Part 1

Leafpool ran. She couldn't stand being anywhere near the WindClan border anymore. Why didn't he listen to her? She still loved Crowfeather with all her heart, and now she was with his kits…why had he gone and had a kit with that ungrateful WindClan she-cat Nightcloud. She stopped running and sat down in the roots of a tree. What was she going to do? How would she hide these kits? She yowled up to the sky, her yowl filled with grief. Why, why did Cinderpelt have to die? Why did she have to grow up? Why couldn't she have stayed an apprentice in the old forest, never meeting Crowfeather, never having all this trouble…Maybe then Cinderpelt would still be alive. Just then the bush beside her rusled. She leapt to her paws in shock. Was it Crowfeather? Ashfur's head popped through the leaves and she sat back down again, disappointed.

"Leafpool!" he mewed, "Are you OK? I heard you yowl." Leafpool nodded.

"I'm fine Ashfur," she lied. His blue eyes sparkled.

"Its OK to miss Cinderpelt you know," he mewed wrapping his tail around her, "Its only natural to miss someone that close to you…" His voice drifted away wistfully.

"You miss Squirrelflight being so close to you," she guessed tentatively, aware of his pelt close to hers. He sighed.

"I loved her…" he mewed sadly, then anger entered his mew, "But of course the great Brambleclaw is so much better than me!" Leafpool didn't say anything. She could perfectly understand Squirrelflight's feelings towards Brambleclaw, he was strong, noble, wise, courageous. She closed her eyes, forgetting Ashfur was there. Brambleclaw was all that filled her mind. He would be a great father for her kits. Her heart fluttered, did she love him? Would he even think twice about her?

"You know Leafpool," Ashfur mewed interrupting her dreamy thoughts, "I think…I think your…much prettier than your sister." Leafpool's eyes shot open. She looked into his eyes, and saw love for her their. But I don't love you! She thought desperately, well not as much as Brambleclaw anyway.

"Ashfur," she mewed gently, "That's very nice of you, but…my heads to confused right now." He nodded.

"I can wait," he mewed calmly. He licked her behind the ear. It sent shivers down her spine. "I'll see you back at camp." He padded away leaving her more confused than ever. How could Squirrelflight resist him? He was so caring, everything she wanted but didn't get anymore from Crowfeather. Her mind strayed to the tabby tom that haunted her dreams.

"No," she mewed viciously to herself, "He's Squirrelflight's mate, my sister! He's off limits!" She shock her head agitatedly. Suddenly a pair of amber eyes appeared through the bushes.

"Who are you talking to Leafpool?" Brambleclaw asked coming up to her. Leafpool jumped. He was the last cat she wanted to hear what she just said.

"No one," she mewed shuffling her paws, feeling her heart flutter.

"You know you can tell me anything," he mewed calmly, "I wouldn't tell any cat." He nuzzled her cheek and put his muzzle to her ear, "You carrying Crowfeather's kits aren't you?" She stared at him in shock.

"How…how?" she stuttered.

"Lucky guess," he mewed his eyes shining mischievously. He had been following her! She didn't know weather to feel disgusted or flattered. But before she could answer she felt an agonising pang in her stomach. She lurched in pain.

"Leafpool?" Brambleclaw cried licking her, "Whats wrong?"

"The kits!" she gasped, "The kits are coming!" Brambleclaw stared at her in horror.

"We're too close to camp," he mewed horrorstruck, "Someone will catch you!" He nudged her gently towards the bushes, "Follow me, I'll take you somewhere safe." She hurried after him as quick as her sore body would allow. Once they reached the abandoned Two-Leg nest she flopped down exhaustedly.

"I'll keep watch outside," he mewed, "Let me know if anything's wrong." Leafpool nodded and watched him go out. She pushed and yowled in agony as the first kit came. She licked it until it cried, then put it by her swollen stomach. She did this again and the pain stopped. She sighed with relief and watched her two new-borns suckle. One was black, with a white muzzle and one white paw, on the outside of this whiteness was a ring of ginger. The other was a tabby. She sniffed them. They were both toms. Sparrowkit and Bramblekit she concluded. She yowled to let Brambleclaw know he could come in. He padded in excitedly. His eyes softened at the sight of the kits.

"Leafpool," he mewed, "Their beautiful." He looked at them adoringly like they were his own kits. Oh how she wished they were his rather than Crowfeather's.

"What have you called them?" he asked.

"The black one is Sparrowkit and the tabby is…" she paused wondering how he would react, "Bramblekit." He stared at her in shock, his eyes shining with an emotion she couldn't read.

"I'm…" he started, "I'm flattered." There was a long silence, then he sat down and looked her in the eye.

"You love me," he mewed, "Don't you?" She couldn't deny it anymore. She'd never loved a cat like she loved Brambleclaw.

"Yes I do," she admitted softly, "You don't love me though, do you." He cuffed her gently round the ear.

"You know sometimes your as mouse-brained as your sister," he mewed, "I love you, I love you more than I ever loved Squirrelflight. I love you more than I can put into words." He laid down behind her and licked her behind the ear. Her skin flushed under her fur. She smelt his beautiful scent and closed her eyes. This was how it was meant to be.

"I want you to help me raise these kits," she mewed laying her head on his shoulder.

"That would be better than anything," he mewed sadly, "But how? When we bring them back to camp…" he shivered, "I don't know what the Clan will say…they might kill them!" She shock her head.

"Then I'll leave the Clans with my kits," she mewed, "I'll live on my own, I don't belong their anymore, that's why it felt so wrong being in the forest."

"And I'm coming with you," he mewed, "We will raise these kits together, as a family. We'll leave at sunset, you need to rest." She purred with joy. This was what she'd always wanted. Just then a familiar scent hit her scent glands, and by the way Brambleclaw shot to his paws, he clearly recognised it to. Ashfur!