It would've been so easy to leave him there. To put the kitten in a tree and walk away.

But it wasn't in Munkustrap's nature.

Jenny and Jellylorum were going to be livid. He didn't know if they'd accept the kitten…

He shook his head. Of course they would accept him. It was a kitten.

"Admetus," he said quietly, but the kitten didn't stir.

He frowned, watching his chest carefully, making sure there was still a steady rhythm to his breathing.

He was the child of a traitor and a murderer.

Munkustrap's heart twisted with pain for the kitten.

"Come on…" he said quietly, "If they won't look after you, I will…" he told the kitten, carefully making his way back to the junkyard.

Jenny was still seething – he could see the irritated twitch of her tail as she herded Tumblebrutus into her den. He held Admetus a little tighter, already on the defensive as he stood in the middle of the Junkyard.

"Munk, are you okay?" Alonzo asked, tentatively stepping forward, eyeing the kitten in his arms, "Bomba told me what happened…"

Munkustrap bit his lip, eyes downcast. His body language shifted - Alonzo relaxed him, "She left him. She just put him in my arms and left."

Alonzo's eyes widened, "We have to go to Jenny…"

"No, she's… she's angry still,"

"It's a kitten," Alonzo said quietly, "You know Jenny. She wouldn't just leave him."

Munkustrap glanced down at Admetus, "You know who he is, right?"

"Jellicles aren't born to be killers. He doesn't even have to know who his father is. He doesn't even look like Macavity."

Munkustrap's mouth twitched, "He wasn't always red and yellow," Munkustrap explained quietly, "Don't you remember? He changed himself… his colours…"

"Bright as sin," Alonzo breathed, nodding, "I remember… he was silver and grey. Same colours as you."

Munkustrap nodded, "Same as Admetus."

Alonzo bit his lip, "Don't worry about that. He's still a kitten, and Jenny wouldn't turn away a kitten in need."

As if on cue, Admetus squirmed, letting out a pitiful mewl. Munkustrap rubbed his stomach gently, hushing him. Tugger always used to settle when he did it, and it worked the same for Admetus.

"He must be hungry…" Munkustrap said quietly, glancing up to Jenny's den.

Alonzo bit his lip, "Tumblebrutus has been weaned for weeks…" he said nervously, and Munkustrap sighed.

"Okay, okay. Let's go…talk to Jenny."

Munkustrap let out a shaky sigh, curling Admetus closer to his body. Together he and Alonzo headed up to Jenny's den.

"Jenny?"

The queen stepped out from behind the curtains like she'd been waiting just behind them, "Quiet. Tumblebrutus is asleep," she said, before her eyes fell on Admetus. Her mouth fell open, eyes widening as all anger left her, "Oh."

Munkustrap tried to say something – anything – but the words didn't come.

"She's gone?" Jenny confirmed, and Munkustrap nodded.

With a huff, Jenny took Admetus from Munkustrap, cradling him close, "Go."

"Jenny, I-"

"Not now, Munk. I'll look after him."

Munkustrap's breath hitched, "I don't ever want him to know who his parents are."

Jenny's eyes softened, "We'll see, love. Now go."

Munkustrap nodded, lingering slightly as he gazed down at his little brother.

"He'll be okay, Munk. Come on…" Alonzo said, taking his arm reassuringly and tugging him away.

Munkustrap sighed, turning and following Alonzo back down to the clearing, where Bombalurina was waiting.

Together the three of them moved to the empty den they all shared.

"It seems that as soon as everything is good, something else comes along and…" Munkustrap sighed deeply, "Ruins it all."

"At least we know, now…" Bombalurina said quietly, "Who it was, and… we don't have to be scared?"

"She told me she would stay away from Macavity, but what if… what if she can't? What if he finds her… and what if he finds us…?"

Alonzo swallowed hard, reaching for Munkustrap's arm, "If he finds us, then we'll fight him."

"There's no point in worrying," Bombalurina nodded, "We knew this from the start. We live in an un-protected junkyard. The fact that we haven't been picked off by other alley cats is a miracle…"

Munkustrap sighed, "We're being outnumbered by kittens…" he huffed out a laugh, shaking his head, "Tugger, Tumblebrutus, Admetus, Plato…"

"And Cass-" Alonzo let out a little laugh, cutting himself off, "And mine…"

Munkustrap stared up at Alonzo with a bit of surprise. The tom was maybe a year older than him, but Munkustrap rarely felt the age difference – except for times like these. When Alonzo would hit a milestone before him, and Munkustrap had no hope of catching up. He supposed he didn't feel it because Alonzo was so much like him.

"You're going to have to be a little more responsible, 'Lonzo…" Munkustrap said quietly, "You're going to be a dad."

Alonzo laughed, shrugging, "We're all parents already," he murmured, "We've been teaching the kits how to play and fight and learn."

Munkustrap clenched his paws once or twice, a thoughtful frown on his face, "I guess you're right…"he said quietly, "I still feel so young…"

"We're all old enough to leave the tribe if we wanted," Bombalurina pointed out, "We can all have families of our own…"

"When is Cassandra due?" Munkustrap asked, tilting his head.

"Jenny said it could be any day now, to a week or more. She… she even thinks there might be more than one."

Munkustrap and Bombalurina's eye widened, "Twins?"

Alonzo nodded, a tiny grin on his face, "Yeah. Twins."

"Alonzo!"

Jellylorum called from Jenny's den, and the three cats poked their head out of their den as they headed over, but Jellylorum shook her head, "Just Alonzo," she said, and Bombalurina and Munkustrap exchanged glances.

Alonzo shrugged, stepping into the den, and Jellylorum waited until the two other kittens had turned away.

"I wonder what that's all about," Munkustrap murmured, glancing back at the tent as they found another place to stretch out.

"Maybe Jenny wants Alonzo and Cassandra to take Admetus in?" Bombalurina said softly, glancing up to where Cassandra was napping just outside of her den.

Seconds later Alonzo emerged, bounding to the entrance without a word and disappearing.

"Wha-"

"Munkustrap, Bombalurina…"

The silver tabby's ears twitched, and he stood. Jenny was waiting for them at the entrance to her den. Together they headed over, and a deep feeling of dread settled in Munkustrap's gut.

"I firstly wanted to say that I was sorry," Jenny said quickly, as soon as they had passed through the curtains that kept her den private, "Sorry that I reacted so harshly. You made the right choice, Munkustrap. She doesn't deserve to be hunted down."

Munkustrap internally let out a breath of relief, nodding and smiling reassuringly, "Don't worry," he said quietly, "You listened to me, and that's enough."

A screeching cry echoed through the den and Jellylorum hushed Admetus, rubbing his back gently, "Soon, kit. Be patient…" she soothed.

"Will he be okay?" Munkustrap asked. The kitten was pale and his cries were feeble.

"I've asked Alonzo to find some formula, by any means necessary," Jenny said quietly, "He needs to feed."

"By any means necessary?" Bombalurina questioned, her eyebrows steadily rising.

Jenny shrugged, "We can sort out trades among other surrounding Jellicles later, once we're more accustomed to the area. But right now, Admetus needs to feed. Alonzo will first check the surrounding houses… but if he needs to steal from a store, he will."

"And he knows what to look for?" Munkustrap asked, not really comfortable with the idea of stealing from the humans, but unable to think of a suitable alternative.

"I was very specific," Jenny nodded in confirmation.

Munkustrap nodded, "And… Admetus…" he said softly.

"He is welcome here," Jenny said firmly, "And we found him abandoned one night."

Munkustrap nodded slowly, satisfied, "Nobody else will know anything else. They don't need to. His lineage will not reflect the Jellicle that he is going to grow to be."

Jenny smiled proudly, "I see such a leader in you sometimes, Munk."

Munkustrap ducked his head, giving her a shy grin, "Thank you, Jenny…" he said, and she embraced him, pulling him into her chest.

He let his head rest on her shoulder – he was taller than her now, and it had been a long time since he'd hugged another cat.

"Jenny," Alonzo burst into the den, carrying a large carton of something, "Its goat's milk. I couldn't find anything else that you described."

Jenny nodded, taking it off him, "Thank you dear. It will do for now, but we'll go searching for something else later."

Out of breath, Alonzo nodded, sitting down in the corner. Munkustrap smiled a little, wringing his hands.

"Boma…?" Munkustrap said quietly as Jenny moved to prepare the milk for Admetus.

She turned to face him, a small smile on her face. Everything seemed to be shaping up. Alonzo stretched out on his back, chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"Grizabella told me something… just before she left," he said, reaching out to take her hand, "She… said that Demeter was still alive – that Macavity had her…"

Bombalurina didn't have a chance to react – her eyes widening and her ears perking – when Cassandra stumbled into the den. Her face was alight with worry, half-staggering as she came forward.

"Jenny!" she cried urgently, and the older queen turned in surprise.

"Will we get no rest?" Jenny murmured under her breath, "Okay, everyone out! Munk, here-" she passed him Admetus and a full bottle, which she had gotten from only the Everlasting Cat knew where, "Bomba, take Tumble," she was passing the sleepy kitten to the red queen, "Alonzo, get out."

"Cassandra…?" Alonzo murmured in surprise, leaning up on his elbows, "What's wrong, my love?"

A cry left Cassandra and Jenny rolled her eyes, "She's in labour. Get. Out."

Alonzo was spluttering, and Munkustrap dragged the black and white tom out – trying to balance Admetus and the bottle in his other arm.

Bombalurina was pale and looked like she was going to be sick, dropping the squirming Tumblebrutus. Immediately the brown and white kitten fled to the den where Tugger and Plato were playing.

"It's going to be fine, Alonzo," Munkustrap reassured his best friend, petting his headfur comfortingly as he managed to coax Admetus into drinking from the bottle, "And hopefully in a couple of hours, you'll have two boisterous little clones of yourself."

Alonzo was also pale, and also looked like he was going to be sick, "It's too soon."

"They're full term. Cassandra's huge…"

"I…I…"

Amongst Alonzo's babbling, neither tom saw the red queen slowly back up and slip out of the Junkyard.