(author's note) Thanx for all of your reviews! I know this is a long fic, but bear with me. I promise something'll happen soon! =^.".^=
Mistoffelees continued to avoid the guard cats during the few days that followed. He left the tribe's clearing when he heard them coming and did not return until he was absolutely sure that they had left. This way, they never met face to face. Misto wasn't really sure if they knew that he was still there. They had locked him out of the junkyard and hadn't seen him since. He had easily warped back to the tribe's clearing with only a snap of his fingers. He liked the thought that no locked gate could stand in his way. He wondered that the guard cats did not think of that. Perhaps they thought he'd be too scared to return. In truth, he was a little scared. He didn't know why they acted the way they did. First bullying him and then kicking him out. Mistoffelees simply did not understand.
One day, he returned to the tribe's clearing almost immediately after the guard cats had left. Jemima greeted him like she always did. She told him that the brown toms had inquired where he was and that she had told them that he was in his clearing as usual. So now they knew that he was still there. But, Misto never saw them. Perhaps they had decided to leave him alone. He hoped this was the case.
Rum Tum Tugger walked down the sidewalk. He had left the junkyard and was on his way to meet the stray queen. It was a beautiful day. They sky was clear and blue. The air was warm and clean. There were a number of cats out and about. Some that he knew and some that he'd never seen before. But all of the females knew him. He strutted past a house to see a young queen sitting inside the window looking at him. He grinned and winked at her. A big smile came to her face. She waved back so vigorously that she fell off of the window sill and out of view. The Maine coon chuckled and shook his head. An adult queen walked up to him and purred a hello. He allowed her to rub against him for a little while. Then he lightly shoved her away like he did to Bombalurina on occasion, and continued on as though he had forgotten she was there. He was used to things like that. It always happened when he walked down the streets of London.
Up ahead, he could see the lamp post where he and the stray queen always met. However, this time the queen was not there. Tugger looked around confusedly. She was never late.
Suddenly, he heard a scream coming from the alley just ahead of him. He ran into it. He saw a frightened calico who had been cornered by three, black, scruffy toms. Macavity's henchcats! Tugger looked around, but he did not see the Napoleon of Crime anywhere. Convinced that it was just them, he picked up a piece of wood and crept up behind the henchcat closest to him. He held his finger over his lips to let the queen know to be quiet. Then, he lifted the wood and hit the henchcat on the head as hard as he could. The scruffy tom fell to the ground unconscious. Before the other two could react, Rum Tum Tugger grabbed the one to his left and threw him into the wall. The last henchcat came up behind him. The calico shouted a warning. The Maine coon turned, but not in time to dodge a swipe from the henchcat's claws. Tugger gritted his teeth and glanced at the cuts on his arm. So one of Macavity's henchcats dared break the Rum Tum Tugger's skin did he? He hissed at the scruffy tom who suddenly froze in his tracks. A look of terror came to his red eyes. Tugger slashed him across the face. He fell under the blow.
"Run!" he shouted. "It's a jellicle cat! Run!"
The two henchcats picked up their unconscious comrade and bolted out of the alley. The Maine coon turned to the calico who ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"Tugger!" she said happily. "You saved my life!"
"The privilege was all mine."
He kissed her. She was the queen he had come to meet.
"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
She shook her head.
"No, but they hurt you."
Rum Tum Tugger looked at the deep cuts on his arm.
"It's nothing," he said.
"Let me look at it."
"No, really Medica, it's nothing."
Before Tugger could stop her, the calico queen named Medica placed a paw over the large scratches. The Maine coon clenched his teeth and stifled a groan. Her paw felt like red hot iron pressed on his raw flesh! Finally, she removed it. He gasped in relief and grabbed his arm. He suddenly realized that the cuts did not hurt anymore. He removed his paw. There was no blood. Not only that, but there were no scratches. Not even a scar. The wound had vanished. The shocked Tugger looked at the calico.
"My name is Medica," she said. "It comes from the Latin word medicus. It means healer."
"Did you. . ."
"Yes," answered the calico. "Now you know my secret."
"You. . .you have. . ."
"Healing powers. Yes, I've had them since I was born. But I stopped telling felines."
"Why?" asked the Tugger. He did understand why anyone would want to keep a special power secret.
"I used to live in a big town far away from here. When word got out that I had healing powers, I was mobbed by felines with ailments and injuries, begging me to heal them. Owned toms would come up to me with business proposals. They offered me all this stuff. They wanted to buy me. I never had a moment to myself. I couldn't stand it anymore so I ran away and came here."
"And you've kept it a secret ever since?"
Medica nodded.
"I don't want that to happen to me again."
She looked into the Maine coon's eyes.
"Please don't tell anyone."
Rum Tum Tugger smiled and took her in his arms.
"Your secret is safe with me," he said kindly. "For now, I will only use my lips for one thing."
"What's that?"
Tugger didn't answer. Instead, he leaned down and gave the calico a passionate kiss.
Mistoffelees continued to avoid the guard cats during the few days that followed. He left the tribe's clearing when he heard them coming and did not return until he was absolutely sure that they had left. This way, they never met face to face. Misto wasn't really sure if they knew that he was still there. They had locked him out of the junkyard and hadn't seen him since. He had easily warped back to the tribe's clearing with only a snap of his fingers. He liked the thought that no locked gate could stand in his way. He wondered that the guard cats did not think of that. Perhaps they thought he'd be too scared to return. In truth, he was a little scared. He didn't know why they acted the way they did. First bullying him and then kicking him out. Mistoffelees simply did not understand.
One day, he returned to the tribe's clearing almost immediately after the guard cats had left. Jemima greeted him like she always did. She told him that the brown toms had inquired where he was and that she had told them that he was in his clearing as usual. So now they knew that he was still there. But, Misto never saw them. Perhaps they had decided to leave him alone. He hoped this was the case.
Rum Tum Tugger walked down the sidewalk. He had left the junkyard and was on his way to meet the stray queen. It was a beautiful day. They sky was clear and blue. The air was warm and clean. There were a number of cats out and about. Some that he knew and some that he'd never seen before. But all of the females knew him. He strutted past a house to see a young queen sitting inside the window looking at him. He grinned and winked at her. A big smile came to her face. She waved back so vigorously that she fell off of the window sill and out of view. The Maine coon chuckled and shook his head. An adult queen walked up to him and purred a hello. He allowed her to rub against him for a little while. Then he lightly shoved her away like he did to Bombalurina on occasion, and continued on as though he had forgotten she was there. He was used to things like that. It always happened when he walked down the streets of London.
Up ahead, he could see the lamp post where he and the stray queen always met. However, this time the queen was not there. Tugger looked around confusedly. She was never late.
Suddenly, he heard a scream coming from the alley just ahead of him. He ran into it. He saw a frightened calico who had been cornered by three, black, scruffy toms. Macavity's henchcats! Tugger looked around, but he did not see the Napoleon of Crime anywhere. Convinced that it was just them, he picked up a piece of wood and crept up behind the henchcat closest to him. He held his finger over his lips to let the queen know to be quiet. Then, he lifted the wood and hit the henchcat on the head as hard as he could. The scruffy tom fell to the ground unconscious. Before the other two could react, Rum Tum Tugger grabbed the one to his left and threw him into the wall. The last henchcat came up behind him. The calico shouted a warning. The Maine coon turned, but not in time to dodge a swipe from the henchcat's claws. Tugger gritted his teeth and glanced at the cuts on his arm. So one of Macavity's henchcats dared break the Rum Tum Tugger's skin did he? He hissed at the scruffy tom who suddenly froze in his tracks. A look of terror came to his red eyes. Tugger slashed him across the face. He fell under the blow.
"Run!" he shouted. "It's a jellicle cat! Run!"
The two henchcats picked up their unconscious comrade and bolted out of the alley. The Maine coon turned to the calico who ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"Tugger!" she said happily. "You saved my life!"
"The privilege was all mine."
He kissed her. She was the queen he had come to meet.
"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
She shook her head.
"No, but they hurt you."
Rum Tum Tugger looked at the deep cuts on his arm.
"It's nothing," he said.
"Let me look at it."
"No, really Medica, it's nothing."
Before Tugger could stop her, the calico queen named Medica placed a paw over the large scratches. The Maine coon clenched his teeth and stifled a groan. Her paw felt like red hot iron pressed on his raw flesh! Finally, she removed it. He gasped in relief and grabbed his arm. He suddenly realized that the cuts did not hurt anymore. He removed his paw. There was no blood. Not only that, but there were no scratches. Not even a scar. The wound had vanished. The shocked Tugger looked at the calico.
"My name is Medica," she said. "It comes from the Latin word medicus. It means healer."
"Did you. . ."
"Yes," answered the calico. "Now you know my secret."
"You. . .you have. . ."
"Healing powers. Yes, I've had them since I was born. But I stopped telling felines."
"Why?" asked the Tugger. He did understand why anyone would want to keep a special power secret.
"I used to live in a big town far away from here. When word got out that I had healing powers, I was mobbed by felines with ailments and injuries, begging me to heal them. Owned toms would come up to me with business proposals. They offered me all this stuff. They wanted to buy me. I never had a moment to myself. I couldn't stand it anymore so I ran away and came here."
"And you've kept it a secret ever since?"
Medica nodded.
"I don't want that to happen to me again."
She looked into the Maine coon's eyes.
"Please don't tell anyone."
Rum Tum Tugger smiled and took her in his arms.
"Your secret is safe with me," he said kindly. "For now, I will only use my lips for one thing."
"What's that?"
Tugger didn't answer. Instead, he leaned down and gave the calico a passionate kiss.