"Silvercoat, Smokestep, my twins, my babies. You two will find the love I found with your father. I only hope your loves won't die. I want you to be happy," Jestorina crooned over the two silver-blue kittens cuddled against her. "I love you both so much."

"Yeah, boss?" Jerad asked the Napoleon of crime.

"There are two newborn kittens by the Dumpster on the north side of the Junkyard. Kill them," the tall, thin ginger cat told him.

"Right, boss," the silver-blue tom left.

"Yes," her hopeful gray eyes met his surprised blue ones. "I've been waiting for you, Jerad."

The tom cautiously padded closer. His blue eyes widened with surprise when he heard Silvercoat and Smokestep mewing. He looked in the box to see two kittens suckling. Their coats were the same silver-blue as Jerad's. "Am I their father?"

Jestorina nodded, her gray eyes full of tears as Jerad rubbed his cheek against hers. "My mate. I thought you were gone forever," both were purring.

"Which is which?" Jerad asked, eyes full of wonder as he gently nudged one with his paw.

"The one you nudged is Silvercoat and the other is Smokestep," Jestorina told him, gently smiling as she licked Jerad's gray nosepad.

"Now, Jerad. Kill them now," Jerad's hackles rose when he heard Macavity's voice behind him.

"Demeter and Bombalurina are right. You are a fiend in feline shape," Jerad hissed. "You would have me kill my own offspring."

Jestorina gasped in horror. Macavity grinned. "Of course. They must die and who better to kill them than their father?"

"No, I won't kill them," Jerad told the Mystery Cat. "These paws won't be covered by the blood of my offspring."

"Fine, I'll do it myself," Macavity sprang for the two kittens being protected by Jestorina.

He never reached his goal. Jerad knocked him aside mid-leap. While the Hidden Paw picked himself up and shook off the stunning effects of his tumble, Jerad and Jestorina disappeared, each with a kitten, in opposite directions.

"Smokestep, hurry or we'll be late for the Jellicle Ball," Jerad told his son.

"I'm coming, Father," the younger tom followed his father to the Junkyard. It was still and silent. "I thought there was supposed to be other Jellicles here."

"Shh," Jerad told Smokestep. "There will," he whispered. "Wait here and you'll understand."

Smokestep hid in the drain pipe and waited. Cats sooon began appearing and the Jellicle Ball was begun. Smokestep soon emerged and joined the rest of the Jellicle Cats in celebrating what it is to be a Jellicle Cat. As the Ball continued, Smokestep noticed a queen kitten with the same silver-blue coat as Jerad and Smokestep.

Macavity crashed the Ball, again. Jerad was the first to challenge Macavity. Smokestep watched with a pounding heart as the two toms fought. Macavity eventually knocked Jerad unconsious. Enraged, Smokestep attacked the ginger cat. To Smokestep's immense surprise, the queen kitten he had noticed before joined him in the fight. Together, the two were able to drive Macavity away.

After the battle, Smokestep immediately went to his father's side. To Smokestep's great surprise, someone was already there. It was a white queen with gray stripes. She looked up and surprise widened her gray eyes when she saw Smokestep. His eyes were the same silver color as hers. "Smokestep?"

Smokestep knelt beside the queen. "Yes. Are you my mother, Jestorina?"

"Yes," tears were spilling down her cheeks as she whispered the reply. "I am Jestorina, your mother," the queen kitten knelt beside Smokestep. Her eyes were the same china blue as Jerad's. "This is your twin sister, Silvercoat," the twins rubbed cheeks, purring.

"Jestorina?" Jerad's weak voice drew the attention of the three cats kneeling beside him.

"Yes, Jerad. I'm here," she told him as she and the twins helped him sit up. "We've found each other at last."

As Jestorina helped Jerad stand up, Munkustrap approached. "Old Deuteronomy would like to speak with you."

The little family made their way over to the tire, where Old Deuteronomy waited for them. "You have done a very brave thing, my friends," Old Deuteronomy told them. "And for that, you are heros."

The acceptance Jerad had searched for for so long was now his. He smiled as he held his mate close with the twins on either side of their parents.