Part Two: The Exile

Chapter Thirteen

Winter came late that year. The Underground was filled with cats trying to stay dry and warm in the dismal English weather. Mac and I had become regular fixtures at the club; it was not uncommon to see the Napoleon of Crime seated at the card table, the Red Queen standing proudly beside him. We would often play cards long into the night before returning to his place above one of his factories.

It was always hard to leave Macavity, especially in the early morning hours, when frost still touched the windowpanes. I would untangle myself from his grasp and slowly settle my paws onto the cold floor, slipping silently into the foggy morning street. Despite the autumn chill, I relished those early morning walks through the deserted streets of London. I was the only cat on the street at that hour; the whole world seemed asleep. It was liberating. Although I adored being the center of attention, it was nice to have some time to collect my thoughts.

It was during those early morning walks that my thoughts generally turned to Demeter and the other Jellicle friends that I had lost. I often wondered how Dem was getting along, if she had made new friends or found a mate yet. She always seemed the type to settle down and have kits as soon as she was grown. I thought of Alonzo. Was he still the carefree kit that I had known and loved, or did he have to "grow up" and follow in his father's serious footsteps? My mind often wandered down paths that I had tried to forget long ago, but something kept me from blocking out the memories completely.

I did, after all, owe them my life—if the Jellicles hadn't found me, I would have died. But they had done the unforgivable. They had shown me a beautiful world—a world filled with music and moonlight and waltzes in the summer—and then they had ripped it away from me. I could not help but be bitter towards them. They had offered me everything and left me with nothing. Still, I was doing just fine building my own life. A life that did not include the Jellicles.

~*~

Winter passed just as quickly as it had come. Spring filled the air, the promise of summer drifting lazily behind it. I had begun to feel that familiar madness upon me once again—the need to dance in the moonlight, to sing the Jellicle song and feel the summer breeze as I watched the next cat take the long walk to the Heaviside Layer. I knew my sentence was almost up, but I had no intention of returning to the Jellicles. I could not imagine returning to a tribe of cats who put a price on my lover's head.

Strangely, Macavity never mentioned the Jellicles. I was always too afraid to ask—Mac had a legendary temper, much like mine, but he was known to use violence to end his anger. He had never so much as raised a paw to strike me, but still, my instincts told me never to provoke that anger.

Summer soon arrived, increasing my longing to dance by the light of the Jellice Moon. One night, the urge was particularly strong; I cavorted about the hallway of my human's house with wild abandon. I heard a tap on the window and looked up to see Mac's dark form smiling down on me, his eyes glowing in the dark.

I gave a gentle push and the window opened. I was still breathless from my exuberant dancing, "Mac, what're you doing here?"

"I thought you might like to go to a ball," he smiled his trademark sideways grin. I stared at him with wide eyes, "But you can't go to the Jellicle Ball!"

"Who said anything about those goody-goody Jellicles?" He sneered in disdain. His charming smile returned, "I was thinking of a private ball. Ya know, just you and me, Red."

I smiled and gave a nod of consent. He leapt to the ground and waited for me to join him.

"Where are we going?" I asked, walking quickly to catch up to him. A smile danced on his mouth, "That's a secret, Red."

I smiled and shook my head, knowing that he would not divulge any more information. Macavity loved surprises; I wasn't going to spoil this one for him. Apparently he had gone through a lot of trouble to prepare this for me—he had noticed my sudden uneasiness and knew what was ailing me.

We arrived in a secluded area of woods, just past the Jellicle Junkyard. It was the Dark Forest—the end of the Jellicle Realm. Still, we could hear the melodious notes drifting through the trees. Mac sidled up to me, his arm snaking around my waist, "Shall we dance?"

"How did you know…"

"Do you think I don't notice every little thing about you?" He asked tenderly, pulling me towards the open glen which was bathed white in the moonlight. "I knew you wanted to go to the ball. Remember? That 's how we met. I never told you this, but I saw you dance that night."

"You did?" I looked up at him with wide eyes. He nodded, kissing my nose lightly, "I did. You were beautiful. Absolutely captivating. Every tom wanted you; every queen wanted to be you. And I knew then and there that you were something special."

"So why didn't you come up to me?" I asked playfully, my usual coy smile returning to my face.

"A beat up old tomcat like me?" Mac chuckled. "I didn't think I stood a chance."

"Well I guess it's a good thing that I went after you," I whispered, nuzzling him again. He laughed softly, "I guess it was. But if I remember correctly, I had to do an awful lot of chasing before I caught you."

"What makes you think you've caught me?" I challenged him, my voice a barely audible purr. He grinned at this, shaking his head, "I don't think anyone will ever fully catch you, Red. You've got too much spirit."

"You seem like you can handle it," I gave a wicked grin. He shook his head again, "I don't know…"

"I do," I looked into his eyes. I leaned in closer, whispering huskily in his ear, "And just between you and me, Mac, you had me caught the minute you looked at me."

"But would you ever have admitted it?" He looked at me, a wry grin on his face. I laughed, "Probably not. If it hadn't have been for that card game, I would never have went home with you."

"Thank heavens for card games," Mac smiled coyly at me. "Card games and hidden mirrors."

I smiled as he led me into a waltz. That cat sure could dance.

~*~

Later that night, I watched the star-dusted heavens with an overwhelming sense of happiness. Happiness and contentment always seemed to elude me; it was very rare that I felt so at peace. I absentmindedly stroked the hair on Macavity's head, which rested on my chest. For a master criminal with a price on his head, Macavity slept like a baby. I kissed his head lightly, smiling amusedly at his peaceful expression. There had been something different about tonight. It was by no means the first time we had made love, but it was very different this time. His touch had changed. Usually when he touched me, it was in a very seductive way, with a certain intent in mind. But this was different—this touch was just as soft and caressing, but it was somehow warmer. It held something stronger than passion—it held the tenderness of love and companionship. It was the way a tom would touch his mate—not some silly fling or fleeting attraction, but his mate, his One and Only.

Macavity loved me. Although he never said it, I was sure of it. And the wonderful yet equally terrifying thing about it was that I loved him back.

I turned my eyes back to the sky. A star blazed across the velvet blue night, and suddenly I was struck with a flash of intuition. I don't know how I knew, but I did. Something very special had happened that night. I was carrying Macavity's kittens. Somewhere deep inside of me, I carried physical proof of my love. Laughter bubbled from within my soul and I could not control it.

Macavity sat up groggily, giving me a slightly cross look for disturbing his slumber, "What are you cackling about?"

"You," I kissed his frowning mouth. I giggled again, "And me. We're going to be parents."

Macavity stared at me for a moment in dumbfounded silence. I suddenly thought that perhaps Macavity didn't want kittens. We had never discussed it; in fact we never spoke of the future, choosing to live only in the here and now.

Then something strange happened. Macavity smiled. Not sardonically or seductively, but out of genuine delight. He let out a whoop of joy, at which I burst into laughter again. He grabbed my face with his paws, kissing my mouth, my eyelids, my nose, my chin—chuckling delightedly all the while.

"Come, come, come!" he pulled me to my feet, his eyes dancing with delight. He picked me up and spun me around, gently waltzing through the balmy summer moonlight. He hummed a light-hearted tune, causing me to give a soft, breathless laugh. His adoration was so out-of-character. He nuzzled me neck, making me giggle like an incompetent schoolgirl.

"Ah, Red," he whispered happily. "You and me, we aren't as bad as people think. Every once in a while, we do something right."

"Like produce more card-cheating tabby cats?" I joked softly. He grinned and shook his head, "I hope they're sassy little reds, like their mother. Card-cheating, sassy little reds."

I chuckled softly at this, shaking my head in amusement. I looked away so he couldn't see me blush.

Macavity gently crooked one finger under my chin, brining my gaze back to his, "Hey, Red, I'm here for you. Anything you need, anything at all, you just let me know. I'm going to be there, every step of the way, just like a father should. Me and you, we can do this. We can make it, Red."

I smiled tenderly and laid my head on his chest. I could hear his steady heart beat, thumping rapidly from excitement and dancing; I could feel his arms around me as we swayed in the moonlight. At that moment, I reached true happiness. I honestly and fervently believed his words. To this day, I still believe that he meant them.

That night I realized that our life was about to change. Had I known how drastically that change would be, I would have held Macavity just a little bit closer. I would have danced a little longer and clasped my arms a little tighter. But sadly, one always expects things to change for the better.