~

It snowed the most a London December had seen in years.

"'Ere!" called Teazer, "Look a' this! Ain't it pretty? S'loike all them jewels, ain't it?"

Mungo ran over to her. She was holding a fragment of ice in one ragged paw. She giggled as she turned it over, pale sunlight splitting and shining in its irregular facets.

"Wha' is it?" he asked, looking at it too.

"Dunno... 's pretty, whatevva it is... Cold though!"

"Lemme 'old it!"

"Yer bein' bossy!" But she passed it to him, still grinning.

He shivered as he felt cold water trickling into his fur. "Yeah... it's all...shoiny... But wasn'it bigger a moment ago?" He turned over his paw in astonishment as the last of the ice melted away.

"'Sgone!" Rumpelteazer wrinkled her nose and stared, bewildered, at Mungo's empty paw. "Where'd the shoiny thing go?"

* * * * *

Winter is always a hard time for the homeless, cats included. Every day was colder and every night was worse. The world seemed out to get its revenge.

"Oi think it's teasin' us, y'know," Mungo said to Teazer on an as yet unsuccessful nocturnal scavenge in some dustbins, shivering every time a paw touched the cold metal.

"Wha' is?"

"It. Everythink. Oi don' think it loikes us, 'ooever it is. Oi mean, givin' us all them shoiny things tha' jus' melt awaiy the minute you try'n 'old onto 'em. An' - Ooh! Wouldya lookit-" Then he sighed and dropped the packet back into the bin. It was filled with used tea bags. "There it goes again! Just as Oi thought Oi was gettin' somethin' worthwhile..."

Teazer stopped her work for a moment and looked up to the sky, brow creased. "There's gotta be someone ou' there 'oo does loike us." She picked up another empty bag and glared at it before dropping it again. "We're gonna need all the 'elp we can get from 'em."

"Well, we're only gonna get the 'elp we give each other, y'know. If there is anyone ou' there, they obviously don' care 'bout a coupla street cats loike us."

A banana skin hit him on the back of the head. "Oh, don' be such a pessimist, Mungo. Someone's there and they've gotta 'elp us sooner or later. We'll pull through some'ow." Then she swayed unsteadily for a second. "EhMungo"

She collapsed a moment later.

"Teaza? Teaz!"

Mungojerrie leapt to her and tried to shake her awake. She hardly seemed to weigh anything in his paws. Her head rolled easily from side to side and she wasn't smiling. Of course she wasn't. You don't smile when you're unconscious or asleep, no one dies with a gentle reassuring smile on their lips. Since when is there anything at all reassuring about it? She's not He refused to finish even the thought. It's just the cold and she's so thin She's not as strong as she maikes ou'. Oi jus' believe 'er

If you believe her, then?

"Rumpelteaza!" he yelled, the sound getting no response in that haunted street, not even an echo. "Teaza, you- please jus'- Teaza!" There was nothing else to say.

If you believe her There's something else she believes, isn't there? An' Oi guess Oi'm jus' scared. But when no one else can hear you

"Please," Mungo whispered. "Oi dunno 'oo you are an' you prolly don't loike me, but Oi need yer 'elp all the 'elp Oi can get please Teaza believes yer ou' there and you acshly care 'bout us Please Lookit, Teaza deserves it even if Oi don'. She maiy be the only one in the 'ole stupid world. An'- Oi need 'er, more'n anythin'"

He didn't know what he'd been expecting, he hadn't been thinking very clearly anyway. But he felt a whisper of air on his fur and it wasn't a mystical wind sent down as a sign. Rumpelteazer was breathing. Her eyes were still shut and her mouth was slack, but she was breathing. Maybe she had been all along? 'Oo knows? Well maiybe someone does

Teazer was alive. She was breathing. She just couldn't hear him. She- just couldn't hear him cry.

* * * * *

It was probably all of a minute later, but it seemed to Mungo that he had been keeping vigil over Rumpelteazer for hours. He'd laid his paw on her chest, feeling the comforting warmth as it rose and fell slightly.

He was staring out at the ending night, silently hoping- maybe even praying- and so he didn't notice when her eyes opened.

"Mungo?"

"Teaza! You're OK!"

"Yeah..." she murmured, standing up slowly, "Wha' 'appened?"

"Oi dunno... One moment you were up an' talkin' an' the next- you'd jus' collapsed."

"Oh, right... Croipes, Oi'm 'ungry!" There was a moment of silence, and the Teazer squeezed her eyes shut for a second in a brief movement that wasn't a blink. "We ain't got no food, 'ave we?"

"Nope."

Another pause.

"Are you alrigh' now?" asked Mungo, holding his paws protectively around Teazer as if he thought she might fall down again at any second.

"Yeah, Oi'm foine. Feel a bit sick, but maiybe tha's jus' me tummy tellin' me somethin'..." she smiled, a little less brightly than usual.

"We 'ave t'get somethin' to eat... we can' jus' keep goin' loike this," muttered Mungo, half to himself, looking around for any food that might suddenly present itself from the pavement.

"Oi suppose..." said Teazer slowly, "Oi suppose we could always try pinchin' some direct from an 'ouse around 'ere."

"Wha'? Naow? 'S nearly dawn, they'll be 'umans abou' soon!"

The their eyes met as their minds both latched onto the same idea.

"Whoi not wait til mornin'?" asked Teazer, "They'll be 'umans abou', loike ya said..."

Mungo grinned at her. "An' we know 'ow to 'andle 'umans, don' we?"

* * * * *

"Well aren't they just darlings!" exclaimed the plump human woman, staring in adoration at the two yawning kittens lying on the doormat. "Are they girls or boys do you think?"

A grinning, gangling giant of a teenage boy appeared in the doorway behind them. "Only one way to find out!" And with that, ignoring their indignant mews, he picked up one of the kittens in each of his large hands.

"Jonathon!" shrieked the woman, as, most indelicately, he turned them upside down.

"Sorry, aunty," he laughed, holding the two now at arm's length to avoid Mungo's sharp little claws, "But how else are we supposed to check?"

"Well?" asked a girl, craning her neck over the woman's shoulder to get a look.

He tried to examine the struggling cats. "Um... a boy... and a girl. D'you think they're mates?" He carried them inside the house and at last set them down on a thick pink carpet.

"They gonna feed us yet?" hissed Mungo, "Oi think my bein' sweet skills 'ave really been stretched 'ere!"

"Maybe..." mused the girl, "they look a bit little, or at least that one does. Which one's that?"

"The girl, Ali," he sighed in a tone of stating the absolute obvious.

Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer could hardly believe their luck.

After a brief discussion among the family members, the two of them seemed to have been adopted unconditionally- and provided immediately with a dish of cream each. They went on a whirlwind tour of their new house, resolving not to cause any disruptions by giving into the temptations of the very promising looking precariously placed ornaments and jars of shiny wrapped sweeties - yet.

"Can you believe it, Mungo? We got 'umans!"

They were lying in a laundry basket packed with blankets and cushions and placed inside the circle of warmth from the open fire. The whole human family was gathered in the sitting room; the children Jonathon and Alison playing chess on the floor, the man who had at first been amazed and somewhat appalled to find two stray cats in his house, but then, succumbing to Teazer's "sweet" act had consented to let them stay "on the condition they behave" sitting on the settee, nodding over a pile of papers, his wife beside him sipping tea and writing a letter, and dear plump Aunty Lucy knitting what was already clearly some sort of cat blanket.

Mungo shook his head and stared about him for the thousandth time. They had been hoping for a bit of sympathy and fish, but this was- no, he could hardly believe it at all.

"Oi reckon you might 'ave been righ', y'know," he said slowly.

"Wha'? 'Bout wha'?"

"'Bout there bein' someone 'oo care's somewhere."

"Well," grinned Teazer, "we seem to 'ave found a 'ole family of 'em right 'ere."

"Yeah... but Oi meant someone, y'know-" he gestured vaguely at the window, "sorta... up there..."

"Oi know whatcha mean, Mungo. An' we owe 'em a big thank you, don' we? So, um," she looked out of the window to, "thanks very, very much!"

Mungo nodded his agreement. A simple gesture, but it was ferverent prayer of thanksgiving. Thank you fer everythin'. They were both quiet for a few more seconds. Then Teazer fidgeted with the blanket, looking a bit embarressed.

"Those 'umans are very sweet, ain't they. They're a bit dim though..." Rumpelteazer's grin erupted into a giggle again, "Oi mean- they 'ad to check t'see if we was girls or boys!"

"Tha' wasn't funny! Tha' was jus' plain rude!" But Mungo was laughing anyway. A little hesitantly, he rubbed his head on her shoulder and she responded immediately by licking his face.

"They do seem quite enamoured of each other, don't they?" said the human mother with affection.

"Don't they just, the poor sweet poppets! All they had in the world was each other, see how thin they are? We'll have to feed them and look after them to make up for their tragic past...." she shook her head dramatically and the rest of the family exchanged glances. There Aunty Lucy goes on another of her romantic trips....

"We should give them nice names. What do you think?" The mother addressed the company in general.

"How about Romeo and Juliet?" suggested Aunty Lucy, lying back in her armchair with a dreamy countenance.

"Boooring!" intoned Jonathon, "Let's call 'em Holmes and Watson!"

Alison cuffed him lightly with the white bishop she was holding. "You can't call a girl Holmes or Watson!"

Jonathon glared at his sister. "Hmmm, guess not. OK, OK... have soppy Romeo and Juliet. But what if they're brother and sister and not mates?"

"They could be both," the mother said lightly.

"Eeew!" squealed Alison.

"They are cats, Ali."

"If it makes you feel any better," said the man on the settee, not glancing up from his papers, "they're probably not siblings."

"Ask the scientist of course; should have known!" His wife rolled her eyes and smiled.

"So is that settled? Romeo and Juliet it is!" Aunty Lucy clapped her hands together with as much joy as if she had found a long lost child.

"Mungo...?" asked Rumpelteazer sleepily, "Wha's in'ammered mean?"

* * * * *

Over the next week, the pair settled in, as they thought, very well. The family were endlessly tolerant of their pranks, indeed, Jonathon encouraged them and would purposely leave other people's doors open for their convenience, and consequently any reprimand that was to be had was generally bestowed on him.

The funny thing was the difficulty the humans had in telling them apart when they were moving at speed to escape from the room where, for example, despite their best attempts to right it, a potted plant had been reduced to a couple jagged pieces of terracotta, some mud, and a funny dirty green thing lying halfway across the floor. At times like these, Romeo and Juliet hardly seemed fit names to yell at them- most often, the family resorted to the hopefully affectionately meant "That horrible cat!"

"Stealing" from the family was very fun indeed. Aunty Lucy's door opened into an absolute Aladdin's cave of shiny things- gold chains, diamond earrings, jewelled brooches, gem studded hatpins... and such an abundance of strings of pearls that they were sure she would hardly miss one...

* * * * *

But during that next week of course, Mungojerrie was obliged to report to Macavity again.  It felt even worse than usual.  It felt like an intrusion into the safe, kind world they had just found.  Macavity and his headquarters and the constant watching your back; the "tough" strays and the spies and the lies and the dangerous glances between untrusting allies; the smell and the laughter and the pain because a kitten is always the easiest to hurt It all should have been left behind on the streets with the other lost memories.

He woke up from a mid morning nap feeling physically sick.  Oi don' want to go...  But Macavity had his insurance, of course.  He looked at Rumpelteazer, still sleeping next to him.  'E wouldn't dare... But 'e's Macavity...  She had her paw looped carelessly through the string of pearls she'd taken to wearing and looked completely at peace, and completely perfect.  She'd even put on a little weight in their time with the humans and her ribs were gradually fading beneath a coat that was considerably more healthy and clean.  Not laughing now of course, but if he could possibly make sure that she always could, then he knew he'd have to.  He stood up and untangled his claws from the wooly cat blanket, trying not to disturb Teazer.  He walked out of the house with his dizzy head as high as he could hold it and his tail poised.  He was going back, and he was going to show them he was not scared.

Little could have been further from the truth of course, but he reckoned the resolve was a good start.

* * * * *

Teazer was awake when he returned and delicately finishing off her bowl of an odd brown mixture.  She looked up at him as he nudged the door ajar.

"Reportin' to Macavity," he sighed.

"By yerself?"

"Wha' d'ya think?" he raised his eyebrows, "Cats over there aren't exac'ly fallin' over themselves to be noice an' friendly, are they?"

"Oi meant Oi coulda come if you wanted."

"Yeah, Oi know..." he trailed off a bit lamely.

"-but yer scared for me too?  Y'know nothin' acshly 'appened las' toime."

"No..."

"Did it?  Wha' 'bout after Oi'd gone?  Rememba ­ no secrets!"  Her voice was light, almost teasing but in spite of that- or maybe because of that ­ he knew that she was being perfectly serious.

"Baisically, 'e jus' tol' me off 'bout answerin' 'im back an'- baisically, we could both get in a lot of trouble if we ain't noice to 'im."

"Roight." Teazer frowned and nodded.  Then she said, "so wha' 'appened t'daiy?"

"Nothin'..."  Nothing worth the telling really, at least.  Just a request for jewels ­ within the fortnight if it's not too much trouble, Mungojerrie- and a subtle reminder of the potential penalty.

"Nothin'?"

"Well nothin' of any importance."

"Tha' much is prob'ly true!"  Then Rumpelteazer shook her head and laughed.  "'S not important is it? Oi can't believe we're waisting so much toime talkin' 'bout 'Is 'Ighness!" she said, giggling as she used her favourite nickname.

Mungo appreciated her effort to cheer him up, and it was almost working... 

"But yer broodin' bout 'im still, ain't ya?"

"Guess so..." Mungo batted aimlessly at a pink rubber object; a human interpretation of a mouse. Then he swung at it fiercely, sending it bouncing off the papered wall. "Oh, whoi doesn' 'e jus' do us all a faivour an' get 'imself killed by somethin'?!" he burst out, "Whoi won' 'e go awaiy?"

Teazer gave him a dramatic shrug. "'Oo knows?" Then she grinned and knocked the rubber toy back at him. "Watch ou'!"

Mungo clearly wasn't; it hit him on the shoulder. Rumpelteazer could not suppress a giggle. "Oopseedaisy! Er... sorry 'bout tha'..." She nuzzled him. "Don' worry 'bout tha' royal idiot. 'E ain't worth it. Wanna come for a walk? Take yer moind off things."

"Yeah... maiybe we could- pick up a few things on the way back?"

"Good oidea... What d'you think of a li'l veil t'go with me pearls?"

She struck a pose, and, laughing, the two took their leave of Victoria Grove for the afternoon.

They were not heading anywhere in particular. After turning several new corners, Mungo sniffed the air, trying to place the sense of -something- he was getting.

"D'you reckon..." murmured Teazer, looking about her in confusion, "...this waiy, maiybe?"

"Yeah... that sound's righ'..."

"Oi'll race ya."

"Where're we goin'?"

"Oi'm not entirely sure..." Her giggle lingered in the air behind her as she sped off.

A few minutes' hard running later, and Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer entered the Jellicle Junkyard...

"Will ya look at this!" breathed Mungo.

They started walking slowly forward. "Wha' is this plaice anyway...?"

"Halt!" someone yelled, "Who goes where?"

Mungo and Teazer looked at each other in slight puzzlement for a second. Mungo was beginning to reply:

"Er..."

-when another voice cut across his.

"You're stupid, Pounce! It's Who goes there? silly. Where else could they be but here in the Jellicle junkyard?"

"Did you just call me stupid? Right, that's it!"

"Oooh, getting moody are we now-oof!"

There was then a series of strange noises: mews, yowls, the occasional hiss, the more frequent laugh... The two new arrivals walked curiously around the other side of a large cardboard box and quickly discovered the origin of these noises. Two kittens were rolling around on the ground; fighting, Mungo observed, in the way you fight when you have no idea how to and even less experience. Seeing how small and young they were made Mungo realise how small and young he and Teazer weren't really anymore. He felt something like a pang of regret.

"'Scuse me?!" yelled Rumpelteazer over the clamour, "Only we're tryin' t'get through 'ere!"

The two kittens leapt to their feet and turned to face the newcomers.

"You idiot, Tumble! You nearly let 'em get away!"

"I did?? You were the one who-"

"Um- please- jus', um shut up for a minute-" began Mungo, sensing they were ready to attack each other again. Rumpelteazer was not being very helpful, she was just clutching her stomach and laughing helplessly.

"Hey! What you laughing at?"

"Nothin', nothin'... Is this the - Jellicle junkyard?"

"Erm... maybe!" said the cat called Pounce, exchanging a sly glance with his partner.

Mungo sighed. Teazer giggled.

"Are you Jellicles?" asked Pounce, sniffing their coats curiously.

"No oidea."

"Well then..." began Tumble, pacing around them in a slow circle, "What exactly do you want here?"

Mungo couldn't stop his laughter this time and soon he and Teazer had collapsed on the ground, shaking and squealing with mirth.

Pouncival and Tumblebrutus, the two kittens, stared at them for a moment in studied bewilderment.

Then: "Um... MUNKUSTRAP!!! WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MAD LAUGHING KITTIES INVADING THE JUNKYARD!!!"

Mungojerrie recovered in time to see a tall grey and black tom arrive and look him over.

"Well Pounce..." he said, "You were right about mad and laughing, but they don't seem to be exactly invading, do they? In fact they look fairly harmless."

"'Ey!" yelled Rumpelteazer, "'Oo you callin' 'armless?"

A crowd had begun to gather.

"What atrocious accents!" muttered a plump marmalade queen, but in a piercing voice that everyone heard.

"'Ey!" yelled Teazer again.

"Don't mind Jenny." said the grey tabby, rolling his eyes. "She just- likes to be proper. Anyway, what are your names?"

Teazer brightened at this. "Oh we got lotsa naimes, don't we Mungo? We're called Mungojerrie an' Rumpelteaza - Oi'm Rumpelteaza boi the way- an' we're Romeow an' Juliet... taike yer pick!"

Mungo felt somewhat annoyed at being cheated of his own introduction, but was slightly more irritated and confused at the bursts of laughter from some of the older cats. Fortunately, Pounce and Tumble looked as confused as they were.

"Wha'?" asked Mungo.

Munkustrap sobered. "It's just... you seem a most unlikely Romeo and Juliet, if you'll pardon me."

"Wha'?" Mungo's strategy in thorough confusion was to at least be honest about it.

"Do you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?"

"Wha'? There's a story 'bout us?"

"Er... sort of. Maybe you should hear it someday..."

"Maiybe," said Teazer, trying to steer the conversation back to important matters. "What we was wondrin' is, well, first of all: "oo are you lot anyway, and second of all: wha's all this 'bout Jellicles and are we them?"

The grey tabby grinned. "That was certainly refreshingly direct! Forgive us, we're forgetting our manners. Introductions first. I'm Munkustrap and this is the Jellicle tribe."

"Noice to meet ya."

A black cat with leopard patches pushed himself forward. "Hi, Juliet." he said with easy familiarity, "I'm the Rum Tum Tugger. If you're looking for a new Romeo one of these days, I know just the cat."

Rumpelteazer bobbed her head politely. "Noice to meet you too."

This was clearly not the expected reaction. The Rum Tum Tugger's mouth dropped open unflatteringly and he looked rather put out. Munkustrap, on the other hand, was suddenly overtaken by an explosion of laughter to rival Teazer's own. Mungo watched with interest as the leopard cat moved sulkily back into the throng where he was immediately consoled by a couple very relieved looking young queens.

Teazer giggled. "Somethin' Oi said?" she asked impishly.

Munkustrap composed himself with some obvious difficulty. "Ahem. Anyway, we are all Jellicles. How did you get here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Erm.. we koinda... wandered in some'ow..."

Munkustrap nodded knowingly. "That sounds about right. Jellicles are... well, if you stick around long enough, I dare say you'll find out. The Ball's coming up soon."

Jellicles are what? Ball? Mungo's mind was swimming in questions still, but he focused on what seemed to be the important point. "If we stick around long 'nough? That mean we can be Jellicles too?"

Munkustrap smiled at the younger tom. "All cats are Jellicles- er, fundamentally there are a few, er, renegades you could say, who..." He saw from the look on Mungo's face that both the content and vocabulary of the fractured sentence was soaring way over his head so he gave up. "Yeah. Come along to the junkyard here whenever, I'll be around if you want to ask anything...."

"Because I'm Mr Perfect Jellicle Munkustrap..." came a falsetto voice from somewhere in the crowd.

Munkustrap groaned. "Someone hit Tugger for me," he growled, then rushed to his conclusion. "Just behave yourselves and all, don't go killing anyone - except the lovely Tugger there- and you'll be fine."

* * * * *

It was quite a culture shock. In the junkyard, when someone smiled, it usually meant they were happy. There was no one ready to beat you up if you gave the "wrong" answer. Teasing, flirting and laughing were actually fun.

Mungojerrie was just thinking about how nice it all was really, and casually eying a white kitten's sparkling collar, when:

"Mungo?" asked Teazer, in her most serious "Oi've got an important question" voice.

"Yeah?"

"You gonna tell Munkustrap and them abou' Macavity?"

So that was it. He couldn't deny it was important. He scowled at the name. "Oi s'ppose Oi should really, shouldna Oi?"

"Yeah."

"It's jus' that Oi know they're not gonna be exac'ly pleased"

"Prolly not." She paused. Then she said brightly, "Y'know, Oi think you should jus' quit this 'ole Macavity thing."

"Oh, Teaz Y'know Oi can' do that!

"An' whoi not?"

"Cos 'e'll kill me, tha's whoi!" Not to mention wha' 'e could do t'you.

"Ah," said Teazer, with a grin, "Tha's where we've got a li'l advantage. 'E can't do anythin' to any Jellicle withou' expectin' to 'ave the 'ole triobe on 'is tail."

Mungo sighed. "But if Oi tell 'em, Oi moight not be a Jellicle fer much longer!"

"Ya think they'll chuck you ou' or summat?"

"Mos' loikely"

"They won't. No' if ya do give it up with Macavity.  An' maiybe it's toime to taike a stand anywaiys."

Mungojerrie hadn't really listened to the last sentence, admirable though it was.  He was just wondering about Teazer certainty on the first point.  "Wait a mo'!" he said,  "'Ow d'you know they're not gonna chuck me ou'?"

"'Cos Oi asked Munkustrap yesterday."

"Wha'?"

* * * * *

What with warm fires and good food at Victoria Grove, and warm company and good friends forming at the Jellicle junkyard, Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer were finding the rest of the winter practically perfect. Mungojerrie had officially left the Hidden Paw. That is, he'd made the decision and was now staying as far away from Macavity and his gang as possible. There was no way anycat in their right mind would go up to Macavity and hand in a resignation notice. He's been more than a little surprised at how easily Munkustrap had accepted him still, and had told him so. Surely this way it would be easy for a spy to infiltrate? But after a few words and some consideration, he'd realised that any spies wouldn't be able to spy for long. Among the tribe were at least three magical cats. It also appeared that, when pressed, even the Jellicles could turn out rather less than pleasant.

And it was working quite well. 'Oo'd 'ave thought it'd be tha' simple afta all? Everythin's suddenly turnin' ou' OK The underlying threat of Macavity obviously still bothered him- although recently, something else had seemed far more important....

* * * * *

"Something the matter, Mungo?" Munkustrap looked curiously at the other cat who was walking around and around in awkward circles and had been doing so for the last half hour.

"Nuh? Mmm..."

"Er... Mungo?"

Mungojerrie jumped and shook himself. "Wha'? Wha' was that?"

"I said : is there something the matter?"

"Oh...Well..."

Munkustrap sat down and made himself comfortable.

"Well... the thing is..."

Another pause.

"It's... it's Rumpelteaza."

"What about Rumpelteazer?" Munkustrap prompted helpfully.

"Oi think Oi love 'er." He spoke very fast, looking down. "An' Oi'd loike 'er to be my mate."

"You think?"

"Oi do, then."

"I mean, anyone would think you're already mates- the way you act together, and- everything..."

"Oi know... we've always been - close, but we nevva said anythin'.... You think she moight love me too?" Mungo dared to look up at the grey tabby, eyes filled with an almost comical excitement.

Munkustrap grinned. "Sorry to sound so cliché, but there's only one way to find out."

"Guess so... But 'ow'm Oi supposed to ask 'er?"

"Well... the Jellicle Ball's coming up. That's as good a time as any, better than most, I'd say. Just- tell her how you feel, simple as that really."

"Yeah. Yeah... shouldn't be too 'ard..." He raised his eyebrows. "Whoi's it so scary, Munk?"

Munkustrap shrugged and grinned at him with all the wisdom of nearly three years. "Who knows? Well... good luck then."

Mungo walked off.

"You should take some of your own advice, Munkustrap." Old Deuteronomy's voice caused Munkustrap to spin round in astonishment.

"Where did you come from?"

"My home, where else? And I've been around for a couple days. I thought I'd arrive a bit early for the Ball to see how things are going. And from what I've seen, you should take some of your own advice!"

"What - what d'you mean?"

A grin wrinkled the old furred face. "You know what I mean. It's high time you and Demeter acknowledged each other's presence!"

"I know, I know.... I'd really like to talk to her some more... but..." he trailed off, and concentrated hard on the ground near his paws.

"You never struck me as a scaredy-cat, Munkustrap."

"Hey!"

* * * * *

The Ball had arrived. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer were as much as anything else curious to find out just what all the fuss was about. None of the other cats had talked of much else for weeks. Mungo had gathered it comprised a lot of dancing, singing, opportunities to show off... including a so called "Mating Dance"! He had also been informed that this was not always taken absolutely seriously, especially by the young kittens. But the problem was that he would very much like to be serious about it- as long as his mate could be Rumpelteazer, and in spite of Munkustrap's excellent advice, he was still scared stiff.

Rumpelteazer was playing with the kittens Electra and Jemima. It was really strange how friendly everyone was here...

The night drifted into the junkyard very slowly, as if it delighted in the suspense it was creating. It was many of the kittens' first ball as well and Pounce and Tumble in particular were not very good at hiding their impatience.

"Munkustrap... Is it time yet?"

The grey tabby raised his eyes to the Heaviside, and Mungo tackled Teazer to stop her from bursting into another giggle. "No, Tumble. When the Jellicle moon rises, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Tumblebruts sighed and began to extend and retract his claws with an expression of painful boredom.

A grinning Pounce walked up behind him.

"Munkustrap... Is it time yet?"

Munkustrap took a deep breath as the last of his fraught nerves stretched to breaking point. He didn't say anything.

Mungojerrie would really have liked to intercede on the tabby's behalf, really he would have- but he was laughing to hard to say anything at all. Beside him, Teazer managed between giggles:

"Munkustrap Oi was wondrin' Is it toime yet?"

"Oh Cat, not you two aswell?!" moaned the now desperate Munkustrap. "Does this whole tribe delight in torturing me?" With a final groan, he turned and departed as fast as he could, presumably to find someone else to be tortured by.

All in all, it was a great relief for everyone when Munkustrap finally took another deep breath and started to sing:

"Are you blind when you're born?"

Then the moonlight took over. Mungo felt a fantastic force lift him as he danced and sang things he had no memory of learning and Rumpelteazer was, if possible, even more energetic and elated than usual.

As the dancers retreated leaving only Victoria alone in the centre of the junkyard, Mungo tried very hard to steel himself for the terrifying task ahead.

OK. Tell 'er now! Three....two....one...

"Teazer-" "Mungo-" they said at the same time.

Oh 'Eaviside he thought. This could be the most perfect and RIDICULOUS coincidence in the 'ole world, and Oi'll probably just chicken out naow

"You first." Teazer spoke firmly, but it seemed her eyes showed more nervousness than usual.

"OK No- you first." Chickened out already...

"Me first?" asked Teazer.

"Yeah."

"No."

"'Ave you got something important t'say?".

"Um, yeah. You too?"

"Yeah."

"Then 'ow bout we saiy it t'gether?" she suggested brightly.

"OK..."

"Or we could not bother saiyin' it a' all."

He shrugged. "Either waiy."

"Oi sure 'ope we're talkin' 'bout the saime thing," Teazer's eyes glimmered as they flicked about nervously.

"So do Oi," he agreed, ferverently. If not, this could be very embarrassing...

"Maiybe we 'ad better saiy it, t'be sure."

"Ya think so?"

"Maiybe. You scared?"

"Terrified."

Rumpelteazer collapsed into nervous giggles.

"Gimme a hug, Teaz, an' Oi'll tell ya."

"You will?"

"Prob'ly not..." he admitted.

"Oi'll give ya a hug anywaiy. Now you gonna tell me?"

"'S not supposed t'be this confusin', is it?" he mumbled into her fur.

"Oi dunno..." she whispered back, "But since when 'ave things been exac'ly simple for us?"

Mungo grinned. "Since nevva. OK..."

"Oi think Oi'm just 'bout ready to tell you first if you'd rather."

"Nah... Oi'll do it. Got me proide!"

"Go on, then." She batted his ears playfully and then nuzzled against his chest.

"Oi love ya Teaza."

He could feel her smile. "Oi was 'opin' you'd saiy that," she murmured. "Oh yeah, Oi was just gonna saiy Oi love ya too."

They held each other for a few moments in silence before Teazer said: "Y'know somethin'? We jus' missed Vicki's dance. She's been practicin' fer weeks."

"'Oo cares? We can always see it later."

Soon, it was time for their grand entrance and introduction. Munkustrap had told them to prepare something, although perhaps being heralded by a large and scary crash was not what he'd really had in mind... The noise sent most of the other cats scattering- it was quite funny really. And when Demeter mistakenly screamed "MACAVITY!", Mungo was unable to feel any more remorse than "Oops..."

Teazer giggled. Mungo made a very loud "Shhh!" which she for some reason found even funnier... And their dance began.

* * * * *

It was nearly dawn.

Seems t'be everyone's lucky daiy t'daiy... thought Mungo, watching Grizabella ascend the shining path to the Heaviside Layer. Finally accepted and now happy forever. Everyone had had the time of their lives. Old Deuteronomy was safe. Demeter was safe. Demeter and Munkustrap were together at last.

Thank you

And... He had told her. After that, nothing else seemed to matter. Not even the brief entrance of Macavity had been enough to put a damper on his spirits for long. Although, quite honestly, that had been very, very scary... Macavity had just looked at him for a second "Traitor." And then Mungo had scratched him across the nose.

It didn't matter.

Macavity was just not important! Mungojerrie was a Jellicle now. And once again, at least for the moment, everything was perfect.

His reverie was cut short as a speeding force from behind almost knocked him flat. Rumpelteazer vaulted over him and spun round, grinning broadly. He grinned back and hugged her fiercely.

"Yer mad, Teaza!" he whispered, tickling her chin.

"Oi know!" she squealed happily.

She giggled and skipped away from him, inviting him to chase her. With a burst of speed, he caught up and grabbed her paws. Together they spun giddily around and around before collapsing into a pile of splotchy mismatched fur. Oblivious to anything else, each cat cherished the other's intoxicating presence; tumbling and embracing and laughing into each other's arms.

THE END