Never love an Anchor

Chapter 7

Mungojerrie's screams woke up the tribe. Rumpleteazer was the first one to reach him. Blood was pouring from cuts all over his body, mostly from a bite on his shoulder and claw marks on his stomach. Macavity had his claws deep in him, his eyes showed nothing but hatred.

"Jerrie!" Rumpleteazer tried to run to him, but Skimbleshanks pulled her back.

"You'll get hurt." He whispered. Rumpleteazer started to cry and Skimbleshanks wrapped her tail around her.

Demeter saw the battle in front of her. Her eyes went wide before narrowing. "Watch Jemima." She whispered to her mate before leaping on top of Macavity, pulling him off the calico. Mungojerrie ran to his sister.

Rumpleteazer licked his wounds. "It's okay, " She whispered. Mungojerrie put his head on her shoulder and started to cry.

Skimbleshanks nuzzled him. "You're safe, son. You're safe."  Mungojerrie very weakly leaned on him.

"Dad." He sobbed. Macavity growled when he heard that. He shoved Demeter off of him and ran to his son, Rumpleteazer jumped in-between them, shaking but ready to fight. Macavity gave a huff before moving to a tree.

"He's been meeting with me at night to give me information," Macavity yelled. "I was only able to kidnap your leader because of him. It's all his fault." He laughed before disappearing from the tribe. Cats turned to the male calico, who had already passed out.

"Carry him to his den." Munkustrap ordered. "Old Deuteronomy and I will decide what to do with him." Skimbleshanks and Rumpleteazer carefully walked him to his den. Rumpleteazer placed in his nest.

"Is he going to be okay?" Rumpleteazer asked. Skimbleshanks looked at his adoptive twins and lowered his tail. "Dad?"

"We'll see." He sighed. Rumpleteazer leaned on him and cried. Skimbleshanks licked her forehead. Demeter slowly entered the den and Rumpleteazer nuzzled her.

"How is he?" Demeter asked.

Rumpleteazer blinked back tears. "He's unconscious, but he's breathing." She led her mother to him. Demeter said nothing but nuzzled him. Skimbleshanks placed his tail on her shoulder.

In Old Deuteronomy's den, he and Munkustrap were talking. "What should we do with him?" Munkustrap asked his dad.

"I don't know." Old Deuteronomy flicked his tail. "Kicking him out after being attacked like that would be just too harsh and, honestly, it would hurt Rumpleteazer too. To be separated from her brother like that would be cruel."

Munkustrap flattened his tail. "But you were kidnapped! There needs to be a consequence!"

"Yes." Old Deuteronomy nodded, "But, we need to think about this, Mungojerrie is not the guy that kidnapped me if we must get revenge, it should be on the one that did."

"But, he must have known-"

"We'll find out what he knows when he wakes up." Old Deuteronomy flicked his tail. "Besides, really think about it. Mungojerrie just discovered the truth about his parents. He isn't going to be thinking right."

"His sister managed to learn about her parents without causing you to be kidnapped!" Munkustrap yelled. He blinked before lowering his tail. "I'm sorry for yelling. It's just, "

"I know, " Old Deuteronomy nodded and gave him a small nuzzle. "Watching me get kidnapped must have been terrifying. But I'm safe, the tribe's safe, that's all that matters."

"I know." Munkustrap sighed. "So we should just consider his attack his punishment." Old Deuteronomy nodded. "Alright. I'm sure that the tribe can agree to that."

In his den, Mungojerrie opened his eyes. "What happen-" He tried to stand up, but Demeter kept him down.

"Don't move around too much." She whispered to her son. Mungojerrie curled up in his nest and nuzzled by Rumpleteazer.

"Jerrie." She whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired." He grumbled. Skimbleshanks wrapped his tail around him. Mungojerrie purred when Skimbleshanks licked his forehead.

"That's it, son." Skimbleshanks nuzzled him.

Demeter placed a paw on one of his. Mungojerrie closed his eyes. "I understand why you gave me and Teazer up."

Demeter blinked her tears away. "You shouldn't have learned like that." Mungojerrie very weakly stood up and nuzzled her. "I've never stopped loving you." She whispered. "You're my kitten." Mungojerrie smiled before he yawned.

Rumpleteazer guided him back to his nest. "You need rest." She explained. Demeter gave him one last nuzzle and went back to her den.

Jemima was in her nest and ran up to her mother. Demeter touched noses with her youngest kitten before laying down in her nest. "I failed him. Everything I did was to protect those two and I couldn't." Demeter started to cry so Jemima held on her paw.

"Mommy?" Jemima looked at her mother with deep concern. Demeter licked her forehead.

"It's very late, you should be asleep." She purred. Jemima laid down and pressed her body as close to her mother as possible. Demeter placed her paw next to her, and Jemima grabbed it.

Munkustrap entered the den and laid down next to his mate. He sighed, "Well, we decided to let Mungojerrie stay in the tribe."

"Great," Demeter said. "He was awake for a small bit, but he was too tired to do much." She petted Jemima with her tail.

"Look, you can't get upset over this." Munkustrap licked her forehead. "You did what you could, but Mungojerrie made his own choice."

"I know." Demeter cried, "But, I just-" She buried her face in his muzzle.

"Hey, hey." Munkustrap wrapped his tail around her. "He learned his lesson, I don't think Macavity is going to be a problem for him anymore."

"But he shouldn't have learned like that." Demeter frowned.

"But he did." Munkustrap nuzzled her. "You can't change it, but I'm sure you can help him move past it." Demeter nodded and touched their noses together.

The next day, Rumpleteazer entered her den with a bird in her mouth. "Jerrie, are you awake?"

"Yeah, " He huffed. Rumpleteazer placed the bird next to him. "Thanks." He smiled as Rumpleteazer nuzzled him.

"Were you actually meeting with him?" Rumpleteazer asked while looking at her paws.

"Yes."

"Why?" Rumpleteazer blinked.

"It's just, " Mungojerrie sighed. "He's our Father. I wanted to know more about him, and he convinced me that he was always going to be there for me instead of leaving us."

"Was he ever violent before..." Rumpleteazer looked at her brother's wounds.

"Yeah, " Mungojerrie licked one of his cuts."Usually, he would just claw at me or push me down. He was very apologetic after."

"Why didn't you leave?!" Rumpleteazer asked.

"I was scared." Mungojerrie sighed. "Think about it, Skimbleshanks is usually on his train and Mom gave us up. I would have no one."

Rumpleteazer nuzzled him. "You have the tribe,  You have me." She closed her eyes.

"Didn't you feel abandoned?" Mungojerrie looked at his sister.

"Yes." Rumpleteazer nodded. "That's why I'm always convincing Dad to stay in the tribe when he leaves for his train." She shifted her paws. "But I had you, so I knew I had some kind of family and that was enough."

"I love you, Teazer." Mungojerrie nuzzled Rumpleteazer.

"I love you, too Jerrie." Rumpleteazer purred.