Author's notes: Just so you know, the idea for this fic (which is Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer discovering that they're brother and sister after a long relationship [and kittens]) is (c) Mevima, and is being used with her permission. Naturally, all the original CATS characters from the musical belong to RUG, Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot, but all the fanfic Jellicles (i.e. Mungo and Rumple's kittens, Macavity's newer henchCats, etc) belong to me, and the relationships between Cats are my own opinion. Feedback would be nice (I can be reached at mystoflare@hotmail.com), flames will be ridiculed, BTW, if you can't stand the idea of Rumpleteazer dying, or Mungojerrie joining Macavity, for gods' sakes, DON'T READ. If this fic is bad, bear with me, this is the first story I'm writing that isn't a crossover, and please note that, I will write more fics and have a label of 'DS continuum' if they are a part of this fic continuum, also, my writing may not be very good as English is my second language, Japanese being my first. So, until later, happy reading!

Rumpleteazer had gone into labor only a minute before, now Mungojerrie was pacing back and forth anxiously as Jellylorum and Jennyanydots, the tribe's two midwives, helped the tabby queen to bring fourth the kittens. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's kittens would be the sixth new litter to the tribe, only the previous month, days after the Jellicle Ball, Demeter, Bombalurina and Cassandra had their litters, and Jemima and Etcetera had delivered their kittens earlier in this very month.

Skimbleshanks watched Mungojerrie pace, which was comforting, but did nothing to help the marmalade tabby's fears. He, as well as the younger Asparagus, Asparagus' mate, Jellylorum, and Jelly's sister and Skimble's mate, Jennyanydots, knew the truth. When they noticed how close Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were getting to be, since they had never told them who were their parents, they pretended that Rumpleteazer was Jenny and Skimble's daughter, along with Electra and Jemima, which was true, and that Mungojerrie was the offspring of Jellylorum and Asparagus, which was a bloody lie.

While, naturally, Skimbleshanks didn't have anything against inbreeding among the tribe, Coricopat and Tantomile were mates as well as twins, he was very worried about Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's kittens, since they didn't know they were so closely related, and Mungojerrie was a calico tom, two things which, according to Old Deuteronomy, killed out a line at a time before Queen Victoria's reign. The Railway Cat worried about that happening to 'Jerrie and 'Teazer's kittens, especially if any of them were born dead or deformed, which was a sure sign of inbreeding, and would only be worse if there was a calico tom in the litter.

After fifteen minutes of constant ear-splitting screaming from the tabby queen, Jelly and Jenny emerged from 'Teazer and 'Jerrie's lair, Jelly with an expertly deceptive smile, Jenny with an expression of concern and anxiety.

"Wot 'appened?" Mungojerrie ran up to the queens. "'Ow many are there? Is she a'right?"

Jellylorum put a paw on her nephew's shoulder. "Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer and the kittens are alive and well. You're the proud father of four adorable kittens."

When the calico tom was out of sight, Jelly turned to her sister and brother-in-law. "I still don't understand why we can't tell them. Either we break the news to them, or they'll find out sooner or later and who knows what in Heaviside will happen."

"We didn't have the heart to. If they want to be mates, let them. We'll tell them the truth if they really need to know, I promise." Jenny said. At this point, Jenny and Skimble's second daughter, the tortoiseshell queen, Electra, came into the conversation.

"Cori and Tanto are mates and twins, and everyone seems confident that their kittens will turn out okay when they're born next month." Electra pointed out with some irritation.

"Aye, that's true, Electra lass, but Coricopat isn't a calico like Mungojerrie, is he?" Skimble asked his daughter. At her head shaking, he nodded. "Calico toms tend to have...problems, and they're rare, but their kittens can get them if they have calico toms in their litters. Inbreeding like yuir brother and sister, who knows what that could do t' the kittens." Skimbleshanks pointed out and shuddered to himself, a gesture copied by everyone present.

Inside the cat burglars' lair, Mungojerrie looked proudly over his mate and kittens. Four kittens were in the box with her, three suckling happy while Rumpleteazer was grooming one.

"'Ow many?" Mungojerrie asked, nuzzling his mate.

"Four, three boys an' a girl." Rumpleteazer answered, still grooming the kitten in her paws. "Oi already named tha' girl, 'er name's Pearl, 'cause she'll be as treasured as Woolworth pearls."

Mungojerrie looked closely at the kitten in 'Teazer's forepaws. Pearl, their only daughter, was a calico kitten. He smiled.

Looking over the rest of the litter, he noticed that one of the other kittens had a black base coat, and he thought of a name for this kitten.

"One kitten's gotta black coat. Like onyx." Mungojerrie smiled.

Rumpleteazer looked thoughtful. "Onyx. Tha'd be a nice name for 'im, wouldn't it?"

After looking carefully over the entire litter, they saw that another male kitten had a red base coat, naming this one Firebane, and, after some argument, they named the youngest of the litter, with an orange base coat, Mungorumple, which they liked best out of a number of various choices. So they agreed that their kittens, from oldest to youngest, were named Pearl, Onyx, Firebane and Mungorumple.

Ten days later, the kittens opened their eyes and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer brought their litter outside for the rest of the tribe to see, especially since a few of the others were impatient to see the newest litter.

Rumpleteazer absolutely adored their daughter, Pearl, who turned out to have Skimble's glass-green eyes. Onyx had eyes as blue as Tumblebrutus', while Firebane and Mungorumple had brown eyes like Jenny and Jelly.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" Jemima cooed, setting down one of her kittens, her eldest daughter Spring, who, like Pearl, inherited green eyes from Skimbleshanks, as well as Pouncival, next to the two youngest.

"Rat!" shouted Skiye, the oldest of Jemima and Pouncival's kittens, before he began to roll around as he played with Firebane. "Fire rat!"

"Brown zebra!" Firebane shouted back. Soon, both kittens rolled around laughing. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were definitely proud of their kittens.

Another few months went by with no problems, the month after Jemima, Etcetera and Rumpleteazer brought forth their kittens, a litter each was born to Tantomile, Electra and Victoria, adding Coricopat, Tumblebrutus and Mistoffelees to the group of moreorless proud fathers.

On one particular night, with the Jellicle Moon shining bright, Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydots, Jellylorum and Asparagus gathered on the old beaten-up car trunk to talk.

"We have to tell them, and soon." Jellylorum told her sister. "I can't stand living this lie much longer."

"Tumblebrutus, Victoria, Pouncival and Etcetera know the truth, and they're bound to tell Mungojerrie some time. I don't think we can keep saying that Mungojerrie really is our son, you've seen how he looks sometimes, like he knows it in his heart, but his mind's not ready to accept the truth." Asparagus agreed with his mate.

"I promise, Asparagus m' lad, we'll tell them. We're just waitin' f'r the right time." Skimbleshanks assured him.

After that, it was only a matter of time before the cat burglar couple were to be told, the problem was trying to decide on the right time to tell them.

One surprisingly clear night, under the light of the Jellicle moon, Old Deuteronomy only sat there, looking up into the starry sky. A sudden series of sounds caught his attention and he looked to his side to find several visitors.

Munkustrap and Alonzo came with Gus' daughters and Jenny and Jelly's mates. Old Deuteronomy only had to look in the eyes of his two sons to know why they came in the first place.

"Skimble, Jenny. You have to tell Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer the truth, soon. The others know about this, and if their kittens hear about it, everyone's going to get hurt eventually." Old Deuteronomy told the couple gently.

"But when should we tell them? And do we tell both of them at the same time, or should we tell one of them first?" Jenny asked fearfully.

"It's up to you two. But they have to know, they'll find out eventually, you understand that much, right?" Munkustrap asked.

The Railway Cat and the Old Gumbie Cat nodded solemnly and the group went their own ways as the meeting was dismissed.

Jellylorum watched over Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's kittens, along with Victoria, Jemima, Etcetera and Electra's litters, with a heavy heart.

She discussed the matter with Skimble and Jenny, and it was decided that Jellylorum would tell Mungojerrie when he came for the kittens. She had no idea how he would take it or how Rumpleteazer would be told, and frankly, she didn't want to think about it.

Skiye, Pouncival and Jemima's firstborn kitten and son, was leaping around between junkpiles with his friends when he stopped and looked out over the Junkyard. "Uncle 'Jerrie's back!" the kitten announced loudly.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's litter immediately ran towards the entrance of the Junkyard, almost trampling some of their kin in the process. Mungojerrie smiled when he saw his kittens and took the time to give each of them a hug.

Jellylorum tried to smile, to hide her fear and worries. Unfortunately, she didn't do a good enough job, because Mungojerrie picked it up, well, at least got the impression of her worry.

"Mum, wha's wrong?" Mungojerrie asked her. Jellylorum almost bit her own tongue in fear. Now she would have to tell him the truth.

"Mungojerrie, there's something that I should tell you. Now. Alone." Jellylorum said, not with her usual seriousness, but something else.

Mungojerrie got the message and set down Pearl, who was presently trying to get his attention, and thought for a moment.

"Pearl, why don't you 'n' y'r brothers 'n' cousins go find Aunt Jemima? I 'ave t' talk t' Granma Jellylorum alone f'r a moment." Mungojerrie told his kittens.

"'ear tha'? We get t' go see Aunt Jemima!" Onyx shouted. The rest of the kittens' group cheered and left together to find Jemima.

Mungojerrie turned back to his mother. He didn't know what the matter was, but he knew it was serious. Very serious.

"Mungojerrie, how long have you and Rumpleteazer been mates now? For about a year, right?" Jellylorum asked the calico tom.

Mungojerrie thought for a moment. "Yeah, 'bouta year now. Why? Wha' does it 'ave t' do with 'Teazer?" he asked.

"Everything. But first..." Jellylorum thought of how to tell him. "Mungojerrie, you've been living a lie. You're not my son and Asparagus'. You and Rumpleteazer aren't cousins."

"We're not?" Mungojerrie didn't quite understand where she was going. "But we're stil mates, roight?"

"Yes, I guess you two are, but it's worse than that." Jellylorum closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "Mungojerrie, your real parents are Jenny and Skimble. You and Rumpleteazer aren't just mates, you're siblings. You and her are brother and sister."

Jellylorum's last sentence hit Mungojerrie like a piledriver. Rumpleteazer was his sister? His parents were hers, Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks were his mother and father. And their kittens...

Mungojerrie screamed so loudly that the entire Junkyard heard it. Most likely, as Asparagus, Etcetera and Electra came running into the clearing. His best friend, partner in crime, his mate, was also his sister. They had kittens together.

"Mungojerrie!" Asparagus shouted up to him.

The calico tom didn't hear him, or if he did, he didn't respond. Mungojerrie took a flying leap off the junkpile he and Jellylorum were perched on, bounding away off of junkpiles until he reached the exit of the Junkyard and disappeared.

Jellylorum was crying as she came down the junkpile. Electra and Etcetera looked at each other in confusion as Asparagus tried to comfort his mate.

"Aunt Jelly, what happened? Where'd Mungojerrie go?" Electra asked, her normally vicious expression becoming one of worry and concern.

Jellylorum sniffled. "I told him the truth." was all she said.

"The truth?" Asparagus asked. Then, his eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Jelly, you didn't...!"

"Tell him what?" Etcetera asked. "What truth?"

Asparagus spoke as Jellylorum broke down. "Mungojerrie isn't really out son. His parents are actually Jenny and Skimble."

"They're 'Teazer's parents, too." Then Electra realized what they were saying and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh, NO! You mean Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are siblings?"

Jellylorum and Asparagus nodded as Electra paled. Running off into the Junkyard, she shouted for others to come. "Tumble! Jemima! Munkustrap!"

Rumpleteazer arrived back at the Junkyard some time later, with the spoils of a successful solo burglary. Mungojerrie had his own ideas and so the pair split up for seperate homes in Victoria Grove.

Entering a clearing, she was slightly surprised to see the kittens, including her own, playing with Jemima. Mungojerrie was supposed to be back by now, and it was his turn to get the kittens.

"'Evening, 'Mima." Rumpleteazer greeted her sister. "Did 'Jerrie come back 'ere yet, or did I beat 'im 'ere?" she asked.

Jemima looked at 'Teazer pensively. Electra, Jelly and Asparagus told her the news, she was first besides Tumblebrutus and Munkustrap to be informed of what happened with Mungojerrie, and she didn't know how to break the earthshattering news to her tabby sister.

"Yeah. Yeah, Mungo stopped by earlier. I don't know what happened, but I saw him running out of the Junkyard in an awfully big hurry." Jemima said.

Rumpleteazer was thoughtful. It wasn't like him to leave the kittens and go running off somewhere without telling anyone where he was going, at the very least.

"Rumpleteazer, I have some...rather disturbing news to tell you." Jemima spoke up again.

"About 'Jerrie? Wot 'appened? Where is 'e?" the tabby queen had to restrain herself from grabbing Jemima and shaking her violently.

"Well, it's about Mungojerrie, but it's also about you." Jemima scratched at her ear for a moment. "You know that Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots are our parents, right?"

"Yeah, and Jellylorum and Asparagus are 'Jerrie's parents."

Jemima coughed. "Actually, Jelly and Asparagus are Mungo's *adoptive* parents. 'Jerrie's real parents are Jenny and Skimble." She noticed Rumpleteazer's confused look and decided to try again.

"'Teazer, you and Mungojerrie aren't just mates. The two of you are brother and sister." Jemima said to her.

Rumpleteazer promptly dropped her valuables and her jaw. She couldn't believe what she had just been told. Her lifelong friend, partner in crime, and mate, was also her brother? She shook her head in disbelief.

"Rumpleteazer?" Jemima slowly neared her sister.

"NO!"

Rumpleteazer took off and Jemima ran after her, leaving behind a mass of confused kittens as she chased the tabby queen, shouting "RUMPLETEAZER!"

Soon, however, Rumpleteazer was out of the Junkyard, and Jemima didn't dare leave the Junkyard and the kittens behind. She felt her head spinning and she hoped one of the cat burglars would come back, at least for their kittens, if nothing else.

Macavity turned his chair around to face the pair who had returned from an outing near the Junkyard. Tracer, the calico Persian son of Mungojerrie and Griddlebone, and Fantasy, the Siamese/Maine Coon daughter of Gilbert, looked at the Napoleon of Crime with knowning smiles, a good sign.

"Mac, you remember Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, when they left a year ago, right?" Tracer asked. Macavity quietly nodded to the patchwork-coated Persian tom.

"Ever wondered why they look so much alike?" Fantasy then asked. "It's because they're siblings as well as mates. The two oldest offspring of Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks. After learning the truth, however, Mungojerrie left the Junkyard, and Rumpleteazer ran away. Perhaps this might be of some use?" Fantasy asked with her normal curiousity.

"Indeed, it is." Macavity turned to the pair of twins, Tigerbone and Griddletiger, the twins of Griddlebone and Growltiger, next to his throne. "You two. Find Mungojerrie and bring him here, I believe a deal can be made with our former calico agent."

"What about his mate and sister, sir?" Griddletiger asked in her Tantomile-esque voice.

"I don't care about her, after learning that they're siblings, I doubt the two of them want to see each other again, or any of their kittens, for that matter. Just find Mungojerrie and bring him here to me. Alive." The twins nodded and quickly hurried out of the lair, taking Tracer and Fantasy with them.

Since Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer went missing, the news spread throughout the Junkyard like wildfire. The cat burglars' kittens were put into the care of Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots, but one of them, Pearl, got away. Now the search was on for three missing Jellicles.

Jemima and Electra approached the tire where Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap were seated, panting from exhaustion and their eyes glassy and on the brink of tears.

"We can't find them, Munkustrap! Even their pets at Victoria Grove don't know what happened to them, and they're nowhere at their usual haunts." Electra said. Jemima could only begin crying, she blamed herself, she told Rumpleteazer the truth.

Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Etcetera and Victoria arrived back soon after. As with Electra and Jemima, they, too, had no luck in finding either the missing cat burglars or the missing calico kitten.

As soon as everyone was gathered back into the clearing, Munkustrap stood up to speak above their chattering.

"So far, the search parties had no success. But we're not through yet. Coricopat, Tantomile, can you two possibly find either Pearl, Mungojerrie or Rumpleteazer?" Munkustrap spoke to the striped twins.

A clearing began to form around the twins, and they nodded in unison.

"We can certainly try." Coricopat answered.

"And we will." Tantomile added.

The twins closed their eyes as they joined paws. A brief bluish glow was visible as they begin to search for the missing Jellicles. After a minute, they opened their eyes, widely, and released each other's paws.

"We can't find Mungojerrie, we don't know where he is." Coricopat spoke up first.

"But we did find Pearl...and Rumpleteazer." Tantomile finished.

"Well, where are they?" Jenny asked. Ever since the whole fiasco started, she was worried about her eldest daughter and only son, now she was afraid to ask.

The twins exchanged a brief glance. Though their expressions betrayed nothing, there was an atmosphere of depression and foreboding surrounding them.

"It would be better to see for yourselves." Tantomile said.

"Follow us." Coricopat added, as his followed his mate.

Electra solemnly followed the twins. The shock she felt when she learned the truth of the cat burglars was still fresh in her mind. She knew just by looking at Jemima that the same applied to her sister, and her parents.

For the duration of the short walk, Jenny cried on Skimble's shoulder. They never told the pair the truth, and now Jenny wondered what would happen because of it. Their only son and eldest daughter were now cursed in their own eyes, and their kittens...

They learned soon enough what happened. The twins stopped near the street, just before a loud shriek of "GRANMA JENNY!" pierced the air and Pearl darted out the bushes to her grandmother.

Jenny lifted Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's daughter into her arms and felt the kitten crying, especially when her shoulder was soaked with salty tears from the calico kit. Try as she might, the Old Gumbie Cat couldn't get her granddaughter to stop crying.

"Pearl, what happened? Did you see your mother?" Electra asked her niece gently.

Pearl sniffled before she answered. Nodding, she hiccuped as she began talking.

"Momma's on the road, the metal pollicle got her. She fell asleep a minute ago, she said she...she said she doesn't want to see us again." said the calico kitten.

"Metal pollicle? Fell aslee-" Admetus' eyes suddenly widened as he realized what the kitten was saying. He babysat the kittens as well, and the Abyssinian tom was the first to pick up the meaning of their babyish jargon. "Pearl, where is your mother?" he asked fearfully.

"She-she's on the side of the road, she was crawling towards the ground-hole on this side." Pearl sniffled.

Exotica, Admetus' mate, slipped away from the group and ran in the direction Pearl indicated. A moment later, a high-pitched scream filled the air and the rest of the tribe ran to the Burmese queen.

The most horrible sight imaginable met the eyes of the tribe. Rumpleteazer was indeed on the side of the road, her tail and hindlegs partway into the sewer opening and her tabby fur matted with dried crimson. Worse, her torso was flattened in one area and her front legs were clearly broken.

Immediately, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie's four kittens burst into tears, loudly, while Jennyanydots started crying on her mate's shoulder. Jemima sobbed on her own mate's shoulder, while Electra bowed her head down with Tumblebrutus' paws on her shoulders.

After everyone mourned for several minutes, Munkustrap managed to dry his eyes for a moment, and ordered Plato, Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, Alonzo and Admetus to bring Rumpleteazer back to the Junkyard. While the Big Boys were reluctant to move the tabby's corpse, they managed to move her back to the Junkyard for a proper funeral.