Jellylorum was hunting mice for dinner. And suddenly, one Peke came to her sight. This Peke saw Jellylorum and barked at her showing his teeth. Jellylorum was scared, and she started to run. This Peke was running and barking after her. Jellylorum was running beyond the territory of Jellicles, then in a flash, a ginger cat showed up, when the Peke saw this cat, he seemed afraid and ran away.

"Are you all right? Jellylorum." This ginger cat asked with a low voice.

"Macavity!" Jellylorum screamed. This ginger cat was the hidden paw. Macavity, was a very evil cat. For Jellylorum, Macavity was more scaring than that Peke. Jellylorum defended herself, and hissed at him. "Get away from me."

"OH! Do you always use this manner toward your savior?" Macavity grinned. Jellylorum didn't want to talk to him anymore and turned to leave. But Macavity stopped her. "You haven't express your gratitude to me yet, it's not very polite, Jellylorum."

Jellylorum was just a middle-aged female cat, she knew she couldn't run away form this evil cat. "I didn’t mean to come to your territory, the Peke was chasing me, thank you for driving that Peke away…can I go now?"

Macavity smiled with an evil smile. "What will you do if I say NO?"

Jellylorum hissed. "Macavity, I warn you, I am under the protection of Old Deuteronomy, don’t try to harm me, otherwise it will not be easy to end."

"Are you threatening me?" Macavity laughed, and he suddenly grabbed her two arms, yelled. "You are in my territory, dare you threaten me?"

"Help!" Jellylorum cried.

"No one will come to you, do you want to come to my nest? We can have some tea or…"

"Free her!" A voice said. Jellylorum and Macavity turned to that voice-- it was Plato.

"Plato, help me." Jellylorum cried out.

Plato comforted her. "Don’t worry, Jellylorum, I will help you." And he turned to Macavity. "Free her."

"Why should I follow your words?" Macavity grinned.

Plato hissed. "Free her, otherwise you will be hurt."

"Really? Show me then." Macavity released Jellylorum and rushed toward Plato. The two started fighting, but Plato was not a very strong cat like Munkustrap or Alonzo, but Macavity could defeat them as well. So, Plato knew he wouldn’t get victory, and he yelled as Macavity scratched him.

"Jellylorum, run! Get some help."

"But…what about you?" she said.

"Don’t care about me, run, hurry up." Plato exclaimed as he tried to scratch Macavity, but he blocked Plato's paws.

Jellylorum ran away with her best, she prayed that Plato would be able to support as she got some help. Fortunately, she met Munkustrap, Demeter, and her daughter, Victoria. The three were chatting together.

When they saw Jellylorum running toward them in a hurry, Victoria asked. "What's wrong? Mother?"

Pla…Plato was fighting with Macavity because of me." She gasped. "Come on, we must save him."

"What?" Victoria nearly fainted as she heard Plato was in danger.

"Don't say another word, take us to Plato, hurry!" Munkustrap demanded. He knew how serious this could be. Demeter gave him a worrying look, she was afraid Munkustrap would be hurt, too. Munkustrap nodded to her expressing he would be fine. So they all ran after Jellylorum, Victoria was crying as they were running.

"You will be safe, Plato, we are coming." Victoria thought. Finally, they came to the fighting place, but Macavity Was Not There, Plato was lying on the ground, unconscious.

"No!" Victoria ran to him and touched his cheeks. "Plato, wake up, I am Victoria, wake up." She cried.

Munkustrap raised up Plato. "We must come back to Old Deuteronomy, he was hurt badly."

"Will he be alright?" Victoria asked concernedly.

"He will be fine, I promise you, Victoria." Munkustrap said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jellylorum had told them the reason why Plato fought with Macavity, and she was impressed by how brave Plato was. Fortunately, Plato was bound up his wounds, and Old Deuteronomy said he must rest for about 7 days. Victoria was beside Plato holding his hands, talking to him softly.

"I was so afraid that Macavity would kill you."

"I wouldn’t die so easily…" Plato said weakly.

Victoria kissed him with tears of happiness. Jellylorum saw them and she was a little angry with that. Then, suddenly, Mistoffelees came to her, and said. "Let them be, they had been together for some time, but Victoria knew you didn’t like Plato, so she dared not tell you. She loves Plato very much"

Jellylorum sighed. "Don't you like my daughter?"

"I am sorry. Jellylorum, Victoria is one of my best friends, I like her, but not that kind of love as Plato’s. Plato is a good fellow, you see, he fought for you nearly to death, and he just cared about your safety, not even thought of himself. What are you unsatisfied with? I don’t see any points to disturb them."

"Your are right, Misto, the most important thing is that Victoria is happy, plus, Plato is not that bad as I thought." Jellylorum said finally with approval. She came to Victoria and Plato. "You two, I have known your secret now, I am glad that Victoria has such a good boyfriend." She turned to Plato. "Would you promise me you will treat Victoria nicely?"

"Yes! I promise" Plato said firmly, and Victoria rubbed her head against him. Jellylorum smiled at these little lovers as she turned to leave and let them be alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Rum Tum Tugger had some uneasy nights; he had started to worry about something that he never worried about before. It was Bombalurina. The scene of that day haunted him; he could still hear what she said and see her unemotional expression. He had decided to come to Bombalurina to apologize what he did to her before because he finally admitted he loved her indeed. But he also realized even she accepted his apology, that didn't mean she would come back to him since she said she wanted Alonzo instead of him. Tugger was so jealous of Alonzo; it was his first time to taste the feeling of jealousy. But anyway, he felt he must apologize to her, whether she would come back to him or not. He had decided. On the half way to Bombalurina's nest, the Rum Tum Tugger encountered Alonzo who was flirting with Exotica.

Tugger was surprised to see that, and he flew into a rage, he roared. "Alonzo, dare you do this behind Bombalurina?" He hit Alonzo without another word. "I thought you loved her, but I was mistaken. Did you treat her as fun?" He waved his fist at Alonzo again, Alonzo cried in pain.

"Stop, he is hurt." Exotica yelled.

Tugger ignored her, he was furious at Alonzo since he thought even he couldn't give happiness to Bombalurina by himself, Alonzo could. But he flirted with another girl; Bombalurina would be very upset to see that, Tugger thought. He couldn't let Bombalurina be sad again, and he grabbed Alonzo, yelled. "What are you thinking about? Your lover is Bombalurina, why do you do this behind her?"

Alonzo pushed him away with anger. "You shut up, you know nothing." He wiped off the blood on his cheek.

"What?" Tugger was ready to give him another beat.

"Bombalurina didn’t want me? Do you hear that? She didn't want me." Alonzo exclaimed. Tugger stopped. "She said she still loved you whatever you did to her. Rum Tum Tugger, I envy you, but you are an idiot, you don't deserve Bombalurina."

Tugger felt sorry to him. "Sorry! But…did Bombalurina…really say she still loved me?"

"I don't want to say again, just go to her, and don’t bother me." Alonzo yelled as Exotica helped him stand up. "Thank you!"

Tugger turned and ran as fast as he could toward Bombalurina's nest. "She loves me, she loves me." He yelled with excitement as he ran. "Bombalurina! Bombalurina!" he shouted in front of her nest.

Bombalurina came out and when she saw Tugger, she said coldly. "What are you looking for? I think you came to a wrong place."

No! No!" He ran to her. "Alonzo had told me…in fact…I came to apologize to you, and in the half way…I saw him…and I bit him…and he said…" Tugger couldn’t manage his words well since he was so nervous.

"What? I don’t understand."

"Would you forgive me? Bombalurina." Tugger held her hands. "I am very sorry about what I had done to you, I was just pretending that I didn’t love you, but I was so stupid, you know…you always understand me, don't you?"

Bombalurina lowered her head and drew back her hands. "I don't know what you are talking about." She didn’t want to forgive him so soon because of her dignity.

"Bombalurina!" Tugger was nervous again. "Please, don't be so cold to me, I love you, I only love you, you know I never love those little kittens, you know it and I know it. I promise you, I won't flirt with them anymore, and…I will only belong to you. I hope you will be my mate." He said sincerely. Bombalurina turned and faced Tugger with her back. The Rum Tum Tugger was disappointed to see that. "You still don't forgive me. Don't you?" He sighed. "I understand, it's all my fault, I can't blame you for not forgiving me…"

"Tugger!" Bombalurina yelled, still faced him with her back. "I am thinking…will we live in my nest or in your nest, I think it will be better to live in mine."

"What?" Tugger asked with confusion.

Bombalurina turned to face him with a charming smile. "When I become your mate, can you move to my nest? I love it very much." She had forgiven him.

"Bom…Bombalurina!" Tugger was so excited. "Really? You accept me? You forgive me? And you will be my mate?"

She nodded. "Yes! Yes! I have been hoping you would say these words to me, and my wish comes true now."

Tugger embraced her. "I promise I won't disappoint you, I won’t"

Bombalurina kissed him passionately. "I believe you!" She leaned her head on his chest. "Today, I feel you are not like the Rum Tum Tugger you were before." She said softly.

"Why?"

Because you are so shy and so sincere."

"Do you like the former Rum Tum Tugger?"

"No." Bombalurina hugged him. "I love the one you are now."

Tugger smiled. "I will keep it for you, just for you."

Bombalurina nodded and said. "I have found the meaning of happiness."

Me too." Tugger said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After six months there was a small party for Rumpelteazer's newborn kittens, and almost all the Jellicles came.

Oh! What a lovely kitten! Isn't it? Munkustrap?" Demeter said as she carried one kitten on her arms.

Munkustrap smiled. "Yes! I am looking forward to having kittens with you, too."

Demeter gave him a kiss. "We will, don't hurry."

At this moment, they heard Bombalurina yelled. "Rum Tum Tugger, you are flirting with Etcetera again!"

Rum Tum Tugger ran out from a baby room; Etcetera and Bombalurina were followed. "God! I am in a big trouble!" he cried as he ran out of Rumpelteazer’s nest.

Don't run!" Bombalurina ran after him with anger.

Etcetera shook her head slightly. "A fox may grow gray, but never good!"

All of the Jellicles were laughing, and Mungojerrie joked. "It's a really bad model for my kittens."

Rumpelteazer smiled. "But we can teach them in a positive way."

Old Deuteronomy said. "I am glad to see these new couples developed: Munkustrap and Demeter, Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina, Alonzo and Exotica, Victoria and Plato. Our Jellicle tribe will prosper and thrive."

"Excuse me!" Skimbleshanks said as he held up Jennyanydots’ hand. "We…are a new couple, too."

"Oh! You finally made it." Mistoffelees yelled.

"Yes! She likes me too." Skimble said happily, and Jennyanydots looked shyly.

Victoria teased her. "Why don't you tell us, Jennyanydots. Did you two play secret game as we did before?"

Plato embraced Victoria’s waist and smiled. "Don't embarrass them, I know the feeling of secret is not nice."

Victoria gave a kiss. "I know."

And all of the Jellicles laughed. After the party, the visitors left Rumpelteazer’s house and walked in different directions. They were almost couples, and Mistoffelees felt very lonely as he walked on his own.

"Do you want to hunt for mice with me for a while, Mistoffelees?" A voice said. Mistoffelees turned and saw it was Cassandra who was alone, too.

"Sure, why not?" and both of them smiled at each other shyly, then walked toward the direction of the setting sun.

~~~~END~~~~~~