I've had a request for another random pairing... here it goes. By the way, the request was from Rabbitstorm, and thank u to people that reviewed to the Birch/Cinder one... and btw, I'm not going to change the name of the fic even though it's no longer a oneshot. Next chapter will be a request out of these two choices (both suggested by rainstorm007) Stormfur/Squirrelflight, or Whitepaw/Spiderleg, vote for which one you want the next chappie to be, and the majority of the votes will win... also please give suggestions.

mysterys

PS- sorry that I had to kill off both Birchfall and Cinderpaw before, I was feeling rather morbid that day.

PPS- yes, it's another Birchfall/random she-cat oneshot

-------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 2 of Fall and Tear: White Bird and Falling Birch-----------------------------------------------------------

Birchfall watched the rise and fall of Whitewing's chest next to him. They were sleeping next to each other, Whitewing's shoulders and head resting on Birchfall for warmth. She emitted a low moan in her sleep, and Birchfall licked his companion's head comfortingly.

The morning dapples danced on Whitewing's pearly pelt, turning her fur from white to gold and back to white. Birchfall glanced around the warrior's den. There was Graystripe and Millie sleeping next to eachother. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw sleeping next to eachother. Ferncloud and Dustpelt sleeping next to eachother. Cloudtail and Brightheart sleeping next to eachother, even thought Brightheart was supposed to be in the nursery. Brackenfur and Sorreltail sleeping next to eachother. Stormfur and Brook sleeping next to each other. Ashfur, Spiderleg, and Thornclaw were the only one's not with sleeping companions.

The other couples were all deeply in love with eachother, and Birchfall knew that Whitewing loved him... but he didn't love her back- at least in not the way she loved him. Whitewing saw Birchfall as someone she could trust, her friend, and Birchfall knew she wanted to be his mate. Birchfall saw Whitewing as someone he could trust, a friend, but he did not love her in a romantic way. They had been kittens and apprentices together, and after her beloved Shrewpaw had died, Whitepaw had found sanctuary with Birchpaw.

But they were no longer apprentices, and Whitewing had plenty of other choices... actually only probably Ashfur, Spiderleg and himself... Thornclaw was way to old for Whitewing. But Whitewing had chosed Birchfall, the only tom out of the three choices that wasn't infatuated with the beautiful white she-cat.

What was he going to do? Last night before she's curled up next to him, he had thought about his predicament. Then she had pressed herself flirtatiously upon him, and he couldn't pretend he wasn't lustful... after all, Whitewing was gorgeous... but he didn't love her, and he didn't know why. He loved how she looked, her personality, her humor, her beautiful laugh, her voice, the warmth of her pelt in leafbare... but he didn't love her.

Before they had gone to sleep last night, Birchfall had murmured, "Good night, Whitewing." She had whispered back, "Good night, Birchfall, I love you."

But he needed to find a mate. Birchfall wanted love; he again glanced around the room, envious of the couples sharing warmth. He looked down at Whitewing again, and slowly scooted himself out from under her. Her head was lowered gently to the floor by his tail, and he saw Ashfur looking jealously at him and Whitewing. Birchfall gestured to his former mentor with his tail, and walked up to Ashfur, saying, "If you want Whitewing, you can have her."

Ashfur looked at his former apprentice with passion in his eyes and said hoarsely, "I appreciate it Birchpa-fall, but she loves you, not me."

"If you get to know her, she won't. She's very affectionate," Birchfall assured Ashfur.

"Why don't you love her? Anyone in there right mind would, there's nothing not to like about her; she's beautiful, kind, flirtatious, intelligent, strong, talented, and loving. What don't you see in her?" asked Ashfur.

"I don't know" admitted Birchfall.

Ashfur stared at him intently and said, "Look, Birchfall. I thought I loved Squirrelflight, it turns out I was wrong, I love Whitewing... But it might be the opposite for you; you don't think you love her, but it may turn out that you do. If so, she's yours."

Birchfall said, "Thank you for your advice, Ashfur."

"Anytime."

Birchfall wandered out of camp, admiring the fall trees, stopping next to the Shadowclan border. He climbed up a tall Birch tree, and saw the bright pink horizon with a hovering purple-grey cloud, and rays of golden sunlight issuing through the tree brranches... sometimes it was worth it to sneak out of camp. He sighed and leaned against the trunk, think about life, death and love. he scaled the tree, watching out for the boulder underneath.

"Boo," a voice said lazily.

Birchfall couldn't help it, in the silence the new-morning silence the voice was as loud as a Twoleg gunshot, he jumped in surprise and heard a laugh. He whirled around to see a white she-cat sitting on a branch way across the tree.

At first he thought it was Whitewing, but realized it wasn't, this she-cat's eyes were blue, whereas Whitewing's were green. This she-cat was also beautiful... and if it were possible, Birchfall would have said she was more beautiful.

This she-cat had long wavy white luminescent fur with almost the aura of the lightest possible metallic silver tint. Her eyes were aqua ocean blue, and her nose was black, as were the roots of her white fur. Her nose was fine and pointed, tapering into a long graceful neck that widened for her chest and haunches, slender and lithe. Her tail was long and swaying slowly from side to side, hypnotizing him even more than her beauty had already paralyzed him. Her eyes were angled and large, slightly watery and the effect was shiny, beautiful and... well, she was Birchfall's definition of beautiful.

But she smelled of Shadowclan. Birchfall smelled the Shadowclan stench and backed up, but immediately realized where she was standing, and said hoarsely, "You're on Thunderclan territory."

"Oh... am I, really?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, raising a delicate brow (A/N: not eyebrow, but where an eyebrow would be) and looking challengingly at him. She advanced on him and wound her body around him, and suddenly the Shadowclan stench seemed fragrant and aromatic. She wrapped around him again and stopped behind him, before whispering right next to his ear, "You're actually in Shadowclan territory, Tiger."

Her flirtatiousness dove downhill as she knocked him over with her slender hip, and he fell off the tree, landing on all fours, but still stinging. She leapt gracefully down next to him, and he realized that the tree was indeed on Shadowclan territory. Birchfall scrambled quickly onto Thunderclan turf, and she followed him.

She bowled him over again with her hip, and sat down, saying, "You need to heighten your guard, Tiger." She licked his forepaw with her tail and gently licked a gash he had recieved from his landing from the tree. She licked the blood from the cut, but never once looked at the scratch, she was staring into his eyes the whole time.

She appeared like she was expecting something and said cooly after a while, "Gotta name? I can't keep calling you Tiger, Tiger."

He said, "Oh!" but didn't add anything, he was hypnotized by her eyes.

She nodded slowly and rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "The downfall of beauty," and saying to him after another eye-roll, "And?" he didn't respond and she said exasperatedly, "Your name?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," he paused trying to remember his name, and saying, "I forgot."

"Ah... right. I think I'll just go-" she said, sarcastically creeping away.

"Wait!" Birchfall called after her!

"What?" she said, turning back.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She smiled lightly and said jokingly, "I forgot," before adding, "Catch you later, Tiger."

Just as she dashed into the woods, Whitewing rounded the corner and saw Birchfall laying on the ground near Shadowclan camp, and yelling, "Birchfall, where are you?!"

Birchfall decided that Birchfall must be his name because Whitewing said it was, and called after the white Shadowclan she-cat, "My name's Birchfall!"

He heard her responding whisper from the nearby bushes, "I know." Just loud enough so that he could hear.

That Night

Whitewing curled up next to Birchfall, but Birchfall immediately got up and said, "I have a stomach-ache, I'm going to check it out with Leafpool."

Whitewing looked faintly hurt, but didn't say anything, and Birchfall was glad, he didn't want to offend her. Before he left, he raised his brow implyingly at an incredulous Ashfur. With satisfaction he saw Ashfur walk over to Whitewing before he left for the medicine den, with no particular reason to be there.

Leafpool said, "Hello, Birchfall. A fake stomach-ache, I presume? You can sleep over there." Amusement glinted in her blue-brown eyes, and she gestured to the well-known softest bed in the medicine den.

Birchfall sighed with relief and looked at her with a melting gratitude look. He said, "Thank you, Leafpool." She smiled and said, "Young warrior hormones tend to go crazy around fall time, that seems to be the time where she-cats are in their prime."

Birchfall smiled at her rhyme, and said, "Nice one."

Leafpool observed him evaluatingly and said quietly, "Birchfall, don't get too infatuated with Snowbird, I know what it's like to love a cat in another clan."

"Snowbird?" he asked, not knowing who Leafpool was talking about.

"The pretty white she-cat you were talking to today, the one that was so beautiful she entranced you. The one that you fell in imediate love with," said Leafpool matter-of-factly.

"I was not in love with her!" he said indignantly, "She was just... the prettiest thing I ever saw."

"Exactly" said Leafpool, exaggerating the word. And she said quietly, "You were still an apprentice when Crowfeather... happened. But you must have noticed what happened to me afterwards."

"Yes, you were the saddest cat I've ever seen," commented Birchfall amiably.

"Yes. What do all these cats having common? Graystripe, Silverstream, Me, Crowfeather, Feathertail, Stormfur, Brook, Bluestar, Oakheart, Tigerstar, Sasha, Yellowfang and Raggedstar all have in common?"

"They all had cats in other clans or life-styles or had mates when they were medicine cats," stated Birchfall immediately.

"Yes, and all of them were discovered, and all of them ended up sad or dead. Do not follow that path, appreciate what you have in your own clan, and in your own life-style," warned Leafpool before walking into the back cave of her den to curl up on her bed alone, without a mate, loveless.

Birchfall considered her words, but couldn't let them sink in... and he kept on thinking of Snowbird... Snowbird, what a lovely name... what a lovely cat.

Whitewing came into the medicine den and whispered, "How are you, Birchfall, is it serious?"

"No, but I should sleep here for the night," said Birchfall, knowing Ashfur must have failed at enticing the younger warrior.

She said, "I'll join you, Birchfall, no-one'll every know," she giggled.

He scrunched up as tightly against the wall as possible as she curled next to him, and pressed her pelt against his before looking up at him with her beautiful green eyes and saying, "What is it Birchfall? You're all tense?"

"Stomach-ache," he lied automatically.

She nodded and said, "Sorry" and moved closer to his shoulders and fitting herself there instead around him like a puzzle piece. She murmured softly, and he was sure he heard it this time, "I love you, Birchfall." He didn't reply.

The Next Week- Sunset

Birchfall immediately offered to go on the Dusk Patrol, hoping Whitewing would be asleep by the time he got back, so he wouldn'thave to endure the sound of her saying "I love you" and the silence that followed, and her disappointed love aura growing deeper and deeper, so deep so that he nearly drowned in it. But every time beforehe drowned in the guilt, a luminescent white she-cat with blue eyes rescued him.

Every night Whitewing had looked up into his eyes before she said "I love you" and every time, he saw those green eyes turn blue, and her pelt grow whiter, and her face grow more beautiful. Every night, he wished it was Snowbird instead that was saying "I love you."

He had gone to the same birch tree every day, hoping he would see her, but never had. He had stayed carefully on the Thunderclan side though. The more he thought of it, the more he wondered, why would she even consider coming back to him? He hadn't even been able to remember his own name? What could she have seen in him that she would want to come back to him again?

Every day at sunrise he waited by the tree. Every day at morning he would trip away, as disappointed as ever.

The Night Of the Gathering

The moon was beginning to rise, appearing faintly translucent in the fading yellow-pink sunlight. The Moonlight mizing the the sunlight highlighted a beam onto one star in the sky, the North Sky. Birchfall was almost positive that that star must be Rainwhisker... this night would be dedicated to him in Birchfall's mind.

Rainwhisker had been killed by a falling tree only a few moons before. He had been Ashfur's friend, had often helped train Birchfall, and was Birchfall's friend as well. Birchfall had kept Rainwhisker's secret, Tawnypelt's secret. The mystery tom whose kittens Tawnypelt was to have was Rainwhisker, and he had been going to meet her on the night the tree had fallen.

Rainwhisker's star shone brightly and Birchfall bowed his head in a tribute... maybe Leafpool was right, Rinawhisker had had a mate in another clan... and he had ended up dead... would Birchfall's punishment from Starclan be the same?

He kneeled down, praying to Starclan that Firestar would call his name... and he did... great, along with Whitewing. She immediately caught up to Birchfall and said ecstatically, "Hi Birchfall, I'm so happy we're going together!"

He smiled unconvincingly, and wished that he loved her as more than a friend... what was wrong with him, she was perfect! But... Snowbird was "perfecter."

He played out a scene in his mind on the way to the Gathering, in Shadowclan camp before the Gathering:

Blackstar yowled from the top of the tree, "The cats attending, Me, Littlecloud, Russetfur, Snowbird!"

And Snowbird would be kneeling on the ground, saying "I hope Birchfall is there, I hope Birchfall is at the Gathering!"

Birchfall laughed at himself and his immature make-pretend. Whitewing looked at him strangely and said, "Why are you laughing, Birchfall? I just was asking if you thought it was sad that Rainwhisker couldn't come tonight?"

"Oh, yeah, it's sad... Er- sorry, I was thinking, um, about, er, something else," stammered Birchfall, looking beyond Whitewing.

There was Snowbird, she and Shadowclan bounding towards the tree-bridge. Birchfall grinned at her, and she smiled lightly back, and said smoothly, "Got your voice back, have you Tiger?"

He smiled and loped over to see her, saying foolishly, "You're Snowbird."

"I know I am," she laughed.

"Oh, yeah, I just found that out from my medicine cat, sorry," said Birchfall companiably, gaining back his speech aspects.

She looked concerned or some reason and said, "Are you very close with your medicine cat, I think her name's Leafpool?"

"No, I guess you could call us friends... I go in there for a lot of fake stomach-aches, and she understands that," said Birchfall.

"Fake stomach-aches? You say you have a fake stomach-ache so you can go and see her?" asked Snowbird and continued, "I thought you just said you didn't like her, but you go in there for fake stomach-aches?" Her brow was scrunched up confusedly.

"No, I go in there with fake stomach aches to... escape other people," he looked meaningfully at Whitewing, who was bounding over to see them.

Snowbird nodded, suddenly understanding and said, "I used to do that to escape Smokefoot, he was a stalker." She laughed that wonderful laugh again, and Birchfall joined in, just as Whitewing came even with them.

Whitewing said perkily, "Hi, Birchfall, who's this?"

"Whitewing, Snowbird, Snowbird, Whitewing."

"Hello, Whitewing, people would practically think we were twins," she laughed, but it was cold... and suddenly Birchfall understood. Since they looked so alike and pretty, Snowbird thought that Whitewing was a threat.

Whitewing gave a fake laugh and said, "I hope you don't mind if I steal Birchfall from you, seeing as you're in Shadowclan and all." She said that coldly, turning Birchfall around with a forceful tail-tip.

Birchfall had never thought that two she-cats would ever fight over him, but here they were. Sure, he was handsome, Ashfur had often told him so during training, saying "Birchfall, I wish I was as handsome as you, a she-cat would run to sun-drown place and back in a heartbeat for a tom like you."

Birchfall had thought he was lying... but he must be pretty good-looking for these she-cats to like him so. Birchfall said quietly to Whitewing, "What does that have to do with anything that she's from Shadowclan?"

"Well... Er-, you know, we shouldn't socialize with-" Whitewing stuttered, shocked by Birchfall's intense gaze.

"Well, she's my friend, and that's the point of Gatherings, is it not? To make friends and socialize with other clans," said Birchfall slowly and deliberately.

"Um, I guess so... but-"

"Why can't I talk with Snowbird, then, Whitewing?" asked Birchfall innocently.

Whitewing looked like she was about to cry, and dashed off in the other direction, leaving Birchfall with Snowbird again. With an ounce of satisfaction, Birchfall saw Ashfur walk over and comfort the sobbing white warrior. Birchfall turned back to Snowbird, who said quietly, "You didn't have to do that, she loves you, I'll go if you want."

"No, Snowbird, wait!" he said desperately.

"What, Tiger?" she turned around, a challenging look gracing her elegant features.

"She loves me, but I don't love her!" he blurted out.

"Then who do you love?" asked Snowbird, she was walking back slowly now, but conservatively. Her eyes were bright and curious, but also guarded and expectant. She was placing each foot in front of another, in a straight line.

"I think there's a she-cat I love, but I'm not sure that she loves me back," said Birchfall, looking at his feet now, and Snowbird knew who he was talking about.

She purred quietly and sincerely, "The she-cat loves you back, Birchfall, the she-cat loves you back."

Four Moons Later-

Birchfall was strolling through the Thunderclan camp, and Thornclaw yowled to him, "C'mon quick, Birchfall! Ashfur wants to show you something!"

Birchfall dashed to the camp, and skidded into the nursery, where Ashfur was standing proudly next to Whitewing, and there were two small light silver kittens nursing from Whitewing. Ashfur said to Birchfall, "They are named Fairkit and Lightkit." He slowly guided Birchfall by his tail to the entrance of the den and said, "I thank you, Birchfall, for assisting me and Whitewing on our romance path, we love each-other, and I hope you have the same luck with love."

Birchfall thought in his mind, I already have.

Another Moon Later-

Birchfall was bounding through the trees to the fateful birch tree on the border of Thunderclan and Shadowclan near the boulder, where Snowbird had said she'd let him meet the kits. He reached the border, and began pacing along the boundary line, impatient to see Snowbird and his kits.

It was early morning, and the early morning dapples lighted the forest-floor, and cast eery shadows skittering around the camp. Birchfall looked up into the birch tree and decided to climb it, for sentimental reasons of course.

He crept along a small branch that fed into a larger limb. Just as he was about to swing around onto the limb with his tail, there was a crack. As if in slow motion, the branch and Birchfall fell to the floor, right onto the boulder beneath. There was a crack ashis neck broke, and everything was dark.

He opened his eyes a few heartbeats later, and saw Snowbird above him, saying frantically, "Birchfall, Birchfall, are you all right?"

"I just fell from a tree and broke my neck, but I'm all right," said Birchfall sarcastically and immediately felt guilty, and said, "I'm sorry, I'll be fine, where are the kits?'

His voice came out as a faint wheeze, and Snowbird looked doubtfull at him before displaying three kits; two white, one light brown, just like him. Both white kits were she-kits, one had blue eyes, one had green. The light brown kit was a tom, and had the lightest ice-blue eyes, Birchfall was certain that the little tom-kit would be swarming with she-cats before he knew it, with his good looks.

Snowbird said passionately and with emotion, "Birchfall, you're dying, we have to get you to a medicine cat, they can save you!"

"No, Snowbird, I'll be fine, what are their names?" he asked, gazing entranced as usual into Snowbird's eyes.

"The little tom is Elmkit, the she-kit with green eyes is Ashenkit, and the she-kit with blue eyes is-"

Birchfall cut her off and said, "I'm sorry if you've already named her, but her name is Rainkit. After Rainwhisker, I'd decided to name one of them Rainkit, in honor for him, for he was the noblest cat I'd ever met."

"And the she-kit with blue eyes is Rainkit," finished Snowbird, and licked Birchfall's cheek delicately. Rainkit mewed a quiet moan, that sounded more like a beautiful song to Birchfall.

Birchfall started to cough and writhe, as an attack of pain reached him, but he could not move, he said quietly, "I love you, Snowbird, goodb-"

"No, Birchfall, don't go! You said you would be fine! No!" said Snowbird frantically.

"I said I'd be fine, I didn't say I wouldn't die," said Birchfall, smiling faintly.

"No," moaned Snowbird, racking with sobs.

"Leafpool was right, for breaking the warrior code, there's a punishment, but I don't regret a moment of it. I love you-"

He started to die, slowly and painfully and said quietly, "The tom loves a she-cat, but doesn't know if she loves him back."

Snowbird looked at him with her beautiful watery blue eyes and said, "The she-cat loves him back, I love you, Birchfall."

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I was gonna cry while writing this, i hate writing sappy things... but it was a request, and the longest chapter for anything that I've ever written. When I opened it up in Microsoft Word, it was 10 pages long!

Please review, and if you really hate it, tell me, but I'll be upset because it took me like two hours to write this... REVIEW! And I need requests for another one, or vote for either Stormfur and Squirrelflight, or Spiderleg and Whitewing. REVIEW!

sappy feelings all around!

mysterys