Jellylorum was kept in her cage for several days, fed on scraps and drips of water. She had long ago cried herself dry. Around her other cats were shifted in and out of steel cages like hers. None stayed for long. The dingy and ill lit room was guarded by more brutes like the ones that had attacked her and Gus.
The grey queen lay on the floor of her cage, curled into a tight ball. The darkness seemed to press in on her, suffocating her like water. She was awoken by the grating of claws on the bars of her cage. Grindlevine was back. "Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty," he laughed. Jelly glared up at him. "You won't get away with this?" The actor sneered. "Who's going to stop me?" he asked. "Your father? That brat of an understudy? No one knows where you are, no one is coming to get you." The thing was, Jellylorum felt like he was right. The first couple of days, she had been sure that someone would rescue her, even imagined Gus coming in to save her. She had tried to escape her cage herself, but the lock was too strong.
Jellylorum could feel herself wasting away from lack of food and light. She was awoken by yells and crashes. Suddenly the door at one end of the room burst open. A pair of the thugs entered. "You know the orders," one of them said to the other. "Kill 'em all." The slaves in the cages started yelling out, begging for mercy or clemency. One of the guards grasped a ring of keys and moved towards the first cage. Inside was a pair of kittens. Jellylorum, who was next to them, started slamming her weight against the door of her cage with all her might. "Leave them alone you scumbags," she snarled. The guard sneered. "You're next toots," he guffawed. "Get on with it you idiot," his partner snarled. I don't want to be here when that maniac …" And the plank that served as a door exploded inwards.
Gus bore down on the guards like an avenging angel. His claws were unsheathed, his eyes blazing. He struck down one of the guards, gouging deep furrows in him. He then seized the other by his chest, pushing him up against the wall. "Where is she?" he snarled. The guard nervously pointed in the direction of Jellylorum's cage. Gus smiled, before smashing the offending cat into the wall, knocking him out cold. The actor seized a metal bar from the floor, smashing it over the padlock. Jellylorum crawled out of the cage, and into the arms of Gus.
Macavity had Grindlevine pinned to the floor as Jellylorum and Gus entered the office. Old Deuteronomy threw his arms around his daughter, hugging her close. The actor reached out towards Gus as Macavity started to glow with energy. "Get this maniac off of me," Grindlevine begged. "I can help you. Anywhere you want to go in the acting world, my name will open doors. Just help me." Gus knelt down, looking the criminal in the face. "You sent goons after me, threatened my father and kidnapped the queen I love. You're lucky I'm not killing you myself," he snarled. With that he hauled the cat to his feet. "We're going to hand you over to police and let them deal with you." The grey cat smiled as Grindlevine's face paled. "You're career is over."
Gus and Jellylorum sat together on the tractor tire in the yard, tails entwined. The grey queen had been ordered to stay in the medical den, but had snuck out as soon as possible. The young cats looked up at the moon, bright and full in the night sky. "Thank you," she said for the hundredth time. "For coming for me." Gus idly stroked her arm. "I would have followed you into hell," the actor said. "Just promise me you'll never do that again. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Jellylorum squeezed his paw tightly. "Back in the den … you said I was the queen you loved. Did you mean that?" Gus looked at her. "Hear my soul speak: The very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service." He smiled at her. "Of course I meant it."
Several months past, and Gus officially joined the tribe as Jellylorum's mate. It was the evening of his latest performance, a new play in which he was staring. As always, the tribe went along. Even Grizabella, the young kit George, and Catarina joined them. As the music swelled and Gus first stepped onto the stage, to rapturous applause, Jelly felt a small paw tug at her arm. Looking down, she saw the wide eyes and silver fur of Munkustrap. The Kit curled up next to his big sister as the show started. "Do you really love Gus?" he asked quietly. Jelly smiled, stroking his head fur. "Yes. Yes I do. And one day you'll find a queen you love Munk, and it will be the happiest day of your life." Munk nodded, glancing to the seat next to him where the gold and black queen Demeter sat. Jellylorum nudged the kitten, drawing his attention back to the play. "Come on Munk," she whispered. "We're about to see theatrical history in the making. Mark my words, cats will talk for years to come of the time Gus the Theatre Cat played Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell."