By Rio: Macavitysgirl@hotmail.com

"I'm not fighting. How many times do I have to say it?"

Munkustrap glared at his younger brother, his paws curled in fists by his side, his impatience and anger growing. "Look, Tugger," He said evenly. "You're the biggest tom the tribe has..."

"Aside from dad and he doesn't fight either." Examining his claws lazily, Tugger didn't even look at the disgruntled silver tabby. "It's a case of like father, like son, bro."

"Dad's too old!" Munkustrap retorted indignantly, angrily stamping his hind paw. "We need as many toms to be willing to fight as we can find. You're one of them."

Shrugging elegantly, a smirk on his lips, the maned tom replied cockily. "I have enough trouble fighting off the babes. I don't have time to fight toms."

"Tugger..."

Rubbing his back lazily against the side of the tyre, the black tom yawned, his razor-sharp teeth gleaming threateningly. "What's the deal, Munky, babe? Just sore cos widdle brother tried to steal your dame?"

"That's got nothing to do with this!" Munkustrap flared bitterly, knowing his brother was right. All his actions revolved around what Macavity had done, but he wasn't about to admit it. "We have to be ready to defend the tribe. not just a single queen. You know that."

"Yeah, right." Tugger went back to examining his long claws. "You know why I don't wanna fight, Munky?" His brother raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Cos I could kick every lily-white tush of every single 'Oh-I'm-so-tough tom' in this yard." Fanning himself effeminately with his paw, he lisped. "Cos I'm just so stwong and big and bee-oo-tiful!"

"Tugger..."

"What is it, bwother?" Blinking stupidly, one paw splayed delicately on his chest, Tugger held character and winked. "Do I remind you too much of you?"

Growling deep in his throat, Munkustrap shook his head disdainfully at his youngest sibling. "You're just a coward." He spat. " A coward who couldn't fight even if he wanted to."

"Sticks and stones, dear brother." Tugger delicately nibbled on his long claws. "Call me all you like, but don't underestimate yer little brother."

"Are you threatening me?"

Smirking, Tugger raised his eyes to Munkustrap's. "I couldn't hurt you!" He murmured, working on his mane with his claws. "Demeter would whip my sorry butt! Tough little lady, that one."

"Hmpf." Munkustrap folded his arms and narrowed his dazzling green eyes. "You're nothing but a sissy boy who has nothing better to do than flirt!"

"Oh no!" Throwing a paw over his eyes, Tugger wailed. You got me! Great! Someone figured out why my lifestyle is so good!" Breaking into contagious laughter, the tom slapped his thigh merrily and grinned up at his eldest brother. "A warning for you though, brother of mine..." His voice suddenly softened, a dangerous gleam in his dark eyes. "My bite is worse than my bark."

"Bite?" Sneered Munkustrap, turning on heel. "You don't even have a bark!"

Forcing back a naughty grin, Tugger waited until Munkustrap was half way across the junkyard and called. "Munk!"

"What now?"

Tucking his thumbs into the gleaming belt at his waist - a gift from his Elvis-loving owners - he tilted his head back, his expression deadly serious and coolly remarked, "I have one word for you, Munk."

Paws on his hips, Munkustrap raised a bored eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"BARK!"

"Idiot!" Storming away across the yard, the Rum Tum Tugger's mocking laughter followed Munkustrap all the way home.

*

Scratching his neck, Tugger watched his brother disappear and sighed. Perhaps he shouldn't have wound him up so much. It was unnecessary cruelty, he admitted, but dang was it fun!

Thus far, he'd missed the fights that had occurred in the junkyard, but through no choice of his own. Although, he hadn't said no when Bombalurina had suggested they find somewhere, after she had sung Macavity with her sister. During that part of the Ball, she had been involved in some very raunchy dancing, which was bound to affect her and, of course, being a gentletom, Tugger didn't have the heart to refuse her.

Closing his eyes, he pictured the beautiful red queen laying beside him, her fur silky to his touch, her eyes soft and radiant. Since the moment she had arrived in the junkyard, he had known she was something special and - in spite of his elder brother's cruelty to her - had proven her strength and courage on more than one occasion.

Thinking back to what Munkustrap had said, the tom wondered briefly how he would react if - instead of going after Demeter - Macavity had gone after his precious lady. A savage growl rose in his throat. He'd kill him. He'd tear him limb from bloody limb for what he had done to her, brother or not.

"Whatcha thinkin' of, big boy?" Sliding under his arms, Bombalurina's dark eyes blinked up at him, her head resting against his chest.

"Nothing much, sweet thing." He purred, wondering why she even bothered with him. Perhaps it was because none of the other queens knew they were officially mated and she could always pretend to be fighting over him, a thought he found both intriguing and arousing. "Why so quiet?"

"No reason." Arching her back, she yawned, her neat rows of white teeth glinting in the sun. "Care to go for an out-of-junkyard experience, lover?"

"Anywhere you go, I go, sweet thing." Pulling her to her paws, he gazed down at her, mental images of her arrival so many months ago flashing through his mind, a vortex of rage drawing him near. "Where and what do you have in mind?"

"I'll show you when we get there." She murmured, as he slid an arm protectively around her waist, gently pulling on her tail and receiving a light slap for his efforts.

*

Leaning back against the massive up-turned barrel, Tugger purred lazily, drawing Bombalurina into his arms again, his lips seeking her hungrily, the pressure of her body against his driving him wild with desire.

"You are incredible." He whispered, nipping her ears fondly, grinning at her chagrined yelp.

"You too." She managed to purr back, between kisses, rubbing her head playfully under his chin. "You're a cocky son of a doormat, but you're still something special."

"Son of a doormat?" He chuckled. "That's a new one. You know Bomb," Tipping her face up to his, he gazed into her eyes. "I think I've fallen in love with you."

"How sentimental." A new voice growled huskily. "My brothers pairing off with my cast-offs."

"Macavity!" Tugger barely heard Bombalurina's gasp of fear, as he scrambled to his paws, rising to his full height.

"Tugger!" Grasping his wrist, Bombalurina shook her head. "NO! You can't fight him! He's too strong!"

Smirking wickedly, Macavity glanced down at the red queen. "That's the idea. You just get up and come with me and leave your pathetic boyfriend." As emphasis, he viciously slashed with his claws, tearing his brother's face, sending him sprawling. "Come with me and I don't hurt him."

Gathering the reeling tom in her arms, she stared - horrified - up at the ginger tom. "You monster! Why the hell don't you leave us alone? What harm did we ever do you?"

"Nothing, red." He sneered, reaching down and dragging his brother up by the throat. "But it gives me a damn good excuse to kick my brothers collective butts now and..."

He faltered off, sagging to his knees, groaning, an explosion of pain erupting in his stomach as Tugger's claws sank viciously into his flesh, tearing deep gouges across his belly.

"Leave her alone." Tugger grunted. "This fight is between you and me, brother."

Struggling to his paws, Macavity started to make a snide reply, when Tugger's paw lashed out again, a sickening crack and ragged yowl breaking from the ginger tom's jaw.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, as he stared up at his youngest brother, who was helping Bombalurina shakily to her paws. "Run." He whispered, touching her face. "Get to the yard. I'll be back soon."

"But..."

"But nothing." He kissed her roughly, then gave her a firm push in the direction of the safety of the yard.

"How noble." Spitting a mouthful of congealing blood and saliva at Tugger's mottled paws, Macavity forced himself to rise, unwilling to be beaten by his kitten of a younger brother who had never fought in his life. "Don't want the little lady to see you get battered?"

"No." Tugger replied calmly, his expression deadly, his tone calculating. "I didn't want the 'little lady' see you get torn to pieces in front of her."

Macavity swallowed hard, seeing something in the younger tom's eyes that sent a shiver of fear up his spine: Pure, unbridled, murderous hatred. One of them would die. It seemed to be developing into a kill or be killed situation and Macavity didn't like those odds one bit.

His paw to his bleeding stomach, Macavity decided bluffing would be a useful tactic to employ and doubled over with a groan, assuming his own flesh and blood would instinctively want to aid him. He had never been more wrong.

*

Smashing his half-brother to the ground, Tugger flipped the ginger tom onto his back, one of his paws pressing down on the dirt-covered ginger throat firmly.

The blood was pumping steadily from the eight deep gouges in his stomach, matting his fur further. Several of his ribs had to be broken, he realised, probing his rib cage with his paws.

Gasping for breath, he stared up desperately at Tugger, his eyes almost swollen shut. Tugger had barely a scratch on his sleek fur, but the murderous rage was still gleaming fiercely in his eyes.

"Please." Macavity croaked through burst lips and the bloody stumps of his teeth. "Don't kill me...brother..."

Shrugging, pressing his paw down a little harder, Tugger gazed contemptuously at his brother. "I wonder," He murmured, "How many begged you for mercy. How many underestimated you, aside from Demeter and Bombalurina."

"But..." Gagging as his windpipe was blocked, he felt tears of self pity welling in his eyes.

Leaning down, Tugger smiled coldly. "You challenged me, bro. You seem to have learned a lesson, huh?"

Watching his brother weakly nod, Tugger felt a trace of guilt. He was behaving just as Macavity had, but he wasn't like that. He was the Tugger - The King of Cool and the sexiest tom in the yard, not a murdering, black-hearted bastard like his brother.

"I'll make a deal with you." Macavity's eyes flickered open slowly. "You swear you'll get your sorry tail out of this area, never to be seen again and I'll let you live." Loosening his grip on his brother's throat, he shrugged graphically, brushing a speck of non-existent dust from the ginger fur. "If not, I'll kill ya. What say you?"

"What's to stop me coming back?" He growled weakly.

Throwing back, his head, Tugger let loose a peal of merry laughter. "What's to stop you coming back?" He repeated. "What's to stop you coming back, indeed...well," Flicking out his claws and laying them against his brother's throat, he replied softly, "I'd say I'm reason enough, brother dear."

"Very well." Macavity managed to breathe. "I'll go."

Standing up, Tugger seemed to be a totally different tom, a cheerful grin on his blood-spattered face. "Off you trot, then. See ya!"

Cursing bitterly, Macavity turned and started to limp off, as Munkustrap and Bombalurina arrived on the scene, accompanied by several of the other toms.

As Macavity feebly limped past them, his faced swollen and bruised, his body torn and bloody, Munkustrap turned to Tugger in astonishment, noticing the only mark on him were the claw-marks marring his face from Macavity's first blow.

"Whatcha gotta say for yourself?" Tugger grinned cockily at his eldest brother, basking in the silver tabby's complete awe and amazement. "I'm just a little sissy tom, am I? I go one-on-one with our charming half-brother and look..." He pointed to his cheek. "Only one little bitty scratch. Sissy tom. Yep. That's me!"

"Er..." Suddenly sheepish, Munkustrap shuffled his paws. "I was only joking. I like you really! Honest! Don't hit me!"

"Munk, Munk, Munk," Tugger sighed, draping an arm around his brother and Bombalurina's shoulder, "I only have one word I can think of that will satisfy you in this situation."

"And what's that?" The silver tom asked nervously.

"BARK!"