My Clan needs me… Bluestar repeated the words over and over in her head, but Oakheart's clear, unwavering gaze made them seem more and more feeble.
"I need you, too," he insisted softly, his eyes glazed with pain.
"No," Bluefur shook her head, taking a step back from the reddish brown warrior. "You don't."
"Yes," Oakheart matched her step back with two steps forward. "I do, and so do our kits. Bluefur can't you see? I love you. I could be made the leader of RiverClan tomorrow and it wouldn't mean anything without you there beside me."
"But…"
"But what?" The RiverClan warrior pushed his muzzle against hers. "Bluefur," he breathed softly. "You've lived the way you've been told for so long. You trained hard as an apprentice, you raised your sister's kit… It's time that you made a decision for yourself."
"You mean for you." Bluefur muttered bitterly.
Oakheart shook his head, his whiskers twitching in slight amusement. "No, Bluefur. I mean for you. If you can look me in the eye right now and tell me that you don't want to be with me, then I'll respect that. But I know that you can't. I would give up anything for you—and for our kits."
Goosefeather's prophecy suddenly seemed less important as she gazed into Oakheart's eyes. If water will destroy me, then why does Oakheart make me feel this way?
"I…" Her words failed her, the blue-gray queen's mind whirling. If I join RiverClan, I'll never have to think about that prophecy again… Her mind flickered to Thistleclaw, but a small stirring in her stomach instantly pushed the thought away.
"Bluefur," Oakheart's voice was more urgent. "Crookedstar will be sending a patrol." He rasped his tongue across her ear. "Please," he added softly.
"I… Oakheart…" He's right… My kits need me… And they need him. I need him. "When?" She exhaled quietly, searching his eyes. "Will Crookedstar accept me?"
The RiverClan warrior looked as if he could climb all of the trees in the forest. "Of course!" He insisted. "I'm his brother—and these kits will be his kin. It will be leaf-bare soon, and RiverClan's nursery is nearly empty. He can't say no to having more apprentice's when new-leaf comes. And he certainly can't say no to having more warriors."
"Okay," Bluefur was suddenly breathless. The forest was spinning beneath her paws. I'm joining RiverClan!
Oakheart pressed against her, a purr rumbling throughout his entire body. "You won't regret this, Bluefur. I promise you won't."
Bluefur inhaled his scent, leaning against him and drawing strength from his warmth. "When will you tell Crookedstar?"
"Tonight," he meowed strongly. "I'll tell him that I need to talk to him, and ask if he'll come with me on patrol."
"Tonight?" Bluefur's voice cracked as if she were a kit in the nursery again.
"Yes," Oakheart gave her a serious look. "It's no secret that prey isn't running well for ThunderClan. The sooner you come to RiverClan the better. You're far too thin to support kits right now, Bluefur."
As much as she hated to admit such a weakness to a RiverClan warrior, she knew he was right. It hadn't even snowed yet, and already ThunderClan was growing thin and weary. There wasn't enough prey to go around, and what they managed to scrape up on patrol went to the elders and White-eye first. Oakheart, however, looked strong and well-fed, and his pelt was glossy.
"You're right…" She murmured, bowing her head. I hardly have any time to say goodbye! She wanted to wail. But she knew that saying goodbye would only stir up trouble. She needed to leave as quietly as she could, telling as few cats as possible. But I have to tell Sunstar, at least… "I'll be here tonight," she finally mewed, pressing closer to her mate.
"Good," he licked her ear, then gave her a nudge. "Go on. You need to get some rest. It's not a short journey from your camp to RiverClan's, and you'll need all of your strength."
The blue-furred queen nodded, brushing against Oakheart as she moved up the hill towards ThunderClan's camp. "And Oakheart?" She glanced back of her shoulder, warmth filling her from her ears to her tail-tip when their eyes met again. "I love you, too." With that, she turned and vanished into the undergrowth, her heart singing. She had known it for a long time, but admitting it had been something she couldn't bring herself to do. Now it felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and the image of Oakheart's joy as she uttered the words was burned into her mind.
Despite the energy the talk with Oakheart had given her, Bluefur was exhausted when she made it back to camp. Her eyes fell on the fresh-kill pile as her stomach growled, but she forced the hunger from her mind. You can't take prey from the pile now—not when you're betraying them like this… She ducked her head and pushed her way into the warriors' den, relieved to see that it was mostly empty. Only Tawnyspots was there, sleeping fitfully in his nest towards the center of the den. Bluefur curled in her own nest, quickly falling asleep in the soft moss, thoughts of Oakheart lulling her into the sweetest dreams she had ever had.
When Bluefur woke again, the muted light of dusk filtered through the gaps in the den's roof. Oakheart! She scrambled to her paws, her heart racing frantically until she forced her way out of the den. It's not dark yet… She sighed, sitting down heavily and beginning to groom her ruffled pelt.
"Still sleeping in the warriors' den?" Rosetail joined her with an amused gleam in her eyes.
Oh, Rosetail… if only I could tell you where I'd be sleeping from now on…
"Is Sunstar in camp?" Bluefur knew her change of subject wasn't very tactful, but it seemed to work as Rosetail nodded and flicked her tail towards his den. Bluefur gave her a nod before brushing past her, lingering slightly as their pelts mingled. I'm going to miss you, Rosetail…
"Sunstar?" Bluefur shifted her weight awkwardly from one paw to the other as she waited outside the screen of lichen.
"Ah, Bluefur, come in."
She pushed her way through, moving towards the center of the warm den and sitting before her leader and former mentor.
Sunstar lie comfortably in his nest, his eyes warm and curious. "I have a feeling that I know what you're going to tell me," he purred warmly.
Does he know?! She forced the panic from her voice as she mewed shakily, "O-Oh?"
"It's becoming obvious that you're expecting kits, Bluefur," Sunstar rumbled, sounding as proud as if he were the father. "I was hoping you would soon follow in my pawsteps, but it seems that StarClan has laid out another path for you."
The wrong path! Bluefur cried silently. "I… I am expecting kits," she bowed her head, guilt making her fur prickle. "But Sunstar, I have to tell you… I'm… leaving ThunderClan."
Her leader's eyes stretched wide. "Bluefur, what's going on? This isn't like you at all. Has something happened?"
"Yes," she whispered, unsheathing her claws and sinking them into the sandy floor of the den, trying to stop herself from swaying. "I broke… I broke the warrior code, Sunstar. I took a mate from RiverClan. I d-don't want my kits to grow up without a father, or to be ashamed of their parents, so I… I'm leaving tonight… And joining RiverClan." She did her best to square her shoulders and sound strong, but she couldn't bring herself to look her leader in the eye. He must furious… He's probably going to drive me out now… The queen was surprised when her leader padded silently over to her and rested his nose on the top of her head.
"ThunderClan will miss you, Bluefur."
"You're not mad?" The she-cat's gaze jumped up to meet his. In his eyes he saw only sadness.
"Every cat makes mistakes," he rumbled. "I'm disappointed in you for breaking the warrior code, as any mentor should be. But as the warrior code states, kits are the future of the Clans, and must always be put first. They would be cherished in ThunderClan, and thrive, but the Clan would never be able to know their father—and neither would they. You've always been strong, Bluefur, and making this sacrifice for the good of your kits… It may be the strongest thing I've seen you do yet. RiverClan doesn't know how lucky they are." He paused for a moment. "You shouldn't tell anyone else," he warned her quietly. "There are those that would take the news… poorly."
Bluefur nodded. "I… I should be going now." She hesitated. "I'll miss you, Sunstar. And I'll… I'll miss ThunderClan. But I know this is the only way for my kits to be happy."
Sunstar bowed his head. "We won't forget you, Bluefur. We shall mourn your loss as we mourn the death of the noblest of warriors."
The blue-gray she-cat hesitated. I can't do this! But Oakheart's eyes, bright and full of love, pushed her feet forward. She padded slowly out the Sunstar's den, and then out of the gorse tunnel. When she reached the top of the ravine, panting, she didn't look back. I must only move forward. Oakheart is waiting for me. She stumbled through ThunderClan's territory as the moon began to rise, relieved when she finally saw Sunningrocks looming ahead. Something twisted in her stomach, and a tired purr rose in her throat. We're almost there, little ones. She padded carefully over the smooth stones and down the slope to the river, where she ducked her head and lapped at the ice cold water. A gruff meow snapped her focus to the other side of the river, where the reeds were rustling.
"I thought you wanted to talk, Oakheart. We've been on the ThunderClan border since the sun set."
As she watched, Oakheart emerged, his red fur glowing in the moonlight. His eyes lit up as he saw her crouched there. "Bluefur," he called. "Come across the stepping stones." He waved his tail towards the rocks just upstream, and Bluefur gave him a small nod. This is it.
"Did you say Bluefur?" Crookedstar appeared as she padded up the bank towards the stepping stones. His hackles bristled. "Why have you invited her onto RiverClan territory, Oakheart?"
Instead of answering, Oakheart thrust into the frosty river, swimming quickly to Bluefur's side. "I'll follow you across," he mewed quietly, his voice layered with concern. "That way if you slip I can catch you."
As much as she wanted to cuff him over the ears for treating her like a kit, the kits stirring in her own belly reminded her that he was as concerned for their safety as she was. Without answering, she jumped to the first step. It was harder than she thought to balance on the smooth rock, her rounding belly making each jump awkward. But she could feel Oakheart's breath on her tail, stopping suddenly when she would wobble, then huffing out in a relieved sigh when she would regain her balance, and his concern drove her forward.
Crookedstar greeted them on the other side with a lashing tail, his pale green eyes blazing. "Explain yourself, Oakheart."
Bluefur crouched low to the ground beside her mate, unaccustomed to this version of the cat she had met so many moons ago at a Gathering. Oakheart, however, didn't seem phased, standing tall and unwavering under his brother's furious gaze.
"Bluefur has come to join RiverClan."
For a moment, Crookedstar's anger faltered, surprise breaking through as he turned an incredulous look to the ThunderClan warrior. "What?"
Oakheart nodded a small confirmation, his tail resting against her flank. "She is expecting my kits."
"You took a mate from ThunderClan?" The large tabby hissed.
Oakheart didn't flinch. "Yes. And I nearly left RiverClan to be with her in ThunderClan, but she wouldn't let me give up on my dream of becoming your deputy, Crookedstar."
"So you told her she could come to RiverClan," Crookedstar looked as if he wanted to rake his claws over his brother's ears. "And what do you have to say about this, Bluefur?"
Oakheart pressed against her, sharing his strength as she squared her shoulders and looked into Crookedstar's eyes. "Nothing that Oakheart hasn't already told you. I don't want my kits to grow up without their father. I will do everything you ask of me within the warrior code to prove I will be a loyal warrior of RiverClan, even if it means becoming an apprentice again once my kits have reached their sixth moon."
"Kits that will be your kin," Oakheart pointed out, his tail beginning to flick as Crookedstar hesitated.
"I will not make you an apprentice again," he finally sighed. "But you will have to be trained once your kits have been apprenticed." He turned his gaze to Oakheart. "As for you. You will be in charge of caring for her, and the kits once they're born. You will hunt for the Clan, and for her, and not take a morsel for yourself until you have. Is that understood?"
Oakheart's eyes sparked with excitement. "Yes, Crookedstar."
The great tabby sighed. "I'll announce it to the Clan at dawn."
With that, he turned and padded away, leaving Bluefur to release the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A purr erupted from Oakheart's chest, and he wrapped himself around the queen.
"Oh, Bluefur," he rumbled, bathing her ears in licks. "I can't believe we can finally be together."
A purr of her own broke from Bluefur's throat as her mate showered her in affection. "I can't, either."
"Have you eaten anything today?" He suddenly asked. Bluefur shuffled her paws, and the RiverClan warrior rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back."
He padded down to the river, sitting still and silent for a number of heartbeats. Suddenly, his paws flashed out, and fish came flying out of the water, landing on the bank where it flopped feebly for a moment until Oakheart stilled it with a killing blow. He picked it up and carried it to her.
"Here," he deposited it at her paws. His whiskers twitched when she wrinkled her nose. "You'll get used to it," he murmured, sweeping his tail down her side. "There's a lot of nutrients in it, and it tastes great, too."
You're a RiverClan cat now, Bluefur. She reminded herself and she crouched down to eat. And you haven't eaten anything all day. Your kits need this. She was surprised when she bit into the fresh-kill, fresh, vivid flavors washing over her tongue. It's actually… kind of good. The first bite made her stomach growl loudly, and the queen finished the rest in a few hungry gulps.
"See?" Oakheart teased. "That wasn't so bad."
Bluefur rolled her eyes, ready to make a sarcastic comment when a yawn suddenly slipped through her jaws. Oakheart purred sympathetically.
"Come on," he gave her a gentle nudge. "We'll make a nest just outside of camp for now, that way you won't have to answer any questions until morning." Bluefur nodded drowsily. Oakehart offered his shoulder, supporting his drowsy mate as he led the blue-gray queen through unfamiliar territory. The splashed through the shallows around the camp, before settling in the reeds. The reddish brown warrior vanished for a moment, before coming back with some fresh moss.
"Here," he offered, flattening some reeds with his wide paws and dropping the moss in the make-shift nest. "It's not as comfortable as your nest in the nursery will be, but it's better than nothing."
"It's perfect," Bluefur mumbled appreciatively. She circled the nest a few times before curling up, a sleepy purr rising from her chest as Oakheart curled around her.
"Just wait," he meowed quietly as he rasped his tongue gently and rhythmically across her shoulder. The soothing motion lulled her closer and closer to sleep. "Our kits are going to be the best warriors RiverClan has ever seen. Everything is going to be okay, now that you're here, Bluefur. Everything is going to be okay."
A/N: I received a request to do an Oakheart X Bluefur fic a while ago, and after rereading Bluestar's Prophecy I decided that it was about time I got to it. I'm trying to decide if I want to leave the kits' names as they were in the original series (Stonekit, Mistykit, and Mosskit) or if I should change it up a little, for the sake of being different. Also, I was wondering if Crookedstar should change Bluefur's warrior name? Meh, I'm not sure. Anyways, thanks for reading! Drop a review if you've got any suggestions for kits/names/etc!