A/N: Sorry I've not gotten to updating this…I've been working on other projects and I've just been distracted. Figured I should update before my three-week hiatus. I'm trying to get it updated though…At any rate, I like this chapter. It's one of two/three favorite chapters I've written for this story. I hope you like it, even though it's not really been edited and such. Read, review and all that jazz as I work on the next chapter…
I awoke to a loud clap of thunder, jumping about a foot. There was a sharp pain around my wrists, and I looked down, quickly remembering how Cori had been forced to chain me up a few hours earlier, just before sunset, when I had nearly escaped from their grasps. Tanto didn't like that I had nearly left, and I had a feeling that she was secretly nursing a small BSMD fetish, considering she had pushed hardest for chaining me up, and was standing over me all day. I forced myself to close my eyes and ignore her being so close.
"Careful, Tana. We don't want those pretty wrists hurt," Tanto said softly from the shaded corner in the back of her den that she had retreated to while I slept. I looked up, hissing softly as I glared at her. I needed to get out and away from her and her attempts to get intimate with me, and I needed to get to Macavity's lair to protect the Jellicles.
"Let me go!" I said, my voice grating against my throat as I heard Macavity's laughter ring through the junkyard. I pulled away harder, almost crying as I tried to get away from the chains, not from the cuts around my wrists from the cold chains, yet because I knew that Macavity wouldn't stop at anything to hurt the others to simply get to me.
"No, Tana. You're not going to leave this den. There are strong enchantments that are impossible for you to get past," she said firmly. I glared at her, before shaking my head.
"I will get out, no matter what I have to do," I told her coldly. Tanto shook her head.
"There's no way. It's impossible," she replied. I glared at her for a few moments, before looking down at my paws. I had heard of a way to make your hand collapse a couple of inches, which was all that I needed. I took a deep breath, wondering if I could actually bring myself to do it. I would have to, considering I didn't want more people hurt because of me.
"I'm quite sure it's possible," I whispered softly as I took a deep breath, and put my foot on my paw. I slowly let the breath out, closing my eyes as I snapped my paw upwards. There was a sharp crack, as well as a sharp flash of pain, and my paw collapsed in on itself. After repeating the process with my other paw, I slipped my paws out of the chains and glanced up at a stunned Tanto.
"Why'd you do that?" she asked me. Macavity's laughter rang through the yard again.
"Because of him," I said softly before quickly running out to meet him. I could barely see anything through the throbbing pain in my paws, yet I forced myself to ignore it as I continued towards the clearing. The silver and ginger fighters circled each other, not a mark on either of them yet.
"Where is she?" Macavity called out, sounding almost desperate, if it were possible. I took a few steps towards them, wondering when they would notice me.
"You can't have her! She's a Jellicle, not just some stray," Munkustrap called back. I stepped out of the shadows finally, and Macavity looked over at me as he noticed me.
"Well, it appears that she still comes," Macavity said softly as he walked over to me, gently touching my face. I stiffened slightly as I looked down at the ground.
"Hello, Macavity," I whispered softly, trying to tune out the whispers of the rest of the Jellicles' whispers. His paws trailed over my body, and I remained tensed, not liking the extended period of contact with him.
"I was so worried they had hurt you when you didn't come," he whispered, sounding almost caring at this point. It surprised me to hear him so tender, and I pulled away from him, looking up at him to see what was so different about him.
"If you don't leave me, Macavity, I will allow the Jellicles to tear you apart. You've got five seconds to clear out," I told him firmly after a minute. Macavity glanced around, before looking back at me.
"I'll see you tomorrow night then," he said softly. I shrugged slightly as I looked up at him.
"I'm not sure about that. If I can, I guess I'll see you. Don't attack when I don't come. If not tomorrow night, then the night after," I told him. He nodded before kissing me lightly on the lips. I froze, trying not to faint from that intimate of contact with him.
"Bye, dear," he whispered softly before disappearing in a flash of lightning. I sighed, leaning against a pile as I took a deep breath.
"You were right, Tana. He did come," Munkustrap said as he walked over. I shrugged slightly as I wiped my lips off on my paw, wincing as I hit the broken bone.
"I figured he would. It only makes sense," I replied softly as I looked down at my paws, wondering if Misto would be willing to help me.
"How'd you get out?" he asked me after a minute. I sighed and held up my paws.
"Broke a bone, or a few bones. Not sure just how bad it is…" I replied softly, wincing slightly as Munkustrap took my paws and looked over them.
"They'll need to be taken care of…yet why did you do it?" he asked me softly. I shrugged again as I pulled my paws away from him, not wanting even more pain than the base – line throbbing.
"I knew he wouldn't leave without seeing me…I actually didn't think it would work all that well, yet can I go take care of them?" I told him, looking back down at the ground.
"Of course, Tana. Go talk to Misto," he said softly, nodding. I quickly walked off, deciding to check Misto's den first, figuring that he would be there.
Misto stepped out of his den as I walked up, and he looked at me for a minute, before turning around and walking back into the den. I quickly walked in after him, not wanting him to disappear on me before he heard me out.
"Misto?" I asked softly, looking up at him, slightly hesitantly. He looked back at me, his pale face really the only thing possible to discern in the almost murky darkness.
"I expect you've got some injury you want me to heal. That's all I'm good for," he said softly, glancing down at the ground. I nodded slightly, glancing down also. He sighed, before walking over to me and holding my paws.
"You might want to sit down, Tanie. It might hurt," Misto told me, pulling me over to a chair. Wincing, I was barely able to bite my tongue as he pulled on the broken bones. I wondered, curious, if this was a type of payback for something I did. I didn't know what I had done, yet Misto obviously thought I did something wrong.
"Alright then. I don't really care," I said softly as I closed my eyes. He nodded again, and I felt a painful heat travel through my paws as I the bones knit together again. It was quite uncomfortable, unlike the last time he had healed up a broken bone. A sneaking suspicion crawled into my thoughts that he had been also taking care of the feelings of pain last time he healed a bone. That annoyed me, especially considering I still had no clue what I had done against him.
"There you go, Tanie. I suggest you head back to sleep," Misto told me, standing up as he tried to push me out the door. I stood up, though I didn't really move to leave his den.
"Why'd you kick me out?" I asked him softly. He sighed, turning away from me slightly, not answering right away.
"It was how you woke up. You wouldn't understand, Tana, so don't try to," he replied softly. I touched a still-tender paw to his shoulder, not understanding why he was acting like this.
"Please? Can you tell me so that I do understand? Misto, I still like you a lot…" I said softly. He pulled away from me sharply, glaring at me.
"Go away, Tanie," he said, pulling a cold expression and tone as he glared back at me. Nodding weakly, I slowly turned and walked out of his den. After pausing for a minute as I glanced around, I finally walked towards Ad's den. I figured I should try to make it to his den again, so that I could be there when he got back, yet I figured I would get stopped by someone.
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon," Macavity said, standing in front of Ad's den. I sighed, looking down at the ground as I tried to avoid his eye. I really wish I didn't make such good of guesses all the time.
"If you weren't expecting me, then why are you here?" I asked, sounding exasperated. He shrugged slightly, standing up straighter as he looked at me better.
"I hear you're wanting answers. I know things, all you need to do is ask them," he told me as he walked over to me. I looked at him carefully before sighing slightly, knowing that I needed the answers and he would be the only one who would tell me.
"What did you do?" I asked him after a minute. He chuckled softly, shaking his head slightly.
"That covers a lot. Mind being more specific?" he asked me. I rolled my eyes as I thought about how to phrase my question to get a correct answer.
"What did you do to make Misto hate me?" I asked him after a minute, expecting that to get a good answer from him.
"And what do I get for return?" he asked me. I stared at him, not expecting him to want something in return. As I thought about it, it made sense, considering I doubted that Macavity did anything that didn't directly benefit him. After thinking for a few minutes, I took a deep, shuddering breath.
"A kiss. On the lips," I told him softly. He grinned slightly as he looked down at me.
"And you shall address me as 'love' from now on," he added. I stared at his grinning face for a moment before nodding slightly.
"Agreed…love," I whispered softly, wincing slightly as I called him that. He grinned even broader as he pulled me close.
"And the first part before I tell you," he said. I glanced down, nodding. He lifted my face up, brushing his paw against the side of my face. I looked into those yellow eyes of his, before closing my eyes and kissing his lips gently. Pulling me closer, he held his lips against mine, and I allowed him to kiss me for a moment more, before pulling away.
"Don't push it…love," I said softly. He nodded slightly as he brushed the side of my face again. I pulled away, trying to keep a disgusted look off my face.
"Alright then, dear. The answer to your question is that I did nothing. Nothing at all," Macavity said before walking away.
"Wait! Why does he hate me then?" I asked him. He turned, grinning slightly.
"Maybe later, dear. Not right now though," he said before continuing his walk. I sighed, sitting down as I closed my eyes, not enjoying the pouring rain that drenched me to the bone. My life was bad enough, and I didn't need to be drenched on top of it.