Mungojerrie curled up in his blanket, it was torn, dirty, and old but it was his. It was one of the things that he loved the most; especially on a day like this, dark, rainy and omnificent. He wrapped himself tighter in it as he heard the rain drum on the side of his home. He loved the sound of it; it made him feel warm and secure, like a kitten in its mother's arms. He opened an eye wearily, the rain got oddly loud for a moment. It was back to normal, must have just been his imagination.

"Mungojerrie, are you in there?"

Mungo pushed himself to his paws and pulled open the curtain, revealing Old Deuteronomy, the tribe's leader. The large and regal cat, who was usually looked up to with the respect and reverence he deserved, looked rather ridiculous – much like a large succulent rodent. His long coat was pressed down on him and raindrops were dripping from his whiskers, ears, and fur. Mungo had to bite his tongue so that he wouldn't laugh at him, his mother would have a fit if he did. She did not bring him up to mock his elders. Instead he simply moved aside and allowed him to come in, before he got wetter, as if it was possible. Old Deuteronomy shook himself out before entering, so he wouldn't drip on the blanket. He sat himself against the wall and graciously accepted the cloth that Mungo handed him to dry off with.

"Hello Old Deuteronomy, what do I owe this visit?" Mungojerrie asked, wrapping his blanket around him.

"I was told that you were actually socializing the other day" he said happily. Mungo wanted to roll his eyes; he wasn't anti-social, he just didn't like being around the cats a lot, particularly those who forgot about Majellina. "With Rumpelteazer, I do believe."

"Yes" he said slowly, nodding his head. "What is your point?" Old Deuteronomy leaned in slightly, a rather serious expression on his face. Mungojerrie gulped, did he just sound rude to the Jellicle leader? He's mom's going to flay him alive, unless he runs away. He could set up a new home in the country, out in the woods, gather a few cats and make his own tribe...

"I was wondering if you could tell me what she spoke to you of" Deuteronomy said simply. Jerrie looked at him curiously, is that all he wanted? Why didn't he go to see Rumpelteazer to find out; why is it that he wants to know from him? Deuteronomy seemed to have picked up on his confusion for he continued after a pause. "She refused to speak to us about her brother. Munkustrap wants to know about him so he can help cheer her up. All we know is that he's dead. We were hoping that you could fill us in with the details."

"I don't know much, only that he used to tell her stories about her mother. They'd sleep together, he'd take care of her, and she saw him when he was dead; and from what I was told it wasn't a pretty picture." Mungo told him. The leader leaned back, nodding slowly, as if he was trying to figure out if there was anything that he could use from the information. Mungo bit his tongue again as he watched him, the wheels in his mind were obviously turning and trying to fit pieces together. "But give her time, she's new to the tribe and must be shy about it. She'll come around sooner or later."

"I do hope so" Old Deuteronomy said, wheels still turning. He soon got up and left, giving Mungojerrie back the cloth. He curled up in his blanket; wondering why she had told him when she didn't tell anyone. There was no one he knew that was more open and easier to talk to then Old Deuteronomy, he was all knowing and so understanding. He on the other paw was much more hostile then anyone else here, mainly in the past few months. Why did she choose to talk to him? Was it because she knew that he understood her grief? Was she hoping that he'd open up to her, did she long for the same show of pain that he did? Why is it that he was chosen? His thoughts were interrupted by a wave of glorious laughter and a rather disapproving voice that he recognized as Rumpelteazer's and Jellylorum's. He poked his head out the curtain and saw the kitten sliding through the muddy ground.

"Mungojerrie dear" Jellylorum called. "Can you get her for me? I'm watching Old Gus and I simply can not leave him alone right now."

"I suppose" he yelled back to her. "It may take me a while." She waved thanks before popping back into her suitcase, leaving him to go after the impish kitten. He felt the rain sprinkle on to him, the squishy mud beneath his paws and between his claws. He shuddered at the thought of cleaning them later on. Maybe he could find a clean puddle nearby to rinse them in. The blissful giggle brought him back to his task as the kitten slid through the filthy ground once more. He carefully walked though it, not wanting to fall and have more to lick clean. Rumpelteazer continued slipping by him, and he nearly fell every time he went to grab her. Why did he even agree to get her? He must be going insane. He saw her gliding towards him once more; he stood his ground and placed a firm paw down upon her tail, stopping her at last.

"Mungo" she moaned as she pushed herself up, very little of her light fur showing through the sludge that covered her. "Why'd you have to do that?"

"You're going to get sick if you stay out here, you should be inside" he pointed out, happy that he didn't end up falling. She gave him a rather sour look before adding. "And you're not very pretty when you're all muddy like that."

"Why should I care" she asked as she pulled her tail free, and brushing some of the gook off of her face. "And why do you care? You're only out here because Jelly sent you. You could be in your box, warm and dry."

"You're going to get sick"

"No I won't, I grew up living in horrible weather with no shelter." She stated before playing with the mud some more. "Besides its fun to play in the dirt, didn't you ever?"

"No" he said warily. Where was she going with this? "All it is is getting dirty, why would you do that?"

A mischievous smile crept across her face before splashing him with the mud. "There, now you're dirty. You may as well play in it now."

Mungo gave her a skeptical look, what was she doing? She gave him a toothful grin, her white teeth very noticeable against her dark face, before running through the wet mud again and sliding on her back. Mungo took a careful step towards her, not having the same amount of fun as she was; he wasn't even sure why he was doing it. She looked at him oddly; she shook her head and took off towards him. Mungo looked up in time to see her catapult herself at him, but not in enough time to get out of the way. The two calico cats ended up tumbling and rolling through the sludge, becoming covered with it.

"Like that" she giggled before rolling in it again. Mungo stood up, his fur felt heavy from the layer of filth on him, and shot her a dirty look (no pun intended, I swear). He bounded after her and pushed her into a rather big mud puddle, falling in after her. She stood up, weighed down with an extreme amount of mud and he couldn't help but laugh; something that he didn't do in a rather long time. Not just the everyday common laugh but the one that brought tears to the eyes and made him feel like he'd need to change his pants (if he wore them). Rumpelteazer shook herself out, splattering him with mud, and making her look like a sea urchin. She moved away as he shook himself clean and allowed the heavy rain to finish riding him of the dirt. He turned and found Rumpel opening an old umbrella and using it as a shelter. He crawled underneath it with her; both of them clean once again.

"Wasn't that fun?"

"Yeah" Mungo agreed, shaking himself dry once more. "It was. Do you always do it?"

"I used to" her tone changing dramatically. "With my brother. We'd always do fun things together, it didn't matter if we had a home or food, as long as we had fun we were happy."

"We" he paused, feeling bad that he inadvertently brought the subject up, particularly after how she cried the other night. "We should probably get you back to Jelly's" She glumly agreed with a sigh. Mungo tipped the umbrella upside down and grabbed a few spoons. They climbed inside and started 'paddling' across the muddy river, so not to dirty themselves again. He dropped her off at the bottom of the pile that she lived in, and helped her out. "I'll see you later."

"Alright" she aid as she turned around and began to walk up the heap, she turned around halfway there and looked back at him. "You know what Jerrie? You're really fun, you remind me of my brother... I mean when he was alive" she added as a half-hearted attempt as a joke. Mungo laughed inwardly as shook his head.

"I'll take that as a compliment" he called before he rowed himself home. He climbed back inside and curled into his blanket. He closed his eyes, enjoying the shelter from the rain. How Rumpelteazer was happy without any means of a shelter he'd never know. He was sure that it wasn't something that you learnt after loosing someone; he sure did enjoy shelter after he lost Majellina. Maybe there was something that you leaned on the streets about happiness that they failed to know in the Junkyard. Here everything was sheltered, especially the kittens and their knowledge of the outside streets. Maybe if he grew up out there he would appreciate the little things, like sliding through the mud, more like she did. Maybe he wouldn't always be sore about his twin leaving him; maybe he would have learnt to continue with his life without thinking about her. He could have blocked her from his memories like she managed to do with her brother. He could have carried on being happy but he would always have to carry on being half; never whole.

Mungojerrie was not pleased, not one bit. He sulked as his mother placed her paw on his forehead. She nodded, tucking him in tighter. She plays outside in horrible weather, he goes out to bring her in before she gets sick, and then he's the one who gets sick and bedridden. It's unfair, unless she got sick too, she was out in the rain longer then he was, there for she must be worse off then he is. He heard a knock on the door, he started to get up to answer it but his mother pushed him back down before answering it herself.

"Hello Jennyanydots," a bright voice greeted, Mungo banged his head against the wall silently. It was her and she defiantly didn't sound sick, "My mom wants to see you."

"Very well then Rumpelteazer," Jennyanydots fixed Mungo's blanket once more before leaving.

"Is it alright if I go in and see him," she asked as his mother left. Mungo heard her murmur a 'yes' and Rumpelteazer crawled in. She sat down next to him, a sheepish look on her face, "You got sick?"

"Yep"

"I suppose that you aren't used to being out in bad weather," she said as he nodded. "I got sick my first time too, don't feel bad about it."

"Why were you even out there; what in the world possessed you to do that?" Mungo turned to her once she failed to answer. Her ears were drooped and she was looking away, slightly ashamed.

"I wanted to be pretty," she whispered. Mungo blinked in confusion; being cover in mud makes one pretty? "Roquefort, my brother, said that when I'm covered in mud that I look like how Momma used to. She was a Chocolate Colored Tiffany, and he said that she was beautiful. So when ever I was muddy he'd say 'Beautiful as Momma' and he never said that I was pretty, let alone beautiful, whenever I didn't have mud on me; and I don't blame him. I never was very big on hygiene, neither was he now that I come to think about it. Matted fur, dusty, covered in scratches and cuts; I never really cleaned myself until Munkustrap showed up, and that's just because he made me."

"I see," Mungo said before coughing a few times. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to cheer her up this time; he was feeling rather useless; she seemed to have picked up on it because she immediately became cheerful again.

"Mungo," she started out sweetly, he didn't like how she held the 'O' at the end oh his name; she was up to something. "Are you ticklish?" Mungojerrie's eyes involuntarily widened and it must have been enough of an answer for her. She was immediately on top of him, tickling him furiously. Mungo had tears in his eyes, trying to push her off; he put a paw on her side and she began giggling. So, she was ticklish too; time for some sweet revenge.

A/N: ANNIE TRIP TOMORROW! WOOT! Now that that's out of my system…

We got snow, it was awesome; I couldn't wait to go sledding. Then we got rain, so all the snow is gone. And I didn't get to go sledding, next time maybe. We are in the process of decorating the house, no Christmas tree yet though, it's still in its box in the basement. In due time… Hmmm I think that's it. Rather short… I suppose I'll close with… Banana.

Chimy-Lava – I rarely call you Chimalmaht anymore. You did make me post, not right away but you did push me towards it. It will be longer, five chapters… it's kind of my standard. I should break free and do one that's six, or maybe even seven. Her brother is just some random cat being used for the soul purpose of this fic… and maybe another, I'll see how I feel.

Jemima-luvah – Our drama has been officially suspended until January. So ticked off. I've been in four musical (two of which were dinner theaters) they're really fun. You're going to love it. I have a French essay rough copy due for tomorrow on an article about Bulimia… I'll do it later.

etcies – Okie dokes, I'll change that, thanks for telling me about the error.

Super Poet Gurl - gaspses Poet is on ! Goodness gracious mercy me! You know this isn't my one shot, I told you that in school. I suppose that it was just your sleepiness. And Jingle Cats are horribly… frightening.

Mystitat – Did you end up getting the lead? If you did "Congratulations" if not "At least you tried."

So, maybe now it's time, and maybe when I wake. They'll be there calling me "Baby"… Maybe