The cats were met by Jennyanydots first of all after leaving the mystical cats den. "Oh by the Everlasting Cat. What's happened?" Mungojerrie sat the kitten he was carrying down and explained. The motherly queen called over her sister Jellyorum. "Would you look at this," she said. The two kittens stood shakily on their legs, covered in mud and assorted grime, wet to the bone and shivering with cold. "Oh the poor dears. "You come with me," the queen ordered. The kittens nodded, shuffling off. Their black older brother remained. "I want to see Old Deuteronomy," he demanded. Despite the young cat's bravado, Mungojerrie could now see that really he was just a tired, scared young tom who would do anything for his brother and sister.
Old Deuteronomy was still awake, talking with Gus about how much better the old days were. Munkustrap nodded respectfully on the entrance to his father's den. "Enter," came the old cat's voice. Munkustrap pushed the curtain aside. "What is it," asked his father warmly. "There's … there's a cat to see you father. A young tom. He's Evita's oldest kitten." Old Deuteronomy nodded sadly. "I take it she is no longer with us." Munkustrap shook his head. "Send the young lad in," his father said. "I would like to speak with him."
Erik sidled in, suddenly aware of how filthy he was. His fur was clumped and streaked with mud, slime from a fetid lake they had crossed clung to his underbelly. Old Deuteronomy took one look at the young tom and clapped his hands together. "Come here," he boomed, embracing the tom in a massive bear hug. The teen was taken aback, squirming free. "What's your name? What brings you out here?" asked his grandfather. "My name is Erik. Me and my brother and sister have come, hoping to find somewhere safe to stay. Our … our mother is dead. Me and the others didn't have anyone else to turn to. I can't feed and protect them, not on my own. Mum used to tell us stories, about you and how wonderful you were to her. We won't be any trouble, I can hunt for all of us. We just need somewhere to stay where they aren't in danger of being gutted by ferals in their sleep. Rusty and Syrie are too young for this," Erik gushed out, falling to his knees and bowing his head. "Of course you must stay," Deuteronomy said with a sad smile of his face. "Even if you were not my grandchildren, who you undoubtedly are, you have gone through what no cat should suffer so young. Where were you living?" "All over the place. We spent time in Malet Street Gardens, Kensington Gardens. Anywhere we could find shelter really." "Well you are here now, and of course you must stay. On one condition." "Yes of course, anything," Erik pleaded. "When you have all freshened up and had something to eat, I would like it if you would bring your brother and sister here."
Erik left soon after, eager to find his siblings. Mungojerrie went with him, showing the young cat around. Mungo could sympathise with the poor teen, having lived on the streets for some time. He couldn't imagine what doing that with two kittens trailing around would have been like, and couldn't begin to think about being made to fight others cats like that. The pair entered Jenny and Skimble's den. They found the kittens, clean and fluffed up, eating fish and milk in the centre of the burrow, with Jellyorum, Augustus, Skimble and Jenny sitting with them. Erik smiled, the first time Mungo had seen him doing anything other than scowl. Rusty and Syrie bounded up to their brother, bowling him over. "Get off him, get off," ordered Jenny, while Skimble lifted the two kittens off their brother. "It's alright," Erik muttered shyly. Syrie nodded eagerly, reaching for her older brother. "I've just gotten these two clean, and you're not going near them until you've been cleaned up," Jenny insisted. The kittens pouted, but Erik nodded in understanding. "Ok. I'll go and stand in a pond for a bit." Jenny scoffed. "You will not. I've got an old bowl in the back room, filled with rain water you can use. And don't come back in here until you're clean." The queen smiled kindly at the scarred teen. "I get some food together for you dear. I can see your ribs, poor thing." Erik thanked her, before heading into the back room.
"What have you found out?" Skimble asked Mungojerrie as Rumpleteazer cuddle up to young tom. "They're Evita's kits," Mungo said, unwilling to tell Erik's story in front of his siblings, or Etcetera, Pouncival and Carbucketty. It was clear that the kittens didn't understand or know what their brother had done for them, and Mungo had no wish to tell any of them about it. "Anything else?" Jenny asked. Mungo shook his head, glancing pointedly at the kittens, who were totally engrossed in their food. The older cats gather in, listening to Mungo. "They were captured by Macavity. The flea bag made Erik, the older one, fight or he'd kill the brothers and do things I don't wish to contemplate to that poor little queen." Jenny and Jelly covered their mouths in shock, while Skimble shook his head. "Why would he do that?" Augustus asked, looking at his mother. Jellyorum shook her head. "Loot. Erik said that Cats bet on the fights," Mungojerrie explained. Rumpleteazer scowled. "Did you know anything about this?" Jellyorum asked Mungo. "What do you think? I only met the scumbag all of maybe three times. I thought he was running a fencing ring. Not kidnapping, and certainly not that." "I wonder if Demeter knew." Rumple asked. "No. She had got away before any of this happened," Mungo replied.
The cats sat down to supper as the two new kittens polished off their third saucer apiece of milk. "I've never seen such hungry kits," Jellyorum exclaimed. "Sorry," Rusty sniffled. "We haven't eaten in so long. I can't remember the last time I had milk." Jenny smiled. "Tuck in dear. There's plenty to go around, and I'm sure you need it more than us." After a while, Erik strode in. His sleek fur had been well soaked in water, then dried off by a rigorous roll around on an old towel. His coat, when clean, was deep black, without a speck of any other colour on him. Golden eyes gleamed out from his dark face, currently split in a bright grin. Rumpleteazer breathed in sharply. Mungojerrie nudged her disapprovingly, but even he had to admit that the younger tom looked incredibly striking, even if he was thin as a rake.
"Here you go young man," Jenny said, pushing a bowl of cream and a fish towards the tom. Erik frowned slightly. "I can't pay for this," he said. "I'm sorry, I can't repay you for what they've eaten already." "Good to see that Evita brought you kits up right," Jenny said approvingly. "But it's fine." "We're happy to help," Skimble said. "Speaking of which," Jenny continued "Where will you three be staying?" The kittens looked around in alarm. "I thought we were staying here?" Syrie mewed. "Mummy always said that the Jellicles would look after us," whimpered her brother. Erik smiled at the young cats. "Old Deuteronomy said that we could stay." The kittens whooped for joy, bouncing up and down. "But I'll have find us a den somewhere here. These kind cats have been incredibly generous, but we can't intrude on their hospitality any longer." Etcetera and her brothers looked at their parents. "Oh please mummy. We have plenty of room now the Teazer's living with Mungojerrie. Oh can't they stay with us?" the kittens whined. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer sniggered together at the little balls of fur pleaded with their parents. Jenny and Skimble smiled at each other. "Well, we've talked about it and … if you want to, of course you can stay with us. We have a spare room you could use Erik, and I'm sure Syrie and Rusty wouldn't mind bunking with the kittens." Syrie and Rusty collided with their brother at high speed, jumping up and down on him. "Can we, Can we?" they squealed. Erik struggled up. "I couldn't put you to all that trouble," he said, always the gentleman. "Don't be ridiculous lad," Skimble replied. "We'd be happy to look after you. Least we can do for old Evita's kits." Erik looked back to his siblings. "If you're sure … We'd be delighted." The den exploded into cries of delight from the five kittens.