It's been forever since I last updated...hm? I apologize. I've become distracted with other things, but I hope to be giving my stories more attention now. So, to everyone who is sticking with this story despite my absence, I thank you very much. demeterlol, He's pretty insane... I agree. Thank you for your praise, I'm sorry for making you wait so long for the next chapter! ShegoRulz, It's kind of strange how quickly Macavity changed personalities, huh? I hope I portrayed his... wild side, shall we?... well enough. randomwriter37, Thank you! I wasn't sure how well the idea of Demeter destroying the yard would be taken, so I'm glad to hear you liked it! :3

Twenty-three

"Pounce, stop it!" Etcetera squealed as she ran around the Junkyard, trying to get away from her friend. Her high-pitched giggles echoed through the yard, which was mainly empty except for a few restless kittens and Jennyanydots, who was supervising them.

Most of the other cats were in their dens, sleeping. The search group that Tugger led had been up late last night, searching the perimeter of the Junkyard for any sign of Macavity or Demeter. With Admetus' brief knowledge of Victoria Grove, Munkustrap's group ventured in slowly. They didn't want to go too far without Mungojerrie's help, however, for the calico tom knew the place so much better and would be able to help them. Thankfully, he was nearly healed and would be up and running soon. Rumpelteazer, however, still had a long wait ahead of her.

"No way!" Pouncival replied, shaking his head as he chased her. Trailing behind him were Jemima and Electra. The kittens ran around the Junkyard, giggling and tackling each other. Jenny was perched on top of an old wooden crate, her trail swishing contently as she watched them play. A small smile played at her lips and every now and then, she let out a soft titter at their antics.

"Jenny? Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Jenny jumped a little at the sound of someone speaking behind her, but when she turned around and saw who it was, she smiled warmly. "Of course, Victoria, dear. Come join me." She scooted over on the crate to make room for the Persian queen. Victoria gave her a gentle smile and took a seat. "I thought you would be sleeping," Jenny said, returning her gaze to the kittens. "Almost everyone is right now."

Victoria shrugged and let out a small sigh. "I've been having a bit of trouble sleeping, lately," she confessed. "It's kind of hard to sleep when you're constantly worrying." She hugged her knees and wrapped her tail around her body. Her small ears flattened against her head and her melancholy eyes were glistening with tears.

"This is about Munkustrap, isn't it?" Jenny asked softly, putting a comforting paw on Victoria's shoulder. The older queen wasn't surprised to hear that Victoria had been distressing over Munkustrap. The white cat had always been one to put others before herself and was always concerned about her friends' wellbeing.

Victoria nodded and a few tears spilled from her eyes. "It's difficult… I just lay there in bed and I wonder if he's alright. What if they were attacked while they were going into Victoria Grove and now they are being held captive by Macavity? How am I supposed to sleep at night when I don't even know if my mate, not to mention so many of my friends, are putting themselves in danger. Have you seen Tugger lately? His eyes are so tired and sad looking. I've never seen him like that before. He doesn't even flirt with any of the younger queens anymore. Bombalurina is a mess and hasn't left her den in a few days. And I can only imagine what poor Demeter must be going through." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, but her tears kept falling. "I just want everyone to be safe and home again…"

"Aw… Come here, dear…" Jenny pulled Victoria into a warm embrace, trying to calm her down. "It's all going to be alright, I promise. You can't let yourself get all worked up over something that you have no control over. All you can do right now is be supportive of everyone and keep a smile on your face." She stroked the young queen's soft fur consolingly. "We're going to get Demeter back and everything will go back to normal. You just wait and see. Munkustrap is a smart tom and I know he'll figure out how to get her back. He's not one to turn his back on someone that means so much to him. In fact, I know that they've come close to figuring out how to get to her. It's all coming together slowly. And I know it's hard, and painful, to wait, but it will be worth it when we have Demeter back in the Junkyard."

Victoria nodded and gave a small sigh. She knew Jenny was right, but she was so worried about everyone, and she felt so useless just sitting in the yard, not doing anything. She was just about to thank the older queen for her words of comfort when a loud bang sounded in the distance. The kitten all cried out in alarm and ran over to Jenny and Victoria, seeking solace. The cats slipped off the crate and embraced the kittens, petting their fur to help them calm down.

"Jenny… What was that loud noise?" Etcetera whimpered as she cuddled against the Gumbie Cat.

"I'm sure it was nothing, dear," Jenny replied, giving her head a small pat. "But, let's all go back to my den, just in case." She looked over Victoria. "Will you please help me bring them back to my den?"

"Of course," Victoria said, nudging the kittens along so that they would begin walking over to the den.

They moved rather quickly, but Jenny and Victoria kept calm, straight faces so that the kittens didn't think that they were alarmed. They reached the den without seeing anything out of the ordinary, which was a relief, but Jenny couldn't help but wish that Skimbleshanks was home. She would feel a lot safer if she had her mate by her side. But he was off in Victoria Grove with Munkustrap, leaving her feeling vulnerable and lonely. "Victoria, I'm going to go wake Tugger," she said to the white queen. "He'll want to do a quick patrol just to make sure everything is alright and as it should be. Will you stay here with the kittens?"

"Of course, Jenny," Victoria said with a nod, her tail swishing nervously. "Are you sure you don't want me to go find Tugger though?"

"I'm positive," Jenny assured her as she made her way out of the den. She felt it would be safer if Victoria stayed with the kittens in the den. "I won't be gone long. Everyone just stay here and keep quiet. I don't think there is really anything to worry about, but just in case there is something going on, I don't want anything to happen to you lot. Please, stay safe. Kittens, listen to Victoria. She'll take good care of you. I'll be right back." She gave everyone a small smile and then slipped out of the door.

Once again, I sincerely apologize for making everyone wait so long. Thank you for standing by me for as long as you have. It means a lot. I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!

Mew Painappuru