Note: I'm on a frickin' roll with incorporating songs into this thing, aren't I? The next one is – like the previous one – from the 1980's. However, unlike the previous one, my mother discovered this song before I did. But it is a really beautiful song. I thought it would perfectly fit the feelings that one particular character in this fic has about another. The song is called "Make It Real" by The Jets. Here's the link to it:

www. youtube .com watch?v=K8LLF-46FN8&ob=av2n

As usual, you should eliminate the spaces. (If for whatever reason the link doesn't work, just type in "Make It Real The Jets" on youtube and click on the first video that pops up). Also, as usual, I'll let you know when it will appropriate to play it in the background. I myself really enjoy this song; it has that type of charm and appeal that I find to be unique to most love songs from the 80s.

By the way, I apologize for how little Admetus and Etcetera have been present in these past few chapters. Originally, this fanfic was supposed to be about them mostly, but overtime, I've gone from turning it into an independent fanfic to something of a sequel to my previous CATS fanfic "The Boatswain." I'll do my best to include the two of them more from now on.

Now, on with the chapter!

Across town, Admetus had reached the building where he had heard the drug deal was taking place. He had looked through all the first floor windows and found that there were only two men inside – both in the front sitting room. However, both men were armed with automatic weapons. This was more than enough to confirm that Admetus had found the right building.

After surveying the first floor windows, he looked around the ground for any windows to a basement or cellar. After circling the building one full time, he found a window to the sub-ground floor. Admetus carefully switched off his flashing eyes and peered inside.

Sure enough, there was his target. There were two groups of men gathered around a long rectangular table. Only two men were seated – one at either end. They were obviously the leaders of the two respective groups – the ones with the drugs and the ones with the money.

Admetus tried to listen in on the conversation, but the window was sealed tight.

All the same, he was very satisfied with his findings. In a way, he saw himself as being somewhat similar to a fisherman: there were plenty of unfortunate victims below; all he needed was a way to coax them all out.

…

Back at the Jellicle Junkyard, Tantomile was in her room. She had been there since early in the morning. The only person that had seen her all day was Coricopat.

She was busy drawing the same picture she had already drawn multiple times that day. The picture of the last tom that had truly made her feel loved, albeit only for a few days. For a reason she could not determine on her own, her dormant attraction to him was suddenly resurfacing. She felt an impulsive, insatiable desire to see this tom again. But in his absence, she was forced to resort to drawing him from memory as a way to best replicate his image.

Once she had finished the drawing, she set it aside and leaned back against her bed. She sat still, pondering on the meaning of her sudden inclination to draw Ralpharite over and over again.

After about five minutes, there was a knock at her door. She looked to the door and called out "Enter."

Her twin brother Coricopat opened the door slowly. He paused for a moment, looked around at all the drawings scattered about the room, and gazed across the room at his sister. "Still drawing pictures of… him?"

She merely nodded. Staring at the space in front of her, she stated "I just don't understand it, Cori. Ralpharite hasn't been around here since Growltiger's fall. But that was over five months ago, and out of nowhere, I'm practically fixated with him."

Coricopat closed the door to the room and walked over to his sister. He sat down next to her on her bed and placed his paw on her shoulder. He told her "I have a theory as to why that is, Tanto. You remember what I told you earlier about how psychics react when a past lover is near them?"

"Yes, of course I remember," she replied, "But I think it's highly unlikely that he would actually be here in London."

"Oh?" said Coricopat, raising an eyebrow, "I don't think you should dismiss that possibility just yet. You see, just a few minutes ago, I was talking to Skimbleshanks. During our conversation, one of his fellow colleagues from the train business – the one that handles the morning shifts – came by the junkyard and gave him some very interesting news."

"What did he have to say?" inquired Tantomile.

"He said that this morning a group of armed Siamese cats had visited the Waterloo Station during his shift," Coricopat enlightened her, "They asked him if they had seen two certain cats that had arrived from Travelcard Zone 6."

"Travelcard Zone 6?" said Tantomile, a little excitement in her voice "That's the line that leads to Molesey and Hampton!"

"I know," her brother continued, "Anyway, Skimble's coworker reported to his Siamese visitors that he had not seen any cats arrive from that railway line that morning. However, what he told us was quite different. He told us that two toms had in fact arrived in Travelcard Zone 6 just a few minutes before the Siamese arrived."

"Why did he lie to the Siamese?" queried Tantomile.

"My guess is he just hates them, like we do," theorized Coricopat, "He also happened to note the toms' physical appearances. One of them was a yellow and brown striped tom. The other was a red and white tabby."

A wide grin slowly came across Tantomile's face. "The latter must have been Ralpharite."

"We can only assume that his accomplice was Roshedam," remarked Coricopat, "I wonder what they could be doing in London? It still isn't safe for them to come out of hiding."

"Your guess is as good as mine," stated Tantomile. She stood up, picked up her most recent drawing of Ralpharite, and went over to the door.

"Where are you going?" Coricopat asked.

"The Westminster Docks," his sister responded nonchalantly.

He jumped to his feet and said "Wait right there. The docks? At this time of night?"

"Better night than day; nobody's around," she reasoned.

"That may be, but why do you need to go now?" asked Coricopat.

"That was where Ralpharite and I first met," Tantomile answered, "I just want to visit the site tonight."

"Why tonight?" Cori almost demanded.

"Because in terms of cat years, tonight's the one-year anniversary from the day he and I met," Tanto responded.

Coricopat was about to open his mouth to protest when Tantomile spoke out again. She said "Cori, please don't try to stop me. You don't know what it's like to feel this way. You have only read about this sensation of obsession; you've never genuinely experienced it. Just let me visit the docks on my own, and then I swear that I'll let this matter go. I'll stop the drawings and move on."

Coricopat sighed in reluctance and nodded his head. "Alright then, Tanto. But first, there is one thing I want to know."

"What might that be?" she enquired.

He slowly stood up, walked over to her, and stated "Normally, I wouldn't delve into other people's personal lives, but you're my sister, so it's fundamentally my right to know: did you sleep with Ralpharite?"

Coricopat was expecting there to be an incredibly long and awkward void of silence between his question and his sister's answer. This was not the case. Instead, less than five seconds after asking, Tantomile replied straightforwardly "Yes. Yes, I did sleep with him. But you should know I'm not ashamed in the slightest. You can go ahead and tell Father that."

With that, Tantomile left the den, taking one of her drawings with her.

Coricopat stood at the door to his sister's room and looked back in. He loved and cared for his sister a great deal, as she loved and cared for him in turn. He wanted to help her, but he knew that she was absolutely right about one particular thing: he had never experienced infatuation.

Being the elder of the two by just a few minutes, he had always taken on the responsibility of the typical older sibling. However, he never dominated any aspect of his sister's life, least of all her romances. But unlike his sister, he had only been in love with one queen for the whole of his life. This queen happened to be his mate, the reclusive yet gentle and somewhat misunderstood Exotica. The two of them had been in love with each other since kittenhood, and each of them had been the other's only true love. Exotica almost had a fling with Rum Tum Tugger once, but that never went anywhere.

Tantomile, on the other hand, had had three lovers in her lifetime. The first had been Tugger. This romance lasted a good six days before Tantomile left him for being a "drama tom." Her second romance had been with a tom that had been born outside the Jellicle Tribe. She had fallen in love with this tom; he seemed to be the ideal type to become involved with. This relationship ended when she discovered that he was actually one of Macavity's henchcats. Despite his claim that he was not just feigning his interest in her or working on Macavity's assignment, she never went to see him again.

The third flame was Ralpharite. Ever since the day the two of them had been forced to go separate ways, Tantomile had found herself unable to love another tom in such a powerful way. Coricopat would have been considered for this abrupt change in her behavior, but his sister had promised that she would move on as soon as she got back from the docks. He was certain that she would keep her promise as she always did.

…

Across town, the Siamese warship the Draco was arriving at the laboratory with the American test subjects. It had been sent there on the orders of Fleet Commander Mouveilyr. Its assignment was simple: Drop off their Combat Officer – Lieutenant Filvaro – and wait for him to return with one of the guards, Lieutenant Joreng.

Although he did not particularly show it, Filvaro was eager to visit his younger brother. They had not seen each other ever since Joreng had been transferred to the laboratory's security staff.

In fact, just before they arrived, Filvaro had had the Draco stop at Joreng's house and pick up his mate, Cathieel. After enlightening her on what had happened earlier that evening, she was extremely worried about her mate's well-being. She wanted to see him straight away for to assure herself that he was alright.

Once the Draco was properly docked, Filvaro disembarked onto the harbor. Cathieel followed him to the front entrance.

There were many more guards outside than before. Clearly, security had been firmly tightened in just the past few hours. Filvaro stepped up to the front entrance and entered his universal passcode. The computer panel acknowledged his passcode and opened the door for him.

As soon as the door was opened, Filvaro came face-to-face with Commander Goyler, the Director of the laboratory. He was accompanied by three armed guards.

"Good evening, Lieutenant," he greeted the younger tom.

"Good evening, Director," responded the combat officer, "I've come to see-"

"Your brother, I know," Goyler politely interrupted him, "Lieutenant Joreng is in the infirmary. He's still unconscious, but he should wake up at any time. Come, I'll take you to him."

Goyler made his way through the corridors to the infirmary. Filvaro, Cathieel, and the guards followed him close behind. After passing through three hallways, they arrived at the infirmary. The guards remained outside while the other three cats went in.

There were over two dozen beds in the room, but only two of them were occupied. Joreng was lying on a bed off to one end of the room. A single nurse was taking his pulse and heartbeat.

The other occupied bed was surrounded by doctors. They appeared to be in the middle of an operation. Filvaro noticed this and asked Goyler "Who's in that bed?"

"The guard other than Joreng who survived Vecinha's breakout," answered Goyler, "She banged him up pretty badly, but the biggest problem has to do with where she stabbed him with that shard of glass."

"Yes, Commander Hoagemont was certain to include that in his report," Filvaro recalled, "Is there any hope for the guy? Or is he better off dead?"

"We think we can help him," Goyler stated confidently, "Right now, he's undergoing advanced reconstructive surgery. It's a bit of a longshot, but the procedure just might work."

"For his sake, let's hope it does," commented Filvaro, "I'd still like to know why Vecinha did not simply just kill him. Why did she want him to suffer this form of… emasculation?"

"Perhaps your brother may know why," suggested Goyler. At that, he walked over to Joreng's bed and asked the nurse at the young tom's side "How is he?"

"He should regain consciousness at any moment," she replied, "His pulse and heart rate are normal, and his breathing is even. It shouldn't be long now."

Goyler, Filvaro, and Cathieel decided to wait around for something to happen. After about five minutes, Joreng slowly awoke and sat up, rubbing his head with his right front paw. Even though Vecinha had been careful to knock him out without doing any significant damage, her blow still packed quite a great amount of force.

Joreng was surprised to see his mate and his brother standing right in front of him. Pleasantly surprised, though. He smiled at them and remarked casually "Where's the party?"

Cathieel and Filvaro both scoffed at his little remark. Cathieel walked to her mate and embraced him lovingly. He returned the show of affection justly.

Filvaro sat on the adjacent bed and stated "It's good to see you again, Jor."

"Thanks, Fil; the feeling is mutual," said Joreng as Cathieel released him, "However, I'm curious. Why are you here? And what happened?"

"The inmate you were last guarding – this 'Vecinha' – broke out of the laboratory," Filvaro enlightened his younger brother, "Father sent me here to investigate the matter."

"Did he ask you to interrogate me?" queried Joreng.

"No, that wouldn't be the correct term," said Filvaro, "It took her a while, but Vecinha managed to evade the security perimeter. When Father caught wind of the event, he authorized a search for her. Since you are one of only two survivors from her breakout, he thinks you might know something about her tactics that could help us recapture her."

"There's not that much I really know," Joreng reservedly admitted, "But she was really fast. Believe me, it took her only a few seconds to break free of her restraints. By then, she had already killed Dr. Blairen and one of the other guards. I tried to get a good shot at her with my rifle, but she had anticipated that. To avoid getting shot at, she always made sure that there was another person between herself and me. Eventually, she killed everyone save for me. I tried to shoot her down, but I wasn't quick enough."

Goyler stepped forward and told him assuredly "You mustn't blame yourself; there was nothing you could have done. Just be thankful that you're alive."

"I am, sir; believe me," said Joreng, "I thought I was a complete goner the split-second before I lost consciousness. I mean, it was as if I was literally staring death in the… wait, who's that on the other bed there?"

By then, Joreng had noticed that one of the beds in the center of the room was occupied and that several of the physicians were laboring over another patient.

"The other survivor," Goyler replied, "He's currently undergoing some very complicated surgery."

"Why?" asked Joreng, "What happened to him?"

Cathieel whispered something into her mate's ear. In response, Joreng made a disgusted face and said "Ouch. That would probably hurt like shit. Who is that?"

"Yabunet," answered Goyler, "We're still trying to figure out why Vecinha did that to him. It would have made more sense to have just killed him then to…"

"Yabunet?" Joreng cut in, raising an eyebrow "Oh, I know full well why Vecinha didn't kill him."

"You do?" said Filvaro.

"Yes," nodded Joreng, furrowing his brow, "She left him alive to suffer because... he raped her."

Filvaro and Cathieel both seemed shocked to hear this answer. Goyler, on the other hand, was not particularly surprised.

"You mean Yabunet once took advantage of one of the prisoners?" queried Filvaro.

"No, not once," Joreng replied, a bit of anger notable in his voice "But eight times. And he's not the only one; a great many of the male guards have been taking advantage of the female inmates. All of them could even be innocent, but the guards don't care. If you ask me, Yabunet got what he deserved."

Now Filvaro, Cathieel, and Goyler were surprised by this comment. Filvaro glared at his younger brother, snapping "How can you say something like that? Yabunet was almost deprived of his tomhood!"

"Well, then excuse me for stating my opinion, but I believe that any tom who believes it is alright to rape a helpless queen should have his tomhood taken away from him," Joreng stated flatly.

"Joreng, this 'helpless queen' of which you speak killed twelve of my staff just a few hours ago," Goyler pointed out, "Their bodies are in the morgue. Take one look at them and tell me then that you believe Vecinha had a right to mutilate Yabunet in such a manner."

"I appreciate your suggestion, sir," Joreng remarked sarcastically, "But I'll pass. I've seen enough death for one day."

"Well, I'd still like to see the bodies," Filvaro told the Director, "Maybe their remains will tell us something more about Vecinha's basic tactics. They could be more useful to us dead than alive in a way."

"Very well, Filvaro; come with me," Goyler gestured to a door that led into a neighboring room, obviously the morgue. Just before the two of them left, Filvaro turned to Joreng and told him "That reminds me; I have orders to relieve you of duty."

"What?" said Joreng, a little stunned, "Why do you need to relieve me of duty?"

"Father believes it to be for the best," answered Filvaro simply, "You've been working your ass off, and he wants you to take some vacation time."

Joreng shrugged and stated "If Father wishes it, I will take some time off work."

"Good," said Filvaro. He turned back to Goyler, and the two of them made their way to the morgue. Sure enough, there were twelve corpses in there. Eight of them had been killed by Vecinha in the experiment room. The other four had been killed by her when she had gotten outside.

This left Joreng alone with Cathieel. All the other doctors in the room were entirely focused on Yabunet's operation, so the two mates had virtually complete liberty to talk about private matters. As a precautionary measure, they never spoke above a whisper.

"Did you get my message?" Joreng asked her.

"Yes, I received it and read it at around three o'clock this afternoon," she replied.

"Well, did she make it?" said Joreng, speaking with high hopes.

Cathieel did not answer him directly. She paused for a long while. But her silence already gave her mate her answer.

"Oh, no," Joreng muttered under his breath.

"I waited for her, just as you instructed me to do," Cathieel explained, "I expected her to arrive at around ten o'clock. But she never came. I would have waited there all night, but then Filvaro had the Draco come by and pick me up."

Joreng had a very uneasy look across his face. It had taken weeks of preparations to stage this solitary breakout. He had hoped that it would result in success, but based on the present circumstances, he was not certain as to whether it had been a success or a failure.

"Don't worry, she'll turn up eventually," Cathieel assured her mate, "I'm certain she's alright."

Joreng shrugged and sat up a little more. He told Cathieel "I suppose we should be optimistic about this. Now that I've been temporarily relieved of duty, we can search for her, too."

Cathieel appeared to have mixed feelings about this idea. Joreng noticed and asked "Is something bothering you, sweetie?"

"Well, Joreng…" she hesitantly began, "You do know that I love you and that I'll always back you up, right?"

"Of course," he stated, "I love you, as well, and I'll always support you."

"Then you'll hear what I have next to say," Cathieel continued, "While I do think that finding Vecinha before the fleet finds her should be a high priority, I also think that you should listen to your brother and enjoy your vacation time. Personally enjoy it, I mean."

"I'll certainly enjoy it, as long as I'm with you," Joreng smiled and pulled his mate closer. When he saw the deadly serious look in her eyes, he stated "Cathieel, I have a feeling that there's something you're not telling me. Is there anything you'd care to share?"

She deeply sighed and told him "Joreng, I'm pregnant."

…

Back in Ratcliff, Tumblebrutus and Pouncival were standing watch at the front gate. They did not know when Admetus would be back, but all the same, they both kept a close eye out. Ralpharite and Vecinha were back inside the shed. Ralph was discussing his most recent discovery with Roshedam and Geraldine.

"Vecinha has told me all about her tomfriend," he was explaining to them, "So far, everything we know about that founder of the Siamese Resistance – little though it may be – matches up to Vecinha's description. She and I have ample reason to believe that the founder and her tomfriend are the same person."

"That's quite incredible," remarked Roshedam, "That certainly would explain why you couldn't determine Peter's accent earlier."

"Indeed," said Ralpharite, "However, the only way we'll know for certain if this is the same Peter is if Vecinha comes face-to-face with him."

"That's an excellent idea," Vecinha agreed, "When would you suggest we carry out this meeting?"

"Given the numerous benefits of thinking ahead of the game, I believe that it would be wise to arrange it as soon as possible," Roshedam stated, "In fact, you could just bring together a meeting without any prior notice."

"You recommend that we hold the meeting tonight?" assumed Ralpharite.

"Yes, exactly," said Roshedam, "That would seem to be the most logical course of action."

"If that's the case, then I'd suggest you hurry to the marina," Geraldine advised him, "The shops close at midnight. Any shop open longer than that is subject to search and seizure by the Siamese fleet."

"Then let's go now," Vecinha reasoned.

"Good thinking," agreed Roshedam. He began to reach for his backpack, but Ralpharite stopped him.

"No, Rosh, you stay here," Ralpharite instructed his best friend, "There's always a possibility that some Siamese are searching the river already for Vecinha. If that's the case, I'll need you here to protect Geraldine and the others."

"I'm perfectly capable of watching out for myself, sir," remarked Geraldine, "Even though I appreciate the offer."

"Aside from that, Ralph, you might encounter an entire platoon of Siamese soldiers," Roshedam pointed out.

"All the more reason for only one of us to go," Ralpharite argued, "Even when together, the two of us couldn't take down an entire platoon. It's better to risk just one of us than the both of us. And, seeing as how I am the senior officer and you are the one with a mate and child, it is most appropriate that you remain here while I escort Vecinha to the marina."

Ultimately, Roshedam agreed to this arrangement. After Ralpharite had all of his supplies in his backpack, he and Vecinha prepared to leave. Roshedam lent Vecinha his "stray cat" pass, just in case she and Ralph encountered the Pollicles again.

Once everything was in order, the red and white tabby and the young brown and gold queen made their way down to the marina near Lambeth.

…

While all of this had been going on, Paulina had been with Grumbuskin and Grizabella in the basement of Macavity's warehouse. Both of the elderly cats had briefly explained their backstory. Grumbuskin had done most of the talking after their formal introductions. He had gone into detail about how he and the other surviving members of Growltiger's crew had been forced to go into hiding after the Last Stand.

He had spent a considerable amount of time describing how Griddlebone was one of Macavity's agents and how the other survivors were being manipulated by her.

"You asked us earlier if there was anything you could do to help us," Grumbuskin recalled, "Because you share a room with the Siamese ambassador, there are two things I have in mind."

"I'm listening, sir," Paulina assured him.

"I want you to try to find something that could strain – if not shatter – the alliance between Macavity's organization and the Siamese fleet," stated Grumbuskin, "That might prove a little difficult to accomplish, but keep your ears and eyes open for anything. The second task I have for you is to attempt to find a way to send a message to my colleagues in Hampton; somehow let them know that they are being deceived by my Captain's mate."

"These tasks certainly sound difficult, sir," Paulina admitted, "But all the same, I will do what I can to get them done. Just know one thing: even if both of you are alone in here for a very long time, you still have an ally up there."

The two elderly cats smiled at the young queen; she smiled in return. That was the first time anyone had ever seen her break her normally neutral facial expression. She had a lovely smile; a radiant one, in fact.

Just then, the door to the cell opened and Macavity and the Siamese ambassador stood in the door frame.

"Paulina, come," Hoagemont calmly but firmly ordered the young queen.

"Yes, sir," Paulina replied.

She turned to the door and approached it quickly but serenely. Just before she stepped out the room, she turned back at the two elderly cats and looked upon them with a great look of empathy and sympathy in her eyes.

As soon as Paulina stepped outside, Macavity closed the cell door, leaving Grizabella and Grumbuskin alone once more.

…

By this time, Tantomile had reached the Westminster docks. She walked around the wooden platforms, gazing from the gorgeous moon to the tranquil waters to her flawless drawing of Ralpharite. All these objects put together made her mind feel at ease.

Tantomile knew that she once loved Ralpharite. However, she was not quite certain as to whether or not he loved her just as much in return. It remained a simply mystery to her. But it was a mystery she was very eager to solve.

The present scenario reminded her very much of a song she once heard. It was a rhythm and blues love song from the 1980s. A song by the American band The Jets. In fact, she found that the song described her feelings so well that she was inclined to sing it.

At that same time, Ralpharite and Vecinha happened to be passing through Westminster. Tantomile did not notice them. However, Vecinha did notice Tantomile. She pointed the psychic queen out to Ralpharite.

The red and white tabby did not recognize Tantomile immediately, so he and Vecinha decided to pause for a moment to observe her.

(Now you can play the song. I think it would actually help if you pretend that Tantomile has the same voice as the singer)

Tantomile stood up and leaned against one of the wooden supports on the front of the docks. She looked down at her drawing, and then out into the waters. Then she began to sing:

"Tonight… it's been a year.
We met each other here.
Here I am… all alone.
As thoughts of you go on.

Hear me cryin' out to you
You said, 'Never, never… would I leave.'
Here's a tear from me to you…
And maybe it will make you hear me

I loved you
You didn't feel the same
Though we're apart
You're in my heart
Give me one more chance to
Make it real."

Ralpharite quickly realized who it was that was singing. He whispered to Vecinha "I know this queen. She's a member of the Jellicle Tribe."

"The Jellicle Tribe?" said Vecinha, slightly confused.

"A tribe of cats who worship a type of Mystical Divinity," Ralpharite clarified, "Pouncival and Tumblebrutus are part of this tribe as well."

The two of them got a little closer to Tantomile as she continued to sing:

"In a dream… you are here.
You smile and hold me near.
And in my heart… I'll pretend
that you are here again

Hear me cryin' out to you
You said, 'Never, never… would I leave.'
Here's a tear from me to you
and maybe it will make you hear me

I loved you
You didn't feel the same
Though we're apart
You're in my heart
Give me one more chance to
Make it real."

Before long, Ralpharite could see the drawing Tantomile was holding in her paws. He easily noted how much similarity it had to his own image. Putting that together with everything else – the docks, the song, and the person there – he quickly realized who and what Tantomile was singing about.

At that moment, Tantomile was so focused on her song that she did not even sense Ralpharite or Vecinha approach her from behind.

She finished up her song:

"I loved you
You didn't feel the same
Though we're apart
You're in my heart
Give me one more chance to
Make it real.

Give me one more chance to
Make it real."

When she finished singing, she looked down at the drawing and folded it up tightly. Then she sighed and leaned against the wooden support.

At that moment, she felt a pair of paws on her shoulder. She was initially startled, but then she heard a voice tell her "A wonderful song. There's just three things I'd like to point out. One: you are not alone. Two: I did feel the same – and I still do. Three: you did make it real."

Tantomile slowly turned around and saw Ralpharite himself smiling down at her. She grinned in return and warmly embraced him. He held her close in return, as if he did not want to let her go.