A/N: Sorry about the long wait! Ideas continued to elude me, but I've got some now! I know everyone's eager to read of how Jemima developed so fast; all shall be explained in this chapter! Enjoy!

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer largely spent the following day in Munkustrap's den, educating themselves furthermore on the subject of kittens. Although they had already spent some time with older kits and preteens like Pouncival, they wanted some experience with newborns. It was a beautiful sunny day, contrary to the overcast one that warned of rain yesterday. The two calicos were not interested in playing outside like their other friends, however. They were much too busy "studying" Jemima. 'Jerrie and 'Teazer weren't the only ones who were intrigued by her, however.

'Jerrie sat back against the wall of Munk's den next to 'Teazer. They bemusedly observed Jem stumble along in the open space in the middle of the dwelling on all fours. Jemima couldn't walk or speak yet, but she could see and hear, which was unheard of for a kitten at only two days old. She focused on things and pricked her ears towards someone whenever they spoke. Munkustrap and Demeter watched from their places beside 'Jerrie, letting their daughter explore her new surroundings. Victoria also kept a sharp vigil on her younger step-sister, only she was lying in her nest of blankets as if discreetly spying on her.

Jemima picked her head up from carefully studying the placement of her front feet to gaze around with her large, blue eyes. They rested on Victoria, and she crawled hesitantly over to her, still getting used to the particular method of which foot to place in front of which. When she reached her older sister, she climbed into the nest and curled up beside her. The little black and red kitten smiled triumphantly as she nuzzled the white queen's forearm, proud to accomplish her exhausting journey from the middle of the den to the wall. To show just how tiring completing her goal was, Jemima gave a wide yawn and promptly fell asleep against Victoria's side. The snow queen kissed the top of her sister's head and laid her head down on her paws to take a nap herself.

Now with nothing remotely interesting to watch, 'Jerrie got up to go catch himself some lunch, as he had been observing Jemima all morning. 'Teazer followed suit, hungry for food herself. When the two calicos had captured and killed their meal, which happened to be a couple of oblivious pigeons, they settled down at the foot of the TSE-1 to chew on them while they chatted.

"Oi'm still stumped as ta 'ow Jemima developed so quickley. Do ya think it 'as somethin' ta do with Mac'?"'Teazer queried once she finished off the last bite of her bird.

The tiger-striped tom beside her shrugged. "Could be. We can't know fo' sure unless we ask someone magical, roight? Aren' there a couple o' psoiychic twins 'ere? Whot were their names again?"He asked in return. He never saw said twins, as they were not very sociable cats. 'Jerrie never bothered to remember their names because he didn't think he needed to if he never had any contact with them.

"Coricopat an' Tantomoile. Oi'm sure they'd know somethin' 'bout Jem. Whoiy don' we go ask?"'Teazer offered and stood up. She helped 'Jerrie to his feet and they made their way to the psychic twins' den. When they arrived, a black and white paw held the starry curtain covering the entrance open before 'Teazer or 'Jerrie had a chance to lift a paw and knock.

"Come in, please, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. My brother and I have been expecting you."Tantomile's fluent, breezy voice sounded from inside the den. 'Jerrie gave his betrothed a creeped out glance to which the calico queen returned with a reassuring smile. She already had experience with the twins' accurate predictions that never failed to give newcomers a bit of a scare. They entered the den and the tri-coloured queen motioned to two chairs by the wall, synchronizing the movement with Coricopat who was standing behind her.

The twins gave their guests a small, welcoming smile.

"What is it you wish to ask about the new one?"Tantomile questioned with curiosity laced into her voice. She may have been psychic, but she could not sense the faint, developing inner workings of Jemima's newborn mind yet. In other words, Tanto could sense the kitten's presence, but not Jemima as a whole.

'Teazer cocked her head as she replied, "Is Jemima a magical cat loike 'er fathah? Is tha' whoiy she developed in onleh 'alf tha toime?"

The tri-coloured twins in front of her didn't answer for a moment, instead staring into space for a few seconds. Cori gradually came to shake his head.

"We don't sense any magical-"He started.

"-cats except for ourselves and Mistofelees. But just because-"

"-we don't sense it now does not mean we won't later."Coricopat finished with certainty in his smooth tone.

The two calicos in front of them nodded. Tantomile's brow creased and she gave her brother an inquisitive glance. Cori pursed his lips as his telepathic connection with Tanto allowed him to share this new thought. 'Jerrie and 'Teazer waited with anticipation to hear what they were speaking about to each other in their minds.

Coricopat turned to his two guests. "Tanto has an interesting point. What if Jemima is half-magic? We cannot sense half-magical cats who are far away, for example on the other side of the junkyard, because their powers are too weak."He explained for his non-psychic friends.

'Jerrie and 'Teazer exchanged glances; they hadn't thought of that possibility. "Can we go check now?"'Teazer said with a hint of excitement in her voice. It always amazed her when a magical cat put their powers into action, and she loved it. She couldn't fathom as to how Tanto could check something like an unborn kitten's gender just by placing a paw on the mother, but it gave her a thrill nevertheless. Tanto and her brother nodded simultaneously in confirmation and let their friends lead them over to Munk's den. When they arrived, the four cats entered without knocking, as they didn't need to anymore.

Munkustrap looked up from his new place at the table where he was sipping a mug of tea and smiled warmly at his friends. Demeter waved from her spot by the wall, and Victoria was quietly reading a book aloud to her baby sister, who was now awake and sitting on her lap. They both took no notice of the additional cats in the room because they were too engrossed in their book about three blind mice.

"Good afternoon, Coricopat, Tantomile. What brings you here?"The silver tabby asked politely as he stood up to greet his guests with a shake of the paw.

The psychic twins responded in perfect harmony, "Good afternoon. We would like to see if we can evaluate your daughter."

Munk's smile widened for a moment at the twins' reference to Jemima, but it faded as he cocked his head in confusion. "Evaluate her? How do you mean?"He questioned again. Their wording came off as strange, if not slightly creepy.

"We want to know whether Jemima-"Tanto began.

"-has inherited her father's magical abilities or not."Her brother finished seamlessly.

At the mention of her name, Jemima peeked over the edge of the book her sister was holding and pricked her ears towards the group of adults on the other side of the den. Cori and Tanto also snapped their heads in her direction at the same time. They simply stared at each other for a minute before Cori smirked and Tanto giggled lightly. The rest of the cats in the den shot them perplexed glances.

"The new one can speak in her mind."Tanto bemusedly enlightened her non-magical friends.

"Jemima insists she is not magic, but even Misto couldn't tell he was a conjurer until the age of two. We must hold her to determine if she has magic flowing inside her."Cori spoke, still staring at Jemima. Demeter and Munk nodded that they were allowed, and the psychic twins strode over to Victoria's nest in step with each other. The white queen relinquished possession of her sister and Tanto gingerly picked up the wide-eyed kitten. Cori stood opposite his sibling and placed the tips of his fingers on Jemima's small arm. They stood there, frozen for a few minutes. Jem did not utter a sound during the whole process; she merely stared blankly at the identical faces above hers.

Coricopat finally lifted his fingers off of Jem's arm and gazed past his sister to the four cats on the other side of the den. His expression gave away nothing of his verdict. Tanto also picked her head up and opened her eyes, giving the kitten in her arms a curious glance before gently handing her back to Victoria. The two sisters looked at the psychic twins with immense interest, eagerly awaiting their diagnosis.

Tanto cleared her throat a bit and declared, "Jemima is quite a unique queen. She possesses a tiny-"

"-bit of magic, but not enough to be of any use to her except increased speed in mental-"

"-and physical development. Her thoughts are as complex as anyone's in this room. She listens and understands well."The psychic queen finished as she and her brother smiled down at the kit in question. Jemima returned the smile with a bright and proud one.

At this point, everyone in the den had cheerful expressions on their faces except for Demeter. She looked worried and her brow was furrowed in thought. Cori and Tanto sensed her unrest and gave her a concerned glance. Dem seemed to notice someone was staring at her because her head shot up and she stared right back at Tanto. "Doesn't this mean Jemima will only live half the lifespan of a normal cat?"The black and gold queen questioned, the dread evident in her tone.

The psychic twins hesitated for a moment, reluctant to answer.

"Well?"Demeter prompted, harsher this time.

Tanto bit her lip. "This is true."Anticipating Demeter's next question she added in a regretful voice, "We cannot change this. That would be altering Jemima's very DNA, something that cannot be done permanently with magic. It is too risky and could potentially kill one of us, if not Jemima herself."

Jem's mother sighed sorrowfully and Munk went to go comfort her.

The silver tabby placed a consoling paw on the black and gold queen's shoulder. "Hey, it's not that bad, Demie. Jemima's still got forty years ahead of her, each day that we can help her live to the fullest. At this rate, she'll even be old enough to participate in the Jellicle Ball this year."He encouraged, looking only at the positives.

Demeter nodded and tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She rested her head on her partner's shoulder and he pulled her into a comforting hug. They stayed that way until their moment got interrupted by a knock coming from the den entrance. When Dem looked up to answer to whoever was outside, she immediately noticed the den looked a bit emptier. It didn't take her long to realize that Coricopat and Tantomile had disappeared.

The black and gold queen shook her head, brushing the twins' peculiar habits off. Apparently they could disappear and reappear at will. "Come in!"She called, remembering there was someone at the entrance.

A small, black and white tom stepped inside the den. He seemed to be excited about something because a wide smile was plastered on his face, giving a bit of a contrast to his petite appearance. "Where's my half-sister? Where's Jemima?"He asked, his short tail flicking with anticipation.

Munkustrap patted the newcomer heartily on his back and exclaimed, "Ah, Mistofelees! I was wondering when you'd come by! Please, have a seat. I'll bring her over to you." He gestured to a chair at the table. 'Jerrie and 'Teazer had already made themselves comfortable in two of them. The calico tom sat bolt upright at the mention of Misto's name. He stared harshly at the black and white tom as he sat down.

Misto raised a skeptical eyebrow at the tom who was now staring him down. "May I help you, Mungojerrie?"He asked hesitantly. The tuxedoed tom didn't take into consideration just who he was sitting across from yet.

'Jerrie gave a flinch before answering and clutched his inexplicably stinging upper arm. He turned his gaze to the queen beside him, who was lowering her paw. It was obvious she had whacked him. The calico queen was glaring at him, to his surprise. He didn't have to question her to know that he was being impolite. 'Jerrie softened his previous leer and turned his attention back to Misto.

"Did Munk say ya name was Mistofelees?"The tiger-striped tom asked in a low voice, almost threateningly. It appeared Macavity did not care whether anyone knew of his son or not. What 'Jerrie did know, he didn't like. Just because The Hidden Paw let word out about his offspring didn't mean he spoke nicely about said offspring.

The tom in question nodded slowly, wondering why 'Jerrie was being so disapproving of someone he barely had any contact with. He didn't really know 'Jerrie, but he had heard of where he had come from and his reputation. It quickly dawned on him why this tom seemed so wary around him. "Yeah uhh...Everyone here knows who my father is. It's nothing to be concerned about. I'm nothing like him, trust me. Please, treat me no differently than you would Munk or Victoria."Misto smiled kindly, despite 'Jerrie's rude behaviour.

The calico tom smirked ever so slightly. "Tha's not whot Oi 'eard 'bout ya. Mac' kept tellin' us ya were 'is prodigy. 'E told us tha' 'e wonted someone to carrey on 'is work aftah 'e died, an' tha' cat would 'ave been ya."He stopped his explanation when he felt a sharp tug on his arm. 'Jerrie snapped his head towards 'Teazer, who had her fingers around it and was giving him a warning with her eyes again.

"I have no interest in continuing my father's reign of cruelty and crime. That's precisely why I ran away."Mistofelees stated simply, appearing to take no offense.

Mungojerrie wrenched his arm out of 'Teazer's grip and continued to an indifferent Mistofelees, "Ta make a long storey sho't, Mac' said tha' if we evah come across 'is prodigy-turned-failure, we shouldn't 'esitate ta kill 'im 'cause 'e's now nothin' but a useless waste."He tensed as if ready to pounce.

"'Jerrie!"Rumpleteazer scolded him loudly. She was appalled, to say the least, at her betrothed's unacceptable, impertinent comments. She clamped her fingers around 'Jerrie's arm again and stood up, pulling him along behind her. The calico queen muttered quickly, "Please excuse us," before hurriedly walking out of the den.

Both departing cats didn't take notice of the horrified expressions on Munk's, Demeter's, and Victoria's faces. Jemima, being but a kitten, had no idea what was going on. She could only decipher that 'Jerrie didn't like her new half-brother for reasons unknown to her. Misto himself sat back calmly in his chair, a tired sigh escaping his lips. He was the sole cat in the den who wasn't stunned by 'Jerrie's uncivil words.

"So that's what Dad thinks of me, huh? Should have expected nothing more from some tom who's been brainwashed by him. Daddy wants me dead. How charming."Misto laughed mirthlessly in his head. He had grown up with the Jellicles, but he started out being despised because of who his father was. It took the tribe a couple of months to fully accept him, and now he was treated with the respect, love, and kindness he deserved. Misto was not surprised to hear that his father wanted him dead; he did join Macavity's sworn enemies at a very young age after all. He was even less surprised to hear this from someone who had actually worked for The Hidden Paw. Macavity appeared to spare his son no glory when it came to informing others about him.

'Teazer strode a little ways down the path, out of earshot of anyone in Munk's den. There, she backed 'Jerrie up against a trash pile. "Whot tha 'ell is wrong with ya?"She hissed furiously, bearing her fangs.

'Jerrie stared at her for a moment with an unreadable expression. "Ya 'eard moi. Mac' doesn' think 'is son deserves ta live aftah 'e disappointed 'im."He replied calmly, paraphrasing his previous comments.

The calico queen gave another hiss, this time angrier. 'Jerrie remained unchanged. "If it didn' occur ta ya befo', 'Jerrie, we don' work fo' Macavity anehmore. We don' pahtake in 'is missions as o' a month ago, an' we certainley do not follow 'is policies! Now Oi wont ya ta go back in there an' apologoize ta Mistofelees fo' ya rudeness!"She ordered in her most commanding tone. At this 'Jerrie's indifferent guise gave way to submission. He didn't answer as 'Teazer spun him around and gave him a prominent push in the direction of Munk's den.

The two calicos re-entered the silver tabby's den and the faces of their friends looked expectantly at them. Only one thing had changed: Misto was now cradling Jemima in his arms instead of Munk.

Needing no prompting from his betrothed, 'Jerrie cleared his throat and declared, "Oi apologoize fo' sayin' those thin's ta ya, Mistofelees. Ol' 'abits die 'ard, Oi guess. Fo'give moi?"His voice had no sincerity to it whatsoever, but the tuxedoed tom nodded curtly nonetheless. Everyone else seemed satisfied somewhat with the calico tom's words and the two sat back down at the table again.

There was a silence after that short episode, until Misto chuckled out of the blue, "Yes, your real daddy is my daddy, too. We just have different moms. That's why I called you my half-sister."The small tom was looking at the kit in his arms, who had that ever-present curiosity in her eyes.

Demeter gave Misto a confused glance as she came to sit at the table. "Misto, Jemima didn't say a word. How could you understand what she said if she didn't say anything in the first place?"She furrowed her brow, placing a tentative paw on her half-son's arm to get his attention.

Misto picked his head up to throw an equally perplexed look at the black and gold queen. "What...? Didn't you hear...?"He began, but then realization flooded his facial features. "Well isn't this interesting. You can talk to me in my head, Jem. Must be because we share similar traits. Try talking to your mom; see if it works for her, too."He smiled, still focused on Demeter.

The silence ensued once again as Jemima and her mother locked gazes with each other for a few moments. Finally Dem shook her head. "Nothing. I wonder if it's because you both have magic flowing inside you."She pondered offhandedly.

The tuxedoed tom's eyes bulged as he glanced repeatedly from Jem to her mother. He eventually managed to stammer, "J-Jem's m-m-magical?"

Munk chuckled at the younger tom's incredulous expression and enlightened him, "Cori and Tanto told us she has magic inside of her, but not enough to utilize it. Maybe you can translate for us now that you're both connected by the same magic?"

Misto smiled as he handed his half-sister back to her mother, for she had started squirming and mewling loudly. "Just so you know, Jem has a beautiful voice. She's also hungry."He chuckled lightheartedly. Dem giggled, taking hold of her kit. It didn't take Jemima long to find her mother's breast and begin suckling.

'Jerrie perked up as something came to mind. He had been silently smouldering in his chair, glaring at Misto up until this point. He nudged his betrothed and whispered something in her ear, at which she smiled. He turned his attention to the rest of the cats around him as he and 'Teazer stood up. "We've got some thin's ta attend ta with Jenney an' Skimble, if ya'll excuse us."The tiger-striped tom announced politely. His friends nodded in acknowledgment and allowed them to leave the den.

The two calicos knocked on the wall of Jenny's den and entered without waiting for a reply. Skimble picked his head up and his lips broke out into a proud grin at the sight of the couple, and Jenny gazed lovingly at her daughter, for she had not seen her since the morning of the day 'Jerrie had proposed to her. 'Teazer's mother stood up from her place at the table and hugged her daughter, as well as her new son-in-law.

"Look at you two! Aren't you the picture of a perfect couple! Don't you agree Skimble?"Jenny cooed, taking a step back and beholding the two young cats for her mate. The orange tabby nodded, the smile of admiration on his face growing wider. The yellow and orange queen led the couple to the table to sit and poured each cat a glass of water. Skimble also came over to sit opposite 'Jerrie.

"So, tell me the occasion for this visit. We're not expecting grand-kittens, are we?"Jenny asked excitedly as her guests took a sip of their water.

At that the word "grand-kittens", 'Jerrie did a spit-take, stopping himself midway and swallowing the leftover water with great difficulty. The liquid projectile didn't even reach Skimble, which was a great relief for 'Jerrie. Pissing Skimble off by getting him wet was definitely not a good idea at the moment.

'Teazer sniggered from behind her paw, earning a sharp glare from her betrothed. She quickly quieted down, needless to say.

'Jerrie chuckled awkwardly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his paw. "Sorreh 'bout tha'...We 'aven' realleh discussed tha subject o' kittens at length ye'...'Teazah an Oi were jus' wonderin' if ya'd perfo'm tha ceremoney o' mate'ood fo' us."He clarified, albeit in a strained voice.

Jenny smiled even more at this and Skimble seemed to have forgotten about the water splattered halfway across the table. He was not pleased with 'Jerrie's reaction, but then again he couldn't blame the young tom for being scared about the prospect of becoming a father. He understood it was a huge responsibility, and it didn't come without its fair share of frights and uncertainties.

"We'd be delighted! Do you want a private ceremony or public?"Skimble questioned first. He knew exactly how these things worked; he had performed this ceremony quite a few times in the past years. You could say he was something of an unofficial pastor.

'Jerrie and 'Teazer exchanged unsure glances and the latter answered hesitantly, "Proivate."

The orange tabby nodded and Jenny followed up with, "Who would you like for witnesses? You must have one for each of you."

This wasn't a hard question for 'Teazer. "Oi'd loike ya ta be moi witness, Mom."She smiled. Jenny blushed and reached for her daughter's paw, giving it a gentle squeeze as confirmation. With one down, attention was turned over to 'Jerrie.

The calico tom scratched his headfur, running a potential list of toms he knew through his head. "Munkustrap."He replied confidently. 'Jerrie was good friends with the silver tabby now, despite their initially rocky beginnings. Munk wouldn't decline, he knew he wouldn't.

Jenny and Skimble nodded in approval. The orange tabby asked a final question. "When do you want to have the ceremony?"

'Teazer answered before her partner could, "Tomorrah at sunset."

The calico tom threw her a surprised glance and brought his head closer so he could talk without having Jenny and Skimble hear them. "Whoiy so soon?"He questioned in a low whisper. 'Teazer inconspicuously leaned over and lightly trailed her fingers up 'Jerrie's inner thigh, causing him to suppress a slight sigh of pleasure.

"Tomorrah at sunset it is."'Jerrie agreed hurriedly, smirking as he straightened himself up from his "conference" with the calico queen sitting beside him.

"Splendid. Meet us in the center clearing tomorrow at sundown and we'll have everything arranged for you by then."Skimble declared. As the two calicos stood up from their chairs, he spoke up again in an expressionless voice, "'Jerrie, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The tom in question froze, thinking he was in trouble for something. He relaxed enough to move when he saw Skimble beckoning to him from the entrance. 'Jerrie followed him outside and once they were out of earshot of the queens, the orange tabby turned around to face his future son-in-law. "All this time has passed and you still have not discussed the subject of kittens with my daughter?"He said in an almost accusing tone. Skimble knew the past couple of weeks have been hectic for 'Jerrie and 'Teazer, but there were lots of opportunities to talk about it nevertheless.

'Jerrie opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it again. Instead he answered feebly, "We've been studyin' kits loike ya suggested, but we 'aven' actualleh talked 'bout 'avin' kits ahselves."

Skimble pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, making the younger tom wince because he thought he had disappointed an authority figure. Then something came to the orange tabby's mind. He realized he was putting pressure on his son-in-law to raise a family. Skimble glanced at 'Jerrie with an apologetic smile. "Look lad, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm pressuring you into having kittens with my daughter. It's just that, since Jenny's infertile and I've found 'Teazer when she was practically an adult, I never knew what it was like to raise a kit from a newborn. Now that my little lass has a mate, I guess I'm that much more eager to have grand-kittens because it's possible. I apologize if it seemed like I was being too demanding before. You don't have to have kittens with 'Teazer if you're not ready for that yet."He explained, glad to get his point across to 'Jerrie.

The tiger-striped tom gazed at Skimble, stunned. All this time he knew the orange tabby wanted to have grand-kittens, but he never knew his full reasoning behind it. 'Jerrie smiled at his father-in-law. "Tha's undahstandable. Oi'm glad ya see moiy way o' lookin' at it. But Skimble,"He paused to sling an arm around the older tom's shoulders and start walking back to the den, "there's a reason whoiy 'Teazah an' Oi agreed ta 'ave tha ceremoney at sunset."'Jerrie stopped talking to let the tom figure it out himself.

Once Skimbleshanks caught on to the meaning in the calico tom's words, he chuckled quietly and proudly clapped the young tom on his shoulder. "That's my boy, 'Jerrie!"He praised, then pulled his head closer to whisper something in his ear, "A word of advice, lad: Take your time. Let her beg for you before you give her what she wants, eh?"Skimble nudged the young tom knowingly, feeling like he was 'Jerrie's age again. The tiger-striped tom nodded and composed himself as the den entrance came into view. His past experience with queens was going to help him in the following night, but only a little. This was a whole other level of intimacy, mainly because this was real and not fake like the queens before 'Teazer. It was also because he was going all the way tomorrow night.