Wow! Look at that, I finished a chapter story! The future's looking bright, if I say so myself.

Sadly I didn't win but that's alright, there were a lot of really awesome entries and you can't win them all. Pretty cool, though as competition was really fierce and a lot of good stories were put out :) Gotta love that!

So here's my outro. We get to finally meet this psychotic Fortuneteller (CrazyIndigoChild self-insert? Not exactly, but she enjoys watching him suffer like I do so it's debatable).

Congrats everyone!

In the early glow of morning, long before the sun would peak it's hot and blinding glare over the horizon, Munkustrap padded softly along the pier. The boards felt mushy beneath his paws and creaked every now and again, beneath him as the waves rolled in gently and swayed the dock every so slightly. When the wind blew it took the smell of salt and fish through his fur, blowing out artificial fruits and flowers in his wake.

"I didn't think you'd come back. Couldn't get enough of me?"

Munkustrap chuckled, his breath coming out in small gleeful clouds that danced and twirled around his face. "Well, I suppose I should thank the queen who made me smell like a soap shop." She chuckled then but Munkustrap still hadn't zeroed in on her. But he wasn't in a hurry so he sat at the edge of the rotted wood and glanced over the side into the water below where the shadows of big, thick-bodied fish prepared for the morning hunt.

From the abandoned Fish 'N' Ship Shack she dropped onto the deck and staggered her way up behind him, smiling when she peeked over his shoulder to glance at the darting fish he now watched with rapt interest. "That wasn't my doin; from what I hear your brother got the shampoo."

"Right," Munkustrap sighed and leaned back to look at her. Oh how she aged. "You just got Fido after me."

She threw her head back and barked out a strident laugh that scared a flock of gulls from the nearby rooftops who squawked and buggered off or out to the water. "He hasn't seen the likes of you in ages! I think he was just as happy to see you as you were unhappy to see him!"

"Is that why you put this damned hex on me?"

"Watch your mouth, you," she chastised, swatting at him arm weakly but with a fellow-sailor-mouth grin. "Your mother would have your tongue if she heard you cussin' up the boardwalk. And no, that's not why I helped you."

It was Munkustrap who frowned, the old queen sat back with her all knowing smug smile and waited for the cliche, much anticipated "What do you mean?"

"Do you realize how old I am, Munkustrap?" He shook his head. All he knew was that she was much much older than he and was a fairly close friend of his parents- oh, and that she had probably gone off her onion long before she'd ever set eyes on him. "Good. It's good that you don't know- and don't ask! It's very rude to ask a queen her age, especially when she's as old as I am."

The fortuneteller sighed and popped the creaky joints in her back, thankfully not seeing the tabby cringe from the Cat-forsaken sound and almost gagged at the thought of ever getting that unnaturally old. "Yes, I'm very old- and old coot with a lot of borrowed time on her hands, is what I am."

"So... you were bored?"

"I was bored of seeing you bored!" she cheered, lifting her paws up to mash his cheeks together and planting a kiss on his nose. "I'm old- I've known you since you were just a pest kickin' up your momma's tummy- and it's terribly distressing when a kit like you looks old just sittin' there waitin' for nothing to happen. So I gave you something to do this week."

In the distance, over a dark blue hill that peeked over the lake edge, a slim sliver of sun was sneakily spying on them looking ready to pop back behind the hill should he look over to catch the peeper. The wily queen looked older in the direct sunlight; it was a miracle the faint intensity of the sun on the one side of her face hadn't knocked her flat over, she was so frail... looking.

He wasn't mad, though. Sure he was traumatized to the point he wasn't entirely sure he could sleep right anymore, and smelling like the Queen's garden hadn't exactly gotten past the other toms, but he didn't feel angry. Okay, maybe a little. But right now he didn't feel particularly offended. "Was it worth it, at least?"

"Depends. How was your week?"

Munkustrap smiled and turned to the water to watch the sun dance across the water, no longer scared of getting caught as it left its hiding place to wake up the whole of London life, start the day for humans at least. He did the math in his mind: the run in with Fido, the crazy door (that thankfully hadn't done any real damage!), Reg- Rumpus Cat's visit, the market run with the surprisingly disgruntled Gus, the bath and the dream... all of that had been a part of this madcat's sadistic plan to get him to do something.

"Meh," Munkustrap shrugged, a little guilty to see her deflate sightly. Guilty but a little relieved: perhaps she'd be discouraged from putting him through all that again. "It was a week. Could have done without the bath though."

"The bath wasn't exactly my doing. Mistoffelees really isn't a fan of grime."

He laughed at that, remembering how insanely irate his mate had gotten when he'd soiled their blankets that night he came back all slobbery with the kibble-scat juices dripping off of him. Flash forward to after his bath and suddenly Mistoffelees couldn't leave him alone, insisting he needed more snuggles to feel better and that he was just SO soft and cuddly. But that could have been classical conditioning at its finest: another thing growing up with Jenny, the seasoned roach trainer, had taught him. "No... no he is not." And then. "You know, if you're bored you can always come visit me and Tugger sometime- better yet you can bug him for a week, he's always looking for something to do."

A grin the size of the Big Ben inched across her face, revealing some rotted teeth and teeth that were missing altogether. "I suppose I could find some time to check in on my favourite kits."

They sat together there on the pier for a little while before it was time for Munkustrap to head home; he had a whole week of lazing about to catch up on! She'd hugged him goodbye with a teasing "You smell cute," and ran off before he could protest.

When he'd gotten back to the junkyard he immediately bolted to the great tire stage and flopped down next to Tugger who had been keeping tabs on the early risers (as a favour to Munkustrap, of course), and happily exclaimed, "My week is over!"

It seemed they had come full circle as they both lay sleepily on the tire, Jellicles strewn about this way and that. It was almost worrisome. "And? How was it?"

"Khaotic. Complete insanity. I'd sooner lose all my whiskers than go through that again."