Disclaimer: Munkustrap, Macavity, Jellylorum, Jennyanydots, Grizabella, and Deuteronomy belong to RUG (Really useful Group). This story was written just for fun, I don't profit from it in any way.

Macavity had recently returned to our Jellicle Tribe. He was strangly sweet and caring.
I lay looking out at him from my home. Two kittens- my niece and nephew- raced into my house.

"Uncle Munkustrap, tell us about that red cat!" Allegro said excitedly

"Macavity," the other, Ebony, said cooly.

"What is it you wish to know?" I asked in reply.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Allegro asked, bouncing around.
I grinned at Ebony as she rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Do you really wish to hear the tale?"

"Yes, yes!" both kittens yelled.

I smiled at them. "Alright then. Sit down- Allegro, stop bouncing.

"A long time ago, when I was your age," I began, quickly loosing myself in the memory...

*******************************************************

I was a very young kitten, learning to lead the Tribe. My closest friends were Macavity and Grizabella. They were my only escape from what I had thought to be endless hours of Jellicle Training. Together, the three of us caused more trouble than all the other Jellicle combined!
We had been out torturing mice when we first met her.

She was the most beautiful queen I had ever seen in my life. She sent my heart to the Heaviside with a single look!
She had long black fur, and coal gray eyes. She walked with utter confidence, knowing that she was beautiful.

"Um... hello," Macavity said brilliantly.

"Hello," she said smoothly.

"Uh....I'm, um... Macavity," he said.

Grizabella rolled her eyes and said "I'm Grizabella. That's Macavity, and that's Munkustrap. who're you?"

The cat looked startled. "Oh, well I'm Gretyn."

"Gretyn? What kinda name is that for a Jellicle?"

"I think it's a beautiful name," I muttered.

"What's a Jellicle?" Gretyn asked, sounding confused.

We stared at her. "You don't know what a Jellicle is?" Macavity marveled.

Gretyn shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

"Maybe she should go talk to my grandfather," I suggested.

"Why? Why take her back there? she'd just hate it," Macavity said.

"I'd like to meet your grandfather, Munkustrap," Gretyn said quietly.

I nodded quickly. "Okay, then we're going to my grandfather."
We ran as fast as we could to his home. "Grandfather!" I shouted, searching for him. "Grandfather, where are you?"
He jumped down behind us. "Oh!" Gretyn said, startled.

I waved to him. "hiya, Grandfather! Look who we found!"

"Who did you find?" he asked gently.

"Her name's Gretyn. She doesn't know what a Jellicle is."

"And... did you explain to her Munkustrap?"

"Um, well, no. I thought you could do better than I could at explaining, and-"

"Munkustrap, you must learn to explain. now, tell her what a Jellicle is."

I fiddled with a tiny piece of grass for a few seconds, feeling like an idiot. "A Jellicle is cat."

"No duh," I heard Macavity whisper to Grizabella.

"We, um... Jellicle means 'dear little kitten.'"

I glanced over at my grandfather. he nodded for me to keep going.
I just kinda stared for a few seconds, trying to think of what to say.

"Jellicles form a Tribe. We're a close community of cats," Griz said for me. I glared at her.

"Oh! I've heard of you! I just never knew what you were called."

"You can, of course, become a Jellicle," Grandfather said.

Macavity and I looked at her eagerly, waiting for her response.

"Oh, well..." she said hesitantly. "I don't know...I've never really had a home..."

"You could have one!" Macavity said loudly. I kicked him and giggled.

Gretyn met his gaze. Then she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no. As much as I would love to get to know your kind a bit more, I'm afraid I can't. I wouldn't fit in...and I'm not to certain about other cats." Her gaze returned to Grandfather. "You understand, don't you?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry you chose that path, my dear, but I do understand. It is hard for a cat to reverse their ways."

Gretyn looked as though she were going to cry, then turned and ran with her head held low toward the city.

I stared after her, and Macavity let out a loud shriek and ran after her.

I glanced over at Griz who stared at Macavity's form in silent shock.

"Deuteronomy? What just happened?" Griz said. She sounded upset.

Grandfather laughed softly. "He's fallen in love, young ones. I guess he's determined to find her, no matter where she goes." He paused, then glanced at the sky. "You'd better rest good tonight. The Ball is tomorrow."
Griz and I let out a loud cheer and ran home. I didn't sleep well that night. I kept hearing my friend's shriek as he watched the one he loved leave. And the look in his eyes....the look came back to haunt me.

*******************************************************

I snapped out of my story quite suddenly.

"Is that all, Uncle Munkustrap?" Allegro asked, sounding disappointed.

"No, no...I'm just remembering something."

I gave a heavy sigh. I should have realized it back then! I scolded myself. The scream and the look in his eyes....

"Uncle Munkustrap?" Ebony asked curiuosly. "What's the end of the story?"

I gave a smile and continued on...

*******************************************************

I did manage to sleep that night, even with the haunting noise and eyes.

"Psst! Munkustrap!" I felt someone poke me in the arm.

Letting out a warning shriek, I jumped from my bed. I was startled to see Macavity and the queen Gretyn in my room. I rubbed my eyes sleepily. "Don't ever do that again, Macavity! You scared me!" I glanced at Gretyn. "What's she doing here?"

"We're leaving, Munku. We...we want to be together. And the others would never let her stay if they found out she wasn't a Jellicle."

I stared. "You're leaving? You- you mean, Gretyn's leaving, and you wanted me to say goodbye to her so I would know-"

"No, Munku. I'm going with her. I love her, and, well, she loves me."

I gasped. "No! You can't leave! Who'll be there to tell me to stop acting all grown-up like, and who'll be there to talk with me about the queens, and to chase mice and go hunting and race-"

"Munkustrap, stop talking for a moment! Griz'll be there for you. Maybe she can't talk to you about queens, but still! She'll be there to do almost everything with you!"

I shook my head. "It won't be the same, Macavity. Please," I begged. "You can't go."

Macavity came over and hugged me. It was odd; we'd never hugged before. "Goodbye, my friend. Can't wait to see you a leader someday," he whispered.

"Goodbye," I whispered back, tears streaming down my face.
After he left, nobody saw or heard anything from neither he nor Gretyn for a year. And in that time, matters only grew worse for me. Grizabella decided to leave the Tribe. My two best friends were gone.
Then, a few months before our next Jellicle Ball, Gretyn showed up. She was carrying a large bag with her.

"Munkustrap!" she whispered. "I'm so glad I found you!" She opened the bag, and two kittens fell out. "They're mine and...Macavity's. Oh, Munkustrap, you must help them! Macavity has grown so...evil! I feel like he blames me for the fact that he has no home anymore!"

I set a paw on her shoulder, and looked at the kittens. "What are their names?"

"Tremission and Muncaster. Will you take care of them?"

I hesitated only briefly. "Yes. I'll see that they're taken care of. Don't you worry," I added, looking into her eyes. "Where are you going?"

She looked at the ground. "As far away from here as I can." With that, she hugged me quickly, turned, and ran out of the junkyard. I stared down at the kittens. They were old enough to live without their mother, but too young to be without a family.

I sighed heavily. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum would take care of them, or the twins Coricopat and Tantomile...
I hurried over to see Jenny and Jelly. They were talking about a topic I'd never heard the two talk of- toms. They were giggling, something else that was rare of the two.
I knocked on the door to Jelly's home. "Jellylorum?" I called.

The two came rushing up. "Yes?" Jelly said in her soft tone. "What is it?"

"Macavity- you remember Macavity, right?- has kittens. Two, one tom and one queen. Tremission is the tom, and Muncaster is the queen. Will you-"

"I'd be glad to!" Jelly interrupted.

"I'll help!" Jenny said eagerly.

I pushed the kittens into Jelly's home.

"They're adorable, Munkustrap! We'll take good care of them, won't we you sweetie kitty kitten," Jenny said, lapsing into "kitten talk" at the end of the sentance. I laughed and trotted away. Time to tell the others of the new additions.

I went over to Demeter and Bombalurina, who were playing with some of the youngest kittens in our Tribe. "Bombie, Demmy, we have two new kittens to our Tribe. They were strays, but have joined us. They're not much older than Electra and Victoria," I said, nodding to the two kittens. "Tell the others. I'm going to find Grandfather and tell him."
I hurried as fast as I could to the village, where Grandfather was laying in the heat of the rising sun.

"Hello, Munkustrap, how are you this fine day?" he greeted me.

I smiled. "I'm good. Grandfather, there's two new kittens in our-"

"I know, Munkustrap," he interrupted. "Gretyn came to me to ask if they could join us. Who is caring for them now?"

"Jennyanydots and Jellylorum."

"Good. Return to them. They will need a tom around."

I bowed, and ran back to the junkyard. On my way home, a cat pounced on me and knocked me off my feet.

"Munkustrap!" he hissed at me.

I stared, then whispered, "Macavity!"

"That's my name."

I grinned at him. "Are you coming back? Back to the Tribe, that is?" I tried to hug him, but he shoved me away.

"Your puny little Tribe? Hah! I have no reason to return to your kind," he sneered. "No, no, I just want my kittens back."

I realized suddenly why Gretyn had brought them to the Tribe.

"We-we-we don't have them," I stuttered.

Macavity started pacing in a circle around me. "No?" He shook his head. "That is the foolish way to play it, Munkustrap." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "You should give them to me. Or I will have to take them home, where they belong."

"You will never have them," I shouted. "They aren't yours for the taking!"

He laughed coldly. When he spoke, his voice was a poisonous ice. "No? They aren't mine?" He shoved his head close to mine. "They are my kittens, Munkustrap." He stopped talking quite suddenly, and looked me up and down. "Or, should I be calling you O Wise Leader now? Well, no matter, Wise Leader. Those kittens are mine. And I will get them back."

*******************************************************

I stopped talking and stared at my young neice and nephew. Both looked frightened.

I hugged them tighly. "Don't you worry, my dears! He's nice now. He's had time to think about everything he's done."

"Is that the end of the story?" Ebony whispered.

"No, it isn't, but it's near the end."

"Tell us the end!" Allegro said loudly. I nodded. This time I wouldn't loose myself in the memory. It was far to painful for me.

"I was terrified of what he would do to me, so I turned tail and ran as fast as I could. I was quick to warn the others that Macavity was a mad cat who wanted his kittens. Several stood outside Jelly's home, waiting for Macavity to come to take his children back.
He didn't come that night. No, instead he waited for the Jellicle Ball. He kidnapped my grandfather and Tremission, his son. He left Muncaster alone.
Grandfather said Macavity destroyed his son. Macavity turned Tremission against the Jellicles- against his sister. In any case, Macavity became very dangerous to our Tribe. Which was why, when I chose this area, I was careful to make it open enough to see all that happens. That way, I can keep a close eye on Muncaster, and watch for any signs of the strays coming to hurt our Tribe."

"Is that the end?" Allegro demanded.

I laughed. "Yes. It's not much of an ending, but that is how the story ends."

"What about Tremission? What happened to him?"

"No one knows. He might still be alive, but we don't know that."

"I like Macavity," Allegro announced.

I smiled and hugged the children. "So do I. So do I."