Chapter 10
Together again

All around her, she saw darkness as she tossed and turned restlessly. But then, it was all light. Victoria seemed could feel herself open her eyes to a world of white all around her. Among the white lights, she noticed a snow-white queen slowly walking toward her from a distance. As she came closer, Victoria recognized her. She recognized that angelic face, that pure white coat, and those crystal clear blue eyes. She felt herself sitting up and reaching out for her, yet unable to touch her. She noticed her smile, and felt herself tremble.

"Victoria…" that call reverberated all around her. She closed her eyes, and then opened them again.

"M…Mother?" Victoria felt her lips shake.

"Wake up, darling. Stand up, stand up! Go to him, he needs you. Stand up and go to him…" the white queen said; her voice gentle as flowing water.

"Mother!" Victoria called out and felt tears rolling down her face. "Mother, where have you been? Mother, why did you leave me?"

"I've never left you, darling," Victoria seemed could feel something in the air caress her cheeks. "All these years, I've always been near you, watching over you and following you as you grow. Darling, when I had to leave my body on this world, I had no choice. My time was up, and no one could stop it. But all these years, darling, I've always been with you. You and Mistoffelees, the both of you."

"Mistoffelees…" Victoria whispered.

"He needs you, darling. He is your life now. With him, you do not need me with you all the time. Go to him now, darling. He needs you with him now," the queen smiled and blinked her eyes before disappearing in a ray of brilliant light. Victoria's eyes widened, and she could feel herself reaching forward.

"Mother! Mother!" she heard herself call. But everything around her has disappeared. Suddenly, she felt something shaking her.

"Vicki! Vicki!"

Victoria opened her eyes and spotted Tantomile in front of her face. She abruptly sat up, and looked around her in utter confusion. Where was she? What had happened? She then stared at Tantomile, not knowing what to say.

"You've finally woken," Tantomile smiled, "you were crying in your sleep!"

"What… what happened?" Victoria rubbed her head that felt like it weighed more than the rest of her body, and tried hard to remember.

"You fainted, and have been for quite a while," said Tantomile, "are you feeling all right? I told everyone I would stay with you until you're awake."

Victoria nodded absentmindedly, trying hard to organize her mind to think straight.

"Wait!" She suddenly cried out and looked around herself. "I'm back in the junkyard again! This… this is Jelly's tent!"

"Good to see that your mind is clear enough now," Tantomile smiled, "but don't get too excited. You still need to rest!"

Everything suddenly rushed back to Victoria at the speed of light.

"Where… where is Misto? Where are the others?" An expression of freight suddenly appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, they're all fine," Tantomile put a paw on Victoria's shoulder. "Right now, Jenny's closet has become a temporary hospital. Misto is there, and Jenny has taken good care of him. The toms are probably still there now to get their wounds treated, and most of the queens are there with them."

"I must go see him!" Victoria hopped up from the ground, but was suddenly pushed back by a pang of dizziness that felt as if it had smacked her right in the face.

"Easy there!" Tantomile said, "I suggest you lie down for a while longer, and go when you have all your strength back!"

"No!" Victoria pushed Tantomile aside and staggered to her feet. Shakily she got to the exit of the tent on all fours, and Tantomile, shaking her head, followed closely behind. After stumbling a couple of times, Victoria finally managed her balance and moved as fast as she could toward Jennyanydots's closet.

"Vicki, slow down there! You're gonna fall!" Tantomile cried as she watched the tottering Victoria trying her best to run.

Victoria ran into Jennyanydots on the way to the closet.

"Vicki!" Jennyanydots rushed forward to hold her up.

"Misto… where's Misto?" Victoria tried her best to hold up her body.

"You should be in bed resting right now, my dear," the old Gumbie cat sighed.

Victoria weakly pushed Jennyanydots aside and almost fell head forward into the closet. Demeter rushed over to hold her up, and Victoria shakily straightened herself.

"Vicki!" she heard Bombalurina's call.

"Vicki!" Demeter called gently, "are you all right?"

Victoria nodded and blinked her eyes. Munkustrap moved near her and gently patted her shoulders. She saw Bombalurina coddling next to Tugger on the side, and Cassandra looking at her while gently cleaning Alonzo's cuts.

"Is… is everything…" Victoria glanced around her.

"Vicki, everybody's fine," said Munkustrap, "you got us a bit worried, too. I was wondering when you would wake up."

"Where's Misto?" Victoria asked.

"He's here," Demeter replied, "Jelly's been taking care of him." She turned her head toward the end.

"Vicki, you're feeling all right now?" Bombalurina asked, "You still look very pale!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Just let me see Misto!" Victoria caught her breath.

"He's all right, darling," Jellylorum came out from behind a curtain made of rags. "He's asleep right now."

"Let me see him," Victoria said. Tears were already welling in her eyes.

Jellylorum came over and hugged the small white queen. "Of course, you can see him. But just be careful, ok? Don't make him move too much, and try not to touch his shoulders. He won't admit it to you, but he's in a lot of pain. His everywhere hurts. Perhaps, with your presence, he'd feel better."

Victoria nodded and pulled herself out of Jellylorum's arms.

"By the way, Vicki," Alonzo called, "if he asks, just tell him that we're all ok, and that no one is hurt."

Cassandra mouthed a "liar" at Alonzo, and gently pulled the black and white tom into her slender arms.

Victoria turned around and nodded before slowly getting behind the curtain without opening it much.

Not far in front of her on a thick pile of rags and towels lay a small bundle under what looked like a baby blanket, slowly moving up and down and occasionally shaking here and there. Victoria moved closer, and bent down at the bundle with only two small white tipped ears showing. She gently nudged the bundle with her paw, hearing a low moan coming from underneath.

"Misto," Victoria called gently.

"Vicki, is that you?" a weak voice came from underneath the blanket.

Victoria gently lifted the blanket a little, exposing Mistoffelees's white face with eyes closed but trying their best to open. Victoria gently touched that face, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes, it's me," she said, choking back her sobs. "I'm here now."

Mistoffelees opened his eyes big enough to be able to see her.

"Where have you been?" he asked, "I missed you. I've been wondering when you'd come and see me all along."

"Well, I've come now, haven't I?" Victoria smiled, "how are you feeling?"

"Tired," came a small whisper.

Tears were rolling down Victoria's cheeks before she could say anything.

"I was so worried about you," she sniffed, "you had to scare me like that?"

"Didn't mean to," Mistoffelees squeezed out a smile, and was forced to close his eyes. "What about everyone else? Where are they?"

"They're ok," Victoria replied, "they're all outside now. Right now what I'm worried about is you. Tell me, where do you hurt?"

"I'm all right, Vicki," Mistoffelees said, "with you here, I don't hurt at all anymore."

Victoria wiped her eyes and carefully slipped in next to Mistoffelees under the blanket. She heard a low purr coming out of him as she gently slipped her arms around him and licked his face.

"You're cold," Victoria said as she moved closer to him. She allowed him to press his head against her chest as she licked the tips of his ears and stroked the fur on the back of his head.

"Oh, Bast," Mistoffelees whispered, "Thank everything, that I'm back here, and back with you again. All these time that had went by without knowing that you're near me, I almost felt my life was leaving me."

"Oh, Misto," Victoria cried, "Say no more, please! Losing you makes me fully realize how important you are to me, and not having you at my side makes me truly understand how much I need you. I nearly thought I lost you, and for that moment, the first thing I thought was, how would I live without you in my life? And now I'm with you again, I'm scared! I'm too scared that you'd leave me again, and once again put me into the most miserable moment a cat can endure."

"I won't leave you again, I promise," Mistoffelees nuzzled her and purred. "From now on, nothing can ever separate us for one minute."

"Macavity is dead…" Victoria mumbled, returning the nuzzle.

"Is he?" Mistoffelees raised his head to look at her.

Victoria nodded, and kissed the tip of his nose. "You're right. Nothing will ever separate the two of us again."

"At the next Ball, we will declare the two of us as mates in front of the tribe," Mistoffelees said, and took Victoria's paw into his.

Victoria closed her eyes, feeling her mate's soft breath on her face. In no time, she sank into a deep sleep. Nothing else mattered to her now, and she felt she could finally bring herself back together again. Holding Mistoffelees in her arms, she felt safe and warm. In her sleep, all she could think of was him.