everlasting Cat's sake, and how do you repay him? By pushing him away. Think about it and tell me one good reason why you shouldn't be ashamed of yourself and why you shouldn't get on your knees and beg for his forgiveness."With that the red queen sat back in her chair with the same expression she began the conversation with, waiting patiently.
Demeter stared at her sibling with a mortified expression, dumbstruck. Bomba knew she had hit straight home. The black and gold queen clutched the edges of the table until her gold-striped knuckles turned white and the concept finally sunk in. When the revelation dawned on Dem's mind, she burst into tears and buried her head into her forearms to sob on the table. "Oh Bast, you're right, Bomba! I get it now. Oh, what have I done?"She wailed after she had calmed down enough to talk coherently.
The red queen reached across the table to place a paw on her sister's. "It's not too late, Demie. Munk wants nothing more than to have you back."She advised in a much gentler tone than she had previously used. Demeter looked up with a tear-streaked face and nodded, then got up and left the den without bothering to make herself presentable. The black and gold queen first decided to check Munk's den, and of course didn't notice 'Jerrie and 'Teazer eavesdropping because they were too well-hidden to be spotted. This is where we had left the two calicos.
Demeter reached the silver tabby's den and didn't knock. She stepped inside unannounced to find said tabby sitting at the table reading a discarded, torn magazine. His head shot up in surprise at the unexpected visitor. "Dem...?"He breathed, as if needing clarification on the identity of the queen in front of him. Victoria smiled happily from her place on the floor where she was stretching.
Munk stood up as the black and gold queen rushed over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, making him stumble forward a little and instinctively embrace her to steady himself because he was considerably taller than she was.
"I'm so sorry I ran, Munk! It's just that I-I didn't believe you f-felt like that around me a-a-and-"Dem was unable to continue because she had to ease her sobs to keep from hyperventilating while talking. Her tears were falling uncontrollably at this point and there was nothing she could do to stop them. In the back of Demeter's mind, she thought it was a bit strange to react this strongly, but she merely blamed it on the mood swings she had been warned about by Jelly.
The silver tabby smiled and brought a paw up to cup the sobbing queen's cheek. This forced Dem to look up at him. "I understand you're still fragile, and I forgive you. I'm not going to lie: I did feel sad when you ran, but I'm more than happy that you had the courage to come back."He said softly and leaned in to press his lips gently to hers. It only lasted a few seconds because the silver tabby broke off the kiss to glance over his shoulder at his adopted daughter with a sheepish smile. "Sorry honey, I forgot you were there for a minute."He said while his cheeks turned a light pink.
Victoria smiled innocently and waved him off with her paw, "Dad, I'm seventeen! I can handle you kissing someone!" She added a giggle at her father's blush.
Munk chuckled as well, and suddenly cringed as the jarring sound of an agonized shriek escaped Demeter's lips. She dug the claws of one paw into Munk's neck and the other clutched her swollen abdomen.
The initial shock of the deafening noise wore off and the silver tabby crouched as Dem dropped to her knees and struggled to draw even breaths. Victoria didn't even need to be told as she ran out of the den as fast as she could to fetch Jenny and Jelly. She sprinted past 'Jerrie and 'Teazer who had followed Demeter to Munk's den, eager to see the results of her argument with her sister.
The two calicos threw worried glances at each other and 'Jerrie questioned to the unseen silver tabby inside, "Is evreythin' awlroight, Munkustrap?"
Munk's head jerked upwards at the sound of the younger tom's voice. "'Jerrie? Is 'Teazer with you?"He asked urgently. He had just settled Demeter in his nest of blankets and was trying to make her as comfortable as possible.
"Yes, Sah."Came 'Jerrie's curt reply.
"Good. Get in here!"The silver tabby commanded. The pair of calicos hurried into the den without hesitation and crouched beside Munk. They gave Demeter concerned looks.
The tiger-striped tom inquired in a confused voice, "Whot's wrong with 'er? Oi don' see aneh injuries..."
Munk pinched the bridge of his nose to keep from snapping at the well-meaning tom. He couldn't remember a time when he was this stressed out and it didn't have to do with Demeter. "Dem here's in labour, but the timing just doesn't make sense."He explained, trying to come to terms with the reality himself.
'Jerrie pursed his lips in confusion and turned to the calico queen beside him. "'Teazah, whot's 'labour'?"He asked, at a complete loss. Being a poorly educated tom, he had never heard the term before.
'Teazer him an I-can't-believe-you-just-asked-that glare and lightly whacked him upside the head. "Idiot, it means she's gonna 'ave a kitten!"She hissed, drawing on some of Munk's stress.
The calico tom's face lit up with realization and he smiled at the distressed queen in front of him. "Ooh! Now Oi ge' it! Congrats, Dem!"He exclaimed cheerfully.
Demeter smiled weakly and managed a faint giggle. She reached a shaky paw towards 'Jerrie and he took it gently. "Thanks..."She murmured. Without warning she put a death grip on his paw as another scream of pain forced itself to be heard. The force of it almost made her sit straight up, but Dem sagged against the barrier of old, soft cushions Munk put between her and the wall again not soon after. Her paw fell limply against her side again.
At that moment Jenny and Jelly came rushing in with a few clean towels and a pair of sterile scissors, followed suit by Victoria and also Bomba. The red queen was as excited as she could be. The two older queens set their items down and Jenny asked, "How is she doing?" An anguished moan from Demeter answered her question.
"Alright then, that's a good sign. You should be ready to start pushing soon if your contractions are this painful. Oh, I'm so excited! We haven't had a kitten born here since Etcy, and that was nine years ago!"Jelly smiled, trying to keep the keep the tense mood in the den light.
With the chit-chat over, the two nurses set to work. They checked Demeter's pulse and Jenny put a paw to her forehead to check her temperature. She dabbed the sweat off of the black and gold queen's face and Jelly nodded to indicate Dem's pulse was normal. They gave her instructions on how to push, and the pregnant queen listened as attentively as she could under the circumstances. Jenny also did some exercises with her to get her erratic breathing under control. Bomba took over for her when she needed to attend to other things.
The scarlet queen turned her attention from Dem to 'Jerrie, since he had gone very quiet. 'Jerrie was a bit pale and looked more uncomfortable than Demeter. He had a vacant look to his emerald eyes. "You okay, Mungojerrie?"Bomba questioned sincerely.
The calico tom started out his short trance, nodding his head and answering quietly, "Yeah, Oi'll be foine. Jus' Oi've nevah seen a pregnant queen give birth befo'. It's a tad ovahwhelmin'."
'Teazer giggled and massaged 'Jerrie's shoulder to relax him and whispered in his ear, "If we 'ave kittens, Oi would be in tha exact situation as Dem is roight now."
'Jerrie didn't reply audibly, but the way he clenched his jaw indicated he didn't find the idea to his liking. He glanced over at Munk to see how his fellow tom was handling the whole thing, and the silver tabby seemed just as stressed out as he did, but appeared to be keen on comforting Demeter and hadn't lost any colour in his face yet. 'Jerrie figured he had probably seen this type of thing before, being the Jellicle Protector and all.
"Dem, at the next contraction you're going to push, got it?"Jelly advised in a firm, but motherly tone. The queen in question nodded in confirmation. A few minutes later she let out a shriek, but pushed according to the advice Jenny was currently giving her in the same tone Jelly had used. Bomba and Munkustrap encouraged her enthusiastically from their places beside her, each holding one paw. This pattern continued with shorter time in between, and Dem's screams of agony became more intense with each push. Poor 'Jerrie had to cover his ears and 'Teazer was too stunned to move as she watched her friend with a sort of profound horror. The former removed his paws from his ears when Dem's screams turned to heavy pants and a soft mewling was heard as Jenny lifted a newborn red and black queen-kit into her arms and Jelly handed her a towel. She had a white bib and large, curious eyes.
"It's a beautiful queen! Congratulations! Do you have a name?"The yellow and orange queen asked as she wiped off any blood and amniotic fluid on the tiny kitten, and then let Bombalurina cut the umbilical cord. She handed her to Jelly who wrapped the kit up in a smaller purple towel and gently laid her on her exhausted mother's chest.
Both Munkustrap and Demeter answered at the same time, "Jemima." The latter glanced at the silver tabby and discovered his eyes glistened with tears and there was nothing but love and pride in them, as if it were his own daughter he was gazing at.
"...Munk? Are you crying?"The new mother stated the obvious, and Munk didn't deny it because he nodded. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Jemima's increased mewling stopped him. Demeter smiled down at her kitten and guided her head to her breast so she could nurse.
The silver tabby watched the little kit for a few seconds and said in a shaky voice, "I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful. You did wonderfully, Demeter. If Jemima had a father present, he would be the proudest tom in the whole world right now."
Dem turned her attention from her kitten to Munk. "She does...You."There was no uncertainty in her tone. The black and gold queen had made her decision the moment Bomba had finished her speech earlier. A silence settled over the group of cats, who awaited Munk's reply.
The silver tabby was rendered speechless for a few seconds. He simply stared at Demeter with nothing short of awe. When he finally found his voice again, it was a humble whisper. "You...want me...to be Jemima's father? Are you sure?"Munk questioned slowly, suddenly losing all confidence in himself. This exchange also had a double meaning. Demeter was essentially asking him to be her mate as well.
The black and gold queen nodded in confirmation, and then added, "Through Bomba's...inspiring lecture," here she used sarcasm on the word 'inspiring', "I've come to the realization that you're really the only tom suitable for the responsibility."
At this, the tears did make their descent from Munk's eyes. He settled an arm around Demeter's shoulders and rested his head against hers, looking down at the newborn kit. "In that case, I accept."He declared softly and kissed her cheek. Jenny and Jelly quickly gathered their things and shooed everyone else out of the den to give the two cats some alone-time. 'Jerrie was more than happy to breath the fresh air again.
"Boiy, was tha' intense. Whot do ya think 'bout 'avin' kittens now, 'Teazah?"The tiger-striped tom asked while he nudged his betrothed playfully.
'Teazer smiled bemusedly and replied, "Oi think it's wo'th it. We would 'ave someone ta pass awll ah' stealin' skills on ta."She turned to Victoria, who was walking beside them and queried, "'Ow does it feel ta be a sistah?"
The white queen clapped joyfully as she bounced up and down. "It feels awesome! I have a step-mom now, too. I can't believe I have a baby sister to teach dance and singing to; we'll have so much fun together!"She squealed giddily. She ceased when she noticed Jenny and Jelly talking in low voices with their heads together, like they didn't want anyone to hear them. "What's wrong, Jenny, Jelly?"Victoria inquired, cocking her head.
Jenny frowned as she questioned in return, "Demeter was pregnant for four weeks, correct?"
'Jerrie, 'Teazer, and Victoria nodded.
"Then this doesn't add up," The orange and yellow queen continued, "Jemima shouldn't even have developed toes and fingers yet, let alone fur. Her development was completed in half the time. Does that sound normal to you?"Her brow was creased with concern.
Victoria bit her lip and the two calicos shook their heads. "Maybeh it's jus' some weird coincidence, loike a cat with six fingahs an' toes, o' some mutation loike tha'."'Teazer offered unconvincingly. Nevertheless, Jenny and Jelly left it at that. When they came to the mouth of the center clearing, all five cats split up to spread the wonderful news.
