Ah! Sorry! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! So much love for you guys!

Munkustrap cradled his small tom-kit gently as Demeter continued to talk in a hushed voice.

"Blind?" He eventually croaked, looking up at his mate, "For...forever?"

"Yes," She whispered back as she knelt on the mattress beside him. He carefully placed the sleeping Kindalin next to Yasmin and stared at them for several seconds.

"Heavyside." He suddenly growled low in his throat, "Why did this have to happen to any of us? Did we really anger Macavity that badly?"

Demeter whimpered slightly and he immediately wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. "Don't worry, Demmie. We'll find him. We'll find out the reason behind this damned attack and when we do..." He let the sentence hang in the air threateningly.

Demeter buried her face in his neck, "I'm scared, Munk. I'm scared it's my fault."

"What? Look at me," He gently lifted her chin up to stare into her amber eyes, "This is in no way your fault, Dem. Believe me."

"B-But he always said he could get whatever he w-wanted..." Demeter whispered, "And I escaped from him..."

"Ssh." Munkustrap soothed, "No, Dem. Please don't think that this was your fault. I couldn't bare that." He continued to stroke her back, "It was all Macavity – and if he truly wanted revenge on just us, he would have hunted me down. In his twisted mind, something recent must have happened to get him to do this – and I'll find out what."

"I love you, Munk." Demeter kissed his cheek, "We'll get through this the Jellicle way; by sticking together."

"Of course," He said softly as she curled up against him and the kittens, "Of course we will."

...

Rumpleteazer stood outside of the door, silent tears trickling down her face as she listened to Munkustrap and Demeter's conversation. She'd been planning on telling them that the main reason why Macavity was so furious was because of her and Mungojerrie leaving Mac, but now...

Munkustrap had said he would find out what happened, no matter what. What if he banished Rumpleteazer from the tribe for practically allowing Macavity to destroy the Junkyard? At the time, it had seemed that she'd had no choice – what if it really was all her fault?

"Oi'm sorreh," She whispered, placing her paw on the door, "Everlastin' Cat, oi'm sorreh."

True, she'd been left physically and emotionally damaged – Munkustrap knew that. But what if he discovered that it had been the simple of choice of returning to Macavity or watching the Junkyard burn? Would he be quite so sympathetic then?

She knew what she had to do: Leave. There was nothing else for it. Oranskully was going back to Macavity and he'd report that she was still alive. Munkustrap would find out the truth eventually. Either way, she was done for. Her Jerrie was far too damaged to consider escaping with her and he didn't even know that she'd been raped. With trembling paws, she wiped her eyes, before running back to the section where Mungo was.

He was still asleep, half of his face newly bandaged, and one of his ears torn. She knelt down beside him and repeatedly kissed the unharmed parts of his face, gently stroking the paw which was undamaged. "You'll undahstand, Jer," She murmured, "Oi promise ya will, eventually. In a bit – 'owever long it takes for ya ta get bettah – oi'll come back for ya. But it's not safe for me now."

She kissed him one last time, before determinedly straightening up. It was time to go.

Outside of the Junkyard...

'I think of you every second. Every minute. Every hour.' Tantomile curled up against the battered TSE car, her paws over her eyes as she desperately tried to communicate with Coricopat. 'I'm dying, Cori. Without you, I'm nothing. I miss you so much and I'm going to help you.'

Again, there was no response. Either he simply didn't want to talk to her or...he couldn't. She felt sick and fought against the rising hysteria. "Oh, Cori." She moaned, thumping the side of her head, "Speak to me. Please, Cori!"

"Tantomile?"

She jumped up immediately, then realised the voice wasn't inside her head. She tried not to let the disappointment show on her face and instead smiled weakly at Alonzo. "Hello." She cleared her throat, embarrassed to be seen as the one who was losing it. She was always in control, mysterious and calm. In just one night, everything she had ever known had been shattered.

"Hey there," Alonzo gave a small smile of understanding, "want to sit down?"

"I...I'd rather be...alone."

"I know." He replied softly, "But sometimes the ones who say that are the most who need comfort."

"Coricopat needs comfort more than me." She whimpered, "I don't know what to do, Alonzo. He won't respond to me and...and I'm so scared..."

He hesitantly patted her shoulder and she would've laughed if she wasn't so upset. He was treating her like some sort of wild Pollicle. "I'm sorry. I'll try and calm down."

"No, no," he said quickly, "You're upset. I just don't know how to help."

"We just need a decent plan," Tanto tried to reassure herself, "And with Oranskully, who knows the hideout better than any of us..."

"That white tom with the patched eye?" Alonzo suddenly frowned and she nodded.

"He was a henchcat but he helped me escape...Cori just got trapped..."

"I swear I saw him a minute ago, leaving." Alonzo's eyes narrowed, "He was practically running out of the gates."

Tantomile's tail began to twitch and she blinked up at him, ""He was...leaving?"

"I'm sure he had a reason, though. Tantomile, wait –"

She had begun to sprint past him, heading for the gates. That bastard. Who did he think he was, abandoning them all in a crisis? She would have it out with – She stopped in her tracks, scampering back into the shadows and trying not to whimper when she saw Macavity further ahead, talking to a white tom...It couldn't be...

"She's dead, Boss." Oranskully saluted, "I did it myself. That Rumpleteazer won't be botherin' us anymore. As for her mate – he's about an hour away from death too, I'd say. I didn't see the point in doin' anythin'."

Tantomile let out a low whine. Rumpleteazer was dead? Oranskully had killed her? This didn't – couldn't – be right...

"You did well." Macavity sneered, "And as for our prisoner back at the hideout – I've sent him to Room Eleven. Go and tell that other mystic bitch that he's dead. Make a big deal out of it – say how sorry you are, hug her, get her to like you...If you understand my meaning."

"Yes, Sir." Oranskully replied quietly.

"You really are a good spy," Macavity purred, "Maybe I'll promote you later on. Now go. Do it now. Kill whoever else you like, too."

Tantomile pressed her eyes tightly shut, but tears still slid down her cheeks silently. She heard Oranskully's light footsteps and opened her eyes again. In the pale light of the Jellicle moon, she noticed he was crying too.

Please review! I've finished school for summer, so updates should be more frequent!