"Rumpelteazer," Roquefort called obliviously as a small giggle came out of the tall grass, "Rumpelteazer; where are you?" The giggle grew louder; he turned towards it, making her 'eep'. "I wonder where she could be..."

He pushed the grass apart, revealing her, "You found me, how did you know where I was," she laughed.

"Lucky guess," he lied as he picked her up and tickled her. She began squirming about in his arms, trying to free herself. She was now two and a half months old – nearly eleven weeks – she was growing and staying healthy; not to mention dirty. She was rather polished compared to him, he's been running out for Macavity almost every night this week – picking up packages, dropping them off, hiding things – it was getting tiresome. Rumpelteazer began kicking, eventually hitting him in the shin and bringing him to the ground. "Ow, okay, I'll stop tickling you."

"What happened Roquefort," Rumpelteazer asked as she glided a paw over a long scratch across his shoulder. He raised his paw to cover it and bit his lip.

"It's just a cut Rumpel," he said gently, "Nothing to worry about."

"Do you think I'm stupid," she accused, crossing her arm, "You didn't have that when I went to bed last night-"

"It's nothing, and you should stop hanging around Cat Morgan, you're getting his attitude," he added hoping to deter her from the subject at paw.

"Tell - me – now," she enunciated through clenched teeth.

"It happened when I was doing something from a friend," he sighed.

"Mustn't be a very good friend if he's letting you get hurt," she pointed out, moving his paw so she could inspect the cut, "It doesn't look too bad."

"Sometimes you act so mature it scares me," Roquefort remarked, standing back up, "It reminds me that you're growing up."

"So are you," she interjected, "and so is Cat Morgan. You should become friends with him; he wouldn't let you get hurt."

"I'm sure he wouldn't," he said, grabbing her paw and leading her out of the grassy area, "Come on, it's been a day since you ate last, let's find some food."

"'Kay," she sighed as they began walking down a nearby street, "Roquefort... tell your friend that I don't want you getting hurt, alright."

"Sure, I'll tell him that."

"Something troubling you Roquefort," Macavity asked when he entered the alley that night, a new task in mind for the tabby to run. Roquefort looked up from his perch on top of the crate where Rumpelteazer was currently sleeping.

"I was just thinking about what Rumpelteazer said earlier, is all," Roquefort said, glad that he didn't need to think up a way to bring up the topic, "She, inadvertently, said that you weren't a good friend and she didn't want me to get hurt when I was doing things for you."

A grim smile crawled across his face, slowly walking towards the younger tom, who shielded away slightly, "She doesn't want you to get hurt; well now isn't that sweet? Wouldn't it just be... horrid if instead of you getting hurt," he crouched down and stroked the sleeping queen's cheek, "she was to be hurt instead?"

"What are you saying," Roquefort growled, jumping off the crate.

"I'm merely saying that accidents can happen. Why one night she could go to sleep and," he extracted his claws and inspected them with a smile, "just not wake up."

"Are you threatening me with her," Roquefort accused as Macavity nodded, "I can't believe this. You helped me save her when she was just born, you gave her life."

"I gave it to her and I can take it away; unless I'm not provoked to do so, so I suggest that you step up in your work. There's a black tom cat four blocks over, he lives in the third garbage can in," Macavity said as he walked away.

"What about him," Roquefort asked. Macavity turned around, the moonlight glinting off of his toothy grin and in his eyes, making him seem anything less then malicious.

"Kill him... if you cherish your sister's life."

Roquefort exhaled deeply; eyes squeezed shut, paws shaking, stomach churning. His chest was heaving with each shuddering breath as he raised his paws. He peered out at them – red. He closed his eyes again and fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face as the agonized scream continued to echo in his ears. He felt around for a puddle and began cleaning his paws upon locating one. Macavity and Griddlebone watched from the top of a nearby fire escape, identical smug grins on their faces.

"He actually did it," Griddlebone whispered, "He's a murderer."

"Of course he did," Macavity said, "He learnt that he doesn't want to displease me..."

Griddlebone giggled as the tabby shakily got up, staggering and swaying on his paws. He turned and ran blindly down the street, tears down his cheeks and his paws wet, but clean. He tripped, upon entering his alley; he looked up and saw Rumpelteazer's form not too far away. He crawled over to her and gently rested his paw on her, feeling it move as she slept, "Still breathing... Still living... Still safe"

A/N: Let's make this quick – I got 12 minutes! Another snowy day up here – if roads are good I'm going to an info session for Memorial University in Antigonish. We found out who's playing who in Drama – I'm Sleeping Beauty. I already got teased about that I home – I sleep like a log – and Sleeping Beauty's one of my nicknames. Our school is doing the Traditional rewrite of the script so that I shall have lines aside from that one yawn. And hey, I get to wear another pretty dress! Don't you just love Macavity in the chapter? Boy howday that's one short chapter

Nabooru – That's Macavity – he's always a crowd pleaser. Lots happens next… Just wait until they get up

Chimmy-Lava – That was the main point for this fic – Mud. He has to die because… I wrote him dead in the sequel to this. Although I do suppose that we could say that he ran away… no Teazer saw him. Adam's happy that I'm Sleeping Beauty because he's Cinderella's Prince so he falls in love with me during Act 2… something like that. I'm afraid what he's going to do while I'm sleeping. Anywho – I'm trying to get his costume to have tights – keep him in line. Peace

Mima-Love – Teachers are stupid and the snow should have stuck about longer then it did. I never gave the sock a second though and you just have to love kittens. I wish I had a cat but I'm allergic to them. Sucky. Duck Cheese and crackers!

Mystitat – He hasn't a clue….

Hahahaha…A delicious Bass.