A/N: Hey hey hey! I can't believe I updated this quickly xD And by quickly I mean in less than a month's time. Thanks for being so patient! :D You guys rock!

So remember how at the beginning of this story I started at a totally random part which was totally uncalled for? XD I have been thinking about adding flashbacks from before Plato and Vicky's first escape attempt...and this chapter includes one of them! It's short, but I hope you like it ;)

Reviews mean so much to me, and so do the people who review :) My response to the most recent reviews:

Awesome Guest...uh...#1!: Haha I totally agree with you ;) Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm really glad you like the story :D

Awesome Guest II! (because Roman Numerals makes everything look fancy): I'm glad you like the twist! At first I wasn't sure if I should do it or not, and obviously if I didn't add the twist, the story would go down a whole different path xD Luckily my friend Pink Schmetterling helped me decide and I'm happy with the decision, and I'm REALLY happy you are too! Your support means a lot, thank you! :D

Akaasha: I'm guessing you were reviewing for ch. 35...? Haha xD Anyway, thank you so very much for all your support and for reading BOTH my stories! :D It means a lot!

Bombastrap: You always know how to make me laugh when I read your reviews XD Thank you for the awesome reviews! I'm glad you like the story :) :) And PS: The imagery has a really really really REALLY deep meaning XD haha.

Pink Schmetterling: WHY YOU SO LATE AT REVIEWING?! *caveman growl* Haha just kidding! :D Review at your own pace ;) Thank you sooo much for everything!

Anony mouse101: Thank you for the wonderful review! And also thank you for telling me that the story was kinda dark xD If you hadn't told me I would have never known. Unfortunately (and I really am sorry about this) this chapter turned out kind of (okay, more like really) dark as well. It's not that I'm not taking your review into consideration! Haha :) I'm really glad you told me and I'll try to add some more fluff to balance things out ;D I think there have been like...what...two chapters with fluff in them? Maybe one? :p haha. I definitely see what you mean now...Thank you very much!

Also, thank you sooo much for everyone has favorited and followed me and my story, and also to all you wonderful readers who have continued to read my story no matter how random it gets!

I just can't stop rambling on and on, can I? I think I just added like, a thousand more words to this chapter xD Okay, now I'm going to stop rambling on about how I'm rambling on and get to the point. I'm actually trying my hand at figurative language and imagery. I wrote a few things out but when I read it over, it seemed very forced-sounding, so I tried a different tactic: I closed my eyes, put on sad music, and wrote exactly what I saw and how I would feel if I were Victoria. I tried to describe things the way I saw them as best as I could...but it turned out kind of weird. Please tell me what you think and how I can improve! Thanks!

So we left off with Plato about to give some very serious news to Victoria...mwahaha...ha.

Time to get to the disclaimer! I really hope you enjoy this chapter :) :)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS, just Adolph and my other OCs ;D

Plato's serious manner is beginning to alarm me, so I tone down the giggling a bit and ask, "Tell me, Plato. I won't cry. I'll stay strong."

"Victoria, listen to me," he starts. "About the—"

"Victoria, congratulations on your new mate!" Etcetera bounds up to me, linking arms with Pouncival.

"Oh, thank y—" But before I can finish, she's already skipped off with her own new mate to congratulate the next pair. I turn back to Plato with a small shrug and say, "Sorry, Plato. You were saying?"

He takes a deep breath and continues, "When Macavity came…the second time, I mean…I went—"

Bombalurina struts by us, her paw intertwined with Tumblebrutus's. The scarlet queen winks at me and says in her usual velvety voice, "Good choice, Victoria."

My cheeks turn such a bright shade of red that it would put any rose to shame. With a squeeze of my paws, Plato directs my attention back to him.

"Victoria, listen, okay?" he commands almost militaristically. "I chased after Macavity, because I didn't want him to ruin the Ball for everyone. We fought…and he kinda won…"

"Oh, Plato, no!" I exclaim, then catch sight of the tape keeping two of his fingers together. "Is that how you hurt your paw?"

He tugs his paw away from me and replies, "No, that's from before. He just knocked me out…And I, uh, didn't wake up until—"

"You were in time for the Mating Dance, though!" I say cheerily, yet Plato only loses eye contact with me and looks off to the side.

"Vicky…no, I wasn't. I didn't wake up until the end of Mistoffelees's song." With eyes as deeply dark as the dry desert skies, Plato gently positions his paws on my shoulders and says, "Macavity disguised himself as me, so he could…" He gulps and doesn't bother finishing the sentence.

I press my lips into a tight line and blink rapidly in order to keep myself from letting even a single silvery tear race down my cheek. "Do you mean that…."

"…That Macavity is your mate? Yes."

The tear halts to a stop in my eye. "He said that that wouldn't be our last dance…" I mumble quietly, referring to the time Misto and I were escaping with Tugger from Macavity's clutches.

"When did he say that?" Plato asks.

"Just…before," I reply, too wrapped-up in my own thoughts to give him the details. As for that tear in my eye—it seems to have disappeared. In fact, a small smile surprisingly tugs itself across my face.

"Victoria!" Plato snaps me back to my senses. "Vick, Macavity tricked you. He's your mate. The same tom who kitnapped you in the first place—you are mated to him."

That same tear wells up in my eye again, now undecided as to which path it should take—down my face or back inside. "I…"

"You what, Victoria?" Plato asks, a vague hint of disgust in his voice.

Without warning, I turn my back on him and begin walking towards my den. "I need to rest," I plainly respond.

"Victoria, no. We need to talk about this," Plato calls after me, but he doesn't try to physically stop me.

"I want to rest," I reply softly. With one paw fingering my diamond-studded collar and the other gently swinging along to the beat of my steps, I continue to make a beeline for the pipe while staring down at the ground the entire time. A voice comes from my left: "Victoria, congratulations! You danced beautifully!" I don't know who it is; I just give a quiet "Thank you" and keep walking. Another Jellicle, older this time: "Victoria, I am very proud of you." I send out another thanks and keep my eyes locked to my back paws. I do feel a bit rude for giving my friends the cold shoulder, but right now my mind is jungled by the multitude of thoughts racing through my head, clashing with one another, and then producing new thoughts to cloud my brain some more.

Why am I not crying? I ask myself. Plato's not my mate! Didn't I want him to be? Or did I not? Maybe all this time I have been wanting Macavity as my mate. He is the tom I say "I love you" to, and he is the one who made me this amazing collar.

But why am I smiling? Plato is basically my step-tomson! The tom who could have been my mate is now my kitten…

But why am I so befuddled? Macavity is my mate! He cares for me!

So does Plato…

The paw by my side reaches up to cradle my head. Yellow spots begin to creep into sight and slowly edge their way to the center of my vision. It's so bright…

"Victoria!" a voice cries from behind. I don't have the energy to respond. Yellow spots turn black, and I eventually give in to the darkness and let myself be swept away into the magical world of sleep.

"Stop making this difficult, you stupid pollicle!" the tom spits at me, backhanding me across the face so hard I helplessly fall to the floor of the warehouse. I tell myself not to whimper, not to beg or plead for mercy, because that is what these henchcats love the most. The copper tom leans in towards me and hisses, "If you Jellicles are as smart as you say you are, then you would just give up now and do what I say."

I bite my lip hard to keep tears from springing up in my eyes. "W-what does Macavity want? P-please tell me."

He yanks me up and begins dragging me to the doors of my room. "Nothing you would enjoy."

A moan slips out of me, followed by piercing wails and shrieks. "No!" I screech, pulling away from him. He wraps his arms around my waist and picks me up while I kick and scream deafeningly. "No! Stop!" He continues to haul me out of the room to take me to Macavity's office. "Plato, please stop! Plato!"

I wake up with a big gasp for breath. That was quite possibly one of the worst experiences I had had at Macavity's warehouse. It happened before our first escape attempt, before Plato saw me as more than just the Napoleon of Crime's prisoner. And once we reached Macavity's office, I could do nothing but cry. The Hidden Paw forced information about the Jellicles out of me, and I remember how weak I felt for breaking. In fact, he might not have even crashed the Jellicle Ball if I had not cracked in front of him. It was me who told him what day it would be on, what time, who would be there.

"Victoria? Vicky, you awake?"

I snap back to reality and only now notice that the wall I am facing is not the same as the one in my den. I start to sit up, but my head throbs terribly, so I quickly lie back down. That is when I notice Mistoffelees is sitting on a stool beside the paitent's bed I am on. Behind him are Munkustrap, Alonzo, Adolph, and Jemima. Jemima says in a hushed tone, "Vicky? Are you all right?"

I blink a few times and roll on my side to face the Jellicles. "Hi, Jemmy," I reply with a meek smile.

"How's your head, Vick?" Adolph asks.

"It's better, thank you. I don't know why it hurts, though. I was just walking to my den for a catnap…"

"You fainted, Vicky," Mistoffelees explains. "You were wobbling this way and that, and then you just collapsed. I called your name but you wouldn't answer."

I nod, remembering the shouts of a tom from behind. Jennyanydots pushes her way through the crowd and places a damp cloth on my forehead. "Oh, you poor dearie," she says and shares a nervous look with Munkustrap.

"Thank you, Jenny. I am all right now. Thank you." I begin to get up again, but she pushes me back down.

"No, stay here and rest. Oh, you poor, poor thing," the orange tabby says again, tsking as she makes her way back to Munkustrap. I raise an eyebrow at Mistoffelees, wondering why Jenny was sympathizing me so much. Misto clasps his paw around mine and says, "She knows, Vicky."

I gulp. "That I…?"

My brother nearly crushes my paw with all his squeezing. "Yeah. We all do. Plato told us."

That tear from a while ago wells up in my eye again, and this time it dribbles down my cheek for good. "Where is Plato?"

"He has been told to wait outside, Victoria," Munkustrap answers. "We can't completely trust him yet. For all we know he could have been a part of Macavity's plan this whole time."

I try my best not to grit my teeth in front of the Jellicle Protector. "May I please see him, Munkustrap? Please?" I nearly beg. All of us kittens turn to look at the silver tabby with pleading eyes, even though Mistoffelees is a bit reluctant at first.

Munkustrap sighs and sternly replies, "No."

Luckily Jenny nudges the strong tabby with her elbow and murmurs to him, "The poor queen just got mated to the notorious Napoleon of Crime! At least let her see her…erm…kitten."

I cringe at the thought of that—Plato being my step-tomson. It really brings out the horrific side to this incident.

The loving queen pats Alonzo's back and pushes him towards the exit. "Alonzo, be a dear and go fetch Plato for Victoria."

The black and white patched tom suppresses a groan and exits the den. Upon arriving with the russet tom, they both shake wet droplets out of their fur, and yet they are still soaked to the bone.

"Thank you for leaving me out in the rain," Plato harshly snaps at the older Jellicles. "Much appreciated."

"Just be grateful we are letting you stay here at all," Munkustrap retorts, clenching and unclenching his fists in mild fury.

"Plato, sit," I tell him, and he obliges by dragging a stool to sit beside Mistoffelees, who might as well be his step-uncle. No, I think. This all seems so wrong. Plato and Mistoffelees as nephew and uncle…That can't be right. But why isn't it? If I really do love Macavity, then I shouldn't care. I motion for Plato to lean in close. Beads of water spill from his headfur onto my face, now disguising the single tear that is still slowly trickling down my cheek. Once he's close enough, I support myself on one elbow and oh-so silently whisper into his ear, "I want to speak with Macavity."

The copper tom immediately sits back onto his stool with a sigh, then repeats my request into my brother's ear. The tuxedo tom blinks in bafflement for a few seconds. Then he turns to me and shakes his slightly but sternly. I don't fight back, because I know he is just looking out for me, and if Macavity harmed me in any way, he would feel responsible. I look back into Plato's eyes, waiting for a response from him. There is a sad, hopeless-looking glimmer in his brown eyes. Was Plato…crying? I wonder. I can't imagine how upset he must be. The queen he wished to be his mate is now his mother, and his father won once again. This heartbroken tom. I press my face into his paw, glad that he won't be able to distinguish my tears from the rain he brought in. I can hear Munkustrap quietly instruct, "Jemima, go back with Jenny to your room. Alonzo, take Adolph to your den along with Plato once he is ready. The rain is too heavy outside for someone to patrol. We'll just have to hope no one attacks tonight. Let's start heading out."

I miss Plato already. He is right beside me and yet I miss him. Why? I ask myself. What is the problem? With Macavity as my mate, he won't be the same. I hate to see the old Plato die out, and the only way I can stop that from happening is by separating with Macavity…and maybe I don't want that. And maybe that is why I am crying—no one will see me the same way. My reputation will go down the drain. I keep telling myself "Who cares?" but I can't help but not listen to myself.

"Victoria."

I look up into the sad eyes of Plato. He carefully runs a finger through my thick eyelashes. "Keep those grey eyes happy. Don't let those little moons stop shining." He wipes a wet droplet from my eye, and somehow he really does know that it is a tear and not the rain. Alonzo takes him away with Adolph, leaving Munkustrap and Mistoffelees in the room with me.

"Are you well enough to stand up, Victoria?" Munkustrap asks.

I weakly swing my legs over to the side of the bed and stand on my hind paws with support from Misto. After a nod of approval from Munkustrap, Mistoffelees helps me out of the infirmary and across the clearing to our pipe. We exchange good nights with the Jellicle Protector, then head off to our respective dens. Tightly holding paws once more, Misto and I dash across the clearing and shoot into the pipe one after another. Once safely inside, I instantly begin to feel a bit cozier now that I'm alone with Misto in our own little haven. Everything seems a little more…bittersweet. I slowly crumple to the ground and curl up into the fetal position on my cushion.

"Victoria," Mistoffelees begins, "I swear to the Everlasting Cat that I won't let Macavity lay a paw on you. I promise we will find a way to officially 'demate' you two."

I shake my head and face the opposite way. "Both cats have to agree. Macavity will never want us separated." And maybe I don't either.

"There has to be a loophole—"

"I don't think there is, Misto," I retort in the calmest way possible.

He kneels down beside me and strokes my fur. "I just don't want you hurt, sis."

"I-I know, Misto." I suddenly catch sight of a white blob sticking out from underneath my cushion. "Thanks."

"I know you feel it'll be hard to keep your self-pride, Vicky, but I will always be there for you. You know that, right?"

I absentmindedly nod and gingerly poke the white object. It crinkles slightly, like a sheet of paper.

"Just please don't stop being Vicky, okay? I don't want to lose my dear twin sister." Mistoffelees bends down and kisses my forehead before curling up next to me. "Good night, Victoria. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Misto," I respond while silently extracting the slip of paper from underneath my cushion. "And I'm very happy for you and Electra, Misto. I really am. I'm sorry all this drama prevented you two from spending time together."

"It's fine, Vicky. Electra and I both understand. G'night," he says one more time before rolling onto his back and letting his eyes flutter shut. Keeping my back to him, I noiselessly unfold the piece of paper and recognize the stunning calligraphy almost right away. The note reads:

"My beautiful Victoria,

"I cannot stay away from you for too long. Your dancing was sensational at the Ball, and everyone else loved it as well. It is proper for us as mates to meet and speak to each other as frequently as possible. I need you to meet me on top of the piano tonight. Once you arrive, I will protect you from the rain. With one touch, I will have your drenched alabaster coat turn as polished and silky as the robes of an angel. Make sure you are not seen. I have faith that you will come, my little angel.

Yours truly ~NoC

I wouldn't blame you if you reviewed and said, "You seriously need to stop talking so much in your author's notes." xD Like really, I am half-expecting to get something like that. Haha sorry, but I love talking to you guys :)

Anyway, how was it? Creepy? Dark? Weird? Something else? Please tell in a review! It doesn't have to be long, just one word is fine! xD Either "Love! *heart*" or "Hate hate HATE!" XD Okay I'm seriously going psycho...it's 1:11 AM...meh.

Thanks for reading! Please review :) :) :) Next update won't be until after I update The Jellicle Games, and I super promise that I won't ever abandon these stories once school starts!

Thanks! Stay tuned for more ;)

N.B.: Thank you to Guest 1 for pointing that out! XD Okay, sorry everyone, Misto is Plato's step-uncle, not step-brother. Haha sorry for the confusion. Thanks! :)