CHAPTER 10: MACAVITY!

It was about a month after Tatiana had joined the Jellicle tribe when Munkustrap called a meeting for the junkyard's part of the tribe to discuss the upcoming Jellicle Ball, which, Tatiana learnt, was held annually and was to be held once more in about two months' time. As the cats had proceeded to disperse after the meeting, Mungojerrie had begun to tell Tatiana about the Ball and its traditions when they were interrupted.

Demeter turned her head sharply at the sound of rustling in the nearby bushes. "Who's there?" There was no reply until a large, diseased-looking rat scampered out in front of her. Tensing up, Demeter bared her teeth and hissed loudly. She unsheathed her claws and stood still until the rat scampered away again. However, she felt she had seen rats like it before. Now where…? Of course, it was a henchrat, and it belonged to…wait, that must mean…

"MACAVITY!"

The cats moved closer together as Demeter streaked across the junkyard, shrieking the evil cat's name wildly. The younger cats pressed close to Munkustrap, Tatiana clutching his leg. Everyone was scared, although the older felines managed to conceal their fear better than the younger cats. They all waited tensely…

And then it happened.

A flash of orange appeared in the middle of the group and a tall tom began to threaten everyone with his long, sharp, wickedly-tangled claws. When he spotted Munkustrap, he strutted over, causing the younger Jellicles to scurry away, and issued a silent challenge. Munkustrap stepped forward, a sign of acceptance, and the fight began.

Munkustrap, being an exceptional fighter, having encountered Macavity in this situation before, and knowing Macavity's weakest spots (not that there were many of those), gave as good as he got. The two toms fought for what seemed like forever, wrestling, scratching, biting. Gradually, both cats grew weaker, until Macavity gave the final blow, sending Munkustrap sailing across the dirt and crashing into the boxes beside the tyre. Immediately, the kittens, Victoria, Rumpelteazer and Tatiana were beside the second-in-command to comfort him and clean up his wounds a little. Demeter looked on from across the yard with distress clear in her eyes. The young Jellicles were so intent on their task that only Tatiana looked up when a loud hiss rang out over the junkyard. Expecting to see Alonzo coming forward to fight, Tatiana braced herself for the tom to come flying towards them as Munkustrap had. However, upon looking up, Tatiana discovered that it was not Alonzo who had stepped up to Macavity, but it was…

"Mungojerrie?!" A look of horror spread across Tatiana's face. "No, Jerrie!" she shrieked frantically. "NO!"

But Mungojerrie paid no heed to Tatiana's desperate plea.

Tatiana saw Macavity grin to himself in glee when the stripy tom stepped up to fight. No… she thought. She watched in dread as the two toms fought. In any other situation, Tatiana might have cracked a smile at Mungojerrie's comical, seemingly-failing attempt at a fierce expression, but this situation was serious. Finally, after being locked in a fierce wrestle, Macavity flung Mungojerrie away as he had done to Munkustrap. Tatiana could not get to him quick enough. Knowing that she could leave Munkustrap safe in the paws of the others, she moved over to Mungojerrie. She stared at him. His body was battered as much as Munkustrap's, but Mungojerrie's eyes were closed. Tears streamed down Tatiana's face at the sight of his lifeless body, but she began to methodically clean his wounds regardless.

Rumpelteazer soon joined the young queen, having realized that her brother lay motionless nearby.

Tatiana was sobbing quietly, her head buried in Mungojerrie's chest after cleaning his wounds, her heart wrenching with every breath she took. She felt a paw on her back and sat up, startled.

"Tats?" Mungojerrie's eyes slowly opened.

"Oh, Jerrie!" Tatiana cried. "You're alive!"

"Of course Oi'm aloive," Mungojerrie managed weakly, his voice strained yet full of his usual playfulness.

Tatiana flung her arms around him, tears still streaming down her face, but now they were tears of joy.

"Ya gave us quoite a scare, bro," Rumpelteazer scolded lightly.

Mungojerrie grinned. "Oi didn't mean ta."

Mungojerrie was lying inside the old car with Rumpelteazer and Tatiana dancing attendance. He and Munkustrap had been carried there after the fight, which had only ended after Alonzo faced Macavity and the latter had decided that he'd had his fun for the day, disappearing directly. Mungojerrie, Munkustrap and Alonzo had been treated inside the car by Demeter and the younger queens.

"Just don't do it again," Tatiana said, joining in the conversation with her own reprimand.

There was no reply (save for a wider grin and a shrug), and Tatiana did not expect one.

"It's nearly lunch-toime," Rumpelteazer commented. "Oi should get us some food. Oi'll be back." With that, Rumpelteazer jumped out of the car and scurried off in search of mice, leaving the other two alone.

Tatiana looked at Mungojerrie. "She's right, you know."

Mungojerrie raised an eyebrow. "Oi never doubt Teaz when she soiys Oi need ta eat."

"About you giving us a scare. You really did."

Mungojerrie smiled gently as he noticed tears shining in her eyes. Did he dare hope? She loves me…

Which was very true. It was when she had thought he was dead that Tatiana had realized her true feelings for him.

Tatiana wrapped her arms around Mungojerrie. I love him…

Mungojerrie ran his claws gently through the queen's headfur.

Tatiana pulled back and asked him seriously, "Why?"

Mungojerrie sighed and turned away slightly. "Do ya remember when Oi told ya that Oi used to, uh, be a thief?"

Tatiana nodded.

"Well, that wasn't orll. Rumpelteazer and Oi, we…we worked fer Macavity at one toime. We was only…not quoite a month old, Oi guess, and didn't know no better. 'E took us in after our mum doied and we worked fer 'im. Oi was fascinated with 'is woiy of loife, but Teaz soon got sick of it and found the Jellicles. Oi stayed fer another two months, but then Oi began ta see 'ow wrong it was. So Oi found Teaz and joined the troibe also. And now 'e 'as it in fer not only Munkustrap, but for me as well. So Oi 'ave a duty ta do." He looked at Tatiana's beautiful face and said gently, "See?"

Tatiana nodded and rubbed her head against his battered chest to show that she understood.