Munkustrap yawned and stretched out contently, smiling. He was walking around the yard, Deuteronomy had offered to kitten-sit Quaxo, so Munkus could take a small break from his over-active charge. Munkus didn't mind looking after Quaxo, he actually loved it, but Deuteronomy insisted he had a break and take time to relax. Cori, Tantomile and Macavity were at lessons with Trelawney, so Munkus was alone. Munkustrap frowned.

Macavity had been acting very…odd lately, ever since he had revealed his powers at the Jellicle Ball the month prior and had been told to have lessons with Trelawney. He had been a bit more irritable and Munkus had over-heard him arguing with Deuteronomy about the need to go to lessons. Munkus shook his head before he continued on.

He was probably just worried and stressed since Tirus would be making the announcement of his replacement for Protector within the next week.

Munkus continued walking around the yard, his green eyes taking in his surroundings. There had been a few changes in the yard since the ball. Cleo and Nathaniel had decided to go back home to Egypt for a few years. Cassandra declined to go with her parents, shuddering at the very thought of being in the heat, surrounded by sand, and instead remained in the yard. They had been gone a week now, though things in the yard were still going rather well despite some of their family deciding to visit their home country.

Munkus froze, his ears pricking up sharply as he heard the snarls of a Pollicle and pained cries and yowls. The silver fledgling-Tom quickly scurried towards the commotion. He rounded a junk pile and froze in shock as he looked at the scene occurring in the clearing in front of him.

A bloodied and badly wounded Tirus was weakly trying to fight off a rather rabid, large, drooling Pollicle. Tirus was fighting…but was quickly being overpowered.

Munkus knew he had to do something, if he went for help he knew Tirus would be finished off before he returned. Munkus sunk into a crouch, his hackles rising angrily and his tail puffing out threateningly before, with a guttural hiss, he lunged at the Pollicle. Munkus dug his claws into the Pollicle's brown back, grabbing a mouthful of the dog's scruff and sinking his fangs in.

The Pollicle started yelping, letting go of Tirus, as it bucked, trying to dislodge Munkustrap from his back.

The brown Pollicle managed to loosen Munkustrap's grip slightly, before bucking again, causing Munkustrap to be flicked over his head. Munkus landed in a crouch, hissing at the Pollicle as the dog stared down its attacker, snarling angrily.

"W-What are you doing?" Munkus heard Tirus gasp weakly from somewhere behind him. "G-Get outta here!" Munkus never took his green eyes off the Pollicle, keeping his gaze connected with the yellow eyes of the dog. The dog snarled and lunged at Munkus. Munkus leapt up just as the jaws of the large beast snapped shut where Munkus had been moments before.

Munkustrap sunk his claws into the beast's head, clamping his teeth down on the dog's floppy ear. The Pollicle started yelping as it bucked around, shaking its head furiously. Munkus let go of the Pollicle's ear to give a pained yowl as his arm was crushed underneath the Pollicle's large head as the beast shoved his head against the ground, desperate to get Munkustrap off.

Munkus finally let go, landing in a crouch once more. The Pollicle gave a growl before it turned and ran off.

"What…what…?" Munkus turned and looked at Tirus as Tirus slowly sat up, staring at Munkustrap in shock. Munkus lowered his ears and focused his attention on cleaning the gash on his arm.

"H-How did you learn to fight like that?" Tirus asked gruffly, making Munkustrap wince. The silver Tom's heart raced in his chest.

He didn't want to be seen as dangerous…he wasn't dangerous, but he knew how much Tirus wanted to get rid of him.

"I-I had to learn," Munkus just mumbled. "I-In most cases it-it was fight or-or d-die," Munkustrap kept his eyes down, instead choosing to look at the different scrapes, grazes and scratches he had received from the fight.

It remained silent and it was starting to play on Munkustrap's nerves, making him tremble in fear.

"I-I'm not dangerous," Munkustrap whispered timidly.

"What?"

"I-I'm not dangerous," Munkustrap spoke up, quickly glancing up as tears filled his eyes. "I know you said I was, and since I fought off the dog…I'm not dangerous," Munkus whispered. Tirus winced as he watched Munkustrap lower his head again, concentrating on the gash on his arm.

He felt guilty.

Tirus knew that Munkustrap was scared of him, the young Tom always tried to fit in and do what was right, but Tirus was always on his back, trying to prove that he was dangerous to the others and now he had proof that Munkus was potentially dangerous.

He didn't feel like proving that anymore.

Munkustrap had just risked his life to save him, a cat who tried to make his life hell.

"I know you're not dangerous." Tirus spoke up. Munkus lifted his head; his green eyes were wide and filled with shock at Tirus's revelation. Tirus slowly, painfully, crawled over to sit next to Munkus, ignoring the sting of his many wounds.

Tirus looked at the young Tom sitting beside him, and truly saw him for the first time.

He saw the large, emerald green eyes, filled with such innocence and yet showing pain, maturity and an understanding of horrors well beyond his age.

He saw the stolen, lonely kitten-hood and the yearning to be a part of a loving family, to be something worthwhile and not just another 'slave'.

Tirus slowly reached out, putting his paw comfortingly on Munkustrap's shoulder, wincing when he saw the slight flinch Munkus gave.

"Thank you, Munkustrap," Munkus frowned slightly and tilted his head a little to the right in order to look at Tirus slightly.

"I-I…" Munkus stammered when he saw the sincerity and warmth in Tirus's usually cold grey eyes. Tirus gave a small smile, something unusual for the grey, black and brown Tom. Tirus glanced over Munkustrap's wounds and gave a wince, before looking over his own and grimacing.

"I think we should get to Jenny and get our wounds checked out, hey?" Tirus murmured, giving a small, tired chuckle. He was taken aback as Munkustrap suddenly looked to him, ears pinned back fearfully.

"What's wrong, youngin'?" Tirus asked, concerned.

"T-They can't know," Munkus whispered fearfully. "I don't want them to see I'm dangerous,"

"You're not though!" Tirus assured him. "I was wrong! You're not dangerous at all!"

"Please!" Munkus gave a choked sob. "I-I don't want to lose my family and friends! I can't be alone again!" Tirus gave a sad sigh as he looked at the panicked tabby cat.

"Alright, Munkus, alright," Tirus sighed as he wrapped his arm around the trembling tom-kit's shoulders, ignoring the pain searing through his wounds. Munkus calmed slightly at his words.

"What will we tell them though?" Munkus hiccupped.

"I don't know," Tirus sighed softly.

"Y-You saved me from the Pollicle," Munkus murmured suddenly, his slightly bloodshot eyes looking to Tirus. Tirus sighed once more, giving a small nod.

"Come on, Jenny's going to freak when she sees us," Tirus told him as he slowly, painfully, got to his feet, before helping Munkus up. Munkus slowly walked back to the clearing with Tirus walking silently beside him. He glanced at the elder Tom as he cradled his cut arm to his chest. The large gash was still slowly seeping blood and it stung horribly, and it didn't help that he had gotten gravel and dirt into the wound.

He was still in disbelief that Tirus had acted the way he did after the fight…he tried to comfort Munkus, telling him he had been wrong and that he wasn't dangerous.

"Munkus!" Munkus lifted his head just in time to see a large, fluffy mane before he was engulfed in a tight hug by Tugger.

"Tugs," Munkus mumbled weakly, finally feeling his injuries. His muscles were aching; his legs were beginning to shake as the adrenaline disappeared. He could feel the blood from his wounds starting to dry and stick in his fur, making it itchy.

"Munku, what happened? Are you okay?" Tugger's voice was asking worriedly, taking on a higher pitch as held his wounded baby brother in his arms.

"Mm," Munkus just mumbled as his eyes slid shut, exhausted and dizzy.

"Munkus!" He barely heard his Dad's worried cry as everything went dark.

Deuteronomy sat worriedly by Munkustrap's side as Jenny patched up the tom-kit's wounds. He had arrived in the clearing, bringing Quaxo along to play with the other kittens, when he had spotted Munkustrap in Tugger's arms, seeming to be battered and bruised, and watched as the kitten collapsed in his brother's hold.

Now, he was in the infirmary, watching over his son as Quaxo curled up in his lap, his worried green-purple eyes fixed on his guardian. Tirus sat on the other side of the den, getting his wounds tended to by Jelly.

Munkus was lying so still and so pale on the bed, his gorgeous green eyes closed as his head lolled slightly to the left. Jenny was treating the large, deep gash on his arm, tsking slightly.

"What is it, Jenny?" Deuteronomy asked, worried.

"I fear his arm may have a slight fracture," Jenny sighed sadly as she bound up the arm tightly in a bandage.

"It should heal within a few weeks." She reassured him as she went on to clean and treat the rest of Munkustrap's grazes, scratches and wounds that were almost littering the lithe frame.

"Tirus, what happened?" Deuteronomy croaked as he tore his eyes off of Munkustrap's battered frame, looking towards the Protector. The usually stoic, no fuss Tom hesitated for a moment as he looked at Munkustrap.

"T-There was a Pollicle," Tirus sighed finally. "I came across it, and-and found Munkustrap trying to hide from it, having already received a few wounds from it." Tirus hated lying about this. He wanted to tell the Jellicle Leader how his son was the one to save the Protector, the one who gave him no end of trouble.

"Thank you, Tirus," Deuteronomy sighed gratefully. "I have no idea what I would have done if something had happened to my boy,"

"You don't need to worry about that, Deut," Tirus murmured. "He's more than capable of holding his end up in a fight." Deuteronomy's eyes narrowed as he looked at Tirus.

"And what do you mean by that?" Tirus winced. He was too close to giving up what Munkustrap had made him promise not to tell…and Deuteronomy thought he was insulting his son.

"I mean, he did well fending off the Pollicle for as long as he did and come out with rather minimal wounds," Tirus said quickly. Deuteronomy calmed then, looking back to the fledgling Tom lying unconscious on the bed. He watched with careful brown eyes as Quaxo crawled out of his lap and onto the bed beside Munkus, cuddling close to his guardian. Jenny smiled sadly as Quaxo cuddled against Munkustrap's side, trying to wrap his small arm around Munkustrap's chest.

"Just be gentle with him, sweet-heart, he'll be a bit sore when he wakes up," Jenny told Quaxo softly. "But it'll do him the world of good to wake up and find you here," Quaxo gave a small purr as Jenny gently rubbed his ears.

"Dad?" Deuteronomy turned to see Tugger and Macavity waiting by the door, hesitant. He waved them in and they immediately headed to Munkus's bedside, sitting beside their brother.

"Is he okay?" Tugger asked, worried, as his chocolate brown eyes landed on his baby brother, who was covered in bandages. Macavity was biting his lip as he stared at his brother, worried.

"He will be," Deuteronomy assured them. Jenny nodded in agreement from where she stood behind the boys.

"He'll be fine in no time," She told them. "He has a small fracture, which will heal in a few weeks, and a large gash on the same arm, which will heal in around the same time." Jenny listed.

"Most of the other wounds are superficial and will take only a few days to heal."

"I should have been there!" Macavity growled suddenly. "If I didn't have to take the damn, baby magic lessons, I would have been on rounds to help him!"

"Macavity," Deuteronomy warned softly. "Your magic needs to be trained so it doesn't spiral out of control and take you down with it."

"I've been training it myself!" Macavity hissed, causing Tugger to stare at him in shock. "I don't need the stupid babying from Trelawney; I should be protecting the yard!"

"That is enough, Macavity." Deuteronomy said firmly, brown eyes staring at his eldest son. "We shall discuss this later." Macavity got to his feet, growling under his breath, before he stalked from the den. Deuteronomy watched him go, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.

"Dad, Mac has changed," Deuteronomy looked back at Tugger at that comment.

"What do you mean, Tugs?" He asked his son gently. Tugger hesitated, sighing.

"He's really angry now," Tugger mumbled. "If I do something he doesn't like, he snaps at me…and…and there are times where he has almost hit me." Deuteronomy's eyes widened in shock at Tugger's revelation.

"He spends most of his time sulking around, muttering to himself," Tugger continued, upset. "He doesn't hang out with us anymore and scoffs at us when we ask him to hang out with us…Macavity thinks he's better than us because he's training to be the next Protector and because of his magic!" Tugger finished, growling slightly at the end. He looked at his dad sadly.

"I hate who he is now." Tugger admitted, turning his eyes back to his brother. "I mean, Cori and Tanto have powers and go to lessons, but they don't think they're better than us," Tugger tried to explain. "I don't get why Macavity is being such a Peke about it."

"Tugger!" Jenny scolded. "There are kittens about, language!" She indicated to Quaxo who was asleep curled against Munkustrap. Tugger looked at Jenny sheepishly.

"I'll talk to Macavity later and see what is bothering him," Deuteronomy told Tugger, who nodded and went back to watching over Munkustrap, gently taking his paw, from his unbroken arm, in his own. Deuteronomy glanced at Tirus, frowning when he saw he was intently staring at Munkustrap, seeming troubled and deep in thought.

Deuteronomy knew Tirus was hiding something, though he wasn't sure what. He just hoped it would not affect Munkustrap.

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Again, I'm so sorry its been so long between updates! I'm slowly starting to get back into the groove of things!

Thanks to those who reviewed!

Please read and review! (pretty please, it's my birthday! :P )

Love,

HGP