Magenta
By: Jessica R Vance (Hat Kat)
Rating: PG or PG-13. Deals with some pretty intense stuff.
Summary: Another Mungo/Rumple story. ::sighs:: Will it ever end? I can't help it, I love them! Kind of a background story on them... how they met, etc. etc. Enjoy!
A/N: Please don't get mad at me... parts of this are slightly depressing, involving abuse and stuff. I love Mungo and Rumple, I'm not doing this to them for kicks, trust me! Besides, everything turns out OK in the end. ^_^
-----
The frightened queen kitten made her way stumblingly through the dark, seemingly deserted alley. She could see no one, but she heard... and she smelled. There were cats everywhere, cats that she felt she wanted nothing to do with.
"Hey baby," came a strange voice. Suddenly a large, strong body rubbed suggestively across hers, and was gone. She cried out.
"How's it goin', hot stuff?" another greasy voice purred, as another, larger tom ran his body across her.
"Stop it!" she screamed, though it came out as nothing more than a frightened, "Mrowr!"
"Heeeey... calm down, poor lost soul."
The kitten stopped in her tracks. Something about this new voice made her want to run as far and fast as she could, but yet... something about it made her want to stay, too.
"...'Oo's theh?"
The voice was silky and deep, discomforting and seductive all at the same time. "Just someone who wants to help you out, little jewel." And all of a sudden, the voice had a face as its owner leaned forward into a small patch of moonlight.
The kitten screamed.
"Oh! Is that any way to greet your potential father?" the wild-haired tom cat cooed, "You can't go around screaming in my face all the time, my little one. It's not nice."
"Oo... oo ah you?"
"... A friend, if you choose. But we'll not discuss who I am right now. Is there anything I can get for you? Something you want?"
"... Some answers."
He laughed, a deep, chilling laugh that sent shivers up the small queen's spine. "I like the way you think, child! You'll have your answers soon enough. Quazka!" A pitch black tom, older than the queen, appeared at the wild red cat's side, "Fetch our friend a blanket." And the black cat was gone again. "Sit down, girl. You're making me nervous, standing up all the time." At first the kitten didn't heed his command, and his face twisted with anger. "I said, SIT DOWN!" he roared. The queen wasted no time in doing so.
The red cat jumped down from his previous perch (a broken down chair) and circled the shaking queen. "What's your name?" he asked, his gentle, disquieting demeanor returning.
"Oi... Oi dunno."
He stopped. "You don't know?"
"Oi... neva 'ad a name."
He rumbled his laugh again. "That's a shame, doll. Every cat ought to have a name. Now that I think of it, every cat *should* have three." He smiled, a dark, toothy smile. "Very well. You obviously have no family," he ran one claw lightly over her bare neck, "And therefore no family name. His smiled widened. "I'll have to name you then. He sat in front of her and studied her for what seemed like hours.
"Magenta," he said finally, "A bit primitive, a bit like an Everyday name, but it will do."
"It don't match me."
This earned the queen another angry look and a sharp cuff. "Never contradict me!" the tom growled angrily. The queen wimpered and nursed her scratched face. "And stop that crying. I won't tolerate that if you have any hope of getting on in my tribe."
The kitten tried to control her dynamite temper, but it flew loose anyway. "Oo said Oi wan'ed t' be in yo' stupid troibe anyways!?"
It was a terrible mistake.
Before she knew it, the fragile queen was halfway across the alley, with a pain in her face that she had never felt before. And she had a raging red tom standing above her.
"Don't you EVER... *EVER* speak to me that way AGAIN! Do you UNDERSTAND ME!?!?" his face was twisted and contorted horribly in his anger, and the small queen was in tears.
"Sir?" came a quiet voice. The tom whirled around to see that Quazka, the black tom, had returned with a very warm-looking blanket.
"Put it on the ground and get out of her," the larger tom snarled. Quazka bowed and left. The queen looked longingly at the blanket. "Go on," her apparent captor said quietly, "Get it." She did so gladly. The tom sighed as he watched her cuddle into it.
"Th-thank you," she murmured, afraid to speak. The tom turned away.
"By the way," he said It was as if the creature that had slapped her only moments before had vanished into thin air; his calm, suave voice had once again returned as he said...
"My name's Macavity."
~*~
The orange tabby peeked through the various trash bins to stare at his boss's new recruit. It was a queen, roughly about his age, who looked like she hadn't had a good meal - or a good catnap - in several days. Still, Rivenklaw felt an unexplained attachment to her. Maybe it was because he hated to see a big strong tom hitting around on a small queen, or maybe it was just because of their shared accent, but he couldn't help but feel that this queen was someone who would eventually become very special to him.
"Rivenklaw!" Macavity snarled. The tom immediately lept out from his hiding place.
"Yessir?"
"Take Magenta to her new quarters." Rivenklaw stayed where he was. "What are you waiting for? Get moving!"
"Oi... Oi dunno wheh 'er quarters ah, sir."
Macavity growled under his breath. "*Pick* some, you great lummox! I don't care where, just get her someplace!"
Rivenklaw jumped to attention. "Yessir! Roight away, sir!" He glanced at Magenta over his shoulder. "C'mon, then." Magenta followed the strange tom out of the alley, with the blanket still draped over her shoulders.
"Yo'... yo' name's Rivenklaw?" she asked timidly, after they had walked for a while in silence.
"Yeh," he answered, sniffing boredly, "Tha boss named me. Oi dun think it suits me, though, so I 'ave me friends cawl me somfin diff'rnt." He paused. "O'... I *would* 'ave me friends cawl me somfin diff'rnt... f'Oi 'ad friends."
"Aww!" Magenta exclaimed, "Oi'll be yo' friend!!!" Rivenklaw grinned widely.
"Really?"
"Really! Wot would you 'ave yo' friends cawl you?"
The tom grinned from ear to ear. "Mungojerrie!" he said, obviously proud of his name. Magenta laughed.
"'At seems t' suit ya betta than tha name you 'ave now!" she grinned.
"Yeh," he agreed, grinning. He studied her. "Now lessee. You need a name wot suits you. Magenta just don' do." He smiled. "Oi've got it! Rumpleteaza! It's puhfect!"
Magenta-now-Rumpleteazer quirked an eyebrow amusedly. "Wot makes ya think 'at's puhfect?"
"Well, ya sloightly rumpled, aintcha?" he asked, smirking happily, "An' with yo' looks, yo' gon' be a real tease one o' 'ese days!"
This simple statement made Rumpleteazer smile bigger than she had in weeks. "Thanks," she murmured, blushing lightly. As she looked into the young tom's silvery-blue eyes, she thought that she wouldn't mind teasing *him* a little.
"'Ell," he said, "'Ere we ah. Yo' 'ome sweet 'ome." They had stopped in front of an overturned and forgotten trash bin. Rumpleteazer's eyes widened.
"This is my 'ouse?" she asked.
"Yeh," Mungojerrie replied, a little sheepishly, "You'll prob'ly get better once tha boss foinds out if yo' good at-"
"It's wondaful!" Rumpleteazer exclaimed, her eyes brimming with tears, "Lookit! It can keep out tha rain real good, it bein' metal, an' it's noice an' cozy with this blanket!" She removed all the garbage and folded the blanket inside. "See?" she was smiling as though she had just moved into the Taj Mahal.
Her utterly kittenish attitude and gratefulness overwhelmed Mungojerrie. He felt his own eyes get wet as he replied, "Yeh... it's great, Teaz." He grinned. "'Ell, Oi guess Oi'll letcha set'le in fo' tha noight, eh? Be at the alley wheh Macavity found ya today, 7 o'clock shahp." He saluted, half-playfully, and sauntered off.
~*~
When he was a good distance away, Mungojerrie found a pile of newspapers and curled up on it. He sat in silence for a moment or two, then began to quietly sob. Rumpleteazer, who he already felt he had exclusive friendship rights to, was going to be ruined. She was a kitten, younger even than himself, though not by much. She knew nothing about Macavity, or how he ran his gang of criminals. She had been swept into a life that Mungojerrie had hated since the earliest days of his kittenhood; and she had been swept in by a simple blanket and trashcan. She was so loving, so trusting, so fresh-faced to the ways of the world.
And she was going to be ruined.
~*~
"Get up, you filthy little bitch!"
Rumpleteazer was rudely awakened by sharp claws on her back. She yowled loudly, the hair on the back of her neck raising as she hissed. Her agressions were met with a harsh swipe across the face.
"You were supposed to be in Macavity's alley an hour ago!!! What's your excuse!?" Rumpleteazer looked up into the face of Quazka, the tom who had brought her blanket to her the night before. She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off, "Bah, it doesn't matter. Macavity's furious, and he'll stay that way the rest of the day, no matter what your excuse is." He spat at her feet. "Thanks to you, the rest of us will be catching Hell all day. Now get up."
Rumpleteazer dragged herself to her feet and followed the angry cat to Macavity's alley. The fiery tom was seated on his chair like a king on his throne. Rumpleteazer found that Quazka hadn't been exaggerating: Macavity was seething.
His red-brown eyes rose to meet her terrified green ones and the look on his face made Rumpleteazer want to faint. His expression was one of pure anger and hatred - no strings attached.
"I take you under my wing," he said, his voice eerily calm, "I give you a place to sleep, I give you a place to keep warm," his eyes hardened, "And you thank me by disobeying orders... the very first day you are here?"
"Oi'm sorry, sir," Rumplteazer blubbered, "Oi ovaslept, Oi know, Oi'm sorry, Oi'm sorry, it'll neva 'appen again, Oi've been very toired of late, sir, and Oi-"
"SILENCE!"
She shut her mouth before she got herself into more trouble. "Sorry, sir."
Macavity lept gracefully down from his chair. He circled her, just like the night before. However, this time, she felt more like a wounded rat waiting to be pounced on than a cat being examined for admittance to a tribe. Rumpleteazer scanned the group of motley looking cats for Mungojerrie. She spotted him, in between two smaller toms, looking as frightened as she felt. He tried to give her an encouraging smile, but ended up almost fainting.
"Well, Magenta?" Macavity said, "What do you think I should choose to punish you? There are several things I have to consider, you know. This is your first offense. However, it hasn't even been one day since you've been a member of my tribe. Of course, I do also have to take into consideration that you *have* been tired and hungry lately. So... what will it be? Light beating? Heavy beating? Banishment?" He paused, bringing his face close to hers. "Death?"
"NO!"
All eyes turned to the voice that dared to speak out while Macavity was considering a punishment. The tabby stood his ground, shaking in his proverbial boots. "Oi... Oi dun think she deserves... death... sir." Someone in the crowd gasped at his boldness. "If... if you think so... sir."
"Well, well, well..." Macavity said. It seemed his attention had completely flown from Rumpleteazer and landed on Mungojerrie. "Master Rivenklaw... protector of the underpriviledged. How very touching." He sneered. "And just what brought on this little burst of nobility? Never mind," he reconsidered, "I'm not sure I want to know." He turned back to Rumpleteazer.
"You, Magenta... I will deal with you in my own way. Seeing as how this is only your first offense - and there had better NOT be another one - you don't get your precious trash bin tonight." Rumpleteazer's face fell. "Yes, I'm afraid so," Macavity continued in a mock-sympathetic voice, "You'll have to sleep somewhere else. Just for tonight, remember. Quazka will show you where when the time comes. Now get in line."
Rumpleteazer bowed and hurried into the first open space she saw. Macavity gave them their orders for the day, and they disbanded. Rumpleteazer had been assigned to go with Mungojerrie on her first theiving run.
"'At was quoite a mess you got yo'self inta today," Mungojerrie commented as they made their way to Victoria Grove, their assigned street. "Yo' lucky you got off lucky as you did."
"You stuck up fo' me! Oi've never 'ad anyone do 'at befo'!" Mungojerrie nearly keeled over. Rather than worrying about the trouble she had barely scooted past today, the girl was actually in wonder over him speaking up for her!
"R-Rumpleteaza... you scraped pas' *death* today! Ain't you concehned about getting inta mo' trouble wif Macavity?"
She grinned. "Nu-uh! Oi knew Oi'd get by today! Seein' as 'ow t'was my first day an' awl! Oi admit, Oi was a lit'le scared-"
"A lit'le scared? Rumpleteaza, you was shakin' so bad yo' knees was knockin' togetha! Trust me, Oi 'eard them!" Rumpleteazer laughed. "This is no laughin' matta, Rumpleteaza!"
"Fo' Voivat's sake, qui' cawlin' me 'at! Oi'm all roight 'ith 'avin' a new name an' awl, but can we sho'ten it? Loike... Teaza. Jus' cawl me Teaza."
'An' 'at's certainly what you ah,' Mungojerrie thought to himself. Oddly enough, her cheeky, overly-confident attitude attracted him hugely to her. However, the nagging thought in the back of his mind pushed itself forward. "Teaza," he muttered, "Please promise me you'll troy ta be'ave yo'self. Oi don' wan' you ta get inta any unnecessary trouble wif tha boss."
Teaza looked at him solemnly. Could it be that he had finally gotten through? "Awl roight, Mungojerrie," she said. Suddenly her eyes gleamed, "If Oi get inta any trouble, Oi promise you it'll be purely necessary!" With that, she kissed him lightly on the nose and ran off, leaving him in a trail of dust.
"TEAZA!!!" he shouted after her, torn between being highly frustrated and totally smitten. He sighed and began to follow her, gaining quickly. "Rum... ple... tea... za..." he panted when he finally caught up with her, "Slow... down... bloimey yo' fast!"
"Ta!" she replied, grinning, and stopped suddenly. Mungojerrie tried to halt, but ended up tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his face. Rumpleteazer giggled. "Croikey," she said, smiling at him, "Fo' a thief, you sure ah clumsy!"
Mungojerried frowned. "Oh, thanks sooooo much, ma'am." Giggling again, Rumpleteazer helped him up.
"Aw, you'll be awl roight," she said, brushing him off, "Now c'mon, Mr. Oi-Don'-Wanna-Get-In-Trouble-Wif-Macavity. We betta snatch some pretties o' he ain't gonna be none too 'appy."
~*~
"Hm..." Macavity murmured as the two tabbies laid three or four necklaces at his feet, "Surprisingly good work. Good job."
Rumpleteazer smiled. "Does 'is mean Oi can sleep in my trashbin tonoight?" This earned her a death glare from Macavity.
"No," he said bluntly. "As a matter of fact... Quazka!"
"Sir?" the black tom stepped forward.
"Take Magenta to her sleeping quarters for the night. Everyone else is dismissed!"
"Yes, sir," Quazka said, a slightly sadistic smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Come on, Magenta."
Mungojerrie watched them leave and glanced at Macavity. He seemed distracted, talking to another member of the gang. Taking this opportunity, Mungojerrie slid away.
~*~
Rumpleteazer found herself in a cold, bleak park that looked as though it hadn't been visited in ages. Quazka had told her to get to bed early so she wouldn't be late again the next morning. She planned on getting up at daybreak.
She curled up under a playset and shivered. This was a far cry from her warm blanket and dry trash can. A light rain started up, and Rumpleteazer sighed. Could it get much worse? A better question... would it ever get better?
And suddenly... it got better.
"...Teaza luv?"
Rumpleteazer's head shot up. "M-Mungojerrie!" she cried, her teeth chattering, "W-wot ah y-you doin' 'ere!??!" She pounced on him, half from the happiness of seeing him, half from a desperate attempt to warm herself. He laughed.
"Well, damned if Oi was gonna let you spend tha noight 'ere awl by yo'self!" he said, returning her embrace, "Oi knew wheh they was sending you... they always send tha ones wot 'ave misbe'aved out 'ere. So Oi thought... ya know, that Oi'd follow you. Make sure you was gonna be OK."
Rumpleteazer's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Jerrie..." she sniffled, "Yo' so sweet! But... Oi... Oi think Oi'll be foine. Oi mean, Oi can take care o' meself." The truth was, Rumpleteazer felt terrible (and, she thought, probably looked worse). But she didn't want her Jerrie (*her* Jerrie?) getting worried about her.
Mungojerrie looked skeptical. He put a hand gingerly on her face. "Bloody 'ell, Teaza!" he said, "Yo' loike oice!" He frowned. "An' you expect me ta believe you can take care o' yo'self? Fat chance, luv. Now get under 'at thing," she did so, returning to her perch, "... An' scoot ova."
Rumpleteazer looked at him curiously. "Jer-"
"Now don' ahgue with me," he said sternly, climbing under the playset with her, "Oi'm gunna keep you warm, whetha you loike it o' not!" He suddenly realized the situation that he had gotten himself into and blushed, losing his fatherly demeanor immediately. "An'... an' that's that," he finished lamely.
Rumpleteazer smiled slyly, feeling a purr rising in her throat. "Oh, deah me..." she whispered, "Woteva shall Oi do?" Mungojerrie's blush deepened as she snuggled as close as she could to him.
"Comfy?" he managed to say without hiccupping. It was a terrible habit that he had: hiccupping when he was nervous. No matter how he fought it, when he was shaky, he always started. And he knew that doing it right now would totally destroy the moment.
"Mm-hm..." she murmured, closing her eyes and sighing.
He hiccupped.
~*~
Daylight. Mungojerrie's eyes were filled with daylight. He squinted. Awfully bright out to be early in the morning.
Unless...
Oh no.
"Teaza!" he whispered frantically, trying to wake the sleeping queen next to him, "Teaza, get up! Ooooooh boy, we'h in big trouble! Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open. "Jerrie!" she whined, "Wot ah you yellin' at?? Oi'm tryin' t' sleep 'ere!"
"I *KNOW,*" Mungojerrie said desperately, "'At's tha POINT!" He nudged her with his nose. "You got'a get up! We've ovaslept! Tha boss is gonna kill us!" Suddenly, he let loose a huge sneeze.
"AAAHHH-CHOOOOO!"
Rumpleteazer blinked. "You sick?" She seemed wide awake now.
He sniffled. "Oi dun think s- WAH-CHOO!"
She frowned. "You musta caught somfin bein' out in tha rain awl noight. You plonker!"
Mungojerrie's eyes widened. "Plonker? ME!? Wot did Oi do!?"
"You came out lookin' fo' me! You shoulda stayed wheh it was noice an' warm! Instead you 'ad t' come out in tha rain with me!!!"
Suddenly Mungojerrie felt very angry. And very congested. "Look!" he exclaimed, "Oi came out t' foind you because Oi thought MAYBE you'd loike t' 'ave some COMPANY! Oi thought MAYBE you'd loike t' 'ave someone t' 'elp keep you WARM! But Oi guess not! Oi guess you jus' wanted me t' leave you alone!" His outburst was punctuated by another sneeze.
Rumpleteazer was close to tears. "Jerrie! Jerrie, please stop shouting!" she said. He looked into her eyes and suddenly all his defenses dropped. He had done something that he didn't think was possible.
He had gotten to her.
"Jerrie, please don' be mad at me," she whispered, "Oi didna mean t' make you mad. Oi... Oi'm worried, tha's awl." She sighed. "Ah you mad?"
He blinked. "No, luv," he said quietly. "Oi'm not mad. Oi... Oi jus' thought you wanted me theh last noight. An' then you cawl me names for bein' theh... Oi didn't know what t' think."
Rumpleteazer knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that she wanted to tell him how glad she was that he had been there last night. She wanted to tell him how much she loved having him there, being able to curl up next to him and feel warm and complete. She wanted to kiss him.
But all she said was, "Oi'm sorry Oi gave tha wrong impression... Oi... Oi was happy fo' you bein' theh."
Another emotional bust. She sighed inwardly.
Mungojerrie smiled. "Thanks," he said. And coughed. "Ack," he said, his eyes crossing.
Frowning, Rumpleteazer fussed over him, "Yo' really sick, luv. We'll 'ave t' get Macavity t' let you rest fo' a few days. When we go t' the alley, we'll tell 'im that Oi got up early enough, but when Oi found you, you was real sick. Oi took care o' ya until you could get up enough energy t' come see 'im."
"Good idea," Mungojerrie said scratchily, his voice failing.
~*~
Macavity was skeptical. "So... you're telling me that you were on your deathbed, Rivenklaw?"
"Yessir," Mungojerrie rasped.
"'E could 'ardly move 't'all," Rumpleteazer piped up.
Their boss raised an eyebrow. "Though my gut tells me otherwise," he said, "I'm going to let this slide. Magenta, you'll need a new partner while Rivenklaw heals."
Rumpleteazer's face fell. "Um... Oi was under tha impression 'at Oi got t' 'elp 'im get bet'er, sir."
"Keep up that kind of talk and YOU'LL be the one needing medical attention."
"Gotcha."
~*~
Mungojerrie looked sadly after his friend as she went off with Macavity's right-hand cat, Quazka. He didn't like the way Quazka was looking at her *at all.* It was a look that reeked with something that was half hate, half desire. And neither could be good for his Teazer.
~*~
Rumpleteazer didn't like the idea of being partnered with Quazka at all. She knew that the ebony tom didn't like her at all, and she was worried about what he might try to do to her.
"You and Rivenklaw are getting mighty cosy, aren't you?" he purred as they wandered through the streets of London.
She looked at him. "Wot?"
He smiled in a way that made Rumpleteazer very uncomfortable. "I went to the park late last night to make sure you hadn't tried to leave. I saw you two together," he smirked, "You looked awfully comfortable."
Rumpleteazer looked away, blushing. "'E... 'e jus' came by t' check on me."
"You know..." Quazka continued, disregarding her comment, "Fraternization is highly punishable in Macavity's gang."
Eyes wide, Rumpleteazer turned to him. "It is?" Then she checked herself. "Well, 'at shouldna botha me much. Oi'm not frateroizin' 'ith anyone!"
With a chilling laugh, Quazka's eyes trailed her body. "I'm sure you haven't," he said, although he didn't sound like he was very sure. "But if I told Macavity what I saw..." He bared his teeth in another frightening smile, "You could be in very big trouble."
"Quazka... you wouldn't!"
"Oh, but I would," he answered, "I am hardly above reporting information about my fellow gang members to Macavity. I figure, either way I go, there's somthing in it for me." His greasy smile remained.
"... Wot d'you mean?"
"Well... if I tell Macavity about you... he'll reward me. If I keep my mouth shut..." he eyed her, "You'll owe me."
That didn't sound good.
Rumpleteazer was scared. "Wot would Oi owe you?" she asked, rather dreading the answer.
Quazka grinned. "Oh, not much..." he said, "Maybe just a night or two." He cast his eyes darkly at her; she caught his meaning.
"Oi'd neva!" she exclaimed.
But Quazka knew exactly which buttons to push. "If I told Macavity what I saw, Rivenklaw would probably get into more trouble than you would, since he's your superior. The boss might even *kill* him."
Rumpleteazer gasped. Kill Mungojerrie?
"Wouldn't like that, would you, doll?" Quazka purred, running a claw seductively down her cheek. "You might as well consent."
"This isn't fair," Rumpleteazer said, sobs rising in her throat, "We wasn't even doin' anythin'!"
"Ah, but that won't be the story I tell Macavity if you don't do that I want you to," Quazka contradicted. "I'll describe the frenzy of passion I saw you two in to him in great detail, should the situation call for it." His smile was enough to make Rumpleteazer retch. "So what'll it be?"
The tears came, no matter how hard Rumpleteazer fought them. There was nothing she could do, and she knew it.
She nodded. "Jus' don' get M... Rivenklaw inta trouble."
~*~
"'Ow did things go t'day, luv?" Mungojerrie asked when Rumpleteazer came to see him later that evening.
"Wasn't tha same withou' you theh," she answered. Skirting the topic, she said, "'Ow've you been feelin'?"
"A lil tired, but not awl bad." Then he noticed her shadowed eyes and distressed expression. "Teaza...?" he said, "Is somfin wrong?"
Her eyes darted nervously to him, as though she had just realized that he was there. "Oh, no," she said, "Oi'm jus' tired, 'a's awl. Long day."
This didn't satisfy him. "Did Quazka do somfin t' you? 'Cause if 'e did, Oi sweh Oi'll-"
"'E didn't do nothin'" Rumpleteazer answered, "'E didn't."
The ailing tom searched her face and sighed. "Awl roight. But you jus' tell me if 'e eva *does* do anythin', ya 'ear? Oi won' 'ave 'im messin' 'ith you."
This made the queen smile. "Thanks," she said, "It's noice t' know 'at Oi've got someone watchin' ova me." She bent over and kissed him on top of the head. "Oi'l see ya tomorra."
~*~
"Heeeey..." Quazka murmured the next day, "That looks like a nice target." Rumpleteazer looked in the direction of his eyes and saw that he was looking at a small, pure white queen about her age walking toward them. She had on a pearly collar and looked as though she lived with a very rich family.
"Oi dunno, Quazka..." she answered, "Oi've neva stole from anotha cat before."
He cuffed her sharply across the face. "You'll do what you're told," he spat, "Unless you want to see your little boyfriend in shreds."
Rumpleteazer sighed sadly. "Awl roight."
Quazka lept out in front of the queen. "Where are you going, princess?" he asked in his slimiest voice.
This seemed to take the queen by surprise. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Enough about me, let's talk about you. Better yet, let's talk about you giving me that lovely collar of yours."
"No! It's mine!"
"Precisely; that means you have exclusive authority to hand it over. Magenta! Come and get the little lady's pretty decoration."
Rumpleteazer walked over to the white queen reluctantly. "Sorry," she whispered, "Oi don't wanna do 'is..."
"Don't talk to her, just take the damn collar!" Quazka snarled. Frowning, Rumpleteazer unhooked the collar and brought it back to him. "Good girl," he purred. "You may be on your way now," he commented to their victim.
~*~
After they had taken the day's goods to Macavity, Quazka took Rumpleteazer back to his quarters. "The next time," he growled in a low voice, "That I tell you to do something, I don't want you to contradict me in *any* manner, do you understand me?"
"Oi undastand," Rumpleteazer said, and turned to go.
"Uh uh uh..." Quazka reprimanded, "I haven't given you permission to go yet. You're forgetting part of your bargin, my dear girl." Rumpleteazer winced.
"Do we 'ave to tonoight? Oi'm tired-" Her words were cut off by a slap.
"What did I just tell you!?" Quazka demanded. He then lightly kissed the place that he had just hit. "Now lighten up. You're no fun if you're pouting."
Rumpleteazer closed her eyes and waited for it to be over.
~*~
Rumpleteazer knew that it was pointless to try and hide the bruises that Quazka had given her from Mungojerrie, so she simply didn't go see him that evening.
Imagine her surprise when he came to see her instead.
"Wheh were you tonoight?" he asked. This question seemed to become suddenly unimportant when he saw her face. "'Eavysoide!" he exclaimed, "Wot 'append t' yo' face, Teaza!?"
"Oi fell," she automatically answered.
"'At's tha oldest trick in tha book, luv," he reproached her, "Wot *really* 'appened? Oo did 'at?"
"Oi... Oi got in a foight t'day. 'Ith a cat Quazka and Oi was tryin' t' steal from."
"Now Oi figgered 'is 'ad somfin t' do 'ith Quazka. But Oi still don' think yo' tellin' me tha truth. C'mon luv."
"Oi..." she couldn't think of what to tell him. If she told him the truth, Quazka would kill her... and probably Mungojerrie too. But if she *didn't* tell him, he would keep persisting, and she'd eventually give in sooner or later. "Oi..."
"Oi, Oi, Oi," Mungojerrie said exhasperatedly, "If you don' tell me, Oi'll foind out fo' meself."
"ItwasQuazka," she said quickly, turning away from him.
"Wot?"
"Nothin'."
"Quazka." Rumpleteazer had never heard a voice like that come out of Mungojerrie. "Oi *knew* 'e did 'is to you. Oi'll kill 'im, Oi will..."
"Jerrie, no!"
"Why the 'Ell NOT!?"
"B'cause..." she looked at him, "'E threatened me. 'E tol' me 'at if Oi didn't do wot 'e tol' me to, 'e'd tell Macavity 'at 'e saw us togetha. Ya know, in tha pahk. Apparently we could get inta big trouble if Macavity knew 'at. An'... Quazka said 'at if Oi didn't do wot 'e tol' me to, 'e'd tell 'im. And... 'e said Macavity moight..." a sob caught in her throat, "Moight kill you." She sobbed. "An' Jerrie, Oi couldn't let 'im do 'at!"
Mungojerrie blinked. "You... fo'... *me*?"
"Well Oi couldn't jus' let 'im kill you!"
He cautiously approached her, turning her face up toward his. "Teaza," he whispered, "You... you didn't have t'..." His eyes hardened. "Wot exactly did 'e do t' you?"
Silence.
"It wasn't jus' tha bruises, was it?"
She turned away from him again, not able to tell him.
"Tha bastahd." With that, Mungojerrie sprang away.
"Jerrie!"
~*~
When Rumpleteazer found Mungojerrie, he had Quazka backed into a corner and was growling at him menacingly. Quazka was large, but Mungojerrie was bigger.
And right now, Quazka seemed about three inches tall.
"Rivenklaw... Rivenklaw... just calm down," he stammered, desperately trying to save himself.
"YOU SHUT UP!" Mungojerrie growled at him, "You pathe'ic excuse fo' a tom! Wot tha 'Ell did you think you was doin' to Rumpleteaza!?" He lept onto him and began to violently tear at his face.
Through his screams, Quazka managed to cry, "Who's Rumpleteazer!?"
"Shut up!" Mungojerrie hissed at him, scratching his face to shreds.
"Jerrie!" Rumpleteazer cried.
He whirled around to face her. "Stay outta 'is, Teaza," he whispered low, "'E ain't gonna 'urt you no more." He turned back to a whimpering Quazka.
"When Macavity finds out about this..." he sniveled.
"Macavity won't foind out about this..." Mungojerrie hissed, "Because 'e ain't gonna 'ave enough of you left t' foind."
Quazka whimpered. "Rivenklaw... please..."
"My name..." a quick swipe across the throat ended the black tom's crying, "Is Mungojerrie."
~*~
Mungojerrie stood blinking at the motionless Quazka. "Oi killed 'im..." he said quietly, "Oi really killed 'im." He turned to Rumpleteazer, who was staring at him as though he were from another planet. "Teaza," he said, heading toward her.
"Don' you touch me," she said, backing up.
"No, Teaza, Oi ain't gonna 'urt you! Please, Teaza..." she stopped, and he walked up to her. He gently nuzzled her neck. "Please don' be scehed o' me."
"Oi... Jerrie... you..." Tears filled her eyes. "Yo' gonna be in SO much trouble!"
"Oi don' care," he answered, "Oi don' care 'ow much trouble Oi get in. 'E ain't gonna 'urt you no more, an' 'at's awl 'at matters."
With a slight smile, Rumpleteazer threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "Yo' gonna get yo'self 'urt one o' these days, takin' care o' me," she said, "An' when you do, don' say Oi didn't warn you!"
Mungojerrie laughed and returned her embrace. "Oi'll make a note. Now c'mon, we gotta get outta 'ere b'fore the boss foinds Quazka."
"Get outta 'ere? Wheh ah we goin'?"
"Doesn't matta. We jus' gotta get away."
~Fin~
But that's not all! Soon there will be Chapter Two! Bwahahahahahaha... ha.
By: Jessica R Vance (Hat Kat)
Rating: PG or PG-13. Deals with some pretty intense stuff.
Summary: Another Mungo/Rumple story. ::sighs:: Will it ever end? I can't help it, I love them! Kind of a background story on them... how they met, etc. etc. Enjoy!
A/N: Please don't get mad at me... parts of this are slightly depressing, involving abuse and stuff. I love Mungo and Rumple, I'm not doing this to them for kicks, trust me! Besides, everything turns out OK in the end. ^_^
-----
The frightened queen kitten made her way stumblingly through the dark, seemingly deserted alley. She could see no one, but she heard... and she smelled. There were cats everywhere, cats that she felt she wanted nothing to do with.
"Hey baby," came a strange voice. Suddenly a large, strong body rubbed suggestively across hers, and was gone. She cried out.
"How's it goin', hot stuff?" another greasy voice purred, as another, larger tom ran his body across her.
"Stop it!" she screamed, though it came out as nothing more than a frightened, "Mrowr!"
"Heeeey... calm down, poor lost soul."
The kitten stopped in her tracks. Something about this new voice made her want to run as far and fast as she could, but yet... something about it made her want to stay, too.
"...'Oo's theh?"
The voice was silky and deep, discomforting and seductive all at the same time. "Just someone who wants to help you out, little jewel." And all of a sudden, the voice had a face as its owner leaned forward into a small patch of moonlight.
The kitten screamed.
"Oh! Is that any way to greet your potential father?" the wild-haired tom cat cooed, "You can't go around screaming in my face all the time, my little one. It's not nice."
"Oo... oo ah you?"
"... A friend, if you choose. But we'll not discuss who I am right now. Is there anything I can get for you? Something you want?"
"... Some answers."
He laughed, a deep, chilling laugh that sent shivers up the small queen's spine. "I like the way you think, child! You'll have your answers soon enough. Quazka!" A pitch black tom, older than the queen, appeared at the wild red cat's side, "Fetch our friend a blanket." And the black cat was gone again. "Sit down, girl. You're making me nervous, standing up all the time." At first the kitten didn't heed his command, and his face twisted with anger. "I said, SIT DOWN!" he roared. The queen wasted no time in doing so.
The red cat jumped down from his previous perch (a broken down chair) and circled the shaking queen. "What's your name?" he asked, his gentle, disquieting demeanor returning.
"Oi... Oi dunno."
He stopped. "You don't know?"
"Oi... neva 'ad a name."
He rumbled his laugh again. "That's a shame, doll. Every cat ought to have a name. Now that I think of it, every cat *should* have three." He smiled, a dark, toothy smile. "Very well. You obviously have no family," he ran one claw lightly over her bare neck, "And therefore no family name. His smiled widened. "I'll have to name you then. He sat in front of her and studied her for what seemed like hours.
"Magenta," he said finally, "A bit primitive, a bit like an Everyday name, but it will do."
"It don't match me."
This earned the queen another angry look and a sharp cuff. "Never contradict me!" the tom growled angrily. The queen wimpered and nursed her scratched face. "And stop that crying. I won't tolerate that if you have any hope of getting on in my tribe."
The kitten tried to control her dynamite temper, but it flew loose anyway. "Oo said Oi wan'ed t' be in yo' stupid troibe anyways!?"
It was a terrible mistake.
Before she knew it, the fragile queen was halfway across the alley, with a pain in her face that she had never felt before. And she had a raging red tom standing above her.
"Don't you EVER... *EVER* speak to me that way AGAIN! Do you UNDERSTAND ME!?!?" his face was twisted and contorted horribly in his anger, and the small queen was in tears.
"Sir?" came a quiet voice. The tom whirled around to see that Quazka, the black tom, had returned with a very warm-looking blanket.
"Put it on the ground and get out of her," the larger tom snarled. Quazka bowed and left. The queen looked longingly at the blanket. "Go on," her apparent captor said quietly, "Get it." She did so gladly. The tom sighed as he watched her cuddle into it.
"Th-thank you," she murmured, afraid to speak. The tom turned away.
"By the way," he said It was as if the creature that had slapped her only moments before had vanished into thin air; his calm, suave voice had once again returned as he said...
"My name's Macavity."
~*~
The orange tabby peeked through the various trash bins to stare at his boss's new recruit. It was a queen, roughly about his age, who looked like she hadn't had a good meal - or a good catnap - in several days. Still, Rivenklaw felt an unexplained attachment to her. Maybe it was because he hated to see a big strong tom hitting around on a small queen, or maybe it was just because of their shared accent, but he couldn't help but feel that this queen was someone who would eventually become very special to him.
"Rivenklaw!" Macavity snarled. The tom immediately lept out from his hiding place.
"Yessir?"
"Take Magenta to her new quarters." Rivenklaw stayed where he was. "What are you waiting for? Get moving!"
"Oi... Oi dunno wheh 'er quarters ah, sir."
Macavity growled under his breath. "*Pick* some, you great lummox! I don't care where, just get her someplace!"
Rivenklaw jumped to attention. "Yessir! Roight away, sir!" He glanced at Magenta over his shoulder. "C'mon, then." Magenta followed the strange tom out of the alley, with the blanket still draped over her shoulders.
"Yo'... yo' name's Rivenklaw?" she asked timidly, after they had walked for a while in silence.
"Yeh," he answered, sniffing boredly, "Tha boss named me. Oi dun think it suits me, though, so I 'ave me friends cawl me somfin diff'rnt." He paused. "O'... I *would* 'ave me friends cawl me somfin diff'rnt... f'Oi 'ad friends."
"Aww!" Magenta exclaimed, "Oi'll be yo' friend!!!" Rivenklaw grinned widely.
"Really?"
"Really! Wot would you 'ave yo' friends cawl you?"
The tom grinned from ear to ear. "Mungojerrie!" he said, obviously proud of his name. Magenta laughed.
"'At seems t' suit ya betta than tha name you 'ave now!" she grinned.
"Yeh," he agreed, grinning. He studied her. "Now lessee. You need a name wot suits you. Magenta just don' do." He smiled. "Oi've got it! Rumpleteaza! It's puhfect!"
Magenta-now-Rumpleteazer quirked an eyebrow amusedly. "Wot makes ya think 'at's puhfect?"
"Well, ya sloightly rumpled, aintcha?" he asked, smirking happily, "An' with yo' looks, yo' gon' be a real tease one o' 'ese days!"
This simple statement made Rumpleteazer smile bigger than she had in weeks. "Thanks," she murmured, blushing lightly. As she looked into the young tom's silvery-blue eyes, she thought that she wouldn't mind teasing *him* a little.
"'Ell," he said, "'Ere we ah. Yo' 'ome sweet 'ome." They had stopped in front of an overturned and forgotten trash bin. Rumpleteazer's eyes widened.
"This is my 'ouse?" she asked.
"Yeh," Mungojerrie replied, a little sheepishly, "You'll prob'ly get better once tha boss foinds out if yo' good at-"
"It's wondaful!" Rumpleteazer exclaimed, her eyes brimming with tears, "Lookit! It can keep out tha rain real good, it bein' metal, an' it's noice an' cozy with this blanket!" She removed all the garbage and folded the blanket inside. "See?" she was smiling as though she had just moved into the Taj Mahal.
Her utterly kittenish attitude and gratefulness overwhelmed Mungojerrie. He felt his own eyes get wet as he replied, "Yeh... it's great, Teaz." He grinned. "'Ell, Oi guess Oi'll letcha set'le in fo' tha noight, eh? Be at the alley wheh Macavity found ya today, 7 o'clock shahp." He saluted, half-playfully, and sauntered off.
~*~
When he was a good distance away, Mungojerrie found a pile of newspapers and curled up on it. He sat in silence for a moment or two, then began to quietly sob. Rumpleteazer, who he already felt he had exclusive friendship rights to, was going to be ruined. She was a kitten, younger even than himself, though not by much. She knew nothing about Macavity, or how he ran his gang of criminals. She had been swept into a life that Mungojerrie had hated since the earliest days of his kittenhood; and she had been swept in by a simple blanket and trashcan. She was so loving, so trusting, so fresh-faced to the ways of the world.
And she was going to be ruined.
~*~
"Get up, you filthy little bitch!"
Rumpleteazer was rudely awakened by sharp claws on her back. She yowled loudly, the hair on the back of her neck raising as she hissed. Her agressions were met with a harsh swipe across the face.
"You were supposed to be in Macavity's alley an hour ago!!! What's your excuse!?" Rumpleteazer looked up into the face of Quazka, the tom who had brought her blanket to her the night before. She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off, "Bah, it doesn't matter. Macavity's furious, and he'll stay that way the rest of the day, no matter what your excuse is." He spat at her feet. "Thanks to you, the rest of us will be catching Hell all day. Now get up."
Rumpleteazer dragged herself to her feet and followed the angry cat to Macavity's alley. The fiery tom was seated on his chair like a king on his throne. Rumpleteazer found that Quazka hadn't been exaggerating: Macavity was seething.
His red-brown eyes rose to meet her terrified green ones and the look on his face made Rumpleteazer want to faint. His expression was one of pure anger and hatred - no strings attached.
"I take you under my wing," he said, his voice eerily calm, "I give you a place to sleep, I give you a place to keep warm," his eyes hardened, "And you thank me by disobeying orders... the very first day you are here?"
"Oi'm sorry, sir," Rumplteazer blubbered, "Oi ovaslept, Oi know, Oi'm sorry, Oi'm sorry, it'll neva 'appen again, Oi've been very toired of late, sir, and Oi-"
"SILENCE!"
She shut her mouth before she got herself into more trouble. "Sorry, sir."
Macavity lept gracefully down from his chair. He circled her, just like the night before. However, this time, she felt more like a wounded rat waiting to be pounced on than a cat being examined for admittance to a tribe. Rumpleteazer scanned the group of motley looking cats for Mungojerrie. She spotted him, in between two smaller toms, looking as frightened as she felt. He tried to give her an encouraging smile, but ended up almost fainting.
"Well, Magenta?" Macavity said, "What do you think I should choose to punish you? There are several things I have to consider, you know. This is your first offense. However, it hasn't even been one day since you've been a member of my tribe. Of course, I do also have to take into consideration that you *have* been tired and hungry lately. So... what will it be? Light beating? Heavy beating? Banishment?" He paused, bringing his face close to hers. "Death?"
"NO!"
All eyes turned to the voice that dared to speak out while Macavity was considering a punishment. The tabby stood his ground, shaking in his proverbial boots. "Oi... Oi dun think she deserves... death... sir." Someone in the crowd gasped at his boldness. "If... if you think so... sir."
"Well, well, well..." Macavity said. It seemed his attention had completely flown from Rumpleteazer and landed on Mungojerrie. "Master Rivenklaw... protector of the underpriviledged. How very touching." He sneered. "And just what brought on this little burst of nobility? Never mind," he reconsidered, "I'm not sure I want to know." He turned back to Rumpleteazer.
"You, Magenta... I will deal with you in my own way. Seeing as how this is only your first offense - and there had better NOT be another one - you don't get your precious trash bin tonight." Rumpleteazer's face fell. "Yes, I'm afraid so," Macavity continued in a mock-sympathetic voice, "You'll have to sleep somewhere else. Just for tonight, remember. Quazka will show you where when the time comes. Now get in line."
Rumpleteazer bowed and hurried into the first open space she saw. Macavity gave them their orders for the day, and they disbanded. Rumpleteazer had been assigned to go with Mungojerrie on her first theiving run.
"'At was quoite a mess you got yo'self inta today," Mungojerrie commented as they made their way to Victoria Grove, their assigned street. "Yo' lucky you got off lucky as you did."
"You stuck up fo' me! Oi've never 'ad anyone do 'at befo'!" Mungojerrie nearly keeled over. Rather than worrying about the trouble she had barely scooted past today, the girl was actually in wonder over him speaking up for her!
"R-Rumpleteaza... you scraped pas' *death* today! Ain't you concehned about getting inta mo' trouble wif Macavity?"
She grinned. "Nu-uh! Oi knew Oi'd get by today! Seein' as 'ow t'was my first day an' awl! Oi admit, Oi was a lit'le scared-"
"A lit'le scared? Rumpleteaza, you was shakin' so bad yo' knees was knockin' togetha! Trust me, Oi 'eard them!" Rumpleteazer laughed. "This is no laughin' matta, Rumpleteaza!"
"Fo' Voivat's sake, qui' cawlin' me 'at! Oi'm all roight 'ith 'avin' a new name an' awl, but can we sho'ten it? Loike... Teaza. Jus' cawl me Teaza."
'An' 'at's certainly what you ah,' Mungojerrie thought to himself. Oddly enough, her cheeky, overly-confident attitude attracted him hugely to her. However, the nagging thought in the back of his mind pushed itself forward. "Teaza," he muttered, "Please promise me you'll troy ta be'ave yo'self. Oi don' wan' you ta get inta any unnecessary trouble wif tha boss."
Teaza looked at him solemnly. Could it be that he had finally gotten through? "Awl roight, Mungojerrie," she said. Suddenly her eyes gleamed, "If Oi get inta any trouble, Oi promise you it'll be purely necessary!" With that, she kissed him lightly on the nose and ran off, leaving him in a trail of dust.
"TEAZA!!!" he shouted after her, torn between being highly frustrated and totally smitten. He sighed and began to follow her, gaining quickly. "Rum... ple... tea... za..." he panted when he finally caught up with her, "Slow... down... bloimey yo' fast!"
"Ta!" she replied, grinning, and stopped suddenly. Mungojerrie tried to halt, but ended up tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his face. Rumpleteazer giggled. "Croikey," she said, smiling at him, "Fo' a thief, you sure ah clumsy!"
Mungojerried frowned. "Oh, thanks sooooo much, ma'am." Giggling again, Rumpleteazer helped him up.
"Aw, you'll be awl roight," she said, brushing him off, "Now c'mon, Mr. Oi-Don'-Wanna-Get-In-Trouble-Wif-Macavity. We betta snatch some pretties o' he ain't gonna be none too 'appy."
~*~
"Hm..." Macavity murmured as the two tabbies laid three or four necklaces at his feet, "Surprisingly good work. Good job."
Rumpleteazer smiled. "Does 'is mean Oi can sleep in my trashbin tonoight?" This earned her a death glare from Macavity.
"No," he said bluntly. "As a matter of fact... Quazka!"
"Sir?" the black tom stepped forward.
"Take Magenta to her sleeping quarters for the night. Everyone else is dismissed!"
"Yes, sir," Quazka said, a slightly sadistic smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Come on, Magenta."
Mungojerrie watched them leave and glanced at Macavity. He seemed distracted, talking to another member of the gang. Taking this opportunity, Mungojerrie slid away.
~*~
Rumpleteazer found herself in a cold, bleak park that looked as though it hadn't been visited in ages. Quazka had told her to get to bed early so she wouldn't be late again the next morning. She planned on getting up at daybreak.
She curled up under a playset and shivered. This was a far cry from her warm blanket and dry trash can. A light rain started up, and Rumpleteazer sighed. Could it get much worse? A better question... would it ever get better?
And suddenly... it got better.
"...Teaza luv?"
Rumpleteazer's head shot up. "M-Mungojerrie!" she cried, her teeth chattering, "W-wot ah y-you doin' 'ere!??!" She pounced on him, half from the happiness of seeing him, half from a desperate attempt to warm herself. He laughed.
"Well, damned if Oi was gonna let you spend tha noight 'ere awl by yo'self!" he said, returning her embrace, "Oi knew wheh they was sending you... they always send tha ones wot 'ave misbe'aved out 'ere. So Oi thought... ya know, that Oi'd follow you. Make sure you was gonna be OK."
Rumpleteazer's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Jerrie..." she sniffled, "Yo' so sweet! But... Oi... Oi think Oi'll be foine. Oi mean, Oi can take care o' meself." The truth was, Rumpleteazer felt terrible (and, she thought, probably looked worse). But she didn't want her Jerrie (*her* Jerrie?) getting worried about her.
Mungojerrie looked skeptical. He put a hand gingerly on her face. "Bloody 'ell, Teaza!" he said, "Yo' loike oice!" He frowned. "An' you expect me ta believe you can take care o' yo'self? Fat chance, luv. Now get under 'at thing," she did so, returning to her perch, "... An' scoot ova."
Rumpleteazer looked at him curiously. "Jer-"
"Now don' ahgue with me," he said sternly, climbing under the playset with her, "Oi'm gunna keep you warm, whetha you loike it o' not!" He suddenly realized the situation that he had gotten himself into and blushed, losing his fatherly demeanor immediately. "An'... an' that's that," he finished lamely.
Rumpleteazer smiled slyly, feeling a purr rising in her throat. "Oh, deah me..." she whispered, "Woteva shall Oi do?" Mungojerrie's blush deepened as she snuggled as close as she could to him.
"Comfy?" he managed to say without hiccupping. It was a terrible habit that he had: hiccupping when he was nervous. No matter how he fought it, when he was shaky, he always started. And he knew that doing it right now would totally destroy the moment.
"Mm-hm..." she murmured, closing her eyes and sighing.
He hiccupped.
~*~
Daylight. Mungojerrie's eyes were filled with daylight. He squinted. Awfully bright out to be early in the morning.
Unless...
Oh no.
"Teaza!" he whispered frantically, trying to wake the sleeping queen next to him, "Teaza, get up! Ooooooh boy, we'h in big trouble! Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open. "Jerrie!" she whined, "Wot ah you yellin' at?? Oi'm tryin' t' sleep 'ere!"
"I *KNOW,*" Mungojerrie said desperately, "'At's tha POINT!" He nudged her with his nose. "You got'a get up! We've ovaslept! Tha boss is gonna kill us!" Suddenly, he let loose a huge sneeze.
"AAAHHH-CHOOOOO!"
Rumpleteazer blinked. "You sick?" She seemed wide awake now.
He sniffled. "Oi dun think s- WAH-CHOO!"
She frowned. "You musta caught somfin bein' out in tha rain awl noight. You plonker!"
Mungojerrie's eyes widened. "Plonker? ME!? Wot did Oi do!?"
"You came out lookin' fo' me! You shoulda stayed wheh it was noice an' warm! Instead you 'ad t' come out in tha rain with me!!!"
Suddenly Mungojerrie felt very angry. And very congested. "Look!" he exclaimed, "Oi came out t' foind you because Oi thought MAYBE you'd loike t' 'ave some COMPANY! Oi thought MAYBE you'd loike t' 'ave someone t' 'elp keep you WARM! But Oi guess not! Oi guess you jus' wanted me t' leave you alone!" His outburst was punctuated by another sneeze.
Rumpleteazer was close to tears. "Jerrie! Jerrie, please stop shouting!" she said. He looked into her eyes and suddenly all his defenses dropped. He had done something that he didn't think was possible.
He had gotten to her.
"Jerrie, please don' be mad at me," she whispered, "Oi didna mean t' make you mad. Oi... Oi'm worried, tha's awl." She sighed. "Ah you mad?"
He blinked. "No, luv," he said quietly. "Oi'm not mad. Oi... Oi jus' thought you wanted me theh last noight. An' then you cawl me names for bein' theh... Oi didn't know what t' think."
Rumpleteazer knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that she wanted to tell him how glad she was that he had been there last night. She wanted to tell him how much she loved having him there, being able to curl up next to him and feel warm and complete. She wanted to kiss him.
But all she said was, "Oi'm sorry Oi gave tha wrong impression... Oi... Oi was happy fo' you bein' theh."
Another emotional bust. She sighed inwardly.
Mungojerrie smiled. "Thanks," he said. And coughed. "Ack," he said, his eyes crossing.
Frowning, Rumpleteazer fussed over him, "Yo' really sick, luv. We'll 'ave t' get Macavity t' let you rest fo' a few days. When we go t' the alley, we'll tell 'im that Oi got up early enough, but when Oi found you, you was real sick. Oi took care o' ya until you could get up enough energy t' come see 'im."
"Good idea," Mungojerrie said scratchily, his voice failing.
~*~
Macavity was skeptical. "So... you're telling me that you were on your deathbed, Rivenklaw?"
"Yessir," Mungojerrie rasped.
"'E could 'ardly move 't'all," Rumpleteazer piped up.
Their boss raised an eyebrow. "Though my gut tells me otherwise," he said, "I'm going to let this slide. Magenta, you'll need a new partner while Rivenklaw heals."
Rumpleteazer's face fell. "Um... Oi was under tha impression 'at Oi got t' 'elp 'im get bet'er, sir."
"Keep up that kind of talk and YOU'LL be the one needing medical attention."
"Gotcha."
~*~
Mungojerrie looked sadly after his friend as she went off with Macavity's right-hand cat, Quazka. He didn't like the way Quazka was looking at her *at all.* It was a look that reeked with something that was half hate, half desire. And neither could be good for his Teazer.
~*~
Rumpleteazer didn't like the idea of being partnered with Quazka at all. She knew that the ebony tom didn't like her at all, and she was worried about what he might try to do to her.
"You and Rivenklaw are getting mighty cosy, aren't you?" he purred as they wandered through the streets of London.
She looked at him. "Wot?"
He smiled in a way that made Rumpleteazer very uncomfortable. "I went to the park late last night to make sure you hadn't tried to leave. I saw you two together," he smirked, "You looked awfully comfortable."
Rumpleteazer looked away, blushing. "'E... 'e jus' came by t' check on me."
"You know..." Quazka continued, disregarding her comment, "Fraternization is highly punishable in Macavity's gang."
Eyes wide, Rumpleteazer turned to him. "It is?" Then she checked herself. "Well, 'at shouldna botha me much. Oi'm not frateroizin' 'ith anyone!"
With a chilling laugh, Quazka's eyes trailed her body. "I'm sure you haven't," he said, although he didn't sound like he was very sure. "But if I told Macavity what I saw..." He bared his teeth in another frightening smile, "You could be in very big trouble."
"Quazka... you wouldn't!"
"Oh, but I would," he answered, "I am hardly above reporting information about my fellow gang members to Macavity. I figure, either way I go, there's somthing in it for me." His greasy smile remained.
"... Wot d'you mean?"
"Well... if I tell Macavity about you... he'll reward me. If I keep my mouth shut..." he eyed her, "You'll owe me."
That didn't sound good.
Rumpleteazer was scared. "Wot would Oi owe you?" she asked, rather dreading the answer.
Quazka grinned. "Oh, not much..." he said, "Maybe just a night or two." He cast his eyes darkly at her; she caught his meaning.
"Oi'd neva!" she exclaimed.
But Quazka knew exactly which buttons to push. "If I told Macavity what I saw, Rivenklaw would probably get into more trouble than you would, since he's your superior. The boss might even *kill* him."
Rumpleteazer gasped. Kill Mungojerrie?
"Wouldn't like that, would you, doll?" Quazka purred, running a claw seductively down her cheek. "You might as well consent."
"This isn't fair," Rumpleteazer said, sobs rising in her throat, "We wasn't even doin' anythin'!"
"Ah, but that won't be the story I tell Macavity if you don't do that I want you to," Quazka contradicted. "I'll describe the frenzy of passion I saw you two in to him in great detail, should the situation call for it." His smile was enough to make Rumpleteazer retch. "So what'll it be?"
The tears came, no matter how hard Rumpleteazer fought them. There was nothing she could do, and she knew it.
She nodded. "Jus' don' get M... Rivenklaw inta trouble."
~*~
"'Ow did things go t'day, luv?" Mungojerrie asked when Rumpleteazer came to see him later that evening.
"Wasn't tha same withou' you theh," she answered. Skirting the topic, she said, "'Ow've you been feelin'?"
"A lil tired, but not awl bad." Then he noticed her shadowed eyes and distressed expression. "Teaza...?" he said, "Is somfin wrong?"
Her eyes darted nervously to him, as though she had just realized that he was there. "Oh, no," she said, "Oi'm jus' tired, 'a's awl. Long day."
This didn't satisfy him. "Did Quazka do somfin t' you? 'Cause if 'e did, Oi sweh Oi'll-"
"'E didn't do nothin'" Rumpleteazer answered, "'E didn't."
The ailing tom searched her face and sighed. "Awl roight. But you jus' tell me if 'e eva *does* do anythin', ya 'ear? Oi won' 'ave 'im messin' 'ith you."
This made the queen smile. "Thanks," she said, "It's noice t' know 'at Oi've got someone watchin' ova me." She bent over and kissed him on top of the head. "Oi'l see ya tomorra."
~*~
"Heeeey..." Quazka murmured the next day, "That looks like a nice target." Rumpleteazer looked in the direction of his eyes and saw that he was looking at a small, pure white queen about her age walking toward them. She had on a pearly collar and looked as though she lived with a very rich family.
"Oi dunno, Quazka..." she answered, "Oi've neva stole from anotha cat before."
He cuffed her sharply across the face. "You'll do what you're told," he spat, "Unless you want to see your little boyfriend in shreds."
Rumpleteazer sighed sadly. "Awl roight."
Quazka lept out in front of the queen. "Where are you going, princess?" he asked in his slimiest voice.
This seemed to take the queen by surprise. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Enough about me, let's talk about you. Better yet, let's talk about you giving me that lovely collar of yours."
"No! It's mine!"
"Precisely; that means you have exclusive authority to hand it over. Magenta! Come and get the little lady's pretty decoration."
Rumpleteazer walked over to the white queen reluctantly. "Sorry," she whispered, "Oi don't wanna do 'is..."
"Don't talk to her, just take the damn collar!" Quazka snarled. Frowning, Rumpleteazer unhooked the collar and brought it back to him. "Good girl," he purred. "You may be on your way now," he commented to their victim.
~*~
After they had taken the day's goods to Macavity, Quazka took Rumpleteazer back to his quarters. "The next time," he growled in a low voice, "That I tell you to do something, I don't want you to contradict me in *any* manner, do you understand me?"
"Oi undastand," Rumpleteazer said, and turned to go.
"Uh uh uh..." Quazka reprimanded, "I haven't given you permission to go yet. You're forgetting part of your bargin, my dear girl." Rumpleteazer winced.
"Do we 'ave to tonoight? Oi'm tired-" Her words were cut off by a slap.
"What did I just tell you!?" Quazka demanded. He then lightly kissed the place that he had just hit. "Now lighten up. You're no fun if you're pouting."
Rumpleteazer closed her eyes and waited for it to be over.
~*~
Rumpleteazer knew that it was pointless to try and hide the bruises that Quazka had given her from Mungojerrie, so she simply didn't go see him that evening.
Imagine her surprise when he came to see her instead.
"Wheh were you tonoight?" he asked. This question seemed to become suddenly unimportant when he saw her face. "'Eavysoide!" he exclaimed, "Wot 'append t' yo' face, Teaza!?"
"Oi fell," she automatically answered.
"'At's tha oldest trick in tha book, luv," he reproached her, "Wot *really* 'appened? Oo did 'at?"
"Oi... Oi got in a foight t'day. 'Ith a cat Quazka and Oi was tryin' t' steal from."
"Now Oi figgered 'is 'ad somfin t' do 'ith Quazka. But Oi still don' think yo' tellin' me tha truth. C'mon luv."
"Oi..." she couldn't think of what to tell him. If she told him the truth, Quazka would kill her... and probably Mungojerrie too. But if she *didn't* tell him, he would keep persisting, and she'd eventually give in sooner or later. "Oi..."
"Oi, Oi, Oi," Mungojerrie said exhasperatedly, "If you don' tell me, Oi'll foind out fo' meself."
"ItwasQuazka," she said quickly, turning away from him.
"Wot?"
"Nothin'."
"Quazka." Rumpleteazer had never heard a voice like that come out of Mungojerrie. "Oi *knew* 'e did 'is to you. Oi'll kill 'im, Oi will..."
"Jerrie, no!"
"Why the 'Ell NOT!?"
"B'cause..." she looked at him, "'E threatened me. 'E tol' me 'at if Oi didn't do wot 'e tol' me to, 'e'd tell Macavity 'at 'e saw us togetha. Ya know, in tha pahk. Apparently we could get inta big trouble if Macavity knew 'at. An'... Quazka said 'at if Oi didn't do wot 'e tol' me to, 'e'd tell 'im. And... 'e said Macavity moight..." a sob caught in her throat, "Moight kill you." She sobbed. "An' Jerrie, Oi couldn't let 'im do 'at!"
Mungojerrie blinked. "You... fo'... *me*?"
"Well Oi couldn't jus' let 'im kill you!"
He cautiously approached her, turning her face up toward his. "Teaza," he whispered, "You... you didn't have t'..." His eyes hardened. "Wot exactly did 'e do t' you?"
Silence.
"It wasn't jus' tha bruises, was it?"
She turned away from him again, not able to tell him.
"Tha bastahd." With that, Mungojerrie sprang away.
"Jerrie!"
~*~
When Rumpleteazer found Mungojerrie, he had Quazka backed into a corner and was growling at him menacingly. Quazka was large, but Mungojerrie was bigger.
And right now, Quazka seemed about three inches tall.
"Rivenklaw... Rivenklaw... just calm down," he stammered, desperately trying to save himself.
"YOU SHUT UP!" Mungojerrie growled at him, "You pathe'ic excuse fo' a tom! Wot tha 'Ell did you think you was doin' to Rumpleteaza!?" He lept onto him and began to violently tear at his face.
Through his screams, Quazka managed to cry, "Who's Rumpleteazer!?"
"Shut up!" Mungojerrie hissed at him, scratching his face to shreds.
"Jerrie!" Rumpleteazer cried.
He whirled around to face her. "Stay outta 'is, Teaza," he whispered low, "'E ain't gonna 'urt you no more." He turned back to a whimpering Quazka.
"When Macavity finds out about this..." he sniveled.
"Macavity won't foind out about this..." Mungojerrie hissed, "Because 'e ain't gonna 'ave enough of you left t' foind."
Quazka whimpered. "Rivenklaw... please..."
"My name..." a quick swipe across the throat ended the black tom's crying, "Is Mungojerrie."
~*~
Mungojerrie stood blinking at the motionless Quazka. "Oi killed 'im..." he said quietly, "Oi really killed 'im." He turned to Rumpleteazer, who was staring at him as though he were from another planet. "Teaza," he said, heading toward her.
"Don' you touch me," she said, backing up.
"No, Teaza, Oi ain't gonna 'urt you! Please, Teaza..." she stopped, and he walked up to her. He gently nuzzled her neck. "Please don' be scehed o' me."
"Oi... Jerrie... you..." Tears filled her eyes. "Yo' gonna be in SO much trouble!"
"Oi don' care," he answered, "Oi don' care 'ow much trouble Oi get in. 'E ain't gonna 'urt you no more, an' 'at's awl 'at matters."
With a slight smile, Rumpleteazer threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "Yo' gonna get yo'self 'urt one o' these days, takin' care o' me," she said, "An' when you do, don' say Oi didn't warn you!"
Mungojerrie laughed and returned her embrace. "Oi'll make a note. Now c'mon, we gotta get outta 'ere b'fore the boss foinds Quazka."
"Get outta 'ere? Wheh ah we goin'?"
"Doesn't matta. We jus' gotta get away."
~Fin~
But that's not all! Soon there will be Chapter Two! Bwahahahahahaha... ha.