Rumpelteazer sneaked through the west side, careful to make as little noise as possible. She and Mungojerrie were spending the night in the Junkyard; she had waited until he had fallen asleep and she was able to slip away with ease. She didn't need to creep through the piles of junk, she was known in theses parts but – she saw it as an opportunity to practice. She found the upturned trunk and smiled – easy as pie, piece of cake, slice... of pizza? The small queen bent down and knocked on the side before slipping into the shadows. She watched as it opened, a weary Griddlebone poked her head out, looking for her visitor. "Griddlebone," Rumpelteazer said stepping out of the darkness.

"Holy Bast child," she cried, clutching her chest, "You scared me."

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you; alone."

"This better be important if it couldn't wait until morning," Griddlebone warned, allowing the calico inside. Rumpel watched as she carefully sat on a pillow, resting her paw on a slightlyswollen stomach,before joining her. "Alright, spill it."

"Well, it's just that... The other week, when you found me in Macavity's den," she started, resisting the urge to fiddle her pearls, "You were talking about how his mind works and what he does. I remember you said that he makes you throw your love into his paws and watch as you kill him."

"Yeah," she said bitterly, obviously still irked about the early wake up call, "So, are you worried that he's going to kill your Mungo?"

"No," she shook her head furiously, "You said that that was what he made you do with Roquefort; so does that mean that you were in love with him?"

Griddlebone's eyes grew wide as she slowly lifted her head, stopping when she reached eyelevel with Rumpel, "Uh... It's late."

"So if you can just clear this up I'll be on my way and you can sleep," she offered.

"Why do you want to know?"

"You're quite keen on getting off topic aren't you?I want to knowbecause he was my brother Griddlebone – did you love him?"

"It's not like I hated him. He must have been the sweetest, bravest tom I ever had the pleasure of meeting. It isn'tlike I only regarded him as a friend either – I loved him more then that; yet not quite as if he was a little brother." She sighed, taking a reflected pause, trying to get her thoughts in order, "Love's a strange thing."

"I know," Rumpel nodded, "I am mated."

"That's right," the white queen nodded, "Your brother was a great tom Rumpel. Never before did I meet someone who would sacrifice himself for another. Here cats only care about their own fur... I wanted to be like your brother so much. I wanted to be so fearless, so courteous; so... considerate. Look at me though, that went to Hell in a hand-basket; I'm still nothing more then one of Macavity's whores. His object of 'affection'; I'm worth nothing more then the heirs that I can give him." She looked disdainfully at her stomach, "And once he gets them then I'll be tossed aside so he can raise them in his own image – and I'll be back to my old job until he fancies another batch."

Rumpel looked over at Griddlebone who furiously wiped away tears, "Are you okay?"

"No," she said resting her forehead on her paw, "I hate myself right now. I hate that I'm giving Macavity some kittens, I hate knowing what he's going to do to them, I hate that there's nothing I can do about it."

"Why don't you leave though," Rumpelteazer asked gently, "Go to the Junkyard, you could have your kittens there and hide one or two. Someone will raise them, I promise."

"You make it sound so easy," she sobbed, "It's not though. If he found out, then he would kill me... It scares me and I don't want it to happen; and that... it just makes me think about how that would make me no better then the others here. I'd be even lower then them. I'd be trading my safety for the lives of innocent kittens. Roquefort wouldn't do that; he'd give his life and more to save them."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want to keep them safe," she sighed, "No matter what... You should get back, it's late."

"Alright," Rumpel nodded, standing up, "Sorry I woke you."

Griddlebone watched her leave before placing a paw on her stomach. She looked Heavyside ways and smiled, "I'm doing this for you Roquefort. I know that you would have stuck it out, kept them safe, and that you would have wanted me to do the same...Just for the record,I do love you."


"So we got everything," Mungojerrie asked, peering over Rumpelteazer's shoulder.

"For the millionth time - yes," she sighed, "The pearls, rings, bracelets and Buddy's wallet. Just relax, it's not like we got caught."

"It's just that it was a day run," Mungo fussed, "It's just so different. I feel like we're missing something."

"Well stop it," she said, nuzzling him, "It's going to be fine. I promise."

He smiled and licked her cheek before triple-checking everything in his arms. He usually wasn't so nervous but something just seemed out of place. They turned the corner and found Macavity sitting atop the pile of tires, located in the center of the junkyard. "What are you doing so far from the west side?"

"I needed to talk to you about something," he said simply, "Away from prying eyes and ears." Something about that statement made Mungojerrie feel rather uneasy and reach for Rumpel's paw. "Put down all that junk and sit down." They did so; something in his voice told them that he wasn't in a good mood. He looked down at them distastefully, as he used his claws to whittle a piece of Styrofoam. "It has come to my attention quite some time ago that you two were reporting back to Munkustrap on what you've gathered while here. Is that true?"

"No," Mungojerrie said, keeping his voice rather confident despite the strength of his heartbeat. He kept waiting for it to burst out of his chest like on the cartoons that Amanda would watch when she didn't go to school.

"You're lying," Macavity stated, glaring down at the two. He didn't raise his voice, or make any gestures of violence, he just simply continued to whittle. Mungo squeezed Rumpel's paw who returned the gesture. "And I have reason to believe that."

"And what reasons are there?"

"I followed you two the other day. You told him everything, poured out everything you learnt like a broken dam," he said, slicing at the sculpture a little harder now. "Mind telling me why?" Rumpelteazer looked helplessly at Mungo who returned the stare. "Silence... what a clever answer. If you can't give a reason then there mustn't be a good reason as to why he needs to know."

"He wants to know," Rumpel said quietly.

"What was that? Speak up, my dear, I can't hear you," he grinned.

"Munkustrap – he wants to know. He wants to keep the Junkyard safe, he sees you as a threat," she convinced, squeezing Mungojerrie's paw as hard as she could.

Macavity nodded knowingly, as if that was what he expected her to say, "Tell him I'm flattered he sees me as such." He stopped for a moment, inspecting his handicraft, "And tell him that I won't strike... So long as you two keep me happy, I'll leave him and his precious northern side alone."

Mungojerrie blinked a few times, did he just say-? He looked at Rumpelteazer who had the same bewildered look on her face. "Macavity, if we may ask-"

"I learnt lost," he said cutting her off, "I learned the fear of loosing another – one that you hold dearly." He looked down at the two, "Griddlebonemiscarried,she lost all of the kittens. I would usually ridicule those who have felt such sorrow of loosing something so seemingly trivial but... I just feel as if the whole world is changed; for now at least. If that's not enough of a reason to please your precious protector, just tell him to be glad that his tribe will be safe."


"Did that seem awkward to you," Mungojerrie asked as they walked back to the clearing, "Macavity and that?"

"Very awkward," she nodded, "I feel bad about it though; Griddlebone loosing her kittens. That's horrible... There's nothing we can do about it though now is there?"

"Nothing," he stated with a nod, "But keep him happy."


A/N: And there we are... a month's worth of Writer's Block to produce this. I don't know what to tell you. Other then writer's block is truly evil and I have a few other Fics in the process of being written. So... Slainté Mhath!

Hey – that's what I can tell you. I'm taking Gaelic lessons once a week during lunch; Slainté Mhath (Pronounced: Sla-she va) means Cheers and Good Health. With the cold going around right now – I wish you all good health.

My lovely lozzypop – No more Griddlebone; unless I feel like bringing her back for another story. Chances are I shall do that sometime – it's not like I'm going to discard her. That's exactly what is was and I probably shouldn't have said anything and allowed you to believe that it was longer then it was. You'll get by, you have to move on... you knew that when I started it that it would eventually end. You have; I'm shocked. I would have had this up earlier if I wasn't in the HCL room after school working on the costumes

Mima-Love – That's true – all updates are good. We should tell Poe that... and Chimmy, she didn't update in a good while either. And I fickin love you.

Eponine – Thank you and they did become mates. Didn't I mention that? It could have been in one of the rejected endings... Either way they're mates.

If you see Poe, tell her I'm going to kill her
Why, what happened, what did she do?
Nothing – I'm just going to kill her