The Cast Part 1

by Fyrie

There's a new cast in the London Production of CATS...this is only the beginning. (Chapter 19 added - 23-09-02)

11. The Cast - Part 11 - Someone To Lean On

A very intense situation was going on.

Tommy was standing over it, surveying it with interest. Behind her, the door opened, allowing several more cast members and crew to enter. Several of them glanced down, raised their brows and went on their way.

"So I said 'You don't know what you're talking about'..."

"Shorty, that's just not funny at all."

"I didn't say it was funny." Blue's voice laughingly replied to her boyfriend. "I just said that that was what I said."

"You're weird."

"Thank you for noticing."

"Uh, Tommy..."

The tall dancer raised a hand. "Just give them a minute."

Peering around Tommy, Blue blinked at the couple on the couch, who were caught in a very passionate kiss. "Reunion kinda moment?"

"You could say that." Tommy remarked, clearing her throat as Raymond's hand progressed south on his lover's slim body. The hand moved back upwards, sliding beneath the loose Iron Maiden T-shirt. "I'm just censoring them if they need it."

Lying on his side against the back of the couch, Raymond had been asleep when Malcolm had arrived to work that afternoon. Sliding down, lifting the big dancer's arms around him, Malcolm had woken his boyfriend with a kiss.

However, neither of them realised that the kiss was now being timed at almost fifteen minutes.

"They haven't seen each other for what? Three hours?"

"With two freakin' long days in between." Raymond panted, breaking out of the kiss and crushing Malcolm against his chest. The smaller dancer nuzzled the American's neck, one of his smooth hands spread on Raymond's muscled back.

"Would I be right in guessing they're back together?" Andy inquired.

"Pretty much a given, ain't it?" Tommy gave the grinning dancer a look. "Were you born this dumb or did you get dropped on your head at birth?"

Andy's grin widened. "Well, actually," He started. "That's a funny story..."

"Oh God! No! I can't hear you! Lalalalala! I'm not listening!" Turning, Tommy fled, Andy hurrying after her, pleading for her to listen.

Hoping over the back of the chair in front of her, sitting down and opening the bottle of Sprite in her hand, Blue cocked her head at the two men sprawled comfortably on the couch opposite her. "So what's the deal?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did Goth-boy ditch you, Ray?"

Malcolm mumbled something against Raymond's neck and the big dancer nodded. "He ain't used to dealing with big issues with people, Tiny." He replied. "His twin sis went and got herself a load of leukemia and he thought I wouldn't be able to deal with it...he thought he wouldn't be able to deal either."

"So you thought being on your own would save everyone a lot of trouble, huh, Mal?" He nodded against Raymond's shoulder. "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and really don't recommend it to anyone who wants to stay sane."

"Sane?"

"Did I mention the whole been there, done that thing?" She shuddered. "Alone isn't a nice place to be."

"I'm starting to realise that." Rolling onto his back, Malcolm looked over at her.

Blue smiled faintly at him. "How's your sis? Can they do anything?"

"Bone marrow transplant." He replied softly. "They say they're lucky they caught it so early and that I'm such a good match for her. They've booked us in for the treatment next week, the first opening they have."

"You'll do fine, hon." Raymond bent to gently kiss Malcolm's lips again. "As long as you don't go boozin' again, before then."

"And risk having Bob telling me that I should be purifying my body and mind?" Malcolm grinned slightly. "God knows what he would say about cleansing myself if I told him I shagged you in one of the empty cupboards in the hospital."

"Not to mention that in public, my darling." Raymond murmured, his eyes dancing.

"Darling?" Malcolm chuckled. "For that I would spill every gory little detail to our little Blue. She wouldn't be embarrassed, would you..." He turned to look at her, only to find a vacant chair where she had been. "Uh...then again, maybe she would."

Raymond nipped Malcolm's earlobe. "I'm not complaining." He murmured huskily. "I got you to myself again."

"All right, everybody!" Menke yelled from the open door of the common area. "Warm ups start in five minutes!"

"Miserable git!" Malcolm shouted back.

"Miserable git without a wife to keep me company, thank you very much, lil mister horny!" The Senior dancer sounded like he was about to laugh, but darted off before Malcolm could retort around Raymond's lips.

***

"It's arrived!" A shrill squeal from the door suggested that Blue was about to enter the warm-up area. Running in and almost slamming squarely into the back of Benjamin, the tiny dancer spun in a giddy circle. "Its here!"

"Oh God...the new shipment of jelly babies?"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Andy's viagra?"

A more masculine voice uttered a vehement. "Nuh-uh!"

Throwing herself up into Menke's arms, she planted a kiss on his nose. "Did they tell you?"

"Uh...huh?"

"My costume!" Hugging the silver- and black-haired dancer, Blue giggled. "The one made especially for me that actually fits me! It arrived this morning! They had people working on it all of yesterday!"

"So Dem doesn't have a saggy bum anymore?"

"Oh, shaddup!" Swatting at him, Blue grinned, leaping out of his arms and running over to where Andy was doing his stretches. "Andyandyandy!" He looked up at her. "I've got a proper Dem costume and its really cools and it fits me!"

"That's nice, kiddo." Grimacing as he straightened up, Andy bent to claim a light kiss, before Blue darted off again. She sped out of the door, looking for Tommy, while Andy painfully claimed a low bench to sit on against the wall.

Menke approached, a concerned look on his face. "Andy? You alright, man?"

"Yeah." He forced a grin, which faded rapidly. "Okay, maybe not." He rubbed his left ribs with his right hand. "It kinda hurts when I...well, when I pretty much do anything." He met the older dancer's eyes. "It's like something jabbing between my ribs every time I breathe in."

"Lemme look." Helping Andy painfully struggle out of his T-shirt, he ran his fingers over the area Andy said was hurting. There were no bruises visible on his tanned skin except on his back, no swellings anywhere. "Could be a trapped nerve..."

"Whatever it is," His voice strained and gruff, eyes glittering, Andy looked at his friend. "It hurts like buggery."

"What does?" Pulling her left leg up behind her, Geeta stretched down to touch her toes of her right foot. Repeating the action on the opposite limb, she straightened up and looked down at Andy. "Maybe I can help."

Menke answered before Andy could stop him. "I think Andy might have got a trapped nerve in his rib cage. Apparently, to quote, 'it hurts like buggery'." He made quotation marks with his fingers. "Any solution about what he could do?"

"Well, sometimes massaging the area can help." Geeta pushed her hair back from her face, unwinding a bobble from her wrist to pull the dark mass up in a ponytail. "I don't think the physios in yet. Want me to try and sort it out? I'm a trained masseuse." "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Andy mumbled, his face knit with pain. His hand shot to his ribs and he groaned. "At this stage, I think I'll try anything."

Both of the other dancers helped him stand up. "The physios room should be empty, so we'll had down there, okay, Andy?" Geeta give him a comforting smile. "We'll get you sorted out as soon as possible."

"Uh-huh." Andy gritted out, his ribs aching with every step.

***

With Malcolm seated on his lap, Raymond squinted, as he smoothed the thick, white greasepaint over his lover's cheeks with the sponge. The small dancer was returning the favour, adding the black patch over Raymond's right eye.

"You two are too much. Talk about a girly kind of bonding activity." Tommy laughed, as she past the door. Neither of the two men deigned to look at her, contentedly working on one another's make-up.

Taking the chance to exchange a kiss while they both still had white lips, a smudged white hand-print miraculously appeared on Malcolm's bare chest, two smaller black ones on Raymond's shoulders.

"Interesting technique for getting the makeup spread evenly." Jordan chuckled from the fourth make-up desk in the room. He was adding the neat white patch around his mouth with his small sponge, the tan make-up already covering the rest of his face.

Breaking apart, Raymond and Malcolm smiled shyly at each other, then reached for their brushes. "Let's see if I really have been staring at you too much, hon." Raymond murmured, dipping the brush into the black paint.

"Like you need to paint his face to prove that." A voice said from the door. Both men turned to see Blue in full Demeter regalia, grinning at them. Her gloves were tucked into the belt of her tail, which was tied loosely. "Where's Andy?"

"Uh...well..." All three men exchanged puzzled looks. "I haven't actually seen him since warm-ups." Malcolm volunteered.

"Me neither." Jordan frowned, lowering his sponge. "Which is weird cos he's always the first one putting his make-up on."

Raymond raised a hand. "I think Menke said somethin' about takin' him down to the physios or somethin' like that."

"Oki!" Grinning again, Blue nodded to him. "I'll let you go back to...uh...whatever it was you were doing." Turning, she bobbed off, looking around for Menke. Passing him and having him inform her that Andy was - indeed - at the physios room only increased her bouncy speed.

Wandering down the long hallway, she paused when she heard a low groan that sounded strangely familiar. A frown wrinkled her brow and she moved forward a little faster. The door of the physio's room was open a crack when she reached it and she squinted through the gap.

"Easy, big fella." Geeta's husky voice murmured lightly. "Don't want you looking like you're struggling to get through this."

"Bloody hell..." Andy groaned again. "Can you do that again?"

Blue's eyes widened with shock. She could see Geeta rising up and down over what could only be Andy's inert form on the physio's examination table, some of the view obscured by a coat hanging on the back of the door.

Tears sprang to the tiny dancer's eyes, her hand coming to her mouth to stifle a sob. Turning, she fled away down the hall, one of her gloves falling from her belt and left, lying alone in the silent corridor.

On his stomach, Andy raised his face. "Did you hear something?"

Geeta paused, straightening up and shaking her hair out of her eyes, her hands still resting on his ribs. "Want me to go and see?" He nodded and she crossed to the door, opening it. There was no one there.

Nothing there, but a single orange-gold glove.

Picking it up, she returned to the room. "This was lying out there." Andy sat up, rubbing his ribs gingerly. They didn't hurt as much and he turned his attention to the glove dangling between Geeta's fingers.

"Oh crap..." He whispered. "That's Blue's."

"Why 'crap'? Maybe she lost it?"

"Maybe she came to find me and heard something that sounded like something else and ran off, leaving that by accident." Geeta stared blankly at him. "Think of our great sound effects, Gee. I don't think it would take a genius to confuse the two little actions."

The dancer raised her brows. "You mean she thought we were screwing?"

"To put it baldly, it's more than likely." Standing up, he took the glove from her. "Thanks for sorting the ribs out." He started towards the door, when Geeta grasped his arm, a confused look on her face. "What?"

"She doesn't trust you. What kind of relationship is that?" She gave him a sultry smile. "You know I would trust you."

"Thanks very much for the offer, Gee, but like I said before, I love Blue, not you." Andy grinned tightly. "When you know Blue like I do, this isn't a trust issue." Stepping around her, he opened the door and exited into the hall.

Geeta smiled faintly. "Well, it was worth a try."

***

"C'mon, Tommy!" Knocking on the door, Andy sighed. "Just let me in. I want to talk to her."

The door opened and Andy was greeted with a sharp slap around the face from a scowling Tommy. "I thought you were decent, you son of a bitch." She snarled, the slap was reversed and Andy tasted blood from the inside of his cheek.

"Don't I even get a chance to explain?"

"What's to explain? You were getting down and dirty with Geeta."

"No, I wasn't." Tommy started to close the door, but Andy wedged his foot in the gap. "Listen to me, damnit, Tommy. Even Menke'll back me up in this one. I wouldn't screw around and you damn well know it!"

There was a silence from the other side of the door, then Tommy opened it slightly, her expression dark. "All right," She folded her arms across her chest. "Start explaining."

"I did my ribs in over the weekend." Leaning against the doorframe, Andy met her eyes and didn't look away. "I could barely even breath during the warm-ups. Menke noticed and he thought I had a trapped nerve, so he was going to send me to the physio."

"Pull the other one. Everyone knows the physio doesn't come in for another half an hour."

"Which is when Geeta offered to massage the ribs. Apparently that helps push the nerves back into place." He spread his palm against the door, trying to push it open, but Tommy's foot held it still. "Geeta's a certified masseuse and I was desperate to get rid of the pain, okay?"

Tommy's eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "And where's Geeta now?"

"I left her at the physio's room. She found Blue's glove in the hall." He held up the small glove. "I wanted to bring it back to her." He gave her a helpless look. "I know you probably don't believe me. Hell, I wouldn't believe me, but it's the truth. Ask Menke if you don't believe me. Please, Tommy? Can I see her?"

"Give me one good reason."

"I love her."

Tommy stepped back and door opened fully. Make-up smudged, Blue ran forward two steps, straight into his arms, bringing his mouth down to hers. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She whispered between kisses.

"What for?" Going down on one knee to be level with her, he cupped her face in his hand.

"For being so bloody stupid. For not trusting you." She hugged him tightly, her wig prickling against his neck. "For letting Tommy slap you, but that one wasn't my fault. She wouldn't take no for an answer."

He laughed softly. "That doesn't surprise me, love." Tilting her chin, he kissed her gently. "You forgot this." He lifted her hand and slipped the glove onto it, smiling at her. "And you smudged your make-up..."

"At least I have make-up on." She smiled, her eyes glittering with tears. Her fingers ran down his cheek. "I'm looking at a very bald Munkustrap."

"How long til showtime, Tom?" Andy looked up, suddenly realising how behind he was.

"Five minutes, give or take."

"CRAP!" With one last kiss, Andy scrambled to his feet and fled from the room.

Blue looked around at Tommy. "You're terrible, Tommy!" She wagged a finger. "He has at least twenty five minutes."

"Yeah," Tommy grinned wickedly. "But he doesn't know that."

***

Making her way up onto the stage, for her second night as possibly the shortest Demeter the world had ever seen, Blue slinked her way across towards the opposite side of the stage, looking around warily.

The sound of the car rang through the system, the spotlights slashing across the stage and catching her. With a hiss, she arched and dodged back towards the pipe alongside the tyre.

Without the loose rear of her unitard sagging down, she felt more confident than she had, two nights previously.

Since her borrowed costume had been too big, despite all of the adjustments that had been made, she had resorted to tucking the loose fabric into the belt of her tail and the game for the rest of the cast had been to see who could tug it out first.

Adjusting her gloves as other members of the cast crept out around her, she shot a look up at Andy, almost grinning. He had managed to do his Munkustrap make-up in a record time of three minutes and twenty six seconds, timed by Raymond, who then pointed out with impish glee that he still had over twenty minutes to kill before he had to be anywhere near the stage.

During the first song of the show, Blue became suspicious that something was going on, out of her control. She found Andy watching her, an impish gleam in his eyes, then he looked away as something skimmed passed her rump.

Glancing over her shoulder as they moved into the positions for the listings of kinda of cats, she found Raymond grinning at her. A large hand clapped her on the rear, then one dark eye winked and he moved on.

"What the...?" She mumbled, as they broke apart for the final section of the song, spreading across the stage for the 'What's a Jellicle Cat?' line from John and Andy, at their position, upstage left.

Standing alone, balanced on one foot, her other foot raised slightly off the stage, she glanced around suspiciously, unable to shake the feeling that she was being specifically watched by someone or someone's.

Tony was the first to look up from her derriere at her face. He grinned, gave her an approving nod, then looked away. Blue almost lost her balance twisting slightly to look behind her at a couple of the other men.

One of the Johnson twins looked like he was panting, his eyes fixed on her rear, his tongue hanging out. Antoine had a smug, pleased grin on his face and he raised the hand that was balanced over his knee, making a squeeze gesture.

That really made Blue lose her balance.

Fortunately, it was when everyone else was cued to move anyway, so her stumble went unnoticed by most of the audience. Regaining her footing, she looked down at Tony and the Carbucketty twin, who had both come to their knees beside her.

Two hands playfully pinched her on the rear, then both men raced away before she could even yell in surprise.

Moving into 'The Naming' formation, she lost count of the skimming touches she received across her derriere and who was doing the touching. Part of her wanted to yell at everyone to stop, while the other parts were torn between bursting into tears or enjoying the attention.

As soon as 'The Naming' was over, she fled backstage, sitting down on the bottom stair of the flight, pulling her tail around in front of her. She received several grins from the men, but her lack of response surprised them.

"Blue?" Jordan sat down next to her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." The second the words were out of her mouth, tears pricked her eyes and she buried her face in her arms. "Sorry..."

"What's wrong?" Awkwardly putting an arm around her shoulder, he hugged her. Like the character he played, Jordan was a stoic-faced, quiet man.

"They keep touching me...Everybody keeps touching me..." She whispered. "I dunno why...it reminds me of things...things I don't want to remember..." She scrambled to her feet as she realised she was meant to be on any moment. "Sorry." She added again, before running off.

Tony cocked his head, as Jordan rose and walked towards him. "What's up with tiny?"

"She doesn't like being groped. Tell the guys to leave off." He replied quietly, looking to his left as Rachel came alongside him. They exchanged headrubs, moving completely in sync with one another.

In his Admetus make-up, Tony nodded, scratching behind his ear. "Right-o. You two freak me out, you know." They gave him identical, expressionless stares and he nodded, backing off. "I'm telling guys to back off, now."

"You going to keep an eye on her?" Rachel murmured to her partner in crime, their make-up practically identical.

Jordan nodded. "I'll keep the other guys away from her arse." He replied, as they slinked over the back of the tyre, his voice low. "Most of them don't know how freaked out she is by being touched when she can't see them."

Exchanging another headrub, she nodded, motioning him forward towards Blue.

***

Of all the cast members, Blue seemed to be the only one who didn't notice that she was under guard by Coricopat, and if he was out of sight, Tantomile was by her side. Even when Tommy approached, one of the twin calicos would hiss at her.

The game of teasing Blue over her nice, neat, pert rump had been quickly and quietly cancelled, both Jordan and Rachel determinedly stopping any of the male cast members from going anywhere near their already jumpy Demeter.

Andy was the only one permitted within a two foot radius, Coricopat and Tantomile settling themselves as near her as possible without incurring the wrath of the stage-manager.

During Jennyanydots, when she was perched on the tyre with Tommy and Caroline, both of them settled behind her, gazing ominously down at anyone who dared to even try and touch her hand or foot.

Even Tommy didn't get away with it, receiving a sharp slap on the hand, when she tried to sneak her hand down behind Blue's back, while they were seated on the tyre. Looking around, she received a glare from both Jordan and Rachel.

Keeping her eye on the pair for the rest of the song, she waited until Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser came up, darting out behind the stage after them, while Andy caught up with Blue elsewhere.

"What are you two playing at?" She demanded in hushed tones.

Standing side-by-side, Jordan and Rachel seemed to be constantly in character while they were in their makeup. Turning to each other, they nodded in sync, then turned back to Tommy, Jordan replying. "The guys were grabbing Blue. She was getting upset by it."

"Crud..." Tommy groaned. "I shoulda thought of that."

"You're right." Rachel nodded.

"You should have." Jordan agreed.

Rubbing her neck, Tommy sighed. "Okay. We're agreed. I'm a complete idiot." Both the dark twins grinned at her and she scowled back at them both. "And you know I hate it when you act like that."

"Of course." They said in unison.

"And don't tell me you didn't practice that." They merely stared at her blankly, tilting their heads slowly to the right. "I hate you, guys." A cheeky grin spread across each patterned face. "I really, really hate you."

***

In the lead in to 'The Jellicle Ball', Andy had been able to reassure himself that no more of the male cast members were about to grab at his girlfriend's bum. He had also told himself that Coricopat and Tantomile's protection racket had collapsed.

However, he was wrong.

After the infamous Bombalurina bump-n-grind routine, as Tommy led the Queens onto the front of the stage, Andy found himself shunted into Jordan's space in the line-up, while Jordan lined up to lift Blue, who shot a bewildered look in his direction.

Swinging Rachel up onto his shoulder, Andy poked her in the ribs. "What's going on?" He hissed as he lowered her. She gave him a blank stare, then went back to Jordan's side, there he was standing near Blue.

Apparently the tiny dancer had been informed about something and was grinning impishly in the direction of her lover. It gave him a very, very bad feeling that a conspiracy was afoot in the state of New London.

Scattering around the stage, in preparation for Raymond lifting Geeta, Andy could see Blue sandwiched snugly between Coricopat and Tantomile, both of them gazing triumphantly over in his direction.

As the lift took place, various people moved around to find their allotted partners and Andy felt a feminine hand touch his arm. He turned, expecting to find Blue, only to find Tantomile smiling coyly up at him.

Staring at her in confusion, he searched out Blue among the various other characters. His eyes bugged in his head. She and Jordan were completely wound around one another in positions that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Kama Sutra.

Both rising on their knees, his forearm under her back, she arched her body back until the back of her head was resting between her feet. Jordan's other hand raked down her chest, as he brought her upright, their noses rubbing teasingly against each other's.

Winding a leg around him, they sank down on their side together and that was when Andy suddenly realised he had done nothing in the most intimate moment of the show but watch his girlfriend get rubbed up by another dancer.

Rachel was chuckling, as she hauled him down on the stage beside her, rubbing a hand over his ribcage.

"Don't worry about them." She murmured loudly enough for him to hear. "I'll keep Cori on a short leash for the rest of the show."

"Comforting." Andy mumbled, as her leg curled around his hip and they both raised their arms towards the ceiling.

She didn't have a chance to say anything more to him as the series of chords and dischords rang out, signaling the opening of the Jellicle Ball and they all scrambled to their feet, as the lights flickered wildly.

***

"Feeling better now that you've got a new friend?" Stepping behind Blue, Andy wrapped his arms around her.

"Jealous?" Grinning up at him, the small dancer squeezed one of his hands.

Andy bent to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm jealous of anyone who gets to touch you when I don't, Shorty." He replied. "And that thing you did with your legs around his shoulder...can you do that all the time?"

"Maybe." She gave him a coy look. "But my rooms too small to practice in."

"Oh, good! You're still here!" Hurrying out from her own dressing room, a handful of envelopes gripped in her hand, Rachel waved over at them. Her bobbed brown hair looked impeccable, not at all as if it had just been crammed under a wig for nearly three hours. Her make-up was perfect too. "I was hoping I'd catch you. Are Ray, Mal, Tommy and Jonny about?"

"What have we done now?" Tommy groaned, slinking out of the dressing room, adding a band to the end of her braid.

"Nothing." Rachel smiled broadly. "I just wanted to give you one of these." She handed the trio an envelope each, then the other three as they came out of their dressing rooms, loaded down with their rucksacks.

Jordan joined her, as they curiously examined the envelopes.

"Doesn't Jordan get one?" Blue inquired.

"Him? Nah. Doesn't need one." She motioned for them to open the neat, white envelopes. "I want to get replies now." She urged.

"Okay, okay." Tommy sighed, opening the envelope with a manicured fingernail. "What have we got here, then?" A white and gold card nestled inside the envelope and she plucked it out, opening it. "Dear Tommy, you're invited to the anniversary celebration of Jordan and Rachel on...um...anniversary? What anniversary? Your anniversary of playing Cori and Tanto?"

Jordan chuckled. "Read on."

"On November fifteenth, to celebrate ten years of Holy...crap!"

"That's not the wording, Tom." Rachel smiled. "I think you'll find it says matrimony."

"You're not freaking married!"

Jordan smiled broadly, a strange expression on his tattooed face. "Actually, we are. Have been for ten years now, as the card says." He glanced at Rachel. "Get the feeling they don't believe us, love?"

"First Antoine, then you guys..." Raymond moaned miserably. "I think there's a world conspiracy against me."

"But you can't be married!" Tommy protested.

"Yeah! You have different names!" Blue added.

Rachel laughed, looping an arm around her husband's waist. "That's only because I couldn't get an agent unless I used a name that wasn't already in the books, so I kept my maiden name." She reached under Jordan's leather Hell's Angels jacket and squeezed his rear through his taut, leather trousers. "You're going to love our kids."

"KIDS!?!" Andy yelped.

Blue gave her boyfriend's hand a squeeze. "At least they didn't tell us before we went on."

"But we've been working with them for frigging months!" Andy wailed miserably. "They didn't tell us!" He looked at the odd couple, then suspiciously asked. "Did anyone in the crew actually know you're hitched?"

"Only Antoine." Jordan replied, still smiling.

"Question!" Malcolm raised a hand. "Did you marry him when he looked like...er...that?"

"The tattoos? That came on the honeymoon." She gave her husband a smile. "He got the tatts. I got the piercings." She paused, thinking for a moment. "And one tattoo."

Tommy suspiciously eyed the seemingly quiet dancer. "Piercings? Plural? And they're not in either of your ears or any part of your face..." A thoroughly innocent expression crossed Rachel's pretty face. A dreamy look filled Tommy's. "Oh God..."

"And Tommy has someone new to fantasize about playing with..." Blue said, recognising the expression on her roommate's face.

"Is that a good thing?" Rachel grinned.

"Well, it's definitely a compliment of the strangest kind." Blue received a reproving look from Tommy. "She fancied Antoine's wife as well."

"Can I help it if she was drop dead gorgeous?" Tommy muttered petulantly. "All right, kid, we're going. I'm gonna spank you for being so cheeky tonight." Blue chuckled. "And you guys, if we can swing it, we'll be at the anniversary...can we bring someone?"

"Anyone you like."

"And the dress code?"

"Anything you like."

A wickedly sexy grin crossed Tommy's face. "Oh goodie." She purred.

***

Over a week had past since Malcolm and Raymond's temporary break-up. Now, Raymond was waiting in the small two-person ward for his lover to be returned from the bone-marrow removal procedure.

He had wanted to go in with Malcolm, to make sure he was okay, but the smaller dancer had asked to be knocked out for the procedure, because of his phobia of needles and had explained that he probably wouldn't even have realised that Raymond was there.

The doctors had agreed to Malcolm's request for anaesthetic, which was just as well, because even seeing a needle was liable to literally give the smaller dancer a fit. It had caused many problems at school inoculations against diseases.

Dressed in one of the loose blue shifts provided by the hospital, he had been taken into the theatre area, Raymond standing beside him, holding his hand as they placed the gas mask over his face.

"I'll see you later, hon." The big dancer had murmured, his other hand gently stroking Malcolm's forehead. A faint smile appeared on the small dancer's lips before his eyes sank closed and the doctors ushered Raymond out.

Pacing across the room again, he looked out of the window at the greyness of London, an impatient sigh escaping him. His eyes drifted to both of the empty beds, then back out of the window. Rain was pattering against the glass softly.

Returning to Malcolm's vacant bed, he lifted himself up onto the edge of the mattress, leaning on his knees, staring into nothing. He couldn't say how long he was sitting like that, but a sound from the door made him sit up.

A bed was being wheeled in, a small-looking figure curled on its side, beneath the heavy blue and white hospital sheets and blankets.

"Afternoon, sir." One of the pretty female nurses smiled at him. "Your friend is fine. He's just a bit woozy at the moment." Raymond scrambled out the way, as the wheeled stretcher was pulled alongside Malcolm's bed.

With what looked like great ease, they transferred the blanket-decked figure onto the bed, tucking the blankets under the edges of the mattress neatly, before disappearing out of the door with the stretcher.

Circling the bed, Raymond dragged one of the chairs with him, sitting down beside the bed, gazing at his boyfriend.

Malcolm looked paler than usual, lying on his right side, his right hand bent up under his head, to serve as a pillow. His eyes were closed, his hair scraped back from his face in a loose ponytail at the base of his skull.

His left hand lay behind him, hooked up to a drip on his other side, clear fluid dripping from a plastic bag, into the tube that ran down to his hand.

Reaching over the edge of the bed, Raymond gently pulled the band of elastic from the black and red hair, letting it all spill around Malcolm's face. He brushed his thumb along the pale cheek. "Hey, sweetie."

Bleary eyes blinked slowly open. A whisper of a smile passed over the younger dancer's lips.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ugh."

"That good, huh?"

"Mmm." Bringing his hand out from beneath his face, leaving a red pressure mark on his pale cheek, he groped for Raymond's hand. Raymond smiled, wrapping his fingers gently around his lover's, his smile widening as Malcolm tiredly brought Raymond's fingers to his lips, softly kissing them. "Love you."

Rising on his knees on the chair, Raymond leaned over the younger dancer, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Love you too, hon." Standing, he sat on the edge of the mattress as Malcolm managed to roll onto his back, his body unfolding beneath the blankets. "Kiss?" Blue eyes found dark brown, his voice plaintive.

"You big softy." Raymond chuckled, leaning down to gently kiss Malcolm, his hand tenderly stroking loose hair out of the smaller man's eyes.

Pulled up in Raymond's arms, Malcolm murmured. "Marry me?"

"You're talkin' crazy talk, sweetie." It didn't, however, disguise the wide smile that split the big dancer's face.

"Thatta yes?"

Raymond rumbled a deep laugh. "You know it, hon." He replied, bringing his lips against Malcolm's again, one hand cradling the smaller dancer's face. "You better get me one helluva pretty ring, though."

The small dancer raised his arms to embrace his lover, when a tugging on his skin of one of his hands made his eyes widen in fright. "Ray!" He whimpered, bringing his left hand up to stare at the base of the drip that was still sticking out of his hand. "Easy, love, easy." Taking the needle-decked hand in one of his own, Raymond turned Malcolm's face back to his, making the blue eyes look at him instead of at the needle. "It's okay, okay? It won't go anywhere. It's staying right there and it won't hurt."

Tears of fear sprang to Malcolm's eyes, his body starting to shake. "Get it out. Get it out." He moaned pleadingly, staring up at Raymond. "I don't like it...I don't like it... please..."

"Mal, listen to me." Holding Malcolm's chin in his large hand, he met the blue eyes again. "Listen to me." He repeated gently. "You need this thing in, okay? They wouldn't have put it in, if it wasn't important."

"I don't like it, Ray. I don't like it." Malcolm whispered.

"I know, hon, I know." Touching his brow to Malcolm's, Raymond stroked his cheek. "Just pretend its not there. Think about something else."

"I can't." Panting as if he had just run a marathon, his body still shaking, Malcolm looked like he was on the verge of a seizure.

Without thinking about it, Raymond sealed his lips over Malcolm's, inducing his lover to respond to the deep, sensual kiss. Malcolm's eyes went wide briefly, then sank shut as his right arm went around Raymond, drawing him down, over his body.

When Malcolm relaxed beneath him, Raymond broke out of the kiss, smiling softly. Worn out and still half-conscious from the anaesthetic, Malcolm murmured something, before curling onto his left side and falling asleep.

"That's my boy." Pushing his shoes off his feet, Raymond managed to spoon himself around his blanket-decked lover, using his left arm as a muscular pillow for Malcolm, his right arm around the smaller dancer's slim waist. Touching a kiss to Malcolm's neck, he murmured. "Sleep well, hon."

***

Considering the scale of the operation he had just had, the management had expected the young dancer to take at least a week off, but – fortunately for them – he only took two days, including a Sunday and was back for the shows on the Tuesday.

It was fortunate because one of the two Mistoffelees understudies, one of the Johnson twins had lost his footing on the rope descending from the ceiling and plummeted to the stage from nearly seven feet up.

He had managed to disguise the fall by going into a somersault, but not without its consequences. He had landed on his right hand, snapping two bones in his palm, one in his wrist and causing three cracks to the bones in his forearm.

Struggling through the routine, he had successfully finished it, but straight afterwards, he had climbed over the back of the tyre, running backstage in tears of agony, his lip hand cradled against his chest.

His twin had followed him during the Re-Addressing, finding him curled up in a ball in the corner physio's room, crying his eyes out after receiving the upsetting news that he wouldn't be able to perform for at least a couple of months because of the damage.

Coming out for the bows, the pair had immediately run to their dressing room afterwards, where they were found wrapped around other and crying by Norman, who had been wanting to check on the smallest dancers since the fall had occurred.

Despite playing Tugger, Norman was a stage professional and had seen many nasty accidents, but nothing had rivaled seeing the smallest male in the cast dropping from high above them onto the hard stage.

With the revelation that one of the twins was out for months came the news that their resident Tugger was leaving as well, because an ankle injury that he hadn't told anyone about was causing him too much pain to continue. He was leaving to have surgery and probably would never dance again.

A former Tugger was being called in to start some rehearsals the following week, but it was doubted that he would need to rehearse, considering his reputation. A perfectionist in every way, he could perform the role backwards if anyone asked him.

Someone had once and he had done all of the Mistoffelees number backwards, including lyrics, which stopped anyone ever betting against him again.

Daubing his make-up on, Malcolm was strangely quiet, despite Raymond's happy chatter alongside him. He felt strangely guilty, like he was to blame for what had happened to little Johnson one or two. He still hadn't worked out which was which.

"You feelin' up the this, sweetie?"

"Hmm?"

Andy looked from one to the other. "What's up?"

"I shouldn't have taken yesterday off." Malcolm said quietly, powdering the white layer of his make-up. Laying aside the powder and the white paint, he drummed on the desk with the thick make-up brush.

"Surely you're not blaming yourself for Will's fall."

Malcolm looked up at Andy. "If I had been here, he wouldn't have fallen."

"You big dork!" Raymond moved swiftly and gathered Malcolm in his arms. "It wasn't your fault! You couldn't have stopped him falling." Snatching the brush from Malcolm's hand, he started dusting off the layer of powder. "You'd just had a major operation thingie and there was no way I was gonna let you outta that ward."

The youngest dancer of the four in the room nodded reluctantly, pressing back against Raymond's chest, squeezing one of his lover's muscular forearms. "I know." He replied softly.

***

The absence of one of the naughty twins could be felt on the stage, from the moment the show started. It seemed wrong to see Carbucketty bouncing around the stage, alone, a melancholy look on his face in the absence of Bill Bailey.

Anytime they could, older cast members would let the kitten-boy cuddle up to them. Norman especially looked out for the small dancer, motioning for Carbucketty to come and sit beside Tugger, whenever he felt like it.

Seeing that didn't make Malcolm feel any better. Whenever he could, he would slip to the other side of the stage to cuddle up next to Raymond, who could tell that his small lover's anxiety levels were already sky high.

By the end of the first half of the show, Malcolm was already regretting coming back to work. During the intermission, he spent the whole break cuddled in Raymond's lap, his arms around his lover's neck.

It didn't take a genius to see that he was on the verge of tears.

"S'okay, sweetie." Raymond murmured, as they went back down towards the stage, his arm still protectively around the smaller dancer.

Malcolm looked out at the stage dolefully. "I can't help thinking that something worse is going to happen." He said.

"Don't say that, hon." Giving Malcolm a comforting hug, the big American dancer could feel a shiver run through Malcolm's body.

The small dancer was tired, he was miserable, he was confused, he was worried about his sister and he felt guilty. All the emotions that never compounded well in a normal person were ten times worse in sensitive Malcolm.

Sleep-walking his way through the second half of the show, oblivious to the applause and the comments from his friends, he stumbled his way up the long flight of stairs to his dressing room, followed by Raymond.

However, someone was waiting there for them.

One of the Managers.

The expression on his face made Malcolm want to turn and run away.

"Mr. Donovan." Backing away, Malcolm stepped squarely against Raymond and felt the larger dancer's hands squeeze his shoulders reassuringly.

"Yes?"

"When you have changed, I would like a word with you in my office."

A look of panic crossed Malcolm's thin face. "What's wrong?" He demanded, his voice shaking.

"Come to my office, when you're ready, and we can talk in private." This was said with a pointed look at Raymond, who glared down at the bearded man.

"Can't you tell me here?"

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid it would be...inappropriate." He smiled thinly, in a way that was probably meant to be comforting. "I'll see you when you're ready." Turning, he walked away from the young dancer.

"Oh God." Malcolm sank back against Raymond, his hands coming to his face. "I knew it, Ray. I knew it...something bad's happened..." He felt his lover's arms go around him protectively and let the tears fall. "Something bad's happened." He repeated like a mantra. "Something bad...something bad..."

Raymond was unable to find any words that would comfort him, simply hugging him tightly.