The dense London fog permeated the Junkyard's stillness, filling every niche and crevice. Demeter shivered suddenly, as if startled by its presence. She breathed deeply, inhaling the thick scents on the moist cloud of fog. Morning was still many long hours off. She alone was awake.

The moon was sinking low on the western horizon; so low in fact that Demi could barely see her round silvery form glowing above the city. Even the bustling city of London was asleep at this hour of the night.

Demi sighed, stirring the fog about her into swirls of pale lavender gray. There was something serenely peaceful about the fog; although Demi couldn't quite place what was so calming and soothing about it. Perhaps it was only that she was alone. Alone and surprisingly happy for once.

She closed her eyes, and felt the fog close in around her, seeming to consume her being, indeed, even her soul. She meditated for a few minutes, and lay back down to rest, although her attempts to sleep were useless. She was listless, and it was exhausting her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept for any amount of time longer than perhaps a few minutes while basking in the rich sunlight of the day.

Rising again, she began to pace around the alleyway amongst the piles of human junk. The rich blackness of the sky above was mixed with the milky lavender colour of the fog, becoming a tranquil violet. She stared above, but saw no stars. The moon, too, was alone. Shining brightly from the horizon, although much of her light was blocked by the city.

Everything was so peaceful, and yet her soul could not rest. There had been far too much turmoil in her life for her to ever be at peace, even though she was still very young.

Demeter's mother had died when she was quite young, protecting her kittens, Bombalurina and Demeter, from Macavity, and Demi had thus always blamed herself for her mother's demise. Neither Demi nor Bomba had ever met their father, much less even known his name. He had left their mother soon after getting her pregnant.

When she was just under a year old, Demeter was raped by Macavity, leaving her skittish and afraid of almost everyone around her. Only a few of the Jellicles had managed to gain her trust. One of them was Munkustrap.

Demi knew he wanted her to be his mate, but she naturally assumed it was only out of pity for her, and that he wanted to protect her from further harm. She knew that she wasn't good enough for him, and that he deserved someone that didn't have such a past.

One thing that Demeter didn't know was that Macavity still wanted her as his mate. He was brooding in his dark catacombs as Demi paced the darkened Junkyard. He was formulating a plan to either win her fairly or take her by force. No matter what, he had made up his mind to have her. Since he had first seen her and had... raped her... Macavity had not truly been able to get his mind off of the golden queen called Demeter. Her startling green eyes had pierced his soul, and he had to have her.

Only one thing stood in his way: his brother Munkustrap. Even Macavity knew that Munku wanted Demeter to be his mate. But Macavity knew that Demeter was unsure. He had enough spies to know almost everything about their relationship. If he could drive a wedge between them, then perhaps he could have Demeter as his own.

But he had no way to drive a wedge between them. Munku would not allow that to happen. He would have to find some other way to get her. If he could fight Munku for her and win, then he would have her fairly... yes, that would be perfect. There was no way Munku could defeat him.

He snatched a piece of parchment from a shelf, and began to write a challenge to send to his brother. The prize for the winner? Demeter, of course. He had the challenge dispatched the minute he finished writing it.

Munku read the note with disdain the next day. He couldn't believe Macavity still wanted Demeter. Perhaps, he was obsessed with her. Before Munku could decide, he wanted to ask Demeter about Macavity's challenge.

Carrying the parchment with him, he began to look for Demi. He found her pacing around down a corridor of the Junkyard. She looked as if she hadn't slept at all. He approached her, although she didn't even notice him.

"Demi?" he said, startling her enough to make her jump. She whirled around, and was relieved that it was only Munku.

"Yes?" she asked in reply. Her eyes met his, and she saw that he was going to ask her something important. "What is it you want to ask me?"

Munku smiled. It was always odd talking to Demeter when she decided to try and see what he wanted before he said it. "Here," he answered, handing her the rolled up parchment to let her read what it contained.

Hesitantly, Demi took the parchment. She read it slowly, allowing the full meaning of it to sink in. "He still wants me?! I can't believe that!" she cried, almost in alarm. "You won't let him win, will you?" her eyes sparkled with geniune distress and above all, fear, and Munku laced his arms around her.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I wouldn't even agree to his challenge without consulting you first, since this also concerns you." Demi dropped the parchment and let it flutter to the ground. She shuddered as memories of what happened flooded back.

"No..." she murmured, "No... this can't be... " Tears began to form in her emerald eyes, and her entire body stiffened. "Not again..."

"I won't let him hurt you again," Munku promised, embracing her. "I love you Demi, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep him as far away from you as possible." Demi silently thanked him, and the tears poured from her eyes as she realized that perhaps she had been wrong. Munku didn't pity her; he loved her.

"You love me?" she asked quietly, as if it was wrong of him to love her. Being loved was something unfamiliar; almost frightening to her.

"Yes, I love you, Demi, and it's not wrong for you to love me back," he assured her. He caressed her cheek with his paw, then leaned down and kissed her.

She looked into his deep blue eyes, and chanted:

"Fight Macavity," she told him. "I know you will win. You'll win because you truly love me. Macavity does not know love. He knows only lust and his desires, and those can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. Be careful, my love."

Munku nodded, and picked up the parchment from the ground where it had fallen. "He will not harm you again," he vowed, before leaving to send out his agreement to the battle.

Macavity smiled wickedly. His chance would finally come. He folded up his brother's reply to his challenge, and laid it on the shelf. The battle would take place the next day at dusk. No one was to be there, except Munkustrap, himself and Demeter. Not that he would necessarily fight fairly...

He decided to have Growltiger come with him. If he had to, Macavity would have Growltiger kidnap Demeter while Munkustrap was busy fighting him. It would work out in his favour no matter what happened. It was the perfect plan.

"Demi, are you sure you want to do that?" asked Bombalurina, looking at her sister quizzically. "What if Macavity wins?"

"I don't think that he will. Munku is too determined to win. He wouldn't let Macavity win. He promised me he would never let him harm me again..." Demi protested.

Bomba thought for a minute. "Demi, you're beginning to depend on others too much. That's how Macavity..." she began, although she knew that saying it would hurt Demi's feelings.

"I love him, Bomba." Bombalurina was incredulous. How could her sister change her mind so suddenly? Just the previous day she'd been upset because Munku liked her in the first place, and now she loved him? It seemed that things were moving too fast between them. Or perhaps Demi had finally realized that Munku's love was genuine.

Whatever the cause for her sister's change of heart, Bomba was glad her sister would finally have someone who would protect her from her past. Maybe Demi would stop being so secretive and depressed all the time.

"I finally realized that he loves me, that he doesn't want to pity me becaue of what happened to me before. He loves me for who I am, not what happened to me long ago. It's something I've never experienced, and I want to," Demi told her sister.

"I guess it's your decision, and if it's what you want, I'll accept it, " Bomba replied. Bomba began to wonder if she herself would ever find true love as Demi had. She sighed, somewhat forlornly.

"Bomba, what's wrong?" asked Demi. "You're sad about something." Bomba winced, silently cursing Demi's ability to tell what people were thinking.

"True love is something I've never experience either, Demi," she admitted, not wanting to say anything else about her feelings.

"I think when you open your eyes and see what's in front of you, you'll realize that true love has been there all the time," Demi told her mysteriously, with a giggle. Demi departed from her sister, and laid down on the old car.

The warm sunlight gleamed off her golden fur. She began to doze a bit, but found herself in the midst of a premonition. During the battle between Munku and Macavity... someone grabbing her... she couldn't see who... someone on Macavity's side... and the vision was over.

Demi was startled. She would have to be careful while she watched the battle. Macavity would be the type to doublecross them like that.

"Demi, what's wrong?" she heard Munku ask. She turned to face him, not wanting to admit that she'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard him come up.

"I think we should have someone else come with and watch from somewhere hidden," she said. Munku looked confused, so she continued, " I had a premonition, a vision, and I saw the battle tonight. Macavity had one of his followers come with to kidnap me while you were preoccupied fighting him..."

"Your premonition could be wrong, but I think we should prepare for that anyway. I've been wondering myself if he wouldn't pull some trick like that," Munku admitted. "I'll ask Alonzo if he would be willing to do it."

Demi nodded her agreement, and felt comforted. Munku was wonderful to her, and she was only beginning to realize how much it must have hurt him when she ignored him and kept him away from her. It saddened her to think of how cruel she must have been.

She found herself looking into his eyes. "How can you still love me?" she asked. "I was so cruel to you. I should've known I meant a lot to you."

"You were afraid, Demi, and I understand, after what happened to you," he replied. "I truly love you, and true love cannot be broken just because of fear and what happened in the past." Demi put her arms around his waist, and she embraced him lovingly.

"Thank you," she whispered, doubting that he'd heard her. "For loving me." She purred softly to him, and he kissed her forehead.

Noticing that the sun was getting low in the sky, Munku said, "I should find Lonzo before it gets too close to the battle, so he can finding a place to hide and watch what goes on in case Macavity has planned some trickery." Demi nodded. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly before he departed.

The alley way where the battle was arranged to take place was dark, although the Jellicles arrived early. Alonzo crawled inside a trashcan to hide and watch. Demeter was nervous, and quite rightly so.

"I wish it wouldn't come to a battle over me," she murmured. Munku pulled her into his embrace.

"If that's what it takes to keep Macavity away from you, then I will fight him," Munku replied.

Macavity appeared from the darkness at the other end of the alleyway. He was alone, to their surprise. "Be careful," Demi whispered before leaving Munku's side to get out of the way of the impending battle.

As she passed, Macavity grabbed her paw, and kissed her after swinging her around into his arms. She shrieked slightly, and pulled away from him, leaving several bloody gashes in his face. She sat down to watch near where Alonzo was hiding.