A/N: Yes, it's been ages since I last updated, yet now you're getting two updates right after each other as an apology. School, plays, and college applications have been getting in the way, along with life and NaNoWriMo (I won NaNo, by the way). I'm almost done, considering I have two more chapters of the story, so I'm hoping to get it done soon. Hopefully you like the next couple of chapters…

Within the next day, the whole Junkyard knew that I had been raped by the Monster of Depravity. It was just wonderful, especially considering no one seemed to realize that I didn't really want anyone to mention it to me again and again. What made it even more annoying was that no one seemed to know who started telling everyone that Macavity had raped me. It was always, 'I heard it from Porthos', or 'I heard it from Demeter', and even 'I heard it from Bomba' a couple of times. I had a feeling that it might have been Jenny, who told Munkustrap originally in an effort to better protect me, and Jemima overheard it from him, and she probably mentioned it to Cori as she vented to him, who inadvertently told Tanto, and by the time it got to that many people knowing about it, it simply spread like wildfire without stopping. I found it quite annoying that most of the tribe pitied me for that.

However, they might also pity me for the fact that Ad made it official in front of the whole tribe that he was seeking me as a mate (something which I didn't really mind as much as I thought I would). Everyone, especially Victoria, had been trying to set me up with either Porthos or Mistoffelees. Over the next few days, even though it seemed that everyone still despised it, they were slowly accepting that I wasn't about to leave Ad's side and that I truly did love him and that it was only a matter of time before we announced that we were going to be mates.

One bright morning, I sat down at the edge of the clearing, smiling faintly as I leaned my head back, basking in the sunlight and musing over the last few days in how they seemed to contradict themselves with how I had the best of times from having Ad pursue me further and by having Jemima treat me pretty well, yet whenever I was around anyone else, my life was utterly horrible. It confused me slightly, yet I still figured I should at least try to be sociable, even though I deeply despised it at times.

"Tan…" a soft voice said, causing me to jump slightly. I wasn't expecting anyone to come and talk to me for once. I opened my eyes slightly, seeing Alonzo standing in front of me. I raised an eyebrow slightly at him, and he quickly sat down next to me, taking a deep breath as he wrung his paws in front of his chest.

"One would think that as the second in command you wouldn't act like a nervous teenager around me…" I mused softly as I glanced over at him. He glared at me, dropping his paws, and I merely grinned back at him. It was quite amusing at how I could annoy him with a simple sentence.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions, if it would be alright with you. The way Munk put it, you have the choice to either answer my questions to the fullest extent of your knowledge, or else he'll let everyone keep pestering you about what exactly happened with Macavity and that you're with Ad rather than someone more suitable," Alonzo said, closing his eyes slightly as he leaned his head back. Sighing softly, I nodded slightly, deciding not to make some quip about how no one could tell me who was truly suitable for me to be close to and who wasn't.

"Alright. Ask away then," I said softly as I waited for the questions I knew would be coming. It wouldn't surprise me if it ended up like some silly little Spanish Inquisition that I wouldn't be able to answer even half of the questions very well. He took a deep breath before looking over at me.

"Tan…do you know why Macavity raped you? We need to know so that we can protect you in case he comes back," he told me softly. I took a deep breath as I leaned forward, pressing my fingertips together with my forearms resting on my legs as I thought about a response. I never really thought about that at all, considering I didn't think it would be worth having anyone try to protect me.

"He wanted to confirm his place as above me. That I couldn't control him with petty threats against him. To tell me that I can't simply leave him and that he'll always be there, watching my ever move…" I didn't look up at him, not wanting to see his face as my paws rested on the bandage that was still covering the 'M' that would scar permanently.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear that he actually said it. I glanced up at him, seeing him look truly sorry about it. I shrugged slightly as I sighed softly.

"Why would you be sorry?" I asked him, not quite understanding why he said that. There was no reason for him to feel any guilt whatsoever about what happened to me. It wasn't as though he was the one to rape me, unless there was some strange magic going on that made him Macavity at night and Alonzo during the day.

"I'm second in command to the protector. I need to do my job better and actually protect some of the Jellicles," he said softly, looking quite pathetic as he seemed to deflate with that comment. I sighed softly as I looked up at him, knowing that I needed to explain the whole story now.

"I sorta brought it upon myself, considering I told him to leave me and the Jellicles alone. If I hadn't have tried to order him around," I told him. He blinked at me, before looking mildly impressed, nodding slightly.

"Really? You actually told him that?" he asked, sounding almost disbelieving.

I nodded slightly. "Yeah. I did. Told him that he would do anything I said considering he couldn't stand to be away from me," I added softly. Alonzo whistled lowly, shaking his head slightly.

"That's something not many cats would do, me and Munkustrap included," he said softly. I nodded, having guessed that earlier. I felt I shouldn't say that that was probably the reason why Macavity had so much power in this town.

"I know. It was a stupid move," I replied softly. He shrugged slightly as he took another deep breath.

"So, Tan…why'd you rather have the nobody over me? I don't really care, considering I'll find someone else eventually, yet why him? Why not me or Misto or Porthos?" Alonzo said. I rolled my eyes, yet figured I would have to answer the question, otherwise he'd keep letting everyone pester me about Macavity.

"Well…Misto refused to get close to me after I woke up from that month, and Porthos looked at me after…well…after Macavity raped me…and you…well, you never really had much of a chance, considering, well, you always seemed just a touch full of yourself. Ad was always nice to me…" I replied softly. Ad sighed sharply, before looking over at me again.

"You love him?" he asked me softly. I took a deep breath as I nodded slightly.

"Yes, I believe so, Lonz," I told him, looking down at the ground. I took another deep breath, hoping the interrogation would be over soon. It wasn't very fair that just because the silly Protectors didn't like me much, he could interrogate me on anything under the sun.

"You only believe so?" he asked, sounding a touch hopeful. I restrained myself from glaring at him, finding his pathetic attitude quite annoying. Honestly, it would be a miracle if he ever got over himself enough for a queen to like him.

"Well, I've never exactly been in love. I've never been more sure of something in my life, though," I told him softly. He nodded again, before sighing roughly.

"Think there's someone out there for everyone?" he asked me softly. I rolled my eyes at the silly question, before shrugging slightly.

"Well, statistically speaking, I think there's a queen for every tom out there. Why?" I said, finally looking up at him. He shrugged slightly as he looked back at me.

"Jem and I didn't work out. Cass and I didn't work out. Now you're off having…you're off with Admetus, and I'm back being the lonely protector," he said softly. I sighed softly as I looked at him.

"You'll find someone. Your someone just might not be here right now," I told him, trying to actually be slightly comforting. If I didn't think too much about how full of himself he was, this whole self-depreciating thing was a touch endearing.

"Think I could take you out on a date sometime?"

And there he goes, ruining what respect I had for him.

"No."