Would it be useless to apologize that it took three weeks for me to write this chapter? I hope not: I'm so very sorry. You deserve an explanation though and I suppose it would be that in the last chapter I reached a point in the story where everything was pretty much fine and dandy in the middle point where my main characters finally did something we've been wishing they would do for about ever. That put me in a little rut because to get to the end you have to disturb that and put things on a new storyline and I found that transition a bit difficult. Still, I think I've done it and although I always had the story planned in my head I think I have some writing momentum going again now. All that, and I have essay deadlines coming from every direction that are really getting in the way of life. Education is so inconvenient at times!

Anyway, I'd like to retrospectively wish you all a Happy Halloween and a Happy Guy Fawkes night. I kinda wanted to write the latter one into this story but it didn't really fit the pacing. Maybe I'll do it next chapter.

Hope you enjoy!

Curiosity Killed The Cat

Chapter 9

Delusion

It puzzled Misto as to why he physically reacted in the way that he did to kissing his new beau. He seemed to be perfectly fine when they kissed tenderly and sweetly but when it came to stepping past that and allowing passion to consume them both he didn't understand why he experienced something akin to an out-of-body experience – if indeed that was the appropriate term for it. Perhaps it was just Macavity being a master of his art or some sneaky facet of his being a magician but whatever the reason Misto simply couldn't resist letting his mind instantly melt whenever Macavity pushed his tongue into his mouth and put a carnal, animal mark on their previously well-behaved smooching. It was heavenly but sinful and above all Misto just didn't care about anything else. If Macavity could make him feel that amazing and delightfully bad at the same time then who was he to try and fend off the pleasurable effects?

As it happened Misto found himself floating about a mile higher than his body which incidentally was in the clutches of the Napoleon of Crime in a secluded corner of the junkyard on a surprisingly bright and sunny autumn afternoon. Around them the light seemed to make everything look rather orange and yellow but the chill in the air reminded the world to maintain its distinctive autumnal touch. A tree that hung over the junkyard's fence occasionally shed a few withered leaves which rained down around the pair of toms who kissed secretly down below and truly the setting filled them both with a strangely youthful buzz. Perhaps for Misto it was the thrill of doing something so forbidden and loathed by his tribe and perhaps for Macavity it was the delight of managing to so easily dupe the Jellicles and do something so bad with one of their own but it was probably the sheer thrill of being caught that really frightened both of them and only made them want to do it more. What they were doing was taboo and to get away with it was like finding the Holy Grail.

Macavity pulled away from his Misto who lay beneath him on the remains of what probably used to be a coffee table and watched as the black and white cat's grasp on reality returned to him. It made him chuckle to see Misto's eyes and ears flicker briefly before shaking his head and staring up as if he didn't know where he was. It was an adorable sight but also one he found most gratifying and reminded him that his tongue had never lost its mastery.

"What's wrong?" Misto asked as he breathed slightly more heavily to get his breath back.

"I just wanted to see you do it again"

"It's not funny"

"It is"

"Well, it's not fair"

"Why is it not fair?" Macavity asked before sitting up, pulling Misto onto his lap and then lightly nipping at the fur on his neck.

"Because it's not"

"I think it is"

"How do you even do it?"

"I'm just a fantastic kisser"

"I'll say you are" Misto said grabbing Macavity's head and pushing him onto his back before pressing their lips together again, "Maybe I just need to find a way of doing it to you"

"I'd like to see you try"

"You underestimate me"

"We'll see"

The two rolled around together for a little while longer before they both ended up on their backs staring up the emptying branches of the tree which loomed over them silently.

"It's getting colder now," Misto said lightly.

"Are you sure? It seems to be fairly warm today"

"No, I mean that the weather as a whole is getting colder. Winter is on the way"

"Oh, I see. I suppose you're right."

"I suppose we'll have to start spending more time indoors soon"

"Well, you can spend as much time at my lair as you like"

"Don't think I won't. I'll just have to think of something to get the tribe off my back"

"Oh, just get up and go whenever you like. I would"

"Of course you would but I don't think it would be as simple for me"

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Munk's really protective over us for some reason. It's the kittens especially and I think he still sees me as one"

"But you're not. I've certainly proven that"

"Yeah, well, maybe one day he'll let me be a grownup. Until then I think he'll be keeping and eye on me as close as he can"

"Should he have reason to?"

"Well, of course he has reason to" said Misto before rolling towards Macavity and pecking him on the lips, "but I don't think he's discovered you yet. Then again, he has been paying closer attention to me recently. I don't think he knows about us though"

"Do you think there's even a tiny chance he might?"

"I don't know. How could he really? I'll just have to keep an eye on him"

"As much as he keeps and eye on you?"

"Exactly"

"He really is a total bastard"

"Oh, come on, Macavity. I wouldn't go that far"

"Well, I think you've only seen his nice side"

"And you only his nasty?"

Macavity sighed, "I've seen both but been more at the receiving end of his nasty. He's just a jealous wanker"

"Jealous?"

"Jealous wanker. He could never get any of the queens when I was around"

"Oh…" said Misto not sure of how to feel about the comment, "and toms?"

"He's not interested. Even so, I think he was jealous of how I could always get more than he did"

"Right. Well…right. So…is that how you two fell out?"

Macavity was quiet for a moment before looking back at Misto,

"It might have contributed…but no, that wasn't the reason."

"Oh…" said Misto feeling he'd driven them both to an awkward place. Fortunately Macavity could see exactly how he was feeling and was quick to relieve him of his bad feeling.

"I would tell you, Misto. It's just that I don't want it to change the way you see me. I want you to see me as I really am without all the unpleasantness getting in the way"

Misto didn't really know what to say. On the one paw he didn't want to force Macavity to tell him something he obviously didn't want him to know but on the other paw he desperately wanted to know why this magnificent cat had been thrown out of his home.

"It wouldn't change anything. I won't see you any differently"

"I don't want to risk it. Misto, what happened was bad and I just don't want anything like it from the past ever to get in the way of the future. Our future"

"Oh…" said Misto with the same absence of direction, "Well, alright. No, actually that's fine. I'm not being fair. I'm sorry"

Macavity smiled and wrapped him in his arms again,

"No, it's alright. Why wouldn't you want to know? It's just that I'd prefer to let the past die…or at least let it die as best I can"

"Okay. I can understand that."

Macavity smiled even more,

"Oh, Misto. You are nothing but a blessing to me"

"I am not," said Misto bashfully.

"You are. Thank Everlasting you fell into my life"

"Quite literally in a way"

"Indeed that's true"

"So, how about-"

The pair were suddenly distracted by a faint voice calling 'Misto' from somewhere nearby and a second later the pair could hear a clattering getting closer. Misto froze but Macavity jumped to his paws and looked around frantically.

'Misto' came the voice again making the small black and white tom flick his head towards the direction from which it came in a panic. He didn't know what to do and after a moment desperately looked back to where he thought Macavity would be. True to his name Macavity had vanished and Misto sat there stunned for a moment before a chortle broke through and he spoke into the empty air but also to Macavity's ears that he knew were still listening somewhere close by,

"How do you do that?"

"Practice" came a fierce whisper from a direction Misto for the life of him just couldn't pinpoint.

"Misto?" came the voice more clearly and with enough detail to reveal its owner.

"Yes?" the smaller tom said turning his head and looking up at the periphery of the junk ridge that had concealed both he and Macavity up until that point. Looking back at him was the face of the silver tabby they'd been talking about and a moment later the bigger tom jumped up into full view.

"What are you doing all the way out here all on your-" Munk said before stopping abruptly and sniffing the air rather ungracefully. As he did so Misto could see he didn't look altogether perky and the flattened, drab appearance of his fur coupled with the slight rasp in his voice and the redness in his eyes only backed that deduction up.

"Are you alright?" Misto asked with a hint of surprise at the bigger tom's appearance.

"Yes…I just thought I smelled..." he began before stopping and staring down at Misto with more than his usual sternness, "…are you alone?"

"Yes"

"There's no one else here with you?"

"No. Who do you think you smelled?"

"…No one. I just…never mind. Anyway, what are you doing out here?"

"Just…taking some time out away from everybody else. It's a good place to think"

"I can think of better places. What makes here so nice?"

"No one would think to come here of course"

"Of course" said Munk with the same sternness and hint of deductive thought.

"Anyway? Are you sure you're alright? You look terrible"

"Thank you"

"Sorry. It's just…you look really tired"

"Yes, well, Demeter hasn't been well"

"Oh no. Will she be alright?"

"She'll be fine. It seems strange you'd choose here to get away from it all though. It's not particularly conducive to…anything for that matter"

"Well, it works for me"

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to hide something," the silver tabby said with a hard stare which he didn't conceal in any way.

"What do I have to hide?" asked Misto wondering whether the game was up and hoping he wasn't letting his nerves or desperate attempt at keeping his tail from lashing show through.

"You are a secretive cat, Misto. Are you sure there's nothing going on?"

"Munk, what's with all these questions? It's like you've never met me before"

Munk stood there silently for a moment not knowing where to go. Perhaps it was his exhaustion that was making him ask such blatant, suspicious questions and perhaps a well-rested Munkustrap might see he was being foolish for being even slightly suspicious about Misto - a cat who reason would tell him was probably the least likely to be doing something he would see as unfavourable or distasteful. Long, sleepless nights had given him time to think though and with his current load of stress being the only thing giving him food for thought he was beginning to lose sight of whether or not his suspicions were unfounded or not and something close to minor psychosis was occasionally beginning to creep in. Since Misto had inadvertently slipped into his equation for the cause of his mate's distress over Macavity the poor black and white tom had only garnered more negative light in his exhausted mind and while Munk told himself thinking that way was insane certain clues and happenings had started to give him cause to think that maybe thinking that way wasn't so crazy after all.

Why was it that he constantly thought he could smell Macavity in his junkyard? Many reasons. Why was it Misto always seemed to be in some way linked into that scent even in tiny ways that would otherwise be discounted as coincidence? Fewer reasons. Why was it he had now found Misto in an obscure, secluded location without any obvious reason to be there and at the same time get a strong sense of his brother's scent hanging around. One reason – that is if his recent midnight musings had been accurate.

Surely Misto wasn't secretly spending time with Macavity though. That was lunacy, wasn't it? This was Misto: an unassuming, generally quirky cat yet with an undeniably good character. He surely couldn't be up to something that he must have known was no good.

"Munk?" Misto asked with an air of concern and awkwardness.

"Wha-?" was all Munk could say as he was dragged out of his delirium to look down at Misto and gawk.

"You drifted off there."

"Oh, right. Yes, sorry. Um…okay, just come back soon, please. It'll get dark before long"

"And that'd be bad?"

"Just do it, please" the silver tabby said before turning and beginning to walk away, "I have a million problems that need dealing with and I'd really like wondering where you are not to be one of them"

"Okay, keep your fur on" Misto said as he disappeared from view.

Munk plodded away feeling a headache starting to come on and as he stomped down the trail that lead back to the junkyard's centre so too did he run his paws through his head fur and try to keep his mind clear. It was no use though since he just couldn't shake the feeling that he'd definitely smelt his brother again. As such he was thrust back to that place where he was wondering whether Misto was associating himself with the worst cat in existence and while that seemed silly he couldn't deny that everyday brought with it new evidence to support that conclusion. He didn't like thinking it but it seemed in some way possible despite being completely impossible and as he trudged on he found he really didn't have the energy to convince himself otherwise.

He really hoped Misto wasn't doing what he suspected but truth be told he couldn't deny he had that feeling which seemed to suggest he was up to something not quite right.

With a frustrated sigh Munk increased his pace and again simply told himself he was being ridiculous. Misto was not that kind of cat and surely he wouldn't be so silly as to make friends with Macavity. Misto was the cleverest cat around so surely he had enough common sense to keep away from anything that objectionable.

Then again, what if his hunches were right?

"Oh, Everlasting Cat! Help me!" he said angrily as he stopped dead. This was just another mental battle he'd been having with himself today. It can't have been healthy and as he stood there he simply wished he could have a break from his current state of strife.

'Whycan'teverythingjustbehaveasitshouldforonce?' he thought to himself as he stood there in the slowly cooling air.

Back at the junkyard's fence Misto waited for a while and listened intently for what seemed like ages before finally saying,

"He's gone"

"I know," said Macavity making Misto jump and spin around to find his tom standing right behind him.

"What is it with you appearing out of nowhere?"

"I rather think it's a unique skill"

"Well, not anymore" said Misto standing up and touching their noses together briefly.

"So, I see that daffy idiot is still just as crazy as ever"

"I don't know, he's looking very tired and stressed"

"Getting old. Well, he always was ten years older than his body"

"No, it's something else. Something's really bugging him"

"Misto" said Macavity taking the smaller cat's face in his paws, "While I cannot fathom the reason as to why you think it important I for one can't think of anything more boring than worrying about that deranged, stuffy, idiot brother of mine. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to take you to dinner."

"Alright" said Misto forgetting about everything else, "Lead the way, McVities"

"Please don't call me that. It's bad enough those two scoundrels think they can"

"So should I try and think of a name for you that only I can use?"

"'Macavity' really isn't a name you can do much with"

"How about 'Macaroon'?"

"No, thank you"

"'Old MacDonald'?"

"No"

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something fun"

Macavity rolled his eyes and sighed before beginning to lead Misto away and saying,

"If you must"


Back in the centre of the junkyard the kittens were causing as much mayhem as ever and were in the middle of a rousing game of something between tag and hide and seek. Asking one of them what they were playing would have been fruitless but somehow they all seemed to know what they were doing and even if they didn't it wouldn't have taken long to realise that all one had to do to join in was to run wildly and shout to the high heavens.

The group of furballs flew around the clearing causing other cats to jump out of their way and then dodge falling junk as it was knocked from surrounding piles but since the Jellicle Leader was watching them go and laughing along with their antics no one seemed to mind the chaos they were causing. Old Deuteronomy loved kittens and had done so for a long time. As such he watched them as he waited for his son to return and greet him on this seldom visit he'd decided to make.

Munk, as it happened, was in the process of storming his way back to the clearing and as he began to hear the loud shrieks of calamity radiate from where he was heading so too did he groan at the throb which threatened to grip his skull. Still, he knew there was nothing to do but face it and as he struggled not to start pulling his fur out then and there he pushed himself onwards to take on the kittens' madness which waited for him to arrive any moment now.

As soon as he set a single paw on the floor of the clearing he was surrounded by kittens who jumped at him and clung to his body as if he were their favourite toy and whilst he really wasn't in the mood to receive such a bashing he nonetheless put up with it so as not to look bad in the face of his father. With massive strain he lugged himself and various kittens along with him towards the old tom who sat patiently waiting for him and as soon as he'd hauled them upwards onto the big tyre he turned and began to shake them gently off of him.

"Okay, everyone, that's enough. I'd like to talk to Old Deuteronomy now"

The kittens simply looked back at him without moving.

"Get off me now, please"

Still they stared unwittingly.

"Get off!" he suddenly shot angrily and shook the smaller cats off of his body making them quickly scarper. He stared at them as they sped away and wondered briefly if he had been too harsh before closing his eyes, sighing and sitting down without looking at his father who if he had he would see was just as calm and composed as ever and looking for the perfect moment to speak up.

"I see you're having trouble keeping a hold of your mind" the old tom said after a few moments.

"No, sir, I-"

"Munkustrap…"

"Sorry. No, Dad, I'm doing just fine"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You look a tad stressed"

"Well, that's a given. I'm handling it though"

"And what exactly is 'it'?"

"Just…the tribe. Keeping things in order"

"Well, I shan't pretend it's something that's easy. You do know it wouldn't be shameful for you to concede that, don't you?"

"Well, you and I see that quite differently"

"I know. I also know how you consider your duties and how such behaviour can't always be entirely healthy"

"So you say"

"So I know. I do think you push yourself too hard"

"Well, that's for you to think"

"Don't talk back to me, Munkustrap"

"Sorry, Sir"

"Sir?"

"Father"

"Oh, come on, Munkustrap"

"Fine. Dad"

Old Deuteronomy sighed,

"We got there. Now, why don't you start at the beginning and tell me all about it?"

"I said I was handling it"

"Even so, I don't expect you to keep me in the dark"

"Oh, Dad, come on…"

"Now, please, Munkustrap"

Munk sat there stewing for a moment like a spoiled kitten and finally opened his mouth when he realised he wasn't going to get out of this.

"Fine. Well, it's getting colder now and the rats are seeming to become slightly more scarce although I think there will be enough for the time being, there's been some strays hanging around nearby but they're keeping their distance so I don't think we need to worry and Jenny's seeing the kittens are prepared for the winter so all in all I'd say everything is fine"

"Well, that's good although I don't think all of that would lead you to looking so run down"

"Well, I always have a lot on my plate"

"Very true but keeping it to yourself isn't going to make you feel any better"

Munk sat silently again for a moment and wondered whether or not he should tell his father about the problems with Demeter, the problems with Misto and his own sense of losing his mind and thought for a moment it would be a great idea since his father always knew what was best.

How could he do that though? How could he confess that things were not going well? It was, after all, his job to keep things on the straight and narrow and he couldn't bear to admit that he was losing his grasp on things. Even further than that he didn't want to admit to himself things were becoming harder to control. Everything had to be fine – end of story.

"I…uh…I've just been worn down lately" he eventually said, "Ever since that mess at the ball I've been keeping a closer eye on things and haven't been able to get much sleep. The kittens are getting older too and they're finding new ways to run rings around me so it's much harder to keep them in line"

Old Deuteronomy chuckled allowing Munk to feel like he'd given him the slip.

"Ah, yes, they do get cleverer. You were certainly like that at their age"

"I was?"

"Indeed. It was your brother that was the easy one despite how hard that might be to believe. Tugger was never one to push me too far when he was a kitten and I only wish the same could be said for him now"

"Me too."

"Well, I suppose that's just the way he is and I wouldn't like to change him"

"I would"

"Well, I think you know what I mean"

"Yes, well, maybe" said Munk feeling thankful that he didn't have to skirt around the big issues anymore. Feeling as if he'd escaped he cleared his throat and spoke again, "Uh, listen, Dad. Do you mind if I carry on? Only I've still got plenty to do"

"Yes, yes, go on then but please don't work yourself too hard"

"I won't" said Munk as he got up and left leaving the older tom shaking his head knowing that no matter what he said Munk would always be one for stretching himself farther than he should.

Without much going through his head he sloppily plodded back to his den and once there threw himself down on his bed which he found to be surprisingly empty. He had expected Demeter to be there getting as much rest as she could but fortunately she seemed to be out so must have been having a good day without apparitions of Macavity haunting her.

Slowly the silver tabby turned himself over and looked up at the ceiling and allowed his tired mind to wander for a while and enjoyed the few precious moments of downtime he had before he knew he'd be called away once more. It was certainly true what his father said: he probably did work himself too hard. In the end though he considered the amount of work he did as standard for the duty he was charged with and as such didn't moan or contest with it in any way. It was simply his job and if he didn't do it then the Jellicles for whom he cared so dearly would have to look out for themselves and despite how highly he thought of them he knew many of them weren't capable of doing so. They were a family more than they were a tribe and even more than that they were his family who he would hate to see come to any kind of loss or misfortune. He cared for them and wanted them all to be happy and he was perfectly content with that being so even if he couldn't be happy himself. That was truer some days than it was on others and it seemed no truer than it had been for the last couple of weeks – more or less.

Demeter was undoubtedly his world and he hated himself for not being able to protect her from something. She was the most amazing cat he'd ever met and he never wanted to see her unhappy. Now something had come along and was hurting her and even though he knew exactly what it was there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Or was there? Perhaps in prior days he might have come to that conclusion but he'd been afforded time to think and although he might have been a little crazy he certainly seemed to have reason in his mind now to think that maybe there was something he could do about his mate's distress. That is, of course, if what he assumed was accurate and as he considered it he allowed himself to play devil's advocate for a moment.

Say that Macavity was indeed coming into the junkyard and was somehow – despite how farfetched it seemed – was doing so under his very nose. That in itself was something to be very concerned about. The burning question though was why and as such it seemed he had an answer – despite not knowing the reason for that answer. Say Macavity was in some way engaging himself with Misto, that gave him even more reason for concern because he'd never have assumed that was a cat Macavity might have any kind of interest in and as such he wondered what kind of game his despicable brother was now playing. If these two points were true then not only was Macavity coming into the junkyard but he was trying out a new, much more dangerous way of disrupting them and possibly even hurting them and that to Munk was just awful. Moreover, if it was true then how could he not have seen it at first sight?

Through his annoyance with himself though there was a little red flag that went up in his mind and interrupted that internal strife. If indeed Macavity was working his way in through Misto then that was indeed bad but it seemed Misto was now lying to him and trying to play him for the fool. If it were all true then why on earth would Misto do such a thing? He must have known, after all, what a terrible cat Macavity was but it seemed the fact was that he'd ignored all of their dire warnings and tales of caution and was still disobeying and thinking only of himself without regard to anybody else's safety.

If it was true then it was very bad and Munk didn't like it one bit.

Unfortunately for Misto Munk remained on this train of thought for a while and as he spiralled further and further downward so too did he lose his grip on reason and start to believe that what he assumed about Misto was not just conjecture but a given and as such he grew quite angry with the smaller tom. Maybe it was just because he was desperate for an outlet to his grief and strain but no matter what the reason he felt Misto was almost taunting him by thinking he could get away with secretly seeing Macavity and that to Munk was disgusting - almost as disgusting as the Napoleon of Crime himself.


Time passed slowly as the rest of the night went by and as per recent times Munk did not have an enjoyable few hours. Aside from Demeter actually seeming to be okay on this particular night and seeming to show a flicker of her usually cheery self she quickly hopped off to bed in order to try and get a good night's sleep for once leaving Munk to stew alone on the big tyre perched at the edge of the clearing. He had not been in a good mood all evening and coupled with annoying kittens, a rambunctious brother and a wealth of other problems he'd had to sort out he was now tired and irritable and not primed to do anything else. Still, he had to sit there all night and keep a lookout for anything that might throw itself at him.

When everything died down and everyone made themselves scarce he sat there for the rest of the night going through his problems one by one and then cycling back to the beginning until he'd worked himself into a real funk. He was not happy and the problem was he didn't have an outlet for his building anger.

That wasn't entirely true though, there was one thing he knew of that was at least a viable outlet for that rage and that was Misto. He may not have had his brother to rip apart and he may not have been able to get inside his mate's head and destroy whatever problem she had but he did have Misto. It may not have been right but Misto was the single, physical, undoubtedly real option which, should he decide to use him, Munk knew he could release his frustration upon.

Strangely enough this time he didn't tell himself he was being crazy and while he let those thoughts retire into his tortured subconscious for a while he didn't wipe them out completely. If he'd known what he was doing then he would have known to fix it straight away but due to his internal disruption he was not thinking clearly and as such a dangerous ball of disillusion and anger began to simmer deep down inside him. That smouldering nag remained there for hours as he sat and looked on and remained waiting until much later when the unfortunate Misto decided to make his return.

As such, Misto had up until that point had rather a nice evening and was feeling quite contented as he ambled along with Macavity back towards the junkyard shortly before the sun began to light the horizon for the morning. They'd spent a lovely evening together and Macavity as always had pulled out all the stops to give him a nice night. Of course, nowadays, they spent a lot of their time alone with their lips pressed together as all relationships in their early stages tend to follow. Needless to say they were very into each other and it made Misto feel annoyed that any minute now they'd be back at his den and Macavity would have to leave.

As they neared the junkyard's central clearing they slowed and Macavity looked to his side where Misto gazed back happily.

"I had a wonderful evening with you" he said to Misto with just as much allure in his voice as always.

"Me too" replied Misto without trying to hide his kittenishness, "Do you want to come in for a while?"

"I'd love to but I'm not sure my mouth can handle another workout tonight"

Misto giggled,

"Oh, come on. I'm sure you've got another one in you"

Macavity smiled back and then rolled his eyes,

"Alright then but not too long. Let me just…" he said as he trailed off and silently climbed up the junk periphery of the clearing and peered delicately over the top. "…Oh damn. The bastard's sitting right there"

"Munk? Can't you distract him"

"No, I'd better not. We don't want him to start suspecting things"

"Oh, can't you come in for a little bit?"

"Sorry, Misto. I suppose you'll just have to wait for tomorrow night"

"Please!" the smaller tom said widening his eyes and trying to look as cute as he possibly could. Macavity just chuckled and leapt back down to kiss him again. As usual they spent far longer than just a moment doing so and eventually parted with each other's head in their paws.

"Sorry. I'd better go or he'll start smelling me"

"But I hate to see you go"

"Really? I rather like watching you go"

"What?" asked Misto with strange confusion before Macavity suddenly slipped his paw down to Misto's hip and gave him a wry look. "Oh" Misto said before turning slightly red and biting his lip.

"Perhaps you might extend me the same courtesy tonight"

"If you insist" said Misto failing at hiding his sudden feeling of cheekiness.

"Okay, see you tomorrow" said Macavity before kissing his tux again and parting from him slowly. As promised Misto allowed his eyes to wander down to the bigger tom's behind as he wandered away and felt a stirring, bubbly feeling within him that made him even more embarrassed than before. Macavity certainly was well crafted in that region and Misto found there was absolutely nothing he didn't like with what he saw.

When the red tom had disappeared from view Misto gathered together his dreamy mind again and turned around to begin his last little walk to his home on the other side of the junk. As he went he felt he almost hovered through the air and the feeling of being on a cloud was simply heavenly putting a bounce in his step. Unfortunately for him he also made quite an exhibition of his re-entry into the clearing and as soon as his pristinely black and white fur came into view Munk's eyes were upon him and burning holes in his slender form.

Suddenly the object of his mind's current turmoil was there in front of him and the silver tabby saw nothing else but red. There was something else burning inside now and it pushed him right over the edge into a bad place that would soon see him regretting himself more than ever.

There was Misto, the cat he was angry with but what's more there was Misto returning from wherever he had been much later than when he'd been told to come back. Munk specifically remembered he'd told Misto to return to the clearing soon and that was before the sun had even gone down. Coming in now was a real mockery and Munk couldn't believe the tux's audacity. Where on earth had he been and what had he been doing? How dare he think he could get away with something like this?

In an instant Munk was on his paws and storming over to Misto who didn't see him coming until the last moment. The sudden shock of seeing Munk's face as black as coal was almost frightening and it made the tux jump at the sight of it.

"Oh! Hi, Mun-" Misto began.

"Don't you, 'Hi, Munk' me you little shit! Where the hell have you been?"

Misto simply stood there like a deer in the headlights at the sudden outburst of his protector and could only respond with a stuttered mumbling with no kind of meaning. Munk wasn't even in the mood to let him reply and simply carried on in his rage.

"Do you think it's alright that you can just do whatever you please? Don't you have any respect for anyone but yourself? Are you that damn selfish?"

"I…I…What? What are you…?" was all Misto could say.

Munk cut him off and simply let his anger flow freely into the quivering tom in front of him and once he let it loose he found it very difficult to hold back the mountain that had built up from previous days' torment. Maybe it was because it felt good to let it out or maybe anger only begat more anger but whatever the reason Munk's shouting became ever more heated and all Misto could do was stand there in shock and terrible confusion.

Then something worse happened and it only served to make Misto suddenly feel terrified. In an instant Munk halted his ranting and sniffed the air in front of Misto with a deep look of horror on his face. It was the scent of Macavity and in that moment rationality was completely gone. Misto had been with Macavity; he just knew it and that made Munk all the more livid. With acid in his voice Munk once again spoke making Misto feel very exposed and endangered.

"Where have you been?"

"N-…Nowhere" Misto squeaked feeling his mind go blank.

Without warning Munk suddenly reached forward and grabbed Misto's wrist before clamping all his strength down on it in fury.

"I said where have you been?" he shouted down at Misto as he began to cower and yelp from the pain with the dull cracking of bones threatening to break radiating through the air.

"Nowhere!" Misto shouted as he tried to pull away but Munk simply held on and only clamped down harder on the poor tux's wrist. Without thinking Munk let his claws flare and as he gripped they began to pierce Misto's skin and make the smaller tom shout out in fear and agony.

"I'm not going to ask you again!" screamed Munk getting right up in Misto's face, "Where have you-"

"Munkustrap!" came a sudden screech from across the clearing making the silver tabby suddenly release his grip and spin around. Suddenly he felt his thumping heart sink and a coldness gripped him as he looked around to see dozens of pairs of eyes stare back at him in horror. It seemed the entire tribe had heard his shouts of fury and had come to see what the commotion was only to find him bearing fiercely down on Misto.

Carefully he looked around to each of them and then finally settled on one pair that belonged to his mate who he now realised the shout belonged to as he replayed it in his mind.

Before he could speak he suddenly heard a scrambling and turned around just in time to see Misto disappearing down his pipe into his den. Straight away he realized what he'd done and was filled with a stabbing regret that shook his entire body and made him feel simply awful. How could he have done what he'd just done and to Misto above all things? Of all the cats that he could have snapped over how could he have done it to him?

As he slowly turned back he uncomfortably locked eyes with Demeter once more who seemed to be in shock as she gazed back with her eyes wide and her face disgusted. He didn't know what to do and as the painful seconds ticked by he simply continued to stand there and soak in the shame and judgement of the tribe that had always looked up to and depended on him.

Things had really become bad now and as Munk thought about his life – now with a less blinkered, less angered view – he couldn't believe where he'd allowed himself to end up.


The next morning wasn't easy for Munk. Needless to say it hadn't taken long for Demeter to begin savagely reprimanding him for what she'd seen him do to Misto and not long after she'd stormed off to stay with Bomba for the rest of the night he'd had the rest of the tribe on his case. Most of them had simply torn into him with their loathsome stares but Jenny, of course, had taken time to tell him exactly what she thought. It seemed she also still saw Misto as a bit of a kitten and hadn't taken kindly to seeing what he'd done to one of her sweet little babies. Needless to say Munk parted with her feeling about and inch tall and thoroughly emasculated.

Now the next day had come he made sure to get up early – not that he'd slept much – and left his den so as not to have to deal with the rest of the tribe – at least not yet. He had to apologize to Misto and hope the tux would forgive him for being such an arse. He really did feel dreadful for ripping into him like that and now that the feeling had sat within him for a few hours he had never felt more worthless. What he'd done was truly despicable and he hated himself for it.

Without wasting any time Munk padded across the clearing in the cold, dim morning air and stopped at the entrance of Misto's den. He waited there for a while simply watching his breath cloud in the cold and tried to steady himself as he attempted to find the strength to go in. Seeing Misto was going to be tough since this time he was the one that was in the wrong. It was very different offering an apology rather than receiving one and as such Munk didn't like being in the position he was in.

Still, what else was there to do but get it over with? He'd done something horrible to Misto and right now the very same cat was inside his den keeping to himself and out of sight. Munk knew how Misto reacted when he was frightened like this and as such he was sure the tux was feeling quite afraid. He had to fix this right now and so with a gulp the silver tabby ducked down and crawled into the pipe.

Inside Misto was still sleeping and as Munk straightened himself up in the darkness of the den he walked over quietly to look at the cat he'd screamed at. When he stopped he could see a bandage wrapped around the wrist he'd pierced with his claws and straight away remembered how hard he'd gripped him and began to feel even more disgusting.

Briefly he wondered whether or not to wake Misto and eventually decided he couldn't let the feeling of shame linger in his consciousness anymore. So, with a lasting pang of regret in his heart he reached down and gently shook Misto awake.

At first the tux stirred quietly and then cracked his eyes open only to flinch and scoot up in his bed when he realised whom it was.

"It's okay! I promise! Please, just hear me out"

Misto sat there rigidly and looked back at Munk with fear in his eyes as he tried to bring his sleepy mind together. Last night had been utterly petrifying and for the life of him he had never seen Munk's outburst coming. As such he'd fled as soon as he'd gotten the chance and had spent the rest of the night delicately bandaging up his bleeding wrist which still stung terribly. Now the morning had come it seemed bruising was beginning to set in and even though he couldn't see it through his jet-black fur Misto could feel the dull ache and stiffness of his abused arm muscles coming to join the sting of the now less fresh lacerations.

Munk hated seeing him like that and wished he could click his fingers and make it alright again. Still, that wasn't the way the world worked and he had to start somewhere. With another heavy breath he began his attempt at apologizing.

"Misto, what happened last night…I…"

He stopped when he realised he really didn't know what to say and remained silent letting the tension build between them magnanimously before he felt short, fleeting words fly into his mind hoping they might make sense when he said them.

"…I…didn't mean to…explode like that…I was…Oh, I don't know what I was, I was just angry and upset…Things haven't been going well recently and I…Oh…I don't know…"

Munk turned around and pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt more of a fool than ever. He was terrible at this and he can't have been making Misto feel any more at ease. He'd really screwed up - he wasn't used to doing that and therefore he wasn't used to making up for it. He could have been making things worse without even trying and as he began to feel like dirt he almost began to wish he hadn't even tried. Still, he'd started now and stopping would only be less useful.

"I'm sorry" he simply said with every last shred of sincerity he had within him, "I never meant to lose my temper with you. You didn't even do anything wrong and for one moment I let my mind get carried away and started to believe something that's so obviously untrue"

Still there was silence from Misto and Munk didn't know how to carry on. As he felt himself becoming only less at ease he sighed again and decided to just lay it all out for Misto. Maybe then he'd understand.

"Look, Misto, I'll tell you the truth. Things have not been right with Demeter lately and it's really getting me down. She's been having nightmares and panic attacks thinking that Macavity of all cats is going to get her. She's always been scared of him and I think all of that mess at the ball really spooked her. Anyway, she's been falling to pieces and there's nothing I've been able to do about it and so I'm sure you see why I've been getting…well, the way I've been"

Misto was still quiet but Munk could tell he was listening so he carried on.

"Well, anyway, she gets these feelings whenever Macavity's nearby and although it seems she might have been having false alarms she's been having a lot of them lately or I suppose what seem like false alarms and there's doesn't seem to be an end in sight. It's kept me up a lot and for some reason I've started to believe they're real. Worse than that I even started to think you were the one he was coming for."

Misto suddenly perked up at that and had a look of something close to horror in his eyes as Munk hit the nail right on the head although unwittingly. Fortunately for him Munk didn't know how correct he was and dashed what he'd said straight away.

"Don't worry! I know how ridiculous that sounds and I never should have let myself think that. I can't believe I ever doubted you for even a second"

Misto sat rigidly but managed to bite his lip in worry which Munk only interpreted as some kind of acceptance.

"Well, there it is. That's the long and the short of it and I do understand how stupid I've been. I don't expect you to forgive me right away but I do want you to know how sorry I am." Briefly Munk glanced down to Misto's wrist before saying, "Does it hurt much?"

"A little" said Misto quietly. The words were so meek and timid that they practically tore a hole through Munk's heart and only made him feel like more of a monster for abusing Misto in that way.

"I'm so very sorry. I promise I'll never do it again"

"Okay" said Misto in the same voice as before.

"Can I do anything for you? Bring you anything?"

"No, thank you"

"Alright" said Munk turning away to leave. Just before he left he turned back and smiled weakly at Misto who managed to mirror the expression in his shocked state and then he left without another word.

Misto simply sat staring at the door in sheer amazement at what Munk had said and had no idea he'd figured out what he'd been. True, he didn't know that he knew but it would only take one tiny piece of evidence to prove himself right and Misto just couldn't believe it had happened. How could he have believed for a moment that he would have been able to pull the wool over Munk's eyes and see Macavity without him finding out. He was in trouble now and he had no idea what to do with what he knew.

All he did know was that he wanted Macavity right away and so without hesitating he jumped out of bed and fled from his den and out of the junkyard making sure Munk didn't see him as he went. As he ran he fought back moisture in his eyes as he wondered if things were over as soon as they'd even begun and desperately hoped it wasn't true. He didn't want to stop seeing the one cat in the whole world he felt most in tune with and to even think about it upset him more and pushed him to run faster.


In his lair Macavity slept soundly after his lovely night with Misto and smiled in his sleep as he dreamt about the beautiful little tux that he was over the moon about. Nothing at all could have prepared him for the sudden ball of fur that came flying at him and jolted him out of his slumber making his fur puff up and his claws brandish before he looked down to see the very unhappy face of Misto staring back at him. Quickly he blinked to make sure he'd seen the waking world properly and when he found he had he suddenly swooped down and took the poor, upset Misto in his arms.

"My, dear, whatever is the matter?" he asked as tenderly as he could.

"Munk knows! He knows, Macavity! He figured us out!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"He came into my den this morning and told me he thought we were seeing each other. I mean, he doesn't know he knows but he does know and he might-"

"Shh shh shh shh shh" said Macavity putting his paw to Misto's lips and hugging him tightly once more to try and calm him down. He sort of got the idea of what the tux was saying but it was still unclear and so he took a few minutes to let him calm down and then sat back to dry his eyes and tried and find out what the real story was.

As Misto related what had happened to him in greater detail Macavity felt his heart sink slightly and sighed when Misto had finished. It was just like his brother to be that sneaky in figuring things out and it was one of the reasons he detested him. Still, not all was lost at this point and so he did his best to try and reassure Misto that things were still going to be okay.

"Misto, my darling, it's alright. It will be alright, I promise you"

"But how?" Misto said with fear, "All it would take is for to him to be in the right place at the right time and then it would all be over"

"Misto, relax. I promise you it won't come to that. You seem to forget I'm very good and sneaking around and remaining undercover"

"Not so good, it seems" said Misto making Macavity smile as he felt some of Misto's sass returning.

"Well, maybe I've been a bit lax in keeping out of sight. I'll just have to be better at it"

"But…I don't know"

"Well, I do and I know that I'm not going to stop seeing you just because my idiot brother has a hunch."

"But…how?"

"Just leave it to me. I'll make it all okay"

Misto smiled weakly and buried his face in Macavity's chest once again letting the bigger tom hug him and stroke him gently in the stillness of the early morning. Eventually they both lay down again and Misto soon drifted off to sleep in the warmth and comfort of Macavity who held him close. He did not go to sleep and as Misto lay next to him he allowed himself that time to worry about what was really going to happen. He had to keep a brave face for Misto but he couldn't deny that this was going to make things more difficult. He couldn't go without seeing Misto though and so somehow things were just going to have to work in any way they could.

They stayed there for hours and as Misto slept and it wasn't long before Macavity noticed the gauze surrounding his wrist. It wasn't like Misto to forget to take care in anything he did but eventually he just shrugged it off and smiled. After all it seemed someone as clever and innovative as Misto was always going to hurt himself sooner or later; surely that was just a law of nature.


The rest of the day passed with both Munk and Misto keeping away from the Jellicles and when evening finally came around Munk found himself slinking back from patrolling the furthest reaches of the junkyard's perimeter to the darkened but no less judgemental clearing. Trying not to look at anyone he set his sights firmly on the big tyre from where he could sit and look out – again hopefully without having to look at anyone directly – and make sure they were all safe. He considered asking Alonzo to go on watch that night but he was pretty sure he'd seen just as much disgust in him the night before when he'd let loose on Misto.

With a withered sigh he placed himself down on the tyre's hard, weathered rubber and sat there staring at his paws whilst every now and then looking up to make sure everything was as it should be. Every time he did so he felt the dagger-like eyes pierce him from almost all of the Jellicles who actually understood what he'd done and it wasn't long before he retired back to his den to escape their stares. Unfortunately for him Demeter was waiting for him inside and she once again took the time to tell him what a horrible thing it was he'd done. It wasn't nice but Munk was at least glad to see her acting like her usual, feisty self.

Much later when he was sure everyone was gone he exited his den once more to begin his watch without the Jellicles' resentment and as he sat silently in the cold, clear night air he looked up into the sky to the stars which shone back at him from way up in the Heaviside layer. For some reason they seemed different tonight and for the first time looking up into the vast expanse with those millions of twinkling lights - coupled with the feeling of dread he held within from being hated by the rest of the tribe - made him feel very small in the grand scheme of things. He'd never quite considered how tiny and insignificant he really was in the world and it put into perspective for him just how important the love of his fellow Jellicles really was.

His philosophical musings were interrupted when he felt a great big mass of something throw itself down onto the tyre with him and before he could bring his eyes down to see what it was he was punched on the shoulder by a leopard printed paw. With a groan Munk rolled his eyes and rubbed the spot before simply saying,

"Good evening, Tugger"

"Alright, twat-face?" the maned tom said as made himself comfortable.

"What can I do for you?"

"Not much. I thought you might want me to tell you where Misto is so you can go and beat him up again"

Munk shot him a glare before turning away shamefully once more.

"I didn't mean to behave like that. You know I wouldn't usually"

"And yet there it is. Well, I can't blame you really. Probably all that tension building up inside. What is it? Can't perform in the bedroom anymore?"

"No"

"No it's not or no you can't?"

"No, it's not"

"Strange. I always suspected it would be the other one"

"Oh, do shut up, Tug"

Tugger smiled meanly and lay back on the tyre. He loved tormenting his older brother like this.

"Why'd you do it anyway?"

"Do what?"

"You know what. Why'd you lay into Misto like that?"

Munk sighed,

"I forgot myself for a moment and lost my temper"

"Oh, come on. There must've been more than that"

"Nope. Not really"

"Well, what did he do to you to make you so mad?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing"

"So you've finally gone crazy, is it?"

Munk was quiet for a moment and then finally said,

"I don't know. Perhaps. I thought I was sure about something that in reality is ridiculous and I got carried away and eventually snapped. I never should have let it get so far"

"Let what get so far?"

Munk sighed again,

"Well, you may as well know. I've been run ragged recently and-"

"I noticed. You look like hell"

"Thank you. Anyway, I've not been doing so well and without telling the whole story lets just say I got a bit delusional. Because of that I, for some reason, thought Misto was sneaking off to see Macavity behind our backs and I couldn't see how stupid I was being until after I'd exploded at him"

Tugger sat there for a moment with a look of strange confusion on his face before finally saying,

"Err…crazy wankers say what"

"What?"

"Exactly. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking. That's the point"

"Even so, are you that much of a psycho loser you couldn't see thinking that was more than twat-faced?"

"Your vocabulary is truly inspirational"

"Don't get funny, shithead. What the hell kind of crazy are you spouting nowadays?"

"The kind that makes me do what I did I suppose"

"You better apologize to him as soon as you can"

"I did this morning"

"Did he accept?"

"I don't know. He didn't say much"

"You must've really spooked him, you massive idiot!"

"Yes. I am an idiot and I know it. I wish I could take it back but I can't and now the whole tribe hates me"

"Well, at least your perception isn't off. Firstly, don't whine like that because you sound like a bitch and then maybe you should try apologizing again"

"I…well…maybe you're right. Next time I see him I will"

"Come to think of it I haven't seen him all day"

"Really? I mean, I didn't because I wasn't here but you haven't either?"

Tugger simply chuffed and shook his head.

"Yeah, you know what? I bet he actually was with Macavity making little Munkustrap voodoo dolls. Any minute now you'll start feeling the pins when they push them in"

"Oh, sod off, Tug!"

"Well, can't you hear yourself? You're doing it again"

"I know! I know! Everlasting Cat, I need to get a grip!"

"Hallelujah! He's seen the light!" shouted Tug throwing his arms up in the air. Munk just slumped and looked away and for a moment Tugger could see the sheer amount of shame the silver tabby felt. On this very rare occasion he actually felt sorry for his brother and as the silence lingered on between them he eventually groaned and clasped his paw on his brother's shoulder. "It's alright, Munk. Things will go back to normal"

"I don't know, Tug. Things aren't going well"

"Well, start with Misto. You know he'd never do something like fall in with such a bad crowd as Macavity"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right"

"And listen. We threw Macavity out years ago so he probably hates all of us. Why on the one paw would he even consider trying to be friends with one of us when he hates us all so much and on the other why would Misto, the cleverest cat we know, be naive enough to fall for one of his tricks if he were trying to somehow get in?"

"Hmm. Yeah, you're right. For once you're actually right"

"See? I'm not as dumb as you think."

"I wouldn't go that far"

"Don't be such a tosser! Anyway, I'm off. I'm gonna go and give Bomba a seeing to"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Tug!" sneered Munk as he desperately tried to clear the image from his head.

"Hey! Can't go too long without letting a little love out. I might burst! See you later, twat-face!"

"Yeah, see you later" said Munk grimly as he watched his brother go. He was not the brightest bulb in the pack but when it came down to it he was actually quite clear thinking. What he'd said made sense and Munk decided he really had to try and think along those lines from now on. No more conjecture. No more playing devil's advocate. No more letting himself spiral into madness. He had a duty to be the best protector he could be for the tribe and that meant he had to always be on the straight and narrow. That was his task now and he swore to himself that he wouldn't try to do anything else.


Across rooftops and chimneypots many streets away from the junkyard Macavity and Misto sat snuggled up together keeping each other warm as the chill of the night threatened to nip at them. Macavity had decided to keep things simple on this particular night and since the skies were so clear he thought of nothing better than to sit out with Misto and simply watch them float slowly by. He couldn't deny he had the extra motive of getting to hold him close to keep him warm and as they both looked up he did so with a smile as he felt the smaller tom shift every now and then in his arms to become more comfortable.

One thing was bugging him though and it was the fact that Misto had been quiet all day. He hadn't been very talkative and had been fiddling with the bandages on his paw quite a bit and wincing here and then when he pushed too far. Macavity had neglected to ask him up until now how he'd hurt himself and hadn't even considered the real reason for the wounds. He decided to work it into conversation somehow but first things first: he had to find out what was keeping Misto so silent.

"Are you okay, my darling?" he asked as he rubbed his head against Misto's.

"Yes. Fine"

"Are you sure? It's just that you've been a tad quiet today"

"Sorry"

"Don't be sorry. I was just wondering if you were okay"

"Oh, yes."

"Nothing at all on your mind?"

"Nope"

"Not even some tiny little thing that might be keeping you from being completely here?"

"I…well…nope"

"Well, nope? What does that mean?"

"It means nothing"

"Come now, Misto, there's definitely something going on. Won't you tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell. I promise"

"You promise?"

"Yes"

"A promise is a big thing to make if you're lying"

"I'm not lying"

"Swear on it"

"I swear"

"Swear to me"

"I…I swear…oh, come on…"

"You can't swear to me, can you?"

"Do I need to?"

"No, you don't. It's enough proof for me to know you're not telling the truth"

"I am telling the truth"

"Then swear it to me"

"No"

"There we are then. Come on, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry"

"Come on, Misto, don't shut me out"

"I'm not, it's just…don't worry about it"

"Misto until whatever it is gets sorted out I won't be able to stop worrying that you're not on top form so please tell me what it is. Maybe I can help"

"No, you can't. Don't worry"

"Come on. Is it how you hurt yourself?"

"No. Well, yes, but it's nothing"

"How did you do it?"

"I didn't. Don't worry"

"You mean someone else hurt you?" he said suddenly sitting back and looking at him with a hard stare. How dare someone hurt his Misto!

"No. I mean, yes, but it's really nothing to worry about"

"Who did it?"

"Nobody"

"Misto" Macavity said taking the tux's head in his paws and looking deep into his eyes with a stare that made Misto feel like he was plugging the deepest depths of his soul. It was very exposing and Misto didn't know whether or not he liked the feeling. After a moment he continued, "Who hurt you?"

"Please don't make me say" the tux begged quietly which only made Macavity stare harder. The look seemed to drag the name from Misto's mouth.

"Munk"

Macavity suddenly let him go and looked at him with disbelief.

"Munk?"

"Yes but it was nothing. It was a misunderstanding"

"What exactly happened?"

"Nothing"

"Misto, don't make me force you"

"I'd like to see you try" the tux said before instantly regretting it when Macavity took his head again and glared deep into his eyes. This time it was different and without a doubt he was powerless to stop Macavity pouring his magic into him and hypnotizing him into releasing his deepest, darkest secrets.

"He shot across to me as soon as I got back last night and started screaming. When I wouldn't tell him where I'd been he sunk his claws into me and cut me badly. It was agony"

Straight away Macavity let him go and as soon as he did so Misto felt himself go very dizzy for a moment and almost felt as if he wanted to throw up before he regained control of his own mind. That was certainly a strange experience that he didn't want to repeat anytime soon and once he regained rational thought he looked back up to see Macavity on his paws and looking as if he were practically going to burst into flame.

"That lowlife, evil, mutilating bastard!" Macavity said through clenched teeth as he breathed heavily and flexed his claws, "Who the hell does he think he is?"

Misto simply looked on as his big red tom worked himself into a rage and before he could open his mouth to speak the big cat turned and began storming off towards the edge of the roof. In an instant he jumped off the edge and Misto scrambled to where he'd been to see him standing in the garden below. Nervously he called out to him,

"Macavity? What's wrong? Where are you going?"

The tux felt an icy stab run through him as the red tom turned back and glared up at him with sheer, unadulterated fury. With fire flowing from his very soul Macavity opened his mouth and shouted into the open night sky,

"That wretched bastard hurt you! I'm going to kill him!"

With eyes wide and a shiver suddenly gripping him Misto fearfully called back,

"You're not serious?"

His answer came in the flash that was Macavity darting for the garden fence and flying over it without so much as a backward glance. He meant business and Misto couldn't believe what was going to happen. He knew he had to stop it and so without thinking he ran across the roof and scooted down the drainpipe to the ground where he took off in the same direction.

He only hoped he could catch Macavity before it was too late.

So, there it is. Was it okay? Should I not have given Munk pretty much an entire chapter? Should I have made him tear a bigger hole in Misto? Let me know in a review if you'd be so kind. Mad loves to HumanGuineapig who is so faithful with leaving them and all my other reviewers who leave one here and there. Knowing that you like the story keeps me writing it and knowing you don't only encourages me to make it better!

Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter! x