Grizabella smiled as Deuteronomy grabbed her paw graciously. She was expecting to get sent to the Heaviside layer. With her tragic life, how couldn't they? Deuteronomy passed her slowly to the side of him, and took in a deep breath. Grizabella stepped forward and smiled, only to see Deuteronomy pointing to a lurking figure on top of a junk pile. Deuteronomy ushered for the shadowy object to step down. Grizabella glared at the figure as it stepped out. A red and orange cat stepped out, almost as surprised as anyone else at the ball. Munkustrap turned to his father, shaking his head, who in returned just smiled at his over-cautious son.

"No, father, that's Macavity, you can't."

Deuteronomy raised his arm, hushing his son. Rumpelteazer and Mungojerrie looked at each other in shock, as well as all the other Jellicles passing whispers and curses between themselves. Demeter froze as Munkustrap came to her side. She crouched down at his feet as her ears twitched ruthlessly. Deuteronomy led the ginger tom to the tire. The others of the tribe, too stunned to say anything, just followed in disbelief. Demeter sat motionless, not trying to attract any attention from the ginger tom. Munkustrap hesitated to leave her, but could not disappoint his father and followed the pair.

The grey tom quietly climbed up beside the tire as Macavity was accepted into the Heaviside layer. He looked out to see Demeter in her cowering pose, her tail and ears calming down as Macavity descended into the sky. A few feet away from Demeter, Grizabella was also standing in what seemed to be an advanced state of shock. Munku really didn't worry about Griz. He hadn't yet come to really trust her again but was concerned about his mate. He looked over at his dad and wondered how he could be smiling about this. 'Sure, we would have Macavity out of our life, but for how long?'

A few weeks later, Old Deuteronomy called a meeting of the Jellicle tribe and ushered everyone to be there. The tribe walked up, greeting each other and making guesses of what this meeting could possibly be about. Deuteronomy walked out with the help of a very distressed looking Munku. Demeter tensed up. She had never seen her mate scared, and she suddenly realized why. After the pair bounced a cheerful looking kitten. What was once the ginger tom, was now a ginger kit. She again crouched down in her terrified stance.

"Let us welcome back Macavity," Deuteronomy bellowed in his deep voice. Most of the tribe just stood gawking at the expectations of Old Deuteronomy. How could they expect him to welcome that fiend? Demeter gave out a low hiss and glared at the kitten, who didn't seem like the fiend she had become so terrified of. The kitten rolled over on his back and swatted at Munkustrap's tail, who he had been behind this whole time. As Deuteronomy said his name, he froze and walked out in front of Old Deuteronomy. He smiled and waved at the crowd, who looked puzzled and frightened. Macavity wasn't sure if he was the one that was frightening them.Shyness got the best of him, so he slunk back behind Munku and grabbed onto his leg. Munku was startled but allowed Macavity to hang onto him. Deuteronomy stood, "I just wanted to make sure you all knew of our new arrival." He dismissed the meeting, but pointed for Demeter to come forth to him.

Demeter, who was just starting to relax, froze as he pointed at her. She walked low and cautiously up to Deuteronomy. "Ye-yes, sir?" She stuttered as she stood before him. She stared at Macavity, who smiled at her. She turned her head quickly to Deuteronomy.

"Demeter, I need you and Munkustrap to take care of Macavity." Demeter froze and became wide eyed. Munku, having already heard this news from his father, dropped his head. "I know you and Macavity haven't had a good past together. But you two are responsible enough to raise him right." He smiled at her. Completely ignoring the compliment from Deuteronomy Demeter, looked at Munku. He looked guilty, as if he had already said yes to his father.

"I don't know... I just don't know." She looked up at Deuteronomy and Munku.

"Demeter, we need you to raise him. No one else is as responsible as you, besides Jennyanydots and Jellylorum. But they have other little ones to take care of. Plus, you need this experience Demi," Deuteronomy said.

Demeter looked up at Munkustrap. "Okay..." she went silent. Macavity enthusiastically let go of Munku and hugged Demeter around the waist. She jumped and fell off the box that she was standing on, taking Macavity with her. The red tom's eyes started to tear up. "Uhh..." she didn't know what to do. She stared at him, astonished that she was actually doing this. Munkustrap rushed over and picked him off of her.

"It's okay, shhh..." Munkustrap was actually acting fatherly to that tom who had raped his mate! Demeter stood up and took the kitten in her arms as Munkustrap forced him into them. "Take him home. He needs to eat, so I will find something." He turned around and walked away. Macavity stopped crying as Demeter set him down.

"Come on." Macavity smiled and grabbed her hand. Demeter looked down and focused on getting him home. They came to a broken down car.

"Okay," she said in a monotone voice, "here we are." Macavity looked thrilled and jumped into the seat of the car. He paced the seat of the car as Demeter jumped up.

"So when will Munk...Munkus... Dad be getting here?" the young tom said. Demeter was surprised at the reference to Munkustrap as his father.

"Mun-ku-strap.... will be here soon. I am Demeter." Completely disregarding her remark, Macavity hurled himself toward her.

"Mom!" Demeter turned away to run but wasn't quick enough. He knocked her out of the car. She hissed as she fell. Macavity looked over the edge. "Sorry..."

Demeter sat up and slightly glared at the kit. "It's fine."

Munkustrap ran towards her. "Are you okay Dem?"

"Hi..." Macavity stopped to think of the name, "uh...dad."

Munkustrap ignored Macavity, but Demeter couldn't get over the fact of him calling Munku dad. "Yeah, I'm fine, Munku," she said as she sat up and dusted herself off. The two jumped into the car. Munkustrap turned to Demeter.

"I got milk from Jennyanydots." Munkustrap jumped over the seat into the back. "Come on, Macavity."

Macavity reared back and jumped he landed in the middle of the seat. Hanging from the cushion he said, "You wanna come with, momma?" His claws gave way and he plopped down on the seat, but kept his smile. Demeter laughed, and then froze.

Regaining her bland face she said, "No, I am fine." She boosted Macavity over the seat. A few minutes later she poked her head over the seat. She saw the tiny kitten almost sleeping in Munkustrap's arms. She smiled and couldn't help it anymore. She climbed over the seat. "Can I help?" she asked innocently.

Munkustrap nodded and handed a small bowl of milk to Demeter. Macavity crawled into her lap. He lapped up a couple more drinks of milk until he finally fell asleep. Demeter rolled Macavity off her and jumped back over the seat. Munku turned to her. "He's not such a bad kitten is he?"

"Good night," Demeter mumbled and laid down. Munku came over and nuzzled her.

"'Night."

A few months later, Macavity had started to make friends, but was turning out to be a rambunctious kit. Macavity and Mungojerrie were walking quickly to the car. They jumped up on the warm seat. "Hi mom," Macavity yelled as he jumped over the seat.

"Hey, Demeter." Mungojerrie had a much easier time getting over the seat. Soon a flustered Jennyanydots turned around the corner. "Demeter, where are those little brats?"

Demeter sat up, "Who, Macavity and Mungo? They are back there." Jenny tried to climb into the car but had no such luck. She stumbled, and decided she was perfectly fine on the ground. Demeter stood up, "Jenny where is your mitten?" she suddenly realized why the toms were brats. She shouted to the back seat. "Macavity! Mungojerrie!" They poked their heads over the seat. "Where is Jenny's mitten?" They looked at each other a devious smile on their faces. "Hand it over," Demeter commanded. Macavity's arm came over the seat as he threw a mitten down to Demeter. She climbed out of the truck, "I am so sorry."

Jenny took the mitten and glared up at the two toms. "I have seen cockroaches with better manners than those two." She nodded her head and stomped off. Demeter jumped onto the seat, staring at the toms.

"Mungo, you need to go. Sorry."

Mungo gave out a breath as he looked sympathetically at Macavity. Demeter looked sternly at Macavity; she couldn't even speak. She was supposed to be raising him right. And here he was, stealing. "Where's Munku?" she looked out a cracked windshield to see if he was around. "I will be back. Do. Not. Leave." She jumped back out of the car and ran off. Luckily, Munku was just around the corner. Demeter saw him and ran into his arms crying. "He stole, Munku, he stole!"

Munkustrap hugged her, "What? Who stole?"

"Macavity stole... from Jennyanydots. I am supposed to be raising him to be good, but he stole." She looked up to him. Munkustrap looked shocked but regained his stature and comforted Demeter.

"Why don't you go see Bombalurina, I will talk to him." Munkustrap and Macavity had the typical talk; stealing is wrong, don't do it, and you're grounded for a week. But Munku decided to keep a very close eye on him from now on.

Over at Bombalurina's Demeter sat wiping her eyes. "I can't believe it." Demeter said. Bomba looked surprised.

"How can you not believe it, he is the mystery cat. It's Macavity."