Authoress Notes: I left the chapter on a cliffhanger, lol.
Claim: I own Squirrelflight's kits.
Disclaim: I don't own Leafpool's kits.
Pairing: Brambleclaw x Squirrelflight
Chapter Two
"You're going to have kits."
Squirrelflight stared at her sister in disbelief. "What?" she choked, "Leafpool, you've got bees in your brain."
Leafpool shook her head. "I'm not lying, Squirrelflight."
"I would know if I was going to have kits!" protested the ginger she-cat. Leafpool's gaze remained steady while Squirreflight's emotions began to rage inside her. How dare she say something like that!
"I'm telling the truth, Squirreflight." The warrior turned accusing eyes upon the medicine cat, as if to ask her sister how she could know something that concerned her when Squirreflight hadn't even known. "StarClan told me."
Squirrelflight's pelt bristled. "StarClan?"
Sympathy glowed in her sister's eyes and she padded forward, brushing her pelt against her sister's. "You're supposed to have these kits, Squirrelflight. StarClan is never wrong."
Squirrelflight pressed against her littermate, seeking comfort. "What am I going to tell Brambleclaw?"
"The truth." Leafpool's voice was firm.
"But Jaypaw and-"
"They're not kits anymore, Squirrelflight. No cat will suspect anything." Had the new apprentices still been kits, it would be even harder to explain Squirrelflight's predicament. Leafpool's tongue flicked against Squirrelflight's ear. "It's going to be okay, Squirrelflight."
She trembled. "What if I'm a bad mother?"
Leafpool repressed a sigh. "You've done a great job with Jaypaw, Hollypaw and Lionpaw so far," she mewed softly, pushing down the edge that threatened to creep into her voice. As far as the Clan knew, those three were Squirrelflight's kits.
"Squirrelflight?" Brambleclaw's voice reached the two, and he squeezed into the den as Squirrelflight shot her sister a look, and Leafpool felt the ginger warrior's panic. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," she mewed, padding towards her mate and pressing her muzzle to his. "Brambleclaw, I need to tell you something."
Concern filled amber eyes. "It's nothing bad," said Squirreflight, and she pressed herself against the tabby warrior for support to her words. "I'm...expecting kits."
Brambleclaw's expression was blank for a moments before joy and fear warred in his eyes. Joy won out, and he covered Squirrelflight's face with licks. "That's great," he purred, pride coloring his tone.
Squirrelflight allowed herself to relax, and she padded out of Leafpool's den with her mate by her side. Leafpool sat back, relaxing as well before she exited, eyes falling upon Lionpaw and Hollypaw, who were playing with Jaypaw.
Longing ached in her chest, and she tamped down on the motherly instinct that told her to go to her kits. Her heart sank even further as Squirrelflight approached them and promptly began licking Hollypaw, cleaning each one of them.
She's been more of a mother than I have, thought Leafpool, and then she shook herself. That's how it's supposed to be. I wasn't supposed to have them.
Despite her fierce reprimandment, Leafpool had to wonder how things would have turned out had she been able to raise her kits. Following that line of thought, the she-cat began to wonder what Crowfeather would think of his kits.
Squirrelflight finished cleaning the grubby patch of fur behind Jaypaw's ear, gazing upon them as warmth flooded her pelt. Though she'd raised them, they weren't her kits. The ones inside her belly, however, would belong to her and Brambleclaw. Still, Jaypaw, Hollypaw and Lionpaw had been here first - and she loved them fiercely, as if they were her own.
"Squirrelflight?" Sandstorm's voice mewed from behind her, and she turned to her mother. Identical green eyes glowed warmly as she touched noses with Squirrelflight. "Congradulations."
Squirrelflight's ear flicked. "What-how did you know?" She was certain Brambleclaw hadn't told anyone, and Leafpool wasn't a likely suspect either.
Sandstorm let out a mrrow of laughter. "A mother knows these things," she purred, and she brushed against her daughter's pelt. Squirrelflight watched her mother go, and she headed for the fresh-kill pile.
Forcing herself to eat a vole, she padded towards the warriors den, curling into her nest. Pawsteps approached her and when she looked up, she found Brambleclaw staring down at her before he lay beside her.
She curled towards the warmth that his pelt brought, purring as he licked her ear. "What are we going to-"
"Shh," she whispered, touching the tip of her tail to his muzzle to quiet him. "It's too soon to name them, mouse-brain." Exhaustion was making the trigger for her temper shorter than usual, and she pressed closer to erase the sting of her words as she lay down, closing her eyes.
It was dark. Wind ruffled Squirrelflight's pelt, though when she looked towards the leaves on the trees around her, they were still. Confused, Squirrelflight tensed as a sweet scent entered her glands and she turned.
"Spottedleaf!" she mewed, having seen the gentle tortise-shell she-cat once before in a dream she'd had during their journey over the mountains. The former medicine cat nodded slowly, her expression grave.
"I'm here to warn you," Spottedleaf said. Squirrelflight waited for her to continue. "Three will become two, and blood will stain the earth." [1]
Squirrelflight felt a prickle of fear. "What?" she mewed, but Spottedleaf was already fading. "Spottedleaf, wait!"
Squirrelflight wrenched herself from the dreamworld, gasping for air as she glanced around the dark den. Brambleclaw slept close to her side, and all was silent, save for the sounds of night. Squirreflight lay down, feeling exhaustion creep upon her. "Maybe she was wrong," she whispered to herself. Uneasiness remained.
StarClan was never wrong.
