There were a million thoughts running through Munkustrap's head.
Some of them could be considered coherent, but none of them good.
It wasn't that he believed Macavity was incapable of having children. The exact opposite, really. The hidden paw must have been with many queens in his life, perhaps it would have been more shocking if no children at all had resulted from these unions.
No, it was the fact that Quaxo, sweet, innocent little Quaxo, who once cried for almost an hour because he accidentally stepped on an ant during dance practice- "but what if he had a family?" - would have spawned from the seed of a cat who was incapable of compassion, incapable of love.
It just didn't make sense.
But Munkustrap wasn't really in a state of mind to be thinking hard about anything. In fact, just the process of standing up was a challenge. He was dizzy and winded, and his overused muscles were straining in an attempt to keep him upright.
But what did any of that matter?
Quaxo was missing.
Just the thought of that poor kitten...
What did Mac want with him?
What would he do to him?
How would he go about rescuing him?
How would...
"Munkus?"
How...
Wait...
That voice wasn't his.
"Munkus, are you okay?"
One brown eye peeked out from behind the yellow blanket, which was still draped unceremoniously across his nest.
"Quaxo?"
Another eye appeared as the little tux slowly pushed his face out from behind the soft fabric.
What...he was here the whole time?
Sensing the older cat's confusion, Quaxo quickly explained.
"You were taking a long time and I got bored so I made a blanket f-o-r-t," he said proudly. "You know...like in the books..."
It took a second for his words to compute in the Jellicle protector's head.
He's alive. He's okay. He's standing right in front of me. He's….he's….
"Munkus," Quaxo frowned. "You're all sweaty."
"Um…wait…what?"
"'Munkus'", Quaxo repeated, "mother says its i-m-p-o-l-i-t-e to stutter. Why are you all sweaty? Why..."
The little tux didn't get to finish his sentence as the Jellicle protector scooped him up in his arms.
"You're okay," he breathed. "Oh, thank Heavyside...thank..."
He could feel the needle-like prick of Quaxo's tiny claws as he tried to squirm out of his grasp.
"Help!" he cried. "I'm being p-u-l-v-e-r-i-z-e-d!"
Oh.
Perhaps he was holding him a bit tight. He placed the very angry looking kitten back on the floor.
"What was that for?" he whined. "You've turned my insides into jelly!"
Munk tried holding back his smile.
"I'm sorry, little one. I was just worried."
"About what?"
Everything?
"It's….nothing major," he said, trying to keep his voice even. "I promise. I just didn't intend to leave you alone for that long."
He could see in Quaxo's face that he didn't believe him. He was an exceptionally bright kit, and getting things past him was a harder and harder task the older he got.
"You're scared of something," he responded with narrowed eyes.
Is that a question or a statement?
He favored the latter.
"I've just been a bit...on edge lately."
"Is it because of Macavity showing up?"
What?
"He hasn't shown up."
At least not yet.
"Do I even want to know where you are hearing these things from?" he continued.
Quaxo shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Plato told Tumble who told Pounce who told..."
"Alright, alright..." Munk cut in. "News travels quickly in the nursery, I can tell."
"But is Macavity why you're so a-g-i-t-a-t-e-d? Is he going to attack? Is that why you didn't want to leave me alone?"
"Quaxo, if I knew the answers to any of your questions then perhaps I wouldn't look so...what did you say? Agitated? I just overreacted when I didn't see you immediately. That's all there is to it."
Quaxo remained silent for a minute, and Munkustrap was afraid he might press further.
"Alright," he said finally, still looking slightly suspicious.
Munk wanted nothing more now then to relax, but his heart was still beating incredibly fast.
"Munkus," Quaxo said softly, "maybe you should sit down?"
"I'm fine."
The little tux raised his eyebrows but didn't push the matter.
"Did you get the sleeping stuff from mother?"
"The...huh?"
"You know...you said you were going to get something to help me sleep. So I won't dream about the red eyes and the..."
"Quaxo!" Munk interrupted quickly. "Let's not talk about that anymore, alright?"
The last thing he needed right now was the little conjurer discussing Macavity when his rats were prowling around outside. It sent a shiver up his spine. He had given his former friend a perfect opportunity to snatch the kit after he left him alone, and yet he didn't make a move.
Maybe...maybe he wasn't here for Quaxo?
Munk tried not to set his expectations too high for that scenario, but then it left many things still unexplained.
What was he up to?
Macavity wouldn't go through the effort of sending his rats to sniff around the border without any cause.
"Munkus?" Quaxo asked, breaking through his reverie. "You didn't answer the question."
"What?"
"The sleeping stuff?"
"Oh, um I must have forgot..."
"But Munkus..."
"I can go back..."
Wait...
He wasn't about to leave Quaxo alone again.
"Actually, maybe we can go together to Jenny's. How does that sound?"
"No need."
He turned around to see the tabby queen herself enter his den. She looked slightly disheveled, though not to the extent that Munkustrap was. She eyed Quaxo cautiously before turning her gaze to the Jellicle protector.
"I would advise not leaving him alone again under these current conditions," she said quietly, out of Quaxo's earshot.
"Do you think he's still after him? Or were we wrong?"
Jenny frowned.
"I'm never wrong," she replied stonily.
"What c-o-n-d-i-t-i-o-n-s?" Quaxo squeaked in the background.
Maybe they weren't being as quiet as they thought they were. The two of them turned around to find the little tux pouting on the floor.
"Why don't the adults ever tell me anything?"
Jenny bent down, giving him a soft smile.
"Because it doesn't concern you, dear."
"But Munkus said that Macavity..."
"Now wait a second, I didn't say..."
"...or his rats or something were outside..."
Jenny swiveled backwards, looking rather...what did Quaxo call it?
Frowny?
"Oh did he now?" she said slowly, it that parental "I'm disappointed in you" tone.
Munk threw his arms in the air.
"Listen, I'm trying, okay?"
Jenny glared at him for another moment before focusing her attention back on Quaxo.
"Again, it has nothing to do with you."
She reached into one of the many pockets in her coat, grabbing what looked like little black specks.
"These are poppy seeds," she told him. "They should help you sleep tonight."
The little tux sniffed at them cautiously.
"Dear, they aren't poisonous, I can assure you."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you questioning me?"
Oof.
"N-no mother," he mumbled, quickly putting the seeds in his mouth.
"Was that so hard?"
"They taste bad," the little tux grimaced.
"They don't taste like anything."
"They are d-i-s-a-g-r-e-e-a-b-l-e to my stomach."
She shook her head, looking rather exasperated.
Munkustrap was certainly familiar with than expression, for it was a rather prominent feature in his own face.
"And you," she said, rising up to point at the Jellicle protector, "are going to have some as well."
"I might get i-n-d-i-g-e-s-t-i-o-n."
She reached back in her pocket and brought out several more seeds.
Munk's eyes widened.
"Me? But I'm fine..."
"I think I'm going to u-p-c-h-u-c-k."
"You need sleep, just like everyone else here."
"But..."
"I want Tugger to narrate my funeral."
"Munkustrap, you will eat the poppy seeds or everlasting help me I will force them down your throat."
The funny thing was, she meant every word she said. Always. One simply couldn't escape from the wrath of Jennyanydots.
Munk, recognizing his defeat, took the seeds from her paw and swallowed them quickly. It felt more like a punishment than an act of charity.
"I've been p-o-i-s-o-n-e-d!" Quaxo whined, clutching his stomach in a rather impressive display of agony.
Jenny rolled her eyes.
"Has he always been this much of a diva?" she asked, trying to hide her smirk.
"Usually he's a bit better behaved."
"He's overtired, is what he is."
She bent back down.
"Come here, sweetheart," she said, enveloping the little tux in a hug. "You'll behave yourself tonight, right?"
"Mother, I always behave."
Jenny nudged Quaxo's chin up with her paw.
"I love you, kitten. You do know that?"
"Of course I do," he responded, eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you and Munkus being so weird tonight?"
The two adults exchanged a glance.
"Am I not allowed to tell my children that I love them?" she finally questioned.
"Do you tell Alonzo that?"
She laughed.
"He's an absolute pain, that one. And yes, I tell him every day. And Addie too, when he decides he wants to grace me with his presence."
She once again turned to Munkustrap.
"And you as well, dear. Don't you forget."
"I know, Jenny," he whispered.
Mother.
She too gave him a hug, and Munkustrap almost forget how good it felt just to be touched.
"Good luck with him," she said, drawing away. "I'll let you be lenient with Quaxo tonight, but I expect him to be back in the nursery tomorrow. Do you understand?"
Oh I understand. But does Quaxo?
"I'll try my best," he responded.
What else was there to say?
Jenny eyed the two toms once more before exiting.
"Oh, and Munkustrap?" she called out.
"What?"
"Your den is disgusting. I want it cleaned by tomorrow morning."
It's nice to know where her priorities lie…
"Yes, m'am," he chuckled, watching her slowly disappear into the night.
Munk went back inside the den and immediately scooped Quaxo off of his floor, the kit scowling as he was placed down on some blankets in the corner.
"Can't I sleep in your nest, Munkus?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Because it's my nest."
"I am undeserving of such b-a-r-b-a-r-i-t-y."
Munk sighed, rubbing his temples.
"You have more pillows and blankets here than you could possibly need. In fact, you have more here than you have in the nursery itself. But since I'm such an amenable cat, I'll let you stay on my nest while I clean this place up."
The scowl was still present on Quaxo's face, but he was wise enough not to push his luck. The little tux climbed on Munk's nest, rolled on his back, and proceeded to stare rather angrily at the ceiling.
"What's wrong now?" Munk asked, trying to fold what looked like a picnic blanket that he may or may not have nicked from his human's house.
"I can't sleep."
"The poppy seeds will take time to work."
"How much time?"
"I don't know."
"Why don't you know?"
For crying out loud….
Quaxo was never usually this difficult. In fact (all things considered), he was an incredibly well-behaved kitten, which was why his current attitude unnerved Munk more than he would like to admit. But Quaxo said he hadn't slept well in a while, which hopefully might be the cause of his irritability.
"Why don't you try counting sheep?" he suggested, trying to retain what was left of his sanity.
"Why?"
"It's something my human kit used to do to help her sleep."
"No, I mean...why sheep?"
"Because humans are weird? I don't really have any other explanation for it."
He placed the now folded picnic blanket on top of his growing pile and reached for a crumpled up baby blue one that once belonged to Tugger.
"Can I count something else other than sheep?"
"Like what?"
Quaxo paused for a moment.
"How about a l-a-m-p-r-e-y?
"That sounds like a disease..."
"No, no they're super cool! They're a type of fish but they don't have a jaw just this funnel thing with teeth and they suck other fish's blood like a v-a-m-p-i-r-e and..."
Well that's….disturbing. But if it gets him to sleep….
"….and they kind of look like eels but they have super large eyes…"
"Quaxo!" Munk interrupted. "Think of whatever you want, just do it quietly."
Quaxo grumbled, flopping back into his nest.
It took maybe fifteen minutes of folding for his den to finally regain some semblance of cleanliness, but it was at this point that Munk could really feel the poppy seeds kicking in.
Quaxo had quieted down a couple of minutes earlier, probably getting way too invested in the lifestyle of predatory fish. Munk began the process of transferring his now neatly folded pile of blankets under his nest.
"Alright, little one," he said, still crouched down. "Up you get. I left you a pretty comfortable makeshift sleeping area on the other side."
There was no response.
Munk frowned, rising from the ground.
Quaxo was still on his nest, eyes closed and sprawled with his limbs stretched like a starfish.
It took every remaining bit of willpower not to burst out laughing.
"Quaxo?" he asked again, shaking his shoulder gently in case he simply didn't hear him.
Still nothing.
The kit was out cold.
Well, it looks like the seeds worked. Or was it the bloodsucking fish?
Munk paused, weighing his options. He could just carry Quaxo to his assigned sleeping area, but just looking at him lying there so peacefully...
Everlasting, I'm weak.
He carefully climbed into his nest, trying not to disturb Quaxo with any sudden movements. The little tux must have sensed a new heat source and shifted over to burrow himself in Munkustrap's fur.
"Hopefully you'll be less grouchy when you wake up, right little one?" he murmured, stroking the sleeping kitten.
Quaxo gave him a gentle purr, nuzzling his side.
After several minutes, the Jellicle protector laid his head down with his arms wrapped protectively around the tuxedo tom, and closed his eyes as sleep finally overtook him.
#
There was a hole in the fence.
It took him many days to find it.
He was the only one left now.
His brothers and sisters had died.
Most were killed.
But he had finally found a hole in the fence.
He had succeeded where his siblings had failed.
The hole was too small for a cat.
But it was plenty large for a rat.
For him.
He waited until dark, there were less cats out when it was dark.
Black and white. Black and white. Black and white.
He was told to find the small black and white.
There was a lot of black. And there was a lot of white. But no black and white.
He must be careful. They will kill him if he was seen.
He went to many dens.
His saw big. He saw small.
He saw red. He saw brown. He saw gold.
But no small black and white.
He went to the big den.
The big den in the middle.
He looked inside.
It was there that he finally found it.
The black and white.
And grey.
They were not moving.
They were asleep.
The black and white would be easy to kill. His neck was small and fragile.
But he must not kill.
He was told not to kill.
Observe.
Confirm.
Report back.
He left the den.
He left the junkyard.
He had succeeded.
They had searched many places.
Many colonies.
But he finally found the black and white.
He hurried back to tell his master.
He would be pleased.