Chapter 2: A stranger you already knew…

Hello. Sorry I haven't written in ages. I had family over, then it was Halloween and I'm an actor in a house and I was shattered. But I'm here now. Welcome to this chapter. I don't know what else to say. I mean, this is a continuation chapter so… no Explanation Time. No nothin'. So without further ado (I think)…

Chapter 2: A stranger you already knew…

Emily stepped back a second.

"M-Munkustrap?" she stuttered and the silver tabby nodded. "You're a silver tabby, with black stripes and your name is Munkustrap." The tabby nodded again. Then, Emily laughed.

"Oh yeah!" She laughed, "What? Is there a Jellylorum too? How about a Bombalurina?" She heard an annoyed cough behind her. A slender, red queen was lounging lazily on a gold and black Maine Coon.

"I" she hissed at Emily, "Am Bombalurina."

Emily flinched and stepped back slightly. "Jesus…" she muttered.

When she got over the red queen's venom in her voice, she turned back to Munkustrap. "So… why am I here?" she asked.

"Well… Vic and Quax brought you here." Munk replied briefly. Em shook her head. No straight answers with this lot apparently.

"Look, I like being here. I'm not afraid to say that this used to be my dream, but as Sa- Victoria and Quaxo would know, our roommate Maddie has gone missing. I would like to stay and chat, but I'd rather know, Maddie is alive and safe. You get what I mean. I mean, you wouldn't want to be stuck in a cage, while Demeter was left in Macavity's den, would you?"

Munk hissed and Emily immediately regretted her words. Apparently she'd hit a nerve. "That would be different!" Demeter hissed as she clung to Munk's arm. Emily raised her eyebrows.

"Well…" she said after a moment of awkward silence, "Do tell."

"W-we…" Demeter stammered, "M-Munk…" She couldn't find the right words. Her eye were tearing. She broke into silent sobs, hiding her face in her mate's arm.

"It would be different," Munkustrap intervened "Because that would mean that I would have lost everything. You've just lost a friend. I've already lost my daughter. How hard would it be if I lost my mate as well?"

Emily took a step back. She scanned the area. She could tell all the cats were there from Etcetera to Jennyanydots. But one certain, rusty black kitten was noticeably missing.

"Wait… where's Jemima?" Em asked innocently. At that point, Demeter's sobs got volume. Her cries weren't even soft, sad sobs. They were howls of heartbreaking agony. Munk looked at his distressed mate and motioned for Em to come with him in his den. Emily sat down awkwardly on his makeshift couch. Demeter went to the kitchen, her sobs still barely audible. Munk sat opposite Emily.

"Look, before I tell you anything, J-Jemima is a sensitive topic. Especially for me and Demeter, so I wouldn't go around talking about her if I were you. You saw Demeter's reaction."

As if on cue, Demeter started sobbing loudly.

"So… several years ago, Quaxo and Jemima… they were together. Mates. Jemima… she was watching Quaxo practise his magic. And a spell went wrong… and Jemima was just… gone. We didn't had, and still don't have any idea, where she went. Quaxo was so upset. So… he, along with Vic has spent the last few years searching for her. He said chances are she would be in human form. And he would bring her home. Maybe she would have some sort of flashback. They never did. All those girls. The first few were so promising. After a while, they got tiring. Most of us have given up hope. She's gone. Past the Russel Hotel. Past the Jellicle Moon. To the Heaviside Layer." Munkustrap seemingly finished. Emily stared at him.

"I-I-I'm sorry." Emily muttered.

"Now there's you." He continued, "Quaxo thinks that you could be Jemima. Do I believe it?" he laughed "I wish I did."

Emily stood.

"Th-that's why I'm here. The hope that I could be some missing kitten that most of you assume is already dead. Really? Well, sorry to burst your bubble. I'm not. I'm Emily Stranden. I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I have a mother, a father, a half-sister and a temper like a bull. I'm head-strong, sometimes arrogant and I don't like being called something I'm not. I'm not sweet. I'm not a little ball of sugar and sunlight. And most of all… the most damning piece of evidence… I'M NOT A SOPRANNO!"

It was Munkustrap's turn to stand.

"Look, Emily," but he was cut off.

"Don't 'Look Emily' me, asshole!"

"Emily," he tried again, more force in his voice, "The spell, we don't know what it did to Jemima. She may have changed in certain ways."

"No." Emily cut him off again. "No. Okay. I'm not Jemima. You say you don't know what happened to her. I think you do know, and you're just afraid to say. Well, Munkustrap. Sorry if this hurts but, Jemima is dead. She's gone and she's never coming back! So stop trying for force Jem's life on some poor, unsuspecting girls! Because I know how it feels and I can tell first-hand, it's not a great feeling!" Emily's tone calmed a bit, "I know it must hurt, but the tribe has clearly been treating emotional wound like it's not even there. Accept it's there and heal it. Pretending like it's not there, will only make it hurt more when you do treat it. So get out you emotional first-aid kit," then Emily took on a bit of sass, "And do the damn thang."

Munkustrap looked down at the ground.

"Please," he whispered "Just let us try and train you. Just let us try. If you are right, we'll send you home and we won't bother you anymore. The issue will be laid to rest. But please. Give us one last chance. One last glimmer of hope. Please…."

Emily pondered this for a moment.

'Ummm… If it means I get stay in the Junkyard… oh, what the hell. Fine!"

A smile broke across Munk's face, revealing a set pearly white fangs.

"OH!" Emily called, "One condition!"

"Anything," Munk promised,

"Help me find Maddie."