Surviving
Disclaimer: CATS does not belong to me, it belongs to Andrew Lloyd Weber and RUG.  The only thing that belongs to me in this fic is my fictional character, Lendaline.  I do not pretend to own any of these characters except for her and I do nto make money off this fic.
Chapter One Never
    It was just another boring day at the Junkyard(emphasis on the boring part)when it happened.  I don't really remember much about that day; I've sort of blocked it out of my memory because of the horror of it.  All I remember is that the results were disastrous and the Junkyard will never be the same.  I, for that matter, won't either.
    They actually killed him.  I never would believe he was dead, I never though he could die.  There were so many "never"s.  He would never die, the Junkyard would never change, and he, most of all, would never come to power.  Really, the "never"s were a sort of unspoken law we lived by that wasn't really a law at all.  Because every one of the "never"s did happen.  And all on that fateful day.
    Teazer and I were in the corner of the Junkyard, but the old Ford, playing when Jerrie and Misto ran over.
    "C'mon, yew two, we 'ave to ge' ou' of 'ere, now!" Jerrie exclaimed, pushing Teazer and I towards the exit.  Misto followed at the same pace, but silently.
    "Why?"  I questioned, greatly alarmed by the seriousness in his face.  "What happened?"
    "Oi...Oi can't say," he confided.  "Bu' Munku said to ge' yew ki's ou' of 'ere."  He continued to usher us to his and Teazer's home and, as soon as the two of us and Misto were halfway up the drive, he turned and left.  "Oi'll be back soon.  Don' le' anyone in, no' even if they sound loike me.  Oi know 'ow to ge' in on my own."
    I was very worried by now.  Misto pushed Teazer and I into the cat door, then followed himself and locked it with his magic.  "Misto, what is going on?"
    "Lenda, we're staying here tonight," he replied, avoiding my gaze.
    "But why?!" I insisted.
    Teazer nodded in agreement.  "Whot was so importan' tha' yew can' even go 'ome tonoigh'?"
    "I don't know," Misto replied through gritted teeth.  He looked as if he did know, just didn't wish to tell us.  I sighed and turned to Teazer.
    "Let's go upstairs and watch TV.  I'm sure we'll find out eventually."
    She nodded and followed me up the stairs.
    Everything after that is kind of fuzzy.  I'm fairly sure I dozed off until Jerrie arrived back from the Junkyard.  I practicallt jumped on top of him as soon as he entered.
    "What happened?!?!" I exclaimed.
    He took a deep breath.  "Len, ge' off me."  I made an angry face, but jumped onto the couch and awaited an answer.  "Misto, Lenda, Oi'm really sorry, but-"  He took another deep breath.  "Old Deueteronomy's dead."
    "No!" Teazer whispered.
    I fainted dead on the spot.
>':'<          >':'<          >':'<
    When I woke up, I was lying on a soft bed and Jenny was pressing a washcloth to my face.  She look startled when she saw I was awake.  "Lenda!  There, there, dear, it's going to be alright," she crooned.  "Now lay your head back down and get soem rest.  You've had quite a shock."
    "No!" I shook my head, tears clouding my eyes.  "It's not true!  I can't be true!  Father is not dead!"
    Jenny bit her lip and turned to Misto, who wass sitting beside the bed, looking upset.  "She's in denial," she whispered.
    "I am not!" I shrieked, standing up.  I jumped off the bed and started to run out the door.  Misto ran to stop me, but he wasn't fast enough.  I quickly outpaced him and reached the Junkyard.  A group of cats had assembled around one spot.  I ran into the middle of them and saw what they were staring at.  It wasn't true, but there was the evidence, right in front of me.  My father's body.  Unmoving, un-breathing.  Dead.  He was dead.
    I fell onto the body, sobbing into his cold fur.  I felt someone pick me up and carried me away.  I struggled to escape, but failed.  I blearily opened my eyes to see Tugger staring sympathetically at me.
    "Lenda, baby, are you OK?" he asked, looking concerned.
    I shook my head.  "It's not true.  He's not dead.  He can't be.  He's not-"  I choked on a sob, cutting of my words.
    "Shh," Tugger said.  "It's alright, you'll be alright," he assured me.  "I'm so sorry, but it is true.  You can't live in the fantasy that he's still alive, Lenda."
    "Tugger, I-" I stopped myself and we sat in silence for a few minutes.  "Who's going to lead the tribe?"
    "That's what we're all worried about," said a voice behind us.  Tugger turned around, still cradling me and we spotted Alonzo.  "Half the tribe thinks that Mistoffelees should be, I mean, he is, after, the rightful heir of Deuteronomy.  But, the other half..."  He gulped a little, apparently afraid at what I might say.  "The other half thinks that Munkustrap should lead the tribe.  I think Munkustrap should lead until Mistoffelees comes of age; he's only a kitten, just like you."  He gave me a wry smile.  "I understand that this is very hard on you, but you're handling it very well.  Thank you for calming her down, Tugger," he added, looking up at my tom.
    Tugger smiled a little too and I burried my face in his ruff, not wanting to see the sorrow and hurt in Alonzo's eyes.  "Thank you," I said, my voice muffled.  "I would like to talk to Tugger now, if you don't mind."
    "Of course, Lenda, I understand."  He nodded and walked away.
    I looked up at Tugger.  "Tuggy, I'm going to avenge his death," I whispered.  "I'll find who killed him and I'll-I'll..."  I broke fown in a fresh wave of tears.
    "Len, baby, I understand that you want him to be alive still, but he's not and there's nothing we can do to change that.  I refuse to let you confront Macavity.  It's too dangerous."
    "Macavity did this?"  My voice was barely audible, even to myself.  The tears slowed and I looked upwards, saying a silent prayer.  Please, Everlasting Cat, let me kill him, I begged. Let me avenge my father's death.
    Tugger saw the look in my eyes.  "Lenda, don't you dare," he said.  "You are not hunting Macavity down."
    "You can't control me."  The hatred of Macavity had taken over my mind and I didn't realize what I was saying, or doing.  I pushed Tugger away and started off in the direction I thought Macavity's lair would be.
    "Lenda!" he called.  I ignored him and trudged on through the alleys.  When he caught up with me and grabbed me by the middle, I tried to strike him, but he threw me over his shoulder and carried me home.
Chapter Two Tugger
    Misto insister I stay at the house and rest.  Teazer offered to stay with me instead of going to the Junkyard, but I refused and se left with Misto and Jerrie.  When I was sure everyone was gone, I crept out of the house and to Tugger's home down the road.  He was sitting on the porch and spotted me before I had a chance to see him.
    "Lenda, you know you're supposed to be home," he said, sounding more like a parent than anything.  He probably didn't really sound anything like that, but in the absence of one, I took it as that.
    "I-I-I," I stammered, trying to find words that wouldn't stop in my throat and that I wouldn't trip over on the way out of my mouth.  "I'm s-sorry about yest-yesterday."
    His eyes softened and he walked towards me.  "Thanks.  I'm sorry about you dad, but you do understand that you just can't do something that rash, don't you?"
    I nodded, embarrassed and nuzzled his neck.