"Bomba? …Bomba, are okay? …Come on, please wake up…"

Bombalurina's eyes flickered open, and she saw a large, grayish black mass hovering over her. She blinked, and the concerned face of Bonconlo came into focus. "What the…Bon? Where…Where am I?"

"You're in your cell. I brought you back here after Macavity threw you out. What happened, by the way? I don't think Macavity remembers. He tends to forget what he does in his rage."

"Nothing…"

Bomba tried to sit up, but the pain in her head was much too great. She lay back down on the floor, her mind reeling. Macavity didn't remember what had happened…Did that mean that he didn't know she was having kittens? She hoped so…But, even if he didn't know yet, what good would that do her? He was going to find out at some point. She lay her paws over the tiny bump in her stomach. Bon's eyes followed her movements, and he suddenly gave a gasp.

"Everlasting Cat, are you…"

"Yes…"

"How did it-"

"I don't know."

"But when-"

"I said I don't know, Bon!"

Bonconlo stared at her, his eyes as wide as saucers. After a moment, he gave a low whistle, and murmured. "You do know that Macavity's gonna blow his top when he finds out!"

"He did…" Bomba whispered.

"What?!"
"He already found out…Last night, when I went to calm him down. I told him, and he threw me out of the room."

"Yikes…"

Bon stood up, and began to pace slowly around the room. Occasionally, he would stop, and look up as though he was going to say something, but then shake his head, and continue walking. Finally, he said, and leaned against the far wall. "Well, there's no way out of it. You're going to have to tell him. And from the looks of it, if you don't tell him soon, he's going to find out on his own."

"I know I have to tell him!" Bomba cried. "And he'll kill me if I do! And it's not even my fault! I don't know what to do…I just can't go in there and tell him myself!"

"You have to." Bon said matter-of-factly. "He has to know, and if you don't tell him, someone else will."

For a moment, Bomba was silent as she stared up at the gray cat. "…Maybe someone else could tell him for me…"

Bonconlo, not being the brightest Tom in the world, looked thoroughly confused. "I don't know who in the world would be crazy enough to-"

"Someone we both know and love, Bon." Bomba hinted. Bonconlo continued to look blank. "Someone in this room…"

The Henchcat finally realized what she was saying. "No, no, no, no, no! You're crazy! There's absolutely no way that I'm going to-"

"I tried to calm Macavity down when he was angry. And that was more dangerous then this! Come on, Bon, it's the least you could do for me!"

"It doesn't matter that it will make you happy! As soon as he hears the news, I'll be dead, gone, deceased, bit the dust, six feet under, passed away, DEAD!"

As a last resort, Bomba stared up at the Henchcat with the biggest eyes that she could manage. She stuck out her bottom lip just so, and waited. This was the face that really made her the Queen of the Junkyard back home. No Tom could resist giving in.

"Fine…" The Tom groaned. "But you owe me so big if I live through this."

Bomba gave a winning smile as he exited the prison. But, as soon as the door clicked shut, her smile was replaced by a frown. What would Macavity do to him when he heard?

Only five minutes after Bonconlo had left, the prison door opened again. In strode Macavity, a dangerous smile plastered on his face. It was the smile that made him famous, the smile that meant horrible things were soon going to happen. Silently, he opened her cell door, and walked in, shutting it quietly behind them. "So." He said, in a dangerously low voice, "You've been keeping a secret from me."

Bomba shrunk back slightly, pressing herself against a wall.

"I cannot pretend that I did not expect it. But, a Queen like you has dignity. A Queen like you does NOT send a cowardly Henchcat to break the news to me!"

"Well, I thought that-"

Macavity held up a paw. "I would have not expected something like this from a Queen like you." He said, his voice growing steadily louder as his anger mounted, "I would not have expected you to be a coward!"

"I.." Bomba began.

"SILENCE! HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

Bomba trembled, and fell silent under Macavity's hateful gaze. He drew closer to her, and stood over the Red Queen, a claw extended. He leaned closer to her, and spoke in a quiet whisper, "You're nothing but a little bitch, aren't you? You don't deserve a Tom like me. You don't even deserve to be alive. Bonconlo, get in here!"

The gray Henchcat ran into the room, trembling. "Dispose of her, you worthless Tom!"

Bombalurina gasped, and began to sob uncontrollably. Bonconlo glanced up at Macavity, then down at Bomba, torn, and confused. "But…I don't…What do you…I thought you…"

"DO IT, YOU FOOL!" Macavity shouted, "Or I shall dispose of you as well!"

Bon looked down at the despairing Red Queen, and then once more at Macavity. He gave a roar, and lunged…at the Hidden Paw. "Run, Bomba! Get out of here!

Bombalurina stood still for a half a second- and then her instincts kicked in. She flew away like a shot. In all her life, Bomba had never run so fast. She soon came to an area she knew. There were large piles of trash all around…The Junkyard was near! Then, just as she thought she was safe, she heard a menacing voice call after her, "GET BACK HERE, YOU BITCH!"

Bomba ran, if at all possible, even faster. She had to get to the Junkyard, She just had to. She let out a cry as a large tire came into her line of sight. "HELP!" She screamed as she tore into her home, "HELP!"

Munkustrap heard the scream, and shot out his den. When he reached the clearing of the Junkyard, he saw a red Queen running with all her might, the Hidden Paw floating close behind her. He yelled, raising the alarm. In seconds, every cat in the Junkyard had appeared, and were forming a protective ring around Bomba, snarling at Macavity's hovering form.

Bomba looked up past the ring of cats, up at Macavity. She was completely petrified, and yet, somehow, she found the courage to look into his eyes. His eyes held all of the answers. She saw them turn from pits of fire to their normal black, and she knew that his rage had ended. Then, he looked down at her, his eyes looking almost…ashamed. Then, he flew away, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

When Macavity had landed back at his lair, he remembered Bomba's fear filled eyes. He had realized the extent of what he could do in his rage. He had just killed a Henchcat, and almost killed Bomba, but, more importantly, he had destroyed any chance of a real relationship between him, and the only cat he had ever cared about. She would never come back to him now. Never. With a cry of anger, Macavity punched a wall. "Damn!" He cursed. "Damn this madness!"