Disclaimer: Cats belongs to ALW, TSE and RUG.

Thanks to Laitie, Cookie05 and Mistoffelees Fan-kit for reviewing. On a related note, 121 people have read this fic so far and only five have reviewed – it really doesn't take very long XD

Chapter Three

Despite Misto's misgivings, Tugger was completely correct about him and Victoria just 'picking up' what they'd need to do at the next Jellicle Ball, and the night went smoothly.

No queens were due to come of age, Victoria turned out to have a propensity for dancing matched by no other cat, Jenny managed to get through the night without giving birth, and, just before dawn, Jenny's aging mother, Elladora – so old she needed to be carried into the junkyard – was chosen to be reborn.

No, the thing that had completely confused Misto was that the interaction between Tugger and Bomba seemed stilted and forced, despite him supposedly coming clean to her, as per his agreement with Mistoffelees.

Misto had mentioned this to Victoria, who had just shrugged. "Maybe they've had an argument." She'd suggested.

But that didn't make sense to Misto. Bomba definitely seemed angry at Tugger, but he seemed oblivious.

Several days after the Ball, Bomba disappeared. No one was too worried – most of the cats had human families that they visited often.

At least, several of the cats had human families, and the rest had humans they took food from and occasionally deigned to be petted by.

Bomba was one of the latter cats, and Rumpleteazer swore she'd heard her telling Tantomile that was where she was going … but Tantomile had also vanished, along with her brother, as was the norm for them, so no one could be certain that Teazer was right.

It wasn't until Jenny gave birth to two queens, several weeks later, that things started to change. Jellicles from far and near visited to offer their congratulations on the birth, including Bustopher Jones and Gus, who tottered into the junkyard, supported by his son, Asparagus, and daughter-in-law, Jellylorum.

But Bomba did not appear and that was then the Jellicles began to worry about her.

By the time Electra and Etcetera were starting to venture out of the den, the Jellicles were really starting to panic.

Only Mistoffelees stayed quiet, curled up in the open drawer of a bureau, as Tugger paced up and down in front of him.

"… anything could be happening to her …. What if she's with Macavity? She could be hurt … Oh, Heavyside, what if she was hit by a car?"

"Tugger, calm down." Misto yawned. "And quieten down. You're giving me a headache." He had grown from a shy, curious kitten into a slightly aloof tom, not yet technically an adult, but capable of hunting for himself, which was enough to give him that label as far as the Jellicles were concerned. "Bomba's fine."

"We don't know that …"

"I have a feeling," Misto interrupted, stressing the word, "that she's fine."

Tugger stopped pacing and looked up at him. "You do?"

"I do."

"You have any other feelings?" Tugger asked anxiously.

Misto jumped out of the drawer and stretched. "Yeah. I'm starving."

Tugger rolled his eyes. "About Bomba."

"Oh." Misto shrugged. "No. Don't worry. She'll turn up. Stop worrying, you're scaring your fan club."

Tugger glanced over at Electra and Etcetera were gazing over at him in adoration. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"No." Misto answered, wandering out of the junkyard.

He was only half-truthful, as he pounced on an unsuspecting mouse. He was hungry, but something had changed. He did have a feeling that Bombalurina was alright, but it had become less of a feeling and more of a pull, and he followed it, taking care to note his route in case he got lost.

Eventually, he left the back streets and found himself outside a two-storey house with a large garden. Now he could follow his nose as well, and he followed Bomba's scent all the way to a rose bush in the back garden, keeping in the shadows in case humans saw him.

"Who's there?"

Misto paused. "It's me. Misto. Bomba? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Her eyes glinted in the darkness. "What are you doing here?"

Misto hesitated. "I was in the neighbourhood hunting … caught your scent. We've all been really worried. Tugger's worked himself into a right state."

"Hmph." She muttered, disbelief lacing her tone.

Misto didn't bother asking or trying to justify his words. "Are you alright?" He repeated. "And don't say you're fine."

"But I am fine …"

The last word trailed into a yelp and he crept closer, his eyes adjusting to the dark. Bomba was lying on her side, her stomach strangely swollen.

"You're having a kitten." He stated.

She rolled her eyes. "Well done, Mistoffelees. You've been taken lessons in observation from Tugger, I see."

Misto allowed himself a smile. "I should get someone …"

"No!" The forcefulness of her response took him by surprise. "I don't want you to get anyone."

"But …" Misto sniffed the air. "You're having the kitten now, Bomba. Don't you want someone here?"

"You're here, aren't you?" Bomba sighed. "Come on, sit down and keep me company."

Misto edged under the rose bush and settled down beside her. "Jenny had two queens. Electra and Etcetera."

"And they think Tugger makes the sun shine every morning." Bomba finished in a dull voice.

Misto tilted his head. "It's his kitten, isn't it?"

Bomba frowned. "Why do you keep referring in the singular?"

"I just have a … feeling." Misto answered quietly, silently berating himself.

Bomba smiled softly. "Ah, you got Macavity's magic."

Misto froze. "Y-You know?"

Bomba nodded. "I know. We were close … once … You have several of his mannerisms. Very, very slight; I doubt anyone else would pick them up."

"I don't want any of them." Misto grumbled.

Bomba nuzzled him softly, maternally. "You're not your father, Misto. You're your own cat, who's rather like a son to me."

Misto smiled. "You've been like a mother to me too." It was true, while Jenny and Jelly had 'raised him', it was Bomba and Tugger who made him into the cat he was now. "I'm fairly sure it's only one kitten. That's how I found you. I think you need help, Bomba."

"No time." Bomba tensed. "Here we go."

Misto looked away, giving her some privacy as she birthed her first kitten. He turned out to be absolutely correct about the number, but unfortunately, he was also correct in his other belief; it was obvious that something was wrong as soon as he looked back.

The kitten was almost a perfect copy of her mother, although her scarlet coat was a little darker, and with an adorable white bib.

However, she wasn't moving and lay still and silent, even as her mother nudged her gently.

"Bomba?" Misto whispered.

Bomba shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "She's gone."

"But …" Misto frowned. He was certain that the kitten was going to be alright. He'd never been wrong before.

"She's gone." Bomba turned away, slipping out from under the rose bush.

Misto didn't follow her. He knew she wouldn't return to the junkyard yet, not if she wanted to keep this birth a secret. He nosed the small kitten, wondering why his magic had led him so wrong this time. He was sure the kitten would be alright.

He knew that Bomba and Tugger would find their way back together eventually, but this was just one more ghost they did not need to deal with.

And the only reason they're not together in the first place is because of my damn father. Misto's frown deepened, and he licked the kitten gently, trying to get some response.

Nothing happened.

He cast a glance back towards the house. There were strict rules about doing this and the first was 'never where humans might see you', but this was an emergency.

Straightening up, Misto sat back on his hind legs and scooped the kitten into his front legs, manipulating them as a human would arms, in a way that only Jellicles could do.

It was yet another talent that made them special and the one that made the Jellicle Ball so spectacular.

Resting the kitten against his chest so she could feel his heart beat, Misto rubbed her back rhythmically, pushing as much magic as he dared into his paws.

He worked silently, as time seemed to stand still, the entire world waiting for the results of his ministration.

It started with a twitch in the kitten's nose, a twitch that ran down the length of her body to her tail. Then her tiny mouth worked, making a small squeak. As she started to wriggle, Misto set her down, dropped back onto all four paws and stuck his head of the rose bush. "Bomba! Bomba, she's alright!"

Bomba turned to face him, wiping a tear away from her eyes. "What?"

"She's alright!" Misto darted out and tugged her back into the small den she'd created for herself. "She's alright."

"She's … Oh, thank Heavyside." Bomba set about cleaning up her daughter as the kitten nosed her way towards food. "Thank you." She added, looking up at him.

"Hey, you don't have to thank me." Misto said. "I'm just glad she's okay. I should get back to the junkyard."

Bomba looked up sharply as her kitten began to nurse. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Even Tugger?" Misto asked. "She's his daughter …"

"Tugger doesn't want kittens." Bomba said quietly. "Or me."

Misto opened his mouth to argue, but shut it again. It wasn't his place to tell Bomba how Tugger felt about her, and she wouldn't believe him anyway.

"It's better this way." Bomba whispered. "Please don't tell anyone about this."

Misto sighed. "They'll catch your scent, but I won't tell anyone about her. I'll just say you're sick and the family's taken you inside."

Bomba nodded, relaxing. "Thank you."

"You won't be able to keep her a secret though." Misto pointed out. "What are you going to do?"

Bomba smiled. "I'm going to stay here until she's weaned. And then I'm going to 'find' her in an alley."

Misto rolled his eyes. "I think you're being paranoid, but alright. I'll meet you at the edge of the junkyard, make it look a bit more believable."

"You don't think they'll believe me?" Bomba questioned.

"I think you've been gone just under nine weeks and showing up in six weeks time with a six-week-old baby looks a bit suspicious." Misto answered calmly. "Especially since she's the spitting image of you."

"She is, isn't she?" Bomba purred proudly, nuzzling her daughter. "But how will you know I'm on my way back?"

"Same way I knew you were here." Misto said confidently. "I'll know. Stay safe."

"You too." Bomba returned. "Head east, not west. There's a Pollicle pack in the western alleyways that you don't want to cross."

"I'll be alright." Misto assured her. He started to creep back out into the garden, but stopped and turned around. "What's her name?"

"Jemima." Bomba answered without hesitation. "Her name's Jemima."