A few days later, and Munkustrap was slowly getting used to the Jellicle cats. He had warmed up greatly to Old Deuteronomy, he trusted him.
"Oh, just look at you!" Jenny gushed as she took his paws as he stood in front of the tyre. "You're finally filling out and you're starting to look like a normal, healthy kitten!" Munkustrap smiled at the beaming Queen. He had slowly begun to put weight on; his ribs weren't as noticeable now. Jenny quickly moved her tail as the kittens darted past, laughing and giggling.
"Munk, don't you want to play with them?" Jenny asked. Munkustrap gave a small shake of his head. Deuteronomy sighed sadly from where he sat on the tyre.
"Oh, honey." Jenny sighed sadly as she stroked his ears.
"Sir," Jenny glanced at Tirus as he approached.
"Good afternoon, Tirus." Deuteronomy greeted as Munkustrap climbed back on the tyre, curling up next to him.
"Sir, a few of the others wish to speak to you." Tirus told him. Deuteronomy frowned.
"What about?" Tirus remained silent but his cold grey eyes looked pointedly at Munkustrap. Deuteronomy shifted slightly, unconsciously protecting Munkustrap from Tirus's glare. Jenny stood with her paws on hips; tail swishing angrily as she glared at the Protector. Deuteronomy sighed, knowing he had to talk to the tribe about it.
"Fine…there will be a meeting at three in the communal den," Deuteronomy said grudgingly. Tirus inclined his head.
"I'll tell the others."
"Jenny, can you watch the kittens during this time, please?" Deuteronomy requested softly as Tirus walked away to a group consisting of Antony, Cleo, Nathaniel and Grizabella, who were standing and watching.
"But, Deut, I have things to say to their arguments!" Jenny told him. Deuteronomy smiled at her fiery passion at protecting the small kitten.
"I know, Jen, but I'm sure Skimble will have the same arguments, if not more." Jenny gave a small nod.
"Speaking of Skimble, it seems he has returned from his trip to the station." Munkustrap looked and saw that was indeed true. Skimble had gone the day before. Deuteronomy smiled as he rose to his feet. Munkustrap watched with interest. Jenny turned, smiling, before she ran at her mate, hugging him tightly. The railway cat laughed as he spun her around. He put her down before turning to Deuteronomy. They put a paw on each other's shoulder before they embraced. The three walked back to the tyre. Jenny was explaining something to Skimble, making him frown and look to Deuteronomy questioningly.
"Brother, I need your support at that meeting," Munkustrap heard Deuteronomy tell him. Skimble nodded.
"You've always had it." Skimble told him, smiling. Deuteronomy smiled at Munkustrap as he sat back down on the tyre.
"Enjoying the day, Munkustrap?" Deuteronomy questioned. Munkustrap nodded, smiling. Deuteronomy smiled back, but Munkustrap noticed he was distracted.
"S-Sir, a-are you okay?" Munkustrap stammered nervously, ears flicking back fearfully, scared that he'd be beaten for speaking out. Deuteronomy looked at him, giving a soft smile.
"I'm fine, Munkus." Deuteronomy told him softly. "Thank you for asking." Munkustrap's ears lifted back up at that.
Deuteronomy sighed as he watched the adults of the yards gather in front of the communal den. He couldn't believe it was that time already, he didn't want to have to discuss this and have them argue with him. Deuteronomy looked at the small kitten beside him. Munkustrap was sitting up, watching the kittens. Deuteronomy sighed. Munkustrap rarely left his side, he was still very nervous and Deuteronomy had an inkling that Munkus rarely left his side also because, even though Deuteronomy had told him over and over, he still saw Deuteronomy as his master.
"Munk, I need to go have a meeting, why don't you go and play with the other kittens for a while?" Deuteronomy told him gently. Munkustrap looked at him and gave a reluctant nod.
"I'll be back soon," Munkustrap watched as the leader got up and headed towards the den, Skimbleshanks meeting him halfway.
"Alonzo, you come back with that!" Munkus turned his head, eyes widening as he watched Alonzo dart across the clearing, a ball of wool in his mouth and Jennyanydots chasing after him, the kittens running after Alonzo, laughing. The silver kitten slipped off the tyre and went to go follow them.
He was still very nervous about the kittens.
When he was still a slave, the kittens were always trying to get the others in trouble so they could be a favourite. Munkustrap shuddered. He had never done that, he just tried to stay quiet and in the background so no one noticed him and he didn't get beaten. Munkustrap hesitated as he approached the edge of the clearing.
He didn't want to leave the clearing without permission.
Munkus bit his lip, hesitating, before he turned and headed towards the communal den, maybe he could just sit outside and wait for Deuteronomy. His ears pricked up slightly as he heard raised voices coming from inside. Munkustrap hesitantly inched forward, not wanting to be caught and punished for eavesdropping.
"We do not know if he brings any danger!" An angry female voice hissed.
"He's a kitten!" Munkustrap recognized that voice as Deuteronomy's.
"He is a slave!" An accented voice snarled. "He'd slit one of our throats to protect himself!"
"Not Munkustrap!" A female voice protested. "He's so meek!"
"Don't be fooled by his performance, Jellylorum."
"Don't assume he's pretending, Grizabella!" Jelly spat. Munkustrap's ears twitched in confusion before they lowered.
They were arguing about him…they didn't trust him.
"He doesn't know anything about being a Jellicle!"
"I certainly don't want him near my kittens!" Munkustrap lowered himself down on his stomach, feeling abandoned once more.
"Munkustrap has no one, what do you expect me to do, turn him out?!" Deuteronomy snarled. "Lilly led me to him…he's just an innocent, helpless kitten and he needs love and a family." Silence fell in the den.
"Deuteronomy, we realise you losing Lilly has…well, you feel something is missing…"
"I can't replace Lilly, and this has nothing to do with Lilly's death." Deuteronomy spoke calmly. "But she knew I could save him and give him the life he desperately deserves."
"He's not one of us, Deuteronomy." Tirus's rough voice spoke up. "He's not a Jellicle, he doesn't belong."
"Oh, really?" Skimbleshanks voice flatly asked.
"Skimble, I didn't mean…"
"No, no, you did!" Skimble hissed. "You meant exactly what you said! If we weren't born Jellicles, we don't belong?"
"Skimble…"
"Forget it!" Skimble snarled.
"Brother!" Deuteronomy called worriedly. Munkustrap quickly scrambled backwards as he heard stomping coming towards him. He turned just as Skimble left the den and tried to scramble away. He didn't want to be punished! This was the longest he had had without a beating!
"Hey, hey, Munkus, wait!" A paw grabbed his arm and stopped him from running. Munkustrap flattened his ears as he lowered his head.
"Don't punish me…" He whispered. Skimble blinked in surprise.
"I'm not." Skimble told him as he crouched down. "Hey, kitten, look at me." Munkustrap reluctantly lifted his eyes. Skimble smiled sadly at him.
"How much did ya hear, lad?" Skimble asked.
"T-They don't want me," Munkus whispered. Skimble sighed, shaking his head sadly.
"They'll come around."
"How do you know they will?" Munkustrap questioned quietly. "I don't want to be a burden."
"Come with me, my boy, there's a story you need to hear." Skimble told him as he straightened up, letting go of the silver arm. Skimble offered his paw and Munkustrap cautiously took it. Skimble walked him away from the clearing, giving Jenny a sad look as he did so. Jenny just gave a nod, understanding the meeting hadn't gone so well.
Skimble led Munkus up a sturdy junk pile and onto a couch sticking out from it. He sat down, Munkus sitting beside him. Skimble stared out across the piles of junk, past the fence and into the field besides the yard, the sun beginning to lower in the sky.
"They don't understand, Munkus." Skimble said suddenly. "They were all raised here."
"Weren't you?" Munkustrap asked, confused. Skimble looked at the confused kitten and shook his head.
"Nah, I was adopted into this tribe, into this family when I was a bit younger than you actually." Skimble looked back over the yard. "My birth parents were adventurous you see, they loved to travel all over the world, a kitten threw a spanner in their plans."
"Why?"
"Too much responsibility." Skimble murmured. "You see, even though I was with my parents for such a short time, I knew they didn't want me…I wasn't planned." Skimble sighed.
"They wanted to get back to travelling around, having adventures and they just couldn't take a kitten, so they waited until my mother had fully healed from the birth…which was around the time I was properly weaned," Skimble explained. "Then one day, my father told me they were going and I was to stay in the box and not to follow and then they just left me. Hours went by and as the sun began to set, I knew they weren't coming back, that they had abandoned me as they had discussed late at night when they thought I was asleep." Skimble gave Munkus a sad smile.
"I left the box, crying…I was alone and I was hungry and I had no idea how to hunt." Skimble smiled then, at a distant memory. "Then I heard a noise, footsteps coming towards me…then, a Tom came out of the shadows, asking me if I was alright, where my parents were. When I told him they had left me, he picked me up and brought me here." Munkustrap gave a small smile.
"Alexander was the Tom's name, and when he brought me home his mate, Wendy, fawned over me, giving me all this food and making sure I was comfortable…and their son, their only kitten, Deuteronomy became my friend, my protector." Skimble's eyes were glazed over as he lost himself in that memory, as he was taken into his new family.
"Alexander and Wendy named me and adopted me…as far as they were concerned, and as they firmly told anyone who said otherwise, I was their son…no blood could change that." Skimble looked to Munkustrap at this.
"I was brought into this family, into this life, Munkus." Skimble told him. "And I was accepted, and soon enough, they'll accept you too, they'll see you truly are a Jellicle and you are part of this family." Skimble told him sincerely. Munkustrap smiled.
"Thanks, Skimble." Skimble pulled Munkus into a one armed hug.
"Any time, kitten," He murmured. "Just remember, there are Jellicles here who do care for you." Skimble gave a nod.
"Come, we should get back before Deuteronomy gets worried about where you've gone." Skimble laughed. "It's alright," He added, seeing Munkustrap's worried face. "He knows kittens wander off from time to time, not that you did…but, I'm just saying, he gets it." Munkus gave a nod. Skimble stood up, offering his paws. Munkustrap hesitantly took them. Skimble smiled and lifted him upwards, pulling him up into the air. Munkustrap blinked as he found himself against Skimble's hip, he quickly wrapped his arms around Skimble's neck to stop from falling, the railway cat's arms wrapped around his back, supporting him. Skimble smiled at the surprised kitten.
"Sorry, I shoulda warned ya." Skimble chuckled softly as he hugged the kitten close. Munkustrap blinked, unsure. Skimble smiled softly at him.
"Sorry, if I freaked you out." Skimble laughed before it faltered, brown eyes searching the kitten's innocent face. "Jenny and I…we'd be lucky to have a kitten like you, Munkus." Munkustrap blinked, shocked. Skimble smiled as they approached the clearing. He looked to the kitten in his arms.
"You're polite, you're respectful…and I know some of that is because you were forced to grow up quickly, but I can still tell if you had been born here, you'd still be such a lovely kitten," Munkustrap gave a small smile. Skimble nuzzled the kitten, purring.
"No matter what the others say, Munkus, you already have family here." Skimble whispered in the kitten's silver ear.
"Thanks, Skimble." Munkustrap looked into the clearing and saw Deuteronomy looking at them. Deuteronomy smiled at them as they came closer, Munkustrap was cuddled close on Skimble's hip, the ginger Tom had him held closely and enclosed safely in his arms.
"Are you two okay?" Deuteronomy asked them both, his dark eyes looking worriedly at his brother. Skimble gave a shrug.
"Ah, ya know me, Deut, I'll cool down after a while." He grinned. Deuteronomy rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know, Skimble…and you're using slang again."
"Geez, thanks, Ma." Skimble teased. Wendy had always made sure to get Skimble to pronounce his words properly and not to let his accent, which he had picked up in the small time with his birth parents, have an effect on his speech. Skimble placed Munkus down on the tyre beside Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy smiled, before looking at Skimble.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Deuteronomy asked him again, gently. "I know how that upsets you." Skimble sighed, going serious, as he gave a nod.
"Yeah, I'm alright, Deut…me and the kitten had a talk," Skimble smiled at the kitten. Munkustrap gave a small smile in return. Deuteronomy raised his eyebrows.
"Oh?"
"Mmhmm, just told Munkus a few things," Skimble told him, winking at Munkus. Deuteronomy looked between the two before chuckling.
"Alright, alright, don't tell me then, brother." He laughed. Skimble grinned.
"Never do," He joked before winking and walking back to Jenny. Deuteronomy looked at Munkus, who was staring after Skimble thoughtfully. Deut smiled.
He knew whatever that conversation was; it had had an effect on Munkus.
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Eep, so so sorry it's taken me a little while to update…but I'm in my last month of uni and I have about 2-3 assessments every week until the end of the month, so I'm exhausted trying to get all of written work done and organise myself…and my brain just turns to mush…
Hopefully I'll update soon-ish…sorry…
Thanks to those who reviewed!
Please read and review!
Love, HGP