A/N: My brain is slightly fried right now. It's just one of those...years. So if there are major problems in this chapter, you know why, heh. And I'll try and fix it if it's majorly major.

Chapter 11 – Problems and Solutions

"What can I say?" Bombalurina said the next day when the others dared to ask her what was wrong with Demeter. "It's a very emotional time for her. I can't keep track of all her feelings," she tried to play off. Some left her alone after that. Others didn't seem to buy what she was saying. They knew she knew what had happened, just that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Well," Pouncival said, frowning at not getting the story behind the breakdown. "What does Tugger have to say about it? Jenny won't let us anywhere near him."

Bombalurina sighed and ran a paw through her fur. "Why won't Jenny let you near him?" she asked, offhandedly. To herself, she thought, 'These kits just don't quit, do they?'

"Because he was hurt yesterday," Pouncival said matter-of-factly. The other cats around suddenly had their interests peaked from the look of confusion on Bombalurina's face. "Didn't you know? Well, you were probably busy worrying about your sister, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Bombalurina asked, feeling on the spot.

Jemima stepped forward and cut off Pouncival before he could say anything. "He followed Demeter when she left the tribe, and came back all beaten up and bloodied by a Pollicle." Pouncival looked ready to attack the innocent looking queen for taking his moment from him.

"I didn't know that," Bombalurina admitted, looking off to the distance. This wasn't good. Not at all. Their existence in the tribe was causing far too much commotion as it was. Now, to have to deal with a hurt tom? And what's more, with all technicality, it was her tom she didn't know about. It wasn't that she didn't care about the Rum Tum Tugger. She had worked hard to get him to like her, be he finicky about her presence or not…

How was she supposed to react? She looked up, the others watching her intently to see her reaction. She frowned. "Look, would you all give me a moment? I've had a very long couple of days." Muttering, the cats left her with her thoughts.

She supposed she should go and check up on the tom. As she slowly made her way to Jennyanydots' den, she thought about her relationship with the tom. It was, by her standards, safe. She didn't have to keep him at a distance; he did that for both of them. It was exactly what she needed after everything that had happened to her. Something nice to flirt with; a pretty boy to have around, but no deep connection there.

Bombalurina peeked in through the door. The Gumbie Cat seemed to be missing at the time, so Mistoffelees was keeping Tugger company. Bombalurina couldn't hear what they were talking about, but both seemed in good spirits, as whatever story Tugger was telling the black and white tom seemed very funny. The Maine Coon looked to have many wounds on him, and every now and then had to stop laughing to hold his side, where he had been patched up by the 'good deed doer' of the tribe. But Mistoffelees kept his smile on, making sure his friend was okay, and that he would forget his pain for a while, buttering up his ego, making him feel less self-conscious about his new tattered features and more proud of his bravery.

Bombalurina left them alone and decided instead to go to Demeter's den and check on her. She had been thinking of nothing else but how difficult the next few weeks were going to be for both of them, and after the kits were born. She couldn't even fathom it. When she peered reluctantly into the den, she could see her sister lying down, half awake, half asleep, staring off into nothing. Her mate was laying on the ground next to the cushion, his head on their little bed. It looked as though he had watched her the whole night through, and had just given into his exhaustion.

The red queen was about to call to her sister, but didn't see the point in it. There was nothing more she could think of to say to her. She had to leave it in the paws of the Everlasting Cat, and fearing their relationship with him, she had no faith in how well this entire part of their lives would turn out.

So she turned and left to go to her own lonely little den. On her way there, she saw Cassandra sitting by herself, looking intensely at nothing. She had seen her do it before, but hardly cared to think anything of it. Now that she looked closer, she could tell just what was bothering her, just what that look on her face meant.

Bombalurina walked up to the queen and sat next to her, looking off into the distance along with her. "Lonely?" she asked.

Cassandra looked to her momentarily, before looking back at nothing. "I'm always lonely."

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Demeter opened her eyes. Closed them. Opened them again. No matter how many times she opened her eyes, things still looked fuzzy. She still wasn't over the shock of everything that had happened to her.

Movement. She looked down and barely recognized Munkustrap as he stretched. Why was he sleeping on the ground instead of on the bed? What did it matter?

Closed eyes. Opened them. Time had passed, as she could see the sun coming into her den at a different angle. She looked down to Munkustrap, who was just trying to get a crick out of his neck. It looked painful. He looked up to her, rubbing his neck. "Are you awake?" he whispered.

'What an odd question,' she thought, thinking that it only made sense she was awake if her eyes were open. "Yeah," she managed to answer, before trying to get up. "My head hurts," she admitted.

"I'm not surprised," he whispered. "You've...been crying all night."

Demeter sighed. She had hoped everything she had done was just a bad dream, but it was too much to wish for. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't apologize," her mate said. "I just…don't understand. Do you…want to talk about it?" he asked cautiously, looking careful not to make her break down in tears yet again.

"No," she said quickly, before sighing shakily. Munkustrap looked off, and then back at his mate. He stroked her cheek with his paw. She closed her eyes again. "It's something you'll never understand, Munkustrap."

"I promise I'll try," he said with enough conviction, she wanted to believe him.

"I…don't want to talk about it," she whispered, sighing again, inviting sleep in. She vaguely heard him get up and leave, and in the back of her mind, began to wonder if she'd ever see him again. 'I would deserve just as much.'

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Munkustrap left Jellylorum to look after his mate. He walked down the pathways of the junkyard with such an intense look on his face; none of the cats dared go up to speak with him. He passed Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, who a moment ago were laughing over something they had done, but went completely quiet as the silver tabby passed. Many of the kittens stopped watching the conjurer's tricks as the tabby walked by, and Admetus stopped his conversation with Skimbleshanks to stare at the tom.

Then, he saw them. He stopped walking, his twitching tail the only sign of his anger. The site of the twins talking lowly amongst themselves caused his breathing to deepen. 'No,' he told himself. 'Calm down. Get the information first. Find out what happened first. Then act. Act as you see fit. Don't act first.'

Coricopat was the first to make eye contact. "Munkustrap…" he said, standing up and taking a few steps forward so he was in front of his sister.

Munkustrap suddenly lunged at the tom. Just as his paws reached out to dig into the other tom's flesh, something held him back, and he fought violently to be let free. "What did you do to my mate!" he growled.

He was being pulled away from the two cats, but his muscles worked to getting to the tom. He wouldn't hurt Tantomile. He couldn't hurt a queen. But Coricopat was fair game, and he would pay for them both.

"Munkustrap, calm down!" he heard Alonzo hiss in his ear. But the tom couldn't calm down. All the time he spent, trying to get Demeter to open up to him, to get her to trust him with her troubles, and feel safe around her, and he couldn't even keep her safe from her own tribe mates! Again, Alonzo's voice rang clear. "You two, get out of here! Before I let him go!" The twins ran, causing Munkustrap to growl in frustration.

Suddenly, he was pushed backwards, and the moment he was sprawled on his back, two sets of paws held him down. "Let go of me!" Munkustrap pleaded, as he watched the two cats escape.

"You're upset," Alonzo said, who was standing over the tom. "And you're acting like a kitten! Don't take it out on them!"

"They've been stalking her!" Munkustrap growled, trying to get his front paws free. "They did something to her, I know it!"

"He's…VERY…strong," groaned Skimbleshanks.

"I don't know how long I can hold him!" he heard Mistoffelees say.

"We can get Mungo and Teazer to help," Alonzo said, looking over to someone.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," he heard Rumpleteazer say.

"Well, if you're just going to watch, what help are you?" Alonzo rolled his eyes. "Munk, calm down! Do you really want the tribe to see you like this?"

"I want them out of the tribe!" he hissed.

"Don't you think you're overreacting? You have no proof of anything!"

"Alonzo, those are my kittens, my mate, my family we're dealing with!" he screamed. "I won't let them get away with this!"

"With what? Upsetting Demeter? Hardly a case, Munk! Then you'd have to go after Pouncival for calling her 'fat' the other day."

"Well," Skimbleshanks corrected. "He didn't say it in those words, but he was being insensitive--"

Munkustrap cut him off. "She's broken, Alonzo," he said with the utmost clarity. Everything went still for a moment. Munkustrap took the chance to reclaim his paws and sit up, panting. He looked around to see that there were no other cats in the area but the ones he heard. "Whatever happened, she's the one exhausted from crying from whatever they did to her. THEY did something. They can't get away with it."

"Maybe you should let me take care of it, then," Alonzo said.

"You think I can't do it?"

"I think it's too personal for you, yes," he said, looking very serious. "You're supposed to protect the tribe, not tear it apart."

Munkustrap hissed in anger, but had more control over himself at this point. "I'm tearing this tribe apart?"

"Not yet, but you sure as hell seem willing to!"

"If anyone's tearing the tribe up, it's them!"

"If that's the case, then I'll go to Old Deuteronomy and see what to do about it! Better than kicking them out of the tribe like you would like to do!" The two were at a stand-off. The silver tabby looked the bi-colored tom fiercely in the eyes, waiting for him to move. But neither backed down. Feeling his determination break down and his concern for the tribe return, the silver tom thought how silly it must have looked to have to have the other toms of the tribe holding him back from a fight that he would clearly win. He could have snapped Coricopat in two like a toothpick if he wanted to. Finally, Munkustrap sighed.

"I don't want to see them anywhere near Demeter."

"Or near you," Alonzo said. "I got that, don't worry." After getting up and brushing himself off, Munkustrap made his way back to his den, the others watching him go. All except for Mistoffelees, who had disappeared sometime after he let the tom go.

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Bombalurina, Cassandra, and Mistoffelees sat beside each other, the tom working feverishly on the jewelry box, the moonlight his only source of light. They were in the junkyard this time. It didn't feel very welcoming at the bonfire without Demeter, and they all missed her as though she had disappeared without a trace.

"I hate them," Bombalurina concluded. "Stupid twins. They did it on purpose, I bet. Just to get back at her for any other Jellicles who've left them in the past."

"Don't worry," Mistoffelees said, trying to get a screw in place to make the music actually play. "I went to them after the whole incident. I told them to keep away from here, at least until after the kittens are born."

"Yeah," Bombalurina sighed. "Or I'll rip their heads off myself."

"They ruined everything," Cassandra said softly. "All anyone wants to talk about is what's going on with Demeter and the twins. You know how curious the others are. And their stories are getting more and more embellished as time goes on. I feel very...uncomfortable about the whole thing. Like the secrets out, or something. I feel so…exposed."

"Not like that Munkustrap didn't make things worse," Bombalurina said in a whisper. "I think Dem did her job a little too well when she found a tom who would protect her. Now look where it's gotten us!" She sighed. "We should have never come here. If I was just more…aware of what was happening then, I could have stopped Dem."

"What?" Mistoffelees asked with a smile, examining his work. "You didn't trust that first cat you saw?"

"No," Bombalurina frowned.

Mistoffelees put down his project for a moment to scowl at the red queen. "That was me."

"Oh…I thought it was Munkustrap," she said. "Well, you should have stopped her!"

"From what?" he asked, continuing his endeavors. "Coming to a tribe that would protect her at all costs?" The music box made a resounding snap, before a few small, vital pieces spilled from its insides and was lost in the junk heap they sat on. Mistoffelees closed his eyes tightly, as thought keeping from screaming. Then he sighed and put the music box aside. "There goes the music of the night," he shrugged.

"You can't fix it?" Cassandra asked.

"I guess not," Mistoffelees said. "I was too rushed." He then turned to the other two. "You know, I think we should stop worrying about what the others are saying and start trying to figure out how to cheer Demeter up. I know I've relied on rumors before. Anything to get them away from the truth, right?"

"Her problem won't just go away," Bombalurina reminded them.

"But if we do nothing," Cassandra reasoned, "Then the rumors will get too out of hand. In the wrong paws, rumors can cause far too much turmoil. Trust me. We don't want Munkustrap to begin believing what they may say about Demeter." She shuddered at the thought. "We need to get her back on her feet as soon as possible."

"The rumors won't stop," Bombalurina said.

"We'll make them stop," Mistoffelees said. "One way or another."

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Bombalurina sat by her sister's side. Demeter had refused to get up for a few days now. She had also eaten very little, much to Munkustrap's dismay. He had brought her all kinds of foods, hoping something would trigger her hunger, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, Bombalurina asked him to leave her with her sister so she could help her. She gave him a project to do, and she had been alone with her sister ever since. "I caused a lot of trouble," Demeter said.

"It doesn't matter," Bombalurina said, smiling gently, petting her sister on the head. "They're the ones who caused it anyway."

"No," Demeter said softly. "Did you know Tugger was hurt because of me? And you hurt yourself, too. Munkustrap doesn't seem the same around me."

"Oh," Bombalurina waved off the mention of the tabby. "Strappy-boo's just upset with Coricopat and Tantomile for making you…cry."

"How upset is upset?' Demeter asked, propping herself on one elbow.

"Um…"

"The truth, Bomba." The stern look on the gold queen's face was a welcome change from her recently depressed one.

"He wanted to have them kicked out of the tribe," Bombalurina bit her lip.

"Oh," Demeter said, her eyes widening. "Because of me?" Bombalurina didn't answer. "Great… What am I going to do, Bomba?"

"Don't worry about it for now," the red queen pleaded. "Please, Dem, you need to save up your energy. You're coming closer to having to deliver the kittens, and you've been so depressed lately, I'm worried."

"How can I not--"

"Please," Bombalurina said more urgently. "Don't think about any of what's happened, or any of what might happen, or anything that's happening right now. Just think of the kittens. And cheer up." Demeter seemed unconvinced. Bombalurina crept in closer and put on a smile smiled. "Want to know something?"

"Hmm?"

"The tribe has a surprise for you." Demeter's ears went back in fear. "A good one, Dem, a good one! For the kittens. They wanted to cheer you up. And since you haven't been up and about, it's all been a bit of a secret. And I know that you don't like crowds, and that we've been far too much the center of attention lately, but you might just like this."

"What is it?" Demeter asked cautiously.

Bombalurina got up and stepped over to the opening of the den. She looked out, peered around, then looked back in and smiled. "You'll have to get up to see what."

Demeter tried to get up, but with her legs wobbly from so little activity and her stomach throwing off her center of gravity, she couldn't quite figure out how to. Bombalurina finally had to help her up and lead her to the den opening.

Outside, were cats milling around, carrying things to hang up against the piles of junk. Lights were being hung, and areas were being cleared, as though they were preparing for another Jellicle Ball. So quickly? "What are they decorating for!" she squeaked.

Bombalurina laughed lightly. "Mistoffelees recommended a little party for the kittens. Kind of a way to welcome them to the tribe. Humans do something like this, he said, but they buy gifts for the mother. Well…humans are a little materialistic, now aren't they?" She nudged her sister. "But I'm sure you'll get a toy or two."

"You're having a 'Cheer Demeter Up' party?" asked the queen.

"That depends. Did it work?"

A faint smile appeared on the gold queen's face. "If this means they're accepting my kittens, no matter what, then yes. Everlasting Cat, yes."