Simultaneous with the last scene…

"Well, here I am," Demeter announced as she poked her head round one of the three ancient wooden casks that marked the little spot where she and Bombalurina daily rehearsed their number. An impatient Bomba perked up at once upon seeing her friend's arrival.

"Oh there you are!" The scarlet kit jumped to her paws. "Come on. You know the drill." And she struck an opening pose, surreptitiously waving Deme over to her post.

I don't know why I'm always the Jellicle 'boom box,' Deme frowned to herself. But the thought scurried obligingly out of sight as the tune of "Fever" hurried forward. The little black-and-gold concentrated a moment, found the rhythm and began tapping it out on an old coffee tin. As she did so, Bombalurina went into performance mode and slid out of her pose to begin.

"Never know how much I love you,
Never know how much I care..."

Demeter tried not to be embarrassed. Bomba was great at what she did, but definitely distracting when trying to concentrate on one's own imminent choreography. I wouldn't be doing this if she wasn't my best friend, she reminded herself. –Oh, fleas, her verse!

As the music played on, a monochrome tabby made his way southwesterly across the 'yard, mind aspin with the urgency of the task at hand. Rose's question had sealed the deal. As he'd emerged from beneath the great tire, a black-and-gold tail had vanished over the edge of the clearing in this direction. If he followed in as straight a line as possible, Munkustrap hoped, he would eventually discover where his crush had gone and be able to…er…Oh, he knew what he was doing. I hope.

Sweating marbles beneath his fur, Munku reflected on what had just happened. I can't believe she kept it a secret all this time, he thought. He knew how she felt, certainly- and he'd hated to turn her down. But Deme was more to him than any of the other princesses. And Rose had seemed to understand, though he hadn't said a thing.

His inner cynic took the opportunity to pounce. Understand? You idiot, it scolded him. 'You…you do?' She puts her heart at your feet and you come up with that?!? 'I…wow.' Wow, all right. You couldn't let a cockroach down more lamely than that.

Well at least I didn't throw it back in her face, Munku protested. I wasn't rude, was I? Just surprised! And that confession came out of nowhere! You know how I-

Yeah, I know, the cynic sneered. I know that you win points with princesses out of sheer dumb luck. They like the noble, bashful-twit thing. Well, that's not going to work forever. You better open your eyes a little wider, kit.

Oh shut up! Munkustrap snapped, finally losing his temper. I'm nervous enough as it is!

And with that, he promptly pulled an Oopsacat, falling tail over ears as a stray pipe rolled away under his paw.

Told you, said the inner cynic with a smirk, and retreated to a corner in the back of his mind in high satisfaction as the little tabby sat where he'd landed, downcast and sore.

Irked, a more positive voice ran to try and repair the cynic's damage. Come on, get up, it told him. You're not that far away, and you can do this. Sure enough, a snatch of that familiar tune was floating towards him now. Munku stood up, took a deep breath and hurried the sound.

On the second run of the song, Bomba was heading into the bridge. "Ev'rybody's got the fever,/That is something you all know." She arched her brows and batted her lashes at an imaginary audience of mesmerized toms. To her right, Deme slunk as she only could for Bomba's sake. "Fever isn't such a new thing-/Fever started long ago."

Right in the gap between bridge and verse, a silver-and-black head looked cautiously over the topmost cask. At what it saw, the widening eyes ducked out of sight again. Bomba noticed, and a new light of mischief came into her eyes. She turned to Demeter and, as they crossed each other to opposite sides of the 'stage,' gave her a quick order- "Kick it up a notch."

"Again?"

"Yes, again. You have to do this dance like you mean it, 'Meter, or it won't work. We're a pair of irresistible queens who-"

"Okay, okay," the black-and-gold interrupted, turning faintly copper. Oh, the things she did for this princess. On she went, quickly making up for the cue missed in that brief note. "When he put his arms around her,/ He said 'Julie, baby, you're my flame. Thou givest fever!"

Munku too was blushing, but not faintly. His face, even to his ears, burned the brightest magenta. He considered slinking off a ways till the song ended, but… No. I am waiting right here till it's over, and then I am poking in my head and asking to talk to Deme.

In an ill-advised attempt to master his shyness, the little tabby took another peek. Bombalurina had the floor, whilst his own brown-eyed crush snapped out the rhythm. And- great Rumpus Cat- yes, the scarlet queen-to-be was looking right at him. Most cheekily.

"Cap'n Smith and Pocahontas/Had a very mad affair. /When her daddy tried to kill him, /She said, 'Daddy, oh, don't you dare! He gives me fever…/With his kisses, /Fever when he holds me tight…"

As she sang, Bomba's repressed giggles reached fever pitch. Her eyebrow-arcs and pointed glances from Deme to the flushed tom-kit and back were having exactly the desired effect. Satisfied, she stepped to her right as her best friend came forward again to join her for the final verse of the song.

Munkustrap had become a full-on furnace of embarrassment, in more ways than one. The last lines floated over the barrier of wood and metal bands, and he willed himself to calm down. Okay, song's over. You are standing up, straightening up, and going in there in five…four…three…two……Two and a half… He was taking deep and nearly silent breaths- trying to keep from hyperventilating. Two and three-quarters… Gulp. He could do this. Yes, he could. Yes…

ONE, the encouraging voice and cynic chanted together. Come on, Munku!

"Okay, your solos are fine, dance and vocals," Bomba began enthusiastically. "And you're getting up there with the 'meaning it' part. But on the step-clicks-"

There was a polite cough. "Ahem..."

The two princesses looked up to see a still slightly-pink, black/white/silver tabby standing at the edge of their practice spot, tugging at his collar. Demeter immediately turned bright copper. "Um...hi."

"Why Munku!" Bomba exclaimed, in utterly feigned surprise. "How did you find us?"

"I, um… just followed my ears," he answered, very much aware how silly that sounded. "Sorry to interrupt, but could I borrow Demeter for a second?"

The scarlet princess' eyes lit up with excitement, but her voice remained casual. "Sure. I'll just wander off for a few minutes, is that okay Deme?" Seeing that the black-and-gold was apparently stunned into silence, she went on. "All right then, back in a bit." With a wink, she disappeared, leaving the shyest pair in the 'yard simply staring at each other.

"Erm…So. How's the routine going?" Munku heartily agreed with the cynic- this was an idiotic opening remark. But for the life of him there was nothing else to say, with all the tension in the air.

"It's…er…fine. Yes." Deme was going to spontaneously combust in a second, if she didn't… "You weren't watching or anything were you?"

"No, no. Oh catnip no."

"Well…That's good then. It's a surprise, you know."

"I know…" Pause. They both coughed awkwardly, then looked at each other in dazed amazement. Then laughed. Within seconds of each other.

Enough of this nonsense! the inner cynic scolded him.

"So, well…listen, I wanted to ask you something…"

"Go ahead." Demeter's heartbeat broke records in her chest.

The little tom squared his shoulders and blurted out- "Wangoballwime?"

Demy's heart stumbled over the pebble of confusion, stopped momentarily, and began again. "…I'm sorry, what?"

"D'youwannag-g-" Munku gave up. I'm done for. Flea-bitten stutter out of nowhere… All of a sudden, a small sound broke the silence. -And again. What was that? He looked up to see a most discouraging sight….

A muscle twitching at the corner of 'Meter's mouth. A spark of mirth in her eyes. Oh damn, he was laughable. This could not stand! He had to make one more bid. "Demeter, do you want to-"

She broke out laughing. It had happened! He had asked her! Relief poured out of the black-and-gold princess' mouth in peals of joy. The flow slowed considerably, however, when she saw the look in his light blue eyes. The tabby started to turn away, but she grabbed his paw. "Where are you going?"

"Please, Deme. You obviously don't want to go, so I-"

"But I do want to go with you!" Demeter sputtered, in a last burst of giggles. She ran round to face him. "Come on, Munku. Why would I say no now?"

Munkustrap looked thoroughly confused. "But you- you're laughing. Why are you laughing?"

She smiled, dazzling. "Because I'm happy, you silly tom." Then, more quietly: "I'm glad. I'm dang ecstatic. Munku…I am absolutely thrilled that you just asked to dance with me."

A haze of bliss spread over the tabby tom-kit's head. He had done it. And everything was fine. She said yes…Yes! Aloud, he only said softly, "Sunday then?"

Those brown eyes nodded eagerly back at him. "Sunday."

Meanwhile, those in the junkyard clearing became a unified, stunned expression adorned with scattered whispers as a black-&-white calico tom and beaming rose/coffee-marked princess entered serenely side by side. Words passed between them, or must have, but even those closest couldn't catch a sound. They parted, amicably, and the tom vanished on unknown purposes.

In a cloud of happiness, Rosemarine practically glided over to Gossamew and the others, pirouetting to a stop. "Ask me how I feel," she said breathlessly, hopping from foot to foot, unable to keep still.

The circle gazed at her in unadulterated amazement. No one said a word.

"Go on, ask me!" Rose laughed. "Ask me how I feel!"

Still, not a sound. Rose quickstepped around them all and stopped once more, expectant. Unnoticed, a certain dark-chocolate form had made its way over and now stopped as well just behind the jubilant young princess. Just as Rosie opened her mouth again, someone spoke for her.

"Like you have to go to the bathroom?" Cassandra supplied.

Amid the startled giggles, Rosemarine turned around and without missing a beat, hugged the sarcastic princess right around her middle. "Cassandra, haven't you ever been as happy as I am?" She didn't wait for a reply (and wouldn't have gotten one anyway; for once in her life, the Burmese was without a retort). "I've got my date and- and- I can't wait for Sunday!" With that, she ran off over the great tire out of sheer exuberance. Jellylorum, Gossamew, Rumpleteazer and Pussywillow stared after her for the second time that morning, then slowly turned to each other.

"What," Pussy began, "was that all about?"

"Does it matter?" Jelly was beginning to smile. "That's the happiest I've seen Rose in ages."

Gossamew jumped to her paws. "Well, I'm going to find out why." She bounded away after her friend, curiosity and gladness whirling in her mind so fast it was impossible to say who was leading. The remaining three broke up the circle quickly, as more private reflection was clearly called for, and the session thus came to an end.

Cassandra, who had stood temporarily frozen, now defrosted with a snap of the spine. She spoke three words before practically vanishing in a cloud of smoke: "That…was scary."

A/N: Back from the dead. My laziness and writer's block cannot be excused. I have surely lost some readers. But if you still care, even after all this time... a review is the way to let me know your thoughts.