The tired cats made their way to Mistoffelees's den, which looked similar to Munkustrap's except that it was much smaller and on two levels. The two floors were separated by a spiral staircase which was made from pieces of aluminium, old books and planks of wood, all held together with old nails and lengths of copper wire. Munkustrap carefully placed Poseidon's bones onto a shelf while Mistoffelees went about the usual ritual of making tea for everyone. "How is he going to do that?" thought Jazzie.

Looking around she noticed that, compared to Munkustrap's den (which was spotless to the point of absurdity) this den looked as though a bomb had hit it, with interesting odds and ends lying around everywhere. But the one thing she couldn't locate was a stove. "It's organised chaos!" Mistoffelees explained and with a wave of his paw three mugs of hot tea appeared on the messy wooden table which was strewn with papers, candles and test tubes filled with coloured liquids, much like Jazzie's own lab.

As she was drinking, a sudden thought struck her. She couldn't resist, she simply had to ask, "Could I have a look at ze bones?"

"Of course," said Munkustrap, fetching the box back down off of the shelf and setting it gently on the table. "Knock yourself out!"

Jazzie shot him a look of confusion. "Hein? What is zat supposed to mean?"

Munkustrap laughed, "Oh sorry, it's a saying. It means 'go ahead' or, should I say, 'aller de l'avant'!"

Jazzie shook her head, "You English are weird! Zat makes no sense!"

Then she looked at the table and realised that she could hardly see it through the mess that was on it! "I cannot work on here!" she stated.

"Why not?" asked Mistoffelees. "I always do!"

"How!?"

Jazzie was completely mystified until Mistoffelees waved his paw over the table and the mess vanished like a distant memory. Then he stood back, folded his arms and grinned smugly at Jazzie, who smiled and elbowed him in the ribs. "Show off!" She laughingly chided.

Then she set about placing the bones on the table, examining each one intently before carefully positioning it. Very soon, the skeleton of a large adult jellicle cat was laid out before them and they all stood together in silence, taking it in. "It's so strange seeing him like this," Munkustrap commented. "Especially when I remember the cat that he was."

"We all end up like zis in ze end, Munkustrap!" chuckled Jazzie. "May as well get used to it!"

"What a sobering thought!" he exclaimed, shuddering.

Keen to change the subject, he asked, "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc?"

"Well," said Jazzie. "He was a large mature male. I can tell from ze small groves in ze bones zat he had very strong muscle attachments. See?" She picked up one of the humerus bones and showed it to them.

"So, in other words," said Mistoffelees. "He was built like a tank, is what what you're saying?"

"Oui," she confirmed, nodding. "I'd say he was probably about ze same build as you, Munkustrap, possibly a little bit bigger and a few inches taller."

"Oh, he was an absolute giant of a tom!" Munkustrap agreed. "I am actually rather small as far as Protectors go. I only just made the height and weight requirement!"

Jazzie nuzzled his arm. "And I wouldn't want you any ozzer way!" she told him sweetly.

She shot a glare at Mistoffelees, who was pretending to vomit! "Anyway," she continued. "It would seem zat zis individual had quite a colourful, if short, life. As you see here." She picked up a rib, "Zis sort of, rough area?"

"Is that a fracture?" asked Munkustrap.

"Oui," Jazzie confirmed again. "One zat healed. I have found many more, including zis one."

She selected a tibia which clearly showed the same excess bone growth. "Zis would have slowed him down," she predicted. "Which brings me to his skull..."

She picked out a large piece of convex bone. "It's covered wiz pockmarks in ze shape of dog's teeth," she observed. "Which he recovered from, but zere is one which almost certainly killed him. As you see here."

She pointed to four holes, two each punctured into two separate pieces of skull. "I'm guessing he would have turned around and seen ze dog coming at him, but it would have been too late," she hypothesized. "And it must have been a big dog because, by ze looks of zings, it got him here and here."

She pointed to either side of her temples. "Ze force of ze bite literally caved his skull in," she concluded. "Death would have been instantaneous, he wouldn't have suffered."

Mistoffelees winced as though he was feeling it himself. "That's what you said," he remarked, looking at Munkustrap.

"He was fairly young too," Jazzie continued. "From ze teeth, even zough many are missing, I'd say he was about-"

"Eight," Munkustrap finished. "Yeah, we know."

Jazzie checked the box to see if she'd forgotten anything. "What is zis?" she asked, picking up the silver key.

"That's what we wanted to know," replied Mistoffelees. "Dad found it in the soil as he was filling in the hole."

Jazzie handed it to Munkustrap who held it up to the light and examined it. "I get the feeling that it is important," he said thoughtfully. "But I've no idea what it is for."

"Best keep it on you for now!" Jazzie suggested, as she began to place the bones back inside the box as reverently as she could.

Tucking it underneath his collar for the time being, Munkustrap looked at Mistoffelees and enquired, "So, what's this invention you were going on about?"

"Right here!" Mistoffelees announced, and with a flourish he removed a black curtain from the wall to reveal a wide oblong shaped screen.

Munkustrap frowned. "A television?" He asked, sounding a little underwhelmed.

"Ah! But not just any television!" replied his son and he pointed to the screen.

A laser beam of electric blue light suddenly shot out of his fingertip and hit the screen, which in turn began to crackle and fizz until a picture materialised. Then he waved his paw and all of a sudden, cushions and beanbags appeared on the floor. "Sit down, sit down! It's starting!" said the Magician enthusiastically, scooting everyone into a seat. "Ah Tensy! You're just in time!"

At that moment, Hortenseya walked through the door, looking a little surprised to find visitors. "Wow! What's the occasion?" she asked.

"I'll explain later!" said Mistoffelees impatiently, gently moving her to one of the bean bags and then settling down beside her just as the music started up.

"You see," explained Mistoffelees. "This screen will show me anything I want. And right now, what I want to see is-"

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?" asked Munkustrap, shooting him a look that said, "Really?"

"Yes dad! You'll love it!" Mistoffelees said brightly.

"If you say so," came the dry response.

"Say, what food have you got for this pregnant queen?" asked Hortenseya.

"Presto!" Mistoffelees waved his paw again and an array of titbits appeared in front of them.

There was fisheye popcorn, pork scratchings, dried minnows, dried shredded squid, deep fried octopus suckers, strips of laver, crab cakes, tuna and cheese popovers, fish crackling, chicken wings and many more delights. Jazzie leaned against Munkustrap, enjoying the film and the music immensely. "I'm having a wonderful time!" she whispered.

He put his arm around her. "Well, I'm glad, seeing as this week is all about you after all!"

"You have made me so happy!" She sighed.

"Aw!" Cooed Hortenseya. "You two are sooo cute! AREN'T THEY, Misto?" She glared at her mate, who was pretending to be sick again.

Munkustrap smiled and kissed Jazzie. "Me too," he whispered. "You're the only reason I'm tolerating this...drivel!"

He waved at the screen depicting the happy family sitting in a flying car; singing away at the top of their lungs, possibly the most irritating song that Munkustrap had ever heard.

"Misto?" he said.

"Yeah?" Mistoffelees replied destractedly, not tearing his eyes away from the screen.

"I worry about you sometimes," was the next statement.

"Bang bang chitty chitty bang bang, our fine four fendered friend ...Oh really? Why's that then?" Mistoffelees asked, complete unaware of the dumbfounded and slightly concerned look on his father's face.

Munkustrap sighed. "Never mind."

"I shall gather the Jellicles together tomorrow," he informed him, hoping he was listening. "Would you mind fetching Old Deuteronomy?"

"What's the gathering for?" asked Hortenseya.

They quickly explained that a pyre was to be built, Poseidon's bones were to be burnt and Old Deuteronomy would be there to conduct prayers, ensuring that Poseidon's spirit was finally laid to rest. "I wondered why you were both so grubby!" she chuckled to her mate.

When the film ended, Jazzie looked up at Munkustrap to ask him if he had enjoyed it, and couldn't help but smile. She caught Hortenseya's eye and they both giggled, looking lovingly at their gently snoring toms. Munkustrap stirred a little. "Oi you!" he mumbled. "Touch her again and I'll rip your teeth out of your skull and put them back in your eye sockets...don't say I didn't warn you…!"

"Nope..." Mistoffelees seemed to reply. "I will not go back in the cupboard...you can't make me…!"

The queens were forced to clap their paws over their mouths in order to stifle unbearable fits of giggles! Practically choking, Hortenseya shook her head and tutted. "Bless them...!" she managed to blurt out, before laying her head on her mate's chest. Wiping tears from her own eyes, Jazzie followed suit and soon they were all out for the count!

"Daddy? Daaaaddy?"

"Mert? That you mate? Where are you buddy?"

"Daddy! I'm cold!"

"Don't worry, daddy's coming!"

"I want my daaaddyyy!"

"Baby, I'm here...!"

"Daaaddddyyyyyy!"

"Meritas!"

Munkustrap jolted awake. A bright beam of moonlight shone into his eyes, so he blinked and looked around, noticing that the film had ended (thank God!), but the screen continued to crackle and fizz with tendrils of electricity. These slowly dissipated, leaving behind a black screen. "Weird!" he thought. "I could have sworn I heard…"

But his little son was nowhere to be seen. He sighed bitterly. It had just been a dream, brought on by that cruel phenomenon known as 'hope'. That was all. But his heart gladdened slightly when he saw Mistoffelees, fast asleep with Hortenseya snuggled up next to him. Then he smiled at Jazzie, whose head was resting against his chest. With the skill of Houdini, he managed to extricate himself from the tangle of sleeping bodies and tiptoed out of the door. "No rest for wicked..." he thought regrettably.

Four hours later, Munkustrap made his way towards the Junkyard gym, having completed a lap of his territory. Luckily, it had been uneventful, save for the odd skittish fox and a bad tempered badger.

He pulled himself up into a handstand and had a quick walk along the parallel bars, before following this manoeuvre up with a few of those much loved handstand dips. Blimey they were hard today!

Suddenly he noticed someone else swinging upside down from the high bar, so he made his way over and leapt up to join them. Together, they hung with their arms folded and eyes closed, gently swaying to and fro. Presently Munkustrap quietly spoke. "'Lonz?"

"Father," came the equally quiet reply.

"Discovered my secret, I see?" He observed.

"What secret?" Said the other.

"You know. The whole bat impression thing?" Munkustrap clarified.

"Wha'? Oh yeah!" Alonzo chuckled, suddenly understanding. "Bats've got the right idea," he explained matter of factly, as though he was the first one to have discovered this trick and therefore hadn't copied it off his father at all! "Helps me think, you know?"

"You always did need help with that!" Munkustrap quipped.

"Shut up!" Alonzo answered, moody all of a sudden.

Munkustrap continued to dig him, "Well, you left that door wide open, Son!"

Alonzo was quiet. Then, holding onto the bar with his paws, he flipped his body over and dropped gracefully to the ground. He was about to stalk off into the night without another word when Munkustrap, having also dropped to the ground in the same way, called him back, "Lonz, wait up!"

The black and white Bicolour stopped, but didn't turn around. "I know about what you did for me and I never got the chance to say thank you," Munkustrap quickly explained, walking slowly towards him. "So I'm saying it now. You saved my life. Yet again."

Alonzo turned and met his father's turquoise and gold eyes with his odd coloured ones (one being green and the other one blue). "You know I'll always have your back, Dad," he replied with his famous half smile, but it quickly fell away.

"But it wasn't enough this time!" He said sadly. "You would still have died if it hadn't been for Doctor Jazzie and Misto. All because I chickened out! You were right to drop me from the team. I'm no good!"

Munkustrap placed a paw upon his son's shoulder and firmly but kindly reminded him, "But I did not die, and I have ALL of you to thank for that. What you did showed quick thinking and great courage; all attributes of a good Protector. Which is why I have had a change of heart. I think you may be ready to rejoin the team."

Alonzo's face lit up. "You really mean that?" he almost squealed. "Oh thank you, thank you! I won't let you down!"

"You never did."