"Oh Leafpool what am I going to do?" the ginger she-cat let out a big sigh, her tail lashing behind her. "Brambleclaw won't even talk to me..and it's been almost a moon since
Hollyleaf announced that" her sister, a brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes nudged her kindly.
"It's his loss Squirrelflight, you don't deserve this..it was all my fault" Squirrelflight looked at her, her green eyes which were dull and lifeless suddenly sparked in anger. "No
don't say that Leafpool, i agreed and that's that. Sometimes though i wonder what would have happened if i had chosen Ashfur as a mate, then nothing of this would've
happend" she said softly. Leafpool rubbed against her sister, shaking her head. "No Squirrelflight don't punish yourself thinking about that, that is the past. What will you do
with the kits?" Squirrelflight swallowed hard, looking at Leafpool with a worried glance. "I don't know Leafpool, i can't raise them in the clan. I don't want Brambleclaw to
know anyway." the ginger she-cat let her head drop. Leafpool sighed and gave her sister a nudge. "Are you at least going to tell mom and dad?" she asked, her amber eyes
flickering everso slightly. "Do you think i should..i think they hate me now.." Squirrelflight said in a low voice, but she looked up at Leafpool, seeing her eyes flick irritable
nodded. "You're right Leafpool i'll tell them" Leafpool smiled. "Come on, it's almost dawn and we're still out, we've been out since moon high" Squirrelflight nodded, she
looked at her sister and gave her an appreciative lick on the ears. As they padded back to camp, Squirrelflight looked down at her stomach, and gave a small sigh, she had
thought about giving the kits away but she knew she could not, and Leafpool had said that those kits might be the only ones she would ever have. As they arrived in camp,
Leafpool opened her mouth to say something then closed it. Squirrelflight followed her gaze and blinked sadly. Brambleclaw stood giving orders to the warriors, sending out
patrols and such. He stopped when he saw Squirrelflight, she met his glare with a pleading stare still hoping he would jump from the highrock and walk over to her, ask her
how she had slept, or where had she gone, but he simply turned away. Squirrelflight felt a pang on her chest as she followed Leafpool to the leader's den, as they climbed
their way to highrock Squirrelflight passed by Brambleclaw her head down, she flickered her eyes toward him but he ignored her. She let out a sigh as they entered Firestar's
den. "Father..?" she called softly. She saw her father's figure in the dark, sleeping soundly along with Sandstorm. She shared a glance with Leafpool, and Leafpool said her
father's name again. Squirrelflight saw him stir along with his mother. Sandstorm stood up, stretching. Squirrelflight lowered her head. "Can we talk to you..." she saw
Sandstorm nod and prod Firestar awake, she walked over to where she and Leafpool stood at the entrance of the den. "What is it Squirrelflight?" she asked. Squirrelflight
looked at her father who was blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "Can we come in?" she asked. She heard her father purr. "Why of course you can Squirrelflight" she was glad
to hear that Firestar wasn't mad at her. She walked towards her father wanting to bury in his fur like she did when she was child. Sandstorm passed rubbing her fur against
her and Squirrelflight knew her parent still loved her. Leafpool now too walked inside, she looked sad. "Are you mad..at us?" her sister asked in a soft whisper. She felt her
father's gaze on her and surely Leafpool felt it too.
"As a leader yes, but I understand why you did it" she heard her father say, but then felt his voice lighten up. "As a father no, i could never be mad at at my two little bundles
of fur" She heard her father purr. She raised her glance to meet her mother's eyes expecting to see a frown, but she saw a smile, her mother's green eyes. Squirrelflight
couldn't help but smile and rub her head against Sandstrom while Leafpool rubbed her chin against Firestar. She smiled and smuggled into her mother's warm fur like she
used to when she was a kit. Firestar licked her head and Squirrelflight smiled. "But I assume you're not here to ask me that are you?" she looked at her father, whose gaze
locked on hers. She rubbed against him. "You can't tell anyone okay? no one no one not even Graystripe dad!" She looked at him. "You have to promise"
"Can't tell me what?" Squirrelflight almost jumped as she heard Graystripe's voice cheery and loud. She turned around. "Nothing..you can leave now" She saw Graystripe
frown. "Oh come on Squirrelflight i'm like your uncle, i can know!" he tilted his head and grinned at Squirrelflight, Squirrelflight glanced at her father, her gaze pleading him to
make Graystripe leave but Firestar only chuckled. "Come on he won't tell anyone Squirrelpaw" Squirrelflight glared at her father, he knew she didn't like being called
Squirrelpaw, but she smiled she looked at Leafpool who had nodded, and turned to Sandstorm who chuckled. "Firestar is right" she said warmly. Squirrelflight smiled
nervously, she fumbled with her paws, she felt Leafpool give her side a nudge, egging her to say felt Firestar's gaze fix on her and looked up. "I'm pregnant". "You're what?"
she heard her father scream as she winced.
~Brambleclaw's pov~
Brambleclaw jumped as he heard Firestar scream, he ducked his head and padded over to the entrance of the den. Peeking in he looked at the leader, his family and
Graystripe.
"Firestar are you okay?" he asked. All the cats in the den, including Graystripe turned to face him, but it was Firestar who awnsered. "I'm fine Brambleclaw, you are
dismissed" Brambleclaw frowned and nodded. Firestar hadn't been so cold to him since he was a kit, he frowned as he headed out to the forest, wondering who had said
something so disturbing to Firestar that he had to scream. It surerly had been Squirrelflight that lying she-cat was good for nothing.
~Firestar's pov~
Firestar coughed then spat on the floor clearing his throat. "What do you mean you're pregnant" he asked once he saw Brambleclaw leave . He narrowed his green eyes
looking at his daughter dull green eyes, she saw them spark for a moment as she hissed at him. "It happened father, don't ask me how!" Firestar winced as his daughter
snapped at him. Firestar stood up, he lashed his tail surprised, he flattened his ears. "Calm down Squirrelflight, i'm just surprised." Firestar looked to Sandstorm who was
quiet, though her tail lashed. When she spoke she sounded excited, yet slightly wary. "When are you due?" She asked. Firestar looked at Sandstorm as saw her smile slightly.
Squirrelflight stayed quiet and it was Leafpool who answered. "She's due in a moon maybe less.." she said, Leafpool too sounded happy but sad. Firestar smiled and licked his
Daughter's ear. Leafpool purred as she rubbed against him. Sandstorm licked Squirrelflight's head, conforting her. "Your kits will be born around the same time as
Whitewing's so you won't be alone in the nursery" Sandstrom purred. Firestar frowned as he thought about that, yes they would. There would be many kits in the clan, he
smiled at the thought, but his smile fell when he saw his daughter shake her head. "No..I'll keep my kits but not here..not in a clan where not even their father will want to
look at them. No i'll raise them like clan cats but not here." she said firmly. Firestar frowned. "What..No Squirrelflight you aren't talking seriously right? I mean..?" he started
to stumble on his own words, he had witnessed his other grandchildren grow up but they had never been close to him but he had another chance. He saw SandStrom frown
and her lips curl slightly, he heard her voice crack impatiently as she talked. "You aren't serious are you?" Squirrelflight's nod made Firestar heart brake a little, he wouldn't
be be able to see his grandkits grow up, Squirrelflight chuckled and Firestar frowned. "I'm going to raise them near the shadowclan border, by the Twoleg Greenleaf place, but
behind both the borders, that way they won't be on clan territory. You can come see them anytime, they will be raised like warriors but without a clan." she said, Firestar
frowned he didn't quite understand and wasn't quite happy about the idea but it seemed his mate had caught on faster than him. "So we'll be able to visit them?"
Squirrelflight purred of course. Firestar nodded, he looked to Graystripe who had just been sitting there quietly, when he suddenly broke into a grin. "I'm going to make them
call me Uncle Graystripe" Firestar chuckled and shared a glance with Sandstorm who said. "Of course you will Graystripe of course you will.." she chuckled. Firestar smiled,
and looked at Squirrelflight and Leafpool who were smiling and nuzzling each other, it made Firestar happy to see them smiling again after the depressing moon the whole
family had felt. Graystripe nudged both of them smiling. Firestar looked at Squirrelflight. "You should tell Brambleclaw Squirrelflight." Sandstrom nodded, and Firestar met his
daughter's green eyes. She swallowed and turned away to leave the den. "Maybe i will.." she let with that, leaving Leafpool to sigh and Firestar to look worriedly at his mate,
while Graystripe just flicked his ears. Squirrelflight groaned as she reached for the newest leaves in the tree. They were higher than the rest and a bit hard to get with her
bulging stomach. As she bit down on a leaf stem her hind paw slipped, and she went almost plummeting down back to the floor, she managed to dig her claws into the branch
and bit it letting go of the leaf. She panted as she pulled herself up and looked below. "Leafpool?" she called to her sister. "yeah? Are you okay Squirrelflight? I told you this
was a bad idea..I could have climbed to get the leaves..." Squirrelflight rolled her eyes hearing her sister fret. She snorted. "Don't worry Leafpool i'm coming back down." she
decided not to worry her sister more as she jumped down to the nearest branch and started to climb down the tree, she figured she had more than enough leaves to make a
cushioned floor. She had the perfect idea for a den, and mini camp for her kits, they were less than quarter moon away and she was not supposed to be climbing trees or
building dens but eh..she had survived the Great Journey two times she could birth kits. Jumping down to the floor she smiled at the piles of leaves. "Come on then! We've
got work to do Leafpool" she said as she grabbed two sticks and looked around, "so how do we do this?" she as she looked around. They were near both the Shadowclan
border and the Thunderclan border, but in neither territory so her kits would be safe. She smiled as she licked her chest. "I don't know. Squirrelflight, lets start by building the
den okay?" Leafpool asked, Squirrelflight nodded as she and her sister got to work. They were going to build a den, somewhat like the nursery built with sticks and brambles,
and they would weave Evergreen shurb leaves so the rain in case of rain wouldn't wet the den. They had moss and feathers in another pile for the nests and then they would
make a wall or barrier of sticks, brambles and thorns on the outsides. The wall would be big enough that an adult cat would have to jump slightly over it but a young cat
would not be able to jump over it. Squirrelflight was quite pleased with her idea and was happy that her kits would be growing up safe but thinking about her kits
Squirrelflight felt a pang in her chest her kits wouldn't know their father, and Brambleclaw wouldn't ever know his kits. She felt her mouth dry as she remembered how he had
ignored her when he tried to talk with him. Squirrelflight padded over to Brambleclaw, she tried sucking in her belly so that her moon and a half pregnant belly would be less
noticeable although she had already received some questioning glances and some comments on her weight and how she had lowered her hunting performance and the
amount of prey that she would bring in, but she hadn't said a word and most just assumed that it was because Brambleclaw. "Brambleclaw..can we talk?" Squirrelflight had
asked with a small voice, almost whispering. Brambleclaw had turned his amber eyes toward her and shook her head. "No...Squirrelflight. We have nothing to talk about"
Brambleclaw has awnsered her coldly and started to walk away, Squirrelflight followed him. "Wait Brambleclaw. You know as well as I do that we do have something to talk
about many things to talk about" Squirrelflight called after him, but Brambleclaw walked away leaving camp. Squirrelflight bit her tongue in order not to snap or curse at him.
She followed him. "Brambleclaw..please we have to talk.." she said in a pleading voice as she let her tail drop. Brambleclaw looked at her his amber eyes burning in anger,
she tried to see past the anger past the ice that clouded his beautiful amber eyes but found that nothing was there. "No Squirrelflight we have nothing to talk about, nothing.
I don't want to know anything about you, nothing! You lied to me for whatever reason" Brambleclaw's words stung the ginger she-cat's chest and heart as she felt a cold
feeling creep into her and felt the back of her fur stand up, she found no words to say Brambleclaw was right she had lied to him... Squirrelflight took a step back ready to
leave but Brambleclaw hadn't finished. "And what is with your hunting Squirrelflight? Or never mind i have no reason to hear you complain...i can't stand you anymore
Squirrelflight i hate you" the last three words had hurt so badly Squirrelflight that when Brambleclaw had pushed past her leaving she had just stayed there not moved to the
side, nothing. The pain in her chest grew and she bit her lip as she started to cry. There it was Brambleclaw hated her...she shut her eyes and whimpered, swallowing her
tears. "I tried to tell you Brambleclaw..i tried to tell you"
~: :~
Squirrelflight looked over the little camp she, Leafpool, Firestar, Sandstorm and Graystripe had built. Her father and Graystripe had gone back to camp while her mother and
sister had stayed with her. Squirrelflight smiled at her mother and Leafpool. She leaped over the barrier and sighed. "Everyone's going to notice i'm gone.." she muttered.
Leafpool sighed. "Squirrelflight we already went through this" her sister said desperately. Sandstorm purred. "Squirrelflight we'll just say you aren't feeling good so you
decided to stay out of camp for a while" Sandstorm said as she flicked her tail. Squirrelflight nodded and looked around she touched noses with Sandstorm and Leafpool and
watched as the two she-cats left talking. She flicked her tail and gave a small growl. "Time to do this" she said as she jumped over the small barrier again and settled behind
the small camp. She blinked her green eyes as she placed her head down, waiting...When the sun was almost down a searing pain in her hips and stomach or womb. She
shrieked and dug her claws into the earth letting her self curse everyfew heartbeats. She yowled out in pain and agony as she felt the contractions, Squirrelflight tried to
concentrate on everything else but the pian but her mind wouldn't let her. She had ripped the dirt apart where her claws had been and streched a bit once again digging into
the earth. Soon the pain was over and Squirrelflight sighed. "I don't know...how...Leafpool did this.." she rasped as she turned around, all the pain was washed away as she
saw her newborn. A small kit still in its sack was there laying mewing for its mother. Squirrelflight nipped its sack like she had done with Jayfeather and Hollyleaf and
Lionblaze in Leafpool's labor. She nudged it close to her stomach and was about to lick the little tom's head when the searing pain came again. She yowled again but this time
she already knew what was going to happen again she dug her claws into the dirt squirming a little as the pain made her unconfortable, she heard the little tom mewl in
protest. Again she turned around and nipped the small she-kits sack open letting her breath, she nudged her towards her stomach where she nursed and repeated the
process when her last kit was born.
Squirrelflight sighed as she looked over her three kits, the first born was a dark brown tom tabby with one white paw and a white tipped tail. The other kit was a ginger she-
kit like Firestar or her with dark ginger stripes, and with one brownies golden paw, the other kit was pale blue gray tom with dark gray stripes, and black paws. She smiled at
the three kits and smiled.
"You were worth the pain" she murmured, likcing their heads. She would wait until dawn and then take them into the den, she didn't want to move them right now, they
seemed to weak. She placed her head down and closed her eyes welcoming the well deserved sleep. She gave a little yawn before she entered a world of dreams...
Brambleclaw's pov
Brambleclaw slipped out of the dirt tunnel and looked around, it was past sunset and Squirrelflight wasn't in camp. It was he cared much about what happened to that liar but
she was a warrior and like everyone else she had duties in the morning and if he remembered well she was on the dawn patrol. He frowned and looked around, Dustpelt sat
guard, but he could see the senior warrior wanted to sleep badly. Brambleclaw walked over to Dustpelt flicking his shoulder with his tail. "Go head...i'll keep guard" he
muttered, Dustpelt nodded a 'thanks' and bounded away. Brambleclaw looked at the entrance of the camp and frowned narrowing his eyes as he remebered some of the
times Squirrelflight had passed through there with Ashfur, when he had been jealous and envious of the now dead tom, but in the end she had chosen him...she had chosen
to lie to him. He looked away and not long after jumped hissing as he heard a yowl break the calm silence in the forest. He hissed ready to alert the clan if it was needed. He
felt a tail rest on his shoulder and turned around snarling, but it was just Sandstrom. "Calm down Brambleclaw it's probably just a rogue, i re-marked the borders with
Graystripe and Firestar so you don't need to be worried". Brambleclaw nodded to the she-cat and let bristled fur down. He watched the leader's mate head to Firestar's den
where she ussually slept. He turned back to the tunnel and watched... to see if squirrelflight would return soon " he signed maybe I was too hard on her and leafpool all ask
her what she was thinking when she lied to me like that when she gets back form patrol tomorrow he signed and contained to watch the tunnel enters.
Squirrelflight pov
"soon I will have to move the kits to the den as soon as the dawn gets her but what should I name them she signed and looked down at her kits two toms and a she-cat. She
signed wishing brambleclaw would changes his mind would not help her name the kits she signed and looked down at them again and smiled softy down at the dark brown
tabby tom and his little white paw and tip tail thinking to herself I think all call you eaglekit to remember me of the eagles that we saw on the great journey. She said softy
than she turned to the she-cat that looked like her with dark ginger stripes and one brownies golden paw and smiled to herself honeykit she said softy and then she looked at
her last kit a tom as will and looked at him softy the pale blue gray tom with dark gray stripes and black paws she smiled softy now what am I going to call you she said softy
to herself lightingkit I said softy no I said that does not semen right name for you
I signed and looked down at my unnamed kit and signed maybe leafpool and firestar have some ideas on what I should name him she said softy and then my father and
sister came torte me squirrelflight leafpool called softy I right here I said oh squirrelflight their beautiful leafpool and firestar said have you told bramblecalw firestar asked
squirrelflight no she replied I tried to but he would not listen to me firestar nodded his head let's get you all back to the den that you and leafpool made he mewed
squirrelflight nodded picking up her unnamed kit in her mouth leafpool picked up eaglekit and firestar picked up honeykit and they head for the den that I had made with
leafpool early yesterday when we got their we sit the kits down and firestar asked what their names where I pointed to honeykit and said this is honeykit she the only she-cat
she said softy than I pointed to eaglekit and said this is eaglekit and the last kit leafpool asked squirrelflight signed I have not name him yet I was hoping you two could help
me with that firestar signed will I have to get back to the clan he said softy but all be back after the dawn patrol to check on you and to bring you some fristkill he said but
I`m sure you will find the right name for him he said. Squirrelflight nodded her head and leafpool looked down at the little unnamed kit what about stromkit she said to
squirrelflight I shocked my head that not the right name ether I said what about featherkit she said softy it's a tom not a she-cat and he does not have soft fur like a feather
any how I said calmly
Brambleclaw`s pov
He signed squirrelflight had not yet come back to the camp he signed he decide to go for a walk and go to sky oak and think about things maybe she was out in the forest
somewhere cooling off form the agreement they were having early he said softy to himself he left brackenfur watching the enters to the tonal and when for his walk at the
same time firestar had used lefted leafpool and squirrelflight and the kits a few mintuntes form camp firestar saw brambleclaw heading torge sky oak and he decide to follow
him and talk to him about him and squirrelflight he was not going to munch the kits thought he was how ever going to talk some sense in to his deputy because he what his
grandkits to be thunderclan warriors and not be apart from the clan that had to be capped a secreted form the rest of the clan. Mean will brambleclaw set down with his paws
under nifty him and looked out across the lake. Firestar watched for a moment and then he mewed its peaceful out here is it not he said brambleclaw jumped and turned
round oh it's you firestar sorry if I scared you brambleclaw he mewed but I need to talk to about you and squirrelflight he said calmly what about me and squirrelflight he said
as he curled his tail round his paws and set down again and looked out at the lake again firestar joined him and said I know you have every right to be mad at her for lying to
about the kits being yours but maybe she had a good reason for not telling you sooner about them but you need to give her the change to explaining to you what she was
thinking brambleclaw nodded your right firestar he said calmly but theirs one problem I have no idea where squirrelflight is or what to say to her we had a fight early and I
said something that I did not mean and I hatred her feelings he said firestar smiled and said will as to finding her you minted what too started near the shadowclan border
and in between are border and theirs you minted find her now as to what to say to her all I can tell you is to say you're sorry about the way you were acting early and that
you what'd to know why she did what she did are you sure it not because she does not trust me he said to firestar. Firestar signed she does trust you he said but sometimes
we do things for different reason and thought we trusted someone we choose not to tell them for another reason all together to protected them form that lie we told to others
thought it may hurt to lie to them like that she may thinking that she was doing the right thing he said to brambleclaw. Brambleclaw nodded his head all go see if I can find
her he said softy firestar nodded all make sure the dawn patrol is taken care of he said softy to brambleclaw thanks brambleclaw said to firestar. And head of to where
squirrelflight was so busted to be at firestar smiled to himself and got up and head back to camp as he did so leafpool signed all come back later maybe by than we will have
thought up a name for him she said to squirrelflight softy you get some rested and make sure you eat all the borge she said softy it will help with your milk to come
squirrelflight nodded thank you leafpool for everything she said leafpool nodded her head see you soon she mewed and she lefted squirrelflight alone with her kits.