A Song Just For Him

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West Fanfiction by Myst Knight

Disclaimer: An American Tail is owned by Universal Pictures Limited and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it.

This story is rated T for mild sensuality and Ideologically sensitive material (forbidden sibling romance). For OLDER TEEN AND UP.

No offense intended by the controversial content (and as always, don't try this at home!)

-
-

"Oh gosh, oh gee, oh gosh!" In a small alleyway on the edge of the immigrant mouse town of Green River, a large, fat tabby cat dressed in sheriff's garb was hopping about in a panic, his orange fur standing on end and his ears flopping around like Chinese folding fans. Tiger looked to be at a complete loss for what to do, and rushed up and down the length of the alley like he overdosed on catnip. Right underneath him was a little mouse couple, a young boy and an older girl, clinging to each other in wide-eyed fear. But the cause of their fear was not being eaten (Tiger was a vegetarian cat), but of being exposed by their loud cat friend, who was sounding out their predicament for the whole world to hear. "Brother and sister...k-k-k-kissing!!!"

"Tiger, be quiet!" Fievel hissed, still holding onto his sister protectively.

"Oh my..." Tanya gasped, as she clung to Fievel like a lifeline in the middle of the sea.

"'Oh my'  is right." Standing at the entrance of the alley, Tiger's girlfriend Miss Kitty was folding her arms and shaking her head at the whole situation. "What a mess!"

Tanya looked between Tiger and Miss Kitty, her bottom lip trembling. It was supposed to be a simple outing, going to the opposite end of town where they weren't as easily recognized and could act like a normal mouse couple. As fate would have it, though, Tiger and Miss Kitty were touring this side of town on sheriff's business at the same time, and had come across the young pair just as they were sneaking a kiss. Everything was turning out terribly. and all she could do was bury her face in her brother's shirt, as if trying to hide the truth from her own eyes.

"What'll I do, What'll I do?!" Upon hearing Tiger's voice, Tanya looked again to find Tiger talking to himself as if he was playing dual roles in a one-cat show. "That's it, I gotta report 'em, arrest 'em! But Fievel's my best friend, I can't. But I'm the sheriff, so I gotta do it! But they do look kinda cute together..."

"Oh, buck up Tiger!" Miss Kitty rolled her eyes, and sauntered up to the group with the practiced gait of a high-society stage cat. "You're supposed to be the big man in charge now! Act like it!"

"That's right, I'm a man...er, cat-man!" All at once, Tiger straightened up, adopting an air of authority instilled within him by a certain Wild West law-dog. "Fievel Mousekewitz, what do you have to say for yourself?" he demanded, glaring down at the little mouse.

But Fievel stood firm, and looked his best friend in the face. "Tiger, you gotta keep this a secret!" Fievel implored him, his voice a cross between demanding and pleading. "You gotta tell no one!"

"Please Tiger!" Tanya added her melodious singer's voice to the request. "I don't want Mama and Papa to split us up!"

"Er, well..." Tiger was at a loss for words, confronted with the utter sincerity of the two young mice.

"Come on, trust me!" Fievel beseeched the large cat with his ever-charming, blue eyes. "You're my best friend!" 

The newly elected sheriff of Green River frowned at his mouse friends for one, terribly long moment. Then, at last, he sighed in resignation. "All right, your secret's safe," he said, tracing a crucifix over his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to cry."

Fievel and Tanya burst into twin, shining smiles, as tears fell from their eyes. With a sigh of relief, they collapsed into each other's arms as if getting pardoned from a nefarious crime. "Thank you, Tiger!" Fievel said, as he squeezed his sister to himself. Tanya nodded in agreement, a choked giggle croaking out unbidden.

"Gotta say Tanya, this is one mixed-up situation you've gotten yourself into," Miss Kitty chimed in, as ahe focused a sharp eye on Tanya. "Your own brother, wow..."

The shy mouse girl gulped, looking back over to Miss Kitty. But the tall, buxom cat had already turned her head to address Tiger. "You boys, skedaddle," she ordered Tiger and Fievel, motioning towards the open end of the alleyway. "It's time for a little girl-talk between Tanya and me."

"Oooh, she's in her 'tough gal' mood." Tiger winced with familiarity. "Better get on out of here!"

"Oh, okay." Fievel blinked a few times, still young and naive at heart. He turned to Miss Kitty. "Take care of Tanya, will ya Miss Kitty?" he said, as Tiger escorted him out.

"Don't sweat it, kiddo." Miss Kitty smiled a toothy smile, looking surprisingly benign for such a hot-tempered cat. "Your gal's safe with me."

Once the two ladies were alone in the alley, Tanya stared up at the feminine feline, a sudden bout of shame overtaking her. Miss Kitty was always a great role model for her, both in performing and in life. If someone as strong and true as Miss Kitty thought she was no good... "You...you don't hate me now, do you?" she asked, her small voice catching in her throat as she fiddled with her patched skirt.

"Don't be ridiculous, sweetheart." Miss Kitty soothed the young mouse girl with a gentle paw around her back. "Though Fievel was the last guy I thought you'd fall in love with."

"Well back in my home country of Russia, brothers and sisters falling in love is more common..." Tanya tried to explain her feelings the best way she knew how, but lowered her head as she felt the truth hit her like a 15 ton freight train. "...but not in America."

"Tell me about it." Miss Kitty seemed to agree, then put a paw to her cheek as if considering something. "Though America is the land where a town full of mice can elect a cat as sheriff."

Tanya smiled at Miss Kitty for this odd show of support, hope filling her heart once more.

Miss Kitty crouched down to Tanya's level, adjusting her showgirl dress as she did so. "Why don't you tell this old broad how it all started?" she said, giving the little mouse teen a pat on the back. "Go on, start from the beginning."

"Well, we've always been close, back in Russia," Tanya began, as she recalled the recent developments in her relationship with her brother. "Though for the last few years, Fievel had been acting childishly. I was studying hard to be a singer, and he was busy playing cowboy, so we didn't spend as much time together. I still remember the fights we used to have whenever we were together..."

-
-
***** 
-
-

"Tanyaaaa, quit singin' so loud!" Fievel's voice echoed down the New York streets, and was almost as shrill as his sister's singing. "You're keepin' everyone awake!"

"I can't help it!" Tanya tossed an offended look at her brother, who was standing on the other side of the street. "I need the streets for the acoustics."

"Acou-whazzit?" Fievel cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Besides, you make much more noise with that Tony and your friends." Tanya fluffed her hair in a manner she had learned from watching human stage performers in New York theaters. "You shoot your toy pop-guns all night, and I keep tripping over your hobby horse!"

"His name is 'Charley Horse!'" Fievel shot back, and stuck out his tongue. "So bleah!"

Tanya's scowl was easily visible from under the lamppost, and she couldn't resist sticking out her tongue out as well. Fievel was such a kid, and didn't understand what it took to be a top-billed singer. He could waste time with his silly cowboy games if he wanted, but she was going to continue practicing until she became the very best mouse singer there ever was. Until she made all her dreams come true.

As she started clearing her throat for another round of practice, she was cut off by a loud blaring in the background. One of the public service mice was operating a commandeered human Victrola, warning all the mice in the Bronx that a cat attack was underway. Indeed, Tanya and Fievel could hear a repeated refrain of "Cat Attack!!!' sounding out over and over, loud enough that it would've woken some of the humans, had they not already been awake from Tanya's singing. The city mice were already starting to scramble, heading along pre-planned escape vectors that led to shelter, and a reprieve from the impending cat catastrophe.

Tanya looked around her street corner, and gasped as she realized something. In her haste to begin practicing, she had spread her musical instruments and sheet music all about the street corner to be used as needed, instead of keeping them organized and together. During a sudden cat attack, however, there was simply no time to retrieve them all. In vain, she tried to gather as much of her paraphernalia as she could, but before long, Fievel arrived from the other side of the street to get her.

"Tanya, we gotta get outta here!" Fievel cried, barrelling toward her. "I gotta get you home!"

Tanya gulped, and reached out for his hand.

But then an amazing thing happened. Fievel darted straight past her, and headed for the area around the lamppost. Tanya turned her head to follow him, and was astonished to find him picking up all her musical supplies en route. He picked up her guitar, her bells, and her sheet music, all in one perfect run, and kept them propped up in one arm. At the end of his route, Fievel reached Tanya, and snatched her hand to lead her off the streets and back to the safety of their home.

"Hurry up, Tanya!" he yelled back over his shoulder, struggling to hold onto both Tanya and her instruments.

Tanya nodded, and picked up her skirt with her other hand so she could run more easily.

Together, the brother and sister escaped the soon-to-be-swarmed streets, and towards their small hidey hole on the upper side of the Bronx. Already they could see the shadows of cats looming on the cracked pavement, harbingers of destruction in feline form. But the two mice were spry and quick-witted, and made good time scampering up the rope leading up to their makeshift house and out of harm's way. Soon, they were right at the entrance, both of them gasping for air and looking out at the chaos on the street.

"Whew!" Fievel exclaimed. "That was fun!"

"For you, maybe!" Tanya said, holding her hands over her heart as she heaved. "I'm not used to running like that!"

"Aw, ya gotta be rough 'n' tough in life!" Fievel grinned at her. "Like Wylie Burp!"

Tanya prepared to scold him for his Wild West worship, but stopped as a sudden thought came to her mind. She turned to her brother, her hands clasped in front of him. "Fievel, thanks for picking up my things back there," she told him sincerely. "You didn't have to do that."

Fievel blinked at her. "What are you talkin' about, Tanya?" he said. "I'm your brother. I gotta protect my sister's dream."

Tanya blinked a few times, surprised by his sudden show of support. Fievel just smiled at her, not seeming to get what she was thinking. Even when they were arguing, Fievel thought nothing of taking the extra time to help her. He was still the same kind-hearted boy he always was, even if he hadn't grown up yet.

"Anyway." Fievel flashed her a sly grin as his voice took on the cadence of a Wild West hero. "Nobody's gettin' ya while I have Ol' Betsy!"

With a flourish, he revealed a pop-gun he had hidden on his person, brandishing it like he was Wylie Burp himself.

Tanya rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but crack a smile. That's Fievel for you.
-
-
***** 
-
-

"My my, your brother sure is somethin' else!" Miss Kitty teased her young friend as she shook her head in awe. "Even if was a little bratty."

Tanya blushed, but nodded in agreement. "He's my darling brother," she said, looking over to the end of the alley where Fievel and Tiger had departed. "Even when weren't getting along, he always took care of me. We were just getting older, and doing different things. I didn't like it very much, but I thought that was just the way things were now."

The young teen-aged mouse stepped away from Miss Kitty's paw to walk around the alleyway, her head lowered in thought. "But after we moved to Green River, things changed again," she continued. "Fievel became more serious, and stopped teasing me as much. He was working hard, helping out at our violin shop, and he even helped me when I was practicing my singing."

A slow smile formed on Tanya's face, as she recalled her brother's recent behavior towards her. "He's so nice to me now, just like when we were little," she said, her voice growing soft with emotion. "It was like I finally had my little brother back. But...it was more than that..." 

In spite of herself, Tanya's cheeks were turning red, and Miss Kitty raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "He was becoming the mouse he was meant to be," she said, her voice almost a whisper now. "He had a real dream, just like I did, and he was chasing after it."

Tanya paused for a moment, clasping her hands over her heart. "He made protecting me part of his dream," she said. "So I wanted to make him a part of my dream, too..."

-
-
***** 
-
-
 
"Okay, Fievel!" Tanya had a bright smile on her face, as she tapped her conductor's wand on the table beside her. "Let's take it from the top one more time! We've got to get it right before Papa comes back from his business trip!"

"Right!" Fievel grinned, and brought his harmonica up to his lips.

Tanya tapped a few more times, cleared her throat, and began waving the baton around with practiced ease. "Is the girl you left behind out there tonight romancin'?" she sang, bouncing up and down with the rhythm. "Makin' eyes at someone else and singin', but is she dancin'?" Just like the lyrics of the song, Tanya began swaying to the music, her peasant skirt swinging back and forth like a bell. Fievel continued to play along with Tanya, tapping his toes in time with Tanya's direction as they stirred up a sweeping symphony of music.

As the song continued, Tanya danced about the small violin shop, her skirt billowing out with her graceful steps. Unlike her dance for the cats at the saloon, she tried at first to keep her skirt movement to a minimum (her brother was there, and she wasn't wearing her dance bloomers). Even so, Tanya was delighted to be performing again, even just in private. What's more, her sweet little brother was playing with her, adding his own musical expertise to her burgeoning training, just like they used to do in Russia.

However, as she was want to do, Tanya couldn't help but get more and more into the song. The tempo was speeding up, and Tanya's spinning was becoming more and more erratic, as was her skirt. Moving closer to Fievel, her billowing skirt splashed out and slapped her brother in the face, causing him to drop his harmonica. "Whaaa, Tanyaaa!!" he cried, stumbling backwards and losing his footing on the rough shop floor.

"Fievel?!" Tanya gasped, waking up from her dreamlike state just in time to see Fievel fall. On instinct, she leapt onto her brother in an attempt to cushion his landing, turning their bodies so that Tanya would hit the ground first. "Whooo-aaahh!" The siblings' voices were in unison as they toppled onto the floor with a thud, knocking over a box of violin parts sitting next to the door. When Tanya at last opened her eyes, she found she was lying atop Fievel in a tangle of limbs, her skirt in disarray, her hands on his chest, and their lips almost touching.

"Oh!" the mouse girl squeaked, as her blue eyes met her brother's own. Scrambling off him, Tanya pulled her skirt down modestly, and straightened up in a hasty attempt at recovering dignity. "I'm...I'm sorry, Fievel!" she said, her eyes drifting away in embarrassment. She really had not wanted to compromise her modesty, and had to fight the flush flowing to her face.

Still splayed out on the floor, Fievel just laughed, surrounded by violin strings and bows. "Wow Tanya, you sure do get into it!" he giggled, showing off that patented, rascally smile that Tanya had to admit was one of his most appealing traits.

"Well, I'm a little rusty," Tanya said, reaching down to pull Fievel up. "And we haven't played together in a long time. I got too excited."

Fievel grinned. "Me too."

Tanya smiled in kind, but soon her gaze drifted off again. "Fievel, I really enjoy performing with you," she confessed, long lost emotion filling her voice. "Why don't you sing with me again? We haven't sung together in a long time, and I miss it. We could sing our favorite song from back in Russia."

"Singing?" Fievel dismissed her suggestion with a frown. "Aw, my voice is too high for that."

"Your voice has gotten lower," Tanya told him, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Fievel's eyes widened, and a rare blush arose on his cheeks. Tanya blushed as well, and quickly turned away. "Um, what I mean to say is that you're very talented!" Tanya said, trying to downplay her her embarrassment. "You've always been a good singer, even when you're singing your old cowboy songs. We used to sing for our aunts and uncles whenever they came over, and they really enjoyed it. It would be nice if the mice in Green River could hear it too."

"You...you really mean that, Tanya?" Fievel learned forward, visibly surprised by his sister's compliments.

Tanya nodded, and did not avert her eyes this time. "It would really mean a lot if you were on stage with me," she continued, going as far as to grab his hands. "I've sung with other boys before, but never with my little brother. Will you think about it, Fievel?"

Tanya felt her breath seize in her throat, surprised by the pleading in her voice. She had never made such a request of Fievel before, having been content to let him walk his own path as she walked hers. But the past couple days had reminded her of how much her brother meant to her, how his energy and drive filled the small violin shop in Papa's absence. It was filling a place in her heart that she never knew was empty, and all she wanted was for him to be by her side again.

As for Fievel, he just nodded, his eyes locking with hers. "Okay, Tanya." was all he said.

-
-

Next Up- Part 2