Title: Stealing a Goddess (6/6)
Rating: K+
Notes: A little time has passed since "The Guardians," and Munkustrap is much more comfortable among the Jellicles now. Things seem to be looking up for him. This is set during "Power to be Strong."

Really, you should be reading this arc in order, as each story builds upon the ones which came before it.

Many thanks to Puddycat for providing Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer with their voices!

The Cats RP I participate in (as Munkustrap, Etcetera, Tumblebrutus, and a variety of minor characters) is in dire need of several characters, especially a gay Quaxo/Mistoffelees (more details on the site) and Plato, Admetus, Rumpus Cat, Jennyanydots, Jellylorum, Macavity, Electra, Bustopher, Gus, Skimbleshanks. Come check us out at o u r j e l l i c l e s . p r o b o a r d s 5 1 . c o m

I do not own Cats, but I do own Simbol!

Stealing a Goddess

All four cats hit the water with a loud splash, and Munkustrap released Mungojerrie, able to swim better when he wasn't hanging on to someone else. Behind them, the Monnik guards skidded to stops at the top of the river bank, staring down at the four with varying expressions of disgust and uncertainty on their faces. No sane cat would willingly jump into the river… and those guards weren't given enough to follow anyone into the water.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer surfaced near Munkustrap, spitting out water and treading with their paws. Demeter splashed around next to them, panicking as she slowly sank. Munkustrap, kicking and managing to stay afloat (being dumped in the canal repeatedly had taught Munkustrap some additional skills that he never thought he'd need), reached out, grabbing the little queen. "Kick," he told her, holding her head, at least, above the water. "Just kick. I'll hold you up. Push the water away with your paws."

Demeter still looked panicked, but her splashes slowly became less mindless thrashing and more controlled kicking. She clung to Munkustrap's arms, whimpering.

"Shh, it's okay. I got you."

"C'mon," Mungojerrie said, trying to swim across the river. "Let's get back to Jellicle territory before a Monnik gets brave enough to come after us."

Munkustrap adjusted his hold on Demeter, nodding toward the safe bank. "Come on, kick and try to pull yourself in that direction. Let go with one paw – I got you – and pull yourself through the water toward the land. Keep kicking."

Demeter's green eyes were still severely dilated, but she tried to follow Munkustrap's instructions. Her motions were jerky and uncertain, but she was on the side of Munkustrap's injured paw, and was thus able to help him. In turn, he was able to guide them. After a while, they could feel the riverbed beneath their paws, and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were stretching out paws to help them up.

""Straps, you look ridiculous!" Mungojerrie said with a laugh, brushing some wet soot from Munkustrap's fur.

Munkustrap just growled at him and shook himself violently, wincing as his leg reminded him that it was still injured.

"Jellicle land!" Rumpleteazer squealed, hugging Demeter. "You're safe now, Deme! An' I'm safe! We got you out, and now we can be Jellicles!"

"Is Bomba here?" Demeter asked quietly, returning Rumpleteazer's hug and looking around. "Bomba said she'd help me get away from Macavity…" She gave a shudder at his name.

"He can't hurt you here," Munkustrap said, limping up beside Demeter and Rumpleteazer. "Macavity. He can't hurt you here. I won't let him."

Demeter turned to look at Munkustrap, her expression wary and guarded. She still clung to Rumpleteazer, shying away from the tom. "You don't understand… he's not a normal cat…"

Munkustrap reached out and took one of Demeter's trembling paws, clasping it between both of his. He brought her paw to his throat, where the scar Macavity had given him was hidden. "No, Demeter, I do understand," he said quietly. "And I swear, as long as I protect the Jellicle tribe, I will not let Macavity hurt you again."

"Demeter! Demeter!"

Munkustrap released Demeter's paw and took a step back as Bombalurina came running up. He sat down as she pulled the smaller queen into a hug. "Oh, look at you! You're all wet! Come on, let's get you cleaned up…" She swiped her tongue a few times over Demeter's fur before hugging her again. "I was so worried about you," she whispered fiercely. "Ever since you told me about being that fiend's mate… I worried about you, every night, and I prayed to the Everlasting Cat that you'd be all right." She spun away from Demeter to embrace Rumpleteazer, and then Munkustrap and Mungojerrie. "Thank you! I knew I could depend on you!"

Rumpleteazer shook herself off and walked over to Munkustrap, helping him up again. "Come on, lean on me," she said. "We'll get you back to your junkyard and tell Simbol and Deuteronomy that we passed their test."

"Wait…" Demeter pulled away from Bombalurina and hesitantly crept toward Munkustrap. She reached out to take his paw, her grip very loose. "I…"

"'Straps? Straps! Where are you, you little tomkit of a cat?" The Rum Tum Tugger chose that moment to show up, grinning widely when he saw the group. "Straps! There you are… Heeeello." His grin widened even further when he saw the new cats. "Straps, you sly old Pollicle. I leave you alone for one day, and you come back with a pretty queen on either paw!" He dropped into an exaggerated bow, sweeping off an imaginary hat. "Ladies, greetings. I am the one and only Rum Tum Tugger. It is such a pleasure to meet you." He caught Demeter's free paw in his, raising it to his mouth for a kiss.

Tugger didn't even have a chance to brush his lips against the fur of Demeter's paw before Bombalurina was between them, hissing furiously at the amorous tom. "Oh no you don't, Tugger! You've got me, you leave this one alone!"

"Jealous, much?" Tugger asked, leaning back and smirking at Bombalurina.

"It's not jealousy, it's protectiveness," Bombalurina said, glaring at Tugger.

"Tug, just drop it," Munkustrap said, watching how Demeter pulled away from him and curled against Bombalurina's back, shaking like a mouse. "Demeter's off-limits for now. She's shy."

"I, on the other hand, find it a great pleasure to meet you!" Rumpleteazer distracted Tugger, darting around Bombalurina to present her paw to the large tom. "I'm Rumpleteazer, formerly of the Monniks, now of the Jellicles. Me and me brother Mungojerrie just joined today."

"You and Mungojerrie, hmm?" Tugger glanced at Munkustrap over Bombalurina's shoulder, and Munkustrap mouthed, 'Later,' to his friend. Tugger knew about Mungojerrie – Munkustrap had told him about his thieving friend when they were kittens. "Well, Rumpleteazer, it is a pleasure to meet you." He kissed her paw and winked at her. "Come on, babe, I'll show you around the 'yard."

"Tugger!" Bombalurina stomped her paw as Tugger and Rumpleteazer left together, being trailed by Mungojerrie, who didn't know what to make of this strange tom who had just waltzed off with his sister. "Ooooh, toms." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "He'll be back, though. No one turns me down for long…"

Demeter looked back at Munkustrap, biting her lip. She reached out for his paw again. "I… I just wanted to say thank you." Her voice was still very soft and delicate, like a glass whisper. Munkustrap felt like it would break if he did anything, so he just held his breath. "For saving me. For distracting Macavity… and for saving me in the river." She took a deep breath, and Munkustrap could feel her paws quivering around his. "So… thank you!" With the last words, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss to Munkustrap's cheek before pulling back, pressing her paws to her face in embarrassment.

Bombalurina nuzzled Demeter's shoulder. "Come on, Deme. I'll show you my den. You can stay with me as long as you'd like." She smiled at Munkustrap. "Thank you, 'Straps, for getting her out for me."

"Anytime…" Munkustrap mumbled, touching his cheek. He watched Bombalurina lead Demeter away and didn't notice Simbol come up behind him.

"Munkustrap."

Munkustrap spun around quickly and yelped as the movement twisted his already damaged leg. He collapsed, wincing, in front of the older tom. "S-sir…"

Simbol stepped forward and knelt beside Munkustrap, examining his leg. "How did you get these injuries?" He touched a patch of badly singed fur, and Munkustrap winced.

"That one's from Macavity. He zapped me with his magic."

Simbol looked up at Munkustrap, but the younger cat was staring at his leg, careful to avoid Simbol's gaze. "What about these?" he asked, hovering his paw over Munkustrap's bloody thigh.

"Leviticus grabbed me when I jumped over him," Munkustrap said. "I pulled free, but it felt like he took a chunk with him."

Simbol sat back, licking his paw thoughtfully. "You faced off against both Macavity and Leviticus?"

Munkustrap gave a half-shrug. "Well, sorta. I actually more ran from them than actually fought… I was the distraction, see, while Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer got Demeter out."

"What about your back?" Simbol pushed Munkustrap forward to examine the gashes on his back. "These don't look like claw marks."

"Glass. I went through a window." Munkustrap tried to twist around to see the extent of the damage on his back, but Simbol pushed him back.

"Don't. You'll make it worse." The patched tom rose to his feet and offered Munkustrap a paw up. "Come on. You should see Jellylorum before any of these get infected."

Much to Munkustrap's surprise, Simbol actually helped him limp back to the junkyard, supporting a lot of his weight. And here Munkustrap had been starting to think that Simbol hated him… "Thank you, sir," Munkustrap said quietly when Simbol brought him to Jellylorum's den.

Simbol nodded. "You fulfilled your mission objectives. Demeter was brought to the Jellicle tribe with no casualties, and you took all the damage on our side, thus protecting the rest of the tribe members. That is exactly what a Jellicle guardian is supposed to do."

Munkustrap smiled, looking up at Simbol with pride in his eyes. Simbol nodded. "You may avoid the next week of practices – take time to heal before you rejoin us. I have no use for a lame guardian."

With those oh-so-cheerful parting words, Simbol turned and left, leaving Munkustrap in the paws of Jellylorum. Right before she brought him inside her den, Munkustrap glanced over toward the box Bombalurina called home. He spotted a gold and black head peeking out around it, and he smiled at Demeter. She quickly ducked back inside the box. Munkustrap lifted his paw to touch his cheek again. Demeter. The newest Jellicle.

To be continued in "Catnip."

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