Old Deuteronomy stood in the narrow alley, his face dark as thunder. "What happened to your friend?" he asked. "He was trying to protect me," Jellylorum whimpered, trying to pick the young actor up. Old Deuteronomy stooped low, picking the tom up in his massive arms. "We'll get him back to the junkyard," the leader said. The large cat gave a whistle, a high pitched sound that carried far. Macavity raced around the corner, his tail erect and his eyes wide. "What's happened?" he asked. "We were attacked," Jellylorum whispered, her body still coping with the shock. "Tell Jenny to get the medical den ready," Old Deuteronomy instructed his son.
Jenny was waiting for them when they arrived, along with an elderly queen with cream fur that was shot through with white. "What happened?" she asked, as Deuteronomy laid the young cat down on the table. "Fight with some thugs," the large tom grunted. "Can you help him, Aunt Catarina?" Jelly asked. Deuteronomy's older sister ran expert paws over the downed young cat. "He's concussed … a couple of broken bones … deep tissue bruising and a sprained paw. Are you sure he wasn't hit by a car?" "Absolutely. I saw him get beaten up." "And he was backed into a corner at the time?" "No." Catarina frowned. "I've only seen these sorts of injuries when the victim couldn't get away. Any sane cat would have run a mile as soon as they started to receive a beating like this."
Jellylorum gazed in amazement at the unconscious cat. All she could remember was the young cat pausing and yelling at her to run, allowing himself to be seized from behind while making sure she escaped. The young queen curled up in the corner, despair gripping her soul. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was responsible for Gus's predicament. The elderly healer cat settled down next to her, stroking her young niece. "He'll be ok," she purred. "I've never lost a patient yet." Jellylorum shifted. "I can't help but feel this is my fault. He was defending me." Catarina laughed. "This is no one's fault. All I know is that for a tom to go through that, he must really care about you." "Don't be absurd. I only met him today." Catarina got up stiffly, arthritic joints creaking as she rose. "One day is all that's needed, if it's the right tom."
Gus awoke several hours later. His ribs felt like they were on fire, his tail felt like it had been put through a wrangler. He tried to rise, but it just wasn't going to happen. He turned his head to the left and then the right. He saw a bundle of grey and brown fur curled up on the floor, rising and falling as the cat breathed heavily. The actor eventually managed to push himself up onto his elbows, his chest burning.
Jellylorum sprang up as soon as Gus tried to rise. "You should be asleep," she hissed. "Where … am I?" he groaned. "We brought you back home," she explained, stroking his arm. Gus laughed, wincing as the chuckle shook him. "What's so funny?" Jellylorum asked, confused and concerned. "Didn't your mother tell you never to bring a tom home on the first date?" he laughed. Jellylorum blushed scarlet. "Would you really call it a date?" she asked. Gus stiffly extended an arm, looping it around her waist. "Well that depends," he said. "If I ask you out, would you say yes?"
The next day, Skimble trotted into the junkyard. Jenny eagerly jumped down from the tractor tire, throwing her arms around the railway cat. He caught her and spun the ginger queen around before setting her down. "It's good to see you," he purred, a wide grin on his face. At that moment Gus limped out of the medical den, one arm around Jellylorum as she helped him along. "Good lord," Skimble gasped, stifling a laugh. "Isn't that the actor from last night?" Jenny nodded. "He got into some sort of fight just outside, and gotten beaten up pretty bad. Dad brought him home to get better. Skimble looked concerned. "I hope he's alright." Jenny playfully batted at his ear. "He'll be fine. Now what are we going to do today?" Her tomfriend smiled in a way that made her heart melt. "Telling you would ruin the surprise," he smirked.
A large, muscly cat loitered outside the junkyard. Old Deuteronomy was concerned that he was here for the young actor. He beckoned over Macavity. "I'm going to go and have a word with that tom outside the gate. Cover me." The ginger teen grinned and nodded his head, cracking his fingers and sending a spark fly from them. Deuteronomy looked with concern at his eldest son still in the junkyard. Macavity was a good cat, polite and generous. But there was a look that came over his eyes whenever fighting was mentioned that worried the old cat. He shook his head. He was probably imagining things after all.
"Can I help you?" the leader asked the visitor. The visitor turned to look at Old Deuteronomy, showing off a cruel looking scar on his face. "You've taken in the actor," he stated. Old Deuteronomy smiled. "Just for a few days. He had a bit of a run in with a trio of other cats. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" The other cat didn't even blink. "Just give him a message. Grindlevine sends his regards and suggests that he take some time off to get better and maybe visit his father. Just to make sure he's ok." With that the tom turned and trotted away as Old Deuteronomy stared after him.
"What did he mean?" Jellylorum asked after Old Deuteronomy had relayed the message to Gus. The actor put his head in his paws. "He's warning me to stay away, or he'll go after my father," the grey cat muttered. "Your father?" Jellylorum asked. "He lives out in Chelsea. His human lives in a hospital." Old Deuteronomy frowned. "This Grindlevine … he's a nasty piece of work isn't he?" Gus nodded. "Is he in a fit state to travel?" Gus looked up at Old Deuteronomy. "Maybe, but he won't." Deuteronomy nodded. "We need to talk with your father. You can show us the way."