OMG this is the loooooooongest chapter I've ever published, a total of 3888 words, and that's not including my personal comments!

Warning: this is a fluffy chapter! one of the handful I've ever written and probably the only one I've written that's of reasonable quality. It also includes some swearing, teenage angst, Munkus torture, Misto torture, and Victoria torture (if you count wearing six inch heels as torture which it certainly do!)

I dedicate this chapter to my dad who once informed my that, "seeing young men look at your daughter in a certain way can be very unnerving". And to the juniors in the boarding house whose tween-ny behaviour annoys and amuses me in equal amounts.

"The first thing I did when I found out my baby was going to be a girl was head to the sports department and buy myself a baseball bat." A spokesperson that I can't remember the name of.

"Permission to enter" I called out cautiously as I stood outside the door that led to the girl's Empire *cough* room.

"Is that you dad?" Victoria called out

"The one and only"

"Just give me a few minutes!"

"Okay"

While Victoria continued shuffling round the room I waited anxiously outside with the back of my head pressed hard against the wall. I was terrified. The day your daughter starts seeking romance for herself is without a doubt the most frightening and unexpected thing a father can experience, though in hindsight I should've seen it coming. I had colleagues whose ten year olds consulted tween magazines like they were scientific journals and begged their parents for forkfuls of dosh for bags, shoes, nail polish, perfume and all the other essential tools for attracting 'boys of the opposite sex'.* My daughter was a big girl of fourteen; no wait she wasn't a big girl yet, she was still my baby!

'Keep it together Munkustrap, you're a trained professional, just keep your cool and it'll all be fine.'

"Do I look alright daddy?"

'Annnd it just got worse'

Vicky was clad in a dress that would have worked for a queen of twenty one, but for a girl of fourteen who had yet become comfortable with her body it clung with ferocity around her sides and disappeared altogether well before it even glimpsed the ground. Strappy heels that clomped loudly adorned her feet which already looked sore from the effort of walking. Mercifully her fur had been left alone but her already perfect face looked like had been painted on with a trowel, alternating with shiny lip gloss and anxious eyes desperately searching for my approval.

Why did my angel think she needed to get decked up like a trembling bratz doll to get a boy's attention? When she looked absolutely gorgeous the way she was.

"Daddy, do I look okay? Is the dress too short? I'm sorry I-I just really wanted to look, t-to look…"

"You look amazing Vicky, really you do, It's just…"

"What dad? do I look trashy?"

"No, no of course not!

"Do I look too desperate?" asked Vicky horrified "you're right I should've just said no because I'd sprained my ankle or…"

"Hello Munkustrap, hello Vicky, oh you're all dressed up I see." Mistoffelees's head was poked round the corner and had caught sight of us.

"Hello Misto" I said jumping at the chance for someone to back me up "I was just saying to Vicky that…"

"I look completely horrible" said my daughter, miserably leaning against the wall weighed down by her own failure. Misto walked into the hallway with his satchel of books swaying at his side

"Would your daddy ever call you horrible?" he asked.

Victoria shrugged. The tux looked at me, one eyebrow raised slightly. I shook my head adamantly and he gave me a small nod showing that he understood.

Turning back to Victoria he studied her outfit closely. "Can I see the rest of your dress Vicky?" he asked. Vicky made a reluctant three-sixty and for a fraction of a second when her back was turned I saw him give a small grimace. When she was facing him once more he smiled and gently touched her shoulder. "I think that all Munkus was trying to say dear, was that your make up is a little uneven."

"It that all?" asked Vicky bringing one paw up to touch her cheek "Oh Everlasting I didn't realize!"

"Would you like me to help you?" he offered. I glanced at the tux, since when did he know anything about makeup?

"Please?" Victoria looked up hopefully "Oh but I've gotta be at the movie theatre by five!"

"I can drive you don't worry" I stepped forward and placed my paw on her other shoulder "and if you tell me around what time the movie finishes I can probably work it out so that I can pick you up as well."

"You would do that?" Victoria looked at me in wonder

"For my little girl?" I held out my arms and she rushed forward to hug me with delight.

"Thank you dad!" she said, resting her head against mine. When had she become so tall?

Standing back I let her stumble back into her room closely followed by Misto who left his satchel with me in the hallway "Hey Vicky" he said "you can kick those shoes off for a bit if you like, you don't want to tire your ankles out before you even leave the house."

"They are a bit sore" admitted Victoria sitting down and undoing the buckles "but they're my best ones."

"They do look very nice" he agreed. Then he turned to give me a huge wink before closing the door. "How about we put them back in the cupboard, so we don't trip over them in the meantime."

Over half an hour later I was allowed to walk inside and see her 'transformation'. The first thing I did was let out a soft "wow" which got Victoria's attention and she turned towards me.

"D-Do I look pretty Daddy?" she asked shyly.

Pretty did not begin to describe it.

Mistoffelees had worked his magic (not in the literal sense) with amazing precision and, although I may be biased, I thought she looked incredible.

Somehow he'd nudged her into the decision to forgo the dress and exchange it with a singlet top and skirt complete with a matching cardigan. The six inch stilettos had been swapped as well, with a pair of sandals that only had about three inches of heel to them and looked considerably easier to walk in. And although I've never seen Misto within five kilometers of a makeup bag he certainly seemed to know what he was doing. Most of the foundation had been taken off (I spied a large pile wipes in the rubbish bin) and her lipstick was now a delicate shade of pink. Overall, although I still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of a skirt or heels, her obviously relieved look at still looking somewhat fashionable won me over.

"You look stunning" I told her and a delighted grin spread across her face.

Did I mention that Mistoffelees must be the most amazing tom this side of the Atlantic?

My private Fairy Godmother said that he needed to head back to his university's campus so it was just Victoria and I in the car as I drove her to the cinema. For the first few minutes she was quiet and then she began to cautiously ask a few questions.

"Do you mind this dad? Me going a date I mean"

"Of course not Vicky" I answered "I'm pretty nervous but I don't mind it at all."

"You're nervous?"

"You betcha"

"Why?"

"I-It's a father thing, to be nervous when our girls start dating, it's part of our job description."

In the passenger's seat I saw Victoria bite back a smirk and fiddle with a piece of fur on her knee.

"Were you nervous when you started dating mum?"

"Extremely"

"Why?"

I didn't answer right away, this was delicate ground we were treading on but I wanted to answer her as truthfully as I could.

"Well, because she seemed so amazingly gorgeous and smart to book that I was constantly afraid of making myself look foolish, or desperate, or stupid for that matter, in front of her."

"Did you ever stuff up?"

"Plenty of times, and not just when dating your mother, just about everyone I've dated can report a time I've made myself look like an idiot" I looked at Victoria and gave her a reassuring grin "don't worry, I don't thinks it's hereditary."

"I sure hope not" giggled Victoria before her face went somber "so, so why did mum leave us? Why did she stop loving you?"

Ah the million dollar question. All thoughts, theories and rehearsed answers were swept out of my head as soon as I tried to grasp them.

"S-sometimes matehood just doesn't work out" I replied "the couple realizes that this wasn't what they wanted. Sometimes there are other things involved as well. But I know that your mother, wherever she is, still loves you, all of you." Victoria pursed her lips, she remembered all too well what Griddlebone was like in the last few years of our marriage and I knew that those memories left her with serious doubts about the latter statement.

"Were 'other things involved' with you guys?"

"I think so. Your mother, she was put under a lot of strain in her later years, what with Jerrie and Teazer coming to live with us, and then my promotions at work which kept me busy, and I think she might've developed a little Postpartum after Jemmy was born."

"But wasn't Jemmy born with a C-section?"

"It's not only the way a baby's born that affects PPD. There are other factors as well."

"Oh" Victoria continued fiddling with the fur on her knee. "So uh, have you, you know, considered dating again at all?

I was starting to set a record for lengthy pauses today.

"I've considered it a few times" I answered at last "but I honestly don't think it'd be a good idea."

"Why?"

"Vicky, you know how my work is sometimes dangerous, and often keeps me from home for long hours?"

"Don't change the subject dad!"

"I'm not" I replied "I'm trying to explain my answer before I give it. I think you're old enough to understand, and it certainly won't make sense without it."

My daughter looked like she was about to protest, but at my acknowledgement of her maturity made her swallow it and straighten up slightly.

"I'm listening" she told me

"So as you know, being a cop is sometimes dangerous, getting shot at and suchlike. And I think that knowledge put a tremendous amount of stress on your mother."

"Put stress on her? But you were the one getting shot!"

"And she was the one sitting at home wondering when or even if I would come back that night. I know that later on she was rarely even home when I came back, but when you and Plato were small she nearly always used to stay up passed midnight when I had a case that needed long hours away from home. And that's why I don't think I should start dating again, at least not yet."

"Because it wouldn't be fair on whomever you were dating?"

"Precisely. Most toms or queens simply do not have the dedication, or the strength, to live with a cop. It takes a very special Jellicle to deal with that sort of lifestyle."

Victoria was silent for the next few minutes it took to locate an empty spot near the cinema and park. Just before she stepped out she gave me a quick hug.

"You have a great time Vicky" I croaked suddenly finding that a lump had appeared in my voice box.

"I will" she promised "Thanks for the lift, and the talk."

"You're welcome"

"Just so you know, if you um, do start dating someone. I'm okay with that. Just make sure we've met them first okay?"

"Okay" I promised "Will you do the same with me in the future?"

"I-I alright" said Victoria sheepishly "can I go now?"

"Of course" I answered. Then, not being able to resist a little ribbing, I added "remember, he's allowed to walk you home but you can't walk him home. Otherwise my baseball bat will be used for GBH."

Vicky rolled her eyes "you are so funny dad"

"Glad you appreciate it" I grinned "See you at eight."

As I was driving back home I thought about what Victoria had said about being okay with me dating. Although that was certainly a huge weight off my chest I still didn't think I'd be bringing anyone back home anytime soon. It wasn't as if I had a wide connection of 'friends' like my younger brother did.

'Let's see I've kept in touch with a few uni friends, which might be possible. Victor's straight, Cassandra would send me to a mental institution, and neither of them are my type anyway. Pepper and Pounce are far too young. And Ling? NO! Just no...'

I forcefully shook all thoughts of having a relationship out of my head and drew my attentions back to the road in front of me. I was just pulling up to a red traffic light when all of a sudden the neon signs on either side, behind and in front of me flickered and went out making the familiar street look unexpectedly eerie. Toms and queens on both sidewalks looked at each other in surprise. Several drivers stopped abruptly in the middle of the road causing extra confusion. My thoughts instantly went to Victoria and I thought about turning round to collect her and driving us both home before the movie had even started, but then I decided against it. The cinema had a generator that could run the entire joint for twenty four hours so the movies would still be playing, and she'd probably be a lot safer inside there than on the road during the power cut where traffic was becoming hazardous. Besides, she probably wouldn't thank me for it.

When I got home the house was pitch black. I strained to listen for the usual chatter of voices that were present when I got home but I heard nothing. Where was my family? Then I spotted a flickering light on the second floor. Ah yes, Jenny and Skimble had probably rounded up the flock and taken them upstairs to wait until I got back, bless them. Deciding to grab a few extra candles and torches before joining them I groped my way along the hallway to the laundry where we kept them in a box beside the dryer. To my surprise someone was already there.

Mistoffelees was crouched on the floor of the laundry, his silhouette lightened only by the light of a few lamps and the candle he was holding. A box of matches was at his side and he was rubbing the bridge of his nose tenderly with one paw.

"Mistoffelees" I asked "what are you doing?"

He looked up at me, faintly embarressed"D-Defrosting my whiskers"

I raised my eyebrows. Frozen whiskers are a fairly common in winter for Jellicles, especially in the north. But this was London, and most cats, Mistoffelees included, were careful about going outside with...

"And before you ask I didn't go outside with damp whiskers"

"Then how?"

"Magic, my practical in class went a little haywire" answered the tux. Once again he tried to get the candle close enough to his whiskers without singeing them. He became more and more cross eyed as he tried to keep the candle in view but soon enough his hand rose a fraction too high and the delicate flame nearly caught his already reddening nose.

"Whoa hang on Misto" I cautioned, taking the candle out of grasp "you're going to burn your nose off like that."

"I suppose" said Misto mumbling slightly as he rubbed his nose once more "but there isn't any power so I can't warm up any water and unfreeze them that way."

"You won't need to" I said as I offered him a paw to help him stand up "I'll help you"

The tux glanced at my hand for a moment before reaching up and taking it "I-I, alright."

I made the tux sit on the couch while I fetched another candle, the lamps he was using, matches and a damp flannel, everything I remembered Griddle using when either I or the kittens had a case of chilled whiskers during a blackout. I could only recall a handful of time this had happened so I was quite proud that I seemed to have remembered everything. When I knelt in front of Misto, a lightened candle in one hand and the flannel in the other, he eyed me warily.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked as I tried to position the lamps so they illuminated his face.

"Of course" I said sounding a only little over confident "just hold still and it'll be fine"

First of all I gently wiped the flannel over his Vibrissae* melting the outer frost that covered them. That was the easy part. Then, starting from the very tip of his longest whisker I held the candle up and started rewarming the sensitive inner network of nerve endings. For a few seconds all went well then, Mistoffelees flinched with a sudden squeak and knocked the candle out of my hand. I realized quickly that I'd forgotten to locate one important piece of equipment, stress balls.

"Sorry sorry, are you alright Misto?"

"Y-yeah" said Misto gingerly trying to wrinkle his nose "is it always going to feel like that?"

"The first bit's the worst" I reassured him while trying to remember if we still had any stress balls. They'd always been Griddles forte and I had a nasty feeling that we'd thrown them out last Easter. Nor did I want to risk breaking my neck by attempting to look for them in the darkened house. "Just… Just try thinking of palm trees or something until we're finished."

"I, alright" said Misto closing his eyes. I retrieved the candle and, tilting Misto's head to the right angle, started the process again. Much like the first attempt nothing happened for the first few moments, then once again he visibly flinched and brought his hand up, but instead of knocking the candle away he grabbed my wrist which was attached to the hand still resting along his jaw.

"I-I'm sor-"he grimaced.

"You're alright" I reassured, gently running my thumb over the fur located just above his cheek "hold still now."

Mistoffelees did his best to obey but beneath my fingers I could feel him trembling, fighting the urge to pull away from the heat. Defrosting one's whiskers is all very well when you have electricity. Just boil a kettle and hold your face over the steam. But when there isn't any power you have to rely on this slower method which draws out the pain much more slowly and double the intensity. Think having an entire limb's worth of pins and needles concentrated into a single strand of hair.

I racked my brains trying to think of something to take his mind away from the discomfort and asked the first question that popped into my head "so… Where did you learn how to do make up? Were you part of a drama group back in the states?"

A smile briefly flickered across his face. "Well, not a drama group in the traditional sense. Do you remember when told you about my first year of college?"

"I remember you said you didn't have enough money to live in the dorms. So you worked in this place that gave you food and lodgings which they deducted from your pay. An institution of some sort?"

"An all-girls boarding school*. Which, I quote, 'has been providing opportunities for young ladies since 1886'."

"Get out" I said, my snort of amusement nearly blowing the candle out.

"It's true!" he huffed "And I collected some very useful information about living with teenaged queens."

"Do tell" My paws were shaking from silent laughter but I managed to set the candle down without any catastrophes and gently ran my knuckles along the skin of his right upper lip, massaging any remaining ache away, before starting on the whiskers on his left side.

"W-Well, I learnt how to put make up on other cats when I was conscripted into helping the seniors get ready for prom night. A-Apparently I was rather good and I was in demand for a while afterwards." He flinched suddenly as the feeling started returning to his right-sided whiskers. I moved my hand which had been cupping his cheek away, allowing him to clasp my palm with his own shaking fingers.

"What else did you learn about pre-queens?" I asked

"I-I learnt to hide any chocolate I might have" his voice shook a little "a-and to always knock before entering a girls room. And to my surprise, I learnt that as bitchy as the girls could be, they could be just sympathetic and supportive, if not more so, when you needed someone to talk to."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, actually it when talking with some of the girls there that I first mentioned, my sexuality."

"Really, and were they okay with that?"

"Yeah, in fact most of them were like 'no shit Sherlock'. And that's another thing, never underestimate their powers of observation, or interrogation." He shuddered at the memory.

"Were they that good?" I asked.

"Uh-huh, personally I think they could give any police department a run for their money. But they're only like that with stuff that interests them. So don't worry about losing your job anytime soon."

"That's good to know" I said setting the candle down one more and tenderly smoothing his whiskers against his cheek. Mistoffelees closed his eyes, smiling slightly.

"Hmmm" he breathed. A few seconds of silence followed where I became acutely aware or just how close we were, in fact I could feel the silent whoosh of air against my whiskers as he breathed in and out. I wanted to say something to him, tell him how utterly amazing he had been to my kids the past two years and apologize for the countless times he'd had to haul my sorry butt out of the parenting pot holes I frequently dug myself into*. Opening his eyes Mistoffelees looked at me, and then as if reading my mind he gave my fingers a small squeeze.

"I also learnt" he said quietly "to never ever, ever, ever, believe a girl…"

I smiled ruthfully, at least I knew that much...

"When she says she doesn't love her parents."*

I looked at him hopefully "really? You're not just saying that?"

"Of course I'm not" he told me. Glancing down he seemed to notice for the first time that his knees were pressing into my stomach and turned slightly red "I-uh, thank you f-for helping me with that, I'd never be able to get that done myself.

"You're welcome" I said truthfully "how's your nose feel?"

"It feels better now" he touched it tenderly and winced "I'm probably going to look like a clown tomorrow."

"Well I could always… try disguising it with makeup?" I offered. This succeeded in making his blush deeper.

"I-I might wait till Victoria gets home." He told me bashfully.

"That might be better" I agreed.

There was a flicker above us and the living room light switched on in full glow. One by one the other lights of the house did the same thing and deep rumbling of the fridge started up again. Upstairs we could hear the kids' exclamations of surprise as electricity was restored to the household. From across the street a neighbor cheered.

Mistoffelees and I looked at each other and grinned. The blackout was over.

*Perhaps I'm being rather stereotypical here but hey, as a teenage girl I think I have a right to poke fun at myself. ;)

*I kid you not, this is the technical term for whiskers!

*Oh lord I knew it was only a matter of time before boarding school found it's way into one of my fics. Being a boarder has become a focal point of my life since I was twelve and I honestly couldn't imagine life without it. All of my very best friends are, or have been boarders and one of the major plot bunnies I have to wrestle with on a daily basis is a cats fanfic based in a boarding school!

*I'm sure you'd agree with me in saying that Munkus's single parenting style is actually pretty good, he just thinks he's hopeless. :3

* Everything Misto says here about living with teenaged girls is true. And I do mean EVERYTHING!

R & R if you feel so disposed.