A/n: Here's the next chapter, where the story really gets started. There is a perspective switch later on, hopefully it won't be too confusing, and the bit in italics is a flashback. Enjoy. (Still don't own Cats by the way!)

Chapter 3 – Post-Mortem

After the funeral, I pulled Alonzo aside. There was something else I wanted to do, something I needed to do.

"I want to see him." I said quietly. Alonzo just looked up at me, his expression pained. He knew who I meant.

"Okay. But prepare yourself; he's not what he used to be." He warned me. No amount of warnings could have prepared me for what I was about to see. I followed the patched tom, glad to be seeing my brother again after so long, but scared of what I'd find.

We soon reached the silver tabby's den, his prison. Alonzo shot me a nervous glance as he opened the door, perhaps he was worried about how I would react. I took a deep breath and entered the den. It was dark, pitch black, so I couldn't see him at first. My eyes soon adjusted, and I spotted a cat sitting in the corner.

It wasn't him, how could that cat possibly be my brother. He was thin, beyond thin, he was emaciated. He was nothing but skin, fur and bones, I could count his ribs. I moved closer, and Alonzo followed me, letting in the bright afternoon sunlight as he moved away from the doorway.

I let out a gasp. Hell, I nearly fainted. It was worse than I thought. There was barely anything left of him and his fur, once a bright silver with strong black stripes, was now a dull, dusty gray with darker gray stripes. His fur was filthy, full of dust, grime and what looked like dried blood. He just sat there, staring directly ahead. He didn't seem to have noticed us come in, he didn't realise that we were there. I realised I had not yet seen him move, except for his chest slowly expanding and collapsing as he breathed. I was glad to see that, it told me he was alive. It meant there was a chance we could save him, there was hope.

It hurt to see him like this; it hurt even more to know that it was our brother, our own flesh and blood that did this. Alonzo, what about him? What did he have to do with this? I had just noticed that he was still there. I got the feeling he knew I'd have questions for him. He was right, but I decided to start with the easy ones.

"How long has he been like this?" I asked.

"About four months or so." He replied, answering only the question I'd asked. He didn't volunteer any extra information.

"He doesn't look like he's eaten in weeks." I observed, getting a little irritated at the lack of answers.

"He does eat, not much but I bring him food every single day," The patched tom began, sighing, "I don't know what's happened to him. It's like he has given up, but his body won't let him die." Alonzo explained, looking slightly guilty. I could guess at what he was thinking, it might have been better for him if he had died.

"What the hell did Macavity do to him?" I asked, I had to know. Alonzo sighed, he looked scared now. Scared of what I would say when he told me?

"Torture, both physical and mental. You must have heard the screams, Macavity hurt him a lot. Scratched him up, beat him up, it was cruel but not the worst. Macavity kept him here, told him lies. Told him you were dead, that he'd killed Mistoffelees, Demeter, anyone that Munkustrap cared for. The helplessness must have been hell for him, thinking that the tribe was being killed off one by one; he was unable to do anything to help. He made me..." Alonzo stopped there apparently unable to go on, and I wondered why, what was he going to say. What did Macavity make him do?

Six Months Earlier

"Alonzo, come with me. I have work for you." Macavity ordered in his usual cold, uncaring voice. Alonzo swallowed hard, imagining all the possibilities of what the ginger tom could possibly have in mind. He shook his head, as if to dispell these thoughts, and followed. They stopped outside Munkustrap's den, and Alonzo looked at Macavity, his tail twitching nervously. Macavity just smirked at him, thrust something into his paw, and opened the door to the den, pushing the patched tom inside.

Munkustrap looked up sharply, but smiled when he saw Alonzo. His smile soon faltered, with the look of apprehension on Alonzo's face and the sight of the tall ginger tom standing behind the black and white cat. The ginger tom whispered something in Alonzo's ear, and the black and white tom's eyes widened in shock, he bared his teeth in a silent hiss. There was no way, he couldn't do that. He looked down at the object in his paws, it was a small leather collar with spikes on it, and blood. He knew who it belonged to, and he couldn't do this. Macavity placed his long claws on the back of Alonzo's neck, warning him that he better do what he was told, if he knew what's good for him. He shook his head in protest.

Macavity growled softly, and slowly pushed his claws through the fur and skin on the patched tom's neck, making him hiss in pain. He had to do it, what choice did he really have? It was killing him, and he knew that it would kill Munkustrap. He stepped forward, away from those hateful claws, and placed the blood-covered collar at Munkustrap's feet. The silver tabby moaned when he saw what it was, he recognised it.

"Jemima?" he whispered, "That's my daughter's collar, where is she?"

Alonzo hesitated, but he could sense Macavity moving behind him again.

"She's dead." the patched tom said coldly, breaking down inside. The pain, the grief, the accusations in Munkustrap's eyes cut through him like a knife. He wanted to shout, tell Munkustrap that his daughter was alive, his whole family were alive, but he knew that Macavity would kill him, and then he'd never be able to get them out of this. A look of regret flitted across his expression, for just a second. 'I'm sorry' he wanted to say, but at that moment Macavity put a paw on his shoulder, pulling him away.

"Why, Alonzo?" Munkustrap whispered as the two cats turned to leave. He couldn't bring himself to turn around, he couldn't look the silver tabby in the eyes anymore.

'Because it's the only way I can help you,' was his silent answer.

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of that awful memory. I couldn't get Munkustrap's face out of my mind though; I could still see the hurt, the accusation. I could still hear the pain and betrayal in the silver tabby's voice, despite having not heard that voice for four months. I sat down, looking at the ground. How could I look Tugger in the eyes, after what I'd done? I'd helped Macavity put Munkustrap in this state, it was partly my fault. I jumped when I felt a paw on my chin. I looked up, straight into those rich brown eyes. I could feel tears stinging in the corner of my own eyes, but I held them back. I didn't have the right.

"You can tell me." the maned tom said kindly. How could I?

"You'll hate me, more than you already do." I replied, struggling to keep my voice from breaking.

"I won't. It might be important Alonzo, I need to know. If you want to make amends, start now." the Rum Tum Tugger assured me. I shook my head in protest, but stopped. I realised that he was right. I had contributed to the problem, now I had to help with the solution. My resolve strengthened, I decided to tell him.

"Okay. We have to help him, I have to help him. I'll tell you. I said that Macavity had been telling Munkustrap that his family and friends had been killed one by one." I began, hating myself for what I was about to say. He just nodded.

"He... made me do it too. He made me tell Munkustrap that Jemima was dead, he even made me give Munkustrap her collar, which he had covered in blood. He made me let him think that it might have been me that killed her." I explained brokenly. The maned tom just looked at me, I couldn't understand his expression.

"I had no choice, I had to tell him. It was a punishment for me, I refused to do... something, and he forced me to do this instead. He knew how much it would hurt me, to lie to my friend, let him think such a terrible thing. He also knew that it would be a double blow to Munkustrap," I paused, taking a deep breath and controlling my emotions, "His daughter was dead, and I had betrayed him. It was at that moment, when he seemed to have given up all hope. He'd lost everything, and that's how he ended up like this. It was all my fault, I'm a coward. I should have refused, I should have stood up to him, I should have..." I was shouting now, my anger directed only at myself. I stopped though, when Tugger put his paw on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, for everything. I know that's not nearly enough, but I am. I'm going to help him, help the tribe, or die trying." I whispered.

"It's enough for now. We'll get through to him, he'll be okay." Tugger said. I relaxed a little, but I couldn't share in his confidence, which I suspected was more for his own benefit than mine anyway.