Author's Note: Ahh, winter break. Time to begin another multi-chap Warriors fic.

Disclaimer: Warriors (c) Erin Hunter. Characters based off the Firestar's Quest book. Look up my fic "The Ancient Clans" for a full list of cats and their descriptions. Its based off the alternate-universe where SkyClan never was kicked out by Twolegs.

Chapter 1:
I Will Not Bow
Fawnstep of SkyClan.

This shouldn't have happened.

A light brown tabby she-cat stared up at the winking stars from the mouth of the SkyClan medicine cat den, ears flattened from shame. StarClan hadn't contacted her for a few moons, and she knew why. She could feel tiny paws churning around in her belly, little reminders of how she had turned her back on her duties and gave in to her emotions.

I have failed my Clan!

A rustling sound startled the she-cat. She turned to see a ginger tom emerge from the warrior's den, and her green eyes softened at the sight of him. "Buzzardtail..." She mewed, unsure how to tell him that she had ruined their lives.

Before she could say anything to the ginger tomcat, he meowed. "I know, Fawnstep. Birdflight told me."

Fawnstep's mouth shut. "She could tell?"

"A queen knows when another she-cat is pregnant." He meowed, a little awkwardly. After a moment of silence, he meowed again. "I'm so sorry, Fawnstep. I didn't mean to jeapordize your position in the Clan..."

Quieting him by flicking her tail over his mouth, Fawnstep interrupted. "Please don't blame yourself." She had too many feelings for him to ever let him take the blame for something like this. "I won't tell who the father is if you don't tell."

"Look, Fawnstep, we can work this out. I'll explain to Cloudstar, Mousefang can help you out in the medicine cat den for a little while; she was the medicine cat apprentice for a while before you, after all. I'm sure she'd be glad to help. The kits will know I'm their father, and be proud of their mother. I don't want our kits to live in shame."

When he said "our kits", Fawnstep's heart stopped for a moment and melted. Buzzardtail's kits were in her belly. They would be brave and honorable, like him.

"Of course." She mewed softly, still frightened for her Clan to find out. Would they kick me out? Make me live with rogues, shun me?

Buzzardtail pressed his nose to her muzzle. "I'll talk to Cloudstar now." He ran his rough tongue over her ear. "Please don't worry, love. Everything will be fine. Our Clan will back you. Now, go sleep. I want our kits to be healthy when they join SkyClan."

Fawnstep shut her eyes, nodding. After licking his muzzle, she retreated back into the medicine cat den.

The ginger tom shook out his fur, blinking up at the same stars. StarClan would find a way for Fawnstep to be happy, especially after all she had done for her Clan as the medicine cat.

He padded off toward's Cloudstar's den, wondering what he was going to tell the SkyClan leader.