Don't expect much from this, it's just a bunch of drabbles/random one-shots about certain events in a character's life, their thoughts on a situation that happened in the books, ect.
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.
Firestar paced anxiously outside of the nursery, mumbling under his breath. He occasionally paused, attempted to look into the shadows of the nursery, then resumed his pacing. His ginger fur was messy and dishevelled and the very air around seemed to crackle with tension. Several cats passing by stooped to gawk at their usually calm and collected leader, who now seemed on the verge of a nervous break-down. A few brave souls tried to ask him on what was the matter, only to retreat when Firestar exploded in their face.
Graystripe watched his friend, concern in his amber eyes. He padded over, his presence unnoticed unnoticed by the frantic Firestar. "Firestar," he meowed.
The ginger tomcat looked up, green eyes blazing. "What!" he yowled in a voice so loud that every cat nearby glanced at him.
Graystripe put a paw out and stopped Firestar's pacing. "Calm down," he replied in an even tone. "Working everyone up and disturbing Cinderpelt from her work isn't going to help."
"Calm down? Calm down! How can I calm down when my kits are being born and no one is allowing me to see them!" Firestar shot another glance at the entrance, willing the medicine cat to come and and announce the arrival of his healthy kits.
"Because no one, not even the Clanleader, is allowed to watch the birth of their kits. All they do is stand around and distract the medicine cat. They protest whenever their mate is in pain, which is pretty much the whole time, they insist on seeing every single kitten the moment it's born, they-"
"I get it!" Firestar snapped. His claws unsheathed and began to attack the dirt below his paws, sending clumps of dust onto his already filthy pelt. "But what if something went wrong and that's why no one's coming to get me? What if a kit was born dead? Or something terrible happened to Sandstorm...." He trailed off, remembering the first nightmarish birh of Silverstream's kits he had witnessed.
"Nothing will happen," Graystripe insisted firmly. "Sandstorm's a healthy cat and Cinderpelt monitored her throughout her entire pregnancy. She says the kits seem fine. Besides, this isn't the first litter she delivered. It's not the birth you have to worry about, it's what happens afterwards."
Firestar looked up. "What do you mean?"
"These kits are your kits as well as Sandstorm's, and they'll be looking up to you two for guidance in everything that they do. Unlike the other apprentices, you'll be influencing your kits from the moment they're born. Whatever you do, whatever you say to them, will affect them for the rest of their lives."
Firestar flicked his tail in agitation, stealing another glance at the nursery. He strained his ears to hear what was going on inside, but didn't pick up anything over the mewl of the kits and the encouraging words of the other queens. "I know what I'm doing, Graystripe. I've mentored apprentices before and certainly know how to raise my own kits."
Graystripe shook his head. "That's just it. You're not raising apprentices, Firestar, you're raising newborn kits! They're not born knowing how to talk and what's right and wrong. You have to teach them every single little thing a six-moon-old kit knows by the time it's apprenticed."
Firestar remained silent, the full weight of fatherhood finally sinking in. He was going to have these kits everything and whatever he did in front of them was going to affect them? That meant that one bad action could ruin the rest of their lives! He shook his head, trying to get control of his thoughts.
"Great StarClan," he muttered.
His best friend and deputy shrugged. "No one said fatherhood was ever going to be easy," he meowed. "Don't worry, Firestar. You're a decent cat, as is Sandstorm. Both of you will do just fine with raising these kits."
Firestar purred. "Thanks, Graystripe. That really helped."
Graystripe smiled. "No problem, Firestar. Besides, even if you screw up with these kits, you'll know what not to do with the next ones!"
Goldenflower padded out the nursery, and both cats looked expectantly at her. The old ginger cat was smiling and their was a warm look in her eyes. "Congratulations, Firestar," she meowed. "You're the father of two healthy baby she-cats."
Firestar blinked. "She-cats?" Great, both of them would turn out stubborn and hot-headed like Sandstorm. Then he smiled. "Can I see them?" he asked Goldenflower.
She nodded. "Of course, Firestar. Sandstorm and your daughters are waiting inside for you."
Graystripe, seeing the half-excited and half-anxious look on his friend's face, leaned over and whispered in his ear, "You don't have to think about impressing your kits right now. They can't even see or hear you yet. You just have to worry about giving them decent names."
Firestar chuckled then followed Goldenflower into the nursery. He was ready to embrace all of the joys, and pains, of fatherhood.