Epilogue

A beautiful sunny morning, another Jellicle Ball has passed. Even before noontime, the sun was already shining with full force on the already warm ground. Occasionally, a small breeze would slowly blow by, making the blades of grass on the emerald green lawn move here and there.

"Hey, morning, baby!" Victoria turned around at the call, and saw Juliet coming out of the house with a green watering can. "What a gorgeous day!"

Gorgeous? Yeah, maybe she was right about that, Victoria lowered her head and continued grooming the fur on her belly. She hasn't been feeling very well for the last three days, and thought that a groom under the sun might make it better.

"Where's Lestat?" Juliet asked as she gently watered the rose bushes lining in front of the house.

I don't know… Victoria stared at Juliet for a few seconds, and returned to her grooming. She felt hungry, but had no appetite to eat. She didn't even let Juliet know that this morning she felt like vomiting several times.

"Vicki!" Another call distracted her.

"Hey, Misto," Victoria smiled and slowly walked toward her mate.

"Lovely day, huh?" Mistoffelees smiled, "are you still tired from last night?"

"A little," Victoria replied and gave Mistoffelees a small head rub. "Actually, I wonder how's Demeter doing. I tried to tell her maybe she shouldn't attend the Ball, and then at the end, she was worn out."

"She's too happy, that's all," said Mistoffelees, "I think Munkustrap's with her now. Wanna pay them a visit?"

"Exactly what I've been thinking," Victoria smiled. But suddenly, she felt a spasm of dizziness striking her all over her body, and was forced to get down.

"Vicki! What's wrong?" Mistoffelees cried.

Victoria closed and then opened her eyes, bringing her paws to her chest and stomach hoping for the drowsiness to go away. Another feeling of sickness filled her throat, and she had to swallow twice to get the sourness down. She blinked her eyes; something in her mind was speaking to her, which surprised her but at the same time, an unspeakable joy was rising up from below.

"Misto…" Victoria stared at her mate and took a deep breath. "I think… I think I'm going to become a mother soon…"

Mistoffelees looked as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt.

"What… did… you… say…?" he stammered out word by word.

Victoria lowered her head and looked at her belly. "I'm going to have kittens soon, Misto. I know it…"

Mistoffelees stretched out his arms, and Victoria fell weightlessly into them. Mistoffelees lovingly licked Victoria's ears, and Victoria had to close her eyes again to prevent another struck of nausea from attacking her.

Demeter was lying comfortably in a wide, thickly stuffed basket on the front lawn, gently licking the furs of two tiny kittens coddled closely next to her, and occasionally, steals a look over just to make sure that Aurora was still sitting in the rocking chair on the porch reading. Munkustrap was crouching next to the basket, glancing around to keep an eye on everything, and occasionally gives Demeter a gently nuzzle. The silver tabby quickly hopped up when he noticed two small figures heading toward their way.

"Why, hello, you two!" Munkustrap called as Mistoffelees and Victoria approached the entrance of the yard.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Demeter stopped her kitten grooming and lifted her head up.

"How are you feeling today, Demeter?" Victoria asked as she moved close to the basket and looked down at the two fur balls huddling against Demeter.

"I'm very good," Demeter smiled. "These two just ate, and I'm putting them back to sleep now."

"They're just so adorable," Victoria whispered as she gently tapped the tiny brown and white kitten with her paw. "You're really lucky, Demeter."

"Oh, don't worry," Demeter said, "in no time, you'll have adorable little ones of your own!"

Victoria's face suddenly turned apple red. She turned away from Demeter as Mistoffelees chuckled on the side.

"What's so funny, Misto?" Munkustrap asked.

"Now that you mention it," Mistoffelees glanced at Demeter. "We're also here to tell you the news."

"News?" Demeter's eyes turned wide.

Mistoffelees eyed the Victoria with her back turned on the side, and couldn't help grinning. "Vicki is expecting."

"What?" Munkustrap and Demeter cried out simultaneously.

"All right, all right, now that you know, you can make fun of me…" Victoria muttered, still not turning around.

"Why, Vicki, this is great news!" Demeter cried, "does your human know it yet?"

"No, I didn't find out myself until this morning," Victoria replied.

"We have to give you a big congratulations, Vicki," Munkustrap smiled, "and we're happy for you, too!"

"Trinity, you got your friends over again?" All four of them turned their heads at the sound coming from the porch. Aurora took off her reading classes and laid her book on the coffee table in front of her chair, and walked down the stairway.

Demeter purred as the human queen bent down and rubbed between her ears, and gently caressed her two kittens with her fingers.

"Having fun being a mother, huh, baby?" Aurora smiled, "showing off to your friends again?"

Munkustrap walked over and rubbed his head against Aurora's hand.

"And you, Mr. Daddy," Aurora picked Munkustrap up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Did you ask your mommy when she's stopping over?"

Munkustrap meowed, and Aurora sat herself down on the grass with Munkustrap on her lap.

"Beautiful day, huh, kitties? What are you all up to?" She asked as she petted Victoria, then Mistoffelees. "How's Juliet doing?"

"Pssst, guys, can you find a way to make her let me go?" Munkustrap moaned.

Mistoffelees and Victoria had to turn away so they could stifle their laughter.

Demeter yawned and laid her head back. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and let out her small red tongue.

"Thirsty, baby?" Aurora asked and stroked Demeter's head. "Ok, then, I'll be right back!" She let go of Munkustrap and rose from the ground. "By the way, where's that sister of yours? Out running wild with her boyfriend again?"

"Thank you so much, darling!" Munkustrap mumbled as he licked the fur on his back. "I just ate, and gosh, all that squeezing!"

Victoria and Mistoffelees let out a laugh the moment Aurora entered the house.

"Tugger, quit it, would ya?" Another sound coming from the entrance of the yard as a grinning Tugger came in with a waling Bombalurina on his back.

"Darn it, Heaviside! Put me down!" Bombalurina laughed as her long legs kicked Tugger's side.

Tugger tossed the scarlet queen onto the grass and started tickling her.

"Can't no one help?" Bombalurina cried as she rolled back and forth.

"All right, all right guys, what's up?" Mistoffelees called.

"Nothing, just stopping by!" Tugger said as he pulled Bombalurina up from the ground and into his arms. "How are Demeter and the kits doing?"

"Very good," Munkustrap replied.

"Hey, more friends?" They heard the door bang, and saw Aurora coming out with a dish filled with water. "Charity! There you are! About time you return, you wild girl!"

Bombalurina rubbed her back against Aurora's arm as she bent down to put the water dish next to Demeter's basket. She picked Bombalurina up and kissed her face.

"And I see you've brought your boyfriend along," Aurora smiled as she stroked Tugger's head. "What have you two been up to? Good Charity, you are also trying to get ahead of me, huh? Just makes me feel what an old maid I'm becoming now."

"You guys up to something?" Bombalurina let out a big yawn.

"Well, we stopped by to visit Demeter," said Mistoffelees, "and you two are also in time to hear the good news."

"Oh, Bastet, here we go again…" Victoria blushed and again turned her head away toward the opposite side.

"Good news? I'm always up for good news!" Tugger perked his head. "Right, Bomby" He placed a big kiss on Bombalurina's nose.

"Bomby your tail," Bombalurina pushed Tugger's face away and wiped the tip of her nose where Tugger had just kissed with her paw. "Next time, use some breath freshener first!"

"Anyway," Tugger grinned and glimpsed at Mistoffelees. "Are you gonna tell us the good news or are you gonna keep us waiting all day?"

Mistoffelees smiled. "Well, don't be too excited yet, 'cause Vicki is still way too shy about this. But I think everybody needs to know, that Vicki is going to be a mother very soon!"

"She is?" Bombalurina nearly jumped. "Wow, now that is fast!"

The cats laughed as Victoria was forced to turn around and slap Bombalurina on the shoulder.

"I knew this was gonna happen…" Victoria hid her face in her paw and muttered. "Now no one is gonna leave me alone."

"This is big news, girl!" Tugger cried, "does everyone else know it yet?"

"No, we're the first ones to hear the news today," Munkustrap said, "I'll notify Old Deuteronomy when I go see him this afternoon."

"Congratulations, girl!" Bombalurina gave Victoria a big hug. "You sure are getting ahead of everybody! Seeing Demeter made you unable to wait anymore, huh?"

Victoria pushed herself away from Bombalurina; her face was already redder than a full-blossomed red rose.

"This calls for a celebration!" Tugger hopped to his feet.

"Oh, dear…" Demeter sighed.

"Oh, don't worry, Demeter," Munkustrap patted Demeter's shoulder. "I'm sure that this time, nothing will ever go wrong."

Demeter sighed, but smiled.

Mistoffelees and Victoria looked at each other, and both let out a small sigh.

"Well, guys, then again, we're all enjoying a new start, aren't we?" Bombalurina glanced around and said. "I mean, for the first time in our lives, our junkyard is totally safe from our worst enemy, and for the first time, our tribe could have a Jellicle Ball without anyone worrying. So, I'd say, why not?"

Munkustrap and Demeter nodded.

"You're right, sis," Demeter smiled, "there's nothing to worry about now. You're right! We should take advantage of this and enjoy ourselves as much as we can from now on. It's been a long time, really."

Mistoffelees and Victoria smiled at each other.

"That's right, new beginning!" Victoria smiled, "too many new things are coming up, and too many good things are happening at the same time!"

"All right, you guys hang out here if you want, I gotta go back and read now," Aurora said as she stood up. "And Trinity, remember not to move too much!"

The cats watched the human queen walk back to the porch and sit back down.

"We ought to get everyone together at the junkyard tonight and plan," Tugger stood up and announced.

"Oh, Tugger, do we really need to do that?" Victoria asked, again trying to hide her red face.

"Why not? You should be proud, little mother!" Tugger grinned and shook his mane. "In no time, we will be having more and more new members to our junkyard!"

The cats laughed, as Demeter gently brushed the two kittens, now in a deep sleep, again, and Munkustrap also gently snuggled them. Tugger pulled Bombalurina back into his arms and the two again began their quiet little flirts, while Mistoffelees gently led Victoria away to the side.

"How are you feeling?" The black and white tom asked as he gently put a paw over the white queen's shoulder.

"Good, I guess," Victoria replied.

"You look like there's something you want to say," Mistoffelees stared at her.

"Oh, can't I ever hide anything from you?" Victoria smiled timorously at Mistoffelees and turned away from him.

"Well, at least not now," Mistoffelees smiled and gave her a love bite on the ear. "Come on, tell me, what do you have in mind? Suddenly becoming a mother is too scary for you or something?"

"Well, that's one," said Victoria.

"And there are something else," said Mistoffelees.

"Actually, nothing too important," Victoria sighed. "It's just, I still remember that dream that I had, when I saw my mother. What she had said to me is still too clear in my mind. She said that she's never left me, and that she can still see my everything. I just wonder, if she can see me now…"

"Oh, I'm sure she can," Mistoffelees smiled. "And I'm sure she's very happy for you, just like we all are now."

Victoria nodded, and leaned her head against Mistoffelees's chest. "Oh, Misto, right now, I still can't help wondering… what would've happened if I had never met you? What would our lives be like?"

"Probably not half as interesting as now," said Mistoffelees as he gently messaged Victoria's back. "And for that, I feel I need to thank the Everlasting Cat all I can, with all my heart and soul."

"For bringing the two of us together?" Victoria looked up at him and smiled.

Mistoffelees gently pressed a kiss on her soft little lips. "For bringing you into my life, White Belle."