Thanks to Poisoned Black Hollyleaf, Kagome996, Spottedwind19, and 14Foxtail for reviewing the original story.

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED

What would have happened?

What if Hollyleaf had never gone to the tunnels? She would have lived, that's what. She would have had her whole life in front of her. Here's the day...

Hollyleaf felt guilty. But strangely, everything felt better when she looked over at the fresh kill pile, and saw Mousewhisker smiling at her. Normally, she would have just smiled back, and gotten back to thinking about Ashfur. But he had to die! She screamed inwardly. She looked back to Mousewhisker. He smiled again. He doesn't care about Ashfur... She thought. He didn't know Ashfur... she reminded herself. She suddenly felt the overpowering urge to tell him. Why? She didn't know.

But as she crossed to the freshkill pile, Foxleap leapt in front of her. "Hi Hollyleaf!" He mewed cheerfully.

"Oh... uh... hi." She didn't know why she was stuttering.

"Will you go hunting with me?"

Before she knew it, she found herself saying, "Sure."

Mousewhisker looked disappointed. She couldn't help it though! He padded up, saying, "Hollyleaf, after you go hunting could you help me patrol the border? Firestar told me I could lead a patrol, so I thought I would pick the best cats for the job."

Best cat for the job. He had called her the best cat for the job. Suddenly her life didn't seem so bad anymore. "Sure, Mousewhisker. I'd love too."

Foxleap seemed grumpy as they trudged through the forest. Hollyleaf wondered why. She noticed his tail twitching, as if he was going to say something. Looking back, she realized her tail was twitching too, towards him. She couldn't stop her tail, and before long she noticed that he was edging towards her, too. Why? She noticed her paws moving towards him, too. Then, a squirrel ran by.

They returned to camp with their jaws full of prey. Mousewhisker looked sour, and beckoned Hollyleaf. Hollyleaf said, "Isn't it a bit late for the patrol?"

Mousewhisker didn't look at her. "I held it off. We needed all the cats."

"Who else is coming?"

"No-one."

Hollyleaf's whisker's twitched. What? She wanted to be thinking, but two cats can't do a patrol!, but instead she was thinking, no-one! No-one else is coming! We can be all alone with each other! Maybe I can tell him about...

She looked over to see Foxleap gawking after Rosepetal. Well, she thought, if he's gawking over another shecat I might as well go with Mousewhisker. They looked across the Riverclan border. They could see the sparkling water dancing in the sunlight. "Isn't it beautiful?" Mousewhisker said.

"Yes," Hollyleaf said quietly pressing her pelt to his. "Mousewhisker... I have to tell you something."

"What?" He said, in complete innocence of what she was going to say. This could ruin everything, something in Hollyleaf's mind said. But you can't tell him you love him and have his kits - whoa... did you just think KITS? I guess... that's not the point. You can't have a relationship with someone that is built on a lie.

"Mousewhisker... I killed Ashfur."

His eyes grew wide.

"Why?"

She told him about the secret revealed in storm and fire. He looked at her, and for a heart beat she thought he might spit in her face. But he said, "You did what had to be done. But why did you reveal it at the gathering?"

"Because... I couldn't bear the truth."

"Then why not let Ashfur tell everything?"

"He would have twisted it... distorted it beyond proportion. He would have made ThunderClan weak. And he tried to kill Firestar."

Mousewhisker was quiet. "I admire you for what you were able to do, Hollyleaf. We will keep this secret... my love."

Hollyleaf didn't know what to say. He had called her, my love. "I love you too, Mousewhisker." Hollyleaf murmured quietly. "Our kits will be beautiful."

"Yes. They will." He agreed. "They'll have their mother's integrity and loyalty to the code,"

"And their father's good looks!" Hollyleaf finished for him.

They purred, standing together before the sunset... in their home.