Part 7

The years went by and Alonzo was a changed cat. He was no longer a little weak kitten that didn't understand the world he lived in. Alonzo was now a tom, a tom that had seen lots of cruelty and misery, had lived through a lot of pain, had experienced heart-aches, illness, injury, joy, pride and hate. Alonzo was on the streets known as the Italian, because he never spoke anything other than Italian. Some say it was because he couldn't but really he just wouldn't (A/N: yes I made it rime on purpose so sue me ;)). Alonzo didn't want other cats, peekes, pollicles, rats, mice or birds to understand him. He wanted them to think they could fool him and if he talked in a way they didn't understand he'd be less hurt.

Alonzo had tried to find his way back to the Jellicle junkyard, he'd tried many times but London was big and not everyone had heard of the cats living in the junkyard. Those who had said they were just myth. He'd tried to find them on his own but… well London is big.

Alonzo had grown into a fighter and sometimes thought with the alley cats for food. He didn't take nip like most alley cats did. See that's there's a difference between strays and alley cats. Strays lived on the streets but they were "clean". The scars they had came from attacks or honorable fights. Alley cats were "dirty". They used nip, alcohol if they could get their paws on it and they fought dirty… lost body parts because of it too and most of them had used so much nip their brains were destroyed. But they loved fights... they fought over nothing but if they fought a stray… well they lost 9 times out of 10.

Alonzo had learned to fight them and not other strays unless he had too… it was safer to fight alley cats for food when time were rough. Alonzo fought with them during winters or when he was sick… never anytime else.

Alonzo was also known for his ability to track. He often helped lost kittens track down their mothers and fathers or helped separated friends find each other again. The crime lord Macavity even knew about him, not that his name was Alonzo though… no one knew that. He was known as the Italian… and he knew he would die as the Italian.

One day Alonzo was lazing around on a crate just enjoying the warm sun. He'd gotten onto a truck and was now near King's Cross station. He'd never been here before but had been working all night trying to find food so he just had to take it easy for a bit. While he was resting he didn't notice someone walk towards him… until he caught their scent and sat up. He looked straight ahead and saw a pair of calico cats watching him. One was a bit smaller than the other and Alonzo guessed one was female. They walked up to him.

"Wow", the bigger one said, a tom. "You are jus' as good as thay say."

Alonzo just looked at him and then to the smaller cat, a queen. She waved shyly at him.

"Che cosa vuoi?" Alonzo asked dryly. (What do you want?)

"Oh", the queen started to look through a sack by her paws and pulled out an Italian dictionary in pocket size. She started to look through it.

"Oh 'e's askoing whot we want", she said happily and the tom scratched his head.

"Okay", the tom said. "We need yah're 'elp!"

Alonzo snorted and lied down again.

"L'ufficio è chiuso, mi chiamano al mattino." (the office isn't open, call me tomorrow)

"Whot doid 'e say Teazah?" the tom asked.

"Oi don' know!" she said. "'e said oit so fast!"

Alonzo chuckled and looked at them and said slowly:

"L'ufficio è chiuso, mi chiamano al mattino."

"Uh…" the queen looked at the tom. "Oi thoink 'e said oit doesn' mattah… or 'e wants a Martini."

Alonzo cocked an eyebrow at the two of them. The tom sighed and ran a paw over his face.

"Look 'ere Italiano", he said annoyed. "We 'ave a problem an' need your 'elp."

"Non è un problema mio", Alonzo said. (Not my problem)

"Somethoing abou' not his problem", the queen guessed. The tom growled and Alonzo just turned away from them. The tom jumped on top of him.

"Look we nee' you're 'elp!" he yelled in panic. "You're tha only one tha' can 'elp!" Alonzo snarled at him and threw him off and jumped off the crate to walk away.

"Please", the queen called after him. "Tha Jellicles need 'elp!"

Alonzo froze mid-step and turned around. He looked at the two cats suspiciously.

"Jellicles", he asked.

"Sí we're Jellicles!" the queen grinned. "I'm Rumpleteazah an' tha's Mungojerrie!"

Alonzo looked at them skeptically and snorted before continuing to walk.

"We need your 'elp ta foind a cat Macavity koidnapped!" Rumpleteazah shouted after him and Alonzo stopped again and looked at her.

"Chi?" (Who)

"Oh Oi know tha' one!" she looked through the dictionary. "Who? Ah! 'e koidnapped tha Jellicle protectah!"

Alonzo stiffened, Edan? Macavity had taken Edan? He walked up to the two calico twins and looked at them sharply.

"Farmi la discarica", Alonzo growled darkly. (Take me to the junkyard)

The queen looked through the dictionary and then nodded and hurried off with the tom. Alonzo followed, with a warm hope in his stomach. Maybe… just maybe he'd find his way home to Munkustrap… maybe just maybe… they would even recognize him.

TBC Sorry for the long long long wait :'( But I had writers block... therefore a short chapter again...

HGP - Sorry that it wasn't as soon as you hoped...

KatyOnACloud - And it gets worse... or does it dun dun dun

Malurina - *sings* I know there's someone somewhere, someone who's sure to find me soon. After the rain goes there are rainbows, I'll find my rainbow soon. Soon it won't be just pretend. Soon a happy ending. Love, can you hear me? If you're near me, sing your song. Sure and strong and soon. (guess where that's from;) )

kboyer2013 - Who doesn't like Disney from time to time ;)