A/N: At this point in the story, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie are about
four in human years. Demeter, Bombalurina and that crowd are around ten or
eleven. Munkustrap and Tugger are teenagers. The kittens like Jemima and
Electra probably aren't even born yet. Macavity isn't quite as evil yet and
he's still accepted in the Jellicle tribe.
All was quiet in the junkyard. The Jellicles cats were scattered about, kittens were playing, the queens were watching them with close eyes, and toms were discussing various issues. All except one.
"Come here!"
"No!" A tiny little tabby with stripes that made her look like a tiger spat at an orange tom.
"Rumpleteazer! I've had enough of this!"
"No! I don't want to!" She giggled, beginning to run off as fast as her short legs could move. "You can't catch me!"
"Oh god..." Skimbleshanks groaned. "I'm tired of chasing you all over the junkyard!"
"Than I guess I'll win!" She laughed cheerfully, but although she had energy, the railway cat had speed. He quickly caught up to her and grabbed her, tickling her until she gasped for breath, surrendering. He grabbed a wet rag and began to scrub behind the little girl's ears.
"Aw, pa!" Rumpleteazer moaned, struggling to get away. She saw Bombalurina and Demeter taking time away from flirting with Tugger to giggle at her. "This is embarrassing!"
"That's a big word for a little kitten!" Smiled Bustopher Jones, who was just walking in.
"Hello Bustopher!" Skimbleshanks smiled up at him. "There, my Teazer."
"I'm done?" She asked hopefully.
"No, other ear!"
"Pa!" She began to struggle again.
"What do you say, my dear?" He scolded.
"Hello, Uncle Bustopher." She grumbled miserably.
"And hello to you, my darling little kitten." Bustopher laughed loudly. "Having a nice wash I see?"
"No!" She groaned, for she was too young to understand sarcasm.
"Really now, Skimble, Jenny and I usually aren't this hard on our little Mistofflees." Bustopher said to his friend.
"She has to learn someday that she can't always run away from me." Skimbleshanks muttered, scrubbing harder behind the kitten's ear.
"One day I'm afraid she'll out run you." Bustopher laughed again.
"Really, pa?" Rumpleteazer's eyes brightened, and Skimbleshanks had to smile. He looked down at her shining eyes and wide grin and saw the daughter he loved.
"Never you mind." He grinned back at her. "Go on, go play."
"Will you come?" She asked.
"No, I'm afraid I need to get down to the train." He said. "Why don't you go play with Demeter or Bombalurina? You three used to be such a little trio."
"They just want to chase after stupid Rum Tum Tugger." Rumpleteazer pouted. "And Mistofflees isn't any fun. No one ever plays with me."
Skimble's heart broke at the face she made and the words that were coming out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, little one." He said. "But I must go."
"Father!"
Suddenly a shout interrupted their conversation. Munkustrap, the handsome, efficient young son of Deuteronomy, dashed up to where his father was relaxing in the summer sun.
"Father! There's a kitten here! He looks lost!"
"A kitten?" Deuteronomy asked curiously. "One we know?"
"No, father, a stray. He's a Jellicle though, tabby." Munkustrap turned around and shouted to Jellylorum. "Bring him over here!"
Jellylorum led a frightened looking orange and red kitten to where the group was gathered. Skimbleshanks grabbed his daughter's shoulders protectively and led her over to see what was going on. The kitten held onto Jellylorum's paw tightly as if his heart would stop dare he let go.
Deuteronomy looked down at him and smiled kindly. "What's your name, my boy?"
"Mungojerrie, guv'na." He said, smiling.
"Where are your parents?"
"Oi dunno."
"Do you have a home?"
"No, I ain't got no 'ome." Mungojerrie looked around the tribe cautiously.
"Well, Mungojerrie, you're welcome to stay here with us. You can call me Old Deuteronomy." The kitten giggled. Skimbleshanks looked down at his daughter. The newcomer looked about her age. Rumpleteazer seemed to have noticed this as well. She ran out of her father's arms and straight up to the kitten.
"Hello! My name's Rumpleteazer!" She smiled at him. "You wanna play?"
"Slow down, my little lady." Jellylorum cooed. "We need to get this one washed, he's absolutely filthy."
Rumpleteazer giggled, Mungojerrie cocked his head at her. "Wot you laufing at?"
"Nothing." She smiled.
"All right." The little tom laughed. "I'll play wiv you."
"Than..." Rumpleteazer paused, and than suddenly took off running, shouting "Come and catch me!" Mungojerrie giggled an went off chasing her, with Jellylorum shouting at them from behind.
All was quiet in the junkyard. The Jellicles cats were scattered about, kittens were playing, the queens were watching them with close eyes, and toms were discussing various issues. All except one.
"Come here!"
"No!" A tiny little tabby with stripes that made her look like a tiger spat at an orange tom.
"Rumpleteazer! I've had enough of this!"
"No! I don't want to!" She giggled, beginning to run off as fast as her short legs could move. "You can't catch me!"
"Oh god..." Skimbleshanks groaned. "I'm tired of chasing you all over the junkyard!"
"Than I guess I'll win!" She laughed cheerfully, but although she had energy, the railway cat had speed. He quickly caught up to her and grabbed her, tickling her until she gasped for breath, surrendering. He grabbed a wet rag and began to scrub behind the little girl's ears.
"Aw, pa!" Rumpleteazer moaned, struggling to get away. She saw Bombalurina and Demeter taking time away from flirting with Tugger to giggle at her. "This is embarrassing!"
"That's a big word for a little kitten!" Smiled Bustopher Jones, who was just walking in.
"Hello Bustopher!" Skimbleshanks smiled up at him. "There, my Teazer."
"I'm done?" She asked hopefully.
"No, other ear!"
"Pa!" She began to struggle again.
"What do you say, my dear?" He scolded.
"Hello, Uncle Bustopher." She grumbled miserably.
"And hello to you, my darling little kitten." Bustopher laughed loudly. "Having a nice wash I see?"
"No!" She groaned, for she was too young to understand sarcasm.
"Really now, Skimble, Jenny and I usually aren't this hard on our little Mistofflees." Bustopher said to his friend.
"She has to learn someday that she can't always run away from me." Skimbleshanks muttered, scrubbing harder behind the kitten's ear.
"One day I'm afraid she'll out run you." Bustopher laughed again.
"Really, pa?" Rumpleteazer's eyes brightened, and Skimbleshanks had to smile. He looked down at her shining eyes and wide grin and saw the daughter he loved.
"Never you mind." He grinned back at her. "Go on, go play."
"Will you come?" She asked.
"No, I'm afraid I need to get down to the train." He said. "Why don't you go play with Demeter or Bombalurina? You three used to be such a little trio."
"They just want to chase after stupid Rum Tum Tugger." Rumpleteazer pouted. "And Mistofflees isn't any fun. No one ever plays with me."
Skimble's heart broke at the face she made and the words that were coming out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, little one." He said. "But I must go."
"Father!"
Suddenly a shout interrupted their conversation. Munkustrap, the handsome, efficient young son of Deuteronomy, dashed up to where his father was relaxing in the summer sun.
"Father! There's a kitten here! He looks lost!"
"A kitten?" Deuteronomy asked curiously. "One we know?"
"No, father, a stray. He's a Jellicle though, tabby." Munkustrap turned around and shouted to Jellylorum. "Bring him over here!"
Jellylorum led a frightened looking orange and red kitten to where the group was gathered. Skimbleshanks grabbed his daughter's shoulders protectively and led her over to see what was going on. The kitten held onto Jellylorum's paw tightly as if his heart would stop dare he let go.
Deuteronomy looked down at him and smiled kindly. "What's your name, my boy?"
"Mungojerrie, guv'na." He said, smiling.
"Where are your parents?"
"Oi dunno."
"Do you have a home?"
"No, I ain't got no 'ome." Mungojerrie looked around the tribe cautiously.
"Well, Mungojerrie, you're welcome to stay here with us. You can call me Old Deuteronomy." The kitten giggled. Skimbleshanks looked down at his daughter. The newcomer looked about her age. Rumpleteazer seemed to have noticed this as well. She ran out of her father's arms and straight up to the kitten.
"Hello! My name's Rumpleteazer!" She smiled at him. "You wanna play?"
"Slow down, my little lady." Jellylorum cooed. "We need to get this one washed, he's absolutely filthy."
Rumpleteazer giggled, Mungojerrie cocked his head at her. "Wot you laufing at?"
"Nothing." She smiled.
"All right." The little tom laughed. "I'll play wiv you."
"Than..." Rumpleteazer paused, and than suddenly took off running, shouting "Come and catch me!" Mungojerrie giggled an went off chasing her, with Jellylorum shouting at them from behind.