So! Chapter 2... finally! I'm having a slow period (what with my working on 3 pieces and trying to balance that with school) so unfortunately, I don't even have the third chapter written -_-' So here's an EXTRA long chapter for you :)

For clarification, 'Shear wave' is the S- waves (secondary) of an earthquake, often the most destructive... Just didn't want you guys to sit there like "WTF?" xD

FantabulousMe: It's OK! He gets a-... cool story line?... yeah ;D I felt bad for Munku :( And I loooove my Maca 33 He is soo badass... Like, how low have you gone when you rape your own son! LOW. Like... snail's flipflop low.

Pilali: I did it again! But I am not cruel, I just enjoy angst and less... gushy stuff. Well... for now I guess. Yaaaay, I'm happy that my writing's still appealing :D Especially at it's lowest xD

Enjoy!


Quaxo whimpered and wheezed as Munkustrap jogged lightly in the dark; deseperately trying not to bounce the fragile frame in his arms too much. Ugly shadows cast off by the staring towers in the night. He shushed the tux lightly when his whimpering turned into small sobs, his attempts at comforting the young tux met deaf ears.

"Munkustrap?" He jumped at the sound, his guard quickly eased when a breathless Alonzo came running into view. The black and white furred tom's eyes dropped to Quaxo, his eyes growing wide as saucers when he took in the poor state of the teen tux. He opened his mouth to speak but no words could escape his lips, he just gawked helplessly at the blood dripping from the affected form.

"We need to alert the other Jellicles that Macavity's in the junkyard. Wake them up and keep them together while I take Quaxo to Jenny's," Munkustrap ordered, understanding that his young apprentice was overwhelmed at the sight of such a violent act; he didn't need to see more than he had to. The other tom nodded before running ahead, Munkustrap turned the final corner into the clearing.

He crossed the clearing to Jenny and Skimble's den, he hoped that none of the kittens would have to see their beloved magician as he regretfully rapped on the door. He could hear Tumblebrutus call out to Skimble to answer the door, please don't make the kit answer the door, Skimble, he thought to himself. The door creaked open to find a sleepy Skimbleshanks. His jaw dropped the second he saw the tabby and his charge.

"Skimble, we need to see Jenny right away," Munkustrap rushed; unable to hide the urgency and panic in his voice. The railway cat cringed when Quaxo let out a dry, anguished cry as he buried his face in the tabby's soft, silver chest fur. Skimble closed the door behind him as he crossed the threshold.

"Munk, Jenny's not here. She's at her human's," he explained regretfully. The second shoe dropped in his mind, of all nights Jenny could be at her human's- The two tom's attention was quickly drawn when a small chorus of gasps floated from the window beside the door. Electra, Etcetra, Tumble and Pouncival stared out the hole in the den with aghast expressions, all eyes on the continuously bleeding Quaxo in their protector's arms; all of them too shocked to either speak out or burst into tears. They were both relieved to see that Victoria, Quaxo's sister, was not among the crowd of awaken kittens.

"Go back to bed, now!" Skimble snapped harshly, waving them off. Munkustrap had no time to deal with nosy kittens at the moment.

"I'm going to Jelly's," he told the orange cat, who seemed saddened by the fact that he couldn't be of any use to the young victim that lay before him.

"Well, Jenny's home isn't too far away; I could run and fetch her," he offered hopefully.

"Skimble, the kittens," Munkustrap nodded towards the four kits in the window; he didn't want them to be at risk, but he did need Jenny's help. The sound of freshly woken, frightened Jellicles could be heard as Alonzo went from den to den; there would be cats to tend to the kittens. He nodded eagerly, Skimble reached inside to grab his vest before dashing off to get Jenny, luckily he passed Admetus on the way who decided to accompany him.

"Tumble, find a queen to watch over you when the others are out," Munkustrap addressed the oldest of the kittens. Tumble nodded quietly, giving the small tux one last glance before turning to the other kittens inside. Munkustrap spun on his heel and dashed to Jelly's den, trying to ignore the pained cries emanating from his charge. Gasps echoed around him as he passed through the clearing.

Alonzo was in the process of explaining the situation about Macavity briefly to Asparagus and Jelly when Munkustrap came into view. Jelly's hand fluttered up to her chest when Quaxo turned his head to face her; coughing up a small amount of blood onto his already soiled coat.

"Oh, my..." she trailed off before she was finally able to process what was in front of her. "We need to go to Jenny's," she explained.

"Jenny's not here; Skimble's going to get her," Munkustrap explained to the sandy-coloured queen.

"All of her equipment and supplies are in her den," she replied, it was apparent to the toms that she was trying to hold back a flow of emotion. Munkustrap rolled his eyes inwardly as he turned to go back the way they just came, he looked down at the shivering frame in his arms; Quaxo can't take much more of this.

When they emerged into the clearing, most of the older cats were gathered around the tire stage, Demeter noticed Munkustrap walking past them alongside Jellylorum. Nearby cats followed her gaze and grew quiet with interest at what he was carrying; many walking over to catch a better look at the poor creature who had the Jellicle protector running around in a frenzy.

Victoria and Jemima, the two kittens who weren't woken up when Munkustrap came to the door, sat sleepily by the stove with the other kittens, who were whispering quietly amongst themselves. Tumble had woken her up not too long before and escorted the kittens out of the den to find an adult to watch them, none of the other kittens would tell her or Jemima what was going on which annoyed her very much. She realized that something serious was going on when all the grown cats started to gather together, worried and confused expressions dressed their sleepy faces. She laughed internally when she saw that her older brother wasn't among the crowd of grown ups or kittens, she felt sorry for him sometimes because he wasn't old enough to be with the cats but was too old to be interested in the kittens.

"C'mon, Jemima, Let's go wake up Quaxo," she whispered connivingly. Jemima gave a wry smile.

"Okay." The two kittens snuck by the others and moved undetected by the older crowd. They finally made it to her brother's pipe; she peeked inside to find the lump of blankets at the back of the pipe. She shushed Jemima quietly as they creeped up to the mass, she counted down from three until they both glomped the sleeping Quaxo. To their dismay, the pile quickly deflated to the bottom of the pipe under their weight.

"Quaxo?" Victoria looked under the blankets just in case, she glanced worriedly at Jemima who offered a shrug. They left the pipe to confront the queens and toms at the tire.

"Where's my brother?" Victoria asked as she tugged on Bombalurina's tail. The scarlet queen gave her a quizzical look as she nodded towards the den from which they came, Victoria shook her head no.

"Hey, guys, where's Quaxo?" Bomba asked as she turned to the crowd who, in turn, shrugged. "You know your brother; always off somewhere practicing his magic, he'll turn up," she assured before turning back to the others; a murmur of Macavity's appearance buzzed around the group.

"Who turn up?" Victoria turned around to see a wide eyed Alonzo.

"Quaxo, my brother," she replied. He shifted uncomfortably in front of the queen-kit; a guilty look plastered on his spotted face.

"I'm sure we'll hear about him soon," he told her slowly, deliberately, before turning and walking off to talk to Asparagus. Victoria rolled her eyes as the Rum Tum Tugger waltzed in with Cassandra draped on his arm, Etcetera shrieked as she attached herself to his leg and filled him in on most of the details; well, only the ones Tumble said she could tell.

Moments later Victoria was startled she heard Demteter let out a choked sob; Munkustrap was walking through the clearing, an injured being in his arms. The Jellicles gathered in front of the silver tabby, though not blocking his way. Most of the queens started to cry and the toms bowed their heads in silence or held onto their more emotional counterparts. Victoria tried to see around the bodies, dodging between legs and jumping between the slumped shoulders to get a better view. She finally found an empty space next to the Rum Tum Tugger who had just shrugged off Cassandra from her hold on his arm. She stood up, looking past Tugger at the center of everyone's attention. Her heart stopped dead in it's tracks when she saw the bloodied form of her beloved brother.

"No!" She screamed as she leapt forward to meet the striped tabby. Strong arms grabbed her from behind as Munkustrap made his way past the snow white queen; Quaxo sliding a pained glance at his sister, trying to give her a weak smile before wincing at a pang in his side followed by a small trickle of blood that streaked the ground as they passed. The arms around her tensed as their owner reacted to the sight before them; Victoria looked up to see the horrified face of the Rum Tum Tugger: Quaxo's best friend.

Munkustrap and Jellylorum disappeared from the prying view of the Jellicle tribe into the kitten's den. The look on everyone's faces almost made Munkustrap wish that he wasn't the Jellicle protector, just almost. Jellylorum ran around the two bedroom den in search for the supplies she would need to treat the small tom's many wounds. She motioned the silver tom to place Quaxo on a small, white sheet she had found near Jenny's stash of sterile medical supplies, hoping to reduce the risk of an infection should Quaxo survive the night.

Munkustrap put the kit on his side as he tried to find a suitable position to accommodate his inflictions and cause as little pain as possible. Icy blue eyes stared up at him through a thick film of tears, silently begging him to somehow stop the pain that was ravaging his body: looking for comfort. Munkustrap gave him a warm, reassuring smile though his heart shattered for the young tom. He felt as if he let his nephew down. The day he swore to take care and protect the tuxedoed kitten looped through his head; the voices echoing deep in his mind the very promise he gave to this once lonely fur ball: to be the father Macavity could never be.

***
Old Deuteronomy sat in front of Munkustrap; explaining the protocol for handling rabbid pollicles who happened to wander into the yard, the black striped tom was fairly new at the job and was still in need of guidance and on-the-job learning. The other Jellicles were wandering about, napping, or doing their own errands or social updates. Deuteronomy was just finishing up his lesson when a golden queen ran into the clearing shrieking Macavity's name.

Munkustrap immediately tensed at the name; looking around for sign of the ginger cat's entrance. Surely enough, the Napoleon of crime climbed over the TSE1, snarling at anyone who dared be in his sights. He carried a brown cloth sac over his shoulder and looked slightly dazed as he walked over to the middle of the clearing.

"My mate has died," he announced to no one in particular, a shock of whispers was heard among the Jellicles that pressed themselves up against the wall surrounding the clearing; his recent mate had been a Jellicle and a close friend to most of the tribe. "I'm done with this." He dropped the brown sac onto the cold, February ground and it gave a loud thump as it landed. Munkustrap's stomach did flips as the unnatural thud sounded a lot like a body.

"Is that all?" Deuteronomy spoke up against his eldest son. The ginger cat simply nodded and disappeared into a flash of orange light, this was unusual for the confident tom who usually stuck around to test the skill of the strongest Jellicles.

They all stared wearily at the sack, expecting something to jump out and attack in the abscence of Macavity's. Munkustrap's father nudged him and motioned to the mysterious sack that, to Munkustrap, seemed to twitch and quiver under the heavy and expectant gazes of the crowd. He picked it up and glanced into the mouth of the dark bag, his breath shaking in preparation for what could be inside.

Two blinking eyes stared out at him in shock; one pair a forest green and the other an electric blue. He reached into the bag to feel the tiny critters, one leaning into the touch as he brushed his paw against it's kitten soft fur. He moved his hand until he could feel the loose skin of a scruff under his paw, he gently latched on and pulled the kitten out of the bag; out coming a snow white queen. The crowd blinked in amazement at the sight of the harmless kitten, kicking themselves internally for thinking it a threat. He set her down next to his leg as he reached in for the other kitten, most likely her littermate. He pulled out an unusually small, tuxedoed tom who immediately locked his icy blue eyes with the tabby's chocolate browns: instantly catching the older cat's heart and evoking his need to protect all things weak and vulnerable.

The queens immediately took to making a fuss over the new kittens, Jenny scooped up the white queen who happily nuzzled her the moment she was wrapped up in loving arms. The kitten's brother, however, took to cringing away from any of the Jellicles who set their eyes on him and cowered from the reaching hands of the older cats. They were both undernourished and feeble compared to the kittens born in the tribe but they were, undoubtably, Jellicles. They were pretty good looking kittens who would grow to be good looking cats, what with the right care and attention.

Deuteronomy looked upon his grand-children from his perch on the tire, unsure of wether to be proud of or disgusted with the result of his evil son's kin. "Bring them here," he ordered softly. Jenny and Munkustrap both moved forward with each their own kitten, Munkustrap's cowering in the crook of his arm.

"What are your names?" he asked them in a voice a parent would use to speak to their very young child without sounding like an idiot. They both looked at each other before deciding it was best they comply with the old tom's requests.

"I'm Victoria. My mom says that I'm named after a great queen!" the white kitten exclaimed from her nest in Jenny's arms. All eyes shifted to her brother who peeked out from Munkustrap's arm to speak. "I'm Quaxo, sir," he spoke out softly and quite articulately. The ancient cat looked down on them as he quietly inspected them one by one; he finally ended by pointing into his middle son's arms. "This one has magic; We must be wary of the power he may possess. Either than that I don't see why they can't make their home among their own kind," he smiled warmly as the other Jellicles looked up in adoration and admiration at his great compassion .

"Now," he continued once a wave of comments passed through the tribe, the group hummed with excitement until they shushed each other into silence. "We need to find a place for them. Someone to teach them how to act as we do and help them prepare for adulthood... any takers?" Although everyone was excited about the newcomers, there just wasn't enough space for anyone to take in extra kittens. Many had children of their own and didn't have room or enough time to care for another.

"I'm sure I can take in Victoria, Skimble and I can squeeze her into our den," Jenny spoke out as Victoria nuzzled her shoulder. Quaxo looked out longingly at his sister; she was so outgoing and friendly that it was no surprise that she would be chosen first. No one wanted an antisocial weirdo like him in their den, much less their home.

"I'll look after Quaxo," Munkustrap said, Deuteronomy looked at him in amused surprise.

"Will you be able to handle having a kitten around your den?" he asked slowly. Munkustrap's brother, the Rum Tum Tugger, shared a den with him at the time so the kitten would have two cats to chase after him, and it's not like Munkustrap would be busy all the time. He nodded to his father; ignoring the wide, blue orbs that stared up at him from his arms. "Alright then," he smiled at the two youths. "Welcome to the tribe." He gave another warm glance at the two before nodding to their new caretakers. Munkustrap sighed, Tugger won't be happy about his agreeing to take in little Quaxo but, afterall, he was family. He looked down to the small tuxedo cat who continued to stare back with caution, giving a comforting pat on the head as he turned to introduce him to his new home.

"Don't worry, Quaxo," he whispered as he stroked the thin black fur on the kitten's back. "I'll be twice the father my brother never was," he promised as he spotted his younger brother rounding the corner, pressing forward to update him on their future arrangements.
***

He shook his head slightly to rid him of this constant replay, knowing that letting these accusing, haunting thoughts and memories get to him wasn't going to help Quaxo get any better; he needed to be strong for the kit who so desperately looked to him for guidance.

"You're going to be OK, son," he whispered as he stroked the still kitten-soft fur on his head. Jellylorum came back with some clean cloth, a bowl of water and several items to help mend back what was left of a broken Quaxo.


So, it looks like Munkustrap has paternal feelings for his nephew. Do I smell a possible future murder! :O "You hurt my-your-our? Son! You must dieee!" *queue fight to the death scene where Munkustrap emerges from the burning building that holds a half dead Macavity until it blows up, Munkustrap awesomely not flinching. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand queue Misto/Tugger comfort sex scene :P

Naaaah, I'm just teasing you now... or am I? Possible foreshadowing? Perhaps... Perhaps not O_O

Please Review! I shall dance a jig for every comment, and they are mighty fine jigs too ;)