The next morning, Jennyanydots, Jellyorum, Skimbleshanks and Asparagus all congregated in the kitchenette area. The Toms sat the table wearily sipping tea as the queens cooked some of the mice and rats they had found the day before.
"So they were abandoned?" Skimbleshanks asked, referring to Bombalurina and Demeter.
Jenny nodded "The older one said they woke up one morning and their mother was gone."
The Toms shook their heads disapprovingly.
"Good news is they seem to have warmed up to us" Jelly began "Bad news is they are clearly traumatized".
"She also said that the little one has been having constant nightmares since their mother left them" Jenny added.
Skimble pressed his lips together and continued to shake his head "Horrible" he muttered.
Just then Jelly noticed a scarlet head peer around the doorway of the back room.
"Oh good morning darling" she cooed, causing the other adult cats to turn and look at the kitten. "Are you ready for some breakfast?"
The kitten stared for a long moment and then slowly nodded.
"Well come along then, lets not let your food get cold" Jelly coaxed. Bombalurina looked back at Demeter who was still in the bed, clutching a blanket to her face. She beckoned to her, and Demeter crawled from the bed and followed her sister into the other room.
Jenny pulled out two chairs across from the toms. Bombalurina helped her sister onto her chair before sitting in the one next to her. Jenny placed two plates with two cooked mice each in front of the kittens.
"Eat up dears" she chimed.
They each began eating their breakfast. They kept their eyes down to avoid eye contact with Skimbleshanks and Asparagus, who were gazing at them fondly. Skimble lowered his head and cocked it to the side.
"Hello darling, remember us" he asked gently, motioning to Asparagus.
Bombalurina looked up sheepishly and gave a small nod.
"Yeah? Are these two treating you ok?" he asked trying to break the ice "you let me know if they aren't"
Jenny playfully swatted him on the back of the head "We want them to trust us, not fear us you pollicle." She hoped to god that the kittens understood it as a joke.
Smiles formed on both of the kitten's faces and Bombalurina let out a small giggle.
"Yeah watch this one" he added with comical resentment. Jenny swatted him again. This time both kittens giggled. Jelly rolled her eyes and smiled as she sat cups of milk in front of each kitten.
The morning carried on with the Toms entertaining the now visibly more relaxed kittens until they retreated to their rooms for a nap after a long night of patrol. Jelly and Jenny made it their mission to coax the kittens into allowing them to give them a bath as the queens feared that the kittens would wind up with infections if they kept the filth and grime in their fur much longer. After almost an hour of struggling to coax them from out from under the bed. They finally managed to get both of the kittens clean.
Jenny rewarded them with a ball of yarn and the girls gleefully swatted it back and forth. The queens beamed them with satisfied smiles on their face as it seemed that they were no longer terrified to be in this new place in their care.
Just then there was a knock on the wall near the door way. A large cat with long, puffed out fur stood in the doorway. When Bombalurina and Demeter saw him, they squealed and dove under the sofa.
"Oh don't worry loves" Jelly said making her way over. "He won't cause you any harm". Both kittens stuck their heads out just enough so they could see out from their hiding spot.
"Deuteronomy!" she exclaimed, acknowledging the visitor "To what do I owe this pleasure".
"Hello Jellyorum!" he greeted "Jennyanydots!" he nodded in her direction. "who do we have here?" he asked motioning to the two small heads peeking from under the sofa.
"This is Bombalurina and Demeter" Jellyorum began to explain "Skimble and Gus found them behind those crates next to the gates."
Deuteronomy nodded, nobody even had to tell him that they were abandoned.
"Kittens, this is our tribe's leader, Old Deuteronomy. Can you say hello?" Jelly asked kneeling down beside where the kittens were hiding. Both stuck their paws out and gave tiny waves.
Deuteronomy smiled "Hello there dears" he cooed. Just then two toms peered from behind the large cat. One was tall with spotted brown fur and a very long and rather wild mane. The other smaller tom kit was silver with black stripes.
"So, the tribes I was to visit later this week have requested my arrival today. Would it be too much trouble to take my toms now?"
Both queens hesitated. They had hoped they would have a little more time to get Bombalurina and Demeter settled before taking on two more kittens. However, they knew they couldn't keep their leader from his duties. Both nodded.
"No trouble at all sir" Jenny said.
"Perfect" Deuteronomy cheered before crouching down to his sons' level.
"Alright my boys, you behave for Jenny and Jelly."
"Yes Papa" they both said in an animated almost sing song voice.
Jellyorum rolled her eyes. She knew that the older one named Rum Tum Tugger would do everything in his power to be as difficult as possible. The younger one named Munkustrap, was typically well behaved but was easily convinced by his brother to get into trouble.
After Deuteronomy left, Bombalurina and Demeter came out from under the sofa.
"Boys" Jellyorum began "this is Bombalurina and Demeter. I think you all will make fine playmates."
Just as she finished her sentence she noticed Bomba and Tugger smiling at one another.
"Oh dear" she thought to herself before looking back at Jenny who was seeing and thinking the same thing.
Without missing a beat, the four kittens began swatting the ball of yarn around as a group.
Jelly walked back over by Jenny.
"We'll have to watch those two" she said in reference to Bomba and Tugger "I can smell a Bonnie and Clyde situation in the making"
Jenny laughed "And I'm sure they'd have no problem convincing their younger siblings to join them" she added. Jelly nodded already exhausted just thinking about it.
Despite the mischief that was sure to come from the meeting of these kittens, the two caretaking queens were glad that the newly found orphans were breaking down their walls and letting their personalities show. From then on, they knew the queen kits would make perfect new additions to the Jellicle tribe.