A scream echoed through the quiet Junkyard.
"Jem! Are you okay?" Plato asked.
Jemima looked toward him and then looked down. "Yes, I'm okay... It was just a little nightmare."
Plato licked Jemima's nose and she purred. The two fell asleep again, but Jemima awoke with a scream about an hour later.
"NOOO! AHHH!"
"Jemima, are you SURE you're okay?" Plato asked, deeply concerned.
Jemima shuddered, "No, I keep having the same nightmare!"
"Do you want to talk about it?" Plato asked.
"I... I guess so." she responded. "I am in the Junkyard, when I am grabbed by this huge tabby- Much bigger than I am. He brings me to this place that I've never seen before. Then I see all these other horrible Cats around me, hissing and growling. Then, the tabby gets angry and lifts his paw toward me... And then I wake up."
Jemima looked at her mate, concern and fear evident on her face. Plato licked her ear, which made her purr. She fell asleep on his strong chest, and heard him whisper, "I'll always protect you, Jemima."
Jemima and Victoria giggled as they frolicked around the Junkyard. The two began chatting about their mates and the Jellicle Ball and pretty much anything that dealt with their kitty lives. All of a sudden, Jemima smacked her forehead with her paw.
"Vicki, do you have that newspaper article on Macavity I wanted to read?" she asked.
Victoria nodded, "Yes. Let me go get it!"
Victoria walked away and when she returned, Jemima was gone.
"Jem?" she called.
Then, she heard a scream rip through the Junkyard.
"JEM!"
Jemima was in a place she did not recognize. It smelled horrible, worse than the Junkyard could ever smell. She gazed around and noticed a bunch of Cats surrounding a makeshift stage. Then she looked at the figure carrying her. He was a tall, muscular tabby.
Jemima gasped, quietly. "It's just like my dream!" she whispered to herself.
The large tabby placed her on the stage and stood up next to her. He began to speak.
"Welcome Alley Cats! We are joined here today by the daughter of one of the greatest Alley Cats of our time!"
A Cat in the crowd whispered, "Thunder's daughter?"
Another Cat hissed back, "Yes..."
Jemima heard these two Cats and became alert at the sound of her father's name.
The large tabby continued, "Let's begin the meeting with a moment of silence for Thunder."
Jemima's eyes were misty, not only because of her father's memory, but also because she wanted to go back to the Jellicles.
The large tabby turned to Jemima and began to speak...
"What is your name?" he asked.
"J-J-Jemima," she whispered.
"WHAT?" he cried.
"Jemima," she said, more loudly.
"Ahhh, Jemima..." he said, "I am Villitar, the leader of the Alley Cats. We have brought you here to make you one of us... Just like your father, an Alley Cat."
Jemima swallowed and attempted to speak.
"V-Villitar, sir, I-I do not w-want to be an Alley Cat!"
Villitar looked at her through narrowed eyes. "WHAT?" he asked.
"I don't want to be an Alley Cat, sir." she said, forcefully.
Villitar became enraged and told the crowd what she had said. He then turned to her and began to speak...
"Well, if you don't want to be one of us, you shouldn't even be alive!"
With that, he lifted his paw and smacked her as hard as he could. She felt sudden pain and fell toward the ground. As she fell, she saw five Jellicles arrive in the alley... The leader was her beloved Plato!
Jemima opened her eyes and saw Plato standing over her.
"Oh, Jemi! You're okay!" he cried, licking her nose.
She smiled weakly, and tried to get up. Her head hurt, but other than that she felt fine.
"Thank you for saving me, Plato..." she said quietly.
Plato smiled, and nuzzled his Queen.
Then Demeter, Bombalurina, and Victoria entered quickly.
"How is she?" Demeter asked.
"Fine..." Plato responded, "She'll be just fine."
Bombalurina noticed Tugger sitting alone in a corner. She saw a scratch on his nose.
"How are you doing, hun?" she asked.
Tugger smiled, "I've been better, Bomby."
She grinned and nuzzled him. He licked her cheek and nuzzled her back. Even though they weren't mates, they still cared about each other.
Pretty soon, everyone had left, and Jemima and Plato were alone.
"You know, Jem... I was so scared today. I thought I had lost you!" Plato said.
Jemima smiled, "But you didn't... You were brave and you saved me... I love you Plato... Now and forever."
Plato smiled and kissed her. He carefully snuggled up close to her and purred. Then, she heard him whisper...
"I will always protect you, Jemima."