Chapter 1: Thornclaw

A full moon shone into the clearing. Thornclaw realized it was the night of the Gathering. Too bad I won't be able to go. After the battle with the Dark Forest, everything had gone black. He had been horribly injured, and it still hadn't healed properly. Thornclaw heard cats come and go to the medicine den, but none came to see him. They all still blame me for training in the Dark Forest, he thought bitterly. Well, it's not my fault. Mapleshade told me she would make me the strongest, best warrior by the lake. And maybe, just maybe, then I would be able to impress Blossomfall.

Ah, Blossomfall. He just couldn't stop thinking about her, her beautiful white patches, her soft tortoiseshell fur, her sharp amber eyes. When he had met her in the Dark Forest, he saw her in a whole new light. Instead of an annoying apprentice, she appeared to be a violent, beautiful, angry, misunderstood she-cat. He was immediately smitten. Suddenly, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Someone was watching him. He scrambled into a sitting position, trying not to reopen the wound on his belly. The ferns shielding him from view rustled, and he got ready to pounce.

Blossomfall carefully pushed her way through the ferns. Thornclaw immediately lowered his hackles. "Hey, Blossomfall," he mewed, a dreamy look on his face, "what's up?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you something," she said. "Do you feel like you have an emptiness inside you? One that's just waiting for you to be alone so it can expand? One that pounces whenever someone ignores you, or makes you feel bad about yourself?"

Woah. I know that feeling so well, hearing it described so well is sending shivers down my spine, Thornclaw thought. "Yes," he mewed softly, "I'm familiar with that feeling."

Before he knew what was happening, Blossomfall curled up next to him. "Jayfeather said your injuries were getting better. I hope you don't mind?"

Without a second thought, Thornclaw mewed, "Not at all."

He went to sleep happy for the first time since his injury.

When he woke up, Blossomfall was gone. He sighed with disappointment, but he knew, from the bottom of his heart, it wouldn't have worked out. He yawned, trying to go back to sleep, until Blossomfall came rushing in, stopping clumsily in front of him. She dropped a dock leaf onto a pile, and mewed "Sorry, I didn't wake you, it looked like you were having quite the dream! I'm helping Jayfeather collect herbs, so I'll be in here a lot today." She then touched his nose with hers and left.

Wow, she's amazing. She came back in at that very second, dropping a giant pigeon in front of him. "Do you want to share? I thought you might be hungry."

"I'd love to," Thornclaw meowed nervously. He didn't know how to tell her how he really felt. He opened his mouth, feeling determined, when she said, "Can I say something?"

"Of course, anything," he mewed.

"I don't quite know how to put this," she said, "but...I love you. I have ever since I first laid eyes on you. You're, well, Thornclaw. You're brave, loving, and an amazing hunter. But, above all that, you're just like me. We just seem so, I don't know, compatible."

"I...I love you too," Thornclaw managed to squeak out. "I...well….you're sassy, smart, and beautiful. You're just….strong and intelligent, and I love you. Will you….will you be my mate?"

"I'd love that more than anything," she said, uncharacteristically gentle.

Six moons later. . .

Thornclaw had just been put back on warrior duties. His time in the medicine den was over, and his wound had healed, leaving a small scar. He had just come back from the dawn patrol when he saw Blossomfall, hurtling toward him. He broke away from Brightheart, Hazeltail, and Sorreltail. "What is it? Are you sick? Do you need herbs? Or fresh-kill?"

She panted, leaning against him. "Oh, Thornclaw," she mewed, "I'm going to have your kits!"

He gaped. "Are you serious? That's amazing!" he screeched. "Oh, what will they look like? Tortoiseshells or tabbies? They'll be the best fighters in the Clan!"

"Well, then they'll obviously take after their mother," Blossomfall teasingly mewed.

"Now, stay on warrior duties for as long as you want," Thornclaw meowed, "I don't want your skills to become dull after six moons in the nursery."

"Aren't you even a tiny bit worried about me?" she asked.

He took a long look at her and realized she was shifting her paws. "Are you, the great and powerful Blossomfall, actually scared about something?"

"Well, it's just….you always hear stories about queens dying while they give birth, or the kits not surviving a moon," she said.

"It'll be fine," he meowed confidently. "You have me, don't you?"

Three moons later. . .

Thornclaw paced outside the nursery. "Are the kits here yet? Why are they taking so long? Are they stuck?" he asked Hollyleaf.

"Don't ask me," she said, "I've never had kits. But, in all honesty, Blossomfall will be fine. She's a strong cat, and, don't forget, her birth was much longer and harder than this."

A heart-piercing screech came from the nursery, followed by another.

"She needs me," Thornclaw gasped, "Let me in!"

A last screech pierced the air, followed by...cheering? Leafpool came out of the nursery. She proudly announced, "Thornclaw, you have two she-cats and two toms. Would you like to see your new kits?"

Thornclaw barged past Leafpool without even glancing at her. He pushed into the nursery to see an exhausted Blossomfall and four small bundles. "Are you and the kits alright?" he asked immediately.

"They're fine," Jayfeather snapped, "they just need to rest." On that note, he left the nursery, leaving Thornclaw alone with his family.

"How about Poolkit for the tortoiseshell she-kit? And Featherkit for the soft-furred golden tabby tom?" Blossomfall croaked, sounding parched. She lapped some water from the moss by her nest. "Ah, much better."

"Can I name the last two?" Thornclaw asked, feeling awkward.

"Of course, my love," she mewed, curling around her kits with love in her amber eyes.

"Hazelkit for the brown she-kit?" he asked, "and Berrykit for the golden brown tom?"

"Those are beautiful names," Blossomfall mewed.

Thornclaw curled up around his mate and kits, and, for the first time in his life, felt truly happy.

A/N: This takes place in an AU where Hazeltail, Sorreltail, and Hollyleaf survived the Dark Forest battle and the sickness and injuries following it. Did you like it? Which cat should I write about next? Review please!