A/N: Well HELLO! Long time no speak! Most of the reason why I haven't uploaded is A) I haven't been writing, but also B) I hate the family tree so much that I want to claw my own eyes out every time I try to write this fic.

But no matter. NaNoWriMo is coming up and I want to work on some stuff that I actually might get paid for, so I want to whip this fic out as my 'warm-up'. So hopefully it'll get some more chapters and I'll just ignore the gross decisions I made when I started this fic :) Apart from the family tree, I actually love this fic a whole freaking lot.

Bombalurina didn't know where she was going.

She had walked for what felt like hours, but was probably only twenty minutes.

It hadn't helped that her mind was everywhere.

Demeter was alive.

Her sister. Alive.

She swallowed hard to keep the bile rising in her throat. Her sister had been with Macavity for months now… and Bombalurina hadn't even bothered to look for her. It made her sick.

And now… she was regretting not telling Munkustrap she was leaving. A little bit of company would have been nice – not that he would have come. He would have made her wait until things had settled down. She could even hear his voice in her head – "She's survived this long, Bomba. She'll be fine another couple of days."

But that wasn't the point. She'd survived in Macavity's den. Who knows what awful things he could've done?

And with Grizabella showing up with his kitten…

She increased her pace, paws aching on the cement of the streets.

Bombalurina didn't know where Macavity's den was. She didn't know what direction it could've been in. She barely knew where the warehouse was from here.

Her thoughts had distracted her from the new smells… but as her mind stilled, suddenly they were everywhere. It must've been nearing dawn. There was rotting trash nearby, and a door slamming that made her jump with fright.

She heard the bark of a Pollicle, offended by her existence, to her left. But the big dog was behind a cage of some sorts, and she felt slightly safer.

What was she doing?

Wandering the streets alone in the middle of her night, trying to find someone who may or may not be in the direction she was going.

"You're a little too pretty to be out on your own…"

Bombalurina's fur stiffened and she whipped around to face a brown and grey tom. He had kind eyes, his fur clean and he looked well pampered.

"Speak for yourself, tomcat," she hissed, still bristled.

His eyebrows rose in surprise, both paws raised in defence, "Calm down, I meant no harm. I just… I've been watching you for a little while now…"

Bombalurina hissed, "You're not getting any less creepy…"

He gave her a friendly smile, sitting back on his haunches, "Relax…" he said softly, "I haven't seen you around these parts before. I got curious…"

"A cat can't roam a neighbourhood?" Bombalurina asked, raising an eyebrow at the tom.

The tom huffed, "You're awfully defensive. Who taught you to be so untrusting?"

Bombalurina's eyes narrowed, "You'd be wary of everything if your tribe was slaughtered in front of you."

The tom paused for a second, "You're… from the tribe that used to gather in the old warehouse at Sewardstone, aren't you?"

Bombalurina's ears flicked in surprise, "You… you know of my tribe?"

"Every Jellicle in a hundred mile radius knows of your tribe. It was one of the largest," he pointed out, "You don't get that status without recognition…"

Bombalurina was truly surprised at the fame of the tribe, ears twitching as she tried to comprehend, "How did everyone know, though? We had mystics…"

"The location of the warehouse was kept a secret, but Old Deuteronomy spoke, the train cats spoke. Any Jellicle who left the warehouse for their hobbies would talk of the tribe. Everyone knew, just not where. Just that it was somewhere in Sewardstone."

Bombalurina nodded slowly, "Oh."

"So where are you now?" he asked, creeping forward slightly, "We heard about the attack, and ever since the warehouse has been deserted. Some even say it's haunted," he chuckled.

"I'm not telling you," Bombalurina's eyes narrowed again, and the tom's eyes turned sympathetic.

"I heard you lost a lot of your family. Did you… lose anyone?" he asked quietly.

She paused, forcing her tight throat to swallow. It was one thing, experiencing the tragedy, amongst those going through the same thing. But to tell someone? It left her feeling raw all over again.

"Everyone," she whispered, her ears flattening, "My ma," she whispered, "My father, my sis-" her eyes lit up and she shook her head, "No, my sister. She's alive, she's-" Bombalurina suddenly remembered why she was walking, where she was heading. The journey had made her almost forget. "Macavity has her."

The tom's eyes softened again in sympathy, "He does?"

She nodded, suddenly determined, "And I'm going to rescue her."

A wince, "Well, good luck with that, kit…" he said quietly, "Make sure you don't get captured yourself…"

She frowned at him, "I won't get captured. I'm small and clever."

"Do you even know where his lair is?" he asked with a sceptical smile that made her falter.

"No…" she murmured slowly, "No, I don't. Do you?"

He chuckled, finally getting to his feet, "Everyone knows where Macavity's lair is," he hummed softly, "I'll take you."

Bombalurina couldn't help but regard him with suspicion, hesitantly following him, "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I'm a house cat," he said simply, "The most action I get daily is when a stray mouse darts in front of my human's eyes."

She smiled a little, "Sounds pretty boring," she said softly.

He nodded and she struggled to catch up, falling into step with him.

"So… how come Macavity's lair is so well known to other cats? Doesn't that make him an easy target?"

"Of course," he hummed, "But he has henchcats skulking the place, both inside and out. Nobody gets in or out without his approval. And it's down a set of narrow stairs, so any attack would come slowly anyway. Plenty of time for the rest of the henchcats to rally and counterattack."

Bombalurina shivered slightly, biting her lip, "Oh…."

"What's your name, kit?"

She bristled this time, "Bombalurina. And I'm not a kit. I'm old enough to leave the tribe."

"I mean no offence, Bombalurina," he said gently, glancing back at her, "You may be able to leave, but you're still only a baby."

She grumbled back at him, "And what's your name then?"

"Tanker," he said, before pausing with a coy smile, "Not the most glamourous of names, but… you take what you're given. I was named by a six year old…"

Bombalurina smiled a little, "At least I didn't have that problem. I was born to the tribe,"

"Ah, yes. My parents belonged to a tribe. But they sold out when they were promised regular grooming and lots of food," he sighed, "And so the life of an alley cat was never destined for me."

"You could always join me, once I have my sister back. Or you could help me? It's never too late to be an alley cat…"

Tanker chuckled, "What, with this fur? No thank you. I do prefer the grooming,"

She rolled her eyes but smiled as she walked along beside him, lapsing into silence.

"So…" she asked after they moved into an alleyway, scaling a fire exit to get onto the roof, "How far is Macavity's lair?"

"Not far. Maybe another five minutes. It's quicker if we cut over the houses. Will you be able to make your way back?"

She bit her lip, "I'll find it my tribe again. I've got a good nose."

Tanker was silent, clearly worried for her, but he didn't say anything else. They continued over the houses until they reached a far more populated area, where people walked back and forth in countless groups, some stragglers here and there.

"It's there. Between the banisters is a staircase leading down…"

"Don't the humans get curious and go down?"

Tanker chuckled, "You can't feel the magic?'

Bombalurina shook her head with a deep frown, "I…what?"

"Macavity has the place hidden with his magic," Tanker explained patiently, "All the humans see is a continuous banister. You seriously can't feel it? It's… pretty strong…"

Bombalurina shook her head again, "I… can't feel anything."

Tanker made a soft noise of understanding, "You've never felt any other magic before?"

"No…" she said softly, "Is there… should I?"

Tanker shrugged, "Most Jellicles have some sort of magic sense. Some stronger than others, some able to perform magic," he smiled, "And some just don't. There's nothing wrong with it."

She bit her lip, nodding, "So… he'll know if I go in there?"

Tanker shrugged, "I don't know the full extent of his powers. Maybe he will, maybe someone will just tell him. Have you got a plan?"

"No," she said quietly, "But I'm getting my sister back. Thank you for your help."

He gazed at her warily, "Good luck, kit."

She nodded at him, before looking for cars and crossing the road. She lingered for a long moment, just at the entrance to the stairs.

Could she do it? Walk into Macavity's lair without a plan. What would he do to her?

All she knew was that she couldn't waste any more time.

She was going in.

A/N: Also, I'm pretty obsessed with Hamilton right now. Anyone else?