Chapter Text
Part 17
The relationship between Coricopat and Amazon grew over the next few days and when Amazon was able to join them all out in the yard she sat in his lap and now and then nuzzled his cheek or licked his nose.
"So I take it we have a new tribe member", Admetus asked with a grin.
"I-", Coricopat began but was cut off by Amazon.
"Oh yes you do Ad", she beamed. "I was actually on my way to the Jellicles when I ran into you. Well I ran into a peke which hunt me up a tree were Ori found me and then I was brought here. But no matter yes I'm here to stay."
"You heard that", Ad grinned. "She's here to Stray!" and then he laughed while the others shook their heads.
"Do you know the Jellicles", Amazon asked and Admetus stopped laughing and they looked at each other.
"Yeah we do", Alonzo said. "But our relationship is a bit complicated."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Well you see", Exotica said. "All of us have been Jellicles."
"No way! Really? That is so cool? Why did you leave? Were they not what you thought? Didn't they think you cool enough? Did you tire of their policies? Were they rude? Were they-"
"Amazon", they all scolded her.
"Sorry", she said. "I think I'll stop talk now so Zoey can explain."
Alonzo rolled his eyes. "First of all stop calling me Zoey."
"Got ya Zoe… Zo."
"We were all abandoned by our parents one way or another", Alonzo said. "Well not Bella."
"I'll tell you my story when Zo is done dear", the glamour cat said and patted Amazon's paw.
"We were all adopted by different Jellicles", Exotica said. "And was part of their tribe."
"Though some of them looked down on us since we are strays", Admetus said.
"Worst of all was the Rum Tum Tugger and Bustopher Jones", Coricopat said. "They both loathed us."
"One day Tugger and I fought", Alonzo said. "A pretty bad one on both parts. My adoptive father sent me out of the yard-"
"He banished you", Amazon shrieked.
"No, no, no. He sent me out to blow off some steam. I roamed the city and saved a kitten from being hit by a car."
"Very brave of you… or foolish."
"You're hanging around Ori way too much."
"What can I say", she licked Cori's cheek. "He's dreamy and wise."
"You make me sick", Admetus grinned.
"Anyway", Alonzo continued. "The kitten I saved has a brother and their mother abandoned them and gave them to me. Everything was fine at first and then I found out they are magical cats. I-"
"Let me guess", Amazon's face was now dark in anger. "You abandoned them because you believed all those stupid rumours and were kicked out from the Jellicles because of it?!"
"More the other way around", Coricopat soothed her. "Alonzo brought them to the yard and the Jellicles wanted to kill them."
"The cat that is protector now tried to", Exotica said. "But Alonzo stepped between and that's how he got those scars."
Amazon looked at Alonzo and smiled.
"I'm sorry I thought you left them. That was very noble of you."
"Thank you my dear", Alonzo smiled softly. "We then had an argument and it ended with all of us leaving the yard."
"Where are the kittens then?"
"They are back at the Jellicles", Admetus said. "With my mate and Cori's sister."
"Why?"
Alonzo and the others told her what had happened over the years and then it was Grizabella's turn.
"Munkustrap and Tugger are my sons", she said. "But I didn't feel I would be a good mother or be any lucky living in the yard. I decided to leave the yard to be famous because I thought that fame was the way to happiness. I was wrong and tried to return to them but they didn't want anything to do with me. Alonzo took me into his tribe and that's why I'm here right now."
"I don't like this Tugger", Amazon said and the Strays laughed. "I don't care if he's your son Bella he is still a complete ass."
"Couldn't agree more love", Exotica said and laughed. "But Zo here took down his ego a notch."
"And if I know my sister", Coricopat grinned. "Which I do I can assure you she's done that too."
"How many fucking times do I have to tell you Tugger", Tantomile hissed and held MQ behind her. "Leave or I'll kick your ass again!"
"Aw but Tantomile they say that love always start with fights."
"Then you and Zo would be a couple by now."
"Uuuuuuuh", Quaxo said. "Mil think of poor Zo."
"Yeah that was cruel to him", Misto said.
"I guess you're right", Tantomile sighed. "Being the mate of Tugger isn't something I would wish my worst enemy even."
"Well Macavity and Tugger do deserve each other", Quaxo said.
"No, no I don't know it's cruel to Tugger or Macdummy", Misto piped up.
"Quiet you little fur balls", Tugger yelled at them.
"Hey don't tell them what to do", Tantomile hissed and swiped at him with her claws. "The only one who can do that for the moment is me!"
"Shut your trap you filthy Stray", Tugger yelled and hit her across the face.
"TUGGER!" a voice yelled and someone pulled Tugger of the ground and flung him into the side of the old oven. The manned cat rose gingerly to his paws and looked towards Tantomile and his eyes fell on the face of Skimbleshanks.
"Skimble…" he nodded courtly.
"What the hell are ye doing lad?" Skimble yelled. "Tantomile is part of our tribe and Munk told me you harassed her all day yesterday!"
"She isn't a Jellicle and she never will be."
"Maybe I don't want to be", Tantomile said and walked up to them. "I'm starting to think it was a mistake to come here."
"Oh then where would we go love?" She turned and her eyes fell on…
"Are you sure this is the right way Asp", Munkustrap asked his friend as he, Asparagus and Mungojerrie hurried down the streets towards the Stray car-yard.
"Sure I am I've been here before and I have an amazing sense of directions." With that said he walked straight into a wall.
"Oi beloive ya Asp", Mungo sniggered.
"Shut up…" Asp rubbed his forehead. "This way."
"Zo", Coricopat said and rose from his place beside Amazon.
"Yes Ori?"
"Something not so wicked this way comes."
"Jellicles?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Three… at least that is what they know."
"And you?"
"Five… your sisters are following."
"Sisters", Amazon asked and searched her brain. "Aw Skimbleshanks and Jenny's daughters right?"
"Yes", Alonzo said and grinned. "Everybody hide let's have some fun shall we."
"Huh?" Admetus asked.
"Just do as I say and I'll show you what I mean." They all hid and seconds later the three Jellicle toms entered the yard.
"Hello", Munkustrap called and looked around at the seemingly empty yard. "Alonzo?"
"Ad! Cori" Asparagus yelled.
"Exotica! Groizabella", Mungo called.
"Anybody home", Munk asked.
"Well, well, well", a voice said and Alonzo jumped down from a car and started circling them. "What do we have here? Three Jellicles out on a stroll."
"Don't they remember", Admetus grinned and started to circle them the opposite way to Alonzo. "The Jellicle who dare put his paws in our territory is to be thrown out."
"Aw come on guys", Asparagus said as Coricopat too started circling them. "Weren't things good between us now?"
"So", the toms asked and grinned.
"Come on this can't just be for fun?!"
"Seeing you tremble my dear sweat Asp", Exotica said and rubbed his shoulder. "Is all the entertainment we need."
"W-what?!" Asparagus shrieked in horror and the Strays started laughing. "That wasn't funny!"
"Au contraire my friend", Alonzo grinned. "It was very funny."
"Ha ha ha", Munk said and pushed Asparagus out of the way. "Alonzo you and I need to talk between four eyes."
"This way then", Alonzo said and the two of them disappeared into a car.
"So", Alonzo said and looked at Munk. "What do you want?"
"Alonzo… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the pain I did you the day I hurt you. Not one day have gone by without me regretting that my action pushed you and the other Strays away from the Jellicle tribe."
"Munk-"
"No hear me out please."
"Fine."
"Thank you. I can't tell you how grateful I am for everything you've done for me and Demeter… and the Jellicle tribe. It was very noble of you to take those kittens in at such young age and to save members of a tribe that wasn't your own."
"Munk… even though we left the Jellicles some of you were still our family and we would do anything for our family."
"Something we wouldn't have if the rolls were the opposite."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I…" Munk trailed off.
"Munk I'm sorry too for some of the things I've said and how I've been acting… not always… just sometimes."
"Like when you and your tribe insulted the Jellicles at the ball?"
"We just wanted to get a reaction and make you make us show off a bit."
"You always think things through don't you?"
"I have to. With Ori in your tribe you got no choice. He knows if you don't think things through."
"He can become a pain in the butt if you don't?"
"Oh yeah that he can. But don't tell him that… or his mate."
"Cori has a mate?!"
"Yeah we saved her from a peke and she fell for our Siamese Casanova as soon as he spoke to her."
"That's good."
"Munk I need to know. Did you figure this out by yourself? I mean about what I was talking about?"
Munk grinned and then sighed. "Well not really… Tanta may have given me some hints."
Alonzo laughed. "And they thought I wouldn't figure it out geez those two think they can outsmart me. But I know how they think."
"What?"
"It was a plan on their part of course. Ori would tell me to let this whole thing go so we could join the tribe and Mil would point you in the right direction."
Munkustrap smiled softly.
"So", Alonzo said and stretched. "Ready?"
"For what?"
"To go back to the junkyard of course!"
"Y-you want to rejoin the tribe?"
"I told you I would when I was ready. I am now… though I can't guarantee Tugger's safety."
"Just let me handle him."
"Nah I'll just let Lina or Mil at him."
"Why not Exotica?"
"It wouldn't be any Tugger left if I did. Last time she was allowed to beat up a tom he uh… well let's say he'll never walk or look the same again."
Munkustrap shuddered.
"So", Exotica asked and Munk stared when he saw his mate and her sister sit and talk to the Strays.
"Demeter", he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Talking to my sister-in-law of course", Demeter grinned. "And I wanted to see how my brother's been living these past years."
"Curiosity killed the cat", Alonzo grinned. "There are many dangers around here."
"Oh you think we wouldn't be able to handle them Lonz", Bombalurina asked.
"No I mean they wouldn't handle you and your curiosity to find out how much they can take would lead to annoyance and you'd both die of it."
"For one moment you sounded like Ori", Admetus teased.
"Hey it's nothing wrong with that", Cori grumbled.
"Absolutely not love", Amazon said and hugged him. "They are just jealous."
"Aw how cute Ori's got himself a fan club!"
"And I'm proud to be his number one fan. I mean who wouldn't adore him?"
"That's true", Grizabella said. "He is strong and smart and very handsome."
"And so wonderful to nuzzle and cuddle", Exotica said dreamingly.
"Oh if I remember correctly I can agree to that", Bombalurina said. "His fur is soft and wonderful."
"No, no, no", Demeter grinned. "It's his eyes that do it."
"Yes they are like starry skies", Amazon said and sighed dreamingly.
"Someone please help me out of my misery", Coricopat told the toms.
"I don't know", Alonzo grinned. "You're doing quiet good as a ladies' tom Ori."
"Shut your trap Zo and get your pregnant mate away from me."
"You're pregnant", the Jellicles exclaimed and looked at Exotica who blushed and nodded.
"That's fantastic", Demeter said and hugger her. "Oh I'm going to be an aunt again!"
"Me too", Bombalurina said happily.
"Can we go back to my question", Exotica asked.
"More like a discussion started if you ask me", Asparagus said.
"No one asked you Gussie", Admetus grinned.
"So", Exotica asked and looked at Alonzo and Munk.
"I've decided", Alonzo said. "To return to the Jellicle tribe and those of you who want to can come with me."
A few hours later
"Maybe I don't want to be", Tantomile said and walked up to them. "I'm starting to think it was a mistake to come here."
"Oh then where would we go love?" She turned and her eyes fell on Admetus.
"Ad", she asked and tears welled up in her eyes. "My love!"
She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Tugger", Munkustrap said. "What is going on?"
"Nothing Munk."
"Oh really", Alonzo said and stepped out from the shadows. "It looks to me as if you've been disturbing my former tribe members."
"ZO!" MQ yelled and tackled him to the ground when they ran up to hug him.
"What are they doing here", Tugger spat.
"Tugger and all Jellicles", Munkustrap called and all the cats came to them. "Today the rest of the Strays have joined with our tribe and we are one tribe again. As it should've been all along."
"I can't agree with you more", Alonzo grinned as he rose. "Everyone say hello to Coricopat's mate Amazon."
Tantomile's smile widened and she hurried up to her brother and they hugged and he introduced her properly to his mate. Jenny and Skimble hugged their son and daughters. It was a happy reunion and Old Deuteronomy's plan had worked. The Jellicle ball draw the tribes together… as it should be.
Epilogue
"Ramses, Orion, Jasmine, Ariel don't go too far away", Alonzo called out to four small kittens running around his and Exotica's den. Ramses looked like a replica of his mother and Orion of their father. The girls were a mix of both their parents. Jasmine was the oldest, followed by Orion, Ramses and Ariel. The birth had gone smoothly and all of them were healthy and mischievous. Their big brothers, as MQ like to call themselves, adored their younger siblings and were always around them.
"We pjoimis daddy", Ariel called and they ran to play with Amazon and Coricopat's kitten and with Admetus and Tantomile's.
Cori and Amazon had gotten a girl with her mother's entire looks and she was called: Silver poplar*. She was called that since that was the name of the tree Amazon sat in when Coricopat and the others saved her.
Ad and Mil had three kits. Their names were Aro, Mantle and Sirius. Aro looked like their father, Mantle their mother and Sirius was black with a single white spot on his forehead looking like a star. Admetus told them that his father had been black and his mother white.
Tugger had gotten an awful lot of his ass kicked whenever he had insulted the Strays so he decided to stay away from them as much as he could to avoid getting his ass kicked again. Bombalurina had found a new mate in a new tom named Strong and they were expecting a kitten or two.
Munk had made Alonzo second in command, something Asparagus had nothing against and the tribe was closer than ever and the only time they all acted as friend was during the Jellicle ball. Old Deuteronomy would watch them and think:
"Once there was a tribe who cracked in two, but if you looked closer that never happened. The bonds that tied the both sides to each other were too strong to be cut off that easily. They only lead to the bonds strengthen and the tribe being pulled together again and it will never divide in two again."
The End