HELLO EVERRRYBODYYYYYYYY! Today's my birthday and I've had an excellent day. Went to see kings speech, opened a parcel from my family that came in the mail and have eaten more chocolate than any sane person has a right to consume (good thing I'm not sane haha). I've been saving this chapter for a few days so I could post it for you guys on my Bday as a sort of present to you all, hope you like it!
*several days later*
Cold… bitter burning cold was screaming through him. Why was it so cold?
"Hello Mistoffelees, I don't believe we've met."
"Who are you?" a quiet chuckle was heard, a pair of inky black eyes glittered.
"No need for questions Mistoffelees, I've come to tell you something"
"What?" the shadow leaned forward to whisper in the magician's ear.
"stay away from my brother if you value your health. Stay away from me if you value your life."
Quaxo was rudely awakened by someone prodding his arm.
"Go away Tugger" he muttered pushing the hand away. Tugger ignored him and began shaking his shoulder to get his attention. "Tugger what part of go away don't you understand?"
"What time did you come back last night" Tugger asked. Quaxo ignored the Coon's question.
"What time is it?" he mumbled rubbing his eyes from tiredness.
"It's Eight o'clock" Quaxo bolted up right in shock.
"It's eight already? I was meant to meet Munk at seven!" he sprang up, wondering how he could have slept in so late, he was dead meat for sure. But before he could run off Tugger grabbed him firmly round the waist and pulled him back into the couch.
"Tugger what!" Quaxo almost squeaked and tried to squirm out of the Coon's grasp, but Tugger could be stubborn when he wanted to. "I could just disappear you know"
"If you do that I'll send Bustopher an application form for Britain's Biggest Looser." Quaxo immediately stopped wriggling. "Now tell me what time you came home last night."
"Three am?"
"You came back at three in the morning! Aren't you exhausted?"
"I'm a little tired..." Quaxo admitted "But there are places I need to check up for Macavity's agents, and I was going to talk with Munk about it today, and I wanted to see how Gus is doing, and I still need to figure out how to grab the…" His babble was interrupted by the distant sound of his phone ringing. Quaxo sprang up to answer it but Tugger had already beaten him to it. Pulling Quaxo's phone out of the fridge he flipped it open and answered jauntily.
"Hello it's Tugger the one and only! Oh hi Mouse trap. Sorry no Quaxo's out byeee!" flipping the phone shut Tugger ended the call. Turning around he saw Quaxo glaring furiously at him. Looking at the dark purple circles of exhaustion under the tux's eyes Tugger's gaze softened.
"Tugger what are you…?"
"Quaxo I know you really want to nail Macavity, but you're not going to help anybody by wearing yourself to a rag." Tugger placed a paw on on his friend's shoulder and steered Quaxo back to the couch. "At least sleep here for another couple of hours." Before Quaxo could protest the Coon had bustled away to fetch a blanket and a glass of water in case the tux woke up later and was thirsty.
Quaxo felt utterly at loss at what to feel. Should he be flattered at his flat mate's concern, or snap at Tugger for being a nuisance? Was there any way he could do both? In the end he compromised and merely scowled at Tugger when he approached to hand him a blanket.
"You'll thank me in the long run tux" Tugger smirked down at him. Quaxo pointedly ignored Tugger's comment, but he did pull the blanket closer round his shoulders and then made himself comfortable on the couch.
"Hang on, isn't this blanket one of yours?" he asked, recognizing the pattern.
"Yeah well, your blankets are a rather worn out. I thought this one would be much nicer." Quaxo sighed and closed his eyes, sleep was already beginning to overcome him.
"You know Tug I'd love to throw something at you right now... but I like you too much... And I am exhausted" he mumbled drowsily. Tugger smiled and replied, with more fondness than annoyance.
"Quaxo I frankly I don't know how you'd live without me"
Quaxo touched the soft fabric to his nose and privately agreed with him.
That afternoon once Quaxo had woken up he and Tugger had driven down to the markets to buy food for the next few days. It'd only taken them 3.25 minutes to complete the ten minute journey. Now on the way back to the flat Tugger was smirking in his seat, pleased about having broken just about every speed limit in existence. Not trusting their luck to hold for the rest of the journey, Quaxo had insisted on driving them back.
"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow tux?" Asked Tugger from his reclined position in the passenger's seat.
"I'm going to try nabbing Macavity's note books from The Tipsy Dog, and could you please not ask question's while I'm driving". Quaxo was doing his best to keep his mind on the road and not on the way Tugger's body was splayed-out on the other side of the car. But it was difficult, and the coon himself was not helping matters. He kept asking questions and was being down right distracting by simply looking… breathing… BEING Tugger.
"Can't you just do a little hocus pocus and teleport the notebooks to the flat?" Quaxo rolled his eyes at the question. As alluring as he may be, Tugger still had no clue about magic.
"If his notebooks just disappeared, Macavity would be breathing down our necks before you could say Jack Russell. We need him to think that it was some stupid teenaged prank, that way he won't suspect anything." Tugger sighed and his tail flicked in frustration.
'Everlasting cat he looks sexy when he's annoyed. QUAXO CONTROL YOURSELF!'
"We still have no idea where my brother is lurking though" Tugger grumbled as they drove through the street which Munkustrap lived in. "has Mouse trap found anything on Macavity?" he asked. Quaxo shook his head.
"No, if anything he's found less than we ha…" Tugger watched bemused as the tux's already pale face turned a deathly white.
"Quaxo what is it?" asked Tugger as Quaxo turned round to stare back at Munkustrap's house. Perhaps there was something important he had forgotten to tell the tabby.
"Shit"
"What?"
"Damn you Macavity!" Tugger was gob smacked. Quaxo never swore. His mind was blown a second time when Quaxo unbuckled his seatbelt and practically threw himself out of the car. Tugger grabbed the wheel before the car spun out of control.
"Quaxo! What the hell are you doing?" he yelled but Quaxo wasn't listening. He got off the ground and sprinted back the way they'd come. Tugger could tell he was heading for Munkustrap's house. "And he calls me an adrenalin junkie" he muttered to himself as he pulled the car over.
Warning bells were ringing in Quaxo's head as he bolted up the driveway. Macavity had been here, he could feel his magic wrapped round the house in a grip of iron. It gave him a sinking feeling in his gut that grew as he came closer and closer to the front door. Slamming the door open his instincts were horribly confirmed.
Demeter was sprawled face down on the carpet, deep and bloody cuts crisscrossed her back, and a dark sticky pool of blood was gathering beneath her. Her daughters were by her side, trying desperately to wake her. They were still wearing their school bags, having only arrived a minute or so before.
"Mum, mum it's Jemima. Wake up wake up!" called the elder daughter in a broken voice. She was doing her best to roll her mother over without causing her any more pain.
"Mummy, wake up! Please don't be dead. I love you mummy. Please don't die!" Sillabub was crying in fear. She gently nuzzled her mother's face, hoping for a response. Quaxo heard Demeter give a weak groan. She was alive!
Kneeling down he helped Jemima to roll her over. His stomach lurched at what he saw.
Someone had run their claws across her abdomen. The cuts were fairly shallow but very long and he could see blood still seeping out from the wounds, where dark flesh glistened and gaped, beneath the deep red Quaxo could see Demeter's chest heaving, trying to take in as much air as possible without causing any extra pain.
"Quaxo, what… WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" Came Tugger's voice from the doorway. He had followed Quaxo to the house and was now standing there looking horrified at the scene in front of him. Quaxo had never been so grateful to see anyone in his life.
"Tug, meet me at the hospital with Munk and the girls" he ordered the Coon "I'm going to take Demeter there now."
"But Quaxo…"
"Just do it Tug!" Tugger nodded mutely and took the girl's hands, gently pulling them away from their mother to give the tux room. Quaxo placed his hands on Demeter's shoulders, concentraining hard. He never had a problem teleporting himself but doing the same to other Jellicles was much more difficult and took a little time.
'To the hospital, take her to the hospital NOW!' he thought, sighing in relief as he felt his magic do its thing. soon enough Demeter's body had vanished. With one last desperate glance at Tugger, Quaxo let his body follow suit.
At his disappearance Sillabub burst into a fresh round of sobs. Tugger held her close and tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. Not minding the fact that her tears were saturating his well-groomed mane Tugger let her cry into his chest while Jemima buried her face in his shoulder and joined in with her sister's grief.
"Shh sweetie" he murmured, patting Sillabub's back with a free paw. "it's going to be alright, your mummy's at the hospital." Sillabub sniffed again and reached out for her sister. Jemima quickly gathered the kitten up and hugged her tightly.
"I want my mummy" whimpered Sillabub. Jemima buried her face in her sister's head fur.
'So do I' she thought, her tears mingling with Sillabub's.
Whew! That chapter was so conflicting to write! I loved Quaxo getting all flustered around Tugger, and making Tugger all fussy and queenish. But the dream bit with Macavity was hard. And as for Jemima and Sillabub crying over their mum... I was blubering away as I wrote that part. I'd hate it if either of my parents got assulted, especially when I'm at boarding school where it'll be difficult to visit them. Okay enough talking about my life, It's Quaxo that you want to hear about!