Dandistreak yawned and scratched behind his ear.

He was utterly bored.

"Daaad! Let's go home! I'd tired of watching the girls!" The young tom sighed, pulling on Alonzo's tail impatiently.

Alonzo chuckled as he observed the slender movements of Cassandra, "You won't always think that way..."

"Huh?!"

"Never mind."

"All right you boring lot!" Jennyanydots laughed at the yawning tom kittens, "How about Misto here, shows you all some new tricks?"

"YAY!"

The magician blushed, and rubbed his palms together.

"Presto!"

The gathered assembly of kittens watched wide eyed, as sparks of brilliant white light shot out of thin air. The twins, Tantomile and Coricopat sat collectively at the back of the mob, ears pricked up so they could sense every slight sound.

Despite the entertainment, Dandistreak remained bored. He was an adventurer at heart, and only happy when he was getting into mischief.

He swayed over towards the separate group of the queen kittens, and scanned the multicoloured bunch. He smirked, grabbing onto a grey tail and dragging whatever was on the end of it along.

"Dan-di!" Timotei sighed, frowning.

"Come on! Lets go!" He smiled, ignoring her protests to release her tail.

"Where we going?"

"To have a little fun!"

The two strolled over towards the high fence that surrounded the junk yard, away from the party, and stared up at it's top.

"I bet it's so cool out there, in the big city."

Timotei looked uncertainly at her companion, "Dandi..."

"Lets go out for a while!"

Timotei looked dumbstruck, "I can't!" She wailed, shocked that he had even suggested it.

"Why not?" Dandi seemed disappointed.

"Because Mummy and Daddy told me not to!"

"So?"

"They'll worry about me!"

"So?"

"Dandistreak! That's ALL you can say?!"

The tom smirked, "So?"

Timotei looked torn. She did not want to go. This was her home. With everything she needed. London looked so big from outside the fence, and it was so warm and cosy in the yard, where all her friends were. She wanted to go back, but something in the tom kitten's eyes made her brain lose control. The fatal words then came from her mouth.

"Okay..."

"Cool! I promise, just for a while."

Dandistreak squeezed under the wire fence in a matter of seconds, and sniffed the air.

Timotei looked back towards the party, and her ears drooped. An unknown feeling then caused her to mutter one word.

"Goodbye...."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer danced together, caught up in their own bubble of intimacy. Their daughters looked on.

"There should be a age li'mit fer that sorta thing!" Olympia shuddered.

"Well, I think it's sweet! Dad is so romantic!" Liplatty squealed happily.

Her elder sisters looked at her as if she had gone mad.

"......"

"....."

"Wot?!"

They sighed and turned their attention to Rum Tum Tugger, who was dancing playfully with Ember.

Bombalurina sneaked up to them both, and pulled her daughter away, vacating the arms in which she'd been held in.

Tugger smirked as he held her close, "Jealous?"

Bomba then licked his cheek and bit him gently. She pulled away, beginning to dance with Plato, "Not in the slightest."

Tugger laughed, "You'll be back!" He said, pointing an accusing claw at her.

Ember giggled and ran to join her brothers, leaving Tugger without a dance partner.

Demeter laughed from her place on the old car.

"Shall I amuse him?" She sighed.

Munkustrap laughed at the thought, "Can't wait to see the look on his face!"

Demeter smiled and trotted towards the lonely Jellicle Romeo, "I'll dance with you." she offered.

Tugger looked around, thinking she MUST have been talking to someone else,

"Huh?"

Demeter growled. She decided that she'd have to speak very, very slowly for the suggestion to sink in, "I - will - dance - with -  you."

Tugger looked somewhat afraid.

This only enraged Demeter more, "HELLO?! IS THERE A PROBLEM?!"

Tugger winced and took her paws in his own, "Not at all!"

It didn't take Tugger long to get his confidence back, "I knew no queen could resist me! Come on Demi! You fancy me, you know it!"

Demeter's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, she hissed a hostile message into his ear that went straight to his brain, "Call me Demi again, and I'll ram my fist so far into your gut you'll need a surgeon to get it out!"

Tugger became timid once more.

Demeter smiled menacingly, "That's better."

Tugger wasn't the only one who's confidence was growing.

Suddenly, Demeter tensed, all color draining from her face. She trembled, and then started to shake violently.

"M..." She stuttered, trying to force the fearful name out of her mouth.

"Demeter? Demeter...What's wrong?!" Tugger asked, holding her still by the shoulders.

She shrank away from him, "He's here!" She screamed in terror, making half the kittens jump.

"Who?!"

"Eeelp! EEEELP!!" A queen cried tearfully.

Tugger turned to see Mungojerrie's youngest, Liplatty, being dragged along by her ankles...by the evil Macavity.

"Macavity!!!"  Some of the older kittens cried, scattering in panic.

"Latty!!!" Tattletame wept, who could do nothing to help her sister.

Mungojerrie pushed the rest of his family out of harms way and lunged at his former boss like a cat possessed.

"Let 'er go!" He hissed, glaring at the thin ginger tom.

Macavity said nothing, a knowing look in his twisted eyes. He gripped onto Liplatty by her throat, tighter and tighter. She whimpered in return, choking on her own sobs.

Rumpleteazer was on the verge of tears, just a few feet behind her mate, but she bit her lip. She knew well enough that The Hidden Paw got great satisfaction of seeing his victims suffer, and she didn't want to encourage him further. Just one more bit of pressure and she could be gone.

Mungojerrie swallowed the lump which was forming in his throat as he stared into the tear stained eyes of his youngest. Macavity had the upper hand, and there was nothing he could do about it. He relaxed his posture.

"Please..." He begged, "...let 'er be."

Demeter scanned the area, "Munkustrap?! Where are you?!" She turned to Alonzo, who shrugged helplessly in return, his arms spread wide to shield Victoria, Jemima and Electra, who were hiding behind him.

Macavity chuckled emotionlessly.

Liplatty began to give up her will to live, her eyes began to close.

Rumpleteazer couldn't bare it anymore.

"NO!! LET 'ER GO!" She screamed, but a pair of strong arms held her back.

Skimbleshanks grasped onto the weeping mother, and held her firm as best he could.

"It's all right lass, just try to be strong for a little longer." He whispered.

Rumpleteazer slid to the ground, her heart on the verge of snapping in two.

Tugger's anger flared up. He wasn't usually one for fighting, but this was ultimate torture. It was the not knowing that made it so unbearable. Was Macavity going to take another life? Or wasn't he? Why did he always have to be one step ahead?!

"You evil bastard!" Tugger hissed, all the hair on his body standing abruptly on end. He stood to the right of Mungojerrie, wondering where the hell Munkustrap was.

Demeter scanned the border of the yard, and spotted a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness. She tensed up at first. Was it one of Macavity's agents? She glanced away for a mere second, blinked, and returned her eyes back to the front fence.

The glinting eyes had vanished. A warm paw covered her mouth, she didn't struggle, she recognised the scent straightaway and allowed the tall figure to lead her backwards into the shadows.

"Munku?! Where have you been?!" She spat angrily, whipping round to face her mate.

"No time!" He retorted, "Get everyone away from Macavity, and I mean WELL away from him. I have a plan that just might save Latty."

Demeter's eyes softened, she began to speak, but was cut off.

"Trust me Demi, this is one thing I'm going to do right. He's not going to get any more of us." The silver warrior promised, cupping her face in his paws gently.

The two rubbed noses.

Demeter nodded and swallowed her tears. Rejoining the crowd of adult queens, knowing what she had to do. Liplatty would not be sharing Pistopic's fate.

Bomba put a comforting arm around her friend's petite frame. She had totally missed her absence, "Don't worry Demi, you're safe here with us."

Demeter shrugged her off and plucked up every ounce of courage in her entire being.

"Dem?!" Bomba hissed. Demeter ignored her, and strode closer to the front of the crowd, "DEM?!" She whispered sharply again.

"It's all right Rumpleteazer," She said to herself as she passed the distraught younger queen, "we won't let this happen to you, We won't let him take your kitten."

She turned her head and glared at Tugger, and the line of toms which stood between the kittens and queens, and Macavity and his hostage.

Alonzo gaped at her. Could she seriously be thinking of going back with that...that...monster?! He couldn't believe it, WOULDN'T believe it! There had to be some sort of explanation, and yet...in his mind there wasn't.

"Traitorous scum!" He spat, his back arched in pure fury.

Demeter held her ground, she was a good actress, "You're all pathetic!" She laughed automatically, hoping and praying Timotei was off playing somewhere, away from her false words. She watched the other kittens cower in fear, scampering back away from her, "Good," She sighed to herself, "that's them out of the way..."

Victoria reached out to touch her, but Demeter swiped the friendly paw away.

Jellylorum then turned on her, pulling the pregnant Victoria close, "Have you gone mad?! What about Timotei?!"

Demeter used every last bit of her energy to keep up her charade, "She's replaceable." She smirked, gliding over to Macavity and running a finger along his cheek bone seductively. The sight and scent of him made her want to hurl, but she surpressed the urge.

"Murderer..." She screamed inside, "...MURDERER!"

The one cat who saw through her act took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "Oh God Demi," The red queen whispered, "please, PLEASE...be careful."

Macavity dropped the exhausted cockney kitten and pulled the trembling calico towards him, "Anymore questions?" She asked plainly as Liplatty limply crawled towards her parents, before being scooped up in her father's waiting arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Munkustrap climbed the wire fence with ease and landed like all respectable cats should, on his feet. He ran around the block and along Tottenham Court Road, passing the Dominion Theatre, with it's lit up logo advertising the latest musical. The muggy night air stuck to the back of his throat and the worn concrete pavement was rough on his pads, but he knew these streets well, and had no problem working through them. Turning left at the top of the road, he made his way down a dark, damp alley The tabby slowed his pace, a huge dog came into view.

The plan was in motion.

Casually, he approached the Bull Mastiff and sat down just a few feet away.

The dog predictably began to bark, and yank on it's chain, choking it's self in the process as the cold thick steal dug into her neck.

Munkustrap frowned. Pollicles hadn't an ounce of dignity or intelligence. That he was going to use to his advantage.

"Can you run?" He asked, reciting a line from his master's favourite novel, rasing an eyebrow sceptically, "I think not..."

"You'll see..." The great dog snarled, baring her ivory white teeth, "...you'll see..."

"You must be very, very stupid, for your master to keep you tied all day." He scoffed, hoping to get the reaction he needed.

The dog lunged, the peg holding it's chain squeaked with the strain.

"If I could just get my teeth into you!" She spat, thick gobs of drool hanging from her eager jaws. Her closeness was terrifying, Munku could feel her hot, heavy breath against his face, but swallowed the instinct to run.

The silver guardian laughed, "You're far too fat to ever have a hope of catching me."

The dog was infuriated. Her eyes filled with pent up rage, she lunged again, growling and barking for all she was worth.

Munkustrap glanced towards the peg in the ground, "Just a little more..."

"You stupid beast," He went on, getting to his feet to prepare for what lie ahead, "you were born stupid, you'll die stupid. You're just plain-"

*SNAP*

The peg was ripped out of the cracking concrete, the dog was free.

It took her a second or two for this information to sink in, but by then the tabby was already running.

She howled and gave chase, she'd teach him for insulting her and her kind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The stage was set.

Macavity, who had remained quiet throughout, chuckled victoriously, "I came for a kitten, and I ended up with a queen! How amusing!"

Demeter spat to herself, "You'll be laughing on the other side of your face soon enough..."

The grave silence of the junk yard was ripped up by the terrifying howl. The long, eerie moan sent chills down each Jellicle spine. Jellylorum thought quickly, and ordered the mass of kittens into the main den, along with her elderly father, Gus.

Demeter's heart wrenched. Next to Macavity, a dog was the biggest threat to a cat. She pricked up her ears and listened. The dog was not alone, but in a fight with some unfortunate feline. Her heart then stopped altogether for a second. Somehow she knew, this was part of the plan. She braced herself.

The great bear-like dog came into view, with Munku just a few yards infront. There was a blur of motion.

The adult cats dashed into the shadows, safely out of the dog's eyesight, leaving Demeter and Macavity in the centre.

"Demeter! MOVE!" The silver tom commanded, ten feet away from making contact.

The gold and black queen didn't hesitate, she dug her long razor sharp claws deep into her captor's face, making him scream in agony. Macavity released his grip on her, and put both paws onto his blood stained face. Demeter rolled under the bonnet of the old car. She was safe.

Munkustrap darted after her, stopping for a split second before he reached The Hidden Paw, then skidding forward again, sliding under the rusty car next to the shaking queen.

The dog, blinded by rage, took one look at the bleeding ginger tom. He was a cat, and right now it didn't matter to the bitch weather it was the right cat or not. She took him in her jaws, and shook him like a rag doll, making him hiss like a deflating balloon.

Macavity's nine lives had come to an end. The dog left smiling, with her prize clamped in a watering mouth.

Demeter burst into tears, her nervousness and terror finally catching up with her.

"You idiot!" She hissed, giving her mate a few weak punches on the chest, "That could have been you!"

"I love you too Demi." He smiled back at her.

The kitten was safe, and theirs had been avenged.

They were free.

The rest of the cats crawled cautiously back into the light, then the deafening silence was broken.

Rumpleteazer held her daughter, sobbing her heart out with relief. Liplatty coughed, swallowing big gulps of air back into her system, her two sisters embraced her, as did Mungojerrie.

"You all right sweetha'rt?" He whispered, tears in his eyes.

The frightened girl nodded mutely, her throat too sore for words.

Demeter crawled out from under the car and stood smiling at the rest of the tribe, followed by Munkustrap.

The elder kittens, Jemima, Pouncival, Electra and such, ran to them and purred. Rubbing heads and generally showing affection. The younger kittens, such as Ember, her brothers held back. They didn't understand why Demeter had said such horrid things.

Alonzo slid solemnly forward, his ears pinned to his head, "Demeter...I..."

"It's all right, you don't have to apologise, you weren't to know."

"I doubted your loyalty! I thought-"

She cut him off, putting a paw to his cheek, "Which is what I needed you to do."

He smiled at her. Although he hadn't had the chance to apologise, he knew he was forgiven. The rest of the adults embraced her, half the queens were crying and laughing all at once.

Demeter turned to Ember with questioning eyes, "Where's Timotei?"

Ember looked up at her, with horror etched all over her face, "She's....inside...sleeping." She lied, not having a clue where her best friend was, but she reasoned that anywhere had to be better than with a mother who hated her.

Demeter noticed the queen kitten's nervousness and sighed, turning to Bombalurina.

"S' all right Dem," She smiled, hugging her tight, "I'll explain it to her later."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dandistreak smiled proudly as the two kittens crawled back under the fence into the yard, "See! I told you everything would be all right! I can protect you!"

The silver queen giggled bashfully, sitting down, "Dandi! Don't be silly! That's Daddy's job!"

The tom blushed, "Well I can help too! I'm strong!" He laughed, pulling battle faces and practising his hiss.

Before Timotei could laugh at him, a red kitten dashed up to her.

"Ember! Hi! Oh you won't tell Mummy I went outside will you? She'll only get upset!"

Ember looked at her friend with sympathy in her eyes, "It's you who should be upset Timotei...."

After a pause the striped kitten cocked her head to one side, "Why?"

Tugger's eldest son joined his sister, "Your Mummy doesn't want you, she said so herself."

Timotei fell on her stomach and looked up at the manned kitten, eyes wide.

She frowned.

"You're a liar!"

"Am not! She told everybody!"

Timotei turned to Ember with a quivering bottom lip.

"It's true Timo, she told everybody." The kitten whispered, confirming her brother's words.

Dandistreak leapt infront of his trembling friend and hissed at them both, "Stop that!"

"Well, it's true!"

"Is not!"

"How would you know?! You weren't there!"

"Aunt Demeter wouldn't say things like that!"

"Well, she did!"

As the three kittens argued, Timotei sat silently behind Dandistreak, her heart full of an emotion she had never experienced before.

Loneliness.

A physical pain wracked threw her small body, like she was being stabbed, or slowly starved of air. She began to hyperventilate, panic setting in.

"N-no!" She stammered tearfully, "It's not true! IT'S NOT TRUE! YOU'RE LYING!"

"You better get out of here before your dad brings that mean old dog back to get you!"

"I'm warning you!" Dandistreak spat, puffing out his chest out at the smaller tom.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mungojerrie, still on edge from the earlier attack, was prowling the junk yard, attempting to walk off his frustrations. He thought of perhaps going stealing to find something nice for Rumpleteazer. They usually went to Victoria Grove together, but he wanted to surprise her, perhaps with a new set of pearls...

Yes, he decided to do just that. She refused to leave her litter at the moment anyway, despite Macavity's death.

As he turned the corner, passing a pile of stacked up milk crates, he spotted the kittens, and took note of the two toms, pretty much on the verge of a serious fight. He bounded over.

"'Ere!" He yelled at them, pushing them away from Timotei, "Leave 'er alone!" He sat down infront of the tiny female and gently licked her forehead, "Sweetha'rt! What'sa matter?!"

The grey kitten looked up at him, thin stains on her small face, which flowing tears had left behind. She tensed and her eyes widened.

Mungo stared at her, stunned. She had always been so happy-go-lucky. He turned to Ember and her brother, who both looked guilty.

Very guilty.

The horrible realisation then dawned on him.

"Timo..." He spoke gently but firmly, holding her shoulders with loving paws, "what did they tell you?!"

The she-cat didn't understand. What had she done to make her parents hate her? Had they found out that she had snuck out with Dandistreak? Was she ugly, or stupid, a nuisance or a bad girl? She didn't know. All she knew is that she lived in a place, in which nobody cared for her, and that she made the parents she loved so dearly miserable.

She yanked herself away from Mungojerrie and backed up a good five paces.

"Timotei, wait! You don't understa'nd! Deme'er was only..."

But it was too late, the heartbroken kitten scrambled under the old fence, and towards the main road.

"No!" The tabby tom cried after her, following as quick as he could.

Dandistreak dashed back into the heart of the yard for help.

Mungo leapt from the kerb, and into the street, seeing the outline of the queen clearly, just a few feet ahead. He was stopped sharp, both by instinct and a brilliant white light.

Car headlights.

He crouched as low as he could, the car screeched to a halt, he a heard human scream.

"Did you hit it Daddy?!" The girl directed at the driver of the Range Rover sat beside her.

The man placed a sorry hand to his temples, the girl began to cry.

Mungojerrie shakily got to his feet. He looked ahead of him.

She was gone.



To Be Continued.

Author's notes:

Phew! Well, there you have it! Another part, and in record time for me too! ^_^;;; Ehehehe....sorry my Pokemon readers! I am working on them! Just...slowly.

Well, what's going to happen to Timotei? Only time will tell ^_~

I'm working on the next part right now, so I better get to it!

Originally, I was going to have Macavity make Timo believe that she wasn't loved, but I thought this version was a lot more original. Children can be so hurtful to each other without even realising it until it's too late. This is what I tried to show here.

Ah! Yes, part three, must start that...*goes back to wordpad*

Later! ^_^

Becky
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