Bombalurina shook her head not believing what she was hearing.

"So after Grizabella had a one night stand with a tom, Tugger went out looking for her because his father wanted to apologize for the way he had treated her earlier? How does that make him a murderer? How- I'm really not understanding this at all." She said her voice getting more high-pitched with every word.

"Old Deuteronomy and Grizabella hadn't been getting along very well, Munkustrap and Tugger were only kittens at the time but were very wise for there age. When Deuteronomy had finally had enough of Grizabella's antics over how he wasn't a suitable father for the kits they had another argument which eventually led into a fight- Tugger and Munkustrap were with me and Jelly but Tugger insisted on going back home because he forgot something, I think it was a toy mouse one of the visiting tribes cat had given him…" Jenny said as Jellylorum sat down beside her, facing the red queen.

"I don't see how this relates to him being a murderer! Never the less why I was always forbidden to see him!"

"Let us finish Bombalurina." Jellylorum said with a strict tone to match the scarlets. "Tugger was about to run into the den when he heard hisses coming from inside of it… We got there just in time to see Grizabella take off swearing that she'd never return for she couldn't stand to live in this dump anymore…That's when she left running out of the gate- Tugger at her heels." Bombalurina let out a grunt of frustration, this wasn't getting anywhere.

"Tugger ran after that queen for hours, Skimble and Deuteronomy were trying their best to track him down while Munkustrap was taken to the nursery where the other kittens were. Jellylorum and I had both also gone in search of the young kitten, he had always been a fast one- not one of my favourites mind you…"

"Stick to the story aunty dear." Bombalurina hissed. So all of this happened because a kitten followed his mother out of the junkyard because she had run away? Had Tugger been wrongly accused? And how on earth had this anything to do with her?

"Bombalurina, we tried to stop her from running away but she said she'd had enough of the tribe- she was glamorous exactly how you are- were before you left. That little tom was heartbroken so when we had finally caught up with him he was standing there all alone with tears in his eyes but at the same time he was filled with utter hatred. Something stirred in him, something that Jelly and I had never seen come out of a cat before never mind the fact that he was still just young. We took him back to the Junkyard where Old Deuteronomy was explaining to the cats and kittens what had happened with the so called glamour puss and that her name shall never be mentioned again. Munkustrap, bless him, as the days went on tried everything to help his brother and father get through the loss of the queen but nothing seemed to help Tugger." Jennyanydots stopped and looked over to Jellylorum who's face had turned pale as she remembered the young toms pain. With little hesitation she continued.

"The more Tugger came to cope with the fact that his mother wasn't coming back the more distant he seemed to get from everyone. Sure he was young but he had developed these rather nasty habits, he didn't trust anyone and any chance he got he'd go off with random queens- even if they were twice his age. One night when Munkustrap was asleep, Tugger snuck out of the den and left the tribal ground. Skimbleshanks had been coming from the railway station and had seen him creeping in the shadows down toward an alleyway and alerted us immediately. We, Jenny and I that is, ran to the spot where Skimble had last seen him and tried to follow his scent. We had been appointed Munkustrap's and his guardians since Grizabella left."

Bombalurina looked confused, this didn't sound at all like the tom she had grown up with and had eventually fallen for.

" You see Bombalurina he had changed, we were scared for him, scared that he'd do something we'd all regret, something he'd regret. Tugger never confided in anyone he had became this cat we barely knew anymore. The only cats he ever seemed to actually get along with were Munkustrap, even though they did have their little brawls at times and Mistoffelees, who was just a tiny kit at the time." Jennyanydots continued for the cream colour cat.

"We came across his sent and that of another cats about a half hour later. When we had gotten there, to the spot where his sent led, he was cornering another cat against a brick wall. We ran Bombalurina, and begged him to stop but… He was hurting and no one could help him…"

"Jenny, this doesn't make any scene! Tugger isn't a murderer! He wouldn't just kill an innocent cat like that! For crying out loud he wasn't even a teenager yet!" Bombalurina shrieked, this couldn't be happening! It couldn't be true.

"He didn't mean for it to happen, he had heard that this cat knew where Grizabella had run off to and he was getting sick and tired of it saying that he was crazy. We begged him to stop yelling but he wouldn't listen. The cat was twice his age but about the same size and took a swipe at him. Never in all my life had I ever seen a kit act like that, it was like he was possessed. The cat was charging at him and even though we tried our best to try and stop it- it was too late. There was a loose couple of bricks on the wall, and Tugger jumped. He hit the bricks and they fell… The cat was crushed and Tugger mortified." Bombalurina bit her lip as Jellylorum finished.

"We brought him home. He was scared, shocked beyond belief. The Rum Tum Tugger was changed for life the night Griddlebone was killed. He never again would confide in anyone, let himself grow close to them. He was a flirt, a player and he grew up that way. He made an oath to himself to never let himself fall for someone or let anyone know how he was actually feeling, he would cover it up. But everything changed when you and your sister joined the tribe. Demeter as you know, never liked the Maine Coon to begin with along with many of the other toms and adults, such as Jenny and myself but we all did feel sorry for him."

"Until I came… He trusted me, I trusted him. We were both so lost, no one understood us. We were just flirts to everyone, we couldn't trust them… So we trusted each other." Bombalurina thought aloud as her eyes widened in realization. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum looked at her with a sad smile.

"We were scared for you Bombalurina, we thought that the same thing might happen to you… We didn't want you to get hurt!" Jenny said as the red queen looked up at her, teary-eyed.

"So you forbid me to see him because you thought he was some kind of lunatic? You made me stay away when we needed each other the most!" Bombalurina shook her head disbelievingly. " Does anyone else know?" Jenny shook her head.

"Jelly, Skimble, Deuteronomy and I were the only ones that ever knew about the incident that night and Tugger barely remembers it. He blocked it out of his memory."

"Then why all my life has Demeter and everyone also said to stay away from him? Why did all the kittens practically hate me?"

" Well I take it that the kittens were just jealous and that Demeter just didn't like him."

"Then why did he chase me away? Why did he tell me that he thought it would be better if we started seeing other cats! He didn't care about me at all! Did he!" The red queens voice had turned to utter panic and distrust. He had used her after all. Never cared! The only reason he wanted her back was because of their son!

"Bombalurina you know that's not true! Of course he cares about you! He loves you!" Jenny shouted at the queen who had started to back away from the group.

"Loves me? I'm not stupid! You honestly think I'd fall for that! He never cared… He used me Jenny. He used me! He knew when I left the tribe that I was on my own and he just left me, to raise a son- by myself! How could he do that to me?"

"Bombalurina he's tried his best to make it up to you! You know that! Look at everything he's done in this past year, hasn't that meant anything to you?" Jellylorum asked shocked at the queens sudden outburst.

"It all been a lie, if he actually cared why didn't he come and bring me back? Why hasn't he said anything to me about how he supposedly feels? He he…."

"BOMBALURINA listen to me! He cares about you! You don't know how miserable its been for him without you here!"

"IF that were true Jenny how come I've never been told that? How come no one said anything to me? I don't know what to think anymore!" Jellylorum had had enough, grabbing the frustrated queens hand she pulled her face close to hers so they were looking each other straight in the eyes.

"Look Bombalurina I don't know everything that goes on in his mind. He's been hurt, he's been scared, and has probably needed the love that you crave just as much as you do and he possibly has just been as hurt and has felt just as alone as you have. He loves you and that's all I know. And what do you mean why hasn't anyone told you? Would you have believed them if they did? Would you listen!" Bombalurina grew quite. "Tell me Bombalurina if you would have listened to Munkustrap or Demeter if they came up to you and said Oh by the way, Tugger's madly in love with you and wants to become your mate,would you?" There was no answer. The two older queens backed away, allowing Bombalurina some breathing room.

" I just don't believe it. I don't think I can." With that Bombalurina ran out of the den, leaving the Gumbie cat and her friend fearing for Tugger's and the red queens fate.


"Etcetera I can explain please listen to me!" Pouncival begged to the rampaging queen.

"Listen to you? LISTEN TO YOU? I don't want to even look at you never mind listen to you!"

"Etcetera it was an accident honestly it wasn't suppose to happen! Jemima is just a good friend nothing more! She has Tumble!"

" I cant believe you! I thought you actually cared about me!"

"I do!"

"You know I might of expected this from other toms but not from you! You were the last one! I gave you my heart and what do you do? You go with that that… POLLICLE!"

" Etcetera I'm sorry I don't know what I was thinking I never meant it to happen!" Jemima said as she tried to plead with her friend. It had been an honest mistake, she hadn't known what came over her. Kissing Pouncival wasn't what she had wanted to do at all.

"You, you little… AHH! I thought you were one of my best friends Jemmy!" Etcetera screamed at the little calico who's eyes were full of regret.

"I am!"

"Etcetera please listen to me! I would never to anything to hurt you! Please believe me!"

"You know what Pouncival? I never want to see your pathetic back stabbing face again! I hate you!"

The young toms eyes filled with tears as the words sank in.

"Fine have it your way! Don't listen! I'll leave for good. I was an idiot to fall in love with a queen like you." Hissing at the queen one last time Pouncival ran from the spot, out into the night.

"Wait Pounce… I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" Etcetera shouted as she ran after the tom but it was to late.

"Everlasting cat what have I done?" She whispered as cold tears began to stream down her face. Turning from the spot she ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction trying her best to get back to her den but bumping into something on the way.

"Bom-ba? I'm sorry I didn't see you!" The young queen said as she tried to make her way past the red queen, not wanting to let her know that she was crying.

"Etcetera? What happened?" Bombalurina said as she kneeled to the young queens level. Not being able to hold it in anymore she broke down in front of the queen who embraced her in a warm hug.

"Pouncival's gone Bomba…He's gone and its all my fault!" She said her voice a terrified whisper.

"Gone? What do you mean he's gone?" Bombalurina asked the stunned queen as the scene caused many of the cats to gather around.

"I… I…Told him I hated him and never wanted to see him again and he left!"

"WHAT! Why? Etcetera!"

"He… He… Kissed Jemima by accident and I lost my head with him." Bombalurina's along with many of the other cats eyes widened as gasps were let out. " He didn't mean it Bomba, he tried to tell me but I wouldn't listen! He ran out the gate and and…" She broke town sobbing again. Bombalurina felt the little queens pain, even though she had never been to close to Etcetera, or liked her all that much, she never would want this sort of thing to happen to her.

"Its too late… I chased him out."

"Etcetera listen to me," Bombalurina began turning the queens face to hers. " Its NOT to late, you both said and did things you didn't actually mean and that's o.k. its natural. Etcetera you don't want to let something like what you have with Pounce get away. I did that once, I lost probably the only tom I could ever love and I've regretted it ever since." Bombalurina felt the eyes of the Maine Coon on her but tried her best to continue. " But its not to late for you. Etcetera answer this truthfully, do you love him?"

The younger queen looked up through tear filled eyes and let out a sheepish smile.

"Yes, I think I do."

"Do you want him as a life mate?" This question caused the queen eyes to widen and a blush to creep across her face.

" Yes! Bombalurina I do!" The red queen found herself letting out a radiant smile as she let go of the queen.

"Well then, lets make sure that happens." As Etcetera's grin grew broader Bombalurina took her hand and led her to the entrance to the junkyard when a voice called out to them.

"Where are you two going!"

" To get us a young tom who will make a very fine mate indeed." Bombalurina shouted back as her and Etcetera left the junkyard.