“Quiet down, do you want us to be caught?”
“I’m not use to sneaking into houses. Is that really a bad thing?”
“When you’re trying to sneak into a house, it can be considered a bad thing.” Wynne and Tynan looked up from the red ball they were playing with, after having taken it from Mungojerrie. Theirs ears twitched, hearing the unfamiliar sounds.
“Did that sound like Demeter to you,” Rumpelteazer asked, looking up over the edge of the basket.
“And Munkustrap,” he nodded. He walked to the bottom of the stairs as Rumpel approached the twins, who backed up into her. Two heads poked through the door at the top of the stairs, revealing Munkustrap and a golden queen. “Hello.”
“You heard us coming,” Demeter guessed, climbing down the stairs.
“Yes,” Mungo smiled, greeting the two, “What brings you here?”
“We were out for a walk and-” Munkustrap started, getting cut off by Demeter.
“We wanted to see the kittens.” She gave a charming smile, “I miss having little ones around the house; ever since Fluffy Ayita grew up and moved away.”
“That’s understandable,” Rumpelteazer said, ushering the kids forward, “Munkustrap, Demeter, meet Cookie Tynan and Doe Wynne.”
Demeter looking enviously at the twins, “They’re gorgeous.”
“What do you say,” Rumpel coached, looking down at the two.
“Hello?”
“And thank you,” Wynne asked, looking up at her mother who nodded.
“You should be proud, Mungojerrie,” Munkustrap commented as the queens and kittens played, “You have two young kittens that will grow up into a fine pair of Jellicles. Not many toms would’ve stay around to help out a queen they impregnated – who wasn’t their mate.”
“She’s my best friend,” Mungojerrie cleared, “Even if it was some other tom’s kittens I’d help her out. I couldn’t let her do it alone.”
“That’s what I mean; you’re setting a fine example for your kittens. Anyone would agree.”
“Munkustrap,” Mungojerrie mocked-gasped, “Did you just pay me a compliment? Me; of all cats.”
“Yes, Mungo, I did. I’m very proud of you – the greater part of the tribe is. You’re doing a wonderful thing, you’re showing valour most of us didn’t know you have. You’re maturing, growing up, you’re being responsible. You should be pleased.”
/\\//\\//\\/
‘I’m not grown up – I’m still kittenish’. Mungojerrie decided bitterly as he went towards Olav’s house. He found her sitting on the back step, sadly looking at the ground. She glanced up when she heard him approaching and gave a half-hearted smile, “Hello stranger. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been busy with... You see it’s just that... Why are you so down?”
“I’ve been hearing things; things about you and Rumpelteazer,” she dared herself to look at him straight in the eyes. Mungo tried to avoid them; it was excruciating. All of her pain and confusion were shown through her eyes as she tried to hold back her tears, “Are they true?”
“Olav, there’s something I have to tell you,” he walked up on the step and sat beside her; she moved over, putting some space between them. “As you know I belong to a Jellicle tribe, as does Rumpelteazer and the Jellicle Ball was not that long ago.” She nodded, “Well, at the Jellicle Ball, when the moon rises, it... It casts a spell on the ones below, it fills them with the need to dance, sing, rejoice and it also gives them the chance to see things in a different light.” He paused for a moment to take a calming breath and to look at Olav, he could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t like where the conversation was going. “Someone –a friend- who you cared about can be turned into a goddess under the moon; but on that night only. It’s also tradition for all of the cats in the tribe to participate in the mating ceremony. Me and Teazer... we paired off together.”
Olav continued to stare at him, the pain in her eyes did not diminish – he wasn’t expecting it to, “I know. I have a feeling that that isn’t all.”
“It’s not. She became pregnant,” Olav’s mouth unhinged – that obviously wasn’t what she was expecting. “The kittens are almost a month old.”
“What; when were you going to tell me?”
“When I found out but-”
“But what? Do you love her,” she hissed, her tears were now freely falling.
“What?”
“How many other things have you been hiding for me? More kittens, more love interests? What; tell me – I have a right to know.”
“There’s nothing else, I swear.”
“Do you love her,” she asked again, stressing every word. “You must if you didn’t want me to know.”
“You’re wrong,” he yelled, “I didn’t tell you because I love you.”
“That makes no sense.”
“When Rumpelteazer told Lavvy that she was pregnant, he left her. I was worried that you were going to leave me when I told you that I mated with her. I didn’t want to loose you,” he said, gripping her shoulders. “I loved you too much to loose you.”
She shook her head, carefully removing his paws, “If you did love me you would have told me about that right away. You don’t love me.” She placed her paw over his mouth to stop him from talking, “Have you ever saw me in the same light that you saw Rumpelteazer in when you and she... mated. You haven’t been here in ages, and you kept secrets – big secrets – from me. When you love someone you shouldn’t have to hide things from each other.”
“Are you saying that you want us to-?”
“Yes,” she said, cutting him off. She took a ragged breath, “If you told me when you found out if could have been different but, I think you should go... It’s over, Mungo.”