Part One: Out Of The Shadows

Before the Jellicle Ball

Chapter Four: Black and White

The road is long

the memory slides

to the whole of my undoing put aside

I put away I push it back

to get through each day

and all I feel is black and white

and I'm wound up small and tight and I don't know who I am ...

Four months had come and gone in the Junkyard since Demeter and Plato had been found and brought into the safety of the tribe. Much to most Jellicles' relief, Macavity had not attacked them in search of his quote ex-mate and son, an obvious heir to his world. During the four months that had passed, Demeter and her son had settled in nicely with Bombalurina, with occasional visits from Jemima, who was taking her time upon getting used to everything, this new life as it was. Both Demeter and Jelly had agreed that Jemima should be where she felt more comfortable, and soon Jelly became Grandma Jelly to both Plato and his sister, only because their real Grandmother could probably care less.

Other things had changed, Demeter was a very alert cat, any noise and she grew tense and sometimes was prone to calling out "Macavity!" if she thought she had picked up his scent. Plato was growing to be a strong tom, spending a lot of his time not with the other kittens, but rather his idols. Namely, Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger and Alonzo, in that order. But mostly he was around Munkustrap the most, who was often found hanging around Bombalurina and Demeter's closet home anyhow. The whole tribe knew the favored son of Deuteronomy had a serious thing for the troubled golden queen, but for reasons never seemed to act on it, and nor did she do anything on her end.

The Jellicle Ball was coming up also and the Tribe was a buzz with who was going to go with whom and who was to begin the mating dance. Most figured it would be Victoria as she was of age now and needed to become a queen. However Old Deuteronomy had to make that call in a meeting with the Tribe elders, his eldest son and the kitten and her parents.

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Bombalurina gave a long, rather bored sigh. Since her and Tugger's very official break-up life had gotten dull for the scarlet queen, the only upbeats in it was Deme and little...or rather not so little Plato. The kit was to her waist now and by this time next year would be just as tall as the stately red cat, if not taller. He could even say her full name now, but was more comfortable with calling her Auntie or Aunt Boma, as he had since the two had met. The kid was making the queen realize how old she was, by cat age standards she was reaching middle age and she was not about to end up as a spinster like Jelly, but with the right tom not being her tom anymore Bomba was slowly getting used to such an idea.

"Oh Rumpus. Bomba... I don't know who I'm going to go to the ball with. No one has asked me... I doubt anyone will. Have you been asked?" Demeter looked towards her sister, who was blissfully gazing out the window, the reason was very obvious as well from the loud shrieks and screams of Ectcetra.Tugger. Her attention averted back to her son a moment, who was finding it difficult to remain still as his mother worked on his Roach costume for the Ball," Almost done love." Demeter assured the impatient kit.

"I don't know... I was think on just not going actually. Figured I'd just offer to watch the kits that can't go... or something." Bomba answered in a far away voice.

Finishing the last bit on Plato's costume, Demeter let the boy go off to play, giving her usual motherly warnings before coming up along side her sister," You love him don't you?" Her gaze moved from Tugger, who was entertaining a fray of kittens, her son included with some story.

" I... I don't know Deme. Honestly, at one time I thought I did, but that day when we fought... " The red queen shook her head," I just don't know."

Demeter nodded and placed a paw on her sister's shoulder," Come with me to the Ball Bomba. Jemima is going to let Plato escort her." The golden queen gave a pout, resting her head where he paw had been," Please...I've never been to the Ball before, but I don't want to go alone."

Despite herself, Bomba had to laugh and slowly shook her head," Alright. You win. I'll go, but on one condition." The clever queen gave a clever smile," You have to dance at least one dance with Munkus."

Demeter froze slightly, but then blurted out a question," Why?"

"Because. Because you've been ignoring everything that tom does for you Demeter. He'd die for you ! You won't let him in, or give him a chance at all. He treats Plato like a son, I don't know what you're problem is, but I dare say you're as blind as old Gus." Bombalurina spat, her temper threatening to rise. So much pressure lately with trying to be interested in what she wanted, and so the scarlet queen had turned her intentions and attentions on getting her sister settled with a nice tom, mainly the next in line Jellicle Leader.

Demeter stepped back, her petite frame landing instantly on a cushion of their closet home. She stared wide-eyed at her older sister, no one had yelled at her like that since her last encounter with Macavity. Her heart beat quickened and she cowered, fear rising up and spreading throughout her entire body," I'm... I'm sorry please, d--don't hurt me."

She was begging for mercy, begging not to be hurt, not to be punished. At seeing her own blood and fur cower before her, Bombalurina sighed and stepped down, her tall shapely frame coming to kneel beside that of her shaking sister," Oh Deme, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step all over your tail. I'm... I just don't feel like myself much right now. It's like someone stole a piece of me, but I know right where to find it and that's... well that's the sad thing."

Her fear slowly ebbed away, her eyes lifted and her arms fell slowly back to her sides and she gave a small nod," I know... kind of. I... well I think I still love him Bomba."

It was the last thing Bombalurina ever wanted to hear from her sister's lips. It was enough to make the scarlet queen want to hit the girl, to knock some sense into her," No. No. No. No. Deme you do not love that piece of pollicle shit. He hurt you or don't you remember? He did terrible things to you, unrepeatable things. He even tried to kill you. That's not love Deme, that cruelty." Bombalurina knew things, she knew how Macavity was, he was no gentlecat, he was a mean cat. A cunning cat.

"No. I don't remember. I only remember the good things, how happy he was when Plato was born, he even named him you know. He saw the name in a book, a human book. He's a very smart cat Bomba, and rich too. He--- he oh heavyside Bomba... he never told me he loved me did he?" Her face became dazed, her mind thrown back to times long ago and best forgotten.

" That's right he didn't. He used you, remember that Demeter. Always remember that, and remember he could do it again." Bombalurina held her sister as she cried, a soft tune humming from her lips, something their mother once sang to the red queen when she was but a kitten.

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Despite his audience, Tugger's mind was else where, on the window carefully cut out of the closet home of Bombalurina and her sister and her kit. She had been there, watching him and looking sad, he watched her expressions change, he saw her yell at Demeter and gave a silent sigh. Was he driving her to hate her own sister? No, certainly not. Demeter needed a good talking to anyhow, she was being so shy and so afraid of everyone, including both his brothers. Poor Munkus, the tom did not have it easy, he had fallen for one of the most difficult queen's the Rum Tum Tugger had ever seen in his life.

"Oh Tugger! Tell us the one about how you saved that queen again, pleeease! It's my favorite!" Etcetera practically screamed as she bounced up and down. If Tugger didn't know better he'd swear that the kitten was on catnip constantly.

"Alright, see a long time ago, before you all were born and during my first life I lived during the time of kings, and I of course sat on each one's throne just to see what it was like." The master story teller took a breath, shooting his admirers each a wink, and then moved to continue," Well there was this evil cat, and he had a beautiful princess with red fur locked away in a castle high upon an ench---"

"I hate to spoil the fun, but Tugger I need to speak with you now please." Munkustrap ignored the groans and protests from the kittens of the tribe, but of course he did not fail to notice Plato coming up to him and smiled, kneeling down eye level with the curious kitten," Hey kid." A large black paw ruffled the fur atop the smaller tom's head a bit.

"Hi Munkus. Are we going to do something fun today? I wanna learn how to hunt rats! I don't like rats. They're big black and ugly. They stink too." Plato stared at his idol with wide blue eyes, eyes like his Father's.

Chuckling, Munkustrap shook his head as he waited for his brother to get rid of his fan club," Not today Plato, but I got a present for you and Mistoffelees showed me a trick too, ready?"

Plato gave a lively nod and jumped," Yup! Show me please Munkus! Please! Please!"

"Alright, now watch closely." Munkustrap made a few magical gestures with his hand and then slowly produced a small soft mouse, that squeaked when you gave it a squeeze to the stomach," And there you go. Have fun kid, annoy your Mother and Aunt all you want with it." The Silver tabby chuckled at the small mischievous grin upon the kit's face as he raced off, mouse plushie in tow.

"Alright. fan club gone so what's shakin and bakin Munkie?" Tugger gave a smirk, as he spotted the son of Demeter playing happily with his new toy," I swear man, you could give that kid a piece of greasy paper and he'd think it was the coolest thing ever Bro."

Sheepishly the Sentinel shrugged, a bit of a blush crossing his features," Uh huh. Right so anyhow, I was speaking with our Father, and he wants us to keep an eye out better. He says he's noticed some strange happenings, things missing and such."

Tugger gave a snort of amusement," Probably Mungo and Teazer up to their usual?"

" I hope. But Father seems to think it's more then that, after all rumors have it that Mungojerrie still does odd jobs for Macavity, so we can't be to careful."

"Right. What about the apple of your eye? She might be still working for him all this time ya know, right under our noses and a right good actress I say if she is." Tugger offered, he had a soft spot for the twins of Victoria Grove and so of course he jumped to defend them, just as he knew Munkustrap would jump to defend Demeter.

"Don't scoff Tugger. Honestly, would someone who's been through what Dem has still work for that son of a pollicle? I don't think so." Munkustrap did as his brother had predicted and stuck up for the golden queen.

"Right. Point taken, but still she's messed up. Some of the kits have taken to calling her psycho kitty and frankly I don't blame them. She is a little out there Munkie." Rum Tum Tugger was not stupid, he knew exactly what he was doing, but anything to get both his brother and Demeter out of their misery worked for him. Because of his love struck silliness, Munkustrap had lost his appeal as a tease worth object and that could just not due, part of a good Tugger day was teasing and annoying the hell out of his perfect older brother.

" Tugger. I know what you're up to with talk like that, I will not go and throw myself at that queen. She doesn't want me, I don't know why... but she doesn't. " Munkustrap felt defeated, and very alone suddenly.

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He had made a mistake, and he knew it too. He had hoped, even waited that she would return to him and all would be forgiven. It never happened and what hurt most of all was she had taken their son with him. His Plato. His heir. He wanted them both back with him, if only he hadn't lost his temper with her, but finding her hanging around the Jellicle's yard what could he do? What was she doing there anyhow?

Come to think of it she went there a lot, had she been going out behind his back with another tom? Macavity gave a snort, she wouldn't dare. This was something else, something his once mate had taken measures about, something she didn't want to him know, ever. Now that was something to be angry about, even hurt. She had hurt him, but what did he do? He hit her, raped her, did things no cat should do to another.

"Demeter." He sighed her name, he wanted her back. She was his after all, ever since he had bewitched her away from the Jellicles, his stupid Father and his goody-goody Half brothers, one of which his Deme had been getting rather close with, the one he hated most of all. Munkustrap. That damned tabby got everything that Macavity wanted. He should have been the Sentinel of the tribe, the favored son, but no he had to as his Dad put it failed him, made a disappointment out of himself," I will have you back someday my love. Someday." And his cold laughter filled the stone room.

End of Chapter Four...