Relationship: My take on Alonzo and Munkustrap's first meeting. Takes place long before the events of the musical.
Winter had come early this year. The bitter cold of the night had driven everyone inside to seek shelter and warmth, leaving the streets empty under the clear night sky. There was no one out and about to gaze up at the sight save for one black and white cat, who, despite the cold and the snow, was currently seeking solitude on the top of a building in the middle of the night. A well placed heating vent provided the perfect spot for said cat to sit and stare up at the stars without worrying about freezing in the winter air.
It was rather peaceful, sitting up on the roof alone, basking in the warmth of the vent with nothing but the stars to keep him company. Although Alonzo couldn't help but feel a faint twinge of loneliness at the thought of being entirely alone. It was a feeling that was easily dismissed, especially since he had been alone for the better part of his adult life, and he was in no hurry to seek out a change.
As if the universe was listening in on his private musings Alonzo realized that, despite his previous assumption, he wasn't alone. Something was up on the roof with him. The presence was sudden, as if it just popped into existence onto the roof, making his fur stand on end.
Maybe it was a squirrel. Although didn't they hibernate? Surely they did. Otherwise why did they store all those nuts for the winter? So if there was a squirrel about, why was there one approaching him, a very respectable tomcat, up on top of a building in the middle of the night?
Alonzo was too busy musing about the hibernation patterns of squirrels to realize that whatever was up there with him was shuffling closer. Well, this was one cat that no one would be able to surprise-
Something incredibly cold pressed up against his side. Like a true toughened alley cat Alonzo responded in the only way he could: hissing and spitting, he leapt high up into the air, landing a few feet away behind a snowbank. Instantly the cold bit through his fur, piercing right through the heat that he had been enjoying just moments before. If he hadn't been sitting several stories above the ground he would have continued right off the roof and all the way back to his den. As it was, the only safe way down was using the fire escape, which was, unfortunately, behind whatever had snuck up on him.
Slowly, oh so slowly, Alonzo peered over the snow to see what it was that had, against all odds, managed to sneak up on him. A tiny black ball of fur was sprawled next to the vent, shivering as it tried to curl up on itself. Definitely not a squirrel.
"Hello?" Alonzo ventured, every muscle tense.
A tiny, yet incredibly loud squeak of distress pierced his ears, the unmistakable cry of a very upset kitten. The fear of the unknown quickly turned into wonder and worry as Alonzo ventured closer.
"Where in the world did you come from?" Alonzo asked, prodding the kitten with a foot, noting that it was a tuxedo tom. It had been a tricky endeavor to get himself up on top of the roof, and such a feat had only been managed thanks to experience gained from years on the streets. There was no way a kitten of this age and size could have managed on its own.
"My name's Alonzo. What's your name? Do you even know it yet?" He did not get a response. All the kitten could do was huddle up against him and shiver. "Well, you better come with me. This is no place for a kitten."
It was tempting to stay near the vent but ultimately it would be better to get into a proper shelter. It had been a long time since he had invited anyone into his den and even longer since he had interacted with a kitten. The unspoken agreement in this part of the neighborhood was that everyone kept to themselves, minded their own business, and steered clear of trouble, which had been good enough for Alonzo. Up until now, at least. It would be hard to mind his own business if he suddenly became a guardian to a wayward kitten. There would be time for questions later, once they were safely inside.
After a bit of finagling Alonzo was able to carry his new charge down the fire escape, down the alley, and towards a pile of junk he called home. The pile of debris mostly consisted of furniture left by humans when they vacated the building during the fall and Alonzo had quickly moved in and made the overturned wardrobe his winter home. Come spring he would move on to a new place, never wanting to stay put for too long in case the humans discovered him. With the early arrival of winter he hadn't been able to gather as much food and bedding as he would have liked, but for now he would have make due with what he had.
"Here we are." Alonzo put the kitten down on a blanket and set about blocking the entrance so the cold wouldn't get in. Once he was done he turned to face his new problem.
A pair of wide eyes stared up at him. It was hard to tell if this was normal kitten behavior or not, but this kitten seemed content to do a lot of staring and a lot of not talking at all. Normally Alonzo wouldn't mind the silence, but this was the first time in a while that he found himself with company, and now that he had someone to talk to he couldn't help but continue the conversation, even if it was one sided.
"I've never seen a kitten like you around." He remarked, rummaging around for some food. "Shouldn't you be with your mother? You seem kind of young to be wandering around by yourself, even if you can apparently climb buildings."
No response. Just staring. Time for a different tactic.
"Are you hungry? I've got some dinner here, not sure what you'd like. Wait, can you even eat this? Do you need milk?" The realization did not sit well with him. Where was he supposed to find kitten formula this time of night? "Can you handle some jerky? It's all I have right now. How old do you have to be to start eating solid-"
The kitten answered him by reaching out and grabbing the jerky from his paws, displaying a full set of teeth as he demolished the meal. That answered that. If this kitten had teeth then certainly he was old enough to talk and explain just what he had been doing out alone in the snow.
To Alonzo's immense disappointment the questions would have to wait, for as soon as the kitten had eaten his fill he curled up against Alonzo's side and fell straight asleep, white paws holding his tail tightly. Alonzo sighed and tried to pull his tail free, giving up and settling down when the kitten stubbornly dug in with tiny claws. Guess they could talk in the morning.
To say it was a peaceful sleep would be generous. Every noise outside, every hint of a sound was enough to startle Alonzo awake. When it was just himself he could ignore the obviously mundane noises of the night, but now that he had a tiny, defenseless roommate he found himself on full alert. When he finally fell asleep it only felt like a moment before a loud hammering jolted him back awake.
No, wait. It was knocking. Someone was knocking on the side of his den. It was a polite knock to start, but was quickly devolving into a rudely insistent slamming sound that made it impossible to sleep through.
"What? What do you want?" Alonzo called, trying to get up without disturbing the kitten snoring at his side.
"Please, may we speak face to face?" The voice asked, tinged with desperation.
"Fine. One moment." Blinking against the light and the cold, Alonzo wormed his way outside and quickly closed the opening behind him to keep the heat in.
A tabby tomcat sat out in the snow, silver fur visible under a dusting of fresh snowflakes falling from the sky. It was not a cat Alonzo had seen before, which was mildly disturbing, since while he was a generally solitary cat he had tried to make a point of at least knowing the faces of any cats that decided to frequent the area.
"Sit here, it's dry." Alonzo directed the tabby to sit just under the overhang to get his paws out of the snow. Even if he was distrustful of strangers he wasn't heartless, and it looked like this stranger had been out in the snow for a while.
"Thank you." Immediately the tabby started to clean the accumulated snow off of his fur.
"How long have you been out there?" Alonzo eyed the crystals that had formed on the stripes.
The cat paused to ponder the question. "Since yesterday."
"You've been out all night?"
"I suppose so, yes." The tabby was disturbingly nonchalant about the whole thing.
"It's freezing out there." Alonzo pointed out as politely as he could. "You could have frozen yourself."
"I'm fine, aren't I?" The tabby gave him a brief, curious look before resuming his hurried grooming.
"You're lucky." Possibly a bit mad as well, but Alonzo didn't add that part. He had seen too many cats fall asleep out in the snow, only to remain asleep and never wake up again. It was a fate that would have befallen the kitten if he hadn't been lucky enough to be discovered.
The hair started to stand up on the back of Alonzo's neck. The kitten. This tabby stranger was too busy trying to bring warmth back to his frozen fur to notice the kitten's lingering scent, but it was only a matter of time before he did, and Alonzo suddenly came to the realization that the only thing standing between the tabby and the kitten was himself.
Whether or not he had fully agreed to it Alonzo was now this kitten's temporary guardian. So far the tabby hadn't really given him a reason to be wary, but then again seeing any strange cat out in the middle of a snowstorm was enough to put him on edge, especially a stranger who had been insistent on talking with him.
"You said you were out here looking for a kitten?" Alonzo asked, slowly angling his body between the stranger and the entrance to his den.
"Yes. Her name is Victoria. She's all white, very young." The tabby said, immediately all business. "Have you seen her?"
"No, I haven't. This isn't really a safe neighborhood for kittens."
The tabby's shoulders slumped. "I suspected so. Do you know anyone around here that might have seen something?"
"No. There's no one else around. Is she yours?"
"No." The tabby shook his head, turning his attention back out to the snow with clear reluctance. "But I'm responsible for her, in a way. I don't know why she would wander off."
The response wasn't what Alonzo was expecting. Clearly there was something going on that he wasn't privy to, but then again he himself had been saddled with a kitten that wasn't his own. At least his kitten wasn't lost out in the snow.
As if sensing Alonzo's thoughts the kitten in question decided to wake, snuffling and letting out a sneeze that could be heard outside the den. Alonzo felt his heart sink to his stomach as the tabby's ears swiveled towards the sound.
"What was that?" The tabby asked, eyes narrowing. Gone was the nonchalance, replaced with sharp suspicion.
"Nothing that concerns you." Alonzo said, stepping closer to try and push the cat away. Unfortunately their proximity was enough for the tabby to finally smell the kitten's scent on his fur.
"What- no, it can't be." Instantly the tabby was sniffing the air, eyes fixed on his own. "What are you doing with-"
"This is not your kitten. Leave now before I make you." Alonzo growled, fur standing on end.
"I don't know what you think you're doing, but you have no authority here." The tabby's words were unnervingly calm, still polite, but there was a dangerous edge to his voice. Despite clearly being exhausted and freezing, the way he spoke made it clear that he would not back down without a fight.
"You need to leave. Now." If it came to a fight so be it, but Alonzo hated to admit that a tiny part of him felt that the tabby would win. The confident way the tabby held himself suggested that he had been in fights before and anticipated a win despite his current half frozen condition.
"I will not leave him with you." The polite facade fell away, revealing a rapidly rising, furious frustration that was truly terrifying to see.
If Alonzo hadn't already decided to protect the wayward kitten he would have cut his losses and fled. As it was, this was possibly the dumbest and most reckless thing he was about to do in his lifetime. Bracing himself, he unsheathed his claws and waited for the tabby to strike.
"Wait!" A tiny voice interrupted the stand off.
Both adults paused in their posturing to look at the source of the interruption. It was the kitten, swathed in a blanket with his little white face peering up at both of them. The tabby's eyes snapped to him in shock.
"Everlasting Cat and Heaviside above, Quaxo, what are you doing here?" The tabby's voice was pure disbelief. "How did you get here? Are you hurt?"
To Alonzo's amazement the kitten slipped past him and allowed himself to be checked over by the worried cat, who had switched from fury to concern in a heartbeat.
"No, I'm not hurt." The kitten said, nodding up at Alonzo. "Alonzo let me stay here. He helped me."
"Truly, you helped him?" The tabby stood over the kitten and fixed Alonzo with a suspicious stare. Alonzo would have felt offended if he hadn't been giving him the same look.
"Yes." Alonzo replied, still tense in case the tabby decided to continue the fight. "Don't tell me, this one belongs to you too?"
"Munk guards me and Vicki." The kitten proclaimed.
"Guardian." The tabby corrected. "I act as their guardian at times, but neither of them 'belong' to me."
Alonzo gave the kitten a careful look. As far as he could tell the kitten seemed happy to see the tabby and wasn't trying to run away from him. The tabby himself also had calmed down, the anger being once again replaced with pure exhaustion and worry. He was also starting to lean alarmingly to one side, body clearly ready for a rest even if his mind hadn't quite gotten the message.
"Come on, both of you come in before we all catch our death of cold." Alonzo knew he was going to regret bringing the both of them into his home, but he felt that there was a long story he was about to be told and he didn't want to sit out in the snow freezing his paws off listening to it.
The kitten bounced inside, dragging the blanket behind him. The tabby hesitated.
"I-"
"Just get inside before you freeze. Again." Alonzo took a risk and shoved him forward. Luckily it was not taken as an attack and the tabby stepped inside, stiffly sitting close to the exit and angling himself between Alonzo and the kitten.
"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Munkustrap." The tabby said. Now there was a dignified name. "This is Quaxo, Victoria's brother."
"I'm Alonzo." It did not escape his notice that the kitten- Quaxo- was unsuccessfully trying to drape his blanket over Munkustrap.
"Thank you for sheltering us in your home."
"Sure." A brief silence fell between them. Now here was the awkward tension Alonzo was hoping to avoid. Thankfully there were more important matters at hand.
"Quaxo, how did you wind up out here?" Munkustrap huddled down on the blanket to look the kitten in the eyes. "Please, you're not in trouble. I just want to find your sister. Is she out here with you?"
"Um." Quaxo stared down at his feet. "We wanted… we wanted to see the stars. And the moon. But… it was far away. So I, um… took us. But it was too far. I dropped her. And me."
"You dropped her?"
"I got high up. I don't- I don't know where she is. I'm sorry." Quaxo bit his lip, eyes watering with unshed tears. With that statement he crawled under the blanket and said no more.
"Does any of that make sense to you?" Alonzo muttered when Munkustrap finally gave up in his attempts to coax Quaxo back out.
"Unfortunately no." Munkustrap sighed. "This isn't the first time Quaxo has talked about traveling far away and dropping something. But I haven't been able to puzzle out what he means."
"I think I got the far away part at least." Alonzo said. "I found Quaxo up on top of this building."
"You found him where?"
"On the roof. No clue how he got up there. Is he… really good at climbing, by chance?"
"No, at least not that I've noticed. Both he and Victoria are fairly new to the tribe, so I really haven't had much time to get to know them."
Tribe. There was a unique word. Through the city grapevine Alonzo had heard mentions of a tribe of cats living together, but he had never met anyone that claimed to be part of it. The rumors about these cats ranged from rather mundane to outright fantastical, and from time to time Alonzo found himself wondering just what it was all about. It would have to be a discussion for later if Victoria was found.
No, not if. When. When Victoria was found. Had to keep positive.
"I must be going." Munkustrap said, turning a little too quickly and falling up against Alonzo.
"Sure you are. Sit down." It didn't take much effort to sit the tabby down and drape a blanket over him.
"I've wasted too much time. I have to keep looking." Oh, so Munkustrap was going to be stubborn, stubborn to the point where he would make himself useless in any further rescue efforts.
"You have to rest." Good thing that Alonzo could be just as stubborn.
"I have to-"
"I can look while you rest." The offer left his mouth before he fully thought about it. "Stay here and at least warm your frozen feet."
"No, I don't want to impose-"
"You're hardly able to stand. If you go back out there you're just going to freeze out in the streets, and then what use will you be?" It was a harsh statement but it seemed to do the trick.
"As soon as I am able I will continue searching." Munkustrap said quietly, eyes drooping shut.
"I don't doubt that. But at least wait until I come back." Guess it was time to go outside into the cold. Looking for an all white kitten in a field of snow would not be easy. A tiny tug on his tail stopped him in his tracks.
"Um." Quaxo glanced up at the snowflakes falling from the sky before fixing Alonzo with a surprisingly fierce stare. "She's still out there. Alive. I know."
"Okay." What could Alonzo possibly say to that? "Any idea where?"
"Up."
"Up?"
"Up high." Again with the eerie faraway look.
There was definitely not something right with this kitten, but the words struck a chord. Up high. There was only one place Alonzo could think of. Quickly he ran back out into the cold, leaving Quaxo staring up at the snowflakes.
The metal of the fire escape stung and bit at his paws as he climbed upward towards the roof, moving quickly to keep warm. How Munkustrap was able to spend the whole night searching out in the snow was beyond him. Clearly the tabby had an unusually strong sense of determination and an unwavering protective streak in him, or he was just crazy and not at all attentive to his own needs. If Alonzo were being honest it was probably the latter.
Once he was up on the roof Alonzo paused only for a moment, eyes darting over the fresh accumulation of snow that was still falling from the sky. At first all he could see was the vent that he had previously found Quaxo next to, the warm air melting the snow into a puddle. Was this what Quaxo meant by 'up high'?
Yes. Despite the cold, despite the cryptic words, despite his inherent mistrust and apprehension of the strange cats now seeking refuge in his home, Alonzo knew that this was where he needed to be.
And there she was. There was no mistaking that white fur huddled next to the vent. To Alonzo's immense relief she tried to shy away from him when he approached, clearly still alive and active. Movement was good, even if she was trying to get away from him.
"It's alright, I'm here to help you." Quickly he curled up around her, trying to shield her from the cold. "Is your name Victoria?"
"Y- Yes." Victoria stuttered.
"Thank goodness. Munkustrap's been looking for you."
"M- M- Munk?" Victoria shivered, immediately burying her freezing paws and nose into his fur.
"Yes. My name is Alonzo." It took all he had to keep from shoving her away. The instinct to get away from the cold was strong, but his need to keep her from freezing was, thankfully, stronger. "How long have you been up here?"
"Don't- don't kn-know." Probably all night, judging by the looks of things.
Had she been up there when he found Quaxo, hidden from his sight and left behind in the snow? It would have been nearly impossible to see her, especially if she had been buried in the snow while his attentions were focused on the tuxedo. If it weren't for the vent keeping her warm all night it would have been a very different ending to an already tense situation. It was a chilling thought, one that Alonzo couldn't stand to ponder further. There were more important matters to attend to.
"Come on, I'll take you to Munkustrap. You've been up here long enough."
"Qu- Qu-" The poor kitten couldn't finish the name but Alonzo knew what she was trying to say.
"Quaxo is with him. He's safe. You're the one he's worried about." Before she could protest he picked her up and carried her towards the fire escape. She was larger than her brother and it was quickly apparent that he would not be able to carry her down like he had with Quaxo.
"Here, climb up on my back." Carefully Alonzo arranged her as best he could, reluctantly eyeing the fire escape. There was only one way down. Well, technically two, but only one way down that would ensure they both made it back to his den alive.
As soon as his paws touched the metal Alonzo knew they were in trouble. With Victoria's added weight he was off balance, and a thin sheen of ice had formed on the ladder rungs, creating a deadly combination that sent them both skidding off the edge of the roof.
"Hold on, hold on!" Alonzo's paws scrabbled against the slick metal, gritting his teeth as Victoria sank her claws into his back.
"Vicki!" A small voice cried from below.
It was too late. Alonzo slipped, sending the two of them plunging through the air, falling faster than the snowflakes, headed straight for the-
One moment they were falling, the next they were standing right outside Alonzo's den. It was as if someone had plucked them out of the air and deposited them safely on the ground. Victoria clung to his back, her claws a sharp reminder that while they had miraculously made it off the roof alive, they weren't out of danger just yet. Now Alonzo had two freezing kittens to deal with, since Quaxo was now shivering and looking like he was about to pass out at his feet. Oddly enough, the black kitten's fur held a hint of a sparkle that was definitely not from the snow.
"Just- argh- just hang on." Alonzo winced as Victoria dug her claws in deeper. "Come on, Quaxo, I need you to get inside."
The poor tuxedo kitten seemed completely drained of energy. It took all he had to stagger back inside Alonzo's den, immediately collapsing at Munkustrap's side and falling fast asleep. The tabby himself was still passed out, not even twitching when Alonzo arranged both Quaxo and Victoria next to him under the blanket to keep warm. At least Quaxo had stopped sparkling, whatever that was about.
Once his guests were properly arranged Alonzo sat back and stared at them, mind racing to keep up with the sudden turn of events. Yesterday he had been alone and mostly content to remain alone, and now he had another cat and two kittens in his home. Three strangers that, the longer he spent time in their presence, were clearly part of something larger that, despite the lingering uncertainty in his mind, he found himself drawn towards.
The urge to run away, leave these three behind, and never look back was overwhelming. Alonzo was a solitary cat by nature, always had been, and now he was feeling… drawn in. The uncertainty of the whole situation was enough to drive him from the den. While he did not run away just yet, he did seek refuge outside.
Watching the silent fall of the snowflakes was enough to settle his nerves. Uncertainty or not, he could at least stay to ensure that Munkustrap could get the kittens home safe and sound. What came after that could be dealt with later.
"Mind if I join you?" Munkustrap's voice behind him was calm and steady, quiet enough not to startle him.
"Sure." Alonzo scooted over so the tabby wouldn't have to sit in the snow. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better. And no longer frozen."
"So you admit that you were frozen before."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Munkustrap said rather stiffly. "And I see you were able to bring Victoria back. I don't know how I'll ever be able to properly thank you."
"Don't worry about it." Alonzo kept his eyes trained on the snowflakes. "Just glad they're safe."
"I mean it. If you hadn't found them then… well, the outcome doesn't bear thinking about."
"It doesn't. So let's not think about it." Alonzo wanted to look at Munkustrap, wanted to assure the tabby that everything was alright, but he couldn't. Part of him knew that if he looked he would never want to look away.
"You've certainly done a good job protecting the kittens." Munkustrap mused. "I honestly was worried that I'd have to fight you to get to Quaxo. I apologize for assuming that you had kidnapped him."
"No, I'm sorry for not explaining myself." Alonzo hunched his shoulders. "I don't know what came over me. I just wanted to… make sure he was safe, I guess."
"I'm not angry. It's a good instinct to have. Besides, kittens will do that to you." Munkustrap sighed. "Heaviside help us when kitten season officially starts. Quaxo and Victoria are the most well behaved in the tribe."
"If what you say is true I can only imagine how you're able to handle it all."
"Technically I'm still training, but the tribe has been very supportive." Munkustrap smiled. "And despite Quaxo's… peculiarities… he has a good heart."
"Peculiarities." Alonzo thought about the fall, the impossible landing in front of his den, and the strange fleeting sparkle to Quaxo's fur.
Munkustrap did not expand upon that statement. Instead he seemed suddenly occupied with Alonzo's back.
"You're bleeding." The tabby moved in for a closer look.
"What?" Alonzo flinched away.
"Your back." Munkustrap did not move closer, but his eyes did not leave the black and white fur, clearly worried.
"Oh. It's nothing." Of course, now that Alonzo realized he was injured his back stung in the cold air.
"It looks like something."
"I promise, it's fine."
"Very well. But if you want me to take a look at it I would be happy to do so." Munkustrap paused. "Well, not happy, but not put upon. I mean-"
"I get it." Hurriedly Alonzo tried to groom the blood off his fur. It was very difficult to clean the injury by himself, yet he couldn't take Munkustrap up on his offer of help. Thankfully the tabby respected his boundaries.
"You know, the snow is quite beautiful when you're not trudging through it." Munkustrap remarked, edging just a bit closer to share body heat. It was amazing how close he could get without actually engaging in physical contact.
"I guess." Frankly Alonzo would be happy to fast forward to spring.
"Back home it's quiet this time of year. The members of the tribe that have humans spend most of their time at their homes, and those that don't find their own spaces to hunker down in. This little adventure with Quaxo and Victoria is an anomaly."
"I certainly hope it's not usual for you to go chasing after kittens in the middle of winter." Alonzo huffed. "So what is it you do in your tribe? You said you were a guardian?"
"The official title is 'Tribe Protector', but honestly, right now I feel like I should be called an official 'Tribe Panicker'." Munkustrap sighed. "You did all the actual protecting and rescuing."
"I don't know, I think you did all you could." Alonzo paused in his grooming. "You were crazy enough to spend all night out in the coldest time of the year and then tried to keep going until you collapsed. Actually, maybe you should be called 'Tribe Lunatic' if you want a change-"
"Thank you for the input, I greatly appreciate it." Munkustrap said dryly. "If I need an official name change I will be sure to consult you."
"No problem." Alonzo tried to resume his cleaning but couldn't reach the center of his back. "Okay, I might need you to get this part after all."
Aside from slinging kittens around and trying to keep Munkustrap from falling asleep on his feet, this was the first time in a long time that Alonzo had let another cat touch him. It would have been a momentous occasion if he hadn't been actively bleeding.
"Looks like the snow has stopped falling." Munkustrap remarked as he gently cleaned the scratches. "As soon as Quaxo and Victoria are awake we will head out."
"You… you three can stay until you're ready." Alonzo said. "I don't have much to share, but at least it's warm."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes." For once Alonzo was.
Once Alonzo was used to having company he found he didn't mind having his space invaded. Munkustrap had been right about Quaxo and Victoria being well behaved, and the two kittens kept everyone entertained while they all waited out the snowstorm. It was almost like having a little family of his own. Unfortunately their stay was brief, for the next day the snowfall stopped and the sun returned, warming up the air enough for the kittens to venture outside again.
"You know, I think it would be best if you came home with us." Munkustrap said as he ushered the kittens outside.
"What?" Alonzo asked, wondering if he heard the tom's words correctly.
"I mean, I would appreciate it if you helped keep an eye on these two while we traveled." Munkustrap clarified. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one, and you've proven to be a suitable guardian for them both. It's not too long of a journey but I would rather not take chances."
"Oh. Sure, that makes sense." Alonzo tried not to feel disappointed.
Was he really expecting to be welcomed into Munkustrap's tribe? Wait, when had he wanted to join a tribe at all? Just days ago he was content to be alone, and now he wanted to surround himself with even more strange cats? It was clearly time for things to go back to normal.
Munkustrap, oblivious to Alonzo's internal debate, led the way out of the alley in a confident route through the surrounding buildings. Along the way Victoria stuck very close to the tabby, but Quaxo hovered next to Alonzo, eyes once more staring up at him in their slightly unnerving way.
"Are you going to live with us now?" The kitten asked, voice quiet enough so only Alonzo could hear.
"What?" The question caught him off guard.
"Are you?"
"No." Alonzo shook his head, mostly to clear the uncertainty from his tone. "I'm just making sure that you all make it back safe."
"Oh." Quaxo sighed. "I hoped you would."
"Well, thanks, but I have my own life to lead." Alonzo tried not to let his own disappointment show. Quickly he tried to change the subject, focusing on a question that had been lingering in his mind. "Quaxo, did you… did you do something when Victoria and I fell off the roof?"
"Um." The kitten looked everywhere but at him. "I don't know."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But thank you." Alonzo knew it would be a long shot to get the kitten to admit that he had done the impossible to save them, but it was worth a try.
Quaxo gave him a tiny, shy smile before running ahead to join his sister. The rest of the trip was spent in silence as they picked their way around the tall snowdrifts. Munkustrap led them onward, only pausing occasionally to help Victoria and Quaxo navigate the more difficult terrain, and soon they were at their destination.
"Here we are." Munkustrap announced, pausing outside a fence circling a large junkyard.
"You live here?" Alonzo asked, raising an eyebrow at the sight. Even with the snow covering the piles of trash it wasn't the impressive sight he had been imagining in his head.
"Yes. Well, I do." Munkustrap nodded. "The tribe comes and goes as they please. Hopefully we can find a more suitable home for Quaxo and Victoria. There's a cat I have in mind over on St. James's Street but the weather's been too bad to travel that far."
"I see." Alonzo didn't see but he couldn't think of a better response. Things were coming to an end far quicker than he wanted them to and there wasn't much more he could do to stall for time.
"I guess this is goodbye." Munkustrap cut straight to the chase.
"Yes, I guess so."
"You know, if you are ever interested in visiting us you are always welcome." Munkustrap said, giving him an encouraging look. "I'm sure Quaxo and Victoria would enjoy seeing you again."
"I'll think about it." Alonzo only had time to nod before he was swarmed by the kittens. It was truly a heartfelt goodbye, if a bit of an unorganized one, and eventually Alonzo had to pull away before he gave up and followed them all into the junkyard.
"Bye Lonz!" Victoria waved furiously, pulling Quaxo along with her under the fence. Quaxo waved as well, fur briefly sparkling before they both disappeared into the piles of junk.
"Thank you, again. For everything." Munkustrap paused at the fence, turning to give him one last look.
"No problem. It was… it was nice to meet you." Alonzo replied. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."
Something lingered in the air, something unspoken between them, that left them both staring at each other for a long moment. Finally, with a flick of his tail, Munkustrap turned and disappeared into the junkyard, leaving Alonzo on the outside with his thoughts.
A long time passed before he finally turned away and headed home. He'd think about Munkustrap's offer, but there was already a part of him that knew he had made up his mind. It was only a matter of time before they saw one another again.