By Rio: Macavitysgirl@hotmail.com

"You should find a nice queen, Munk...settle down..." Old Deuteronomy squeezed his son's shoulder fondly. "You know you're popular with the queens..."
"Dad!" Pushing Deuteronomy's paw off, Munkustrap shook his head in annoyance. "None of the queens like me... they all like Tugger. He gets all the queens."
Shaking his head, the Jellicle leader turned his attention back to the ongoing singing of Skimbleshanks, his son edging off into the darkness. Crouching beside the car, Munkustrap watched the dancing figures silently.
There were so many beautiful queens in the tribe : Rumpleteazer, Bombalurina, Jellylorum...Demeter. Always Demeter.
Shaking his head, he looked away. He couldn't want a queen. They didn't like him or want him. He couldn't face their rejection, so it was easier this way.
"C'mon, Munk!" Electra and Jemima danced over and grabbed his paws, dragging him to form the reluctant part of the train.
An ominous smash signalled an end to the jollility of the evening, the cats scattering, suddenly realising that Old Deuteronomy was gone and there was only one possible way he could have gone.
Munkustrap seethed with rage, clambering over the back of the tyre after the kittens, to reassure them. Hugging Etcetera and Victoria, his ears pricked up at what he heard...two familiar, beautiful voices singing about the ominous crimelord.
Hidden by the shadows, he climbed up to look. Demeter and Bombalurina.
Both had 'known' Macavity intimately, but not through their own choice or decision. He had realised that much when young Demeter had arrived in the tribe a few short months after her sister, in much the same condition : bloody, battered, terrified.
Demeter. Her voice brought tears to his green eyes. She was always scared. So scared. How much he longed to protect her from everyone, even the tribe.
She needed protecting and to be cared for.
If that bastard so much tried to hurt her again...his thoughts trailed off, his claws scraping against the rusty iron of the oven, a growl rumbling deep in his throat.
Suddenly, she was looking to him. Her and Bombalurina. Running lightly down from the tyre, he stared around, as the other cats started creeping out, unnerved by the manical laughter that rang around the yard.
"He's here..." Demeter's ears flattened against her skull, her eyes wide with terror. "Not again...no more...no more..."
Narrowing his eyes, Munkustrap stepped in front of her protectively, laughing back at the dark, sinister cat who shrugged and gestured to the other side of the junkyard, where a familiar figure was just starting to make their way in.
"Dad!" Leaving Demeter, Munkustrap ran forward to welcome his father back, startled to notice Demeter take up the fighting position, hissing and lunging at Old Deuteronomy.
"Its him!" She screamed, throwing herself onto the old grey tom's back. "Its him!"
Shes gone nut...he recoiled suddenly, as the familiar grey coat was flung aside, revealing wild, bristling, ginger fur.
Glancing down at Demeter, sprawled on the ground beide him, terror in her eyes, he raised his head only to be viciously slashed across the face.
Blinking to clear his head, he heard a shrill scream of "Munkustrap! Help me!"
Blood streamed down his face, but he grabbed her ankles, his eyes locking with the mystery cat's, blazing with fury. The sneer on the coolly handsome face of his half-brother flooded him with such a rage that he knew there was no way he was giving up the queen he was fighting for. He would kill - or die - to save her.
Ducking under her body, Alonzo grabbed Demeter and carried her - half-fainting - to safety, out of Macavity's grasp, leaving the bloody Munkustrap to fight.
Despite all the play fights and training, nothing had prepared him for this. Nothing could have.
Circling and striking as savagely as he could, he could see his ginger sibling's self-satisfied smirk, mocking him. Laughing at him.
Thats your mistake, Munkustrap mentally challenged him, you're too confident...thats your weakness...I can beat you...
Striking a vicous blow with his claws to the ginger torso, he laughed harshly as he was rewarded with an agonised yowl of pain, but as damaging as the blow was to his rival, the next blow rendered him half-conscious.
Unable to raise his head, he made out the figures of Alonzo and Macavity grappling, until Macavity threw the black and white tom aside and tried to run, blocked on all sides.
A flash of light blinded him temporarily, but rolling to his knees, he found himself face-to-face with Demeter's trembling, concerned face.
"Thank you." She whispered, gently nuzzling him, purring softly.
Purring equally softly at her carress, he wondered how he could have kept quiet for so long. "Dem," He blurted out. "I love you."
"I love you too." She murmured, her forehead against his, oblivious of the blood and mess. "I've loved you since I arrived."
"Silly old me was blind." Holding her close, his eyes filling with tears, he managed to laugh. "Well, I was blind when I was born...just looks like I just realised I don't have to be any more."
"Pedigree Jellicle. I like it." She smiled. "So, can you see in the dark?"
Kissing her gently, his arms around her, he grinned naughtily. "You'll find that out tonight, gorgeous."