(Both walk off, revealing the fog machine..... held together by more ductape than you've ever seen before in one place.)

(Getting back to the main storyline, Vicita and Mack are on the rooftop discussing the upcoming "wedding". They watch the incredibly long line of cats down below buying tickets for the wedding. Mack, not being as stupid as he looks----)

MAC: HEY!!!

DEMI: (giggling loudly)

MAC: (growls low in his throat)

DEMI: (runs off, screaming)

MAC: Works every time.

(-- suspects something is going on between his wife and Munk, so he demands that she get Munk to drop out of the marathon. Attempting to console herself that things will work out for the best since this is her last marathon and she can go home afterwards, she has just about convinced herself that she'll do as Mack commanded-- that is until Rumprecious pops in.)

RUMPLE: Oi was jest lookin' fur Mack....

VICKY: Well, he's not HERE.

RUMPLE: Aw, shucks. Wanted ta thank 'im fer the swell gig he got me! An' fer his "special" brand a' coachin'.

VERONI: (whimpering) Precious is supposed to sound.... oh, I dunno.... PRECIOUS, perhaps? NOT like a gangster!

KNUCKLES: Dunno... I like it!

VERONI: You would....

(Anyhow, Vicita quickly realizes what this "special" training is and a feeling of utter despair starts to wash over her. It would seem that her world is falling apart and that she has merely spent her life running in place.)

MISTO: Goodie. And to top things off, a lousy segue.

VICKY: Running in place.

All of my life I've been running in place.

What cuts like a knife

Is the one that I trusted to help me run fast

Has left me behind, so I'm finishing last!

And I find that my future's the same as my past!

And I-I-I-I-I'M....

RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING!

POUNCE: Finally! She speaks sense! We should be "running" away from this parody....

VERONI: (holding him in place by the collar)

MISTO: (grins) Looks like Vicky's not the only one running in place.

VICKY: Why am I stranded here choosing

A life with a tom that I'm loosing?

Why after all that he's done don't I know...

What to do...

How to act...

WHERE TO RUUUUUUUN???!!!

DANCE!!! (dances around furiously, expressing her inner turmoil...)

POUNCE: Hello Corny Police? I'd like to report an offender of the worst kind...

VERONI: I know it sounds bad, but that's EXACTLY what it says in the script.

TUMBLE: "Inner turmoil".

POUNCE & TUMBLE: Oooooo.... deeeeeep.....

VERONI: Shaddap and let her finish singing!

VICKY: It should be goodbye time!

But I'm spending my time,

RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING!

RUNNING! RUNNING! RUNNING!

IN PLAAAAAACE!!!

(With that she is whisked back to the dance floor where the wedding is in full swing.)

MAC: (standing at the microphone once again) Ladies and Gentletoms! This is the moment you've been waiting for. The moment when a tom and a queen make that sacred vow to be faithful forever! And to start off this evening's ceremony on a high note, let's hear from a new discovery-- Fralinger's Little Taffy Miss-- Rumprecious MunGuire!

RUMPLE: (skitters onstage in a celophane dress that squeaks everytime she takes a step)

There... *SQUEAK* are.... *SQUEAK* two little words *SQUEAK* to brighten up your life! *SQUEEEEAK*

MISTO: GAH! My ears!

LEXIE: Alright, alright! I'll fix it.

RUMPLE: (skitters onstage wearing a bathrobe and slippers, sings in a refined voice)

There are two little words to brighten up your life!

One word is husband, the other is wife!

Two little words to brighten any gloom

One word is bride, the other is... GROOM!

MUNGO: 'Ey! Wot 'appened to 'er voice?

MISTO: Decided to revisit a classic bit of magic....

VERONI: Same trick he used in "My Fair Jellicle", now HUSH.

RUMPLE: (singing in an operatic style) You can CURSE the world,

You can CURSE your fate,

But you never can disparage ma-a-arriage.

And two-o other wo-ords to tell you what BLISS is.

O-one word is mi-ister, the other is MISSIS! (laughs)

So on the day he gives you the ring,

If I were you, I'd sing... SIING... SIIIIIIING!!!

(Starts running through MANY MANY vocal runs like something you'd hear at the Met Opera.... her voice reaching ever higher hights as she goes.)

One little song keeps bubbling inside

Here comes the groom,

Here comes THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-----

(Glass breaks all around the theater)

RUMPLE: Oooops. Bride!!

(giggles) Thank you! Thank you very much! (starts in on her operatic vocal runs again as the wedding party enters wearing bathrobes and slippers)

VERONI: You know it changes the whole mood of the scene, don't you, Lexie?

LEXIE: It was the only other thing we could find backstage that everyone had and could slip into in a pinch.

VERONI: The cellophane is supposed to remind Rita of her empty and plastic life.... what, pray tell, do bathrobes and slippers represent?

POUNCE: She's TIRED of living this kind of life?

VERONI: (prepares to yell and quickly stops) Wait.... that actually made sense.

VICKY: I think I may pass out. He actually said something USEFUL.

RUMPLE: (hits a REALLY high note) AHHHHHHHH!!!

VICKY: (winces) I do.

RUMPLE: AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

MUNKU: (holding his ears instead of her paw) I do too.... just to get out of this song with my eardrums intact.

RUMPUS: (acting as minister) I now pronounce you tom and wife.... let's get out of here before Rumple breaks something with her voice....

VERONI: (shakes her head) Not even going to say it.... not EVEN going to say it. At this point things can't possibly get any worse.

RUMPLE: (left alone on the stage, everyone having run off for their hearing's sake)

So on the day he gives you the ring,

If I were you, I'd sing... SIING....

MAC: SHOCK WAVE APPROACHING!!

RUMPLE: SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(The whole stage shakes and something in the back pops)

VERONI: What was THAT?

(Stage smoke begins to waft across the stage fast and furiously)

TUGGER & MUNKU: Uh oh.

VERONI: What exactly did you two Tim Taylor's do?

TUGGER: We kinda... sorta used.....

MUNKU: Duct tape.

VERONI: Oh great. And I bet everytime you break off the rearview mirrors on Old D's tire you use chewing gum?

BOTH: How'd you know?

OLD D: (walks in with a wad of gum stuck to his paw) Just a lucky guess.....

(While the smoke fills the theater, Munk and Vicita are ushered into the honeymoon tent for a fabulous 15 minute honeymoon. Since the tent could be pulled away at any moment, they dare not get any closer than to simply exchange a quick little peck on the cheek. Instead of a night of passion, Munk has to come up with the best substitute he can---- a love song.)

MUNKU: First you dream,

Dream about incredible things.

Then you look.

And suddenly you have wings!

You can fly! You can FLY!

But first you dream....

(taking her by the paw) Now close your eyes-- come on. Close your eyes. Now imagine this: a glorious nighttime sky... a crescent moon... and the earth is far below as we fly in our plane.

First you dream,

Dream about remarkable times!

Close your eyes.

And see how your spirit climbs!

You can FLY!

You can SOAR!

Feel the wind, hear it ROAR!

It's easy now, imagine that!

But first you dreeeeam.....

LEXIE: (standing backstage) We have to plug up this hole or Veroni will personally strangle each and every one of su.

JEMI: (cocks her head)

POUNCE: (whispers) Us.

JEMI: Oh.

LEXIE: Well? Suggestions?

MAC: (grins) I have one...

(Knuckles and Nunzio approach Pouncival with menacing looks on their faces)

POUNCE: Uh, hey guys! Heehee... Ha... ha.... (they close in) HEY! HEY! What are you doing?!!

(Munk realizes that his three weeks are up as the song ends and explains that he has to leave..... leaving Vicita lost, alone and confused. Crying, she leaves the dance floor. Realizing disastor is a breath away, Mack strambles to find her another partner and attempts to get her to dance again--- but she refuses. She wants to go home to their house. Enraged, Mack yells how he sold their house and that there IS no home to go back to. She is left staring off into space in shock as he brings her new partner over to her.)

MAC: Hey, what do you need that we don't have right here? Everything's gonna be alright, Vicita. You'll see.

(sings) Life's a party,

Why don't you come to the Steel Paw?

NOT AGAIN!!!! Is this ALL my character knows how to sing??

VERONI: Yes, and you're going to SING it.

MAC: (sings while rolling his eyes) All Atlantic City is proud

Of the Steel Paw!

No place draws a friendlier crowd

Than the Steel Paw!

So watch the joy go on and on!

Like some daffy marathon.

Bring your troubles here,

Watch them disappear!

At the truly uproarious,

GLAMOROUS! GLORIUS!

STEEEL PAAAW!!!

If I ever hear that song again it'll be too soon....

VICKY: (standing in a trance) Life's a party, why don't you come

To the Steel Paw?

MAC: (staring at her, fuming) Come on, Vicita!!! DANCE!!

VICKY: (still standing completely still) No one's ever

Gloomy or glum

At the Steel Paw.

MAC: (as she sings) COME ON! Dance with Mistonny! That's a girl. (she pushes her new partner away) Dance! Do you hear me? DAAANCE!! I don't know what the heck you think you're doing! (screaming by this point) DAANCE!! Don't make me have to disqualify you!! DANCE OR YOU'RE OUT! I'm gonna say it... YOU'RE OUT! You hear me? YOU'RE OUT! (at the top of his lungs) YOOOOOU'RE OOOUT!!!!!!!!!!

DEMI: (clinging to Veroni's scalp with her claws, hair standing on end)

VERONI: Yeouch!! Surgical removal of claws, anyone?

(Mack meets up with her offstage. As soon as he realizes why she's acting the way she is he drops a bombshell----)

MAC: I get it. Some hot dog pilot DIES and everything falls to pieces!

VICKY: (jaw drops, eyes filled with tears) He died?

MAC: Three weeks ago. (tries to change the topic) Everything's gonna work out, I promise you. Just one more marathon! One more and we are out, I swear! Just one more..... (fumes) YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!!

VICKY: (turns, facing him evenly) No. YOU'RE nothing without ME. (leaves)

QUEENS: (all burst into applause)

JENNY: (whooping the loudest of all)

(The scene takes on a surreal air to it. All the couples who were out return as if in a dream.....)

ALL: (sing) Life's a party, why don't you come to the Steel Paw?

MAC: NOOO!!! NOT THIS AGAIN!!! (grabs his ears and rocks back and forth)

ALL: Steel Paw.......

Steel Paw.......

Steel Paw........

(The music lurches strangely as the couples start to dance around Vicita)

Dip your toes into the ocean

Rub a little suntan lotion

Bring your troubles here

Watch them disappear.

At the truly uproarious,

Glamorous, Glorious......

Steel Paaaaaw.....

MAC: (holding his ears) Is it over yet?

VERONI: You can unplug your ears now, Macavity.

MAC: (lets go slowly) Ahhhh... relief.

DEM: (standing behind him, grins wickedly) Life's a party, why don't you come to the Steel Paw?

MAC: (screams and runs off)

DEM: (giggling) Works every time.

(Vicita is left alone, staring at a suitcase when a paw touches her shoulder. She turns and finds herself facing---)

VICKY: (crying) Who are you?

MUNKU: Just a tom. Who wanted a second chance.

VICKY: Please, don't go...

MUNKU: I only had three weeks. But you have a lifetime, Vicita. Take a chance on it.

VICKY: Why did you come back?

MUNKU: (softly) You still owe me a dance. (He takes her in his arms quietly and they dance.)

QUEENS: (crying openly on each other's shoulders)

TOMS: (clear their throats loudly and dab at their eyes when they think everyone else isn't watching)

DEMI: (disgusted) Males!

MUNKU: (kisses her and pulls away) Go on now......... FLY!!

VICKY: (reaches for him, but he has disappeared once more into the mists. Resolved to make something of herself, she leaves Mack and takes up her suitcase. She marches off, leaving him and her old life behind.....)

MUNKU: (voice drifts amidst the music) FLY!!!

VERONI: (sobbing hysterically) I love that ending!!

ADMETUS: (clears his throat and wipes his cheeks dry) Nothing special....

VERONI: (looks up) You were crying, weren't you?

ADMETUS: Who? Me? PFFT! Never!

VERONI: SURE you weren't. SURE.

ADMETUS: Well.... well..... TUGGER WAS TOO!

TUGGER: (blows his nose) Huh? Was not.

VERONI: Well, I have to say that went VERY well. Good job everybody! And especially the backstage cats who fixed that machine so quickly!

LEXIE: (scuffs the toe of her shoe) Don't thank us.

VERONI: No, really! It was wonderful how quickly you responded! Saved us an embarrasing disastor like what happened in "Cat Miserables". Kudos.

LEXIE: (grabs up her coat) Well, when you put it that way. (rushes for the door) BYE!

(All the cats rush out after her)

VERONI: What was that all about?

POUNCE: (flies across the stage and splats into the far wall)

VERONI: What the---?

(Smoke starts to spread across the stage)

VERONI: They didn't. They DIDN'T.

POUNCE: (swaying, trying to stay on his feet) For I am Pouncival the Leak Plug! May all lesser leak plugs bow before me! (faints into a heap)

VERONI: (lets out a slow breath) They are in SO much trouble.