Author's Note: Oh! Another chapter! I'm on a roll people. I wonder when the story will end?

Chapter Eleven: Break my heart and leave me sad

"How did you get all that out of Tugger?" Munkustrap asked, trotting to keep up with Demeter as they made their way back to the Junkyard.

The gold and black queen shot her mate a smile and winked at him. "It's a queen thing. You can't possibly begin to understand."

Munkustrap couldn't help but agree. He really didn't understand queens. Just when he thought he had figured them out, had figured out what Demeter was all about, she turned his world upside down, doing something he totally unexpected. He smiled to himself feeling more in love with the small queen than ever.

"What's that goofy look you've got on your face for?" Demeter asked, raising an eyebrow at him and making him snap out of his reverie.

Munkustrap just blinked at her but couldn't find anything to say. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Well what we need to figure out now is how to get Tugger and Bomba back together." She said, plans already forming in her mind.

"What?" Munkustrap cocked his head slightly confused.

"Oh come on Munk! It's so obvious they're both in love with each other but their egos are in the way of them finding true love!" Demeter exasperated.

"Maybe they will just figure it out themselves." Munkustrap said, feeling slightly uneasy at this new insight into his mate's mind.

"You are so naïve!" Demeter groaned. "They're never going to realize it if they don't get pushed into the right direction. Duh!" She shook her head as she leapt up onto the low stone wall which surrounded the wire fence of the Junkyard.

Munkustrap scrambled to keep up, still rather confused. "But how Deme?"

She turned around and faced him, her tail curling around her body as she sat on the wall.

"When is the next Jellicle Ball?"

"Next week? But I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"The Jellicle Ball is where they will get together. It's just now a matter of setting up the circumstances that will push them to join in the dance of mateship." Demeter shook her head, wondering how it could not be blatantly obvious to Munkustrap.

"Oh." Was all Munkustrap could figure out how to say. He stared at Demeter who was staring back expectantly. "But how?"

Demeter grinned. "I thought you'd never ask! We're going to need some help!"

Munkustrap watched her jump off the wall and slip under the wire fence. What the hell was he getting himself into?

"Deme wait! Help from who?"

Bombalurina rested her head on her paws, and sighed. The giggling and shrieking of the kittens she had been listening to for the last fifteen minutes was starting to give her a headache.

"Mummy mummy mummy!" Jemima called, bounding over to Bombalurina, tripping slightly, but getting up as if nothing had happened.

"Yes baby?" Bombalurina raised her head.

"Victor isn't sharing!" The little kit said indignantly.

"Did you ask nicely?"

"Yes. He won't share the ball." Jemima crossed her arms across her chest.

Bombalurina motioned her daughter closer and leant in to whisper in her ear.

"Make your eyes big and bat your eyelashes and then ask for the ball." She winked and Jemima giggled, covering her mouth with her paw, hurrying back to the cluster of kittens.

"Are you sure that's good advice to give to one so young?" Purred a sleek female voice.

Cassandra dropped down next to Bombalurina, a silly grin plastered on her face. Bombalurina rolled her eyes, flicking her tail back and forth. She raised an eye at the Burmese queen.

"Hello Cassandra." She said acidly.

"Lovely day isn't it?" Cassandra sighed. "Shame you're stuck on kitten duty."

"It's a full time commitment you know. Not that you would know anything about that." Bombalurina said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"Ha Ha Ha! Bombalurina you're just so funny. Actually I wouldn't really be saying that now would I?" Cassandra smiled.

"Oh? Did you find a flea that wants to stay on your coat longer than a minute?" Bombalurina batted her eyelashes.

Cassandra smirked. "Oh darling, you're so naïve some times."

"Of course." Bombalurina sighed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there was a new couple at the Jellicle Ball next week. And I'm not just talking about the kit coming of age. I wonder how I can fix up that little washing machine he sleeps in?" Cassandra giggled, a highly false and girly giggle as she sauntered off.

"Don't Tugger live in a washing machine?" Little Rumpleteazer asked, blinking at Bombalurina as she passed by.

"Yes. I guess he does."

"You definitely came to the right cat. I mean obviously Bombalurina could be called the official matchmaker of the Jellicle Tribe, but who do you think she learnt her skills off?"

Demeter and Munkustrap shrugged as they sat in a cavern made of junk, created by an old bed for a roof, and walls of various kitchen appliances. A rather old Persian carpet made the floor of the den and a cutting of purple curtain served as the door. The rather elaborate den, which had various effects in it such as lamp shades in hues of purple, red and blue and old ornaments which had been discarded, topping it off with a beautiful fluffy couch cushion was the home to Exotica, a rather quiet young queen who had been classmates with Demeter, coming of age at the same Jellicle Ball. The dark brown, almost black, Burmese queen sat opposite Demeter and Munkustrap, her tail wrapped around her legs, her beautiful honey coloured eyes surveying the pair, sparkling slightly with a hint of mischief.

"I don't know…" Demeter trailed off, not really sure how to answer Exotica's last question.

"I'd like to say it was me, but it really wasn't. I don't know who she learnt her skills off." Exotica shrugged and laughed slightly.

Munkustrap shifted uncomfortably, he had never had many dealings with Cassandra's younger sister and he was beginning to see why. Apart from the fact that she kept to herself most of the time, she was, slightly eccentric. Eccentric doesn't describe it. What's another word for eccentric? Strange? No that's not a good one. Oh I don't know. Was all that was to Munkustrap's thoughts as Demeter ignored him and focused on telling Exotica of her elaborate plan to get Tugger and Bombalurina together by the Jellicle Ball.

"I definitely have some ideas up my sleeve, if I wore sleeves that is." Exotica said, nodding as Demeter finished her re-telling of her plan. "We shall need to start this pretty soon. Because I know my darling sister is up to something."

"What could she be up to?" Demeter was almost at the edge of her seat, that is, if she were sitting on a seat.

Exotica sighed and shrugged again. "I don't know. But I know she has a thing for Tugger and she's not going to rest until she gets him."

"What do we do first?" Demeter asked.

Exotica grinned. "Leave that to me!"