Soooo I was in bed at 4 am staring at the wall. I'd woken up and couldn't get back to sleep and was extremely bored. What do I do? FIND MY LAPTOP AND FINISH THIS CHAPTER! as well as watching a Negima episode, reading Lackadaisy and looking up the particulars of erectile disfunction hehe. It's now 7:15 and I think that the rest of the family is finally starting to emerge, perfect timing!

This chapter contains depresssing rumination by no other that Munku himself!

I was in bed and drifting off to sleep in record time. My last comprehensible thought was wondering why Griddlebone wasn't beside me in the bed. Then I remembered that she'd divorced me two years ago and I hadn't seen her at all since then.

Like I said, I was pretty tired.

************************************************Into Dreamland we go!**********************************************

"I do"

"I do"

It was spring when Griddlebone and I mated underneath a canopy of roses and cherry blossom. Griddlebone had designed it herself; in fact she'd organized almost everything for that day. Which is why (I believed) it was absolutely perfect.

"I'm back!"

"Dadda!"

"Hello darling, welcome home"

Our daughter was born just over a year later. She so beautiful, with snow white fur and a smile that could light up a room, just like her mother.

"Hey darling would you mind looking after Plato and Vicky for a few hours?

"Not at all Grids, where are you going?"

"Just to the shopping center"

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No…no that's okay my friends are picking me up. A girls day out, you know.

"Oh okay"

I first began to suspect something was wrong when Jerrie's and Teazer's mum died.

"Those two are keeping you up half the night with their crying."

"They're only two Grids"

"They're almost three; our two were sleeping through the night by three."

"They're missing their mother still they'll get over it eventually"

"Isn't there a relative they could go to? They're driving me crazy here at home."

"I'm afraid not."

"What about their father?"

"We don't know where he is"

"Well in that case they should go to a foster home; they're not your responsibility"

"Grids!"

I refused to give Jerrie and Teazer up for several reasons. First of all I knew that it would only reinforce in them the belief in them that they were worthless. And second, I knew their streets-born mother who'd fought tooth and claw to get into the police force well. She'd worked hard to make both ends meet and positively adored her kids. When she'd died I realized how much they resembled their mother in both looks and spirit and realized that even if I wanted too, I couldn't give them up and let their mother's hard work go to waste.

They were both extremely energetic and, even then, were up to their whiskers in mischief. I put Grid's irritability down to that. I began taking the two to the office with me, just to get them out of her fur for a few hours. Dad didn't mind and even Ling (dad's sharp-tongued secretary) couldn't help but laugh at their tumbling acrobatics and adorable cockney accents.

This move seemed to help enormously. Victoria and Plato were now old enough to be left on their own for an hour or two and she would disappear during that time to have lunch with a friend or take a Pilates class. She called these snatched breaks her 'revival time'.

"Where were you Grids? I was about to call the police."

"Oh hello dear, I know I'm a little late"

"You were gone for four hours!"

"Yes and I'm so sorry for making you worry, there was this awful traffic jam and I forgot to bring my phone with me."

"Mummy! Where were you?"

"I got caught up in the traffic darling when coming home."

"I missed you mummy"

I missed you too darling, tell you what? I'll buy an ice cream for you all when we go out tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Then there were complications during Jams' birth and Grids had to have a C-section. Her moods' took a turn for the worse. She was snappish and irritable and would leave the house, the kids and myself for days at a time. Again I tried taking the kids to work with me or round to Jenny and Skimble's. I think they both know how just how bad things were at home and they never shut the door on us. Other times they'd come round asking for the kids as "we're going to the beach next week and it would just be boring with the two of us". I was ever so grateful to them.

However this did not seem to help things. When the children weren't there to scold and snap at, she'd take her frustration out on me. We had several awful arguments and she slapped me once or twice.

But we still had a few good times. After one particularly bad row she came and profoundly apologized to me for everything. She said that she would do her best to make it right again. Then we went out for lunch and visited the markets. I brought her a necklace that she chose at a jewelry booth to symbolize out new start. It was made from Huon pine and been sandpapered till it felt like velvet and carved into a heart shape. I still have that necklace.

These episodes of reform never lasted long though and most of the time I was walking on eggshell around her. Then one day, when jenny and Skimble were yet again taking care of the kid's, I came home to find the house deserted. One the mantel piece she'd taped an application for divorce sheet, with a note saying to contact her lawyer if there was any questions.

I called him immediately asking him to put me in touch with my mate, he refused over and over again, and every time I visited the office he'd have some excuse. At last he said that if I persisted he'd have to place a restraining order on me.

Two months after I'd signed the papers I was talking on Skype with my sister Demeter who was in North Carolina at the time.

"You look terrible Munkus"

"I'm fine Deme, really I am"

"How much sleep have you had recently?"

"Not a lot, but I've been taking naps so it's alright." My sister wasn't convinced and peered at me suspiciously through the camera.

"Have Jenny and Skimble been helping you out at all"

I gave a dry chuckle "They've been wonderful, they're settling into the apartment upstairs to be closer to us if we need help. And it's not just them the entire family's chipping in. Dad's said I can take as much leave as I need, mum keeps on sending food hampers over, and Tugger's been taking the kids to the movies and the zoo and the modeling booth and everything."

"He didn't give a 'demonstration' did he?" For the first time in weeks I gave a real laugh.

"No he's been a brick, distracting the kids from all this."

"How are the kids, are they holding up well?"

"They've been amazing. Vicky's acting just like a little mum and Plato's been trying to help out by doing odd jobs for me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I caught him trying to chop wood for the fire the other day. And the twins are trying ever so hard to be good; they don't know what to do with themselves. And Jemmy… oh Jemmy" I buried my head in my arms.

"what is it Munk?"

"she said her first sentence today"

"what was it?"

"mummy come home?"

"oh Munkus"

I turned away and furiously scrubbed away the tears in my eyes before turning to face her again "H…how've you been anyway". She gave me a you're-not-wriggling-out-of-this-one look and took over the conversation.

"So the kids are okay?"

"Yeah, they're doing their best to pull their socks up, I'm so proud of them Deme"

"You should be, they know how to stick together and work as a team. It's you I'm worried about"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're on your own, trying to raise a family solo and hold down a job and trying to sort your life out and working yourself to a rag in general. And I think that the way you're going seems to be towards a first class breakdown. Sooner rather than later would be my guess."

I massaged my temples. In any other situation my pride would've made me flat out deny what she was saying, no matter how right she was. But I was exhausted and desperate and retained enough common sense to see that she was right.

"I Could use some help in the house" I admitted "just with things like doing the laundry, and buying school supplies and putting the kids to bed. Don't get me wrong, Jenny and Skimble have been fabulous but they both still work and have already done so much for us."

"So it's really just short term help you need?"

"Yeah, just for the next few months or so, I don't suppose you know someone who's willing to look after a poor ol' cop and his five kids do you?" I was only half joking when I said that but Demeter nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll see what I can do. You hang in there Munkus, it'll be alright eventually."

"I know, thanks Deme"

Two weeks later Demeter called saying that she'd sent someone over and they'd be arriving late thins evening. So I'd fixed up the box room with a mattress and bedding and then sat down in the living room at tem to try and put the Christmas tree us just as Griddlebone had done every year for the children. She used to have the tree up in a jiffy and would spend the rest of the evening arranging the ornaments and tinsel and colored light until it could've easily mistaken for a Christmas card. It was now eleven and I couldn't work out how to fit the branches together.

'I can see now why she left. I'm useless, completely and utter useless. I can't even put a bloody tree together!'

A timid knocking at the door temporarily paused my self-bashing fest. Pulling myself together somewhat I got up and answered the door. A small black and white tom was standing there wearing a wooly scarf around his neck and a pair of glasses, slightly askew, on the bridge of his nose. In one paw he pulled small suitcase on wheels and in the other he clutched a white envelope. The tom, seeing that I wasn't about to eat him alive stammered out a greeting.

"H-hello sir, is this Munkustrap's h-house?" I blinked in surprise

"Yes it is, what can I do for you?" The tom, who I could now see was a tux, held out the envelope.

"The student agency sent me here, the one your sister works for. I-I think she left you a note as well."

Sure enough, inside the envelope there was an official looking letter thanking me for giving a student the opportunity to work overseas and, more importantly, a letter from my sister explaining who this cat was.

Dear Munkus

This cat's name is Mistoffelees and he's from North Carolina. He's a post grad student I picked out myself to come and help you with the house work etc. I know he doesn't look like much but he's proven himself to be an extremely capable and trustworthy Jellicle. He also likes dancing with a mop when washing the floor (we caught it on video!)

Much love

Deme (your big sister)

P.S. I'll email you his résumé (and the video) tomorrow.

I looked back up at the tux (Mistoffelees) he appeared to be waiting calmly but his ears gave him away by twitching nervously.

"Well I suppose you'd better come in Mistoffelees"

"T-Thank you sir"

"You don't have to call me sir. Munkustrap or Munk will to fine. I answer to idiot as well"

"Alright… Munkustrap."

After showing Mistoffelees too his room I decided to call it a night and packed up the tree pieces. I half expected to find Mistoffelees gone along with the silverware the next morning, but at 10:30 when I woke up again I was pleased to find him in the box room unpacking his things. The kids were washed dressed and, had helped Misto find the cereal and bowls to have breakfast. It was phenomenal.

Slowly my life went back on track. I started to sleep better as episodes of distress like nightmares and bed wetting and fights at school faded with the kids having some stability in their lives once more. I started going to work for a few hours every day and we finally got on top of the laundry. Misto and I even got the tree up in time for Christmas although it took us several nights to work out how to make it stay upright. Instead of decorating it ourselves we let Vicky and Plato take charge; with Jerrie and Teazer as helpers and Jemmy perched on my shoulders to put the star in place.

I still missed Griddlebone and wished I could tell her how sorry I was and how much I still loved her, but overtime the raw pain had begun to fade, like a figure walking through the mist. I was starting to move on

Demeter had said that Misto would only be staying for a short while, but as it turned out Misto is still with us two years later. I'm sure Demeter has something to do with it but I haven't asked anything awkward. And to be honest, I don't think I really want to, I mean, why stop a good thing?

***********************************************End of Dream time!*******************************************************

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