Thank you to C. Lennox and Gaaraluva15 for being my only two reviewers! You guys rock!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I think I am doing a good job at making the story sad. Funny thing is, this is not the saddest chapter. Read and Review!
Disclaimer: I do own the kits! Just nothing else under the Jellicle moon :\
The kits ran out of the store and into their mother Victoria's arms. She squeezed her babies gently and ruffled their head fur. She loved her little darlings so much; they were the only things she had left of her mate. Sometimes, it was difficult for her to look into her young son's eyes. The beautiful copper orbs were exactly like his fathers. They had a soft depth to them that contained such an array of emotion. It was one of the reasons she loved their father. His eyes made her heart melt like butter. Thank goodness her little daughter had her eyes, or she would never have been able to bare two sets of Mistoffelees' eyes!
"Did you behave for Tugger's boss?" she questioned with a knowing look, pushing these thoughts aside.
The two little kittens exchanged a glance. It was a look that clearly said "busted." They looked back to their mother, feeling ashamed. She had told them to behave in the store.
"Not at first, mummy," the queen-kit answered, shuffling her paws.
"Oh? Really, Misteria?" Victoria asked as they began to walk home.
Victoria, had known all of this beforepaw. She just wanted her kits to understand what their behavior was and why it was not right.
"Yeah, but then we were all good! We were much gooder!" Mistearia, the tiny queen, nodded fiercely.
"Not 'gooder.' Better, darling," Vicky corrected her gently, with an affectionate smile.
"When he did magic tricks, we were much better!" the boy exclaimed.
Victoria stopped in her tracks, surprised by what her kitten had said. Had he said, "magic tricks?" Her mind quickly turned into a race of questions. Could it be Mistoffelees? Had her former mate quit his job? Had she actually been inside his store and not even known it? Did he want her back? How was he doing? Were her ears mishearing things?
"What did you say, Mistoffelis?" Vicky questioned her young son.
"M-magic tricks," Mistoffelis answered hesitantly because the look on his mother's face confused him greatly.
He had said it again. Her ears were not playing tricks on her. Her curiosity became heightened further. Could this tom possibly be the mate she had been so long without? That she wanted back so badly?
"What did he look like, Stoffy?" Vicky asked her son, resuming her walk.
"He was a tuxedo, like me! But with a black bowtie instead of a red one," little Stoffy answered.
"Was he very tall?" she asked, stepping into the ally where they lived.
"No, he was very short. Great Uncle Tugger coulda rested his paws on his head," Misty, the female, concluded.
And frequently has, Vicky thought with a laugh. She was almost certain they were describing her mate, their father. This was almost far too good to be true.
"Mr. Misto was very nice to us, mummy. But, I think he's sad about somethin'," Mistoffelis sighed.
That caught Victoria's attention. Except for her young son, no one had a nickname of "Misto." It had to be her mate, her other half. How she had missed him! The wonderful things she needed to tell him! Was he sad? She could ease his pains in a heartbeat. She ushered her kits into their den made from sheets of metal and cardboard. She put away their meager groceries into an old, tattered lunchbox. Afterwards, she gently tucked her kits into a pile of old blankets she used for their bed. She said their prayers with them, kissed each goodnight and poked her head outside the den. As she knew would happen, she saw the Rum Tum Tugger coming to her little house. That tom had planned all of this, she was almost certain.
"Hey. I s'pose your kits told you," Tugger said, sitting outside the little shack.
"They did. You work for Mistoffelees," She answered, coming outside to join him.
A smirk came to Tugger's lips. Operation get-Misto-and-Vicky-back-together was a go! He began to work the situation, trying to make Victoria understand she needed to return to Mistoffelees without out and out proclaiming it.
"Yeah. And he watched them for you," Tugger pointed out.
Victoria had known this; there was no need to state the obvious. She already had in mind exactly what she was going to do. She needed Tugger's assistance, though. She had to see Misto again. To look into his soft eyes and tell him that he need not be lonely anymore.
"Which is why I'm going to thank him," Vicky said, looking dead serious.
That threw Tugger for a loop. His plan was going much better than he had ever perceived it could. She already wanted to see Misto! There was just one little detail she was missing.
"And leave your kits here alone?" he asked in shock.
She had already thought of that and knew how to solve that problem. Bombalurina had often watched her kits for her. Tugger and Bomba had kits of their own. Bombalurina had had her kits before Victoria became pregnant. Their kits had become inseparable. The younger kits looked up to their cousins as role-models. It was rather adorable to watch Tugger's kits teaching hers how to play fight and pounce on prey.
"Have Bomba watch them. Please, take me to see him Tugger. I have to see him!" she pleaded, trying not to sound so desperate.
"Why should I sneak in on his overtime just so you can bother him?" Tugger questioned, suddenly thinking Mistoffelees would not be too happy with him for interrupting his work.
"Because he needs me and… and I need him," she answered, resting her head in her paws.
Tugger sighed, relenting. It was obvious how much the pair needed each other. Victoria was not quite as lonely as Mistoffelees, but she was raising two kittens on her own. That was something no queen should have to deal with if it could be avoided. She needed the help of her mate.
"Fine. But move your kits to my den. Bomba and I have kits too, you know," Tugger huffed.
"Oh, thank you!" Vicky said, squeezing Tugger around the neck.
They moved her sleeping kits to Tugger's den. Thankfully, neither kit had woken up. Secretly, he wanted them moved because they would be safer in the junkyard. Not only that, but he was hoping their parents were going to get together once more. If they were placed in the junkyard, then they could just move in with their father into his drainage pipe.
Tugger lead Victoria back to the grocer's store and opened it with his key. Mistoffelees stayed late every night finishing his paperwork and regretting things passed. Tugger knew this and hoped everything would work out between the young couple. Their separation was only causing them to suffer.
The maine coon asked Victoria to wait while he asked Misto if he had some time to spare. He approached the door to Misto's office and poked his head in. Misto looked up from his paperwork.
"Do you have a moment? The mother of those kits wants to see you," Tugger asked, waving Vicky up the stairs.
"Certainly, bring her in," Misto replied with a small smile, turning back to his paperwork.
Mistoffelees was not surprised when Tugger had returned to work. It was often easier for him to clean if there were no other cats in the store. What did surprise him was that the unknown mother of those wonderful little kits and come to express her gratitude.
Tugger opened the door for Vicky and she stepped in. He closed it, hoping for the best. He waited outside, deciding to listen in on the conversation to see if his plan was going smoothly. It was all up to Victoria from that moment on.
Misto looked up and his eyes met Victoria's. His ears flattened against his head as the sight of her brought every uncomfortable emotion he had ever felt since she left him to surface. His hurt overrode each of those emotions. How could she show up into his life again after he was doing so well? How could she have had kits with another tom? What did she want? Why had she come? All of these questions rapidly swirled through his head. A suddenly cold and detached demeanor overtook his features.
"What do you want?" he asked curtly, looking back to his work.
His attitude stunned her greatly. Was he not ready to forgive her? Did he not love her anymore?
"I-I wanted to thank you for watching my kits," Victoria answered hesitantly, hoping he would soften his behavior towards her.
"Can't you find a kit-sitter and take the burden off of the working world?" he asked coolly, not even glancing her way.
Victoria stared at him in disbelief. Was that anyway to greet her after five months apart? Did he not miss her? Not even an ounce?
"Is that anyway to address me?" she asked, stunned.
"How would you address someone who left you?" he asked menacingly, finally looking her way.
He had hit a nerve. She had her reasons for leaving. Perhaps, they were not wholly justifiable, but she did have reasons. Did they always have to argue and spit harsh comments to each other?
"I left because you argued with me!" she said with emphasis.
"I argued because you nagged me!" he retorted harshly.
She may have pressed the matter of his overworking once or twice, but she had never nagged him! She had begged and pleaded with him! She lost him to that stupid job!
"I never nagged you!" she said defensively.
"Whining and complaining to get your way is known as nagging!" he shot back, stubbornly.
"You're such a jerk! You still haven't changed a bit!" she shouted in fury.
That hurt him greatly. It was as if a knife had cut through his heart. She had never called him names before. Either he had pushed her so far or she actually meant that comment. He had changed! Oh, how he had changed. He quit his job, cried nearly twice a week, was incredibly lonely, slept in a cold bed alone and pined after a queen who ended up rubbing him the wrong way. The worst of it all was that he was still madly in love with her and she had moved on. She even had kits of her own with Heaviside knew whom! They day she left he was not the same tom. She had taken away all of his happiness. She had taken everything away.
"Yes, I have!" he stated forcefully.
"Really?" she asked, dubiously.
"I died the day you left!" he shouted, tears welling up into his eyes.
That caught Victoria by surprise. Had she really hurt him that greatly? She stared at him in utter disbelief. It was enough to make her cry, knowing that when she had left him it only increased their problems. She thought that her leaving was for the best. She had actually ruined his life by leaving. Yet, it was too lat to go back. They had to move on. They would only argue and cause each other pain.
"What?" Victoria asked in shock.
"The day you left, you took everything from me. You took my heart with you, but you never wanted to. I always knew you were too good for me, that you never really wanted me," he sniffed, trying to hold back his tears.
"I left you because of your job, not because of how good or bad you are. You loved being a magician so much more than you loved being with me. And now, you have yet another job to fill you. You see, you never really needed me," Victoria explained, a tear slipping down her cheek.
She didn't want him to need her. That was the impression she had given Mistoffelees by that statement. If she was going to throw in one last punch, he would as well.
"Well if you think I never really needed you, you never really needed me either. You have two healthy kits by some tom who probably didn't even know your name," he answered, looking away from her once more.
"How could you even say that?" she demanded, feeling quite affronted that he thought she could be with some sordid tom.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I probably should have been kind to the tom and assumed you left him. After all, it is a habit with you," he answered her, filling his paper work.
"You really are heartless! Now, you see why we never could have stayed together! We always end up hurting each other!" she exclaimed, bursting into tears and dashing out of his office.
He regretted what he had done as soon as the words had left his mouth. He could not loose her again! He quickly tried to run after her.
"Vicky, wait!" he called, but she had already run out of the store.
He sank to his knees and began to sob tears of his own. How could he let himself loose her again? Did he not know better?
"I love you," he whispered through his tears and sank to the ground in a fit of sobbing.
Tugger had heard the entire dialogue. He had even been slammed by the office door, twice. He was furious, with the both of them. They acted like two rotten kits. Did they secretly wish to remain single or where they just dense? The Tugger looked up to the sky. It could only take a miracle from the Everlasting Cat to get the two of them back together. He shook his head, walked over to Mistoffelees and slapped him upside the head.
"What?" Misto shouted through his anguish.
"You let her go, again!" Tugger said through gritted teeth.
"She doesn't love me! She never really did! She always wanted to leave me!" Misto sobbed.
"You're an idiot! You both are!" Tugger sighed.
"Don't say that about her! Call me an idiot all you want, but don't ever say that about her!" Misto demanded.
Tugger sighed and shook his head. He knew better than to say that about Victoria. He didn't really feel that way, about either of them, but he was so aggravated. They were so close to making amends! Why couldn't they just put their heart aside, apologize and move on from there? It was all in vain, though. No matter what happened, it seemed they always ruined their chances of being together and there was no hope for them to ever reunite again.
Aw, is sad face :'( Apparently, they just love to argue with each other. To me, that argument was easier to write than the first one. Do you think a miracle could happen? I could answer, but I already know! :)
Please, review! Let me know what you think or if I have any spelling/grammar mistakes. I think I got everything.
P.S. Don't you just love those kittens? I know I do 3 :3