This chapter's a bit longer, this is also where Marisella's foul little mouth starts coming into play.
Thank you to those who favorited and reviewed my story! ( Cocobutterrox ^_^)
Enjoy the insight to the secret life of Stray cats!

Four years later. . .

"Marisella!" A furious Da shouted as he picked up his toddler son.

Macavity had come waddling back to the dumpster, his birth place had become their official home, with a gash along his forehead and holding his left forepaw. He was crying and once his father handed him to mum she inspected it and found that he had sprained it, possibly from climbing somewhere a little too high and fell.

Marisella, now twelve years old, sauntered around a corner with her arms crossed and her eyes made into a glare, "What!?" She snapped back. The tom and queen kits that she had befriended snickered from around the corner as she stomped away. She was quite mature for her young age and often hung around kits five years older than her. Her height and knowledge of the streets fooled everyone into thinking she was much older.

Da towered over his daughter as she approached and put his fists on his hips, "Where wer' ye when yer brother got hurt?" He demanded. "And dan't lie to meh."

She stared right back at him with the same eyes he had, her tail flicked from side to side, "I weren't watchin 'im," she pronounced every syllable loud and firm.

"And why not?" he asked.

She leaned forward with a sneer pulling on her lips, "I was busy doing something more important than watching Macavity play."

Suddenly Da raised the back of his paw up in the air and sent it flying towards his daughter's face. Marisella instinctively closed her eyes and covered her face, flinging herself back away from him. She fell back and landed on her haunches. She held her forearms up to block him and after a few moments slightly lowered them to peer up at him. His paw had stopped half way to where her face had been and Marisella realized that he had no intention of smacking her, an old trick he'd use on her when he was really angry.

"Macavity is far years old Marisella." He growled. "Ye cannot leave him alon'. He has a sprained farepaw and uh gash on his farehead dat ye'll be lucky if it don't get infected!"

"I'll be lucky?!" She screeched, "How will I be lucky? T'was his fault!" She quickly got up on her hind paws, "The litt'le shit shouldn't have been-"

SMACK!

This time her father really did smack her. She gasped and put her paw against the cheek that he had struck. Her mouth hung open in surprise and her eyes widened. Her mother looked up from where she was tending to her tomson, the soft glow of her magic emanated from between her paw and Macavity's fur.

Da was glaring at her fiercely, "I dunno wher' ye be 'earin dat language, but I sure as hell! won't be toleratin' ye sayin it about yer brother. Un'erstand?!" He yelled at her.

She glared at him and took a steady breath in before answering him. "Yes Da." She grumbled.

His look softened and became neutral, "I love ye both. But Macavity is me only son and-"

She interrupted him, "And you love 'im more is that right?!"

He dismissed her theory with a wave of his paw. "Nah. I love ye both equally I said. Tis the way us wild cats are. But Macavity was the only one born out of four. Livin' da way we are in this city, in the allies it's easy to lose a kit. I've spoken to other toms with terrible stories about losin' kits out here. Ye can fend fer yer self but Macavity isn't like you. He'll grow to be strong but right now he's a tiny kit who needs someone to watch over 'im and protect 'im while he's out playin." Da's acid yellow eyes looked at his daughter with a hint of pleading.

"Then why don't we just leave Da?!" She shouted. "Why stay here when we have a tribe to call home?" She pointed to the alley opening and directed her gaze to the cloudy horizon.

"Because da time isn't right to go back." Da shook his head, "I 'avn't received word that it's safe."

"What do you mean 'not safe'?" She asked.

"What I mean is dat our tribe has been at war with an'other. Onley da toms wit'out kits stayed to fight. Very few of us left with dat said." He explained. "Yer mother and I 'ave been communicat'in with da tribe back home and it's still not safe. Specially with Macavity and ye still kits. We can't risk ye getting captured and killed, fer ye thoh somethin' worse tan death." He put a paw on his daughter's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "We left fer ye love, and den Macavity was barn. When the time is right we'll go home. But fer now I need yer help in watchin ahver Macavity."

Marisella growled and then grumbled, "Yes da. . ."

He smiled, "Thank ye Marisella. Shan't be long na dear." He started to lead her back to the dumpster. "Ye'll see, we'll be home in the wild lands eventually. Na how's dat magic comin along?"

She shrugged. "It's fine da. I practice like you tell me ta. It's easy, I'm ready for bigger stuff."

He laughed softly, "When yer alder dear." He stopped, "Quick, what are I tinkin?" He quizzed her.

Her yellow eyes locked on his forehead and she narrowed them as she concentrated, "Mmmmmm, that. . ." She dropped her tense shoulders and smirked, "That I should move that box by the other side of the dumpster so that it blocks the path of the rain tonight. And that I should say sorry to Macavity and help mum heal up his gash." She raised an eyebrow.

Da chuckled, "Very good love! Yer doin great. And I will be needin ye ta move dat box, but help yer brother farst."

She nodded reluctantly, "Yes, daa." She grumbled.

In her mind Marisella doubted that her father had been in communication with their tribe for a while. She doubted that they'd be going home for a long time. It had already been five years since they ran from the woods where they lived and took refuge in London. In the past four years since her brother had come into the world her parents had asked Marisella to do everything for Macavity, watch him, follow him, play with him, take care of him. Truth be told she was straight out annoyed by him. She only tolerated him because he was her brother. She hated having him follow her everywhere all the time, she purely hated it. Sure she wanted kits some day but those would be hers, Macavity was her brother not her kit and she didn't feel any special connection with him at all.

She followed her father under the dumpster and watched as he fawned over the little tom kit.

"He's doin fine now Da," her mother said. She smiled as she handed their son to his father.

Macavity purred as Da stroked his head fur and cradled him against his chest. Mum looked from her son to her daughter and her smile faltered when she saw the scorn in Marisella's eyes. She realized that something had drastically changed in her daughter since Macavity had been born. The more she studied the young queen that was her daughter Mum formed the idea that it was just a case of sibling jealousy. After all Macavity was the sole survivor of her second litter and was also the baby boy of the small family, it was only natural that Marisella was jealous of her baby brother. Mum shook her fur and shrugged her doubt off.

That night while their kits slept Mum sat with her back to the brick wall, Da sat beside her.

"Do ye think there's something different abou' Marisella?" She asked her mate.

Da took a moment to answer, watching his kits sleep, "Aye, she had a wicked outburs' today after I spoke to her abou' Macavity's injuries. She's so jealous, not even I were dat way when I were young." He said.

Mum nodded, "Do ye tink it's just a case of sibling rivalry? She doesn't. . .'ate him? Does she?" She looked at her mate and took his paw.

He looked back at her and brought her paw to his lips, brushing a soft kiss on it, "Dearie all will be fine. She'll graw out of it soon. It be a little jealousy tha' he's da baby. We may 'ave placed a tad bit mar favor upon him, but what can ye expect? We almost lost him after all." His yellow eyes reflected the dim light of the street lamp outside the alley. The patter of rain outside the dumpster made a comfort ting sound around them. His mate leaned her head against his shoulder and hummed as a response.

In his head though Da had his own suspicions. He noticed how Marisella was a little rough with her younger brother, he always seemed to have an extra bump when he came home with her. A bruise here on his wrist, a bruise there on his arm. He always put if off as horse play but lately. . .He couldn't think that she was abusing him. That wasn't his girl. He turned his thoughts to her magic and was proud that she was improving. He drifted off to sleep wondering if Macavity would share in her magical abilities.

From where she lay Marisella only pretended to be asleep. Her eyes were wide open as she looked out under the dumpster and watched the rain hit the pavement. She listened into her parents' conversation and wasn't worried. All she had to do to get them off her back was pretend to be a little nicer to her brother. She was glad her father could only levitate things and not read minds like she could. Neither of her parents understood where she got that from. Her mother too was a bit magical, but only in her healing abilities. Macavity's wounds would be fine the next day.

But what her father said in his thoughts after they stopped talking made her narrow her eyes. He was catching on to Macavity's little "accidents". She was lucky he doubted that she would ever intentionally hurt Macavity. Of course her father being the only cat she truly feared she was afraid to know what he would do if he ever caught her hurting her brother. . .