Disclaimer: I don't own Cats, just the way I have interpreted the characters and their relationships.

This is my first Cats fanfic and I'm not here to argue the toss over the family tree; this is just how I've interpreted it.

Chapter One

There was little to distinguish the junkyard from the many others around the town, but this one was the home of the Jellicle tribe.

None of the cats could remember where the Jellicles had come from and how they came to be, aside from their leader Old Deuteronomy. When the time came for him to take the journey to the Heavyside Layer, he would pass on the story to his successor.

He had been their leader for as long as anyone could remember, and all of his litter mates had long since passed, except the youngest, Bustopher Jones, who visited several times a year, most prominently on the night of the Jellicle Ball.

Unlike his younger brother, Old Deuteronomy had been mated with nine queens, and all had now passed on, leaving an array of children and grandchildren.

His first mate had died without children and his second, a young tabby, had produced just one kitten, Asparagus, or Gus for short, but had rescued a young ginger kitten from the river. They had named him Skimbleshanks and raised the toms as brothers.

While they were still quite young, their mother had been involved in a rather nasty fight with a Pollicle, one she did not recover from, and Old Deuteronomy mated with another queen, who birthed three kittens, Munkustrap, Macavity and Rum Tum Tugger.

By that time Gus and Skimbleshanks were mated as well, Gus to a queen named Grizabella, Skimbleshanks to Jennyanydots.

Grizabella had just one kitten, Asparagus Jr. Like her mate, she loved performing. Unlike Gus, however, she was not satisfied with staying close to the theatre, and abandoned her mate and son to travel the country.

Skimble and Jenny had three kittens, a tom they named Mungojerrie, and two queens, Bombalurina and Demeter. Within six weeks, history repeated itself, and Jenny found an abandoned black-and-white kitten by the edge of the junkyard. She named him Alonzo and raised him as her own.

While all this was going on, Old Deuteronomy was mated with his fifth queen, a beautiful Siamese, who birthed two litters, twins Tantomile and Coricopat, and queens, Cassandra and Exotica, a year later.

By now, Old Deuteronomy was very old indeed, and only visited the junkyard once a year for the Jellicle Ball, unless there was an emergency.

Munkustrap was the Jellicle protector, keeping an eye on the tribe as they went about their daily business. Many of the Jellicles had human homes, although they still frequented the junkyard.

Rum Tum Tugger had long since developed a flirtatious and carefree attitude that allowed him the attention otherwise stolen by his older brothers.

Macavity had been exiled from the tribe and had become something his littermates would never had believed. The only cats who knew the full story behind his exile were Munkustrap, Demeter, Bombalurina and Tugger. All anyone was sure of was that Demeter was incredibly skittish for months afterwards, Munkustrap and Bombalurina rarely left her side and Tugger … Well, Tugger refused to acknowledge that he had another brother.

Mungojerrie was the only cat who still communicated with Macavity, although he did it in secret, and it was there he met Rumpleteazer.

They had left Macavity now, but they were completely inseparable and caused no end of trouble for the other Jellicles and for their humans.

Asparagus Jr. had mated with a young queen named Jellylorum and their four sons, Plato, Admetus, Pouncival and Tumblebrutus, were just reaching adulthood.

And this is where our story begins …

Tugger was further from the junkyard than usual, but that didn't bother him. He was a large tom, whose mane made him seem even larger, and there weren't many things that would attack him.

Normally he would only venture this far if he was hunting, but today it was a different scent that had caught his attention. There was a queen nearby and he was certain it was none of theirs.

Jennyanydots was visiting Skimbleshanks at the railway yard.

Jellylorum was tending to the newest kitten – an abandoned snow white queen they had named Victoria.

Demeter was keeping watch as Munkustrap taught Plato and Admetus how to hunt.

And Bombalurina was …

Tugger quickened his pace. He had no idea where Bomba was – although she was probably sleeping in the old oven.

But if she wasn't … if that scent was hers … he could smell blood in the air …

He leapt to the top of a fence and peered down into the next alley. There was a cat huddled in the middle of it, her coat matted with blood, and he couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.

The grey tabby definitely wasn't his … friend? Mate?

Bomba had only ever had one mate and that hadn't ended very well. She flirted with him and smiled at him and sometimes, when she looked at him, he thought maybe …

But then she acted like that with all the toms.

Two could play at that game.

Pushing thoughts of the scarlet queen from his mind, Tugger leapt down from the fence and the tabby cowered away. He crouched low to the ground, trying not to seem like a threat.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"Macavity …" she whispered.

Tugger stiffened, his fur bristling. "Is he still here?"

She shook her head, wincing with the movement. "No … I'm of … no use … now …"

"Why …?" Tugger broke off, seeing the movement beneath her. A black kitten with a white bib crawled out from beneath her, hissing at the older tom.

It was in no way threatening, and Tugger bit back a smile at his attempts to protect his mother. "And is he alright?"

"The only … one … who is …" She shifted slightly and now Tugger could see the still bodies of five other kittens.

"He … he killed them?" Tugger was aghast – he knew that Macavity was evil, but he'd never dreamed he'd attack innocent kittens. They didn't even look three months old.

"No … they weren't getting enough food." She admitted. "And … Quaxo's not … strong enough … for his liking."

Her breathing was becoming more and more erratic, and he stepped forwards. "My home isn't far … We can help you …"

But she shook her head. "No … I made the choice … to go with him …"

"But …" Tugger wanted to pick her up and drag her to the junkyard, whether she liked it or not. But something told him that would be even more cruel in her eyes than leaving her here.

"You're … a Jellicle … aren't you?" She gasped out.

Tugger nodded, wishing Munkus was with him. He'd know what to do.

She lifted her head and pushed the kitten towards him. "Take him … It's not his … fault who … his father … is …"

Tugger took the kitten gently by the scruff of the neck and picked him up, despite his squeaked protests.

"Take him …" She repeated weakly. "Don't want … him to … see …"

Tugger nodded carefully and leapt back onto the fence and down to the other side. He didn't stop running until he reached the edge of the junkyard.

Then he set the kitten down at his feet.

"Mother?" The kitten asked quietly.

"Your mum's gone, kiddo." Tugger told him gently. "But it's okay. You can stay with us."

"But you hate Macavity! And he hates you! And I'm his son and I can do strange things and what if …"

"Whoa, kid, slow down." Tugger stopped him. "I can't listen that fast. You're not your father. And all Jellicles can do strange things."

"Not this strange." The kitten frowned and his paws crackled with electricity.

Tugger winced slightly. The kid definitely took after his father in that respect. "What's your name?"

"Quaxo." He grimaced. "I hate it."

"Then we'll change it." Tugger thought for a second, then grinned. "Got it. Mistoffelees. Magical Mister Mistoffelees."

"Misto for short." The kitten chimed in, but then his face fell. "But what if they don't want me?"

"We won't tell them." Tugger decided. "They don't have to know. If I'd arrived ten minutes later, I wouldn't know. We'll just tell them that I did. That I don't know what happened to your mother or siblings, and that I brought you back to keep you safe."

"Who's going to look after me?" Misto asked. "You?"

The look of doubt on his face would have insulted Tugger, if he wasn't too busy laughing at the thought of someone letting him raise a kitten.

"No, kid, I play big brother round here. I'll take you to Jelly. She's got Victoria as well."

"Who's Victoria?" Misto asked interestedly.

"She's another kitten." Tugger answered briefly, picking him up again.

As he entered the junkyard, Bomba emerged from her oven with a yawn. She stretched in the sunlight and caught his eye, a seductive smile crossing her face. But as she sauntered over, she caught sight of the kitten in his mouth and her expression changed to one of concern. "Who's this?"

"My name's Misto." The kitten answered. He tilted his head back to try to look at the tom carrying him. "I still don't know your name."

Tugger set him down. "His name's Mistoffelees." He explained, as Munkustrap and Demeter approached them. "I found him with his mother and siblings in an alley north of here. He was the only one still alive."

"What happened?" Munkustrap asked sharply.

Misto flinched slightly and Tugger put a protective paw over him. "He doesn't know. His mother wasn't producing enough milk, and his siblings starved. But Heavyside knows what happened to her. She looked like she'd been attacked."

"Macavity?" Demeter asked in a whisper.

"Possibly." Tugger shrugged. "I couldn't find any sign of him in the alley. I'm taking him to Jelly."

"Good idea." Munkustrap waved him on and leapt on to the old car, calling for Alonzo.

"Hi Misto." Bomba said with a smile. "This is Rum Tum Tugger, but we all call him Tugger, and I'm Bombalurina."

"But just call her Bomba." Tugger added, picking the kitten up again.

"And I'm Demeter." Demeter added, trotting alongside them with her sister. "The other tom was Munkustrap. He's the tribe protector. He'll go out with the other toms and find out what happened to your mother."

"Whose mother?" Jelly called as they reached her den.

"Misto's." Bomba answered. "Tugger's found another one."

Jelly looked up from where she'd been bathing Victoria. "Goodness gracious, he's as thin as a rake! Put him down over here, Tugger!"

"Tugger!" Alonzo called. "We'll need you to show us where you found him."

Tugger set Misto down beside Victoria and gave the young queen a smile, to which she blushed and giggled. "Right behind you."

"You'll come back, won't you?" Misto asked.

"Sure will, kid." Tugger assured him. "Always wanted a younger brother."

"You are so lucky." The other kitten sighed as Tugger left. "He is so cute!"

"Don't even think about it." Bomba rebuked gently. "The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat."

Demeter and Jellylorum both chuckled, and the latter brought over a mouse-cake for Misto. "You'll see what we mean at the Jellicle Ball." She explained, seeing the two kittens looking puzzled.

"What's the Jellicle Ball?" Misto asked curiously, in between nibbles.

Demeter smiled, and her voice took on an almost ritualistic tone. "Jellicle cats meet once a year, at the Jellicle ball where we all rejoice. And the Jellicle leader soon appears and makes what is known as the Jellicle choice. When Old Deuteronomy just before dawn, through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife, announces the cat who can now be reborn and come back to a different Jellicle life."

The two kittens stared at her in amazement. "Are we Jellicles?" Victoria asked.

"You are now." Jelly told her with a smile. "At every ball, there's singing and dancing, and some older members of the tribe have their own songs."

"Tugger's one of them." Bomba added. "As is Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydots … I think Jerry and Teazer are petitioning as well, aren't they?"

"Oh, I hope they don't." Jelly sighed. "Think what kind of influence that would have on the kittens."

Bomba chuckled. "And Tugger doesn't? Have you seen Plato strutting around the junkyard lately?"

"True." Jelly conceded. "I need to have a word with that young tom of mine."

"Good idea." Bomba agreed, sauntering out of the den. "The last thing we need is two Tuggers running around the place."

"Not going to happen, beautiful. I'm one of a kind."

Bomba rolled her eyes as the tom sidled up to her. "Aren't you supposed to be with the others?"

"I showed them where I found him. Whatever attacked her is long gone." Tugger shrugged. "What am I gonna do?"

"Well, I'll tell you what you're not going to do." Bomba told him severely. "You're not going to break your promise to that kitten."

"Whoa!" Tugger backed up, grinning at her sternness. "Since when are you the maternal one?"

"… I don't know." Bomba admitted after a few minutes, glancing back towards the oven. "There's something about that kitten …"

Tugger scowled, as the real reason he hated Macavity – the reason he had kept hidden for over a year before he was exiled – came back full force. "Of course there is."

Bomba took a step backwards. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Tugger lied through gritted teeth. "Well, don't worry about it, Scarlet. I've got no intentions of breaking that promise."

And, with that, he stalked off, leaving behind a very confused, slightly hurt Bombalurina.

AN: I'll explain what happened with Macavity later. Tell me what you think, because I should be writing an English assignment, not Cats fanfiction!