"Every time a man unburdens his heart to a stranger he reaffirms the love that unites humanity."

Greer, Germaine on Strangers

Bluestar had been doing a border patrol by herself, hoping to clear her head of all the old cobwebs and allow new ideas to come in. This moon had been stressful and she often wondered what to do next, but Redtail helped her and her warriors were plentiful and smart, they could get through this. Though, the petite number of apprentices still nagged at her mind.

She casted a glance at the twoleg houses, seeing their plan white coverings and brown roofs. They seemed all the same...so ordinary, so plain. What kind of cat would want to live in there? She knew the answer to that; a kittypet.

Bluestar stared at the twoleg place for a moment, and was about to turn away when she saw a flicker of movement. Looking back to see if there was something there or it was a trick of the light, she saw a small cat hop on one of the fence posts.

The cat couldn't have been more then six moons. It's coat was still puffy and soft and it's eyes did not hold the wisdom of an older cat. It's coat was bright orange and it had a collar around it's neck, the twoleg's trademark.

"Kittypet," Bluestar grumbled to herself. She knew that this kitten was just going to sat on the fence post and clean itself while basking in the sun's rays and enjoy having a bellyful of cheap twoleg food crap.

But this kitten didn't do that. He just sat and stared into the forest with a glazed look over his green eyes. It's head was cocked in a way that some cats did when they were thinking about something. Bluestar was intruiged and wanted to know what this cat was thinking.

Bluestar knew she should have kept going and finish her patrol, but she didn't. She just wanted to sit here and watch the cat and try and figure out it's secrets and why it didn't do things like a normal kittypet would.

A fly buzzed near the cat's hear and he swiped it away, but never broke eye contact with the forest and it's trees. Bluestar watched and knew that the cat had probably done this a bunch of times.

Another kittypet soon joined the first, hoping on the fence and taking a seat right next to the orange one. This one was slightly larger, but still the same age and looked more innocent then the first.

"Rusty, why do you keep coming back here? There's nothing out in the forest, it's just a bunch of trees and mice," the second one said to Rusty, clearly tired of having this conversation. Bluestar knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she did it anyway. She wanted to know why this cat called Rusty was so interested in the forest...their forest.

"I've told you before Smudge, I want to explore, have adventure. I want to do something other then this," Rusty explained. Bluestar smiled, that was how most of the kittens in their camp felt.

"Rusty, you and I both know that's not true."

Rusty let out a long sigh. "Yeah, I know, but I still want to explore the forest. It seems like such a fun place and it would be loads of fun to catch a real mouse instead of the fake ones my master gives me."

Smudge let out a laugh. "But you don't even know how to catch a mouse!"

"I could learn. It is in my blood right?" Rusty asked, shrugging and not getting his friend's humour.

"Yeah, but no cats do that anymore! Well, not sensible cats like you and me. Cats who catch mice and run around in the woods are way more than over the cuckoo's nest*," Smudge said. Bluestar let out a low growl and knew that this kittypet called Smudge was not a very bright cat.

"You might be right, but I won't become one of them, I just want to get a taste of what it's like to live in the wild," Rusty explained.

"Oh well. I guess I can't change your mind, but let's leave this forest behind and go play. I hear Cotton has a bunch of new toys and they are all over his yard!" Smudge called as he hopped down from the fence.

"Alright, I'm coming," Rusty said. He casted one last look at the forest and Bluestar could have sworn that he was looking right at her, but then he too hopped down and followed his friend. "Say Smudge, where did you hear that phrase, cuckoo's nest?"

"Oh, my masters watched this movie last night called One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest* and everyone in that movie was weird!"

Bluestar watched as the two kittypets walked off. She had seen the way Rusty had looked at the forest and knew that he could possibly be useful if he wanted to. He seemed like the right type and she would have to think about him for a while. Bluestar got up from where she had been sitting and walked off, away from the twoleg houses, away from ThunderClan's next leader.

*- One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, a 1975 movie starring Jack Nicholoson. Summary: Upon arrival at a mental institution, a brash rebel rallies the patients together to take on the oppressive Nurse Ratched, a woman more a dictator than a nurse (from IMDB.)

A/N: Okay, I was bored so I decided to write this little oneshot about Bluestar's first glance at Rusty/Firepaw. I threw in the One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest because well...I'm just that awesome. XD. Go watch it, it's a seriously awesome film...then again, it's Jack so how can you not go wrong?

Holly