Chapter Two: Falling for Her and Falling on Him

Alonzo emerged from his den just a few hours after sunrise and sauntered toward the center of the junkyard. He could see Munkustrap keeping vigil from the TSE-1 in the soft morning light. The silver tabby looked weary, and Alonzo could detect faint signs that their protector was struggling to stay alert.

"Morning," he called softly. Most of the Jellicles would not be pleased if he shouted across the clearing, so he kept his voice down to avoid a fuss. The last thing he wanted was to tangle with a sleep deprived Bombalurina. He had learned that the hard way once.

Munkus turned and looked down at the other tom as if emerging from a dream. "Alonzo," he replied. "What are you doing up?"

Alonzo lightly jumped up beside the tabby and gave him a chastising look. "I'm taking over as lookout."

"No, you've barely gotten any sleep. I—"

"And you've gotten none," he interjected. "You look as if you're about to drop off at any minute."

Munkus looked startled but then gave a tired smile. "Thanks, Alonzo."

"Don't mention it," the other tom replied. "Now go cuddle up with Demeter already! You've earned it."

"Alright, no need to nag me like Jennyanydots talking to a kitten. I'm going!" Munkus slid to the ground and scampered off toward his den with a rare, unreserved enthusiasm.

Alonzo sprawled out and let the sunshine soak into his fur. The early morning air was chilled, and he welcomed the light's gentle warmth. His eyes scanned the junkyard, searching for anything amiss, but everything remained still and silent. The rest of the tribe it seemed was fast asleep and recuperating from the ball.

The black and white tom jumped to the ground restlessly and began to make the rounds. He was probably being overly cautious, but after the encounter with Macavity last night, it couldn't hurt to patrol the whole junkyard.

As he trotted around the first corner, he tried to diligently scan the piles of trash for suspicious activity, but his heart just wasn't in it this morning. He could have blamed it on lack of sleep, but the truth was too persistent in his mind.

It was her. Alonzo couldn't stop thinking about her. He'd noticed the beautiful queen weeks ago, but after the ball, it seemed as if his entire being was drawn to her. Even now that the junkyard was empty and bright with sunshine, he could still see her image dancing in the starlight.

He padded lightly across an overturned bathtub and scanned the path ahead. The sun was starting to gain intensity, but still none of his friends were stirring from their dens. He sighed and hopped back to the ground.

Hopefully Munkustrap had taken his advice and gotten some sleep for a change. Sometimes the tabby got so wound up, and the past week of preparations had been almost unbearable. Alonzo had been forced to take on extra security shifts because their Protector was too busy setting up the ball. He had probably spent more time perched on the TSE-1 as lookout than he had in his own den this week.

Being second in command definitely had its downsides, but Alonzo had to admit that there were perks as well. He had always felt shy around queens as a kitten, but once he became second in command, suddenly queens started to pay attention to him. This change had given him a newfound confidence with females, and he liked to think that his reputation with the queens was surpassed only by the infamous Tugger. It wasn't a flashy, swaggery confidence like the Maine Coon's, but he knew how to win over hearts in his own quieter way. Lately, however, Alonzo's self-assurance seemed to disappear when he needed it most…whenever she was around.

A clattering from the other side of the junkyard drew him out of his reverie, and Alonzo quickly darted across the piles of trash toward the source. He skidded to a halt as he spotted a familiar pair of legs sticking out of an old barrel.

His heart beat raced. "Victoria?" he managed to call out finally before walking over to the struggling cat. It appeared that she had somehow fallen head first into the container, leaving her supple white legs flailing in the air.

He could hear her muffled response within the barrel but couldn't decipher the words. "Hold on," he said. "I'll pull you out." He crawled up and braced his legs on the sides of the barrel.

The prospect of laying his hands on the young queen was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. She needed his help though so he set aside his personal qualms.

"On the count of three," Alonzo told her as he took hold of her thighs. "One…two…three…"

They both fell in a tangled heap as he tugged her free from the barrel, tumbling down a series of debris piles before landing inelegantly on a dingy mattress. Victoria blushed when she realized that her head was between her rescuer's legs.

"Thanks," she squeaked bashfully. She sat up and tried to regain her composure. "I was trying to jump over some boxes when I lost my footing and fell into that barrel."

"No problem," came the black and white tom's grunted reply.

Victoria's blush shifted from rosy pink to fiery red when she realized that she was pinning the tom's face to the mattress with her rear. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she cried, rolling off of him.

Alonzo chuckled at the absurdity of the situation but quickly stopped himself when he saw how embarrassed she was. "It's okay," he assured her. "I've had much more unpleasant falls than this one."

He got to his feet and paused, suddenly realizing how sore his body really was.

"You're hurt," she cried, rushing to help him stand.

"No, no," he insisted. "I'm perfectly fine." He tried to smile, but the shooting pain in his side quickly undermined his composure.

The white queen looked adorable as she fixed him with an authoritative glare. "You were in a fight with Macavity last night. I saw him toss you across the junkyard! There's no way you're perfectly fine."

"Ouch! Well, my pride is certainly damaged after that observation."

He could see a flash of sympathy in her glare.

"You need to get back to your den and rest."

He tried to stand again and hop off the mattress. Again the pain overruled his intentions. "Okay, maybe you're right." He winced and hunched over.

She smiled triumphantly. "Yes, I am. Let me help you."

Victoria's scent washed over Alonzo as she gently took his arm and helped him to his feet. He closed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy the warm sensation her smell ignited within him.

"Thanks," he managed to mumble as she led him back into the main clearing.

"Now which one is your den?" she asked.

"Um…by the wooden crate over there," he told her. Together they shuffled slowly in that direction before he paused.

"But…I'm supposed to be standing guard," he said. "Munkus will kill me if I leave my post."

She fixed him with a scolding look. "And what good will you be to us if you injure yourself further?" She pulled him toward the crate and inside the door. "You let me deal with Munkustrap. I'll even stand guard myself until a replacement can be found."

Alonzo spotted his bed and cursed inwardly that the first time the queen was in his bedroom was so humiliating. "You?"

She pointed to the bed with a commanding look. "I'm more formidable than I look," she insisted.

He grinned. "I'll have to take your word on that." He sat on the bed and gently lowered his body. He groaned. "I think I bruised my ribs…"

Victoria reached out to touch his torso. It was an automatic reaction, and she seemed too concerned to notice how close they were. "I'll be sure to send Jellylorum to take a look as soon as she wakes up."

Alonzo chuckled quietly.

"What's so funny?" she asked as she pulled the covers over his body.

"You're just so cute when you're acting all bossy and motherly," he replied. "Sometimes I forget that you're not a kitten anymore."

This comment seemed to draw her out of caretaker mode, and she backed away from him, flushed and flustered. "Yes, well…I'd better go sort everything out with Munkustrap, but I'll bring Jellylorum to check on you later today."

Alonzo cursed himself to startling the innocent, little queen. "I promise I'll be an obedient invalid and remain in bed until such time."

"Good," she said, regaining some of her firmness. She turned to leave.

"Victoria," he called out quietly.

"Yes?" She looked back at him.

"I just wanted to say thanks for reminding me to take care of myself," he said. "I'm not always good at remembering that."

She smiled. "You're welcome…" She turned again. "…and thank you for getting me out of that barrel earlier…and I'm sorry for crushing you in the fall…"

He just shook his head and chuckled again. "Don't worry about it."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

He watched her go before falling back onto his bed with a sigh. "I'm such an ass," he muttered. He winced again. It even hurt to breathe deeply.

Why of all the queens in the tribe did it have to be her that saw him at his weakest?

It had been nice having Victoria as his nurse, however, and he was looking forward to seeing her again. He felt silly having a queen so much younger than him treating him like a silly kitten, but the concerned look in her eyes had been worth all the scolding.

Even better, she had touched him…and she had smelled so enticing. It was a scent he had never encountered before, somehow floral yet spicy at the same time. He wanted to be covered in that scent, to roll around in it. He clutched at his bedding, imagining what it would be like to have her tangled in the sheets with him. Her scent mingling with his own and lingering in his fur.

He stared at the ceiling and pondered his options. How to best approach her? He honestly had no idea how to even start. She was so pure and beautiful, so much better than any queen he'd ever been with before. He was so afraid of her, but he knew couldn't live without her anymore.

If he wasn't careful, he would scare her off entirely. He'd already made an ass of himself this morning, and he didn't want to repeat that blunder. Finally, he had his epiphany.

Tugger's words from last night rang in his ears as he drifted off to sleep, "You ought to ask Mr. Mistoffelees…"

Victoria perched herself on the TSE-1 and carefully scanned the junkyard for what felt like the millionth time that morning. She hadn't had the heart to go wake Munkustrap. He had been working so hard recently. He deserved to get some sleep, so instead she had taken it upon herself to patrol the yard until he emerged.

A few other Jellicles had started to appear, exchanging their dark dens for their favorite sunny napping spots. Etcetera spotted her friend and came bounding up beside her.

"Vic," she squealed. "Won't you come sunbathing with me and Electra? I found the perfect place on top of this old refrigerator!"

Victoria shook her head coolly. "I can't right now, Cettie."

"Why not?"

"I'm busy."

Etcetera cocked her head and blinked. "Doing what? You don't look busy."

She sighed impatiently. "I'm standing guard."

The other queen giggled. "You?"

"Yes." Victoria fixed her with an unamused stare.

"But you're a queen."

"So? I'm just as capable as any other cat," she insisted. "You go gossip with Electra. Some of us have more important things to do."

Etcetera gave an offended scoff and marched away. Victoria just rolled her eyes and watched her leave.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar silver tabby leaving his den. She waved him over to her post. "Munkustrap!"

He seemed caught off guard by her call but sauntered across the yard with a friendly smile. "Yes, Victoria?"

She leapt to the ground with delicate grace. "I just wanted to let you know that Alonzo suffered a bit of a fall earlier, so I sent him to bed."

The older tom seemed both perplexed and amused. "Oh, you did? Nothing serious I hope."

"It was all my fault I'm afraid," she explained. "He was helping me out of a barrel, and I fell right on top of him. I think he'll be okay though."

He nodded. After taking this information in, his amusement shifted to concern. "So if Alonzo is incapacitated, who has been standing guard this morning?"

Victoria stood up taller and fixed him with a firm stare. "I have, of course."

Munkustrap seemed to consider this for a moment. "That's very thoughtful of you, Victoria, but without the proper training, I don't think—"

"I know," she interrupted. "I just didn't want to bother you when you really needed the sleep! I've patrolled the whole junkyard twice already, and the rest of the time I stood watch on the TSE-1 where I could get the best view of the perimeter."

He placed a calming paw on her arm. "Okay, okay!" He studied her again. "Interesting…" He started to pace the clearing, deep in thought. Victoria followed him patiently.

"What is it?" she asked.

He paused and looked at her again. The queen could feel his eyes piercing into her very soul. "Victoria," he said finally. "This may seem strange to you, but I have a proposition for you."

She wasn't sure what to make of this sudden change in how their Protector was addressing her. He wasn't talking to her like she was a kitten. He was treating her like an equal.

"I think…" he continued. "I think you have the makings of an excellent tribal guardian."

Her breath stopped as she pondered the idea. "You do?"

"Yes. Judging from what you've done this morning, it sounds like you have great instincts for the job, and with the proper training, I think you would be a tremendous asset to the tribe."

She grinned at his praise. "Really? What kind of training?"

"Combat training mostly," he said. "I know from your dancing that you are already athletic. You simply need to learn how to harness that ability. I think given the right instruction you could really excel."

Victoria considered the offer and was surprised by how eager she was to give it a try.

"So what do you think?" Munkustrap asked her.

Her face lit up with excitement. "I'd be honored!"

The tabby's smile was the most genuine one she'd ever received from him. Usually he kept up a certain formality with the younger cats, but she could tell he was pleased. "Great. I'll arrange your training as soon as possible. For now, I'll resume my post, and perhaps you can see about getting Jellylorum to visit my second in command."

Victoria nodded, trying to reign in her nerves. "Of course! I was just about to fetch her!" She scurried off, purring loudly.

Munkustrap watched her with a bemused grin. He never would have suspected that their dainty white queen would be so eager to learn how to fight and defend the tribe, but he had a gut feeling about her. As soon as Alonzo was recovered, he would assign his second in command to the task of training her.

He chuckled at the thought of his friend being chastised by the diminutive queen and forced into bed rest. If she had enough assertion to put that tom in his place, then she definitely had the potential to be a formidable fighter.