A/N: Okay! Thanks for all the awesome reviews! They really inspired me to get this chapter out sooner! In this chapter, you'll learn more about family ties...I hope. LOL - I'm not sure if you'll get it or not...hopefully you will, I haven't hidden anything too annoying to figure out. Um...oh yeah, and expect a flash back!

Disclaimer: Do I own it? No.

Every day, Jemima grew, turning into the beautiful queen that her mother was. The Jellicle Ball was still two weeks away, but Jemima's speech had improved during the week, and she was introduced to even more cats that had arrived for the occasion. Her walking was getting better, but she was still slow and uncoordinated. No word had been mentioned about Grizabella, expect within the whispered conversations of the adults. One morning, Victoria and Jemima were lounging in the sun, enjoying the feeling of the warm rays against their fur.

"So...who's that again?" Jemima asked, moving her paw in the direction of an older ginger cat, walking around with Jellylorum.

"That's Skimbleshanks, he runs the train line," Victoria explained

"And that's...Asparagus?" Jemima asked, pointing to an old frail cat.

"Almost. In his younger days, as an actor, he used the stage name of Asparagus, but his real name, the one he goes by now, is just Gus," Victoria said, smiling as she looked around. "That one is Asparagus,"

"There are so many new faces...it's going be hard learning all of them," Jemima heaved a sigh, stretching her back legs out. "I just hope I get them all down before the ball,"

Victoria nodded and looked around, putting names to faces in her head.

"Are you nervous?" Jemima asked suddenly, and Victoria turned her head sharply

"About what?"

"Your solo. When you have to prove yourself?" Jemima asked

"Not really. I know I can do it. I have nothing to worry about...at least, that's what mother always tells me..." Victoria said softly, and stood up. "Come on...it looks like the others are playing a game,"

"Wait...Vic...I want to ask you something first..." Jemima stopped her with a shy grin. "Do you...do you like anyone?"

Victoria smiled, and walked back over to the young kitten.

"Well...I kinda like Admetus..." Victoria said, giggling.

Jemima giggled back, falling down on her front legs, while keeping her hind legs extended.

"And what about you...do you like anyone?" Victoria asked, poking her tongue out at Jemima.

Jemima avoided Victoria's eyes, looking down at the ground with a secret little smile.

"Oh! Jem, who is it?" Victoria asked excitedly

"It's nobody," Jemima lied, and Victoria sighed

"Come on Jem, I told you mine..." she asked

"Well...I like...hehe...I like your brother..." Jemima giggled, and Victoria's eyebrows almost rose to her ears.

"Whoa! You like Quaxo?" Victoria exclaimed,

"Shhh!" Jemima pounced on Victoria, looking around with an embarrassed look in her eyes.

Victoria just giggled, and they started heading towards the other kittens.

"You can't breathe a word of this to the other cats, especially not your brother!" Jemima hissed, and Victoria nodded seriously.

"Only as long as you don't tell anybody about Admetus," Victoria compromised and Jemima nodded.

"I'll race you to Quaxo," Victoria said with a sly grin, and Jemima laughed, jumping forward with a burst of speed.

Demeter watched the two kittens from Munkustrap's den. The three cats were in the den, relaxing and talking about the Jellicle Ball.

"Do...do you think he'll show up?" Demeter asked timidly, watching Munkustrap carefully.

"I can't guarantee that he won't...but I can assure you that we will protect you if he comes," Munkustrap told her, watching her carefully.

"Why would he come?" Bombalurina asked, standing up and nuzzling Munkustrap

Demeter looked up at the night sky, retelling the night that Macavity had left her.

"I'm pregnant...again" young Demeter exclaimed happily.

She was a still a teenager, and Macavity was a tough, streetwise tom. A year earlier, when Quaxo was born, he was ecstatic, and overflowing with pride, but the expression on Macavity's face was not what Demeter had expected. His usually smiling face had turned into an angry scowl. He had changed lately, distanced himself from the rest of the Jellicle cats. He had visited Demeter occasionally, but over time, she realised he was changing.

"That's...interesting," he scowled and she frowned.

"Aren't you happy?" she asked, rubbing her body against his.

He flinched away and hissed at the connection.

"Cav...what's wrong?" she asked, taking a tentative step towards him

"Things have changed Demeter. I'm leaving, you and Quaxo and the kitten. These cats, the cats you call your friends...they've betrayed me, and I don't want to be around them. And I don't want to be around you either. I'll come and terrorise this group, be sure to tell them that. And when your Quaxo and the new kitten come of age, I'll come and take them. I'll take them and I'll get you too," Macavity hissed, and jumped up towards the landing of an apartment.

Demeter watched him, tears filling her large eyes. She was frightened and shocked, and she couldn't move nor speak. He took one last look at her, silhouetted against the dark sky, with the large moon behind him, and disappeared.

"Oh Dem..." Bombalurina stepped towards her, but she backed up, tears filling her eyes.

"I don't want pity. I didn't get it from you then, I don't expect it now," Demeter said angrily.

"You didn't say anything! You just said that Macavity had to leave. You didn't say he was dangerous, you didn't even tell us that he'd keep coming back to hurt us. How were we to know?" Bombalurina asked, her voice rising.

"I didn't want to freak you out...I was pretty freaked myself...it doesn't matter. You know now. Macavity will show up, and he'll stop at nothing to get Victoria and Quaxo," Demeter warned them, and left the den, heading towards where Quaxo was lazing in the sun.

"I...I never knew. She's been keeping this for ages......we're so close..." Bombalurina murmured softly, and Munkustrap nuzzled her, purring softly.

"It's okay...we'll figure something out. I'll never let Macavity take your sister, or her children. We have dozens of strong toms that have been trained to protect this tribe," Munkustrap reassured her

"You, Alonzo, Tugger, Mungo, Skimble and maybe Quaxo...last time I counted, that didn't add up to a dozen," Bombalurina pointed out. "And when Mungo and Skimble are back in their own territories, we only have three and a half!"

"A half?" he asked, amused

"Well, I wouldn't give Quaxo too many points. He's still learning," she said with a smile, but it soon turned into a frown. "And if Macavity did attack, that's only three fully trained toms to take them on."

"But love...it's five, or three against one...we have a good chance of winning. I mean...I know Macavity. I grew up with him...he doesn't like fighting in a group...he likes to be independent, even if he's outnumbered. We'll get him...and we'll either kill him or talk some sense into him. Something went wrong, that we apparently did...and we've got to find out what we did wrong, if we want to make this right..." Munkustrap said, watching the kittens from inside his den.

Bombalurina nodded, and joined him at the mouth of the den.

"Jem's grown a lot in a week, don't you think?" Bombalurina asked, watching the kittens with pride.

"Definitely...and her speech is a whole lot better...she's going to be a good substitute leader...when she gets older," he said, smiling suggestively at Bombalurina

Her eyes got wider and her smile grew.

"But...what about Alonzo, and Tugger – they're next in line to take over leadership, after you of course." Bombalurina interjected.

"It's fine...I've talked to them. Tugger isn't interested in becoming a leader. He's more of a ladies' man, and being a leader means getting tied down. At least...that's what he told me. Alonzo doesn't want to become a leader, at least, not to this alley. He's lived here since we were kittens, when our father, Old Deuteronomy, introduced us to the alley, and one day, he would like to leave and rule different cats. It's nothing personal...but he says he'll stick around until Jemima takes over. If I die, before Jemima reaches that point in her life, he will be happy to take over," Munkustrap explained, and Bombalurina grinned.

"That's fantastic..." Bombalurina murmured, leaning against Munkustrap's firm frame.

Tugger watched with interest as the kittens played. He found Etcetera within the group. She was easy enough to spot – the one filled with the most energy – and she also was the loudest. He didn't know what there was about her that he was so drawn to. Like a fly to a light, he was attracted to her, and he didn't ever want her to get hurt. He denied his feelings to himself, but it wouldn't work, and he couldn't confront her, nor any of the other cats about it.

Casting a glance around the alley, he found no disturbances, except Demeter talking to Quaxo. She seemed angry, and Quaxo looked a little scared. He casually wandered over to them, nodding at Demeter when he approached her. She hissed to herself in frustration and leaped away, returning to her den.

"What's wrong with her?" Tugger asked, and he looked at Quaxo, sitting down next to him

"Uhh...she told me to be prepared, and to always be on my guard at the Ball...she said something bad is going to happen with a tom called Macavity...but I'm not quite sure who that is..." he said softly, and Tugger stiffened.

"Really...Demeter said that?" he asked

Quaxo nodded, and Tugger frowned thoughtfully.

"Well...you listen to your mother Misto...she's a pretty smart queen," Tugger said softly, before casually walking away.

Quaxo stared after the older tom, thinking about what he said. He watched the kittens, smiling as he thought of them.

Jemima was the youngest. She was mainly very quiet, unless she was with her parents, or him and Victoria. He had caught her staring at him, and he was confused as to why she would. The tom wasn't anything special, except for his magical abilities. He mulled over it for a few minutes, but couldn't pick any evidence as to why the young kitten would stare at him.

Pounicval was the second youngest, filled with energy and a strong passion for learning. Quaxo figured he would be a good hunter, or even protector when he was older. He was Tumblebrutus' brother, and they only arrived in the alley earlier this year, but Pouncival had found his place within the kittens quickly.

Electra was quieter than most kittens, but still had her fun with them. When not playing with the kittens, she seemed to be always sleeping, or lounging around with Etcetera. Quaxo didn't like Electra too much, yet he didn't understand why. Etcetera was fun, and he liked her a lot, even if she was always getting into trouble. Victoria didn't seem to like her much, but she still hung around her, which was what Quaxo liked about his sister.

Plato and Admetus were twin kittens who had wandered into the alley last year, starving and looking for food and somewhere to stay. Munkustrap had welcomed them, and they adapted to the Jellicle lifestyle. The two cats were more alike than any twins that Quaxo had ever known, and they were both extremely funny. He liked hanging around them, but that had changed over the past few weeks. Quaxo had grown to like the company of peace and quiet, and often strayed away from the alley to be by himself.

He suddenly sensed something, an eerie feeling passed through him, and suddenly he was on alert. Nobody else had noticed, except for Tantomile and Coriocopat, who were standing and looking slightly paranoid. He slunk over to them, watching them both carefully.

"You feel that?" he asked, and they both nodded in unison. "Do you know what it is?"

"Something bad," Tantomile answered him, and he sighed

"I figured that...should we tell Munkustrap?" Quaxo asked softly, and the two cats closed their eyes, trying to feel the presence once more.

"It has moved on...it could have been a bad spirit passing through. I wouldn't be concerned anymore." Coriocopat assured him, and he nodded, not entirely convinced.

He looked up at where Munkustrap and Bombalurina were standing at their den, and then turned, returning to his spot on the old couch. Trying to relax again, he stretched out lazily and yawned, fixing his gaze on the kittens again.

"You're it!" Jemima screamed, reaching out to tag Plato.

He moved at the last second, avoiding her paws. She landed heavily, rolling and ending up on her head. She scowled at Plato, as he and Admetus laughed at her. She rolled back onto her feet, and picked a different target. Etcetera screamed when she realised Jemima was chasing her, and they tore around the alley, making an awful ruckus. Several cats looked up in alarm as there was a loud crash. Etcetera had glanced behind her, making sure Jemima was far behind her, and slammed straight into a large pile of junk. Jemima, who was actually right behind her, couldn't stop in time, and they both were drowned in a tsunami of junk.

Munkustrap had heard the commotion, and had come back to the mouth of his den. He looked down, and as soon as he saw the giant mound of rubble, he leaped down towards it and surveyed the damage.

"What happened?" he asked, Bombalurina coming up behind him.

"Jem and Etcetera were playing tag, and they crashed and the junk came down on them," Victoria said, sounding panicky.

"Jem's in there?" Munkustrap asked, and without waiting for an answer, he hurriedly started clearing away the junk.

Suddenly, in the middle of the mound, the junk rose slightly, and Jemima and Etcetera came out, laughing. Munkustrap breathed a sigh of relief, and helped them out.

"Girls, you have to be more careful. Come on, we've gotta stack this up again. You guys will help," Munkustrap said, feeling a little more relaxed.

Jemima giggled, and started moving the junk around after realising that her father wasn't too upset. The rest of the cats departed, while Etcetera, Jemima, Bombalurina, Munkustrap and the rest of the kittens helped to pile the junk up.

"The Jellicle Ball is in two weeks. Are you ready?" Munkustrap asked Victoria as they were pushing a heavy piece of iron towards the stack.

Victoria nodded confidently, giving Munkustrap a smile.

"I believe that I can make it through..." she said softly, and then a thought struck her. "Uncle Munk...what happens if I don't prove myself. What happens if I fail?"

"Well...you don't get your adult rights. You won't be allowed out of the alley without an older cat, you can't hunt, we treat you like a kitten, instead of the cat that you are," Munkustrap explained.

"Daddy...how do the toms get their adult rights? They don't do any proving," Jemima asked, and Munkustrap laughed.

"Of course they do....it just happens differently. The toms go out on an accompanied hunt, just after the Jellicle Ball. The cats that are watching him will not assist, unless the tom is in danger. The tom must find a good supply of food and bring it back to us. If he succeeds, he attains his adult rights." Munkustrap explained as they hauled the last piece of junk onto the pile.

Jemima nodded, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Okay...now go and play, but be a bit safer this time, please," Munkustrap warned them, and all the kittens nodded, smiling and giggling to themselves.

Munkustrap and Bombalurina leapt up to a higher point, sick of being in their den. They watched the world, and spied on people in their apartments. They lounged around for an hour in a comfortable silence, the kind of silence you can get when knowing someone you like for so long, that you don't need to talk to enjoy each other's company.

"Would you two like to come with us and the kittens...we're going on a walk and I need more chaperones. The kittens were restless, so I figured it was necessary," Quaxo asked, his head appearing up on their level.

Munkustrap smiled, and watched the kittens who were lying around, obviously bored.

"No problem...is anyone else coming?" Munkustrap asked, glancing at Bombalurina for confirmation that she was coming.

"Alonzo...Tugger, Rumpelteazer, Mungojerrie, Demeter, Skimble and Jenny...we've made it an outing and we wanted to know if you'd be there." Quaxo said with a grin

"I'm in...Where are we taking the kittens?" Bombalurina asked, standing up and stretching

"Just to the park, where Jem, Vic and Etcetera got chased up the tree," he informed her and she nodded.

"Have you informed the cats that are staying where we're going?" Munkustrap asked and Quaxo nodded.

"Okay, then let's go," Munkustrap said and the three of them made the descent,

"Come along kittens!" Skimbleshanks said joyfully, and the kittens cheered happily.

The nine cats and seven kittens walked out of the alley, the adults checking the roads and for any signs of danger. Once Quaxo was satisfied, they made their way to the park, where the kittens joyously jumped onto the climbing frames, clawing their way down slides and launching themselves off the higher areas. The cats watched them from up trees and on park benches, always watching and making sure they were all safe.

An hour had passed when they heard a scream coming from the alley. The kittens stopped playing, and the cats all stood, their senses heightened as they waited for something that would tell them what was wrong. Another scream was all it took.

"Bombe! Grab Jem! Kittens! Follow us but don't enter the alley!" Munkustrap took action, and Alonzo, Mungojerrie, Tugger, Skimbleshanks and Munkustrap all burst forward, running as hard as they could.

The other cats and kittens hurried, but weren't as persistent to get there quickly. Demeter was tense, trying to hurry, but also waiting for the rest of the group.

The protectors reached the alley in a flash, all standing at the entrance, breathing heavily. The alley was a mess, with junk scattered everywhere. Paws could be seen, sticking out under the rubble, but none moved. In the middle of the junk, a lone figure stood, and there was no mistake as to who it was. The tall thin ginger cat with a dusty coat turned his head towards them. His sunken eyes glowed with passion, with hate, and he cackled.

"Macavity..." Munkustrap hissed.

A/N: A little shorter this time, but I left an awful cliffie...hehe. I go back to school today, so updates will be a little slower these next few weeks.