Title: Conjuring Pain
Author:Ailendolin
Rating:T (PG-13) … just to be sure.
Disclaimer:I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.
Summary: Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?
Word Count: 1955
Warning:Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.
Author's Notes: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, university life has been crazy. And I was a bit preoccupied by seeing Cats live a couple more times, finding new favourite characters that I never really noticed before. I absolutely love the German Cast! That said, I really enjoyed writing this chapter even though nothing much happens *lol* I already have some plans for the next chapters and hopefully they will not take as long to write as this one. Have fun reading! And thank you all for your reviews!
Chapter 10: Dreaded Visit
Quaxo woke up early the next morning. Munkustrap was already awake and gazing down at him with a slightly worried expression.
"Good morning, little one," the tabby greeted. "How do your paws feel?"
Quaxo stared down at them sullenly. "They hurt, a little," he admitted. "But not as bad as last night. It's just a dull throbbing now. Oh, and good morning to you, too," he added as an afterthought, smiling shyly.
"Well," Munkustrap said, trying for an encouraging smile in return, "I guess we should pay that visit to Jenny you're so looking forward to."
Quaxo grimaced. "May I drink something first?"
"Of course." Munkustrap pushed the water bowl towards Quaxo and watched as the kitten drank. When Quaxo was finished they made their way slowly across the junkyard to Jenny's den. The morning air was cool on their faces and the morning dew damp under their feet. Over the course of their short journey Quaxo's bandages became soaked and heavy. They saw no other cat about except for Plato who was standing guard on the big tire Old Deuteronomy usually resided on when he was in the junkyard.
"Morning, Munk!" Plato jumped down from the tire and greeted Munkustrap by nuzzling his head. "And little Quaxo!" he added, voice full of joy. "You two are up pretty early today. Lots of excited things planned, huh?"
"Just a visit to Jenny," mumbled Quaxo.
Plato laughed. "Okay, I admit, that's not really exciting. But I'm sure once she's done fussing over you Tumble will be wide awake and ready to play with you. Jenny almost couldn't get him to sleep last night because he kept talking about how much fun playing with you was and how happy he was that you liked his present and that you were his friend and so on."
Munkustrap raised an amused eyebrow when a smile appeared on Quaxo's face.
"I had fun, too," Quaxo said shyly. "I like playing with T-Tumble."
Plato grinned at him, ignoring Quaxo's slight stutter. "That's great! See, now you have something to look forward to."
Quaxo nodded and Munkustrap mouthed a quiet, "Thank you," to Plato as they crossed the last few meters to Jenny's den. Plato winked at him and jumped up onto the tire to resume his watch. Munkustrap knocked on the door and just a few seconds later it was opened, but not by Jenny as he had assumed. It was Tumblebrutus' smiling face that greeted them.
"Quaxo!" the young tom exclaimed. He nuzzled the black-and-white kitten affectionately before he turned his attention to Munkustrap. A little more solemnly he said, "Munkustrap, good morning!"
"Good morning to you, too, Tumble," Munkustrap replied. Just as he was about to add a question regarding Jennyanydots' whereabouts, the motherly queen appeared behind Tumblebrutus and ushered them in.
"I didn't expect you this early," she said once her visitors were seated comfortably. Tumblebrutus was hovering by Quaxo's side. "But it's just as well. Tumble here was so excited to see his new friend again that he barely slept this night. I don't think I have to mention that I didn't get much sleep, either," she added with a wry smile.
"Sorry," Tumble said with a sheepish grin.
Jenny waved a paw dismissively. "It was just as well. Gave me time to teach the mice some manners."
"You teach mice?" Quaxo asked, for a moment forgetting his wariness around Jenny.
"Oh yes," Jenny smiled, happy to have an audience. "They can be quite helpful with the housekeeping, once they're properly trained, of course. I'm planning to start teaching some cockroaches next. Maybe dancing."
Tumblebrutus rolled his eyes. "She's totally bonkers," he whispered.
Jennyanydots glared at him. "I heard that, you know?"
Tumble grinned. "I know."
Jenny shook her head, looking more fond than angry. "You'll be the death of me," she stated and tried once more to stare at Tumble sternly. After a moment, though, her resolve crumbled and she nuzzled his head briefly before she turned to Quaxo.
"And you're here because of your paws, right?"
Quaxo nodded and Munkustrap said, "They started hurting last night again, out of the blue. I don't think the wounds have reopened but maybe you could take a look at them?"
"And change the bandages," Jenny noticed. She started peeling the sodden material of Quaxo's front paws. At once a white mouse came out of nowhere and gathered the dirty bandages in her paws to carry them away. Quaxo watched her in fascination while Jenny just muttered a, "Thank you, dear," and turned Quaxo's black paw around in order to get a better look. Tumblebrutus peered over her shoulder curiously.
"You were right, Munkustrap," Jenny said when she had examined the other paw as well. "The wounds have not reopened. In fact, they're healing pretty nicely. I'll put some more cream on them to dull the pain and dress them again."
Another mouse appeared, grey this time, with his arms full of clean bandages. Jenny took them from him with a thankful smile.
"Do you have any idea why his paws started hurting again?" Munkustrap asked as he watched Jenny apply some salve as gently as she could onto the burn marks on Quaxo's paws. The kitten flinched slightly but held still. Tumble curled up next to him and laid a comforting arm across his back.
"Maybe he knocked them against something in his sleep?" Jenny guessed. "Or he overdid it yesterday while playing? I don't know. Could be a lot of reasons." She finished bandaging the paws and stared at them for a moment before she shouted for another pair of bandages. The grey mouse that brought the first ones hurried to her with more bandages in his arms.
"I'll bandage his paws twice, just in case," Jenny explained. "This way the bandages won't get soaked so easily and his paws are better protected when he's playing."
"Thank you," Munkustrap said. When Jenny was finished with the second layer he asked, "When do you want to take another look?"
Jenny seemed to ponder the question for a moment. Then she decided, "In two days." To Quaxo she said, "When your paws start to hurt again really bad, you come to me or Jellylorum sooner, alright?"
Quaxo nodded and tested his newly bandaged feet. His first few steps were wobbly but he regained his balance quickly.
"Can we go play now?" Tumble asked impatiently.
"Not so fast," Jenny said. "First of all you need to eat your breakfast. And by that I mean all of you." She looked pointedly at Munkustrap who found himself feeling like a young tom getting admonished by his mother. Not knowing what to say he settled on, "Breakfast would be nice."
He almost feared that Jenny would make her mice bring the breakfast in. There was something quite unsettling about mice carrying food that consisted of their dead brethren. Munkustrap had had that unpleasant experience once when he had dinner with Jenny and was not looking forward to repeat it. Luckily for him Jenny herself got the breakfast. When she came back into the main room she had four rats for herself and Munkustrap and several small mice for Tumblebrutus and Quaxo in her paws.
They ate in relative silence which gave Munkustrap the opportunity to observe Quaxo and Tumblebrutus together. It was endearing to see how Tumble picked out the smallest mice of their pile and laid them before Quaxo with the words, "Those are easier to eat." It warmed Munkustrap that Quaxo had already found such a good friend in Tumble who seemed naturally attuned to the tux's needs. Judging from the look on Jenny's face the Gumbie Cat found their interactions adorable as well.
Leaving the kittens to eat the rest of the mice alone Munkustrap and Jennyanydots ventured into the next room.
"You know," Jenny began, "That's a side of Tumble I rarely see. Quiet, and focused. From the way he acts around Quaxo you wouldn't believe that he was bouncing around the den excitedly just before you arrived, unable to sit still. It's remarkable."
"He's very careful with Quaxo," Munkustrap agreed. "I'm glad you let him play with him."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "He was fascinated by your charge the moment he saw him when Deuteronomy welcomed him to the tribe. It's hard enough to keep the other kittens from bothering you two, but with Tumble it's almost impossible."
Munkustrap smiled at her. Then, more seriously, he asked, "Is everything going smoothly with you two? I know you had a rocky start, but-"
Jenny interrupted him. "Everything's great, Munkustrap. Really. You don't have to worry about us. He's everything I could have wished for. I'm happy. We both are," she added. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears.
"That's good," Munkustrap said, laying a paw on her shoulder. "I'm glad everything worked out for you two."
Before Jenny could answer they heard Tumble's voice calling from the next room. "Jenny? Can we go play now?"
She chuckled. "Will you take him with you to your den for the morning?" she asked.
"I don't think I have a choice," Munkustrap replied with a grin.
They went back into the main room only to find Tumblebrutus and Quaxo already waiting for them at the door, ready to go.
"I guess we'll be leaving, then?" Munkustrap said, amused.
"I guess you will," Jenny agreed. She went over to Tumble and tried to tidy up his messy fur, much to Tumble's horror.
"Jenny!" he whined. "Stop that. Please. It's embarrassing."
Jenny laughed. "That's the reason I'm doing it, love. Now, go on, have fun with Quaxo and don't get into too much trouble, alright?"
"Sure," Tumble grinned and hugged her briefly. Together with Quaxo who mumbled a shy goodbye he went outside into the morning sun, careful of the damp patches of grass on the ground. Munkustrap turned once more to Jenny and embraced her as well. "Thank you, Jenny. Again. For everything."
"You're welcome," she said, trying to hide a yawn. "You're doing me a favour by taking Tumble with you so I think we're even. Maybe now I can get some much needed rest."
"You do that," Munkustrap smiled and followed after the kittens who were sitting in front of the tire and staring up at Plato. The older tom was making faces at them, causing Tumble and Quaxo to laugh. Munkustrap chuckled quietly and sat down beside Quaxo and looked up. "When do you get relieved?" he asked.
Plato stuck out his tongue at the kittens before he stretched elegantly. "Soon," he said, trying to stifle a yawn. "Alonzo is supposed to take over, I think."
"Then I wish you a good rest," the tabby said. "I'll see you at sundown at the meeting."
Plato looked surprised. "Are you sure? Who's going to look after Quaxo?"
"Tugger will."
Plato laughed. "And another kitten that's going to be smitten with the Rum Tum Tugger."
"Hey!" Tumble said affronted on Tugger's behalf. "Tugger is cool!"
"Of course he is," Plato agreed with a wink at Munkustrap. "I would never dare say otherwise." His ears suddenly perked up and he sat up straight. "Ah, I believe that's Alonzo there. Time for me to get some sleep." He stood up and jumped down next to them. "Have fun today!" he told the kittens over his shoulder as he made his way across the yard where he met up with Alonzo. The black-and-white tom nodded once in Munkustrap's direction as way of greeting. Munkustrap returned it and then ushered his charges onward.
"Come on, you two. Time to go back to the den to practice some more pouncing. Tugger's probably already waiting for our return."
TBC
A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! More about Jenny and Tumble will come in chapter 11 in which I'll also introduce some more kittens (probably). Also, Plato is one of my new favourites from the German version, hence his appearance here. I found him staring at me quite often in the show and at one point standing on my shoulders which was quite lovely ^^
Anyways, reviews are very much appreciated ;-)