Disclaimer: I do not own CATS, Big Stranger Rodeo, or Neg's Urban Sports. I wish I did, but I don't.

"Big Stranger Rodeo?"

"Yep," Bombalurina said, grinning widely.

"It sounds…" Demeter trailed off, struggling to find the right word to use.

"Fun? Exciting?"

"Stupid," the gold-and-black tabby clarified. She stretched, yawning and flexing her claws before turning over onto her side. The two friends were lounging in their human's backyard, ignoring the cool shade of the trees in favor of napping in the sun.

"Oh, come on, Deme!" the scarlet tabby moaned, glaring at the younger cat. "You know it sounds fun, you're just too stuck-up to admit it."

Demeter ignored the jab, used to these things by now. "No, actually, it doesn't. Where did you hear about this, anyway?"

"Neg's Urban Sports. It's something our human watches on her…computer, thing," Bomba added, noting Demeter's confused look. "A human tom makes up games to play, like the Big Stranger Rodeo. Jump on a big stranger's back and hold on for as long as you can."

"And where have I been when she watches this?" Demeter asked, thinking about the past few days, wondering when Bombalurina could have seen this without her seeing it as well.

"Mooning over Munkustrap."

"I do not moon over Munkustrap!"

"You do," the older queen said, showing her teeth in an expression that was half-smile, half-threat. "All of the time. When are you two going to get together and stop dancing around each other?"

"Shut up, Bomba!" Demeter growled, leaping to her feet and pouncing on the older queen. Bomba screeched, and Big Stranger Rodeo was forgotten.

BreakBreakBreakBreakBreak

One Week Later, at the Jellicle Ball

"Deme," Bombalurina hissed, "I dare you to do Big Stranger Rodeo with Old Deuteronomy."

Demeter hissed, giving her friend an outraged look rather than running over to join the aging leader as the other cats did. "Bomba! I can't do that!"

"Why not? He's big enough to hold you. It'll be fun!"

"He's our leader, Bomba, and he's old, plus he was just catnapped by Macavity! I don't want to hurt him."

"Chicken," the scarlet queen muttered, turning away to hide her smirk as she heard Demeter hiss again.

"I am not!"

"Then prove it," Bomba retorted, still hiding her face.

Demeter hissed once more, but didn't move. Bombalurina turned towards her expectantly, finally having gotten her facial expressions under control, and was surprised to see the gold queen dancing in place anxiously.

"Deme?" she asked uncertainly, before the younger cat turned and darted off, standing just beside the pile of junk. She hesitated there for a moment, and then ran past Old Deuteronomy to another spot.

Ah, Bomba thought, getting a good angle.

By now the other cats were staring at Demeter with emotions ranging from confused to angry, but the young queen ignored them and waited until the leader's back was turned. She ran forward, and…pounced!

Old Deuteronomy immediately began spinning in circles, trying desperately to dislodge the cat on his back. Demeter clung desperately, silent in her concentration. Bombalurina was laughing madly at this point, both at Demeter's situation and the looks on the faces of the other cats. She hadn't considered that; how would they explain this to the others?

As it turned out, explaining to the other cats wouldn't be an issue. There was a flurry of motion, and Demeter lay tangled in a cloth of Old Deuteronomy's fur. Standing in the leader's place was Macavity!

Oh, sh… "Leg it, Deme!"

The gold cat didn't need to be told twice. She removed herself from the pile of fur and ran to hide behind Munkustrap, a fact which wasn't lost on Bombalurina even in this panicked moment. Neither did she miss the faint "Woop woop!" coming from her friend as Demeter was thrown off.

Oh, Deme, you make me proud.

BreakBreakBreakBreakBreak

The Next Day

"So…you and Munkie, huh?" Bombalurina asked, grinning. She and Demeter were back in the spots they had been a week ago, stretched out in their human's backyard as they recovered from the…exciting events of the Jellicle Ball last night.

There was no response.

"Deme?"

"Nothing happened with me and Munkustrap. I was thanking him for helping save me from Macavity, that was all," Demeter replied quietly.

"Thanking him for two hours in some lonely corner of the junkyard. Some thank-you. Was he thanking you, too?"

"For what?"

"For figuring out it was Macavity disguised as Old Deuteronomy." She grinned suddenly and wickedly. "Or for your thank-you, if it was what I think it was."

"It wasn't, and he did thank me, but not in the way I know you think it was," Demeter scowled. "We didn't do anything, we were just talking. I tried to tell him I didn't deserve his thanks, but he didn't listen. So then we started talking about…her."

The scarlet queen knew who that meant. "Grizabella?"

"Yes." Even Bombalurina, her closest friend, didn't understand why she was so affected by Grizabella. She had been quiet ever since the Glamour Cat had been Chosen, and seemed to be deep in her own thoughts. Perhaps it was just her natural compassion. Perhaps it was something more. Bomba knew not to push her until she had cheered up a bit more.

And she knew a way to cheer her up.

"So…five seconds, huh?" This, Demeter looked up for, and she knew immediately what Bombalurina meant.

"You were counting?"

"Of course. Five seconds isn't bad, I guess."

"Isn't bad!" Demeter scoffed, giving Bomba a scathing look. "Five seconds on Macavity, who probably thought I had seen through his disguise? Five seconds on Macavity, who knows what a grudge I hold against him, and who probably thought that I was going to slit his throat if I could? Let's see you do it!" Bombalurina grinned; this was the first time she had spoken of her past with Macavity without going silent and moody, and it showed definite progress.

"Oh, I could, I think. No way would he throw me off after a measly five seconds!"

"Prove it, then!"

"Fine, I will!" Bombalurina stood, still grinning madly, and started walking around the front of the house towards the street. Demeter followed in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

"To Tugger's house. He knows I'm mad about him dropping me on my tail during his number; he'll probably think I'm about to slit his throat. Make sure you count the seconds."

Author's Notes: Gotta love Neg's Urban Sports. Check it out on YouTube, but be warned that not all of the clips are exactly PG, due to language. My personal favorites are "Make 'Em Move," "Burger Bowl Off," and "Urban Sprinting," but "Big Stranger Rodeo" and its follower, "Big Euro Stranger Rodeo," are amazing too. Actually, all of them are.

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