The saddest one yet. . .
It was rainy night when Mungojerrie came to them for help. He went to Mukunstrap, Jennyanydots, Jellyorum and asked for Bombalurina and Demeter.
He stood in front of the group. "Oi come wit' a plea from Callestia. She 'ad a vision that scared her and don't want the kits to grow up at the ware'use. Oi came up with a plan to get them out, but you may not like it."
Munkustrap nodded warily. "I doubt we'd like any plan. Tell us."
The calico sighed. "Bombalurina will distract Mac whoile Demeter helps Callest have the kits. Oi'll sneak them all out but Callest will 'ave ta stay."
The other's were quiet. This was a risky plan and Munkustrap knew this would put a lot of strain on Demeter, after what she went through this wouldn't be easy. When he looked at her she seemed pale, but determined. He went to her.
Munkustrap suddenly shook his head. "No, not Demeter. She went through enough with that monster. Sending her into his lair would be madness! We'll send someone else, perhaps-"
"I'm going to help her." The silver tabby looked at his queen friend. "She's my sister, and I want to get those kits away from him. We can't just leave them there."
Munkustrap nodded and turned back to the others. "Anyone else have anything to say?"
No one objected, they couldn't say no. With the plan confirmed Mungojerrie left back to the warehouse. For the time being everyone waited.
And waited.
And waited. . .
Unbeknownst to the tribe members, Rumpleatzer had a plan of her own. Little Rum, only five at the time, was already renown for her crazy antics. She was getting in constant trouble and was the equivalent of a never-ending jumping bean. She refused to sit still or listen to anyone. She had snuck in after her mother to hear the plan Mungo spoke about, and when she heard it she decided to be a part of it. It sounded like fun, to help Callestia and Mungo bring back some new kits.
On the night Demeter, Bomba, and Mungojerrie left for their dangerous plan, Rumpleteazer followed. She went out through her window and stayed to the shadows.
Callestia was sitting in hers and Macavity's den. She was panting and had just started going into labor. Any minute now her young friend Mungojerrie, as well as Demeter, would sneak in and help her with the birth. Meanwhile their other friend, Bombalurina played a game of cards with her mate in the lounge room of their warehouse.
Mungojerries mother was also in their plan but her part was a bit more discreet. She was good friend of Callestia's and was supportive of the plan.
A couple years after Macavity left, Asparagus was outside the Yard when he found the calico and her kit. Being the caring tom he was he asked if they needed help or shelter. She only asked that he take care of her tomson, she herself was taking shelter elsewhere.
She was staying with a friend, someone familiar, a white Persian queen. She was also in a contract of sorts with the boss of the warehouse, Macavity, and she was unable to leave for thirteen more years. But the life of her home wasn't what she wanted for her son, when the time was right she was going to go back to the docks but she wanted to avoid someone, someone she was furious at.
She needed time to collect her frantic mind and without having to care for a kit as well, Asparagus took the little one in, his name was Mungoerrie. As part of her duties in helping Jenny and Jelly, Callestia was to help take care of Asparagus's new ward. Mungojerrie was a rebellious one and after a few years of living there he wanted to find his mother. At ten years old he ran away.
No one knew where he went or was, nor was there any news of him. When Callestia found him again it was at the warehouse. She recognized him and from there she met his mother, Chamomile. The two bonded, especially when the calico learned that the tux was pregnant. After her son spoke so fondly of Callestia's care for him, the calico mother was in deep gratitude to her, they became each other's only real friend in the whole warehouse.
Macavity didn't have the same telepathic abilities as the Twins at the Yards so he was none the wiser when Mungojerrie started running messages back and forth to the Yard. The calico told his tuxedo friend all about the plan he had come up with and how Bomba would distract Macavity when the time was right. With help from the twins the exact time and date of the day she would give birth helped Mungojerrie, Chamomile, Demeter, Bomba, and Callestia set their plan to a tee.
Now was the fated time that Mungojerrie would sneak away from his den and go help his friend. He knew it was a dangerous operation that could cost him his young life. He led Bombalurina to the front gates and she was let in, along with another friend of hers that she had picked up. Macavity was pleasantly surprised to find them at his door step and happily accepted their offer to play cards.
Bomba held up a bottle of vodka, her smaller friend giggled and then two followed the Hidden Paw to what he called the lounge. Mungojerrie watched them go and then ran and led Demeter in. While making his way he heard small paw steps behind him, turning around he found a little calico queen. He growled and went to her, Demeter gasped.
The tom picked her up, "Rum what ar' ya doin 'ere?" It's bad for ya!" He said in a hushed voice.
She giggled. "Oi coud'nt help moiself." She said, doing an exact copy of his accent.
Demeter fidgeted. "We have to take her Mungo, we have no choice."
He nodded and set her down. "Stay close."
He looked both ways down and up the hall and then they slipped into Callestia's den. The trio found the queen panting heavily and her brow was sweaty as she went through her contractions.
He gulped a wad of spit to parch his dry throat and got down to what he had gone there for, " Ello Cella." He said, "Oi'm 'ere now and 'evethangs gonna be foine," he said to calm her down. "Mum's watchin 'im."
She smiled at his words, and appreciated how he was trying to help. Although coming from an eleven year old tom kit it wasn't all too helpful. Demeter came forward and Callestia just about started crying.
"Demeter, I'm glad you. . .could make it," she gasped,. "Thank you Mungojerrie." She tried not to scream as the first kit began to crown.
The black and gold queen went to her friend and held her paw, "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
She leaned forward and the two put their foreheads together. It brought them both comfort.
Mungojerrie was terrified but was good at not showing it, Rum stood close to him and was suddenly terrified at watching a live birth. Demeter told Rum to hold Callestia's paw and Mungo to watch along the hallway while she took care of the rest.
After Mungojerrie told them his plan, he and Demeter were given extensive lessons in kitten birth. Mungojerrie's mother would be there after the first kit was born, until then she was going to moniter Macavity and the queens he was entertaining. While she was nervous, Demeter knew exactly what to do and held her cool. She helped to encourage her friend through the first kit and once it slid out into her waiting paws she held the slimy thing up and quickly gave it to Callestia. She knew there was time to take care of it between the next ones and worked to clean it off. It started mewing and she smiled, this was the live one. Just before she felt the need to get the other kits out she cleaned the kit completely and then smiled at him.
"His name is Mistofelees," she said as she looked down at him, "Please tell him who I am when he's older. Tell him I love him."
She gave the kit back to Demeter and she carefully wrapped the little one in a soft blanket. Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie peered down into the black and white face of the little tux tomkit. Before they turned to leave, Demeter touched her shoulder in a comforting way, nodded, and then ran away and out of the warehouse. Mungo quickly led them away from the hideout and none of them stopped until their home was in sight. They passed through the gates, Rum was able to carefully slip away back to her room, and the other two took the kit straight to Tantomile's den.
The female mystic held the sleeping kit in her paws as Mungo left before he was missed at the warehouse. Coricopat came up beside her and they both looked at the sleeping tom. He looked just like his mother. Munkustrap had been waiting with the mystics and once Demeter was free of her duty he took her in his arms and held her tight. She sighed in relief to smell his scent and he took her home.
Back at the warehouse Callestia let out a scream. Macavity looked up and then threw down his cards.
"Chamomile!" He shouted, his voice echoing throughout the warehouse.
"Macacvity what's wrong?" Bomba asked, pretending to be surprised.
As he ran off towards his den he shouted back to her over his shoulder, "Show yourselves out!"
She smiled and then hurried away to see the newest Jellicle. Her friend left with her and made her own way back home.
Back in their den Macavity rushed to his mate's side and held her paw, the calico queen followed. He saw that Callestia was bleeding between her legs and looked to Chamomile for help. She stuttered and was shocked, as well as afraid, to see the blood. She knew it meant something was terribly wrong. While she went to work to help birth the remaining kittens, Macavity went to his mate's side.
His eyes widened and he began coaching her through the birth of her second kit, though he only knew it as the first. When she finally pushed it out Chamomile quickly passed it off to the father, he scooped it up and began to clean it. Just as Callestia began to push the last kit out Macavity looked down at the small queen in his paws. She was mostly black with ginger spots all over her back, she didn't make a sound.
"Macavity!" His mate screamed.
The heartbroken father slowly put his daughter down and then helped with the birth of the last one. Once the calico midwife handed him the last kit, Macavity couldn't believe it; if he remembered right this lighting patterned, black and white queen looked just like the father he had lost over fifteen years ago. As his mate panted for breath he found that that one, too, was a still born. He shuddered, for some reason it seemed familiar.
He turned back to his expectant mate, "My love. . ." He couldn't say any more.
Chamomile stood back in horror, her white paws tainted in the blood of her friend. She looked at them and remained silent. When he noticed that she was still there Macavity turned ot her with a teary glare.
"Is Callestia going to be ok?" He asked, his voice sounded on the edge of breaking.
Chamomile coughed and then stepped forward and began to check over the tux queen. Although Callestia already knew it was going to happen it still killed her inside to see how hurt her mate was and it hurt her to know that the two kits were dead. She bit her lip but that didn't stop the sobbing that came after. Macavity quickly wrapped the two stillborns in blankets and then set then to the side of their nest, covering them with a third blanket.
"Well?" He demanded from the attending queen, without looking at her.
She stood up. "She's going to be fine sir. But the kits-"
"Go. . ." he whispered. When she didn't hear him he turned to her and stood up, his fur bristling and eyes glowing. "Go!" He shouted harshly.
She blanched and ran away, wanting nothing more than to clean the blood from her fur. She had been a midwife for many births, but this was the first time they had been stillborn in her care. After examining her boss's mate she found that the tux was perfectly fine, it was the kittens who had been bleeding.
His fur went down, his eyes stopped glowing, he turned back to Callestia and crawled into their nest beside her. He held her against him while she cried and even silently cried with her.
"We'll try again as soon as you're able," he whispered.
She was thankful he couldn't read minds because she was thinking about how she was going to prevent having another litter.
None other than Griddlebone peered around the corner of her boss's den. She heard the commotion , saw Chamomile –a queen she recognized from the docks- and saw the bodies of Macavity's kits under the blanket. She gasped and then turned away. It was late but she knew that her tomfriend, a tom much older than her and fearsome pirate, would be in port and she needed to get to him. With tears nearly blinding her she hopped on the bus that she knew would take her straight to the docks and sobbed the whole way there.
When she reached the boat, she ran up the gangplank and a white and grey tabby tom saw her. He alerted his captain, her tomfriend, of her presence. She went to the fearsome red tom and cried all night in his arms.
The next day at the Junkyard the Jellicles welcomed the newest and youngest member of the tribe; Callestia's first born and only kit, Mistofelees.