The red queens heart began to race as the deep blue eyes of the maned tom met hers as she attempted to look away but found it next to impossible. Play it cool Bomba, act like nothings changed. You have to find out more about the incident before you get ahead of yourself, after all they could have been talking about something completely different. Bombalurina shuttered, it was so hard to look him straight in the eye, she had so many questions, questions that she needed to know the answer to but questions that would have to wait for another time and another place.
"You didn't come back last night," Tugger commented with a hint of aggravation in his voice.
"I fell asleep in Demeter's." She lied. Now what did she do? Bombalurina had no clue how to act around the tom, she didn't even know who he was anymore.
"O.k. whatever," He answered looking into her hazel eyes again, not at all convinced.
Tristram watched his parents and slunk of to a corner. They always fight- cant they just have a normal conversation or try to be happy for once? The young kitten got away from the scene as fast as he could, he couldn't stand it anymore. He loved his father and mother both but it didn't seem right, they weren't mates, he wasn't part of a normal family. He was a mistake, something that wasn't meant to happen, he didn't belong to a real family, he defiantly wasn't part of one.
"Tristram- what are you doing all the way over here?" The kitten turned around and found himself staring into the beautiful large brown eyes of Jemima. The queen looked at him curiously, as if she were trying to read his emotions.
"Hi"
"Kit, what are you doing all the way over here? Your family will be looking for you."
"If they ever actually take a break from blaming each other on things to notice I'm gone." Jemima looked empathetically down at the tiny kitten who was trying his best to not show her how hurt he was. Taking a hand and placing on the kittens chin she turned his face to hers so their eyes met.
"It must hurt pretty bad." She said wiping a tear from one of the kittens deep blue eyes. "It must be really hard for you each day. I guess we've all been so concerned with your parents happiness we undermined your opinion on all this." Not able to hold it back any longer Tristram buried his head into the queens shoulder letting out a sob that was muffled by the queens reddish black fur.
" I just want to be normal! I want to be part of a family that always tells each other how they feel and who actually care about each other! Munkustrap and Demeter are! Why cant I? What's the matter with me?"
"Shh Trist, shh. There's nothing the matter with you." Jemima cooed as she rocked the crying kitten back and forth. " And what do you mean part of a normal family? Aw love you are! You don't know how well you have it of here in the junkyard!"
"That's not it Jemima! I want a normal family! I want normal parents!" Jemima felt the weight of the world begin to weigh on her shoulders as the kitten continued. " There always fighting with each other! Sure sometimes they act happy and I actually feel like everything is going well but in the end it all just turns out wrong! No one knows what I see at night, when they think I'm asleep!"
"What do you mean?"
" They all think that I'm just some little kitten who doesn't know what I'm talking about! But I see what happens- I always see and I'm sick of pretending like I don't notice these things." Tristram's sorrow had turned into a blind hurt rage. " I see my mom cry at night! No one knows about it except me. She acts like everything is o.k. after her and dad have a fight or a argument but it kills her, I know it kills her. She still loves him! I know she does, even though I don't think she realizes it yet, its not easy for her and I know she's got so many emotions but I know its nothing that dad cant fix! But he doesn't! He doesn't even try to help at times- the odd time he'll go off and comfort her but sometimes it just doesn't happen." Jemima felt her own eyes well with tears. No matter how old this kit was he was wise beyond his years. It couldn't be that obvious to him that his parents were still madly in love with each other, but just refused to admit it. She looked into his pain stricken eyes, those youthful little eyes that were now filled with grief behond words; a grief that no cat never mind kitten should ever experience. Only the Heavyside new what sites this kitten eyes had beheld, only it new the way of life he had once had to lead. No kit should ever have to encounter such things. Jemima's hands cupped Tristram's tiny face and she planted a tiny kiss on his nose.
"Tristram, I may not know what's in store for your parents but I do know one thing, they love you and wouldn't want you to mope around like this. Now look around you, the birds are singing, the sun is shinning and you and I are going for a walk." She said as she tickled the little toms stomach getting a well deserved laugh out of him. She was going to fix this. She had to, what other choice did she have? She needed to fix this, it was getting to far out of hand and at what price? The innocence of a kitten? This battle between Tugger and Bombalurina had to be stopped, not for their sakes but for Tristram.
"I know she didn't just fall asleep last night Misto." Tugger said as he paced around the tuxedo cats den. "There's something she's not telling me." Mistoffelees looked at the pacing tom and then to the ground not at all sure how to comfort him. Munkustrap had approached him not so long before Tugger came, and had told him everything about the incident after the party. In all honesty the conjurer didn't know if they could do anything to help the red queen and the maned tom anymore, some wounds just cant heal and the way Tugger was going about this he defiantly wasn't helping much.
"Tugger, Munkustrap told me what happened with Bom last night." Tugger's tan ears perked up as the magician continued.
"Tugger, she cried herself to sleep last night."
"How is that my problem?" He answered gruffly, not liking where this conversation was headed.
"Tugger I think you should tell her." Mistoffelees said as he scratched his head with his hands awkwardly looking at the toms face that was full of mixed emotions.
"Mistoffelees not you to! You know what? Demeter was just lecturing me on the exact same thing about two hours ago. I AINT GOING TO ADMIT TO AYTHING"
"Tugger for crying out loud Munkustrap, Demeter and I have only been trying to help you! You haven't put any effort at all towards this! The least thing you could do would be to make it easier on all of us and just tell Bombalurina that you still love her!"
"Why should I tell her anything! From what I hear Munkustrap did a pretty good job of consoling her last night himself! Hey I've got an idea, why doesnt Munkustrap ask her to join him and Demeter and they all could become one big happy triad!" Tugger hissed at the tom who's ears flattened against his head.
"I cant believe you! So you mean to tell me that after all this time, all the effort you've put into thinking how you'd win her back if you ever saw her again, your just going to give up!"
"Well why should I keep going if all she ever does is pull away from me!"
"Oh wait a second let me see…YOU LOVE HER! YOU SHARE A KITTEN WITH HER!" Mistoffelees hissed back at the tom. What on earth was he thinking? What was the matter with him? " You both have practically been soul mates ever since you came of age! Do you want me to go on?"
Tugger let out another moan of frustration and fell back onto the magicians bed. "Its hard Misto. Its actually really hard. I thought that after a while she'd turn around and we'd be a family. I guess I never actually considered what actually might happen." Mistoffelees sat down next to the tom and flopped back beside him.
"I know what you mean Tug, I know what you mean."
Pouncival was happily sunning himself on an old arm chair when a tug on his tail awoke him to find Jemima staring at him.
"Morning Jem." The tom said as he sat up and rubbed heads with the queen in a friendly hello. Jemima smiled at the tom as her tail wrapped around her body and rested in front of her hands. Despite her best efforts to hide it, the encounter that the queen had had with Tristram earlier on in the day had deeply struck her and Pouncival noticed.
"Jem what's the matter?" The tom said as he placed the queens hands in his own.
"Oh Pouncival, none of us have any idea how blessed we really were in our kitten hood." She said as she buried her head into his chest, in the same action Tristram had don't to her a few hours ago.
"Jemima? What do you mean?" The tom asked unsure of what she meant as his arms wrapped around her in a friendly embrace.
"Tristram, he, he, he's miserable. He thinks that he's some sort of mistake and doesn't belong anywhere. He sees Bombalurina cry herself to sleep sometimes and and and…" Jemima broke into a burst of sobs, she was shocked at how much this had changed her feelings toward everything. Pouncival rocked the queen back and forth silently trying his best to comfort her. Jemima had always been a kind and caring queen to others in need, and the Everlasting cat new how much she cared for kittens. She had been one of his best friends growing up and seeing her this way didn't help any.
"Sh Jem its going to all work out, you'll see." Pouncival pressed the queens head tighter against himself and began to purr hoping that it would calm her down a bit. Jemima moved away and wiped her eyes.
"I honestly don't know why it effects me so much, I mean I'm not even related to Tristram." She said looking into his brown eyes. Pouncival put up a hand and wiped the tears from her eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that were always so filled with life and hope and now were reduced to tears.
"Jem I…" He began but found himself staring into the queens eyes memorized. Those beautiful brown eyes…Wait what was he saying? All of a sudden memories of Etcetera came flooding back to him. Jemima was just a good friend nothing more, he couldn't possibly have feelings for her more then that. Right? No, of course not he had Etcetera and he was happy with her. Wasn't he?He had been spending alot of time with Jemima lately...In less then a heartbeat the young tom found his lips pressed against the pretty young calicos as her arms wrapped around his neck.
Murderer. Murderer. Murderer? Bombalurina shot up out of bed alarmed. This was driving her crazy, she needed to know for sure what happened that night, or else she would be haunted with these thoughts forever.
Without thinking one more thought she left the den and went out to look for Jellylorum and Jennyanydots, whether they were ready for it or not.
"Pounce…I…" Jemima tired to say when the young tom had pulled away. The two just stared at each other now, unsure of what to do or say. He had cheated on Etcetera with Jemima. Pouncival looked around to make sure no one had seen, before he stood up and held out a hand to the small queen who took them as two angry and hurt green eyes watched unwillingly from behind a cloth as the two cats walked away.
"That…That Pollicle!" Etcetera whispered as she staggered backwards shocked.
"Hmm hmm hmm da da da." Demeter hummed as she continued to groom her mates ear, who purred in response. Munkustrap sighed as Demeter's arms wrapped around his neck and she gently nuzzled him.
"Someone's in a good mood." The silver tabby purred returning the nuzzle.
"I'm just happy, I actually think that things are going well for once or will turn around soon, for the better that is."
"And why is that love?" Munkustrap asked his mate as she continued to groom his fur.
"Lets just say I have a special feeling that tonight is going to be a memorable one." Demeter replied with a mysterious smile.
"So you mean to tell me after all this time you let me go on thinking that that…" Bombalurina trembled as the old Gumbie cat and Jellylorum looked down ashamed. " You let me think that he hated me for all those months! When I was little Jenny what about then? Was he the murderer you thought he was then too? Is that why you always warned me away from him- told me that he's no good? All because of a stupid accident that happened? Before I even joined the tribe may I remind you!"
"Bombalurina please try and calm down. Try to understand!" Jenny's voice begged the red queen.
"Make me understand Jenny! By the Heavyside make me because I sure don't right now!" Bombalurina shrieked at the two old queens as tears fell from her eyes. Everything she had ever been told was a lie, everything she had ever believed. Jellylorum looked at Jennyanydots and let out a heavy sigh.
"It all started when Grizabella cheated on Old Deuteronomy a month before you came to the tribe."
Bombalurina sat down glaring at the two queens. She was so confused, what was the truth? She certainly didn't know anymore. As Jenny joined the conversation the red queen could tell that it was going to be a long night, a very long night indeed.
