"Cats…cats…! Toms… queens… kittens!"

Munkustrap was running with all his powers to the temporary evacuation site. He had a gigantic smile on his face.

Mungojerrie was standing by the middle of the abandoned construction yard, having an apparent curiosity present on his face about why the protector cat is so happy in such times.

Munkustrap, seeing the orange tabby, jumped towards him and firmly hugged him.

"Mungojerrie! Oh… I was so worried about you…! Where the fuck have you been?" he said, not letting the tom escape.

"Wow… Munkustrap… uh… yeah… you alright…?" Mungojerrie said with a nervous smile.

"I thought you were going to be killed by the humans! Why didn't you come back here earlier! I was so worried! Worried that you went to the Junkyard and got killed at eveningtime!"

"Munkustrap… oh… sorry… my apologies… I went to a local restaurant to steal… I mean, get something to eat… But I got rid of the redevelopment papers! I even threw up in their office purposely!"

Munkustrap then realized how starving he and all the other cats were.

"You… you… went and ate alone…? Uh… stole something and ate alone…?" he asked.

Mungojerrie gave another nervous smile and said, "Heh…heh... sorry… I was so hungry that I just had to get something… But I got rid of the papers! That's great, isn't it?"

Munkustrap just gave him a friendly slap on his face and hugged him again. "You selfish tom! Ugggh… come here! Yes I have heard that you got rid of the papers! It also seems like you left some evidences for the humans to know a cat – an orange one!"

Mungojerrie looked rather confused. "Wait… where did you hear all that…?"

It was then when Munkustrap turned towards the whole crowd and told them what happened… how the humans came to the Junkyard at evening time… how they were ready to kill… how there was a miraculous perfect-timing of someone telling them that all the redevelopment documents went missing… how the leader human ridiculously unexpectedly cancelled the whole redevelopment… how he confessed he had an awful dream… how he thought that cats have their own minds… how he thought that all the events were telling him that he shouldn't carry on the redevelopment… How everything was just a miracle…

All the cats – they undeniably all had great smiles on their faces – returned back to the Junkyard that night. Some had a bit more of worries and suggested that they should stay the night at the construction yard just in case, but it was overruled by the opinions that said that what Munkustrap have seen and heard was real and that there is nothing to worry about.

All the cats were surprised to see their dens not destroyed but in the exact ways that they were early that day, before they have evacuated. Munkustrap told them that the humans never came into the Junkyard that deeply.

Even though it was much over midnight, there was much excited chatter and laughter in the main area.

Munkustrap felt relieved for all this peace… but he felt a little pain somewhere in his heart… something that still needed to be taken care of…

Munkustrap then realized that he had to tell Old Deuteronomy about his recent irresponsible actions that he didn't yet confess to him – missing two patrols, slapping Demeter, et cetera…

He quietly knocked on Old Deuteronomy's den door.

"Father…? I just want to talk to you…"

"Munkustrap, oh, certainly. Why don't we go out into the open and talk while we look at the brilliant stars… of course, if we can see them…"

The two walked to an open patch of dirt and just sat there, looking up into the dark sky. Munkustrap couldn't see any brilliant stars, though. After all, this was London.

"Look, father… I just want to confess a few things…"

"Son… same for me… but why don't you start..."

Munkustrap sighed.

"Look, father… I just want to say that I recently missed two of the four-tom patrols… and that I made Alonzo and others really angry… they quit… and… and… that's why I told you that I want to end the patrols… along with mine, thinking I can't do this anymore…"

"Son… what I want to confess is that I did know all that already."

"Father…" Munkustrap looked up at his father's face.

"Munkustrap… I have known that you missed patrols and did act quite irresponsibly. But I knew that you will soon confess to me… since I know you have a good heart… because you're my son… And thinks about cats who are not my sons… like Mungojerrie… but even Mungojerrie has a good heart, despite what cats may think of him… and even… even… your brother… your lost brother… Macavity… he should have a good heart somewhere in him…" the wise cat said. He seemed to have a few tears in his eyes. Tears from the oldest cat of the tribe…

"Father… why didn't you just punish me or something…"

"I didn't… because I wanted to know that you will eventually know that you did wrong and that you… not because of me telling you… will tell me that… that you did wrong…"

"So you trusted that I will… I will tell you that I did wrong…"

"I suppose my trust was worthy… after all, you're confessing to me right now…"

"And father… about Demeter…"

"Yes… I have heard…"

"Father… I'm… I'm so sorry… really… I just lost myself and… and…"

"And… you suddenly didn't know what you were doing…? Yes, son… I guess I know the feeling when you have too much in your mind and you just cannot handle it all… in a peaceful manner…"

"And father… although we apologized to each other and forgave each other… me and Demeter… I still have that memory of me doing that horrible thing to her… Sometimes, I shudder at the middle of the night… shudder at the terrible thing I did to her… worried that maybe… she still remembers it and is hurt by it…"

"Well, son… that is why this is the time to start giving more attention to Demeter… show her… not just tell her… that you care about her… That she deserves your time and attention… and love… If you do this… even after you two mate… if you two will… then the horrible memory would simply disappear… because both of you would know that it is not important anymore… since you two would know that you two care for each other… and truly love each other… can die for each other…"

"Father… I guess this is that time… to give her my time and attention…"

"And son… remember the pain of leadership I told you about? Well… now you know what the pain is… don't you? But you handled it well… from telling the cats to right now… You handled it wisely… and although there were a few… actually many… hardships in the middle… you now know that we are safe at our home right now… lovers with lovers… mothers with their kittens… fathers with sons… You are a good leader… you are a great leader… You're ready… almost ready…"

"Father…"

"And Munkustrap, I just want to tell you since I believe it is the time. The meaning of the name "Munkustrap"… In the ancient Jellicle language… it means "protector cat"… but it can also mean "tom with many pains"… And you are living by your name… you indeed are a protector and a tom with many pains… You are certainly doing your job…"

"Father…"

"And finally, Munkustrap, my son, call me "dad" from now on… after all, we are in a familiar sort of relationship, aren't we…? Father and son…"

"Ok, father… I mean… dad… dad… daddy…!"

And Munkustrap broke into tears in his dad's bosom… Letting out all the confusions so far… letting out all his hurts… letting out all his worries… letting out everything that hurt him… by tears… by pure tears… by tears that are from his heart and not just from his eyes…

Because everything is now so much better… and because he now has a chance to let his tears out…