Demeter woke to the sounds of some argument going on outside. She was momentarily disorientated and confused as her eyes struggled to focus on the den she was in. As far as she could make out she was lying on her side, curled up on something soft with a blanket covering her. The angle of the light from the door was wrong for it to be her own den. Groaning Demeter raised her paw to rub her aching head and touched a thick bandage. What had happened? It was painful to breath and her head hurt so she must have been in some kind of accident. The baffled queen tried to concentrate on sitting up but her body didn't seem to be responding as normal and the moment she moved she felt sick and the pain in her chest got worse. Giving up Demeter lay back and closed her eyes. Somebody was bound to come and tell her what had happened soon. After a while she felt a little better and ventured to open her eyes again. This time she could see more clearly and could make out her surroundings. Immediately it became clear that she was in Jenny's den and was lying on a bed near the small window in the wall on the left. Now Demeter could see a bandage with a little bit of blood on it wrapped tightly round her chest. Everything came flooding back to her, the fight, trying to stop Munkustrap, Macavity's claws slashing towards her... Demeter shivered and looked at a cheerful picture of some flowers pinned to the wall hoping to distract herself. Only then did she pay any attention to the noise from outside the den. Munkustrap seemed to be reasoning with somebody who was sobbing and lots of other voices muttered in the background. Occasionally an angry voice could be heard over the general din but Demeter couldn't work out who was speaking.

As she lay there attempting to catch what was being said Jennyanydots bustled quietly into the den. She looked over at Demeter and seemed surprised to see she was awake. "How are you, Sweetheart?", Jennyanydots asked with concern and she hurried over to Demeter and settled herself beside the bed holding her paw. "Can you remember what happened?" She was trying to sound cheerful and calm but inside she was shocked to see how ill the injured queen looked. It upset her to see Demeter like this when she had seen her playing happily with little Jemima just a few hours ago. Now she looked pale and was clearly in pain and couldn't even raise her head of the pillow properly. She did lose a lot of blood, Jenny thought to herself, She'll recover and be as good as new in no time.

Demeter nodded her head feebly and immediately regretted it as it made her feel dizzy and sick again. "There was a fight. Macavity hit me and I can't remember anything after that," she whispered and squeezed Jennyanydots' paw tightly.

"Munkustrap brought you here when you were hurt. The cuts are very deep and you lost a lot of blood but you were lucky and you'll be fine now," Jennyanydots smiled reassuringly down at Demeter. She straightened the blanket with her free paw and glanced nervously back over her shoulder at the entrance to the den where you could clearly hear shouting and cursing. Her ears flicked as she listened but she tried to act as if nothing was the matter. It wouldn't be good for poor Demeter if she was stressed and upset right now.

"What's going on out there?" The yelling had clearly not escaped the patient's notice. After all it was just outside and there wasn't much Jennyanydots could do to drown it out. They could now both hear Macavity's voice raised above the others hissing some threat at some unknown Jellicle. Munkustrap cut him off mid sentence saying something neither of the queens could make out.

Jennyanydots sighed and wished she could have avoided telling Demeter about the argument going on in the Junkyard. "Macavity has been banished for first attacking Munkustrap, then injuring you," Jennyanydots held up a paw when Demeter opened her mouth to interrupt, "and then trying to kill Victoria."

Demeter gasped in shock. Macavity had tried to kill Victoria? Why would he do something like that? She just couldn't believe it. "Then Bombalurina got all upset and started shouting and trying to defend Macavity saying Victoria must be making it up so Plato got angry with her and started sticking up for Victoria," continued Jenny, "and now they are all falling out. Some people believe Victoria and some people aren't sure. It's a nightmare." She looked so worn out and worried that Demeter carefully lent over and hugged her. It did nothing to help her bad head but it made Jennyanydots smile so Demeter smiled back and sank back onto the pillow.

Outside Macavity was snarling and twisting in Tumblebrutus and Plato's grip. "Let me go!", he hissed with a dangerous fury in his voice and thrashed from side to side his claws raking the ground as he struggled to get free. He glared with hatred at Munkustrap stood calmly on the rubbish above him and howled with pain and rage when Plato angrily twisted his arm.

"Shut up, Scum!", Plato snarled and twisted harder so Macavity was forced to stop thrashing or his arm would break. "Much better," Plato sounded smug. He was clearly enjoying this.

"Plato, stop that." Tumblebrutus looked disaprovingly over Macavity's head at his friend. "I know you're angry about what he did to Victoria but don't sink to his level. He's being punished by being thrown out of the tribe." This made Macavity snarl even more viciously and snap his long fangs at Tumblebrutus.

"He clearly apreciates your help," Plato said sarcastically, "I don't know why you bother trying to be nice to him."

Above them Bombalurina was shouting at Munkustrap and practically hysterically shaking him by the fur. "I've only just found him again after all these years! You can't do this, you just can't!" The scarlet queen's voice rose to a high-pitched shriek and she began to sob. "He's your friend, Munkustrap! How can you believe he would attack somebody like that? I can't believe it! I just can't!" She collapsed in tears at his feet and Munkustrap bent down and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I know it's hard to believe but people change. He can't stay here just because he used to be nice. He's a danger to all of us if he's going to start fights and threaten to kill people because he doesn't like them. I can't allow that." Munkustrap felt genuinley sorry for her and wished there was another way to sort this but there wasn't. Bombalurina would just have to face the fact that Macavity had to go.

"Are we sure he has to go?", Cassandra called over, "How do we know he's as bad as you say?"

Munkustrap rolled his eyes with excasperation. "We've been over this, Cass and I thought we'd already proved that he did all these things. Please don't start that again."

Cassandra shrugged her elegant shoulders and leapt down off the beam she was balanced on to stand by Alonzo. "I'm just asking. His sister doesn't seem to think he's that bad and shouldn't she know him best?" She ignored the look Alonzo was giving her trying to make her stop talking.

"She wasn't there and didn't see everything so she can't know," Tumblebrutus helpfully pointed out.

"Did you see everything? You don't know exactly what happened either," Cassandra retorted sounding angry.

Plato opened his mouth to argue on his friend's behalf but Munkustrap interrupted him. "My decision is final. I am the protector of this tribe and I think he's a threat and I am telling him to leave so all of you stop arguing." At that Cassandra, Plato and Tumblebrutus all shut up and glared at each other. "Thank you. Now kindly escort Macavity from the Junkyard." Munkustrap jumped down to stand right in front of Macavity. The silver tabby was still covered in bites and scratches from the fight but he didn't look angry any more. He was just doing his job.

Macavity began to struggle again as Plato and Tumblebrutus dragged him towards the Junkyard gates. Alonzo and Munkustrap followed them and soon the whole group was out of sight behind a stack of junk. The others could only hear Macavity cursing and threatening and the occasional angry response.

With a loud sob Bombalurina made to follow them but Jellylorum stepped in front of her. "Don't go after them," the older queen said kindly, "Why don't you go and see Demeter. She might be awake by now." She put a comforting paw on Bombalurina's shoulder and lead the still crying queen to Jennanydots' den. "Jenny, how's Demeter?", she called quietly, "Bomba's come to visit her."

Jennyanydots came bustling over and hugged Bombalurina. "She's fine now. She woke up a while ago and has been waiting to see you. I told her about Macavity and she though you might need some one to talk to." She took Bombalurina over to see her friend who was waiting impatiently.

"Are you alright, Bomba?", Demeter asked straight away and threw her arms around the red queen who sniffed and hugged her back. "I heard all about it and I'm so sorry. You couldn't have know what he was like."

Bombalurina nodded sadly and snuggled up on the bed beside Demeter. It felt nice to have somebody who understood how she felt without her having to tell them. Demeter had cared about Macavity too and she would know how hard it was to accept the fact that she would never see him again even if he had turned into somebody she hated.

Jellylorum and Jennyanydots quietly slipped away leaving the two queens together to cheer each other up. "They'll be ok," Jennyanydots said as they made themselves some tea, "They were alright after a while when he left last time."

Across the Junkyard by the gates Macavity was struggling against his captors hissing and spitting. He didn't want to be thrown out like some kind of criminal. "Let go of me! I can walk by myself," he growled at Tumblebrutus who ignored him and just kept walking. "Munkustrap!", Macavity spat the name, "Make them let go of me. I don't need to be dragged along like this."

The silver tabby just shook his head and opened the gates for them. He looked sad as if he regreted having to do this. It wasn't a nice job having to be the one to decide to throw somebody out for good but some one had to be responsible for the safety of the tribe and make that kind of decisions.

Plato and Tumblebrutus dragged a livid Macavity out of the gates and threw him on the floor in an alley. He tried to leap at them but Plato hit him and knocked him back onto the ground. "Don't even think about it," he hissed as Macavity went to get up again claws out looking murderous, "There are four of us and only one of you so I wouldn't try anything stupid."

Macavity stayed lying on the pavement his tail slashing angrily from side to side and his eyes burning into Munkustrap's. "You'll regret this, Munkustrap," he sneered coldly and got slowly to his feet. Turning his back on his new enemies he walked away from the Junkyard. As he heard the gates clang shut behind him he swore he would make them pay for what they had done to him. His face broke into an evil smile as he stalked away already planning his revenge.