CHAPTER 17: Requests

Meanwhile, the toms' rehearsal group was a bit delayed in actually beginning the rehearsal. Tugger and Plato had had a disagreement about one of the dance steps, and Alonzo had stepped in to be the peacemaker, as Munkustrap hadn't yet arrived. All Alonzo had to show for his pains was an area of bruised skin. He thanked Heaviside that he had fur to cover it.

Fortunately, Munkustrap arrived at the scene before things could become too heated.

"What in Heaviside is going on here?"

At that harsh-sounding question, five heads turned.

Alonzo released a loud sigh of relief, stood and stepped towards his cousin. "Thank goodness you're here, Munkustrap. I tried to –" Alonzo abruptly cut off as Munkustrap waved his paw at him in an irritated manner that said, "Fine. I'll handle it from here."

"What is the meaning of all this?" Munkustrap turned his critical gaze from Tugger to Plato and back again, waiting for someone to speak up – someone other than Alonzo.

The two toms stared at the ground, temporarily silenced.

"Well?" demanded Munkustrap. "Will no-one offer me an explanation?"

This prompted a flow of unintelligible, incoherent babble from both parties involved in the argument.

"One at a time, please!" Silence. Munkustrap turned to Plato. "Continue."

"That's it, ask him first, not your own brother."

One glare from Munkustrap was enough to shut Tugger up.

"Plato?"

"You know that part near the end of this dance we're supposed to be rehearsing where we put our paws to the sides, one at head-level and one at waist-level?"

Munkustrap nodded patiently.

"Well, he says that we're supposed to put our right paw up at head-level, but I say it's the left." Plato looked at Munkustrap expectantly.

"It's the left," Munkustrap affirmed.

"Ha!" Plato turned to Tugger triumphantly. "It's so cliché, but I told you so."

Tugger hissed sulkily.

"And you're supposed to be our instructor," chortled Admetus.

Tugger turned a scathing look on Admetus. "Shut up."

"Tugger…" Munkustrap's tone of voice was warning.

"What?" cried the Maine Coon.

"How about we just get on with the rehearsal?"

"Fine," Tugger muttered.

After the rehearsal, which involved more bickering between Tugger and Plato, Mungojerrie approached Munkustrap rather nervously.

"Ummm…Munkustrap?"

"Yes, Mungojerrie?"

"Oi 'ave… That is ta soiy, there's somethin' Oi would loike ta discuss. In proivate."

Munkustrap raised his eyebrow in mild surprise, but gestured for him to follow.

Shortly, the two arrived in the den that Munkustrap shared with Demeter.

"What did you want to discuss?"

Mungojerrie shuffled his hind paws, slightly uncomfortable. "It's…uh…it's about the Borll. The Moitin' Dance, ta be precoise."

"Oh?"

Mungojerrie blushed underneath his fur and averted his gaze. "Yeah. Oi…Oi…Oi wanna moite with Tatiana."

Munkustrap smiled. "Granted."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Mungojerrie let out a breath of relief and barely managed to refrain from hugging the other tom. "Thanks, Munkustrap!" He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Jerrie?"

"Yes?"

"Make her happy."

Mungojerrie grinned and gave a mock salute. "Yes, sir!"

That evening, Tatiana made her way through the forest to the cave for her usual dancing lesson. When she reached her destination, she called out Mistoffelees' name after glancing around the seemingly-empty cave.

"Hey, Tats."

Tatiana shrieked and spun around quickly to find Mistoffelees standing behind her. She was startled enough to not even notice his uncharacteristic use of her nickname, nor indeed question it. "Honestly, Misto, don't do that! You gave me such a fright!"

"What do you suppose my intentions were?" Mistoffelees inquired, gazing at her innocently.

Tatiana chuckled, knowing she was caught. Instead of replying, she asked, "What will we be practising tonight?"

The tuxedo tom was suddenly serious. "Well, since the Jellicle Ball is coming up, and we've covered the basics of what humans term 'ballroom dancing', I'm not going to be teaching you anymore."

"What?!" Tatiana cried, shocked and hurt by the tom's sudden announcement. "But this is the time I really need those lessons!"

"I know."

"Then why are you suddenly dropping me like some –"

"I can't take you any further than I have," Mistoffelees broke in quietly.

"Oh." Tatiana looked down, still visibly upset.

"That's why I've called in female dancers to instruct you. Ladies?"

At his call, two queens appeared out of the shadows. One was Victoria and the other was Demeter.

"I'll come back at the end of the two hours to see how you're going. Be good," he whispered to Tatiana with a wink before disappearing.

Tatiana turned back to her new dancing instructors, both of whom were wearing cheerful grins.

"Let's get you started," Demeter began. "First, the dance we were rehearsing today."

Tatiana relaxed and smiled, allowing a new excitement to begin bubbling within her.

"'Ave a good evenin'?" Mungojerrie asked Tatiana with a lick on the cheek when she returned from her dancing lesson.

Tatiana beamed and gave him a hug. "Excellent, more like!"

"Oh?" Mungojerrie raised an eyebrow.

Tatiana nodded.

"Misto gave ya a good lesson, then, did 'e?"

"Oh, no need to be so jealous," the queen playfully scolded him, tweaking his nose. "Misto's not teaching me anymore, if you must know."

"Which is whoiy yer in good spirits?"

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "I was sad when he told me that he couldn't take me further, but Victoria and Demeter are helping me with the steps for the Ball now."

"That's noice of 'em," Mungojerrie commented.

"Isn't it just? I feel like I'm floating on air. I still can't believe that three cats want to help me." Tatiana sighed contentedly. "I love this tribe."

"'N' we love you," Mungojerrie said seriously, but with a tender smile. "Especially me," he whispered, leaning in for a kiss.

Tatiana also leaned forward, her eyelids drooping…

"Oi! 'Elp me!"

Mungojerrie and Tatiana sighed and pulled away, but neither could suppress a grin when they saw Rumpelteazer's panic-stricken expression and dishevelled appearance.

"'Oo is it this toime?" Mungojerrie asked, eying his sister critically.

"Bombalurina or Demeter?" put in Tatiana.

"Or Munkustrap?"

"Or someone else?"

Rumpelteazer looked sheepish. "Uh, Cassandra…"

The other two cats roared with laughter.

"Another one?" Tatiana managed to gasp. "What did you have to do this time?"

"Shhh! She'll 'ear ya!" cried a panicked Rumpelteazer. "Uh, Oi, uh…Oi 'ad to, uh…"

"Spit it out, Teazer," said her brother impatiently.

"Oi 'ad ta…" The rest was whispered so quietly that even Mungojerrie and Tatiana, with their ultra-sensitive ears, couldn't discern what was being said.

"Louder, Teaz."

"Oi 'ad ta procloim moiy undoiyin' love fer Alonzo," the mischievous queen finally told them. "There, Oi've soid it. Now will yoo two stop interrogatin' me and protect me instead?"

The two other cats rolled their eyes.

Tatiana put her arm around Rumpelteazer's shoulders. "Teazer, we're friends, aren't we?"

Rumpelteazer eyed the other queen suspiciously. "Yeah…"

"And friends help and protect each other, don't they?"

"Oi guess…"

"Then what makes you think that we would behave any differently?"

Rumpelteazer pointed a sharp claw accusingly at an innocent-looking Mungojerrie.

"I see your point. Let me rephrase that: What makes you think that I would behave any differently?"

Rumpelteazer hung her head in shame. "Oi'm sorry, Tats. Oi didn't mean ta 'urt yer feelin's."

Tatiana grinned. "Now, let's see what we can do."