Part 5

The war did not turn out to be the quick one everyone involved had thought. Four years later the war was still not over. Munkustrap was still Deuteronomy's right-hand tom and his friends were still by his side. They had moved their main base closer to St. James' street. Some of their biggest supporters lived on St. James' street. The commanders and some of the soldiers had been invited to a ball held by Bustopher Jones. Macavity was one of them, as was Munkustrap and his gang. Deuteronomy was there as well. Macavity leaned on one of the pillars in Bustopher Jones' owners' big dining hall. Bustopher's humans were away meeting relatives over the Holidays so the place was deserted… except for all the cats. Macavity watched Deuteronomy walk around with Munkustrap across the hall. Macavity shook his head and mused to himself:

"How does the bastard, orphan, son of a whore, go on and on, grow into more of a phenomenon?" he wrapped his arm around a young soldier and pointed at Munkustrap. "Watch this obnoxious, arrogant, loudmouth bother be seated at the right hand of the father." The soldier blushed and ran off. Macavity sighed and looked at Munkustrap again. "Deuteronomy hired Munkustrap right on sight, but Munkustrap still wants to fight, not write." He noticed Munkustrap leave Deuteronomy's side and scurry across the room. Why? Because Alonzo had arrived. The pair never strayed too far from each other. When not fighting enemy forces or Munkustrap working for Deuteronomy the pair spent every woken moment together. They wrote essays together, held speeches together and were never far apart. The pair noticed him and walked over to him. Macavity grinned and shook Alonzo's hand and then Munkustrap's. When the silver tabby after a few drinks started complaining about not being allowed to fight Macavity snorted.

"Now Munkustrap", he said. "Your skill with a quill is undeniable."

"That's true", Alonzo chuckled warmly. "Better than you or I."

"But do you know what we have in common?" the pair shook their heads at him. Macavity smirked and nodded to the door. "We're reliable with the queens!" The group laughed.

"Queens!" they all cheered, as did a few other soldiers.

"There are so many to deflower", Macavity continued.

"Queen!"

"Looks! Proximity to power."

"Ladies!"

Macavity nudged Alonzo's shoulder. Munkustrap's gaze had landed on a tall scarlet queen. Alonzo turned to Macavity. They clinked their glasses together and Macavity draped his arm around Alonzo's shoulders.

"You know they delight and distract him", he said and Alonzo scoffed. "Did you know Deuteronomy's mate nicknames her little tomkit after him!"

"That's true", Munkustrap called over his shoulder. Alonzo and Munkustrap laughed, Macavity snorted. Macavity sighed and leaned back again. 1980, a winter's ball… they had time for that at least. He looked up at three young queens moving through the crowd. The Jones' sisters, they were the envy of all. Bombalurina was the oldest. She was a tall, gorgeous scarlet queen. Since Bustopher had no sons it fell upon his oldest daughter to be the one to socially climb the ladder in the world. Her younger sister Demeter, a gold and black tabby queen, did not have that burden on her shoulders. She was not as sharp as her sister… in more ways than one, but she was gentle and kind. The youngest one was a fully white little queen kit, not yet grown but not really a kitten anymore. Her name was Victoria and her big blue eyes were always filled with wonder. Macavity watched them. He nudged both Munkustrap and Alonzo.

"Yo, if you can marry a sister, you're rich, son", he told them and nodded towards the queens.

"Is it a question of if, Macavity", Munkustrap asked with a grin. "Or which one?" The three toms laughed and continued to talk.

Across the hall Demeter sighed. She had never been the type to try and grab the spotlight. Yet here she was at a revel with some rebels on a hot night. She had laughed at her sister as Bombalurina had dazzled the room with her presence. She was sure she even saw Old Deuteronomy dance with her at one point. But then… he had walked in and Demeter's heart went boom. He was a tall silver tabby with broad shoulders, intelligent and kind eyes and an easy-going smile. He was hanging out with that Macavity cat they had met on the streets a few years ago and a black and white patched tom she remembered seeing in the streets speaking out against the slavery and treatment of alley cats. The silver tabby had not noticed her and she had spent the rest of the evening trying to catch his eye. Everyone was dancing and the band was top volume. They'd danced and grinded to the rhythm as they wined and dined, but yet she had been too afraid and nervous to approach him. So when the night was coming to an end Demeter summoned up her courage… only for her sister to approach her. Bombalurina smiled at her, she had been dancing with most of the toms there, but now she wanted a little break. She took a glass offered to her and turned to Demeter.

"Seen anything you like?" she asked.

"Well…" Demeter blushed.

"How about that Macavity?"

"Huh?"

"Macavity. You know that ginger cat", she pointed. "He's very tall and thin. You'd know him if you saw him for his eyes are sunken in. His brow is deeply lined in thought, his head is highly domed. His coat is always in good shape, his whiskers are always combed. He sways his head from side to side with movements like a snake and when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake!" Demeter and Victoria squeaked in delight as Bombalurina teased them. They looked across the room at Macavity who was talking to that white and black patched tom Alonzo.

"There's no one like Macavity", Bomba continued with a grin. "He's a bug in feline shape, a monster of immorality. He's outwardly respectable, but I know he cheats at cards. You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square but when an argument's discovered then Macavity's not there!" Her sisters giggled. "So?"

"No", Demeter giggled. "Not him."

"Good choice", Bomba said. She turned to look at the group of toms again. "Ooh he looks interesting." She locked in on the silver tabby. Demeter sighed and Bomba turned to her. "Deme?" Demeter gripped her sister's arm.

"Yo, this one's mine", she whispered. Bombalurina looked between the pair. Then she smiled her most gentle smile. Demeter looked at her in confusion and then panicked on the inside when Bombalurina winked at her and sauntered off across the room.

"What's she gonna do?" Demeter asked in panic. She saw her older sister grab the silver tabby by the arm. She started leading him away from his friends. "I'm through." The silver tabby was looking at Bombalurina as they walked but then he turned his head and looked at Demeter and she felt so helpless under his warm gaze. Oh sweet EC she would die then and there! As her sister and the tom approached she heard them talking to one another.

"Where are you taking me?" the tom asked.

"I'm about to change your life", Bombalurina replied smugly.

"Then by all means, lead the way." They walked right up to Demeter and she panicked for a second but then she curtsied like her old nanny Jennyanydots had taught her.

"Demeter Jones", she told the tom. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Jones?" the tom asked and looked from her to Bombalurina.

"My sister", the Scarlet queen replied with a loving smile.

"Thank you for all your service", Demeter continued and blushed when Munkustrap took her paw and kissed it.

"If it takes fighting a war for us to meet, it will have been worth it", he said as he did so. Demeter squealed inside. He then offered her his arm and headed for the dance floor.

"I'll leave you to it", Bomba called after them and headed over to talk to her father and Old Deuteronomy instead. Demeter was on cloud nine. This were her dreams come true.

One week later she was writing a letter nightly. Now her life gets better, every letter that he writes her. She laughed at her oldest sister because whenever a new letter came she tried to steal them. Demeter always joked with her that she wanted to start a harem. Each time she got the same reply:

"I'm just sayin', if you really loved me, you would share him." Demeter laughed and giggled each time. Her beloved was now in Soho, fighting in the war and she wrote him letters each night just as he did to her. Through his letters she got told of their situations and he wrote to her about how deep his love for her was growing. Whenever he was free he would come to visit. He got along great with her sister and she was relieved by that. He would take Demeter on long walks, write her poems, show her the city and at night he would point out constellations or sing love songs to her. She had fallen and she had fallen hard and fast. So when he came by two weeks later to ask her father for his blessing, she was right there in the living room… stressing. Her father was stone-faced as Munkustrap asked for his blessing. Demeter watched nervously, dying on the inside as the pair wined and dined. She tried not to cry, because she knew there was nothing that Munkustrap's mind could not do. Suddenly her father got up and made his way across the room to Munkustrap. He had a grim look on his face and Demeter panicked for a second thinking that now they were truly through. Then… to her relief her father smiled and shook Munkustrap's hand.

"Be true", he said and smiled. Munkustrap beamed and turned to Demeter. She knew what that meant and she flew into his arms, kissing him happily. That boy was hers. That boy was hers. She looked into his eyes and the sky was the limit. She was down for the count and drowning in it, in love. Her father and sister's left the room and when they parted Munkustrap took her hands.

"Demeter, I don't have a pound to my name, an acre of land, a troop to command, a dollop of fame", he said softly. "All I have's my honour, a tolerance for pain, a couple of college credits and my top-notch brain. Insane, your family brings out a different side of me, Victora confides in me, Bombalurina tried to take a bite of me", he noticed his beloved's eyes darken in possessive anger and he put his paw to her cheek. "No stress, my love for you is never in doubt. We'll get a little place in Lewisham and we'll figure it out. I've been livin' without a family since I was a child. My father left, my mother died, I grew up buck wild. But I'll never forget my mother's face, that was real, and long as I'm alive, Demeter, swear to EC, you'll never feel so helpless as I did." Demeter hugged him. Victoria and Bombalurina hurried inside to hug the pair in turn.

When Munkustrap returned to base he sought out his three best friends as soon as he could. He told them that his proposal had been accepted and that he and Demeter were getting married. He got pats on the back and hugs. He asked the four of them to be part of the bridal party. Alonzo was to be his besttom and the others were asked to be groomstoms. They all readily agreed. They celebrated for what felt like hours… afterwards Alonzo and Munkustrap sat alone looking at the stars.

"You okay Munk?" Alonzo asked and the silver tabby turned to him, grinning.

"Yes."

"Not worried about what tomorrow will bring for us?"

"No."

"I wished I had your enthusiasm and optimism", Alonzo teased. "How do you know everything will be fine?"

"My life is gonna be fine cuz Demeter's in it."

Alonzo looked at him and smiled a tiny smile.

"You love her very much don't you?" he asked.

"I do", Munkustrap replied with a goofy grin. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"If you had not gotten me to talk in front of that crowd… if you and the guys had not approached me and Macavity I would not be here now. You even agreed to come with me to that stuffy winter's ball. So in a way I have you to thank for letting me and Demeter meet."

"I did not play a big part in that you twat", Alonzo chuckled and nudged him. "It was all you. You saw her and you were helpless. What was that you wrote?"

"Don't you dare!" Munkustrap exclaimed and blushed. Alonzo just laughed and started quoting one of Munkustrap's letters:

"I look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm down for the count and I'm drownin' in 'em."

"Shut it", Munkustrap growled playfully and swatted at him. Alonzo jumped out of reach.

"Demeter I'm helpless", he sang. "Down for the count and I'm drownin' in 'em!"

"Get back here!" Munk jumped at him and the pair ran around the campfire, or rather Alonzo ran and Munkustrap kept jumping over it. Alonzo kept quoting his letters and Munkustrap growled and jumped at him each time. After a bit Alonzo jumped onto a bucket and was about to quote another poem. Munkustrap jumped at him and wrapped his arm around his middle. The pair toppled over in a laughing heap on the grass. They lay there laughing for a while and then looked to the sky. The stars were twinkling and the moon was shining bright. They lay there with their arms around each other's shoulders and pointed to the stars.

"The moments of happiness", Munkustrap said and Alonzo looked at him. A new poem perhaps? "We had the experience but missed the meaning, and approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form. Beyond any meaning we can assign to happiness. The past experience revived in the meaning is not the experience of one life only, but of many generations. Not forgetting something that is probably quite ineffable."

"Wow Munkus very romantic", Alonzo teased.

"Shut it you twat", Munkustrap chuckled. "Can you do any better?"

"Hm…" Alonzo sat up and looked around. His eyes fell on the moon and he smiled. "Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight. Let your memory lead you, open up enter in. If you find there the meaning of what happiness is then a new life will begin."

"That… that was pretty beautiful Zo."

"Thanks", Alonzo said and got up. He held his paw out to Munkustrap. "Now come on, off to bed. EC knows you will need it with all the stress you are usually under and this wedding as well now."

"I don't have to worry because I have you by my side", Munkustrap replied and grabbed Alonzo's paw. Alonzo pulled him to his feet and the pair smiled at each other. They leaned in and wrapped their arms around each other in a hug. It was warm, filled with emotion and when they parted both of them smiled. Both of them knowing that what was about to happen would be for the best.

TBC

Okay here is the cast so far:

Hamilton - Munkustrap

Burr - Macavity

Mulligan - Admetus

Lafayette - Asparagus Jr.

Laurens - Alonzo

King George - Growltiger

Angelica - Bombalurina

Eliza - Demeter

Peggy - Victoria

Philip Schuyler - Bustopher Jones

George Washington - Old Deuteronomy